Save the Refugees - eXputer Wiki

Key takeaways

The quest is primarily about preserving the refugees and deciding which leadership or faction should determine Emerald Grove's future.

Protect the refugees The refugees' survival is the central success condition for players who want to preserve their story and pursue Leave No One Behind.
Kagha drives the immediate tension Kagha is the interim druid leader and wants the refugees expelled, making her position central to the grove's internal dispute.
Halsin offers a peaceful route Arch Druid Halsin is imprisoned in the Goblin Camp, and finding him is key to resolving the situation peacefully.
The goblin route has severe consequences Supporting the goblins and Minthara leads to the refugees' deaths and can cause Wyll and Karlach to leave the party.
The quest has lasting effects Saving the refugees leads to a celebration at the player's camp and supports longer-term story progression.

Save the Refugees overview

Save the Refugees is a major Act 1 side quest centered on the emergency at Emerald Grove, where Tiefling refugees seek safety while the druids consider expelling them.

The quest begins amid a conflict between the Tiefling refugees and the druids of Emerald Grove. The refugees are trying to reach Baldur's Gate, but their journey has been disrupted by goblin raiders, while Kagha, the interim druid leader, wants the refugees removed from the grove. The crisis therefore combines an immediate survival problem with a wider dispute over who has the right to remain in the grove.

There is no single required solution to the situation. The player can work to protect the refugees, investigate ways to resolve the conflict more peacefully, or support the goblin attack on the grove. Searching for Arch Druid Halsin is an important part of the peaceful path because he is imprisoned in the Goblin Camp and is connected to the grove's leadership crisis.

The consequences extend beyond the immediate quest. Saving the refugees allows them to celebrate at the player's camp and contributes to longer-term story progression, while siding with the goblins and Minthara results in the refugees' deaths. That outcome can also cause companions such as Wyll and Karlach to leave the party, making the quest one of Act 1's most consequential decisions.

Players pursuing the Leave No One Behind trophy should treat the initial Emerald Grove conflict as a critical protection objective. The quest provides experience points and various pieces of equipment, but its most important outcome is determining whether the refugees remain alive for later events.

Where this sits

Reach Emerald GroveBecome involved in the local crisis

Assess the conflictUnderstand the refugees' danger and Kagha's position

Resolve the threatChoose a path involving the grove, refugees, or goblins

Determine the aftermathThe refugees' fate affects later progression

1Emerald GrovelocationThe quest's central location.
●Save the RefugeesquestThe current quest.
3Baldur's GatelocationThe refugees' intended destination.

Save the Refugees belongs to the Act 1 Emerald Grove conflict and can influence the refugees' later story.

Requirements

The quest requires access to the Emerald Grove situation; its major branches are determined by how the player responds to the refugees, druids, goblins, and Arch Druid Halsin.

RequiredReach Emerald GroveThe conflict between the Tiefling refugees and the druids must be accessible before the quest can be meaningfully addressed.
RecommendedInvestigate the local crisisSpeak with the people involved and establish whether the refugees can remain safe in the grove.
RecommendedFind Arch Druid HalsinHalsin is imprisoned in the Goblin Camp, and locating him is important for a peaceful resolution.
RequiredDecide which faction to supportThe quest branches according to whether the player protects the refugees, pursues a peaceful solution, or sides with the goblins and Minthara.

Objectives

Become involved in the conflict at Emerald GroveUnderstand why the Tiefling refugees are threatened by both the wider goblin danger and Kagha's expulsion policy.
Protect the Tiefling refugeesChoose actions that preserve the refugees rather than allowing the grove conflict to end in their deaths.
Resolve the druid and refugee disputeThe player can seek a peaceful answer connected to Arch Druid Halsin or choose a factional solution.
Deal with the goblin threatGoblin raiders are waylaying the refugees, so the threat to their planned journey must be addressed.
Decide the grove's outcomeSupporting the goblins and Minthara produces a radically different outcome from saving the refugees.Optional

WalkthroughSpoilers

01
Become involved in the conflict
Enter the Emerald Grove crisis
Reach Emerald Grove and pay attention to the dispute between the Tiefling refugees and the druids rather than treating the settlement as a simple safe haven. The refugees are attempting to reach Baldur's Gate, but goblin raiders are already threatening their route and Kagha wants them expelled.
Location: Emerald Grove
TipKeep the refugees' survival as your priority if you are pursuing Leave No One Behind.
Checkpoint
02
Understand the refugees' situation
Speak with the refugee leadership
Learn the refugees' position through Zevlor, who leads them and represents their need for protection. His role makes clear that the refugees need a way to survive both the grove's internal dispute and the goblin danger outside it.
Location: Emerald Grove
03
Understand why the refugees are threatened
Assess Kagha's position
Investigate the druid side of the dispute and recognize that Kagha, the interim druid leader, wants the Tiefling refugees expelled. Any resolution must therefore address both the refugees' vulnerability and the leadership tension inside the grove.
Location: Emerald Grove
04
Select the direction of the quest
Choose a protective or peaceful course
Decide whether your actions will protect the refugees and seek a peaceful resolution, or whether you will support another faction. Do not commit to the goblin route if you need the refugees alive for later content or the Leave No One Behind trophy.
Location: Emerald Grove
Watch outThe major faction choice changes the refugees' fate and can affect companion availability.
Checkpoint
05
Find Arch Druid Halsin
Search for Arch Druid Halsin
Travel to the Goblin Camp if you are pursuing the peaceful route and search for Arch Druid Halsin, who is imprisoned there. His connection to the grove's leadership makes finding him a key step toward resolving the dispute without sacrificing the refugees.
Location: Goblin Camp
TipTreat Halsin's imprisonment as part of the grove problem, not as an unrelated detour.
06
Remove or overcome the danger posed by the goblins
Address the goblin threat
The refugees are being waylaid by goblin raiders on their intended journey, so the goblin threat must be dealt with as part of any successful rescue plan. The exact combat approach can vary, but the objective is to prevent the crisis from ending with the refugees exposed and killed.
Location: Emerald Grove and the goblin-controlled areas
07
Ensure the refugees are safe
Confirm the refugees' outcome
After resolving the conflict, verify whether the Tiefling refugees survived rather than assuming that completing a related objective protected everyone. Their survival is the defining result of the rescue path and affects later story progression.
Location: Emerald Grove
CheckpointMissable
08
Witness the refugee celebration
Return to camp for the celebration
If the refugees were successfully saved, continue to the player's camp to see them celebrate. This aftermath confirms the protective outcome and marks the quest's contribution to the longer-term story.
Location: The player's camp
09
Preserve the refugees
Avoid the goblin raid outcome
Siding with the goblins and Minthara leads to the deaths of the refugees, so this is not a rescue resolution. That path can also cause Wyll and Karlach to leave the party, making it a poor choice for a refugee-preservation run.
Location: Emerald Grove
Watch outThis branch produces major story and companion consequences.
Missable

Mission mechanics

Save the Refugees is a choice-driven quest rather than a linear assignment with one mandatory combat sequence. Its structure is built around competing interests: the Tiefling refugees need a route toward Baldur's Gate, Kagha wants them out of Emerald Grove, and goblin raiders threaten them from outside the settlement.

The quest also links local politics to exploration. Searching for Arch Druid Halsin in the Goblin Camp creates a route toward a peaceful solution, while choosing to support the goblins and Minthara turns the same crisis into an attack on the grove. The important mechanical lesson is to distinguish progress toward resolving the conflict from progress toward saving the refugees; the two are not automatically the same.

Because the quest affects later content, players should make a manual save before committing to a factional decision. This is especially important for a run focused on companion retention or Leave No One Behind, since the goblin-aligned outcome kills the refugees and may remove Wyll and Karlach from the party.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The quest gives the player meaningful control over the fate of a vulnerable group rather than presenting a purely linear rescue.
Its outcome connects Emerald Grove, the Goblin Camp, companion relationships, and later story progression.
The peaceful route gives the player a clear reason to search for Arch Druid Halsin.

Weaknesses

The refugee crisis is easy to mishandle if the player treats the goblin conflict and Kagha's expulsion policy as separate problems.
The goblin-aligned route has severe consequences for the refugees and can cost Wyll and Karlach as companions.
The quest's most important results are long-term, so the immediate reward of experience points and equipment does not fully represent its importance.

Best uses

Prioritize this quest early when planning a run that protects the Tiefling refugees.
Use it as a central decision point for a peaceful Emerald Grove playthrough.
Resolve the refugee crisis before making a commitment to the goblins and Minthara.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

Protect the refugees and pursue a peaceful resolution
The refugees can survive, celebrate at the player's camp, and contribute to long-term story progression.
Spoiler
Search for Arch Druid Halsin in the Goblin Camp
Halsin's recovery provides a key route toward resolving the grove's situation peacefully.
Spoiler
Side with the goblins and Minthara
The Tiefling refugees die, and companions including Wyll and Karlach can leave the party.
Spoiler

Checklist

Reach Emerald Grove and learn about the refugee-druid conflict
Speak with Zevlor about the refugees' situation
Understand Kagha's intention to expel the refugees
Account for the goblin raiders threatening the refugees' journey
Search for Arch Druid Halsin in the Goblin CampRecommended for the peaceful resolution path.
Make a manual save before the major faction decisionRecommended because the choice affects the refugees and companions.Optional
Avoid siding with the goblins and Minthara if the refugees must survive
Confirm the refugees' survival after resolving the crisis
Visit the player's camp to see the refugee celebrationOptional
Preserve the refugees for the Leave No One Behind trophyOptional

Failure conditionsSpoilers

The refugees are killedSiding with the goblins and Minthara results in the deaths of the Tiefling refugees and fails the rescue outcome.
The grove is raided by the goblinsChoosing the goblin-aligned resolution turns the crisis against the inhabitants of Emerald Grove and prevents the refugees from reaching safety.
Wyll or Karlach leave the partyThe goblin-aligned outcome can cause these companions to leave, so it is incompatible with a run that intends to keep both companions.
The refugees do not survive the initial conflictPlayers pursuing Leave No One Behind must ensure the refugees survive this early crisis, because their deaths prevent the later trophy objective.

On failure

Make a manual save before committing to a factional resolution. The supplied material does not specify every individual fail trigger or checkpoint location.

Rewards

Experience points
Completing the quest provides experience points.
Equipment
The quest provides various pieces of equipment; the supplied material does not specify a complete item list.
Refugee celebration
Saving the refugees allows them to celebrate at the player's camp.
Long-term story progression
The refugees' survival contributes to later story progression.

Characters in this mission

KarlachA companion who can leave if the player sides with the goblins and Minthara.

AftermathSpoilers

The rescue outcome affects the whole campaign

Saving the refugees is not only a local success at Emerald Grove. They can celebrate at the player's camp and remain part of longer-term story progression, while siding with the goblins and Minthara kills them and can cause Wyll and Karlach to leave the party.

Trivia

Save the Refugees is an Act 1 side quest.
The refugees are trying to reach Baldur's Gate.
The quest is tied to the Leave No One Behind trophy for players attempting to rescue all possible Tieflings throughout the game.
Arch Druid Halsin is imprisoned in the Goblin Camp rather than being present as the active leader of Emerald Grove during the crisis.

Sources

Save the Refugees — bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki

Relationships

setting

Emerald GroveLocationThe grove is the center of the conflict between the Tiefling refugees and the druids.

progression

Goblin CampRelated locationThe player can search there for the imprisoned Arch Druid Halsin.

characters

ZevlorRefugee leaderZevlor leads the Tiefling refugees involved in the quest.
KaghaDruid leaderKagha is the interim druid leader who wants the refugees expelled.
Arch Druid HalsinKey figureHalsin is imprisoned in the Goblin Camp and is important to a peaceful resolution.

outcomes

MintharaGoblin-aligned routeSiding with Minthara and the goblins leads to the refugees' deaths.
WyllCompanion consequenceWyll can leave the party after the goblin-aligned outcome.
KarlachCompanion consequenceKarlach can leave the party after the goblin-aligned outcome.