How's the Jaheira romance? (Including ToB)
contown
Member Posts: 84
Trying to pick between her and Aerie. I know the cliffnotes of Aerie's romance (baby) but nothing about Jaheira's. Is it good?
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To me, Jaheira acts like a real woman. It's interesting to know her, to see her character, to watch how she's changing. She asks solid questions, she thinks, she understands.
Check @Quartz 's and @SionIV 's posts here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/505196/#Comment_505196
and here:
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/504273/#Comment_504273
They show this romance is worth it.
Moreover, this romance is deep and has several quests involved.
People usually say it's a very long romance but there's a good discussion: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/14246/jaheira-romance-is-too-long on this topic and I like @Dee 's answer there: "because of how many lovetalks she has ... is one of the reasons why hers is my favorite romance path". You just understand Jaheira better!
Yet for me, it's just too soon after Khalid. So even though I consider her the best written romance, I don't often romance her; I liked Khalid too much, and I adored their relationship in various BG1 mods. (And to be fair, her romance deals with the Khalid subject- she has bad dreams of him disapproving of the relationship, then good dreams of him urging her to move on with you.) Still, if you like Jaheira, I don't think you can go wrong with her romance, despite my hesitations.
Personally, I dream of making a mod that allows a friendship path with Jaheira, where you could do her quests and have discussions about her husband and her moving on and her past without romancing her. But, uh, NPC mods come first. >.>
For example, with my Cavalier, I chose Aerie. And I think she's actually quite cute.
I haven't romanced Jaheira yet but I will on my Neutral playthrough perhaps.
Though Neera seems fun.
Not every romance needs to be super down to earth and normal. Different people carry different baggage.
With Aerie you get the romantic cutie. That actually toughens up, you have a baby and she's very loving.
With Jaheira you get a more down to earth romance. Something like more mature and motherly girlifriend I think.
With Viconia you get the hot bitch that you tame. She also opens and softens up.
Honestly, I didn't regret romancing Aerie. I watched her evolve from the scared kitten to the loving and confident mother.
Stay with Viconia? She was my first impulse until I heard that, even in ToB, she decides it'll never work and leaves you. Even if it's well done, it wouldn't be very satisfying for me.
In the end of Viconia's romance in SoA, you have to tell her "But I need you here in the party, even if we are not together... I cannot succeed without your strength."
If you say so, Viconia will stay and not go. She'll say: "It shall be... difficult to stay by your side, but I will. But there is nothing further between us... and we part once your task is complete. This is the way it must be, if I am to help you. I... am sorry, . In my own way, I do... love you. Let us go now and put this behind us."
If you choose any other answer during that talk, she'll go.
So, choose your words carefully and the she'll stay with you. The same is right for ToB - choose right answers and everything will be fine.
also for what its worth I had some bugs with Aerie when I played so I don't know if that's something to consider
Harpers are meddlers, yes, but their most passionately held belief is, and I quote, "All beings should walk free of fear, with the right to live their lives as they wish."
They're champions of freedom. What happened in that compound was pretty much the antithesis of what they're supposed to be, which is why Jaheira was so freaked out about it.
You can't really blame her for that. Unless you're playing evil, I guess.
Viconia flirts very aggressively. She persists that you have a desire for her even if you tell her no, and spins lies around herself to control how you feel about her. Not to mention she's mentally abusive--one moment she'll be a complete bitch to you for no good reason, and the next she'll apologize and act all sweet...only to stomp you into the ground again on the next dialogue.
Once you get past the psycho-chick act, sure, she warms up to you... But until then, she is the cookie-cutter example of all abusive girlfriends. Cunning, cruel, and very manipulative.
I'll also take a mentally abusive girlfriend over a whiner when it comes to real life.
Abuse me as much as you want, but the moment you start whining constantly over how hard your life is, the door is right over there.
Or... well, no, what I mean is the stuff about her constantly whining simply isn't true. People, especially when they've been through the terrible kind of traumas Aerie has, get depressed and feel unhappy sometimes, and when they do they can be snappy, etcetera. But Aerie gets over it, becomes happy, and then is completely devoted to you. As a man gets older he realises that what he really wants who will stand by and take care of him whenever he gets a sniffle.
That said, I often play with a female PC now just to avoid the romances. I just feel now that the whole mega-powerful evil sorcerer trying to become a god and all the other stuff going on should be taken care of before I start worrying about love or anything.
Edit: As for Aerie and Viconia I don't use Vicky often since I find it hard to play with evil characters, and I honestly like Aerie and often have to force myself not to take her no matter what gender my pc is. XD If I don't force myself to use different characters my party will almost always end up Aerie, Anomen, Haer'Dalis, Imoen, and Nalia... (Replace Nalia with Xan if mods are involved)