Sarevok Anchev

"If you have the arrogance of a god and can kill like a god, who's to say you are not a god?"

- Winski Perorate

Sarevok was a powerful Bhaalspawn, a mortal offspring of Bhaal, who planned to ascend to divinity, following in the dead god's footsteps as the Lord of Murder. To this end, he concocted a plan to use the Iron Throne as his pawn to drive Baldur's Gate and Amn into war, believing that the initial slaughter would cause his ascension. He also sought to eliminate competition from other Bhaalspawn, which proved to be his downfall; his attempt to destroy one of his half-siblings living in Candlekeep failed but left that Bhaalspawn to seek revenge. Ultimately they exposed his plans and defeated him in combat, killing him and dispersing his essence into oblivion for the time being.

Early life
As a young child, Sarevok was barely saved from a cult that was trying to sacrifice Bhaalspawn children. (Why they would be trying to do such a thing is unknown, since this must have happened while Bhaal was still alive.) Their temple was attacked by Gorion and a number of other Harpers, but while they saved the protagonist of the Baldur's Gate series of games and Gorion raised them, Sarevok was left behind and wandered out on his own. He was raised as an urchin in the streets until he was adopted as Sarevok Anchev by Rieltar Anchev, the Baldur's Gate regional leader of the merchant house called the Iron Throne. When he was just a child, Rieltar had Sarevok's foster mother strangled in front of him as punishment for unfaithfulness, an event that had a significant impact on him.

Baldur's Gate
Eventually Sarevok found out about his heritage and, with the aid of Winski Perorate, learnt more about it. Instrumental in his ascertaining the details of the prophecy and his own connection to it was his visit or several visits to Candlekeep, during which he also found out about the Bhaalspawn living there (the games' protagonist). Around the same time, he also expressed interest in taking part in his foster father's plan that was to bring great wealth and influence to the Iron Throne, and as it was finalized became a vital part of it. The plan involved sabotaging the Nashkel mines while hiring bandits to harass merchants and travellers in the Baldur's Gate area, especially those carrying iron. Blame of this would be directed towards the Zhentarim, and Amn that had supposedly hired them. At the same time, rival merchant houses in Baldur's Gate (such as the Seven Suns and the Merchant's League) would be infiltrated by doppelgangers and driven to financial ruin. The Iron Throne would appear as saviours of the day, providing iron from their secret mine in Cloakwood. Important figures in Baldur's Gate, including eventually all the grand dukes, would be assassinated or incapacitated, and blame would again go to Amn, with Shadow Thief insignia left behind at the murder sites. Sarevok would be elected grand duke himself and lead the city into a war from which the profit would go to the Iron Throne. Of course, Sarevok himself cared nothing for the Iron Throne, only about the slaughter he could cause for what he believed to be his own advancement. Rieltar himself was for financial reasons actually disinclined to go so far as to cause an actual war, becoming an obstacle to Sarevok.

Sarevok was involved with a woman called Tamoko, and apparently they truly loved each other, but as he became more involved in his scheming to become a god, he begun to care little about anything else. She, in turn, did not want him to try to ascend, which she did not believe would happen in any case. And even if it did, she would lose him. Her disinclination to follow his plans led him to take another lover, Cythandria, who was only interested in the power and wealth she could gain through him. Sarevok also had a number of other followers who were in on his true plans, including at least Zhalimar Cloudwulfe, Gardush, Naaman, Diyab, Aasim and Alai (his "acolytes", who would all be killed by the player character in the Iron Throne building); Winski Perorate; and Tazok, Angelo Dosan and the wizard Semaj, who stood by him until the end.

The Iron Throne's plans went into motion smoothly, until, around the first of Mirtul in 1368 DR, Sarevok went to kill his half-sibling in Candlekeep (the player character). He ambushed them and Gorion on the road some way east from Candlekeep, but Gorion sacrificed his life to allow them to escape, and Sarevok could not find them again before having to return to his other plans. The protagonist began to unravel Iron Throne's plans, from the Nashkel mines to the bandits' camp to Cloakwood, and finally Baldur's Gate. When Rieltar and Brunos Costak went to Candlekeep to negotiate a treaty with the Knights of the Shield, which didn't fit Sarevok's plans as it only served to smoothen relationships between Baldur's Gate and Amn, both the player character and Sarevok followed them there, Sarevok in disguise and calling himself "Koveras". Sarevok approached the player character and tried to goad them into attacking Rieltar and the others, and if that did not succeed just framed them for it. However, they escaped custody and came back to Baldur's Gate, where they exposed his plans just as he had been crowned grand duke and was about to have the rest killed by doppelgangers and human assassins. Sarevok flew into a rage and attacked everyone present by himself, but was teleported away by Winski Perorate. Angered at having been prevented from fighting, he struck him down, and left for the Undercity with his remaining close followers, including Tazok and Angelo Dosan. There he set down to wait for the player character in an abandoned temple of Bhaal, and was finally defeated by them in combat. His body dissolved into golden dust as his essence dispersed and joined that of Bhaal.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Sarevok's story did not end with this death, however. Though there was nothing left of him to even resurrect, he was, improbably, brought back nevertheless. The player character had had their soul stolen by Jon Irenicus, and in fighting to retrieve it, they killed Irenicus without having gained their soul back. This resulted in both the player character and Irenicus ending up in Bhaal's realm, where they each explored the soul they now shared. One of the tests the player character had to face was to face their anger towards Sarevok, and to this end, their divine power summoned Sarevok forth once again. He was given the task of goading them into turning into the Slayer, an avatar of Bhaal. Regardless of whether that happened, Sarevok was once again killed by the player character's party. Something was left behind, though&mdash;enough of Sarevok's personality that he could try to reform himself, swearing to return to life once again.



Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
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.

Epilogue
Sarevok's character ending in Throne of Bhaal reveals that after the game's events he would find it difficult to find peace, caught between life and death and not achieving either. Whether he had been redeemed had no effect on this. He would route an orc invasion of Berdusk, and briefly conquer Westgate. Finally, he would travel to Kara-Tur to bury Tamoko's body, never returning.

Some if not most of these events have likely not happened yet in the "current" year in the Realms.

Traits and abilities
Sarevok was a fearsome warrior as well as an accomplished schemer. He was extremely strong and physically capable as well as highly intelligent, though the latter was compromised somewhat by his short temper and lack of prudence. He was also charismatic, and popular in Baldur's Gate. In combat, he originally wielded an enchanted sword powered by his Bhaalspawn essence. He used it in one hand, but in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn it is revealed that it is a two-handed sword. He also wore a plate armour adorned with blades and including a helmet in the shape of a monster's head. He was highly resistant to magic damage, which resistance he lost along with his Bhaalspawn essence. He is on level 15 in the first game, and starts out on a higher level as an NPC, naturally rising even higher as he gains experience. According to his character biography in Throne of Bhaal, he studied the art of intimidation and the cruelest and most brutal styles of combat in order to become a Deathbringer, a powerful warrior possessing the ability to paralyze an opponent in mêlée battle through fear alone, as well as to kill the most powerful of opponents in a single, massive blow. The latter he also can do as an NPC, though it occurs completely randomly.

In appearance, Sarevok was enormous for a human male. This only added to his fearsome appearance when he was wearing his old armour, especially when his eyes glowed with a solid yellow - as they could do, presumably because of his Bhaalspawn nature.

While Sarevok is very much a warrior, he excels in nearly all ability scores, and in Throne of Bhaal it is actually possible to dual-class him into a mage or a thief.

Tactics
Where he appears as an enemy, Sarevok is often among the most challenging opponents in both games. In the first game, his party also exhibits some of the most complex and deadly tactics in the whole game.

Baldur's Gate
Sarevok waits for the player character in the temple of Bhaal in the middle of the Undercity. There, he is accompanied by Tazok, a half-ogre and strong warrior; Angelo, a fighter/mage; and Semaj, a powerful wizard. There is also a battle horror hiding in the room, between the first two statues on the wall to the right from the door.

The inside of the temple is a single, large hall, with a symbol of Bhaal at the centre of it and scythe-wielding statues lining its longer sides. The symbol is full of traps that are impossible to disarm. There also also traps by its sides that will launch effects like web and cloudkill. Sarevok is waiting at the other end of the room, and will adress the party once any of them gets close enough, initiating the combat. Tazok and Angelo are waiting invisibly near by, whereas Semaj stands openly by Sarevok. Semaj is mirror imaged and shielded from normal missiles, whereas Angelo is shielded from magic (as by a minor globe of invulnerability or a Protection from Magic Scroll) and protected from normal missiles. Semaj also has a Tattoo of Power that will automatically cast greater malison the battle begins, lowering the saving throws of his enemies.

Sarevok will naturally rush straight into mêlée, as will the invisible Tazok. Semaj tends to use dimension door to teleport to the other side of the Bhaal symbol, placing himself in position to attack any enemies hiding there but also vulnerable to their attacks once they get through his mirror images. Angelo will rely on his protection from magic and rush towards the player's party, once there continually releasing fireballs right next to himself, occasionally also turning invisible. Sarevok, Tazok and the battle horror will engage everyone in close combat. Sarevok is naturally too tough for most characters of the levels achieved in the game to stand against, even in a group, and Tazok is also a very strong fighter; even the battle horror is difficult for anyone to face one on one.

The barrage of attacks from three very strong close-range combatants and two wizards is too much for most parties to take, so the most effective tactics against Sarevok are likely to involve dividing his forces. The battle horror will attack once anyone gets close enough, which might not happen at all but will likely happen during the combat if it takes place on that side of the hall; it could also be fought and killed separately before the fight against Sarevok's actual party. It is also possible to draw only part of Sarevok's minions into battle at once. In any case, unless someone else is posing more of a threat, it's a good idea to focus on attacking Sarevok, because the battle is won as soon as he dies, regardless of how many of the others are still alive. Ironically, in spite of his resistances, a barrage of magic is an effective way of bringing down his health (at least provided it's the right kind of magic; magic missile works well). The best way to attack Semaj and Angelo is starting with Arrows of Dispelling or other means of dispelling magic to remove their defences. (Magic missiles work against mirror image, but in this case, it's likely better to just remove them quickly in one go, and save the missiles for Sarevok.) An acid arrow or Arrow of Biting could keep Semaj from casting spells after this, but likely won't do much to Angelo, who can just use his Arrows of Detonation and Ring of Invisibility. If Angelo gets close, he will just need to be eliminated quickly by the most effective means possible.

Wraith Sarevok
The version of Sarevok encountered in the Pocket Plane is much more straightforward, having no magic-using minions this time. He still does a lot of damage, and has one of the highest numbers of hit points in the game. One weakness that can be exploited is that he can only inflict slashing damage with no enhancement bonus.

Voice acting
In both games, Sarevok is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

Games

 * Baldur's Gate
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal

Novels

 * Baldur's Gate
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal