Baldur's Gate 3 players discover horrifying environmental storytelling in a blushing mermaid.

Those familiar with the rough and tumble streets of Baldur's Gate will be familiar with the Blushing Mermaid, a rowdy eatery frequented by sailors and other troublesome patrons.

With not many members of the Flaming Fist willing to venture inside, Captain Quenora Grisly and her staff had to find alternative means of maintaining peace within the tavern, no easy task considering its clientele.

Accordingly, you can find a copy of the rules in this bar at Blushing Mermaid. They read as follows:

2. No magic decanters (the only BYOB we support is Break Your Own Bones)

3. Glasses do not bounce.

4. If you hit the floor of a passing server, you will lose the attacking hand.

5. Have fun with your partner somewhere else.

6. You don't have to tip, but it helps make sure you're not an idiot.

7. If it spills, buy it.

8. Drink plenty of water and notify staff if you feel sick or feel unsafe.

9. Adventurers, leave your worries at the door. Bow your head here.

It's a surprisingly wholesome place, especially considering The Blushing Mermaid has a reputation for being a questionable location. I would almost support that place if there wasn't a baby-eating old woman living down there.

No hands allowed

This is the fourth rule we're most interested in, as it relates to a creepy discovery made by Reddit user HeyItsReallyMe. In the pub you'll find the eponymous statue of a blushing mermaid hanging from a fishing net above the main bar. There was actually a severed hand hanging in the net, presumably that of a customer who had broken the mermaid's fourth rule of blushing.

It's not an ideal place to put it, considering the smell of rotting flesh and the potential for liquid to drip onto drinks or patrons, but at least we know that bar staff are taking their anti-harassment policy very seriously. That said, there are also severed feet, which raises questions. What have they done to deserve that?

Blushing Mermaid Interior Baldur's Gate 3

The Blushing Mermaid in Baldur's Gate 3 is a combination of the tavern of the same name from the original Baldur's Gate and another tavern from the original game called Low Lantern (based within a docked ship).

I personally believe Larian included the hand as a nod to pub politics, but it's also possible that Auntie Ethel (who now lives in the basement) or the Murder Tribunal (whose target was one of the customers, Nesha Leesha) were responsible.

Baldur's Gate 3 has a lot of neat little environmental storytelling set-pieces, a testament to the meticulous care that went into fleshing out every location.