Quick Links
You’ll meet many followers of the Absolute inBaldur’s Gate 3, and Act One introduces you to Nere, a drow who believes you were sent to test his faith in the Underdark. One way or another, you’re likely to encounter him, whether you’re seeking to help the Myconid colony and Thulla or infiltrate the cult of the Absolute on your own on the way to Moonrise Towers.
Nere is an interesting character, to say the least, and a formidable boss if you cross him. This particular worshiper is quite quirky, talking often in the third person and of his devotion to the Absolute. Don’t underestimate him, however.
Updated January 10, by Zoë J. Osik:Nere is a formidable foe, and potentially a great ally to you. With recent updates to the game, we’ve added new information about how you can convince Nere to abandon the Absolute if you side with him during the fight.
Who Is True Soul Nere?
True Soul Nere is a force to be reckoned with in the Underdark. Many you’ll encounter in this strange place know of him. As a devout follower of the Absolute, he executes her will without a second thought andanswers to the Generalfor his mission. You’ve likely already developed an understanding thatAbsolute members are ruthlessand, most likely, evil.
He’ll assume you’re a test of his faith and demand you pick a side in a fightyou cannot avoid(not without potentially failing the quest and killing him anyway). If this isn’t enough to sway you, or if you’re playing an evil-aligned character, Nere can prove a valuable ally.
Hecannot be recruited as a party member, but he can aid you in your quest toreach Moonrise in one piece.
Where To Find Nere
To find Nere, you need to enter the Underdark, find Grymforge, andfree him from the rubble. This is a multi-step process where you’ll likelyencounter several other questlines, like the Myconid Colony and the Duergar camp,before reaching Nerehimself.
Once you reach Grymforge, you’ll find him buried behind a massive pile of rubblein the Abandoned Refugewhile a handful of deep gnomes desperately try to dig him out.
This isa time-sensitive objective.If you take a long rest after interacting with the rubble wall, you’ll see a cutscene ofNere suffocating in a poison cloudin the rubble. You don’t have much time to free him, andif you rest too many times, he will die before you can speak with him.
The rubble can be cleared in a variety of ways, including seeking out an escaped deep gnome with runepowder. Once you free Nere from the rubble, he’ll approach you quickly andstart a conversation.
There’s no way to avoid this conversation, so it’srecommended to save beforeblowing a hole into the rocks.
What Happens If You Side With Nere
Siding with Nere is, clearly, the evil option. Whether you’re playing as an evil character or want to try and infiltrate the cult of the Absolute, aligning your party with Nere in the confrontation adds flavor.
Siding with Nere involves encouraging him tofinish off the deep gnomeswho tried to dig him out andturning on Brithvar’s rebellionif you negotiated with the disgruntled gnome earlier.
You’ll alsowatch him execute Thrinn, even if you come to her defense by saying that she tried her best to free Nere. Some of yourparty members will disapproveof this choice, both for telling Nere to eliminate the gnomes and siding against the Duergar you just bargained with.
Thrinn has aRing of Absolute Force, which lets the wearerdeal one additional Thunder damageif they bear the Absolute’s Brand. It also grants the wearer access to theThunderwavespell, which can be useful for launching enemies across the field.
This makes the followingbattle much easier, as most ofthe duergar are on your side, and so is the spell-slinging Nere.Eliminate the remaining deep gnomesquickly, and Nere will initiate conversation again. He’s enraged that a simple operation went awry becausethe General will not be pleased, but that’s okay becauseyou’re going to tell him.
Neresends you to Moonrise Towersto find the General, buthis Moonlantern is broken. Nere warns you not to make for the Towers without protection. This is whereyou part with Nere, as he will go to the temple to track Balthazar, the General’s advisor.
When you part, Neregives you a lyreto alert hidden allies in the cursed lands.Head to the elevatorand make sure torest up before progressingfurther in the game. This willbegin Act Two.
Nere Abandons The Absolute
Alternatively, you cantell Nere the truth about the Absoluteand the mindflayers behind it all. This requires you to side with him, thenrefuse to do anything he asks. Being belligerent will enrage him, leading him to say that the Absolute would demand your head–except he cannot hear her voice.
When he asks what you’ve done, you’ll have to pass a check to reveal the truth to him.
Afterward, you caneither mock him for being a foolor you canconvince him to run from the Absolute. He’s thankful that you’ve revealed the truth to him and will reward you, before wandering off to question his choices.
What Happens If You Side Elder Brithvar
Siding with the duergar is thebest way to get through the fightandcomplete the Myconid questlinein the Underdark, thoughNere will die in the fight. When presented with the choice, selectSide with Brithvarand the rebels. You’llhave more enemieson the field butalso more allies.
After the fight,Brithvar will strike up a conversationwith you and warn you that Moonrise Towers is where thecult of the Absoluteis located. It acts like their base, and they answer to the General. Before you go, convince Brithvar torelease the deep gnomes.
You can persuade him that they’ll only slow him down orintimidate him into letting them go; the choice is yours.
Brithvar offered you up to half the gold Nere has on him, but you can actuallyclaim all 1,000 gold from Nere’s corpseif you loot it during the fight. No one will bat an eye, and you won’t have to share the spoils.
Having searched Nere’s body, you’ll finda broken Moonlantern. Unfortunately,the item is beyond repair. You’ll need tofind a new one soon, but focus on moving forward for now.Leave the Underdarkand move on to Act Two. Don’t forget tocomplete any remaining questsfrom Act One before doing so.
Don’t forget totake Nere’s headback to the Myconid colony. If you haven’t discovered the quest yet, you may go back and start it, then return to the Abandoned Refuge to collect Nere’s head.
If You Saved The Deep Gnomes
If you’ve savedThulla the deep gnome, you can tell her that you’ve also saved her friends from certain deathbefore heading into Act Two. The Ironhand clan is grateful for the help and thanks you for your service. You canspeak to the other deep gnomeswho survived to learn more about them and what they’ll do next.
If you’vesaved Barcus Wrootfrom the windmill in the Goblin town, you’ll notice he’s gone and gotten himself captured again in search of his friend Wuldren.
Make sure to speak to Beldron before leaving. He can give you more information about what the cult is up to before you head into the next act.
What Happens If You Side With No One
You can potentially take thethird option of siding with one, thoughit’s not recommended. Instead of having more allies, you’ll faceboth those loyal to Nere and Brithvar. There’smore loot for you to take, but you’ll have to fight tooth and nail for it. Thefight will be much harder, and you’llbe sorely outnumbered, but careful planning will see you through.
If you’ve already bargained with Brithvar to team up, the “Say nothing” option won’t change anything. The only way to fight alone is to not make a deal with Brithvar and turn against Nere.
Should You Side With True Soul Nere?
Deciding to align yourself with True Soul Nere can be adifficult choice to make, but there are several benefits to both sides.
If yourun a good-aligned character, it will benefit you to eliminate another True Soul andhelp the deep gnomesescape their captors. You’ll also get a decent amount ofloot from the encounter,which can help you get through Moonrise Towers in Act Two.
If you’re playing anevil-aligned character orwant toinfiltrate the cultof the Absolute,siding with Nereworks in your favor.
Similar to recruitingMinthara, the Lolth-Sworn Drow, aligning yourself with the True Souls requires you toforsake many innocent livesin the pursuit of power.
If you want to save the deep gnomes for Thulla,siding against Nere is your best choice. Otherwise, he will eliminate all the deep gnomes, and you will fail the quest. You’ll have to convince Brithvar to let them go, but at least they’ll be alive.
Ultimately, thechoice is up to you. You canhelp the peoplewho suffer at the hands of the cult, or you canjoin the ranksof the Absolute. It all depends on how you want to play and what choices you can live with.
