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Save the First Druid is a sub-quest of Act One's quest, Save the Refugees. It can be started by speaking to various Non-Player Characters at the Druid Grove, including Rath and Nettie.
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Objectives
- The druid Halsin was last seen on an expedition into goblin territory.
- The druid Rath told us that the First Druid Halsin might be the only one capable of stopping Kagha from finishing the ritual.
- The adventurers were with Halsin when he disappeared. They might know what happened to him.
- We learned that Halsin turned into a bear during the chaos of the failed expedition. He could still be disguised in that shape.
- We learned that the goblins imprisoned the survivors deep within their camp. Halsin could be held captive there - if he survived.
- We found a group of goblins massacred by some kind of animal. Could this have been the work of the missing druid Halsin?
- We saved a large bear who turned out to be a druid named Halsin. He asked us to kill the goblin leaders so he could restore peace to the grove.
- We killed Dror Ragzlin, the goblin king.
- The drow commander Minthara is dead.
- We ended Priestess Gut's rituals - and her life.
- We defeated all three goblin leaders. We should report to Halsin.
- The goblins left to attack the grove. We should report to Halsin.
- The goblins have begun their raid on the grove. Halsin has gone there to fend them off - and hopefully mend the rift between the druids and tieflings.
- We saved a large bear, and it ended up being the druid Halsin himself. He asked for help defeating the goblins before they destroy the grove.
- We helped Halsin save the grove. Hopefully, he can resolve the conflict between the tieflings and the druids. We'll find out when we meet him there.
- Halsin has returned to the grove. We should speak to him.
- A large bear we saved turned out to be a druid named Halsin. He told us to meet him back at the grove.
- The large bear we saved was actually the missing druid Halsin. He told us to meet him back at the grove.
- Halsin thanked us and said that Rath would surely reward us for our efforts.
- Halsin was defeated.
- Rath was grateful and pointed us to a hidden vault locked by runes in the Enclave Library.
- The tieflings left for Baldur's Gate - the grove will be at peace now. Rath should have something for us.
- The tieflings left for Baldur's Gate - the grove will be at peace now.
- The grove was sealed before we could find Halsin. He won't be needed at the grove anymore.
- The tieflings and the druids were defeated. The grove has been destroyed.
- Rath thanked us for saving the grove.
- Rath is dead.
- Halsin thanked us for saving him.
- The surviving tieflings have left, and we haven't found Halsin. The grove would likely still benefit from his return.
Walkthrough
Information on Halsin can be found by speaking to Nettie during Get Help from Healer Nettie or by speaking to Rath. Both Rath and Nettie are in the Inner Sanctum accessed by the stone door north of the Sacred Pool. Mentioning to Rath that Kagha seems dangerous makes him lament that a snake has replaced their leader. Pressing for more information results in Rath revealing that Halsin disappeared at the goblin camp. Nettie discusses more about Halsin if the party is honest with her about their affliction and symptoms, stating that Halsin could better treat them if he was around.
Halsin can ultimately be found in the Worg Pens area (X: 393, Y: -60) of the Shattered Sanctum, in the interior area of the Goblin Camp. There, the player finds him wildshaped as a bear, being harassed by his Goblin captors, whom are unaware of the animal's true identity. The details on how to approach the Goblin Camp and freeing Halsin are elaborated on below.
This quest can also be completed successfully by completing the quest Raid the Grove - by revealing the location of the Druid Grove to Minthara, but betraying her during the siege. This effectively lures a good portion of the Goblin forces to the grove, and Halsin frees himself and returns there once the siege defense is successful.
Entering the Goblin Camp
There are various check-point encounters on the path to the proper Goblin Camp. There are multiple methods the player can use to approach these, including by not limited to:
- A full-frontal assault.
- Note, this approach may lead to turning the entire camp hostile if an alarm drum is successfully sounded.
- A mixture of diplomacy checks, such Persuasion and Deception.
- Alternatively, a player can brute force through all diplomacy checks by utilizing the dialogue Tadpole Power.
- Drow, or characters disguised as one via the Disguise Self spell, also have special dialogue options that helps you bypass diplomacy checks.
- Avoiding the check-points through stealth or finding an alternative path (i.e. approaching the camp from the North-West).
- Note, approaching from the North-Western path requires the player to figure out methods to deal with some sleeping guards (who can be woken if jumping character land near them). A Silence spell can effectively cover this.
Once the player successfully bypasses the check-points and enters the camp proper, they are free to partake in the camp activities, converse with the partying Goblins, and take on various side quests (more information on the Goblin Camp page). Specifically for this quest, we must continue and venture into the interior of the temple.
The Shattered Sanctum
There are two entrances into the Shattered Sanctum - the main door, or through the cracked wall on the 2nd level of the camp (X:-106, Y:481).
The main entrance:
- The entrance is guarded by Warrior Trinzas, who can be persuaded through diplomacy, Tadpole Powers, or Drow special dialogue like the previous check-points.
- Violence is always a viable alternative, however, there is a risk the fighting draws the attention of other goblins in the area, leading to the alarms being sounded and the goblins turning hostile.
The cracked wall:
- The wall is an object with 22 Hit Points, Sturdy, and immunity to all damage types except piercing (resistant), and force (vulnerable).
- This makes force-damage items/spells/abilities that can clear the 10 damage threshold - like Smokepowder Bombs or Eldritch Blast - ideal for breaking this wall.
- As there are sleeping guards situation close to the wall, using the Silence spell on the explosion or the guards to cover the noise is recommended, if you wish to avoid a confrontation.
There is technically a 3rd entrance to the temple from the Selûnite Outpost in the Underdark, but that door is inaccessible externally, and requires the player to have opened it from inside of the Shattered Sanctum first.
Freeing Halsin
Once inside, the player must approach the ornate door at the Eastern Side of Shattered Sanctum (X:342, Y:32) to enter the Worg Pens, where Halsin is held. As long as the alarm was not raised, no one will stop you, assuming you are either a True Soul or a welcomed visitor.
Alternatively, the player can also get taken to the Worg Pens by getting themselves captured - either by offending the goblins (i.e. getting caught pick-pocketing), or through the potential events of the Ask the Goblin Priestess for Help quest (drinking Gut's potion of sleep while not being resistant to it). In this case, the player is taken to the prison at the Worg Pens, and has the option to break out and find Halsin that way.
Regardless, once in the Worg Pen, approaching the cages triggers a cutscene where the Goblins harass Halsin, who is disguised in his bear wildshape. Using the Speak with Animals spell allows the player to understand Halsin in his animal form. The player has various dialogue options to react to the scenario at hand. Regardless of what happens, in order to free Halsin, the goblins guarding the area must be fought, which includes:
At the start of the fight, the Goblin youths that were harassing Halsin try to make a break and call for assistance. If they are successful, they draw in the guards outside the doors - Sharp-eye Neem, Sharp-eye Eef, and Sharp-eye Nass.
Once freed, Halsin offers to join up with the player's party as a temporary companion. He explains that he came here with a group of adventurers to learn more about the mind flayer tadpoles, but that he was captured. He says that the leaders of the Note, accepting his offer turns the entire camp hostile. If Halsin's offer is rejected, he remains in the worg pens until the leaders are taken care of.
Priestess Gut
Priestess Gut (X:297, Y:-18) is in front of the giant throne immediately north of the front entrance. She offers to brand the party with the Brand of the Absolute, which can be accepted or rejected. Regardless of whether the brand is taken or not, Gut recognizes the party as fellow True Souls. She attempts to probe into the party's minds with her illithid powers. Allow her to do this, and she notices something is amiss. Explain that it's the result of the tadpoles and ask if she can help. Gut says that the party should join her in her private chambers.
Follow her to her chambers, where she says she has a cure for the tadpole. She says that a special cleansing potion must be taken first. However, an Arcana check reveals this is a sleeping potion. If she's called out on this, or if the party member in question is resistant to sleeping potions (ie an elf or half-elf), she becomes hostile and also triggers several nearby goblins to become hostile. However, if the potion is taken, she chains up the party member and says she intends for them to become her pet squid. It's possible to either break free with an Acrobatics or Strength check, but a special scene plays if nothing is done at all. Wait, and Korrilla appears from a portal to assassinate both Gut and her Ogre guard. Then she disappears after a brief conversation, warning the party to be more careful.
Minthara
The drow Minthara (X:333, Y:42) is in the northeastern corner of the Shattered Sanctum. There is a Scrying Eye that must be dealt with before defeating her, otherwise the camp is alerted. Minthara can easily be taken out after speaking with her, as she runs across the bridge to gather the troops. While she is running on the bridge, attack the bridge's posts and she falls into the chasm below. Otherwise, once the scrying eye is dealt with, only Minthara and her minions in the room become hostile, so the other two leaders can still be dealt with stealthily.
Dror Ragzlin
Dror Ragzlin is unique in that he is the only member of the trio that cannot be killed with stealth. If the party kills Ragzlin, no matter where they are, the entire camp becomes hostile. For this reason, it's best to wrap up all business in the goblin camp and acquire the waypoint in the Selune Outpost below the Shattered Sanctum before killing him.
Dror Ragzlin is in the throne room to the north, casting Speak with Dead on an illithid corpse (X:296, Y:40). A cutscene automatically plays as the party enters the room, with Ragzlin asking if they'd like to speak to a squid.
If Ragzlin is allowed to commune with the illithid on his own, its killer is revealed to be the party after the second question. This can be avoided by taking control of Ragzlin's questions with a wisdom check (DC 10) and asking questions other than who is the killer such as "Why was the Nautiloid in Faerûn?" Asking an obvious question like "Who is the Absolute?" causes Ragzlin to be suspicious of the party. Otherwise, if the party is caught out at being the illithid's killer, they can talk Ragzlin down through a Persuasion check or by using Detect Thoughts to reveal he likes being called the Absolute's Right Hand.
A very simple way to kill Ragzlin is to shove him before her returns to his throne after the illithid conversation. However, this makes the whole room become hostile and escaping is more difficult. There is a stealthier way to kill Ragzlin by separating out one party member while the others wait in the Worg pens. Sneak up to the wooden beams above the throne and hit him with something that kills him instantly, such as a Void Bulb. Then, quickly fast travel outside of the camp and switch to the party members that are still in the Worg pens.
Back in the Worg Pens
Return to the Worg Pens and report to Halsin on the leaders' defeat. He is grateful and willing to answer many questions about his knowledge of the tadpoles as well as the strange movements of Absolutists at Moonrise Towers. He tells the party to return to the Druid Grove and he will meet them there. Return to the Sacred Pool area, where Halsin confronts Kagha about her actions. He will either demote her status to an initiate or cast her out entirely, depending on if Investigate Kagha was completed.
Claiming the Rewards
Speak to Rath (X:-463, Y:-30) in the Inner Sanctum and he rewards the party handsomely for their service. Head north to the room where Nettie initially was, then head northwest to the Enclave Library. There is a giant stone wolf statue in the room. There are four plaques surrounding the wolf - interact with the easternmost one. Combine the rune with the empty socket (X:-463, Y:24). Then, interact with all four runes to unlock a hidden staircase. This is a special treasure room with many helpful items.
Quest Rewards
Notes
- Once Dror Ragzlin is killed, the entire camp, inside and out, becomes hostile.