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journeyman
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OP
journeyman
Joined: Oct 2020
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Shadowheart is an evil cleric of Shar. As such she's not exactly likeable as she's secretive, sarcastic and clearly doesn't trust you (which are all understandable traits for a follower of Shar) but she has her good points. By playing the game you learn she's got a mission and has some kind of nefarious agenda she needs to accoplish for her cult. That said I think she's more of a VICTIM than someone who's actually evil by choice. Personally I think there's evidence she is a former follower of Selune who was kidnapped and brainwashed by Sharrans. Reasoning: During your visit to the blighted village Shadowheart reacts strangely to you reading a certain piece of information about young people disappearing from the village (then dedicated to Selune...). If you press her she admits she's a follower of Shar and mentions that those disappearances seem like the work of "her people" (it later becomes clear dark justicars of Shar were active in the area, something most likely linked to Halsin's actions and his circle role in defeating the forces of the goddess of night). Also, there's an event where Shadowheart emits a strong luminosity she cannot control and seem to cause her pain. Again, if you ask her about it and suceed with your rolls she tells you it's not Sharran magic but "it's very dangerous". Lastly, if you pursue the romantic option with her Shadowheart opens up a little and tells you that she does not remember much about her past. She thinks that's so because it's apparently common practice among Sharran to erase part of the memories of their operatives to better obfuscate their motives while making them less easy to identify. In light of all of that I think one of the possible paths that will be open with Shadowheart will be to redeem her turning her against Shar. I also think her backstory and the sheer number of hooks she brings to the story make her the most interesting NPC introduced in BG3 thus far.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2020
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She's the Liara of the game (people who have played the Mass Effect Trilogy understand what I mean). Although, technically I think it's the mysterious artifact that is, but that has nothing to do with her "background". Saying that, I would suggest people replay the EA as a Cleric of Shar if they want to have the entire picture that is Shadowheart. You have a few unique dialogues with her about her memories/mission. It gives a different picture.
The glow happens where signs of Dark Justiciars vs Selûnites conflict happened:
- a destroyed statue of Selûne,
- a journal mentioning children kidnapped by Sharrans,
- the corpse of a Dark Justiciar,
- after visiting the destroyed Temple.
She does not have that reaction at the untouched Selûne shrine in the Owlbear cave.
Seems to me that whatever that is react to passage of the Dark Justiciars and not Selûne. That would fit with her personal quest which start once you learn about Ketheric, the leader of those Justiciars.
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journeyman
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OP
journeyman
Joined: Oct 2020
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She's the Liara of the game (people who have played the Mass Effect Trilogy understand what I mean). Although, technically I think it's the mysterious artifact that is, but that has nothing to do with her "background". Saying that, I would suggest people replay the EA as a Cleric of Shar if they want to have the entire picture that is Shadowheart. You have a few unique dialogues with her about her memories/mission. It gives a different picture.
The glow happens where signs of Dark Justiciars vs Selûnites conflict happened:
- a destroyed statue of Selûne,
- a journal mentioning children kidnapped by Sharrans,
- the corpse of a Dark Justiciar,
- after visiting the destroyed Temple.
She does not have that reaction at the untouched Selûne shrine in the Owlbear cave.
Seems to me that whatever that is react to passage of the Dark Justiciars and not Selûne. That would fit with her personal quest which start once you learn about Ketheric, the leader of those Justiciars.
Why light though? If she just were a follower of Shar she would not emit light herself as light is the antithesis of what Shar is about as the goddess of the night.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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I was thinking she's was originally more of a Divine Soul Sorcerer than a Cleric of Selune
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2020
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Agreed. Just like in DOS2 and with a nod towards PsT: I think that schoolbook with the names in it will be a crucial plot point. What happens when "Shadowheart" remembers her name?
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apprentice
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apprentice
Joined: Oct 2020
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She's the Liara of the game (people who have played the Mass Effect Trilogy understand what I mean). Although, technically I think it's the mysterious artifact that is, but that has nothing to do with her "background". Saying that, I would suggest people replay the EA as a Cleric of Shar if they want to have the entire picture that is Shadowheart. You have a few unique dialogues with her about her memories/mission. It gives a different picture.
The glow happens where signs of Dark Justiciars vs Selûnites conflict happened:
- a destroyed statue of Selûne,
- a journal mentioning children kidnapped by Sharrans,
- the corpse of a Dark Justiciar,
- after visiting the destroyed Temple.
She does not have that reaction at the untouched Selûne shrine in the Owlbear cave.
Seems to me that whatever that is react to passage of the Dark Justiciars and not Selûne. That would fit with her personal quest which start once you learn about Ketheric, the leader of those Justiciars.
Why light though? If she just were a follower of Shar she would not emit light herself as light is the antithesis of what Shar is about as the goddess of the night. Because she seems to be the source of this magic, not Shar. Note the end of her official description: "...while threatened by a strange new magic that is burgeoning from within." She is probably some sort of sorceress and does not know it.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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Maybe she's Selune's daughter or something.
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journeyman
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OP
journeyman
Joined: Oct 2020
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Because she seems to be the source of this magic, not Shar.
Note the end of her official description: "...while threatened by a strange new magic that is burgeoning from within."
She is probably some sort of sorceress and does not know it.
Right, she's the source of the light. And guess who's the patron goddess of (moon)light? Selune. Shar's sister and according to Forgotten Realms' lore, the other half of the primordial deity that created Abeir-Toril (the planet where the Forgotten Realms are located). Considering how the school journal points out at students disappearing (in a village dedicated to Selune, no less), how Shadowheart mentions that those events are the work of other Sharrans and how Shadowheart herself confirms she was brainwashed in order to better fulfill her mission it seems to me her being a Selunite that was captured and brainwashed by Sharrans to be a more likely and meaningful explanation of her circumstances rather than her just being a light sorceress without knowing it.
Last edited by Tulkash01; 31/10/20 07:20 PM.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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Maybe she's Selune's daughter or something. Wouldn't be Balder's Gate without some Godspawn
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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The funny thing is, I ran a D&D campaign where one of the PCs WAS Selune's daughter, and a big storyline element was Shar trying to seduce her over to the literal dark side. So if that turns out to be the case in this game, I'll be amused.
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addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2020
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She's the Liara of the game (people who have played the Mass Effect Trilogy understand what I mean). Although, technically I think it's the mysterious artifact that is, but that has nothing to do with her "background". Saying that, I would suggest people replay the EA as a Cleric of Shar if they want to have the entire picture that is Shadowheart. You have a few unique dialogues with her about her memories/mission. It gives a different picture.
The glow happens where signs of Dark Justiciars vs Selûnites conflict happened:
- a destroyed statue of Selûne,
- a journal mentioning children kidnapped by Sharrans,
- the corpse of a Dark Justiciar,
- after visiting the destroyed Temple.
She does not have that reaction at the untouched Selûne shrine in the Owlbear cave.
Seems to me that whatever that is react to passage of the Dark Justiciars and not Selûne. That would fit with her personal quest which start once you learn about Ketheric, the leader of those Justiciars.
Why light though? If she just were a follower of Shar she would not emit light herself as light is the antithesis of what Shar is about as the goddess of the night. It's magic, not light. It looked different 4 months ago too, we have no indication to tell if the current look is bugged or the final design. I wouldn't use that to prove any theory.
Last edited by azarhal; 31/10/20 07:59 PM.
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member
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member
Joined: Aug 2016
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Shadow heart doesn't seem evil at all, considering she likes it when you save the Tieflings, and the beginning of her romance was kind of lovey dovey.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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Shadow heart doesn't seem evil at all, considering she likes it when you save the Tieflings, and the beginning of her romance was kind of lovey dovey. Yeah she's clearly not, at best she rping being evil, but she pretty much universally likes clever solutions to problems and limiting bloodshed/violence. Also love any option to be nice to animals
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2020
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this theory is practically fact by now. I wonder whether Larion would change it a little now. I don't care either way as long as it will be well written. so far Shadowheart is really fun. Not unique or new like Astarion or Wyll, but well written and very well acted.
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apprentice
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apprentice
Joined: Oct 2020
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She's the Liara of the game (people who have played the Mass Effect Trilogy understand what I mean). Although, technically I think it's the mysterious artifact that is, but that has nothing to do with her "background". Saying that, I would suggest people replay the EA as a Cleric of Shar if they want to have the entire picture that is Shadowheart. You have a few unique dialogues with her about her memories/mission. It gives a different picture.
The glow happens where signs of Dark Justiciars vs Selûnites conflict happened:
- a destroyed statue of Selûne,
- a journal mentioning children kidnapped by Sharrans,
- the corpse of a Dark Justiciar,
- after visiting the destroyed Temple.
She does not have that reaction at the untouched Selûne shrine in the Owlbear cave.
Seems to me that whatever that is react to passage of the Dark Justiciars and not Selûne. That would fit with her personal quest which start once you learn about Ketheric, the leader of those Justiciars.
Why light though? If she just were a follower of Shar she would not emit light herself as light is the antithesis of what Shar is about as the goddess of the night. It's magic, not light. It looked different 4 months ago too, we have no indication to tell if the current look is bugged or the final design. I wouldn't use that to prove any theory. Makes me wonder why they changed it. The old version looks more dangerous which seems appropriate considering what Shadowheart says and thinks about it. Is it the result of her recent captivity? After all, the first time the PC can encounter her, she is in a sealed pod surrounded by arcane energy and the magic is supposed to be new.
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addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2020
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Shadow heart doesn't seem evil at all, considering she likes it when you save the Tieflings, and the beginning of her romance was kind of lovey dovey. Yeah she's clearly not, at best she rping being evil, but she pretty much universally likes clever solutions to problems and limiting bloodshed/violence. Also love any option to be nice to animals Clever solution to problem and avoiding fighting is a very Sharran things to do. They are into subversion and manipulation, not direct confrontation. People really need to stop thinking that "evil = resolve everything with violence, can't like pets and can't love/like people". That's not how D&D alignment describe evil. Shadowheart is Neutral Evil, a pragmatic who doesn't have a problem with anything as long as it advance her goals and makes her gain power. If you don't believe me, use your tadpole and in the dream #2 post-conversation, pick "I wanted it all" and then the "which part you liked best" option. She wants power.
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2019
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Shadow heart doesn't seem evil at all, considering she likes it when you save the Tieflings, and the beginning of her romance was kind of lovey dovey. Yeah she's clearly not, at best she rping being evil, but she pretty much universally likes clever solutions to problems and limiting bloodshed/violence. Also love any option to be nice to animals Clever solution to problem and avoiding fighting is a very Sharran things to do. They are into subversion and manipulation, not direct confrontation. People really need to stop thinking that "evil = resolve everything with violence, can't like pets and can't love/like people". That's not how D&D alignment describe evil. Shadowheart is Neutral Evil, a pragmatic who doesn't have a problem with anything as long as it advance her goals and makes her gain power. If you don't believe me, use your tadpole and in the dream #2 post-conversation, pick "I wanted it all" and then the "which part you liked best" option. She wants power.LOL, yeah it amazes me to see how far some people (not everyone, mind) will spin things out of some desperate need to have SH be not evil and/or redeemable. And I can't imagine it doesn't have at least a little to do with her being portrayed as attractive and "lovey dovey." 
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
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except she like saving the Tieflings too, and iirc likes intervening aginst ethel.
She even has a line about needing to save mayrina before she's cooked like a goose
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2020
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Shadowheart is Neutral Evil, a pragmatic who doesn't have a problem with anything as long as it advance her goals and makes her gain power. If you don't believe me, use your tadpole and in the dream #2 post-conversation, pick "I wanted it all" and then the "which part you liked best" option. She wants power.
Power appeals to her in the dream but I she is also disturbed by its appeal. She is happy to have saved the grove, upset when it burns. She is happy when you save the girl from the hag -- which is not true to type and she's happy when you take on the quest in the first place. Again, why annoy someone dangerous powerful and potentially useful? A true neutral evil character would not care about the rescue, ignore the girl and find out about the cure -- as Astarian wants to do. And she likes dogs. Evil people hate dogs. Fact! It's even in the terminator so we know it's true.
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