Siege of Dragonspear Chapter 8 (Part IV)

Part IV of the Siege of Dragonspear Guide.

Siege of Dragonspear Chapter 8

The previous post saw the heroic party of CHARNAME embark on their expedition, marching out of the city in front of a hopeful crowd of onlookers. Their first stop? The Coast Way Crossing. Their ultimate destination? Northward, to Caelar Argent's stronghold — the castle of Dragonspear!

A short cutscene fires showing the Hooded Man (Irenicus) coolly gauging Caelar Argent's Bhaalspawn Abilities and questioning her goals and her ability to achieve them. Caelar becomes impatient and orders 2ic Priest Hephernaan to remove Irenicus from her sight. However, no one is game to touch Irenicus, so they simply march on.

Those who have played Icewind Dale will immediately notice that Hephernaan uses a recolored Brother Poquelin sprite.

Coast Way Crossing

Coast Way Crossing: The Winding Water, Flaming Fist Encampment (AR BD1000).

The Fist-backed party has marched north and arrived at the Flaming Fist Encampment by the Winding Water river.

Resting fires a BG2-style dream sequence showing Sarevok "resurrecting" in the Temple of Bhaal while Irenicus looks on. Sarevok then shifts to Slayer form and slays Charname, ending the dream. (No Bhaalspawn special abilities are acquired.)

 

For your convenience the party stash has been transported here by one of the caravans. It is located in the south of the camp, adjacent to Mizhena: a cleric of Tempus who offers healing services from Cure Light Wounds to Raise Dead.

Other NPCs of interest:

• Quartermaster Belegarm offers the same pre-expedition wares. If you haven't already I suggest you purchase the Bag of Holding from him. To reduce the price make sure Safana (or some other charismatic party member) is the leader of the party (i.e, the top portrait) and that she casts Friends on herself from the Brevein's Quarterstaff, before haggling with Belegarm.
• Paladin Rayphus gives you more info on Caelar; such as: that some claim she is Aasimar; that her 2ic is a priest who calls himself Reverend Brother Hephernaan; that Caelar accepted his heresy to eschew monotheism and embrace a pantheon; and that she professes to follow all gods and promises their protection to legions loyal to her.
• Thaird the dwarf is assistant to the quartermaster and is in charge of sleeping arrangements. He offers up to merchant-standard resting.
• Patrescus the mage, Pfaug the duergar, Soralis the arcane adviser and Brielle the scrub have little to say of note.

Three more companions may join the party at this point: Corwin, Glint & Edwin. If you didn't already recruit them in the city, Safana, Viconia and Minsc & Dynahier are also present as options.

Shael Corwin is the loyal Flaming Fist Captain who accompanied the party as guide and backup during their exploration and questing in Baldur's Gate, and she now becomes a full-fledged party member.

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They mock me. (This cannot stand. This WILL not stand!) - Edwin.

A red-robed mage is scripted to trundle down to the camp from the northeast... you know, it's hard to pass up on Edwin Odesseiron, the abrasive Conjurer and Red Wizard of Thay; but those who wish to keep the Rashemi duo (Minsc & Dynaheir) will be forced to thanks to the factional rivalry and history between them. Edwin wanted Dynaheir dead in the original campaign, and they almost come to blows when they meet up in Siege, too (Quest: Unexpected Allies).

Gift him the Robe of the Evil Archmagi, Ring of Wizardry and Bracers of Armor AC5 - and he's set.

Encampment loot: Potion of Heroism.

Fist Encampmnent: Outskirts (AR BD1000).

Ancient Menhirs

A short stroll east of the encampment is bard Prin, merrily singing to a rune-carved standing stone (a menhir). The object is to locate six standing stones and have a charismatic party member sing to each of them. Party members who lack Charisma run the risk of being poisoned, electrocuted, bludgeoned by a stone golem or level-drained by a wraith (but besting them at least yields +4,000 Exp). A failed Charisma check on one menhir results in a riddle being posed, which an intelligent companion may also answer. Refer to the map for menhir locations (they're EZ to spot).

Once the sixth and final menhir has been charmed, the spirits of Crommus and Carline are summoned and brought together in death. In gratitude Crommus grants permission to loot his grave and reveals its secret location, in the barrow nearby (the Dwarven Dig Site). Return to Prin, tell the tale of Crommus to her and, before leaving to write her epic ballad, she will reward you with the Reed of Echoes (+2 first level spell slots, +1 second circle, +1 third circle, Bard only). Nice! (Completed Quest: Ancient Menhirs, +6,000 Exp).

Note: There are two more companions, one other vendor and three other quests on this map, not including the to-do with Caelar on the blockaded bridge. These will be covered in Part V, in which the Coast Way Forest will also be covered.

Dwarves of Dumathoin

Dwarven Dig Site (AR BD1100).

Ah, finally! A dungeon crawl after all that city-based FedEx-ing. Not that I found the city boring; it's just that I didn't find enough things in need of a killin'. Well, this changes that.

Make your way to the dig site and assist Daran Highhammer in dispatching two zombies. Your initial goal is to save Deepvein's dwarves from an undead horde (as usual the dwarves delved too deep in their search for precious ore). (Quest: Dwarves of Dumathoin).

Zombies x2 (+65 Exp ea).

Dwarven Dig Site — Tunnels. Step inside to assist Deepvein and his three battle clerics in destroying a mob of undead that have assailed them.

Zombie x7 (+65 Exp ea), Ghoul x2 (+175 Exp ea), Wight (+1,000 Exp).

Note: Beware of proximity traps in the tunnels.

Brother Auchlin Deepvein is thankful and requests that you explore the tunnels in search of Gurn Coldhearth.

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March east down the undead-infested southern tunnel to reach a dead-end guarded by umber hulks and crawlers.

Cold Wight x3 (+1,400 Exp ea), Ghast (+650), Ghoul x2 (+175 Exp ea), Umber Hulk x2 (+4,000 Exp ea), Mutated Crawler x2 (+650 Exp ea).

Corpse: Amulet of the Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain. There are four more of these amulets, but more on that later.

Dwarven Dig Site — Abandoned Camp. Backtrack to the dwarves, head northward and come to the aid of ettin Semahl, boxed in by undead. The giant will thank you and declare himself a friend of the dwarves. Slay him for +6,000 Exp or let him stomp off to reunite with the dwarves for +3,000 Exp. Take note of the locked chest: you will find the key to it later.

Wraith (+2,000 Exp), Cold Wight (+1,400 Exp), Wight (+1,000 Exp), Ghast x2 (+650 Exp ea).

Slay the writhing crawlers in the adjacent storage chamber.

Carrion Crawler x4 (+420 Exp ea), Mutated Crawler x2 (+650 Exp ea).

Loot: Trivial.

Tunnels — Eastward. Two other tunnels lead eastward.

The northernmost tunnel leads to Crommus's grave, guarded by two mobs of undead. This grave is only revealed to those who have completed the Ancient Mehirs quest, detailed above. Relieve the grave of the following items: Crommus's Capelet (on-hit Blur 5%, save vs. enchantment +2), Star Strewn Boots (MR 5%, 15% Wizslayer), Bard Hat (Immunity: Silence & Deafness, 2 round lingering bard song), Tangled Strings (Dispels confusion effects, single target, 2/day).

There is also a Warhammer +1 on the ground here. Whoop-de-doo.

Wight x2 (+1,000 Exp ea), Ghast x2 (+650 Exp ea), Ghoul x3 (+175 Exp ea), Zombie x8 (+65 Exp ea).

Slay the vermin clogging the central tunnel that leads into the next area.

Carrion Crawler x2 (+420 Exp ea), Mutated Crawler x1 (+650 Exp), Ghast x3 (+650 Exp ea), Ghoul x2 (+175 Exp ea), Zombie x2 (+65 Exp ea).

The Repository of Undeath 

(AR BD1200).

You will begin in the south of a sprawling dungeon. Enter the Library and loot the shelves for books that foreshadow an encounter with a Lich: Tome of Ancient Knowledge, Mortal to Lich Notes, A Philosophical Treatise on the Nature of Lichdom, Volume MCXII of the History of the Netherese Empire, scrolls of Blur and Hold Person. Be sure to read the documentation found during this quest as it provides lore on Liches and their phylacteries.

• Beware this ARs Fireball & Cloudkill proximity traps.
• We are dealing primarily with undead, against which the following wards are useful: Negative Plane Protection, Resist Fear, Free Action, Protection From Evil, 10' Radius and Death Ward.

Head east to the chamber with a raised pool of water as its focal point, slaying the skeletal undead within. The pedestal has four slots into which scepters must be placed, three of which are empty. We'll keep an eye out for the other three...

Armored Skeleton (+750 Exp), Tattered Skeleton x2 (+400 Exp ea), Skeleton Archer x3 (+250 exp ea).

Take the eastern door to the next chamber, slay the undead within and snatch the Silver Scepter from the table (1 of 3). Around the corner lurk five burning undead.

Wight x2 (+1,000 Exp ea), Ghast (+650 Exp), Ghoul x2 (+175 Exp ea), Zombie x6 (+65 Exp ea), Burning Skeleton x5 (+300 Exp ea).

You will reach an explosive chamber, a portal from which non-trivial denizens of the Plane of Fire randomly spawn at intervals. You may farm them if you like but you will need solid fire protection. 

Manipulating the portal does nothing at this point, but remember this place - it will become vital if you choose to solve this quest "the good way".

Fire Salamander x2 (+2,000 Exp ea), Fire Mephit x4 (+420 Exp ea), Lesser Fire Elemental x2 (+400 Exp ea).

Return to the raised pool and place the first Silver Scepter into its pedestal.

Head north and enter through a secret door to arrive in a chamber guarded by a mummy and its support crew. Beware the mummy's Aura of Fear. You should protect against level drain with Negative Plane Protection, but you can also remove it with Lesser (or Greater) Restoration. (You will need at least Int 9 to cast spells from scrolls.)

Mummy (+3,000 Exp), Wraith (+2,000 Exp), Shadowed Soul (+1,100 Exp), Greater Ghast (+975 Exp), Cold Wight x3 (+1,400 Exp ea), Wight x2 (+1,000 Exp ea), Bonebat x3 (+975 Exp ea), Zombie x3 (+65 Exp ea).

Sarcophagi: Silver Scepter (2 of 3), scrolls of Vampiric Touch & Breach, Beljuril, Pearl x8, Fire Opal Ring, 572 GP, The Uncursed Staff (THACO -2, sets Strength to 18).

The door to the south is warded, meaning it resists Knock and conventional attempts to unlock it. Head north to the Laboratory, destroy the heavy-hitting sentry guarding its entrance, and loot its wrecked frame for the Sword of Troll Decapitation +1 (Strength +1 for 1 turn on critical hit of troll).

Bronze Sentry (+5,000 Exp).

The Repository of Undead — Laboratory.

Cleanse the lab of myriad undead.

Greater Ghoul (+975 Exp), Shadow x2 (+420 Exp ea), Skeleton Archer x2, Zombie x6, Bladed Skeleton (+1,000 Exp), Armored Skeleton x2 (+750 Exp ea), Shadowed Soul (+1,100 Exp), Bonebat x2 (+975 Exp ea), Tattered Skeleton (+400 Exp).

Loot the Scepter of Silver (3 of 3) from the desk, Cleric's Vestments and Chest key from the floor, and the Failed Phylactery, Notes on the Failed Experiment and Essence of Clarity from the shelves.

The key unlocks the chest in the Abandoned Camp; it's holding a piece of Parchment and the Journal of Gurn Coldhearth. Deliver the journal to Brother Deepvein and he will request you seek out and destroy the "ill-spawned bastert". To this end he gifts you The Secret Revealed, a divine anti-lich gemstone (4d8 magic vs. undead, save vs. death for half, weakens liches, 3 charges).

A metal throne is suspended over a misty blue void: pull the lever on the chair's arm to break the ward on the locked door. If still animate, now the skeletons that were taking potshots at the party from the warded chamber will zero-in. Slay them and loot the de-warded chamber.

Skeleton Archer x4 (+250 Exp ea).

De-warded chamber treasure: Greater Restoration, Protection From Evil, 10' Radius and Glitterdust scrolls and other trash.

The Scrying Pool: Visions

Return to the raised pool and place the three Silver Scepters into the pedestal (+3,000 Exp). This is actually a scrying pool from which you may experience visions of Imoen, Caelar and the Hooded Man for a total of +1,500 quest experience points for all party members. Note that you require two Essence of Perception potions to experience three Remote Views.

The Repository of Undeath: Pillar Puzzle

March north from the lab and chunk the juicy cadavers guarding the four-pillared chamber of blood. A brass plate is mounted on each pillar, etched with a design symbolic of the four seasons. To break the ward on the nearby door, you must first press the plates in the reverse order of the seasons (this clue given in the Tome of Ancient Knowledge which states "Sometimes it is wise to think backwards"); that is: Snowflake, cracked and fragmenting leaf, shining sun and leaf. (If you input the wrong order the puzzle resets and random flocks of elemental mephits will spawn to hassle you).

Imbued Wight x2 (+1,200 Exp ea), Drowned in Blood x4 (+800 Exp ea), Mephit x4 (+420 Exp ea).

Slay the undead in the now de-warded chamber, cross the pool of blood and descend the staircase to witness Coldhearth's ascension to lichdom!

Shadowed Soul (+1,100 Exp), Drowned in Blood x4 (+800 Exp ea), Bonebat x2 (+975 Exp ea).

Coldhearth Lich

The Repository of Undeath — Ritual Room & Phylactery Cache. Now, be careful in dialogue with Coldhearth lest you miss the option to resolve matters evilly. Basically, you have two options: destroy him or do his dirty work. I will cover both.

Destroy Coldhearth Lich
(Option One aka The Good Solution)

Eh? Who are you now? How did you come to this place? - Coldhearth Lich.

It's a long story. A story that ends in a pitched battle with a dwarven lich. - Charname.

As in other lich battles Coldhearth opens proceedings by firing contingencies and triggers that allow him to immediately throw up all manner of buffs and wards; stuff like: Stoneskin, Fireshield, Protection From Magical Weapons, Protection From Energy, True Sight and Spell Turning. What, how am I supposed to take him down? Well, he should be EZ pickings after Breach removes PfMW / Stoneskin, but Deepvein also gifted you The Secret Revealed gemstone, remember? Use it to dispel Coldhearth's protections and inflict spell failure upon him - you DON'T want him unleashing Horrid Wilting on the party. Once exposed to your cold hard steel the dwarf-lich should drop like a sack of shit, but remember the lore on liches: they regenerate by means of their phylactery...

Snatch the ancient key from Coldhearth's corpse, unlock the secret door with it, and waste no time in reaching the Phylactery Cache. There are six phylacteries on display here, five of them decoys. Coldhearth's is the second from the left. Grab it. You may also break the other phylacteries to have the gems with which they were adorned transferred to your inventory (Diamond, Black Opal x2). Now, make your way to the Broken Portal to Other Planes and cast the phylactery into the fire to destroy the lich, utterly (+22,000 Exp). The precious gems and gold that adorned the phylactery will be transferred to your inventory (King's Tears, Emerald, 3,000 GP) and you will receive +22,000 Exp and +3,000 quest experience points for each party member.

Note: It may be that CHL is not vanquished upon destruction of his phylactery; and instead, is hot on your heels in the portal chamber, and mad as hell. If that's the case simply use your ace card a second time and then drop him. With no phylactery to regenerate from, the +22,000 Exp should be yours.

Return to Brother Deepvein and inform him of Coldhearth's demise. The noble dwarf will reward you with a Greater Restoration scroll and the Helmet of Dumathoin (Physical damage resistance +3%, Constitution +2 dwarves, +1 others). He will also promise to assist you against The Shining Lady. (Completed Quest: Dwarves of Dumathoin.)

Do the Lich's Dirty Work
(Option Two aka The Evil Solution)

Eh? Who are you now? How did you come to this place? - Coldhearth Lich.

I came here seeking power and wealth, the same as you. - Charname.

The dwarf-lich will order you to "prove yourself worthy of Abbathor's bounty"; in effect: you must recover the five Amulets (of the Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain), one of which you have already. Do NOT try to give him fewer than five because he will be insulted and turn hostile. So who has the other four, then? They are in the possession of Deepvein and his three battle clerics.

March over and slay the Dumathoin dwarves, loot their corpses for the amulets, and then deliver them to Coldhearth.

Loot: Amulet of the Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain x4, Helmet of Dumathoin (Physical damage resistance +3%, Constitution +2 dwarves, +1 others), Warhammer +2, Shield +1, Splint Mail +1, Warhammer +1, Mace +1, Sling +1, Wand of the Heavens (5 charges), Potion of Heroism.

Brother Deepvein (+2,000 Exp), Dwarven Cleric x3 (+975 Exp ea). (Semahl yields no kill Exp in this encounter.)

Take care when receiving your reward: Coldhearth Lich is insanely avaricious and won't brook your greedy demands for long. It's either the one or the other: request he assist you against Caelar Argent OR accept the material reward offered, the Dreadhammer +2 (warhammer, THAC0 +2, on critical miss wielder takes 1d4 cold, wielder inflicts +2d4 cold vs. good-aligned Clerics). (Completed Quest: Dwarves of Dumathoin.)

Part V

Baldur's Gate Walkthrough	Siege of Dragonspear Walkthrough	Baldur's Gate Chapter 10
Baldur's Gate Companions	Baldur's Gate Chapter 7	Baldur's Gate Chapter 11
Siege of Dragonspear Companions	Baldur's Gate Chapter 8	Baldur's Gate Chapter 12
Siege of Dragonspear Item Codes	Baldur's Gate Chapter 9	Baldur's Gate Chapter 13