Did we miss anything in this section? Is there something we didn't discover? Let us know!

Overview

1 - Exploration Bonus

You'll receive an exploration xp bonus when you reach this point. You'll also start being slowed by the desert winds, which will make the upcoming battles against the spiders more exciting.


2 - Silver Ore Deposits


3 - Iron Ore Deposits


4 - Bewildered Caravaneer

When you talk to the caravaneer (#4), he'll tell you that he and his fellow merchants were trying to pass through the desert when they were attacked by the Spider Queen (#5), and that now most of his party is missing. You'll find the caravaneer's missing compatriots nearby (#4a). They'll be called Spider Worshippers. When you talk to the Spider Cult Initiate with them, you'll get a chance to choose between being Righteous (leadership +1) or Renegade (pickpocketing +1).

If you choose to leave the Spider Worshippers where they are, then nothing further will happen. But if you decide to save the worshippers from becoming spider chow, then you'll have to beat the initiate in a game of rock-paper-scissors. If you succeed then the initiate and the worshippers will run off -- and all of the eggs in the vicinity will hatch, pitting you against seven Level 9 Sand Spiders. You'll earn about 13,500 xp for defeating the spiders, and when you return to the caravaneer, you'll be able to tell him the good news (but you won't earn a reward, and the conversation won't lead to anything).

At the back of the location with the worshippers and the spider eggs, you'll find a Summon Spider Skillbook.


5 - Spider Queen

If you have a character with the Pet Pal talent and Charisma 5, then you should approach the queen with that character and choose the "charm" option when you talk to her. This will earn you a charisma bonus of 36,000 xp. If you approach the queen with anybody else, then no matter what you say (if you get to say anything at all), the queen will attack you. The queen will also attack you if you pass too close to her with your companions, even if you've already passed the Charisma test.

The Spider Queen is nasty. She'll summon spider eggs (which will quickly hatch spiders) to help her, she'll cast powerful poison spells at your ranged characters (so keep them separated), and she has a multi-hit melee attack that she might use several times during a round. So, obviously, save first before trying your luck against her, and then focus on her rather than her spider minions so you can kill her as quickly as possible.

When the queen dies, she'll drop four nice items, and you'll earn 7875 xp. You'll also be able to loot a hidden mound and a webbed corpse behind the queen, which will contain several more nice items.


6 - Frederick

Frederick will tell you that he and his imp slave had just found Maradino's Lair at the top of the cliff behind him (Exit B) when the imp suddenly pushed him down the cliff and broke his leg. This will trigger two quests: Slaves and Masters, where Frederick will ask you to return the imp to him so he can exact punishment, and Frederick's Blood Stone, where Frederick will tell you that you can find a Blood Stone in Maradino's Lair, and he'll ask you to use it on him to heal his wounds.


7 - Drog

Somewhere around here you might run into a white rabbit named Drog. If you talk to him (using the Pet Pal talent), then he'll claim to be a dragon is disguise. Drog isn't involved in any quests, and you can freely kill him if you want, but you'll only earn 30 xp for the effort.


8 - Gypsy Camp

You'll meet three people in this camp: Kirill will sing you songs, Madam Loenestra will sell you secrets and tell you your future, and Malbini the Bard will tell you stories.


9 - Hidden Mounds

With enough Perception, you'll detect a hidden mound at each of these locations. Each one will reveal a random chest when you dig it up.


10 - Goblin Village

When you get close enough to the goblin village, you'll be stopped by a Goblin Grunt, who will challenge you to a game of rock-paper-scissors:

• If you win the game, then you'll earn 9000 xp, and the grunt will order you to stay in the village and talk to the village totem. If you try to leave before doing this, then the goblins will attack. The totem will ask you to remember three events from earlier in the game: your encounter with the drunk bridge guards in Cyseal South, your encounter with the fish thief in Cyseal City, and your encounter with Bjorn's loadbeast Alfie in Luculla Forest South. You'll need to remember what each character wanted to do as well as the final result. If you get the answers right, then the totem will allow you to come and go freely, and you'll be able to use the village as a regular town, complete with shopkeepers. But if you get an answer wrong, then all of the goblins will attack you.
  
  
• If you lose the game, then the nine goblins in the village will attack you, and you'll have a tough fight on your hands. If you survive it, then you'll earn about 43,000 xp, and the goblins will drop all sorts of loot for you to pick up.

On the eastern side of the village, if you have at least Perception 6, then you'll detect a hatch in the ground, and going through it will take you underground to Kromkromkis the shaman. He'll inform you that the goblins started listening to the totem when they inserted a Blood Stone into it, and that he later discovered this cave and built a contraption that allows him to speak through the totem and control the goblins himself. This discovery will allow you to choose between being Forgiving (immunity to cursed) or Vindictive (hit chance +20% for attacks of opportunity). If you kill the shaman, then you'll be allowed to give the goblins one command via the totem. The best command is to have them give you gifts. Then they'll put a chest containing random potions and crafting supplies in a chest at the foott of the totem.

If you want to pick up the Blood Stone from the totem, then you'll have to attack it, which will cause the goblins in the village to attack you. For best results, don't stand right next to the totem and hit it with a melee attack. That'll just get you surrounded by goblins. Instead, stand near one of the entrances and hit the totem with a ranged attack.


11 - Campfire

At this campfire you'll meet Roy and a few farm animals. When you ask Roy about the animals, you'll trigger the quest Roy's Menagerie.


12 - Orcs with Slave

You'll encounter a pair of orcs here with a slave. When you get close enough to them, the orcs will attack you. After the battle, if you talk to the slave, then he'll give you some background information, and then he'll run off to Cyseal City. Also in the camp you'll find a locked camp chest. You can pick up the key for it a short distance to the south.


13 - Archibald and Amadeus

In front of the bridge here you'll meet the troll Archibald and his son Amadeus. The pair of course will demand that you pay the troll toll, and you'll have two ways to respond:

• If you ask the trolls about the toll, then you'll get a chance to choose between being Independent (willpower +1) or Obedient (willpower bonus based on leadership). You'll then have to pay the 1350 gp toll, or you'll have to kill Archibald, which will earn you 6000 xp.
  
  
• If you've killed King Gungir (in the Troll King's Cave), then you can let Archibald know. Archibald will be thrilled at the news, and he'll summon a treasure chest for you. Then Archibald and Amadeus will wander off and disappear. This exchange will earn you 4000 xp.

14 - Rift Area Entrance

When you reach this spot on the map, Zixzax will teleport to you and give you the quest Closing the Rift. You'll need a tenebrium weapon to complete the quest, so make sure you have one before you proceed. You'll earn an exploration xp bonus when you enter the rift area.

Note: The demons in the rift area will have Void Auras, which means you won't be able to damage them. So you'll either need to sneak past them, or you'll need to take a route around them, such as through the Immaculate camps (#15-18).


15 - Immaculate Camp

When you approach the camp, an Immaculate Flameweaver will challenge you to a game of rock-paper-scissors. If you win then you'll earn 13,600 charisma xp. If you lose, then the six Immaculates in the camp will attack you, and you'll earn about 35,000 xp for defeating them.


16 - Immaculate Camp

You'll encounter seven Immaculates in this camp, and you'll earn around 40,000 xp for defeating them.


17 - Assassin and Enchanter

You'll encounter an Immaculate Assassin and Enchanter here. They'll attack you on sight, no matter what you did with the earlier Immaculates. The assassin will drop an Invisibility Potion when he dies, which you might need to get past the Void Rams to the north (#18).


18 - Void Rams

You'll encounter an Immaculate Shepherd and several Void Rams here. The rams will have the Void Aura, so you won't be able to kill them. Instead, you'll have to avoid them, probably by using the Invisibility Potion dropped nearby (#17).


19 - Giant Blood Stone

You'll only be able to damage the giant blood stone here with a tenebrium weapon. Any sort of spell damage will actually heal it, so make sure whatever weapon you use doesn't have any elemental damage attached to it. Destroying the blood stone will complete the quest Closing the Rift and also kill off all of the Void Aura creatures in the area.


20 - Heartseeker

You'll discover the unique bow Heartseeker hanging off of a statue here, and you'll find the corpse of an adventurer who tried to grab it smashed on the ground beneath it. To claim Heartseeker for yourself, you'll need to attack the statue. When the statue is destroyed, Heartseeker will fall to the ground where you'll be able to pick it up.


21 - Mysterious Stranger

Just like your meeting with him in Cyseal South, if you talk to the Mysterious Stranger here, then he'll ask you a question and afterwards disappear. The stranger isn't involved in anything.


22 - Sacred Stone

Please refer to the Sacred Stone location entry for more information.


23 - Pavilion of Life

When you click on the pavilion, it will ask you if you want to live or die. If you say "die," then the character doing the talking will do just that. But if you say "live," then the pavilion will further ask you if you'd like to live quickly or slowly. If you say "quickly," then you'll receive a Wildfire Skillbook. If you say "slowly," then you'll receive a Midnight Oil skillbook.


24 - Traps

You'll discover a lot of traps as you make your way along the walkways here. So proceed slowly and carefully.


25 - Orc Slavers

When you reach this spot, you'll discover two Orc Slavers with a trio of prisoners. The slavers will attack you after sizing you up, and you'll earn 9000 xp for defeating them. Meanwhile, the prisoners won't thank you or anything. They'll just run off.


Exits

1. Bridge to Luculla Forest South.
2. Entrance to the Immaculate Trial Dungeon.
3. Stone slab to Maradino's Lair. The stone slab will start out hidden by an illusionary boulder, and you'll need a character with at least Perception 6 to detect it. The character will have to walk right up to the boulder, which is sitting next to a tree.
4. Bridge to the Phantom Forest (aka the Dark Forest).
5. Two-way mirror.
6. Waypoint portal. This is a special waypoint portal. It will only take you to Loic's office beneath Silverglen.
7. Entrance to the Underground Passage.
8. Entrance to the Immaculate Cathedral. You'll encounter two Immaculates guarding the entrance. If you have an Enlightened Amulet (gained at the end of the quest A Mysterious Murder) then they'll allow you to pass through. Otherwise you'll have to charm them (for no xp) or kill them (for about 10,000 xp).
23. Waypoint portal.