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Baldur’s Gate 3 – House Of Grief And Sharran Lookout Guide
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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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Google has launched its next generation of Pixel phones, setting the stage for a head-to-head competition with Apple as both tech giants aim to integrate more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features into their flagship devices. The unveiling took place near Google’s Mountain View headquarters, marking an early debut for the Pixel 9 lineup, which is designed to showcase the latest advancements in AI technology.
The Pixel 9 series, although a minor player in global smartphone sales, is a crucial platform for Google to demonstrate the cutting-edge capabilities of its Android operating system. With AI at the core of its strategy, Google is positioning the Pixel 9 phones as vessels for the transformative potential of AI, a trend that is expected to revolutionize the way people interact with technology.
Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president overseeing the Pixel phones, emphasized the company’s commitment to AI, stating, “We are obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more productive for people.” This echoes the narrative Apple is likely to push when it unveils its iPhone 16, which is also expected to feature advanced AI capabilities.
The Pixel 9 lineup will be the first to fully integrate Google’s Gemini AI technology, designed to enhance user experience through more natural, conversational interactions. The Gemini assistant, which features 10 different human-like voices, can perform a wide array of tasks, particularly if users allow access to their emails and documents.
In an on-stage demonstration, the Gemini assistant showcased its ability to generate creative ideas and even analyze images, although it did experience some hiccups when asked to identify a concert poster for singer Sabrina Carpenter.
To support these AI-driven features, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 with a special chip that enables many AI processes to be handled directly on the device. This not only improves performance but also enhances user privacy and security by reducing the need to send data to remote servers.
Google’s aggressive push into AI with the Pixel 9 comes as Apple prepares to unveil its iPhone 16, which is expected to feature its own AI advancements. However, Google’s decision to offer a one-year free subscription to its advanced Gemini Assistant, valued at $240, may pressure Apple to reconsider any plans to charge for its AI services.
The standard Pixel 9 will be priced at $800, a $100 increase from last year, while the Pixel 9 Pro will range between $1,000 and $1,100, depending on the model. Google also announced the next iteration of its foldable Pixel phone, priced at $1,800.
In addition to the new Pixel phones, Google also revealed updates to its Pixel Watch and wireless earbuds, directly challenging Apple’s dominance in the wearable tech market. These products, like the Pixel 9, are designed to integrate seamlessly with Google’s AI-driven ecosystem.
Google’s event took place against the backdrop of a significant legal challenge, with a judge recently ruling that its search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly. This ruling could lead to further court proceedings that may force Google to make significant changes to its business practices, potentially impacting its Android software or other key components of its $2 trillion empire.
Despite these legal hurdles, Google is pressing forward with its vision of an AI-powered future, using its latest devices to showcase what it believes will be the next big leap in technology. As the battle for AI supremacy heats up, consumers can expect both Google and Apple to push the boundaries of what their devices can do, making the choice between them more compelling than ever.
When major payment processing systems have problems, the issues impact many critical systems that society depends on. In this article, we’ll explain the cause of the Microsoft outage and discuss the impact computer networking issues had on Canada. We’ll also examine whether or not Microsoft was at fault and what businesses can do to prevent further outages.
What Happened With the Microsoft Outage?
The outage with Microsoft’s Azure payment processor resulted from a buggy security update from an outside company, CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike offers information technology security services for many Microsoft Windows computers. The company’s software developers sent a new update out, but instead of patching up minor issues with the existing software, the code within conflicted with Windows and prevented computers from booting up. Users expecting to start their computers for a typical day were instead faced with the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” error message.
So, how does this produce a problem and a payment processor issue? Many computers running payment processing, among many other kinds of software used for airlines, banks, retail, and other essential services, couldn’t start and were unable to let payments through. This is a catastrophic issue for companies that are heavily reliant upon the speed and ease of an electronic transaction.
In Canada, the outage impacted critical computer systems for air travel. Flights couldn’t be paid for and booked, which caused major problems for customers unable to make transactions while flights remained grounded. Travellers stuck waiting for flights to take off made their way over to the airports’ Starbucks and other vendors, only to discover unusually long lines due to payment issues. Even online gamblers looking to take their minds off the situation couldn’t take full advantage of one of the fastest payment options out there because of the outage.
Aside from payments, hospitals for major health systems had to use paper to complete important tasks like ordering lab work and getting meals to patients. Emergency dispatch lines were temporarily unable to function correctly while their computer systems were down.
How Was the Outage Fixed?
Thankfully, CrowdStrike fixed the problem on their end quickly, mostly via an additional reboot that allowed CrowdStrike to send over unflawed code. Unfortunately, for some business and private customers, rebooting wouldn’t be enough with command-line level adjustments needed for the operating system to run correctly.
The Good and Bad of Outages
First, we’re thankful that the outage was not caused by hackers accessing and stealing a mountain of personal data. A recent outage with an automotive software provider went on for much longer and ended much worse for software provider CDK, which likely paid an undisclosed sum north of $20 million to get data back and systems restored.
By some chance, Microsoft is reported to have experienced its own outage, and many information technology professionals blame Microsoft in part for their issues because of how their systems attempted to fix the problem by rebooting over and over again, though some of Microsoft’s PCs needed to warn users to make a change manually. Unfortunately, any computer that required manual intervention took longer to recover, as a knowledgeable person had to access each computer affected by the issue. In some cases, between dealing with several hours of backlogged tasks and slow recovery processes, some businesses took days, not hours, to get back online.
The outage brings up another major point in the cybersecurity and computer industry. CrowdStrike and Microsoft are both big companies in their respective fields. As a result, the effects of bad code spread much further than they could have if there were more competitors making security products or if there were more software companies making operating systems like Windows. While only 8 million computers were believed to be affected out of a much larger global network, those are essential computers for worldwide communication and payment processing. Perhaps companies should be putting their eggs in more than one basket?
The testing methods for the outage are unclear—did CrowdStrike test the routine software update enough to detect the potential for a major outage? Apparently not.
What Should Businesses Do Next?
Software like Microsoft Azure’s payment systems come from what information technology professionals call ‘the cloud.’ The software is remotely managed over the internet, meaning that the computer that runs the system is not physically present at the location. Unfortunately, this also means that an issue with the internet can take critical systems out of service.
Businesses ranging from major airlines and banks to mom-and-pop stores would be well served by backup systems at their locations. These don’t have to be as primitive as the old-fashioned credit-card carbon-copy slide, but there are options available with consistent service that don’t repeatedly rely on the same networks.
Conclusion
There were certainly challenging moments for Canadian businesses and emergency services during the CrowdStrike and Microsoft outage. As they scrambled to understand the problem and waited, albeit briefly, for issues to resolve, many companies learned the importance of having local and reliable backup for their computer systems.
Google’s secret new line of Pixel 9 phones isn’t that big of a secret anymore. Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) released new photos of the phones including the Pixel 9 Pro Fold from almost every conceivable angle.
Android Authority found the photos in the NCC archives and uploaded galleries of each of the four phones including the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold. They reveal some interesting details about the new Pixel phones.
The charging rates will be a little faster than the last generation of Pixel phones: Taiwanese authorities measured 24.12W for the base model, 25.20W for the Pro and 32.67W for the 9 Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, however, was the slowest of all of them at 20.25W. These numbers don’t often match up perfectly with the advertised ratings, so expect Google to be promoting higher numbers at its event.
Speaking of chargers, it looks like Google needed a bigger charger to power its new phones. Photos included in the NCC leak show each phone will come with a wall charger that’s around 45W depending on which model you purchase. The charger’s plug moved from the middle to the top of the brick.
The latest photo dump also shows the 9 Pro Fold unfolded for the first time. Google has moved the selfie camera to the inside screen for a wider field of view. The 9 Pro Fold also has a slimmer top and bottom, a reduced fold crease on the display and a full 180 degree unfolding angle to make a screen that’s just over 250mm or just under 10 inches.
These photos are the latest in a very long list of leaks of Google Pixel 9 photos. The last Pixel 9 leak came down yesterday showing two prototype models of the base and XL models. Google might look into buying a new combination lock for the high school locker where they apparently keep all their unreleased gear.
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