Baldur's Gate 3: House of Grief Walkthrough (2024)

Depending on the choice you've made with the Sharran cleric Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3, the main questline Daughter of Darkness can have some very different conclusions. In Act 3, you'll find the House of Grief one way or another, and Shadowheart's future lies inside.

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The House of Grief is a front for the Temple of Shar in the city of Baldur's Gate. Inside lay powerful enemies, valuable rewards, and an ending for your companion.

Chapter 2's Nightsong Choice

If you allowed Shadowheart to kill the Nightsong in Act 2, your experiences in the House of Grief will lead to a very differentconclusion to Shadowheart's questline. Allowing the Nightsong to live causes Shadowheart to reject the goddess Shar.

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If The Nightsong Dies In Chapter 2...

If Shadowheart killed the Nightsong, she ascended as a Dark Justiciar and gained some very powerful armor and weapons to use. Talking to Shadowheart after you've arrived in Baldur's Gate will have you on the lookout for a Sharran scout in Rivington. You can find Feng Dogher at X:45, Y:-102 near the waypoint. Let Shadowheart handle this conversation to lead you to the House of Grief.

The House Of Grief Coup

The House of Grief can be found in the Lower City at the northwestern corner of the map. Head inside to let Shadowheart declare herself to the staff and direct her to sit on the granite bench once inside. Shadowheart's Mother Superior will arrive and question her. Head inside and down the stairs to the inner sanctum of the House of Grief.

Shadowheart will host a coup to take the Mother Superior's place. Allowing Shadowheart to speak on her accomplishments and lead the dialogue will add many of the Sharrans to your side. You'll have to fight Mother Superior Viconia DeVir. This is a tough fight, so having the other Sharrans on your side makes a big difference.

Some tips on fighting Mother Superior Viconia DeVir:

• Shadowheart will be cursed with Wayward Heart: All of Viconia's attacks against her will be critical. She will have a disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws. This lasts until a long rest.
• Viconia can transform into a wolf.
• Viconia can use Nightbringer's Beloved to heal herself considerably.
• Viconia's Radiant Retort causes attackers to be hit with double any radiant damage dealt to her.
• Divine Intervention: Sunder the Heretical is a powerful spell Viconia can use to take out many enemies at once.
• Any of the Sharrans who did not side with Shadowheart will be hostile. They can cast Darkness, Beckoning Darkness, and Call of the Dark Lady. These increase Necrotic damage dealt to characters who are in shadows.

You will have to kill Viconia to receive her loot this way. You gain:

• Viconia's Walking Fortress: A +3 legendary shield
• Viconia's Priestess Robe: A +1 AC robe
• Handmaiden's Mace: A +2 weapon that increases strength to 18
• Viconia's Personal Chest Key
• Inspiration: Knives in the Dark (Soldier)

Shadowheart's Future

Pick up the black diamond from the altar at the back of the room to open the large, circular door. Head inside and prepare to be confronted with the ugly truth: the two prisoners hanging in the middle are none other than Shadowheart's parents. Shar will make herself known and command Shadowheart to kill her parents to unlock her true potential. Doing so cements Shadowheart as the new leader of the Sharran temple. You can head behind the dais once the ugly business is complete to interact with the Mirror of Loss.

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If The Nightsong Lives In Chapter 2...

If you convinced Shadowheart to spare the Nightsong, you gained a powerful ally and probably deeply upset the Shar-worshipping half-elf. After some consolation, Shadowheart will tell you she needs to find a Sharran lookout in Baldur's Gate. You can find Ferg Dogher at X:45, Y:-102 just the same as if you let the Nightsong die. You'll learn that Shadowheart's parents are imprisoned in the House of Grief.

The House Of Grief Boss Fight

Much of this is unchanged from if the Nightsong perished, but the conversations between Shadowheart and her mentor Mother Superior will be different. Instead of allowing Shadowheart to complete her takeover of the temple, you can choose to defend Shadowheart's choices or surrender Shadowheart to the Mother Superior. Choosing to surrender Shadowheart will remove her from your party. But, if you choose to defend your companion, be ready for a boss fight.

You will not have any of the Sharrans on your side this time, and you'll be in for a grueling encounter with Viconia and her cultists. Prepare Counterspell and AoE attacks to get around the constant casting of Darkness and Viconia's use of Sanctuary.

Once you've dealt with Viconia, you can choose to kill her or spare her. Minsc will approve of killing Viconia and you will gain all her loot. Jaheira will approve of sparing Viconia, and you will not get her loot.

Viconia's Loot:

• Viconia's Walking Fortress: A +3 legendary shield
• Viconia's Priestess Robe: A +1 AC robe
• Handmaiden's Mace: A +2 weapon that increases strength to 18
• Viconia's Personal Chest Key
• Inspiration: Knives in the Dark (Soldier)

No matter what you choose, loot everyone in the room and make sure to grab the Silver Key. Pick up the black diamond on the altar to unlock the room behind the inner sanctum to reveal Shadowheart's parents.

Shadowheart's Future

Shar will not-so-kindly inform you that if Shadowheart frees her parents, she will keep suffering her curse. You have a few options:

• "You should end their suffering, and yours." Shadowheart will turn her parents into Moonmotes so their spirits are always nearby.
• "This is your choice" / "Remain silent". Shadowheart's parents will die.
• "Do not lose your parents, not again." Pass a DC 20 Religion or Persuasion check. Shadowheart's parents will join your camp and reconnect with her.

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The Mirror Of Loss

If you encountered the Mirror of Loss in the Sharran Temple under Ketheric Thorm's Mausoleum, this may be familiar. Pass a Religion or Arcana check to discover that you can surrender one of your memories in return for a permanent stat boost. You can choose memories that correspond with different stats, or you can try to trick the mirror with a Deception check and give a fake memory. The checks to get these buffs are quite high, so consider carefully which characters you want to attempt them with.

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Finish Exploring The House Of Grief

There are two segments of the inner sanctum remaining: the Night Orchid Cave and the barracks. Inside the barracks, you'll find Nocturne, an old friend of Shadowheart's — even if she doesn't remember her. You can trade with her, but she will disappear after a long rest. Mother Superior's personal chest is here with some valuables, along with some books to read, including Nocturne's diary. You can also head south into the armory and through a weak wooden barrier to find the Night Orchid cave, which will lead to some heartfelt dialogue with Shadowheart.

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