The sprawling world of Baldur's Gate 3 is filled with all manner of unique characters, some of which have ulterior motives not entirely clear when you first encounter them, and others are straightforward with the player. Auntie Ethel is the former, and players will first meet her as a merchant in the Druid Grove, selling her potions and alchemical wares, but something seems off about this old woman and her overall demeanor.
Eventually, players will need to deal with Auntie Ethel in some way to move the story along, and it gets a little gross at times. There's an old woman, a witch, and an eyeball all wrapped up in a single quest, and the outcome varies depending on the player's choices.
Spoilers for a side quest and the main quest ahead!
Where To Find Auntie Ethel
Again, players will first interact with Auntie Ethel at Druid Grove, but her story doesn't flourish until later down the road. Players will eventually run into her once more at Riverside Teahouse, where she's found conversing with a young woman, Mayrina. The latter is clearly uncomfortable and quite pregnant, while Auntie Ethel attempts to force the young woman to consume a pie.
But then, Ethel notices the player and senses the mind flayer parasite within their head. Shortly after that, Auntie Ethel will offer an accord. She'll help remove the parasite in exchange for something grotesque from the player character.
Should Players Give The Eye To The Witch?
Should the player accept Auntie Ethel's assistance, she requests the player's eye in exchange for removing the parasite. Unfortunately, Ethel will reveal her proper form as the Green Witch. Even worse is, after removing the player's eye, Ethel quickly learns that the parasite is imbued with Netherese shadow magic, which means she cannot remove it. Instead, she inflicts a permanent debuff that prevents the player character from performing critical strikes and endures a significant disadvantage on future perception checks.
So, should players give the witch the eye? Probably not, at least not unless the player wishes to experience the story from a different angle or actively wants a debuff for a challenge run.