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This article is about the quest in Beast of Winter. For the location, see The Endless Queries.

The Endless Queries is a quest in Beast of Winter.

Synopsis[ | ]

One of the realms accessible through the Shattered Passage leads to the domain of copper and adra pillars - to a memory of Engwith, of its horrifying Inquisition and the torments it unleashed upon the world in the name of the gods. The Watcher has to play their part while fighting through the realm, either persecutor or persecuted, in order to reforge the souls locked within.

Walkthrough[ | ]

  • Welcome to the shattered, but familiar realm of Engwith. It's not a pleasant face, as you're immediately met by a shackled, tormented soul. Talk to her, only to see her take the form of Iovara, then Thaos, then Maerwald, as the realm tries on familiar faces to try and manipulate you. She will eventually turn into a tortured wood elf, with the black ichor that made up the Skaenite illusion melting into a small necklace. You can use Religion 10 or Skaenite Priest class to identify the item in question. Once you end dialogue, she will give you Betrayal, allowing you to assume any form you desire, if you didn't rip it from around her neck earlier. Make sure you obtain it before entering any of the portals.

Trials of heresy, apostasy, and identity[ | ]

  • The goal is to gather a Mote of Conviction, Mote of Hostility and/or Mote of Regret at each portal, which allows you to reforge the souls. Each is obtained by participating in a kangaroo court of the Inquisition, where the chained spirit you met stands trial for a variety of religious transgressions, including Heresy ("rejecting the orthodoxy delivered by the universal divinities"), Apostasy (Engiwth's master control plan), and Identity ("Your self stands at cross purposes to your soul"). Each trial is done in sequence, regardless of which portal you go through first. You can get more than one of each mote, but only to a total of three (one for each portal).
    • Mote of Conviction is gained by sticking to your beliefs in the court. E.g. as the Accused, you hold to your innocence., or the Inquisitor granting the Accused a swift death before even going through the trial.
    • Mote of Regret is gained by being repentant. E.g. as the Accused, laying flat for the court, professing your transgressions against the gods and seeking forgiveness.
    • Mote of Hostility is gained if the Watcher chooses to attack the assembled court, or by damning the court.
  • To progress, you need to access the portals scattered across the plane at the top of the adra pillars. Each leads you into an interrogation scene where you can play either the part of the witness, the accursed or the inquisitor (two of the three, depending on the scene). Killing everyone is possible as well, which provides a Mote of Hostility. The choices allow you to play out the events, but there is no way you can actually change the outcome into anything but quick death, death, or terrible, agonizing death. The usual sentence is branding on the soles to purify the "earthly taint", then being drowned in the sea to let Ondra remove the lies spoken against the gods.
  • Only in the third sequence can you surmise that the tortured and the torturer are actually one person. This sequence have two branches, if you will: A Rational / Scientific, and a Religious / Metaphysical, accessed through the roles of Inquisitor and Witness, respectively.
    • Taking on the role as Inquisitor, and using Ydwin, Insight 11, or Perception 10, it will be suggested that Rymrgand's domain has fragmented the soul of the Inquisitor to the point where she cannot realize that the fragments of her soul, the witness, the accused and the Inquisitor are actually one and the same. You can use Metaphysics 9 to suggest that she pull herself together or Diplomacy 12 to suggest she doesn't have to put herself through this. Both will result in a Mote of Regret. Offering the accused to help her escape, yields a Mote of Conviction.
    • As the witness, you are presented with the case of the accused elevating the Self above the Soul—that there's a conflict in which the divine purpose set for the Soul is being abandoned by accepting "the lie of the Self". You must argue whether or not the Soul and the Self are inherently at odds. With Metaphysics 11, you can posit that the soul is ultimately only a form of energy, no matter the amount of information it carries, and have no purpose or volition except that which we ourselves set. With Religion 8, the Watcher points out that the gods grants this energy, and by doing so allows for the emergence of Self, which in turn suggests that the purpose of the Soul is the emergence Self. Trying to intervene when the sentence is being pronounced will give a Mote of Regret, while holding your tongue will give Mote of Conviction.
Trial mote / dialogue table
Trial Role Mote Dialogue
1st (Heresy) Witness Regret Not possible
Hostility Attack the court
  • [Attack] "Enough of this sham!"
Conviction Remain silent
  • [Say nothing.]
Accused Regret Accept your sentence, admitting guilt
  • "I accept them. I have wronged the gods, and I pray forgiveness."
  • "I accept this penance."
Hostility Reject the sentence (or alternatively attack the court)
  • "I reject your authority! This court is a sham set to fulfill the will of Thaos!"
  • "Damn you, damn your gods, and damn your court!"
Conviction Get convicted
  • "Oh absolutely guilty. The gods are assholes."
  • "Fantastic. I needed to have a word with Berath."
2nd (Apostasy) Inquisitor Regret Have the court turn against you
  • "Listen, all of you! Your faith is false!"
  • "The gods want us to lead by example, not force conversion at the point of a blade."
Hostility Attack the court
Conviction Convict the accused
  • "You are accused of abandoning the faith. How do you answer these charges?" OR "So, uh, you did a pasta thing, eh?"
  • "What say the witnesses?"
  • "The witnesses provide no evidence of consequence."
Accused Regret Accept your sentence, admitting guilt
  • "I accept them. I have wronged the gods, and I pray forgiveness."
  • [Remain silent.]
  • "I accept this penance."
Hostility Attack the court
Conviction Get convicted
  • "You mean apostates weaken the apparent authority of your 'infallible truth.'"
  • "Screw the gods! Was that better?"
  • "Sounds fun. Bring me to that mount thing."
3rd (Identity) Witness Regret
  • "You are mistaken."
  • "This woman's soul - not her mind - is divided against itself."
  • One of the following:
    • (Perception 10) "You don't find it curious that only the accuser and the accused have form here? "
    • (Insight 11) "This place is formed of trauma - the trauma of an experienced torturer torturing herself."
  • Then one of the following:
    • (Diplomacy 13) "You're seeking the truth, aren't you? Then don't blind yourself to it.")
    • (Bluff 16) "It's not madness. You, me, we're the same! Trust me as you would yourself!"
Hostility Attack the court
Conviction Remain silent
  • [Say nothing.]
Inquisitor Regret
  • "You've been charged with crimes against identity. How do you answer?"
    • "You could be divided against yourself."
      • One of the following:
        • With Ydwin in the party ask her to "Give it a try."
        • (Perception 10) "You don't find it curious that only the accuser and the accused have form here?"
        • (Insight 11) "This place is formed of trauma - the trauma of an experienced torturer torturing herself."
      • Next follow up with either:
        • (Metaphysics 9) "You are not whole, but you can be restored."
        • (Diplomacy 12) "You don't have to keep putting yourself through this."
    • You could be lying about who you are."
  • Convince them its not real, and that you're there to free the prisoner:
    • "None of this is real!"
    • "This is just a reflection of the memories of a single broken soul."
    • "There is no accused. There's no accuser. There's only us."
    • "You're a prisoner. And I'm here to set you free."
  • Tell them the truth about Engwith:
    • "Listen, all of you! Your faith is false!"
    • "The gods were forged by Engwith of its own people's souls in order to control you!"
    • Then one of:
      • (History 13) "The gods will drop a moon on you before they allow you to retain your current hegemony."
      • "The gods exist to guide, to teach, to lead, not to inflict pointless cruelties on those who don't meet your standards!"
Hostility
  • Attack the witnesses:
    • "Free the prisoner. She has committed no crime."
    • [Attack] "Enough of this sham!"
  • Convince them it's not real, and that you've come to end this place forever:
    • "None of this is real!"
    • "This is just a reflection of the memories of a single broken soul."
    • "There is no accused. There's no accuser. There's only us."
    • "I've come to end this place forever."
Conviction
  • "You've been charged with crimes against identity. How do you answer?"
    • "You could be divided against yourself."
      • One of the following:
        • With Ydwin in the party ask her to "Give it a try."
        • (Perception 10) "You don't find it curious that only the accuser and the accused have form here?"
        • (Insight 11) "This place is formed of trauma - the trauma of an experienced torturer torturing herself."
      • Next follow up with:
        • "I can help you escape this place."
  • Convince them it's not real, and that you've come to end this place forever:
    • "None of this is real!"
    • "This is just a reflection of the memories of a single broken soul."
    • "There is no accused. There's no accuser. There's only us."
    • Then one of:
      • "You're dead. I'm alive."
      • "I need your help, and I can't get it while you're answering these questions."
  • Tell them Engwith will fall:
    • "Listen, all of you! Your faith is false!"
    • "The gods were forged by Engwith..."
    • History 13 or "Engwith will fall..."
  • Execute the accursed:
    • "Let's get this over with. Kill the accused."
    • "A quick death." or "Cut off her ears..."
* For brevity, the above table only shows a subset of dialogue options, typically the fastest, leading to specific motes.

Freeing the accused[ | ]

  • After visiting all three pillars, return to the spirit and give her the three motes, restoring her and paving the way into the structure at the heart of the Queries.
  • The spirit will confront the Inquisitor, who is actually a face of her own soul. The type of motes you gather during three trials and let the shackled Spirit absorb will impact how she will behave and react during the encounter with the Inquisitor, and whether or not reconciliation with the Inquisitor is possible.
    • If you have one of each type of mote, you get some unique dialogue:
      • "Inquisitor. I came here with the aim of ending you." The elf stares at the palms of her hands, her eyes pulsing a muddled violet.
      • "I know it." The masked woman nods slightly.
    • If you have two or more Motes of Conviction, you get some unique dialogue:
      • "Inquisitor! You abandoned your sacred charge! You made a sacrifice of order on the altar of orthodoxy!" Her eyes flash gray like cold steel.
      • "You've come to end me, then? To consign these lands to chaos?"
    • If you have two or more Motes of Regret, you get some unique dialogue:
      • "Inquisitor! Look at what you've done in the name of order! At what you've become!" Blue essence streams from her eyes.
      • "You've come to end me, then? To consign these lands to chaos?"
    • If you have two or more Motes of Hostility, you get some unique dialogue (this also yields Ydwin dialogue)
      • "You've much to answer for, inquisitor, and I intend to see you suffer for it." Cold hatred radiates from the shackled spirit as her eyes burn with crimson light.
      • "You think this one your champion then?" The inquisitor gestures towards you.
      • "The intruder would destroy us both."
      • "'Tis true, and I've always known it. I've used him, as he'd use me."
      • "Shall we destroy him then, that we might conclude our own business?" The spirit at your side nods.
  • With two or more Motes of Hostility, there is no chance of reconciliation. The inquisitor will convince the accused to turn on you, starting combat with everyone against you. Serafen and Ydwin have some unique dialogue here.
  • With three Motes of Regret, or three Motes of Conviction, the Inquisitor claims there's nothing she recognize in the the Accused, thus there is nothing to reconcile with. This starts combat against the Inquisitor and the Warden of Decay (with the accused on your side).
  • With one of each type of mote, two Motes of Regret, or two Motes of Convictions, the accused and the inquisitor will accept to reconcile. If you manage to make them reconcile, the Inquisitor will fade away, and you will have to fight the Warden of Decay and the remaining inquisitors. You can also simply fight the inquisitor, as the above.
    • When reconciling, you can suggest they kiss. This yields a fair few companion reactions:
      • Iselmyr: "Ye ettle at kissin', I could gie ye wysins."
      • Konstanten: '"Might have a couple drinks in my pack that could move things along."
      • Maia Rua: "That's your solution for everything, you old charmer." Maia winks at you. (only if you are currently romancing Maia)
      • Pallegina: "Is everyone in the Deadfire so obsessed with kissing? It is not a solution to every problem!
      • Rekke: "Kissing is always good. Except when it is bad. Even then, it could be worse."
      • Vatnir: "Yes, because that always solves everything."
      • Tekēhu: "That could fix things. Or it could make them deliciously complicated. Either way, you have my attention."
      • Xoti "Well, I don't see how that's going to help."
  • Afterwards, Naxiva ix Kirent will appear before you, remade. After exhausting your options, you can choose to let her join you and tag along until you find a way to reinsert her into the Wheel, ask her to help slay the ancient dragon Neriscyrlas, or convince her to let go and let the realm collapse. Either way, you progress ahead.

Journal[ | ]

Quests/LAX02_01_Iceberg_Dungeon/LAX02_qst_critical_path_quest_03_engwith_plane.quest
ID Objectives
0 The Endless Queries
10000 I've discovered an ancient realm of massive adra pillars encased in copper and stone - reflections of the Engwithan machines I've encountered before. A woman's spirit, flickering and faint, stands shackled near the entrance.
1 Search the Endless Queries for motes of the shackled soul's essence.
10001 The abused spirit has been trapped here by an Engwithan inquisitor. She believes she can lead me to her tormentor, but only if I can find the pieces of her soul that have been taken from her. I should search the area for clues to her predicament.
2 Provide the mote of essence to the shackled soul.
10002 A trial within a column of adra left me with a mote of spiritual essence. If I give it to the imprisoned spirit, it may improve her condition.
20000 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Regret.
20001 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Hostility.
20002 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Conviction.
3 Locate another mote of the shackled soul's essence.
10003 The spirit imprisoned here responded well to the first mote I gave her, but she's still far from able to help me with the inquisitor, much less Neriscyrlas. I should search another adra pillar for more fragments of her being.
4 Provide the second mote to the shackled soul.
10004 A second trial left me with a second mote of spirit stuff. The imprisoned spirit will surely benefit from it.
20003 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Regret.
20004 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Hostility.
20005 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Conviction.
5 Locate a final mote of the shackled soul's essence.
10005 The spirit imprisoned here seems close to regaining her full faculties. Giving her a third mote of essence may be all I need to free her from this prison.
6 Give the third mote to the shackled soul.
10006 A third trial provided a third sliver of spiritual power. It could be the last the spirit needs to fully recover.
20006 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Regret.
20007 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Hostility.
20008 I brought the shackled spirit a Mote of Conviction.
7 Confront Inquisitor Naxiva at the core of the Endless Queries.
10007 I've freed the soul from her shackles, but she still seems unsure of her own past. She has promised to lead me to the inquisitor at the center of this realm, however, should I want to confront the Engwithan responsible for so much suffering.
14 Speak to the shackled soul.
10014 If I'm to learn the purpose of this realm, I'll need to find a spirit willing to speak with me. The woman shackled near the entrance may be able to help.
End states
Yes 30000 I helped Naxiva ix Kirent face herself, and she agreed to aid me against the dragon Neriscyrlas in exchange.
Yes 30001 I helped Naxiva ix Kirent face herself. She has joined her spirit to my own, and I will guide her back to the Wheel.
Yes 30002 I helped Naxiva ix Kirent face herself before consigning her to the White Void's oblivion.
Yes 30006 I fought and destroyed both Inquisitor Naxiva and the shackled soul.
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