Once players successfully wake up the Flaming Fist mercenary Art Cullagh in Baldur's Gate 3, and share what they know with the druid Halsin, he'll ask the party to help him retrieve Thaniel, the spirit of the land. The curse set by Ketheric Thorm cast Thaniel into the Shadowfell, and Halsin has a plan to get him back.
This plan has two parts, and both of them involve fighting a gauntlet of weak but numerous enemies. The player's party should be able to handle this onslaught by this point in Baldur's Gate 3, but it helps to be prepared for what's to come. Here's what to expect.
Updated November 6th, 2023: During Act II of Baldur's Gate 3, players will come across a side quest that will lead them to a missing child named Thaniel. Unfortunately, finding Thaniel can be a bit confusing for players that don't know where to look. To better help players find Thaniel in Baldur's Gate 3, the following guide now includes a companion video.
How to Protect Halsin's Portal
The first fight takes place just north of the Last Light Inn's protective barrier. Halsin opens a portal to the Shadowfell to get Thaniel, but doing so will provoke all the nearby shadows and undead into attacking. Players must stay behind to guard the portal and prevent several waves of enemies from destroying it. If the portal still exists after four complete rounds, the player will win the fight.
The first wave consists of several shadows and wraiths appearing to the south while several sets of fallen Harpers and pilgrims run in from the north. Next, several grasping vines and ravens with one hit point will appear next to the barrier. After that, githyanki warriors and more Harpers will charge in from the north in two more waves.
Area-of-effect spellsare the key to victory in this fight. None of the enemies have a tremendous number of hit points, and they all tend to clump together, making them easy targets for spells like Fireball and Lightning Bolt. Players should also use spells that make it hard for enemies to move, such as Ice Storm and Hunger of Hadar. The enemy's goal is to reach and attack the portal, so more time spent trying to reach it is less time spent damaging it.
If the portal still stands after taking four turns, Halsin will emerge with Thaniel in his arms. The remaining enemies should die at this point, but a game bug may force players to clean up the remaining undead first. Either way, players must return to camp and speak to Halsin.
How to Beat Oliver
Back at camp, Halsin will mention that Thaniel is wounded, and in a way only a spirit could be. Ketheric Thorm's curse split Thaniel in half, and one half has remained in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. At this point, Halsin will offer to join the party as a full member and not just a tagalong.
This second half of Thaniel is Oliver, whom players may have met while exploring the east side of the map. In fact, his home is just northeast of the Shadowed Battlefield waypoint. Oliver will want to play Hide and Seek the first time players come across him, but players who have already rescued Thaniel can skip this side quest (and the reward that comes with it) with the right dialogue options.
When confronted, Oliver will get angry and retreat into a portal. This portal leads to the west side of the Shadow-Cursed Lands, which is under the stronger version of the Shadow Curse. Players should already have a Moonlantern or Pixie Blessing since they need to visit the area to wake up Art Cullagh, so just make sure it's currently active before going through. Players can also walk the long way around to Oliver's location, which is under the big statue in the town square.
Once players get close enough, Oliver will start a fight with the party. He summons "Mummy" and "Daddy," two unique wraiths, and he protects himself with a barrier called the Nightdome. The Nightdome resists nonmagical weapon damage, Acid, Poison, Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Thunder, and it's immune to Necrotic and Psychic damage. This means players can do the most damage to it with Radiant and Force attacks.
However, attacking the Nightdome is a bad idea because of its special ability, Cursed Vengeance. All damage dealt to the Nightdome will deal twice as much damage to the attacker. Instead, players should fight Mummy, Daddy, and the various one-hit-point "friends" that Oliver summons in throughout the fight. Each parent deals 60 damage to the dome, and each friend deals 10 damage. Players will have to defeat several waves of friends, but these friends do very little damage and go down fast.
Once the Nightdome falls, Oliver will give up. Players can be nice or mean to Oliver, but either way he heads out to reunite with Thaniel. Next, return to camp, where Thaniel is waiting next to Halsin. The spirit of the land is now healed, but players must still defeat Ketheric Thorm to end the Shadow Curse for good.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on macOS and PC.
