Abandoned Cistern

Stone Lord's hideout in the Abandoned Cistern

Undercity
		Abandoned Cistern	→	Lower City Sewers

The Abandoned Cistern is a Location within the Undercity in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3.

“

If you deal efficiently with the cashguards, there may be time to gather additional funds before we withdraw. Bring everything to the Cistern in the Sewers.

„

— Note from false Jaheira, found after the encounter in the Counting House

Overview

The large pipe hall, leading to the hideout from the sewers

The Abandoned Cistern lies underneath Baldur's Gate and is part of its Undercity. It is the westernmost part of the Lower City Sewers and shares a similar aesthetics. It serves as mud-setting pit for the sewer filth, separated from the other drainage by a system of sluice gates and valves.

During the game the Abandoned Cistern serves as a hideout for the leader of a newly-sprung bandit gang, who goes by the name of the  Stone Lord. Tadpoled and tricked into obedience by agents of the Cult of the Absolute, he had been rather successfully rooting out other lesser gangs loyal to Thieves' Guild, until its Guildmaster Nine-Fingers Keene set up a trap for him in the vaults of the Counting House. Witnessing the events there eventually leads the party to the Abandoned Cistern.

Access

The Cistern can be accessed in two ways:

• From the Lower City Sewers – the Abandoned Cistern can be reached via a hall with a large pipe surrounded with  Caustic Brine. This hall is guarded by three followers of ⁠Bhaal and has several entrances from the rest part of sewer system at X: 184 Y: 867, X: -167 Y: 867 and at X: -152 Y: 877
• From the basement of a gardener's storage at Lady Jannath's Estate, the door is labeled "Keep Out", near X: -250 Y: -90. Inside is a hidden movable wall, which opens after applying weight to the two Marble Plates in opposite sides of the room. In the next room is the Ornate Wooden Hatch leading into the Cistern. The second room is trapped with a Blast Mine, and several  Firewine Barrels enhance the possible explosion.^{[See: Bugs]}.

Building layout

The area is roughly divided into two parts: the eastern one with the large pipe is accessible from the sewers, while the western one can be entered from the Jannath's Estate basement. The two parts are connected with a tunnel with locked gates on either side. On the eastern side the gate is called Sluice Gate and can be unlocked either by solving the valve puzzle or succeeding a  DC 25 Athletics Check on the Sluice Valve at X: -197 Y: 867 (highlighted with a  DC 7 Perception Check). On the western side the gate is called Vault Door and can be opened using one of the valves nearby, after succeeding a  DC 25 Athletics Check as well. The valve inside is not highlighted. Neither of these gates can be lockpicked, and both open simultaneously from either side.^{[See: Bugs]}

The area with the large pipe is guarded by a group of Bhaalist cultists:  Barnz,  Cilarea and  Kevo Phogge.

Sluice puzzle

The valves that open the sluice gate

Going from east to west, the pieces of the puzzle are:

• Sluice Valve (aforementioned) - interacting prompts an Athletics check which opens the gate immediately if successful
• A blue water level indicator with a green stroke marking the optimal level (cannot be interacted with)
• Water Level Valve - increases the water level when spun
• Temperature Valve - increases the temperature when spun
• A red temperature indicator with a green stroke marking the optimal level (cannot be interacted with)
• Emergency Release Valve - releases both the water and the heat, lowering their levels

A pinned  Note to Sanitation Workers at X: -212 Y: 867 gives instructions on how to use the valves to open the sluice gate.

Once spun, both Water Level and Temperature Valves begin to increase the corresponding parameter, each passing the following stages:

• Low Water Level - Perfect Water Level - High Water Level - Flooded/Wet
• Barely Warm - Perfect Warmth - Perilously Hot - Overheated

Each condition lasts for 3 turns, accompanied correspondingly by Water Level Rising (lasts for 3 turns) and Temperature Increase (lasts for 1 turn) conditions. When the highest level of each valve is reached, it bursts out with either water or fire. While the water valve does no harm, the temperature valve deals 2d6⁠⁠Fire to any creature standing in front of it and also leaves a cone of  Fire surface.

To solve the puzzle and open the gate, the party must correctly time the gages and turn each valve so that both meet at the 'Perfect' condition. Using the Emergency Release Valve reverses both processes if either level gets too high.

To open the door in one attempt, the water level valve must be hit first, then after approximately five seconds the temperature valve must be hit as well. The progress can be followed by hovering the cursor over the valves or by watching the meter hands on their indicators.

Once the door is opened, the party can continue towards the western room, which serves as the hideout for the Stone Lord.

Stone Lord Hideout

Once several walls are smashed through, Boo can be found

The hideout is an open space with a filth pool and some pipes in the center. The pool is surrounded by a stone-paved gallery with multiple alcoves on both southern and northern sides. The alcoves can be reached by climbing slabs of stones, ladders and rope nettings, or jumping inside.

On the far western side of the hall and above the Vault Door are wooden platforms; the western one has a ladder at X: -283 Y: 878 which leads to the basement of the Lady Jannath's Estate.

Several containers in this hall keep various loot (see below). Also, a pile of treasure in the northwestern corner lies in plain sight. Inside an alcove in the wall in the southwest at X: -279 Y: 858 is a book titled  Murder, Be My Muse by  Invoker Grimlark, who is in the Temple of Bhaal.

Hidden Rooms

The northern wall of the hideout has loose stones, but they cannot be destroyed by conventional methods.

If Minsc is saved, he remembers  Boo and breaks through the northern wall into a hidden area, earnestly seeking him. The first room in this area has a set of artifacts, presumably mementos of the heroes who accompanied ⁠Gorion's Ward during the events of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2:

• A halfling-sized warhammer, representing ⁠Mazzy Fentan
• A turnip for ⁠Jan Jansen
• A mailed fist for ⁠Keldorn Firecam
• A pair of carved wooden wings for ⁠Aerie
• A cracked wooden mask, representing ⁠Dynaheir (unlike all others, this last cannot be picked up).

All companions comment on each of these artifacts; if Jaheira is present, she speaks of exact names and fates of her and Minsc's former companions. Of all others, only Gale recalls the details of artefacts - for example, he unmistakably defines that the wooden wings depict those which might have belonged to an ⁠Avariel.

Involvement

If Minsc is spared, he can be recruited into the party

“

Finish the others, but spare Minsc - your Prism can still save him!

„

— Jaheira, when confronting the Stone Lord

Within the game's events, the main purpose of the Abandoned Cistern is a showdown with the  Stone Lord while he is making a deal with the  Zhentarim. Here, several major quests are updated and / or resolved, including Jaheira's ⁠personal quest. Also, depending on the party's choices, the ⁠Gather Your Allies quest is updated in certain ways.

The state of the hideout and the events in it depend on whether the party have already visited the Counting House and are aware of  Minsc being the infamous Stone Lord, controlled by a mind flayer tadpole the same as their own.

• If the Counting House has not been visited yet, all enemies will be in the hideout with the exception of Minsc,  'Jaheira' and the local leader of the Zhentarim (either  Roah Moonglow or  Boss Friol) .
• If the Counting House has been visited, entering the hideout triggers a cutscene where Minsc and 'Jaheira' are making a deal with the leader of the Zhentarim. A tadpole-controlled Minsc notices the party (although depending on how the hideout is entered the party can remain unnoticed).
  • If the party enter via the gardener's storage at Lady Jannath's Estate a  DC 25 Wisdom Check is possible via dialog, preventing them from being detected.

After approaching Minsc, his tadpole prevents him from seeing reason and he immediately attacks the party, along with a number of cultists, including  doppelgangers. Meanwhile, Roah (or Friol) attempts to flee to take on the Guildhall. The party must defeat the cultists and knock out Minsc using non-lethal attacks if they want to recruit him. Once all enemies are defeated, he rises up and outrages at the death of the doppelganger who he believes is Jaheira.

 The Emperor initially refuses to bring Minsc under his protection, stating that he is too unpredictable to help. However, the Emperor can be convinced to bring Minsc under its protection. If Jaheira is present, she advocates for Minsc, and the player character can roll a sequence of passive Insight rolls with increasing DC to see what is behind her resolve. If Jaheira enters the Cistern alone or is dead, then Minsc cannot be recruited. If the player character convinces the Emperor to extend its protection over Minsc, their tadpole exchanges the accumulated information with Minsc's parasite, which allows Minsc to be recruited the party.

Minsc introduces the party to his tiny companion

If Minsc is successfully freed from the Absolute's control, he runs off and begins smashing through several walls in the eastern part of the cistern. To recruit Minsc, the party must follow him. Another cutscene follows, where Minsc finds his friend Boo and introduces the player character to him. The cultists intentionally severed Boo from Minsc to avoid giving Minsc any remembrances of his former life. Still, they left Boo alive on Orin's orders. In the end of this cutscene, the player character has the option to dismiss Minsc to camp or to replace an active party member.

If Minsc dies, Boo spawns next to him, mourning the loss of his companion..

If Minsc is killed in the fight, or if the player character agrees with the Emperor in its refusal to block Minsc's mind from the Absolute, Jaheira permanently leaves the party. This updates ⁠Gather Your Allies, and the  Silver Harp Squadron option will not be available in the endgame.

Agreeing with the Emperor when it insists on killing Minsc, or attacking and killing him directly is considered an oathbreaking action for Paladins of the Crown, Ancients' Paladins, and Paladins of Devotion.

Related locations

• ⁠Guildhall
• ⁠Lower City Sewers
• ⁠The Counting House

Related quests

• ⁠Aid the Underduke
• ⁠Gather Your Allies
• ⁠Return Rakath's Gold
• ⁠The High Harper

Characters

Notable

•  Boo
•  Boss Friol
•  Gozz
•  Minsc
•  Roah Moonglow

Bhaal Cultists

•  Barnz
•  Cilarea
•  Death's Head of Bhaal Nov Shmoz
•  Gazz
•  Invoker of Bhaal Notar Esojac
•  Kevo Phogge
•  Night Blade Dellinjah Dax
•  Vutt

Creatures

•  Murderous Crow - 8x
•  Snicker

Loot

• At X:  Y:  a locked Rustic Chest ( DC 7 Sleight of Hand Check) contains random minor loot and (possibly) alchemical ingredients.
• At X: -274 Y: 891 on the floor: a  Gold Chalice, a  Silver Necklace, a  Garnet Ring, a  Jacinth, a  Topaz, and a  Glass Goblet
• In a Gilded Chest: gold, random gem, and (possibly) random Valuables and / or elixirs
• In a Wooden Chest: gold, random Valuables and (possibly) random very rare spell scroll
• At X: -278 Y: 891 a Wooden Chest up in the alcove: gold and alchemical ingredients

Related literature

• Kibbles for Snicker
• Letter from Orin
• Murder, Be My Muse
• Note to Sanitation Workers
• Really, Gozz?
• The Stone Lord's Sketches

Bugs

• When approaching the Stone Lord's hideout from the Gardener's Basement, triggering the Blast Mine (and exploding the firewine barrels as a result) covers the room with  Ash. In this case, the hatch may sometimes become non-functional.
• When approaching the Stone Lord's hideout from the sewers, the Valve Door sometimes looks opened but acts as closed for some means of spatial movement, spells and ranged attacks. If this happens, ranged attacks and spells such as  Magic Missile or  Misty Step prompt "Path is interrupted" or "Cannot find path" messages, despite the way being objectively clear, which may be a hindrance in the inevitable fight. Reloading the autosave which is made directly before launching the cutscene might solve this problem.

External links

• ⁠Undercity on the Forgotten Realms Wiki