In this quest, you’ll meet a catatonic Flaming Fist mercenary named Art Cullagh, who sings songs about himself and a friend named Thaniel. How do you wake him up? What happens if you do? And how is the druid Halsin involved? All your questions are answered in our guide.
Map
Points of Interest 1 – Last Light Inn 2 – Harper Ambush Site 3 – House of Healing
Background
When you reach the Last Light Inn (#1), you’ll meet Counsellor Florrick (whom you might remember from Waukeen’s Rest in Act 1) inside. She’ll be in a large chamber surrounded by Flaming Fist mercenaries. When you talk to Florrick, she’ll mention a strange man named Art Cullagh, who stumbled into the inn one day after apparently wandering around unharmed in the Shadow Curse for an extended period of time. Stranger still, Florrick will inform you that they found a writ of duty in Cullagh’s possession — but it was signed by Duke Eltan over 100 years ago, implying that Cullagh might be that old as well. This conversation will trigger the quest.
Walkthrough
You’ll find Cullagh in the back of the chamber, catatonic on a bed with Fist J’ehlar tending to him. Cullagh will be singing a strange song about himself and someone named Thaniel, but he won’t respond to anything around him. When you talk to J’ehlar, she won’t add much, but she will give you the Flaming Fist Writ of Command (aka a Worn Note), which will indicate that Cullagh was planning to investigate the House of Healing in Reithwin Town. If you beat a passive DC-14 Perception check, then you’ll decide that the writ looks official.
Next, you should examine Cullagh. If you beat a DC-11 Intelligence check (to read his thoughts) or a DC-14 check on Arcana or Medicine, then you’ll determine that a part of him remains in the Shadowfell, and that he needs a reminder of who he is. If you’re playing a Bard, then you’ll detect that his hands bear the marks of playing a lute.
Before heading to Reithwin Town, you should talk to Halsin in your camp. He’ll recognize the name Thaniel, and call him “the spirit of this land.” Halsin will then head to the Last Light Inn to examine Cullagh. When you catch up to him there, he’ll give you the same hints you might have noticed before, and he’ll encourage you to wake Cullagh up. These conversations with Halsin will also trigger the quest Lift the Shadow Curse.
To enter Reithwin Town, you’ll need advanced protection against the Shadow Curse. Regular lights and spells won’t keep it at bay, and even the Blessing of Selune (from Isobel at the Last Light Inn) won’t be enough. Instead, you’ll need a working Moonlantern or a Pixie Blessing, which you can pick up at the Harper Ambush Site in the Shadow-Cursed Lands (#2).
The House of Healing is located on the western side of Reithwin Town (#3). Inside, you’ll meet Malus Thorm plus four Sisters. You can either talk your way through the encounter or attack the demented surgical team. See our House of Healing guide for details about how to do this. Either way, Malus Thorm will end up dead, and you’ll find a Battered Lute on his corpse.
When you return to the Last Light Inn (#1), you’ll just need to interact with Cullagh to play the lute for him — no Performance check required. This will wake him up, completing the quest. If you’re interested in rescuing Thaniel as well, then you’ll need to work with Halsin and complete the quest Lift the Shadow Curse.
Note: If you have a Sage (like Gale) in your party, then completing this quest will earn you the Waking the Sleeper inspiration.
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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.
