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Your first real quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to find a capable healer, someone that can remove the tadpole in your brain. Among the many that can help you, Halsin stands out as the one with the most amount of information, and reliable at that. But who is this mysterious Druid?
Many players know of Halsin, but not much about him. While he joins your camp easily, if you don’t complete his quest in time you’ll miss out on a very interesting character. Halsin has been around for a while, and has plenty to share beyond his Wild Shape forms.
Spoiler Warning!
Who Is Halsin?
Halsin is an Elder Druid, the leader of the Druid’s Grove. As a Wood Elf, he has lived a long life, and was not always as wise as he is now. When he was a young student of the Druidic arts, he had a play companion named Thaniel. They were great friends, but when Halsin came of age, Thaniel remained a young boy.
That’s when Halsin understood that Thaniel was no regular boy, but the spirit of the forest personified. This being didn’t only need a friend, it needed a protector. This was a wake-up call for Halsin, deciding to take his role in nature more seriously than ever.
Beyond that, he lived a long life full of adventure. He was even held captive by a noble Drow house while investigating the Underdark, being able to escape only three years later. But his greatest deed was slaying Ketheric Thorm, a Shar worshiper and necromancer.
Halsin did not face the necromancer alone. He was aided by his entire grove, alongside Jaheira and her Harpers.
While successful, he regrets not being able to save the land, since Ketheric and his followers cast the Shadow Curse upon them. The forests being cursed certainly had something to do with his dear friend Thaniel, but Halsin was powerless against this curse.
How Was Halsin Captured By The Goblins?
While doing his regular duties in the Grove, Halsin met a group of adventurers looking for the Nightsong. Halsin knew the true nature of that name, and its relation with Ketheric. Having unfinished business with the Shadow Cursed Lands, Halsin decided to join the adventurers in their quest.
They ended up being overrun by goblins, with most of the adventurers getting killed. Halsin used his Wild Shape to turn into a bear during the fight, and the goblins thought of him as just a regular animal. Since the goblins didn’t see the threat of letting a bear live, they instead enslaved it to be their plaything.
As you start the game, Halsin remains in bear form, trapped in the kennels of the goblins. Should he end his transformation, his captors would surely kill him on the spot. Much like he did with the Drows long ago, he now waits for the perfect moment to escape.
Can You Romance Halsin?
Yes, but you can’t officially start your relationship until Act Three. Just doing generally good acts, and siding with nature, will let you be on his good side. Once you get to Acto Two, make sure to fulfill his quest before killing Ketheric, otherwise you won’t be able to cleanse the Curse.
Once in Act Three, it’s as simple as talking to him, and you’ll be able to romance him and add him as a companion. He’s a powerful addition to your party, but curiously he isn’t the only Druid that can join your group.
