Search the Abandoned Cellar

Key takeaways

The quest combines environmental exploration, a dialogue puzzle, undead encounters, and a consequential item decision.

Search beneath the apothecary The relevant cellar is beneath the apothecary shop in the Blighted Village, not a separate surface location.
Move the crates The hidden lever is concealed behind crates. Moving them is necessary to open the bookcase and reach the deeper area.
Treat the mirror as a gate The Ornate Mirror expects specific responses that demonstrate allegiance to its master; incorrect answers can prevent smooth progress.
Plan around the book The Necromancy of Thay can be destroyed, unlocked with a specific gem, or kept, so decide before committing to an outcome.
Search the laboratory thoroughly The area contains dangerous undead guardians, Bracers of Defense, magical scrolls, and a possible permanent Wisdom-check bonus.

Overview

Search the Abandoned Cellar is an Act 1 side quest about uncovering a concealed necromancer's laboratory beneath the apothecary shop in the Blighted Village.

The quest begins with an investigation into the cellar beneath the apothecary shop in the Blighted Village. Players can be directed toward it by reading the Apprentice's Journal, which may be found elsewhere in the game, including the Whispering Depths. The journal provides the narrative reason to search the cellar rather than treating the location as an unrelated hidden area.

The first major obstacle is environmental rather than combat-focused. Crates conceal a lever, and moving them reveals the mechanism that opens a bookcase into a deeper section of the cellar. This transition is easy to overlook if the room is searched only for containers, so examine obstructed spaces and interact with the environment before leaving the apothecary area.

Beyond the concealed bookcase, the laboratory is protected by dangerous undead guardians and an Ornate Mirror with magical questions. The mirror requires responses that establish the player as an ally of its master. Deeper inside, the laboratory holds The Necromancy of Thay, whose fate creates the quest's central choice: destroy it, unlock it with a specific gem, or keep it. Completing the laboratory's trials can also provide a permanent bonus to Wisdom checks, while Bracers of Defense and magical scrolls are among the notable loot.

Where this sits

Find a reason to investigateRead the Apprentice's Journal

Enter the cellarSearch beneath the apothecary shop

Open the concealed routeMove the crates and use the hidden lever

Pass the magical barrierAnswer the Ornate Mirror

Resolve the book's fateChoose what to do with The Necromancy of Thay

●Search the Abandoned Cellarside-missionCurrent quest

This is an Act 1 investigation that moves from the Blighted Village apothecary shop into a hidden laboratory.

Requirements

The quest can be initiated by reading the Apprentice's Journal, but the source material does not identify a mandatory character level, companion, class, or item requirement.

RecommendedApprentice's JournalReading the journal can provide the trigger or narrative lead for the investigation. It may be found elsewhere in the game, including the Whispering Depths.
RequiredAccess to the Blighted VillageThe cellar is beneath the apothecary shop in the Blighted Village, so the party must be able to reach and search that location.
RecommendedReadiness for undead encountersThe hidden laboratory contains dangerous undead guardians. Bring a party prepared for combat before opening the concealed route.

Objectives

Investigate the cellar beneath the apothecary shop.Search the apothecary area in the Blighted Village and locate the concealed route below it.
Reveal the hidden lever.Move the crates that obstruct the mechanism so the lever becomes accessible.
Open the concealed bookcase passage.Use the revealed lever to open the bookcase and enter the deeper section.
Pass the Ornate Mirror.Respond to the magical mirror in a way that proves the party is an ally of its master.
Explore the hidden laboratory.Navigate the laboratory while dealing with its dangerous undead guardians.
Decide the fate of The Necromancy of Thay.Choose whether to destroy the book, unlock it with a specific gem, or keep it.
Complete the book's trials.Successfully navigating the laboratory and the book's trials can grant a permanent Wisdom-check bonus.

WalkthroughSpoilers

01
Initiate or advance the investigation
Read the Apprentice's Journal
Begin by reading the Apprentice's Journal if you have found it elsewhere in the game. The journal can point the party toward the hidden investigation and establish the context for searching the cellar.
Location: Elsewhere in Act 1, including the Whispering Depths
02
Find the cellar entrance
Reach the apothecary shop
Travel to the Blighted Village and search the apothecary shop for a route below the building. The important destination is the cellar beneath the shop, so do not stop after inspecting only the visible rooms.
Location: Blighted Village
TipSearch the shop carefully before assuming the quest requires a separate dungeon entrance.
03
Locate the hidden lever
Search the cellar for the obstruction
Explore the cellar until you find the crates concealing the mechanism needed to continue. The lever is not immediately obvious while the crates remain in place, making this an environmental-search step rather than a simple door interaction.
Location: Cellar beneath the apothecary shop
04
Reveal the mechanism
Move the crates
Clear the crates that hide the lever so the mechanism can be reached. If the passage does not open, return to the obstructed area and check that the crates have been moved far enough to expose the interaction.
Location: Cellar beneath the apothecary shop
Watch outLeaving the cellar without opening the route delays progress because the deeper laboratory is accessed through the concealed bookcase.
05
Open the concealed bookcase passage
Use the hidden lever
Interact with the lever revealed behind the crates. Activating it opens the bookcase and creates the way into the deeper area of the cellar.
Location: Cellar beneath the apothecary shop
Checkpoint
06
Pass the magical barrier
Approach the Ornate Mirror
Continue through the newly opened route until the party reaches the magical Ornate Mirror. Treat the encounter as a progression gate: the mirror's responses matter, and rushing through the dialogue can block the intended route.
Location: Entrance to the hidden laboratory
07
Gain access to the deeper laboratory
Answer as an ally of the master
Choose the specific responses that demonstrate the party is an ally of the mirror's master. The source material does not list the exact response sequence, so consult the in-game prompts rather than relying on an unverified answer order.
Location: Ornate Mirror
Watch outIncorrect responses can prevent smooth access through the mirror.
08
Investigate the laboratory
Enter the hidden laboratory
Once the mirror allows passage, enter the laboratory and prepare for hostile undead guardians. Keep the party together while searching because the area combines exploration with dangerous encounters.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
09
Secure the laboratory
Deal with the undead guardians
Navigate past the dangerous undead guardians occupying the laboratory. Use the party's normal combat tools and search the area again after the threats are dealt with, since the laboratory also contains loot and the central book.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
Checkpoint
10
Collect available rewards
Search for laboratory rewards
Inspect the laboratory after the immediate danger has passed. Notable loot includes the Bracers of Defense and various magical scrolls, although the source material does not provide a complete item-by-item route.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
11
Resolve the book's fate
Find The Necromancy of Thay
Locate The Necromancy of Thay, the ominous book kept in the laboratory. Its presence changes the investigation into a decision about whether the book should be destroyed, unlocked with a specific gem, or kept.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
12
Choose what happens to The Necromancy of Thay
Choose an outcome for the book
Decide whether to destroy The Necromancy of Thay, unlock it using the required gem, or keep it. The choice is the quest's major branching point, so make a manual save if you want to compare outcomes later.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
Watch outThe available result and later benefits depend on the choice made for the book.
Missable
13
Complete the book's trials
Complete the book's trials
If pursuing the book's deeper path, complete its trials after choosing to unlock it. Successfully navigating the laboratory and the book's trials can grant a permanent bonus to Wisdom checks, but the exact trial sequence is not specified in the supplied material.
Location: The Necromancy of Thay
Missable
14
Complete Search the Abandoned Cellar
Finish the investigation
After resolving the book and collecting any desired loot, leave the laboratory or continue exploring the surrounding area. The quest's meaningful conclusion is tied to the laboratory investigation and the decision over The Necromancy of Thay.
Location: Hidden necromancer's laboratory

Mission mechanics

The cellar is built around environmental discovery. Crates conceal the lever that opens the bookcase, so the correct solution is to manipulate the room rather than search for a conventional key. This is a useful reminder to inspect movable objects whenever a hidden area appears to have no visible entrance.

The Ornate Mirror changes the pace of the quest from physical exploration to a dialogue test. Its questions require answers that establish the player as an ally of its master, making the sequence dependent on reading the situation and selecting the appropriate responses. The supplied material does not provide the exact dialogue order.

The laboratory then combines combat and reward hunting. Dangerous undead guardians protect the area, while the laboratory also contains The Necromancy of Thay, Bracers of Defense, and magical scrolls. The book is not merely a collectible: its destruction, unlocking, or retention determines the most important outcome of the investigation.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The quest rewards careful environmental searching by hiding the lever behind movable crates.
The Ornate Mirror gives the cellar a distinct dialogue-based gate instead of relying only on combat.
The laboratory combines exploration, undead encounters, loot, and a consequential item decision.
The Necromancy of Thay gives the investigation more than a single fixed conclusion.

Weaknesses

The hidden lever can be easy to miss if the cellar is searched only for visible containers.
The exact mirror responses are not supplied here, so players without the relevant dialogue guidance may need to experiment.
The book's possible outcomes make an uninformed decision difficult to reverse.

Best uses

Search the cellar methodically before leaving the apothecary shop.
Prepare for combat before entering the laboratory.
Make a save before deciding what to do with The Necromancy of Thay.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

Destroy The Necromancy of Thay
The book is removed rather than pursued as an unlockable source of further trials. The supplied material does not specify every resulting reward or later consequence.
Spoiler
Unlock The Necromancy of Thay using a specific gem
The party can pursue the book's trials. Successfully navigating the laboratory and the book's trials can grant a permanent bonus to Wisdom checks.
Spoiler
Keep The Necromancy of Thay
The book remains in the party's possession, but the supplied material does not establish the complete gameplay or story consequences of retaining it.
Spoiler

Cellar checklist

Read the Apprentice's Journal if it has been found.This can initiate the quest or provide its narrative lead.
Search beneath the apothecary shop in the Blighted Village.The laboratory is accessed from this cellar.
Move the crates that conceal the lever.The lever is required to open the bookcase.
Activate the hidden lever.This reveals the route into the deeper area.
Answer the Ornate Mirror as an ally of its master.The mirror requires specific responses.
Prepare for the laboratory's undead guardians.The area contains dangerous undead enemies.
Search for the Bracers of Defense.They are among the notable laboratory loot.
Collect magical scrolls found in the laboratory.The source material describes various scrolls but not a complete list.
Decide whether to destroy, unlock, or keep The Necromancy of Thay.This is the quest's central choice.
Complete the book's trials if pursuing its unlocked path.This can lead to a permanent Wisdom-check bonus.Optional

Notable items

01
The Necromancy of Thay
Where: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
The central book of the quest. It can be destroyed, unlocked with a specific gem, or kept.
Missable
02
Bracers of Defense
Where: Laboratory beneath the Blighted Village apothecary shop
Notable loot found within the laboratory.
03
Magical scrolls
Where: Hidden necromancer's laboratory
Various magical scrolls can be found among the laboratory's loot.
04
Apprentice's Journal
Where: Elsewhere in the game, including the Whispering Depths
Reading this journal can initiate the investigation.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

Permanent Wisdom-check bonus
Successfully navigating the laboratory and The Necromancy of Thay's trials can grant a permanent bonus to Wisdom checks.
Bracers of Defense
Notable equipment found within the laboratory.
Magical scrolls
Various magical scrolls are available as laboratory loot.
The Necromancy of Thay
The book itself can be destroyed, unlocked with a specific gem, or kept, depending on the player's choice.

Before deciding the book's fateSpoilers

Make the choice deliberately

The Necromancy of Thay is the quest's central branching item. Save before choosing whether to destroy it, unlock it with a specific gem, or keep it if you want the freedom to reconsider the outcome.

Trivia

The quest's investigation can begin from a journal found away from the cellar itself.
The hidden route is opened by moving crates to reveal a lever, making the cellar's first major puzzle environmental.
The laboratory is described as a hidden necromancer's laboratory beneath an apothecary shop rather than as a visibly marked dungeon entrance.
The Ornate Mirror tests whether the player can present themselves as an ally of its master.
The quest links its exploration and book trials to a possible permanent Wisdom-check bonus.

Sources

Search the Abandoned Cellar quest reference — bg3.wiki