Key takeaways
- Rivington General is a complex, not a single shop room Its scope includes the shop, the open-air forge, Gyldro’s house and the underground Angleiron’s Cellar.
- Exxvikyap is the functional trader She sells weapons and armour, while Gyldro generally directs visitors elsewhere rather than serving as the main shop interface.
- The cellar is conditional It can only be explored if enough Ironhand gnomes survived Grymforge and Moonrise Towers Prison.
- Wulbren Bongle’s decision starts major Act Three questlines He can give the party a Runepowder Bomb, while Barcus Wroot may challenge his approach if Barcus survived.
- Gyldro may be Orin in disguise The dialogue and available inspiration differ depending on whether the party meets the real smith or Orin impersonating him.
- The location has several layers of ordinary environmental storytelling Refugees, Baldurians and local residents comment on entry bribes, civilian patrols and the poor reliability of Sword Coast Couriers.
About this guide
Scope: Base-game Baldur’s Gate 3, Act Three Location type: Weapons and armour shop, smithy and conditional Ironhand gnome hideout Major spoilers: This guide discusses Orin’s impersonation, the Ironhand gnomes, the Steel Watch and related quests.
Overview
Rivington General is a small but unusually layered location in Rivington, the southernmost district outside Baldur’s Gate. At first glance it appears to be a straightforward weapons shop and blacksmith, but the complex also contains a working forge, a shop operated by the dragonborn clerk Exxvikyap, the home and workshop of master smith Gyldro Angleiron, and a large underground refuge for the Ironhand deep gnomes.
The location is particularly important if the Ironhand gnomes survived the earlier acts. In that progression state, Rivington General becomes the starting point for the gnome response to the Steel Watch, including the quests Avenge the Ironhands and Disable the Steel Watch. It is also one of the possible places where Orin the Red replaces an NPC with a disguise, making the location relevant to the wider kidnapping and murder plot in Act Three.
Included subareas
Rivington General shop
This is the customer-facing building overseen by Exxvikyap. Its display stands contain mostly ordinary weapons, although several uncommon items are available. The weapons displayed around the shop are treated as red-outlined objects, so taking them without permission may have consequences.
An unlocked wooden chest on the upper floor contains gold. The shop also contains blackboards praising the business and its products, helping establish the exaggerated self-confidence of the establishment’s advertising.
Open-air forge
The forge sits between the shop and Gyldro’s house. It is reached from the street or from the rear path by stone stairs. Gyldro is normally found working in or near this area.
The forge is not a separate merchant location, but it is the best place to find Gyldro and to trigger conversations connected with the shop’s owner, his work and Orin’s possible impersonation.
Gyldro Angleiron’s house
Gyldro’s home is attached to the forge. Its importance becomes clearer after speaking to him or discovering the Ironhand presence below. The building provides an internal route to the cellar, although that route is initially blocked from the inside.
Angleiron’s Cellar
Angleiron’s Cellar is a large subterranean base used by the Ironhand deep gnomes. It is not always present as an accessible story area. Its availability depends on the survival of the Ironhand group through earlier events.
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Reaching the shop
The simplest approach is to enter Rivington from the south and follow the main settlement paths towards the Circus of the Last Days. Rivington General stands across from the circus, with Arfur’s Mansion nearby to the south and the Sword Coast Couriers to the north.
The smithy has two stone stair approaches, one from the street and one from the rear path. The shop’s upper floor opens towards the forge, making it possible to move between the commercial and workshop sides of the complex without treating them as entirely separate buildings.
A practical first visit is
- 01Enter Rivington and activate nearby waypoints.
- 02Visit the Circus of the Last Days if you have not already done so.
- 03Walk across the road towards the forge and shop.
- 04Speak to Gyldro near the forge.
- 05Enter the shop and speak to Exxvikyap.
- 06Search the upper floor carefully for the unlocked chest.
- 07Circle behind the buildings and inspect the cave entrance if the Ironhands survived.
- 08Enter the cellar before advancing too far into the Steel Watch storyline.
Accessing Angleiron’s Cellar
The cellar is only accessible if the Ironhand deep gnomes survived the relevant events in Acts One and Two. If the group was killed at Grymforge or died in Moonrise Towers Prison, the cellar is inaccessible in that playthrough.
The initial access point is a cave mouth near X: 30, Y: 29. A passive DC 15 Survival check can reveal small footprints leading into the cave. Characters of Underdark-related races, including drow, duergar and deep gnomes, can recognise the tracks more clearly as deep gnome footprints. The cave leads into the cellar, where an iron ladder connects to a hatch inside Gyldro’s building. That hatch is initially blocked from the cellar side until a lever is operated.
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Permanent or story-associated residents
The main named characters inside the complex are:
Directory: named characters inside or belonging to the complex
The deep gnome roster is progression-dependent. Some characters only appear if the required survivors from earlier acts are present. In particular, the survival state of the Ironhand group affects not only whether the cellar opens, but also which individuals can be found there.
Gyldro Angleiron and Orin’s impersonation
Gyldro is one of the NPCs who may be replaced by Orin the Red. This can be difficult to detect immediately because the encounter is designed to make the party question what is happening rather than simply present a conventional combat.
If Gyldro is real, he is terse and irritable. He usually directs the party to Exxvikyap for shopping. His meaningful conversation concerns the Ironhand gnomes sheltering beneath his property and his reasons for helping them.
If Orin is disguised as Gyldro, she asks the player character about their favourite weapon and preferred method of killing. A Guild Artisan character can earn the Dream Big inspiration by selecting the relevant sequence of answers. After Orin reveals herself and leaves, the real Gyldro must still be dealt with. The party may need ability checks to convince him that they were not responsible for the attack.
If he is persuaded, Gyldro nevertheless disappears after the nearest Long Rest. A Bloody Message is then left behind in a pool of blood. His eventual corpse can be found later in the Bhaal Temple.
Ordinary NPC vignettes outside
Several named NPCs around the forge and shop are not merchants or quest-givers. They provide background dialogue about the pressure placed on Rivington’s refugees and residents.
Refugees discussing entry into Baldur’s Gate
Arne Jacobson and Belron Strongstep discuss the difficulty of getting through the city’s checkpoints. Belron complains that guards demand large bribes, while also refusing to let Arne pawn a ring belonging to his apparently deceased wife.
Local militia discussion
Gethin and Iwan discuss the civilian militia organised to keep refugees under control. Iwan’s child Rhett is enthusiastic about joining the patrols.
Complaints about Sword Coast Couriers
Sylvie Summerworth complains that the Sword Coast Couriers repeatedly lose her letters. Randalf and Balgor try to calm her down. Sylvie suspects that the post office is exploiting its monopoly and is dismissive of the danger posed by the approaching army.
Directory: named NPCs around the exterior
These scenes are primarily environmental storytelling. They establish the contrast between the shop’s boastful commercial presentation, Rivington’s refugee crisis and the growing militarisation of the road towards Baldur’s Gate.
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Exxvikyap
Exxvikyap is the principal Rivington General trader. Her listed goods are weapons and armour, and she has a wealthy trader inventory. Her shop is the two-storey building adjoining the forge.
The precise trader inventory can vary with level and game state, so the named items should be treated as notable stock rather than a guarantee that every item will appear in exactly the same state in every progression sequence.
Her named stock includes
| Item | Type or role |
|---|---|
| Ambusher | Weapon |
| Bonespike Garb | Armour |
| Elven Chain | Armour |
| Stalker Gloves | Gloves |
| Swires’ Sledboard | Weapon |
| The Dancing Breeze | Weapon |
Bumpnagel
Bumpnagel trades from inside Angleiron’s Cellar. His stock includes consumables and armour. The named items associated with his inventory are:
Bumpnagel is therefore only available in playthroughs where the Ironhand cellar can be accessed.
Bumpnagel
| Item | Type or role |
|---|---|
| Flashblinder | Consumable or combat utility |
| Martial Exertion Gloves | Gloves |
| Nimblefinger Gloves | Gloves |
| Thunderpalm Strikers | Gloves |
Shop and cellar valuables
The Runepowder Bomb is not simply a shop purchase. Wulbren can provide it as part of the Ironhand response to the Steel Watch, or it can be stolen from his desk. Two Runepowder Barrels can be found near a storage structure in the cellar. The cellar also contains multiple silver ingots, trap-disarm toolkits and grease bottles.
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The cellar’s role
Angleiron’s Cellar is the most important reason to revisit Rivington General after the initial shopping trip. It serves as a concealed operating base for the Ironhand gnomes, who have been exiled from the city.
Wulbren Bongle is located in the farthest room of the cellar. He blames the Gondians for creating the Steel Watch and proposes destroying the Steel Watch Foundry. This conversation can begin or advance:
If the party accepts Wulbren’s plan, he provides the Runepowder Bomb. If Barcus Wroot survived and is present, Barcus objects to Wulbren’s approach and encourages the party to hear the Gondians’ side before committing to destruction.
The cellar’s role
The bomb decision
The choice about whether to take Wulbren’s bomb grants mutually exclusive background inspiration:
If the party has already gained access to Wyrm’s Crossing with the help of the gnomes and has accepted the Deal with the Gnomes quest, Wulbren can instead become a target. The party may attack him and take his head as a trophy for Manip Falcäo.
Recommended approach
The choice has consequences for later events, so the cellar is worth visiting before destroying or otherwise resolving the Steel Watch Foundry.
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Recommended approach: For a story-focused playthrough
- 01Speak to Hogi Nuners on entering the cellar.
- 02Speak with Wulbren and listen to his explanation.
- 03Speak to Barcus afterwards if Barcus is present.
- 04Decide whether you want to support Wulbren, negotiate with the Gondians or reject the plan.
- 05Search Wulbren’s room and the surrounding cellar before leaving.
- 06Record whether you took the Runepowder Bomb, refused it or obtained it by theft.
- 07Continue to the Steel Watch storyline through Wyrm’s Crossing and the Lower City.
Named equipment associated with the traders
Bumpnagel
The public display weapons are not equivalent to the full trader inventory. Most visible display weapons are plain, with several uncommon items among them. The shop’s props and display cases should therefore be treated separately from the guaranteed named stock of Exxvikyap’s trading interface.
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Exxvikyap
Main activities at the location
Directory: related quests
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Directory: related quests
The Orin encounter
The most important secret is that Gyldro may not be Gyldro. The encounter is progression-sensitive and can differ based on how far the party has advanced in Orin’s storyline. The possible Guild Artisan inspiration also makes the dialogue worth exploring even when the party is not pursuing every Orin objective.
Cellar availability
The Ironhand cellar is missable in a broader progression sense because it depends on earlier survival outcomes. If the deep gnomes die at Grymforge or Moonrise Towers Prison, there is no normal cellar sequence with Wulbren, Barcus and the other Ironhands.
This is not a hidden alternate entrance waiting to be discovered. The location itself is progression-dependent.
Loot access
Some loot is easy to overlook because it is distributed across the shop and cellar rather than placed in a single treasure room. Check:
Shop ownership and theft
The weapons displayed around the shop are red-outlined. Treat them as owned objects rather than free equipment. The shop’s commercial inventory should be purchased or acquired through the normal dialogue and trading systems unless you are deliberately accepting the consequences of theft.
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A thorough but efficient visit can follow this order:
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Rivington General reflects the unstable social order of Act Three. The shop advertises itself as an impressive, reliable business, but its surrounding conversations reveal a district under pressure. Refugees face checkpoint bribes, local residents discuss militia patrols and postal customers accuse the Sword Coast Couriers of exploiting their monopoly.
The forge also provides a thematic link between ordinary craft and the larger industrial threat represented by the Steel Watch. Gyldro’s small, personal smithy is placed in the same district as the Ironhands’ attempt to resist a city-wide weapons programme. The cellar turns an apparently ordinary commercial building into a political refuge and a staging ground for the conflict between the Ironhands and the Gondians.
The in-game literature associated with the site reinforces this mixture of trade, craft and gnome politics. Relevant writings include Gyldro’s Meister Certificate, Journal of Gyldro Angleiron, Ironhand Gnomes: Our Grievances, Runepowder and the Modern Gnome, Writings of a Wroot, Dearest Gyldro, Flyer advertising The Rivington General and Bloody Message.
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Shop ownership and theft: steps
- 01Approach from the Circus of the Last Days. This gives the clearest view of the shop and forge.
- 02Inspect the exterior NPC conversations. They provide useful context about refugees, guards and Rivington’s local tensions.
- 03Speak to Gyldro first. This establishes his normal behaviour and may trigger the Orin-related scene.
- 04Visit Exxvikyap. Review her weapon and armour stock before moving on.
- 05Search the shop’s upper floor. Collect the gold from the unlocked chest and inspect the display items.
- 06Walk around the rear of the complex. Look for the cave entrance and footprints.
- 07Enter Angleiron’s Cellar if available. Speak with Hogi Nuners, then Wulbren and Barcus.
- 08Make a deliberate decision about the Runepowder Bomb. The choice affects inspiration and the way the Steel Watch plot develops.
- 09Trade with Bumpnagel. This is the only point at which his inventory becomes available.
- 10Search the cellar thoroughly. Collect the fixed materials before leaving.
- 11Continue to the Steel Watch storyline. Do not treat the cellar conversation as an isolated side event.
Named places within the Rivington General scope
Named items and documents
Related named locations
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Related named locations
Is Rivington General only a blacksmith?
No. It is a connected complex containing the shop, open-air forge, Gyldro’s house and, in qualifying playthroughs, Angleiron’s Cellar.
Who is the actual merchant?
Exxvikyap is the main weapons and armour trader in the shop. Bumpnagel is a separate trader located in the Ironhand cellar.
Can every playthrough access the cellar?
No. The cellar depends on the Ironhand deep gnomes surviving the relevant events in Acts One and Two.
Can Gyldro be Orin?
Yes. Orin may impersonate Gyldro. The dialogue, possible inspiration and subsequent fate of the real smith differ from the normal encounter.
Should I take Wulbren’s Runepowder Bomb?
That depends on the route you want through the Steel Watch storyline. Taking or refusing it grants different inspiration outcomes, and Barcus may offer a less destructive perspective if he survived.
Does Rivington General have a boss fight?
Not as a standard location encounter. Its danger is primarily story-based, especially Orin’s impersonation and the consequences of the Ironhand and Steel Watch plotlines.
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Sources
- Rivington General - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- List of traders - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki