Enver Gortash

Overview

Combat

Lord Enver Gortash, often just referred to as Gortash, is the Chosen of Bane, and one of the leaders of the enigmatic Cult of the Absolute, and serves as one of the main antagonists in Baldur's Gate 3.

Despite his humble beginnings, Gortash quickly rose through the ranks of society in Baldur's Gate with great cunning. Now, an influential figure and poised to become the Archduke of the city, he seeks to consolidate his power and become the ruler of the city and beyond, through whatever means are necessary.

“

A mad dog understands the yank of the leash and the hand of its master, but it cannot be an equal. 'You' can be my equal.

„

— Gortash on masters and slaves

Overview

Background

Hinted at first though notes, he is properly introduced at the end of Act 2 as one of the conspirators of the cult along with Ketheric Thorm and Orin the Red. Born from nothing and rising through the ranks of the city through sheer ambition, Gortash has positioned himself as a force to be reckoned with in Baldur's Gate. In the pockets of the nobility, with influence over the city's Flaming Fists and aided by his Steel Watch, Gortash's has the whole city in the palm of his hand.

Gameplay

• Gortash is a level 9 Human boss and one of the main antagonists in the game
• First mentioned in Act 1, he is introduced in Act 2, and properly encountered and fought in Act 3
• Fighting him, or allying with him, is required in order to obtain his Netherstone and proceed with the story
• In combat, he relies on his allies to protect him, while supporting them from afar through grenades and the hazards found in the combat arena
• He can forge an alliance with the party to face the Netherbrain together
• The party's encounters with him influences how friendly or hostile the city is

Description

Appearance

Gortash has short, dark hair, styled with artful mess. His facial features are rounded, and beginning to show the signs of age, with many creases and some scars. Gortash's style of dress is extravagant and reflective of his wealth; his wide open collar displaying gilded dragons, intricately designed gold gauntlets, and noticeably, bright red and pointy steel-tipped boots.

Personality

Gortash is cunning and self-assured, and was noticed as intelligent from an early age. Power hungry, he uses whatever methods are necessary to achieve his goals, careless of the impact his actions on others. Described as needy and troublesome by his less-than-loving parents, he grew up to be politically shrewd and ruthless in his business relations leading him to a meteoric rise through baldurian society.

Despite his goals for domination, he is pragmatic and willing to engage in diplomacy when needed. Much like his patron god Bane, Gortash will work with others when it serves his interests, and is genuine, if not outright giving, with his alliances.

History

Early life

Enver Gortash was born to Dravo and Sally Flymm, the proprietors of Flymm's Cobblers in Baldur's Gate. The Flymms were in debt, and sold their son into slavery to pay them off. His parents describe him as a clever child, often found tinkering. They also described him as hateful and needy, too clever for his own good.

Mistaken by the Flymms as a warlock, Gortash was in reality sold to Raphael. Gortash became a pageboy in Raphael's and Nubaldin's' service. He was physically abused and left on poor terms.

Rise to power

Before he became 'Lord' Gortash, Enver started out operating as a black market weapons dealer, before expanding his operation into other businesses. At some point Enver Gortash had hired a young Karlach as his bodyguard. He betrayed her later, striking a deal with Zariel to sell Karlach as a test subject for an implanted  Infernal Engine. It is unknown what Gortash received in return. Rumours say that he had Helsik open a transplanar portal to Hell during this period.

Enver Gortash was able to supplant the Knights of the Shield as the leading black market dealer in Baldur's Gate, but not without trouble. His initial attempts to sway their client base by offering a more generous cut saw little success. Through generous bribes, Gortash began uncovering the nature of this resistance. He was also able to supplant the Zhentarim' position in the Chionthar Valley.

In time he became known as a "Military Advisor" to Baldur's Gate Elite. He had an affair with Lady Jannath.

Chosen of Bane

At some point, Gortash became the Chosen of Bane, and after this he began taking more ambitious endeavors that led to him accruing more power and influence within the political structures of Baldur's Gate.

Around this time, Gortash formed an alliance with two other powerful individuals: Ketheric Thorm, the Chosen of Myrkul, and The Dark Urge, the then Chosen of Bhaal. The third member of this alliance was eventually deposed by Orin the Red and Gortash allowed her to join the alliance in place of her predecessor.

Pursuing both power and the aims of their patron deities, Gortash and his allies formulated a plot to enslave an Elder Brain underneath Baldur's Gate by using an ancient Netherese artifact, the Crown of Karsus, an item so powerful, it had granted its namesake a brief moment of Godhood. Gortash reveals the details of this plot during Act Two, and further explains it in Act Three.

At some point, Enver Gortash returned to his parents for revenge. What resulted, was Gortash eventually implanting Mind Flayer tadpoles into their minds, turning them into puppets that could do little more than praise their exalted son.

Involvement

Act One

Though Gortash is not present in the first act of the game, his involvement in the plot is alluded to when the Absolute attempts to take over the party's mind and they see a vision of Gortash, Ketheric Thorm and Orin the Red shortly before being repelled by the Mysterious Artefact.

Act Two

The Chosen of Bane

Enver Gortash first appears alongside Ketheric Thorm and Orin the Red in the Mind Flayer Colony beneath Moonrise Towers. An argument breaks out between him and Ketheric and is stopped from becoming a fight due to Orin's intervention. As Orin plants an Illithid tadpole in Ulder Ravengard, Gortash uses his netherstone, the Edict of Bane, to command the Netherbrain. The three order it to march the Absolute's armies on Baldur's Gate.

Act Three

Main article: Get Gortash's Netherstone

As the party enters Wyrm's Rock Fortress, Gortash will speak through a Steel Watcher to invite them to his coronation in the fortress' audience hall. After arriving, Gortash will offer the party a pact; he will not attack so long as they do no harm to him or his Steel Watch. Further, he will promise that when they return with Orin's Netherstone, they will rule Faerûn together. So long as the Steel Watch and Iron Throne remain, Gortash is sincere. Should the party perform an Insight ability check, it is revealed that Gortash fully intends on sharing his rule with the party should they form an alliance. Whether this would be a temporary truce or not is unknown.

Gortash can explain the Chosen of the Dead Three's plot to the party, detailing everyone's role. Each individual had their own part to play in their plan, which would occur sequentially. The Chosen of Bhaal, Orin the Red, would carry out a series of murders within Baldur's Gate, thinning out any forces not already under Gortash's control. The Chosen of Myrkul, Ketheric Thorm, would raise an army consisting of cultists of the Absolute, monstrous humanoids such as goblins, ogres, bugbears, and undead, marching from Moonrise Towers. Finally, the Chosen of Bane, Enver Gortash, would use his Steel Watch, and command it in a rigged battle against the Absolute, winning in a way that indebts the city of Baldur's Gate to him, without damaging it beyond repair in a way in which he can not rule in prosperity.

As parting words, Gortash will warn the party not to return without Orin's Netherstone.

If the Dark Urge was chosen as origin, Gortash will give a much warmer welcome, greeting his "favourite assassin". He will reveal that the original Chosen of Bhaal was not Orin, but in fact the Dark Urge themselves. Gortash will go on to say that he and the Urge initiated the plot to steal the Crown of Karsus and use it to manipulate the Netherbrain, a plot that was going well until the Urge vanished and Orin claimed that she would henceforth be speaking for the temple of Bhaal.

Once the party has been to Gortash's coronation and visited the Lower City, Gortash will move upstairs to his office on top of Wyrm's Rock Fortress.

After returning with Orin's stone, several possible outcomes can occur:

• If the party either destroyed the Steel Watch Foundry or travelled to the Iron Throne then Gortash will see this as a betrayal and lament that there's no hope of them becoming partners now. He then initiates combat.
• If the party upheld the deal, killed Orin, and brought her Netherstone, then Gortash will demand that the party gives both their Netherstones to him. If the party relents and hands over the stones, Gortash will see them as weak-willed and turn on them. Otherwise, after refusing twice, Gortash will reveal that he was testing them. The party's refusal will prove to him that they too are shrewd and headstrong, and a worthy ally. Gortash's intentions can be discovered through successfully reading his mind or passing an Insight check.

If Gortash remains allied with the party until the end, he will meet them at the Morphic Pool when it is time to confront the Netherbrain. As the party fails to dominate the brain, Gortash, already scared by the situation, will push the party aside and try himself to wield all three Netherstones. Too powerful to be controlled, the Netherbrain will inevitably kill Gortash.

Alternatively, Gortash can be fought at any point after meeting him in order to obtain his Netherstone. If he is killed before reaching Orin, the party will gain Gortash's Hand.

List of interactions

• Gortash is introduced at the end of Act Two, but cannot be interacted with until Act Three.
• During Act Three, the party has several opportunities to directly interact with Enver Gortash. While Enver Gortash is a neutral or allied entity, the party can start conversations with him at many opportunities. It is also possible for Gortash to become hostile, if provoked in certain conversations or deliberately attacked by party.
• Enver Gortash is encountered in-person by the party at Wyrm's Crossing, during his inauguration as Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate. Despite previous hostilities, Gortash will act very open to cooperating with the party, even offering them a place in his tyrannical rule.
• Gortash can be killed at Wyrm's Crossing, which allows for the party to collect Gortash's Netherstone to progress further.
  • However, if deciding to ally with Gortash, killing him is not necessary to continue. He will accompany the party to the Netherbrain to attempt to command it once more. This, however, fails. The stones will be unable to command the Netherbrain, and it will use its psionic might to kill Gortash instantaneously with a simple command to "Die."

Speak with Dead

If  Speak with Dead is used on Gortash, he will not respond. Instead, Bane himself will answer in his stead.

(#1 First set)

Lord Enver Gortash: You seek Gortash? His soul is already suffering at my hands. That is the fate of all those who fail me.

• If you're not Gortash, then who are you?
  • (Jump to #2 Who are you?)
• Let him suffer, then. Isn't that the fate he deserves?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: A dead Archduke is of no use to me. A living explorer - [class/Wyll/githyanki/tadpole reference], for example - is a different matter.
  • (Jump to #3 Second set)
• You're much more coherent than most corpses. Why's that?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: So naive for one with such cunning. Do you think it's Gortash speaking to you?
  • (Jump to #2 Who are you?)
• Leave.

(#2 Who are you?)

• Lord Enver Gortash: I am Bane, The Black Lord. I am the Ultimate Tyrant. I am Fear, I am Hate.
• Lord Enver Gortash: And you - you are the dagger that bled Myrkul's favoured. You are the thorns that prick at my sides.
• Lord Enver Gortash: Yet you are proof that I will still rise, and Bhaal and Myrkul will yield.
• (Jump to #3 Second set)

(#3 Second set)

Lord Enver Gortash: One question asked. Four still remains.

• You said I am proof you will rise. What did you mean?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: You live for power. You have proven it with every fallen foe, every chest opened, every skill claimed.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: As long as mortals and immortals vie for sharper blades and louder voices, I am strengthened.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: So it is for Bhaal and Myrkul - and so it is for you. You make me eternal.
• I am no agent of yours. I seek power for proper ends, not for its own sake.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: *Chuckle.*
  • Narrator: The corpse says nothing more. You did not ask a question.
• Why did you ally with Myrkul and Bhaal?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Why do red dragons ally with the githyanki? Why did the Broken God befriend Tyr?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Ah, but you already know the answer. By making one ally, you deny them to another."
  • Lord Enver Gortash: And by turning mortals illithid, you deny their souls to their keepers.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: You do not stoke fear by reaping your own fields, but by burning your foe's.
• What can I do to earn your blessing, Lord Bane?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: You have already laid the foundation."
  • Lord Enver Gortash: You gained my favour when you slayed Gortash. Your need for power exceeds even his.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Use the Netherstones to commandeer the brain and unleash your infected army, and I will count you among my chosen.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Or do not. Your lust for victory still brings you one step closer to me.
• How can I reach the Iron Throne?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Ah, Gortash's pet project. Iron Throne Headquarters once touched the sky, a monument to martial force.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: It's been a century since it was submerged in Grey Harbour. You can reach it by a submersible beneath the harbour docks.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: I look forward to your show of power.
• Can you help me find the headquarters of Orin the Red?
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Of course you seek Orin, Bhaal's vengeful chosen. His temple is hidden even to my eyes. How fortuitous, then, that Orin seeks you.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: Orin is too proud of her own handiwork to linger in your shadow. The vain don't like to be upstaged.
  • Lord Enver Gortash: She'll make herself known to you - if she hasn't already, in her own special way.
• Leave.

Combat

Main article: Enver Gortash/Combat

Gortash serves as one of the main antagonists of Act 3 of the game alongside Orin. His defeat, or cooperation if so chosen, is required before facing the final threat of the game: the Netherbrain.

Loot

• Cloth of Authority
• Dagger
• Fabricated Arbalest
• Gortash's Hand - available only if slain before Orin
• Gortash's Key
• Netherstone-Studded Gauntlet – separates on pick-up into:
  • Gauntlet of the Tyrant
  • Gortash's Netherstone
• Note from Helsik
• Phase Optimizer
• Reflectoguard
• Smokepowder Bomb
• Tyrannical Jackboots

Achievements

Fancy Footwork
Defeat Gortash in Wyrm's Rock without activating any traps.

Gallery

• 

  Gortash's in-game model.

• 

  Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

• 

  Render by J-P Roy

Related literature

• Accelerated Grand Design
• Journal of Enver Gortash
• Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda
• Next Steps
• Prayer for Forgiveness
• Schematic Compendium
• Scrapbook of Letters
• The Astral Prism Heist
• The True Life of 'Lord' Gortash
• The Ultimate State

Quests

•  Confront the Elder Brain
•  Get Gortash's Netherstone
  •  Consider Gortash's Bargain
  •  Disable the Steel Watch
•  Our Fiery Friend
•  The Grand Duke

Notes

• If  Disable the Steel Watch was completed before the Iron Throne infiltration, Iron Throne-related quests will become unavailable. If Gortash was made hostile otherwise before the Iron Throne and the Steel Watch Foundry, the quests will remain intact.^{[Needs Verification]}

External links

Enver Gortash on the Forgotten Realms Wiki Bane on the Forgotten Realms Wiki Chosen on the Forgotten Realms Wiki