I should have mentioned after defeating the spider at the bottom of the catacombs I found an amulet in that room which I used until the end of the game (I was tempted to replace it with the Nobleman's amulet from the holy item quest, but I ended up going with the sword).
Amulet Of Glory
Durability 10
Charm Quality 2
10 Strength (gold charm, from first dragon rider)
40 Vitality
40 Magic
10 Resistance to Fire
