Gauntlet of Shar

Walkthrough

The area in the order you play it. Tick things off as you go: they tick off in the checklists below too.

1. 1

   Shar's Entrance Statue Puzzle

   After arriving via the traversal platform and activating the Gauntlet of Shar Waypoint, enter the grand entrance hall where a statue of Shar sits encircled by an invisible forcefield. Pull the four levers located in the corner alcoves to lower the Mystic Candelabras, extinguish each candelabra along with all personal light sources, and read the glowing purple floor runes to locate the safe gaps. Slip through the gaps to touch the Umbral Gem on the central pedestal to extinguish it and open the heavy stone doors ahead.

   Tip: Ungrouping a single companion makes navigating the forcefield gaps much easier without bumping party members into the repelling barrier.

2. 2

   Central Corridor Skirmish

   Push forward through the newly opened doors into the main hallway, where you must fight through waves of Reconstituted Duelists and Marksmen while prioritizing the glowing Umbral Tremors spawning them. Once the corridor is clear, defeat the remaining Justiciars outside the western door where Balthazar's forces are fortified, triggering the doors to unseal so you can enter his laboratory.

   Key fight: Umbral Tremor Defense

   Tip: Focus all high burst-damage attacks directly onto the Umbral Tremors before they can summon additional Dark Justiciars.

3. 3

   Balthazar's Laboratory

   Speak with Balthazar inside his workshop to discover his mission to retrieve the relic for Ketheric Thorm, and pass a DC 14 Persuasion check to receive the Summon Golem Bell. If you wish to eliminate him now rather than during later climactic encounters, initiate combat to defeat Balthazar alongside Flesh and his undead sentinels before exploring the rest of the temple.

   Key fight: Balthazar
   Summon Golem Bell: Obtained by speaking with Balthazar in his laboratory inside the Gauntlet Don't missCallous Glow Ring: from Balthazar's quarters, head into the adjacent northern vault room to find the locked Opulent Chest sitting against the stone wallHow: unlock the chest by passing a Sleight of Hand DC 30 check or casting KnockMissable because: passing through the pool at the Verge of the Shadows permanently locks off the Gauntlet Don't miss New

   Tip: Slaying Balthazar right here in his laboratory prevents an exponentially more hazardous encounter later on in the Shadowfell.

   Watch out: Attacking Balthazar before speaking with him locks you out of the Summon Golem Bell, and stealing the jarred remains labeled Mother Dearest from his shelf will trigger immediate hostility.

4. 4

   Head down the western corridor to offer blood at the first two trial altars, pre

   tip: Enter the Self-Same Trial unequipped or strip down beforehand to spawn unarmed, fragile clones before re-equipping your gear to crush them effortlessly.

   Key fight: Self-Same Trial
   Killer's Sweetheart: Spawns on the floor of the arena after conquering the Self-Same Trial Don't miss

   Tip: Enter the Self-Same Trial unequipped or strip down beforehand to spawn unarmed, fragile clones before re-equipping your gear to crush them effortlessly.

   Watch out: In the Self-Same Trial, attacking a clone designated for a different companion inflicts the severe Cheater's Respite curse (-1 to all ability scores per infraction until a long rest).

5. 5

   Faith-Leap Trial and the Silent Library

   Proceed down the corridor to the Faith-Leap Trial, where you must follow the engraved floor map in front of the altar (or use Flight/Grant Flight) across the invisible chasm to collect the third Umbral Gem. Next, descend into the Silent Library, defeat the central Librarian orb to dispel the silencing aura, and disarm the trapped bookshelves to loot the book Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger. Insert this book into the Riddle of the Night plinth to unlock the inner vault, where you can collect the Dark Justiciar Helmet from the gilded chest along with the Spear of Night and the Dark Justiciar Half-Plate from the altar.

   Spear of Night: Placed on the altar inside the riddle vault of the Silent Library Don't missDark Justiciar Half-Plate: Found inside the locked treasure room past the Riddle of the Night in the Silent Library Don't missDark Justiciar Helmet: from the entrance of the Silent Library, proceed straight past the riddle altar into the unlocked inner vault room to the Gilded Chest on the floorHow: open the unlocked Gilded Chest inside the vaultMissable because: locked out once you submerge into the Shadowfell pool Don't miss New

   Tip: Casting Daylight or throwing light sources onto the chasm tiles in the Faith-Leap Trial briefly outlines the invisible pathing edges.

   Watch out: If you fail to obtain the Spear of Night from this vault, Shadowheart cannot fulfill her destiny or decide the fate of the Nightsong.

6. 6

   Confronting Yurgir the Orthon

   Move to the ruined eastern wing, flanking through the upper broken walkways to loot the Boots of Brilliance from a locked Heavy Chest before approaching the orthon's lair. Confront Yurgir, Nessa the displacer beast, and his Merregons by either taking them down in open combat, dissecting his contract to trick him and his minions into self-destruction with high Charisma checks, or agreeing to investigate his contract; once he perishes, loot his fourth Umbral Gem and the Hellfire Hand Crossbow.

   Key fight: Yurgir
   Hellfire Hand Crossbow: Picked up from Yurgir's remains after defeating him or tricking him into self-destruction Don't missBoots of Brilliance: Located inside a chest hidden near the broken walkway where the Yurgir ambush can be flanked Don't miss

   Tip: Sneaking up via the eastern broken upper tier gives you high ground and prevents Yurgir from surprising you with an ambush barrage of Orthonian explosives.

   Watch out: Assisting Yurgir by finding a way to break his contract peacefully denies you the Hellfire Hand Crossbow and breaches Raphael's deal, driving Astarion to abandon your party unless you pass difficult approval checks.

7. 7

   The Sharran Rats and Lyrthindor

   Head to the base of Shar's towering statue near the cragged rock path to encounter swarms of talking rats using Speak with Animals. Decline their bribery stash and eliminate the rat waves until they coalesce into Lyrthindor, the last surviving Dark Justiciar. Defeat Lyrthindor in battle to complete the terms of Yurgir's contract and claim the Justiciar's Scimitar and Justiciar's Greatshield from his body.

   Communicating with the dungeon's rats reveals they are all splintered forms of the final Dark Justiciar, Lyrthindor, who can be summoned and fought at the base of the massive statue of Shar to stop Yurgir's contract.Justiciar's Scimitar: from the foot of the giant statue of Shar at the bottom of the cragged rocks, examine the corpse of LyrthindorHow: loot the blade from Lyrthindor's remains after defeating himMissable because: taking the rats' treasure bribe despawns them and prevents Lyrthindor from ever manifesting Don't miss NewJusticiar's Greatshield: from the foot of the giant statue of Shar at the bottom of the cragged rocks, examine the corpse of LyrthindorHow: loot the shield from Lyrthindor's remains after defeating himMissable because: agreeing to leave the rats alone locks out Lyrthindor's encounter entirely Don't miss New

   Tip: Area-of-effect spells like Spirit Guardians, Fireball, or Wall of Fire wipe out the surging rat swarms almost instantly.

   Watch out: Accepting the rats' treasure deal causes them to disperse, permanently preventing Lyrthindor from spawning and cutting off this resolution route for Yurgir's contract.

8. 8

   The Pedestals of Reckoning to the Verge of Shadows

   Return to the central chamber and place one Umbral Gem into the first Pedestal of Reckoning to power the floating traversal platform down across the chasm. At the lower landing, insert the remaining three Umbral Gems into the second Pedestal of Reckoning to open the final stone doorway and unlock the Verge of the Shadows Waypoint. Step up to the edge of the pool to trigger the transition prompt leading into the Shadowfell, but do not submerge until all pending quests across Act 2 are concluded.

   Tip: A Knock spell can unlock the final doorway if you somehow misplaced an Umbral Gem during the trials.

   Watch out: Entering the pool at the Verge of the Shadows is an irreversible point of no return for Act 2 that locks out open quests, resolves the status of Moonrise Towers, and makes unlooted items inaccessible.

What you decide here and what it leads to.