In Baldur's Gate 3, Orpheus is a powerful prince of the Githyanki and the true successor of the great Gith, who once saved her people from the oppression of the illithids – the main enemies of the race of dragon lords. Due to political intrigue, Orpheus unjustly became a traitor to the Githyanki while he himself was being held captive by the Emperor. The Prince has the power without which it is impossible to defeat the Elder Brain, but there are many ways to use it. In our guide you will learn how to find and save Orpheus, as well as whether it is worth it, and how your choice will affect the ending of the game.
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How to save Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3
Where is the Githyanki Prince
Orpheus is imprisoned in the abode of the Emperor– a space called the Astral Plane. An allied illithid keeps him under a special dome that binds the gith's body and mind. His release will be impossible until the very end of the game, that is, the episode before the large-scale battle against the Elder Brain.
One of the main objectives of Act 3 is to collect the Netherian stones, and once you have them all, the plot will inevitably lead to a final meeting with the Emperor in the astral plane. Here the following choices will appear before the players:
- Side with the Emperor, give him the stones and allow him to absorb the prince/do it for Karlach or himself;
- Reject the help of the illithid and free Orpheus .
Let's briefly look at the consequences of each of these choices.
If you side with the Emperor
One of the ways to enter the final battle with the Absolute is to remain on the side of the Emperor. In this case, you can:
- Give the stones to the illithid;
- Become a brain eater yourself;
- Allow Karlah to go through the transformation.
- There must be another way…/…I will do it;
- …I can only say one thing… Thank you.
- Switch to the side of evil, becoming the new deity Absolute;
- Order the monster to self-destruct along with you .
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In any case, you will have to go and kill Orpheus. The only difference is who will absorb its power and become the owner of the stones. From his corpse, you can subsequently collect only 278 gold and a couple of bottles with a healing potion.
This choice has inevitable consequences: the death of the prince will inevitably ruin your relationship with Laezel (or even make her a hostile character) and may deprive you of the support of a Githyanki unit in the battle with the Brain.
The death of the prince will not go unnoticed by his faithful relatives, so after teleporting to the Upper City, you will almost immediately have to talk with Kitrak Voss. If you fail one of the difficulty 30 [Deception or Persuasion] checks while talking to him, the only outcome will be battle.
And even in this case, you have a chance to speak your teeth to the gith commander and enlist his support. But remember: there will be only one attempt to get the coveted 30 points (if you like this plot scenario, it is better to make a save at this moment).
If you choose the side of Orpheus
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If you don't plan to kill the Gith's only hope, when talking to the Emperor, choose the answer “…we can free Orpheus” (or immediately attack the dome without talking to him). Stay true to your decision, and the Emperor will not come up with anything better than to leave and join the army of the Absolute. In the battle against the Brain, he will attack our squad and allied groups.
It remains to break the two scarlet stones surrounding Orpheus's dungeon with the Orphic hammer, and come to an agreement with the freed about options for using Netherian stones. Someone will have to become an illithid anyway.
Let Orpheus become an illithid
If you choose the answer option “…will you make such a sacrifice?” or express your reluctance to become a brain eater, Orpheus will take on this burden.
He will be the one who will defeat the Absolute, but in this case his people will have to look for another way to escape the oppression of the usurper Vlaakith.
Let Karlach become an illithid
Orpheus can avoid transformation in two cases: if you do it, or if Karlach does it. In order for our tiefling partner to decide to take such a step, answer like this:
< li>But why you?/Better you than me;
Karlach in alien form will feel healthy, will be a key character in the final battle with the Absolute and, as a result, , will save Baldur's Gate from being captured by illithids.
Agree to become an illithid instead of Orpheus
If you decide to insist that transforming into a brain eater is your duty, Orpheus will thank you and carry out the transformation.
Perhaps this is the most heroic of all the options for events, as the Githyanki people will reunite with the prince and overthrow Vlaakith, Karlach ( if Will didn't leave you) will return with Ravengard to Averno, and you can hit the Elder Brain for your key character. The achievement given with this choice is Ceremorphosis.
How to find the Orphic Hammer
To save the heir of Gith, you need to find the Orphic Hammer – the only weapon that can break the shackles of the astral dome. Without him, a happy ending for Orpheus is impossible.
The Relic is located in the House of Hope, it can be stolen from the central pedestal in the Archives(X:-6540 Y:2920). After this, you will inevitably bring down the wrath of Raphael and fight with him, but there will be no consequences for the final outcome.
An alternative option is to enter into a deal with Raphael and receive the hammer in exchange for a promise to give the crown of Karsus to the devil. At the beginning of Act 3, go to the pleasure house “Weasel Sharess” (Dragon Crossing/X:-14 Y:105) and talk with the devil in one of the luxury rooms on the third floor.
After completing the deal, you will immediately receive the hammer, but in the final you will be required to give the diadem of Karsus to Raphael.
Is it worth freeing Orpheus
As you know, your choice will determine who exactly will receive the power of the Netherian stones: the Emperor, Orpheus in the guise of a braineater, or a squad character (the abilities of the companions were shown in the screenshots below).
Regardless of the decision made, in the final choice you will have the right:
Rescuing Orpheus will make the post-victory scene more fulfilling, just like Laesel's ending: the Gith will have the opportunity to overthrow Vlaakith and revive the race under the rule of a true king. But this is only if he himself does not become an illithid, otherwise the final outcome for the Githyanki prince will not be so rosy: he will want to die at your hands, and you can dissuade him only after successfully passing the test.
