Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse: Difference between revisions

[[File:Shadow Curse Quest.jpg|thumb|The shadow curse is deadly and fast-acting.]]

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Find a way to protect yourself from the curse.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Defeat the cultists.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Speak to the Harpers.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Reach Last Light Inn.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Talk to Jaheira.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Get help from the cleric Isobel.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Find stronger protection from the shadow curse.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Speak to the Harpers outside Last Light.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Find protection from the shadow curse.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Go to the ambush site.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Talk to the Harpers at the ambush site.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Ambush the convoy.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Defeat the convoy.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Take the drider's Moonlantern.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Defend the cultists.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Find a Moonlantern.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Find Balthazar's Moonlantern.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Take the Moonlantern.</div>

<div style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6;">Quest Complete</div>

=== The shadow curse ===

After entering into the Shadow-Cursed Lands, the party is presented with an abundance of torches, and encouraged to carry them by either a Harper or a goblin depending on how [[Travel to Moonrise Towers]] was resolved. The reason why becomes abundantly clear as the party is exposed to the shadows and takes [[Necrotic]] damage that doubles with every turn. The party must find a way to traverse the area safely.

It is technically possible to travel through the Shadow-Cursed Lands with only torches. When the party approaches Moonrise Towers, the curse is too powerful and begins causing Necrotic damage, however. If a party member loses all their hitpoints while cursed, they gain the [[Umbral Influx]] status and, if they aren't helped, are resurrected as an undead creature and attack the party. The party member can be saved by defeating them and then resurrecting them.

=== The convoy ===

If the party chooses to use the [[Mountain Pass]] route, as part of [[Travel through the Mountain Pass]], then a goblin greets them and asks if they are the True Soul the goblin is expecting. The goblin tells the party to grab a torch, stick to the light as much as possible, and go to the rendezvous point to wait for the guide to Moonrise Towers. This starts [[Follow the Convoy]].

Approach the rendezvous point and an orc named [[Kansif]] asks if they have what is needed to summon the guide. To summon the Drider guide, Vez explains that a special lyre is needed - the [[Spider's Lyre]]. This lyre can be looted off [[Minthara|Minthara's]] corpse if she was killed during [[Defeat the Goblins]], gifted by Minthara if she was sided with during [[Raid the Grove]], or by rescuing [[Nere]] in [[Free True Soul Nere]] and siding with him. Once the lyre has been produced, a Performance check (DC 16) is prompted, but the result is the same whether it's passed or failed - the guide just makes a snide comment if it was played poorly. If the party does not have the lyre, then they can summon the guide using illithid powers (Wisdom DC 14). Additionally, Barbarians, Sorcerers, Bards, Clerics, and Paladins all have special dialogue to summon the guide.

The guide in question is a Drider named [[Kar'niss]]. He owns a functioning [[Moonlantern]] and has been tasked with shuttling cultist initiates to Moonrise Towers. When the party is ready, he'll ferry them to Moonrise. Once the party agrees, Kar'niss takes off and the party must remain in the glow of his Moonlantern to stave off the shadow curse.

During the trek, a group of Harpers ambush the convoy. The party has a chance to betray the convoy and help the Harpers, or fight alongside the convoy in the hopes of being more convincing at Moonrise. If the party allies with the Harpers, they take the drider's Moonlantern and refer the party to [[Last Light Inn]]. If the party avoids making [[Jaheira]] hostile at the Inn, then they latter can gain the Moonlantern by speaking with [[Isobel]]. If the party sticks with the convoy, then Kar'niss safely guides them to the front entrance to [[Moonrise Towers]].  

If the party has already been to [[Last Light Inn]] and avoided making [[Jaheira]] hostile at the Inn and sided with the Harpers, the harpers will question the party after defeating the convoy and demand "Jaheira's godsend" explain their presence: the party can either blame the ambush for ruining their infiltration (persuasion DC16) or lie that they were captured by the convoy (deception dc16). Failing either will turn the ambushing Harpers hostile(only them). Succeeding either will lead to the Harpers handing over the [[Moonlantern]]

=== Finishing the drider's convoy ===

Kar'niss brings the party to Moonrise Towers safely, as promised, but he doesn't relinquish his Moonlantern. In order to acquire the Moonlantern, the party must earn it by appeasing a specific disciple, Disciple [[Z'rell]]. After a cutscene with Z'rell and [[Ketheric Thorm]], the party is tasked to dispatch some goblins and then meet with Z'rell upstairs. Speak to her, and she telepathically connects with the party to see how the goblins died. Next, she tries to figure out if the party is loyal to the Absolute. The player character can attempt to distract her with romantic thoughts of their love interest (Persuasion DC 14), fill their mind with fake love for the Absolute (Deception DC 14), distract her with their hunger for power, or use a special dialogue for Monks, Rogues, or Fighters.

If successful, Z'rell gives the party a new task - track down [[Balthazar]], a servant of Thorm's who the cult has lost contact with. He was last seen at the [[Grand Mausoleum|Thorm Mausoleum]]. Z'rell gives the party a key to his room and instructs them to take a Moonlantern and touch nothing else. Thorm's room is on the same floor, past the library. The Moonlantern is in a box near a wooden desk in the centre of the room (just south of the telescope).{{note|While in Balthazar's room, Gale can make a special Moonlantern as part of [[Balthazar's Experiment]]. However, this lantern does not provide the protective function of a Moonlantern.}}

=== Performing an ambush ===

If the party chooses to use the elevator in [[Grymforge]] as part of [[Travel through the Underdark]], they encounter some Harper Scouts, led by Harper [[Lassandra]]. The Harpers are suspicious and order the party forward, when a harper named [[Yonas]] is grabbed by a [[Shadow]] and transformed by the shadow curse. A fight breaks out between the newly transformed Yonas, seven Shadows, and the Harpers.

After the battle, Lassandra thanks the party and urges them to carry a torch, as it's enough for the edges of the Shadow-Cursed Land. She tells them there is one place safe from the curse, the [[Last Light Inn]], and marks it on the map. If the party avoids hostility with Jaheira, she introduces them to Isobel who grants a Blessing of Selune to stave off the lesser affects of the curse. By this conversation {{-}} when the party speaks with Jaheira inside the inn {{-}} the cultist will no longer be present near the exit of the mountain pass to start the subquest [[Follow the Convoy]]. If the party protects Isobel in [[Resolve the Abduction]], a group of Harpers led by Harper [[Branthos]] state they are preparing to ambush a cultist convoy. The party can either go with the group immediately or catch up with them later, as the ambush site is marked on their map. Talk to Branthos at the ambush site to begin.

Passing a {{SkillCheck|Deception|14}} will cause Kar'niss to hand over the Moonlantern. This check can be made with advantage if the character meets certain criteria, including being a [[drow]] or disguised as one or being a [[Bard]]. Once the lantern has been handed over, a {{SkillCheck|Deception|14}} or {{SkillCheck|Intimidation|14}} check can be passed to convince Kar'niss to walk away without the lantern. Both of these checks have criteria that will allow them to be rolled with advantage. Any caster class such as [[Bard]] or [[Wizard]] can roll Deception with advantage, with the dialogue changing to indicate that the character performs a fake spell (the text changes depending on the class). A [[Drow]] or character disguised as one can roll the Intimidation check with advantage.

If the party gains Kar'niss' lantern, a pixie speaks out to them and begs for her freedom. If the party frees her (by equipping the lantern then using the action [[Inspect Moonlantern]]), she introduces herself as [[Dolly Dolly Dolly]]. In return for freeing her, the party can ask for her help with the shadow curse. She grants them a Filigreed Feywild Bell, which grants a [[Pixie Blessing (Condition)|Pixie Blessing]] that staves off the curse.{{note|The Pixie Blessing can only be obtained by freeing Dolly Thrice from Kar'niss' Moonlantern. Trapped pixies cannot be freed from any other moonlanterns.}} In comparison to the Moonlantern, which has a limited range and takes up a weapon slot, the blessing affects all party members and requires nothing to be equipped.