Lower Ruins

The Lower Ruins are the lower section of the Brecilian Ruins. Many ancient elven tombs lie in these catacombs.

Quests

Nature of the Beast

Burial chamber

The northeastern room of this area is locked and can only be accessed by following this walkthrough. Entering this area is important in order to complete The Mage's Treasure quest:

As the Warden enters a large room with a circular mosaic on the floor, the spirit of a ghostly boy will call out for his mother. The Warden can try to talk to him, but he doesn't seem to hear or understand the Warden, and will flee.

In the first large room to the left (second left in general) from the starting point of the map, in the southern room within this larger room, the Warden can retrieve a Tablet from a sarcophagus. If you found the fountain/altar but did not find the Tablet, go to your right as you leave this room and then go to the left entrance. Unless you get the tablet, you are unable to complete the quest.

With the tablet in the inventory, the Warden can proceed to the large room in the northeast corner of the Lower Ruins. A locked Metal Door will stop the party in a room with a Fountain (or pool) in the middle of another rounded mosaic, and an Altar on the side.

Bug! There is a chance the altar will not be present and you will need to load an earlier save to correct this.

Map-Lower Ruins Spiders — Map of the Lower Ruins, red dots are spiders

The Warden can perform the ritual as described by the tablet in this room:

Take the earthen jug from the fountain.
Fill the earthen jug with water.
Leave the pool alone.
Place the filled earthen jug on top of the nearby altar.
Kneel before the altar and pray.
Examine the earthen jug on the altar.
Take a single sip from the water in the earthen jug
Take the earthen jug.
Leave the altar alone.
Dump the remaining water from the earthen jug into the fountain.

If the Warden makes a mistake in the sequence, two Shades will attack the party. However the jug will not break and the Warden can try again. When the ritual is completed successfully, the jug will break and the Metal Door will open, allowing entrance into the burial chamber.

Note: Attempting the ritual sequence correctly without obtaining the tablet first results in the shades spawning during the kneeling step as if a mistake had been made.