Lore Whore: Videogame Deepdives

Withers is a mysterious presence in Baldur’s Gate 3. He has reality-altering powers, cannot die (for good), and seems to know who Tav is already - but who is he, exactly? I dive into Withers’ role in Baldur’s Gate 3, his backstory, why he was once a way bigger deal than we realise, and why he’s put in front of Tav in the first place - as was destined from the very beginning. Enjoy!

Why did the Emerald Grove in #BaldursGate3 turn on the tieflings so readily? How come so many of them seem to espouse the same attitudes as the Shadow Druids? And what was the Grove like before its glory days were over? In this video I explore all those questions, and show that Kagha and Teela are not nearly as evil as they seem...

Selûne’s Temple was built on the Risen Road to help travellers in need. From its start as a dusty little shrine to its heyday as a glorious temple filled with the Called, the temple seemed to go from strength to strength. Despite the attempts of its leadership, in the background one egotistical but well-meaning Initiate was the first of the temple’s tragedies… but not its last. #baldursgate3

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsCazador Szarr is the patriarch of the Szarr family, but he's far from the first to take leadership of the family. The Szarrs have fed off Baldur's Gate for centuries, but how did they survive so long in a city where most people would prefer not to be exsanguinated? I go through the Szarr history from their beginnings in Tumbledown to Amanita Szarr rejecting her "family tradition" and show how Baldur's Gate tacitly allows the Szarrs to keep abducting citizens from the streets.

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsUmberlee is an evil-aligned deity, so why does she have such influence in Baldur's Gate? Open worship of an evil deity elsewhere in Faerun would alarm citizens and rulers alike, but Umberlee is the rare exception to this rule. This is how she has her claws (or tentacles) in Baldur's Gate, the Iron Throne, and the cut content that would have shed light on how her waveservants make their goddess proud.

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsRosymorn Monastery was completely unplanned. Built around a dropped holy relic, it became a centre for Lathander worship, brewing, and learning. Pilgrims of all ages visited Rosymorn, but it was that popularity which brought it to the attention of the Githyanki. This is what happened to Rosymorn Monastery, and why it is ruined by the time we encounter it in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsAuntie Ethel from Baldur's Gate 3 is a charmingly conniving hag who ensnares Tav in her web. She's on a mission to create her own coven - but what happened to her old one? Who is the mysterious M in Baldur's Gate? And what was in her original, MUCH larger questline before it was cut by Larian? I explore all those questions in this lore video about my favourite character in Baldur's Gate 3: Auntie Ethel.

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsLenore De Hurst was a cleric of Mystra and passionate researcher who sequestered herself in the Underdark. When she met Yrre the Sparkstruck, a deep gnome with an adoration for lightning, the two set in motion events that would change their lives. But when Tav stumbles upon the Arcane Tower in the Underdark in Act One of Baldur's Gate 3, they find the place completely empty, abandoned, with only Bernard to keep them company. What happened to Lenore De Hurst and Yrre the Sparkstruck?

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsMoonhaven from Baldur's Gate 3 used to be a cosy, idyllic village full of teachers in love, rambunctious schoolchildren, and an ambitious blacksmith's apprentice. It would soon be rotted from the inside out with the arrival of a certain healer and his apprentice, but before their arrival there were plenty of secrets festering behind the Moonhaven's doors. This is how Moonhaven became the Blighted Village. #baldursgate3

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsIn Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 Tav explores the ruined Shadow Cursed Lands. At the centre is a destroyed town that used to be known as Reithwin - but how did it get that way? This is how Ketheric Thorm doomed the former Selunite outpost, along with his relatives Gerringothe, Malus, and Thisobald. I explore the themes of Ketheric's character and how they allowed Balthazar to manipulate him, the love story of Dame Aylin and Isobel Thorm, and how Ketheric played his part in the plan of the chosen three's Grand Design. Enjoy.