A Beginners Guide on Dealing with the Shadow Curse in Act 2
Start Light
Make sure when you arrive for the first time at the Shadow-Cursed Lands to have Light with you.
It does not matter whether you carry a torch in your off-hand weapon slot, use the Light spell cantrip on a piece of equipment, Produce Flame or have a glowing Mace. Just make sure that your party is well lit, as everyone except Shadowheart will suffer from the curse.
Using the Light cantrip or Produce Flame is naturally the more comfortable choice, as it does not force you to carry a torch around.
It also suffices that you stay in range of a lightsource.
Not everyone in the party needs to carry a lightsource as long as you stay close together.
Fighting Shadows
You will encounter a few of this enemy type.
What makes them hard to deal with is that they become invisible in darkness.
Keep your lightsource nearby, pull them into the light, and they offer little to no problem.
Set Dolly Dolly Dolly Free!
Sooner or later you will come across a lantern-carrier who is really hard to miss.
Get ownership of the lantern as soon as you can.
If you set the imprisoned pixie, Dolly Dolly Dolly, free, she will not only grant you her blessing which makes you immune against the Shadow Curse, but also a bell which allows you to reapply her blessing whenever necessary. E.g. if you decide to travel back to the Wilderness, as the blessing dissipates when traveling to another area.
Helping Dolly Dolly Dolly is a beneficial decision which makes your adventure within the Shadow-Cursed Lands much more easier.
Important: Be careful! Should you decide not to free her and use the lantern as it is, make sure not to use it as a weapon. It will end up deadly for her.
Troubleshooting
Some players mistake her cries for help with Mol.
The dialogue with her triggers automatically on the first time you loot the lantern. Should it not happen, give the lantern to another character and make them equip it properly as a weapon. It will add the Inspect Moonlantern action onto your hotbar which allows you to trigger the dialogue manually.
Oliver – Part 1
At the centre of the ruined battlefield you will meet Oliver. A curious child.
To entertain him is simple, and he will become an essential part in removing the Shadow Curse.
When you play hide & seek with him, his first hiding location is next to the cart.
In the second round make sure to stay hidden all the time so you can approach him without being detected. He will be back at his original location.
The hide & seek play becomes much easier when you can see through invisibility.
Stay hidden and approach Oliver without getting detected by the Shadows.
Then right click on him and choose Talk.
Lift the Curse
To life the curse it is necessary that you have Halsin with you.
At the Last Light Inn you will find Art Cullagh, a survivor of the Shadow Curse.
You need to get his lute from the House of Healing to wake him up.
After he talked with Halsin, Halsin will open a portal to rescue Thaniel, the Spirit of the Land.
Defend the portal against the incoming Shadows.
The best tactics here are to obscure the portal and attack swiftly the incoming rangers while holding the line with Spirit Guardian. I am also a fan of freezing the area and watching the incoming enemies repeatedly fall prone.
Oliver – Part 2 – Thaniel
It turns out that Oliver is an essential part of Thaniel. To lift the curse it is necessary to bring them both together. Oliver will believe you at first and tries to escape.
Follow him through the portal…
…and beat his Shadows guardians.
Ideally you have Halsin with you, as Halsin can convince Oliver after the battle easily to rejoin with his other half. You will then find Thaniel, completed with Oliver, at your camp as long as you remain within the Act 2 area.
Conclusion
With Thaniel, the Spirit of the Land, whole again and Ketheric Thorm as holder of Shar’s power dead, the Shadow-Cursed Lands will heal over time. You will not see the Shadow Curse gone during your adventure in the area. But you will leave the area knowing that you have ended a centuries-long-lasting curse for good.
