Secrets of the dead...

[Mimi]

I usually do that quest 6th, 7th level and give the necklace to Lady Rhayader. I don't like that hypocrite little weasel that the merchant is; and I fight my way in the library of Freetown. I always carry enough healing potions.
On another subject, I screwed up on the path of the deer quest. I interrupted the game because I just could not kill the shadow dragon. I thought I get more levels (1 or 2). Well, when I returned to place the blade on the altar, I got zapped by 100 hit points and the dragon did not return. So I thought I start from scratch and go see the sleeping druid again, that didn't work anymore either.

 

[stonedwolf]

I usually do that quest 6th, 7th level and give the necklace to Lady Rhayader. I don't like that hypocrite little weasel that the merchant is; and I fight my way in the library of Freetown. I always carry enough healing potions.

As people say, if you want to do the right thing by Rhayader, give one book (most likely the Mausoleum book) to the Hand.

It's nice the unique loot is repeated with Golem Trader, but a pre-Icemist Potion of Mana vendor is not to be sniffed at.

 

[Denzera]

Yeah that strikes me as an optimal sequence, as long as you don't mind waiting on that quest until you're strong enough to tomb-raid:

1) Get book from Mausoleum or Irazur Tomb (probably Lv 8-9 to fight to it, or a little less if you'll just sprint there to grab the Mausoleum one and run)
2) Deliver book to Conjurer in Freetown. Get Golden Hand rep, and permanent access to the Grey Library. Possibly go shopping there. Maybe pick up a second book for the quest sitting in the back room.
3) Complete the Spicing Things Up quest in favor of Fritha Rhayader. It costs you 300 gold in the short term, but gains you some rep in Varsilia, and more importantly,
4) For Three Versus Eleven, you thus get her signature, likely sparing you the one from Kardagis (1000 gold) or Gilmour (2500 gold if you buy the Fire Salts, or whatever you value your time at if you have to grind for them).

So it's a matter of whether you're thinking short-term or long-term, IMO.

 

[Commiades]

Some (e.g. warriors and clerics) find Mausoleum easier. Early mages can die fast to the archers outside.

 

[Denzera]

Some (e.g. warriors and clerics) find Mausoleum easier. Early mages can die fast to the archers outside.

I certainly wouldn't recommend the Castle Bluerock one, that's clearly #4. But I think Mages will do fine with Irazur Tomb, having Mage Armor is a huge help when walking over all the spike traps.

The issue with the Mausoleum is getting there. There are a ton of Lv 8-9 Wraiths on even the fastest route to the entrance, and you can't just run around them (like you arguably could to get to, say, Gurguth Cave or Cave of Echoes). They deal pure Death damage so you need good Death resist, which can be bought (rings at 1000 / each) but is tough for low levels.

On the other hand, the Irazur Tomb one requires either being able to beat the Ancient Mummies, or having some sort of plan to get past them. You generally need to order your companion to stay back so you can get them to spray their gas while walking towards you, before engaging. It's doable, but it's tactically complicated and a screw-up can see you having to run all the way out of the dungeon in order to reset the companion / heal up (and possibly get jumped by the mobs resetting in Great Inori).

Neither is a walk in the park, as I've recently discovered with a new Rogue I'm building. For her, though, Irazur Tomb was definitely easiest.