#bg3 helia

[linka-from-captain-planet]

I have been in my mind palace, building my pretend Florrick-Ulder Buddy Cop dollhouse and filling it with my favorite things: drama, female background characters and crackships thereof, and elaborate Mad Libs stories cobbled together from vaguely-defined Lore. Also, a special guest star: Helia, the halfling werewolf character scrapped early in development

Brain dump below

as usual, Lore Mistakes are just part of the AU so I'm not worried about it

The first question is of course "when could it have been possible for Florrick and Ulder to Buddy Cop Adventure together?" Placing Ulder at about 55 years old as of 1492, if I wanted him to be about 20 during the adventure (a few years of "adult" life under his belt, but a Fist grunt still, yearning for a role model), that would take me back to 1457.

Florrick's age is less important to nail down, but according to my headcanon placing her around 125 years old in 1492, she'd be around 90 in 1457. I'm still workshopping exactly what I think her life course was in Baldur's Gate - my firm headcanon is that she was born and raised in the Forest of Tethir, and left as a young adult to pursue travel and magical education, but when exactly she ended up in the Gate and what exactly she was up between then and ~1480 is TBD. Regardless, by 1457, she's long since completed a wizardry apprenticeship, and having attained the rank of Flaming Fist Manip, she has young Ulder under her command.

Landing the timing in 1457 is convenient, because upon googling the historical events of Baldur's Gate, I found that there was as significant event around 1450: the attempted coup by Duke Valarken, in which he was supported by a group of lycanthropes in his attempt to overthrow the Council of Four and become sole leader of Baldur's Gate. Following this, the Parliament of Peers was formed and the office of Grand Duke, created. Certainly, the ensuing decade or so was a time of great turmoil as the dust settled - the perfect time for the dynamic duo and a friendship of a lifetime to form.

That timing and event is also convenient, because what other female background character am I in love with, whom I also lightly ship with my beloved Florrick?

Dalyria - according to her journal, once the Physician General to the Parliament. When exactly she was turned and enslaved by Cazador is unknown, but it must have been sometime after 1450 for her title to even exist. Which means she could certainly have "gone missing" in, say, 1457, and, say, leave a lover reeling and desperate for closure...

This setup is great because it gives Florrick and Ulder something to be buddy-cop about: a high-profile missing persons case, with perhaps more of a heart than Florrick wants to share with this kid, and a dynamic formative event for the young Ravengard.

With limited clues to go off of, the streets teeming with the big and little fishes of the city snapping up whatever scraps of power they can find, etc etc etc, obviously Florrick and Ulder would need companions in this quest.

So, who else could have been a) alive and b) active and c) potentially helpful and/or suspicious in Baldur's Gate in 1457?

Obviously Jaheira is always around for whatever bullshit is assailing the city she has, perhaps, only recently settled in permanently to take over an old family home and, perhaps, raise some orphans. Certainly, she'd answer the call to help her old uh *cough* friend Florrick in her time of need. Could the Bhaalists be back at it, aiming to pick off the parliament one by one? Not on Jaheira's watch!! At about 110 years old, Jaheira is also probably in her MILF prime at this point (before ascending to her GILF prime in BG3). Not relevant, just FYI.

On the 'suspicious' front, we have Araj Oblodra, eccentric apothecary of the Lower City. Living in exile since her House was cast into the Clawrift in 1358 (an event she was alive, but not present, for), perhaps Araj is unduly invested in finding the vampire coven physician general, and her alchemical skills as well as proficiency as a rogue are too compelling to pass on, sketchy as she is. I didn't get much farther than that, but she's sexy and I love her, so she gets to be a main character.

In my mind, the ideal "party size" would be 5, so who else? There are a few other options - Volo is certainly around somewhere and definitely not minding his business, Elminster must be lurking as usual, Abdel Adrian probably cares about this, etc - but I just didn't want any more elves or wizards. But wait, did I say lycanthropes were behind the failed coup?

You know who's a werewolf? Helia, the halfling bard orgin/companion scrapped early on in development. Listening to her datamined dialogue, she seems to have been a scrappy, no-nonsense kind of gal and an older lady in 1492, so a young woman in 1457. Pending more research on the context of werewolves/lycanthropes in the Forgotten Realms world, but perhaps she's been wrongly imprisoned since the failed coup. Perhaps, suspecting a second attempt by the same group could be behind the attack on the parliament, she's busted out of prison by a pair of enterprising young Fists, promising a chance to earn her freedom.

This will probably just remain a Concept, so I don't want to get myself bogged down in Plot, but there's really only one conclusion:

In the end, the investigators are thwarted by Cazador Szarr, who is too wealthy and powerful to convince the Parliament and Council to take on. The case of the missing Physician General is closed - ruled a suicide, likely, based on bunk evidence - and a broken-hearted Florrick and disheartened Ulder have no consolation except the friendship they've forged, and a promise to one another:

That, even if it takes half a century, they will work together to see Baldur's Gate to a more just future.

[darkurgediaries]

Moment of silence for the cut origin character Helia, who was going to be a halfling werewolf bard! Yes, a werewolf! Imagine having both a werewolf and a vampire in your party! She also would have provided a small race romance option we are sorely missing.

Her model has been completely scrubbed from the game, but her portrait is still available and she was so cute! This portrait is very different from the earliest concept of her which looked like an old woman, it seems they decided to make her look younger before they ultimately cut her.

She got as far in development as to have hundreds of lines of dialogue already recorded. Karlach has a line asking where Helia is, and Auntie Ethel has vicious mockery lines for her!

Part of me was truly hopeful that a Definitive Edition would see the return of Helia to the game, but now I’m not sure if we will ever get one.

Here is her wiki for more information:

Here are her (possible) voice lines:

[ratscrap]

since finding out about the scrapped origin companion helia last night i wanted to draw up some concepts for her design since the one on her bg3 wiki page was intended as a placeholder

[kirain]

So apparently we were supposed to get a hafling werewolf bard companion named Helia, but Larian axed her early in development. She would've been the only small race companion in the game, which I personally felt it was lacking. The closest we had was Barcus, but unfortunately he wasn't a full companion nor was he romancable. Plus, bards are hilarious. I imagine her dialogue would've been incredible.

We were robbed...

Though I don't want to be ungrateful. Larian did a lot and honestly spoiled us. I just really would've loved to have a hafling werewolf bard on the team. She sounds so interesting. So I made her myself. 😁

She and Karlach would be the best of friends. They'd get drunk every weekend, shoot the shit, sing campfire songs, and dare each other to do dangerously stupid challenges. They'd have a lot of fun and cause all sorts of trouble, as they should.

She'd be sarcastic and sassy like Astarion, but they probably wouldn't get along very well, since she's a halfing and a werewolf. He'd call her "mongrel", while she'd call him "tick". If he tried to bite her, she'd bite him back. The mockery would be vicious, but deep down they'd understand each other's struggles. Real enemies to friends potential.

Lae'zel she'd annoy—by constantly trying to make her laugh and calling her "sour puss". She'd also have no problem calling her out when her loyalty to Vlaakith clouds her judgement. Though she'd also admire her drive and resilience. Lae'zel would, in turn, teach her a few battle techniques, and eventually come to see the value in humour.

Gale she'd butt heads with, only because she's foul and he's so proper, but they'd both give as good as they get, knowing it's all harmless banter. After a whille, they'd learn to appreciate each other's company, and she'd even use some of his stories as inspiration for song lyrics.

As for Shadowheart, they'd get on surprisingly well, bonding over their pain and hatred for Selûne. That bond would only grow as they learn Selûne is actually worth worshipping, with Shadowheart becoming the goddess' devoted cleric and Helia becoming a proud member of her lycanthrope followers. Together, they'd give Shar a metaphorical and literal finger.

[merrinla]

It's funny that Helia and Ormn have similar lines about Halsin

[moss-on-a-pebble]

Made smash cake with bestie (kill me)

I would've put Engarde's true sprite on there if it wasn't spoiler territory 😞🙏

[dewdlepies]

Doing a little exercise where I have new characters interact with existing characters to get a feel for their personality. Lark is meeting, Promise, Midir, and Helia, my other Tavs. They are just a little guy.

[divorciada]

karlach's concept red robe armor looks sick as hell wtf modders restore it NOW

[bitchesgate3]

Rip Helia.

Was she going to be cured of Lycanthropy at the Stormshore Tabernacle?

Books pictured are "The Mother of Halflings" and "Selune's Chosen" found in the same bookcase.

[junesinterlude]

bg3 girlies hehehe

[minrathousrain]

you are telling me we could have had a bard halfling werewolf companion and WE DIDNT?

[riobhca-of-the-north]

Some more datamined cut content from BG3 :D Digging through the dialouge files is fun. This bit of dialouge was from Raphael. The Monitor/Monitor was his name during development. There's still some flags associated with Raphael that are still called Monitor like this line from Korilla when you get drugged by Priestess Gut and she saves you:

Korrilla: The honourable Raphael. He's terribly excited about you… and your condition. (GLO_TheMonitor_HasMet_TheMonitor)

This particular line of dialouge I think was supposed to play in Act 1 - from the tone the placeholder dialouge has it looks like Raphael was trying to stir division in the party while it was still new.

Raphael would try and reveal each of the Origin companions' secrets: Shadowheart: worships Shar Astarion: vampire Wyll: warlock cast out by his father

Gale: Netherese Orb Karlach isn't mentioned here, and neither are the cut Origins Helia/Minsc.

The only one I can't figure out is Lae'zel's. Out of all the Origins, her and Karlach don't really have a deep secret like the others. Maybe it's her expressing doubts about Vlaakith? Might make sense since she's from Stardock - Creche K'liir was led by Urlon, who was a member of the Sha'sal Khou. (https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Urlon) The Sha'sal Khou was a organization dedicated to reuniting the githyanki and githzerai into one Gith people. Urlon helps to kill Al'chaia (the previous leader of Stardock/K'liir) and sets about turning Creche K'liir into a base where both githyanki and githzerai can live in peace. Doesn't this sound like what happens to Lae'zel if she completes the game on the Orpheus path? She goes and tries to make an alliance between the githyanki rebels and the githzerai. And Orpheus does make a lot of points that agrees with the Sha'sal Khou in the Epilouge, if he survives - The First Protocol (https://bg3.wiki/wiki/The_First_Protocol) states that "All who call themselves gith shall unite under one sky." Also, when you meet Vlaakith in the creche, she mentions Urlon by name as well as his predecesor, Al'chaia. They're never mentioned again through. Would they have been more important to the story? Or were they turned into what the Orpheus path is in the final game? This is pure speculation on my part, but could Lae'zel's secret be that she was part of the Sha'sal Khou? Or at the least symphatic to their cause? I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts. I think if I was right about the Sha'sal Khou thing, it would make the whole 360 from Vlaakith to Orpheus make more sense to me. Thanks for reading folks! I should have some more stuff uploaded soon. Hope you all have a wonderful day, whereever you may be! :D Filename: Campfire_Moments/CAMP_Monitor_AvD_RevealPartySecrets

[cinderschild]

*kicking my hair and twirling my feet* Okay but...what if I have two BG3 verses? One of them is set before Helia officially chooses a mythic path (meaning she is the default angel path)/fights Baphomet plus has a tadpole. The other is where it's post game (gold dragon path completed) and the one tadpoled is the hatchling dragon she is supposed to be guarding/raising.

[boatganronpa]

Its been a while since I finished my Faun save

Info abt tavs below

Annie: Draconic bloodline sorcerer fire genasi (tiefling in bg3), Karlach romancer, lesbian, lover of big buff ladies. Street urchin with a knack for magic, picked up and raised by a half elven sorcerer. She became an adventurer so no child will have to be scared of the very monsters she fought as a kid.

Helia: Solidarity domain cleric (Life domain in bg3), Goliath/Earth genasi (Half-Orc in bg3) Lae'zel romancer, pan & poly, lover of people who can keep up with her. Incredibly efficient and well meaning, honest (unintentionally brutal about it), loves to learn and teach. Community oriented, loves to spar. She became an adventurer because she had a dream in which her goddess commanded her to do so.

Laura: College of Valor bard, half-elf, Shadowheart & Halsin romancer. Lover of people she can be herself with. She became a bard despite her mother's protests, and her dad became her agent and managed pretty much all her stage image. She became an adventurer to get away from it all a bit, to discover who she is and what she wants.

Karlach: self explanatory. Wyll romancer

Wyll: self explanatory. Astarion romancer

Honour mode: Failed twice already (With Annie and Helia) so I probably need to look up some guides about The Most Optimal Tav to beat it

DURGE: All my characters so far have been tavs, I'll have to make a new character for a durge. Will be a Wyll romancer

Gale romancer: I love the guy, I wanna play his romance, I just don't have any characters that would fit him yet, so this option would also lead me to making a new character

[sequesteredbhaalspawn]

I see some people are learning about Helia (a cut companion, who was a bard halfling werewolf, that was discoverer in EA datamining) for the first time. An old origin unlocker mod from Early Access had some stuff about her, I think. She has a page on the wiki,

https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Helia

[dreadgloom]

out of character . . . thoughts and updates.

Sorry I’ve kinda gone MIA and not talked to anyone. My dad was in the hospital (he is okay and home now) so between that and work I did not have any energy for roleplaying. Thankfully I have three days off this week! I will be working on answering my inbox and drafts as much as I can the next few days. Then I will move on to updating and fixing Dio’s info pages.

To all those that have given me encouragement for my Out of the Abyss campaign, Thank You! I am proud to let you know that my slow rolling ass has made it to reading chapter 3 and learning about maps! My husband is also trying to teach me how to use Foundry for map related stuff because the idea of graph paper makes me wanna cry (I am very bad at and hate math and graph paper makes me think of math). I’ll let you all know how it turns out if you want to know.

Lastly……Holy shit. My guys, I am on act 4 (outta 5) in my Path.finder W.rath of the Right.eous playthrough and I’m so obsessed with the game it’s not funny. It’s for real the best CRPG I have played to date. And you better believe I’m making a blog for my aasimar scaled fist monk that is currently on the angel mythic path but will very soon be becoming a gold dragon. I’m going to include some hcs, game choices, and info about her under the cut in case anyone is interested while I slowly get her setup. Yes I will be making her a BG3 verse and I already have it all planned out.

Her name is Helia and her pronouns are she/they. She is an angelkin aasimar (she has wings and a halo 😇) and is about 28 years old. Her alignment is Lawful Good and she is about 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Her class is 13-14 levels scaled fist gold dragon bloodline monk and 6-7 levels spawn slayer. She wears no armor and punches the shit outta people with her bare fists. She took the pummeling style feat which means she trips her opponent and then beats the shit out of them while they are on the ground with fists that burn with holy fire. Her primary stats are Strength, Charisma, and Dexterity.

The original mythic path she takes is angel because she thinks her new powers are a test coming from her goddess Sarenrae and her angelic father. Once it’s discovered to actually be the work of Areelu Vorlesh and the power is more malleable/choice based instead of bloodline related she literally chooses to be something else. That something else is a gold dragon (literally her childhood dream come true).

In game her go to crew is Lann (a mongrel Zen Archer), Regill (a gnome Hellknight), Ember (an elf Stigmatized Witch), Nenio (a kitsune Scroll Savant Wizard), and Woljif (a tiefling Eldritch Scoundrel).

Woljif and Ember are like younger siblings to her. Mess with them and she will literally bite you.

Helia actually does like working as Nenio’s research assistant and sees her as one of her closest friends. Her other close friends are Seelah (a human paladin) and Lann.

She permanently dismissed Camellia from her party because she thought it was funny to be cruel to Ember.

In the game there are some romance options and I am weak for the monk class so she romanced Lann. HOWEVER if Regill was able to be romanced then he would have been the option. I am literally so fucking pissed that you can’t romance him or the dwarf. Why are CRPG makers cowards!? I should be able to date the gnomes and dwarves not just play as one!

Her monk teacher was a male Silver Dragonborn (yes I know those aren’t a thing in Path.finder normally but idc and there are plenty of homebrew races that work great to implement them) named Miirym. He trained Helia from the age of 7 to 26 when he died in an attack on their monastery by Areelu during which Helia was taken to be experimented on.

Helia’s parents are a human Herald Caller cleric and champion of Sarenrae named Nuha and Sunlord Thalachos the angelic herald of Sarenrae. Her father had little to no involvement with her life due to angelic heralds only being able to interact with Golarion on their deities’ command. Her mother left her at a monastery dedicated to Sarenrae so she could join the campaign against the Worldwound when Helia was 7.