Imoen

Text by Lord Mirrabbo

This is Imoen of Candlekeep, a companion NPC in Baldur's Gate I and II. She's your childhood friend-turned-romance by the mod.

  • Name: Imoen of Candlekeep
  • Race: Human
  • Gender: Female (Duh.)
  • Age: Early twenties. Presumed to be 21.
  • Trade: Thief in her early adventuring days; switched to magic-user later on.
  • Height: 5'6" (blatant guess) [T.C. Dale's note: I'd guess 5'3"]
  • Weight: Guessing the weight of a lady, especially one that can fry your eyebrows by snapping her fingers, might be the last mistake you make in your life. She's slight of frame and you can leave it at that.
  • In-game Stats:
    • Strength: 9
    • Dexterity: 18
    • Constitution: 16
    • Intelligence: 17
    • Wisdom: 11
    • Charisma: 16

Imoen is the first companion you can have in your party in Baldur's Gate I, and is the most loyal you'll find. She will stick with you right up to the final showdown in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, if you choose to have her along. Imoen grew up alongside you in Candlekeep, a world-famed library within a fortress. She is your childhood friend and has always acted like a little sister to you, even though you are approximately the same age. Here are her profiles in both games:

Imoen (in Baldur's Gate I)

Imoen's Biography (Baldurs Gate I)

"When asked about her past, Imoen slaps your shoulder playfully. She says that you of all people should know, seeing as how you grew up together. Indeed, some of your fondest memories are of meeting this sprightly young lass. She apparently came to Candlekeep much as you did, though 10 years later in life, and she spent much more time with the guff Winthrop than Gorion. "Puffguts" she would call him, much to the old innkeep's dismay.

She seems the eternal child, and is quite content to play the part of little sister, though you are both of comparative ages. You can tell by her hearty smile that she will always be willing to travel with you, no matter what path you take."
Imoen (in Baldur's Gate II)

Imoen's Biography (Baldurs Gate II)

"Imoen chuckles when you ask her about her past, assuming you are just trying to keep her mind on happier times and places. She indulges you, and certainly does cheer up when speaking of how you spent your youths together in Candlekeep. She arrived there the same as you, in the company of your foster father Gorion, but despite this similarity she grew up much more carefree than you did. Indeed, her lighthearted outlook has long kept her immune to the hardships of the world, though the dark confines and horrors of your current location have definitely taken their toll."

You don't have to look too closely to notice the contradictions. This is because Imoen as a full companion in Baldur's Gate II is pretty much an afterthought. Originally, she was planned to be kidnapped and driven insane by the game's Big Bad. Rumor has it that she would appear in the Throne of Bhaal (ToB) expansion as an enemy to defeat (she would turn into the Ravager, one of Bhaal's avatars, and attack you).

However, user feedback prior to release led the developers to change their minds about this. Imoen was a cherished character by many a Baldur's Gate I adventurer. After all, she's your childhood friend. She's the one that comforts you right after your foster father dies in front of your eyes. So they made some late changes, allowing her to join you after her rescue and carry on to the end of the game. Unfortunately, there was no dev time left to give her the same treatment as all the other party members, and so she remained a mute through the whole adventure. She also inexplicably goes from Rogue to Mage between games, though her stats and background are a fine fit for the dual class. She's got the brains for the tomes, the dexterity for the somatic spell components, and the high constitution to carry on casting in battle. She's curious, endlessly excited by new things, and enormously motivated to be as helpful as possible to your quest. Eventually, she becomes an archmage surpassed only by a handful of companions.

Imoen starts out as a mischievous youngster, cheerful and carefree. She enjoys playing silly or practical jokes and sneaking away from her chores. She has "long fingers" and an eye for difficult locks. Though the trials of your struggle against Sarevok are many, she remains fairly inocent throughout Baldur's Gate I. However, she experiences severe trauma as a prisoner of Jon Irenicus, at the beginning of Baldur's Gate II. Irenicus' torture scars her deeply, something that's obvious in both her dialogue and character portrait. And it doesn't help to learn she's a Bhaalspawn herself, which starts manifesting during the trials of Throne of Bhaal.

It's a huge character journey, done a terrible disservice by her abject lack of dialogue. And that's what the mod sets out to address! So go ahead and give it a shot, why don't you.

Imoen of Candlekeep, by T.C. Dale