[PeeWee]

If you have a saved game saving Hendak at the Copper Coronet, I believe he does say that the last of the slavers is in the Temple district...I can be mistaken but I remember him saying something about a tougher group somewhere.

Yes as far as your roleplaying goes. It's really a matter of your own preferances. I prefer to check out every building when I'm not bored and loot from areas I'm safe in. I try not to open up chests in the Temples in case it will get back to me later on...I'm thinking there is a switch that lets the knights know I've been bad in their sanctuary. Roleplay.

The CF is in a building that isn't part of a one time deal so I do think that exploring would have led you there. Exploring doesn't always happen at the beginning. Some decide to go linear with the story and level that way to hit the side quests later on and to find out what is where. I too ran into a spoiler about the location of the katana and decided a few days afterwards to try for it. I found it to be a decent fight and not much was spoiled. Didn't know who was there or what needed to be done. Just hope ya didn't read a walk thru since those are worse. And don't feel like ya cheating yourself out of roleplaying if someone mentions the whereabouts of a great weapon.

Consider it the drunken guy next to you at the bar telling you about what he heard. I consider this to be the same as paying for rumors. If some npc told me there's a +6 sword somewhere, ya be damned right that I'ma look for it where he told me to.

Anyways, g'luck on it. you will be more than happy and suprised.