Save the Gondian Prisoners

Key takeaways

The quest rewards planning before boarding the submersible and decisive movement once the six-turn countdown begins.

• Start at the foundry Speak with Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch Foundry to initiate the quest and establish the rescue objective. Start the quest
• Use the correct route The Iron Throne is reached by taking the submersible from the Flymm Cargo Basement; it is not an ordinary overland destination. Reach the Iron Throne
• Treat six turns as the main resource The prison allows only six turns for the rescue and return. Spend actions on reaching cells, opening them and moving back toward the exit rather than clearing every enemy. Beat the timer
• Position before acting A successful evacuation depends on distributing characters across the prison so multiple cell locations can be reached while keeping a route open to the exit ladder. Position the party
• Protect story-critical rescues Grand Duke Ravengard, Omeluum and Obelia Toobin are among the named people associated with the rescue, and the Duke's later narrative can be affected by what happens here. Named prisoners

Save the Gondian Prisoners

Save the Gondian Prisoners is a timed rescue quest in Baldur's Gate 3. The objective is to free Gondians imprisoned in the Iron Throne and get back to the waiting submersible before the prison's evacuation window closes.

The quest can be initiated by speaking with Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch Foundry. His connection to the prisoners gives the rescue a personal stake, including the presence of his daughter, Obelia Toobin, among those who need to be saved. The prison itself is not reached directly from the foundry; the route begins in the Flymm Cargo Basement, where a submersible can carry the party to the Iron Throne.

Once the party enters the Iron Throne, the game imposes a strict six-turn limit. The central challenge is therefore movement and action economy rather than defeating every enemy in the area. Opening cells, reaching prisoners quickly and placing characters near the return route are more important than prolonged fights with hostile creatures.

The mission has consequences beyond the immediate rescue. Grand Duke Ravengard and Omeluum are among the notable people who can require rescue in the prison, and failing to handle the evacuation carefully can affect their stories. Because the prison is governed by a hard time limit, preparation and deliberate positioning matter before the first turn is spent.

This guide keeps the focus on reliable priorities supported by the quest's structure: reach the Iron Throne through the submersible, distribute the party so several cell areas can be handled at once, free prisoners instead of chasing unnecessary combat, and preserve a clear route to the exit ladder and submersible. Exact enemy layouts, turn-by-turn routes and all outcome variations are not fully documented in the supplied material.

Where this sits

Requirements

The essential requirement is access to the route leading from the Steel Watch Foundry to the Iron Throne. The rescue itself is governed by a six-turn limit.

• RequiredSpeak with Zanner ToobinBegin the quest by speaking with Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch Foundry.
• RequiredReach the Flymm Cargo BasementThe submersible used to reach the prison is accessed from the Flymm Cargo Basement.
• RecommendedPlan party positionsArrange the party so several cell locations and the route toward the exit ladder can be covered without unnecessary backtracking.
• RequiredPrioritize rescue actionsOpening prison cells is more important than committing to fights with enemies during the timed sequence.

Objectives

1. Initiate the rescue through Zanner ToobinFind Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch Foundry and speak with him to set the quest in motion.
2. Reach the Iron ThroneTravel through the Flymm Cargo Basement and use the submersible to enter the prison.
3. Open the prisoners' cellsUse the available turns to reach the cell locations and release the Gondians, including the named people whose rescue is part of the mission's narrative stakes.
4. Return to the submersibleAfter freeing prisoners, secure the route to the exit ladder and get the party and rescued prisoners back to the extraction point before the six-turn limit expires.
5. Protect important named prisonersGrand Duke Ravengard, Omeluum and Obelia Toobin are specifically associated with the prison rescue and should be treated as high-priority targets.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Initiate the quest

   Speak with Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch Foundry

   Go to the Steel Watch Foundry and speak with Zanner Toobin to initiate Save the Gondian Prisoners. His daughter, Obelia Toobin, is among the prisoners who may need to be rescued, so this conversation establishes both the practical objective and the personal stakes.

   Location: Steel Watch Foundry

   TipDo this conversation before committing to the prison route so the rescue has been formally started.

2. 02

   Find the submersible

   Reach the Flymm Cargo Basement

   Make your way to the Flymm Cargo Basement, which contains the submersible route to the Iron Throne. The supplied facts identify this basement as the access point, so do not spend time looking for a direct entrance to the prison elsewhere.

   Location: Flymm Cargo Basement

   Watch outThe prison sequence is timed once you enter, so finish your preparation before taking the submersible.

3. 03

   Prepare for the timed rescue

   Prepare the party before boarding

   Before entering the submersible, decide which characters will cover each direction and which route will lead back to the exit ladder. The six-turn limit makes inefficient regrouping dangerous, and the mission specifically rewards strategic positioning over improvised movement.

   Location: Flymm Cargo Basement

   TipKeep the party ready to split toward separate cell locations instead of moving as one group through every corridor.

4. 04

   Enter the prison

   Take the submersible to the Iron Throne

   Board the submersible from the Flymm Cargo Basement and use it to reach the Iron Throne. This is the transition into the prison rescue, where the six-turn evacuation limit becomes the central constraint.

   Location: Submersible

   Watch outOnce inside the Iron Throne, treat every turn as valuable and avoid actions that do not advance the rescue or the escape.

5. 05

   Reach the prison cells

   Move immediately toward the prisoners

   At the start of the Iron Throne sequence, send characters toward the known cell areas rather than gathering for a prolonged opening fight. The objective is to cover ground and begin opening cells, because the quest requires rescuing prisoners and returning to the submersible within six turns.

   Location: Iron Throne

   TipUse separate characters to cover different cell locations when the layout allows it; positioning is more valuable than concentrating every action in one place.

6. 06

   Free the Gondians

   Open prison cells before engaging enemies

   Prioritize the actions that release prisoners. Enemies are a distraction during this sequence unless one directly blocks the path, and the supplied guidance specifically states that opening cells should take priority over combat.

   Location: Iron Throne prison cells

   Watch outSpending several turns fighting can leave too little time for the prisoners and the return journey, even if the party wins the encounters.

7. 07

   Rescue Obelia Toobin

   Rescue Obelia Toobin

   Include Obelia Toobin among the prisoners you prioritize during the cell-opening route. Her identity is easy to overlook if the party treats the room as a generic rescue area, but she is specifically identified as Zanner Toobin's daughter and one of those needing to be saved.

   Location: Iron Throne

   TipKeep the connection to Zanner Toobin in mind when deciding which prisoners to reach first.

   Missable
8. 08

   Rescue Grand Duke Ravengard

   Reach Grand Duke Ravengard

   Make Grand Duke Ravengard a high-priority rescue target if his cell is part of the current prison sequence. His survival is tied to significant narrative consequences, so do not assume that clearing nearby enemies is more important than reaching him.

   Location: Iron Throne

   Watch outFailing to handle the Duke's rescue carefully can affect his later story.

   Missable
9. 09

   Rescue Omeluum

   Reach Omeluum

   Look for Omeluum among the notable prisoners and direct a character toward his rescue when possible. The supplied material identifies him as requiring rescue, but does not provide a verified room-by-room route or the exact action used to release him.

   Location: Iron Throne

   Watch outThe exact location and rescue interaction for Omeluum are not confirmed in the supplied source pack.

   Missable
10. 10

    Secure the escape route

    Keep the exit route open

    As cells are opened, keep at least one clear path toward the exit ladder and the submersible. Do not let the party's rescue route carry everyone so far from extraction that the final turns are consumed by backtracking.

    Location: Iron Throne

    TipThink about the return journey while moving toward the prisoners; a rescued cell is not enough if the party cannot reach extraction.

11. 11

    Begin extraction

    Return to the exit ladder

    After opening the priority cells, move the party and rescued prisoners toward the exit ladder. The mission's success condition is not simply reaching the prisoners; everyone who can be saved must be brought back through the evacuation route before the six-turn window closes.

    Location: Iron Throne exit ladder

    Watch outLeaving the prison late can strand characters even when the cells were opened successfully.

12. 12

    Complete the rescue

    Board the submersible before the limit expires

    Use the exit route to return to the submersible within six turns. The supplied material does not specify the precise turn-by-turn boarding order, so follow the on-screen movement and extraction prompts while preserving enough time for the last characters to leave.

    Location: Submersible

    CheckpointMissable

Mission mechanics

The Iron Throne section is an action-economy puzzle disguised as a prison escape. The six-turn limit applies pressure to every movement decision, so the party should measure success by the number of cells reached and the distance remaining to extraction rather than by the number of enemies defeated.

The most important tactical principle is to separate rescue work from unnecessary combat. Characters should be positioned to reach different cell locations, while the group preserves a practical route to the exit ladder. This approach reduces the risk that one character's delay forces the entire party to abandon prisoners.

The mission also has a layered priority system. First, reach the prison and begin opening cells; next, include important named prisoners such as Grand Duke Ravengard, Omeluum and Obelia Toobin; finally, make the return trip with enough turns remaining. The exact enemy roster, cell arrangement and interaction details are not established by the supplied facts and should be verified before publication as a map-specific walkthrough.

What works and what does not

Rescue sequence phases

1. 1

   Approach and deployment

   Starts: Entering the Iron Throne

   Not applicable

   The party enters the prison and must immediately distribute movement toward the cell areas. The six-turn limit makes the opening deployment more important than an initial attempt to defeat every enemy.

   • Move toward prisoners immediately.
   • Use party positioning to cover more than one cell area.
   • Do not spend the opening turns on fights that do not clear a direct route.
2. 2

   Cell release

   Starts: Reaching prison cells

   Not applicable

   Characters spend their limited turns reaching and opening cells. The rescue objective takes priority over combat, and named prisoners should be included in the party's route planning.

   • Open cells as soon as the party reaches them.
   • Prioritize Obelia Toobin, Grand Duke Ravengard and Omeluum when their locations can be reached.
   • Avoid sending the whole party on the same path if separate characters can cover separate cells.
3. 3

   Evacuation

   Starts: Priority prisoners have been released or the remaining turns are running low

   Not applicable

   The party must stop advancing into optional fights and move toward the exit ladder and submersible. The final test is reaching extraction before the six-turn limit expires.

   • Preserve a clear route to the exit ladder.
   • Count the remaining turns before committing to any detour.
   • Treat extraction as part of the rescue, not as a separate task after the timer problem is solved.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Prioritize opening cells instead of fighting enemies

  This maximizes the party's chance of freeing prisoners and still reaching the submersible within six turns.

• Spend turns engaging enemies that do not block the route

  The party loses time needed for cell access and extraction, increasing the chance that prisoners will be left behind.

• Position characters to cover separate cell locations

  The party can reach more areas during the timed sequence, provided it still preserves a route to the exit ladder.

• Fail to rescue Grand Duke Ravengard or handle the evacuation poorly

  The Duke's later narrative can be significantly affected.

  Spoiler
• Leave prisoners behind when the six-turn limit expires

  The rescue is incomplete and the affected characters may not survive or remain available for later story consequences.

  Spoiler

Rescue checklist

• Speak with Zanner Toobin at the Steel Watch FoundryThis initiates Save the Gondian Prisoners.
• Reach the Flymm Cargo BasementThe submersible route to the Iron Throne begins here.
• Prepare party positions before boardingPlan coverage for multiple cell areas and the route back to extraction.
• Enter the Iron ThroneThe six-turn rescue limit applies inside the prison.
• Open prison cells before pursuing combatRescue progress matters more than clearing enemies.
• Prioritize Obelia ToobinShe is identified as one of the prisoners needing rescue.Optional
• Prioritize Grand Duke RavengardHis rescue can affect significant later narrative consequences.Optional
• Prioritize OmeluumHe is one of the notable prisoners found in the prison.Optional
• Keep the exit ladder route availableThe return trip must fit within the same timed sequence.
• Return to the submersible within six turnsOpening cells without completing extraction is not a safe ending to the mission.

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• The six-turn limit expiresThe Iron Throne rescue has a strict six-turn window. Running out of turns before the party completes the evacuation can leave prisoners behind.
• The party prioritizes combat over cell openingsUnnecessary fighting consumes the movement and actions required to reach prisoners and return to the submersible.
• The party cannot reach the exit ladder in timeCharacters may reach cells successfully but still fail to complete the rescue if they spend too long returning to extraction.
• A named prisoner is not rescuedFailing to save characters such as Grand Duke Ravengard, Omeluum or Obelia Toobin can alter the quest's narrative outcomes.

Rewards and outcomesSpoilers

• Rescued Gondian prisoners
  The primary reward is the successful rescue of Gondians held in the Iron Throne.
• Grand Duke Ravengard's survival
  Rescuing the Duke preserves an important character outcome and avoids significant narrative consequences associated with failing to handle the prison situation carefully.
• Omeluum rescued
  Omeluum is one of the notable prisoners who can require rescue.
• Obelia Toobin rescued
  Saving Obelia Toobin resolves the rescue of Zanner Toobin's daughter if the party reaches her cell and extracts her in time.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The quest's title describes its central task directly: rescuing Gondians held in the Iron Throne prison.
• The route combines three distinct spaces: the Steel Watch Foundry for the initiating conversation, the Flymm Cargo Basement for access, and the Iron Throne for the timed rescue.
• The mission's defining constraint is a six-turn limit, making positioning and movement more important than a full combat clear.

Sources

• Save the Gondian Prisoners quest guide — progameguides.com
• Community discussion of the Iron Throne rescue — reddit.com

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