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WELLS OF LURUE
Please keep in mind that the evil party comes to the Wells almost right away, as soon as Act II starts, because I want to get the Devour Soul power as soon as possible. The evil party leaves therafter and returns during Act III. The good party waits until Act III, when having obtained the Dream Haunting ability makes things more meaningful.
Okku's Kin
I travel to the Wells of Lurue. Once there, Okku's convinced that some of his kindred, other spirit bears, are deeper within the crags. There's an opportunity to gain or lose influence with him depending on how sympathetic you are to his desire to find his kindred.
Love's Sweet Torment
Ahead at #2 is a farmer named Jaaniik. He's angry at Gann because his daughter, Anya, has become messed up since Gann was a house guest. If you want to avoid losing influence with Gann, then steer clear of any dialogue option that even remotely suggests that Gann is responsible for Anya's situation.
Inside the house at #3 is Anya. Now that I have the Hag's Eye, both Valeria and Gann can enter Anya's dream to help. The dream itself involves Anya fawning over Sir Ganneyev. It is preferable to use Wisdom or a Diplomacy check to convince Gann to engage in a war of words with Sir Ganneyev to snap Anya out of it, rather than an Intimidation check, since the former options will lead to an additional reward. I get an xp bonus for freeing Anya from her dream.
Jaaniik is then willing to give me the Ice Troll Helmet (+2 deflection bonus to armor class, +15 hit points, +3 to will saves, -3 to reflex saves, +10 blunt damage resistance), and a Foxheart Buckler (Light Shield +5, +6 Intelligence, +10 Bluff) for using a Wisdom or Diplomacy check during the dream. I don't have any use for the Buckler, but I have Kaelyn equip the Helmet. The blunt damage resistance helps to offset the penalties she takes on account of the Construct Girdle and her Dented Platter shield.
*Evil* Love's Sweet Torment
Here I show an evil alternative, Zarathos simply kills Anya. Of course, her father comes in with a bunch of Telthor Siblings wanting to kill me now. Gann sets up the Telthors with a Mass Drown spell, which primes them up for a Spirit Gorge by Zarathos.
Jaaniik leaves behind the Ice Troll Helmet. Zarathos dons it, and hands over the Helm of Darkness to Gann.
Wisdom of the Hill Tribe
Now I travel to #4 at the guidance of Ku'arra. The Elder of the Hill Tribe, U'Juk, is there. Having spared Okku pretty much commits me to defending myself against the Hill Tribe. Even if Okku weren't in my party at this moment, the Hill Tribe will want to attack me because they view my sparing of Okku as betraying 'the Gift'. However, as Okku is in the party, he is eager to renew an old grudge he has against U'Juk. It doesn't take much to cut all of them down. I also make a roleplaying choice to spare the children.
It should also become obvious that sparing Okku means that you will never be able to acquire the Devour Soul power.
*Evil* Knowledge for Blood
I go to the Wells of Lurue much earlier than the good party, just after having devoured Okku and after having acquired the Mold Spirit ability.
Zarathos is only too eager to listen to what U'Juk has to offer. U'juk offers the ability to devour not just incorporeal spirits, but also of living flesh beings as well. But first, he wants to satiate his tribe with the meat of sentient beings, and demands that Zarathos lure some humans to him first.
One alternative is to find a couple of young Barbarians in the Ice Berserker Lodge in Mulsantir, and trick them into heading towards U'Juk. This route does, however, require a significant Bluff check in order to trick them into going to the Wells. I show the failed attempt just after I leave the Wells for the first time.
Another way, the one I subsequently show, is to offer to help the Shou family, whose wagon had been destroyed by the Telthor Spirit army. Zarathos then sees Azim in the Mulsantir bazaar, and then purchases a wagon for 10,000gp. Zarathos then goes back to see the Shou family, and recoup his expenses. He also tricks the Shou family into taking a 'shortcut'. That results in a 10 point alignment shift towards evil.
I then head back to the Wells of Lurue. Part way up the crags will be the skeletal remains of the Shou family. The Shou Wagon will hold Blessings of Bhalla (+7 Half-Plate, immunity to level drain, Holy Aura (15) 2/day), Longstrider's Steps (boots, +3 Constitution, Freedom of Movement, Improved Evasion, Mass Haste (11) 1/day), and Imaedril's Respite (ring, +5 deflection bonus to armor class vs. shapechangers). I didn't have any use for the items though, and just sold them. I also get another 10 point alignment shift towards evil.
I then speak to U'Juk again, and attain the Devour Soul ability, which can be used on humanoid creatures. Zarathos shows his true colors, however, and promises to use it on the Uthraki tribe. This fight can be tough for a lower level party, especially since U'Juk has several magical abilities which can complement his fighting strength. Safiya uses Improved Invisibility, and then summons a Mordenkainen's Sword. Zarathos and Gann engage in repeated castings of offensive spells (e.g. Fire Storms, Chain Lightnings, Storms of Vengeance) in order to lessen U'Juk's support. Once U'Juk is "near death", Zarathos uses his newfound Devour Soul ability on him. That leaves Zarathos with U'Juk's Essence. You can use Mold Spirit on this Essence and an Adamantine Ingot in order to get the Ring of the Uthraki (+5 deflection bonus to armor class vs. shapechangers, Freedom of Movement, Eagle's Splendour (15) 1/day, Shapechange (17) 1/day). I have no interest in the ring, so I'll just sell it.
I conclude the video by killing off the Uthraki children as well.
Spirits of the Wells
Here I encounter some of the creatures that will ambush the party while travelling through the Wells. Telthor Wolves can be found in the crag on the east edge of the Wells. The crag in the middle has multiple groups of monsters, Elder Earth Elementals at its south end, a couple of Orglash in its middle, and Telthor Bears at the north end of the Crag. Keep this in mind if you're in need of spirit energy.
Zinoviy
Towards the northwest corner at #5 is a group of Durthan witches led by Zinoviy. They want to kill Valeria in order to receive the Spirit Eater abilities and then use it against the Hathran sisters in Mulsantir. A Vampiric Feast from Valeria, a Storm of Vengeance from Gann, and a Word of Faith from Kaelyn suffices to win the battle in short order.
One of the Durthan leaves behind a Wand of Summoning (Summon Creature IV (7) / 5 charges per use). Zinoviy herself leaves behind the Malarite Totem (-8 Diplomacy, Avasculate / 3 charges per uses, Summon Creature VII (11) / 2 charges per use), but I don't bother.
Okku's Ancestors
Now I travel to #6. The spirits of Okku's ancestors appear, and are angry with him for placing the Spirit Eater inside the Barrow where Valeria first awoke.
I could behave in antagonistic fashion and force a fight, although doing so is likely to lose influence with Okku. I instead make a couple of very high-level Diplomacy skill checks in order to diffuse hostilities and convince the bear spirits to leave peacefully. I get more xp this way instead of killing off the bear spirits.
*Evil* Okku's Ancestors
Since Zarathos devoured Okku, Okku's ancestors will be out for his blood and there will be no avoiding a fight. Zarathos and his companions gleefully oblige.
One of them will drop a ring called Nentyarch's Band (+6 Wisdom, Augment Summoning, +1 7th level Druid or Spirit Shaman spell, Banishment (15) 1 / day), but I have no use for it. Whatever benefits it offers will be exceeded by the Thicketfavors gloves that Gann already has.
The Boy
I click on the pool in order to initiate another dream. Gann will accompany me since he is in the party and I succeed at an influence check with him.
The gist of the dream is that I get a view of the Old Man who tried to trap Akachi the Spirit Eater in the barrow where Valeria first awoke, and of Araman when he was still a young boy. The dream also gives way to a battle against a Shadow Reaver and two Greater Shadows, which is easily won.
The dream concludes with Valeria getting the third and last Mask Fragment (Boy).
It is now time to make my way to the City of Judgment. I actually have two pages for this part of the game, one shows a possible good path and the other shows a possible evil path.
