A Familiar Face

A Familiar Face is a sub-quest of both Shadowheart's  Companion quest and her  Origin quest. It is acquired if Shadowheart consumes the Noblestalk in the Underdark.

Nocturne is a lifelong friend of Shadowheart's.

Objectives (Companion Quest)

Objectives and journal entries may vary pending story decisions.

Find Shadowheart's old friend.

• "We have entered the Lower City - Shadowheart's old stomping grounds. Perhaps the friend she remembered due to the Noblestalk can still be found with the rest of the Sharrans."

Quest Complete

• "We found Shadowheart's old friend, who now goes by the name Nocturne. She serves as quartermaster for the Sharran cloister, and despite being glad to see Shadowheart again, she could not bring herself to turn from Shar."
• "We found Shadowheart's old friend, who now goes by the name Nocturne. She serves as quartermaster for the Sharran cloister, and could prove to be a valuable ally to Shadowheart."
• "Shadowheart's old friend perished before a reunion could take place."
• "Shadowheart has surrendered the reclaimed memory of her old friend to the Mirror of Loss."
• "We moved on to other matters, and did not find Shadowheart's old friend."
• "Shadowheart perished before she could be reunited with her old friend."
• "Shadowheart abandoned us before we could help her find her old friend."

Objectives (Origin Quest)

Find your childhood friend.

• "I have returned to the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. Once I reach the Cloister, I might be able to discover what happened to my childhood friend."

Quest Complete

• "I met my childhood friend, who now goes by the name Nocturne. Though she was glad to see me, she was unable to abandon her faith in Shar as I had done."
• "My old friend was defeated before a reunion could take place."
• "At the Mirror of Loss, I sacrificed the memory of a childhood friend that the Noblestalk had restored to me. Perhaps I will never know who that person was, or what came of them."
• "I continued on my journey without ever seeking out my old friend."

Walkthrough

Consuming the Noblestalk

The locations of the Noblestalk and the backpack within the Bibberbang.

The party can obtain a powerful curative mushroom known as the Noblestalk in the Bibberbang field at X: -4 Y: -62 in the Underdark, in the same area as  Find the Mushroom Picker.

There a several options to obtain the Noblestalk from the Bibberbang field:

• Sovereign Glut does not trigger the mushroom traps. If he is an Attached Follower He can use the move action on the Noblestalk to transport it back to the party.
• A character with natively high strength (e.g. Karlach or Lae'zel), or strength otherwise enhanced, can jump between the safe areas in the mushroom patch.
• In turn-based mode, the traps only trigger on the Environment turn; a character with a high movement speed (such as a Thief using multiple  Dash actions in a turn) can move between the safe areas in one turn.
•  Misty Step or  Fly can also used to get a party member to the Noblestalk.
•  Mage Hand can throw the Noblestalk without triggering the Bibberbang.
• If defeating Sovereign Spaw, either independently or as part of  Avenge Glut's Circle, it drops The Sovereign's Key, which prevents the Bibberbang traps from activating.
• Imp or Quasit Familiars (including Shovel) are immune to poison and can drag the noblestalk back to the party once the torch is dealt with. (e.g. by throwing a water bottle).

The delicate mushroom can be destroyed by any damage, including the impact of being thrown by a Mage Hand. If any of the flammable Bibberbang spores are set alight, the chain reaction also destroys it.

After obtaining the Noblestalk, the party must speak with Shadowheart. She then can be offered the Noblestalk as a chance to regain her memories. Shadowheart is hesitant to do this, as she fears that trying to overcome her memory suppression might be construed as defying Shar. However, she can be convinced by passing a DC 12 Persuasion or Intimidation check. If she consumes the Noblestalk, she regains a childhood memory of a young tiefling boy with short horns and purple hair named Rennald who comforted her when she was being teased by the other initiates. This initiates this quest, as Shadowheart hopes to reunite with the tiefling in Baldur's Gate.

Finding Nocturne

The tiefling in question now goes by a new name - Nocturne. Nocturne can be found within the quarters of the Cloister of Sombre Embrace at X: -399 Y: -1608, north of the audience room where Viconia DeVir is fought during  Investigate the House of Grief. Upon entering with Shadowheart, she immediately recognizes her and exclaims she was not sure if she would ever see her alive again, because Shadowheart's mission to pursue the Mysterious Artefact was considered a suicide mission. Whether or not Shadowheart has become an enemy of  Shar, she is eager to reminisce with her about their childhood. She shares some funny stories with Shadowheart, such as how she got a scar on her elbow from a collision with the teeth of a girl named Buddug Vriss.

Nocturne acts as a quartermaster for the Sharran cloister. If Shadowheart takes over the cloister, she remains in her position, serving her new mistress. If Shadowheart defies Shar and kills all the cultists, Nocturne says that she is willing to trade while she remains, but intends to leave soon for a new cloister. After the next Long Rest she leaves for good.