After a harrowing - but seemingly routine - encounter with an enormous panther, Clive, Jill, and Torgal are back in the Hideaway... only it looks quite different these days. The Hideaway you knew is gone, replaced by an enormous, half-sunken vessel of antiquity.
There's lots to see, but you might as well get the obligatory stuff done first. Head to the lift to the north of the docks and use it to rise to the Hideaway's upper level. You'll find Otto in the Mess, and Clive will chat with him for a moment before heading into the nearby Map Room. Here you'll meet Vivian, a new recruit, who will give you a quick rundown on what happened over the last five years.
Vivian will give you a tome, Of Gods and Men, to hand over to Harpocrates. He's in the Shelves, on the east side of the Main Deck. Head northeast through the ship and you'll find him. Hand the book back, chat for a bit, and then head west through the Main Deck. Tarja will intercept you for a moment, directing you to Clive's Chambers, at the other end of the Main Deck. There's a letter, The Republic's Play, on Clive's writing desk. Be sure to check this desk regularly for more letters.
At this point you'll jump to the next quest in the main story, The Gathering Storm. This will take you to the Mess to speak with Otto. First, though, you should have a look around the all-new Hideaway. It's much more spacious than before.
- In addition to the Missives, Clive's Chambers contains the Wall of Memories. For the moment this wall only has one keepsake of Clive's travels, though as you continue the story it will become lined with all manner of important trinkets.
- On the south side of Clive's Chambers is a door leading to a balcony. There's a chest out here containing a Goblin Coin, Black Blood, and six pinches of Magicked Ash.
- The Main Deck is home to a variety of vendors:
- Charon's Toll has relocated here, and Charon has a few accessories of interest. She'll also carry the Lovely, Dark, and Deep and Into the Mire Orchestrion Rolls if you didn't buy them earlier in the game.
- Next to Charon's Toll is Maeve, who will sell Clive drinks. You can buy for just Clive or for the whole hall. (Drink enough and Maeve will offer a comment on Quinten, over in Lostwing.) The Orchestrion is in Maeve's little drinking area.
- Also next to Charon's Toll, on the left side, is Blackthorne and his forge. If you have the right stuff (Flametongue, Lightning Shard, two Meteorites) you can get Blackthorne to forge a Levinbolt.
- The Arete Stone is across the hall from Charon's Toll. Nothing new here, though if you want to get in some practice with your new Ramuh powers this is a good place to do it.
- In the southwest of the Hideaway is the Mess, which will eventually fulfil a number of functions. In the middle of the Mess is a notice board of some kind, and to its right are stairs leading down. At the bottom you'll find a chest containing two Goblin Coins, fifteen chunks of Wyrrite, and fifteen Sharp Fangs.
- In the west of the Hideaway you'll find the Atrium, with a little class near the entrance. Climb to the second floor and you'll find people sitting on benches near a makeshift chicken coop. Near the fences overlooking the rest of the Hideaway, beside a channel for running water, is a chest. It contains a Goblin Coin, fifteen Bloody Hides, and fifteen spools of Steelsilk.
For the moment that's all for the Hideaway. There are a bunch of other unmentioned sections to the ship, and they're almost certainly going to be home to some side quests... but not yet. Speak to Otto to get started on your next quest.