#about: valtheris the red

[tiamatsfavored]

VALTHERIS THE RED, Tiamat's Chosen, “Blade of the Dragon Queen”, TRUE SOUL

⸻ BACKSTORY: He was raised in Tiamat’s Fortress in Avernus, and trained in both battle and diplomacy, often negotiating with devils on her behalf. Recognizing the potential of the Dragon Cult and its leader, Severin Silrajin, he traveled to the material plane in his beguiling humanoid form, posing as Tiamat’s Chosen. While they shared the goal of bringing Tiamat to the material realm, Valtheris also reveled in the Cult’s adoration and worship.

⸻ RISE OF TIAMAT: Valtheris sees himself as the rightful leader of the Dragon Cult, driven by a fervent desire to liberate Tiamat from Avernus and usher her into the material realm. He seduced Severin, manipulating him to enact his often self-serving commands, including demands for tribute from the cult. Moreover, he uses his charm to sway influential figures, bending them to the Cult's agenda.

After Tiamat's defeat, the Zhentarim took Valtheris prisoner. They bound him to his humanoid form. Valtheris became their slave, used for entertainment or as their guard dog, and his beloved Queen Tiamat has seemingly abandoned him. 

⸻ RISE OF THE ABSOLUTE / BALDUR’S GATE III: In 1492, Valtheris was infected with a True Soul Tadpole and liberated from the clutches of the Zhentarim. Now, he is a devout disciple of the Absolute.

Despite his unwavering devotion, Tiamat remained silent during his torment, so he has readily embraced the Absolute as his new Queen and Goddess; she has offered him the chance to reclaim his former glory… and ascend even higher.

He is particularly fond of True Soul Nere (his favorite toy/lover) and terribly jealous of the Dark Urge.

⸻ COMPANION QUEST: Just an outline. Most is up to discussion to fit our plot!

Recruiting him: You can meet Val in the dungeons of Moonrise Towers, where he takes great pleasure in tormenting a prisoner. He will ask about Nere and what happened at Grymforge; depending on your in-game choices, you may have to convince him that you sided with Nere (Persuasion Check: 15). Even if you pass the persuasion check, he will later appear at your camp if you killed Nere, holding a companion hostage because he discovered the truth. To prevent him from killing the companion (and possibly everyone in the camp), the player can try to reveal the truth about the Absolute (Persuasion Check: 30 / with Minthara: 18). If you sided with Nere and discover that Balthazar has turned him into a zombie, you will meet him near the Mausoleum as he searches for his Drow lover pet. You can explain what happened - Valtheris will seek vengeance. Of course, he won't admit to anyone, least of all himself, how much he cared about Nere; he justifies his thirst for revenge by stating that no one has the right to mess with his belongings. Once again, you can reveal the truth about the Absolute and have him join you (Persuasion Check: 15 / with Minthara: 10).

Breaking his Curse: Arriving in Baldur's Gate, you stumble upon a potential solution to break the curse that binds him to his humanoid form. The method and whether you're the only one to know about it is something to be discussed!

Betraying the party: This depends on our plot, but as far as the main BG3 storyline goes, he will try to betray the party and the Emperor to become the Absolute himself. He is power-hungry, thirsty for vengeance (even against Tiamat!), definitely not a good guy, and he has lost a lot. Once again, this may vary, but to convince him to see reason, the player has to roll a 30 in persuasion.

⸻ CHARACTER SHEET

Basic Information

Name: Valtheris / Chosen of Tiamat / Blade of the Dragon Queen / True Soul Valtheris

Race: Red Dragon (Adult)

Class: Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline duh) 10 / Paladin (Oath of Conquest) 3 / Fighter 4

Background: Cultist / Tiamat’s Consort

Level: 17

Height: 6.7 ft / 2m

Age: 120 years

Gender: Male

Languages: Common, Undercommon, Draconic, Infernal, Elvish

Abilities

Strength: 20 (+5)

Dexterity: 14 (+2)

Constitution: 18 (+4)

Intelligence: 14 (+2)

Wisdom: 12 (+1)

Charisma: 20 (+5)

HP: 170

AC: 18 (without buffs) DRAGON FORM STATS

Strength: 27 (+8)

Dexterity: 10 (+0)

Constitution: 25 (+7)

Intelligence: 16 (+3)

Wisdom: 13 (+1)

Charisma: 21 (+5)

AC: 19 (without buffs)

HP: 256

He can’t transform into a dragon during the events of Baldur’s Gate III (unless he finds a way to break the curse that binds him to his humanoid form). 

Proficiencies

Skills: Deception (+11), Persuasion (+11), Intimidation (+11), Insight (+7), Arcana (+8)

Equipment

Weapons: Two ruby swords. Can be linked to form a double-bladed spear.

Skills / Weaknesses

Shapechanger: As a red dragon, Valtheris can assume a humanoid form.

Deceptive Beauty: He has advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks when interacting in humanoid form.

Immune to Fire Damage.

Sensitive to Cold: He has disadvantage on Skill Checks and Attack Rolls in cold climates. Cold damage is doubled.

Raised in Avernus: Radiant damage is doubled.

Personality Traits

He uses his beauty and charm to manipulate those around him, seeing them as tools to achieve his goals.

Valtheris believes he is superior, even to other dragons, and will assert his dominance wherever he can.

He will take what he wants, when he wants.

Sadistic, malicious, greedy, power-hungry, vain, impulsive, deceptive, manipulative, seductive.

Ideals (Tiamat's Chosen)

Power – The strong have the right to rule, and Tiamat is the strongest of all.

All hail the Dragon Queen!

He is Tiamat’s Chosen, her favored child, and he will bring her into the material plane at any cost.

Ideals (True Soul)

His loyalty belongs now to the Absolute and he will slaughter heretics in Her name.

Flaws

He sees all non-dragons as inferior and disposable, which can lead to underestimating opponents.

His pride demands constant validation and tribute, leading him to sometimes make rash decisions to assert his superiority.

His vanity and greed make him vulnerable to flattery and bribery.

Appearance

Humanoid Form: A strikingly handsome male with grey-bluish skin adorned with ruby red scales and metallic red markings. His eyes are vibrant amber with an infernal glow to them, cat-slit pupils, his hair is long and ruby red. He sometimes keeps his dragon tail and gilded horns. When he operates in “undercover” , he often takes the form of a male elf with long platinum hair and golden eyes.

Style: Revealing, luxurious, lots of gold and jewelry.

Dragon Form: An imposing Red Dragon with ruby / scarlet scales and glowing golden eyes.