One of the more emotionally complex and morally ambiguous quests inBaldur’s Gate 3involves Mayrina, a grieving widow caught in the web of a manipulative hag named Auntie Ethel. As players explore the twisted corners of the Sunlit Wetlands and delve into the hag’s lair, they come across an opportunity to resurrect Mayrina’s husband, Connor. However, this resurrection is far from a simple act of kindness. It comes with unsettling consequences and raises questions about love, loss, and the cost of second chances. If you’re wondering how to resurrect Mayrina’s husband in BG3 and whether you even should this guide walks you through every step of the process and what to expect afterward.
Finding Mayrina and the Hag
Where the Story Begins
You’ll encounter Mayrina in the Sunlit Wetlands, a deceptive area filled with illusions, poisonous flora, and hidden dangers. This area is located south of the Blighted Village. Upon approaching the Wetlands, players witness a confrontation between Auntie Ethel and Mayrina’s brothers. If you intervene, you can follow the hag to her lair deep within the swamp, where the true horror of her manipulations unfolds.
Entering the Hag’s Lair
Once inside the Teahouse, Auntie Ethel reveals her sinister nature. After a tense encounter, she disappears into a hidden portal. To continue the quest, you’ll need to pursue her into the Overgrown Tunnel, navigating deadly traps, illusions, and cursed creatures. Eventually, you’ll find Mayrina trapped in a cage, suspended over a pit of toxic gas. After defeating Ethel, you can free Mayrina and discover a strange wand among the hag’s possessions.
The Wand: Bitter Divorce
What Is Bitter Divorce?
After defeating Auntie Ethel, you can loot a wand calledBitter Divorcefrom a table near Mayrina’s cage or from Ethel herself if you killed her before she vanished. The name of the wand is a grim foreshadowing of its purpose. It is a necromantic artifact capable of bringing Mayrina’s dead husband, Connor, back to life but not in the way one might expect.
How to Use the Wand
To use the Bitter Divorce wand, follow these steps:
- Find Mayrina near a casket labeled Connor after she escapes the hag’s cage
- Speak to her to initiate dialogue about the wand
- Select the option to use the wand on the coffin
- Connor is resurrected sort of
When the spell is cast, Connor rises from the coffin not as a living man but as a shambling undead creature. This result shocks Mayrina, who is horrified to see her husband returned in such a form. Despite this, she insists on taking him with her, determined to find someone who can restore him properly.
The Consequences of Resurrection
Undead Connor
Connor’s resurrection is a twisted interpretation of bringing someone back to life. He has no dialogue, no personality, and functions more like a zombie than a person. His eyes are vacant, his movements jerky. The wand’s magic appears to bypass the soul entirely, reanimating the body without restoring the man.
This outcome sparks a range of reactions from players. Some see it as a tragic consequence of desperation and grief, while others view it as a dark joke meant to highlight the dangers of trusting hags or using cursed items.
Mayrina’s Reaction
Despite the horror of what happens, Mayrina insists on taking Connor’s remains with her. She claims she will search for someone who can truly bring him back, suggesting hope remains despite the grotesque outcome. If you try to stop her, she’ll beg you to let her go, emphasizing her belief that this isn’t the end of his story.
It’s one of the game’s more emotional moments, where there’s no right answer only different shades of consequence. Some players may choose not to use the wand at all, fearing the outcome. Others may see it as a necessary step, hoping it leads to future restoration.
Alternate Outcomes
What If You Don’t Use the Wand?
If you choose not to use the Bitter Divorce wand, you can give it to Mayrina or destroy it. Keeping it in your inventory doesn’t trigger any future consequences immediately, but it becomes a haunting reminder of the potential cost of meddling with necromancy.
Mayrina may react with confusion or disappointment if you refuse to help, but ultimately she will still leave the area to pursue her own means of restoring Connor.
Can Connor Be Fully Restored?
As of the current version of the game, there is no confirmed way to fully bring Connor back as a living, sentient person. Mayrina’s story ends here for now, though future updates or expansions may revisit her quest. Players speculate that her determination could lead to a reunion or redemption in later acts or sequels.
Thematic Significance
Love, Loss, and Desperation
This quest is a microcosm of one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s central themes: the lengths people will go to for love, and the consequences of tampering with fate and magic. Mayrina’s decision reflects how grief can blind individuals to reason. Even when confronted with the horror of undead resurrection, she clings to the hope that her husband can be saved.
Dark Humor and Moral Dilemmas
The game’s signature dark humor is on full display here. Naming the wand Bitter Divorce adds a layer of irony, suggesting that the resurrection is more curse than gift. The scenario also plays into the broader moral ambiguity of the game there are no easy answers, and even well-intentioned actions can lead to tragic outcomes.
Tips for Handling the Situation
- Before using the wand, consider saving your game to explore all dialogue outcomes
- If you roleplay a character who respects the dead, you might choose to leave Connor at rest
- If you’re playing a morally flexible character or one with necromantic leanings, you may embrace the resurrection for its potential
- Talk to all NPCs thoroughly Mayrina’s final lines may offer clues about future storylines
Is It Worth It?
From a mechanical standpoint, resurrecting Connor has no benefit he doesn’t join your party, fight, or provide new quests. From a narrative standpoint, it adds emotional weight and flavor to your experience. Whether or not it’s worth it depends on your character’s values and the story you’re choosing to tell.
For some players, bringing back Connor, even as a husk, is a powerful gesture. For others, it’s a chilling mistake that underscores the cost of unchecked magic. The game leaves it up to you, as it does with so many key decisions, to determine what’s right.
Resurrecting Mayrina’s husband in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of those quests that sticks with players not because of its mechanical rewards, but because of the questions it asks. Should you use a cursed wand to bring back the dead? Is it truly a gift if the person returned is no longer who they were? And how far is too far when trying to undo a tragic loss? Whether you choose to use the Bitter Divorce wand or leave Connor at rest, the story of Mayrina is a powerful reminder of the game’s emotional depth, its rich moral complexity, and its ability to blur the line between kindness and cruelty.