Baldur’s Gate 3: Who are the Harpers and what role do they play?

As you make your way through the Forgotten Realms of Baldur’s Gate 3, you will come across many factions and organizations, with the most intriguing of the lot being the Harpers. Players who are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will know who they are. However, those who are new to the franchise or to DnD are quite curious as to who they are and the role that the faction plays in the world.

The DnD lore in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a bit stretched out and scattered. With the amount of freedom the RPG offers in terms of progression and exploration, it's easy to miss out on lore points that deal with the Harpers themselves and their goals in the Forgotten Realms.

So if you are curious about the Harpers faction in Baldur’s Gate 3, this guide will go over some of the most important things you will need to know about them.

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Who are the Harpers in Baldur’s Gate 3?

While there are mentions of the Harpers throughout the early narrative, not much is explained about them till you finally make your way to the Last Light Inn and encounter High Harper Jaheira.

Jaheira is another party member that can be recruited and you can then start completing her companion quests to meet the rest of the Harpers as they look to take down Kar’niss in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

According to DnD lore, and what has been explained in Baldur’s Gate 3 thus far, the Harpers are a shadow organization in the Forgotten Realms. They are secret operatives who look out for the common folk and persevere to take down tyrannical rulers. They are sort of like vigilantes and look to strive for harmony and balance throughout the realm.

Moreover, there is no centralized chain of command for the Harpers, and they operate individually through small groups and outposts. They carry out covert missions and take down tyrannical overlords in the subtlest way possible.

Harpers are one of the oldest factions in DnD and are rivals to the Zhentarim mercenary group who themselves are 200 years old in the lore.

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Exploring Harpers' role in DnD and Baldur’s Gate 3

As mentioned, the Harpers are a covert organization that looks to take down tyrannical rule from the shadows. Hence, they might have a vast web of networking that allows them to gain information about their targets as well as what is actually going on in the realm.

This makes it evident that there might be more Harpers in the Forgotten Realms than what players encounter during their adventures. While some openly come out as being part of the covert faction, there are likely many Harpers who are playing the role of normal citizens, merchants, bards, and salesmen, with the sole aim of gathering information.