The Baldur's Gate 3 Defiled Temple puzzle is one the trickiest I've encountered in my adventures so far. Usually, the game seems to be more about finding creative solutions to problems rather than solving a literal puzzle, so having to sit down and spin some moons into a certain pattern might come as a shock to the system.
You can get to the Defiled Temple through the west side of the Shattered Sanctum in the goblin camp, either after you slaughter them all, or if you want to sneak through the goblin priestess's quarters and avoid her ogre bodyguard. One way to do this is to convince her that you want help removing the Mind Flayer parasite, since she'll let you into her room, then it's just a case of lockpicking the door into the temple itself.
You can also jump over into the goblin priestess quarters to the right of the door if you don't want to talk to her. If you've saved the grove and are heading to Moonrise Towers and act 2, then this puzzle is your quickest bet for getting into the Underdark and making your way there. Whatever path you choose, here's how to solve the moon puzzle you'll find in the Defiled Temple.
How to solve the Moon Puzzle
Once you're inside the Defiled Temple and have snuck past or butchered the goblin priestess's ogre bodyguard, you'll find yourself in a small temple room with a collapsed statue and a series of circular dials on the floor. You'll know you're in the right place because of the mural above the entrance depicting a circle of stars with a pair of eyes at the centre.
Now, to solve the puzzle and progress through the temple, you need to turn the dials in a certain order to create a pattern. When you enter the room, you'll want to head down either staircase to the centre where the dials are, then position yourself with the puzzle in front of you, facing towards the collapsed statue by the plinth, with the other statues on the left and right sides of the room. From here, spin the dials as so:
- Top
- Left
- Right twice
- Bottom three times
- Left twice
This will solve the puzzle and open the way into the Underdark and the Selunite Outpost, progressing the Nightsong quest. If you've decided to head through the Underdark to Moonrise Towers instead of through the treacherous mountain pass, you're now well on your way.
