Act Four, Part XIV: Citadel of the Saqaarin Illithid, Dreadnoughts

Part XXXIII of Aielund Saga Walkthrough Guide. Continuing from Part XXXII: Eternal Battlefield. The Aielund Saga is a NWN Module for BioWare's Neverwinter Nights 1.

Citadel of the Saqaarin

Citadel: Living Chambers

So here we are - the Saqaarin citadel!

We find ourselves teleported into a storage room located in the central south of the level.

Terinus informs us that we're on a ship of sorts, that we need to find the Bridge, kill the Supreme Commander and destroy the engines in order to save Aielund from utter annihilation. He also warns us of Saqaarin psionics (they're basically illthid/mindflayers, similar to those found in Zorvak'Mur) and their expertise in golemcraft (ie, the Dreadnoughts). 

There is a Saqaarin Panel standing beside the portal..

This panel seems to be barely functional. None of the buttons work, and the display indicates that the controls for this teleporter have been re-routed to the Bridge. - DM.

Across the hall is an armory.

The dust in this room is especially thick. It appears to be an abandoned armory. - DM.

There are several banged up Saqaarin Armors littering the floor, and two still standing (but immobile and inoperable).

Terinus believes one of the standing Ironlord suits can be fixed with minimal effort - we just need to find a few specific spare parts!

One of the spares is right here, on the other standing armor. We loot the golem leg.

We head north to the Sleeping Chambers in which two odious Saqaarin Technicians lurk. I take them out alone, since I can't fail the saving throws with Will: 50 (+1050 EXP ea).

Their "Cone attack" would likely be psionic mind blast (DC-29 Will), which stuns and inflicts tremendous magical damage on already-stunned victims. Only Robert ever got stunned in my few hours of testing and playing on the Citadel.

I presume "Psionic Ability" is basically psionic mass concussion, which inflicts serious AoE bludgeoning with knockdown chance (DC-31 Will, see below pic); other times it's the soak self-buff psionic inertial barrier (above pic, right).

Psionic mass concussion is an AoE; spread your party out

Backing out of the chamber onto the passageway, we bump into a patrolling Saqaarin Sentry Construct which Robert and I violently dismantle for its heart.

• Saqaarin Sentry Construct: +910 EXP, golem heart, Ancient Longsword of Power +7 (+2d12 electrical, Keen, Mass crits 20), Lesser Force Shield of the Ancients +8 (25% resist bludg/pierce/slash, on-hit 2% Chaos Shield lvl3).

Four carbon copies patrol the main passageway that encircles the level, and are dispatched in like manner. 

The northwesternmost chamber is the slave pens wherein several Mindless Slaves (aka human cattle) are imprisoned.

Finally, a decent meal! - Saqaarin Wizard.

Insidious occupants also dwell here, including a Saqaarin Wizard (+1190 EXP), Saqaarin Biologist (+910 EXP), technician (+1050 EXP) and construct (+910 EXP).

The biologist conjures a Greater Air Elemental and trolls us with AoEs from the other side of the gate, which I angrily bash down in order to get to it and rip its facial tentacles off. The biologist carried an impressive shield, the Force Shield of the Ancients +8 (50% imm to bludg/pierc/slash, Chaos Shield 2% [3]).

We nose around the slave pens..

This man stares vacantly at you, eyes devoid of all thought. His mind has been completely broken, and there is nothing more you can do for him. - DM.

Well, we can put them out of their misery but that shifts us five points towards evil..

Heading east along the northern passageway...

This place is vast. I wonder how many of them dwell here. - Nellise.

... and now south along the western one, we come across an armory. We clear out the two techs and then loot the golem brain from a Damaged Saqaarin Dreadnought. Three Legionnaires stand here, but they're dormant.

Level Up to 36!

(Epic Characters)

Lilura: Champion of Torm (20) / Paladin (12)/ Fighter (4), STR +1, Great Strength V
Robert: Fighter (36)
Nellise: Cleric (34) / Paladin (2)
Terinus: Wizard (36) 

With the three golem parts in hand, we return to the abandoned armory to fix the Ironlord armor (+1000 EXP per part).

Terinus has a new, Ironlordy look!

Nellise gets divine wings, Terinus gets a godly exoskeleton - what do Robert and I get? Nothing. 

Anyway, heading south, east and then north along the passageway, we come to a dead-end.

This control panel is blank, apparently broken. You are unable to operate this teleporter. - DM.

Further east along the passageway we enter a library containing two more technicians, whom we beat into a pulp.

In the far northeast..

This seems to be sleeping chambers for the Saqaarin. It seems to have been in disuse for some time. - DM.

Nothing to kill in here..

A vacant seven-podded sleeping chamber

Just south of the sleeping chambers is an entrance to the observation dome. The heroes promptly lay waste to three technicians, one construct and a wizard; then take the western exit into the last chamber of the current level.

Two more constructs guard the entrance to the armory level.

We take the stairs up to the armory..

Citadel: Armory

Before us appears an illusionary projection of a Saqaarin leader.

Yes, I thought I sensed intruders... - Saqaarin Supreme Commander.

It fades.

Saqaarin Supreme Commander

The whole Citadel now begins to adjust its position in order to target Aielund with it's apocalyptic weapon. Terinus explains Aielund is going to be turned to glass unless we shut down their weapons system, pronto.

We smash through two constructs on our way to the south.

The leader projects itself again.

The guards have been informed of your presence. I shall enjoy watching you die. - SSC.

I'd pay real money if he'd shut up. - Robert.

Again it fades.

We enter the Dreadnought manufacturing plant.. 

"Several minutes until (Aielund's) destruction"! - Announcement.

A brief cutscene shows Dreadnoughts being activated by technicians.

There are eight Dreadnoughts in total (910 EXP ea), four on each side of the chamber. Three are initially hostile, and, as we overcome them, Saqaarin Technicians (+630 EXP ea) appear from a central portal to animate reinforcements.

I charge past three Dreadnoughts to reach my priority target, the squishy Saqaarin Scientist (+140 EXP).

The party then focuses on eliminating the eight Dreadnoughts - which is no mean feat! Robert and I sturdily carried the burden for the most part. The first time we fought one of these things was much harder than facing eight now. The reason for that? We're bypassing their DR with our uber-enchanted weapons.

With the Dreadnoughts reduced to mangled scraps of adamantium, we head through the door at the opposite end of the plant and smash through three more constructs en route to the firing chamber.

Electrified doors prevent direct entry to the chamber.

You must find the generator room to disable these doors. - Terinus.

Rounding a bend we encounter the weapon control room. Terinus casts Knock on the door, startling the two techs and one scientist, who then feebly defend themselves against my holy sword, Nightbane. 

The final sequence is beginning, we must destroy the weapon NOW! - Terinus.

Leaving the Saqaarin pasted on the floor, we charge to the power room.

Two techs are splattered against the walls by my companions even as I begin smashing four of the eight power generators.

With the fourth generator smashed...

I believe that is sufficient to disable both forcefields. - Terinus.

An announcement now warns us that one minute remains before Aielund is glass. We charge headlong into the firing chamber, halting before a third projection of the Saqaarin leader!

You have crossed a line. Rest assured you will not leave here alive. - SSC.

It fades.

Four weapon crystals are now smashed to prevent the system firing (+3500 EXP).

It's going to explode! - Nellise.

Excellent work. The weapon should be disabled for some time. Let's get to the Bridge. - Terinus.

We dive through the door before the place turns into an inferno.

With the weapon systems (at least temporarily) disabled, power now runs freely to the nearby teleporter, which we now take to the Bridge.
 

Let's finish this! - The Heroes.

Next Up -  The Aielund Saga: Act Four - Part XV - THE FINALE

Aielund Saga Act 1: Nature Abhors a Vacuum	Aielund Saga Act 3: Return of the Ironlord
Aielund Saga Act 2: Defender of the Crown	Aielund Saga Act 4: The Fall of Aielund