eXputer

QuestmajorSide mission

Rescue the Gnomes in Grymforge

An Act 1 quest in which the party travels from the Myconid Colony to Grymforge, finds explosives to clear a cave-in, and confronts True Soul Nere and the Duergar holding Deep Gnomes captive.

RoleRescue mission involving the Deep Gnomes trapped behind a cave-in in Grymforge.
Statusavailable
Importancemajor
RewardRescuing the trapped Deep Gnomes and resolving the confrontation involving True Soul Nere.
TimeVariable; the quest is affected by the number of long rests taken.
  • ActAct 1
  • Quest typeSide mission
  • Primary areaGrymforge
  • Starting contactThulla
  • Primary objectiveRescue the trapped Deep Gnomes
  • Time pressureLong rests can affect the outcome
  • Major confrontationTrue Soul Nere and the Duergar

The source material does not establish a recommended level, exact duration, numerical difficulty, or fixed reward list.

Key takeaways

Keep the rescue moving, investigate the explosive solution, and avoid treating Grymforge as a location that can safely wait through repeated rests.

  • Start with Thulla Helping Thulla at the Myconid Colony is the known starting point for this quest. Her situation directs the party toward the Deep Gnomes in Grymforge.
  • Search for a way through the cave-in The captives are trapped behind debris, so progression depends on finding explosives rather than relying only on ordinary combat.
  • Look for Philomeen Philomeen is associated with a Runepowder Vial that can be used to clear the obstruction. Her role makes exploration and character interaction important.
  • Do not overuse long rests The quest has a time-sensitive failure risk. Taking too many long rests can cause True Soul Nere to die before the rescue confrontation is completed.
  • Expect a confrontation after the rescue route opens Clearing the debris does not end the danger. The party must confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar to secure the captives.

Rescue the Gnomes in GrymforgeSpoilers

Rescue the Gnomes in Grymforge is an Act 1 rescue quest that begins with Thulla and leads into the dangerous Duergar stronghold beneath the Underdark.

The quest starts after the party helps Thulla at the Myconid Colony. Her situation points toward a larger crisis involving Deep Gnomes who have been enslaved by Duergar and are trapped in Grymforge behind a cave-in. This makes the quest both a rescue operation and an investigation into the conditions imposed on the gnomes.

The party must travel to Grymforge and find a way through the debris blocking access to the captives. Explosives are central to this part of the objective, and Philomeen is associated with a particularly important source of explosive material: a Runepowder Vial. The route to that solution is not simply a matter of fighting through the obstruction, so exploration and conversation both matter.

Clearing the cave-in brings the party into direct conflict with True Soul Nere and the Duergar. The rescue therefore has a time-sensitive structure: taking too many long rests can result in Nere dying before the confrontation is resolved, which causes the rescue to fail. Players should treat the Grymforge portion as an active crisis rather than an area to postpone indefinitely.

The quest is notable for bringing several connected characters into one chain of events. Thulla provides the initial connection, while Barcus Wroot, Lunkbug, Philomeen, and True Soul Nere are all relevant to the party's progress or the situation in Grymforge. The safest approach is to keep the rescue objective in view while searching for the means to clear the cave-in.

Where this sits

Initial leadHelp Thulla at the Myconid Colony
TravelReach Grymforge
Rescue operationFind explosives and clear the cave-in
ConfrontationFace True Soul Nere and the Duergar
  1. 1Help ThullastartThis establishes the quest's starting lead.
  2. 2Travel to GrymforgetravelThe rescue takes place in the Duergar-held area.
  3. 3Locate explosive materialinvestigationPhilomeen and the Runepowder Vial are associated with this objective.
  4. 4Clear the cave-inobjectiveThe debris blocks access to the trapped Deep Gnomes.
  5. ●Confront True Soul NereconfrontationThe final known stage involves Nere and the Duergar.

The quest moves from a Myconid Colony lead into a time-sensitive rescue and confrontation in Grymforge.

Requirements

The quest's confirmed starting requirement is helping Thulla at the Myconid Colony. The party must then be able to reach Grymforge and investigate a route through the cave-in.

  • RequiredHelp ThullaThe quest is initiated by helping Thulla at the Myconid Colony.
  • RequiredReach GrymforgeThe trapped Deep Gnomes and the cave-in are located in Grymforge, so the party must travel there.
  • RequiredFind explosivesThe cave-in requires an explosive solution; the quest specifically associates Philomeen with a Runepowder Vial.
  • RequiredManage long restsAvoid taking too many long rests before resolving the crisis, because Nere can die and the rescue can fail.

Objectives

  1. Help Thulla at the Myconid Colony.This is the initiating event for the quest.
  2. Travel to Grymforge.The rescue target is located in the Duergar-held Grymforge.
  3. Locate explosives capable of clearing the cave-in.A Runepowder Vial connected with Philomeen is one specifically identified possibility.
  4. Clear the debris trapping the Deep Gnomes.The cave-in blocks the party from reaching the enslaved captives.
  5. Confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar.Once the route is opened, the party must deal with the figures responsible for the immediate danger.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Establish the rescue lead.

    Help Thulla at the Myconid Colony

    Begin by assisting Thulla in the Myconid Colony. Her situation provides the lead that turns the wider problem of the Deep Gnomes into the Rescue the Gnomes in Grymforge quest.

    Location: Myconid Colony

    TipMake sure the conversation or assistance involving Thulla is resolved before leaving the colony, so the Grymforge objective has been identified.

  2. 02

    Reach the location of the cave-in.

    Travel to Grymforge

    Follow the quest lead into Grymforge, where Deep Gnomes are enslaved by Duergar. Once there, treat the area as an active rescue site rather than a place to clear at leisure, because the trapped gnomes and Nere's condition are time-sensitive.

    Location: Grymforge

    Watch outTaking too many long rests can cause True Soul Nere to die before the party reaches the rescue confrontation.

  3. 03

    Find the route blocked by debris.

    Locate the cave-in and assess the obstruction

    Find the debris blocking access to the Deep Gnomes. The obstruction is the practical barrier to the rescue, and the party must identify an explosive solution before it can reach the captives.

    Location: Grymforge

    TipKeep the rescue objective active while exploring Grymforge; delaying the objective with repeated rests risks losing the opportunity to resolve it.

  4. 04

    Find explosives for the cave-in.

    Search for an explosive solution

    Investigate the available explosive options instead of attempting to solve the cave-in through ordinary combat. The quest identifies Philomeen and a Runepowder Vial as an important lead for obtaining the material needed to clear the debris.

    Location: Grymforge

    TipPhilomeen is not incidental to the rescue route: her connection to the Runepowder Vial makes her one of the key people to locate while searching for a solution.

  5. 05

    Open access to the captives.

    Use the explosive material to clear the debris

    Apply the explosive solution to the cave-in so the passage to the trapped Deep Gnomes can be opened. Clearing the obstruction advances the rescue but also exposes the party to the confrontation that follows, so be ready to continue rather than immediately treating the area as safe.

    Location: Grymforge cave-in

    Watch outThe rescue is not complete when the debris is removed; the danger involving True Soul Nere and the Duergar still has to be resolved.

  6. 06

    Resolve the threat to the captives.

    Confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar

    After the cave-in is cleared, face True Soul Nere and the Duergar connected to the captives' imprisonment. The outcome of this confrontation determines whether the party has secured the Deep Gnomes rather than merely reached them.

    Location: Grymforge

    Checkpoint
  7. 07

    Ensure the safety of the Deep Gnomes.

    Confirm the Deep Gnomes' safety

    Complete the immediate aftermath of the confrontation and verify that the rescued Deep Gnomes are no longer left in the original trapped situation. This closes the rescue's central objective and separates a successful rescue from simply clearing the passage.

    Location: Grymforge

Mission mechanics

This quest combines exploration, time management, and a set-piece confrontation. The party cannot simply walk to the captives because a cave-in blocks the route, and the solution depends on locating explosives. The Runepowder Vial associated with Philomeen gives the investigation a clear named lead without reducing the quest to a single combat encounter.

Long rests are unusually important to the structure of the quest. The source material identifies a failure risk if the party takes too many long rests: True Soul Nere can die before the party completes the rescue. Because the precise safe number of rests is not established here, the practical guidance is to limit unnecessary rests after reaching Grymforge and to prioritize the cave-in objective.

The cave-in also acts as a transition point. Before it is cleared, the party is gathering information and searching for a way to reach the captives. After it is cleared, the quest shifts into a confrontation with True Soul Nere and the Duergar, so players should consider their preparation before using the explosive solution.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • The quest has a clear chain from Thulla's request to the trapped Deep Gnomes in Grymforge.
  • The cave-in gives exploration a concrete purpose and makes the Runepowder Vial a meaningful investigation lead.
  • The long-rest pressure makes the rescue feel urgent and discourages treating the entire area as consequence-free exploration.
  • Several named characters connect the colony lead, the explosive solution, the enslaved gnomes, and the final confrontation.

Weaknesses

  • The time pressure can be easy to overlook if the party assumes that every area can be postponed with repeated long rests.
  • The rescue route is not complete when the cave-in is cleared, so players who stop at that point can leave the central threat unresolved.
  • The available source material does not establish a single mandatory approach to the explosive objective or a detailed combat strategy.

Best uses

  • Use this quest as a priority objective after the party begins the Grymforge investigation.
  • Treat conversations and exploration as part of the solution rather than relying exclusively on combat.
  • Prepare for the confrontation before opening the route to the captives.

Encounter phasesSpoilers

  1. 1

    Blocked rescue site

    Starts: The party reaches the cave-in in Grymforge.

    The Deep Gnomes are trapped behind debris, and the immediate challenge is finding a way to open the route.

    • Search for the explosive solution before assuming the obstruction can be bypassed through a direct fight.
  2. 2

    Explosive investigation

    Starts: The party pursues a way to clear the cave-in.

    Philomeen and the Runepowder Vial become relevant to the search for explosives.

    • Keep track of the rescue objective while exploring, and avoid unnecessary long rests.
  3. 3

    Grymforge confrontation

    Starts: The cave-in is cleared.

    The party must confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar to protect the captives.

    • Treat clearing the debris as the start of the final danger, not the end of the quest.

True Soul Nere confrontationSpoilers

  • Location
    Grymforge, after the cave-in is cleared
  • Health
    Not established in the supplied source material.

Resolve the cave-in first, then be prepared to confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar. The source material does not verify specific attack patterns, resistances, party compositions, or numerical combat tactics, so the reliable strategic priority is to avoid delaying the encounter and to protect the Deep Gnomes during its resolution.

Rescue checklist

  • Help Thulla at the Myconid Colony.This is the quest's stated starting point.
  • Reach Grymforge.The rescue target is behind a cave-in in this area.
  • Find the debris trapping the Deep Gnomes.Use the blocked route to orient the investigation.
  • Search for explosives.The Runepowder Vial associated with Philomeen is a named lead.
  • Avoid unnecessary long rests.Too many can cause Nere to die before the rescue is resolved.
  • Clear the cave-in.Opening the route exposes the next stage of the quest.
  • Confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar.The rescue requires resolving the threat after the passage opens.
  • Confirm that the Deep Gnomes are safe.Reaching the captives alone does not establish a completed rescue.

Failure conditionsSpoilers

  • Take too many long rests before resolving the Grymforge crisisThe source material warns that True Soul Nere can die if the party takes too many long rests, which leads to failure of the rescue.
  • Leave the cave-in unresolvedThe Deep Gnomes remain trapped until the debris is cleared, so merely reaching Grymforge does not complete the objective.
  • Fail to resolve the confrontation after clearing the debrisOpening the route leads to a confrontation with True Soul Nere and the Duergar; the rescue still requires the captives' safety to be secured.

On failure

The exact checkpoint behavior and the precise number of safe long rests are not established in the supplied material.

AftermathSpoilers

The rescue depends on what happens after the cave-in

Clearing the debris only opens the way to the final crisis. The party must confront True Soul Nere and the Duergar, then ensure that the Deep Gnomes are safe. If too many long rests caused Nere to die beforehand, the rescue can fail before this confrontation is properly resolved.

Trivia

  • The quest is commonly associated with the objective of saving the Grymforge Gnomes, while the entity title used here is Rescue the Gnomes in Grymforge.
  • The quest links the Myconid Colony and Grymforge, connecting an earlier aid request to a larger crisis involving enslaved Deep Gnomes.
  • The Runepowder Vial is a named explosive lead, making Philomeen central to the investigation even though the quest's main objective is a rescue.
  • The quest's time pressure is expressed through long rests rather than a verified displayed countdown in the supplied material.
  • True Soul Nere is both part of the time-sensitive risk and the confrontation that follows the clearing of the cave-in.

Relationships

Characters

  • ThullaQuest contactHelping Thulla at the Myconid Colony initiates the quest.
  • PhilomeenExplosive leadPhilomeen is associated with the Runepowder Vial used in the search for a way through the cave-in.
  • True Soul NereMajor confrontationThe party confronts True Soul Nere after clearing the cave-in.

Locations

  • Myconid ColonyStarting locationThe quest begins through an objective involving Thulla at the Myconid Colony.
  • GrymforgePrimary locationThe cave-in, trapped Deep Gnomes, and final confrontation are located in Grymforge.

Factions

  • Deep GnomesRescue targetThe quest centers on freeing the Deep Gnomes trapped behind the Grymforge cave-in.
  • DuergarCaptorsThe Duergar are identified as enslaving the Deep Gnomes in Grymforge.