By the time you reach Act III, you will find out that Shadowheart’s parents are alive if she is a member of your party or if you have been focusing on the Daughter of Darkness quest.
This leads you to search for a Sharran Lookout to lead you to where the Sharran Cloister is located, which is later revealed to be in the Lower City.
Pursuing this path not only leads to finding out what happened to Shadowheart’s Parents, but it also gives you the chance to put a stop to a vast group of Sharran worshippers.
How to Get Investigate House of Grief Quest?
Investigate the House of Grief can be accessed in two ways, which is to either follow the path of the Daughter of Darkness quest or to meet a man named Arves.
Arves may be found across the bridge near the Baldur’s Gate waypoint and once spoken to, your path now lies within the House of Grief.
If you have Shadowheart in your party and have been progressing with her, she will want to keep an eye out for a Sharran Lookout and eventually find the Sharran Cloister.
To know more about how to find the Sharran Lookout and Enter The House of Grief, check out our guide https://palnerd.com/finding-the-sharran-lookout-entering-the-house-of-grief-bg3/
Investigate The House of Grief Walkthrough
Head into the House of Grief and speak to Mirie, who will point you towards the room in the back where the “Mapping of the Heart” takes place.
If you have Shadowheart in your party, she will be recognized, and you will easily be able to get into the back where a cutscene begins after you sit down on the granite bench.
A cutscene where a member of your party meets Viconia DeVir, the Mother Superior of Shar, who later allows you to descend to the Sharran Cloister.
The path is straightforward from here and all you need to do is continue making your way through the area until you enter the Cloister of Sombre Embrace.
Proceeding to the bottom will progress the story, where Viconia DeVir will speak to your party and demand the Astral Prism. (She will demand Shadowheart if you bring her along)
The Surrender Shadowheart to Viconia quest becomes active at this point and if you decide to betray Shadowheart and surrender her, the quest instantly becomes finished.
Should you refuse to surrender and go against Viconia, you will have to fight her as well as all the other Sarran cultists in the area.
The fight against Viconia and her Sharrans may be a difficult one even if your characters are at their max level. (Be sure to prepare what you need in advance such as items and summons)
Viconia may survive after the battle and if you speak to her, you have the choice to kill her or spare her life, but this does not affect the game in any other manner further. (Quest ends here)
How To Defeat Viconia and the Cultists?
There are two ways for you to defeat Viconia and the Sharran Cultists, which will either be a straightforward approach or the use of stealth.
If you want to face her head-on, make sure that you consume any potions that will provide you with buffs and summon any familiars that you will need in battle.
Taking the stealthy approach can make things easier, which involves having one character sneaking and attacking from a distance before escaping. (Rinse and repeat)
If you have killed enemies in the area and try to approach Viconia, the cutscene is skipped and the fight begins immediately.
Investigating the House of Grief Rewards
Once you have defeated all of the members of the cult in the area as well as Viconia, the quest will be complete, and you may continue exploring the Cloister of Sombre Embrace.
The Daughter of Darkness quest continues from here on and you may speak to Viconia to learn what happened to Shadowheart’s parents or explore the area to find out for yourself.
Surrendering Shadowheart removes her from the game and in exchange, Viconia will support you in the final battle. (If Shadowheart became a Dark Justiciar, she would take Viconia’s Place)
Verdict
The fight in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace can be difficult when your party is close together as several cultists will disable the area with darkness.
Focusing your attacks on the stronger characters can reduce the amount of damage you take while taking out the spellcasters can prevent them from using disables. (Counterspell recommended)
It is possible to sneak around the area to better position your party for the fight as long as you get rid of a few enemies first with stealth.