When you start in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will be aboard the Nautiloid and this is where your very first quest called Escape The Nautiloid begins.
During the quest you will come across a thrall that has the top part of his head removed, which reveals his brain but something weird is going on because it begins to call out.
This is where you can free the Intellect Devourer which is simply named “Us” and saving this creature can be a turning point at the beginning of the game.
Where to find Us (Intellect Devourer)?
The Intellect Devourer named Us can be found as you go through the Sphincter (Doorway) leading to the next room in the Nautiloid.
If you head up the ramp to the left of the ship from the starting point of view, you will see a ramp and may head up it to reach a man named Myrnath, who seems to have been operated on.
Interacting with Myrnath will allow you to start a cutscene where you get the chance to free Us from Myrnath’s dead body with certain Skill Checks.
How To Free Us from Myrnath’s Body?
During the cutscene, you will eventually get to choose between destroying the brain or to continue conversing with it.
This will lead you to choose between more options which include Investigation, Strength, and Dexterity, which will allow you to release Us from Myrnath’s body.
Investigating the brain will give you an additional option (Medicine) and you will still have Strength and Dexterity to use to extract the brain.
Choosing from the available Skill Checks will allow you to remove the brain and afterward, you can choose to spare or mutilate it.
Sparing the brain will allow Us to form into an Intellect Devourer, who will now be a part of your party until later.
Why You Should Save Us The Intellect Devourer?
Saving the Intellect Devourer will provide you with an additional member of your team, which will later have Lae’zel and Shadowheart.
This will give you a better chance of escaping the Nautiloid and will be a big help when it comes to fighting Commander Zhalk if you plan on getting the Everburn Blade.
Obtaining the Everburn Blade can be done by defeating Commander Zhalk but most players often skip this and try to escape since the enemies are tough.
This is why the extra damage from Us (Intellect Devourer) plays a big role as you can defeat enemies quicker and deal more damage to the commander.
Verdict
Us appears to be a friendly Intellect Devourer but will turn on you if you become hostile to it or its brethren as you make your way to the helm.
If Us survives the whole ordeal, the ship will eventually crash after one of your parties reaches the Transponder on the ship, but the fate of the creature is unknown afterward.
While saving the Intellect Devourer is optional, this creature plays a big part in helping you escape the Nautiloid if you manage to remove it from Myrnath’s body.