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| “ | I feel like there should be a sunset for me to ride off into, or an orchestral swell, or... Something. But there's nothing, is there? I killed the bastard who ruined my life, and my prize is I get to crawl into a corner and die. Am I fucking missing something?! [...] I'm going to be as dead as Gortash any day now. Any moment. And what then? Off to the City of Judgment to waste into oblivion? Into the dirt to get eaten by maggots? Is that it for me?! Is that fucking all?! And you — You'll just keep going, won't you? Watching the stars. Warming your hands on the campfire. Dancing, eating, making fucking love all night — All of it, ALL OF IT!! That's my reward for everything I suffered! That's why I survived ten years of torment! The fighting, the clawing, the loneliness, the fucking loneliness , all of it, so I could rot! Because the person I trusted most gave me away to the devil! It isn't fair... | „ |
| ~ Karlach's speech after killing Enver Gortash. |
Karlach Cliffgate is one of the main protagonists of the 2023 fantasy RPG video game Baldur's Gate III. She is the main protagonist of her storyline Our Fiery Friend and the deuteragonist of Wyll Ravenguard's storyline the Blade of Frontiers.
Karlach was a mighty champion who served under the arch-devil, Zariel, fighting in the Blood War on Avernus. She was later captured by an illithid colony and had a tadpole placed in her. Luckily, she was able to escape before her transformation. With her newfound freedom, she joins with other companions who were infected with the tadpoles to find a cure, all while trying to escape from Zariel, who seeks to reclaim her back.
She was voiced by Samantha Béart.
Appearance[]
Karlach is a young and tall Tiefling woman, with an incredibly well-build body, mainly due to her time battling in the first layer of the Nine Hells. Although she comes off with an intimidating presence, Karlach has a soft and amiable face, with an easy smile on her lips. Her pointed ears stick out and her left horn curves backwards and out, while the right one seems to have been broken off some time ago. She keeps her hair, dark-brown with reddish accents, long and messy with some simple braids adorned by metal discs, falling on the right side of her neck, below the trimmed side of her head. Her eyes are dark yellow, with the distinctive tiefling slit pupils, and light moles and freckles mark her nose and upper cheeks.
Her vermilion skin is covered in scars and burns received in Avernus, with tattoos adorning her left arm and parts of her abdomen. Her chest is also seen glowing a lot, mainly due to the infernal engine that serves as her heart.
Personality[]
Despite the intimidating and dreadful tales about her, Karlach Cliffgate is easily one of the most friendliest and noble characters in the entire game. Although she does possess a fierce temper and is incredibly vulgar, she is also a kind and friendly woman, who strives to live life to the fullest.
She tends to speak excitedly regarding any of life's simple pleasures, whether that be food, drinks, friends, or intimacy. She is incredibly joyful and straightforward, having no fear of loudly proclaiming her love of being alive and how much she cares for those close to her. Her positive disposition and infectious energy seem to allow her to make friends easily, even if her honesty can cause her to come off as somewhat naive at times. Karlach is easily loyal and caring towards who she calls her friends, and is overprotective of them very much. She even cares for the well-being of even the most questionable characters such as Astarion, Lae'zel, and Minthara. She also gets along the best with Wyll, often caring about him and worrying about the things he's been put through, even though Wyll previously tried to kill her many times before in the past.
Despite her cheerful and compassionate nature, Karlach is also easily impulsive and can sometimes be quick to anger. This is mostly the result of having been betrayed and forced to serve under Zariel. Years in Avernus have made her lonely, compounded by the fact that her mechanical heart kept her from having physical contact with others, let alone intimacy. Whenever she hears about Zariel or Gortash (the man who betrayed her), she gets quickly angry and can even lose common sense, not willing to reason with the people she completely despises.
Trivia[]
- Karlach was added later in the game, which is why she doesn't appear in a screen featuring the other companions.
- She is aware of the Fourth Wall and at one point addresses the player (not Tav or the Dark Urge).
- She is a recruitable character in the game Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms