RPGs have plenty of “secret quests.” These can include both quests you don’t know you are actually doing and quests that only tell you bits and pieces that build more as you play the game and discover more about it.
You will be set on the path of this quest by doing a completely different one, allowing you to chain the two together, or do things between them first. This quest is a rather lengthy one, with plenty of options to make for different Ability Checks, and you will definitely want someone with the highest Wisdom Checks possible. Here's everything you need to know to complete this quest and make the best choices.
Acquiring The Book
You will first need to undertake the quest, “Search The Cellar”. You can get this quest in Blighted Village, so head on over there using a waypoint. Directly next to this waypoint, you will find some wooden doors. Enter this building and make your way to X: 35, Y: 375. Here, you will see a serving counter, and opposite this counter will be a hatch you can interact with. This hatch will take you down to the cellar. This will add the quest to your journal.
Move on over to the coordinates of X: -704, Y: -355. Here you will find plenty of crates all stacked on top of one another. Move them out of the way, and you will see there is a lever hidden behind them. Pull this lever and go to X: -696, Y: 350 to see that a hidden passage has now been opened. Follow along down the path and there will be some coffins that will break open with skeleton enemies inside them. Now, make your way to X: -655, Y: -344. Here you will find an Ornate Mirror. If you interact with the mirror you will need to navigate some dialog options to progress. You will need to select the following choices:
- “Tell it your name”
- “Yes, an ally! I’m an ally of your master’s.”
- “Szass Tam is a foul, wretched creature.”
- “To clean a wound?”
- The last question can be any option other than “I’d see the ones I love”.
After completing this dialog, the mirror will no longer be blocking your path. The area up ahead has some traps, so put your best set of eyes forward for leading the party. Classes with naturally high Wisdom Checks include the Cleric and the Druid. However, a Rogue with expertise in Perception can also pull their weight in detecting them, with the added benefit of disarming them afterward.
Next, head on over to X: -690, Y: -365 to grab the Rusted Key. This key can be used to open the large gate to the east. It is located at the coordinates X: -655, Y: -365. Directly to the left of this gate will be a gargoyle. Interact with it to attempt to disarm the trap. Opposite this gargoyle will be another one, it is also a trap and will need to be disarmed. Once they are both disarmed, you will see a book sitting on a large stone desk. This is the book you came to get, The Necromancy of Thay.
Slaying The Spider Queen
You will not be able to open the book yet, you will need to get your hands on a special item first. Head out the door you entered the house from, next to the waypoint. Opposite it, you should see a well at X: 26, Y: 400. You will be given some options to either make an Investigation Check or toss a coin into the well. It is recommended to attempt the check first, as you can still throw a coin in even if you fail the check.
Afterward, head into the well to enter the Whispering Depths. There is another route to get into the Whispering Depths by heading through the cellar of a house in the village. However, going through the well is the much faster option for reaching the area you are trying to get to. Whichever option you pick, the location you are heading is at X: -540, Y: -380. There is a boss fight here, so take a long rest beforehand and make 2 saves.
You can make this boss fight easier by destroying all the surrounding eggs before the fight starts. This will prevent new enemies from coming in during the fight. Use your best ranged attacker to dispatch all of them, saving periodically on the second save file. This way if something goes wrong, and you cannot undo it by reloading the second save, you have the first save as a hard backup. Do not end your turn on any webbing, as it will require Saving Throws. Once the boss is defeated, retrieve the Dark Amethyst in the room.
Opening The Book
Placing the Dark Amythist in the book's mouth will cause it to shake and give you several dialog choices. You can open the book, give it to a companion, drop it, or put it away. Gale can use this artifact to keep his condition at bay. Giving it to Astarion will have him struggle to contain its power, but is hopeful it will give him an edge over his master. Whomever you choose to give it to will gain Approval, and the other will lose Approval.
However, there is one more person that can use the book. You can read it yourself. Be sure to buff up your Ability Checks as this will take 3 Wisdom Checks, each more difficult than the last. You will need to succeed on a 10, a 15, and a 20. Being successful will let you cast the Speak with Dead spell without it needing a spell slot. Other than these, your only option left is to destroy the book. Destroying it will displease both Gale and Astarion.