He Waits in Fire is a quest in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.
Synopsis
The Watcher spoke with Eothas in the ruins of Hasongo but was unable to divert him from his machinations. He bade the Watcher to meet him at a luminous adra pillar in a chain of volcanic islands called Magran's Teeth that rises from the northernmost seas of the Deadfire.
Walkthrough
- Once you arrive at the Ashen Maw, much of the garrison has been already wiped out by Eothas who is siphoning essence from a luminous adra pillar in the center of a volcano named the Ashen Maw. Travel deeper into the volcano to meet with him. Enter The Sentinel Wall from the Maw, then talk to the Rathun survivors. You can try to talk them down - say you do not follow Eothas, then use Metaphysics 5 to note your soul wasn't eaten, Religion 5 to ..., or Insight 5 to point out their anger is misdirected. Head down to the Ashen Bridge.
- To reach Eothas, you need to activate the shrine of Magran in the Jagged Keep. To activate the shrine, you need the Torc of Bithákten guarded by Jadaferlas the Ancient in the Lair of the Ancient. Head there. Jadaferlas is a challenging opponent for wits or brawn. You can find out the nature of her deal with Resolve 11, then use Bluff 8 to ... or Diplomacy 8 to play on her vanity. Then you need to have Resolve 16, Survival 14, or Religion 14 + Priest (Magran) class. If that fails, being honest and having Honest 2 reputation will. She will fly away, allowing you to plunder her hoard and snatch the torc from the essence of Brenthís, the dead Rathun-Priestress of Magran.
- In the Jagged Keep, the Torc buys you free passage all the way to Bathor Erkon. In lieu of killing him, you can talk him down if you have Diplomacy 5 or Intellect 15. Then you need to establish that your interests don't align (eg. by stating he snatched a part of your soul). Then you can reveal the truth of Jadaferlas' betrayal.
- Fire up the shrine with the Torc. Magran will contact you and explain a few things. Most notably, the fact that she formed the Rathun to ward against kith in order to safeguard Ukaizo - and they are entirely expendable. You can now leave the conversation and talk to the Bathor again. If your skills are high enough, you can convince the Rathun to leave the place before it is destroyed. Place the torc on the shrine, then descend to meet Eothas in the foundations of the Ashen Maw.
- Eothas will be quite personable and nice - for a massive statue of adra whose single tooth is about your size. He will ask you about the origins of your greatness: Do you think it's innate? Or a result of the experiences that shaped you? After this little nature vs. nurture quandary is behind you, he will give you the opportunity to ask for answers (he will stall you, asking who really wants to know - you or the gods - etc.). Finally, when Magran thoughtfully reminds all of the impending volcano eruption and giant tsunami that's coming, he will reveal his goal:
I want to return the gods to our original purpose. And to allow mortals to worship us - or ignore us - for what we are, not what we pretend to be. When I entered Waidwen, I did so with the intention of illuminating the history of Engwith. I wanted to show all the nations of the Eastern Reach the machines we had used to create ourselves, how we had hidden our true nature from mortals for millennia.
But even if I had succeeded, my words would have been easy to deny. Belief creates the foundation upon which a mind's reality is built.
- Why is it so important that mortals know that the gods came from the Engwithans?
We began with a dream that if we provided guidance to mortals, each generation of souls would grow stronger. And if the souls grew stronger, societies would become better, moving ever closer to achieving the potential we believed all mortals have within them. Over two thousand years have passed. Hundreds of generations have been born, lived, and died. If the world has improved under our guidance, mortals should be prepared to understand the truth. If they have not improved after all of this time, then we have utterly failed in our aims and there should be a reckoning of our faults.
The time has come for a new covenant between gods and mortals, one forged in the light of truth and understanding between our kind.
I will leave this place and go to the lost city the Huana call Ukaizo. It is there that all souls pass through the machines of the gods, where all souls pass into the Beyond before beginning their next life. When I reach that place, I will find our great machines and tear them to pieces. I will smash the Great Wheel until the lights of Hel all gutter and die.
And when my work is done, I will leave this world forever.
[...]
Both gods and mortals alike rely on the Wheel. We depend on it for the souls that give us power. Mortals depend on it for the lives of future generations. Breaking it will force all of us to face the truth. We will fail together or move forward together. Either ending is preferable to the cycle we still find ourselves in.- Then Eothas will promptly save you. The adra giant will take your entire party in his palms to protect them from Magran's wrath. Of course, as your soul is partially embedded inside Eothas, you're in for a very, very bad trip. You will find the part of your soul that was split and get the option to rejoin, just as Eothas carries you away in his palm through the ruins of the Ashen Maw and the fire and brimstone Magran unsuccessfully threw at him.
- Then Ondra sends her gigantic tsunami to smash Eothas and you. As the water smashes into the titan, you go back to tripping souls. You get the option of reaffirming yourself, with the narration depending on the choice you made at Sun in Shadow. Then Eothas will set your ship and you down on the water, with krakens clinging to him (in abject futility). Then he will gently nudge the ship with you southwards, which effectively turns it into a speedboat - and asks that you deliver message of his plans to the rest of the gods.
- The council
- You come to in the audience hall of Kahanga Palace, in the middle of a debate between Director Castol, Hazanui Karū, and Queen Onekaza II, regarding the information you brought from Eothas. Apparently you talk a lot in your sleep and revealed his entire plan, so the kith are understandably concerned about him breaking the mechanism of reincarnation they took for granted - and potentially killing off the pantheon. Once you come to, you are immediately invited to join the talks (just who cleaned you up is not explained, unless you arrived overnight and stand there smelling of ash and fire) as to how address this new development.
- The discussion is interrupted by the arrival of the Principi, who lay siege to Queen's Berth and invite themselves to the proceedings under the banner of Captain Aeldys. Once she makes her entrance, you reveal and clarify Eothas' plans. Although your knowledge is limited, you can speculate that breaking the cycle can extinguish all life on Eora in time - or just admit you have no idea. All faction leaders agree that something needs to be done about this and propose passing through Ondra's Mortar to reach Ukaizo and defend it. Fortunately, your soul is still bound to Eothas, allowing you to sense and locate the god within the storms.
- And of course, instead of cooperating like sane kith in the face of potential apocalypse, Queen Onekaza II declares that she will not abide an outsider in Ukaizo, effectively crossing out the possibility of a grand alliance against the gods. Wonderful.