Running like Clockwork is a Quest in Divinity: Original Sin II. Speaking to an Imp Ghost, you discover there is a gem lying somewhere that may hold secrets. Will you be able to unlock them?
Important NPCs
Running like Clockwork Objectives
- Speak to the Imp Ghost.
- Find the Imp Gem.
- Pass the test and be teleported into the Pocket Plane of Xantezza.
- Make your way to the core and deactivate it in 1 combat turn.
Running like Clockwork Walkthrough
Use Spirit Vision and speak with the imp ghost named "Knight of Xantezza" by the empty altar of Xantezza and ask what's wrong. You'll learn that an Imp Gem was stolen by the Black Ring.
Go to an area at the south-eastern section of the map, at around co-ordinates X:275, Y:824. This area is very close to the Lunar Gate Waypoint, just slightly westwards of it on the map. You will come to a talking ruby and two wolves as depicted by the picture below. Defeat the two wolves for 13950XP each. Alternatively, you can speak to them and pass a speech check to make them stand down, but you will receive no XP whatsoever for doing so. Alternatively, if you killed the men who previously had the gem you can tell the dogs to go eat them for experience and no combat. (if you want to give them a body part, make SURE it's a normal body part. If you give them a quest body part like Alexandar's Head or Shadow Prince's heart then you may not finish some other quests.)
Now talk to the ruby. For the first question, none of the answers will matter much. For the second question, [MYSTIC], [NOBLE], [SCHOLAR] or [OUTLAW] tagged answers (but not JESTER), it will gulp and teleport you to Xantezza's pocket plane. If you have no appropriate tags, you can simply right-click on it in your inventory and select "Grasp firmly in your hand," and then can answer the question and enter the pocket dimension.
Upon reaching the pocket plane, you will immediately receive 30,100 Exploration XP (10,050 XP DE version) and 20,075XP (quest). You will be continually slowed in this place, and to open the first door, you must press the 4 pressure plates as shown in the picture below. There are heavy metal crates that you can use to help you press all 4 pressure plates without the use of any party members, but you will need some strength to move them. Alternatively, you can also use teleport to teleport the crates around. Once the door is open, proceed.
This section section is a little more tricky. Pressing the pressure plates in this area will unleash fire from the pipes, so do not press them. You can disarm the traps here, or just navigate around them. If you look past the gas traps, you can see a little wheel valve that reads "Emergency Flush Protocol". If you interact with it, it will immediately flush the entire area with lava and deathfog, which can be fatal for both undead (lava) and non-undead (deathfog) parties. Instead, simply use teleportation/leaping/flying skills or lockpick the door near the Emergency Flush Protocol valve to reach the "Hyperdrive Protocol" valve (co-ordinates: X:154, Y:538) - this will replace slow with haste for the entire party and will also increase the tempo and pitch of the background music (as if it has been sped up).
Now you have a myraid of choices, but basically, the goal here is to reach the core (at co-ordinates X:116, Y:462) without dying because you only have 1 combat turn to do so before it spots you and unleashes a scripted deathfog that immediately kills the entire map, undead or not. Warning you do not have one turn, it kills you on ITS first turn. Attempting to bring another person into range while the conversation will prompt the fight to start immediately, and they will get put to the end of the turn by default.
Cheese solution follows:
Rather than going through the gates (either X133,Y499 or X133,Y475) and engaging dialogue with the Core, which will almost certainly result in a TPK, what you can do instead is: hit the Hyperdrive Protocol valve (X154,Y541) to remove your Slowed status, return to where you entered the Pocket Plane (X166,Y441; you'll probably need to use a leap/teleport skill to get past the closed gate at X169,Y474 and step on the switch in the main room to drop the gate), then teleport each of your party members to the pipe (just west-south-west of the original spawn point, seen in the screenshot below), then run along the pipes until you get near the Core. Then, teleport (or Phoenix Dive, or Tactical Retreat, or whatever) a member onto the section where the Core is. This will initiate the scripted dialogue with the Core. Choose to "Reach for the great ball of light", and then when combat starts, just run up to it and activate it.
If you have a lot of movement speed, you can also tackle it head on by opening the sole non-locked door in the area. warning whether sneaking or not, it notices you very shortly after passing through the doorway. With haste and 5 movement speed i was still unable to make it to the core before dying.
Ultimately though, the easiest option is to simply use the locked door closest to the core, provided you have the thievery level required [EDIT This door is not pickable anymore]. A character with haste and 5AP should have no real issues reaching the core this way. Easiest is the "cheese" or intentional option (based on the info you get off the goblins bodies) to run along the pipes and get there.
In any case, interact with the core before your turn is over, and it will be safely deactivated. You will receive 20,075XP upon entering the room with the core, and another 20,075XP and a choice of legendary-quality loot upon deactivating it and completing the quest.
There is also an altar in this room, the Altar of Xantezza. Interacting with this altar presents you with a choice -- either renounce your god, or reaffirm your allegiance. Either way, you get some decent XP (20k around level 16). If the option to renounce the character's (who interacted with the altar) god is chosen, the option to have your god intervene at the other altars will no longer be present (but only with that character, not with the whole party). There may also be more effects.
Rewards:
- 13,950 XP for each wolf killed, for a total of 27,900XP for both wolves (optional).
- 20,075 XP upon entering the Pocket Plane.
- 30,100 Exploration XP upon entering the Pocket Plane. (10,050 XP in DE version).
- 20,075 XP upon entering the room with the core.
- 20,075 XP and a choice of legendary-quality loot upon completion of the quest.
- 20,075 XP using the Altar Of Xantezza quest XP
Tips & Tricks
- The first 4 plates can be pressed with reinforced crates laying around.
- Gas traps can be covered by lab equipment and stools, or simply disarmed.
- At the entrance (waypoint shrine), look for the pipes. It can be very helpful to leave one NPC along with a teleporter pyramid permanently detached from the party on those pipes for a quick emergency escape. If you let the core explode, you forfeit the rewards though.
- You can use teleport/flying/leaping skills from the pipes to move one character directly into the core chamber and much closer to the core itself. This makes it very easy to shut it down.
AnonymousI talk to the ruby then put it right into inventory, no more interaction with it, then go around doing some other quests. Then when I check again the ruby is completely lost from inventory, nowhere to be found wth
- Anonymous
I talk to the ruby then put it right into inventory, no more interaction with it, then go around doing some other quests. Then when I check again the ruby is completely lost from inventory, nowhere to be found wth
- Anonymous
I just teleported with my thief (Sebille) and walked up to the orb to deactivate it.
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With flight + cloak and dagger on sebille I was able to reach the core on my first try taking the "normal" path, without even disabling the area slow, I just went to the core first out of curiosity
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Blinked onto the gears and snuck into the core, it didn't detect me until I hopped onto the central platform. Don't really get what the guide is saying but I guess that testifies to how well the game was designed by giving players a plethora of choices
- Anonymous
I had a guy with 3 movement abilites and it only takes two to make it the core. Flight + cloak and dagger or tactical retreat were my options but any 2 should work. just send the movement guy alone. They get a height advantage from stairs too
- Anonymous
Had a good chuckle at the music when reloading a save to an earlier point but when the haste status was still active.
- Anonymous
"Emergency Flush Protocol" valve is just making entire map in lava deathfog?? is it just a trap??
- Anonymous
This guide could be old, it really wasn't difficult, I didn't even use a movement skill. I just hit the haste valve and when the orb activated I simply just ran for it and made it in time. This was with a warrior with base movement speed. Came to this guide to ensure I didn't miss anything, doesn't seem I have.
- Anonymous
What i dont get is where so many people come to this guide only to toot that they dont need this guide.
I for one liked that they did it the hard way, dig out all the potential exp, just so i dont have to
- Anonymous
"With haste and 5 movement speed i was still unable to make it to the core before dying."
And I'm honestly stunned, sorry how bad are you at the game ? Just use 1 mobility skill and you are there, in front of the core its not that hard. I was so confused reading this guide because i thought there was more to the area, but no that was all there is to the quest and the guy who wrote the guide is just, a bit dank i guess ?
- Anonymous
Why is there such a complicated guide here? Right when you spawn teleport to the small path to the left and then teleport to the core, no struggle.
I wish there was more to it I really enjoyed this little world
- Anonymous
I don't know why this guide described it as a mission impossible. I successfully reached the core in my first playthrough -- even before I learned that it will release Deathfog if you don't get there in time.
The stage design is so obvious that I don't believe anyone would not see the association of haste switch and the time race. Just activate switch first, then have your Scoundrel character lead the way. Cast Clock and Dagger on the top of stairs then move to the core normally. You still get a lot of AP left if you have Glass Cannon or at least Adrenaline.
And if you don't have any assassins in the team, unchain your Aero mage and stay behind at the poison trap area; when combat starts, switch to the mage and cast teleport on your leading character. This will move your leading character just next to the core.
- Anonymous
Not sure why so much fuzz about this location. On my 1st playthrough I didn't even know about hyper protocol. When entered the final room, picked an obvious dialog option - reach the core - used haste to get rid of slow and it took me about 3AP to deactivate it.
- Anonymous
If you have a character that has both jump skill and a flight skill you can do both in one turn
- Anonymous
I don't know why is this supposed to be complicated. with moving a few boxes around and 5 thievery you reach the hyperdrive valve, activate it, run to the last gate, blink once as far as you can and dialogue starts, dialogue ends, blink twice and you're on the orb, click, done.
- Anonymous
The guide here is being so unhelpful and waste of time. Just grab your rouge and it cost you like 3 ap to reach the core. I saved you 10 mins reading the unhelful guide written by a bunch of conflicting editors (who probably did not know existence of the haste valve, walking in the room slowed, and claiming it takes many turns to reach the core)
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I didn't have to renounce my god. After deactivating the core (via the pipes run), I used the altar. Xantessa appeared, said simply "Moon." I accepted the answer immediately without question (option 1), she saluted me and walked off.
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If you go back from the starting point and follow the pipe, you should be able to reach an area where you can easily teleport one of the characters to reach the core.
- Anonymous
Just teleport one of your character near the core just before you enter the gate to the core. It will initiate combat but the teleported character is already close enough to deactivate it.
- Anonymous
How do we let the player know that this part is just there to waste their time? How about we just have them do it in slow motion? Perfect!
- Anonymous
I did not read the guide and still made it on first try...just jump to the core when it detects you jump again and deactivate....childsplay...and if you have fane with vulture armor he is immune to deathfog (undead) and lava(float)
- Anonymous
https://youtu.be/nvWRSwe2P4A here is how you can save your party from the emergency flush pipe in honour mode
- Anonymous
I denounced my god and the imp belly laughed, so i assume thats bad.
- Anonymous
I don't think it's "cheese" that paying attention and following the pipes around (as the imp handbook kind of hints at you) lets you totally skip a rather annoying and unfun puzzle... in the *prime temple* of the *goddess of mischief*.
Like, geez. Doing an end run around the alleged problem statement is the entire point of being an imp.
- Anonymous
If you need a rogue/archer character you should just be able to teleport from any entrance and then run to it no problem. Even if you don't, still shouldn't be a problem as long as you teleport/jump first. A lot of words to say nothing in the guide..
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I reached the ball of light first time no problem at all. No need for cheese, read or follow the stupid complicated explanation above lol. Just choose "reach the ball of light and you will".
- Anonymous
En el reino de bolsillo creo que hay un atajo al núcleo, detrás del punto de viaje hay un pasillo donde podes usar salto/retirada táctica y de ahí te lleva a caminar sobre unas tuberías, en una plataforma encontras un cofre con algunas cosas, y más adelante sobre otras tuberías, al llegar al final del camino podes usar salto/ retirada táctica y llegas directo al núcleo!
- Anonymous
this guide is absolutely of zero help i have no idea what the author is ever trying to say
- Anonymous
I'm gonna call it: this little section is the most annoying part of the ENTIRE GAME. Walking slowly through door-lock puzzles, turning a wheel that instantly kills your party, and the strange choice of renouncing your god on a whim. It's a small but completely unfun experience.
- Anonymous
For anyone still curious, I've just finished act 3 on my second playthrough. On my first, I renounced my god, although it was after already using her (Amadia) to help with another altar, so I'm not sure if it invalidates that for other altars if you haven't asked for their help. Other than that, I don't think there's much of a difference, at the last fight of act 3, where your god gets angry at you, they tell you off for renouncing them, on top of everything else. Either way, you still have the option of letting your god take your source at that fight (and die) or refuse and start the fight.
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When you arrive at the waypoint portal, at the start, before traversing to the first room with pressure plates. There is a set of pipes behind the portal which can be teleported/jumped too, which can be followed to a decent chest. Though this isnt what is IMPORTANT, what is important to know is that this path can ultimately be used to jump to the last platform with the Core, thus ending the core intruder countdown without any hastle at all.
- Anonymous
Used one character to teleport the huntsman as close as possible, then huntsman used tactical retreat to be next to it. EZ PZ
- Anonymous
I put Sebille next to the gate and to the edge. Teleported my Main Char over and then used Battering Ram with 2 AP left ;)
- Anonymous
Just used Phoenix dive and wings jump. It got me right next to the orb with 1 ap remaining
- Anonymous
Speech check on wolves gives exp now. 21400 or so. 4/11/2020
- Anonymous
Any teleport really. I used cloak and dagger on a character with The Pawn. Only used the 1AP for C&D.
- Anonymous
It can be done quite easy if you use Phoenix Dive. Go to the door closest to the Core (it's locked). Near this door is an opening in the wall. Stand near it and cast Phoenix Dive. Choose the spot closest to the Core. As the fight starts, Immediately run to the Core and you're done.
- Anonymous
I load up most of my characters with 2 of phoenix dive, tactical retreat, and cloack amd dagger. I just used those two skills to get to the core
- Anonymous
On honor mode (tactician too?) the doors are all unpickable.
- Anonymous
if u put a teleporter pyramid in the big blue glowing pyramid it will teleport to the hyperdrive protocol, then u can use the one u have to go to it.
- Anonymous
I had one of my out of Combat character use Teleport to move my main character closer. I then used flight of the Phoenix and it put me right at the core. Only used 1 AP
- Anonymous
You can get directly to the core the back way, in 30 sec of walking/porting/jumping from the waypoint across the thin pipes. This should be mentioned in the summary above.
- Anonymous
Found ruby first, failed questions. After talking to knight, caressed the ruby by right clicking it and it let me in. Reached the core from the unlocked door with tactical retreat+battering ram.
Killing the 2 wolves (Snout & Dagger), beside receiving the XP as stated in the wiki, receives an additional 20075 XP after the fight. Grasping the gem and entering the Impish pocket realm results to more: 10050 Exploration XP and a further 20075 XP.
- Anonymous
Sooo, the imp spectre at the alter doesn't want the realm back, nor can I put it back on the alter. I guess that's it.
- Anonymous
man fane makes this so *****ing easy. JUST TIME WARP LMAO. then just spam tactical retreat + pheonix dive + cloak and dagger then skin graft next turn so you get like 6 teleports in total. if you also have THE PAWN you can get free movement too, my fane was a rougue so this was super easy to do
- Anonymous
But... Why did the deathfog kill Fane? He’s... He’s dead. Deathfog immune. Why
- Anonymous
You can just go on a pipe run behind where you first enter and teleport someone right onto the core and skip literally all the shenanigans. Also there’s a chest with good loot back there.
- Anonymous
Usually try to figure things out myself, but FUHUHUHUUUUUUK the slow***** got old quick. 0/10 quest
- Anonymous
I hung onto the ruby until I got to Arx in the DE, and it won't allow me to use it now. There's an option to grasp the gem but it does nothing. So if you wanna do this, you'd better use it in that act.
- Anonymous
For some reason after using outlaw tags dialogue options and getting into the dimension, my character wasn't slowed at all. Still didn't get it upon exiting and re-entering. Very strange.
- Anonymous
Outlaw tags let you get into the ruby too, at least in Definitive Edition. You just threaten the crystal and it lets you in.
Very easy area if you using high level scoundrel with lockpicking ability. Basically at scoundrel skill 8, the character can cover up to third of the distance to the core with 0 AP. Afterwards it's cloak and dagger and few more steps. It's even preferable to go from the far door as the scoundrel can jump further from the high ground (stairs).
- Anonymous
I am not sure what consequences are from denouncing my god? I just did at the altar of Xantezza and not sure if this was the right decision....
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Am i the only one is bugged at this quest??? The CORE always get the first turn,i have no chance at all,sigh
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IT's easy. Just use teleport and fly or phoenix rising.... just talk to the orb.
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I didn't need to use the pipes at all. Once you activate the Hyperdrive Protocol and gain haste, using the unlocked door, you can use Cloak and Dagger as it only requires 1 AP to transport as far down the hall as you can. Then it only requires 3 AP to get to the core.
- Anonymous
My two friends and I were playing on hard mode. One of them played through and knew about the level, and my other friend and I didn't. Long story short we were curious and now have to restart.
- Anonymous
You can get both, the exp for telling them to eat the guy who kicked them (around 20k in DE) and killing them(around 13k each in DE). First, block the way to the lunar gate waypoint (best to use undestructable chests), then tell them to eat the guy on the beach and be quick to kill them. as far as you hit them with another charakter during dialog the dialog will close and the "rush to waypoint aka beach" routine starts. you cant engage them into combat after telling them but you can keep hitting them. after a certain amount of time they will disappear if you arent fast enough to kill them.
- Anonymous
On one of the imp corpses, you can find a book called "Essential Engineering". This can be used to make armour of the eternals.
- Anonymous
Do not use the emergency flush protocol. That will flood the place with deathfog.
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If you follow the pipe pathway there is a chest that contained a divine item for me.
- Anonymous
Or you can just skip ALL of that and teleport into the chamber. Teleport 2 ppl behind the shrine is a narrow pipe, set them down there, then follow the pipes till end , and teleport again. Immidiately cluck glowing orb. Nothing attacks you or kills you.
- Anonymous
Useless information above. What you supposed to do with red ruby after you done with quest? Placing it back on pedestal doing nothing,
- Anonymous
just lockpick the first door to the left... so sad. I did it that way and missed all the action...
- Anonymous
Both the wheel and the core will release instant death. If on honour mode your game will chain save and you will lose. Beware.
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Guys if you didnt answered correctly. Just right click the gem from your inventory and use the grasp option. Now you will be able to answer countless
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Just make sure you have more Initiative that the Core.... so you get first move in the combat.
I followed the pipes close to the waypoint, (nice chest of items on the way), then teleported my highest Initiative guy into the Core room.
- Anonymous
If you have fanes extra turn ability, it makes this very very easy. Heads up!
- Anonymous
The [Outlaw] response to the Imp's riddle is also a viable answer. I was able to get into the Pocket Dimension by interacting with the ruby with Ifan. Didn't speak to Xantezza's spirit yet.
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BE CAREFUL when you try to distract the two wolves fighting over the gem with a "meat"/"body parts".. check your inventory, do you really have an ordinary meat/body parts, or is it an important quest item, because it will take that instead!!
[SPOILER AHEAD!!]
I killed Shadow Prince and got his heart, then I talked to the two wolves that fighting over the gem (large ruby), I got dialogue option which goes like "reach out for your bag, and show them the body parts".. and guess what..?? this option will take out Shadow Prince's Heart from your inventory, and gave it to the wolves, and voila! this key item to complete few other quests are gone! I didn't realized until much later..
- Anonymous
easiest thing to do is to just use any teleport skill and walk along the pipes, you can then just teleport down right in front of the core and just walk right up to it. I didn't even have haste and I had no issues. Skipped the entire area worth of BS traps.
- Anonymous
The hologram on the floor and to the 'Hyperdrive' valve is a teleporter pyramid. You can drop one on hologram and it will appear on the other side. Use another pyramid to port over the wall.
- Anonymous
I was starting to think that the scholar tag was a must if you were playing solo like me, but i just realised that the BARBARIAN tag WORKS too for this quest :D That's a good thing after the facepalm of Bloodmoon Island :)
- Anonymous
after opening the first gate teleport the one box you can reach off the button. the locked gate in the next room will open
- Anonymous
The Hyperdrive Protocol that gives haste is at (151,538). It is near the second pyramid. I used some sort of "teleport" ability to get there. The lever near it just opens the gate to go back.
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you can teleport to the hyper drive without opening the door to it.
- Anonymous
This article is really poorly worded and devoid of crucial information.
There is an energy chest with good loot at x:118 y:413 or there abouts
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