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Overview

This region of wilderness is the home of Bassilus the evil cleric of Cyric. As a result, a few skeletons can be found here and there on the map as well as the occasional ghast or ghoul.


1 - Melicamp the Chicken

Around here you'll meet the chicken Melicamp, perhaps being attacked by a wolf. After saving him (if necessary), he'll explain that he's the apprentice of Thalantyr the Conjurer, and that he's been wandering around as a chicken for months because of a "misread incantation." If you have an adept mage in your party, then you can try dispelling Melicamp yourself, but it won't work. To cure him, you'll have to take him to Thalantyr in High Hedge.

When you reach High Hedge, Thalantyr won't seem especially excited to see Melicamp back, but he'll agree to help him. However, he'll require you to fetch a special ingredient for him -- a Skull. All of the skeletons in High Hedge will drop Skulls when they die, so it should be easy to find one.

Note: When you talk to Thalantyr, don't say, "I shall leave you to it, then." If you do, then Thalantyr will deal with Melicamp on his own, and you won't receive a reward.

When you return to Thalantyr with the Skull, he'll cast the "antichickenator" spell on Melicamp, which will either cure him or kill him. The result is random, so save your game first. If Melicamp survives, then when you talk to him, you'll earn +1 Reputaton and 2000 xp.


2 - Kissiq

You'll meet a merchant named Kissiq here. He'll tell you that he encountered a "fiendish hen" to the east (#1), and that because of it he now fears for his sanity. You won't be allowed to tell Kissiq that the chicken is really a polymophed human.


3 - Zargal, Malkax, and Geltik

These three goblins will give you the old "your money or your life!" routine. They are a bit tougher than they look, especially Zargal. Try to concentrate on him and then take down the other two, who are both archers. You'll earn 980 xp total for defeating the trio, and you'll find The Whistling Sword +2 and more on their corpses.


4 - Footy

At this spot you'll meet a child named Footy. He'll tell you how "funny" Bassilus and his undead minions (#6) are. If you ask Footy what he means, then he'll inform you that Bassilus keeps talking to his minions about his childhood, but that the minions aren't really listening.


5 - Bassilus

When you approach Bassilus, he'll mistake you for one of his parents. If you play along and select dialogue options 3-1-1, then Bassilus will realize that the skeletons and zombies around him aren't really his family, and they'll all fall dead. Otherwise, when the battle starts up, they'll join in. But either way, you'll still have to fight Bassilus.

Note: While playing along with Bassilus will make the battle easier, you won't earn any xp for the skeletons and zombies who fall dead. However, if they participate in the battle and you kill them yourself, then you'll earn 65 xp for each one.

Bassilus is a competent cleric, but with six against one, you should be able to disrupt his spells and kill him without too much trouble. If the skeletons and zombies are there, then you should still focus on Bassilus because he's by far the most dangerous enemy in the battle.

When Bassilus dies, you'll earn 975 xp, and you'll find Ashideena +2 (in the EE), a War Hammer +2 (in the regular version of the game), Gauntlets of Fumbling, and Bassilus's Holy Symbol. You'll need to take the holy symbol to Kelddath Ormlyr in the Temple east of Beregost to claim the bounty on Bassilus (5000 gp and 1000 xp).


6 - Roger

Around here you'll run into Roger, another messenger who will warn you about the upcoming war between Baldur's Gate and Amn.