Baldur's Gate 3: Seek Justice for the Hag's Victims Quest Guide
Baldur's Gate 3: Seek justice for the Hag Survivors in an immersive quest Uncover Lora's whereabouts, delve into the mysteries at the Blushing Mermaid, locate Auntie Ethel, and strategize to overcome her formidable powers
Hags in Baldur's Gate 3 pose a great threat as they are both formidable and disturbing. The dangers they present become evident to players in Act One through Auntie Ethel. Although Act Two introduces other monsters to be wary of, the hags resurface in Act Three through the quest titled "Help the Hag Survivors."
Upon completing this quest, players will seamlessly transition into the subsequent quest, "Avenge the Hag Survivors." Despite the hag survivors remaining unharmed in the preceding quest, this is the designated name for the quest. This time, the party is tasked with assisting a woman named Lora in rescuing her abducted child. By the conclusion of the quest, Baldur's Gate 3 players will reunite with a familiar character from Act One.
Where to Find Lora
The survivors of the hag will direct players to the Flaming Fist garrison, where Lora sought assistance in locating her missing daughter, Vanra. The garrison can be found to the north of the Basilisk Gate waypoint, with Lora residing in the room on the eastern side of the training yard.
Lora is engaged in conversation with Blaze Liara Portyr, a member of the garrison. Liara previously claimed to have information about Vanra's disappearance but appears to be currently experiencing memory problems. If the active speaker successfully passes an Arcana check, they may sense that something is amiss with Liara. Furthermore, by passing an active DC 18 Arcana check, they can deduce that Liara's memory has been intentionally tampered with. Nonetheless, while this knowledge is valuable, Liara herself is not of much use.
Investigating the Blushing Mermaid
Instead, players should directly approach Lora and make a commitment to assist her. Lora will provide details about her last encounter with Vanra, which took place at the Blushing Mermaid tavern. According to Lora, her acquaintances at the tavern were too intoxicated to notice what transpired. Both the bartender, Bosun Gannet, and the establishment's owner, Captain Grisly, declined to offer any assistance.
Located north of the docks, the Blushing Mermaid stands out among the buildings in the Lower City due to its unique feature of having half of a ship incorporated into its front door. When searching for the establishment, Bosun Gannet can be found behind the bar on the right side of the entrance. However, his assistance proves to be unhelpful as his recollection only stretches as far as Lora brandishing a knife in a moment of desperation. Another Arcana check will unveil that his own memories have also been tampered with.
The more reliable person to speak with is Captain Grisly, currently nursing a hangover in her private chamber. You can find her room on the right side, just past the stairs. Grisly claims that Lora, a former pirate, has lost her sanity and is only imagining the existence of Vanra. Grisly is tired of Lora's troublesome behavior and is willing to pay the party 3,000 gold to permanently eliminate her.
If the players accept this offer, they can proceed to Lora's residence (marked on the map) and engage in combat with her. While Lora may put up a fight, she should not pose a significant threat to a party in Act Three. Upon the party's return, Grisly will be astonished that they were fooled and will reveal her true identity as Auntie Ethel, the green hag from Act One. This revelation will occur regardless of whether the party had previously defeated Ethel in her lair and saved Mayrina. Ethel will also expose herself if the players refuse to kill Lora.
As a side note, one possible way for players to become aware of something suspicious is through the discrepancy in Captain Grisly's name. While in disguise, Ethel chooses to spell her name as "Captain Grizly."
It is revealed that Ethel has consumed Vanra, a heinous act that will slowly transform the girl into another hag. Additionally, if Ethel were to die, Vanra would suffer the same fate. After disclosing this information, Ethel demands that the party leave her alone. If the players comply and refrain from interfering with Ethel in Act One, she may offer assistance to the party during the final stages of the "Gather Your Allies" quest. However, in return, the party must maintain distance from her until that point.
The party can obtain this deal, along with 3,000 gold, if they eliminate Lora, even if they have previously killed Ethel in Act One. However, in the event that the party had killed Ethel earlier and refuses to cooperate now, they will only receive the ultimatum.
If the party threatens to pursue Ethel, she will teleport away, and it will be revealed that six crewmates in the tavern are actually redcaps who will immediately attack the party. These redcaps are not significantly more dangerous than they were in Act One, but they will manage to distract the party long enough for Ethel to make her escape. Afterward, players can discuss the altercation with Bosun Gannet, but he remains heavily influenced by the hag's enchantment and is unable to provide assistance.
Where to Find Auntie Ethel
Players must enter the basement of the Blushing Mermaid in order to progress on the quest. There are two options for accessing the basement: one is through a door located at the bottom of a staircase in Captain Grisly's room, and the other is through a door adjacent to Bosun Gannet's bar. Both doors lead to the same room.
Once in the basement, players may observe a section of the wall that contains explosive barrels. Players are encouraged to detonate the barrels, although this will not result in the wall breaking. Instead, this serves as a means to exit the boss arena and return outside.
The path ahead presents a deceptive barrier concealed above the barrels. Leap onto the barrels and proceed towards the roots, where someone with a keen Perception can discern the illusion. Descend the ladder on the opposite side to access a natural cavern adorned with mushrooms, wherein four figures don masks. Similar to those found in Ethel's murky hideaway, these individuals have fallen under Ethel's enchantment and will show hostility if approached by the party. Engaging in combat requires them to fail a Wisdom saving throw, which they are highly likely to do.
Among the masked adversaries are a fierce barbarian, a skilled bard, a disciplined monk, and the authentic Captain Grisly. While the three masked individuals may be beyond salvation, it is possible to spare Grisly by eliminating Ethel first. For players who wish to do so, they should endeavor to incapacitate the captain using nonlethal means.
Alternatively, one can completely bypass engaging in combat with the individuals wearing masks simply by maintaining distance from them. Positioned to the left of the entrance, the entrance to Ethel's secretive hideout enables the party to directly proceed there, skillfully avoiding all the intricate traps set in their path. Conversely, it should be noted that Ethel will summon her loyal henchmen upon initiation of the boss fight, thereby making it advisable to confront and overcome these subordinate adversaries at the earliest opportunity.
How to Beat Auntie Ethel
Auntie Ethel isn't much tougher than she was back in Act One, but she has a lot more tricks up her sleeve this time.
Vanra's situation is critical. Ethel's previous statement holds true - if she perishes while Vanra is inside her, it will be the end for the young girl as well. Fortunately, there exist two viable solutions to circumvent this predicament:
One option is for players to acquire the recipe for Hag's Bane. This can be obtained upon completing the quest "Help the Hag Survivors." By crafting the grenade and strategically throwing it towards Ethel, it will induce her to expel Vanra immediately.
Defeat Ethel with a nonfatal strike, and subsequently extract Vanra from her abdomen during the ensuing dialogue.
The subsequent concern involves Ethel's duplicates. During this confrontation, she has the ability to generate a maximum of five replicas simultaneously. Each replica will employ a modified form of Ray of Sickness before becoming invisible. Fortunately, causing damage to a replica will cause it to vanish, and players can utilize the initiative tracker to discern the authentic Ethel.
The Pearlspore Bell presents the main challenge in this fight. Should Ethel perish, these three mushroom clusters will revive her with full hit points, while also restoring their own hit points at the end of each round. The mushrooms are susceptible to all types of damage except Poison and Psychic, and they cannot be evaded. However, if players aim to permanently eliminate Ethel, their team members must focus on eliminating each mushroom cluster in a sequential manner. Additionally, employing the cantrip Chill Touch proves effective as it hinders all healing for an entire round.
Upon successfully defeating Ethel, players will be rewarded with a Potion of Angelic Slumber, Corellon's Grace (a quarterstaff for monks), the Ring of Feywild Sparks (a ring for sorcerers), a Tarnished Charm (which eases death saving throws), and multiple slime bombs. If still alive, Vanra will hurry to locate her mother, Captain Grisly will extend gratitude to the party for sparing her life, and the mask wearers will enter a catatonic state.
The party concludes their quest upon returning to Lora's house. If Vanra survives, they will receive the Amulet of Windrider, which holds a rare level three spell, as well as the Duelist's Prerogative, a formidable +3 rapier with numerous special abilities. Additionally, players have the option to inform the surviving hags of the positive outcome.
Available now on macOS, PC, and PS5, Baldur's Gate 3.
