Gorion's Ward

Gorion's Ward is the character created by the player, and is sometimes referred to as the protagonist in-game.
Little is known about the history of the player's character initially. Gorion's Ward was brought to Candlekeep by Gorion when he or she was only a few months old, and has been at Candlekeep for 20 years before the story starts. They were probably born between 1346-1348 DR. Gorion's Ward grew up with Imoen, who was brought to Candlekeep by Gorion ten years after the player.
During the Siege of Dragonspear expansion, an additional piece of information is gained, when the former priestess of Bhaal Madele speaks of how her cult had collected an unknown number of Bhaal's children, planning to sacrifice them, but were attacked by Harpers and the children "kidnapped." Considering the known association of Gorion with the Harpers, this implies the protagonist may have been one of the children, though it is never confirmed.
== Baldur's Gate ==
=== Biography ===
The biography of the player character in Baldur's Gate is generated in two pieces. The first is set based on the class. Class kits will use the biography of their base class (except for Barbarians, Blackguards, Sun Soul Monks, and Dark Moon Monks). The second is mostly unchanging, but has a section based on the player's race. In Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition the biography is customizable.
First Section
Player Class 	Biography
Paladin 	Inspired by your foster father's tales of chivalry and honor, from a young age you committed yourself to the pursuit of good and the punishment of evil. Candlekeep is a world of many sacred and unspoken laws, and you have learned to uphold them all unquestionably. Your honesty and integrity have brought you to the attention of some of the keep's Great Readers, but as of yet none of them have had cause to call upon your services. While the citadel sees the passage of the occasional ne'er-do-well, its regimented atmosphere rarely needs to be purged of evil. The peace of your surroundings should be comforting, but instead you find it stifling. You know your true place is traveling the Realms, fighting evil wherever the need arises.
Cleric 	Long have you marveled at the tales read to you by your foster father, many gathered from the various holy books on the shelves of Candlekeep. The strength and power of faith inspired you, but the petty squabbles of the gods only filled you with disdain. From this you came to understand the monks with whom you share your home and the nature of their beliefs. Joining in their studies you have come to think of yourself as one of the Avowed. Some of the brethren, perhaps responding to Gorion's subtle urging, have graciously fielded your many questions and taught you much about the meaning the role of the priesthood.
Druid 	Set as they were against the sounds of the sea crashing against the rocks outside the keep, you have always been drawn to your foster father's tales of the unspoiled wilderness. You have occasionally found exotic flowers pressed and long forgotten between the pages of tomes, and often spent long hours studying Nature's varied forms in some of the library's many journals. It is your foremost wish that someday you will leave the sterile walls of Candlekeep, and worship the Earthmother in her own presence.
Bard 	You have long been enraptured by your foster father's countless tales, though not so much for the content as for the art of the telling. Blessed by a world of books, you have surrounded yourself with the ancient legends and endless lore, and developed quite a skill for showmanship. One of the cooks has become quite fond of you and, between recitations of often bawdy poems and songs, has provided you with somewhat haphazard voice instruction. Gorion, in his kindness and wisdom, has been urging you to find another teacher before you ruin your voice for good.
Ranger 	Inspired by your foster father's tales of adventure amidst the barrens, hills, and forests of Faerun, you have learned to appreciate the power and challenges of the wilderness. While you cannot remember ever venturing further than the outer walls of Candlekeep, you are a welcome and frequent visitor to its stables and pens. Much of your time is also spent atop the great towers of the citadel, where birds often seek shelter from both predators and the chill of the ocean winds. Still, you yearn to reach beyond, deep into the meadows and forests that you behold from your lofty perch.
Fighter 	Drawn to the clamor of the forge at an early age, you have become quite skilled working for the monks of the keep, and have kept them supplied with whatever tools are occasionally required. Inspired by your foster father's tales of ironclad heroes, however, you know you would rather swing a blade than a smithy's hammer. One of the Watchers has been kind enough to take you under her wing, and has trained you in the basics of the deadly arts. You yearn to leave the safe walls of your library home and venture forth along the Trade Way, a trusty weapon at your side.
Barbarian 	Much to the irritation of your loving foster father, you have always been a wild spirit. Books held no interest for you, nor did disciplined combat. The Watchers spent years wondering what to do with you, until the fateful day when an Uthgardt barbarian from Icewind Dale delivered an ancient scroll to Candlekeep. The short time she remained had a deep impact upon you. She taught you the ways of the barbarian, the connection to spirits of nature, and how to unleash wild rages. By the time she left, you knew that you would follow the same path. Her visit was several years ago, and ever since then you have found the walls of Candlekeep to be intolerably stifling.
Thief 	Inspired by your foster father's colorful tales of rogues and scoundrels, you have spent your childhood yearning for intrigue. On the stage of your imagination, the ambling, preoccupied monks of the keep have often played the secret lords of Waterdeep, their purses ripe targets for your nimble fingers. On more than one occasion Gorion has asked you to very tactfully return a pen or an inkwell to the pocket from which it came. The more valuable of the keep's treasures remain impenetrable to your wiles, but you have little desire to steal from your benefactors anyway; you long for more appropriate and accessible pickings.
Mage 	Inspired by your foster father's knowledge of the magical arts, you have made especially productive use of your library home. You have pored over the vast, if often inaccessible, treasury of magical lore, and learnt as much as you can. Gorion has been kind enough to instruct you in the basics, but he seems a touch overly concerned about your safety. You know, however, that experience could teach you so much more, and you yearn to travel as a journeyman mage.
Sorcerer 	Inspired by your foster father's knowledge of the magical arts, you took steps to duplicate his abilities. Uninterested in a structured study of magic, you chose instead to harness raw energy and use it how you saw fit. Gorion was kind enough to give pointers here and there, but was never entirely comfortable with your reckless approach to magic. After years of practice, you now feel that you are a capable sorcerer, but could be so much more if you were to travel the realms in search of greater knowledge.
Monk 	Your youth was shaped by two major influences: your foster father Gorion and a group of monks in the service of Bahamut who spent several years within Candlekeep. While Gorion worked to grow your intelligence and kindness, these seemingly strange monks fostered your wisdom and discipline. After they left, you adopted their ways as your own and can now rightfully call yourself a monk. While you treasure the years spent in Candlekeep, you now feel the urge to pursue spiritual wisdom.
Sun Soul Monk 	Your youth was shaped by two major influences: your foster father Gorion and a trio of Sun Soul monks in service to Lathander who spent several years within Candlekeep. While Gorion worked to grow your intelligence and kindness, the Morninglord's worshippers fostered your wisdom and discipline. After the three monks departed Candlekeep, you adopted their ways as your own and can now rightfully call yourself a monk of the Sun Soul. While you treasure your time with Gorion, you now feel called to pursue spiritual wisdom and physical perfection.
Dark Moon Monk	Your youth was shaped by two major influences: your foster father Gorion and Hemma, a monk in service to Shar who spent several years in Candlekeep. Though Gorion worked to grow your intelligence and kindness, Hemma secretly taught you the ways of the dark goddess, fostering strength and discipline while hardening your heart. After Hemma died, you adopted her ways as your own and can now rightfully call yourself a monk of the Dark Moon. While you respect your foster father, you feel you must pursue your own destiny in the shadows.
Shaman 	As a child, your sightings of invisible creatures and spirits greatly concerned your foster father, Gorion. It was only after the shaman of an Uthgardt barbarian tribe from Icewind Dale delivered an ancient scroll to Candlekeep that your abilities' true nature became known. He performed the initiation ceremony that was the first step on the spirit path towards becoming a shaman.
Multi-class 	Inspired by your foster father's loving tales, you have always dreamt of living the life of an adventurer, traveling the land by your wits and talents alone. The grounds of the keep were often the stage for many an imagined battle, much to the consternation of the monks that share your home. Companions your age being somewhat of a rarity, you endured by playing every role yourself, a habit that has stayed with you as you enter into adulthood. As Gorion used to advise you, "A little bit of everything makes a better soup."
Blackguard 	While your foster father did his beast to guide you toward virtue, you have always been fascinated by the power that can be attained through evil. Uninterested in spellbooks or knowledge of the divine, you would plead with the Watchers to teach you the deadly art of martial combat. Each teacher, increasingly uneasy about your growing darkness, eventually refused to teach you more. But you would simply move on to the next, casually casting your former tutors away. Your lust for power eventually led you to a forbidden tome deep within Candlekeep, a tome that put you into contact with an evil outsider. In exchange for dark power, you agreed for that outsider to become your patron. Now you seek nothing more than an excuse to leave Candlekeep and exercise your new abilities upon an unsuspecting world.
Second Section
Player Race	Biography
Common 	You know little of how you came to be a ward of Gorion's, but over the year's you have gleaned something of your mother's tale from the vague allusions and from the words he sometimes uttered in tear-filled sleep. [Racial Segment] As you have no memory of her, nor any keepsakes to remind you of her existence, you have come to believe that she died while giving birth to you. Perhaps it was the pain of such a parting that led Gorion to cloister himself within the narrow halls of Candlekeep and raise you as his own. Of your father, you have learned nothing.
Dwarf 	She was a dwarf from Mithral Hall and a friend of his for many seasons.
Elf 	She was an Elf from the High Forest and a friend of his for many seasons.
Gnome 	She was a gnome from the Thunder Peaks region and a friend of his for many seasons.
Half-elf 	She was a half-elf from the courts of Ashabenford and a friend of his for many seasons.
Half-orc 	She was an orcish caravan guard, part of a larger mercenary company that operated out of Waterdeep. Through the course of his adventuring career, Gorion grew to become her close friend.
Halfling 	She was a halfling from Luiren and a friend of his for many seasons.
Human 	She was a human from Silverymoon and a friend of his for many seasons.
===Prologue and chapter 1===
In Baldur's Gate, Gorion's Ward is the player character. They are asked to buy equipment for long travels by Gorion, who is waiting near the entrance of the library, and for unknown reasons, wants to leave as soon as possible. After leaving Candlekeep behind, Gorion and his ward get separated in the area just east of Candlekeep after an ambush involving an armored figure, two Ogres, and a mage, who is later discovered to be Tamoko. After the ambush, Gorion's Ward is found by Imoen in the morning, who managed to sneak out of Candlekeep, follow them, and saw how Gorion was killed. As return to Candlekeep is not an option, they travel with Imoen to the Friendly Arm Inn, to find the contacts Gorion spoke of, Jaheira and Khalid, who knew Gorion personally and are willing to travel to Nashkel and its mines, where some strange things are happening. It may give a clue about the iron crisis in an iron rich region.
===Chapter 2===
There are some strange things happening at the Nashkel Mines. The iron mined there is too corrupted to be used for armor and weapons and the miners are dying at the hand of some creatures haunting the mines. The mayor of Nashkel lacks the military force to clean the mines, so they are hiring adventurers to explore the mines and find the source of the corruption. At the bottom of the mine, you find a half-orc called Mulahey, who is in command of the kobolds, who are corrupting the ore using a certain substance on purpose.
===Bhaalspawn abilities===
After beginning a new chapter in the game, Gorion's Ward has a dream during one of their first rests, except for Chapter One. In each of these dreams, Gorion's Ward acquires a special ability – due to being Bhaalspawn, as learned later. These are spell-like abilities and can be accessed from the special abilities menu (button at the bottom right corner of the screen).
Which abilities are acquired, depends on the Ward's reputation. With an "average" of 10 or higher, these are healing and supporting abilities, while a reputation of 9 or lower yields offensive ones:
Chapter 	Reputation ≥ 10 	Reputation ≤ 9
Two and Three	Cure Light Wounds 	Larloch's Minor Drain
Four and Five	Slow Poison 	
 Ghoul Touch 
 Horror
Six and Seven	Draw Upon Holy Might	Vampiric Touch
If the Ward's reputation fluctuates between 9 and 10 from one chapter to the next, all six special abilities may be acquired.
When using innate abilities that scale with character level — Draw Upon Holy Might and Vampiric Touch in our case — dual and multi-classed protagonists cast at a level equal to the average of their class levels, rounded up. For example, both a Fighter 7 → Thief 1 dual-class and a level 3/3/4 Fighter/Mage/Thief multi-class will do damage with the innate Vampiric Touch as if they were level 4.
==Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn==
===Bhaalspawn abilities===
If Shadows of Amn is started by importing Gorion's Ward from Baldur's Gate, they will retain their special abilities gained through the dreams during the first chapter of the saga.
A newly created protagonist, however, doesn't follow exactly the above mentioned rules. Depending on their starting reputation, determined through the initial alignment, the following powers will be assigned to Gorion's Ward: 
*All good aligned characters (reputation ≥ 11) gain two times each Cure Light Wounds, Slow Poison and Draw Upon Holy Might.
*Lawful neutral characters (reputation = 10) gain one of each ability: Cure Light Wounds, Slow Poison, Draw Upon Holy Might, Larloch's Minor Drain, Horror and Vampiric Touch.
*True neutral characters (reputation = 10) gain two times each Cure Light Wounds, Draw Upon Holy Might and Horror.
*Chaotic neutral characters (reputation = 10) gain two times each Slow Poison, Larloch's Minor Drain and Vampiric Touch.
*All evil aligned characters (reputation ≤ 9) gain two times each Larloch's Minor Drain, Horror and Vampiric Touch.
Gorion's Ward will lose these abilities later in the game.
===Biography ===
The protagonist's biography in Baldur's Gate II can be customized on player creation. The following is the default biography.
===Strongholds===
In Baldur's Gate II, the character receives a stronghold which can be used to store some items and get some quests related to it as well. Multi-class and dual-class characters can claim any of the strongholds that they qualify for, but may only take one. Shamans have no stronghold.
*de'Arnise Keep is a stronghold for Fighters, Barbarians, Monks and Blackguards. It can be gained by starting the quest: The de'Arnise Keep has been Invaded by talking to Nalia de'Arnise.
*Mages, Sorcerers and Specialist Mages become the master of The Planar Sphere. The quest can be started in the Athkatla Government district. The Hunt for Valygar Corthala involves hunting Valygar Corthala, a potential companion. He can be brought to the Cowled Wizards dead or alive or you can recruit him into your party.
*Thieves become a member of the Shadow Thieves and they get Mae'Var's Guildhall as their stronghold after completing the quest: Find Proof of Mae'Var's Treachery. Because of this, thieves can only progress the storyline in chapter 2 in favor of the Thieves' Guild.
*Clerics can join one of the three temples in Athkatla Temple, depending on their alignment. Good aligned clerics can join the clergy of Lathander, the neutral ones the Order of Helm and the evil characters can become a worshipper of Talos, the god of storms. Find and Destroy the Cult of the Unseeing is the starting quest of becoming a member in all three cases, start the quest at the relevant clergy. Cleric Stronghold is the quest for their related stronghold.
*Druids gain the Druid Grove as their stronghold when they are level 14. Animal trouble in Trademeet is the starting quest to gain access to the area and the first step of claiming this stronghold. Heeding the Spirit of the Grove is the quest to become the head of the grove.
*Rangers gain Merella's Ranger Cabin as their stronghold after Investigate the Deaths in the Umar Hills has been completed. Ranger-Protector of the Umar Hills is the quest related to it. Cleric / Ranger can also gain this stronghold.
*Bards receive the Five Flagons Inn stage as their stronghold after Free Haer'Dalis from Imprisonment by Mekrath.
*Paladins, except Blackguards, can get access to their stronghold after completing the quest related to the Windspear Hills. Paladin Stronghold Duties is the quest related to it.
==Pre-made protagonists==
In the Baldur's Gate series, the player can pick a pre-made protagonist instead of making their own protagonist, which requires much less time than creating their own character and gives the new player a decent character to start the games with. In this section, you can find a list of pre-made characters to choose from for each game or expansion pack. Only in the original Baldur's Gate, the player is required to make a new character each time when starting a new game.
===Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast===
===Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn=== 
*Unnamed Cleric
*Unnamed Fighter
*Unnamed Mage
*Unnamed Thief
===Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal===
*Unnamed Cleric
*Unnamed Fighter
*Unnamed Mage
*Unnamed Thief
===Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition=== 
*Abdel (fighter - male - human - chaotic good)
*Halen (thief - male - gnome - neutral evil)
*Adelia (mage - female - elf - lawful neutral)
*Meryll (paladin - female - human - lawful good)
*Faenerys (ranger - female - half-elf - neutral good)
*Jagan Battleforge (cleric - male - dwarf - neutral good)
*Tarana (barbarian - female - half-orc - chaotic neutral)
*Jade (bard - female - human - neutral evil)
*Canderous (multi-class fighter mage - male - elf - lawful neutral)
*Grok (shaman - male - half-orc - true neutral)
===Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition=== 
*Abdel (fighter - male - human - neutral good)
*Lessa (thief - female - elf - chaotic neutral)
*Daria (mage - female - human - chaotic good)
*Rothgar (cleric - male - human - lawful neutral)
Category:Females
Category:Males
Category:Bhaalspawn