In the shadow-cursed lands of Baldur's Gate 3, even in 2026, few names carry as much weight as Ketheric Thorm. The high half-elf who rules Moonrise Towers is no ordinary villain. He is a general, a zealot, and a so-called immortal whose power stems from a captured aasimar, Dame Aylin—the Nightsong. When Tav and their companions finally descend into Shar's Gauntlet and find the Nightsong inside the Shadowfell, they set in motion a three-phase boss fight that remains one of the game's most memorable tests of strategy. This is no walk in the park. It is a knock-down, drag-out brawl that forces the party to think on their feet.
Phase One: The Top of Moonrise Towers
The first confrontation happens at the summit of Moonrise Towers, right after Dame Aylin is either freed or killed. Ketheric doesn't waste time with pleasantries. He summons reinforcements and goes straight for the throat. The party quickly learns that splitting roles is the key. Astarion, the resident long-range specialist, is perfect for picking off the mobs from a distance. Meanwhile, at least two party members must focus entirely on Ketheric himself. The problem? Ketheric is as slippery as an eel. He moves constantly, making it hard for melee characters to stay on him. Lae'zel's jumps often do the job, and her multiple attacks make her an ideal choice for chasing him down. Gale and Shadowheart, on the other hand, are better used for area-of-effect spells against the weaker enemies.
Ketheric hits hard, too. Putting squishy characters in his path is a recipe for disaster. Even Lae'zel, who often acts as the tank in his face, can take a serious beating and end up on death's door. The goal is simple: lower his HP. Once it drops far enough, a cutscene triggers. Ketheric recaptures Dame Aylin and retreats into the Mind Flayer Colony. The party has won the battle, but the war is far from over.
Phase Two: The Mind Flayer Colony
After clearing side objectives—saving Mizora, rescuing Zevlor, solving the Necrotic Laboratory puzzle—the party finds an elevator leading to the arena. A blue device to the right restores HP and spell slots, so they use it before heading down. Another cutscene plays, introducing Enver Gortash and Orin alongside Ketheric. They are the Chosen of the Dead Three. Once the party regains control, Phase Two begins. A quick save is highly recommended. Things can go south fast.
The fight starts automatically if Ketheric spots anyone approaching. The best strategy is to split up and use stealth. On the far right, Dame Aylin is bound in chains, granting Ketheric his immortality. One character should drink a Potion of Invisibility and silently approach Aylin—but not interact with her yet. This ensures that when the fight begins, they are in range to free her quickly. On the left wing, a group of mobs will interfere with anyone attacking Ketheric. Another invisible character can lead them away and clear them out fast. Shadowheart's AoEs or Lae'zel's devastating skills work well here. The last two characters group together and move toward Ketheric, triggering the fight.
Once battle commences, the character near Aylin must free her immediately. The left-side character needs to exterminate the mobs, preferably in the first round. Alternatively, the fight can start by freeing Nightsong first. A Mind Flayer at the right corner will engage, trying to control Dame Aylin and damage the party. If it hits a subdued character, it can deal serious damage—but Nightsong should not be harmed, as she remains an ally. If possible, the character on the right can use Misty Step to reach the higher platform where the Mind Flayer originally stood and strike it from a safe vantage point, breaking its Concentration over the spell controlling Aylin. With Aylin freed and the left mobs dealt with, most efforts should go toward harming Ketheric. The only exception is the far-right character, who may be locked in battle with the Mind Flayer. If the creature is quickly dealt with, that character and Nightsong can join the main fight.
During this phase, Ketheric uses Incubate Death, creating dangerous explosive Necrolites, and Deadly Order, which makes Intellect Devourers and other mobs focus on a targeted character. Once his HP is fully depleted, a short cutscene plays. Ketheric is thrown into the pit behind him, and Myrkul, the Lord of the Dead, challenges the party, complaining that they have struck down its Chosen champion. Phase Three begins. However, part of this encounter can be skipped if the party persuades Ketheric to repent during the conversation before the fight by passing a Charisma Check.
Phase Three: The Apostle of Myrkul
The fight against the Apostle of Myrkul is quite different. This opponent is huge, does not move, but deals a massive amount of damage. The first immediate threat is the Gaze of the Dead, which may frighten a target, making them unable to move while also dealing damage. Another dangerous attack is Call of the Damned, in which the boss creates a vortex with itself in the center and pulls those in range close to it. Even with the occasional Necromite and Intellect Devourer, the party's focus should be killing the boss. This threat is large and likely to wipe out the entire party if not dealt with swiftly.
At this point, if the party has completed most of the side quests in Act 2, they should have a good amount of damage output. If they focus on surviving and dealing as much damage as possible to the boss, all enemies should go down quite easily. Thankfully, the boss's defeat also results in the deaths of all other nearby opponents, so this is the quickest way to end the fight. Once everything is done, the party is rewarded with Ketheric's Warhammer, Ketheric's Shield, and Reaper's Embrace. After collecting their rewards, they are ready to proceed into the third and final act of Baldur's Gate 3, where the last of their enemies awaits.
The party walks away from Moonrise Towers with bruises, spent spell slots, and a story worth telling. They went toe-to-toe with a demigod and came out on top. But in Baldur's Gate 3, there is always another shoe waiting to drop. The Absolute still looms, and the road to Baldur's Gate is paved with worse things than Ketheric Thorm. For now, though, they can breathe. They earned it. And in 2026, players are still replaying this fight, finding new ways to give Ketheric a taste of his own medicine.
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