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Araj Oblodra is a drow trader and blood-focused alchemist who can be found in Moonrise Towers and the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. Other than the items she sells, she also offers unique potions in exchange for samples of blood, and will ask to speak with Astarion.
| Trader | |||||||
| Araj Oblodra | |||||||
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| Stats | |||||||
| Level 6 | |||||||
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 Race
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 Type
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Humanoid | ||||||
 HP
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52 | ||||||
 AC
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14 | ||||||
 Movement Speed
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9m / 30ft | ||||||
 Size
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Medium | ||||||
 Weight
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75kg / 150lbs | ||||||
 Proficiency Bonus
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+3 | ||||||
 Initiative
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+3 | ||||||
| Passive features | |||||||
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| Character information | |||||||
| Location | Moonrise Towers,
Lower City X: -91 Y: -93 | ||||||
If no characters donate blood to Araj at Moonrise Towers, she will not appear at Lower City.
Act Two
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Blood-draw elixirs
Araj will brew unique elixirs as payment for drawing blood from the 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 race, and, in the case of dragonborns, 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, which causes a -1 to all dice rolls until another long rest.
With a 
DC 14 History check, knowledge of House Oblodra will allow the player 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.
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
Potion of Everlasting Vigour in exchange, which permanently increases the Strength of the one drinking it by 2.
If Astarion is not the player's Origin character, he will be loath to do so, privately noting to the player 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, and the disapproval from this will likely end a romance between him and the player if one exists.
There are no other consequences of Astarion obliging the request, despite how foul Araj's blood seems to be.
Act Three
If blood was donated in Act 2, Araj can be found again in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate in Act 3. As the player 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.
If Astarion did not bite Araj in Act 2, she'll flirtatiously offer it once more. Astarion has now steeled his resolve and will forcefully refuse.
Araj is a trader in Act 3 as well, primarily retaining her inventory from Act 2.
If Araj was killed in Act 2, or no character donated their blood, Araj will be missing from her store and the explosions will not trigger on approach.
Mysterious Potion
After following Araj into her bombed-out shop, she'll breathlessly encourage the character to finish the research, and drink her new formula: Formula Gruna. The entire party urges them not to drink it.
The Mysterious Potion deals 1d4 Slashing damage and triggers a small explosion doing 1d5 Fire damage around the character who consumes it. The character however gains the permanent 
passive feature, causing them to bleed out Unstable Blood Surfaces when hurt. When these surfaces are exposed to flame, they explode, and turn into Fire Surfaces.
When spoken to next, Araj will be first thrilled to see they've survived, and then just as excited at the results. She giddily deems the character the "world's first detonative exsanguinator." In parting, and with no qualms at having so risked the character's life, she'll offer to provide another explosive in exchange for a nominal fee: another blood donation.
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.
Thereafter, Araj will accept blood donations once per long rest, gaining two Sanguine Explosives in her trader inventory each time.
Crimson Draughts
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, a peek 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, her journal reveals the true purpose of her research, to find a way to restore House Oblodra to its former glory; or failing that, to exact explosive vengeance for the fallen house, and cast all of Menzoberranzan into a pit.
Whether through 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.
History
Araj Oblodra is part of the now defunct House Oblodra. Over a century ago, an alliance of rival drow destroyed her House, due to their association with psionics and illithids before and during the Time of Troubles. House Oblodra was known for, among other things, reckless experimentation with illithid breeding-stock.
Very few survived the House's destruction, making Araj Oblodra one of few members left alive. The only other two known survivors of House Oblodra K'yorl Odran, a Matron Mother of the house, and Kimmuriel Oblodra, who had joined the Bregan D'aerthe after the house's fall.
Notable items sold
Notes
- Araj is referred to as an "Infernal Merchant" and demon in the games files.
- Hirelings may exchange blood for elixirs, suggesting that they have illithid blood.
- Donating blood in both Act Two and Act Three awards Inspiration to all characters with the Soldier background.
Companion approval
Act II, Moonrise Towers
(When Astarion is brought before Araj Oblondra)
- Araj Oblodra: And he's yours to command... My envy is palpable.
- Player: Excuse me? He's his own person.
+5 - Player: He does what I tell him, if that's what you mean. -2
- Player: Yes. All mine.
- Araj Obolndra: Can't you talk some sense into your obstinate charge?
- Player: He said no. There's nothing more to discuss. +5
- Player: I am surprised, Astarion. I thought you'd jump at a chance like this. or Just bite her - the potion sounds useful.
- Astarion: I'm sorry, but could you excuse us for a moment?
- Player: What do you mean? What's wrong with her blood?
- Araj Obolndra: I don't have all day, True Soul.
- Player: Don't do anything you don't want to. +5
- Player: It's up to you, but we could really use that potion. -3
- Player: Just suck it up and bite her already. -3
- Player: A potion that powerful could change our fates. Isn't that worth a bad taste in your mouth? -3
- Player: This is your choice - do what you want. +5
- Player: Don't be dramatic, it's just one bite. One nip and you're done. -3
- (End of dialogue)