The apothecary in the Blighted Village has a secret cellar under his shop. Why is it hidden, and what can you find there? In this guide, we’ll reveal all of the answers.
Inside the apothecary’s shop in the Blighted Village, you’ll find lots of potions and ingredients to loot — and you might also notice the Apothecary’s Ledger (#1). When you read it, you’ll see that some “specially requested plants” were recently delivered, and that they were stored in the cellar to keep them out of sight. Learning this will trigger the quest.
Walkthrough
The hatch leading down to the cellar is located behind the counter in the shop (Exit A). When you descend, you’ll find even more potions and ingredients to loot, but you won’t see anything resembling the mysterious ledger entry. To delve deeper into the cellar, you’ll have to notice the lever to the left of the large bookcase (#3). The lever is in the shadows behind some crates, so it’s tough to see, but if anyone in your party passes a DC-15 Perception check, then they’ll detect it, and it will glow, making it obvious. When you pull the lever, the bookcase will slide over and reveal a secret passage.
Through the passage you’ll come to an underground grotto. At this location, you’ll find — you guessed it — even more ingredients, plus Alchemist’s Fire. You might also notice several mouldering caskets. These caskets are tricky. In one of them (#4), you’ll find a Dark Journal, which will reveal that the apothecary’s name is Ilyn Toth, and that he was attempting to raise the dead with the help of a book. In the others, you won’t find much of anything. But if you destroy the caskets, or if they happen to fall apart when you loot them, then agile and robust guardians — aka skeletons — will leap out and attack you. These attacks might surprise you, and if the guardians get a free turn, then they’ll run around breaking open other caskets, waking their allies. So if you decide to loot the caskets, be ready for a big fight.
Mirror, mirror on the wall…
In the back of the grotto, you’ll find an ornate mirror (#5). If you’re playing a Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard, and if you pass a DC-10 Arcana check, then you’ll recognize the mirror as a “thinking lock.” When you click on it, it’ll ask for your name. No matter what you say — even if you know the name Ilyn Toth from the Dark Journal (#4) — the mirror won’t recognize you, and it’ll want to know if you’re a friend or foe. If you claim to be an ally, then it’ll give you a quiz to make sure. The correct answers are:
“A foul lich” (if you pass the DC-15 History check) or “Szass Tam is a foul, wretched creature” (otherwise).
“To clean a wound?” If you read the Healer’s Log (#2), or if you’re playing a Ranger, then you’ll know the right answer.
If your main character is talking, then the right answer is: “I’d look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head.” Other characters will get different answers. In general, you should pick the answer that mentions power or survival, and not love or revenge. Sorcerers can offer to free the mirror from its service, and that will work as well.
If quizzes aren’t your thing, then you’ll get two other options. If you pass a DC-15 Intimidation check, then the mirror will decide that discretion is the better part of valor, and it will get out of your way. If you’re playing as Barbarian and pass a DC-15 Strength check, then you’ll pick up a rock and break the mirror, ending its questions before they start.
If you’re successful with the quiz or the skill check, then the mirror will disappear, which will allow you to enter the apothecary’s secret laboratory. Otherwise, the mirror will send out a Flame Sphere to blow up the containers in the grotto, including the mouldering caskets. This will free all of the guardians, who will then attack you. But afterwards, you’ll be able to talk to the mirror again and try for a better result with your answers.
What could be in here?
Inside the laboratory, you’ll find spell scrolls, poisons, and even more ingredients. You’ll also find Bracers of Defense (#8) plus a pair of notes from the apothecary (#6, #7) detailing his attempts to raise the dead while dealing with a book. But the real prize is the book itself, called The Necromancy of Thay, which you’ll find in a locked chamber on the eastern side (#9). A nearby Rusted Key (#10) will open the chamber, so you won’t need to pick the lock or do anything special to get inside.
But you should be careful anyway. If you beat DC-15 Perception checks, then you’ll detect two marble plates — one on the floor in front of the chamber, and another under the book. If you beat DC-20 Perception checks, then you’ll detect two gargoyles in the chamber. This might evoke memories of Indiana Jones trying to grab a golden idol, but the traps here won’t cause a huge boulder to come rolling down on you. In fact, they won’t do much of anything. The floor plate merely lights the braziers on either side of it. The book plate causes the two gargoyles to start shooting fireballs — but as soon as you trigger the trap, the game will enter turn-based mode, and you’ll probably be able to exit the chamber before the gargoyles get their turn. So feel free to just walk into the chamber, grab the book, and then leave.
Looks perfectly harmless to me!
At this point, you’ll have to decide what to do with the book. You’ll have two choices — to destroy it or read it — and the main quest will divide into two sub-quests to reflect these options. The sub-quests are described below.
Destroy the Ancient Tome
If you examine the tome, then you’ll see that it’s vulnerable to Radiant damage and immune to everything else. So to destroy it, you’ll just need to drop it on the ground and cast a Radiant spell at it. The tome only has 2 hit points, so one cast should do the trick. Destroying the tome will earn you 115 xp.
But watch out! When you destroy the tome, three Level 5 Shadows will emerge from it and attack you. Shadows do decent damage, they drain Strength, and they cast Shadow Blend to disappear from sight. So be prepared for a difficult fight. Killing the Shadows will earn you an additional 225 xp.
Unlock the Ancient Tome
To unlock the tome, you’ll have to find the right key for it. If you read the Moonhaven Logbook (#6), then you’ll learn that the tome requires a “key gem,” and that the apothecary’s apprentice stole it — and then disappeared down the town’s well (Exit B) into the Whispering Depths.
Inside the Whispering Depths, you’ll encounter Ettercaps, Phase Spiders, and even a Phase Spider Matriarch. Please refer to our Phase Spider Matriarch Boss Battle guide for information about how to defeat her. You’ll also find two items of interest: the Apprentice’s Pack (#12), which contains the Apprentice’s Journal, where you’ll see another reference to the “key gem,” plus a Dark Amethyst (#13), the key gem itself.
With Dark Amethyst in hand, you’ll be able to unlock the tome by selecting the “read” option for it. This will allow you to open it and read it, drop it and destroy it, put it away and decide what to do with it later, or give it to Astarion, provided he’s in your party.
If you give the tome to Astarion (now or later), he won’t read it like other characters; he’ll put it away for later. To get him to read the tome and gain its benefits, you’ll need to select it in his inventory and have him read it — twice if necessary. Astarion having the book will generate some extra dialogue with him later in the game. Also, if you give him the book when you unlock it, then you’ll gain +5 approval with him.
At one point you could also give the book to Gale for his quest The Wizard of Waterdeep (as an extra way to destroy it), but this no longer seems to be the case.
If it’s written in purple, glowing glyphs, it must be good.
When you open the tome, it will bind itself to the character who is interacting with it. No other character will be able to use it. The bound character will then get to turn three pages, with their tolerance of the content determined by an ability or skill check. These checks are listed below:
Page 2. All characters will receive a DC-15 Wisdom check. Bards will also receive a DC-10 Performance check. Sorcerers will also receive a DC-10 Charisma check.
Page 3. All characters will receive a DC-20 Wisdom check. Astarion will also receive a DC-15 Wisdom check. Bards will also receive a DC-15 Performance check. Clerics of Lloth, Talos and Tiamat will also receive a DC-10 Wisdom check. Sorcerers will also receive a DC-15 Charisma check.
Note: If a Bard or Sorcerer fails their special check for one page, then they won’t receive any special checks for future pages.
If the character who opens the tome attempts to turn at least one page, then they’ll gain the passive feature Forbidden Knowledge (+1 bonus to Wisdom Saving Throws and Ability Checks) and the spell Speak with Dead (as a Ritual). If they fail one check while turning pages, then they’ll become inflicted with the curse Whispers of Madness. If they fail two or more checks, then they’ll become inflicted with the curse Baleful Knowledge. Both curses give Disadvantage on Wisdom checks until removed with the Remove Curse spell.
There isn’t any downside to reading the tome. Gale and Karlach will disapprove of it being opened — unless they’re the ones opening it — but you can just open it when they’re not around to avoid this. Sages in your party (like Gale) will gain the “Secrets of the Necromancer” inspiration if you open the book, and the “All Knowledge Is Worth Having” inspiration if you attempt to turn all three pages. You’ll also get a chance to trade in the Forbidden Knowledge feature (for +2 ability score points) when you visit the Mirror of Loss in Act 3.
Regardless of how many skill checks you pass when turning the pages of the tome, you won’t receive all of its knowledge. To get that, you’ll have to wait until you reach the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate in Act 3.
This guide is a work in progress. We’ll continue to update it as we delve deeper into the game.
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Steven Carter
Starting with cassette tape games on the TRS-80, Steven has been playing, creating, and writing about games for a long, long time. This makes him experienced, not old. Lately, Steven has been focusing on walkthroughs, making sure everybody knows how to solve Towers of Hanoi puzzles.
