Prison: Containment Level

A-Stairs to Main Floor B-Lockdowns C-Storage Rooms D-Escaped Sorcerer/Stairs Lever E-Stairs to Pits

This is a pretty straightforward level, but there are plenty of enemies. If you need a place to rest in safety, get into one of the lockdowns and shut the door with the lever.

After descending from the main floor, you'll be met by Emernik. He'll lead you into a lockdown. Use the lever to close the door, and he'll tell you more about the prison. Explore everything and clear out the hallways.

In the main central chamber, you'll face a number of enemies, including an escaped sorcerer (5th level). He will throw fireballs like crazy, so try to target him first. Better yet, lure his fellow inmates into the halls and pick them off in smaller groups. Once he's dead, use the lever in the room to open the east door. This leads down to the pits.

Prison: Pits

A-Stairs to Containment Level B-Storage rooms C-Locked hallway D-Kurdan E-Stairs to Lair of the Devourer

This is the most dangerous level of the prison, and it's full of convicts and traps. Proceed carefully. There are two paths to the locked hallway. On the west path, you'll face an escaped sorcerer (5th level) and find two fairly well-stocked storage rooms. On the north path, you'll fight another gang leader (2nd-level fighter/5th-level rogue). You can choose either, but you might want to explore both routes and rack up the experience points.

Whichever way you choose, you'll need to pull the nearby levers once you get to the doors leading to the locked hallway. Disable or avoid the trap in the hallway, then disable the trap on the western door. Beyond this door awaits Kurdan, formerly king of the pits and currently Captain Alaefin's right-hand half-orc. Kurdan is a tough 8th-level barbarian. Don't be afraid to use the stone of recall if you're getting clobbered.

Once Kurdan takes enough damage, he'll surrender and tell you what he knows. Once he's said his spiel, you can kill him or let him go. Search the nearby chests, and read the head gaoler's journal found in the book pile. Rest up if you need to, then head down into the Lair of the Devourer.

Prison: Lair of the Devourer

As soon as you descend the stairs, it's on! When you kill the head gaoler (6th-level fighter), something strange will happen: A creature will jump out and quickly take over one of the nearby guards. Your best bet is to talk with the guards and persuade them to leave before this happens (this will also give you some experience points and shift your alignment toward good). Once there are no more fresh bodies, you'll face the intellect devourer directly. It has very good damage reduction and a fair amount of hit points, so be prepared for a long fight unless you can deal great amounts of damage at once.

Once the devourer is dead, pick up its brain (which may be hard to see--use Tab to find it more easily), then return to Sedos Sebile for your reward. You may be ambushed by assassins outside of the prison. If so, search their bodies for a note and take it to Fenthick at the Hall of Justice Sanitorium. Finally, take the devourer's brain to Aribeth.