Baldur’s Gate 3: The City that Never Sleeps

They didn’t have a lot of leads to go on to locate Orin, but the doppleganger-affiliated serial killer trying to impress a Bhaal Cult seemed the best place to start. The problem was determining where to pick up his trail given the scattered set of cryptic notes they had found in his flophouse. While they were looking around for clues, Gale insisted to stop in at “Sorcerous Sundries” – a large, well-known store catering to Mages. Among other things, it apparently had an impressive library and he wanted to research more information about the Crown of Karsus.

Inside they discovered a variety of pamphlets offering a reward for information about the Nightsong. They also noticed that behind the counter was a tiefling named Rolan, whom they had met in the Druid Grove at the beginning of their journey. Rolan seemed to believe that “the Nightsong” was an artifact of some sort. And the owner of the establishment – a wizard named Lorroakoan – would pay well to acquire it. Jasper did not mention that the Nightsong was a “who” and not a “what”, and that he knew exactly where “it” was – but he figured it was worth investigating why this mage was offering a bounty…

a dark luis royo painting of a large elaborate fantasy magic shop. A short small halfling warmly greets a smiling tall tiefling man manning a counter and gesturing. The stout halfling is Welsh with a brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The Tiefling is English and age 30, smooth-faced and smooth-skinned, with red skin and horns. He has neat short brown hair, and wears fine blue arcane robes.

It turned out that Lorroakan knew exactly what the Nightsong was, and used the “artifact” ruse to help weed out folks offering genuine information from counterfeiters. He was cagey about why he wanted her, but it was *very* clear that he was up to no good. Jasper suspected from the tone and manner of his questions that he wanted the Nightsong’s immortality.

A dark luis royo painting of an opulent fantasy arcane chamber. A short small halfling scowls at a tall arrogant man lounging sideways in an opulent chair. The halfling is Welsh with a brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The man is a french and age 30, smooth-faced and smooth-skinned, with long flowing copper hair, and wears fine red arcane robes with gold filigree. He waves a glowing hand dismissively.

They returned – carefully and discretely – to camp to discuss this development with her directly. She heard Jasper’s warnings, but as was her wont immediately determined to confront the mage directly. Isobel begged them to look after her, and so they hurried to catch up.

A luis royo fantasy painting depicting a hillside camp. A short small halfling makes promise to a worried tall cleric woman. The midget is Welsh with a neat brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The cleric is English and age 35, tall and puffy, with pale skin, short silver bob hair, and black eyeliner, wearing a breastplate and a steel blue cloak.

Back at Sorcerous Sundries, Lorroakan was attempting to convince the Nightsong to replicate the spell Ketheric had used on her. To lend him her immortality. In not precisely those words she gave him a very clear NO. To which he offered Jasper money to help subdue her! Rolan was present as well, and seemed shocked both that the Nightsong was a person and at Lorroakan’s intentions towards her.

A dark luis royo fantasy painting depicting an opulent arcane atrium. A tall Valkyrie woman angrily confronts an arrogant french man. The valkyrie is muscular, with wings, glowing eyes, cracked ivory skin, heavy silver armor and helmet, and silver viking hair. The french man is age 30, smooth-faced and smooth-skinned, with long flowing copper hair, and wears fine red arcane robes with gold filigree.

This led to a quick but violent battle between the Nightsong, Jasper and his companions, and Rolan against the Wizard and his summoned elementals.

A dark luis royo painting depicting blurred motion in an opulent arcane atrium. A short small halfling hurls brilliant magic disintegrating a large elemental. The midget is Welsh with a neat brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The elemental is a funneling cloud of whirling air with a vague semblance of an angry face.

A dark luis royo painting depicting blurred motion in an opulent arcane atrium. A mature half-elf range woman hurls massive clear magic water disintegrating a huge fire elemental. The ranger is Czech, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The elemental is living fire, with faint suggestions of angry eyes, a gaping mouth, and grasping tendrils, and is turning to steam.

A dark luis royo painting depicting action in opulent arcane atrium. A strong bald man smashes his hammer into a large rock golem. The man is a burly cherokee bodybuilder, smooth-skinned, with a large purple half-face tattoo. He wears rugged leather armor. The golem is a blocky mass of rocks and dirt.

A dark luis royo painting depicting action in an opulent arcane atrium. A tiefling man hurls massive fire magic disintegrating a water elemental. The Tiefling is English and age 30, smooth-faced and smooth-skinned, with red skin and horns. He has neat short brown hair, and wears fine blue arcane robes. The elemental is a vaguely anthropomorphic wave-like shape of clear water, with a faint dark suggestion of face, disintegrating into steam.

A dark fantasy painting depicting action in an opulent arcane atrium. A Valkyrie woman with a glowing sword angrily smites a faltering french magician. The valkyrie is muscular, with wings, glowing eyes, cracked ivory skin, heavy silver armor and helmet, and silver viking hair. The frenchman is smooth-faced, with long flowing copper hair. He wears red arcane robes with gold filigree and desperately hurls magic.

In the end the Nightsong broke Lorroakan over her knee – refusing to be “caged once again”. And then seemed very… tired. Drained. As if just realizing that even having escaped from Ketheric she would continue to be a target. Jasper sent her back to Isobel to recuperate, while he and the others cleaned up. Rolan took over Sorcerous Sundries – as Lorroakan’s highest ranked assistant. And was only too happy to grant access to the tomes Gale wanted to study.

Further searching turned up that Councilor Florrick – a friend of Wyll’s father whom they had rescued from a fire some time back – had been arrested by Gortash. She was sentenced to be hanged as a traitor! Fortunately sneaking her out without alerting the guards was well within Jasper’s wheelhouse, and they smuggled her out to supporters in the city.

A dark luis royo painting inside a castle jail. A short small halfling crouches in shadow whispering to a tall nubian elf woman behind bars. The halfling is Welsh and stout, with a neat brown beard. He is wearing a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. He is summoning fog with a glowing hand. The woman is age 45, with dark skin and dark straight hair. She wears a blue arcane robe. Fog rolls across the floor.

They also noticed a poster advertising a support group for survivors of Hags… Given their earlier experiences, Jasper felt they should look into this. It turned out that Mayrina – the woman they had rescued from Auntie Ethel – had formed an Underground of sorts finding and rescuing people from Hag predation! Unfortunately, this had attracted powerful attention, and Mayrina had been transformed into a Sheep!

A dark luis royo painting inside of a ramshackle medieval townhouse study; A short small concerned halfling attempts to calm a terrified mangy sheep;The stout halfling is Welsh with a neat brown beard. He is wearing a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The sheep has a torn green dress draped over its back.

Shadowheart removed the curse, and a little bit of searching identified the Doll which had been used to effect it.

A dark luis royo painting depicting motion inside a ramshackle medieval townhouse study. A welsh half-elf woman smashes a small crude figurine with a mace. The half-elf woman is age 25,with white ponytail hair. She wears breastplate armor with blue cloth. Wispy black magic wafts from the figurine.

Destroying the doll *also* revealed that one of the “survivors” was a traitor! A redcap in disguise!

A dark luis royo painting depicting action inside a ramshackle medieval townhouse. A short small halfling lunges with a glowing rapier at a evil crazed dwarf wildly swinging a rusty axe. The halfling is Welsh with a brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The dwarf is wearing a red coif hat, and has sharp teeth,a bulbous nose,and sickly gray skin. He wears crude leather armor.

With the traitor dispensed with, Mayrina told them she had been trying to help a woman named Lora – who’s daughter had been stolen. Tracking down the daughter would likely also lead them to the Hag. She had apparently been studying well, and told them it was likely the Hag had already swallowed the daughter – as part of the process of gestating her into a hag. If they slew the Hag in that state it would kill the daughter as well! But she had brewed a potion which would force the Hag to expel the daughter. If they could use that first they could rescue her.

A dark luis royo painting inside of a ramshackle medieval townhouse. A short small halfling watches as a tall determined michigan woman insistently explains a small dangerous magic vial. The halfling is Welsh and stout, with a neat brown beard. He is wearing a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The woman is age 25, stout, with long auburn hair. She wears a green peasant dress and a red headband.

They found Lora at the Flaming Fist headquarters, desperately trying to convince investigator’s to follow up on her missing daughter. But they did not appear to believe her story. She had taken her daughter with her to the Blushing Mermaid, and she had been kidnapped by a pirate! But the captain was dismissing are as a raving drunk.

A luis royo dark fantasy painting inside a medieval guardhouse. A frantic middle-aged woman is trying to convince a skeptical guard captain. The woman is an age 40 redhead with scruffy hair, wearing a battered green tunic, and looks exhausted. The guard captain is english, and wears a red tabard with a symbol of a flaming fist over chainmail armor.

At the blushing mermaid, some vaguely remembered the incident and some did not. But the manner that the responses were given was making Jasper very suspicious. The stories all matched far too well, in far too similar wording.

When they spoke to the owner – former Captain Grisly – she claimed that Lora was a drunk, and that there had never been any daughter. As Jasper pressed her for details, she eventually offered money to eliminate Lora to “fix” the problem! Seeing Jasper’s expression she scowled… and took the form of Auntie Ethel! An “Auntie Ethel” with a notably engorged belly. “Still won’t take the bait eh? Well perhaps the bait will take you!” At which point she vanished… and half the staff in the tavern turned into Redcaps!

It was a difficult battle eliminating the Redcaps while not harming or allowing to come to harm any of the frightened customers. But eventually they perservered.

A dark luis royo painting depicting thrilling action inside a dim pirate tavern. A side view as a boisterous bald man with a hammer slams a crazed evil goblin into a wall as goblins pounce on him. The man is a burly cherokee bodybuilder, smooth-skinned, with a large purple half-face tattoo. He wears heavy leather armor. The goblins are gray rogues, with red coif hats, teeth, hooked noses, wielding knives and wearing leather armor.

Then they explored the tavern, until they found an illusionary wall in the cellar.

A dark luis royo painting of a dark tavern cellar. A short small halfling waves a glowing hand at a wall. The halfling is Welsh and stout with a brown beard, and wears a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. A patch of the wall is transparent, revealing an eerie cave behind it.

Behind it was Auntie Ethel, as well as Captain Grisly and her crew wearing Wooden Masks. They would have to find a way to eliminate the hag without harming either the child inside *or* the ensorcelled Captain and her crew!

Jasper threw Mayrina’s potion at the Hag, causing her to choke and vomit until the child popped out and ran.

A dark luis royo painting depicting motion in fey cavern. A large evil hag woman chokes on her hands and knees in a cloud of noxious vapors as a dripping wet girl runs away. The green hag is a evil fey with a hunchback, claws, sharp teeth, and a long nose. She wears tattered leather and has mossy hair.. The girl is age 9, with short red hair, wearing a dirty green dress.

She howled in anger, and then summoned multiple copies of herself, To make matters worse, she had patches of Fey Mushrooms ensconced around the room which continuously healed her. Things had just gotten complicated.

Jaheira took flight, concentrating on bounding over the interfering crew and destroying the mushrooms.

A dark luis royo painting depicting frenzied motion in a fey cavern hideout. A large owlbear dives tearing with its beak and ripping with its claws three white glowing fey mushrooms. It has an Owl head on a a grizzly bear body, hair in beaded braids, and feathered forelimbs.. Pieces of oozing mushroom fly in all directions.

Jasper kept as many of the crew entranced as possible.

A dark luis royo painting depicting motion in a fey hideout. A short small halfling flings purple magic mesmerizing tall pirates with cutlasses. The midget is Welsh with a brown beard, wearing a swashbuckler hat and leather armor over a red shirt. The pirates have glowing purple eyes, and are wearing wood harlequin facemasks.

While Shadowheart eliminated the Hags doubles.

A dark luis royo painting depicting motion in a fey hideout. A welsh half-elf woman hurls magic rays disintegrating five glowing illusions of large hag women. The half-elf woman is age 25,with white ponytail hair. She wears breastplate armor with blue cloth. The illusions are stout green hags with hunchbacks, claws, teeth, and a long noses. They wear tattered leather and have mossy hair.

Which left Minsc the job of chasing her down and eliminating her once and for all.

A dark luis royo painting depicting blurred motion in a fey cavern. A bald man wielding a glowing hammer slams down a huge evil fey hag. She is summoning black magic. The man is a burly cherokee bodybuilder, smooth-skinned, with a large purple half-face tattoo. He wears leather armor and pants. The green hag is hefty with a hunchback, claws, teeth, and a long nose. She wears tattered leather and has mossy hair.

In the end, they returned the poor girl to her Mother – traumatized, but alive. Mayrina thanked them for their help, and sword she would not give up the fight. There were always more hags to find and more victims to rescue.

A luis royo dark fantasy painting inside a poor medieval townhouse. A relieved middle-aged woman sheds a tear as she tightly hugs a traumatized young girl. The woman is an age 40 redhead with scruffy hair, wearing a battered green tunic, and looks exhausted. The girl is age 9, with short red hair, and wears a soiled, battered simple green dress.

At this point Jaheira finally mentioned that she actually had family in the area, and perhaps they should stop in… It seems she had taken in and raised a number of orphans over the years, some of whom were nearly old enough to be adventurers themselves. Her eldest daughter was named Rion, and she was *decidedly* displeased with Jaheira for disappearing into the Shadowlands without leaving word beyond the cryptic message “I’m sorry. You know what to do.”

A luis royo fantasy painting inside a medieval townhouse. A mature half-elf ranger woman is chagrined as a young half-elf woman angirly chastises her. The mature woman is of Czech descent, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The young woman is age 18 and French, with an athletic build and short brown hair. She is wearing practical leather over a green tunic.

Apparently Jaheira had been trying to protect them from the machinations of the Illithid and Absolute by keeping her distance. Rion reminded her that they *lived* in point blank for the events, and could not help but be involved. So Rion pointedly asked her, “And so how are we going to help?”. Jaheira was torn between pride and wanting to protect them, but Jasper suggested they help get the refugees to safety and protect them as the Absolute Army approached. Rion nodded and immediately set to organizing her siblings. Jaheira warned her about Dopplegangers – even Dopplegangers copying Jaheira herself. Rion retorted that if a Jaheira showed up being warm, courteous, and telling them exactly what they needed to know she would be *sure* to run the imposter through immediately. “Ha! That’s my girl!” Jaheira responded proudly.

And just for fun, I’ll introduce Jaheira’s “kids” here. Because it gives a fun set to bounce her off of.

Rion:

Rion is both the eldest of Jaheira’s wards, and the most like her. She is a defiant, willful Ranger/Druid without the slightest fear of butting heads with her adoptive Mother – for which Jaheira is exceedingly proud.

A luis royo fantasy painting inside a medieval townhouse. A mature half-elf ranger woman and a defiant young half-elf woman smirk sarcastically at each other across a room. The mature woman is of Czech descent, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The young woman is age 18 and French, with an athletic build and short brown hair. She is wearing practical leather over a green tunic.

Jord:

Jaheira took in Jord after he got into an altercation with a merchant at age 9. He is the child who most mirrors her Druidic inclinations – and is happiest tending plants in the garden.

A luis royo fantasy painting in a medieval garden. A mature half-elf ranger woman fusses at a tall half-orc teen pruning vines. The ranger woman is Czech, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The teen is age 20, strong, with gray-green skin,small tusks, and an auburn mullet. He is wearing druid vestments.

Fig:

Fig very much takes after “Uncle Minsc”, and loves practicing swordplay and challenging visitors.

A shadowed luis royo fantasy painting of motion in a medieval townhouse yard. A big joyful bald man and a girl playfully train with wooden swords. The man is a burly cherokee bodybuilder with smooth skin, and a large purple half-face tattoo. He wears rugged leather armor. The girl is age 11, with blonde hair in buns. She wears breeches and a tunic.

Jhessem:

Jhessem most loves reading and stories. She recently discovered a book on Tethyrian genealogy and is convinced that Jaheira is secretly of noble lineage. She probably the only living being who could get away with calling Jaheira a “princess”.

A luis royo fantasy painting in a medieval townhouse library. A mature half-elf ranger woman rolls her eyes as a small girl excitedly points in a fine book. The ranger is Czech, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The girl is age 9, with styled brown hair and wearing a fine green dress.

Tate:

Jaheira refers to Tate as her little sneak thief. He is fond of eavesdropping, picking pockets, and getting into places and things he has explicitly been told to stay out of.

A luis royo fantasy painting in a medieval townhouse. A mature half-elf ranger woman smirks as a small boy crouches sneaking behind her. The ranger woman is Czech, with gray hair styled in rows of short beaded braids, clad in rugged leather armor and green cloth. The boy is age 9, with short dark hair and wearing a dusty tunic.

2 responses to “Baldur’s Gate 3: The City that Never Sleeps”

atcDave

November 23, 2025 at 5:50 am

Wow a lot of fun here. I like the various elemental fights. Mayrina the sheep is a hoot, as is Jasper petting her.
Your transformation video into the hag is frightening! And it looks like you made a stable background for it.
I love Jaheira in owlbear form, nice bit with the braids.
And Jaheira with all of her kids is awesome. Very well done.

1. Zeno
  
  November 23, 2025 at 10:16 am
  
  Yeah. I did the movie a little different than you. I found a pirate render I liked, and then used the OpenAI Editor to select the background and clip out the person. Then used OpenAI to fill back in the background. Then I could do the reverse with the hag – clip her from her own background – and put her on top of the other one. I tried having the movie renderer do things like make the lights flicker and play with shadows, but no luck.

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Baldur’s Gate 3: The City that Never Sleeps

2 responses to “Baldur’s Gate 3: The City that Never Sleeps”

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