Maliel, the Bhaalspawn (recklessheart)
recklessheart
Member Posts: 692
Raised in the library fortress of Candlekeep, Maliel took greatly after his foster father, Gorion, and by following his example, Maliel was able to persevere throughout his early adolescence and learn the ways of Arcane magic. It was, however, in these developmental years that the young Half-Elf took an inclination away from admiring his foster father wholeheartedly: he began to develop a sense of individuality, which I suppose is the inherit impulse of all Half-Elves, for they are neither one nor the other of their parents (nevermind their foster parents), and so much learn to be themselves. To be oneself is not an easy thing, but Maliel has not yet begun to learn why it must be so for him.
He began to sneak out of the library early from time-to-time: he developed a curiosity for the things that he thought were being hidden from him by his foster father, and for the things that other sages brought to the library. Could it be that these developed Mages possessed items and scrolls more helpful to his Arcane development than that which the library offered him with great restriction? In addition, the young Maliel became so confident in his aptitude for all things intellectual, that he began to tinker with snares and devices, believing that he was just as capable of learning how to master these things as he could master magic. As he began to depart from his teen years, egotism subsided from recklessness, but he was no less a confident young man who possessed the talents of both a Mage, and a Thief (image 1).
So when the day came that Gorion asked Maliel to gather his things and meet him for a journey, Maliel was not at all anxious. "Good, and it is high time," thinks the Half-Elf, believing that this is the sign that Gorion has grown as impressed by Maliel's talents as Maliel is proud of them. He gathers his things, and prepares to say his farewells to the faces he has come to know within Candlekeep - for Gorion has told him nothing of when they will return.
The day goes by, and he undertakes tasks for friends and familiar faces - no, not all of them he calls friend. Phlydia is a kind soul, and he will miss her; perhaps one day he will see Firebead Elvenhair if Gorion chooses to take them to Beregost? Maliel hopes so, for he is certain that Firebead withholds magic that it could be to his benefit to learn. Hull he shall not miss, being a rather dull conversationalist as he is. About Imoen he is ambivalent: she is fun, adventurous, and good-natured, and he likes these qualities. If she applies herself a bit more, she could surely make more of the natural intelligence that she has and which he thinks sometimes might dare to match with his. But surely no: surely there are very few similarities between he, the chosen foster child of Gorion the Sage, and the girl Thief Imoen that would be left behind to carry out Winthrop's chores.
Threats are made. Violence against him. But for the companionship of his Pseudodragon familiar (of whom he is certain Gorion has no idea), Maliel might be dead. He has the eye to match any Elf, he thinks, with a dart, and he is not without practice using a short sword, but these men mean to harm him beyond a sparring match.
Maliel gathers his things in a new-found haste, and goes to meet with Gorion.
(( This is my first documented run of BGEE, though not my first run of BGEE, and certainly not at all my first run of BG! I have not played a multi-class for years and years, and so this struck me as a potentially interesting choice. We shall see how it goes.
This run is not modded, and continuity errors might be perceived between the run of BGEE and BG2EE, depending on how hardcore you choose to be. I hope you enjoy it for what it is however, for that is all I have ever tried to do with Baldur's Gate, and that has not always - or often - involved a canon party, or a need to rationalise every twist and turn in the long-term game.
All of that said, stay tuned to hear more of what befalls Maliel as he takes flight from Candlekeep, and what experiences he has - and with whom he has them! ))
He began to sneak out of the library early from time-to-time: he developed a curiosity for the things that he thought were being hidden from him by his foster father, and for the things that other sages brought to the library. Could it be that these developed Mages possessed items and scrolls more helpful to his Arcane development than that which the library offered him with great restriction? In addition, the young Maliel became so confident in his aptitude for all things intellectual, that he began to tinker with snares and devices, believing that he was just as capable of learning how to master these things as he could master magic. As he began to depart from his teen years, egotism subsided from recklessness, but he was no less a confident young man who possessed the talents of both a Mage, and a Thief (image 1).
So when the day came that Gorion asked Maliel to gather his things and meet him for a journey, Maliel was not at all anxious. "Good, and it is high time," thinks the Half-Elf, believing that this is the sign that Gorion has grown as impressed by Maliel's talents as Maliel is proud of them. He gathers his things, and prepares to say his farewells to the faces he has come to know within Candlekeep - for Gorion has told him nothing of when they will return.
The day goes by, and he undertakes tasks for friends and familiar faces - no, not all of them he calls friend. Phlydia is a kind soul, and he will miss her; perhaps one day he will see Firebead Elvenhair if Gorion chooses to take them to Beregost? Maliel hopes so, for he is certain that Firebead withholds magic that it could be to his benefit to learn. Hull he shall not miss, being a rather dull conversationalist as he is. About Imoen he is ambivalent: she is fun, adventurous, and good-natured, and he likes these qualities. If she applies herself a bit more, she could surely make more of the natural intelligence that she has and which he thinks sometimes might dare to match with his. But surely no: surely there are very few similarities between he, the chosen foster child of Gorion the Sage, and the girl Thief Imoen that would be left behind to carry out Winthrop's chores.
Threats are made. Violence against him. But for the companionship of his Pseudodragon familiar (of whom he is certain Gorion has no idea), Maliel might be dead. He has the eye to match any Elf, he thinks, with a dart, and he is not without practice using a short sword, but these men mean to harm him beyond a sparring match.
Maliel gathers his things in a new-found haste, and goes to meet with Gorion.
(( This is my first documented run of BGEE, though not my first run of BGEE, and certainly not at all my first run of BG! I have not played a multi-class for years and years, and so this struck me as a potentially interesting choice. We shall see how it goes.
This run is not modded, and continuity errors might be perceived between the run of BGEE and BG2EE, depending on how hardcore you choose to be. I hope you enjoy it for what it is however, for that is all I have ever tried to do with Baldur's Gate, and that has not always - or often - involved a canon party, or a need to rationalise every twist and turn in the long-term game.
All of that said, stay tuned to hear more of what befalls Maliel as he takes flight from Candlekeep, and what experiences he has - and with whom he has them! ))
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Maliel watched as it happened, yet knows not why it happened. The armored figure had explicitly mentioned him, but why? What value does Maliel hold to people of such power that Gorion would not? Clasping desperately at thoughts that look like accurate deductions, Maliel is set adrift in a sea of his own concerns: could it be that this figure is or represents someone from which Maliel had stolen a magical item during his time in Candlekeep? But then surely he would remembering acquiring a magical artefact, and he had none. He scarcely had the means to defend himself, and he did not know the distance to reach the Friendly Arm Inn that Gorion mentioned.
He goes to the site of Gorion's death. Imoen accompanies him. Maliel had not expected her coming, but was glad for it if it gave him company in the distance between here and his next destination.
Maliel is joined by two men, Montaron and Xzar. With their aid, he moves east and slays an Ogre that lingers just beyond sight of the road leading north to the Friendly Arm Inn. Once again he is attacked by a man with murderous intent when he reaches the Inn, but victory goes to him and his unlikely allies. Maliel makes contact with Khalid, and Jaheira, and they go south.
In Beregost, the party of six agrees to aid a Half-Elf named Neera, who is set upon by Red Wizards. "Odd," thinks Maliel, "The Red Wizards come from a land far from the Sword Coast. What business have they in Beregost?"
Whatever their cause, it is of no present concern to Maliel. He aids Neera, but disinclines her from his company. She calls him heartless, and this confirms her foolishness in his eyes. She cannot control her magic: he can control his. What need has he for her company when others with more skill and purpose in the region already stand at his side? Twice already has he been threatened with murder, and he does not need the Red Wizards to be added to the number of those who stand against him.
It soon seems as though Maliel might not have been so wise. In vindicating a group of men from slander at the hands of a thespian by the name of Silke, Montaron and Jaheira are both mortally wounded by a spell far beyond Maliel's ken. Without sadness for the death of his companion, Xzar insists only that the party proceed to Nashkel with haste: Khalid is suitably upset, and so the party leave Jaheira's body in the hands of one who can care for her. Her recovery will be slow, and difficult, but Khalid journeys in Maliel's company meanwhile.
To compensate the loss, a Dwarf named Kagain joins the company: the Bard, Garrick, accompanies them also. Xzar is slain in battle with spiders, and it is several days of travel before the party meets a willing companion to replace the lost Necromancer, who calls himself Kivan, and who is an Elf. They journey to Nashkel, where Maliel chooses to let Garrick remain so that he might better work upon his music at a carnival.
Not long after this, Dorn Il-Khan joins the company. His powers are impressive, though for all of his knowledge, Maliel cannot place them. With Dorn's aid, the party resolve the trouble in the Nashkel Mines, however the return journey to Nashkel is fraught with as much peril as the mines themselves were. A powerful Mage specialising in the manipulation of Oozes is slain, but in his wake so too is Kagain, who is overwhelmed by the Oozes that the Mage summons forth.
And so, returning to Nashkel, Maliel finds his party already much shaped by the danger of the events that have come to pass following Gorion's passing. Though Maliel has sorrow for the fate of his foster father, he knows that he is an autonomous being, and as such he must move forward making the judgements that suit him best. He sees great capability in the company that he has formed, though perhaps not great purpose as of yet. An investigation of the local area, and its problems, might bring some new light to their potential.
(( A lot more review than RP or screenshotting this time. Sorry. I'm not used to screenshotting, and so I forgot about it for a lot of the time..!
Playing a multi-class is a slow, burdensome thing in these early levels, when both a Mage and a Thief rely on the acquisition of higher levels before they can reliably accomplish their tasks. At present, Maliel is driving home his Pick Pocket and Open Locks skills so that they can get good from an early stage. Imoen handles traps - setting and disabling them. ))
Foremost among the party's achievements is the triumphant tackling of a Gnoll Stronghold. The sight of it looming high on the edge of the Cloud Peaks draws Maliel and his party forward. Though they have not been told that the fortress poses any active danger, for it is so far from the road, Maliel is sure that it could be the location of magical artefacts that might advance his research and aid the party going forward into danger.
The journey is long, and tiresome. Though he considers himself excellent in many things, Maliel does not boast of his constitution - certainly not compared to the vibrant Imoen, or enduring Khalid alongside whom he has traveled for some time now. The party seeks to take shelter in the caves hooked beneath the rise on which the stronghold is built.
There, Maliel finds a tome that aids him. Branwen, a Cleric of Tempus liberated by the use of magic, stands guard with Khalid as the party rests and Maliel scours the pages of the tome he has acquired. Dorn shows an interest in the tome's power, and it unsettles Maliel, who - though good at heart, and possessed of the belief that he will change the Sword Coast for the better in his adventures - covets the acquisition of new magical knowledge.
When they challenge the Gnolls of the fortress, they liberate a fellow Mage. Maliel is eager to have her join the party, and it seems to be a suitable time for the addition of a new friend to the party, for Kivan chooses to remain at the stronghold and watch the wilderness that surrounds it. He will do what he can to prevent the fortress from being reclaimed by new evil. Maliel agrees that this will be for the best, and they say their farewells.
Dynaheir was a difficult companion. Astute of mind, and possessing a comprehensive spellbook, she dealt in magicks less subtle than those which Maliel threaded together with thievery to optimise his chances of success: and certainly, Maliel could see the benefit of allying with a powerful Mage who was something of an opposite to him. Dynaheir, however, had been born to a land that expected her to lead, and Maliel could not - though perhaps it was as much his personal failing as Dynaheir's - compete with his companions over matters of leadership whilst also silently competing in a rivalry of arcane competence. Maliel grew to respect Dynaheir greatly for her talents, but those that we respect are not always those with whom we choose to build our houses.
During their time with Dynaheir, Maliel and his party were responsible for reclaiming a lost relic at an archaeological dig site; they overcome an entire village of Xvarts nestled in the mountains; but perhaps most controversially, they put an end to the bounty over the head of the madman Brage by putting an end to that very man's life.
Yes, a twinkling of sanity broke through, but Maliel saw no intelligence in sparing the life of a man that had not spared the lives of his fellows. Brage was sane but for a moment, and then it would be gone again, and Maliel would not take responsibility for allowing that any longer. Upon defeating Brage in combat - no easy task - Maliel discovered the nature of the weapon that Brage had used for his murders, and was disappointed to learn that, aye, perhaps Brage could have been cured. Like Melicamp the Chicken before him however, Brage was an example to Maliel of what happened when the uneducated acquired magical items. "Better," thinks he, "That magic be distributed amongst those who best know how to shape and direct it."
Returning to Nashkel, Dynaheir is reunited with a man named Minsc. Maliel thinks that Minsc bears too remarkable a resemblance to Brage in his grasp upon sanity, and disapproves of him further for not even being under the effect of magic. He takes the offer of the Red Wizard, Edwin Odesseiron, who seeks to join his party. Though the magic of this man is further superior to his own and Dynaheir's, Edwin does not seem to possess quite the same interest in being the leader of their party. Furthermore, Maliel believes that enough people have chosen to make an enemy of him since his departure from Candlekeep: it is time to make friends. One would sooner have the support of the Red Wizards than the ire, no?
Resolving his matters in the Nashkel region, Maliel takes Samuel the Deserter's injured person north to recover at The Friendly Arm Inn. Upon his arrival there, Maliel asks that Dorn Il-Khan leave the party for the foreseeable future: although Dorn was powerful, and he had proven his mettle thus far, defeating Kryll had done nothing to illuminate the source of Dorn's power, and although Maliel knew it to be foul, he did not know it well enough to believe he could direct it at his will. Dorn agrees to wait, for now, with the expectation that Maliel will cross the bridge to Baldur's Gate with him and meet Simmeon, if ever the time comes when Maliel shall go that way.
Fortuitously, if not inversely, Dorn's departure is swiftly followed by the discovery of an ally in Ajantis, a squire to The Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. Likewise investigating bandit activity in the area, he quickly integrates himself with the party. Although Edwin and he seem at odds, there is little question that Ajantis will place his shield between the party and harm's way, and just as little question that Edwin's magic is of too great a value to be discarded. Maliel is not endeared to Edwin by their time spent together, but his curiosity for new and powerful magicks would enable Maliel to endure the company of the Red Wizard long after the bandit camp which they besiege together has fallen.
Defeating the bandits led by Tazok, Maliel completes his circuit of the region that lies in a corridor between the Cloud Peaks and Baldur's Gate, returning once more to Nashkel as he does so. Magic is acquired in many places, although Ulcaster and Durlag's Tower are yet to be explored. Urgency would drive Maliel back towards the Cloakwood before interest would lure him to these old, arcane places.
It is time for him to leave Nashkel, he realises, when an unlikely circumstance causes devastation to the townsfolk of the settlement, and brings Ajantis to the cusp of death. Money and the power of Helm rightly restores Ajantis' health, but the encounter humbles the party somewhat as they venture forth to meet Daveorn beneath the high-rising trees of Cloakwood.
Maliel is not sorrowful that Branwen departs the group. She is a fine warrior, and a capable priestess, but Maliel does not relish battle: with magic and guile, he would rather forego confrontation altogether and acquire that which he needs before moving on. He travels with several others, however, and this is rarely the way to proceed as a party when the threats are numerous and violent. Nevertheless, Branwen is proud of all they have accomplished, and shows no dislike of Maliel for his decision.
With Faldorn's help they reach the mines. A battle must be fought with a competent party of warriors and mages before they gain access, and it takes the resources of the entire party to hold together against the threat. Maliel makes use of his magic, and the magical artefacts he has acquired thus far in their adventures. Tumbling across the ground to dodge the final spells and arrows that are fired to defeat the enemy Mages, he thrusts a wand towards the leader of the mercenary group, and in doing so turns him to ice. Victory.
The same is done to defeat Daveorn, though the battle is just as taxing despite being with only one man. He is a powerful Mage - even Edwin knows it, and Maliel notes this at the conclusion of the battle. Before the battle is made however, Maliel and Imoen must say a farewell - a farewell that would have to sustain them for several months before they would be reunited. Imoen opts to assert her own independence by aiding the slaves in evacuating the mine, whilst Maliel and his companions are guided down to defeat Daveorn by a Cleric of Clangeddin, who knows the mines as well as Faldorn knows the forest surrounding it. He offers his name, Yeslick, and together with him the party triumphs in Cloakwood, and departs for the Friendly Arm Inn once more. Maliel has a promise to fulfill; a truth to hunt, and then he and his party will go to Baldur's Gate, where the Iron Throne has its headquarters.
(( Things proceed very well! Faldorn has arrived in the party somewhat crippled, being that she is 20000xp behind the rest of us, but I decided to take her with me as I have never played through the game with her, and I enjoy the variety of BG1 NPCs enough to never use the same party twice.
Branwen was fine, but to be honest I have always thought she was a very lacklustre Cleric. Her physical stats are not reflective of somebody who worships the Lord of Battles, and who seeks glory in battle. Yeslick makes an excellent replacement. Although I would like Viconia to join me, and I find Yeslick's voice difficult to get used to, he is another character I have never completed the game with, so in the spirit of new experiences, we shall continue with him and see how it goes.
By this point Imoen was non-essential personnel. Maliel is capable of handling traps and locks. He cannot hide in shadows very well at all, but I don't need him to. He tosses darts well enough, and has enough spells to compensate him for defense or disabling if enemies close the gap. Backstabbing is an acceptable sacrifice to make to gain all of that. ))
It does. Learning the truth of Dorn's abilities, Maliel parts ways with him, and does not suspect that they will meet again.
It is thanks to Ajantis' holy powers, perhaps, that Maliel and the party survive the encounter with Dorn Il-Khan's nemesis. Edwin Odesseiron rejoins the party at Wyrm's Crossing, and so they go together into the city of Baldur's Gate. Maliel meets with Elminster there, asserting both his independence and his shared sentiment of appreciation for Gorion. How Elminster seeks to make his involvement in the matter significant, however, Maliel is yet uncertain of: is that what the Wizard wants at all? It unsettles Maliel not to know, though he is not adverse to the involvement of the Wizard entirely, trusting as he does that Elminster's goals might align with supporting his survival. For now, however, they part ways, and it is unclear - as always - when next they will meet.
Baldur's Gate. Plenty of magical items must come through this city that sits in the middle of the Sword Caost, and Maliel intends to acquire significant shares of them. His first opportunity comes early, and ideal. He coerces a heist thief by the name of Brevlik to exchange a magic item for Maliel's services. The Half-Elf does not easily infiltrate the Hall of Wonders, but knows himself to be more capable than other Thieves. He succeeds, and receives a magic item in exchange for the deed which his knowledge of the Arcane allows him to utilise personally.
Further activity involves the infiltration of a Mage's home, wherein Maliel discovers a captive Nymph. Perhaps it makes him a fool, but Maliel is drawn out of anonymity to liberate the Nymph: guile and subtlety are his hallmarks, but Sylvan creatures such as she have forever been known to befriend the Elves, and some aspects of Maliel's heritage urges him to add the creature. With charisma and that ever-important guile, Maliel convinces the Mage to release the Nymph from captivity, and manages to pick pocket the Mage's valuable Arcane possessions to put to better use than the imprisonment of magical beings.
Success throughout Baldur's Gate comes quick and with great reward to Maliel and his party. Faldorn and Yeslick show little fondness for it's quarters, being adrift in a sea of culture far removed from their own, but they do not forsake Maliel and he sees no urgency to part with their company: respectively, they harness powers of Nature and Divinity that are matched by very few others except for people that were proven foes to the party. The party is humbled wholly, however, when Maliel seeks to investigate the home of another Mage, hoping to use his thieving skills to acquire new magic. The party is beset by powerful magical creatures and animated warriors, which brings them to their knees. The Thief/Mage uses some of his most powerful scrolls and Arcane artefacts to resolve the conflict, but two members of the party fall to the might of their adversaries. At great cost, Maliel attempts to have them revived at the Temple of Tymora.
Returning to the home of the Mage, who tells them his name is Degrodel, Maliel realises that there is much within the world that is beyond his power, and he cannot allow the desire to preserve magical knowledge negate the need for its uses. He commits hours to the study of two valuable tomes that have come into his possession, and accepts a contract from Degrodel to unearth the resting place of a valuable item: the Helm of Balduran.
Further time spent in the city involves aiding the Flaming Fist, as well as expanding upon the repertoire of magical items already in Maliel's possession. Soon, the party has proven itself to be a force too dangerous for most to reckon with, but when the infiltration of the Iron Throne redirects the party's course to Candlekeep, Maliel anticipates that the trouble ahead with prove itself less than meek. Rieltar, and the leaders of the Iron Throne responsible for the troubles in the region await in the very library where Maliel became educated in the Arcane ways.
(( I apologise that I have slowed down on the posts! I'm attempting to synopsise the minor events in between, and return to the main plot. Much of my playtime on Baldur's Gate, I find, involves doing the side quests that are available all across the map, though these are rarely worthy of full documentation, I think! ))
Maliel stands accused of the deed - rightly so, however he harbours the suspicion that he would have been accused of it anyway. Edwin holds the same opinion, though derisively rejects the idea that he shall be held in containment for long by the unambitious Mages of the keep. It is all Maliel can do to hope that Edwin is correct, for his abilities as a Thief are no match for the wards of the fortress.
The party are liberated from their captivity, though they descend to new dangers in the catacombs below Candlekeep. It is there that Maliel finds new and powerful magicks - scrolls and tomes that might aid the party as they give chase to their new, true foe, Sarevok. The Half-Elf has been taught to exercise caution by his recent captivity in the place he once called his home, however. Caution drives him first in the direction of old ruins (Maliel, and the entirely of his party acknowledge the irony as they go), where he might find a great deal more magic with which he can lay low Sarevok, and correct the damages that he - the murderer of Gorion - has inflicted upon Maliel personally, and upon the Sword Coast.
The party quits the tower with new magic in their hands, but it is the experiences of the tower which have truly bolstered their resolve. To Edwin it is arrogance, and to Yeslick it is the solemn reassurance of his duty, but in one way or another every companion departs the tower with an awareness of their own strength, and a newfound will to direct that strength towards those that have acted against them for so long.
Through territories known and heretofore unheard of, the party travels north again towards Baldur's Gate. They are brought astray of Wyrm's Crossing to visit the village known as Ulgoth's Beard, compelled thence by news that one of the items with which they walk belongs with a descendant of Durlag who resides in the village: surely if the party had thought to neglect the duty of returning this dagger, Yeslick would have wholly forsaken their cause. In Ulgoth's Beard, they are subjected to new dangers. They battle with Mages on a remote, enigmatic island; they war with a cult that sought to bring the Demon, Aec'letec back into the Material Plane; and they are washed ashore on an island where Lycanthropes make their dwelling. In all instances, despite the likelihood of their demise, the party triumphs.
But now the months have passed. Maliel has been entangled longer than he would have liked in these accidental dealings, though there was no getting off the Lycanthrope-ruled island in a faster way. All haste must now be made to Baldur's Gate, where Sarevok's schemes undoubtedly have been moving forward to the detriment of Maliel's safety - and the safety of all who who live on the Sword Coast from Baldur's Gate to Amn.
(( Things are going very well! Ajantis and Khalid were petrified in Durlag's Tower, owing to the Basilisks that I completely forgot about! I had an over-abundance of Stone to Flesh scrolls, thankfully, so this was dealt with there and then. Faldorn's Dread Wolf summon proved to be critical for defeating the Basilisks thereafter, being immune to their gaze. She arrived in my party proficient with darts, and alongside Maliel using the same weapon, they have been quite effective. Her acquisition of level 5 magic has been useful, also. All in all, she's not bad!
Maliel's multi-class is starting to yield some better results now, although I suspect it will continue to bloom in Shadows of Amn, and reach it's peak after he is done with the events surrounding Baldur's Gate and the Iron Throne. He has the second most kills in my party, shy of Khalid, who has been with us since the beginning and made quite a reckoning with his longbow.
I was surprised that I took no screenshots during the installment adventures of TotSC! That was an oversight on my part, for which I apologise. There were no dire circumstances nor epic battles to report though, really, with the exception of the battle with Aec'Letec, which was easier than I recall - perhaps only by virtue of Faldorn's ability to memorise 3 'Death Ward' spells. ))
Not only Elf, not only human, and not only these two things, Maliel is one of Bhaal's children: one of the Bhaalspawn. There seems to be a constant clutching at the back of his mind, be it from one nature of his existence or the other; fingers behind his eyes that point and direct his attention with an underlying will that he does not always request, nor always desire. Thus far he has done good, and accomplished deeds that shall change the lives of people on the Sword Coast for the better, but must he fight or embrace that which he is? Sarevok has embraced the blood of the God of Murder, yet Maliel must fight him. Their fates, perhaps, need not be the opposite of one another. One thing is certain, however: their fates are mutually exclusive. While one lives, the other shall always be threatened, and chaos will spread. Between them there must be a reckoning.
And there is. Whatever power Sarevok thought he had earned, it was not the greater of the pair. Sarevok's companions may be mighty, but Maliel's are still mightier. Eventually Sarevok is slain. Gorion is redeemed, and for now - however long 'now' might last - Maliel's life is not at risk, and things seem to be at peace. The war between two Bhaalspawn is at an end, and so the war between Baldur's Gate and Amn need never begin.
Ajantis goes south to report his achievements to the Temple of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart in Athkatla. Faldorn imparts a vague farewell to Maliel, and she also takes her leave, following the call of Nature that beckoned her begrudgingly towards the city and to the assistance of Maliel in his quest, and which now leads her elsewhere. Edwin, aloof and unconcerned, remains in Baldur's Gate for a time, though Maliel knows not what to do or for how long. The Half-Elf is not mournful to part with the Red Wizard, but he dwells nevertheless on how responsible it might be for him to leave Edwin to his own machinations without supervision. He supposes, however, that there is nothing he can do to prevent Edwin from nursing his private schemes, even if he did endure the Conjurer's company further. Maliel then says farewell to Yeslick, who bereft of clan or purpose decides to return to Durlag's Tower and perform the holy rituals of Clangeddin that might put to rest the mournful spirits of the place.
Maliel agrees to join Khalid in travelling south again to Beregost, where they will reunite with Khalid's wife, Jaheira, who they hope shall have recovered in full from the near-mortal wounds she received many tendays prior to their showdown in Baldur's Gate with Sarevok. On Wyrm's Crossing, the pair encounter Imoen, and happily the young Thief redirects her course to rejoin Maliel's company.
Who knows what good deeds the four shall accomplish in the future? Who knows what allies they will meet, and troubles they shall encounter? Despite the trials that lie behind him, Maliel knows that the immortal yearnings of his blood shall continue to mark his days with difficulty. It is his hope that these difficulties do not mar his spirit, nor hound him to madness, and hopefully they will not continue to prove as perilous as his vendetta with his 'brother', Sarevok.
Little does Maliel know that Sarevok was only the first great danger in what was to be a rather long, incredible story of danger and divinity...
(( Done! An enjoyable run, and one which incorporates two party members that I have never previously used: Faldorn and Yeslick. Remarkably, this was the easiest showdown with Sarevok I think I have ever had. Faldorn's 'Call Woodland Beings' Nymph managed to paralyse Sarevok in the early stages of battle - this was a great mercy, as a Dispel & Stinking Cloud trap incapacitated Maliel and left him helpless at the end of Sarevok's blade but for a few rounds of 'Stoneskin'.
Edwin's 'Spider Spawn' spell played the next major part, poisoning and destroying Sarevok whilst he was still being held by the Nymph's spell. Khalid used an Arrow of Dispelling and then made short work of Sarevok's Mage lackey, and Yeslick's 'Zone of Sweet Air' cleared up the Stinking Cloud trap so that the party could have some novelty potshots at the paralysed Sarevok. Ultimately, though, the Phase Spider summon did x5 Sarevok's HP in poison damage before the 'Hold Monster' spell wore off and the scripted event ran to make Sarevok fall dead and end the game. Easily handled, yet ironically Maliel played no part in assuring the party's victory, haha!
And now onto the most fun part of the entire saga: Baldur's Gate 2, Shadows of Amn! ))
Thanks for wonderfully written updates!