Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Abdel Adrian‘s legacy and descendants

I was wondering if the cannon goes into any detail about Abdel Adrian‘s descendants (if any). Many of the endings, after ToB, he has few children with different NPCs.

I know he fought Veikang(sp?) and win or loss Bhall was reborn, but what of the one hundred or so years between? Who know’s, one of Wyll’s grandparents may be Abdel Adrian. Abdel was a duke and tight with the flaming fists and Wyll’s father and other grandfather are high ranking members.

Would love to find out that Wyll’s mother is Abdel’s daughter. This could heavily effect him and all those bigs shoes to fill.

Pretty much each ending hinted that Abdel’s children were powerful and famous in their own rights.

While I agree that this is an interesting idea... I am not wild about the idea of Abdel Adrian being canon.

That character doesn't exist in my world. My Bhaalspawn is a chaotic good female elf wizard/Thief or a halfelf female Bard and I like to have it stay that way. Making one form of a player character canon over others is a pest. I hated it with Revan and I hate it here.

there is probably a canon ending and we dont have enough tp go off of to determine which one

Such a bad name. I don't think much of the "canon" ending, but it is what it is. I mean if he gave up his essence and then he still had a vestige of it in him does that mean the celestial host that allowed him to give up his essence is incompetent? You guys had one job.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Abdel_Adrian

The further Abdel stays from this game, the better. He was already a horrible character before MIBG, having him get murdered by Viekang of all people and his death undoing the entirety of the original saga by bringing Bhaal back is just the cherry on top.

There's a book you can find in-game IIRC that refers to the Bhaaalspawn with gender-neutral pronouns, which gives me a small sliver of hope that Larian is planning on keeping the Bhaalspawn's identity ambiguous. Though Abdel's inclusion in mtg recently could be indication in the opposite direction.

I also agree that the identity and actions of Gorion’s Ward should ideally be fudged as far as possible in BG3, leaving us room to imagine they’re our own BG1/2 protagonists as much as we can. Only an extremely strong plot that required Gorion’s Ward was Abdel Adrian, or indeed assumed any specific gender or that they had children, would persuade me to accept anything else. I’m afraid providing Wyll or any other character with a lineage connecting them to the original games wouldn’t do it for me. At least, unless that lineage was essential to the role they played in BG3, and even then I’d probably prefer Larian didn’t go there.

Me neither. There are so many reasons I can bring up to argue that Abdel is not the Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 protagonist. One reason I will bring up is how Siege of Dragonspear ended. Baldur's Gate would never welcome Abdel back if they knew he was a Bhaalspawn, let alone let him become a Grand Duke. Also, his backstory as detailed in the Murder in Baldur's Gate adventure is very different from the BG1 and BG2 game protagonist.

I read the books and they sucked lol. Thing is Abdel is the cannon character in BG1/2. Like Tav (so far it seems) is the default name so is Abdels in those games. Yes the book, game, and lore do not match up. I remember WOTC wasn’t even going to let the BG events even be cannon in the first place. Yet the fans pushed them to it.

My head cannon (and possibly true cannon if Larian plays it right), is that Gorion’s ward isn’t the same as Abdel. Gorions ward actually did exist but gave up the Bhaal taint in TOB and lived/lives happily ever after. Abdel and Vekang were the last two and they fought and one lost (the adventure never tells who lost).

With that, I still think BG3 will have links to Abdel.

Now I don't want to be a killjoy, I even agree with you, but unfortunately it seems to be already set in stone... https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=562885

I here do by proclaim Lotus Noctus official kill joy for the day! 😂

Tav(Name)is Not canon. Its a shortener for Gustav which is the dog of sven. Its also a shortener for Avatar. If Abdel is Canon is debatable but most people will say no

Are you trying to say that Sven's dog is canon?

I'm pretty cool with Swens dog being canon, but not that stupid Abdel Whathisface.

I’m not sure why this pre-release thread pondering possible connections between Abdel Adrian and the BG3 plot was resurrected after 17 months.

But as it has been, I may as well ask how far Abdel Adrian did indeed turn out to be canon within the BG3 version of the setting. The only reference I can recall was Abdel’s shield we could get from that mindflayer hunter, and I’m okay with that much as I’ll happily imagine that Abdel was some random bloke with no connection to Bhaal. Or was there something I missed that ties the BG3 story more closely to Abdel Adrian as Gorion’s Ward?

As far as official D&D canon goes, Abdel Adrian was the protagonist of the Baldur's Gate novels. In terms of gaming material from the tabletop, Baldur's Gate (and Neverwinter) pretty much disappeared from the continuity in 1368DR and only returned for 5e over a century later. They existed on the map, but if there had been an earthquake or mystic atom bomb, the fishing village just up the coast wouldn't have felt it. From what I could dig up in BG3, the name didn't stick out while I was playing, although I'd probably have to revisit a certain crypt to be sure.

Apart from that shield, I saw nothing about Abdel. Which is good, because I haven't met anyone, who actually liked the idea of a canon Gorions Ward, not to mention the most boring combo at that.

Just doing a rerun with a female halfling mage/ rogue and happily ignoring Abdel away.

Even the invention of this shield is highly questionable and unnecessary for me. You'd think the inventor hadn't played BG 1. Because there is a shield for the MC for sale at Taerom Fuiruim and the lore text of the shield simply fits the MC like a glove...

I think Abdel gets a mention in Jaheria's basement, too. But I can't quite remember what it was.

No, as far as I know, he doesn't get mentioned.

Which MC? Mage/ thieves can't wear shields, so it doesn't fit my MC.

That is correct. Casters or thieves can't do much with the shield, of course. I took the classic archetypal and outdated approach of a tank / brute fighter or pala hero as MC. I kept in my mind that Gorion's Ward was canonically declared a fighter, regardless of other details. Which makes sense, since Imoen is the thief and later also a mage. After all, there are a lot of “class cannons” at the very beginning of BG 1 and a lack of toughness.

Back in days it was always fun to me playing a warlock apprentice as Gorions Ward but my very first character was indeed a paladin. If you remember the later course of events, that Balthazar was pretty much the only supposedly good class / character with Bhaal essence, then a paladin who struggles with his heritage and overcomes it under the guidance of Gorion and the Harpers makes the most sense to me personally. One has to put into proportion that not all Bhaal characters / classes were evil, but somehow only the MC, Imoen and Balthazar were somewhat “good aligned” (depending on how you play). Having only Balthazar, who rejects his heritage, is not differentiated enough for me.

I don't think, I ever played a fighter or paladin in my whole 30 years of DnD. And no human either. I like playing carefree chaotic characters, but more leaning towards good. So mage/ thief is a great combination. If I don't play that than bard or druid, Ajantis and Khalid can get hit in the front, I'm the brains of the whole thing ( though Khalid has pretty high intelligence for a fighter).
Imoen gets usually reclassed or ditched, since I had her with me enough times and I don't really care about her that much.

Yes companions of the small races who are not evil (Yeslick & Alora) are unfortunately only found quite late in BG1. I also never understood why they made Kagain & Korgan into evil dwarves... I would have liked at least Kagain to have a good or neutral alignment and a reunion with him in BG2...

True, Kagain doesn't come across very evil, don't really get his alignment.
I like Alora and often make room for her. But since I love playing gnomes and haflings, I'm often one myself, so small race representation is secured. It helps, that in BG2 , Anomen is pretty racist and doesn't start flirting with a gnome or halfling, the guy creeps me out.

Anomen and Kiser Jhaeri in Saradush were always very funny encounters because of their particularly arrogant personalities and expressions. The responses to make fun of their pompous drivel were hilarious. Only the dialogue with the crazy dragon Saladrex in Watchers Keep could top those two.

Anomen works well, if you gave Keldorn with you, he puts the arrogant jerk in his place a few times.

I can't believe, female characters only got him as love interest. I don't care for narcissistic, self centered and toxic idiots, thank you very much.
I want to romance Mazzy or maybe Valgyar. Or Jaheira.

Jaheira's romance attempt in BG2 creeped me out. She acted parental towards the protagonist in BG1, then, not even a few weeks passed after her husband got murdered in BG2, she started be interested in the protagonist. Never played a male character in BG2 again.

Yeah after this I always took Aerie and sometimes Vicci.

Yeah, to be honest, it was creepy. I would have loved to romance her under different circumstances ( coughBG3cough)

I would’ve like a few subtle romances. Like one with Jaheira (and some of the NPCs) without all the umm extra. Just tender moment with two that in passing find comfort with one another… Would have been a perfect epilogue moment to just stay friend or move to some more “off screen”.

I would’ve really like to know what happened to more of previous BG companions (Like Mazzy, Aerie, etc)