When you talk to Derryth Bonecloak in the Myconid Colony in the Underdark, she’ll ask you if you’ve seen her husband Baelen. If you ask her what he looks like, then she’ll reply with the basics: “Bald. Blue tunic. Dumb as a stick.” However, Derryth very emphatically won’t offer you a reward, and it won’t be clear if she even wants her husband back. Regardless of what you say, this conversation will trigger the quest.
Walkthrough
You’ll find Baelen in the bibberbang field west of the Myconid Colony (#1). Bibberbangs expand when you stand next to them, and eventually they explode, dealing minor poison damage and leaving behind noxious fumes. Bibberbangs also only have 2 hit points, so if you blow up one, then the entire field might erupt. And if that wasn’t enough, you might notice a lighted Torch on the western side of the field (#3). Fire plus noxious fumes equals big explosions, which means Baelen is in a bad way.
When you get close enough to Baelen, he’ll warn you to stay back, and he’ll sort of cryptically hint that a scroll in his pack (#2) can help him escape. The scroll is a Scroll of Misty Step, which Baelen can use to teleport out of the bibberbang field. So your challenge is to get the scroll to Baelen without blowing up the field and killing him.
Also, if you beat a passive DC-10 Nature check when approaching the field, then you’ll remember the rhyme, “Where bibberbang blows, noblestalk grows.” Noblestalk is a consumable that cures all conditions and fully heals the user, which makes it pretty valuable — and it’s also sorta-kinda involved in the quest. So while you’re saving Baelen, you should also try to get the Noblestalk (#4).
There are a few ways to rescue Baelen from his predicament:
If you have Sovereign Glut following you for the quest Avenge Glut’s Circle, then you can lead him to the bibberbang field and take direct control his actions. Glut won’t cause the bibberbangs to expand and explode, so you can walk him safely to Baelen’s pack. The interface will make it look like Glut can’t interact with the pack — and he can’t, for example, loot it for the Scroll of Misty Step — but you can still click and drag to move the pack over to Baelen. Once the pack is close enough to Baelen, he’ll pick it up and grab the Scroll of Misty Step from it. Glut can also drag the Noblestalk to your party, and he can grab the Torch and turn it off.
Similarly, if you sided with Glut during the quest Avenge Glut’s Circle, and you looted The Sovereign’s Key from Spaw’s body, then your entire party should receive the condition Sovereign’s Protection, which prevents mushroom traps like bibberbangs from triggering. That should make it pretty easy to get a Scroll of Misty Step to Baelen.
If you happen to have a Scroll of Misty Step in your inventory, and if you beat a DC-10 Strength check, then you can throw the scroll to Baelen, and he’ll catch it. If you fail the check, then the scroll will end up in the middle of the field, where you’ll be able to grab it later.
In turn-based mode, you can Dash to the pack, loot everything from it, including the Scroll of Misty Step, and then on your next turn Dash to Baelen. There’s a safe area behind the pack where you can end your, and the area around Baelen is safe as well. When you’re right next to Baelen, you can talk to him to give him the scroll.
You can cast Mage Hand. The Mage Hand won’t trigger the bibberbangs, and so you can use it just like Glut (see above) to toss Baelen’s pack to him.
You can cast a variety of spells, like Misty Step, Grant Flight, or Enhance Leap, to avoid the bibberbangs while reaching Baelen’s pack and then Baelen.
Whatever method you use to help Baelen should also work for retrieving the Noblestalk (#4). But there’s also a trick. If the bibberbangs blow up and ignite, then they’ll destroy the Noblestalk. But if they don’t ignite, then they won’t. So you can just grab the Torch (#3) while you’re helping Baelen, and then shoot the bibberbangs after he leaves. If you didn’t enter the bibberbang field at all, you can slow shoot an Arrow of Ice at the Torch to put it out.
When Baelen gets his pack or a Scroll of Misty Step, he’ll teleport himself to the entrance to the bibberbang field. When you talk to him there, he won’t say much, but he’ll give you a Scroll of Invisibility as a reward before returning to his wife.
Back in the Myconid Colony, you’ll find Baelen and Derryth together where you met Derryth before. When you talk to Derryth, you’ll complete the quest and earn Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo. However, before leaving the “happy” couple, you might want to give one or the other the Noblestalk from the bibberbang field.
If you give the Noblestalk to Baelen, then he’ll regain his senses, and he’ll take a more aggressive tone with you and his wife.
If you give the Noblestalk to Derryth, then she’ll accept it, but she won’t want to pay for it. However, if you beat a DC-10 Intimidation check, then she’ll hand over her wedding ring — a Tarnished Ring worth 20 gold.
If you give the Noblestalk to either one of the Bonecloaks, and if you have an Outlander (like Karlach) in your party, then you’ll earn the “A Noble Endeavor” inspiration.
In Act 3, you’ll meet Baelen and Derryth again at their shop in Baldur’s Gate. Your actions here will change how things are going for them there. For example, if you give the Noblestalk to Derryth, then she’ll have Noblestalks for sale in her shop. But if you give the Noblestalk to Baelen, then the couple won’t even still be together.
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Steven Carter
Starting with cassette tape games on the TRS-80, Steven has been playing, creating, and writing about games for a long, long time. This makes him experienced, not old. Lately, Steven has been focusing on walkthroughs, making sure everybody knows how to solve Towers of Hanoi puzzles.
