Baldur’s Gate 3 is here, and it’s a grand old time. Things in the Sword Coast are a mess, and it’s up to your heroic band of weirdos to put things right. This guide will cover one of the more interesting and difficult quests in Act 1, the quest to save Mayrina in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s everything you need to know.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lot to do in its various quests and zones. The long-awaited Baldur’s Gate sequel has come out of early access this month, and PC gamers are foaming at the mouth for it. PC gaming has exploded, and gamers are having tons of fun, and for good reason. Folks really seem to like Baldur’s Gate 3. Aside from being one of the most expansive and intricate CRPGs ever made, it’s just a ton of fun to goof around with. There’s also a ton of enemies to fight. And beyond that, there is a literal mountain of side content in the form of quests, encounters and puzzles.
You should be at least level 4 or 5 before taking on this quest. The combat will not be easy unless you are well-prepared with a rested party and plenty of healing. Once you’re ready, it’s time to set off. To continue Ethel’s quest, head to the forest area southwest of Druid’s Grove. Make a turn southwards once you reach the Blighted Village, and head past the goblin encampment. Ethel is your target, nestled in The Hallow in Baldur’s Gate 3, she has quite a little setup.
When you get into the Sunlit Wetlands, you’ll eventually come upon a pair of brothers harassing little old Auntie Ethel. If you talked to her during the Grove, you will get some unique dialogue, and you’re faced with a choice. You could stick up for her, or press her for information. The two brothers will remain steadfast in their accusal, and if you choose to accuse Ethel, you may be clued in that she’s not what she seems.
Next, continue down the path through the swamp. You will have the chance to see through the illusions guarding the area with a difficult pair of Nature and Investigation checks.
How to Save Mayrina in Baldur’s Gate 3
Saving her is a pretty risky process, but it can be done. The trick is, you need to be well-prepared to overcome the various tricks in your path.
You will also find a hunter that’s looking for your pal Astarion. You can kill him if you want to be rid of the problem you can kill him. But your real focus is the teahouse that Auntie Ethel resides in. Next, make a quicksave and enter the teahouse. Here you find Auntie Ethel and her captive, Mayrina. She will press you about the illithid tadpole in your head, should you reveal your affliction. She will ask you to trade your eye in exchange for her help. Taking this deal gives you the Hag-Eyed status permanently, which grants. +1 to Intimidation rolls, but -1 to Perception rolls. Also, it’s worth noting that you cannot take this path if you’ve already lost an eye by any other means – such as letting Volo take your sight.
If you want to save Mayrina in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to attack Ethel before the end of the first conversation. If you don’t she will teleport Myrina away and you’ll have a lot harder time finding her. Use Crowd Control magic such as Command, or anything to knock the Hag prone, to finish the fight quickly. This is because after one turn, she will flee and you’ll have to chase her down. Stopping her from getting away makes this a lot easier. She will also have four thralls rushing in from outside, be sure to deal with them as well. Split the party and have a pair of melee/spellcaster hold Ethel while the other two deal with the Mad Caps.
Once you’ve beaten the Hag, head through the doorway in her fireplace, and down in the tunnels below. if you do manage to take her out somehow, this makes the rest of the quest so much easier.
The Overgrown Tunnel
The Entrance Gallery showcases some of the victims Ethel has claimed. some are too far gone. But there are two victims of the Hag you can release from their captivity. Also, if you have Speak With Dead, cast it on any corpses you find to learn more about the foul tricks that befell them. When you’re done searching the room, head for the big wooden door. Talk to the door, and once you pass the persuasion or intimidation check you find that it’s actually an illusion and you can walk right through it as if it wasn’t there. If you managed to off the hag in the first fight, this door won’t be there and it will just be a big black gap you need to walk through.
In the next room, you have to deal with the masked figures of regret, vengeance, terror and servitude. They don’t want to fight you, but you need to make it past them somehow. The best option is to use the non-lethal attacks passive ability to simply knock them out. Go to the opposite of the room, and there’s a gap beneath a waterfall you need to jump over. The area ahead is heavily trapped. The Noxious Clouds can be bypassed by succeeding on a Perception check, and then throwing any item on top of the Vent. If you need items, loot the armor and masks from the masked enemies and throw those.
Taking out Ethel
Once you’re through this region, you’ll find Myrina in a cage. Hag-form Ethell will be waiting for you, and the Masks from the previous room might get involved too.
The key in the coming boss fight is to prioritize interacting the Control Orb. Send your fastest character ahead to dash and lower her cage before it burns. After a certain amount of damage, Ethel will make herself into a copy of Mayrina in Baldur’s Gate 3, and you need to be able to tell which one is the fake one. Attacking the wrong one fails the quest. Voice lines are the key, as Ethel will say “get that awful hag away from me”.
She will also summon illusory copies of herself. A spell like Magic Missile can deal with these pretty easily. Once you’ve beaten the Hag, you will get a tongue-lashing from the girl you’re trying to save. She will leave, and you’re left with trying to find a way to help her.
How to help Mayrina and Connor
As she leaves, continue into the Hag’s workshop. Here you will find various objects that can be of use to you. A bunch of potions and ingredients can be found here, grab them, as well as Ever-seeing Eye amulet and Staff of Crones.
Absolutely make sure to pick up the wand named “Bitter Divorce” from the table. Head through the Mushroom Circle to end up outside, and speak to the girl again.
When outside, find Mayrina and talk to her. She will lament over her lost love. You can choose to tell her about the wand you found, and she will plead with you to use it on her dead husband. You can choose to use the wand or not, if you want to continue the quest in Act 2. If you do, choose the option after he resurrects that he’s dead and this thing is a monster, that will give you approval with your Good companions.
You could also choose to end their suffering. Choosing to attack the zombie will cause both of them to go hostile.
Whatever choices you make, this phase of the quest is done.
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