Avenge the Ironhands

Avenge the Ironhands is a quest in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be started by speaking to Wulbren in Moonrise Towers at the end of Act Two or by approaching the gate to Wyrm's Crossing in Rivington.

Objectives

Meet the Ironhand Gnomes in Baldur's Gate.

The Ironhand Gnomes are planning something big in Baldur's Gate. We should look for them once we arrive in the city.

Follow the gnomes.

A group of deep gnomes attacked a Steel Watcher when it scanned us - saving us. They fled. We should follow them.

Search for the gnomes.

The deep gnomes didn't survive, but they must have come from somewhere close by. We should find their hideout.

Speak to Wulbren.

We discovered the deep gnomes' hideout.

Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

Wulbren wants to crush the Gondians for serving Gortash and supplying him with Steel Watchers. He asked us to sneak into their Steel Watch Foundry and destroy it.
In order to blow up the Foundry, Wulbren gave us a powerful explosive called a runepowder bomb. We need to plant it somewhere in the Steel Watch Foundry.
Barcus is adamant that there is a peaceful way to deal with the Gondians - one that doesn't need violence.

Find the right place to use the runepowder bomb.

We've arrived in the Steel Watch Foundry. We need to find the perfect place to use the runepowder bomb, otherwise it won't do enough damage.

Inspect the Neurocitor.

We have found the heart of the Foundry - the Neurocitor. We should examine it.

Find another way to destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

We used the runepowder bomb. We need to find another way to destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

Use the code to destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

We learned of a way to destroy the Foundry using the Neurocitor. We need to enter code 'Nebelun' then increase it to maximum output.

Speak to Wulbren.

The Foundry has been destroyed. Wulbren will be pleased.

Quest Complete

Wulbren is gone, his quest for vengeance with him.
Wulbren was delighted to discover that the Foundry was destroyed, and that all the Gondians are dead. He's offered us the might of the Ironhand Gnomes - should we ever need it.
Wulbren claimed that so long as a single Gondian was alive, the city would be in danger. We agreed and dealt with the survivors.
Wulbren wanted us to kill the remaining Gondians - we refused. Enraged, he attacked.
Wulbren wanted us to kill the remaining Gondians - we refused. He stormed off, promising revenge.
We encouraged Barcus to take Wulbren's place as leader of the Ironhand Gnomes - and he delivered. He ousted Wulbren, and negotiated peace between the two factions. Wulbren stormed off, promising revenge.
We moved on without dealing with the Steel Watch Foundry.
With Gortash dead, the Steel Watch destroyed the Foundry that created them - and the Gondians we were tasked with eliminating.

Walkthrough

If Wulbren was rescued as part of Rescue Wulbren, he appears in Moonrise Towers after Defeat Ketheric Thorm is completed. Here, he can be spoken to and mentions grand plans for the city of Baldur's Gate. This adds the quest to the quest log, but the bulk of the quest does not commence until Act Three starts.

The gnomes are encountered once the party approaches the checkpoint and answers the Flaming Fist's questions, having the Steel Watcher scan them. As the party is about to be arrested as enemies of The Absolute, a group of rebel gnomes pops up and use a Sunflash grenade to disable the machine. The Flaming Fists at the checkpoint give chase, and the gnomes run off somewhere to the east.

The gnome cave location.

The gnome hideout can be accessed by climbing down a set of vines X: 38 Y: 26. Approaching the cave triggers a DC 15 Survival check which, if passed, reveals a set of footprints leading into the cave.

After entering the cave, a gnome greets the party, stating the boss hasn't forgotten what they did for him at Moonrise Towers. Wulbren X: -258 Y: -1084 can be found in the southwestern room, along with Barcus, if he survived. Wulbren states that the city has gone to hell and that the Gondians are responsible for it. They created the Steel Watchers who are guarding the city. Refusing to go along with Wulbren's plan earns the Inspirational Event Keeping Your Hands Clean (Folk Hero background). Afterwards, the party can speak to Wulbren again to accept the plan and receive the Runepowder Bomb.

Investigating the Steel Watch Foundry

The Steel Watch Roof has an entrance.

The Steel Watch Foundry is in the southwestern corner of the Lower City, near the Grey Harbour Waypoint. There are multiple ways into the Foundry - including lockpicking (DC 20) the iron gates X: -234 Y: -181, entering a vent in Wild Shape form X: -246 Y: -126, or flying onto the roof and jumping down from an open hatch X: -295 Y: -135.

There are two Steel Watchers guarding the front entrance - one which patrols the front and western side of the building, and another which stays on the western side near the loading dock. The Steel Watcher patrolling the front can easily be avoided by lockpicking the front gate and door while the Watcher is on the western side.

The Gondian's plight

Prinski's Motivation Sequence and the Motivators allow the Banites to control the Gondians.

Once the Foundry has been entered, a cutscene plays, revealing that the Gondians are being forced to work by Banite cultists, under threat of explosive collars and their families being murdered. If the party approaches, the Banites move to attack the cultists and bid the Gondians to aid them. It is possible to convince the Gondians to help fight back:

[INTIMIDATION] Gondians! Fight back! Do not let these people torment you. (DC 18)
[PERSUASION] I am here to help, Gondians. Together, we can free you all. (DC 18)
[PALADIN] [PERSUASION] I am here to help, Gondians. Together, we can free you all. (DC 18 )
[BERSERKER] [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] Cowardly Gondians - do not let these people torment you! Fight. (DC 18 )
[BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] COWARDLY GONDIANS - FIGHT BACK! FIGHT WITH ME! (DC 18 )
[ROGUE] [PERSUASION] A proposal, Gondians. You hold these arseholes, and I stab them all to death? (DC 18 )
[BARD] [PERSUASION] I've heard many a tale of Gondian genius and courage. Let us write another today - and take down your captors. (DC 18 )
Touch these people, and I'll kill you.

If the skill checks are passed, the Gondians help the party. Otherwise, they are too scared to fight against the Banites and remain hostile until Black Gauntlet Tamia Holzt is defeated. Upon her death, the Motivator she carries begins to activate and can be deactivated with an Intelligence roll (DC 5). After the battle, the Gondians begin to panic and state that their families are being kept hostage.

In order to gain more information, the party must go into the Security Office. The key can be looted off of Tamia Holzt's body, or lockpicked (DC 15). Only one Gondian is inside - Zanner Toobin, who immediately recognizes the party as intruders. He explains more about the Gondian's families being held hostage and beg the party to rescue his daughter. If the party agrees, he will help shut the place down. This begins Save the Gondians.

Forsaking the Gondians

Destroying the Foundry

Save the Gondians does not need to be undertaken to finish Avenge the Ironhands. If the party fails to disable the Motivator and the Gondians die, the party can delve deeper into the Foundry and plant the runepowder bomb. If the runepowder bomb was not taken, Zanner's body can be spoken to with Speak with Dead and he provides the code to destroy the Foundry. Otherwise, the party can choose to forsake the Gondians and plant the bomb, killing them in the process.

Going deep within the Foundry, the party needs to sneak or fight their way to the Control Centre Antechamber on the western side of the facility. This leads to a hallway filled with Steel Watcher brains, and the control room beyond.

The Titan

In order to get to the console to disable the Steel Watch and destroy the Foundry, the party must defeat the Steel Watch Titan, a level 12 enemy, and three level 11 Hellfire Watchers. These must be dealt with to gain access to the Neurociter which controls the Foundry. The Titan will drop the legendary longbow Gontr Mael. After the fight, the party can use the code gained from Zanner or plant the Runepowder Bomb. The fight can be skipped entirely by using Invisibility to walk past the Steel Watchers and interact with the Neurociter.

The Ironhands arrive

Wulbren and the Ironhands arrive to take down the Gondians.

The Ironhand Gnomes appear once the Foundry explodes to confront any surviving Gondians and congratulate the party. Wulbren states that any Gondians must be killed, as they are a threat to Baldur's Gate. If Barcus is alive, he interjects that the Gondians are no threat and that Wulbren has been a negative influence on the Ironhands.

Choosing these options causes Barcus to step up as the new leader of the Ironhand Gnomes, and both the Gondians and the Ironhand Gnomes to become allies to the party:

[GOOD CLERIC] [PERSUASION] You carry the light and love of all that is good, Barcus. I think you would make an excellent leader of the Ironhands, don't you? (DC 10)
[DEEP GNOME] [PERSUASION] By all that glitters, perhaps the Ironhand Gnomes need a new leader. What say you, Barcus? (DC 10)
[ROGUE] [PERSUASION] There's no honour among thieves, Barcus - and same goes for the Ironhands. Take Wulbren's place, lead them yourself! (DC 10)
[ROGUE] [PERSUASION] If this was an epic of old, Barcus here would summon his courage - and lead the Ironhand Gnomes. (DC 10)
[PERSUASION] Perhaps the Ironhand Gnomes need a new leader. What say you, Barcus? (DC 15)

Threatening Wulbren causes him to walk away if successful, promising death on both the party and the Gondians:

[BERSERKER] [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] Leave, Wulbren - or I'll cleave that thick skull of yours in two. (DC 18)
[BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] LEAVE, LITTLE WULBREN. OR DIE. (DC 18)
[ROGUE] [INTIMIDATION] I know a hundred ways to kill you, Wulbren. So I'm only going to say this once - walk away (DC 18)
[FIGHTER] [INTIMIDATION] You are outnumbered and outmatched, Wulbren. Retreat - now. (DC 18)
[INTIMIDATION] Walk away Wulbren - I won't ask twice. (DC 18)
[WILD MAGIC] [SORCERER] [INTIMIDATION] Wulbren, I could burn you alive - and possibly myself. But that's a chance I'm willing to take - walk away. (DC 18)
[SORCERER] [INTIMIDATION] Wulbren, don't make me burn you to a crisp. Walk away. (DC 18)
[OATH OF VENGEANCE] [INTIMIDATION] Leave now, little Wulbren, or I'll split you from head to navel - and that's a promise. (DC 18)

Otherwise, the party can choose to side with the Gondians and a fight ensues:

I won't let you hurt the Gondians.
Toobin has suffered enough - I won't let you hurt him.

...or the Ironhand Gnomes:

Wulbren makes a good point - you must die for the city, Gondians.
Sorry Toobin - I guess this is it for you.

If none of the hostages were saved from the Iron Throne, Wulbren points out the dead bodies floating in the harbour. If the party had previously told Zanner that they survived, he and the Gondians become hostile and attack the party automatically.

Quest rewards

Gontr Mael - a legendary weapon dropped by the Steel Watch Titan
A new ally for Gather Your Allies - potentially both the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians, or one or the other.

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