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QuestsupportingSide missionModerate

Help the Survivors

An Act 3 side quest in Baldur's Gate 3 about Mayrina's anti-hag support group, the survivors of Auntie Ethel's abuse, and the search for a kidnapped child.

RoleNarrative side quest resolving the consequences of the party's earlier dealings with Auntie Ethel.
Statusavailable in Act 3
Importancesupporting
RewardProgress toward the related quest Avenge the Hag Survivors.
TimeVariable; depends on exploration and subsequent encounters.
  • ActAct 3
  • TypeSide mission
  • Primary settingLower City
  • Central figureMayrina
  • Main threatAuntie Ethel
  • Follow-upAvenge the Hag Survivors

No fixed mission number, guaranteed completion time, or universal reward is established in the supplied material.

Key takeaways

Keep the investigation focused on the support group's clues rather than treating the posters as ordinary city decoration.

  • Start with the posters The anti-hag flyers throughout the Lower City provide the opening lead for the quest. Investigating them is the intended way to find the survivors' trail.
  • Follow the location chain The investigation moves through Barren's Coop before directing the party to Old Garlow's house. Treat each location as part of one connected lead rather than unrelated exploration.
  • Remember Mayrina's history Mayrina's survival in Act 1 changes what can be reached in Act 3. An earlier failure to save her can make some quest items and locations inaccessible.
  • Expect a linked follow-up Completing the initial objectives usually leads into Avenge the Hag Survivors. Resolve conversations and clues before moving on if you want the support group's storyline fully developed.

Overview

Help the Survivors is an Act 3 quest that follows the lasting damage caused by Auntie Ethel and points the party toward the people still living with the hag's influence.

The quest begins in the Lower City, where the party can discover posters advertising an anti-hag support group. These notices are the first visible clue that Auntie Ethel's victims have gathered together and are attempting to resist her influence. Following the trail turns a city investigation into a personal continuation of the party's earlier conflict with the hag.

The posters direct the investigation toward Barren's Coop and, from there, toward Old Garlow's house. The route is less about a single combat objective than about connecting clues, speaking with the people affected by Ethel, and learning what the support group knows about her continued activities. Mayrina is central to this effort and leads the group dedicated to stopping the hag.

The quest also carries consequences from Act 1. If Mayrina was not saved earlier, some locations and quest-related items may no longer be available in Act 3. For players who did preserve her, the investigation can uncover a way to weaken the hag and help victims including a kidnapped child. Its immediate storyline is closely connected to Avenge the Hag Survivors, which generally follows once the initial objectives are completed.

Where this sits

Earlier consequencesMayrina's fate in Act 1 affects later access.
Act 3 investigationFind the posters and follow the survivors' clues.
Connected resolutionThe initial objectives lead toward the related quest.
  1. 1Discover the anti-hag support group postersinvestigation
  2. 2Investigate Barren's Cooplocation
  3. ●Reach Old Garlow's houselocation
  4. 4Continue into Avenge the Hag Survivorsfollow-up

This quest is the Act 3 continuation of the party's earlier dealings with Auntie Ethel.

Requirements and preparation

The quest is encountered in Act 3 through clues in the Lower City. Earlier choices involving Mayrina can determine whether parts of the investigation remain available.

  • RequiredReach Act 3The quest's opening clues and survivor storyline are located in the Lower City during Act 3.
  • RequiredFind the anti-hag support group postersThe posters are the opening lead and point the party toward the investigation's first relevant location.
  • RecommendedHave saved Mayrina in Act 1This is not presented as a universal prerequisite, but failing to save Mayrina can make some Act 3 locations and items inaccessible.
  • RecommendedBe ready to investigate and converseProgress requires interacting with NPCs and uncovering clues about the hag's hidden activity in the city, not only winning fights.

Objectives

  1. Discover the anti-hag support group postersUse the posters in the Lower City to identify the survivors' investigation.
  2. Investigate Barren's CoopFollow the first lead and determine how it points the party onward.
  3. Reach Old Garlow's houseContinue through the location chain to find the support group and its central characters.
  4. Confront Auntie Ethel's influenceUncover information about the hag's hidden activities and the danger still facing her victims.
  5. Help the survivors, including a kidnapped childAdvance the storyline far enough to address the victims' immediate danger.
  6. Find instructions for a specialized potionLook for the information that can provide a way to weaken the hag.
  7. Continue into Avenge the Hag SurvivorsThe related quest generally begins after the initial objectives are met.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Discover the anti-hag support group posters

    Search the Lower City for anti-hag posters

    Begin the investigation by exploring the Lower City and looking for posters advertising an anti-hag support group. These flyers are the quest's opening clue, so read or investigate them rather than passing through the streets without examining the notices.

    Location: Lower City

    TipIf the quest does not appear immediately, continue checking the city's public areas for the support group's notices instead of searching randomly for a combat encounter.

  2. 02

    Investigate the first location named by the posters

    Follow the posters' lead to Barren's Coop

    Use the information from the flyers to investigate Barren's Coop. The coop is not the final destination; its purpose is to advance the chain of clues and establish where the survivors' activities lead next.

    Location: Barren's Coop

    Watch outDo not assume that reaching the coop alone completes the quest. The survivors' storyline continues after this lead is examined.

  3. 03

    Reach the support group's next location

    Track the investigation to Old Garlow's house

    Continue following the evidence from Barren's Coop until it directs the party to Old Garlow's house. This is the key gathering point for the next stage of the investigation and is where the party can learn more from the people affected by Auntie Ethel.

    Location: Old Garlow's house

    TipApproach this stage as an investigation: speak with the relevant NPCs and inspect the available clues before leaving the house.

  4. 04

    Learn what the support group knows

    Speak with Mayrina and the survivors

    At the support group's location, interact with Mayrina and the other NPCs involved in the anti-hag effort. Their conversations explain the group's purpose and reveal that Ethel's victims are still dealing with the consequences of her actions.

    Location: Old Garlow's house

    Watch outThe quest depends on NPC interaction and information gathering. Skipping conversations can leave the next lead unclear even when the party is in the correct location.

  5. 05

    Uncover clues about Auntie Ethel's activities

    Investigate the hag's hidden activities

    Use the information supplied by the survivors to uncover what Auntie Ethel is doing in the city and why the group remains in danger. The investigation leads beyond the original posters and turns the support group's testimony into actionable evidence.

    Location: Lower City and connected quest locations

    TipKeep track of named locations and NPC statements; the quest's progression is built around connecting those clues rather than following a single straight road.

  6. 06

    Find instructions for a potion that weakens the hag

    Look for the specialized potion instructions

    Search the investigation's available evidence for instructions describing a specialized potion that can weaken the hag. The supplied quest information identifies these instructions as an important aid, but does not establish a single guaranteed container or exact crafting procedure.

    Location: Quest-related investigation locations

    Watch outThe exact location and use sequence for the instructions are not confirmed in the supplied material, so do not discard unidentified quest documents before checking them.

    Missable
  7. 07

    Help the survivors and protect the kidnapped child

    Address the danger facing the victims

    Continue the survivor storyline until the party can act against the danger affecting Ethel's victims, including a kidnapped child. The quest's aim is not only to learn what happened but also to help the people caught in the hag's influence.

    Location: Quest-related locations in the Lower City

    Watch outThe supplied material does not specify every failure trigger for the child's rescue, so treat this objective as time-sensitive and avoid abandoning the investigation once it is revealed.

    Missable
  8. 08

    Begin the linked follow-up

    Continue into Avenge the Hag Survivors

    Once the initial objectives are complete, check for the related quest Avenge the Hag Survivors. It typically follows this investigation and carries the survivors' response to Auntie Ethel into the next stage.

    Location: Lower City and subsequent quest locations

    TipFinish the available survivor conversations and inspect the evidence before moving on, so the transition reflects the full investigation rather than an unexplained quest update.

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Help the Survivors is structured as a clue-driven investigation. Its opening posters create a breadcrumb trail through the Lower City, with Barren's Coop serving as an intermediate lead and Old Garlow's house serving as the important next location. Progress therefore comes from exploration, conversations, and identifying the correct evidence as much as from combat.

The quest also uses continuity from an earlier act. Mayrina's survival is not merely background: the outcome of the Act 1 hag storyline can affect whether Act 3 locations and items are accessible. This makes the quest partly dependent on state carried forward from a previous chapter.

A specialized potion is part of the quest's problem-solving layer. The available information confirms that instructions for a potion capable of weakening the hag can be found, but it does not confirm the precise item location, ingredients, or application method. Those details should be checked against an editorially verified walkthrough before publication.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • It gives Act 1's Auntie Ethel storyline a later consequence in the Lower City.
  • The poster-to-coop-to-house route provides a clear investigative thread once the opening clue is found.
  • Mayrina's leadership gives the survivor storyline a consistent emotional and narrative focus.
  • The specialized potion instructions add an investigative way to weaken the hag rather than relying only on direct confrontation.

Weaknesses

  • The quest can be partly or wholly affected by whether Mayrina was saved in Act 1.
  • The opening posters may be easy to overlook during broad exploration of the Lower City.
  • The supplied material does not establish exact locations for every clue, item, or rescue event, limiting the precision of a fully itemized walkthrough.

Best uses

  • Follow it as a continuation of the earlier hag storyline.
  • Use the support group's testimony to identify the next objective before pursuing unrelated Lower City activities.
  • Treat the quest as an investigation first and a combat sequence second.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Save Mayrina in Act 1

    Keeping Mayrina alive preserves access to parts of the Act 3 survivor storyline, including quest-related locations or items that can otherwise become inaccessible.

    Spoiler
  • Fail to save Mayrina in Act 1

    Some Act 3 content connected to this quest may be unavailable. The supplied material does not define every affected object or location.

    Spoiler
  • Follow the support group's clues

    Investigating the posters, Barren's Coop, and Old Garlow's house advances the survivor storyline and normally leads toward Avenge the Hag Survivors.

  • Search for the specialized potion instructions

    Finding the instructions can provide a method for weakening the hag, although the exact item-use sequence is not confirmed by the supplied sources.

    Spoiler

Completion checklist

  • Find an anti-hag support group poster in the Lower CityThis is the opening lead for the quest.
  • Investigate Barren's CoopUse the posters' information to follow the first location clue.
  • Reach Old Garlow's houseThis is the next major destination in the investigation.
  • Speak with MayrinaShe leads the support group and is central to its objective.
  • Speak with the other survivorsTheir information reveals the continuing danger from Auntie Ethel.
  • Investigate clues about the hag's hidden city activitiesProgress requires uncovering information, not merely visiting the locations.
  • Look for the specialized potion instructionsThe instructions can reveal a way to weaken the hag.
  • Address the threat to the survivorsThe storyline includes victims such as a kidnapped child.Optional
  • Check for Avenge the Hag SurvivorsThis related quest typically follows the initial objectives.Optional
  • Confirm that Mayrina survived Act 1If she did not, some Act 3 content may be inaccessible.Optional

Failure conditions and missable contentSpoilers

  • Mayrina was not saved in Act 1This earlier outcome can make certain quest-related locations and items inaccessible in Act 3.
  • The opening posters are not investigatedWithout following the anti-hag notices, the party may not receive the intended lead toward Barren's Coop.
  • The survivor investigation is abandoned before its clues are connectedThe quest requires interactions with NPCs and the discovery of information about the hag's hidden activities.
  • The kidnapped child's danger is not addressedThe supplied material identifies the child as one of the victims to save but does not specify every possible failure trigger.

On failure

The available source material does not document exact timed events, combat fail states, or autosave checkpoints. Treat the quest as missable because of its Act 1 dependency and incomplete rescue details.

Rewards and drops

  • Progress toward Avenge the Hag Survivors
    The initial investigation typically leads into this related quest once its objectives are completed.
  • Instructions for a specialized potion
    The quest can involve finding instructions for a potion intended to weaken the hag; the supplied material does not confirm the item's exact name or acquisition location.
  • Resolution for the survivors' storyline
    Completing the investigation advances the narrative conclusion to the consequences of Auntie Ethel's earlier actions.

AftermathSpoilers

The Act 3 consequence of the hag storyline

Help the Survivors functions as a later answer to the party's earlier dealings with Auntie Ethel. Mayrina and the other victims are no longer confined to the Act 1 incident: their support group, the evidence in the Lower City, and the danger to a kidnapped child show how the hag's influence has continued. Completing the initial investigation generally opens the way to Avenge the Hag Survivors.

Trivia and context

  • The quest's name frames the party's role around assisting victims rather than simply hunting the hag.
  • The anti-hag posters make the support group's existence discoverable through environmental clues in the Lower City.
  • Mayrina's presence connects this Act 3 quest to the player's earlier decisions in Act 1.
  • The quest is part of Baldur's Gate 3's broader pattern of carrying consequences from earlier acts into later areas.

Sources

Relationships

Characters

  • Auntie EthelAntagonistThe hag whose victims and continuing influence are investigated in this quest.
  • MayrinaQuest characterLeader of the anti-hag support group and a central figure in the survivors' storyline.

Locations

  • Barren's CoopInvestigation locationThe first location reached by following the anti-hag posters.
  • Old Garlow's houseInvestigation locationThe location to which the clues from Barren's Coop direct the party.