Return the Locket

Meli has stolen a locket.

Return the Locket is a quest in Act One of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be started by speaking with Barth or Meli at the Druid Grove.

Objectives

Retrieve the stolen locket.

• We met an adventurer called Barth who accused a tiefling child of stealing his locket. We suspected the child but couldn't get the locket back.
• An adventurer called Barth accused a tiefling child of stealing his locket. The adventurer was knocked out by a guard, and the child got away with the locket.

Return the stolen locket.

• An adventurer called Barth accused a tiefling child of stealing his locket. Surprisingly, we found the locket on the child - Barth will want it back.
• We found a locket stashed away - it's probably the same one Barth had stolen from him.
• Unsurprisingly, we found the stolen locket in the child's pockets. Barth will want it back.

Quest Complete

• We returned the missing locket to Barth - free of charge.
• Barth begrudgingly rewarded us for finding his locket.
• We ignored Barth's protests and kept the locket.
• Barth was killed before we could return his locket.
• We never discovered what happened to the adventurer's locket - or whether the child was lying.
• We weren't able to return the locket to the adventurer.

Walkthrough

When the party first enters The Hollow, an event occurs with an adventurer, Barth, and a young tiefling child, Meli. Once the party gets near Barth X: 168 Y: 544, the child pickpockets him, stealing a Brass Locket. Barth realizes he's been robbed and chases the child. If nothing is done, Barth eventually attacks Meli and is dragged away by guards.

The party can intervene by speaking with Barth or Meli. Meli continuously denies that he has the locket, while Barth insists it was him.

• Don't you dare lay a finger on that child.
• Keep quiet and watch.

If Arabella is alive:

• You better do what he says, boy.
• [MONK] I think it would benefit everyone to calm down here. What happened?

If Arabella was killed:

• [INTIMIDATION] Better do what he says, boy. There's already one thief to bury today. (DC 5)
• [BERSERKER] [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] DO AS HE SAYS, OR JOIN THE SNAKEBITTEN GIRL IN HER GRAVE.' (DC 5 )
• [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] Thieving children wind up dead around here. Do as he says. (DC 5 )
• [MONK] Theft and revenge have already killed a child here. Calm yourselves - explain what happened.

If Meli is sided with, Barth is angered and Meli escapes. Successfully intimidating Meli, if Arabella died in  Save Arabella results in him instantly giving up the locket. Otherwise, if You better do what he says, boy. is chosen, Meli will need more persuasion to give up the goods:

• [PERSUASION] You're not fooling anyone, boy. Why'd you take it? (DC 5)
• [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] That bauble worth a thrashing? (DC 15 )
• [INTIMIDATION] Do you really want to take a beating over some jewellery? (DC 15)
• [TIEFLING] [PERSUASION] Just give it back, boy. You're better than this. (DC 5)

Asking why Meli took the locket makes him admit that it reminds him of his deceased mother. Barth tells him to keep it, and seems satisfied, as the locket came from his own mother. He thinks she'd be happy that he gave it to Meli.

If the party fails to intimidate Meli or doesn't get involved, a tiefling guard named Ikaron approaches. He asks what's going on and the party can either call Meli a thief (and convince the guard on the side of Barth with DC 15 Persuasion, or Intimidation check) or side with Meli to let him get off free.

An additional option is that the party can pickpocket Meli before speaking to him. A new dialogue option appears:

• Relax. The boy's good, but I'm better - here's your locket.

If that happens, Meli will be suitably impressed and run off, and the locket can be returned to Barth.

Lastly, if Meli escapes, the locket is stored in a thief's chest inside the Tiefling hideout. Lockpicking the chest and stealing the locket back allows the party to return the locket to Barth.