During our explorations of Faerûn in Baldur's Gate 3, we can encounter Karlach — a tiefling barbarian who will join us on our adventure. The fiery beauty, like all companions, has her own quest line — she needs help repairing a hellish mechanism that serves as her heart. In this guide, we'll tell you how to meet Karlach, where to find a hellish mechanic, and where to find hellish iron.
Karlach can first be encountered by heading north just before the Blighted Village, which is occupied by goblins. Along the way, you'll meet another companion — Scratch the dog, who can be invited to the camp.
Head towards the river and jump across the stones, then go east following the blood trails until you come across a tree fallen across the river. On the other bank, Karlach awaits.
The general search area will be marked if you have previously started the quest of another companion — Wyll. We recommend bringing him along to persuade the Blade of Frontiers not to kill the devilish woman. After some time, Karlach will ask for help with the mechanism in her heart, which malfunctions outside of hell.
First and foremost, we need to find a mechanic familiar with «hellish» devices. This turns out to be quite simple — by coincidence, the only blacksmith we know at that time, a tiefling named Dammon, happens to be the hellish mechanic. We can find him in the Druid's Grove. To keep afloat after fleeing, he has opened his shop and trades various weapons and armor.
If you have already completed the quest «Save the Refugees» by this point, look for Dammon in the «Last Light» tavern. In this place, he has opened another smithy and continues to delight travelers with his wares.
Start a dialogue with the blacksmith having Karlach in your party. The tiefling will examine the barbarian and offer his help. To somehow fix the infernal engine, Dammon will need hellish iron — a rare and valuable material. Therefore, if by that time you have already found everything necessary, hand over the iron and watch the cutscene.
If you sold the hellish iron, try to remember which merchant bought it. There's a high chance you can buy the item back, albeit at a higher price.
To progress Karlach's quest line and further repair the infernal engine, this material will be needed again, so next time you find hellish iron, keep it in the camp chest.
Finding hellish iron is quite straightforward. The approximate location is indicated on the map. We found two places where this material can be obtained, one of which you will almost certainly visit through the main storyline.
A simpler and less bloody option is to head to the Blighted Village. Convince the goblins not to attack you, and then go to the second floor of the house, which is almost immediately to the right of the gates. We have marked it in the screenshot below. Break into the old wooden doors and enter the basement.
Once inside, go to the upper-right corner of the underground floor, climb up the wooden stairs, and open the wooden chest. Inside, you will find an unusual sword, a note, and hellish iron.
The second place to obtain hellish iron is in the goblin camp. Head to the Shattered Sanctum. Inside, go straight ahead, not turning anywhere and passing checks in dialogs.
Along the way, you'll meet two chieftains. One will offer a brand, and the other will ask for help in a ritual to speak with a dead illithid. With due diligence, you can simply sneak past them.
We are interested in the treasure chest located behind a locked door at the very end. To pick the lock, you need to roll a 20 or higher. We recommend taking Astarion, who has the necessary skill, and also blessing him with the «Blessing» spell, which Shadowheart may know.
Inside, you will find several enchanted items, gold (527), a couple of gemstones, and another piece of hellish iron. Return to Dammon to complete the quest.
After this, you can continue the adventure, and Dammon will ask for time to reflect on how to fully repair the mechanism. Next time, we'll meet him in Baldur's Gate.