Consider Gortash's Bargain

Gortash tests the party as potential allies.

Consider Gortash's Bargain is a sub-quest of the Quest Get Gortash's Netherstone in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be started by speaking to Enver Gortash in the audience chamber above Wyrm's Rock Fortress.

Objectives

Get Orin's Netherstone.

• Gortash proposed a pact of allegiance with us. If we kill Orin and take her Netherstone, he will let us rule the city alongside him with the elder brain at our command.
• On our way to the Iron Throne, Gortash contacted us and warned us that proceeding will not end well for us or the people within. We should choose our next step carefully.

Bring Orin's Netherstone to Gortash.

• Orin is dead. We should speak to Gortash in Wyrm's Rock Fortress and decide what to do with her Netherstone.

Quest Complete

• We met Gortash with neither Ketheric's nor Orin's Netherstone. He became hostile toward us.
• The Iron Throne is destroyed. This will have angered Gortash, who is now unlikely to uphold his end of the bargain.
• We destroyed the Steel Watch Foundry. It's unlikely that Gortash will follow through with his proposal, but this will have certainly made him an easier target.
• Gortash became hostile, so the deal is off. We have no choice but to fight back.
• Gortash asked us to give him Ketheric and Orin's Netherstones. We should have known better than to do so - he attacked us. We have no choice but to fight back.
• Gortash asked us to give him Ketheric and Orin's Netherstones, but we refused. It turns out he was testing us and we passed. We are to meet him under the city at the Morphic Pool.

Walkthrough

Gortash's Proposal

The party is approached by a Steel Watcher after entering the upper floor of Wyrm's Rock Fortress. The Steel Watcher initially intends to apprehend the party but is stopped by Enver Gortash. Gortash invites the party to his coronation as archduke, stating that they can talk face to face there.

Gortash greets the party after they enter they audience chamber and approach the throne. He explains that Orin the Red has no intention of keeping their alliance with Ketheric Thorm's death and she also wants to kill the party. He offers a proposal - so long as the party does nothing to harm him, they will be kept safe from his Steel Watch and can move about the city freely. If Orin's Netherstone is brought back to him, he will rule the city together with the party. An insight check reveals that Gortash is perfectly honest about his proposal.

Upholding the Deal

Working with Gortash requires satisfying his conditions. He expects that no attacks are made to him, or his Steel Watch. The following actions will cancel the pact, as Gortash will be too angry to ally with the party:

• Entering the Iron Throne after Gortash has warned the party not to.
• Completing Disable the Steel Watch, Avenge the Ironhands, Save the Gondians, and/or Rescue the Grand Duke
• Returning to Wyrm's Rock Fortress and speaking to Gortash without Orin's Netherstone.

Becoming an Ally

Gortash is aware that the party has Orin's Netherstone, as it resonates with his own. Returning to Wyrm's Rock Fortress with the two stones in the party's inventory makes Gortash ready to become an ally.

Before formalizing the alliance, Gortash has a test to make sure his potential allies are worthy. He demands that the Netherstones are relinquished to him, so that all three are united. As an additional intimidation tactic, he surrounds the party with a Steel Watcher and several of his Banite cultists. Choosing "[INSIGHT] Study Gortash. What are his intentions?" (DC 15) reveals a hint of a smile - he wants the party to refuse. Choosing "[INSIGHT] Study Gortash again. What more can you glean?" (DC 15) reveals he is shrewd and headstrong, and he expects the same of an ally. After refusing to hand over the Netherstones twice, Gortash says it's all a test to make sure he is working with equals. If the Netherstones are relinquished to Gortash, he attacks the party, as he considers them too weak to be proper allies.

If the party passes Gortash's test, he tells them to keep the Netherstones and meet him at the Morphic Pool under the city. The path to the Morphic pool is north of the Temple of Bhaal waypoint, where a boat is docked. Take the boat and move north in the Morphic Pool to find Gortash waiting. He explains that getting the Elder Brain under control is going to be extremely difficult, but it must be done.

Gortash's Fate

The party takes control of the Netherstones to confront the Elder Brain, which has become a Netherbrain, in a number of difficult checks:

• [STRENGTH] Muster the full might of your physical form - throw it into breaking through the brain's defences. (DC 20)
• [INTELLIGENCE] Your mind is yours to command - block out all possibility of failure and compel the brain to submit. (DC 20)
• [CONSTITUTION] You have survived this far - trust yourself. Dominate the brain. (DC 20)

The brain continues to taunt the party and Gortash. She tells Gortash he controlled her only for as long as she allowed him to.

• [GALE] [ARCANA] Draw on the power of the Weave and try again. You will not let the Crown slip from your grasp. (DC 25)
• [DEXTERITY] The Crown is an unmissable target - set it in your sights, and trust that you will strike true. (DC 25)
• [WISDOM] A first attempt is just that - iteration is key. Aim for the Crown and try again. (DC 25)
• [CHARISMA] Nothing is immune to influence - determine to master the brain. (DC 25)
• Bow before the glory of the Netherbrain. Submit to domination.

The Netherbrain tells the party she was the one who informed the Chosen of the Astral Prism and planted fear of what Orpheus could do to their plan. She was the one who let the Emperor slip its leash so that it could retrieve the prism and loosen the Netherstones from the Chosen Ones' grasps.

• [STRENGTH] You are strong. You are mighty. You will dominate the brain. (DC 30)
• [CONSTITUTION] Your resilience will not be shaken - cast the spell again. (DC 30)
• [INTELLIGENCE] It may not be easy, but it was always supposed to be possible - do it again. (DC 30)
• Bow before the glory of the Netherbrain. Submit to domination.

One final, near impossible check remains. The result of the check is inconsequential, as the Netherbrain is too powerful.

• [STRENGTH] DOMINATE THE BRAIN (DC 99)
• [DEXTERITY] DOMINATE THE BRAIN (DC 99)
• [INTELLIGENCE] DOMINATE THE BRAIN (DC 99)
• [WISDOM] DOMINATE THE BRAIN (DC 99)
• [CHARISMA] DOMINATE THE BRAIN (DC 99)
• Give up. Allow the brain to dominate you.

Gortash is murdered by the Netherbrain

If the party fails any of the checks, Gortash is killed immediately by the brain. However, even if every check is succeeded, Gortash pushes the party out of the way and tries his hand at dominating the brain. The brain tells Gortash the next order to be given is hers and it is this - die. This instantly kills Gortash.

However, If the final DC 99 check to "DOMINATE THE BRAIN" was passed with a critical success, the Netherbrain will start with the  Against All Odds debuff, lowering its HP by 20%

Notes

• If throwing items at Gortash while traveling in the Morphic Pool, he has unique dialogue warning them not to do it again and kicks them.
• After his death, Gortash's corpse is transported to the Astral Plane along with the party, where it can be looted.