A Moment's Respite

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1

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500 XP

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1.333 stronghold turn(s)

## Related quests

The Ruins of Cilant Lîs

*Concurrent:*
The Gilded Vale

## Technical

### Quest ID

cp\_qst\_getting\_water

**A Moment's Respite** is a main quest in *Pillars of Eternity*. It starts after talking to Odema at the encampment.

## Synopsis

Your character fell sick and there is an ominous feeling in the air. Odema, the caravan leader, will tell you that he fears a soulstorm is on the way, and that it is best to find a cure for your sickness. He sends you off to harvest some local herbs that will stop your fever. You are accompanied by Calisca, a female fighter.

## Exposition

The following is shown after starting a new game, providing some exposition along with a narration and a graphic of the caravans travelling through the Dyrwood:

Five wagons grope blindly for the path on a starless night, their master glancing ever upward to the skies for assurance that he is on the right course, a dim lantern his only protection against the encroaching darkness.

But the skies bring no comfort, shining no light, betraying no hint of what they know.

The caravan carries travelers bound for the frontier hamlet of Gilded Vale, you among them, where a local lord has offered land and wealth to settlers from abroad looking for a fresh start.

You have taken suddenly ill, sweating and shivering, and one of the other travelers signals for the caravan master to stop on your behalf. He pulls up just in time to avoid plowing into the trunk of a fallen tree that bars the way ahead. You will go no further tonight.

## Walkthrough

* Talk to Odema to get your bearings and learn about a remedy for the "Rumbling Rot". He will ask Calisca to help you find the springberries. These are located to the northwest of the camp, defended by a young wolf.
* Calisca will talk to you about your past, giving you the opportunity to continue with a little bit of character development and exploration. Then she will suggest finding Sparfel and giving him a kick in the rear, to get him to fetch water to the camp and concoct you that springberry tea.
* You can find him - or rather, the waterskin he left behind - on the other side of the river and the stone bridge. Collecting it will trigger a fight sequence with a few Glanfathan tribesmen, who just shot Sparfel. After you defeated them, return to the camp.
* Glanfathans attacked the encampment and slaughtered all but one: Heodan. He is alive and was taken captive. The Glanfathan leader will then initiate dialogue and demand that you drop your weapons and threaten to kill Heodan. At this point:
	+ If you select 1 Lore option (asking if the Glanfathans worship Galawain) or have 2 Athletics and choose the Athletics option, you will begin combat with Heodan uninjured.
	+ Any other option (including dropping your weapons, which will remove the weapon from Calisca and your current weapon slot) will result in Heodan receiving an injury prior to the fight (-20 Fortitude -2 Constitution), rather than killing him.
* After the fight, a scripted encounter will begin where Heodan is grabbed by an attacker while trying to escape. The first option is to throw or fire your weapon at the attacker; if you had a melee weapon equipped, it will be dropped. The second option, only available with Dexterity 15, is to throw a rock at the attacker. The third option is to do nothing. The first two options will free Heodan and allow him to escape. The third will result in his death.

## Killing the caravan

* Instead of completing the quest objectives given by Odema and Calisca, you also have the option of slaughtering the caravan. This can be very difficult for some classes, especially on Hard or above. Make sure you have picked up all the items from the chests in the area, including if possible The Disappointer, which you can sell to Heodan and use to buy potions and equipment. Collecting the berries first will cause Sparfel to disappear and remove one of your tougher enemies, as well as allowing you to flesh out your biography in the discussion with Calisca.
* When you're ready, put some distance between you and Calisca and order her to attack one of the caravan members. She will turn hostile to you as soon as the fight begins, but as long as she is closer to the caravan than to you she will be tied down with fighting the other caravan members. Leave her to kill as many of them as she can before she dies while you pick off enemies at the rear. Most of the caravan will go down in a hit or two, but Heodan and especially Odema are more difficult—be prepared to heal a lot.
* As soon as everyone's dead, a cutscene will begin and the quest will end.

## Gallery

* The caravans travelling the road at night