During Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3, you will encounter an extremely important quest called “Save the Refugees” that will define the rest of your course. This quest is crucial as it decides the fate of many NPCs and cements your legacy for future events.
This is a very lengthy quest with many options. We will help you make your own decisions by explaining the consequences of different choices. If saving the refugees in Druid Grove is your primary concern, you have come to the right place.
How to start Save the Refugees quest in Baldur’s Gate 3
After the Nautiloid Crash, make your way to the Druid Grove. Here, you will encounter some Druids being ambushed by goblins. Defeat the goblins to enter the grove.
After defeating goblins, you can start the Save the Refugees quest by talking to Tiefling leader Zevlor in Baldur’s Gate 3. Zevlor seems worried and will ask for your help. Tension is brewing among Druids and Tieflings in Emerald Grove. Due to a shortage of space and resources, Druid leader Kagha wants all Tieflings to leave the grove as soon as possible.
Talk to Kagha and convey Zevlor’s message to her. Here, you have two options. Listen to Kagha or kill her. However, if you decide to kill Kagha or piss her off in any way, every single druid will get up in arms against you and Tieflings. Druids are way more powerful, and their ability to turn into animals will spell disaster for the refugees.
Listen to Kagha and accept the choice where she asks you to return to Zevlor and tell him to sort his mess out.
Return to Zevlor and talk to him again. He refuses to move because of the goblin invasion nearby. He will only move his people once the roads are clear of goblin threat.
There is a goblin camp to the west, and they have expanded to the Blighted Village. Talk to Rath in Druid Grove to learn that the first druid, Halsin, is missing. He went out to investigate goblin camps and never came back. Halsin is the only one who can fix this mess.
Free Halsin and Volo from Goblin Camp
Halsin and Volo are in the goblin’s camp and tormented by their captors. Gather your party and travel west. There are many roadblocks to the Goblin Camp in the form of enemies. One such fight takes place in Blighted Village. You can avoid this fight by rolling intimidation or persuasion.
Upon reaching goblin camp, find and free Volo first. Then, go through the Shattered Sanctum to reach Worg Pens. You can free Halsin from there by defeating goblins. However, if you side with goblins at this point, all refugees in Druid Grove will die. This is the most important step towards saving the refugees in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Defeat Goblin Leaders
Halsin informs you of the goblins’ plans to attack Druid Grove. He will ask for your help to defeat three goblin leaders and help him save his home. The three leaders in question are Priestess Guts, Minthara, and Dror Ragzlin.
You can make friends with Minthara and then betray her by luring her into an ambush near Emerald Grove. However, if you properly side with her, she will wipe out both Druids and Tiefling refugees in Emerald Grove. To avoid further complications, we recommend killing all three leaders inside the goblin camp.
Defeating all three goblin leaders will make Halsin return to Druid Grove. He plays an important part in brokering peace between Druids and Tieflings. The quest will end without bloodshed, and all the refugees inside the Emerald Grove will be saved.
Save the Refugees: Choices and Consequences
During the quest, you will come across many choices that will shape the rest of your journey.
If you decide to side with Minthara and raid the grove, all the Tieflings and Druids will die. Halsin will never join your party, and neither Wyll nor Karlach will leave. There will be no Tieflings in Act 2, and your whole adventure will be misery.
If you decide to start a civil war by stealing Druid’s Sacred Idol or attacking a party, both sides will get violent. This will result in unnecessary bloodshed, and the Tieflings will most likely be wiped out. The remaining party will still not like you, and you will lose precious companions.
If you refuse to participate in the conflict, Druids will kick Tieflings out of the Druid Grove. They will be ambushed and killed before they can reach the Last Light Inn. Karlach’s companion quest will never be resolved, and you will miss some amazing friends for your final fight against the Elder Brain.
If you decide to free Halsin and stop the goblin invasion, Druids won’t kick out Tieflings on Halsin’s orders. During the next long rest, a party at your camp will follow this. Many side quests will progress, and Halsin will join your camp. This will lead to a lengthy quest to Save Thaniel during Act 2, after which Halsin will officially join you as a companion.
The final one is the best outcome, in our opinion. You can go other routes if you plan on a full evil walkthrough (not recommended for the first playthrough as you will miss out on many things). Otherwise, stick with saving the refugees and be a hero.
