Mooncursed Lair

A Second Chance

A vortex drew you into Stryche’s past. He reasons that if you knew him in the future, he must survive here. That gives you a chance to face a less experienced Marchosias, though his moon-forged blade can already cut through any metal. Stryche learned the craft from Elder Xubo and says you’ll each need a blade of your own.

Forging the Blades

At the Tree of Wisdom, you gather moonlight crystals and offer your blood alongside Stryche’s and that of the Eclipsed Ones. The heart of a bear still touched by the curse draws Voland’s attention. You each forge a weapon, and Stryche raises his glowing blue blade.

Below the Caves

Corrupted bears and sludge fill the lair. As you clear a path and put the afflicted bears out of their misery, more sludge seeps in from a hidden level below. The corruption is worse down there.

The Nest

The Eclipsed Ones have changed beyond recovery. Some of Marchosias’s other followers still have their minds but refuse to turn on him. Among the matted fur, bones and scraps of cloth, you find a pile that looks like a nest. Stryche wonders whether Marchosias has gone feral. You remember how little he resembled a human in your earlier fight, and then he appears.

What the Moonfire Changed

Marchosias claims the ritual spread the curse by making moonlight burn inside everyone it touched. If the beast’s will becomes stronger than the human’s, he says, the human is lost for good. Stryche points out that the Eclipsed Ones were already there before the ritual. Marchosias admits that his hold on Voland strengthened their bestial side, but blames the moonfire for taking away what humanity they had left. Stryche refuses to believe him until he starts to feel his own humanity slipping.

The Remaining Blade

Stryche falls, and his blade lies shattered. Marchosias says Stryche has Voland’s wisdom while he holds the bear’s strength. Your blade is still intact, and you have to finish the fight alone.

Brother

Marchosias lies on the cave floor. Stryche calls him brother and says he’s sorry it ended this way. Before you can answer, you hear Stryche calling your name and wake up at home with an aching head. You remember fighting a terrifying bear alongside him, but he’s gone. You wonder if any of it happened or if you’d only had a vivid dream.

Sources

Mooncursed Lair release notes, Moon Cursed Lair, Stryche’s quests