Gauntlet of Shar: Difference between revisions

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 [[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.  

Just inside the entrance is a statue with an unobtainable Umbral Gem. Shar speaks directly through the statue, inviting the party to take on her trials and prove themselves worthy. However, directly approaching the statue will trigger a hidden forcefield, repelling the party members.

 

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 [[Hunger of Hadar]], minus the acid damage.

Activate the levers to lower the Thuribles, then interact with them to snuff out their lights. Any [[Moonlantern]]s 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 [[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 [[Misty Step]], [[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.

West of the entrance, the temple walls degrade and open into a large natural cave overgrown with giant mushrooms, similar in appearance to the [[Underdark]]. A [[Cloaker]] lies in wait to ambush party at {{Coords|-819|-867}}. Cutting through this cave leads to a kitchen and feasting hall. In an adjoining room at {{Coords|-809|-816}}, five [[Rat|Rats]] encircle an '''Altar to Shar'''; each party member can pass a {{Ability check|Religion|14}} to pray at this altar and obtain {{Cond|Nightsinger's Favour}} until next long rest. Failing the check (or praying as a Cleric of Selûne) causes the party member to instead be afflicted by {{Cond|Shar-Stricken}}.

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 [[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]] if not destroyed. Following the battle, the door to [[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 [[Knock]] spell can be used to bypass the lock.

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

The first trial room is on the left of the Trial Hall, with a plaque that says "''Her Most Vaunted Treasure''" in front of the door. {{Coords|-771|-755}}

It is possible to visit the maze before starting the trial, if having a character in the party, who is good at lockpicking.  

A gate blocks the way to the Umbral Gem. The gate guarding the gem can be unlocked with the {{RarityItem|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 [[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.

 

Familiars and other summoned creatures are not duplicated, and can freely attack anyone without incurring penalties.

 

[[File:Faith-Step Trial.png|thumb|The Faith-Leap Trial path, illuminated by [[Daylight|Daylight.]] (Not possible as of patch 6.)]]

 

In order to complete this trial, a character must follow an invisible path, as marked on the mosaic floor in front of the sacrificial bowl. Straying from the path will return the character to the start of the trial or to the nearest platform, but only up to three times; failures after the third will instead instantly kill the character and ''then'' teleport them to the nearest platform. NOTE: In Honour Mode even a single misstep results in immediate death.

As with the Soft-Step Trial, this trial is most easily completed with a single character, and indeed it is quite important to split the party before venturing past the starting point, lest the other party members' pathing send them to a premature death. It is possible to jump across gaps in the path or between platforms, or to use spells such as [[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.

Choosing to side with Yurgir will have the party hunting down the last of the living Dark Justiciars in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, [[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.

Return to the Pedestal of Reckoning to the north of the entrance hall. Placing one of the four Umbral Gems on the altar unlocks a platform. Move onto the platform then activate the switch to take the party downwards.