You’ve spent hours scouring the Shadow-Cursed Lands. You’ve poked into every dank corner of Moonrise Towers. Honestly, it’s exhausting. If you’re currently on a desperate search for Grand Duke Ravengard, I have some news that might be annoying: you can’t actually find him where the game says he is. At least, not yet.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece of dangling carrots. The quest "Rescue the Grand Duke" starts all the way back in Act 1 at the burning ruins of Waukeen’s Rest, but the payoff doesn't happen for dozens of hours. It’s one of the longest, most convoluted threads in the game. You're basically chasing a ghost through two acts before you even get a chance to see his face.
The Moonrise Towers Wild Goose Chase
Most players get stuck in Act 2. Counselor Florrick tells you he was taken to Moonrise. The game markers point toward the towers. Naturally, you go there and check the prison cells where the tieflings and Wulbren are held.
He’s not there.
Don't bother looking in the Oubliette or the secret rafters either. You won’t find Ulder Ravengard in a cell in Act 2 because he isn't a prisoner in the traditional sense yet. He’s being kept under "management."
You only get your first glimpse of him during the climax of the Act 2 finale. When you finally confront Ketheric Thorm in the Mind Flayer Colony—way down in the pits after the rooftop fight—you’ll see Ravengard in a cutscene. He’s standing with Gortash and Orin. This is the moment where they shove a parasite into his eye.
It’s brutal. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.
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Even if you try to start a fight right then, the game scripts him away. Gortash whisks him off to Baldur’s Gate to serve as a political puppet. So, if you’re still in the Shadow-Cursed Lands looking for a hidden door, stop. Move on to Act 3. Your search for Grand Duke Ravengard is just getting started.
The Coronation and the Mizora Dilemma
Once you hit Wyrm’s Crossing in Act 3, the Duke is suddenly everywhere and nowhere. You’ll find him in the Audience Hall of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. He’s the one officiating Gortash’s swearing-in ceremony.
Pro tip: Do not try to rescue him during the coronation.
Seriously, just don't. If you start a fight in the throne room, you’re up against a dozen Steel Watchers and the entire Flaming Fist. The Duke is also "stuck" in a charmed state. Even if you knock him out with non-lethal attacks, the game often treats him as dead. It breaks the questline.
The "real" rescue only triggers after the ceremony.
After Gortash is crowned, head to your camp. Mizora—the devil who holds Wyll’s leash—will show up with a hell of an ultimatum. This is where the search for Grand Duke Ravengard turns into a moral nightmare. She offers two paths:
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- The Soul Contract: Wyll signs his soul away forever, and Mizora tells you exactly where the Duke is and helps you save him.
- The Freedom Path: Wyll breaks his pact. Mizora claims the Duke is as good as dead and will "happen" to die by his enemies' hands.
Here is the secret most people miss: You can still save the Duke if Wyll breaks his pact. Mizora is a liar. Well, she’s a devil, so she’s technically telling a version of the truth, but she’s omitting the fact that you can do the legwork yourself. You don't need her map. You just need to find the Iron Throne.
Finding the Iron Throne (The Secret Submarine)
The Duke is being held in an underwater prison called the Iron Throne. To find it, you need to head to the Lower City docks. Look for a building called Flymm Cargo. It’s guarded by some nasty hounds, so be ready for a scuffle.
Inside, under some crates in the corner, there’s a hatch.
Go down that hatch and you’ll find a sub-basement with a massive submersible. A guy named Redhammer the Deviser is the pilot. You’ll have to talk (or intimidate) your way onto that sub.
Once you board and head for the prison, Gortash will call you on the "radio" and threaten to blow the whole place up. This isn't a bluff. The moment you dock, a turn-based timer starts. On Balanced difficulty, you usually get 6 turns. On Tactician or Honor Mode, it’s even tighter.
How to actually get him out alive
The Duke is in the eastern wing of the prison.
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If you broke Wyll’s pact, Mizora will show up the moment you open the Duke's cell door. She’ll summon several "Combustion Belly" spiders to swarm him. Since the Duke only has about 30-40 HP and is weakened, those spiders will kill him instantly when they explode.
You have to be fast.
- Cast Sanctuary: If you put Sanctuary on the Duke before he moves, the spiders can't target him.
- Dimension Door: Have a high-mobility character (like a Rogue or a Monk) or a spellcaster with Dimension Door get him toward the exit immediately.
- Healing Word: He starts with very low health. Throw a potion at him or hit him with a high-level heal the second the door opens.
If you manage to get him back to the submarine, he’ll join your camp. Finally.
Why the search for Grand Duke Ravengard matters
Saving Ulder isn't just about making Wyll happy, though the reunion scene is pretty touching. The Duke is a massive asset for the endgame.
First off, he provides crucial lore about the "Ansur," the bronze dragon sleeping beneath the city. You need this for Wyll’s "Blade of Frontiers" questline and to get one of the best legendary swords in the game.
Secondly, he helps rally the city. If he’s alive, he can help mitigate the chaos after you deal with Gortash. If he dies, the Flaming Fist remains leaderless and the city’s transition into the final battle is a lot messier.
Actionable Steps for your Playthrough
- Stop searching Moonrise: He is not in the cells. Finish the Act 2 boss to see his location in a cutscene.
- Attend the Coronation: You have to let Gortash be crowned to move the Duke to his final "prison" location.
- Talk to Mizora: Trigger her camp scene after the coronation so the Duke actually spawns in the Iron Throne.
- Prepare for Water: Before entering Flymm Cargo, pack spells like Haste, Misty Step, and Dimension Door. The Iron Throne rescue is a sprint, not a marathon.
The search for Grand Duke Ravengard is basically a lesson in patience. The game wants you to feel the weight of his absence. Just keep pushing toward the heart of the city; he’s waiting in the dark, under the waves, for someone to finally show up.
Once he's in your camp, make sure to talk to him with Wyll in your party. It's the only way to get the quest for the Wyrmway to trigger properly, which is the actual "final" step of the Ravengard family saga. It’s a lot of work for one old man, but for the loot and the story, it’s worth the headache.