Among the many decisions players will be forced to make throughout their Baldur's Gate 3 campaign, the one near the end of the story is arguably the most important. With the fate of the world at stake, players will have to choose between setting the imprisoned Gith Prince Orpheus free or leaving The Emperor to handle the situation himself.
After grabbing the Orphic Hammer in the House of Hope, Baldur's Gate 3 players will get the opportunity to shatter Orpheus' shackles. However, this may not be the best thing to do, as it can drastically affect the party's own destiny. Here are the possible outcomes for this scenario.
There are many ways you can follow in Baldur's Gate 3 to reach The Wyrmway.
Updated on February 29, 2024, by Nahda Nabiilah: In addition to all the tough decisions players must make, they also need to defeat Ketheric Throm, Lord Enver Gortash, and Orin before they can decide Orpheus’ destiny. To achieve this, players have to thoroughly explore both the upper and the lower districts of Baldur’s Gate, locating each of the three "chosen ones" and slaughtering them individually. Moreover, the decision holds a significant weight, as some Baldur’s Gate 3 companions may choose to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause. To alter their opinions and make them stick around before and after facing the Netherbrain’s battle, players must be well-prepared, as certain interactions require a roll of 30.
The following contains spoilers for the ending of Baldur's Gate 3. Reader discretion is advised.
This is a tough decision to make, and it'll depend on what players want out of their playthrough. At the start of Act 3, the Emperor will tell players that keeping Orpheus contained is the only thing preventing the party from turning into Illithids. Naturally, if Orpheus is freed, one or all the members of the party may be doomed to become Mind Flayers.
After failing to beat the Netherbrain, the Emperor will teleport the party inside the Astral Prism. Here, they will be presented with a choice: do they free Orpheus, or do they let the Emperor assimilate the Gith Prince to exploit his power?
Side With The Emperor
Siding with the Emperor spells the end for Orpheus, as he absorbs all his brain's knowledge. Lae'zel and Karlach might not appreciate this as his survival is tied directly to their personal quests. This will give the party the advantage they need to beat the Netherbrain, but it might not be the most appealing outcome to the fans of these characters.
Freeing Orpheus
On the other hand, freeing Orpheus will cause the Emperor to side with the Netherbrain in Baldur's Gate 3. Also, as mentioned earlier, at least one of the party members may be doomed to become a Mind Flayer, which is counter-intuitive to the reason they got together in the first place. However, Orpheus will join the fight against the Netherbrain alongside the rest of the Githyanki in the encounter, and if you ask the Gith Prince to turn into the Mind Flayer in their stead, he won't hesitate to save his people.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayers, and they should free Orpheus if they don't mind risking having tentacles on them or their companions. The former may cause Lae'zel to turn against the player, and it will force Karlach to return to Avernus, so her Infernal Engine doesn't cause any more problems. Either way, it'll be up to the players to decide which outcome suits them more.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayers
Mind Flayers
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids (commonly known as mind flayers) are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark.
Freeing Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3 can result in the party becoming mind flayers, leading to a gloomy ending. Siding with the Emperor means losing a character and facing a harder Netherbrain fight. The choice in BG3 is a sacrifice, with no real winner, and all options mean losing something in return.
What Happens if You Attack the Emperor. Long story short: it's a game over. You need the Emperor alive, as he's actually the only one who's preventing you from being completely corrupted by the Absolute. If you fight him, you'll go up against his Intellect Devourer brain creatures, as well as the Githyanki invaders.
He will make threatening remarks that emphasize the control he seeks to have over his chosen adventurer, and he will even completely betray the party and join the Netherbrain if the player seeks to free Prince Orpheus.
There are two paths that help you free Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3, either using the Orphic Hammer to break his chains or sacrificing a character to become a Mind Flayer. Before thinking about this, you must travel towards the Elder Brain hidden far below the Lower City in Act 3.
Freeing Orpheus, and then having him become a Mind-flayer to destroy the Netherbrain and then submitting himself to death = the Best "Good" ending. For a few reasons. 2. If betrayed the Emperor immediately shows their true colors, and joins the villains.
You can obey Vlaakith or choose to side with Orpheus, and your decision will change Lae'zel's fate at the end of the game. Generally speaking, you shouldn't force Lae'zel to obey Vlaakith. If she goes against Vlaakith, Lae'zel leaves for the Astral Plane at the end of the game and leads a rebellion to save her people.
Freeing Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3 is one way for Tav to be cured of their parasite, and using the Orphic Hammer is one way to do that. However, doing so doesn't lead to the happiest ending, and doing so with Raphael's assistance makes it even worse.
Though your choice to trust the Emperor is completely up to you as a player and your character's morals, if you're wondering if the Emperor is the "good guy," we can safely say, by definition of his actions, that he is not.
House of Hope - If you decline Raphael's offer, want to reclaim your contract, or just do a bit of exploration, you can find the Orphic Hammer in the House of Hope, a hellish domain in Avernus.
If you choose dialogue option three after she says so, you'll get a minute to chat to her about the choice. You can even do this if you free Orpheus—you just have to select Karlach and talk to him as her, accepting that you'll become a Mind Flayer.
Through all three Acts, the Emperor generally serves as a guide, and unlikely ally to the party, having the means to protect their minds from the influence of the Absolute, through the use of the prisoner within the Astral Prism.
You can rescue Orpheus once you've defeated Ketheric Thorm, Orin the Red, and Lord Gortash and collected the three Netherstones. Once those main quests are squared away, you'll have to travel across the Morphic Pools located below the Lower City to reach the Elder Brain.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayers, and they should free Orpheus if they don't mind risking having tentacles on them or their companions.
Prince Orpheus is the only child of Mother Gith, who rose up to free her people from the tyranny of the Illithid Empire, and possesses the same mind block power as his mother. After he learned that Vlaakith had betrayed his mother, Orpheus rose up to fight her but lost and ended up trapped in the Astral Prism.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayers, and they should free Orpheus if they don't mind all the tentacles. The former may cause Lae'zel to turn against the player, and it will force Karlach to return to Avernus so her Infernal Engine doesn't cause any more problems.
By turning Orpheus into a mind flayer, you will prevent the prince from becoming personally involved in the revolution of the githyanki people against Vlaakith. This may have severe consequences against their efforts.
Nope. Killing the Emperor is integral to the DB storyline. If he was left alive, no one would fear the Dark Brotherhood... and therefore would have no power or influence in Skyrim.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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