Lore Whore: Videogame Deepdives

Valeria the Hollyphant initially seems like an odd presence in Baldur's Gate 3 lore. She's involved in two quests, and sticks out like a sore thumb in the city as she is a celestial elephant with golden wings. But read deeper into her character and her diary and you can find out how if only Mount Celestia had listened to her, the entire Zariel chapter of the Blood War could have been avoid...

The Undercity is one of the most enticing parts of Baldur's Gate 3 Lore. Buried underneath the city proper, it is a hidden treasure trove of architecture, strange bridges, and unanswered questions, but I'm going to do my best to fix that last aspect. The Undercity is absolutely ancient. Existing long before Baldur's Gate, Loklee, or Shavinar, its streets have few answers and even fewer...

Ramazith's Tower is one of the most enigmatic structures in Baldur's Gate 3. In this Baldur's Gate 3 lore video I dive into who Ramazith Flamesinger was, how his tower was created, and where he went - or at least, I theorise about where he went.

Arabella is one of Baldur's Gate 3's most mysterious entities. In this Baldur's Gate 3 lore video I explore what her powers are, how they affect the story, and what Arabella may actually be. She seems to escape any easy answer but through delving into Dungeons and Dragons sourcebooks I think I have an answer. A couple of them, really.

Join my Patreon for early, ad-free lore and exclusive videos!patreon.com/zoedelsThe House of Hope is hovering in Avernus, and its master, Raphael, is a tyrant. Inside the House of Hope you can find errant souls, eternal debtors, a special cameo from a former video, and Haarlep. There's also someone waiting deep in its depths who poses more questions than answers...Be the first to know about lo...

Join my Patreon for early, ad-free lore and exclusive videos!patreon.com/zoedelsThe Circus of the Last Days is present in Rivington when Tav arrives. In this BG3 Lore video I explore what's going on under the brightly-coloured tents, how it is linked to the Feywild, and why Lucretious may be far more powerful than she's letting on. As well as spending time talking about everyone's favo...

Join my Patreon for early, ad-free lore and exclusive videos!patreon.com/zoedelsEnver Flymm started out as a cobbler's son, his sharp intellect doing its best to find an outlet in Heapside. After being sold to a 'warlock', Enver would gradually disappear and be replaced by Gortash: the genius Chosen of Bane who isn't scared of anything - except acknowledging his own past. Gortash i...

The second era of the Grymforge from BG3 lore had high aspirations. Ketheric Thorm had resurrected the worship of Shar in the Grymforge and created the Gauntlet to churn out Dark Justiciars in service to Shar. But how legitimate were these warriors? How adequately did the Gauntlet prepare them for war? I explore those questions and Shar's manipulative tactics in this lore video as well as what...

Shar is a constant presence in #baldursgate3. As the goddess of loss, grief, the underdark, and much more, she has had influence in the Trielta Crags (specifically Reithwin) for centuries. Her Grymforge is a huge part of the game in not one, but two acts - but how did it come to be? In this lore deep dive I explore Shar's dogma, her worshippers, and how she convinced Silouv Yali to join her wo...

This is four whole hours of lore from Baldur's Gate 3 Act One, taking you from the Blighted Village to the Temple of Selune, to Emerald Grove and Auntie Ethel, all the way to Rosymorn Monastery and Lenore de Hurst in the Underdark. So many of you told me that you like listening to this lore to relax so this omnibus of lore is to put all the thematically-linked aspects of Baldur's Gate 3 in...

Withers is a mysterious presence in Baldur’s Gate 3. He has reality-altering powers, cannot die (for good), and seems to know who Tav is already - but who is he, exactly? I dive into Withers’ role in Baldur’s Gate 3, his backstory, why he was once a way bigger deal than we realise, and why he’s put in front of Tav in the first place - as was destined from the very beginning. Enjoy!

Why did the Emerald Grove in #BaldursGate3 turn on the tieflings so readily? How come so many of them seem to espouse the same attitudes as the Shadow Druids? And what was the Grove like before its glory days were over? In this video I explore all those questions, and show that Kagha and Teela are not nearly as evil as they seem...

Selûne’s Temple was built on the Risen Road to help travellers in need. From its start as a dusty little shrine to its heyday as a glorious temple filled with the Called, the temple seemed to go from strength to strength. Despite the attempts of its leadership, in the background one egotistical but well-meaning Initiate was the first of the temple’s tragedies… but not its last. #baldursgate3

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsCazador Szarr is the patriarch of the Szarr family, but he's far from the first to take leadership of the family. The Szarrs have fed off Baldur's Gate for centuries, but how did they survive so long in a city where most people would prefer not to be exsanguinated? I go through the Szarr history from their begin...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsUmberlee is an evil-aligned deity, so why does she have such influence in Baldur's Gate? Open worship of an evil deity elsewhere in Faerun would alarm citizens and rulers alike, but Umberlee is the rare exception to this rule. This is how she has her claws (or tentacles) in Baldur's Gate, the Iron Throne...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsRosymorn Monastery was completely unplanned. Built around a dropped holy relic, it became a centre for Lathander worship, brewing, and learning. Pilgrims of all ages visited Rosymorn, but it was that popularity which brought it to the attention of the Githyanki. This is what happened to Rosymorn Monastery, and w...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsAuntie Ethel from Baldur's Gate 3 is a charmingly conniving hag who ensnares Tav in her web. She's on a mission to create her own coven - but what happened to her old one? Who is the mysterious M in Baldur's Gate? And what was in her original, MUCH larger questline before it was cut by Larian? I expl...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsLenore De Hurst was a cleric of Mystra and passionate researcher who sequestered herself in the Underdark. When she met Yrre the Sparkstruck, a deep gnome with an adoration for lightning, the two set in motion events that would change their lives. But when Tav stumbles upon the Arcane Tower in the Underdark in A...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsMoonhaven from Baldur's Gate 3 used to be a cosy, idyllic village full of teachers in love, rambunctious schoolchildren, and an ambitious blacksmith's apprentice. It would soon be rotted from the inside out with the arrival of a certain healer and his apprentice, but before their arrival there were plent...

Join my patreon for early ad-free access, and exclusive lore videos!patreon.com/ZoeDelsIn Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 Tav explores the ruined Shadow Cursed Lands. At the centre is a destroyed town that used to be known as Reithwin - but how did it get that way? This is how Ketheric Thorm doomed the former Selunite outpost, along with his relatives Gerringothe, Malus, and Thisobald. I explore the...