In the game’s opening sequence, while trying to escape the Mind Flayer ship, you’ll encounter a Mind Flayer Pod with an NPC trapped inside. She wants you to let her out, but it isn’t immediately obvious how to help her. In this walkthrough, we’ll explain exactly how to free her.
Quest Type: Companion Quest
Rewards:
5 XP
New party member Shadowheart
Begin the Quest
This side quest is found in the game’s opening level, following your meeting with Lae’zel and the subsequent combat encounter. After defeating the imps and continuing through the level, you’ll enter a room with a couple of Sacrificed Cultists lying on ‘beds’, and in the northeast corner of the room is a Mind Flayer Pod with someone inside of it.
The pod you’re looking for
Walk over to the pod and interact with it, and a dialog will begin, with Shadowheart demanding that you let her out of the pod. Assuming you aren’t able to magically analyze the pod (see note below), you’ll want to choose option 4, “I’ll go look around”.
Note: During this dialog, Wizards, Warlocks, and Sorcerers can instead choose dialog option 4: “There’s magic at work here. Determine what kind.” Succeeding on the Arcana check that follows will unlock the dialog option 3: “This thing’s magically linked to that console – let me see what I can do”. Select this option, then interact with the console east of the pod, and select the option “Inscribe the device with the glyphs you sensed from the pod’s warding runes” — doing so will allow you to open the pod without finding the Eldritch Rune.
Find the Eldritch Rune
After ending the dialog with Shadowheart, go through the Sphincter door on the eastern side of the room. Continue to the far (eastern) end of the room and go up the stairs. There, you’ll find another Thrall Corpse (1) — loot the Eldritch Rune from it (2), then return to Shadowheart’s pod.
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Open the Pod
Back at the pod, interact with the console (1) to begin a dialog. Select option 1, “Insert the rune into the socket”. Next, choose option 1, “Place your hand on the console”, followed by option 1, “Will the Pod to Open” (choosing “Ignore the sensation will not allow you to open the pod). A brief cutscene will play, and then you’ll be able to talk to Shadowheart (2).
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Have Shadowheart Join Your Party (Or Not)
Click on Shadowheart to begin a dialog with her. There are a few different variations of this conversation you can have, but they all boil down to either asking Shadowheart to follow you/join you, or telling her she’s on her own. If you want her to join your party, naturally you’ll want to pick the option closest to “Come with us”.
We hope this Baldur’s Gate 3 quest guide was helpful. If we missed anything, or if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below!
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DanielD
Unabashed FromSoftware fanboy still learning to take his time with games (and everything else, really). The time he doesn't spend on games is spent on music, books, or occasionally going outside.
