Araj Oblodra: Difference between revisions

| description = Araj Oblodra is a Drow trader in Moonrise Towers and Lower City.

{{Infobox creature

| name = Araj Oblodra

| image = Araj Oblodra Portrait.webp

| role = [[Trader]]

| race = [[Lolth-sworn drow]]

| va = [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5427256 Hanako Footman]

| hometown = [[Baldur's Gate]]

| class = [[Rogue]]

| level = 6

| size = Medium

| type = Humanoid

| ac = 14

| hp = 52

| movement m = 9

| weight kg = 75

| hiddenlevel = 6

| str = 10

| dex = 17

| con = 12

| int = 12

| wis = 10

| cha = 12

| dex save prof = yes

| int save prof = yes

| passives = Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Opportunity Attack, Sunlight Sensitivity, Uncanny Dodge

}}

If no characters donate blood to Araj at Moonrise Towers, she will not appear at Lower City.

Araj Oblodra was a daughter of the now-defunct House Oblodra. [[Timeline|Over a century ago]], an alliance of rival drow in the city of Menzoberranzan destroyed her House, due to their association with psionics and illithids before and during the Time of Troubles.

Few survived the House's destruction, and Araj believes herself to be the last remaining daughter of Oblodra. Araj yearns to reinstate the House to its former glory.

 

Araj will brew unique [[elixirs]] as payment for drawing blood from the [[True Soul|True Souls]] in the party for her research. Each character may give blood only once, incurring 1d3 damage in the process. The effects of these potions are generally themed on the [[Races|race]], and, in the case of [[dragonborn]]s, subrace of the character giving blood.

Unlike normal elixirs, Araj's blood-draw elixir effects are ''not'' replaced when a character consumes a second elixir.

However, after consuming a blood-draw elixir and taking a long rest, the character will receive the condition [[Blood-draw Sickness (Condition)|Blood-draw Sickness]], which causes a -1 to all dice rolls until another long rest.

With a {{Ability check|History|14}}, knowledge of [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/House_Oblodra House Oblodra] will allow the party to realise that Araj doesn't want True Soul blood, but [[Illithid]] blood specifically – an especially illicit subject for a drow to research. If this insight is shared with Araj, she will pay 200 gold for each subsequent blood donation, alongside the normal elixir.

{| class="wikitable sortable" order=

!Race !! Elixir

|[[Black Dragonborn]], [[Copper Dragonborn]]

|{{RarityItem|Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Acid}}

|[[Blue Dragonborn]], [[Bronze Dragonborn]]

|{{RarityItem|Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Lightning}}

|[[Brass Dragonborn]], [[Gold Dragonborn]]

|{{RarityItem|Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Fire}}

|[[Green Dragonborn]]

|{{RarityItem|Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Poison}}

|[[Silver Dragonborn]], [[White Dragonborn]]

|{{RarityItem|Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Frost}}

|[[Drow]], [[Elf]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Elven Elegance}}

||[[Dwarf]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Dwarven Resilience}}

|[[Githyanki]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Githyanki Providence}}

|[[Gnome]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Gnomish Ingenuity}}

|[[Half-elf]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Half-Elven Healing}}

|[[Half-orc]]||{{RarityItem|Elixir of Half-Orcish Fury}}

|-

|[[Halfling]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Halfling Luck}}

|[[Human]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Human Versatility}}

|[[Tiefling]]|| {{RarityItem|Elixir of Tiefling Vice}}

==== Interaction with Astarion ====

Araj deeply wishes to speak with [[Astarion]]. If Astarion is left at camp during her first interaction, Araj will politely ask that the vampire spawn be brought next.

 

When Araj speaks with Astarion, she excitedly asks that he bite her, so that she may study the effects of vampire bites up close. She offers the priceless{{RarityItem|Potion of Everlasting Vigour}} in exchange, which permanently increases the [[Strength]] of the one drinking it by 2.

If Astarion is not chosen as [[Origins|Origin character]], he will be loath to do so, privately noting to the player character that there is something deeply wrong with Araj's blood.

If told to do so anyway, despite his objections, Astarion will go through with Araj's desires. Astarion will feel used, resulting in [[Astarion/approval#Act_Two_2|-3 disapproval]] and a camp scene which may impact a [[Astarion/Romance|romance between him]] and the player character if one exists.

If blood was donated in Act 2, Araj can be found again in the [[Lower City]] of Baldur's Gate in [[Act Three|Act 3]]. As the party approaches her shop, Crimson Draughts, just east of [[The Blushing Mermaid]], a series of explosions will trigger and Araj will come running out on fire, yet thrilled. She praises the character for their donated blood, as it has given her a breakthrough in her research of such magnitude, she believes the drow Grand Matriach will have no choice but to restore her house, House Oblodra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreeing to donate blood again will cause the character to take 2 damage, but gain a [[Sanguine Explosive]]. Refusing to hand over any more blood will turn her permanently hostile.

 

 

{{hatnote|1=Main article: [[Crimson Draughts]]}}Crimson Draughts is Araj Oblodra's apothecary in Lower City – seemingly for some time before the events of the game. Araj has been operating what appears to be a legitimate business selling potions to infirm citizens. However, [[HELP|a note found inside]] Crimson Draughts' mailbox reveals that the insane drow alchemist has been swapping some orders with her own tinctures, causing horrific injury.

 

Downstairs, untouched by the explosions, [[Glory to the House of Oblodra|her journal]] reveals the true purpose of her research. She intends to resurrect an army of the dead and reinstate the defunct House Oblodra; and if rebuffed, to use explosives to kill all in the Drow city of Menzoberranzan, and rule as queen over an undead populace.

 

Whether through [[Sleight of Hand|lockpicking]] or using the key nearby, venturing into the shop's basement reveals Araj's small laboratory. Makeshift cells contain the less-voluntary  participants, with humans and beasts chained to the wall or mutilated. The butchered corpse of a [[Spectator]] can be found near her research table.

 

If the player character donated blood in Act 2, and in Act 3 drank the Mysterious Potion and donated blood again, Araj will have left [[Letter from Araj|a note]] in the [[Chest of Grateful Words]] during the [[Epilogue]]. She reveals that she has begun the process of, literally, "resurrecting the glorious House Oblodra."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Category:Characters in Act Two]]

[[Category:Characters in Act Three]]