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To get through the Overgrown Tunnel in Act One, walk through the illusory fireplace at Auntie Ethel’s Riverside Teahouse, pass the vine door, then cross the waterfall and descend toward the Ancient Abode. You can sneak past the masked victims without wearing a mask, and you can cover or disarm the tunnel’s vents while handling its explosive flowers separately.
Enter the Overgrown Tunnel through the teahouse fireplace
Find Auntie Ethel’s Riverside Teahouse in the Sunlit Wetlands. The fireplace is an illusion: walk through it to enter the tunnel. If Ethel has not revealed the entrance, getting close can trigger an Investigation check. BG3 Wiki’s Overgrown Tunnel guide describes the entrance and its checks.
Pass the first vine door and the masked victims
Walk through the illusory door
The first vine door is also an illusion, not a locked door that needs a key. Walk through it. An Arcana check can reveal the illusion, and a DC 10 Persuasion route is also listed in the quest reference.
Choose how to deal with the victims
Four of Ethel’s victims wait beyond the door and may turn hostile when they detect the party. You can try to sneak past them. Whispering Masks can help a wearer pass the thralls and some illusions, but a mask is not required for the route.
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There is a serious risk to wearing a Whispering Mask while Ethel is alive: she can control the wearer. The game reference says Protection from Evil and Good suspends the mask’s adverse effect. One character wearing a mask can help the rest of the party sneak by, but use that approach only with the protection in place. See the Whispering Masks reference for the mask’s effects.
Cross the waterfall and descend through the tunnel
Jump through the waterfall to reach the next section. Continue down using the roots, vines, ladders, and ledges until you reach the Ancient Abode. There is also a mask-gated door partway down that leads to a Mushroom Circle in the Underdark; it is a separate route, not the way back to the teahouse. Pro Game Guides’ route walkthrough also describes the descent.
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Get past the Noxious Fumes and Peculiar Flowers
The descent has two different hazards. Ruptured Stone vents emit Noxious Fumes; Peculiar Flowers are hidden until detected and explode when approached. Dealing with a vent does not remove the flower hazard nearby, so watch for both as you move.
| Hazard | How to handle it | Listed check |
|---|---|---|
| Ruptured Stone vent and Noxious Fumes | Place or throw an object over the vent to block it, or disarm it. | DC 30 Sleight of Hand to disarm; DC 15 Perception to spot the trap. |
| Peculiar Flower | Disarm it or destroy it from range with force damage. | DC 10 Sleight of Hand to disarm; DC 15 Perception to spot the trap. |
Spells such as Misty Step, Grant Flight, and Feather Fall can help bypass hazards, depending on your party’s abilities and positioning. Covering vents is a practical way to stop their fumes, but flowers still need separate attention. The listed checks and options are game mechanics; the reference does not establish a universally best approach for every party or difficulty setting.
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Reach the Ancient Abode and protect Mayrina’s cage
At the bottom of the descent, you reach the Ancient Abode, where Mayrina is trapped in a cage. Auntie Ethel attacks as you approach and can set the cage on fire on her first turn. Create Water, a thrown container of water, Ray of Frost, or an ice arrow can extinguish the flames. The Save Mayrina quest reference covers the encounter and cage.
Choose between the two exits
Beyond the Ancient Abode, the Acrid Workshop contains a Mushroom Circle that returns to the Putrid Bog near the teahouse. The other Mushroom Circle is reached through the mask-gated door partway down the tunnel and connects to the Underdark. They lead to different destinations, so choose based on where you want to go next.
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