Ketheric Thorm

Ketheric Thorm
Stats
Level 11
STR 18 (+4) DEX 13 (+1) CON 17 (+3) INT 12 (+1) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 20 (+5)
Race	[[Undead, formerly High Elf|Undead, formerly High Elf]]
Type	Undead
HP	188
AC	22
Size	Medium
Weight	75 kg / 165 lbs
Proficiency Bonus	+4
Initiative	+1
Passive features
Arcane Enchantment  Darkvision  Defence  Divine Health  Extra Attack  Fey Ancestry  Immutable Form  Improved Divine Smite  Magical Plate  Opportunity Attack  Reaper's Rigidity  Shield Bash
Resistances
Character information
Location	Moonrise Towers Mind Flayer Colony
Faction	Cult of the Absolute
Family	Melodia (former wife) Malus (uncle) Gerringothe Thisobald Isobel (daughter)
Allies	Myrkul, Enver Gortash, Orin the Red, Balthazar, Z'rell
Enemies	Dame Aylin, Jaheira, Halsin, Shar
Additional information
Voice actor	J.K. Simmons
Model

General Ketheric Thorm, is one of the chosen of the Absolute. He is a powerful necromancer, who was defeated a century ago by the Harpers and druids of the Emerald Grove but has risen from the grave to lead the Absolute's forces and is now said to be invincible. He has an undead dog companion Squire.

“	I'll tell you a story, True Soul. About a man who sold himself piece by piece.	„
	— Ketheric Thorm

Background

Ketheric Thorm was once a worshipper of Selûne, who lived with his wife and daughter. His wife unfortunately passed away, leaving Ketheric to raise their daughter alone. However, he persevered and raised her in the Selunite ways. Tragedy would strike again at Ketheric, as his daughter Isobel died. Unable to cope with her loss, he renounced the worship of the Moonmaiden and began worshipping her dark sister; Shar. In Shar's service, he built an army of Dark Justiciars beneath his home village and cursed the land with the Shadow Curse. His army was ultimately defeated, and Ketheric himself was slain by the alliance of the Harpers and Druids which Jaheira and Master Halsin were part of. His body was buried in the Thorm family mausoleum.

Act Two

First meeting

The Party's first encounter with Ketheric Thorm starts with the General judging the members of the Absolute's forces from the Goblin Camp, including Sazza and Minthara if either of them are still alive. Should Minthara be alive, he will send her to the dungeons to be punished, and is left with the Goblins, who attack him. Even when impaled, or nearly decapitated with a Halberd, he shrugs off the wounds as if they were minor annoyances, killing one of the Goblins as punishment. He will leave the fate of the rest of the Goblins to the player.

While speaking to NPCs such as Jaheira, Z'rell, and Balthazar, it will be revealed, so some capacity depending on who you speak of, that a magical relic grants Ketheric Invulnerability. Assisting Balthazar will reveal that sometime between his life as a Sharran, and his time serving Myrkul, Ketheric Thorm had discovered the Nightsong, and used it to render him unkillable.

Act 2 finale

The party may encounter him again at the top of Moonrise Towers. Depending on the player's choices, namely if Isobel is to die, he will recount his life story, and his sacrifices, ultimately blaming the party for her death, but not punishing them, as he wishes to keep up the façade of the Absolute's judgement.

Ketheric Thorm's actual battle has three individual stages.

After either destroying, or liberating the Nightsong, his invulnerability is lost, and he can finally be killed. During the first stage of the boss fight, he will eventually flee to the lower levels of the Tower, towards the Mind Flayer Colony to reconvene with Lord Enver Gortash and Orin the Red, revealing himself, Gortash, and Orin as the Chosen of Myrkul, Bane, and Bhaal respectively.

If Gale uses his Netherese Orb Blast, the game can end at this very moment, allowing the party to kill Ketheric Thorm, Enver Gortash, Orin the Red and the Absolute in one fell swoop.

The latter two will leave Ketheric to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact in order to lead the Absolute's army to Baldur's Gate. During this second segment of the boss fight, which the player can bypass entirely with a successful Charisma skill check. In either case, if the Nightsong has not been destroyed, he will retrieve it once more, and either he, in the second stage or the Apostle of Myrkul in the third, will regain their invulnerability - but this can be rectified by using a Help Action on Nightsong.

Once he is defeated, he will finally die for good, allowing the party to retrieve his Netherstone, and proceed to Baldur's Gate.

The Chosen of Myrkul

Spells and abilities

•  Deadly Orders
•  Divine Smite
• Incubate Death

Conditions

•  Aura of Protection
•  Aura of Hate
•  Invulnerable

Loot

• Ketheric's Netherstone
• Ketheric's Warhammer
• Reaper's Embrace
• Ketheric's Shield
• Crumpled Note
• Supply Pack
• Flail of Myrkul (conditional)

Related quests

• Infiltrate Moonrise Towers
• Decide Minthara's Fate
• Lift the Shadow Curse
• Capture Isobel the Selûnite Cleric
• Resolve the Abduction
• Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic
• Defeat Ketheric Thorm

Notes

• A letter written by Malus found in the House of Healing refers to Ketheric as nephew, thus it can be inferred that Malus is indeed his uncle.
• It's unclear what degree of kinship Ketheric and Gerringothe share. It can be presumed she's his aunt following Malus' situation, however, notes and narration mention that Ketheric dug up many of his ancestors tombs, which could indicate she could be a far older relative if necromancy was practiced on the corpse too.
• Ketheric's kinship with Thisobald is not quite clear, either. Though Thisobald refers to Ketheric as "father", neither Ketheric nor Isobel ever acknowledge him in dialogue or otherwise. Given that Ketheric and Balthazar have desecrated the Thorm mausoleum and resurrected Isobel, it's possible that Thisobald is a resurrected relative and refers to Ketheric as father not in the paternal sense, but as "creator".

Gallery

• 

  Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote

External links

• Ketheric Thorm on the Forgotten Realms Wiki