Essius

Harper Essius is a confident rock gnome Harper that can be found in the Last Light Inn. Depending on player choices in Act Two, he takes part in assisting the party during the Assault on Moonrise Towers.

“

You ready? 'Cause I am!

„

— Essius' warcry

Involvement

Last Light Inn

Essius can be first encountered at the Last Light Inn's plaza, where can he can be seen chatting with Ulthred next to the fountain. Whereas Ulthred might at first be skeptical and doubting of the party, Essius will attempt to talk him down and be open to the party's help. As Ulthred displays some nervosity at being in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, Essius will tell him that he's seen worse alleys in Baldur's Gate.

If the party is rescued by Marcus but exposes him as a True Soul, Essius will get  Stunned and join the fight against his summoned Crawling Claws.

Resolve the Abduction

When Marcus attacks the inn and attempts to kidnap Isobel during Resolve the Abduction, Essius will frequently be amongst the Harpers that will avoid being  Impaled, and will run up to fight with the Winged Horrors. If the party fails to protect Isobel, he and everyone in Last Light Inn will turn into a  Shadow-Cursed Undead, save for Jaheira.

Assault Moonrise Towers

Main article: Infiltrate Moonrise Towers

If the party successfully prevented Marcus from capturing Isobel at the Last Light Inn, and once the Nightsong has been freed from her cage and is headed for Moonrise, Essius will follow Jaheira to Moonrise Towers, where he, along with Harper Antony, Lymn, and Naysa will survive the first assault and assist the party in the remaining fight against Absolute forces.

After the main battle, if he manages to survive the fight, he will guard the first floor of Moonrise Towers with the remaining Harpers. Once Ketheric Thorm is defeated and the party moves on to Act Three, Essius will completely disappear.

Combat

Attacks and Abilities

 Ranged Attack ()   –  Longbow

Normal weapon damage Make a ranged attack with your equipped weapon.

 Range: 18 m / 60 ft

 Main Hand Attack ()   –  Rapier

Normal weapon damage Make a melee attack with your equipped weapon.

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5  ft

 Piercing Strike ()   –  Rapier

Normal weapon damage

Stab an enemy and possibly inflict  Gaping Wounds.

Undead and Constructs can't receive Gaping Wounds.

CON Save

 Range: Normal weapon range

Recharge: Short rest

 Weakening Strike ()   –  Rapier

1d4 (1~4) + Strength or Dexterity modifier Weapon

Target an enemy's hands with a non-lethal attack and possibly inflict  Weak Grip.

Creatures without weapons can't have Weak Grip.

STR Save

 Range: Normal weapon range

Recharge: Short rest

 Flourish ()   –  Rapier

1d4 (1~4) Bludgeoning

Feint an attack to possibly throw your opponent  Off Balance.

DEX Save

 Range: Normal weapon range

Recharge: Short rest

Loot

• Longbow
• Rapier
• Studded Leather Armour

Related quests

•  Infiltrate Moonrise Towers
•  Resolve the Abduction

Notes

• According to devnotes, Essius is a rather long-lived gnome and experienced Harper.
• If killed at any point before the Assault on Moonrise Towers, a replacement Harper (either Olys, Grenywald, Lanni, or Lilineth) will take Essius' place.
• Essius is the only surviving Assault on Moonrise Towers, non-failsafe Harper that is not able to be called in during Confront the Elder Brain as part of the  Gather Your Allies variant  Silver Harp Squadron, even if all the other remaining Harpers are dead.
• Unlike the other Harpers during the Assault on Moonrise, Essius does not naturally spawn with a Longbow, and is instead given one at the start of the battle.
  • Likewise, Essius does not have the same stat block as Antony, Lymn, or Naysa, nor does he share the ranger class with them. Instead, Essius seems to be have a non-descript DEX-based melee archetype.
• As of Patch 7, despite having Extra Attack, Essius is not able to attack twice during his turns.

External links

• Essius on the Forgotten Realms Wiki