This guide is an overview of a certain area from Chapter 1 in Drakensang: The Dark Eye. In it, you’ll find a map, legend, and overview of the points of interest.
Overview
You’ll arrive in Avestrue while on your way to Ferdok to meet with your old friend Ardo of Boarstock. However, when you speak with Sergeant Erland (#1), you’ll learn that Ferdok has been closed off, and that Tollkeeper Nandor (#11) will only allow people to pass if they can produce two attestors.
Most of your time in Avestrue will be spend tracking down the two attestors. This is covered in the quest entry for An Invitation from an Old Friend. You’ll also meet a variety of people who will give you side quests, including Runkel (#4), Gallo (#7), and Owlstone (#13).
When you leave Avestrue, you won’t be allowed to return, so be sure to complete all of the side quests that you’re interested in before proceeding. You’ll also lose Dranor for a while when you arrive at Ferdok, so you might want to move his most valuable possessions to someone else.
Walkthrough
1 – Sergeant Erland
Sergeant Erland will introduce you to Avestrue, and he’ll let you know that Tollkeeper Nandor (#11) is paying a bounty on 
Robber’s Emblems, which you’ll find on all of the robbers in the area.
Pick Pocketing Note: Sergeant Erland will drop 1 ducat and more.
2 – Rest Stop
You’ll meet three people of importance at the rest stop: Salina and her brother Hamlok, who will give you the quest The Diadem and the Lover, and Auralia, who will sell you alchemical ingredients (including 
Oneberries) and recipes, and train you in Alchemy, Balm of Healing, Light in the Darkness, and Plant Lore.
Companion Note: Auralia will later move on to Ferdok, where you’ll be able to recruit her as a companion.
Pick Pocketing Note: Auralia will drop 1 ducat, a 
Healing Potion, a 
Recipe for Oneberry Juice, and more. Hamlok will drop 
Salina’s Brooch. Salina will drop 
Hamlok’s Brooch. The brooches aren’t useful for anything other than being sold, but if you hang onto Salina’s Brooch all the way until Chapter 8, then you’ll meet a fan of Salina’s in Murolosh, and he’ll offer you 10 ducats for her brooch.
3 – Humbold and Gondwin’s Camp
Humbold and Gondwin will challenge you to a friendly duel. If you can best them, then you’ll receive 
Humbold’s Broadsword and 10 experience points as a reward. If you lose, then they’ll let you try again as many times as you’d like. The two mercenaries won’t care how many companions you have or what level you are, so if you struggle against them, feel free to work on some other things for a while and then come back to them later.
Humbold is also a trainer. He can teach you Aimed Throw, Feint, Mighty Blow, and Swords.
4 – Runkel Bagthumper
Runkel is involved in the quest The Diadem and the Lover. He’ll also give you the quest The Examination.
5 – Shrine
Standing next to the shrine you’ll meet a Devotee of Peraine. He’ll offer to sell you a few items, and he can train you in Treat Poisons. He’ll also heal you if you’re hurt, including removing wounds and curing poisons. The locked chest on the other side of the shrine is involved in the quest The Examination.
6 – Woodcutter Knebor
If your Human Nature talent is high enough, then Knebor will give you two pieces of 
Elm Wood for free. Otherwise he’ll just sell you Elm Wood.
7 – The Jagged Blade
You’ll meet four people of interest at the inn:
- Rhulana. The first time that you approach the inn, you’ll witness Rhulana yelling at the innkeeper, looking for a bear (#20), and the innkeeper not being very helpful. “I don’t think the Dark Forest is the right place for a young lady to go wandering about in on her own.” If you then talk to Rhulana and invite her to join you, she will.
- Innkeeper Thalion. The innkeeper will give you the quest “Owlstone the Hunter,” either when you talk to him or when you recruit Rhulana. You’ll earn 10 experience points for completing the quest when you talk to Owlstone at his lodge (#13).
- Gallo Frantric. Gallo will give you the quest A Tasty Delicacy.
- Bredo Bento. Bredo is a traveling salesman who patrols between the inn and the rest stop (#2). He’ll sell you a few things, including
Hair Pins, which you might need for your rogue (if you don’t possess the right kind of tool, then you’ll take a penalty when you try to pick a lock). If you listen to Bredo’s story about Wilbur Sumplog, then you’ll gain 15 experience points.
Bredo will also give you the quest “Berry Hunting,” where he’ll offer to pay you 2 ducats if you bring him 10 Oneberries. You’ll find Oneberries all over the place near Avestrue, but you’ll need to learn Plant Lore or recruit Rhulana to join your party before you’ll be able to pick them. You can learn Plant Lore from Auralia (#2). You can also find Oneberries in a few places (in barrels), and, if you get desperate, you can also buy some from Auralia.
Pick Pocketing Note: Gallo will drop the note 
Phex Be with You, which will give you an idea about how valuable Kosh Bunting Tongues are. Bredo will drop 1 ducat and more. After completing the quest “Berry Hunting,” Bento will also have some 
Oneberry Juice on him
8 – Meadowbolt Farm
The farm is involved in the quest The Examination.
9 – Bridge
You’ll meet the novices Nottel and Rufus on the bridge. They’ll give you the quest The Missing Magician.
10 – Arguing Farmers
The first time that you approach this spot, you’ll witness a pair of farmers arguing over an apple tree. If you talk to them, then you’ll trigger the quest “A Boundary Dispute.” No matter how you solve the disagreement, you’ll gain 15 experience points for your efforts.
11 – Customs Checkpoint
You’ll meet four people in interest here:
- Merchant Garagosh. He’ll sell you a variety of weapons and armor, including a
Kettle Helm.
- Blacksmith Engerim. He’ll sell you some blacksmithing items, including a few recipes. He’ll also offer to teach you the Blacksmith talent.
- Prancelot of Scufflewick. If you drink beer with him and listen to his story, then you’ll earn 15 experience points.
- Tollkeeper Nandor. He’ll block you from traveling to Ferdok until you’ve found two people to vouch for you. See the quest entry for An Invitation from an Old Friend for more information. Nandor will also pay you 2 thalers each for Robber’s Emblems.
Pick Pocketing Note: Engerim will drop two 
Pills of Endurance. Prancelot will drop 1 ducat and more.
12 – Erna Goodbeet
If you tell Erna that she has an item that belongs to you, then she’ll ask you for a password. This conversation was apparently set up to handle pre-order bonus items. To figure out the password, look in your Drakensang/export/db directory and open up the file named static.db4. If you search the file for the phrase “keyword=” then you’ll find an alphanumeric code in quotes. This code is the password (our code was IM3Z91). When you tell Erna the correct password, she’ll reward you with 
The Highlord’s Mask.
13 – Owlstone’s Lodge
You’ll meet Owlstone the Hunter here. He’ll give you two quests: The Bear in the Dark Forest and The Wolves of the Dark Forest. Owlstone will also sell you some hunting supplies (including recipes) and train you in Aimed Shot, Animal Lore, Bow, Bowyer, Spears, Survival, and Traps.
14 – Arguing Robbers
When you reach this spot, you’ll witness the robbers Botho and Lund arguing about a chest. When they see you, they’ll forget about the chest and attack. Both robbers will drop Robber’s Emblems when they die, which you can deliver to Tollkeeper Nandor (#11) for a bounty, and you’ll also find some weapons, including a Cutlass for Rhulana, in the chest.
15 – Bald Mountain
This is where you’ll meet Dranor. See the quest entry for The Diadem and the Lover for more information. At the camp here, you’ll also find a locked chest and some barrels.
16 – Corpse
Amid all of the fireflies and firefly eggs blanketing the area, you’ll find a dead man on the ground here next to a tree. If you loot the corpse then you’ll find a Letter to a Friend and a 
Treasure Hunt Key. The letter describes the route to a treasure, which you’ll discover behind the bushes to the north. Inside the treasure chest you’ll find 3 ducats plus some jewelry.
17 – Treasure Chest
Several wolf rats will attack you when you approach the chest. The chest is involved in the quest The Examination.
18 – Odd-Looking Rocks
19 – Rakorium
You’ll need to rescue Rakorium for the quest The Missing Magician, but when you talk to him, all of the odd-looking rocks (#18) will turn into enemies.
20 – Bear
You’ll need to kill the bear for the quest The Bear in the Dark Forest. Near the bear you’ll find a few skeletons containing Robber’s Emblems and more.
