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Locationmajor

Reithwin Town

Reithwin Town is the ruined western settlement of the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Reithwin Town is a broad location, not just the central square The House of Healing, Tollhouse, Mason’s Guild and Waning Moon all belong to the town’s connected area.
  • Ordinary light is not enough in the town A working Moonlantern or Dolly Thrice’s Pixie Blessing is required for reliable protection from the stronger Shadow Curse here.
  • The House of Healing is important to Lift the Shadow Curse The information gained there can be necessary for Halsin’s companion questline.
  • The Grand Mausoleum is the entrance to the Gauntlet of Shar, making the graveyard one of the most important routes for Shadowheart’s personal quest.
  • The three Thorm family bosses are optional but significant Gerringothe Thorm in the Tollhouse, Malus Thorm in the House of Healing and Thisobald Thorm in the Waning Moon.
  • Do not complete the final stages of Act Two before exploring Several town encounters, NPCs and quest states change or disappear after the defeat of Ketheric Thorm.

About this guide

Scope: Base-game Baldur’s Gate 3, Act Two. Spoilers: This guide contains major spoilers for the Shadow-Cursed Lands, the Thorm family, Shadowheart’s quest, the Nightsong and the conclusion of Act Two.

Overview

Reithwin Town is the ruined western settlement of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. It is not merely the central square around the Reithwin Town waypoint. The wider location includes the tollhouse, House of Healing, Reithwin Graveyard, Grand Mausoleum, Mason’s Guild, Sharran Sanctuary, the Waning Moon distillery and the road leading onwards to Baldur’s Gate. Moonrise Towers stands directly south of the town and is closely connected to its geography and story, but remains a separate location.

In life, Reithwin was a wealthy settlement on the Risen Road beside the River Chionthar. It benefited from traffic, river commerce and toll collection. By the time the player arrives, it has been abandoned to undead servants, cursed survivors and the remnants of the Thorm family’s regime. Almost every major building presents a different aspect of Ketheric Thorm’s fall: taxation, medicine, industry, religion and entertainment have all been twisted into instruments of death.

The town is one of Act Two’s most concentrated areas for optional encounters, companion content, background lore and high-value equipment. It is possible to pass through quickly, but doing so risks missing several major quests and permanently losing opportunities after the Act Two finale.

Access routes

Reithwin Town is reached from the Ruined Battlefield by three bridges:

These routes are useful for approaching the town from different directions. The main bridge is the simplest route for a first visit. The Mason’s Guild bridge is convenient if following the Selûnite resistance plot, while the lower bridge provides access to the Tollhouse’s pier and lower entrances.

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The Shadow Curse is stronger in Reithwin than in the Ruined Battlefield. The Blessing of Selûne and ordinary torches or light-producing spells do not provide sufficient protection once the party enters the town proper. Use one of the following:

If the party enters the deeper cursed areas without protection, characters can suffer increasingly severe consequences and hostile shadow-cursed encounters may appear. Some Followers of the Absolute are encountered in shadow-cursed form if they are sent into the curse without a Moonlantern.

Practical preparation

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Access routes: steps

  1. 01
    Main bridge: The broadest bridge, leading directly towards the Tollhouse entrance.
  2. 02
    Upper stone-and-wood bridge: Leads towards the Mason’s Guild.
  3. 03
    Lower wooden bridge: Connects the battlefield’s quay to the Tollhouse pier.

Reithwin Town square

The square is the geographical centre of the settlement. Its most prominent feature is the enormous statue of Ketheric Thorm. The statue represents the town’s former Selûnite identity, while Ketheric’s later allegiance to Shar transformed Reithwin into the centre of an oppressive and militarised region.

The square is also the entrance to the hidden Sharran Sanctuary. Plaques around the statue form a puzzle that opens the way below. The sanctuary contains trials and interactions connected to Shar, as well as temporary blessings and loot.

The square is also used for events connected to Lift the Shadow Curse, including Oliver’s encounter. Depending on the order in which the party approaches the quest, the fight may take place in or around this central part of town.

Named entries

Reithwin Tollhouse

The Tollhouse occupies the south-eastern corner of town beside the Ruined Battlefield. It has ground and upper floors, a roof, a separate basement and a pier. Its structure is badly damaged by shadow-cursed vines.

The last toll collector, Gerringothe Thorm, still performs her old function, demanding gold from anyone who approaches. She is accompanied by six floating skulls, each representing a different aspect of her corrupted personality.

Gerringothe Thorm

Gerringothe can be defeated through combat or through dialogue. A peaceful resolution requires convincing her to retire, while paying more than 5,000 gold can result in the Signed Trade Visa. The visa allows the bearer to cast the one-use spell Flesh to Gold. This solution grants experience but may prevent some combat-related inspiration outcomes.

If combat begins, remove or send away unnecessary gold if possible. Gerringothe’s Jealous Avarice attack becomes more dangerous according to the amount of gold carried by her target. Defeating her provides:

The Tollhouse also contains a large collection of smaller rewards:

Some containers are locked, hidden behind vines or accessed through the roof and basement. The Tollhouse Master’s Office and Gerringothe’s secret office are particularly worth searching. A safe and hidden compartments reward characters who investigate notes, buttons and damaged bookcases rather than relying only on obvious containers.

Gerringothe Thorm

Gerringothe Thorm

Named entries

House of Healing

The House of Healing stands in the north-western corner of Reithwin. It includes the main hospital, children’s ward, operating theatre, upper library, morgue connections and a graveyard entrance. It is run by undead nurses under Malus Thorm, a surgeon devoted to an extreme interpretation of Shar’s teachings.

The main encounter with Malus can be approached as a battle or manipulated through dialogue. The player can encourage him to demonstrate his teachings on himself or on his assistants, potentially reducing the danger of the confrontation. Combat produces the normal boss rewards, while a dialogue solution can grant experience without requiring a full fight.

The House of Healing is also the location of Sister Lidwin, who can serve as a trader in some circumstances. Her wares are limited compared with a conventional Act One or Act Three merchant, but she can still be worth checking before the area’s state changes.

Important rewards

The library and upper rooms contain books and notes that expand the history of Reithwin, Malus and the town’s transformation. Read documents rather than selling them immediately, especially if building a complete lore record.

Quest importance

The House of Healing is central to Lift the Shadow Curse. Information obtained in this region helps reveal how the curse can be lifted and supports Halsin’s attempt to restore the land. The quest is also associated with Wake Art Cullagh, which begins elsewhere at Last Light Inn.

Named entries

Reithwin Graveyard

The graveyard lies north of the central square, behind a cast-iron gate near the Mason’s Guild. It contains several mausoleums and sarcophagi with loot, as well as the route towards the Grand Mausoleum.

Arabella can be found here searching for her parents. This encounter follows the events of Arabella’s story in Act One and can lead into Find Arabella’s Parents. The quest has consequences for Arabella’s later development and should be completed before leaving the region permanently.

At the far end of the graveyard is the Thorm Mausoleum. Raphael can be encountered outside, waiting for the party and presenting his reason for wanting them to enter the Gauntlet of Shar. His appearance is particularly important if Astarion is present.

Below and behind the graveyard is a damaged fisher’s hut. A group of cursed kuo-toa waits there as an ambush encounter.

Named entries

Grand Mausoleum and Gauntlet of Shar entrance

The Grand Mausoleum is the ancestral burial place of the Thorm family and the entrance to the Gauntlet of Shar. It is technically a distinct subarea from the town, but forms part of the same exploration route and should be treated as one of Reithwin’s principal destinations.

The Mausoleum contains a puzzle involving Ketheric’s history. Solving it opens the route into the Gauntlet of Shar. The Gauntlet is a major progression area for:

Do not enter the Gauntlet casually if you have unresolved quests in Moonrise Towers or Last Light Inn. The end of the Gauntlet creates a major progression state, and travelling beyond certain points can cause unresolved Act Two content to change.

Named entries

Mason’s Guild

The Mason’s Guild occupies the north-eastern part of Reithwin. Its courtyard is filled with stone blocks, unfinished statues and carved architectural pieces. The building’s position beside the stream offers a clear view towards Last Light Inn.

The guild is associated with Morfred, the master mason who once helped construct Moonrise Towers. Notes and environmental details show how the guild became involved in the Selûnite resistance after Ketheric turned against Selûne.

The main building is largely abandoned, but the basement contains evidence of the resistance. Search for the ornate hatch in the rear part of the guild. This area advances or completes Investigate the Selûnite Resistance.

The Waning Moon

The Waning Moon is a distillery west of the town square. It has entrances from the road and riverside, making it one of the more open-ended buildings in Reithwin.

Inside, Thisobald Thorm presides over a grotesque drinking establishment. He challenges the party to drink his concoctions and tell stories. Characters with strong Constitution saves, suitable resistances or social skills can make the encounter easier. The encounter can also be resolved through dialogue rather than a conventional battle.

The Waning Moon is connected to Punish the Wicked, a quest that begins in the Ruined Battlefield with He Who Was. Information found inside helps identify the fate of the records and people involved in the quest.

Named entries

Road to Baldur’s Gate

The road west of the Waning Moon continues towards Baldur’s Gate. A small footbridge leads to the larger overland route.

An optional githyanki encounter can occur here if the party has been marked for death by Vlaakith. The raiding party is led by Tska’an. This is separate from the regular road itself and should not be confused with the later transition into Act Three.

Before Ketheric Thorm is defeated, approaching the army’s encampment beyond the bridge can result in the party being arrested and sent to Moonrise Towers Prison. After Act Two is concluded, the route becomes the party’s way onward to Baldur’s Gate.

Named entries

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Reithwin has no living civilian population operating a normal town economy. Its named inhabitants are mainly undead, cursed figures, story visitors or enemies.

Named entries

Shadow-cursed or Absolute-linked figures

Some characters appear only in particular encounter states, especially if travelling without adequate protection from the curse:

These should not be treated as permanent residents of the town. Their appearance depends on the party’s route, protection and encounter state.

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Lift the Shadow Curse

This is the most important regional quest associated with Reithwin. Its steps involve:

The quest is important for Halsin’s recruitment and for the long-term state of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The House of Healing and the town square are both relevant to its progress.

Lift the Shadow Curse: steps

  1. 01
    Speaking with Halsin and learning about the curse.
  2. 02
    Waking Art Cullagh at Last Light Inn.
  3. 03
    Finding and speaking with Oliver.
  4. 04
    Investigating the House of Healing and related lore.
  5. 05
    Confronting the consequences of the curse.
  6. 06
    Completing the later steps necessary to restore the land.

Find Arabella’s Parents

Arabella searches the graveyard after the events of Act One. Investigating the House of Healing and graveyard reveals what happened to her parents. This has later consequences for Arabella and should be completed before the end of Act Two.

Investigate the Selûnite Resistance

Explore the Mason’s Guild and its basement. Documents and hidden evidence show the resistance’s activities and Morfred’s fate. This quest is one of the best ways to understand how Reithwin’s Selûnite identity collapsed under Ketheric’s rule.

Punish the Wicked

This quest begins in the Ruined Battlefield and leads to the Waning Moon. It requires investigating Thisobald Thorm’s distillery and recovering the information needed by He Who Was.

Find the Nightsong

The Grand Mausoleum provides the entrance to the Gauntlet of Shar, which is the main route for this quest. It is also central to Shadowheart’s personal storyline and the fate of the Nightsong.

Kill Raphael’s Old Enemy

Raphael waits outside the Grand Mausoleum. The quest leads through the Gauntlet of Shar and towards Yurgir. Astarion’s presence can add important dialogue and context.

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This order avoids most backtracking while preserving dialogue and quest opportunities:

The order is not mandatory. However, rushing into the Gauntlet’s final progression before resolving Moonrise Towers, Last Light Inn and Reithwin’s optional content can produce missed or altered encounters.

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Kill Raphael’s Old Enemy: steps

  1. 01
    Secure protection from the Shadow Curse.
  2. 02
    Enter through the main bridge and activate the Reithwin Town waypoint.
  3. 03
    Explore the central square, including the statue and nearby buildings.
  4. 04
    Visit Mason’s Guild and investigate the basement.
  5. 05
    Enter the House of Healing and resolve or investigate Malus Thorm.
  6. 06
    Search the graveyard, speak with Arabella and inspect the mausoleums.
  7. 07
    Speak with Raphael, then decide whether to enter the Grand Mausoleum immediately.
  8. 08
    Visit the Tollhouse, removing spare gold before confronting Gerringothe.
  9. 09
    Search the Tollhouse roof, upper rooms, basement and secret office.
  10. 10
    Visit The Waning Moon and deal with Thisobald Thorm.
  11. 11
    Check the fisher’s hut below the graveyard.
  12. 12
    Explore the Sharran Sanctuary beneath Ketheric’s statue.
  13. 13
    Return to Last Light Inn and advance Lift the Shadow Curse.
  14. 14
    Complete the Gauntlet of Shar only when Moonrise Towers and other Act Two preparations are finished.
  15. 15
    Use the Road to Baldur’s Gate after the Act Two conclusion.

The Shadow Curse

The most immediate hazard is the curse itself. A normal torch is not a substitute for a Moonlantern or Pixie Blessing in Reithwin. Check the party’s condition after entering each new subarea, particularly around the graveyard, riverside and road west of town.

Act Two progression changes

The following content should be completed before the final stages of Act Two:

Some characters and encounters are removed, relocated or altered after the defeat of Ketheric Thorm. The game does not always provide a warning before the relevant state change.

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The Reithwin Town waypoint is near the central square and provides the best base for exploring the town. The Grand Mausoleum waypoint is useful for returning to the graveyard and Gauntlet entrance. The Moonrise Towers waypoint is separate, despite the direct bridge between the two locations.

There is no functioning general shop district, inn or open civic administration left in Reithwin. The surviving services are tied to hostile, undead or quest-specific figures rather than a normal settlement economy.

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Places within Reithwin Town

Named characters

Named items and rewards

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Reithwin’s ruin is inseparable from Ketheric Thorm’s religious and political transformation. The town originally had a strong Selûnite identity, reflected in its architecture, the statue in the central square and the earlier purpose of Moonrise Towers. Ketheric commissioned Morfred to build Moonrise Towers as a monument to Selûne.

After the deaths of Melodia and Isobel, Ketheric abandoned Selûne and embraced Shar. His government became a programme of forced conversion, persecution and violence. The Sharran temple beneath Reithwin was revived, and the town became a staging ground for Dark Justiciar operations. The Harpers and druids eventually opposed him, leading to the battle whose remains can be seen across the Ruined Battlefield.

Ketheric’s defeat did not free Reithwin. Instead, the Shadow Curse consumed the settlement, killing or driving away its living population and preserving only warped imitations of its former institutions. The toll collector still demands payment, the surgeon still performs operations, and the distiller still hosts patrons, but each role has become a grotesque parody of its former civic purpose.

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Named items and rewards

Is Moonrise Towers part of Reithwin Town?

No. Moonrise Towers is directly connected to Reithwin by a bridge and is part of the same regional story, but it is a separate location with its own waypoint, interiors and quest structure.

Is the Grand Mausoleum part of the town?

It is treated as a closely connected subarea of Reithwin Graveyard and is the town’s main route into the Gauntlet of Shar. The Mausoleum and Gauntlet are distinct locations in the game’s location hierarchy.

Do I need a Moonlantern to explore Reithwin?

You need reliable protection from the Shadow Curse. A functioning Moonlantern works, while Dolly Thrice’s Pixie Blessing is generally more convenient. Ordinary torches and the basic Selûne blessing are not enough for the stronger curse in the town.

Can Gerringothe Thorm be defeated without fighting?

Yes. Dialogue can convince her to retire. Giving her more than 5,000 gold can also produce the Signed Trade Visa and access to Flesh to Gold, although different resolutions provide different inspiration opportunities and loot outcomes.

Which Thorm should I fight first?

There is no required order. Gerringothe in the Tollhouse is a convenient early target, while Malus and Thisobald can be approached through dialogue-heavy solutions. Deal with all three before completing Act Two if you want their encounters, equipment and lore.

What is the most important Reithwin quest?

Lift the Shadow Curse has the greatest regional consequence because it is tied to restoring the land and recruiting Halsin permanently. The Gauntlet of Shar and Find the Nightsong are more important to the main plot and Shadowheart’s personal storyline.

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Sources