Investigate the Murders

Key takeaways

The quest is a city-wide investigation with optional rescues and a major Bhaalist story connection.

• Start with the evidence Fraygo's Flophouse and the Elfsong Tavern are useful entry points after learning about the ritualistic killings. The investigation becomes clearer once the murders are treated as a connected pattern rather than separate incidents.
• Find the target list The Bhaalist target list identifies people in the Lower City who may be in danger. It is the key document for understanding the killer's intended victims and for deciding whether to interrupt individual attacks.
• Protect victims when possible Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, and Chef Roveer are named among the potential victims. Their encounters are part of the quest's optional rescue dimension and should not be treated as interchangeable with the main investigation.
• Follow the trail to the Tribunal The evidence ultimately points toward Candulhallow's Tombstones and the Murder Tribunal. This is the point where the murder investigation becomes a route into the Bhaalist storyline.
• Expect major spoilers late in the quest The connection to Sarevok Anchev, the Temple of Bhaal, Orin the Red, and the Netherstone is central to the quest's later progression. Make a manual save before entering the Tribunal sequence if you want to explore alternate outcomes.

Overview

Investigate the Murders is an Act 3 quest that turns a series of ritualistic killings in the Lower City into a direct trail toward Orin the Red and her Netherstone.

The investigation can begin through several connected leads, including a visit to Fraygo's Flophouse or the Elfsong Tavern after the killings become known. These locations frame the case as more than ordinary violence: the murders are connected to Bhaalist activity, a target list, and a killer who is selecting victims as part of a larger design. The quest is therefore best approached as an evidence-gathering investigation rather than a single fight or isolated conversation.

A central discovery is the Bhaalist target list, which names several people in the Lower City. Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, and Chef Roveer are among the potential victims associated with the investigation. The list gives the player a reason to move through the city and creates a time-sensitive-feeling choice about whether to pursue the killer's trail immediately or try to protect people who have been marked.

The investigation also brings the player into contact with serial killer Dolor, Gauntlet Devella, and Inspector Valeria. Following the evidence eventually leads to Candulhallow's Tombstones and the Murder Tribunal, where the quest's investigation becomes closely tied to the Bhaalist power structure. The Tribunal route involves Sarevok Anchev and can provide access to the Temple of Bhaal, tying this quest directly to the wider search for Orin the Red.

This quest contains major Act 3 story spoilers once the Murder Tribunal and Temple of Bhaal become part of the investigation. The exact sequence of conversations and rescues can matter, and interactions involving Gauntlet Devella have occasionally been reported as bugged. Keep separate saves before major investigative turns if preserving optional victims or dialogue outcomes is important.

Where this sits

Requirements

This investigation belongs to Act 3 and takes place in the Lower City. The available source material does not identify a mandatory companion, level, item, or earlier quest trigger.

• RequiredAct 3 accessThe quest is an Act 3 investigation and is associated with the Lower City portion of Baldur's Gate.
• RequiredReach the Lower CityThe principal leads, named victims, and later locations connected to the investigation are situated in or linked to the Lower City.
• RecommendedLearn about the killingsThe investigation can be opened through leads connected to Fraygo's Flophouse or the Elfsong Tavern after learning of the ritualistic murders.
• OptionalManual save before major leadsA separate save is recommended before pursuing victim encounters or the Murder Tribunal, especially because some interactions involving Gauntlet Devella have been reported as bugged.

Objectives

1. Investigate the ritualistic killingsUse the opening leads in the Lower City to establish that the murders are connected.
2. Find the Bhaalist target listLocate the document that identifies several intended victims and use it to understand the killer's pattern.
3. Protect potential victimsRespond to the threats against people such as Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, and Chef Roveer where possible.Optional
4. Identify and pursue DolorFollow the evidence associated with the serial killer Dolor and the killings.
5. Reach Candulhallow's TombstonesContinue the trail until it points to Candulhallow's Tombstones and the Murder Tribunal.
6. Confront the Bhaalist leadershipNavigate the Murder Tribunal and confront Sarevok Anchev as the investigation reaches its major story turn.
7. Advance the search for Orin the RedUse the resulting path toward the Temple of Bhaal and the search for Orin the Red's Netherstone.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Investigate the ritualistic killings

   Begin the investigation in the Lower City

   Start by pursuing the reports of ritualistic killings through Fraygo's Flophouse or the Elfsong Tavern. Speak to the people connected to these leads and treat the information as the opening of a wider case, rather than assuming the first conversation resolves the quest.

   Location: Lower City

   TipIf the quest does not seem to advance, check both opening locations and review any notes or dialogue that mention the murders.

2. 02

   Follow the evidence

   Trace the killings as a connected pattern

   Gather the clues that connect the separate deaths to Bhaalist activity and to a deliberate selection of victims. The important progress is recognizing that the murders are part of an organized trail leading through the Lower City.

   Location: Lower City

   Watch outDo not assume that completing one conversation means every victim encounter has been resolved; the investigation contains separate leads.

3. 03

   Uncover the Bhaalist target list

   Find the Bhaalist target list

   Search for the Bhaalist target list as you follow the evidence. This document identifies several intended victims and changes the investigation from a retrospective search for clues into an opportunity to intervene before more killings occur.

   Location: Lower City

   TipRead the list carefully and note the names before moving on, because it provides the clearest guide to the optional victim encounters.

   Missable
4. 04

   Protect Cora Highberry

   Check on Cora Highberry

   Use the target list to investigate the threat against Cora Highberry. The point of this stop is not simply to collect another clue: it is an opportunity to respond to a named victim before the killer's plan progresses.

   Location: Lower City

   Watch outThe source material confirms Cora Highberry as a potential victim but does not establish every condition that determines her outcome. Keep a save before beginning the encounter.

   Missable
5. 05

   Protect Figaro Pennygood

   Check on Figaro Pennygood

   Continue the list-based investigation by looking for Figaro Pennygood. Approach the encounter as part of the same Bhaalist pattern and be prepared for the situation to develop around the killer's intended target rather than as a routine civilian interaction.

   Location: Lower City

   Watch outFigaro Pennygood is identified as a potential victim, but the available source does not document the complete encounter sequence or all outcome conditions.

   Missable
6. 06

   Protect Chef Roveer

   Check on Chef Roveer

   Investigate the threat against Chef Roveer after reviewing the target list. This step expands the investigation across the Lower City and gives the player another chance to interfere with the pattern of ritualistic killings.

   Location: Lower City

   Watch outThe source confirms Chef Roveer as a potential victim but does not specify every timing rule or rescue condition. Save before committing to the encounter.

   Missable
7. 07

   Pursue Dolor

   Pursue the serial killer Dolor

   Follow the evidence toward Dolor, the serial killer associated with the murders. The investigation should now connect the individual victim leads to the person carrying out the killings and to the broader Bhaalist purpose behind them.

   Location: Lower City

   TipKeep the target list and any evidence gathered during the victim encounters available when deciding which lead to follow next.

8. 08

   Examine evidence of the killings

   Recognize the handbag as evidence

   The investigation may uncover a handbag containing severed hands, a piece of evidence that demonstrates the killer's macabre methods. Treat it as proof connected to the murder investigation rather than as an unrelated container or ordinary loot object.

   Location: Lower City

   TipThe handbag is easy to overlook if you are moving quickly through the investigation, so inspect suspicious containers associated with the murder trail.

   Missable
9. 09

   Advance the investigation with the city investigators

   Work with the investigators

   Continue the case through Gauntlet Devella and Inspector Valeria, who are among the notable characters connected to the investigation. Their involvement helps frame the killings as a matter being actively investigated in the city, but the Devella segment has occasionally been reported as bugged.

   Location: Lower City

   Watch outIf Gauntlet Devella's dialogue or quest progress does not update, reload an earlier save or verify the surrounding leads before abandoning the investigation.

10. 10

    Follow the trail to the next Bhaalist lead

    Follow the trail to Candulhallow's Tombstones

    Once the evidence and the killer's trail point beyond the immediate victim encounters, travel to Candulhallow's Tombstones. This location marks the transition from investigating murders in the city to pursuing the Bhaalist organization behind them.

    Location: Candulhallow's Tombstones

    Checkpoint
11. 11

    Reach the Murder Tribunal

    Enter the Murder Tribunal

    Proceed from the evidence at Candulhallow's Tombstones toward the Murder Tribunal. This is a major story turn, so finish any victim-related business you want to attempt before committing to the Tribunal sequence.

    Location: Murder Tribunal

    Watch outThe Tribunal section contains major story developments and can alter the context of the investigation. Create a manual save before entering.

12. 12

    Confront Sarevok Anchev

    Confront Sarevok Anchev

    Navigate the Murder Tribunal until the investigation brings you before Sarevok Anchev. The confrontation is where the murder case becomes explicitly tied to the Bhaalist hierarchy and the larger pursuit of Orin the Red.

    Location: Murder Tribunal

    Checkpoint
13. 13

    Advance toward Orin the Red and her Netherstone

    Use the Tribunal route to pursue the Netherstone

    After the Tribunal sequence, continue along the route that can provide access to the Temple of Bhaal. The purpose of this progression is to advance the search for Orin the Red and her Netherstone, moving the investigation into the main Act 3 conflict.

    Location: Temple of Bhaal

    Watch outThis step contains major plot information. The source material does not document every prerequisite or alternate route into the Temple of Bhaal, so do not treat this outline as a complete route map.

Mission mechanics

Investigate the Murders is structured around linked evidence rather than a single linear objective marker. The opening locations establish the killings, the target list identifies future victims, and the later trail points toward Candulhallow's Tombstones and the Murder Tribunal. Progress is therefore a matter of following named clues and deciding when to leave the victim investigation for the deeper Bhaalist route.

The target list creates the quest's main optional layer. Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, and Chef Roveer are not merely background names: they represent people the player may attempt to save. Because the supplied information does not document every trigger, timing condition, or outcome, players should preserve a save before acting on each name rather than relying on an assumed universal rescue sequence.

The quest also mixes social investigation with dangerous confrontations. Gauntlet Devella and Inspector Valeria represent the investigative side of the case, while Dolor and the Murder Tribunal connect the murders to the Bhaalist threat. The handbag containing severed hands functions as particularly direct evidence of the killer's methods and may help players recognize that an apparently ordinary container is part of the quest trail.

The late quest changes scale. What begins as a search for a murderer in the Lower City leads to the Murder Tribunal, Sarevok Anchev, the Temple of Bhaal, and the search for Orin the Red's Netherstone. These later developments should be treated as major spoilers and as a point where players may want to stop pursuing optional victim content until they have decided how they want the investigation to conclude.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Pursue the named victims after finding the Bhaalist target list

  You can attempt to save potential victims including Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, and Chef Roveer. The supplied source confirms the rescue opportunity but does not specify every outcome condition.

• Follow the killer's trail toward the larger investigation

  The case advances toward Dolor, Candulhallow's Tombstones, and the Murder Tribunal, shifting the focus from individual victims to the Bhaalist organization.

• Enter the Murder Tribunal

  The investigation reaches Sarevok Anchev and can open a route toward the Temple of Bhaal. This is a major story transition connected to the search for Orin the Red's Netherstone.

  Spoiler
• Continue through the Bhaalist route

  The quest becomes part of the larger pursuit of Orin the Red. Later developments can contain substantial Act 3 plot revelations, so preserve a save if you want to complete other Lower City investigations first.

  Spoiler

Investigation checklist

• Learn about the ritualistic killingsThis establishes the investigation's opening context.
• Visit Fraygo's Flophouse or the Elfsong TavernThese are the supplied starting points for the investigation.
• Find the Bhaalist target listUse it to identify the potential victims.
• Investigate Cora Highberry's entryOptional victim-related lead.Optional
• Investigate Figaro Pennygood's entryOptional victim-related lead.Optional
• Investigate Chef Roveer's entryOptional victim-related lead.Optional
• Pursue DolorFollow the serial killer's connection to the murders.
• Inspect the handbag containing severed handsThis can serve as direct evidence of the killer's deeds.Optional
• Speak with Gauntlet Devella and Inspector ValeriaBoth characters are connected to the investigation.
• Reach Candulhallow's TombstonesThis location leads into the next stage of the case.
• Enter the Murder TribunalMajor spoiler and major progression point.
• Confront Sarevok AnchevThe investigation reaches the Bhaalist hierarchy.
• Continue toward the Temple of BhaalThis advances the search for Orin the Red and her Netherstone.Optional

Failure conditions

• A potential victim is not savedThe quest allows attempts to protect listed victims, but the supplied source does not specify every condition under which Cora Highberry, Figaro Pennygood, or Chef Roveer can be lost.
• The investigation stalls around Gauntlet DevellaInteractions involving Gauntlet Devella have occasionally been reported as bugged. If progress does not update, use an earlier save and recheck the surrounding investigation leads.
• Optional victim content is left behind before the TribunalThe Murder Tribunal is a major progression point. Complete any victim encounters you intend to pursue before entering if you want to avoid relying on undocumented timing conditions.

Rewards and progressionSpoilers

• Progress toward the Murder Tribunal
  Following the evidence leads to the Tribunal and advances the Bhaalist investigation.
• Potential victim outcomes
  Attempting to save people named on the target list can change the immediate results of their encounters, although the supplied source does not document every outcome.
• Access to the Temple of Bhaal route
  The Murder Tribunal sequence can provide access to the Temple of Bhaal.
• Progress toward Orin the Red's Netherstone
  The quest is directly linked to locating Orin the Red and pursuing her Netherstone.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The quest uses a physical Bhaalist target list to connect several potential victims across the Lower City.
• The handbag containing severed hands serves as a particularly direct piece of evidence for the killer's macabre activities.
• Although the investigation begins with murders in the city, its later destinations reveal the influence of the cult of Bhaal on the wider Act 3 storyline.
• Gauntlet Devella's involvement is notable both for her role in the case and because some players have reported bugs affecting related interactions.

Relationships