After the prologue, when you crash land the Mind Flayer ship, Nautiloid, you will wake on shore. If you look around the beach in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will find your companion, Shadowheart, lying unconscious, holding a mysterious artifact in her hands.
At this point, the game offers you two options: wake Shadowheart or take the artefact. Stealing the artifact may seem tempting, but you want to know the consequences of both paths before deciding.
What happens if you wake Shadowheart
If you wake Shadowheart instead of trying to steal from her, it will start your friendship on a good note. You will inquire about her condition, and she will be happy with your gesture.
However, you will not gain any approval points or inspiration. But this will give you a chance to learn more about Shadowheart’s artifact later in Baldur’s Gate 3. As she wakes up, Shadowheart will quickly grab the artifact as she doesn’t trust you yet. She will talk to you, and you can get on with your adventure.
What happens if you try to take the Artifact
If you try to take the Artifact instead of waking Shadowheart, she will wake up before you take it in Baldur’s Gate 3. As you initially tried to rob her while she was unconscious, this will portray a bad image of you in front of her.
This item is indeed a mystery and very important to Shadowheart. She did not want to leave it on the ship when you saved her. As she caught you trying to steal something very dear from her, she would ask you what you were doing.
Now, you can be honest and tell her you were trying to take the artifact. Or you can lie and say you were checking up on her. Either way, you have lost the trust of a worthy companion from your party. You can win back her approval eventually by agreeing with her, being kind to animals, and using your mind rather than your weapon in battle.
We strongly recommend that you don’t try to steal from Shadowheart, as it won’t earn you anything in return. You will only end up angering her in the process and add a lot of extra work if you want to romance Shadowheart in the future. Be patient and have a good relationship with Shadowheart, as she will willingly hand over her artifact to you in due course.
