Forbidden Rites Walkthrough

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Forbidden Rites
Walkthrough

All locks that require keys are noted. Everything else is either unlocked or can be unlocked with your lock picks.

You begin the mission locked in the guest house with Simon, the merchant who helped you get into this place. The first order of business is to find a way out of the guest house without being spotted by the guard downstairs. Luckily, although you don't have much equipment, you do have your blackjack so this isn't all that difficult. Head out into the grassy courtyard and over through the archways in the southwest corner but be careful that the archer on top of the west wall doesn't spot you.

Open the door and stand in the shadows until the guard behind the counter turns away from you. Creep over behind the counter, take the Portcullis Key, which is hanging on a board on the wall then grab a flashbomb and a rope arrow from under the counter. Open the box that is sitting in a niche in the east wall to acquire a gold coinstack (+ 25) then head through the door, and around behind the stairs on the left. Pick up a gold urn (+100 = 125) then sneak into the back of the church and through the big double doors to the west into a long hallway. Hide in the shadows in behind one of the pillars on the right and keep an eye out down the hallway for a lantern-carrying guard who patrols this area.

Finding Roderick

Make your way west and hide in the shadows beside the door at the far end. Wait for a guard to come out and take the Armory Key from his waist. Walk back east and turn right down the corridor that ends in a door. Open it carefully, as there is a priest walking around inside. Take the Laboratory key from him, pick up a gold goblet (+25 = 150) from the coffee table and then read the scroll that is sitting on the desk. It contains information about what is going on at Stonewarden Keep. Objective complete! You also receive a new objective to steal the Staff of Va-Taraq which was mentioned in the scroll. In the bedroom area, you'll find a silver statue (+15 = 165) in the chest.

Frob the switch on the baseboard behind the right side of the headboard to open the painting above the bed and get Secret #1. Read the note from Father Gregor and pick up a ring (+100 = 265).

Return to the hallway and turn left (W). Go through the double doors and into another hallway. The west archway on the left side of the room leads down toward a lower floor, but it is blocked by a mysterious field. It's probably the entrance to the underground caves that was mentioned in Father Thorne's note. Unlock the doors in the end wall with the Laboratory key, enter and you're confronted with an unwelcome sight... your friend Roderick's body is lying on the floor. Objective complete! There's nothing you can do to help him now so you'd best have a look around. The two chests contain a healing potion and a jar (+20 = 285). There's nothing else of interest on the main floor so head up the stairs but hug the right hand edge to avoid the traps! What have we here? A pentagram and a spell scroll? This is probably where the spell was cast to create the ward that is blocking the doorway to the cave.

The Armory

Return to the hallway and go through the first doorway to the left (N) into a hallway lined with bedrooms. You'll find a gold watch (+ 25 = 310) tucked away in the chest in the first room on the left and the second room contains only a scroll to read.

The first room on the right hand side is empty but in the second room, you'll find a purse (+100 = 410) locked in a chest. Go through the door at the end of the hallway into a bathroom, open the other door and peek out into the kitchen. A servant patrols into the room and then up a set of stairs to a dining room. Take care not to make too much noise in here as an alert guard standing outside the mess hall next door will come to see what's going on if he hears anything out of the ordinary.

In the kitchen, you'll find a china plate (+10 = 420) sitting on the table and another plate (+10 = 430) lying in the sink. Pick up a gold plate (+50 = 480) that is resting on the shelves in the SE corner and go through the red door into the freezer. It doesn't look like there's anything very interesting in here unless you're a little peckish. However, a careful search reveals 2 healing fruit and another very unusual item, a Vial of Blood! What on earth is that doing here? You'd better hang on to it until you find out if it's of any use.

Creep east into the mess hall, up the short flight of stairs, deal with the guard and cross to the metal door opposite. Finally, the armory! Unlock the door with the armory key, go in and load up with supplies. That's a relief!

Cavador's Room

Go up the stairs in the northeast corner, open the door at the top and crouch on the shadows to the left to observe the traffic patterns. Turn to the right and enter Brother Cavador's room. Help yourself to a mask (+50 =530) that is displayed on a pedestal and a small silver statue (+15 = 545) from the high shelf.

Check the baseboard behind the pedestal that the mask was resting on and you'll find a lever. Frob it and the armoire nearby slides aside, revealing a hiding place. You've just found Secret #2, which contains the Generator key, a purse (+100 = 645) and Cavador's Journal.

The journal tells the story of Cavador's journey to this Keep. There's an interesting sentence at the very end that mentions that Father Gregor used the blood of the dead stonemason to construct the ward that is blocking the entrance to the tombs. Perhaps that's what's in the vial of blood you found in the kitchen freezer? Brother Gregor did say something cryptic in his note about you being in the wrong place if you're getting warm!

The Library

Leave this room and head over to the novices' barracks in the northwest corner of the hallway. Open the chests to find a bag of spice (+40 = 685) and a silver bracelet (+20 = 705) then climb the ladder in the back storage room to the bell tower, where you'll find a silver statue (+15 = 720) lying on the floor.

Return to the hallway and go through the double doors on the right into the library. Pick up a book titled "A Treatise on Spells of Warding and Shielding" and read it. Inside is some very interesting information! It says that to break an unholy ward, you must first use holy water to cleanse the circle used to cast the ward. Next you must read the spell that was used to create the ward which will ignite a fire in the center of the unholy circle. At this point you must cast the remainder of the spell focus used to create the ward into the fire to destroy it. Sounds like we just found a use for that vial of blood! Look around a bit more, and you'll find a gold plate (+50 = 770), and a gold goblet (+25 = 795) sitting on a desk.

You're done in the library, so head west along the hallway and through the green curtains on the right into a small chapel where you'll find 2 gold candlesticks (+100 = 895) displayed on the altar. There's a bottle of holy water sitting on the floor below the stained-glass windows. Just what you need to use in the ritual to destroy the ward!

The wooden door at the end of the hallway leads into a bathroom so skip this and continue south along the hallway. There's a gold goblet (+25 = 920) lying on the floor underneath one of the tables in the dining room on the right, and a gold wine bottle (+50 = 970) stashed away in a toolbox in the cleaning cupboard at the end of the hallway.

The Church

Head back past the door into Cavador's room, through a metal door south of it and down the stairs. Now that you've got your equipment, it might be a good time to explore the main church so go through the double doors to the east, keeping an eye out for a patrolling guard that carries a lantern.

There's a gold urn (+100 = 1070) sitting on a stand at the end of the hallway that runs along the south side of the church. At the top of the stairs there's a guard standing, looking out over the church, and the Wine Storage room. A good look at the shelves will reveal a gold wine bottle (+50 = 1120) stashed behind some crates on the top shelf.

Back downstairs, take a dish (+100 = 1220) from the church altar and enter the north hallway. Walk up the stairs, pick up a gold urn (+100 = 1320) from the end of the hallway and enter the room to the office.

Grab a purple goblet (+15 = 1335) from a small table then slash the wall banner nearby to reveal a small safe. Pick the lock to the left to open the safe and inside you'll find a purse (+100 = 1435), two gold coinstacks (+50 = 1485) and two silver coinstacks (+24 = 1509).

Pick up a bottle of holy water that is sitting on the floor by the fountain in the far corner then go back downstairs into the church and back through the double doors. Turn left and go through the door at the bottom of the stairs into the guards' common room.

The Power Room

Look underneath the bar for a small lever and flip it to find Secret #3! A small panel will slide open in the floor nearby. Climb down the ladder and have a look around.

You're in the Power room though there's not a lot to do down here at the moment. In one room, there's a lever to shut off the waterwheel which you can see in an enclosure in one of the other rooms where there is a locked sewer hatch in one corner but that's about it. At the south end, you'll find the door to the Engineering Office so go in and poke around a bit. Read the scroll that you'll find on the top shelf and you'll see that the sewer exit may be your way out when the time comes. Apparently you'll have to find a key first. There's also a silver statue (+15 = 1524) on the shelf. Read the crumpled up note that's been left in one of the wastebaskets, which tells you that Davos lost his key so the only one left belongs to Father Gregor. At this point, you get a new objective to find Father Gregor and get the key. Leave the office and head over to the stack of boxes in the northwest corner.

Move them aside to reveal a tiny switch low down on the metal wall. Flip this, and a concealed door will open. You've just found Secret #4. The passageway beyond leads to the crypt - don't bother exploring it now, remember it for later.

The Barracks

Climb back up the ladder to the Common room and walk south into a room with a gaming table, where you can pick up two gold coinstacks (+50 = 1574) and three gold coins (+60 = 1634). Go through the west doorway to the base of the stairs. The door facing you opens into the officer's room where you can snag a silver statue (+15 = 1649) to add to your loot.

Climb the stairs and go into the east room, which is the soldiers' bunkroom. The guard who's been dozing in a chair in the corner jumps up and begins patrolling. (If you want to avoid waking him up, you can enter this room by climbing the ladder in the Common room.) There's a gold wine bottle (+50 = 1699) sitting on the floor in the northwest corner and a small silver statue (+15 = 1714) locked in a chest. The next room is a practice area where you can add a few broadheads to your equipment. There's also a sword that would have come in handy if you hadn't already found one in the armory.

Climb the stairs in the far corner, and wait for an archer to patrol into the room at the top. Take his purse (+100 = 1814) and then go back to the top of the stairs and rope arrow up into the rafters over the practice room. Make your way to the north end where you'll find a chest which contains a bag of spice (+40 = 1854).

Head back through the bunkroom, out the door and across the hallway to the west door, which takes you out into a terrace garden. You'll find a couple of moss arrows in the planter box and a couple of water arrows in the fountain. Continue west through the other door and into the hallway leading to the front gate. The door on the left opens into a small storage room where you'll find a bag of spice (+40 = 1894) inside one of the barrels.

The Crypts

Leave the storeroom, turn left towards the front gate and then right at the corner. Go down the stairs, turn left and enter the Laboratory. Now it's time to see if you can break the ward that is blocking the entrance to the underground area. Climb the stairs and then read the Treatise on Spells and Warding that you found in the library earlier. According to it the first order of business is to cleanse the circle. Shoot a holy water arrow at the base of the brazier in the middle and the lines of the pentagram will glow red. Now go over to the podium and read the spell scroll. Wait for a second and the flames will flare up in the brazier. Walk over and toss the Vial of Blood into the flames. After a few seconds there will be an explosion and then Garrett will say "That should do it." Unfortunately, you'll also hear your friend Roderick rise as a zombie downstairs so be prepared to either avoid him or destroy him as you leave.

Outside the laboratory, go through the first archway on the right and down the stairs, which are no longer blocked by the ward. Open the door and enter some crypts patrolled by a couple of haunts. In the first room, you can pick up a gold statue (+75 = 1969) and in the room to the east, you will find a jar (+20 = 1989) sitting on the coffin in front of a red-lit cross.

The Caves

Turn south then east then south again and go down some stairs to a lower level that is patrolled by another haunt. Creep through the hole in the east wall into some underground caves. Bear to the left, go down the slope and carefully lift a fire arrow from the lava lake. Go back to the top and take the other path this time, to arrive at another lava lake with a narrow rock bridge over it. Pick up another fire arrow from the lava close to the east bank, then cross the bridge and walk ahead a bit until you come to a third pool of lava. Climb down on the left (W) side and go through a passageway and you will arrive at a very ancient structure well patrolled by undead. The most prudent way through this area is to use stealth, as sounds carry well.

The Glyphs

Wait for the patrolling apparition to walk past the mouth of the passageway and head over to the room opposite the entranceway. Grab a golden statue from the altar (+75 = 2064). Loot objective complete! When the way is clear again scoot over to the hallway south of this room. Frob the door at the end of the hallway, and you will teleport into a room with a plaque on the floor that says "For the unbeliever, all paths lead to doom. Yet rise to the level of wisdom and salvation shall be revealed."

Look at the ceiling above the plaque and you'll see a hole in the stone. Sink a rope arrow into the wood you can see through the hole, climb up, jump off and frob the glyph floating nearby, which will teleport you to the second floor.

Turn to your left and go into the south passageway, up some stairs and you'll find a second glyph. The plaque here says "To stand before my radiance is death, yet those who approach with humility may yet find reward." Crouch before frobbing this one to avoid a trap then go back down the stairs. Turn left, walk past the door that is sealed with a glyph and down the next hallway, towards a lit brazier. Turn left into a big room that looks rather like a church. You need to get into the back hallway behind the "altar" area, which can take some planning as there is an apparition patrolling the main room, a haunt standing on the steps near the altar and another haunt patrolling the back hallway. (Saving before trying to get through here might be prudent.)

In the room at the south end of the hallway, you'll find a statue (+15 = 2079) and in the room at the north end of the hallway there's is a gold nugget (+100 = 2179) inside a broken chest.

There's another glyph to frob in the west room off of this hallway. The plaque in front of it says "Rejoice initiate for thy destiny lies at thy feet. Yet have caution for to approach greatness too closely is to risk destruction." Take these words to heart and don't get too close to the glyph. Stop between the two statues and lean forward to frob it. At this point, Garrett indicates that this is the last glyph you needed to find. On your way back out to the hallway, hop up onto the platform behind the statue at the front of the "church" and you'll find a green rolled LC tapestry (+100 = 2279).

The Staff of Va-Taraq

When you get back to the round hallway, turn right and go over to the doors that used to be sealed with the glyph. It has now disappeared and you can go in. After you enter, fires will ignite in the braziers and you'll see the Staff of Va-Taraq floating over the altar. Pick it up to complete another objective. Frob the top of the altar, and it will swivel, revealing a corpse that is wearing a mask (+50 = 2329). Father Gregor is wandering the ruins, wearing the key that you need to open the sewers. He usually heads towards the room where you found the Staff. He has lost control of his undead, and they will turn on him and hopefully dispose of him for you. Have a look around, and sooner or later you should come across his corpse. When you do, grab the Storm Sewer key from his belt and then get the heck out of this creepy place!

Getting Out

Make your way to the entrance to the caves, which is on the level below the round hallway. Go back through the caves to the crypts directly underneath the house to the room with red lit hammers on two walls and in the ceiling. Go up the stairs to the upper level and into the room with a red lit hammer on the east wall. Enter the room to the north that has a statue in the middle, some coffins in alcoves and two tombs.

Frob the last round circle on the frieze in the northwest corner, and you'll get Secret #5! The tomb in the opposite corner will move aside, revealing a secret passageway. At the end of the passageway you emerge in the Power Room through the secret doorway you opened earlier. (This door can also be opened from inside the passageway by frobbing the silver circle on the south wall.)

Go into the Engineering Office, use the Storm Sewer key to unlock the Storm Sewer Access Control Panel and flip the switch inside. Walk north to the waterwheel room, where the sewer hatch on the floor is now open. If the waterwheel is turning, go into the room north of this one and flip the Water Wheel Emergency Stop switch on the control console against the east wall. Return to the sewer hatch, jump into the water and let the current sweep you out to the far end.

Mission complete
Note: 50g loot is unobtainable.

Freddy Fox and Nightwalker - 19th January 2006