Rite of Thorns (ritual)

See also: Rite of Thorns (disambiguation)

The Ramparts of the Emerald Grove after the Rite of Thorns has been completed.

The Rite of Thorns is a Silvanite ritual performed by the druids of the Emerald Grove.

“

The Rite of Thorns. It is the Treefather's gift, that none come to harm. When we speak the final prayer, the Great Vine will sprout forth. The grove will be cloaked in bramble and thorn. No one enters, no one leaves. Sanctuary.

„

— Kagha describes the Rite

Overview

The ritual is being performed by the order of acting First Druid  Kagha. Once the ritual is complete, the Emerald Grove will become completely inaccessible to the party. This change is permanent. It prevents the Grove from being attacked by  Minthara's forces and will turn her against the party if they were previously allied. The Rite was temporarily disrupted when the young tiefling  Arabella stole the  Idol of Silvanus, an important material component.

Rite of Thorns

The rite is being performed in the Sacred Pool of the Emerald Grove. The druids  Elwyn,  Karrik,  Aelar,  Inwe, and  Tahan can be found chanting around the  Idol of Silvanus. The chant has six lines, with each new line spoken by the next chanter. Since there are only five chanters, they will all eventually chant all six lines.

“	Hostes subeunt. Protege nos. Muni nos. Defende nos ab imminentibus aequilibrio tuo. Complexum tuum, ad terra ortum, ad nos defer. Ab spiritu humoque, arculeus vitisque. In umbram cretus, sanguine iuratus. Aggeniculamur in umbra tua, Pater Arborum.	„
	— Chant of the Rite of Thorns

The party can learn more about the Rite during the Quest ⁠Investigate Kagha, which can start when reading the scroll  Rite of Thorns in the Servants' Quarters. After speaking to  Kagha, a Druid player character may note that the Rite of Thorns is a rare practice, outlawed in most circles for causing more harm than it eases.

Following the lead in the  Half-Torn Note will lead the party to finding the  Letter to Kagha. This letter reveals that performing the Rite of Thorns is a step towards turning the Emerald Grove into another domain of the Shadow Druids.

Completion Triggers

The rite only completes in response to specific actions:

• Killing  Zevlor and a large number of Tiefling refugees at the Emerald Grove.
• Traveling to the Mountain Pass or Shadow-Cursed Lands before ending the rite.
• Leaving the grove after triggering combat between the Druids and Tieflings without killing the hostile Druids.^[verify]

The rite can be aborted by killing the druids, or completing the quest ⁠Investigate Kagha, ⁠Save the First Druid, or ⁠Defeat the Goblins.