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Overview

Note: When you leave this location, you'll trigger an encounter between two Hill Giants and a Young Green Dragon. If you help the dragon against the giants, then it will tell you about a secret compartment in the northwestern part of the map where you'll find a Blood Red Ioun Stone, some gems, and 1000 gp. If you let the giants kill the dragon, then two more Hill Giants and a Hill Giant Leader will appear, and they'll attack you for spoiling their meal. This path will earn you 15,500 xp versus only 6000 xp for helping the dragon. Of course, if you kill the dragon right after it tells you about the secret compartment, then you'll earn an extra 8000 xp, making the two choices much closer xp-wise.


1 - Coogan

When you get close to Coogan, she'll warn you that there are spiders in the area and that it's a good idea to stay out of caves.


2 - Hill Giant

At this spot you'll encounter a Hill Giant plus three Dire Wolves. You'll earn 3375 xp for killing them, and you'll find 5 Arrows of Dispelling, 20 Arrows of Piercing +1, a Composite Longbow +1, and Stalker Gauntlets on the adventurer corpse next to them.


3 - Spider Lair

Inside this lair you'll encounter lots of spiders, including Gargantuan Spiders (3000 xp), Giant Spiders (450 xp), Phase Spiders (1400 xp), and Sword Spiders (2000 xp). One of the spiders will drop a Giant Spider Leg when it dies, and if you loot all of the containers in the cave, then you'll also find Goblin Hide Armor +2, the bastard sword Severance +2, five Spider Eggs, and four Spider Silks. The Giant Spider Leg is required for Neera's companion quest, a Spider Silk is required for Khalid's companion quest, and the Spider Eggs can be used with the Rhinoceros Beetle (see below).

Note: The Spider Silks are difficult to detect. To collect them, you'll need to move the cursor over the webs on the walls, and in four places the cursor will change to indicate that there's an item to loot. The webs won't glow when pressing the highlight key.

Eventually while you're exploring the lair, a Rhinoceros Beetle with an entourage of Bombadier and Boring Beetles will show up. If you want to, you can just run right past them and exit the cave. You can also put the Spider Eggs on a character and use that character to lure the Rhinoceros Beetle out of the way so you can defeat the other beetles without it getting involved. But it's worthwhile to kill all of the beetles. The Rhinoceros Beetle is worth 4000 xp, and when it dies it'll drop a Rhino Beetle Shell, which you'll be able to use at Bridgefort.

Note: If the Rhinoceros Beetle doesn't show up for you, then just wander around the western chamber in the lair (where there are three lootable eggs). The trigger for the beetles is in there.


4 - Morentherene

You'll encounter the sleeping dragon Morentherene here. If you stick to the southern edge of the cave, then you should be able to walk by her without her waking up. But if you approach her or cast spells near her, then she'll wake up and attack you.

Morentherene is tough. The easiest way to deal with her is to bomb her before she can wake up and trigger her defenses. One way to do this is to buy Wands of the Heavens (#16) for your divine casters and Potions of Fire Breath for your tanks. Then just outside the cave cast spells like Bless, Haste, and Remove Fear. Then inside the cave, move your party so Morentherene is visible, and split up your party so half attack from the south and the rest attack from the east. Then let loose with your best attacks. There's a good chance Morentherene will die from the opening salvo. A short time after the fight starts, two greater Wyverns will appear in the cave and attack you, but if Morentherene is dead and your party is still hasted, then you shouldn't have too much trouble with them.

In total you'll earn 17,000 xp for winning the battle, and when you search the cave afterwards you'll find Dragon Scales (on Morentherene) plus a Sable Cloak (on the adventurer corpse next to Morentherene). You'll be able to use the Dragon Scales in Bridgefort.


5 - Dragon Nest

Inside this nest you'll find lots of gems and 3000 gp. Getting too close to the nest will cause Morentherene (#4) to wake up.


6 - Greater Shadow

The Greater Shadow here is involved in Zaviak's Vision Quest, so you won't be able to see it or interact with it unless you're using the Spectacles of Spectacle.


7 - Bugbear Camp

If you loot the containers in this camp, then you'll find 20 Arrows of Ice, 20 Bolts +1, a Potion of Healing, and more.


8 - Snorgash

Around here you'll encounter the bugbear chieftain Snorgash plus a Bugbear Shaman and several other bugbears. No matter what you say to Snorgash, he and his friends will attack you. You'll find a Flail +1 and a Potion of Extra Healing on Snorgash's corpse. You'll also find a Potion of Absorption and a Potion of Clarity in the locked and trapped chest nearby.


9 - Cultist

When you approach this spot, you'll meet a Cultist of Cyric trying to flee the temple beneath you because "strange things are happening." You can either let him go or kill him. The Cultist will drop a Potion of Healing if he dies.


10 - Cultist Prisoners

You'll meet Keherrem and two other cultist prisoners here. You'll have two choices for what to do with them:

• You can free them. To do this, you'll need to kill Kiatar (#16) for the key to their cells. In return, Keherrem will promise you that his uncle Kharm will get you into crusader camp at Boareskyr Bridge.
  
  
• You can kill them. To do this, you'll need to pull the lever on the wall next to their cells. This will cause spikes to shoot up from the floor and impale them. However, you'll still need Keherrem's Badge, which means you'll still need to kill Kiatar for the Jail Key, so you can enter Keherrem's cell and loot his corpse. The badge will get you into the crusader camp at Boareskyr Bridge.

Note: If you're a paladin and kill the cultists, then you'll "fall," which means you'll lose all of your abilities and become a weaker version of a fighter.


11 - Madele

In the cage here you'll meet Madele, a follower of Bhaal who was blinded and locked up a decade ago. Now she's a little bit on the crazy side, but she'll give you some background information about what happened to the temple, and how Cyric gained control of it.

There are four things you can do with Madele. You can leave her in her cage; you can free her (using Ziatar's key, #16) with no instructions; you can free her and order her to atone for her deeds; or you can free her and order her to continue on with her murderous ways. None of these choices will change anything.


12 - Cultists

In this room you'll meet four cultists. If you tell them it's your first day, then they'll leave you alone. Otherwise, you'll have to fight them. You'll earn 1680 xp for killing the cultists, and you'll find two Potions of Healing on their corpses. Inside the containers in the room, you'll find 20 Bullets of Electricity +1 and a Potion of Agility. The cultists won't care if you loot them.


13 - Invisible Stalkers

In this room you'll encounter three Invisible Stalkers. You'll earn 9000 xp for defeating them. Inside a chest in the room, you'll find 20 Darts of Wounding.


14 - Mad Cultist

In this room you'll meet a Mad Cultist trying his best to destroy a bookcase. On the floor near him and in the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room, you'll find scrolls of Armor, Blindness, Cure Serious Wounds (x2), Free Action, and Neutralize Poison. If you kill the cultist, then you'll earn 1400 xp, and you'll find a Potion of Explosions on his corpse.


15 - Trapped Chest

Inside the chest here, you'll find a Parchment plus scrolls of Cure Critical Wounds and Identify. The Parchment will reveal that Madele (#11) is hearing voices.


16 - Ziatar's Chamber

Ziatar will start a conversation with you when you enter her chamber, but no matter what you say to her, she'll attack you. She'll also call out for the cultists to defend her, and any cultists that you haven't killed yet -- not counting the mad one (#14) -- will turn hostile.

If you're fighting Ziatar by herself, then the battle shouldn't be too bad. Just be wary of her poison emissions, which will damage any of your characters who are next to her. So for best results, you might want to send one tank at her while everybody else hits her with ranged attacks. Ziator will probably also cast Sanctuary early on, but this will do more to add time to the battle rather than make it more difficult.

You'll earn 3000 xp when Ziatar dies, and you'll find Plate Mail +1, a Two-Handed Sword +1, a Wand of the Heavens, a Jail Key, and a Ritual Room Key on her corpse. You'll also find Akanna's Journal and Ziatar's Journal on a table. The Jail Key will unlock the cells by the entrance (#10, #11). The Ritual Room Key will unlock the Ritual Room (#17). The journals will give you some background information about the temple.


17 - Ritual Room

The door to this room will start out locked. To open it, you'll need to pick up the Ritual Room Key from Ziatar (#16). When you enter the room, you'll witness a Neothelid killing one cultist and causing another to flee. Then it will attack you. The Neothelid looks ugly, but basically it's just a mage with higher-than-normal health, and so it shouldn't be complicated to defeat. When the Neothelid dies, you'll earn 20,000 xp.


18 - Akanna's Quarters

You'll meet the High Priestess Akanna here. No matter what you say to her, she'll summon two Aerial Servants and attack you. You'll earn 22,000 xp for winning the battle, and when you loot Akanna's body you'll find 20 Bullets +2, a Club +1, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Sling +1, Studded Leather Armor +1, and a Wardstone. Inside a locked and trapped chest in the room, you'll also find a scroll of Detect Illusion. You'll need the Wardstone to use the teleportation circle at Boareskyr Bridge.


19 - Laboratory

If you loot the containers in this room, then you'll find an Antidote, an Elixir of Health, an Oil of Fiery Burning, a Potion of Fire Giant Strength, a Potion of Freedom, a Potion of Genius, a Potion of Insight, a Potion of Perception, and a Potion of Strength.

Note: You'll need a Potion of Perception for Neera's companion quest.


20 - Masks

You'll find six masks on the wall here, displayed in two rows of three. You'll need to press the masks in the right order to open the nearby secret room (#21). The only clue for this puzzle was in Korlasz's Tomb, found on a Page from Sarevok's Notes. The page listed the numbers 3, 1, and 4 as being important.

If you number the top row of masks 1-3 (from left to right) and the bottom row of masks 4-6 (from left to right), then the correct code for the puzzle is 3-1-4.


21 - Secret Room

To open the way into this room, you'll have to solve the nearby mask puzzle (#20). Inside the room you'll get attacked by a Shadow Aspect worth 6000 xp, but you'll find a Fractal Blade +3 in a locked and trapped chest.


22 - Reliquary

When you enter this room, you'll discover the source of the problems in the temple -- a party of five adventurers led by a mindflayer: Darskhelin (mindflayer), Jhan Redmoons (mage), Mohad Flintborn (berserker), Shallen (ranger), and Teth Se-Nehi (kensai). This fight can be tough, so be sure to buff up before entering the room (with Bless, Haste, and whatever other favorites you have). The easiest time we had with the fight was when we immediately retreated and only half the party followed us, so keep that in mind if you have a lot of trouble.

You'll earn 15,200 xp for defeating the party, and when you loot their corpses you'll find 40 Acid Arrows +1, the unique amulet Archer's Eyes, a Battle Axe +1, Bracers of Defense AC 7, 20 Darts of Stunning, the unique katana Crimson Dawn +2, a Large Shield +1, a Longbow +1, an Oil of Speed, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Potion of Healing, a Potion of Power, a Quarterstaff +1, a Short Sword +1, Studded Leather Armor +1, and a Traveler's Robe.

Also in the room you'll find a Dagger +1 (on the altar) and a scroll of Chaotic Commands (in the locked and trapped chest).


Exits

1. Entrance to the Dragon Cave.
2. Passage between the Dragon Cave and the Bugbear Caverns.
3. Passage between the Bugbear Caverns and the Temple of Bhaal.