Part 82: Act Three Chapter Eighteen - Traitors' End

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The rest of the party rejoins us in the Inner Sanctum.

You thought Lord Tavorick's manse was bad, now I have to micromanage ten of these idiots.



King of Shadows Theme







: Know that I shall attend to her wounds.
: Neeshka, what happened?




: Ah... Garius. I thought I heard the shadowy slithering.



Note that Garius has lost his flaming aura. This signifies he can now be killed.

A nice touch.

: You have done much to disrupt our war efforts. But you will answer for it - and you alone.
: Alone? I think not.
: Ah, but that is where you are wrong. As you have been, about so many things.




Well, that's a lie for starters. Exhibit A: Bishop. Exhibit B: Elanee.

: You have already felt the fractures growing within your tiny group... whether it be because of the paths to power...



: A slip of the tongue that shows the chink in the armor...



: ...or perhaps, from those who can think for themselves, and recognize the true enemy here.
: Bishop.




Bishop's dialogue here changes as per sex and Influence. He's a lot more vindictive when talking to Lawful Good types.

Influence doesn't change Bishop's actions at all - he will always betray you, even when you cosy up to him as we have. It's part of his character: he's the Shapechanger, the renegade. However high Influence does change his feelings from "eat shit, Knight Captain," to "I'm sorry I have to do this, it's just who I am."

: Don't do this, Bishop.
: I can't help it... getting tied down... even to a feeling for someone, just isn't my style.
: The most frustrating thing about it? Is that I was thinking it would be as easy to hate you as I did Duncan, but I don't... at all.



: Whatever your reasons, I could care less.
: And of course, your Uncle aside, I have to admit, I do appreciate that you were willing to side with me more than that holy warrior of yours... at least you have that much sense.




To be honest, it's not as if Bishop's betrayal is much of a surprise. He's been making moves in that regard since Act 2 at the very least. The sequences with Grobnar, Casavir, the cut content with Qara/Sand...

Unfortunately for us it doesn't end there.




: Ah... of course. But let us ask each in turn, and we shall see the truth of it.
: And dear Neeshka... let us start with her, just to drive the blade home.
: What? Neeshka?



: Wherever she goes, demons dog her footsteps and lie in her path. Zaxis... Mephasm... and I think it is more than coincidence. Lower Planes blood draws Lower Planes blood... and the stronger the ties, the stronger the pull.
: Blood ties? What do you mean?
: Your half-demon companion has just the right touch of demon blood in her veins to make some ancient Illefarn binding spells take root... provided you shed enough of the owner's blood on the stones of this fortress, of course.
: She must have a most unusual heritage for her blood, even as thinned as it is, to carry such power.
: And once she ran out of screams, she learned to obey... didn't you, my dear?




: And really, I think the execution of this irritating Knight-Captain is a small price for your freedom... the alternative is much worse, I assure you.






Fuck!



: Sand... I know you studied at the Hosttower... and what relics you saw there are nothing compared to the ones that lie here, the secrets of ancient Illefarn.
: The power you seek is here... and I can allow you to rectify certain... inequities.



Yes! Go Sand!

: Besides, the little girl here... she needs minding, else... well, else bad things could happen to us all, and I will not allow that to happen.



: The power you have... imagine if it was increased three-fold, ten-fold, a hundred-fold... without limit, without restraint.
: All the chiding and lessons and lies of the Academy and your father would be nothing against such power.
: I mean, truly... what more is there to learn from the people of Neverwinter? Not much, I think, their time on this plane is done.
: And have your companions offered you any insights, or simply more hostility? It sounds to me as if they are simply another Academy of narrow-minded fools one needs to separate yourself from.
: Carve your own path, my dear, and I will show you the way.



Okay, I was expecting that.

It's all right, we can salvage this. Stay calm.

: And this is what I feared all along. The girl has become a child, and now, Qara, you are our enemy.





: You don't command it anymore, gnome. It's mine now - you've seen it tear into opponents, but that's nothing compared to what it's going to do to your friends.





And we've just lost Construct. Shit.



: History can be rewritten this hour. Your allegiances need not remain - there is so much pain that can be undone by my lord. All those wasted decades - they need not have been in vain.
: The contracts with the infernal legions that bind you... with enough power, those are easily broken. As for the githyanki, we can take the battle to them as well. You need never fear either group again.
: And your dear Shandra... she need not remain dead. We can return her to you, and her life that you missed, you can come to know her again.



All right, at least Ammon stays loyal!

: And Garius, for mentioning Shandra to me, I shall enjoy watching you die.



This isn't entirely true but I'll explain later.







Well, this is upsetting.

We've just lost a huge chunk of the party - permanently. We've still got our loyal six companions, but they're a little caster-heavy... it's up to Khelgar and Casavir to do all the heavy lifting now.



The initial set-up of this fight is not good for us. Barriers stop our melee fighters from attacking Garius directly - they can be bashed down, but very slowly. The alternative is to run around the sides of the barrier... but as soon as you do that, walls spring up to separate those who hung back from those that charged ahead.

And when you do get to Garius, he's got Bishop, Construct and two ghostly Blade Golems protecting him.




Staying put isn't good either. Garius summons a Balor shortly after the fight begins and he's followed by lots of wraiths. Qara and Neeshka will also happily pelt you with spells and arrows from behind the barrier.



It's not that hard, actually, just disconcerting. Get your casters out from Balor Ground Zero and have them buff themselves. Split your fighters between the two forces: one to stand ready and face down the Balor, the other to circle around and mess up Qara's spellcasting. Remember that although Qara and Garius can cast through the barrier, so can you - so chuck a Meteor Swarm or Horrid Wilting at them while there's no friendy targets around to cause collateral damage, and while Bishop and Construct are stuck behind the barrier.

Eventually it's just a matter of mopping up (Garius is deceptively tough, but you don't have to use the True Names on him to kill him this time around).



: Know that shadows offers many temptations... but the end result is empty, as was their deaths.
: It looks like the portal's opening, no matter what we do... but I swear, I'm going to go out fighting.
: We haven't traveled all this way to give up now - there must be something we can do, something to stop the King of Shadows.