Open Hand Temple Underground Area

Key takeaways

• The area has two connected sections the temple cellar and crypt, plus the adjoining natural cave.
• The normal entrance is through the kitchen hatch inside the Open Hand Temple, but the cave can also be entered from the Western Beach.
• The crypt contains the murder scene of Father Lorgan and the hidden route into the cave.
• The cave contains the doppelgangers Muzz, Rudd and Zomm, the murder weapon Stillmaker, and Penela Lumpensicks, whose corpse holds the Clown’s Severed Torso.
• If you have the Sentient Amulet from Act One, the crypt is where you find Shirra Clarwen and resolve the Help the Spirit of the Amulet quest.
• The Flowery Key found on Zomm points towards Dolor’s hideout in Fraygo’s Flophouse, outside this area.

About this guide

Overview

Baldur’s Gate 3, Act Three, Rivington Scope: the area officially named Open Hand Temple Underground Area, including its two connected subareas: the temple cellar and crypt, and the natural cave beneath the temple. The main Open Hand Temple, its kitchen, graveyard, dormitories, roof and surrounding Rivington streets are treated as neighbouring areas rather than part of the underground area itself.

The Open Hand Temple Underground Area is a compact but unusually important dungeon beneath the Ilmaterian temple in Rivington. It is not merely a cellar attached to the temple. Its full boundary includes the temple’s storage rooms, prayer hall, library and crypt, together with a larger natural cave that contains a murder weapon, a severed clown body part, a group of Bhaalist-linked doppelgangers and the remains of tiefling refugees.

The area serves as a hidden connection between the temple’s murder investigation and the wider Bhaalist conspiracy in Act Three. It also contains the final resting place of Shirra Clarwen, whose tomb is required for a late-stage continuation of the cursed Sentient Amulet storyline.

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Temple cellar and crypt

This is the section directly beneath the Open Hand Temple. It includes:

The cellar and crypt are the most direct route for players following the temple murder investigation. They also contain the tomb of Shirra Clarwen.

Natural cave

The cave lies behind the cellar and extends beneath the temple towards the Western Beach. It includes:

The natural cave is still part of the Open Hand Temple Underground Area, not a separate wilderness region. The Western Beach entrance is an external route into the same underground map space.

Neighbouring places not included

The following locations are connected by story or nearby geography, but should not be confused with the underground area:

The Flowery Key leads to evidence in Fraygo’s Flophouse, but the flophouse is not part of this location. Likewise, the temple’s main nave and kitchen are the access point, not underground subareas themselves.

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Neighbouring places not included

• Open Hand Temple
• Circus of the Last Days
• Western Beach
• South Span Checkpoint
• Sword Coast Couriers

Standard route from the Open Hand Temple

The hatch is at approximately X: -62, Y: 3. The exact position can vary slightly depending on how the game displays coordinates, but the important landmark is the kitchen hatch.

This route is best if you are following Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders or if you want to investigate the murder scene before entering the cave.

The most straightforward route is

1. 01
   Enter the Open Hand Temple in Rivington.
2. 02
   Go through the temple towards the kitchen.
3. 03
   Find the hatch in the kitchen.
4. 04
   Climb down into the storage area.
5. 05
   Continue into the prayer hall and crypt.

Route from the Western Beach

The natural cave has its own entrance from the Western Beach, approximately at X: 5, Y: 74. Several boulders may need to be moved aside before the party can enter.

This route allows the party to reach the cave without entering through the temple. Once inside, the party can work back towards the cellar through the cave’s internal connection.

Route through the hidden wall

The cellar and cave are connected by a movable wall. In the cave, a lever can open the connection. In the cellar, two hidden buttons open the same passage.

The buttons are concealed behind movable heraldic signs. They can be revealed with Perception, although players who have already interrogated relevant corpses during the murder investigation may receive clearer information about the caves and may not need to rely on the same discovery check.

Jumping route

There is also a less obvious traversal route involving jumps from the cave’s cliff edge towards the cellar library. This can be used in either direction.

The jumping route is useful if the hidden buttons have not been found, but it is more awkward than opening the secret door. Characters with low Strength, poor jumping distance or limited movement resources may find it unreliable.

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The first room below the kitchen is a storage area. It opens into a small prayer hall, apparently used for last rites and other ceremonies connected with the dead.

The altar in the prayer hall is smeared with blood. This is the location associated with Father Lorgan’s murder. Blood trails lead away from the scene and help direct the investigation towards the hidden passage.

The prayer hall is also the point from which the cellar divides:

The murder scene is therefore not just a dramatic room. It is the starting point for the underground section’s investigation chain.

Hidden passage methods

There are three verified ways to reach the tunnels:

If you have already progressed the murder investigation by speaking with Father Lorgan’s or Brilgor’s corpse, the dialogue and investigation clues can make the hidden passage easier to identify.

Hidden passage methods: steps

1. 01
   Find the hidden buttons behind heraldic signs in the crypt or central cellar area.
2. 02
   Jump across the broken section of wall from the adjoining library area.
3. 03
   Enter from the Western Beach and approach the cellar from the cave side.

Cellar and library item directory

The named items above are fixed according to the area listing. The contents of some containers are not fixed and should not be treated as a guaranteed list of individual potion types or quantities.

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The crypt is the most important room for the Help the Spirit of the Amulet quest.

Shirra Clarwen was a follower of Ilmater, a trained deadspeaker and the granddaughter of the spirit associated with the Sentient Amulet. She died before the party arrived in Rivington and is buried in the temple crypt. Her sarcophagus is the furthest one on the left when entering the crypt.

If the party still has the Sentient Amulet obtained during Act One, opening Shirra’s sarcophagus allows the quest to continue. The amulet’s spirit attempts to possess Shirra’s corpse. The player can either accept the spirit’s curse or refuse it, producing different quest outcomes.

If the party left Act Two without the amulet, the quest cannot be completed through the normal amulet interaction.

Crypt named directory

The last three names are associated with the crypt area’s character data, but Shirra is the only one with a major direct quest interaction there. Do not assume every listed name represents a living conversational NPC encountered in the room.

Crypt literature

The underground area and the wider temple contain records connected with Ilmaterian practice and the temple’s dead-speakers. Relevant named texts associated with the underground location include:

The Register of Temple Deadspeakers records Sister Clarwen as deceased and identifies the temple’s deadspeaker tradition. It also names Father Lorgan among the temple’s dead-speakers.

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The cave is larger than the cellar and has a more dangerous, less controlled atmosphere. Its main path passes from the entrance ledge through the doppelganger area and onwards to the bodies and storage spaces deeper inside.

It is possible to enter from the cave mouth and explore towards the temple, or to open the hidden door from the cellar and descend into the cave after examining the murder scene.

The cave’s environmental design reinforces the story. The temple cellar is associated with ritual, burial and official investigation. The cave is associated with concealment, bodies, Bhaalist activity and discarded evidence.

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Three men are found in the central part of the cave, discussing Dolor, his weapons and his supposed location in the flophouse. They become hostile when the party approaches. During the encounter, they reveal themselves as doppelgangers.

These are hostile enemies, not neutral residents or recruitable characters. They are part of the murder investigation’s Bhaalist trail. The wider doppelganger network appears in several Act Three locations, but only these three belong to the Open Hand Temple Underground Area.

Combat advice

The encounter is easier if the party spreads out before initiating dialogue or approaching the central depression. The cave provides uneven terrain and ledges, so ranged characters may benefit from taking high ground while melee characters prevent the doppelgangers from freely moving between targets.

The doppelgangers’ disguises can make the opening moment confusing. Examine them after combat begins if you are unsure which combatants are shapeshifters. The important practical point is that the encounter is deliberately presented as a conversation among ordinary men before becoming a hostile shapeshifter fight.

Zomm and the Flowery Key

Zomm’s body carries the Flowery Key. Speaking with Dead on Zomm can reveal several clues:

The corpse does not provide every answer. In particular, Zomm does not know where Dolor currently is. The key is a lead, not an immediate solution inside the underground area.

Doppelganger directory

Loot associated with the encounter: Stillmaker matters for two reasons

1. 01
   It is a significant piece of evidence in Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders.
2. 02
   It confirms the cave’s connection with the killings and with Dolor’s method.

Body and quest-item directory

Penela is not a living resident or normal NPC encounter. She is a corpse found as part of the cave’s murder and dismemberment trail.

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At the far end of the cave is a makeshift camp containing the bodies of several tiefling refugees. The bodies cannot be interrogated with Speak with Dead.

The refugees’ presence connects the underground area with the wider refugee crisis visible across Rivington, but there is no conventional dialogue scene or rescue sequence in this cave. Their bodies are environmental evidence of the danger faced by displaced people and of the doppelgangers’ activities.

Named corpses associated with the cave

The area’s character directory identifies the following bodies:

Not all these entries are presented as active, speaking NPCs. The cave’s refugee camp should be treated as a corpse and loot area rather than a settlement with ordinary residents.

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Trapped display case

The Elixir of See Invisibility is kept in a trapped display case in the cellar library.

The listed requirements are DC 15 Perception and DC 20 Sleight of Hand checks for disarming and lockpicking.

Recommended approach

1. 01
   Let a character with strong Perception inspect the case.
2. 02
   Disarm the trap before attempting to pick the lock.
3. 03
   Use a character with Sleight of Hand proficiency and suitable bonuses.
4. 04
   If the trap is not detected, consider saving before interacting with the case.

High ledges and jumps

The cave and its connection to the cellar include elevated ledges and broken terrain. Jumping is a legitimate route, but it can cause fall damage or leave party members separated.

Avoid sending the whole party across a difficult gap until you have checked:

Cloudkill vapours

Two vents at the far end of the cave emit Cloudkill vapours. A nearby unlocked wooden chest can be looted, but the vapour zone makes this an unnecessarily dangerous place to stand.

Use turn-based mode if you need to move through the gas carefully. Consider fire, ranged interaction, temporary resistance, healing resources and movement abilities. Do not leave a character standing beside the vents while opening containers or sorting inventory.

Hostile shapeshifters

The doppelgangers are the principal combat hazard. The party cannot rely on the initial appearance of the three men, because their identities are part of the encounter’s reveal.

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The following directories consolidate the verified named entries associated with the underground area. They are grouped by function and subarea rather than by importance.

Location and subarea names

These are functional descriptions and page or area names. The game’s in-world presentation does not necessarily place a separate sign over each subarea.

Location and subarea names

• Open Hand Temple Underground Area

Named items

• Stillmaker

Named evidence and literature

Some of these texts are documented as belonging to the wider Open Hand Temple rather than being guaranteed to lie in the underground section itself. They are retained here because the area’s item directory associates them with the temple-underground location grouping. Verify the individual container or room in your own playthrough before treating every title as a guaranteed cellar pickup.

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Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders

The underground area is central to this quest.

The underground area does not resolve the entire murder plot. It supplies key evidence and identifies the next stage of the investigation.

Recommended sequence

1. 01
   Speak with Sister Yannis in the main temple and agree to investigate the murder.
2. 02
   Reach the kitchen hatch.
3. 03
   Examine the prayer hall and bloodied altar.
4. 04
   Investigate the crypt and find the hidden route.
5. 05
   Enter the cave.
6. 06
   Defeat Muzz, Rudd and Zomm.
7. 07
   Loot Zomm for the Flowery Key.
8. 08
   Loot Muzz for the Deathstalker report.
9. 09
   Use Speak with Dead on Zomm if available.
10. 10
    Find Stillmaker in the concealed hole.
11. 11
    Continue the investigation towards Dolor and Fraygo’s Flophouse.

Help the Spirit of the Amulet

This quest can be completed or advanced in the crypt if the party has retained the Sentient Amulet from Act One.

The outcome depends on the player’s choice. The quest is progression-sensitive and cannot be treated as a generic crypt interaction for every character.

Recommended sequence

1. 01
   Bring the Sentient Amulet to Rivington.
2. 02
   Speak with Sister Yannis in the Open Hand Temple if you need the location of Shirra’s tomb.
3. 03
   Enter the cellar through the kitchen hatch.
4. 04
   Find Shirra Clarwen’s sarcophagus.
5. 05
   Open it while carrying the amulet.
6. 06
   Decide whether to accept or reject the spirit’s curse.

Find Dribbles the Clown

The cave contains one of the required body parts:

It is found on Penela Lumpensicks. Collecting it is worthwhile even if the quest has not yet been formally started, although the broader reward and turn-in are handled elsewhere.

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Investigation-first route

This is the best route for most parties:

This route presents the story in its intended order and reduces the chance of overlooking the murder scene.

Investigation-first route: steps

1. 01
   Speak with Sister Yannis in the temple.
2. 02
   Enter through the kitchen hatch.
3. 03
   Search the prayer hall and crypt.
4. 04
   Open the hidden door using the buttons.
5. 05
   Explore the cave from the temple side.
6. 06
   Defeat the doppelgangers.
7. 07
   Search every body, especially Zomm, Muzz and Penela.
8. 08
   Retrieve Stillmaker.
9. 09
   Return to Rivington and follow the Flowery Key lead later.

Loot-first route

This route is practical if the temple is temporarily inconvenient to enter or if you discovered the beach before speaking with Yannis.

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If you are exploring independently

1. 01
   Enter the Western Beach cave.
2. 02
   Move the boulders aside.
3. 03
   Search the entry ledge and storage area.
4. 04
   Defeat the doppelgangers.
5. 05
   Collect the Flowery Key and Deathstalker report.
6. 06
   Retrieve Stillmaker.
7. 07
   Search Penela’s body.
8. 08
   Visit the refugee camp.
9. 09
   Open the cellar connection.
10. 10
    Inspect the crypt and library.

Is the Open Hand Temple Underground Area the same as the Open Hand Temple?

No. The underground area is a connected but separately defined location beneath the temple. The main nave, kitchen, infirmary, dormitory, roof, courtyard and graveyard belong to the broader Open Hand Temple location.

Can I enter without using the temple kitchen?

Yes. The natural cave can be entered from the Western Beach. The cave and cellar are also connected by a hidden wall and can be reached through jumping routes.

Where is Stillmaker?

Stillmaker is inside a small hole in the natural cave, near the area where the doppelgangers and their victims are found. Approach the hole carefully and pass the relevant Perception check.

Who has the Flowery Key?

Zomm carries the Flowery Key. It points towards Dolor’s secrets in Fraygo’s Flophouse, not to a locked door inside the underground area.

Can I speak with the dead tiefling refugees?

No. The bodies in the makeshift refugee camp do not provide Speak with Dead conversations.

Where is Shirra Clarwen?

Shirra Clarwen is buried in the temple crypt beneath the Open Hand Temple. Her sarcophagus is the furthest one on the left when entering the crypt.

Is there a merchant or shop underground?

No verified merchant, shop or ordinary service is located in the underground area. The useful contents are quest items, evidence, named equipment, consumables and minor random loot.

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The area’s major boundary is clear: it includes the cellar-and-crypt section and the connected natural cave. The main Open Hand Temple and surrounding Rivington locations are neighbouring areas, not underground subareas.

A minor documentation uncertainty remains around the literature directory. The temple’s broader location page associates several books and notes with the Open Hand Temple and its underground grouping, but not every title is clearly documented as a guaranteed pickup in a particular cellar container. They have therefore been listed separately from the fixed, room-specific loot rather than presented as a fully verified single-room inventory.

Likewise, several names in the area’s character directory refer to corpses or internal encounter records rather than active dialogue NPCs. They have been retained for directory purposes but labelled by function where necessary. This guide should therefore be read as a researched guide to the verified area structure and named content, not as a claim that every internal character entry produces a separate conversational encounter.

Sources

• Open Hand Temple Underground Area - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
• Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
• Shirra Clarwen - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
• Help the Spirit of the Amulet - bg3.wiki — old.bg3.wiki
• Register of Temple Deadspeakers - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
• Doppelganger - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
• Clown's Severed Torso - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki