In the second act of Baldur’s Gate 3you will meet He who wasa Shadar-Kai who longs to punish a deceased woman named Madeline. Madeline is said to have committed heinous acts at a nearby tavern, and He Who Was looks for evidence to justify his revenge.
This will start the quest “Punish the wicked“, which has you searching for the tavern’s ledger, deciding whether to punish or forgive Madeline’s misdeeds, and possibly picking up the book Raven Gloves – which could be useful if you want to put together a cool summon build.
In this Baldur’s Gate 3 The guide tells you where to find He Who Was and Madeline’s Ledger and explains what happens when you side with He Who Was or Madeline to help you deciding whose side you should be on.
“He Who Was” location in BG3
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Graphics: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Larian Studios via Polygon
Punish the Wicked can be started by speaking to He Who Was, located east of the Last Light Inn and camp in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
Madeline’s ledger location in BG3
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Graphics: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Larian Studios via Polygon
Madeline’s Ledger is located inside the Waning Moon under some loose boards by the Pied Bat. However, you must pass a perception check to see the loose boards. Be careful before you go in because you will meet Thisobald Thorm at the bar. You either need to pass some high difficulty Charisma Trials or defeat Thisobald Thorm to search the Waning Moon.
What happens if you tell Madeline to stab herself in BG3?
After choosing this option, you must pass a Charisma check with difficulty level 14. If you are successful, you can either:
- Tell Madeline to continue with the stabbing.
- Stop Madeline as she has shown determination which will lead to one Fight with who was.
If Madeline started stabbing herself, you can either:
- Tell her to keep stabbing herself, which will result in a Fight with who was.
- Stop Madeline and receive Raven Gloveswith which you can summon a raven.
If you fail the Charisma check, He Who Was will be glad you punished her, but he was hoping you would punish her a little more. As a reward he gives you the Raven Gloves and some gold.
What happens if you call Madeline a coward?
If you call Madeline a coward, you must pass a Charisma check with a difficulty of 10. Whether you succeed or fail, He Who Was will be glad that you broke your spirit and give you the Raven Gloves and some gold as a reward.
What happens if you forgive Madeline?
To award Madeline, you must pass a Charisma check with a difficulty of 10. If you succeed, Madeline won’t forgive herself, but the burden of guilt will feel much lighter. Once He Who Was returns to his body, he absolutely hates your decision as he wanted revenge and immediately begins fighting your party. The Reward This route also includes the loot from his body, including a note who ordered to return to the Shadowfell, as well as some alchemical materials.
If you fail, He Who Was will be pleased with Madeline’s guilt and give you the Raven Gloves and some gold as a reward.
Should you choose Madeline or He Who Was in BG3?
This is one of the many predominantly gray options in Baldur’s Gate 3, to which there is no good answer. Did Madeline rat on her friends and basically kill them all? Yes, she definitely did! Does she deserve to be tortured to death by this guy because she’s a rat? Like some U.S. intelligence agencies, we cannot comment publicly on torture matters.
The “good” thing you can do means absolving Madeline of her sins and letting her rest in peace, forcing her to fight against the One Who Was.
Torturing Madeline by making her stab herself is clearly the “evil” optionfor obvious reasons.
If you don’t like this situation at all and you don’t feel comfortable with either option, Calling her a coward is a kind of middle ground – albeit a mean one. Not only will this satisfy the one who was and give you all the rewards of the quest, but it will also allow you to avoid a fight with the Shadar Kai.
For Paladins we have taken some additional data from the BG3 Wikias this is a quest where you can break your oath if you make the wrong choice.
- If you are a Oath of Vengeance If you Paladin decide to acquit Madeline or stop her from punishing herself, you will be breaking your oath – which is what she did does Shit, and your whole trick is not to let the bad guys get away scot-free.
- On the other hand for the Oath of Devotion or Oath of the Ancients Paladins out there, you will break your oath if you allow Madeline to harm herself or if you punish her.
Correction December 22nd: A previous version of this guide incorrectly identified He Who Was as Shadar-Kai.
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