Pillars of Eternity: Against the Grain, The Smith’s Shipment, Buried Secrets

There are two potential companions to find in Gilded Vale: Eder the fighter and Aloth the Wizard. Both are very useful party members early on in the game, and provide you with a tank to absorb damage, and area-of-effect spells, both of which will prove vital against enemies in the field and early boss encounters.

There are also a number of simple tasks and side quests which will give you some much-needed experience points for levelling up your party.

Against the Grain

In Gilded Vale, head east past Ingroed's home and then head up two sets of stairs towards the windmill. The task - Against the Grain - will trigger as you do so and begin a cut-scene. In the windmill, speak with Trumbel, then either convince Trumbel to change his mind, tell him you'll speak with Sweynur, or fight him. For the purposes of this guide, we chose to speak with Sweynur.

Leave the windmill and head to the Black Hound Inn on the far south-west section of the map. Speak to Pasca, then buy the farmers drinks, before speaking with Sweynur and convincing him to back off from Trumbel's family.

Return to the windmill when you're done and speak with Trumbel to complete the task.

The Smith's Shipment

When you're in Gilded Vale, head to the Black Hammer Smithery. To get there, walk east around the hanging tree, then south past Ingroed's Home. Speak to Tuatanu to find out about the missing shipment.

Head east towards the exit and then go to Esternwood on the World Map. Travel along the road until you come to a gap in the fence to the south. Exit the map and travel to Black Meadow, but be aware you'll have to fight a number of Forest Trolls and Wood Beetles alnog the way. In the north, to the west of the path, you'll find a Bandit Camp. Kill the four bandits and then search them, the barrels and the crates to find the missing shipment.

Return to Gilded Vale and the Black Hammer Smithery when you're done, then speak with Tuatanu again and return his shipment to complete the quest.

Buried Secrets

Make your way to the entrance to the Temple of Eothas, which is in the centre of Gilded Vale, just south of the hanging tree. Go inside and speak to Wirtan, then start exploring the temple. Note that you'll have to fight quite a few Spiderlings and Will'O'Wisps as you make your way to the room in the north-west.

The quickest way to get there is to head west two rooms from the entrance and open the secret door. After that, head north-west to find the Ritual Bells Room. You have to ring the bells in the right order here: right, middle, left then right again.

Go through the door to reach the lower level, and be ready to fight several Shadows in this level of the temple. Head south-east through a door and go along the corridor. Turn south-west into a room where you'll have to battle three Shadows. Turn the valve in here, then head back out of the room and go further towards the south-east. Go down the nearby stairs and fight the Lesser Black Oozes. Take the Gleaming Silver Key from the robe, then use it on the door opposite the valve room.

Follow the path around and fight the Lesser Black Ooze and the Shadow. Move south-east and use Scouting to reveal a lever, which will open the door. Collect the bones from the corpse here and then watch the vision play out.

Retrace your steps back to Wirtan and the entrance to the Temple. At this point you can choose to either hand over the bones or fight him. You can also convince him to bury the priest's bones, or return the bones to Magistrate Urgeat at the hanging tree in Gilded Vale.

- Keep reading for our guide to the final Act I side quests.

- Head back to the first page for the rest of our Pillars of Eternity walkthrough.

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