In Divinity: Original Sin 2, side quests often present moral dilemmas alongside complex puzzles that test your problem-solving skills. The A Taste of Freedom quest in Act 2 is a prime example, leading players into the underground secrets beneath Mordus's house in Driftwood. Navigating this multi-stage adventure requires patience, sharp perception, and crucial decision-making regarding a captive ancient entity.
Unlocking the Hidden Basement Chamber
To begin the quest, travel to Mordus's house in Driftwood and explore the cellar for hidden interactive elements. High Wits character stats are essential to spot the Ornate Skull on the wall, which requires two missing yellow gem eyes to open the secret hatch. One gem is found in a pouch inside Wrecker's Cave, while the skull can also be lockpicked if your Thievery skill is high enough.
Once inside the secret hatch, you will encounter a floor pressure plate puzzle that guards the main chamber. Using Spirit Vision reveals the correct pattern of switches needed to safely unlock the massive stone door. Stepping on the designated plates opens the pathway to a mysterious, chained skeletal creature known as the Lich.
Freeing the Lich and Early Decisions
Inside the inner chamber, you discover the Lich trapped in a complex mechanical apparatus. Interacting with the control console allows you to press the green button, which liberates the creature while summoning several skeletal minions to battle. The freed Lich fights alongside your party to defeat the hostile skeletons, granting a skill book reward immediately afterward.
Following the battle, the hungry Lich teleports away to regain its lost strength across Reaper's Coast. Choosing to keep the entity imprisoned is generally disadvantageous, as it denies players substantial experience points and future encounters. Allowing the creature to escape sets the stage for several critical narrative choices later in your journey.
Tracking the Lich Across Reaper's Coast
After leaving the basement, you can encounter the Lich again along the coastal borders west of Driftwood. You will find the creature feasting on corpses to restore its faded Source energy. Here, players face a pivotal choice between attacking the creature or letting it satisfy its hunger.
If you offer a point of your own Source energy or a drop of blood, you prevent the Lich from slaughtering innocent travelers. Satisfying its appetite without violence earns the creature's gratitude and progression toward its ultimate stash. Fighting the Lich at this stage triggers a tough battle against summoned allies, but grants immediate loot.
Optimal Outcomes and Reward Optimization
For the best overall rewards and moral resolution, allow the Lich to feed on your Source or blood until it reaches its final destination in Cloisterwood. Once fully restored near the ancient ruins, the entity unveils its secret cache containing valuable equipment and items. This path yields maximum story development and grants access to high-tier loot without unnecessary civilian casualties.
Tactical players often choose to claim the cache rewards first before initiating combat with the fully empowered Lich. Eliminating the creature right after securing the treasure maximizes total experience points gained from the questline. This approach combines the highest material payout with the complete removal of a potentially dangerous undead threat.