Welcome to my silly little fan theory @emmg:
How Raphael is the āMastermindā behind the plot of Baldurās Gate 3ā¦
ā¦or how I give him more importance than I should.
In this ādissertation,ā I present my take on things based on Dungeons and Dragons 5e lore from the Forgotten Realms universe, along with fandom theories and headcanons where they suit me. This is NOT an in-depth analysis of anything, so I wonāt be reciting specific quotes, etc.
I repeat, this is just MY take on things. If a similar theory already exists, feel free to reach out, and Iāll gladly tag the material!
Oh, and there are a lot of spoilers about, well, everything, so read at your own risk ā ļø
I thank the lovely @bitethedevil for allowing me to tag their posts, making it easier on me so I donāt have to write everything out! I also want to take this moment to appreciate their work and contributions to this fandom! āŗļø
Baldurās Gate 3 is a brilliant, complex, multi-layered game filled with multiple villains, heroic figures, and a plot that weaves players in seamlessly. Thatās why we love this gameāat least, thatās why I doāthe gripping storyline and its faceted characters.
The game is set in the Forgotten Realms with DnD lore and rules, while still adding and maintaining its own unique features and twists.
But what if we entirely take a look at it from DnD lore perspective?
Section 1: Raphael as the core character in Baldurās Gate 3
Fans of the Emperor might argue with me here, but oh man, have you seen how many pies Raphael has his fingers in?
This narcissistic little shit of a cambion plotted his grand design to take the Crown of Karsus for over 2,000 years, planning everything with terrifying precision and putting in a staggering amount of effortāall to manipulate Tav or Durge into giving him the crown.
To understand just how far back his scheming goes, we have to start with the fall of Netheril. As Raphael himself tells us, this is where it all began, and when his father seized the crown, it became impossible for Raphael to obtain it himself.
Baatorāthe Nine Layers of Hellāhas its own system and rules. The plane is aligned as lawful evil, and by its laws, anyone who breaks them is punished; in other words, theft is a crime (donāt try this at home edition).
Am I going to explain the system and rules of the Nine Hells? Hell no, or Iāll be sitting here until next Halloween. Sorry, maybe in a separate post sometime (or not) š
So Raphael had to get creative if he wanted to get his greedy claws on the crown.
You can read about how much Raphaelās involvement is actually found in the game Baldurās Gate 3 here.
Whatās relevant for this ādissertationā are the following points, which all show how he orchestrates the plot:
1. Raphael, Vlaakith, and the Astral Prism ā
Raphael even plots to capture Orpheus. Not personally, of course, but with the knowledge that it could benefit him and would even serve its purpose in the future. This is a crucial detail.
However, I donāt believe Raphael would craft or have someone craft an item like the Astral Prism, as well as the bindings of Orpheus (the mask, chains, and binding crystals) and the Orphic Hammer. Itās more likely these objects already existed in the Hells, with Raphael profiting by dealing with them.
Sadly there is no official information on that, I really find that interesting.
As for why the Orphic Hammer is called Orphic Hammer - why is Orpheus called Orpheus? Heās a liberator for his people, having inherited the power of Mother Gith, who freed the Gith from mind flayer enslavement. The character of Orpheus draws heavily from Orpheus in Greek mythology, a symbol of liberation, love, and the attempt to rescue a soul from the bonds of death. The term āOrphicā reflects this sense of breaking free from constraints or seeking transformation (of course, it has other meanings, too, but this one feels like what the developers were aiming for).
So the hammerās name has both symbolic depth and a bit of pun, as itās intended to free the character Orpheus from his chains.
2. Raphael, Moonrise Towers, and the Gauntlet of Shar ā
The amount of interwoven contracts Raphael has made in the Shadow Cursed Lands is suspicious, and each and every one of them is too , an important point.
Isnāt it just a bit too convenient that Kethericās misery plays right into Raphaelās hands? The Shadow-Cursed LandsāReithwin, once ruled by Ketheric, formerly full of Selunite worshippers but ruined by schemes of the Dark Lady who turned a grieving worshipper of her sister into a Shar follower and leader of an army of Dark Justiciarsāis a whole breeding ground for contracts and a stage for Raphaelās play.
Hold on, Iām not implying that I believe Raphael had a hand in Sharās mischief here, but I do think Raphael handpicked Ketheric, a grieving and obsessed madman (a truly tragic character, honestly), to be an unwitting pawn in his schemes, without directly involving himself. To do this, he contracted with desperate beings like the Architect, Yurgir, and the last Dark Justiciar.
To understand why Raphael would even need Ketheric, we have to look a step further.
3. Raphael and my beloved raccoon boy, Gortash ā
Raphael buying Gortash from his parents was a calculated move and the final piece in the Netherbrain plot scheme.
I believe Raphael specifically chose Enver Gortash, a boy with potential, for his plans to get the Crown of Karsus.
Look, Gortash is anything but dumb; in fact, heās the exact opposite. He learned the ropes in Hell, literally imprisoned in Raphaelās House of Hope. All jokes aside about pot-scrubbing duty and overhearing Raphael and Haarlep getting it on, Gortash is a quick learner.
Raphael just had to watch as Gortash escaped the House of Hope with vital information about the crown. With this, Raphael set up an ambitious, cunning man with the drive to steal the crown.
And this is where Ketheric returns to the picture. Ketheric, the chosen of Myrkul; Gortash, the chosen of Bane; and Durge, the chosen of Bhaal.
As for how Raphael might have gotten his hands on Durge? Iāll leave that as the theoryās plot hole.
I could fill it with headcanonsālike Gortash and Durge knowing each other even before Gortash was soldābut that feels a bit far-fetched.
Actually, all of this is a bit far-fetched, but hey, itās my silly little theory.
But hey again, weāre slowly coming to a conclusion how Raphael is the mastermind behind BG3, do you see my vision?
All Raphael needed was patience. The chosen ones, Gortash and Durge, set the stage by planning the Netherbrain coup and, in stealing the crown, executed Raphaelās plan. All they needed was the third chosen, Ketheric, to carry out the rest of the plot: building the Absoluteās army, etc., the rest we know...
So, what was left? Just someone desperate enough to make a deal with Raphael and actually hand over the Crown of Karsus. And how would he pull that off?
Every single one of them fits the bill. Especially if the player chooses Durge.
The next question is: how could he manipulate the group if they were under the Absoluteās influence? Well, thatās where the Emperor comes onto the stage.
Because, hear me out one more time: isnāt it convenient that the Emperor, of all people, finds the Astral Prism? A figure obsessed with freedom and manipulation, ambitious and clever, who would serve perfectly as a kind of protection shield from the Elder Brainās influence for the gang? And to that even a disposable figure as it is a mind flayer who would not be trusted in the end.
(Naturally, in the game the player is the ultimate executional force, making any kind of higher plan or scheme either perfect or useless)
Nevertheless, this is as far as I will dive into this specific pond.
I just think it adds up nicely.
But Bjƶrni, if you have a Section 1, what about a Section 2? you might ask. Well, here it comesā¦
ā¦ how this ādissertationā is actually about Mephistopheles being the āMastermindā behind the plot of Baldurās Gate 3.
Section 2: Raphael as the Scapegoat
DnDās lore about fiendsāand, specifically, cambionsāteaches us that theyāre doomed to fail from birth. While they may think theyāre in control of their schemes, theyāre actually playing into the hands of their fiendish parent.
Ever wondered why Mephistopheles would even bother devouring Raphael if we defeat him? Sure, cambion sons are nourishing (yum yum), but given Mephistophelesā personality, Iād guess he does it to humiliate his son, even in death, for being a failureāa failure to retrieve the crown for his father.
But wait, Mephistopheles already had the crownāwhy would he bother plotting all of this just to get it back? Isnāt that a bit over-the-top, Bjƶrni?
Bear with me: itās not officially written anywhere, but itās more or less canon based on what we know of the Archdevils Asmodeus and Mephistopheles.
Asmodeus rules the Hells, while Mephistopheles, as the Archduke of the 8th layer, Cania, is arguably the second most powerful being in Baator. Mephistopheles has never stopped dreaming of overthrowing Asmodeus, even after repeatedly failing miserably. But if he openly tried to use the crown against Asmodeus, it would be a direct affront, and Asmodeus would have shut it down from the start.
Mephistopheles has other children besides Raphael, and Raphael isnāt exactly useless, heās actually the complete opposite. Strategically, it wouldnāt make sense to discard such a puppet (call him son)āunless Raphael had done something atrocious. And for someone as mighty as Mephistopheles, controlling his little cambion son would be childās play. So, then why does Raphael hate his father so much, and why is Raphael āresidingā in Avernus?
As we know, Avernus is the armpit of Baator, a plane for exiles and outcasts.
I think Mephistopheles intentionally filled his relationship with Raphael with hatred, so Raphaelās ambition to overthrow his father would ignite and one day serve him. When Mephistopheles got the Crown of Karsus, unable to wield it himself, he set the stage for his sonās schemeāby casting Raphael aside, Mephistopheles set him on the path to steal the crown, with Mephistopheles only indirectly involved in overthrowing Asmodeus. Raphael would do the dirty workātaking over the other layersābefore ultimately facing his father, who could then just snatch the crown from him. And yes, I do believe Mephistopheles is arrogant enough to think heād still be more powerful than his son, even with a god-like artifact. He has that bloated of an ego.
BUT (Nr. 36,252), what about Asmodeus? Wouldnāt he step in and crush the plan?
Hereās the thing: Asmodeus generally doesnāt mind if his archdukes fight for control of their layers, as long as it doesnāt threaten his supreme authority or destabilize Hellās hierarchy. In fact, he encourages a bit of rivalry and ambition among his archdevils, as infighting serves his purposes.
And can you imagine THE Asmodeus being worried about an over-ambitious cambion?
However, this leads to the TRUE instigator and the true subject of this ādissertationāā¦
ā¦ how Asmodeus is actually the āMastermindā behind the plot of Baldurās Gate 3.
Section 3: Asmodeus doing things, just because
Jokeās on youāitās been about Asmodeus all along, because even if heād lose (not that he ever wouldāheās just that powerful), heād claim at the last minute that it was his plan all along. Losing trusted allies? What a bunch of traitorsāperfect excuse to clean house. Losing Baator? Finally, he was sick of the job.
All jokes aside, Asmodeus being the cunning bastard he is, would likely pull off everything mentioned above.
To understand why heād even bother, letās take a quick (really quick, this is already getting too long) dive into his background and shenanigans in DnD.
Throughout DnDās development from 1e to 5e, Asmodeus has gone through quite the evolution, eventually becoming a Greater Deity, the Embodiment of Evil, and one of the mightiest beings in existence, rivaled only by Ao.
While 5e keeps things vague to allow player interpretation, Asmodeus has consistently been the most powerful entity in the Hellsāa schemer, strategist, and supreme manipulator.
(Hereās the only quote Iāll reference:) ā[ā¦] His sinister machinations could take centuries, if not millennia, to come to fruition, and his master plans extended across the entire multiverse. His labyrinthine, insidious intrigues could seem inexplicable to most outside observers, for Asmodeus let even his own servants stew in fear of his next move. With all the planes as his board, the Lord of Lies maneuvered the forces of evil like chess pieces in his grand designs, slowly and subtly manipulating everyone from deities to, when needed, lowly mortals.ā
Heās described as being a thousand steps ahead of everyone. And while most of his plans serve greater purposes beyond even godly comprehension, some things he does just becauseājust for fun.
Of course Asmodeus knew Mephistopheles had the crown. Of course he knew Mephistopheles would never use it openly against him. And of course he knew Mephistopheles would keep scheming to use it indirectly, bringing his cambion son Raphael into the game.
Why would Asmodeus let all this happen, and why am I saying heās the real mastermind?
Like already mentioned, Asmodeus often (indirectly) encourages and manipulates his archdukes to scheme and fight among themselves as a means to reinforce his dominance, foster survival of the fittest, and test loyalty within the infernal hierarchy. However, he maintains strict boundaries, and any conflict that risks his supreme authority, disrupts Hellās role in the multiverse, or leads to excessive chaos would be swiftly and ruthlessly quashed. In Asmodeusās mind, such rivalries are a useful toolāas long as they remain safely under his control.
In my view, the Crown of Karsus was never a real threat to him; this whole plot served his entertainment, tested loyalties, or helped him gauge his chess pieces.
And thatās how Asmodeus is the real mastermind behind the plot of Baldurās Gate 3.
Thanks for reading this mass of nonsense ā¤ļø
Why I even bothered with all this shit? Itās one of the key plot points in my longfic, Ah, You Devil!
