Entering the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, you might have already solved a crime or two. But to dive deeper into the cult of Bhaal and the villains you’re chasing, you’ll have to investigate the murders happening in Baldur’s Gate 3.
This side quest actually neatly ties into the pre-release murder mystery Larian hosted prior to Baldur’s Gate 3‘s launch on PC. And it’s also a good way to quickly get acquainted with the Lower City portion of town. So if you’re new in town, or maybe trying to rescue a certain someone from a malicious and vicious villain, you’ll want to look into the murders.
Chances are you’re coming across this after concluding the Open Hand Temple Murders investigation in Rivington. (If not, head over there and do that first.) You’ll find Gauntlet Devella Fountainhead looking into a murder scene on the second floor of the Elfsong Tavern. After showing her the evidence from the Open Hand Temple case, she’ll also conclude this is a cultist killing spree, and ask you to warn the listed targets in the Lower City while she heads for the Upper City.
Luckily, one is right downstairs. Talk to Chef Roveer and take care of the rats in the cellar, and he’ll agree to keep an eye out for murderers. Strange how that works.
You need to clear out the rats to find another side quest area anyways, so just do it and save his hide in the process.
Head to Cora Highberry next
Presented with the list of targets, I recommend you head down the street, where another potential assassination subject Cora Highberry is hanging out. She’s about to drink some wine that isn’t hers, which is a bad idea if you’re ever the target of a cult. Warn her off it, and her “friend” will get mad and call in some friends to stab at you.
Take them out, and you’ll need to chase after this would-be assassin Dolor. There are some other targets you can run into, that may or may not be dead. (In my playthrough, Franc Peartree was already dead by the time I found him.)
Save Figaro Pennygood in Baldur’s Gate 3
To save time, head to Figaro’s store in Baldur’s Gate 3, marked on your map with a waypoint. Barge past the waiting guests and into the salon, and you’ll find both Figaro and Devella paralyzed by Dolor.
If you want to save Figaro, don’t go for the Stealth option. It led to Dolor taking out Figaro in my playthrough, and it also failed as the other patrons turned out to be morphlings. (Seriously, half of Baldur’s Gate is just morphlings.) Pick a fight and send your heavier characters, like Lae’zel or Karlach, in to take some heat off Figaro and Devella.
The Morphlings will fight like they’ve been traditionally fighting up to this point; as pretty basic human enemies for the first half, and then transforming and attacking with claws after a while. If the battle goes on long enough, Figaro and Devella can both wake up, with the latter offering you some help. I also had an outside Fist guard draw aggro on the fight, though they didn’t do much.
After saving the day, you can loot Dolor’s body for information about what the murders were for, and where to continue your search for the cult of Bhaal that’s causing havoc in Baldur’s Gate. Devella will head to Upper City to warn the remainder, and wait for you at Basilisk’s Gate for any updates.
Stop by Figaro’s before leaving
The benefit of saving Figaro is that his store remains open, and you gain a lot of gratitude too. After finishing the Investigate the Murders plot line in Baldur’s Gate 3, talk to Figaro and he’ll offer you a generous discount. This is especially nice if you want to spruce up your nighttime camp attire, or purchase some rare dyes, as he sells both.
After this, you’ll be ready to head down to Candulhallow’s Tombstones to take on the final trial. You’re going to face the Murder Tribunal.
Where to find Candulhallow’s Tombstones in Baldur’s Gate 3
Head to the edge of the Lower City and you’ll find Candulhallow’s Tombstones, a front for the Murder Tribunal. A bit on the nose. Head inside and take a painting off the wall, and you can uncover a secret entrance to the Tribunal.
Head down and great the guards waiting. If you’ve been following the plot and notes up to this point, you’ll know what they want. Pull out the big bag of hands that you got off Dolor (or, if you’re playing evil, acquired yourself) and gain entry. Inside, you’ll meet an old face from an old game, well-known to Baldur’s Gate devotees: Sarevok.
After explaining what’s been going on a bit, Sarevok will ask why you’ve come. Now you can either fight him here and now, or lead him along just a little bit. Even though it’s just you and his three creepy avatar pals in the room, I highly recommend getting through the initial rolls to progress as if you’re trying to become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal. If you fight here, those suits of armor watching the door will join the fight, and they’re much harder to deal with than the alternative.
Save or kill Valeria in Baldur’s Gate 3
Head into the backroom with Sarevok, and you’ll find Investigator Valeria tied up. To join the order fully, you’ll have to kill the extraplanar detective. At this point, if you’re evil, you know what you’re doing. For everyone else, gear up for a fight with the one and only Sarevok.
This is a pretty tough fight, but given what level you should probably be at by now—I was Level 10 for this fight—you should be able to manage it. While the blood pool has more bodies to deal with, they’re easier to knock out and tank than the bulky, hard-hitting armor suits in the other room.
Have someone lock down Sarevok, using spells like Hold Person or my personal favorite, Polymorph. Try to hit crowds where you can, to whittle down the avatars, while focusing on those giving you the most trouble. One will Heal others, and that’s your primary target; others simply buff or cast debuffs.
Once the room’s empty, focus on Sarevok. He’s a tough cookie, but plenty of crowd control and debuffs should help. Focus on things that can give you better rolls or him worse rolls, especially anything that can impose Disadvantage.
Once Sarevok falls, you can free Valeria and head towards the Bhaal Temple. Not only will you be uncovering the full truth behind all the murders in Baldur’s Gate, but you’ll get one step closer to another Netherstone.
Published: Aug 15, 2023 03:23 pm