Shadowheart’s quest, Daughter of Darkness, will soon conclude during the third act of Baldur’s Gate 3. This time, you need to learn about what led to her worship of Shar, and if there’s anything you can do about it. Our guide discusses the Baldur’s Gate 3 House of Grief and Sharran Lookout objectives, as well as the decisions that you need to make. Likewise, please be aware that this article contains spoilers.
How to Complete Sharran Lookout and House of Grief in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Baldur’s Gate 3 House of Grief and Sharran Lookout objectives are part of the game’s third act. But, before you get to that segment, here’s a brief recounting of the choices we made in our campaign:
We romanced Shadowheart for the entirety of the campaign. However, you should still get her questline even if you’re in a relationship with a different companion. Just make sure that she remains alive in your party to avoid mishaps.
In Act 2, we convinced Shadowheart to spare Nightsong. That caused her to reject Shar.
Shadowheart learns that, as a child, she would’ve been a Selunite novice. Unfortunately, she was kidnapped by Sharran disciples. Moreover, it’s revealed that her parents are still alive.
Where to Find the Sharran Lookout
Your next objective in the Daughter of Darkness quest is to find the Baldur’s Gate 3 Sharran Lookout. In the village of Rivington, head to the right of the waypoint. There, you’ll meet a fella by the name of Ferg Dogher (X:45; Y:-102). You can let Shadowheart handle the conversation here, and you’ll learn that her parents are imprisoned in the House of Grief.
Ferg is chilling in Rivington.
Where to Find the House of Grief
The Baldur’s Gate 3 House of Grief is in northwestern edge of the Lower City (X:-246; Y:-9). We suggest recruiting Jaheira and Minsc, if possible, before heading to this place.
Once inside, you’ll want Shadowheart to sit on the granite bench, which leads to a cutscene involving the enclave’s Mother Superior. Let her handle the dialogue here. Alternatively, if your character sits on the bench, you’ll be asked several questions. Still, for storyline purposes, it’s better to let Shadowheart take the lead in this part. She’ll also get the Rites of Loss Inspiration point.
You’ll find out that the Mother Superior is none other than Viconia DeVir. Fans of the series will remember her as one of the companions from the previous games. As an evil-aligned Drow, Viconia has forsaken Lolth and now serves Shar. As such, if Jaheira and Minsc are with you, they’ll have additional banter during the cutscene.
GalleryLeft: The House of Grief’s location; Right: Jaheira and Minsc won’t be too pleased when they get reunited with Viconia.
Dilemma: Save Shadowheart or Give Her to the Mother Superior
In the inner sanctum of the Baldur’s Gate 3 House of Grief, you’re given an ultimatum: do you defend Shadowheart, or do you hand her over to the Sharran cultists?
Defend Shadowheart – This leads to a battle against Viconia and over a dozen disciples. We discuss this shortly.
Surrender Shadowheart – Viconia will be pleased. She promises the aid of Lady Shar’s faithful as part of the Gather Your Allies tally.
Come on, are you really going to give up Shadowheart at this stage of the game?
Boss Fight: Mother Superior and Shar’s Disciples
Because Shadowheart is the best girl, we’re never gonna give her up, and we’re never gonna let her down–even though she did turn around and desert Shar. Best be prepared for this bout, since Viconia is tough:
Shadowheart will be afflicted with Wayward Heart, which causes her to get critically hit by all of Viconia’s attacks, while having a disadvantage against Wisdom saving throws. It seems that this dissipates upon doing a long rest.
Viconia transforms into a wolf, so she’ll have her base HP once you’ve taken out her polymorphed form.
Viconia heals a lot of HP if she uses Nightbringer’s Beloved. Moreover, her Radiant Retort passive causes her to blast her attacker with double the radiant damage that they deal. That’s why we suggest having Shadowheart respec into the Tempest Domain in our Cleric build guide. That way, you can make use of thunder and lightning spells.
As a last resort, Viconia can take out several characters with Divine Intervention: Sunder the Heretical. Of course, you can also cast this given that Shadowheart’s level is high enough at this stage. But, this spell can only be used once.
If those aren’t enough, the other cultists will happily cast Darkness. This is followed by Beckoning Darkness and Call of the Dark Lady, both of which proc necrotic damage when a character is in an obscured or dimly-lit spot.
Needless to say, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Ideally, you’ll want to go all-out with AoE spells, such as Cloudkill, Destructive Wave, Ice Storm, and the like. Likewise, there are high-tier Illithid Powers, like Black Hole, that can be used to gain an advantage. You can also try to reposition your party members individually before the fight so you can whittle down the enemy forces.
Use every AoE at your disposal, because Shar’s followers won’t take it easy on you.
Dilemma: Should You Spare or Kill the Mother Superior
After the Baldur’s Gate 3 Viconia fight, you’ve got another decision to make: spare Viconia or kill her? If you ask Shadowheart, she won’t care either way, so the choice is up to you.
Kill Viconia – Minsc will approve of this, and you can loot her for various goodies:
Viconia’s Walking Fortress (legendary shield) – +3 AC; when hit with a melee attack, use a reaction to deal 2-8 force damage and knock your enemy prone; advantage on saving throws against spells; spell attack rolls against you have disadvantage; Reflective Shell action; Warding Bond spell.
Viconia’s Priestess Robe – +10 AC; while obscured, gain advantage on Stealth checks; Shield of Faith gives a +2 bonus to saving throws; +1 AC.
Handmaiden’s Mace – 9-21 bludgeoning and poison damage; +2 weapon enchantment; increases your Strength to 18.
Viconia’s Personal Chest Key
Inspiration: Knives in the Dark (Soldier) – This requires you to survive the battle against Shar’s cultists. For some reason, you won’t get this at all if you spare Viconia, even though you won the fight.
Spare Viconia – Jaheira will approve of this. Viconia limps away, and we never saw her again.
When you’re done, make sure to loot all the corpses in the chamber. You’ll also want to grab the Silver Key. Likewise, if you check one of the side rooms in the main chamber, you’ll meet a priestess named Nocturne. She and Shadowheart used to be pals. Make sure you purchase some items from her, as she’ll disappear after you do a long rest. Additionally, you’ll find the Counting House Vault 8 Key from the small chest in the dormitory. You can use it once you return to the Counting House.
Shadowheart doesn’t really care about what happens to Viconia after the battle.
Dilemma: What to Do with Shadowheart’s Parents
The next thing you need to do in the Baldur’s Gate 3 House of Grief is find Shadowheart’s parents. Pick up the Black Diamond in front of the altar, and you’ll see a plate that gets raised. Interact with it, and unlock the door using the Silver Key.
In the inner sanctum, you’ll see her parents chained via magical means. As you approach, a cutscene will trigger. You learn Shadowheart’s real name: Jenevelle Santos Hallowleaf. Shar, the Mother of Night, chides you for your foolish efforts. You’re told that, if Shadowheart frees her parents, she’ll still suffer from the curse. Alternatively, you can let them perish. It’s quite an emotional moment, followed by an impossible choice that must be made.
Decide on what happens to Shadowheart’s parents.
“You should end their suffering, and yours” – Shadowheart will turn her parents’ spirits into Moonmotes. They’ll always be with her, even though they’re gone. After a long rest (or two), Shadowheart will stand in front of Selune’s statue, tearful that she only had a brief moment with her parents.
“This is your choice” or “Remain silent” – This will also cause the death of Shadowheart’s parents.
“Do not lose your parents, not again” – You have to pass a DC20 Religion or Persuasion check. Shadowheart’s parents will stay in your camp. They will accept her despite what she’s become in her misguided service to Shar. For the sake of clarity, this was the outcome that we chose.
The Mirror of Loss
Last but not least, you’ll see the Mirror of Loss at the back of the room. If you interact with it, you can go for an Arcana or Religion check to examine the relic’s purpose. There’s another Religion check to offer a prayer, but we didn’t plan on doing this as it might mean becoming a Shar worshiper.
Anyway, you’re asked to surrender a part of yourself:
Pick any of the six attributes, and you’ll lose two points to that stat. This can be cleansed via the Remove Curse spell.
Pick the Deception reply and pass the check, and you’ll be fine.
We tried interacting with the Mirror of Loss using Shadowheart, but it felt so wrong that we immediately reloaded our save.
Strangely enough, we only read of certain tidbits experienced by random people recounted via voiceover. Our character didn’t gain a new power, ability, or passive. We’re not sure if this is working as intended.
In any case, this is everything you can expect from the Sharran Lookout and House of Grief in Baldur’s Gate 3. Regardless of your decisions, you’ll conclude Shadowheart’s Daughter of Darkness quest chain.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is filled to the brim with activities and secrets. You’ll no doubt be part of an adventure that can take countless hours to complete. For other tips, you can visit our BG3 guides hub.
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The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
