When reaching the Shadow Cursed Lands in Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3, you will be dealing with the many dangers presented by the Thorms. This family used to rule the lands before the corruption and now still maintains their titles, even though they are cursed themselves.
While you’ll learn plenty about Ketheric Throm and his cult of the Absolute, the other family members are more of a mystery. They make for memorable boss fights, but there’s very little to know about them beyond the mechanics they have, so who are these other cursed Thorms?
Ketheric Thorm
Centuries ago, Ketheric Thorm was a loyal follower of Selune, and he ruled the Moonrise Towers in his goddess’s name. That was a time of peace, and the lands around the Towers were a paradise for other followers of the Moon goddess.
He enjoyed spending time with his wife, Melodia, and their daughter, Isobel. But tragedy would strike him twice, first having his wife die and then his darling Isobel soon following.
It’s believed that Shar had something to do with both deaths, but it isn’t confirmed.
Overwhelmed with loss, he turned his devotion towards Shar, goddess of darkness, and made an army in her name. This massive force was meant to conquer the entire Sword Coast, and Ketheric had the means and skill to do so.
Fortunately, his forces were defeated by the combined efforts of Harpers and Druids, but on his dying breath, he cast a curse on the lands around Moonrise Towers. This deep Shadow Curse was summoned in Shar’s name, corrupting every living thing and turning it into an undead abomination.
Some years later, Ketheric is resurrected as an avatar of Myrkul, one of the Dead Three. Myrkul promised Ketheric to give him what he wanted most: his darling Isobel resurrected. In return, he would enact Myrkul’s will on the Material Plane.
Shar likely did not consider Ketheric a traitor for becoming faithful to Myrkul, since the two deities are known allies.
Ketheric once again rose to form an army, this time of undead. And with the Avatars of the other Dead Three, he prepares to conquer the world once more. To do this, the three of them subdue an Elder Brain, putting the entire story of Baldur’s Gate 3 into motion.
Isobel Thorm
Isobel is a half-elf who grew up in a caring home, becoming a cleric of Selune herself. When her mother died, she was her father’s sole comfort, and while he could be harsh, there was plenty of good in his heart.
Since the Moonrise Towers were a place of such divine devotion to Selune, the goddess sent one of her own daughters, Dame Aylin, as a reward for their worship. Aylin and Isobel ended up falling for each other, making them a beacon of light in an already wonderful place.
Sometime after that, Isobel died, but the nature of her death is unknown even to her. A hundred years later, she’s fully resurrected by her father, who tells her Aylin has died; this was a lie since Ketheric was using Aylin to fuel his own invulnerability.
Sensing a darkness within Ketheric, Isobel ran away into the Shadow Cursed Lands and the dangers within. She prayed for a safe haven, and Selune answered, shielding her and her surroundings against the curse.
She can now be met by players that start Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3, staying at the Last Light Inn alongside Jaheira and her Harpers. She can extend her blessing to others, giving people the ability to traverse the Curse without being affected themselves.
Gerringothe Thorm
Very little is known about Gerringothe apart from her profession and last name. Just like the other Thorm members around the Shadow Cursed Lands, you need to rely on context clues to get to know them, since there’s no way to ask Ketheric about them.
What we do know is that Gerringothe was a toll collector, and she was obsessed with doing her job diligently. The curse has left her with nothing beyond her gold collecting task, with her being completely encased in gold, leaving some to question if there’s even a body under that.
As far as Gerringothe’s relationship with Ketheric, with no information to go by, she’s likely a cousin or some other far-off relative.
Yet Gerringothe doesn’t actually like her job, which is why you can avoid the fight if you convince her she doesn’t have to do it anymore. If you successfully convince her, she’ll simply leave, almost as if her soul can finally rest.
Malus Thorm
Malus Thorm is an Elven surgeon, a fanatical devotee of Shar, and Ketheric’s uncle. While the Malus you can meet in the game is twisted and cursed, the way he was in life was no less corrupted; he was already using corpses and living beings for his experiments.
He was in charge of the House of Healing, a hospital of sorts that was very selective about who it attended. The traditional healing was reserved for Shar Justiciars and other Shar followers, while other people were either turned down or used for experiments.
These experiments were likely just as twisted as what he performs in the game, looking into the nature of pain and how Shar liberates people through it. It’s unknown if his mechanical enhancements were already his or caused by the curse, but considering the state of the other Thorms, the latter is more likely.
Since we know that he was a Shar worshiper before the curse, it’s possible that he’s the one who brought the gospel of the Lady of Loss to Ketheric’s ears. There’s no way to confirm this, but the House of Healing being so close to the Mausoleum (and, in turn, Shar’s hidden temple) points towards it being true.
Thisobald Thorm
Thisobald, even in his cursed state, is capable of sharing a lot of his background if you entertain him enough. He’s a brewer and tavern keeper in the Waning Moon Inn, and it’s likely he was also that in life.
While he’s prone to turn violent, this is likely the result of the Shadow Curse, since nothing points to him having a turbulent past. He does seem to have a tragic one, however, since he keeps referring to Ketheric as his father.
If true, that would make Thisobald Ketheric’s son, but it’s unlikely he’s also Melodia’s son. What’s more likely is that he’s Ketheric’s bastard son, someone the ruler of Moonrise Towers had after Isobel died.
Considering how open Thisobald is about his parentage, his existence is no secret, but Ketheric doesn’t seem to care or even bother to acknowledge the fact that he has other children. He sees Isobel as the only one worth preserving, while Thisobald is left aside and forgotten, even in the narrative of the game.