At the Mercy of the Tribes – Pillars of Eternity Quest

This guide is for a particular side quest in Pillars of Eternity during Act 3. The guide has a walkthrough of the area, and a map with a legend.

Map Legend

1 – Celestial Sapling
2 – Camp
3 – Cwineth
4 – Fangs
5 – Expedition
6 – Spotted Stelgaer Pack

Background

You’ll receive this quest from Cwineth inside the Celestial Sapling inn in Hearthsong (#1).

Walkthrough

Cwineth will tell you that she’s part of an expedition in Northweald hoping to scavenge equipment left behind during the War of Black Trees. The only problem is, the Glanfathans consider such an activity punishable by death, and the expedition is being tracked by a group of hunters called the Fangs. So she’ll ask you to help her expedition escape, and to fight the Fangs if necessary.

When you arrive in Northweald, you’ll spot a corpse at a camp near the entrance (#2). The corpse will have numerous arrows in it, and you’ll spot bloody tracks leading to the east. As you head east, you’ll encounter broken weapons and more tracks, and eventually you’ll run into Cwineth (#3). She’ll tell you that she didn’t have any luck drawing off the Fangs, and that what remains of her expedition is holed up in the ruins to the northeast (#5).

If you talk to the Fangs (#4), then they’ll ask you to kill the expedition members — unless you have Resolve 17 or a high enough reputation with Twin Elms, and then they’ll only require you to make an example of Esmar the expedition leader. If you talk to the expedition (#5), then they’ll ask you to kill the Fangs or clear a route for them to escape. So you’ll have a few options for what to do next:

• If you kill the spotted stelgaer to the north (#6), then the expedition will survive, and you’ll receive your reward from Cwineth. Plus, if you run into the Fangs, then they’ll attack you, and one of their hunters will drop the unique hunting bow Prey Maker.
  
  
• If you take Esmar prisoner (this requires you to have Dungeons at Caed Nua), or if you hand Esmar over to the Fangs, then the expedition will survive, and you’ll receive your reward from Cwineth.
  
  
• If you attack the Fangs, then you’ll receive your reward from Cwineth. One of the Fang hunters will also drop the unique hunting bow Prey Maker.
  
  
• If you attack the expedition, then you’ll receive your reward from Bright Blood of the Fangs.
  
  
• If you attack both groups, then you’ll fail the quest.

If Cwineth gives you your reward, then you’ll have to choose one of three options: 9000 cp, the unique arquebus Long-Feller, or the Dungeon Delver talent (+0.1 to your crit damage multiplier). You can also decline the reward, but for that case you won’t actually receive anything, and you’ll later need to find Cwineth in Admeth’s Den in Copperlane to pick the one you want.

If Bright Blood gives you your reward, then she’ll have three options for you as well: 9000 cp, the unique hunting bow Prey Maker, or the Wild Running talent (+10 defense against stuck and hobbled attacks, +10 defense when disengaging). You can also decline the reward, but for that case you won’t actually receive anything, and you’ll later need to find Bright Blood in Galawain’s Maw in Oldsong to pick the one you want.


1 – Celestial Sapling


2 – Camp


3 – Cwineth


4 – Fangs


5 – Expedition


6 – Spotted Stelgaer Pack