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Bryce Crypt
My Sister, The Rebel
I make a point of bringing along Elanee and Qara for this quest. The quest provides opportunities to increase influence with Elanee, while Qara shines when the opportunity to torch the undead with fire-based spells presents itself.
I head over to #8 on the Blacklake District map, and let the ensuing encounter play itself out. I then make a promise to Kyli Bryce to bring her sister, Lisbet, back to safety which increases my influence with Elanee.
The latter half of the video shows the buffs that I use for the Crypt. Elanee casts Barkskin on everybody besides Valeria's Beetle Familiar. She also casts Flame Weapon on everybody besides the Familiar and her Badger animal companion. Qara casts Stoneskin on everyone, and a Mage Armor on Elanee's animal companion. Valeria casts Improved Mage Armor on her familiar, Keen Weapon on both herself and Casavir, and Greater Magic Weapon on herself.
*Evil* My Sister, The Rebel
The equivalent video for Zarathos. At one point he selects the dialogue option suggesting how Kyli's sister could: "use a little more discipline." That results in a -1 influence loss with Neeshka.
He then agrees to bring Kyli's sister back, but instead of the more compassionate "bring her back to safety" option, he instead chooses the "willingly or not" dialogue option. That results in a loss of influence with Elanee.
Vera and Lorelei
I go through the door and start off at #1 of the crypt map. I go ahead to #2, where I speak with some teenagers who won't listen to anything I have to say. *Evil* Zarathos gains an evil point by telling the kids that they can "fend for themselves."
I go on ahead just to the edge of the room at #3. I hold the party back, and let Qara torch the undead with a couple of Fireballs. I then enter the room itself. It turns out that it was the teenagers named Vera and Lorelei who raised the undead. They will attack, with the teenagers from #2 joining in from the other side. I get swarmed from all sides, but combining a Firebrand from Qara and a Call Lightning Storm from Elanee pretty much blows them away outright. Vera leaves behind a Ring of Protection +2 and a Worn Key.
Shandra equips the Ring of Protection +2, and it will be one of her rings for the duration of Act II.
Chromatic Breastplate and Mirror Shield
I continue east and north, fighting Shadow Initiates and undead along the way. As always, Qara obliges with her offensive spells, and Elanee with hers should the party get surrounded. There will be several Initiates just south of #4 on the map. It can be pretty dangerous, since they can cast spells like Flame Strike from afar. Qara and Elanee soften them up with a Fireball and an Ice Storm respectively. It is afterwards that the party rushes in to finish them off.
At some point my characters advance to their 12th level (see below for more details). At that point, I can now have Casavir use Magic Circle against Evil as a buff. He can also cast Bless Weapon on his own weapon and on Elanee's to provide bonus damage against the undead.
There is a trap leading to the room at #4. The room has a sarcophagus with another Luckstone that I'll just sell.
The alcove at #5 has more traps. A sarcophagi has the Chromatic Breasplate (Breastplate +1, +10 cold resistance, +10 electrical resistance, +10 fire resistance), which becomes Elanee's armor for now. A chest has a Full Plate +1, and the Mirror Shield (Heavy Shield +3, spell resistance 12). I'll give the Full Plate to Khelgar, while Casavir equips the shield as an improvement. He hands off his Heavy Shield +1 to Elanee.
Savanna and Raven
I go on to #6, and find Savanna and Raven again, along with several other Shadow Initiates. I make a couple of Diplomacy checks in order to convince Savanna to abandon the others, for which I get 500xp. I wipe out the Shadow Intitiates easily enough with a combined Chain Lightning from Qara and a Call Lightning Storm from Elanee. I then get another 400xp for keeping Savanna alive through the fight. Raven leaves behind Bracers of Armor +2 and the Bryce Tomb Key.
*Evil* I pretty much went the same way with Zarathos as well, since I felt the dialogue options weren't that off for how I conceived his character. Had I chosen to kill Savanna with the others, she would have left behind a Kukri +2.
Arval
I use the Bryce Tomb Key to open the next. In addition to the usual buffs, Valeria uses Ghostly Visage and Mirror Image on herself, while Qara uses Mirror Image on herself and Haste on the whole party.
On the other side of the door is the leader of the Shadow Initiates, Arval, along with several other Initiates. This fight can be pretty dangerous. At least a couple of the other Initiates have Monk abilities. Arval is himself a high-level Cleric. Probably his greatest threat is his ability to hit the party with a Word of Faith spell that can render them helpless after being blinded. It is imperative to bring down Arval as quickly as possible in order to minimize the harm he can do, and if possible without him getting off a Word of Faith spell. Valeria and Casavir rush straight for Arval with the intention of killing him as quickly as possible. The Beetle Familiar tries to tag Arval with a Touch of Idiocy spell. In any event, I manage to quickly bring him down without any significant worries.
Elanee blasts away with a pair of Call Lightning Storm spells, while Qara lets loose with two Firebrand spells. The fight is soon won.
*Evil* The battle is easier for the evil party. Bishop prevents Arval from getting off any spells with his Many Shot ability. Zarathos pastes everyone with a Hammer of the Gods spell, which seals the deal almost from the first round.
Arval leaves behind:
Lisbet Bryce
I speak to Lisbet Bryce, and she completes a ritual so that all of the Shadow Initiates in the room rise as Greater Shadows. The natural solution is for Elanee and Qara to unleash Call Lightning Storm and Chain Lightning respectively.
What that means is that all of the other Shadow Initiates that I've killed throughout the Crypt will also rise as Greater Shadows. That means I've gotta fight my way out to the entrance. Qara's fire spells, whether it's a Firebrand or an Empowered Fireball or a usual Fireball, suffice to pave the way. Elanee is willing to dish out a Call Lightning Storm if the party gets surrounded. I make doubly sure that Lisbet never gets hurt as I cannot control her as I could a regular party member.
I leave the Crypt after bringing Lisbet to safety, whereupon Kyli Bruce gives me 2,000xp and 300gp.
*Evil* Lisbet Bryce
*Evil* There's a couple of differences for the evil party. First, Zarathos at some point picks the dialogue option that condemns Lisbet for being stupid enough to trade her soul for a "kiss and some pretty words." That gains +1 influence with Bishop, but loses -1 influence with Elanee. The approach to combat is different too. I always send Shandra in first to hold the Greater Shadows up with her Parry ability, and let the rest of the party charge in and hack away with their fire-enhanced weapons. This has the advantage of Lisbet coming in last and being exposed to relatively less danger. I am also careful to make it a priority to take out any Greater Shadows that are adjacent the Lisbet. I save my offensive spells for the last and largest group of Greater Shadows.
12th Level
Here is where I show the 12th level ups for all of the characters. Valeria, Casavir, Elanee and Qara levelled up while partway through the Bryce Crypt. The others levelled up after I finished the Crypt. The 12th level means everybody gets at least one feat, so there's plenty of highlights:
+3 and +4 Weapons
Qara and Elanee are now at their 12th level of experience, so now it's high time to do some weapon enchanting.
First, I have Valeria convert one of her Faerie Dusts into a Radiant Earth Essence. What essence I get from a Fairy Dust is always random, so I'm willing to reload my quicksave until I get the Essence I want.
Next, I put Neeshka's Talon Blade into the Magician's Workbench along with one of the Star Sapphires I found earlier, plus a Glowing Air Essence, and a Weak Power Essence. Qara casts Light on the Workbench to raise the enhancement bonus of the Talon Blade to +4.
I follow that up by placing the Radiant Earth Essence and one of my Blue Diamonds into the Workbench as well. Qara then casts a Mage Armor spell on the bench to add +3 deflection bonus to armor class to the Talon Blade. The Talon Blade will ultimately be Neeshka's off-hand weapon for the balance of the game, but she wields it in her main-hand for now.
After that, I add the Duskwood Longbow I made earlier to the Workbench, along with a Star Sapphire that I found earlier, as well as a Glowing Air Essence and a Weak Power Essence. Qara casts Light on the bench to add a +4 enhancement bonus to the Longbow. Bishop now has his main weapon for the rest of the game.
Next, I place the Alchemical Silver Warhammer that I looted from Arval into the Magician's Workbench, along with an Emerald, a Weak Air Essence, and a Faint Power Essence. Qara casts Light on the Workbench to add a +3 enhancement bonus to the Warhammer.
After that, I place the Canary Diamond I purchased earlier into the Workbench, along with a Weak Air Essence. Qara casts Lightning Bolt on the Workbench to add +1d6 electrical damage to the Warhammer.
Lastly, I place a Diamond into the Workbench, along with a Faint Power Essence, and a Faint Water Essence. Elanee casts Cure Critical Wounds on the Workbench to add +2d6 damage vs. evil. Casavir now has a powerful Warhammer that will serve as his weapon for the remainder of Act II.
*NOTE* I could do the other optional quests in the Blacklake District, but I prefer not to at this time. The reason is that I do not want to get too much experience after completing the Crossroad Keep quest such that Zhjaeve will have already taken her 15th level by the time she joins me. That in turn would mean that I cannot choose feats for her at both her 15th and 18th levels. Stated another way, I do not myself want to hit my 15th level of experience by the time I've completed Crossroad Keep, and doing the other optional quests in Blacklake would push me over that. So I instead turn my attention to the main quests. No worries, the other optional quests in Blacklake will still be waiting for me.
Now it is time to undergo The Vigil.
