Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t include every race found in the Forgotten Realms as a playable option, but it still offers a bit of variety with the inclusion of non-human and -elf races like githyanki and dragonborn. While a lot of information about these races isn’t included due to the limitations of the game’s design and the abundance of other content it contains, there are fun hints about different races, their histories, and cultures that parties can find if they look deep enough. And what the party learns might leave them with a new view of romance and what love and relationships mean for different races.
The abundance of races and their associated subraces in the Forgotten Realms can make it difficult to know every detail about each one. BG3 might not include all the races, but for the ones it features, there are small Easter eggs hidden that provide additional information. Sometimes, that information is hidden in books or letters, and other times, it’s found through unique dialogue options. When it comes to dragonborn, BG3 hides a book with details about their society that shows what romance means to them.
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The Egg-Duty Clan-Call Dragonborn Book
Purchased From Nansi Gretta In The Baldur’s Gate Lower City
Nansi Gretta owns the Bibliophile in the Lower City, and one book she sells is The Egg-Duty Clan-Call. This book contains information about how couples are decided in dragonborn society, but using the term “couple” could be a bit misleading, considering love isn’t one of the deciding factors. Instead, a council decides which dragonborn will be nest-mates based on what will be most beneficial to their society in military and political aspects. Love and romance aren’t part of the consideration, so the focus is on what benefits the community as a whole rather than the desires of individuals.
In some ways, this makes dragonborn culture seem similar to githyanki culture. They have a lot of drive and ambition, but the dragonborn are focused on the glory of their clan and fixing past wrongs instead of focusing on the elimination of all illithid threats like the githyanki. The githyanki focus on ability and strength when choosing a mate, which is similar to the idea that dragonborn are paired according to their strengths and what’s best for their society. So, while they aren’t exactly the same, their cultures are more similar to each other than they are to other races in BG3.
An Overview Of Dragonborn Society
According To BG3 And D&D Lore
Dragonborn are used to conflict, which is useful for a character thrown into a mess that starts with being abducted by a Nautiloid and infected with a mind flayer tadpole, and it’s common to find them taking up a life as a mercenary. They’re one of the races that don’t have any hatred, grudges, or feuds with other races, and they even treat tieflings fairly, despite the dislike that tieflings often receive from other races. As such, a dragonborn character is a fitting romantic partner for any of the BG3 companions available for romance. However, romance and love for a dragonborn is rather different, since it’s not part of the council’s decision when pairing nest-mates.
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But that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t witness love from an outsider’s perspective, especially for those who work as mercenaries, since they travel and meet many types of people. The difference is that it would seem foreign to them because dragonborn society raises them without love as an idea, especially since marriages would be dissolved after the couple has a child and the child turns three years old. Then, the child lives with their parent of the same sex to learn about their society and how to fight. As such, the primary relationships become those between the parent and child, the clan as a whole, and the families – meaning those with the same bloodline – within the clan.
Romance As A Dragonborn
Cultural Implications In The Forgotten Realms
Only one Baldur’s Gate 3 Origin character starts as a dragonborn by default: the Dark Urge. However, the Dark Urge’s race and appearance can be changed like a custom character’s can, so it’s possible to go through BG3 multiple times, yet never experience it as a dragonborn. But a dragonborn Tav has all the romance options that any other Tav has, and romance for them must be strange given the way that nest-mates are decided, and the fact that they don’t even have a word for love and don’t talk about it as a concept.
With the Dark Urge, the dragonborn culture doesn’t come into play because that version of Tav is a Bhaalspawn, so their upbringing would be separate and completely different from a dragonborn that grew up in their own society. But for a dragonborn who grew up seeing a society that matched partners based on what would be the most utilitarian, falling in love and starting a romance of their own during the events of BG3 would be a completely foreign concept to them. However, that means it could be the most rewarding in terms of story content to see a dragonborn Tav learn about love in the middle of a dire threat to their world and life.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Has The Perfect Dragonborn Romance
One Companion Could Learn Love With Them
A dragonborn Tav wouldn’t be the only party member who’s uncertain about normal relationships and the concept of love. Lae’zel, an already underrated romance option in BG3, is from a society that doesn’t value love either, instead focusing on strength and merit over companionship when it comes to choosing a partner. As such, she could be a perfect partner for dragonborn Tav because they’d both be experiencing new bonds and feelings together, learning the importance of forming relationships with others for who they are instead of their abilities. It’s a journey they’d be able to take together, and continue after defeating the Brain.
Of the races included in Baldur’s Gate 3, dragonborn are among the more interesting and unique ones that can be in the party. However, it’s difficult to include the details of every race in the game through quests and dialogue, so books and papers that are found throughout the acts help fill in lore about the Forgotten Realms and their inhabitants help make up for that limitation. But that also means it’s easy to miss what sets the races apart and how different concepts like romance might be for each race in Baldur’s Gate 3.
