Knothole Island's Big Freeze

Fable 2: Knothole Island Downloadable Content Guide

Knothole Island's Big Freeze

Upon your arrival, you will notice that Knothole is unlike anywhere else in Fable II. The driving snow gives it a Christmassy feel, but also an overpowering shine due to the sheer weight of snow compared to the usual Albion environments. You begin at the docks, the only way in and out of the island. Head up the pier and climb the snowy-slope. In the alcove on the right, there is a dig spot. Continue towards the centre of Knothole Village. You can of course walk on the ice!

It's a beautiful place!

Head into the first building on your left, which is the Chieftain's house. He explains the situation: basically the ancestors of these people hid some weather totems which they used to control the weather, in various caves full of trials. This was to stop their villagers from becoming fat and weak, forcing them to stay strong so they could reclaim the totems each year with the seasons. Their warriors have now died out regardless however, so they are stuck in a frozen state. You must find the Ice Key to open the Ice Shrine and get the Ice Totem.

Locating the Ice Key:

Head out of his house and down onto the ice. Turn left, following the golden trail under the wooden walkway, past the tower and up the snowy-slope. About half-way up you will have to fight some Hobbes. They shouldn't prove too troublesome, so dispatch them from range and move on. Further up you will be accosted by a Banshee and some Shadow Creatures. Take out the Shadows first, as they pose the main threat (the Banshee doesn't really do much damage). To kill the Banshee, you must kill the wave of her small minions and then either melee or shoot her when she cowers following this. Repeat a couple of times and she won't survive. Shooting her in the head, if you are accurate enough, is the quickest way to do it.

Deal with the Banshee and her allies

Continue up the hill until you get to the top where it levels out. Deal with the beetles and walk across the ice and up the bank on the other side onto the glowing patch. Wait for your dog to start digging and press D-pad down to unearth the Ice Key when the spade icon appears.

Locating the Ice Shrine:

Head back down the hill the way you came until you get back to the frozen lake by the village. Once you pass under the first walkway, turn right up the hill-path by the rowing-boat wreck.

Head up this path towards the Sun Shrine

Follow this path all the way up as it soars high up into the sky. Approach the door of the shrine and hold A to insert the seal and open the door.

Locating the Sun Totem:

Move down the path a little way once inside and you will be greeted by an army of Hobbes. Take them all out, focusing on the magical one as it can summon more to the fight. Proceed into the Hobbe village ahead, where they have clearly been enjoying the snowy surroundings. Head straight through the middle of their village and destroy the icicles that are blocking the way forward.

Attack these icicles to create a path through

Press A to vault down the hole ahead once you are through. As you splash down into the pool of water below, swim around to the left of the island to find a dive spot and a Fat Burner Potion. Climb up the steps onto the island and pull the switch to melt the ice blocking the door ahead. Move through and once in the large, square area, head to the right hand door. Once you get near it will slam shut and a horde of Shadow Creatures will begin their attack, around five in total.

You should have few problems dealing with them, before all the doors will open again. Cross the room and descend the slope through the door directly opposite the one we just approached. You will come into a room with a flit-switch orb and a fairly challenging puzzle-section.

It is crucial in this room to be quick on your feet and know what is coming. If the orb is red, you need to use a magic attack (B). If it is blue, you need to melee attack (X) and if it is yellow, you need a skill or ranged attack (Y). Follow the sequence below to learn where the orb will appear next.

You must stay on your toes for this one

1. To begin, melee the switch in its starting position.

2. It will then move across the barrier and to the right. Shoot it with a skill-based attack (Y).

3. Next it will appear in the middle, needing a magic attack (B). Point in the direction of the orb and just tap B, you don't need to charge it.

4. In the middle on the left next, and it needs a melee attack, so make sure you're nearby as it comes over.

5. Next it's at the front on the left, needing a magic attack.

6. Then it will appear at the back on the right, with a skill-ranged attack required.

7. Next is a melee attack at the back on the left.

8. Nearly there now, at the front with a magic attack.

9. At the back with a ranged attack, to the left.

10. Only one after this, which is at the back and needing a melee attack, to the right.

11. Lastly, at the very front to the right – you need to be quick with a melee attack!

This will send the orb over the electric wall to destroy the pedestal on the other side, deactivating the electricity and exposing a switch.

Beat this tricky puzzle

Head over to it and push A. This melts the block of ice back in the main room. Return to the main room and deal with the crowd of shadow creatures that appear when you get there. Now you want the door opposite where we just came out of again. It will lead you to a large cave with plenty of flit switches and electronic gates. If you destroy the icicles to the right of the main bridge and drop down, activating the switch along the way, before following the path and climbing the ladder, you will find Knothole Island Vol. II through the icicle barrier at the end.

Locating Volume 2 in the Ice Shrine

Vault down off the platform to land back in the flit-switch cave. Hit each melee switch until the electronic barriers have all been deactivated and then run across the bridge and pull the switch at the end. This will melt another block of ice in the main room. Head back there to find more Shadow Creatures, including a Balverine. With them defeated, the ice will melt in the middle of the room, on the platform, revealing another switch. Guess what this one does? Yes, melts more ice. Use Left Trigger to see where you need to go, and head along the narrow path, opening the two chests on the way, and through the door. These chests should carry Bandit Gloves and Knothole Knight Trousers.

Get through the hot area as the Sun Totem gets near

Take the path until you come to the canyon, and vault down into the suspiciously open area below. Shadow Creatures will appear, again including a Balverine that must be defeated before you can carry on. Continue on and vault down a level, before collecting and activating the Sun Totem at the end of the path by holding A. You will then be warped back to the main area of Knothole Island, with a sun-drenched and impressively different scene to the one we left.

Return to the Chief

Move forward and jump down into the dry riverbed – yes, the same river that was previously frozen over!

Get through the hot area as the Sun Totem gets near

Head down the riverbed, dealing with the bugs that attack after a short distance. When the riverbed merges into a path, going up hill, go right and along the raised path to find a treasure chest. To get to the chief, head left. Follow this path downhill and back past the odd temple/tower in the valley. Around the side of this tower is Knothole Island Vol. VII (the right hand side as you come down the hill, the left from the village). Before continuing on into the riverbed, through the water and back into the centre of the village, turn left up the narrow path to find a chest which should contain a Knothole exclusive Iron Axe complete with augment slots.

Now you can feel free to head into the dry-river and towards the village. Once you see the red house and pass underneath the high walkway, turn left up the slope, and then double back on yourself to collect Knothole Island Vol. VI underneath the pier. Just next to it you will find a chest too, containing a Heavy Yew Crossbow exclusive to the island with more augment slots than the mainland equivalent.

Get back into the riverbed following this and continue on until the walkway above stops, taking the sandy slope up to the right into the chief's house. He'll thank you, while assuming all the credit for himself, and you'll be rewarded with 150 renown points and the Ice Key trophy.

Knothole Island Volumes

To recap, you should, at this point, have the Knothole Island Volumes listed below. Many of them only appear under certain weather conditions, so to find them you will have to wait until all three Knothole Island quests are competed, and then there may well be some backtracking through dungeons and fiddling with the weather involved if you didn't collect them during this quest. It is advisable to collect them as you complete the quests to do it as easily as possible and to get the respective achievement on offer.

Knothole Island Vol. I
Knothole Island Vol. II
Knothole Island Vol. VI
Knothole Island Vol. VII