This guide will walk you through the Docks District of the city of Athkatla in Baldur’s Gate II. This area’s code in the game files is AR0300.
Map of the Docks District
1 – Altheia
You’ll meet Altheia here. She’s a first-time prostitute, but she won’t be able to go through with the transaction, no matter how insistent you are. It won’t make any difference if you pay her or not.
2 – Ebrone the Beggar
When you get close to Ebrone, he’ll accuse you of owing him money — but then it’ll turn out that he’s just a beggar looking for a handout. It won’t make any difference if you pay him or not.
3 – Mad Cleric
When you pass by this Mad Cleric, he’ll demand that you become one of Cyric’s faithful. If you tell him that you already are, then he’ll leave you alone. Otherwise, he’ll attack you, and you’ll earn 750 xp for killing him.
4 – Prebek’s Home
This house is involved in Rylock’s quest (#15). When you enter, Prebek and Sanasha will decide that you’re a test sent by their master, and they and their goblin pets will attack you. You’ll earn 5100 xp for defeating them, and you’ll find several spell scrolls when you search the corpses and nearby (trapped) containers.
5 – Valygar’s Home
Valygar and his home are involved in Tolgerias’ quest from the Government District.
6 – Jahaboam
Jahaboam is a merchant. He’ll have a basic collection of weapons, armor, and potions for sale. Also, if you’re currently romancing Jaheira, and if she’s in your party, then Jahaboam will create a Keepsake Locket for you to give to her. He’ll ask you 20 gp for it, but if you tell him that you can’t afford that much, then he’ll give it to you for free.
7 – Temple of Oghma
8 – Sea’s Bounty Tavern
Inside this tavern, you’ll meet three people of interest, all on the lower level:
The Thumb. He’s the proprietor, and he’ll provide you with regular innkeeper services. He’s also involved in Jan’s companion quest.
Also in the tavern, you might detect a secret door on the lower level. It’ll take you to a pirate cave where you’ll encounter five pirates, including a pirate captain. You’ll earn 24,000 xp for defeating the pirates, and you’ll find a Long Sword +1, 1100 gp, and more when you loot the corpses and the large pool in the back of the cave.
9 – Kangaxx’s House
This house will not welcome you with open arms. You’ll find the front door locked and trapped, and then when you go inside, you’ll get attacked by three minotaurs worth 3000 xp each. Luckily, the minotaurs are total pushovers, and you shouldn’t have any trouble defeating them.
On the lower level of the house, you’ll find a sarcophagus. When you interact with it, a golden skull will start talking to you. He’ll tell you that his name is Kangaxx, and that he was cursed by his enemies “to a fate worse than death.” However, he’ll tell you that you can help him. You’ll just need to find the scattered parts of his body:
Golden Torso. You’ll find this in a house in the southwestern part of the Bridge District.
You’ll find the golden body parts in sarcophagi just like Kangaxx’s — complete with liches that you’ll have to defeat. Liches are nasty opponents. They’re high-level casters with excellent spell protections, and they’re immune to non-magical weapons and spells of level 1-5. If you have trouble defeating the liches guarding the body parts, then you should definitely wait before returning to Kangaxx.
When you deliver the body parts to Kangaxx, he’ll taunt you for helping him out, and then he’ll transform into a lich and attack you. The first part of the battle against Kangaxx will go about the same as your battles against the other liches, except that Kangaxx will spawn right next to his sarcophagus rather than the platform to the west, and so that’s where you should place your traps if you’re using that strategy. Otherwise, whatever you did before should work again.
However, when you “kill” Kangaxx, he’ll transform into a demilich, and he’ll continue the battle. Demiliches are a lot like liches, except they’re more powerful, and they have access to higher level spells, like Imprisonment and Wail of the Banshee. Imprisonment in particular is nasty since it removes the victim from the game, and it ignores magic resistance. Worse, if your main character gets imprisoned, then you’ll be forced to load your game.
The easiest way to deal with Imprisonment is to use a Protection from Magic scroll (which you can buy from Ribald Barterman in the Adventurer’s Mart in Waukeen’s Promenade). Kangaxx will always target the enemy closest to him, which usually means your tank. So have that character use the scroll when Kangaxx transforms, and then finish off Kangaxx like a regular lich.
Some other options include having your mage cast Spell Immunity: Abjuration (since Imprisonment is an Abjuration spell) and then keeping your mage as the closest enemy to Kangaxx, having Korgan enrage when Kangaxx transforms and then letting him tank the battle (Minsc berserking isn’t the same thing and won’t work), and waiting until Chapter 6 when your main character will have a new battle ability available. If any of your companions get imprisoned, then you’ll need to cast Freedom on them to bring them back.
If you’re able to kill Kangaxx, then you’ll earn 55,000 xp, and you’ll find the Ring of Gaxx on his corpse.
10 – Crazy Celvan
On the roof of Mae’Var’s Guildhall, you’ll meet a gnome named Crazy Celvan. If you talk to him with certain companions nearby, then he’ll recite amusing limericks about them. See Crazy Celvan’s page for all of the limericks. But note: Celvan will run away (and disappear) after you’ve spoken to him, so be sure to save first.
11 – Lost Child
The child here will tell you that he’s looking for his mother. It won’t make any difference if you give him money.
12 – Cromwell’s Home
Inside this home you’ll meet Cromwell, a dwarven smith. If you provide him with the proper materials, plus a fee, then he’ll forge special weapons and armor for you. See Cromwell’s page for a list of what he can craft.
13 – Ikert
Ikert will have basic weapons, armor and potions for sale.
You’ll meet Rylock guarding the entrance of the estate here (#15). He won’t allow you to go inside, even if you have Jaheira with you. Getting Rylock to change his mind will require you to complete some quests, which are detailed below.
At some point in the game, when traveling between districts, you’ll (randomly) encounter a man named Renfeld being attacked by bandits. Renfeld will be poisoned, and he’ll ask you to deliver him to the estate here. When you hand him over to Rylock, you can earn a variety of rewards:
If Renfeld is still alive, then you’ll earn 14,550 xp. If you tell Rylock that Renfeld was poisoned, then you’ll earn 300 gp. If you ask Rylock who he is, or if you say that delivering Renfeld wasn’t a problem, then you’ll earn 200 gp. If you ask for a reward, then you’ll earn 100 gp.
If Renfeld is dead (he’ll only survive for about 10 days), then you’ll earn 8000 xp. If you ask Rylock who he is, then you’ll earn 100 gp. If you ask for a reward, then you’ll earn 50 xp.
Regardless, at the end of the conversation, Rylock will take Renfeld’s Body into the estate. At the same time, Xzar will appear behind you (#15a). When you get close enough to him, he’ll flag you down and ask you to rescue Montaron, who was apparently captured while spying on the estate. Xzar will also mention that the estate is the base for the city’s Harpers.
Note: Xzar and Montaron were companions in Baldur’s Gate. They’ll appear here even if they died in the original game.
When you return to the estate, Rylock will be back at the entrance, and he’ll still block you from going inside. But when you start blabbing about Harpers, he’ll have a change of heart, and he’ll allow you to enter, provided that you perform a task for him. He’ll tell you that there’s a mage named Prebek performing “vile experiments” in the city, and he’ll ask you to kill him. You’ll find Prebek, another mage named Sanasha, and a trio of goblins inside a house to the north (#4). Dispatching them should not be too difficult.
When you return to Rylock after completing the deed, you’ll earn 14,500 xp (unless you killed Prebek previously, in which case you won’t earn anything), and you’ll finally be allowed to enter the estate. However, Rylock will warn you to stay on the ground floor, as the upper floor is meant only for Harpers.
Inside the estate, you’ll meet three people on the ground floor: Berinvar, Meronia, and Pace. They’ll tell you about the Harpers, how the Harpers here wear special amulets, and how the guardians on the upper floor attack anyone whom they don’t recognize as a Harper. That is, you’ll need a Harper Amulet to fool the guardians upstairs. Luckily, you can find one on a table in one of the eastern rooms. You can also pick up a Helm of Charm Protection from behind the (locked and trapped) eye mural.
On the upper floor, you’ll encounter three Spectral Harpists. If nobody in your party is carrying or wearing the Harper Amulet, then they’ll demand that you leave — and then almost immediately attack you. The harpists aren’t really tough, but they’ll cast a “deathsong” that will (probably) send a large portion of your party into a panic, and make the battle more complicated. You’ll earn 27,000 for defeating the harpists, and the Harpers downstairs won’t notice.
If somebody in your party has the Harper Amulet, then the harpists will talk to you, and you’ll be able to ask them what they do to thieves. They’ll describe their punishment by using phrases like “take flight,” “gilded cage,” and “feathered coat.” You’ll also find a note in a southern room mentioning “birdseed.”
In the northernmost room on the upper floor, you’ll discover a large aviary containing a Harper Bird. When you pick the bird up, you’ll gain 20,000 xp. Given the clues from the previous paragraph, you’ll decide that the bird must be Montaron.
Back outside, when you return to Xzar, he’ll mention that somebody killed his apprentices (that would be you, killing Prebek and Sanasha), and then he’ll polymorph the bird to reveal… a Harper assassin named Lucette, who will quickly strike him down. When you talk to Lucette, you’ll learn that the Harpers used you to get to Xzar, who was practicing necromancy of an unsavory sort. But each character in your party will earn 35,500 xp, and you’ll find Bracers of Defense AC 6: Bracers to the Death and a Staff Spear +2 on Xzar’s corpse.
Note: If you return to the estate after completing Xzar’s quest, then you’ll find the front door locked again and Rylock nowhere to be seen. You’ll only be able to go back inside through some of Jaheira’s companion quests.
16 – Fovem
At night, you’ll meet a merchant named Fovem here. He’ll have some basic weapons and armor for sale.
Exits
A) Entrances to the Shadow Thief Guildhall. If you’ve chosen the Shadow Thieves over Bodhi, or if you haven’t made a choice yet, then the thieves at the entrance will allow you to go inside. Otherwise, they’ll attack you.
B) Entrances to Mae’Var’s Guildhall. You’ll only be able to use the ground level entrance initially. The others will start working once you’ve joined up with Mae’Var.
M) Map exit.
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Luxrah
I love RPGs, sandboxes, survival, and sim games. Anything that lets me build and decorate or just has a really good story. I've spent hundreds of hours in Bethesda games and even more time modding them. I also play a lot of World of Warcraft.
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