The Lower Reaches of the Sewers under Athkatla's Temple District is below Gaal's Stronghold of the Cult of Eyeless in the The Old Tunnels. and requires Gaal's Key to access. The Lower Reaches is also known as The Forgotten Believers—Temple City, and The Rift Area.
Walkthrough[]
The Screaming Statue[]
Upon entering the Lower Reaches, you see pipes to the left, a tunnel to the right, a giant hand reaching towards you from the cavern floor, and ahead, a statue that appears to be screaming.
Approaching the giant hand triggers the spawning of three Huge Spiders off to the right near the pipes.
Hovering the mouse over the statue gives the player the now recognizable question mark that indicates there might be something more to discover here. However, clicking on the statue, rather than giving the player an informational status message, spawns a Wandering Horror (5,000 XP) and two Sword Spiders (2,000 XP each). This spawn event can happen up to five times, once per click, after which the trap runs out of spiders and horrors to summon.[1]
On the face of the statue is a treasure stash (1280.2475), trapped with a Cloudkill, which can be looted without enemies spawning.
When you are done farming experience here, continue through the hallway to the right (east).
Tunnel[]
To the east of the entrance chamber is a connecting tunnel that has three spawn points.
- The first spawn point (
1940.3090) can respawn creatures from one of two groups:[2][3]- Mutated Gibberlings (×4) and Gibberlings (×2)
- Yuan-ti Warriors (×5) and a Yuan-ti Mage
- A second point (
2880.2815) only spawns once, and will be one of the following groups:[4]- Mummies (×4) and Ghasts (×2)
- Yuan-ti Warriors (×5) and a Yuan-ti Mage
- Between the first two spawn points is a silent trigger that spawns a third group on the other side of the Broken Bridge.(
3890.2170) This group includes one or more Gauths and Beholders, depending upon the current experience points accrued by Gorion's Ward.[5]
- < 400,000: Gauth
- 400,000 – 999,999: Gauths (×3)
- 1,000,000 – 1,999,999: Gauths (×2) and a Beholder
- > 1,999,999: Gauths (×2) and Beholders (×3)
The Fallen Bridge and the Rift Guardian[]
Beyond the tunnel, another chamber opens up and a status message reads:
"A great tear in the earth has split asunder the structure before you. The roof of the structure is covered in tiny but intricate designs. You would do well to investigate them."
This large chamber has a broken bridge that needs to be repaired to cross. There is a petrification trap on the stairs. Click on the broken bridge to answer three riddles posed by the Rift Guardian:
- "The bridge has fallen and ends in death. Call forth the name to summon the path. What is the bridge?"
- 1) I don't understand. What do you wish to know? 2) I refuse to answer now. I will return later. 3) Ruin. 4) Age. 5) Mercy. 6) Existence. 7) Life. 8) Disease. 9) Honor. 10) Wealth
- "You are not alone on the bridge. Call forth the name to summon the path. It travels with you, and through it you travel, and yet it does not leave you behind. Who is with you?"
- 1) I thought there was only one question. 2) I will return later to answer your riddle. 3) The bridge. 4) Life. 5) My Father. 6) Charity. 7) The air. 8) Friendship. 9) Time. 10) The road
- "The bridge is not stable, and the end changes place. Call forth the name to summon the path. Choose the most difficult step on the bridge."
- 1) How many more questions will there be? 2) I will return to answer this later. 3) The first one, for there is fear in the unknown. 4) The current one, for it alone is my choice. 5) The last on, as the end of the journey is death.
The section below is a "Spoiler". Click on the "Reveal" button if you want to be provided the answers to the riddles. Don't do it if you want to figure this out on your own, like a first-time player was meant to.
The answers are "Life," "Time," and "The current one."
Answer correctly and the bridge will be rejoined, connecting the two halves, and will bestow the party 42,250 XP.
Answering incorrectly spawns a hostile Undead creature of type depending on which question was asked:
- First question: Greater Ghoul
- Second question: Skeleton Warrior
- Third question: Greater Mummy
- While none of these give Exp, they do drop their respective random loot. This can be exploited as, for example, Skeleton Warriors always drop their Two-handed Sword +1.
Crossing to the other side will be a variable size group of Gauth and Beholder defenders from the third spawn trigger, while Shadows (×4) and Shadow Fiends (×2) attack from a fourth spawn point (1940.3090) in the northwest tunnel.[6]
For hints on this battle, see Gameplay.
On the southeastern side of the bridge just below one of its columns (3715.2485) is a random treasure stash that includes Ashideena, a Warhammer +2 that also inflicts an extra point of electrical damage.
When you are ready, continue on through the tunnel to the northwest.
The Diseased Ones[]
Follow the hallway leading north from the bridge. There's a petrification trap at the end of the tunnel (3385.1540). Enter the cavern and follow the central jetty until you come to the Temple of the Forgotten God.
In front of the temple stands a mysterious robed figure called The Diseased One (2430.920) who will speak to you when you approach. He is flanked by two Diseased Children (a boy and a girl). On the north jetty is another Diseased Woman, and on the south jetty yet another emaciated Diseased Man. You may ask all of them questions. The sense you get from them is apathy, despair, and ultimately hatred for the one inside the temple, a long-forgotten entity who has tasked them with eternal guardianship. They explain that they have been granted the power by the one they guard to live, die and be reborn endlessly (the cause of their decaying disease), but they no longer remember who or what it is. Likewise, they care nothing of your purpose and will not assist or impede you.
When you are ready, enter the Temple of the Forgotten God.
The Ancient Temple[]
Upon entering The Ancient Temple you see what appears to be a Tanar'ri demon, perhaps a Nabassu. The Empathic Manifestation speaks as it attacks the party:
"Hate is here! Here is hate! Attack with anger and feed the hate! The hate! Hate... Suffering... I feed on these... they harm me not... I feed!"
The manifestation feeds on hatred and suffering. Therefore, combat does not kill it, but only feeds it. This will quickly become apparrent that nothing seems to get rid of this creature, no matter the amount of various damage applied to it. It seems to relish being hurt. Perhaps the party should try the opposite of harming it?
Note, the "Reveal" button below will furnish a method to defeat the Manifestation. This is a "spoiler". Can you do it without being provided the answer like a first-time player was meant to?
The only thing that will defeat it is the opposite of Wounding; Healing. However, attempting to cast a healing spell on the manifestation while it is attacking is problematic, as its blows disrupt your spell casting. However, as it comes from charged items, the healing from a scroll, the Staff of Curing, or the Gloves of Healing cannot be disrupted, although their wielders are still open to attack. Likewise, a Paladin or Gorion's Ward may attempt his/her fast-casting Innate Cure ability. Having multiple party members cast some healing on the Empathic Manifestation at the same time makes the odds of one of them landing much better. Once such a healing effect occurs, the manifestation will wither away and disappear from the map.
Defeating the manifestation itself will not grant the party any experience points, but an Avatar of Amauator appears immediately after it's banishment - to gain any experience points, you must first talk with the Avatar.
The Forgotten God Amaunator[]
The Avatar of Amaunator speaks to you, asking:
"Whoooooo walks in the temple of I? Speak of yourself, you are almost beyond the sight of I."
- I could say the same of you. Are you the chief resident of this temple?
- <CHARNAME> walks here, and I have disposed of your little guardian.
- You form out of the very air. What are you?
Regardless of how the player responds, the party will gain 25,750 XP.
Eventually, the Avatar gives the party the first half of the rod, the Rift Device Part, and your Journal is updated:
"I have spoken to the avatar of a god that no longer has the faith of the guardians who live in this dungeon. He asked me to take the relic he has vowed to protect, and combine it with the half that the beholder has. I may use the completed item to destroy the beholder...on several conditions. One: it can only be used once. Two: that I tell his people I intend to complete the item so that it can be returned here and destroyed fully. Three: I bring the completed rod back and instill even the briefest moment of faith in his people, so the avatar might have the power to destroy the rod and end the service the guardians have been bound to."
There is a treasure stash (270.175) in the torch in the center of the altar behind the Avatar. It may include a healing scroll that can be used in order to banish the Empathic Manifestation if you haven't done this already by other means. Clicking the back portion of the altar also displays the status message, "There is a sense of holiness about the altar."
Next Steps[]
Upon exiting the temple, the robed Diseased One is there to scoff at the party.
"Have you enjoyed your visit? Of course you found nothing and of course you will leave empty handed. There is... you... You have the great device! What are you doing with that? It cannot be moved! It has not been moved in a millennia!"
You can respond one of two ways: dialog option #1 "It is the will of your god... it is to be destroyed... You will be free of your duty", and option #2 "I have taken it for myself. You cannot stop me." Both responses elicit disbelief, despair and his conclusion that nothing will change. The conversation ends. If you try talking to him again, all he has to say at the moment is:
"You have taken what purpose we had left. There is no end here."
To give them the hope and faith that their god wants them to have, you must join the two rift device parts together to complete the tasks ahead of you.
Gameplay[]
The Cloak of the Sewers can be a big help, but equip it to a -preferably hasted- character who normally has at least two APR. During the fight against Gauths and/or Beholders, Shadows and Shadow Fiends might also move down from the north, with melee attacks that can quickly defeat the advantage of the Mustard Jelly form. The Shield of Balduran is also a big help against Gauth and Beholder ray attacks. A good combo against Gauths is Skeletons and Cloudkill (1-2 Skeleton Warriors confronting them in an area where 1-2 Cloudkills have been cast), while the rest of the party stays safely back out of the creatures' sight and spells. And the summoned Skeletons can also help against the nearby undead.
Related Quests[]
Gallery[]
- Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
Characters involved[]
References
- ↑
MOUTHTRP.BCSIncrements "spawnNum" by 1 up to 5 - ↑
RDGIBB.CRE - ↑
RDYUAN.CRE - ↑
RDUNDEAD.CRE - ↑
SPWNBEH.BCS - ↑
RDSHAD.CRE