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| description = Duke Belynne Stelmane is a character mentioned in Baldur's Gate 3.
| description = Duke Belynne Stelmane is a character mentioned in Baldur's Gate 3.
}}
}}
{{CharacterInfo2
{{Infobox creature
|title = Duke Stelmane
| title = Duke
|name = Belynne Stelmane
| name = Belynne Stelmane
|image = [[File:Belynne Stelmane Screenshot.webp|350px]]
| image = Belynne Stelmane Screenshot.webp
|race = Human
| race = [[Human]]
|type = [[List of Creature Types#Humanoid|Human]]
| hometown = [[Baldur's Gate]]
}}'''Belynne Stelmane''', also known as '''Duke Stelmane''', is a character mentioned in Baldur's Gate 3. She can not be interacted with directly by the player, but appears in a few cutscenes and plays an important role in several areas of the game's story.  
| occupation = Member of The Council of Four
| faction = [[Knights of the Shield]]
| status = Deceased
| death-reason = Killed by [[the Emperor]]
}}
'''Belynne Stelmane''', also known as '''Duke Stelmane''', is a character mentioned in Baldur's Gate 3. She can not be interacted with directly by the party, but appears in cutscenes and plays an important role in several areas of the game's story.  


==Significance==
==Overview==
* Served as a member of The Council of Four<ref>[[The Dukes of Baldur's Gate]] refers to ''The Council of Four'' as being a governing body of Baldur's Gate, consisting of four Dukes who oversee a ''Parliament of Peers'' consisting of the city's patriars.</ref>, until  ''at least'' 1471 DR<ref>[[The Dukes of Baldur's Gate]] refers to Belynne's role on the council occuring as recently as "Last Year." Baldur's Mouth Gazette articles strongly suggest that the "current" year is 1472 DR.</ref>
Stelmane served as a member of the {{FRWiki|Council of Four}} until 1491, one year before the events of the game.{{ref|{{SmRarityItem|The Dukes of Baldur's Gate}}}}. She was affiliated with the secret organisation known as the Knights of the Shield, and had had business dealings with {{CharLink|The Emperor}}.
* Affiliated with an organization known as the Knights of the Shield.<ref>Specific dialogue with [[The Emperor|a former partner of Belynne's]] reports her affiliation with the Knights of the Shield.</ref><ref>It is not clear if Belynne's affiliation with ''The Knights of the Shield'' is widely known to the Baldurian public.{{Verify}}</ref>
* Reported to struggle with health issues, and commonly believed to have suffered a stroke.<ref>[[Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane]] describes the observations of her doctor after suffering the alleged stroke.</ref><ref>Specific dialogue with [[Wyll]] during Act Three describes the public perception of Belynne's health issues as being a "stroke."</ref>


===Quests===
Later in her life, she suffered a stroke. The resulting health issues plagued her for over a decade, sometimes leaving her unaware of her surroundings,{{ref|{{SmRarityItem|Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane}}}} until she was murdered in her suite at the [[Elfsong Tavern]] by members of the [[Cult of Bhaal]].
{{SpoilerBox|
* [[Investigate the Murders]]
* [[Visit the Emperor's Old Hideout]]
}}


===Characters===
== Character recounts ==
Several characters in Baldur's Gate 3 describe their past experiences with Belynne Stelmane.
Several characters in Baldur's Gate 3 describe their past experiences with Belynne Stelmane.


'''[[The Emperor]]'''
===Wyll===
{{SpoilerBox|
During [[Act Three]], it is possible to ask {{Quest|Wyll}} about his own experiences meeting Belynne Stelmane.
The Emperor describes Belynne as his former ''partner'', but there are many ways to interpret what that means. It is unclear if the Larian writers intended there to be one "true" storyline about what happened to Belynne, but depending on the player's relationship with The Emperor, the way ''the game'' presents the history of this relationship can also fluctuate to match.
 
}}
Selecting the option ''Did you know Stelmane very well, back in the day?'' will yield the following information initially:


'''[[Wyll]]'''
''The first time, I was a boy of seven or eight, at a banquet in the Flaming Fists's honor. One look and I was smitten.
During Act 3, it is possible to ask [[Wyll]] about his own experiences meeting Belynne Stelmane.
{{SpoilerBox|
Selecting the option ''"Did you know Stelmane very well, back in the day?"'' will yield the following information initially:
{{Quote|
The first time, I was a boy of seven or eight, at a banquet in the Flaming Fists's honor. One look and I was smitten.
Chestnut hair that flowed behind her like willow fronds. She floated from one room to the next as if carried by clouds.
Chestnut hair that flowed behind her like willow fronds. She floated from one room to the next as if carried by clouds.
The second time, Stelmane was - different.
The second time, Stelmane was - different.
Even with the aid of a cane, each step she took was a struggle. Every word she spoke took great physical effort.
Even with the aid of a cane, each step she took was a struggle. Every word she spoke took great physical effort.
'A stroke victim?' I asked father later. 'No', he said. 'A stroke ''survivor.'''
'A stroke victim?' I asked father later. 'No', he said. 'A stroke 'survivor.' ''
}}
 
If the player passes an automatic Wisdom (Perception) check after Wyll finishes speaking, another dialogue option appears that is locked behind a Charisma (Persuasion) check. If this check is passed, he offers the following:
If passing a passive {{Ability Check|Perception|10}} after Wyll finishes speaking, they can learn that Wyll questions whether Stelmane suffered a stroke. Another dialogue option appears that is locked behind a {{Ability Check|Persuasion|15}}. If this check is passed, he says the following:
{{Quote|
 
Something's always gnawed at me. At the banquet, Stelmane didn't seem to look ''at'' us, but ''through'' us. But that second time, her gaze never left me. It was steel, sharp and unyielding. It could just be my imagination. But I always felt that it was more than a stroke that had changed her. What, though... I couldn't say.
''Something's always gnawed at me. At the banquet, Stelmane didn't seem to look ''at'' us, but ''through'' us. But that second time, her gaze never left me. It was steel, sharp and unyielding. It could just be my imagination. But I always felt that it was more than a stroke that had changed her. What, though... I couldn't say.''
}}
 
}}
===The Emperor===
The Emperor describes Belynne as its former ''partner'', but if pressed will claim that it used its illithid powers on her to make her its thrall.{{ref|Dialogue with the Emperor in the Astral Realm, after it is rejected and distrusted}} This eventually caused her to suffer her stroke, and left her partially paralysed.{{ref|{{SmRarityItem|Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane}}}}{{ref|Descent into Avernus pg. 162.}}
 
Wyll, if spoken to afterwards, shows his anger at the revelations:


===Locations===
''Not a mere stroke, as it turns out – but the scars of her possession. Gods, what I wouldn't give to drive a dagger through the Emperor's buldging head. We can never let it do to us what it did to Stelmane.''
* [[Elfsong Tavern]]
** [[Stelmane's Private Room]]


===Other Content===
==Related quests==
* [[Baldur's Mouth 1492 DR Issue 86]]
*{{Quest|Investigate the Murders}}
* [[The Stelmane Connection]]
*{{Quest|Visit the Emperor's Old Hideout}}
* [[Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane]]
* [[Shield Steward Interrogation Log]]


==Notes==
==Related literature==
{{SpoilerBlur|<references></references>}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Baldur's Mouth 1492 DR Issue 86}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Journal}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Old notes}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Shield Steward Interrogation Log}}
*{{MdRarityItem|The Dukes of Baldur's Gate}}
*{{MdRarityItem|The Stelmane Connection}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery heights="240px">
<gallery heights="250px">
Stelmane.png|Stelmane listening
Stelmane.png|Stelmane listening
Balduran4.png|Stelmane and her Advisor
Balduran4.png|Stelmane and her Advisor
Line 66: Line 65:


==Notes==
==Notes==
* During Act 3, it is sometimes possible to ask [[Wyll]] about his own experiences with meeting Duke Stelmane. Passing an automatic perception check as he finishes speaking will reveal 1 additional conversation option, requiring a DC 15 Persuasion check. If passed, Wyll will go on to describe his observations about Stelmane's behavior ''after'' she suffered her stroke.
{{notebegin}}
*In {{FRWiki|Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus}}, the segment describing Stelmane describes her as having a secret, mental battle against a Mind Flayer. This Mind Flayer is very likely to be the Emperor himself, and as a result, puts his entire "alliance" with Belynne Stelmane into question.
**If the Emperor truly is the Mind Flayer described in the 5e module, it's very possible they did not have a proper alliance at all, and rather, The Emperor enthralled her for his needs. Whether this was always the case, or if they had a genuine alliance beforehand, isn't fully clear as The Emperor is an unreliable narrator.
{{noteend}}


== External Links ==
==References==
* {{FRWiki|Belynne Stelmane|long}}
{{reflist}}


{{NavCharacters}}
==External links==
*{{FRWiki|Belynne Stelmane|long}}


[[Category: Humanoids]]
[[Category: Humans]]
[[Category: Mentioned characters]]

Latest revision as of 22:13, 25 September 2024

Belynne Stelmane, also known as Duke Stelmane, is a character mentioned in Baldur's Gate 3. She can not be interacted with directly by the party, but appears in cutscenes and plays an important role in several areas of the game's story.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Stelmane served as a member of the Council of Four until 1491, one year before the events of the game.[1]. She was affiliated with the secret organisation known as the Knights of the Shield, and had had business dealings with The Emperor The Emperor.

Later in her life, she suffered a stroke. The resulting health issues plagued her for over a decade, sometimes leaving her unaware of her surroundings,[2] until she was murdered in her suite at the Elfsong Tavern by members of the Cult of Bhaal.

Character recounts[edit | edit source]

Several characters in Baldur's Gate 3 describe their past experiences with Belynne Stelmane.

Wyll[edit | edit source]

During Act Three, it is possible to ask Wyll Wyll about his own experiences meeting Belynne Stelmane.

Selecting the option Did you know Stelmane very well, back in the day? will yield the following information initially:

The first time, I was a boy of seven or eight, at a banquet in the Flaming Fists's honor. One look and I was smitten. Chestnut hair that flowed behind her like willow fronds. She floated from one room to the next as if carried by clouds. The second time, Stelmane was - different. Even with the aid of a cane, each step she took was a struggle. Every word she spoke took great physical effort. 'A stroke victim?' I asked father later. 'No', he said. 'A stroke 'survivor.'

If passing a passive DC 10 Perception check after Wyll finishes speaking, they can learn that Wyll questions whether Stelmane suffered a stroke. Another dialogue option appears that is locked behind a DC 15 Persuasion check. If this check is passed, he says the following:

Something's always gnawed at me. At the banquet, Stelmane didn't seem to look at us, but through us. But that second time, her gaze never left me. It was steel, sharp and unyielding. It could just be my imagination. But I always felt that it was more than a stroke that had changed her. What, though... I couldn't say.

The Emperor[edit | edit source]

The Emperor describes Belynne as its former partner, but if pressed will claim that it used its illithid powers on her to make her its thrall.[3] This eventually caused her to suffer her stroke, and left her partially paralysed.[4][5]

Wyll, if spoken to afterwards, shows his anger at the revelations:

Not a mere stroke, as it turns out – but the scars of her possession. Gods, what I wouldn't give to drive a dagger through the Emperor's buldging head. We can never let it do to us what it did to Stelmane.

Related quests[edit | edit source]

Related literature[edit | edit source]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Stelmane listening

    Stelmane listening

  • Stelmane and her Advisor

    Stelmane and her Advisor

Notes[edit | edit source]

  • In Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, the segment describing Stelmane describes her as having a secret, mental battle against a Mind Flayer. This Mind Flayer is very likely to be the Emperor himself, and as a result, puts his entire "alliance" with Belynne Stelmane into question.
    • If the Emperor truly is the Mind Flayer described in the 5e module, it's very possible they did not have a proper alliance at all, and rather, The Emperor enthralled her for his needs. Whether this was always the case, or if they had a genuine alliance beforehand, isn't fully clear as The Emperor is an unreliable narrator.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The Dukes of Baldur's Gate
  2. ↑ Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane
  3. ↑ Dialogue with the Emperor in the Astral Realm, after it is rejected and distrusted
  4. ↑ Patient Log: Duke Belynne Stelmane
  5. ↑ Descent into Avernus pg. 162.

External links[edit | edit source]

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