The Isle of Apples is a side quest which can be started during the second act. This quest can be started during Wisdom of the Ancients when you unlock the Ravine area. It's also required that you keep Steinn the Clever alive if you fight him for control of Orkneyjar during Lord of Seals quest in order to unlock the Ravaging of the Wretched Heathens quest.
In the Ravine area, you find a stone circle made by the druids located on the top of a hill northwest in the area. The written texts on the stone circle can be translated by a player character with a medium Sense score, or you can have Morcant translate it for you, which both require two hours time.
After translating the text, you can visit all the areas in any order you like. The last location available is probably Dun Phris, due to this site being unlocked by Fort of the Thicket. Areas which are not available yet can be unlocked by completing the Picts storyline quests and the Northumbria storyline quests or by doing all the storyline quests for one faction, including Fort of the Thicket.
The seven locations[]
The seven runestones with hints to the locations of the ancient tablets can be found in the following seven areas:
- Scarborough. The runestone with the hint is found west of the area. The silver snake refers to the roots of a tree, while the giant with emerald hair refers to the large tree with its leaves. Left of the house of the mayor, close to the merchant Williswind Edgaresdohtor near the river, there is a stump of what was once a large white tree. The tablet is underneath the roots of the tree stump.
- Lindisfarne. This location is unlocked during Ravaging of the Wretched Heathens. **Warning:**: If you finish the quest before visiting the Ravine, you wont be able to access this tablet. The Menhir can be found north of the area. It indicates that the ancient tablet is hidden in an enchanted glade were they performed sacrifices to the gods. While looking at the graveyard in the church, find a pile of stone were the tablet was supposed to be. The Christians moved the tablet, so you have to look around in the graveyard. The tablet can be found in the eastern row of gravestones.
- Selecting "[Shrug.] It won't be..." gains morale with cunning followers, but loses morale with hounarable and superstitious ones.
- Selecting "Why not? They're just..." gains morale with superstitious followers, but loses morale with sceptical and open minded ones.
- Selecting "I'm afraid we'll have..." gains morale with superstitious followers, but loses morale with sceptical and conceited ones.
- Swamp. Unlocked during the Northumbria storyline when you start the quest The Mercian Connection. The runestone with the hint to the location can be found south in the area, in the middle of the camp where a large group is staying. You can enter the camp without provoking an attack. The runestone indicates that the tablet is buried somewhere close to the lake. Go north in the area, near the stone cross, you find a fallen tree with one half on land and the other half in the lake. The tablet is buried in the mud near the fallen tree. The area with the tablet won't be encircled with a white line when the mouse hovers over it, but with the alt key, this area will be encircled with a white line. The mouse cursor will change into the grabbing cursor when its on the right spot.
- Yngilwood. Unlocked during the Northumbria storyline during A Tale of Two Kings. The menhir with the hint to the location can be found northeast in the area. The tablet can be found near the Great Oak tree west in the area. The tablet lies under a pile of rocks very close to the tree.
- Legacaestir (Chester). Unlocked during the Northumbria storyline quest Ghosts of the Empire. The menhir can is found south in the area. The tablet is located north in the area. Near a collapsed tent north close to the edge of the area, you find the remains of a small building with stone walls. Near the middle of the western wall, there is a small clickable area where the tablet is stashed.
- Dun Phris is unlocked when the Fort of the Thicket quest is started. The menhir with the hint to the location is reachable in the southwestern part of the area when the area is available, the location where the tablet is hidden can only be easily reached by taking a side in the conclift and either attack or defend from the assailants. However, if you know where tablet is (in the north east of the village) you can click on the location and still receive the tablet without needing to enter the town which means you can expose Isle of the Apples without doing any part of the quest in this area. On the top of the hill from the wooden watchtower on the side of the ladder, the remains of a wall are the remnants of the old tower (this is difficult to see, and is somewhere in the trees). Placing the mouse on the wall changes the mouse cursor in the grabbing icon. (Moving your party along the North East Wall at the map's edge or through the camp of the picts you can move slightly upwards, this will expose enough of the Fog of War to let you grab the tablet.)
- Doncoirre Homestead. Area is unlocked during the Pict storyline quest A Gaelic Alliance. Near the starting point of the area, you will find the runestone with the hint to the location of the tablet. The ancient tablet can found east in the area, near the cliff, under a rock with a lot of mushrooms around it.
After acquiring all seven tablets, the area of Avalon is added to the world map. You probably need more than a week to sail towards the island and return to the Port of Perth, Eoforwic or the beach of Scarborough. The quest ends when you arrive at the mysterious island.
Speaking to the lady of lake has the following morale impacts.
- Selecting "Who's there?! ..." gains morale with aggressive followers, but loses morale with peaceful ones.
- Selecting "We've followed the hidden..." gains morale with peaceful followers, but loses morale with aggressive ones.
Achievements[]
When you reach Avalon, you get the hidden achievement The Isle of Apples. Doing this quest is also required for the hidden The Last Legioniare achievement, along with some other quests.
Trivia[]
When you click on the runestone in the swamp area, any of your companions will say that there is lovely filth down by the lake. This could be a reference to the peasants from Monty Python and the Holy Grail who are digging filth enthusiastic during the movie.