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QuestsupportingOptionalModerate

Deliver the Head of Nere

An Act 1 quest that begins with Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto and asks you to kill True Soul Nere at Grymforge, recover his head, and return it to Spaw.

RoleOptional Act 1 quest involving True Soul Nere, the Ebonlake Grotto, and Grymforge.
Statusavailable
Importancesupporting
RewardReturn Nere's head to Sovereign Spaw
TimeVariable; depends on whether Nere is rescued or left to succumb to poison
  • ActAct 1
  • Mission typeOptional
  • Quest giverSovereign Spaw
  • Starting locationEbonlake Grotto
  • Target locationGrymforge
  • Primary targetTrue Soul Nere
  • Core objectiveRecover and deliver Nere's head
  • MissableYes

The quest has no supplied fixed duration, level requirement, or numeric reward value.

Key takeawaysSpoilers

Keep the objective and the condition of Nere's body in mind before starting the confrontation.

  • Start with Sovereign Spaw Speak to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto to begin the quest and establish the delivery objective.
  • Nere must die Sparing Nere or allowing him to remain alive fails the quest, even if you have otherwise dealt with the cave-in.
  • Protect the corpse Do not use a method that burns Nere or sends him into lava, because those outcomes can destroy the body and prevent head collection.
  • Finish the delivery After severing the head, return it to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto rather than treating the corpse interaction as the end of the quest.
  • A late start can still work If Nere is killed before the quest is formally accepted, it is often still possible to interact with the corpse and complete the objective.

Deliver the Head of NereSpoilers

Deliver the Head of Nere is an Act 1 quest that connects the myconid settlement in the Ebonlake Grotto with the trapped True Soul Nere in Grymforge.

The quest begins when you speak with Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto. Spaw directs you toward True Soul Nere, who is located at Grymforge and is trapped behind a cave-in. The central objective is straightforward but easy to mishandle: Nere must die, his corpse must remain intact, and his head must be returned to Spaw.

At Grymforge, you must decide how to handle the cave-in and Nere's worsening situation. You can take action to rescue him or wait for him to succumb to poison, but allowing Nere to live or choosing to spare him causes this quest to fail. The quest therefore combines a time-sensitive rescue decision with a later body-recovery objective.

After Nere is dead, interact with his corpse to sever and collect his head, then bring it back to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto. Attacks or effects that burn Nere or push him into lava can destroy the corpse, leaving no head to recover. Successfully collecting the head triggers a short cutscene and a simple Strength check; a Haunted One character also receives the Head of the Snake inspiration for completing the collection.

Where this sits

Quest acceptedSpeak to Sovereign Spaw
GrymforgeFind True Soul Nere behind the cave-in
ConfrontationKill Nere without destroying his corpse
DeliveryReturn the head to Sovereign Spaw
  1. 1Speak to Sovereign SpawstartThis begins Deliver the Head of Nere.
  2. 2Reach GrymforgetravelThe quest target is trapped behind a cave-in.
  3. 3Resolve Nere's fatedecisionRescue him or wait for the poison to take effect, but do not leave him alive if you intend to complete the quest.
  4. ●Recover the headobjectiveUse Nere's corpse after the kill and pass the associated simple Strength check.
  5. 5Return to Sovereign Spawturn-inDeliver the collected head in the Ebonlake Grotto.

The quest moves from the Ebonlake Grotto to Grymforge and back again.

Requirements

The known prerequisite is speaking with Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto. The quest can also remain completable in some circumstances if Nere was killed before the conversation, provided his corpse is still available.

  • RequiredSpeak to Sovereign SpawTalk to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto to initiate the quest.
  • RequiredReach GrymforgeTrue Soul Nere and the cave-in are located at Grymforge.
  • RequiredKeep Nere's body intactAvoid killing methods that burn Nere or push him into lava, since the head may become unretrievable.
  • RequiredReturn to the Ebonlake GrottoThe collected head must be taken back to Sovereign Spaw for the quest reward.
  • OptionalKill Nere before accepting the questThis is not presented as a prerequisite, but the quest can often still be completed if the corpse remains available.

ObjectivesSpoilers

  1. Find True Soul Nere at Grymforge.Nere is trapped behind a cave-in at Grymforge.
  2. Kill True Soul Nere.The quest cannot be completed by sparing Nere or allowing him to remain alive.
  3. Sever and collect Nere's head.Interact with Nere's corpse after the kill. The collection sequence includes a short cutscene and a simple Strength check.
  4. Return Nere's head to Sovereign Spaw.Bring the head back to the Ebonlake Grotto and deliver it to the quest giver.
  5. Receive the Head of the Snake inspiration if playing as the Haunted One.This inspiration is tied to completing the collection of the head and applies to the Haunted One background.Optional

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Begin Deliver the Head of Nere

    Speak to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto

    Locate Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto and speak with the myconid sovereign to start Deliver the Head of Nere. The conversation establishes Nere as the target and points the quest toward Grymforge.

    Location: Ebonlake Grotto

    TipAccept the quest before dealing with Nere when possible, so the objective and return step are clearly active.

  2. 02

    Find True Soul Nere

    Travel to Grymforge

    Make your way to Grymforge, where True Soul Nere is trapped behind a cave-in. The critical point is not simply reaching the location but finding the blocked area and deciding whether to intervene before Nere succumbs to poison.

    Location: Grymforge

  3. 03

    Resolve Nere's situation

    Choose whether to rescue Nere or wait

    At the cave-in, decide whether to rescue Nere or wait for him to succumb to poison. This choice changes how the situation develops, but it does not remove the core requirement: Nere must ultimately be dead for Deliver the Head of Nere to succeed.

    Location: Grymforge cave-in

    Watch outIf Nere is spared or allowed to live, the quest fails.

  4. 04

    Kill True Soul Nere

    Kill True Soul Nere

    Confront and kill True Soul Nere at Grymforge. Choose a method that leaves the corpse available for interaction; burning Nere or pushing him into lava can destroy the body and make the required head impossible to retrieve.

    Location: Grymforge

    Watch outAvoid effects that burn Nere or push him into lava, because destroying the corpse can fail the delivery objective.

  5. 05

    Sever and collect Nere's head

    Interact with Nere's corpse

    After the fight, interact with Nere's corpse and choose the action that severs and collects his head. The game then presents a short cutscene followed by a simple Strength check, so do not leave the area before confirming that the head has been obtained.

    Location: Grymforge

    Checkpoint
  6. 06

    Deliver Nere's head to Sovereign Spaw

    Return the head to Sovereign Spaw

    Take the collected head back to the Ebonlake Grotto and speak with Sovereign Spaw. Complete the handover to receive the quest reward; for a Haunted One character, completing the collection also grants the Head of the Snake inspiration.

    Location: Ebonlake Grotto

Mission mechanicsSpoilers

The quest has two separate failure-sensitive parts: Nere's death and the preservation of his corpse. Killing the target is not enough if the chosen method destroys the body. In particular, fire-based destruction or a push into lava can remove the corpse interaction needed to sever the head.

Nere's status behind the cave-in creates the quest's timing and choice structure. The player can act to rescue him or wait for him to succumb to poison, but the quest's required endpoint remains the same. A living or spared Nere does not satisfy Deliver the Head of Nere.

The head collection is an interaction with Nere's corpse rather than an automatic reward from the battle. After the interaction, a short cutscene plays and a simple Strength check occurs. Confirm that the head is in the inventory before leaving Grymforge, then return to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto.

The quest also has a tolerant entry condition in some circumstances: killing Nere before speaking to Sovereign Spaw can still leave the objective completable. This depends on the corpse remaining available, so it is safer to establish the quest with Spaw first and preserve the body during the confrontation.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • The objective is clearly divided between killing True Soul Nere, recovering the head, and returning it to Sovereign Spaw.
  • The quest supports more than one resolution to the cave-in situation by allowing the player to rescue Nere or wait for the poison to take effect.
  • The corpse-preservation rule gives the encounter a meaningful tactical constraint beyond simply winning the fight.
  • The Haunted One background has a specific inspiration outcome connected to collecting the head.

Weaknesses

  • The quest fails if Nere is spared or left alive, even if the player has otherwise engaged with the cave-in.
  • A victory can still become a failure if Nere is burned or pushed into lava and the corpse is destroyed.
  • The head is not automatically secured merely by defeating Nere; the player must perform the corpse interaction and complete its Strength check.

Best uses

  • Plan the confrontation around preserving Nere's corpse.
  • Complete the delivery to Sovereign Spaw before moving on from the Ebonlake Grotto.
  • Use the quest as a way to explore the moral and factional consequences surrounding Nere's fate without sacrificing the required objective.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Rescue True Soul Nere from the cave-in.

    This keeps Nere available for the required confrontation, after which he must be killed and his body preserved for head collection.

    Spoiler
  • Wait for True Soul Nere to succumb to poison.

    This is an alternative way to resolve the cave-in situation, but Nere must still be dead and his corpse must remain available if the quest is to be completed.

    Spoiler
  • Spare True Soul Nere or allow him to live.

    Deliver the Head of Nere fails.

    Spoiler
  • Burn Nere or push him into lava.

    The corpse can be destroyed, making the head unretrievable and failing the quest.

    Spoiler
  • Kill Nere before accepting the quest from Sovereign Spaw.

    It is often still possible to return to the corpse and complete the objective, provided the body remains available.

ChecklistSpoilers

  • Speak to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto.This is the normal way to initiate the quest.
  • Reach the cave-in at Grymforge.True Soul Nere is trapped at this location.
  • Decide whether to rescue Nere or wait for the poison.Either path still requires Nere to die.
  • Kill True Soul Nere.Sparing him or leaving him alive fails the quest.
  • Keep Nere's corpse out of lava and away from effects that burn it.The head cannot be recovered from a destroyed body.
  • Interact with Nere's corpse.Use the corpse interaction to sever and collect the head.
  • Complete the simple Strength check during collection.The collection sequence includes a short cutscene.
  • Verify that the head has been collected before leaving Grymforge.Do not assume the battle reward automatically includes it.
  • Return to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto.Deliver the head to complete the quest.
  • Check for Head of the Snake inspiration if using the Haunted One background.It is awarded upon completing collection of the head.Optional

Failure conditionsSpoilers

  • True Soul Nere is spared.The quest requires Nere to be killed, so choosing to spare him prevents completion.
  • True Soul Nere remains alive.Allowing Nere to live fails Deliver the Head of Nere.
  • Nere's body is destroyed by fire.A burned corpse may no longer provide the interaction needed to sever and retrieve the head.
  • Nere is pushed into lava.The lava can destroy the body and make the head unretrievable.
  • The head is not collected from the corpse.Defeating Nere does not replace the required corpse interaction and delivery step.

On failure

The corpse interaction is the important confirmation point after the fight. Make sure the head has been collected before returning to the Ebonlake Grotto.

Rewards

  • Quest reward from Sovereign Spaw
    Returning Nere's head to Sovereign Spaw completes the quest and provides the associated reward.
  • Head of the Snake inspiration
    A character with the Haunted One background receives this inspiration upon completing collection of Nere's head.
  • Nere's head
    This is the quest item obtained by interacting with Nere's corpse after the kill and completing the collection sequence.

AftermathSpoilers

The delivery is the true endpoint

Defeating True Soul Nere is only the middle of the quest. The objective is completed when his head has been severed from the preserved corpse and delivered to Sovereign Spaw in the Ebonlake Grotto. The quest can also produce unique dialogue or outcomes involving the moral and factional tensions of the Underdark.

Trivia

  • The quest is commonly referred to as Deliver the Head of Nere, while the in-game objective is also described as Deliver Nere's Head.
  • The quest begins and ends in the Ebonlake Grotto but sends the player to Grymforge for its central confrontation.
  • The Haunted One background has a dedicated inspiration outcome, Head of the Snake, tied to collecting Nere's head.
  • The quest can sometimes be completed after Nere was killed before the player formally accepted it, as long as the corpse remains available.

Sources

Relationships

Characters

  • Sovereign SpawQuest giverSovereign Spaw initiates the quest in the Ebonlake Grotto and receives Nere's head.
  • True Soul NereTargetThe quest requires True Soul Nere to be killed and his head recovered.

Locations

  • Ebonlake GrottoStart and return locationThe quest begins and concludes in the Ebonlake Grotto.
  • GrymforgeQuest locationTrue Soul Nere is trapped and confronted at Grymforge.