Baldur’s Gate 3has a wonderfully crafted story, but some elements may seem predictable to players. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but it can leave fans to feel disinterested in certain aspects of a character’s story. For example, when Astarion reveals himself to be a vampire, it can be particularly underwhelming, since he’s not exactly subtle about it—not to mention, there’s blood dripping from his mouth in the splash art players will see when they first load up the game.
Another reveal which some players have found to be a little underwhelming is Shadowheart’s “big” secret early in the game. Depending on their interactions with her, Shadowheart will eventually reveal to the player that she worships the goddessShar in Act Oneor Two ofBG3. A lot of players will be quick to brush this off, usually those who are not familiar with the lore of the Forgotten Realms—but she has very good reason for keeping her worship a secret.
Shadowheart Being A Shar Worshiper Is A Much Bigger Deal Than Many Players Realize
Realistically, A Good-Aligned Character Would Probably Question Her Morality
It’s not particularly surprising that the character with a darker aesthetic and the name “Shadowheart” follows the goddess of darkness. However, players who know anything about Shar inDungeons & Dragonsmay be inclined to view this reveal in a very different light.With the way Shadowheart presents her religion, it appears that it’s only slightly taboo,and not something that’s worth making a major fuss about. Under most circumstances, this is certainly the case—but Sharran practices and beliefs are considerably more gruesome than Shadowheart will let on.
Though some fans have the perspective that Larian downplays exactly who Shar is, it’s much more accurate to say thatShadowheart’s biased perspective has influenced how many players view Sharrans inBG3.Larian doesn’t shy away from showing the true, gruesome side to Shar, especially in literature, but Shadowheart’s amnesia and desensitization have led her to have a very skewed view of Shar’s teachings. As players progress through the game, it’s common for players such asCyynricon Reddit to gradually realize that Shadowheart’s confession wasn’t as anticlimactic as it seemed.
Who Is Shar In Dungeons & Dragons?
Shadowheart Admitting To Being A Sharran Can Be Compared To A Confession of Murder
Shar is widely known as the goddess of darkness, but her portfolio consists of loss, secrets, amnesia and the night. In earlier editions ofDungeons & Dragons, it also included shadows, the Underdark, and formerly nightmares, betrayal, winter, and even murder. Players will know that she is constantly at odds with her sister, Selûne, but may not realize that this is far from a petty rivalry—she wants to be rid of the sun and light as a whole. She has also made a nemesis of Mystra, having created her ownsource of magic called the “Shadow Weave.”
In order for someone to become a member of her church, they must either kill or grievously harm one of their loved onesto show their devotion; those incapable of murder are rarely recruited. Anyone with this in mind would rightfully be quite wary of Shadowheart after she reveals herself to be a Sharran, especially if they have plans to romance her. There are two instances of another Sharran tradition in-game called the “Nightfall Ceremony,” where Shar’s followers carry out an act of wickedness in her name on a moonless night, then feast, knowing they have her blessing.
Players can find a table in Grymforge covered in bones—if a religion check is passed, characters in their party will identify it as a ritual site where Sharrans once had a large feast to celebrate their murder of a Selûnite.
What makes this so disturbing is that the Sharran church has no restrictions on crimes committed for personal gain, meaning thatacts of murder, kidnapping, or other depraved acts are commonplace among Shar’s followers.Historically, Sharrans have embarked on treacherous missions in the Dark Lady’s name, collapsing opposing religions and killing those attempting to maintain order. Shar has even been known to direct her priests to kill those who she believed to be using the Shadow Weave incorrectly.
“I saw you training those children. You were so gentle! That’s… not how I was taught."—Shadowheart to Wyll, Act One
It’s notcompletelynonsensical for the player’s character to brush off Shadowheart’s Shar worship, since although abhorrent,Shar’s true nature isn’t as widely known compared to the likes of Bane or Bhaal.Shar is manipulative, and takes advantage of those in pain by presenting herself as a more benevolent force—an example of this isAct Two villain Ketheric Thorm,who turned to her for help after the loss of his family. Her ability to construe vulnerable minds into committing heinous acts is what makes Shar so terrifying.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Only Scratches The Surface Of The Deities From The Forgotten Realms
Shadowheart Wasn’t Originally A Sharran, And It Shows Through Her Actions And Ideals
Something to note is thatShadowheart is definitely not the typical image of a Sharran.Even with her memory wiped, she approves of acts of kindness and general good-aligned behavior, which is not typical for a worshiper of Shar and makes her faith even more questionable. Malus Thorm, for example, is a Sharran obsessed with pain and loss to the point where he brutally tortures his patients as a means to “heal” them. Players viewing Shadowheart as the standard Shar follower theatrically undermine Shar’s influence.
Players can unlock the old cleric of Shar option by using mods, but the content for this deity choice will still remain largely unfinished.
Originally, players were able to choose Shar as a deity to worship as a custom origin cleric, but thiscontent was cut fromBaldur’s Gate 3.This was cut after early access, similarly to worship of the Dead Three—this may have been to prevent players from feeling less relevant than Shadowheart, or because it would cause too many complications later in the game.It would have been interesting for players to experience roleplaying as a “true” Sharran,and possibly call out where Shadowheart lacks Sharran ideals.
Two years after release, fans ofBG3are no longer phased by Shadowheart’s worship of Shar. Now that many people are re-playing the game due to the release of the12 new subclasses in Patch 8, you may appreciate Shadowheart’s story slightly more if you take the time to acknowledge the awful position she’s in at the start of the game after having her memory wiped by Shar fanatics. Shadowheart has one of the best companion storylines inBaldur’s Gate 3, and players are able to see her backstory foreshadowed through cracks in her belief system.
