Sacred Pool

Main staircase from The Hollow

The ordinary approach is a flight of stairs descending from The Hollow. At the bottom, the party encounters druids blocking tiefling refugees from entering the sacred ground. This scene is the most important route into the area because it introduces the Grove’s immediate crisis and begins Save Arabella.

The stairs are also useful as a navigation reference. If you are lost, return to the large central basin and look for the broad route rising towards the cavernous settlement. The Sacred Pool is below The Hollow, not behind one of its shops or side passages.

Rampart elevator

A wooden elevator on the southern side of the basin connects the Sacred Pool with the Emerald Grove’s ramparts. Initially, the platform is occupied by the sleeping bear Tuffet.

The elevator can be cleared in several ways:

Once Tuffet moves, the elevator functions in both directions. This makes the ramparts a convenient alternative route into the basin, although it is not normally the first entrance most players use.

Spell-assisted descent

The surrounding cliffs permit an unconventional approach. Characters can descend from an upper cliff into the basin with movement or flight abilities such as:

This route can bypass the main entrance scene, so it is useful for exploration but less suitable if you want to experience the intended introduction to Arabella’s predicament.

Route to the Inner Sanctum

A carved stone door on the western side of the basin leads into the subterranean Inner Sanctum. Nearby, Apikusis tends a small patch of herbs and flowers, while the blue jay Tingmiaq may be present during the opening stages of the Grove story.

The Inner Sanctum is the place to resolve or advance several central Grove matters, including:

The Sacred Pool therefore acts as the public threshold to the Grove’s political and religious interior.

Central basin and ritual circle

The cromlech in the centre of the basin is the defining landmark. Five druids stand around it while the Rite of Thorns is in progress:

The Idol of Silvanus rests at the centre. While the rite continues, the idol grants Silvanus’ Blessing to creatures within its aura, providing proficiency in Nature and Animal Handling. It is also the object that drives both Arabella’s attempted theft and Mol’s later request.

Do not treat the idol as ordinary unattended loot. Touching or stealing it while the ritual is still active can turn the druids against the party and can trigger the planned attack on the tiefling refugees. The consequences depend on the wider state of the Grove, but taking it carelessly is one of the fastest ways to create a disastrous outcome.

Northern interview area

To the north, Volo interviews the bear Bosk about the recent goblin attack. Volo’s account is more concerned with producing an entertaining story than with accurately recording the party’s testimony.

Volo later leaves to investigate the Cult of the Absolute at the Goblin Camp. His presence in the Sacred Pool is therefore temporary, though he can later become a camp follower and trader.

Alfira’s overlook

A path from the basin leads to an overlook where Alfira, a tiefling bard apprentice, struggles to write a song in memory of her deceased mentor, Lihala. The squirrels Corinna and Spar listen nearby.

Helping her finish the song produces a musical scene and can grant A Bard’s Muse inspiration to characters with the Entertainer background.

A locked gilded chest behind a stone column at approximately X: 292, Y: 483 contains the Cap of Curing. It requires a DC 10 Sleight of Hand check to lockpick, and looting it is not treated as a crime. The overlook is also one of the possible early locations for an encounter with Raphael.

River shore

The eastern path descends from the basin to a small sandy riverside. The bear Ormn fishes there.

A movable flat rock hides the Amulet of Silvanus at approximately X: 262, Y: 481. Beyond Ormn, the party can jump across rocks to reach a wooden chest at approximately X: 288, Y: 449. The chest contains gold and random alchemical ingredients rather than a fixed named equipment reward.

The river shore is still part of the Sacred Pool’s practical exploration area, even though it feels geographically separate from the ritual circle. It should not be omitted when sweeping the location for loot.

Inner Sanctum entrance

Near the entrance to the Inner Sanctum, Apikusis tends plants and can be questioned about the situation in the Grove. Her attitude contrasts with the harder line taken by Kagha and some of the other druids. She knows that the Grove’s traditional leadership is absent and hopes that Halsin will return.

Tingmiaq, the blue jay, may also be spoken to with Speak with Animals before leaving. The bird can provide warnings about danger around the Grove.

Druids and Grove personnel

The following named druids are found in or immediately around the Sacred Pool:

The first three druids encountered at the main entrance are Jeorna, Maggran and Mino. Maggran transforms into a bear as a show of force while the tieflings are being denied entry. If the party is not openly hostile, the guards eventually allow the party to proceed and direct them towards Kagha.

The five druids around the idol are Aelar, Elwyn, Inwe, Karrik and Tahan. Their exact role is primarily ritual and environmental unless the Grove conflict turns violent.

Other named visitors

Locke and Komira are positioned near the entrance rather than in the central ritual circle. Speaking with them is the intended way to learn that Arabella has been taken inside for judgement. If Arabella is saved, Komira gives the party Komira’s Locket.

Named animals

The Sacred Pool contains more named animals than its size might suggest:

They are not all encountered in the same circumstances. Some are involved in fixed conversations, while others become relevant only if the party uses Speak with Animals.

Topaz, a blue jay near the elevator, decorates a nest with metallic objects. The nest contains a gold coin and a Shiny Key. Convincing Topaz that the metal is unsuitable can cause the bird to discard the objects, after which they can be collected. Simply frightening the bird away may leave the objects marked as stolen.

The Shiny Key opens a shiny chest on a stone pillar to the north-west, at approximately X: 222, Y: 497. The chest is a separate pickup from the items in Topaz’s nest.

Save Arabella

Save Arabella begins when the party approaches the Sacred Pool entrance and witnesses the dispute between the tieflings and the druid guards. Arabella has attempted to steal the Idol of Silvanus because she believes the refugees need leverage with the druids. Kagha has taken her into the Inner Sanctum for judgement.

If the party does nothing or fails to protect Arabella, Kagha’s snake Teela can kill her. This has later consequences for the tiefling refugees and their relationships with the Grove.

Steal the Sacred Idol

Mol can ask the party to steal the Idol of Silvanus after the party earns the tiefling children’s trust. The quest is not automatically available simply because the party has entered the Sacred Pool. It depends on progress with the tiefling children, including helping them in the Grove.

Steal it during the ritual

Taking the idol while the Rite of Thorns is active can trigger a druid attack on the tieflings. This may create a large, real-time battle across the Grove and can cause Save the Refugees to fail if enough civilians die. This is the most dangerous method.

End the rite first

Resolving the Grove’s major political crisis can end the Rite of Thorns. The ritual can be ended through routes including:

Once the rite has ended, the idol can be stolen without immediately causing the same Grove-wide slaughter. The quest may still involve confrontation, but the consequences are much easier to control.

Remove the ritual druids first

The quest page also records a stealth approach in which the druids around the ritual are killed without triggering the massacre cutscene. This is a hostile solution rather than a peaceful one, and it can still damage or destroy the Grove’s wider storyline.

The usual reward for completing the quest and giving the idol to Mol is the Ring of Protection. Background-specific inspirations can also be awarded, including Heretic for Criminal characters and Idolatry for Urchins. After completing the quest, the idol may be bought back or pickpocketed from Mol, allowing its blessing to be retained.

Save the Refugees and Raid the Emerald Grove

The Sacred Pool is one of the key stages for the larger Grove conflict. The pool itself does not contain every relevant objective, but the state of the ritual and the people gathered there changes according to the party’s decisions.

A major timing warning applies: travelling on to later Act One regions before resolving the Rite of Thorns can cause the tieflings to be expelled. Locke’s later fate is tied to this progression state.

Fixed named items

Volo’s trade inventory is easy to miss because he does not behave like a conventional shopkeeper at this point. During his conversation, use the Trade button in the lower-left of the dialogue interface. The Whispering Promise is among the notable items associated with that inventory.

Background inspirations

The exact availability of some inspirations depends on the party’s dialogue choices and the state of the Grove.