As far as random enemies go, this area is pretty tame, being mostly populated by Gibberlings and Hobgoblins. You do have to be wary, however, as the odd Hobgoblin Elite will show up. They are tougher Hobgoblins, that are fond of shooting you with poisoned arrows. You can also find the odd Ghoul or Ghast milling around. Ghouls and Ghasts can paralyze you, and if one manages to, chances are it’ll make quick work of that character before you can put the undead beastie down (at least, at these tender, low levels). Ghasts are a bit tougher than Ghouls, but if you can defeat such a beast, the experience reward is pretty hefty for this point in the game.

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(1 of 3) Defeat a pair of Ogrillons

Mirianne’s Husband¶

Follow the road south and you’ll find two Ogrillons at approximately (x=3900, y=1500). They’ve got decent Hit Points, but nothing for Armor Class. Still, they can hit pretty hard… at least as far as a 1st-level character is concerned. They are, however, susceptible to Sleep if you need an edge. One of them will have a Scroll on it, destined for Mirianne. You can turn it in to her at your leisure… and since town is still nearby…

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(1 of 2) Find a cave southwest of the center of the map

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Find a cave southwest of the center of the map (left), inside of which you’ll find a crate with some treasure inside. (right)

Cave (AR3802)¶

A short distance west of where you fought the Ogrillons you’ll find a house slowly sinking into a swamp (x=3200, y=1500), which is worth noting, even though there’s nothing you can do with this information just yet. From this house continue southwest and you’ll find a cave (x=1800, y=2200), inside of which you’ll find a bunch of harmless rats and a crate containing some loot.

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(1 of 3) Kill a group of Hobgoblins

Zhurlong’s Missing Boots¶

Just south of the cave you will find a group of Hobgoblins, one of which carries Zhurlong’s Boots, which if you identify them will reveal them to be Worn Whispers (aka: Boots of Stealth). Kindly relieve him of his boots and carry on. If you want, you can turn these into Zhurlong for his reward, but frankly those boost will serve you better than Zhurlong, as they impart a +20% bonus to Move Silently and a +15% bonus to Hide in Shadow - a good bit of footwear for any Thief or Ranger. The best option? Give him the boots, then kill him and take them back. No reputation lost, and the added satisfaction of
killing the bugger.

Turning this quest in and any related homicidal actions will be left to your discretion.

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(1 of 3) Pick a fight with some Flaming Fist Mercenaries

Flaming Fist Plate Mail Donation¶

Return to the road and continue following it south until you find a trio of Flaming Fist Mercenaries, one of which will accuse you of banditry. You can talk your way out of a fight by saying “You’ve got the wrong guys. We’re not part of any bandit gang.” then “If we were bandits, why were we walking out in the open? Come on, just let us go. We’re not the people you’re looking for.” but… see those shiny suits of Plate Mail they have? Wouldn’t that look just spiffy on some of your party members? It would.

Pick a fight by responding with “If you want a fight, we’ll give you a fight.”, but be warned, the Flaming Fist Mercenaries aren’t push-over. Spook can drive one away for a bit, but if you’ve got a Cleric (say… Viconia?) you can use her Command spell to debilitate a Flaming Fist Mercenary for a bit. While they’re down, focus all your attention on them and ensure they don’t get back up; repeat the process as many times as you’re able and you should emerge victorious. When you do, merrily distribute their excellent armor among your party.

With that, this area’s notable encounters have been completed. Continue to the southern edge of the map and exit to reveal another wilderness area - one more step along the road to Nashkel.