The world of Baldur’s Gate 3 has thousands of gods. However, a chaotic evil one has somehow managed to have a huge temple in the middle of the most important city in Act 3. Why is that?
Which temple are we talking about? The temple in question is located in the middle of Baldur’s Gate, the titular city in the third act of Baldur’s Gate 3. You can find Umberlee’s temple in the Undercity, near the docks of the Gray Harbor.
The quite large temple houses the priestesses of Umberlee, who are holding a burial ceremony upon your first entrance. Within this, you can also take on a quest to avenge a deceased priestess.
However, Umberlee is a chaotic evil sea goddess – evil just like the three gods of death Myrkul, Bahl, and Bane. Only much more unpredictable. So why does a city like Baldur’s Gate have a temple in her honor right at the harbor?
A god for every occasion
Why does Baldur’s Gate have this temple? In the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the underlying pen & paper Dungeons & Dragons, most inhabitants do not pray to just one god, but to several. There is a specific god for every occasion to whom one can call upon and make a sacrifice when their blessing is needed.
Here are a few examples:
- Lathander, whose dilapidated temple you can visit in Act 1, is one of the most important gods and is worshipped for birth, renewal, spring, and youth, among other things.
- Mystra, Gale’s goddess and former lover, is worshipped by all mages, as she is considered the mother of all magic.
- Shar, the goddess of darkness, secrets, and cunning, is worshipped not only by mysterious people like Shadowheart but also by miners and those who want to forget something.
This means that a mage becoming a father not only prays to Mystra but will also ask Lathander for his favor so that his offspring safely sees the light of day. A miner may devote himself to Shar, but might also seek the help of her hated sister Selûne, the goddess of life, knowledge, and twilight, to ensure his survival in the mines.
That cities would have multiple temples of different, possibly evil gods in the city center is therefore not so far-fetched. The house of worship of Umberlee makes a lot of sense in Baldur’s Gate.
Why is there a temple for Umberlee in Baldur’s Gate? Umberlee is a goddess of wrath, also known as the Queen of the Depths or the Fury Queen. She is active on the seas, and her favorite pastime is to drag ships into the shallows.
Baldur’s Gate is a port city with vibrant sea trade. Hundreds of ships come and go day in and day out. Fishing boats head out to sea to catch fresh fish for the coming morning.
But precisely because Baldur’s Gate and its (temporary) inhabitants are so dependent on the favor of the sea gods, the large temple makes sense: This way, the Fury Queen can (hopefully) be appeased and the ships sailing around Baldur’s Gate can be well-disposed. Thus, sailors only have to fight against the normal dangers on the oceans.
In general, gods play a fairly large role in Baldur’s Gate 3. The eternal conflict between Shar and Selûne shapes the entire second act. The temple of Lathander from the first act is now the headquarters of a Githyanki unit. Also, the companions Gale and Shadowheart wrestle with their own gods. By the way, if the latter keeps missing with you, we have the solution for you here: Shadowheart misses again and again with the new spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, players say: You are using them wrong
