Orpheus: Difference between revisions

| image = Orpheus_Freed.webp

{{Infobox character

| name = Orpheus

| image = Orpheus_Freed.webp

| race = [[Githyanki]]

| titles = The Prince of the Comet

| family =  

| class = [[Way of the Four Elements]] [[Monk]]

| level = 12

'''Orpheus''', is a [[Githyanki]] that appears in [[Baldur's Gate 3]]. He acts as the supposed true ruler of the Githyanki. However, he has been captured and is imprisoned in the [[Astral Plane]]. Being a Githyanki, he seeks to destroy the [[Mind Flayer]]s and remove [[Vlaakith]] from power.

 

=== Background ===

According to the inscribed discs, banned by followers of Vlaakith and labelled as heretical, Orpheus is the first, and only, son of Mother Gith, the leader of the rebellion that freed the race that would then bear her name, from the Mind Flayer Empire. Sometime after the beginning of their freedom, the collective Gith race split into two cultures; the Githyanki and the Githzerai, the former, Orpheus was a part of.

Upon discovering that Vlaakith I (Not to be confused with [[Vlaakith|Vlaakith CLVII]]) had betrayed his mother, sacrificing her to create a pact with {{FRWiki|Tiamat}}, Orpheus led Gith's Honour Guard in a revolt and named himself the rightful king of the Githyanki, triggering the War of the Comet. At the head of the Honour Guard mounted on red dragons, Orpheus bravely fought Vlaakith's knights in a battle in the Astral Plane, where he praised Mother Gith and accused Vlaakith. Yet he was overcome and defeated in battle against [[Kith'rak Voss]], and was thought dead.

Unknown to all but Vlaakith and Voss; however, Orpheus was instead imprisoned within the Astral Prism, so that Vlaakith may exploit the powers he inherited from his mother.  

At some time before the events of Baldur's Gate 3, [[The Emperor]] had discovered the Astral Prism, who proceeded to use it to rebel against the [[The Netherbrain|Elder Brain]].

=== Act Three ===

Orpheus is only ever mentioned in previous acts, either as the true ruler of the Githyanki people, or as a corruptive force. He is finally found, imprisoned within the Astral Prism when the party enters it to help The Emperor. The Party can either help The Emperor keep him imprisoned, or fight to free him, but only the former yields positive results, as the party, without The Emperor's assistance, falls to the [[Absolute]], and are likely killed by Orpheus and his Honour Guard.

Orpheus' fate is entirely dependent on the player, and their choices. Several events can occur based on the following criteria;

#* If the player refuses to have anyone in their current party turn into a Mind Flayer in order to control the Netherstones, he will turn into a Mind Flayer himself. In this instance, he will desire to die, rather than to live as an abomination, but can be convinced to spare himself, only if [[Lae'zel]] takes his place as the Githyanki people's saviour if she is in the party.

#* If the player or a party member becomes a Mind Flayer, he will thank them for their sacrifice, promising they will be remembered as a hero. Once The Netherbrain is defeated, he will move to freeing his people from Vlaakith's rule, notably inviting Lae'zel to join him.

#* The player can choose to fight Orpheus after freeing him, but the battle can only lead to a game over: Orpheus kills the party if he wins, and if he is defeated they (naturally) lose his protection and are immediately dominated by the Absolute.

# If the party does not collect the Orphic Hammer, or refuses to use it, The Emperor will consume Orpheus' brain, assimilating his abilities.

 

 

Orpheus has the [[Orphic Favour Aura (Condition)|Orphic Favour Aura]], giving all allies within 60ft/18m of him the {{cond|Orphic Favour}} condition.

 

 

 

| feature2_name = Charm

| feature2_description = Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing it from attacking you till its next turn.

| feature3_name = Cull the Weak

| feature3_description = When you reduce a creature's hit points to fewer than the number of your Illithid powers, it dies and all nearby creatures take {{DamageText|1d4|Psychic}}.

| feature7_description = When an enemy within 30ft casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict {{DamageText|1d4|Psychic}} per the spell's level.

| feature8_description = When an enemy within 60ft targets you with a spell of a level equal or less than your proficiency bonus, counter that spell.

If he undergoes ceremorphosis, Orpheus will have all the statistics (save his INT, WIS and CHA scores, which remain the same) and powers of a [[full-illithid]]. As well as gaining illithid passives, he will retain his original monk passives (but not abilities). The full-illithid ability [[Permanent Mind Sanctuary]], allows Orpheus to use actions and bonus actions interchangeably.

 

==Loot==

* {{MdRarityItem|Orphic Ring}}

* 2x {{MdRarityItem|Potion of Superior Healing}}

<gallery heights="200px" widths="200" mode="packed">

Orpheus Concept Art.png|Concept art.

Orpheus Chained.png|Orpheus chained in the Astral Prism.

Chained.webp|Orpheus chained in the Astral Prism.

Oprheus_Tattoo.png|Orpheus' Tattoo in tir'su.

Orpheus Tattoo.webp|Tattoo in-game, datamined by [https://twitter.com/chubblot/status/1677410267024564224 Chubblot].

== Related literature ==

 

* His tattoos have writing in [[Githyanki vocabulary|tir'su]] - the [[gith]] [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gith_language writing system], see Gallery above.

** Mostly nonsense and a mirrored word for Vlaakith - misspelled as "Alaakith". It was probably written as a defiance to her ways.

** [[Githyanki]] and [[Githzerai]] use the same writing system but githyanki write clockwise while githzerai - counter-clockwise, though unlike Orpheus, the githzerai do not mirror the symbols.

== External links ==

{{NavRivington}}