The Old Tunnels are an underground part of the city of Athkatla. These tunnels can be accessed through the Sewers of the Temple District and are the base of operations for the Cult of the Eyeless.
On the map[]
Automap note markers:
- Automap Marker "To Athkatla Sewers" (to AR0701 Sewers (Temple District)) (
3412.129) - Automap Marker "Door to the Inner Chambers" (
2177.456) - Automap Marker "Lair of the Cult Outcasts" (
1966.462) - Automap Marker "To the Lower Reaches" (to AR0204 - Lower Reaches) (
595.987) - Automap Marker "Entrance to the Cult Domain" (
2466.2125) - Automap Marker "To the Lair of the Unseeing Eye" (to AR0201 - Pit of the Faithless) (
1966.462)
Characters involved[]
Access[]
To access the Old Tunnels, one must have accepted the quest to Investigate and Destroy the Cult of the Eyeless, from a Priest of one of the three Temples (Lathander, Helm or Talos) that fit with Gorion's Ward's basic alignment (Good, Neutral or Evil), and has either refused or accepted Keldorn Firecam into the party. If these requirements have not yet been met, the sewer tunnel that leads to The Old Tunnels will simply be a dead end. For more details on gaining this Quest, see the page that describes the initial encounter with The Eyeless Prophet.
Walkthrough[]
Entrance Hall[]
In the first hallway you can either go straight (southwest) or take the hall to your left (southeast).
The southwest hall curves to your left where you find either an Otyugh or an Ooze Mephit. Those may respawn later on. Continuing around the bend of the hallway you see a window grate through which you can peer down to the room below. To reach that area, double back and take the other hallway (now to your right).
Taking the southeast hall becomes your only option, at this stage.
Regarding the Ooze Mephit, its first attack is a Stinking Cloud with a high penalty to your saving throws, which can easily knock out a few of your party members (e.g., Yoshimo, a 12th Level Bounty Hunter, with a Saving Throw vs. Posion of 10 [including a -1 bonus from The Protector], still failed to save even on a roll of 17).
Door to the Inner Chambers[]
On the north side of the Entrance Hall there is a door (2775.500) to the Inner Chambers. It has an unconventional lock and is warded against simple spells. It leads to the Lair of the Cult Outcasts. Both of these features are marked on the player's map of The Old Tunnels.
Square Room and Bridge Room[]
The Southeast hall leads first to a seemingly empty square room, and then to a circular room with a rickety wooden bridge (which you may have sighted before from the window grate above).
At the far side of the Square Room, is a silent trigger that spawns four Ettercaps behind you in the square room. Directly on the other side of this trigger, is a trap right before the bridge, as well as five Shadows.
Note: It is possible to cross the silent trigger with a Stealthie character without stepping on the trap ahead of it. Reversing course back into the square room is what will set off the silent trigger, thus spawning the Ettercaps. In this way, you can first fight the Ettercaps, then the Shadows independently. Otherwise, it can be a battle to face both groups simultaneously.
Across the Bridge Room is another hallway leading to the next area, and two more Shadows.
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
With Unfinished Business (Baldur's Gate II) mod in place, the ettercaps are replaced by fire breathing Hell Hounds, which is restored original Bioware content.
The Gas Chamber[]
This circular room has a walkway around the edges to a single door at the far end of the chamber. A walkway extends out into the middle of the room, where you find a large wheel-valve, its function, as yet, unknown.
Across nearly all of the center of the room is an undetectable trap that is triggered if you try to cross to your right (north) or if you get too close to the wheel-valve in the center. It is possible to avoid the trigger if you cross the room on your left, while hugging the wall. Otherwise, the trap is sprung, and you see the following status message:
"As you near the center of the room, the doors clang shut, and you hear the hiss of gas. An orange cloud begins to fill the now sealed chamber."
Two Vampiric Mists, capable of Level Drain, also spawn on the far side of the chamber, flanking the door to the next area, and will attack even a hidden thief. Further, a Cloudkill is launched from the north wall of the room. Clicking on the wheel-valve one time gives you a clue on how to escape:
"There is a wheel in the middle of this chamber. Perhaps turning it will reveal its function."
Whether you use the wheel or not, once the duration of the Cloudkill has expired, the doors open, allowing passage to the other side.
Entrance to the Cult Domain[]
This small square room has a magic sigil on its floor. Gaal and two of his Elite Guard stand ready challenge and will try to convince you to join the Cult of the Eyeless.
As already outlined in the Investigate and Destroy the Cult of the Eyeless quest walkthrough page, Confronting Gaal by attacking him before he initiates dialog will result in losing Gaal's Key that allows access to the lower levels, closing off those areas permanently (same if you already killed him in the Temple District). Furthermore, his "god" will show up, perhaps forcing you to kill it as well. Doing so will permanently close off the Bottom of the Pit of the Faithless, Ghoul Town, and the Beholder Hideout. Furthermore, you will not be able to join the two parts to the Rift Device Rod that can free the Avatar of Amaunator and his Diseased Ones, not to mention much loss of experience points and treasure.
Talking to Gaal is not strictly necessary to complete the quest. Killing both him and his "god" will allow you to go back to the priest who gave you the quest in order to complete it and receive your reward. However, in so doing you lose much of the story, experience, and treasure that you would have gained otherwise.
Approach Gaal and he will initiate dialog:
"Hold, you tread on sacred ground! Only those who serve the Unseeing Eye may enter. I am Gaal, High Priest of the One God."
You can reply "I'll go where I like, priest" or ask him about the cult. He will want you to join, which requires losing your "orbs and their poisonous sight" by which he means your eyes. However, he also wants you to retrieve a "Holy Artifact" (a rod) from the "Lower Places" (the level below the Old Tunnels). Ask how to join the cult without becoming "Eyeless" and he will give you the key to the lower levels.
Choosing the "peaceful" route allows you to talk to his followers and learn more about the Cult, the "Lower Places," the "Holy Artifact" that the Unseeing Eye wants to retrieve, and the "Pit of the Faithless."
If at any time you attack Gaal or his followers, the whole cult will turn hostile, and their "god" will appear in the Pit of the Faithless. Combat will also begin if you answer, "I...am your death! I can take no more of this!" to one of Gaal's Cultist Guard who says, "Hold! Identify yourself, Pilgrim!"
Pit of the Faithless[]
If you chose the "peaceful" option with Gaal, you may enter the chamber beyond him without his cultists attacking. Here you find the top of the pit where there are living chambers for the faithful.
Another cut-scene ensues, where one cultist asks a second cultist if he is ready to "revoke the weakness of the sighted... the false power of sight and embrace the true vision of Holy Blindness?" After this scene, you will witness an Elite Guard executing and then casting the unworthy cultist down to his death at the Bottom of the Pit of the Faithless.
You may explore the rest of the area, talk to the cultists, and if you like, raid their living quarters, which are accessed via stairs that lead up from the catwalk that encircles the pit.
Lair of the Cult Outcasts and The Lower Reaches[]
When you have received Gaal's Key, and finish exploring the Pit of the Faithless, head back to the Entrance Hall and open the Door to the Inner Chambers.
After a trapped hallway you find a cult outcast, Sassar (2000.530) in a strange hall dominated by a sarcophagus in the center. Sassar has a lot more to tell you about the cult, its god, and the rod Gaal wants. He agrees that you should retrieve the rod, but not for Gaal. For more detail on Sassar and the information he has for you, see the page for Sassar.
In the room to the right of Sassar are two more cult outcasts, Zaelas and Garuk, who have been assisting him to "research the rod below." They thank you for your help but have little else to say. There are also two locked chests in this room that you can pilfer.
Sassar warns the party not to disturb the sarcophagus, as he senses a great evil emanating from it, and he wants he and his friends to remain safe. Beyond the sarcophagus is a trapped hallway with two Shadows, two Wraiths, and a Shadow Fiend. A secret door (880.1100) to the right is locked with an unconventional lock and warded against simple spells.
At the end of the hall is another circular room, this time with a stairway down to the next level, The Lower Reaches.
Entrance to the Lair of the Unseeing Eye[]
At the moment, prior to obtaining the first half of the Rift Device, this area is simply a small circular pit with a short walkway to the center, off to the west of the larger, Pit of the Unfaithful.
Access to the Bottom of the Pit of the Faithless will be closed until you return from The Lower Reaches with the first part of the Rift Device. Speak to Sassar and he will tell you who to speak to in order to proceed further.
Related Quests[]
Notable Loot[]
- Golden Arm and Leg - found in the Shade Lich's sarcophagus
- Girdle of Fortitude - dropped by Gaal
- The Guide - dropped by Gaal's Elite Guard Captain
Notes[]
- The sarcophagus located in the basement crypt of the House of the Elemental Lich in the Bridge District uses a similar looking map as the crypt in the Lair of the Cult Outcasts area. Both sarcophagi are part of the quest to restore Kangaxx's body.
Gallery[]
Mod content[]
- This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
Mods:[]
The Unfinished Business for BG2 mod restores the Hell Hound creature back into the game in this area, and several will spawn and attack in the old tunnels.
The Sword Coast Stratagems mod revises Gaal and the Elite Guard warriors in this area - they have better weapon proficiency and altered tactical AI.
The Tactics Remix mod adds new tactical improvements to Gaal and the Elite Guards - this will be apparent if the party faces the Unseeing Eye here in this area rather than below. Expect a very tough response if attacking Gaal here or furnishing him with part of the Rift Device.
Gallery:[]
Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
Screenshots:[]
References
- ↑ Once the quest is completed, the cult is destroyed and authority is no longer enforced.