Doug Brown (Slashdot): I was recently poking around inside the original Power Macintosh G3’s ROM and accidentally discovered an easter egg that nobody has documented until now. […] The “secret ROM image” text in particular seemed like it could be related to the picture shown above. I decided to dive deeper to see if I […]

I think about this scene more and more lately.

Though Larian Studios has moved on from its colossal 2023 hit RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, to work on Divinity, the world of Baldur's Gate continues forward. And later this year, fans of the game can gain new insight into one of the game's fan-favorite characters, Astarion, in a prequel novel written by fantasy author T. Kingfisher, hitting shelves on September 29. 

That's according to the exclusive reveal over at Polygon, which writes that "Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion" takes place prior to the events of Baldur's Gate 3 and follows the High Elf during his years serving the vampire lord Cazador Szarr. Baldur's Gate 3 senior writer Stephen Rooney consulted on the book to ensure it aligns with the world/game lore, and Astarion's voice actor, Neil Newbon, who won Best Performance for this role at The Game Awards 2023, will narrate the audiobook. 

Here's a look at the book's cover: 

Wizards of the Coast, Random House Worlds

Over on Bluesky, Kingfisher writes, "FOR THE RECORD – this character has a super f***** up abusive backstory. We handle it well, I think, but CONTENT WARNINGS. The book is DARK. Also, it's a prequel, so it ends in a really dark place." 

"Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion" is one of four titles to be published by Random House Worlds as part of a new collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, centered around the game's immersive lore and unforgettable characters, according to Polygon. The other projects are as follows: 

• "Baldur's Gate 3: The Necromancy of Thay" on July 21: a reproduction notebook of the in-game item of the same name.
• "The Official Baldur's Gate 3 Coloring Book" later in the Summer: 40 black and white drawings of characters, settings, and more.
• "A Feast for a Tenday: The Official Baldur's Gate Cookbook" on November 3: a cookbook inspired by the game with 65 recipes. 

"Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion" hits shelves September 29. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer's Baldur's Gate 3 review, and then check out our list of the Top 10 games of 2023 to find out where it ranks. Read about how the HBO adaptation of Baldur's Gate 3 will continue the game's story after that. 

[Source: Polygon]

Are you excited about this novel? Let us know what you hope to learn about Astarion from it in the comments below!

Mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoed a controversial bill approved by the City Council last month instructing the police department to establish anti-protest “buffer zones” around schools and educational institutions. A related bill calling for security perimeters around houses of worship passed by a veto-proof majority. In a statement Friday, the mayor said he had reviewed both […]

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was loved by critics and fans, and rode those waves of praise to over 5 million copies sold.