Shrouded Hills – Arcanum

This guide will walk you through the Shrouded Hills in Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura.

1 – Constable Owens

You’ll only find the constable outside during the day. If you tell him about the zeppelin crash, he’ll organize a search party (but nothing seems to happen). If you ask him about the ring, he’ll suggest you talk to Ristezze the Importer (#3). If you just ask him about the town, he’ll tell you about Bessie Toone and her mine.

The constable will also ask you to complete a couple quests:

• Roust the thieves from the bridge (#14). (Accepting this quest will prevent you from getting a quest from the thieves.) You’ll have to do something with the thieves no matter what, since crossing the bridge is the only way to progress further into the game, but whether you side with the constable or the thieves is up to you. If you dispatch the thieves and return to the constable, you’ll earn 1000 experience and 50 gold, plus receive a bonus to your alignment.
• Fix the steam engine. If you broke the steam engine to complete one of Jongle Dunne’s quests, then the constable will ask you to bring him a special sprocket so he can fix it. The sprocket you need is the “…groth” sprocket in the Bessie Toone Mine. When you sell it to the constable for 100 gold (and perhaps more with the Haggle skill), you’ll receive 800 experience, plus receive another bonus to your alignment. But note: When you complete this quest, Jongle Dunne will become upset with you, and you won’t be able to complete his second quest if you haven’t completed it already.

2 – William Radcliffe

He’ll ask you about the zeppelin crash and claim to be the brother of Preston Radcliffe. He’s another assassin so it doesn’t matter what you say to him. It doesn’t even matter if you give him (or sell him) G.B.’s Ring. You’ll just describe the ring to people in the future rather than show it to them. However, you can get a better price for the ring by selling it to Ristezze (#3).

3 – Ristezze Imported Goods

Inside, you can ask Ristezze about the ring Preston Radcliffe gave you at the start of the game (G.B.’s Ring). If you ask who G.B. might be, then ask if anyone in town might know who the ring belongs to, then say the ring was given to you by a victim of a zeppelin crash, and then say you were the only survivor, Ristezze will give you 50 gold. He’ll also offer to buy the ring from you for 150 gold. Go ahead and take the money. You don’t actually need to keep the ring. In the future you’ll simply describe the ring to people rather than show it to them.

Finally, when you ask Ristezze where P. Schuyler & Sons might be found, he’ll make you a deal: give him a camera or an item of Bessie Toone’s (Bessie Toone’s Boot), and he’ll give you the information you seek. You can find the camera at the Crash Site and the boot at the Bessie Toone Mine (Exit B). Both objects can be used in later quests, but the boot is the better object to give him. That’s because once you give the object to him, it will go into his shop inventory, and the boot is much cheaper to buy back than the camera. When you give the object to Ristezze, you’ll earn 1200 experience, and he’ll tell you that you can find P. Schuyler & Sons at 44 Devonshire Way in Tarant.

If you don’t want to deal with Ristezze for some reason, you can also steal a key from him. The key unlocks the door to his back room. In a cabinet there you’ll find a receipt from P. Schuyler & Sons and a map showing the location of Tarant. You can also find a chest in the back room. It contains Ristezze’s stock, but not his money. However, you can take objects from his chest, sell them to him, and then repeat to get his money.

4 – Gurloes’ Metalworkings

Out front you can talk to Lloyd Gurloes the Blacksmith. He buys armor and weapons, and he’ll give you a quest to find some pure ore. Rarely, you can find some in the Bessie Toone Mine before completing the Bessie Toone quest (#15), but usually you’ll have to make your own, or wait until you put Bessie Toone’s ghost to rest. Once you give the ore to Gurloes, you’ll receive 800 experience and a Fine Steel Dagger (after about an hour).

Gurloes is carrying a key that works much like Ristezze’s (#3). You can use it to get free equipment and as much money as you want.

5 – Slim Pickens

This is the general store. It gives better prices than Ristezze’s shop (#3).

6 – First Bank of Shrouded Hills

7 – Shrouded Hills Inn

In the main room you’ll encounter Jacob Bens. He’ll ask you to help him rob the bank. This is a quest that you should refuse, even if you’re a thief. Robbing the bank, even if done discretely, can turn the entire town against you. But if you really want to do it, then agree to Bens’ deal where he gives you the combination to the safe in return for half of the loot. Then go to the bank, wait there until nightfall, and steal the key from the bank teller while she’s sleeping. The key unlocks the room with the safe, and you should be able to open the safe if you have the combination. Then just give Bens his share to complete the quest. You can also bypass Bens by stealing the combination from him.

Next to Bens you’ll find the half-ogre Sogg Mead Mug. If your Charisma is at least 9, you can convince him to join you. He’s a quality fighter, and he doesn’t care if you’re good or evil.

At the end of the hall you’ll find Brother Joachim’s room. You’ll discover two dead assassins inside (both with Molochean Hand Amulets), along with a note to Virgil. Right-click on the note to read it, and then leave its window open until Virgil speaks to you. You’ll learn a little more about Virgil and Brother Joachim, and you’ll find out you should expect a telegraph from Brother Joachim when you reach Tarant.

8 – Jongle’s Enchantments

Jongle Dunne the owner will give you two quests:

• Destroy the town’s steam engine. You’ll find the steam engine in the temple (#9). When you complete the deed and return to Dunne, you’ll receive 800 experience and two healing potions, but you’ll lose alignment.
• Pick up a package from Charles Dolan in Dernholm. Dunne will mark Dernholm on your map. When you bring back the package you’ll receive 800 experience and 70 gold.

9 – Temple

At the back of the temple you’ll find a dwarf technologist named Hervor and a steam engine. If you accepted the quest from Jongle Dunne (#8) to destroy the steam engine, then you’ll need to “kill” the control box in front (you can highlight it with your mouse). Dynamite works well for it. You can also just use your fists and then heal as you need to. If you decide to destroy the steam engine then you should also kill Hervor. You’ll lose alignment, but if you don’t kill him he might report your treachery to the constable. He’ll probably attack you anyway.

10 – General Practitioner

Inside you’ll find Doc Roberts. If you ask him if there’s any work to be had, he’ll tell you that the Bowen gang is planning to rob the bank, and he’ll ask you to help him defend it. When you agree to help, Doc Roberts will walk over to the bank. Then when you talk to him next (provided it’s daytime) the bank robbery will start.

You’ll find three robbers inside the bank, but with Doc Roberts and the bank employees on your side, you should have a relatively easy time killing them. Once they’re dead, loot their bodies for some good equipment, and then talk to Doc Roberts again. If you asked for a magical reward before, you’ll receive an Enchanted Sword. If you asked for a technological reward, you’ll receive a Revolver. Otherwise, you’ll receive an Axe. You’ll also earn 1000 experience and gain some alignment, and you’ll become the Hero of Shrouded Hills.

11 – Herbalist

If you ask Gaylin the owner about work, she’ll ask you to retrieve the Amulet of N’Tala. However, she won’t have any idea where it might be. You’ll find it eventually in Stillwater being worn by an elf named Myrth. If you rob or kill Myrth to get the amulet, then you’ll earn 1700 experience and 1000 gold if you give it to Gaylin. Gaylin will also reward you by letting you know where the elven city of Qintarra is located. However, the Amulet of N’Tala gives (+1) ST, (+1) CN, and (+100%) healing rate, so if you found Qintarra in another way, you might want to keep the amulet for yourself (or steal it back after you give it away).

12 – Gypsy

Gypsies sell magical items and potions. They can also identify items for you.

13 – Bridge Materials

14 – Lukan the Witless (to the northeast)

It seems Lukan and his half-ogre comrades are charging a toll from anyone who wants to cross the bridge. There are four ways to get past them:

• You can pay the toll (1000 gold), although it’s probably more than you can afford.
• You can circle around Lukan and steal his key to the gate.
• If you didn’t accept a quest from Constable Owens to get rid of the thieves, you can get a quest from Lukan to destroy the bridge materials down the coast to the south (#13). If you do that and return, you’ll earn 1000 experience but lose alignment, and Lukan will give you the key to the gate blocking the bridge. Lukan will also tell you about the Thieves Underground and suggest you might be able to learn more about it in the taverns of Tarant.
• If you have at least 1 rank of Persuasion, you’ll get the dialogue option, “I may be able to persuade you otherwise.” Then pretend to be with the Thieves Underground, but avoid talking about leaders and handbooks. You’ll be able to convince Lukan that he’s encroaching on someone else’s territory, and he’ll be so anxious to leave that he’ll give you 200 gold. You’ll also earn 800 experience and a fate point. Now if you want, you can kill him before he leaves (see below) and earn another fate point that way.
• You can kill the thieves. If you’re a pure melee character, you can probably defeat the thieves without any problem. For other characters, it’s probably easiest to use some of the explosives found in the Crash Site Cave. Even if you have no Throwing skill, you can still use the grenades, but you might completely miss the thieves. So save first and then try attacking them, and load if necessary. If you can hit Lukan with an Explosive Grenade and one of the half-ogres with a Stun Grenade, you should have an easier time with the battle. You should definitely kill the thieves if you’re a half-ogre, or if you’re planning to add one to your group. Both half-ogre thieves have Large Leather Armor, and there aren’t many places where you can find large armor.

15 – Percival Toone’s House

Percival Toone is the son of Bessie Toone, who you might have heard about from the other townspeople. When you talk to Percival, he’ll ask you to put his mother’s ghost to rest, so the silver mine (Exit B) will start producing ore again.

After you speak to Bessie’s ghost and hear her mention the name Sarah, talk to Percival again to learn that Sarah is his sister (and Bessie’s daughter). He’ll let slip that she’s living in Dernholm, but he won’t want you to talk to her.

When you speak to Sarah in Dernholm, you’ll learn that Stanton Importers in Tarant now owns the mine, and that Bessie is haunting the mine because she’s upset the family no longer runs it. If you then re-acquire the mine for the Toones, you can either give it to Sarah (4500 experience and a Filament Sword, plus a big boost in alignment) or Percival (1700 experience, 500 gold). Then Bessie will stop haunting the mine and you’ll find Pure Ore inside.

Exits:

A. Bridge leading to the world map (to the northeast). When you cross the bridge the first time, you’ll meet up again with the gnome claiming to be William Radcliffe. No matter what you say (or said before) he’ll attack you, and you’ll find a note from “G.L.” on his corpse, plus another Molochean Hand Amulet.
B. Exit to the Bessie Toone Mine.
C. Exit to the world map (to the west). This exit will only allow you to go back to the Crash Site and its surrounding areas.