While exploring the Abandoned Refuge in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can help a group of gnomes rescue True Soul Nere, who is trapped under a cave-in. The rescuers need some Smokepowder to save the trapped people in time, but this rare item is currently in the hands of a gnome named Philomeen. Unfortunately, the woman is quite hard to find, and some players may have trouble locating her.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Philomeen Location
In order to find Philomeen, you need to return to the dock, where you first set foot into the Abandoned Refuge. There is a double iron doors northeast of the boat, and you must lockpick the gate to enter.
Although you may think the chamber is a dead end, there is actually a hidden switch at the corner of the room. If you pass a Perception check, your character will notice a button at the right side of the secret door.
Progress through the hidden passage, and you will encounter three level 5 Ochre Jellies. Once you defeat all the monsters, take the stairs and turn to the left. You will need to use the Jump action to cross the gap and land on a rocky ledge.
After lockpicking the Intricate Door on the other side, you will find Philomeen hiding inside the abandoned room. She will try to detonate the Smokepower, believing you’re one of the Absolute followers, but you can persuade her to stop and give you a vial of the Smokepowder.
Why Philomeen Isn’t in Her Hiding Spot
If you’ve followed the above instructions and made your way through the hidden passage but still can’t find Philomeen, there’s one possible reason for this. It’s likely that your quest may have gone awry if you’ve already used the Smokepowder and explosives before this quest. If you do this, however, the stone won’t explode properly but the game will think you’ve already cleared the debris.
In addition to that, you also need to be mindful about Nere’s health in the game. As he’s slowly dying of poisoning, fast traveling away or long resting two or three times will cause him to die, and Philomeen will disappear from her hiding spot as a result.
To prevent this from happening, make sure you prioritize finding Philomeen as soon as you get the quest. Take the Smokepowder from her to proceed with the quest as intended and save Nere, and you should be good to go. If you’ve already passed this point, you’ll likely have to reload an earlier save to do it step by step.
Now that you have found Philomeen, you can continue exploring the Underdark and find the Moonrise Towers. I highly recommend visiting the Sussur Tree near the Myconic Colony to obtain the Sussur Tree Bark. This unique material is a quest item for the Finish the Masterwork Weapon mission, where you craft the Sussur weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3.
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