Along The Cold Trail | Pathfinder Kingmaker Wiki

Along The Cold Trail is a Quest in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. 

Important NPCs

•  Defaced Sister
•  Brag
•  Hila
•  Dugath

Objectives

1.  We met a strange woman at the barbarian camp - something of a mix between a priestess, a witch, and a sorceress... Or maybe she's simply an imposter? Whatever she is, she says her three sisters went out to search for who-knows-what, and never returned. She hinted vaguely that if we were able to find them, she'd aid us in our search. It's a faint trail, but it's better than nothing! 
   
   
2.  We found all three of the missing sisters, but - surprise! - they didn't tell us anything useful. We should return to camp and talk to the sister who asked us to look for them. She can't keep giving us vague hints forever! … Can she?
   
   
3.  That was unexpected. Rather than more of the Sister's vagueries, what we got was a good fight! This trail has reached it's end... Maybe the barbarian leader will have some clue where to look next. 

Walkthrough

•  You will first receive this quest during The Varnhold Vanishing, by speaking to the Defaced Sister after witnessing her argument with Dugath. Ask the Sister about the argument, and then where her fellow Sisters had disappeared, and she will mark the three relevant locations on your map, beginning this quest and sending you on your way. The next three steps can be completed in any order.
  
  
•  We will start with the Forsaken Mound, which can be found far south of the Kellid Barbarian Camp. When you enter the location, you will be met by a book event. Assuming you have picked up the quest, the Sister should have taught you the word 'kheb', which is needed to be stated to continue. Next, you will be presented with more options. You can choose the options to check the mould and search for traps for a bit of extra xp, and then select the remaining top option, to move down the corridor. For the next section, you can once again select both skill check options for extra xp, and after doing so, you will automatically select the final 3rd choice, exiting the area.
  
  
•  Next, we shall move on to the Sepulchre of Forgotten Heroes, which can be found to the west of the Kelid Barbarian Camp. Expect a decently long dungeon trek with plenty of undead enemies and some standard door puzzles. When you enter the location, much like with the Forsaken Mound, you will find yourself before a door that requires you to speak the word 'kheb' to. However, in this case, this is not a book event, but a usual dungeon. Venture further in, looting the nearby pillar, and approach an NPC laying on the floor named Brag. Brag will question who you are, and will react positively if you tell him Dugath sent you here or negatively if you tell him the Defaced Sister sent you. If you press him for any answers, he will explain the horrors that the barbarian group had faced down here, and curse the Defaced Sisters for the result. You may offer to heal him as a Neutral Good option, or kill him as a Chaotic Evil option. If you offer to heal him, he will protest, which will then provide you with a Chaotic Good choice of healing him anyway, or a Neutral option of backing down. Oddly, despite his protest, he will still thank you for healing him anyway, and you will be granted a small amount of xp. Press the nearby switch to open the door, and continue onwards into another corridor, and do the same again to reach a room with a duo of Zombie Cyclops and a Dread Zombie Cyclops inside. Finish the fight, loot the room, including the hidden stash in the north west corner, and inspect the central pillar for some extra xp and to read an inscription that mentions a familiar name, and then march onwards.
  
  
•  In the next corridor there will be 3 Barbarians, one to the west and two to the east. Kill off all three and continue on your way. Follow the corridor around and there will be another room with, once again, two Zombie Cyclops and a Dread Zombie Cyclops. put these back into the ground too, and then activate the red switch on the floor. Now you can run back to the corridor preceding the room with the first batch of Zombie Cyclops, and stick to the far western side, and where the way forwards was previously closed off, there is now an open door. Past the door is another group of 3 Zombie Cyclops, but be particularly careful about a trap in the centre of the room, as it will inflict 4 negative levels on any character that is nearby when it activates. On the far side of the room is a wall that can, with a successful perception check, be moved to reveal some more loot, and then return to the north side of the room where there is the opening to another corridor. There's yet another trap on the floor, so be sure to disable it. Further along the corridor is another trap, so disable that one too if you can, and collect the loot to the west. Now bring your party back into the corridor that preceded this new route, which houses the green and yellow switch, and pick your least-needed party member. Send the rest of them to the other side of the door where you first fought cyclops, and then get the lone party member to activate the switch. 
  
  
• You can now send the remaining party members to explore the eastern and western exits from that room, though the western exit is empty. Follow this new corridor to find a room with two Zombie Cyclops. Kill these, and then look around the room. There is another pillar that can be inspected with a Knowledge (World) for some more xp, and a blue switch in the centre of the room. Activate the switch, then head back into the corridor and head all the way north, and then turn west into a new room. Within the new room are a team of 4 more Barbarians, and another group of 4 nearby which will be pulled into the fight part way into it, so take appropriate precautions and wipe them out. After the fight, look to the north west for some hidden loot, and then venture on northwards. Collect the loot in the next room, and then activate the red switch on the floor nearby.
  
  
•  Now run all of the way back to the room where you originally fought the first Zombie Cyclops again. this time, head east to where you were advised not go yet, and you will see the doors are unlocked there now. If your lone party member is still sitting by the yellow/green switch, you can now have them run back around to join the rest of the party. Now move forwards into the new room that had been opened up. Another group of barbarians will be waiting for you the second you step past the doorframe, so put them down. On the far side of this new room is a bigger door, and beside it is yet another inscription to read, should you so wish. Now send the one least-essential party member back to the second red switch (the one north of the room you fought 8 Barbarians) and have the rest of the party run to the last red-marked door that is not open, which will lead to an undiscovered room to the north. When everyone is in position, activate the red switch to temporarily open the red-marked door, and have your party file in. Beyond the door there are another 5 Barbarians, but you should have a chance to prepare if needed. After the fight, take some loot along the northern wall, and then cautiously head west to disarm a trap hidden there. North of the trap is yet another Knowledge (world) skillcheck. Continue west and there will be another room. The room contains a few traps, as well as a single Zombie Cyclopse. Make quick work of it, being careful of the several traps on the floor, and then disarm them. When done, collect the loot in the north-eastern corner of the room, and then head into the corridor to the south. Disarm one trap, and then travel further south to disarm yet another. Once done, head back to the red-marked door that you had entered this section through, and get your lone character to activate the switch again, and run the rest of your party over to a second red-marked door in a corridor south of the bigger door.
  
  
• Make a save and some decent preperations, and have the lone character throw the switch again, and move your party through the doorframe. Here, you will need to fight through a party of 5 undead adventurers - a warrior, barbarian, ranger, socerer, and cleric. After the fight, loot around the room for some goodies, and then hit the white switch. Return to the entrance of the room, and get your lone party member to open the door once again. Move your main party over to the green/yellow switch and activate it, and send another party member to go and stand by the blue switch that you have not yet activated, and meanwhile have the 4 other party members over to the big door that has yet to open. Once everyone is in position, get the two party members standing by the timed switches to activate those switches, and get your party of 4 to go through the big door that has finally opened. Press the multi-coloured switch in the middle of the new room, and now you can finally have your party re-unite. There's also a container to the North-west with some valuables inside. venture forwards, and you will notice a few Soul Eaters. Beat them back, and then continue onwards.
  
  
•  Save at the end of the corridor, and make every preperation you can for a tough upcoming fight. You will find a sarcophagus that you can once again inspect with a Knowledge (world) check, and if you continue onwards you will also find the Defaced Sister sent to this location. If Amiri is present, she will advocate attacking the Sister to make her pay for what she forced the Barbarians here through, and you will get the option to calm her, stay silent on the matter, or join her in the attack. If you let her live, the sister can be questioned to reveal information on who she is and why she is here, as well as the name Vordakai, and there can be some interesting banter depending on who is in your party. Good characters can milk even more information out of her. Otherwise, you can use this opportunity to attack her, or simply tell her you're here to rescue her. After the conversation ends, 8 Zombie Cyclops and 2 Dread Zombie Cyclops will appear - 5 to the east, and 5 to the west. Persevere through the fight, and you will be visited by another crow. As you speak to it, be sure not to tell it your name. Finally, collect the last of your loot, including a hidden stash in one of the previously-hidden western chamber and you're finally ready to leave. One of the eastern chambers, which is on the other side to the one with the hidden stash, will also have a new exit to save you some time.
  
  
•  For the third and final section, we will now head to the City of Hollow Eyes. This area can be easily reached by starting at Kellid Barbarian Camp and traveling north twice and then west. When you enter the area, you will find yourself on the edge of a barbarian camp. Move north to find an engagement between a group of Barbarians and Dread Zombie Cyclops. Rush your party in, as the Barbarians should be tanking them for you. and help make quick work of the zombies. Loot the zombies and head back to the camp, and pick that clean of valuables too. Find an NPC named Hila, and ask her about what she's doing here. Tell her you're with Dugath, and she will tell you what you likely expect to hear - she came with a Defaced Sister, who had went into the ruins with some of the tribe, and she wants you to go in and rescue them. Agree, and then set to explore the map.
  
  
•  Head north-east and you will find a dead barbarian, who you may have an interest in looting, and if you continue on you may encounter Calvert and his gang, if you had convinced them to leave at the [placeholder location] earlier in the game. As it turns out, this is where you pointed them to, and they've now found some treasure. They will offer you a share of that treasure - An Ancient Cyclops Coin - and you can make a Chaotic Evil choice choice to demand all of the treasure, a Lawful Good choice to let them keep it all, or just accept the coin you were offered. Additionally, if your PC is a worshiper of Desna, you may also get a small line of extra dialogue. When you're done here, head North. There, you will find a pair of  Bandits who had been encircled by 8 Ferocious Worgs. Focus down the Worgs first, and then turn on the Bandits, as they won't give you any thanks for your aid. After the fight, head North and you will find an Alpha Worg, though this one is dead. Skin it if you wish, and keep going and cross the river. If you want, pause progression here for a moment and head back south to explore the other route you could have taken - this will bring you into a fight between another group of Bandits and Dread Zombie Cyclops, and then two more seperate fights against groups of 6 and 4 bandits. Further, you can also explore the area to the west of these fights, where you will find another pair of bandits fighting off another 4 Worgs, a Dread Zombie Cyclops fighting off 7 more Worgs, and a nearby crate with some masterwork weapons and gold within it. Nearby the centre of the map, you can also find a pair of Greater Cyclops. You can attempt a Knowledge (World) check to decipher what is being said, immediately charge at them, leave before they notice you, or to move closer. Moving closer will give you another Knowledge (World) check, as well as the other previous two options. If you pass the Knowledge (World) check, you can then notice that they are trying to protect something. If your PC has the ability to do so, you can Detect Magic, and if you pass a Perception check, you can inspect a stone that they are standing over. Your other options are to try speaking to them, to attack them, or to leave. Inspecting the stone will suggest that the Cyclops are standing by a magical trap, and if you have Dispel Magic ready, you then gain the option to use it. You may also do this after using Detect Magic. Dispelling the magic will free the Cyclops, and they will now attack you. Alternatively, if you tried speaking with them, you can either turn them against each-other as a Chaotic Neutral option, or encourage them to cooperate together as a Chaotic Good option. However you solved this, unless you simply leave, you will have to fight either one Cyclops or two. If you kill them, be sure to loot them for their gold, gems, and clubs before moving on. There are a few other enemy groups or hidden stashes clustered around, so be sure to hunt around if you want to suck up the last bits of xp and gold, and then return to the ruins at the north of the map when you are ready.
  
  
•  When you step onto the ruins, expect to run into 3 Dread Zombie Cyclops, and then loot the southern half of the ruins. If you want to explore behind the pillars north of the big door, be aware that both sides have a trap, and disarm them if necessary. There's nothing behind the western pillars, but there are three containers behind the eastern pillars. Once you've looted to your heart's content, head to the door with two dead barbarians, and inspect the door. You can attempt another Knowledge (World) check to read the inscriptions, and then speak the magic word, 'kheb'. As you do, a Defaced Sister will call out to you and tell you to wedge the door open, which you will do automatically. Now, select enter.
  
  
•  As you enter, you will immediately begin dialogue with another Defaced Sister. You can speak with her to find out she has been trapped here, waiting to be saved for quite some time. Once again, you can attack her outright, or you can send her back to the camp. After the conversation is resolved, you are now free to explore the inside of the tomb. Head down the stairs to find a sarcophagus and a lot of loot. For now, move close to the door to the north and look out for the trap. Disable it, and then head back south a little bit in time to notice another Dread Zombie Cyclops. Kill it, and then snatch up your rightful loot. There's nothing else to be done here after that, so just leave the tomb, and find yourself confronted by another crow. Once again, endure it's postulating, and be sure not to give it your name. Assuming you are now done with the area, run back to the Barbarian camp near the area's entrance, and you will be met by Hila. If you let the Sister live, she will reward you with some gold and xp, but otherwise you will need to negotiate with her. Pass a Bluff skill to act as if the Cyclops had killed her, and you will receive the full reward, or you can attempt a Diplomacy check or tell her that Dugath had ordered her death, in which case you will not receive the monetary reward.
  
  
•  Now that you have completed each location, it is time to travel back to Kellid Barbarian Camp. When you do so, one of the Defaced Sisters will accuse you of serving evil spirits, and declare you to be an enemy. Even if you saved two of the sisters, they will still frame you for the death of the one that died within the Forsaken Mound. If you did poorly during the book event when you had first visited the camp, Dugath will inevitably join the Sisters in this battle. If you did well, however, Dugath will hesitate. You can attempt a Diplomacy check to get him on your side, or use a Neutral alignment-only choice to appeal to his indifference surrounding the Sisters. If you pass either of these, he will stand down, and order his people to do so, while the Sisters will still try to rally the Barbarians to help them kill you. If Dugath has been turned against you, this will be a very difficult fight, and even if not, you will still find yourself in a difficult position. Try to quickly clear out any melee opponents, and then advance your crew to take out the Defaced Sisters, with any archers probably being the lowest threat to your party. One thing to be particularly vigilant for is the Sisters' Baleful Eye, as, especially if you saved the two possible Sisters, they can quickly drop the stats of your party members.  In any case, do what you must to win the fight. After the fight is over, this quest will be complete! You are now free to move on with the rest of The Varnhold Vanishing.

Tips & Tricks

•  If you have a party member with Dimension Door while in The Sepulchre of forgotten heroes, you can return them to the party early to help you in the fights where they would normally be separated. Additionally, it may be possible to simplify the puzzle by using this ability.
  
  
•  Dugath holds some great loot, should you kill him - a +5 Viscious Greatsword and a +4 Belt of Physical Perfection, amongst some other interesting pieces. If you didn't already have to kill him, you can attack him after speaking to him before leaving the camp for an opportunity to gain this loot.
• In the last encounter in the Barbarian Camp, Dugath might attack you without any hesitation, even if you did okay during the welcoming night. This is most likely a bug.