'The Valley of Dying Things' sees your party's entry into Skylark Vale. It seems that this normally peaceful valley has fallen ill to water poisoning. This water causes a hard to cure disease and has caused a lot of people to move out, making formerly prosperous towns poor. Bandits and goblins have moved in, making travel more difficult for the survivors. I will not put a complete walkthrough here, as that is included in the game's help.

Towns

 Sweetgrove
Sweetgrove is the capital of Skylark Vale.
Services -
Sage, Inn (rest and rations), Town Hall, Blacksmith (weapons and armor, can also sell items), Magic Shop (scrolls and potions), Healer, Trainer.
People -
Mayor Crouch - A very busy mayor, you should see Mayor Crouch about your mission as soon as you enter the Vale.
Lillian - Lillian is an empire soldier who took over the task of training after the previous trainer fled the vale.
Hamer - Hamer is the bitter town healer who blames herself for not being able to save her daughters from the disease that afflicts the valley.
Karen - Karen is a research mage who can sell you scrolls and potions - at a large price.
Axel - Axel is a sage who knows about the old school of magic. Ask him about it. He also does identifications very cheaply.
Bruning - Bruning is an archer who is in the Vale to help kill bandits and goblins. You can find him in McKean's inn.
McKean - McKean is the owner of the inn in the south-east corner of Sweetgrove. You can rent a room from him, buy rations or drink some of his disgusting beer.
Bristow - this man runs the local blacksmith. He seems heavily afflicted by the disease and will give discounts on his armor and weapons, and also you can sell him anything from potions to clothing.

Blinlock
Blinlock is a mining town north-west of Sweetgrove.
Services -
Bakery (for rations), Town Hall, Armourer. All other shops and services closed down as a result of all the miners leaving.
People -
Kilborn - Kilborn's prices are ridiculously high - DON'T buy any weaponry from him. He has more interesting things to say about the pollution of the rivers though...
Brown - Brown is the laid-back Mayor of Blinlock. Ask him about the mines - he has a mission for you.
Winstead - Winstead is the baker for Blinlock. Her food is expensive though - far better to buy it from another source.
Littleford - Littleford was the foreman at the mines - but is now out of work due to the hauntings. She wants some information about mining - that can be obtained in the school of magic.

Marralis
Marralis is probably the worst affected town - rotting crops, dying children. Not good.
Services -
Fletcher, Town Hall, Temple of Divine Justice (priest spells).
People -
Kevin - Kevin is a farmer, and knows the hermit Pangle. Pangle is a solitary man, so you may need to speak to Kevin to find out how to get through to Pangle (who is later very important - he has the instructions for operating the machinery that stops the pollution.
Yossi - Yossi is a blind child, son of Vandor.
Yvan - Yvan has also been badly affected by the pollution and as a result is very close to death. She is the daughter of Vandor.
Covington - Covington is in charge of the fletcher's shop. She sells bows, arrows and missles at a medium price.
Mayor Broder - Broder is out of his depth. With no help from the Empire and no assistants, he has no way of stopping the degradation of his town. He knows of a sceptre which you can find in the Student Quarters in the Lower School of Magic, which heals the sickness. You will be rewarded if you get it.
Vandor - Vandor is a farmer, regretful that he couldn't stop his wife from dying and his children from becoming sick.
Somreth - Somreth is a priestess who can sell you level 4 priest spells. They are pricey but you cannot get them anywhere else in the scenario.

Spells

 Priest Spells
There is only one place you can get priest spells - From Somreth in Marralis (see above). The level 4 spells you can buy are cure all poison, curse all, dispel undead, remove curse, sticks to snakes, martyr's shield, firewalk and cleanse.

Mage Spells
You cannot buy mage spells in the towns, but plenty can be found in the school of magic:
Slow Group - On administration level, in secret area between Gnat's lair and the spiders.
Poison - In apprentice's fiction library in the south of Student's Quarters (lower school).
Simalcrum and Capture Soul - Buy off the Vahanatai mage in the Vahantai caverns. YOU DON'T NEED A CRYSTAL SOUL TO CAST!!
Venom Arrows - in the abandoned offices on the admin level.
Ice Bolt - South East Storage Level, in the Halls of Records. Behind false bookshelf there is a passage to the spell.
Note - to learn these spells you may need an increase in mage lore to understand the books.

Alchemy

 Here are the recipes that you can find in this scenario:
Weak Curing, Weak Healing - North East of Marralis, a special encounter hidden in a large clump of woodland.
The following recipes are found in the school of magic:
Speed Potion - North East Holding Cells in bookshelf.
Major Poison - Mid-west, in a book case on the library level.
Alchemy ingredients are found all over the school.

Other things

  • Bandit's Lair - leave Marralis to the south and carry on and you will reach the bandit's lair (it's hidden).
  • Goblins - Goblins inhabit the north-west corner of the Vale. Penetrate their defenses and you will come to a temple - take the gold ring.
  • Drake Skeleton - in the northern mountain range search for a secret passage that goes out of a small valley. Follow the lava fields around and you will find a drake's skeleton - take the tooth. Then, search for a secret passage in the southern mountains between Sweetgrove and the Fungal Cavern (the secret passage is at 75,88 if you can't find it - cast 'Location' to find out your coordinates). At the end of this passage is another Drake, who will reward you for this.