War of the River Kings

Travel to “The Menagerie” by following these directions from Rushlight Fields: Southwest, East, North, Northeast, North, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast.

Upon arrival, head northeast to engage several Troll Guards. You will likely have to fight all of them simultaneously due to the cavern size. They have high HP (over 300 HP each) and good Armor Class due to their armor, but their Attack Bonus and damage are not critically high.

From the Troll Guards' location, you can go west to a side-chamber, north deeper into the caverns, or east towards a gate and a slope.

Avoid the slope to the east, as it leads to a difficult fight against three Ancient Wyverns (multiple attacks per round, poison, higher stats than the armored trolls) and then an unfavorable position for another encounter.

If you go west into the side-chamber, you may find Karga and Argadd (stone troll children of Kargadd) if you allowed them to live. You can find a Token of the Dryad by searching a pile of rocks.

Head north around a chasm to find the Smith Overseer. To his north are two armored trolls, and another to the northwest. You can approach without provoking them to set up your party. Wedge your warriors between the chasm and a wall. Cast Phantasmal Web targeting the Smith. If you have sufficient spellpower, coordinate simultaneous casting of Chains of Light and Phantasmal Web, as the Smith has a poor Reflex Save.

If left alone, the Smith Overseer will cast Greater Invisibility, Displacement, and Mirror Image. If you are having trouble, cast True Sight on your warriors beforehand to ignore these buffs. After your initial spells, rush the Smith Overseer and defeat him, then focus on his minions.

Loot the Smith Overseer for a Warhammer +1, a suit of Full Plate +2, a Belt of Giant Strength +4, a Headband of Vast Intelligence +2, an Amulet of Natural Armor +1, a Ring of Protection +1, and a Cloak of Resistance +2. Loot crates and sacks in nearby side-chambers for minor items.

Note the route to the east that leads to a larger chamber housing the mastermind.

Return south past the chasm and turn east to find a gate leading to the mastermind's lair. You will see Nyrd Zottenropple teleporting monsters. He remains with two Troll Guards and two Ancient Wyverns.

Nyrd will cast Mind Fog, followed by Dominate Person and Hideous Laughter. It is crucial to prevent him from casting freely.

The gate is locked (Trickery 40). If you can open it, the fight becomes easier. Spellbuff your party, open the gate, and send a caster around to the northern entrance of the cavern.

Provoke combat with your main party to the south, bottlenecking foes at the gate. Keep the lone caster hidden until combat begins. The monsters will focus on the southern gate, ignoring the northern exit.

Once the monsters are clear of the northern entrance, advance into the chamber.