Quite frankly the bluntest way I can put it is that it looks almost as if a less talented artist/modeler worked on her face this time around.
Yeah, but as I mentioned I would be surprised if it was the final version. As you mentioned it is not up to the standard of random NPCs, not to mention a likely companion.
Or maybe Karlach was using a Disguise spell that changed her voice as well?
So maybe later when player meet this bald figure with a rather masculine voice in BG city, she suddenly introduce herself: "hey Tav, miss me? this is Karlach, surprise!"
I think that would be very cool. There is a clash between Tyr champions claiming she is a devil in disguise, and her accusing Tyr champions of being cultusts. Now we know one of those accusations is true... what if the other was as well? Karlach presenting herself as far more innosence presence at first? Maybe helping her out isn't as an obvious choice as it might seem right now. Is she really a tiefling?
That said, I would welcome a straight up good companion at some point. We have enough edgelords and dodgy goodish characters as it is.
