Riverside Province (mission)

Mission Objectives
Steal the Scepter of Orr.
 * Avoid detection on your way to the temple.
 * Talk to Dinas to get the scepter.
 * Escape to the bridge to the northeast.
 * BONUS Take out the Watchman at each tower, so Saidra can get the weapons through.

Primary
You can complete this mission and kill almost no White Mantle. Simply keep hugging the left wall; with a compact group and correct timing (waiting where necessary), the White Mantle will not see you. At each tower, hug the left and you should be past (and through the gate where appropriate) before the White Mantle spread out and block the path. Since the White Mantle are in large groups, this can be a much easier way through the mission. The red path shown on the map is the shortest, but there are many others.

Sept 21 2006 - I believe the mission has been modified since the above paragraph. I tried 8 times to move thorugh the mission without alerting the White Mantle. They seem to be blocking most paths and the Skeletal Ranger and 3 Hellhounds always charge the party after going through the first narrow passage.

After collecting the scepter at point A on the map, pass through the gate and again keep hugging the left wall. Eventually, you get to a pair of towers surrounded by loads of White Mantle. Look carefully and you will see a boss and a narrow bridge between the towers (B on the map). Pass quickly through the White Mantle, kill the boss, and pass along the bridge to complete the mission.

Tip: If you are rushing between those two towers to the boss, make sure the boss is not blocking the path through to the bridge. If he is, fall back (pulling him from where he is) and rush again.

Bonus
Kill all the Watchtower Guards (9 of them)&mdash;one up in each tower. This involves killing nearly all the White Mantle surrounding them, as well as the White Mantle Seekers standing next to the Guards up in the tower.

Despite the seemingly contradicting goals, this bonus and the first goal in the primary objective are both possible. You can wipe out all the White Mantle on the map and then talk to Dinas, and you will not have violated the avoid detection goal.

In general, each tower has two White Mantle Savants or Ritualists on the ground guarding it and two archers on top (the Watchtower Guard and a Seeker). However, as you approach each Watchtower, the guard will call all surrounding groups; this will bring in 3-4 groups of 2-3 White Mantle. They will then spread out searching the area. Then, if nothing happens, each group will go away. There are a few ways to deal with these groups:
 * Take them out few-by-few after they scatter.
 * Wait till the guard sounds the all-clear and then hunt each group separately, away from the tower.

At the first watchtower, you'll see some guards having a short conversation (1 on the map). After a while, all of them will spread out in small groups around the tower. Make sure to have decent ranged attacks, as the Watchtower Guards have Troll Unguent. After you kill them, this will open the bonus; talk to Saidra (2 on the map), and she'll give you the bonus objective. The gate will open next to her, revealing a tower that is otherwise unreachable. Use the same tactics on this tower and all the rest in the mission (towers are marked with 3 on the map).

Tip: Try to pull very carefully&mdash;about 3 at a time&mdash;otherwise you will be overpowered. It may be worth working to the port, and then back to the Scepter, since that way you only need one survivor to complete the mission itself for you, in case of a wipe.

Tip: The White Mantle up in the Tower can in fact be attacked with melee weapons. You have to walk up as close to the front gate of the tower as possible. From here, you also have a chance to recover items dropped on top of the tower. This doesn't always work, though.

Tip: Try to do the bonus first if you plan on doing both bonus and primary mission. The reason is that should disaster fall and you are unable to resurrect some of your party members, you can then go and speak to Dinas. The cutscene will resurrect any fallen members.

Skill Capture

 * Warrior's Cunning from Essam Festerskull (not available before Marhan's Grotto).
 * Dryder's Defenses from Darwym the Spiteful (not available before Marhan's Grotto).
 * Primal Echoes from Ruinwing (not available before Copperhammer Mines).
 * Convert Hexes from Corbin the Upright (not available before Camp Rankor).
 * Divine Intervention from Corbin the Upright (not available before Copperhammer Mines).
 * Draw Conditions from Dracul Cadava (not available before Copperhammer Mines).
 * Animate Bone Fiend from Damis the Malignant (not available before The Forgotten Ones quest at Destiny's Gorge).
 * Barbs from Damis the Malignant (not available before Camp Rankor).
 * Desecrate Enchantments from Damis the Malignant (not available before Marhan's Grotto).
 * Order of Pain from Bearn the Implacable (not available before Port Sledge).
 * Well of the Profane from Bearn the Implacable (not available before The Misplaced Sword quest at Heroes' Audience).
 * Guilt from Bairn the Sinless (not available before The Misplaced Sword quest at Heroes' Audience).
 * Mantra of Inscriptions from Gaiza Deadeye (not available before Camp Rankor).
 * Signet of Weariness from Gaiza Deadeye (not available before Camp Rankor).
 * Conjure Lightning from Zeki Lament (not available before Camp Rankor).
 * Glyph of Elemental Power from Braima the Callous (not available before Port Sledge).
 * Searing Heat from Braima the Callous (not available before Copperhammer Mines).

Undead

 * Essam Festerskull
 * Ruinwing
 * Dracul Cadava
 * Damis the Malignant
 * Gaiza Deadeye
 * Zeki Lament

White Mantle

 * Cyrus the Unflattering
 * Darwym the Spiteful
 * Corbin the Upright
 * Bearn the Implacable
 * Bairn the Sinless
 * Braima the Callous

Additional Notes
The players will be in Sanctum Cay at the completion of this mission.