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The Grand Duke
The Grand Duke is a sub-quest of Wyll's Companion quest, The Blade of Frontiers. It is added to the journal when after arriving at Waukeen's Rest.
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Objectives
- We approached a burning in known as Waukeen's Rest. A group of Flaming Fist mercenaries believe Grand Duke Ravengard of Baldur's Gate is trapped inside, and are trying to break inside.
- We have yet to rescue anyone from the burning fires of Waukeen's Rest, including Grand Duke Ravengard.
- We discovered that Grand Duke Ravengard is not only an important figurehead in the city of Baldur's Gate - he is also Wyll's father.
- Drow abducted Grand Duke Ravengard from Waukeen's Rest. We agreed to help Counsellor Florrick find and rescue him from his captors. She believes they travelled westward from the inn.
- The woman trapped in the fires at Waukeen's Rest has died. Duke Ravengard's whereabouts are still unknown.
- Counsellor Florrick, the woman trapped in the fires at Waukeen's Rest, has died. Duke Ravengard's whereabouts are still unknown.
- The cult of the Absolute is based at Moonrise Towers. Perhaps that is where Grand Duke Ravengard was taken.
- We reached Moonrise Towers. It seems unlikely that a high-value asset like Grand Duke Ravengard would be confined with other prisoners; the deeper we delve into the towers, the closer we'll be to finding him.
- Grand Duke Ravengard was infected with an illithid tadpole. He is being transported to Baldur's Gate along with an enormous elder brain.
- Grand Duke Ravengard is gone from Gortash's audience chamber. His whereabouts are currently unknown. We should search the city for signs of the duke.
- Duke Ulder Ravengard is dead - but Mizora is still waiting to speak with us. We should return to her.
- Mizora asked us to meet her in camp. She has an important proposal to make regarding Wyll's father, Grand Duke Ravengard.
- Wyll severed his pact with Mizora, even after she hinted that she could help locate and rescue Grand Duke Ravengard. It would seem the duke is as good as dead, but perhaps we might still find and save him.
- Wyll agreed to an eternal pact with Mizora and the archdevil Zariel. In exchange, Mizora revealed that Grand Duke Ravengard was taken to Gortash's secret command centre. We should rescue him.
- We reached Gortash's secret command centre - the Iron Throne. Grand Duke Ravengard has to be here somewhere.
- We located Grand Duke Ravengard, but Mizora has no intention of letting us save him. Per the terms of Mizora's bargain, Wyll traded his own freedom for the life of his father.
- Mizora was true to her word: she helped us lead Grand Duke Ravengard to safety. We should return to the submersible and speak with him.
- We rescued Grand Duke Ravengard from the Iron Throne. We should speak with him in our camp; for now, The Emperor seems to be shielding him from the Absolute's voice.
- In exchange for an eternal pact with Wyll, Mizora resurrected Grand Duke Ravengard. We should speak with him.
- Wyll broke his pact with Mizora, even after she offered to resurrect his father. Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard is no more.
- Grand Duke Ravengard has been brought back from the dead and is free from the Absolute's influence, thanks to the Emperor. He will make a formidable ally when the time comes to face the elder brain.
- Grand Duke Ravengard has died.
- We rescued Grand Duke Ravengard from the Iron Throne, and he is free from the Absolute's influence, thanks to the Emperor. He will make a formidable ally when the time comes to face the elder brain.
Walkthrough
Waukeen's Rest
Waukeen's Rest (X:-65, Y:609) is an inn located on the Risen Road. As the part approaches, they smell smoke and hear shouting. Move to the front entrance to find a group of Flaming Fists trying to bust down the door. Gauntlet Yeva explains that Grand Duke Ravengard could be in there.
- What happened to this place?
- Grand Duke Ravengard?
- [STRENGTH] Push against the wreckage. (DC 10)
If the first two options are chosen, Yeva explains that the inn was raided by drow and goblins. Grand Duke Ravengard was lost during the raid.
A successful Strength check smashes the door open and the Fists rush inside. Go straight into the room to find a set of stairs - climb it to find the two remaining survivors - Counsellor Florrick and Benryn. Attempting to rescue Benryn starts Rescue the Trapped Man.
Florrick is in the northern room (X:-57, Y:618), which the Fists swarm as they enter the building. Attack the broken door and she is freed, then she runs out of the inn with the Fists in tow.
After rescuing her from the burning inn, Counsellor Florrick grants the party a choice between three items, which all share the same ability:
After learning of the Duke's kidnapping, it is also revealed that Ravengard is Wyll's father. This starts part of Wyll's companion quest, The Grand Duke.
At the Goblin Camp, the party can learn slightly more. If the party does a toast after poisoning the booze tub (X: -99 Y:442). As part of the toast, Warlock Gurk says "To tha' duke's face when we gave 'im to the drow!"
Last Light Inn
During Act Two, the party encounters Counsellor Florrick at the Last Light Inn with an entourage of Flaming Fists. She asks if the party have made any inroads with Moonrise Towers.Regardless of the response, she implores the party to keep looking. Florrick, however, has to depart for Baldur's Gate to seek reinforcements.
Moonrise Towers
In Moonrise Towers Prison, the party can ask the Warden if she's seen the Duke. However, she simply responds that he sounds important and that she only deals with the dregs down in the prison. The party can also interrogate the corpse of a dead goblin scout, Sharp-Eye Lora, who reveals that she took prisoners to the Towers including a duke.
The Duke can only be found near the end of Act Two, during Defeat Ketheric Thorm. In the Mind Flayer Colony, as the party chases after Ketheric Thorm, they encounter the Chosen Three - Thorm, Orin the Red, and Enver Gortash. In addition, they have an unexpected guest - Ulder Ravengard. The party watches in the shadows as the trio infect Ravengard with a mind flayer tadpole and then whisk him away to Baldur's Gate.
Wyrm's Rock Fortress
In Act Three, Duke Ravengard is encountered once again after completing Find a way into Wyrm's Rock fortress. Once the party enters Wyrm's Rock Fortress, Gortash takes control of a Steel Watcher and invites the party to his coronation. Ravengard is in the Audience Chamber with Gortash and officiates Gortash's swearing in as Archduke of Baldur's Gate. Immediately after the ceremony, Ravengard can be spoken to. If that party says that Florrick sent them, he says that Florrick is a black widow who betrayed the city, and that she was punished. Choosing to connect with Ravengard's parasite to seek information about Florrick reveals that she is imprisoned in Wyrm's Rock Prison and set to be executed, starting Free Counselor Florrick. If the party prods Ravengard's mind further, they find that deep uncertainty and fear of an illithid invasion is within him, indicating his mind hasn't fully been taken over.
Once the coronation is complete, Mizora appears and reveals that Duke Ravengard is already being moved to another location to be disposed of. She refuses to elaborate and tells the party to go to camp. After a Long Rest, Mizora appears before Wyll to present a new contract - an eternity of servitude for Zariel in exchange for rescuing the Duke. If Wyll signs the contract, she reveals that Duke Ravengard is in Gortash's underwater prison, the Iron Throne and promises to keep him from harm. Otherwise, if Wyll breaks the contract, Mizora states that he's as good as dead, but that she plans to stick around to see what happens.
If the party ignores the coronation and moves into the Lower City, then Duke Ravengard remains in the Audience Hall with Gortash until the ceremony is completed. If the party completes the questline Disable the Steel Watch without attending the coronation, then the entirety of Wyrm's Rock Fortress becomes hostile, including Duke Ravengard. To ensure that the Duke can be rescued, it is advised to attend the coronation, speak to Mizora, and take a long rest to ensure that he can be found in his intended location.
The Iron Throne
Even if Wyll does not sign the contract with Mizora, Duke Ravengard can still be found alive. The party can either stumble upon him randomly while exploring the Lower City, or by completing Disable the Steel Watch, Save the Gondians, or Avenge the Ironhands.
Duke Ravengard is in the block of cells directly east from the ladder to the submersible. He is in the middle cell, and has only 35 HP. He will also have the Fiendish Obeisance status, unless the player simply did not recruit Wyll. Upon opening the door to his cell, the party gains control over the Duke's movements. However, once he leaves the cell, if Wyll broke his pact with Mizora, then she appears and summons multiple Combustion Belly Spiderlings to kill the duke. She orders him to kneel while the spiderlings explode on their turn. The Duke can be saved by healing him while he is in his cell (via Healing Word, throwing healing potions, or other tactics) or through spells like Arcane Gate.
If Duke Ravengard is saved, he stays at camp under the protection of the Astral Prism. If Wyll was recruited, the pair can reconcile, and Ravengard asks the party to seek out Ansur, Baldur's Gate's guardian dragon who sleeps under the city.
Quest Rewards
- If Duke Ravengard is rescued, he becomes an ally as part of Gather Your Allies
Notes
- Long Resting after approaching Waukeen's Rest results in both Counsellor Florrick and Benryn dying. Fast traveling to another location also causes their deaths.