Paladins are hunting a devil, but the devil says they’re lying. Who’s telling the truth, and which side should you take? Our guide has all of the answers.
Map
Points of Interest 1 – Anders 2 – Dead Refugee 3 – Karlach
Background
In the tollhouse on the eastern side of the Risen Road, you’ll meet a Paladin of Tyr named Anders (#1). He’ll tell you that he and his fellow Paladins are hunting a devil disguised as a one-horned Tiefling, who has been butchering families in the area. If you beat a passive DC-15 Religion check, then you’ll note that devils are more likely to trick people than kill them, but Anders will just shrug and say that the devil in question is “uniquely vicious.” Anders will then offer you his weapon, the Sword of Justice, if you bring back the devil’s head.
Meanwhile, south of the tollhouse, you’ll meet the one-horned TieflingKarlach (#3), a potential Barbarian companion. When you approach Karlach, your tadpoles will exchange information, and you’ll learn that she’s just what she looks like, a Tiefling — albeit a large, glowing Tiefling — who was forced by the archdevil Zariel to fight in the Blood War until she managed to escape aboard the Nautiloid while it was in Avernus. Karlach will then ask you to help her kill the “paladins” who are hunting her, whom she’ll claim are really Zariel’s goons, sent to exact revenge for her defiance.
You can trigger this quest by talking to either NPC. Just be aware that if you recruit Karlach as a companion, then any subsequent conversation you have with Anders will lead to a fight, even if Karlach is in your camp.
Walkthrough
If you’re not sure which side is lying to you, the easiest way to learn the truth is to use Speak with Dead on the dead refugee in the tollhouse (#2). He’ll reveal that he was a part of Anders’ crew, and that they’re working for Zariel, not Tyr. The other corpses in and around the tollhouse were killed by goblins, and they won’t tell you anything interesting, at least as far as this quest is concerned.
To complete this quest, you’ll have to pick a side — Anders or Karlach — and kill the opposing side. Just be aware that Anders isn’t the only NPC who wants Karlach dead. Wyll will also ask you to kill her during his quest The Blade of Frontiers. So consider that quest as well when making your decision.
Side with Anders
Siding with Anders (#1) against Karlach (#3) is the easiest solution for the quest. When you confront Karlach, she’ll be all alone, she’ll be Level 3, and she’ll only have basic equipment, so killing her shouldn’t prove any sort of challenge. After committing the deed, and after detaching Karlach’s Head, when you return to Anders he’ll keep his end of the bargain, and he’ll give you the Sword of Justice.
Choosing this option will cost you Karlach as a companion, which means you won’t be able to complete her companion quest Our Fiery Friend. Wyll will be able to complete his quest The Blade of Frontiers either way, but if you choose this path, then he’ll gain access to the Infernal Robe.
A sad end for Karlach.
Side with Karlach
Siding with Karlach (#3) against Anders (#1) is a little more complicated:
If you recruited Karlach but left her at your camp, then talking to Anders will cause him to attack you (he’ll assume you’ve taken her side, or that you’re a dumb, easy mark). This will give you a chance to set up your party first, which will make the fight against him easier.
If Karlach is in your active party, then a cut scene will start up when you enter the room with Anders. Anders will continue to pretend to be a Paladin, and he’ll beg you to let him and his allies flee. If you pass a DC-10 Insight check or a DC-11 Intelligence check (to read his mind), or if you talked to the dead refugee (#2) earlier, then you’ll realize that he’s lying. Still, you’ll have to make a choice. Karlach will insist that you kill Anders, and if you refuse, then you’ll switch to Anders’ side, and it’ll be you and the fake paladins against Karlach, making an easy battle even easier. Otherwise, it’ll be your party against Anders’ party.
A good place for ranged attackers.
Assuming you stay with Karlach, you’ll have to fight three people: Anders, a Level 5 (fallen) Paladin, plus his two companions Cyrel, a Level 4 Wizard, and Trynn, a Level 4 Ranger. Since Anders is Level 5, he’ll get two attacks per round with his Sword of Justice, making him by far the most dangerous of the trio. So focus your best attacks on him, and try to kill him as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he might be able to cut down one of your characters each turn. Then when Anders is no more, feel free to mop up the remaining two enemies in any way you want. You can make the battle easier by sending your ranged attackers up to the elevated walkway behind Anders, which will give them a height advantage in the battle.
Afterwards, if Karlach is with you, then she’ll gain the condition Unbridled Wrath, which will cause her to burst into flame and start destroying everything in the tollhouse. It’s a good idea to get the rest of your party out of the way for this since Karlach won’t pay much attention to who’s around her while she’s swinging her weapon. But eventually Karlach will calm down, and you’ll learn that she has an infernal heart, which has been overheating lately and might require a tune-up. This is a part of Karlach‘s companion quest Our Fiery Friend.
When you loot the corpses, you’ll find the Sword of Justice on Anders, plus some Thieves’ Tools, Trap Disarm Toolkits, and scrolls on Cyrel (the quicker you kill her, the more scrolls she’ll have). Any Soldier in your party (like Lae’zel) will gain the “Warrior of the Hells” Inspiration for defeating Anders.
Choosing this option will allow you to keep Karlach as a companion. Wyll will still be able to continue his quest The Blade of Frontiers, but unless you decide to kill Karlach later, he won’t earn the Infernal Robe.
Share this article:
Steven Carter
Starting with cassette tape games on the TRS-80, Steven has been playing, creating, and writing about games for a long, long time. This makes him experienced, not old. Lately, Steven has been focusing on walkthroughs, making sure everybody knows how to solve Towers of Hanoi puzzles.
