In the sprawling world of Baldur’s Gate 3, whispers of a powerful artefact known as the Nightsong echo throughout your journey. This cryptic quest, spanning multiple acts, offers intrigue, challenging puzzles, and a pivotal decision that alters your relationship with certain characters.
This guide delves into the enigma of the Nightsong, uncovering its secrets, navigating the path to its discovery, and exploring the consequences of your choices.
What is the Nightsong?
The Nightsong isn’t a physical object but a person – Dame Aylin, a cleric devoted to the moon goddess Selune. Centuries ago, Selune sent Aylin to Moonrise Towers to safeguard her faith. However, tragedy struck when Ketheric Thorm, the High Balduran, fell in love with Aylin. When she died, Ketheric’s grief drove him to abandon Selune in favour of her shadowy counterpart, Shar.
To prevent Aylin’s potential revival and maintain his allegiance to Shar, Ketheric, aided by the powerful necromancer Balthazar, trapped Aylin’s essence in a Soulcage within the Shadowfell, a bleak realm parallel to the Material Plane. This act bound Aylin to the Nightsong title, transforming her into a powerful entity.
Fast forward to the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, and the mystery of the Nightsong resurfaces. Lorroakan, a shady merchant in Baldur’s Gate, seeks the Nightsong’s power for his purposes. This initiates your quest, riddled with cryptic clues, hidden locations, and moral dilemmas.
The Hunt for the Nightsong: A Step-by-Step Guide
Finding the Nightsong is a multi-stage quest spread across Acts 1, 2, and 3. Here’s a breakdown of the key steps involved:
Act 1: The Spark of Curiosity
- Aradin’s Expedition: Your journey begins in the Druids’ Grove by encountering Aradin, a tiefling. He reveals his failed attempt to recover the Nightsong from a goblin-infested temple. This conversation ignites your interest in the artefact.
- Clues and Corpses: Explore the surrounding areas and you might stumble upon the corpses of Aradin’s companions, some carrying journals with valuable hints about the Nightsong’s location – the Goblin Camp.
Act 2: Delving Deeper
- The Defiled Temple: Within the Goblin Camp lies the Shattered Sanctum, housing the Defiled Temple. This dilapidated structure holds the key to finding the Nightsong.
- Unlocking the Secrets: Deciphering the puzzles within the temple is crucial. Look for hidden buttons, solve the moon phase puzzle using murals depicting lunar cycles, and potentially engage in combat with a formidable ogre guarding the inner sanctum.
- Balthazar’s Journal: Your efforts will be rewarded with Balthazar’s journal, revealing the Nightsong’s true nature and the location of the Gauntlet of Shar – the next leg of your quest.
Act 3: The Gauntlet Awaits
- Accessing the Gauntlet: Travel to the Underdark, specifically the Grand Mausoleum (Thorm Mausoleum). Here, solve a button puzzle based on clues found in a nearby book to unveil the entrance to the Gauntlet of Shar.
- Trials of Shar: The Gauntlet is a treacherous series of challenges designed to test your skills and allegiance. You’ll face puzzles, combat encounters, and choices that influence your relationship with Shadowheart, a party member with ties to Shar.
- The Umbral Gems: Progressing through the Gauntlet requires collecting four Umbral Gems. These gems are rewards for overcoming the Gauntlet’s trials.
- The Spear of Night: While exploring the Underdark, consider acquiring the Spear of Night from the Silent Library. This powerful weapon plays a vital role in the upcoming encounter with the Nightsong.
The Climactic Choice: Free or Imprison?
Having navigated the Gauntlet and collected the Umbral Gems, you finally confront the Nightsong. Here, the true weight of the quest unfolds:
- Freeing Aylin: By interacting with the central device in the Gauntlet’s deepest chamber and wielding the Spear of Night (if you have it), you can break the Soulcage and free Aylin from her imprisonment. A grateful Aylin and potentially Isobel, her former lover freed in the process, join your camp as NPCs.
- Surrendering Aylin: Alternatively, you can choose to side with Lorroakan. By handing Aylin over, you gain a hefty reward but face the consequences of betraying a potentially valuable ally
FAQs
Q. How do I start the Find the Nightsong quest?
This sprawling side quest starts in Act 1. There are two ways to trigger it:
- Talk to Aradin: In the Druid’s Grove, Aradin arguing with Zevlor. Aradin mentions searching for the Nightsong in a goblin-occupied temple.
- Find the Dead Adventurers: Explore the area and stumble upon the corpses of a failed expedition searching for the Nightsong. You’ll find clues hinting at the temple’s location.
Q. Where do I find the Nightsong?
The hunt for the Nightsong takes you across Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Act 1: The quest initially points you towards the Goblin Camp, but the Nightsong isn’t found there.
- Act 2: Clues in the Underdark’s Shattered Sanctum lead you to the Gauntlet of Shar.
- Act 3: Here, you face puzzles and trials within the Gauntlet to reach the Nightsong’s prison.
Q. What are some tips for completing the Find the Nightsong quest?
- Explore thoroughly: Hidden journals and paintings offer clues throughout the game.
- Prepare for the Gauntlet of Shar: You’ll face tough enemies and puzzles.
- Consider Shadowheart: She has unique dialogue options related to the Nightsong.
- The Spear of Night helps: Found in the Silent Library, it aids you in the final encounter.
Q. Do I have to save the Nightsong?
No, a crucial decision awaits you in Act 3. You can choose to:
- Save the Nightsong: This earns you her gratitude and a potential romance option if you play a character who worships Selune.
- Turn her over to Lorroakan: This path offers a mysterious reward, but the outcome remains unclear.
Q. What are the consequences of my choice?
The impact of your decision unfolds throughout the rest of the game and potentially into future acts. Saving the Nightsong grants you a powerful ally while surrendering her might have unforeseen consequences tied to Lorroakan’s motives.
Q. Are there any missables in the Nightsong quest?
Yes, some crucial items and dialogues are missable depending on your choices and how thoroughly you explore them.
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