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CITY OF JUDGMENT - GOOD
The Betrayer's Gate
At #14 in the second level of the Death God's Vault is the Betrayer's Gate, which requires the real Silver Sword of Gith given by the Founder to open.
For a female character who has high enough influence with Gann, it is the other opportunity to reciprocate his declaration of love and thus earn the Dreamer's Heart feat (30 spell resistance, immunity to mind-affecting spells). Gann will also get immunity to mind-affecting spells, and +5 added to his spell resistance.
Beyond the Black Gate
I arrive at the Supplicants' Gate. Zoab the Fallen Solar beckons me to join with the forces of the Crusade that are about to assault the City of Judgment.
Holding the Gate against me will be an armed force comprised of the souls of the False, those who betrayed their chosen Gods in mortal life and are sentenced to eternal servitude to the God of the Dead in the City of Judgment. Among their leaders are a Monk named Jorin, a Dwarven Defender named Halor Thaurmurrin, a Halfling Rogue named Nilon Redleaf, and an Elven Druidess named Syrune. If ever there was a morally ambiguous decision in the game, this is it, to either side with the Crusade or with the defenders of the City of Judgment.
It is my intention to side with the Crusade, otherwise Kaelyn will leave my party and even attack me later on, and I want to keep her. Nonetheless, there is more than one way to go about it.
I could slaughter the lot of them. Since they're all tightly packed together, combining a Word of Faith from Kaelyn and a Storm of Vengeance from Gann at the start of combat will get the job done. There's some neat loot to be had as well. Jorin will leave behind Myr Styah'be'eh (Dagger +10, keen, massive criticals 2d10, wounding DC=26), a Ring of Protection +5, and Gloves of the Yellow Rose +5 (+5 attack bonus, +1 electrical damage). Syrune will leave behind a Periapt of Wisdom +5 and the Planar Hunter's Cloak (+6 deflection bonus to armor class vs. magical beasts and outsiders, +10 Search, immunity to knockdown). Halor will leave behind a Dwarven Waraxe +5. Nilon will leave behind Rage of the Lost Hin (Shortbow +8, 50% resistance to piercing damage, -3 Will saving throws). The bow can fire without limit arrows that are called Lost Hin's Fury (+8 bludgeoning damage, +2d6 fire damage). For those of you inclined to play Gann as an archer, this is the prize you'll be wanting, although it will be a long time coming. I myself don't really have any use for any of the loot, so I instead go with an alternative.
That alternative is to make a Diplomacy or Intimidation check to get them to abandon the Gate. I went with the Diplomacy check.
Now I have to make a decision. Sey'ryu suggests that holding the Gate will prevent reinforcements from coming into the city. Zoab suggests that going to the Basilica of Lost Hope will mean a symbolic victory that can turn the tide in favor of the Crusade. Rammaq wants me to go to Eternity's End first so that he can acquire the tomes that he'll need to ascend to godhood. I choose Eternity's End first, for a specific reason.
Raid on Eternity's End
The reason I come here first is that it means that I'll have the choice of either helping Rammaq become a God, or foiling his scheme to the point that he'll attack me and I'll be able to kill him. I won't be able to do either if I were to come here after the Basilica or the Gate. It is in fact my intention to kill Rammaq, because if I were to let him leave then the epilogue will turn out quite badly for Kaelyn.
I start off at #1. Rammaq is at #2 and orders me to search for the tomes. I make my way north, and encounter Rammaq's Undead Warriors combatting several Paladins of Kelemvor. Straight physical force usually suffices to win these battles, especially since the Paladins will often be occupied with the Undead Warriors as their initial targets.
I enter the vault at #3, and kill off more Paladins plus a Cleric of Kelemvor. Inside the Vault will be the Tome of Dolorous Sage. I can either hold onto it for Rammaq, or (as I chose here) destroy it.
I head east and kill more Paladins and Clerics of Kelemvor. I enter the Vault at #4. I allow the Vault Keeper to steal away with the Tome of Kat'ai.M
I make my way towards the southwest portion of Eternity's End. The Paladins in the Vault at #5 are led by Kelthanos. They're still easily overwhelmed with brute force. Kelthanos will leave behind a Talisman of Pure Good (+3 Charisma, +3 Wisdom, 12 spell resistance, good characters only) and a Belt of Storm Giant Strength (+10 Strength).
Rammaq will be waiting at #2. If I brought back only one tome for him, I would get 2,000xp and he would send undead help for me when I'm ready to reclaim my soul. If I had brought back both tomes to him, I would get 4,000xp, he would send undead help for me when I'm ready to reclaim my soul, and he'd also reward me right now with the Dire Totem of the Beastlands (+4 to all ability scores while item is in your inventory).
However, I deliberately prevented him from getting both tomes, so he becomes angry with me and attacks. He'll start off with a damage reduction spell and a spell that provides concealment. However, Valeria packs both an Adamantine Rapier and the Expose Weakness ability, so she's easily able to penetrate both protections with her attacks. She finishes him off with Eternal Rest once he's 'near death', which earns a Pristine Spirit Essence upon Rammaq dying. He leaves behind the Deathless Diadem (immunity to death magic, 75% resistance to negative energy damage, -25% vulnerability to positive energy damage). I thus ensure that Kaelyn gets a relatively good epilogue at the end of the game.
Incidentally, Kaelyn reaches her 30th level, but there's nothing remarkable in the way of highlights.
Holding the Supplicants' Gate
Now I return to the Supplicants' Gate. It basically amounts to helping out the Blue Dragon Queen, Sey'ryu, against two Divine Champions and a Cleric of Kelemvor.
If I had done the gate first instead of Eternity's End, Sey'ryu would have given me Sey'ryu's Scale (Heavy Shield +6, 100% immunity to electrical damage, 28 spell resistance) as a reward. However, I wanted to do Eternity's End first in order to kill Rammaq and preserve a decent ending for Kaelyn during the epilogue.
There's also a specific armor that can be obtained by ensuring that Sey'ryu dies. It basically involves letting the two Divine Champions and the Cleric of Kelemvor kill Sey'ryu, subject to an important caveat. That caveat is as follows ... If you had talked the False out of a fight with a Diplomacy check when you first came to the Gate, the Champions and the Cleric wouldn't be able to kill off Sey'ryu. The Blue Dragon would never fall, even after her hit points reach zero and no matter how many times she's hit afterwards.
However, killing the False instead when you first come to the Gate means that their presence around the Gate is stronger (since their deaths weren't permanent). It is only when that condition is fulfilled that the Divine Champions and the Cleric of Kelemvor are able to kill Sey'ryu for good.
Sey'ryu would in that event leave behind Sey'ryu's Scales (Full Plate +8, 75% immunity to electrical damage, Chain Lightning (20) 3 / day). I myself have no use for it, however.
The Voice of Kelemvor
If I had come here first before the other parts of the City, the Voice of Kelemvor would still be here so that I could help Zoab kill him. The only real in-game consequence is that the Voice will then leave behind some +5 equipment, plus the Doldrum (+5 vampiric regeneration, -4 Will saving throws, Tasha's Hideous Laughter (7) 3 / day, Wail of the Banshee (17) 2 / day, Bards or Harper Agents only).
However, having come here after Eternity's End and the Supplicants' Gate, the Voice is long gone. What's left is a combat whereby I help Zoab and the other celestials against a force of Devils consisting of several Erinyes and Horned Devils led by a Pit Fiend. A Wail of the Banshee from Valeria suffices to win the battle in very short order. A messenger arrives saying that the Scrivener wants to speak with me.
If Zoab were to happen to die in the battle, he would have left behind an Amulet of Will +8, a Ring of Divine Power (5), and the Bracers of the Inner Planes (+20% immunity to acid damage, +20% immunity to cold damage, +20% immunity to electrical damage, +20% immunity to fire damage, +20% immunity to negative energy damage, +20% immunity to positive energy damage, darkvision).
A sarcophagus has the Cat Queen's Claws (+8 attack bonus, +1d12 magic damage, +6 Dexterity, Mass Charm (15) 3 / day, -4 saving throws against mind-affecting spells), but I have no use for it.
Codex of the Doomed
Now I return to Eternity's End and enter the Temple of Kelemvor at #6. I could kill the Scrivener, like I did with the evil party, but he's not worth much xp and doesn't drop anything of note.
A sarcophagus at the north end will have a Longsword +5 and the Steadfast Chain (Mithral Chainmail +7, +4 Fortitude saving throws, +6 regeneration, immunity to necromancy spells), but I've already got better weapons and armor.
The huge book is the Codex of the Damned. Reading it earns 2,500xp, as well as opening up the Wall of the Faithless on the City of Judgment map.
Araman the False
Once I leave the Temple, Araman attacks me again after he has become a False soul. He's very close to the party to begin with, so I'm easily able to cut him down before he gets off any spells.
The Wall of the Faithless
Now I head for the Wall of the Faithless. Valeria and Kaelyn share words with the God of the Dead, Kelemvor. Kelemvor agrees to allow Valeria an opportunity to reclaim her soul from the Wall.
The Wall itself can shoot damaging rays, and summon Faithless Golems. Valeria focuses on cutting her own soul out of the Wall while allowing her comrades to keep the guardian golems occupied.
I eventually manage to succeed. Only, it's not over just yet. Valeria will have to fight a series of battles inside her own soul.
