The Man Who Waits – Pillars of Eternity Quest

This guide is for the main quest line in Pillars of Eternity. The guide has a walkthrough of the area, and a map with a legend.

Map Legend

1 – Head Warden Ethelmoer
2 – Riply
3 – Entrance to the Patient Ward
4 – Freyol
5 – Laboratory
6 – Wicht Pen
7 – Entrance to the North Ward
8 – Gram’s Cell
9 – Uscgrim’s Cell

Exits

1. Stairs between the Main Level and the Lower Level.

Background

You’ll receive this quest from the shrouded woman in the Temple of Woedica at the end of the quest Never Far from the Queen.

Walkthrough

For this quest you’ll need to investigate a place of “misery and madness.” If you ask the justiciars guarding the exits in Defiance Bay about such a place, then they’ll direct you to the sanitarium in Brackenbury. Inside, you’ll meet Head Warden Ethelmoer (#1), whose soul was infused into a statue. He won’t be surprised that the Leaden Key has infiltrated the sanitarium, and he’ll suggest that you question the animancers.

None of the animancers will say anything to you, but on the Lower Level you’ll meet Riply, Caedman Azo’s assistant (#2). She’ll let slip that Azo is in the Patient Ward (#3) experimenting on patients. If you search the room with Riply, then you’ll also find some patient notes indicating that Azo is currently experimenting on somebody named Gram. When you relay this information to Ethelmoer, he’ll grant you access to the Patient Ward.

When you enter the Patient Ward, you’ll immediately run into Freyol (#4). She’ll tell you that Azo is probably in the laboratory, and that the North Ward (#7) is where the “most troubled cases” go. When you reach Azo (#5), if you ask him for the North Ward Key, then he’ll give it to you — unless you tell him that he’d “best cooperate.” If Azo doesn’t give you the key, then just talk to him again and choose a different dialogue option.

Note: While you’re in the laboratory (#5), along with Azo you can also find Blaidh Golan and Ravenwing in locked crates.

Inside the North Ward, you’ll discover several closed cells, including Gram’s (#8). Gram won’t be able to talk to you, but you’ll be able to read his soul, which will show you that the boy at the end of the hall might be more than he seems. When you click on the boy’s cell (#9), you’ll learn that his name is Uscgrim, but that somebody else is inhabiting his body. When you read this “parasitic” soul, you’ll realize that it belongs to the man you saw at Cilant Lis, and that for some reason he’s been sabotaging animancy projects whenever possible. When the man notices you, he’ll talk to you for a bit, but then he’ll jump to a flesh construct and cause it to open all of the cells in the ward, plus the wicht pen (#6), starting a grand melee that you’ll have to survive. This encounter will complete the quest.

Note: It’s possible the wichts won’t appear in the Patient Ward until you leave and then return to the Lower Level.


1 – Head Warden Ethelmoer


2 – Riply


3 – Entrance to the Patient Ward


4 – Freyol


5 – Laboratory


6 – Wicht Pen


7 – Entrance to the North Ward


8 – Gram’s Cell


9 – Uscgrim’s Cell