Roisia in her original Divinity: Original Sin build was a witch and witchcraft spells are a combination of D&D's Necromancy + Enchantment schools. I replicated that in-game and had a think about the… complications that might arise when Astarion realises that this unassuming woman has also been a bit of a deft hand at persuading, deceiving, and manipulating her targets too.
idk if this is common knowledge or not, but I puzzled it together only yesterday because I always missed a crucial NPC to see the whole picture. So here it is:
From the architect of Moonrise towers - the Infernal Mason you encounter in the House of Hope - you learn that:
Ketheric at some point, after the death of his wife, forsook Selûne and became a Shar worshipper. He had an army that he sent to war, to spread the darkness.
The architect saw his master's evil and made a deal with Raphael: His soul, for the destruction of Ketheric's army.
Raphael kept his word, and Ketheric's forces were destroyed by fiends.
Now, from the Elder Rothé near the Grymforge waypoint you learn that:
Ketheric's army consisted of Dark Justiciars.
A "hellbeast came with the mask-men" and destroyed the army.
And of course we know that Yurgir is trapped in the temple of Shar because his contract forces him to kill all Dark Justiciars.
So now, you know why:
The Architect made a deal with Raphael to stop Ketheric's army of Dark Justiciars.
Raphael contracted Yurgir (who brought his Merigons) to fulfil his own side of the contract.
Yurgir destroyed the army, but because one Dark Justiciar escaped with Raphael's help, he got trapped.
Why trap Yurgir?
We don't really know - unless I've yet to find it. We do know Raphael considers Yurgir dangerous, so it could be simply security. Trapping a dangerous asset, until it's needed again. He clearly had plans, since he makes Yurgir commander for presumably the conquest of the hells.
Why help Lyrthindor hide?
To trap Yurgir, but also
Yurgir claims that Raphael mentioned an aasimar
Theory: Raphael might have known, that only a Sharran/Dark Justiciar can kill the Nightsong. So he kept one alive, in case he ever has to kill her.
Why though? He probably knew Ketheric was kept immortal by the Nightsong, so the question would be: Why did Raphael want to keep Ketheric alive? Did he see this entire dead three plot coming? I wouldn't put it past him.
I shall keep investigating, and update this post as I learn more. If anyone has more info, please lmk!
We don’t talk enough about how even Yurgir is afraid to be Raphael’s slave. A powerful Orthon fiend who sleeps on a bed of corpses is so horrified by the idea of returning to the House of Hope, he stays in a damp, putrid temple doing next to nothing but going mad and singing Raphael’s little song to his victims. There was so much more going on there than Larian showed us.
i’m sorry the fact that if you have high enough charisma you can convince Yurgir to kill all his henchmen, his cat, and then himself, and THEN in act 3 when he arrives for Raphael’s bossfight you can STILL convince him fight for you...
Confession: Okay, Yurgir, I have an aching need to be his pretty little pet. The tiny human draped in the prettiest jewelry that’s just draped across his shoulders and watching in blatant awe as he unleashes hellfire upon the world. The sweet little kitten there for his enjoyment and his enjoyment alone. He brings me along because he knows I’m in constant awe of him, and it turns him on so much that he’s still covered in blood when he goes down on me.