Rescue the Illithids' Captive

Maybe we should leave her there?

Rescue the Illithid's Captive is a quest in the Prologue of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be initiated by approaching Shadowheart's Mind Flayer Pod on the Nautiloid.

This quest is not available if the player chooses Shadowheart as their Origin.

Objectives

Objectives and journal entries may vary pending story decisions and outcomes.

Find a way to release the captive.

• We encountered a survivor, trapped inside one of the pods aboard the nautiloid. Perhaps we can find a way to free her.
• If the player character found an Eldritch Rune: We found an Eldritch Rune. It may help us to rescue the captive half-elf.

Talk to the half-elf.

• If the player character used the Eldritch Rune: We opened the pod using an Eldritch Rune, and freed the captive. We should speak to her.
• If the player character passed a Strength check as a barbarian: We forced the pod open using our brute strength, freeing the captive. We should speak to her.

Quest Completed!

• If the player character recruits Shadowheart: We learned that the survivor aboard the nautiloid is called Shadowheart. She joined us.
• If the player character does not offer for Shadowheart to join them: We learned that the survivor aboard the nautiloid is called Shadowheart. We decided to go our separate ways.
• If the player character does not speak to Shadowheart after freeing her: We freed the captive aboard the nautiloid from her pod, but left her behind.
• If the player character does not free Shadowheart: We left the captive inside the pod, and escaped the nautiloid without her.

Walkthrough

After the first imp fight on the Nautiloid, the player character enters a room with two unconscious victims of the mind flayers, a high elf and human. Towards the north-east side of the room, Shadowheart is trapped in a mind flayer pod.

If speaking to Shadowheart, she suggests to try opening the pod by using a nearby panel. The party can try one of the following options to physically free her from the pod:

• Grip the pod's lid and pull.
  • [BERSERKER] [STRENGTH] RIP THE POD OPEN. (DC 10)
  • [BARBARIAN] [STRENGTH] Don't give up. Tear this thing open. (DC 10)

Otherwise, the pod does not budge.

If examining the nearby console, it is revealed that it has an empty socket. Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards can attempt to study it and then inscribe the right runes:

• [SORCERER] [WARLOCK] [WIZARD] [ARCANA] There's magic at work here. Determine what kind. (DC 7)
  • Inscribe the device with the glyphs you sensed from the pod's warding runes.

Otherwise, the party must obtain an Eldritch Rune from a corpse in the far east room at X: 62 Y: -355 which can be inserted into the empty socket in the console to power it up. A further check can be made to reveal that the console controls the release of the pod:

• [ARCANA] Take a closer look at the powered-up console. (DC 10)

Lastly, there is a final ability check to use the tadpole for the first time:

• [ILLITHID] [WISDOM] Will the pod to open. (DC 2)

After opening the pod, the party can recruit Shadowheart or ignore her.

If the player character fails the DC 2 Wisdom check to open the pod using the Eldritch Rune, it is possible try again with Lae'zel. If both characters fail the check, Shadowheart remains trapped in the pod but can be found after the Prologue in Act One.

Quest rewards

• Shadowheart as a temporary companion while on the Nautiloid.