Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Dame Aylin isn't what she nor the game itself claims she is

As a boon for his efforts for Shar, Ketheric gains immortality from Aylin's situation.

Though, it's clearly not Shar who provided the immortality to Ketheric. Since he again binds her to him at the end of the Mindflayer Colony - Which is why you have to free her again to be able to harm him.

Seemingly it's something that Ketheric himself did to Aylin (Likely hinted at with the ritual circle in his room, that's seemingly where he studied the ritual required to link his life to another. Presumably after meeting Aylin and finding out that she is immortal)

Of course, the question is how Aylin is so immortal in the first place. Not even Greater Gods can manifest a form that simply shrugs off all injuries like Aylin (And subequently, Ketheric via the binding) seems to do. Like, normally "Immortality" in DnD involves a body "Dying" and then being sent back to a home plane to recuperate for some time. Not just stand there and heal back up like Wolverine/Deadpool.

My chronology as best I can reconstruct it :

Ketheric, Melodia and Isobel are devout Selune worshippers as is the whole area of Eithrim. Ketheric is the leader of this area ( baron whatever)
Melodia dies. Ketheric is heartbroken.
Aylin comes to this Selunite area, probably sent with a purpose to this Selunite lkand. Love fires up between her and Isobel. Ketheric doesn't like it.
Isobel dies. Ketheric breaks down.
Ketheric turns to the Lady of Loss to attempt to live with his pain. He forcibly converts everyone to Shar, constructs Moonrise towers and the Gauntlet to build a Dark justiciar army and export his Shar-tiranny to the surronunding lands . As part of the Gauntlet construction, he has Aylin imprisoned in the Shadowfell as final act for the DJ ritual.
As a boon for his efforts for Shar, Ketheric gains immortality from Aylin's situation.
Harpers and Druids mobilize against the Sharran threat.
Raphaël has the gauntlet destroyed.
The DJ army is too weak now to resist the Harpers and Ketheric is defeated.
Ketheric lays the shadowcurse on his land, using Sharran magic.

Up to that point Ketheric remains a fanatic Shar follower.


Speculation : Plan to create the absolute is set in motion by the dead 3 after these events.

While the chosen of Bhaal and Bane get their hands on the nethercrown, Myrkul sees an opportunity to use Ketheric's weakness and has one of his devout, Balthazar, revive Isobel. The absolute needs Ketheric because they know of the mindflayer colony below Moonrise towers and have chosen this place to get the elder brain.

Ketheric turns his devotion to Myrkul, as the dead God had anticipated. To make him part of the absolute plan he becomes Chosen of Myrkul. Why does Shar not act immediately to punish this, or at least withdraw his immortality ? Big question.

Isobel "does not recognise her father anymore" and manages to get away to last light inn.
As a Shar apostate, Ketheric knows he must get Aylin out of the shadowfell if he wants to keep her under control. Balthasar is sent away to bring her to Moonrise.

Now all chronology is breaking down rapidly, because in a short time, hundreds of "true souls" are abducted, the astral prism is stolen by Shadowheart and entered into by the Emperor. Jaheira and a brigade of Harpers and Fists find refuge in Last Light inn , in order to find out the means that absolutists use to survive the shadow curse. All this time, Shar does nothing to stop the absolute or punish Ketheric. Whereas poor Shadow is constantyl tormented by Shar.

Maybe it was all a test, a trial for Shadow, concocted between Selune and Shar. Typical God-cruelty using mortals as playthings.

It's not an innate trait to herself either, but granted by a passive that explicitly states this trait comes from having an exceptional amount of Selune's favour/having been granted a favour by Selune

https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Aylin

This is somewhat further confusing the in game logic that goes a bit like this:
1. Aasimar are descended from or touched by Gods
2. A direct descendant of a god would be even stronger
3. Aylin is an exceptionally strong Aasimar and Paladin (except, not really).

Aylin could have been an unusually blessed Aasimar, that displays Deva like traits because of a more direct than usual bloodline, but that's not really her title. This is a self proclaimed demigod.

That also means whoever redirected her boon towards Ketheric messed with some extremely high level magic, and although Ketheric is able to cage her at will, he can't make himself immortal again as easily.

I still get the impression that was Myrkul's doing via Balthazar.

Though, this leaves the bizarre notion of Balthazar, with the power of Myrkul... Somehow managed to not only pass all of Shar's trials, but also enter Shadowfall and use magic to bind Aylin to Ketheric all without Shar herself noticing or doing literally anything about such a tresspass.

I suppose Shar's pretty lenient of who goes through her stuff... Given that we can be literal Selunites and still reach Aylin in Shadowfell and she only cares if Shadowheart disobeys her... Though that just seems like a poorly formed handwave over a significant plothole because of the nature of sticking Aylin at the end of the Shar temple despite it making absolutely no sense whatsoever...

He doesn't need to get to the Nightsong himself to be Ketheric's necromancy/ritual specialist, though if he's not involved with that, it begs the question why he's so high in command. Trusting the swarmy necromancer unnecessarily with the secret to your immortality is a gamble. I would assume at minimum Ketheric had the means to get through the trials if he so wished, and maybe take others with him, at least until Shar decided the Nightsong will not be moved. Shar seems to have an almost personal grudge against Balthazar, though. PC attempting the trials? Fine. Balthazar? Actively hunted for some reason.

I mean, it's essentially infinite death ward. I still don't know what Larian was doing here, they just wanted an Aasimar that it also "the daughter of Selune" for flavour, while having Deva like wings.

https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Deva#content

https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Aylin

She doesn't have the Deva statblock, or at least not that one. She lacks passives like magic resistance. She has oath of Vengeance spells and slightly higher AC. She lacks the innate additional radiant damage seen in Devas. She has fewer hit points. Exceptionally strong Aasimar maybe, but weaker than the average Deva is supposed to be. She's just an unholy (or perhaps exceptionally holy) amalgamation of traits.

The lack of advantage on rolls against magical effects sucks massively in the Act 2 fight, since if you make the mistake of hard focusing Ketheric, the mind flayer can earn itself a powerful puppet.

To be fair, Larian didn't copy the stats of most 5E creatures perfectly, either to account for difficulty balance and the game mechanics or just because. Luckily, we have Larian's take on a Deva's stats from the Deva that you can summon in the game itself, which would be the more accurate comparison: https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Deva

Still slightly different, but much more similar.

Though, this leaves the bizarre notion of Balthazar, with the power of Myrkul... Somehow managed to not only pass all of Shar's trials, but also enter Shadowfall and use magic to bind Aylin to Ketheric all without Shar herself noticing or doing literally anything about such a tresspass.