Objective: Plunge into Shar's domain to locate the Nightsong relic.
Key Unlocks: Spear of Night, Balthazar's fate, Shadowheart's major character arc.
Hazards: Entering the Shadowfell is a point of no return for Act 1 and Act 2 sidequests.
1. The Grand Mausoleum & Yurgir
Located north of the House of Healing. Outside, you'll meet Raphael, who asks you to kill an old enemy inside. Inside the Mausoleum, press the buttons under the paintings in this order to open the secret door: Moonrise Towers, Grief, General.
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1
Balthazar
You'll find Ketheric's necromancer, Balthazar, hiding from dark justiciars. You can kill him now (highly recommended, as fighting him later in the Shadowfell is much harder) or agree to help him.
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2
Yurgir the Orthon
Raphael's enemy is an Orthon demon named Yurgir. He has a massive ambush set up. You can fight him, or if your Charisma is high, convince him that the contract allows him to kill his own minions, his Displacer Beast, and finally himself, avoiding the fight entirely. He drops the powerful Hellfire Hand Crossbow.
2. Shar's Trials
You need four Umbral Gems to access the lower level. One is dropped by Yurgir. The other three require completing the trials.
- Soft-Step Trial: A stealth maze. Ungroup Astarion, cast Invisibility on him, and just walk past the shadows to grab the gem.
- Self-Same Trial: You fight shadow clones of your party. Strip your party completely naked before starting the trial with the blood offering. The clones will spawn naked without weapons. Re-equip your gear and crush them easily. Loot the Killer's Sweetheart ring.
- Faith-Leap Trial: A dark chasm with invisible floors. Use the Daylight spell to reveal the floor, or use the Fly spell / Potion of Glorious Vaulting to simply jump straight to the end.
3. The Silent Library & Spear of Night
Make sure to visit the Silent Library on the lower floor. You will be permanently Silenced while inside until you destroy the dark orb in the center of the room.
Defeat the enemies, press the button to open the cage, and insert the book "Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger" into the central pedestal. This unlocks the vault containing the Spear of Night and the Dark Justiciar armor. You absolutely MUST have this spear for Shadowheart before entering the Shadowfell.
4. The Nightsong Decision (Point of No Return)
Insert the gems to activate the platform and descend to the Shadowfell entrance.
WARNING: Entering the pool will automatically fail any unresolved Act 1 and Act 2 quests, and lock you out of those regions permanently.
Inside, you discover the Nightsong is not a relic, but a captive Aasimar named Dame Aylin. Shadowheart has been ordered by Shar to kill her. You have three choices:
- Let Shadowheart kill her: Shadowheart becomes a Dark Justiciar, gets incredibly powerful gear, but the Last Light Inn's moon shield shatters, instantly killing everyone there including Jaheira.
- Persuade Shadowheart to spare her: Pass a high Persuasion check. Shadowheart throws away the spear, defying Shar. Aylin is freed, granting you a powerful celestial ally against Ketheric, and Shadowheart changes her hair color.
- Trust Shadowheart (Recommended): If your approval with Shadowheart is high, say nothing and trust her judgment. She will independently choose to spare the Nightsong without requiring any dice rolls.
5. Assault on Moonrise Towers
If the Nightsong is freed, she flies to Moonrise to shatter Ketheric's invulnerability. You must assault the tower.
Join Jaheira and the Harpers at the front gates. The ground floor battle against Z'rell and the Absolute cultists is brutal. Use massive AoE spells (Ice Storm, Fireball, Cloudkill) to control the crowds. Head up to the roof to face Ketheric Thorm.
Roof Fight: Sneak up the scaffolding on the left to assassinate the necromites before engaging. After getting Ketheric to 50% HP, a giant tentacle smashes the roof and drags him down into the depths. Jump into the hollow tower to follow him.
6. Mind Flayer Colony & The Avatar of Myrkul
Navigate the fleshy depths below Moonrise. You can find Zevlor trapped in a pod here, and a puzzle connecting brain nodes to unlock the Blade of Oppressed Souls.
Use the Restoration Pod before entering the final chamber. You fight Ketheric again. If you pass Persuasion checks, he throws himself into the pit, skipping Phase 1. Phase 2: The Apostle of Myrkul rises. He cannot move but casts a massive Bone Chill aura that prevents healing. Send a fast character (like Scratch or a Rogue) to use the Help action on the chained Nightsong immediately. Keep your party spread out to avoid his massive scythe cleaves.
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