Araj Oblodra

Araj Oblodra is a drow trader and blood-focused alchemist who can be found in Moonrise Towers and the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. Other than the items she sells, she also offers unique potions in exchange for samples of blood, and will ask to speak with Astarion.

Trader
Araj Oblodra
Stats
Level 6
STR 10 DEX 17 (+3) CON 12 (+1) INT 12 (+1) WIS 10 CHA 12 (+1)
Race	Lolth-Sworn Drow
Type	Humanoid
HP	52
AC	14
Movement Speed	9m / 30ft
Size	Medium
Weight	75kg / 150lbs
Proficiency Bonus	+3
Initiative	+3
Passive features
Darkvision  Fey Ancestry  Opportunity Attack  Sunlight Sensitivity  Uncanny Dodge
Character information
Location	Moonrise Towers, Lower City X: -91 Y: -93

Act Two

In Act Two, Araj Oblodra can be found hard at work found inside Moonrise Towers, poring over alchemical equipment.

Blood-draw elixirs

Araj will brew unique elixirs as payment for drawing blood from the True Souls in the party for her research. Each character may give blood only once, incurring 1d3 damage in the process. The effects of these potions are generally themed on the race, and, in the case of dragonborns, subrace of the character giving blood.

Unlike normal elixirs, Araj's blood-draw elixir effects are not replaced when a character consumes a second elixir.

However, after consuming a blood-draw elixir and taking a long rest, the character will receive the condition Blood-draw Sickness, which causes a -1 to all dice rolls until another long rest.

With a DC 14 History check, knowledge of House Oblodra will allow the player to realise that Araj doesn't want True Soul blood, but Illithid blood specifically – an especially illicit subject for a drow to research. If this insight is shared with Araj, she will pay 200 gold for each subsequent blood donation, alongside the normal elixir.

Race	Elixir
Black Dragonborn, Copper Dragonborn	Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Acid
Blue Dragonborn, Bronze Dragonborn	Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Lightning
Brass Dragonborn, Gold Dragonborn	Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Fire
Green Dragonborn	Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Poison
Silver Dragonborn, White Dragonborn	Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Frost
Drow, Elf	Elixir of Elven Elegance
Dwarf	Elixir of Dwarven Resilience
Githyanki	Elixir of Githyanki Providence
Gnome	Elixir of Gnomish Ingenuity
Half-elf	Elixir of Half-Elven Healing
Half-orc	Elixir of Half-Orcish Fury
Halfling	Elixir of Halfling Luck
Human	Elixir of Human Versatility
Tiefling	Elixir of Tiefling Vice

Interaction with Astarion

Araj deeply wishes to speak with Astarion. If Astarion is left at camp during her first interaction, Araj will politely ask that the vampire spawn be brought next.

When Araj speaks with Astarion, she excitedly asks that he bite her, so that she may study the effects of vampire bites up close. She offers the pricelessFile:Potion of Animal Speaking Icon.png Potion of Everlasting Vigour in exchange, which permanently increases the Strength of the one drinking it by 2.

If Astarion is not the player's Origin character, he will be loathe to do so, privately noting to the player that there is something deeply wrong with Araj's blood.

If told to do so anyway, despite his objections, Astarion will go through with Araj's desires. Astarion will feel used, and the disapproval from this will likely end a romance between him and the player if one exists.

There are no other consequences of Astarion obliging the request, despite how foul Araj's blood seems to be.

Act Three

Ah - a cosy little spot, isn't it? These four walls have witnessed greater alchemical triumphs than the keep of Urngath Dorrund!

If blood was donated in Act 2, Araj can be found again in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate in Act 3. As the player approaches her shop, Crimson Draughts, just east of The Blushing Mermaid, a series of explosions will trigger and Araj will come running out on fire, yet thrilled. She praises the character for their donated blood, as it has given her a breakthrough in her research of such magnitude, she believes the drow Grand Matriach will have no choice but to restore her house, House Oblodra.

If Astarion did not bite Araj in Act 2, she'll flirtatiously offer it once more. Astarion has now steeled his resolve and will forcefully refuse.

If Araj was killed in Act 2, or no character donated their blood, Araj will be missing from her store and the explosions will not trigger on approach.

Mysterious Potion

After following Araj into her bombed-out shop, she'll breathlessly encourage the character to finish the research, and drink her new formula: Formula Gruna. The entire party urges them not to drink it.

The Mysterious Potion Araj provides will deal 1d4 damage when drunk and causes a small explosion, but imbues the character with the permanent  Unstable Blood passive feature. This passive causes the character to bleed out Unstable Blood Surfaces when hurt. When these surfaces are exposed to flame, they turn into Fire Surfaces.

When spoken to next, Araj will be first thrilled to see they've survived, and then just as excited at the results. She giddily deems the character the "world's first detonative exsanguinator." In parting, and with no qualms at having so risked the character's life, she'll offer to provide another explosive in exchange for a nominal fee.

She then becomes available as a trader, most notably selling Circlet of Hunting.

Crimson Draughts

Crimson Draughts is Araj Oblodra's apothecary in Lower City – seemingly for some time before the events of the game. Araj has been operating what appears to be a legitimate business selling potions to infirm citizens. However, a peek inside Crimson Draughts' mailbox reveals that the insane drow alchemist has been swapping some orders with her own tinctures, causing horrific injury.

Downstairs, untouched by the explosions, her journal reveals the true purpose of her research, to find a way to restore House Oblodra to its former glory; or failing that, to exact explosive vengeance for the fallen house, and cast all of Menzoberranzan into a pit.

Whether through lockpicking or using the key nearby, venturing into the shop's basement reveals Araj's small laboratory. Makeshift cells contain the less-voluntary participants, with humans and beasts chained to the wall or mutilated. The butchered corpse of a Spectator can be found near her research table.

History

Araj Oblodra is part of the now defunct House Oblodra. Over a century ago, an alliance of rival drow destroyed her House, due to their association with psionics and illithids before and during the Time of Troubles. House Oblodra was known for, among other things, reckless experimentation with illithid breeding-stock.

Very few survived the House's destruction, making Araj Oblodra one of few members left alive. The only other two known survivors of House Oblodra K'yorl Odran, a Matron Mother of the house, and Kimmuriel Oblodra, who had joined the Bregan D'aerthe after the house's fall.

Notable items sold

• Circlet of Hunting
• Purple Worm Toxin
• Boots of Arcane Bolstering
• Risky Ring
• Ring of Free Action
• Robe of Exquisite Focus
• Thunderskin Cloak
• Hat of Storm Scion's Power

Notes

• Araj is referred to as an "Infernal Merchant" and demon in the games files.
• Hirelings may exchange blood for elixirs, suggesting that they have illithid blood.