Animal trouble in Trademeet

Animal trouble in Trademeet is a side quest that the party first learns about from a messenger sent from Trademeet to find aid.
== Acquisition ==
The first time the party enters the Athkatla City Gates, Flydian will approach and ask them to help his town with its animal problems."I am a messenger sent by the High Merchant of Trademeet to find someone to help our town.  You look like adventurers... you might be just the sort of help we need. ...Lord Logan Coprith, mayor and High Merchant of Trademeet [is] willing to offer a substantial reward for anyone who can help Trademeet out of its... difficulties."Agree to help and he adds the area of Trademeet to the player's map: "Here, I can show you on your map.  Do you think you might be able to help us?" Afterwards, Flydian, being just the messenger, wanders off into Athkatla to "...stay and enjoy the ale of this marvelous place." The player's Journal is then updated under Animal Trouble in Trademeet."I have agreed to try and help Trademeet, which is southeast of Athkatla. They are suffering from a strange animal-based siege, and the local Druids are suspected. High Merchant Lord Logan Coprith may have information for me."
== Walkthrough ==
*Travel to Trademeet. Immediately upon entering the area, you find the local militia battling an assortment of wild animals, and your party will be attacked as well.
*Deal with the immediate threat, and then speak to any of the surviving militia (i.e., Militia Captain, Wizards and/or Soldiers). They will tell you to speak with High Merchant Logan Coprith in the Mayor's House, and may also mention a that a druid has been arrested in connection with the animal troubles.
*Logan will tell you more about the animal problem and he will ask for your help. He has captured a druid who was sneaking around one of the attacks, but despite the fact that they can't relate the druid to the attack, the citizens hold him responsible.
*Enter the basement of the house and speak to Cernd. He will tell you what he knows about this and he will offer to join your party. In order to end this quest, you may need at least one druid in your party.
**IF you are of evil alignment, Lord Khellon Menold will hail you outside of the mayor's house after speaking with him and the druid. He will say all the druids are and always have been evil towards Trademeet and deserve death. If you agree to his scheme, he will give you Sulfurous Poison which you will need later.
*Leave Trademeet and journey to the Druid Grove.
*Head north and you will be confronted by a druid named Pauden. He will tell you that a shadow druid named Faldorn has taken over the grove, after the former leader of the druid grove, died.
*Make your way through the Druid Grove to the north-west druid circle where you will be attacked by Dalok. Defeat him and enter the grove.
*Approach Faldorn and if you have a druid in your party, you can challenge her. Your druid and Faldorn will fight each other one-to-one without any of your equipment and items. There are only two quarterstaffs which can be picked up. Use the abilities of the druid to gain the advantage. 
**IF you decided to take the evil path, don't speak to Faldorn but rather go to the center of the grove and click it a few times to poison it, you will be challenged by Guardian of the Source. This makes Faldorn vulnerable so you don't have to fight her the ritual way although if you do you will have to fight all druids - including Cernd - as well as Faldorn. Also, this action offends many of your potential party members. Aerie and Jaheira will voice their objections, leave the party, and fight you, and Keldorn, Valygar, Minsc, and Mazzy will join them.
**If you don't have a druid in your party, and you don't agree to have Cernd join your party, you can still choose to have Cernd challenge Faldorn. They will fight in a cut-scene style fashion and he will win. The party will gain no experience in this manner.
*Once Faldorn has been defeated (the good way) the party splits . If Gorion's Ward is a druid, or you have a druid in your party other than Cernd and they challenged Faldorn, Verthan awards them with the Staff of Thunder and Lightning. If Gorion's Ward is a druid, the Druid Stronghold quest can begin. Furthermore, at 14th level druid, the Ward can then challenge for leadership of the grove to become the Great Druid; otherwise, Verthan assumes leadership.
*Return to Logan Coprith in Trademeet for an 18,000 XP Quest reward. He will also ask for your assistance in dealing with the genies in town. You may also finish that quest before this one.
**IF you took the evil path, speaking to Logan Coprith will gain you nothing but a dip in reputation and a threat from the mayor for your evil solution to the problem.
== Bugs ==
* Among the group you encounter fighting the trolls, a druid likes to cast Call Lightning. This spell is of limited use against the trolls. But if the trolls die before the spell's duration is up, the lightning will kill the druid and his allies for you. You will not get XP for that, of course.
* In some party configurations, Faldorn needs to see the player who will be challenging her. If she can't, the dialogue option won't display.
==Gallery==
===People involved===
:Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
MESSEN.jpg|thumb|Flydian, a messenger from Trademeet asked for help in the Athkatla Gate District to assist with the "animal troubles". 
TRGRD03.jpg|.jpg|thumb|Militia Captain (Trademeet) warns you of the Animal Troubles, and advises you to go back from whence you came.
CELOGAN.jpg|thumb|High Merchant Logan Coprith, Mayor of Trademeet, seeks assistance from you.
Cernd NCERND Portrait BG2.png|thumb|Cernd, a Druid who knows of the Shadow Druids - he can be recruited into the party.
TREVIL01.jpg|thumb|Lord Khellon Menold, if the PC is evil aligned, he has an offer for you regarding the Druid grove.
CEDRUID1.jpg|thumb|Pauden, a Druid who knows Cernd, warns that Faldorn and the Shadow Druids have taken over the Druid grove.
CEDRUID2.jpg|thumb|Dalok, a Shadow Druid watching over the Druid Grove entrance area with cohorts.
Faldorn FALDORN Portrait BG1.png|thumb|Faldorn, leader of the Shadow Druids and currently in control of the Druid grove.
TREVIL02.jpg|thumb|Guardian of the Source, will challenge your appearance, "Intruder! Get thee gone! This is no place for one whom is not a druid!"