Unraveling the mysteries of Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 has some things that make you raise your eyebrows, and provide some good laughs along the way. From the need for Gale to feed on magic items, to Astarion’s relationship with the Tadpole, there are plenty of questions that don’t have answers. Some of these are well-explained, while others are left dangling with no real explanation as to why they’re a thing.
Gale and his vampirism
Gale’s need to feed on magic items is well-explained, but how he sustained himself while trapped is a mystery. We know from the first game that he needs to drink the blood of his victims, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for him during his time in the Eternity. He doesn’t even drink Astarion’s blood when he has the chance.
One of the first things we see in the game is Gale draining a magic sword, and as a result, he’s imprisoned in the Eternity. We know that Gale is a vampire and that he needs blood to survive, yet he is able to survive in the Eternity without any magic items to feed on.
Astarion and the Tadpole
Astarion is cured of his vampirism by the Tadpole, but it seems like it does more than that. The Tadpole removes his ability to feed off of others, but Astarion still has his bloodlust. Presumably, he is able to control his urges, and doesn’t kill anyone throughout the game.
The Tadpole cured his vampirism but didn’t remove his bloodlust. The answer to this one is actually in-game, but it’s a bit of a stretch. Astarion has a conversation with the Harbinger of the Apocalypse that explains why they still have their bloodlust, even though they’re no longer vampires. The Harbinger explains that the Tadpole doesn’t care whether or not they are vampires, and simply removes the magic used to control them.
Companions and deities
Some companions, like Shadowheart, renounce their devotion to deities without losing their powers. Depending on what you do in the game, it also seems like everyone falls in love with you. If you’re a good guy, then everyone is your friend, and if you’re an evil bastard, then everyone is terrified of you.
You can have a friendly chat with the Harbinger of the Apocalypse, who explains that the Eternity stripped the companions of their former beliefs. We can assume then that the Eternity is a device that removes the powers from those who worship deities. Although, this seems to vary from companion to companion.
Crash of the Nautiloid
The Nautiloid ship crashes, and the player character and Gale survive, but it’s unclear how everyone else survives. It’s understandable that some of the NPCs are dead when you arrive on the shore, but other NPCs, like Wyll, set up schools. It’s also worth pointing out that the player character and Gale were underwater when the ship crashed, and they survived.
Bhaal and the Eternity
Bhaal, the god of murder, is well-explained in Baldur’s Gate 3. You learn that he is the Eternity, and that he’s trapped inside the device. It’s also well-explained that you need to kill the Bhaalspawn and sacrifice their heart to release him.
