Waukeen’s Rest
Waukeen’s Rest (X:-65, Y:609) is an inn located on the Risen Road. As the part approaches, they smell smoke and hear shouting.
Move to the front entrance to find a group of Flaming Fists trying to bust down the door. Gauntlet Yeva explains that Grand Duke Ravengard could be in there.
- If Wyll is in the party, he can be asked to break open the door, which he does with ease.
- What happened to this place?
- Grand Duke Ravengard?
- DC 10 Strength check to push against the wreckage.
If the first two options are chosen, Yeva explains that the inn was raided by drow and goblins. Grand Duke Ravengard was lost during the raid.
Florrick thanks the party for rescuing her from the burning inn.
A successful Strength check smashes the door open and the Fists rush inside. Go straight into the room to find a set of stairs – climb it to find the two remaining survivors – Counsellor Florrick and Benryn. Attempting to rescue Benryn starts Rescue the Trapped Man.
Florrick is in the northern room (X:-57, Y:618), which the Fists swarm as they enter the building. Attack the broken door and she is freed, then she runs out of the inn with the Fists in tow.
After learning of the Duke’s kidnapping, it is also revealed that Ravengard is Wyll’s father. This starts part of Wyll’s companion quest, The Grand Duke.
At the Goblin Camp, the party can learn slightly more. If the party does a toast after poisoning the booze tub (X: -99 Y:442). As part of the toast, Warlock Gurk says “To tha’ duke’s face when we gave ‘im to the drow!”
Last Light Inn
During Act Two, the party encounters Counsellor Florrick at the Last Light Inn with an entourage of Flaming Fists. She asks if the party have made any inroads with Moonrise Towers.
Regardless of the response, she implores the party to keep looking. Florrick, however, has to depart for Baldur’s Gate to seek reinforcements.
Moonrise Towers
In Moonrise Towers Prison, the party can ask the Warden if she’s seen the Duke. However, she simply responds that he sounds important and that she only deals with the dregs down in the prison. The party can also interrogate the corpse of a dead goblin scout, Sharp-Eye Lora, who reveals that she took prisoners to the Towers including a duke.
The Duke can only be found near the end of Act Two, during Defeat Ketheric Thorm. In the Mind Flayer Colony, as the party chases after Ketheric Thorm, they encounter the Chosen Three – Thorm, Orin the Red, and Enver Gortash. In addition, they have an unexpected guest – Ulder Ravengard.
The party watches in the shadows as the trio infect Ravengard with a mind flayer tadpole and then whisk him away to Baldur’s Gate.
Duke Ravengard is infected by the Chosen Three.
Wyrm’s Rock Fortress
Duke Ravengard swears Gortash in as Archduke of Baldur’s Gate.
In Act Three, Duke Ravengard is encountered once again after completing Find a way into Wyrm’s Rock fortress. Once the party enters Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, Gortash takes control of a Steel Watcher and invites the party to his coronation.
Ravengard is in the Audience Chamber with Gortash and officiates Gortash’s swearing in as Archduke of Baldur’s Gate. Immediately after the ceremony, Ravengard can be spoken to. If that party says that Florrick sent them, he says that Florrick is a black widow who betrayed the city, and that she was punished.
Choosing to connect with Ravengard’s parasite to seek information about Florrick reveals that she is imprisoned in Wyrm’s Rock Prison and set to be executed, starting Free Counselor Florrick. If the party prods Ravengard’s mind further, they find that deep uncertainty and fear of an illithid invasion is within him, indicating his mind hasn’t fully been taken over.
Once the coronation is complete, Mizora appears and reveals that Duke Ravengard is already being moved to another location to be disposed of. She refuses to elaborate and tells the party to go to camp. After a Long Rest, Mizora appears before Wyll to present a new contract – an eternity of servitude for Zariel in exchange for rescuing the Duke.
If Wyll signs the contract, she reveals that Duke Ravengard is in Gortash’s underwater prison, the Iron Throne and promises to keep him from harm. Otherwise, if Wyll breaks the contract, Mizora states that he’s as good as dead, but that she plans to stick around to see what happens.
If the party ignores the coronation and moves into the Lower City, then Duke Ravengard remains in the Audience Hall with Gortash until the ceremony is completed.
If the party completes the questline Disable the Steel Watch without attending the coronation, then the entirety of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress becomes hostile, including Duke Ravengard. To ensure that the Duke can be rescued, it is advised to attend the coronation, speak to Mizora, and take a long rest to ensure that he can be found in his intended location.
The Iron Throne
After the previous events, Duke Ravengard is moved to the Iron Throne, either alive or dead. The party may find the Iron Throne either by exploring the Lower City, or be guided there as part of the quests Disable the Steel Watch, Save the Gondians, or Avenge the Ironhands.
Map of the Iron Throne
Duke Ravengard is in the block of cells directly east from the ladder to the submersible. Normally, he is in the middle cell, alive, and with only 35 HP. He will also have the Fiendish Obeisance status, unless the player simply did not recruit Wyll. Upon opening the door to his cell, the party gains control over the Duke’s movements.
However, once he leaves the cell, if Wyll broke his pact with Mizora, then she appears and summons multiple Combustion Belly Spiderlings to kill the duke. She orders him to kneel while the spiderlings explode on their turn.
The Duke can be saved by healing him while he is in his cell (via Healing Word, throwing healing potions, or other tactics) or through spells like Arcane Gate.
Under some circumstances, the duke is found already dead. After escaping the Iron Throne, the party may be able to make a deal with Mizora to resurrect the duke in exchange for renewing Wyll’s pact, or reject the deal in order to break his pact. The availability of this option may depend on Wyll’s status and earlier choices.
If Duke Ravengard is saved, he stays at camp under the protection of the Astral Prism. If Wyll was recruited, the pair can reconcile, and Ravengard asks the party to seek out Ansur, Baldur’s Gate’s guardian dragon who sleeps under the city.
Quest Rewards
After rescuing her from the burning inn, Counsellor Florrick grants the party a choice between three items, which all share the same ability:
- The Sparky PointsThe Sparky Points
- The JoltshooterThe Joltshooter
- The SpellsparklerThe Spellsparkler
- If Duke Ravengard is rescued, he becomes an ally as part of Gather Your Allies
Notes: Long Resting after approaching Waukeen’s Rest results in both Counsellor Florrick and Benryn dying. Fast traveling to another location also causes their deaths.
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