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Aldeth Sashenstar and the Druids

I think this one's been touched on before, but since I just reached it in my game I thought I'd check for some input.

To me this encounter seems to be unusually morally grey. At first sight I always figured the good-aligned thing to do was to help Aldeth out even though he seems very annoying and self-righteous - for one thing because the druids mean to kill him right away, and for one because of how skewed the dialogue choices are written: you can either side with Aldeth by asking Seniyad the druid to be reasonable and find a peaceful solution, or you can side with the druids by apologizing to Aldeth about how the druids have a great aloe vera balm, yada yada.


There seems to be at least two other things to consider though:

1. Aldeth and his hunting friends allegedly killed a druid - as the player you never get a chance to ascertain this, but I guess it's quite possible that they accidentally shot a shapeshifted druid while hunting.

2. (This one is what ultimately tipped me over.) As you know, if you help Aldeth you can later on visit him in Baldur's Gate, and help him once more with his doppelganger problem. If you then in chapter 7 when you are wanted by the Flaming Fist visit Aldeth inside his consortium, the ungrateful bastard will hand you over to the Fist - and this after you saved both his life (twice) and his consortium.

As for Seniyad, I originally thought he was a shadow druid (and hence fairly radical and evil - because that's how he comes across), but by all accounts he's just a regular druid, now taking extreme measures to protect his forest. Either way, having reviewed the possible chain of events I've started feeling that letting the druids have their way with Aldeth is really the over-all more good-aligned option - even though there's no way of knowing all this when you encounter him.

What do you guys think?

Comments

  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Member Posts: 903
    Seniyad definitely is *not* a shadow druid, as the shadow archdruid that you can encounter later in Cloakwood (I can't remember his name, but he dwells in the tree) mocks Seniyad for being weak (or something to that effect).

    Anyhow, the situation is pretty morally grey. I don't think there is an obvious 'good' option.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Normally I just kill them all and sort it out later :D
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    I noticed that one of Aldeth's hunting friends was named @Balquo. Coincidence?
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    Shin said:

    At first sight I always figured the good-aligned thing to do was to help Aldeth out even though he seems very annoying and self-righteous - for one thing because the druids mean to kill him right away, and for one because of how skewed the dialogue choices are written: you can either side with Aldeth by asking Seniyad the druid to be reasonable and find a peaceful solution, or you can side with the druids by apologizing to Aldeth about how the druids have a great aloe vera balm, yada yada.

    I think the game intentionally pushes you in the direction of saving Aldeth, so the scenario described in your #2 can play out.


    On a side note... **SPOILERS**

    If you kill Aldeth, you are confronted by his brother in BG, and after killing him you can get the Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy.

    Does anyone know if I allow Aldeth to live in Cloakwood but then later kill him in BG, will I still be able to confront his brother and get the crossbow?
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317

    Shin said:

    At first sight I always figured the good-aligned thing to do was to help Aldeth out even though he seems very annoying and self-righteous - for one thing because the druids mean to kill him right away, and for one because of how skewed the dialogue choices are written: you can either side with Aldeth by asking Seniyad the druid to be reasonable and find a peaceful solution, or you can side with the druids by apologizing to Aldeth about how the druids have a great aloe vera balm, yada yada.

    I think the game intentionally pushes you in the direction of saving Aldeth, so the scenario described in your #2 can play out.


    On a side note... **SPOILERS**

    If you kill Aldeth, you are confronted by his brother in BG, and after killing him you can get the Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy.

    Does anyone know if I allow Aldeth to live in Cloakwood but then later kill him in BG, will I still be able to confront his brother and get the crossbow?
    I don't think so. But if you don't beat me to it I will check to see when I get that far with my current playthrough :)
  • MathmickMathmick Member Posts: 326
    Apart from the dialogue option for it being a little weird, I thought that siding with the Druids was the more "good" option from where you come to be involved, though admittedly my memory of the encounter is a little fuzzy.
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    I usually side with Aldeth. Something about the druids actions just rubs me the wrong way
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    lunar said:

    If you try the peaceful option to calm down Seniyad, he goes berserk and attacks. So there should be another dialogue option like 'Sorry Aldeth, it seems you didn't tell me the whole story, your actions have really upset the local balance, I think it would be best if you just leave now.' And Aldeth could say 'Why, how dare you tell me what to do, you are just like those savage men, you all deserve to die!' and attack the party. That would be another solution to the moral puzzle. The vanilla dialogue option makes you behave like a jerk, although it is a very funny line with aloe vera balm and all ^^ maybe a high wisdom pc can get the new option while a low wisdom can still act like a jerk. Or, as a bonus, a high cha&wis pc can calm the both sides down and make the two sides apologise and repay each other without bloodshed.

    Indeed, it almost seems like it's deliberately written that way to make the choice to support Aldeth more likely. I don't think it's in order to get the event where he betrays you as @SharGuidesMyHand mentions though - there's no real reason to go see Aldeth in chapter 7 - his consortium is already saved and you have already been rewarded. I merely went in during a playthrough to see if there was any additional content RP-wise, but I can't imagine all too many players end up doing that.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    ajwz said:

    I usually side with Aldeth. Something about the druids actions just rubs me the wrong way

    I normally side with the druids and then kill the druids >:)
  • 10thLich10thLich Member Posts: 99
    And if BG1NPC Project is finally ported for BG:EE there's another option if Jaheira is in your party.

    10th
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    10thLich said:

    And if BG1NPC Project is finally ported for BG:EE there's another option if Jaheira is in your party.

    Nice to know, I don't think I've ever kept Jaheira in the party that long with the NPC project.


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