Gem Quest: The Cradle of Fire

Gem Quest: The Cradle of Fire is one of the main quests in Solasta: Crown of the Magister. It is unlocked automatically when the player completes the previous main quest and grants certain rewards upon completion.

## How to obtain the quest

The quest unlocks as you progress through the Path to Glory main quest.

## Objectives and quest log entries

**Reach the Volcano**

* You have reached the volcano.

**Explore the Volcano's Surroundings**

* You have found the aftermath of a battle, and a surviving orc shaman.

**Talk to the Orc Shaman**

* You have learned that an orc shaman called Arrok recently gained immense magical powers, possibly granted by the gem you're looking for. Explore the caves until you find this Arrok – and possibly the gem that you seek.

**Free Brok**

* You entered the volcano outface a guarded gate.

**Get Past Arbal**

* You convinced the warrior Arbal to let you enter the inner volcano.

**Free Brok**

* You reached the market area where Brok was being kept prisoner.

**Kill Redscar Orcs**

* You killed the Redscar orcs on the market.

**Free Brok**

* You freed Brok from his Redscar guardians.

**Take the Elevator**

* You entered the heart of the volcano, and began your quest for an unlikely orc coalition against the tyrant Arrok.

**Visit the Bloodspear Tribe**

* Brok has arranged a ritual duet between one of you and Edrof, to take control of his tribe.

**Choose a Weapon to Fight, or Open the Door to Forfeit the Duel**

* You chose your set of weapons.

**Defeat Edrof**

* You defeated Edrof in one-on-one combat!

**Visit the Sandraven Tribe**

* You have spoken to Urka, the Sandraven shaman.

**Visit the Bladefang Tribe**

* You discovered the Bladefang tribe's home.

**Talk to Radulf**

* You have spoken to Radulf, the Bladefang chief.

**Find the Old Queen**

* You entered the Old Queen's lair.

**Kill the Old Queen**

* You killed the Old Queen!

**Find the Holy Axe**

* You found the Holy Axe in Kraishe-Renn's

**Return the Holy Axe**

* You gave the Holy Axe back to Radulf, and he agreed to join the alliance.

**Go through Redscar Gate**

* You have entered Redscar Gate

**Explore the Necropolis**

* You found the Emperor's tomb.

**Steal the Key**

* You decided to fight the Emperor to get the key.

**Return to Urka**

* You had a nasty surprise when returning from the Necropolis.

**Defeat Urka**

* You have learned that Urka was actually a Sorak agent!

**Return to Brok**

* You have convinced Brok to challenge Arrok.

**Join Brok behind the Redscar Gate**

* You have convinced Brok.

## Walkthrough

* Having a character that is capable of speaking Orcish will sometimes give advantage on Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks when speaking to orcs.
* The travel distance is fairly lengthy, 10 days from Caer Cyflen or 7 days from the Fortress of the Shield.
* One of the few notable items in the starting area is the Brother Letter, detailing someone called Nightplague avenging their brother by killing his murderers and also warning anyone who picks up the letter to put it back or face them. The threat is empty but one might as well be courteous.
* In the initial area, there are only plants and some deposits high above (getting to them requires Fly) but further you'll find a wounded Orc Shaman, Kebra. Despite what the initial dialogue options suggest, she will always be healed by the party, providing 200 XP.
* Kebra is the first of two critical characters that stay with you for the remainder of the quest, providing support as a controllable spellcaster.
* To get further inside the Cradle, one has to get past Arbal. Getting past peacefully requires either a DC 12 Persuasion check (advantage with orcish) or a DC 16 Deception check and gives 300 XP.

**Fight (1 Arbal, 1 Orc Chieftain) - 550 XP**

* Arbal has 15 AC and 85 hit points.
* This fight is fairly simple due to the 5 vs 2 nature of it, but it also takes place in close quarters if care isn't taken with placement beforehand. Simply focus attacks on one foe at a time to deal with them.
* After the fight, you can search an acid puddle behind the party and a basket with potions on a high platform to the east (most easily reached with Spider Climb).
* The next combat encounter is unavoidable, however, and it's fairly difficult to get much of an advantage here with Cautious mode.

**Fight (1 Dire Wolf, 1 Orc Archer, 1 Orc Beastmaster, 1 Orc Shaman, 2 Redscar Orcs) - 650 XP**

* The Redscar Orcs have 15 AC and 66 hit points, and are resistant to fire damage. They can attack 2 times with +6 to hit using their greataxes and deal 1d12+3 slashing damage + 1d6 fire damage.
* Be careful around the grates with lava under them, as they function like undisarmable traps that deal 4d6 fire damage to those that cross them.
* Staying at the starting position can be a good idea, as it is a closed in section that may force the ranged attackers to get close and down to ground level instead of staying on the walkways.
* After the fight, you can find some small pieces of loot strewn around but they can be skipped in favor of reaching the main goal of freeing Brok from the top of one of the tall buildings. Additionally, there is a bonfire just below where you can rest before or after you free him.
* Brok is your second of two critical characters that has to be escorted and is effectively a carbon copy of Kebra - another supportive cleric withe some wizard spells.
* Keep in mind that the fast travel on the map in the next part may prove problematic due to gates that block the path and requiring it to be done in parts.
* Proceed to the exit in the north of the cave section. The next part is actually a three parter to prove the party's worth to the Bladefang, Bloodspear, and Sandraven orc tribes.
	+ To the north, you'll find Edrof and the Bloodspear trial. It is a one-on-one fight between Edrof (13 AC and 85 hit points, and 1 attack per turn) and one of your party members in a small arena. As the character that was chosen is stripped of all his equipment, he has to pick up equipment from two stands: one with weapons (a greataxe, a shortsword, a scimitar, and a dagger) and one with armor (Studded Leather, Hide, and a shield). As such, it is best to select a durable melee combatant. Winning gives 250 XP. Before leaving, you can make use of a bonfire and do some shopping at the merchant, Rogrok, to the west.
	+ To the west (reached by walking on a ledge in the north) there are both the Bladefang tribe and the Sandraven tribe. However, there is a fairly dangerous fight on the way there.

**Fight (2 Pilgrims, 1 Zealot) - 1275 XP**

* The two Pilgrims are the most dangerous opponents thanks to their two attacks per turn and starting out closer to the party, as they patrol in the middle of the room while the Zealot is in the westernmost part.
	+ After the fight, you can find Radulf and the Bladefang tribe through the northern door. There you are tasked with finding and retrieving the Sandraven Holy Axe from the Old Queen, found beyond the westernmost door.
	+ The western door leads to a rather unsettling discovery: giant spiderwebs, showing what you are going to fighting here. As the initial area is in complete darkness, a light source is pretty much mandatory (if you are having trouble, the route is west-north-west-south-west).
	+ Be careful with moving forward as the big empty room is not without danger.

**Fight (4 Fire Spiders) - 1100 XP**

* One Spider spawns in each of the western and eastern ends while the other two spawn in the middle. Their climbing speed means they are liable to climb into and out of area of effect spells (such as Spirit Guardians) repeatedly on the way.
	+ The big room is pretty empty, with the exception of that fight.
	+ In the next room, there is a final step of the Bladefang quest. While the next cutscene might imply immediate combat, if Cautious mode is active there is the chance to ambush the next enemy.

**Fight (6 Spiderlings, 1 Spider Queen) - 1775 XP**

* The Spiderlings have 13 AC and 28 hit points, and the Spider Queen has 17 AC and 150 hit points.
* The Spider Queen is a legendary enemy with three legendary actions. At the end of a turn it can spend one to use Cannibalism on a Spiderling to kill it and heal itself for 20 hit points,
* Only three of the Spiderlings are in the combat initially, with the other three appearing at the end of the first turn.
* It may be best to keep at a distance from the Spider Queen to avoid being hit with its Poison Cloud legendary action in an area around it, while preventing it from healing by killing the Spiderlings.
	+ After the fight, there is a choice of keeping the Sandraven Holy Axe (a +3 Greataxe) or turning it in for Bladefang support and 500 XP.
	+ Through the southern door is Urka and the Sandraven tribe. This time, the task is to venture into the Sentharyllian Necropolis and find the Emperor's Key. This area is beyond the Redscar Gate in the eastern section of the current area.
	+ Beyond the Redscar Gate, there is a small area. To the west, there is the door back, to the east – a locked door that can't be opened until you are ready to challenge Arrok, and to the south – a corridor with a new door that can actually be opened. After that, there is a short corridor and some statues of the Necropolis' inhabitants.
	+ Inside the Necropolis proper, however, there is not much room to progress without interruption, as some skeletons guard the statues.

**Fight (2 Skeletal Knights, 1 Skeletal Sorcerer, 2 Skeleton Archers, 1 Spectral Avenger) - 825 XP**

* The Sorcerer and one of the Archers are at the northern tomb, the other Archer is at the southern tomb, while the Knights and the Avenger start at the opposite side of the bridge in the middle.
	+ After the battle, a door in the east will be open. Behind it you'll find Emperor Laethar Aerlinn. He can be convinced with a DC 15 Persuasion check that the party is merely there to help clear out the orcs (like dwarves but worse), after which he opens the way to the Minor Gate behind him. The gate leads to a point just behind the quest's end boss Arrok (skip to the end for fight tips). Say that no disrespect was meant (select another dialogue option after that). If you still wish to take the key after this, the Emperor has to be fought, which is done by simply interacting with the coffin again.
	+ If you wish to fight him directly, say that you are lost or that you go wherever you like.
	+ If the Emperor is fought, the door to the Minor Gate stays permanently locked.

**Fight (2 Badlands Wraiths, 1 Emperor Laethar) - 2375 XP**

* The Wraiths will have their Light Sensitive (disadvantage on attack rolls, and Dexterity and Wisdom saving throws) activate from the torches next to the tomb.
* The Emperor has 15 AC, 110 hit points, and two legendary actions every turn. He can spend one legendary action to either teleport or attempt to paralyze one creature (DC 15 Wisdom saving throw).
* All creatures in this fight only have 1 attack per turn.
* The paralysis the Emperor can inflict is extremely dangerous (especially if inflicted on a party member that doesn't have proficiency in Wisdom saving throws), as it causes the victim to suffer automatic critical hits on all melee attacks. The best solution to this is Lesser Restoration or Greater Restoration, the former of which Kebra can cast up to 6 times.
* The Emperor tends to use the first legendary action possible to use Ghostly Move to teleport away from the party and to the back of the chamber.
	+ Make sure to take a short rest to replenish the hit points of party members as another fight will happen no matter which way you go. If the Emperor was killed, the party will be confronted by Urka and a group of Soraks.
	+ It can prove useful to make Kebra cast Spirit Guardians before proceeding.

**Fight (2 Orcs, 1 Sorr-Akkath Abomination, 1 Sorr-Akkath Acolyte of Sorr-Tarr, 2 Sorr-Akkath Assassins, 1 Sorr-Akkath Skirmisher, 1 Urka) - 1562 XP**

* Urka has 15 AC and 52 hit points.
* Sorr-Akkath are the actual danger in this fight, especially the Abomination and the Acolyte. The Acolyte will most likely begin by casting Fly, taking himself out of reach of melee attacks but also making Dispel Magic a useful tool to delay its actions.
* The Assassins can move largely unopposed in the beginning thanks to Shadow Murder making them invisible.
	+ If all three subquests have been completed, it is time to return to Brok at the Bloodspear tribe camp to take the fight to Arrok.
	+ If you completed the three tribes' tasks, you will have the support of Kebra and Brok in the battle. If Arrok was ambushed using the Emperor's Minor Gate, only Kebra will be available to help.
	+ Remember to apply buffs like Spirit Guardians or Bless before opening the door and starting the battle.

**Fight (1 Arrok, 2 Fire Elementals, 2 Fire Ospreys) - 3350 XP**

* Arrok has 15 AC and 152 hit points. He is a very dangerous spell caster because of Flame Strike but also has no legendary resistance to negate failed saving throws, making it relatively easy to disable him. This will also most likely hit the Fire Elementals standing guard beside him.
* Be aware of the Fire Ospreys, as they are to the side of the fight and can easily hit those in the back of the group.
* Going near the lava (within one cell it seems) inflicts 1d10 fire damage.
	+ As the volcano begins to explode and you won't be able to return, remember to pick up Arrok's loot. It contains one random magical item, two Primordial Lava Stones, and a Quarterstaff +2.
* After this quest, you can proceed to the Gem Quest: The Mind of the Master, or go finish Path to Glory.

## Rewards

* **Relationship Gain:** Principality of Masgarth, Scavengers