Summary (TL;DR)
Karlach, a tiefling barbarian, starts in Baldur’s Gate but is betrayed, becoming a devil’s champion in Avernus. She battles in the Blood War for a decade. In 1492, she seeks escape but is cursed by a mind flayer tadpole. Karlach meets fake paladins and is wounded, seeking help. She encounters Shadowheart, who can slow the tadpole’s transformation. The infernal engine in her chest is unstable outside Avernus. Karlach briefly stabilizes it but needs to return, a choice she dreads. She’s also pursued by a warlock named Wyll. Her story can take various paths, from love to destruction or becoming the Absolute.
Karlach’s Dark Past
In the bustling streets of Baldur’s Gate, a tiefling barbarian named Karlach comes into the world, her fiery heritage masked by a heart filled with honor. She serves as the loyal bodyguard to the noble lord Enver Gortash, a position that promises a life of duty and security. However, betrayal lurks in the shadows.
Enver Gortash’s treachery shatters Karlach’s world. He sells her Zariel, a devil in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, condemning her to a nightmarish existence. Zariel, replaces her heart with an infernal engine, bestowing upon Karlach incredible strength and a burning rage.
For a grueling decade, Karlach battles in the Blood War, a cosmic conflict between devils and demons. Her life becomes a never-ending struggle against the forces of darkness, fueled by the infernal engine that resides within her.
A Race Against Time
In the year 1492 DR, a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon. A mysterious nautiloid ship emerges in Avernus. Karlach seizes this chance for escape, boarding the ship as a stowaway. Little does she know that fate has a cruel twist in store for her.
Upon the nautiloid, Karlach is captured and has a mind flayer tadpole inserted into her brain. If not removed, it will cause her to turn into a mind flayer. When the nautiloid crashes on the Sword Coast, Karlach is able to escape.
On the Sword Coast, Karlach’s path collides with a group Zariel’s followers, led by the fallen paladin Anders. Their sinister intentions become clear, and Karlach’s fierce resistance leaves her wounded and in dire need of help. Desperate and on the brink of despair, Karlach calls out for assistance from anyone who will listen. It is then that she meets Shadowheart, a mysterious figure possessing an artifact that could slow the tadpole’s transformation. With the help of those traveling with Shadowheart, they vanquish Zariel’s followers.
A Choice Between Two Hells
While struggling to find a way to remove the mind flayer tadpole, Karlach confronts another urgent issue. Her infernal engine is unstable outside of Avernus, burning her up from the inside. With the help of a skilled mechanic named Dammon, she manages to temporarily stabilize the infernal engine. However, grim news from Dammon shatters her newfound hope. The engine’s stability is only temporary, and she must return to Avernus to survive. Karlach is faced with an agonizing decision – to return to Avernus under Zariel’s control or face inevitable death in Baldur’s Gate.
As if her life were not already complicated enough, Karlach’s story takes a dark twist. She crosses paths with Wyll, a warlock with orders to kill her. Her journey teeters on the precipice of destiny, and her choices will shape her ultimate fate.
Karlach’s destiny is at a crossroads. The following paths lay before her:
- She may be left behind or meet an untimely end before her story fully unfolds.
- Karlach can choose to venture into Avernus with Wyll or a player, stabilizing the infernal engine within her chest.
- A blossoming love story awaits, but its future hinges on her decision to journey to Avernus.
- After the defeat of the Absolute, Karlach may meet her demise in Baldur’s Gate.
- Karlach could agree to turn into a mind flayer curse and become the Absolute’s destroyer.
- Alternatively, she may become enthralled by the Absolute, a fate filled with darkness.
- And in a surprising twist, Origin Karlach might lead her to become the Absolute herself, shaping the destiny of all.
