Moonrise Towersis located in theShadow-Cursed Lands, an anathematized area accessed via Grymforge, located in the Underdark, or by traveling through the Mountain Pass. The Shadow-Cursed Lands include numerous puzzles and challenges, the most significant of which involves handling the oppressive Darkness blanketing the land.
The player will discover theThorm Mausoleumduring their travels, a small dungeon with a big secret. This leads through the Gaunlet of Shar to Moonrise Towers, another significant location inBG3’s story that players will explore in theirsearch for the Nightsong.
Updated Jul 25, 2025 by Kristy Ambrose: The Thorm Mausoleum is easy to find once players reach theCursed Lands in Act 2.Several clues and landmarks will appear that reference the Mausoleum and the story can’t progress until the main character finds it. The location is one thing, but getting through the mausoleum involves solving a puzzle in a mysterious room with three cryptic murals. To better help players solve this riddle in Thorm Mausoleum and progress to the area past it, the following guide has been updated to include a short video.
How to Reach the Shadow-Cursed Lands
Explore Two Regions And Choose One Path
Entering the Shadow-cursed Lands moves the story to the next chapter in the game. The player will get a warning that progressing beyond this point will close off certain questlines and certain events or dialogue options, should they continue.
Grymforge
If the player ventures to the region by traveling through the Underdark and viaGrymforge, they need to ensure they bring torches or equip spells that generate light. There are torches available in Grymforge that players can grab and equip when necessary.
Passing through Grymforge includes many quests, including the search for the Adamantine Forge, which starts in Act 1 with some random notes or clues.
Related Quests
Take this path and the player finds assistance atthe Last Light Innthanks to some Harpers the party meets on the road. This is where the party can meet Jaheira and continue with the man quest as well as two of the Companion quests.
The Mountain Pass
Step into the Shaow-cursed Lands from the Mountain Pass and meet several of Kethric Throm’s twisted allies, including a half-spider creature, known as a Drider in the D&D universe. Its name is Kar’niss, and it will escort the player and their party to the Moonrise Towers with the assistance of a magical light sourcecalled the Moonlantern.
Halfway through this trip, the party will be ambushed by a group of Harpers. The player can choose either side in this fight. If they join the Harpers, they have the choice to go directly to the Towers or travel to Last Light Inn.
Either route the party takes, the first time they take that path, Elminster the Wizard will appear looking for Gale. There are a few options here on how to proceed, depending on whether or not the Wizard of Waterdeep is a part of the party or not, and you can either send him to your camp or meet him there later.
Where to Find the Thorm Mausoleum
The player and their party will first need to make their way past the House of Healing and Grand Mausoleum to reach the entrance to Thorm Mausoleum atcoordinates (X:-118 Y:112). Players can find some standard loot and should also collect thetwoDiaries of Malus Thormand theStained Bookif they come across them in their looting.
These tomes offer hints to solving the puzzle players will encounter within Thorm Mausoleum along with some background and exposition.
How to Solve the Puzzle of Thorm Mausoleum
Three Murals And A Floor Covered In Traps
Players will discover a room featuring a variety of trapped Marble Plates whichshould be carefully disarmed. With the traps handled, players can safely explore and will notice three large paintings adorning the walls. These pictures are the key to solving the enigma and eventually reachingShar’s Sanctum.
Consider splitting the party using the “Toggle Group Mode” command, bound by default to the G key. Then place their party out of harm’s way and take only one character in to work on the traps. Astarion, or any character with a high Dexterity and Sleight of Hand, is great for this.
The three paintings in the room are labeled, with the names visible when mousing over the painting orpressing the Alt key. There is an interactive button on the wall just below each painting.
These buttons must be pressed in aspecific orderto open the doors on either side of the painting of the “General,” located at the back of the room featuring a large sarcophagus.
If the player selects the incorrect order, the room will fill with darkness, and they will have to attempt again. There are hints detailed in the three books the player may have collected, but players can solve this puzzle easily by pressing the buttons below the paintings in this order:
Once the player has successfully executed this task, thiscompletes the puzzle of Thorm Mausoleum. The doors on either side of the final painting will safely open, and the player can proceed into theGauntlet of Shar.
