Part X of the Icewind Dale 2 Walkthrough. Continuing from Part IX: Underdark.
Kuldahar IWD2
You will be confronted by Hiepherus IWD2, a neo-orog Priest of Bane in the employ of the Legion of the Chimera. Oswald will retreat into his airship. Trick Hiepherus into revealing his plans for Kuldahar (1,200 XP) and then trick him into retreating (1,200 XP). You will have to strictly follow this dialogue combo in order to succeed: 3-1-1-2. You will have to fight a mob of wights if you fail the latter (which, at your level, will not reward kXP).
Kuldahar Pass. A comparison of Icewind Dale Kuldahar Pass and Icewind Dale 2 Kuldahar Pass. A lot of effort has been put into these area transformations, and the artist deserve credit.
First, clear the area of a massive mob of undead led by Wight Lord, Khavros the Black. Just epic! Lure them together: DBFB or Meteor Swarm.
Remember that you can rest in Oswald's airship at any time.
Force the door to the watchtower open. Instead of Ghereg the Ogre. you will find Nathaniel and Jermsy. You will remember that Jermsy was the little boy you saved in the Pass 30 years ago. He was hiding from goblins in the Old Mill. Well, he is now a ranger — no doubt with goblin as his racial enemy.
They will request two things of you: eliminate the Banite in Hrothgar's Glen and find Gerbash in town. You will also learn about Mother Egenia, whom you will remember from IWD.
Ok, let's take out the Banite first. Exit to the north to reach the glen.
Hrothgar's Glen
A comparison of Icewind Dale's Beetle Cave and Icewind Dale 2's glen. Nice.
On the right we can see graves. Later in the game, we will battle Lost Followers IWD2 at this location.
Again, lure the massive undead mob into a clump and immolate them.
Enter Hierperus' lair and rip him a new one. Ok, you have cleansed Kuldahar Valley of the forces of evil and slain Hiepherus, Priest of Bane (2,400 XP + 1,200 XP).
Engage search mode to discover the stash in the altar. Exit. Make a mental note of this place because we will return here once we have the Medallion of the Lost Followers.
Inform Jermsy that you have slain Hiepherus and all of his troops (2,400 XP).
SORCERER 23: New Spells: Luck, Shadow Conjuration, Suffocate. At this caster level, Shadow Conjuration summons forth the likes of Greater Feyr and Remorhazes. The former suck, the latter rock.
Ok, as indicated by Nathaniel, perhaps Mother Egenia's Spirit has returned now that Hiepherus has been dealt with. However, you must speak to Iselore first in order to satisfy this quest.
Ok let's go into town and find Iselore, Sheemish, Conlan and Gerbash.
Kuldahar. A comparison of Icewind Dale Kuldahar and Icewind Dale 2 Kuldahar. Gorgeous.
Take the Yuan-ti out, map-wide.
Gerbash is in the old Ilmaterian Temple. Give him a healing draught (1,200 XP), get the Watchtower key from him, and deliver it to Jermsy (1,200 XP).
In Orrick's Tower in the northwest you will find Sheemish. Click on the desk and ask Sheemish about what you read. Keep getting him to say the words and a strange apparition will spawn. Set it free (1,200 XP).
Sheemish will now have Orrick's old stock in addition. Of the new stock, the Cold Reflection ring is pretty good (magic damage resistance 4/-). As mentioned in Part I, its MDR will stack with Robe of Infusing for 5 total. You will remember how Magic Missile spam can be a problem (Elder Brain encounter). Well, now it can't hurt you.
Conlan is not where his smithy used to be, he's in Gerth's equipment shop. Tell him that Sheemish is safe (1,200 XP). Buy the Mercenary's Sack and Robe of Infusing from him.
Ok, speak with Iselore, the Archdruid of Kuldahar, who took over from Arundel. Ask him about Isair and Madae. You will learn what happened to them.
Mother Egenia's Spirit
In Icewind Dale 1, Mother Egenia was the Priestess of the Temple of Ilmater in Kuldahar.
However, Sister Calliana took over when Egenia suddenly vanished from Kuldahar. As it turned out, Egenia wandered off into the mountains and allowed herself to be abducted by Talonites in the hope that she could locate the children who had been abducted, too. The heroes of IWD1 subsequently rescued Egenia from the bowels of Dragon's Eye, along with the children. However, in an oversight by Black Isle, Egenia did not return to Kuldahar during IWD1.
Anyway, return to the Pass, head over to the ruined house in the northeast, and rest until nightfall. Mother Egenia's Spirit should manifest before you. To be clear, the spirit will not spawn until you have spoken to Nathaniel about it, and you won't be able to put the spirit to rest until you have learned of the current state of Isair and Madae from Iselore.
Ask the spirit what happened to her, ask her about Isair and Madae, ask her why she cared for them, ask her what happened to them, and ask her what your future holds (1,600 XP). Next, tell her what happened to Isair and Madae, answer her question as to why you have come to the edge of the world, and then lay her to rest (1,600 XP). Lastly, ease Nathaniel's spirit by telling him that you put the spirit to rest (1,200 XP).
Return to Kuldahar and head up to the Great Oak where the yuan-ti were chopping away at it. There will be a portal there now that leads to the jungle of Chult.
Chult
Jungle of Chult (AR6050). We are here to close the portal that the Chultan yuan-ti have opened to Kuldahar. To do that, we need to slay the guardian that is maintaining it. To do that, we need to infiltrate a well-guarded yuan-ti temple.
But first, this is just the jungle so run around the area, killing yuan-ti.
Listen to Ssethsar Sashkta's recitation of challenges, slay them when they turn hostile, loot the Initiates Robe, and wear it. It is to disguise you as a Pureblood once we enter the temple.
In the jungle, we heard a yuan-ti priest named Sashkta reciting a list of challenges to white-robed initiates. The questions were as follows: what approaches at dusk, what drowns Selune's gleaming on a cloudlesss night, who keeps the ancient venom of Sseth potent, and where does Sseth embrace unbelievers?
The answers were: the growing darkness, the obscuring moon of our faith, his faithful followers, and the cradle of scales, respectively. After that point in their training, our presence was detected by the priest.
Loot the four Religious Steles in the jungle and place them on the altar in the south. There is one missing: the Broken Religious Stele. Enter the Serpent's Lair Temple under the altar in search of it.
Serpent's Lair Temple
(AR6051). To bypass this entire segment, you can simply grab the broken religious stele, and leave. However, you will miss out on quest experience and wealth by doing so (but only 3,600 XP and no gear valuable to a Sorcerer). In addition, you want to keep your head down in here: don't be aggressive or announce your intent unless you want a large-scale battle. Again, you will miss out on quest experience by not acting like the initiate you are disguised as. Logcially, removal of the disguise in the temple results in immediate aggro from the yuan-ti.
Ojaiha of the Gleaming Scales, Yuan-ti High Priest of Sseth, currently presides over the ritual which is in session. You can interrupt but nothing is gained from it. Wait until the ritual is over and "the yuan-ti slither back to their posts, hissing to themselves". Ojaiha slithers to guard his treasury behind the ritual room. If you looted the treasury while waiting for the ritual, you will have blown your cover and will be hunted down by assassins and priests, post-ritual. So yeah, don't do that yet.
Note on exploration: I recommend exploring under the effects of Mirror Image (to protect against traps) and Invisibility (to avoid interrogation). If you are asked a question by the yuan-ti you must answer correctly or they will go hostile. This means you won't get quest experience or any experience (because you're over-leveled). The answers to the questions are recorded in your journal. However, there are other questions you may be asked the answers to which you can learn from yuan-ti. I didn't bother because it doesn't reward XP.
Speak to Ojaiha and he will deign to tell you a few things. One, that the Inner Coils are off-limits. This is where the Viper's Fangs (assassins) and Coiled Cabal (loremasters) hang out, led by Ashra and Inhatri, respectively. Two, he will tell you about the altar through which you entered: It is a holy ground where the guardian is summoned.
Back out in the ritual room, you can safely loot the dessicated hearts from the winged serpent statue. You can also raise and lower the bridge without repercussions. This can be used to your advantage later, but you won't need it.
What to do with the hearts? Head to the circular chamber in the south east. You will have to step into a trap and endure it for a time until it deactives (Mirror Image). Now, in the circular room is a pit holding four Heartless Dead that obviously correspond to the hearts you have in your possession. If you drop the hearts on the edge of the pit, in the doorway, and then flip the switch just outside the circlular chamber, the platform will be raised, the Heartless Dead will be free to roam around, and they will zero-in on their hearts and be destroyed. If you don't drop the hearts, the undead will follow you and can be lured to the yuan-ti to tank for you. But really, they are not much help at all. Thus, you don't even need to bother with this.
More importantly, and in fact crucially, raising the platform grants you access to the broken religious stele on the other side of the pit, which, as I said earlier, is all you need to do in the temple. However, we want to max XP.
Just south of the Heartless Dead is Jeszrael, Yuan-ti Half-Breed petitioner from Dragon's Eye. There is no XP to be gained here.
Make your way north, west and then south, exploring to the forbidden Inner Coil. Scout under the effects of Invisibility and Mirror Image.
You will reach the training room. Don't bother interrupting Ashra or Inhatri's teaching. In an adjoining chamber is a Viper's Fang Assassin whom you can trick into revealing info about the treasury. "Open the tenth plate, then the third, then the fifth". (1,200 XP).
Puzzle
The stones are labeled in the order in which they should be pressed. If you mess up, the reset stone resets the puzzle.
Slay the six hitachii within and loot the place of useless garbage.
Ok, you're done with exploration. It's time now to confront Ojaiha. Thing is, once he catches sight of you again, you will be called "a desecrator" for going to the inner coils. So, first, cast Invisibility and talk to him while he's non-hostile. Tell him you're seeking a way to close the portal, then try to reason with him and come to peaceful solution (2,400 XP).
Now, be ready for a big fight as your diplomacy fails!
Buffs: Mirror Image, Mind Blank, Eagle's Splendor
Animate Dead/Shades -> Haste, Stoneskin, Emotion: Hope.
Symbol of Hopelessness, Wail of the Banshee.
Make sure you slay Ojaiha, Ashra, Inhatri and Jeszrael. This will break the strength of the yuan-ti in Chult and save Kuldahar (1,600 XP). Just Killing the Guardian would do that, too, but we want XP.
Place the broken religion stele in position to summon forth the Guardian, Chahopek IWD2: the heart of the yuan-ti's corrupt religion. Prepare for battle (2,400 XP). Stand and deliver: slay the dragon with mordsword. What a joke. Reward is permanent Acid, Cold, Fire 5/- and HPs +12.
Guardian Slain, Portal Collapsing. Take the portal back to Kuldahar. Don't waste time or it will be game over.
Back in Kuldahar. Madae steps in, trash-talks and then teleports way. Help Iselore take out the waves and waves of invaders, led by Yuan-ti half-breed, Cedra.
You stopped the Chultan yuan-ti threat to Kuldahar by slaying the Guardian and sealing the crossroads (2,400 XP).
Head east to get to world map... and Dragon's Eye.
Take me to Part XI: Dragon's Eye Icewind Dale 2.
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