This walkthrough will help you find your way along the Risen Road, accomplishing all the various available tasks and finding all the loot along the way. Typically reached after completing the Blighted Village (and sometimes the Goblin Camp), the Risen Road is a largely self-contained area that contains many points of interest, several quest hooks, and a companion, Karlach.
You’ll find a pair of skeletons beneath the broken bridge here. You can climb down the cragged rocks just to the west of the bridge to get to them. You’ll find some basic gear on the skeletons, but if the character doing the looting passes a DC-10 History check, then they’ll recognize the skeletons as Harpers and allies. This will trigger the “Sage: A Natural Alliance” Inspiration Point.
Karlach is a TieflingBarbarian taking refuge by the stream when you come across her. She will be looking for friends to help her navigate the world and stay safe after finally escaping a decade-long stint of servitude under Zariel in Avernus, so you can take her on as a companion. Whether you take her on or not, she will ask you to help her kill some “Paladins of Tyr” that are hunting her, who are located just up the cliff in the Toll Collectors’ building (#5). Or, if you aren’t feeling very sympathetic, you can slay her in the service of those same Toll Collectors for the quest Hunt the Devil (you monster).
If you are playing as Wyll or have him in your party, he will have several unique interactions with Karlach as he decides whether sparing her is worth the personal cost. In any case, after choosing to spare her (here or at your camp) will progress Wyll‘s questline.
Several gnolls inhabit this area, and will attack the party on sight if detected. If the party interacts with the Bloated Hyenas nearby (#4) and causes them to give birth to newborn gnolls, then these gnolls are likely to join in the fight, significantly increasing the deadliness of the encounter.
Lying along the Risen Road, bloated and covered in blood, are several bloated hyenas that seem to be inches away from death. A cursory examination (and successful passive Arcana check) will reveal that these hyenas are about to perish in order to give birth to deadly gnolls. Using the dialogue prompt to kill the hyena which initiates the interaction will ensure one fewer gnoll can sprout.
Once the fighting begins, each of the bloated hyenas will become a newborn gnoll on their first turn, but are each weak enough to be taken out with a solid attack first. Use this to your advantage, killing as many of the bloated hyenas on the ground before they birth a gnoll.
In the Tollhouse will be three “Paladins of Tyr,” including one shopkeeper (Cyrel) and a questgiver (Anders). Approaching any of these people as or with Karlach will initiate hostilities, resulting in combat, but otherwise the Paladins will seem quite reasonable. If you speak to them (without Karlach), they will ask you to hunt down Karlach, a TieflingBarbarian and potential companion, who is down the cliff by the stream (#2).
Speaking to Karlach (#2) first, or successful passive Religion and Wisdom checks, will reveal that the “Paladins” aren’t exactly who they say they are, and that their reasons for pursuing Karlach are less than noble.
This is a side entrance to a cave leading to Rugan and Olly (#7), which allows you to approach them from behind and have a conversation with them before engaging in combat with Flind’s Gnolls (#8) outside, which you’d otherwise need to fight through in order to reach them.
In order to use this path, however, you will need to destroy some barriers. After you do, use caution, as a boulder can be triggered by a tripwire on the ground, requiring a Dexterity saving throw to reduce the hefty damage. The boulder will also block the way out, forcing you to continue through the tunnel toward Rugan and Olly. In order to reach them, you will need to jump across a ravine, at which point you will reach the two caravanners.
Opening will influence “Find Missing Shipment” quest.
Locked Wooden Chest (DC-10)
Contains Reason’s Grasp
Rugan and Olly have been chased by gnolls after their caravan was attacked, and now find themselves holding out from a sizeable onslaught from within a cave. They can be approached from the trapped side entrance (#6), in which case you will be able to speak with them and give them simple orders before engaging the gnolls just outside (#8).
In either case, once the gnolls are dealt with, you can return to Rugan and Olly, and speak to them about the chest in their possession. Using Intimidation, Deception, or Persuasion, you can convince them to part with the chest, but you do not need to in order to complete their quest. Rugan will also tell you about the Zhentarim hideout in Waukeen’s Rest, just down the road, and will give you a passcode for entry. If Rugan perished, Olly will surrender the chest without question, calling it “bad luck”.
Contained within is an Iron Flask, which can be used to summon forth a deadly Spectator enemy, but opening the chest (DC-20 Sleight of Hand) will tamper with it, which will not be appreciated if you plan to return the chest to the Zhentarim hiding underneath Waukeen’s Rest (D).
Just outside the cave where Rugan and Olly are holding out (#7), a gnoll raiding party has gather, lead by Flind. This is a surprisingly difficult encounter, with many enemies that are likely to be higher than what the party has fought before, so it will require strategy, especially if you want to keep Rugan and Olly alive. Clever use of elevation, buffs, and strategic targeting is your best bet.
Once you’ve dealt with the Gnolls, there is a number of important things on their bodies that you should loot (before, presumably, talking to or dealing with Rugan and Olly (#7)). Firstly, once you approach Flind’s corpse you will have the option of acquiring a Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen, which you can do by not trying to resist. After that, you will be able to loot the Shattered Flail off of his body and the Speedy Reply off the corpse of a nearby Dead Caravan Agent.
As you approach Waukeen’s Rest, you will quickly realize that it has been the site of a nearby battle and — what’s worse — it is currently engulfed in flame. You will approach and be halted by a First Recruit, mourning her loss. She will be suspicious of you no matter what, but will be even more suspicious of Drow characters, but in any case it is simple enough to talk your way past her with a simple DC-5 Intimidation or Persuasion check. Alternatively, you can jump straight into the burning inn from the nearby Leap Point (#10).
You can climb some rocks to the West of the gate to the inn in order to have a vantage point to leap onto the roof of Waukeen’s Rest, which can save you some steps and allow you to deal with Mirileth’s body (#14), the bedrooms of the inn (#12) and rescue the noble (#13) without issue. Drow characters should use exceptional caution here, though, as the Gauntlets outside will presume the worst and become hostile, if they see you on the roof.
Should you approach the front door of the inn, you will be asked to help break the door in so that you can “rescue the Grand Duke, Ulder Ravenguard”, who is trapped inside. Wyll will have unique interactions here, both as an Origin Character and as a Companion, but that will be expanded after you rescue the trapped noble, Counsellor Florick (#13).
There are several bodies strewn about the place that you can use Speak with Dead on, though they will have limited information, aside from Mirileth’s body (#14).
In one of the rooms upstairs in the burning building is Benryn, who has found himself trapped under a fallen beam. He is best accessed by leaping into the building (#10), because approaching from the main door to the room he is trapped in will cause a backblast, damaging anyone near the door. In either case, once you are near Benryn, the fire will begin to spread, so you will need to act fast: speak to Benryn, trapped beneath the beam. You will be able to lift the beam with a DC-5 Strength check, rescuing Benryn. You may have to take control of him to guide him out of the fire, but once you do, he will be safe. There is more to do with him later, in the “Rescue the Trapped Man” quest.
In the room next to Benryn, which is engulfed in flames much more rapidly, there is a chest which requires a DC-20 Sleight of Hand check to lockpick. If you do so, however, you will find the unique weapon Hamarhaft.
The trapped noble (who turns out not to be Grand Duke Ulther Ravenguard, but rather Counsellor Florick) is easy to rescue, and is in surprisingly little danger considering the circumstances. To rescue her, all you need to do is destroy the door on the second floor blocking you in, after which she and the remaining guards will meet you outside.
Once outside, she will reveal that Duke Ravenguard was kidnapped by the Drow raiders who started the fire. If you are playing as Wyll or have in him your party, there will be additional interactions will Counsellor Florick revealing that Duke Ravenguard is his father. In whatever case, Counsellor Florick will reward the player with one of three lightning-themed weapons for rescuing her.
Upstairs in the western wing of Waukeen’s Rest is the body of Mirileth, the wife of the trapped Benryn (#12), who has succumbed to the flames. Directing Benryn to her body is an important part of the “Rescue the Trapped Man” quest, and casting Speak with Dead on her to learn the location of the Dowry Ring (#K2) is also useful.
Hiding within a nearly-blocked wine cellar behind Waukeen’s Rest is Salazon, who will immediately prepare a firebolt to lob at you. The issue? You are in a confined space, surrounded by red barrels. You’ll need to quickly speak up with a DC-10 Dexterity check, or else utter the passcode you could’ve acquired from Rugan (#7).
Once you’ve got Salazon’s ear, if you didn’t say the passcode, you will need to perform a DC-15 Intimidation or Persuasion in order to avoid being blown up for fairly massive damage.
However the interaction resolves, though (so long as the explosives don’t cause a TPK), you will be able to get through this area and go into the Waukeen’s Rest basement via the hatch in the back (D), which has secrets of its own leading to the Zhentarim hideout.
In a barn behind Waukeen’s Rest lives a frightened (and slightly aggressive) ox. So long as you are not a Drow (which the Ox will attack on sight), you will be able to interact with the ox to learn its pitiful story, should you cast Speak with Animals first.
To the south of Waukeen’s Rest (and very close to a dirt mound) are some claw marks etched into the top of a cliff. A successful passive DC-10 Arcana check will reveal that it indicates a dragon nearby. I wonder where that could be…
Ellkaya is near the gate to the region, on overwatch for danger. And, as luck would have it, danger is coming. Speaking to her will reveal some about the Githyanki raiders which will soon attack, and naturally Githyanki characters have unique interactions with her.
Get ready for a tough fight. Once you approach the Githyanki Patrol (who just slaughtered a number of guards with basically no issue, albeit with a dragon), you will have a brief conversation with Kith’rak Voss. If you bring Lae’zel with, you will have the opportunity to tell her to “Play Along” with a DC-10 Persuasion check, which can lead to Kith’rak Voss and the entire patrol leaving without attacking you if Lae’zel is able to pass her own DC-10 Deception check, so long as they don’t know you have Shadowheart’s Artifact.
However, most directions this conversation will go — if there is any — is toward combat. The Githyanki Patrol are one of the hardest fights so far in the game, with three Level 5 warriors and a Level 6 commander, requiring careful positioning and smart strategy to survive (as well as a bit of luck). Typically, the best way to deal with the Gith is to use the gate to your advantage, standing atop it and using ranged attacks to maintain advantage.
Defeating these Gith will not negatively impact your interactions with the Githyanki in the creche later. It will get you access to magical Githyanki weapons, as well as a Githyanki Slate that Lae’zel can translate to lead you toward the Rosymorn Monastery, where a Githyanki creche hides…
This is the key to access the area behind the bars in the Tollhouse’s Cellar, which contains a puzzle and quite a bit of good gear, including a magical +1 Battleaxe.
The Dowry Ring, an important mundane item used to complete “Rescue the Trapped Man” by giving it to Benryn, is hidden within a haystack in the barn behind Waukeen’s Rest. Mirileth (#14) will tell you about it, and Benryn (#12) will want it after being rescued.
There are several Dirt Mounds found throughout the Risen Road. These can be located by your party if any of them get successful Survival checks, allowing you to use a shovel to dig them up to receive various kinds of loot.
Likely the way you entered the Risen Road, the Blighted Village and surrounding Forest can be re-entered by jumping across either the broken bridge or the stream.
A1 – The bridge has collapsed, and must be crossed via jumping, flying, or teleportation.
A2 – The stream must be crossed via jumping, flying, or teleportation.
The cellar beneath the Tollhouse contains a variety of weapons and camping supplies. There is also a secret room down there, which you can open if you have characters sit in the two stone chairs. Inside the secret room, you’ll find Gloves of Heroism and a Greataxe +1.
B1 – A hatch in the Tollhouse leads down to the cellar.
B2 – Behind the Tollhouse is a burrow-hole that requires something of tiny size or gaseous form to go through.
A secret back way into the Goblin Camp, this can be used to avoid being seen as you enter the cathedral, opening up many possibilities, though it will require a longer-than-average jump, or other method of crossing.
C1 – Crossing a broken bridge requires either a long jump, flying, or teleportation.
Protected by Salazon and hidden in the back of a shed next to Waukeen’s Rest is a hatch leading to the basement of Waukeen’s Rest, which itself might have more than meets the eye.
A path to a new area, the Mountain Pass, where a Githyanki creche may be hiding out. Careful before using this exit, as you should wrap up all loose ends in the opening area before going to this new region.
After you are done with the Risen Road, you can go to the following places:
The Goblin Camp: The most obvious path forward leads to the Goblin Camp, filled with story content and quest locations. Lots to do here.
The Zhentarim Basement: Underneath Waukeen’s Rest are a few Zhentarim hideouts, where you can be rewarded for a quest, acquire (steal) valuable gear, or even access the Underdark.
The Mountain Pass: This is the path out of the opening section of Baldur’s Gate 3, and thus it makes sense to travel here, provided you’ve finished everything else you want to in the section.
The Blighted Village: This is likely to be back where you came from, but the Blighted Village is a central hub with plenty to do, giving you plenty of reason to return.
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