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The Road to Cologne
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| The white line is the main road, the red lines are barricades |
You will be assailed by several kobold-devils when you arrive here. Just to the north is an abandoned cabin in which it is safe to rest.
There is an ambush and two blockades of burning wagons set up on the main road. You can avoid it by taking the high ground in the south and slaying the devils and ogre near the mining well, then circling around to flank the blockade. If you bumble into the ambush then your escape will be cut off by falling boulders forcing you to contend with ranged spawns above and around you. The only way out is to bash the burning wagons, thereby taking fire damage. However, loot is found in the ambush area (Two-Handed Sword +1 and Leather Armor +2).
Left: The lil' red blemishes are the ambushing kobold-devils.
Right: I desperately crash through one of the burning wagon barricades in order to escape.
About twenty devil heads may be looted from the battle and cashed in at the Inquisitor patrol guarding the pass to The Bridge of Saint Würz. You will receive +5 Exp and 25-30 gold pieces per head. Something stupid: You have to cash them in one at a time..! I mean, really? In addition to hunting the devils the Inquisitor will also request you find out where they're coming from and who's leading them (Quest: Hunt the Kobold-Devils).
There is a hollow tree on the northern highground but you can't use it at this stage.
The Bridge of Saint Würz
The bridge has been destroyed by the kobold-devils! How will we get to Cologne now?
Here you will encounter another devil pack and ogre, these ones battling another Inquisitor patrol. There is a second pack hiding under the trees in the southwest. Before ferrying you across the river, the caped Officer of the Inquisition will request you to locate Rodrigo de Las Casas (the Cardinal's nephew), who has been kidnapped by the devils (Quest: Free the Inquisitor) (+120 convo Exp). The reward is 5,000 GP.
Kobold-Devil Cave
(These are small, EZ dungeons, so I won't be taking pics of the maps.)
A dozen devils will mob you when you drop down the rope. Cleave and Great Cleave are your friends.
Two more devils are camped in an alcove to the west. Loot the two crates for random treasure.
Cut a swathe north and then east through the devil mobs, prioritizing the shaman. Kill everything and loot everything.
Descend to the next level of the cave.
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Kobold-Devil Cave, Second Level
A metal door will have to be bashed down as you're being being fired upon by archers on the other side. Use Power Attack.
There is a trapped tunnel to the north guarded by a shaman. Loot the box of herbs and potions for just that, the chest for a Potion of Absorption and an old, finely-wrought trunk for gems, gold, a Treasure Map and a Spirit Bottle (Summon Creature VI [11] single use). The treasure map will be useful later.
In the northeast is a devil pack and ogre guarding a chest containing treasures and Fairy Dust (Invisibility [3] 1 charge/use). There is an exit to the surface here and a locked cell in which the Cardinal's nephew is being held. The cell cannot be opened at this point.
Two tunnels make up the southwest portion of the map, with only the one leading south being of interest. At the tunnel's end is a pile of stones lethally trapped with DC-15 fire: disable it or absorb the 100 fire damage and then heal yourself. Now, bash the stones and then the large cracked boulder behind them, releasing a noxious pocket of gas that will inflict no-save 30 magical damage. Nasty! Behind the boulder is a pile of sparkling stones (holding a diamond), a pile of stones (holding a crappy quartz crystal), and a narrow passage leading into...
The Ancient Halls
The path to the urn is trapped, but you won't be able to detect it. Slay the ancient specter that spawns, disable the trap on the urn (DC-15), and loot it for Ancient Bracers of Fire Resistance (Armor Bonus +1, Fire Resistance 25/-). Keep the objects prefixed with "Ancient"; they are quest items for later (though not plot-critical).
An inanimate golem lies on the floor of the next chamber. Loot the floor for 1231 GP, two malachites, another diamond and the Belt of the Snake (Darkvision, Imm: Poison, Poison [5] 3 charges/use).
Put the bracers on, enter the trapped and locked door (DC-28/28) to the burning chamber, and extinguish the fire elemental within. Loot the trapped and locked chest (DC-15/25) for the Boots of Stone (Dex -1, AC Dodge +1, Barkskin [3] 3 charges/use) and Kukri of Silence (Attack Bonus +2, on-hit DC-14 Silence). Now, exit the chamber with speed.
Step over the golem and take the burning bridge north, across the molten lake. Look carefully on the opposite platform for the Ancient Gold Piece and the Ancient Object (Clairaudience/Clairvoyance [5] single use).
The golem didn't reanimate for me as expected, so recross the bridge and exit the halls back to the kobold-devil caves.
Kobold-Devil Cave, Second Level
In the northwest is a shaman and two kobold-devil giants guarding the entrance to an Ancient Passage. Kill them, loot them, and descend into the passage. A total of 50 devil heads should now be "gracing" your inventory.
Left: Bashing down the metal door.
Right: Dueling kobold-devil giants.
Ancient Passage
During a cutscene you will overhear a conversation between Willie Stein (a witch) and the Chief of the kobold-devils, Grokar. It seems they destroyed the Bridge of Saint Würz to buy themselves time against the Inquisitors.
Willie then walks out to the hall and bumps into you.
The dialogue is revealing. Willie is a member of the Sénacle Lunaire coven, one of the witches Yannia sent you to find. Inform her of Yannia's location and learn that it was Willie who conjured the kobold-devils, to have them explore and excavate ancient ruins that contain priceless artifacts and long-lost lore.
The coven originally had five members but Gertrūd Baum has been arrested and we found Karen Weisshaupt dead in the Dark Grove. (Quest: The Witches). We know Yannia and Willie now, so there is one witch that hasn't been mentioned in dialogue: it must be Laura Stein (Willie's sister?), the only female name left on the Mission Order. Willie confirms that she's holding an Inquisitor prisoner but won't release him to me until she's consulted Yannia (Quest: Free the Inquisitor).
We also find out that Cardinal de Las Casas is the brother of King Castille. It goes without saying he's a formidable adversary.
Willie now teleports to join Yannia in the waterfall cave. (Quest: Find the other Witches, +250 Exp, +210 convo Exp).
With her absent, trick the gullible Grokar into leaving the chamber. While he's down the hall, loot his chest for 665 gold, Ironwood, Magic Box (Weight -80%), Tiger Skin (Charm Person or Animal [3] single use), Collection of Maps of the Area, The Ghost of Conyberry (book), Skeleton's Knuckle and Ancient Statue (Heal [11] 1/day).
In addition, loot the bookcase for a Copy of a Treasure Map and the desk for Gloves of the Thief (Dex +1, Disable Traps +3, Open Locks +3, Pick Pocket +2, Set Trap +2).
If Grokar discovers your theft then a fight will ensue. GROOO KAAAAR! RAAAAH! CHEST OF MINE! YOU BIG THIEF! Grokar hits like a truck (28 Strength) and emanates an Aura of Fire. Slay him for +173 Exp and loot his corpse for a Morningstar +2; then take your leave of the passage.
You can now activate your Clochette and fast travel to locations that you have already been to. I decided to return to the Inquisitor patrol on The Road to Cologne to cash-in 50 heads, also deciding to play both sides (Coven vs. Inquisition) by giving the officer non-specific info about the witches (Completed Quest: Hunt for the Kobold-devils, +650 Exp, 1,300 GP). Then, I took the patrol out.
Ok, it's time to report back to Yannia and Willie in the waterfall cave.
Cave Behind the Waterfall
Here you will find Yannia, Willie, Vuradush and Pietr standing around in the cozy cave.
Yannia will inform you of a secret passage under a hollow tree on The Road to Cologne, excavated by the kobold-devils. It leads under the river and thus is an alternative to being ferried across by the Inquisition.
Inform the witches that the prisoner is actually the nephew of Cardinal de Las Casas (+500 Exp), Rodrigo de Las Casas. Hatch a plan to set Rodrigo free in order to befriend him and gain info, and Willie will hand over the kobold-devil jail key to release him (+150 Exp).
Ask Willie about Laura Stein, the fifth witch and her sister with whom she shares a psychic bond. It seems Laura is somewhere in downtown Cologne.
You may also request a reward from the witches, any one of following:
- 1000 GP
- Magician's Cloak (Bonus Spell Slot L1 & L3, all saves +1, Ray of Frost [1] Unlimited, Wiz/Sorc/Bard only)
- Fighter's Cloak (Deflection AC +1, Str +1, Spell Immunity: Magic Missile)
- Cloak of the Thief (Dex +1, Disable Trap, Hide, Open Lock +3, Pick Pocket, Tumble +2, Rogue & Bard only).
There is another option but I'll let the males guess what that is.
Sell off your loot to Derich in the forest (Pietr & Yannia won't buy a lot of your stuff). Inform him of the destroyed bridge, that you found another way "across" the river (i.e, the kobold-devil passage), but that it's risky. He will fork over another 100 GP (+50 Exp).
Kobold-Devil Cave, Second Level
Return to Rodrigo's cell and use the key Willie gave you to open the door.
Inform Rodrigo that you're here to free him. He will reveal that Gertrūd (the witch that was arrested) is being held in the cellar of the Bishop's Chapterhouse in Cologne and that she will be burnt at the stake in five days; that the Stein sisters (Willie and Laura) are famous for their attack on the Pope in Rome a decade ago; that his uncle (Cardinal de Las Casas) wasn't aware of the connection between the sisters and the attempt on the Pope, didn't know they were of the Sénacle Lunaire coven until their arrival, and that he initially used the coven as an excuse for coming to Cologne.
Rodrigo doesn't know the real reason the Inquisition came to Cologne (it wasn't about witch-hunting); just that his uncle had begun acting oddly after studying an ancient tome in the Vatican Archive (Quest: The Inquisition has been Hiding Some Things, +1,000 Exp). Rodrigo now heads back to Cologne, a free man.
The Bridge of Saint Würz
Return to the officer at the bridge and inform him of your success in freeing the prisoner, Rodrigo (Completed Quest: Free the Inquisitor, +700 Exp).
On the north side of the river, lying outside a burning house, is an arrow-filled corpse you can loot for the Love Letter to Tanya. Hold onto it.
The road north leads to the Southern Suburbs of Cologne but first return to the hollow tree and climb down its roots.
Passage Under the River
Three ancient earth elementals lurk down here, raging at your presence and firing bolt attacks to knock you down. If you look carefully you will find an amethyst on the ground (whoop de doo).
The exit leads to the Southern Suburbs of Cologne but first return to the waterfall cave and inform Yannia of what Rodrigo told you (+350 convo Exp).
Part III: The Southern Suburbs of Cologne.
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