PrologueThe first part of NWN2 acts as a tutorial for new players. It?s perfectly possible to skip it if you?re familiar with how things work, but you can play through it to gain a few useful items.
You start in Daeghun?s House (A on the map) listening to a short monologue from your elven foster-father. He?ll direct you to get some furs from the chest, and then he?ll tell you to take them to the merchant who is visiting the fair, sell them, and buy a Duskwood Bow for him.
Leave the house and follow the track towards the bridge. There you will meet two of your childhood friends ? Bevil and Amie. You can say what you want in the conversation that follows, but they?ll like you more if you aren?t too unpleasant. Since Hermel is trying to be a nice guy, he was nice to them.
Carry on across the bridge with your new minions, and listen to a conversation between the local mayor, Georg, and a farmer about trouble in the swamp. He?ll then talk to you about the Harvest Fair, and various questions will give you information about people who you?ll meet later in the story.
Following the track round, find the merchant you are supposed to sell the furs to (B). Sell the furs and buy the Duskwood Bow, then take it to Daeghun ©. He?ll comment that it?s a fine bow, with a little more animation than you normally get from him (400xp for quest completion). You can then enter the archery segment of the competition. Take a shot at the practice targets, then speak to Daeghun again to enter the competition proper. You?ll only miss on a roll of 1, and Hermel got all of them first time, but even if you miss one it?s still enough to win the competition (and give you 400xp).
The Knave?s Challenge (D) is run by Amie?s master, Tarmas. After some conversation, he gives you a poem to solve to find three feathers. If your character isn?t a rogue, you?ll need to recruit the child Kipp, who stands near to Tarmas, to provide you the relevant skills. The first is in a trapped woodpile just past the merchants stall. The second is in a locked chest between two houses a little further along the path. The last is in the pocket of a man dressed in green near to the mayor, and you need to use Sleight-of-Hand to recover it. Once you have all three return to Tarmas who will express his relief that this is over and declare you winner of the Knave?s Challenge (for 400xp)
When you?re ready for Amie to enter the Tourney of Talent (E), speak to Bevil?s mother Retta Starling. Amie has the right spells memorised, so you simply have to have her cast a Summon Monster I, then cast Enlarge Person on Bevil (or yourself), and finally destroy the nearby barrel with one of her 0-level spells such as Acid Splash. Talk to Retta again to win the Tourney (for 400xp and some spell scrolls).
After the Tourney, you?ll be approached by Orlen. He wants you to take a look at the pig that Lewy Jones entered into the fattest pig competition (F). Amie is able to identify that it?s been magically enhanced. One of the scrolls you obtain after the Tourney of Talent is Lesser Dispel, and you can use it to reduce the pig to its real size. If you approach the owner he?ll deny magic was used, but he will offer you a bribe if you let him keep it in. If Bevil is unhappy after your bet with the Mossfelds then he won?t let you do this. You can either accept a potion of Bless or you can use the Dispel scroll to end this travesty of justice and fairness and receive a reward of Pork Jerky (which acts as a healing potion) from Orlen (for 150xp either way).
The last event you can enter is the Harvest Brawl (G). If you decide to enter speak to Brother Merring, the village?s cleric of Lathander. You can win an interesting conversation about the villagers with him. Equip your characters with clubs (unless you?re a monk) and take the first fight, which is easy enough to win especially if this is the last event you enter and you?ve reached level 2. It?s a good idea to rest before facing the Mossfelds, and although it?s against the rules you can have a side-bet of 10gp with them. Bevil objects if you do bet (-5 to influence; +5 if you refuse outright). Hermel is far too lawful to do so though he?s quite happy to insult them by claiming he doesn?t believe they?ll pay up. Brother Merring will confirm you?ve won the Harvest Brawl (for 500xp).
Once you win, you can speak to Georg again. He?ll start the congratulatory ceremony on the stage at the far end of the village. You can talk to several of the people in the village as you head there to accept your prizes. You get the Harvest Cloak, the Harvest Cup, and 1000xp. You should be at 3rd level after this.
NPCs and Influence:
Bevil Starling, LG human male Fighter 1 ? a fairly ordinary human fighter who probably bears the brunt of the fighting if your character isn?t capable of doing so in the Harvest Brawl. He?ll be around for a while, so it may be worth taking care as you level him up. If you talk to him, he has various things to say about his family. +5/-5 Influence depending on whether you accept the Mossfelds? offer of a bet on the Harvest Brawl.
Amie Fern, human female Wizard 1 ? she has quite exceptional stats. She is essential for the Tourney of Talent and for the problem with the pigs. Talk to her to find out her ambition to become a successful adventurer.
Kip, human male rogue ? decent stats, used only if you don?t have the skills for the Knave?s Challenge.
Edited by Bluenose, 27 February 2008 - 07:31 AM.
