What's the deal with the guarded compound?

Khazad · Post by **Khazad** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 3:16 pm

Spoiler Stuff....

I have read in the equipment list that celestial fury is available to be obtained within the walls of the guarded compound....

Is a visit to the guarded compound part of a quest that I will get during the course of the game?...or....Should I just go busting in and take celestial fury?

Thanks!

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 3:45 pm

The guarded compound was supposed to be part of a quest, but it was never finished--so the compound itself remains, alone.

DrSlikk · Post by **DrSlikk** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 4:39 pm

Spoiler

Inside the guarded compund u find a note which tells u how to make it into the Twisted Rune. There on the corpse of Shangolar you will find documents that implicate Isae Roenall as the one who unleashed the trolls on Nalias keep, with the help of the Twisted Rune. Techincally you use these to get him put away, but the developers decided not to include it, since the documents are not recognized. oh well.

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 6:17 pm

DrSlikk, the item found on Shangalar's corpse that you referred to (ISEAPROF.ITM) was not put there by Bioware. I just checked a clean installation of SoA/ToB with the official patch, and it's not there. Whoever created that item does not know how to spell Isaea Roenal's name. It was probably added to the game by the people who created the Nalia Romance MOD. (That's the only MOD I have on my computer besides the Kelsey MOD.) As such, I don't consider it to be the definitive interpretation of what happened at De'Arnise Keep. My own hunch is that Firkraag was behind it, but of course, there isn't any proof.

DrSlikk · Post by **DrSlikk** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 6:44 pm

huh, how bout that? well as im not as techno savvy as some of u guys, i don't dapple with the item files, so i wouldn't no. i guess that would explain why i can't use it against him. oh well, i only did it once and that was with a lvl 32 solo sorceror. its surprising how effective some dragons breaths are...

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 8:12 pm

Originally posted by VonDondu
DrSlikk, the item found on Shangalar's corpse that you referred to (ISEAPROF.ITM) was not put there by Bioware. I just checked a clean installation of SoA/ToB with the official patch, and it's not there. Whoever created that item does not know how to spell Isaea Roenal's name. It was probably added to the game by the people who created the Nalia Romance MOD. (That's the only MOD I have on my computer besides the Kelsey MOD.) As such, I don't consider it to be the definitive interpretation of what happened at De'Arnise Keep. My own hunch is that Firkraag was behind it, but of course, there isn't any proof.

I thought it was part of the Baldurdash patch, but I could be wrong... or it could also be part of the Nalia romance.

Bruce Lee · Post by **Bruce Lee** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 10:29 pm

Somehow it seems weird that Isaee Roenall could have a gang like the Twisted Rune behind him.

Aramant · Post by **Aramant** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 11:11 pm

Massive Spoilers

Neither of those quests were finished by Bioware.

Spoilers, based on my limited understanding of the topic...
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Guarded Compound: I think it's the main base of the whole slaver quest thing going on with the Copper Coronet. I make this assumption because I recall finding some document during the quest to incriminate Roenall regarding the place, and Roenall was involved with slavery, so... yeah. About the instructions to get into Shangalar's room... no idea.

Shangalar/Twisted Rune: DEFINITELY part of the Skinner Murders in the Docks district. When you descend into Rejeik's basement, the mage/sponsor mentions something about "The work of the Rune". When you contact the fellow in the Umar Hills, if you choose to confront him, he says that you "Cannot stop the work of the Rune", or some other cliche like that. When you do the Skin Dancer quest in Trademeet, you meet the Tanner again, and I'm fairly certain that someone says something about the Twisted Rune. And then, of course, there's Shangalar, and the immense rune he stands upon when you first meet him, and I'm fairly certain part of his dialog is about the Twisted Rune. I've never killed Adalon for her blood to finish the Human Skin armor, so I have no idea if there's a further link with that.

Edit: Perhaps that means it's time to make an EEEEEEEVIL party...

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 2:19 am

Aramant, I have some things to add to what you said. There are also a couple of things I remember differently than you do.

SPOILERS

If you attack Fael, the Tanner's contact in Imnesvale, he says that you have "crossed the Rune". That does indeed seem to connect the Tanner to the Twisted Rune, since Fael finishes the armor that the Tanner started making if you provide the blood of a silver dragon. But to the best of my knowledge, the Mage in the Tanner's basement never mentions "the Rune", and neither does the Tanner or Darsidian (the Skin Dancer) in Trademeet. The Tanner obviously knows people who belong to "the Rune", but that doesn't mean he's a member of "the Rune".

As for the Slave Lords, the Guarded Compound is their headquarters. The documents you obtain from Isaea's slaver contact, Dirth, say that Isaea sold some slaves to the Slave Lords in the Temple District. Dirth also knows that you killed Captain Haegan (the slaver in the boat). This suggests that Hendak, for example, was originally brought to Athkatla by the Slave Lords before he was sold to Lehtinan. But lots of different people trade slaves, including the Shadow Thieves, so I'm not sure if the Slave Lords control ALL of the slave trafficking in Amn. Even if you wipe out all the slavers you meet in Athkatla, the NPCs point out that other slavers will take their place.

Originally, one of the people in the Guarded Compound had a note that said something about the Twisted Rune, but I think it was removed from the game. I think Koshi is the one who had it. But I'm not sure you should jump to the conclusion that the Twisted Rune was involved in slave trading. Maybe the Slave Lords and the Twisted Rune are two different groups who simply know each other. That's not so hard to believe, is it?

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 3:50 am

But to the best of my knowledge, the Mage in the Tanner's basement never mentions "the Rune", and neither does the Tanner or Darsidian (the Skin Dancer) in Trademeet. The Tanner obviously knows people who belong to "the Rune", but that doesn't mean he's a member of "the Rune".

SPOILERS:

In the skinner's basement, the thief like characters that attack you are called 'rune assassins'. These guys also show up if you have the Sola mod installed with the improved twisted rune component.

Kevin Dorner at Baldurdash put a rogue stone with a note on it in with the guarded compund guys, saying 'what games are you playing, come to the bridge district' an obvious link to you know who. I believe Kevin had asked bioware and they had confirmed that the slavers/guarded compound/ twisted rune was originally going to be a linked sub quest that was never finished due to dead lines etc. I imagine the tanner thing fits in there too somehow aswell as (TOB SPOILER) the mercs that Balthazar hires as one of them mentions being in the Rune.

Does anyone know if the Twisted Rune is a 'real' organisation in the FR campaign such as the Red Wizards, harpers etc or was it a creation of the game designers?

Aramant · Post by **Aramant** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 8:00 am

The Rune was not an original organization, to my knowledge. Also, if it was, I doubt the PC's would be able to put an end to their machinations simply by killing some lich.

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 8:29 am

Yes, you're right about the Rune Assassins in the Tanner's basement. I guess they work for the Twisted Rune. Funny, I never made the connection.

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 8:44 am

A shame the ends were never tied up, and the quest finished. Given the pieces that remain, the Twisted Rune quest would have probably been quite challenging.

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 10:07 am

I agree with that sentiment, Fable. But on the other hand, I think it's kind of cheesy if EVERYTHING in the game is tied together under some big master plot. Next thing you know, The Hidden will be a member of the Twisted Rune/Slave Lord/Tanner/Balthazar organization.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 11:03 am

Originally posted by VonDondu
Next thing you know, The Hidden will be a member of the Twisted Rune/Slave Lord/Tanner/Balthazar organization.

Now you're onto something...and don't forget the Knights of the Radiant Heart...those guys are into it upto their necks