Chapter Text
Name: Terys Nanin
Nicknames: Ter (Enver) Sweetheart (Astarion)
- She will call Astarion; Nibbles, Vampire-Boy, 'Starion, Bitey, Little Vampire.
Titles:
True Soul (Eventually)
Inquisitor (Eventually)
Herald of Andraste (Eventually)
Your Worship (style) (Eventually)
Comtesse in Kirkwall (Eventually)
Inquisitor First-Thaw (Eventually)
Born: 9:16 Dragon
Age: 25 (9:41)
- Appearance:
Race: Drow
- Hair colour: White
- Eye colour: Red (right) and Blue (left) (Heterochromia)
Class: Rogue and Wizard
- Subclass: Assassin and Necromancy
Background: Haunted One
Family:
Bhaal ("father"/creator)
Orin the Red (Bhaalspawn relative)
Sarevok Anchev (Bhaalspawn relative)
Unnamed Nanin foster parents (deceased)
Minsc ("uncle")
Enver Gortash (Lover)
History
Terys is a Bhaalspawn, but unlike other Bhaalspawn, she and was not born – Bhaal created them from a piece of his dead flesh. They are the only Bhaalspawn who had the guarantee of murder, the Urge, woven into their blood.
Terys grew up outside the Cult of Bhaal, and was at some point taken in by a poor couple in Baldur's Gate. She had a relatively peaceful childhood for a time, before Terys succumbed to the Urge and murdered her loved ones and foster parents.
Eventually, Terys became the leader of the Cult of Bhaal, and pledged to end all life in existence for her father Bhaal. At some point, fellow Bhaalspawn Orin the Red joined and became her second-in-command.
- Alliance:
Enver Gortash contacted Terys after reestablishing worship of Bane (God) Bane, and the two formed an alliance upon discovering common goals.
They were visited in their dreams by Bhaal and Bane, who named them their Chosen and commanded them to ally with Ketheric Thorm, the Chosen of Myrkul.
- Corypheus:
Terys, Enver, and Ketheric were encouraged by their patron gods to align themselves Corypheus to steal his powerful elvhen artefact, the Orb of Power, from him. Between the three of them, they decided that Terys would easily infiltrate the Venatori which leads her to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.
Plot Note: I haven't decided when during the plot of Inquisition the next part will happen, but I would say early on as she would likely try to flee and return to the Cult of Bhaal. Maybe when they are in Val Royeux she can slip away in the night after recruiting Sera and Vivienne.
- Betrayal:
Gortash and Terys hatched a plan to steal the Crown of Karsus in a heist at Mephistopheles' Vault by having Helsik open a gate to Mephistar for them.
After the heist was successful, Gortash suggested that they use the Crown on the elder brain located in the illithid colony below Moonrise Towers. Terys agreed to the plan so that she could fulfil her pledge to her Lord: She would create an army of soulless mind flayers, and with the help of this army she would exterminate all life — including, as the last being alive, her own. Fully intent on eventually betraying the other Chosen, Terys joined Enver Gortash and Ketheric Thorm at Moonrise Towers.
At Moonrise Towers, Terys was treated like a god, and although nobody knew her name or rank, she was shown the utmost respect. The three Chosen initiated a raid on the mind flayer colony, and successfully used the Crown on the colony's elder brain, enslaving it to their will. At some point during this, the elder brain came to respect Terys and intended to go along with her plan, impressed by her unmatched cruelty.
After Terys put the Crown on the elder brain, she was soon betrayed by her sister Orin the Red, who was jealous of Bhaal's favouritism. Terys had her skull pierced and opened with a dagger, and was infected with a tadpole that began to eat her liquidating brain, resulting in her amnesia, as well as her becoming the first True Soul.
Terys was found by Kressa Bonedaughter who, impressed with her willpower and resistance to the elder brain's influence, began to study her. She would cut them open and put them back together repeatedly over the course of several days in the mind flayer colony, during which Terys was unable to speak or do anything but attempt to inflict violence on herself or others.
Noticing his wife's obsession and hoping to snap her out of it, Kressa's husband, Maghtew Budj, arranged for the broken and amnesiac Terys to be sent off on the Nautiloid Ship, where she would soon wake up with no memories of herself, or of her past.
Personality:
Terys is narcissistic and confident, inheriting a rather sadistic composure and a darker sense of humor.
Terys is a cold and calculated individual, more so than her bloodkin, Orin the Red. She believes in killing for killing's sake, preferring practical and simple methods over flair and grace, and takes issue with extravagant or needlessly creative killings. She is deeply loyal to Bhaal and never disobeys him.
Whilst leading the Cult of Bhaal, she relentlessly drilled herself toward perfection and settled for nothing less from herself or those who served her. She believes that power and domination are the defining traits of strength, and as such, will only help others if she thinks there is some personal gain at stake.
She harbours neither pity nor mercy for those she marks as treasonous or inferior. As one who wants nothing less than absolute control, she likewise has remarkable control of herself, seemingly able to react to any situation at a moment's notice without losing her composure.
Terys is marked by a distinct lack of empathy. Even as a child, she reacted with hostility when outdone.
She is prone to asserting herself and her authority in a grandiose way. She also shows a need for admiration, mostly from Bhaal, whom she emulates to a great degree, and from everyone else around her, though to a lesser extent.
Terys is known to have a cruel personality, showing little to no concern for others besides her father and the Cult of Bhaal, there are unique cases though such as Enver Gortash whom she is in a 'relationship' with, however this is purely a sexual relationship on her part. From a very young age, Terys demonstrated sadistic aggression and a near-total lack of remorse to friends, family, and animals. Her own adopted mother once remarked, "What is wrong with that child?" after observing her casual cruelties.
Note: This will be a Dark Urge redemption story with her trying to overcome the Urge through her new experiences with her new companions and role within the Inquisition.
Past relationships:
- Sceleritas Fel:
The fiend-like creature Sceleritas Fel served Terys and joined her during a series of grisly murders in Baldur's Gate. He was sent by Bhaal on the day Terys reached her age of majority to guide her to her birthright as Bhaal's Chosen. Sceleritas loved Terys dearly and revelled in her depravity. He particularly enjoyed being killed by Terys. His regular duties included managing the Temple of Bhaal, as well as helping Terys with torture and murder. Terys frequently needed Sceleritas' assistance, and Sceleritas believed Terys struggled to conduct herself properly without him.
When Terys disappeared, Sceleritas greatly missed her and was deeply worried for her health.
- Orin:
Orin was Terys's second-in-command and her sister, but the two of them always had a turbulent relationship. Orin believed that Terys's murders were too mindless to be worthy of Bhaal and that the Bhaal Temple decayed because of her. She was jealous that Terys was the favourite of Bhaal even though her killing lacked beauty and talent. Terys thought that Orin did not understand that Bhaal only wanted death in numbers, and that she was wasting Bhaal's time by killing in an extravagant way.
When Terys started the Absolute plot with the other Chosen, Orin grew even more resentful. She particularly despised Gortash's alliance with Terys, thinking that he was manipulating her. In response, Orin decided to infect Terys with a tadpole so she could replace her and rebuild the Temple in her own image. Terys was not aware of Orin's plan, as she believed that she worshipped her as much as all the other cultists.
After Terys placed the Crown of Karsus on the elder brain in Moonrise Towers, Orin attacked her, piercing their skull with a dagger and putting a tadpole inside it. She left her gravely injured on the floor of the mind flayer colony, where Terys was found by Kressa Bonedaughter. She healed some of Terys's injuries to keep her from dying and began experimenting on her, unaware of who they were.
- Bhaal and his Temple:
Terys commanded great respect, admiration, and devotion from the devotees at the Temple of Bhaal in Baldur's Gate. She inspired them with her sheer ruthlessness, staggering amount of victims, and the intelligence of her schemes and planning.
Bhaal himself loved Terys the most of all his children as he had personally handcrafted the her body from his own flesh, and filled it, with blood directly from his body, thus making her the perfect child in his eyes.
This also stands in contrast to the other Bhaalspawn who were born from myriad dalliances with mortal women of various races during the Time of Troubles, as such Terys is considered a pureblood Bhaalspawn. Bhaal's uncharacteristic level of love and concern for Terys is shown in the amount of attention that Terys receives from Bhaal.
- Enver Gortash:
Enver Gortash and Terys have a very close relationship, and Gortash considers the two of them to be friends. Gortash thinks of Terys as his favourite Bhaalspawn and assassin, regarding them as one of his "nearest and dearest". He respects Terys's cold-bloodedness and the slaughter she brings, as well as the mastery and control they have over their urges. Gortash actually likes Terys while he only tolerates Orin. Terys for their part always liked Gortash as well, admiring his genius and the brilliance of his plans. The two of them even fell into bed together.
The two met when Gortash contacted Terys following his establishment of the cult of Bane. Gortash informed Terys that some of her ancestral torture racks and the bones of one of her relatives were displayed in the Hall of Wonders. Terys and Gortash teamed up to recover these artefacts, which eventually led to them forming an alliance when they discovered they had common goals. They shared coded correspondence with each other as they discussed the failures of previous Banites and Bhaalists and how they might avoid them. Gortash and Terys came up with the Absolute plot and worked together to steal the Crown of Karsus from Mephistopheles.
When Orin betrayed Terys, Gortash was unaware of what had happened, only knowing what Orin had told him of the situation and that she had made a fool of Terys. Gortash was unable to interfere as they had agreed not to meddle in each other's affairs.
- The Absolute:
The Absolute, an Illithid Elder Brain evolved into a The Netherbrain from the power of the Crown of Karsus, actually had a positive relationship with Terys before they were betrayed. Terys was the one who placed the Crown on the brain's head, and as such it revered her for giving it so much power. The brain especially respected Terys for the calculated cruelty of her plan to kill all living beings. It intended to follow the plan and let Terys control the army it would amass. When Terys disappeared, the brain felt like it was abandoned as a slave to the other Chosen. The Chosen fought like children without Terys's presence, so the brain changed its plan which would eventually lead to its freedom.
Pairing: Astarion Ancunín and Solas
Powers and Abilities:
Magic:
Terys has access to older, more powerful magic granted to her by Bhaal upon her creation and later enhanced as a blessing by him.
- Her magic has a green energy to it, similar to the green glow of the Fade, even when casting fire or lightning spells, these appear green in nature.
- Due to the way that magic works in Baldur's Gate 3, there are no staves as a general rule, however, some magic users do use them such as Vivienne and Solas. Dorian I see using a dagger alongside his magic.
- She can shape and manipulate this magic for different effects, such as forming tangible constructs of energy and cast spells however her focus is mostly in necromancy, this will expand following her awakening aboard the Nautiloid.
- Her magic seems to react as an extension of Terys, more so than other mages and magic, likely because of her teachings within the Cult of Bhaal.
- Solas will note that the way she uses her magic reminds him of the ancient elves.
Necromancy: Terys' main school of study, is necromancy and she is considered to be very skilled at it.
Battle-mage: Some mages specialise in spells that permit them to engage in combat from afar. Battlemages, by contrast, prefer to wade into the fray alongside their blade-wielding companions, close enough to read the fear in their opponents' eyes. Their spells primarily concern personal preservation as well as control of the elements in their immediate surroundings.
- Elemental magic mastery: Terys is gifted in manipulating the elements, however, her main focus is on her bow and will often enchant arrows by blowing magic onto the tip.
Shapeshifting: Terys has begun studying shapeshifting spells, she is currently unable to perform these spells but she has been looking forward to turning herself into a wolf or a dragon.
Abilities:
Master archer: With her mastery in archery, Terys can precisely hit targets from great distances with such tight groping. She can shoot objects off of people without harming them, and retain her accuracy even whilst in rapid movement. Terys can also anticipate an enemy projectile to block an arrow and fire multiple arrows at once. Her proficiency with her bow is equally effective in close-combat, able to shift between melee fighting and shooting with ease. Terys is even able to shoot targets while riding a mount.
Acrobatics/Free-running: Terys is very manoeuvrable and graceful, able to chase and outrun enemies through various terrains with no wasted effort or time, even scaling buildings and running from rooftop to rooftop with ease. In battle, she is proven very agile and evasive, able to fluidly dodge attacks from multiple directions with coordinated flips, twists, and sharp turns without losing balance.
Honed senses: Terys is able to pick up danger before anyone else in her vicinity does. Her keen skills of perception offer aid in otherwise detrimental situations. She is likewise able to anticipate attack patterns.
Master hand-to-hand combatant: Terys is an exceptionally skilled hand-to-hand combatant and with her magic is one of the deadliest combatants in Thedas, allowing her to compete with and defeat some of the most dangerous combatants one-on-one. She is very flexible and precise in her manoeuvres, able to change her battle tactics and attack patterns to suit the situation at a fast rate, allowing her to take on and defeat multiple fighters of advanced fighting prowess and enhanced/powered individuals. Terys can also utilise pressure points strikes to systematically take down her foes.
Master knife-wielder/Knife thrower: Terys is extremely deadly with knives, able to kill a man with a single stab. Terys is also proficient with knives in long-range combat and can utilise her arrows as improvised knives to stab her enemy.
Occult knowledge: Terys has great knowledge regarding magic, however she will admit that her magical knowledge is not infinite or complete and she is always willing to expand and learn new things.
Master interrogator/Torturer: Terys is an excellent interrogator and torturer. She is capable of inflicting much physical pain onto a target without killing them.
Toxicology: Terys is knowledgeable in various types of poisons.
Master of stealth/Infiltration/Escape artist: Terys is very elusive. She can sneak in and out of most guarded buildings without being detected, follow her targets for long periods of time unnoticed, and quickly disappear from sight even in broad daylight. She is also a master escape artist, able to free herself from various confinements, such as having been able to escape from being magically restrained to a chair.
"Your will is one of the strongest I've encountered, but even mountains fall over time." - Orin to Terys
Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain: A driven and determined person, Terys is known to keep fighting to the end and never back down. Once able to take an arrow piercing through her arm while barely flinching. Despite falling down a cliff-face shaft, being impaled, and inhaling poison gas, Terys remained conscious long enough to get herself to safety. This likely went some way to keeping her alive after being betrayed.
Belongings:
Bows:
- Hellrider Longbow
- Darkfire Shortbow
Blades:
- Assassin's Shortsword
- Assassin's Touch (Dagger)
Armour:
Drow Leather Armour (Black and Red)
- Gloves of archery
- Boots of very fast blinking
- Circle of bones
Lore Notes:
Other Species:
There are more species in BG3 than in Dragon Age. As for their spread, only the elves seem to be found across all the nations, but Faerun species such as gnomes, dragonborn, orcs, and tieflings are all mostly found in Faerun due to the way they are treated in the likes of Ferelden, Orlais, etc.
Githyanki are seen more often in Faerun, however, small contingencies have been seen in other places in recent years, as if scouting out events and world states.
Tieflings, Dragonborn and Qunari are different species but are distantly related. They have too many similarities in design and stuff for me not to make a link between them, especially between the dragonborn and the qunari given the story that Bull tells the Inquisitor about the mixing of dragon into their species line at some point.
Half-Elves:
In Dragon Age, half-elves always look human, whilst in Baldur's Gate, they appear to be elves, so for this, it will be random luck of the genetic draw. So Shadowheart retains her ears, and Alistair still looks human.
Fade, Astral Plane, and the Hells:
Each of these are different 'realms', however they are all connected to one another. The Astral Plane is a 'neighbour' to the Fade, with them rubbing up against one another but rarely overlapping, however there are pathways between them.
The Nine Hells are the infernal lower Planes of the Fade, home to Devils and divided into nine cosmological layers. Every layer is its own unique magical ecosystem, warped after the sheer presence of their rulers. The Nine Hells are locked into a never-ending Blood War with the Demons of the Abyss. Like with the Fade and the Astral Plane, there are pathways between The Fade and the Hells, however, these are incredibly dangerous to anyone that is not a devil or a demon.
To those outside of the Fade, there is little difference between the devils and the demons, especially those that follow Andrastianism.
Religion:
All religions are kept because each continent has its own religions, cultures, and beliefs. There are around 4,000 + real world religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, or ultimate concerns, so what we know of DA:I and BG3is not unrealistic. Therefore, folk stories, histories, etc are all kept, however I might make changes to any location mentions if I feel they might fit better with a Dragon Age location.
Mind Flayers/Illithid and the Githyanki:
As their origin isn't known in BG, then I am going to make the Mind Flayers the creation of the Evanuris. Because of this, they also created the Githyanki to be slaves for them. The Dreadwolf's rebellion also lead to the Githyanki rebellion.