Curst

Curst (AR0700)

   You are now in Curst (10000XP) in the outlands. Before you go on talk with your companions about what Ravel told about them. Especially Dak'kon and Annah. From Dak'kon you learn that you once saved his live and he is now your slave (6000XP). From Annah you learn that she loves you, if you love her too than you can kiss her. Just for fun because it doesn't give you anything extra in the from of XP (or anything else). It is fun though.

Explore

   Before you go into any buildings, explore the area first to learn about Curst. You learn that Curst is in quarantine now because of some kind of plague and the Deva is underneath Curst. The citizens are not very talkative and Curst guards guard every building that means something.

The tavern

   Like always try to familiarise yourself with the environment and learn about Curst, the plague and the deva, without entering any buildings. When your finished enter the Traitor's Gate Tavern (AR0704), which is the first building on the right from the gate where you entered Curst. The tavern is a building with two floors. On the second floor there is however not a lot to do, besides collecting all the available items.

A mental key

   When you entered, walk to the barman named Tainted Barse to learn that his daughter was kidnapped. He can tell you something about the deva and has a hidden way that leads there (a curst guard named Chek'ka Plute is on the other side of the bar watching Barse to find out about it). Before he tells you about the secret entrance you will have to get a key to enter it. The key is not a physical key but consists of pieces of text. There are 5 parts in total. There are also 5 persons in the bar that can give you their part of the key, but each of them has a quest for you and the quests have to be carried out in sequence.

Kidnapped!

   Barse will tell you that Marquez a harmonium officer who can be found left from the entrance can give the first part of the key to you. From Barse you can also acquire some healing charms if required. Go to Marquez and he will tall you that your task is simple. Find the slave traders that captured the daughter, kill them and bring the daughter back alive. The girl and the slave traders, that are Harmonium guards, can be found in inner Curst (AR0701), so leave the bar and head to the NE and on to the next area.

Free the girl

   When you enter upper Curst then the guards are located on the left side of the Warehouse, which is the first building on the left. You see several guards standing there around the girl Jasilya, the daughter of Barse. You can talk to the guards but it will always end up in a fight. So kill them, but take care that none of the guards turn around and kill the girl, or that she is killed with an incorrect spell that is casted. Once your finished talk to the girl that thanks you and leaves. Go back to the bar and tell Marquez that Jasilya is free (65000XP). He gives you the first part of the key and directs you for the second part to Kitla. When you wish to improve your fighting skills or want to become a fighter than talk to Marquez about that.

A legacy

   Go to the woman named Kitla who can be found at the other side from where Marquez is standing. She will tell you about the distiller Kester and the blacksmith Crumplepunch who both owe her money but are not paying due to an argument about a legacy. She wants her money and asks you to solve the argument or kill them. Well killing doesn't give you the amount of experience you get from solving the problem so go talk to the blacksmith Crumplepunch about the problems with his brother Kester. The blacksmith is to be found in the centre of outer Curst (AR0104C). The brothers have an argument over the inheritance of their father who left them the distiller and the blacksmith and the distiller is making more money than the blacksmith. Suggest that you will solve the problem and he gives you his legacy. Next go to the distiller (AR3014) in inner Curst (first building on the left) and talk to him as well. He will also give you his legacy.

Distilling a decision

   With the blacksmith you can trade weapons and with the distiller you can trade charms and spells. Depending on what you decide to do it might be wise to do your trading first before making a decision. When you are ready to tell them your decision go to Crumplepunch. You have the following options:

1. Decide in favour of Crumplepunch (131250XP). You then get higher prices for what you sell to him and get lower prices when you buy from him. You can however no longer trade with Kester.
2. Decide in favour of Kester (131250XP). You then get lower prices for everything you sell to Crumplepunch and have to pay more for everything you buy. However Kester is fond of you and you can buy freely from him.
3. Split things up evenly between them (150000XP). This is more favourable to Crumplepunch then to Kester. You can then still buy and sell hardware from the first but the second will no longer trade with you.
4. Give the legacies to Kitla (150000XP) and you're no longer able to trade with Kester and have to pay more for everything you buy from Crumplepunch.

When you told Crumplepunch your decision go to Kitla and she gives you the scroll of Abyssal Fury and the second part of the key. She also tells you to talk to Nabat for the third part of the key.

Taking care of the dump

   Nabat can be located in the middle part of the area. Ask him about the third part of the key and he will tell you that you can have it if you protect the dump caretaker from some thugs. So off you go to the dump caretaker Kyse which can be found outside, across the bar. Talk to him to find out two things. First why the thugs are after him and secondly that there is an entrance to the Curst underground from the dump. You can go in here without having the key! You do miss out then on a lot of XP and the fun of playing the game. So onwards we go to the thug named Wernet in inner Curst. Go to him (south of the distiller) and talk to him about Kyse. He doesn't listen and leaves. Now head back to Kyse to protect him. When you arrive the thugs also arrive and start attacking Kyse. Protect him and kill the thugs. Then talk to Kyse who offers you some healing if you ever require it. Then go back to Nabat (43750XP) and get the third part of the key who then directs you to Dallan for the next part.

Assassins?

   Go talk to Dallan, who can also train your thieving skills if you require so. He wants you to talk to a githyanki named An'izius who is one of the leaders of the town and can be located near the gate to Carceri at the north side of inner Curst. Go there and talk to him about his trouble. He will tell you that a woman named Siabha needs to be humiliated because she is in the way of his ambitions. The way to do that is by lying to the captain of the guard that she wants to assassinate him. Now talk to her about that (she is in front of the administration building) and she will double the offer if you tell to the captain of the guard that An'izius is trying to assassinate her. Go back to An'izius and he will double that offer again now go to Siabha and she will match that last offer. If you turn one of them in you get 100000XP and 3000 copper. If you turn them both in you get 200000XP but no money. Tell the captain of the guard about your choice (he can be found near the gate to outer Curst) and he will arrest one or both of them depending on your choice.

Fiend or foe?

   After that is done go to Dallan (875000XP) and get the fourth part of the key after which he directs you to Dona Quisho who is near Kitla. She will ask you to free a fiend named Agril-Shanak, which is held captive in a pentagram located in the grain Silo. She gives you a scroll, which is needed for that. Go to the grain Silo, that is just above the tavern and enter it (AR0705). Go up the ladder and stand near the pentagram after which you can read the scroll (60000XP). This will result in the appearance of Agril-Shanak. Talk to him and learn how he can be freed. You can get the heartgrinder weapon from him if you do. You can also opt to kill him but you will get another chance for that at a later time so free him. Then go back to Dona Quisho and tell her that it is free (131250XP). You also get some money and she directs you to Barse, who will send you through his tunnel.
Before you do make sure that you are healed and have enough healing charms. Also this is the time to sell all unnecessary items you are carrying and buy some sensible stuff for that. From this point on you need to fight a lot so make sure you are equipped for that before you talk to Barse.