The Emperor: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Changed some things about the meeting with Ansur and about the possible endings, according to in game quotes.
No edit summary |
(Changed some things about the meeting with Ansur and about the possible endings, according to in game quotes.) |
||
| (One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
| passives = Arcane Enchantment (+1), Imperial Retaliation, Magic Resistance, Opportunity Attack | | passives = Arcane Enchantment (+1), Imperial Retaliation, Magic Resistance, Opportunity Attack | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{SpoilerWarning|act=3}} | |||
{{Tab | {{Tab | ||
|one=The Emperor | |one=The Emperor | ||
| Line 43: | Line 44: | ||
|three-name=Dream Guardian | |three-name=Dream Guardian | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''The Emperor''' is a [[mind flayer]] who appears in [[Baldur's Gate 3]]. It{{note|The Emperor, like other mind flayers, is addressed using the "it" pronoun. It is incidentally referred to as "he" in-game, and "they" in the game's files, possibly due to an oversight, or characters conflating its current and previous identities.}} plays a key role in the main story, but its identity is intentionally obscured until later parts of the game, allowing the player to ultimately decide for themselves if they want to know more about it, and whether or not it is trustworthy. | '''The Emperor''' is a [[mind flayer]] who appears in [[Baldur's Gate 3]]. It{{note|The Emperor, like other mind flayers, is addressed using the "it" pronoun. It is incidentally referred to as "he" in-game, and "they" in the game's files, possibly due to an oversight, or characters conflating its current and previous identities.}} plays a key role in the main story, but its identity is intentionally obscured until later parts of the game, allowing the player to ultimately decide for themselves if they want to know more about it, and whether or not it is trustworthy. | ||
== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
=== Identity === | === Identity === | ||
| Line 66: | Line 68: | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Details about the Emperor's personal history are intentionally obfuscated during most of the game, but the player has the opportunity to learn more about it through conversations, interactions with other characters, reading books, and completing specific side quests. | Details about the Emperor's personal history are intentionally obfuscated during most of the game, but the player has the opportunity to learn more about it through conversations, interactions with other characters, reading books, and completing specific side quests. | ||
{{SpoilerBox|act=3| | |||
[[File:Balduran1.png|left|thumb|200px|''An Adventurer, I came from Baldur's Gate, though I was never one to be constrained by circumstance. I longed for more.'']] | [[File:Balduran1.png|left|thumb|200px|''An Adventurer, I came from Baldur's Gate, though I was never one to be constrained by circumstance. I longed for more.'']] | ||
[[File:Balduran2.png|left|thumb|200px|''That longing brought me to Moonrise Towers on a search for treasure. To a colony of mind flayers who caught me and changed me.'']] | [[File:Balduran2.png|left|thumb|200px|''That longing brought me to Moonrise Towers on a search for treasure. To a colony of mind flayers who caught me and changed me.'']] | ||
| Line 81: | Line 84: | ||
Sometime before the events of the game, [[Enver Gortash]] and [[the Dark Urge]] captured the Emperor, and brought it back under the thrall of the Moonrise Elder Brain, who was now wearing the Crown of Karsus and had become the Netherbrain masquerading as the [[Absolute]]. The Netherbrain, sought to have all three Chosen of the Dead Three killed, and specifically picked the Emperor, unbeknown to it, to lead a team of illithids on a nautiloid to search for and steal from the [[Githyanki]] the Astral Prism containing their prince, Orpheus.{{ref|[[The Netherbrain]]'s dialogue to the player at the [[Morphic Pool]].}}{{clear}} | Sometime before the events of the game, [[Enver Gortash]] and [[the Dark Urge]] captured the Emperor, and brought it back under the thrall of the Moonrise Elder Brain, who was now wearing the Crown of Karsus and had become the Netherbrain masquerading as the [[Absolute]]. The Netherbrain, sought to have all three Chosen of the Dead Three killed, and specifically picked the Emperor, unbeknown to it, to lead a team of illithids on a nautiloid to search for and steal from the [[Githyanki]] the Astral Prism containing their prince, Orpheus.{{ref|[[The Netherbrain]]'s dialogue to the player at the [[Morphic Pool]].}}{{clear}} | ||
}} | |||
== Events of Baldur's Gate 3 == | == Events of Baldur's Gate 3 == | ||
| Line 103: | Line 107: | ||
{{see also|Wyrmway|The Blade of Frontiers}} | {{see also|Wyrmway|The Blade of Frontiers}} | ||
Once the party completes the Wyrmway trials, they will find the corpse of [[Ansur]] the Dragon. Interacting with his body will awaken Ansur's spirit, which briefly possesses the player in order to communicate. As Ansur's introduction concludes, he will detect the Emperor within the Astral Prism. | Once the party completes the Wyrmway trials, they will find the corpse of [[Ansur]] the Dragon. Interacting with his body will awaken Ansur's spirit, which briefly possesses the player in order to communicate. As Ansur's introduction concludes, he will detect the Emperor within the Astral Prism. | ||
This development is somewhat foreshadowed when the player first meets The Emperor in their true form, as the song that plays during the encounter | {{SpoilerBox|act=3| | ||
Ansur will reveal that the Emperor in fact was formerly [[Balduran]], the founder of [[Baldur's Gate]]. Furthermore, he explains that while the Emperor initially did not want to become a mind flayer, it eventually fully embraced its new form, and its comfort with this caused a rift between the Emperor and Ansur. After "exhausting all possibility of reversing (the Emperor's) condition", Ansur was agonizing and the Emperor (as seen in the letter on Ansur's body) attempted to convince him to leave. Ansur then attempted to murder the Emperor during its sleep as a mercy killing, and the Emperor killed Ansur in self-defense. | |||
This development is somewhat foreshadowed when the player first meets The Emperor in their true form, as the song that plays during the encounter is a variation of [[The Elf Song]], which prominently features Balduran in its lyrics.}} | |||
===Endings=== | ===Endings=== | ||
{{SpoilerBox|act=3| | |||
;Let the Emperor use the Netherstones | ;Let the Emperor use the Netherstones | ||
: | :The Emperor unless convinced otherwise is mostly concerned with its survival and prosperity. Should the player allow it to wield the Netherstones, it will follow through on destroying the Elder Brain, at the cost of letting it "assimilate" with [[Orpheus]]. | ||
: | :If the player suggests to the Emperor to take control of the Netherbrain, it will mention that the thought of becoming the [[Absolute]] did cross its mind. But unless otherwise persuaded, it will refuse, claiming that whoever becomes the leader of the [[Cult of the Absolute]] will be in an open war with the [[Githyanki]], which is a war it is not certain it will survive. The Emperor will destroy [[the Netherbrain]], and the parasites within its control in this ending. | ||
;The Emperor controls the Netherbrain | ;The Emperor controls the Netherbrain | ||
:It is also possible | :It is also possible, after suggesting it to take control of the Netherbrain, to persuade it. In this scenario, it does not free the player or their party, instead making them mindless thralls and assuming absolute control of them, continuing the Grand Design. | ||
;Orpheus is freed | ;Orpheus is freed | ||
:If the player frees Orpheus, the Emperor will abandon the party, and side with [[the Netherbrain]] for the sake of its own survival, as it believes | :If the player frees Orpheus, the Emperor will abandon the party, and side with [[the Netherbrain]] for the sake of its own survival, as it believes that Orpheus will kill it. | ||
;Attack the Emperor | ;Attack the Emperor | ||
:The Emperor can be attacked and killed when it first reveals itself to be a mind flayer. This will result in the influence of the Netherbrain taking over control of the party, ending the game. | :The Emperor can be attacked and killed when it first reveals itself to be a mind flayer. This will result in the influence of the Netherbrain taking over control of the party, ending the game. | ||
}} | |||
== List of interactions == | == List of interactions == | ||
{{hatnote|See [[Dream Guardian]] to read about its previous conversations with the player when it was in disguise.}} | {{hatnote|See [[Dream Guardian]] to read about its previous conversations with the player when it was in disguise.}} | ||
{{RomanceBox|hide=1| | |||
Players have a limited number of opportunities to interact with the Emperor, and as such, opportunities for conversation are much more limited compared to that of [[companions]]. | Players have a limited number of opportunities to interact with the Emperor, and as such, opportunities for conversation are much more limited compared to that of [[companions]]. | ||
| Line 167: | Line 176: | ||
Engaging in the primary scene has no effect on other ongoing romances, even when romancing [[Lae'zel]], who is generally hostile to illithids. | Engaging in the primary scene has no effect on other ongoing romances, even when romancing [[Lae'zel]], who is generally hostile to illithids. | ||
}} | |||
==Achievements== | ==Achievements== | ||