Editing Viconia DeVir

{{PageSeo
| title = Viconia DeVir
| description =  Viconia DeVir is a drow cleric of Shar.
| image = Viconia Model.png
}}
{{Combat tab}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Viconia DeVir
| image = Viconia Dialogue.webp
| voice = Jess Nesling
| titles = Mother Superior of Shar
| race = [[Lolth-sworn drow]]
| hometown = [[Cloister of Sombre Embrace]], [[Baldur's Gate]]<br>Menzoberranzan, Underdark (former)
| class = [[Cleric]]
}}
'''Viconia DeVir''' is a drow cleric of [[Shar]]. She is a returning character from ''Baldur's Gate'' and ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' where she was a companion.
==Background==
{{hatnote|For a more detailed background see {{FRWiki|Viconia DeVir}} on [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ Forgotten Realms Wiki].}}
Viconia was born to House DeVir in the drow capital city of Menzoberranzan in [[Underdark]]. She was a priestess of Lolth for many years. To prove her faith she was tasked with killing an infant in a ritual sacrifice to the Spider Queen. Viconia refused and her house fell out of Lolth's favour. It seemed that the only way for House DeVir to regain their goddess' favour was for Viconia to prostrate herself before the Spider Queen. Viconia was fed up with Lolth's ways and believed she could survive without her. 

House DeVir was left vulnerable to other Houses' attacks and in desperation Matron DeVir tried to sacrifice Viconia, but her wizard brother intervened and killed their mother. For this action Lolth turned him into a drider. Viconia lost her clerical powers and fled to the surface. Some time later she found herself a new goddess - [[Shar]].

Being a possible companion in each of the previous games, she canonically, if not traveled with, at the very least met Gorion's Ward (the protagonist of previous games) and their group as [[Jaheira]] and [[Minsc]] remember meeting her. Depending on the party's actions and if Viconia was their companion, she could've also met [[Sarevok]].

==Present days==
In the century that passed since ''Baldur's Gate II'' Viconia DeVir became the Mother Superior of the [[Shar]] enclave in [[Baldur's Gate]]. She previously had a grander enclave in [[Waterdeep]], but Lady Shar commanded her to raze it and kill all her loyal followers. Viconia's new mission was to take a child of Selûne and turn them over to Lady Shar. At some point she likely surrendered a part of her memories to the [[Mirror of Loss]].

She and her group ambushed a [[Selûne|Selûnite]] family that was in the process of a coming-of-age ritual of their half-elven girl Jenevelle Hallowleaf. Her parents were captured and imprisoned while the girl was raised a cleric of Shar under a new name - [[Shadowheart]]. 

Shadowheart always dreamed of becoming a [[Dark Justiciar]], but Viconia thwarted any attempts at doing so.

Recently she tasked Shadowheart with retrieving the [[Mysterious Artefact]] that will help the Sharrans against [[the Absolute]].

== Involvement ==
{{hatnote|See also [[Daughter of Darkness#House of Grief|Daughter of Darkness]] quest.}}
Viconia DeVir resides in the [[Cloister of Sombre Embrace]] which is located in Sharran Ruins under the [[House of Grief]]. She provides the Mapping of the Heart for those in need of Sharran guidance. 

If the player character or [[Shadowheart]] undergoes the Mapping, Viconia will remove her hood revealing her identity and invite the party to the Cloister. She explains that she knows the party has the artefact in their possession and that she needs it to destroy the Absolute. If the Intimidation or Persuasion checks are passed, then Viconia will relent. However, she demands to hand over Shadowheart to her. The party can either agree, starting [[Surrender Shadowheart to Viconia]] quest, or refuse, which starts a fight. If Shadowheart is a Dark Justiciar, then she can convince some of the cultists to fight along with the party, taking over the cloister after Viconia's defeat. 

If the meeting results in combat, Viconia will manifest the fears she learned from the party (she will turn into a wolf to scare shadowheart, or she will temporarily turn the player chraracter into a mind flayer if the player character told her their fear of becoming one).

If Shadowheart was handed over to Viconia, Viconia can become an ally in the final battle providing [[Gather Your Allies#Viconia|Nightbringer's Shadow Adepts]] support. Alternatively, if Shadowheart replaced Viconia as the Mother Superior the same support will be provided by Shadowheart instead.

== Changes to Viconia's backstory ==
Viconia's state in ''Baldur's Gate 3'' is partially reflective of her default ending in ''Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'', wherein she found a Sharran cult in Waterdeep. However several differences can be found: 

In her original epilogue{{cite web|work = Baldur's Gate Wiki|accessdate = 2023-10-10|url = https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Viconia_DeVir#Epilogues|title = Viconia's original epilogues}} Viconia killed all cult members due to one's betrayal, shrugging off the admonishment of her goddess, which mirrors her early rebellious actions against {{FRWiki|Lolth}}. She then wandered the Realms and stopped several crises with the help of {{FRWiki|Drizzt Do'Urden}}, including saving the elven city of Suldanessalar, for which she received honours from {{FRWiki|Queen Ellesime}}. Her fate following the events above was unknown.

In ''Baldur's Gate 3'', Viconia's motive behind the Waterdeep slaughter was changed to obeying Shar's order, and she remained obedient to her goddess ever since. Despite having a history of refusing to sacrifice a child to another goddess, she has performed Shar's tasks faithfully, such as abducting children and torturing their relatives, similar to what Lolth did to her beloved brother — which has caused her nightmares in the previous game. On the other hand, it is told by a Flaming Fist mercenary in the first game that she murdered an entire family, including two children, which is the reason she was persecuted when she first met Gorion's Ward. 

==Notable loot==

*{{MdRarityItem|Viconia's Priestess Robe}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Viconia's Walking Fortress}}
*{{MdRarityItem|Handmaiden's Mace}}

== Quotes ==
{{Q|L'il Alurl! For Shar!|Viconia's Battle Cry}}
{{Q|Where once the mirror showed nothing, there is now something. Memories, experiences, skills. All prised from the minds of others, and now offered to you, to choose from. [...] Turn to the wisdom of a drow. Once of Lolth, then of Shar.}}

==Gallery==
<gallery heights="200">
Edward-vanderghote-viconia.webp|Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote
Viconia.png|Preparing for Battle
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{notebegin}}
* Viconia's actual [[Strength]] is 14 but because of her [[Handmaiden's Mace]] it is set to 18 until she is disarmed.
* She gains unique spells depending on your answers during the [[Mapping of the Heart]] and the "Heartform" (False Heart, Craven Heart, etc) that she determines you have.
* In Baldur's Gate 3, Viconia DeVir is voiced by [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7754405/ Jess Nesling], replacing [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0217221/ Grey DeLisle/Griffin] from the previous games.
* Her final line before combat ''(L'il Alurl! For Shar!)'' is a direct reference to her [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/baldursgategame/images/1/12/VICON03.ogg/revision/latest?cb=20171205032450 battle cry] from the previous games{{cite web|work = Baldur's Gate Wiki|accessdate = 2023-08-22|url = https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Viconia_DeVir#Quotes|title = Viconia's Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast quotes}}.
{{noteend}}

==References==
{{reflist|url}}

==External links==
{{FRWiki|Viconia DeVir|long}}

{{NavBaldursGate}}
[[Category: Drow]]
[[Category: Returning Characters]]
[[Category: Sharran]]
[[Category: Followers of Shar]]
[[Category:Bosses]]