Baldur's Gate
The Lord of Murder shall parish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown in their footsteps.
Disclaimer: I do not own Baldur's Gate, the Forgotten realms or any of the characters from the game or the R.A Salvatore novels. I'm just borrowing them and I'm not making any money off of it. Andromeda, however is mine, so don't use her without asking.
Summery: The story of Baldur's Gate told with a female protagonist.
By: Lhianann-Sidhe
Prologue
Andromeda scowled at her refection in the windowpanes. She was fourteen, though she certainly didn't look it. Too slender, and far too small, she looked like a child.
No, that wasn't right, she looked like an elf. An ugly elf.
Imoen keep telling her that it wouldn't be long; she couldn't possibly look like that forever. Eventually Andromeda would fill out and become very pretty, she certainly had pleasing features. Exotic, Imoen had said. Andromeda's grandfather had been from Kara-Tur, and it showed in Andromeda.
Andromeda had always wished it hadn't, the other children had delighted in tormenting her about her unusual appearance, not that there were many children in Candlekeep. Imoen said that they teased her because they were jealous.
She snorted. It was easy for Imoen to say that. Imoen was beautiful. Tall and slender, with honey blond hair, that, in the right light, picked up oddly pink tones. She was just starting to grow into womanhood. The boys were starting to notice Imoen.
Imoen had once said that wouldn't be surprised if someday Andromeda grew up to be a great beauty. Andromeda had laughed and said she would rather be a great warrior. To that her friend replied that if her lessons were any indication, she would likely be a great hero as well as a great beauty.
Andromeda smiled at the memory. She loved to fight. She was proud of the skill she already possessed. By the time she was ten, the other children had stopped including her in their makeshift tournaments. By the time she was twelve she could hold her own against many of the keep's guards. She had Gorion to thank for that, of course.
Gorien was her foster father. He had taken her in after her mother died in childbirth. Of her real father, Andromeda knew nothing.
Andromeda was thankful to Gorion. He had raised her as if she was his own child cared for her, taught her. She loved him as a father.
He raised her on stories, tales of heroes, wizards, and dragons. He told her tales of imaginary battles and real ones. He spoke of the Time of Troubles and told her about the heroes of Icewind Dale. She spent her days watching over the walls of Candlekeep, wishing that she could travel the Realms. She wanted nothing more then to become one of those great and noble warriors.
Gorion had originally wanted to train Andromeda as a wizard not a warrior. However it soon became apparent that Andromeda had neither the skill, nor the patience to become a skilled mage. So her foster father had found her an instructor to train her as a warrior.
He was Kara-Turian, tall and severe. He seemed to be a friend of Gorion's, a good friend. He spent years training Andromeda, yet he never requested payment. She knew very little about him. Gorion called him Nagayoshi, but Andromeda wasn't allowed to refer to him as such. She tried questioning Gorion about her instructor's origins, but he refused to tell her anything. Asking Nagayoshi about his past directly, was out of the question, she had never met anyone more intimidating in her life. However as frightening as her instructor was, she excelled under his care. He taught her fighting styles common to both the realms and Kara-Tur.
She would never forget her first lesson. She had been too confident, and her teacher soon made her regret it. Afterwards she had been certain that he would refuse to teach such an incompetent child anything.
Andromeda had gone to speak with her foster father, only to find that Nagayoshi was already there. She had hid behind the door and listened. What she heard gave her hope, and raised questions.
"She has talent," Nagayoshi, had said.
"She needs discipline" he foster father replied.
"A surprising child, and such strength! I had thought it impossible!"
"It is impossible."
"Her father then?"
"How else?"
"Are you certain of this?" the warrior questioned.
"Yes, there can be no doubt."
"And the other orphan, the one called Imoen?"
There Gorion hesitated, "Yes, Imoen as well, I think, though it is not as apparent."
"Do you wish me to instruct her as well?"
"Imoen? No I think her skill lays elsewhere."
"Have you told them?"
"Told them what?"
"About their father."
"Of course not! They're only children! How would they take that particular revelation?"
"They have a right to know, if what you say is true."
"I will tell them. But they're far too young, when they are older, perhaps."
Andromeda had run off then, at the sound of approaching footsteps. Later, she had tried questioning Gorion about her real father, but he either refused to tell her or professed ignorance.
"Andromeda!" The sound of Imoen's voice pulled Andromeda out of her reverie. "Andi!" Andromeda cringed at the sound of her nickname. She hated it. It made her sound like boy.
"Coming Imoen!" she called as she raced out the door.
Her best friend waited at the bottom of the stairs. She gave Andromeda a panicked look. "You have to help me!" she squeaked.
Andromeda sighed, "What have you done this time?"
"Nothing! I swear it wasn't me this time." She started glancing around nervously.
"Imoen! Keep your voice down! You're in a library!" Andromeda took deep calming breaths. "Okay, tell me what happened." She said as she led Imoen to her room and closed the door.
"Well, you see there was this rich noble. He and his wife came to consult some books on heraldry or something like that. And she brought this necklace, I saw it my self it was really nice. And now she says someone broke into their room and took it."
Andromeda groaned "So of course now everyone thinks you did it."
"I can't possibly think why." Imoen stammered.
"You know very well why! Whenever anything disappears, it's always you!" Andromeda scolded.
"Well sure, sometimes as practical jokes, but I'd never take something for real. I'm not a thief!"
"You are a thief, but that's besides the point." Andromeda looked over her friend's face. "Okay, I believe you. What do you want me to do?" she sighed.
"Well just tell them I was here with you, they'll believe you."
"I can't lie to Gorion!"
"Please, it's not like I did anything wrong, and they won't believe me otherwise!" Imoen pleaded.
"Alright, alright, fine, I'll do it. But if I find out that you really did take it I'll make you regret it"
"Great, thank you so much." Imoen smiled. "So how did lessons go today? The grouchy guy throttle you again?" Imoen asked.
Andromeda smiled back. "Nope, well, not as much a usual. But he did say that his old arms couldn't take anymore of my young blows. That and I broke a wooden sparing sword."
Imoen laughed at that. "How did you manage that?"
Andromeda blushed, "Well I swung at him and he moved and I sort of hit a tree with it. It broke and the pieces went flying all over."
"I wish I could do that," at Andromeda's look Imoen chuckled. "You've a gift, you're one of the strongest people I know, and look how young ya are. You are gonna to be a force to be feared, Andromeda, and I'm going to be there to see it."
* * * * * * *
Andromeda looked out over the causeway leading away from Candlekeep from the fortress walls. Her mentor, Nagayoshi, had walked down that path not long ago, only three days before her sixteenth birthday. Andromeda knew he would never return.
So much had changed over the past few years.
Imoen had taken up archery when Gorion gave her a bow. She had found she had a natural talent for it, and her new hobby kept her fingers out of other people's purses. Andromeda approved of the change, even if Imoen was a little lax in her practice. The episode with the noblewoman's necklace had forced Imoen to realize what the consequences of thievery could be.
Gorion had taken Andromeda's word when she told him that Imoen was not responsible, the nobles, Lord and Lady Torven, and their young son Kalen, had not. But Imoen was spared when, Andromeda, noticing a bird's nest, climbed a tree to get at the eggs. To her surprise she found three magpie eggs, a bit of shiny wire, a small ring, and a pendent on a gold chain. Andromeda had returned the necklace to Lady Torven, who apologized to Imoen, but since no one claimed the ring Andromeda had offered it as a donation to the Candlekeep's temple. The priest had laughed and insisted that Andromeda keep it as reward for her discovery.
Andromeda ran her finger over the small blue stone. She had changed most of all.
Puberty, late in coming, had hit her fast and hard. She soon found herself taller than Imoen. She no longer resembled a child by any stretch of the imagination. Her legs seemed to have grown longer, her muscles firmer and her figure decidedly more curvy. She wasn't certain she approved of the latter. As a child Andromeda had desperately wanted to grow. Now she thought adulthood was more trouble then it was worth.
The windowpanes no longer reflected a bright-eyed child; instead they showed a pretty, yet oddly severe young woman. Four feet of hair, pulled into a tight braid framed a pale, green-eyed face. Her eyes were Kara-Turian, though the rest of her features were not. Imoen said she was beautiful.
Andromeda hated it.
As a child her unusual appearance set her apart, now it singled her out completely. She wanted acceptance more then anything else when she was younger. She had no friends, save Imoen and now Noochie, young priest in training, but then Imoen was like that, she made friends with everyone, and Noochie was new to Candlekeep.
When other children were playing games, she was receiving lessons from Nagayoshi. She didn't mind very much at first, but as time went on it became increasingly obvious that Candlekeep's small group of children was avoiding her, all except for Imoen.
Andromeda wondered, briefly, why Imoen's opinions mattered to her so much.
Andromeda pulled her gaze away from the causeway. That morning Gorion had told her that they were leaving Candlekeep. He hadn't even given her a warning. He had just come to speak with her, interrupting her morning chores. Imoen was staying behind, and so was Noochie. She didn't want to leave them, but the thought of leaving Candlekeep excited and frightened her. Freedom at last! Her careful inquiries to Gorion had yielded no results; she hadn't expected them to. She never seemed to get answers from him.
She walked along the wall, feeling the weight of her new long swords at her waist. They had been early birthday presents from Gorion and Nagayoshi, and Nagayoshi has trained her in their use. Since she was ambidextrous, she should learn how to use two blades, or so Nagayoshi had said, but she still seemed to get the two blades tangled together far too often for her own liking. He had also said that she should be wielding a katana, but it was impossible to find such fine Kara-Turian weapons in this part of the realms.
Andromeda ran her fingers over the hilts. A weak tingle of magic tickled her fingers. Both blades held a minor enchantment that Gorion had laid upon them. She was thankful for the gift, even if she couldn't use it properly.
She gazed down from the wall. She could see the temple from her vantagepoint. Andromeda had already said goodbye to Imoen, now it was time to say goodbye to Noochie.
She looked over to the branches of a nearby tree. If she made the jump she could then climb down in a fraction of the time it would take her to go down the stairs in one of the guard towers. She smiled to herself. This was going to be fun.
She carefully positioned herself and leapt. She was free in the air for a sickening moment before her fingers wrapped around the tree branch. She held on and so did the limb, apparently it was strong enough. Unfortunately the limb bellow it wasn't. As soon as she landed on it she heard a load cracking sound. Her fall made a spectacular amount of noise.
As Andromeda straitened up and dusted herself off she heard someone laughing behind her. She turned around to find herself looking into Kalen's face, amusement in his eyes.
When Lord and Lady Torven had returned home they had left their son Kalen behind, to be properly schooled. Andromeda thought it was because they couldn't stand him, she certainly couldn't. He was her age, handsome, with noble features, and shoulder length black hair. Just then, those features were twisted into a smirk.
"My you're certainly durable."
"Go away Kalen, I don't want to talk to you today." She said as she brushed past him.
He caught her wrist as she passed. "Oh? And why is that?" he asked
She pulled her hand away with surprising ease. "I just don't."
He scowled and called after her as she walked away. "Wait! I was told that you are leaving Candlekeep."
She turned to look at him, studying his face for signs that he was going to insult her again. "Yes, what of it?"
He looked at her with sincerity in his eyes, "Just wanted to say goodbye," he then grinned mischievously "And I was wondering if I was going to get a goodbye kiss."
Andromeda almost slapped him, before she reminded herself that slapping a noble's son, and most likely dislodging his jaw, would not have been wise under any circumstances. She simply had to content herself with stomping off and ignoring his calls after her.
* * * * * * *
Noochie was not in the temple, so she went instead to the priest's rooms. He was not there either, but someone else was.
The man grinned at her with bad teeth. "You're Gorion's brat, aren't you?"
Andromeda studied the man; she did not know him. He was dirty and his clothing was torn. He smelled of alcohol. "I am his child, if that's what you mean." She replied carefully.
"No you're not his child, not his real child anyway. You wouldn't be of any use to me if you were."
"Use to you?" she echoed in confusion.
"You're my ticket out of this life." He grinned as he drew a dagger.
The second before he attacked her, a though ran through her mind. What kind of idiot would attack someone carrying a sword, with only a dagger?
She took a step back before drawing her blade. For a moment she forgot her training. She stumbled back a few more steps and almost lost her balance before she remembered to attack. With one blow she knocked the dagger from his hand, with a second she pierced his heart.
His body crumpled before her. He was dead. She had killed a man. She cleaned her blade and put it back in its sheath. She felt nothing except… elation? Pride? In a moment the feeling was gone and suddenly she realized what she had done. She screamed.
Andromeda ran out the door as fast as she could. On the way out she collided with Noochie. He caught her and she found herself looking into his plain face and concerned eyes.
"Andromeda! What's wrong? I heard you scream." He asked.
She stared into his eyes for a moment longer, and then broke down crying into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Noochie! There was a man in there and he tried to kill me, but I killed him, I didn't have to, but I did." She sobbed.
"Slow down! What happened? And why is your arm bleeding?"
Andromeda looked down at her arm and saw that it was covered with blood. She stared at it as the blood seeped into Noochie's plain green robe.
When had that happened? She didn't remember her attacker cutting her, but apparently he had.
"Andromeda! Andromeda!" Noochie was shaking her. "Andromeda, tell me what happened!"
She looked up into his big blue eyes, took a calming breath and told him.
Noochie took her to talk to one of the guards, and she told him what happened. Noochie healed the cut on her arm. Then she told the head priest what had happened, and then she told the Captain of the Guard. Then Imoen and Gorion showed up and Noochie told them what had happened. Andromeda went through the whole process in a state of shock.
The Guards cleared her of any wrongdoing; she had been protecting herself. Andromeda wasn't sure that they were entirely correct. The second after she disarmed the man he was helpless. She could have held him at sword point and called for help, but some part of her had insisted she kill him. She had wanted to kill him.
When Gorion learned of the attack on her life, he announced that they were leaving that very night. Imoen accompanied Andromeda to her room to help her pack.
"Are you okay? I mean, you don't look so well." Imoen stuttered as they entered Andromeda's room.
Andromeda looked around the room for a moment, taking in every detail. She had kept it perfectly clean, Spartan in its simplicity. It was very much unlike the insane mess that Imoen called her own.
"I'm fine Imoen, really."
"You don't look fine." Imoen replied, suspiciously
"I'm okay, really." Andromeda added, "I'll be fine. After all," she said with a weak smile, "Heroes kill evil people all time, and they don't feel bad about it." She knew it was a ridiculous excuse, but she had to say something.
"Okay, if you say so." Imoen started folding Andromeda's plain clothing, tunics and hose, and putting it in a bag. Andromeda walked over to her small table and picked up a simple pencil sketch of her mother. It was the only way she could imagine how her mother had looked. She had been a close friend of Gorion's and when she had become ill she had asked him to take care to Andromeda, who was only an infant during the time. Large dark eyes, strait black hair, she looked very much like Andromeda did, and Gorion said they acted very much alike as well.
Andromeda put the picture into her pack. She looked around her room for anything else to take with her. She didn't have many possessions. No dolls or toys, nothing that she wanted to take with her. Then she remembered her flute. She found the small wooden instrument by her window. She placed it in the pack and closed it.
Imoen was watching her sadly. "I'm gonna miss you. Ya know."
Andromeda smiled weakly. "Don't worry, I'll come back and tell you all about it."
"Promise?" Imoen asked weakly.
"Promise." Andromeda replied.
* * * * * * *
Andromeda looked out the gates of Candlekeep; Gorion stood near her as they watched the sun begin to set. Freedom at last! She thought to herself. Yet some part of her could not help but feel she would miss her childhood home. Imoen and Noochie were standing near by. Kalen was watching from next to one of the trees.
"Listen very carefully." Gorion began, "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arms Inn. There you will find Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends and you can trust them."
Andromeda nodded her understanding as they set out.
* * * * * * *
It took far longer then she had expected to cross the causeway. By the time they were traveling through the forest it was full dark. Andromeda could have sworn that she saw the forms of wolves or other creatures lurking in the darkness. Gorion had insisted that they leave the rode, for some reason or another. Andromeda saw a series of stone rings set in the ground in front of them and began to slow.
Gorion, noticing her lagging, tried to hurry her along. "Let's hurry child, the night can only get worse and we must find shelter soon. Don't worry, I will explain everything as soon as there is time." Her heart thrilled at that. She was to be told the truth at last. But then her father began to slow as well. "Wait, there is something amiss" Gorion halted completely. "We are in an ambush." He hissed.
"You're perceptive for an old man." Came a voice from the shadows. A tall armored man stepped out of the shadows between the trees. Soon other shapes followed his lead. Andromeda counted five; at least two of those were the towering forms of ogres. There may have been more figures then that, she couldn't be certain in the gloom. The armored monstrosity spoke again, "You know why I'm here! Hand over your ward and no one will be hurt. If you resist it will be a waste of your life."
Gorion scoffed at that, "You're a fool if you think I would trust your benevolence! Now step aside and you and your lackeys will be unhurt."
At her father's last comment, Andromeda could see the forms tensing for battle.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way, old man." With those last words the man in armor and his companions moved to attack.
"Run child!" Gorion called out, but Andromeda was already charging the nearest ogre.
"And leave you to fight by yourself? No chance!" Maybe she couldn't handle killing people, but ogres weren't really people, she told herself. She thought back to her studies, Ogres were exceptionally strong, but not very intelligent or fast. As the ogre brought down its first clumsy blow, Andromeda countered easily, and launched into an attack routine of her own. The creature blocked or dodged the first three blows, but the fourth and fifth hit their marks. For a second the creature was staring at its own intestines, before collapsing into a bloody, unmoving pile. As the ogre fell to the ground the blood splattered across young warrior's face. For a moment she felt that same feeling of elation. She adjusted her grip on her long sword and spun around to face her next opponent.
Gorion seemed to be looked in combat with the armored man. The body of the other ogre, and at least one mage lay dead on the ground, the product of Gorion's spells. Andromeda, about to aid her father in his battle, suddenly heard what sounded like chanting coming from near by. She spun around quickly, and the action saved her life.
A second wizard had been hidden behind one of the ogres, and now she shot her spell at Andromeda. The flaming arrow struck her in the arm. She cried out in pain and rage. Injured and angered, Andromeda charged the wizard, who fumbled to prepare a spell. The magic did not come soon enough; Andromeda slashed the mages throat out in an instant. The woman collapsed before the enraged warrior. Andromeda peered down at her face. She wasn't a woman, but rather a girl! The dead body was not much older than Andromeda was herself.
"Please child, run!" Gorion called out once again, before letting one of his last spells loose at his attacker.
Frightened, confused, and injured, Andromeda ran.
Author's note: Greetings,
As those of you that read the story before can see, I've made a lot of changes, and expanded some bits, as well as correcting some of the spelling. I've been working on the next chapter, and now that school's out I should have much more time. Thank you for reading, and I accept all reviews! I apologize about the way it wouldn't accept anonymous reviews before.
BTW Kara-Tur is more or less equivalent to medieval Japan.