highly-anticipated RPGs of 2022, as fans are eager to return to the Forgotten Realms for a new adventure. The reason they are so excited is that the original two Baldur's Gate games and the Throne of Bhaal expansion told an epic story of one god's plan to return from the dead, which caused unchecked chaos across the world.
The story of Baldur's Gate 3 takes place a century after the events of the original games, as the lore of D&D has moved on. Baldur's Gate 3 can be seen as more of a spiritual successor, as it has only contained a few references to the original games, and doesn't directly follow on from the events of the Bhaalspawn storyline. Fans are expecting plenty of cameos in the full version of the game, and it wouldn't be surprising to learn that the villain of the game is Bhaal, who wishes to increase his power as the God of Murder, by ensuring that many more deaths happen in the Forgotten Realms.
The story of the Baldur's Gate series is directly tied into the events of something that happened within the lore of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting during the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons era of D&D. The gods of Faerun were forced to walk the world as mortals, with only a fraction of their power at their disposal. This event became known as the Time of Troubles, as magic became unreliable, and many of the gods were slain. Three of the casualties during this era were Bane, the God of Tyranny, Myrkul, God of the Dead, and the Bhaal, the God of Murder. Bhaal was given a prophecy regarding his impending death, so he hatched a plan to return and reclaim his power. The story of Baldur's Gate begins roughly twenty years after the Time of Troubles.
Baldur's Gate - The Iron Throne Crisis
The player-created protagonist in Baldur's Gate is an orphan who was raised in the Forgotten Realms library city of Candlekeep, along with their adopted sister, Imoen. The protagonist is the ward of a powerful mage, named Gorion. After assassins invade Candlekeep and attack the protagonist, they flee with Gorion, only to be ambushed in the wilderness by a warrior named Sarevok. Gorion sacrifices his life to let their ward escape. The next morning, they team up with Imoen, and go on a quest for answers.
The protagonist starts adventuring around the Sword Coast. After solving a mystery involving contaminated iron in the Nashkel Mines, they learn of a powerful trade organization, named the Iron Throne. Once the protagonist arrives in the detailed D&D city of Baldur's Gate, they learn that the leader of the Iron Throne is Sarevok and that he has caused a crisis as part of a bid to gain power in the city. The protagonist later discovers that they are actually the child of Bhaal, who sired numerous children (known as the Bhaalspawn) so that they could be used as the instruments of his resurrection. It's also revealed that Sarevok is a Bhaalspawn. Sarevok almost manages to become appointed the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate before the protagonist reveals his schemes to the world, forcing Sarevok and his closest allies to flee to an abandoned temple of Bhaal. The two Bhaalspawn clash in the temple, leading to Sarevok's defeat.
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows Of Amn - The Soul Stealer
Baldur's Gate 2 starts with the protagonist trapped in a cell. Following the events of Baldur's Gate, they were captured by a wizard named Jon Irenicus, who is performing horrible experiments in his dungeon. Imoen frees the protagonist and they manage to flee to the surface, where they find themselves in the city of Athkatla. Irenicus and Imoen are arrested by the Cowled Wizards, who are the magical guardians of the city. They are taken to a heavily-guarded asylum, called the Spellhold.
The protagonist discovers someone who will take them to Spellhold, but only if they cough up a lot of money. They come into conflict with a vampire, named Bodhi, who leads a cabal of undead in Athkatla. After many weeks of adventuring around Amn, the protagonist gathers the gold and silver and they are taken to Spellhold. Irenicus has taken control of Spellhold, and he uses his magic to steal the souls of the protagonist and Imoen. It's revealed that Imoen is also a Bhaalspawn, and that her soul has been given to Bodhi, who is Irenicus' sister. The party has bigger problems, however, as the protagonist now has the power to transform into a monster known as the Slayer.
The party manages to defeat Irenicus and chase him from Spellhold. After adventuring in the Underdark, they return to Atkhatla. The party manages to slay Bodhi, possibly with the aid of the legendary Drizzt Do'Urden. Irenicus has fled to the elven city of Suldanessellar, where he is attempting to steal the power from the Tree of Life. The party faces Irenicus and the adventure takes them all to Hell. Irenicus is finally slain, and both the protagonist and Imoen's souls are returned to their bodies.
Baldur's Gate 2: Throne Of Bhaal - The War Of The Bhaalspawn
As each Bhaalspawn died, the divine spark that the others possessed grew stronger. Like the protagonist, there are other Bhaalspawn in the Forgotten Realms who went on their own adventures and grew powerful in the process. A war breaks out between The Five, who are the strongest Bhaalspawn remaining. The Five are Illasera, an elven fighter/mage who is killed at the start of the game; Senai, a drow cleric/mage who transfers her consciousness between different statues; Abazigal, a blue dragon who leads an army of D&D dragons into battle; Balthazar, a human monk who seeks to end Bhaal's curse; and Yaga-Shura, a fire giant who used a magical ritual to become invulnerable.
A woman named Melissan attempts to stop the war between the Bhaalspawn, but the protagonist is forced to slay their siblings. It's revealed that Melissan is actually Amelyssan, the former high priest of Bhaal, who wishes to take his place as the new Goddess of Murder. The protagonist battles Amelyssan at the foot of Bhaal's throne. Once Amelyssan is slain, the protagonist is given three choices - become the new God of Murder, become a benevolent deity, or destroy the Throne of Bhaal and remain a mortal. D&D has a canon choice for this decision, as it was revealed that a Bhaalspawn named Abdel Adrian destroyed the throne, but Bhaal managed to return upon Abdel's death, rendering the events of Baldur's Gate's story moot.
