Hidden Refuge – Baldur’s Gate II

This guide will walk you through the Hidden Refuge in the Wild Forest area of Baldur’s Gate II. This area’s code in the game files is OH6100. It was added in the game’s Enhanced Edition.

Overview

The Hidden Refuge is involved in Neera’s companion quest. Hayes (#2) won’t allow you to enter the refuge unless Neera is in your party. Luckily, if Neera isn’t with you, then you won’t have to go very far to get her (#1).

Inside the refuge, you’ll meet several wild mages who will give you quests. Most of these quests are optional — only Telana’s (#3) is required — but completing the quests will keep the mages alive and give you extra rewards later. So it’s worthwhile to complete the optional quests before tackling Telana’s required quest.

When you talk to Telana, she’ll ask you to convince a wild mage named Daxus Taralom to come to the refuge. You’ll find Daxus on the bottom level of Delosar’s Inn in the Bridge District, where he’ll be entertaining the other patrons by being “the famous Blue Elf from Athkatla.” When you talk to Daxus, a Red Wizard and four mercenaries will show up, and they’ll attempt to capture him. You’ll have two ways to proceed:

• If you give Daxus a Talisman of the Hearthfire (from Knocktor, #6), then he’ll teleport away, and each character in your party will earn 4000 xp. You’ll then have to fight the Red Wizard party, which will earn you 18,000 xp.
• If you don’t give Daxus a talisman, then he’ll stay with you, and you’ll have to fight two Red Wizard battles — the one inside the inn, plus another one when you leave the inn. Between the two, you’ll earn 36,000 xp. Afterwards, Hayes will show up, and he’ll escort Daxus to the refuge. But be warned: Daxus will die if you follow this path.

When you return to the Hidden Refuge, you’ll discover that the Red Wizards targeted that location as well. The refuge will be a smoking ruin, and it’s possible that only Telana will be there. When you talk to Telana (#3), she’ll tell you how she was captured by the Red Wizards and taken to their enclave in Waukeen’s Promenade, but then managed to escape. If you completed the quests for Mereth and Kirik (#4), then they’ll be in the refuge as well, but talking to them won’t earn you anything.

Inside the Red Wizard Enclave in Waukeen’s Promenade, you’ll have to fight numerous Red Wizards, including their leader Lanneth, but you’ll be able to rescue all of the refuge’s wild mages, assuming (for most of them) that you completed their side quest before meeting with Daxus. You’ll also learn that it was Hayes who sold out the wild mages to the Red Wizards.

When you return to the Hidden Refuge, each character in your party will earn 10,000 xp. Some of the surviving wild mages will also give you a reward: Neera will give you a Mechanical Bird (which you’ll be able to sell later in Amkethran), Telana will give you the Robe of Goodman Hayes, Reginald will give you The Brick +2, and King Gramm will name you his heir.

If you so choose, then you can also track down Hayes in Trademeet. You’ll find him in Vyatri’s Pub, drinking himself into oblivion. You can either let him live in misery, or you can kill him for 7000 xp. Hayes will drop the Bloodied Tunic of Hayes when he dies, but if you deliver it to Telana (#3), she won’t thank you for it. So you won’t really get a reward either way.

1 – Neera

This is where Neera will wait for you if she’s not in your party.

2 – Hayes

3 – Telana

Telana will ask you to recruit a wild mage named Daxus Taralom. This is actually a part of Neera’s companion quest. See the Overview text above for more information.

4 – Amanis Khal, Kirik Khal and Mereth

Amanis and Kirik are mother and son, respectively. If you talk to Kirik and compare names, and tell him that his name is silly, then you’ll be able to bring up dragons, which will allow you to play Dungeons & Dragons with him. After completing your game, Kirik will leave the camp, but this step isn’t required for Amanis’ quest (see below).

To trigger Amanis’ quest, you’ll need to talk to her, then leave the refuge and visit the Wild Forest, and then return. When you come back, Kirik will no longer be in the refuge, and when you talk to Amanis, she’ll ask you to look for him. You’ll find Kirik in the northwestern part of the Wild Forest, on the high ground next to the waterfall. When you talk to him there, you’ll automatically escort him back to the refuge, where you’ll have to make a decision:

• If you encourage Amanis to let Kirik continue casting wild magic, then you’ll earn 3500 xp, and Kirik (when you talk to him next) will give you a Wild Sling +1.
• If you tell Amanis that Kirik should stop practicing magic, then you’ll earn 3500 xp, and Amanis will give you the Shield of Fyrus Khal +2.

When you talk to Mereth, she’ll ask you to track down her missing Hairband, which she lost when Lanneth attempted to kidnap her in the Bridge District. You’ll find the Hairband in a small crate right where you encountered Mereth and Lanneth — and Neera — earlier (in the northern part of the district, near the northern exit). When you give the Hairband to Mereth, she’ll give you a Wooden Horse Necklace.

5 – Reginald

Reginald won’t want you to bother him. If you keep talking to him anyway, then he’ll attack you but not turn hostile. If you attack him back, then he’ll surrender once you’ve done enough damage to him. If you let him swing away at you, then eventually he’ll stop attacking. You’ll need to trigger the fight with Reginald but not attack him back for him to survive to the end of the game.

Note: If you click on Reginald and he asks, “You won’t finish the job?” then he’ll survive.

6 – Knocktor the Fizzled

Knocktor is a tinkerer. If you bring him two Diamonds, a Silver Necklace, and 3000 gp, then he’ll craft for you a Talisman of the Hearthfire, and you’ll earn 3500 xp. You’ll need the talisman to save Daxus Taralom’s life (see the Overview text above).

7 – Zaviak

Zaviak will talk to you about the immensity of the forest, and how Wilson is the “best bear in the world.” Zaviak will then ask you to track down Wilson and say “hey” to him. You’ll find Wilson at the Twofold Temple, which you’ll unlock during Rasaad’s companion quest. To complete Zaviak’s quest, you’ll need to add Wilson to your party and then talk to Zaviak again. Zaviak and Wilson will have a nice little chat, and then Zaviak will give you five Green Dragon Potions.

8 – “King” Gramm

Gramm will keep calling out for his bird Cidrick, and he’ll keep talking about having “an assortment of items” and solving problems in “the most ludicrous ways imaginable.” That is, he’s a reference to the King’s Quest adventures (which had King Graham and Cedric the owl in Chapter III).

9 – Barad Ding

Barad Ding will tell you that a wild surge from one of his spells sent his eight cats into the Wild Forest, and he’ll ask you to fetch them back for him. To help you out, he’ll give you Cat Food, which you’ll be able to use to lure the cats to you.

You’ll find the cats scattered around the Wild Forest. Each time you spot one, you’ll just need to use the Cat Food on it, and it will run over to you and become a Tabby Cat in your inventory.

Unfortunately, the cats can be a little bit buggy, and they might keep jumping out of your inventory after you’ve captured them. The simplest solution for this is to save every time you catch a cat and load every time one gets away. You can also ferry the cats to Ding one (or two, or three…) at a time. If you run out of Cat Food while collecting the cats, then you can always ask Ding for more.

When you return to the refuge, any cats in your inventory will leap down to the ground and run over to Ding. When he eventually has all eight cats, he’ll reward you with a Collar Bell. If you’re playing a mage or a sorcerer, then he’ll also give you his ninth cat, Dings (which you can later return to him, if you want).

10 – Mironda

When you talk to Mironda, she’ll explain that she has a fondness for alcohol — and then some — and she’ll ask you to fetch her some of the new beer being offered by Vyatri in Trademeet. Inside Vyatri’s Pub, Vyatri will sell you the beer, called Halfling’s Help, for 50 gp. When you hand it over to Mironda, she’ll give you Charname’s Tankard (with your main character’s name replacing “charname”), and you’ll earn 3500 xp.