Shadows of Serpents

Romancing the Stone Garden

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete Stairway to Olympos and discover Petrified Valley
• Unlocks: Love’s Long Shadow
• Story: After agreeing to help Bryce save Ligeia, you follow her deep into the woods where the Writhing Dread is believed to lurk.

Lesbos: Petrified Valley

Before talking to Bryce, take out the guards that surround her. After talking to her, kill the mob leader and any remaining guards. Talk to Bryce again and then follow her down the hill to the horses and then to Dread Ruins. It is advisable to pay off any bounties before setting off.

Love’s Long Shadow

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete Romancing the Stone Garden
• Unlocks: A Slithery Plea
• Location: Dread Ruins in Petrified Valley, Lesbos Island
• Reward: Rare dagger (Petrified Blade), medium XP
• Story: Having saved a panic-stricken Bryce from an angry mob, you unknowingly become part of a tragic tale involving two star-crossed lovers…

Lesbos: Petrified Valley

Talk to Bryce and follow her to the Writhing Dread’s lair.

A Slithery Plea

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete Love’s Long Shadow
• Unlocks: Heavy Is the Spear and Hard to Artemis
• Story: You meet Bryce at the lair of the Writhing Dread. Bryce asks you to aid her in saving her lover.

Lesbos: Petrified Valley

Find and talk to the mercenary about the spear (complete Heavy Is the Spear support quest) and find the Gorgon Disk (complete Hard to Artemis support quest). Then return to Bryce. The Heavy Is the Spear quest is optional.

Hard to Artemis

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete Love’s Long Shadow
• Unlocks: Writhing Dead
• Story: Bryce believes the Daughters of Artemis keep a key to the Writhing Dread’s lair in their trophy room. It seems unlikely they are going to simply hand it over.

Chios: Hunted Forest of Artemis

Reach the Huntress Village in the Hunted Forest of Artemis, Chios island. Sneak or fight your way into the Cave of Arktoi on the south side of the village. Beware of the two bears inside the cave while you search for the treasure chest on a high platform to the right. Loot the Gorgon Disk (and Viper Bow) to complete the quest. It is possible to collect the disk before getting this quest; the best time is during the Clothes Make the Daughter quest started on Chios island. Once Hard to Artemis is completed, talk to Bryce and say “Let’s go” to unlock Writhing Dead.

Heavy Is the Spear

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete Love’s Long Shadow
• Unlocks: N/A
• Story: You have many questions for the mercenary who claims to have slain the Writhing Dread.

Lesbos: Ancient Pearl

Find and talk to the mercenary about the spear at the Mountain Temple of Poseidon in Ancient Pearl, Lesbos. Kill the mercenary and loot the Gorgon Slayer spear and the Immortal Coil (quest item). This support quest is optional. Simply talk to Bryce and say “Let’s go” to proceed without the spear.

Writhing Dead

• Recommended Level: 50
• Prerequisite: Complete A Slithery Plea
• Unlocks: N/A
• Story: Having opened the gate, you rush in with Bryce to find Ligeia and fight the Writhing Dread.

Lesbos: Petrified Temple

Use the Gorgon Disk to open the gate and track Bryce through the Petrified Temple. Snakes are everywhere; carry a spear to deal with them from a distance. Three treasure chests can be looted for resources as you move through the temple. Find Bryce inside the final cavern with the next boss, Medusa.

Medusa begins the fight by waving her arm, calling for three partially petrified elite soldiers to drop into the fight. Stay on the move and pick them off while avoiding the boss’s attacks.

After performing a flip, Medusa fires a petrifying beam that targets you. It slowly petrifies you as it makes contact. The longer it remains on you, the slower you move and the closer you get to death. Put a pillar or enemy between you and Medusa to break the spell. The petrification slowly goes away.

Watch for Medusa to squirm around and lift one arm. She releases three lightning strikes that hit the ground at your location. Stay on the move to avoid taking damage.

Medusa is protected by a shield that is impenetrable. Defeat the soldiers to release the shield. At this point, she still has the beam and lightning strikes, but the tell is different for the latter—she slams the ground before the lightning. She gains the ability to move around the arena in a flash, which she will use to escape your attacks or gain an improved view.

She has the ability to grab and thrust her weapon through you. This causes massive damage, so avoid spending too much time next to her.

During her beam attack, peek around a pillar and hit her with arrows. Poison and fire are effective against her. She will attempt to flush you out with her lightning strikes, so evade back and forth to stay behind cover.

After you eliminate about one-third of her health, she reenables her shield and calls in four more soldiers. She now casts four lightning strikes while shielded. Deal with them just as you did the others.

Once they are gone, pelt her with arrows just as before until her health reaches about one-third left. Again, her shield is enabled. Next, five soldiers drop into the arena and five lightning strikes are released at a time while she is shielded.

After you kill the final group of soldiers, Medusa enters a rage mode—moving around the arena more often. Keep track of her and always keep a pillar between her and you.

Once she is defeated loot the Prize of Medusa and the Harpe of Perseus (legendary sword).