One of the biggest quests in Baldur’s Gate 3 is “Finding the Nightsong.” We will show you what you need to do for the quest – and how to complete it.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of quests that may seem small at the beginning, but stretch over many hours and multiple acts. One of these missions is “Finding the Nightsong.” We will tell you everything you need to know about this quest, how to start it, and where it ends.
Spoiler Warning: The article contains some spoilers regarding the questline surrounding the Shadowsong and its possible outcomes. However, the summary with initial hints is spoiler-free.
The Essentials About the Nightsong at a Glance
- You receive the quest as early as Act 1.
- You can complete the quest at the earliest in Act 2, but it may extend into Act 3.
- The questline has multiple different endings depending on your choices.
- The questline is particularly significant for Shadowheart and her personal story.
How do you start the Nightsong questline? You will inevitably encounter the questline “Finding the Nightsong” during the first act of the game. After your first visit to the Druid Grove, you may meet Liam. Either in the grove itself, outside the grove with his crew, or – if he has died – the quest begins through a letter from his corpse.
Typically, you will find him when you leave the grove and head towards the swamp.
Alternatively, you can also receive the first hint about the quest from Halsin or Aradin, usually in connection with your mission to attack and take out the goblin camp.
In summary, the quest asks you to find the legendary “Nightsong” for a powerful wizard in Baldur’s Gate and bring it to him. Details about this Nightsong are initially unknown, but it is said to be a powerful weapon of the followers of Shar.
At first glance, the mission may seem like a simple side quest, but it holds great significance for the story of the game and extends throughout the longest part of your adventure.
Act 1: Finding the Nightsong – Searching for More Clues
The Nightsong is supposed to be located somewhere in the Underdark; accordingly, that is your first clue.
Note that you basically have no time pressure for this questline. You will encounter many other side missions while searching for the Nightsong – especially in the Underdark – which you can all complete at your leisure.
You have several ways to enter the Underdark during Act 1:
- Head to the Ruined Sanctum (the “Goblin Camp”). In the healer’s room Gut, one of the three leaders of the camp, you may discover a staircase with a perception check. The staircase leads into the defiled temple. There, you need to solve a small puzzle with moon discs or alternatively discover and unlock a lock (for example, with Astarion). Once done, a long ladder leads directly into the Underdark to the Selunite outpost.
- In the small village controlled by the goblins, you can climb into the well. Down there, you will fight a large spider matriarch and see a deep hole in the ground. Cast the spell
Feather Fall
or use a corresponding potion to jump into the hole and thus fall into the Underdark. - Another access point can be found at Aunt Ethel in her teahouse in the swamp. Climb through the chimney into her hideout and make sure to grab one of the eerie masks. In the room with the many gas traps, after the waterfall, you can jump onto an elevation. Put on the mask (after Ethel has been defeated!) and you can walk through the wall. A magical mushroom circle teleports you into the Underdark.
- In a barn next to the inn “Waukeen’s Rest,” you will find the hideout of the Zhentarim behind a trapdoor. In the northwest of the hideout, you may discover a wall that is merely an illusion. You can simply pass through the wall, but conversations with the wolves may also draw your attention to it.
Once you reach the Underdark, you need to advance to the west. There you will find a small ship, which you can take to sail to the Grymschmiede. Explore the area thoroughly and follow the story. After you have completed the situation regarding the “True Soul Nere,” you can go through the hallway filled with poisonous gas and unlock a locked door.
From here, you can see an ancient temple of Shar, but there seems to be no way to enter the temple from here. The quest continues in Act 2.
Act 2: Finding the Nightsong – The Trials of Shar
Once you arrive in the Shadowlands, you can continue your search for the Nightsong.
Far to the northwest of the area, west of the river and north of the House of Healing, you can discover access to a mausoleum of the Thorm family. The mausoleum contains a secret entrance to the temple of Shar.
To reach the temple, you must click the paintings on the wall in the correct order in the back room of the mausoleum. The order is:
- The painting Towers of Moonrise
- The painting of Grief
- The painting of the General
If entered correctly, a hidden access point will open, leading down into the temple. If you make a mistake, traps will be triggered – but you can try again.
The Access to the Deeper Temple of Shar
In the temple of Shar, there is much to do. Not only can you meet Balthazar here, but you can also complete a mission for Raphael, acquire plenty of powerful scrolls and weapons, or uncover the mystery behind the many rats in the temple.
To access the deeper part of the temple, you need to solve a small puzzle at the beginning. In the side corridors, you will find different levers to raise and lower the lanterns and turn them off. Make sure the room is in complete darkness to reveal glowing runes on the floor, which are placed around the statue.
These runes are barriers that you cannot cross. However, each rune circle has a gap through which you can maneuver to reach the statue at the end. This will break the seal of the gate and allow access to the deeper levels of the temple.
The Path to the Sanctum
In the next hours, you will have to overcome the various trials of Shar to ultimately obtain four shadowy gemstones.
The individual trials consist of fights, logic puzzles, and a small stealth mission. You will receive the last gemstone from the demon Yurgir, who has also settled in the temple.
We have a detailed guide for the individual trials of Shar here.
Once you have collected all the stones, you can activate the floating platform in the center of the temple and advance to the innermost sanctum. There, you can plunge into a water basin and enter the area “Shadowfell.” Make sure to save beforehand, as there is (for now) no return from there.
The Fate of the Nightsong – Make a Decision
What happens in Shadowfell strongly depends on your previous decisions. By now, you have revealed that the Nightsong is not a weapon but a person. A demigod being that is repeatedly killed by followers of Shar – as a final trial for ascension to the Dark Justiciar.
Depending on your previous choices and the ones you now make, there are different options:
- You can hand the Nightsong over to Balthazar. Nightsong will then be brought to General Thorm. You maintain your disguise as members of the Cult of Absolute and gain more trust with the cult. If you do not choose this option and Balthazar is still alive, you will have to fight against him.
- You can persuade Shadowheart to kill the Nightsong. In that case, she fully commits to Lady Shar and becomes a Dark Justiciar with new powers and equipment.
- You can dissuade Shadowheart from killing the Nightsong. In that case, you disappoint the goddess Shar, but the Nightsong is freed and helps you throughout the story, potentially even becoming a guest in your camp.
Which decision you make here should mainly depend on your story preference, as it will have significant consequences for Shadowheart.
If this scene ends with the death of the Nightsong, the quest will also be concluded here, as delivering her to the wizard is no longer possible.
Act 3: Finding the Nightsong – Your Reward
Depending on the decisions you made earlier, the Nightsong and/or her partner is now one of your companions in the camp. If the Nightsong is present, in Act 3, you can decide how you want to proceed with her:
- You can pledge your loyalty to the Nightsong and fight against the wizard who wanted to possess her.
- You can betray the Nightsong and deliver her to the wizard.
You can meet the wizard Lorroakan in Baldur’s Gate. His wizard’s tower is above the large magic shop “Sorcerous Sundries.” You can enter the tower from the shop or the library.
No matter what you decide here, the questline about the Nightsong will inevitably come to an end. You can also determine your decision based on your preferred story outcome. Even if you deliver the Nightsong, you can still raid the wizard afterward and take his possessions if you wish. How did you handle the Nightsong in Baldur’s Gate 3? Tell us in the comments. And all other guides and tips for Baldur’s Gate 3 can be found here.
