Baldur's Gate 3 Act 2: Main Plot Events

BG3 Act 2 Timeline and Event notes

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE GAME

This article forms part of research for The Chaos Bringer series, a Baldur's Gate 3 fan fiction. It provides a chronological, not necessarily dated, version of events leading up to the story plot in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 Shadowcurse Lands. 'The Author' refers to the author of this article.

Table of Contents

Prior to Events of Baldur's Gate 3:

986 - 1373 DR

Before 986 DR: Reithwin Town (and perhaps even Moonhaven) was founded by Selunites

986 DR: Mallus Thorm (Ketheric Thorm's Uncle) was suspected to have established a Sharran cult in Reithwin

Before 1367 DR: Ketheric Thorm was the Governor of Reithwin Town
Moonrise Towers already exists (and theorised to have been built on top of an already existing structure housing the dormant, but hidden Elder Brain). Architect was Morfred the Selunite Mason of Reithwin.
His wife, Melodia, passed away of unknown cause. It is believed Ketheric struggles to reconcile the loss of his wife with his benevolent goddess' lack of preventing it. However, likely with the solace and support of his young daughter, Isobel, Ketheric is able to overcome his grief and remains a Selunite.
Once Isobel is an adult, Dame Aylin is sent to visit Reithwin Town as a reward by Selune. Dame Aylin is an Aasimar, half angel, paladin and daughter of Selune.
Isobel and Dame Aylin fall in love, to the disapproval of Ketheric (likely due to his opinion that Aylin would be a poor partner as she was immortal)
Isobel also passes away from unknown ailment. This loss drives Ketheric into a crises of faith, leading him to grieve both the loss of his wife, daughter and his devotion to Selune. This marks the beginning of Ketheric's fall from grace. During this vulnerable time Mallus Thorm convinces Ketheric to forsake Selune for Shar to deal with his Loss.
There are some indications that Ketheric may have even blamed Aylin for Isobel's death (or her involvement in it). Alternatively, Mallus Thorm may even have suggested that Isobel's death is a punishment from Selune for falling in love with Aylin. Or perhaps, the handing over of Aylin to Shar was part of her deal to make him her Chosen and to absolve him of loss and grief. Regardless, Ketheric (probably with the assistance of Mallus) lures or captures Dame Aylin and traps her in the Shadowfell. Here Dame Aylin was to become part of the rituals for initiating Dark Justiciars in Shar's name, and she becomes known as the Nightsong.

"What can silence the Nightsong? Only the Nightsinger herself - Shar. Mistress of the Night. Lady of Loss. Her names are many, but her purpose is simplicity itself: light was a mistake, and life is an illusion - a discordant song composed of lies, breaking the peace of oblivion. Put your faith in Shar as your champion; allow her to silence the false song in your heart and return you to her embrace. Nothingness is all you need. The eternal womb, where you are safe in the darkness, with Mother Shar."
— Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger, Silent Library

1367 DR: Ketheric becomes Sharran
Ketheric not only converts to Shar worshipping, but he becomes her paladin and Chosen.
However, Ketheric's grief only seems to grow and it is suspected that he initiates plans to resurrect Isobel
The people of Reithwin Town find themselves under the rule of a tyrant whose purpose now is to eradicate Selunite worshipping and convert his people to Sharran ways by force. A resistance is established by the devout mason brothers, Morfred and Halfred.

"Brother and I remain the last two bastions of Our Lady of Silver in the town. A few - the trusting few - come to worship in secret by moonlit nights. Others - converts, all. Whether they truly believe, I cannot say. Impossible, isn't it?"
— Morfred, Mason's Log

1367 - 1370 DR: Dark Justiciar army rises
Ketheric either discovers (or Mallus shows him) the abandoned Sharran temple beneath the family mausoleum. The Gauntlet of Shar and Grymforge are restored and the rising of a Dark Justiciar army begins.

1371 DR: Destruction of Moonhaven
From notes surrounding the Selunite Outpost, Moonhaven was under siege by both drow from the Underdark and Dark Justiciars (it is unclear whether they were working together or not). However, seeing as Moonhaven was destroyed and later abandoned, it is likely the Absolutists that reinstated the Selunite Outposts' defences as part of reclaiming Moonhaven for themselves.
Side Note: There is also some indication that Shadowheart may remember childhood memories around Moonhaven, alluding to some connection there.

1372 - 1373 DR: Harpers, Emerald Enclave and Dark Justiciar war
From undated notes, it seems that the Harpers were made aware of the Sharran cult that had taken hold of Reithwin (perhaps even Morfred had reached out to them). Or perhaps the residence of Rosymorn Monastery altered the Harpers, since their priests and paladins were both aware of the Sharran activity and suspected the Sharrans of possessing the Blood of Lathander. Alternatively, the repeated assault and destruction of Moonhaven alerted the Emerald Enclave to the increasing Sharran insurgence in the area. Regardless, the Harpers and the Emerald Enclave, including Jaheira and Halsin among them, unite against Ketheric Thorm.

"This missal charts an expedition to find a lost relic called The Blood of Lathander.\ While mine eyes remain unscorched, we have made great progress in finding His lost Blood. After many suns of searching, I pen this entry as our gaze lies upon a Sharran outpost, nestled among the valleys of the Chionthar.\ We know the Sharrans hold the Blood - they dropped a cargo trunk during transport one eve, and its lid slipped open. 'Twas only a moment, but my shining adherents, what a moment it was. The entire riverbank aflame with a soothing radiance - the same rosy light of a summer dawn. I could practically hear his morning song bouncing between the valley walls. We advance upon those heretic nightbringers at the first light of dawn tomorrow and shall leave naught but ashes in our wake."
— Paladin Vaseid, His Holy Blood, Vol. 2

"By claw and tooth, from root to thorn, The Old Oak's grove, to wildlings sworn. The forest rose with claw and tooth, To tear the darkness from its roots. In darkest hour, a concord made, Twixt harp and wild against the shade. The towers seized, the battle done, The moonrise broke the Darkest One."
— Emerald Grove, Inner Sanctum Plaques

1373 DR: Battle for Reithwin
The concord of Harpers and Emerald Enclave laid siege to Moonrise towers for 3 days, upon which Ketheric Thorm himself joined the battle.
A letter of surrender was given to Ketheric by the concord, which was subsequently rejected.
Grand Dure Eltan had sent Art Cullagh to investigate Moonrise Towers, but seeing as he was trapped within the Shadowfell - this may have only occurred towards the end of the war. Suggesting that Baldur's Gate may have sent reinforcements were a deal not struck in the background.

"ASSIGNEE: Art Cullagh
RANK: Flame
IVE: To obtain INFORMATION about current activities in MOONRISE TOWERS and its environs, headed by KETHERIC THORM of the region's ancestral THORM FAMILY.
ORDERS: Take lodging in the Last Light Inn and begin investigation in the local HOUSE OF HEALING. Reports indicate CORRUPTION but no corroboration has yet been obtained.
NOTE: The region's Thorm family are long-standing devotees of SELÛNE but rumours indicate a SHARRAN enclave might be gaining momentum. Investigate and report.
SIGNED: GRAND DUKE ELTAN"
— Flaming Fist Writ of Command

1373 DR: Infernal dealings turns the tide
In desperation, Morfred had struck a deal with Raphael (it is unclear whether he summoned Raphael or whether Raphael simply took advantage of the situation himself)
Morfred had exchanged his soul so that the Harpers may gain an advantage in the war.
Raphael struck a deal with the orthon, Yurgir, who decimated the Dark Justiciars from Grymforge and the Gauntlet of Shar.
Raphael's contract with Yurgir stated that he should eliminate all the Dark Justiciars for his contract to be complete and to return to hell. However, Raphael being the charlatan he is, made another deal with a Dark Justiciar, Lyrthindor.
Raphael gave Lyrthindor a book detailing a infernal ritual to split himself into hundreds of rats, thus preventing Yurgir from completing his contract, trapping him in the Gauntlet of Shar since - lest he forfeit his contract and become indentured to Raphael

1373 DR: Ketheric's defeat & Curse released
The combination of eliminating the hidden Dark Justiciar army below Reithwin, and the subsequent termination of initiating new Dark Justiciars robbed Ketheric of his reinforcements (and likely supplies).
Ketheric was slain by the concord and with his final breath he spoke a curse. They buried him in the Thorm Mausoleum, from whence the Shadow curse came and swept Reithwin Town into darkness.

"I stood calm as Ketheric uttered his final curse and then withered. As my fellow Harpers dragged his putrid corpse from the battlefield, I allowed myself to feel relief, even solace. A wrong had been righted, an evil thwarted. Victory had come - but I had yet to know its true cost."
— Olam's Journal, House of Healing Morgue

1373 - 1492 DR: Reithwin trapped within the Shadowcurse

The people from Reithwin who managed to escape the war itself were unable to send for help or hide from the curse. Soon all who resided in Reithwin succumbed to the curse.
Either before or during 1492, the Harpers were led back to Moonrise Towers by following the Mindflayer activities that started in Baldur's Gate

Events of Baldur's Gate 3

1491 - 1492 DR

The Dead Three start the Absolute Crisis:

Bane, the lord of Darkness, Bhaal, the lord of murder and Myrkul , the lord of Bones collude to enslave Baldur's Gate (and the Sword Coast) via the dormant Elder Brain from Moonrise Towers and controlling it through the use of Karsus' Crown. along
The author assumes that this plan was years, if not hundreds of years, in the making. Thus, the grooming and preparation of each of their Chosen had to occur first, i.e., Enver Gortash, Orin the Red and Ketheric Thorm.
For the purposes of the Act 2 timeline, only Ketheric and Myrkul will be discussed.

Ketheric's conversion to Myrkul:

It is unclear whether Ketheric was approached by Myrkul prior to his defeat. Or perhaps upon or shortly after his defeat (as a spirit/soul), or only around 1492 DR.
Side note: The author has some theories for this (those pertaining to spoilers of The Chaos Bringer series can be found in Act 2 Chapter 21: Lost and Found ).
However, either Balthazar or Myrkul was aware of Ketheric Thorm and his plight to resurrect Isobel, which became the main hook for conversion. With or without the help of the other Chosen, Ketheric Thorm was approached by Myrkul to become his Chosen and to carry out his wishes in exchange for resurrecting Isobel 'as she was'.
Ketheric Thorm is resurrected and with the help of Balthazar encases Aylin in a soul cage, binding her immortal soul to his and made Ketheric invulnerable.
The desecration of the Thorm tomb commences as part of Ketheric's conconversion to Myrkul's worshipping., likely by Balthazar.

Shar forsakes Ketheric:

The author assumes that both the treason and misappropriation of Aylin by Ketheric and Balthazar angered Shar and she abandoned Ketheric as her Chosen (having Shadowheart groomed for that position instead).
Side note: There are some theories that Shar wanted for Shadowheart to permanently kill Aylin, as another punishment for Ketheric and binding Shadowheart as Shar's Chosen
As punishment, Shar 'hides' Aylin from them, hence the search for the Nightsong and Ketheric's requirement to protect himself and his forces from the Shadowcurse using Selunite magic and Moonlanterns.
Side note: Shadowheart alludes to Shar's displeasure with Ketheric in Act 2 as well.

Isobel resurrected:

Myrkul, true to his word and through Balthazar, resurrects Isobel .
Unable to reconcile what her father had done, Isobel denounces Ketheric and flees to Last Light Inn. Here she assists the growing resistance of Harpers against Ketheric and his plans. It is also alluded that Ketheric told Isobel that Aylin had died in an attempt to have her join him instead.
Isobel, resurrected after the release of the Shadowcurse and still a powerful devout Cleric of Selune manages to avoid becoming cursed (unlike her other family members)
Side note: The author has other theories for the cursed Thorm family members. However, these will be discussed after the chapters pertaining to those in The Chaos Bringer series has been published.

Absolutist army rises:

Ketheric, now Chosen of Myrkul and General of a new army starts to gather recruits, both willing and unwilling.
The first to enlist, it his right hand Z'rell, who then fulfils Ketheric's orders. Z'rell is likely one of the first True Souls, and is a warlock with the Absolute as a patron, hence her enhanced psionic abilities
The following 'factions' of people were recruited for the Absolutist army as well as striking against his enemies from the shadows:
Duergar: Clan Bitterroot, ruled by King Guerdon, had taken residence in Grymforge. As a means to both reclaim Grymforge and bring the Duergar under Absolutist control, King Guerdon was beheaded and the clans scattered into subclass. Ketheric meant to recruit at least one clan into his army.
Drow: The recruitment of drow exiles, included the infiltration of house Baenre in the Underdark and spreading apostasy using a tadpoled drow recruit. Minthara, along with her war band, was captured upon attempting to infiltrate Moonrise Towers. They were subsequently tadpoled and controlled against their will.
Shadow Druids: Z'rell instigated the Shadow Druid corruption of the Emerald Grove Druids, who Ketheric considered a target to either convert or eliminate sooner rather than later
Goblins: The goblin priestess, Gut, was deceived, kidnapped and tadpoled against her will. Thus, enslaving a whole tribe to the Absolute.
Gnolls: Z'rell was instructed to capture at least six packs of gnolls in the same way as the goblins had been. This lead to the capture and subjugation of Barnabus and his clan members
From the now-active mindflayer colony below Moonrise, it seems that those unfortunately souls not deemed worthy as True Souls (or soldiers) are either converted into Intellect devourers, mindflayers or are used to feed the colony itself.

Ketheric's eventual betrayal:

As with most gods of ill intent, Ketheric (and perhaps Myrkul) had no intent of their pact with the other gods to remain a cooperative alliance, especially with the frail control over the Elder Brain itself.

"Confidential: Dictated to Scribe Yanthus by General Kethric.

Young Gortash's plan to enslave an illithid elder brain and make it our marionette under control of the Crown of Karsus has proceeded almost without flaw, barring the slight delay while our Bhaalist allies sorted out their leadership conflict. The weak point must surely be the sharing of the Netherstones - it was necessary to secure my engagement and that of the murder cult, but eventually it's certain to fracture our fragile alliance. Clearly, all three Netherstones must be controlled by a single leader - me, by preference - but not until after all the stakeholders have made their essential contribution. Gortash fears that, energised by the dark energies of the Crown, the brain we now call the Absolute will eventually metamorphose into something new and more difficult to control. If he's right, the need to invest the power of the Netherstones in a single wielder is urgent. Even more so in that Enver Gortash, at least, must be thinking the same way."
— Elder Brain Domination, Ketheric Thorm

Absolutist army distraction:

By the end of Act 2, the Absolutist army is sent to march upon Baldur's Gate. However, at the beginning of Act 3, the Absolutists' army lies defeated at Rivington, slain by Enver Gortash's Steel Watch.
Thus the army was merely a ploy and used as canon fodder to secure Enver Gortash's position as the first Archduke of Baldur's Gate (along with the kidnapping, tadpoling and control of Grand Duke Elder Ravenguard).