“Free the Artist” is emblematic of so many great Baldur’s Gate 3 quests, in that what starts as an innocuous interaction in Act 1 turns into a gripping story by Act 3.
The quest is easy enough to miss because it starts in the Zhentarim Basement – an area I completely missed in my first playthrough. The entrance is hidden behind a stack of crates in front of a small building next to the stables behind Waukeen’s Rest.
You’ll have to get past a guard named Salazon by talking him down with Intimidation or Persuasion (you can also get in by helping the Zhentarim hounded by gnolls elsewhere on the map). In my game, I failed the check but made it into the hideout anyway – albeit a bit scarred – because Salazon tossed a bomb at the explosive barrel sitting next to me and promptly blew himself up.
Zhentarim Hideout
Once inside the hideout, you’ll need to convince Zarys to let you into the Zhentarim Hideout proper with a successful Persuasion, Intimidation, or Detect Thoughts check, or through helping out the agents with their gnoll problem. Without Zarys’ approval, you’ll have to deal with a number of traps to make it safely inside the Hideout. Inside, Oskar will be standing next to his paintings, and he’ll beg you to buy his freedom from Bem. During your conversation with Oskar, a History check might inform you that his “patron” is his wealthy fiancé Lady Jannath.
Bem is very willing to part ways with his “pet artist.” He’ll sell you Oskar’s freedom for 1,000 gold, but I talked him down to 600 with a DC 20 Intimidation check. A good enough Persuasion roll will also bring Oskar’s price down, or you can choose violence and free Oskar by killing all the Zhentarim. Once free, Oskar will ask you for some money to help him travel to Baldur’s Gate, but whether or not you give it to him, you’ll be able to catch up with him in the city.
Lady Jannath’s Estate
After you’ve made your way to the Lower City in Act 3, you can check in on Oskar and his now-wife Lady Jannath. Outside Lady Jannath’s estate, her butler Tarhun Mnemonis will try to warn you away from the house by telling you about the spirits that have overtaken it, but he won’t actually try to stop you from going inside.
The house is infested with invisible poltergeists that can be tricky to deal with. I solve most problems in the game with Spirit Guardians, but something like Faerie Fire can also trivialize this fight. Go up to Lady Jannath’s bedroom, and you’ll find a glowing blue Oskar hurling insults at his wife. Attack him to stop his rant, but try to remember to toggle non-lethal damage if you don’t want to end the quest here and now. With Oskar subdued, Lady Jannath will explain that she thinks he’s possessed, and she’ll ask you to investigate his atelier upstairs. You’ll need to get past a series of cursed skulls, which are easy to destroy by hurling random objects at them.
There’s a hidden door in the back of Oskar’s atelier that you can open by picking up the painting that’s leaning against the opposite wall and combining it with Oskar’s empty easel. The room has a locked chest that holds a letter shedding light on Oskar’s deal with Mystic Carrion, who’s holed up inside Philgrave’s Mansion. The letter will give you a password that opens the mystic door hidden in a wall on the mansion’s lower level.
Philgrave’s Mansion
The Mystic Carrion will tell you that his Torch of Revocation can solve Oskar’s problem. He’ll offer you the Torch in exchange for 3,000 gold or for help finding his servant Thrumbo. By this point, I had enough money saved from my hoarding habit that I opted to pay for the Torch. Going after Thrumbo is an interesting quest in and of itself, though. By the end of it you’ll probably want to kill the Mystic Carrion, so you could always do that now.
However you get the torch, you’ll want to take it back to Oskar’s atelier and use it on the possessed portrait that was tucked away in Oskar’s hidden room. You’ll get the chance to talk with Oskar’s lost love Kerri Evenfield, who’s furious with Oskar for trapping her soul inside a painting. You can either Persuade or Intimidate Kerri out of killing Oskar or fight her yourself. After all that chaos, if you talk to Oskar and Lady Jannath and help them get their relationship back on track, the artist will reward you with a portrait of your own.
