This guide will walk you through Tarant, one of the major cities in Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura.
Map of Tarant
1 – Steamrail Station
The steamrail stations allow you to quickly move about the city, and they only cost you 5 gold.
2 – Cassandra Pettibone
During daylight hours you’ll find a woman in a purple dress standing on the corner. When you talk to her, she’ll ask you to meet her at her house (#3) for a private conversation.
3 – Pettibone Residence
When you speak with Cassandra Pettibone in her residence, she’ll ask you to steal an elven funerary stone from the Elven Ruins, and she’ll mark the location on your world map. She’ll offer to pay you 250 gold, but you might be able to bump that up to 300 with the right dialogue options. After stealing the stone and returning it to Pettibone, you’ll receive 1000 experience plus your reward money, and you’ll lose some alignment.
4 – Thieves Underground Contact
If you talked to Lukan the Witless in Shrouded Hills and learned of the Thieves Underground, then talking to the man in the alley will get you an introduction to Thaddeus Mynor (#46). If you didn’t talk with Lukan, then the man will approach you after you complete Cassandra Pettibone’s quest (#3).
5 – Castleton’s General Store
6 – Thurston’s Fashion Palace
7 – Matthew Jameson
You’ll find Jameson loitering next to the sewer entrance. If you talk to him, he’ll tell you that he lost his wedding ring in the sewers, and he’ll ask you to find it. Once you return the ring to Jameson, you’ll receive 1200 experience, 150 gold, and some alignment.
8 – Garringsburg Residence
When you speak to Evelyn Garringsburg inside, she’ll tell you that a painting titled “Kerghan and Persephone” was stolen from her. If you ask her about the crime, she’ll mention that her husband might have talked about the painting while drunk, and if you read the newspaper on the floor, you’ll learn that the husband is a member of the Wellington Gentlemen’s Club (#13). (You’ll also learn the painting is worth 50,000 gold, making the 300 gold reward money seem a little low.)
At the club, you can bribe the doorman to get a copy of the guest list. You’ll see that the only non-member there the night the husband blabbed about the painting was a man named Rorry Limes. If you check at the Hall of Records (#35), you’ll discover Limes lives at 57 Mulligan Bone Alley (#55).
Also, you should talk to the dark elf noble inside the club. He’ll give you a note to deliver to 36 Low Dervish Road (#44), but he’ll instruct you not to read it. The note reads, “57 Mulligan Bone Alley.” So there are two ways to figure out the location of the painting. At 36 Low Dervish Road, if you didn’t read the note then you’ll receive 1000 experience and 100 gold, but you’ll lose a little alignment. If you did read the note then the thieves there will attack you. It’s okay to deliver the note as requested, and then force attack the thieves to earn maximum experience. The leader has Rorry Limes’ passport.
At 57 Mulligan Bone Alley you’ll find a half-ogre with a key. Kill him or rob him to get the key, and then use it to enter the back room and retrieve the painting from the chest there. When you return the painting to Evelyn Garringsburg, you’ll receive 1200 experience, 300 gold, and some alignment.
9 – Mooreland Residence
10 – Halster Residence
11 – Willoughsby Residence
Lorham the bodyguard will tell you that Edward Willoughsby is away at Caladon on business. Willoughsby won’t appear until after you visit Qintarra, and then he’ll immediately leave for his office at City Hall (#35).
Perriman Smythe will appear at the same time as Willoughsby (he’s the guy who appears on the loading screen with the Arcanum Tales magazine cover). He’ll tell you a little about the wizard city of Tulla, and he’ll agree to join you if you ask. Smythe is a level 25 spellcaster with knowledge of the Fire, Necromantic White, and PhantasmSpell Colleges.
In the back room of the residence there is an exit into the sewers, but it leads to a nasty fight against a few mechanized arachnids.
12 – Cemetery
13 – Wellington Gentlemen’s Club
If you’re a female, the doorman won’t let you inside. To get in, you’ll need to visit Mr. Wellington at his residence (#29). Wellington will require you to pay a fee and then “show your appreciation” before he’ll let you into his club. If you don’t like his terms, then you can kill him or rob him to get the invitation.
Inside the club, you’ll find some people to talk to: Gurin Rockharrow, Matt de Cesare, and a dark elf noble. Rockharrow is the Gambling Master. The other two are involved in quests originating elsewhere (#8 and #28).
Out front you’ll find Magnus, a potential follower. He’ll tell you that he came to the Schuylers to find out about a bracelet, but that he hasn’t been able to get in to see them. He’ll also tell you some rumors about the Schuylers. Magnus can create Pure Ore and Balanced Sword, so you might want to add him to your group just long enough for him to make those things for you, if for no other reason.
Inside you’ll have to deal with James Kingsford. The first time you talk to him, he’ll brush you off. The second time, if you’re persuasive enough, you can convince him you’re with the authorities, and then he’ll give you the key to the lower levels. If you’re not persuasive, then you’ll have to steal the key or kill Kingsford for it. The easiest way to steal the key is to wait for Kingsford to go to bed and then follow him into his bedroom and steal the key while he’s sleeping. The trapdoor to the lower levels is in the northern room, next to the book stand.
The lower levels are covered in their own section, but, generally, you just need to fight a bunch of zombies while making your way down to the Schuylers, and then find out from the Schuylers that the “G.B.” from the ring stands for Gilbert Bates.
17 – Grant’s Tavern
Inside you can find J.M. Morat, the Haggle Master.
18 – Tarant Telegraph
Assuming you read the note from Brother Joachim in Shrouded Hills, you’ll receive a telegraph from him here. This time he’ll direct you to Stillwater.
19 – Geoffrey’s Gears and Gadgetry / Anna’s Herbals
20 – Wallow’s Quality Armor
21 – Smythe’s Gun Shoppe
22 – Vermillion Station
Out front you can meet Jared, the Captain of the Vermillion Station guard. If you have Wilhemina’s Note to Jared from the Crash Site, then you can give it to Jared. You’ll receive 1700 experience and some alignment for the deed. Then Jared will ask you to go to the stonecutter’s (#54) to arrange for a tombstone for Wilhemina. You’ll get 1700 experience and some alignment for doing that, but nothing will happen if you return to let Jared know.
23 – Train
The train can take you to Black Root or Ashbury. Tickets cost 75 gold per party member. If your magical aptitude is high enough, you’ll have to use the “Mage’s Caboose.” You won’t be able to use the train at all if you have Dog / Worthless Mutt with you.
24 – Tarantian Editorial Office
Inside you can tell Victor Wright about the zeppelin crash, and he’ll pay you 500 (or 800) gold for it. Telling your story makes you better known, but it doesn’t seem to have any negative consequences. You can also ask Wright for more work, and he’ll give you 75 gold for delivering a note to Mrs. Halster (#10). You’ll also receive 1200 experience.
25 – Delores Beston, Seer of the Unnatural
Delores will ask you to find her a new crystal ball. Further, after some mumbo jumbo with your hair, she’ll suggest you go to Madam Toussaude’s (#39) to obtain one. When you arrive at Madam Toussaude’s, the seer will already know you’re there to take her crystal ball, and she’ll ask you to choose sides.
If you side with Delores Beston, then Madam Toussaude will attack you, and she’ll curse you (-2 Charm) when she dies. Then when you take the crystal ball to Delores, you’ll discover that she’s a fake and doesn’t know how to remove the curse, but you’ll receive 1200 experience.
If you side with Madam Toussaude, then she’ll hand you a special crystal ball to give to Delores Beston. When you deliver it, Delores will die. Then when you return to Madam Toussaude she’ll reward you either by telling you the location of the painting in the Garringsburg quest (#8), or she’ll give you a blessing (+1 Charm) if you’ve already completed the quest.
Keep trading insults with Sammie until you get the option to say, “I think you actually enjoy insulting people.” Then you’ll be able to speak to him normally, but this is only important if you want to get the Pickpocket master training.
28 – Thom Grak
He’ll ask you to deliver a message to Matt de Cesare, who you can find in the Wellington Gentlemen’s Club (#13). However, when you get there you’ll discover that Grak is an assassin, and he was just using you to lead him to his target. You’ll also receive 1700 experience. After you foil the plot (or, more likely, after de Cesare foils the plot without your help) de Cesare will ask to talk to you outside.
When you continue the conversation, de Cesare will indicate he’s in the middle of some sort of conspiracy, and he’ll ask you to find him the skulls of the Ren’ar Siamese twins. You can find the skulls in a warehouse (#45). When you give him the skulls, you’ll receive 3100 experience, and de Cesare will tell you that the Siamese twins were the result of a breeding experiment. He’ll then tell you to seek out Arthur Tyron in Black Root for more information.
However, when you reach Black Root, all you’ll discover is a note from Tyron reading “The crow is in danger.” When you report to de Cesare that Tyron has left Black Root, de Cesare will simply say to keep looking for him. Eventually you’ll find Tyron in Caladon, and he’ll continue the quest from there.
29 – Wellington Residence
30 – Xe’Rad’s Magick Armory
31 – Barach’s Magerium
32 – Zaramin’s House of Darke Magick
This shop is only open at night.
33 – H.T. Parnell’s
Inside, there are two people you can talk to: Gar, “the world’s most intelligent orc,” and H.T. Parnell, the proprietor. Talk to Gar first, and ask him about teas. If you have at least 2 ranks of Persuasion, you can claim green teas are superior to black teas, and Gar will slip and show his true intelligence. Then you’ll learn his true name is Garfield Thelonius Remington III, and that he’s human.
Now talk to Parnell. Ask him about Gar “the human” and pretend to blackmail him about slavery. He’ll ask you to take Gar off his hands. Then when you talk to Gar again, he’ll agree to join your party. If you release him instead, you’ll gain a fate point.
You can do two more things with Parnell:
Ask him about the Stillwater Giant pelt, and let him tell you about how Franklin Payne captured it. Then point out that the pelt doesn’t look very good any more, and suggest there might be a way to make money off of it. Together you’ll decide on an insurance scam where you get the pelt and Parnell gets to claim it was stolen. The pelt is necessary for a quest later (in Stillwater), and this is the easiest way to get it. You can also steal the key to the case that houses the pelt, or wait until night when Gar and Parnell go to sleep, and break open the case then.
Ask him about the objects in his emporium, and then offer to sell him something exotic. If you have Bessie Toone’s Boot with you, you can then sell it for 250 gold.
34 – The Zoological Society
Inside there are three exhibits. If you click on the sign in front of the dragon skull, The Lair of Bellerogrim will appear on your world map. If you open up the ancient iron chest (either by eventually creating the key, or by using a fate point) you’ll find a map to “the place of lost voices” and three ancient iron drums. This is just a piece of the Iron Clan quest, which is triggered at the Wheel Clan.
You can also talk to Dr. Tristan Fenwick, the head of the society, but nothing much will come of it. Fenwick is involved in a quest originating in Stillwater, so don’t kill him.
35 – City Hall
City Hall includes the Department of Water and Power, Edward Willoughsby’s office, and the Hall of Records (downstairs).
The Hall of Records is useful if you want to look up information about characters, such as Rorry Limes (#8). It is also required for one quest in the game, so if you accidentally kill the clerk, be sure to look through the nearby file cabinets.
Edward Willoughsby will only show up in his office after you’ve been to Qintarra and after you’ve spoken to him at his home (#11). If you ask him about the major problems in Tarant and then ask him what personal measures he’s taking, he’ll tell you about Sebastian, and let you know you can find him at the pub in The Boil. This will trigger Sebastian appearing there. Willoughsby is also the Persuasion Master.
On the lower level of City Hall, you can also kill a couple of rock rats to get to a locked chest and barrel. Both have about 200 gold in them.
36 – Tarant University
The university contains a library (to the west), a lecture hall (to the east), and an administrative building (to the north).
In the administrative building, you can talk to Benjamin Gershwin, doctor of phrenology. He might ask you to find the skulls of the Ren’ar Siamese twins, and he’ll suggest they can be found in the cemetery (#12). But if you go there, you won’t find them. Instead, you’ll find the skulls in a warehouse (#45). If you give the skulls to Gershwin you’ll receive 1000 experience and 100 gold, but you might want to skip the quest. The skulls are also required for the Matt de Cesare quest (#28). (Of course, you can always deliver the skulls to Gershwin and then steal them back.)
Also in the administrative building, Aldous Buxington will tell you a little about the ancient gods, and even give you a book about them. This is all background information for the Ancient Gods quest. In the room beyond Buxington, you can talk to Professor Eakins, an expert in demonology, and the university bookseller, who will sell you manuals. Manuals improve your technology Discipline ratings, as long as you have them in your inventory.
37 – Junk Dealer
38 – Madam Lil’s
Inside, ask Madam Lil about her establishment. She’ll eventually bring up Belle the sheep. Decline the option, and then Madam Lil will mention some work you can do for her:
Retrieve Cassie’s ruby necklace from the Mooreland residence (#9). You’ll have to deal with the Mooreland’s maid, Laura. You can pay her for the necklace, threaten her for it, or persuade her to give it up. You can even persuade her to join Madam Lil’s (and receive a “freebie” later). When you return the necklace to Madam Lil, you’ll receive 2500 experience.
Collect the debt owed by Mr. Langley. Mr. Langley is the doorman at the Bridesdale Inn (#14). Langley won’t have the money with him, but he will have it in five days. You can take half up front if you want, but you’ll have to wait for five days to get the rest. Once you get the money and return it to Madam Lil, you’ll receive 2500 experience.
Deliver a package to Mrs. Halster (#10). You’ll only get this quest if you’re playing a male character. Just go to the Halster Residence and drop off the package. You’ll receive a 20-gold tip from Mrs. Halster, plus 2200 experience from Madam Lil when you return.
Find a Medallion of Beauty. This is the most difficult of Madam Lil’s quests, simply because, even though there are a few Medallions of Beauty in the game, some require thieving skills, and others appear randomly. You might find one in the Tarant Sewers (Closed), at The Lair of Bellerogrim, or randomly in just about any chest. If you can Pickpocket, then there are women wearing blue dresses in Dernholm and Black Root who always have one. When you give the medallion to Madam Lil, you’ll receive 2500 experience.
39 – Madam Toussaude’s House of Secrets
Madam Toussaude is in a feud with Delores Beston, another seer. Their quest is covered in #25.
40 – Thieves Underground Fence
After you’ve joined the Thieves Underground (see #4 and #46), this is where you’ll need to go to drop off the loot you’ve stolen.
41 – Poone’s Flophouse
42 – Ship
Once you have a reason to go to certain locations (like Caladon), you’ll be able to book passage on the ship.
43 – Simon Plough’s Warehouse
Out front, Simon will ask you to clear the rats out of his warehouses. Start with the small warehouse to the west, and then use the key you’ll find there to open the big warehouse to the east. Mostly you’ll face lowly sewer rats, but you’ll also find a couple prodigious vermin as well. Once you clear out the warehouses, you’ll earn 3100 experience plus gain some alignment, and you’ll be able to use the warehouses for your own stuff. (The warehouses are located midway between the gypsy and the junk dealer, and they have several containers, so they make a good base of operations.)
44 – 36 Low Dervish Road
Inside you’ll find three men. They’re involved in a quest (see #8), so don’t kill them yet.
45 – Warehouse
This is the warehouse where you can find the skulls of the Ren’ar Siamese twins (see #28 and #36), but you’ll have to fight a nasty wererat and a half-ogre guard to get to them (the half-ogre only shows up after you talk to Matt de Cesare). You’ll find gold on the corpse of the wererat but nothing on the half-ogre.
46 – Mynor Residence
Inside you’ll find Thaddeus Mynor, the leader of the Thieves Underground. If you’ve met an Underground contact in the city (such as #4), then you can ask Mynor to let you join up. He’ll give you a quest to prove your worth, to steal a map to the Closed Tarant Sewers from the Department of Water (#35).
Getting the map is pretty easy if you’re a thief. Just steal the key from the clerk in the Department of Water, and then use it to open the nearby door and chest. The map is inside the chest. If you’re not a thief, then you’ll probably have to kill the clerk to get the key, although it’s possible to steal the key with only 1 point (not 1 rank) in Pickpocket. When you give the map to Mynor, he’ll pay you 300 gold, and you’ll receive 1200 experience. Mynor will also let you know about the local fence (#40), who you’ll need to give objects to after you steal them. The Thieves Underground quests are covered in their own section.
Once you’re a high enough level (20 is enough), Mynor will give you a second quest to steal a solid gold idol from the barbarians of Kree. He’ll even mark Kree on your map. When you return the idol to him, you’ll receive 10,900 experience and 1000 gold.
47 – Gypsy
48 – Stanton Importers
If you’ve triggered the Bessie Toone Mine quest, then you’ll be able to acquire the deed to the mine from Stanton. However, he won’t be carrying the deed on him, so you’ll only have two ways of getting it: purchasing it from him for 350 gold, or convincing him that you’re with the Industrial Council and that there was a problem with the sale of the mine. Then he’ll give the deed to you rather than face a possible investigation.
49 – Water and Power Plant
50 – Appleby Residence
Inside, Cedric Appleby won’t have anything to say to you until you have a reason to talk to Gilbert Bates (that is, you can’t do anything with Appleby until after you talk to the Schuylers). Then he’ll complain that Bates is a charlatan and steals all of his best ideas, and he’ll try to recruit you to humiliate and destroy Bates. Completing Appleby’s quests to hurt Bates is one way to learn about Bates (and complete a main quest). The other way is to help Bates and then talk to him. So decide which course of action you want to take before completing any quests for either man.
If you follow Appleby, you’ll receive the following quests:
Destroy the prototype steam engine. The steam engine is in the Bates Engine Factory (#56), and Appleby will give you dynamite to use on the engine. This quest works just like Jongle Dunne’s quest in Shrouded Hills, except the steam engine here is better guarded. If you want, you can simply fight your way to the engine and then destroy it, or you can infiltrate the factory through the door in the back, and then sneak past the patrolling guards to get to the engine. Regardless, once you destroy the engine and return to Appleby you’ll receive 800 experience and 300 gold. You can also tell Appleby that thievery is more your style, and skip this quest entirely.
Bring back incriminating evidence. If this is your first quest for Appleby, then he’ll give you a key to the mausoleum in the cemetery (#12), and he’ll suggest that you use the passage beneath the mausoleum to get into the Bates mansion. If this is your second quest for Appleby, then he’ll give you a set of servant’s clothes and suggest you convince the guards at the gates of the Bates mansion (#58) that you’re a new servant. When you talk to the guards, your entire party will have to be in servants’ clothes, which can be annoying if you have a large party. Dog can’t dress up as a servant, so you’ll have to leave him outside. You can find more servants’ clothes on Appleby and at Thurston’s Fashion Palace (#6), but you might be better off just skipping the ruse and entering the mansion via the mausoleum. If you use the mausoleum, then you’ll find servants’ clothes in the room where you arrive.
Inside the mansion, your target is the master bedroom on the second floor. The easiest way to get in is to advance time until night and then follow Bates in when he goes to bed. In the bedroom you’ll find a locked chest with a journal inside. The journal talks about how Bates stole the idea for his steam engine from the dwarves of the Black Mountain Clan, and how the Black Mountain Clan subsequently went missing. Reading the book will also mark the home of the Black Mountain Clan on your world map. When you give the journal to Appleby you’ll receive 800 experience and 500 gold, plus you’ll gain a fate point and lose a good chunk of alignment. Betraying Bates might also cause the people of Tarant to attack you on sight.
51 – Panarii Temple
The priest inside can give you some background information on Nasrudin, Arronax, and the Void. He’ll even give you a funny pamphlet. In the chest next to him you’ll find the Jewel of Hebe, a pretty good necklace.
52 – Orc Factory
At some point in Tarant, the headline of the day will be “Anarchist Laborers Take Over Factory.” That’s the indication that you can complete the Donn Throgg quest.
When you get to the factory, out front you’ll find some city guards led by Captain Wheeler, plus a gnome councilman named Babcock, and inside you’ll find a group of orcs led by Donn Throgg.
There are a few things you can do here. You can convince Donn Throgg to work with Councilman Babcock and settle matters in court. You can convince the orcs to attack Tarant (they’ll only attack the guards outside). You can side with Captain Wheeler and kill the orcs.
The first two options give you a fate point, and the third one (killing Donn Throgg) nets you two. If you want, you can even convince Donn Throgg to work with Babcock and then kill him, and earn three fate points.
53 – Arachnid Warehouse
Inside you’ll find four mechanized arachnids. The loot in the room isn’t worth the effort to kill them, though.
54 – Stonecutter’s Establishment
55 – 57 Mulligan Bone Alley
Inside you’ll find a level 14 half-ogre carrying the key to the back room. The painting from the Garringsburg quest (#8) is in the back room. Just kill or rob the half-ogre to get the key and then the painting.
56 – Bates Engine Factory
57 – Bates Warehouse
58 – Front Gate to Bates Mansion
Prior to meeting up with the Schuylers (#16), you won’t get anywhere when you try to talk to the guards at the gate. But once you have a reason to talk to Gilbert Bates, you’ll have three ways to get through: persuade the captain of the gate guards that you’re an old friend, rat out Cedric Appleby (provided you’ve accepted his quest to destroy Bates’ steam engine prototype), or complete a quest to protect the steam engine prototype.
Note: There are two ways to learn about Gilbert Bates (and complete a main quest). One is to meet with Bates himself, possibly by first protecting his steam engine prototype. The other, more underhanded way, involves doing some quests for Cedric Appleby, including destroying the steam engine prototype. Once you start dealing with one of the two rivals, you won’t be able to deal with the other, so choose who you like before starting on their quests.
If you need to protect the steam engine prototype, then head on over to the Bates Engine Factory (#56). The guard out front will let you in. The steam engine to be protected is all by itself in a room on the northern end. After midnight, three bandits will appear outside the door to the steam engine. Dispatch them, and then report your success to the captain of the gate guards (in the morning). You’ll receive 800 experience, and the captain will allow you inside.
59 – Bates Mansion
If you’re working with Bates:
Just head up to the second floor and talk to him. You’ll learn a few things from him: that the “gnome” who gave you the ring at the Crash Site was really a dwarf named Stennar Rock Cutter, that Bates stole his steam engine design from the Black Mountain Clan, and that the Black Mountain Clan subsequently went missing. He’ll then ask you to find out what happened to the Black Mountain Clan, and he’ll mark the Black Mountain Mines on your world map. Somewhere during the conversation you’ll earn 1200 experience.
When you return to Bates after visiting the mines and meeting Gudmund Ore Bender, you’ll receive 2500 experience and 300 (or 400) gold. Bates will then ask you to continue on with your search, and seek out the Black Mountain Clan on the Isle of Despair. Plus, he might give you 450 more gold for your troubles, and he’ll tell you about Edward Teach, a sea captain who can take you to the island. Edward Teach is in Ashbury.
Lastly, you might be able to get Chukka to join your group at this point (this seems somewhat random). Chukka is an excellent fighter, but he gets upset if you do evil things.
From here on out, you can keep giving Bates updates on your progress (and squeeze some more gold out of him), but everything you do with him now is optional.
If you’re working with Appleby:
Then your object is to steal Bates’ journal from his bedroom on the second floor. Once you gain the journal you’ll learn the same things as if you had talked to Bates.
Regardless…
You’ll get a fate point for entering the Bates Mansion from the underground passage. The hatch leading to the passage is in the servants’ storage room on the eastern side of the first floor, and it connects to the mausoleum in the cemetery. Appleby (#50) has the key to the mausoleum.
You’ll also get a fate point for killing Gilbert Bates. But note: If you’re working with Appleby, then Bates will disappear after you expose him. So if you want to kill him you’ll have to do it before you deliver his journal to Appleby.
If you kill Bates, then eventually W. Thomas Moreau will show up in front of the Zoological Society building (#34) and offer to sell you the Bates mansion for 50,000 to 100,000 gold. If you haven’t been to Thanatos yet, then you should hang onto your money, even if such a purchase sounds like a good idea.
I love RPGs, MMOs, and weird little indie games. Anything that lets me build and decorate or just has a really good story. I've spent hundreds of hours in Bethesda games and even more time modding them. I also play a lot of World of Warcraft.
