Should I Mutilate Us or Not?
During BG3's prologue Nautiloid scene, I stumbled upon a haunting sight: an elf named Myrnath strapped to a chair, his brain exposed and pulsating. Interacting with him reveals a grim truth—his brain has transformed into an Intellect Devourer, a grotesque creature that's already consumed the host. What happens next depends entirely on your choices, and those decisions ripple throughout the game.
In my first playthrough, I did what many players might instinctively do—I destroyed the abomination. After all, how could something so unnatural possibly be of any use? But on my second playthrough, my curiosity piqued. I opted to extract the brain but “mutilate” it (requiring a DEX check) to keep it docile. This decision offered some short-term advantages, but it turned out to have long-term consequences.
Fast forward to Act 2, in the depths of the Mind Flayer Colony’s morgue, I discovered “Us” again—this time caged and awaiting rescue. Freeing “Us” provides you with a powerful companion, but the process isn’t straightforward. I had to face the bugbear jailer, Chop, and when persuasion failed, I took the key by force.
Here’s where my earlier decision came back to haunt me. Because I had mutilated the newborn Intellect Devourer during the Nautiloid escape, “Us” was lobotomized. This reduced his effectiveness as a summon, leaving him weaker than his potential.
On my third playthrough, however, I took a different approach—I spared him from harm during the prologue, which made all the difference. When “Us” is intact, he retains his full movement speed and Intelligence score. He becomes an excellent ally with impressive resistances, immunity to blindness, and a decent claw attack. His ranged ability, Synaptic Discharge, is particularly useful, and his devastating melee attack, Devour Intellect, inflicts 2d10 psychic damage while reducing the target’s INT score. If the target’s Intelligence drops below 4, they may even become stunned!
However, sparing “Us” during the prologue comes with its own challenges. You must avoid attacking other Intellect Devourers on the Nautiloid, or “Us” will turn hostile. If this happens, your only option is to avoid combat altogether and make a dash for the escape route.
What I admire most about this questline is how Larian Studios masterfully weaves future consequences into early decisions. It’s a great example of how Baldur’s Gate 3 rewards thoughtful play. For me, as a Rogue main, “Us” has become my go-to trigger for threatening sneak attacks. His adorable pitter-patter walk and hilariously unexpected voice lines only add to his charm.