A Baldur's Gate Blog & Walkthrough

Repository of Undeath

Repository of Undeath

Lich Outpost, 3000 xp upon entering. The white, “Pillar Riddle” marker should read, “Failed Phylactery.”


Upon entering the repository we discover a small library with books strewn everywhere. Browsing the selection of tomes we notice four particular passages of interest.

Liches…we wouldn’t be wrong to turn back now and tell Brother Deepvein that Gurn Coldhearth’s remains are beyond our reach. However, our sense of adventure and the ability to reload at will always take us at least one step further…


Scrying Pool.png

Scrying pool.

Find the scrying pool’s three missing Silver Scepters and place them in their holders by interacting with the pool (arrowed-circle icon). The raised pool clears and allows us to choose one of three visions (3000 xp).

  • Room south of scrying pool, on table
  • Sarcophagus room
  • Laboratory, on table

Choose a vision (500 quest xp / each)

The Essence of Clarity allows us to view one additional vision. By searching the repository, we can find two more vials.

  • Sarcophagus room, loot from undead
  • Laboratory, trapped shelf

Bronze Sentry

Bronze Sentry

Guarding the laboratory is a Bronze Sentry carrying the Sword of Troll Decapitation +1.


Dwarves of Dumathoin

Cleric's Vestments.png

In the laboratory Cleric’s Vestments and a Chest Key can be found, once belonging to Gurn Coldhearth. The key unlocks the chest at the dwarves abandoned camp in the dwarven dig site. Inside the chest are Coldhearth’s journals and letters which reveal the insidious plot that brought the dwarves to this dig site. Speak with Deepvein (The Secret Revealed).

Failed Phylactery.png

Pushed to a corner of the table, a lumpen golden box sits collecting dust among a pile of parchments covered in faded ink. 

Notes on a failed experiment

It appears Gurn Coldhearth is preparing for a transition to undeath.

Also in the laboratory is a throne. Pulling its lever unlocks the door to the area west of the sarcophagus room. It appears this is an old collapse entrance and the reason the dwarves needed to locate another entry point.

Throne Lever.png


With the Chest Key in our possession, we can revisit the abandoned dwarven campsite and unlock Gurn Coldhearth’s chest. We discover a parchment and Coldhearth’s journal. He alludes to a sickness ravaging his body. Could this be why he’s in such a hurry to become undead?

Parchment 1

Parchment 2

Parchment 3


Journal of Gurn Coldhearth 1

Journal of Gurn Coldhearth 2

Brother Deepvein will want to have a look at this journal.


Dwarves of Dumathoin

With parchment and journal in hand, we can report back to Brother Deepvein. He will expect proof of our claim that Gurn Coldhearh used his friends to make a clandestine deal into lichdom. If we refuse he will turn hostile to obtain the evidence. If we saved Semahl, he will vouch for us and tell about dark things Coldhearth was doing when he thought no one looking.

If we pick a dialogue option besides, “I’ll ask him when I see him” we will have three choices.

  • Agree to help the dwarves
  • Request a 500 gold payment
  • Refuse to aide them

Deepvein will ask us to face Coldhearth and put an end to him. He will give us The Secret Revealed. This is a quick slot item with three charges and our only prayer at defeating the lich. Should we run out of charges, Deepvein can restore them.

Editor’s note: Although this item will work on any undead, make sure you have at least one charge left after this quest. It will come in handy later.


Four Pillars Riddle

Pillar Riddle.png

We can interact with each pillar to read its description.

Activate in the following order. Selecting the pillars in the incorrect order will spawn monsters.

  • Winter (Snowflake)
  • Autumn (Cracked and fragmenting leaf)
  • Summer (Shining sun)
  • Spring (Leaf)

The door near the pillars will now be accessible.


Gurn Coldheart Transformation

Gurn Coldhearth transformed into undeath.


Destroy the Phylactery

Secret passage

You can chunk Gurn Coldhearth, but only destroying his phylactery will kill him permanently.

Take the Ancient Key from Coldhearth’s body and open the false wall. His phylactery is the second one in from the left.

Coldhearth's Phylactery

A small fortune of precious stones is set in a large fortune of gold and silver formed into the shape of a box. Wrapped around the box is a long cord of supple material, made from the hide of some exotic beast. 

Upon interacting with the correct phylactery we get our clue on how to destroy it.

Though seemingly composed of malleable precious metals, this phylactery resists all efforts to damage it. Destroying it may require power beyond the Prime Material Plane.

Gurn reborn

He’s baaaaaaaaaaack!!!

With Lich Coldhearth’s soul still intact inside the phylactery, it won’t be long before he is hot on our heels again. Take the phylactery to the Fire Plane portal on the western side of the dungeon to destroy Coldhearth for good.

Fire plane portal

Interact with the center of the room to destroy the phylactery.

An image of a fiery landscape appears, accompanied by a blast of unearthly heat. You realize that it was in such a place as this that the Coldhearth lich’s phylactery was formed.

You cast the golden box down into the flames. As it falls, the metal turns molten, it’s surface bubbling and sloughing off. The soul within screams in rage and fear as the fire consumes it.  

  • Reward: Emerald, King’s Tears, 3000 quest xp, 3000 xp & 22000 xp

Dwarves of Dumathion

Return to the dwarven clerics once Lich Coldhearth has been dispatched. (Helm of Dumathoin). At this point, we can ask the clerics to aid us in our quest against the Argent Crusade. Brother Deepvein stiffed me when previously I asked for 500 gold to do the deed. However, he did give me a scroll.


Gurn Coldhearth’s Offer

If we tell the lich we came seeking power and wealth he will strike a deal with us. We can choose to help the lich and retrieve the five “Keeper of Secrets” amulets the clerics wear, all located in various parts of the first level. For this, Coldhearth promises an item of great value. If we return with fewer than five amulets he will turn hostile.

  • Demand the item (Dread Hammer +2)
  • Be slightly more polite and Coldhearth will agree to aid us in the fight against the Argent Crusade

Editors note: the dialogue states we receive the weapon, but it never shows up in our inventory after the conversation. I believe the reward is one or the other (Hammer vs. assistance against the crusade). 


Chapter Eight Intro


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5 Comments

  1. Malcon

    If you pickpocket all the amulets you can turn them in for the Dread Hammer, then force attack Coldhearth (and hopefully kill him before he gets protections up). Grab his key, equip Paws of the Cheetah, run up, grab his phylactery and sprint to the fire plane portal to destroy it before he respawns. Also if you interact with the other phylacterys you get some items/gems from them. Nothing too amazing, but nice enough.

  2. Millstone

    “I believe the reward is one or the other (Hammer vs. assistance against the crusade).”

    First time working with Coldhearth, and I got both the weapon and a promise of assistance. Edwin and Viconia were the ones who negotiated the latter.

    • Awesome! Leave it to those two! You’re making me want to do another playthrough, but I’ve yet to finish my third 🙁

  3. Sirayar

    If you help Coldhearth (at least by stealing the 5 amulets; although you can do so, you don’t really need to kill the dwarves of Dumathoin), and if Edwin is in your team, he will override your dialogue choices, and ask for Coldhearth’s help. Viconia will just comment if she’s with you, suggesting Coldhearth’s help would be nice.

    However, you can still choose to kill Coldhearth afterward (which will perhaps require not having Edwin with you, as I suspect he’d rebel), then tell the dwarves of Dumathoin you dealt with him, ensuring you maximum reward (the hammer + the helmet)

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