Something to keep in mind is that one of your prime objectives is to build a successful merchant company from the ground up. The idea is to build a caravan network between your new base at Crossroad Keep and the surrounding towns. Building the links in that chain though will require expenditures of trade bars on your part, but with the promise of trade bar dividends for you when the trade gets flowing. The more towns included in your network, the greater the returns. This is the reason I recommend saving any trade bars you may have acquired from Samarach for this reason. A good start is to simply make your first link trading link between Crossroad Keep and Highcliff. After that, other good candidates include Thundertree and Phandalin, since they're the next closest, and also make available Cold Iron and Zalantar that can be used for upgrades to your company.
Incidentally, the towns are similar in their setup as the ones you saw in Samarach. They’ll have a tavern, and a Temple of Waukeen. One notable difference is that a town will have a trading post if you decide to pay the costs to have one built for that town as part of your trading network.
There is another notable difference as well. A tavern in a town may have an individual who has a quest for you. However, an additional presence will always be a Bard named Finch, at least until you do something for him. This involves going to the Black Lake District at #27 and speaking to Sir Nevalle in order to clear Finch’s name of a false accusation so that he can play in Neverwinter. You’ll get 1,000xp for this, and Finch is then willing to join your party after you find him again in Crossroad Keep at #3.
Here is the crypt that your party emerges from when first getting here from the Lumber Camp.
Here is a swamp cave. Inside are an Annis Hag, a couple of Green Hags, and an Ogre Barbarian. The Hags leave behind Hag's Eyes. The Ogre leaves behind Throwing Axes +1. A chest in the cave has recipes for a Cloak of Charisma +6, Amulet of Will +3, Amulet of Natural Armor +3, and a Ring of Major Acid Resistance.
Here is the town of Highcliff. This nearby town commends itself as the first to include in your trade network. It is also the source of Mithral if you need it for upgrades or custom weapons or armor.
Here is the Swamp Cult. You won’t get this until all of your characters are at least 16th level, and you get a quest for this from Goodwife Aruna in nearby West Harbor. Here you’ll find several Cult members lead by Sheydann Zinn. Some of them are melee fighters, others use crossbows, while others can use spells. Sheydann himself will leave behind Venomdrinker. A weapon rack on the western edge of the swamp holds a Scythe +2.
Here is the town of Leilon. If Leilon becomes part of your trading network, then you have access to Adamantine as a resource.
Here is the town of Phandalin. Enter the common room of the tavern in Phandalin, and you’ll see a man named Danley. He wants you to find out what is going on in the nearby Cold Iron Mine, because he considers himself the rightful owner. Expose the ruse going on in the mine, clear out its monstrous occupants, and then bring the good news back to Danley for 1,000 xp and 1,000 gp. Phandalin then becomes a source of Cold Iron.
Here is the entrance to the Crystal Cave. This won’t appear on the appear until Sa’Sani gives you a quest for it.
Here is an Elven Tower. If you get a quest for this from Crossroad Keep, this is where you can meditate and earn the Group Trance feat.
Here is the home of Skullsmasher. If you’re content to, you can ask him some simple questions about his past glory days and leave it at that. If you’re feeling brave, you can provoke him into a fight either by asking outright if he has any valuables, or by trying to help yourself to his chest. Several Ivory Shieldmaidens will then help him. This is a tough fight, because Skullsmasher can deal out a lot of damage, even accounting for damage reduction spells, and takes a lot himself before going down. If you manage to pull this off, between his chest and the bodies you'll find the Cardona Family Sword, Brainscrambler, a Studded Leather Armor +3, an Amulet of Natural Armor +3, a Arrows +2, a Longbow +2, a Belt of Fire Giant Strength, and a Cloak of Protection vs. Evil.
Here is the entrance to the Hideout. You won’t be able to find this until Khelgar in Crossroad Keep gives you a quest for it.
Here is a Worg Cave. Inside you’ll find several Worgs, and a Worg Mother. You’ll also find a letter indicating that if he finds his pets dead, "He’ll return". In the meantime, go out and do a bunch of other things. When you return you’ll find a crazy looking Wild Elf named Tyburn the Mad, along with two Umber Hulks. He shouldn’t be difficult to kill, and will leave behind a Chainmail +2 and Malar’s Claw.
Here is the town of Thundertree. If Thundertree gets included in your trade network, you’ll have access to Zalantar as a resource.
Here is a camp of Eldreth Veluuthra, an Elven supremacist group. Here you get attacked by a group of Elven Rangers, supported by a Mage and a Cleric. A chest in the camp holds a Nymph Cloak +6 as well as other miscellaneous items.
Here is an Undead Barrow. Initially you’ll have to fight things like Ghouls, Ghasts, and Wights. There are also two Sarcophagi. If you open them, at least a couple of Vampires will emerge and attack you. Between the two Sarcophagi you’ll find Lathar’s Last Belt, as well as recipes for Gloves of Dexterity +6, a Headband of Intellect +6, and a Ring of Major Fire Resistance.
Here is the town of Conyberry. If Conyberry is included in your trade network, you’ll have access to Darksteel as a resource. In the common room of the tavern you will find a man named Jesentus Parr. He wants you to clear a nearby mine of undead, and bring back the deed to the mine so that he can secure his claim to it. This makes the nearby Parrum's Rock accessible on your Sword Coast Map. Once you find the deed, you’ll also find a couple of letters that raise questions about whom you should give the deed to. You can bring the deed back to Jessentus himself. Or you can bring it to the nearby boy who turns out to be the son of the Foreman mentioned in the letters. Either way gets you 1,400 xp although Jessentus will likely be able to offer more gold. If you give the deed to the son, Jessentus will object. You then have the choice of sweet talking him into make a generous offer to the boy, or talking him into backing down.
Here is a Ruined Keep that has some Gargoyles in it. At the back end you’ll notice a bookcase. The bookcase itself holds recipes for adding a +3 enchantment to armor, adding Spell Resistance to armor, Amulet of Health +6, Bracers of Armor +3, and Cloak of Resistance +5. Bash the bookcase itself and you’ll reveal a chest that is both trapped and locked, with high DC on both counts. Manage it and you’ll find a recipe for a Ring of Freedom of Movement, as well as a Ring of Hiding and the Az’zurix Everflame.
Here you find an Illefarn Ruin. Waiting for you will be some Drow Warriors, a Phase Spider, a Priestess of Lolth, and a couple of Drow Arachnomancers. Among the bodies you’ll find a Full Plate +2 and a Cloak of Resistance +2. For those of you looking to craft Dexterity enhancing items, a Drider Silk will also get dropped here.
Here is a Hunting Cabin on the north shore, where a Malarite Druid along with some Dire Animals will attack you. You’ll find a Duskwood Spear and a Duskwood Heavy Crossbow, as well as random missiles or potions after the fighting is done. A bookcase in the cabin holds a recipe for a Ring of Major Cold Resistance.
Here is an abandoned mine, which has been occupied by several Duergar, including their leader and a Wizard. Look around for various treasures, as well as a Heavy Crossbow +2. Also, if you have gotten a quest from the Adventurer's Guild in Crossroad Keep involving the Team Rush feat, the Goblin Camp that you’ll be looking for is a little northwest of this mine.
Here is the city of Neverwinter. The only part of it that you can visit is the Black Lake District. Initially you need to pay a 250gp entry fee. To get in free, you’ll need to get a Neverwinter City Pass from a merchant cartel inside the District that is willing to sponsor you.
Here are some Forgotten Ruins. A lone Iron Golem wanders around and will attack the party on sight. About the Ruins you’ll find various treasures, and all the recipes for greater rings of elemental resistances. In a chest you’ll also find the Forgetful Robes.
In this cave you’ll get attacked by a Malarite Hermit and a couple of Dire Bears. The Hermit leaves behind a Greataxe +3 and a Scale Mail +3. You can also click on the altar in order to obtain a Delicate Totem that can be sold for gold.
Here is a cave with a lot of Gnolls that will attack you. One of them leaves behind a Flail +2.
Here is the Night’s Rest Inn. This won’t appear until much later, when matters with Sa’Sani come to a head and proceed towards the climax. You may also notice that a couple of places are left unmarked on the map. You won’t be able to get to them until close to the end of the game.
Here is the Dark Temple. Some explanation is in order. When you bring matters to a head, and help out Sa’Sani in the Viper Temple, you must speak to Akila in the Thayan Enclave. This will reveal the Foreign Temple when you Return to Samarach. If you kill the Shadovar Agents inside the Foreign Temple, and take the portal that the Netherese Arcanist was guarding, this is where you’ll wind up.
Here is the Hotenow Cave. This can only be accessed if you make your way through the Foreign Temple to the Dark Temple at #40. Inside this cave are several Fire Giants. Their leader, King Karagg, can be talked out of a fight with a Bluff or Diplomacy check. There will always be the option to fight them. If you succeed, the King himself leaves behind the Boots of the Mountain King. On the left hand side of the cave are a few weapon racks. One of them holds recipes for +4 armor enchantment, +3 weapon enhancement, Ring of Major Cold Resistance, Boots of Strength +6, Ring of Protection +3, and Boots of Hardiness +3. The other racks hold a Halberd +3, a Scythe +3, and the Breath of the Maiden.
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