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The Dead Three: Psychopathy and Sociopathy

Here's a little psychological analysis of two of our unhinged members of the Dead Three. Delving into character psyches is something I absolutely love. If this isn't your thing, feel free to disregard my rambling! Just some thoughts I've had while working on characterization.

I've seen Orin called a psychopath and Gortash a sociopath, but honestly, it's the other way around. Psychopaths are often born that way, while sociopaths are more shaped by their environments. So, while you'd think a born Bhaalspawn would fit the psychopath mold, Orin really doesn't. Sure, she's remorseless, but her frequent emotional outbursts and reckless, impulsive nature lean more toward sociopathy. Plus, she has a potential trigger in her past—Helena's attempt to murder her when she was young. On the other hand, if anyone fits psychopathic tendencies, it's Gortash. Even his parents admit he was always "off," that something has always been deeply wrong with our little tyrant.

Now, onto the breakdown:

Orin – Sociopathic Traits: highly impulsive, risk-taking, and violent.

Emotional Expression: Orin does experience emotion—rage, jealousy, and whatever else might have been coursing through her before Bhaal transformed her into a spiny creature—whereas psychopaths tend to be more cold and unfeeling.

Close Attachments: Orin was likely once close to the Dark Urge, with much of her behavior seemingly fueled by jealousy over his deepening bond with Gortash. She also appears quite attached to Sarevok, even idolizing him.

Poor Impulse Control: Orin often acts impulsively and recklessly, with little thought to the repercussions.

Violent: I don't think this needs a breakdown. We all know Orin.

Disregard for Law: Raised to defy laws, this trait isn't necessarily a reflection of Orin's antisocial nature—she was simply never brought up to follow society's rules.

Gortash - Psychopathic Traits: Cold, calculating, remorseless.

Psychopaths are not inherently violent.

Lack of regard for the rights and feelings of others: The entire iron throne and steel watch factory.

Feels no shame and has a lack of Guilt and Empathy: Gortash sold Karlach to the Hells without a second thought, despite her loyalty to him, even rationalizing it as "for her own good."

Inability to Form Attachments: Outside of the Dark Urge, he has no genuine relationships. Even with Durge, he manipulates any feelings he may have to serve his own goals.

Psychopaths tend to be successful: That fake charm and manipulation got him to the highest position in Baldur's Gate. He's convinced the masses that he is their savior.

Dishonesty: His name and patriar persona are part of his facade; he only reveals himself as a Flymm when it serves him and makes people think he's "one of them."

Manipulation, Narcissism, Superficial Charm: Gortash embodies these psychopathic traits perfectly.

And Gort has always been this way—you have his parents' admission and Gort's juvenile record, which I suspect occurred prior to his being sold to Raphael.

As for the Dark Urge, their characterization is really up to you. I think Durge simply is. Created, not mortal, it is simply Durge's nature.

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Combining DIA and BG3: Pt 2.

Part two of the ideas for linking DIA and BG3. I think this kind of wraps up changes that can be made to make the events of DIA help to foreshadow what is going on in BG3. A few ideas may be irrelevant to most as they were specifically created with the idea of DiA leading into a tabletop campaign for BG3.

Chapter 1:

Lulu: If players choose to seek out Helsik in Baldur's Gate rather than travel to candlekeep. Lulu gets a small tweak- she never escaped Avernus. Instead, the party finds Lulu helping to rescue the refugees of Elturel (Freeing trapped refugees or perhaps fighting off enemies). Everything else about Lulu's story will remain the same.

Zevlor: There are a couple of options for how Zevlor could be incorporated into DiA. 1) Replace Reya Mantlemorn with Zevlor 2) Have Zevlor engaged in combat and defending the stunned Duke Ravenguard when the party enters the Vault of Ascendance 3) Or if you decide to start the game in Elturel instead of Baldur's Gate, have the party meet him before the fall.

Chapter 2:

*irrelevant for DiA but important to keep in mind if you plan on running Bg3 as a tabletop campaign* The NPC Seltern Obranch belongs to Halsin's druid grove, and he will show up again in the BG3 (tabletop) campaign to speak on behalf of the party and refugees during the ordeal in BG3. (Speaking to Halsin about letting the tieflings shelter at the Grove until they've dealt with the goblin problem. Seltern will catch the players up on grove politics (i.e., Halsin missing and Kagha making a power grab).

Karlach: I'd introduce Karlach in The Battle of Elturel section and single her out as part of the devil legion fighting against the abyssal horde. She won't pop up again until the party finds her near where the Illithid ship crashed.

Chapter 3:

Dammon: Players meet Dammon (tiefling blacksmith) in the Wandering Emporium. Replace the three salamanders with Dammon. He owes Mahadi for assisting with escaping Bel's Forge. The party can try to bargain with Mahadi for Dammon's freedom, OR they can have Dammon be one of the souls snatched up by the Illithid ship.

Chapter 5:

Freeing Elturel: If the party decides not to try and redeem Zariel or fails to do so. Have Raphael appear and offer the party a way to break the chains binding Elturel- The Orphic Hammer. All the party has to do is reclaim one little stolen artifact for him (The Crown of Karsus). It'll give the party a reason to visit the House of Hope later on once they've learned just what the crown is capable of.

The Nautiloid

I think the showdown with Zariel would be a good time to include the Nautiloid crashing through the hells however it best fits your campaign ending.

If players break the chains themselves, the ship's unexpected arrival can be used to distract Zariel. Perhaps it could even pick up the players after they've succeeded in breaking the chains binding Elturel. (You can leave the Zariel fight if players decide to accompany Karlach back to the Hells after the absolute battle.)

Other:

Wyll's pact: If Wyll's hit points fall to 0, either Garguath or Mizora should offer him a pact. Think about it: you can save yourself, and I'll even give you the power you need to save Elturel/your father/your city. Wyll will also offer up his own soul to save a player character or Elturel.

Shield of the Hidden Lord: Finding a way to destroy Garguath or the Shield as a whole could play nicely into Baldur's Gate 3, as it would symbolize putting an end to the violence and corruption that has been synonymous with Baldur's Gate as long as anyone can remember.

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Combining DIA and BG3: Chapter 1, Pt. 1

This post is meant specifically for DM's running DIA and would like the campaign to give hints about the events that occur during BG3.

Captian Zodge: The captain is already lawful evil and looking to move up to a leadership position within the fist. This NPC rewrites himself. Zodge is secretly a Banite working for Gortash.

Introduce Wyll: Like EA Wyll, he is a member of the Flaming Fist. Wyll reports to Captain Zodge. Though you can ditch his EA angst, he can be his lovely good-boy self. Wyll is a member of the Fist because Ravenguard believed it would toughen Wyll up. Ulder is a hardass who believes his son is too soft and needs tough love. Let Wyll join the party in helping to deal with the Dead Three cultists causing chaos in the city. Until Wyll agrees to a devil's pact, his class should be a fighter. After learning about the events in Elturel, Wyll is determined to save his father and is appalled by how officials are handling the refugees. PRISON BREAK! If you want to expand on Reya Mantlemorn's story, Wyll would be willing to help the party infiltrate Wyrm's Rock and free Reya's friends.

Alternative informant: Gortash and Thurstwell Vanthampur are working together. Thurstwell knows his mother plans on choosing his younger brother as the successor rather than him, so he helps Gortash plan her downfall so he can assume her place as a Duke. The informant is a maid for the Vanthampurs who tells the party of her employer's strange meetings.

The Dead Three cultists are low-level initiates without knowledge about the cut's grander plans. They're just pawns The Chosen are using to give the illusion that The Cult of The Dead Three has been dealt with to make it all the more dramatic for the rise of The Absolute Cultists. If you enjoy drama, you can allow the party to interrogate them. When the cultist starts to provide any actual information about the cult, such as mentioning Candulhallow's Tombstones or part of a name, they will only manage to utter part of the information before blood begins to pour out of their mouths. They've chewed off their own tongue.

Gortash's Motivation: Gortash is allowing his banites to help Thalamara pretty much for the same reasons she's doing it. It serves the larger Absolute plot for 1) the city to believe they've weeded out the Dead Three Cultists, 2) to make the Dukes and Flaming Fist look bad, 3) She set herself up for Gortash to betray her and come out looking like a good dude with the city's best interests at heart, 4) He can be rid of Ravenguard's brat by sending him on some wild goose chase to save his father.

Candlekeep is optional: Have an NPC, perhaps Thurstwell or someone sent by Gortash, tell the party of a diabolist within Baldur's Gate who specializes in planar travel and all things infernal. Helsik will take a particular interest in the shield found in the Vanthampur estate. Use it as the bargaining chip for information and passage to the hells. If the party doesn't want to part with the shield, choose a suitable price for her services or have her request that the party recover an artifact from Avernus for her. It is up to the DMs discretion whether or not she offers them any information about the shield. Helsik is very self-serving. The highest bidder is pretty much Helsik's only concern. If the shield gives her a good reason to do so, she would be willing to lie to the party about its nature while providing information on how Garguath can be released.

Candlekeep: I'm not too fond of the true nature of the shield being immediately given away. The party can learn about the shield, but it will take Sylvira an extra day or two to research the artifact. It's up to you if you remind your pc's that time is a factor in the Hells situation. If the party chooses to stay, running a session from Candlekeep's Mysteries is always a good choice, or letting them research the Hells and its history. In my campaign, I also included that if Sylvira comes in physical contact with the shield during this investigation, Garguath will attempt to charm her. If he succeeds, Sylvira will tell the players about the shield but stick to Garguath's lie about being celestial.

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The Emperor is an Illithid and nothing more. It is no longer Balduran.

1) The Emperor is the one who kidnaps and tadpoles you. Why would The Chosen go through the effort of creating a whole fake god and discreetly tadpoling people, only to then choose to fly a Mindflayer ship throughout the realms and abduct people? They wouldn't. It's stupid and undermines everything they've worked for. Durge is really the only one who can actually blame The Chosen for having been tadpoled, but I mean its mostly karma.

2) The Emperor is the only thing standing between you and ceremorphosis—also, manipulative BS. The prism only keeps you from being subjected to the hive mind. Orpheus's power is the equivalent of a ring of mind shielding, preventing you from being subjected to the elder brain’s psionic powers. The only thing that works is telepathy; even then, you can sever the connection. It is not what is preventing your transformation. The tadpoles were specifically altered not to transform the infected. The Emperor is not doing anything. The idea that he is forcing Orpheus to use his powers to protect you is another form of manipulation (I mean, how exactly would he be doing so? The prism prevents the use of mind flayer abilities). It's just an innate side effect of Orpheus being trapped inside, hence why it messes with Minthara’s ability to commune with the absolute in Act 1. I know Minsc’s thing is a contradiction to this, but honestly, what in the game doesn't eventually contradict itself?).

But in the Emperor fight, you become a mindflayer if he dies. It's a railroad. There was likely an alternative scenario that never got finished. Like everything else in Act 3 that wasn't completed (Uppercity), becoming a mindflayer is just the excuse they use to explain why x can't happen. I don't think that anything in Act 3 provides a strong argument against theories about what's likely going on in the game. The entire act is pretty much a jigsaw puzzle where a child forces the pieces to fit, whether they belong there or not.

Circling back to the whole transforming into an Illithid thing. If you play as Durge, the brain tells you it lured you to it because it knew you would free it. Up until you've defeated The Chosen, the brain wants you to be free-willed. It would have only ordered your transformation if: 1) You were allying with The Chosen 2) Your task was completed. I think it is the Emperor who makes you feel as if you're transforming. In the Mindbreaker comics (which introduces the Absolute), the mindflayer cultists are capable of infiltrating the minds of the adventurers and inducing hallucinations of their greatest fears.

3) Ansur. Balduran is definitely lying about how Ansur died. It seems likely that he is the one who killed Ansur in his sleep. This is suggested by the fact that Ansur was found in his lair in dragon form and that Ansur called The Emperor a coward. Additionally, The Emperor had been an Illithid for many years before Ansur rescued him. Ansur wasn't trying to kill him because he was transforming; he was going to kill him because his behavior was that of an Illithid.

4) The Emperor probably isn't feeding on criminals as he claims. The Knights of Shield are not a noble organization. Their goal is to infiltrate cities and operate as a shadow government. They're the evil equivalent of The Harpers.

5) The Emperor isn't helping save Baldur’s Gate out of some sense of nobility. It is self-serving and nothing more. I can't fault him there, but also, he really shouldn't get points for it either. And again you can't really claim he's helping save you when he is the reason the companions and Tav are infected to begin with.

Really he's pretty much an Illithid version of Durge (Except that there is a possibility Durge actually feels something about what he has done whereas you are and won’t ever be more than a means to an end with The Emperor).

Not to say you shouldn't side with him. Orpheus is rather horrible too, but I suppose Lae’zel gets a better ending out of it. And that's kind of the point of it all - no choice you make in the game is perfect. There is no clear-cut good or evil when it comes to who you choose to side with, just different shades of gray albeit rather dark shades of gray a lot of the time.

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Building on the alternate Wyll backstory of him having gone to Avernus to save the Gate and rescue his father…

I'm a bit obsessed with Wyll swearing an Oath to Ansur and becoming a Paladin. Wyll is still undergoing a transformation, but rather than the whole him becoming a tiefling thing, Wyll has patches of bronze dragon scales, similar to what Draconic Sorcerers have, to signify his bond and pact with Ansur. There really needed to be more to the Ansur storyline than The Emperor making it all about him again. It was a missed opportunity to not give Wyll his dragon and let Ansur have a satisfying end, stopping the Illithid threat and the parasite with his friend's memories. Let Ansur’s spirit guide Wyll and together be the defenders of the Gate.

The Emperor gives me Donkey (Shrek) vibes… interrupting every major event. Just sit in your prism and be quiet, buddy. If I could be rid of him before the final act, I would, but unfortunately, the Astral Prism is also infected with a parasite.

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Gale of Waterdeep

Hmm. After reading the Mindbreaker's comic. It is pretty clear that they had to use magic to enhance the tadpoles (beyond just the crown) to 1) prevent ceremorphosis 2) to prevent the removal of said tadpoles.

So, to make Gale's backstory a little more story-relevant, he could instead be the mage the cult captures to enhance the tadpoles. Have Elminster pop up at the bridge and request the party assist in rescuing him from the cult. The group discovers him underneath Moonrise, being held in one of the pods.

Gale is the current Chosen of Mystra and her lover. Mystra tasks him with assisting the group with stopping the Absolute and recovering the Crown of Karsus so it can be sealed away. Gale gets it in his head that he could instead reforge the crown and ascend to Godhood, where he can be with Mystra as an equal. There is no orb; one companion with a built-in self-destruct button is more than enough.

I don't accept that Mystra groomed Gale. I will acknowledge their relationship had a power imbalance but that's it. In terms of the canon, Mystra wasn't even revived until DR 1479 (putting Gale in his 20s). The revived Mystra is now some amalgamation of Midnight and all past Mystras. While I acknowledge some of the previous Mystras were terrible, I refuse to assassinate Midnight’s character in such a way and say she would remain idle while one of the others used their shared being to carry on such a relationship.

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Me who doesn't write 6 out of the 7 days of the week:

*Suppose to be prepping for DnD tonight*

Sorry, writing snippets about the blorbos i’ll get to it.

I mean I have concepts of a plan. It'll be fiiiiine. I'm sure. I mean DnD is like 80% on the fly anyways.

Also, I think the solution to writers block is to give me something more important I'm suppose to be doing so I can write as a means of procrastination.

Oh what I wouldn't do for a brain that's capable of being productive in a non-destructive way. Poductive procrastination is literally the only flavor my productivity comes in.

Preps for DnD to avoid coursework. Works on my fic to avoid DnD prep.

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BG3 Prequel

For anyone interested in my research rabbit hole, I've found there are actually comics about the whole Absolute plot! It's called Dungeons and Dragons: Mindbreaker and is a prequel to BG3 taking place between the events of DIA and the game and includes the lovely Minsc and Boo and his friends.

I'll finally have a canon answer to what's up with Minsc and whether or not it actually makes sense that he was present during BG3.

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I've somehow talked myself into having Wyll be a second main POV in the fic that covers the BG3 events. Gotta make up for the fact that Wyll really should have been the main character on a non-Durge run. I just think Wyll and Durge mirror each other in such interesting ways. An evil character attempting to figure out what the right thing to do is while lacking any moral compass, and a good man trying to let his moral compass guide him while fighting off the corrupting influence of the shield. I love the idea of both of them realizing that they don't need to rely on an evil source of power, that their strength is their own, and watching them choose to carve a path for themselves instead of following the one their respective fathers paved for them.

*DIA spoilers*

I'm committed to the idea of Wyll being bound to the Shield of the Hidden Lord now. The corrupting influence of the shield is subtle and not immediately obvious. The shield proved invaluable numerous times in Avernus, and it helped Wyll come to his senses about Karlach. It has an ulterior motive, of course. Having Karlach in the party ensures Zariel will continue to send devils after them, devils who may be capable of freeing Garguath. It's because Wyll possesses the shield, and it's corrupting the minds of those nearby that the druids chose to complete the rite of thorns. The voice told the little tiefling girl to steal the idol and whispered to Kagha that an example needed to be made. The shield is feeding off the fear of those around and is essentially playing the devil on everyone's shoulder. While Wyll can at first delude himself into believing that the shield can be used for good in the right hands, he's doing the right thing by keeping the shield out of the hands of those who'd use it for evil. It becomes harder to continue to do so when the corruption manifests physically (Some ridges, bumps, and prongs; claws and elongated canines; and finally, a set of horns). He's provided an easy solution, with Raphael offering to take it off his hands and reverse all those devilish traits he's acquired. If Wyll declines for the right reasons, that Raphael's hands are the precise hands he's trying to keep the shield from -he's eventually drawn to the Temple of Helm in Baldur's Gate, where he receives a vision of what to do with a shield. His arc wraps up with Helm accepting him as a true paladin, and Wyll can either decide to stay and pick back up on the path his father set or to set out on his own path.

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Just spitballing ideas

It's a shame Act 3 got cut as much as it did. Kind of feels like in order to create a coherent story around the events, you have to either cut out certain characters or rewrite significant parts of their backstories, as some are left unfinished.

Gale. Given his current backstory, I can't find a good reason to justify Gale's presence. Stuck on whether there is a good way to reframe his story and make him more relevant or to cut him out entirely. It seems like his sole purpose is to test if players will choose the easy way out and sacrifice him; there is a bit more substance to his story on a romanced route, but still. It's a shame because, while I'm not certain about the current iteration of Mystra, however in the past, she's always come off as quite the schemer and meddler. She could have been a real pain for The Dead Three. Maybe I can shift Gale as the antagonist Pre-Bg3 and have him act as Mystra's chosen and try to prevent Durge and Gortash from using the crown in the first place. His struggle could be the same as it is now, whether to surrender the crown to Mystra or use the crown himself as a path to ascend to godhood. I dunno he'll remain on the drawing board for now.

*Spoilers for DIA below*

Karlach doesn't get much of an ending, and Zariel is never explored further than she's sent some lackeys after Karlach in Act 1. I kind of think Karlach should have been sold to Mephistophles instead of Zariel. Mephistopheles created the hellfire engines in the first place, and given his nature, I could see him agreeing to such a proposal out of sheer curiosity. As for tying Zariel in, during DIA, have Zariel ask for Mephistophles' help crafting a weapon to help her in the blood war. Karlach could absolutely be the weapon Mephistopheles gives Zariel.

Wyll. Mizora serves no purpose, and poor Wyll gets no character arc throughout BG3. It might fit better to have Raphael as his patron. Raphael is well aware of Gortash's plans for the Crown of Karsus during the events of DIA. Raphael could offer Wyll the power he needs to save his father from Avernus in exchange for a later favor with the assurance that no innocents will be harmed. Or heck, give him the Shield of the Hidden Lord from DIA and let him play pretend at Paladin (Defender of the Gate) when he is more of a warlock, with the shield gaining more influence on him the longer it's in his possession. I mean, the Pit Fiend sealed in the shield lies to whoever wields it and claims to be a celestial warning that a secret organization is after the shield because they don't want it to be used for good. Let his story end with taking a leadership position within the Flaming Fist or the council and seeing the Flaming Fist become an actual city watch instead of just bought mercenaries.

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Honestly Carl is forever my inspiration for Durge. *Chops off Gale’s hand*

What’s the matter with you?

Well I kill people and I eat hands so that's two things.

I think a lot of my love for the humor of The Dark Urge can be traced back to my love of Llamas With Hats.

"My belly was making the rumblies... that only hands could satisfy"

"Probably because I'm a dangerous sociopath with a long history of violence"

"That is what forgiveness sounds like. Screaming, and then silence."

"I'm making a meat dragon, and not just any meat will do."

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Headcanon: Call me 'Lord' Gortash

In DIA, it mentions Lutecia Hhune, who is searching for a lost heir to prevent her siblings from inheriting the fortune. The librarian she hired to investigate is corrupt and accepting bribes. Enver could potentially forge a false connection to the Hhune family. I think he would make a very believable Hhune - he possesses the intelligence, ruthlessness, and business know-how to pull it off. We all know how Enver likes charming little old ladies out of their valuables. This could also be a clever way for him to infiltrate and push the Knights of the Shield out of Baldur's Gate, as the Hhune family has strong ties with the group.

On an unrelated note: I believe Enver's family most likely originates from Calimshan or Tethyr.

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Procrastination

The scent of Enver Gortash's workshop clung to him like a second skin - the unmistakable tang of molten iron and the acrid bite of hellfire mingling with engine oil. It was the oppressive scent of industry and damnation.

Perhaps it's just me, but I've gone a step past using playlists to procrastinate from actually writing and distract myself by finding scents that remind me of the characters.

Enver's official scent is rosewood and vanilla, which he wears to blend with the Patriars. However, I imagine Gortash often smelled like his workshop for much of his alliance with The Dark Urge.

So, for anyone who is as delusional as I am, the workshop scent is called Brimstone by Lovesickwitchery, and his more sophisticated scent is The Historian by TheLittleBookEater.

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I think I've finally settled on a replacement for Viconia and a new backstory that builds on her endings in 'Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal.' Instead of Viconia, the Mother Superior in BG3 will be her and Abdel's daughter, Valasiira DeVir.

Raised in the Church of Shar after her mother's assassination, Valasiira was led to believe a servant of Lolth was responsible for her mother's death, and only Shar's protection saved her from the same fate. In truth, however, Viconia's assassination was ordered by Shar and carried out by her followers.

Abdel remains completely unaware of Valasiira's existence, as he and Viconia parted ways during the events of Throne of Bhaal. Afterward, Viconia founded a cult dedicated to Shar in Waterdeep. However, her increasing paranoia and fear of betrayal drove her to massacre her entire following. In the aftermath, Viconia fled with Valasiira, moving them from one place to another, desperately searching for a safe haven for them both. But for a drow, such refuge was hard to find, and eventually, her enemies caught up with her.

Reading far too much into things pt. 8: Retcons upon retcons

I've been slowly working through the old games and related campaigns in a painstaking attempt to make sense of some of the older characters mentioned in BG3 and better align the in-game events with the previous canon. It's a work in process and open to discussion.

Jaheira: Her story seems fine, honestly. Seemed fairly in character for her and leagues better than the drivel she was portrayed as in the novels. Protect me, Abdel. I'm a helpless waif afraid of spiders. [Having suffered through the novels, I cannot stand Abdel.]

Minsc: I can't see any reason why he should be in BG3 or how to make it make sense. In the comics, Minsc is last seen with Delina and their friends taking down Zariel, and as we know, the events of DIA coincide with the events of BG3. Not to mention that Minsc fell into the River Styx and lost his memories, so he wouldn't remember Jaheira anyway. If they really wanted him in-game, he should be in the Grove with the tieflings. We could have laughed as Jaheira tried to remind this oaf of who he was- and I would not envy anyone that task.

Sarevok: I can see his story, especially if you've read the novels. Abdel brings him back to life and then tells him to kick rocks, even after Sarevok saves him from being obliterated by Abazigal. Sure, he was happy to be alive initially, but it's been over 100 years, and his existence is kind of miserable. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't eat. The only person who ever loved him is dead, and he can only blame himself. He has to watch Abdel play hero and become the Grand Duke and beloved by Baldur's Gate while he is forgotten and all those who remember the name Sarevok hate him. I can see him pathetically and delusionally pretending to live a fake life with one of the doppelgangers, who he forces to take the form of Tamako. And as for him not being pro-Bhaal. He doesn't have to be. Sarevok desires power, and as bitter as he has every reason to be about how life worked out for him, I could see him accepting Bhaal. It doesn't mean he has to be a drooling fanatic. In the game, he worked against The Dark Urge and Orin, trying to bring about their failure and deaths. It's an easy retcon to say that instead of wanting to be Bhaal's chosen, he saw The Dark Urge's Absolute plot as another opportunity to achieve godhood and took it. I mean, what does he have to lose? Helena, the child he doted on, is gone (Which is completely Bhaal's fault), and he's just left with the lost little lamb who doesn't realize she's destined for the slaughter.

The temple of Bhaal: I'm with Orin on this one. I'm going to blame the state of the temple on Durge. I think the chaotic alignment of Durge and the church directly reflects Durge's attempt to rebuild Bhaal's following by allowing whatever riff-raff gets flushed into their sewers. It's well established that Bhaal is in a vulnerable state at the moment, and the temple's prime focus is on restoring Bhaal's power. I think Durge is just resorting to whatever methods necessary to achieve that, pandering to the raving psychopaths, cannibals, and pretty much anyone who would or could be persuaded under the right circumstances to murder in Bhaal's name.

Bhaal: I want to circle back to this after the Moonshae trilogy, but my impression of Bhaal from his brief depiction in the Avatar series was that he was shockingly reasonable. Certainly a far-cry from his current depiction in BG3. I kind of headcanon that Bhaal is a lot more hands-off and what we're mostly seeing in BG3 is the result of Sarevok and The Dark Urge.

Viconia: I don't know enough about Viconia to come up with a more lore-accurate retcon at the moment. Possibly being allied with Ketheric and helping with the recruitment of Drow? Or they could have gone the Star Wars route and had The Dark Urge be the offspring of Viconia and Abdel.

Shadowheart: I felt like Shadowheart's storyline with Viconia was just a lame attempt to justify her having the Astral Prism, and it is totally unnecessary. It is far more reasonable to say she went to undergo the rites to become a Dark Justiciar, was captured by the cultists, and shipped off on the nautiloid, the same as Durge.

Astral Prism: There really didn't need to be a whole other storyline besides the Absolute tricking Gortash into sending The Emperor on a mission to retrieve the prism and tricking Thorm into sending The Dark Urge off on that same nautiloid. The Emperor succeeded in retrieving the prism, released The Dark Urge from his pod, and left the Astral Prism where Durge would find it, just as the Absolute planned. In a Tav playthrough, sure, place the prism with Shart. She isn't sure what it does but has a feeling it's important. It's not some holy mission; it's just The Emperor and the Brain seeking out the person with the best chance at taking down The Chosen.

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Someone mentioned the patch… The patch you say. I suppose I can roll out of bed in the name of villainy.

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Headcanon: Retcons upon retcons

I've been slowly working through the old games and related campaigns in a painstaking attempt to make sense of some of the older characters mentioned in BG3 and better align the in-game events with the previous canon. It's a work in process and open to discussion.

Jaheira: Her story seems fine, honestly. Seemed fairly in character for her and leagues better than the drivel she was portrayed as in the novels. Protect me, Abdel. I'm a helpless waif afraid of spiders. [Having suffered through the novels, I cannot stand Abdel.]

Minsc: So Minsc was indeed involved in fighting the Absolute threat before BG3. Minsc and friends discover a cult that is infecting people with Mindflayer powers. They pursue the cult, which leads to Coran and Krydle being arrested and imprisoned beneath the high hall, where they are infected with Illithid tadpoles, and Delina is kidnapped. The Illithid in charge of this group of cultists tries to use Delina's powers to connect with the Mindbreaker. It's never specified what it is, but in the comics, Delina opens a portal with the elder brain on the other side, so pretty sure it's just what the illithid was calling the brain. Coran becomes Illithid and is killed by Krydle; Krydle finds Minsc and the rest of their group and returns to rescue Delina. Because of the tadpole, Krydle can use the psychic link to track the cultists. Delina is rescued, a devil removes Krydle's tadpole, and the group kills the Illithid and assumes everything is all hunky dory crisis averted.

So, implications for what this means in the events of BG3: 1) The comic occurs before Gortash has figured out how to prevent ceremorphosis. It also suggests that Gortash found some way to protect against the tadpole being removed. 2) Minsc still has no memories. The whole Stonelord thing could have happened well, but it should be DoppleDelina ordering Minsc around, not Jaheira. 3) It kind of throws off the Durge timeline. It really does not make sense for The Dark Urge to have been infected immediately after crowning the brain because what is preventing his transformation? One idea is that the brain itself is preventing the Durge's transformation because it plans for The Dark Urge to free it from the other chosen. What is preventing the removal of his tadpole? If a devil could remove a tadpole, shouldn't the hag have also been able to? So it could be that Durge has two tadpoles, the one Orin implanted and the perfected tadpole implanted by Kressa. Or the more likely scenario is that Orin never implanted the tadpole. Orin attacks Durge and leaves him for dead. Kressa finds him and patches him up, but he is essentially in a coma. Durge is the first subject for the perfected tadpoles, and to her surprise, he awakens following the implantation of the tadpole. Orin is genuinely surprised to learn her Bloodkin is alive. The only one not shocked is Ketheric, who discovers that Kressa has The Urge squirreled away in the colony and has been using him for experiments. The brain manipulates Ketheric to ensure that The Urge is on the Illithid ship with the emperor. After all, we don't want him stowed away somewhere Gortash might accidentally find him.

Sarevok: I can see his story, especially if you've read the novels. Abdel brings him back to life and then tells him to kick rocks, even after Sarevok saves him from being obliterated by Abazigal. Sure, he was happy to be alive initially, but it's been over 100 years, and his existence is kind of miserable. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't eat. The only person who ever loved him is dead, and he can only blame himself. He has to watch Abdel play hero and become the Grand Duke and beloved by Baldur's Gate while he is forgotten and all those who remember the name Sarevok hate him. I can see him pathetically and delusionally pretending to live a fake life with one of the doppelgangers, who he forces to take the form of Tamako. And as for him not being pro-Bhaal. He doesn't have to be. Sarevok desires power, and as bitter as he has every reason to be about how life worked out for him, I could see him accepting Bhaal. It doesn't mean he has to be a drooling fanatic. In the game, he worked against The Dark Urge and Orin, trying to bring about their failure and deaths. It's an easy retcon to say that instead of wanting to be Bhaal's chosen, he saw The Dark Urge's Absolute plot as another opportunity to achieve godhood and took it. I mean, what does he have to lose? Helena, the child he doted on, is gone (Which is completely Bhaal's fault), and he's just left with the lost little lamb who doesn't realize she's destined for the slaughter.

The temple of Bhaal: I'm with Orin on this one. I'm going to blame the state of the temple on Durge. I think the chaotic alignment of Durge and the church directly reflects Durge's attempt to rebuild Bhaal's following by allowing whatever riff-raff gets flushed into their sewers. It's well established that Bhaal is in a vulnerable state at the moment, and the temple's prime focus is on restoring Bhaal's power. I think Durge is just resorting to whatever methods necessary to achieve that, pandering to the raving psychopaths, cannibals, and pretty much anyone who would or could be persuaded under the right circumstances to murder in Bhaal's name.

Bhaal: I want to circle back to this after the Moonshae trilogy, but my impression of Bhaal from his brief depiction in the Avatar series was that he was shockingly reasonable. Certainly a far-cry from his current depiction in BG3. I kind of headcanon that Bhaal is a lot more hands-off and what we're mostly seeing in BG3 is the result of Sarevok and The Dark Urge.

Viconia: Instead of Viconia, the Mother Superior in BG3 will be Valasiira DeVir, her and Abdel's daughter. Raised in the Church of Shar after her mother's assassination, Valasiira was led to believe a servant of Lolth was responsible for her mother's death, and only Shar's protection saved her from the same fate. In truth, however, Viconia's assassination was ordered by Shar and carried out by her followers.

Valasiira became a devoted follower of Shar and the Mother Superior of a Sharran enclave in Baldur's Gate. She and her followers ambushed a Selunite family during the coming-of-age ritual for their half-elven daughter, Jenevelle Hallowleaf. The parents were captured and imprisoned, while the girl was renamed Shadowheart and raised as a cleric of Shar. In DR 1492, Valasiira sent Shadowheart into the Shadowcursed lands to undergo the rites to become a Dark Justiciar and return to accept her destined place as Shar's chosen.

Shadowheart: I felt like Shadowheart's storyline with Viconia was just a lame attempt to justify her having the Astral Prism, and it is totally unnecessary. It is far more reasonable to say she went to undergo the rites to become a Dark Justiciar, was captured by the cultists, and shipped off on the nautiloid, the same as Durge.

Astral Prism: There really didn't need to be a whole other storyline besides the Absolute tricking Gortash into sending The Emperor on a mission to retrieve the prism and tricking Thorm into sending The Dark Urge off on that same nautiloid. The Emperor succeeded in retrieving the prism, released The Dark Urge from his pod, and left the Astral Prism where Durge would find it, just as the Absolute planned. In a Tav playthrough, sure, place the prism with Shart. She isn't sure what it does but has a feeling it's important. It's not some holy mission; it's just The Emperor and the Brain seeking out the person with the best chance at taking down The Chosen.

[saltieststar]

I feel like soooo many of the 'good' choices are completely illogical and yet forced on you. Such as taking in Yenna and Arabella. Especially in a Durge playthrough. Sure, I'm only prone to spontaneously murdering people in my sleep, but why not leave all the orphans in my care?

Not to mention the fact Orin could infiltrate the camp at any moment, oh, and a Vampire Lord and the entire Church of Shar are also hunting us. But it'll be fiiiine.

Another thing that I dislike about BG3 is how the Narrator is like "hey you don't have to do this, the evil choice that is, this is time to not commit to this choice, come on don't do it, play the game the way writers and devs want you to, make the not-evil-choice/talk your friend out making the evil choice we don't actually want you playing the game this way" when it comes to playing as a origin character, and the companions quests.