Rivington is a mess. When you first roll into Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3, the tension is thick enough to cut with a +1 dagger. You’ve got refugees camping in the mud, Flaming Fist guards looking for any excuse to crack heads, and right in the middle of it all stands the Open Hand Temple. It looks like a sanctuary. It’s supposed to be one. But the Open Hand Temple murders have turned the place into a crime scene, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll miss the biggest conspiracy in the city.
Father Lorgan is dead. The investigator on the case, a hollyphant named Valeria, is—honestly—kind of useless. She’s already decided it was a simple case of a refugee losing their mind. Case closed. Move on. Except it isn’t that simple. If you talk to the staff or use Speak with Dead on Lorgan’s mangled corpse, you realize the "official" story is total garbage.
Finding the Evidence for the Open Hand Temple Murders
You can’t just walk up to the murderer and ask for a confession. Well, you can, but it usually ends in a fight. To actually solve the Open Hand Temple murders, you have to get your hands dirty. Most people start by talking to Sister Yannis. She’s stressed, she’s grieving, and she’s the only one who seems to give a damn that Lorgan was a good man.
The kitchen is the first stop. There’s a hatch. Go down it.
The crypts beneath the temple are where things get weird. You’ll find some grumpy undead, sure, but the real prize is hidden behind a perception check. There are buttons hidden behind heraldic signs on the walls in the room with the tombs. Push them. A secret door opens, leading to a cave system that smells like salt and bad intentions.
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Here’s where the "A-ha!" moment happens. You’ll fight a group of doppelgangers. They aren't just random thugs; they are part of a much larger, bloodier plot involving the Cult of Bhaal. One of them, Ffion, is actually the person the investigator's assistant was looking for. On the bodies, you’ll find the murder weapon: a ritual dagger called Stillmaker. It’s a very rare hold person-inflicting blade that basically screams "I am a professional assassin."
The Flowchart of a Murder Investigation
- Speak to Sister Yannis to get the quest officially on your log.
- Head to the infirmary and use Speak with Dead on Father Lorgan (you’ll need to hide or use a different character if you killed him, but since you're solving his murder, he's usually pretty chatty).
- Search the basement. Don't miss the bloodstains.
- Open the secret wall in the crypt.
- Kill the shapeshifters and loot the "Flowery Key" and the "Temple Map."
The Flowery Key is the lynchpin. It doesn’t open anything in the temple. It opens a wardrobe in Flayko’s Flophouse nearby.
Why Valeria is the Worst Investigator in Faerûn
Valeria is a hollyphant, a celestial being that looks like a tiny flying elephant. You’d think she’d be all about justice. Nope. She’s all about wine and finishing her paperwork as fast as possible. She has pinned the Open Hand Temple murders on Brilgor, a refugee who also died during the struggle.
It’s a classic case of profiling. "The refugee did it, he’s dead, let’s go to the tavern."
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When you find the evidence in the caves—specifically the list of targets—it proves Lorgan was just one name on a hit list. This isn't a crime of passion. It's a political purge. You have to take this evidence to Sharess’ Caress, where Valeria is busy getting drunk. You literally have to shove the evidence under her trunk to get her to listen.
Honestly, the moment she realizes she was wrong is one of the most satisfying parts of the Rivington arc. She’s not even that sorry! She just gives you a pass to enter the Lower City so you can "bother someone else" with your findings.
The Secret Hit List and What it Means
The list you find in the tunnels is chilling. It’s not just monks. It includes Duke Stelmane and several other high-profile figures in Baldur’s Gate. This is the bridge between a local murder mystery and the main plot of Act 3.
The Open Hand Temple murders serve as your introduction to Orin the Red’s influence. While Gortash is playing politics with his Steel Watch, Orin is playing a much messier game. The doppelgangers are everywhere. Anyone could be a killer. This quest teaches you a vital lesson for the rest of the game: trust no one, check every wardrobe, and always talk to the dead.
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Don't Miss Ffion’s Body
While you're down in those tunnels, you'll find Ffion’s body. She was the one Brother Bill was worried about. If you go back to the Flophouse and tell the clerk about her, you get a bit of closure for that specific sub-plot. It’s a small detail, but Larian Studios loves these "loop-closing" moments.
Also, the "Flowery Key" leads to a room where you find more proof of the Bhaalist plot. Inside the hidden room behind the wardrobe, there’s a journal. Read it. It links the murders directly to the "Candy-Maker" and the cult's broader goals of causing enough chaos to weaken the city's defenses before the Absolute arrives.
Actionable Tips for Navigating the Quest
- Bring a Cleric: Using Speak with Dead on Lorgan and the assassin you kill in the tunnels provides dialogue that you can't get any other way. It fills in the lore gaps.
- Perception is King: If you fail the check to see the buttons in the crypt, use a potion or swap to a character like Astarion who has high Wisdom/Perception. You cannot progress the "official" path without getting into those caves.
- Loot Everything: The "Target List" is an actual item in your inventory. You need to physically have it to convince Valeria. Don't leave it in a camp chest.
- Check the Roof: Before leaving the temple area, climb up to the roof. There’s a cat named Tara (Gale’s friend!) who has some interesting items and dialogue that adds flavor to the whole Rivington experience.
The quest doesn't technically end until you reach the Tribunal in the Lower City, but solving the Open Hand Temple murders is the "key" to the door. Without that pass from Valeria, getting into the city proper is a lot more expensive—or a lot more violent.
Once you’ve presented the evidence to Valeria at Sharess’ Caress, your next move should be to head toward the wine festival in the Lower City. One of the names on that hit list—Cora Highberry—is currently enjoying some wine, unaware that a shapeshifter is standing right behind her. Stop the next murder, and you’ll find yourself on the fast track to infiltrating the Bhaalist cult itself. Stay sharp. Rivington was just the warm-up.