Season of Bloom

Journal
"The barony teeters on the edge. Where will its destiny lead salvation, or damnation? The baron{ess}'s last hope is to identify the source of the troubles in {his/her} lands over the last few months and put an end to the horrible events that could well lead the country to its final fall." ''

Attend the council

 * We scouted the whole barony, visited goblins, dispersed the cult of Lamashtu, and even participated in a real vivisection. Now it's time for everyone to meet and discuss what we've learned about the source of the disease.

Go up the Gudrin river to find Kesten and his militia

 * It's time to explore the Gudrin river to the east of the capital that's where those vicious seeds came from! Kesten and his militia have already gone ahead  we have to catch up with them and join the search!

Find the goblin shaman and learn what he knows about the seeds

 * Sweet gods! We'd completely written off the goblins, but they weren't wasting their time: they built a huge fort by the river and began forcing the poor locals into drinking the tainted water! According to the reports, our old shaman friend is behind all this. Oh, he's gonna get what he deserves, especially if I get to him before the baron{ess}!

Free or kill the prisoners

 * The goblins had enough time to capture dozens of people. Some of them have already been forced to drink the infected water from the river, though we were able to spare some of the captives from that terrible fate... Anyway, we have to free these poor souls and let the baron{ess} decide their lot — whether we send them to look for salvation, or stop their suffering once and for all.

Save Kesten and the surviving prisoners from the monsters

 * The Season of Bloom who would have imagined a name like that being tied to such a horrible phenomenon! All the seeds inside the infected sprouted simultaneously  which means Kesten's camp is now being overwhelmed by enraged beasts from another world! We have to hurry, before the militia and the surviving prisoners become lunch for these monsters!

Defend the capital!

 * We managed to save several people, but what about all the defenseless men and women in the capital? We must hurry back at once to save {His/Her} Grace's subjects!
 * The streets of the capital are like scenes from a nightmare: monsters are chasing civilians, panic and destruction reign! It's time to thin the ranks of owlbears, wyverns, and other nasty things who think they can take the city from our baron{ess}!
 * It's easy to get lost in all this mess. We need to locate the captain of the guard and find out how things are going in other parts of the city.
 * Turns out one can easily grow accustomed to having all these monsters around compared to that gigantic owlbear that appeared out of nowhere, those regular monsters seem almost harmless! We have to stop that huge beast before it tears the city apart brick by brick and crushes everything we've worked so hard to save!

Find and explore the Womb of Lamashtu

 * We finally found the source of all this trouble a cave rather unappealingly named the "Womb of Lamashtu"! It should be located somewhere upstream the river. We must find it at once!
 * One moment we were in a damp cave, and the next we had literally fallen into another world. What is this place?
 * A veritable underground labyrinth sprawls before us — and somewhere inside should be the answers to all our questions! We'll have to explore every cave and every grotto if we want to find the truth!
 * As soon as we stepped into the cave, we found out it wasn't empty! We'll have to deal with these enemies first and look around later.

Solve the old gnome's riddle

 * An old gnome lives in that weird other world we fell into from the cave. He speaks in riddles, but he seems friendly. The gnome advised us to follow the visions that unveil the story of some fallen goddess, and awaken her wrath, whatever that means. Well, there's no riddle we can't solve!


 * Destroy the seed-bearing flower|Who would have imagined that such a beautiful and elegant thing could be the source of so much trouble and suffering... Well, it doesn't matter who planted this flower! This plant is what produces those damned seeds. We have to root out this awful flower once and for all, no matter how beautiful it is!

Enter your throne room to hold council

 * We managed to avert the crisis, save the capital, and deal with the flower that was spreading those magic disease seeds. Now we should hold council to assess the barony's losses and to start work on healing the wounds.

"Our barony has turned another page in its intense and dangerous history. That trip to another world left us with more questions than answers, though. Who planted the flower, and why? Who was that odd old man who spoke in riddles and hinted to the baron{ess} about how to deal with the flower? I hope I eventually find the answers to all these questions, or else my book about the great hero{ine} and {his/her} exploits will be incomplete!"

Walkthrough

 * If following the walkthrough from Troll Trouble, by the time that quest line is done the player should have a bit of down time before trouble rears its head. Here are some things to do until the next story beat hits:
 * Speak with Linzi in The Beer Mug Inn if enough time has passed that the quest Easier to Ask Forgiveness... has been assigned.
 * If the player hasn't done so already, they can head to the Mud Bowl to collect Black Rattlecap for Mushrooms from the Mud Bowl; during the upcoming quest line the player will be in that region anyhow, so there's no rush to get this done in the downtime.
 * If the player has the Wildcards DLC installed then the quest A Task for the Sweet Teeth may have cropped up.
 * If the player has the Beneath The Stolen Lands DLC installed, then the player can work on Beneath the Stolen Lands (Quest) at the Tenebrous Depths, though they won't be able to explore particularly far yet.
 * Another option, and the path that this walkthrough will be taking, is to spend some time working on the barony and the associated quest How to Build a Kingdom. Even if the player isn't all that interested in kingdom management, it is worth it to at least claim the South Narlmarches and Kamelands regions to gain access to their respective artisans. Taking the time to claim those regions will also push the timeline forward enough that the following quests should crop up for the player, which gives them something to do until the main storyline kicks in.


 * After enough time has passed, Tristian will approach the player about the formation of a cult in the barony, leading to the quest Kingdom of the Cleansed (quest).
 * After enough time has passed Willas Gunderson will arrive in the court demanding a remedy to his plight; some guides he hired to help him at Candlemere Tower have not returned with his treasure. Pass a hidden [ Knowledge (Arcana) 20] check to pick up on the fact that some of the odd happenings on the island involve Will-o'-wisps. This will start the quest The Curse of Candlemere.
 * After enough time has passed, Dragn Woradash will appear in the throne room petitioning the player for compensation for the barony's use of the Road of Shields; Woradash's long dead ancestors built the road, and he has come to collect compensation on their behalf. That being said, Dragn doesn't want monetary compensation, but rather would like the player to build a shop for him in on of the surrounding regions. The player has an array of responses:
 * (Lawful Neutral) The player will agree to do as Dragn asks, enabling the construction of
 * (Lawful Evil) The player will agree to compensate Dragn, but the implication hangs in the air that it will never come because the compensation needs to be precise but the barony's advisors 'have a great deal to do as it is'.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player will demand that Dragn be hanged for his insolence.
 * Dismiss Dragn.
 * If the player agrees to compensate Dragn and builds a shop for him, he will serve the baron{ess} as an artisan, regularly delivering semi-random magic items to them. The benefits far outweigh the startup costs of building a shop for Dragn, but if roleplaying choices are more important then the player can certainly turn him down without any negative ramifications.
 * Around this time the events of An Ancient Curse, Part Two should start coming to a head, with a warning of the upcoming attack being given. When the Problem event Rotten Beasts becomes available, an advisor should be assigned to it immediately; every day that the player fails to react to the Problem will add a stacking -2 penalty to the kingdoms Community, Military, and Economy stats. Once a an advisor has been assigned to the Problem, head over to the Bald Hilltop to fight the creatures that have been summoned this time.
 * This encounter will feature a Quickboar, two Dire Venomwolves, a Bear-like Treant, a Smilodon-like Treant, and the Lost Sister. Most of the enemies here shouldn't pose too much of a threat to the party, but the Lost Sister will force high DC Fortitude saves for the whole party every round to prevent Blindness, and the Smilodon-like Treant has a massive attack bonus with multiple attacks, so even the most well armored characters are going to suffer some damage. Try using spells like Heroism, Prayer, and Bear's Endurance to help boost saves against the Blindness, and make sure all characters are using a Cloak of Resistance of some kind. Trying to draw the attention of the Smilodon-like Treant with a high AC character with a Blur or Displacement spell active will help mitigate the damage the party suffers.
 * Shortly after the player has finished An Ancient Curse, Part Two, a letter will arrive from the Embeth Travelers, who offer their services in combatting the monsters that seem to be appearing from nowhere throughout the barony. Accepting their offer will assign the quest An Amusement for the Nobles, and officially begin the Season of Bloom. Unlike Troll Trouble, which had a few smaller quests surrounding the main quest, the Season of Bloom is made up of several smaller quests and areas scattered around the Stolen Lands which all contribute to the conclusion of this quest line. As such, there will be frequent redirections to other quest articles during this section of the walkthrough.
 * An Amusement for the Nobles has a time related component, after which the Hunting Lodge will be inaccessible, making the quest unable to be completed, so we will be headed there first. The other components of this quest line do not have the same time requirements, so there will be breaks to explore the regions around each quest destination along the way.


 * What happened to the servant at the end of An Amusement for the Nobles is a harbinger of things to come for the barony, but there will be about a month before any similar incidences crop up after An Amusement for the Nobles was assigned. This is the last break the player will have before things start to really pick up as dire circumstances begin to appear all over your lands; at this point the player will begin to fight cultists in random encounters while traveling, which will sometimes have a cultist explode with a monster like the servant did. Here are some recommendations:
 * Discover miscellaneous locations across the South Narlmarches and the Kamelands and claim natural resources along the way. Parts of Varnhold  and the Dire Narlmarches will be available as well, but natural resources cannot be claimed in those areas yet, and those areas will be more important during Chapter III and Chapter IV, so there is no rush to explore just yet.
 * The Bridge over the Gudrin River will have been visible for a while without having a reason to visit. There will be more quests in the area later on during this chapter, but most of the free-ranging enemies in this area can be cleared now, including the formidable Crag Linnorm if the player is feeling daring. Be aware that the Crag Linnorm can only be killed by being damaged with a Cold Iron weapon, so be sure to bring one to make sure the party's efforts aren't in vain at the end of a long fight.
 * Many of the combat encounters here will be changed or no longer present after Season of Bloom is officially started, which means losing out on some loot and experience if the player doesn't explore the area before then. The walkthrough will contribute more specific information when quests bring the player to the area.
 * The Bald Stones has only a single enemy, a nightmare known as Torpor, the Great Nightmare. Torpor boasts a fairly high armor class and a high attack bonus, with a powerful breath weapon and DR 10/good on top of all that. However, like many other solitary enemies, the party's action economy should be overwhelming; using spells like Protection from Energy (Fire), Communal and Resist Energy (Fire), Communal will greatly cut down on the damage the party will take, turning the fight into a battle of attrition as the party overcomes the damage reduction.
 * Ironstone Gully is home to a veritable horde of giant spiders lead by a Primal Giant Spider, and a pack of giant centipedes with a handful of tremendous centipedes. A Headband of Alluring Charisma +4 can be found in the centipede section of the cave, and there are two Tokens of the Dryad and a single Taldan Warrior's Dog Tag to be found in the lair.
 * Dragonleaf Gulch is home to a single Poisonous Giant Flytrap, which can be a formidable foe even on its own. Standard warnings about Giant Flytraps apply, and this variant's venom can paralyze targets that it hits if they fail a fairly high Fortitude save. Check the corpse in the northeastern corner for a Melted Shard of a Ring.
 * The Lonely Barrow
 * The Ancient Mine
 * Lake Silverstep Village
 * If the player still hasn't completed Mushrooms from the Mud Bowl for the Old Beldame, head over to the Mud Bowl to pick up the Black Rattlecap needed for the quest. There is a solitary Tendriculos at the location; like other single enemy locations the tendriculos can be a challenge even by itself with a lot of hit points and a solid attack bonus. The real danger however is that being within range of the tendriculos will force Fortitude saves every round to prevent nearby characters from becoming nauseated, making them useless in combat. The tentriculos' melee attacks can also paralyze anything they hit unless the target makes a relatively high Fortitude save, which can also take characters out of the fight prematurely. The mushrooms you're looking for are scattered around the area; only 10 are needed, but there are more than that to collect. If the player has also received Easier to Ask Forgiveness..., speak with Linzi at The Beer Mug Inn since she will also want to head to the Swamp Witch's Hut for that quest as well. If the player previously avoided fighting the Greater Enraged Owlbears in that area, they may be able to handle the owlbears this time with a few more levels to the party's name.
 * The Wolf Lair is home to a large pack of wolves. There is a small group of wolves which the player will encounter at first, but as soon as some of them have died, more wolves will appear from the cave and either side of the valley to flank the party. Fortunately these enemies aren't particularly tough, just plentiful. There is a trap-covered cache in the valley hidden with a [Perception 12] check, and a very small chest next to the corpse with a Melted Shard of a Ring.
 * Empty Skull Rock is similar to the Wolf Lair with an initial pack of Ferocious Trollhounds which will expand when some have been killed. The caves that the trollhounds exit from can be entered, unlike the wolf den, and it is important to note that each side of the cave is a separate area with more trollhounds. Make sure to find the crate in the western cave with a [Perception 24] check to receive a pair of Bracers of Armor +4.
 * Candlemere Tower can be explored if the player has received The Curse of Candlemere from Willas Gunderson. More details can be found in the quest article.


 * If the player cheated or killed the Embeth Travelers during An Amusement for the Nobles, they will eventually have a random encounter at the Wilderness Clearing (Embeth Travelers). The player is given a few ways to respond to the hunters' arrival:


 * 1) If the player immediately warns the hunters to back off, they will do so but leave the party to fight a Ferocious Wyvern.
 * 2) [Bluff 35] [Lie] The player can attempt to deceive the hunters into believing that they are not in fact the baron{ess}, in which case the hunters will apologize and leave, earning the party a hefty chunk of experience in the process. Failing the check will force the party to fight the wyvern.
 * 3) (Lawful Good) [Diplomacy 35] The player can submit themselves for redemption before the hunters, which will earn the party the same amount of experience as lying, and give them the opportunity to fight the wyvern or offer 3000 gold pieces as an offer of repentance. Failing the check will force the party to fight the wyvern.
 * 4) (Chaotic Neutral) The player can insist that rigging the competition was just a joke and ask for lenience. The hunters will not be moved by the player's words and will leave them to fight the wyvern.
 * 5) (Chaotic Evil) The player can taunt the hunters about how much they enjoyed killing the other Embeth Travelers. The hunters will be infuriated by the player's words, but will leave their fate to the wyvern.


 * Several locations are also available during this chapter in the Dire Narlmarches. While these areas are able to be entered during this chapter, they are balanced for parties at least a few levels above where an appropriately leveled party would be at this point in the walkthrough. With some luck they can be completed now, but the player should by no means worry about doing so. The information is given now for posterity, and will also be referenced in later sections of the walkthrough:
 * The Baneful Bog is the home of the Thickskin Tribe, namely Thickskin Tribe Queen Reisha and Thickskin Tribe King Itshar. These two lizardfolk and their supplicants are much more powerful that the lizardfolk encountered at the Lizardfolk Village. The two leaders are the biggest threat here, but their middling Reflex and Will saves make them susceptible to spells such as Grease, Web, or Hold Person, which will help the players avoid their massive damage capabilities; in the absence of these, Blur or Displacement on melee characters will also hamper their ability to deal damage. There is a hidden barrel behind the lizardfolk requiring a [Perception 25] check to notice.
 * The Dappled Quagmire has a trio of Poisonous Shambling Mounds, four Nixie Pranksters, and a Poisonous Primal Doomhydra. A Delay Poison, Communal spell is essential here due to the aura of the shambling mounds and the venemous spray from the doomhydra. Spells which boost the party's saves such as Heroism and Prayer will be of great benefit as well since the Nixies will spam the party with Confusion spells which can severely hamper the effectiveness of a character or even make them a danger to the rest of the party. To make matters worse, there are a series of [Perception 29] [Trickery 29] traps along the way to the Nixies that the party needs to navigate carefully. There are two Pieces of Skymetal and a Charred Screwdriver with the Technic League's Brand at this location.
 * Arbor Rock
 * The Swamp Ruins contain a Ferocious Devourer, an extremely potent foe capable of bestowing devastating Negative levels which can only be cured by a Restoration, Greater or Heal spell. Death Ward is essential for any melee combatants, and any spells to boost the party's ability to hit such as Heroism or Prayer, or spells which grant concealment such as Blur or Displacement will help keep the front line healthy and able to hit. If the party manages to defeat the Ferocious Devourer, its corpse holds a small horde of magical treasure, including a Rune-covered Ancient Leather Scrap. There is a hidden coffer containing another Rune-covered Ancient Leather Scrap in the entryway that can be detected with a [Perception 32] check.
 * The Tenacious Marsh is home to a solitary Acid-imbued Giant Slug, similar to the giant slugs encountered at the Swamp Witch's Hut. Like its brethren, this variation can dish out massive amounts of damage in a single hit, but is also capable of using an acid-based breath weapon which can deal almost as much damage to the whole party. Combined with the fact that any melee attacks that hit the slug will deal acid damage to the character that made the attack, and it may be worth using a Resist Energy, Communal or Protection from Energy, Communal spell to defend against the acid. Fortunately, the slug is fairly easy to hit, and doesn't have too many hit points despite its bulk. Be sure to check the northeastern corner of the area for a corpse with a Rune-covered Ancient Leather Scrap and the unique armor Assassin's Chainshirt. There are also some hidden brambles to the northwest requiring a [Perception 27] check to notice.
 * The Sunny Hillock has a rather silly encounter where the player will first see a giant painted horse, which runs away as the party approaches. Following the horse further leads to a merchant perched on a tall stack of crates and barrels. The merchant introduces himself as Tamrath, and he claims that the fey were the ones to place him on the precariously stacked tower, and were also the ones who ransacked his cart, killed his coachman, painted and enlarged his horse, and shrunk his goods. The player can attempt to get Tamrath down from the lovingly named 'Temple of Solitary Contemplation' through one of several alignment choices and skill checks:
 * (Neutral Good) [Athletics 18] The player can ask Tamrath to jump down from the tower. The player will also receive an experience reward for catching him.
 * (Chaotic Neutral) [Bluff 22] [Lie] The player can lie about an incoming dragon in order to trick Tamrath into jumping down from the tower. The player will also receive an experience reward for catching him.
 * (Neutral Evil) [Dexterity 12] The player can throw a stone at Tamrath, causing him to fall off of the tower but lands relatively unharmed.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can leave Tamrath to his fate.
 * (Chaotic Evil) The player can knock the tower down, causing Tamrath to fall and break his collarbone, and flee as soon as he has landed. This will immediately summon the treants and removes any of the Good alignment choices in the conversation with the Nereid.
 * When the tower of crates and boxes is destroyed through any of the above options, then combat will begin after the player either asks about who did this to him, attempts to leave, or selects the (Neutral Evil) option to demand payment from Tamrath immediately. Three hostile Summoned Treants will appear from the forest, with a Nereid approaching the party after they have been disposed of. The Nereid will demand to know who put an end to the fey's prank. The player has several options in response to this, with the Good alignment choices only being available if the player didn't choose the (Chaotic Evil) option above:
 * (Lawful Neutral) [Intimidate 35] Claim that as the lawful ruler of these lands the fey must provide reparations or face justice.
 * (Lawful Good) [Diplomacy 34] The player can attempt to reprimand the fey for her actions, saying that the suffering she has caused as unjustified.
 * (Neutral Good) [Diplomacy 29] The player can attempt to reprimand the fey for her actions, asking why she would rather be cruel than merciful.
 * (Chaotic Good) [Diplomacy 25] The player can attempt to reprimand the fey for her actions, stating that true humor brings joy rather than suffering.
 * The player can successfully reprimand the fey for her actions without a skill check.
 * The player can choose to attack the Nereid.
 * The player can attempt to leave.
 * Passing any of the skill checks or using the default reprimand will cause the Nereid to apologize and leave after reversing her magic, which rewards a chunk of experience enhanced by the difficulty of the chosen check. Failing a check, attempting to leave, or attacking the Nereid will lead to combat with her and a handful of Redcaps.
 * As long as the player didn't choose the (Chaotic Evil) option to get him down from the tower, Tamrath will still be around after the Nereid has been dealt with and will give the player a monetary reward.
 * Saint Galvan's Gullet has a single Greater Cyclops guarding the location. While the party may be used to wiping the floor with singular enemies due to their overwhelming action economy, the Greater Cyclops is no joke, with a huge pool of hit points, respectable armor class, and a massive attack bonus and damage potential. Fortunately, this cyclops doesn't have any special spell immunities, and a rather poor Reflex and Will save, so he can be brought low with a simple Hold Person spell or area control spells like Grease or Web. The interactable pillar fragment at the center of the map requires a [Lore (Religion) 26] check to interpret, and there is a stone slab containing an Amulet of Mighty Fists +2 hidden by the cave entrance with a [Perception 35] check.
 * Brown Baldhead is a suspiciously easy location with a small pack of wolves including Alpha Wolves and Dire Wolves and the corpses of a hunting party that ran afoul of them.
 * Rill-and-Spill is one of the locations with a portal to a small area of the Other World. The exterior has a hidden stone slab with some loot requiring a [Perception 30] check to notice. Inside the portal area is the Lady of Shallows; the encounter with this Nereid can be tricky due to her armor class, resistances, and her incessant use of Cloak of Dreams, Serenity, and Dominate Person, which will likely lock down nearly any melee combatants while her summoned Huge Water Elemental and dominated companions mop up the rest of the party. Some luck and persistence, along with spells which can boost saves such as Heroism and Prayer can see the party to victory.


 * Complete The Seed of Sorrow, Mother of Monsters, and Witch Hunt.
 * Return to your throne room and attend to the Kingdom event Unrest in the Streets.
 * Talk to your councilors and then one way or another, deal with the riot.
 * The riot can be squashed quickly by choosing one of the initial alignment choices. Any other choice but that will result in a series of arguments with the crowd based on your choices during the major quests of this chapter. This method will also require several Diplomacy or Intimidation checks to avoid a full-blown riot.
 * If you fail, you will have to fight Angry Peasant (x9), Angry Peasant Woman (x4), Citizen (x3), Madla Stasek, Alov, Priestess, and Refugee.
 * Find the Goblin Fort upriver from the Bridge over the Gudrin River.
 * Defend the captives.
 * Fight your way through the fort. You will have several points where you can choose to save or kill some captives.
 * Eventually, you will see the shaman next to an altar, and be forced to fight a crowd of low-level goblins.
 * Heading south:
 * Assuming you brought him, Nok-Nok will stop you before you cross the fence and demand you let him fight the king alone. This will lead to an illustrated book event. If you end the event by stealing the crown, you will get the Stubborn Head and get rid of the king.
 * If you didn't bring Nok-Nok, ?
 * Fight the shaman and his minions.
 * Return to the camp and defend it from the monsters.
 * Speak with Kesten. If you are Lawful alignment, you have an option that will send him to the capital to help it, otherwise he will travel to Womb of Lamashtu.
 * Defend the capital. You will be required to fight a great many creatures, culminating in a battle with a massive owlbear.

OR
 * Travel to the Womb of Lamashtu and fight your way through the tunnels and through the branching choices to the illustrated book event that leads to Other World.
 * After fighting the spiders (again), pick up the Mysterious Bird and pass through the fog. Watch the cutscene and follow the now opened north passage to watch another scene between The Lantern King and the familiar-looking Guardian of the Bloom.
 * Pass through the fog again, and speak with the newly-appeared Old Gnome. He will tell you a story/riddle and give you a Magical Lantern.
 * Follow the hints given by the Old Gnome.
 * Put the bird on the dais. Rest at the Gnome's camp fire. Retrieve the bird bones from the dais.
 * Equip the magic lantern. Go west through the fog to a pond. Use the hand icon at the pond, and throw the bird bones into the pond and then A Vial with Poisoned Water.
 * Follow the trail west, then eventually north. You'll come to a dead end with some more blue mist. Remove the magic lantern and step through.
 * Kill any guardians and use the poison on the flower.
 * Kill the guardians that spawn and the Old Gnome will come speak to you.


 * You will need to split up your team in order to destroy the flowers in both worlds at once.
 * The first team stay near the flower and will face 2 Dire Venomwolves and Greater Owlbear-like Treant.
 * The second team will be moved to a previously inaccessible chamber in the Womb of Lamashtu and face a single Giant Flytrap.


 * Immediately after the flytrap is defeated, the first teams will be moved to the chamber and have to fight a Primal Manticore and Primal Hydra. Not long after, 3 Primal Giant Spiders, a Primal Spider Matriarch, and a Dweomercat will appear and join the attack.
 * Approach the flower, attack it, then decide whether to collect part of the root before you burn it.
 * Return to the capital and choose what to do with the old prison.