Baldur’s Gate 3 – How to free Orpheus

How do you free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3? Orpheus is the Githyanki prince who is trapped in the Astral Plane and has been since the beginning of the game. He is being held by the Emperor because his power is what is keeping you from turning into a Mind Flayer.

Freeing Orpheus is a big part of Lae’zel’s quest line. As such, you may want to take a look at our Lae’zel companion guide for Baldur’s Gate 3. To get enough damage for the fights ahead, you may also want to know how to dual-wield effectively.

Freeing Orpheus is a big step in the main quest line and a huge part of Lae’zel’s story. As such, there will be spoilers ahead. Here is how you free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to rescue Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3

If you want to free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to get the Orphic Hammer from the House of Hope. This is Raphael’s home in the game. While normally, Lae’zel’s story will lead you in this direction, you can reach this area on your own as well.

Before progressing, it is important to note that you can also accept Raphael’s offer instead of traveling to his home. Raphael will be happy to hand over the Orphic Hammer as long as you promise to give him the Crown of Karsus once the Elder Brain is dealt with. He can be found in Sharess’ Caress.

To start things off, you can find a note in the Undercity Ruins sewers of Baldur’s Gate near where the guild hall is. This note states that Helsik is a Diabolist who aided Gortash.

Now that you are aware of Helsik, go to the Devil’s Fee. This is across the road from the Forge of the Nine in Baldur’s Gate. Here, you can find Helsik. She is Mammon’s Picklock and will break people into Avernus.

While the fee she charges is 20,000 gold, you can also obtain the Gaunlets of Hill Giant Strength for her in exchange. When you strike a deal with her, she will give you all you need to enter the Hells. This includes a grimoire covered in Imp skin and a pouch.

Go upstairs, and follow the ritual by placing down an Infernal Marble, diamond, coin of Mammon, incense, and a skull on the symbol marked on the floor in blood. Placing all the ritual items will open the doorway.

When you first enter the House of Hope, you will get a side quest to Save Hope. While standing at the entrance to the area, you will get placed in a Debtor’s Disguise so that you blend in with everyone else. Keep in mind that there is also no waypoint here so fast travel is impossible until you are done in this area.

Now that you are in the House of Hope, locate the Archivist to get access to the Boudoir. To do this, you must pass a Charisma persuasion check. You can make him believe that you are Zariel’s inquisitor named Verillius Receptor. Of course, you can also pickpocket him to get the invitation as well. You can also interact with an Incubus named Haarlep who has been turned into an exact copy of Raphael.

After gaining access to the Boudoir, you can grab the Orphic Hammer and return to your own realm using the portal. Keep in mind that all of the people in the House of Hope will turn hostile as soon as you grab the hammer.

With the hammer, you simply need to progress to the end of the game. You will get the opportunity to use the hammer to free Orpheus from his binds. There are some interesting choices here that let you turn yourself into an Ilithid. You can also choose to have Karlach or the Gith prince turn.

Now that you know how to free Orpheus, you may be wondering how to beat Viconia in Baldur’s Gate 3. Perhaps you also want to know where to use the Strange Flower Key. There are plenty more secrets in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 legendary items if you want to catch them all.

What happens if you free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3?

If you free Orpheus, you will have a decision to make as to who to turn into a Mind Flayer. This can be Karlach or even the Gith Prince.

Should you assimilate Orpheus instead in Baldur’s Gate 3?

If you choose to Assimilate Orpheus, you will become a Mind Flayer and learn everything you need to defeat the Netherbrain. You can also have the Emperor Assimilate him for a similar outcome.