Good evening, all. Come, join me by this tavern’s fireplace and let the heat help you relax…

Have you ever heard the tale of Karlach Cliffgate?

The mighty hero who, according to some, helped save the city of Baldur’s Gate before returning to Avernus to slay demons dredged straight from your nightmares.

Others say she sacrificed herself to stop the vile invaders threatening the city.

Which tale is true?

Well, travellers, that depends on whose story you believe.

Though I’m just a humble chronicler, and if you ask me, there’s a much more interesting question:

Why would Karlach do any of it?

What compels someone to become a hero?

Especially someone with no home.

No family.

And quite literally…

No heart.

So, travellers, would you like to dive into the depths of Karlach’s mind?

To truly understand what drives her?

If so, then this Chronicler might just be the perfect person to guide you on that journey.

Okay, in all seriousness, this video takes a look at the psychology of Karlach and asks why she does what she does.

We take a good, hard look at who Karlach is, going from her relatively idyllic childhood in Baldur’s Gate, through the loss of her parents and betrayal by someone she trusted, to her forced participation in the Blood War.

Then we look at the woman who eventually returns to Baldur’s Gate seeking revenge against the bastard himself, Enver Gortash.

But this isn’t simply a retelling of Karlach’s story.

We look at how her early childhood may have helped give Karlach the psychological foundations she needed to survive ten years in literal Hell. We explore her remarkable sense of autonomy, her relentless positivity, and why I believe that positivity isn’t simply naïveté:

It’s defiance.

We even look at Karlach’s relationship with faith. In a world where gods demonstrably exist, Karlach doesn’t place her faith in them.

She places it in herself.

Karlach chooses Karlach.

This is the first in our series of videos exploring the characters of Baldur’s Gate 3 through psychology, philosophy and the world around them.

So, if that’s your sort of thing, please check out the video, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.

There are plenty more stories waiting to be chronicled.

And remember:

Karlach may not have a heart, but she certainly isn’t heartless.