Windspear Hills - Baldur's Gate II

This guide will walk you through Windspear Hills in Baldur’s Gate II. This area’s code in the game files is AR1200.

baldurs gate 2 map windspear hills — Map of Windspear Hills

Overview

When you arrive in Windspear Hills (#1), you’ll be stopped by a band of ogres. Oddly, they’ll talk to you about your “terror” and their “divine righteousness,” and no matter what you say to them, they’ll attack you. You’ll earn 27,000 xp for defeating them.

Afterwards, Garren Windspear will wander up to you and tell you that he just saw the oddest thing — two groups of ogres fighting each other, until one group turned into you, and the other into knights, now dead. At this point, you and Windspear will realize that you were tricked into committing murder, and Windspear will invite you into the safety of his cabin to the south. If you accept, then you’ll travel there automatically.

Inside the cabin (#3), Windspear will tell you how Lord Jierdan Firkraag ruined his reputation and stole his lands, and he’ll speculate that he’s now doing the same thing to you for some unknown reason. (Note: Remember, it was Firkraag who hired you to come to Windspear Hills in the first place.) Windspear will then leave to talk to the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, and explain to them how you happened to kill their knights.

Note: If you don’t talk to Windspear right away and let him settle things for you, then eventually you’ll get attacked by a party from the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart: Alhelor (mage), Sir Beverus (paladin), Sir Branet Al-Thon (paladin), Sir Jolus (paladin), Sir Laren (cleric), and Sir Paritin (cleric). This can be a rough fight, especially early in the game (it’s worth over 50,000 xp), so it’s a good idea to play straight through the Windspear Hills questline, and not wander off and do other things in the middle of it.

While Windspear is gone, you’ll automatically rest in his cabin, but then agents from Firkraag, led by Plath Rededge, will storm inside and kidnap Windspear’s son Taar (if you’re playing a female character) or his daughter Iltha (if you’re playing a male character). Windspear’s servant Jum will flee, and so it’ll be up to you to deal with the remaining intruders. This shouldn’t be a challenge, and you’ll earn 2800 xp for defeating them.

At the end of the battle, Windspear will return home to learn that things didn’t go very well while he was gone, and he’ll ask you to set off in pursuit of his child. He’ll also let you know that the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart heeded his words, and that they’re not currently planning to hunt you down. Soon after, Jum will return to the cabin, and he’ll hand you Firkraag’s Challenge. It’ll direct you to the northeast to face Firkraag. The only thing you’ll discover in that direction is the Windspear Hills Dungeon.

Inside the dungeon (Exit A), you’ll find Windspear’s child on Level 2 and Lord Firkraag on Level 3. Firkraag will turn out to be a red dragon, but he’ll tell you that he’s now bored with you, and that you’re free to leave. This will give you two ways to complete the quest:

You can rescue Windspear’s child as originally planned. Firkraag will send a mage named Conster to stop you, but you should be able to overwhelm him easily, and he’ll drop a prison key when he dies. The key will allow you to free Windspear’s child, which will earn you 23,750 xp. Then when you return to Windspear, each character in your party will earn 44,500 xp. If you’re playing a paladin, then Windspear will also direct you to the High Hall of the Radiant Heart in the Temple District, which will start you on the path to your Paladin Stronghold quests.
If your reputation is low enough, and if you’re not playing a paladin, then you can decide to work with Firkraag instead. For this option, Windspear’s child will end up dead, and you’ll be tasked with stealing the Deed to the Windspear Hills from Windspear, which will require you to either kill him for it or pickpocket it from him. When you deliver the deed to Firkraag, he’ll give you a Cloak of the Shield, and each character in your party will earn 40,500 xp.

For more information on the part of the quest that takes place in the Windspear Hills Dungeon, please refer to the Windspear Hills Dungeon page.

1 – Starting Point

2 – Rocks

In a crack in the rocks here, you’ll find a Star Sapphire, which you might need for crafting the Dagger of the Star +5 at Cespenar’s Forge (in the Throne of Bhaal expansion pack).

3 – Garren Windspear’s Cabin

4 – Werewolves

At this spot, you’ll encounter some fighters battling gnolls. However, after the battle it’ll turn out that the (talkative) fighters are really werewolves, and they’ll attack you. You’ll earn about 2500 xp for defeating them.

5 – Ankhegs

Ankhegs will spawn here over time. Each time you kill an ankheg, it’ll drop an Ankheg Shell, which you might need for crafting Ankheg Plate Mail at Cromwell’s Forge in the Docks District.