Your adventures from Act I up to Act III will have you encounter a Strange Ox, who miraculously always ends up where you are.
For some reason, this Strange Ox survives everything that has happened and once confronted in Act III, this slightly rude creature ends up asking for your help.
Revealed later to be a Devilish Ox, this creature needs help getting into Baldur’s Gate, specifically the Lower City.
Strange Ox Location in Act III
You may find the Strange Ox inside of the haybarn located at the south of Rivington, which is near the Requisitioned Barn.
The path leading to the Strange Ox is easy to follow and you won’t have any trouble getting inside as the doors are not locked. (Keep in mind, the Strange Ox will only be there if it survives Act I and II)
How To Help The Devilish Ox?
You can start a conversation with the Strange Ox by interacting with it and this will cause it to utter the words “Hm. No. Incapable.”
Choosing the right dialogue will result in the Strange Ox asking for your help, while other choices may result in it attacking you, revealing its true form. (Giant Ooze Creature)
You can get the Strange Ox to show you some of its visions, but further questioning will make it transformed and become hostile.
To get the Strange Ox to ask you for help, you should avoid trying to force it to reveal what it truly is and just leave things as they are.
If you decide to leave, the Strange Ox will then ask for your help and decide to turn into a Strange Apple, which you will need to bring to the Lower City. (Begins Help The Devilish Ox quest)
Pick up the Strange Apple and continue progressing with your quests or make your way straight to the Lower City past Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.
The moment you enter the area of the Lower City, the Strange Apple will disappear, and the Help The Devilish Ox quest will be completed.
How To Reach The Lower City?
The Lower City is accessible once you have gotten inside of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress and once you are there, you can cross the drawbridge on the other side.
This leads you to the entrance to the Lower City, which is where the Strange Ox needs to go and will eventually arrive thanks to you smuggling it.
What Happens If You Attack or Annoy The Strange Ox?
Should you decide to attack the Strange Ox or continue to ask questions that it does not want to answer, it will turn into a Level 9 Ooze and attack you.
Rewards For Smuggling The Strange Ox
Upon arriving at the Lower City, the Strange Apple will disappear, and you will receive a Slightly Slimy Note and the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring.
This also provides you with another ally that will appear in the fight against the Elder Brain, which will be the Ooze that you just helped.
Verdict
It seems that the Devilish Ox (Strange Ox) has been through quite a lot of mayhem after it showed you what was on its mind.
Attacking the Strange Ox may not be the best choice as it would be better to have as many allies as possible when fighting the Elder Brain.
You can keep the Strange Apple in your inventory as long as you like and will be able to complete the quest once you first step foot in the Lower City.