Throne of Bhaal Overview

Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is the expansion pack for the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn by BioWare, and is the final chapter in the Baldur's Gate series. It adds a multi-level dungeon called Watcher's Keep to the Baldur's Gate II game, as well as extending the main plot line to its conclusion. There are also several new powerful weapons, a higher level cap, a further refined Infinity Engine (graphics) and new class-related feats and magical skills. A novelization of the game exists, written by Drew Karpyshyn.

Features

 * The final chapter of Bhaalspawn saga that culminates the Bhaalspawn story. Set in new locations in Tethyr.
 * 40 level limit, new high-level monsters and items.
 * New optional dungeon that could be accessed from both original Shadows of Amn game and Throne of Bhaal campaign: the legendary Watcher's Keep, where the great demon prince Demogorgon is held captive.
 * All of the previous recruitable NPCs from Shadows of Amn are available with the exception of Yoshimo. The expansion disc adds Sarevok to the game, who is resurrected (albeit with none of his original divine essence) who may join the player's party.

Plot
War breaks out throughout Tethyr between the agitated Bhaalspawn, who are numerous and fight each other for power. The player must venture through treacherous regions, including the besieged city of Saradush, the Fire Giant-controlled Marching Mountains, and the desert village of Amkethran. Five legendary Bhaalspawn, each so powerful that they are impervious to normal weapons, rise to power and notoriety, forcing the player character to defeat them either for personal glory or for the fate of Tethyr.

As the story progresses, the Five kill all their brethren despite the efforts of Mellisan, a woman who wanted to save all the innocent Bhaalspawn and tried to keep them safe in Saradush. Only when the player kills off the Five and uncovers his own power within the pocket plane under the Solar's guide is the truth revealed: Mellisan is in fact Amelyssan the Blackhearted, the mastermind behind the Five and the slaughter of all the Bhaalspawn. She was once Bhaal's high priestess, to whom he entrusted the task of his resurrection. She does not intend to resurrect the god, however; instead, she is preparing to become goddess of Murder herself.

With all quests finished and all Bhaalspawn killed, the player must journey to the planar Throne of Bhaal for the great final battle against Amellysan. Ultimately, the player is presented with the choice of ascending the throne of Bhaal and becoming a diety, or destroying it and continuing life as a mortal. The path the Main Character's life takes after this decision is based choices the character made up that point such as who the Main Character romanced and whether the Main Character was good or evil.

Sarevok
 When the time of the fulfilment of Alaundo’s prophecy about the Bhaalspawn was near, the player character was summoned to the Pocket Plane in Bhaal’s realm once again. Once there, they encountered Sarevok’s wraith again, this time approaching them of his own volition. He bargained to live again, offering information vital to the player character - the knowledge of how to open the magical portal to the first of the challenges they had to face to get to know themselves better in preparation for their role in the prophecy. In return, he wanted an insignificantly small piece of either the player character's or Imoen's divine soul. The player character had to comply because they could not advance otherwise, and Sarevok was restored to life, no longer a Bhaalspawn, technically alive but still in a strange in-between state, neither one thing nor the other. He also proposed to join the player character, offering his considerable martial skills and knowledge to help them achieve the destiny he could not.

 Once Sarevok has been restored, the player has the option of recruiting him as an NPC, or telling him to leave, never to be seen again. Further, they have the choice of having him swear an oath of loyalty that will work like a  geas , or just trusting him. He is unsure what to do with his newly regained life and as the game progresses, through certain dialogues, it will be possible to redeem him from evil to good alignment. (In an unmodified version of the game, these dialogues do not all activate properly.) Besides of his considerable battle prowess, Sarevok has to offer to the player character the knowledge he has accumulated about the Bhaalspawn prophecy - though he the same as everyone else has not realized its true nature, especially as he imagined it was about himself.

 There have been rumors that Sarevok cannot change alignment to chaotic good if he swears the oath. The rumors are incorrect and he can still change to a good alignment after he takes an oath, but some of the dialogues between the player and Sarevok are different depending on if he is made to swear an oath.

Characters
The Five Bhaalspawn destroying Tethyr and attempting to fulfill the prophecy are: Other prominent NPCs are:
 * Melissan: A mysterious woman who meets the main character early in the game and offers help and information. Melissan claims to help the innocent Bhaalspawn who are caught up in the war and solicits the main character's help throughout the story. Her real motives remain mysterious throughout most of the game. Her true name is revealed to be Amelyssan the Blackhearted, and she is the mastermind behind the Five and the deaths of all Bhaalspawns. She is to become the new goddess of Murder and is the final enemy in the Baldur's Gate saga. Voiced by Heidi Shannon.
 * Illasera: A weak human Bhaalspawn with a lot of bravado. She is the first Bhaalspawn the player character encounters in the Throne of Bhaal. Voiced by Grey DeLisle.
 * Yaga-Shura: A Fire Giant besieging the city of Saradush with his army. He would be invulnerable but for his Achilles' heel, his heart, whose destruction renders him vulnerable but no less fearsome. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
 * Sendai: Drow Cleric/Mage. The player character does not get the chance to draw swords against her immediately but must first defeat wave after wave of statues of Sendai, all of different classes. Voiced by Vanessa Marshall.
 * Abazigal: A half-dragon of great power. The player character has to first kill his son, Draconis, outside Abazigal's lair before setting up a meeting with him. Both Abazigal and Draconis begin fighting in human forms before changing into their immensely more powerful dragon forms during their respective encounters. Abazigal is voiced by Jim Cummings.
 * Balthazar: A good-aligned Monk of immense power, who feels the only way to destroy the curse of Bhaal is to become the Lord of Murder, and then end his own life. Such is his power that he is even immune to the Timestop spell. Voiced by Jeff Osterhage.
 * Gromnir Il-Khan: A half-orc Bhaalspawn who is the leader of the town of Saradush. While at the beginning it is believed that he is mad and paranoid, his wild theories about Melissan turn out to be perfectly true. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
 * Cespenar: An imp who can refer to his 'secret recipes' in order to forge wonderful weapons from special bits of items that the player collects along the journey. He claims that he is the main character's private butler and respects him/her as the "Great One". Voiced by Jeff Bennett.
 * Solar: A Celestial guide of the player character. She resides inside the pocket plane, the place dedicated to the PC, who has to uncover all his potential by overcoming challenges and revealing his own origins. Voiced by Charity James.
 * Demogorgon: A demon prince of tremendous power and arguably the most difficult opponent in the series, included in the Watcher's Keep expansion area as an optional boss. Voiced by Jim Cummings.