Summary
As players explore the titular city inBaldur’s Gate 3,they will stumble across a series of gruesome murder scenes carried out by violence-loving Bhaalspawn Orin the Red. But Orin’s “artsy” arrangements of bodies inBaldur’s Gate 3aren’t just random corpse piles, they’re deliberate tributes to some of Bhaal’s most notorious children and worshipers from previousBaldur’s Gatetitles, notablyThrone of Bhaal.
Orin’s murder effigies will generally be encountered while completing the “Find Dribbles the Clown” and “Impress the Murder Tribunal” side quests inBaldur’s Gate 3. All the Dribbles pieces—except for his hand, stolen by Popper the Kobold at the circus—are found at one of these effigy sites, and many are located at the homes of people Bhaal’s Murder Tribunal wishes to see dead.
The First Effigy: Illasera
What use her eyes? She thought herself a huntress, but couldn’t fathom her wool. - Orin
Known for her speed and accuracy,Illasera the Quickwas an elf Bhaalspawn Fighter/Mage hybrid who preferred to attack her opponents from a distance. Orin has paid tribute to her by mutilating the eyes of the victims and stabbing them with thrown spears representing her long-range weapons. In addition, Illasera’s Effigy is likely the first that players will encounter, as it is located beneath the Open Handle Temple in Rivington, rather than within Baldur’s Gate itself. This could be a reference to Illasera being the first boss fought inThrone of Bhaal.She is used to introduce the threat of The Five and the idea that other Bhaalspawn are hunting Gorion’s Ward and will not stop until they are defeated.
The Second Effigy: Yaga-Shura
What use his heart? He thought himself a titan, but died whispering for his mother. - Orin
A massive Fire Giant, Yaga-Shura was the second Bhaalspawn players would encounter inThrone of Bhaal.In addition to leading a large army, he removed his own heart in an attempt to make himself invulnerable, but Gorion’s Ward and their companions located and destroyed his heart before taking on Yaga-Shura himself. Because Fire Giants are a race that does not appear inBaldur’s Gate 3,Orin honors Yaga-Shura by killing—and carving out the heart of—a particularly large humanoid man ironically named “Little” Kimmabeth. Corpses of women are also present, presumably referencing Yaga-Shura’s mother Nyalee, whose heart the giant Bhaalspawn also removed as part of his plan to become immortal.
The Third Effigy: Sendai
What use her multitudes? She thought herself a warrior, but only her blood soaked the soil. - Orin
The drow Sendai commanded a legion of Underdark-dwelling creatures, forcing the player to fight through hordes of her minions before facing her. These included myconids, umber hulks, giant spiders, andseveral types of illithids, including deadly vampire/illithid hybrids. She also possessed the ability to create seven false versions of herself which could use many different abilities, although the true Sendai was a Cleric/Mage who primarily relied on powerful offensive spells in battle.
To honor her, Orin killed many drow, duergar, spiders, and even an illithid, creating a buffet of violence that emphasized Sendai’s “quantity over quality” philosophy when it came to battle. The corpse representing Sendai herself is positioned within a pentagram, surrounded by bodies of female drow meant to invoke her statue clones.
The Fourth Effigy: Abazigal
What use his pride? He thought himself a dragon, but died as a worm. - Orin
Abazigal initially presented himself as a blue-skinned humanoid, but was in truth a full blue dragon. He had to be defeated in both human and dragon form to truly end his threat, usually requiringJaheirawearing the Harper Pin to gain immunity to electricity. He was a prideful figure who saw himself as superior to other Bhaalspawn due to his draconic nature. Because Orin was likely unable to take down a full dragon by herself, the Effigy of Abazigal features two dead dragonborn. The second one is presumably a reference to Draconis, Abazigal’s son who was also fought inThrone of Bhaal.Scrolls referencing spells to bind and control dragons are also placed on an altar near the Effigy of Abazigal.
The Fifth Effigy: Balthazar
What use his refusal? He thought himself free, but destiny claimed his corpse the same. - Orin
The leader of the Five, Balthazar was a human monk who secretly opposed Bhaal and wished to see an end to his line. Balthazar’s plan was to kill every other living Bhaalspawn, including Gorion’s Ward, and then commit suicide.Balthazar the Necromancer, an ally of Ketheric Thorm fought inBaldur’s Gate 3,deliberately chose his name because he was embarrassed by the Bhaalspawn monk’s weakness and wanted to prove himself stronger.
Orin, who is devoted to Bhaal, presumably disliked Balthazar greatly, and her effigy shows that. The fake Balthazar’s corpse is badly mutilated, with its head removed and its organs piled in a fountain, while symbols of Bhaal and the Absolute surround the body.
The Sixth Effigy: Amelyssan
What use her betrayal? She thought herself perfect, but forgot the one she served. - Orin
Amelyssan the Blackhearted, High Priestess of Bhaal, was not a Bhaalspawn, but was the true, hidden villain ofThrone of Bhaal.She pretended to be a kind woman named Melissan, but ultimately manipulated the Five and sought to become the Goddess of Murder herself. Her Effigy is found in the Temple of Bhaal, meaning that players will likely not see it until they arepreparing to confront Orin the Red.
This emphasizes the similarities between Amelyssan and Orin, both powerful, murder-loving female late-game antagonists devoted to Bhaal. The corpse representing Amelyssan herself is chained to five corpses representing the other members of the Five, symbolizing her control over them and treatment of them as nothing more than her puppets.
