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Lonelywood
(AR 9100)
There is no combat to speak of in Lonelywood, at least not yet, but there are
important persons and locations, not to mention a few quests. This will be your
home base for the foreseeable future. The expansion isn't terribly long, so we
advise that you take your time and fully explore the area. Important persons and
locations are described below. Note that you will need to return to this area at
various points in the game.
Monsters: Greater Werewolf.
Areas of Interest
Hailee Dunn: A small girl (1776, 2205) will be lamenting the fact that
her "brother" has fallen down the well. Regrettably, she has no brother--her
tale
is apparently just a ruse to get the attention that her overworked father and
alcoholic mother fail to provide. If you are evil, you can see through her story
for 15,000 XP; if not, you will need to return to her after speaking with her
mother or father to gain the experience for exposing the tale as a lie. Speak to
her multiple times and you will have the opportunity to trick her into telling
you about Kieran's mirror (Kieran is the innkeeper). Just tell her you have a
secret, and exchange it for hers--she will tell you about the mirror, and you
will gain 15,000 XP. She will also mention various sites around town, including
Purvis, whom you will learn more about later in the game.
If you do not like the idea of a youngster roaming the streets, you can convince
her to go home for 15,000 XP. How you do so depends on what path you take, and
what class you are playing. For example, a bard can use the tale of the singing
fish to pry the secret from her, then say that she should go home because her
dad
wants to take her fishing, thus allowing her to catch more singing fish. Also,
if
you are a paladin, you can say that Kieran is angry that she told his secret,
and
that will "encourage" her to return home. You will also have a chance to restore
the Dunn family after speaking to her mother and father--you can convince her
mother to go home, and her father to pursue better opportunities so he can stop
working so hard (do this after speaking with Quinn, who is described below). If
you choose this path, just speak with Hailee after convincing Ambere (her
mother)
to return home (we'll discuss that shortly). If you are evil, you can threaten
to
throw her in the well to get her to return home. At any rate, all of the above
options are dependent upon you knowing her secret--so make sure you pry it out
of
her. Since the dialogues with the Dunn family are sometimes dependent on one
another, we'll discuss all of them before moving on to other areas.
Dunn Home (AR 9105): Inside this house you will find Tybald Dunn (324, 228),
father of Hailee Dunn and husband to Ambere Dunn. Speak to him to learn that he
is a cooper (barrel maker) by trade. He will also tell you his opinion of
Baldemar Thurlow, the council member representing Lonelywood, who is apparently
not sending much business his way. You will be able to rectify this situation
after speaking with the priest Quinn Silverfinger. If you are in the throes of
Hailee's joke, he will tell you that he has no son, and you can tell him that
you
will have her come home, but that he had better not harm her. The primary
purpose
of speaking to him at this point is so you "know" him before speaking with
Ambere, whom you will find in the Whistling Gallows Inn. There is a chest (753,
264) in the eastern side of the home in which you will find Boots of the North.
Whistling Gallows Inn (AR 9101): Here you will find some fairly important people
who have or will have quests for you in the future. Important persons and
locations are described seperately.
Temple (AR 9103): Inside you will find a halfling by the name of Quinn
Silverfinger (331, 474), a priest of Waukeen who has come to Lonelywood to ply
his trade and bring commerce to "this desolate place." He, like most of the
townsfolk, isn't terribly fond of Baldemar Thurlow. Thus, if you know Tybald
Dunn, you can get Quinn to speak to him regarding other trade options, thus
increasing his business. Be sure to talk to Tybald afterwards. You will have the
option to convince him to seek opportunities elsewhere, and will gain 20,000 XP
for changing his fortune. Quinn can also provide you with the services typical
of
any temple. If you look in the back of the building you will find a trapped
secret compartment (794, 199), which looks like a door. Inside you will find
about 1800 gold, 3 diamonds, and Quinn's Fancy Sling. If you are of low
intellect, and don't mind turning everyone against you, you can kill him and
gain
the following: 40 Force Bullets, Sling +1, and a Morning Star +4: Defender.
Check
Quinn's store for some powerful magic items, including Force Bullets, the great
sword Amaunator's Legacy, Flail of Mae, the hammer Inconsequence, Kinetic Spear,
Three White Doves, and the shield Waukeen's Defender.
Emmerich's Shop (AR 9104): Inside this shop you will find Emmerich Hawk (349,
225), a ranger and bowyer. He will tell you about an encounter he had with a
killer wolf, and will say that he thinks the wolf is a manifestation of the
Forest Father's vengeance. It seems three brothers (we'll discuss them later)
have been trapping animals in the area, and Emmerich thinks the Forest Father is
displeased that he hasn't put a stop to it. You will learn about the nature of
the wolf later; for now, you are free to inspect the ranger's wares. Most of his
items are menial, but he does have a few things of note, including various magic
arrows and bullets, magic bows, and a magic short bow called Storm Bow.
Thurlow Estate (AR 9106, AR 9107): In the downstairs area of this home (AR 9106)
you will find Arden Thurlow (342, 473), the disgruntled wife of Baldemar
Thurlow.
She will mention that a mysterious man recently came to visit to her husband,
and
will also bewail the fact that she has been reduced to being the wife of a
cartwright (wagon maker). You can find 4 Elixirs of Health in a drawer (524,
211).
Upstairs you will find Baldemar Thurlow (707, 353), the representative for
Lonelywood in the council of the Ten Towns. Ask him about the camp and then tell
him you will find it on your own. His response to such is rather suspicious. He
will tell you of his position and will mention that the stranger mentioned by
his
wife was an "agent" sent to "negotiate" with the barbarians. Search the cabinet
(393, 274) and you will find a letter that speaks of a plan and of the agent.
The
information contained therein will cast even more doubt upon the truth of
Baldemar's story. You will find the truth of the matter later.
Home of the "Three D's" (AR 9108): Just right of this home you will find Digby
(774, 452), one of the Three D's. Doogal (276, 215) and Dolan (313, 371) are
inside the home. These are the three brothers mentioned by Emmerich as incurring
the wrath of the Forest Father through their unregulated trapping. They don't
have much to say at the moment, although Doogal will give you his opinion of
Emmerich, whom he views as a tree-hugging idiot. You will learn more of the fate
of the brothers later in the game. If you are bloodthirsty and don't care about
the consequences, you can kill Doogal and loot a Charged Battle Axe +2 and
Studded Leather +1 from his twitching carcass
Traders: Rawleigh Galaway (2185, 2656) and Karrl (1880, 2455), members of a
trading coster, were marooned in Lonelywood because of the barbarians. Rawleigh
is related to Gaspar the Fishmonger, whom you may remember from Easthaven. They
don't seem to know anything, and are predisposed to bitching about their
condition. If you have had enough of Rawleigh's lip, you can kill him to find a
Healing Potion and a Short Sword +2. Note that killing him will likely turn the
entire town against you.
Jemeliah: Jemeliah Smithson (2588, 2619), is another coster employee who is
greatly disturbed at being trapped in Lonelywood. Jemeliah has nothing really
interesting to say, but if you like strong willed woman, woah.
Tower (AR 9109): Inside the tower you will find Thom Farold (487, 343), a devout
builder of boats. If you ask him about the Burial Isle after you have visited
the
barbarian camp for the first time, he will warn you about its dangers. However,
if you persist and tell him you have to go there, he will tell you that Young
Ned
can take you. However, you will not have that dialogue option until you have
visited the barbarian camp for the first time. You will find two chests in this
area; the northernmost (479, 181) contains 20 Bolts +2. The other (404, 270)
contains a Bottle of Wine (Marsember Blush). We found no use for the wine, other
than Ned is following in his uncle's footsteps.
Young Ned: Young Ned (486,1839) is a relative of Old Jed from Easthaven. Ned
will
tell you about the conflict between Emmerich and the Three D's, and will
transport you to the Burial Isle after you return from the barbarian camp for
the
first time.
Purvis' Home (AR 9110): Purvis, (420, 250) seems dumb as a rock. But alas, he is
more than he seems. You will find out about Purvis' true identity later in the
game. Should you, for some unknown reason, take it upon yourself to kill him
(likely ruining your game), you will find Boots of Stealth, Cloak of Non-
Detection, Short Sword of Backstabbing, Ring of Free Action, Oil of Speed and
Potion of Healing.
Exit: You can reach the barbarian camp by leaving from here. Do not go until you
have fully explored Lonelywood.
Entry Point: This is where your party will be placed upon arrival to Lonelywood.
Hjollder (1033, 2408) greets you and tells you to make posthaste to help his
clan.
Whistling Gallows Inn
(AR 9101)
Here you will find some fairly important people who have or will have quests for
you in the future. Important persons and locations are described below.
Monsters: None.
Areas of Interest
Roald Tunnelfist: Roald (973, 415) will tell you of a recent battle he and his
dwarven companions had with the barbarians. He will mention the barbarian king,
whom he says attacked him with a gigantic two-handed axe. It seems he was able
to
block the blow and escape, unlike the rest of his party. Roald's primary
importance is that he will tell you the location of the barbarian camp, and will
mention that they have guards on patrol to protect against intruders. If you
don't mind screwing up your game, you can kill him and gain the following:
Battle
Axe +2: Defender and Chainmail +2.
Ambere Dunn: Ambere Dunn (921, 397) is the wife of Tybald Dunn and the mother of
Hailee Dunn. What path you take when speaking with her depends largely on your
alignment. If you are evil and want to take advantage of her, you can sleep with
her, although you will lose a reputation point for doing so. But who cares! You
can convince her to either leave town or return to her family, thereby gaining
15,000 XP. Note, however, that you will likely need to have a character with a
charisma of 13 or above do the talking to enable these options.
Kieran Nye: Kieran (702, 369) is the innkeeper and resident bartender. If you
have spoken with Hailee and learned her secret, or if you have found the mirror
in his chambers, you can find out that he is not what he seems. He is in fact a
magic user exiled from the Hosttower of the Arcane, a group of malefic wizards
bent on gaining power at all costs. In exchange for keeping his secret, he will
grant you access to his collection of magical items. This story continues a bit
later, but for now you are done with Kieran, aside from making use of his
services as merchant/innkeeper. If your fondest desire is to take on the whole
town of Lonelywood, kill him to gain the following: 1 Healing Potion, and Mage
Dagger +4. Some of the items included amongst his hoard of magic items (his
store, not on his body) are as follows: Scrolls including Lance of Disruption,
Shout, Contact Other Plane, Lower Resistance, Trollish Fortitude, Seven Eyes,
and
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting; Gem Bags, Scroll Cases, Potion Bags, Jamison's
Sling, Dagger of Safe Harbor, Zilzanzer's Magic Darts, and Xainlaphar's Flying
Skull. Note: If you have a mage in your party, be sure to get Contact Other
Plane, as it will come in handy when doing the Barrows. You can also pick
Kieran's pocket for a Ring of Greater Resistance.
Murdaugh: In front of the bar you will find Murdaugh (749, 422), wandering bard
and "failure extraordinaire." Allow him to sing and you will learn of his
plight,
how he wooed a princess but failed in his attempt to marry her because he
couldn't find the Glacier Rose. Being the hero that you are, you just might be
able to help him with that predicament later on. Murdaugh can also tell you
about
the town and its inhabitants. If you hate bards and have no qualms about
destroying your game, kill him to gain a Long Sword of Action +2.
Large Chest: Here you fill find a chest (282, 590) containing a Robe of the
Neutral Archmagi.
Secret Door: Here you will find a secret door (355, 581). Inside, you will find
what looks to be a wizard's lair. Obviously, that pesky Kieran is more than he
seems, but you already know that because, being the thorough player that you
are,
you have already discovered the secrets of both Kieran and Hailee. Search the
bookshelf (449, 479) to find a Seven Eyes scroll. It is rather small and easy to
miss, but if you put your cursor on the visible scrolls protruding from the
bookshelf, you should find it easy enough. And if you still can't find it, look
at number 7 below.
Scroll: Here you will find a scroll of Seven Eyes (449, 479).
Upstairs: These stairs lead to the upstairs level (AR 9102) of the Whistling
Gallows. Under a plank (1091, 562) you will find a Rogue Stone and 5
Translocation Arrows. An armoire (605, 750) contains a Traveler's Robe. A
cabinet
(350,562) has a Cursed Oil of Speed.
Exit: This leads outside to Lonelywood.
Barbarian Camp
(AR 9200)
Note that you will be unable to access most of the map at this point; however,
you will return in the near future and will be able to explore the map in its
entirety. We will include a fully annotated map at that point to avoid
unnecessary spoilage; for now, only two locations are marked.
Monsters: Barbarians.
Areas of Interest
Angaar: Walk forward from the entry point and you will encounter a forced
dialogue with Angaar (647, 406), a member of the barbarian horde. Ask to see his
leader, and a small cut-scene will ensue announcing your arrival at the great
mead hall. You will speak with him again after your venture into the mead hall;
the second conversation is detailed in our discussion of that area.
Great Mead Hall (AR 9201): After speaking with Angaar and viewing the cut-scene,
you will find yourself in the great mead hall, where you will meet Wylfdene
(931,
494) for the first time. It seems Wylfdene has had some prior experience with
nosy outlanders, and is none too trustworthy. In fact, if not for the
intervention of your friend Hjollder (1094, 497), he would set the entire
barbarian nation against you on the spot. Try to reason with him for a peaceful
solution for 84,000 XP, and say you know nothing about an assassin for another
84,000 XP. Wylfdene will summarily dismiss you, and bid you to leave while you
are still possessed of your life. Another small cut-scene will ensue, and you
will be taken back outside the camp where you will again be confronted by
Angaar.
Once back outside, you will get some insight into the honor of Wylfdene, as
Angaar (647, 406) will tell you he has been instructed to kill you. Now would
the
real Wylfdene violate the will of Tempos? Hmm. Probably not. If the charisma of
the character speaking with him is above 14, you can avoid fighting him. Ask him
what will become of Hjollder for 42,000 XP. If your charisma is over 14, you can
convince him not to do battle with you for another 42,000 XP. If you are not
forced to fight him, speak to him two more times and ask him about the assassin
and Wylfdene for an additional 84,000 XP. If you are forced to fight him, know
that he has 100 hit points, has a base AC of 10, gets two attacks per round, and
is worth 6,000 XP.
Exit: Once finished speaking/fighting with Angaar, return to Lonelywood.
Back in Lonelywood, visit Baldemar Thurlow and tell him to drop the act about
the "agent" that was sent to the barbarian camp. Threaten to expose the whole
plot to the council and convince him to "do the right thing" for 420,000 XP.
While you are in the area, visit the home of the Three D's again. You will
discover that Digby has met a rather unfortunate end, and the brothers blame
Emmerich for his untimely demise. If you speak to Emmerich again, he will
mention
that he thinks the same wolf that attacked him also killed Digby. When ready to
venture to the Burial Isle, speak to Young Ned. He will take you there on his
boat. The Burial Isle is teeming with monsters, so be sure you are well-equipped
for battle before leaving.
Burial Isle
(AR 9300)
You will face a wide variety of monsters in this area, including barrow wights,
ghost shamans, and drowned dead. Most of the villains are easily dispatched, but
note that the wights attack in numbers and that drowned dead can inflict some
serious damage if you try to go toe to toe with them for too long, so you may
need to be crafty when dealing with them. Drowned dead also have high resistance
to missile and crushing attacks, but have fairly high saving throws (10) against
spells. Thus, use spells, turn undead, and anything other than missile/crushing
weapons against them. Also, they are quite slow, so you can always retreat,
heal,
and engage them again. One more thing--most of the undead on the Burial Isle and
in the Barrows are neutral so blasting them with Holy Smite isn't going to do
much good. Important locations are noted below.
Monsters: Barrow Wight, Ghost Shaman, Drowned Dead, Polar Bear Spirit, Black
Bear
Spirit and Wolf Spirit.
Areas of Interest
Young Ned: This is where you will emerge upon landing on the Burial Isle. Return
to this point when finished and speak to Young Ned (2824, 2447) when ready to
return to Lonelywood.
Entrances to the Barrows: You will notice there are 5 entrances (3040, 1912;
1563, 1737; 1957, 1116; 3210, 441; 572, 232) to the Barrows. You will only be
able to access four of them at this point. The entrance on the small island in
the northwest area of the map is where you will eventually find Hjollder. Once
finished exploring the outside area, enter one of these areas to begin the
Barrows. We used the entrance in the northeast corner of the map, as it enables
you to get your bearings before being attacked by the more powerful monsters.
Edion Caradoc (AR 9301): Inside this tower you will find Edion Caradoc (295,
319), who has been infected with negative energy by a "black cabal" of wizards
and murderous thugs. He will tell you about the Burial Isle, and how the
barbarians use it to bury their fallen heroes. He will also mention that a
malevolent spirit seems to have affected the island. As it turns out, he has
quite a cache of magic items, and will allow you to browse through them. Should
you be inclined to kill him, which would deprive you of his services, you will
find only 585 gold on his carcass and received 20,000 XP. Some of the more
interesting items in his store are: scrolls of Cat's Grace, Mordenkainen's Force
Missiles, Vitriolic Sphere, Sunfire, Darts of Bone, Soul Eater, Suffocate, Great
Shout, Iron Body, Power Word: Blind, and Power Word: Kill; Edion's Ring of
Wizardry, Ulcaster Academy Ring, Cyclocone, the large sword Cynicism, Girdle of
Ogre Blood, and Shield of the Revenant.
Polar Bear Spirit: The polar bear spirit (2788, 851) is not pleased that you
have
violated the sanctity of the island. You can leave him be if you want, or kill
him for 15,000 XP. Note that he has 150 hit points and a base AC of -8. He also
gets three attacks per round, and will summon wolf and bear spirits to help him.
He's not easy prey, but shouldn't be too overwhelming at this point.
Skaldar: The spirit of Skaldar (929, 1126), a barbarian shaman, stands here. He,
like the polar bear spirit, is not happy about your presence on the isle. You
can
leave him be or kill him, but killing him will gain you 6,000 XP. His fellow
shamans are worth 4,000 XP. He will mention that the isle has been infected by a
malefic spirit, but there is no way to cure this condition until it's too late
to
return and speak to him. Skaldar has 100 hit points, gets two attacks per round,
has a base AC of -10, and can cast spells, including Blood Rage and Spiritual
Wrath.
Once finished exploring the outside area of the Burial Isle, use one of the four
available entrances to gain access to its subterranean section, otherwise known
as the Barrows. The Barrows are crawling with monsters, so make sure you are
rested and ready to fight before entering.
Burial Isle Barrow
(AR 9400)
The monsters are a little tougher here, as you will face legions of drowned
dead,
not to mention wailing virgins and barrow wights. The drowned dead have high
resistance to crushing and missile attacks, and the virgins are immune to cold
damage, not to mention many spells (Charm, Hold Monster, Petrification, among
others) so tailor your attacks accordingly. Missile weapons are very effective
against the virgins, as are any spells that help your saving throws, since they
are prone to casting Mournful Wail, War Cry, and Undying Lament. Again, be aware
that these monsters are of neutral alignment, and thus will be unaffected by
Holy
Smite; however, turn undead can still be quite effective. Important locations
are
noted below.
Monsters: Barrow Wight, Wailing Virgin, Drowned Dead, Mebdinga, and Vexing
Thoughts.
Areas of Interest
Vexing Thoughts: Vexing Thoughts (3076, 1150), is a demon who has taken the form
of armor, talking armor, in fact. You have several options when dealing with
him.
Ask what you must do to enter his service, and he will say you must kill an
innocent. Once you have done so, or if you have already done so, you must then
dedicate the murder to the tanar'ri. This will enable you to wear the armor,
which at this point has an AC of 1, and grants 100% resistance to cold and +2 to
constitution. Note that if you summon the demon using this method, by using the
armor's special ability, the character wearing the armor will be gibbed and the
demon will attack you. The same thing will happen if you try to command him by
making him submit to your will without knowing his name, the only difference
being that you have no option to wear the armor--the character wearing it simply
gibs and the battle is on. If you choose one of these two methods and end up
fighting the demon, he is worth 12,000 XP. He is no easy foe, however, as he has
120 hit points, a -7 base AC, and gets 5 attacks per round with a strength of
22;
he is also prone to casting spells, especially Power Word: Stun.
If you would rather not have one of your characters permanently destroyed, you
can wear the armor and summon the demon without fear if you have a mage capable
of casting Contact Other Plane. Use this to learn the demon's true name
(Chalimandren), then use his name to force him to submit to your will. This will
enable you to wear the armor, which will now have increased abilities: AC 1,
100%
resistance to cold, +2 to constitution, ability to cast Firestorm once per day,
and the ability to summon the demon one time without fear of harm. The armor
will
disappear after you summon him, so make sure you don't throw away your old
armor.
Also, be careful where you summon him, as he doesn't seem inclined to follow you
around.
Mebdinga: The wailing virgin Mebdinga (201, 1911), a former member of the Bear
Tribe, was sacrificed so that she could attend to Wylfdene in the afterlife. She
will tell you of the poisoned soul who took Wylfdene's body, thus disturbing his
eternal rest. She will demand that you leave. If you refuse, a huge fight
ensues,
involving several drowned dead, wailing virgins, and Mebdinga herself. Thus,
before speaking with her, you may want to cast protection spells to lower your
saving throws; also, try to kill her quickly. If you do not, she has the nasty
of
habit of casting Death Knell on one of your party members. Once the battle is
over, heal if possible, because there are more drowned dead and wailing virgins
to the south. Be sure to check Wylfdene's Sarcophagus, which we will discuss
next. Mebdinga, like the other undead in this area, is neutral; thus, Holy Smite
will not affect her. She has 100 hit points, a base AC of -8, low saving throws,
and is worth 4,500 XP.
Wylfdene's Sarcophagus: After dispatching Mebdinga, be sure to check this
sarcophagus (436, 1788). In it you will find 735 gold and Wylfdene's Tribal
Insignia, which you will need to progress the plot when speaking to Hjollder.
The
barbarians hold such items in very high esteem, and the fact that it was
desecrated shows that whatever inhabits Wylfdene's body is not a barbarian, and
certainly is not Wylfdene.
Passage to Hjollder: Once you have attained Wylfdene's Tribal Insignia and are
finished exploring the Barrows, use this passage (332, 615) to reach the
previously inaccessible section of the outside area of the Burial Isle. There
you
will find Hjollder (385, 352), and will gain 280,000 XP for your trouble. Tell
him that the spirits of the isle have told you that Wylfdene is not what he
seems. He will say that he requires proof to act against his king. Present him
with Wylfdene's Tribal Insignia to gain 420,000 XP. A barbarian's tribal
insignia
is the most precious of their worldly possessions so the fact that it was
defaced
and left behind is proof enough that whoever took Wylfdene's body is not a true
barbarian. Hjollder will then tell you of the Seer in the Gloomfrost, a
channeler
of spirits from that Tribe of the Elk who may be able to divine the true nature
of Wylfdene. Your mission is to go to the Gloomfrost and speak with the Seer.
Meanwhile, Hjollder will go to the Barbarian Camp and await your return. Once
you
have spoken to the Seer, he will be waiting for you at the Great Mead Hall,
where
you will expose the true identity of Wylfdene.
Note: Do not take this passage until you are finished exploring/gathering loot.
Why, you ask? Because many of the monsters will respawn. Also, do not go to
Gloomfrost until you have returned to Lonelywood. Why will be discussed at the
end of this section.
Exits: All of these passages lead back to outside to the Burial Isle.
Treasure: There is quite a bit of loot to be had in the Barrows:
(2585, 825): Elixir of Health, Protection from Cold scroll.
(2544, 760): 525 gold, Svian's Club.
2459, 767): 153 gold, 12 horn coral gems.
(1867, 756): 4 water opals, Battle Axe +1, Chainmail +1, 21 Arrows +2.
(1707,756): 318 gold, the short sword Blood Iron.
(1683, 840): pelt, Cloak of Displacement.
(274, 1357): Holy Smite and Blade Barrier scrolls, 6 moonbar gems, 169 gold.
(233, 1361): 325 gold.
(1273, 2016): 2 Heal scrolls, pelt, 12 Inferno Arrows +2.
(1240, 1945): 740 gold, the axe Young Rage.
(1187, 1918): the Battle Axe +3 Fatigue.
(1728,1937): jade ring, High Quality Battle Axe, Small Shield +1.
(1533, 1991): 309 gold, High Quality Bastard Sword.
Once back in Lonelywood after finishing the Burial Isle, go speak to Doogal. You
will find that Dolan has also been killed by the renegade wolf. Doogan thinks it
was a magical wolf that killed his brother, and that Emmerich is behind it all.
Then go speak to Emmerich. He wasn't at home the first time we went there, so we
went to rest and then went back. Once you find him, he will mention that Doogal
has approached Kieran Nye about purchasing a magical weapon, and will advise
that
you speak to him about it. Go speak to Kieran, who will mention the possibility
that the wolf was a werewolf. Then return and speak to Emmerich. Tell him what
Kieran said about the wolf, and discuss the possibility that the wolf who
attacked him was a werewolf. Emmerich will speak of the nightmares he has been
having, and you will eventually discover that he has been infected with
lycanthropy by the wolf and will gain 420,000 XP for the discovery.
Once the discovery is made, you can either kill him or try to help him. If you
kill him, you will gain 1,400 XP and the following items: Shadowed Cloak, 16
Confusion Arrows +3, 20 Inferno Arrows +2, 20 Arrows of Piercing, 100 gold,
Bracers of Archery, Finest Long Sword, three Potions of Extra Healing, Long Bow
+4 Hammer.
If you would like to help him, speak to Kieran again. Ask if he knows of any way
to help Emmerich, and he will give you Selune's Caress. While the amulet will
not
cure lycanthropy, it will keep the effects at bay as long as it is worn. Return
the amulet to Emmerich for 420,000 XP.
If you roam around Lonelywood at night before curing Emmerich, you may encounter
a werewolf. If you would like to help Emmerich, I would advise against killing
it. It will flee after it is sufficiently injured. On a side note, you will
notice that Purvis changes his locale once the Three D's start keeling over. You
can find him just southeast of his home, near the fresh graves (3676, 1714).
Speak to him for some scintillating conversation. Once finished with the
Emmerich
quest, you are ready to proceed to Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Outside
(AR 9500)
You will face creatures you might expect to find in such an icy landscape:
winter
wolves, snow trolls, frost giants, frost salamanders, glacier yetis, and polar
bears. None of these villains should pose any serious threat to you at this
point, although you will need fire- or acid-based attacks to kill the trolls.
Take a moment to enjoy this area, and the two beneath it. The artwork is truly
outstanding, and if you pay attention, you will notice several animations in the
cliff-faces and in the ice. It seems someone is tracking your progress through
Gloomfrost...wonder who it could be? Important locations in the outside area are
described below.
Monsters: Polar Bear, Ice Troll, Frost Salamander, Winter Wolf, Frost Giant, and
Glacier Yeti.
Areas of Interest
Encampment: This encampment is perhaps the remains of Roald Tunnelfist's earlier
expedition. In a pack (2393, 814), you fill find three flaming oils, which might
come in handy when dispatching trolls.
Shield: On this small outcropping (3207, 1590), you will find Tiernon's Sundered
Shield. Make sure you hang on to it, as you can improve it once you find Tiernon
in level 2 of Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Level 1
(AR 9501)
There isn't a whole lot to do here except talk to Tiernon, explore the area, and
kill the remorhaz, which can prove to be difficult foes. They are well-nigh
immune to magic, but on the bright side, they don't seem to have any resistance
to specific types of weapon damage. So, although you probably can't use spells
to
defeat them, you should be able to defeat them using your normal repertoire of
weapons and arrows. However, you should be prepared to fight before venturing
too
far into level 2 as Remorhaz have 150 hit points each, and have a base AC of -2.
They are worth 10,000 XP each, and are capable of dealing out some severe damage
if you go toe to toe with them for very long.
Monsters: Remorhaz.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back outside.
Tiernon Denthelm: You will find a dwarven smithy by the name of Tiernon (3286,
614), who has been called to the icy realm of Gloomfrost to fulfill his life's
work. If you have a bard or a dwarf, have them speak to him first. They can gain
information about him that other races/classes cannot. You will learn a little
bit more about Tiernon, and will gain 26,250 XP to boot. Follow the dialogue
options and he will make a mirror for you that will enable you to enter the
Seer's chambers in level three of Gloomfrost. Keep speaking with him and you
will
be able to gain the Glacier Rose for Murdaugh in Lonelywood, and get a better
enchantment for the shield you found in the outside area of Gloomfrost. Once you
have the shield and Rose, ask him what he's doing there. You will eventually
have
the option to help him fulfill his life's work, for which you will gain 80,000
XP
and access to a very nice weapon.
What weapon you can get depends on who does the talking and what they choose.
For
example, druids and dwarves will get an additional option when choosing what
weapon they want him to make. The total list of items available is as follows
(they are not named in the dialogue, but you can tell which one is which by
comparing the descriptions given by Tiernon with the item abilities below):
the great sword Hand of the Gloomfrost
the hammer Blood of the Gloomfrost (only available if dwarf is speaking)
the long sword Kiss of the Gloomfrost
the mace Fist of the Gloomfrost
the dagger Fang of the Gloomfrost
the halberd Tongue of the Gloomfrost
the long sword Talon of the Gloomfrost (only available if a druid is speaking)
In addition to those weapons, if you have the Restored Blade of Aihonen, Tiernon
will increase its enchantment when you tell him farewell. He will transform it
into The Singing Blade of Aihonen. In case you are wondering, all locations in
Icewind Dale and Heart of Winter are apparently within a dragon's flight of Lac
Dinneshere. You can also pick Tiernon's pocket for Tiernon's Hearthstone. Note
that he will catch you if you steal from him, but it doesn't seem to cause any
negative repercussions.
Be sure to return and speak to him after speaking with the Seer. Have a
character
with an intelligence score of 15 or above talk to him and he will enchant the
mirror he gave you earlier, turning it into the Mirror of Black Ice Amulet.
Important: Be sure to hold on to the amulet/mirror, as you will need it to
discover the true identity of Wylfdene.
Tiernon also has a vast inventory of items you can purchase, including an
assortment of +1 and +2 weapons and armor, as well as a Scimitar +3: Frostbrand,
Hold Fast Arrows, War Hammer of Greater Phasing and Winter King's Plate. Should
you be inclined to kill Tiernon, which is not the brightest of moves, you will
gain 1,400 XP and War Hammer +2. You will lose 5 points of your reputation for
killing him.
Exit: Once finished with Tiernon, use the exit and proceed to level two of
Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Level 2
(AR 9502)
You will face more remorhaz, with a few ice golem sentries thrown in to boot.
You
will also finally meet the Seer, who will aid you in your quest by telling you
how to use the mirror to divine the true identity of Wylfdene. Ice golem
sentries
are especially susceptible to fire attacks, but are pretty much immune to cold
damage of any kind. They have 25% resistance to crushing and slashing weapons,
50% resistance to missile weapons, 25% resistance to magic in general, and a
base
AC of -4. They have 110 hit points and are worth 14,000 XP. Note that they can
also stun you with their crushing blows. As if the golems and remorhaz were not
enough, the area is also heavily trapped. If possible, have your thief or priest
detect traps.
Monsters: Ice Golem Sentry and Remorhaz.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back to level 1.
Remorhaz: Here you will find a remorhaz (3222, 2461) that appears to be in a
small hole of some sort. If you kill it at the southern end of the hole, you can
pick up the item that it drops, which turns out to be an amulet: Kossuth's
Blood.
Note that there is a bug with the amulet, and it will not actually reduce
casting
times until the patch is released. Even if you kill the remorhaz near the
southern end of the hole, it will take up to 10 seconds for you to pick it up.
If
you still can't reach it, then you can always dimension door into the hole if
you
happen to have a mage.
Door to Seer's Chambers: This is the door (2669, 184) to the Seer's Chambers. It
will not open unless you have the mirror you obtained from Tiernon in Level 2 of
Gloomfrost.
Seer: Here you will find the Seer (3258, 311). It seems she has been hiding from
you, knowing all too well that your arrival and her death are inextricably
linked. She will tell you the weakness of the creature inhabiting Wylfdene's
body
(vanity), and will tell you the story of how Aihonen broke the creature's heart.
The breaking must have been cataclysmic indeed, as it turned the creature's once
passionate nature into a Heart of Winter, a heart that beats only for vengeance
and power. You will gain 280,000 XP for discovering that vanity is the
creature's
weakness (which is why you need the mirror). If you try to convince the Seer to
overcome her cowardice and come with you, you will gain another 280,000 XP.
After you are finished speaking with the Seer, you can have her teleport you
back
outside if you want, but a better idea is to tell her you have unfinished
business in the caverns instead. Why, you ask? Well, if you had read our
discussion of Tiernon you know! After leaving the Seer, be sure to return and
speak to Tiernon. Have a character with an intelligence score of 15 or above
talk
to him and he will enchant the mirror he gave you earlier, turning it into the
Mirror of Black Ice Amulet. The other abilities of the amulet remain in effect
even after the charges are depleted.
Of course, if you are perturbed that the Seer has been hiding, and don't like
the
fact that she blinded poor Tiernon out of sheer cowardice, you can kill her,
although that is perhaps not the most intelligent course of action. She is weak,
and thus you will gain almost nothing for killing her (15 XP), although you will
gain a cloak, Wailing of Virgins. But you will get the cloak later,
anyway--we're
not telling you how, just yet--so just let her go in peace.
After you have completed the area, and have spoken to the Seer and returned to
Tiernon for the amulet, you are ready to venture to the Barbarian Camp for the
second time, where you will use the creature's vanity (not to mention the
mirror/amulet) to expose its true identity. Simply journey back up to the
outside
level of Gloomfrost, and travel to the Barbarian Camp. Or you can go back to the
Seer and ask her to take you to the surface of the glacier. At least that way
you
only have to travel back across one map instead of two. Obviously, if you are
down to your last hit point, heal before doing so.
Barbarian Camp, Part 2
(AR 9200)
Once back at the Barbarian Camp, speak to Angaar (647, 406) if you didn't kill
him earlier and tell him you've passed the test of Tempos and wish to see
Wylfdene. Once inside, you will be able to goad Wylfdene (931, 494) into gazing
into the mirror/amulet to see what "truth" it holds (the mirror you gained from
Tiernon in Gloomfrost). It seems the creature inhabiting his body is indeed
vain,
as the sight of its newfound image is too much for it to bear. Shocked by its
appearance, the creature will drop its present form and show itself to be
Icasaracht, the great matron of the white wyrms.
If you have not killed the Seer (792, 534), she will appear at this point and
engage Icasaracht in a rather dramatic dialogue. The Seer will taunt Icasaracht,
asking that she look deeply into the mirror, to see what she has become.
Icasaracht will become enraged, venom spewing from her every word as she
describes how Aihonen broke her heart and destroyed all that she held dear.
Provoking the dragon proves to be less than a prudent move, as Icasaracht
strikes
a mortal blow to the Seer before fleeing the scene. Following a brief dialogue
in
which the Seer tells you how and why she conquered her fear of death, she will
die before your eyes (there is no way to heal her). Then, the battle is on.
Once the Seer dies, or once the dragon flees if you have killed the Seer, all of
the tribes will begin to attack the Wyrm Tribe, and there will be quite a melee
in the mead hall. Be extra careful not to hit any of the friendly barbarians
with
area spells or any stray melee and missile attacks. If you do, all of the
barbarians will become hostile, and you will unable to proceed to the next area.
Once you have killed all the hostile barbarians in the mead hall, search the
Seer's body (if she appeared) to find the Wailing of Virgins cloak. There is
nothing else of value in the hall. Exit the mead hall through the door in the
southeast corner of the room, which will take you to Beornen.
Monsters: Wyrm Tribe Warrior.
Areas of Interest
Beornen: Exit the mead hall through the southeast door to find Beornen (3218,
619). Ask him about the creature, and he'll tell you that he knows it is
Icasaracht, the matron of the white wyrms and you will gain 120,000 XP for
discovering her identity. Beornen knows where she has fled, and will offer to
take you to the Sea of Moving Ice to find her. Do not leave just yet as you
still
need to finish off the Wyrm Tribe, loot the area, and must return to Lonelywood
before moving on. When finished speaking with him, go back inside the mead hall
and exit through one of the other doors to join the battle. Note that the
pathfinding of all the barbarians attacking the Wyrm Tribe may lag your game a
bit--just be patient. You don't have to do anything at all, really. If you want,
you can just stand outside until the other barbarians have finished off the Wyrm
Tribe. Once they are defeated, you will gain 300,000 XP.
Hjollder: Hjollder (1139, 536) will tell you what you should already know if you
have spoken with Beornen: Icasaracht has likely fled to the Sea of Moving Ice.
He
does have a little additional information, however. It seems that virgins have
recently been taken there to be sacrificed, which is a strong indicator that
Icasaracht has taken up residence in the area. He can also take you to the Sea
of
Moving Ice (with the aid of the Tribe of the Grey Whale), but don't go yet as
you
have looting to do, and need to return to Lonelywood before moving on. If you
would like to irrevocably screw up your game, you can kill Hjollder and gain a
War Hammer +4: Defender.
Jorn: Jorn (1886, 507), cousin to Wylfdene and shaman to the Tribe of the Bear,
can heal your party if such is necessary.
Treasure: you will find quite a bit of loot in the area, so be sure to gather it
all before proceeding back to Lonelywood.
Barrel (3395, 993): Halberd of Sparks +1.
Barrel (3280, 1286): Ogien's Scale. This, like many other items, is random so
what you find may vary.
Barrels (904, 894; 1941, 887): Potions of Strength, Magic Shielding, and
Fortitude.
Barrels (707, 2445): Reinforced Large Shield +1.
Barrel (363, 1590): Potion of Regeneration, Ring of Protection +2.
Pack: (318, 1182): High Quality Long Sword, Potion of Extra Healing, War Hammer
+2, Studded Leather +2.
Barrel (420, 809) Potion of Healing, Elixir of Health.
Exit: Use this exit to return to Lonelywood. Once finished gathering the loot,
return to Lonelywood for the final time before going to the Sea of Moving Ice.
If
you are injured, have Jorn heal you before leaving, as you will need to be at
full strength.
Lonelywood, Part 2
(AR 9100)
There are a few things for you to do in Lonelywood before venturing to the Sea
of
Moving Ice.
Monsters: Purvis, Vaarglan, Alpheus, Mercenary Thief, Mercenary Warrior, and
Priestess of Shar.
Areas of Interest
Murdaugh and the Glacier Rose: Since you now have the Glacier Rose, return it to
Murdaugh (inside the Whistling Gallows Inn). He'll be able to marry his beloved,
and you will gain 630,000 XP for your trouble.
Varglaan and Company: Once finished dealing with Murdaugh, rest and make sure
you
are ready to fight, then go back outside. You will be confronted by Vaarglan, a
mage in search of someone by the name of "Alcander." Of course, Alcander is
actually Kieran, the innkeeper/bartender who is hiding from the Hosttower of the
Arcane. You have two choices at this point: you can either give Kieran up or
keep
his secret. If you tell them Kieran's identity, they will go inside and be
summarily dispatched. Alpheus, one of Vaarglan's minions, will run back out of
the inn screaming like a banshee. I suppose that the fact that he is on fire has
something to do with it. At any rate, let's just say that he does not exactly
die
a noble death.
While that scene in itself may be worth losing out on the experience and items
gained from killing Vaarglan and his cohorts, your best course of action
probably
is to keep Kieran's secret. Vaarglan's merry band has some pretty nice items,
and
it would be a shame to lose out on the experience gained from killing them.
Plus,
you can always save before entering the Whistling Gallows and try both
scenarios.
If you choose to fight, know that Vaarglan's party of six is fairly powerful
(the
rest of them are hidden when the initial dialogue begins). Their battle
characteristics and items are as follows:
Vaarglan (2529, 1429) is capable of casting a ton of spells, including Abi-
Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, Finger of Death, and Chaos. He is worth 8,000 XP, has a
base AC of 7, and has 70 hit points. Items: Ring of Free Action, Robe of the
Neutral Archmagi, Wand of Paralyzation, Ring of Protection +2, Golden Girdle,
and
Barrier Amulet.
Alpheus (2500, 1458) can cast a few tasty spells as well, including Disintegrate
and Death Fog. He is worth 4,000 XP, has a base AC of 8, and has 50 hit points.
Items: Potion of Magic Shielding, 2 Potions of Extra Healing, Bracers AC 6, Mage
Robe of Fire Resistance, and Amulet of Metaspell Influence.
Priestess of Shar (2594, 1453) is fond of casting Heal on her colleagues, so you
might want to dispense with her quickly, or at least try to disrupt her spells.
Items: Fast Flail +2 and Plate Mail Armor.
Mercenary Thief (2530, 1513) is a sneaky devil and will attempt a backstab if
given the opportunity. He is worth 4,000 XP, has a base AC of 6, and has 70 hit
points. Items: Boots of Stealth, Studded Leather +4: Shadowed, and Short Sword
of
Backstabbing.
Mercenary Warrior (2467, 1435) will attempt to cleave the person closest to him.
He is worth 3,000 XP, has a base AC of 10, gets two attacks per round, and has
101 hit points. Items: Full Plate +1, Large Shield +1, Long Sword of Action +4
and Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise.
Mercenary Warrior (2526, 1387), like his compadre above, will attack the person
closest to him. He is worth 3,000 XP, has a base AC of 7, gets two attacks per
round, and has 98 hit points. Items: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Battle Axe +3:
Fatigue, and Full Plate +1.
Once you have killed and looted them, speak to Kieran, who will tell you what a
good dog you are for keeping his secret and reward you with 630,000 XP. Once
that's accomplished, you are ready to find the mysterious Purvis.
Purvis: To find the new Purvis, go inside the Thurlow Estate. Downstairs you
will
find the body of Arden Thurlow (Baldemar's wife). Upstairs you fill find the
body
of Baldemar, with Purvis (632, 507) hovering over it. He will tell you that his
tenure as gravedigger was only a guise. He is actually an assassin sent to kill
Wylfdene. It seems Baldemar mistook a delegate sent by the Council of the Ten
Towns as an assassin, and sent him to "deal" with the barbarian threat instead
of
Purvis. The barbarians then tortured and killed the delegate, and doubled the
guards around the camp, thereby making Purvis' job impossible. Fortunately for
him, you came along and did the deed for him. Unfortunately for you, Purvis
doesn't like to leave witnesses--hence his less than gentle treatment of the
Thurlows. After the dialogue with Purvis, he'll gulp down a potion and
disappear,
promising to "see you soon." Very soon indeed, as it turns out. He (1319, 781)
will attack you when you leave the Thurlow Estate. Purvis has a base AC of 7, 74
hit points, is worth 11,000 XP, and is carrying: Boots of Stealth, Ring of Free
Action, Oil of Speed, Short Sword of Backstabbing, and Cloak of Non-Detection.
Once you are finished dealing with Purvis and the hit squad sent to find Kieran,
you are ready to go to the Sea of Moving Ice. Just Return to the Barbarian Camp
and speak to either Hjollder or Beornen; either one can take you there. Note
that
there are trolls galore, so you will need plenty of fire- or acid-based attacks.
Sea of Moving Ice, Outside
(AR 9600)
This area is crawling with greater snow trolls, which require fire or acid to
kill, not to mention greater ice trolls, bergclaws, and scrags, with a couple of
ice golem sentries thrown in for good measure. You will be facing a lot of snow
trolls in the near future, so make sure you have fire- or acid-based attacks.
Also, save those attacks until the snow trolls are on the ground if you need to
conserve ammunition and spells. Important locations are detailed below.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Scrag, Bergclaw, and Ice Golem
Sentry.
Areas of Interest
Jorn: Jorn (760, 1921) can heal you if need be. Should someone meet an
unfortunate end, return to him and he can resurrect him or her.
Flaming Oils: In these barrels (574, 1940; 602, 1894) you will find flaming
oils.
If you are short on fire- and acid-based attacks, be sure to grab them, as you
can use them to kill the legions of snow trolls you are about to encounter.
Icasaracht's Temple: As you approach and try to open the door (1123, 421) to the
temple, the ice golem sentries will attack you. Once they are dead, the door
will
open and you are free to enter. Note that ice golem sentries are worth 14,000
XP,
have 110 hit points, a base AC of -2, get two attacks per round, and are highly
resistant to cold-based attacks. Do not enter the door until you have fully
explored the outside area of the map.
Treasure: In the front of this ruined ship (1836, 1727) we found a Robe of
Armory.
Be ready to fight before entering Icasaracht's Temple as you will be attacked
immediately.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level One
(AR 9601)
Upon entrance to this area you will be greeted by greater snow trolls, greater
ice trolls, berg yetis, and a bone scavenger. None of them should pose any real
challenge to you at this point, so kill them and begin to explore the map. This
map is largely combat oriented, and you will face many of the same types of
monsters who attacked you upon entry, so you may need to rest and heal a few
times to complete it.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Berg Yeti, and Bone Scavenger.
Areas of Interest
Treasure: You'll notice a skeleton (1370, 919) just right of the bridge. On it,
you will find 7 flaming oils and a Cloak of Invisibility. The flaming oils will
help you kill off the trolls if you are short on fire- and acid-based attacks,
and the Cloak will come in handy later if you have a thief.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level Two
(AR 9602)
You will again be greeted by various monsters, including greater ice trolls,
greater snow trolls, and scrags. The entire level is filled with monsters of the
same sort. The eastern and southern areas of the maps contain cold, iced, and
frozen bones--skeletons intent on killing you. All of the skeletons except cold
bones can inflict various types of cold damage: iced bones can cast Snilloc's
Snowball Swarm, and frozen bones can cast that as well as Ice Lance and Ice
Storm. They all have high hit points, over 80, have 50% resistance to most
physical attacks except for piercing damage, and are pretty much immune to cold
damage of any kind. The skeletons have no innate magic resistance, except
against
cold-based attacks, although they are immune to certain spells like Charm, and
Petrification. You will also encounter water kin elementals. You cannot reach
them with melee attacks, so you will have to use ranged weapons and spells to
kill them.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Scrag, Water Kin Elemental,
Cold
Bones, Iced Bones, Frozen Bones, Bone Scavenger, Bone Guard Skeleton and
Xactile.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back to Level 1 of the temple.
Treasure: The area has quite a bit of loot, most of it stashed on the skeletons
of various creatures. Loot as you go.
Pile of Bones (2718, 922): Wand of Lightning.
Pile of Bones (3137, 715): 1000 gold, Chainmail +2, Amulet of Protection.
Beholder Skull Eye Socket (3398, 1020): emerald, king's tear gem.
Pile of Bones (3157, 1096): 542 gold.
Pile of Bones (2892, 1609): Potion of Magic Blocking, Ring of Protection +2.
Pile of Bones (3246, 1714): Ancient Armor, Potion of Hill Giant Strength, Potion
of Heroism.
Dead Dragon Skeleton - Rib Cage (1646, 1716): Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Cloak of
Protection +2, Large Shield +1, Mithral Field Plate Armor +2, Bastard Sword +1,
+3 vs. Shapeshifters.
Trapped Crypt (1013, 2214): Mourner's Armor. Again, some items, like this one,
are random--so what you find may differ.
Xactile: Here you will find Xactile (1184, 2301), a priest of Sekolah and
custodian of the field of bones. He will tell you about his function--how he
makes the passing of the mortally ill a bit easier, and tends to their
bones--and
will also tell you of the gigantic skeleton that dominates the map. He will ask
that you not pursue Icasaracht, but will make no attempt to stop you.
Once you've spoken with him, you can do one of two things. You can leave him be,
which might be wise, since he can heal you if need be. And, given the number of
monsters on the next level, you may very well need his services. If you choose
to
kill him, you will not gain any experience from him, but will find Coral Plate
Armor and a Mace +1 on his body. You will also gain 4,000 XP for each boneguard
skeleton you dispatch (four of them will come to his aid if you attack).
Exit: This door will take you to level 3 of the temple.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level Three
(AR 9603)
Upon entry you will be attacked by various monsters, including vodyanoi and
sahaugin. The sahaugin will stay at a distance, but don't move toward them to
attack if you can help it, because the hallway is trapped. In fact, the whole
area is heavily trapped. Kill the greeting party, then if possible have your
thief go invisible and roam around the area to disarm all the traps. If you do
not have a thief, at least have your cleric cast Find Traps. Otherwise, you will
take quite a bit of damage from all the traps--in fact, one of my characters was
petrified.
Explore the area and kill the inhabitants (mostly various incarnations of
sahaugin), but do not attack the ice golem sentries that are preventing access
to
the northern part of the map until the other monsters are destroyed; otherwise,
you will be knee-deep in monsterville. Actually, you will be knee-deep in
monsterville regardless, but if you haven't killed the other monsters first,
things will get awfully difficult. We attacked the golem to the left first, with
most of the party in the small room just below him. This kept the monsters from
sneaking up us or flanking us, thereby protecting some of the lesser party
members. Once you attack one of the golems, monsters will start pouring in from
the northern end of the map. You'll have to fight sahaugin, sahaugin elite
guards, and the other two ice golems, not to mention a water kin elemental or
two.
After the carnage is over, be sure to find the body of the sahaugin prince
(you'll see a cloak near the body). On it you will find the key that enables
entry into Icasaracht's Lair. The prince also has a Cloak of Protection +1, and
Coral Plate Armor. On the bodies of the guards, we found Shark Skin Armor, and
Spears +1. Once the battle is over and you have the key, you are free to roam
around.
Monsters: Vodyanoi, Sahuagin, Sahuagin Elite Guard, Sahuagin Prince, Ice Golem
Sentry, and Water Kin Elemental.
Areas of Interest
Exit: If you need healing after finishing this level, exit back to level 2 and
let Xactile heal you before proceeding to the final battle.
Preservation Ward: A young dragon's body is enveloped by a preservation ward
(1191, 745). Destroy the ward for 10,000 XP, but don't do it if you are on your
last hit point as doing so will release Snilloc's Snowball Swarm. You will learn
the function of the preservation ward when speaking to Icasaracht before the
final showdown.
Sahaugin Prince: This is where the Price (632, 699) rules over his minions. As
mentioned above, you need the key he is carrying to get to the next level.
Treasure: There are some nice items in the area, so don't forget to loot before
continuing.
Oil Machines (1707, 631; 1868, 674; 1983, 722): Search the bases of these three
containers which produce some sort of "viscous oil," to find 7 Bolts of
Sekolah's
Fire.
Urn (363, 853): The Unstrung Harp.
Urn (471, 669): Sceptre of Tyranny.
Urn (627, 582): the mace Pestilent Dawn.
Urn (721, 573): the dagger Lover.
Urn (814, 538): the halberd The Icon of Power.
Urn (997, 537): Debian's Rod of Smiting.
Exit: Once you have the key and have explored the map, enter this door to begin
the final battle. The final battle can be difficult, especially for a low to
mid-
range party, so you would be wise to cast any preparatory spells you have before
entering the door.
Final Battle: Icasaracht's Lair
(AR 9604)
You will finally be able to meet and speak with Icasaracht, the matron mother of
the white wryms. Whatever evil she has perpetrated, she is nonetheless quite an
impressive site. She will tell you of her mate, the story behind the
preservation
ward you found in level three, and will discuss at length why she is so full of
hatred for the Ten Towns. If you explore all the dialogue options (which vary
slightly if you are evil, by the way), it is hard not to feel a bit of empathy
for her. That said, she will not submit, nor will she allow you to leave, so the
outcome is inevitable: you must engage her in a fight to the death.
Monsters: Icasaracht the White Dragon, Icasaracht's Soul Gem, Sahuagin King,
Sahuagin Royal Guard, Sahuagin UnderPriestess and Sahuagin Royal High Priestess.
Areas of Interest
Icasaracht: Icasaracht is impressive enough all by herself, but she will have
assistance in the form of a sahaugin king (1032, 1221), a sahaugin royal high
priestess, two sahaugin underpriestesses, and four sahaugin royal guards. Unlike
so many other of the villains in Heart of Winter, all of the above are evil, so
for once Holy Smite may actually help you, if they happen to fail their saving
throws. How you approach the battle is up to you, but we concentrated all of our
attacks against Icasaracht, as the rest of the villains fall easily enough once
she is down. Of course, getting her down is no easy task. She has 400 hit
points,
can cast several nasty spells like Disintegrate and Power Word: Kill, and gets
three attacks per round with 24 strength. Oh, and she also has a breath weapon
and wing buffets at her disposal. As if the above protections were not enough,
she also has 50% resistance to all physical attacks, 100% resistance to cold
damage, and 25% resistance to magic and all other forms of attack. Combine that
with low saving throws and a THACO of 4, and you have a villain capable of
annihilating almost any party, depending on the circumstances. If you have
trouble with her, try experimenting with protection and preparatory spells like
Bless, Chant, Haste, Lower Resistance, Protection from Fire/Cold, etc. You can
also try whatever potions you have (Oil of Speed, Strength, Magic Resistance,
etc.). We had our two melee fighters, fighter/cleric, and cleric attack her
melee, with our mage/thief and mage lobbing in spells from the back. She
eventually went down, but not without some creative fleeing on our part.
Once Icasaracht and her minions are defeated, it is time for you to kill her
permanently, which you can do by destroying her Soul Gem, which is described
below. Killing Icasaracht will gain you 50,000 XP whiile each of her minions is
worth 3,000 XP. You may want to find the sahaugin king's body before moving on,
as he has some decent items: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Cloak of Displacement,
Coral Plate Armor, Heavy Crossbow +1, and a Spear +1.
Soul Gem: After killing the body of Icasaracht, you will have to come here to
kill her spirit. The Soul Gem (939, 840) is pretty much easy prey, although it
can cast some nasty spells, including Acid Storm, Finger of Death, and
Disintegrate. Thus, you would be well-advised to kill it as quickly as possible.
Once the Gem is dead, you will gain 50,000 XP and 500,000 XP for saving the
northern lands. You can also go back and loot the bodies of those you
dispatched.
None of them have anything especially interesting, save for the king. With the
Soul Gem's death, the expansion is over. Exit the area and you will view a nice
cinematic, then be transported back to Kuldahar, where you can continue with
Icewind Dale if you so desire (unless you played an expansion only game, in
which
case the game is over).
Exit: Use this exit to return to Kuldahar, or to end the game if you played an
expansion only game.
(AR 9100)
There is no combat to speak of in Lonelywood, at least not yet, but there are
important persons and locations, not to mention a few quests. This will be your
home base for the foreseeable future. The expansion isn't terribly long, so we
advise that you take your time and fully explore the area. Important persons and
locations are described below. Note that you will need to return to this area at
various points in the game.
Monsters: Greater Werewolf.
Areas of Interest
Hailee Dunn: A small girl (1776, 2205) will be lamenting the fact that
her "brother" has fallen down the well. Regrettably, she has no brother--her
tale
is apparently just a ruse to get the attention that her overworked father and
alcoholic mother fail to provide. If you are evil, you can see through her story
for 15,000 XP; if not, you will need to return to her after speaking with her
mother or father to gain the experience for exposing the tale as a lie. Speak to
her multiple times and you will have the opportunity to trick her into telling
you about Kieran's mirror (Kieran is the innkeeper). Just tell her you have a
secret, and exchange it for hers--she will tell you about the mirror, and you
will gain 15,000 XP. She will also mention various sites around town, including
Purvis, whom you will learn more about later in the game.
If you do not like the idea of a youngster roaming the streets, you can convince
her to go home for 15,000 XP. How you do so depends on what path you take, and
what class you are playing. For example, a bard can use the tale of the singing
fish to pry the secret from her, then say that she should go home because her
dad
wants to take her fishing, thus allowing her to catch more singing fish. Also,
if
you are a paladin, you can say that Kieran is angry that she told his secret,
and
that will "encourage" her to return home. You will also have a chance to restore
the Dunn family after speaking to her mother and father--you can convince her
mother to go home, and her father to pursue better opportunities so he can stop
working so hard (do this after speaking with Quinn, who is described below). If
you choose this path, just speak with Hailee after convincing Ambere (her
mother)
to return home (we'll discuss that shortly). If you are evil, you can threaten
to
throw her in the well to get her to return home. At any rate, all of the above
options are dependent upon you knowing her secret--so make sure you pry it out
of
her. Since the dialogues with the Dunn family are sometimes dependent on one
another, we'll discuss all of them before moving on to other areas.
Dunn Home (AR 9105): Inside this house you will find Tybald Dunn (324, 228),
father of Hailee Dunn and husband to Ambere Dunn. Speak to him to learn that he
is a cooper (barrel maker) by trade. He will also tell you his opinion of
Baldemar Thurlow, the council member representing Lonelywood, who is apparently
not sending much business his way. You will be able to rectify this situation
after speaking with the priest Quinn Silverfinger. If you are in the throes of
Hailee's joke, he will tell you that he has no son, and you can tell him that
you
will have her come home, but that he had better not harm her. The primary
purpose
of speaking to him at this point is so you "know" him before speaking with
Ambere, whom you will find in the Whistling Gallows Inn. There is a chest (753,
264) in the eastern side of the home in which you will find Boots of the North.
Whistling Gallows Inn (AR 9101): Here you will find some fairly important people
who have or will have quests for you in the future. Important persons and
locations are described seperately.
Temple (AR 9103): Inside you will find a halfling by the name of Quinn
Silverfinger (331, 474), a priest of Waukeen who has come to Lonelywood to ply
his trade and bring commerce to "this desolate place." He, like most of the
townsfolk, isn't terribly fond of Baldemar Thurlow. Thus, if you know Tybald
Dunn, you can get Quinn to speak to him regarding other trade options, thus
increasing his business. Be sure to talk to Tybald afterwards. You will have the
option to convince him to seek opportunities elsewhere, and will gain 20,000 XP
for changing his fortune. Quinn can also provide you with the services typical
of
any temple. If you look in the back of the building you will find a trapped
secret compartment (794, 199), which looks like a door. Inside you will find
about 1800 gold, 3 diamonds, and Quinn's Fancy Sling. If you are of low
intellect, and don't mind turning everyone against you, you can kill him and
gain
the following: 40 Force Bullets, Sling +1, and a Morning Star +4: Defender.
Check
Quinn's store for some powerful magic items, including Force Bullets, the great
sword Amaunator's Legacy, Flail of Mae, the hammer Inconsequence, Kinetic Spear,
Three White Doves, and the shield Waukeen's Defender.
Emmerich's Shop (AR 9104): Inside this shop you will find Emmerich Hawk (349,
225), a ranger and bowyer. He will tell you about an encounter he had with a
killer wolf, and will say that he thinks the wolf is a manifestation of the
Forest Father's vengeance. It seems three brothers (we'll discuss them later)
have been trapping animals in the area, and Emmerich thinks the Forest Father is
displeased that he hasn't put a stop to it. You will learn about the nature of
the wolf later; for now, you are free to inspect the ranger's wares. Most of his
items are menial, but he does have a few things of note, including various magic
arrows and bullets, magic bows, and a magic short bow called Storm Bow.
Thurlow Estate (AR 9106, AR 9107): In the downstairs area of this home (AR 9106)
you will find Arden Thurlow (342, 473), the disgruntled wife of Baldemar
Thurlow.
She will mention that a mysterious man recently came to visit to her husband,
and
will also bewail the fact that she has been reduced to being the wife of a
cartwright (wagon maker). You can find 4 Elixirs of Health in a drawer (524,
211).
Upstairs you will find Baldemar Thurlow (707, 353), the representative for
Lonelywood in the council of the Ten Towns. Ask him about the camp and then tell
him you will find it on your own. His response to such is rather suspicious. He
will tell you of his position and will mention that the stranger mentioned by
his
wife was an "agent" sent to "negotiate" with the barbarians. Search the cabinet
(393, 274) and you will find a letter that speaks of a plan and of the agent.
The
information contained therein will cast even more doubt upon the truth of
Baldemar's story. You will find the truth of the matter later.
Home of the "Three D's" (AR 9108): Just right of this home you will find Digby
(774, 452), one of the Three D's. Doogal (276, 215) and Dolan (313, 371) are
inside the home. These are the three brothers mentioned by Emmerich as incurring
the wrath of the Forest Father through their unregulated trapping. They don't
have much to say at the moment, although Doogal will give you his opinion of
Emmerich, whom he views as a tree-hugging idiot. You will learn more of the fate
of the brothers later in the game. If you are bloodthirsty and don't care about
the consequences, you can kill Doogal and loot a Charged Battle Axe +2 and
Studded Leather +1 from his twitching carcass
Traders: Rawleigh Galaway (2185, 2656) and Karrl (1880, 2455), members of a
trading coster, were marooned in Lonelywood because of the barbarians. Rawleigh
is related to Gaspar the Fishmonger, whom you may remember from Easthaven. They
don't seem to know anything, and are predisposed to bitching about their
condition. If you have had enough of Rawleigh's lip, you can kill him to find a
Healing Potion and a Short Sword +2. Note that killing him will likely turn the
entire town against you.
Jemeliah: Jemeliah Smithson (2588, 2619), is another coster employee who is
greatly disturbed at being trapped in Lonelywood. Jemeliah has nothing really
interesting to say, but if you like strong willed woman, woah.
Tower (AR 9109): Inside the tower you will find Thom Farold (487, 343), a devout
builder of boats. If you ask him about the Burial Isle after you have visited
the
barbarian camp for the first time, he will warn you about its dangers. However,
if you persist and tell him you have to go there, he will tell you that Young
Ned
can take you. However, you will not have that dialogue option until you have
visited the barbarian camp for the first time. You will find two chests in this
area; the northernmost (479, 181) contains 20 Bolts +2. The other (404, 270)
contains a Bottle of Wine (Marsember Blush). We found no use for the wine, other
than Ned is following in his uncle's footsteps.
Young Ned: Young Ned (486,1839) is a relative of Old Jed from Easthaven. Ned
will
tell you about the conflict between Emmerich and the Three D's, and will
transport you to the Burial Isle after you return from the barbarian camp for
the
first time.
Purvis' Home (AR 9110): Purvis, (420, 250) seems dumb as a rock. But alas, he is
more than he seems. You will find out about Purvis' true identity later in the
game. Should you, for some unknown reason, take it upon yourself to kill him
(likely ruining your game), you will find Boots of Stealth, Cloak of Non-
Detection, Short Sword of Backstabbing, Ring of Free Action, Oil of Speed and
Potion of Healing.
Exit: You can reach the barbarian camp by leaving from here. Do not go until you
have fully explored Lonelywood.
Entry Point: This is where your party will be placed upon arrival to Lonelywood.
Hjollder (1033, 2408) greets you and tells you to make posthaste to help his
clan.
Whistling Gallows Inn
(AR 9101)
Here you will find some fairly important people who have or will have quests for
you in the future. Important persons and locations are described below.
Monsters: None.
Areas of Interest
Roald Tunnelfist: Roald (973, 415) will tell you of a recent battle he and his
dwarven companions had with the barbarians. He will mention the barbarian king,
whom he says attacked him with a gigantic two-handed axe. It seems he was able
to
block the blow and escape, unlike the rest of his party. Roald's primary
importance is that he will tell you the location of the barbarian camp, and will
mention that they have guards on patrol to protect against intruders. If you
don't mind screwing up your game, you can kill him and gain the following:
Battle
Axe +2: Defender and Chainmail +2.
Ambere Dunn: Ambere Dunn (921, 397) is the wife of Tybald Dunn and the mother of
Hailee Dunn. What path you take when speaking with her depends largely on your
alignment. If you are evil and want to take advantage of her, you can sleep with
her, although you will lose a reputation point for doing so. But who cares! You
can convince her to either leave town or return to her family, thereby gaining
15,000 XP. Note, however, that you will likely need to have a character with a
charisma of 13 or above do the talking to enable these options.
Kieran Nye: Kieran (702, 369) is the innkeeper and resident bartender. If you
have spoken with Hailee and learned her secret, or if you have found the mirror
in his chambers, you can find out that he is not what he seems. He is in fact a
magic user exiled from the Hosttower of the Arcane, a group of malefic wizards
bent on gaining power at all costs. In exchange for keeping his secret, he will
grant you access to his collection of magical items. This story continues a bit
later, but for now you are done with Kieran, aside from making use of his
services as merchant/innkeeper. If your fondest desire is to take on the whole
town of Lonelywood, kill him to gain the following: 1 Healing Potion, and Mage
Dagger +4. Some of the items included amongst his hoard of magic items (his
store, not on his body) are as follows: Scrolls including Lance of Disruption,
Shout, Contact Other Plane, Lower Resistance, Trollish Fortitude, Seven Eyes,
and
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting; Gem Bags, Scroll Cases, Potion Bags, Jamison's
Sling, Dagger of Safe Harbor, Zilzanzer's Magic Darts, and Xainlaphar's Flying
Skull. Note: If you have a mage in your party, be sure to get Contact Other
Plane, as it will come in handy when doing the Barrows. You can also pick
Kieran's pocket for a Ring of Greater Resistance.
Murdaugh: In front of the bar you will find Murdaugh (749, 422), wandering bard
and "failure extraordinaire." Allow him to sing and you will learn of his
plight,
how he wooed a princess but failed in his attempt to marry her because he
couldn't find the Glacier Rose. Being the hero that you are, you just might be
able to help him with that predicament later on. Murdaugh can also tell you
about
the town and its inhabitants. If you hate bards and have no qualms about
destroying your game, kill him to gain a Long Sword of Action +2.
Large Chest: Here you fill find a chest (282, 590) containing a Robe of the
Neutral Archmagi.
Secret Door: Here you will find a secret door (355, 581). Inside, you will find
what looks to be a wizard's lair. Obviously, that pesky Kieran is more than he
seems, but you already know that because, being the thorough player that you
are,
you have already discovered the secrets of both Kieran and Hailee. Search the
bookshelf (449, 479) to find a Seven Eyes scroll. It is rather small and easy to
miss, but if you put your cursor on the visible scrolls protruding from the
bookshelf, you should find it easy enough. And if you still can't find it, look
at number 7 below.
Scroll: Here you will find a scroll of Seven Eyes (449, 479).
Upstairs: These stairs lead to the upstairs level (AR 9102) of the Whistling
Gallows. Under a plank (1091, 562) you will find a Rogue Stone and 5
Translocation Arrows. An armoire (605, 750) contains a Traveler's Robe. A
cabinet
(350,562) has a Cursed Oil of Speed.
Exit: This leads outside to Lonelywood.
Barbarian Camp
(AR 9200)
Note that you will be unable to access most of the map at this point; however,
you will return in the near future and will be able to explore the map in its
entirety. We will include a fully annotated map at that point to avoid
unnecessary spoilage; for now, only two locations are marked.
Monsters: Barbarians.
Areas of Interest
Angaar: Walk forward from the entry point and you will encounter a forced
dialogue with Angaar (647, 406), a member of the barbarian horde. Ask to see his
leader, and a small cut-scene will ensue announcing your arrival at the great
mead hall. You will speak with him again after your venture into the mead hall;
the second conversation is detailed in our discussion of that area.
Great Mead Hall (AR 9201): After speaking with Angaar and viewing the cut-scene,
you will find yourself in the great mead hall, where you will meet Wylfdene
(931,
494) for the first time. It seems Wylfdene has had some prior experience with
nosy outlanders, and is none too trustworthy. In fact, if not for the
intervention of your friend Hjollder (1094, 497), he would set the entire
barbarian nation against you on the spot. Try to reason with him for a peaceful
solution for 84,000 XP, and say you know nothing about an assassin for another
84,000 XP. Wylfdene will summarily dismiss you, and bid you to leave while you
are still possessed of your life. Another small cut-scene will ensue, and you
will be taken back outside the camp where you will again be confronted by
Angaar.
Once back outside, you will get some insight into the honor of Wylfdene, as
Angaar (647, 406) will tell you he has been instructed to kill you. Now would
the
real Wylfdene violate the will of Tempos? Hmm. Probably not. If the charisma of
the character speaking with him is above 14, you can avoid fighting him. Ask him
what will become of Hjollder for 42,000 XP. If your charisma is over 14, you can
convince him not to do battle with you for another 42,000 XP. If you are not
forced to fight him, speak to him two more times and ask him about the assassin
and Wylfdene for an additional 84,000 XP. If you are forced to fight him, know
that he has 100 hit points, has a base AC of 10, gets two attacks per round, and
is worth 6,000 XP.
Exit: Once finished speaking/fighting with Angaar, return to Lonelywood.
Back in Lonelywood, visit Baldemar Thurlow and tell him to drop the act about
the "agent" that was sent to the barbarian camp. Threaten to expose the whole
plot to the council and convince him to "do the right thing" for 420,000 XP.
While you are in the area, visit the home of the Three D's again. You will
discover that Digby has met a rather unfortunate end, and the brothers blame
Emmerich for his untimely demise. If you speak to Emmerich again, he will
mention
that he thinks the same wolf that attacked him also killed Digby. When ready to
venture to the Burial Isle, speak to Young Ned. He will take you there on his
boat. The Burial Isle is teeming with monsters, so be sure you are well-equipped
for battle before leaving.
Burial Isle
(AR 9300)
You will face a wide variety of monsters in this area, including barrow wights,
ghost shamans, and drowned dead. Most of the villains are easily dispatched, but
note that the wights attack in numbers and that drowned dead can inflict some
serious damage if you try to go toe to toe with them for too long, so you may
need to be crafty when dealing with them. Drowned dead also have high resistance
to missile and crushing attacks, but have fairly high saving throws (10) against
spells. Thus, use spells, turn undead, and anything other than missile/crushing
weapons against them. Also, they are quite slow, so you can always retreat,
heal,
and engage them again. One more thing--most of the undead on the Burial Isle and
in the Barrows are neutral so blasting them with Holy Smite isn't going to do
much good. Important locations are noted below.
Monsters: Barrow Wight, Ghost Shaman, Drowned Dead, Polar Bear Spirit, Black
Bear
Spirit and Wolf Spirit.
Areas of Interest
Young Ned: This is where you will emerge upon landing on the Burial Isle. Return
to this point when finished and speak to Young Ned (2824, 2447) when ready to
return to Lonelywood.
Entrances to the Barrows: You will notice there are 5 entrances (3040, 1912;
1563, 1737; 1957, 1116; 3210, 441; 572, 232) to the Barrows. You will only be
able to access four of them at this point. The entrance on the small island in
the northwest area of the map is where you will eventually find Hjollder. Once
finished exploring the outside area, enter one of these areas to begin the
Barrows. We used the entrance in the northeast corner of the map, as it enables
you to get your bearings before being attacked by the more powerful monsters.
Edion Caradoc (AR 9301): Inside this tower you will find Edion Caradoc (295,
319), who has been infected with negative energy by a "black cabal" of wizards
and murderous thugs. He will tell you about the Burial Isle, and how the
barbarians use it to bury their fallen heroes. He will also mention that a
malevolent spirit seems to have affected the island. As it turns out, he has
quite a cache of magic items, and will allow you to browse through them. Should
you be inclined to kill him, which would deprive you of his services, you will
find only 585 gold on his carcass and received 20,000 XP. Some of the more
interesting items in his store are: scrolls of Cat's Grace, Mordenkainen's Force
Missiles, Vitriolic Sphere, Sunfire, Darts of Bone, Soul Eater, Suffocate, Great
Shout, Iron Body, Power Word: Blind, and Power Word: Kill; Edion's Ring of
Wizardry, Ulcaster Academy Ring, Cyclocone, the large sword Cynicism, Girdle of
Ogre Blood, and Shield of the Revenant.
Polar Bear Spirit: The polar bear spirit (2788, 851) is not pleased that you
have
violated the sanctity of the island. You can leave him be if you want, or kill
him for 15,000 XP. Note that he has 150 hit points and a base AC of -8. He also
gets three attacks per round, and will summon wolf and bear spirits to help him.
He's not easy prey, but shouldn't be too overwhelming at this point.
Skaldar: The spirit of Skaldar (929, 1126), a barbarian shaman, stands here. He,
like the polar bear spirit, is not happy about your presence on the isle. You
can
leave him be or kill him, but killing him will gain you 6,000 XP. His fellow
shamans are worth 4,000 XP. He will mention that the isle has been infected by a
malefic spirit, but there is no way to cure this condition until it's too late
to
return and speak to him. Skaldar has 100 hit points, gets two attacks per round,
has a base AC of -10, and can cast spells, including Blood Rage and Spiritual
Wrath.
Once finished exploring the outside area of the Burial Isle, use one of the four
available entrances to gain access to its subterranean section, otherwise known
as the Barrows. The Barrows are crawling with monsters, so make sure you are
rested and ready to fight before entering.
Burial Isle Barrow
(AR 9400)
The monsters are a little tougher here, as you will face legions of drowned
dead,
not to mention wailing virgins and barrow wights. The drowned dead have high
resistance to crushing and missile attacks, and the virgins are immune to cold
damage, not to mention many spells (Charm, Hold Monster, Petrification, among
others) so tailor your attacks accordingly. Missile weapons are very effective
against the virgins, as are any spells that help your saving throws, since they
are prone to casting Mournful Wail, War Cry, and Undying Lament. Again, be aware
that these monsters are of neutral alignment, and thus will be unaffected by
Holy
Smite; however, turn undead can still be quite effective. Important locations
are
noted below.
Monsters: Barrow Wight, Wailing Virgin, Drowned Dead, Mebdinga, and Vexing
Thoughts.
Areas of Interest
Vexing Thoughts: Vexing Thoughts (3076, 1150), is a demon who has taken the form
of armor, talking armor, in fact. You have several options when dealing with
him.
Ask what you must do to enter his service, and he will say you must kill an
innocent. Once you have done so, or if you have already done so, you must then
dedicate the murder to the tanar'ri. This will enable you to wear the armor,
which at this point has an AC of 1, and grants 100% resistance to cold and +2 to
constitution. Note that if you summon the demon using this method, by using the
armor's special ability, the character wearing the armor will be gibbed and the
demon will attack you. The same thing will happen if you try to command him by
making him submit to your will without knowing his name, the only difference
being that you have no option to wear the armor--the character wearing it simply
gibs and the battle is on. If you choose one of these two methods and end up
fighting the demon, he is worth 12,000 XP. He is no easy foe, however, as he has
120 hit points, a -7 base AC, and gets 5 attacks per round with a strength of
22;
he is also prone to casting spells, especially Power Word: Stun.
If you would rather not have one of your characters permanently destroyed, you
can wear the armor and summon the demon without fear if you have a mage capable
of casting Contact Other Plane. Use this to learn the demon's true name
(Chalimandren), then use his name to force him to submit to your will. This will
enable you to wear the armor, which will now have increased abilities: AC 1,
100%
resistance to cold, +2 to constitution, ability to cast Firestorm once per day,
and the ability to summon the demon one time without fear of harm. The armor
will
disappear after you summon him, so make sure you don't throw away your old
armor.
Also, be careful where you summon him, as he doesn't seem inclined to follow you
around.
Mebdinga: The wailing virgin Mebdinga (201, 1911), a former member of the Bear
Tribe, was sacrificed so that she could attend to Wylfdene in the afterlife. She
will tell you of the poisoned soul who took Wylfdene's body, thus disturbing his
eternal rest. She will demand that you leave. If you refuse, a huge fight
ensues,
involving several drowned dead, wailing virgins, and Mebdinga herself. Thus,
before speaking with her, you may want to cast protection spells to lower your
saving throws; also, try to kill her quickly. If you do not, she has the nasty
of
habit of casting Death Knell on one of your party members. Once the battle is
over, heal if possible, because there are more drowned dead and wailing virgins
to the south. Be sure to check Wylfdene's Sarcophagus, which we will discuss
next. Mebdinga, like the other undead in this area, is neutral; thus, Holy Smite
will not affect her. She has 100 hit points, a base AC of -8, low saving throws,
and is worth 4,500 XP.
Wylfdene's Sarcophagus: After dispatching Mebdinga, be sure to check this
sarcophagus (436, 1788). In it you will find 735 gold and Wylfdene's Tribal
Insignia, which you will need to progress the plot when speaking to Hjollder.
The
barbarians hold such items in very high esteem, and the fact that it was
desecrated shows that whatever inhabits Wylfdene's body is not a barbarian, and
certainly is not Wylfdene.
Passage to Hjollder: Once you have attained Wylfdene's Tribal Insignia and are
finished exploring the Barrows, use this passage (332, 615) to reach the
previously inaccessible section of the outside area of the Burial Isle. There
you
will find Hjollder (385, 352), and will gain 280,000 XP for your trouble. Tell
him that the spirits of the isle have told you that Wylfdene is not what he
seems. He will say that he requires proof to act against his king. Present him
with Wylfdene's Tribal Insignia to gain 420,000 XP. A barbarian's tribal
insignia
is the most precious of their worldly possessions so the fact that it was
defaced
and left behind is proof enough that whoever took Wylfdene's body is not a true
barbarian. Hjollder will then tell you of the Seer in the Gloomfrost, a
channeler
of spirits from that Tribe of the Elk who may be able to divine the true nature
of Wylfdene. Your mission is to go to the Gloomfrost and speak with the Seer.
Meanwhile, Hjollder will go to the Barbarian Camp and await your return. Once
you
have spoken to the Seer, he will be waiting for you at the Great Mead Hall,
where
you will expose the true identity of Wylfdene.
Note: Do not take this passage until you are finished exploring/gathering loot.
Why, you ask? Because many of the monsters will respawn. Also, do not go to
Gloomfrost until you have returned to Lonelywood. Why will be discussed at the
end of this section.
Exits: All of these passages lead back to outside to the Burial Isle.
Treasure: There is quite a bit of loot to be had in the Barrows:
(2585, 825): Elixir of Health, Protection from Cold scroll.
(2544, 760): 525 gold, Svian's Club.
2459, 767): 153 gold, 12 horn coral gems.
(1867, 756): 4 water opals, Battle Axe +1, Chainmail +1, 21 Arrows +2.
(1707,756): 318 gold, the short sword Blood Iron.
(1683, 840): pelt, Cloak of Displacement.
(274, 1357): Holy Smite and Blade Barrier scrolls, 6 moonbar gems, 169 gold.
(233, 1361): 325 gold.
(1273, 2016): 2 Heal scrolls, pelt, 12 Inferno Arrows +2.
(1240, 1945): 740 gold, the axe Young Rage.
(1187, 1918): the Battle Axe +3 Fatigue.
(1728,1937): jade ring, High Quality Battle Axe, Small Shield +1.
(1533, 1991): 309 gold, High Quality Bastard Sword.
Once back in Lonelywood after finishing the Burial Isle, go speak to Doogal. You
will find that Dolan has also been killed by the renegade wolf. Doogan thinks it
was a magical wolf that killed his brother, and that Emmerich is behind it all.
Then go speak to Emmerich. He wasn't at home the first time we went there, so we
went to rest and then went back. Once you find him, he will mention that Doogal
has approached Kieran Nye about purchasing a magical weapon, and will advise
that
you speak to him about it. Go speak to Kieran, who will mention the possibility
that the wolf was a werewolf. Then return and speak to Emmerich. Tell him what
Kieran said about the wolf, and discuss the possibility that the wolf who
attacked him was a werewolf. Emmerich will speak of the nightmares he has been
having, and you will eventually discover that he has been infected with
lycanthropy by the wolf and will gain 420,000 XP for the discovery.
Once the discovery is made, you can either kill him or try to help him. If you
kill him, you will gain 1,400 XP and the following items: Shadowed Cloak, 16
Confusion Arrows +3, 20 Inferno Arrows +2, 20 Arrows of Piercing, 100 gold,
Bracers of Archery, Finest Long Sword, three Potions of Extra Healing, Long Bow
+4 Hammer.
If you would like to help him, speak to Kieran again. Ask if he knows of any way
to help Emmerich, and he will give you Selune's Caress. While the amulet will
not
cure lycanthropy, it will keep the effects at bay as long as it is worn. Return
the amulet to Emmerich for 420,000 XP.
If you roam around Lonelywood at night before curing Emmerich, you may encounter
a werewolf. If you would like to help Emmerich, I would advise against killing
it. It will flee after it is sufficiently injured. On a side note, you will
notice that Purvis changes his locale once the Three D's start keeling over. You
can find him just southeast of his home, near the fresh graves (3676, 1714).
Speak to him for some scintillating conversation. Once finished with the
Emmerich
quest, you are ready to proceed to Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Outside
(AR 9500)
You will face creatures you might expect to find in such an icy landscape:
winter
wolves, snow trolls, frost giants, frost salamanders, glacier yetis, and polar
bears. None of these villains should pose any serious threat to you at this
point, although you will need fire- or acid-based attacks to kill the trolls.
Take a moment to enjoy this area, and the two beneath it. The artwork is truly
outstanding, and if you pay attention, you will notice several animations in the
cliff-faces and in the ice. It seems someone is tracking your progress through
Gloomfrost...wonder who it could be? Important locations in the outside area are
described below.
Monsters: Polar Bear, Ice Troll, Frost Salamander, Winter Wolf, Frost Giant, and
Glacier Yeti.
Areas of Interest
Encampment: This encampment is perhaps the remains of Roald Tunnelfist's earlier
expedition. In a pack (2393, 814), you fill find three flaming oils, which might
come in handy when dispatching trolls.
Shield: On this small outcropping (3207, 1590), you will find Tiernon's Sundered
Shield. Make sure you hang on to it, as you can improve it once you find Tiernon
in level 2 of Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Level 1
(AR 9501)
There isn't a whole lot to do here except talk to Tiernon, explore the area, and
kill the remorhaz, which can prove to be difficult foes. They are well-nigh
immune to magic, but on the bright side, they don't seem to have any resistance
to specific types of weapon damage. So, although you probably can't use spells
to
defeat them, you should be able to defeat them using your normal repertoire of
weapons and arrows. However, you should be prepared to fight before venturing
too
far into level 2 as Remorhaz have 150 hit points each, and have a base AC of -2.
They are worth 10,000 XP each, and are capable of dealing out some severe damage
if you go toe to toe with them for very long.
Monsters: Remorhaz.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back outside.
Tiernon Denthelm: You will find a dwarven smithy by the name of Tiernon (3286,
614), who has been called to the icy realm of Gloomfrost to fulfill his life's
work. If you have a bard or a dwarf, have them speak to him first. They can gain
information about him that other races/classes cannot. You will learn a little
bit more about Tiernon, and will gain 26,250 XP to boot. Follow the dialogue
options and he will make a mirror for you that will enable you to enter the
Seer's chambers in level three of Gloomfrost. Keep speaking with him and you
will
be able to gain the Glacier Rose for Murdaugh in Lonelywood, and get a better
enchantment for the shield you found in the outside area of Gloomfrost. Once you
have the shield and Rose, ask him what he's doing there. You will eventually
have
the option to help him fulfill his life's work, for which you will gain 80,000
XP
and access to a very nice weapon.
What weapon you can get depends on who does the talking and what they choose.
For
example, druids and dwarves will get an additional option when choosing what
weapon they want him to make. The total list of items available is as follows
(they are not named in the dialogue, but you can tell which one is which by
comparing the descriptions given by Tiernon with the item abilities below):
the great sword Hand of the Gloomfrost
the hammer Blood of the Gloomfrost (only available if dwarf is speaking)
the long sword Kiss of the Gloomfrost
the mace Fist of the Gloomfrost
the dagger Fang of the Gloomfrost
the halberd Tongue of the Gloomfrost
the long sword Talon of the Gloomfrost (only available if a druid is speaking)
In addition to those weapons, if you have the Restored Blade of Aihonen, Tiernon
will increase its enchantment when you tell him farewell. He will transform it
into The Singing Blade of Aihonen. In case you are wondering, all locations in
Icewind Dale and Heart of Winter are apparently within a dragon's flight of Lac
Dinneshere. You can also pick Tiernon's pocket for Tiernon's Hearthstone. Note
that he will catch you if you steal from him, but it doesn't seem to cause any
negative repercussions.
Be sure to return and speak to him after speaking with the Seer. Have a
character
with an intelligence score of 15 or above talk to him and he will enchant the
mirror he gave you earlier, turning it into the Mirror of Black Ice Amulet.
Important: Be sure to hold on to the amulet/mirror, as you will need it to
discover the true identity of Wylfdene.
Tiernon also has a vast inventory of items you can purchase, including an
assortment of +1 and +2 weapons and armor, as well as a Scimitar +3: Frostbrand,
Hold Fast Arrows, War Hammer of Greater Phasing and Winter King's Plate. Should
you be inclined to kill Tiernon, which is not the brightest of moves, you will
gain 1,400 XP and War Hammer +2. You will lose 5 points of your reputation for
killing him.
Exit: Once finished with Tiernon, use the exit and proceed to level two of
Gloomfrost.
Gloomfrost, Level 2
(AR 9502)
You will face more remorhaz, with a few ice golem sentries thrown in to boot.
You
will also finally meet the Seer, who will aid you in your quest by telling you
how to use the mirror to divine the true identity of Wylfdene. Ice golem
sentries
are especially susceptible to fire attacks, but are pretty much immune to cold
damage of any kind. They have 25% resistance to crushing and slashing weapons,
50% resistance to missile weapons, 25% resistance to magic in general, and a
base
AC of -4. They have 110 hit points and are worth 14,000 XP. Note that they can
also stun you with their crushing blows. As if the golems and remorhaz were not
enough, the area is also heavily trapped. If possible, have your thief or priest
detect traps.
Monsters: Ice Golem Sentry and Remorhaz.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back to level 1.
Remorhaz: Here you will find a remorhaz (3222, 2461) that appears to be in a
small hole of some sort. If you kill it at the southern end of the hole, you can
pick up the item that it drops, which turns out to be an amulet: Kossuth's
Blood.
Note that there is a bug with the amulet, and it will not actually reduce
casting
times until the patch is released. Even if you kill the remorhaz near the
southern end of the hole, it will take up to 10 seconds for you to pick it up.
If
you still can't reach it, then you can always dimension door into the hole if
you
happen to have a mage.
Door to Seer's Chambers: This is the door (2669, 184) to the Seer's Chambers. It
will not open unless you have the mirror you obtained from Tiernon in Level 2 of
Gloomfrost.
Seer: Here you will find the Seer (3258, 311). It seems she has been hiding from
you, knowing all too well that your arrival and her death are inextricably
linked. She will tell you the weakness of the creature inhabiting Wylfdene's
body
(vanity), and will tell you the story of how Aihonen broke the creature's heart.
The breaking must have been cataclysmic indeed, as it turned the creature's once
passionate nature into a Heart of Winter, a heart that beats only for vengeance
and power. You will gain 280,000 XP for discovering that vanity is the
creature's
weakness (which is why you need the mirror). If you try to convince the Seer to
overcome her cowardice and come with you, you will gain another 280,000 XP.
After you are finished speaking with the Seer, you can have her teleport you
back
outside if you want, but a better idea is to tell her you have unfinished
business in the caverns instead. Why, you ask? Well, if you had read our
discussion of Tiernon you know! After leaving the Seer, be sure to return and
speak to Tiernon. Have a character with an intelligence score of 15 or above
talk
to him and he will enchant the mirror he gave you earlier, turning it into the
Mirror of Black Ice Amulet. The other abilities of the amulet remain in effect
even after the charges are depleted.
Of course, if you are perturbed that the Seer has been hiding, and don't like
the
fact that she blinded poor Tiernon out of sheer cowardice, you can kill her,
although that is perhaps not the most intelligent course of action. She is weak,
and thus you will gain almost nothing for killing her (15 XP), although you will
gain a cloak, Wailing of Virgins. But you will get the cloak later,
anyway--we're
not telling you how, just yet--so just let her go in peace.
After you have completed the area, and have spoken to the Seer and returned to
Tiernon for the amulet, you are ready to venture to the Barbarian Camp for the
second time, where you will use the creature's vanity (not to mention the
mirror/amulet) to expose its true identity. Simply journey back up to the
outside
level of Gloomfrost, and travel to the Barbarian Camp. Or you can go back to the
Seer and ask her to take you to the surface of the glacier. At least that way
you
only have to travel back across one map instead of two. Obviously, if you are
down to your last hit point, heal before doing so.
Barbarian Camp, Part 2
(AR 9200)
Once back at the Barbarian Camp, speak to Angaar (647, 406) if you didn't kill
him earlier and tell him you've passed the test of Tempos and wish to see
Wylfdene. Once inside, you will be able to goad Wylfdene (931, 494) into gazing
into the mirror/amulet to see what "truth" it holds (the mirror you gained from
Tiernon in Gloomfrost). It seems the creature inhabiting his body is indeed
vain,
as the sight of its newfound image is too much for it to bear. Shocked by its
appearance, the creature will drop its present form and show itself to be
Icasaracht, the great matron of the white wyrms.
If you have not killed the Seer (792, 534), she will appear at this point and
engage Icasaracht in a rather dramatic dialogue. The Seer will taunt Icasaracht,
asking that she look deeply into the mirror, to see what she has become.
Icasaracht will become enraged, venom spewing from her every word as she
describes how Aihonen broke her heart and destroyed all that she held dear.
Provoking the dragon proves to be less than a prudent move, as Icasaracht
strikes
a mortal blow to the Seer before fleeing the scene. Following a brief dialogue
in
which the Seer tells you how and why she conquered her fear of death, she will
die before your eyes (there is no way to heal her). Then, the battle is on.
Once the Seer dies, or once the dragon flees if you have killed the Seer, all of
the tribes will begin to attack the Wyrm Tribe, and there will be quite a melee
in the mead hall. Be extra careful not to hit any of the friendly barbarians
with
area spells or any stray melee and missile attacks. If you do, all of the
barbarians will become hostile, and you will unable to proceed to the next area.
Once you have killed all the hostile barbarians in the mead hall, search the
Seer's body (if she appeared) to find the Wailing of Virgins cloak. There is
nothing else of value in the hall. Exit the mead hall through the door in the
southeast corner of the room, which will take you to Beornen.
Monsters: Wyrm Tribe Warrior.
Areas of Interest
Beornen: Exit the mead hall through the southeast door to find Beornen (3218,
619). Ask him about the creature, and he'll tell you that he knows it is
Icasaracht, the matron of the white wyrms and you will gain 120,000 XP for
discovering her identity. Beornen knows where she has fled, and will offer to
take you to the Sea of Moving Ice to find her. Do not leave just yet as you
still
need to finish off the Wyrm Tribe, loot the area, and must return to Lonelywood
before moving on. When finished speaking with him, go back inside the mead hall
and exit through one of the other doors to join the battle. Note that the
pathfinding of all the barbarians attacking the Wyrm Tribe may lag your game a
bit--just be patient. You don't have to do anything at all, really. If you want,
you can just stand outside until the other barbarians have finished off the Wyrm
Tribe. Once they are defeated, you will gain 300,000 XP.
Hjollder: Hjollder (1139, 536) will tell you what you should already know if you
have spoken with Beornen: Icasaracht has likely fled to the Sea of Moving Ice.
He
does have a little additional information, however. It seems that virgins have
recently been taken there to be sacrificed, which is a strong indicator that
Icasaracht has taken up residence in the area. He can also take you to the Sea
of
Moving Ice (with the aid of the Tribe of the Grey Whale), but don't go yet as
you
have looting to do, and need to return to Lonelywood before moving on. If you
would like to irrevocably screw up your game, you can kill Hjollder and gain a
War Hammer +4: Defender.
Jorn: Jorn (1886, 507), cousin to Wylfdene and shaman to the Tribe of the Bear,
can heal your party if such is necessary.
Treasure: you will find quite a bit of loot in the area, so be sure to gather it
all before proceeding back to Lonelywood.
Barrel (3395, 993): Halberd of Sparks +1.
Barrel (3280, 1286): Ogien's Scale. This, like many other items, is random so
what you find may vary.
Barrels (904, 894; 1941, 887): Potions of Strength, Magic Shielding, and
Fortitude.
Barrels (707, 2445): Reinforced Large Shield +1.
Barrel (363, 1590): Potion of Regeneration, Ring of Protection +2.
Pack: (318, 1182): High Quality Long Sword, Potion of Extra Healing, War Hammer
+2, Studded Leather +2.
Barrel (420, 809) Potion of Healing, Elixir of Health.
Exit: Use this exit to return to Lonelywood. Once finished gathering the loot,
return to Lonelywood for the final time before going to the Sea of Moving Ice.
If
you are injured, have Jorn heal you before leaving, as you will need to be at
full strength.
Lonelywood, Part 2
(AR 9100)
There are a few things for you to do in Lonelywood before venturing to the Sea
of
Moving Ice.
Monsters: Purvis, Vaarglan, Alpheus, Mercenary Thief, Mercenary Warrior, and
Priestess of Shar.
Areas of Interest
Murdaugh and the Glacier Rose: Since you now have the Glacier Rose, return it to
Murdaugh (inside the Whistling Gallows Inn). He'll be able to marry his beloved,
and you will gain 630,000 XP for your trouble.
Varglaan and Company: Once finished dealing with Murdaugh, rest and make sure
you
are ready to fight, then go back outside. You will be confronted by Vaarglan, a
mage in search of someone by the name of "Alcander." Of course, Alcander is
actually Kieran, the innkeeper/bartender who is hiding from the Hosttower of the
Arcane. You have two choices at this point: you can either give Kieran up or
keep
his secret. If you tell them Kieran's identity, they will go inside and be
summarily dispatched. Alpheus, one of Vaarglan's minions, will run back out of
the inn screaming like a banshee. I suppose that the fact that he is on fire has
something to do with it. At any rate, let's just say that he does not exactly
die
a noble death.
While that scene in itself may be worth losing out on the experience and items
gained from killing Vaarglan and his cohorts, your best course of action
probably
is to keep Kieran's secret. Vaarglan's merry band has some pretty nice items,
and
it would be a shame to lose out on the experience gained from killing them.
Plus,
you can always save before entering the Whistling Gallows and try both
scenarios.
If you choose to fight, know that Vaarglan's party of six is fairly powerful
(the
rest of them are hidden when the initial dialogue begins). Their battle
characteristics and items are as follows:
Vaarglan (2529, 1429) is capable of casting a ton of spells, including Abi-
Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, Finger of Death, and Chaos. He is worth 8,000 XP, has a
base AC of 7, and has 70 hit points. Items: Ring of Free Action, Robe of the
Neutral Archmagi, Wand of Paralyzation, Ring of Protection +2, Golden Girdle,
and
Barrier Amulet.
Alpheus (2500, 1458) can cast a few tasty spells as well, including Disintegrate
and Death Fog. He is worth 4,000 XP, has a base AC of 8, and has 50 hit points.
Items: Potion of Magic Shielding, 2 Potions of Extra Healing, Bracers AC 6, Mage
Robe of Fire Resistance, and Amulet of Metaspell Influence.
Priestess of Shar (2594, 1453) is fond of casting Heal on her colleagues, so you
might want to dispense with her quickly, or at least try to disrupt her spells.
Items: Fast Flail +2 and Plate Mail Armor.
Mercenary Thief (2530, 1513) is a sneaky devil and will attempt a backstab if
given the opportunity. He is worth 4,000 XP, has a base AC of 6, and has 70 hit
points. Items: Boots of Stealth, Studded Leather +4: Shadowed, and Short Sword
of
Backstabbing.
Mercenary Warrior (2467, 1435) will attempt to cleave the person closest to him.
He is worth 3,000 XP, has a base AC of 10, gets two attacks per round, and has
101 hit points. Items: Full Plate +1, Large Shield +1, Long Sword of Action +4
and Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise.
Mercenary Warrior (2526, 1387), like his compadre above, will attack the person
closest to him. He is worth 3,000 XP, has a base AC of 7, gets two attacks per
round, and has 98 hit points. Items: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Battle Axe +3:
Fatigue, and Full Plate +1.
Once you have killed and looted them, speak to Kieran, who will tell you what a
good dog you are for keeping his secret and reward you with 630,000 XP. Once
that's accomplished, you are ready to find the mysterious Purvis.
Purvis: To find the new Purvis, go inside the Thurlow Estate. Downstairs you
will
find the body of Arden Thurlow (Baldemar's wife). Upstairs you fill find the
body
of Baldemar, with Purvis (632, 507) hovering over it. He will tell you that his
tenure as gravedigger was only a guise. He is actually an assassin sent to kill
Wylfdene. It seems Baldemar mistook a delegate sent by the Council of the Ten
Towns as an assassin, and sent him to "deal" with the barbarian threat instead
of
Purvis. The barbarians then tortured and killed the delegate, and doubled the
guards around the camp, thereby making Purvis' job impossible. Fortunately for
him, you came along and did the deed for him. Unfortunately for you, Purvis
doesn't like to leave witnesses--hence his less than gentle treatment of the
Thurlows. After the dialogue with Purvis, he'll gulp down a potion and
disappear,
promising to "see you soon." Very soon indeed, as it turns out. He (1319, 781)
will attack you when you leave the Thurlow Estate. Purvis has a base AC of 7, 74
hit points, is worth 11,000 XP, and is carrying: Boots of Stealth, Ring of Free
Action, Oil of Speed, Short Sword of Backstabbing, and Cloak of Non-Detection.
Once you are finished dealing with Purvis and the hit squad sent to find Kieran,
you are ready to go to the Sea of Moving Ice. Just Return to the Barbarian Camp
and speak to either Hjollder or Beornen; either one can take you there. Note
that
there are trolls galore, so you will need plenty of fire- or acid-based attacks.
Sea of Moving Ice, Outside
(AR 9600)
This area is crawling with greater snow trolls, which require fire or acid to
kill, not to mention greater ice trolls, bergclaws, and scrags, with a couple of
ice golem sentries thrown in for good measure. You will be facing a lot of snow
trolls in the near future, so make sure you have fire- or acid-based attacks.
Also, save those attacks until the snow trolls are on the ground if you need to
conserve ammunition and spells. Important locations are detailed below.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Scrag, Bergclaw, and Ice Golem
Sentry.
Areas of Interest
Jorn: Jorn (760, 1921) can heal you if need be. Should someone meet an
unfortunate end, return to him and he can resurrect him or her.
Flaming Oils: In these barrels (574, 1940; 602, 1894) you will find flaming
oils.
If you are short on fire- and acid-based attacks, be sure to grab them, as you
can use them to kill the legions of snow trolls you are about to encounter.
Icasaracht's Temple: As you approach and try to open the door (1123, 421) to the
temple, the ice golem sentries will attack you. Once they are dead, the door
will
open and you are free to enter. Note that ice golem sentries are worth 14,000
XP,
have 110 hit points, a base AC of -2, get two attacks per round, and are highly
resistant to cold-based attacks. Do not enter the door until you have fully
explored the outside area of the map.
Treasure: In the front of this ruined ship (1836, 1727) we found a Robe of
Armory.
Be ready to fight before entering Icasaracht's Temple as you will be attacked
immediately.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level One
(AR 9601)
Upon entrance to this area you will be greeted by greater snow trolls, greater
ice trolls, berg yetis, and a bone scavenger. None of them should pose any real
challenge to you at this point, so kill them and begin to explore the map. This
map is largely combat oriented, and you will face many of the same types of
monsters who attacked you upon entry, so you may need to rest and heal a few
times to complete it.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Berg Yeti, and Bone Scavenger.
Areas of Interest
Treasure: You'll notice a skeleton (1370, 919) just right of the bridge. On it,
you will find 7 flaming oils and a Cloak of Invisibility. The flaming oils will
help you kill off the trolls if you are short on fire- and acid-based attacks,
and the Cloak will come in handy later if you have a thief.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level Two
(AR 9602)
You will again be greeted by various monsters, including greater ice trolls,
greater snow trolls, and scrags. The entire level is filled with monsters of the
same sort. The eastern and southern areas of the maps contain cold, iced, and
frozen bones--skeletons intent on killing you. All of the skeletons except cold
bones can inflict various types of cold damage: iced bones can cast Snilloc's
Snowball Swarm, and frozen bones can cast that as well as Ice Lance and Ice
Storm. They all have high hit points, over 80, have 50% resistance to most
physical attacks except for piercing damage, and are pretty much immune to cold
damage of any kind. The skeletons have no innate magic resistance, except
against
cold-based attacks, although they are immune to certain spells like Charm, and
Petrification. You will also encounter water kin elementals. You cannot reach
them with melee attacks, so you will have to use ranged weapons and spells to
kill them.
Monsters: Greater Ice Troll, Greater Snow Troll, Scrag, Water Kin Elemental,
Cold
Bones, Iced Bones, Frozen Bones, Bone Scavenger, Bone Guard Skeleton and
Xactile.
Areas of Interest
Exit: This exit takes you back to Level 1 of the temple.
Treasure: The area has quite a bit of loot, most of it stashed on the skeletons
of various creatures. Loot as you go.
Pile of Bones (2718, 922): Wand of Lightning.
Pile of Bones (3137, 715): 1000 gold, Chainmail +2, Amulet of Protection.
Beholder Skull Eye Socket (3398, 1020): emerald, king's tear gem.
Pile of Bones (3157, 1096): 542 gold.
Pile of Bones (2892, 1609): Potion of Magic Blocking, Ring of Protection +2.
Pile of Bones (3246, 1714): Ancient Armor, Potion of Hill Giant Strength, Potion
of Heroism.
Dead Dragon Skeleton - Rib Cage (1646, 1716): Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Cloak of
Protection +2, Large Shield +1, Mithral Field Plate Armor +2, Bastard Sword +1,
+3 vs. Shapeshifters.
Trapped Crypt (1013, 2214): Mourner's Armor. Again, some items, like this one,
are random--so what you find may differ.
Xactile: Here you will find Xactile (1184, 2301), a priest of Sekolah and
custodian of the field of bones. He will tell you about his function--how he
makes the passing of the mortally ill a bit easier, and tends to their
bones--and
will also tell you of the gigantic skeleton that dominates the map. He will ask
that you not pursue Icasaracht, but will make no attempt to stop you.
Once you've spoken with him, you can do one of two things. You can leave him be,
which might be wise, since he can heal you if need be. And, given the number of
monsters on the next level, you may very well need his services. If you choose
to
kill him, you will not gain any experience from him, but will find Coral Plate
Armor and a Mace +1 on his body. You will also gain 4,000 XP for each boneguard
skeleton you dispatch (four of them will come to his aid if you attack).
Exit: This door will take you to level 3 of the temple.
Icasaracht's Temple, Level Three
(AR 9603)
Upon entry you will be attacked by various monsters, including vodyanoi and
sahaugin. The sahaugin will stay at a distance, but don't move toward them to
attack if you can help it, because the hallway is trapped. In fact, the whole
area is heavily trapped. Kill the greeting party, then if possible have your
thief go invisible and roam around the area to disarm all the traps. If you do
not have a thief, at least have your cleric cast Find Traps. Otherwise, you will
take quite a bit of damage from all the traps--in fact, one of my characters was
petrified.
Explore the area and kill the inhabitants (mostly various incarnations of
sahaugin), but do not attack the ice golem sentries that are preventing access
to
the northern part of the map until the other monsters are destroyed; otherwise,
you will be knee-deep in monsterville. Actually, you will be knee-deep in
monsterville regardless, but if you haven't killed the other monsters first,
things will get awfully difficult. We attacked the golem to the left first, with
most of the party in the small room just below him. This kept the monsters from
sneaking up us or flanking us, thereby protecting some of the lesser party
members. Once you attack one of the golems, monsters will start pouring in from
the northern end of the map. You'll have to fight sahaugin, sahaugin elite
guards, and the other two ice golems, not to mention a water kin elemental or
two.
After the carnage is over, be sure to find the body of the sahaugin prince
(you'll see a cloak near the body). On it you will find the key that enables
entry into Icasaracht's Lair. The prince also has a Cloak of Protection +1, and
Coral Plate Armor. On the bodies of the guards, we found Shark Skin Armor, and
Spears +1. Once the battle is over and you have the key, you are free to roam
around.
Monsters: Vodyanoi, Sahuagin, Sahuagin Elite Guard, Sahuagin Prince, Ice Golem
Sentry, and Water Kin Elemental.
Areas of Interest
Exit: If you need healing after finishing this level, exit back to level 2 and
let Xactile heal you before proceeding to the final battle.
Preservation Ward: A young dragon's body is enveloped by a preservation ward
(1191, 745). Destroy the ward for 10,000 XP, but don't do it if you are on your
last hit point as doing so will release Snilloc's Snowball Swarm. You will learn
the function of the preservation ward when speaking to Icasaracht before the
final showdown.
Sahaugin Prince: This is where the Price (632, 699) rules over his minions. As
mentioned above, you need the key he is carrying to get to the next level.
Treasure: There are some nice items in the area, so don't forget to loot before
continuing.
Oil Machines (1707, 631; 1868, 674; 1983, 722): Search the bases of these three
containers which produce some sort of "viscous oil," to find 7 Bolts of
Sekolah's
Fire.
Urn (363, 853): The Unstrung Harp.
Urn (471, 669): Sceptre of Tyranny.
Urn (627, 582): the mace Pestilent Dawn.
Urn (721, 573): the dagger Lover.
Urn (814, 538): the halberd The Icon of Power.
Urn (997, 537): Debian's Rod of Smiting.
Exit: Once you have the key and have explored the map, enter this door to begin
the final battle. The final battle can be difficult, especially for a low to
mid-
range party, so you would be wise to cast any preparatory spells you have before
entering the door.
Final Battle: Icasaracht's Lair
(AR 9604)
You will finally be able to meet and speak with Icasaracht, the matron mother of
the white wryms. Whatever evil she has perpetrated, she is nonetheless quite an
impressive site. She will tell you of her mate, the story behind the
preservation
ward you found in level three, and will discuss at length why she is so full of
hatred for the Ten Towns. If you explore all the dialogue options (which vary
slightly if you are evil, by the way), it is hard not to feel a bit of empathy
for her. That said, she will not submit, nor will she allow you to leave, so the
outcome is inevitable: you must engage her in a fight to the death.
Monsters: Icasaracht the White Dragon, Icasaracht's Soul Gem, Sahuagin King,
Sahuagin Royal Guard, Sahuagin UnderPriestess and Sahuagin Royal High Priestess.
Areas of Interest
Icasaracht: Icasaracht is impressive enough all by herself, but she will have
assistance in the form of a sahaugin king (1032, 1221), a sahaugin royal high
priestess, two sahaugin underpriestesses, and four sahaugin royal guards. Unlike
so many other of the villains in Heart of Winter, all of the above are evil, so
for once Holy Smite may actually help you, if they happen to fail their saving
throws. How you approach the battle is up to you, but we concentrated all of our
attacks against Icasaracht, as the rest of the villains fall easily enough once
she is down. Of course, getting her down is no easy task. She has 400 hit
points,
can cast several nasty spells like Disintegrate and Power Word: Kill, and gets
three attacks per round with 24 strength. Oh, and she also has a breath weapon
and wing buffets at her disposal. As if the above protections were not enough,
she also has 50% resistance to all physical attacks, 100% resistance to cold
damage, and 25% resistance to magic and all other forms of attack. Combine that
with low saving throws and a THACO of 4, and you have a villain capable of
annihilating almost any party, depending on the circumstances. If you have
trouble with her, try experimenting with protection and preparatory spells like
Bless, Chant, Haste, Lower Resistance, Protection from Fire/Cold, etc. You can
also try whatever potions you have (Oil of Speed, Strength, Magic Resistance,
etc.). We had our two melee fighters, fighter/cleric, and cleric attack her
melee, with our mage/thief and mage lobbing in spells from the back. She
eventually went down, but not without some creative fleeing on our part.
Once Icasaracht and her minions are defeated, it is time for you to kill her
permanently, which you can do by destroying her Soul Gem, which is described
below. Killing Icasaracht will gain you 50,000 XP whiile each of her minions is
worth 3,000 XP. You may want to find the sahaugin king's body before moving on,
as he has some decent items: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Cloak of Displacement,
Coral Plate Armor, Heavy Crossbow +1, and a Spear +1.
Soul Gem: After killing the body of Icasaracht, you will have to come here to
kill her spirit. The Soul Gem (939, 840) is pretty much easy prey, although it
can cast some nasty spells, including Acid Storm, Finger of Death, and
Disintegrate. Thus, you would be well-advised to kill it as quickly as possible.
Once the Gem is dead, you will gain 50,000 XP and 500,000 XP for saving the
northern lands. You can also go back and loot the bodies of those you
dispatched.
None of them have anything especially interesting, save for the king. With the
Soul Gem's death, the expansion is over. Exit the area and you will view a nice
cinematic, then be transported back to Kuldahar, where you can continue with
Icewind Dale if you so desire (unless you played an expansion only game, in
which
case the game is over).
Exit: Use this exit to return to Kuldahar, or to end the game if you played an
expansion only game.