Docks District

Navigate the Docks District in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Discover the Shadow Thief Guildhall, Cromwell's workshop, and uncover the quest for Kangaxx.

Make your way west along the street. Ignore the beggar who insists that you owe him money. Likewise the Mad Cleric.

Since you're close to the Shadow Thief Guildhall, you may as well go in.

Shadow Thief Guildhall - Level 1

The Black Market Thief just inside the door doesn't have anything terribly interesting to sell but she is a fence and rather more accessible than Jayes in Waukeen's Promenade. Search the table next to her for potions of Healing (x2), Invisibility and Master Thievery.

If you speak to Sidge and ask who's in charge, he will direct you to Renal Bloodscalp on the second floor. Before leaving, nobody seems to mind if you pick the locks on the three chests in here and help yourself to the minor loot inside.

Go to the back room and up the stairs to explore further.

Shadow Thief Guildhall - Level 2

At the top of the stairs is a locked chest with potions of Extra Healing (x5) and Fire Resistance (x2). There are two more chests further down (one of them trapped) with decent loot.

The enclosed area at the top contains another two chests with more potions of Extra Healing. Note that one of them is trapped. You will find De'Tranion's Baalor Ale on the table, which looks like a quest item (and, indeed, can be used in a later sidequest) but which you don't actually need to take with you.

Approach Renal Bloodscalp and he will address you.

Ask him what he wants to learn that he needs you to investigate the activities of one of his lieutenants, Mae'Var, who may be plotting to take his place. He will furnish you with papers that will prove your bona-fides and allow you to work inside Mae'var's organisation and obtain proof of his treachery.

Back outside, go east along the middle street. Ignore Prebek's Home for the time being. There is a merchant on the street named Jahaboam. Speak to him if you are interested in pursuing a romance with Jaheira.

Follow the dialog and you will end up buying Jaheira a piece of jewellery for 20G. If you don't want this dialog, you're not missing out on a useful merchant - he has the usual crap plus a few potions.

Go into Valygar's Home since you may well have an active quest to track him down. Tell Hervo that you're looking for Valygar.

Reassure him that you're not with the Cowled Wizards and he will tell you the circumstances of the supposed murder. Head upstairs and search the locked cabinet for a Corthala Tax Notice.

Read it to learn that Valygar has a cabin in the Umar Hills.

There's a Temple of Oghma further along which provides temple services and sells potions and healing scrolls. The buildings next door yield minor loot.

Go south and you'll find a footbridge that takes you onto some rooftops. There's someone here named Crazy Celvan who will recite a limerick that relates to one of your companions before disappearing.

If you want to see more than one, you should save before speaking to him and reload.

Head down the stairs. The doors on the left lead to Maevar's Guildhall and you cannot open them at this time. The home on the right looks promising but the occupant will call the guards if you try to loot it. Instead, go down to street level, right and up the steps to the home and workshop of Cromwell.

Cromwell is an expert smith who can forge certain rare components into powerful weapons and armour. Ask him to look through your inventory to see whether there's anything he can use - you should have the Pommel Gem of the Equaliser at this point and Cromwell will say that he needs the blade and the hilt. Come back later when you've acquired more items - see the Cromwell section of the crafting reference to see what he needs and what you can forge. Do not loot any of the containers here because Cromwell will become hostile.

Ignore Mae'Var's Guildhall for the moment - we'll come back here after exploring the Temple District. The unmarked building next to it is _very_ interesting, however.

Remove the trap from the door, unlock it and go through. You will be attacked by three Minotaurs (which are not very challenging) and can grab minor loot from the containers. Go downstairs and the place looks very different. Interact with the sarcophagus to reveal a Golden Skull which addresses you.

The skull will tell you that it is what remains of Kangaxx and has been cursed to a fate worse than death. Agree to help it and it will tell you that the remaining pieces of its skeleton - its legs and torso - have been hidden within the city, in tombs similar to this one. If you're thinking that Kangaxx might be just a little bit evil, you'd be right. However, this quest leads to one of the best items in the game and is worth pursuing. You'll want a few levels under your belt before tackling it, though.

Back outside, ignore the Sea's Bounty Tavern for the moment - we'll come back to it after exploring the rest of the Docks area. Ignore Rayic Gethras's Home as well since that is part of a later quest.

Galvarey Estate

By this point in the game, you may very well have a certain Renfeld in your inventory. If so, speak to Rylock, whom you will find standing outside the orange building that Renfeld told you about.

Tell Rylock that Renfeld has been poisoned and he will give you 300G and you will earn 14550XP. This will initiate the Harper Quest. Head back towards the Sea's Bounty Tavern and you will bump into Xzar, an erstwhile companion from Baldur's Gate.

He will ask you to do him a favour regarding the Harpers that you've been dealing with: Montaron (whom you may remember equally fondly) has been taken captive by the Harpers and Xzar would like you to free him. To encourage your assistance, he will hint that he has information about Imoen.

Go back and speak to Rylock who will will tell you that the compound is off limits to outsiders. However, if you do the "small task" of eliminating an evil Mage named Prebek, you will be allowed in.

Prebek's home is a short distance east of the Shadow Thief Guildhall. Inside, you'll find Prebek, San