Discover the History of Prince Orpheus

Lae'zel recites The Prince of the Comet.

Discover the History of Prince Orpheus is a Quest in Act One of Baldur's Gate 3 that is added whenever a related story item is examined.

Objectives

Objectives and journal entries may vary pending story decisions and outcomes.

Discover a method of deciphering the Orpheus texts.

• "There may be a way to decipher these books. We should keep an eye out for something that might aid us."

Decipher books about Orpheus.

• "We read a book about the lost Prince Orpheus. It claims that Vlaakith is not the true Queen of the Githyanki, and that Prince Orpheus is the true heir."
• "We read a forbidden book about a certain Prince Orpheus. He seems to be a challenger to the Queen Vlaakith and the son of Gith, the one who freed the githyanki from the mind flayers."
• "We read the third book in the series about Prince Orpheus. This one explains that Voss attacked Orpheus, but he lives."

Discover the fate of Prince Orpheus.

• "We discovered all three books in the series. The final fate and whereabouts of Prince Orpheus are apparently unknown. What could have happened to him?"

Quest Complete

• "We learned that Prince Orpheus is trapped inside the Astral Prism."

Walkthrough

To complete this quest it is necessary to retrieve the following three Engraved Githyanki Discs

• Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal
• Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part Two: Sacrifice
• Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part Three: Resurrection

The Arcane Tower

The Arcane Tower slate.

The first Engraved Githyanki Disc is on the third floor of the Arcane Tower on a bookshelf at at X: -31 Y: -296, although an additional disc, The Careful Art of Tir'su Ciphers at X: -34 Y: -288 is needed to interpret it. The disc is on a nearby desk on the same floor.

Upon interacting with any of the discs, a cutscene plays and the party can attempt a number of options:

• Command the disc to reveal its secrets.
• Compare the disc to the one from the crèche. (if the second disc was already obtained)
• [INVESTIGATION] Seek a pattern in the writing. (DC 20)
• [GITHYANKI] [HISTORY] Recall your language lessons, try to arrange the symbols in a coherent order. (DC 12 )

If the Investigation or History check is passed, the party translates the disc. If Lae'zel is available, she translates the disc herself and reads it to the party.

Once the disc is read, its title changes to Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal.

The Githyanki Crèche

The Classroom slate.

The second disc is at Crèche Y'llek, in the Classroom at X: 1357 Y: -769, where a young student named Youth Varrl, who has been beaten badly in combat, can be found. He is being berated by his teacher, Sa'varsh Kethk, who says his next battle must be to the death. The party can obtain the disc by either talking Kethk into sparing Varrl, letting him die and them looting the body, or stealing the disc from him.

If the party talks to Kethk, they have the following options:

• [PERSUASION] Leave the boy alone. You made your point. (DC 21)
• [DARK URGE] [PERSUASION] No. This is too far. He's learnt his lesson! (DC 21)
• Offer to fight the boy yourself.
• [DARK URGE] I'd bring him to the edge of death. Leave him asking why he deserves to live.
• [GITHYANKI] If he won't fight, he's useless. Kill him yourself and be done with this.
• [DARK URGE] Stand back and relish the blood-show.
• Watch what happens.

The last three result in Varrl being killed, either by Kethk or fellow student Youth Astyl, if present. If the party offers to fight the boy themselves, Varrl refuses, and the party can decide to attack, attack non-lethally, or refuse to attack:

• [DARK URGE] End him! Shred him with a daggered dance!
• There's no honour in killing a defenceless boy.
• Seems a little murderous to me. I'll pass.
• [DARK URGE] Pathetic. He deserves a pathetic death.
• The boy's naivety is pathetic. Kill him.
• [DEXTERITY] Make a non-fatal attack. (DC 16)
• [DARK URGE] [DEXTERITY] Try to stop yourself. Attack without killing him. (DC 16)
• [GITHYANKI] [DEXTERITY] Make a non-fatal attack. (DC 16 )

Attacking non-lethally  knocks out Varrl, who can then be subsequently healed. He does not recover on his own (not even after a long rest). Otherwise, Varrl is killed, either by the player character's hand or by Kethk.

If Varrl survives, he can be spoken with afterwards. Varrl then confesses his doubts on the teachings of Vlaakith but stops short of naming who the player character reminds him of. The player character can then attempt to obtain the name from him with one of the following options:

• [PERSUASION] Just like who? If there's a like-minded soul here, I'd love to meet them. (DC 14)
• [RANGER] Empathy is a tool in any good hunter's arsenal - no different to a notched arrow.
• [FIGHTER] Your teacher has forgotten what truly makes a warrior.
  • A capacity for mercy is what separates us from feral beasts.
  • Warriors make war. We fight for something, not just to kill.
• [DETECT THOUGHTS] Seek the name the boy refuses to reveal.
  • I'm just like Orpheus?

If successful, he reveals the story of Orpheus and offers the party Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part Two: Sacrifice.

The party can then ask for the book using Intimidation or Deception or Persuasion:

• [GITHYANKI] [DECEPTION] That book belongs to me, vin'iisk. Give it back. (DC 18 )
• [DECEPTION] It's mine. Those warriors borrowed it from me. (DC 18)
• [INTIMIDATION] Hand it over. Or should I tell your captain to come and confiscate it? (DC 18)
• [LAE'ZEL] [GITHYANKI] Hand it over. Or should I tell your sa'varsh to come and confiscate it?
• [GITHYANKI] [PERFORMANCE] This story deserves to be told, and stir the hearts of others as it has yours. (DC 21)
• [GITHYANKI] [PERFORMANCE] This story deserves to be told, and stir the hearts of our kin as it has yours. (DC 21)
• [GITHYANKI] [BARD] [PERFORMANCE] There's a powerful song to be written from this tale, if you'll let me have it. (DC 21 )
• [GITHYANKI] [BARD] [PERFORMANCE] There's a powerful song to be written from this tale, one our kin deserve to hear. (DC 21 )
• [PERSUASION] You endanger yourself by carrying this around. It must be disposed of. (DC 14)
• [LAE'ZEL] You endanger yourself by carrying this around. It must be disposed of.

Optionally, if the party read Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal from the Arcane Tower in the Underdark, they can share that chapter with him:

• Have a look at my chapter. Perhaps you can find some answers in there.

Varrl then offers the second part without any checks required.

Moonrise Towers

The Moonrise Towers slate.

The third and final Engraved Githyanki Disc Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part Three: Resurrection is at Moonrise Towers. It can be retrieved as part of  Infiltrate Moonrise Towers after gaining access to the upper floor. The slate is on a bookshelf in Balthazar's room at X: -127 Y: -182. The party can either lockpick the door or gain the key from Disciple Z'rell.

The Fate of Prince Orpheus

The party can learn the fate of Prince Orpheus at the start of Act Three, during  Help Your Protector. After finishing the quest,  Free Orpheus is initiated.