Shadowheart

Shadowheart, (born Jenevelle Hallowleaf), is an Origin Character and a recruitable Companion, and can be romanced by characters of any gender. She is a High Half-Elf and a Trickery Domain Cleric with the Acolyte background. Shadowheart can be first found on the Nautiloid during the prologue where she serves as a temporary companion, and she can be properly recruited at various points in Act One.
As a loyal servant of the goddess , Shadowheart can be cold and calculating, willing to do whatever is necessary to serve the Dark Lady with utter devotion. 
==Overview==
===Background===
A devout follower of the Lady of Loss, Shadowheart is the sole survivor of a holy mission undertaken on the Mistress of the Night's behest. She alone must deliver a relic of immense power to her coven in Baldur's Gate while threatened by a strange new magic that is burgeoning from within. Her faith plays an important part in her story throughout the game, and she can be steered towards or away from it.
===Starting class ===
Before she is recruited, Shadowheart is a level 1 Cleric with the following Ability Scores: STR = 12, DEX = 13, CON = 14, INT = 10, WIS = 15, CH = 8.
If recruited, Shadowheart reverts to a level 1 Cleric with the standard ability scores for that Class. She starts with the Trickery Domain subclass, giving her access to Spellcasting – with a particular focus on Illusion magic – and , a class action that grants another creature advantage on Stealth checks. This makes her an ideal support character, albeit with few offensive options.
===Special features===
*Shadowheart has the passive : whenever a wolf approaches her, she must make a Wisdom saving throw or become .
*, Shadowheart's goddess, plays an integral part in her story, and is far more involved in her life than the standard Cleric class experience.
*Shar's patronage grants Shadowheart resistance to mild exposure to the Shadow Curse in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, though she will still need protection in areas where the curse is strongest.
===Personal quest ===
Shadowheart's personal quest is , spanning all acts of the game. Throughout it, Shadowheart uncovers fragments of her shrouded history, re-examines her relationship with her goddess Shar and decides her own future: whether to remain in the dark embrace of the Lady of Loss or free herself from her past.
Three further subquests are available that tie into her personal quest: , in which Shadowheart's faith is tested, , where parts of her past come to light, and , in which the party considers a treacherous proposition.
===Recruitment===
Shadowheart can be recruited as a temporary companion during the Prologue on the Nautiloid by freeing her from the mind flayer pod; she can become a permanent companion during Act One.
====Prologue====
*Shadowheart is first encountered on the Nautiloid during the Prologue, trapped inside a mind flayer pod. She can be freed by interacting with the nearby console or as a Barbarian, using one of the dialogue options below:
** 
*** 
*** 
*If she is freed, she joins the party as a temporary companion. Upon escaping the nautiloid, she leaves the party.
====Act One====
*Shadowheart can be found a second time at the Ravaged Beach in the Wilderness. If freed from the pod during the Prologue, she is seen lying unconscious on the ground and wakes up if interacted with. If not freed, she is instead found attempting to gain entry to the nearby Dank Crypt. Either way, she can be invited to join the party after speaking with her.
*If not spoken with at the Ravaged Beach, Shadowheart moves to the Druid Grove on her own searching for a healer; she can be spoken with there and invited to join the party.
*If entering the Goblin Camp without recruiting Shadowheart, she shows up and saves the party from the Voice of the Absolute using the Mysterious Artefact. If not recruited, she may be convinced to wait there, or fought to the death.
*If ignoring the Goblin Camp and walking towards the Mountain Pass, Shadowheart shows up there and saves the party from the Voice as they attempt to cross the bridge into the main area.
*If ignoring both the Goblin Camp and the Mountain Pass, and entering the Underdark without her, Shadowheart ultimately appears there and saves the party from the Voice of the Absolute as they enter the elevator to the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
==== Leaving the party ====
If the player character makes clear they refuse to travel with a Sharran when she reveals her Shar worship, offers her to in exchange for Sharran aid in fighting the Absolute, or kills her parents after rescuing them in Act Three, she permanently leaves the party.
===Approval===
Shadowheart prefers finding pragmatic and efficient solutions to problems. Accordingly, she appreciates discretion, creativity, and open-mindedness. She generally responds well to acts of heroism. While Shadowheart is afraid of wolves, she loves animals and will always react favourably to positive interactions with them and negatively to cruelty towards them. As a devout Sharran, Shadowheart also approves of acts against and Selûnites in general.
Shadowheart greatly values her privacy. She dislikes those who pry for details on her personal life, her faith or (should they learn of it) disapprove of her worship of Shar, as well as those who press for responses to questions she has already declined to answer. Shadowheart also has has a dry, witty, cynical, and often biting sense of humor, which may soften somewhat towards the player character if she is romanced. She does not like needless cruelty or violence and can respond unfavourably to others being too open with untrustworthy or unknown individuals. Straying from Shar's mandates results in Shadowheart being punished through the wound in her right hand, a reminder to follow wishes.
=== Romance===
Shadowheart can be romanced by characters of any gender, and is one of the few characters willing to have a casual relationship. Throughout it, she will have to deal with the topic of her identity and how the idea of love fits the Sharran concept of self-sacrifice for their goddess. If romanced by a Selûnite cleric, Shadowheart has unique dialogue and behavior options available. 
=== Nightsong points ===
Unlike other Companions, Shadowheart has a unique secondary approval system, influencing the choices in Find the Nightsong and Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic. For more information, see Nightsong Points.
==Description==
===Appearance===
Lithe of frame, well dressed and with meticulously managed features, Shadowheart is not unattractive and may, if mentioning this to her (e.g. if romanced), acknowledge this matter-of-factly . She has straight, coal-black hair and a long, flowing ponytail fastened in segments by elaborately crafted silver loops. Her fringe hair is kept short and straight, revealing her brows beneath and a scar running from her nose to her right cheek. Hair adorns her face on the sides, reaching past her chin, her pointed ears barely peeking through them, and her eyes, light-green with speckles of yellow, are contoured by dark make-up. Though rarely seen, she has a black circular mark on her right hand, a wound given by Shar, causing Shadowheart pain whenever she engages in behavior the Lady of Sorrows disapproves of. Though appearing youthful due to her elven heritage, she is over 40 years old.
Shadowheart complements her Sharran attire with a silver circlet worn above her fringe. It is simple, yet elegant, displaying her goddess' holy symbol, a black disc, as well as an ornate argent hairpiece at the base of her ponytail, reminiscent of the decorations found in Sharran temples.
After the events of , if Shadowheart turns away from Shar, she will dye her hair silver and part her fringe off-center, showing more of her forehead. If she remains faithful, however, she will maintain her black hair but part it nonetheless.
===Personality===
Zealously devoted, independent and headstrong, Shadowheart prefers pragmatic solutions to problems, decisive action in the face of uncertainty and remaining uninvolved in the affairs of others. While she initially seems guarded and reserved – hesitant to reveal information about herself – she is in fact amnesiac, with little memory of her own past. Fiercely devoted to Shar, she does not tolerate slights against her goddess, often reacting defensively. Trained in the Sharran ways, she is also not above forceful, ruthless actions, duplicity or even killing in order to achieve her goals.
Still, Shadowheart displays traits that are often at odds with her Sharran training. She has a fondness for flowers and animals, disapproves of indiscriminate violence, prefers relatively peaceful resolutions to conflicts when possible and often sympathizes with the plights of party members. She can be as sarcastic as and does not shy away from dark humour. She is introspective and often harbours doubts as can be seen by romancing her, and when guided away from Shar, she is much more open and honest with her feelings.
==History==
===Early life===
Born to parents and , Jenevelle, as she was named, was raised in a Selûnite household in the forests outside Baldur's Gate. Devout followers of the Moonmaiden, they worshipped her in quiet seclusion away from the city, raising young Jenevelle in the ways of Selûne. In time, she would take part of an ancient Selûnite initiation rite: abandoned in the wilds, she would have to rely on her skills and faith to fend for herself, proving herself as a devout believer once she returned.
Yet , Selûne's dark sister, had other plans for the child and commanded and a cadre of Sharrans to kidnap her. Arnell had learned of this ploy after capturing a Sharran spy, and taking his wolf form, raced towards Jenevelle. But young Jenevelle never learned of her father's curse of lycanthropy, and instead of being rescued by her father, all she saw was a great wolf hunting her. The Sharrans caught up to the pair and kidnapped both, taking them to a secret cloister of the Dark Lady in Baldur's Gate.
=== Life as a Sharran===
Jenevelle would be brought to the Cloister of Sombre Embrace, a Sharran temple in Baldur's Gate set up and ran by Mother Superior Viconia DeVir after her previous endeavours in Waterdeep had failed. Viconia's mission, given to her directly by Shar, was to mould young Jenevelle into a champion of the Dark Lady, an effort that would ultimately take almost half a century. At first Jenevelle resisted the indoctrination, but the brutal training she would be put through, being lied to that her parents perished defending her from wolves, as well as repeated forced use of the temple's Mirror of Loss, would slowly erase her past and in time forge a new identity: Shadowheart.
The Mother Superior was especially cruel with Shadowheart, forcing her to use the Mirror of Loss more than any other acolyte. Under Viconia's watchful eye and no longer recognizing her parents, Shadowheart was forced to repeatedly torture and practice her newfound skills on them. Still, Shadowheart was able to retain a few memories from her past thanks to Rennald, a young Tiefling acolyte undergoing similar training. Any time she would be subjected to mirror training, Rennald would do his best to remind Shadowheart who she was afterwards. Thanks to him, and whatever scattered notes she was able to jot down between mirror trainings, Shadowheart was able to retain some parts of her identity, such as her fondness for flowers and animals. The two became good friends, and one of the few blessings during her time in the cloister.
===Hunting after the mysterious artefact ===
At some point during Shadowheart's last stages of training, whispers of the rise of a mysterious cult would reach the Mother Superior's ears. This Cult of the Absolute as it was being called, was quickly gaining traction among the populace and threatened Sharran influence over the city. As luck would have it, the Sharrans would capture a Githyanki scout who, after being subjected to merciless torture, revealed the existence of a githyanki artefact of immense power such that the cult became desperate to find, lest it be used against them. Such an artefact could prove an asset for the Sharrans in thwarting the absolutist presence in the city, so the Mother Superior quickly formed a party of elite devouts, tasking them with its retrieval. Though deemed a suicide mission, Shadowheart and four other companions set out to fulfil what they believed were Shar's commands.
The group was able to locate the though at great cost: Shadowheart was the only survivor.
Disaster would not stop there, however, as she soon found herself captive at the hands of Mind Flayers. How and where she was captured is never explored, however, and at some point during her capture she became tadpoled and was kept imprisoned in a pod, awaiting .
== Involvement==
Daughter of Darkness is Shadowheart's personal quest. It is added to the journal upon recruiting her and spans all three acts of the game.
===Prologue===
Shadowheart can be encountered during the battle aboard the Nautiloid. Trapped in a mind flayer pod, the party can decide whether to free her or not. If released, she joins the party as a temporary companion until they escape the ship.
==== As an origin character ====
As an origin character, Shadowheart wakes up in the pod where all player characters start. The artifact is on the floor nearby, and she is prompted to pick it up and bring it to Baldur's Gate. There is no one in the pod where Shadowheart is usually found.
On the Ravaged Beach, Shadowheart is the only one present. As a result, there are only two intellect devourers to fight, rather than the usual three, but it can be a significantly more difficult fight if other companions are not recruited first. The fight can be bypassed by climbing rocks on the right of the location where the intellect devourers are found. If returning later with at least two party members, then there will be three intellect devourers.
===Act One ===
During the first act of the game, the mystery of the artefact Shadowheart carries is slowly uncovered, as well as the mission that led her to find it. Shadowheart eventually reveals she is a devout of Shar and her mission to deliver the artefact to her cloister in Baldur's Gate. She also reveals that, as part of the operation, she had her memories suppressed so she would not betray Shar, who exerts her influence over her through the wound in Shadowheart's hand.
On approaching the Mountain Pass the first time, the party can encounter , who informs them the githyanki are searching for an object very similar to Shadowheart's artefact. Whatever the outcome of this encounter, confronts Shadowheart about the artefact later in camp. As a result, Shadowheart judges Lae'zel a critical threat to her mission and attempts to kill her in her sleep the next long rest, though she can be convinced to desist and put grudges aside.
Shadowheart may also slowly reveal parts of her past. Upon an encounter with wolves, if asked about her apparent fear of them, she may, depending on player approval, show a memory of a young Shadowheart being saved from a wolf attack by Sharrans. Similarly, if given the from the Underdark, Shadowheart remembers a young tiefling named Rennald, who she was friends with during her initiate years. This adds the quest to the journal.
Should the party learn about Dark Justiciars, Shadowheart, if asked more about them, states that they are elite warriors of Shar and that she dreams of becoming one some day. This adds the quest to the journal.
===Act Two===
Upon first arriving in the Shadow-Cursed Lands the next conversation with Shadowheart has her comment on how the does not seem to affect her as much as others and that she must be blessed by Shar. She can be challenged or supported about this and, regardless of how she is approached, comments on how this protection must have been granted for a reason and that she needs to be on the lookout for any place dedicated to Shar.
Having high approval with Shadowheart lets her at some point reveal that one of her favourite flowers is the . One such flower can be found in the Ruined Battlefield in the Shadow-Cursed Lands and given to her. If given, Shadowheart expresses her gratitude and laments not having anything to give in return.
Within the Grand Mausoleum the party finds the Gauntlet of Shar, ancient proving grounds for Dark Justiciar aspirants. Shadowheart expresses excitement about the possibility of proving herself to her goddess, and urges the party to complete the trials and allow her to become a Dark Justiciar. Completing the trials leads the party to the Shadowfell and the confrontation with the . Shadowheart's fate greatly diverges depending on the choices made here.
If allowed to slay the Nightsong, Shar is greatly pleased with Shadowheart, and finally names her Dark Justiciar, granting her powerful rewards. Shadowheart is elated she has finally achieved her dream, and vows to serve Shar faithfully until death. 
Alternatively, Shadowheart can be convinced to spare the Nightsong, abandoning Shar to forge her own future. In doing so, the Nightsong is freed and Shadowheart is abandoned by her goddess for good. 
Finally, if choosing to not bring Shadowheart to the Shadowfell or surrendering the Nightsong to , Shadowheart becomes furious and either attacks or permanently leaves the party. Any of these outcomes completes .
===Act Three===
If remaining in the party, whether commanded by Shar as a Dark Justiciar, or guided by , Shadowheart's next destination is the Cloister of Sombre Embrace in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. A Dark Justiciar Shadowheart is commanded by Shar to cleanse the cloister from corruption, while a Shadowheart who freed Aylin and turned against Shar is spurred by the hope she may find her parents alive there.
There, Shadowheart encounters , the cloister's Mother Superior and the person who saw to her training as an initiate. Viconia demands the mysterious artefact and the surrender of Shadowheart. Once more, Shadowheart's fate can go different ways depending on choices made. The party may agree to surrender Shadowheart to Viconia, losing her as a companion but gaining the Sharrans as allies for the final battle. Hearing Viconia's offer out begins the subquest . Alternatively, the party can confront Viconia and the Sharrans, resulting in their demise. If surrendered to Viconia, the main quest (and corresponding subquest) is completed.
While exploring the cloister, the party may run into , a tiefling who recognises Shadowheart. If Shadowheart recovered some of her memories by eating noblestalk, she realises Nocturne is the young tiefling friend from her past, even though she has changed since then. Shadowheart and Nocturne then reminisce about growing up in the cloister. This encounter completes .
If Viconia is refused and defeated, the party may enter the Threshold of Loss, Shar's hidden sanctum. There, Shadowheart comes face to face with her parents, long thought dead. Shar's ultimate test for a Dark Justiciar requires her to slay them. In doing so, Shar blesses Shadowheart, wiping her memory and tasking her with rebuilding the cloister. Shar's faithful become available as an allies for the final battle. 
If she abandoned Shar, Shadowheart has a difficult choice to make: save her parents but be forever bound to Shar's curse, or sacrifice her parents and sever the curse at last. Either choice completes .
During the party's next long rest, Shadowheart is found waiting for the player character at a statue of Selûne. 
If turned from Shar in Act Two or saving her parents as a Dark Justiciar, she reflects on her feelings now that she truly knows who she is. If her parents are alive, she worries they will not be able to look her in the eye after the tortures she put them through. She breaks down crying in the arms of the player character (if they select "Embrace her") and/or her parents (if they are alive) for a while before she ultimately decides to reclaim the name Shadowheart for her new self, stating, "you can't cast a shadow without some light." 
Otherwise, if Shadowheart both overthrew Viconia and killed her parents, she instead mocks Selûne and vandalizes the statue, covering it in Aylin's blood.
=== Endings===
====Adventures throughout the Sword Coast====
If Shadowheart turned from Shar and lost her parents in the process, she embarks on adventures throughout the , visiting the in Waterdeep, battling Sharran assassins and even befriending an Imp named Bing Bong. 
====Life at a country farmstead ====
If she turned from Shar and rescued her parents, Shadowheart moves to a country farmstead to live surrounded by flowers, pets and family. There, she is finally able to live the life she wanted, surrounded by love. If romanced, the player character lives with her and her family, a quiet life after adventures. From time to time Shar inflicts pain on Shadowheart through the wound on her hand but, now at peace and surrounded by those she loves, she no longer minds and notices those events becoming more infrequent as of late.
====Mother Superior of the Sharran cloister====
If Shadowheart chooses to remain in Shar's embrace, she becomes the new Mother Superior of the Sharran cloister in Baldur's Gate, operating from the House of Grief. In the months since, word of the Lady of Loss has spread far and wide, thanks to the efforts of Shadowheart. If romanced, Shadowheart ends the relationship prior to this, explaining that she needs to be fully devoted to her goddess. She agrees to be kissed for old times' sake, but remains faithful to Shar. Shadowheart also expresses sympathy for Viconia's fate, now able to understand what she went through as Mother Superior.
==Quest rewards==
===Rewards for slaying the Nightsong ===
As part of the quest 
*
*
*, 
*
===Rewards for sparing the Nightsong and defeating Ketheric Thorm ===
As part of the quests and 
*
*
==Interactions==
===Companion interactions===
Shadowheart has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, she will have a floating [ ! ] icon above her.
====Act One====
====Act Two====
*If Shadowheart abandons Shar and spares the Nightsong, upon taking the portal out from the Shadowfell Shar will keep Shadowheart hostage for a time before releasing her. The party can ask what kept her; she will explain Shar wanted to punish her and make sure she knew she was forsaken henceforth.
====Act Three====
=== Unique interactions ===
Either as an origin, or in the party as a companion, Shadowheart has unique interactions and special dialogue with the following characters, listed by the act they are first encountered in.
====Act One====
*
====Act Two====
*
====Act Three====
*
*
=== Speak with Dead ===
==== (if she dies before being recruited:) ====
Party member: Who are you?
* Shadowheart: Shadowheart...
Party member: What happened to you?
* Shadowheart: Returned. Punished. My mission failed...
Party member: What was your purpose?
* Shadowheart: To serve. To repent.
Party member: Do you remember me?
* Shadowheart: No...
Party member: What is your dream?
* Shadowheart: To serve Lady Shar...
Party member: What happened to you?
* Shadowheart: The artefact... I felt it burn...
** Party member: The artefact burned? What do you mean?
*** Shadowheart: I felt it. It didn't want to stay with me... I failed...
==== (if she dies off-screen after a long rest): ====
Party member: What is your profession?
* Shadowheart: Cleric...
** Party member: A cleric? Who do you worship?
*** Shadowheart: It is forbidden
Party member: What is the artefact you had?
* Shadowheart: A secret. My mission. Must keep it safe...
**Party member: What was your mission?
*** Shadowheart: Protect the artefact. Deliver to Baldur's Gate...
** Party member: How do I get rid of the artefact?
*** Shadowheart: Cannot. Must not. Too important...
Party member: Where are you from?
* Shadowheart: Baldur's Gate...
Party member: Where do you keep your valuables?
* Shadowheart: On me. Always in reach...
== Related Literature ==
* 
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==Loot==
Shadowheart can be killed and looted, and drops the same loot as her starting equipment.
===Starting equipment===
*
*
*
*
*
*
* x2
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
==Achievements==
== Gallery ==
File:Shadowheart Unarmed Model.webp|Base model.
File:Shadowheart Camp Model.webp|Camp clothing model.
File:Shadowheart Underwear Model.webp|Under-wear model.
File:Shadowheart EA Model.png|Early Access model.
File:Shadowheart-artbook-concept1.png|Digital Artbook concept.
File:Shadowheart-character-creator.png|Appearance in the character creator.
File:Edward-vanderghote-shadowheart.jpg|Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.
File:Shadowheart.png|Cover artwork.
File:Shadowheart-beta.png|Appearence pre-release.
File:Shadowheart-ea.jpg|During Early Access.
File:Shadowheart-promotional.jpg|Promotional art.
File:Shadowheart-artbook-concept2.png|Digital Artbook early face concepts.
File:Clb-shadowheart-dark-justiciar.jpg|Commander Legends' Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
File:Shadowheart Dark Justiciar.jpg|Alternate version of Commander Legends' Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
==Datamined content==
Shadowheart had at some point in development a vastly different backstory and storyline that was completely revamped prior to the game's release. This previous version of Shadowheart once had a high elven mother named Eliriana, a human father named Sebastian, had been acquainted with a Mother Superior (different from ), a Sister Superior, as well as a Sharran torturer.
==Notes and References==
==External links==
* 
*Shadowheart's official 5E D&D Character Sheet on D&D Beyond (PDF)
Category:Characters
Category:Characters in the Nautiloid
Category:Characters in the Ravaged Beach
Category:Characters in Act One
Category:Half-Elves
Category:High Half-Elves
Category:Humanoids
Category:Origins
Category:Companions
Category:Clerics
Category:Available to Speak with Dead
Category:Followers of Selûne
Category:Followers of Shar