In Baldur’s Gate 3, the party has a rather difficult problem to deal with, namely the Mindflayer Tadpoles inserted behind their eyes. These terrifying tadpoles threaten to eventually consume them and turn them into Mindflayers. Players can pursue a number of promising avenues of inquiry in their efforts to handle this issue, and one possibility is enlisting the help of “Auntie Ethel.” This kindly woman can first be found in Zevlor’s Camp at the Emerald Grove and is quick to offer her aid with any problem the party brings to her.
After making it to Zevlor’s Camp and dealing with the Goblins at the Gates in Baldur’s Gate 3, players will be able to meet Auntie Ethel and begin the quest to find her home. Her home can be found without meeting her here, but meeting her here will mark the Teahouse on the map for easier navigation. This guide will cover how to reach her Teahouse and discuss some of the encounters along the way.
Updated September 6th, 2023: Players who want to save Mayrina will need to find Auntie Ethel and the Riverside Teahouse in BG3. Unfortunately, finding the Riverside Teahouse in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a bit confusing for players who aren’t sure where to go, and the area is teeming with some unseen dangers for unprepared parties. In order to better help players find Auntie Ethel in BG3, the following guide has been updated and now includes a video.
Finding Ethel in Zevlor’s Camp (Optional)
After dealing with the Goblins at Zevlor’s Camp, players can meet Auntie Ethel at the location shown on the map above. Speaking to her and not refusing her offer to help with the tadpole will lead to her marking her home on the map, making the job of finding the Teahouse much easier.
Traveling to the Swamp
Once players are done at Zevlor’s Camp, they’ll need to head back south a short way and take the west road to the Blighted Village. Deal with the Goblins there in whatever method suits the party best and then take the west exit out of the Village, following the path southward whenever possible. (See the map above for details.)
Players will find Ethel has been waylaid by two men looking for their sister and seems to be in quite a bit of bother. Players can decide at this point if they want to believe Ethel or the two men, which will influence Ethel’s opinion of them when speaking to her at the Teahouse later. It can also lead to a fight if they decide to side with Ethel.
Getting Through the Swamp
After that encounter, players can head into the Fetid Bog, which initially appears quite pleasant. In the dialog that starts when first entering, players can attempt one of several skill checks (some of which are only available to specific classes) to see through the illusion. Successfully doing so will make traversing this nightmare much easier. If players sided with the two men at the entrance, they could find their bodies up ahead, which can be spoken with using the “Speak with Dead” spell to get some very useful information.
Most importantly, the sheep aren’t sheep, and the Well Water isn’t safe. This is good to remember if players fail to pierce the illusion earlier. Players who failed to pierce the illusion can also interact with one of the sheep and make an Animal Handling check. If successful, this Animal Handling check will break the illusion.
Put a party member with high perception in the front while navigating the swamp to spot traps; otherwise, the whole party could end up taking tons of damage on the way through. The Teahouse is on the West side of the swamp, and a waypoint can be found there to make return trips easier.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available for PC and Mac and launches on September 6 for PS5.