eXputer

QuestmajorSide missionHard

Save Vanra

An Act 3 quest in Baldur's Gate 3 about rescuing Vanra from Auntie Ethel, investigating the Blushing Mermaid, and using Hag's Bane to free her safely.

RoleRescue quest involving Auntie Ethel and Vanra
Statusavailable in Act 3 when its prerequisite is met
Importancemajor
RewardDuelist's Prerogative and Amulet of Windrider
  • ActAct 3
  • Mission typeSide mission
  • Starting pointBasilisk Gate barracks
  • Primary threatAuntie Ethel
  • Rescue targetVanra
  • Key itemHag's Bane
  • PrerequisiteSave Mayrina

This quest involves a major encounter and requires a specific preparation step for the safest resolution.

Key takeawaysSpoilers

The quest's central solution is an alchemy and encounter-mechanics puzzle rather than a straightforward rescue fight.

  • Start at Basilisk Gate Speak with Lora at the Basilisk Gate barracks to begin the investigation into Vanra's disappearance.
  • Search the Blushing Mermaid Investigate the Blushing Mermaid and scrutinize Captain Grisly, because Auntie Ethel is using that identity as a disguise.
  • Find the Hag's Bane recipe Visit Old Garlow's Place to find the recipe and learn the method needed to remove Vanra from the hag safely.
  • Use the potion during combat Craft Hag's Bane from Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower and any Essence, then throw it at Auntie Ethel so she vomits up Vanra.
  • Finish the hag encounter after the rescue Once Vanra has been freed, the party can safely defeat Auntie Ethel and complete the rescue.

Save Vanra overviewSpoilers

Save Vanra is an Act 3 rescue quest that sends the party from Basilisk Gate to the Blushing Mermaid and Old Garlow's Place in pursuit of Auntie Ethel.

The quest begins when the party speaks with Lora at the Basilisk Gate barracks. Lora is looking for her daughter Vanra, and the investigation soon connects the missing child to Auntie Ethel. The quest is associated with the earlier Save Mayrina storyline, so its availability depends on what happened during Act 1.

The investigation leads to the Blushing Mermaid tavern. Captain Grisly appears to be involved, but the tavern's apparent captain is revealed to be Auntie Ethel in disguise. This revelation changes the task from a conventional search into a confrontation with a hag who has swallowed Vanra and is transforming her into another hag.

Vanra cannot be rescued safely by simply treating the fight as an ordinary battle. The party must obtain the recipe for Hag's Bane at Old Garlow's Place, then craft the potion by combining Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower with any type of Essence in the alchemy menu. Throwing Hag's Bane at Auntie Ethel during combat forces her to vomit up Vanra, after which the hag can be defeated without leaving the child inside her.

The quest concludes after Vanra has been freed and Auntie Ethel has been dealt with. Its rewards include unique items such as the legendary weapon Duelist's Prerogative and the Amulet of Windrider. Because the method used to handle the hag determines whether Vanra is safely recovered, preparation is more important here than rushing directly into the encounter.

Where this sits

PrerequisiteThe earlier hag storyline affects availability
InvestigationBasilisk Gate and the Blushing Mermaid
PreparationOld Garlow's Place and Hag's Bane
ResolutionFree Vanra, then defeat Auntie Ethel
  1. 1Save MayrinaprerequisiteAct 1 prerequisite
  2. ●Save VanracurrentCurrent quest

Save Vanra follows the Act 1 hag storyline and brings its conflict with Auntie Ethel into Act 3.

Requirements

The known prerequisite is completion of Save Mayrina during Act 1; the quest itself also requires access to the Act 3 locations involved in the investigation and preparation.

  • RequiredComplete Save MayrinaThe availability of Save Vanra depends on having completed the Save Mayrina quest during Act 1.
  • RequiredReach Act 3The quest begins at the Basilisk Gate barracks and therefore requires the party to be in the Act 3 setting where that location is available.
  • RequiredAshes of a Dried Fey FlowerThis ingredient is required for the Hag's Bane recipe.
  • RequiredAny type of EssenceCombine an Essence with Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower in the alchemy menu to craft Hag's Bane.
  • RecommendedInvestigate Old Garlow's PlaceThe recipe for Hag's Bane is found at Old Garlow's Place, where the party can also assist hag survivors.

ObjectivesSpoilers

  1. Speak with Lora at the Basilisk Gate barracks.Her report about Vanra begins the search.
  2. Investigate the Blushing Mermaid.The tavern investigation reveals the connection to Auntie Ethel and Captain Grisly's true identity.
  3. Find the Hag's Bane recipe at Old Garlow's Place.The recipe provides the method for rescuing Vanra from inside the hag.
  4. Craft Hag's Bane.Use Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower and any type of Essence in the alchemy menu.
  5. Throw Hag's Bane at Auntie Ethel during combat.The potion forces Auntie Ethel to vomit up Vanra.
  6. Defeat Auntie Ethel after Vanra is freed.The hag can be safely defeated once the child is no longer inside her.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Have Save Mayrina completed

    Confirm the Act 1 prerequisite

    Before searching for Vanra, make sure the party completed Save Mayrina during Act 1. The availability of this Act 3 quest depends on that earlier hag storyline.

    TipIf Save Vanra does not begin as expected, check the status of the earlier quest before assuming the Act 3 investigation is broken.

    Watch outThe source material does not establish every condition that can affect availability, so do not treat other unverified triggers as certain.

  2. 02

    Begin the search for Vanra

    Speak with Lora at the Basilisk Gate barracks

    Go to the Basilisk Gate barracks in Act 3 and speak with Lora. Her conversation establishes that Vanra is missing and provides the immediate reason to investigate the surrounding leads.

    Location: Basilisk Gate barracks

    Checkpoint
  3. 03

    Uncover the identity behind the abduction

    Investigate the Blushing Mermaid

    Travel to the Blushing Mermaid tavern and follow the investigation there. The location is important because the apparent Captain Grisly is not what she seems, and the search turns toward Auntie Ethel.

    Location: Blushing Mermaid

    TipTreat the tavern's captain as part of the mystery rather than assuming the first identity presented is genuine.

  4. 04

    Reveal Auntie Ethel

    Expose Captain Grisly's disguise

    Continue the Blushing Mermaid investigation until Captain Grisly is revealed to be Auntie Ethel in disguise. This is the turning point that identifies the hag as the enemy holding Vanra.

    Location: Blushing Mermaid

    Watch outThis revelation is a major story spoiler and establishes that the coming fight is also the rescue attempt.

  5. 05

    Find a way to rescue Vanra

    Go to Old Garlow's Place

    Visit Old Garlow's Place to find the Hag's Bane recipe. The location also contains a group of hag survivors whom the party can assist while preparing for the confrontation.

    Location: Old Garlow's Place

    TipDo not rush straight to the final confrontation if the recipe has not yet been found; the potion is the quest's specific safe-rescue method.

  6. 06

    Prepare the potion ingredients

    Obtain the Hag's Bane ingredients

    Gather Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower and any type of Essence. These are the ingredients identified for the recipe, and both are needed before the potion can be made.

    Location: Old Garlow's Place

  7. 07

    Create Hag's Bane

    Craft Hag's Bane in the alchemy menu

    Open the alchemy menu and combine Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower with any type of Essence. The resulting Hag's Bane is the item that changes the outcome of the Auntie Ethel encounter.

    Checkpoint
  8. 08

    Prepare to rescue Vanra during combat

    Enter the encounter with Hag's Bane ready

    Bring the crafted potion into the fight with Auntie Ethel. The key action is not merely defeating the hag, but using the potion while Vanra is still inside her.

    Watch outDefeating Auntie Ethel before using Hag's Bane risks failing the safe rescue described by the quest's intended solution.

  9. 09

    Free Vanra

    Throw Hag's Bane at Auntie Ethel

    During combat, throw Hag's Bane at Auntie Ethel. The potion forces the hag to vomit up Vanra, removing the child from the danger inside the hag.

    Watch outThis is the quest's critical rescue action. Do not treat Hag's Bane as an ordinary consumable to save for after the fight.

    Missable
  10. 10

    Defeat Auntie Ethel

    Defeat Auntie Ethel after the rescue

    Once Vanra has been freed, finish the encounter by defeating Auntie Ethel. The order matters: the child must be safely recovered before the hag is brought down.

    Checkpoint
  11. 11

    Finish Save Vanra

    Complete the rescue and collect the rewards

    After Auntie Ethel has been dealt with, resolve the quest and collect its rewards. The known rewards include unique items such as Duelist's Prerogative and the Amulet of Windrider.

    Missable

Mission mechanicsSpoilers

Save Vanra is built around a rescue-state mechanic. Auntie Ethel has swallowed Vanra and is transforming her into another hag, so the encounter cannot be approached as a normal boss fight where the only goal is to reduce the enemy's health.

Hag's Bane is the quest-specific solution. Its recipe is found at Old Garlow's Place, and the alchemy requirement is Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower combined with any type of Essence. Once crafted, the potion must be thrown at Auntie Ethel during combat.

The potion changes the order of operations: use it to force Auntie Ethel to vomit up Vanra, then defeat the hag. The safe resolution therefore depends on preparation before combat and on using the item before finishing the enemy.

What works and what does notSpoilers

Strengths

  • The quest gives the player a concrete preparation route through Old Garlow's Place and the Hag's Bane recipe.
  • The investigation links the Blushing Mermaid and Captain Grisly to the wider Auntie Ethel storyline.
  • Using Hag's Bane creates a clear rescue-first solution before the final defeat.

Weaknesses

  • A direct rush into the fight can overlook the need to free Vanra before defeating Auntie Ethel.
  • The quest's availability depends on the earlier Save Mayrina storyline.
  • The most important rescue item is obtained through investigation and alchemy rather than simply from the final encounter.

Best uses

  • Treat the quest as a continuation of the Act 1 hag plot.
  • Prepare Hag's Bane before committing to the Auntie Ethel encounter.
  • Use the potion as soon as the combat situation allows, before defeating the hag.

Auntie Ethel encounterSpoilers

  • Location
    The Auntie Ethel encounter reached through the Blushing Mermaid investigation
  • Health
    Not specified in the source material

Bring Hag's Bane into combat and throw it at Auntie Ethel before defeating her. The potion forces her to vomit up Vanra; after the rescue, finish the fight against the hag.

Rewards

  • Duelist's Prerogative
  • Amulet of Windrider

Save Vanra checklistSpoilers

  • Complete Save Mayrina during Act 1.This is the known prerequisite.
  • Speak with Lora at the Basilisk Gate barracks.This begins the Act 3 quest.
  • Investigate the Blushing Mermaid.The investigation exposes the disguise used by Auntie Ethel.
  • Visit Old Garlow's Place.The Hag's Bane recipe is found there.
  • Assist the hag survivors if desired.The source confirms this opportunity but does not specify every outcome.
  • Obtain Ashes of a Dried Fey Flower.Required for crafting Hag's Bane.
  • Obtain any type of Essence.Combine it with the flower ashes in alchemy.
  • Craft Hag's Bane.Complete the recipe before the final encounter.
  • Throw Hag's Bane at Auntie Ethel during combat.Do this before defeating her.
  • Confirm that Vanra has been freed.The hag vomits up the child after the potion is used.
  • Defeat Auntie Ethel.Finish the encounter after the rescue.
  • Collect the quest rewards.Known rewards include Duelist's Prerogative and Amulet of Windrider.

Failure conditionsSpoilers

  • Defeating Auntie Ethel before using Hag's BaneThe quest's safe rescue method requires the potion to be thrown during combat before the hag is defeated.
  • Entering the confrontation without Hag's BaneWithout the crafted potion, the party lacks the specific method identified in the source material for forcing Auntie Ethel to release Vanra.
  • Assuming Captain Grisly is genuineCaptain Grisly is revealed to be Auntie Ethel in disguise, so accepting the identity at face value can derail the investigation.

On failure

The source material does not specify the game's exact autosave or checkpoint behavior. Save before the final encounter if you want a recovery point, but the precise checkpoint rules are unverified.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

  • Duelist's Prerogative
    A legendary weapon listed among the unique rewards for completing Save Vanra.
  • Amulet of Windrider
    A unique item listed among the rewards associated with completing the quest.

AftermathSpoilers

Free Vanra before finishing the fight

The decisive aftermath condition is the order of the encounter. Hag's Bane must force Auntie Ethel to vomit up Vanra first; only then should the party defeat the hag. Completing that sequence safely resolves the rescue and makes the listed quest rewards available.

Trivia

  • Save Vanra continues the Auntie Ethel storyline that began with Save Mayrina in Act 1.
  • The quest combines investigation, assistance for hag survivors, alchemy, and a combat-specific rescue action.
  • Captain Grisly's identity is part of the quest's deception: she is Auntie Ethel in disguise.
  • Hag's Bane is notable because its quest use is tied directly to freeing Vanra rather than simply damaging the hag.

Relationships

characters

  • Auntie EthelPrimary antagonistThe hag responsible for Vanra's abduction and the disguise behind Captain Grisly.
  • VanraRescue targetLora's daughter, who must be freed from Auntie Ethel.
  • LoraQuest contactThe woman who starts the search at the Basilisk Gate barracks.

locations

  • Blushing MermaidInvestigation locationThe tavern where Captain Grisly is revealed to be Auntie Ethel in disguise.
  • Old Garlow's PlacePreparation locationThe location containing the Hag's Bane recipe and hag survivors the party can assist.