The Portal Opens

The Portal Opens is the 4th quest in the Menace of the Underdark: City of Portals story arcStory arcs  are chains of quests that make up a story line. Completing everything in a story arc often yields a nice reward..
The first three quests can be completed in any order to unlock The Portal Opens.
The House of Broken Chains • The House of Rusted Blades • The House of Death Undone • The Portal Opens

Requires access to adventure pack Definition: Adventure Pack A list of all adventure packs  : Menace of the Underdark

The Portal Opens
Heroic level:	None
Epic level:	22
Duration:	long
Heroic XP:	N/A
Epic XP:	♣10,328Solo/Casual ♦17,778Normal ♥18,342Hard ♠18,906Elite
Takes place in:	Sschindylryn Ziggurat
Bestowed by:	Jenneth Gosmere
NPC contact:	Jenneth Gosmere
Quest acquired in:	Eveningstar
Patron:	Purple Dragon Knights
Base favor:	8
Purchase:	Menace of the Underdark
Extreme Challenge:	No

Loading screen

Overview

Enter the Sschindylryn Ziggurat and meet Elminster at the portal that leads to the Temple. There, find and defeat the High Priestess. Sschindylryn can be accessed through Eveningstar Cavern.

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Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!

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Objectives

• Gain entrance to the Temple of Lolth
• Find the spider brooch component.
• Find the ceremonial dagger component.
• Defeat the High Priestess
• (Optional) Kill Utheo Myar, the slavemaster — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣1,549 ♦2,667 ♥2,751 ♠2,836 )
• (Optional) Slay the giant spider Shev'aal — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣1,549 ♦2,667 ♥2,751 ♠2,836 )

Tips and Misc

• This quest is very linear, and consists primarily of a left/west and right/east path, each side leading to a portal, a larger room with one of the objectives and a chest, and one of the optional side objectives and another chest.
• There are 3 shrines – one in the center room (north side), and one near the T-intersection of each side. Save the first for before the end fight.
• Corridors are guarded by Acolytes and Wizards as well as driders, Drow assassins and fighters. Dungeon scaling operates heavily in this quest, so expect larger groups of mobs to spawn with larger parties.
  • After each side, Dimension Door is the fast way back to the center room.
• South of the western shrine is a locked door; behind that is only a few spiders, useful for Conquest bonus.
• The large central room is where you'll eventually leave (via a yet-to-be activated portal) to meet the High Priestess boss. Once you clear the Drow enemies in this room (there will remain some spiders on the upper level), Ana and Elminster will arrive.
• The objective changes quietly and doesn't require you to speak to Elminster: Retrieve a ceremonial spider brooch and dagger from rooms located by using the corridors on the left and right of the central room.
  • You may retrieve the items in any order.
  • On entering a corridor, there will be some resistance to clear before you find a portal that leads you to each objective area.
  • Each objective area has a corridor with two paths: one to the real objective, and the other leads you to an optional where you eliminate slavers or destroy spiders in a disused lair.

• (Optional) A party member with Open Lock or Knock will be needed for some doors on these optional paths, see: Lock DC.
• In the slave pens (western/left optional), you can "free" slaves, exactly as you could in The House of Broken Chains, but here it gives no XP; you can safely ignore them.

• Near each objective entrance is a shrine, so spell casters and healers can take some luxury in power-casting for offence and defence in each area, then using the Shrine as you leave the objective area.
• Each objective room has an orange-named boss.
  • The dagger is guarded by a Blademaster
  • The spider brooch by a Wizard.
  • Each boss has a moderate guard of Driders, archers, mages and fighters that defend each room.
    • On opening the door to an area, the boss will immediately head towards your location to attack you. It's practical for small parties not to enter the room but to divide and conquer: Let the boss approach alone, destroy him, then lure the others out.
• The items in each room are guarded by a force field that drops once all resistance is eliminated. Once the boss is down, the remaining forces of each room aren't especially deadly except on Epic Elite.
• After both the brooch and the dagger are retrieved, return to the central room and interact with Elminster, who will automatically recognize that you have the components. The central portal activates and a guardian Drider will appear. After he gives a "None shall pass!" speech, most players will recognize him for the inept Pythonesque "Black Knight" that he is and quickly finish him off for a chest.

• Warning: At the north end of the ground level, just behind Elminster and Ana, are 2 pillars formed by the legs of the spider stonework there; this looks like a good place for cowardly characters to hide – it's not. The portal will appear between these pillars. Any character on the north (wall) side of this portal will be unable to cross it to get the chest after the fight. Dimension Door will work, but cannot be cast from across the portal. They will be able to use the portal and continue to the end fight.

End fight:

• Use the shrine on the upper level if required, buff your party and enter the central portal. Ana will enter the portal immediately after that guardian is down but there is no rush to join her, nor is it necessary to attempt to apply any buffs to her.
  • You'll enter a large circular room with a central altar and a large portal ahead that players cannot enter.
    • Short of Dimension Door, this is a point of no return (at least until after the fight).
  • Ahead on a platform stands the High Priestess near the larger portal and she immediately realizes that Ana is the Thread of the Weave incarnate, charms her and compels her to enter the restricted portal into the Demonweb. The priestess then orders several Drow of various types to attack.
  • Once all the Drow are neutralized, you fight the High Priestess for a time. When her health is down sufficiently, she'll animate many statues of driders and spiders to attack your party. The priestess cannot be attacked or damaged until all guardians are destroyed. Sometimes one or two of these don't sense the party, so if the priestess doesn't speak again to resume the fight, look for stragglers.
  • After you beat the priestess down again she will call for her last wave of defence: four Dracolith demons and a handful of dretches.
  • On dispatching these, you can finish attacking the priestess to within an inch of her life. Put your Voice of the Master ahead of this phase. A large bull-like demon appears and kills the priestess and warns you not to attempt to enter the Demonweb. It is possible to actually kill the priestess yourself; then the killing blow triggers the completion.

Bonus XP

• Aggression bonus: 33 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
• Onslaught bonus: 67 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
• Conquest bonus: 100 or more monsters killed +25% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
• Mischief bonus: 16 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
• Vandal bonus: 21 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
• Ransack bonus: 26 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )

Notes: The kill count changes once you start the final battle.

Loot

• Chests: 6
  • 1 for defeating the blademaster Namajj Hru'un
  • 1 for defeating the giant spider Shev'aal
  • 1 for defeating the necromancer Sorntran Arkenep
  • 1 for defeating the slavemaster Utheo Myar
  • 1 for defeating the drider Chaszoj'ryn
  • 1 for defeating the high priestess Hekta Szind
• Collectables: 4
  • Adventurer's Pack in the hall east of the main room, just before the room with the portal
  • Adventurer's Pack at the end of the spider quarters
  • Adventurer's Pack in one of the cells in the southern slave quarters
  • Adventurer's Pack in the hall west of the main room, just before the room with the Dagger
• NPC rewards: Standard, including a chance of +3 Tomes

Named Chest Drop

Last Edited	Item	Type	Enhancements	ML	Bind	Quests
Update 62 6 months and 9 days PurpleSerpent	Blade of the High Priestess  (edit)	Dagger	Spellcasting Implement +18Spellcasting Implement +18: Passive: +18 Implement bonus to Universal Spell Power. +6 Enhancement Bonus+6 Enhancement Bonus: +6 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. Potency +72Potency +72: Passive: +72 Equipment bonus to each Spell Power. Improved ParalyzingImproved Paralyzing: Any creature struck by this weapon must succeed on a DC 28 Will save or be paralyzed. The target may attempt a new save to end the effect every several seconds; otherwise the paralysis lasts for 1 minute. BewilderingBewildering: Targets of this weapon can feel their willpower slipping away. They lose -1 Wisdom on a successful attack. WoundingWounding: A wounding weapon deals 1 point of Constitution damage from blood loss when it hits a creature. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to the Constitution damage dealt by this weapon. Slay LivingSlay Living: This weapon stores a dark and sinister power deep within. When the weapon is used, this power occasionally comes to the surface, attempting to instantly snuff out the life force of the enemy.	21	Bound to Character on EquipBound to Character on Equip: This item is Bound to Character on Equip or Bound to Character on AcquireBound to Character on Acquire: This item is Bound to Character on Acquire	The Portal Opens, End chest ; Menace of the Underdark: City of Portals, Quest chain end reward

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Monsters

Name ( picture )	CR	Type	Race
Acolyte of Lolth ( view  • edit )	●♦23Epic Normal ●♥27Epic Hard ●♠26Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Acolyte ( view  • edit )	●♦22Epic Normal ●♥26Epic Hard ●♠42Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Chaszoj'ryn ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♥28Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Aberration	Drider
Collared Slave ( view  • edit )	●♥23Epic Hard	Elf	Drow Elf
Deathjump Spider ( view  • edit )	♦16Normal ♥19Hard ♠23Elite ●♦21Epic Normal ●♥26Epic Hard ●♠25Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Draegloth ( view  • edit )	●♥27Epic Hard	Evil Outsider	Demon
Dretch ( view  • edit )	●♦19Epic Normal ●♥23Epic Hard	Evil Outsider	Demon
Drider ( view  • edit )	●♦23Epic Normal ●♥27Epic Hard ●♠26Epic Elite	Aberration	Drider
Goristro ( view  • edit )	●♥29Epic Hard	Evil Outsider	Demon
Guard ( view  • edit )	●♦22Epic Normal ●♥27Epic Hard ●♠26Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Guardian Statue (Deathjump Spider) ( view  • edit )	●♥25Epic Hard ●♠40Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Guardian Statue (Drider) ( view  • edit )	●♥27Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Aberration	Drider
Guardian Statue (Harrower) ( view  • edit )	●♦21Epic Normal ●♠39Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Harrower ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♠39Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Hekta Szind ( view  • edit )	●♦26Epic Normal ●♥30Epic Hard ●♠47Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Master Wizard ( view  • edit )	●♥27Epic Hard	Elf	Drow Elf
Namajj Hru'un ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard ●♠44Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Priestess of Lolth ( view  • edit )	●♥28Epic Hard	Elf	Drow Elf
Ravenous Dretch ( view  • edit )	♦7Normal ♥9Hard ●♦30Epic Normal ●♠38Epic Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Shev'aal ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♥28Epic Hard ●♠44Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Sorntran Arkenep ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard ●♠44Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Swarmhorde Spider ( view  • edit )	♦12Normal ♥14Hard ♠17Elite ●♦14Epic Normal ●♥16Epic Hard ●♠25Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Underdark Assassin ( view  • edit )	●♦22Epic Normal ●♠42Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Utheo Myar ( view  • edit )	●♦24Epic Normal ●♥28Epic Hard	Elf	Drow Elf