Infiltrate Moonrise Towers: Difference between revisions

'''The order of this walkthrough can vary greatly based on the party's choices. Using the sections to navigate the guide is heavily encouraged.'''

If the party chooses to use the elevator in [[Grymforge]] as part of [[Travel through the Underdark]], the party arrives at a Sharran worship site. Directly ahead is an Absolutist Expedition Trunk with torches and various potions, which can be lockpicked (DC 10). Move west to find an exit to the Shadow-Cursed Lands (and a Weary Traveler for [[The Wizard of Waterdeep]] if he wasn't encountered already). The party arrives at the [[Ruined Battlefield]]. Right by the exit are two braziers - light them and take the torches, as they are useful for avoiding the shadow curse. In order to avoid succumbing to the shadow curse, a party member must be holding a lit torch, or otherwise be illuminated (such as by the [[Light]] cantrip, or the passive effect of the [[The Blood of Lathander]]). Continue exploring westward to encounter some Harper Scouts, led by Harper [[Lassandra]]. The harpers are suspicious and order the party forward, when a harper named [[Yonas]] is grabbed by a [[Shadow]] and transformed by the shadow curse. A fight breaks out between the newly transformed Yonas and seven Shadows against the remaining Harpers.

After the Shadows are defeated, Lassandra thanks the party and urges them to carry a torch, as it's enough for the edges of the Shadow-Cursed Land. She tells them there is one place safe from the curse, the [[Last Light Inn]], and marks it on the map.

Approach the rendezvous point and an orc named [[Kansif]] asks if they have what is needed to summon the guide. To summon the Drider guide, Vez explains that a special lyre is needed - the [[Spider's Lyre]]. This lyre can be looted off [[Minthara|Minthara's]] corpse if she was killed during [[Defeat the Goblins]], gifted by Minthara if she was sided with during [[Raid the Grove]], or by rescuing [[Nere]] in [[Free True Soul Nere]] and siding with him. Once the lyre has been produced, a Performance check (DC 16) is prompted, but the result is the same whether it's passed or failed - the guide just makes a snide comment if it was played poorly. If the party does not have the lyre, then they can summon the guide using illithid powers (Wisdom DC 14). Additionally, Barbarians, Sorcerers, Bards, Clerics, and Paladins all have special dialogue to summon the guide.

Jaheira is shocked at how that's possible. She demands answers. Jaheira insists on knowing the whole truth not accepting any vague answers. The [[Mysterious Artefact]] gets Jaheira to back down, to which she invites the party in for a drink. If the wine is smelled first (Medicine DC 10, or DC 6 for rogues and druids), a hint of Klauthgrass is detected - a truth serum. Jaheira's trust can be earned regardless of if the serum is drunk and the question she asks is the same - is the parasite changing the party? Jaheira refuses to believe an assertion that the parasite isn't doing anything, but she will believe an assertion that the party is resisting the urge to change.

Once Jaheira trusts the party, she explains the situation. The leader of Moonrise Towers is a man named [[Ketheric Thorm]]. He's immensely powerful and gifted with immortality. The Harpers have come to find a way to stop the cult and kill Thorm once and for all. The Harpers have had little luck, but Jaheira believes that the party can make a difference by infiltrating Moonrise as a True Soul. She tells the party to go upstairs and meet the cleric [[Isobel]] who is the one responsible for keeping Last Light Inn shielded.

After entering Moonrise Towers, the party is urged to go to the audience chamber. Enter it, and Ketheric is on a throne while one of his minions, Disciple Z'rell, will be seen interrogating a group of characters about what happened at the [[Goblin Camp]] during [[Act One]]. Depending on several things the party did during Act One, multiple variations are possible.

* [[Minthara]] begging for mercy, which will lead to the quest [[Decide Minthara's Fate]] being added to the journal.

* [[Fezzerk]] acting as the primary "speaking" goblin character, with or without Minthara present.

* [[Sazza]] beeing part of the goblin group if she was freed from the [[Emerald_Grove|Grove]] and spared in the [[Shattered Sanctum]]. She can also act as the primary "speaking" goblin character if [[Fezzerk]] is not present.

* A goblin named [[Darra]] may take on the speaking role usually occupied by [[Fezzerk]] if he was neither encountered during Act One nor killed prior to this scene. Darra has been observed to be accompanied by a second goblin named [[Racha]].

* A specific goblin named [[Drenn]] always appears to be present in this scene, for specific reasons.{{Verify}}

During this scene, the party is allowed to select dialogue options that "insert" them into the interrogation, or they can remain silent until other outcomes prompt them to respond.

With their selected dialogue choices, the party can attempt to "plead" the case of the character that Ketheric is judging, but Ketheric will eventually refuse to believe the judged characters have any worth and orders the new True Souls -- the party -- to handle it. Ketheric leaves for his quarters and Z'rell tells the party to do whatever they want with them. The goblins can be killed, or set free. The party also has the option to try attacking Thorm, but he just walks away and tells Z'rell to deal with it, and the whole area becomes hostile.

===Speaking to Z'rell===

After dealing with the goblins, Z'rell must be reported to. She's up the stairs behind the throne in the audience chamber. Speak to her, and she telepathically connects with the party to see how the goblins died, and then connects again to search for "proof of their faith" or loyalty to the Absolute.

* A DC 14 Persuasion check to "distract" Z'rell with the player chararcter's "romantic desires", which is available if the player character has either chosen options that flirt with Z'rell, or has at least one love interest of their own.

* A DC 14 Deception check for the player character to "fake" their love for the absolute.

* Class-specific options have been observed for Bards, Rogues, Monks, and Fighters, but ''plausibly'' also exist for other classes not recorded on this page.{{Verify}}

(For other details about this specific interaction, please refer to [[Z'rell]]'s page).

If the party successfully convinces Z'rell of their faith, Z'rell gives them a new task - track down [[Balthazar]], a servant of Thorm's whom the cult has lost contact with. He was last seen at the Thorm Mausoleum. If the player character passes an automatic dice roll, they may be given the option to press Z'rell for further details about the mission and/or Z'rell's personal thoughts about it.

Z'rell gives the party a key to Balthazar's room and instructs them to take a Moonlantern and touch nothing else. However, the party can access a secret area in his room in order to start [[Balthazar's Experiment]].

=== The Relic ===

{{main|Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic}}

Pursuing Balthazar leads the party to [[Grand Mausoleum]], north of the [[House of Healing]]. After solving a small puzzle in the Mausoleum, the party enters the [[Gauntlet of Shar]], where they must overcome each of Shar's trials and collect the [[Umbral Gem]]s to gain access to the Shadowfell.

The final meeting with Ketheric can go very differently depending on if the party aided him or sabotaged him. However, it always results in the subsequent quest [[Defeat Ketheric Thorm]].

If the party sabotaged Ketheric by either freeing or killing the Nightsong, Ketheric loses his immortality. If Last Light Inn is still intact, the party can join [[Jaheira]], the [[Harpers]], and the [[Flaming Fist]] in a frontal assault on Moonrise Towers, against a large number of cultists. If [['Barnabus']] and the other gnolls were freed, they will also join the fight on the party's side. Once the main floor has been taken, Jaheira can be persuaded to come with the party to the rooftop, where Thorm awaits.

 

There is an entirely optional battle in the [[Moonrise Towers Prison]], where the party can fight alongside several Fists against a group of undead led by a [[Death Shepherd]] and Myrkulite cultists.

On the rooftop, the party has a brief moment to speak with Thorm. They can try to convince him that he can still redeem himself and stop the madness. Even if he is convinced, he must still be fought, but convincing him here will give the option to convince him later{{verify}}. If Aylin was freed alive, she joins the party in the battle. Once Thorm is defeated, a tentacle appears to whisk him away deeper into Moonrise.

If the party lets Balthazar take the Nightsong to Moonrise Towers, then he tells them to meet them there to receive Ketheric Thorm's favour. Once the party arrives and speaks to Disciple Z'rell, she only lets them proceed if [[Resolve the Abduction]] is completed. The party must kidnap Isobel from the Last Light Inn to be allowed to see Thorm. If Isobel is already dead, then Z'rell lets the party up to face judgement.

When the party comes to, they are trapped in Profane Wombs and must escape. After escaping, Balthazar must be defeated. He is joined by several undead servants. If the party killed [[Dror Ragzlin]] and [[Minthara]], then their undead corpses will be among them.