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| name = Nightwarden Minthara
| name = Nightwarden Minthara
| full name = Minthara Baenre
| full name = Minthara Baenre
| identity = Female
| title = True Soul of the Absolute
| title = True Soul of the Absolute
| image = Minthara-face2023.jpg
| image = Minthara-face2023.jpg
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| wis save prof = yes
| wis save prof = yes
| cha save prof = yes
| cha save prof = yes
| passives = Charm, Drow Weapon Training, Favourable Beginnings, Fey Ancestry, Superior Darkvision, Opportunity Attack, Psionic Backlash
| passives = Charm, Drow Weapon Training, Favourable Beginnings, Fey Ancestry, Opportunity Attack, Psionic Backlash, Superior Darkvision
| athletics = 4
| acrobatics = 2
| perception = 1
}}
}}
Nightwarden '''Minthara{{ref|In traditional Drow names, the prefix "Min-" means "lesser", "minor", or "second", while the suffix "-thara" means "glyph", "marker", or "rune". Owen K.C. Stephens, "By Any Other Name: The Drow", ''Dragon'' 267 (January 2000): 28-31}} Baenre''' is a recruitable [[Companion]] with the [[Noble]] background. She is a [[Lolth-Sworn Drow]]{{ref|If the player character is a [[Lolth-sworn drow]], many unique dialogue options are available, one of which includes condemning Minthara and attacking her for abandoning Lolth.}} and an [[Oath of Vengeance]] [[Paladin]] first appearing during [[Act One]].
Nightwarden '''Minthara{{ref|In traditional Drow names, the prefix "Min-" means "lesser", "minor", or "second", while the suffix "-thara" means "glyph", "marker", or "rune". Owen K.C. Stephens, "By Any Other Name: The Drow", ''Dragon'' 267 (January 2000): 28-31}} Baenre''' is a recruitable [[Companion]] with the [[Noble]] background. She is a [[Lolth-Sworn Drow]]{{ref|If the player character is a [[Lolth-sworn drow]], many unique dialogue options are available, one of which includes condemning Minthara and attacking her for abandoning Lolth.}} and an [[Oath of Vengeance]] [[Paladin]] first appearing during [[Act One]].
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=== Starting class ===
=== Starting class ===
Before she is recruited, Minthara is a level 5 Paladin with the following [[Ability Scores]]: STR = 16, DEX = 15, CON = 14, INT = 10, WIS = 12, CH = 17.
Before she is recruited, Minthara is a level 6 Paladin with the following [[Ability Scores]]: STR = 16, DEX = 15, CON = 14, INT = 10, WIS = 12, CH = 17.
If she is recruited, then Minthara changes to a level 1 Paladin with the standard ability scores for that [[Class]], with a focus on dual-wielding one-handed weapons. Her subclass is Oath of Vengeance, giving her a more offence-oriented toolkit, with more ways of controlling and debuffing foes in battle.
If she is recruited, then Minthara changes to a level 1 [[Paladin]] with the standard ability scores for that [[Class]], with a focus on dual-wielding one-handed weapons. Her [[Subclass]] is Oath of Vengeance, giving her a more offence-oriented toolkit, with more ways of controlling and debuffing foes in battle.


=== Special features ===
=== Special features ===
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=== Personal quest ===
=== Personal quest ===
Minthara does not have a personal quest like other companions. However, she is directly involved in two important quests.
Minthara does not have a personal quest like other companions. However, she is directly involved in some important quests.


As part of the main-quest {{Quest|Save the Refugees}}, the party can decide which side to support in the conflict between the goblins and the druids of the grove. If siding with the druids and refugees, Minthara will be hostile and become an objective of {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}}. If sided with the forces of the Absolute, she will appear as an ally as part of {{Quest|Raid the Grove}}. If the grove has been sealed, on the day of the raid she will instruct her raiders to kill the party.
As part of the main-quest {{Quest|Save the Refugees}}, the party can decide which side to support in the conflict between the goblins and the druids of the grove. If siding with the druids and refugees, Minthara will be hostile and become an objective of {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}}. If sided with the forces of the Absolute, she will appear as an ally as part of {{Quest|Raid the Grove}}. If the grove has been sealed, on the day of the raid she will instruct her raiders to kill the party.
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* If left alive after the events of Act 1, Minthara will be found at Moonrise Towers facing trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to find the {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Artefact}}. Sentenced to death, she is taken to [[Moonrise Towers Prison]] to be tortured until her execution. The party can find her and help her escape, and if invited to camp, she will offer to join them.
* If left alive after the events of Act 1, Minthara will be found at Moonrise Towers facing trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to find the {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Artefact}}. Sentenced to death, she is taken to [[Moonrise Towers Prison]] to be tortured until her execution. The party can find her and help her escape, and if invited to camp, she will offer to join them.
** Should the party side with Minthara during {{Quest|Save the Refugees}} and raid the grove with her, no additional steps are needed to ensure that she appears at Moonrise Towers.
** Should the party side with Minthara during {{Quest|Save the Refugees}} and raid the grove with her, no additional steps are needed to ensure that she appears at Moonrise Towers.
** If the party sides with the druids instead, but still wishes to meet Minthara at the Moonrise Towers, she must be [[Knocked_Out_(Condition)|knocked out]] when fought. This can occur whether at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum or when defending the grove from the goblin attack. If Minthara is knocked out in the goblin camp the party must not take a [[Long Rest]] before the quest {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}} is finished.{{ref|Minthara went through some recruitment changes during development and after release.<br>Intended to be recruited only if the grove was destroyed, prior to Patch 5, an exploit could be used to recruit Minthara when siding with the grove. Minthara had to be knocked out temporarily in Act 1, recovering after a long rest. Once the party reached Act 2 and acquired the spells {{SAI|Polymorph}} and {{SAI|Dominate Beast}}, they had to return to [[Shattered Sanctum]], turn her into a sheep and dominate her. The party then had to fast-travel back to the Moonrise Towers and then had to move Minthara as a sheep into the throne room, where the judgement continued as if Minthara was alive. After the cutscene she would be transported to the dungeon. The party had to attack her quickly once imprisoned as she would begin to run away otherwise, and then turn invisible and exit combat. Minthara was then part of the interrogation scene and her recruitment could proceed as normal.<br>When Patch 5 was introduced, Minthara could be recruited if she was knocked out ''temporarily'' at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum, dealing with the rest of the goblin camp without long rests in-between as the game files checked for both conditions in order to trigger her scene at Moonrise Towers. <br>Patch 6 removed the requirement for Minthara being ''temporarily'' hostile / knocked out. the game no longer checks for that condition. It's also possible now to recruit Minthara through knocking her out when defending the grove from the goblin attack as stated above in the recruitment section.}}{{ref|Larian Studios Forums: Crimsomrider (2023-11-30). PSA - Recruiting Minthara In A Good Playthrough: <nowiki>https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=925862</nowiki>. Retrieved 2024-01-04.}}{{ref|It has been observed that, as long as she is knocked out in the in the [[Shattered Sanctum]], it's possible to complete {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}} after several long rests without compromising her recruitment later in [[Act Two]].{{verify}}. This has been verified. She can be knocked out as long as she did not witness the murder of any goblins.}}
** If the party sides with the druids instead, but still wishes to meet Minthara at the Moonrise Towers, she must be [[Knocked_Out_(Condition)|knocked out]] when fought. This can occur whether at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum or when defending the grove from the goblin attack.{{ref|[https://baldursgate3.game/news/patch-7-now-live_121 Patch 7 notes] ''"Knocked Out Minthara will now always flee to Moonrise Towers."''}}{{ref|It has been observed that, as long as she is knocked out in the in the [[Shattered Sanctum]], it's possible to complete {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}} after several long rests without compromising her recruitment later in [[Act Two]].}}{{ref|Minthara went through some recruitment changes during development and after release.
<br>
Intended to be recruited only if the grove was destroyed, prior to Patch 5, an exploit could be used to recruit Minthara when siding with the grove. Minthara had to be knocked out temporarily in Act 1, recovering after a long rest. Once the party reached Act 2 and acquired the spells {{SAI|Polymorph}} and {{SAI|Dominate Beast}}, they had to return to [[Shattered Sanctum]], turn her into a sheep and dominate her. The party then had to fast-travel back to the Moonrise Towers and then had to move Minthara as a sheep into the throne room, where the judgement continued as if Minthara was alive. After the cutscene she would be transported to the dungeon. The party had to attack her quickly once imprisoned as she would begin to run away otherwise, and then turn invisible and exit combat. Minthara was then part of the interrogation scene and her recruitment could proceed as normal.
<br>
When Patch 5 was introduced, Minthara could be recruited if she was knocked out ''temporarily'' at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum, dealing with the rest of the goblin camp without long rests in-between as the game files checked for both conditions in order to trigger her scene at Moonrise Towers.{{ref|[https://baldursgate3.game/news/patch-5-now-live_99 Patch 5 notes] ''"Minthara will still appear at Moonrise Towers if she was knocked out in Act I."''}}{{ref|''PSA - Recruiting Minthara In A Good Playthrough'' by Crimsomrider at Larian Studios forums on 2023-11-30. <nowiki>https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=925862</nowiki> [Retrieved 2024-01-04.]}}
<br>
Patch 6 removed the requirement for Minthara being ''temporarily'' hostile / knocked out. The game no longer checks for that condition. It became possible to recruit Minthara through knocking her out when defending the grove from the goblin attack.{{ref|[https://baldursgate3.game/news/patch-6-now-live_108 Patch 6 notes] ''"Increased the number of valid methods of knocking Minthara out to recruit her."''}} However, if Minthara was knocked out in the goblin camp, the quest {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}} had to be finished prior to taking a [[Long Rest]].
<br>
Since Patch 7 all methods of knocking her out result in a recruitment opportunity.}}


=== Approval ===
=== Approval ===
{{main|Minthara/approval}}[[File:Minthara Approval.png|50px|left|alt=Minthara Approves|link=|Minthara Approves]]
{{main|Minthara/approval}}[[File:Minthara Approval.png|50px|left|alt=Minthara Approves|link=|Minthara Approves]]
Minthara approves of displays of power and control, often in the form of violent, if not efficient, solutions to problems. She respects those with the strength to follow their own will, and enjoys cruel irony on occasion.
Minthara approves of displays of power and control, often in the form of violent, if not efficient, solutions to problems. She respects those with the strength to follow their own will, and enjoys cruel irony on occasion. She also hates dwarfs for some reason.{{verify}}


Minthara dislikes shows of compassion, especially towards those she considers weak. She will disapprove of any form of benevolence without something to gain for it, as well as senseless violence that does not aid the party in some way. Above all, she despises acts of weakness and any form of worship of [[Lolth]].
Minthara dislikes shows of compassion, especially towards those she considers weak. She will disapprove of any form of benevolence without something to gain for it, as well as senseless violence that does not aid the party in some way. Above all, she despises acts of weakness and any form of worship of [[Lolth]].
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=== Personality ===
=== Personality ===
As a drow and follower of the Absolute, Minthara has a highly hostile and cruel attitude towards other beings, considering almost everyone as inferior. She has a special disdain for those who do not share her beliefs, and holds other of her race in high regard. Her upbringing as a noble in {{FRWiki|Menzoberranzan}} further compounds her superiority complex. Aligned with the Absolute, she's willing to do whatever it takes to serve it.
As a drow and follower of the Absolute, Minthara has a highly hostile and cruel attitude towards other beings, considering almost everyone as inferior. She has a special disdain for those who do not share her beliefs, and holds other [[Drow]] in high regard. Her upbringing as a noble in {{FRWiki|Menzoberranzan}} further compounds her superiority complex. Aligned with the Absolute, she's willing to do whatever it takes to serve it.  


Power hungry, she is always looking for ways to increase her standing among her peers, product of her drow upbringing. Having been a follower of Lolth once, she also knows that violence, deception, and cruelty are great tools to obtain what she wants.
Power hungry, she is always looking for ways to increase her standing among her peers, product of her drow upbringing. Having been a follower of Lolth once, she also knows that violence, deception, and cruelty are great tools to obtain what she wants.
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== Involvement ==
== Involvement ==
=== Save the Refugees ===
=== Act One ===
[[File:Minthara.png|right|125px]]
{{Hatnote|See main article: [[Save the Refugees]]}}
Though Minthara does not have a personal quest, she is deeply involved in ''Save the Refugees''.
 
==== Act One ====
Minthara is first encountered at the [[Shattered Sanctum]] within the [[Goblin Camp]], planning an attack on [[Emerald Grove]] at the behest of the [[Absolute]]. When spoken to, she will quickly identify the party as fellow [[True Soul|True Souls]] and reveal that she believes the druids are hiding a powerful weapon at their grove that the Absolute desires. She has been surveying the land in search of the weapon, sending scouts to track the leader of the grove, Halsin.{{ref|{{SmRarityItem|Drow's Letter}} by Minthara}} Minthara will probe the party's minds with her tadpole, possibly leading to the grove's location being exposed.
Minthara is first encountered at the [[Shattered Sanctum]] within the [[Goblin Camp]], planning an attack on [[Emerald Grove]] at the behest of the [[Absolute]]. When spoken to, she will quickly identify the party as fellow [[True Soul|True Souls]] and reveal that she believes the druids are hiding a powerful weapon at their grove that the Absolute desires. She has been surveying the land in search of the weapon, sending scouts to track the leader of the grove, Halsin.{{ref|{{SmRarityItem|Drow's Letter}} by Minthara}} Minthara will probe the party's minds with her tadpole, possibly leading to the grove's location being exposed.


The party can fight Minthara as part of the quest {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}}, turning her and the rest of the goblins around her hostile. Fighting her will turn the rest of the camp hostile, leaving siding with the goblins to raid the grove off the table. With one of the three goblin leaders dead, {{CharLink|Dror Ragzlin}} and {{CharLink|Gut|Priestess Gut}} would be next.
==== Save the Refugees ====
[[File:Minthara.png|right|125px]]
Though Minthara does not have a personal quest, she is deeply involved in {{Quest|Save the Refugees}} as well. The party can fight Minthara as part of the quest {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}}, turning her and the rest of the goblins around her hostile. Fighting her will turn the rest of the camp hostile. With one of the three goblin leaders dead, {{CharLink|Dror Ragzlin}} and {{CharLink|Gut|Priestess Gut}} would be next.


==== Raiding the Grove ====
Alternatively, the party can entertain the possibility of raiding the grove with the absolutists. This will add the quest {{Quest|Raid the Emerald Grove}} to the journal. If they choose to ally with the forces of the Absolute and disclose the grove's location, the raid of the grove will begin after the next [[Long Rest]]. Carrying on with the raid will cause {{CharLink|Karlach}} and {{CharLink|Wyll}} to permanently leave the player's party. After the grove has been destroyed, Minthara and the goblins will join the party at their camp and celebrate their slaughter of the druids, even if they ultimately failed to find the weapon the Absolute desired. Minthara will also offer to have a casual encounter with the player character. Rejecting her will anger her, but will have no negative consequences.
Alternatively, the party can entertain the possibility of raiding the grove with the absolutists. This will add the quest {{Quest|Raid the Emerald Grove}} to the journal. If they choose to ally with the forces of the Absolute and disclose the grove's location, the raid of the grove will begin after the next [[Long Rest]]. Carrying on with the raid will cause {{CharLink|Karlach}} and {{CharLink|Wyll}} to permanently leave the player's party. After the grove has been destroyed, Minthara and the goblins will join the party at their camp and celebrate their slaughter of the druids, even if they ultimately failed to find the weapon the Absolute desired. Minthara will also offer to have a casual encounter with the player character. Rejecting her will anger her, but will have no negative consequences.


After the celebrations, Minthara will urge the party to join the forces of the Absolute at the [[Moonrise Towers]] in the [[Shadow-Cursed Lands]]. She will give the party her {{SmRarityItem|Spider's Lyre}} to summon a guide that will help them through the deadly shadows, and will depart shortly after.
After the celebrations, Minthara will urge the party to join the forces of the Absolute at the [[Moonrise Towers]] in the [[Shadow-Cursed Lands]]. She will give the party her {{SmRarityItem|Spider's Lyre}} to summon a guide that will help them through the deadly shadows, and will depart shortly after.


=== Decide Minthara's Fate ===
==== Double-Crossing Minthara ====
{{Hatnote|See main article: [[Decide Minthara's Fate]]}}
Alternatively after initialising the raid on the grove through talking with Minthara, it is possible to double-cross her. First Halsin must be freed in the Worg Pens but left there. Then, after agreeing with Minthara to seize the grove, the party must talk to Halsin in the Worg Pens and then immediately travel to the [[Emerald Grove]]. All this must be done without any long rest.
What becomes of Minthara can be decided in this quest of hers.
 
At the Emerald Grove the party must side with the Tiefling defenders. If the goblin forces are defeated and Minthara is killed or knocked out, then the quests {{Quest|Rescue the Druid Halsin}} and {{Quest|Defeat the Goblins}} will be completed without killing Dror Ragzlin and Gut.


==== Act Two ====
=== Act Two ===
==== Decide Minthara's Fate ====
[[File:2024-12-07_0008_M1.png|right|alt=A picture on Minthara at Moonrise Towers, reacting with fear and anger at her death sentence issued by Kethric Thorm for her failure to retreive the Artefact.|thumb|Minthara reacts with fear and outrage at Ketheric Thorm's Death Sentence for failing to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact.|350px]]
Should Minthara have survived the events of Act 1, whether friendly or hostile, she will be next encountered in the Moonrise Towers on trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to retrieve the {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Artefact}}. The party can intervene on her behalf, but Ketheric will sentence her to death regardless of what is said. This will begin the quest {{Quest|Decide Minthara's Fate}}.  
Should Minthara have survived the events of Act 1, whether friendly or hostile, she will be next encountered in the Moonrise Towers on trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to retrieve the {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Artefact}}. The party can intervene on her behalf, but Ketheric will sentence her to death regardless of what is said. This will begin the quest {{Quest|Decide Minthara's Fate}}.  


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If the party allows {{CharLink|Balthazar}} to take the {{CharLink|Aylin|Nightsong}} during {{Quest|Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic}}, and finds {{CharLink|Isobel Thorm|Isobel}} for the absolutists, they will be granted an audience with Ketheric Thorm who will allow them to pray at the altar of the Absolute. Doing so will ultimately result in the party being imprisoned in pods in the [[Mind Flayer Colony]], where Balthazar will attempt to turn them into zombies at his service. In the fight that ensues, the party may battle a [[Zombie Dror Ragzlin]] and [[Zombie Minthara]], if either of them died during the events prior.
If the party allows {{CharLink|Balthazar}} to take the {{CharLink|Aylin|Nightsong}} during {{Quest|Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic}}, and finds {{CharLink|Isobel Thorm|Isobel}} for the absolutists, they will be granted an audience with Ketheric Thorm who will allow them to pray at the altar of the Absolute. Doing so will ultimately result in the party being imprisoned in pods in the [[Mind Flayer Colony]], where Balthazar will attempt to turn them into zombies at his service. In the fight that ensues, the party may battle a [[Zombie Dror Ragzlin]] and [[Zombie Minthara]], if either of them died during the events prior.


=== Get Orin's Netherstone ===
=== Act Three ===
{{Hatnote|See main article: [[Get Orin's Netherstone]]}}
Minthara can be one of possible victims of Orin's kidnapping during Act 3 as part of {{Quest|Rescue Orin's Victim}}. If so, once Orin is defeated and Minthara has been rescued, she will have some words about the entire ordeal. Additionally, she'll also express being disheartened after killing her former abuser, as even though Orin could only copy the surface characteristics of her victims, Minthara saw her herself in Orin's bloodlust and madness, a shattered but possible version of herself had she not broken free from the Absolute's control.
Having been indoctrinated into the [[Cult of the Absolute]] by Orin herself, Minthara has a personal stake in this quest.


==== Act Three ====
==== Get Orin's Netherstone ====
Minthara can be one of possible victims of Orin's kidnapping during Act 3 as part of {{Quest|Rescue Orin's Victim}}. If so, once Orin is defeated and Minthara has been rescued, she will have some words about the entire ordeal. Additionally, she'll also express being disheartened after killing her former abuser, as even though Orin could only copy the surface characteristics of her victims, Minthara saw her herself in Orin's bloodlust and madness, a shattered but possible version of herself had she not broken free from the Absolute's control.
Having been indoctrinated into the [[Cult of the Absolute]] by Orin herself, Minthara has a personal stake in the quest {{Quest|Get Orin's Netherstone}}.


=== Endings ===
=== Endings ===
{{UnderConstruction|section}}
 
When spoken to in either ending, Minthara bemoans the party's lack of extravagance and asks if the player character regrets their decision not to control the Absolute. Ambient chatter from Minthara has her wryly suspect there have been other reunions to which she hasn't been invited, that all the heroes gathering together paints a target on the party for hostile attack, and that she is becoming accustomed to the taste of surface-grown plants.
 
==== Return to Menzoberranzan ====
==== Return to Menzoberranzan ====
After the defeat of the [[Netherbrain]], a romanced Minthara will ask the player what their plans are now that they are free. She can be encouraged to return to Menzoberranzan, to which she will agree, suggesting they put the gnomes back to work to rebuild the [[Steel Watcher|Steel Watch]], returning as conquerors to found a new noble House. Six months after the fall of the absolutists, Minthara will mention that the war against House Baenre is going well, but that she welcomes the distraction of {{CharLink|Withers|Withers'}} party.
Minthara can be encouraged to return to Menzoberranzan, to which she will agree, suggesting they put the gnomes back to work to rebuild the [[Steel Watcher|Steel Watch]], returning as conquerors to found a new noble House. Six months after the fall of the absolutists, Minthara will mention that the war against House Baenre is going well, but that she welcomes the distraction of {{CharLink|Withers|Withers'}} party.
 
====Baldur's Gate====
Otherwise, if encouraged to stay in Baldur's Gate, then Minthara claims that Baldur's Gate needs new leadership that she is happy to provide. She shares that she has been scheming in the shadows and that the political intrigue has been enjoyable. She asserts that the people will learn from her or bow to her.


== Quest rewards ==
== Quest rewards ==
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== Interactions ==
== Interactions ==
{{UnderConstruction|section}}
=== Companion interactions ===
=== Companion interactions ===
Minthara has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, she will have a floating [ ! ] icon above her.
Minthara has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, she will have a floating [ ! ] icon above her.
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{{Main|Minthara/Combat}}
{{Main|Minthara/Combat}}
== Loot ==
== Loot ==
Minthara can be killed and looted. She will have the same items as her starting equipment, except for her [[Minthara's Underwear|underwear]]. If knocked unconscious, she will drop the underwear, but no [[Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen]] and no supply pack.
Minthara can be killed and looted. She will have the same items as her starting equipment, except for her [[Minthara's Underwear|underwear]]. If knocked unconscious, she will drop no [[Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen]] and no supply pack.{{ref|Prior to Patch #7, {{SmRarityItem|Minthara's Underwear}} could be looted, too. Since Patch #7 this is not possible anymore. However, her Underwear is still shown on her looted body.}}


If all equipment and clothing is looted from her and she is left unconscious, she will reappear in Act 2 at Moonrise Towers in a new set of camp clothes including camp shoes and underwear.
If all equipment and clothing is looted from her and she is left unconscious, she will reappear in Act 2 at Moonrise Towers in a new set of camp clothes including camp shoes and underwear.
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</gallery>
</gallery>


== Notes and References ==
== Notes and references ==
{{notebegin}}
{{notebegin}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 02:45, 11 December 2024

Overview Approval Banter Romance Combat

Nightwarden Minthara[1] Baenre is a recruitable Companion with the Noble background. She is a Lolth-Sworn Drow[2] and an Oath of Vengeance Paladin first appearing during Act One.

Ruthless in service of the Absolute, she commands a camp of Goblins planning an attack on the Druid Grove in the name of their god. Initially hostile unless the player character both sides with and sleeps with her in Act One, she can be re-encountered during Act Two and saved from execution, at which point she can be recruited into the party as well as romanced by characters of any gender.


Portrait Minthara.png
“
Bhaal, Lolth... the Absolute. They do not have followers - they only have victims, and they reward devotion with death.
„
— Minthara on gods

Overview

For a full overview of Minthara's starting features, see the articles Paladin, Oath of Vengeance, and Lolth-sworn drow.

Background

A member of the ancient House Baenre, Minthara is a True Soul in the service of the Absolute and one of the three leaders of the Goblin Camp in the Wilderness. She and her fellow True Souls, Gut Priestess Gut and Dror Ragzlin Dror Ragzlin, set up a base of operations in an old Selûnite temple in search of a Mysterious Artefact by order of the Absolute.

Starting class

Before she is recruited, Minthara is a level 6 Paladin with the following Ability Scores: STR = 16, DEX = 15, CON = 14, INT = 10, WIS = 12, CH = 17. If she is recruited, then Minthara changes to a level 1 Paladin with the standard ability scores for that Class, with a focus on dual-wielding one-handed weapons. Her Subclass is Oath of Vengeance, giving her a more offence-oriented toolkit, with more ways of controlling and debuffing foes in battle.

Special features

Minthara has the passive Soul Branding Soul Branding, allowing her to grant herself or an ally an additional 5 m / 17 ft of movement and 2d4 + 1Damage TypesFire damage on their next attack. She also bears the Brand of the Absolute and can fully benefit from items with this effect. Furthermore, she will already have access to the following illithid powers:

Personal quest

Minthara does not have a personal quest like other companions. However, she is directly involved in some important quests.

As part of the main-quest Save the Refugees Save the Refugees, the party can decide which side to support in the conflict between the goblins and the druids of the grove. If siding with the druids and refugees, Minthara will be hostile and become an objective of Defeat the Goblins Defeat the Goblins. If sided with the forces of the Absolute, she will appear as an ally as part of Raid the Grove Raid the Grove. If the grove has been sealed, on the day of the raid she will instruct her raiders to kill the party.

In Decide Minthara's Fate Decide Minthara's Fate, the party can decide what will happen with Minthara after her trial at the hands of Ketheric Thorm Ketheric Thorm and Z'rell Disciple Z'rell at Moonrise Towers.

After recruiting Minthara has a personal interest destroying the Cult of the Absolute and especially in killing Orin Orin the Red and therefore completing Get Orin's Netherstone Get Orin's Netherstone because of vengeance. Orin killed Minthara's Drow companions, and tortured and enslaved her to the Cult of the Absolute through implanting a tadpole in Minthara's brain. The Cult of the Absolute forced Minthara to commit massacres on the enemies of the cult.

Recruitment

Although Minthara can be encountered in Act One, she cannot join the player's party as a permanent companion before reaching Moonrise Towers in Act Two.[3][4]

Act Two

  • If left alive after the events of Act 1, Minthara will be found at Moonrise Towers facing trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to find the Mysterious Artefact. Sentenced to death, she is taken to Moonrise Towers Prison to be tortured until her execution. The party can find her and help her escape, and if invited to camp, she will offer to join them.
    • Should the party side with Minthara during Save the Refugees Save the Refugees and raid the grove with her, no additional steps are needed to ensure that she appears at Moonrise Towers.
    • If the party sides with the druids instead, but still wishes to meet Minthara at the Moonrise Towers, she must be knocked out when fought. This can occur whether at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum or when defending the grove from the goblin attack.[5][6][10]

Approval

Main article: Minthara/approval
Minthara Approves

Minthara approves of displays of power and control, often in the form of violent, if not efficient, solutions to problems. She respects those with the strength to follow their own will, and enjoys cruel irony on occasion. She also hates dwarfs for some reason.[Needs Verification]

Minthara dislikes shows of compassion, especially towards those she considers weak. She will disapprove of any form of benevolence without something to gain for it, as well as senseless violence that does not aid the party in some way. Above all, she despises acts of weakness and any form of worship of Lolth.

Romance

Main article: Minthara/romance

If the party sides with the absolutists and successfully raids the druid grove, the player can have a one-night stand with Minthara to celebrate their victory.

Should Minthara be saved and recruited, she can be romanced by characters of either gender. Though initially cold, Minthara will show some of her deepest fears to her partner, as well as display a more romantic, if not jealous, side of her.

Description

Appearance

With a stern countenance and piercing eyes, Minthara has an imposing presence. Like most drow, she has purplish-blue skin, with crimson eyes and pointed ears. Her silver hair is kept in a messy top bun, with stray strands of hair adorning her face. On the left side of her neck, she bears the seal of House Baenre in black, marking her a member of the ancestral house. Her combat equipment is well-made, and her at-ease clothes reflect some of her noble upbringing.

Personality

As a drow and follower of the Absolute, Minthara has a highly hostile and cruel attitude towards other beings, considering almost everyone as inferior. She has a special disdain for those who do not share her beliefs, and holds other Drow in high regard. Her upbringing as a noble in Menzoberranzan further compounds her superiority complex. Aligned with the Absolute, she's willing to do whatever it takes to serve it.

Power hungry, she is always looking for ways to increase her standing among her peers, product of her drow upbringing. Having been a follower of Lolth once, she also knows that violence, deception, and cruelty are great tools to obtain what she wants.

Despite her overt dislike for others, she is an observant person, always studying those that surround her. Minthara often understands the plights of her companions, even if she doesn't necessarily care for them, and she's always willing to give them a solution in her own way. Though her methods may sometimes be extreme, they always have a sound reasoning. Still, she doesn't support mindless cruelty if it serves no purpose, and even shows a weak spot for Scratch Scratch. If romanced, she also shows that she harbours doubts about her life and circumstances.

Whether due to her looks or attitude, Minthara reveals she's had quite a few lovers in the past[11] and even has a few suitors amongst the goblins, unbeknownst to her.[12][13]

If recruited and freed from the Absolute's influence, Minthara's cruelty will be more tempered, and her fury will be aimed solely at the other leaders of the Cult - particularly Orin Orin the Red. She also becomes contemplative of her actions under the Absolute's influence, and rues letting them exploit her fears and yearning for belonging to use her as a tool.

History

Menzoberranzan

Born into the ancient House Baenre of Menzoberranzan, Minthara was raised as a noble of the city in Qu'ellarz'orl, a plateau above the city expanse.[14] Taught in the ways of Lolth, she eventually rose to be an important house matron, enjoying all the luxuries of her birthright. She survived her first assassination attempt when she was a child, and another at the hands of her mother when she came of age.[15]

Sometime during her life there, she encountered a True Soul and two novices preaching the message of the Absolute. Minthara had them hanged and displayed as a warning against heresy,[16] but curiosity got the best of her, and after using necromancy on the corpses to find their base of operations, she prepared a retinue of warriors to strike at the Moonrise Towers.

Indoctrination and time in the Cult

Minthara gathered her allies to battle the absolutists, yet, when they arrived at the Moonrise Towers, they were met with a lavish feast and a welcome fit for a house matron. Ketheric Thorm Ketheric Thorm had been expecting her, and invited her to partake of his feast alongside Orin Orin the Red. He explained he wished to form an alliance between Moonrise and Menzoberranzan, flattering Minthara and playing to her pride.[17] Lowering her guard, Minthara was unable to react in time as Orin jumped on the table and sliced her men's throats as she approached her. Standing before her, Orin expressed her interest in Minthara, and Ketheric approved of it, ordering her to be taken to the Mind Flayer Colony.[18] There, Minthara was held for some time, helplessly watching as her men were processed for food or to be turned into thralls. Eventually, Orin returned and placed the tadpole in Minthara's eye, sealing the drow's fate as part of the Cult of the Absolute.[19]

Under orders of her new god, Minthara participated in many massacres carried out by the cult, mostly against religious communities who refused to be converted. She became a zealot, and in time, even began to admire Orin. Orin would manipulate her further, telling her lies of how she was a True Soul, chosen by the Absolute as her greatest weapon.[20] For Minthara, the Absolute was more than just a god, it was everything she ever truly wanted.[20] With a new purpose, Minthara heads to the Wilderness in search of a powerful weapon her new goddess desires, hungry to prove herself.

Involvement

Act One

Minthara is first encountered at the Shattered Sanctum within the Goblin Camp, planning an attack on Emerald Grove at the behest of the Absolute. When spoken to, she will quickly identify the party as fellow True Souls and reveal that she believes the druids are hiding a powerful weapon at their grove that the Absolute desires. She has been surveying the land in search of the weapon, sending scouts to track the leader of the grove, Halsin.[21] Minthara will probe the party's minds with her tadpole, possibly leading to the grove's location being exposed.

Save the Refugees

Minthara.png

Though Minthara does not have a personal quest, she is deeply involved in Save the Refugees Save the Refugees as well. The party can fight Minthara as part of the quest Defeat the Goblins Defeat the Goblins, turning her and the rest of the goblins around her hostile. Fighting her will turn the rest of the camp hostile. With one of the three goblin leaders dead, Dror Ragzlin Dror Ragzlin and Gut Priestess Gut would be next.

Raiding the Grove

Alternatively, the party can entertain the possibility of raiding the grove with the absolutists. This will add the quest Raid the Emerald Grove Raid the Emerald Grove to the journal. If they choose to ally with the forces of the Absolute and disclose the grove's location, the raid of the grove will begin after the next Long Rest. Carrying on with the raid will cause Karlach Karlach and Wyll Wyll to permanently leave the player's party. After the grove has been destroyed, Minthara and the goblins will join the party at their camp and celebrate their slaughter of the druids, even if they ultimately failed to find the weapon the Absolute desired. Minthara will also offer to have a casual encounter with the player character. Rejecting her will anger her, but will have no negative consequences.

After the celebrations, Minthara will urge the party to join the forces of the Absolute at the Moonrise Towers in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. She will give the party her Spider's Lyre to summon a guide that will help them through the deadly shadows, and will depart shortly after.

Double-Crossing Minthara

Alternatively after initialising the raid on the grove through talking with Minthara, it is possible to double-cross her. First Halsin must be freed in the Worg Pens but left there. Then, after agreeing with Minthara to seize the grove, the party must talk to Halsin in the Worg Pens and then immediately travel to the Emerald Grove. All this must be done without any long rest.

At the Emerald Grove the party must side with the Tiefling defenders. If the goblin forces are defeated and Minthara is killed or knocked out, then the quests Rescue the Druid Halsin Rescue the Druid Halsin and Defeat the Goblins Defeat the Goblins will be completed without killing Dror Ragzlin and Gut.

Act Two

Decide Minthara's Fate

A picture on Minthara at Moonrise Towers, reacting with fear and anger at her death sentence issued by Kethric Thorm for her failure to retreive the Artefact.
Minthara reacts with fear and outrage at Ketheric Thorm's Death Sentence for failing to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact.

Should Minthara have survived the events of Act 1, whether friendly or hostile, she will be next encountered in the Moonrise Towers on trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact. The party can intervene on her behalf, but Ketheric will sentence her to death regardless of what is said. This will begin the quest Decide Minthara's Fate Decide Minthara's Fate.

The party can choose to follow, in which case they'll find her at the Moonrise Towers Prison, undergoing torture by two Gnome Questioners. Here, a choice can be made: join the questioners in erasing Minthara's mind, turning her into a witless thrall of the Absolute, or help her escape. This can be done by slaying the gnomes or by dialogue. If freed, the party will need to escort Minthara out of the prison, either through dialogue or violence. Regardless, once out, Minthara can go on her own way or be convinced to join the party, at which point she will join the camp.

If the party allows Balthazar Balthazar to take the Aylin Nightsong during Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic, and finds Isobel Thorm Isobel for the absolutists, they will be granted an audience with Ketheric Thorm who will allow them to pray at the altar of the Absolute. Doing so will ultimately result in the party being imprisoned in pods in the Mind Flayer Colony, where Balthazar will attempt to turn them into zombies at his service. In the fight that ensues, the party may battle a Zombie Dror Ragzlin and Zombie Minthara, if either of them died during the events prior.

Act Three

Minthara can be one of possible victims of Orin's kidnapping during Act 3 as part of Rescue Orin's Victim Rescue Orin's Victim. If so, once Orin is defeated and Minthara has been rescued, she will have some words about the entire ordeal. Additionally, she'll also express being disheartened after killing her former abuser, as even though Orin could only copy the surface characteristics of her victims, Minthara saw her herself in Orin's bloodlust and madness, a shattered but possible version of herself had she not broken free from the Absolute's control.

Get Orin's Netherstone

Having been indoctrinated into the Cult of the Absolute by Orin herself, Minthara has a personal stake in the quest Get Orin's Netherstone Get Orin's Netherstone.

Endings

When spoken to in either ending, Minthara bemoans the party's lack of extravagance and asks if the player character regrets their decision not to control the Absolute. Ambient chatter from Minthara has her wryly suspect there have been other reunions to which she hasn't been invited, that all the heroes gathering together paints a target on the party for hostile attack, and that she is becoming accustomed to the taste of surface-grown plants.

Return to Menzoberranzan

Minthara can be encouraged to return to Menzoberranzan, to which she will agree, suggesting they put the gnomes back to work to rebuild the Steel Watch, returning as conquerors to found a new noble House. Six months after the fall of the absolutists, Minthara will mention that the war against House Baenre is going well, but that she welcomes the distraction of Withers Withers' party.

Baldur's Gate

Otherwise, if encouraged to stay in Baldur's Gate, then Minthara claims that Baldur's Gate needs new leadership that she is happy to provide. She shares that she has been scheming in the shadows and that the political intrigue has been enjoyable. She asserts that the people will learn from her or bow to her.

Quest rewards

  • Gift from the Absolute — given by Minthara for siding with the absolutists and raiding the grove.
  • Spider's Lyre — given by Minthara after the camp celebration upon successfully raiding the grove, or can be looted on her body if killed during act one.

Interactions

Companion interactions

Minthara has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, she will have a floating [ ! ] icon above her.

Act Two

  • Upon arrival at the camp as a companion, she will have dialogue about some of her time under the Absolute and her vow of vengeance. If you add her to the party while she still has unfinished dialogue, she will ask you to give her privacy and cut you out of this dialogue.
  • After defeating Ketheric, Minthara will sit on his throne, gloating. When spoken to, she will reveal more about how she was indoctrinated into the Cult, and her plans once the Cult is destroyed.

Act Three

  • Upon reaching Rivington, Minthara will comment on the state of the refugees and city's refusal to let them in.
  • If pursuing a romance with her, she will at some point ask to see the player's thoughts on her.

Unique interactions

As a companion, Minthara has unique interactions and special dialogue with the following characters, listed by the act they are first encountered in.

Act Two

Act Three

Combat

Main article: Minthara/Combat

Loot

Minthara can be killed and looted. She will have the same items as her starting equipment, except for her underwear. If knocked unconscious, she will drop no Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen and no supply pack.[22]

If all equipment and clothing is looted from her and she is left unconscious, she will reappear in Act 2 at Moonrise Towers in a new set of camp clothes including camp shoes and underwear.

Starting equipment

If looted:

If not looted:

Related literature

Gallery

  • Base model.

    Base model.

  • Camp clothing model.

    Camp clothing model.

  • Underwear model.

    Underwear model.

  • Early Access post-Patch 6 model.

    Early Access post-Patch 6 model.

  • Early Access Patch 5 model.

    Early Access Patch 5 model.

  • Early Access pre-Patch 5 model.

    Early Access pre-Patch 5 model.

  • Appearance on the level-up screen.

    Appearance on the level-up screen.

  • Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

    Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

  • PS5 reveal press kit appearance.

    PS5 reveal press kit appearance.

  • Patch 6 of Early Access.

    Patch 6 of Early Access.

  • Patch 5 of Early Access.

    Patch 5 of Early Access.

  • At the start of Early Access.

    At the start of Early Access.

  • Digital Artbook concept.

    Digital Artbook concept.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ In traditional Drow names, the prefix "Min-" means "lesser", "minor", or "second", while the suffix "-thara" means "glyph", "marker", or "rune". Owen K.C. Stephens, "By Any Other Name: The Drow", Dragon 267 (January 2000): 28-31
  2. ↑ If the player character is a Lolth-sworn drow, many unique dialogue options are available, one of which includes condemning Minthara and attacking her for abandoning Lolth.
  3. ↑ Recruiting Minthara during Act 2 and then returning to Act 1 areas will make Minthara leave the party. Whether intended or a bug, this can be circumvented by casting Silence Silence on her before traveling to an Act 1 area.
  4. ↑ Minthara has exploration lines for Rosymorn Monastery as well as for the destruction sequence of the weapon on the rooftop. It's possible that during development she was intended to be a companion earlier than she ended up being for release. She also has an exploration line at the Nautiloid as well.
  5. ↑ Patch 7 notes "Knocked Out Minthara will now always flee to Moonrise Towers."
  6. ↑ It has been observed that, as long as she is knocked out in the in the Shattered Sanctum, it's possible to complete Defeat the Goblins Defeat the Goblins after several long rests without compromising her recruitment later in Act Two.
  7. ↑ Patch 5 notes "Minthara will still appear at Moonrise Towers if she was knocked out in Act I."
  8. ↑ PSA - Recruiting Minthara In A Good Playthrough by Crimsomrider at Larian Studios forums on 2023-11-30. https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=925862 [Retrieved 2024-01-04.]
  9. ↑ Patch 6 notes "Increased the number of valid methods of knocking Minthara out to recruit her."
  10. ↑ Minthara went through some recruitment changes during development and after release.
    Intended to be recruited only if the grove was destroyed, prior to Patch 5, an exploit could be used to recruit Minthara when siding with the grove. Minthara had to be knocked out temporarily in Act 1, recovering after a long rest. Once the party reached Act 2 and acquired the spells Polymorph Polymorph and Dominate Beast Dominate Beast, they had to return to Shattered Sanctum, turn her into a sheep and dominate her. The party then had to fast-travel back to the Moonrise Towers and then had to move Minthara as a sheep into the throne room, where the judgement continued as if Minthara was alive. After the cutscene she would be transported to the dungeon. The party had to attack her quickly once imprisoned as she would begin to run away otherwise, and then turn invisible and exit combat. Minthara was then part of the interrogation scene and her recruitment could proceed as normal.
    When Patch 5 was introduced, Minthara could be recruited if she was knocked out temporarily at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum, dealing with the rest of the goblin camp without long rests in-between as the game files checked for both conditions in order to trigger her scene at Moonrise Towers.[7][8]
    Patch 6 removed the requirement for Minthara being temporarily hostile / knocked out. The game no longer checks for that condition. It became possible to recruit Minthara through knocking her out when defending the grove from the goblin attack.[9] However, if Minthara was knocked out in the goblin camp, the quest Defeat the Goblins Defeat the Goblins had to be finished prior to taking a Long Rest.
    Since Patch 7 all methods of knocking her out result in a recruitment opportunity.
  11. ↑ Various locations, party banter between Minthara and Karlach.
  12. ↑ Parchment (Goblin Camp)
  13. ↑ Unfinished Love Letter by Klagga Klagga
  14. ↑ Campsite, line spoken by Minthara to a drow noble player character.
    "Like you, I lived in Qu'ellarz'orl, high above the city's sprawl."
  15. ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when inquired about her upbringing in Menzoberranzan.
    "(...) I survived my first assassination attempt while I still suckled at my mother's breast. (...) When I came of age, she tried to take my life herself, and I gave her fresh scars to match those she earned protecting me."
  16. ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
    "A True Soul came to my city preaching a message of togetherness, accompanied by two novices. Menzoberranzan is not fertile grounds for such messages. I killed them, and hanged their bodies in my garden."
  17. ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
    "I expected a battle, but found a fully-laden feast table, and a welcome befitting a house matron. (...) Ketheric proposed an alliance between Moonrise and Menzoberranzzan. I admit, I was captivated by him."
  18. ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
    "Then, quick as lightning, she climbed onto the table, a dagger in each hand, and skipped toward me, slicing the throats out of my men as she passed them. (...) I want this one, she said. Ketheric nodded his permission, and I was taken below."
  19. ↑ Moonrise Towers, lines spoken by Minthara in the throne room after slaying Ketheric Thorm.
    "There was no god. Orin held me down in a cocoon of flesh, while a mind flayer forced a parasite into my brain. And she laughed at my fear."
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Moonrise Towers, lines spoken by Minthara in the throne room after slaying Ketheric Thorm.
    "When I first visited Moonrise, I stood before the Absolute in awe. It was more of an idea than an entity. Pure love, total power. Orin was by my side. She told me that god had chosen me to be a True Soul. Blessed and adored."
  21. ↑ Drow's Letter by Minthara
  22. ↑ Prior to Patch #7, Minthara's Underwear could be looted, too. Since Patch #7 this is not possible anymore. However, her Underwear is still shown on her looted body.

External links

Minthara Baenre on the Forgotten Realms Wiki

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