Grymforge: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:41, 20 February 2025

Underdark
Decrepit Village
↑
	Grymforge	→	Shadow-Cursed Lands
↓
Abandoned Refuge

Grymforge is a Location within the Underdark in Act One of Baldur's Gate 3. It encompasses the legendary Adamantine Forge and the lesser Ancient Forge, also known as the Abandoned Refuge. It can be accessed by traversing the Ebonlake using the Zurkhwood Skiffs at the Underdark Beach.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Built by worshippers of the Shar in time immemorial, this long-abandoned fortress has been recently given a second life, with the forces of the Absolute skittering through crumbling ruins and devilish lava pools, bolstering their armaments and seeking a safe incursion point to march their army into the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

Duergar mercenaries billeted at the lower levels of the forge are commanding a group of enslaved Ironhand gnomes to free the commander of the local special forces, True Soul Nere, from a sudden cave-in. The only member of the group capable of clearing the cave-in has gone missing, and the duergar are willing to reward anybody who finds the runaway, dead or alive.

Access[edit | edit source]

The entry to Grymforge is through the Decrepit Village, Underdark at X: -7 Y: -210 by taking the skiff from the beach docks.

As a medium-sized location, reaching here at Level 4 gains the party 75 XP, or 150 XP at Level 5.

Duergar encampment[edit | edit source]

Accessible immediately upon arrival to the Grymforge, this is the main base of operations for the local Duergar mercenaries. It encompasses the lower areas of the Grymforge and spans from the entry docks below to the True Soul Nere's cave-in above. In order to progress to the upper-most levels of the area and eventually reach the Ancient Forge, the party must traverse through the Abandoned Temple to the north-east, or blast through a smaller cave-in to the north-west. In the duergar encampment there are several characters the party members can interact with.

Murmath and the spiders[edit | edit source]

Murmath can be encountered near the entrance of Grymforge at X: -626 Y: 373, surrounded by drow corpses, among them Jhaam, and several spiders. If approaching, the party can use Speak with Animals to listen to the conversation between Lur Xanta and the other spiders. Xanta is trying to convince the other spiders to leave Murmath and join the cult of Lolth. Depending on dialogue choices, the other spiders can attack Xanta, or be convinced to join the cult.

Magmar and Pistle[edit | edit source]

The wards Magmar and Pistle can be encountered at X: -606 Y: 384, where they guard the elevator leading to the Shadow-Cursed Lands. If trying to access the elevator, Magmar asks whether the party have a Moonlantern. This is the first mentioning about this type of defence against shadows within cursed territory through the game plot. However, if insisting on using the elevator without a lantern, Magmar is careless with his guard duties and allows the party passage.

Magmar and Pistle maltreat an enslaved deep gnome named Skickpit, demanding him to repeatedly fetch more beer from the barrel at the foot of the stairs.

If freeing Skickpit, the party must deal with Magmar and Pistle by attacking them or pissing them off in dialogue. The other option is to tamper their beer by combining the stained cask at the bottom of the stairs at X: -616 Y: 391 with a Basic Poison or some other toxin.

Kith and Gergerann[edit | edit source]

Stonemason Kith is investigating the history of the Grymforge together with Gergerann at X: -660 Y: 375. He also serves as Trader. If spoken to the first time, he asks for the party's assistance. A party member can examine the statue, rubble and general area. Upon passing each skill check, they discover that the statue is recent, implying two different eras of occupants to the fortress, and that the rubble and glassy stones within the debris indicate the nearby wall was smashed through by something large from the Hells. If the party member passes all three skill checks and reports to Kith, he gifts them a piece of Infernal Alloy. Otherwise, the infernal alloy can be purchased from his inventory.

Brithvar and Kur[edit | edit source]

Brithvar can be encountered discussing with his lieutenant Kur at X: 624 Y: 355. He can be convinced to lead a mutiny against Nere through advancing Blind the Absolute, causing half the duergar to fight against Nere once the drow is freed. After taking a long rest, he and the surviving duergar leave Grymforge before Absolute reinforcements arrive. He can be persuaded or intimidated into leaving the enslaved deep gnomes behind, allowing them to return to Baldur's Gate.

Thrinn and the gnome slaves[edit | edit source]

Thrinn can be encountered at X: -643 Y: 300, where she is organizing the rescue attempt to free Nere from the cave-in. She commands several deep gnome slaves who are forced to remove the rockfall. To save Nere, the gnomes tell the party to find Philomeen, a runaway gnome in possession of an Runepowder Vial capable of destroying the rubble.

Abandoned Temple[edit | edit source]

This area primarily occupies the north-eastern region of the location map. It is accessed either through a set of locked and hidden doors east of the entry docks, or through the upper floors of Grymforge when progressing from the north-western cave-in. Dangerous creatures have found home in these desolate halls, such as Ochre Jelly or Hellsboars.

Ancient Forge[edit | edit source]

Map of the Ancient Forge and the Adamantine Forge to the south-east.

To the far south of Grymforge, through a series of contraptions and ruins, there is an entry to the Abandoned Refuge, also known as the Ancient Forge, and there is the 'Underdark - Ancient Forge' waypoint. It can be accessed by navigating through the forge grating at the upper levels, reached either by progressing through the trapped bridge that the north-western cave-in led to, or by taking the Abandoned Temple route. Abilities such as Misty Step, Enhance Leap, or Fly can be of help to find other paths through the terrain.

Adamantine Forge[edit | edit source]

If continuing on the Ancient Forge route, there will be the magnum opus of a long-forgotten Sharran blacksmith - the legendary Adamantine Forge, capable of smithing the mythical Mithral Ore into armaments of exceptional quality. It is clearly visible from the Abandoned Refuge vista and can be accessed by traversing south-east, down from the 'Underdark - Ancient Forge' waypoint, past the lava pools and across the collapsing bridge.

History[edit | edit source]

The original Grymforge fortress was built in an unknown age by a group of Sharran followers. Those Sharrans used the fortress for approximately eight hundred years, after which it was abandoned. Grymforge was not re-inhabited until Ketheric Thorm's Dark Justiciar army were brought in to rebuild it. ^[1]

After this, the Grymforge served as a base of operations for Ketheric and his Justiciars. Among these Sharrans was Silouv Yali, a gnome well known for his wizarding talents. Yali guided the Sharrans in building the Adamantine Forge, which was able to heat mithral to great enough temperatures to forge adamantine. As well, he conjured Grym, a construct who protects the forge. ^[2]

While Ketheric's forces worked to destroy Reithwin and its surrounding Selûnite population, a Selûnite resistance lead by Mordfred worked to oppose him. The Justiciars proved too strong however, forcing Mordfred to make a bargain with Raphael in desperation; destroy the Justiciars in return for his soul.^[3]

Raphael sent the orthon Yurgir and his merregons to the Grymforge. Yurgir smashed through the cities walls, leaving behind hellish glass. ^[4] Together, he and his merregons wiped out the Justiciar presence. While Yurgir and most of his legion left to remove the Justiciars from the Gaunlet of Shar, some merregons remained in Grymforge.

List of interactions[edit | edit source]

Passing all three checks when speaking to the Stonemason to receive infernal plate
Convincing the spiders to unite under Lolth
Finding Philomeen and negotiating for a Runepowder Vial
Saving True Soul Nere
Saving the gnome slaves