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Ebonlake Grotto
| Underdark | ||||
| Dread Hollow | ← | Ebonlake Grotto | → | Storehouse |
| ↓ | ||||
| Decrepit Village | ||||
Overview[edit | edit source]
The Ebonlake Grotto occupies the northern part of the Underdark and actually is a large Myconid colony. Several twisted alleys within it are side-lined by oversized mushrooms, with myconid guards and spore-animated corpses walking back and forth.
Along the alleys patches of various plant-like sprouts can be seen, as well as young stalks of various mushrooms, both dangerous and those that can be picked up as alchemical elements. However, all pickable mushrooms and crystals within the colony and nearby it are considered the myconids' property and are red-outlined. Barrelstalks grow near the paths, issuing clouds of spores in the air. Entities passing through these clouds receive 
for one turn. A small section of the grotto is initially blocked with purple vines, which cannot be lockpicked, but can be overcome by 
or physical damage.
Entrance[edit | edit source]
The Ebonlake Grotto can be entered from a south-eastern entrance, resembling rocky stairs at X: 113 Y: -127 and from another set of stairs in the south-west made of giant mushroom caps leading to the Dread Hollow at X: 34 Y: -123. Both entrances are guarded by several myconids and spore servants. In front of the south-eastern entrance there is a vast ground initially overgrown with two kinds of hazardous mushrooms, Torchstalks and Timmasks. A single shot causes a chain explosion, and after the fires are gone, the party can pick up two spell scrolls at X: 124 Y: -127, near the remains of a hapless adventurer.
Sovereign's quests[edit | edit source]
Upon coming close to any entrance guard, Sovereign Spaw, the leader of Myconid Circle, contacts the party telepathically and asks them to declare their intentions. Unless the party attack, it invites them to "speak in flesh", and the guards let them pass. Spaw itself is stationed nearby, on the top of construction of huge, overlapping mushroom caps resembling yet another ladder. Upon approaching, it is busy reanimating several duergar corpses, and the player character may discuss the process with it.
Spaw laments the circle's losses in the recent raid of the duergar who were pursuing Thulla, and wants to take revenge on this "rot" for killing a young myconid, whose corpse lies at X: 106 Y: -111 and can be freely interrogated with 
. Agreeing to help starts the 
quest. Upon completion, Spaw opens the vine-blocked section for the party as a reward - inside is some loot and the Pale Corpse of the drow wizard Xargrim, which can be spoken to with . Reporting to Spaw on killing the duergar grants the 
inspirational event for characters with the 
background (if it was not earned earlier).
After killing the duergar raiders Spaw also asks the party to eliminate the roots of the "rot", which means killing the drow Nere, who sent the duergar into Spaw's demesne. Agreeing to the second request starts the quest.
Deep Gnome escapee[edit | edit source]
The deep gnome Thulla has been saved by the myconids from the duergar and lies on a strawmat nearby Spaw. She wears a simple leather armour and 
boots, too uncommon to match the armour. Her duergar chasers poisoned her, and she needs an antidote. Talking to her starts the quest. The Narrator lines within the dialogue hint that to be cured Thulla needs a specific 
Duergar Antidote, which is carried by the duergar squad leader Gekh Coal. However, any normal remedy will suffice if party members have one in their inventory. Once the quest is started, Thulla dies without treatment after three long rests. Also, while Thulla remains poisoned, the player character can steal the boots from her, which earns the inspiration to party members with the 
background.
Once Thulla is able to talk, she explains taking part in her clan's mining expedition. She also says that while she was lucky to escape, most of her clan were enslaved by the duergar and taken to the opposite shore of the Ebonlake. She asks the player character to save them, which starts the quest. Throughout the dialogue, succeeding a passive 
DC 15 Insight check and then a DC 15 Persuasion check can give the party more information on what the gnomes were really searching for in the Underdark. If agreeing to help, Thulla gives the party her boots, which can be used further in the walkthrough to deal with the duergar slavers at least twice.
Glut, the deposed sovereign[edit | edit source]
On a small ground between two paths to the entrances stands another fleshy myconid, Sovereign Glut. The dialogue with it starts automatically when approaching. It offers its help in eliminating the duergar near the lake shore, explaining that unlike Spaw's circle, which suffered only several deaths, its own circle was completely extinguished except itself. Glut offers to assist by reanimating corpses of the fallen enemies, and if the player character agrees, it joins the party as an attached follower. This starts the quest.
If the party refuse to take Glut in, it waits until the quest is completed and approaches again, asking to show it the vanquished grey dwarves. However, it needs only to talk to the party beyond the area of the Spaw's circle telepathic area. Once coming to the lake shore, Glut asks the party to support its coup against Spaw, appealing to the latter's refusal to help when the aid against the duergar was desperately needed. The player character can refuse (which immediately makes Glut hostile) or agree, and then return to the colony to either kill Spaw or expose Glut's treachery. Picking a side in this conflict grants the inspirational event for characters with the 
background, while supporting Glut's ambitions gives the to Dark Urge characters. If Glut becomes the new sovereign of the Ebonlake Grotto, it still prompts the player character to kill and decapitate Nere, if this has not been already done for Spaw.
Traders and scientists[edit | edit source]
Besides its many myconid inhabitants the colony has other guests. Initially, two traders can be encountered: a dwarf named Derryth Bonecloak and a hobgoblin named Blurg.
Derryth's husband Baelen Bonecloak has gone missing. The party can offer to find him, which starts . However, instead of being worried about Baelen's life and limb, Derryth is more concerned about acquiring some 
Noblestalk, a rare mushroom which might revive their faltered apothecary business in Baldur's Gate. She can be traded with straightaway, selling several items of notice.
Blurg initially introduces himself as a scientist, a member of the Society of Brilliance, studying the environment of the Underdark, as well as local traditions. He quickly becomes fascinated with the player character's story, and offers an unexpected option to help them: he calls upon his friend and colleague Omeluum, a rogue mind flayer which freed itself from its illithid hivemind.
Omeluum is surprised that the party members are infected but still not tranformed, and offers to psionically examine them. Doing so to no avail, it suggests to bypass their tadpole's magical defences with the help of tincture based on several rare Underdark mushrooms. This starts the quest. Blurg, who watches Omeluum's manipulations with great interest, then gives the party a hint on where to obtain these mushrooms, sending them to explore the Arcane Tower. Gathering ingredients for Omeluum's potion grants inspirational event for characters with the 
background.
Upon bringing Omeluum the required ingredients, it attempts to remove the tadpole. Omeluum not only fails, but also makes the tadpole more powerful, granting 
ability to whoever drank the potion. Unable to bring the tadpole issue to a close, it then offers the party the 
Ring of Mind-Shielding, which can limit the powers of the tadpole, but asks something in exchange. Omeluum may be 
, 
into surrendering the ring, or may agree give it in exchange for a detailed description of the Nautiloid which abducted the party. This requires a DC 10 Performance check or DC 10 Intelligence check, the latter rolled with 
Advantage if the player character read the 
Rune Slate concerning it in the Prologue.
Blurg can be traded with after finishing the initial dialogue with him and Omeluum, while Omeluum trades only after finishing its quest. One noted item available is a book titled 
On Illithids, Volume XXVI. Buying and reading it grants inspirational event for characters with the 
background.
Giant Bird Nest[edit | edit source]
South-west of the grotto, at X: 43 Y: -141 the player character can reach the giant bird's nest by series of jumps. Looting the wooden chest inside the nest grants the inspiration event for party members with the 
background.
Waypoints[edit | edit source]
Underdark - Myconid Colony at X: 102 Y: -101
Characters[edit | edit source]
Creatures[edit | edit source]
Available to Speak with Dead[edit | edit source]
Related quests[edit | edit source]
Loot[edit | edit source]
Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:
Boots of Speed - given by Thulla for completing Cure the Poisoned Gnome
Champion's Chain - given by Glut for completing Deliver Nere's Head
Envoy's Amulet - given by Spaw for completing Deliver Nere's Head
Icy Metal - behind the Guardian Gate after completing Defeat the Duergar Intruders
Shadow of Menzoberranzan - behind the Guardian Gate after completing Defeat the Duergar Intruders
Winter's Clutches - given by Glut for completing Avenge Glut's Circle
Blurg sells:
Omeluum sells:
Derryth Bonecloak sells:
Literature[edit | edit source]
Flumph Mating Rituals - found behind the Guardian Gate
Meticulous Notes - on Blurg's workbench
On Illithids, Volume XXVI - sold by Omeluum
The Shattered Seldarine - near Blurg's workbench
Notes[edit | edit source]
- In the Early Access version,
Featherlight Boots or 
Ring of Fire were given by Glut for completing Avenge Glut's Circle.
