Editing Gauntlet of Shar

The '''Gauntlet of Shar''' is a [[List of Locations|Location]] in the [[Underdark]]. It is only accessible through the [[Grand Mausoleum]] in the [[Shadow-Cursed Lands]]. It is the major dungeon of [[Act Two]], featuring many puzzles and combat encounters, while its completion leads to pivotal developments in multiple questlines.  

This location plays a central role in [[Shadowheart]]'s personal quest [[Daughter of Darkness]].  

 

{{Relative location|south=Grand Mausoleum|PAGENAME=Gauntlet of Shar|region=Shadow-Cursed Lands|east=Shadowfell}}

There are 4 {{SmRarityItem|Umbral Gem|Umbral Gems}} in Gauntlet of Shar that are needed in order to progress through the dungeon. In order to find the four gems, the party needs to solve a number of puzzles and encounters. The layout of the dungeon is fairly open-ended past the entry chamber and can be completed in a variety of approaches.  

In order to continue, the party must extinguish eight Mystic Thuribles around the room. There are two side hallways to the east and west of the room, and levers located in alcoves to the north and south of each hallway. Each alcove is protected by one pressure plate and one vent, which can be disarmed with {{SkillCheck|Sleight of Hand|10}}. Activating the traps produce a cloud similar to {{SAI|Hunger of Hadar}}, minus the acid damage.

Activate the levers to lower the Thuribles, then interact with them to snuff out their lights. Any {{SmRarityItem|Moonlantern|Moonlanterns}} or other sources of light must also be unequipped. Once the room is shrouded in darkness, purple glyphs are revealed around the statue. Follow the gaps in the glyphs to touch the Umbral Gem. This opens the stone door with [[Arcane_Lock_(Condition)|arcane lock]] to the north. The gaps in the barriers do not change between playthroughs, allowing the puzzle to be skipped on repeat playthroughs via route memorization.

It is also possible to extinguish the Thuribles without lowering them by casting {{SAI|Ray of Frost}} on each of them.

Alternatively, the party can bypass the puzzle entirely by teleporting a party member past the stone door via {{SAI|Misty Step}}, {{SAI|Dimension Door}}, or other means, then open it with the lever to allow the other members of the party through. It's also possible to jump past the barrier by repetitively jumping through the barrier.

Pulling the lever at {{Coords|-825|-810}} opens the way to the vast antechamber abutting {{CharLink|Balthazar|Balthazar's}} room.

=== Balthazar's Outpost ===

Alternatively, heading north from the entrance room, the party enters an open hall with a lift overlooking a massive chasm. [[Reconstituted Duellist]]s/[[Reconstituted Marksman|Marksman]], apparently controlled by {{CharLink|Balthazar}}, will attempt to warn the party about the Gauntlet's dark defenders, [[Dark Justiciar|Dark Justiciars]], that will attack the group. Some [[Umbral Tremor]]s in the area will spawn that continuously summon more Dark Justiciars until all of those Tremors are destroyed. The skeletal undead will fight with the party against the Sharran shades.

If the party moves west, they will encounter more skeletons. A second, larger episode of tremors begins, and Justiciars are summoned to attack the party. Several waves appear, including a tremor in the center of the room that summons a [[Justiciar Crusader (Undead)|Justiciar Crusader]] if not destroyed. Following the battle, the door to {{CharLink|Balthazar|Balthazar's}} outpost at {{Coords|-852|-786}} opens up, revealing the necromancer along with [[Flesh]] and three [[Ghoul Medic]]s. Balthazar assumes the party are [[True Soul]]s and tells the party to go and complete the trials for him, as the Justiciars have been making it impossible for them to move forward. The party can either agree to help him or attack him outright. Balthazar can be convinced to offer help in the form of a bell that summons his brother, Flesh.

Just north of the the antechamber to Balthazar's outpost is a locked Vault door guarding Sharran treasures {{Coords|-822|-759}}. The lock is protected by an exceptional {{Ability check|Sleight of Hand|30}}. There is no key for this door, but the {{SAI|Knock}} spell can be used to bypass the lock.

In order to reach the {{CharLink|Aylin|Nightsong}}, the party must find four {{SmRarityItem|Umbral Gem|alias=Umbral Gems}} to access the heart of the Gauntlet.

Each trial must be started by interacting with the sacrificial bowl at the trial's entrance. If {{CharLink|Shadowheart}} is in the party, she will volunteer each time, gaining {{Approval|Shadowheart|+5}} if she is allowed to give blood, and losing {{Approval|Shadowheart|-1}} if she is not. Whoever gives blood to begin the trial receives a single turn of [[Bleeding (Condition)]].

The Soft-Step Trial is a stealth trial. There are two [[Shadow]]s patrolling a small maze, which must be stealthily navigated to get to the Umbral Gem. Only one character needs to successfully reach the end of the room to complete the trial. If a character is detected, all characters are teleported back to the start of the maze. The entire maze is heavily obscured, requiring the participating character to pass a {{Ability check|Stealth|10}} whenever hiding in the Shadow's sightline to pass undetected, or to use {{SAI|Invisibility}} (a [[Scroll of Invisibility]] can be found on a skeleton at {{Coords|-775|-767}}).

It is possible to visit the maze before starting the trial, if having a party member, who is good at lockpicking. Doing this allows the party member to get into the gem room before the shadows spawns, while the rest of the party has to be kept out of the maze. Then the trial has to be started to spawn the gem. The party member in the gem room can then pick it up. 

A gate blocks the way to the Umbral Gem. The gate guarding the gem can be unlocked with the {{SmRarityItem|Soft-Step Trial Key}} in a hidden room of the maze ({{Coords|-803|-760}}). The party can flip a lever at {{Coords|-803|-753}} to unlock this room. The final gate can also be lockpicked with a {{SkillCheck|Sleight of Hand|10}}, or bypassed entirely with a teleporting spell like {{SAI|Misty Step}} (a {{RarityItem|Scroll of Misty Step}} can be found on a skeleton at {{Coords|-807|-762}}).

To complete this trial, the party must defeat shadowy copies of themselves. These copies have the same abilities and gear as the real thing, and cannot be restrained or shoved. If a character attacks a copy of a different party member while their own copy is still alive, they will receive a stack of {{Cond|Cheater's Folly}}, reducing all [[Ability Score]]s by 1 until {{SAI|Remove Curse}} is used or the party takes a long rest. The debuff stacks up to four times. Once a party member's copy is dead, they can freely attack the other copies with no debuff incurred.  

Only party members that are within the trial room will be copied into reflections and entered into the trial. So, if doing the trial with one character (preferably a martial character) and removing all armor and weapons before starting the trail, then the doppleganger that is spawned when the trial is started, will also have no gear equiped. The combat does not start right away, so it's possible to re-equip armor and weapons before engaging the enemy, which will be outgeared then.

 

Placing additional party members outside the room and trying to sneak them through by opening the door later will forfeit the trial. However, this can be bypassed by destroying the {{Cond|Sturdy}} door. After that it's possible to sneak in additional party members without forfeiting the trial.

Once all the shadow copies are defeated, one of them will drop an Umbral Gem to be looted, and the transporter on the upper level of the room will activate to give a shortcut back to the entrance. {{SmRarityItem|Killer's Sweetheart}} can be found on the ground where the player character's reflection was defeated.

It is also possible to jump across gaps in the path or between platforms, or to use spells such as {{SAI|Misty Step}} to skip the trial and go directly to the Umbral Gem. Before patch 6, the path could also be made visible by illumination, using spells like {{SAI|Daylight}} -- such spells will however still remove the magical darkness on the platforms, making it easier to target them when e.g. teleporting. The spell {{SAI|Fly}} or a [[Druid|Druid's]] [[Wild Shape: Dire Raven|Dire Raven]] form can also be used to clear the trial.

The fourth and final Umbral Gem is in the possession of the orthon {{CharLink|Yurgir}} in the eastern branch of the Gauntlet at {{coords|-652|-776}}, lying near his bed of corpses. The party can fight him or help him resolve his contract with Raphael, which starts the quest {{Quest|Break Yurgir's Contract}}. It is also possible to steal the gem and get out unnoticed with sufficient [[stealth]] or {{SAI|Invisibility}}.

Choosing to side with Yurgir will have the party hunting down the last of the living Dark Justiciars in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, {{CharLink|Lyrthindor}}. Following cragged rocks opposite from the Silent Library (starting at {{Coords|-736|-753}}) all the way downward into a small grotto, the party will come across a ritual circle at {{Coords|-708|-722}}. Attacking a rat elsewhere in the Gauntlet will cause the surviving rats to eventually swarm all the way downward into the grotto. Following these rats is a simple way to locate the area. Lighting the candles will summon a rat, who offers to reveal a hidden treasure cache ({{Coords|-685|-710}}, unobtainable without accepting the rat's bargain) in exchange for his life. Attacking the rat begins a battle with a swarm of rats who eventually coalesce into Lyrthindor.

Once all four Umbral Gems are in the party's possession, it is possible to complete the Gauntlet of Shar and proceed to the {{CharLink|Aylin|Nightsong}}. However, if she is in the party, {{CharLink|Shadowheart}} will have a request: she wants to find the {{SmRarityItem|Spear of Night}} in the Silent Library so that she can become a Dark Justiciar.

The door to the '''Silent Library''' is located south of the Faith-Leap Trial. The Library is heavily-trapped and patrolled by several undead [[Dark Justiciar|Dark Justiciars]]. [[The Librarian]] can also be found here, generating a {{SAI|Silence}} effect that covers the entire Library and keeps any spells from being cast inside while the Librarian lives.

A button at {{Coords|-784|-747}} unlocks the Iron Portcullis to the next chamber. Alternatively, the gate can be lockpicked ({{SkillCheck|Sleight of Hand|21}}), or the lever that opens it from the other side can be hit with a ranged attack from certain angles. The chamber contains a pedestal named '''The Riddle of the Night'''{{anchor|riddle-of-the-night}}, which accepts {{SmRarityItem|Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger}} and produces the {{SmRarityItem|Spear of Night}}, {{SmRarityItem|Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Rare)|alias=Dark Justiciar Half-Plate}}, and a {{SmRarityItem|Dark Justiciar Helmet}}.

At the bottom is another altar. Place the remaining three Umbral Gems on the altar, opening the final massive doors. This door can also be opened with Knock, allowing parties to bypass the trials if they lose an Umbral Gem or simply do not want to complete them. Inside lies the Verge of the Shadows [[Waypoint]] and a pool of water that serves as a portal to the [[Shadowfell]]. If {{CharLink|Shadowheart}} is in the party she will want to pray.

Entering the portal will take the party to the {{CharLink|Aylin|Nightsong's}} chamber.

The following sequence within the [[Shadowfell]] completes the quest {{Quest|The Chosen of Shar}}.

* {{Quest|Break Yurgir's Contract}}

* {{Quest|Infiltrate Moonrise Towers}}

** {{SubQuest|Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic}}

* {{Quest|Find the Nightsong}}

* {{Quest|Kill Raphael's Old Enemy}}

* {{Quest|Lift the Shadow Curse}}

*{{MdRarityItem|Boots of Brilliance}} - North of [[Yurgir]] at (X: -632, Y: -723)

*{{MdRarityItem|Callous Glow Ring}} - Found in a vault (Lockpick DC30) near Balthazar at (X: -821, Y: -752)

*{{MdRarityItem|Circle of Bones}} - Dropped by [[Balthazar]]

*{{MdRarityItem|Dark Justiciar Gauntlets (Uncommon)|alias=Dark Justiciar Gauntlets}} - Found lying on a pile of boxes near Yurgir at (X: -660 Y: -760)

*{{MdRarityItem|Dark Justiciar Helmet}} - In a chest next to the Spear of Night

*{{MdRarityItem|Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Rare)|alias=Dark Justiciar Half-Plate}} - At the bottom of the altar with the Spear of Night

*{{MdRarityItem|Hellfire Hand Crossbow}} - Dropped by Yurgir

*{{MdRarityItem|Justiciar's Greatshield}} Dropped by Lyrthindor

*{{MdRarityItem|Justiciar's Scimitar}} - Dropped by [[Lyrthindor]]

*{{MdRarityItem|Killer's Sweetheart}} - In the Self-Same Trial at (X: -833, Y: -729)

*{{MdRarityItem|Least Expected}} - Found in the NE of the dungeon just before Yurgir at (X: -730, Y: -800)

*{{MdRarityItem|Spear of Night}} - In the Silent Library

*{{MdRarityItem|Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger }}

* {{CharLink|Balthazar}}

* {{CharLink|Lyrthindor}}

* {{CharLink|Nessa}}

* {{CharLink|Yurgir}}