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Undercity Ruins

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The Manslaughter Chasm in the Undercity Ruins
(by Martijn Petersen)
Undercity
Morphic Pool
↑
Ancient Lair ← Undercity Ruins → Bhaal Temple
↓
Lower City Sewers
The Undercity Ruins is a Location within the Undercity in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3.
“
To gain admittance to the Bhaal Temple, you must cross Manslaughter Chasm. But if you are weak, the Farslayer will deny you passage.
Defeat him or die.
„
— A note near the entrance, pinned to the ground with a dagger

Overview[edit section | visual editor]

Stone Door which serves as entrance towards the ruins and Bhaal Temple

Undercity Ruins is the northernmost part of the vast Undercity beneath the streets of Baldur's Gate. It can only be accessed through the Lower City Sewers, where approximately at X: -138 Y: 907 the minimap location changes to "Undercity Ruins" after walking north through a stone archway.

Undercity Ruins keep the darkest secrets of Baldur's Gate: the Ancient Lair of a powerful mummy lord mummy lord, the temple to the God of Murder, Bhaal⁠Bhaal, preceded by byzantine catacombs, and the Morphic Pool, where the final part of the game plot unfolds.

Entry area[edit section | visual editor]

At the northern most point of the city sewers is the entrance to the Undercity Ruins through a stone arch. In the area immediately after the arch is the Undercity Ruins Waypoint. To the west at X: -180 Y: 935 is a passageway which leads to the Ancient Lair. Aside it stands Voiceless Penitent Bareki Voiceless Penitent Bareki who has some items and alchemical ingredients for sale. Behind him is a pouch containing  Sarin's Skull.

Access to the rest of the area is blocked by a magical stone door. It cannot be lockpicked, but can be opened in a few other ways:

  • Using a ranged attack on any of the two corpses hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room at X: -142 Y: 934
  • Becoming an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal⁠Bhaal via the Impress the Murder Tribunal⁠Impress the Murder Tribunal quest
  • Showing an  Amulet of Bhaal
  • Casting Knock Knock on the door

Locations[edit section | visual editor]

Map of the Undercity Ruins together with Bhaal Temple.

Manslaughter Chasm[edit section | visual editor]

Past the locked door is a vast cavern surrounded by rocky cliffs. It is divided in two by a chasm,[1] which is crossed by a narrow bridge. At the far side of the cavern is a half-ruined building, and a smaller crumbled fortress-like ruin is on the cliff behind the chasm.

Just behind the entrance lies the corpse of Reaper of Bhaal Justen Reaper of Bhaal Justen, with a  note pinned to the ground with a dagger next to him. Its contents gives a hint to the next events in the area.

At approximately X: -115 Y: 958 the party are ambushed by a group of Bhaal followers led by Farslayer of Bhaal Ghislev Farslayer of Bhaal Ghislev. Any party member can spot the ambush by succeeding a passive DC 30 Perception Check DC 30 Perception Check just before this point. Regardless of the roll, Ghislev starts a trial: he marks the party as targets of Bhaal's Power Word Kill Ritual and starts the fight. The party have several turns to defeat him to proceed, depending on the campaign difficulty level: 7 turns on Explorer difficulty, 6 turns on Balanced difficulty, and 5 turns on Tactician difficulty and in Honour mode. On the first turn of the fight the party members become surprised surprised unless otherwise prevented by means such as the Alert Alert feat, the Feral Instinct Feral Instinct feature or the effect of specific items like the  Elixir of Vigilance.

The chanting range area of 55 m (183 ft) of Ghislev's spell is marked with a wall of bright-red fire. This border does not stop party members from crossing it. If a party member leaves the spell's area, its countdown is stopped for them, and resumes again once they re-enter the area; it continues as that of the party members who are already affected by it. The same happens to any party member who is left behind the spell area initially and enters it later.

Ghislev's ritual has the same one-cast-per-game feature as the basic Power Word Kill Power Word Kill spell. If the party manage to survive the initial countdown of turns without killing Ghislev, they can continue fighting without risking an instant death.

Ghislev appears on the highest ground of the ruined fortress across the chasm, and then (when any party member comes close to him) teleports to the archway at X: -105 Y: 1016, which leads further into the ruins and – eventually – to the Bhaal Temple and the Morphic Pool Docks.

Initially, Ghislev is accompanied by three Reapers of Bhaal positioned on the highest cliff across the chasm. If the party proceed further towards the ruined building or attempt to cross the bridge, more Bhaalists appear and join the fight. If the party cross the bridge during the fight, the cultists use various attacks in an attempt to push them off and into the chasm.

Interior of the ruins across the chasm
(by Martijn Petersen)

However, provoking some of them to appear can be very useful. For example, one of these ambushers is Strangler Luke Strangler Luke, who can be looted for the  Bonespike Gloves. To obtain this item, Luke must be killed and looted before Ghislev is defeated. Otherwise, his corpse despawns with all others when the fight ends.

The ambush can also mostly be avoided by using stealth and cutting across the cavern to the east, just after the initial path opens up into the area.[verify]

The ruined building at the far end of the cavern can be explored after either crossing the bridge or after opening the gate at X: -147 Y: 981. The gate is locked and requires DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check to lockpick, or can be opened with the  Silver Key which lies on a covered crate just behind it.

Around the chasm and inside the ruins are several unlocked chests with random loot (gold, random alchemical ingredients, valuables, potions and / or Rare or Very rare spell scrolls):

  • A wooden chest at X: -132 Y: 954 (in a small room two jumps up the stone cliffs above the ambush Perception checkpoint). This one is trapped (requires DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check to disarm). Apart from the loot, contains  Grimlark Verse 2.
  • A wooden chest at X: -106 Y: 964 (on a rock one jump from the right hand side of the trail just past the ambush Perception checkpoint)
  • A wooden chest at X: -163 Y: 975 (behind the locked gate to the ruined building)
  • A rustic chest at X: -114 Y: 1007 (on the upper level of the ruined building)
  • A wooden chest at X: -104 Y: 1033 (near the door to the Stairway area)

Also, at X: -122 Y: 1015 on the upper level is a corpse labelled "Unholy Diversions". Interacting with it prompts a message from Narrator, ushering the party to utmost caution.

At X: -100 Y: 1020 is the door which leads to the next part of the ruins. While Ghislev is chanting his ritual, the door is locked with the Blocked by Bhaalist Mischief Blocked by Bhaalist Mischief and impossible to lockpick. However, if the party manage to avoid triggering the ritual, the door remains open. Near the door a DC 10 Perception Check DC 10 Perception Check highlights a  note relating of Strangler Luke's aspirations to take Orin's place.

The Stairway[edit section | visual editor]

The overview of the stairway down to the Bhaal Temple

Following the ambush area, party members can continue downstairs towards the Bhaal Temple. Going down, multiple Whispering Statues can be seen along the route, reciting Alaundo's⁠Alaundo's Bhaalspawn prophecy line by line. The last statue (regardless of the order) utters a comment on the prophesy from the view of the Cult of Bhaal, which can be repeated several times.

At the first turn of the stairway (X: -97 Y: 1044) is a stone archway which leads further north to the Morphic Pool Docks. Alternatively, the party can follow the stairs down to reach the Temple of Bhaal.

Descending the stairway, the path divides on its next turn. Regardless of which the party choose, both eventually lead to the wide stone bridge. At the start of this is the "Temple of Bhaal" Waypoint, while at the opposite end is the entrance to the temple itself.

At X: -67 Y: 1042 a grotesque murder scene is laid out at the foot of one of the Whispering statues. Part of it is the corpse of Wilting Alex Wilting Alex, which contains  Dribbles' head, one of the body parts needed for Find Dribbles the Clown⁠Find Dribbles the Clown quest. Thus, the quest cannot be completed until the party gain access to this part of the Undercity Ruins. The scene depicts Amelyssan⁠Amelyssan and all members of "The Five" – the antagonists in previous Baldur's Gate games. Each corpse is placed atop a Blast Mine (each mine requires DC 15 Perception Check DC 15 Perception Check to spot), and triggering any of them causes a chain explosion.

In the ruined rooms along the stairs are several chests containing random loot (which may include gold, random alchemical ingredients, Valuables, potions, arrows, and / or Rare or Very rare spell scrolls).

  • A heavy chest at X: -59 Y: 980 (upper level of a small ruined building)
  • A heavy chest at X: -32 Y: 984 (near the stairway to the bridge)
  • A wooden chest at X: -56 Y: 1038 (near the murder 'artpiece')
  • A wooden chest at X: -45 Y: 1066 (past the path from a small ruin above the murder scene)
  • A wooden chest at X: -35 Y: 1022 (middle level of a small ruined building)
  • A wooden chest at X: -33 Y: 1019 (small stone ground aside the bridge)
  • Wooden shelves at X: -63 Y: 1038 - a  Potion of Superior Healing

Bhaal Temple[edit section | visual editor]

The bridge leading to Bhaal Temple
(by Martijn Petersen)
Main article: Bhaal Temple

Travelling east along the bridge starting from the "Temple of Bhaal" waypoint, the area becomes fast-travel restricted approximately at X: -40 Y: 1005, though the party can cross this threshold freely back and forth.

The bridge is heavily trapped with Marble Plates and Sanguine Vents, which emit Unstable Blood if triggered. Several candles mindfully placed at the bridge sides may ignite the surface instantly. Each part of the trap system requires DC 15 Perception Check DC 15 Perception Check to spot.

The entrance to the temple is at the opposite end of the bridge at X: 0 Y: 1005, blocked by a pair of "Solid Doors", which remain locked until Farslayer Ghislev is defeated.

If the Farslayer is defeated, the doors still require the  Amulet of Bhaal to open. If the player character is the Dark Urge Dark Urge, the amulet is not needed, as Sceleritas Fel Sceleritas Fel meets them at the door and opens it after a short dialogue. Behind the door is the innermost sanctum of the Cult of Bhaal, currently hosted by Orin the Red Orin the Red.

Opening the doors to the temple grants one or more of the following inspirations:

Morphic Pool Docks[edit section | visual editor]

The Morphic Pool Dock
(by Martijn Petersen)

After the Manslaughter Chasm is crossed, at the first stairway turn (X: -97 Y: 1044) a path leads north. Through the ruined building with the campfire inside it winds down to an open doorway that opens onto the docks. In the ruined building, on the middle level (X: -89 Y: 1048) is a skeleton with gold and random minor loot on it.

After the first (broken) pier, the road leads up to a small area which contains a campfire and a Wooden Chest with Gold Pile Single Item Image.png gold, alchemical ingredients and / or random Very rare spell scroll.

The dock area is also home to a swarm of Cranium Rat Cranium Rats. They become temporarily hostile if the party wander too close to the Morphic Pool Dock before obtaining all three Netherstones. The Emperor Emperor comments on why the rats are here, and also reminds the party about gathering the stones first.

A partially broken bridge leads to the last part of the dock, where the "Morphic Pool Dock" waypoint is located. Several limbs are on the ground, possibly eaten by the many rats. On a table is the book titled  Evading the Elder Brain. On the pier to the west is a Wooden Chest with Gold Pile Single Item Image.png gold and  Thieves' Tools or a random arrow. The northern pier leads to a Skiff, which is used to travel to the Morphic Pool.


Involvement and companion interactions[edit section | visual editor]

  • After entering the Undercity Ruins from the Entry Area, if Minthara Minthara is present and the player character is romancing her, she prompts a dialogue with them. She declares that she sees having a chance to take revenge upon Orin Orin as a gift from the player character, and intends to stay with them until Orin is dealt with. The course of the dialogue depends on Minthara's approval of the player character – if it is at least 40 or higher, the player character has the option to finally seal their bond or break it off.
  • The Undercity Ruins (and particularly the Bhaal Temple) serve as a pivotal point in the playthrough if any party member is the Dark Urge Dark Urge. The events inside the temple put them on one of two mutually exclusive paths: to embrace their Bhaalspawn legacy or to reject it and deny Bhaal. Depending on their choice, the quests The Urge⁠The Urge and Gather Your Allies⁠Gather Your Allies are updated.
  • If the Dark Urge embraces their Bhaalspawn legacy while inside the temple, upon leaving it the party is confronted by Jaheira Jaheira and Minsc Minsc, who appear on the bridge, accompanied by a small squad of Harpers. Defeating Jaheira at this point grants the Dark Urge characters the Forced Retirement⁠Forced Retirement inspiration.

Waypoints[edit section | visual editor]

This location has the following waypoints within:

  • caption = Morphic Pool Dock Morphic Pool Dock X: -75 Y: 1155
  • caption = Temple of Bhaal Temple of Bhaal X: -60 Y: 1007
  • caption = Undercity Ruins Undercity Ruins X: -141 Y: 941

Related quests[edit section | visual editor]

Related locations[edit section | visual editor]

Characters[edit section | visual editor]

Notable[edit section | visual editor]

Cult of Bhaal[edit section | visual editor]

Harpers[edit section | visual editor]

These characters appear and confront the party only if the Dark Urge is played as an origin, and if they accepted their Bhaalspawn legacy during the events in the Bhaal Temple.

Creatures[edit section | visual editor]

Loot[edit section | visual editor]

Sold by Voiceless Penitent Bareki:

Related literature[edit section | visual editor]

Grimlark Verses[edit section | visual editor]

These are short stanzes composed by Invoker of Bhaal Grimlark Invoker of Bhaal Grimlark, who is in the Temple of Bhaal. More of his murder-inspired poetry can be found in the Abandoned Cistern and on the skulls in the corridor preceding the Murder Tribunal chamber.

Notes and references[edit section | visual editor]

  1. ↑ Called "Manslaughter Chasm" in  Parchment (Undercity Ruins) near the corpse of Reaper of Bhaal Justen Reaper of Bhaal Justen.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Appears only if the Dark Urge is played as an origin, and if they accepted their Bhaalspawn legacy during the events in the Bhaal Temple.
  3. ↑ If the Dark Urge is played as an origin.
  4. ↑ Possibly conjured by Sulian and / or Freddo when confronting the Dark Urge along Jaheira.
  5. ↑ Only obtainable if Strangler Luke is revealed, killed and looted before Farslayer Ghislev is defeated.

External links[edit section | visual editor]

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