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CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 4 | CHAPTER 5 | CHAPTER 6 | CHAPTER 7 | CHAPTER 8 | CHAPTER 9 | CHAPTER 10 | |
Amkethran | Sendai's Enclave | Abazigal's Lair | Return to Amkethran | |
AMKETHRAN
Balthazar's Welcome
This is a pretty to the point video. The party arrives in Amkethran, and is given a lukewarm welcome by Balthazar.
Omar and Asana Haraad
Now I go east a little. Some mercenaries are going to summarily execute a woman named Asana for stealing their gold. I can buy them out of it. With a little help from the Friends spell I can also reduce the amount to 3,000gp.
Her father, Omar, rewards me with Montolio's Cloak. I could give this and Montolio's Clasp and 5,000gp to Cespenar so that the Cloak works properly (+1 to armor class, +1 to saving throws, +2 to off-hand THAC0). Certainly a nifty item. The problem is that I want my dual wielding characters, whether it's Avastrian or Asteroth, to wear the Cloak of Mirroring since many of my tactics are based on them racing ahead and absorbing enemy onslaughts (magic ones included) while the rest of the party can keep a safe distance.
*Evil* The evil party just watches her die.
Carras
Now I go through a cave to the northeast. I witness an argument between the leader of the black market smugglers named Carras, and some of Balthazar's Monks. I end up killing the Monks with multiple Greater Whirlwind Attacks at once.
This is my one and only chance to buy from Carras' inventory, which includes a lot of magical armor and weapons. Items of note include:
Saemon Havarian and Mercenaries
Now I head south. I run into a dispute between Saemon Havarian and a couple of Mercenaries. The inevitable result is that the Mercenaries attack me, but they're killed easily enough. Each of them will leave behind a Longsword +1, a Large Shield +2, and a Chainmail +3.
Heartwood Ring and Mercenaries
I continue south, and witness an argument between a Priest of Waukeen and a Monk. The Monk attacks the Priest, so I decide to intervene and attack the Priest. A Mage soon shows up and gives me a warning and teleports away with the Monk.
I give 1,000gp, which could earn a +1 to reputation except that I'm already at 20. The Priest rewards me with an Oaken Ring. I return to the Pocket Plane. I then give Cespenar the Oaken Ring, the Nymph's Tear, and 5,000gp, to upgrade to the Heartwood Ring (Druids only, +1 6th level spell, +1 7th level spell). This becomes Jaheira's other ring for the rest of the game.
*Evil* The evil simply watches the Monk kill the Priest. Nobody in the evil party can use the Heartwood Ring anyway.
Lazarus and Kerrick
Now I show the route to Lazarus' new spell shop, after he fled from Saradush. The route starts with the entering the house east of the Tavern, then going up the stairs of the house, going a little north, and then going down another set of stairs.
In the small room is Kerrick the Smith. If you manage to collect the Golden Pantaloons (from the Friendly Arm Inn during BG1), the Silver Pantaloons (from collecting the ransom on Lady Elgea during Shadows of Amn), and the Bronze Pantalettes (in Abazigal's Lair), Kerrick can put it all together into the Big Metal Unit. The Big Metal Unit makes its wearer look like an Adamantite Golem, and has the best pure armor class of any armor in the game. However, I prefer to use other weapons as the Big Metal Unit makes its wearer reliant on ammunition from the Big Metal Rod.
Lazarus has opened up his Arcana Archives here as well. He will have whatever spells you didn't buy from him in Saradush available here as well.
My choices included:
Marlowe and Vongoethe
Now I enter the tavern. I fall in with Marlowe's request for help for the time being. I then ply the inn keeper with questions.
I then back track to the tops of the houses, except I keep going north. I then enter Marlowe's house, which will be towards the northeast corner of the town. Marlowe pleads with me to save the soul of his daughter, Malla, from a Lich named Vongoethe. I agree again with his request.
The Lich can be found in the cave just east of the Monastery. I have to bribe the Monk in front to let me in. I then enter, where Vongoethe sheds new light on matters.
I then return to just outside Marlowe's house. I buff up against magical assaults, including Death Ward for everyone besides Avastrian (protected by his Cloak of Mirroring), and Magic Resistance for Jaheira and Anomen. I then speak with Marlowe again. We go back to Vongoethe together.
I get Vongoethe to give me the soul gem for Marlowe's daughter, but then I decide to stop Vongeothe from taking Marlowe's soul and battle ensues. Vongoethe will have a few Skeleton Warriors, a pair of Banshees, and several Skeleton Archers to help him out. I immediately hit pause and have Avastrian create a Simulacrum, Keldorn activate True Seeing, and Imoen summon a Planetar.
Vongeothe can still 'passively' summon two Skeleton Archers each round in addition to taking another action. So I retreat Jaheira and Anomen to the left. I retreat Keldorn, Sarevok, and Imoen to the right. The Planetar and the Simulacrum and Avastrian are there to absorb Vongeothe's Time Stop.
After that, Jaheira and Anomen take out the Banshee to the left. Keldorn and Sarevok take out the Banshee to the right. The Banshees, who use a Wail of the Banshee effect, were the reason I cast Death Ward on almost everyone in the party. I make it an immediate priority to take them out before they can kill Marlowe or anyone else in the party.
After that Jaheira summons an Elemental Prince next to Vongoethe. She then bounces a Creeping Doom off of one of the Skeleton Archers so that it spreads to the Lich. After this it's a matter of Avastrian and the summons keeping Vongoethe occupied while the rest of the party fires away at a distance. Keldorn will occasionally use Dispel Magic to try and bring its buffs down. Jaheira casts another Creeping Doom, but it wasn't necessary as Vongoethe falls right about the same time.
The Lich has by now summoned a LOT of Skeleton Warriors. It's the Lich's death that becomes the optimum time for Imoen to flatten the Skeleton Warriors with a Dragon's Breath. Keldorn picks off the remaining Archers with his Azuredge.
Vongoethe leaves behind the Ring of Anti-Venom, which Keldorn will wear for the rest of the game for its much welcome immunity to poisoning. Imoen then scores a little more experience by going around and disarming any traps she can find.
*Evil* Asteroth doesn't care any for the fate of either Marlowe or his daughter. He would just as soon bargain with Vongoethe, and gets Malla's Soul Stone (+1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, Neutralize Poison 1/day) in the process. Nobody in the evil party actually uses it, but it was a roleplaying decision on my part.
Now it's time for me to head to Sendai's Enclave.
