I've written a few rough Imoen and Aerie banters that I might try to edit slightly and include in a mod at some point. It's all building up to some fun and silliness of course:
Aerie: I think so, but… well, I just… I don’t think it’s usual for pals to read their pals diaries without asking first… is it?
Imoen: Course not. Only best pals care enough to be that nosy.
Aerie: I-in that case I’m flattered, I suppose. It’s just I was under the impression that a diary was supposed to be someone’s private thoughts.
Imoen: Well if they’re so private, why even write them down?
Aerie: Good point. I suppose it just… sometimes writing them down helps me to make more sense of them. I-if that makes sense…
Imoen: Oh, I know; you gotta a hell of a lot going on in that head of yours. ‘Is it good because the gods tell us, or do the gods tell us because it is good?’ Deep stuff.
Aerie: Well it’s… i-it’s not the point. Imoen, it’s bad enough that you invade my privacy, but… the smiley faces? Why all the smiley faces?
Imoen: It needed lightening up in places. Let’s face it, you can be a bit maudlin sometimes.
Aerie: Wha… I… t-that’s… you’re not even supposed to look at it!
Imoen: Now, how am I gonna be able to help you if I don’t know what you’re thinking?
Aerie: Help me?
Imoen: You were real nice, helping me after… you know. And I just can’t let that go. I gotta do something nice for you.
Aerie: Really. You don’t. It’s fine.
Imoen: Now I knew you’d say that, because that’s what a nice person you are. But I just gotta. And, I think I’ve figured out what your problem is.
Aerie: P-problem. Right now Imoen, my only problem is you.
Imoen: Now we both know that ain’t so. No, your problem is that you’re not yourself.
Aerie: Not myself? I-I really don’t understand what that means.
Imoen: You’re afraid to be yourself, ‘cos of what happened and how other people have treated you. But, there was a little girl once with a head bursting with questions and who wanted to open every crack and door in the multiverse and peek inside, and have fun while she was doing it. You hear her voice sometimes, but… she’s still trapped in there. Even if I achieve nothing else in my life, I am gonna set that poor girl free.
Aerie: I… I-I don’t… how?
Imoen: Heh. You stick with me, kid; together we’ll raise some hell. Or we’ll end up in hell. Either way, you are going to start enjoying and appreciating life, even if it kills ya. You got that?
I love Imoen and I like your take on her. Make mods @Coutelier ! I'd install them for sure
I did make a small mod adding a cameo for Aerie in BG1:EE, in Nashkel. I need to tidy the dialogue a bit, add some more responses, and I meant to add cameos for other characters but BG2EE came out sooner than I'd expected.
I've had ideas for mods I'd like to make for BG2, giving personal quests to NPC's who are lacking them. I've lots of ideas for Aerie. I know there was a storyline for her cut from the original, which is just as well because from what I saw it just wasn't very good. The ideas I have involve slavers, the boy she rescued, an assassin with one arm and one leg... maybe I'll post an overview of what I had in mind here or in the mod forum some time. I don't think any of it is really too ambitious, but it's not all worked out yet.
Imoen has begun training Aerie, and is helping her to socialize more with the other party members, including Jaheira:
Imoen: I can’t believe some of the things that go on round here. I just… I can’t be bothered to say it. Aerie, you say it.
Aerie: You… yer all buffleheaded!
Imoen: Well said.
Aerie: Thank you.
Jaheira: Well… her training is coming along well I see.
Imoen: Heh, yeah… Aerie’s amazing. She learns fast, and is real multi-talented too. Like, did any of you know how good she is at drawing?
Jaheira: I did not know that.
Aerie: I-I’m really not that good…
Imoen: Aw, c’mon. Don’t be so modest and shy! Show ‘em all what you can do.
Aerie: I really don’t think Jaheira’s interested. B-besides we have other things we need to…
Imoen: Well I’ll show ‘em, then.
Aerie: N-no Imoen… please!
Imoen: Look!
Jaheira: This… is me?
Aerie: I-I er…
Imoen: Amazing likeness, right? I mean you can instantly tell who it is even though…
Jaheira: I’m a horse.
Imoen: Right! Yer a nag… get it? She’s really got a great sense of humor when you get to know her. You make sure she shows you the rest.
Aerie: Imoen… w-where are you going?!
Imoen: Just gonna get a drink. Y’all have fun ‘til I get back.
Aerie: Imoen don’t le… I-I, erm… Jaheira, you see, a-at the time I was…
Jaheira: I believe it has been a while since you’ve sparred with anyone… even you have to be able to defend yourself in melee and hand to hand. I will talk to you again later. Be ready.
Imoen: Don’t worry, Aerie. Chiktikka Fastpaws does this sort of thing all the time, right?
Aerie: Imoen, Chiktikka Fastpaws can get away with things like that because Chiktikka Fastpaws is a raccoon. And the companion of a god. A-and they’re just stories.
Imoen: Well I’m a demigod and you’re my companion, and it’s just a little fun. No one’ll be hurt, so stop worrying. All you’ve got to do is distract him.
Aerie: How?
Imoen: Use your feminine wiles.
Aerie: Feminine… wiles? H-how… how do I do that?
Imoen: Just… be yourself. It’ll be fine. Now look… here he comes. Just keep him talking…
Keldorn: What are you two up to?
Imoen: Nothing… just chatting. Actually, I think Aerie had something she wanted to talk to you about, actually. So I’ll leave you to it.
Aerie: I-I… y-yes. I was wondering, what… w-what you thought about universals and forms?
Keldorn: Forms?
Aerie: Yes… I-I was reading about it recently. T-the idea that everything that exists in our realm is merely a-a shadow of a real thing, and in some, perhaps abstract, realm outside of ours, m-maybe outside the multiverse itself, is a place where all the true forms of things exist. What… what do you think?
Keldorn: So, all the vampires, werewolves, and every other manner of creature we face daily, is merely a bad imitation or a copy of some original?
Aerie: That’s… o-one way of looking at it, I suppose…
Keldorn: Interesting. Although I myself am an idealist, I believe that the problem with such metaphysical questions on such things beyond what is possible for us to ever experience is that by using pure thought both the existence or the non-existence of a thing can be proven with equal validity. Now… why do you keep looking behind me?
Aerie: N-no reason! You know, I appear to just drift off into my own world when I’m thinking. B-but I’m really fascinated… tell me more about your ideals.
Keldorn: Imoen is behind me…
Aerie: Really? I-I hadn’t noticed…
Keldorn: With a paint brush… what has she done? She has written something on the back of my armor, hasn’t she? What is it? ‘Kick me’? ‘Open here’? ‘I love bacon’… which at least would have the merit of being true, I suppose.
Imoen: I think we’re done here now, Aerrers… you had those new spells you wanted to study, right? And really, Keldorn, you wanna stay away from all that rum and wenches... shocking. See ya!
Imoen: No, I was just… why is it just ‘Aerie’? Most elves have some really long and pretentious sounding second name like ‘Nightshadow’ or ‘Miscastmaster’, or something…
Aerie: Usually, elves undergo a naming ceremony when they come of age, where their second name is given. Most often it’s a reflection of the path, o-or career, they have chosen. But, I was…
Imoen: You weren’t around any other elves when you came of age. I’m sorry.
Aerie: I-it’s not your fault. It… i-it may interest you to know, however, that ‘Aerie’ isn’t my real name. It was the name given to me by my circus masters.
Imoen: Yeah? What’s your real name?
Aerie: Bob.
Imoen: Heh… kinda suits ya, actually.
Aerie: My parents thought so.
Imoen: So, if you had a second name, Bob, what d’ya think it would be?
Aerie: I don’t know… just got to think about my skills and achievements in life. I-I used to be very good at shovelling all that elephant poop into carts, so maybe ‘Dungbeetle?
Imoen: Bob Dungbeetle? Y’know, maybe that can be the name of a character in a book I’m writing.
Aerie: You’re writing a book?
Imoen: Well, you know, the Candlekeep monks have to keep a copy of every book that’s published. So I figured, if I got a book published, there’d always be a little piece of me left there.
Aerie: That’s nice. Does it have a title, yet?
Imoen: ‘101 Ways to Annoy a Candlekeep Monk’. Publishing a book with that as the title is number forty seven.
So here is my idea for a personal quest for Aerie that I might try to turn into a mod at some point. It's rough, and I'll have to start going through the game again to work out where it can all fit, or maybe use some existing events to tie into it. I'll put it in spoiler tags in case you'd prefer to wait (although you may end up waiting forever). But it's basically a combination of things that I've written into BG fanfics before:
It of course all starts with Aerie being approached by a mysterious stranger (with the letter from Quayle as well, she seems pretty popular for someone so socially awkward). Although she has no idea who this person is and is naturally apprehensive, the quotation 'there shall be wings' seems to jog something in her memory.
The party is directed to a location where they encounter a group of slavers. They don't recognize anyone in the party, but Aerie remembers one of them; Amra was an elven archer who was part of the group of slavers that captured Aerie years ago. Aerie has grown and changed considerably since then, but the other elf is not changed at all. Toward the end of the fight that will inevitably ensue, Amra does nevertheless start to remember her, then flees the scene. Leaving Aerie to recount the early days to recount the early days of her captivity when she spoke almost no common and was brought to a fort (she doesn't know where, since during her transport she was unable to see out at all). She mentions a man everyone only knew as Praxis who was responsible for breaking in all the new slaves.
Some time later, the stranger appears again. This time revealing that he's working for an organization trying to free slaves. He also knows about Praxis; he's still alive, but recently disappeared and they've been unable to find his location. He knows that Aerie has history of the man, and has joined a powerful group, so he asks you to investigate. He has another possible lead that he gives you.
This one leads to an old dwarf, who again Aerie recognizes. He was the jailer in charge of the cells at the slaver fort. But he's drunken, broken, muttering about all the cries and screams in his head, the stench of all the dead bodies. You can kill him if you want, but Aerie probably won't be overjoyed by that. Other NPC's might suggest an alternative path; that he can try to make up for his crimes by helping the authorities, or even the harpers, bring down other slavers. Aerie understands that sparing his life and possibly sending him to prison to spend his life behind bars is no kindness. She can't forgive him, but she'll agree to help him, by letting him help her find Praxis.
The dwarf will put you in touch with a pirate captain who he believes will know the location of Praxis. It pays off; he does. He also once helped out slavers, but has renounced them and is more than happy to take you to Praxis to try and restore some of his honor. At some point, before or after the journey if you agree to go, Aerie will comment on the pirate's one arm and one leg, saying that she has to power to restore them if he so wishes. He declines, explaining that although he missed his hand and leg at first, his missing them has now become too much a part of who he is.
In any case, there will follow a bit of dungeon crawl (haven't figured that part out yet; probably just reuse an existing map from the game). The captain will wait to take you back and forth should you wish. Anyway, Praxis has a number of slaves and has them all digging. He'll greet the party, and Aerie, near the start. Of course he'll try to mess with her head, and possibly other companions as well (telling Nalia that he knew her parents or grandparents, for example, or that her father was there on the day of Aerie's auction). Then he'll disappear and leave you to his minions.
The quote 'there shall be wings', was a quote Aerie used to hear from Praxis often. She found later, from Quayle, that it was attributed to a gnomish sage and inventor. Amongst his many accomplishments, he claimed to have created a very powerful weapon capable of destroying entire cities in seconds but had hidden it away. Praxis of course believes he's found it.
As you chase him, there will be a few clues that Aerie will comment on. When you catch up to Praxis, he's close to activating the weapon. Of course, he has to be stopped, but it'll be an extremely tough fight. UNLESS... you listen to Aerie and do absolutely nothing. Let Praxis win.
See, she'll have realized by this point that the whole thing was a ruse. There is no weapon. It was just a story the old gnome put about in order to trap and destroy anyone foolish enough to actually want that kind of power.
Either way, with Praxis out the way you can return to Amn. At some point, Amra will attack again seeking vengeange. But her group will be chased away by a group of werewolves. The pack leader will reveal themselves to be the mysterious stranger who started all this, and then reveal himself to have been the boy Aerie had rescued years ago. Now a man, he'd spent some time searching for his family, and in doing so had learnt about Praxis and about Aerie, the girl who had saved him. He asks if she knows anything of what happened to his sister... regretfully, she doesn't. Everyone captured that day had been seperated in the fort.
So then the stranger thanks you and leaves. Aerie gets some kind of reward like a small stat boot or item or special ability (probably vary a bit depending on whether you're romancing her or not), and everything has turned out rosy again.
Got lots of Imoen and Aerie material. Some I've used elsewhere before, some not. Like I said, I might use some edited bits in a mod at some point. In the meantime, here's another one:
Aerie: Imoen… I-I have problem.
Imoen: Sure Aerrers. What is it?
Aerie: Well, it’s not really me. It’s Minsc. He has…
Imoen: Whoa, wait! I’ve changed my mind! Don’t wanna hear!
Aerie: But I need…
Imoen: Don’t wanna hear!
Aerie: I don’t know where to find…
Imoen: It’s your problem. You agreed to take on all that ‘sponsibility.
Aerie: But I have to tell you… please listen…
Imoen: Then I shall just cover my ears with my hands and sing loudly ‘til you stop. NAH-nah-nah…
Aerie: Oh, for… fine. Just wait there a minute…
Imoen: La-di-dah-di-dah… oh! You wrote it down, huh?
Aerie: Now do you see?
Imoen: Yeah… that’s shocking, Aerie. Why didn’t you tell someone?
Aerie: I… *sighs* Can you help me or not?
Imoen: Yeah, I think so. You really should have said something sooner though.
Imoen and Aerie reach an important decision (this is a totally silly one):
Imoen: Vampire or Werewolf?
Aerie: Excuse me?
Imoen: If you had to be one, which would it be?
Aerie: Er, well… werewolf, I suppose. I mean, i-it gets a little hairy once a month, but otherwise you can go on living like you normally do.
Imoen: And you can sniff butts and no-one’ll think it’s weird.
Aerie: Yes, I… hadn’t really thought of that. You can’t wear any silver; I-I think that’s the only downside really. That and having to kill every full moon, b-but I think you could probably take precautions if you knew that was going to happen.
Imoen: Vampires smell funny. You ever notice that?
Aerie: Well, t-they’re dead. That’s how they smell; they smell of being dead.
Imoen: I guess that’s why they wear so much perfume. But you notice the flies as well? I hate creepy-crawlies; I think they’re the worst thing about vamps.
Aerie: According to Elminster’s book, the greatest danger of vampires to the living isn’t their drinking blood, but all the vermin and diseases that follow with them.
Imoen: Vampires suck.
Aerie: I concur.
Imoen: So… Team Jacob, then?
Aerie: Well, I’m not sure I’d wish Bella on anyone, but… a-actually, I think she and Edward are perfect for each other.
I'll try to make this the last Imoen and Aerie banter for now, and less silly than the last one (in that there are no external references). This is after the cinnamon cookies dialogue in ToB:
Aerie: It’s just that I’m worried about you.
Imoen: I know, Aerie. I’m sorry.
Aerie: When Charname first told me who they were, I… I didn’t give it much thought. Maybe because I just wanted to leave the circus so much, and they seemed so normal… well, relatively normal. But now, with the slayer and us actually being in hell… it’s started to seem a whole lot more real.
Imoen: I know, Aerie. I know.
Aerie: I don’t know what help I can be, but if there’s anything at all I want to try.
Imoen: Aerie, all you have to do to help me is keep being my friend, okay?
Aerie: I-I… okay.
Imoen: Smile?
Aerie: Okay.
Imoen: Good. Now… we should really do something with your hair.
Aerie: My… hair?
Imoen: It’s getting too long and untidy. You want a short neat style, like mine.
Aerie: I really don’t. I like my hair the way it is…
Imoen: C’mon, just let me give it a trim…
Aerie: No!
Imoen: Stop struggling, Aerie. Ya can’t win… I’m a demigod, remember!
Aerie: You are not cutting my hair!
Imoen: Oh no? OWW! Stop pulling!
Aerie: Y-you stop tickling me!
Imoen: Gotch’ya good! You can’t escape Aerie. Give up?
Aerie: N… n-never!
Neera: Well… I was starting to have suspicions about you two. It’s like you’ve been glued together lately. Forgive the cliché though, but, get a room…
Anomen: I… need to sit. Armor chafing a bit…
Aerie: What? W-we weren’t… I mean, we were. I’m not…
Imoen: Aw, c’mon Aerie. Sometimes you just gotta give the people what they want. So, how about making up with a kiss?
So, lets go with a serious bit before I try to move on to some other characters. Some thoughts on Aerie's alignment.
While she's undoubtedly good, the 'lawful' part of her alignment seems to stem mainly from her initial subservience and inclination toward being deferential to others in the group. I very much doubt she cares much for Amnish law, or at least has little faith in the authorities ability to actually enforce their own laws. Slavery is supposed to be illegal in Amn, but obviously she knows first hand that it's allowed to go on, even out in the open with nothing done to stop it. Maybe she believes in a ordered universe with laws that can be understood, but I sometimes if Neutral Good isn't just her natural alignment, what she would be without all the conditioning she's undergone. In some circumstances, she may swing past that to chaotic, but always end up drifting back to neutral.
So, lets go with a serious bit before I try to move on to some other characters. Some thoughts on Aerie's alignment.
While she's undoubtedly good, the 'lawful' part of her alignment seems to stem mainly from her initial subservience and inclination toward being deferential to others in the group. I very much doubt she cares much for Amnish law, or at least has little faith in the authorities ability to actually enforce their own laws. Slavery is supposed to be illegal in Amn, but obviously she knows first hand that it's allowed to go on, even out in the open with nothing done to stop it. Maybe she believes in a ordered universe with laws that can be understood, but I sometimes if Neutral Good isn't just her natural alignment, what she would be without all the conditioning she's undergone. In some circumstances, she may swing past that to chaotic, but always end up drifting back to neutral.
I'm going entirely from memory here, but I think in the D&D handbooks of Faerûn, that Avariel are by nature Lawful Neutral, as are Sun Elves. Moon Elves like Xan are Chaotic Good. oh, and I have NEVER heard or read about Evil surface Dwarves. So there, I just wanted to mention that once in my life :-)
So, lets go with a serious bit before I try to move on to some other characters. Some thoughts on Aerie's alignment.
While she's undoubtedly good, the 'lawful' part of her alignment seems to stem mainly from her initial subservience and inclination toward being deferential to others in the group. I very much doubt she cares much for Amnish law, or at least has little faith in the authorities ability to actually enforce their own laws. Slavery is supposed to be illegal in Amn, but obviously she knows first hand that it's allowed to go on, even out in the open with nothing done to stop it. Maybe she believes in a ordered universe with laws that can be understood, but I sometimes if Neutral Good isn't just her natural alignment, what she would be without all the conditioning she's undergone. In some circumstances, she may swing past that to chaotic, but always end up drifting back to neutral.
I'm going entirely from memory here, but I think in the D&D handbooks of Faerûn, that Avariel are by nature Lawful Neutral, as are Sun Elves. Moon Elves like Xan are Chaotic Good. oh, and I have NEVER heard or read about Evil surface Dwarves. So there, I just wanted to mention that once in my life :-)
Well... Korgan? Kagain? I can't remember from books, but then I don't read a whole lot of fantasy novels. I read a bit about avariel and don't remember anything about alignment, although their main deity, Aerdrie Faenya, I believe is Chaotic Good.
Yes, I was indeed referring to Korgan and Kagain. Two evil surface dwarves. The ONLY two evil surface dwarves I have ever heard or read about. And believe me, I used to devour D&D lore back in my teens and twenties.
But enough of my gripe. Let's get back to some fun stuff. How about this for a fun-loving-banter-rich situation:
Imoen, Jan Janssen and Neera starting a Mage's guild. And yes, you can include Aerie :-)
Yes, I was indeed referring to Korgan and Kagain. Two evil surface dwarves. The ONLY two evil surface dwarves I have ever heard or read about. And believe me, I used to devour D&D lore back in my teens and twenties.
But enough of my gripe. Let's get back to some fun stuff. How about this for a fun-loving-banter-rich situation:
Imoen, Jan Janssen and Neera starting a Mage's guild. And yes, you can include Aerie :-)
Oh, I think Aerie would be the first member of any guild of Imoen's. Mainly because she's easy to convince, and Imoen is more of an ideas person; she needs someone prepared to sign all the bits of paper and do all the actual work.
Imoen: You know how much I appreciate all you do, don't you Aerie?
Aerie: Y-you mean the way I do absolutely everything while you lounge on the coach with a toffee apple?
If i got any skill to mod, maybe not my first but one of the firsts would surelly be an "Evil Aerie Mod", a mod that could be followed to Aerie either start to deal with the darkness of her past, or embracing that past in rage becoming chaotic evil. I have lots of ideas but 0 skill in mod, so... probally this going to never happen !
If i got any skill to mod, maybe not my first but one of the firsts would surelly be an "Evil Aerie Mod", a mod that could be followed to Aerie either start to deal with the darkness of her past, or embracing that past in rage becoming chaotic evil. I have lots of ideas but 0 skill in mod, so... probally this going to never happen !
Good is just too instinctive for Aerie, I think. Too integral to her whole personality. At most she might turn all broody Dark Knight vigilante type, or chaotic good. I know lots of people like the simplicity of ideas like because such bad things happen to someone, it should turn them bad as well. But it doesn't always work out like that in real life. There are a huge number of factors that influence the outcome, from genetics, parents, and in Aerie's case Quayle as well; she's determined that no one else suffer like she did. Any evil just causes her to ditch you.
Disagree with you @Coutelier, it's a perspective thing maybe, but in several banters in the game she suddently loses control over her behavior for a short time (when you say that you will recover her wings someday for example) and then a side not well explored of her personality is visible in those moments.
Still you don't need to agree with me, i'm calling for a mod idea, not an vanilla ovehaul. I could go on with all the variables that let me see Aerie as a perfect subject for an chaotic evil turn, but then, it's not the proper time or place to do it.
Disagree with you @Coutelier, it's a perspective thing maybe, but in several banters in the game she suddently loses control over her behavior for a short time (when you say that you will recover her wings someday for example) and then a side not well explored of her personality is visible in those moments.
Still you don't need to agree with me, i'm calling for a mod idea, not an vanilla ovehaul. I could go on with all the variables that let me see Aerie as a perfect subject for an chaotic evil turn, but then, it's not the proper time or place to do it.
She obviously does have some pent up anger and frustration. Because of her past, she'd learnt to redirect most of her anger, or the 'energy' from it into other things, like chores and studying or beating up baddies. Sometimes the lid bursts a little. But she also has a lot of empathy and compassion, always being very interested in the people around her and the way they think and believe. Beyond that, the only interest she has is exploring and helping people; no lust for power or desire to force everyone else to change. The only things she's absolutely opposed to are abuse and slavery and other evil things; those are what makes her most angry. And clowns... clowns are almost as bad as slavers. But no, I just don't think her justified anger at slavery is enough to completely reverse her alignment and nullify every other key character trait of hers.
With Viconia she always had some doubt about being evil. There's no such doubt in Aerie about being good; it's pretty much all she has left of who she is really is.
I think Nalia is a more likely candidate if you want to change someone from good to evil. She does want power to change things and the way people think. Getting embroiled in politics in Amn, dealing with all the other nobles who might oppose her plans for change; that's the kind of stuff that easily leads to corruption.
Comments
Aerie: Imoen… can I talk to you?
Imoen: Oh Aerrers… you don’t have’ta ask. We’re pals, aren’t we?
Aerie: I think so, but… well, I just… I don’t think it’s usual for pals to read their pals diaries without asking first… is it?
Imoen: Course not. Only best pals care enough to be that nosy.
Aerie: I-in that case I’m flattered, I suppose. It’s just I was under the impression that a diary was supposed to be someone’s private thoughts.
Imoen: Well if they’re so private, why even write them down?
Aerie: Good point. I suppose it just… sometimes writing them down helps me to make more sense of them. I-if that makes sense…
Imoen: Oh, I know; you gotta a hell of a lot going on in that head of yours. ‘Is it good because the gods tell us, or do the gods tell us because it is good?’ Deep stuff.
Aerie: Well it’s… i-it’s not the point. Imoen, it’s bad enough that you invade my privacy, but… the smiley faces? Why all the smiley faces?
Imoen: It needed lightening up in places. Let’s face it, you can be a bit maudlin sometimes.
Aerie: Wha… I… t-that’s… you’re not even supposed to look at it!
Imoen: Now, how am I gonna be able to help you if I don’t know what you’re thinking?
Aerie: Help me?
Imoen: You were real nice, helping me after… you know. And I just can’t let that go. I gotta do something nice for you.
Aerie: Really. You don’t. It’s fine.
Imoen: Now I knew you’d say that, because that’s what a nice person you are. But I just gotta. And, I think I’ve figured out what your problem is.
Aerie: P-problem. Right now Imoen, my only problem is you.
Imoen: Now we both know that ain’t so. No, your problem is that you’re not yourself.
Aerie: Not myself? I-I really don’t understand what that means.
Imoen: You’re afraid to be yourself, ‘cos of what happened and how other people have treated you. But, there was a little girl once with a head bursting with questions and who wanted to open every crack and door in the multiverse and peek inside, and have fun while she was doing it. You hear her voice sometimes, but… she’s still trapped in there. Even if I achieve nothing else in my life, I am gonna set that poor girl free.
Aerie: I… I-I don’t… how?
Imoen: Heh. You stick with me, kid; together we’ll raise some hell. Or we’ll end up in hell. Either way, you are going to start enjoying and appreciating life, even if it kills ya. You got that?
Aerie: I… y-yes ma’am.
Imoen: We gotta lot of work to do.
Make mods @Coutelier ! I'd install them for sure
I've had ideas for mods I'd like to make for BG2, giving personal quests to NPC's who are lacking them. I've lots of ideas for Aerie. I know there was a storyline for her cut from the original, which is just as well because from what I saw it just wasn't very good. The ideas I have involve slavers, the boy she rescued, an assassin with one arm and one leg... maybe I'll post an overview of what I had in mind here or in the mod forum some time. I don't think any of it is really too ambitious, but it's not all worked out yet.
Imoen: I can’t believe some of the things that go on round here. I just… I can’t be bothered to say it. Aerie, you say it.
Aerie: You… yer all buffleheaded!
Imoen: Well said.
Aerie: Thank you.
Jaheira: Well… her training is coming along well I see.
Imoen: Heh, yeah… Aerie’s amazing. She learns fast, and is real multi-talented too. Like, did any of you know how good she is at drawing?
Jaheira: I did not know that.
Aerie: I-I’m really not that good…
Imoen: Aw, c’mon. Don’t be so modest and shy! Show ‘em all what you can do.
Aerie: I really don’t think Jaheira’s interested. B-besides we have other things we need to…
Imoen: Well I’ll show ‘em, then.
Aerie: N-no Imoen… please!
Imoen: Look!
Jaheira: This… is me?
Aerie: I-I er…
Imoen: Amazing likeness, right? I mean you can instantly tell who it is even though…
Jaheira: I’m a horse.
Imoen: Right! Yer a nag… get it? She’s really got a great sense of humor when you get to know her. You make sure she shows you the rest.
Aerie: Imoen… w-where are you going?!
Imoen: Just gonna get a drink. Y’all have fun ‘til I get back.
Aerie: Imoen don’t le… I-I, erm… Jaheira, you see, a-at the time I was…
Jaheira: I believe it has been a while since you’ve sparred with anyone… even you have to be able to defend yourself in melee and hand to hand. I will talk to you again later. Be ready.
Aerie: Heh… I-I… yes, ma’am…
Imoen: How’s it going? You okay?
Aerie: No. I’m dead. Thank you so much, ‘pal’.
Imoen: Don’t worry, Aerie. Chiktikka Fastpaws does this sort of thing all the time, right?
Aerie: Imoen, Chiktikka Fastpaws can get away with things like that because Chiktikka Fastpaws is a raccoon. And the companion of a god. A-and they’re just stories.
Imoen: Well I’m a demigod and you’re my companion, and it’s just a little fun. No one’ll be hurt, so stop worrying. All you’ve got to do is distract him.
Aerie: How?
Imoen: Use your feminine wiles.
Aerie: Feminine… wiles? H-how… how do I do that?
Imoen: Just… be yourself. It’ll be fine. Now look… here he comes. Just keep him talking…
Keldorn: What are you two up to?
Imoen: Nothing… just chatting. Actually, I think Aerie had something she wanted to talk to you about, actually. So I’ll leave you to it.
Aerie: I-I… y-yes. I was wondering, what… w-what you thought about universals and forms?
Keldorn: Forms?
Aerie: Yes… I-I was reading about it recently. T-the idea that everything that exists in our realm is merely a-a shadow of a real thing, and in some, perhaps abstract, realm outside of ours, m-maybe outside the multiverse itself, is a place where all the true forms of things exist. What… what do you think?
Keldorn: So, all the vampires, werewolves, and every other manner of creature we face daily, is merely a bad imitation or a copy of some original?
Aerie: That’s… o-one way of looking at it, I suppose…
Keldorn: Interesting. Although I myself am an idealist, I believe that the problem with such metaphysical questions on such things beyond what is possible for us to ever experience is that by using pure thought both the existence or the non-existence of a thing can be proven with equal validity. Now… why do you keep looking behind me?
Aerie: N-no reason! You know, I appear to just drift off into my own world when I’m thinking. B-but I’m really fascinated… tell me more about your ideals.
Keldorn: Imoen is behind me…
Aerie: Really? I-I hadn’t noticed…
Keldorn: With a paint brush… what has she done? She has written something on the back of my armor, hasn’t she? What is it? ‘Kick me’? ‘Open here’? ‘I love bacon’… which at least would have the merit of being true, I suppose.
Imoen: I think we’re done here now, Aerrers… you had those new spells you wanted to study, right? And really, Keldorn, you wanna stay away from all that rum and wenches... shocking. See ya!
Imoen: Aerie, Aerie, Aerie…
Aerie: Yes?
Imoen: No, I was just… why is it just ‘Aerie’? Most elves have some really long and pretentious sounding second name like ‘Nightshadow’ or ‘Miscastmaster’, or something…
Aerie: Usually, elves undergo a naming ceremony when they come of age, where their second name is given. Most often it’s a reflection of the path, o-or career, they have chosen. But, I was…
Imoen: You weren’t around any other elves when you came of age. I’m sorry.
Aerie: I-it’s not your fault. It… i-it may interest you to know, however, that ‘Aerie’ isn’t my real name. It was the name given to me by my circus masters.
Imoen: Yeah? What’s your real name?
Aerie: Bob.
Imoen: Heh… kinda suits ya, actually.
Aerie: My parents thought so.
Imoen: So, if you had a second name, Bob, what d’ya think it would be?
Aerie: I don’t know… just got to think about my skills and achievements in life. I-I used to be very good at shovelling all that elephant poop into carts, so maybe ‘Dungbeetle?
Imoen: Bob Dungbeetle? Y’know, maybe that can be the name of a character in a book I’m writing.
Aerie: You’re writing a book?
Imoen: Well, you know, the Candlekeep monks have to keep a copy of every book that’s published. So I figured, if I got a book published, there’d always be a little piece of me left there.
Aerie: That’s nice. Does it have a title, yet?
Imoen: ‘101 Ways to Annoy a Candlekeep Monk’. Publishing a book with that as the title is number forty seven.
Aerie: Hee!
The party is directed to a location where they encounter a group of slavers. They don't recognize anyone in the party, but Aerie remembers one of them; Amra was an elven archer who was part of the group of slavers that captured Aerie years ago. Aerie has grown and changed considerably since then, but the other elf is not changed at all. Toward the end of the fight that will inevitably ensue, Amra does nevertheless start to remember her, then flees the scene. Leaving Aerie to recount the early days to recount the early days of her captivity when she spoke almost no common and was brought to a fort (she doesn't know where, since during her transport she was unable to see out at all). She mentions a man everyone only knew as Praxis who was responsible for breaking in all the new slaves.
Some time later, the stranger appears again. This time revealing that he's working for an organization trying to free slaves. He also knows about Praxis; he's still alive, but recently disappeared and they've been unable to find his location. He knows that Aerie has history of the man, and has joined a powerful group, so he asks you to investigate. He has another possible lead that he gives you.
This one leads to an old dwarf, who again Aerie recognizes. He was the jailer in charge of the cells at the slaver fort. But he's drunken, broken, muttering about all the cries and screams in his head, the stench of all the dead bodies. You can kill him if you want, but Aerie probably won't be overjoyed by that. Other NPC's might suggest an alternative path; that he can try to make up for his crimes by helping the authorities, or even the harpers, bring down other slavers. Aerie understands that sparing his life and possibly sending him to prison to spend his life behind bars is no kindness. She can't forgive him, but she'll agree to help him, by letting him help her find Praxis.
The dwarf will put you in touch with a pirate captain who he believes will know the location of Praxis. It pays off; he does. He also once helped out slavers, but has renounced them and is more than happy to take you to Praxis to try and restore some of his honor. At some point, before or after the journey if you agree to go, Aerie will comment on the pirate's one arm and one leg, saying that she has to power to restore them if he so wishes. He declines, explaining that although he missed his hand and leg at first, his missing them has now become too much a part of who he is.
In any case, there will follow a bit of dungeon crawl (haven't figured that part out yet; probably just reuse an existing map from the game). The captain will wait to take you back and forth should you wish. Anyway, Praxis has a number of slaves and has them all digging. He'll greet the party, and Aerie, near the start. Of course he'll try to mess with her head, and possibly other companions as well (telling Nalia that he knew her parents or grandparents, for example, or that her father was there on the day of Aerie's auction). Then he'll disappear and leave you to his minions.
The quote 'there shall be wings', was a quote Aerie used to hear from Praxis often. She found later, from Quayle, that it was attributed to a gnomish sage and inventor. Amongst his many accomplishments, he claimed to have created a very powerful weapon capable of destroying entire cities in seconds but had hidden it away. Praxis of course believes he's found it.
As you chase him, there will be a few clues that Aerie will comment on. When you catch up to Praxis, he's close to activating the weapon. Of course, he has to be stopped, but it'll be an extremely tough fight. UNLESS... you listen to Aerie and do absolutely nothing. Let Praxis win.
See, she'll have realized by this point that the whole thing was a ruse. There is no weapon. It was just a story the old gnome put about in order to trap and destroy anyone foolish enough to actually want that kind of power.
Either way, with Praxis out the way you can return to Amn. At some point, Amra will attack again seeking vengeange. But her group will be chased away by a group of werewolves. The pack leader will reveal themselves to be the mysterious stranger who started all this, and then reveal himself to have been the boy Aerie had rescued years ago. Now a man, he'd spent some time searching for his family, and in doing so had learnt about Praxis and about Aerie, the girl who had saved him. He asks if she knows anything of what happened to his sister... regretfully, she doesn't. Everyone captured that day had been seperated in the fort.
So then the stranger thanks you and leaves. Aerie gets some kind of reward like a small stat boot or item or special ability (probably vary a bit depending on whether you're romancing her or not), and everything has turned out rosy again.
Until Throne of Bhaal.
Aerie: Imoen… I-I have problem.
Imoen: Sure Aerrers. What is it?
Aerie: Well, it’s not really me. It’s Minsc. He has…
Imoen: Whoa, wait! I’ve changed my mind! Don’t wanna hear!
Aerie: But I need…
Imoen: Don’t wanna hear!
Aerie: I don’t know where to find…
Imoen: It’s your problem. You agreed to take on all that ‘sponsibility.
Aerie: But I have to tell you… please listen…
Imoen: Then I shall just cover my ears with my hands and sing loudly ‘til you stop. NAH-nah-nah…
Aerie: Oh, for… fine. Just wait there a minute…
Imoen: La-di-dah-di-dah… oh! You wrote it down, huh?
Aerie: Now do you see?
Imoen: Yeah… that’s shocking, Aerie. Why didn’t you tell someone?
Aerie: I… *sighs* Can you help me or not?
Imoen: Yeah, I think so. You really should have said something sooner though.
Imoen: Vampire or Werewolf?
Aerie: Excuse me?
Imoen: If you had to be one, which would it be?
Aerie: Er, well… werewolf, I suppose. I mean, i-it gets a little hairy once a month, but otherwise you can go on living like you normally do.
Imoen: And you can sniff butts and no-one’ll think it’s weird.
Aerie: Yes, I… hadn’t really thought of that. You can’t wear any silver; I-I think that’s the only downside really. That and having to kill every full moon, b-but I think you could probably take precautions if you knew that was going to happen.
Imoen: Vampires smell funny. You ever notice that?
Aerie: Well, t-they’re dead. That’s how they smell; they smell of being dead.
Imoen: I guess that’s why they wear so much perfume. But you notice the flies as well? I hate creepy-crawlies; I think they’re the worst thing about vamps.
Aerie: According to Elminster’s book, the greatest danger of vampires to the living isn’t their drinking blood, but all the vermin and diseases that follow with them.
Imoen: Vampires suck.
Aerie: I concur.
Imoen: So… Team Jacob, then?
Aerie: Well, I’m not sure I’d wish Bella on anyone, but… a-actually, I think she and Edward are perfect for each other.
Aerie: It’s just that I’m worried about you.
Imoen: I know, Aerie. I’m sorry.
Aerie: When Charname first told me who they were, I… I didn’t give it much thought. Maybe because I just wanted to leave the circus so much, and they seemed so normal… well, relatively normal. But now, with the slayer and us actually being in hell… it’s started to seem a whole lot more real.
Imoen: I know, Aerie. I know.
Aerie: I don’t know what help I can be, but if there’s anything at all I want to try.
Imoen: Aerie, all you have to do to help me is keep being my friend, okay?
Aerie: I-I… okay.
Imoen: Smile?
Aerie: Okay.
Imoen: Good. Now… we should really do something with your hair.
Aerie: My… hair?
Imoen: It’s getting too long and untidy. You want a short neat style, like mine.
Aerie: I really don’t. I like my hair the way it is…
Imoen: C’mon, just let me give it a trim…
Aerie: No!
Imoen: Stop struggling, Aerie. Ya can’t win… I’m a demigod, remember!
Aerie: You are not cutting my hair!
Imoen: Oh no? OWW! Stop pulling!
Aerie: Y-you stop tickling me!
Imoen: Gotch’ya good! You can’t escape Aerie. Give up?
Aerie: N… n-never!
Neera: Well… I was starting to have suspicions about you two. It’s like you’ve been glued together lately. Forgive the cliché though, but, get a room…
Anomen: I… need to sit. Armor chafing a bit…
Aerie: What? W-we weren’t… I mean, we were. I’m not…
Imoen: Aw, c’mon Aerie. Sometimes you just gotta give the people what they want. So, how about making up with a kiss?
Aerie: Oh, my…
While she's undoubtedly good, the 'lawful' part of her alignment seems to stem mainly from her initial subservience and inclination toward being deferential to others in the group. I very much doubt she cares much for Amnish law, or at least has little faith in the authorities ability to actually enforce their own laws. Slavery is supposed to be illegal in Amn, but obviously she knows first hand that it's allowed to go on, even out in the open with nothing done to stop it. Maybe she believes in a ordered universe with laws that can be understood, but I sometimes if Neutral Good isn't just her natural alignment, what she would be without all the conditioning she's undergone. In some circumstances, she may swing past that to chaotic, but always end up drifting back to neutral.
oh, and I have NEVER heard or read about Evil surface Dwarves. So there, I just wanted to mention that once in my life :-)
I hope you create some banter packs or something, these are great
But enough of my gripe. Let's get back to some fun stuff. How about this for a fun-loving-banter-rich situation:
Imoen, Jan Janssen and Neera starting a Mage's guild. And yes, you can include Aerie :-)
Imoen: You know how much I appreciate all you do, don't you Aerie?
Aerie: Y-you mean the way I do absolutely everything while you lounge on the coach with a toffee apple?
Imoen: Yeah, that. 'preciate it.
Aerie: *sighs* Thank you.
So, let me think about it a bit.
Still you don't need to agree with me, i'm calling for a mod idea, not an vanilla ovehaul. I could go on with all the variables that let me see Aerie as a perfect subject for an chaotic evil turn, but then, it's not the proper time or place to do it.
With Viconia she always had some doubt about being evil. There's no such doubt in Aerie about being good; it's pretty much all she has left of who she is really is.
I think Nalia is a more likely candidate if you want to change someone from good to evil. She does want power to change things and the way people think. Getting embroiled in politics in Amn, dealing with all the other nobles who might oppose her plans for change; that's the kind of stuff that easily leads to corruption.