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In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are many various NPCs that you can encounter in each Act of the game, many of which will present you with quests to complete for EXP and other rewards.
Among the numerous NPCs that can be encountered, He Who Was is a Shadar-Kai that can be located in Act 2’s Shadow-Cursed Lands, providing you with a quest titled Punish the Wicked. Completing this quest can earn you some handy EXP and loot, so knowing where to find He Who Was and initiate the quest, as well as how to complete it, will come in handy during your playthrough.
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How to Find He Who Was in Baldur’s Gate 3
Before you set out to find He Who Was, you will first need to complete Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 in its entirety, including areas such as the Underdark and Mountain Pass. This is to ensure you are at the appropriate level to progress forward in the story and have wrapped up any other loose ends or side quests that you wish to complete beforehand.
Once you have progressed into Act 2, you can find He Who Was in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, a short distance away from his makeshift campsite. This location is East of Last Light Inn, up the hills, and should be pretty easy to find as long as you follow the path, passing the dead Shadow-Cursed raven along the way.
However, if you need some extra assistance in finding He Who Was’ exact location, then you can feel free to refer to the map screenshot below, where his location has been marked with a red arrow – with the approximate location of X: 126, Y: 105.
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How to Complete the Punish the Wicked Quest in Baldur’s Gate 3
Once you reach the location marked on the map screenshot above, you will encounter He Who Was using Speak With Dead on a summoning circle to try and communicate with a corpse. As you approach, you will automatically trigger a dialogue cutscene with him, in which he will reveal the dead woman he is attempting to speak with is a backstabber and murderer, and that he seeks proper justice for her crimes. His Raven then suggests you may be able to help, so He who Was will task you with traveling to the Waning Moon to find Madeline’s Ledger and bringing it back to him.
The Waning Moon is located in Reithwin Town, at the approximate coordinates of X: -230, Y: -70. If you have not yet defeated Thisobald Thorm, then you will first need to succeed in combat against the bartender or succeed in a series of checks to defeat him without the need for combat.
After Thisobald is out of the way, you will then be able to locate Madeline’s Ledger from behind the bar, under a loose plank. Someone in your party will need to pass a Perception Check to identify this plank, so make sure to bring someone along who is quite strong in the Wisdom stat, as this will influence the Perception skill. If you are unsure who to bring, Shadowheart has solid Wisdom by default, as a Cleric.
Take Madeline’s Ledger from this plank, and then return to He Who Was, who will remain at the same location he was previously found. Speak to him, and hand him the Ledger. He will then perform a ritual that enables you to speak to Madeline. There are two different outcomes, depending on the choices that you make during this dialogue.
Paladins may break their Oaths by selecting one of the following options:
Oath of Devotion & Oath of the Ancients
: Call Madeline a coward or force her to stab herself
Oath of Vengence
: Attack He Who Was before the ritual begins, forgive Madeline, or stop her from stabbing herself.
If you are looking to become an
Oathbreaker Paladin
, then this is a brilliant opportunity. Otherwise, you will need to be careful about which answers you select to ensure your Oath remains intact.
- If you choose to tell Madeline that it wasn’t her fault and forgive her, the ritual will end, and He Who Was will initiate combat with you.
- If you make Madeline stab herself once, or call her a coward, then the ritual will end, and He Who Was will be satisfied with either of these outcomes, gifting you the Raven Gloves as a reward. Note that if you make Madeline stab herself twice, then He Who Was will initiate combat, much like if you choose to forgive her – so if you choose to stab, ensure you only stab once.
If you happen to be playing as
the Dark Urge
, and you have previously killed your dearest companion, then you will be able to shame her (same results as calling her a coward, but without the need of succeeding a check, automatically causing He Who Was to find satisfaction in the results and gift you the Raven Gloves.
Raven Gloves
- Summon Quothe the Raven (once per Short Rest): Summon a Raven familiar that can Blind enemies with its beak. When a hostile creature kills the raven familiar, they must succeed a Dexterity Saving Throw or become Ensnared.
