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Locationmajor

Decrepit Village

Decrepit Village is a small but important Underdark location in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Decrepit Village is in the Underdark, not the Wilderness It is separate from the Blighted Village, also known as Moonhaven.
  • The village is the departure point for Grymforge The skiff cannot normally be used until Gekh Coal’s group has been dealt with.
  • Gekh Coal’s opening encounter is avoidable Dialogue options, character tags and successful checks can prevent an immediate fight.
  • The village is tied to Thulla and the Boots of Speed Curing Thulla is usually the most helpful outcome, but the boots can also be stolen or recovered from her body.
  • There is no conventional merchant here The location’s useful rewards come from quests, enemies, hidden containers and exploration.
  • The village is small, but its consequences extend into Grymforge Decisions here affect access, dialogue and the order in which several Act One quests can be completed.

About this guide

Spoilers: This guide covers Act One quests, the duergar encounter, Thulla’s condition, the route to Grymforge and several possible outcomes.

Overview

Decrepit Village is a small but important Underdark location in Baldur’s Gate 3. It sits on the shore of the Ebonlake, roughly between the Myconid settlement, Dread Hollow, the Selûnite Outpost and the Arcane Tower. Although the village itself is mostly a ruined collection of wooden platforms and shacks, it is the Underdark’s principal route to Grymforge, including the Adamantine Forge and the duergar-controlled settlement beyond the lake.

The area is not a conventional town. It has no functioning inn, general shop or resident community. Instead, it is being used as a temporary base by Gekh Coal and a small group of duergar searching for the escaped deep gnome Thulla. The encounter can become a fight immediately, a short negotiation followed by a quest, or the beginning of a wider chain involving the Myconid Circle, Grymforge and the Ironhand gnomes.

Location and boundaries

Decrepit Village occupies a central position in the Underdark. It is not merely the beach waypoint itself. The location includes the ruined upper settlement, the ramps and rope structures descending towards the water, the two sections of Ebonlake shore and the dock used for the Grymforge crossing.

The settlement is built on two practical levels:

The area is visually marked by abandonment and violence. Corpses of myconids, duergar and deep gnomes are scattered along the approaches and through the village. These bodies help establish that the duergar search for Thulla has already involved conflict with the Myconid Circle and deep gnome refugees.

Included within the location

The following entries are part of Decrepit Village or its immediate playable settlement area:

Nearby but separate locations

These places are connected to Decrepit Village but should not be treated as subareas of it:

The Blighted Village is also separate. It is a surface location in the Wilderness, situated between the Druid Grove and the Goblin Camp, despite having a similar name.

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Location and boundaries: steps

  1. 01
    Upper village: Broken wooden structures, platforms, ladders and elevated walkways.
  2. 02
    Lower shore: Sandy ground beside the Ebonlake, with two berths and the Grymforge skiff.

Nearby but separate locations

Reaching Decrepit Village

There are several ways to enter the Underdark, including routes through the Whispering Depths, the Goblin Camp, the Zhentarim network and the Risen Road area. Once in the Underdark, Decrepit Village is connected to the central routes leading towards Ebonlake Grotto and the other major locations.

The easiest approach for most parties is from the Ebonlake Grotto side. This brings the party along a path littered with dead myconids, duergar and deep gnomes. A corpse at the approach carries the Shortsword of First Blood, making this route worthwhile even if the party has no intention of speaking to Gekh Coal.

Suggested approach

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Suggested approach

  1. 01
    Enter the Underdark and locate Ebonlake Grotto.
  2. 02
    Speak with Sovereign Spaw if you are pursuing the Myconid-related quests.
  3. 03
    Check on Thulla before travelling too far or taking unnecessary Long Rests.
  4. 04
    Approach Decrepit Village from the north-western path.
  5. 05
    Allow the Gekh Coal dialogue to begin rather than running directly to the boat.
  6. 06
    Decide whether to negotiate, help recover the boots or fight.
  7. 07
    Search the village and shore before boarding the skiff.
  8. 08
    Travel to Grymforge only after completing any Underdark objectives you want to resolve first.

The opening encounter with Gekh Coal

When the party approaches the village, Gekh Coal and several duergar are initially hidden. A DC 20 Perception check can reveal Gekh’s position if the party approaches from the north, although the other duergar may remain invisible. The conversation begins regardless of whether the ambush is detected.

Gekh is searching for Thulla, a deep gnome runaway who escaped with the Boots of Speed belonging to Sergeant Thrinn. The party can:

Several dialogue options are available depending on the protagonist’s origin, race, class, background or previous actions. A branded character, Drow character, Duergar character or someone using Illithid dialogue may receive additional options. Deep Gnome characters and parties accompanied by Glut are treated especially aggressively and may not receive the same opportunity to de-escalate.

Important consequence for Devotion Paladins

If the party promises to help Gekh and then attacks his squad afterwards, the action can count as oathbreaking for a Devotion Paladin. Decide whether you intend to honour the agreement before choosing conciliatory dialogue.

Other named duergar in the village

These characters are part of Gekh’s group rather than independent village residents.

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Gekh Coal’s verified directory entry

NameDetails
Gekh CoalDuergar leader, located on the upper ramparts west of the central ladder. He begins the ambush dialogue, gives the Missing Boots objective and controls access to the village skiff.

Other named duergar in the village

NameDetails
GarmorDuergar stationed near the boat. If the party approaches the skiff before speaking with Gekh, Garmor can reveal the group’s presence and alert his commander.
LurganDuergar on the elevated platform above the central webbing, east of Gekh Coal.
HolvikDuergar in the north-western corner of the broken-down building.

The missing boots and Thulla

The village’s central quest is Find the Missing Boots. Gekh explains that Thulla stole the Boots of Speed from Sergeant Thrinn before fleeing Grymforge. He wants the party to locate her and recover them.

Thulla is not in Decrepit Village. She is in the Ebonlake Grotto, near Sovereign Spaw. She is suffering from duergar poison and begins the quest Cure the Poisoned Gnome when spoken to.

Ways to obtain the Boots of Speed

Thulla can be cured with several effects that remove the Poisoned condition. The Duergar Antidote carried by Gekh Coal is one option, but alternatives include an antitoxin, certain elixirs, a Remedial Potion, Lesser Restoration and other suitable cures. Once spoken to, she must be treated within three Long Rests or she dies and becomes a myconid husk.

Curing Thulla also opens the route towards Save the Grymforge Gnomes, because she asks the party to help the other Ironhand gnomes held in Grymforge.

This route gives the party the Boots of Speed, preserves Thulla and keeps the largest number of later options open.

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Ways to obtain the Boots of Speed

MethodResult
Cure ThullaShe gives the Boots of Speed to the party
Steal the bootsPossible through the appropriate interaction and investigation check
Kill ThullaThe boots can be looted from her body
Allow the poison to progressThulla dies and becomes a myconid husk; the boots can no longer be pickpocketed from her
Return the boots to Sergeant ThrinnAdvances Find the Missing Boots in Grymforge
Fight Thrinn laterThe boots can be recovered from her

Recommended outcome: For a generally helpful or anti-slavery playthrough

  1. 01
    Speak to Thulla before spending three Long Rests.
  2. 02
    Cure her.
  3. 03
    Take the Boots of Speed as her reward.
  4. 04
    Return to Decrepit Village.
  5. 05
    Speak with Gekh or board the skiff if the game permits.
  6. 06
    Bring the boots to Sergeant Thrinn in Grymforge.
  7. 07
    Continue into the gnome and Nere quest chain.

Travelling to Grymforge

The skiff at the Ebonlake shore is the location’s most important facility. It provides access to Grymforge, where the party can encounter Sergeant Thrinn, True Soul Nere, the enslaved deep gnomes and the Adamantine Forge questline.

The boat normally cannot be used until Gekh Coal and his group have been dealt with. Approaching the boat before speaking with Gekh can cause Garmor to appear and alert him. After the party departs, a duergar patrol led by Corsair Greymon intercepts the boat on the lake. The party must then persuade, deceive, intimidate or otherwise overcome the patrol.

The crossing is therefore not a completely safe fast-travel transition. Prepare the party before boarding and consider whether you want a character with strong social skills to lead the conversation.

Grymforge departure directory

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Grymforge departure directory

NameDetails
Ebonlake shoreLower section of the village beside the lake.
Grymforge skiffBoat used to travel to Grymforge after the duergar situation has been resolved.
Corsair Greymon’s patrolA story encounter during the crossing, not a permanent village group.

Quests and activities

Avenge Glut’s Circle

Sovereign Glut can ask the party to deal with the duergar responsible for killing members of the Myconid Circle. Decrepit Village is the main place to confront Gekh Coal and his squad for this purpose. The quest overlaps with Defeat the Duergar Intruders, but the two quests reflect different perspectives on the same conflict.

Defeat the Duergar Intruders

Sovereign Spaw’s quest sends the party against the duergar occupying the village. Depending on how dialogue develops, the party can fight Gekh immediately or delay the confrontation while pursuing the missing boots.

If the party has promised to help Gekh, attacking his group afterwards can have oath consequences for a Devotion Paladin.

Find the Missing Boots

This quest begins with Gekh Coal and continues into Grymforge. Recover the Boots of Speed from Thulla, then return them to Sergeant Thrinn. Thrinn can reward the party with a choice between the Bracing Band and Armour of Uninhibited Kushigo, depending on the quest outcome.

Cure the Poisoned Gnome

This quest begins in Ebonlake Grotto rather than in the village, but Decrepit Village is central to its backstory because Thulla was poisoned while escaping the duergar. Curing her also provides the Boots of Speed and leads towards the Grymforge gnome quests.

The Adamantine Forge

The forge itself is in Grymforge, not Decrepit Village. The village is nevertheless one of the principal routes to it, so players should not list the forge as a structure inside the village.

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Items and hidden treasure

Decrepit Village has no verified functional shop, but it contains several worthwhile fixed items.

Hidden treasure directory

The coordinates above are included as search references rather than as a substitute for visual navigation. The village’s vertical construction can make map positions confusing, so search around the relevant platforms and roof edges rather than relying on the marker alone.

Loot from Gekh Coal

If Gekh is defeated, search his body for:

The antidote is particularly valuable if Thulla has already been encountered and is running out of time.

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Named and notable loot

NameDetails
Duergar AntidoteLooted from Gekh Coal. It can be used to cure Thulla.
Exterminator’s AxeLooted from Gekh Coal.
Shortsword of First BloodFound on the corpse of an executed deep gnome near the approach from Ebonlake Grotto. It deals an additional 1d8 piercing damage against targets that still have all their hit points.
Wulbren Bongle’s journalFound in one of the village shacks. It indicates Wulbren’s presence in the Underdark and suggests that he may have been captured by the duergar.

Hidden treasure directory

ItemLocation or requirement
Buried ChestNear X: -3, Y: -238; requires successful Perception to notice
Gold NecklaceNear X: 6, Y: -236; hanging from the edge of a makeshift roof and revealed through Perception
Well-Stitched SatchelNear X: 20, Y: -197; revealed with a DC 10 Perception check or by questioning a nearby shattered duergar corpse with Speak with Dead

Enemies and hazards

Duergar ambush

The main danger is the initial ambush. Gekh and his group use invisibility and elevated positions, which can make the first round of combat awkward. A Perception check may expose Gekh, but it does not necessarily reveal every duergar.

Vertical terrain

The village is made from ladders, platforms, rope netting and makeshift walkways. Characters can become separated easily, especially when descending towards the water. Check the party’s formation after climbing or jumping.

Corpse interaction

Several corpses are useful sources of information or loot. Speak with Dead can reveal the location of the Well-Stitched Satchel. The executed deep gnome near the village entrance carries the Shortsword of First Blood.

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Suggested exploration route

This route prioritises story options, time-sensitive content and useful loot.

If the primary goal is simply to reach Grymforge, the party can still travel there after killing Gekh, provided the skiff becomes available. Conversely, if the party agrees to help Gekh, it remains possible to fight the duergar later, but this can have roleplaying and oath consequences.

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Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Visit Ebonlake Grotto first. Speak with Thulla and note her poisoned condition.
  2. 02
    Cure Thulla if possible. The Duergar Antidote may be obtained from Gekh, but other cures work as well.
  3. 03
    Take the Boots of Speed. This preserves the Missing Boots quest and saves Thulla.
  4. 04
    Travel to Decrepit Village from the Myconid side.
  5. 05
    Collect the Shortsword of First Blood from the executed deep gnome near the entrance.
  6. 06
    Speak to Gekh Coal. Choose whether to negotiate, accept the boot quest or fight.
  7. 07
    Search the upper platforms. Check the broken-down building, elevated platforms and roof edges.
  8. 08
    Inspect the corpses. Use Speak with Dead where appropriate.
  9. 09
    Collect the hidden treasure. Search the beach and lower structures carefully.
  10. 10
    Resolve the duergar question. If pursuing Spaw or Glut’s quests, defeat Gekh’s group.
  11. 11
    Board the skiff.
  12. 12
    Handle Corsair Greymon’s patrol.
  13. 13
    Arrive in Grymforge and continue with Thrinn, Nere and the gnome quests.

Progression changes and missable content

Thulla’s three-Long-Rest limit

Once Thulla has been spoken to, she cannot be left indefinitely. After three Long Rests she dies from the poison and becomes a myconid husk. This fails the cure quest and changes the available interactions with her.

The skiff

The boat’s availability depends on how the Gekh encounter is resolved. Approaching it too early can expose the party to Garmor’s warning and prevent a quiet departure.

Thulla and later consequences

If Thulla dies, she may later appear as a spore servant near Sovereign Spaw. If the other deep gnomes are rescued, they can react to her death and transformation.

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Practical checklist

Before leaving Decrepit Village, check that you have:

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Sources