Unless Orpheus has been confirmed as a shifter, it remains a deus ex machina, especially considering that if he were that, there will be no need for a tadpole in the first place, nor would the ceremorphosis be instant were he to infect himself on purpose, especially since time doesn't pass on the Astral Plane.
Again, it's obvious that the companions are unrelated to one another (as for being from different places in the FR - 4 out of 6 come from Baldur's Gate (Shadowheart, Wyll, Astartion, Karlach)), the problem is that their conflict of faith and personality are not in any way affected by the tadpole or the Emperor nudging you to develop illithid powers. In fact, the Emperor does not interact with anyone but the PC at all. Considering that Shadowheart was the original attuner for the Prism, it's at least strange. Not much point in re-iterating the original post's points here.
