My Head-Scratching Start with That Weird Altar
Alright, so picture this. I’m deep in the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3, exploring like I always do, when I bump into this massive stone thing covered in carvings and weird magic sparks. Obviously, I gotta poke it with a stick, right? That’s what the Ancient Altar looks like – old, powerful, and totally confusing. At first, I tried talking to it. Nothing. Then I tried clicking on everything around it. Still nothing. It just sat there, looking mysterious and kinda smug.
I got a message popping up saying it needed “something ancient” to wake it up. Well, thanks, game. Real helpful. My pack was full of shiny junk – gems, old coins, that weird tooth I found near the Myconid colony. I figured, why not? I started dumping stuff on it, one by one.
- Tossed a shiny gem? Zilch. Just bounced off.
- Old dwarven coin? Nada.
- That funky mushroom? Got a funny sound, but that’s it.
Felt like throwing pebbles at a castle wall. Total waste of time, and I started thinking maybe it was just fancy decoration.
Almost Smashed My Keyboard Over This
Then, out of sheer frustration while rearranging my junk pile, I clicked examine on some moss I had picked up near the altar’s base earlier. Guess what? The description said “Gloomstalker Moss, residue of ancient Underdark magic.” Ancient magic? Hello! My brain finally clicked. This thing didn’t want valuable treasures; it wanted specific magic relics tied to the place itself!
I frantically searched everything in my inventory with “ancient” or “Underdark” in the name.
- Tried an Ancient Sigil Ring? Nothing.
- Tossed a Shard of Selûne? Sparked but fizzled.
Finally, deep down, covered in rotten cheese and empty bottles (I’m not proud), I found it: Sussur Blooms. The description screamed “ancient silence magic.” Hands shaking a bit, I placed one bloom right onto the altar surface.
BAM! This time, the whole altar lit up blue. Deep humming filled the cave, dust shaking off the stones. The carvings started glowing! I heard whispers too, kinda spooky, kinda awesome.
The Big Payoff (Totally Worth the Headache)
The screen flickered, and suddenly I had a choice: three different glowing symbols floating above the buzzing altar. It felt powerful! The whispers seemed linked to each one. I went with the middle symbol first – a spiral.
Instantly, my screen turned blue-ish, and a cool new icon popped up next to my character portraits. Reading it made me grin: Ancient Ward! For one minute, any magic fired at my party had a decent chance to just fizzle out? Holy heck, that’s a game-changer against those nasty spellcasters who keep wrecking me!
I experimented: dropped another Sussur Bloom. Boom! Different symbols popped up this time. Picked a jagged one. Result? A buff giving me extra poison damage on my next few weapon hits. Different bloom, different options, different cool powers. It wasn’t just one thing; it was a whole toolbox of secret buffs hidden behind finding the right key! It felt like stumbling onto a cheat code, but legitimately.
Why Bother? Because Secrets Rule
Look, finding this altar? Pain in the neck. Figuring out the right junk to dump? Totally baffling at first. But finally getting that surge of power? Pure gold. It’s not in any quest log flashing “DO THIS”. It’s BG3 saying, “Hey, if you’re curious and stubborn enough to mess with this old rock pile, here’s something neat.” That’s why I love this game. That altar? It’s a perfect example. Hidden, tricky, and packed with sweet rewards for explorers like me willing to poke stuff.