Daughter of Darkness

Daughter of Darkness is the Companion quest for Shadowheart. It is automatically added to the journal if Shadowheart joins the party officially after the events of the Prologue.

Objectives

Objectives and journal entries may vary pending player decisions.

Continue travelling with Shadowheart.

• We recruited a half-elf named Shadowheart. She was also aboard the nautiloid - and infected with a parasite.
• A half-elf named Shadowheart has joined the party. She was also infected aboard the nautiloid and was playing with a strange object when we met her.
• We recruited a half-elf named Shadowheart. She was also infected aboard the nautiloid. For some reason, she doesn't seem to trust githyanki.
• As a strange voice assailed us, we were saved by a half-elf named Shadowheart - another survivor of the nautiloid. We accepted her into our party.
• We recruited Shadowheart, a half-elf and fellow nautiloid escapee. She perished in the crash, however, so we resurrected her.
• We saw Shadowheart tinkering with a strange artefact. When we asked her about it, she hid it and refused to answer our questions.
• Although Shadowheart tried to hide it, we discovered that she worships the goddess Shar. We need to ensure she doesn't keep anything else from us.
• Shadowheart told us that she had allowed her memory to be suppressed so she can serve Shar without compromising her.
• Shadowheart spoke of the Mother Superior - her mentor, and leader of a cloister of Shar worshippers. This mysterious figure raised and trained Shadowheart.
• We witnessed Shadowheart become stricken by an unusual surge of pain, emanating from a tiny, unhealed wound on her hand.
• We spoke to Shadowheart about the pain that her mysterious wound inflicted on her. She believes it may be part of her training - punishing her whenever she strays from Shar's teachings.
• We promised to help Shadowheart find a way to alleviate her pain if we could. She appreciated this considerably.
• Shadowheart has been gripped with intense pain from her wound on many occasions now. This could prove to become a liability if we cannot help her.
• We encouraged Shadowheart to find a way to prevent her wound from tormenting her. Though she feels the suffering is part of her faith, she conceded that she would rather live without it.
• We encouraged Shadowheart to find a way to prevent her wound from tormenting her. She was unconvinced however - believing that it would be a betrayal of her goddess to not endure the pain.
• We learned that it was the Mother Superior herself who inflicted Shadowheart with the mysterious wound that does not heal.
• We learned that Shadowheart needs to reach Baldur's Gate to fulfil a mission for her goddess - though the details of that mission are a mystery.
• We learned that Shadowheart is on a mission for Shar: she needs to bring that strange githyanki artefact to Baldur's Gate.
• Last night, we woke up to Lae'zel and Shadowheart about to kill each other. We weren't able to calm them down, and Lae'zel ended up dead.
• Last night, we woke up to Lae'zel and Shadowheart about to kill each other. Luckily, we were able to calm them both down.
• We witnessed Shadowheart react with alarm on encountering a wolf. She seems to have a deep-seated fear of them; we should see if she's willing to talk about it.
• Shadowheart opened up to us about her fear of wolves - she believes it stems from a childhood memory of being hunted by such a creature.
• Shadowheart decided to share an old memory with us - one of a few spared from her amnesia. We saw her as a lost child, being pursued by a wolf through a dark forest. Some Shar worshippers, led by the masked Mother Superior, came to her rescue and took her into their care. Though Shadowheart reflected on the memory with gratitude towards her saviours, we couldn't help but point out that it seemed manipulative to ensnare a child in such a way.
• We pointed out to Shadowheart that her memory of wandering a dark forest bore some resemblance to traditional Selûnite coming-of-age rites, where young children would have to navigate their way home with the aid of Selûne's moon glow. Shadowheart was troubled by the comparison.
• Shadowheart revealed to us that she has long-dreamed of becoming a Dark Justiciar. Her Mother Superior always thwarted her ambitions, however.
• We convinced Shadowheart to eat the Noblestalk, suspecting that its curative properties may help her amnesia. The effects of the mushroom briefly restored a fragmented memory from her youth that suggested she may have a friend out there somewhere. Perhaps a reunion beckons.
• We discovered that Shadowheart possesses a certain amount of resistance to the ill effects of the shadow curse. It seems that this must be due to Shar's patronage - but given the mercurial nature of the dark goddess, the extent of her protection remains to be seen.
• We gifted Shadowheart a Night Orchid - her favourite flower. She was greatly appreciative of the gesture.
• Shadowheart confessed to us that she is experiencing a crisis of faith. She feels like aspects of her own character are at odds with the tenets of her Shar worship, and she is having difficulty in reconciling the two.

Investigate the Gauntlet of Shar.

• We discovered the Gauntlet of Shar - a huge, ancient temple dedicated to the dark goddess. Shadowheart will surely want to investigate further.

Defeat Ketheric Thorm.

• Shadowheart has slain the Nightsong, and has risen as the last Dark Justiciar conferred by the Gauntlet of Shar. Her goddess commanded her to carry out a purge of disloyal elements amongst her worshippers, starting with the traitor, Ketheric Thorm.

Leave the Shadowfell.

• Shadowheart spared the Nightsong, in spite of Shar's demands that she be sacrificed. Shar will no doubt be furious, but the Nightsong seems to know something about Shadowheart's past. Whatever secrets she can reveal may be worth risking the wrath of a goddess.

Learn about Shadowheart's past from Dame Aylin.

• Shar has punished Shadowheart by stripping her of all favours and exiling her from her church. Now all Sharrans will view Shadowheart as a pariah and an enemy. All she can do now is seek out the counsel of Nightsong - or Dame Aylin, as she is known - and see what answers she can provide.

Journey to Baldur's Gate.

• Dame Aylin revealed the truth to Shadowheart. She was not saved by Sharrans as a child, but abducted and indoctrinated by them. Furthermore, her parents still live in Sharran captivity, and are bound to their daughter by a curse - the source of the pain that emanates from Shadowheart's wound. Shadowheart must make for Baldur's Gate in order to rescue her parents and free herself from Shar's influence.
• We have defeated Ketheric Thorm, just as Shadowheart was commanded to do by her goddess. Now she must continue to purge the Church of Shar of those deemed to be disloyal or failures. Shadowheart's old cloister in Baldur's Gate is to be her next target.

Find a Sharran Lookout.

• We have arrived in Wyrm's Crossing. Shadowheart believes that Sharran lookouts will be present in the vicinity, awaiting her return. She must find one such lookout in order to learn where the Sharran cloister is hidden. She expects to find such a lookout hiding amongst the desperate new arrivals flooding into Wyrm's Crossing.

Journey to the House of Grief.

• We have found a Sharran lookout called Ferg Drogher. He revealed that the cloister is hidden in a place called the House of Grief, in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate.

Find a way into the Cloister.

• We discovered that a place known as the House of Grief is a front for the Sharran presence in Baldur's Gate. Shadowheart was greeted by an attendant, Mirie, who told her she was expected. We must continue farther inside until we reach the innermost depths of the Sharran presence in the city. Only there can Shadowheart carry out her goddess's will.
• We arrived at the House of Grief, where the Sharran cloister is said to be hidden. Shadowheart was greeted by an attendant, Mirie, who told her she was expected. We must continue farther inside until we reach the innermost depths of the Sharran presence in the city. Only there can Shadowheart carry out her goddess's will.

Confront Viconia

• We met the Mother Superior of the Sharran cloister, who turned out to be Viconia DeVir. She challenged Shadowheart to descend farther into the cloister for a final confrontation.

Defeat Viconia and her followers.

• We attempted to sway as many Shar worshippers as possible to Shadowheart's cause, but now we must get rid of Viconia and her most die-hard zealots.
• We confronted Viconia and her entire cadre of Shar worshippers. Now we must defeat them before Shadowheart can find her parents.

Enter the Chamber of Loss.

• We must gain entry to the Chamber of Loss, where Shadowheart's parents are being held captive.
• Shadowheart's final test awaits in the Chamber of Loss. If she succeeds, she will become the new head of the Church of Shar.

Help Shadowheart with Shar's final test.

• We found two prisoners inside the Chamber of Loss. They must have something to do with Shar's final test for Shadowheart.

Help Shadowheart save her parents.

• Shadowheart's parents are close. We must do what we can to help her save them from Shar's clutches.

Quest Complete

• We betrayed Shadowheart to Viconia in exchange for an alliance with the Sharrans in the fight against the Absolute.
• The two prisoners were revealed to be Shadowheart's parents. Shar commanded her to sacrifice them as a final show of loyalty. Shadowheart obeyed, killing both her mother and father, then assuming the mantle of Shar's Chosen and leader of her church. Shar's faithful will be Shadowheart's to command in the fight against the Absolute.
• Shadowheart decided to end her parents' suffering by putting them to rest and entrusting their spirits to the care of Selûne. Now they are at peace, and she is free of Shar's influence. Free of her past, she can choose her own path at last.
• The two prisoners were revealed to be Shadowheart's mother and father. Shar commanded her to sacrifice them as a final show of loyalty, but Shadowheart chose to turn her back on her goddess and instead free her parents. Reunited with her family, but with her faith and purpose shattered, Shadowheart's future looks uncertain. She will have a lot to process, as her newfound family recuperates at our camp.
• Shadowheart managed to rescue her parents from Shar's clutches. Years of imprisonment and torture have left them weakened however. For now, they will recuperate at our camp, and Shadowheart can reconnect with the family that was stolen from her.
• Shadowheart's parents were killed. Deciding she could no longer trust us, Shadowheart left for good.

We decided to focus on other matters at the expense of helping Shadowheart save her parents. What will happen next for her is unclear.

• Shadowheart was thwarted in her chance to pass Shar's final test. Enraged, she turned on us.

We deprived Shadowheart of the opportunity to prove herself in the Gauntlet of Shar. Enraged, she parted ways from us for good.

• Shadowheart died. We won't be able to bring her back.
• Shadowheart left our party and won't return.
• Shadowheart turned against us.

Walkthrough

Note that Shadowheart’s story spans the entire game, and has spoilers for all Acts of the game.

Recruiting Shadowheart

Shadowheart is first encountered on the Nautiloid in the Prologue, where she can be seen banging on her Mind Flayer Pod. She begs to be released, although Lae'zel thinks they are wasting time. The party can either abandon Shadowheart to her fate, or aid her as part of Rescue the Illithid's Captive. If Shadowheart is rescued, she joins the party in moving to the helm. Once the Nautiloid arrives in the Material Plane and crashes on the Sword Coast, Shadowheart can be found unconscious on the Ravaged Beach if she was rescued or banging on the door to the Dank Crypt. If the party either ignores her or refuses to let her join, she appears yet again in the Druid Grove. Lastly, if she has still not been recruited, she'll appear in either the Goblin Camp or the Mountain Pass with the strange artefact as the party is being overwhelmed by the voice of The Absolute.

At the very last chance of recruitment, Shadowheart says that the party needs the Astral Prism, and she needs them to avoid being hunted down for it. If the party still refuses to recruit her, she says she'll remain in the same place until they change their mind on recruiting her, although moving on to the Mountain Pass does cause her artefact to transfer to the player character in a Long Rest scene at camp.

Shadowheart and Wolves

Young Shadowheart in the woods

Sub-Quests

• The Chosen of Shar
• A Familiar Face

Quest Rewards

• Shadowheart and her Sharran Followers as allies for Gather Your Allies - if Shadowheart becomes a Dark Justiciar.
• Viconia and her Sharran Followers as allies for Gather Your Allies - if Shadowheart is given over the Viconia