Viconia DeVir

Viconia DeVir is a Drow Cleric of Shar. She is the Mother Superior of the enclave in Baldur's Gate. She is a returning character from Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, where she was a companion.
==Overview==
===Background===
Viconia was born to House DeVir in the drow capital city of Menzoberranzan in Underdark. She was a priestess of Lolth for many years. To prove her faith, she was tasked with killing an infant in a ritual sacrifice to the Spider Queen. Viconia refused and her house fell out of Lolth's favour. It seemed that the only way for House DeVir to regain their goddess' favour was for Viconia to prostrate herself before the Spider Queen. Viconia became fed up with Lolth's ways and believed that she could survive without her. 
As a result, House DeVir was left vulnerable to other Houses' attacks. In desperation, Matron DeVir tried to sacrifice Viconia, but her wizard brother intervened and killed their mother. As punishment, Lolth turned her brother into a drider for his matricide and stripped Viconia of her clerical powers for breaking faith, and Viconia fled to the surface. Some time later, she found a new goddess to worship in .
Being a possible companion in the first and second Baldur's Gate game, she canonically, if not traveled with, at the very least met Gorion's Ward (the protagonist of previous games) and their group as and remember meeting her. Depending on the party's actions, and if Viconia was their companion, she could have also met .
===Present days===
In the century that passed since Baldur's Gate II Viconia DeVir became the Mother Superior of the enclave in Baldur's Gate. She previously had a grander enclave in Waterdeep, but Lady Shar commanded her to raze it and kill all her loyal followers. Viconia's new mission was to take a child of Selûne and turn them over to Lady Shar. At some point she likely surrendered a part of her memories to the Mirror of Loss.
She and her group ambushed a family in process of a coming-of-age ritual for their half-elven girl Jenevelle Hallowleaf. Her parents were captured and imprisoned while the girl was raised a cleric of Shar under a new name - . 
Shadowheart always dreamed of becoming a Dark Justiciar, but Viconia thwarted any attempts at doing so.
Recently, she tasked Shadowheart with retrieving the that will help the Sharrans against the Absolute.
== Involvement ==
On pursuing , it is necessary to visit the Cloister of Sombre Embrace, which is located in Sharran Ruins under the House of Grief. Viconia DeVir resides there and provides the Mapping of the Heart for those in need of Sharran guidance. 
If the player character or Shadowheart undergoes the Mapping, Viconia removes her hood revealing her identity and invites the party to the cloister. She explains that she knows the party has the artefact in their possession and needs it to destroy the Absolute. If or checks are passed, then Viconia relents. However, she demands they hand over Shadowheart to her. The party can either agree, starting quest, or refuse, which starts a fight. If Shadowheart is a Dark Justiciar, she can convince some of the cultists to fight along with the party, taking over the cloister after Viconia's defeat. 
If the meeting results in combat, Viconia manifests the fears she learned from the party: turning into a wolf to scare Shadowheart or, if the player character told her their fear of becoming one, temporarily turns the player character into a mind flayer.
If Shadowheart is handed over to Viconia, Viconia becomes an ally in the final battle providing Nightbringer's Shadow Adepts support. Alternatively, if Shadowheart replaced Viconia as the Mother Superior, the same support is provided by Shadowheart instead.
If Viconia is still alive at the end of the fight, it is possible to speak with her again and let her go, or kill her.
== Changes to Viconia's backstory ==
Viconia's state in Baldur's Gate 3 is partially reflective of her default ending in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, wherein she found a Sharran cult in Waterdeep. However several differences can be found: 
In her original epilogue Viconia killed all cult members due to one's betrayal, shrugging off the admonishment of her goddess, which mirrors her early rebellious actions against . She then wandered the Realms and stopped several crises with the help of , including saving the elven city of Suldanessalar, for which she received honours from . Her fate following the events above was unknown.
In Baldur's Gate 3, Viconia's motive behind the Waterdeep slaughter was changed to obeying Shar's order, and she remained obedient to her goddess ever since. Despite having a history of refusing to sacrifice a child to another goddess, she has performed Shar's tasks faithfully, such as abducting children and torturing their relatives, similar to what Lolth did to her beloved brother — which has caused her nightmares in the previous game.
== Combat ==
===Notable loot===
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== Related literature ==
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==Related quests==
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== Quotes ==
== Speak with Dead ==
Viconia DeVir can be spoken to with .
Party member: Who are you?
* Viconia DeVir: Viconia... DeVir...
Party member: What is this place?
* Viconia DeVir: Lady Shar's sacred grotto...
Party member: Has Shar rewarded your sacrifice?
* Viconia DeVir: She will... she must...
Party member: Where are you from?
* Viconia DeVir: Menzoberranzan... Underdark...
Party member: How did you come to be here?
* Viconia DeVir: Lady Shar's command... Waterdeep, deception... slaughter...
Party member: Why did you do all of this to me?
* Viconia DeVir: My lady... bid me to...
If the party have not entered the Chamber of Loss:
Party member: How do I enter the Chamber of Loss?
* Viconia DeVir: Altar...
If the party possess Counting House Safe n°8 Key:
Party member: What is this key for?
* Viconia DeVir: Vault... Counting House...
==Gallery==
Viconia Model.png|Viconia's model
Edward-vanderghote-viconia.webp|Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote
Viconia.png|Preparing for Battle
==Notes==
* Viconia's actual Strength is 14, but because of her Handmaiden's Mace, it is set to 18 until she is disarmed.
* She gains unique spells depending on the player character's answers during the Mapping of the Heart and the "Heartform" (False Heart, Craven Heart, etc) that she determines the player character have.
* In Baldur's Gate 3, Viconia DeVir is voiced by Jess Nesling, replacing Grey DeLisle/Griffin from the previous games.
* Her final line before combat (L'il Alurl! For Shar!) is a direct reference to her battle cry from the previous games
* and / or will have special interactions with Viconia if they are in the party when meeting her.
** In the room where the Mapping of the Heart takes place, they comment on the reunion.
** If Viconia is defeated in combat at the Sharran Cloister and is spoken to, Jaheira / Minsc tell her directly on how she lost her way.
** Choosing to spare Viconia earns approval with Jaheira.
** Choosing to kill Viconia earns approval with Minsc.
* If Shadowhart is not in the party, it is possible to negotiate with Viconia by passing to convince her to help in the final battle, without giving her Shadowheart. However, after that, all companions still condemn the player character for betrayal, as if Shadowheart disappeared from the camp forever.
==References==
==External links==
Category:Drow
Category:Lolth-Sworn Drow
Category:Humanoids
Category:Characters
Category:Characters in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace
Category:Characters in Act Three
Category:Returning Characters
Category:Followers of Shar
Category:Bosses
Category:Clerics
Category:Authors
Category:Available to Speak with Dead