Shar is evil, like really evil

[Shampoo]

Not knowing much about Dungeons and Dragons, I thought that everyone hated Shar because they just hate her or that she is less “good” but after seeing the Shar doctor, there is no doubt in my mind that Shar is evil as sin and her followers are beyond saving.

It is such a shame that Shadowheart is like the only “attractive” female character right now unless you like the frog or demon (with a lot of scars on her body) or grandma elf.

Now I feel that I must slay her because she is evil as sin or tolerate her evilness just because she is the only attractive female character right now that can be romanced.

This is going to be a hard decision for my good or just not evil characters to choose…

[Lord Adorable]

It's called brainwashing. Shadowheart has clearly been subject to it.

[Dionysos]

Dont do that! I am very sure that a good Tav can safe Shadow!

I play a Cleric of Selune romancing her ... because i think shar took her memories and manipulated her. I honestly think she will turn out to be a selunite herself.

I will try to safe her from her dark path for sure! :D

[.Master Jiren, The Strongest]

Originally posted by Shampoo:

Not knowing much about Dungeons and Dragons, I thought that everyone hated Shar because they just hate her or that she is less “good” but after seeing the Shar doctor, there is no doubt in my mind that Shar is evil as sin and her followers are beyond saving.

It is such a shame that Shadowheart is like the only “attractive” female character right now unless you like the frog or demon (with a lot of scars on her body) or grandma elf.

Now I feel that I must slay her because she is evil as sin or tolerate her evilness just because she is the only attractive female character right now that can be romanced.

This is going to be a hard decision for my good or just not evil characters to choose…

i second everything you said.
However, even the player ends up killing the doctor it would seem in pretty much all the outcomes. So, maybe those zealots are the ones giving Shar a bad name and perhaps not all of the followers are evil like that. On the other hand, Shar protecting you from the Shadow Blight or whatever is pretty....uh...Evil adjacent, right?

So yeah. Idk. I'll still keep her around because shes bae but, man, idk.

[PwnyHipster]

Originally posted by Traumatized Squirrel:

It's called brainwashing. Shadowheart has clearly been subject to it.

This.

[EricHVela]

There are Selune followers who are right *******s. This is a case of when it's not the deity but the individual. There are aspects that Shar represents which people follow individually. It's the absolution of past deeds that seem to attract Shadowheart the most. That leads to questions as it's meant to do.

That stated: Cruelty isn't one of Shar's aspects. Keeping secrets in the dark is. A perfect deity for those ashamed of something but an excuse for evil people.

[Dionysos]

Shadow is 100% brainwashed. When you safe the tiefling refugees ... well ... she is very emphatic about them at the end. And there are already hints in game that she is actually a good hearted char.

[Monocaine]

The battle of darkness vs light must continue.

[vergrid]

Shar is evil, like really evil. Human sacrifice and eating people are practices of her followers, Shadowheart is likely brainwashed and PC can most likely save her.

[Dionysos]

When shadow goes into the selune temple ... she gets that strange reaction.
You could think of it as somekind of allergic reaction caused of being a servant of shar ... but its not quite logical to me.

I bet the temple is triggering her real memories and she feels that weird and sick because shars magic is fighting against it. This sounds very logical to me.

[Sonic Titan]

Well, it's encouraging to see that the sole reason you haven't opted for no questions asked killing is that you don't fancy banging anyone else.

[Aria Athena]

She better not have been brainwashed, that would be rather disappointing for me. There is a rather nice short story in some book in the game, about a villager and how she became a priestess of Shar. It detailed a very organic way that someone non-evil could turn to her.

[Rainnd]

I'd guess she isn't really brainwashed, but choose to forget something too painful.

[Harukage]

Shar is Evil, yes. And most of her followers too, sure. There are however plenty of people who follow Shar for their own personal benefits. And even people like Darkcloacks who are clerical order helping people who suffered immense emotional pain. Darkness is calming and soothing after all.

[.Master Jiren, The Strongest]

Originally posted by Aria Athena:

She better not have been brainwashed, that would be rather disappointing for me. There is a rather nice short story in some book in the game, about a villager and how she became a priestess of Shar. It detailed a very organic way that someone non-evil could turn to her.

i agree, i'd rather not use a very basic brain washing story.

also, just her name alone, "Shadow Heart". I'm fairly certain that isnt her name. But I don't remember what she says when you ask her about it, I'm pretty sure you can ask her about her name but I dont remember what her response was.

So just that by itself so imply some form of brain washing cult, like you dont know your own name so heres the identity we gave you.

But as far as Shar being evil goes. Lets piece together some not-so-spoilers anymore.

shadowheart tells you she has to get to baldurs gate.
The object she carries, i believe, is meant to be delivered to someone in baldurs gate, or it was meant to protect her from the known threat of the absolute. either way, it fulfills that purpose.

This means the cult of shar is aware of the absolute, gave her this object that protects her, sent her to baldurs gate on some mission. Now, that that contrasts with goblins and the absolute taking up in a Selune temple, the sort of nemesis of Shar, i'm not sure what the implication is there but that seems important. In fact theres at least one other Selune altar you can find, so Selune seems to have a lot of influence in the area we're in.

Then I have to ask what role does Shar play in the shadowblight if Shadowheart can safely pass through it because of her ties to Shar? Is it the object she carries? Does she eve nstill have the object by that point in the story?

If the Absolute is evil. And Shar gave us a way to resist the absolute. And Shar gave us a way through the blight thats killing everyone. Then maybe Shar isnt really that evil. And the reason Shar made sure to wipe peoples minds is so that the brain worm, the mindflayers, the absolute, cannot read their minds and take that information. Which implies theres probably more shar agents further in the story doing something agains the absolute and what you and Shadowheart do together probably connects to that overall shar agent agenda somehow.

Its also possible Shar is just evil and Absolute/Mindflayers are also just evil. And Raphael could just be evil. So who realy know, no one looks like a "Good guy" rn. But Shadowheart is at least given a tool to repel the darkness and protected from the absolute by a magic item given to her by the cult of shar.


Now. On the other hand. Maybe it wasnt the cult that gave her the object. Because rememebr she takes it from the Gith. The Gith had it, and they were the ones who went after the mindflayers. I just assume Shar cultists sent shadowheart to steal the artifact from the gith but i guess we dont know for sure? We just know that she obtained the artifact from the gith and she guards it very closely before she even knew what it did.

Of course it looks like an infernal puzzle box to me, seems like the gith took it from the demons. So.
Yeah.
Idk.
Theres a lot going on here.

[SpockEndil]

Viconia's broader story is an interesting example of Shar's followers. Evil, but sometimes with nuance. When Viconia stopped being evil enough, Shar yanked her powers away. Or maybe it was because Viconia slaughtered a bunch of Shar's followers, although I don't think generally speaking that Shar would have cared about that.

Anyway, I agree that there's something odd about Shadowheart being a cleric of Shar. Her actions don't fit a low level follower, let alone a cleric of Shar. Looking forward to that part of the story.