Throughout the various overarching stories in Baldur's Gate 3, players will inevitably meet and interact with a cast of characters that, over time, will reappear later in the journey. One such character is Zevlor, the Tiefling from Druid Grove, who players will meet relatively on in the game. He's tasked with protecting the Tiefling refugees, despite the Druids forcing everyone to leave.
Following the events unfolding at Druid Grove, Zevlor will eventually leave the safety of the vine-covered gate and journey deeper into the wilds. Later, players will rediscover the protector and even take part in his quest. Be wary, however, because this guide does contain spoilers!
Updated by Brandon Morgan on August 17th, 2023: The guide has been updated to include additional information on what happens to Zevlor should the Druid ritual finish before players deal with the Goblin Camp and Blighted Village.
Where To Find Zevlor
When first arriving at Druid Grove, Zevlor typically hangs around the gate. He's watching for a goblin raid, and players will usually find him near the gate mechanism above. But, as the story progresses, especially after the Tieflings are forced from Emerald Grove, Zevlor will wind up in the Mind Flayer Colony.
The Mind Flayer Colony does not become accessible to the player until they beat Ketheric Thorm in Moonrise Towers. Once this boss fight is complete, follow Thorm through the tower opening by jumping straight down. This opening leads to the Mind Flayer Colony, a small dungeon players will find themselves locked into upon entering.
Preparing ahead of time is essential, as players cannot even return to their campsite once inside!
Once inside the Mind Flayer Colony, start exploring the area. There's a chamber here with several pods, like the one that trapped the player at the beginning of the game. Inside these pods, of course, are victims of the Mind Flayers. There are a few options here. Players can use the nearby control panel to purge every pod or release the victims inside. If the player opts to cleanse the entire room, Zevlor and every imprisoned NPC inside will perish.
Instead, release the prisoners, then tackle the four Mind Flayers that ambush the party. But Fret not; the victims inside the pods will help during combat. They're not overly strong or well-equipped, but they free up the party for flanking strikes while distracting the Mind Flayers.
Following the short-lived battle, speak with Zevlor. He'll explain how he came to be inside a Mind Flayer Colony pod and why he's no longer traveling with the Tieflings.
Deal With Blighted Village First
While the game does not explicitly provide the player with a timer upon interacting with the druids at Druid Grove, there is one running in the background. If the player takes too long to explore the game world in Act 1 or does not defeat the goblins in the Goblin Camp in time, the Druids will continue and finish their ritual to seal off the grove. In doing so, Zevlor and the entire party of refugees will be forced from their safe haven and must travel elsewhere. Sadly, this means a trip through Blighted Village.
If the player did not stop in Blighted Village and deal with the goblin ambush there, Zevlor and his band of refugees will instead run face-first into the confusion, and it does become an absolute mess. Unfortunately, Zevlor doesn't have the same fighting capabilities as the party, and his entire group will perish in the fight. Players can come back later and discover the remains of the refugees.
As such, it's best not to dally too long while exploring and completing side quests in this section of the game. It's typically better to clear Blighted Village and deal with the Goblin Camp, then explore!