Getting inside the asylum

Getting inside the asylum is a main storyline quest in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and its Enhanced Edition. It begins when the party reaches Brynnlaw at the start of Chapter 4, and takes up the first half of the chapter, before giving way to Escaping the asylum.
There are two versions to this quest, depending on if the party arrived at Brynnlaw thanks to Saemon Havarian or Bodhi. The Bodhi provided arrival is almost the same, just a wee bit less fighting and experience offered.
Experienced players can also metagame by simply going straight after Perth the Adept or Desharik, but this will forfeit some of the experience to be gained, especially if the Saemon path was taken.
==Gameplay==
There are two main paths or routes the party can follow to gain access to Spellhold. These are the Saemon Havarian/Bodhi path or the Pirate Lord Desharik paths. From a strictly party experience reward viewpoint, the Saemon Havarian path provides more XP than the Pirate Lord Desharik path. Note, however, that none of the paths are mutually exclusive. For example, one can rescue Claire, kill Perth, and kill the Pirate Lord in order to fully maximize XP and loot.
==Saemon Havarian path==
After Saemon's ship docks at Brynnlaw, the Shadow Thief representative Sime will confess that they do not trust Saemon. This distrust proves warranted when Saemon brings three vampires onto the deck - Valen, Del and Parisa and then flees. Because of the vampire presence, regardless of the actual time calculation in Brynnlaw, the opening arrival will always be at Nighttime.
Once the party has defeated the vampires, Sime instructs them to head to the local tavern, known as The Vulgar Monkey, and speak to a man named Sanik, before she heads off to scout.
Sanik is a merchant who supplies the Asylum with basic materials, such as food and spell components, but he states that he is leaving town because of a certain "misunderstanding" with the local brothel mistress, Galvena.
Before he can explain the matter further, an assassin appears and kills him with an arrow — then attacks the party. Dispatch the murderer to end the encounter.
The innkeeper will be angered about the assassination and will explain to the party the situation of Galvena's business and that Sanik was killed because he had an affair with one of the Lady's brothel employees, Claire. The innkeeper suggests that Claire may be killed by Galvena, and that perhaps she knows how to enter the Asylum. He also explains that you will need some help to enter Galvena's Brothel — either using violence or talking to a Courtesan just outside her festhall brothel.
===The Brothel===
When you first reach Brynnlaw, the Brothel, or sometimes referred to as "Festhall" (or even "Parlor" and also "Galveena's Festhall" - seriously) will be closed to customers/visitor and the courtesans will shun you away, but it will become available after the events in The Vulgar Monkey with Sanik. 
The courtesan (either a male or a female, depending on the party leader) will either take you inside the building or explain how one can enter by using Galvena's Medallion.
The party Journal will update and display:
If you choose the medallion, you will have to find Chremy and then fight him to acquire it. There's no need to wear the medallion, just keep it in your inventory and enter the Brothel, where the frontman/greeter will stop you. 
Once inside, you will have dialogue with the frontman. 
Basically, to get past him you have three choices to do so:
First, Tell him you are a new employee, and he'll let the party pass through the door to the interior (which is the Cellar of Brothel area). If you try this without Galvena's medallion, he'll know you lie, and hostilities will commence. This will not only make him hostile, but any guards further into the interior of the brothel. Basically, your ruse will have failed, and your only course of action is entering as an aggressor and use of force. 
Second, tell him you are here to hire some companionship. The greeter will then say "Of course! Just out the door of our fine establishment, you shall find a selection of courtesans such as the world has never seen. For a small fee, they shall take care of you." Go outside a speak with a courtesan. You may then attempt to try and convince a courtesan to get you inside - you will go to their room. It becomes apparent that Lady Galvena is a horrible person and cruel boss. They will urge you to end Lady Galvena's operations and will suggest that you go speak with the cook Ellie, who dislikes the whole state of affairs, and then give her a Sleeping Draught to use and assist the party getting past some Brothel guards.
Third, take a chance by using no subterfuge, and attack the frontman. He'll fight back, and two pirate lackey fighters will appear to assist him. Assuming the party wins the fight (of course they will!), if you search the fallen will find the Guild House Key. Now access to the brothel cellar is in your hands. When ready, enter the interior. The locked door to the interior of the brothel can be lockpicked, and the key won't be needed. However, if this is done, an alarm script will cause the frontman to become hostile, and a group of pirate fighters will appear to assist, and any guards within the brothel will be alerted and hostile. In other words, the jig is up, and no subterfuge or other plan will work except for brute force methods. 
Within the brothel cellar are five doors on the long hallway, which is shown on the Cellar of Brothel page. The first door leads to the Brothel entrance (the one the party entered from); the second is to the courtesan's room; the third to the kitchen; the fourth to Galvena's private bed chamber quarters; the fifth door is locked and leads to a small dungeon where Claire is being held and tortured. There are two guards by the fourth and fifth doors, and as soon as you reach the third door, they will inquire who you are - they are very suspicious and hard to avoid. The party might avoid detection by stealthing past the guards while hidden or invisible. If you have the Galvena's Medallion and the correct dialogue choices, you can convince the guard you are a new employee. If the guards are already hostile, due to previous fighting or picking of the locked door in the Brothel entrance area, then none of this will apply. Those guards will attack the party on sight.
In the kitchen, talk with Ellie and her aide. She will agree to apply the draught (obtained from the courtesan you spoke with earlier in the courtesan's room) to the Brothel guard's ale. Ellie's aide will hand it to them. Exit the kitchen and observe as the guards in the hallway and their captain in Galveena's HQ/bed chamber fall peacefully asleep in a drugged slumber. You may now search that room for Galvena's Key, to open the Brothel prison/dungeon door. Afterwards, while the Guard (Brothel Cellar) and Guard Captain (Brothel) are under the effects of the spiked ale with the sleeping potion, if the party desires they may attack them. The guards will arise and try to fight back. Don't forget to return and speak with Ellie after lady Galvena has been vanquished, to inform her of your deeds, for a XP reward. 
Alternatively, the party can just use violence and take out the Brothel guards through force of arms on your way to find Claire the Brothel dungeon. The fight shouldn't be difficult at this stage of the saga. One of the guards wields a Halberd +2. You'll need Galvena's Key to get into the Brothel prison/dungeon area, which is found in one of the hallway side rooms. if you decide to do it this way, then Ellie the cook and all that other Sleeping Draught business is now over. You may safely ignore Ellie and company.
Galvena's Key to open the Brothel prison doorway is inside Galvena's/HQ bedchamber.
===Rescuing Claire===
With the key in hand, gather your party and enter the Brothel Prison map. As soon as you open the eastern door, you will see Galvena, Vadek and Claire. After some dialogue, hostilities will ensue. Note that combat in small spaces can be tricky, so expect a confined area with little room for maneuver. 
Vadek is a wizard and will engage in spell casting if able when hostilities begin. See his article page for details. Galvena will engage in melee combat and is less of a potential menace. Suggest that the party pay attention to Vadek as a priority. If defeated, Valdek drops a score of Darts +1 and a Quarterstaff +2; Galvena drops a Studded Leather Armor +3 and a Flail +2.
Address Claire inside the cell and she will then soon transition with the party to the docks so she can escape Brynnlaw. It is assumed the party helps her do this, as one of her legs has been broken during torture. A friend of Sanik's, named Golin, will greet Claire, then thank the party for her rescue, Claire will board his ship. Golin then will finally explain to Gorion's Ward how to access the Asylum: First, with a specific ward stone possessed by the Island's administrative Cowled Wizard, Perth the Adept. The second path would be to petition the Pirate Lord Desharik to allow entry.
==The Bodhi path==
As soon as the party arrives on Brynnlaw, Saemon Havarian tells you to find Sanik in the The Vulgar Monkey inn. The same information will be furnished to the party as above, and the same path to get more information will be presented.
==Perth the Adept and the wardstone path==
Perth is a mage that lives in the eastern part of Brynnlaw. Enter the Cowled Wizard's residence and dialogue will begin — leading to an inevitable confrontation. Do not give him much time to act, as he can cast powerful spells. He will drop the Wardstone for Asylum and the Book of Infinite Spells if slain. See his article page for more details.
Wardstone in hand, head to the northeastern exit of the town, where you can find your trusted escort Sime once again. Speak to her then proceed to Spellhold. The party will enter a new map. 
==Pirate Lord Desharik path==
Desharik is within his home. A guard outside his residence will need to be persuaded to let you have an audience with the Pirate lord. Once inside, then the party may take an alternate path to gain entry into Spellhold. You'll require either Minsc, Wilson or Yoshimo in your party, or a player character with superior charisma (16+).
As Golin explained, Desharik has been using his position to throw anyone he considers a threat in the Asylum as a deviant. His enemies, but also the mentally ill, wind up in Spellhold. You must convince him that you belong there. Telling him "I'm mad" is not enough by itself. He'll require further proof. See Desharik's page for the details.
As such, having either Minsc (a ranger who talks with a hamster) and/or Wilson (a brown bear who speaks with Gorion's Ward) in the party is enough to convince him. Or another possible way: the captain will recognize Yoshimo (Yoshimo suspiciously claims the pirate lord must "believe he owes him from a previous debt").
If this goes well, you will be granted entrance to the Asylum without having to obtain the Wardstone or confront the Cowled Wizard representative.
==Rewards==
* Convincing Ellie to drug the guards: 1,000 XP
* Drugging the guards: 4,000 XP
* Closing Lady Galvena's Festhall-permanently: 10,000 XP
* For bringing Claire to Captain Golin: 2,000 XP
* Informing Ellie she's free (sleeping potion route only): 2,250 XP (each character)
* For convincing Desharik to incarcerate you: 38,000 XP (each character)
==Gallery==
===Personnel involved (Saemon Havarian path)===
:Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
SAEMON.jpg|thumb|Saemon Havarian — The party is embarked in Brynnlaw from Saemon's sailing ship. If you didn't side with Bodhi in chapter 3, bad things happen soon afterward.
PPSIME.jpg|thumb|Sime, an "escort" provided by Aran Linvail, if you didn't side with Bodhi. Upon arrival in Brynnlaw she has some comments - eventually suggesting that you speak with Sanik in the Vulgar Monkey - Brynnlaw's Inn - before she leaves the party to perform some scouting and reconnaissance of local environs. 
PPSANIK.jpg|thumb|Sanik, in the Vulgar Monkey - hwar his tale and agree to find Claire, who can help get a pathway to enter Spellhold.
PIRCOR03.jpg|thumb|Male courtesan, works for the Brothel - "You wouldn't happen t' know of a decent lass who's in need of a bit o' company, would ye? Send 'er to me, aye?"
PIRPIR05.jpg|thumb|Chremy, possible source of Galvena's Medallion, one method to gain entry into the Brothel interior.
PIRMUR03.jpg|thumb|Front room Brothel Guard - You must get past this person to enter the Brothel interior, of which there several ways to do so.
PIRCOR05.jpg|thumb|Ellie the courtesan cook downstairs in the Brothel - she may provide a way to get past the Brothel interior guards.
PIRMUR01.jpg|thumb|Galvena - Brothel owner - One of the characters holding Claire, whom you seek per Sanik's information.
PIRMUR10.jpg|thumb|Claire, courtesan and Sanik's lover held in Galvena's prison - "Please! I have served you for years! Why could you not let me go? *sob*"
PIRMUR07.jpg|thumb|Vadek, with Galvena and Claire in the Brothel prison. He is going to be an adversary preventing the party from freeing Claire.
PIRMUR09.jpg|thumb|Golin, Sanik's ship captain - who has knowledge of how to gain access to Spellhold.
===Personnel involved (Pirate Lord Desharik path)===
PIRMUR09.jpg|thumb|Golin, Sanik's ship captain eventually tells the party that one method to gain access to Spellhold is via Pirate Lord Desharik.
PPDOOR.jpg|thumb|Pirate Door Guard, Controls entry to Desharik's Estate - "Go away. The Pirate Lord sees no one without appointment."
DESH.jpg|thumb|Desharik, Pirate leader of Brynnlaw - in his estate he may say "Spellhold? Why would you want to go there? Hardly a sociable place for decent folk."
===Personnel involved (Cowled Wizard path)===
PIRMUR09.jpg|thumb|Golin, Sanik's ship captain eventually says that the Cowled Wizard representative probably has a wardstone which can allow passage through the protective wards to allow entry into Spellhold.
PPCOWLED.jpg|thumb|Perth the Adept, Cowled Wizard administrator on Brynnlaw - purported to possess a wardstone needed to gain entry to Spellhold.
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