After spending a decent amount of time in the Shadow Curse ridden lands of Baldur’s Gate 3 and its second act, you’ll probably be eager for a way to permanently cleanse the area. Fortunately, there is a method. But it’s going to take a little bit of work and whole lot of fighting to lift the Shadow Curse in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to lift the Shadow Curse in BG3
To lift the Shadow Curse, you’ll have to work with Halsin in order to restore order to the lands. This means saving his friend Thaniel, who’s being held in a separate realm. After this, you’ll need to help Thaniel reconcile with his other half, and finally, take out General Ketheric Thorm to finally start to lift the curse.
Defend Halsin’s Portal
Halsin will need to enter into a portal to the realm where Thaniel is being held. While he braves the dangers in there, you need to stay outside and ensure the portal stays open. What ensues is a wave defense battle where tons of Shadow Cursed enemies will crash down on you, attempting to stop you from retrieving Thaniel.
Using the rock and its high-ground advantage will be important, as it literally gives you Advantage on rolls. Bring plenty of AoE magic spells, and don’t be afraid to use some scrolls either. This is a tough fight, but valuable if you’re looking for an injection of XP to hit the next level.
My personal strategy was running my own character (a Warlock), Gale, Shadowheart, and Karlach. My Tav and Gale stood back by the portal, blasting enemies from afar; Magic Missile is useful for clearing tricky enemies to hit, like the Ravens, and Fireball is a big crowd-clearer. The same goes for Warlock spells like Hunger of Hadar, as well as ol’ reliable Eldritch Blast. Shadowheart can have Cleric wards at this point too. Basically, massive AoEs will help in thinning out the small fries, while Karlach (or Lae’zel) leaps over and tackles some hardier enemies, like the Wraith and tentacles.
Hold out for the turns (it will take more than it says on the clock), and eventually Halsin will return and end the fight. Thaniel’s back, but not feeling well. To restore him, you’ll need to restore the half of him left behind here, in this realm.
Find Thaniel’s other half in Baldur’s Gate 3
At this point, Halsin will mention an area of the Shadow-Cursed Lands that still had flora blooming. This would indicate that Thaniel’s other half is here, and he’ll mark it for you to investigate. At this point, he’ll also be able to join your party as a full party member, which is pretty handy.
Bear or not, head to the ruined house at (X:76, Y:40) and you’ll find the shadowed, evil version of Thaniel. He’s been “playing” with other folks, and now, he wants to play with you. He’ll zip away through a portal. Gear up for another fight and follow him.
This one is thankfully a little easier than the portal defense. You’ll have to destroy waves of Shadows, bolstered by two major shades called Daddy and Mommy. Try to focus on one big shade at a time, while someone flexible and decently high damage—Wyll or a Warlock Tav, for instance—deals with the adds. Once Mommy and Daddy are down, the rest should be straightforward. Remember to keep some light up so you can spot Shadows, and make use of Karlach’s Frenzy or Lae’zel’s Action Surge to rapidly whittle through groups.
Once you’ve destroyed enough, you can talk with the shadowed self and try to convince it to help you lift the Shadow Curse in Baldur’s Gate 3. I encouraged him that change is good, and that the two of them combining will mean they’ll always have a friend. Just don’t get too aggressive, and this should be straightforward.
At this point, you’ve done all you can. Finishing this quest will not lift the Shadow Curse just yet, but it does make sure that you can recruit Halsin as a fully fledged Companion once you’ve finished the task.
One more task – you need to finish the Act
With that out of the way, there is one lingering note: head back to camp and talk to the newly reformed Thaniel. As he says, he cannot fully heal the land until Ketheric Thorm is in the dirt.
Taking out Ketheric is part of the Act 2 finale, so the Shadow Curse of Baldur’s Gate 3 will have to persist until you’re ready to move on. After defeating the final boss, you should get a scene of the Shadow Curse lifting off the lands. In our own experience, some NPCs (like Art Cullagh) may still react like you haven’t lifted the curse yet. But as long as you see the cutscene of the curse lifting at the end of the act, you’re set.
How Thaniel and Halsin know each other
The druid Halsin can discuss this with you in camp or during the events of Lift the Shadow Curse, but he knew Thaniel growing up. Early in his life, the pair were friends; but as Halsin aged, Thaniel did not, as the latter is an embodiment of the spirit of the land.
Thus, Halsin determines to become a protector of the lands and not just a friend to them. It makes sense, then, that saving Thaniel and restoring the land is a prerequisite for recruiting Halsin.
Thaniel’s aid in an hour of need
Aside from lifting the curse and being a general do-gooder, helping Halsin and Thaniel also nets you a big benefit at the end of the game. As part of the Gather Your Allies quest, you can acquire the help of various people you’ve helped across the length of Baldur’s Gate 3 for its final battle.
The boon you get for lifting the Shadow Curse in Baldur’s Gate 3 is not as tangible as Florrick’s fighters or Yurgir’s help, but rather, an extremely beneficial passive boost. After reuniting the disparate parts of Thaniel, you’ll get the Spirit of the Land boost in the final fight, giving you a +1 to all Ability Scores and an additional 2m movement speed. It’s a very helpful bonus to have in the challenging final encounter.
How to start Lift the Shadow Curse quest in BG3
You can initiate the Life the Shadow Curse quest if you did a few things in the first act of Baldur’s Gate 3. First off, you want to save the Tieflings, and you’ll also want to make sure you have Halsin in your camp. (He’s not a fully fledged party member right now, but don’t worry, we’re rectifying that soon.) Also, it might not hurt to help out Counselor Florrick, who’s stuck in a burning building on the Risen Road in Act 1. I’m unsure whether it helps or not, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Talk to Halsin after you enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands, and you’ll learn about his pal Thaniel, who can possibly help cleanse this land if you can find them. To start off, you’ll need to complete the quest Wake up Art Cullagh. He’s an NPC you’ll find on the first floor of the Last Light Inn, after you’ve found it. You can find a full walkthrough on how to handle that here.
Once you’ve learned about Thaniel supposed whereabouts, Halsin will set off for the shore and ask you to meet him there. Do that, but maybe Long Rest and prep your spellbooks first. You’re about to walk into a pretty substantial fight.
