Dunke Belynne Stelmane is an incredibly important character in Baldur's Gate 3. However, you never actually meet her, as she is dead by the time you reach the city proper. Nevertheless, her role in the story's past is vital to setting up the plots of certain characters during act three, especially concerning the Emperor, the player's Illithid ally.

[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3.]

Stelmane is a character without much official lore beyond Baldur's Gate 3, though certain references within the Descent Into Avernus module for D&D 5th edition and the game itself hint at her storyline. It's a tragic tale of manipulation and subjugation, and Stelmane's personal struggles actually mirror those of the BG3 protagonist quite well. While certain details are left vague, this is the story of Duke Stelmane, pieced together through lore documents, D&D references, and dialogue with the Emperor itself.

Stelmane Was The Emperor's First Ally

A Reflection Of Tav's Arc During The Game

Stelmane was a Duke of Baldur's Gate, one of the four council who helped run the city's government from High Hall. She worked alongside Ulder Ravengard, Wyll's father, to keep the city's many factions in check and maintain relative peace. It can't be said what exactly Stelmane's area of expertise is, but it stands to reason she was well-connected and a broker of information in the Upper City.

That's because, as revealed by the Emperor in BG3, Stelmane was a founding member of the Knights of the Shield. This group, run by the Emperor (aka, an Illithid version of the city's founder, Balduran), manipulated politics and information trading to keep powers within the city in check. Stelmane was the organization's face since the Emperor in its Illithid body could not meet with just anyone, and it implies that the two had a long-standing partnership and even a friendship. It's clear that the Mind Flayer was fond of the Duke in its way.

The Emperor's secret room in the Knights of the Shield base includes a portrait of Duke Stelmane, a strangely sentimental keepsake for this being devoid of human emotion.

The Emperor tells the player and their party that they and Stelmane maintained balance and order within the city, and evidence to this can be found in the Knights of the Shield base below the Elfsong Tavern.

it's clear that Stelmane's political prowess was invaluable, and her role as the Emperor's ally was quite similar to the player's.

They even went up against Gortash for a time as he built up his smuggling and weapons operation in the city. While the Emperor's psychic influence and intelligence were key to upholding the organization, it's clear that Stelmane's political prowess was invaluable, and her role as the Emperor's ally was quite similar to the player's.

Stelmane's Stroke Was Not What It Seemed

A Tragic Incident-- Or Psychic Attack?

But all is not quite as it seems, as Stelmane's of the Illithid had been coerced. Both Wyll and the Emperor talk about Stelmane suffering a stroke later in life, about a decade before the game's events. This stroke left her scarred and weakened, a shadow of her former self, though her role in the Knights of the Shield continued. Wyll and the Emperor express sadness at this, though, if questioned, Wyll its to being suspicious about the nature of her affliction.

And he is right to be. In reality, her "stroke" was the damage from a psychic attack by the Emperor, who wanted to make Stelmane its thrall. This is implied by a note in-game called the "Shield Steward Interrogation Log," and it is mentioned in Descent Into Avernus that Stelmane had fought against psychic influence over her mind. And if players push the Emperor hard enough, it will it to using Stelmane as its puppet.

Ultimately, this aligns with the Emperor's actions seen elsewhere in the game. The mind flayer killed Ansur, its dragon and ally, to maintain a hold on its Illithid powers. But even more directly, the Emperor continuously lies to, manipulates, and gaslights the player while retaining the idea that they are allies. It even goes so far as to side with the Elder Brain at the end of the story if its own plan is not obeyed. Clearly, the Emperor is a controlling and cruel figure who will torment or abuse their "allies" to get what he wants.

This Duke's Death During The Absolute Plot

An Unjust Ending For A Valiant Defender Of The City

Ultimately, by the time players actually reach Baldur's Gate, Stelmane has been murdered in her room in the Elfsong Tavern. This murder was both brutal and sadistic, a part of Bhaal's plot to wreak havoc across the city and inspire fear of the Absolute. It's not clear if Stelmane was ever a particularly capable warrior, but her "stroke" left her vulnerable to an attack like this as the city fell to Gortash's control.

Figures like Stelmane and Father Lorgan may have been targeted for their leadership roles to cause further chaos, but many of the murder targets are meant to be hard to connect to slow down the Flaming Fist's investigation.

Ultimately, the player and the Emperor can avenge Stelmane by killing both Dolor and Orin, one of whom likely committed the murder directly. Still, it's sad to see a figure who spent so much of her life fighting for Baldur's Gate and the good of its people ultimately murdered in one of the city's most dire times of need. Ultimately, Stelmane's fate acts as a kind of warning for what happens when one sides with the Emperor in Baldur's Gate 3: they are used, diminished, and eventually discarded when its need for them has ed.