Rescue the Tieflings

Key takeaways

Keep the following points in mind before entering the prison.

• Check the Act 1 outcome The quest depends on the Tieflings being saved during Act 1. If that earlier condition was not met, the rescue described here may not be available.
• Treat the prison as an infiltration Moonrise Towers is controlled by cultists, so a direct approach can expose the prisoners to hostile guards. Move deliberately and plan the escape before committing to it.
• Coordinate with the Gnomes The imprisoned Gnomes also want to escape. Cooperation with them is a commonly used way to organize the prison break and open a safer route out.
• Protect the escape route Freeing the cells is only part of the objective. The rescued characters must reach safety, and their vulnerability to nearby guards makes the route out as important as the initial breach.
• Look for Alfira afterward A successful rescue can lead to a reward from Alfira, including the Potent Robe. The exact reward is tied to the quest's post-rescue interactions.

Rescue the Tieflings

In Act 2, infiltrate Moonrise Towers, free the imprisoned Tiefling refugees and help them escape before the cultists can harm them.

Rescue the Tieflings is an Act 2 quest in Baldur's Gate 3 focused on refugees who were captured by cultists and transported to Moonrise Towers. The quest can be initiated by speaking with characters such as Alfira or Cerys at the Last Light Inn, provided the Tieflings survived the events of Act 1. Its central challenge is not simply reaching the prison, but turning an occupied enemy stronghold into an escape route for vulnerable prisoners.

The prison section rewards preparation and coordination. The party must enter Moonrise Towers, locate the Tiefling prisoners and create a path out while hostile guards remain nearby. The Gnomes in the prison are also seeking freedom, so working with them can make the escape more manageable. A successful attempt generally involves breaking through cell walls, opening a route toward a boat and protecting the rescued prisoners as they move toward safety.

This quest is highly missable because its availability depends on earlier actions and because the prisoners are exposed to danger during the escape. The outcome also affects later interactions with the surviving Tieflings and can provide a reward from Alfira. Completing the Tiefling rescue together with the Gnome rescue is additionally associated with the Under Lock and Key achievement.

Where this sits

Requirements

The most important requirement is an earlier story outcome, followed by access to the Act 2 prison and a plan for moving the captives to safety.

• RequiredSave the Tieflings in Act 1The later rescue depends on the Tieflings surviving the earlier part of the game.
• RequiredReach Last Light InnSpeak with Alfira or Cerys there to receive the relevant information or begin the quest.
• RequiredReach Moonrise TowersThe prisoners are held in the prison of this cult-controlled stronghold.
• RecommendedPrepare for hostile guardsThe rescued characters can be vulnerable during the escape, so avoid treating the prison as a safe area once the cells are opened.
• RecommendedCoordinate with the GnomesThe imprisoned Gnomes are also seeking an escape and can be incorporated into the prison-break plan.

Objectives

1. Learn about the captured TieflingsBegin the quest through the surviving Tiefling community at Last Light Inn.
2. Infiltrate Moonrise Towers prisonReach the area where the cultists are holding the refugees.
3. Liberate the Tiefling prisonersOpen the cells and create a viable route away from the prison.
4. Coordinate with the imprisoned GnomesUse the Gnomes' parallel escape effort to support the wider prison break.Optional
5. Help the prisoners reach safetyThe mission is not secured when the cells are open; the rescued characters must survive the journey out.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Preserve the Tieflings for the later rescue

   Confirm that the Tieflings survived Act 1

   Before looking for the prison break in Act 2, verify that the Tieflings were saved during Act 1. This earlier decision determines whether the refugees can be present as captives later.

   Location: Act 1 and the transition into Act 2

   Watch outIf the Tieflings were not saved in Act 1, this quest may not be available in its intended form.

2. 02

   Start Rescue the Tieflings

   Speak with Alfira or Cerys at Last Light Inn

   Visit Last Light Inn and talk to Alfira or Cerys to learn that Tiefling refugees have been captured and taken to Moonrise Towers. Use this conversation as the point from which to plan the prison infiltration rather than heading there without understanding the objective.

   Location: Last Light Inn

   TipIf both characters are available, speak with the Tiefling residents before leaving so you do not miss the quest context or its later follow-up.

3. 03

   Reach the prison without abandoning the rescue plan

   Travel to Moonrise Towers

   Make your way to Moonrise Towers, the cult-controlled stronghold where the prisoners are being held. Once inside, treat the area as hostile territory and avoid assuming that reaching the tower means the rescue is already safe.

   Location: Moonrise Towers

   Watch outThe prison guards can threaten the captives once the escape begins, so avoid triggering a chaotic confrontation before you know where the prisoners must go.

4. 04

   Find the imprisoned Tieflings

   Locate the Tiefling prison cells

   Search the prison area for the cells containing the Tiefling refugees. Identify the nearby guards, the available approaches and the route that leads away from the cells before opening the prisoners' way out.

   Location: Moonrise Towers prison

   TipScout the prison first. Knowing which corridors and openings connect the cells to the escape route makes it easier to respond when guards become hostile.

5. 05

   Support the combined prisoner escape

   Coordinate with the imprisoned Gnomes

   Speak with the Gnomes involved in the prison escape and account for their plan when deciding how to free the Tieflings. Their parallel objective can help turn separate rescues into one coordinated breakout.

   Location: Moonrise Towers prison

   TipThe Tieflings and the Gnomes are both vulnerable, so a shared escape plan is generally safer than opening one group and leaving the other exposed.

6. 06

   Liberate the prisoners

   Break open a route from the cells

   Create the opening needed for the prisoners to leave, including breaking through cell walls where appropriate. The important point is to connect the cells to a usable escape path rather than merely removing the immediate barrier.

   Location: Moonrise Towers prison

   Watch outOpening the cells without controlling the route can leave the Tieflings exposed to guards and make the escape harder to protect.

7. 07

   Lead the prisoners away from Moonrise Towers

   Clear the path toward the boat

   Move the escape effort toward the boat route and deal with obstacles or hostile guards that threaten the prisoners' progress. Keep the rescued characters moving through the route you prepared instead of allowing them to remain in the prison area.

   Location: The prison escape route

   TipPrioritize threats that can reach the prisoners, then continue advancing the group toward the boat rather than spreading the party across unrelated fights.

8. 08

   Complete the rescue

   Ensure the Tieflings reach safety

   Follow the escape until the rescued Tieflings have made it to safety. Check the area after the initial break, because freeing the cells alone does not guarantee that every prisoner has survived the route out.

   Location: Beyond the Moonrise Towers prison

   Watch outA prisoner can still be lost after the cells are opened if guards are allowed to reach the escapees.

9. 09

   Collect the aftermath and reward

   Return to the surviving Tieflings

   After the rescue, speak with the relevant Tiefling characters to resolve the quest and see its consequences. Alfira can provide a reward connected with the successful rescue, including the Potent Robe.

   Location: Last Light Inn or the post-rescue Tiefling gathering

   Missable
10. 10

    Complete the Tiefling and Gnome rescues together

    Check the combined rescue outcome

    If the Tieflings were rescued alongside the Gnomes, review the resulting achievement progress for Under Lock and Key. This recognizes the broader prison-break outcome rather than only opening one set of cells.

    Location: Post-rescue outcome

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The quest is structured around an infiltration followed by an escorted escape. Moonrise Towers is not merely a destination marker: the party must locate the prison, understand how the cells connect to the exit and account for guards who can endanger the captives. This makes reconnaissance valuable even when the immediate objective appears to be opening a cell.

The Gnome prisoners provide a second moving part. Their own escape objective can be coordinated with the Tiefling rescue, allowing the party to handle the prison as a shared breakout rather than two isolated tasks. The source material does not establish a single mandatory method, so the safest approach is to use the available openings and keep the route toward the boat clear.

The mission also carries forward the consequences of Act 1. The presence of the Tiefling prisoners is contingent on saving them earlier, while the eventual reward and achievement progress depend on what happens after the prison is breached. Because rescued characters are vulnerable to guards, the completion state is determined by their survival and arrival at safety, not simply by interacting with the cell doors.

What works and what does not

Encounter phasesSpoilers

1. 1

   Approach and infiltration

   Starts: Entering Moonrise Towers and moving toward the prison

   The party enters a cult-controlled stronghold and must reach the prison without losing sight of the rescue objective.

   • Learn the prison layout before starting the escape.
   • Treat nearby guards as the main immediate threat to the prisoners.
2. 2

   Cell liberation

   Starts: Opening the route to the imprisoned Tieflings

   The party breaks through the prison barriers and begins the coordinated escape involving the Tieflings and, potentially, the Gnomes.

   • Guard responseTell Hostile guards become a danger once the prison break is exposed.Answer Keep the escape route controlled and address threats that can reach the prisoners first.
   • Coordinate the two prisoner groups where possible.
   • Do not leave the Tieflings exposed in the prison after freeing them.
3. 3

   Escape to the boat

   Starts: The prisoners begin moving away from the cells

   The rescue shifts from opening the cells to escorting the captives along the route toward the boat and onward to safety.

   • Pursuing prison guardsTell Guards can threaten the vulnerable rescued characters during the movement out.Answer Advance the prisoners through the prepared path and prevent enemies from reaching them.
   • The boat route is the practical focus of the breakout.
   • Confirm that the prisoners have reached safety before treating the quest as complete.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Save the Tieflings during Act 1

  The refugees can appear as captives in Act 2, making Rescue the Tieflings available. Failing to preserve them earlier can remove the intended rescue opportunity.

  Spoiler
• Coordinate with the Gnomes in the prison

  The party can pursue a combined escape for both prisoner groups. Completing both rescues contributes to the Under Lock and Key achievement.

  Spoiler
• Open the cells without securing the route

  The Tieflings may remain exposed to hostile guards, putting the rescue outcome at risk even after the cell barriers are removed.

  Spoiler
• Complete the rescue and follow up with Alfira

  The post-rescue interaction can provide the Potent Robe and continues the Tiefling-related aftermath.

  Spoiler

Rescue checklist

• Save the Tieflings during Act 1This is the key condition for the later prison rescue.
• Speak with Alfira or Cerys at Last Light InnUse the conversation to begin or confirm the quest.
• Reach the prison in Moonrise TowersThe captives are held inside the cult stronghold.
• Scout the prison before opening the cellsIdentify guards and the route toward the boat.
• Coordinate with the GnomesRecommended when pursuing the combined prisoner escape.Optional
• Break through the cell walls or otherwise open the escape routeThe route must lead somewhere the prisoners can use.
• Keep the Tieflings away from hostile guardsThe rescued characters are vulnerable during the breakout.
• Guide the prisoners toward the boatThe escape route continues beyond the cell area.
• Confirm that the Tieflings reach safetyOpening the cells is not the same as completing the rescue.
• Speak with Alfira after the rescueThis can lead to the Potent Robe reward.Optional
• Check progress for Under Lock and KeyRelevant when both the Tieflings and Gnomes were rescued.Optional

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• The Tieflings were not saved during Act 1The Act 2 prisoners and the intended rescue may not be available if the earlier Tiefling outcome was not secured.
• A rescued character is killed during the escapeThe prisoners are vulnerable to enemy guards, so opening the cells does not protect them from later danger.
• The party leaves the prisoners exposed in the prisonA breakout that is not followed through to the boat route can place the captives in the path of hostile guards.
• The combined rescue is incompleteIf the Gnomes are not rescued alongside the Tieflings, the party should not expect the combined Under Lock and Key outcome.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

• Potent Robe
  Can be obtained from Alfira after the successful rescue.
• Under Lock and Key achievement progress
  Rescuing the Tieflings alongside the Gnomes contributes to this achievement.
• Tiefling quest aftermath
  The surviving Tieflings remain available for follow-up interactions after the prison rescue.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The quest carries forward the consequences of the Act 1 Tiefling rescue rather than treating the refugees as a new, unrelated group.
• The prison break has two connected rescue threads because the Tieflings and the Gnomes are both held at Moonrise Towers.
• The boat route is the key escape direction identified for moving the prisoners away from the cells.
• The quest's outcome depends on prisoner survival during the escape, not only on opening the prison cells.

Relationships