Iron Flail Fort

Iron Flail Fort is a location in The White March - Part II.

Background[ | ]

This fortification belongs to the Iron Flail, an army from Readceras that's interested in taking over the Durgan's Battery and the White Forge by any means necessary. After the Watcher unlocks the Battery, they show up in force, clearing a swathe of trees and establishing their fort in their middle.

Points of interest[ | ]

You enter the area from the southeast. Approaching the door will trigger a conversation with an Iron Flail soldier who will warn you away. The fort is locked and the surrounding areas are patrolled by Readcerans who drop minor loot. To gain access, you can:
- Blast down the main gate, by way of a cannon barrage (requires Ready the Cannons to be completed). This skips the entire interaction.
- Assault the main gate, using a battering ram (interact with the main gate, then logs beside the drawbridge). See the section below for more details.
- Take the stealthy approach via the side gate to the northwest. It is best made at night, so that guards stay at their campfires, rather than move within the camp all the time. See the section below for more details.
A pair of lovebirds waits at the cemetery to the northwest, providing some insight into the Flail's motives and goals. A Ring of Overseeing can be found in one of the nearby graves (revealed with Mechanics 6).
In the far northeastern corner is a hidden hollowed-out stump containing some loot, notably 2x Durgan Iron Ingots and a Tattered Note. This can be revealed with Mechanics 7, but will only contain the loot if you awakened Taena's soul during The Recluse of the White March in The White March - Part I.
You can explore the Fort at your leisure after talking to Adaryc. It contains mostly containers with minor loot.

Command post

This is a large, circular building where Adaryc is located. Once you talk him down or dispose of him, the grate in the center is used to talk to Stalwart's messengers.
A hidden scroll on Adaryc's table in the command post contains a random accessory and gem.

Infiltration interaction[ | ]

The stealthy way into the fort is via the side gate to the northwest. There are three different ways to approach the situation, though all of them require the same checks.

With a Rope and Grappling Hook, you can throw it onto the roof and send any party member over.
If the Watcher is an orlan (and after examining the gate), you can squeeze through the narrow gap in the wall.
If any party member has the wizard ability Form of the Helpless Beast (and after examining the gate), they can cast it on any party member (including themselves), allowing them to fit through the narrow gap in the wall.

Once the selected party member is on the other side:

If it is daytime, the guard on the other side of the fence notices glances over in the direction of the gate. The character must pass a Stealth 10 check to quickly hide, otherwise the alarm is raised.
If it is nighttime, the guard is in deep slumber. The character must pass an easier Stealth 6 check to avoid making noise while walking over to unbar the gate.

Gate assault interaction[ | ]

The most direct way into the fort is through the main gate, after killing the guards in front of the entrance. If you completed Ready the Cannons, you can easily skip this interaction and call down a cannon strike from the battery by interacting with the gate. Otherwise, granted you have at least one companion in the party, you can interact with the log pile beside the gate (after interacting with the gate itself) to launch an attack on the fort. This starts a scripted interaction:

Archers will launch a volley of arrows at the party. You can choose to

Fire upon the archers → Requires there be at least 5 characters in the party, and that the Watcher has an arquebus, blunderbuss, crossbow, hunting bow, pistol, war bow, or arbalest equipped in the primary slot)
- With Dexterity 18, you successfully kill two archers with your shot. The remainder take shelter behind the fence posts, allowing the party to proceed unabated.
  - Failing a hidden Athletics 8 check on all party members will apply an injury to the character with the worst Athletics. If the character is a companion, they gain a Severe Wound (-50% Healing Received), otherwise if they are the Watcher they gain a Wrenched Knee (-3 Move Speed).
- Otherwise you are too slow and get struck with an arrow, inflicting a Severe Wound (-50% Healing Received).
  - In addition, the two party members with the worst Athletics also gain a Severe Wound.
Rally your companions, and charge towards the gate → Requires the paladin ability Zealous Charge, Watcher only)
- You rush toward the gate, avoiding the arrows and bash the gates
Rush forward to the gate → No check required, you rush forward to the gate around the volley of arrows
- If no more than 3 party members fail an Athletics 10 check, and the Watcher has at least 18 Might, you quickly batter the gate without issue.
- Otherwise the character with the worst Athletics suffers a Severe Wound (-50% Healing Received). This interaction was supposed to give the character a Wrenched Knee (-3 Move Speed) if they were the Watcher, but this seems to be broken.
Cast Arkemyr's Dazzling Lights → Requires that the Watcher has the said wizard ability
- Failing a hidden Athletics 8 check on all party members will apply an injury to the character with the worst Athletics. If the character is a companion, they gain a Severe Wound (-50% Healing Received), otherwise if they are the Watcher they gain a Wrenched Knee (-3 Move Speed).
Bring up your Arcane Veil → Requires that the Watcher has the said wizard ability
- This protects the Watcher, but in scrambling to avoid the incoming hail of arrows, the companion with the worst Athletics gains a Wrenched Knee (-3 Move Speed).
Use the log for cover → No check required, the party ducks behind the log for cover
- If no more than 3 party members fail an Athletics 8 check, and the Watcher has at least 18 Might, you heave the log over your head to block the arrows.
- Otherwise the character with the worst Athletics suffers a Severe Wound (-50% Healing Received).

Following this, you manage to make it to the gate and deliver the first bash against it

With Perception 17, you spot a flurry of movement and see a group of men hauling a cauldron into place. This allows you to preempt the attack, and make an action against it:
- Leap aside → No check required (this is the same as failing the above Perception check, but with easier checks)
  - If the Watcher has at least Dexterity 16 → Succeeded option below
  - Otherwise → Failed option below
- Shove a companion out of harm's way → Assuming you have companions in the party
  - Failed option below (the Watcher always gets a Severe Burn), although all party members can avoid the failure if they all pass an Athletics 8 check. The companion who was pushed away does not get burned (though they still participate in the checks).
- Cast Bulwark Against The Elements → Requires that the Watcher has the said wizard ability
  - Succeeded option below
- Cast Withdraw → Requires that the Watcher has said priest ability
  - Neither of the options below, the Watcher is unscathed but the companion in the second slot always gets a Severe Burn.
- Cast Winter Wind → Requires that the Watcher has the said wizard ability
  - Neither of the options below. You freeze the entirety of the cascade and avoid any injury to you and the party. This is the best outcome.
Otherwise, you don't get much of a warning, and a cascade of boiling pitch pours down from above
- If no more than 4 party members fail an Athletics 7 check, and the Watcher has at least Dexterity 19 → Succeeded option below
- Otherwise → Failed option below

There are two outcomes of the above (with some exceptions)

You succeeded in avoiding the cascade of boiling pitch, managing to leap aside just in time. The Watcher avoids an injury, but a hidden Athletics 8 check on all party members will apply a Severe Burn (-2 Dexterity, -8 Burn DR) to the character with the worst Athletics.
You failed in avoiding the cascade of boiling pitch. The Watcher gains Severe Burn, and all party members with less than Athletics 10 check will also get a Severe Burn. (to 59)

After this, the final charge with the battering ram has only one check.

If no more than 3 party members fail an Athletics 6 check OR you previously rushed forward to the gate, you crash through the gate, ending the interaction.
Otherwise, the companion with the worst Athletics gets a Severe Wound, ending the interaction.

Loot[ | ]

Notable loot[ | ]

Warlock's Codex: Dropped by the Iron Flail warlocks.
Ring of Overseeing: In a hidden grave in the northeast.
Ring of Searing Flames: Found on an anvil near the center of the fort.
War Pup: Can be found in a Pile of Straw, in the northernmost cage in the Kennels of the fort.
Cloak of an Eothasian Priest: From a hidden stash (Difficulty 7) in one of the eastern tents.