Araj Oblodra: Difference between revisions

| race = [[Drow]]

| subrace = [[Lolth-Sworn Drow]]

| size = [[Medium]]

'''Araj Oblodra''' is a [[drow]] [[Traders|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 asks to speak with {{CharLink|Astarion}}.

=== Description ===

While Araj does at first feign the part of a studious researcher and alchemist, the gray-skinned, red-eyed drow has no qualms with deception, torture, murder, and even genocide.

===History===

Araj Oblodra was a daughter of the now-defunct {{FRWiki|House Oblodra}}. [[Timeline|Over a century ago]], an alliance of rival drow in the city of {{FRWiki|Menzoberranzan}} destroyed her House, due to their association with psionics and [[Mind flayers|illithids]] before and during the {{FRWiki|Time of Troubles}}, among many other crimes.<ref>Act Two, [[Moonrise Towers]]

Few survived the House's destruction and, as Araj believes herself to be the last remaining daughter of Oblodra, she yearns to reinstate the House to its former glory.

In [[Act Two]], Araj Oblodra can be found inside [[Moonrise Towers]], poring over alchemical equipment.  

Araj brews unique [[Elixirs]] as payment for drawing blood from the [[True Soul|True Souls]] in the party for her research.

Each character can give blood only once, incurring 1d3 damage in the process. As the elixirs contain some of the donated blood, the effects are generally themed on the [[Races|race]], and (in the case of [[Dragonborn|Dragonborns]]) subrace of the character giving blood. If the character is [[Disguise_Self_(Condition)|disguised]] while donating their blood, the potion they receive will still be that of their undisguised race.

Unlike normal elixirs, Araj's blood-draw elixir effects are ''not'' replaced when a character consumes a second elixir. The half-elven version is not a true elixir at all, as it does not impart a long-lasting condition, but is instead a single-use healing consumable.  

Upon first speaking with Araj (and if Astarion is not in the party) she can be asked about her intentions with keeping the rest of the blood donation. She then attributes it to mere curiosity. However, if the character passes a {{Ability check|History|14}}, knowledge of {{FRWiki|House Oblodra}} allows them to realise Araj does not merely want True Soul blood, but [[Illithid]] blood specifically – an illicit subject for drow to research. If this insight is shared with Araj, she pays 200 gold for each blood donation (including the current one) alongside the normal elixir. If Astarion is in the party upon first meeting, the History check may not be made and, by extension, Araj may not additionally offer gold in exchange for blood.

If responding to her offer with ''Keep it, your gold. I prefer to know what the sect does to non-believers.'', she refuses, saying that she has a project, where she cannot risk losing a unique specimen like the player character, and now has no choice but to observe the evolution of the player character from afar. She then turns invisible and runs to disappear from Moonrise Towers (and the rest of [[Act Two]]).

 

Donating blood in [[Act Two]] awards the "Blood, Sweat, and the Other Thing" [[Inspiration]] to all characters with the [[Guild Artisan]] background.

| [[Half-Elf]]||{{RarityItem|Elixir of Half-Elven Healing}}

| [[Half-Orc]]||{{RarityItem|Elixir of Half-Orcish Fury}}

Araj deeply wishes to speak with {{CharLink|Astarion}}. If he is left at camp, or is far enough away from the party during her first interaction, she politely asks that the vampire spawn be brought next time.

When Araj can speak with Astarion, she excitedly asks that he bite her, so she may study the effects of vampire bites up close. She offers the priceless {{SmRarityItem|Potion of Everlasting Vigour}} in exchange, which permanently increases the [[Strength]] of the one drinking it by 2.

Astarion is loath to do so and, if asked, privately notes to the player character there is something deeply wrong with Araj's blood.

If the player character's approval with Astarion is high enough (in some conversation options where he is presented with a choice in the matter) or if he is told to do so anyway - despite his objections, Astarion gives in to Araj's desires. However, he literally retches after doing so and feels used, resulting in [[Astarion/approval#Act_Two_2|-3 disapproval]] and a camp scene which impacts a [[Astarion/Romance|romance]] between him and the player character, if one exists.

There are no other consequences of Astarion obliging the request, regardless of how foul Araj's blood seems to be.

If blood was donated in [[Act Two]], Araj can be found again in the [[Lower City]] of Baldur's Gate in [[Act Three]]. On approaching her shop, Crimson Draughts, just east of [[The Blushing Mermaid]], a series of explosions will trigger and while Araj runs out on fire, she is nevertheless thrilled. She praises the character, as their blood has given her a breakthrough of such magnitude she expects the drow Grand Matriach will restore her disgraced house, House Oblodra. Specifically, their blood proved able to attach to even "the trickiest of substances," unlike anything she has encountered before.<ref>Act Three, Crimson Draughts basement. "A Breakthrough at Last"

If Astarion did not bite Araj in Act 2, she flirtatiously attempts to offer it once more. However, Astarion has now steeled his resolve and will forcefully refuse.

Araj is a trader in Act Three as well, primarily retaining her inventory from Act Two.

If Araj was killed in Act Two, or no character donated their blood, Araj is not at her store and the explosions do not trigger on approach.

After following Araj into her bombed-out shop, she breathlessly encourages the player character to finish the research, and drink her new formula: Formula Gruna. The entire party urges them not to drink it. If accepting the potion and then leaving her shop without gulping it, she interjects and insists; if refused she turns hostile.  

Drinking the offered {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Potion}} deals 1d4 [[Slashing]] damage to the character and triggers a small explosion around them. The character then gains the permanent {{Passive inline|Unstable Blood}} feature, causing them to bleed out {{Area|Unstable Blood}} surfaces when hurt. When these surfaces are exposed to flame, they explode, and turn into {{Area|Fire}} surfaces.

When spoken to next, Araj is pleased to see the character did not die, and is excited at the results. She giddily deems the character the world's first ''detonative exsanguinator''. In parting, and with no qualms at having risked the character's life, she offers 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 {{SmRarityItem|Sanguine Explosive}}. As with previous refusals, she becomes hostile if denied her request to donate more blood.

Thereafter, Araj accepts blood donations once per long rest, gaining two Sanguine Explosives in her trader inventory each time.

Araj's shop [[Crimson Draughts]] is her 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, [[HELP|a note found inside]] Crimson Draughts' mailbox reveals the drow alchemist has been swapping some orders with her own tinctures, causing horrific injuries.

 

Downstairs, untouched by the explosions, {{SmRarityItem|Glory to the House of Oblodra}} reveals the true purpose of her research: she intends to resurrect an army of the dead and reinstate the defunct House Oblodra. And, if rebuffed, to use explosives to kill all in the Drow city of {{FRWiki|Menzoberranzan}} and rule as queen over an undead populace.

Whether through [[Sleight of Hand|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.

Donating blood in both [[Act Three]] awards the "Innovations in Volatility" Inspiration to all characters with the [[Soldier]] background.

If the player character donated blood in Moonrise Towers and the Lower City, drank the {{SmRarityItem|Mysterious Potion}} and donated blood again, Araj has left {{SmRarityItem|Letter from Araj|a note}} in the {{SmRarityItem|Chest of Grateful Words}} during the [[Epilogue]]. She reveals that she has begun the process of, quite literally, "resurrecting the glorious House Oblodra."

*{{MdRarityItem|A Breakthrough at Last}}, detailing experiments on the blood obtained from the party

*{{MdRarityItem|HELP}}, an urgent plea from a hapless customer of Crimson Draughts suffering from Araj's care

*{{MdRarityItem|Open Investigation}}, a notice from the [[Flaming Fist]] warning Araj that her business is under investigation after complaints

*{{MdRarityItem|Letter from Araj}}

*{{MdRarityItem|Enver... Is your blood sweet?}}

*{{MdRarityItem|Glory to the House of Oblodra}}

* As of Hotfix 21, in Moonrise Towers, Araj does not seem to become hostile if she catches a party member pickpocketing.{{verify}}