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Buried Secrets is a side quest in Pillars of Eternity.

Synopsis[ | ]

Wirtan is found inside the ruined Temple of Eothas, wounded by a skuldr. He asks the Watcher to find the bones of the priests he knows to be present in the temple, so that he can give them a decent burial. However, the truth is quite a bit more complex...

Walkthrough[ | ]

Head to Gilded Vale and speak to Wirtan just inside the ruined Temple of Eothas. He wants you to recover the bodies of Eothasian priests that died in the temple.

First floor[ | ]

The first floor of the dungeon is covered with Skuldrs and Ivory Spiderlings. Your goal is to get into the second level of the temple.

The door leading further down is in the western-most section of this area, but is locked, requiring Mechanics 10 to open. This can be bypassed by using the Engraved Silver Key, which can be found in a hollow book in a private library chamber (requires 9 Mechanics - or 5 while in stealth mode to discover).

Alternatively, you can strike the bells next to the door in the correct order; this order can be discovered by reading memories from spirits trapped inside and from various letters and notes scattered across the floor. If you don't want to discover them yourself, the order is right, middle, left, right.

Second floor[ | ]

The second level is full of Shadows and a few Phantoms which can be incredibly difficult for a low level party.

Once in the second floor, make your way southeast to a room flooded with water. In the room to its west is a wheel which drains the water when turned. Back in the drained room, you can loot a Gleaming Silver Key by the fountain. The key unlocks a door to the north of the water wheel room.

Continue through this passage, fighting through oozes, until you reach a dead end to the south east. Interact with a wall-mounted lever to open the treasury, and interact with the spirit to find out what really happened to the priests: They died of thirst, waiting for Wirtan's promised rescue that never realized, locked in the vault with no means of escape. Be sure to take the Dead Priests' Bones before leaving.

Conclusion[ | ]

Return to the first floor (there is a shortcut that leads to the first floor in the northeastern section of the second floor), and confront Wirtan. He will argue that he had no choice, as the temple was sealed by Raedric's men. Edér will disagree, stating that he'd have dug them out with his own hands if he knew.

You may choose to accept Wirtan's payment, or confront him about how the priests died. After confronting him, you may take the payment without any further questions, convince him to make amends, drive him from the village, or kill him and take the money from his body. You can also return the bones to Urgeat as evidence of Wirtan's wrongdoings, either after killing or before confronting Wirtan (since Wirtan would have already taken the bones from you).

Infinite copper exploit[ | ]

After retrieving the bones and returning to Wirtan, choose these options:

  1. Give him the remains by any of these three options:
    1. [Hand over the remains.] [Stoic]
    2. "You'll have to separate them out yourself. It's a bit of a mess." [Clever]
    3. "I did. Here they are, as you asked for."
  2. "I found more than bones."
  3. [Might 15] [Lift Wirtan off his feet.] "I will crack your head if you lie to me again." [Aggressive]
  4. [Throw the remains at his feet] "You left them down there."
  5. "Fine. Keep your silence. I want my payment."
  6. <You have gained Copper pands (cp)200>
  7. "I found more than bones."
  8. ...

Repeat from 2 to 6 for Copper pands (cp)200 per cycle.

Journal[ | ]

quests\07_gilded_vale\07_qst_buried_secrets
ID Objectives
0 Buried Secrets
10000 Lord Raedric has decided to rededicate Gilded Vale's abandoned Eothasian temple to a new deity. The entrance to the temple has been cleared, allowing entry for the first time in many years.
2 Search the temple.
10002 Inside the temple, I encountered a man called Wirtan who wishes for me to search the ruins for the remains of Eothasian priests he tells me Raedric's guards slaughtered many years ago.
20000 The door to the lower floor appears to be sealed with some enchantment. There is a set of bells beside the door which may play a part in opening it.
20001 I have found the correct sequence of chimes and opened the path to the lower reaches of the temple.
20003 I have seen some manner of spirit within the temple - or a memory, at least. In this memory, I recalled an Eothasian rite involving the ringing of bells. The first and last of these tolls, apparently, is that of the 'Right Hand', which has a distinctive, warped tone to it.
20004 Wirtan mentioned that the temple is full of secret compartments, and that I will likely find the remains on the lowest floor of the temple. Wirtan also warned me, however, that the temple has become infested with spiders and skuldr.
3 Find the remains of the Eothasian priests.
10003 I have descended into the lower level of the temple. If Wirtan spoke true, then the remains of the murdered priests are down here somewhere...
20002 I have found a sealed chamber at the lowest point of the temple. It seems to be a vault of some kind.
4 Return to Wirtan.
10004 A spirit appeared to me within the vault, and showed me a vision of what happened in the temple many years ago - and what part Wirtan played in it. Confronting him may provide me with some measure of the whole truth.
End states
No Killed Questgiver
30000 Someone critically important to this quest has died.
No Slew Wirtan Mid-Quest
30001 Whatever motivations Wirtan had for asking me to explore the temple, they die with him. Perhaps he'll have better luck in the next cycle.
Yes Sent Wirtan from Village
30002 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate. Wirtan confessed, once confronted, that he chose not to interfere when Raedric's men came to seal the temple, leaving the priests trapped inside. For his crime, I drove Wirtan from the village, under threat of reprisal should he ever return. Whatever fate has in store for him, his life in Gilded Vale is over.
Yes Turned Wirtan in to Magistrate
30003 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate. It seems Wirtan was responsible for leaving them trapped within the vault which proved their final resting place. I brought this information - and the remains of the priests - to the magistrate of the village. Urgeat says Wirtan will be dealt with, and rewarded me for seeing justice done.
Yes Forgive Wirtan (Edér in Party?)
30004 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate. Wirtan confessed to his part in it once I confronted him. He could not say what moved him to keep silent when the temple was sealed, trapping the priests within, but the crime seems to haunt him still. I chose to let him live. Perhaps in time he can come to terms with what he has done, and make amends.
Yes No Questions Asked
30005 I retrieved the remains of the Eothasian priests from the depths of the temple, as Wirtan requested, and delivered them into his keeping. He kept his end of the bargain, and rewarded me with a good amount of coin. Whatever else comes of all this, it's not my business.
Yes Slew Wirtan Specifically for Justice
30006 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate, and Wirtan was quick to confess once confronted. Cowardice or malice drove him to keep his silence, and neither is sufficient excuse for his crime. Perhaps the spirits of those priests will find some resolution in the death of their betrayer.
Yes Killed Wirtan, Then Gave Magistrate Bones
30007 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate. It seems Wirtan was responsible for leaving them trapped within the vault which proved their final resting place. I slew the man for his crime, and brought the remains of the priests to the magistrate of the village. Perhaps the spirits can return to the cycle, now that their betrayer has been revealed.
Yes Killed Wirtan after Getting Bones, Never Spoke To
30008 The vision I saw in the depths of the temple showed me the truth of the priests' fate, and Wirtan's part in it. Whatever reasons he had for sending me down to explore the temple, they die with him.
Yes Changed Mind after Letting Wirtan Go
30009 I changed my mind about letting Wirtan live, and slew him on the spot.
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