She is a character that many have enjoyed getting to know since the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, yet Karlach still had mysteries surrounding her infernal tattoos and an inscription on her horn. That was until Nov. 24, when a group of fans began myth-busting—and they may have cracked the code.
Any focus on Karlach’s various body modifications didn’t go further than her Infernal Engine in the main storyline. Perhaps shining the spotlight on these carvings and inked words would have distracted from a very similar plotline including our favourite sassy boy Astarion. That hasn’t stopped some very smart fans from putting hours into a painstaking analysis of the Infernal language and the Tiefling’s body (behave…).
Although the original translator has sadly been lost to the internet’s void currently, the fan revealed her horn reads “My Champion, the Demonsbane. My blood is her strength!” We, of course, know this to be the handiwork of Zariel who enlisted a younger Karlach into her service.
This puts an end to speculation but couldn’t stop others from having fun with the topic. “I wanted to believe it was writing about her infernal engine’s extended warranty,” one fan laughed. “In case of engine overheating, press [the] nose for ten seconds then yank on [the] tail to reset,” another fan joked. This alternative universe would certainly have saved clutch blacksmith Dammon from a lot of work. Other players stopped by, not even realizing Karlach’s horn even had writing inscribed upon it.
Larian Studio’s extraordinary attention to detail doesn’t stop here as many tattoos have also been identified by the curious fan. It appears Zariel very much enjoys marking what she considers her property. Her name and initials are emblazoned upon Karlach’s chest and tricep respectively. The aforementioned nickname of “Demonsbane” sits upon her back whilst her lower arm features a nod to her “Elitesquad” status.
It genuinely feels like we’ll be discovering nuggets of information like this for years to come. What a blessing this game is.
