Having pieced together the timeline of the game, I would like to discuss that the biggest consequences and implications of this game have nothing to do with the Dead Three, Illithids, or the Greater Gods. The biggest player in this game is Jergal, and it's not even close. Here are the premises of the argument and relevant information:
-Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, described Jergal as being eight or nine steps ahead of everyone else, including deities, and being immersed in a web of conspiracies. Elsewhere on this forum, one of our regular posters found a quote from Greenwood that said Jergal was conceived as the ultimate antagonist of the Realms (however I cannot find the source).
-At the end of the game, Jergal describes the Dead Three as vermin, and that their time as gods was coming to an end. Of course, recall that Jergal is already eight or nine steps ahead of EVERYONE, including the Greater Gods, and that it was he who made the Dead Three gods in the first place out of sheer boredom.
-As a sub-conclusion for the above premises, Jergal knew of the behaviors and fates of the Dead Three before making them gods. Which means he knew of their plan for the Absolute hundreds, maybe thousands, of years in advance. Jergal is also notoriously apathetic about the world. Which means Jergal is not calling the Dead Three "vermin" because they disgust him, but because they are pawns that are outliving their utility to whatever his plan is.
-To quote all available wikis, "Jergal played no part in the Time of Troubles." If I recall correctly, the ONLY gods in Realmspace who were not forced to become mortal avatars during the Troubles were Helm and Ao. Even Ilsenine, patron deity and creator of the Illithids, was forced to incarnate as a mortal Elder Brain. If Ilsenine is indeeed the creator of the Illithids, and the Illithids are indeed either from the distant future or the Far Realm, this means EITHER (not both) Jergal's omniscience or Jergal's divinity exceeds that of time itself, or Realmspace itself, respectively.
-If Jergal played no role during the Troubles, then two possibilities emerge: Either Jergal entombed himself BEFORE the Troubles, or the Troubles had no effect on him. If the former is true, Jergal knows the will of Ao before Ao even has time to act, which gives Jergal true and absolute omniscience. If the latter is true, it means Jergal is unaffected by the will of Ao. In either case, Jergal's capabilities exceed those of a Greater God.
-Post Second Sundering, around the time the Dead Three became active again and activated the plan for the Absolute (1482), all Gods were forced to either choose to be Greater Gods and sacrifice their ability to interfere in mortal affairs, or to choose to interfere in mortal affairs at the cost of some divinity, making them Quasi-Divine Beings. Based on the events of BG3, all of the Dead Three AND Jergal are interfering in mortal affairs. However, Jergal's above divinity exceeding those of normal Gods is already established. Only two possibilities emerge: Jergal is above the will of Ao OR Jergal is acting on Ao's direct orders. However, for those of you thinking it's the latter, go back to point one: eight or nine steps ahead of EVERYONE. Even working for Ao, Jergal knows what's up and has an angle.
-Jergal mentions at the end that the Gods noticed the lack of souls and that Mind Flayers don't have souls. Except neither Jergal nor Ao need souls or believers to remain powerful. Also, recall that Jergal has these exceptional capabilities exceeding those of all other Gods despite giving up his main portfolios to the Dead Three hundreds of years ago. Why would Jergal, true connoisseur of the apathetic and non-interventionist arts, do anything to aid other Gods who are clearly beneath him? Eight or nine steps ahead.
-I am relatively certain Jergal is the ONLY NPC you cannot harm at all. Now, many of you may call this simple plot armor for an essential mechanic of the game. Nay, I say. Jergal serves an essential role to the narrative and has already been established above as exceeding in any normal capabilities as an avatar or God.
-Anticipating the counterargument that Jergal is first loyal to the portfolio of the Dead and will undermine any who do not fulfill the responsibilities of the office: Jergal already serves Kelemvor. While Myrkul and the Dead Three may hold significance to the Dead, Jergal is not bound to undermine their plan out of duty. This is part of a longer plan.
TL;DR: Jergal is up to some shit, and it's bigger than the end of the Dead Three (who were already ended between the end of the Troubles and the Second Sundering).
(Also side-comment: One of my complaints about a plothole in Act 2 was that Ketheric didn't go directly to Myrkul after Isobel's death and instead went to Shar. A review of the timeline indicates that Ketheric didn't go to Myrkul because Myrkul was kinda sorta dead at this time.)
