What we can call the second chapter of Baldur’s Gate 3 will immerse you in much more difficult and complex situations than before. Crossing the lake into Outland, you will come to Grymforge, in which the central element is the urgent rescue of Nere, an awakened soul of the Absolute. Whether it’s to infiltrate the cult of the Absolute, or bring his head back to the mycoid patriarch.
How to save Nere?
By advancing a little in the area and talking to the Duergar, you will learn that Nere is stuck in a tunnel following a collapse, and that he risks dying of asphyxiation soon, as well as the gnomes of the depths in his company. It seems like this prohibits you from using a Long Rest, otherwise Nere and his companions in misfortune will be dead when you return. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it does represent a loss of experience, and you may miss out on other gnome- or cult-related opportunities. It is best to take a Long Rest before taking the boat to Grymforge.
To save Nere, the solution is simple: you have tot destroy the huge landslide which blocks the only access door. Of course, the problem is figuring out how.
Find the explosives
As you have probably already noticed, the landslide resists even the most violent attacks. It’s nearly impossible to destroy it without using an item found in Grymforge: Runic Blasting Powder. By talking to the Duergar, you can learn that a Deep Gnome escaped with a barrel of this precious material, we must therefore start by finding it.
You can locate it in the northeast corner of the map. There are several ways to reach the places, whether it is through the other collapsed tunnel (which can be cleared easily), then by jumping on the suspended platforms, before climbing up to the hall. It’s quite a long way. Or else, through the dining room, and discovering the button hidden at the bottom, which leads directly to a nearby section. You’re going to have to kill some slimes along the way.
Once there, you will find Philomène and her barrel of explosives, which she threatens to detonate, and you with them. You can convince her to calm down in many ways, from mind reading and persuasion to intimidation and Illithid powers.
If you ask for powder, she only gives you one vial of explosive rune powder, which is sufficient to clear the passage. You can also try to confiscate all the reserve, in order to make a later use of it. But do not use the barrel of explosives.
Destroy the (almost) indestructible rockslides
Return to the Landslide Room. But before destroying them, it is better to decide what you intend to do next. If your goal is to kill Nere and all the Duergar, and save as many gnomes as possible, then it’s best to kill the dwarves first. Kill as many Duergars as possible isolated in the area, with sneak attacks, or thrusts in the water for example. If you take on everyone at once, the fight is likely to be horribly difficult.
In all cases, throw the vial on the rockslides. It is advisable to throw it on the top of the rocks. The reason is simple: the explosion is huge, and it is very likely to hit the Gnome slaves or the Duergar, which would make them all hostile.
Then, use a projectile or Fire Bolt to detonate the vial, which will cause a huge explosion. Consider walking away first.
Dialogue with Nere and choices to be made
If you were fast, an angry Nere will come out of the tunnel, accompanied by two gnomes, one of which he will immediately execute. You then have several options:
If you wish to infiltrate the Cult of the Absolute, and extract information from Nere: do not intervene to save the slaves. If you decide to protect the slaves, which has positive repercussions for the sequel, you will have to face Nere and all the remaining Duergar at the same time.
To make the fight that follows easier, you can also encourage him to kill the Sergeant. This will make one less formidable enemy. In this case, he will then ask you to kill the Duergar, and he will assist you during the fight. At least, if you haven’t killed them before. This is by far the easiest option.
Once the Duergar are dead, a new dialogue begins with Nere, with several possible conclusions. You can choose to kill it and decapitate it to bring it back to the Mycoids. At 1v4, this shouldn’t be difficult.
