Moonrise Towers (Act 2 Assault)

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

   Marshalling at the Gate

   When you arrive at the Moonrise Towers Waypoint, proceed across the fortified bridge toward the gates to find Jaheira and the surviving Harpers marshalled for battle. Speak with Jaheira immediately and persuade her to join your party directly rather than leading her detachment alone into the fortress. Before breaching the structure, prepare high-initiative party members and area-of-effect denial spells to counter cultists positioning inside.

   Tip: Asking Jaheira to fight at your side makes her a directly controllable ally on your turns, preventing suicidal AI charges.

   Watch out: If you let Jaheira fight independently, she can easily be killed in the opening crossfire, permanently locking you out of her recruitment and Minsc's Act 3 questline.

2. 2

   Breaching the Main Audience Hall

   Push through the heavy ground-floor entrance doors into the main hall to engage Disciple Z'rell and the garrison defense. Counter Z'rell's attempts to cast *Black Hole* and eliminate the high-ground archers and adepts before they blanket the threshold with *Hunger of Hadar*. Once the defenders are down, search Disciple Z'rell's remains in the center of the hall to claim her rare shield and tadpole before checking the side rooms.

   Key fight: Disciple Z'rell (Ground Floor Siege)
   Absolute's Protector: from Disciple Z'rell's corpse in the center of the Ground Floor Main Hall (X: -150, Y: -202)How: loot the corpse after the siegeMissable because: permanently lost if you descend into the chasm without looting her body Don't miss New

   Tip: Counterspell or focus-fire Z'rell in round one to prevent her from pulling your clustered party into overlapping area hazards.

   Watch out: Any unique vendor items from Lann Tarv, Roah Moonglow, or Araj Oblodra that you did not purchase before the Shadowfell are now permanently forfeit.

3. 3

   The First Floor Landing

   Climb the main stairs from the ground floor up to the first floor landing and library where Radija and a pack of flying ghouls guard the hallway. Destroy the necromites and eliminate Radija to secure access to the upper level's private quarters and roof stairs. Search the hallway thoroughly and check the nearby side rooms for lingering cultist reinforcements.

   Key fight: Radija (First Floor Library/Landing)

   Tip: Keep your ranged combatants back on the stairwell to prevent flying ghouls from swarming your backline.

4. 4

   Raiding the Upper Quarters

   Before heading out to the roof, enter the hallway's adjoining chambers to plunder Balthazar's ritual workshop and Ketheric Thorm's private bedroom. Interact with the protruding book ("Musty Tomes") on the bookshelf in Balthazar's room and insert a heart into the emerging Ancient Altar to access the secret laboratory, then enter Ketheric's bedroom to loot his chest and read his family letters. Be prepared for a combat encounter against an aggressive Mimic disguised as a chest in the adjoining bedroom quarters.

   Tip: Read the dog-eared letters from Isobel and Melidia in Ketheric's bedroom to unlock critical dialogue checks for the encounters ahead.

   Watch out: Attacking or opening the suspicious chest in the bedroom without buffs will trigger a surprise round from the Mimic.

5. 5

   Rooftop Confrontation with Ketheric

   Open the heavy double doors to step out onto the Moonrise Towers Rooftop and confront General Ketheric Thorm and his Myrkulite retinue. Utilize your earlier knowledge of his family to challenge his convictions via dialogue, then focus fire down his surrounding adds while bringing Ketheric below half health. Once battered, Ketheric triggers a cutscene summoning a giant tentacle to drag Dame Aylin into the central tower chasm, escaping down into the depths.

   Key fight: Ketheric Thorm (Rooftop Confrontation)
   Coldbrim Hat: from Balthazar's Chambers on the First Floor, behind the bookcase secret door to the laboratory chest (X: -155, Y: -173)How: pick the locked chest (DC 14)Missable because: permanently lost if you advance to Act 3 without looting it Don't miss NewCloak of Elemental Absorption: from the Opulent Chest inside Ketheric Thorm's bedroom on the First Floor (X: -170, Y: -171)How: pick the lock on the Opulent Chest (DC 14)Missable because: inaccessible once you advance to Act 3 Don't miss New

   Tip: Clear the Necromites and hound first so Aylin and your frontline can hit Ketheric without taking constant reaction strikes.

   Watch out: You cannot kill Ketheric here; expending all your highest-level spell slots on him before he flees leaves you depleted for the descent.

6. 6

   Securing the Chasm Descent

   Speak with Dame Aylin's allies and Jaheira near the smoking breach where Ketheric plummeted into the tower's hollow center. Invite Jaheira to officially join your four-person party roster as a full companion if you wish to bring her into the depths. Rest and equip your team at the precipice before interacting with the hollow tower entrance to descend after Thorm into the Mind Flayer Colony.

   Tip: You can swap Jaheira into your active party roster here even if she merely accompanied you as a guest during the courtyard assault.

   Watch out: Descending into the chasm is a point of no return for this sector of the fortress—finish all looting on the upper and lower floors first.

What you decide here and what it leads to.