Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders

Sister Yannis is concerned about the veracity of Valeria's investigation.

Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders is a Quest in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be started by speaking with Sister Yannis in the Open Hand Temple.

Objectives

Gather information about the murders.

• We've been asked to look into the deaths of Father Lorgan and Brilgor at the Open Hand Temple. Sister Yannis, the temple's rector, believes Brilgor's been blamed for the crime too hastily by Investigator Valeria.
• Sister Rose told us that Father Lorgan's corpse was missing a hand, cut off before he died. We should keep looking for more information.
• We learned that Father Lorgan was frozen in place by some sort of paralytic poison before he died. We should keep looking for evidence.
• Brother Donnick told us that Brilgor's body is out back in the cemetery, and Father Lorgan's is in the infirmary. We should check out both corpses for evidence.
• By speaking with the dead, we learned that a dwarf clad in red killed both Father Lorgan and Brilgor. We need hard proof to exonerate Brilgor, however, and should check out the murder scene.

Find the crime scene.

• We learned that Father Lorgan uses the temple crypt to hide imperilled refugees. We should examine the crypt to learn more.
• The corpse of Brilgor mentioned that he and Father Lorgan were murdered in a hidden tunnel beneath the Open Hand Temple - we can access it through the temple crypt.
• Brother Donnick told us that Father Lorgan's corpse was found in the crypt underneath the temple kitchens. We could look there to find more information.
• The corpse of Father Lorgan mentioned that he and Brilgor were murdered in a hidden tunnel beneath the Open Hand Temple - we can access it through the temple crypt.

Investigate the crime scene.

• A trail of blood ran from the Open Hand Temple crypt into a secret passage through nearby caves. We should follow it to find more evidence.
• We discovered the name of Father Lorgan's killer - Dolor. A name alone will not be enough to exonerate Brilgor, however.
• We found the weapon used to slay Father Lorgan and Brilgor - a dagger steeped in paralytic poison. It's good evidence - but we need something else to prove this crime wasn't just a murderous refugee.

Find the lock to fit the flower key.

• One of the doppelganger assassins underneath the Open Hand Temple had a strange, flowery key. We should find what it opens.
• We found a murder weapon and flowery key underneath the Open Hand Temple. We should check what the key opens.

Investigate Fraygo's Flophouse and find a use for the flower key.

• Fraygo's Flophouse is adorned with flowery motifs matching the key we found underneath the Open Hand Temple. We should see what the key unlocks.
• A key in Fraygo's Flophouse perfectly matches one we found under the Open Hand Temple. We should see if we can find more evidence about Father Lorgan's murder in the flophouse.
• We learned from a dead doppelganger assassin that the flowery key we found unlocks something in a flophouse - something that will reveal Dolor's secrets.

Report your findings to Investigator Valeria.

• We found the lair of a Bhaalist murderer in Fraygo's Flophouse. A target list in the lair details the killer's instructions - slay specific Baldurians and frame the Absolute for it. Father Lorgan, priest of the nearby Open Hand Temple, is named on the list. Perhaps we should warn someone.

Quest Complete

• Investigator Valeria wasn't pleased about it, but she accepted our evidence exonerating Brilgor. She asked us to bring the Target List to Gauntlet Devella in the Lower City to help solve another open case.
• Investigator Valeria is gone for good - as is our chance of clearing Brilgor's name.
• Investigator Valeria quickly realised Brilgor was not to blame for Father Lorgan's murder after her kidnap by the Bhaalist cult - his name is clear.
• We didn't have time to clear Brilgor's name before we had to face our ultimate foe.

Walkthrough

Gather information

Within the Open Hand Temple, Sister Yannis is having a conversation with Investigator Valeria at X: -44 Y: -6. They are discussing the recent murder of Father Lorgan, which Valeria is investigating. Valeria states that the case is closed, implicating a refugee, Brilgor, as the culprit. Unsatisfied by this conclusion and feeling that the investigation is shoddy, Yannis asks the party if they will investigate. Choosing "If you think the Investigator did a shoddy job, I can look into the murder for you." or "Let me help you - I'll look around, see if there's anything to prove Brilgor innocent." has the party agreeing to investigate the case. She gives the party free reign to investigate any area of the temple, should they agree. Agreeing to investigate grants the following inspiration:

•  Assistant to the Extra-Planar Agent ( Sage backgrounds)
•  Drama Sleuth ( Entertainer backgrounds)
•  Trusting Your Instincts ( Folk Hero backgrounds)

Sister Rose at X: -58 Y: -21 is in the same room as Father Lorgan's corpse, which is laying on a bed. If "I'm looking into Lorgan's death. I need to ask you some questions." is chosen, some answers can be acquired from Rose. Choosing "Who do you think killed Father Lorgan?" or "How did he die?" has Rose revealing that she found a paralytic poison on Lorgan's wounds and that his hand was sawed off to the bone.

Brother Donnick at X: -57 Y: 11 is in the kitchen, and provides information on the location of Brilgor's corpse. He was buried out back, behind the temple X: -106 Y: -19, and his casket can be dug up with a shovel.

Using  Speak with Dead, more information can be gleaned from both Brilgor and Father Lorgan.

Lorgan's corpse reveals answers about his murder.

Questioning Lorgan:

• Who are you?

  • Father Lorgan

    Lorgan... Reverend... Open Hand...

• Who killed you?

  • Father Lorgan

    Dwarf... dressed in red...

    • Why did he kill you?

      • Narrator

        *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

• What were you doing when you died?

  • Father Lorgan

    Hiding Brilgor... from Fists...

    • Why were you hiding Brilgor?

      • Father Lorgan

        Must protect... innocents... Ilmater's will

    • Where did you hide him?

      • Father Lorgan

        Took him to tunnels... with the rest... fool... fool...

• How did you die?

  • Father Lorgan

    A poisoned blade... paralysis...

• Where were you attacked?

  • Father Lorgan

    Tunnels from the cellar... refuge...

Find the Crime Scene

Location of the hatch.

The crime scene can be found via a hatch in the kitchen at X: -62 Y: 3. There are pools of blood which can be followed to the exact location of the murders. However, the drops of blood abruptly stops in front of what appears to be a stone wall. There are three ways to get past this and into the secret tunnels beyond:

1. Venturing into the adjoining room to the south and jumping over the cracks in the wall at X: 16 Y: -1026.
2. Opeming the secret door in the crypt by locating the secret buttons in there. These buttons are obscured by heraldry at X: 17 Y: -1000 and at X: 18 Y: -1015 on the walls to the left and right of the stone wall.
3. Using the entrance directly under the bridge of Wyrm's Crossing (on the path which leads the encounter between the Stone Lord's and Nine Fingers' thugs) is a cave entrance; this leads to the tunnels.

The heraldry hides buttons to the secret tunnel.

Moving into the tunnels, the party can encounter three dopplegangers: Muzz, Rudd, and Zomm. These dopplegangers instantly become hostile to the party. After killing them, Muzz's body holds the Field Report - Deathstalker Zumm, which reveals the name of the murderer, Dolor. Zomm's body carries a Flowery Key.

Zomm's body can be spoken to with  Speak with Dead, revealing more information about Dolor:

• Who are you?

  • Zomm

    Zomm... Faceless... Eater of men...

• Did you kill Father Lorgan?

  • Zomm

    No... Dolor did... Splendid... Kill...

• What were you doing here?

  • Zomm

    Cleaning up... Dolor... Messy...

    • Zomm

      Left his dagger... Careless...

• Who is Dolor?

  • Zomm

    Our blood-red dwarf... Tricky... Hungry...

• Where is Dolor now?

  • Narrator

    *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

• Is Dolor one of you?

  • Zomm

    Yes... But wants... More...

• What does Dolor want?

  • Zomm

    Transcendence...

• Who do you work for?

  • Zomm

    We... We...

    • Narrator

      *The corpse tries to speak, but something prevents it.*

• Why did you want this dagger so much?

  • Zomm

    Strong... Paralyses...

• How many more of you are there?

  • Narrator

    *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

• I found this flowery key. What is it for?

  • Zomm

    Flophouse... Dolor's secrets...

Location of the hole with the murder weapon.

Identifying Dolor grants the  Truth Shines Through inspiration for party members with the  Folk Hero background.

If passing a perception roll, the party can notice a hole in the ground at X: 67 Y: -1018, which contains the murder weapon, Stillmaker.

The Flower Key

The Flower Key opens up a set of hidden doors at the uppermost level of Fraygo's Flophouse at X: -6 Y: :72. After going up the stairs of the Flophouse, a ladder at X: -12 Y: 87 leads to the top floor where a red wardrobe can be found at X: -17 Y: 82. Interacting with this door automatically uses the flower key and opens a hidden room.

With a perception check, blood can be noticed on the floor near the bed at X: -13 Y: 76. Choosing to examine the blood leads to an investigation check of 10. If passed, it can be noticed that a body is hidden under the bed. Pulling out the body reveals the corpse of Ffion Goldgrind. As with the other corpses, Ffion can be spoken to with  Speak with Dead:

• Who are you?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Ffion Goldgrind...

• What is this place?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Landlord...contraband storage...

• How did you die?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Murdered...by my son...

• What were you doing when you died?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Seeking...answers...

• What answers did you seek?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    My boy...had a secret...evil secret...

• Who is your son?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Dolor...

• Why did your son kill you?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Found... His secret... My sweet boy... Why...

• What was your son's secret?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Killed...folk...slowly...he liked it...

• Who has your son killed?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Me...and...and...

    • Narrator

      *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

• Who was your son's next target?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Ilmater temple...Didn't see...exactly who...

• Where can I find your son?

  • Narrator

    *The corpse remains silent. It does not know.*

• What does your son look like?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Dwarf...Like me...Dresses in...red...

• Did your son kill you?

  • Ffion Goldgrind

    Yes...grinned...whole time...

On the table to the right of the room's entrance is a Bloodstained Parchment at X: -21 Y: 79. This parchment contains a list of murder victims and can be picked up to present to Valeria as hard evidence.

Report Your Findings

After leaving the Open Hand Temple, Valeria can be found drinking upstairs in Sharess' Caress at X: 24 Y: 92. Speaking with Valeria and selecting "Afraid so - I've found new evidence, Investigator." allows the party to share the results of their investigation. Selecting "Father Lorgan's murder is just one part of a bigger plot, a Bhaal plot." and then "It's not a theory - I have proof. This document contains information connecting the murders to the Bhaalist resurgence." allows the party to show Valeria the bloodstained parchment. The party member who speaks to Valeria must have the Bloodstained Parchment and Stillmaker Dagger in their inventory to get dialogue options about them.

If the party successfully finds enough information to exonerate Brilgor of Father Lorgan's murder, and picks up the bloodstained parchment in Fraygo's Flophouse, then Valeria refers the party to speak to Gauntlet Devella at the Elfsong Tavern and provide a pass to the Lower City to allow them entrance.

Valeria directs the party to Elfsong Tavern

Valeria's Kidnapping

As the party progresses into the Lower City, Valeria eventually is kidnapped by Bhaalists, and can be encountered as a part of  Investigate the Murders and  Impress the Murder Tribunal. If she is rescued, she accepts that the Bhaalist plot is not a hoax, and provides more information on location of the Bhaalist Temple.

Quest Rewards

• Lower City Pass

Related quests

•  Find the 'Stern Librarian' Ffion

Notes

• The area of the murder leads the party to an area where  Help the Cursed Monk can also be completed.
• Additionally, finding the Bhaalist murder list leads to Ffion's corpse, where Mamzell Amira can subsequently be notified for  Find the 'Stern Librarian' Ffion.
• Successfully providing evidence of the Bhaalist plot allows the completion of  Find a way into Wyrm's Rock fortress.
• Astarion approves, if passing the Investigation check on finding the body on Fraygo's Flophouse
• To speak with Brilgor's dead body you first need to drag his portrait out of the coffin inventory screen onto the ground.
• If you free Valeria from the Murder Tribunal before reporting your findings, she will disappear and you won't be able to complete the quest .