Editing Confront the Elder Brain

* We can thwart the Chosen of the Dead Three by taking control of the elder brain - but will we use that control to liberate or to conquer?  

* Whatever the answer, it lies in Baldur's Gate.

[[File:Netherbrain.webm|gif|350px|thumb|The reveal]]Confront the Elder Brain is acquired at the end of [[Act Two]], after the Chosen Three are revealed to be controlling the Elder Brain as part of their plot to take over Baldur's Gate. However, the quest cannot be meaningfully progressed until [[Get Gortash's Netherstone]] and [[Get Orin's Netherstone]] have successfully been completed. Orin must be defeated and Gortash must either be defeated or his bargain accepted as part of [[Consider Gortash's Bargain]]. Defeating both Orin and Gortash causes a vision of the Elder Brain in the [[Morphic Pool]] beneath the city. If Gortash is allied with, then he reveals the Elder Brain's location and tells the party to use the boat under the city to meet him there.

The Morphic Pool Dock is north of the Temple of Bhaal waypoint. Approaching the dock before obtaining all three Netherstones results in a swarm of [[Cranium Rat|cranium rats]] attacking.  

'''Important:''' Boarding the boat to the Morphic Pool is a '''point of no return and the start of the endgame'''. After this, it is ''not'' possible to long rest or visit camp. Plan accordingly and choose the desired companions for the final battles.

One final, near impossible check remains. While a critical success will weaken the Netherbrain for the final fight, in the short term the result is inconsequential, as the Netherbrain is too powerful.

Regardless of what the party does, the brain is simply too powerful, and the party is knocked unconscious. The Emperor steps in to save them by bringing everyone inside the Astral Prism.

The party awakens in the Astral Prism having benefited from a Long Rest and '''losing all Elixirs and "Until Long Rest" duration buffs they may have had.'''

 

The Emperor states that only an illithid can hope to take down the Netherbrain in its current form and that the illithid must consume the power of Prince Orpheus in order to succeed. As an illithid, the Emperor says he can do this, and asks the Netherstones be relinquished to him.

Otherwise, the party can choose to work with the Emperor. The Emperor can be given the Netherstones and he assimilates Orpheus by devouring his brain. Another possibility is for Karlach to volunteer to become an illithid, as she is dying from her infernal engine anyway. The player character can also volunteer to become illithid. Whoever becomes illithid can wield the stones.

=== Upper City ===

Instead of the courtyard, the party can take a hidden route through Upper City Sewers. This route features few goblins, a mind flayer, Absolute cultists, [[Necromite]]s, and a [[Death Knight]] named [[Stalker Svignee]].

 

==== The High Hall ====

After fighting or sneaking their way through the courtyard or the sewers, the party enters the High Hall proper.

The hall contains Intellect Devourers, Mind Flayers, and Banite and Bhaalist cultists. A [[Nautiloid_(Creature)|Nautiloid]] pulls up and bombards areas and summons Mind Flayer and Intellect Devourer reinforcements every turn.

 

There are two paths to the top. The left path has a {{cond|Medium Toughness}} door that must be broken down or lockpicked. The right path has a high wall that most characters will not be able to jump up, but a nearby statue that can be pushed over (with a Strength check) to provide a foothold.

 

At the very top is a door to stem of the Netherbrain. Approaching the stem ''with any character'' causes a cutscene that destroys the Nautiloid and ends the fight, and teleports the entire party to this location. On Explorer and Balanced difficulty only, there is another restoration pod. Regardless, the way forward is to climb the Netherbrain.

 

[[File:CTNB Quest Ending Gale Alone vs Brain Stem.jpg|350px|thumb|''"Though our time together will be exceptionally brief. Farewell, and happy landing."'']] Depending on the choices made prior to crossing the "point of no return" and if [[Gale]] is in the party, interacting with the Brain Stem can trigger a short conversation between him and the player character. It is now possible to let Gale climb the Brain Stem alone and use his orb to destroy the Netherbrain. If that happens then all of the fights described in the rest of this article '''are completely avoided.''' After a cutscene with Gale activiating the orb, the party will get directly to the endings and after that to the epilogue of the game.

The Netherbrain is guarded by four [[Illithid Arcanist|Illithid Arcanists]] and a [[Dominated Red Dragon]]. There are also sixteen [[Tentacle]] enemies hidden under the brain's surface that will appear if an allied character travels within 3m/10ft of them.  

The party will also face additional enemies that vary depending on whether the party chose to side with Orpheus or the Emperor:

* If Orpheus was sided with, the Emperor appears on top of the Netherbrain to stop the party. The Emperor conjures four [[Dream Guardian|Dream Guardians]] to fight alongside him, stating that he knows the party's every weakness.

* If the Emperor was sided with, the Netherbrain itself spawns four [[Countermeasure|Countermeasures]], powerful Aberrations that are designed to counter specific classes. The Countermeasures summoned depend on the classes of the current party members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

== Allies in the Final Fight==

!Ally  

!Benefit  

|[[Arabella]]

|[[Weavewalker]]

|One must remove all obstacles to follow one's destiny - [[Arabella]]'s favour grants affected entities benefits of {{Cond|Freedom of Movement}}.

|[[Mol]]

|[[Fetcher's Favour]]

|Equipped with [[Mol]]'s tricks of the trade, affected entities can cast [[Rays of Fire]], reduce all {{DamageType|Fire}} damage by 5 and gain an additional 1d4 to [[Charisma]] [[Ability Check|Checks]] and [[Saving Throw]]s.

|[[Volo]]

|[[Volo's Guide to Monsters]]

|With steadfast application of knowledge from [[Volo]]'s preeminent work, affected entities gain +2 to [[Attack Roll]]s, [[Saving Throw]]s, and [[Ability Check]]s.

|[[Halsin]]

|[[Spirit of the Land]]

|The reunited soul of [[Thaniel]] provides a +1 to all [[Ability Score]]s and an additional 2m [[movement speed]] to all affected entities.  

|[[Rallied (Endgame)|Rallied]]

|Galvanising word and will of [[Duke Ravengard]] runs hot through your veins - gain 30 [[Temporary Hit Points]].

|[[Prince Orpheus]]

|[[Orphic Favour]]

|While within 18m of [[Prince Orpheus]], the affected entity has [[Resistance]] to {{DamageType|Psychic}} damage and a +3 bonus to [[Intelligence]], [[Wisdom]], and [[Charisma]] {{Saving Throw}}s.

|[[Strange Ox]]

| [[An Apple a Day]]

| Summon [[Zlorb]] - a shapeshifting monstrosity that can adopt the aspect of several monsters and beasts.

|[[Dammon]]

|[[Battle-Ready Owlbear]]

|Summon your [[Owlbear Cub]] - all grown up and ready to rage - in full armour.

|[[Yurgir]]

|[[Hellstalker Yurgir]]

|Summon [[Yurgir]] the orthon - a deadly combatant at range or in melee who can become Invisible immediately after attacking.  

|[[Dame Aylin]]

| [[Sword of the Silverlight]]

|Summon [[Dame Aylin]], Selûne's shining paladin, to join your side in battle.  

|[[Isobel]]

|[[Balm of the Moonmaiden]]

|Call upon [[Isobel]] to offer a furtive prayer to Selûne, healing up to 6 nearby allies.

| [[Valeria]]

|[[The Watch]]

|[[Zevlor]]

|[[Hellrider Platoon]]

|Summon [[Zevlor]]'s Hellriders to Smite foes and support frontline allies.

| [[Nine-Fingers]]

|[[Guildmaster Keene's Fixers]]

|[[Zhentarim]]

|[[Black Fist Enforcers]]

| [[Jaheira]]

|[[Silver Harp Squadron]]

|-

|[[Ulma]]

|[[Gur Huntwardens]]

|[[Astarion]]

| [[Retinue of the Vampire Lord]]

|Summon 2 [[Shadow]]s, 2 [[Giant Skeleton]]s, a [[Ghast]], a [[Shadow Mastiff]], and a [[Werewolf]].

|-

| [[Wulbren]] or [[Barcus]]

|[[Ironhand Grenadiers]]

|[[Counsellor Florrick]]

|[[Florrick's Cohort]]

|Summon [[Florrick]]'s personal guard - highly defensive warriors who can hold their own in melee.

|[[Rolan]]

|[[Rolan's Firestorm]]

| Damage: 20-120. Call upon Rolan, freed from the limitations of Lorroakan, to unleash a fiery barrage from the heights of [[Ramazith's Tower]].

| Damage: 20-120. Lorroakan uses all the arcane might of Ramazith's Tower to call down a fiery barrage.

|[[Kith'rak Voss]]

|[[Kirh'raki Inferno]]

|Damage: 12-72. Command the red dragon of [[Kith'rak Voss|Supreme Kith'rak Voss]] to breathe a wall of fire onto the battlefield.

| [[Mizora]]

|[[Mizora, Agent of Avernus]]

|[[Viconia]] or [[Shadowheart|Dark Justiciar Shadowheart]]

| Summon two [[Sharran Novice]]s and two [[Sharran Fidelian]]s.

|[[Bhaal]]

|[[A Most Bloody Inheritance (Condition)|A Most Bloody Inheritance]]

|[[Auntie Ethel]]

|[[Veil of the Weird]]

==Achievements ==

{{Achievement|All's Well That Ends Well}}