Thanks for your support and encouragement as always guys
Day 18, Hour 6, 19 Mirtul, 1368
We rode hard through the night to ensure that we would reach Tranzig before Tazok's lackeys could inform him that their operation in Nashkel had been compromised. Along the way it was apparent that the highway had become more dangerous than ever, as we were waylaid by bandits twice on the short journey. The thugs were easy enough to deal with, though it indicated that Tazok's efforts were only intensifying.
We arrived in Beregost just before daybreak, and wasted no time before rushing to the Feldepost's and confronting Tranzig. After Imoen confirmed his presence at the inn, the party took no chances trying to take him alive, attacking with total surprise and lethal force. Tranzig was dead before he knew what hit him. A barrage of Magic Missiles from Neera, cast from a scroll, killed him instantly, and Branwen made sure with her hammer.
I must admit that I am rather shocked and disturbed by my companions' rather ruthless methods. Once Jaheira laid out the plan of attack, nobody even questioned if there might be a better approach, and carried out the attack without hesitation. Don't get me wrong, given what we know of the crimes of Tranzig, there was never a chance we would have spared him, and certainly no chance Branwen would have let him live. However I find the idea of assassinating a man in his sleep rather distasteful to say the least.
Am I just being naive and stupid? You would think that after all I have experienced lately, I should put aside idealistic notions of honour and tradition. If we planned to kill Tranzig regardless, what difference does it make if we struck first from the shadows, as opposed to giving him a chance to prepare for battle, and putting our party at risk against a potent mage? I know for certain that a man like Tranzig would not think twice of murdering the innocent and defenceless, so why do I still feel a sense of unease about our actions this night?
Anyway our assault woke a number of patrons at the Feldepost's, and understandably they summoned the Flaming Fists in some alarm. Thankfully, a potentially awkward situation was quickly resolved when we explained our situation to Officer Vai, the most senior commander of the Flaming Fists in Beregost. We presented our evidence, which was further reinforced by documents found on Tranzig indicating his association with bandits working for Tazok.
Instead of punishing us, Officer Vai released us promptly and asked for our further assistance in helping her over-stretched soldiers tackle the bandit crisis in the region. Jaheira readily agreed, though I cannot help but feel that I am in beyond my depth. Powerful forces are at work, the bandits, the iron crisis, Tazok, Tranzig and Mulahey... they all part of some greater plan that I cannot yet piece together, and yet I feel somehow a part of. I cannot make sense of it all. Perhaps I should just get some sleep. It has been a long couple of days...
After all the ground we have covered in recent days, we decided to take a little break before actually going bandit hunting in the wilderness. However, staying in town does not mean staying out of trouble.
As we procured some supplies and provisions in the market square, we were approached by a jolly fellow who introduced himself as Garrick. He claimed that his mistress, a minstrel of some renown (apparently) was being threatened by a gang of thugs, and would pay three hundred gold for our services to deal with said thugs. Of course even without mention of gold, we were hardly going to stand by and ignore a damsel in distress.
Alas the tale was not what it seemed. Upon arrival the woman introduced herself as Silke, and instead of defending her from thugs, she ordered us to kill a group of clearly unarmed merchants as soon as they approached her. It did not take a genius to figure out that she intended to commit murder by our hands, and when we refused, she attacked herself.
In the short battle that followed, Silke was revealed to be an accomplished arcane spell caster, though she must have mistaken us for total novices to attack despite being outnumbered six to one. Perhaps Silke expected Garrick to intervene on her behalf, but he clearly thought better of it and stood by as Khalid and Jaheira cut down his employer.
Quite astonishingly, despite what just happened, the fellow thought it was a good idea to ask if we would accept his company, making excuses about how he had been mislead by Silke and had no idea of her evil ways. Even more astonishingly, Imoen was somehow moved by the rubbish he spewed, and begged us to let him stay. Thankfully Jaheira was not born yesterday and firmly rejected Garrick's request. How can we even consider the company of somebody who did nothing to defend his previous companion?
In the afternoon we made a quick visit to Firebead Elvenhair's home. It was nice to meet up with Gorion's old friend, and he gifted us with a magical scroll case that greatly reduced the amount of space all our pieces of paper, documents, letters and indeed scrolls, took up.
In the evening we decided to relax at the Red Sheaf Inn. Here we came across yet another assassin! Though in this case, I use the term "assassin" rather loosely. He was a dwarf by the name of Karlat, and quite clearly drunk as he threw himself at me, yelling something about gold and my head, and apparently oblivious to my companions besides me. Branwen knocked him out with ease with a Command spell, and just before I was going ask if we should send him to Officer Vai, Jaheira snapped his neck.
After all this time, I am still somewhat uneasy at this kind of almost casual application of lethal force against our enemies. I know Jaheira only has my best interests at heart, but... let's just say that I am very glad she is on my side!
Anyway, for once we have no urgent journey or quest to embark upon, so we have decided to relax in the Burning Wizard tonight before setting off tomorrow to hunt some bandits.
I find it rather awkward to justify exploring and side-questing given the information discovered on Tranzig's body. Although I don't intend for this to be a completionist playthrough, I don't want to end up just rushing through the main story quest, and likely being under-levelled for the endgame. Hence I have decided to ignore the directions to Larswood and the bandit camp and use Officer Vai's bandit bounty as an excuse to explore every region directly adjacent to Beregost.
You can always decide that in order to face the camp full of bandits (of which you find out from the note), your party needs to get some stuff and experience. You can't fall so that bandits could plague the Sword Coast further only due to your party not being ready : )
Level 3 is indeed rather low for the Bandit Camp. If you think it wise you could also roleplay that a more urgent quest interfered (tidings about Bassilus and his whereabouts, a request by Keldath Ormlyr to stop Mutamin from making more victims, etc).
You can always decide that in order to face the camp full of bandits (of which you find out from the note), your party needs to get some stuff and experience. You can't fall so that bandits could plague the Sword Coast further only due to your party not being ready : )
I tend to avoid thinking like that because given the time frame of the games, the speed of increase in proficiency of your characters is actually quite unrealistic. I mean if I knew I had to fight a battle to the death in ten years' time, then by all means, I should train hard and gain experience so that I'd have the best chance possible. However, if that fight was next week, "experience" won't make much of a difference. Also when you go on an adventure, you cannot expect to find useful loot all the time, and it is just as possible that you waste valuable supplies (potions, scrolls etc) on a unnecessary battle as you are to finding a shiny new sword. Finally "experience points" and "levels" doesn't mean anything if you were truly in the Sword Coast.
Level 3 is indeed rather low for the Bandit Camp. If you think it wise you could also roleplay that a more urgent quest interfered (tidings about Bassilus and his whereabouts, a request by Keldath Ormlyr to stop Mutamin from making more victims, etc).
^ Ah yes. That is a good idea. In the future I might consider more creative reasoning for things like this!
Day 21, Hour 23, 22 Mirtul, 1368 We set off from Beregost two days ago at first light. The plan was to patrol in a clockwise direction around Beregost and hopefully find Tazok, or somebody who can lead us to him. Given our troubles on the road between Nashkel and Beregost, and the military tension building up between Amn and Baldur's Gate, we decided to start from the south. Ironically, now that we were hunting for bandits, bandits were nowhere to be found, and our first day ended without incident, and we set up camp for the night some fifteen miles southwest of Beregost. As it turned out, this was very much the calm before the storm.
On the second day, we were woken by the cries of a little boy who had come upon our camp. The poor child was clearly malnourished and delirious, and spoke of his missing parents and strange people at a stone circle nearby. Imoen decided to check out the stone circle the boy mentioned, and reported back the horrifying discovery that the boy's family were dead, and had been reanimated by the mad cleric, Basillus. We had heard of the lunatic's atrocities back in Beregost, and made no attempt to negotiate with such a vile monster of a man. He was beyond reason, forgiveness or redemption.
Having made preparations for battle and received the blessings of both Jaheira and Branwen's gods, we launched our assault upon Basillus. Branwen opened the attack with a Silence spell, successfully preventing the deviant from casting spells. However, the legion of skeletons and zombies he had already raised swarmed to his defence. Whilst Branwen and Jaheira smashed through throngs of skeletons, Khalid and I cut a path through them to reach Basillus himself. Though silenced by Branwen's magic, his eyes screamed fury and hatred as he lunged at us, wielding an enchanted hammer that crackled with energy. As always, Khalid bravely faced the madman head on, taking a blow on his shield that nearly shattered it in half and broke his shield arm. This gave me an opportunity to attack Basillus from the side. I found the weaker joints in his armour just under the arm pit, striking deep, Heaven Reliant punctured his lungs and pierced his heart, ending his mad reign of terror.
Remembering the sizeable bounty on the mad cleric's head, we took his unholy symbol as proof of the deed, and prepared to return to Beregost for a trip to the Song of the Morning. Alas when it rains, it pours. No sooner than we cleaned our weapons and clothes of the grime of battle and undead filth, we were suddenly beset by a new foe.
They announced their attack with a volley of arrows. More than a dozen bandits, hobgoblins and humans working together - unusual indeed, though we had little time to consider this as we prepared to fight for our lives. Had we been prepared, mere bandits should not have been a major problem, even in these numbers, but Khalid's shield had been rendered useless in the battle against Basillus, and as he selflessly shielded me from the arrows, he was struck by a number of shafts, some of which penetrated his battered platemail. With a heavy thud, Khalid fell to the ground.
Neera immediately replied with a Sleep spell that knocked out a handful of our assailants, whilst Jaheira, spitting curses at the enemy, led the charge, going straight for the largest of the hobgoblins, and presumably their leader. We showed the scum no mercy, human or beast, and cut them down where they stood. When Jaheira bashed in the skull of their leader, the bandits panicked and attempted to flee, but Neera sealed their fate with a Grease spell, leaving them sitting targets for Imoen's arrows.
Khalid's injuries were grievous and beyond Branwen and Jaheira's healing magic, so we rode hard to the Song of the Morning, not for the bounty on Basillus, but to save our friend and companion. I truly feared the worst, given how far we were from town, but Khalid's will is strong, and he refused to relinquish his hold on life as we rushed him to the temple. Kelddath Ormlyr himself attended to Khalid, eager to save the hero who slew Basillus. Thankfully the Morninglord answered our prayers and Khalid's wounds were healed by his blessing.
In our haste to return to the temple for healing services, we had thrown aside Khalid's armour to lighten the load. As he recuperated at the Feldepost's Inn, Jaheira and I made a visit to the Thunderhammer Smithy, where we spent all of our bounty for Basillus (and some!) on a beautiful set of full plate armour for our injury-prone hero! (I jest of course. Khalid keeps getting injured because he is always the first to put himself in harm's way to protect the rest of us.)
Reload 7 - Basillus + Undead I forgot that the skeletons all had ranged weapons, so casting Web at them backfired spectacularly since I lacked the necessary ranged weapons to take advantage, and the skeletons had Imoen out-gunned.
Reload 8 - Neera's magical mishap Right after I reloaded from the above disaster, we came across a pack of wolves. I decided to soften them up with a Sleep spell... Neera decided a Fireball would be more fun...
Funny as it is, it'd become rather unrealistic/awkward if the romance continued as if nothing changed. Is there any easy way to reverse this without EEkeeper or reloading??
@elminster Ah thx... that's good. In that case I will keep it in my "canon". lol It is actually somewhat appropriate as I am actually on the way to Adoy's Enclave.
Day 24, Hour 1, 25 Mirtul, 1368 With Khalid fully healed from his wounds and clad in his shiny new set of armour, we set out once more in search of bandits, hoping that some of them may lead us to Tazok, the apparent mastermind behind the Iron Crisis and the plot in the Nashkel Mines.
For nearly two days we came across nothing except the odd wolf pack, though one such encounter nearly ended in disaster as we experienced Neera's unpredictable magic for the first time ourselves. Instead of knocking out a pack of vicious wolves with a Sleep spell as intended, Neera lost control of her spell, which morphed into a giant fireball that incinerated the beasts instantly, but also narrowly missed turning our party into human charcoal. Neera apologised profusely of course, but no serious harm was done, and she obviously did not mean to hurt anybody, though it was a reminder of the risks that came attached with her magical talents. Thus far we have managed these risks by having her never casting spells on us, or ideally even near us, but on this occasion, we got complacent and nearly paid the price.
Anyway there would be more drama late in the evening, on the hills to the west of Beregost, we came across a talking chicken! No I am serious! Of course chicken cannot talk, but this particular rooster was apparently an apprentice mage by the name of Melicamp. He had been polymorphed by accident, and would certainly have become a wolf's snack had we not rescued him.
Neera is the only mage among us, and her magic is more likely fry him than return him to his human form, so rather hesitantly, he asked for our help to return him to his master, the powerful wizard Thalantyr, who resides in a secluded tower to the west of Beregost. We were heading in that direction anyway, and should get there around noon tomorrow.
Neera and Imoen are excited to meet them famous mage, who was an adventurer of some renown in his younger days, but the prospect of visiting a grumpy old wizard, rumoured to protect his tower with terrifying monsters, fills me with more apprehension than excitement...
Location: High Hedge (just arrived)
I decided to include Neera's mishap (reload 8) in a less lethal way, to give a little more justification for what's to come...
Day 25, Hour 1, 26 Mirtul, 1368 Well the rumours surrounding the mighty Thalantyr were not entirely true, but also not entirely unfounded. His tower, named High Hedge, was located deep in the woods some twenty miles west of Beregost. The old man clearly had little patience for visitors, and squadrons of animated skeletons patrol the periphery of his domain. With Melicamp giving us instruction, we made our way past the guards without too much trouble, and arrived before an intimidating fortress of a home.
The giant gates were unlocked, but there was nothing welcoming or hospitable about them. When we knocked, the door was answered by a pair of enormous flesh constructs, golems I believe, who demanded that we leave immediately or face certain death. Melicamp, in chicken form, protested loudly that he was Thalantyr's apprentice, and in response, the golems dropped their threatening stance, which we interpreted as permission to enter.
In the heart of the tower, we came face to face with the great man himself. Tall, intimidating, wearing impressive wizard's robes and carrying an ornate staff. He spoke with a mixture of aloof irritation and curiosity. We wasted no time presenting Melicamp to him, and upon examining the talking chicken and confirming his identity, Thalantyr launched into a frightening rage, berating his apprentice for apparently stealing a pair of cursed gauntlets that was responsible for his polymorphed condition.
I seriously feared that the old wizard was more likely to cook Melicamp for dinner than try to reverse the curse, but once he calmed down, he set about trying to restore his apprentice to his human form. The magic required was difficult and dangerous, and Thalantyr himself said it was just as likely to kill them both as it was to restoring Melicamp. Thankfully however, the gods were with the man-turned-chicken, and Thalantyr's spell went according to plan.
Needless to say, Melicamp was extremely grateful for our assistance, and with his apprentice back at his side, even the grumpy old Thalantyr appeared in better spirits, even if he still berated the young man at every turn for being useless, foolish, stupid, etc...
Before we left the tower, we took the opportunity to buy a few scrolls for Neera, and a magical potion case for Jaheira. Neera also took the chance to ask the old wizard about her own powers, which was why she was so keen to meet him. Alas Thalantyr could offer nothing to help make her powers less unpredictable, though he did mention of an old mage by the name of Adoy who exhibited similar powers, and lives in the Cloud Peaks southeast of Nashkel.
With a little persuasion, Jaheira agreed on a trip there to find Adoy, and hopefully help Neera learn how to control her unstable magic. Along the way, we will also continue our bandit hunt in the area east of Beregost.
We returned to Beregost to stock up on provisions for what will likely be a long journey into the Cloud Peaks, but when we visited the Song of the Morning, we found the place in a state of panic. Refugees had flooded into the temple from the villages and hills to the east, where apparently a tribe of hobgoblins with a massive pack of vicious wolves were raiding at will. A patrol of Flaming Fists had been dispatched already, but they had not returned and smoke could be seen rising on the horizon as the brigands burned and pillaged the countryside. Needless to say, we gathered our equipment and prepared for battle.
It did not take long to find our enemy. We easily dealt with a few small raiding bands before going head to head with the main hobgoblin war band. At the core were half a dozen of the fiends, who were no fiercer than the numerous hobgoblins we have faced before, but somehow they appeared to command a large pack of wolves, perhaps a dozen strong, including a pair of nightmarish Vampire Wolves. Thanks to Imoen's tracking skills, we were able to attack with the element of surprise.
Imoen opened our attack by lobbing a fire bomb into the midst of the enemy, killing some instantly, though the vampire wolves emerged relatively unscathed. Neera followed up with a Web. Our plan worked beautifully, forcing the stronger enemy force to attack us in piecemeal as they struggled out of Neera's sticky webs. Even so, just a vampire wolf is a terrifyingly powerful beast. Mundane weapons were useless against such monsters, and they healed at a supernatural rate, growing stronger from the blood of their victims. It took all our strength to bring the beasts down, and few among us escaped nasty slashes and bites that required magical healing courtesy of Jaheira and Branwen.
With crisis averted, we patched up our wounds and set off towards the Cloud Peaks...
Location: Ulcaster Ruins Reload No9: Vampire Wolves + Hobgoblins. On my first attempt I didn't expect the hobgoblins, and forgot that vampire wolves had a stun attack, so I couldn't save Jin after he got held, whilst being peppered by Hobgoblin arrows. On the second attempt, Neera's double-cast wild surge Web actually helped quite a lot to completely shut down the hobgoblins until I had killed the wolves.
My apologies to anyone who might have been following this thread with any interest, I had actually written the following update weeks ago, but decided not to upload it because I was in a busy period of life, and I was unsure if I would continue updating this thread in the long run, and didn't want to drag out something if I was only going to end it later.
It dawned on me that writing up a Baldur's Gate playthrough in the fashion I had been doing would take a VERY long time, and takes even more effort than just recording a Let's Play series. I did/do absolutely intend to finish this playthrough, but writing an update every time my party rested meant that for every 15 minute gaming session, it took about an hour to write an update, crop pictures, upload etc... and I just don't have that kind of time and patience to keep it going.
Hence I have decided to significantly reduce the frequency and detail of future updates so I can actually get on with more playing Baldur's Gate. Jin's journals will become more of a review of recent events, rather than "what happened today!".
Day 27, Hour 23, 28 Mirtul, 1368
I write from Hafling settlement named Gullykin, in the opposite direction to our intended destination of the Cloud Peak Mountains and Adoy's Enclave. Let me explain...
Initially our journey south was as smooth as can be expected in these dangerous untamed wilds. The odd wolf pack or gang of hobgoblins, but nothing that posed a serious danger. We came upon the Ulcaster Ruins, the remnants of an ancient mage school that once stood there. In the hundreds of years since its destruction, looters and adventurers have already taken most of its treasures, but we decided to make a visit, not for treasure, but the potential of knowledge.
We had hoped that perhaps among the ancient libraries largely ignored by treasure hunters, we might find descriptions of Neera's magic, and the secrets to controlling them. Alas if such knowledge was once held in the libraries of Ulcaster, that is no longer the case. Most of the books that remain have been rendered unreadable by the ravages of time, and we found nothing but a pack of vicious wolves that had made the ruins their home.
Thus we continued our journey southwards until we came across yet another relic of ancient times, the famous Firewine Bridge. On the southern end of the bridge, we came upon a single man dressed in humble rags and tattered old leathers, though he carried a sword of fine quality. He brazenly introduced himself as Meilum, "the most skilled swordsman of the Sword Coast"!
Seeing as Meilum appeared to fight in a similar style as myself, with a single straight blade, and unencumbered by heavy armour, I cracked a joke at his expense, and asked for a demonstration, out of sheer curiosity... Whatever else he is, he certainly lacked any sense of humour, and took my words for a challenge! Some rubbish about "once I've drawn my sword, I'm honour bound to wet the blade".
Before I knew it, I found myself facing a madman in a duel to death! Although "the most skilled swordsman of the Sword Coast" might be hyperbole, he was certainly more skilled than me. Much to my embarrassment, with my companions (including Neera) watching on, he disarmed me, knocking Heaven Reliant from my grasp, with his first strike, the second, a kick aimed squarely at my chest, sent me tumbling to the ground. The third would have been lethal had Khalid not jumped in to intervene.
Overconfident and fuelled by bloodlust, he challenged us to attack him all at once. We obliged, though Branwen refused to use her magic against a single warrior. With my friends by my side, I picked up Heaven Reliant and attacked again. I don't remember much of what happened next, just total shock as Meilum's sword stabbed straight through my chest, narrowly missing my heart, but collapsing my left lung. It was horrible, at first there was no pain, but I suddenly realised I could not breathe, it felt like I was drowning in my own blood, and perhaps thankfully, I passed out shortly thereafter.
When I woke, I was in Gullykin, the nearest outpost of civilisation my companions rushed me to for much needed healing services. I was relieved to learn that nobody else was seriously injured before Meilum was subdued and slain. Just as I began to feel somewhat comfortable in this adventurer's life and build confidence in my abilities as a swordsman, here was a brutal reminder that I am still very much a novice in this profession, both as a swordsman and an adventurer in general, and I have much to learn if I am to survive in these dangerous times. I am of course also reminded of the value of my companions and guardians, without whom I would certainly have been killed several times over already!
Oh yeah, I have mentioned it on this forum before, but I HATE Kahrk, that guy is just a monster for a low level party to deal with, and I ended up consuming way more resources (potions, scrolls etc) than it was worth for the experience and satisfaction of beating him. I really should have just avoided a fight there, which would make more sense roleplay-wise anyway, and that is what I will pretend actually happened, although I did include all the deaths on the rapidly growing reload list. Jin's journal alludes to those reloads through the Meilum battle. Meilum was significantly stronger than Jin, but didn't actually cause a wipe since the party could intervene quickly to help.
Yeah. Kahrks a pain. I've done several written play-throughs and he always leaves my characters (especially the solo ones) practically trashed. I've found on my most recent written play-through that the way to break him is poison. Specifically, an assassin's poison. Just hit one of his mirror shields and he's done. Obviously not every group has this, but it's true, and a little too simple.
Once I had recovered from my wounds, we readied to leave Gullykin and set off once more for the Cloud Peaks in search of Adoy. However, the night before we were due to leave, the halfling village was raided by a large pack of kobolds that emerged from nowhere, and like those we encountered at the Nashkel Mines, appeared to be better organised and coordinated than normal. Suspecting a link to Mulahey and the Iron Crisis, we decided to investigate.
It did not take long for us to conclude that the kobolds had emerged from within Gullykin, as the halflings' patrols saw no signs of the beasts' approach, and the attack took us all by complete surprise. With the permission of the mayor, we scoured Gullykin in search of a tunnel the kobolds likely used. Imoen was the first to spot it, a concealed trap door in the basement of a resident called Jenkal, and the stench of kobold all around. It did not take much intimidation from Jaheira before he spilled the truth- that he was working with an ogre mage who used his home as a secret entrance from which to raid Gullykin from a base in the Firewine Ruins.
Using the ogre's secret tunnel against him, we decided to end the kobold menace by cutting the head off the snake, so to speak. The tunnel led straight from Jenkal's house to the ogre mage's lair, saving us from having to battle through an immense tunnel complex teeming with traps and kobold. With the element of surprise, we slew the vile creature with relative ease, and took the nearest exit we could find. Leaderless, the kobolds should be no great threat to Gullykin.
With the Kobold menace dealt with, we continued our quest into the Cloud Peaks in search of Adoy's Enclave. When we found it, we discovered that it had been overrun by a tribe of goblins. Battling through the fiends until we reached the heart of the goblin lair, we were relieved to find that Adoy still lived, as both a prisoner and a god to the goblins.
Before we had a chance to ask him about Neera's powers and any means of controlling them, the room was filled with the crackling of arcane energy... a squadron of Thayans, led by Ekandor who we last met in Beregost, teleported in to capture both Neera and Adoy. Adoy defiantly launched into action, casting a powerful spell that... turned himself into a squirrel. Evidently, Adoy had no more control over his power than Neera, and his wild surge could not have come at a worse time.
Adoy's antics momentarily surprised everyone present, but Branwen demonstrated her calm and battle experience, countering the Thayans' magical prowess with a simple but effective Silence spell. Ekandor's bodyguards responded faster than either himself or his apprentice, and rushed straight for Neera. They were ferocious warriors, armed to the teeth and magically augmented, and it took our combined strength of arms to bring them down. In the end, Branwen's Silence was the difference, for all his undoubted arcane prowess, Ekandor was helpess without the power of his magic, and easily slain once his bodyguards had been subdued.
It took a while before Adoy returned to his human form by his own accord, and we momentarily considered taking him to Thalantyr for restoration. Whilst grateful for our rescue and assistance, he could only confirm what we already suspected, that despite his age and expeience, he was none the wiser regarding the nature of Wild Magic and had no means of controlling his surges, which was partly why he decided to make his home so far away from civilisation in the Cloud Peaks.
Neera did not take the news well to say the least. Like her magic, her mood changed in an instant. The sweet smiles and cheerful conversation ended, and she lashed out when I attempted cheer her up. I am just grateful it was with words and she did not turn me into a squirrel or something!
Parting with Adoy, we made our way back towards Beregost, along the way we rescued a merchant from a pair of hulking Ankhegs, and took the shells with us for Taerom Fuiruim, known for his famous Ankheg Plate Armour, just as strong as fine full-plate, but half the weight.
So here we are, back in the Feldepost in Beregost, getting some much needed rest and resupply before we set out once more to find Tazok's bandits and get to the bottom of the Iron Crisis, and however it might be linked to the attempts on my life...
Location: Beregost
So this is the first update in my new style, of course some characters leveled up in the course of these adventures, but I don't think it is necessary to detail their progress with every level up. I might just provide a party review every now and then if anyone was interested in the setup and to leave a record for myself.
Thankfully no wipes on Ekandor, which was a pleasant surprise, I am loving Branwen's Silence, I wonder if it will work against more powerful enemies like Davaeorn and Semaj. I didn't initially plan to take her, but she is becoming quite a powerhouse, and although I kinda miss having Kivan, Branwen is more than pulling her weight in this party.
The mystery of the Iron Crisis deepens further by the day, and now we know for sure that whoever is behind it is also behind the attempts on my life, and most likely the attack that claimed Gorion's life. We found Tazok's camp in the Woods of Sharp Teeth, having tricked a group of bandits into taking us there as potential recruits. We came face to face with Tazok himself, an enormous half-ogre, who thankfully left on an errand shortly after choosing to recruit us into his mercenaries rather than feed us to his beast-folk minions.
We took opportunity to explore the camp, discovering that it was home to hundreds of hobgoblins, gnolls and human bandits of the Chill and Black Talon mercenary companies, who took turns to strike our along the Sword Coast and strangle the supply of iron into the region. Naturally it would be suicidal to attack such a heavily armed camp directly, so we bid our time for an opportunity. On our second night, it arose.
The camp was half-empty as several raiding parties had just left, and others hadn't yet returned. There was tension within the camp between the hobgoblins and the gnolls, and between the beasts and the Black Talon men. Without Tazok's authority, it did not take much incitement, a few well-placed arrows from the shadows by Imoen, before pandemonium broke out as the Chill and Black Talons drew weapons on one another, accusing each other of treachery and not sharing loot fairly.
With the guards distracted trying to restore order, we struck the command tent in the heart of the camp. Within Tazok's lieutenants were busy trying to pacify the riot within the camp, and with the element of surprise, we struck them down before they could alert others to our presence.
As the sound of battle continued to ring out all around, we hurriedly scoured the Tazok's headquarters for information, and within a locked chest, we found it. Not only were there accounting documents revealing the sheer extent of the bandit menace and Tazok's involvement, we found communications between Tazok and somebody by the name of Davaeorn. These revealed that whoever was engineering the Iron Crisis also had a base in the Cloakwood Forest, and confirmed that Nimbul, among other assassins, had been hired by Tazok. Davaeorn also mentioned a superior by the name of Sarevok who wants me dead.
Tazok, Davaeorn, Sarevok... these names mean nothing to me. What are they trying to accomplish by starving the Sword Coast of iron? Why do they want me dead? Why did they kill Gorion? So many unanswered questions. The deeper I delve into this mystery, the more questions arise...
Anyway our next destination is obviously the Cloakwood, upon our return to Beregost, we were rewarded handsomely by Officer Vai for our efforts against the bandits, and picked up a pair of fine Ankheg plate armour from the Thunderhammer Smithy for Jaheira and Branwen. We also bought a fine set of enchanted leather armour (Shadow Armour) for Imoen, which enhances her already considerable talent at remaining unseen and moving silently. We then arrived at the Friendly Arm Inn and stocked up on potions and other supplies before setting off for the Cloakwood tomorrow.
This might be the last comfortable bed I get to enjoy for a while, so I better make the most of it.
Location: Friendly Arm Inn
I decided to cheat a little with the Ankheg Plate. I had decided to avoid picking up the Ankheg Plate in Nashkel, along with the Ring of Wizardry, which I considered too "gamey". However, I always intended for Jaheira to get a set of Ankheg armour as soon as I could from Taerom, because she is a druid and it felt a little wrong to have her wearing steel plate all the time.
Unfortunately Branwen is not strong enough to use normal full plate (which I just picked up from Taugosz Khosann), so if I did not bend my rules, either Jaheira would have to give up her Ankheg armour or Branwen can never get better armour than Plate Mail. So I decided that given I slew two Ankhegs in the region south of Adoy's Enclave, and there is no reason why Taerom would refuse to craft two sets of armour (he did say business was slow!), I will simply EEkeeper a set of ankheg plate for Branwen as well, and throw away the full plate I got from Taugosz, which roughly makes up the gold I would have had to pay Taerom.
Why is Chelak (the dead guy in the Cloakwood spider nest) so heavy?! His body is 185lb... my strongest character is strength 15, which gives a carrying capacity of 120lb... which means there is no way I can move his body to complete the quest. (I've always had Minsc in my party before, so this has never come up before.)
Well... I do have one (only one) strength potion, but I am not going to waste that just to carry a body.
Edit: Solution: lv3 Priest Spell: Strength of One. I have never considered using it before, but for a puny low strength party like mine, this could be pretty useful in combat scenarios as well.
If I do not see another tree for the rest of my life, I shall be glad of it. Any sense of adventure I once held for the wild woods has been erode by our long days trekking through the Cloakwood. It is a fitting name for the dense forest canopy blocks out the sun in parts of the vast forest that day and night only differ by shades of grey. For those of elven blood among us, this does not appear to be a problem, but I cannot tell you how many times I have tripped over a root, twisted an ankle or been stun by some thorned foliage in the dark. We have only one ring of infravision, but since Imoen scouts ahead most of the time, it was only fair that she got use of it.
It did not take long for us to run into trouble as we stumbled upon a nobleman from Baldur's Gate, Aldeth Sashenstar, who found himself under attack by a group of druids for hunting within their domain. It nearly came to bloodshed before Jaheira identified one of their number, a leader by the name of Seniyad, who agreed to spare Aldeth in return for our assistance in his war against a group of Shadow Druids, fanatics whose extreme ideology makes Seniyad's group look soft and reasonable in comparison.
The fighting was difficult and bloody, Imoen's lack of experience in the forest meant that we were unable to secure the element of surprise against our enemies, and were instead often ambushed ourselves, but ultimately we were able to rescue Seniyad's friends and slay the leaders of the Shadow Druids, Amarande and Andarthe, turning the tide of the conflict and returning the forest to the more moderate faction of druids led by Seniyad. I personally would have preferred to avoid this druid politics in the first place, but the Shadow Druids sure are a nasty lot, and I am not one to argue against Jaheira once she had her mind set on doing something about it.
As if crazy druids that wanted to burn all civilisation to the ground were not bad enough, we also had to contend with monstrous spiders and so much webs that I am still trying to wash the sticky stuff out of my clothes. Finally, just as I thought we were close to our destination, we were attacked by Wyverns! It is a wonder that any iron produced by the mine can even be transported out of this hellish green world given all the dangerous beasts that hunt within it.
We discovered the mine complex two days ago, since then we have been gathering our strength and spying on the camp to assess our options. Imoen has sneaked in and discovered that it was a fully functional mining operation manned mostly by slaves. She says there was an uprising a few weeks ago, if we can free the surviving ring leaders, perhaps we can instigate a rebellion and overcome the considerable force the Iron Throne has stationed here.
Tomorrow we go in, and hopefully find the answers we are looking for within.
Location: Cloakwood Mine (outskirts)
Loved the additional content from BG1NPC! This part of the game took so long for me because I had to go back to the Friendly Arm Inn three times, once when Neera got munched on by a spider after Imoen missed a Web trap, and Neera (unintentionally) returned the favour when she accidentally smoked Imoen with an Aganazzar's Scorcher because the Hamadryad she was targeting teleported.
The third trip was made because I realised that I had ran out of healing potions and storage capacity before I even reached the Cloakwood Mine. Not having Minsc (and hence any character with more than 15 str) is really making looting a bit of headache, I've had to just drop all non-magic armour, Ankheg shells, Wyvern heads etc because otherwise I'd spend 100 days just making loot trips.
Having made contact with rebellious slaves within the mine, we timed our attack to coincide with an uprising from within, led by a particularly brave fellow by the name of Rill. This gave our company a chance against the throngs of mercenaries arrayed against us, but their numbers would eventually have overcome us, so we conceived a risky but decisive plan...
We discovered that the Cloakwood Mine was once a dwarven hold that was destroyed when they accidentally breached an underground river, triggering a catastrophic flood that nearly wiped out the Orothiar clan. The mines had been drained by the Iron Throne as their secret base of operations, but the river still flowed, its mighty force only held back by a giant plug in the upper levels. If we could open the plug, then we could destroy the mine complex and deal a crippling blow against the Iron Throne.
In the chaos of a vicious battle between slaves and their oppressors, we battled our way into the heart of the complex. Imoen's growing skill as a scout was beautifully complimented by Neera's destructive magic, as we were able to launch a devastating surprise attack that sent the guards reeling and fleeing, turning the tide of the battle.
In the nerve-centre of the mine, we found Davaeorn, a mage of probably potent power, I say "probably" because once more Branwen rendered our enemy almost helpless with Silence, and despite various defensive spells Davaeron had already cast, he stood no chance against us with just his quarterstaff.
We quickly gathered all the important documents and valuables we could find before rushing back to the plug to flood the mine. Before we did so we were sure to rescue as many slaves as possible, but alas not all could be saved as Iron Throne reinforcements poured into the mine and we were forced to open the plug.
Once we had led Rill and the survivors a safe distance away, we had a chance to look through the documents we had taken. Three letters proved especially illuminating... It seems that the Iron Throne is far greater than anything we had imagined. Their leader in the Sword Coast appears to be a man by the name of Rieltar, whose lieutenants include Tazok, Sarevok, Davaeorn and Tranzig, among others we have encountered. The letters mentions of a new regional headquarters in Baldur's Gate and their apparent infiltration of the Seven Suns Trading Coster. This conspiracy grows more complex the more we learn of it, and though we have an idea of what this vile organisation is aiming to achieve, I still have no idea why my death has any relevance to the plan.
When the name, "Rieltar" was mentioned in our discussion, a dwarf rescued along with the slaves eagerly offered his assistance in our quest against the Iron Throne. He introduced himself as Yeslick Orothiar, who once counted Rieltar as a friend, but was betrayed when he revealed the location of his lost home, and imprisoned within to keep the Cloakwood base secret. Yeslick swore vengeance against Rieltar, and would even work with elves to settle his grudge! Just as well, given our company!
Alas as we made a new friend, we lost an old one. Branwen, who had joined us to seek revenge against Tranzig, a quest long-ago accomplished, announced that she had done all she could for the cause and that it was time for her to return home to the Northern Isles. She also promised to help Rill protect the surviving slaves until they were safely out of the Cloakwood.
I had hoped that the Cloakwood Mine would provide the answers we sought, but it appears we must press further for the truth, and it is time we leave the forest and enter the great city of Baldur's Gate.
Location: Eastern Cloakwood
State of the Party
Thoughts
Once more, Silence is amazing for me. I remember Davaeorn being quite a nightmare to deal with in my first playthrough, but when all he can do is swing a quarterstaff in frustration, it was almost... anti-climatic, though given this is supposed to be "min-reload" playthrough, I am definitely not complaining.
It was not an easy decision dropping Branwen for Yeslick. I don't have SCS installed so there is no way I can get her back so the decision was permanent. Yeslick has less than 30k xp when everyone else is around 40k, but in the end I decided to go with Yeslick because he is strong enough to wear full plate, which allows Khalid to get Branwen's set of Ankheg armour so he can have matching armour with Jaheira. Yes I said it. I based a character selection decision on the fact that one of them allows Jaheira and Khalid to have cute matching couple costumes.
I do not regret the decision. I always had a soft spot for Yeslick, but BG1NPC really fleshes him out more, and I love him even more now, complete with the dwarven grudge-holding, wisdom, story-telling and grandpa interactions with Imoen. Having Yeslick tanking upfront also allows Khalid to switch to using bows. The lack of ranged options had been a real weakness in my party up till now.
So much has happened that I find it hard to believe we have only been in the city for two nights and three days!
The journey to Baldur's Gate was eventful in itself. We found the farmland north of the Friendly Arm Inn plagued by aggressive Ankhegs, and lent our aid to local hunters and militia trying to cull the numbers of the dangerous beasts. Stopping at a small fishing village, we were approached by locals seeking assistance against an evil priestess of Umberlee who had apparently destroyed their livelihood...
We found the priestess, named Tenya, near the Wyrm's Crossing, only to discover that she was but a child, and that the fishermen had killed her mother and stolen her sacred bowl. Of course we doubled back to the village to confront the villagers, who revealed themselves to be worshipers of the evil god, Talos. Yeslick struck them down with Holy Smite, confirming that evil had taken root in their hearts, but I could not help but feel sorry for them regardless, mere pawns in the struggle between gods. Were those men born evil or were they driven to evil by desperation? I simply don't know.
Arriving in Baldur's Gate, we decided to stay at the Elfsong Tavern, one of the nicer inns in the great port city. In the middle of the night I was awoken by Imoen, who was in a state of panic. She had sneaked out to explore the city at night, and been talked by a stranger into entering what turned out to be a Thieves Guild headquarters. They apparently knew who we were and were spying on us from the moment we entered the city, perhaps even earlier. The thieves insisted that we help them commit an act of burglary on a heavily guarded compound to obtain a secret blueprint for the construction of Halruuan skyships. When Imoen declined their offer, they attacked, given that she knew the location of their secret lair. Thankfully Immy is nothing if not quick thinking and light on her feet. She quaffed a potion of invisibility and made her escape. I couldn't tell if she was more afraid of the Thieves Guild or Jaheira when she discovered her night time escapades!
Regardless we could ill afford for our every move to be watched by the local Thieves Guild, with the threat of daggers around every corner and danger lurking in every shadow. So we decided to take the fight to the thieves. The battle was brief, bloody and decisive. For an organisation built on secrecy and stealth, they were ill-prepared for a direct assault, especially with the bulk of their membership out on other missions. We took our chance and slew Alatos Ravenscar, cutting the head off the snake, metaphorically. We don't expect the Thieves Guild to bother us again.
The drama was far from over. The next day we began our investigations into Iron Throne activity inside Baldur's Gate, as a direct attack on their fortress-like headquarters would be foolhardy to say the least. Jaheira made contact her Harper friends in the city, who suggested that we pay a visit to Scar, a captain of the Flaming Fists who they believed was trustworthy and honest. Scar told us to investigate the Seven Suns Trading Coster, something we already intended given the letters we found in the Cloakwood Mine.
Before we made much progress with that, we were side-tracked by more urgent concerns. It came to our knowledge that a mage by the name of Ragefast was holding a nymph captive against her will. To my pleasant surprise, we were able to persuade him to release her by appealing to reason, and bloodshed was avoided. Near Ragefast's home, we were also approached by a boy who told us that his brother had been imprisoned within the Temple of Umberlee for trespassing on temple grounds. The Priesthood of Umberlee were not known for being reasonable or merciful, but once more, I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to release the boy without bloodshed thanks to aid we had previously given to Tenya.
With two more good deeds done, we finally begun our investigation into the Seven Suns. It quickly became apparent that something was wrong. People were behaving oddly and a terrified merchant claimed that he had seen his colleagues "change their faces". We found our answer in the basement of the compound, where we discovered Jhasso, the head of the Seven Suns, being held there by freakish shape-shifting monsters. Suddenly the compound erupted into chaos as other doppelgangers revealed themselves and attacked. We were hard pressed when squadrons of Flaming Fists arrived, led by Scar, and swept the building clear of the foul creatures. Nearby the Flaming Fists discovered that Merchant League had also been infiltrated by even more doppelgangers, and we lent our efforts in the assault on the building.
We have clearly dealt a blow to the Iron Throne's plans, which grows more complex and sinister with every new discovery. We will continue our work from the shadows until an opportunity rises to strike at the Iron Throne itself. In the meantime, with the Flaming Fists over-stretched, and yet more soldiers diverted to the southern front due to tensions with Amn, we have agreed to help Scar investigate the disappearance of citizens in the eastern district of the city... all clues leads to the sewers, apparently. Great.
Location: Elfsong Tavern, Baldur's Gate.
I've been enjoying this playthrough of Baldur's Gate (the city) much more than my first effort because I am choosing options based on roleplay decisions rather than whichever choice provided the most reward when following a walkthrough. This does mean my efforts in the city will be far from completionist, which is fine, I've already missed quite a few wilderness zones as well, but as long as my company is strong enough to deal with the endgame, then it's alright.
You will never guess where I am writing from... Candlekeep! Yes I am back! But I'll get to that in a bit, for it has been a very eventful couple of days...
It did not take long for us to track down the cause of the disappearances in the eastern slums of Baldur's Gate. An ogre mage had bred a pack of revolting carrion crawlers to pull people into the sewers, where the unfortunate individuals were devoured by his pets, whilst he hoarded whatever valuables were on the bodies. Gruesome and vile indeed, and we did not hesitate to deliver righteous justice against the villainous bastard. We made sure to burn the carrion crawler nest to ensure that sewers ought to be free of the monsters.
That evening we stayed at the Ye Olde Inn near the Flaming Fist fortress, only to be woken in the middle of the night by a horrible slime attack. Thanks to our intervention, a number of guests were saved, but alas several poor civilians were murdered by the disgusting creatures. We learnt from the terrified landlord that he had offended Ramazith, a powerful mage who lived in a tower in the north district, and he was most likely responsible for the attack, of an obviously magical nature. When we confronted the haughty mage, he did not even attempt to deny his involvement, and challenged us to find him at the top of his tower, which he had transformed into a series of challenges populated by hobgoblins, kobolds and wild beasts. It was tough going and Jaheira was seriously wounded, but like many of our foes, Ramazith had underestimated our strength and resolve, and we slew the madman at pinnacle of his domain.
Having recovered from our latest cuts and bruises, we received news that an opportunity had finally arisen to infiltrate the Iron Throne compound. A large trade delegation had arrived from Sembia for negotiations with the Iron Throne, and Duke Eltan was able to arrange for our company to be detailed as bodyguards within the city.
On the day of the negotiation, we were able to pass right through the front gates of the Iron Throne unchallenged. Whilst Imoen sneaked around in search of the evidence Duke Eltan sought, the rest of us played our role as guards to our Sembian clients, who grew increasingly agitated at being made to wait in the bar, with rumours abound that Rieltar was not even present, though a number of other senior leaders were. We waited for a rotation of the guards as our opportunity strike, storming into the top level to catch the leaders of the Iron Throne.
We were fully prepared for battle, but hopeful that our enemy could be persuaded to talk. Alas that notion flew out of the window as soon as one among their number recognised me, and eagerly ordered the attack. Pandemonium broke out, there were a number spell-casters among the enemy, and Imoen quickly fell, badly burnt by a Flame Strike. Neera managed to hold back a throng of guards with Web, and threw a number of fireballs at the enemy before she was suddenly struck down by... Khalid. An enemy mage had hexed him with Confusion, and after striking down Neera, he launched himself at poor Yeslick, who could only do his best to fend off blow after blow, unwilling to strike back against our companion and friend. Meanwhile Jaheira and I fought shoulder to shoulder against elite Iron Throne guards. Before long I stood alone...
Just as I feared that my journey had come to an end, just when it seemed I might finally get the answers I've been searching for, Yeslick and Khalid joined the fray, the latter having finally regained his senses and furious at the harm his beloved had come to.
The fight was far from over, and all three of us were on our last legs as the last of the Iron Throne guards threw down their weapons and fled, though not before we caught one of them and coerced him into revealing the current location of Rieltar... Candlekeep!
For all our efforts, we could find no concrete evidence that Duke Eltan would need to openly move against Rieltar and the Iron Throne, so as soon as Imoen, Neera and Jaheira were healed at the Temple (thankfully their injuries were not beyond clerical magic) of Helm, we set off at haste, back to Candlekeep, back home...
Location: Winthrop's Inn
Extras
I actually did the Marek and Lothander quest before Ramazith too, but it felt unrealistic how much you can pack into a single day inside Baldur's Gate, due to 0 travelling time between city zones, hence I decided to "retcon it out of canon."
That battle at the top of Iron Throne... wow that was nasty! I thought I had become a better player given my previous experience, but this fight continues to pose me problems. Despite using borderline cheese (pre-buffing before going upstairs) and getting off Web and Silence, I couldn't silence all of the enemy spellcasters, and this nearly became my 13th wipe. It took quite a logistical exercise to resurrect everybody because I had literally spent all my gold and had to run between shop and temple several times to ID loot, sell and revive.
Oh yeah I described the party at the top of the tower as "elite Iron Throne guards" because I always thought it was kinda weird that Iron Throne leaders (merchants) were somehow also badass mages, priests and warriors.
'Tis hard to believe that it's only been three days since I last wrote... for my world has been turned upside down. We are now fugitives from the law and I have an evil god for a father... Where do I even begin?
Well... it did not take us long to notice things were not quite right within the walls of Candlekeep. Some were behaving strangely, and others uncomfortable or nervous around me. We rushed straight to the fourth floor where Rieltar was holding a meeting, and somewhat surprised to find that he had not fled- we were sure that in the time it took Neera, Imoen and Jaheira to recover from their wounds, news would have reached him of our assault on his headquarters in Baldur's Gate.
It was a trap, though not one of Rieltar's making, for it seems that he was a target as much as we were. Finally coming face to face with a man responsible for such misery and suffering across the Sword Coast, we gave him one chance to surrender and explain his actions, but he merely ordered his henchmen to attack. The battle was quick and decisive. With righteous fury, we slew his bodyguard in moments, and Yeslick got his revenge, caving in Rieltar's skull with his hammer.
The commotion soon drew a throng of Watchers to us, though I did not worry at first, as I expected them to find incriminating evidence on Rieltar's person that would vindicate our actions. Alas I was terribly wrong. After we surrendered ourselves peaceful, trusting in the honour of the Watchers, we were stunned by the news that no evidence was found on Rieltar or his companions and that we had been sentenced to death for his murder in the hallowed halls of Candlekeep. Our sentence was due to be executed today in Baldur's Gate.
Just as it seemed that all was lost, we were visited in the middle of the night by Tethtoril, my former mentor and Gorion's close friend. He explained that Candlekeep had been infiltrated by agents of Sarevok, who likely planned our demise all along, and used us to kill his own father to take control of the Iron Throne himself. Two birds, one stone. Sickening in its conception and execution.
Tethtoril used his considerable magic to give us a fighting chance, teleporting us into the secret catacombs of Candlekeep so we could escape into the wilderness. Before he did so, he handed me a letter penned by Gorion to be delivered to me in the event of his demise...
I still struggle understand what this means, it beggars belief... but it is my foster father's writing, I cannot deny it... but the words... it tells me that my father was Bhaal, the former God of Murder! That I am Bhaalspawn, the progeny of murder, and that I have role to play in the prophecy of Aluando, which foretells that the mortal progeny of Bhaal will bring chaos to the land until rivers run red with blood!
I wish it were all a lie, I feel as if a heavy boulder has just been tied to my back... but then this morning I awoke from a terrible nightmare... and suddenly gained an awareness I never had before. It is difficult to put into words, but it felt like confirmation of my heritage, and a sudden understanding of the weave of magic. Suddenly I just knew that I possessed magical power, the ability the temporarily boost my strength and accuracy, heal wounds and cure poisons. I don't know where this power comes from, I just know how to use them. As I understand it, this is different to both arcane magic as practised by Neera (though her magic is far from typical either) and divine magic as practised by Jaheira and Yeslick.
Since the revelation I have been in a state of shock. I barely remember the grueling battle through the deadly catacombs and the escape from candlekeep. I remember monsters bearing the visage of my friends and loved ones from Candlekeep, including my foster father. I remember striking them down alongside my companions. Yes I am pretty sure that did actually happen and that they were doppelgangers, but sometimes I struggle to make out the difference between my dreams and reality.
I think I remember fleeing from Flaming Fist patrols, hiding in the forest and making our way here to Ulgoth's Beard, a small fishing village that lies just beyond the jurisdiction of the Flaming Fists. Here we shall recover and reorganise and here we shall plan our next move. Sarevok must be made to pay for his crimes. Sarevok must die!
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
State of the Party:
Extras
Obviously Jin did not get all of his Bhaalspawn powers in one go, though this was the first time he got Draw Upon Holy Might. I wondered about how to describe it, and decided that the trigger for his Bhaalspawn abilities will be the awareness of his heritage, and that the power comes from within, from his share of Bhaal essence. (Which I think is accurate.)
With everything that has happened recently, I forgot to write about something that seems trivial in comparison. But I have nothing to do today, we are just keeping a low profile in Ulgoth's Beard, so I might as well update my journal on a significant development in my personal life... My fledgling relationship with Neera is over.
It's been a few days since it happened, before our life as fugitives began. We were accosted in the middle of the street by an angry halfling who accused Neera of stealing from him after knocking him out in the middle of the night. Neera denied it at first, but confessed the truth upon a little pressing. Of course we paid the halfling, who was satisfied with the compensation, but the debacle forced me to see a side of Neera I had tried to ignore.
She is not the sweet damsel in distress I thought. I was blinded by her beauty and her apparent vulnerability. I knew so little about her, so i filled in all the gaps with an idealised version of who she is. I really thought that I loved her and that we were destined to be together... Now I see that she consciously uses her charms to manipulate people, including me, and I wonder if she even cared for me in the same way that I did her...
I am not so unsympathetic as to disregard Neera's difficulties in the decisions she took. Hunted by Reds Wizards, cast out from her home, I can understand her resorting to less honourable means to survive. But what really worried me was the fact that she showed little remorse for her actions, and lied to us when we could easily have afforded to repay her debts.
We had quite an argument, and for a moment after she stormed off, I thought she was gone for good. Though she has returned, I fear there is no going back for our relationship...
Well considering that I just discovered that I am an outlaw and the progeny of an evil god, the end of my first love doesn't seem so bad in comparison!
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
I didn't actually realise that confronting Neera over the Meklin incident ends the romance, but it seemed a good place to end it anyway.
Having evaded Flaming Fist patrols to find refuge in Ulgoth's Beard, we began to plan our next move. The news coming from Baldur's Gate was not good. Sarevok had seized control of the Iron Throne, and threw its considerable resources into the Flaming Fists and more questionable mercenary groups. Tension with Amn grows by the day and there are reports of troop build up on both sides of the border.
I still do not know for sure why Sarevok appears to be pushing for war, or why he engineered the Iron Crisis, but I suspect he has far darker reasons than financial gain, which appear irrelevant at this point. Given his very specific interest in killing me before I had lifted a finger against him or the Iron Throne, and his research into Aluando's Prophecy concerning the progeny of Bhaal, I can only conclude that he too must share my divine heritage. It is as if he is determined to fulfill that prophecy, and bring about anarchy and bloodshed to drown the Sword Coast in death. What would drive a man to such madness?!
Alas despite our best efforts, we could find no way of infiltrating Baldur's Gate. All the gates into the city are heavily guarded and patrols scour the countryside trying to hunt us down. Instead of hiding and watching as Sarevok's plans come to fruition, we have decided to try something he could not have expected... We have come to Durlag's Tower. We have a number of reasons to brave this renowned graveyard of adventurers and tomb raiders alike.
Firstly, we came across a dwarf who claimed to be the son of one of Durlag's close companions, who seeks his family heirloom, a dagger by the name of Soultaker within the tower. He has given us maps of the fortress and dungeons below that might give us a chance where so many have failed before us. Secondly, Sarevok has made extensive use of doppelgangers in his conspiracy within Baldur's Gate. If the legends of Durlag's Tower are correct, such creatures were also responsible for Durlag's doom. Perhaps we can learn more about the mysterious menace and how Sarevok has brought the shape-shifters under employment or control. Thirdly, Durlag's clan was widely known for their incredible wealth, much of which remains hidden within the tower. If we can obtain but a fraction of Durlag's treasures, perhaps it will give us the resources to act against Sarevok. Fourthly, Durlag was a renowned warrior who hoarded powerful weapons and artifacts as well as wealth. Such weapons could be invaluable in the battles to come. Finally, and this is a long shot, but if we can make Durlag's Tower safe again, then perhaps Yeslick will be able to found a new home for the scattered survivors of the Orothair clan. Yeslick and his kin have endured much in fate's cruel hand. They deserve a fresh start and a chance to build a brighter future.
For all the reasons I have listed, accomplishing any of it depends on our succeeding where all before us have failed. This accursed place will surely test our abilities to our limits, and and quite possibly beyond, but we cannot stand idly by and watch as Sarevok leads the Sword Coast to ruin. Perhaps the secret to defeating the madman can be found in the dungeons of another.
Location: Durlag's Tower.
Day 89, 30 Flamerule, 1368
Well our expedition has not started auspiciously. We began by searching the tower itself. The ground level had been looted by adventurers before us, but the upper levels were filled with deadly traps and vile guardians such as ghasts and basilisks. Dangerous, thought not beyond our experience and ability. However, when we attempted to venture into the catacombs below, we were attacked by the apparent new master of Durlag's Tower, a Demon Knight!
The creature teleported right in front of us, warning us to turn back, and reinforced his point with a barrage of fireballs. Most of us were able to dive behind corners or otherwise avoid the worst of the blast, but Jaheira was caught in the open and badly burnt. When the smoke cleared, the monstrosity was gone. Before we had even entered the dungeon-proper, we were trekking back to Nashkel for urgent healing services.
Thankfully, Jaheira will be fine, and she was more determined than ever to press on with our quest. I hope we have not bitten off more than we can chew.
Location: Nashkel
Extra
Unfortunately, rather like BG2, the main story plot gives little reasoning for side questing in BG1, and although I am fine with skipping a lot of it, I didn't want to miss Durlag's Tower because 1) it's my favourite part of BG1 and 2) I was not confident about taking down Sarevok with a party of around 80k xp.
Post-Candlekeep escape is always when I choose to do side quests because I see it as a good excuse that your party is lying low from the authorities whilst they are actively hunting you down.
It has only been four days since I last wrote, but I feel a year older! I am alive. We all are! And we conquered Durlag's Tower! The deadly reputation of Durlag's Tower proved to be very much deserved, and the perils we faced tested our company beyond what I thought we could endure, but the resolve and ability of my companions, and the potential we achieved together, surprised all of us, as well as our Demon Knight adversary.
From the very first level of the catacombs, lethal traps and vicious monsters lurked around every corner. Having solved the wardens' puzzles, we were forced to defeat them in battle before we could descend further into the dark. Each warden was a formidable warrior or powerful mage, and only through working together did we just overcome such fearsome opponents.
It only got worse from there. In the second level of the catacombs we were hunted by powerful doppelgangers that took the faces of Durlag and his slain family members, a cruel mockery of their former selves. As we battled through a maze of traps and monsters, our quest nearly reached a premature end within Durlag's Throne room, which the shape-shifters closed behind us as we entered and immediately filled with noxious gas.
I am not sure how we survived that death trap, desperation and fear drove me through the pain and we cut down the vile creastures even as my head throbbed and my lungs cried out for air. Jaheira and Neera were unable to resist the fumes, and cut down before we could intervene. With two of our company seriously wounded and with our way in blocked, we desperately searched for an alternate exit, all the while hunted by yet more doppelgangers within the deadly maze. Yeslick fell shortly thereafter, bravely defending Imoen from a shapeshifter. I had to drink a strength potion to carry him on my back as we finally made our way out from what would certainly have been our tomb had we lingered a moment longer.
With Jaheira, Neera and Yeslick healed at the Temple of Helm, we descended into the catacombs once more. Having finally found a way out of the maze of death on the second level, we faced yet greater dangers on the third level. We had to summon long-dead heroes to help us slay a score of deadly Wyverns, far greater those we faced in the Cloakwood. In the twisted maze garden, we barely survived (and not without a fair amount of healing and scars) the deadly blades of the Ashirukuru.
Out of the maze, we battle through the challenges of Ice, Earth, Air and Fire. Fire being particularly nasty as the phoenix guard we slew exploded upon death, catching our company by surprise, and enforcing another trip to the Nashkel Temple. As the last elemental guardian fell, we were teleported into a bizarre game of chess where WE were the pieces. Thankfully just lighting up the opposing side with fireballs appeared to be a perfectly valid strategy of winning this particular game of chess.
And so we reached the deepest level of the catacombs, where we came face to face with the spirit of Durlag himself. In order to appease liberate his spirit and relinquish its link to the tower, we had to understand the reasoning behind his madness. 'Tis a tragic tale indeed, but once we understood his suffering and the madness it drove him to, the spirit of Durlag was finally liberated from his earthly home and we were free to confront the dark master of the tower for the right to inherit its wealth.
I scarcely believe that we managed it. A Demon Knight! When I set out on this adventured enforced upon me in most sad circumstances, I never thought that I would come face to face with a monster as great and terrible as a Demon Knight, let alone conquer it with the help of my friends and companions. The battle was epic. We went prepared, knowing his apparent penchant for fireballs, we attacked from multiple directions, boosted by all manner of potions and spells. The victory hard won, but it was won.
Within Durlag's treasury we found enough gold to raise a small army! Though we think it would be better used for Yeslick and Hurgan to establish a new dwarven hold there. Speaking of Hurgan, we found Soultaker on the Demon Knight's personal possession, which struck me as a little odd as the weapon does not appear overtly powerful, and he did not use it in battle against us. Perhaps it is merely a ceremonial blade. We are celebrating our victory in Nashkel tonight, and recuperating after our epic struggles. Tomorrow we shall set off for Ulgoth's Beard and return the blade to its rightful owner.
Location: Nashkel
Reloads:
No. 13: Demon Knight
Imoen got chunked by a fireball. Ouch. (She, along with Neera, are "protected from permadeath")
No.14: Demon Knight
Jin gets smoked by a fireball just as it looked like everything was going to plan...
State of the Party
Extra:
I really enjoyed Durlag's Tower as always, and was pleased to get to the Demon Knight without any reloads. However I must admit that there were very close shaves (dat Throne Room!) and I did lose individuals quite a few times. As a matter of fact, after the second or third trip to Nashkel, I decided to cheat resurrections with console because it just got too tedious to make the trek (especially after I reached lv3 and had to dodge the fireball room to get out). To compensate for the gold I would have had to pay the temple, I donated 10k gold after I got out of the tower.
For all the good work getting to the Demon Knight, the big bad himself caught me by surprise. I guess my party was higher level the last time I faced him, because his fireballs did way more damage than I expected, resulting in two reloads. On the other hand, I was expecting him to have summoned allies, which didn't happen for some reason, not that I am complaining. On the third attempt I gave Jin fire resistance potion and a Protection from Fire scroll to keep him alive even as fireballs rained down. Yeslick also tanked it fairly well with the fire resistance ring.
Although we had conquered Durlag's Tower, the trials the tower had in store for us was not yet over. The moment we returned to Ulgoth's Beard, it was clear that something was off. The streets were deserted and the village was eerily quiet. Our first thought was that perhaps the Flaming Fists had tracked us down, but when the attack came, it was clear that our assailants had no intention of arresting us. They were assassins and fanatics, screaming about the dagger, Soultaker, that we had obtained from Durlag's Tower for Hurgan. We were barely able to repel the attack once we recovered from the surprise, but not before one of the attackers snatched the blade from Neera, who had been seriously wounded.
After making sure that Neera got the urgent healing services she required, we confronted Hurgan, who clearly had not told us the full story regarding Soultaker. He confessed that he knew the dagger had been used to bound a powerful Tanar'ri demon, a Nabassu by the name of Aec'Letec, and that the cult that attacked us worshiped the fell beast as a god, and intended to free him from the dagger. Needless to say, we did not take his word for it that he meant to destroy the dagger to thwart the cult, but Jaheira's magic could not detect any obvious evil within the dwarf, so we did not skewer him for nearly getting us all killed by leaving out such crucial information.
With the summoning ritual in progress, we stormed the cultists' lair, desperate to prevent Aec'Letec's return. His foul minions put up stiff resistance, and the bestiary roar from the basement confirmed that we were too late. However, we had a precious window of opportunity to banish the creature back to the abyss before its powers fully manifested in the material plane, and perhaps against better judgement, we took that opportunity rather than allowing Aec'Letec to resume his terrible reign of terror.
I don't quite know how we vanquished such a terrible enemy, I scarcely believe that it actually happened, but we defeated a dread Nabassu and lived to tell the tale! Team work, resolve and luck all a part I suppose. I was seriously wounded trying to fend off the demon's monstrous claws, and despite all the magical protections and boosts I received from potions and spells, I was tossed into the air like a rag-doll. Yeslick stood firm despite suffering terrible wounds too, and Jaheira finally landed a killing blow, striking the beast down with her enchanted club.
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
Reloads:
No.15: In my first attempt against Aec'Letec, I forgot to protect my party from Horror, and once people started running around like headless chickens... well they started going actually headless.
@bengoshi Yes, I didn't have enough to protect everyone, but the front-liners (Jin, Jaheira and Yeslick) were protected. Aec'Letec is quite the combat monster in addition to the magical nastiness, as you can see it was a close-run thing.
If you're wondering why Yeslick has a "cursed" status effect... he was drinking from the Blood Filled Goblet, whilst wearing Kiel's Helmet. That goblet has been a life saver on a few occasions though I am glad that it only has 6 charges, otherwise it'd be way too OP.
Aec'Letec had been slain and his deviant cult scattered to the four winds, but for all our achievements, the Sword Coast remained in great peril, for we discovered that Sarevok's plans had progressed unabated. The news that reached Ulgoth's Beard was sketchy, but it was grave. Scar and Grand Duke Entar Silvershield had been murdered and Grand Duke Eltan was seriously ill, with rumours that the Shadow Thieves of Amn were responsible, in prelude to an all-out invasion.
Of course we knew this to be false, Sarevok was the puppet master behind the conspiracy, pushing Baldur's Gate to war against the Empire of Amn, and all of the Sword Coast into chaos. Unfortunately, though we had recovered much wealth and several fine magical items from Durlag's treasure hoard, there was nothing that would allow us to teleport directly into Baldur's Gate, or somehow bypass the heavily guarded gates into the city. Any direct assault would be suicidal, and result in the death and injury of many decent men and women of the Flaming Fist, even if we were somehow successful in breaking through.
Just as we grew increasingly desperate, a young woman of Kara-turan descent approached us, offering us a way into the city via a secret entrance to the sewers, which we could use to traverse the city unmolested by Flaming Fist patrols. In time we would learn that her name was Tamoko, and that she was Sarevok's lover, but at the time we thought her an agent of Amn, and after both Yeslick and Jaheira divined her intentions and found them not to be evil, we decided to trust her, which was quite the leap of faith given that she needn't be evil to lure us into an ambush for whatever cause she deemed just.
Regardless, once we were in the city, Tamoko revealed her identity and confirmed much that we had already postulated regarding Sarevok's plans- namely that he sought to inherit Bhaal's divine power by unleashing bloodshed and chaos on an epic scale, and fulfill Aluando's Prophecy. Tamoko believed, quite sensibly, that Sarevok's plans were as foolish as they were immoral, and that the god of murder would not share his power with his progeny. The fulfillment of the prophecy was more likely to revive the dead god at his children's expense than bequeath his power to Sarevok. Tamoko offered her assistance in stopping Sarevok's madness, but at a condition- that we must spare Sarevok's life.
I could not accept such a condition. Sarevok is an irredeemable monster! He murdered Gorion, my father. Regardless of whatever my divine heritage might be, Gorion was my true father and I his son. As his son, it is my filial duty to avenge his murder. Sarevok is already responsible for so much suffering, so many victims who were given no second chances, no choices and no mercy... so many orphans and widows... If he is not stopped, the blood that has already been shed will be but a puddle next to the oceans of gore he intends to unleash across the Sword Coast and beyond! No, Sarevok deserves no second chances, no mercy! There are tales of noble heroes who can forgive the most vilest of villains and offer them hope of redemption, but I am no such hero. I will kill Sarevok or die trying.
Unfortunately this has put us in direct conflict with Tamoko, who withdrew her assistance, and I fear will ultimately oppose us in battle, for she warned us that the next time we meet, it will not be to talk... and she looks like a woman who honours her words. Alas we must press on regardless, if gossip in the street is true, then four evenings from now, Sarevok will be elected a Grand Duke to replace Duke Silvershield, replacing the man he is responsible for murdering. Before then, we must find evidence of his treachery and bring him to justice.
Sarevok's mad schemes have been thwarted, the Sword Coast has been spared from a senseless war for the sake of one man's ambitions of godhood. However, my own trials are not over.
Before Tamoko parted ways with us, she had mentioned that Duke Eltan's healer was not who he seemed, and that he was responsible for the duke's illness. Naturally then, rescuing the duke was our first step. It was not easy getting around the city with our faces plastered on every street as wanted fugitives, and even though traversing underground through the sewers helped greatly, we were still forced to incapacitate a few Flaming Fist soldiers when we were spotted. Wand of Paralysis, Hold Person and Spook all came in handy for such situations.
It was even harder to infiltrate the Flaming Fist headquarters. It was far too dangerous to send in Imoen alone, but nobody else was proficient in the art of stealth. We considered having Neera cast Invisibility on us, but decided that the risk would be too great given the unpredictable nature of her magic. In the end Khalid accompanied Imoen with the Sand Thief's ring. Within Duke Eltan's living quarters, they confronted his supposed healer, who as we suspected, was in fact a doppelganger in the employ of Sarevok. Khalid and Imoen barely escaped from the compound with Duke Eltan as alarms sounded, but we were able to deliver the duke to a safe house in the docks.
Duke Eltan gave us the next piece of information we required. Before he was incapacitated, he had discovered that Duke Silvershield was murdered by a pair of assassins hiding in the Undercellar, who presumably planned to eliminate the remaining Grand Dukes, Belt and Liia, so that Sarevok can replace them with doppelgangers and achieve absolute control of Baldur's Gate. Sure enough, we tracked down the assassins, a husband and wife team it seems, and killed them in self-defense. Thankfully we did not need them alive to finally get the proof we desperately needed to clear our names and reveal Sarevok's treachery to the world. In the assassins' possession were letters and documents clearly linking them to Duke Silvershield's murder and Sarevok's direct involvement in the plot.
Armed with this proof, we returned to Duke Eltan, who was able to use his influence to smuggle us into Ducal Palace earlier this evening, in time for Sarevok's scheduled ceremony for being elected a Grand Duke. We waited for the ceremony to begin before we broke cover and confronted the fiend, to make sure that all the eyes and ears of the city were present to witness Sarevok's treachery.
We had caught him by surprise, and after briefly attempting to have us killed on the spot before we could present any evidence, he dropped all pretense and attacked. His infiltration of Baldur's Gate was far worse than we could have imagine, for nearly half of those present in the Great Hall suddenly revealed themselves as doppelgangers! Thankfully we had come prepared, and jumped into action to save the surviving Grand Dukes and assembled nobility. Neera filled the hall with Webs to slow and incapacitate our enemies, whilst Jaheira, Khalid, Yeslick and I cut through them, protected by Free Action.
As more and more Flaming Fist soldiers poured into the hall and the battle turned against Sarevok and his minions, a mage called Winski Perorate revealed himself as an agent of Sarevok, and teleported the pair of them out of the Ducal Palace.
With our names cleared, the surviving Grand Dukes offered their thanks and apology for the persecution we had endured, and also divined that Sarevok had fled into the Under City, accessible through a dangerous hidden maze beneath the Thieves' Guild. Unfortunately the Flaming Fist were unprepared to tackle the maze in pursuit of Sarevok, believing that the threat the madman posed had been "contained".
I do not share their optimism. If I do not eliminate Sarevok, he will no doubt recover and reorganise, and the next time he strikes, I may not survive it to retaliate. No, Sarevok must die, and with his plans in ruins and his allies on the run, this is likely my best opportunity to strike.
The Thieves' Maze awaits. Sarevok waits. Justice awaits.
Location: Baldur's Gate
State of the Party
Reloads No.16: This was really stupid, but I think I accidentally hit a friendly in the melee in the Ducal Palace, resulting in an instadeath Flame Strike... It was going so well until that happened!
Comments
Thanks for your support and encouragement as always guys
Day 18, Hour 6, 19 Mirtul, 1368
We rode hard through the night to ensure that we would reach Tranzig before Tazok's lackeys could inform him that their operation in Nashkel had been compromised. Along the way it was apparent that the highway had become more dangerous than ever, as we were waylaid by bandits twice on the short journey. The thugs were easy enough to deal with, though it indicated that Tazok's efforts were only intensifying.
We arrived in Beregost just before daybreak, and wasted no time before rushing to the Feldepost's and confronting Tranzig. After Imoen confirmed his presence at the inn, the party took no chances trying to take him alive, attacking with total surprise and lethal force. Tranzig was dead before he knew what hit him. A barrage of Magic Missiles from Neera, cast from a scroll, killed him instantly, and Branwen made sure with her hammer.
I must admit that I am rather shocked and disturbed by my companions' rather ruthless methods. Once Jaheira laid out the plan of attack, nobody even questioned if there might be a better approach, and carried out the attack without hesitation. Don't get me wrong, given what we know of the crimes of Tranzig, there was never a chance we would have spared him, and certainly no chance Branwen would have let him live. However I find the idea of assassinating a man in his sleep rather distasteful to say the least.
Am I just being naive and stupid? You would think that after all I have experienced lately, I should put aside idealistic notions of honour and tradition. If we planned to kill Tranzig regardless, what difference does it make if we struck first from the shadows, as opposed to giving him a chance to prepare for battle, and putting our party at risk against a potent mage? I know for certain that a man like Tranzig would not think twice of murdering the innocent and defenceless, so why do I still feel a sense of unease about our actions this night?
Anyway our assault woke a number of patrons at the Feldepost's, and understandably they summoned the Flaming Fists in some alarm. Thankfully, a potentially awkward situation was quickly resolved when we explained our situation to Officer Vai, the most senior commander of the Flaming Fists in Beregost. We presented our evidence, which was further reinforced by documents found on Tranzig indicating his association with bandits working for Tazok.
Instead of punishing us, Officer Vai released us promptly and asked for our further assistance in helping her over-stretched soldiers tackle the bandit crisis in the region. Jaheira readily agreed, though I cannot help but feel that I am in beyond my depth. Powerful forces are at work, the bandits, the iron crisis, Tazok, Tranzig and Mulahey... they all part of some greater plan that I cannot yet piece together, and yet I feel somehow a part of. I cannot make sense of it all. Perhaps I should just get some sleep. It has been a long couple of days...
Location: Feldepost's Inn
Branwen Level Up: Cleric lv3 (+6 hp, lv2 spell +1)
After all the ground we have covered in recent days, we decided to take a little break before actually going bandit hunting in the wilderness. However, staying in town does not mean staying out of trouble.
As we procured some supplies and provisions in the market square, we were approached by a jolly fellow who introduced himself as Garrick. He claimed that his mistress, a minstrel of some renown (apparently) was being threatened by a gang of thugs, and would pay three hundred gold for our services to deal with said thugs. Of course even without mention of gold, we were hardly going to stand by and ignore a damsel in distress.
Alas the tale was not what it seemed. Upon arrival the woman introduced herself as Silke, and instead of defending her from thugs, she ordered us to kill a group of clearly unarmed merchants as soon as they approached her. It did not take a genius to figure out that she intended to commit murder by our hands, and when we refused, she attacked herself.
In the short battle that followed, Silke was revealed to be an accomplished arcane spell caster, though she must have mistaken us for total novices to attack despite being outnumbered six to one. Perhaps Silke expected Garrick to intervene on her behalf, but he clearly thought better of it and stood by as Khalid and Jaheira cut down his employer.
Quite astonishingly, despite what just happened, the fellow thought it was a good idea to ask if we would accept his company, making excuses about how he had been mislead by Silke and had no idea of her evil ways. Even more astonishingly, Imoen was somehow moved by the rubbish he spewed, and begged us to let him stay. Thankfully Jaheira was not born yesterday and firmly rejected Garrick's request. How can we even consider the company of somebody who did nothing to defend his previous companion?
In the afternoon we made a quick visit to Firebead Elvenhair's home. It was nice to meet up with Gorion's old friend, and he gifted us with a magical scroll case that greatly reduced the amount of space all our pieces of paper, documents, letters and indeed scrolls, took up.
In the evening we decided to relax at the Red Sheaf Inn. Here we came across yet another assassin! Though in this case, I use the term "assassin" rather loosely. He was a dwarf by the name of Karlat, and quite clearly drunk as he threw himself at me, yelling something about gold and my head, and apparently oblivious to my companions besides me. Branwen knocked him out with ease with a Command spell, and just before I was going ask if we should send him to Officer Vai, Jaheira snapped his neck.
After all this time, I am still somewhat uneasy at this kind of almost casual application of lethal force against our enemies. I know Jaheira only has my best interests at heart, but... let's just say that I am very glad she is on my side!
Anyway, for once we have no urgent journey or quest to embark upon, so we have decided to relax in the Burning Wizard tonight before setting off tomorrow to hunt some bandits.
Neera Level Up: Wild Mage lv3 (+3 hp, lv2 spell +2)
I find it rather awkward to justify exploring and side-questing given the information discovered on Tranzig's body. Although I don't intend for this to be a completionist playthrough, I don't want to end up just rushing through the main story quest, and likely being under-levelled for the endgame. Hence I have decided to ignore the directions to Larswood and the bandit camp and use Officer Vai's bandit bounty as an excuse to explore every region directly adjacent to Beregost.
@Blackraven ^ Ah yes. That is a good idea. In the future I might consider more creative reasoning for things like this!
We set off from Beregost two days ago at first light. The plan was to patrol in a clockwise direction around Beregost and hopefully find Tazok, or somebody who can lead us to him. Given our troubles on the road between Nashkel and Beregost, and the military tension building up between Amn and Baldur's Gate, we decided to start from the south. Ironically, now that we were hunting for bandits, bandits were nowhere to be found, and our first day ended without incident, and we set up camp for the night some fifteen miles southwest of Beregost. As it turned out, this was very much the calm before the storm.
On the second day, we were woken by the cries of a little boy who had come upon our camp. The poor child was clearly malnourished and delirious, and spoke of his missing parents and strange people at a stone circle nearby. Imoen decided to check out the stone circle the boy mentioned, and reported back the horrifying discovery that the boy's family were dead, and had been reanimated by the mad cleric, Basillus. We had heard of the lunatic's atrocities back in Beregost, and made no attempt to negotiate with such a vile monster of a man. He was beyond reason, forgiveness or redemption.
Having made preparations for battle and received the blessings of both Jaheira and Branwen's gods, we launched our assault upon Basillus. Branwen opened the attack with a Silence spell, successfully preventing the deviant from casting spells. However, the legion of skeletons and zombies he had already raised swarmed to his defence.
Whilst Branwen and Jaheira smashed through throngs of skeletons, Khalid and I cut a path through them to reach Basillus himself. Though silenced by Branwen's magic, his eyes screamed fury and hatred as he lunged at us, wielding an enchanted hammer that crackled with energy. As always, Khalid bravely faced the madman head on, taking a blow on his shield that nearly shattered it in half and broke his shield arm. This gave me an opportunity to attack Basillus from the side. I found the weaker joints in his armour just under the arm pit, striking deep, Heaven Reliant punctured his lungs and pierced his heart, ending his mad reign of terror.
Remembering the sizeable bounty on the mad cleric's head, we took his unholy symbol as proof of the deed, and prepared to return to Beregost for a trip to the Song of the Morning. Alas when it rains, it pours. No sooner than we cleaned our weapons and clothes of the grime of battle and undead filth, we were suddenly beset by a new foe.
They announced their attack with a volley of arrows. More than a dozen bandits, hobgoblins and humans working together - unusual indeed, though we had little time to consider this as we prepared to fight for our lives. Had we been prepared, mere bandits should not have been a major problem, even in these numbers, but Khalid's shield had been rendered useless in the battle against Basillus, and as he selflessly shielded me from the arrows, he was struck by a number of shafts, some of which penetrated his battered platemail. With a heavy thud, Khalid fell to the ground.
Neera immediately replied with a Sleep spell that knocked out a handful of our assailants, whilst Jaheira, spitting curses at the enemy, led the charge, going straight for the largest of the hobgoblins, and presumably their leader. We showed the scum no mercy, human or beast, and cut them down where they stood. When Jaheira bashed in the skull of their leader, the bandits panicked and attempted to flee, but Neera sealed their fate with a Grease spell, leaving them sitting targets for Imoen's arrows.
Khalid's injuries were grievous and beyond Branwen and Jaheira's healing magic, so we rode hard to the Song of the Morning, not for the bounty on Basillus, but to save our friend and companion. I truly feared the worst, given how far we were from town, but Khalid's will is strong, and he refused to relinquish his hold on life as we rushed him to the temple. Kelddath Ormlyr himself attended to Khalid, eager to save the hero who slew Basillus. Thankfully the Morninglord answered our prayers and Khalid's wounds were healed by his blessing.
In our haste to return to the temple for healing services, we had thrown aside Khalid's armour to lighten the load. As he recuperated at the Feldepost's Inn, Jaheira and I made a visit to the Thunderhammer Smithy, where we spent all of our bounty for Basillus (and some!) on a beautiful set of full plate armour for our injury-prone hero! (I jest of course. Khalid keeps getting injured because he is always the first to put himself in harm's way to protect the rest of us.)
Reload 7 - Basillus + Undead I forgot that the skeletons all had ranged weapons, so casting Web at them backfired spectacularly since I lacked the necessary ranged weapons to take advantage, and the skeletons had Imoen out-gunned.
Reload 8 - Neera's magical mishap Right after I reloaded from the above disaster, we came across a pack of wolves. I decided to soften them up with a Sleep spell... Neera decided a Fireball would be more fun...
Funny as it is, it'd become rather unrealistic/awkward if the romance continued as if nothing changed. Is there any easy way to reverse this without EEkeeper or reloading??
@elminster seems to know everything... help? lol
Ah thx... that's good. In that case I will keep it in my "canon". lol It is actually somewhat appropriate as I am actually on the way to Adoy's Enclave.
Day 24, Hour 1, 25 Mirtul, 1368
With Khalid fully healed from his wounds and clad in his shiny new set of armour, we set out once more in search of bandits, hoping that some of them may lead us to Tazok, the apparent mastermind behind the Iron Crisis and the plot in the Nashkel Mines.
For nearly two days we came across nothing except the odd wolf pack, though one such encounter nearly ended in disaster as we experienced Neera's unpredictable magic for the first time ourselves. Instead of knocking out a pack of vicious wolves with a Sleep spell as intended, Neera lost control of her spell, which morphed into a giant fireball that incinerated the beasts instantly, but also narrowly missed turning our party into human charcoal. Neera apologised profusely of course, but no serious harm was done, and she obviously did not mean to hurt anybody, though it was a reminder of the risks that came attached with her magical talents. Thus far we have managed these risks by having her never casting spells on us, or ideally even near us, but on this occasion, we got complacent and nearly paid the price.
Anyway there would be more drama late in the evening, on the hills to the west of Beregost, we came across a talking chicken! No I am serious! Of course chicken cannot talk, but this particular rooster was apparently an apprentice mage by the name of Melicamp. He had been polymorphed by accident, and would certainly have become a wolf's snack had we not rescued him.
Neera is the only mage among us, and her magic is more likely fry him than return him to his human form, so rather hesitantly, he asked for our help to return him to his master, the powerful wizard Thalantyr, who resides in a secluded tower to the west of Beregost. We were heading in that direction anyway, and should get there around noon tomorrow.
Neera and Imoen are excited to meet them famous mage, who was an adventurer of some renown in his younger days, but the prospect of visiting a grumpy old wizard, rumoured to protect his tower with terrifying monsters, fills me with more apprehension than excitement...
Location: High Hedge (just arrived)
I decided to include Neera's mishap (reload 8) in a less lethal way, to give a little more justification for what's to come...
Day 25, Hour 1, 26 Mirtul, 1368
Well the rumours surrounding the mighty Thalantyr were not entirely true, but also not entirely unfounded. His tower, named High Hedge, was located deep in the woods some twenty miles west of Beregost. The old man clearly had little patience for visitors, and squadrons of animated skeletons patrol the periphery of his domain. With Melicamp giving us instruction, we made our way past the guards without too much trouble, and arrived before an intimidating fortress of a home.
The giant gates were unlocked, but there was nothing welcoming or hospitable about them. When we knocked, the door was answered by a pair of enormous flesh constructs, golems I believe, who demanded that we leave immediately or face certain death. Melicamp, in chicken form, protested loudly that he was Thalantyr's apprentice, and in response, the golems dropped their threatening stance, which we interpreted as permission to enter.
In the heart of the tower, we came face to face with the great man himself. Tall, intimidating, wearing impressive wizard's robes and carrying an ornate staff. He spoke with a mixture of aloof irritation and curiosity. We wasted no time presenting Melicamp to him, and upon examining the talking chicken and confirming his identity, Thalantyr launched into a frightening rage, berating his apprentice for apparently stealing a pair of cursed gauntlets that was responsible for his polymorphed condition.
I seriously feared that the old wizard was more likely to cook Melicamp for dinner than try to reverse the curse, but once he calmed down, he set about trying to restore his apprentice to his human form. The magic required was difficult and dangerous, and Thalantyr himself said it was just as likely to kill them both as it was to restoring Melicamp. Thankfully however, the gods were with the man-turned-chicken, and Thalantyr's spell went according to plan.
Needless to say, Melicamp was extremely grateful for our assistance, and with his apprentice back at his side, even the grumpy old Thalantyr appeared in better spirits, even if he still berated the young man at every turn for being useless, foolish, stupid, etc...
Before we left the tower, we took the opportunity to buy a few scrolls for Neera, and a magical potion case for Jaheira. Neera also took the chance to ask the old wizard about her own powers, which was why she was so keen to meet him. Alas Thalantyr could offer nothing to help make her powers less unpredictable, though he did mention of an old mage by the name of Adoy who exhibited similar powers, and lives in the Cloud Peaks southeast of Nashkel.
With a little persuasion, Jaheira agreed on a trip there to find Adoy, and hopefully help Neera learn how to control her unstable magic. Along the way, we will also continue our bandit hunt in the area east of Beregost.
Jin Level Up: Kensai lv4 (+8 hp)
Branwen Level Up: Cleric lv4 (+7 hp, Sword&Shield Style +, lv1 spell +1, lv2 spell +1)
Day 25, Hour 23, 26 Mirtul, 1368
We returned to Beregost to stock up on provisions for what will likely be a long journey into the Cloud Peaks, but when we visited the Song of the Morning, we found the place in a state of panic. Refugees had flooded into the temple from the villages and hills to the east, where apparently a tribe of hobgoblins with a massive pack of vicious wolves were raiding at will. A patrol of Flaming Fists had been dispatched already, but they had not returned and smoke could be seen rising on the horizon as the brigands burned and pillaged the countryside. Needless to say, we gathered our equipment and prepared for battle.
It did not take long to find our enemy. We easily dealt with a few small raiding bands before going head to head with the main hobgoblin war band. At the core were half a dozen of the fiends, who were no fiercer than the numerous hobgoblins we have faced before, but somehow they appeared to command a large pack of wolves, perhaps a dozen strong, including a pair of nightmarish Vampire Wolves. Thanks to Imoen's tracking skills, we were able to attack with the element of surprise.
Imoen opened our attack by lobbing a fire bomb into the midst of the enemy, killing some instantly, though the vampire wolves emerged relatively unscathed. Neera followed up with a Web. Our plan worked beautifully, forcing the stronger enemy force to attack us in piecemeal as they struggled out of Neera's sticky webs. Even so, just a vampire wolf is a terrifyingly powerful beast. Mundane weapons were useless against such monsters, and they healed at a supernatural rate, growing stronger from the blood of their victims. It took all our strength to bring the beasts down, and few among us escaped nasty slashes and bites that required magical healing courtesy of Jaheira and Branwen.
With crisis averted, we patched up our wounds and set off towards the Cloud Peaks...
Location: Ulcaster Ruins
Reload No9: Vampire Wolves + Hobgoblins. On my first attempt I didn't expect the hobgoblins, and forgot that vampire wolves had a stun attack, so I couldn't save Jin after he got held, whilst being peppered by Hobgoblin arrows. On the second attempt, Neera's double-cast wild surge Web actually helped quite a lot to completely shut down the hobgoblins until I had killed the wolves.
Khalid Level Up: Fighter lv4 (+7 hp)
My apologies to anyone who might have been following this thread with any interest, I had actually written the following update weeks ago, but decided not to upload it because I was in a busy period of life, and I was unsure if I would continue updating this thread in the long run, and didn't want to drag out something if I was only going to end it later.
It dawned on me that writing up a Baldur's Gate playthrough in the fashion I had been doing would take a VERY long time, and takes even more effort than just recording a Let's Play series. I did/do absolutely intend to finish this playthrough, but writing an update every time my party rested meant that for every 15 minute gaming session, it took about an hour to write an update, crop pictures, upload etc... and I just don't have that kind of time and patience to keep it going.
Hence I have decided to significantly reduce the frequency and detail of future updates so I can actually get on with more playing Baldur's Gate. Jin's journals will become more of a review of recent events, rather than "what happened today!".
Day 27, Hour 23, 28 Mirtul, 1368
I write from Hafling settlement named Gullykin, in the opposite direction to our intended destination of the Cloud Peak Mountains and Adoy's Enclave. Let me explain...
Initially our journey south was as smooth as can be expected in these dangerous untamed wilds. The odd wolf pack or gang of hobgoblins, but nothing that posed a serious danger. We came upon the Ulcaster Ruins, the remnants of an ancient mage school that once stood there. In the hundreds of years since its destruction, looters and adventurers have already taken most of its treasures, but we decided to make a visit, not for treasure, but the potential of knowledge.
We had hoped that perhaps among the ancient libraries largely ignored by treasure hunters, we might find descriptions of Neera's magic, and the secrets to controlling them. Alas if such knowledge was once held in the libraries of Ulcaster, that is no longer the case. Most of the books that remain have been rendered unreadable by the ravages of time, and we found nothing but a pack of vicious wolves that had made the ruins their home.
Thus we continued our journey southwards until we came across yet another relic of ancient times, the famous Firewine Bridge. On the southern end of the bridge, we came upon a single man dressed in humble rags and tattered old leathers, though he carried a sword of fine quality. He brazenly introduced himself as Meilum, "the most skilled swordsman of the Sword Coast"!
Seeing as Meilum appeared to fight in a similar style as myself, with a single straight blade, and unencumbered by heavy armour, I cracked a joke at his expense, and asked for a demonstration, out of sheer curiosity... Whatever else he is, he certainly lacked any sense of humour, and took my words for a challenge! Some rubbish about "once I've drawn my sword, I'm honour bound to wet the blade".
Before I knew it, I found myself facing a madman in a duel to death! Although "the most skilled swordsman of the Sword Coast" might be hyperbole, he was certainly more skilled than me. Much to my embarrassment, with my companions (including Neera) watching on, he disarmed me, knocking Heaven Reliant from my grasp, with his first strike, the second, a kick aimed squarely at my chest, sent me tumbling to the ground. The third would have been lethal had Khalid not jumped in to intervene.
Overconfident and fuelled by bloodlust, he challenged us to attack him all at once. We obliged, though Branwen refused to use her magic against a single warrior. With my friends by my side, I picked up Heaven Reliant and attacked again. I don't remember much of what happened next, just total shock as Meilum's sword stabbed straight through my chest, narrowly missing my heart, but collapsing my left lung. It was horrible, at first there was no pain, but I suddenly realised I could not breathe, it felt like I was drowning in my own blood, and perhaps thankfully, I passed out shortly thereafter.
When I woke, I was in Gullykin, the nearest outpost of civilisation my companions rushed me to for much needed healing services. I was relieved to learn that nobody else was seriously injured before Meilum was subdued and slain. Just as I began to feel somewhat comfortable in this adventurer's life and build confidence in my abilities as a swordsman, here was a brutal reminder that I am still very much a novice in this profession, both as a swordsman and an adventurer in general, and I have much to learn if I am to survive in these dangerous times. I am of course also reminded of the value of my companions and guardians, without whom I would certainly have been killed several times over already!
Imoen Level Up: Thief lv5 (+4 hp)
Neera Level Up: Wild Mage lv 4 (+2 hp, lv1 spell +1, lv2 spell +1)
Jaheira Level Up: Fighter/Druid 3/4 (+4 hp, lv1 spell +1, lv2 spell +1)
Jaheira Level Up 2: Fighter/Druid 4/4 (+3 hp)
Reload 10, 11 and 12: All due to Kahrk.
Oh yeah, I have mentioned it on this forum before, but I HATE Kahrk, that guy is just a monster for a low level party to deal with, and I ended up consuming way more resources (potions, scrolls etc) than it was worth for the experience and satisfaction of beating him. I really should have just avoided a fight there, which would make more sense roleplay-wise anyway, and that is what I will pretend actually happened, although I did include all the deaths on the rapidly growing reload list. Jin's journal alludes to those reloads through the Meilum battle. Meilum was significantly stronger than Jin, but didn't actually cause a wipe since the party could intervene quickly to help.
Once I had recovered from my wounds, we readied to leave Gullykin and set off once more for the Cloud Peaks in search of Adoy. However, the night before we were due to leave, the halfling village was raided by a large pack of kobolds that emerged from nowhere, and like those we encountered at the Nashkel Mines, appeared to be better organised and coordinated than normal. Suspecting a link to Mulahey and the Iron Crisis, we decided to investigate.
It did not take long for us to conclude that the kobolds had emerged from within Gullykin, as the halflings' patrols saw no signs of the beasts' approach, and the attack took us all by complete surprise. With the permission of the mayor, we scoured Gullykin in search of a tunnel the kobolds likely used. Imoen was the first to spot it, a concealed trap door in the basement of a resident called Jenkal, and the stench of kobold all around. It did not take much intimidation from Jaheira before he spilled the truth- that he was working with an ogre mage who used his home as a secret entrance from which to raid Gullykin from a base in the Firewine Ruins.
Using the ogre's secret tunnel against him, we decided to end the kobold menace by cutting the head off the snake, so to speak. The tunnel led straight from Jenkal's house to the ogre mage's lair, saving us from having to battle through an immense tunnel complex teeming with traps and kobold. With the element of surprise, we slew the vile creature with relative ease, and took the nearest exit we could find. Leaderless, the kobolds should be no great threat to Gullykin.
With the Kobold menace dealt with, we continued our quest into the Cloud Peaks in search of Adoy's Enclave. When we found it, we discovered that it had been overrun by a tribe of goblins. Battling through the fiends until we reached the heart of the goblin lair, we were relieved to find that Adoy still lived, as both a prisoner and a god to the goblins.
Before we had a chance to ask him about Neera's powers and any means of controlling them, the room was filled with the crackling of arcane energy... a squadron of Thayans, led by Ekandor who we last met in Beregost, teleported in to capture both Neera and Adoy. Adoy defiantly launched into action, casting a powerful spell that... turned himself into a squirrel. Evidently, Adoy had no more control over his power than Neera, and his wild surge could not have come at a worse time.
Adoy's antics momentarily surprised everyone present, but Branwen demonstrated her calm and battle experience, countering the Thayans' magical prowess with a simple but effective Silence spell. Ekandor's bodyguards responded faster than either himself or his apprentice, and rushed straight for Neera. They were ferocious warriors, armed to the teeth and magically augmented, and it took our combined strength of arms to bring them down. In the end, Branwen's Silence was the difference, for all his undoubted arcane prowess, Ekandor was helpess without the power of his magic, and easily slain once his bodyguards had been subdued.
It took a while before Adoy returned to his human form by his own accord, and we momentarily considered taking him to Thalantyr for restoration. Whilst grateful for our rescue and assistance, he could only confirm what we already suspected, that despite his age and expeience, he was none the wiser regarding the nature of Wild Magic and had no means of controlling his surges, which was partly why he decided to make his home so far away from civilisation in the Cloud Peaks.
Neera did not take the news well to say the least. Like her magic, her mood changed in an instant. The sweet smiles and cheerful conversation ended, and she lashed out when I attempted cheer her up. I am just grateful it was with words and she did not turn me into a squirrel or something!
Parting with Adoy, we made our way back towards Beregost, along the way we rescued a merchant from a pair of hulking Ankhegs, and took the shells with us for Taerom Fuiruim, known for his famous Ankheg Plate Armour, just as strong as fine full-plate, but half the weight.
So here we are, back in the Feldepost in Beregost, getting some much needed rest and resupply before we set out once more to find Tazok's bandits and get to the bottom of the Iron Crisis, and however it might be linked to the attempts on my life...
Location: Beregost
So this is the first update in my new style, of course some characters leveled up in the course of these adventures, but I don't think it is necessary to detail their progress with every level up. I might just provide a party review every now and then if anyone was interested in the setup and to leave a record for myself.
Thankfully no wipes on Ekandor, which was a pleasant surprise, I am loving Branwen's Silence, I wonder if it will work against more powerful enemies like Davaeorn and Semaj. I didn't initially plan to take her, but she is becoming quite a powerhouse, and although I kinda miss having Kivan, Branwen is more than pulling her weight in this party.
The mystery of the Iron Crisis deepens further by the day, and now we know for sure that whoever is behind it is also behind the attempts on my life, and most likely the attack that claimed Gorion's life. We found Tazok's camp in the Woods of Sharp Teeth, having tricked a group of bandits into taking us there as potential recruits. We came face to face with Tazok himself, an enormous half-ogre, who thankfully left on an errand shortly after choosing to recruit us into his mercenaries rather than feed us to his beast-folk minions.
We took opportunity to explore the camp, discovering that it was home to hundreds of hobgoblins, gnolls and human bandits of the Chill and Black Talon mercenary companies, who took turns to strike our along the Sword Coast and strangle the supply of iron into the region. Naturally it would be suicidal to attack such a heavily armed camp directly, so we bid our time for an opportunity. On our second night, it arose.
The camp was half-empty as several raiding parties had just left, and others hadn't yet returned. There was tension within the camp between the hobgoblins and the gnolls, and between the beasts and the Black Talon men. Without Tazok's authority, it did not take much incitement, a few well-placed arrows from the shadows by Imoen, before pandemonium broke out as the Chill and Black Talons drew weapons on one another, accusing each other of treachery and not sharing loot fairly.
With the guards distracted trying to restore order, we struck the command tent in the heart of the camp. Within Tazok's lieutenants were busy trying to pacify the riot within the camp, and with the element of surprise, we struck them down before they could alert others to our presence.
As the sound of battle continued to ring out all around, we hurriedly scoured the Tazok's headquarters for information, and within a locked chest, we found it. Not only were there accounting documents revealing the sheer extent of the bandit menace and Tazok's involvement, we found communications between Tazok and somebody by the name of Davaeorn. These revealed that whoever was engineering the Iron Crisis also had a base in the Cloakwood Forest, and confirmed that Nimbul, among other assassins, had been hired by Tazok. Davaeorn also mentioned a superior by the name of Sarevok who wants me dead.
Tazok, Davaeorn, Sarevok... these names mean nothing to me. What are they trying to accomplish by starving the Sword Coast of iron? Why do they want me dead? Why did they kill Gorion? So many unanswered questions. The deeper I delve into this mystery, the more questions arise...
Anyway our next destination is obviously the Cloakwood, upon our return to Beregost, we were rewarded handsomely by Officer Vai for our efforts against the bandits, and picked up a pair of fine Ankheg plate armour from the Thunderhammer Smithy for Jaheira and Branwen. We also bought a fine set of enchanted leather armour (Shadow Armour) for Imoen, which enhances her already considerable talent at remaining unseen and moving silently. We then arrived at the Friendly Arm Inn and stocked up on potions and other supplies before setting off for the Cloakwood tomorrow.
This might be the last comfortable bed I get to enjoy for a while, so I better make the most of it.
Location: Friendly Arm Inn
I decided to cheat a little with the Ankheg Plate. I had decided to avoid picking up the Ankheg Plate in Nashkel, along with the Ring of Wizardry, which I considered too "gamey". However, I always intended for Jaheira to get a set of Ankheg armour as soon as I could from Taerom, because she is a druid and it felt a little wrong to have her wearing steel plate all the time.
Unfortunately Branwen is not strong enough to use normal full plate (which I just picked up from Taugosz Khosann), so if I did not bend my rules, either Jaheira would have to give up her Ankheg armour or Branwen can never get better armour than Plate Mail. So I decided that given I slew two Ankhegs in the region south of Adoy's Enclave, and there is no reason why Taerom would refuse to craft two sets of armour (he did say business was slow!), I will simply EEkeeper a set of ankheg plate for Branwen as well, and throw away the full plate I got from Taugosz, which roughly makes up the gold I would have had to pay Taerom.
State of the Party
Well... I do have one (only one) strength potion, but I am not going to waste that just to carry a body.
Edit: Solution: lv3 Priest Spell: Strength of One. I have never considered using it before, but for a puny low strength party like mine, this could be pretty useful in combat scenarios as well.
If I do not see another tree for the rest of my life, I shall be glad of it. Any sense of adventure I once held for the wild woods has been erode by our long days trekking through the Cloakwood. It is a fitting name for the dense forest canopy blocks out the sun in parts of the vast forest that day and night only differ by shades of grey. For those of elven blood among us, this does not appear to be a problem, but I cannot tell you how many times I have tripped over a root, twisted an ankle or been stun by some thorned foliage in the dark. We have only one ring of infravision, but since Imoen scouts ahead most of the time, it was only fair that she got use of it.
It did not take long for us to run into trouble as we stumbled upon a nobleman from Baldur's Gate, Aldeth Sashenstar, who found himself under attack by a group of druids for hunting within their domain. It nearly came to bloodshed before Jaheira identified one of their number, a leader by the name of Seniyad, who agreed to spare Aldeth in return for our assistance in his war against a group of Shadow Druids, fanatics whose extreme ideology makes Seniyad's group look soft and reasonable in comparison.
The fighting was difficult and bloody, Imoen's lack of experience in the forest meant that we were unable to secure the element of surprise against our enemies, and were instead often ambushed ourselves, but ultimately we were able to rescue Seniyad's friends and slay the leaders of the Shadow Druids, Amarande and Andarthe, turning the tide of the conflict and returning the forest to the more moderate faction of druids led by Seniyad. I personally would have preferred to avoid this druid politics in the first place, but the Shadow Druids sure are a nasty lot, and I am not one to argue against Jaheira once she had her mind set on doing something about it.
As if crazy druids that wanted to burn all civilisation to the ground were not bad enough, we also had to contend with monstrous spiders and so much webs that I am still trying to wash the sticky stuff out of my clothes. Finally, just as I thought we were close to our destination, we were attacked by Wyverns! It is a wonder that any iron produced by the mine can even be transported out of this hellish green world given all the dangerous beasts that hunt within it.
We discovered the mine complex two days ago, since then we have been gathering our strength and spying on the camp to assess our options. Imoen has sneaked in and discovered that it was a fully functional mining operation manned mostly by slaves. She says there was an uprising a few weeks ago, if we can free the surviving ring leaders, perhaps we can instigate a rebellion and overcome the considerable force the Iron Throne has stationed here.
Tomorrow we go in, and hopefully find the answers we are looking for within.
Location: Cloakwood Mine (outskirts)
Loved the additional content from BG1NPC! This part of the game took so long for me because I had to go back to the Friendly Arm Inn three times, once when Neera got munched on by a spider after Imoen missed a Web trap, and Neera (unintentionally) returned the favour when she accidentally smoked Imoen with an Aganazzar's Scorcher because the Hamadryad she was targeting teleported.
The third trip was made because I realised that I had ran out of healing potions and storage capacity before I even reached the Cloakwood Mine. Not having Minsc (and hence any character with more than 15 str) is really making looting a bit of headache, I've had to just drop all non-magic armour, Ankheg shells, Wyvern heads etc because otherwise I'd spend 100 days just making loot trips.
Having made contact with rebellious slaves within the mine, we timed our attack to coincide with an uprising from within, led by a particularly brave fellow by the name of Rill. This gave our company a chance against the throngs of mercenaries arrayed against us, but their numbers would eventually have overcome us, so we conceived a risky but decisive plan...
We discovered that the Cloakwood Mine was once a dwarven hold that was destroyed when they accidentally breached an underground river, triggering a catastrophic flood that nearly wiped out the Orothiar clan. The mines had been drained by the Iron Throne as their secret base of operations, but the river still flowed, its mighty force only held back by a giant plug in the upper levels. If we could open the plug, then we could destroy the mine complex and deal a crippling blow against the Iron Throne.
In the chaos of a vicious battle between slaves and their oppressors, we battled our way into the heart of the complex. Imoen's growing skill as a scout was beautifully complimented by Neera's destructive magic, as we were able to launch a devastating surprise attack that sent the guards reeling and fleeing, turning the tide of the battle.
In the nerve-centre of the mine, we found Davaeorn, a mage of probably potent power, I say "probably" because once more Branwen rendered our enemy almost helpless with Silence, and despite various defensive spells Davaeron had already cast, he stood no chance against us with just his quarterstaff.
We quickly gathered all the important documents and valuables we could find before rushing back to the plug to flood the mine. Before we did so we were sure to rescue as many slaves as possible, but alas not all could be saved as Iron Throne reinforcements poured into the mine and we were forced to open the plug.
Once we had led Rill and the survivors a safe distance away, we had a chance to look through the documents we had taken. Three letters proved especially illuminating... It seems that the Iron Throne is far greater than anything we had imagined. Their leader in the Sword Coast appears to be a man by the name of Rieltar, whose lieutenants include Tazok, Sarevok, Davaeorn and Tranzig, among others we have encountered. The letters mentions of a new regional headquarters in Baldur's Gate and their apparent infiltration of the Seven Suns Trading Coster. This conspiracy grows more complex the more we learn of it, and though we have an idea of what this vile organisation is aiming to achieve, I still have no idea why my death has any relevance to the plan.
When the name, "Rieltar" was mentioned in our discussion, a dwarf rescued along with the slaves eagerly offered his assistance in our quest against the Iron Throne. He introduced himself as Yeslick Orothiar, who once counted Rieltar as a friend, but was betrayed when he revealed the location of his lost home, and imprisoned within to keep the Cloakwood base secret. Yeslick swore vengeance against Rieltar, and would even work with elves to settle his grudge! Just as well, given our company!
Alas as we made a new friend, we lost an old one. Branwen, who had joined us to seek revenge against Tranzig, a quest long-ago accomplished, announced that she had done all she could for the cause and that it was time for her to return home to the Northern Isles. She also promised to help Rill protect the surviving slaves until they were safely out of the Cloakwood.
I had hoped that the Cloakwood Mine would provide the answers we sought, but it appears we must press further for the truth, and it is time we leave the forest and enter the great city of Baldur's Gate.
Location: Eastern Cloakwood
State of the Party
Thoughts
Once more, Silence is amazing for me. I remember Davaeorn being quite a nightmare to deal with in my first playthrough, but when all he can do is swing a quarterstaff in frustration, it was almost... anti-climatic, though given this is supposed to be "min-reload" playthrough, I am definitely not complaining.
It was not an easy decision dropping Branwen for Yeslick. I don't have SCS installed so there is no way I can get her back so the decision was permanent. Yeslick has less than 30k xp when everyone else is around 40k, but in the end I decided to go with Yeslick because he is strong enough to wear full plate, which allows Khalid to get Branwen's set of Ankheg armour so he can have matching armour with Jaheira. Yes I said it. I based a character selection decision on the fact that one of them allows Jaheira and Khalid to have cute matching couple costumes.
I do not regret the decision. I always had a soft spot for Yeslick, but BG1NPC really fleshes him out more, and I love him even more now, complete with the dwarven grudge-holding, wisdom, story-telling and grandpa interactions with Imoen. Having Yeslick tanking upfront also allows Khalid to switch to using bows. The lack of ranged options had been a real weakness in my party up till now.
So much has happened that I find it hard to believe we have only been in the city for two nights and three days!
The journey to Baldur's Gate was eventful in itself. We found the farmland north of the Friendly Arm Inn plagued by aggressive Ankhegs, and lent our aid to local hunters and militia trying to cull the numbers of the dangerous beasts. Stopping at a small fishing village, we were approached by locals seeking assistance against an evil priestess of Umberlee who had apparently destroyed their livelihood...
We found the priestess, named Tenya, near the Wyrm's Crossing, only to discover that she was but a child, and that the fishermen had killed her mother and stolen her sacred bowl. Of course we doubled back to the village to confront the villagers, who revealed themselves to be worshipers of the evil god, Talos. Yeslick struck them down with Holy Smite, confirming that evil had taken root in their hearts, but I could not help but feel sorry for them regardless, mere pawns in the struggle between gods. Were those men born evil or were they driven to evil by desperation? I simply don't know.
Arriving in Baldur's Gate, we decided to stay at the Elfsong Tavern, one of the nicer inns in the great port city. In the middle of the night I was awoken by Imoen, who was in a state of panic. She had sneaked out to explore the city at night, and been talked by a stranger into entering what turned out to be a Thieves Guild headquarters. They apparently knew who we were and were spying on us from the moment we entered the city, perhaps even earlier. The thieves insisted that we help them commit an act of burglary on a heavily guarded compound to obtain a secret blueprint for the construction of Halruuan skyships. When Imoen declined their offer, they attacked, given that she knew the location of their secret lair. Thankfully Immy is nothing if not quick thinking and light on her feet. She quaffed a potion of invisibility and made her escape. I couldn't tell if she was more afraid of the Thieves Guild or Jaheira when she discovered her night time escapades!
Regardless we could ill afford for our every move to be watched by the local Thieves Guild, with the threat of daggers around every corner and danger lurking in every shadow. So we decided to take the fight to the thieves. The battle was brief, bloody and decisive. For an organisation built on secrecy and stealth, they were ill-prepared for a direct assault, especially with the bulk of their membership out on other missions. We took our chance and slew Alatos Ravenscar, cutting the head off the snake, metaphorically. We don't expect the Thieves Guild to bother us again.
The drama was far from over. The next day we began our investigations into Iron Throne activity inside Baldur's Gate, as a direct attack on their fortress-like headquarters would be foolhardy to say the least. Jaheira made contact her Harper friends in the city, who suggested that we pay a visit to Scar, a captain of the Flaming Fists who they believed was trustworthy and honest. Scar told us to investigate the Seven Suns Trading Coster, something we already intended given the letters we found in the Cloakwood Mine.
Before we made much progress with that, we were side-tracked by more urgent concerns. It came to our knowledge that a mage by the name of Ragefast was holding a nymph captive against her will. To my pleasant surprise, we were able to persuade him to release her by appealing to reason, and bloodshed was avoided. Near Ragefast's home, we were also approached by a boy who told us that his brother had been imprisoned within the Temple of Umberlee for trespassing on temple grounds. The Priesthood of Umberlee were not known for being reasonable or merciful, but once more, I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to release the boy without bloodshed thanks to aid we had previously given to Tenya.
With two more good deeds done, we finally begun our investigation into the Seven Suns. It quickly became apparent that something was wrong. People were behaving oddly and a terrified merchant claimed that he had seen his colleagues "change their faces". We found our answer in the basement of the compound, where we discovered Jhasso, the head of the Seven Suns, being held there by freakish shape-shifting monsters. Suddenly the compound erupted into chaos as other doppelgangers revealed themselves and attacked. We were hard pressed when squadrons of Flaming Fists arrived, led by Scar, and swept the building clear of the foul creatures. Nearby the Flaming Fists discovered that Merchant League had also been infiltrated by even more doppelgangers, and we lent our efforts in the assault on the building.
We have clearly dealt a blow to the Iron Throne's plans, which grows more complex and sinister with every new discovery. We will continue our work from the shadows until an opportunity rises to strike at the Iron Throne itself. In the meantime, with the Flaming Fists over-stretched, and yet more soldiers diverted to the southern front due to tensions with Amn, we have agreed to help Scar investigate the disappearance of citizens in the eastern district of the city... all clues leads to the sewers, apparently. Great.
Location: Elfsong Tavern, Baldur's Gate.
I've been enjoying this playthrough of Baldur's Gate (the city) much more than my first effort because I am choosing options based on roleplay decisions rather than whichever choice provided the most reward when following a walkthrough. This does mean my efforts in the city will be far from completionist, which is fine, I've already missed quite a few wilderness zones as well, but as long as my company is strong enough to deal with the endgame, then it's alright.
You will never guess where I am writing from... Candlekeep! Yes I am back! But I'll get to that in a bit, for it has been a very eventful couple of days...
It did not take long for us to track down the cause of the disappearances in the eastern slums of Baldur's Gate. An ogre mage had bred a pack of revolting carrion crawlers to pull people into the sewers, where the unfortunate individuals were devoured by his pets, whilst he hoarded whatever valuables were on the bodies. Gruesome and vile indeed, and we did not hesitate to deliver righteous justice against the villainous bastard. We made sure to burn the carrion crawler nest to ensure that sewers ought to be free of the monsters.
That evening we stayed at the Ye Olde Inn near the Flaming Fist fortress, only to be woken in the middle of the night by a horrible slime attack. Thanks to our intervention, a number of guests were saved, but alas several poor civilians were murdered by the disgusting creatures. We learnt from the terrified landlord that he had offended Ramazith, a powerful mage who lived in a tower in the north district, and he was most likely responsible for the attack, of an obviously magical nature. When we confronted the haughty mage, he did not even attempt to deny his involvement, and challenged us to find him at the top of his tower, which he had transformed into a series of challenges populated by hobgoblins, kobolds and wild beasts. It was tough going and Jaheira was seriously wounded, but like many of our foes, Ramazith had underestimated our strength and resolve, and we slew the madman at pinnacle of his domain.
Having recovered from our latest cuts and bruises, we received news that an opportunity had finally arisen to infiltrate the Iron Throne compound. A large trade delegation had arrived from Sembia for negotiations with the Iron Throne, and Duke Eltan was able to arrange for our company to be detailed as bodyguards within the city.
On the day of the negotiation, we were able to pass right through the front gates of the Iron Throne unchallenged. Whilst Imoen sneaked around in search of the evidence Duke Eltan sought, the rest of us played our role as guards to our Sembian clients, who grew increasingly agitated at being made to wait in the bar, with rumours abound that Rieltar was not even present, though a number of other senior leaders were. We waited for a rotation of the guards as our opportunity strike, storming into the top level to catch the leaders of the Iron Throne.
We were fully prepared for battle, but hopeful that our enemy could be persuaded to talk. Alas that notion flew out of the window as soon as one among their number recognised me, and eagerly ordered the attack. Pandemonium broke out, there were a number spell-casters among the enemy, and Imoen quickly fell, badly burnt by a Flame Strike. Neera managed to hold back a throng of guards with Web, and threw a number of fireballs at the enemy before she was suddenly struck down by... Khalid. An enemy mage had hexed him with Confusion, and after striking down Neera, he launched himself at poor Yeslick, who could only do his best to fend off blow after blow, unwilling to strike back against our companion and friend. Meanwhile Jaheira and I fought shoulder to shoulder against elite Iron Throne guards. Before long I stood alone...
Just as I feared that my journey had come to an end, just when it seemed I might finally get the answers I've been searching for, Yeslick and Khalid joined the fray, the latter having finally regained his senses and furious at the harm his beloved had come to.
The fight was far from over, and all three of us were on our last legs as the last of the Iron Throne guards threw down their weapons and fled, though not before we caught one of them and coerced him into revealing the current location of Rieltar... Candlekeep!
For all our efforts, we could find no concrete evidence that Duke Eltan would need to openly move against Rieltar and the Iron Throne, so as soon as Imoen, Neera and Jaheira were healed at the Temple (thankfully their injuries were not beyond clerical magic) of Helm, we set off at haste, back to Candlekeep, back home...
Location: Winthrop's Inn
Extras
I actually did the Marek and Lothander quest before Ramazith too, but it felt unrealistic how much you can pack into a single day inside Baldur's Gate, due to 0 travelling time between city zones, hence I decided to "retcon it out of canon."
That battle at the top of Iron Throne... wow that was nasty! I thought I had become a better player given my previous experience, but this fight continues to pose me problems. Despite using borderline cheese (pre-buffing before going upstairs) and getting off Web and Silence, I couldn't silence all of the enemy spellcasters, and this nearly became my 13th wipe. It took quite a logistical exercise to resurrect everybody because I had literally spent all my gold and had to run between shop and temple several times to ID loot, sell and revive.
Oh yeah I described the party at the top of the tower as "elite Iron Throne guards" because I always thought it was kinda weird that Iron Throne leaders (merchants) were somehow also badass mages, priests and warriors.
'Tis hard to believe that it's only been three days since I last wrote... for my world has been turned upside down. We are now fugitives from the law and I have an evil god for a father... Where do I even begin?
Well... it did not take us long to notice things were not quite right within the walls of Candlekeep. Some were behaving strangely, and others uncomfortable or nervous around me. We rushed straight to the fourth floor where Rieltar was holding a meeting, and somewhat surprised to find that he had not fled- we were sure that in the time it took Neera, Imoen and Jaheira to recover from their wounds, news would have reached him of our assault on his headquarters in Baldur's Gate.
It was a trap, though not one of Rieltar's making, for it seems that he was a target as much as we were. Finally coming face to face with a man responsible for such misery and suffering across the Sword Coast, we gave him one chance to surrender and explain his actions, but he merely ordered his henchmen to attack. The battle was quick and decisive. With righteous fury, we slew his bodyguard in moments, and Yeslick got his revenge, caving in Rieltar's skull with his hammer.
The commotion soon drew a throng of Watchers to us, though I did not worry at first, as I expected them to find incriminating evidence on Rieltar's person that would vindicate our actions. Alas I was terribly wrong. After we surrendered ourselves peaceful, trusting in the honour of the Watchers, we were stunned by the news that no evidence was found on Rieltar or his companions and that we had been sentenced to death for his murder in the hallowed halls of Candlekeep. Our sentence was due to be executed today in Baldur's Gate.
Just as it seemed that all was lost, we were visited in the middle of the night by Tethtoril, my former mentor and Gorion's close friend. He explained that Candlekeep had been infiltrated by agents of Sarevok, who likely planned our demise all along, and used us to kill his own father to take control of the Iron Throne himself. Two birds, one stone. Sickening in its conception and execution.
Tethtoril used his considerable magic to give us a fighting chance, teleporting us into the secret catacombs of Candlekeep so we could escape into the wilderness. Before he did so, he handed me a letter penned by Gorion to be delivered to me in the event of his demise...
I still struggle understand what this means, it beggars belief... but it is my foster father's writing, I cannot deny it... but the words... it tells me that my father was Bhaal, the former God of Murder! That I am Bhaalspawn, the progeny of murder, and that I have role to play in the prophecy of Aluando, which foretells that the mortal progeny of Bhaal will bring chaos to the land until rivers run red with blood!
I wish it were all a lie, I feel as if a heavy boulder has just been tied to my back... but then this morning I awoke from a terrible nightmare... and suddenly gained an awareness I never had before. It is difficult to put into words, but it felt like confirmation of my heritage, and a sudden understanding of the weave of magic. Suddenly I just knew that I possessed magical power, the ability the temporarily boost my strength and accuracy, heal wounds and cure poisons. I don't know where this power comes from, I just know how to use them. As I understand it, this is different to both arcane magic as practised by Neera (though her magic is far from typical either) and divine magic as practised by Jaheira and Yeslick.
Since the revelation I have been in a state of shock. I barely remember the grueling battle through the deadly catacombs and the escape from candlekeep. I remember monsters bearing the visage of my friends and loved ones from Candlekeep, including my foster father. I remember striking them down alongside my companions. Yes I am pretty sure that did actually happen and that they were doppelgangers, but sometimes I struggle to make out the difference between my dreams and reality.
I think I remember fleeing from Flaming Fist patrols, hiding in the forest and making our way here to Ulgoth's Beard, a small fishing village that lies just beyond the jurisdiction of the Flaming Fists. Here we shall recover and reorganise and here we shall plan our next move. Sarevok must be made to pay for his crimes. Sarevok must die!
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
State of the Party:
Extras
Obviously Jin did not get all of his Bhaalspawn powers in one go, though this was the first time he got Draw Upon Holy Might. I wondered about how to describe it, and decided that the trigger for his Bhaalspawn abilities will be the awareness of his heritage, and that the power comes from within, from his share of Bhaal essence. (Which I think is accurate.)
With everything that has happened recently, I forgot to write about something that seems trivial in comparison. But I have nothing to do today, we are just keeping a low profile in Ulgoth's Beard, so I might as well update my journal on a significant development in my personal life... My fledgling relationship with Neera is over.
It's been a few days since it happened, before our life as fugitives began. We were accosted in the middle of the street by an angry halfling who accused Neera of stealing from him after knocking him out in the middle of the night. Neera denied it at first, but confessed the truth upon a little pressing. Of course we paid the halfling, who was satisfied with the compensation, but the debacle forced me to see a side of Neera I had tried to ignore.
She is not the sweet damsel in distress I thought. I was blinded by her beauty and her apparent vulnerability. I knew so little about her, so i filled in all the gaps with an idealised version of who she is. I really thought that I loved her and that we were destined to be together... Now I see that she consciously uses her charms to manipulate people, including me, and I wonder if she even cared for me in the same way that I did her...
I am not so unsympathetic as to disregard Neera's difficulties in the decisions she took. Hunted by Reds Wizards, cast out from her home, I can understand her resorting to less honourable means to survive. But what really worried me was the fact that she showed little remorse for her actions, and lied to us when we could easily have afforded to repay her debts.
We had quite an argument, and for a moment after she stormed off, I thought she was gone for good. Though she has returned, I fear there is no going back for our relationship...
Well considering that I just discovered that I am an outlaw and the progeny of an evil god, the end of my first love doesn't seem so bad in comparison!
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
I didn't actually realise that confronting Neera over the Meklin incident ends the romance, but it seemed a good place to end it anyway.
Having evaded Flaming Fist patrols to find refuge in Ulgoth's Beard, we began to plan our next move. The news coming from Baldur's Gate was not good. Sarevok had seized control of the Iron Throne, and threw its considerable resources into the Flaming Fists and more questionable mercenary groups. Tension with Amn grows by the day and there are reports of troop build up on both sides of the border.
I still do not know for sure why Sarevok appears to be pushing for war, or why he engineered the Iron Crisis, but I suspect he has far darker reasons than financial gain, which appear irrelevant at this point. Given his very specific interest in killing me before I had lifted a finger against him or the Iron Throne, and his research into Aluando's Prophecy concerning the progeny of Bhaal, I can only conclude that he too must share my divine heritage. It is as if he is determined to fulfill that prophecy, and bring about anarchy and bloodshed to drown the Sword Coast in death. What would drive a man to such madness?!
Alas despite our best efforts, we could find no way of infiltrating Baldur's Gate. All the gates into the city are heavily guarded and patrols scour the countryside trying to hunt us down. Instead of hiding and watching as Sarevok's plans come to fruition, we have decided to try something he could not have expected... We have come to Durlag's Tower. We have a number of reasons to brave this renowned graveyard of adventurers and tomb raiders alike.
Firstly, we came across a dwarf who claimed to be the son of one of Durlag's close companions, who seeks his family heirloom, a dagger by the name of Soultaker within the tower. He has given us maps of the fortress and dungeons below that might give us a chance where so many have failed before us. Secondly, Sarevok has made extensive use of doppelgangers in his conspiracy within Baldur's Gate. If the legends of Durlag's Tower are correct, such creatures were also responsible for Durlag's doom. Perhaps we can learn more about the mysterious menace and how Sarevok has brought the shape-shifters under employment or control. Thirdly, Durlag's clan was widely known for their incredible wealth, much of which remains hidden within the tower. If we can obtain but a fraction of Durlag's treasures, perhaps it will give us the resources to act against Sarevok. Fourthly, Durlag was a renowned warrior who hoarded powerful weapons and artifacts as well as wealth. Such weapons could be invaluable in the battles to come. Finally, and this is a long shot, but if we can make Durlag's Tower safe again, then perhaps Yeslick will be able to found a new home for the scattered survivors of the Orothair clan. Yeslick and his kin have endured much in fate's cruel hand. They deserve a fresh start and a chance to build a brighter future.
For all the reasons I have listed, accomplishing any of it depends on our succeeding where all before us have failed. This accursed place will surely test our abilities to our limits, and and quite possibly beyond, but we cannot stand idly by and watch as Sarevok leads the Sword Coast to ruin. Perhaps the secret to defeating the madman can be found in the dungeons of another.
Location: Durlag's Tower.
Day 89, 30 Flamerule, 1368
Well our expedition has not started auspiciously. We began by searching the tower itself. The ground level had been looted by adventurers before us, but the upper levels were filled with deadly traps and vile guardians such as ghasts and basilisks. Dangerous, thought not beyond our experience and ability. However, when we attempted to venture into the catacombs below, we were attacked by the apparent new master of Durlag's Tower, a Demon Knight!
The creature teleported right in front of us, warning us to turn back, and reinforced his point with a barrage of fireballs. Most of us were able to dive behind corners or otherwise avoid the worst of the blast, but Jaheira was caught in the open and badly burnt. When the smoke cleared, the monstrosity was gone. Before we had even entered the dungeon-proper, we were trekking back to Nashkel for urgent healing services.
Thankfully, Jaheira will be fine, and she was more determined than ever to press on with our quest. I hope we have not bitten off more than we can chew.
Location: Nashkel
Extra
Unfortunately, rather like BG2, the main story plot gives little reasoning for side questing in BG1, and although I am fine with skipping a lot of it, I didn't want to miss Durlag's Tower because 1) it's my favourite part of BG1 and 2) I was not confident about taking down Sarevok with a party of around 80k xp.
Post-Candlekeep escape is always when I choose to do side quests because I see it as a good excuse that your party is lying low from the authorities whilst they are actively hunting you down.
It has only been four days since I last wrote, but I feel a year older! I am alive. We all are! And we conquered Durlag's Tower! The deadly reputation of Durlag's Tower proved to be very much deserved, and the perils we faced tested our company beyond what I thought we could endure, but the resolve and ability of my companions, and the potential we achieved together, surprised all of us, as well as our Demon Knight adversary.
From the very first level of the catacombs, lethal traps and vicious monsters lurked around every corner. Having solved the wardens' puzzles, we were forced to defeat them in battle before we could descend further into the dark. Each warden was a formidable warrior or powerful mage, and only through working together did we just overcome such fearsome opponents.
It only got worse from there. In the second level of the catacombs we were hunted by powerful doppelgangers that took the faces of Durlag and his slain family members, a cruel mockery of their former selves. As we battled through a maze of traps and monsters, our quest nearly reached a premature end within Durlag's Throne room, which the shape-shifters closed behind us as we entered and immediately filled with noxious gas.
I am not sure how we survived that death trap, desperation and fear drove me through the pain and we cut down the vile creastures even as my head throbbed and my lungs cried out for air. Jaheira and Neera were unable to resist the fumes, and cut down before we could intervene. With two of our company seriously wounded and with our way in blocked, we desperately searched for an alternate exit, all the while hunted by yet more doppelgangers within the deadly maze. Yeslick fell shortly thereafter, bravely defending Imoen from a shapeshifter. I had to drink a strength potion to carry him on my back as we finally made our way out from what would certainly have been our tomb had we lingered a moment longer.
With Jaheira, Neera and Yeslick healed at the Temple of Helm, we descended into the catacombs once more. Having finally found a way out of the maze of death on the second level, we faced yet greater dangers on the third level. We had to summon long-dead heroes to help us slay a score of deadly Wyverns, far greater those we faced in the Cloakwood. In the twisted maze garden, we barely survived (and not without a fair amount of healing and scars) the deadly blades of the Ashirukuru.
Out of the maze, we battle through the challenges of Ice, Earth, Air and Fire. Fire being particularly nasty as the phoenix guard we slew exploded upon death, catching our company by surprise, and enforcing another trip to the Nashkel Temple. As the last elemental guardian fell, we were teleported into a bizarre game of chess where WE were the pieces. Thankfully just lighting up the opposing side with fireballs appeared to be a perfectly valid strategy of winning this particular game of chess.
And so we reached the deepest level of the catacombs, where we came face to face with the spirit of Durlag himself. In order to appease liberate his spirit and relinquish its link to the tower, we had to understand the reasoning behind his madness. 'Tis a tragic tale indeed, but once we understood his suffering and the madness it drove him to, the spirit of Durlag was finally liberated from his earthly home and we were free to confront the dark master of the tower for the right to inherit its wealth.
I scarcely believe that we managed it. A Demon Knight! When I set out on this adventured enforced upon me in most sad circumstances, I never thought that I would come face to face with a monster as great and terrible as a Demon Knight, let alone conquer it with the help of my friends and companions. The battle was epic. We went prepared, knowing his apparent penchant for fireballs, we attacked from multiple directions, boosted by all manner of potions and spells. The victory hard won, but it was won.
Within Durlag's treasury we found enough gold to raise a small army! Though we think it would be better used for Yeslick and Hurgan to establish a new dwarven hold there. Speaking of Hurgan, we found Soultaker on the Demon Knight's personal possession, which struck me as a little odd as the weapon does not appear overtly powerful, and he did not use it in battle against us. Perhaps it is merely a ceremonial blade. We are celebrating our victory in Nashkel tonight, and recuperating after our epic struggles. Tomorrow we shall set off for Ulgoth's Beard and return the blade to its rightful owner.
Location: Nashkel
Reloads:
No. 13: Demon Knight
Imoen got chunked by a fireball. Ouch. (She, along with Neera, are "protected from permadeath")
No.14: Demon Knight
Jin gets smoked by a fireball just as it looked like everything was going to plan...
State of the Party
Extra:
I really enjoyed Durlag's Tower as always, and was pleased to get to the Demon Knight without any reloads. However I must admit that there were very close shaves (dat Throne Room!) and I did lose individuals quite a few times. As a matter of fact, after the second or third trip to Nashkel, I decided to cheat resurrections with console because it just got too tedious to make the trek (especially after I reached lv3 and had to dodge the fireball room to get out). To compensate for the gold I would have had to pay the temple, I donated 10k gold after I got out of the tower.
For all the good work getting to the Demon Knight, the big bad himself caught me by surprise. I guess my party was higher level the last time I faced him, because his fireballs did way more damage than I expected, resulting in two reloads. On the other hand, I was expecting him to have summoned allies, which didn't happen for some reason, not that I am complaining. On the third attempt I gave Jin fire resistance potion and a Protection from Fire scroll to keep him alive even as fireballs rained down. Yeslick also tanked it fairly well with the fire resistance ring.
Although we had conquered Durlag's Tower, the trials the tower had in store for us was not yet over. The moment we returned to Ulgoth's Beard, it was clear that something was off. The streets were deserted and the village was eerily quiet. Our first thought was that perhaps the Flaming Fists had tracked us down, but when the attack came, it was clear that our assailants had no intention of arresting us. They were assassins and fanatics, screaming about the dagger, Soultaker, that we had obtained from Durlag's Tower for Hurgan. We were barely able to repel the attack once we recovered from the surprise, but not before one of the attackers snatched the blade from Neera, who had been seriously wounded.
After making sure that Neera got the urgent healing services she required, we confronted Hurgan, who clearly had not told us the full story regarding Soultaker. He confessed that he knew the dagger had been used to bound a powerful Tanar'ri demon, a Nabassu by the name of Aec'Letec, and that the cult that attacked us worshiped the fell beast as a god, and intended to free him from the dagger. Needless to say, we did not take his word for it that he meant to destroy the dagger to thwart the cult, but Jaheira's magic could not detect any obvious evil within the dwarf, so we did not skewer him for nearly getting us all killed by leaving out such crucial information.
With the summoning ritual in progress, we stormed the cultists' lair, desperate to prevent Aec'Letec's return. His foul minions put up stiff resistance, and the bestiary roar from the basement confirmed that we were too late. However, we had a precious window of opportunity to banish the creature back to the abyss before its powers fully manifested in the material plane, and perhaps against better judgement, we took that opportunity rather than allowing Aec'Letec to resume his terrible reign of terror.
I don't quite know how we vanquished such a terrible enemy, I scarcely believe that it actually happened, but we defeated a dread Nabassu and lived to tell the tale! Team work, resolve and luck all a part I suppose. I was seriously wounded trying to fend off the demon's monstrous claws, and despite all the magical protections and boosts I received from potions and spells, I was tossed into the air like a rag-doll. Yeslick stood firm despite suffering terrible wounds too, and Jaheira finally landed a killing blow, striking the beast down with her enchanted club.
Location: Ulgoth's Beard
Reloads:
No.15: In my first attempt against Aec'Letec, I forgot to protect my party from Horror, and once people started running around like headless chickens... well they started going actually headless.
If you're wondering why Yeslick has a "cursed" status effect... he was drinking from the Blood Filled Goblet, whilst wearing Kiel's Helmet. That goblet has been a life saver on a few occasions though I am glad that it only has 6 charges, otherwise it'd be way too OP.
Aec'Letec had been slain and his deviant cult scattered to the four winds, but for all our achievements, the Sword Coast remained in great peril, for we discovered that Sarevok's plans had progressed unabated. The news that reached Ulgoth's Beard was sketchy, but it was grave. Scar and Grand Duke Entar Silvershield had been murdered and Grand Duke Eltan was seriously ill, with rumours that the Shadow Thieves of Amn were responsible, in prelude to an all-out invasion.
Of course we knew this to be false, Sarevok was the puppet master behind the conspiracy, pushing Baldur's Gate to war against the Empire of Amn, and all of the Sword Coast into chaos. Unfortunately, though we had recovered much wealth and several fine magical items from Durlag's treasure hoard, there was nothing that would allow us to teleport directly into Baldur's Gate, or somehow bypass the heavily guarded gates into the city. Any direct assault would be suicidal, and result in the death and injury of many decent men and women of the Flaming Fist, even if we were somehow successful in breaking through.
Just as we grew increasingly desperate, a young woman of Kara-turan descent approached us, offering us a way into the city via a secret entrance to the sewers, which we could use to traverse the city unmolested by Flaming Fist patrols. In time we would learn that her name was Tamoko, and that she was Sarevok's lover, but at the time we thought her an agent of Amn, and after both Yeslick and Jaheira divined her intentions and found them not to be evil, we decided to trust her, which was quite the leap of faith given that she needn't be evil to lure us into an ambush for whatever cause she deemed just.
Regardless, once we were in the city, Tamoko revealed her identity and confirmed much that we had already postulated regarding Sarevok's plans- namely that he sought to inherit Bhaal's divine power by unleashing bloodshed and chaos on an epic scale, and fulfill Aluando's Prophecy. Tamoko believed, quite sensibly, that Sarevok's plans were as foolish as they were immoral, and that the god of murder would not share his power with his progeny. The fulfillment of the prophecy was more likely to revive the dead god at his children's expense than bequeath his power to Sarevok. Tamoko offered her assistance in stopping Sarevok's madness, but at a condition- that we must spare Sarevok's life.
I could not accept such a condition. Sarevok is an irredeemable monster! He murdered Gorion, my father. Regardless of whatever my divine heritage might be, Gorion was my true father and I his son. As his son, it is my filial duty to avenge his murder. Sarevok is already responsible for so much suffering, so many victims who were given no second chances, no choices and no mercy... so many orphans and widows... If he is not stopped, the blood that has already been shed will be but a puddle next to the oceans of gore he intends to unleash across the Sword Coast and beyond! No, Sarevok deserves no second chances, no mercy! There are tales of noble heroes who can forgive the most vilest of villains and offer them hope of redemption, but I am no such hero. I will kill Sarevok or die trying.
Unfortunately this has put us in direct conflict with Tamoko, who withdrew her assistance, and I fear will ultimately oppose us in battle, for she warned us that the next time we meet, it will not be to talk... and she looks like a woman who honours her words. Alas we must press on regardless, if gossip in the street is true, then four evenings from now, Sarevok will be elected a Grand Duke to replace Duke Silvershield, replacing the man he is responsible for murdering. Before then, we must find evidence of his treachery and bring him to justice.
Location: Baldur's Gate (Sewers)
Sarevok's mad schemes have been thwarted, the Sword Coast has been spared from a senseless war for the sake of one man's ambitions of godhood. However, my own trials are not over.
Before Tamoko parted ways with us, she had mentioned that Duke Eltan's healer was not who he seemed, and that he was responsible for the duke's illness. Naturally then, rescuing the duke was our first step. It was not easy getting around the city with our faces plastered on every street as wanted fugitives, and even though traversing underground through the sewers helped greatly, we were still forced to incapacitate a few Flaming Fist soldiers when we were spotted. Wand of Paralysis, Hold Person and Spook all came in handy for such situations.
It was even harder to infiltrate the Flaming Fist headquarters. It was far too dangerous to send in Imoen alone, but nobody else was proficient in the art of stealth. We considered having Neera cast Invisibility on us, but decided that the risk would be too great given the unpredictable nature of her magic. In the end Khalid accompanied Imoen with the Sand Thief's ring. Within Duke Eltan's living quarters, they confronted his supposed healer, who as we suspected, was in fact a doppelganger in the employ of Sarevok. Khalid and Imoen barely escaped from the compound with Duke Eltan as alarms sounded, but we were able to deliver the duke to a safe house in the docks.
Duke Eltan gave us the next piece of information we required. Before he was incapacitated, he had discovered that Duke Silvershield was murdered by a pair of assassins hiding in the Undercellar, who presumably planned to eliminate the remaining Grand Dukes, Belt and Liia, so that Sarevok can replace them with doppelgangers and achieve absolute control of Baldur's Gate. Sure enough, we tracked down the assassins, a husband and wife team it seems, and killed them in self-defense. Thankfully we did not need them alive to finally get the proof we desperately needed to clear our names and reveal Sarevok's treachery to the world. In the assassins' possession were letters and documents clearly linking them to Duke Silvershield's murder and Sarevok's direct involvement in the plot.
Armed with this proof, we returned to Duke Eltan, who was able to use his influence to smuggle us into Ducal Palace earlier this evening, in time for Sarevok's scheduled ceremony for being elected a Grand Duke. We waited for the ceremony to begin before we broke cover and confronted the fiend, to make sure that all the eyes and ears of the city were present to witness Sarevok's treachery.
We had caught him by surprise, and after briefly attempting to have us killed on the spot before we could present any evidence, he dropped all pretense and attacked. His infiltration of Baldur's Gate was far worse than we could have imagine, for nearly half of those present in the Great Hall suddenly revealed themselves as doppelgangers! Thankfully we had come prepared, and jumped into action to save the surviving Grand Dukes and assembled nobility. Neera filled the hall with Webs to slow and incapacitate our enemies, whilst Jaheira, Khalid, Yeslick and I cut through them, protected by Free Action.
As more and more Flaming Fist soldiers poured into the hall and the battle turned against Sarevok and his minions, a mage called Winski Perorate revealed himself as an agent of Sarevok, and teleported the pair of them out of the Ducal Palace.
With our names cleared, the surviving Grand Dukes offered their thanks and apology for the persecution we had endured, and also divined that Sarevok had fled into the Under City, accessible through a dangerous hidden maze beneath the Thieves' Guild. Unfortunately the Flaming Fist were unprepared to tackle the maze in pursuit of Sarevok, believing that the threat the madman posed had been "contained".
I do not share their optimism. If I do not eliminate Sarevok, he will no doubt recover and reorganise, and the next time he strikes, I may not survive it to retaliate. No, Sarevok must die, and with his plans in ruins and his allies on the run, this is likely my best opportunity to strike.
The Thieves' Maze awaits. Sarevok waits. Justice awaits.
Location: Baldur's Gate
State of the Party
Reloads
No.16: This was really stupid, but I think I accidentally hit a friendly in the melee in the Ducal Palace, resulting in an instadeath Flame Strike... It was going so well until that happened!