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Lovecraftian horror is a core theme ofBaldur’s Gate 3, and it’s no surprise that one of the first choices you’ll be asking yourself is, should I really help a talking brain? You might want to sit this bit of side content out if you’re squeamish.
Related:Baldur’s Gate 3: Attack Roll And Calculating Damage, Explained
In the prologue of BG3, you’ll awake on the Nautiloid, a living ship complete with the Lovecraftian-inspired Mind Flayer menace. These creatures have octopi features, tentacles, and protruding heads. Unfortunately for you and Lae’zel, a Mind-Flayer has infected you with a disgusting tadpole parasite, giving you abnormal and psychic powers.
Updated June 16, 2025 by Alexander Maksymiw:The launch of Baldur’s Gate 3 has been and gone and since then, we’ve been getting stuck into Larian’s fantasy epic. The launch of BG3 has answered many burning questions fans have wanted to be resolved from Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access, such as the ramifications for helping the talking brain found in the game’s prologue.
Where To Find The Talking Brain
After the chaos ensues across the unworldly ship and you are free, walk into the next room to hear a voice call to you from the floor above.
you may reach thesecond floor by taking the fleshy elevator up. Here, you will discoverMyrnath, another helpless captive who has met a grizzly end.
The Mind-Flayer tadpole in your head will grant you the ability to telepathically talk to the Intellect Devourer stuck in Myrnarth’s head. It will call itself “Us.” Thinking that you are an ally, the Intellect Devourer will ask for help to remove it from the body.
You have a few options here:
Should You Help The Talking Brain
None of the options are for the faint of heart, but there really isno reason not to free the brain unless you are role-playing.
Once free, the brain will transform into an Intellect Devourer, a grotesque creature with thin tentacle appendages protruding from its fleshy bulbous brain, sprouting legs and razor-sharp claws.
The Intellect Devourer will explain that you need to reach thehelm of the shipto escape, giving you your first objective.
If you were to ignore the brain or destroy it, Lae’zel will give you the same objective.
The Intellect Devourer will join you as a temporary companion. It has a decent claw attack that proves itself helpful in a fight. However, once the Nautiloid crashes, you will lose the Intellect Devourer as a companion and won’t be reunited with it until Act 2.
It’s highly recommended to help the talking brain if you are playing on the Tactician difficulty (the hardest difficulty in the game). Even though the Nautiloid Ship prologue is short, “Us” is vital for taking out the imps and Commander Zhalk if you’re seeking to earn theDevil’s in the Details achievement.
Since the talking brain can be used to aid you,you should help the talking brainunless you don’t want to for roleplay purposes.
Either way, you can continue the story by receiving the quest from someone else if you don’t help the brain and receive the quest there.
Keep Your Companions Close And The Mind-Flayers Closer
you may find other Intellect Devourers on the Nautiloid, but none will attack you unless you attack them, in which they will call you a threat and claw you in retaliation.
The Intellect Devourer has weak armor and low health points, but its claws are nothing to scoff at.
You have low hit points at level one and can be downed in as little as two attacks, so second guess attacking these little blighters.
You’re probably wondering why the Mind-Flayers do not attack you and help you escape the Nautiloid. In an attempt to escape the Githyanki attack, theMind-Flayer teleports the Nautiloid to Avernus(Hell).
This explains why we see Commander Zhalk fighting a Mind-Flayer in the final part of the prologue.
You canuse the Intellect Devourer to take out the imps in the areawhile you dash to the transponder.
Where To Find Us In The Illithid Colony
You can reunite with Us during the tail end of Act 2after you’ve foughtKetheric Thorm atop Moonrise Tower. During the fight, Ketheric Thorm will summon a giant Illithid tentacle, battering Nightsong out of the sky and leaving a giant hole in Moonrise Tower leading to the Illitihid Colony.
To find Us, descend into the Illitihid Colonyand enter the nearby morgue, where you’ll find Chop, a friendly but brainless bugbear along with Us locked in a cage. You canpersuade Chop to unlock the cage, freeing Us and rewarding you with theConjure Us spell.
