Wander off east of the Shadow Cursed Lands in Baldur’s Gate 3 to run into a strange man performing a necromancer ritual. He’s on a quest to punish a dead woman’s soul, and he wants your help, thus initiating a new side quest in BG3: Punish the Wicked.
Ominously named He Who Was, the portentous man explains he’s attempting to take revenge on this snitch of a tavern keeper, Madelaine. He Who Was can’t cast his ritual without the snitch’s Ledger, which is kept under Thisobald Thorm’s soon-to-burst belly. And so begins Punish the Wicked, the quest to hunt down Thisobald Thorm, retrieve Madelaine’s Ledger, and bring it back to He Who Was.
Where to Find Madelaine’s Ledger Location in Baldur’s Gate 3
To find Madelaine’s Ledger, head to the Waning Moon, where you’ll find Thisobald Thorm. You’ll then have to defeat Thisobald Thorm by either drinking him under the table, or fighting him. Afterwards, hop over his bar counter, and pass a Perception check to spot a loose floorboard where the Ledger is hidden.
How to Beat Thisobald Thorm
Madelaine’s Ledger is under Thisobald Thorm’s possession. This gnarly creature guards The Waning Moon, just north of Moonrise Tower (where you find Rolan) and to the far west in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Thisobald Thorm can be brought down in two ways: pretending to drink as he poisons himself, causing his belly to burst, or fighting him in regular combat. Here’s a walkthrough on how to beat Thisobald Thorm.
Drinking Thisobald Thorm Under the Table
By far the easiest way to handle Thisobald is to drink him to death. But to do so, you’ll need a high-Constitution or Sleight of Hand character that can pass several dice checks. Astarion should be able to easily best Thisobald here.
There are three rounds of drinks where you’ll need to get through. Following the first two drinks, you’ll need to tell a story, passing a Performance check as you do so. If you fail the Performance check, you’ll have a chance to save yourself with a Deception check. If that doesn’t work, Thisobald will become hostile. Each check will progressively become more difficult.
In between each round of drinks, you’ll be able to ask Thisobald a few questions and gather some information about the Thorms. If you make it past the third drink, Thisobald will become drunk to the point of bursting, causing him to perish in disgusting fashion.
How to Kill Thisobald Thorm
Besides making him drink to death, you can also start swinging your swords or casting spells at Thisobald. However, be aware that this might be a challenging fight. Thisobald is immune to Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning, and Thunder damage. Your fighters might encounter difficulties here, so ensure to have at least one spell caster and a variety of items to use against him
Once Thisobald’s defeated, hop over the counter and pass a Perception check to spot a loose floorboard. Interact with the plank of wood, and Madelaine’s Ledger is yours for the taking. Grab the ledger for He Who Was and continue the Punish the Wicked quest in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Completing Punish the Wicked in BG3
After bringing Madelaine’s Ledger in Baldur’s Gate 3 back to He Who Was, it’s punishment time. After casting the ritual, tavern keeper Madelaine’s soul uses He Who Was’ body as a vessel. At this point, she will reveal what happened between her bar attendees and the Dark Justiciar.Â
If you read Madelaine’s ledger, you’ll know that it backs up her statements. But whether or not that absolves her of guilt is up to you. You’ll have the following options to handle Madeline, all requiring you to pass Persuasion checks:
- (DC14) Ask Madelaine to stab herself, just like what happened to the fallen. When she places the dagger on her belly, ask her to go on, but only once. Asking her to keep stabbing herself (DC16 Persuasion check) will make the vessel’s owner, He Who Was, call you sadistic and attack you. If you keep going further, He Who Was will die from his stab wounds. In hindsight, well, he did instruct you to make her beg.
- (DC10) Call Madelaine a coward. Madelaine will agree and promptly leave the vessel. If you ask us, a light chastising seems rather tame for what He Who Was requested, but regardless, He Who Was will be thrilled.
- (DC10) Tell Madelaine it wasn’t her fault. If you fail the Persuasion check here, He Who Was will be satisfied with the results and reward you. If you pass the Persuasion check, He Who Was will be none too pleased and attack, forcing you to fight.
Punish the Wicked Rewards
If He Who Was survives Madelaine’s punishment pleased, he’ll reward you with a meager 27 gold and a pair of Raven Gloves, which will allow you to summon Quothe the Raven in combat. If He Who Was does not survive the punishment, there’s not much on him but a few common items and a letter.
How to Start Punish the Wicked in Baldur’s Gate 3
To start Punish the Wicked in BG3, head to the far east in the Shadow Cursed Lands, just up and to the right a little ways from the Last Light Inn. Expect some unwelcome encounters with Wraiths on the road, but the necro ritual can’t be missed; you’ll immediately begin a cutscene upon approach.
Speak with He Who Was, and he’ll request you help him find a ledger at the Waning Moon. Accept to aid on his quest for vengeance.
Who is He Who Was (BG3)?
He Who Was is Shadar-Kai Gloom Weaver on a mission to bring justice to a woman named Madeline for her alleged misdeeds at a local tavern. He claims that she is a murderer and needs to be brought to Justice in order to give peace to the souls of her victims. Although Shadar-Kai, and other beings from the Shadowfell, are known for being apathetic, He Who Was seems unusually cruel.
And that’ll conclude Punish the Wicked in BG3. For more of what BG3 has to offer, check out all missable side quests and content in Act 2.
