Rescue the Gnomes

Key takeaways

The quest is easiest to manage when its rescue stages are treated as connected objectives rather than isolated encounters.

Stop the windmill first At the Blighted Village, identify the control that stops the windmill before trying to free Barcus Wroot. The rescue can fail if the machinery is left rotating.
Plan the prison escape The Moonrise Towers section may involve both deep gnomes and tieflings. Decide whether the party will use combat, stealth, or wall-breaking tools before opening the cells.
Do not delay the prisoners Later story events can make the prisoners unavailable or result in their deaths. Advance the rescue before committing to developments that change the state of Moonrise Towers.
Protect future interactions Saving the gnomes keeps Barcus and Wulbren available for later parts of the game, including encounters connected with Grymforge and the Last Light Inn.

Rescue the Gnomes is a connected rescue quest that begins with Barcus Wroot in the Blighted Village and later reaches the deep gnomes held at Moonrise Towers.

The early part of the quest involves finding Barcus Wroot attached to a windmill in the Blighted Village. The rescue is not simply a matter of defeating the people nearby: the windmill is still operating, and choosing the wrong lever can cause the machinery to kill Barcus. The important preparation is to inspect the controls and stop the rotation before attempting to release him.

The quest thread continues into Act Two, where Rescue Wulbren concerns Wulbren and other deep gnomes imprisoned in Moonrise Towers. This stage can be pursued alongside the rescue of captured tieflings in the same prison, allowing one prison operation to advance several character-related objectives at once.

The prison rescue supports later interactions with Barcus and Wulbren. The order in which the player handles prison events matters, because certain story developments can remove the opportunity to save the prisoners. Treat the Moonrise Towers section as time-sensitive even when the journal does not present a conventional countdown.

The quest allows more than one approach to the prison. Players can confront the guards directly, use stealth, or exploit tools and environmental access to break through prison walls. The safest method depends on the party's abilities and the surrounding prison state, but every approach should begin with a plan for getting the prisoners out rather than stopping after opening their cells.

Where this sits

Act OneBlighted Village rescue

Act TwoMoonrise Towers prison rescue

Later interactionsGrymforge and Last Light Inn

●Find Barcus WrootstartLocate him at the windmill in the Blighted Village.
2Stop the windmillobjectiveUse the correct lever before attempting the release.
3Rescue WulbrenobjectiveFree Wulbren and the other deep gnomes from Moonrise Towers prison.
4Continue the gnome storylineaftermathPreserve later interactions by completing the rescues before decisive story events.

The quest begins with Barcus Wroot and later connects to the Moonrise Towers prison rescue.

Requirements

The first rescue requires access to the Blighted Village. The later prison stage requires reaching Moonrise Towers during Act Two and acting before story developments make the prisoners unavailable.

RequiredReach the Blighted VillageThe windmill rescue cannot begin until the party can explore the Blighted Village and reach the structure where Barcus Wroot is being held.
RequiredInspect the windmill controlsThe correct lever must be used to stop the rotation. Do not activate an unknown control while Barcus remains attached to the machinery.
RequiredReach Moonrise TowersThe deep gnome rescue occurs in the Moonrise Towers prison during Act Two.
RecommendedPrepare an escape methodCombat, stealth, and tools for breaking walls are all viable approaches, so party composition and available equipment affect the safest plan.
OptionalHandle related prison rescues togetherThe gnome rescue can be completed alongside the rescue of the captured tieflings in the same prison.

Objectives

Reach the windmill in the Blighted VillageFind the machinery holding Barcus Wroot and examine the available controls.
Stop the windmill before freeing BarcusUse the correct lever so the rotation ends without killing the captive gnome.
Free Barcus WrootOnce the windmill is safe, complete the interaction that releases him.
Reach the Moonrise Towers prisonContinue the quest thread in Act Two and locate the imprisoned deep gnomes.
Rescue Wulbren and the other deep gnomesChoose a prison escape method and get the prisoners safely beyond the immediate danger.
Complete the rescue before the prison state changesCertain story events can remove the prisoners, making delay a direct threat to quest completion.
Preserve later character interactionsSuccessful rescues allow the storyline involving Barcus and Wulbren to continue into later locations.

WalkthroughSpoilers

01
Locate Barcus Wroot
Enter the Blighted Village and find the windmill
Explore the Blighted Village until you reach the windmill where Barcus Wroot is attached to the machinery. The encounter is built around the windmill controls, so investigate the structure before committing to the rescue interaction.
Location: Blighted Village
TipTreat the windmill controls as the central puzzle of this stage rather than rushing straight to the captive.
02
Identify the safe control
Inspect the two windmill levers
The windmill has more than one control, and they do not serve the same purpose. Read or inspect the available options carefully so that you can identify the lever that stops the blades instead of the one that accelerates the machinery.
Location: Windmill in the Blighted Village
Watch outActivating the wrong lever while Barcus is attached can kill him and permanently alter the rescue.
03
Make the windmill safe
Stop the windmill rotation
Use the correct lever to bring the windmill to a stop before attempting to release Barcus. Confirm that the machinery has stopped, then return to the captive rather than assuming that any lever interaction completed the rescue.
Location: Windmill in the Blighted Village
Watch outDo not release Barcus while the windmill is still rotating; the rescue depends on stopping it first.
Checkpoint
04
Rescue Barcus Wroot
Release Barcus Wroot
With the windmill stopped, interact with the mechanism holding Barcus and complete the release. Speak with him afterward if you want to preserve the character's later place in the wider gnome storyline.
Location: Windmill in the Blighted Village
TipThe successful rescue is more important than forcing a particular dialogue approach; the machinery outcome determines whether Barcus survives.
CheckpointMissable
05
Find the imprisoned deep gnomes
Continue to Act Two and locate Moonrise Towers
The deep gnome portion is not resolved at the windmill. After reaching Act Two, travel to Moonrise Towers and search the prison area for Wulbren and the other imprisoned deep gnomes.
Location: Moonrise Towers
Watch outDo not assume that rescuing Barcus completes every stage represented by this quest thread.
06
Choose an escape route
Scout the prison before starting the escape
Look over the prison layout, guards, cell positions, and possible routes before opening the prisoners' cells. A short scouting period helps you choose between a direct fight, a stealth operation, and using tools to break through walls.
Location: Moonrise Towers prison
TipPrepare the exit as well as the breach: freeing a prisoner is only useful if the party can keep the escape route open.
07
Rescue Wulbren and the other deep gnomes
Free Wulbren and the deep gnomes
Use the chosen method to release Wulbren and the other deep gnomes from their imprisonment. Combat can draw the guards into a larger confrontation, while stealth and wall-breaking tools can reduce open fighting if the route is handled carefully.
Location: Moonrise Towers prison
Watch outLeaving the prison without securing the prisoners does not complete the rescue; keep the escape objective in view while dealing with guards.
CheckpointMissable
08
Complete the related prison rescues
Rescue the captured tieflings if their objective is active
The tiefling prisoners occupy the same broader prison operation, so their rescue can be handled during the same visit. Completing both rescues together reduces the risk of advancing the story while one group remains behind.
Location: Moonrise Towers prison
TipTreat the gnome and tiefling rescues as linked planning problems even when the journal separates their objectives.
Missable
09
Secure the rescued prisoners
Leave the prison before the decisive story change
Finish the prisoner operation before triggering story events that change the status of Moonrise Towers. If the relevant event occurs first, the gnomes or tieflings may be lost and the rescue can no longer be completed normally.
Location: Moonrise Towers
Watch outThis quest thread is time-sensitive around major story progression.
CheckpointMissable
10
Continue the gnome storyline
Follow the survivors into later acts
After the rescues, continue checking for Barcus and Wulbren in their later story locations. Their survival preserves interactions associated with Grymforge and, later, the Last Light Inn, although the exact outcomes depend on other quest choices.
Location: Grymforge and Last Light Inn

Mission mechanics

The windmill rescue is a binary machinery puzzle with a severe consequence for experimentation. The important distinction is between the control that stops the windmill and the control that makes it move faster. Because Barcus Wroot is attached to the structure, the player should inspect the controls and select the stopping option before attempting the release.

The Moonrise Towers stage is an infiltration-and-escape problem rather than a single required combat encounter. Directly attacking the guards is possible, but it can turn the prison into a larger fight. Stealth offers a quieter route, while tools that break walls can create an alternate escape path; whichever route is chosen, the party must account for the prisoners' movement and the guards' response.

Quest order is a core mechanic of this thread. The prisoners are vulnerable to later story changes, so exploration elsewhere in Act Two should not take priority over an available rescue indefinitely. Completing the gnome and tiefling rescues during the same prison visit is a practical way to reduce the number of unresolved, missable objectives.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The quest supports different play styles, including open combat, stealth, and tool-assisted escape.
The windmill stage teaches the player to inspect environmental controls before interacting with a dangerous set piece.
The Moonrise Towers prison can advance multiple rescue objectives in one operation.
Saving the characters preserves later interactions in the gnome storyline.

Weaknesses

The windmill's incorrect lever has a fatal consequence for Barcus Wroot.
The prison rescues are missable if the player advances the story too far before acting.
A direct assault can create a more difficult prison encounter than a carefully prepared infiltration.
The quest thread spans multiple acts, so the journal's early rescue objective may feel complete before the later deep gnome rescue appears.

Best uses

Plan the Moonrise Towers operation around the party's strongest approach: stealth, combat control, or wall-breaking tools.
Visit the prison with enough resources to rescue both deep gnomes and tieflings rather than treating each group as a separate trip.
Make a manual save before interacting with the windmill controls if the safe lever has not been identified.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

Use the lever that stops the windmill
Barcus Wroot can survive and be released from the machinery.
Use the wrong windmill lever
The machinery can kill Barcus, ending his rescue and changing later character interactions.
Spoiler
Attack the Moonrise Towers prison guards
The rescue becomes an open confrontation and may involve more guards than a stealth-based escape.
Spoiler
Use stealth or tools to break through prison walls
The party can attempt to free the prisoners without relying entirely on a direct assault.
Delay the prison rescue until after a major story event
The prisoners may be lost, preventing the normal completion of their rescue quests.
Spoiler
Rescue the gnomes and tieflings during the same prison visit
Both prisoner groups can be moved toward safety before the prison's story state changes.

Rescue checklist

Reach the windmill in the Blighted VillageBarcus Wroot is attached to the machinery there.
Identify the lever that stops the windmillDo not activate an unknown control while Barcus remains in danger.
Stop the rotation before attempting the releaseThis is the critical safety step of the early rescue.
Free Barcus WrootConfirm that the windmill rescue has been completed.
Reach Moonrise Towers in Act TwoThe later deep gnome rescue occurs in its prison.
Locate Wulbren and the other deep gnomesScout the prison before opening cells or starting a fight.
Choose a combat, stealth, or tool-based escape planThe prison supports multiple approaches.
Rescue the imprisoned deep gnomesKeep the escape route open after the cells are breached.
Complete the tiefling rescue if availableThe objectives share the same prison operation.
Finish the prison rescues before major story progressionThe prisoners can be lost if the timing is wrong.
Check later locations for surviving charactersBarcus and Wulbren can remain relevant after the rescue.Optional

Collectibles and notable pickups

01
Potent Robe
Where: Associated with the rescued tiefling storyline at Moonrise Towers
Rescuing the tieflings can lead to receiving the Potent Robe from Alfira. This reward belongs to the related tiefling rescue outcome rather than the windmill rescue itself.
Missable

Failure conditionsSpoilers

Activate the wrong windmill leverThe incorrect control can accelerate the machinery and kill Barcus Wroot while he is attached to the windmill.
Attempt the rescue without stopping the windmillBarcus remains in immediate danger until the rotation has been halted with the correct lever.
Advance the Act Two story too far before rescuing the prisonersCertain story events can result in the loss of Wulbren, the other deep gnomes, or the captured tieflings.
Begin a prison fight without an escape planA direct confrontation can become harder to control if the party has not prepared a route for the prisoners to leave safely.

On failure

The windmill and prison sections should be treated as separate save points. Preserve a save before the windmill controls and another before major Moonrise Towers progression.

Rewards and drops

Later interactions with Barcus Wroot
Saving Barcus preserves his later appearances and dialogue in the gnome storyline.
Later interactions with Wulbren
Rescuing Wulbren keeps his character thread available beyond the Moonrise Towers prison.
Monetary rewards
Successfully rescuing Wulbren can provide monetary rewards, depending on the outcome and related choices.
Potent Robe
The connected tiefling rescue can lead to the Potent Robe from Alfira.

AftermathSpoilers

The rescue affects later acts

Saving Barcus Wroot and the deep gnomes is not only an immediate prison objective. Their survival preserves later interactions connected to Grymforge and the Last Light Inn, while delaying the rescue until after decisive story events can remove those characters from the game.

Trivia

The quest title covers a storyline that begins with a single gnome at a windmill and later expands into a prison rescue involving several deep gnomes.
The Moonrise Towers operation is commonly paired with the rescue of the captured tieflings because both objectives use the same prison setting.
The windmill encounter is an early example of Baldur's Gate 3 making an environmental control more important than simply defeating nearby enemies.

Relationships

Characters

Barcus WrootRescued characterBarcus Wroot is the captive at the Blighted Village windmill.
WulbrenRescued characterWulbren is one of the deep gnomes held in Moonrise Towers prison.

Locations

Blighted VillageStarting locationThe windmill rescue takes place in the Blighted Village.
Moonrise TowersLater locationThe Act Two deep gnome rescue takes place in the Moonrise Towers prison.

Missions