Vlaakith in Baldur’s Gate 3 – Should You Obey the Lich Queen?

Vlaakith, the undying Lich Queen of the Githyanki, is one of the most dangerous figures you can encounter in Baldur’s Gate 3. Your first meeting with her leaves you no real choice but to follow her orders if you want to survive, but every interaction after that carries weighty consequences. The path you take determines Lae’zel’s loyalty, shifts the balance of power in the Githyanki conflict, and heavily influences the ending of the game. Whether you side with her, defy her, or place your trust in Kith’rak Voss and Orpheus will shape not only Lae’zel’s story, but also the final outcome of your own journey.

Your first real opportunity to meet Vlaakith comes during Act One, in the Githyanki Crèche Y’llek located in Rosymorn Monastery. The Githyanki there claim they might have a cure for the mind flayer parasite lodged in your brain. Visiting the Crèche isn’t mandatory — you can progress through the story without ever stepping inside — but skipping it means missing one of the game’s most important storylines.

Inside, you’ll encounter Inquisitor Ch’r’ai W’wargaz, who is searching for the Astral Prism — the mysterious artifact Shadowheart gave you after the events near the Goblin Camp. This artifact protects you and your companions from being dominated by The Absolute, but its true nature is far more significant. At this point, you can either hand it over or refuse, which leads to a difficult battle against the Inquisitor if you resist.

No matter how you approach the situation, Vlaakith eventually appears as a towering projection. She commands you to enter the Prism and kill its inhabitant — the Dream Visitor, also known as your Guardian. Showing respect when addressing her slightly hurts your standing with Lae’zel, but the real danger comes from outright defiance. Refusing or trying to talk her into doing it herself results in her casting Wish, the most powerful spell in Dungeons & Dragons, instantly killing your entire party.

Do not attempt to defy Vlaakith in Honor Mode. In that difficulty, dying even once ends your run, and this choice will wipe your group in an instant.

Once you step inside the Prism, you meet the Dream Visitor. You can attack them, but they can’t be killed, and doing so will damage your relationship with them. When you leave, Vlaakith betrays Lae’zel, labeling her a traitor. From this point forward, Lae’zel’s companion quest — The Githyanki Warrior — becomes tied to how you handle Vlaakith. If you skip the Crèche entirely, Lae’zel remains loyal to her queen until Act Three, when Vlaakith appears again much later.

If Vlaakith has turned against Lae’zel, your camp will be visited by Kith’rak Voss after your next Long Rest. Voss tells Lae’zel that Vlaakith is a usurper who stole the throne from Orpheus, the rightful Githyanki prince. After this, Voss departs for Baldur’s Gate, where you can meet him again in Act Three at Sharess’ Caress during a negotiation with Raphael. These conversations can plant doubt in Lae’zel’s mind and potentially sway her away from Vlaakith.

When speaking with Voss, you can commit to siding with him against Vlaakith or leave the choice to Lae’zel. Letting her decide tends to build the most trust between you and her, especially if she chooses to reject Vlaakith on her own. Still, the decision remains yours, and taking a more active role can change how events unfold later.

The final confrontation with Vlaakith’s influence happens in Act Three. During a Long Rest in Rivington, she appears again, ordering Lae’zel to kill Orpheus. In exchange, she promises to make Lae’zel the commander of her armies. How Lae’zel responds depends heavily on everything she has witnessed up to this point. This is the most significant turning point in her personal story, with the outcome directly impacting the game’s ending.

If Lae’zel sides with Orpheus, she leaves for the Astral Plane at the end of the game to lead a rebellion against Vlaakith and save her people. If she remains loyal to Vlaakith, Withers hints that her fate is far darker during the final epilogue celebration. Persuading her to side with Vlaakith requires passing a very difficult Persuasion check, suggesting that her “default” path is to side with Orpheus and Voss instead.

If she supports Voss and Orpheus, she’ll push to recover the Orphic Hammer from the House of Hope to free Orpheus. If she still serves Vlaakith, she will also want the Hammer — but only to free Orpheus so she can kill him immediately afterward.

Eventually, your story reaches a climax where you must decide between Orpheus and the Emperor. The choice has dramatic consequences:

• Freeing Orpheus — The Emperor joins The Absolute, forcing either you, Orpheus, or Karlach to become a mind flayer to defeat the enemy.
• Siding with the Emperor — You refuse to free Orpheus, and the Emperor consumes him, gaining his abilities for the final battle.

The path you take here locks in your ending. Your only unavoidable moment of obedience to Vlaakith is during your first meeting in the Crèche; after that, every choice is yours to make. You can stand with her, betray her, or maneuver around her demands, but each path leaves ripples that carry into Lae’zel’s destiny and the fate of your world.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Vlaakith isn’t just another godlike figure — she’s a political manipulator, a religious icon, and a looming threat whose reach extends far beyond the Astral Plane. Whether you play along with her schemes or help dismantle them, the impact of your decisions will follow you all the way to the game’s closing moments.

Read also more articles about Baldur’s Gate 3 on EGW News, about the final major patch, which was updated in April 2025.

Also, check the Baldur’s Gate 3 figures conflict, which finished okay.