Online:Northpoint in Peril

Quick Walkthrough
# Talk to Baron Alard Dorell near Northpoint.
# Locate Skordo the Knife.
# Find Darien Gautier.
# Find out how to get into the Smugglers' Tunnel.
# Talk to Gwendis.

Detailed Walkthrough
Searching the Farmlands
|thumb|right|Dorell and his troops on a hill overlooking the sieged city
Upon the completion of the previous quest in the Lorkrata Hills, you can continue to speak with Count Verandis Ravenwatch to learn about what your next move should be. Montclair has taken control of Northpoint, and even though Verandis has ordered Gwendis, who first noticed this problem, to direct Baron Dorell and Countess Tamrith there, your help might still be needed. Should you have left the Lorkrata Hills without accepting this quest from Verandis, you can also receive it from Baron Dorell himself, or from Skordo the Knife in an Abandoned Farm House near Northpoint or from Mollier Guillon near the Staging Grounds Wayshrine. 

When you speak with Baron Dorell, who can be found on a hill overlooking the farmlands to the south of Northpoint, he will further elaborate on the situation (espcecially if you ask him some optional questions) and tell you how you may assist him and his allies:
:''"Nice of you to finally join us. Those damn Montclairs have locked me out of my own city! If any of my people have been hurt, I'll kill Montclair and his daughter with my bare hands."
:What can I do to help?
:"You know how to get things done. Join up with Skordo and help him find a way into the city. I'll keep the troops on alert and ready to move on your signal."

|thumb|left|"You walked into the wrong farm house, Montclair!"
Skordo should be easy to find, as a marker shows you exactly where the farm house in which he and some others may be found is located. Make your way there, through the farmlands that are being burned and pillaged by Montclair forces, and talk to Skordo, who has donned Montclair armor as a disguise:
:Why are you dressed as a Montclair soldier?
:"It's a disguise! What's wrong? Don't you like it? Is my helmet on crooked or something? We're going to sneak into Northpoint. Not usually my approach, but Countess Tamrith and Darien helped us get this far."
:Where is Darien?
:"No idea. He went to scout around and hasn't come back yet. So far, we've learned that the patrols outside the city consist of untrained fighters with orders to keep people away. Only the officers seem to know what's going on inside."
:Have you found a way to get inside yet?
:"I suggested busting a hole in the wall, but the Countess decided we should save that as a last resort. Darien went out to search while we took care of the farmers. They came to us for help, and you know how the Countess feels about refugees ...."''

While in the farm house, you can speak with Countess Tamrith, who is tending to some wounded refugees, or to some captured Montclair soldiers. If you have the Intimidating Presence passive from the Fighters Guild skill line, you can "persuade" one of the captives to tell you that there is a command post on a nearby shore that might be of interest to you. You can also learn about this command post by eavesdropping on some Montclair soldiers who are having a conversation behind a nearby farm, or you can simply find it without any such hints. 

|thumb|rght|Montclair forces wreaking havoc on a farmstead
Either way, once you have found the command post, you will want to search a lockbox that stands there and take the key that it contains. With the key, you can unlock the door to the Officers' Quarters that should now be indicated by a quest marker. Make your way there, unlock the door, and you will find yourself standing in front of a shirtless Darien Gautier, who apparently has some very special ideas about gathering intel from the enemy:
:"I was wondering when you were going to show up. Want a bite?"
:'''What's going on here?
:"Reconnaissance! But keep your voice down. No need to wake the good captain. And know what I learned? There's not a single guard in Northpoint. Lleraya ordered them to get out and keep everyone away."
:Is that all?
:"Isn't that enough? I was fairly proud of that bit of espionage. But you're right. There's more. The good captain here let slip that there's a smuggler's tunnel. Leads right into the heart of the city. It's our best option for getting inside."''

As soon as you finish your conversation with Darien, Gwendis will emerge from the shadows and reveal that she too has some valuable information. Speak with her to learn that although the smuggler's tunnel does lead into the city, you will need a key in order to enter it. The smugglers' boss, Lagra, probably has the key, and since the Montclairs have recently been sinking all the vessles that got too close to Northpoint, you will most likely find her stranded somewhere along the shoreline. 

|thumb|left|Lagra's sunken ship
The Smuggler's Tunnel
As per Gwendis's suggestion, you should head over to the coast and see if you can find any clues that may help you to find either the tunnel proper or the key to it. The item that you are looking for is a bottle that contains a message and which can be found along the shoreline. According to the message, the smugglers' ship has been attacked and sunk, which means that you should next try and find a sunken ship along the shoreline. Follow the shore west until you find a large, partially submerged vessel. This is the ship that you are looking for, and more particularly, the key that you need can be found in its lower deck. As you retrieve the key, however, you will hear an angry Orcish lady yelling at you from the upper deck:
:Captain Lagra "Come out of there! I saw you go down there. Get off my ship before I cut you!"

Return to the upper deck and speak to Captain Lagra, who is neither particularly friendly nor particularly fond of your taking off with her key. Since Captain Lagra obviously knows where the tunnel's entrance is, you can still turn the encounter to your advantage, however, by trying to get her to share this information with you. Intimidation, persuasion (from the Mages Guild skill line) and bribery are all valid ways to get her to cooperate with you, so pick whichever option you prefer. Once you have both the key and the required information, it is time to return to the shoreline. There, you will find Gwendis waiting for you near some rocks. Follow her back to where the others are waiting, and brief her on what you just learned to finish the quest and to receive your reward, which consists of   and some leveled gold:
|thumb|right|''"Come on, I'll take you to where the others are waiting."
:"Tell me you found something good, hero. It's not like the fate of Rivenspire is hanging in the balance or anything."
:I've got the key to the tunnel. It's in the cave beneath the lighthouse.
:"Right, then! Let's go see what Lleraya's doing in there. But brace yourself. I don't think we're going to like what we find."
:What do you mean?
:"Northpoint … it just feels … empty. I sense life in there, but it's faint. Barely perceptible. We need to be ready for anything."
:Then let's head inside.
:"His lordship, the Baron over there, wants us to head inside, see what's going on, and secure the area. He wants us to be slow and careful so as not to damage his precious city. Good job getting that key, by the way. Now let's go save Northpoint."''

Quest Stages