Zaveera Halfspear

Name: Zaveera Halfspear

Race: Halfling

Gender: Female

Bestows Quest(s): The Abandoned Excavation

Affiliation(s): The Free Agents

Location: Ruins of Threnal, Central excavation site

Ruins of Threnal

If you try to talk to her before finishing the Eastern and Western excavation chains, she will reply:

• Zaveera Halfspear: Sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm translating some tablets that Jan found in the western excavation. Did you know that Threnal's warriors wore armor sewn from human flesh? I'm guessing their enemies didn't often ask for quarter.

The Abandoned Excavation

After you acquire the chain from Sal Danek, she will reply:

• Zaveera Halfspear: So you're going down there to look for Coyle? Go ahead, it's your funeral.
• You: What do you know about Coyle heading into the excavation so suddenly?
• Zaveera Halfspear: He wanted to find a particular scroll, and said it was too important to wait for Sal Danek to organize a larger party. He even asked me to go in with his team, since I'm one of the few people who can translate Threnal's glyph language. And do you know what I told him? I told him to go to Khyber! In my opinion, Coyle is obsessed with Threnal's worship of the Black Moon. It's not exactly a deity—more of a symbol of madness—and those who pray to madness are too often answered. The more I learn about Threnal, the more I believe that whatever lies buried here ought to remain buried.
• You: I understand, but I told Sal I'd try to bring his men back. I'm going in.
• Zaveera Halfspear: I won't stop you, but mark my words—if you trust that lunatic Coyle, you're digging your own grave. He took his team through an opening in the rubble, and I doubt not that you can follow their trail. Good luck and may the Host watch over you.
• You: I'll return with news, Zaveera. (Advance chain)

Talking to her after acquiring the quest, but before completion, will make she say:

• Zaveera Halfspear: Threnal is the only civilization I've studied where ritual sacrifice was performed voluntarily by its victims. And these victims were not slaves or captives, but wealthy and powerful priests! There's even some evidence that the frequency of sacrifices accounts for Threnal's downfall. The Threnalians were just too eager to fling themselves into death, it seems. Something to keep in mind when you're chasing after Coyle.

Talking to her after finding the scroll will make she say:

• Zaveera Halfspear: You went looking for a missing party and you've returned with a parchment?
• You: Coyle's party is dead. I found this scroll with their bodies.
• Zaveera Halfspear: This must be the scroll that Coyle was looking for! Let's see... it's hard to read some of these glyphs, but... oh, no. This is a historical record of the city's founding, written by the high priests of Threnal. And now I understand what we're up against. The priests of Threnal founded their city atop a planar gate—a gate far more ancient than Threnal itself.
• You: A gate? Where did it lead?
• Zaveera Halfspear: The priests the Threnal worshipped the Black Moon, remember? The Black Moon symbolizes madness. And the priests called their discovery the 'Gate of the Black Moon.' I think there is only one possible destination for this gate. It must lead to Xoriat.
• You: Xoriat? The Plane of Madness?
• Zaveera Halfspear: That's correct. Last time Xoriat was coterminous with our plane, it brought horrible war and chaos. And this croll describes a very simple ritual to open the gate. Zaveera looks horror-struck. Do you think Coyle might intend to open the Gate of the Black Moon?
• You: He's crazy or worse. If he left his whole party dead, I think he might do anything.
• Zaveera Halfspear: Then we've got to get out of here. Do you understand me? If Xoriat spills into our reality, death will be the least of our worries. We've got time to warn Sal and Jan, but that's it. We can't challenge the Plane of Madness! We've got to flee!
  • You: There's still time to catch up with Coyle and knock some sense into him. I'm willing to risk it.
    • Zaveera Halfspear: You're a fool. A brave fool, but a fool. It says here that the Gate of the Black Moon is enshrined in the Gate Chamber, but where might that be? I can't imagine, and the scroll doesn't say. Good luck finding the place. If you don't return soon, I'll be packing my gear and running for it.
      • You: Flee if you must, but I intend to win this battle (Advance chain)
  • You: You're right! I'm out of here! (Walk away)

Talking to her after advancing the quest, but before completion, will make she say:

• Zaveera Halfspear: still trying to find the Gate of the Black Moon? I might just stick around to see what happens. If that gate is opened, 'interesting' won't even begin to describe the next few years in Xen'drik.

After you talk to Kharvos Valadan, if you recall out, she will say:

• Zaveera Halfspear: How's your fool's errand going? I'm getting ready to pack my things and leave this blasted place. I might go sign up with the Wayfinders and spend some time exploring foreign lands. I'd like to get as far from Threnal and its bloody past as my feet and my fortune will take me.

After you defeat the giants and prevent the portal to be open, she will congratulate you:

• Zaveera Halfspear: Zaveera listens to the story of your pursuit of Kharvos Valadan and your battle against the giants with awe. So the conspiracy to open the Gate of the Black Moon was defeated? I suppose I could've guessed that—if there was an open gate to Xoriat beneath our feet, we'd all know it by now, to our lasting sorrow. You're a true hero and no mistake! Go and brag to Sal Danek. I know he'll want to talk to you.
• You: Fare you well, Zaveera. (Advance chain)

After you finish the Abandoned Excavation arc, she will tell you the following:

• Zaveera Halfspear: I can't believe you made it out of the excavation in one piece! This is the last time I'm joining a dig in Xen'drik—there's too much evil just below the surface of this place. Maybe I'll join the crew of an explorer's airship. Can't get much less underground than that, can you?