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No secret lies beneath the earth inBaldur’s Gate 3quite like the one sleeping beneath the city itself: the wyrm beneath Wyrm’s Rock, the dragon under the keep, the heart below the gate: Ansur. This is a quest many will miss but should endeavor to find, holding secrets unlike any other that could lie just under our noses.
Finding them will not be the faint of heart. For those who seek out every crevice and crack, there is a reward in the claws of Ansur that will make every effort worth its weight in story and gold. Allow us to show you the path to waking Baldur’s Gate’s one and only true dragon.
Updated June 04, 2025 by Alexis Campbell:Introduced changes to the Chamber of Strategy section. Previous section only had the answer for a single iteration despite each player’s chessboard being unique to their game. Additionally added consequences for failing the Chamber of Strategy puzzle three times.
How To Begin The Ansur The Dragon Questline
To formally begin this quest, you mustaccept it from Duke Ravengard.This means thatyou’ll need to have saved himby:
Once Duke Ravengard is in your camp,speak with him, reconcile the differences between him and Wyll, andaccept his quest to find Ansur,the sleeping wyrm beneath Baldur’s Gate.
Read the book he’s given youto receive all the hints required to enter Ansur’s secret chamber and unlock special dialogue with Wyll.
Before you leave camp to go on this adventure,we highly recommend these preparations:
How To Find And Enter The Wyrmway
The book Duke Ravengard gives you tells you the hint you need:Wyrm’s Rock Prison and two lamps that must be struck with lightning.
However, it does not tell you that there isanother secret route you’re able to takeinstead. This leaves you withtwo options:
Going in through the pipe willavoid any potential conflict with the prison guards, and you may regather your group bycontinuing until you pass the iron gate dooron the other side and thenregrouping at camp. Spawn back in with your group intact.
You can reach the pipe the same way you can reach the back entrance of the Wyrm’s Rock Prison. But instead of going right (east) to the back entrance,go to the west side of Wyrm’s Rock and find the pipe sticking out of the cliff on the beach.
Following the book’s routethrough the prison, you can find thesecret wallinto the Wyrmway at thefarthest western edge of the map.It ison the left side of the dead endbetween two dragon torches.
To reach it, youmay need to fight the guards.Invisibility will not work because you need to uncover yourself when casting your lightning spells. So, it’s best to at leastknock them all out beforehand.
WhileGreater Invisibilitywill allow you to cast spells while maintaining invisibility, it requires a 15+ stealth check each time, leaving you potentially vulnerable.
When the guards are dealt with,useShocking Graspor a similar attack that deals lightning damage to each of the dragon torches.If you are successful, the torch should turn blue.
The wall will open whenboth torches are struck with lightning and burning with a blue flame.
The pipe from below will exit into the same area as the wall (just ahead), so both paths will end up at this same location.
Continue down the main paththrough the iron gate to reach a room covered in murals. They’re not important, but you can inspect them with a History check for added lore.
Eitherspeak with the statue or interact with the doorto force the statue’s dialogue.
I am worthy. Open the way.
How To Complete Ansur’s Trials
There arefour trials in the Wyrmwaythat you must complete to open the grand door to the Dragon’s Sanctum and Ansur himself:
When all four trials are complete, the door will open and grant you access.
All paths to the trials are seemingly straightforward except the path to Insight. To theleft of the Balduran statue and the grand, locked doors, there appears to be a drop-off.
This is actuallyan invisible pathyou can safely walk across. See Invisibility can reveal it, but you do not need to see it to walk on it, and thepath is straight from the drop-off to the door.
What Happens If You Fail One Of Ansur’s Trials?
If you fail any of Ansur’s trials,several skeletal undead will appear as enemies.
Once you fail one trial,you will not be allowed to undertake any other trials.You have, in short, utterly failed the entire challenge.
Enemies will appear in all chamber rooms and in the central area.However, this does not mean that Ansur is now unreachable.
If you failed his challenge,the door to his lair will be openedas if you had completed every trial. The state of Balduran will not recognize you botched the trials.
However, you will have to fight the undead on your way to reach Ansur’s lair and progress.
How To Complete The Chamber Of Justice: Picture Puzzle
The Chamber of Justice will show a story through eachpainting on the wall. Read them allto discern a tale about a man who stole to provide for the helpless and hungry.
If Wyll is in your party, he will tell you the hint for the puzzle’s solution:
The answer lies somewhere in the middle of two extremes.
Send the shadows in the center of the room away bycastingRemove Curse(recommended) orGreater Restorationon the Judge shade in the middle.
Then,hover your mouse over each of the names of the paintings. You’ll find each is a depiction of the thief’s fate.
Following Wyll’s advice,Pick Up “The Cell” painting. Walk over to the empty, larger lectern across the circle.
Throw and place “The Cell” on this empty lectern.Doing so will clear this trial and light Balduran’s flame.
How To Complete The Chamber Of Courage: Defeating The Myrmidons
The Chamber of Courage is asimple combat trialwhere one character holding a torchmust survive for four rounds.Youcannot unequip the torch, losing a valuable weapon slot.
While straightforward in theory, we havea few tipsto help you survive all four rounds:
How To Complete The Chamber Of Strategy: Chess Puzzle
As you enter the room, you’ll immediately be deterred by a wall of crystals blocking your path.Just jump over or to the sideof them to progress.
Speak with the statueto learn the goal and begin the puzzle.
You mustput the black king in check in two moves.If you’re not a chess fan, don’t worry.
Bringing Gale with you, he’ll tell you the immediate solution. As this is not a dungeon area, you can easily go to camp and add him to your party.
If, for some reason, Gale is no longer in your party, you’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way: trial-and-error.
There is no one solution for this puzzle becauseevery player’s chessboard will be unique to their game.While the above picture shows you the winning strategy for that board, you likely have a very different chessboard.
When putting in the correct pieces, the top of the board (black side) is aligned with the trial-attempt buttons on your screen. The white-side is on the side opposite. When you are ready to calculate your moves, remember you are white. Press “White to Move” and follow its suggestion.
How To Complete The Chamber Of Insight: Flying Book Puzzle
The Chamber of Insight can be deceivingly difficult at first. You may be tempted to catchthe flying books, but there’s no need. You just need to be able to read their titles.
Hover your cursor over the books to read each of their titles:
The standout title here isSuelto’s Ethic of Wars. With Suelto as the advisor you probably don’t want on your peace council,attack him - the far left of the red figuresat the end of the path.
How To The Dragon’s Sanctum And Speak With Ansur
With all four trials complete, you may nowreturn to the center chamber.The grand doors will open for you now.
Enterand descend into the main Dragon’s Sanctum chamber.
Once again,speak with the statueof Balduran to proceed through the next doors.
We recommend, at this point,long resting to refill your spell slots- especially if you do not have the Level 6 spell slot required forGlobe of Invulnerability.
In the next chamber, you will find Ansur lying dead on the ground in the center of the arena.Send one person to speak with himwhile the rest stay back.
After a dialogue with Ansur, no matter what you choose, he will attack you, andyou must defeat the Heart of the Gatehimself and his two myrmidon summons.
Ansur is no easy fight with his18d10 Lightning damage attack, Stormheart Nova,whichstrikes the entire battlefield.The only way to escape it is toleave the field entirely or useGlobe of Invulnerability.
You could also use spells likeProtection from Energy(Lightning) or Fiendish Resistance (Lightning) to mitigate some of the damage.
Whatever you choose to do, as long as you ensure you havea method of dealing with his Stormheart Novaand chipping away at his 400HP, you’ll see the light of day again.
Not only will you see that light, but you’ll be in possession oftwo legendary pieces of equipment:
Helm of Balduran
Legendary helmet. Medium armor.The wearer cannot be Stunned or hit by Critical Hits.
Once you pick up the Helm of Balduran on thealtar table inside the building past Ansur’s battlefield,the wall in front of you will open. Outside, you’ll realize you’re back at the beginning of the Wyrmway.
We recommendteleporting from here and back to Duke Ravengardin camp to tell him the truth of Ansur. Doing so will progress your quest to a finale with Wyll, deciding his fate, and you’ll finally have all the information about the Guardian within the Astral Prism for good.
