Baldur's Gate 3 has cemented its status as an unprecedented success for developer Larian Studios, and one of the game's strongest elements is its commitment to faithfully adapting the Forgotten Realms. The most popular setting of Dungeons and Dragons, the Forgotten Realms contains the planet Toril and the continent Faerun where Baldur's Gate 3 takes place. Other celestial bodies exist alongside Toril, but even all this space only encompasses the Prime Material Plane, one of several within the multiversal Great Wheel cosmology that play a big role in Baldur’s Gate 3.

In a world ruled over by a multitude of factions and deities, Shar, goddess of darkness, has proven to be a major force in the game’s world and narrative alike. Worshiped by the companion Shadowheart, most players will be familiar with the constant praises and religious rantings of the Sharran cleric. A paradoxical being who desires the end of all existence, it’s no surprise that the goddess can lead both Shadowheart and the player down a dark path. With the game featuring a plane known as the Shadowfell that was created by Shar herself, the lore behind the dark reflection of the normal world has never been more relevant.

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The Shadowfell's Major Role in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3

It may seem like a distant bit of lore, but the Shadowfell has directly actually affected any player that has made it into Baldur's Gate 3's second act. The Shadow-Cursed Lands precede the city of Baldur’s Gate itself, and the curse afflicting the area is a deadly obstacle that can be overcome in several ways. Through a questline involving Halsin, the truth of the Shadow Curse can be revealed to be related to Thaniel, the spirit of the land that appears as a young boy. Half of this spirit has been sealed away within the Shadowfell, allowing Shar to curse the entire region.

The Shadowfell is key to the environment of Act 2, but the plane plays an even more significant role when it is visited at the end of the Gauntlet of Shar. Shadowheart’s quest sees her making it through the temple’s trials to earn the title of Dark Justiciar from her goddess, but one of the story’s most key decisions determines her fate here. Upon reaching the Shadowfell, slaying the Aasimar known as Nightsong is required to earn the status of Dark Justiciar. Major plot ramifications take place regarding her fate, as following Shar’s will and killing her will allow the Shadow Curse to consume even the Last Light Inn.

The Plane of the Shadowfell Within the Great Wheel

The Shadow Curse seen in Baldur’s Gate 3 exemplifies the corrupting nature of Shar and her plane of the Shadowfell, but the dark mirror to the Prime Material Plane has already existed in some form for several editions of Dungeons and Dragons. The Plane of Shadow and the Negative Energy Plane served similar purposes in the past, but Shar and the trickster god Cyric assassinated the goddess Mystra in an event known as the Spellplague that then allowed the dark goddess to reshape these planes into the Shadowfell.

There are many consistent details between the representation of the Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3 and the plane’s origin within the source material, but there are also many aspects of it that the game has left out within its limited depiction. The realm appears illuminated with dark energy as it’s seen in its video game incarnation, but it has actually always been described as a colorless place featuring a black sky devoid of any light.

There is a litany of creatures known to only inhabit this realm, along with the Shadar-Kai variant of Elves and Domains of Dread ruled by powerful lords. With future DLC expansions for Baldur's Gate 3 already being requested, a deeper look into the Shadowfell could be a welcome addition.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently available on PC and is slated for a September 6, 2023 release for PlayStation 5.

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