Jaheira

Overview

Approval

Banter

Jaheira is a recruitable Companion with the Soldier background, returning from both Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. She is a High Half-Elf and a Druid with the Circle of the Land subclass.

Having become High Harper in the century since her first adventure, Jaheira is deadset on maintaining her Harper network, taking down the Cult of the Absolute, and later reuniting with her closest friend Minsc, but she is known for her sharp wits and dry sense of humor. She can be first found at the Last Light Inn during Act Two. If making the right choices, she can be recruited to the party. She is a widow and cannot be romanced by any character. Instead she serves as a mentor figure to the rest of the party.

“

Nature's servant awaits.

„

— Jaheira's catchphrase

Overview

Starting class

Before she is recruited, Jaheira is a level 8 Druid with the following Ability Scores: STR = 15, DEX = 14, CON = 17, INT = 10, WIS = 16, CH = 15. If she is recruited, then Jaheira changes to a level 1 Druid with the standard ability scores for that Class. Her default subclass is Circle of the Land. Jaheira has the Soldier background.

Personal quest

If recruited, Jaheira has a Companion Quest called  The High Harper.

Recruitment

Jaheira can be fully recruited only after having defeated Ketheric Thorm. Until then, she is only an Attached Follower. If still being allied with Jaheira after the Last Light Inn is destroyed, then the party can offer her to stay at the camp. She does so, but is not available as a Companion until Act 3.

Approval

Main article: Jaheira/approval

Jaheira favours direct approaches and is not interested in flattery. She loves snarky jokes, even at her own expense.

Romance

Unlike Baldur's Gate II, Jaheira cannot be romanced in Baldur's Gate 3.

Personality

Jaheira is a headstrong and opinionated woman. Charismatic and insightful, she has a sharp tongue and her wit can be deprecating to those for whom it is meant. She tends to make jokes out of serious situations and will approve the player character doing so. Despite being a wizened veteran of numerous wars, she maintains a healthy sense of humour and does not mind when she is the butt of a good joke.

During the events of the game, Jaheira is roughly 150 years old. Her experiences during her long life means she is rarely surprised and takes unexpected events calmly and unvexed. Her initial testing of the main party with truth-telling drugs, as well as her inquisitive reaction to The Dark Urge revealing their nature as a Bhaalspawn, show that she is very cautious about to whom she extends her trust. But once the party proves themselves, Jaheira is a loyal and stalwart ally who sees them as equals, never afraid to speak her mind and not sugarcoating the truth.

As one of the eldest and strongest of the Baldur's Gate Harpers, she commands the respect of most of the organisation. Meeting Harpers with Jaheira in the party shows that they almost always defer to her strength and experience. Her military background shows in her professionalism and cold analysis when dealing with most situations. One of the few exceptions to this is her old friend Minsc, whom Jaheira initially believed to be dead due to a combination of Minsc's recklessness and her own desire to put the safety of all Baldur's Gate above individual lives. She becomes enraged when it is revealed he was alive and being manipulated by Orin's Doppelgängers using her face. Once they reunite, their relationship is initially strained due to Jaheira not believing Minsc could be so easily manipulated, but they do eventually reaffirm their friendship.

Backstory

See Jaheira for full backstory

She was born in the nation of Tethyr to one of the nobles loyal to the king. When she was only a year old a Tethyrian civil war broke out and her family was killed by a mob of angry peasants. One of the servant girls took Jaheira and fled into the forest of Tethyr and stumbled upon an enclave of druids. They took them in and raised the child as their own. Jaheira grew up a very headstrong girl, very militant in her beliefs that the only way to protect nature is to have an active role in the world.

At some point Jaheira was introduced to the Harpers and joined them. There she met and fell in love with another Half-Elf named Khalid whom she saved from an attempted assassination by the Shadow Thieves. And though they have completely different characters, they married soon after and travelled the Sword Coast together.

The Iron Crisis & Shadows of Amn

During the events of the first Baldur's Gate game, Jaheira and Khalid were sent by the Harpers to investigate the Iron Crisis and the Nashkel mines. In the Friendly Arm Inn they waited for their old friend Gorion but met his ward instead. They traveled with Gorion's Ward (the protagonist of the previous Baldur's Gate games) to investigate the crisis which led to their confrontation with the culprit - Sarevok Anchev.

Sometime after Sarevok's defeat, the group parted ways for a while until they once again joined up alongside their friends, Gorion's Ward, Imoen, Minsc, and Dynaheir. After they left Baldur's Gate they were captured by Shadow Thieves and imprisoned in a dungeon beneath the city of Athkatla in Amn. She, Minsc and Imoen survived, but Dynaheir and her beloved husband Khalid were killed. Their captor was Jon Irenicus - an Elven wizard who wanted to steal the Bhaalspawn essence for himself. She eventually helped Gorion's Ward to defeat him.

Crusade against Ketheric

About 20 years later Jaheira alongside Harpers and druids of the Emerald Enclave fought Ketheric Thorm and his forces of Shar at Moonrise Towers. Their unified force managed to defeat Thorm and imprison him within his family's Mausoleum in Reithwin Town. The united army was scattered when Ketheric brought down the Shadow Curse upon the surrounding lands, twisting them into a horrifying place of deadly shadows and cursed beings.

Life in Baldur's Gate

Jaheira's home in Baldur's Gate

At some point later Jaheira made herself a home in Baldur's Gate where she raised her foster children Jord, Rion, Jhessem, Fig and Tate. But a Harper's life demanded her to spend a lot of time away from her home and children.

She has a private basement that looks like a Druid's cavern, and it is heavily trapped. The basement is inhabited by the Postmaster Badger and his messenger rats, whom he trains to be harper spies.

Jaheira keeps a key under a trapped bookcase which unlocks a secret door hidden behind the bookcase. This is where she keeps some of her most private items, such as Khalid's Gift and Rite of the Timeless Body.

After Minsc was rescued from his stone prison they reunited once again. They were the first to uncover information about the threat of the Absolute. Due to Minsc's eagerness to fight he got captured by the cultists and Jaheira, realizing that they were severely unprepared and unarmed against the cult decided to leave him in order to share news about the cult. She later regretted how easy she made the decision to leave him behind, knowing that he would never have done the same to her.

Last Light Inn

After learning of Ketheric's return, Jaheira quartered herself with a squad of Harpers at Last Light Inn, in the middle of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. From there, her scouts venture forth to keep a close watch on the cult's forces at Moonrise Towers.

Ever since she left her family for Last Light Inn they only ever got one sending message from her saying "I'm sorry, you know what to do."

Involvement

“

Unshackled from shadows, she will rise in moonlit glory and carve a path of brightness to the accursed one's second death. So sayeth the wise Alaundo.

„

— Jaheira on Dame Aylin

Act Two

"We fight, we die, and when our time comes we just hope that there is someone else to take our place."

When the party reaches Last Light Inn Jaheira is instantly wary of them and summons vines to stop them. She produces a Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen and explains that the mind flayer tadpoles react to those infected. She brings the specimen up to the party, and it reacts, causing Jaheira to believe the party are True Souls. Either Mol (if the tieflings were saved) or Marcus comes to their aid, vouching for them.

Jaheira is shocked at how that's possible. She demands answers. Jaheira insists on knowing the whole truth, not accepting any vague answers. Either by showing her the Mysterious Artefact or with a DC 21 check, Jaheira can be convinced to back down, to which she invites the party in for a drink. If the wine is smelled first (Medicine DC 10, or DC 6 for Rogues and Druids), a hint of Klauthgrass is detected - a truth serum. Jaheira's trust can be earned regardless of if the serum is drunk and the question she asks is the same - is the parasite changing the party? Jaheira refuses to believe an assertion that the parasite isn't doing anything, but she will believe an assertion that the party is resisting the urge to change.

Once Jaheira trusts the party, she explains the situation. The leader of Moonrise Towers is Ketheric Thorm. He's immensely powerful, and gifted with immortality. The Harpers are attempting to find a way to stop the cult and kill Thorm once and for all. The Harpers have had little luck, but Jaheira believes that the party can make a difference by infiltrating Moonrise as a True Soul. She tells the party to go upstairs and meet the cleric Isobel who is the one responsible for keeping Last Light Inn shielded.

Isobel's abduction

Main article: Resolve the Abduction

After Jaheira starts to trust the party, she refers them upstairs to gain a blessing from Isobel. When Marcus tries to abduct Isobel, the party can help him or try to stop him. If Isobel is taken or killed, everyone in the tavern except for Jaheira and the party is killed and turned into a shadow-cursed zombie. The party can lie to Jaheira, telling her they tried to stop Marcus. Jaheira can be invited to stay at their camp, but she will not become a companion until  Infiltrate Moonrise Towers is complete.

Assault on Moonrise Towers

Otherwise, if Isobel was saved Jaheira will continue to operate from Last Light Inn until the party are ready to defeat Thorm once and for all. When  Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic is complete Jaheira and her Harpers will then have already started the assault on the Moonrise Towers. If Dame Aylin was spared, Jaheira will see her assaulting Moonrise Towers.

She can be invited to join the party as an Attached Follower until getting to the towertop and defeating Ketheric for the first time. If not invited, she will fight alongside the party in the assault. As she is not shy about wading into melee combat directly, even against enemies who deal high damage, it is quite easy for her to die, and as she is not a companion at this point, she cannot be resurrected. Therefore it is recommended to be very mindful of protecting her, if the intent is to have her as a companion later.

When Ketheric escapes to the Mind Flayer Colony, Jaheira can be recruited as full companion or she she will stay at the towertop and then join the party in Act Three.

Act Three

Main article: The High Harper

Meeting the Harpers

In Danthelon's Dancing Axe

After Jaheira is recruited, in Wyrm's Crossing she will ask the party to visit the Harper safehouse in a shop called Danthelon's Dancing Axe. This starts her companion quest  The High Harper to rescue her old friend Minsc.

Upon entering the shop and speaking to the shopkeeper, Entharl Danthelon greets the party, although Jaheira tells him to skip the pleasantries if she is in the party. Entharl gives the key to a secret room X: -18 Y: 138 and the Harpers are waiting down the iron ladder.

Once down below, Harper Geraldus greets the party with a strange greeting - "May Selûne's Tears shine on this meeting." He again emphasizes Selûne's Tears a few moments later. A successful Insight check reveals that Geraldus isn't nervous but terrified and is using Selune's Tears as some sort of code. Jaheira mentions that the Harpers remind her of Marcus, implying that they are traitors laying a trap. Choosing to strike while Jaheira has them distracted makes the enemies  Surprised.

After the Harpers are defeated, they transform into doppelgangers and Geraldus explains that the rest of the Harpers were murdered or dragged away, while he was only kept alive to lay a trap for Jaheira. Jaheira suggests that the life of a Harper might be unsuited for Geraldus, as he endangered Entharl and others by going along with the doppelganger's plans, but she can be persuaded to think otherwise. Either way, Geraldus leaves and Jaheira explains that the main reason she sought out the Harpers was for more information on Minsc of Rashemen, who she had sent them after. Previously, Minsc and Jaheira had been investigating the cult together, but were separated and Jaheira had to leave him behind so that she could spread word of the cult to others.

Geraldus speaks in code.

With the Harpers gone, Jaheira needs a moment to think. She tells the party she has some ideas on how to proceed, but wants to consider whether this is truly her last resort. After arriving in the Lower City, she explains that her plan is to enlist the help of the Guild and Nine-Fingers Keene.

In the Guildhall

Keene is in her office, well aware of the Harper's entrance into her territory. She informs the party that she knows of Minsc already, and he is going by the new title of the Stone Lord. He now works for the Absolute and is decimating the members of the Guild. For that reason, she intends to take him down, but refuses to let the party confront Minsc themselves. However, there are plenty of other Guild members with loose lips, which eventually reveal, that the Guild intends to ambush Minsc at the vaults of the Counting House.

The vaults of the Counting House

Minsc is nearly swallowed by a Mimic.

Once inside the vaults, the deepest area of the room is straight ahead. The party must move forward beyond the locked door and then finally Minsc can be seen in the flesh. Unfortunately, Minsc disappears before he can be confronted. A group of Bhaalists attack the party as a parting gift.

Once the Bhaalists have been defeated, the party must search for clues on where Minsc went. Approaching the large vault at the end of the room X: -691 Y: 873, which was completely smashed by Minsc, and a successful perception check shows mud from the sewers.

The Sewers

Minsc can be found in the Abandoned Cistern. There are two possible ways to find Minsc: belowground and aboveground.

The valves that opens the sluice gate

• Belowground, it's necessary to jump the pipes above the caustic water X: -186 Y: 883 and defeat the Bhaalists guarding the area. Going north, there is an area with a Sluice Valve, which is stuck. It can be unstuck with a successful athletic check. The door is opened up then. Otherwise, it's necessary to interact with the temperature valve and the water level valve, timing it properly to open the door. The sluice tunnel leads to where Minsc is.

Pressure plates in the "Keep Out" room.

• Aboveground, there is a garden area north of the Steel Watch Foundry with a door that simply says "Keep Out." There are two pressure plates on the north and south walls of the room. Moving a party member or one of the crates in the room on each of them at the same time opens the door to a secret area. In this area is an ornate hatch that leads to the area where Minsc is.

Facing Minsc

After finding Minsc again, he will not see reason, as his tadpole is controlling him. He immediately attacks the party, along with a number of doppelgangers and cultists, as well as one Zhentarim. All Absolutists have to be killed. Taking down "Jaheira" the doppelganger elicits some panicked voice lines from Minsc. If the Zhentarim escape, they are found later in the Guildhall.

If Minsc dies here, Jaheira massively disapproves, slanders the party, and leaves permanently, concluding the quest. To avoid this, the party must knock Minsc out using non-lethal attacks.

The Emperor initially refuses to bring Minsc under his protection, stating that he is too unpredictable to help. However, he can be convinced to bring him under protection, particularly with Jaheira present. If Jaheira is not present, then Minsc can still be shown images of Jaheira alive and well, allowing him to be recruited. If Jaheira is dead, then Minsc cannot be recruited.

If Minsc is successfully recruited, he will rush off to find his friend Boo, smashing through several walls to the north. Following him and subsequently talking to Minsc and Jaheira resolves the quest  The High Harper.

Epilogue

Jaheira's behavior at the dinner party is slightly different based on whether Minsc was convinced to rely on her or not. The latter prompts her retirement.

In both of her endings, Jaheira talks of Baldur's Gate's reconstruction efforts and the roles her children, the Harpers, and Minsc have to play in it. She reveals Jord has joined the Harpers and is planning crop cycles in Wyrm's Crossing. Rion has temporarily joined the Flaming Fist, but she mostly spends her time incarcerating corrupt Fists. The player can ask her to join the Harpers and she will agree, even if they are a mindflayer. Otherwise, she asks the player character what "home" means to them, and they can answer with either Baldur's Gate, the campsite, Karlach (if they went to Avernus with her), their romantic partner, or nowhere because they prefer adventuring. She then dismisses herself to make sure no one tampers with the drinks.

Jaheira has no ambient chatter during the party, but she can be seen practicing the flute or swaying / tapping along to Milil's music.

High Harper

If she remained the High Harper, Jaheira mentions that she has to house people and rebuild the Harper network. She shares that she has little love for Baldur's Gate but chooses to serve the city for her family.

Retiree

If Minsc was convinced to be independent of her, Jaheira retires from the Harpers and settles down in Elerrathin's Home as a stay-at-home mother. She shares that she has done much more sitting down than she would like, she has been heavily involved in her children's lives, and they have proven themselves capable of restoring the city themselves. Jaheira confesses that she misses adventuring and that Baldur's Gate is, in fact, her home, but she remarks on how you only realize someplace is home once you leave it and look back. Talking to her a second time in this ending has her promise to stop writing so many letters back to the city - much to the player character's disbelief.

Related literature

• Creased Letter
• Harper Report: No Leads
• My Dearest Wife
• Orders from Jaheira
• Parchment (Jaheira's Home)
• Parchment (Last Light Inn)
• Rite of the Timeless Body
• Transcribed Sending
• Unsent Sending

Loot

Starting equipment

• Alchemy Pouch
• Camp Supply Sack
• Jaheira’s Boots
• Jaheira's Leather Armour
• Jaheira's Leather Gloves
• Jaheira's Respectable Clothes
• Jaheira's Tasteful Boots
• Jaheira's Underwear
• Sylvan Scimitar
• Scimitar +1

Gallery

• 

  Jaheira's model.

• 

  Camp model.

• 

  Underwear model.

• 

  In-game Portrait.

• 

  Render by Alena Dubrovina.

• 

  First appearance at Last Light Inn.

Notes

• Jaheira is voiced by Tracy Wiles, replacing Heidi Shannon from previous games.
• Unlike other companions, Jaheira, alongside Minsc, was revealed in a trailer at the Video Game Awards 2022.
• Jaheira has multiple references to her past voice lines, such as "Nature's servant awaits". Having her in the party during Act Three offers a lot of unique interactions that heavily reference the prior Baldur's Gate games.
• Jaheira's face matches her portrait from Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
• Before going into Moonrise Towers she quotes Alaundo the Seer (...so sayeth the wise Alaundo). His prophecy was a central point in the first Baldur's Gate game.
• It is possible to use  Speak with Dead on Jhaam in Grymforge. If Jaheira has not been met yet, the companions will comment on whether or not they recognize her name. Only Karlach knows exactly who she is, while Astarion and Wyll have heard of her and Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and Gale have no clue.
  • Astarion: The name sounds familiar - I hope we didn't meet on one of my little excursions.
  • Gale: Hmmm, that name doesn't ring a bell.
  • Lae'zel: I'm not familiar with that name. A Harper leader, perhaps.
  • Karlach: Hang on... High Harper Jaheira?! Saviour of Baldur's Gate? Incredible.
  • Shadowheart: Jaheira? Can't say I know the name.
  • Wyll: The name sounds familiar. A Harper leader, if I recall.

External links

Jaheira on the Forgotten Realms Wiki