Pillars of Eternity: The Old Watcher, Maerwald, Durance the Priest, Kana the Chanter, Whispers of Yenwood
Struggling to beat Pillar of Eternity's Maerwald? We've got a handy guide for surviving the fight, as part of our walkthrough for the game.
The Old Watcher quest begins straight after you finishing speaking to Caldara de Berranzi. The task ahead of you is to track down Maerwald in Caed Nua. To get started, first exit Gilded Vale to the south, and then use the World Map to access Magran's Fork.
How to add Durance to your party
From your starting position, head south in Megran's Fork until you find yourself by Durance who's next to a statue. He is a potential party member and is a Priest class. Because his Endurance restoration and buff spells are so vital at this point of the game, we very much recommend having him join the rest of your party.
How to complete The Old Watcher
From here, head south-east, and then further east along Magran's Fork. Just to the north you can do battle with a Will-o-Wisp. This monster is protecting a loose brick in a wall, and if you send it packing you'll be able to grap some useful items from the gap. When you're done, exit the map to the east and make your way to Black Meadow.
How to add Kana to your party
Once you're in Black Meadow, travel directly east to reach Caed Nua. Make your way over the bridge and then have a chat with the humming man. This guy's name is Kana, and he's another possible party member. As a Chanter class, Kana is capable of enchanting your party with powerful buffs as battles begin. If you have followed our walkthrough from the start, there should now be four members of your party: yourself, Aloth the Wizard, Durance the Priest, and Kana the Chanter.
Before going through the gate, head round to the north-east of the keep for some collectible ingredients. Once you've passed through the gate, head north and fight two Shadows and one Will-o-Wisp. You can enter the Brighthollow house ahead for the experience points, but there is nothing in there to do yet. Once you're back outside, move east to witness a vision of a ghost. Enter the building to discover the Great Hall, and update The Old Watcher quest in the process.
Where to find the Whispers of Yenwood
Collect the Whispers of Yenwood sword from the urn on the right-hand side of the entrance. This is a reasonably powerful sword for a fighter class who's playing at this stage of the game. Once you've grabbed it, head to the back of the Great Hall. You'll fight a Shadow and a Phantom along the way, but you can avoid a second Shadow enemy further along if you use Scouting mode and ensure you hug the left wall.
Talk with the Steward, then head through the now unbarred door on your left. Go down the stairs to the dungeons after viewing the ghostly vision, then move in a south-westerly direction. You'll encounter several Ivory and Spear Spiderlings as you travel, but just make sure you concentrate on one creature at a time, and be careful not to get overwhelmed.
Head through the next exit you come to. You can finally camp here. If your party isn't at full health at this point, make sure to camp and check your party's equipment and quick menu items before unlocking the door to find Maerwald.
How to kill Maerwald
Once you've finished speaking with Maerwald, you'll have to deal with your first boss fight. The enemy will make use of spells like Chill Fog and Concelhaut's Corrosive Siphon, as well as a Spirit Shield spell. This could leave your party blinded and frozen while he siphons off Endurance, and reduces damage on himself. Make the most of Durance's protective spells if you want to make this fight a lot easier.
When you've finished this fight, you'll automatically complete The Old Watcher quest.
- Our walkthrough continues with a guide to completing Never Far from the Queen.
- You can find the rest of our Pillars of Eternity walkthrough from the first page of this article.