Stronghold

Welcome to Your Keep

The Stronghold or Caed Nua is located in the Eastern Reach north of Defiance Bay, directly above the Endless Paths of Od Nua. You gain access to the Stronghold by completing the Stewards quest relatively early in your adventure. The Stronghold then becomes the common rally point for your companions and a domain to manage.

The Stronghold provides you with the ability to make large scale changes, undertake special quests, customize the contents of the Stronghold and the surrounding environment, and engage strategic adventures. You can rest at Brighthollow in the Stronghold once it has been repaired.

Management and Restoration

When you gain possession of the Stronghold, it is old and dilapidated, so you’ll want to work with your Steward to upgrade it as soon as you can. These upgrades will, in turn, increase security or prestige of the place, open up new activities and events that can happen, which make the Stronghold a dynamic and fun place to own. You can further influence it by employing hirelings to stay at your stronghold.

You can begin collecting taxes from your populace as soon as you gain the Stronghold. The amount you collect increases with your prestige (because people know and like you), but the amount also increases with higher security (since some taxes are lost to banditry). Additionally, security helps reduce the number of “bad” random events, while prestige increases the number of “good” random events. It’s important to raise prestige if you want to keep both of those values high.

Upgrades

Upgrades are improvements to various parts of the castle, usually to add to the security or prestige of the place. Every upgrade costs money and takes time to build, but as long as the prerequisites are met, there can be as many upgrades building simultaneously as you can afford. The player is not required to be at the Stronghold while the upgrades are under way. Upgrades often serve as prerequisites for other upgrades. Individual sections of the Stronghold can be restored to allow new functionality from the Stronghold.

Benefits of Upgrades

Resting Bonuses

Some of the upgrades to your stronghold grant temporary bonuses to your attributes or non-combat skills when you rest there.

Adventures for Idle Companions

Companions that are recruited, but aren’t in the party, remain at your Stronghold and still gain a fractional amount of experience. While they are idling away at the stronghold, they can take part in their own adventures, earning additional experience for themselves and extra money, items, and reputation bonuses for the party.

Ingredients

Many of the stronghold upgrades generate ingredients used by non-combat skills.

Special Offers

Sometimes visitors to your stronghold have rare items for sale, or perhaps they offer you items in return for something else.

Wealth

You own all of the surrounding lands near the stronghold and impose a tax on all of the inhabitants.

Stronghold Upgrades

Hirelings

When the Barracks has been restored, Hirelings can be recruited at the Stronghold. Hirelings help to protect the stronghold and offer additional bonuses to Prestige and Security, but they do not accompany the party out in the wild. Some Hirelings leave the castle if you stop paying them, but others wait around to get paid again. There’s a standard list of common hirelings who fill common class roles and give differing levels of Security and Prestige to the stronghold. There are also guest hirelings and visitors who have much more dramatic effects on the Stronghold.

Unlockable Hirelings

These Hirelings are not immediately available upon acquiring the Barracks:

Korgrak

Ogre 7th Level

50cp/5 Days

+12 Security

-10 Prestige

Unlocked by traveling to the Ogre cave in Dyrford Crossing. If you speak with the ogre instead of killing him, you can convince him to come work for you at your stronghold for a fee. Once he agrees, Korgrak should be available Stronghold hireling menu.

Crucible Knight

Paladin 5th Level

20cp/5 Days

+4 Security

+8 Prestige

Unlocked by completing Winds of Steel for the crucible knights.

Dozens Mercenary Captain

Fighter 5th Level

20cp/5 Days

+6 Security

+4 Prestige

Unlocked by completing The Bronze Beneath the Lake for The Dozens.

Avenger of Skaen

Priest 7th Level

65cp/5 Days

+7 Prestige

-5 Security

This hireling is made available once the player agrees to side with Wymund in the quest Blood Legacy by letting Aelys return to Lord Harond with her mind poisoned.

Doemenel Thug

Rogue 5th Level

20cp/5 Days

+8 Security

+2 Prestige

Unlocked by completing The Changing of the Guard for House Doemenel.

Brothel Hirelings

The following hirelings can be found in the Salty Mast in Defiance Bay. Only one can be recruited in a given play through of the game. The options to hire them is given if the player makes an attribute check of Constitution 19 and Dexterity 19 after sleeping with them.

Aldwyn: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Big Durmsey: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Gjefa: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Iqali: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Lyrinia: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Orico: 10cp/5 Days, +3 Prestige, + 0 Security

Guest Hirelings

Here’s a list of hirelings that visit the stronghold periodically, looking to be hired.

Glanfathan Soul Hunter

Cipher 6

cp/5 Days

+3 Security

+5 Prestige

Fellow of St. Waidwen

Paladin 6

90 cp/5 Days

+6 Security

+1 Prestige

Aedyran Noblewoman

250 cp/5 Days

+0 Security

+12 Prestige

Vicious War Criminal

Fighter 9

350 cp/5 Days

+8 Security

-8 Prestige

Brutish Warrior

Barbarian 6

50 cp/5 Day

+6 Security

+2 Prestige

Dunryd Psion

Cipher 5

100cp/5 Days

+4 Security

-2 Prestige

Adventures

Idle companions can take part in adventures as those events arise. You are informed of which adventures are available, how long they last, and what the rewards will be (in general terms). If a companion is sent on an adventure, he or she is unavailable until they complete it and return with the rewards. The companion can be recalled early, but then they earn nothing.

Minor Adventure

1 Turn

Earns one of the following:

+15% XP

150-300 cp

Random Item (Minor)

Faction Reputation Bonus (Minor)*

Average Adventure

2 Turns

Earns two of the following:

+15% XP

150-300 cp

Random Item (Minor)

Faction Reputation Bonus (Minor)*

Major Adventure

3 Turns

Earns two of the following:

+25% XP

500-1000 cp

Random Item (Average)

Faction Reputation Bonus (Average)*

Grand Adventure

4 Turns

Earns two of the following:

+35% XP

750-2000 cp

2 Random Items (Average)

1 Random Item (Major)

Faction Reputation Bonus (Major)*

Legendary Adventure

5 Turns

Earns three of the following:

+50% XP

1000-3000 cp

3 Random Items (Average)

2 Random Items (Major)

1 Random Item (Grand)

Faction Reputation Bonus (Grand)*

* Reputations are gained only with Towns or Major cities in the game, not major factions

Prisoners

The dungeon of Caed Nau contains nine cells, but upgrading (purchasing) the Dungeon option makes it possible to take prisoners. Here’s a list of possible prisoners that can be taken over the course of the game:

Nyrid

Nyrid can be found in a house in Copperlane North of the Forum, and due West from Admeth’s Den. He has disguised himself as a local svef dealer. After defeating him in combat, he asks for mercy. At this point, if you have dungeons built at the stronghold, they can take him as prisoner.

Eorn

Eorn can be found in the southwest corner of the Catacombs in Defiance Bay. When you meet him, you can divulge information from about a crime he committed. At this point, you can choose to punish him yourself and place him in your stronghold Dungeon.

Naelde

After the Riots in Defiance Bay, you’re told the Leaden Key Assassin has fled toward Twin Elms. On route in Stormwall Gorge, you are waylaid by a group of Leaden Key Agents. After defeating them, the remaining survivor reveals herself to be a wizard named Naelde. You can then take her prisoner at this point.

Gramrfel the Wayfarer

After reaching Copperlane, if you choose to return Magran’s fork, a high level band of bandits can be found in the wilderness. After defeating the group, Gramrfel pleads for mercy. At this point, you can choose to throw him in your dungeon.

Aefre

While on the “Supply and Demand” quest in Defiance Bay, you confront Aefre about her attacks on the Brothel in town. If you choose to fight her, you can choose to take Aefre prisoner when the battle is over.

Mercenary Captain Esmer

Captain Esmer and his crew are trespassing in the Glanfathan lands of Twin Elms and surrounded by hunters. The hunters agree to let the soldiers go if the captain is killed or denied his freedom. If you decide not to kill him, he volunteers to stand prisoner so that his men can return home safely.

Kestorik

On level 12 of Od Nua, you encounter a Scout Leader named Kestorik. After defeating her, you have a chance to either finish the Vithrak off or take her as a Prisoner at the stronghold.

Rare Items

When the Merchant Stalls upgrade has been made, it’s possible to buy goods at the stronghold. Some are more valuable than others and there are even some unique items to buy. Here are all the unique items (see the Armor section of this guide for details) sold by Azzuro, the Rare Item Merchant:

Wurmwull Scâth Gwannek Hiro’s Mantle Rebel’s Call Mabec’s Morning Star Malina’s Boots Husk of the Great Western Stag Rimecutter Gyrges’ Gloves

Stronghold Attacks

Monster attacks occur when hordes from the Endless Paths of Od Nua infiltrate your stronghold. However, these attacks can be negated entirely if corresponding floors in Od Nua are cleared:

Clear Level 1

Wood Beetles and Spear Spiders

Clear Level 2

Xaurip and Wurms

Clear Level 3 & 4

Trolls and Oozes

Clear Level 5 & 6

Skeletons

Clear Level 11

Shades and Forest Lurkers

Clear Level 12

Vithrack - Clear Level 12

Clear Level 13

Caen Gwlas and Spectres

Stronghold Warden Bounties

After building the Warden’s Lodge upgrade, you begin receiving bounties from the Warden when you speak to him. Each tier must be completed before the next group of bounties becomes available. Here’s a list of the bounties:

Tier 1

• Warchief Iklak
• Nalrend the Wise
• Sly Crydel
• The Dweller

Tier 2

• Songsmith Roska
• Daroth Grimault
• Thorfen
• Glasdial

Tier 3

• Devwen
• Captain Muarumi
• Foemyna
• Galen Dalgard

Tier 4

• Naroc the Prophet
• Sserkal
• High Arcanist Ysly