Ruined Temple of Bhaal

The Ruined Temple of Bhaal is an optional dungeon in Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear.
Hidden in the Forest of Wyrms, Gorion's Ward has to go through the Wyrm Cave and the Bugbear Caverns in order to reach it.
== Layout ==
The party enters into the main hall of the ruined temple, where sacrifices are conducted. Keherrem, two nameless Crusaders, and Madele are all imprisoned here. An unpickable locked door to the southeast leads to the Ritual Room. A passageway southwest leads past several storerooms and living chambers, with two such chambers connected to the main hall in the southeast. Several Worgs lurk in the room further southwest.
The uppermost of the southeastern rooms from the main hall contains a group of four cultists. They will ignore the player if left alone, and if spoken to will also leave them alone if Gorion's Ward claims to be a new cultist, otherwise, they will attack. They will drop Potion of Healing, and the (sometimes trapped) containers in the room contain a random gem, 20 Bullets of Electricity and a Potion of Agility, which can be taken without aggravating the cultists.
The lower of the south-eastern rooms from the main hall contains a band of three hostile Invisible Stalkers, which guard a chest containing 20 Darts of Wounding.
Heading south, the first room on the left contains more cultists. These cultists, and the ones following, will only become hostile if an ally in the same room is attacked, allowing elimination one by one. The first room on the right contains a Mad Cultist (monk) who is busily attacking the bookcases. Scattered around this room on the floor and on the shelves are assorted books, as well as scrolls of Armor, Blindness, Cure Serious Wounds (x2), Free Action, and Neutralize Poison. The cultist himself drops a Potion of Explosions when slain. Following the corridor around brings the party onto a trap in the corner, past a locked lower chamber (more cultists) and an upper chamber with a trapped chest with a Parchment and scrolls of Cure Critical Wounds and Identify). The corridor ends at Ziatar's Chamber.
=== Ziatar's Chamber ===
Inside, after a brief conversation, the half-dragon cultist will turn hostile, regardless of what is said to her. This will cause all other surviving cultists of Cyric in this portion of the temple to turn hostile as well. She drops a Plate Mail +1, a Two-Handed Sword +1, a Wand of the Heavens, a Jail Key, and a Ritual Room Key, whilst a nearby table contains the unique books Akanna's Journal and Ziatar's Journal.
With the Ritual Room Key, the player can now unlock the Ritual Room, and thereby gain access to the rest of the temple. Upon entering the Ritual Room, they will see a cultist of Cyric be slain by a Neothelid, with a second fleeing past them. Once the aberration is dead, the player may continue through a door in the southeast wall.
The resultant corridor leads southeast to the High Priest's Room and southwest to the Laboratory.
=== High Priest's Room ===
The High Priest's Room is currently occupied by High Priestess Akanna, who has been driven mad by psionic emanations. If you wait to enter until the Mind Flayer has been slain, she will be grateful for saving her temple and offer you 200 gold as payment. You can also ask for the Wardstone. She can then be attacked for no penalty. If you don't defeat the Mind Flayer first, any dialog options will lead to battle . She will summon one or two Aerial Servants  for backup. From her corpse, the player can take 20 Bullets +2, a Club +1, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Sling +1, a Studded Leather Armor +1. Inside a locked and trapped (with Lightning Bolt) chest in the room there is also a scroll of Detect Illusion and some valuables. If encountered prior to defeating the Mind Flayer, the player and party can flee the room and avoid killing Akanna. Once the Mind Flayer has been defeated, the player can return to the (still hostile) Akanna and charm her, then speak to her to receive thanks for saving the temple and receive the Wardstone passively. She can still be killed for no penalty after this.
=== Laboratory ===
The laboratory has containers filled with lootable potions; the party can acquire an Antidote, an Elixir of Health, an Oil of Fiery Burning, a Potion of Fire Giant Strength, a Potion of Freedom, a Potion of Genius, a Potion of Insight, a Potion of Perception, and a Potion of Strength.
=== Sarevok's Secret ===
Progressing south brings the player past a curved wall. If they gained the quest Sarevok's Secret by finding the Page from Sarevok's Notes in the secret room of Korlasz's Tomb, this is where it can be completed. In the protruding wall are mounted six gigantic domino masks, in two rows of three. If the masks in the slots 3, 1 and 4 are pressed in that order (the upper row corresponds to masks 1-3, the lower to masks 4-6, both in a left-to-right order), a secret door will open and reveal a hidden room containing a Shadow Aspect. If this powerful foe is slain, a locked and trapped chest can be looted for a unique book, Godsbane, and the unique magical Short Sword +3 Fractal Blade.
=== Reliquary ===
The corridor ends in a chamber in the south, with a door in its north-west that opens into the Reliquary. This contains the source of the temple's downfall: a Mind Flayer named Darskhelin, and its band of thralls - a former party of four adventurers, consisting of Jhan Redmoons (Enchanter), Mohad Flintborn (Berserker), Shallen (Archer), and Teth Se-Nehi (Kensai). At higher difficulties, there are also two umber hulks waiting. All of them are hostile and will attack on sight. If defeated, their remains can be looted for 40 Acid Arrows +1, the unique amulet Archer's Eyes, a Battle Axe +1, Bracers of Defense AC 7, 20 Darts of Stunning, the unique katana Crimson Dawn +2, a Large Shield +1, a Longbow +1, an Oil of Speed, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Potion of Healing, a Potion of Power, a Quarterstaff +1, a Short Sword +1, Studded Leather Armor +1, and a Traveler's Robe. The reliquary also contains a lootable table (bearing a Dagger +1 and a Male Body) and a locked, trapped chest containing a Scroll of Chaotic Commands.
== History ==
Before the death of Bhaal, this hidden temple was dedicated to his glory, and attracted worshippers from the area around Boareskyr Bridge. One day a team of Harpers invaded the temple, and it is hinted - in certain dialogue lines with Madele - that Gorion's Ward might have been one of the children they rescued from this place. After Bhaal's death at the hands of Cyric, worshippers of the new God of Murder stormed the temple and slaughtered its remaining faithful; only Madele remains of the original band of priests. Currently, the temple has come under stealthy attack by a Mind Flayer named Darskhelin, who was given complete information on the temple as revenge by Madele, and began preying on the temple's occupants, killing some and driving others to insanity.
During the Shining Crusade of Caelar Argent, a Cyricist priest from this temple stole the wardstone for the teleportation circle into Bridgefort. A team of Crusaders that went looking for this wardstone has been imprisoned in the temple {The Missing Patrol quest). This is when Gorion's Ward enters the temple.
== Creatures ==
=== NPCs ===
* Keherrem (imprisoned dwarf Crusader)
* Madele (imprisoned eyeless priestess of Bhaal)
* Akanna (High Priestess of Cyric)
=== Enemies ===
* Aerial Servants (possible, depending on choices)
* Darskhelin (Mind Flayer)
* Cultists of Cyric (assorted human fighters, thieves and monks)
* Jhan Redmoons (Enchanter)
* Mohad Flintborn (Berserker)
* Neothelid
* Invisible Stalker
* Shadow Aspect
* Shallen (Archer)
* Teth Se-Nehi (Kensai)
* Umber Hulks (possible, depending on difficulty)
* Ziatar (half-dragon fighter/cleric)
== Achievements ==
== External Links ==
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