The tieflings can’t catch a break. If they manage to survive the goblin attacks in Act 1, then in Act 2 they’ll get captured by cultists who want to sacrifice them to the Absolute. But fear not. If you read our guide then you’ll learn how to break them out of prison and guide them to safety.
If the tieflings survived the goblin attacks in Act 1, then in Act 2 you’ll discover that their luck didn’t get any better. As you travel through the Shadow-Cursed Lands, you’ll find he remains of several tieflings who didn’t survive their exodus from the Emerald Grove, and when you reach the Last Light Inn, you’ll learn that they were attacked by cultists, and that many of them were captured and taken to Moonrise Towers.
There are three tieflings in particular whom you should talk to:
Alfira will tell you how Asharak (the weapons trainer at the Emerald Grove) was killed, and how others were taken.
Bex will tell you that her lover Danis was taken.
Rolan will tell you that his siblings Cal and Lia were taken.
Any of these conversations will trigger the quest.
Walkthrough
Moonrise Towers is a part of Reithwin Town, which is located almost directly south from the Last Light Inn. To survive in Reithwin Town, which contains a stronger version of the Shadow Curse, you’ll need to gain a Pixie Blessing or a working Moonlantern — or run through the town to the towers as quickly as possible. The blessing and Moonlantern can be picked up at the Harper Ambush Site in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
Inside Moonrise Towers, you’ll find the captured tieflings in the prison beneath the main level. If you attempt to talk to any prisoner in the prison, and if a guard or a scrying eye sees you, then you’ll be told that the prisoners are off limits, and you’ll have to beat a DC-14 Deception or Persuasion check to be left alone. If you have a Charlatan (like Astarion) in your party when doing this, then you’ll gain the “Not to Worry, I Have a Permit” inspiration. You’ll only have to dismiss the guards once. After that, they’ll ignore you.
When you talk to the tieflings (#4), they might not trust you. To change this, you’ll either have to drop Rolan’s name (if he’s still alive), or you’ll have to beat a DC-6 Persuasion check (“I’m not with the cultists”) or a DC-14 Persuasion check (“Say I’m with the Absolute again, and I’ll leave you here to die”). When the tieflings trust you, they’ll tell you that the deep gnomes two cells over are planning something. Learning about the gnomes will merge this quest with the quest Rescue Wulbren.
When you talk to the deep gnomes (#5), you’ll meet Wulbren Bongle, but he’ll be wary of you as well. To gain his trust, you can drop Barcus Wroot’s name (if he’s still alive), or you can beat a DC-6 Intimidation check (Barbarian only), a DC-6 Persuasion check (“My mind is my own”), a DC-10 Persuasion check (“I know the tieflings imprisoned here”), or DC-6 Deception check (“I’m an undercover agent for the Flaming Fist”). If you’re successful, then Wulbren will tell you that for his plan to work, he’ll need a tool that can break rock, and he’ll ask you to throw one into his cell when the guards aren’t looking.
There are two ways to break the tieflings out of prison, described below.
Wulbren’s Plan
When Wulbren says “tool,” what he means is “weapon.” If you examine the wall at the back of his cell — which you should be able to see through the bars — you’ll learn that it resists Piercing and Slashing damage, but it’s vulnerable to Bludgeoning damage. So you’ll need to give Wulbren a Bludgeoning weapon. Conveniently, you’ll find Wulbren’s Hammer on the upper level of the warden’s office (#6), but that’s a restricted area, and you’ll have to steal the hammer to pick it up.
If stealth and theft aren’t your strong suits, then you can just give Wulbren any Bludgeoning weapon, including basic weapons like a Mace, Quarterstaff or Torch, which are all sold by Roah Moonglow on the main level of the towers. You can also find a bunch of basic weapons by the sloop to the north (Exit A). Or you can skip giving Wulbren a weapon entirely and break open the walls yourself.
To give Wulbren a weapon, just throw it into his cell. But be careful when doing this. If the guards spot you aiding a prisoner, then they’ll turn hostile. You can also talk to Wulbren and give him a weapon that way (via the trade window that pops up), but this method will only work for certain weapons, like Wulbren’s Hammer.
When Wulbren has a weapon, he’ll wait for you to tell him when to start the escape. When you give him the green light, he’ll go to the back of his cell, but he’ll only attack the wall when no guards are around. After breaking through, he’ll move to the back of the tieflings’ cell and break down their wall as well. The gnomes and tieflings will then head to the sloop at the back of the prison (Exit A).
Meanwhile, when the guards spot one of the broken walls, they’ll turn hostile, and the warden will open all of the cell doors, giving the guards easy access to the sloop — and the gnomes and tieflings. To prevent this, you can pick off Adept Keris and the two scrying eyes patrolling by the cells before beginning the escape. As long as nobody sees you doing this, the other guards won’t move from their posts, and nobody will notice that there’s anything amiss. Or you can just kill all of the cultists in the prison. If you fight enemies in isolated places, then you can break up the fighting into four or five battles, making them pretty easy.
To reach the sloop (Exit A), you’ll have two options. If the guards are aware of the escape, then the cell doors will probably be open, giving you easy access. But if you’ve been stealthy, then you’ll have to circle around to the sloop, jumping onto a ledge along the way (#7). This requires a higher-than-normal jump, so you might need a boost, such as from the spell Enhance Leap.
When you reach the sloop, you’ll likely find the gnomes and tieflings there already, attacking the brittle chains holding the sloop in place. If you get to the sloop first, then you can attack the chains instead, to speed things along. Once the sloop is unmoored, the prisoners will be ready to leave, and they’ll ask you for advice about where they should go. No matter what you say, they’ll head to the Last Light Inn. You’ll just have to decide if you want to travel with them or not. We’d recommend tagging along, especially if you have Minthara following you for the quest Decide Minthara’s Fate. You’ll only be able to use the sloop once.
Combat
Instead of sneaking out, you can fight your way out. To do this, enter the warden’s office (#6) and pull the levers for cells 2 and 4, or the big communal lever beneath them (which will open all of the cells). This will cause the prisoners to race out and head for the docks exit (Exit B), attacking any guards who get in their way. Then at the docks, you might encounter even more cultists, and the prisoners will fight any they encounter as they head for Reithwin Town. When they reach Reithwin Town, they’ll disappear and make their way to the Last Light Inn.
Note: Since the prisoners will have low health and no equipment, they’ll fight poorly and die easily. If any fail to survive the escape, then you might earn a lesser reward at the end — plus perhaps feel bad for getting them killed. To prevent this, just eliminate all of the cultists in the prison and docks before starting the escape. Nobody in the main part of Moonrise Towers will notice.
At the Last Light Inn
Back at the Last Light Inn, if you arrive at the same time as the prisoners, then a cut scene will start up where they’ll be inspected for parasites — and you too if this is you first time there. If you arrive separately, then the prisoners will already be ensconced at the inn. Once everybody has been cleared, you’ll just need to talk to the three quest givers to complete the quest:
Alfira (#1) will give you a Potent Robe, some spell scrolls and potions, and about 450 gold. You’ll also earn 55 xp.
Rolan (#2) will give you around 450 gold. You’ll also earn 200 xp.
Bex (#3) will give you ten of Bex’s Handmade Cookies, but only if you tell her, “It’s wonderful to see you two back together.” You’ll also earn 280 xp.
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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.
