How to Lift the Shadow Curse (and Survive BG3's Worst Headaches)
A no-nonsense walkthrough for the Shadow Curse, Minthara, the Blood of Lathander, the Adamantine Forge, and the Gauntlet of Shar.
Read the guide →A no-BS walkthrough for reaching Rosymorn Monastery, solving the weapon puzzle, and grabbing the mace without blowing up your party.
Okay, so you're wondering where to find the Blood of Lathander in Baldur's Gate 3. Short answer: it's in the Rosymorn Monastery in the Mountain Pass. This legendary mace is one of the best weapons you can grab in Act 1, but it's not sitting out in the open.
You'll have to solve a small ceremonial weapon puzzle, find a hidden key (actually the Dawnmaster's Crest), and disarm a nasty sun trap before you can claim it. Don't worry though—this guide has you covered. And take it from someone who's been blasted by that trap: don't skip the crystal step. I learned that one by watching my whole party evaporate in one radiant fireball.
Here's the whole route, step by step: the three ceremonial weapon locations, how to use the Dawnmaster's Crest, and the easy way to avoid the vault explosion that catches so many players off guard.
Blood of Lathander isn't in the Underdark, and it isn't in the Emerald Grove. It's inside a locked vault in the Rosymorn Monastery, also called the Creche Y'llek area. The monastery sits in the Mountain Pass, which you can reach during Act 1 once you head away from the main map toward the shadow-cursed lands.
You can enter by fighting through githyanki patrols or by talking your way past them. Once you're inside, the mace is technically near you the whole time—but the vault door won't open without the Dawnmaster's Crest.
Quick tip: Save your game before entering the monastery. Githyanki fights are tough below level 5, and the vault trap can wipe your party if you skip the disarming trick.
Follow these steps in order and you'll have the mace in about 30 minutes.
Travel to the Mountain Pass and head toward the Rosymorn Monastery waypoint. The main entrance is on the west side of the building. Once you enter through the broken gates, you'll see a large ruined hall with a dome overhead.
You don't need to explore the whole monastery. Just unlock the waypoint and get inside the central building.
The vault door needs the Dawnmaster's Crest. To get that crest, you need to solve the ceremonial weapon puzzle. Three ceremonial weapons must be placed on three pedestals in a side room inside the monastery.
Here's where to find all three:
| Ceremonial Weapon | Location | How to Grab It |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremonial Longsword | Roof of the monastery, in a large eagle nest | Jump or climb up to the nest, then loot the chest inside |
| Ceremonial Warhammer | Library on the main floor of the monastery | Pass a Perception check near the bookshelves to reveal a hidden room; the hammer sits on a weapon rack |
| Ceremonial Battleaxe | Inside the githyanki creche below the monastery | Look in a side room near the training hall; it's on a table or in a wooden crate |
Head upstairs until you find a broken window or a balcony. From there, jump across the stone ledges to the trellis area. The nest is above the entrance balcony, and the longsword is inside. This one's easy to miss because you normally don't go to the roof unless you're hunting for something. I wandered past that nest twice before I realized it was climbable.
In the main floor library, look for a bookshelf that feels out of place. Roll a Perception check to spot a small lever or button. Pressing it opens a hidden closet with a weapon rack. The ceremonial warhammer is right there.
Head down into the creche area, which you can find through a hatch or staircase at the back of the monastery. The battleaxe is in one of the side rooms near the githyanki training area. You don't have to fight the whole creche to grab it; sneak or use Invisibility if you want to keep things peaceful.
Quick tip: Once you have all three weapons, don't use them in combat. They aren't strong weapons, and you'll need them for the puzzle.
Find the Ceremonial Room on the upper floor of the monastery. It has three empty pedestals, each shaped like a different weapon. Place each ceremonial weapon in its matching slot.
Once the last weapon is placed, you'll hear a heavy stone door slide open nearby. Inside that new hidden room, you'll find the Dawnmaster's Crest on a small altar.
Pick it up and keep it in your inventory. This crest is the key to the Blood of Lathander vault.
Return to the main hall of the monastery. Look for a large circular stone door with a sun emblem on it. In the middle of the door, there's a slot shaped like the crest. Use the Dawnmaster's Crest on the slot, and the vault will open.
Don't have the crest? You can try to lockpick the door, but the DC is very high. Most characters won't be able to open it until late game. The crest method is the intended route.
Inside the vault, you'll see the Blood of Lathander sitting on a glowing pedestal. A golden dome of light surrounds it. But don't grab it yet.
There are four crystal pylons in the corners of the room. These pylons power the trap. If you take the mace while they're active, the room explodes with radiant fire and kills almost everyone.
A trick we found: you can stand near the doorway and use Thunderwave or Ray of Frost to smash the crystals from a safe distance. Once all four are destroyed, the golden shield around the mace disappears.
Quick tip: Many players miss this point. The crystals are easy to ignore because the mace looks like it's just waiting for you. Destroy them first, every time.
Now the mace is safe to pick up. Walk up to the pedestal and loot the Blood of Lathander. The weapon will appear in your inventory, and the vault will stay open so you can walk out.
You don't need to fight anything else in this room. Just grab the mace and head back to the monastery.
Blood of Lathander is a +3 Legendary Mace. It deals:
That radiant damage alone makes it great against undead and fiends. The mace also gives you a special blessing: once per Long Rest, if you drop to 0 hit points, you can instead heal yourself and stay in the fight. That's basically a free life-saving cheat.
For any Cleric, Paladin, or melee character that wants more punch, this weapon stays strong well into Act 2.
Most people mess up around the vault trap, but there are a few other easy mistakes too.
It's inside the Rosymorn Monastery in the Mountain Pass. More specifically, it's in a locked vault that only opens with the Dawnmaster's Crest. To get the crest, you'll need to grab the three ceremonial weapons first.
Yes. Each ceremonial weapon goes on a pedestal in the Ceremonial Room. Placing them unlocks a hidden room with the Dawnmaster's Crest. Without that crest, the vault door is almost impossible to open through lockpicking.
Technically yes, but it's rough. The vault door has a very high lockpick DC, and even if you get inside, you still need to destroy the four crystal pylons before grabbing the mace. The crest route is way safer.
Absolutely. It's a +3 mace with radiant damage, and the once-per-Long-Rest death protection is perfect for a supportive Cleric. Paladins and melee bards also get great value out of it.
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