Encountering He Who Was in the Shadow-Cursed Lands introduces one of the most morally ambiguous quests in Baldur's Gate 3. This enigmatic Shadar-kai asks you to investigate the spirit of a deceased woman named Madeline using her old ledger from The Waning Moon tavern. Players frequently wonder whether eliminating this mysterious figure is the right decision or if cooperating yields better rewards.
Understanding the Trial of Madeline
He Who Was seeks to punish Madeline for betraying her friends to the Dark Justiciars during her lifetime. Once you recover the ledger and return to him, he channels Madeline's spirit so you can act as the judge. Your choices during this ritual directly influence whether He Who Was remains peaceful or becomes hostile towards your party.
If you decide to punish Madeline by shaming her or forcing her to stab herself once, He Who Was becomes satisfied with the vengeance. This path successfully completes the quest without initiating combat against him. However, forcing her to inflict harm repeatedly will disturb the ritual and cause him to attack you.
What Happens When You Forgive Madeline
Choosing to forgive Madeline or telling her that her actions were caused by coercion enrages He Who Was immediately. He believes justice demands severe punishment and views your mercy as an insult to his ritual. As a result, he turns hostile and forces you into a combat encounter alongside his raven companion.
Defeating He Who Was in this fight allows you to save Madeline's spirit from eternal torment. Additionally, granting forgiveness provides moral satisfaction for good-aligned playstyles and earns approval from compassionate companions like Karlach and Halsin. Paladins following certain oaths will also avoid oath-breaking penalties by choosing mercy over cruelty.
Comparing the Quest Rewards and Consequences
Siding with He Who Was and completing the punishment rewards you with gold and the unique Raven Gloves. These gloves grant the ability to summon a raven familiar, which offers useful tactical utility in combat encounters. If you are aiming to maximize unique loot, satisfying He Who Was is the most direct path to obtaining this item.
Conversely, killing He Who Was yields standard loot from his body alongside notes detailing his sinister motivations. While you miss out on receiving the Raven Gloves directly from him, eliminating him stops his dark ritual permanently. Since he does not appear later in the game's story, killing him carries no negative consequences for future acts.
Should You Kill He Who Was?
Deciding whether to kill He Who Was depends primarily on your character's alignment and combat goals. Good-aligned heroes and merciful paladins often find killing him to be the most fitting resolution to the Punish the Wicked quest. Player choices in Baldur's Gate 3 offer rich roleplaying outcomes regardless of the path you choose.
For players focused on collecting rare equipment, keeping him alive long enough to receive the reward is advantageous. Ultimately, neither decision negatively impacts your main progression in Act 2 or Act 3. You can safely make your choice based on your party's moral compass or tactical preferences.