Baldur's Gate 3 Walkthrough: Act 2 Part 1, Shadow-Cursed Lands and Last Light

Part 3 of our Baldur's Gate 3 walkthrough starts as you enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands in Act 2. It covers Last Light Inn, Jaheira and Isobel, the town of Reithwin, Halsin's quest and your first visit to Moonrise Towers. It ends when you're ready to enter the Gauntlet of Shar.

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The whole walkthrough

1. The shadow curse: stay in the light

The Shadow-Cursed Lands are covered in a deadly darkness. If you walk into it without protection, your party takes damage every turn. Always carry a light source:

• A moonlantern, if you freed the pixie inside one in Act 1.
• Isobel's blessing at Last Light Inn. This protects your party while you travel.
• Torches and light spells for short trips.

If you came through the Underdark, a group of Harpers meets you on arrival and can guide you to safety.

2. Last Light Inn: Jaheira and Isobel

Last Light Inn is your safe base for Act 2. It's protected by the cleric Isobel, a priestess of Selûne. The Harpers are led by Jaheira, a veteran half-elf druid.

1. Talk to Jaheira. She wants to stop Ketheric Thorm, the general who rules from Moonrise Towers and seems to be immortal.
2. Get Isobel's blessing so you can move through the curse.
3. Talk to the tieflings and other refugees here. Some of them, like Alfira and Rolan, point you to friends held at Moonrise Towers.

Isobel's kidnapping

A man called Marcus arrives and tries to kidnap Isobel. Be ready for this fight and protect her. If you have learned he is a traitor, expose him early. This is one of the most important fights in Act 2:

• If Isobel survives: the inn stays safe, and Jaheira can join you later.
• If Isobel is taken or killed: the protection falls and most people at the inn die. That ends several quests. Jaheira survives.

3. Halsin and Lift the Shadow Curse

If Halsin is at your camp, talk to him once you arrive. This starts Lift the Shadow Curse. It's how Halsin becomes a full companion.

1. At Last Light you find a bard, Art Cullagh, in a magic sleep. Waking him needs a lute.
2. The lute is carried by Malus Thorm in the House of Healing in Reithwin. You can get him out of the way with talk instead of a fight.
3. Later Halsin opens a portal by the lake near Last Light. You must defend the portal for several turns against waves of shadows. A cleric with Spirit Guardians in the path is a strong defence.
4. Finish the rest of the quest to restore the land around Reithwin.

If you go to Act 3 without finishing this, Halsin stays behind.

4. Reithwin and the Thorm siblings

Reithwin is the ruined town between Last Light and Moonrise Towers. Ketheric's children run parts of it. Each one is a mini-boss:

• Malus Thorm runs the House of Healing, a horror-show hospital. You need to pass a check to get in.
• Gerringothe Thorm is in the Reithwin Tollhouse, obsessed with gold. You can pay her or fight her. If you fight, pick up the gold she drops around her.
• Thisobald Thorm is at the Waning Moon tavern. His back room has good potion recipes and loot.

Also check the Mason's Guild. It has a hidden basement, opened with a hatch or a control wheel outside.

5. Minthara and Moonrise Towers

As a "True Soul" with a parasite, you can walk into Moonrise Towers openly at first. Use the visit to scout.

• Minthara: if you knocked her out in Act 1, she is here as a prisoner. You can free and recruit her. If she died, she's gone.
• Rescue the Tieflings: the tiefling prisoners, with the gnome Wulbren, are in the prison below the towers. The way in is west of the audience chamber, or from outside by the docks. Freeing them helps you later in Act 3.
• Learn what you can about Ketheric's immortality. The answer is in the Gauntlet of Shar, which is the next part.

6. Before the Gauntlet

The Gauntlet of Shar is entered through the Thorm Mausoleum, in the north-west of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Before you go:

• Bring Shadowheart. The Gauntlet is all about her goddess, and she reacts badly if you go without her.
• Finish your work at Last Light first, including the Isobel fight.
• Be about level 6 or higher. The Gauntlet has some hard fights.

Act 2's point of no return comes inside the Gauntlet, when you enter the Shadowfell. After that you can't go back to Act 1 areas.

Tips for this part

• Never travel in the curse without a light source. The damage adds up fast.
• Save before Marcus arrives at Last Light. The Isobel fight goes wrong easily.
• Do Halsin's portal fight with your best area-of-effect character.
• Use the waypoint at Last Light Inn as your hub. It's the safest place to return to.
• Don't waste your True Soul cover at Moonrise. Free the prisoners only when you're ready to deal with the guards.

My take

Act 2 has the best atmosphere in the game, but the curse makes it slow to explore. Once you get Isobel's blessing, it's much more fun. Did you manage to save Isobel on your first try?

FAQ

How do I get rid of the shadow curse damage?

Carry a light source like the moonlantern, or get Isobel's blessing at Last Light Inn. Both protect your party.

How do I recruit Jaheira?

Keep Last Light safe by protecting Isobel from Marcus, then help the Harpers. She joins as a companion later in Act 2.

How do I recruit Halsin in Act 2?

Talk to him at camp to start Lift the Shadow Curse, then finish the quest, including the portal defence.

Where is Minthara in Act 2?

At Moonrise Towers, but only if you knocked her out instead of killing her in Act 1. If she died, you can't recruit her.

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