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WEST HARBOR
The Song Path
My party now includes Casavir, Khelgar, Elanee and Zhjaeve (who's required). I stop off at Port Llast and buy the Greater Gloves of the Artificer (+6 Craft Alchemy, +6 Craft Armor, +6 Craft Trap, +6 Craft Weapon). The reason why will become clear soon enough.
The Ruins of Arvahn become accessible again through the World Map. I head over to the Ruins, and then take the Song Portal at #8 on the Ruins map. I open the door, which will lead the party back to the now very dead village of West Harbor. West Harbor has become part of the Claimed Lands, which means that any character travelling there will experience level and ability draining unless protected against such.
In addition to the usual buffs, I have Zhjaeve cast Death Ward on Casavir and herself, since they are the characters who do not have any items that protect against level / ability draining. Zhjaeve then casts Lesser Restoration to undo the damage to Casavir and herself when the party first arrived in West Harbor.
Mossfeld Shadows
Within plain view will be Greater Shadows pretending to be the Mossfeld brothers. I make an Intelligence check for calling them on their ruse, and then a little more xp for killing them afterwards.
*Evil* Valeria can easily make the skill check. Zarathos can as well with the help of a Fox's Cunning spell.
West Harbor Bridge
Spots marked by #4 connote logs that can be used to reconstruct the bridge at #3. A skill rank of 14 is needed for either Craft Armor or Craft Weapon to pull it off, and get 50xp. I'm able to get that by having Valeria switch out her Greater Gloves of Concentration for the Greater Gloves of the Artificer.
Had I not been able to repair the bridge, I would still have been able to safely cross the stream, since everyone is either wearing an item that protects against ability and level draining or is protected by a Death Ward spell. But I get xp for building the bridge, so there you go. I also disarm a negative energy trap once I'm on the other side.
Starling Shadows
Now I travel to #5 where I encounter the spirit of Danan Starling. It is more beneficial to not say anything that will lead to the party killing Danan, like for example rushing to the conclusion that Danan was trying to lead the party to an ambush. I instead pursue the sympathetic dialogue responses, which leads to an ambush by several Shadows that I dispatch easily.
I then follow to Danan to #6, where I then watch the conversation between Retta Starling and himself play out. I then confront Retta, again avoiding any dialogue choices that will lead to killing Danan as well. Retta soon turns into a particularly powerful Greater Shadow that is worth 100+ xp for killing. It also leaves behind 5 Greater Shadow Residues that can be distilled into Radiant Air Essences.
I then speak to Danan again, whereupon Zhjaeve guides him into passing on. He leaves behind a root that may undo any of the damage that unprotected party members may have sustained here. I also get a 250xp bonus for saving Danan from the Shadows.
*Evil* Starling Shadows
Zarathos loses patience with both Danan and Retta, which prompts both of them to turn into Shadows and necessitates killing them both. I lose out on the 250xp bonus, but I did so anyway as a roleplaying choice.
Reform the Sword
Now I head to the scarred patch of earth at #7. Zhjaeve guides Valeria through the process of reforming the Silver Sword. The end result is:
The Silver Sword on its own does not really pack much offensive power during straight physical attacks. It does, however, provide a lot of nifty defensive benefits. And strictly speaking, the Silver Sword is not really needed to beat the King of Shadows despite all the build up and hoopla. In my opinion, there are only two types of character builds that can really benefit from the Silver Sword. One is a dual-wielding character who keeps the Silver Sword in the off-hand while using a different weapon with more offensive ability in the main-hand.
The other type of character who can benefit is somebody who can use spells to add extra damage on top of the Silver Sword's physical damage. One example is the Druid, who can use Flame Weapon and Storm Avatar. The other example is a Paladin, who can use the Bless Weapon and Holy Sword spells, as well as the Divine Might ability.
Unfortunately, neither applies to Valeria since the Silver Sword won't benefit from her use of the Weapon Finesse feat. She would be left with an inferior attack bonus if she tried to use it. In the meantime ...
Black Robe of the Archmagi
No sooner has the Silver Sword reformed than I get attacked by another Shadow Reaver, along with a pair of Huge Fire Elementals, a pair of Shadow Golems, and several Greater Shadows. Valeria immediately switches back to her Eladrin Blade and High Forest Buckler, and then casts an Extended Greater Invisiblity on herself. Elanee immediately casts Storm Avatar on herself, while Zhjaeve casts an Extended Battle Tide. Casavir casts Holy Sword on his Hammer of Ironfist. Khelgar immediately charges one of the Golems.
I concern myself with the helpers before I ever go after the Shadow Reaver itself. Elanee unleashes an Empowered Call Lightning Storm. Zhjaeve casts Holy Word, and Valeria catches as many enemies as she can with an Empowered Chain Lightning. Casavir and Khelgar are meanwhile busily hacking away. The sequence leaves only the two Elementals and the Reaver, and the former are dispatched quickly enough.
After that, I have everybody but Zhjaeve gang up on the Shadow Reaver. Zhjeave keeps her distance and uses her True Name Scroll on it. It falls once she finishes her incantation. It leaves behind Shadow Reaver Bones that can leave behind a random essence of Radiant grade, and the Black Robe of the Archmagi (+5 armor class, Spell Penetration, +1 saving throws, 20 spell resistance, evil arcane spellcasters only) which I have no use for.
Valeria disarms the negative energy trap just before #8, which is the exit to the World Map. The War against the King of Shadows is about to begin.
