Dastards Morrow – Maiden Voyage
Tips, Tricks and Spoilers
By Mat Jobe (a.k.a. Toop on Neverwinter Vault)
Introduction 4
I. The Main Storyline 5
The Isle of Gos 5
Arkellian’s Challenge 5
The Four Stones of Aullock 6
Roscan the Gambler 6
Thella the Medium 7
Grifdale the Fisherman 8
A Strange Woman in the Tomb of the Unlawful 9
II. Optional Quests 10
A Giant North of Malleynook 10
A Nest of Thieves 10
A Wealthy Child Kidnapped 10
A Poor Child Kidnapped 10
Two Children Rescued 10
A Witch in Malleynook 11
Glemgerd’s Shipment 11
Glenda the Prostitute 11
Jocelyn Finds a Book 11
Lost Love in the Tomb of the Unlawful 12
Nemorem’s Story 12
The Rat Rebellion 13
Troll Tongues Wanted 13
Unpaid and Undead 13
III. Romances 14
Jocelyn 14
Nemorem 15
IV. Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks 16
Stealing 16
The Hood of the Ras-Orynn 16
The Armor of the Ras-Orynn 16
Secrets of Port Ebren 16
Secrets of the Isle of Gos 17
Secrets of the Tomb of the Unlawful 17
Introduction
Thanks for playing Dastards Morrow – Maiden Voyage. This guide is your map and compass for navigating the sometimes-choppy waters of this single-player module for Neverwinter Nights.
Obvious metaphors aside… it is not recommended that you read this guide before playing the module. It’s intended to help you through the more difficult parts and let you know what you may have missed the first time through. Spoilers abound.
As a player, I have always enjoyed the creative aspect of roleplaying. To me, that means not only being able to customize your character to the Nth degree, but being able to play through an adventure knowing that no other player will experience it in quite the same way. That’s why when I was creating Dastards Morrow – Maiden Voyage (DMMV), I decided to include lots of side quests, hidden surprises, and other elements not strictly necessary to complete the game. I also wanted to make sure players of different skill levels could find challenges – which is why some of the optional content in DMMV is among the most difficult. I simply love the idea that different players will have different experiences, whether by choice or by chance.
At the same time, I realize that there are a lot of players out there who want to experience every aspect of a game. And, because some of the optional material can be puzzling, some players no doubt will come away from DMMV wondering what the heck they were supposed to do to solve this or that quest. This guide fills in the blanks.
I. The Main Storyline
This section describes the main storyline of DMMV and what you need to do to complete it. Information is organized by journal entry title for easy reference.
The Isle of Gos
Not actually a quest – this is just a journal entry introducing you to the story of DMMV and describing how to arrived on the Isle of Gos.
Arkellian’s Challenge
What’s it about? The wizard Arkellian wants to make sure you are suited to the task he is about to set before you. His challenge to you is return a set of armor and a hood to an armor stand in the enchanted lower cavern of his lair.
How does it start? After explaining how he came to be trapped on the Isle, the wizard offers the challenge and gives you the armor and hood. A magical doorway provides entry into the lower cavern.
What else do I need to know? As you might expect, an enchanted cavern full of illusions offers a few illusory challenges:
· You must pick up the three books sitting on the “hand” statues in order to go through the magical doorways.
· You will eventually run into an impassible door. This door has an inventory. Placing the correct book in the inventory causes the illusion to dissipate and the “door” to reveal it’s true nature. FULL SPOILER: Place the book “The Key to Illusions” in the door’s inventory to turn it into a bookcase. By clicking on the bookcase, you can rotate it so it is no longer in your way.
· You will eventually come to an armor stand. If you place the armor and hood on this stand, it turns into a Ras-Orynn Warrior, which you must defeat to reveal the true path you must follow. After defeating the warrior, take the armor and hood off his corpse and follow the new path that has been revealed.
· To complete the quest, put the armor and hood on the armor stand past the secret door and high on the platform. The armor stand will turn into Arkellian, who will congratulate you on completing the quest and ask you to meet him above.
· (Optional) If you walk past the third magical doorway you come across, you will encounter a mysterious figure named Figment. Figment offers a riddle, and if you answer correctly, awards XP and leaves behind an item to help get past another obstacle. FULL RIDDLE SPOILER: The correct answer is “clothing.”
· (Optional) If you answered Figment’s riddle correctly, she leaves behind her tunic. Go through the next magical doorway and nearby you will see some glowing boulders. One of the boulders has an inventory. Place the tunic in the inventory, and the boulders reveal their true nature and allow you to pass. The area beyond this offers an additional challenge and more treasure.
The Four Stones of Aullock
What’s it about? Obtaining the Four Stones of Aullock is the main, overarching goal of the module.
How does it start? After you complete Arkellian’s Challenge, Arkellian explains that he needs the Four Stones of Aullock to break the curse that is binding him to the Isle. He feels that three of the four stones are in Port Ebren – his only clue being an enigmatic vision of the Port Ebren sewers – but the fourth remains elusive. You are to track down the three stones in Port Ebren and report back to Arkellian.
What else do I need to know? Well, lots:
· The first thing you need to do is go to the sewers of Port Ebren. To get there, you need to find the Dastards Morrow on the south shore of the Isle and ask Jocelyn to take you to the city. Once in the city, go to the Temple and Residential District to find the entrance to the sewers.
· In the sewers, you will find that the lever operating the door to the lower level is broken. To fix it, you will need to find the missing part and return to the lever. FULL SPOILER: The missing lever can be found on a slime in a nearby room.
· You will eventually find a note telling you to meet Krimgitt in the Guzzler’s Den. You can find the Guzzler’s Den in the Docks District.
· Krimgitt will tell you that he sold the four stones to a strange woman, Roscan the Gambler, Thella the Medium, and Griffdale the Fisherman. The woman is long gone – this is the fourth stone Arkellian said was no longer in Port Ebren, so don’t bother looking for it yet. To find the other three stones, talk to the individual listed. For more information, see the individual quests listed later in this guide.
· Once you have three of the four stones, you are ready to report back to Arkellian on the Isle of Gos. He will send you on a trip to The Tomb of the Unlawful to obtain the fourth and final stone. See the quest listing Strange Woman in the Tomb of the Unlawful for more information.
· After bringing the fourth stone back to Arkellian, you are ready for the big finale. Before handing over the stone, however, you may wish to retrieve any items in your henchman’s inventory that you may want to sell later. You will lose full control over your henchman for the final scenes of the module.
· You CAN use the Emerald of Gos to upgrade your Ras-Orynn Armor. If you do this, the armor not only gives the -10% to spell failure granted by placing a normal emerald in one of the niches, but also gives +2 charisma bonus. Of course, using the Emerald of Gos in this way has story implications later on…
Roscan the Gambler
What’s it about? Roscan the Gambler is one of the figures you have to deal with to get the three Stones of Aullock that are still in Port Ebren. Ever since Roscan obtained his stone, he’s been experiencing abnormally bad luck. On the other hand, Roscan is a collector and isn’t accustomed to selling items from his collection. If he loses his next bet – a wager placed on a massive half-orc fighter against a wimpy little monk – it will be enough to convince him to sell the stone to you.
How does it start? You can find Roscan in a house in the Temple and Residential District (should be marked with a map pin after you talk to Krimgitt).
What else to I need to know? This is the most complicated of the Four Stones of Aullock quests set in Port Ebren. Here are some tips:
· You can help the monk Andrus win his fight with Mellosh (and therefore convince Roscan to give you the stone). Talk to Andrus at The Whispering Wind in the Government District before you go to the fight to find out how. FULL SPOILER: Before he goes to the fight, Andrus will equip himself with any items placed in his chest. So put any cloaks, rings, gauntlets, boots, or healing potions you think will help him win into that chest (you can get your non-consumable items back after the fight). A few recommendations: rings, cloaks or gauntlets that increase AC, healing potions (except for weak ones like light or moderate, which may actually decrease his chances of winning or just delay the inevitable), and Gauntlets of Pummeling (you can buy these from the blacksmith in the Government District).
· You can bet on the fight and win up to 5000 gold if Andrus wins. In The Whispering Wind, there is a bookie talking to someone near the staircase leading downstairs. If you approach and overhear their conversation (must pass Listen check), AND you have already talked to Roscan about the fight, you can talk to the bookie and place a bet of up to 500 gold on Andrus. Talk to the bookie after the fight to collect your winnings. Note: You do not get unlimited chances to pass the Listen check. If you see the bookie say something about people overhearing them, you know you’ve been caught eavesdropping and the bookie will not give you a chance to place the bet.
· If Andrus loses the fight, Roscan will offer you two other ways to get the stone off of him. You can either retrieve a book called The Seven Adventures from the home of Franalee Minlin (also in the Temple and Residential District), or simply find a gargoyle skull in a local store. The gargoyle skull will be in the store inventory of the blacksmith in the Government District, the clothing store (also in the Government District), the blackmarket store in the “shady” building in the Docks District, or the discount merchant standing down by the docks.
Thella the Medium
What’s it about? Thella the Medium is one of the people you have to deal with to obtain the three Stones of Aullock in Port Ebren. She tried to use her stone to open up a portal to the world of spirits, but instead, it leads to a dank cave full of goblins. Worst of all, she dropped the stone in the cave and now can’t close the portal. You need to go through the portal and retrieve the stone.
How does it start? You can find Thella in her parlor in the Government District. She’ll readily tell you her story and show you the unwanted portal in her storage room.
What else do I need to know? This quest is pretty straightforward – enter the portal and fight your way through a bunch of little nasties. At the end of your bloody journey, you will find the goblin that has the stone. You can get the stone from him via peaceful means or pursue a more bloodthirsty course. One small note of interest: You can get extra XP and a reward for dispelling the portal once you’ve retrieved the stone.
Grifdale the Fisherman
What’s it about? Grifdale the Fisherman is one of the three people you have to deal with to get the Stones of Aullock in Port Ebren. Like the other two people, he’s been experiencing some bad luck since getting the stone. Namely, his friend and fishing partner Wilgare was abducted by lizardfolk. Still, the bitter old man refuses to give up the stone unless you:
· Go to the lizardfolk caves on the Isle of Gos and bring back proof of Wilgare’s demise
· Bring him the head of Krimgitt, that stinking little Halfling that sold him the stone in the first place
How does it start? You can find a very intoxicated Grifdale in the Guzzler’s Den in the Docks District.
What else do I need to know? Depending on the path you take:
· If you decide to take the “good” path and find evidence of Wilgare’s demise, go to the lizardfolk caves on the Isle of Gos. These are on the Western Shore of the Island. The item you are looking for is the Storm’s Fortune Necklace. It’s on Wilgare’s half-eaten corpse.
· If you decide to be bloodthirsty and hunt down Krimgitt, look for him in the farmland north of Port Ebren. You’ll see his tracks in the road. FULL SPOILER: Krimgitt is taking a nap in the loft of a barn.
A Strange Woman in the Tomb of the Unlawful
What’s it about? The “Strange Woman” is holding the final Stone of Aullock needed to free Arkellian from the Isle of Gos and earn your ass some serious XP. The woman seems to be possessed, and returns repeatedly from the dead to fling necromantic spells in your direction.
How does it start? After you’ve retrieved the three Stones of Aullock in Port Ebren, Arkellian will instruct you to go to the Tomb of the Unlawful to find the final stone. After a long ship ride to Malleynook and a trek down the Crypter’s March, you will find the Tomb. Once inside, you encounter the Strange Woman early on.