Troll Trouble

Synopsis
"We're receiving alarming news from every corner of this vast barony: here, there and everywhere, rampant hordes of trolls are wreaking havoc! The desperate people cry out for a protector, begging us to come and fend off these ravaging monsters. Of course, it's the sacred duty of the sovereign to locate the hiding places of these foul foes and give them bloody hell!"

Find the troll lair

 * This whole mess of trolls can't just roam around all the time. They surely must have a hidden base! Or a lair, at least. A stinky, filthy troll lair!
 * Ekundayo the ranger has been hunting these trolls for a long time. He has several ideas about where we should focus our search!

Find out more about the trolls

 * To deal with the trolls, we must first learn more about them.

Check up on the reclusive mage

 * It seems that several trolls are maundering around the house of a strange hermit mage in the Narlmarsches. We need to learn whether this mage is conspiring with the monsters or in need of our help!

Destroy the troll lair

 * We've located the troll lair. Now we're ready to destroy this bed of evil, once and for all – to root them out mercilessly with all our might!

Return to the capital

 * The troll problem is solved. We can return to the capital victorious! I wonder if anyone there will throw rose petals at our feet.


 * The trolls are defeated! After this glorious victory, the region known as the Stolen Lands will finally become peaceful and quiet. Or at least I hope so.

Walkthrough

 * If you have been following along with this walkthrough, then by the time that Troll Trouble has been assigned the player may have been making decent headway in managing their kingdom during How to Build a Kingdom. This means that the player has likely already or will soon deal with An Ancient Curse and has received An Ancient Curse, Part Two, as well as received the quest A Just Reward from the Guardian of the Bloom.
 * Unfortunately, no matter how well things have been going Kesten will show up with some bad news: trolls have been spotted in increasing numbers throughout the Stolen Lands, appearing to have a unique brand and immunity to fire, one of the two elements that will stop troll regeneration.
 * Again, if the player has been following along with this walkthrough then Stefano Moskoni, an envoy from Pitax, may make an appearance in your court. Stefano has been sent by Castruccio Irovetti to inspect our fledgling barony to see if there is anything to be gained by way of trade or any other interactions. Suffice it to say, Stefano is not pleased, though it is clear that the man has been sent purely to antagonize the player and provoke a reaction. There is an array of alignment responses throughout this conversation:
 * (Lawful Good) The player accepts Stefano's criticisms with grace and dignity.
 * (Neutral) The player asks Stefano to get to the point.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player threatens to banish Stefano.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player threatens Stefano.
 * Any of the above responses will lead to the next array of alignment responses:
 * (Neutral Good) The player concedes that the barony may need some work, but will develop in the future.
 * (Neutral) The player reprimands Stefano for speaking to them so indignantly.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player threatens to harm Stefano, with some added snark for flair.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player threatens to have Stefano hanged.
 * Regardless of how the conversation goes, Stefano will take his leave. Don't worry, you'll have a chance to deal with him in the future if he rubbed you the wrong way.
 * Now that we've gotten some likely throne room interactions out of the way, we'll want to do a bit of exploration of the capital before pursuing the rumors of trolls.
 * To the southeast of your throne room is the Storyteller: the blind elf is somewhat of an enigma, but at this point what the player should be concerned with is money. The Storyteller is a collector of relics, and all of the Tokens of the Dryad, Ancient Rostlandic Coins, Ancient Cyclops Coins, and Taldan Warrior's Dog Tags that the player has picked up are worth something to him, more than the player would have earned from selling these relics to a merchant.
 * There will be more relics that the player will come across that they can sell to the Storyteller as they go, but the most important relics to bring him are complete collections. Collections such as the Restovic Paraphernalia, which the player should have completed in Chapter I, will have an experience reward and a story shared by the Storyteller when they are turned in to him. Other collections such as the Scorched Fragments of a Necklace, which also should have been completed in Chapter I, will be reforged into unique items of varying usefulness.
 * Once your business is complete, exit to the Main Square. There's a bit of petty larceny to be had in the houses in this before heading off to handle the trolls. Additionally, if the Wildcards DLC is installed Kalikke will be be waiting in one of the houses to continue with Sorrowflow.
 * The Beer Mug Inn is the capital's local tavern. A few quests will take place in there, and more importantly, Anoriel Eight Eyes has relocated to this tavern for all of your retraining and mercenary needs.
 * The last stop before leaving your capital is paying a visit to the merchants in town:
 * Hassuf is the closest to a 'general goods' merchant, though he mostly has magic items, and his inventory will update each chapter with new items for sale. Be on the lookout for the Bag of Holding on your first pass; 25,000 gold is a lot of money at this point, but the extra party encumbrance is worth it. There are several other worthwhile unique magic items in stock, but they don't need to be purchased off the bat if you're a bit light on money.
 * Verdel is the resident blacksmith for the capital. Oddly enough his inventory doesn't seem to update like Hassuf's, but be on the lookout for his Adamantine Full Plate +1 and Mithral Full Plate +1. The former is more expensive but gives the wearer DR 3/-, while the latter is cheaper but a higher max Dexterity bonus than regular Full Plate. Verdel also has a few Cold Iron weapons in stock; it's always good to have a Cold Iron weapon or two in the party in the event that you run across an enemy with a vulnerability to Cold Iron.
 * Arsinoe is the divine merchant for the capital with many spell scrolls and some spell components, such as Diamond Dust and Diamonds.
 * Zarcie is the arcane merchant for the capital, having an abundance of spell scrolls and a handful of wands or metamagic rods for your casters. Nothing in particular to keep an eye out for yet, but be sure to check for any spells you feel Octavia or another arcane caster might need.
 * Enneo the Traveling Merchant is a merchant that will appear in the capital after a bit of time has passed. Enneo has a rather small stock that will not update in later chapters; for plot reasons it would be best to avoid using him as a merchant in the event that you may want to repurchase anything that is sold to him.
 * With all that out of the way, it's time to pick up with the quest!

Find the troll lair

 * This whole mess of trolls can't just roam around all the time. They surely must have a hidden base! Or a lair, at least. A stinky, filthy troll lair!


 * The first stop to make is A Ford Across the Skunk River. This area has a few variable encounters depending on whether Troll Trouble has been started or not, but we will be moving forward with the assumption that the quest has been started.


 * To the east of where the party arrives there will be a camp of gnomes that have been slain by kobolds. There is a hidden chest requiring a [Perception 15] check to notice by one of the tents. The containers around the camp should have a Crowbar and Rope, which will come in handy in the very near future.
 * Once the party approaches the river crossing to the north, a group of kobolds will attack some stranded travelers. Obviously, the party has to help.
 * Once the initial group of kobolds is dead, another group will appear from the north, and there will be a short cutscene with Tartuk, who now seems to be more kobold than gnome, and who should most certainly be dead beneath Old Sycamore still. Combat will ensue no matter what you say, but Tartuk will haste the group of kobolds just to make things a little more difficult.
 * When all of the kobolds lie dead, Tartuk will curse at the party and make his escape. The traveling gnomes will all break off to hold onto their cart for dear life, trying to prevent it from being swept down river. Interacting with the cart will give the player several choices which add options to how the player can rescue the cart:
 * If the player has a crowbar they can set the crowbar against a wheel and open up a new check to pull the cart back.
 * If the player has a rope they can tie it to the cart and open up a new check to pull the cart back.
 * The player can send a character to make both a [ Mobility 15] and [ Lore (Nature) 10] check to jump to the driver's seat and calmly unhitch the ponies, and open up a new check to pull the cart back..
 * Once the player has all they can to make the check easier, the party can gather their strength to pull the cart to safety with the player taking the lead on the following checks:
 * A [ Lore (Nature) 19] check allows the player to calm the ponies if they passed the previous Mobility and Lore (Nature) checks.
 * An [ Intelligence 13] check allows the player to repurpose the crowbar if one was used in the previous section.
 * A [ Strength 14] check allows the player to muscle the cart back if rope was used in the previous section.
 * An [ Athletics 20] check allows the player to remove the boulders blocking the caravan from being pulled out of the river.
 * A [ Charisma 15] check allows the player to reinvigorate the group with confidence.
 * Regardless of the player's success, the leader of the traveling caravan will introduce himself as Jubilost Narthropple, a famous explorer, cartographer, and writer. Succeeding in saving the cart will lead to Jubilost publishing a positive view of the barony in his paper The Independence, while failing will lead to him publishing a negative view of the barony in The Independence.
 * The conversation Jubilost has several alignment based responses to his assertion of freedom of speech:
 * (Chaotic Good) The player grants that the gnome has freedom of speech.
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player asks that Jubilost be kinder towards their fledgling barony.
 * (Lawful Evil) The player threatens Jubilost with arrest and execution.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player may attack Jubilost and his guards at any point.
 * Any of the conversation options with the exception of attack will make Jubilost available as a companion, and the first one suitable for treasurer unless the player has a mercenary or chose Lander Lebeda as their envoy. Accepting Jubilost into the party will also assign the quest Renowned Explorer.
 * Traveling back to where the party started and heading to the west there are some ferocious wolves, and a path leading down to the river crossing; there is a loose tile containing a Shard of Knight's Bracers hidden by a [Perception 7] check.


 * Heading north at the crossing and going to the east, the party will encounter an Alpha Wolf with a few of his pack, while heading west the party will encounter a few wolves fighting some kobolds who appear to be guarding a satchel. Just a bit to the south of where the kobolds are fighting the wolves is a hidden pile of rubble with a Torag's Pendant requiring a [Perception 19] check to notice.
 * While the player has a pretty good hint on where to find the marauding trolls, we're going to make another stop and then head back to Tuskdale.
 * With the Ford Across the Skunk River cleared, we'll be heading a bit to the west to the Overgrown Pool.
 * Heading south from where the party arrives at the Overgrown Pool, the player will be dragged into an argument between Corax, a human lumberer, and Melianse, a river nixie. Melianse has charmed some of Corax's lumberers and both sides are threatening to attack each other. The player may intervene here in several ways:
 * (Chaotic Good) The player can attempt to convince Melianse to let the loggers go. This option does nothing, but hey, it's the effort that counts.
 * (Neutral) The player can leave the situation entirely, and both sides will attack each other.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player can resolve the situation with force by attacking Melianse.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player can resolve the situation with force by attacking Corax.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can resolve the situation with force by attacking both parties.
 * [Try to reason with loggers] Will lead to the next conversation choices.
 * If the player tries to reason with the loggers, they will be given a choice of several checks:
 * [ Knowledge (World) 22] The player will try to convince the loggers to leave and find different trees.
 * [ Diplomacy 22] The player will try to convince the loggers that the fey are not to be trifled with.
 * (Lawful Neutral) [ Intimidation 22] The player will try to intimidate the loggers into leaving by revealing that they are the baron/baroness of these lands.
 * If the player succeeds with any of the above checks, the loggers will agree to leave, but Melianse has some apprehension since the loggers have already cut down one tree. This leads to even more options for resolution:
 * The player may always give up the diplomatic approach and attack one or both parties at this point.
 * The player can ask about how to restore a tree that has already been cut down, and Melianse will request that the player use a Feather Token. Feather Tokens can be purchased from Bartholomew Delgado at the Lone House, which we will be visiting shortly, and The Old Beldame at the Swamp Witch's Hut. The player may also receive the Feather Tokens from Tiressia, also at the Swamp Witch's Hut, if they finish the quest Gnarled Branches for her.
 * [Intimidation 25] Will allow the player to convince Melianse to let the tree go and leave without a fight.
 * [Diplomacy 25] Will allow the player to convince Corax to buy the Feather Tokens instead, if they have asked about how to restore the tree.
 * Depending on how the player resolves this encounter they may receive a reward from either Corax or Melianse, or neither if they took the aggressive path. Melianse will give the player an addition reward of a Ring of Protection +2 if they ask to be her friend with a (Chaotic Good) speech option.
 * Just south of the standoff are some brambles with a Token of the Dryad.
 * In the southwestern corner are a pair of wolves and a stump hidden with a [Perception 16] check.
 * At this point the player can head back to Tuskdale so they can assign Jubilost as their treasurer if they would like, and pick up the next stage of this quest in the throne room.

Check up on the reclusive mage

 * It seems that several trolls are maundering around the house of a strange hermit mage in the Narlmarsches. We need to learn whether this mage is conspiring with the monsters or in need of our help!


 * If enough time has passed for Kesten Garess to update the player with this stage of the quest, it only makes sense to head off to the Lone House to check up on Bartholomew Delgado. The player will also likely receive the quest Lost Child from Jenna Tannersen at this time.
 * Head south east through the Ford Across the Skunk River to find the location of the Lone House.
 * Approaching the Lone House after it has been discovered will start a 'random' encounter with a merchant caravan being attacked by several trolls, including the player's first Branded Troll. Unlike normal trolls, which can be killed with fire and after they've been knocked unconscious, Branded trolls are immune to fire and can only be killed by acid. After combat is over, the merchant, Dalton, will approach the player and strike up a conversation. When he first approaches and asks who the player is, there are a few alignment based responses they can choose:
 * (Lawful Good) Will tell Dalton that the player is the ruler of the lands he is on and promise to make the roads safer.
 * (Lawful Neutral) Will tell Dalton that the player is the ruler of the lands he is on.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) Will tell Dalton that the player is no one, just a traveler.
 * Dalton will also give the player some background on himself, and a bit about the mage living nearby, who turns out the be the same hermit the player is being sent to check up on, Bartholomew Delgado. The player may also ask Dalton if he would be willing to operate exclusively in the player's barony, giving a couple more alignment choices with associated skill checks:
 * (Lawful Good) [Diplomacy 15] Will allow the player to convince Dalton not to go past Tuskdale for fear of the danger on the roads.
 * (Neutral Evil) [Intimidation 15] Will allow the player to convince Dalton not to leave with thinly veiled threats of death.
 * (Neutral) Will allow the player to rescind their request.
 * Succeeding at either of the above checks will give the player a new trade agreement project with Mivon when they return to Tuskdale. Regardless of the player's responses, Dalton will give the player a small reward before setting off again. It is safe to loot the chest and sacks next to his caravan, and the chest contains a Token of the Dryad. This location will not be reachable after the player leaves.
 * Continue on to the Lone House from the random encounter. If you haven't enabled the game to pause when a trap is detected, you may want to for the upcoming area since there are a lot of traps to disarm, and every trap that the party steps on is extra damage taken and experience lost.
 * Traveling east along the road the party will encounter three separate groups of trolls, including one battling three bandits. Some of the trolls are standard trolls, while some are Branded Trolls which require acid to put down for good. Any arcane caster will have Acid Splash available as an orison, but Acid Flasks or any other source of acid damage will be enough as well.
 * At the eastern end of the map, the road will continue to the north; several [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] traps lie along this path, so be sure to take your steps carefully to avoid tripping any traps before they can be detected.
 * Even more trolls lie along this path, though they are fighting a group of summoned giant spiders. The spiders do a good job serving as meat shield, but be careful as there are even more traps this way, [Perception 20] [Trickery 20].
 * Continue north along the path a bit further to encounter more trolls and summoned spiders; at the northeast corner of the map is a pile of rubble containing a Dwarven Helm Shard that can only be detected with a [Perception 7] check.
 * At this point the house exterior is almost clear with one last troll and a handful of trollhounds left to clear outside of the shed. After they're dead, we'll finish up with the exterior of the area.
 * Continue west from the house. There will be plenty of traps to detect along the way, [Perception 22] [Trickery 22].
 * In the northwestern corner there will be a troop of bandits fending off even more trolls; take both groups down to get a Torag's Pendant, and be sure to loot the corpse near the bandits for a Shard of Knight's Bracers. Note that the Bandit Leader is quite tough, possessing a high AC, high attack bonus, and he even hits pretty hard to boot. Control spells like Grease, Web, or Hold Person are invaluable since the bandit leader has a poor Will save, and the trolls have low Reflex saves.
 * With the topside clear, it's time to head back to the shed to meet Bartholomew Delgado.
 * Unfortunately, by the time the party arrives Bartholomew is being attacked by a trio of trolls: one troll is named Dimwit, and if the player visited this area before listed in the walkthrough they will learn that Bartholomew has held Dimwit captive and tortured him as part of a series of experiments for quite some time. On top of Dimwit is another regular troll, and a Branded Troll that is tougher than the other Branded Trolls the party has come across so far; this stronger troll has the unique greatclub The Crusher, which can be quite powerful for a two-handed warrior for a long time to come.
 * Bartholomew is no slouch, and to his credit can handle quite a bit of abuse on top of his Mirror Image and Shield spells, but the player will still need to be quick and may want to micromanage more than usual. Once Bartholomew is saved, he will request that the player retrieve his whip, assigning the quest Guiding Beacon.
 * Once the situation is a bit safer, the player may have noticed a [Perception 15 hidden door on the way in, which they should return to now. Inside the hidden room is a chest trapped with a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap, and the contents of the chest are definitely worth the trap. Among several other items are a pair of Bracers of Archery, which could remain a relevant item for any ranged characters for the rest of the game.
 * With Bartholomew safe, it's time to work on solidifying intelligence on where the trolls are coming from. We'll need to head west of the Lone House to the Ruined Watchtower to pick up a new companion, some useful items, and the last of the information needed to find the trolls.

Find the troll lair

 * Ekundayo the ranger has been hunting these trolls for a long time. He has several ideas about where we should focus our search!


 * After arriving at the Ruined Watchtower, head directly west to find a pile of rubble with a Torag's Pendant.
 * If visiting this area during Troll Trouble, after following the road a bit to the south a dog will appear and run off to the east, stopping at a few points along the way as if guiding the player. The dog will lead the player to a wounded man named Ekundayo. The eastern side of the cliff before reaching Ekundayo has a pile of rubble with a Dwarven Helm Shard.
 * Ekundayo does not seem pleased by the dog's presence, and isn't particularly happy to see the player either; players may attack Ekundayo with a (Chaotic Evil) option, but that will deprive you of a companion for the rest of the game.
 * Ekundayo's responses to the player's questions are short and to the point. During the line of questioning Ekundayo will share that he is hunting something, and awaiting its arrival. The player has several possible responses here:
 * A generic offer to help.
 * (Chaotic Good) Allow the player to push Eukundayo for more information politely.
 * (Neutral) Allows the player to leave Ekundayo to his business without any further questions.
 * (Neutral Evil) Allows the player to threaten Ekundayo into sharing more information under pain of torture.


 * Ekundayo's specific response will vary depending on the option chosen, but he will offer more information about himself in all cases, though he is still very light on details.
 * Once the player has offered to help hunt down the trolls that Ekundayo is seeking, he will reveal the locations of the Kobold Trail and Troll Clearing. Afterwards, the player may wait in ambush for the trolls that Ekundayo has been tracking, or leave immediately; Ekundayo will be able to join the party immediately if they choose to wait out the ambush, otherwise they will have to add him back at Tuskdale.
 * After the trolls are dispatched, head east on the platform to find a stump containing an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 hidden by a [Perception 22] check.
 * Return to the road, and continue to follow it to the south. There will be a corpse off to the side of the road with a trapped satchel; the satchel itself contains no loot, and has a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap, and as soon as the satchel is opened a group of bandits will spring from the shadows to attack.
 * Travel east from the bend in the road where the trapped satchel was to encounter another small group of bandits in a camp. There is nothing special about these bandits, but there is a locked [Trickery 18] satchel hidden by a [Perception 16] check.
 * Heading south from the bandit camp will lead to a small pack of wolves, and a fallen tree with a [Mobility 17] check behind them which can be used to travel to the camp below. Traveling back up the tree will require a [Mobility 21] check.
 * In the camp below there is a satchel requiring a [Trickery 21] check to unlock. Interacting with the camp fire allows the player to observe the surroundings more carefully. Searching the camp casually will reveal that something isn't quite right with how nice the camp seems, opening up a [ Knowledge (Arcana) 20] check; succeeding at the check will give the player insight that the barrier between two planes is too thin in this spot, and people or objects may be drawn into the other plane by accident. If that isn't enough warning, actively searching the camp will prompt a hidden [Perception 20] check that will let the party hear someone screaming in the distance to the east. Despite the obvious risks at this point, the player may rest at the campsite for 8 hours with no obvious ill effects.
 * East of the campsite are a couple of hunters perched on top of a large boulder cowering from a few ferocious wolves. Speaking with the hunters will open up an array of alignment options:
 * (Neutral Good) [Requires rope] The player can get the hunters down without a skill check by tossing one end of the rope to them to tie off.
 * (Lawful Good) Allows the player to make a [Mobility 17] check to catch the hunters with the party's cloaks after encouraging them to be careful coming down.
 * (Chaotic Good) Allows the player to make a [Mobility 19] check to catch the hunters with the party's cloaks after encouraging them to jump down.
 * (Neutral Evil) Allows the player to extort the hunters for a Gold Cog-wheel Ring, which they give freely. This opens up another (Neutral Evil) option to extort them even more, landing the player an extra sum of gold when the get down.
 * (Chaotic Evil) Allows the player to leave the hunters to their fate on the boulder.
 * As long as the player gets the hunters down they will offer the ring and the gold as a reward for saving them. The Gold Cog-wheel Ring is one of the three cog-wheel rings required to open the cache in the statue of Torag at the ruined tower to the west.
 * The player will want to head west from the camp to return to the main road, where there will be a few trolls and a Kobold Boomsayer. Just south of the corpses the group was guarding is a pile of rubble containing a Dwarven Helm Shard hidden by a [Perception 7] check.
 * Continue to the west across the road into a small ravine with a pack of wolves. In the middle of the pack of wolves is a corpse with a White Cog-wheel Ring, the second of three rings required to open the cache in the statue of Torag.
 * Further west into the ravine is a pack of ferocious worgs, including an alpha worg. These enemies can be fairly tough for the party due to their ability to perform a trip maneuver with every attack, and their ability to gang up on a single player. Fortunately the ravine narrows to a choke point just out of range of the worgs, which the player can use to limit the number of enemies they face at one time. Send a high AC target to lure the worgs out, then keep them engaged at the choke point and use AoE or control spells like Fireball and Grease to take the pack out.
 * Return to the road and travel a bit to the northwest near some ruins. There is a [Mobility 19] check to climb up the ancient stairs which we will be coming back to later, and a pile of rubble containing a Torag's Pendant hidden by a [Perception 19] check.
 * Continue west and follow the hook down to the south where a group of bandits awaits. There is a chest behind the bandits requiring a [Trickery 17] check to unlock, and it has a Shard of Knight's Bracers.
 * Back to the northwest of the bandits is a trio of peasants, Alick, Calvert, and Edgar, arguing underneath of an ancient tree while digging. The trio have been tricked into thinking that there is buried treasure beneath the tree, and the three have been digging for some time fruitlessly. There are a couple alignment choices ahead:
 * (Neutral Good) The player will politely ask what the villagers are searching for.
 * (Lawful Evil) The player snaps at the villagers to tell them what is going on.
 * These options are followed up with a [Knowledge (World) 22] check to determine the veracity of the story they tell and open up a couple more options, followed by a few more alignment choices:
 * (Lawful Neutral) Allows the player to help the villagers dig, and share the treasure if they find it.
 * (Lawful Evil) Allows the player to order the villagers to dig the treasure up for them since this is their land.
 * (Chaotic Evil) Allows the player to drive the villagers away to dig for the treasure themselves.
 * (Lawful Good) [Diplomacy 18] If the player succeeded at the earlier Knowledge World check they may try to convince the villagers that the bard lied to them.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) [Bluff 18] If the player succeeded at the earlier Knowledge World check they may try to convince the villagers that the treasure is buried elsewhere, and points them in a random direction. Choosing this option will cause the player to meet the trio again at the City of Hollow Eyes during Chapter III, in which case they will share an Ancient Cyclops Coin with the player.
 * All of these options will lead to a small experience reward at the end, but there is no loot to be had by digging beneath the tree.
 * Head up the passage north to encounter some wolves in combat with a trollhound, with a troll and a couple more trollhounds just beyond that. Past the troll to the west is a satchel with a Dwarven Helm Shard hidden by a [Perception 16] check.
 * Turn east and continue to the statue of Torag; we won't be interacting with the statue just yet, as we have one more cog-wheel ring to acquire. A pile of rubble along the stairs has a Torag's Pendant.
 * To the south of the statue the party will run into several giant spiders guarding the ruined tower. There is a chest in the ruined tower containing the last piece of our puzzle before interacting with the statue of Torag. Reaching the chest and retrieving its treasure will require several skill checks:
 * [Athletics 17] Will allow the player to choose a character to climb up to the chest.
 * The player may otherwise take the time to find materials and build a ladder.
 * Once a character is at the chest, there are a few more checks in order to get the chest open:
 * [Perception 25] Will allow the player to choose a character to search for a key to the chest.
 * [Trickery 25] Will allow the player to choose a character to unlock the chest.
 * [Strength 21] Will allow the player to choose a character to try and break the lock on the chest.
 * Of the treasures within the chest, there are three standouts: the Red Cog-wheel Ring which completes our trio of rings, the Trollreaper greataxe, and a Soot-Blackened Apron.
 * Finally, it's time to collect our reward at the statue of Torag. Interacting with the statue will open up a [Perception 20] check to examine the statue, which will reveal the hidden mechanism on the monument if the player succeeds; if Harrim is in the party he will pick out the mechanism if the player fails the check.
 * Once the mechanism is found, the player may attempt a [Knowledge (Arcana) 20] check to figure out how to use the cog-wheel rings with the mechanism. If the check is failed it will take a few hours, but the player will be able to figure out the correct pattern for the cog-wheels. After this is finished, the party will be obligated to pass a [Perception 0] check to detect the compartment's loot. Enjoy your rewards!

Find out more about the trolls

 * To deal with the trolls, we must first learn more about them.


 * With a few more locations available to explore thanks to Ekundayo, we'll setting off to the south towards the Kobold Trails. Along the way the player may as well clear the Bandit Camp; despite the name there are only a handful bandits there and they should pose little threat.
 * The encounter at the Bandit Camp gives the player an array of alignment choices on how to deal with the bandits:
 * (Lawful Good) Allows the player to attack the bandits outright.
 * (Neutral Good) Allows the bandits to work for the barony, but as real guards, not bandits.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) Allows the bandits to leave the barony with the understanding that their loot belongs to the player now.
 * (Lawful Evil) Allows the bandits to work for the barony with the understanding that all of the 'taxes' that they collect will go to the barony's treasury.
 * (Chaotic Evil) Allows the bandits to work for the barony if they eliminate Shortie.
 * The difference between killing or hiring the bandits comes down to loot vs. experience; killing the bandits will provide more loot and therefore money, while hiring them will provide more experience. Even if the player hires the bandits, they may still loot the bandits' belongings, including a Torag's Pendant.
 * The Kobold Trails are an illustrated book episode rather than an exploreable area, and has the following options:
 * Exploring the path will start a hidden [ Lore (Nature) 15] check; a successful check only results in the bonus experience and some flavor text.
 * If the player has any rope they may tie the rope around whichever character undertakes the upcoming skill check, granting an extra skill check option.
 * After examining the river and bridge, the player may select a character to make the following checks:
 * [Mobility 15] To jump to the other side of the bridge.
 * The character flails their arms wildly to try and retain balance, leading to either an [Athletics 15] check, or a [Strength 15] check if the player used a rope in the previous path. Failing either check prompts a [Fortitude 20] check to mitigate damage that the character takes.
 * Once the party is across the bridge, the player has an array of alignment choices to choose from:
 * (Neutral Good) Allows the player to pay their respects at the kobold shrine, leading the player to find an Emerald.
 * (Neutral) Allows the player to leave the shrine untouched, which will lead the player to finding
 * (Chaotic Evil) Allows the player to destroy the shrine, leading the player to find a Ruby.
 * With the Kobold Trails cleared, the party will want to continue a little ways to the south towards the Kobold Camp. Upon arrival, the kobolds at the camp will present themselves quite unlike the other kobolds the player has come across at this point, leaving them with a few options:
 * Shake the kobold shaman's hand and continue with the conversation.
 * Don't shake the kobold shaman's hand, but attempt to continue conversing. The kobold will hold his hand out expectantly still, but after declining to shake hands a second time the conversation will continue as if they shook his hand.
 * (Chaotic Evil) Attack the kobolds. This option may be selected at any point in the conversation.
 * If they player continues conversing with the kobolds they can piece together the kobolds' broken common with a hidden [Wisdom 15] check to determine that the kobolds are looking for Tartuk, whom they view as their king. This will open an array of alignment responses:
 * (Neutral Good) Encourage the kobolds to return home for their own safety.
 * (Neutral) Decline to help the kobolds, but encourage them to continue searching for Tartuk.
 * (Neutral) Decline to help the kobolds, and encourage the kobolds to return home.
 * (Chaotic Good) Point the kobolds in a random direction.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) Point the kobolds to the Hodag Lair, leading to their deaths.
 * (Chaotic Evil) Attack the kobolds.
 * Convincing the kobolds to leave the area with one of the above dialogue choices will reward the player with some experience. If the player fails to pass the earlier Wisdom check then they will only be able to attack or say farewell to the kobolds. Attacking the kobolds will lead to most of them running away from combat and escaping the area without some form of crowd control or area of effect spells; in this case, be sure to tag the shaman since he only has 1 hit point, and is carrying a Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2.
 * Regardless of how the encounter with the kobolds goes, their camp may be looted and the area explored. Be sure to check the southwestern corner of the area for a Token of the Dryad in a stump, and the northwestern corner of the area for a [Perception 20] check to find a hidden satchel.
 * Our next goal is ultimately to reach the Troll Clearing revealed on the map by Ekundayo, but there are a few stops which can be made along the way that aren't directly related to our quest to find the trolls.
 * Our first stop is the Swamp Witch's Hut, and it won't be a short one. Before entering this area, if the party includes a divine caster it may be a good idea to prepare a Delay Poison, Communal spell and a Resist Energy (Electricity), Communal spell since there are two encounters which will be made significantly easier by each. This is a rather large area however, so don't be afraid to leave and rest at the world map along the way, as there are several difficult enemies to be found here which may even necessitate returning at a higher level.
 * We'll be sticking with the western side of the map to start in order to clear out some of the easier enemies in the area, as well as to pick up some quests. A small pack of worgs will be on a ledge immediately to the west of where the party starts, and a trio of dire boars block the path further south.
 * Depending on the strength of the party at their current level, it might be the time to cast a Resist Energy (Electricity), Communal spell after clearing out the boars, as they are about to encounter a pair of Will-o'-wisps. Will-o'-wisps are nuisance enemies who aren't capable of dealing all that much damage at once, but possess a rather high armor class and attack bonus, a natural 50% concealment bonus, and all of their attacks are made against a character's Touch AC. Fortunately, they can only deal electricity damage, which makes a Resist Energy spell extremely effective in providing a buffer against their attacks.
 * After the Will-o'-wisps have been dealt with, follow the curve of the road towards the northwest. Just past a group a tatzlwyrms, including a greater tatzlwyrm, is a seemingly neutral ghoul next to a derelict house.
 * Speaking to the ghoul will reveal that he used to be man named Dorsy, and that his bride was killed and his village destroyed by fey. Speaking with Dorsy begins the quest Coins for a Dead Man's Eyes, but there are no further interactions with him for now. He may be attacked at any point, but will not drop his quest reward if killed by the player. Dorsy doesn't particularly mind if you unlock the [Trickery 20] chest next to him, and there is a hidden chest on the west side of the house requiring a [Perception 24] check to notice. The chest is also trapped with a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap, but the player is rewarded with the unique heavy pick Demolisher.
 * North of Dorsy's ruined home are some Gloomberries which may be collected for later, and a trio of giant slugs. These slugs may look a little ridiculous, but they have a ton of hit points, decent damage reduction against bludgeoning weapons, and can deal a ludicrous amount of damage with their attacks. Your best bet is to rely on summons or send in the character with the highest armor class first and pray they can draw attacks without getting hit, because these slugs can one-shot a character with bad luck. Next to the slugs is a fallen branch containing a Token of the Dryad and a Shard of Knight's Bracers.
 * Return south to the fork in the road; some sourceless voices will attempt to scare the party, but nothing tangible will come of that yet. To the west of the fork is another group of dire boars, as well as the namesake for the area. Save before proceeding, as the following encounter can go very poorly without warning if the player chooses the wrong options. Interacting to the gate leading to the hut will present the player with several options:
 * [Detect Magic] Reveals that the gate is enchanted to alert the caster when it is opened.
 * [Detect Magic] Reveals that the scarecrow is actually a magical ward.
 * [Dexterity 15] Allows the player to toss a pebble at the window of the hut. Failing the check will cause the window to shatter, in which case the scarecrow to become hostile, and The Old Beldame will emerge to attack the party. A bit of an overreaction to be sure.
 * [Ring the Bell] Ringing the bell will cause The Old Beldame to emerge and investigate the racket.
 * [Open the Gate] Opening the gate will cause the scarecrow to become hostile, and The Old Beldame will emerge to attack the party.
 * If the player is attacked, be on the lookout for any characters who fail their Will save against the Scarecrow's fascinate ability, as they will stand around doing nothing until the scarecrow is dead or they are damaged. If a character does fail their save, the player can direct a weak spell such as Acid Splash at the character to break them out of the daze. Even for an evil character, this is not a good option to go with, as the player will miss out on a few quests and a vendor with The Old Beldame dead.
 * Assuming the player manages to engage the witch peacefully, there are several dialogue paths to persue:
 * Ask about the subject of Lost Child; The Old Beldame will deny involvement, and a hidden [Perception 26] check will reward the player with a chunk of experience.
 * Asking about how you can help the witch will assign the quest Mushrooms from the Mud Bowl, and reveal the location of the Mud Bowl on the world map.
 * If the player picked up any of the Gloomberries from up north, they may show the berries to The Old Beldame for identification; the player will then be tasked with finding three bundles each of Gloomberries, Mudleaf, and Dizzyhead, which the witch will use for the quest Swamp Bouquet
 * (Chaotic Evil) Attack The Old Beldame. An evil player can choose this option after they've exhausted the witch's usefulness.
 * Traveling down the path south of the hut is a [Mobility 20] skill check to jump west across some muddy water, while on the eastern side of the path there is a [Perception 18] check to discover some hidden loot in a log. The party will immediately be attacked by another pair of Will-o'-wisps if they jump across the water.
 * Continue west after defeating the spirits to discover an interactable body; another sourceless voice will warn the party to leave, but again will not result in any tangible effects. Interacting with the body gives the player several options, and some dialogue from the nearby spirts indicating that this person's name is Nyta:
 * [Detect Magic] Allows the player to observe that the body bears the marks of strong preservation magic.
 * (Lawful Good) If the player has slain the Scythe Tree and obtained the Old Wedding Ring they can place the ring on Nyta's finger and receive a minor experience reward. The player will not be able to loot the body after this, but the spirits are pleased by this action.
 * (Neutral Good) Allows the player to place flowers near the body. The player will not be able to loot the body after this, but the spirits are quelled for now.
 * (Neutral Evil) Allows the player to steal jewelry from the body. The invisible spirits voice their displeasure, but are otherwise unable to stop the player.
 * Return to the path and just off the road to the east is a sealed well. The player may [Detect Magic] at the well to reveal a strong aura of death magic. If that isn't ominous enough, a character in the party must pass a [Will 20] check to even open the well, which will start combat with a group of Will-o'-wisps made up of two War Wisps and an Ancient Will-o'-wisp. This battle can be either extremely difficult or relatively easy depending on how prepared the party is. A Resist Energy (Electricity), Communal, or even better a Protection from Energy (Electricity), Communal, can negate nearly all of the damage that the Will-o'-wisps can dish out, turning the fight into a war of patience for as long as it takes to dispatch the spirits. Once all three lie dead, loot the two Coins with Wilber's Name, and the Coin with Callitropsia's Name, all of which are needed for Coins for a Dead Man's Eyes.
 * Continue east from the well. There is another pack of worgs, including a Greater Worg, making this encounter a bit more challenging than the first. Just past the worgs is some hidden rubble with a Token of the Dryad requiring a [Perception 19] check to notice.
 * Further to the east are the remains of an abandoned village. A spectre wanders around rather conspicuously, giving no signs of recognizing the party. There is a hidden pile of rubble with a Taldan Warrior's Dog Tag requiring a [Perception 19] check to notice. Speaking with the spectre will reveal that he is the old headman of the village, Wilber Colton. Wilbur may be attacked and killed by the player, but he will immediately reappear after being scattered unless both Coins with Wilber's Name are placed on the altar to Erastil next to him during Coins for a Dead Man's Eyes.
 * If the player has gathered the coins already they may be used to complete Coins for a Dead Man's Eyes right now, in which case Wilber will reward the player with a Phylactery of Positive Channeling, or the player may return to Dorsy and return the coins to him against his will and receive a Cloak of Resistance +2. The choice is, as always, up to the player, but it is worth recognizing that Dorsy asks the player to give the coins to Wilber, and there is no other source of the Phylactery in the game, whereas cloaks of resistance are relatively common.
 * To the south of Wilber's house is a chest requiring a [Trickery 18] check to unlock.
 * Further to the east past the ruined village is a field of poisonous clouds which will be extremely difficult to navigate without a Delay Poison, Communal spell. The field also contains several hidden Dizzyhead plants requiring a [Perception 22] check to notice.
 * The northern half of the poisonous field has two giant slugs identical to the ones fought earlier; use similar tactics to take this pair out, and be careful to draw them out of the poison clouds if the party isn't protected. There is a Dizzyhead plant requiring a [Perception 22] check to notice near the giant slugs.
 * The poison cloud directly to the east of the has a hidden chest requiring a [Perception 26] check to notice, and is trapped with a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap. To top it all off, the chest even has a [Trickery 25] lock; once all the skill checks are passed the reward is a pair of Gloves of Dueling.
 * Directly south of the hidden chest are some hidden brambles [Perception 27] with a Token of the Dryad and another hidden [Perception 19] Dizzyhead plant.
 * While the player hasn't been to the right part of this area to receive the quest Gnarled Branches, the farthest southeastern corner of the poisonous field is home to the Scythe Tree, the subject of the aforementioned quest. The Scythetree can be a difficult foe depending on how taxed the party is at this point; it has solid DR/10 against piercing and bludgeoning weapons, a good amount of hit points, and a decent armor class, attack bonus, and three attacks per round to top it all off. Fortunately there is only one of it vs. the whole party, so summons and a good tank should be enough of a distraction to prevent the tree from being able to do too much damage.
 * Once the Scythetree is dead, loot it for an Old Wedding Ring and Nyta's Letter. The former may be returned to Nyta's body back west for a reward, while the latter gives further background on what happened to this little village. Don't forget to loot the rubble nearby for a Token of the Dryad and the Cypress Queen's Flower.
 * With the Scythe Tree dead, now might be a good time to return to the world map to rest, as there are still a few tough encounters left to go, including one real doozy of a fight.
 * Once the party is ready to continue, head back to the fork near The Old Beldame's hut, and proceed northeast into the unexplored portion of the map.
 * There is a small ledge overlooking the poisonous field with two Hodag-Like Treants. These enemies are pretty durable, and are capable of dishing out a lot of damage with four attacks per round, but if the party is healed up they should fall without too much trouble as long as a tank draws their attention first. There are some brambles with a Token of the Dryad behind the treants.
 * North of the treants is a valley lined with Mudleaf plants which can be harvested for the quest Swamp Bouquet; while these plants seem easy to get to, they require a hefty [ Lore (Nature) 27] check to successfully harvest. Failing this check will destroy the plant, and cause the character making the check to take damage. Since there are a limited number of these plants, but more than three, it is a good idea to save before interacting with them in order to collect as many as you need, especially since succeeding will reward the party with a bit of experience each time.
 * To the northwest of the Mudleaf valley is a chest requiring a [Perception 18] check to notice, locked with a [Trickery 20] lock.
 * Head back east, and the player should automatically be dragged into a conversation between Falchos, a satyr, and Tiressia, a dryad. The two will be arguing upon the party's arrival, with Falchos expressing his desire to defend Tiressia's land, while the dryad pushes him to leave for his own safety. This conversation can go down several different ways, skill checks and alignment choices abound:
 * Following this walkthrough, the Scythe Tree will already be destroyed, which the player can relay to immediately finish Gnarled Branches.
 * (Lawful Good) The player can offer to kill the Scythe Tree, no reward needed.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) [ Diplomacy 20] Allows the player can convince Falchos to leave for Tiressia. This will resolve Gnarled Branches and give the player the usual reward, but without any experience component.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can attack the two fey outright.
 * If the player has defeated the Scythe Tree already, it would be best to accept the quest from Tiressia before revealing that information, as just accepting provides an experience reward.
 * Completing Gnarled Branches opens up a new curse research project related to the Scythe Tree.
 * Travel south from the fey to find a Greater Werewolf with some stealthed ferocious worgs. The travel pack by the the werewolf holds a sizable amount of gold, and there is a hidden branch [Perception 24] with a Ring of Protection +2 just to the west of the pack.
 * The final combat encounter in this zone is an extremely difficult one which the player is probably better off returning to deal with at a higher level. Some of the brush between the fey and the greater werewolf is hiding an [Athletics 26] check behind a [Perception 0] check. Taking this path leads to a small plateau with three Greater Enraged Owlbears, a formidable foe on its own. The owlbears fortunately don't engage immediately, but if the party moves forward at all combat will likely begin. With that in mind, buff up as much as possible, and prepare as many control spells as possible, like Grease, Web, or Stinking Cloud, and plenty of summoning spells to create fodder for the owlbears. The reward for defeating these powerful foes is the unique dueling sword Swordsman's Passion.
 * With the owlbears dead, this area is just about wrapped up. At this point the player should have enough component to finish Swamp Bouquet, so return to The Old Beldame to turn in this quest. After completion, the witch should be willing to trade some potions and minor magic items with the player. If the quest Coins for a Dead Man's Eyes has been completed then she will have some more background to give about the whole situation, and if the player has finished Gnarled Branches then they may insinuate that she is actually the missing villager Elga Verniex, though she will coyly avoid implicating herself.
 * Head on over to a world map transition point, rest up if needed, and get ready to head southeast to the next destination: the Monster Den.
 * The Monster Den is a single encounter area with only one enemy, an Ancient Wyvern. The wyvern has a nasty poison ability, and a ton of attacks with a high attack bonus, but it should be easy to gang up on with the whole party. Be sure to pick up the Token of the Dryad in the rubble on the eastern side of the map, and the Lucky Longbow off of one of the wyvern's victims.
 * The last stop we're going to make before taking on the troll stronghold is at the Troll Clearing. Travel east from the Monster Den; the Troll clearing is another illustrated book episode, and there isn't much to do:
 * The player can continue waiting at the clearing to ambush a group of trolls that are never going to show up, ending with a hidden [ Lore (Nature) 20] check at the end to hunt a huge deer and receive 6 Camping supplies and rations as a consolation prize.
 * The player can leave the clearing after waiting for a few hours, receiving a small experience reward and saving themselves from a fruitless stakeout. The party will receive a larger experience reward the earlier they decide to leave, and the experience reward for waiting until the previous event happens will be a greater reward unless the party leaves as soon as the ambush is set up.

Destroy the troll lair

 * We've located the troll lair. Now we're ready to destroy this bed of evil, once and for all – to root them out mercilessly with all our might!


 * One way or another, the player has likely discovered the Dwarven Ruins by now. While it may seem like a good idea to run off and take care of this threat to your burgeoning barony as soon as possible, the truth of the matter is that unless there are more Problem events cropping up than you can manage, it may be better to do some more exploration and take care of miscellaneous quests and companion quests. Since all further developments along the main quest line have timed components, there is no reason to rush through this one just to start another timer.
 * Some quests and areas to consider tackling now if they haven't been handled already include:
 * The Verdant Chambers to take care of the quest A Just Reward. See the quest article for more details.
 * The Hodag Lair to take care of the next stage of Amiri's companion quest Prove Your Worth. There is a Shard of Knight's Bracers in this location, in some hidden [Percpetion 7] brambles behind the hodag.
 * Pay a visit to Oleg's Trading Post if Valerie's companion quest Shelyn's Chosen has been started.
 * Pay a visit to Old Sycamore followed by the Thorn River Bank if Jaethal's companion quest Investigate My Death has been started. There is an Ancient Rostlandic Coin in some rubble requiring a [Perception 12] check to notice at the Thorn River Bank.
 * Go to the Lizardfolk Village to resolve the quest Lost Child. There are several antiques in this area, visit the location article for more details.
 * Go to the Mud Bowl to collect Black Rattlecaps for the quest Mushrooms from the Mud Bowl.
 * If the player has the Wildcards DLC installed and they haven't done this quest already, head to Sorrowflow to continue with the quest of the same name. This quest will lead directly into the quest A Task for the Sweet Teeth if the player speaks to both Kalikke and Kanerah and brings up their three tiefling companions.
 * If the player has the DLC Beneath The Stolen Lands installed they can head to the Tenebrous Depths to begin the quest of the same name. Note that at this point in the story line not much of the dungeon can be explored, so it may be worth coming back at a later time to start.
 * The above suggestions mostly avoids exploring the Kamelands since there will be plenty of time to explore that region during the next phase of Chapter II.
 * While traveling around South Narlmarches, the player may come across a rather odd random encounter taking the form a kobold scolding a group of trolls during an illustrated book episode. This encounter can happen at any point during the Troll Trouble quest line, but it will only happen once. This encounter is a scripted event by its nature, but there is no specific trigger for its appearance. The player is given a couple options during this encounter:
 * [Stealth 16] Allows the party to sneak closer to the gesticulating kobold.
 * [Lore (Nature) 16] Allows the party to skirt around to a more advantageous position using the river as cover.
 * If the previous checks succeed, the player is presented with a few more options of how to proceed:
 * [Intelligence 12] Try to translate the kobold's gibberish.
 * [Perception 17] Try to make sense of the conversation by interpreting body language.
 * [Charisma 13] Scare the kobold and trolls off.
 * If the previous checks succeeded still, there are two more skill checks to attempt before beginning combat:
 * [Strength 13] Send a character in to push a troll into the fire.
 * [Dexterity 13] Send a character to throw a stone at the kobold.
 * Rush in to fight.
 * Another similar encounter with no specific triggers may occur in which the party stumbles across Stefano Moskoni and a few of his bodyguards fighting off a group of trolls. Unlike other random encounters where the party is presented with the chance to save someone, Stefano and his men are more than capable combatants, and even left to their own devices will be able to knock down the trolls. However, they will struggle to permanently kill the trolls since the only source of damage that will permanently kill the trolls comes from Stefano's rapier Deadly Grace. If the party helps kill the trolls or waits until Stefano can finish them off, they can strike up a conversation with the survivors; Stefano is grateful for the assistance and the player is awarded experience no matter what, but the conversation presents an array of alignment responses:
 * (Lawful Good) The player expresses their content in being able to rescue Stefano.
 * (Chaotic Good) The player gives Stefano a backhanded compliment on his fighting prowess.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player expresses their regret for assisting Stefano and his companions.
 * Any of these options lead Stefano to telling the player that there is great potential in their upcoming barony. Enough potential that he may suggest to King Irovetti that the player's barony is worthy of becoming a vassal, which leads the player to another array of alignment responses:
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player compliments Stefano for his honesty, then lets him go.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player tells Stefano he can't be allowed to leave after revealing that information, and enters combat.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player insults Stefano, and enters combat.
 * Whether the player lets Stefano go after hearing what he has to say is up to them. He was rather rude during their first encounter, but will show a much higher opinion of the baron and their lands after this encounter. Good players may be inclined to let Stefano go, which will help them out a bit far in the future in Chapter V during The Rushlight Tournament, while evil players may be tempted to kill Stefano for his earlier disrespect and to collect his rather nice loot, including his weapons Deadly Grace and Lightning Duelist. King Irovetti will bring up Stefano's disappearance on the baron's land during The Rushlight Tournament if he is slain, which will increase the DC of a skill check, but will otherwise have no long term consequences.
 * After all the buildup it's finally time to take the fight to the trolls and end the first threat to your fledgling barony.
 * Travel southwest of the Swamp Witch's Hut towards the Dwarven Ruins. This will be a rather long journey, similar in length to the exploration of the Old Sycamore Caves and Old Sycamore Depths, but the exterior of this area will take much less work to get through.
 * Following the trail where the party starts will almost immediately lead to an encounter with Jazon, the first friendly troll that the party has encountered so far. Jazon is a sort of ambassador for the trolls and kobolds, who have creatively named their new kingdom Trobold. Jazon will be willing to give the player a wealth of background information on the trolls and how they got to where they are today, but there are a few key interactions to be had with him:
 * (Neutral Good) The player can let Jazon know that the party is only there to look around, not to fight. Jazon will warn the party about the other trolls still being too wild, but otherwise doesn't stop them.
 * (Lawful Evil) The player can attack Jazon immediately.
 * (Requires Lawful) The player can demand an immediate audience with Trobold's kings since they are on your land. Following this path will cause Jazon to take the player to Hargulka, who doesn't take kindly to Jazon's actions; Hargulka will punch Jazon in the face, and the poor ambassador will flee into the depths of their lair to be met again later. The conversation with Hargulka will proceed as if the party had entered the stronghold on their own.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) After talking with Jazon about whether or not the trolls are eating 'borba', their name for the civilized races, the player can push him on the subject, which will lead to a [Diplomacy 20] check to try and calm him down. Failing the check will mean that Jazon attacks the party in a rage.
 * If the player ends up fighting Jazon for any reason, the consequences are fairly self-explanatory. He is a surprisingly competent combatant, and is much tougher than the run of the mill troll. We will proceed to explore the exterior of the stronghold.
 * Travel along the path to the west, but refrain from entering the ruins for now. There will be a fork with one side going west and the other continuing north; the western side has a branch hidden by a [Perception 7] check, a kobold sentinel with an Old Dwarven Chest Key, and a few ferocious wolves. The hidden branch contains a Token of the Dryad and a Shard of Knight's Bracers.
 * Return to the fork and head north to reach a broken wall with an [Athletics 18] check; climbing up the wall will treat the party to a short cutscene of some kobolds returning to Trobold and being let in by a couple trolls.
 * Be careful rushing off the ramparts you arrive at, as there is a [Perception 25] [Trickery 25] trap at the base of the stairs; while it appears to be within line of sight of the trolls, the trap can be disarmed before descending into combat.
 * As soon as the entrance guards are killed, two branded trolls and a greater trollhound will emerge; the trollhound can take quite a beating, and can do some nasty damage if it gets into melee and trips a player. It will also drop an Amulet of Natural Armor +2 when it dies.
 * Next you may want to do the unthinkable and split the party; there is a branded troll in the center of the courtyard, but there are kobolds and a troll which will attack from range on the ramparts. One melee character headed up the eastern ramparts with the rest of the party going to the center should be fine. The solo character should be able to take the kobolds pretty easily, and the rest of the party can kill the ranged troll after taking down the branded one.
 * There is a chest needing a [Trickery 18] check to open in the eastern tower, and the western tower has a chest that can only be opened with the Old Dwarven Chest Key that was picked up earlier. There is a [Perception 26] [Trickery 26] trap in front of the chest, so watch out for that; the chest contains a Dwarven Helm Shard and Heart of Valor, an amazing mithral breastplate which can last the player most of the game on a character like Ekundayo who can make use of both medium armor and the increased max Dex bonus.
 * That's all for the exterior of the ruins. Return to the entrance of the stronghold and get ready to walk into the heart of the enemy.
 * As soon as the player takes a few steps into the stronghold Hargulka will appear and initiate conversation; the conversation will end the same no matter what, but there are a few alignment options or checks for the player to make along the way, all of which will end in combat:
 * (Lawful Good) The player will attempt to attack Hargulka and his entourage immediately, but Hargulka will leave his minions to fight as he retreats lower into the ruins.
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player can attempt to make peace with Hargulka, which unfortunately will not work.
 * [Intimidate 20] The player can point out that for all of Hargulka's boasting branded trolls can still be killed by acid.
 * [Stare him up and down with contempt]
 * Once the conversation is finished, there is a short cutscene of Hargulka running deeper into the ruins and knocking down a statue to block the path behind him.
 * Take the path to the southwest first; if the player has Ekundayo in their party he will comment that the party is coming up on Kargadd and that it would be best to lure the troll into the light streaming down in the current room. There is also a pair of Soot-Blackened Gloves in a chest in the western corner of the room.
 * Upon entering the room Karga and Argadd, the children of Kargadd will approach the player. The player may then make a (Neutral Good) choice to let the children go under threat of death if they hurt anyone, or a (Lawful Evil) choice to kill them then and there. If the juvenile trolls are spared, they will be encountered later in The Menagerie and will have to be slain then anyhow. While Ekundayo will be cautious about fighting Kargadd, the truth of the matter is that he isn't very tough; Kargadd boasts a lot of hit points and a huge attack bonus, but against the action economy of a complete party he'll go down pretty fast, and stone trolls don't even need acid or fire to be slain.
 * There are two doors on the eastern side of this chamber: the bottom door requires a [Trickery 21] check to open and contains a chest with a Dwarven Helm Shard, as well a hidden tile with a Torag's Pendant requiring a [Perception 18] check to notice.
 * The top door is something of an abbatoir, and a grievously wounded dwarf can be found within with a [Perception 7] check. The dwarf can be interacted with, opening up an array of alignment options:
 * (Neutral Good) The player can attempt to heal the dwarf.
 * (Chaotic Good) The player can put the dwarf out of his misery.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player can leave the dwarf to his grisly fate.
 * Attempting to heal the dwarf opens up another array of alignment options as he begins to chant a curse at the party:
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player will attempt to convince the dwarf that they are trying to help, but he will finish the curse, bestowing Crushing Despair on the party for the next 9 minutes.
 * (Neutral Good) The player will continue to attempt to heal the dwarf, in which case he will calm down and instead bless the party with Good Hope for the next 9 minutes before dying more peacefully.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player will kill the dwarf, preventing the curse.
 * [Retreat towards the exit] The party will attempt to flee, but will still be cursed.
 * Choosing both (Neutral Good) options will award the player with experience and a buff, while all of the other options are either neutral or leave the party cursed, so healing the dwarf is objectively the best option while disregarding RP elements.
 * There is a sack with a Torag's Pendant requiring a [Perception 7] check to notice in the larder above where the wounded dwarf is.
 * Past Kargadd's room is a Kobold Artist working on a large mural of a heroic looking kobold. He won't respond to anything the player says or asks, leaving the player with a few alignment options:
 * (Chaotic Good) The player will leave the kobold alone but compliment the painting he is working on.
 * (Neutral) The player will leave the kobold alone.
 * (Lawful Evil) The player will attack the kobold.
 * If the player kills the kobold they can receive the Dirty Paintbrush; the paintbrush has no known uses yet, but is counted as a notable item.
 * There is also a hidden switch next to the kobold artist that can be detected with a [Perception 20] check. Interacting with the switch will open a room with a shocking amount of treasure, including a trash pile with the Cypress Queen's Goblet that can be noticed with a [Perception 7] check and unlocked(?) with a [Trickery 5] check, and a hidden compartment on the wall with a Frost Greatsword +1 that can be noticed with a [Perception 14] check and unlocked with a [Trickery 21] check.
 * Continue north into a chamber with a few kobolds and trolls and a rotating puzzle. While the puzzle doesn't have context right now, rotate it so that the the 'fish' shaped rune is visible (it's the rune on the northeast side of the puzzle). The eastern side of the chamber has a hidden compartment with a Torag's Pendant requiring a [Perception 18] check to notice.
 * On the western side of the chamber is a door requiring a [Trickery 22] check to open. There is a chest inside with a Torag's Pendant, but more importantly there is a hidden tile requiring a [Perception 20] check to notice. The tile also has a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap on it, but the hidden tile contains the Devourer of Metal. This bow is a must-have if the player has a ranged damage dealer such as Ekundayo; the bow's oversized damage bonus and additional acid damage will make the bow powerful for a long time to come as long as the wielder can overcome the penalty to their attack bonus.
 * At this point the player can either return to the entrance of the lair and clear the eastern side of this floor, or continue on to the second floor of the lair. To prevent backtracking later, we'll be clearing out the eastern side of this floor since there is an exit to the second floor on that side as well.
 * The first room on the east side of the floor has a hidden shelf requiring a [Perception 18] check to notice and a [Trickery 17] check to unlock.
 * The two connected chambers on the east side create a natural choke point that the party will need to be careful traversing due to a [Perception 20] [Trickery 20] trap on the square emblem in the floor. The door on the eastern wall has a [Trickery 22] lock and leads to a balcony with a [Trickery 18] locked chest.
 * There are two chests further along the hallway, one locked with a [Trickery 18] lock, and the other unlocked but containing the Commandant's Journal (First Half). This journal gives a name to the stronghold, the Bronzeshield Fortress, and some background of the goings-on that lead to the abandonment of the fortress. It also adds to a disconcerting trend that the player may have started to pick up on: all previous attempts to establish order or a formal system of government in part or all of the Stolen Lands has failed. As the player will discover with their own barony in the near future, this is no mere coincidence.
 * There is a [Perception 20] [Trickery 20] trap in the hallway just past another door to the balcony. There is a corpse on the balcony with a Steel Dwarven Key and a Torag's Pendant, and a door on the far end of the balcony that allows the player to flank some enemies.
 * The next chamber has a few regular trollhounds and kobolds in the south, along with the twin to the rotating puzzle from the west side of this floor. Set this puzzle so that the angular 'S' or 'Z' looking rune is visible (it's the rune on the southeast side of the puzzle.
 * The northern half of the chamber has Nagrundi, a lieutenant of sorts to Hargulka, and a tougher than average trollhound serving as a companion. There is also a [Perception 20] check to notice a hidden chest containing a Torag's Pendant and a Dwarven Helm Shard.
 * The player will not be able to reach the central section of this floor until they reach a staircase on the second floor, so for now continue downstairs to the second floor of the lair.
 * The first chamber has a hidden tile which requires a [Perception 16] check to notice, and some debris with a Token of the Dryad to the west. There is a door leading to the central section of the first floor next to both of these objects, but the player will need a key to open the door first.
 * The door to the north requires a [Trickery 29] check to open, and the door to the east circumvents the door into its hallway anyhow There is a cracked slab of stone in this room with a Dwarven Helm Shard, and a glowing symbol which indicates one of the puzzle runes which we have already set. There is also a secret room which can be detected with a [Perception 17] check; inside are several chests, including one which has a Shock Light Crossbow +1. However, watch out for which character is sent to loot the largest chest, as that one is actually a hidden mimic.
 * The door to the west leads to a hallway with a hidden compartment that will be revealed by a [Perception 16] check, and needs to be unlocked with a [Trickery 16] check. The hallway also has a series of [Perception 20] [Trickery 20] traps.
 * At the fork in the hallway head east to find some rubble with a Torag's Pendant and a small room to the north with some giant spiders and a kobold bone shaman. There is a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap in the room, so it would be best to use the entrance to the room as a choke point for all of the spiders and use a caster or ranged fighter to take out the shaman, or use a well placed fireball to wipe out the whole room. There is a chest with a [Trickery 23] lock.
 * Return to the hallway and head west to find a door to the south. Inside the room is a kobold teaching a group of trolls and other kobolds how to speak in common; as soon as the teacher notices the party they all attack. If the player adjusted the puzzles on the first floor as instructed earlier, then upon arrival there will be a chest with a huge sum of gold and the suit of armor Blessed Path. On the eastern wall of the room is a chest with a [Trickery 23] lock and a hidden satchel which can only be noticed with a [Perception 16] check. On the northwestern wall of the room is a hidden compartment with a Headband of Inspired Wisdom +2 requiring a [Perception 21] check to notice, and trapped with a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap.
 * Return to the hallway and head southwest; there are a couple [Perception 21] [Trickery 21] or [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] traps along the way to be on the lookout for.
 * Take the door heading southeast, which requires a [Trickery 30] check. This room has a chest which can be opened with the Old Dwarven Chest Key to find a Shock Frost Heavy Mace +1 and a Soot-Blackened Hammer; the key will be found after exploring the northern section of this level. There is an exit to the western side of the first floor here, with a hidden pile of rubble with a Torag's Pendant requiring a [Perception 7] check to notice.
 * All other doors in that southwestern corner will require a key from Hargulka to open, so it's time to return to the door north that we skipped.
 * The door to the north leads to a large hall with some kobolds and trolls arguing over a stockpile of junk in the northeastern corner. One of the kobolds will pull out the Black Whip needed for the quest Guiding Beacon if Bartholomew Delgado survived his encounter with the trolls at the Lone House. Having certain companions in the party such as Octavia will ask for the whip and bring up conversations in which the player can determine that the whip has a decidedly evil aura and determine what to do with the whip from there. There is also a hidden pile of rubble with a Dwarven Helm Shard requiring a [Perception 7] check to notice.
 * The western end of the hall has a pair of chest, one of which contains the Commandant's Journal (Second Half), and there is a satchel with an Old Dwarven Chest Key which can only be detected with a [Perception 16] check.
 * Southwest of the chests is a large pack of trollhounds and a branded troll; there are a pair of traps, [Perception 23] [Trickery 23] and [Perception 21] [Trickery 21] respectively, guarding the door in the corner there. Opening the door leads to a few branded trolls; after defeating them, create a hard save because we're about to start the penultimate encounter of this quest, and some options have long term consequences for the player's barony.
 * If the player can spare backtracking to the world map from here, it would be a good time to rest up and prepare for the next encounter. Once you return, buff up as much as possible and get ready for a fight.
 * Many of the tactics which have been recommended for difficult fights in this guide aren't going to work against Hargulka due to his Mallet of Woe, which will prevents the player from taking advantage of his low reflex and will saves with spells such as Grease, Web, or Hold Person. Additionally his fire immunity makes some otherwise effective damage spells such as Scorching Ray and Fireball useless, and his absurd fortitude save bonus negates spells such as Stinking Cloud, Blindness, or Sound Burst. Hargulka's attack bonus is probably the highest the player has encountered yet as well, so even a well geared tank may get hit; to compensate for this, spells which reduce attack bonus such as Archon's Aura, Bane, Prayer, or Doom can be used to stack penalties on him since his will save is fairly low. Casting spells such as Blur or Displacement on characters that are likely to engage Hargulka in melee can be a massive boon, and a Haste spell can only make things easier on all fronts.
 * Dealing with Tartuk is easier, but still no simple matter. Your former rival is as annoying as ever, boasting a high armor class, the ability to buff Hargulka and himself with a Haste spell, and the ability to debuff the party with spells such as Blindness or Hold Person. Fortunately Tartuk doesn't have a lot of hit points, and his will save is low enough that he is susceptible to a Hold Person spell himself, which negates his armor class
 * Continue north and the player will find a group of kobolds, Tartuk, and Hargulka clustered around a magical glowing anvil. While Hargulka apparently wants to wrap things up, Tartuk intends to speak with the player first about why they have invaded the stronghold, granting the opportunity for a large array of alignment responses:
 * [Requires Evil] The player will insult the discipline of Tartuk's 'pet' trolls.
 * (Lawful Good) The player asserts that Tartuk and the rest of his monsters may seem civilized, but that they are all a threat to humanity.
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player asserts that they are protecting their barony and their subjects.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player offers that things just happened the way they have.
 * (Lawful Evil) The player asserts that their barony is only for the civilized races and that savages and murderers are not welcome.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player asserts that they enjoy killing the kobolds and trolls.
 * Choosing the [Requires Evil] option will give the player another small spread of options:
 * (Lawful Evil) The player tries to convince Hargulka that the kobolds are no masters to the trolls.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player tries to goad Hargulka with taunts that the kobolds are bringing the trolls to ruin.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player insults and threatens Hargulka while suggesting that Tartuk is playing him for a fool.
 * Following the [Requires Evil] path will cause Hargulka to attack and kill Tartuk before turning on the players. Using any of the other alignment array options will cause both Tartuk and Hargulka to attack the party, and there will be a different post-combat conversation depending on which enemy was killed first.
 * If Hargulka was killed last or he killed Tartuk during the [Requires Evil] path, then he will ask the player to spare him, offering to leave and never come back, leading to another array of alignment options:
 * (Neutral Good) Allows Hargulka to leave in peace.
 * [Requires Chaotic] Allows Hargulka and his trolls to remain in the barony as the player's vassals(?)
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player will kill Hargulka in the name of justice.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player will kill Hargulka after intimidating him one last time.
 * Unless the player takes the first (Lawful Neutral) opportunity to kill Hargulka, then taking either of the paths leading to combat will actually regenerate Hargulka to full health due to the length of the conversation, so be prepared for another fight.
 * If Tartuk is killed last, he will surrender, also opening an array of alignment options:
 * [Intimidate 23] The player will demand to know who Tartuk is since they know they killed Tartuccio, and Tartuk was Tartuccio in disguise.
 * (Neutral Good) Allows Tartuk to leave in peace.
 * [Requires Chaotic] Allows Tartuk and his kobolds to remain in the barony as the player's vassals.
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player will kill Tartuk in the name of justice.
 * (Neutral Evil) The player will kill Tartuk after insulting his failures one last time.
 * As with Hargulka, unless the player takes the first (Lawful Neutral) opportunity to kill Tartuk, then taking either of the paths leading to combat will actually regenerate Tartuk to full health due to the length of the conversation, so be prepared for another fight.
 * The character used during the making of this walkthrough was not Chaotic, so the ramifications of taking on either the kobolds or the trolls as vassals are unclear. Ekundayo will not take the news of the kobolds or trolls serving the player well, potentially causing him to leave the party if the player did not allow him to kill Kargadd.
 * Once Hargulka and/or Tartuk lie dead, make sure to loot their bodies for some outstanding loot, including a Ring of Luck, the Mallet of Woe, a Belt of Physical Might +4, and a Headband of Alluring Charisma +4. One of the chests to the north near the crude throne contains some Bracers of Armor +3, a pair of Soot-Blackened Tongs, and the Iron Dwarven Key needed to access the rest of the stronghold.
 * Head through the doors to the south; of a pair of chests, one will need a [Trickery 16] check to unlock. There is also a hidden barrel with a Torag's Pendant that requires a [Perception 0] check to notice.
 * The doors even further to the south are the same that were unable to be opened earlier without the Iron Dwarven Key. Head back to the exit to the east side, which also has the exit to the center area of the upper level right next to it.
 * Once back upstairs, head southeast along the length of the hall to find two separate packs of trolls with trollhounds. There are two locked chests, one with a [Trickery 19] lock and the other with a [Trickery 21] lock; the latter has a Scroll of Raise Dead, which is a rarity to hang on to if the player has already had to use the Signed Scroll of Raise Dead that Jamandi Aldori awarded the player when they first started their expedition into the Stolen Lands.
 * The last thing to do in the stronghold is head back to the second level and hit up the treasury before taking the secret exit.
 * Travel to the furthest southwestern corner of the floor to find the last unopened door; this door requires the Silver Dwarven Key dropped by the Kobold Bone Shaman who was lurking with the spiders in the northeastern corner of the floor, so be sure to grab that if you haven't already for any reason.
 * There is a hidden compartment in the wall requiring a [Perception 16] check to notice, and there is a [Perception 22] [Trickery 22] trap on the middle chest. As soon as the player approaches the largest of the three chests however, it will spring to life as a mimic.
 * Once certain that everything has been collected from the stronghold, take the emergency exit back to the exterior of the area. If the player has killed Tartuk, there will be a group of pathetic looking kobolds waiting outside. They make no move to attack or otherwise stop the player, but there are some alignment choices that can be made to move them along:
 * (Lawful Neutral) [Intimidate 18] The player can tell the kobolds to disperse and that Tartuk's death was his own fault because he couldn't follow the laws of your barony.
 * (Lawful Evil) [Intimidate 18] The player can tell the kobolds that their home is destroyed and order them to leave.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can attack the kobolds.
 * The player will receive an experience bonus on top of the skill check experience for using either check, and the experience from killing the kobolds adds up to around the same amount, so the choice is up to the player's alignment. There is also an option to just walk away, but this provides no experience at all, so it is not recommended.
 * If the player chose to make Tartuk his vassal [Requires Chaotic], Ekundayo will leave the player as he gets back to his capitol. If the players asks him why, he will tell the baron(ess) that the kobolds were troll's allies at the moment his family were killed and that he won't fight amongst those monsters.


 * At this point, as soon as the party moves to the world map, the quest is officially complete. That being said, there are a few more steps to take to truly consider the events of Troll Trouble at an end:
 * If following this guide, the player should have gathered all 10 of the Dwarven Helm Shards, meaning that returning to the Storyteller will be able to forge the Trailblazer's Helm for the player.
 * The player should also have all of the components of the Dwarven Smith Paraphernalia to return to the Storyteller, so collect the reward for that and any other antiques that can be returned at this time.
 * If the player did not have Harrim in their party at the time, bring him to the Dwarven Ruins and interact with the statue at the entrance to the stronghold, and the magical forge on the second level of the lair to finish Unwanted Legacy.
 * If the player did not have Jubilost Narthropple in their party at the time, bring him to the Dwarven Ruins to finish Renowned Explorer.
 * If the player did not have Ekundayo in their party at the time that Kargadd was killed in the Dwarven Ruins, speak with him in the capital to complete A Score to Settle.
 * If Bartholomew Delgado is alive and the player picked up the Black Whip, return to the Lone House to complete Guiding Beacon, which will then give the player an opportunity to recruit Bartholomew as an advisor. Before handing the whip over, the player has a few alignment choices to make in the conversation:
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player can return the whip.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) The player can lie and say they haven't found the whip, despite the fact that Bartholomew can track its location.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can tell Bartholomew that they wish to keep it for themselves.
 * As long as the player did not force Bartholomew to kill Dimwit earlier, and they returned the whip to him, he will happily join the player as one of their advisors. If the player lied to him or told him they wanted to keep the whip then he will decline; at this point the player may pursue another (Chaotic Evil) action and attack Bartholomew now that his usefulness is at an end, as long as they don't wish to have him as an advisor. Be sure to purchase anything that you may regret not having later, particularly the Small Bag of Holding that he has, as Bartholomew is in the middle of packing to leave unless the player recruits him.
 * At this point the player should have just about wrapped up all of the quests and assorted tasks that have cropped up during Troll Trouble. There will be a good amount of time before the next story line quest rears its head. If you're interested in continuing to build up the barony, consider heading back to the article for How to Build a Kingdom at this point. Otherwise pop on over to the article for the Season of Bloom to pick up with this walkthrough.