I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 long enough to call the “Save Vanra” side quest one of the darker, more awkward beats in Act 3. It starts as a missing-child case and turns into something nasty: hags, disguises, and a real choice about how far you’ll go to save someone.
Find Captain Grisly in the Lower City 🗺️
Go to the Basilisk Gate barracks in the southeastern Lower City; look for Flaming Fist banners. Captain Grisly is usually on the ground floor by the desk, anxious and blunt—she’ll tell you her daughter Vanra vanished after the Blushing Mermaid tavern visit. I’ve noticed NPCs quiet down when you mention the tavern; that’s a clear sign something’s up.
Quick steps (fast):
- Fast travel to Basilisk Gate waypoint
- Head southeast to the barracks
- Talk to Captain Grisly—she gives the lead
Check the Blushing Mermaid 🍺
The tavern sits near Grey Harbour, west Lower City. It looks cheerful but smells off—too many smiles covering something grim. Talk to patrons and staff; many will lie or seem manipulated. If you’ve got high Insight or Investigation, you’ll spot the tells (I mean, obvious tells).
| Option | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Question patrons | Persuasion DC ~15 | Exposes nervousness |
| Search bar area | Investigation DC ~18 | Finds basement entrance |
| Intimidate staff | Intimidation DC ~20 | Partial confession |
| Detect Thoughts | Spell Save DC ~16 | Shows altered memories |
Auntie Ethel: the Invisible Hag 👹
She’s the tavern owner, but she’s not who she seems. If you met Ethel earlier in your playthrough, you’ll recognize her voice and cruel jokes; if not, prepare to be unsettled. Pressing her makes the mask slip. She’ll offer bargains—sometimes tempting ones like permanent stat boosts—and those offers are traps. Honestly, taking them usually ruins Vanra’s chances.
Dialogue priorities (in my experience):
- [Insight] “You’re not who you appear to be.”
- [Persuasion] “I know what you’ve done with Vanra.”
- [Intimidation] “Release the girl, hag!”
- [Attack] “Your tricks won’t work on me!”
Fight Advice: Don’t walk in blind 🗡️
Combat in the tavern favors Ethel—tight spaces, illusions, and summoned allies. She uses fright effects and mirror-like tricks; you’ll waste spells on fakes if you’re sloppy. Bring someone who can spot invisibility (Faerie Fire helps), a counterspell, and high Wisdom saves. We found resting and buffing before the fight to matter more than raw levels. Prepare for illusions—watch for the one move she can’t fake.
“Treat the fight like peeling an onion: remove layers—minions, illusions—then hit the core.”
How Vanra is kept—and how to save her 💀
Yes: Ethel keeps Vanra inside her—kept alive by dark magic. After you beat or subdue Ethel there’s no automatic rescue; you must act fast to extract the child. This doesn’t always work, and it depends on your preparation (and your party skills).
| Method | Requirement | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Hag’s Bane potion | Have it on you | Lowest risk—child unharmed |
| Surgical extraction | Medicine check ~DC15 | Moderate—minor injuries |
| Brute force | Raw Strength, DC ~20 | High—severe injury |
| Revivify after death | Cleric with spell slot | Works but traumatic |
Why these choices matter: the potion avoids trauma; cutting risks infection and failure; brute force can ruin roleplay outcomes later. (There are exceptions—your build and items change things.)
Rewards and long-term effects 🏆
Patches have shuffled exact rewards; as of March 10, 2025 the quest normally gives gold, gear, reputation shifts, and sometimes unique trinkets—but not necessarily the same amounts on every save. I’ve seen players swear they got a special ring in an older build; check your version and patch notes. Don’t rely on a single playthrough for “the loot.”
- Reputation with Flaming Fist often improves
- Choices affect future NPC reactions
- Removing Ethel ends a city threat—sometimes at a cost
Controversial take: sparing Ethel can feel clever but I think it’s morally flimsy—she’s a predator. Others argue keeping her alive fuels later plot hooks and rewards; both claims have merit. What do you want your character to be?
// Fast plan (example):
1. Talk Grisly -> get location
2. Prep party: Wisdom saves, detect invis
3. Go to tavern, expose Ethel
4. Have Hag’s Bane or Medicine ready
Here’s the funny part: killing Ethel too early sometimes prevents you from finding the potion that guarantees a clean rescue. Oddly enough, patience can be your best weapon. The quest is like tugging at a loose thread on a sweater—pull too hard and the whole seam comes apart; pull carefully and you get a neat fix.
To be fair, you’ll see conflicting guides online—some of them dated 2023 and wrong for 2025—so test choices in a save slot. Between us: save often. Seriously, save often!
One last counterintuitive insight: letting NPCs lie a little before you act can reveal extra clues later; rushing to force a confession won’t always work. Sorry if that sounds like a tease. But it’s true.
Good luck—may your party make the hard calls and bring Vanra home.
