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| Overview | Approval | Banter | Romance | Combat |
Ruthless in service of the Absolute, she commands a camp of Goblins planning an attack on the Druid Grove in the name of their god. Initially hostile unless the player character both sides with and sleeps with her in Act One, she can be re-encountered during Act Two and saved from execution, at which point she can be recruited into the party as well as romanced by characters of any gender.
Nightwarden Minthara[1] Baenre is a recruitable Companion with the Noble background. She is a Lolth-Sworn Drow[2] and an Oath of Vengeance Paladin first appearing during Act One.
Overview
Background
A member of the ancient House Baenre, Minthara is a True Soul in the service of the Absolute and one of the three leaders of the Goblin Camp in the Wilderness. She and her fellow True Souls, Priestess Gut and Dror Ragzlin, set up a base of operations in an old Selûnite temple in search of a Mysterious Artefact by order of the Absolute.
Starting class
Before she is recruited, Minthara is a level 6 Paladin with the following Ability Scores: STR = 16, DEX = 15, CON = 14, INT = 10, WIS = 12, CH = 17. If she is recruited, then Minthara changes to a level 1 Paladin with the standard ability scores for that Class, with a focus on dual-wielding one-handed weapons. Her Subclass is Oath of Vengeance, giving her a more offence-oriented toolkit, with more ways of controlling and debuffing foes in battle.
Special features
Minthara has the passive 
, allowing her to grant herself or an ally an additional 5 m / 17 ft of movement and 2d4 + 1
Fire damage on their next attack. She also bears the Brand of the Absolute and can fully benefit from items with this effect. Furthermore, she will already have access to the following illithid powers:
Personal quest
Minthara does not have a personal quest like other companions. However, she is directly involved in two important quests.
As part of the main-quest 
, the party can decide which side to support in the conflict between the goblins and the druids of the grove. If siding with the druids and refugees, Minthara will be hostile and become an objective of . If sided with the forces of the Absolute, she will appear as an ally as part of . If the grove has been sealed, on the day of the raid she will instruct her raiders to kill the party.
In , the party can decide what will happen with Minthara after her trial at the hands of Ketheric Thorm and Disciple Z'rell at Moonrise Towers.
After recruiting Minthara has a personal interest destroying the Cult of the Absolute and especially in killing Orin the Red and therefore completing because of vengeance. Orin killed Minthara's Drow companions, and tortured and enslaved her to the Cult of the Absolute through implanting a tadpole in Minthara's brain. The Cult of the Absolute forced Minthara to commit massacres on the enemies of the cult.
Recruitment
Although Minthara can be encountered in Act One, she cannot join the player's party as a permanent companion before reaching Moonrise Towers in Act Two.[3][4]
Act Two
- If left alive after the events of Act 1, Minthara will be found at Moonrise Towers facing trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to find the
Mysterious Artefact. Sentenced to death, she is taken to Moonrise Towers Prison to be tortured until her execution. The party can find her and help her escape, and if invited to camp, she will offer to join them.
- Should the party side with Minthara during and raid the grove with her, no additional steps are needed to ensure that she appears at Moonrise Towers.
- If the party sides with the druids instead, but still wishes to meet Minthara at the Moonrise Towers, she must be knocked out when fought. This can occur whether at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum or when defending the grove from the goblin attack.[5][6][note 1]
- Should the party side with Minthara during
Approval
Minthara approves of displays of power and control, often in the form of violent, if not efficient, solutions to problems. She respects those with the strength to follow their own will, and enjoys cruel irony on occasion.
Minthara dislikes shows of compassion, especially towards those she considers weak. She will disapprove of any form of benevolence without something to gain for it, as well as senseless violence that does not aid the party in some way. Above all, she despises acts of weakness and any form of worship of Lolth.
Romance
If the party sides with the absolutists and successfully raids the druid grove, the player can have a one-night stand with Minthara to celebrate their victory.
Should Minthara be saved and recruited, she can be romanced by characters of either gender. Though initially cold, Minthara will show some of her deepest fears to her partner, as well as display a more romantic, if not jealous, side of her.
Description
Appearance
With a stern countenance and piercing eyes, Minthara has an imposing presence. Like most drow, she has purplish-blue skin, with crimson eyes and pointed ears. Her silver hair is kept in a messy top bun, with stray strands of hair adorning her face. On the left side of her neck, she bears the seal of House Baenre in black, marking her a member of the ancestral house. Her combat equipment is well-made, and her at-ease clothes reflect some of her noble upbringing.
Personality
As a drow and follower of the Absolute, Minthara has a highly hostile and cruel attitude towards other beings, considering almost everyone as inferior. She has a special disdain for those who do not share her beliefs, and holds other of her race in high regard. Her upbringing as a noble in 
Menzoberranzan further compounds her superiority complex. Aligned with the Absolute, she's willing to do whatever it takes to serve it.
Power hungry, she is always looking for ways to increase her standing among her peers, product of her drow upbringing. Having been a follower of Lolth once, she also knows that violence, deception, and cruelty are great tools to obtain what she wants.
Despite her overt dislike for others, she is an observant person, always studying those that surround her. Minthara often understands the plights of her companions, even if she doesn't necessarily care for them, and she's always willing to give them a solution in her own way. Though her methods may sometimes be extreme, they always have a sound reasoning. Still, she doesn't support mindless cruelty if it serves no purpose, and even shows a weak spot for Scratch. If romanced, she also shows that she harbours doubts about her life and circumstances.
Whether due to her looks or attitude, Minthara reveals she's had quite a few lovers in the past[10] and even has a few suitors amongst the goblins, unbeknownst to her.[11][12]
If recruited and freed from the Absolute's influence, Minthara's cruelty will be more tempered, and her fury will be aimed solely at the other leaders of the Cult - particularly Orin the Red. She also becomes contemplative of her actions under the Absolute's influence, and rues letting them exploit her fears and yearning for belonging to use her as a tool.
History
Menzoberranzan
Born into the ancient House Baenre of Menzoberranzan, Minthara was raised as a noble of the city in Qu'ellarz'orl, a plateau above the city expanse.[13] Taught in the ways of Lolth, she eventually rose to be an important house matron, enjoying all the luxuries of her birthright. She survived her first assassination attempt when she was a child, and another at the hands of her mother when she came of age.[14]
Sometime during her life there, she encountered a True Soul and two novices preaching the message of the Absolute. Minthara had them hanged and displayed as a warning against heresy,[15] but curiosity got the best of her, and after using necromancy on the corpses to find their base of operations, she prepared a retinue of warriors to strike at the Moonrise Towers.
Indoctrination and time in the Cult
Minthara gathered her allies to battle the absolutists, yet, when they arrived at the Moonrise Towers, they were met with a lavish feast and a welcome fit for a house matron. Ketheric Thorm had been expecting her, and invited her to partake of his feast alongside Orin the Red. He explained he wished to form an alliance between Moonrise and Menzoberranzan, flattering Minthara and playing to her pride.[16] Lowering her guard, Minthara was unable to react in time as Orin jumped on the table and sliced her men's throats as she approached her. Standing before her, Orin expressed her interest in Minthara, and Ketheric approved of it, ordering her to be taken to the Mind Flayer Colony.[17] There, Minthara was held for some time, helplessly watching as her men were processed for food or to be turned into thralls. Eventually, Orin returned and placed the tadpole in Minthara's eye, sealing the drow's fate as part of the Cult of the Absolute.[18]
Under orders of her new god, Minthara participated in many massacres carried out by the cult, mostly against religious communities who refused to be converted. She became a zealot, and in time, even began to admire Orin. Orin would manipulate her further, telling her lies of how she was a True Soul, chosen by the Absolute as her greatest weapon.[19] For Minthara, the Absolute was more than just a god, it was everything she ever truly wanted.[19] With a new purpose, Minthara heads to the Wilderness in search of a powerful weapon her new goddess desires, hungry to prove herself.
Involvement
Save the Refugees
Though Minthara does not have a personal quest, she is deeply involved in Save the Refugees.
Act One
Minthara is first encountered at the Shattered Sanctum within the Goblin Camp, planning an attack on Emerald Grove at the behest of the Absolute. When spoken to, she will quickly identify the party as fellow True Souls and reveal that she believes the druids are hiding a powerful weapon at their grove that the Absolute desires. She has been surveying the land in search of the weapon, sending scouts to track the leader of the grove, Halsin.[20] Minthara will probe the party's minds with her tadpole, possibly leading to the grove's location being exposed.
The party can fight Minthara as part of the quest , turning her and the rest of the goblins around her hostile. Fighting her will turn the rest of the camp hostile, leaving siding with the goblins to raid the grove off the table. With one of the three goblin leaders dead, Dror Ragzlin and Priestess Gut would be next.
Alternatively, the party can entertain the possibility of raiding the grove with the absolutists. This will add the quest to the journal. If they choose to ally with the forces of the Absolute and disclose the grove's location, the raid of the grove will begin after the next Long Rest. Carrying on with the raid will cause Karlach and Wyll to permanently leave the player's party. After the grove has been destroyed, Minthara and the goblins will join the party at their camp and celebrate their slaughter of the druids, even if they ultimately failed to find the weapon the Absolute desired. Minthara will also offer to have a casual encounter with the player character. Rejecting her will anger her, but will have no negative consequences.
After the celebrations, Minthara will urge the party to join the forces of the Absolute at the Moonrise Towers in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. She will give the party her 
Spider's Lyre to summon a guide that will help them through the deadly shadows, and will depart shortly after.
Decide Minthara's Fate
What becomes of Minthara can be decided in this quest of hers.
Act Two
Should Minthara have survived the events of Act 1, whether friendly or hostile, she will be next encountered in the Moonrise Towers on trial by Ketheric Thorm for failing to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact. The party can intervene on her behalf, but Ketheric will sentence her to death regardless of what is said. This will begin the quest .
The party can choose to follow, in which case they'll find her at the Moonrise Towers Prison, undergoing torture by two Gnome Questioners. Here, a choice can be made: join the questioners in erasing Minthara's mind, turning her into a witless thrall of the Absolute, or help her escape. This can be done by slaying the gnomes or by dialogue. If freed, the party will need to escort Minthara out of the prison, either through dialogue or violence. Regardless, once out, Minthara can go on her own way or be convinced to join the party, at which point she will join the camp.
If the party allows Balthazar to take the Nightsong during , and finds Isobel for the absolutists, they will be granted an audience with Ketheric Thorm who will allow them to pray at the altar of the Absolute. Doing so will ultimately result in the party being imprisoned in pods in the Mind Flayer Colony, where Balthazar will attempt to turn them into zombies at his service. In the fight that ensues, the party may battle a Zombie Dror Ragzlin and Zombie Minthara, if either of them died during the events prior.
Get Orin's Netherstone
Having been indoctrinated into the Cult of the Absolute by Orin herself, Minthara has a personal stake in this quest.
Act Three
Minthara can be one of possible victims of Orin's kidnapping during Act 3 as part of . If so, once Orin is defeated and Minthara has been rescued, she will have some words about the entire ordeal. Additionally, she'll also express being disheartened after killing her former abuser, as even though Orin could only copy the surface characteristics of her victims, Minthara saw her herself in Orin's bloodlust and madness, a shattered but possible version of herself had she not broken free from the Absolute's control.
Endings
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Return to Menzoberranzan
After the defeat of the Netherbrain, a romanced Minthara will ask the player what their plans are now that they are free. She can be encouraged to return to Menzoberranzan, to which she will agree, suggesting they put the gnomes back to work to rebuild the Steel Watch, returning as conquerors to found a new noble House. Six months after the fall of the absolutists, Minthara will mention that the war against House Baenre is going well, but that she welcomes the distraction of Withers' party.
Quest rewards
Gift from the Absolute — given by Minthara for siding with the absolutists and raiding the grove.
Spider's Lyre — given by Minthara after the camp celebration upon successfully raiding the grove, or can be looted on her body if killed during act one.
Interactions
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Companion interactions
Minthara has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, she will have a floating [ ! ] icon above her.
Act Two
- Upon arrival at the camp as a companion, she will have dialogue about some of her time under the Absolute and her vow of vengeance. If you add her to the party while she still has unfinished dialogue, she will ask you to give her privacy and cut you out of this dialogue.
- After defeating Ketheric, Minthara will sit on his throne, gloating. When spoken to, she will reveal more about how she was indoctrinated into the Cult, and her plans once the Cult is destroyed.
Act Three
- Upon reaching Rivington, Minthara will comment on the state of the refugees and city's refusal to let them in.
- If pursuing a romance with her, she will at some point ask to see the player's thoughts on her.
Unique interactions
As a companion, Minthara has unique interactions and special dialogue with the following characters, listed by the act they are first encountered in.
Act Two
Act Three
Combat
Loot
Minthara can be killed and looted. She will have the same items as her starting equipment, except for her underwear. If knocked unconscious, she will drop no Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen and no supply pack.[21]
If all equipment and clothing is looted from her and she is left unconscious, she will reappear in Act 2 at Moonrise Towers in a new set of camp clothes including camp shoes and underwear.
Starting equipment
If looted:
If not looted:
Related literature
Gallery
Base model.
Camp clothing model.
Underwear model.
Early Access post-Patch 6 model.
Early Access Patch 5 model.
Early Access pre-Patch 5 model.
Appearance on the level-up screen.
Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.
PS5 reveal press kit appearance.
Patch 6 of Early Access.
Patch 5 of Early Access.
At the start of Early Access.
Digital Artbook concept.
Notes
- ↑ Minthara went through some recruitment changes during development and after release.
Intended to be recruited only if the grove was destroyed, prior to Patch 5, an exploit could be used to recruit Minthara when siding with the grove. Minthara had to be knocked out temporarily in Act 1, recovering after a long rest. Once the party reached Act 2 and acquired the spells
and 
, they had to return to Shattered Sanctum, turn her into a sheep and dominate her. The party then had to fast-travel back to the Moonrise Towers and then had to move Minthara as a sheep into the throne room, where the judgement continued as if Minthara was alive. After the cutscene she would be transported to the dungeon. The party had to attack her quickly once imprisoned as she would begin to run away otherwise, and then turn invisible and exit combat. Minthara was then part of the interrogation scene and her recruitment could proceed as normal.
When Patch 5 was introduced, Minthara could be recruited if she was knocked out temporarily at her camp in the Shattered Sanctum, dealing with the rest of the goblin camp without long rests in-between as the game files checked for both conditions in order to trigger her scene at Moonrise Towers.[7][8]
Patch 6 removed the requirement for Minthara being temporarily hostile / knocked out. The game no longer checks for that condition. It became possible to recruit Minthara through knocking her out when defending the grove from the goblin attack.[9] However, if Minthara was knocked out in the goblin camp, the quest had to be finished prior to taking a Long Rest.
By Patch 7 all methods of knocking her out resulted in a recruitment opportunity.
References
- ↑ In traditional Drow names, the prefix "Min-" means "lesser", "minor", or "second", while the suffix "-thara" means "glyph", "marker", or "rune". Owen K.C. Stephens, "By Any Other Name: The Drow", Dragon 267 (January 2000): 28-31
- ↑ If the player character is a Lolth-sworn drow, many unique dialogue options are available, one of which includes condemning Minthara and attacking her for abandoning Lolth.
- ↑ Recruiting Minthara during Act 2 and then returning to Act 1 areas will make Minthara leave the party. Whether intended or a bug, this can be circumvented by casting
on her before traveling to an Act 1 area.
- ↑ Minthara has exploration lines for Rosymorn Monastery as well as for the destruction sequence of the weapon on the rooftop. It's possible that during development she was intended to be a companion earlier than she ended up being for release. She also has an exploration line at the Nautiloid as well.
- ↑ Patch 7 notes "Knocked Out Minthara will now always flee to Moonrise Towers."
- ↑ It has been observed that, as long as she is knocked out in the in the Shattered Sanctum, it's possible to complete after several long rests without compromising her recruitment later in Act Two.
- ↑ Patch 5 notes "Minthara will still appear at Moonrise Towers if she was knocked out in Act I."
- ↑ PSA - Recruiting Minthara In A Good Playthrough by Crimsomrider at Larian Studios forums on 2023-11-30. https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=925862 [Retrieved 2024-01-04.]
- ↑ Patch 6 notes "Increased the number of valid methods of knocking Minthara out to recruit her."
- ↑ Various locations, party banter between Minthara and Karlach.
- ↑
Parchment (Goblin Camp)
- ↑
Unfinished Love Letter by Klagga
- ↑ Campsite, line spoken by Minthara to a drow noble player character.
"Like you, I lived in Qu'ellarz'orl, high above the city's sprawl." - ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when inquired about her upbringing in Menzoberranzan.
"(...) I survived my first assassination attempt while I still suckled at my mother's breast. (...) When I came of age, she tried to take my life herself, and I gave her fresh scars to match those she earned protecting me." - ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
"A True Soul came to my city preaching a message of togetherness, accompanied by two novices. Menzoberranzan is not fertile grounds for such messages. I killed them, and hanged their bodies in my garden." - ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
"I expected a battle, but found a fully-laden feast table, and a welcome befitting a house matron. (...) Ketheric proposed an alliance between Moonrise and Menzoberranzzan. I admit, I was captivated by him." - ↑ Campsite, lines spoken by Minthara when asked how she came to be indoctrinated.
"Then, quick as lightning, she climbed onto the table, a dagger in each hand, and skipped toward me, slicing the throats out of my men as she passed them. (...) I want this one, she said. Ketheric nodded his permission, and I was taken below." - ↑ Moonrise Towers, lines spoken by Minthara in the throne room after slaying Ketheric Thorm.
"There was no god. Orin held me down in a cocoon of flesh, while a mind flayer forced a parasite into my brain. And she laughed at my fear." - ↑ 19.0 19.1 Moonrise Towers, lines spoken by Minthara in the throne room after slaying Ketheric Thorm.
"When I first visited Moonrise, I stood before the Absolute in awe. It was more of an idea than an entity. Pure love, total power. Orin was by my side. She told me that god had chosen me to be a True Soul. Blessed and adored." - ↑
Drow's Letter by Minthara
- ↑ Prior to Patch #7,
Minthara's Underwear could be looted, too. Since Patch #7 this is not possible anymore. However, her Underwear is still shown on her looted body.
