Baldur’s Gate Heroes
Secret Files & Origins:
Aerie
Name: Aerie
Occupation: Crimefighting adventurer.
Nationality: None
Hometown: None (Originally from Faenya Dail, an Avariel City Ship).
Height: 5’3”
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Interesting Factoid: Aerie is made from 100% natural ingredients.
Aerie has no planet to call home. But she once said to Imoen that if you could point a powerful enough telescope towards the star Alshain in the constellation of Aquila, they might have been able to have seen her on the day she hatched from her pod on board the Avariel city ship of Faenya Dail.
The Avariel are ELF’s (Engineered Life Forms), originally created by the reclusive Seldarine to be their ambassadors to the universe, given the mission of serving and protecting other races from the numerous threats that lurk throughout the void and even beyond it. But much has changed in the millennia that have passed since then. The Avariel of today live in total isolation, doing no more than observing other races from city ships hidden away in the vastness of interstellar space. It didn’t take Aerie long to get bored.
The Avariel have the most advanced science and technology in the galaxy. Each one is ‘born’ with the entire library of the races knowledge downloaded into their brains… but what was the point if they never used it? It seemed to Aerie that she had been born amongst a broken people who had lost their way.
She debated it many times with her teacher, Fayanna. Aerie insisted that they should take their place amongst the other races of the galaxy and use their technology to help them, as they had been created for anyway. The older Avariel merely smiled at her, and tried to explain how the galaxy had changed and how other races either feared the Avariel’s technology or coveted it. Unless it was an emergency of the most dire nature, it was best to leave other races alone. Aerie wondered just what kind of emergency it needed to be. Always they observed the other races at war with each other, suffering from plague and hunger… all across the galaxy millions died every day and the Avariel, who had the power to put an end to it, did nothing.
Rather than accepting it like the others did, Aerie’s discontentment grew and grew. She knew that other races weren’t evil, and that if the Avariel helped them then they would have nothing to fear. But she needed to show the others somehow… and so, she headed to the dock and stole a scout ship.
She knew she would be severely punished… or not. They may not know how to punish her since she was probably the first Avariel to commit a crime in centuries. For some reason that made her feel not only a little afraid, but also highly excited and perhaps more alive than ever. At the very least, her actions would cause such a commotion that the others might at least discuss the idea of more contact with other races. In the mean time she decided to enjoy the freedom she had while it lasted.
Periodically, Avariel City Ships hyper jump to random co-ordinates, an extra precaution to help ensure the races isolation. That way, unless you have a compass locked on to the beacon emitted by a particular city ship, then what with space being as massively big as it is the odds of ever finding it again are about as close to impossible as its possible to get. But Aerie was sure she’d be back long before the city went anywhere anyway.
During her joy ride however, she received a distress call. It was being communicated through Witch Space, meaning it most likely came from another servant of the Seldarine, perhaps even another Avariel. But as far as Aerie, no distress signal could be ignored and she changed course right away. It led her to the third planet from an unremarkable yellow sun. It was a system the Avariel had never charted before. As she got closer she intercepted primitive radio signals, confirming that there was a civilization here. When the computer started playing back the video, she was amazed to find that the inhabitants resembled very closely the Avariel. She believed she may have found Tellus – the world on which the very first Avariel was created, her appearance based on that of the local species.
She quickly landed her ship in a desert on one of the world’s northern continents, setting foot on a planet for the first time. The gravity was a little greater than what she was used to and although the air was thicker it was not as rich in oxygen. But although she would be slower and weaker than she was back home, it seemed manageable, so she immediately set off to find the source of the distress signal.
She never did. In her haste she neglected to perform more thorough scans of the area. It seemed the planets military was performing manoeuvres in this area and her ship was hit by a barrage. Although it survived intact, they were of course alerted to her presence.
Aerie was able to hide from the soldiers for several days with the help of her technology. But she was in an alien environment and cut off from her ship. She was alone, frightened, very hungry, and beginning to wish she’d listened to her teacher. Eventually she revealed herself saving a small human who was being attacked by larger humans (she had never seen a child before).
Aerie, by now too tired to resist, was taken in by the local authorities and soon found herself in the hands of the military. They fed and clothed her, for which she was grateful, but it wasn’t long before interrogations started. She couldn’t understand the language at first, but learnt very quickly which seemed to surprise her captors. Unfortunately it only made them more determined to know everything she did, which unfortunately for all of them was a hell of a lot.
Meanwhile, a man named Sorel who seemed to be in charge started experimenting with her ship, despite her warnings not to. The resulting accident literally cost him an arm and a leg, and cost Aerie any chance she had of ever returning home. The ships hyperdrive, and the compass, were damaged beyond any hope of repair.
Things continued to get worse, since Sorel took to having her tortured for information on a regular basis. Then that just suddenly seemed to stop. Aerie had no way of knowing, but Sorel had been dismissed by his superiors, and his replacement determined that the research was too dangerous to continue for the time being since the alien technology was currently well beyond human standing understanding.
While her ship gathered dust in a hangar, Aerie was locked up and, although they continued to feed her each day, it seemed she was forgotten. Time became irrelevant to her as she spent day after day curled up in her cell. Her physical condition deteriorated to the point where she could no longer move under her own power. And then one day the whole building she was in was shaken by an explosion. In the ensuing chaos, she was taken from her cell, although at this time she was completely oblivious to anything going on outside her body. She had been stolen from the US military by De’Arnise Industries, who had become a very powerful corporation on Earth.
At first not much changed. She was set free from one prison only to be locked in another. Occasionally she was questioned but since she was unresponsive for the most they left her alone. That was Quayle took charge of the operation. He took it upon himself to nurse Aerie back to health, and through acts of kindness gradually drew her out of herself once more. At first it was just a ploy to get her to do what they wanted, but in the end it seemed Quayle developed a genuine affection for the alien girl. However, he knew she would never be happy so long as she was still trapped in this place.
In the end it was Kalah, a rival of Quayle’s, who provided the means for Aerie to leave. His misuse of alien technology resulted in him being possessed by a creature from another dimension which slew almost everyone in the research facility. When a band of mercenaries showed up and with Aerie’s help defeated the creature, they were able to fake Aerie’s death so that she could leave with them.
The mercenaries were of course Imoen and her merry band. Her original mission was to take Aerie back to the US Military scientists, but in truth she never had any intention of doing so and now Aerie has become her most loyal and trusted companion.
Although she is physically no match for most other Heroe’s, through her Witch Crystal Aerie can summon forth powers from another plane (although that can quite draining on her body as well), and like most Avariel she is also a highly skilled scientist and researcher. Even though she lacks confidence and often appears nervous and frightened, Aerie’s loyalty and determination to help her friends is second to none. She still misses her home and longs to see her sisters once more, even if its just say goodbye to all of them. But right now there is no one Imoen would rather have to watch her back.
The Avariel
Helinniel - Perhaps the greatest Avariel leader of all time. She hated being called cute.
Although now nowhere near the force they once were, Avariel live on in myth and legend across the galaxy. More often than not they are revered as powerful beings and mighty warrioresses, while those who have had reason to fear the destruction they can unleash. Today however, the few remaining Avariel live their lives in total isolation on board huge city ships that travel between the stars, hidden from prying eyes in the vast expanses of space. Although they are still known to appear during crises that threaten the entire galaxy, such instances have become extremely rare.
Physically an Avariel is not much different from a human female, but with pointy ears and much larger eyes. Of course, there is a perfectly good scientific reason for that. All an Avariel’s senses are better, but their eyesight is especially good and like a bird of prey here on Earth, an Avariel has many more cones and rods attached to her retinas than a human does. They can see small details on an object a mile away and are capable of seeing over a hundred events each second (although it seems they can adjust this somehow, since Aerie watches cartoons at just thirty frames a second and doesn’t appear to ever get bored).
An Avariel also has an advanced immune and the ability to regenerate any damaged part of their body. For that matter, they never age. In theory a very careful Avariel could live forever, but they are mortal and can be killed. Although very resistant, they are known to get sick and have their lives claimed by disease. In any case, the price Avariel pay for their youth is that a painless death rarely ever happens.
All Avariel are biologically female, but no actual sex ever happens between them. It seems the Seldarine didn’t bother to give them a drive for it, thus spoiling the dreams of males of many species. Even so, a myth endures in many places that an Avariel’s breast milk, as well as having healing powers, is also a potent aphrodisiac. What they really use it for is a very well kept secret.
Society and CultureAlthough the ships they live one are called city ships, their populations rarely exceed a few hundred thousand. Each vessel is controlled by a Mother Computer which closely monitors everything, including the population which it always maintains at a certain number. If an Avariel dies, the Mother Computer will generate a replacement.
All Avariel are generated from the same gene pattern, that of Aerdrie Faenya, the first. This doesn’t mean that Avariel are all clones of her. There are random elements involved (it is believed the Seldarine made it so deliberately, since they believed variety would encourage creativity), so everything from hair or skin colour and personality varies nearly as much as it does amongst humans. What it does mean is that through Aerdrie Faenya, all Avariel are closely related. Perhaps it is more accurate to call them a family than a race. A very large family.
Each Avariel grows in an artificial womb. Typically it takes three months, although the process can be hastened to mere days when necessary. Most often in times of war, when the Avariel can mass produce soldiers. This has rarely ever been done though, as the result would be particularly aggressive Avariel who lack the education in science and philosophy of the others, having only been taught how to fight. When it has happened, then when the fighting was over the other Avariel make an effort to educate their sisters, but since a City Ships resources are carefully balanced they are usually settled on planets to live out their days.
But for most Avariel, the time they spend growing in their pods is also the time when the entire library of knowledge is downloaded into their brains. This seems to happen via some form of subliminal or tachistoscopic learning – simply images being flashed on a screen. Perhaps an Avariel’s remarkable eyesight allows them to process much more information in this way than would be possible for a human being.
When the pod opens, the Avariel is fully grown and has already received most of her education. Even so, she still has no experience of the world and Avariel are very child like for the first several years. Each newly born Avariel is assigned a teacher who will show her how to perform her duty, teach her how to interact with others and answer any questions she may have. The one who teaches her is the closest thing an Avariel has to a real mother, and they will usually remain close for the remainders of their existence.
Avariel go through their lives onboard the City Ships rotating through different jobs, changing career every fifty years or so. Although a few may choose to specialize at one thing, devoting her life to honing her combat or her mental skills, for example.
An Avariel is never happier than when she successfully performs her duty. Yet they do produce art and literature and devote much of their free time to intellectual pursuits. There are theatres and sporting arenas on board City Ships.
Considering their dedication to science and learning, you can be fooled into thinking Avariel are just a race of cute, peace loving philosophers. This is not true. At one time no sight was more feared than an Avariel War Host bearing down on you.
Avariel are most famous for the wings many of them wear into battle – actually anti-gravity devices that allow them to hover high over a battlefield but also are capable of incredible bursts of speed and have a high degree of manoeuvrability. They wield some of the most advanced and deadly weaponry of any species, and those who have dedicated themselves to it can use their Witch Crystals – these form a conduit to another plane through which an Avariel can channel seemingly magical powers.
Usually they are only used as tools on board City Ships to make an Avariel’s life easier, but are of little practical use on a battlefield since the more energy they attempt to channel the more draining it is on an Avariel’s body. A typically Avariel couldn’t channel any useful amount of energy for long before falling to fatigue. But those Avariel who devote themselves to their Witch Crystals, practicing and learning to use them more efficiently are the most feared of all on the battlefield. The crystal itself is actually a life form and will grow with its wielder, gradually becoming accustomed to her thoughts.
All Avariel are taught the basics of combat and are made to practice regularly. In fact, Avariel sports are all really training for war and consist of mainly of martial arts and shooting tournaments. In war, every single Avariel fights with ferocious determination and they have never surrendered to anyone.
Although the Mother Computer is responsible for distributing resources, a City Ship usually has a council of ten members re-elected every ten years who take care of day to day administration. The council also elects from amongst themselves a Chancellor who makes all the really important decisions, such as whether or not to go to war.
The Chancellor also has a direct link to the Cities Mother Computer, through which the Seldarine sometimes communicate with their servants although this hasn’t happened for a long time creating fears that they may well be extinct.
A Brief HistoryAround 40,000 B.C.E, at about lunch time, Aerdrie Faenya was born. This Engineered Life Form, or ELF, was created by a race called the Seldarine about whom little is known even by their own creations. It is thought they had roamed the Universe for hundreds of thousands of years, although they never permanently settled other worlds. No one really knows what they look like, but its thought that evolution had taken them on such a different path from the norm that physical interaction with other races was for them impossible. And so they created another race to serve as their ambassadors – the Avariel. It was on an unremarkable planet which was the third away from an average yellow sun in a corner of the galaxy widely considered a backwater that they found a species showing the first signs of forming a civilization, and it was their form the Seldarine used as the base for all their creations from then on.
It is believed Aerdrie may have lived for a time amongst these primitives, but her ultimate fate is unknown. Some say she still lives to this very day, which, while not impossible for an Avariel, is statistically unlikely. Nevertheless, as the provider of the gene pattern for every Avariel that followed she is the most important figure in their history, essentially the mother of them all.
Although they were the first, the Avariel were not the last ELF’s the Seldarine created. Attempts were made to improve upon or further specialize their design, some of which worked, some of which ended disastrously. Some of them appear to have been wholly frivolous experiments a few of which got well out of control. But none of them at their peaks were as successful as the Avariel.
For the next thirty thousand years the Avariel, whose mission in it was to protect and serve other races, as well as to guide them, maintained peace and order throughout the galaxy. If two space faring races had a dispute the Avariel would mediate. If a race made war on another unjustly the Avariel would intervene. Leaders who abused their citizens or threatened the peace and stability were deposed by winged females swooping down on them from the skies.
It was a golden age for all. With the Avariel’s help everybody prospered, and the Avariel themselves were so numerous at that time that several planets were inhabited by them. But all good things have to end.
The Avariel had always tried to maintain close relations with their cousins – other ELF’s created by the Seldarine. But one of them was a race who had become known as the Drow. Fierce fighters and deadly assassin’s they were, but their arrogance exceeded that of any other ELF (which actually took some doing). They came to believe that not only were they superior in very respect, but that they should, indeed it was their right as the strongest, to rule over all others. It was 10,000 years ago that the dark age began, starting with the Drow rebellion.
From their homeworlds, the Drow attacked their neighbours without warning. In one day they slaughtered billions of beings and caused the total annihilation of at least one entire civilization. While the other ELF’s all had their suspicions, but no one had been expecting this. Therefore the Drow knew they would have some time before there was a counter attack, which they used to fortify their territories. When the others, along with the Avariel, retaliated on behalf of those slain, they found that the Drow had for a long time been building their military at secret strongholds throughout the galaxy. Fighting erupted everywhere. The Drow might have won out over every race they found themselves fighting, if it weren’t for the Avariel.
Although the Drow were the best fighters on the ground, in space the Avariel reigned supreme cutting them off from each other and having the freedom to bombard and harass their strongholds at will, it was really only a matter of time before the Drow were defeated. But it was a long time and the Drow made their enemies pay for every planet liberated. In the end though, the Drow realised they were defeated and the few that remained abandoned their planets and fled into the void.
Although the war had been won, or so they thought, it would be a long time before the Avariel and indeed everyone could ever fully recover. Although centuries passed, it was really just a brief respite before the Drow came back with a vengeange. The fighting was even fiercer than before and weapons of incomprehensible destructive power were used by both sides, destroying entire planets. Even so, it appeared that it would pretty much be a repeat of what happened before. But this time, when the Drow were close to defeat they made one last desperate gamble.
During their exile, they had discovered a tomb belonging to an ancient race, perhaps even older than the Seldarine. The Draconids. Before the Seldarine they had been the undisputed master of the universe, ruling over everything with an iron claw. Now the Drow broke the seal on their tomb awaken them from their long slumber. The result was catastrophic.
Draconids breed at unbelievable rate. Each one can spawn over a thousand eggs each month, and it’s only a matter of weeks before each one of those goes from spawn to an adult. And in space their technology proved more than a match for even the Avariels. World after world fell as they rapidly devoured everything in their path. The Drow fell victim the same as everyone else.
At this time, Helinniel was made High Chancellor of all the Avariel. All hope had already seemed lost, but she rallied her sisters and got them to continue fighting. They were able to slow the Draconids down, but only a little. There is a saying amongst humans that desperate times call for desperate measures and it seems Helinniel believed that as well. She kept the bulk of her fleet well out of the path of the Draconids, planning to risk everything in one single decisive battle. It seemed the Draconids also had a connection to Witch Space, and were most attracted to places were the barriers between dimensions were weakest. Knowing this, she and all the Avariel witches were able to lure the Draconids to precisely where she wanted. At the very centre of the galaxy, the largest scale battle between two space fleets ever recorded (and not likely to ever be seen again) took place.
The Avariel had lured their enemies into an ambush, and so had the element of surprise. Even so, the massive battle raged for months before finally the Draconids were purged from this galaxy once and for all. But even if it had been necessary, the cost was high. The Avariel themselves were now on the brink of extinction and would never recover to the strength they once had. The planets they had once settled had all fallen to the Draconids, and the City ships were all they had left. Helinniel was gone, and without her leadership disagreement arose over how the people should proceed. There was even some in-fighting amongst the Avariel, mostly over ships and other resources before different groups went their separate ways.
Most Avariel were tired of war, and so set their City Ships on a course through deepest space, disappearing from the rest of the galaxy until they were needed.
Empires have rose and fell since the battle with the Draconids and the galaxy has changed much. Although becoming revered in legend, isolated Avariel became hunted on many worlds for the knowledge they had. Pirates who are lucky enough to find one can usually retire from the money he would get for her at a slave market. The Golden Age is long gone and the future is uncertain. Yet, amongst the legends told on many worlds one story is retold many times. That one day the Avariel will return in force to defend the galaxy from an ancient enemy once more.
Name: Imoen Winthrop. She’s not especially fond of the Winthrop part. She’s tried before to get people to start calling her ‘Crimson Shadow’, but it’s never caught on. Instead names like ‘annoying little red haired brat’ seem to be far more popular and less pretentious.
One day, a girl named Ellie was overjoyed to have finally made contact with her actual relatives; an uncle who had also sent her a gift of her mothers photos and jewellery. The girl was so happy and insisted on showing it to everyone. However, jealousy overwhelmed Imoen and that very night she stole the photos and the jewels but rather then merely hiding them in a place where they could be found again she destroyed the photos and flushed the jewels away. And, for once, she completely got away with it. Rather than privately celebrating her accomplishment however, Imoen saw how utterly devastated Ellie was and so her own heart filled with pain; she had never wanted to hurt anyone before. From that day on, she resolved to only use her powers for good.
