How to Save Mayrina from Auntie Ethel’s Cage in Baldur’s Gate 3
The hag, Auntie Ethel, is one of the earliest and most challenging encounters in Baldur’s Gate 3. Rescuing the captive Mayrina from her clutches requires a combination of combat prowess, strategic thinking, and a bit of luck. Simply put, to save Mayrina in the cage, you must defeat Auntie Ethel, then use the Whispering Mask to navigate the illusory walls and reach the control mechanism to lower the cage safely. If you destroy the cage without freeing Mayrina, she will burn to death.
Defeating Auntie Ethel and Reaching the Cage
Successfully rescuing Mayrina hinges on successfully navigating the treacherous encounter with Auntie Ethel. It is generally advised to reach a minimum level of 4 before facing Auntie Ethel. Here’s a breakdown of the steps:
Confronting Auntie Ethel
The initial confrontation in the Riverside Teahouse seems innocent enough, but quickly reveals Ethel’s true nature. She’ll use illusions and trickery, making it difficult to target her. The first part of the fight takes place in her lair, the Riverside Teahouse.
Navigating the Illusions
Ethel uses illusions to create multiple copies of herself. Identify the real Ethel by focusing on the one actively attacking or casting spells. Using spells like See Invisibility or consuming potions that grant the same effect can make this much easier. It is also possible to identify the real Ethel by examining her with the examine action. The Examine Action should reveal she is casting an illusionary spell. Focus all your attacks on the real Ethel to progress the encounter.
The Hag’s Lair
Once her health gets low enough in the Teahouse, Ethel will flee deeper into her lair. To reach this area, you’ll need to pass through the fireplace. This involves discovering the lever hidden behind some tankards and jars on a nearby shelf. Interact with the lever to reveal the passage.
Surviving the Traps
The path to Ethel is fraught with traps. Use characters with high perception and sleight of hand skills to detect and disarm them. Spells like Guidance can aid in these checks. Be especially careful of the poisonous fumes and the biting vines that can restrain your party. Disarming or avoiding these traps is crucial for survival. The vines can be destroyed by using fire damage.
Face-Off with the Hag
The final showdown with Ethel takes place in a cavern filled with her victims. She holds Mayrina captive in a cage hanging above a chasm. Ethel will use a combination of spells, including invisibility and summoning, to overwhelm you. It is important to keep your party spread out to minimize the impact of area-of-effect spells. She also uses clones of Mayrina to try and trick you. Focus on the real Auntie Ethel to stop the illusions.
The Dilemma
During the fight, Auntie Ethel might offer a deal: she’ll release Mayrina in exchange for a character’s eye. Accepting this deal grants a powerful but permanent debuff. Refusing the deal is the optimal path to save Mayrina without any debilitating consequences for your party.
Saving Mayrina in the Cage: The Exact Steps
Once Auntie Ethel is defeated, you’re halfway to saving Mayrina. Here’s how to get her out of the cage:
- Defeat Auntie Ethel: This is the first and most crucial step. Focus your attacks and use your party’s abilities strategically.
- Acquire the Whispering Mask: These masks are worn by Ethel’s thralls scattered around the lair. If you don’t have one already, interact with one of the corpses of Ethel’s victims, especially in the dialogue when you first enter the area. It should allow you to claim a whispering mask.
- Navigate the Illusionary Walls: Equip a Whispering Mask. This allows you to see through the illusionary wall immediately behind the cage. Without the mask, you’ll just see a solid wall.
- Find the Control Mechanism: Go through the illusionary wall. Here, you’ll find a mechanism that controls the cage.
- Lower the Cage Carefully: Interact with the mechanism to lower the cage. This will safely bring Mayrina down.
- Speak to Mayrina: Once the cage is lowered, Mayrina will be free. Speak to her to progress the quest.
Consequences of Failure
If you fail to follow these steps, one of two unfortunate things can happen:
- Mayrina Burns to Death: If you attack or destroy the cage before disarming the trap or lowering it using the mechanism, it will plummet into the chasm, killing Mayrina instantly.
- Mayrina Remains Captive: If you leave the area without saving Mayrina, she will remain in Auntie Ethel’s clutches. This will affect the questline related to her and her deceased husband.
FAQs: Rescuing Mayrina from Auntie Ethel
1. What level should I be to fight Auntie Ethel?
It is generally recommended to be level 4 or higher before attempting to fight Auntie Ethel. This will give you access to better spells and abilities.
2. Can I defeat Auntie Ethel without fighting her?
While difficult, it is theoretically possible to bypass the fight through dialogue checks or stealth. However, this doesn’t necessarily save Mayrina and may only delay the confrontation.
3. What happens if I accept Auntie Ethel’s deal?
If you accept Auntie Ethel’s deal and sacrifice an eye, you will receive a permanent debuff in exchange for Mayrina’s safety. This is generally considered a suboptimal choice, as the debuff can severely impact your character’s capabilities.
4. Where is the lever to open the fireplace passage?
The lever is hidden behind some tankards and jars on a shelf near the fireplace in the Riverside Teahouse. Interacting with the lever will reveal the hidden passage.
5. How do I deal with the illusions Auntie Ethel creates?
Focus on the Auntie Ethel that is actively casting spells or attacking. Examining her should reveal she is casting an illusionary spell. Use spells like See Invisibility or potions of invisibility detection to make it easier to identify the real Auntie Ethel.
6. What do the Whispering Masks do?
The Whispering Masks allow you to see through the illusions in Auntie Ethel’s lair. Specifically, they are needed to see the illusionary wall behind Mayrina’s cage, hiding the cage’s control mechanism.
7. What if I accidentally destroy the cage?
If you destroy the cage without disarming the trap or lowering it first, Mayrina will die. There’s no way to undo this, so be extremely careful when attacking near the cage.
8. Are there any alternative ways to free Mayrina?
Besides defeating Auntie Ethel and using the control mechanism, there are no other known methods to free Mayrina alive and unharmed. Attempts to teleport her or destroy the cage directly will likely result in her death.
9. What rewards do I get for saving Mayrina?
Saving Mayrina progresses her questline, which ultimately can lead to additional quests and rewards depending on how you choose to resolve her story. While the immediate reward isn’t significant, the long-term consequences can be quite impactful.
10. Can I use Speak with Dead on Mayrina if she dies?
Yes, if Mayrina dies, you can use the Speak with Dead spell to glean some information from her spirit. However, this won’t bring her back or change the outcome of the quest significantly.
11. What happens if I leave Mayrina in the cage?
If you leave the area without saving Mayrina, she will remain captive. This will affect the progression of her questline, potentially leading to a less favorable outcome.
12. Is it possible to respec my character during this quest?
Yes, you can respec your character using Withers at your camp. This can be useful if you want to optimize your party’s abilities for the fight against Auntie Ethel. However, consider that this might take time and resources, and you should decide if it is worth the investment.
13. Can I save Mayrina without killing Auntie Ethel?
It’s extremely difficult to save Mayrina without engaging in combat with Auntie Ethel. She will almost certainly attack you once you attempt to interfere with her plans.
14. What are the best spells to use against Auntie Ethel?
Spells that deal radiant damage are particularly effective against Auntie Ethel. Additionally, spells that can reveal illusions, such as See Invisibility, are incredibly useful.
15. Does my choice regarding Mayrina affect the overall story of Baldur’s Gate 3?
While saving or failing to save Mayrina doesn’t drastically alter the main storyline, it does have implications for her personal quest and her family’s fate. This can indirectly influence your interactions with certain characters and factions later in the game, as your reputation and choices can have a domino effect.