So, you’ve reached the Gauntlet of Shar and Raphael—everyone’s favorite smug devil—pops up to ask for a "small" favor. Basically, he wants you to do his dirty work. The quest is BG3 Kill Raphael’s Old Enemy, and the target is a massive Orthon named Yurgir.
Honestly, this is one of those encounters where Baldur’s Gate 3 really tests if you’re paying attention. If you just walk into the room, you’re getting ambushed. Hard. Yurgir and his Merregon cronies are perched on a high ledge, and they will rain down explosive Orthonic Handbombs before you can even say "critical miss."
Why bother with the Orthon?
You might be wondering if you can just ignore this guy. Theoretically, yeah, you could sneak in, grab the Umbral Gem he’s guarding, and bolt. But you’ve probably got Astarion in your party, right?
If you want to progress Astarion’s personal quest, The Pale Elf, you pretty much have to kill Yurgir. Raphael promised to translate the scars on Astarion’s back in exchange for this head on a platter. If you spare the devil, Astarion is going to be absolutely livid. Like, "might leave your party permanently" livid. Plus, the loot is actually decent. You get the Hellfire Hand Crossbow, which is a beast for any dual-wielding ranger or rogue.
BG3 Kill Raphael’s Old Enemy: The "Talk No Jutsu" Method
If you’ve got high Charisma—or you’re playing a Bard or Warlock—you don’t even have to swing a sword. This is the funniest way to handle the quest. You can literally talk Yurgir into committing suicide.
When you first meet him, don't just start blasting. Talk. You’ll need to pass an Insight check to realize his contract has a nasty loophole. Raphael told him he could leave once he killed every Sharran in the temple. The trick? Yurgir’s own followers, his Displacer Beast (Nessa), and Yurgir himself are technically "listening" to the contract's song, making them part of the audience.
- Persuade him to kill his Merregons. (DC 16)
- Persuade him to kill Nessa. (DC 21)
- Persuade him to kill himself. (DC 21)
It sounds dark because it is. But hey, it’s the Nine Hells. If you’re a Warlock, your Patron might even give you a special dialogue option to skip straight to the "kill yourself" part with a whopping DC 30 check. It’s tough, but satisfying.
Taking Him Down the Hard Way
Maybe your dice hate you. Or maybe you just want the XP. If you’re going to fight Yurgir, stop walking through the front door. There’s a broken path to the right before you enter his main chamber. If you jump across the gap, you can sneak up behind his entire squad. This puts you on the same elevation as the Merregons. Suddenly, you are the one with the high-ground advantage.
Dealing with Invisibility
Yurgir loves to go invisible after every turn. It's annoying. To counter this, use See Invisibility (Volo's eye is a lifesaver here) or just throw a bottle of water/cast Create Water. Being "Wet" breaks his stealth. Also, if he throws those cluster bombs, you can actually pick them up and throw them back at him before they explode.
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- Focus the Displacer Beast first: Nessa can teleport you around and cause chaos. Get her out of the way early.
- Spirit Guardians: If you have Shadowheart, park her in the middle of the Merregons with Spirit Guardians active. They have low HP but high numbers; the radiant or necrotic lawnmower will thin them out fast.
- AoE Spells: Since the Merregons tend to cluster near Yurgir, a well-placed Fireball or Hunger of Hadar can end the fight in two turns.
The "Rat" Loophole
There is a third path. You can actually help Yurgir. If you explore the bottom of the Gauntlet (near the giant Shar statue), you’ll find a bunch of rats. One of them is actually the last Dark Justiciar, Lyrthindor, who split himself into a swarm to hide from Yurgir.
If you kill the rats and then the Justiciar, Yurgir’s contract is technically fulfilled. Raphael will show up, pull a "gotcha" move, and drag Yurgir back to the House of Hope anyway. Astarion will still be mad, but Yurgir will be much more inclined to help you later in Act 3.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your party: If Astarion is benched, bring him. This is his moment.
- Buff up: Drink an Elixir of Vigilance. Yurgir has a high initiative; you do not want him going first.
- Save your game: Those DC 21 checks are brutal. If you're going the persuasion route, have some Inspiration points ready.
- Loot the bed: After the fight, check the "bed" made of corpses. There’s an Infernal Iron there that Karlach needs for her heart.