@DragonKing when I first saw that one it reminded me a little of Aribeth (from Neverwinter Nights), don't know why, because she was actually more practically dressed:
@DragonKing when I first saw that one it reminded me a little of Aribeth (from Neverwinter Nights), don't know why, because she was actually more practically dressed:
Colors cheme, both are using chromatic hue, and both do have openings that = death if there opponent knows how to aim.
@Sjerrie, that picture you posted actually IS an alternate portrait for Aribeth. I downloaded it years and years ago from the Neverwinter Vault, where it had been published as a version of Aribeth.
After much stalling and many false starts, along with the occasional "we-really-need-to-restart-your-laptop-for-this-absolutely-critical-update-omg-you-have-to-believe-us" moments, here's the first part of the story of my trip through Abazigal's Lair.
At the start, I met this guy called Draconis outside the entrance to the lair. Now I probably don't have to tell you that Draccy is a dragon, and like all dragons is completely full of himself, but unlike our old friend Firkraag he couldn't even compensate by being entertaining and humorous. When we actually got to fighting, though, it turned out he was actually a big girl's blouse who fought in the most cowardly manner possible when you're 30 feet tall and can't run for cover: blasting my party back and casting spells like Cloudkill and Horrid Wilting. Too bad for him I'm not one of those players who relies on pure skill to get through to the final moments of the game; you all know me as a self-confessed cheater - Ctrl + Y was enough to gut him like a fish. I decapitated him and left his headless corpse to rot in the sun like a sucker.
So anyway, once I was actually inside the lair, it turned out I had to navigate it by diving into the pools around the entry hall. Because apparently Abazigal was willing to severely inconvenience himself and his minions in order to spite intruders, I guess. Anyway, it then turned out I had to go find some water for a potion to let me and my friends swim through the other pools. I went through one of the pools, dispatched the enemies and found the water - but there was no bottle. I figured I'd missed something so I went to my browser to look up the answer online. Unfortunately...
I filled the bottle, grinding my teeth as I did so, and drank it. Figured I'd cut my losses and go through the pool that led to the entrance to the boss's inner sanctum. But nooooo, it couldn't be simple.
I found yet another pool and went through to an area full of fish men. We found one of Balthazar's monks - if there were any more doubts about Balthazar knowing more than he was letting on, this guy dispelled them. He gave us a rope before he died. Just as well for him - I was prepared to get tough asking what the hell his master was up to.
Anyway, I went back to the starting area and went through another portal. My initial reaction was pretty much...
So then this weirdo showed up and asked me to get a beholder eyeball for him. I didn't know off the top of my head what he wanted it for (although I had my suspicions) and was prepared to tell him where he could put that eyeball - but when I looked him up, it turned out he had a scroll of Reversal that I'd need to get to Big Az if I didn't want another dragon fight on my hands. And I was all...
At least the game let me delegate the work to a trio of low-level adventurers who nabbed me an eyeball from a beholder pit elsewhere in the lair. They tried to attack me first though. Honestly, the three of those scrubs trying to kill me?
So then I found a way into his [locked] laboratory - don't remember how, I may have Ctrl + J'd in - and he asked for the eyeball. My suspicions were correct: he had made all those freaky eyeballs from earlier and was going to use the hard-delegated eyeball I'd procured to make another. He didn't get the chance, though; my tolerence-for-silliness tank had run out only a few moments ago and I decided I'd sooner kill him than let him perpetrate any more such attrocities.
After all, why let him get away and make more eyeballs if I still got the scroll after killing him by looting his corpse? The dungeon had already demonstrated, by its previous actions, that it considered that an acceptable way to obtain McGuffins, even if the game didn't. It was pretty therapeutic, actually. Afterwards, my party started to complain about being fatigued, so I decided to rest up and go after the bigger fish in 8 game-hours. That would pose its own set of problems, though...
Previously on the Baldur's Gate Meme II: Enhanced Edition...
"...why let him get away and make more eyeballs if I still got the scroll after killing him by looting his corpse? The dungeon had already demonstrated, by its previous actions, that it considered that an acceptable way to obtain McGuffins, even if the game didn't. It was pretty therapeutic, actually. Afterwards, my party started to complain about being fatigued, so I decided to rest up and go after the bigger fish in 8 game-hours. That would pose its own set of problems, though..."
Those problems being that this game thinks camping in the streets, the wild or a dungeon rather than paying for an inn each time is for scrubs and misers. At least, that's the impression I got from the mechanisms that mob me with monsters or get a rude guard to kick me awake if I dare try to use the rest button instead of paying for lodgings at an inn. Either the 2e hated cheap adventurers with a vengeance, or the BG saga is a D&D game being played by players with the most @$$***ish Dungeon Master ever. This wouldn't be an issue if it were a very rare occurence, but when I've got an entire party moaning that they need to sleep and the game penalises me for trying to do just that without splashing out my hard-earned cash each time... suffice it to say, after my seventh rude awakening I was contemplating putting an axe through my computer screen.
Still, after I finally rested, I managed to find a way into the "almost-there" portion of the dungeon. I met the dragon I mentioned earlier - a female green dragon, it turns out. I then learned what the Scroll of Reversal was for - she was enslaved to Abazigal by a geas like the one dear old Yoshimo was under, and would gladly vacate the premises if it was removed. Just a shame we didn't have a Scroll of Rev- oh, wait! So I agreed to use the scroll if she agreed not to fight and a deal was struck. Considering what happened to the last person I knew who suffered from a geas, it felt pretty good to set her free, even if she was a chromatic dragon.
After the nice moment was over, I asked if she was leaving now. She laughed and mocked me for making a deal with a creature several times greater and more powerful than me, and at first I was all, "Don't tell me I went waist-deep in eyeballs for that stupid scroll just so I could fall for a bait-and-switch!" because that kind of talk is usually the prelude to a fight - but then she decided to just leave. Better to recover her strength, she decided, and to quit the dump of a dungeon she had been held in for so long while she was ahead. I was pleasantly surprised - Firkraag just let us stop fighting because he was bored, but this lady knew she could probably blast us all into bits and figured she'd still spare us.
I suspect it didn't hurt that she could leave knowing that six well-armed and experienced adventurers were prepared to take on the jackass who enslaved her in the first place. In fact, that crept into her last words to my party.
Well, we went into the next room and there he was. More boasting followed, with some lines Draccy also spouted about how only dragons were fit to be Bhaalspawn. And then this happened...
Jeez, overreaction much? Other members of my party endured the half-breed insults time and again without resorting to violence. Then again, you know, dragons - they react to mortals getting snarky as if we're ants to be crushed under their boots (you know what I mean). Anyway, he wasn't so tough in the initial stages of the fight but that all changed the moment he switched over to his other form. I was all:
After I beat the crap out of him anyway, he grunted some more and showed me that Balthazar was somehow connected to all this - and that he'd apparently had Melissan killed. I wasn't suspicious of her at the time (which just goes to show that I'm not much of a judge of character, huh?) but I still felt good after he died. For a few precious seconds we were just standing there all like:
But then, to my utter chagrin and lack of surprise, the Solar dragged me back to my Pocket Plane for some expository banter. Famous last words, as they say. How did I feel about that? Well...
suffice it to say, after my seventh rude awakening I was contemplating putting an axe through my computer screen.
No need to pay for an inn in Throne of Bhaal. Just zap off to the pocket plane, sleep with Viconia for eight hours, and you're good to go!
Yeah, that's what I do now. At the time, it didn't occur to me that I had a go-to-sleep-for-free button in my character's special abilities section, since I was still getting used to even having a Pocket Plane in the first place. I did say this was my first time doing it, didn't I?
Comments
You see, there's "Uber Humore Bob Loblaw Law Blog" note on that pic?
When Beamdog first created their blog, Phillip Daigle wanted to change the official name to "bob loblaw's beamdog beamblog" https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/585147/#Comment_585147
So, on a quiestion of BG relevance of that pic:
They both are elves also.
-.-
At the start, I met this guy called Draconis outside the entrance to the lair. Now I probably don't have to tell you that Draccy is a dragon, and like all dragons is completely full of himself, but unlike our old friend Firkraag he couldn't even compensate by being entertaining and humorous. When we actually got to fighting, though, it turned out he was actually a big girl's blouse who fought in the most cowardly manner possible when you're 30 feet tall and can't run for cover: blasting my party back and casting spells like Cloudkill and Horrid Wilting. Too bad for him I'm not one of those players who relies on pure skill to get through to the final moments of the game; you all know me as a self-confessed cheater - Ctrl + Y was enough to gut him like a fish. I decapitated him and left his headless corpse to rot in the sun like a sucker.
So anyway, once I was actually inside the lair, it turned out I had to navigate it by diving into the pools around the entry hall. Because apparently Abazigal was willing to severely inconvenience himself and his minions in order to spite intruders, I guess. Anyway, it then turned out I had to go find some water for a potion to let me and my friends swim through the other pools. I went through one of the pools, dispatched the enemies and found the water - but there was no bottle. I figured I'd missed something so I went to my browser to look up the answer online. Unfortunately...
I filled the bottle, grinding my teeth as I did so, and drank it. Figured I'd cut my losses and go through the pool that led to the entrance to the boss's inner sanctum. But nooooo, it couldn't be simple.
I found yet another pool and went through to an area full of fish men. We found one of Balthazar's monks - if there were any more doubts about Balthazar knowing more than he was letting on, this guy dispelled them. He gave us a rope before he died. Just as well for him - I was prepared to get tough asking what the hell his master was up to.
Anyway, I went back to the starting area and went through another portal. My initial reaction was pretty much...
So then this weirdo showed up and asked me to get a beholder eyeball for him. I didn't know off the top of my head what he wanted it for (although I had my suspicions) and was prepared to tell him where he could put that eyeball - but when I looked him up, it turned out he had a scroll of Reversal that I'd need to get to Big Az if I didn't want another dragon fight on my hands. And I was all...
At least the game let me delegate the work to a trio of low-level adventurers who nabbed me an eyeball from a beholder pit elsewhere in the lair. They tried to attack me first though. Honestly, the three of those scrubs trying to kill me?
So then I found a way into his [locked] laboratory - don't remember how, I may have Ctrl + J'd in - and he asked for the eyeball. My suspicions were correct: he had made all those freaky eyeballs from earlier and was going to use the hard-delegated eyeball I'd procured to make another. He didn't get the chance, though; my tolerence-for-silliness tank had run out only a few moments ago and I decided I'd sooner kill him than let him perpetrate any more such attrocities.
After all, why let him get away and make more eyeballs if I still got the scroll after killing him by looting his corpse? The dungeon had already demonstrated, by its previous actions, that it considered that an acceptable way to obtain McGuffins, even if the game didn't. It was pretty therapeutic, actually. Afterwards, my party started to complain about being fatigued, so I decided to rest up and go after the bigger fish in 8 game-hours. That would pose its own set of problems, though...
(TBC)
"...why let him get away and make more eyeballs if I still got the scroll after killing him by looting his corpse? The dungeon had already demonstrated, by its previous actions, that it considered that an acceptable way to obtain McGuffins, even if the game didn't. It was pretty therapeutic, actually. Afterwards, my party started to complain about being fatigued, so I decided to rest up and go after the bigger fish in 8 game-hours. That would pose its own set of problems, though..."
Those problems being that this game thinks camping in the streets, the wild or a dungeon rather than paying for an inn each time is for scrubs and misers. At least, that's the impression I got from the mechanisms that mob me with monsters or get a rude guard to kick me awake if I dare try to use the rest button instead of paying for lodgings at an inn. Either the 2e hated cheap adventurers with a vengeance, or the BG saga is a D&D game being played by players with the most @$$***ish Dungeon Master ever. This wouldn't be an issue if it were a very rare occurence, but when I've got an entire party moaning that they need to sleep and the game penalises me for trying to do just that without splashing out my hard-earned cash each time... suffice it to say, after my seventh rude awakening I was contemplating putting an axe through my computer screen.
Still, after I finally rested, I managed to find a way into the "almost-there" portion of the dungeon. I met the dragon I mentioned earlier - a female green dragon, it turns out. I then learned what the Scroll of Reversal was for - she was enslaved to Abazigal by a geas like the one dear old Yoshimo was under, and would gladly vacate the premises if it was removed. Just a shame we didn't have a Scroll of Rev- oh, wait! So I agreed to use the scroll if she agreed not to fight and a deal was struck. Considering what happened to the last person I knew who suffered from a geas, it felt pretty good to set her free, even if she was a chromatic dragon.
After the nice moment was over, I asked if she was leaving now. She laughed and mocked me for making a deal with a creature several times greater and more powerful than me, and at first I was all, "Don't tell me I went waist-deep in eyeballs for that stupid scroll just so I could fall for a bait-and-switch!" because that kind of talk is usually the prelude to a fight - but then she decided to just leave. Better to recover her strength, she decided, and to quit the dump of a dungeon she had been held in for so long while she was ahead. I was pleasantly surprised - Firkraag just let us stop fighting because he was bored, but this lady knew she could probably blast us all into bits and figured she'd still spare us.
I suspect it didn't hurt that she could leave knowing that six well-armed and experienced adventurers were prepared to take on the jackass who enslaved her in the first place. In fact, that crept into her last words to my party.
Well, we went into the next room and there he was. More boasting followed, with some lines Draccy also spouted about how only dragons were fit to be Bhaalspawn. And then this happened...
Jeez, overreaction much? Other members of my party endured the half-breed insults time and again without resorting to violence. Then again, you know, dragons - they react to mortals getting snarky as if we're ants to be crushed under their boots (you know what I mean). Anyway, he wasn't so tough in the initial stages of the fight but that all changed the moment he switched over to his other form. I was all:
After I beat the crap out of him anyway, he grunted some more and showed me that Balthazar was somehow connected to all this - and that he'd apparently had Melissan killed. I wasn't suspicious of her at the time (which just goes to show that I'm not much of a judge of character, huh?) but I still felt good after he died. For a few precious seconds we were just standing there all like:
But then, to my utter chagrin and lack of surprise, the Solar dragged me back to my Pocket Plane for some expository banter. Famous last words, as they say. How did I feel about that? Well...
Aaaaand we're done. This took too long to post.
with Viconiafor eight hours, and you're good to go!