Jon Irenicus

Jon Irenicus is a character in the Forgotten Realms universe of the popular role playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Irenicus' appears heavily in Baldurs Gate 2.

Character
Irenicus at first appears to be a simple villain with a keen interest in torture. He is seen torturing the main character with powerful magics at the very beginning of Shadows of Amn. However, minutes into the game he reveals that his apparant motive for said torture is to unlock his victims latent power, thereby benefitting them in the long run. His lair seems to confirm the view of him being a strange character, on one hand, grossly harmed creatures that lie deformed in containers emphasize the evil in him. On the other, his obsession with a woman he'd previously maintained a relationship with reveals a much more humane side to him. Indeed, it becomes apparant later in the game that much of Irenicus' dark path was as a result of love. His overly possessive nature eventually became too much for his partner to bear, and unable to let go, Irenicus turned to pursuit of power, which in turn led to him becoming utterly evil in nature, a true villain.

Irenicus' race is a matter of some dispute. He is most likely human, though some fans of his character have portrayed him as elvish. He seems to be of advanced years, and it is implied a few times in BG2 that he uses advanced magics to attain longevity. He is a highly arrogant but hugely powerful wizard causing a huge explosion within the city of Athkatla, eliminating several Cowled Wizards thereafter, before eventually surrendering by choice rather than continue his violent actions.

Role in Baldurs Gate 2
At the start of Baldurs Gate 2, Irenicus serves as the main characters captor. He claims to use torture to eventually benefit individuals, however this proves to be a foil for his real intentions : attaining for himself a great deal of power from others. Upon escaping from his dungeon, Irenicus surrenders to the Cowled Wizards on one condition: that Imoen (a prominent NPC character in BG2) accompanys him. The players party resolves to track down Irenicus and save Imoen from Irenicus' clutches. Irenicus is teleported to a prison named Spellhold, but quickly proceeds to overrun the entire place, killing all of the guilds with extreme ease, and then taking control of the premises. Irenicus' true, evil intentions are revealed once the player reaches Spellhold, and following a battle, Irenicus is finally slain.

Role in Other Fiction
Following the release of Shadows of Amn in 2000, the character of Jon Irenicus attracted some fans. One fan subsequently wrote an entire novel based on his redemption following the conclusion of Baldurs Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal.