Aran's tasks to receive the Shadow Thieves' aid is the main quest of Baldur's Gate II Chapter 3 if you've sided with Aran Linvail and the Shadow Thieves instead of Bodhi and her vampire guild. There are three tasks that must be performed in order for the party to receive Aran's help in reaching the island of Brynnlaw.
Your initial meeting with Aran leads to the following Journal entry in the quest section:
| “ | It seems the gold I paid Gaelan got an audience with Aran Linvail, but not necessarily his immediate aid. Aran requires me to perform a few services for him to ease the damage that the guild war has caused. Unless these tasks are done, the Shadow Thieves will be in no shape to help me. The first mission is to bolster the guard on a warehouse belonging to the Shadow Thieves. Aran is sure it will be attacked, so I am to go to the docks in this district at night and look for Mook. Mook will direct me further, and once we are through, I am to report any occurrences to Aran. I may find the chore tedious, but he has eased my mind with a few magical items. His word is at least good for that. |
” |
Task No.1 — Mook[]
Go down to the south end of the Docks District at night and meet with Mook at the Shipyard Docks. She will fill you in on her previous encounter with a strange man that she's observed casing the area. A cut scene will begin and a creature named Lassal will appear. Mook will attempt conversation and Lassal will kill Mook and attack your party. When Lassal reaches a low enough hit point level, he'll revert to his gaseous form and leave.
This leads to the following Journal entry:
| “ | I found Mook at the docks, who reported to me seeing a man pass by several times, casing the place. When he appeared again, she challenged him... and he killed her. We defeated the man... or whatever he is... and he turned into mist before our eyes, cursing us as he fled. No doubt that this would classify as an "occurrence" that Aran might wish to know about in the morning. |
” |
When you return to Aran and report what took place, he seems genuinely bummed that she was killed. He'll then task the party with finding the vampire's lair by posing as enemy recruits to two traitors named Caehan and Jaylos, who are going to meet with a contact from the rival guild on the second floor of the Five Flagons Inn.
This leads to the following Journal entry:
| “ | I informed Aran Linvail of the events on the docks, and he is even more concerned than before. His next task for me is to go to the top floor of the Five Flagons Inn in the Bridge District... There, I will find two Shadow Thieves named Jaylos and Caehan who plan to defect to the rival guild. Perhaps I can pretend to be another recruit, just as they are. If all goes as planned, I might even fool their contact as well. Hopefully, I will get the location of the rival guild's headquarters and then Aran can stop them from disrupting his people. Then we can get to the business of finding Imoen. He seems sincere in this. |
” |
Task No. 2 — Jaylos and Caehan[]
Go to the second floor of the Five Flagons Inn and look for the two traitors. Conversation will either lead to them believing your story of being other recruits or attacking you. During the beginning of the fight, Caehan may blurt out the name of the guild contact (Gracen). The guild contact will also arrive and ask what's going on. Depending upon your charisma, he'll either tell you the location of the guild or attack. He carries a note from Lassal that also provides the guild location.
This leads to the following Journal entry:
| “ | The defectors from the Shadow Thieves have been killed, and the contact who had come to collect them attacked me. I discovered that the rival guild is based in the Graveyard District, but little else. Hopefully, this is all the information that Aran Linvail requires. | ” |
Return to Aran and inform him of what you have learned. He'll inform you of Bodhi's attack upon the guild and send you to the Graveyard District to destroy Bodhi and the vampire guild.
This leads to the following Journal entry:
| “ | While my information was of use to Aran, it appears he had a few other sources as well. The rival guild's leader, named Bodhi, is most certainly a vampire... and my investigation has confirmed that she and her undead minions can be found in the network of tombs beneath the Graveyard District. I am to go to these tombs and destroy Bodhi and her guild. I am to receive assistance from a mage and his golem, who will open an unmovable set of blue doors that are just north of a nest of spiders in the underground tomb. The final assault on these vampires will occur there, and Aran has given me four wooden stakes with which to put these vampires to their final rest. |
” |
Task No.3 — Defeat Bodhi and her guild[]
Go to the Graveyard and head for one of the three entrances that leads to the Lower Tombs. Watch out for a potential appearance of Pai'Na's spiders (should they randomly spawn again), and then meet up with the mage Haz and his flesh golem near the entrance to the vampire guild hideout. Defeat the Grimwarders and Fledgling Vampires, then go after the remaining mature vampires. Defeat Durst, Gellal and Lassal and stake all three of them in their coffins. When you have finished staking Lassal, Bodhi will appear and after some conversation, she will attack. Once she's lost enough hit points, she'll turn gaseous and flee. Return to Aran and make a report.
This leads to the following Journal entry:
| “ | I have defeated the rival guild, full of vampires as it was, and have faced Bodhi. She claimed to know something of Imoen and seemed to be judging me in some manner before she left in gaseous form. All that remains now is to return to Aran and tell him that the guild is gone, even if their leader remains unkilled. I will have questions for him as well. One more troubling thing... Bodhi knew. She knew I am a child of Bhaal. |
” |
Return once more to Aran and he will set you up with Saemon Havarian who will captain the ship that will take you to the island of Brynnlaw.
This ends the quest with the following Journal entry:
| “ | I have completed the tasks Aran Linvail set out for me, and at last the location of Imoen has been revealed. This did not come, mind you, without some revelations.
They were totally unprepared for how strong Irenicus was. After the battle, they set their sights on me because I was the only thing that came out of that dungeon alive. Since I was of such interest to Irenicus, they needed to know what I was up to. Once they realized that Irenicus was a threat to us both, they sought to aid me, while also aiding themselves. Their intentions were good, despite their selfish motive. They believe that Irenicus is still very much a threat. Both Irenicus and Imoen have been taken to an island asylum called Spellhold where mages are imprisoned and studied. And yet it sounds doubtful that Irenicus has been so easily overcome. Bodhi and her rival guild are tied to him in some manner... and his purpose in studying both myself and Imoen is still unknown. Imoen still remains in that place, however. The Shadow Thieves have arranged a ship to take me to the isle at no small expense, hoping in that retrieving Imoen I might rid them of their other problem as well. Whatever happens, I am sure my biggest challenge yet awaits me on this isle. |
” |