Among the many decisions players will be forced to make throughout their Baldur's Gate 3 campaign, the one near the end of the story is arguably the most important. With the fate of the world at stake, players will have to choose between setting the imprisoned Gith Prince Orpheus free or leaving The Emperor to handle the situation himself.
After grabbing the Orphic Hammer in the House of Hope, Baldur's Gate 3 players will get the opportunity to shatter Orpheus' shackles. However, this may not be the best thing to do, as it can drastically affect the party's own destiny. Here are the possible outcomes for this scenario.
Updated on February 29, 2024, by Nahda Nabiilah: In addition to all the tough decisions players must make, they also need to defeat Ketheric Throm, Lord Enver Gortash, and Orin before they can decide Orpheus’ destiny. To achieve this, players have to thoroughly explore both the upper and the lower districts of Baldur’s Gate, locating each of the three "chosen ones" and slaughtering them individually. Moreover, the decision holds a significant weight, as some Baldur’s Gate 3 companions may choose to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause. To alter their opinions and make them stick around before and after facing the Netherbrain’s battle, players must be well-prepared, as certain interactions require a roll of 30.
The following contains spoilers for the ending of Baldur's Gate 3. Reader discretion is advised.
Should You Free Orpheus In Baldur's Gate 3?
This is a tough decision to make, and it'll depend on what players want out of their playthrough. At the start of Act 3, the Emperor will tell players that keeping Orpheus contained is the only thing preventing the party from turning into Illithids. Naturally, if Orpheus is freed, one or all the members of the party may be doomed to become Mind Flayers.
After failing to beat the Netherbrain, the Emperor will teleport the party inside the Astral Prism. Here, they will be presented with a choice: do they free Orpheus, or do they let the Emperor assimilate the Gith Prince to exploit his power?
Side With The Emperor
Siding with the Emperor spells the end for Orpheus, as he absorbs all his brain's knowledge. Lae'zel and Karlach might not appreciate this as his survival is tied directly to their personal quests. This will give the party the advantage they need to beat the Netherbrain, but it might not be the most appealing outcome to the fans of these characters.
Freeing Orpheus
On the other hand, freeing Orpheus will cause the Emperor to side with the Netherbrain in Baldur's Gate 3. Also, as mentioned earlier, at least one of the party members may be doomed to become a Mind Flayer, which is counter-intuitive to the reason they got together in the first place. However, Orpheus will join the fight against the Netherbrain alongside the rest of the Githyanki in the encounter, and if you ask the Gith Prince to turn into the Mind Flayer in their stead, he won't hesitate to save his people.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayers, and they should free Orpheus if they don't mind risking having tentacles on them or their companions. The former may cause Lae'zel to turn against the player, and it will force Karlach to return to Avernus, so her Infernal Engine doesn't cause any more problems. Either way, it'll be up to the players to decide which outcome suits them more.
What's The Morally Good Play Here?
This mostly depends on what players think is good, but ultimately, it all boils down to loyalty. Orpheus is the rightful ruler of the Githyanki by virtue of being a descendant of Gith herself, and he directly opposes Vlaakith and her tyrannical reign. Siding with Orpheus should come naturally to a Githyanki roleplayer, but for everyone else, doing the bidding of Voss and Lae'zel may come off as a bit too demanding. The Gith do not care about everyone else, only themselves, even if they do end up influencing the greater world around them in the process.
The Emperor, on the other hand, is just a good guy in general. He wants to stop the Netherbrain, and he wants to help you and your party. However, the Emperor understands that not all victories can be achieved without sacrifice. You may end up turning into a squid by the end of your playthrough if you follow the Emperor's plan, but you'll at least be a morally-upright squid. Keep in mind that there are multiple endings to BG3, so if you play your cards right, you may end up with one that works best for everyone.
