BGEE ROLEPLAYthrough - NE Half-Elf Avenger [Minimal Metagaming/Reloads] (Complete)
Selerel
Member Posts: 172
Hello,
I was posting my narrative playthrough of my CE Berserker in another thread, buuuut I actually switch characters every 3 months or so. I generally always come back to finish out their campaign, and I guess this thread is proof of that.
I have this Half-Elf Avenger that is currently at the relative beginning of TOB. I want to finish out the saga with him before returning to the Berserker (or playing a different character completely). And by the way, the Trials of Hell turned him Neutral Evil, if you had the immediate question from reading the title line.
I'm not going to re-write all the day-by-day narrative notes I have, but I did condense most of the major parts of BG1, SOD, and BG2, and wanted to post a general writeup of how I did things before I get into TOB.
I know TOB really doesn't have all the non-linearity or quest options that makes these roleplay writeups interesting...but I guess that just means shorter posts!
These are my "parameters":
-PLAYTHROUGH of the entire BGEE saga from BG1/TotSC to SOD to BG2 to TOB. Core rules, unmodded.
-ROLEPLAY. I try to flesh out as realistic a character as possible and roleplay that. I'm a big fan of the Enneagram personality theory, it says there are 9 basic personality archetypes and describes their core motivations, basic fears and desires, etc. So I pick one of those and then combine with one of the 9 alignments, and then I come up with a Candlekeep-based biography to match the character. I generally think about it for a day or so before I start a new character! In practice, this determines dialogue options and the specific prioritization of quests and areas.
-MINIMAL RELOAD. I know that has different meanings to different people, but to me it means I reload when charname dies, but I roll with anything else that might happen. There are case-by-case exceptions, of course. I'm generally not a fan of having real-world distractions affect the in-game plot (e.g. a companion gets killed because someone knocked on my front door and I got distracted). Also if there is some weird, counterintuitive game mechanic I was not expecting, I may go back and replay more carefully now understanding the game's cause-effect logic (e.g., a quest completion causes my reputation to change, causing a companion to leave--maybe I reload and make sure I take the valuable items from that character first, but still go through with it; as long as it can be justified with in-game, in-character logic, my metagame whiff is forgiven). So sometimes a reload will lead to the same outcome as the original play ("hey, my companion still died even though no one in real life distracted me this time") and that's fine. But after all this time playing BG I do appreciate random unfortunate events that throw a wrench into my plans.
-MINIMAL METAGAMING. I go in without any preconceived plans for the game--just personality, colors, and plan for weapon proficiencies and/or thief skills depending on how I envisioned the character originally. As little metagaming as I can possibly control--I try to decide which quests to do, which companions I keep, and which areas to explore based on what makes sense for the character, at the time, in that moment. I choose the most in-character dialogue options, even if I'm aware it may lead to not getting a quest or losing out on a companion or whatever. Example: I have had dreams for months of getting a certain companion in my party, only to realize when I finally meet them that's there's no realistic way to get them to join with the dialogue options provided. And I have to suck it up and move on. So I really don't have any idea what my party will be when I start up.
I let all these things basically lead me into a random, roleplayed saga run. Each playthrough is different depending on the character, but I probably average ~75% of the game's content each run.
This is the PC:
Selerel
Half-Elf Avenger
True Neutral
Enneagram Type 1w2
Biography:
Gorion, for reasons that would later become very clear, always impressed upon you the importance of doing the right thing. Walking the morally correct path was a constant lesson, and there was a constant ominous warning of what it would be like to go down a morally ambiguous path. Because of all this, you have a very strong belief in the way the world should be and how others should act.
But almost paradoxically, you were drawn to the wild, agnostic spirit of the outdoors from a young age. Instinctual and with a strong connection to your outside world, you were drawn to the most natural of the divine pursuits: druidry and living by the principles of nature. What always striked you about nature is the serene peace and balance of it all, even among the brutality and chaos that makes her cycles churn. There was something just good and fulfilling about it all.
But injustice and imbalance of power, and the cruel and twisted few that benefit from it, have always been an affront to you. And headstrong, you were still driven to do your version of "good" in the world. Only later did you come to believe that all the misery in the world stems from straying too far from a natural path...which is why you've trained as an Avenger. There is a need to do the right thing and act as a counterbalance for the rest of the world.
Man and beast, city and wilderness, magic and mundane...to you, all is nature. There is a natural way that all these things can balance out, a simple existence where living beings only try to satisfy their current needs. But there is also an unnatural way arising from man's unique cruelty. Of all of man's ills, you believe it is greed, insatiability, and misplaced zealotry and righteousness that are most opposite of what nature intended. As you've learned, those that cause the greatest pain throughout the land are always those same ones seeking to gain more and more power. They do not know peace, balance, or coexistence, but only how to achieve their own goals while damning the rest of the world. Because of all this, nature's cycles inevitably get stuck and rotten due to man's inherent wickedness.
You derive your powers from nature, and in return you feel it is your responsibility to bring the principles of nature everywhere you go.
In your mind, your purpose is to help bring about true balance to the world as a way to end suffering to those who live in it. This self-imposed burden weights heaviliy on you, *and this sense of duty has only strengthened since you've realized your true parentage and futhermore, become the Great Druid of Amn.
Sometimes you can react very angrily, and can be punitive and vengeful against those who want to upset the balance for selfish or nefarious gain with no sense of perspective of the greater scale of all things. You try to understand that most people may not grasp this notion so explicitly, but in their behavior you can easily tell who lives fully in a true natural state, and who can't help but stray to the spectrums of misery. You want to teach the world your way; but if you cannot teach someone, then the balance must be upheld in a more brutal fashion. You do not have an inclination towards "live and let live," as it were, as that will only ever bring about more and more suffering and imbalance. There is no joy in this, but only a solemn righteousness. Often times the world of the civilized may not look kindly on it, but no matter--it's your responsbility to act with the rage of nature, even if it might bring some scorn. You accept that.
*As you've gained more experience, you realize your Legacy of Murder may be the true balancing force the world needs, and you've embraced it. You've always seen yourself as a deliverer of balance--and this calling had intensified on the Sword Coast even before you had realized your true heritage as a spawn of the God of Murder. As you've grown in power, you've been surprised by how much of the world must be chopped down to its roots to restore the natural balance that's been upset.
*Your journey through the Trials of Hell has made your alignment one of evil neutrality. You continue to ragefully uphold the tenets of nature and balance, and your service will always be to the greater good, but long ago you stopped feeling any pangs of guilt about embracing and weaponizing your violent dark side. It is a cruel fate but it is the unique burden you must carry in this life.
I was posting my narrative playthrough of my CE Berserker in another thread, buuuut I actually switch characters every 3 months or so. I generally always come back to finish out their campaign, and I guess this thread is proof of that.
I have this Half-Elf Avenger that is currently at the relative beginning of TOB. I want to finish out the saga with him before returning to the Berserker (or playing a different character completely). And by the way, the Trials of Hell turned him Neutral Evil, if you had the immediate question from reading the title line.
I'm not going to re-write all the day-by-day narrative notes I have, but I did condense most of the major parts of BG1, SOD, and BG2, and wanted to post a general writeup of how I did things before I get into TOB.
I know TOB really doesn't have all the non-linearity or quest options that makes these roleplay writeups interesting...but I guess that just means shorter posts!
These are my "parameters":
-PLAYTHROUGH of the entire BGEE saga from BG1/TotSC to SOD to BG2 to TOB. Core rules, unmodded.
-ROLEPLAY. I try to flesh out as realistic a character as possible and roleplay that. I'm a big fan of the Enneagram personality theory, it says there are 9 basic personality archetypes and describes their core motivations, basic fears and desires, etc. So I pick one of those and then combine with one of the 9 alignments, and then I come up with a Candlekeep-based biography to match the character. I generally think about it for a day or so before I start a new character! In practice, this determines dialogue options and the specific prioritization of quests and areas.
-MINIMAL RELOAD. I know that has different meanings to different people, but to me it means I reload when charname dies, but I roll with anything else that might happen. There are case-by-case exceptions, of course. I'm generally not a fan of having real-world distractions affect the in-game plot (e.g. a companion gets killed because someone knocked on my front door and I got distracted). Also if there is some weird, counterintuitive game mechanic I was not expecting, I may go back and replay more carefully now understanding the game's cause-effect logic (e.g., a quest completion causes my reputation to change, causing a companion to leave--maybe I reload and make sure I take the valuable items from that character first, but still go through with it; as long as it can be justified with in-game, in-character logic, my metagame whiff is forgiven). So sometimes a reload will lead to the same outcome as the original play ("hey, my companion still died even though no one in real life distracted me this time") and that's fine. But after all this time playing BG I do appreciate random unfortunate events that throw a wrench into my plans.
-MINIMAL METAGAMING. I go in without any preconceived plans for the game--just personality, colors, and plan for weapon proficiencies and/or thief skills depending on how I envisioned the character originally. As little metagaming as I can possibly control--I try to decide which quests to do, which companions I keep, and which areas to explore based on what makes sense for the character, at the time, in that moment. I choose the most in-character dialogue options, even if I'm aware it may lead to not getting a quest or losing out on a companion or whatever. Example: I have had dreams for months of getting a certain companion in my party, only to realize when I finally meet them that's there's no realistic way to get them to join with the dialogue options provided. And I have to suck it up and move on. So I really don't have any idea what my party will be when I start up.
I let all these things basically lead me into a random, roleplayed saga run. Each playthrough is different depending on the character, but I probably average ~75% of the game's content each run.
This is the PC:
Selerel
Half-Elf Avenger
True Neutral
Enneagram Type 1w2
Biography:
Gorion, for reasons that would later become very clear, always impressed upon you the importance of doing the right thing. Walking the morally correct path was a constant lesson, and there was a constant ominous warning of what it would be like to go down a morally ambiguous path. Because of all this, you have a very strong belief in the way the world should be and how others should act.
But almost paradoxically, you were drawn to the wild, agnostic spirit of the outdoors from a young age. Instinctual and with a strong connection to your outside world, you were drawn to the most natural of the divine pursuits: druidry and living by the principles of nature. What always striked you about nature is the serene peace and balance of it all, even among the brutality and chaos that makes her cycles churn. There was something just good and fulfilling about it all.
But injustice and imbalance of power, and the cruel and twisted few that benefit from it, have always been an affront to you. And headstrong, you were still driven to do your version of "good" in the world. Only later did you come to believe that all the misery in the world stems from straying too far from a natural path...which is why you've trained as an Avenger. There is a need to do the right thing and act as a counterbalance for the rest of the world.
Man and beast, city and wilderness, magic and mundane...to you, all is nature. There is a natural way that all these things can balance out, a simple existence where living beings only try to satisfy their current needs. But there is also an unnatural way arising from man's unique cruelty. Of all of man's ills, you believe it is greed, insatiability, and misplaced zealotry and righteousness that are most opposite of what nature intended. As you've learned, those that cause the greatest pain throughout the land are always those same ones seeking to gain more and more power. They do not know peace, balance, or coexistence, but only how to achieve their own goals while damning the rest of the world. Because of all this, nature's cycles inevitably get stuck and rotten due to man's inherent wickedness.
You derive your powers from nature, and in return you feel it is your responsibility to bring the principles of nature everywhere you go.
In your mind, your purpose is to help bring about true balance to the world as a way to end suffering to those who live in it. This self-imposed burden weights heaviliy on you, *and this sense of duty has only strengthened since you've realized your true parentage and futhermore, become the Great Druid of Amn.
Sometimes you can react very angrily, and can be punitive and vengeful against those who want to upset the balance for selfish or nefarious gain with no sense of perspective of the greater scale of all things. You try to understand that most people may not grasp this notion so explicitly, but in their behavior you can easily tell who lives fully in a true natural state, and who can't help but stray to the spectrums of misery. You want to teach the world your way; but if you cannot teach someone, then the balance must be upheld in a more brutal fashion. You do not have an inclination towards "live and let live," as it were, as that will only ever bring about more and more suffering and imbalance. There is no joy in this, but only a solemn righteousness. Often times the world of the civilized may not look kindly on it, but no matter--it's your responsbility to act with the rage of nature, even if it might bring some scorn. You accept that.
*As you've gained more experience, you realize your Legacy of Murder may be the true balancing force the world needs, and you've embraced it. You've always seen yourself as a deliverer of balance--and this calling had intensified on the Sword Coast even before you had realized your true heritage as a spawn of the God of Murder. As you've grown in power, you've been surprised by how much of the world must be chopped down to its roots to restore the natural balance that's been upset.
*Your journey through the Trials of Hell has made your alignment one of evil neutrality. You continue to ragefully uphold the tenets of nature and balance, and your service will always be to the greater good, but long ago you stopped feeling any pangs of guilt about embracing and weaponizing your violent dark side. It is a cruel fate but it is the unique burden you must carry in this life.
Post edited by Selerel on
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Comments
Setting out, it was clear that I was eager to bring peace and resolution to the countryside. It was like I had been training my whole life for this, and with Gorion's death and the bandit crisis, there was a lot of work to do--I really took it upon myself to dive into the affairs of the Sword Coast and travel the wilderness. Imoen, being an old friend, and considering her a bit of a student in the ways of life, I brought with me.
In the first few days, I went to the Friendly Arm Inn to meet Khalid and Jaheira, and they joined my party. We headed to Nashkel to resolve the mining issues there, as it looked to be a major source of the imbalance across the Sword Coast. I met Kagain and Neera in Beregost, and presumably Garrick too, but stayed away from all of them.
Continuing on our march south, we met the Blackguard Dorn Il-Khan. The half-orc was set upon a brutal and violent path, but it looked as though he would follow MY cause for now. It looked like he could be a useful force for balance in this world; after all, it's obvious there would be more combat on my long path forward...and I would not think to ever turn him away from his patron. True balance is understanding that even evil has a place in the world...
In Nashkel, I had a similar feeling about Rasaad. He is a strong fighter, looks to restore a certain rightful balance, and can serve as a valuable companion in my party...so I invited him. My encounter with Minsc, on the other hand, was not as amicable. He attacked me after a short conversation in which he mentioned a charge of his captured by gnolls, and we had to kill him. I met the mage Edwin later that day...he also mentioned this witch and how she must be found. Hmm, interesting, who was this person...and were they powerful enough that they could cause problems? I decided I would eventually investigate out there.
After the Nashkel mines (and freeing Xan), I did indeed journey out west and eventually found Dynaheir the Invoker. I liked her and decided to invite her to my party, figuring we could use her magic, but also I could keep an eye on her; I also split ways with Rasaad at that point.
What next? I'm a Priest of Nature, and I'm supposed to be making the world better. So it is crucial that I get to know the land and those that live on it, and try to help it where I can. As I explored more of the world, the good work I could do just started to seem more necessary, desperate, and urgent. Within the first three weeks of Gorion's slaying, I had traversed the entirety of the southwest, the southeast, all along the coast, and explored Ulcaster, Firewine, the Woods of Sharp Teeth, and was in the middle of the Cloakwood mines.
In this time, I had also met the Paladin Ajantis; seeing him volunteer for service, I knew he would act as the perfect counterbalance to Dorn. I added him to my group, and bid farewell to Khalid and Jaheira. While they were supportive guardians in our time together, there were a few times when they thoroughly disagreed with the course of action. At the end of the day, they may not share the same values as I do, and their loyalties may be drawn elsewhere in the long term...; they are quick to tell me what is right and wrong, but is the Harper's guild such a balancing and restorative force in the world? I'm not sure...I doubt even they are immune to bloat and greed. To round out my party, I picked up the bard Garrick in Beregost, a young impressionable lad in need of guidance and direction.
Therefore, My party in the early going solidifed as:
Selerel (Avenger)
Ajantis (Paladin)
Dorn (Blackguard)
Imoen (Thief)
Garrick (Bard)
Dynaheir (Invoker)
While in Cloakwood, I also met Coran, Faldorn, Eldoth, and finally Yeslick, but didn't recruit any of them to my party.
Following the destruction of the mines, I felt some balance had been restored as the Iron Thone's plans to disrupt the coast were in ruins. So I finally entered Baldur's Gate--after resolving some of Dorn's issues--but steered clear of the various merchant guild politics. I replaced Garrick with Quayle, seeing how the gnome maybe more useful in my quests than the naive bard.
At varius unspecified times, I also met Safana, Shar-Teel, Viconia, and Tiax. None joined my party--as for the Drow, I let the mercenary kill her.
For the next few months (3-4), I continued and expanded my adventures on the Sword Coast, looking for disruptions and imbalances and other plights that needed the tenets of nature brought to them. This mainly revolved around conquering Durlag's Tower, a place of evil and unrest, and then making the long voyage to Balduran's Isle and dealing with the fallout of the werewolf clan. (I also rescued Branwen during this time, but didn't recruit her.)
The most memorable event was the battle with Aec'Letec in Shandalar's basement in Ulgoth's Beard. Dynaheir, unfortunately, fell victim to the demon's death gaze, right towards the end of the battle. In fact, the tanar'ri was struck down, but not moments later did Dyanheir's form to burst into a ghoul--we had to kill the creature, and Dynaheir as we knew her was gone.
This was devastating to the group, as Dynaheir was a very valuable and likeable companion, and I knew I would soon have to confront the Iron Throne...what would I do, now? Ajantis, prone to complaining about our group's reputation, fell victim to my anger in the moment. I placed the cursed Helm of Opposite Alignment on him and left him in Shandalar's house, in a bid to make him understand true balance, not just his corner of lawful goodness. I cut him from the group and moved on.
Knowing I would need someone with more knowledge of the inner workings of the city (and wanting more arcane spellcasting to start trying to replace Dynaheir...), I trekked back to Cloakwood and found Eldoth, still there. We returned to the city and found Skie in her father's house as I particpated in Eldoth's scheme--the nobility in this city are too rich and entrenched, so I was happy to do it. At this point, I also bid farewell to Imoen, leaving her to stay in the Elfsong Inn.
The second major party make-up was (and the one for the final Sarevok battle was):
Selerel (Level 10 Avenger)
Dorn (Level 8 Blackguard)
Skie (Level 8 Thief)
Eldoth (Level 8 Bard)
Quayle (Level 7 Cleric/Level 7 Illusionist)
Reputation: Average (9)
With this final group, I confronted the Iron Throne, traveled back to Candlekeep, learned of my true heritage, escaped imprisonment, and exposed the schemes of Sarevok, saving the Sword Coast from a war concocted simply for one man's lust for power. But knowing I am a Bhaalspawn--will it corrupt me? Or is this some test? Can I use this divine power somehow, instead, to fight for balance? It is a heavy burden indeed.
SOD:
After my party dispersed, I rested for several days in Baldur's Gate, contemplating what I should do next--the Crusade and its refugees were on everyone's minds. Just like Sarevok, it was someone in a heightened position of power, causing pain and chaos for no reason other than their own aggrandizement (eventually realizing the scheme was even much worse than that). With Caelar's attack on the Ducal Palace, and the Dukes requesting me to march to Dragonspear, I knew I had a direction--and that was stopping Caelar by any means possible. I am a spawn of the Lord of Murder, and I've spilled far more than my share of blood in my travels...that may indeed be the fate for Caelar, too.
As I gathered my scouting party, it was indicated that a certain "Minsc" and "Dynaheir" were staying at the Three Old Kegs. Dynaheir!? She was a loyal companion and friend, but I thought we lost her forever during that tanar'ri encounter. And she is also back with her companion Minsc; another traveler brought back to life under mysterious circumstances. After we slew him in Nashkel all those months ago, someone somewhere must have resurrected him. Following that, in the time between us vanquishing Aec'Letec and now, Minsc must have been searching for--and discovered!--some way to bring back his charge from the rotting remains of a slain ghast. I respect Minsc for his resourcefulness and willing to tap into whatever dark arts were used to do this.
It is to be said, Dynaheir did not come back entirely "herself," as her skin and hair were a monochromatic burnt orange color unlike when I first knew her. I never received the full story behind these resurrection circumstances, but I eagerly welcomed Dynaheir back as a companion. I have a newfound respect for Minsc, as well. The three of us set off for Dragonspear.
Once we got to the Coastway Crossing, I recruited Safana, needing a thief. I had crossed paths with her months ago on the Sword Coast.
I found Baeloth's fighting ring and almost killed him, but showed mercy at the last moment. The Drow is just being himself. I offered him the opportunity to follow along with the Flaming Fist back at camp...same with Voghlin and Jaheira.
Outside Bridgefort, I added Rasaad to my party, as I needed more warrior depth besides just Minsc, who kept getting himself killed. I also replaced Safana with Glint--could use the extra healing magic.
Also was able to reunite with Dorn and free him from his cage. He's a powerful warrior that I've grown to trust over time, and I quickly invited him to join my party again.
After the march to Dragonspear, Rasaad became increasingly preachy, and wouldn't stop his holier-than-thou prosyletyzing. He also seemed to contradict me in front of a group of commanders at the Coalition camp...not good. Dorn was supportive at the time. Due to being somewhat stretched thin in equipment, and this next mission requiring more stealth than overwhelming force, I decided to leave Rasaad at camp--it would take a lot for me to invite him back.
Eventually, I infiltrated Dragonspear, defeated the Crusade, and journeyed into Avernus to defeat Belhifet.
The final SOD battle party makeup:
Selerel (Level 12 Avenger)
Dorn (Level 9 Blackguard)
Minsc (Level 9 Ranger)
Glint (Level 9 Cleric/Level 11 Thief)
Dynaheir (Level 11 Invoker)
Reputation: Popular (14)
[Note: I remember I absolutely could not win the final battle against both Caelar and Belhifet, even though it was "in character" for me to try to kill Caelar...I'm talking several failed attempts over multiple days. I wouldn't reload further back than the elevator shaft up. I eventually had to slightly rethink my character's motivations so I could get Caelar on my side in the final battle, at which point I was able to win...jeez, I'm shaking my head thinking about it.]
I was tricked into murdering Skie by the Hooded Man, but was soon freed...it was Jaheira, Minsc, Dynaheir, and Imoen with me when we were ambushed outside Baldur's Gate (Khalid may have been killed in the Battle of Bridgefort?).
Woke up in Irenicus's dungeon in Athkatla and gathered Imoen, Jaheira, and Minsc. It looks like Dynaheir was permanently killed (again!)...she's come back from worse situations, but for now we'll have to deal with her painful loss.
Khalid also had been mutilated beyond any possible resurrection. He was not part of our group that was ambushed, so his body was either shipped to Athkatla from Bridgefort, for some dark, sick reason, or he made his way here himself, either captured or free. Either way, he is permanently dead now...
I met Yoshimo in Irenicus's dungeon on my way out. He seems like a very skilled thief, and useful to our group...although he seems very slimy, and I'm not quite sure where his loyalties lie. But for now, I decided to bring him along with us...I wish no unnatural confinement on anyone.
As soon as we surfaced, Imoen was taken in by the Cowled Wizards for illegal use of magic, along with Irenicus our captor. On Jaheira's suggestion, we went to the slums. I'm a bit dazed from the experience, and definitely upset that we were assaulted and experimented on--but despite all of the noise and chaos, I need to remember my mission: bring balance to the world as much as I can. If it means that I now bring some of nature's balance to Amn, so be it...it is nature's plan. And obviously there are some dark things going on here, unnatural and seemingly ripe to throw the world out of balance...such as, what is Irenicus's long term goal? As angry as I am by what he did to me, I'm still not sure his plan. It must have something to do with my divine blood--but what? What does he know? At the very least, whatever he was doing in his underground complex is at an end, and dirt and ruin and other parties will slowly bring that labyrinth back into a balanced state.
More than that, who are these Cowled Wizards? A powerful, exploitative group that answers to no one and seems to have no limit to their powers? It is the antithesis of what I stand for...the more I learn about them in Athkatla, the more I realize they are a cancer to Amn and need to be rooted out. Maybe that is my purpose here?!
I only spent a day or two in Athkatla at first. I got into a brawl with Anomen...I was still riled up and stressed from the previous experience, and his zealotry and refusal to see a more balanced perspective just triggered an outburst, and we killed him where he stood after we thoroughly antagonized each other. People like that constantly work to upset the already tenuous balance of civilization. No matter the circumstances, my path towards true balance is the most righteous fight that I fight.
I met Nalia, but did not have her join my party immediately, even though I knew it would be useful to have a mage, and I was intrigued by an opportunity to potentially help her.
I rescued Viconia, because I don't believe in slaughter based on race. However, had no use for a cleric so I sent her on her way.
When I met Jan, I realized he could be valuable, and was looking for some way to cut ties with my only other thief, Yoshimo. So Yoshimo was replaced with the gnome...
Jaheira was cursed by an ex-slaver, so that took priority. Soon after, I decided to cut ties with Minsc. I never fully liked him or thought he was a great warrior, and now that Dynaheir is dead, there is no reason to keep around other than some sense of duty. But he has been speaking out of turn and rubbing me the wrong way in a few scenarios, so I'm dropping him. Jaheira will be my main tank, I've been getting more familiar with her and she shares my druid sentiments. Left him in Mithrest Inn in the Promenade.
I agreed to attempt to bring in Valygar to gain insight into the Cowled Wizards and to potentially earn their favor. So on Day 3, Jaheira, Jan, and I headed out, just the three of us. I wanted to investiage the de'Arnise Hold, Trademeet, and then go to see the dryads in the Windspear Hills.
I did eventually add Nalia to the group outside of her hold; I liked her attitude of trying to rebalance wealth and reverse some of the greed that exists in her city. She understands balance, to an extent. More importantly, she was an arcane user, and I know I would need a lot of magic if I were to eventually face off against the Cowled ones. Following the death of TorGal the Troll and her father, Nalia has decided to skip out on her castle and noble responsibilities and join us permanently. I felt that balance was rightfully restored at the Hold, and the nobility will slowly creep back in along with the natural order.
Eventually ran into Rasaad in Trademeet. He is on some new religion/cult kick. While we have adventured together periodically, we do not have a strong bond and I do not favor him, so I let him go.
Cernd was also encountered, imprisoned in Trademeet, also trying to solve the druid crisis. I did not trust him greatly, and I did not want a third druid in the group, but I will help him resolve this urgent issue of nature and balance. Eventually it was revealed Faldorn had gotten twisted...I challenged her for leadership of the Druid Grove outside Trademeet and beat her.
By Day 9, I had spent a few days in and around the Grove, cleansing it of Faldorn's presence and slaying the troll shaman causing imbalance. The Spirit of the Grove is pleased with me; although there is a gnawing feeling deep down that I am not yet strong enough to slay the Rakshasas that have Trademeet hostage, thereby providing true balance to the grove. The Spirit of the Grove told me to travel outside for a couple weeks, and then return. This is the universe's way of telling me I need to stay farther away from civilization for the time being, whether Athkatla or Trademeet.
Soon I had recruited Valygar after traveling to the Umar Hills. I believed his story about the Cowled Wizards wanting to use his body to enter the Planar Sphere. The Cowled Wizards have too much power down here in Amn, for sure, and I am hoping to build a tide of rage and nature that I will use to balance out their influence. Clearly they are interested in the magical treasures within the Planar Sphere--instead of turning Valygar into the Cowled Wizards, I will have him as part of my group until I can claim the power within the sphere for myself and potentially even use it as a bargaining chip in my quest to challenge the Cowled Wizards.
But in the near term, the genies outside the Druid Grove are the biggest thorn in my side. Everything I do will be to kill them and bring prosperity back to Trademeet.
I then infiltrated Firkraag's dungeon and encountered Firkraag to get to the bottom of his manipulations and machinations against me. Turned out he had a grudge against Gorion and the Harpers, and was intrigued by my Bhaalspawn heritage. However, he ended up letting me go to live my life, even returning the hostage. I explored the rest of his dungeon...
By Day 16, I was able to destroy the the troublesome Rakshasa that was behind all of Trademeet's woes. This sent the djinnis home and restored the balance of civilization to this town. This was a big accomplishment for me, and it feels good.
On the evening of Day 18, I finally returned to Athkatla--in my first night back, we attended Nalia's father's funeral, and helped rescue a friend of Jan's from a mind flayer. And now that I have Valygar, I let go of Jaheira. She will be at the Harper stronghold in the city. She didn't seem too upset about it. I looked back on our history, and although it's long and amicable, I don't know if she will be providing much value to the group. Her spells seemed redundant with mine, and Valygar is the more interesting fighter. My party solidified in the early going, then, as:
Selerel (Avenger)
Valygar (Stalker)
Nalia (Thief>Mage)
Jan (Illusionist/Thief)
I infiltrated the Planar Sphere and reaped the rewards, while killing Tolgerias.
It had been about three weeks since the circus tent has been a magical quarantine zone. Inching my way towards acquiring enough momentum to confront the Cowled Wizards, and knowing this is really THEIR responsbility, I took it upon myself to "restore balance" to this situation. Inside, I found Aerie and immediately trusted her despite the illusion, due to the mention of Quayle. He was a valuable adventuring mate back in Baldur's Gate, but left town shortly after Sarevok was defeated. Nalia was incarcerated temporarily, so I added Aerie in her absence.
I begin to help Aran Linvail, seeing that this rival guild is very much throwing everything in Athkatla out of balance. Unfortunately, an encounter with a vampire in the Docks leads to arcane magic use, leading to a fight with some Cowled Wizards--which I'm more than happy to engage with: anything to cut them down a few notches. But this, however, led to some innocent bloodshed (I believe one of my summoned bears, confused, attacked a passerby)...which was a major reputation loss.
I soon after ran into Dorn. I replaced Valygar with the half-orc, as we have a long history: he was a strong warrior and friend and acted very loyally to me and my cause. So with Dorn in the group, we traveled around Amn for a couple of weeks, visiting the wild forest that Neera had shown me and ultimately exterminating the vampire guild under the city. I even helped Dorn with his quest to attack the Order of the Radiant Heart (an all-too-powerful organization that could stand to lose a few warriors).
But as I'd been working for the Shadow Thieves, I grew more and more disgusted with their vile nature. While balance was being upset with the vampires, it made sense to ally myself with Aran. But aren't the Shadow Thieves entrenched and all-powerful too, moreso now they don't have rivals? And wasn't that my fault to begin with? I decided the only way to achieve balance in Athkatla now was to decimate the Shadow Thieves' numbers as much as I decimated the vampires'...but unfortunately I still needed Aran, as he is the only link I have to the Cowled Wizards' stronghold.
Aran rushed me to get on the chartered ship, but I won't be rushed...I look to amass power in the wilderness prior to confronting whatever magical forces have been disturbing the world. I wanted to make sure I was strong enough, as a powerful force can only be counterbalanced by another powerful force, and I knew I would need all the forces of nature on my side for what I'd be facing. I left town again to visit the Druid Grove and other areas of wilderness in greater Amn.
Eventually I did get sick of Dorn...he was unstable, and increasingly unloyal and problematic, and I decided it may be time he goes, despite our long and storied history. I journeyed out to the Umar Hills to re-recruit Valygar...Dorn left in a fit of anger, so I may not seen him again.
Investigating the unnatural harm being done to the Umar Hills, I discovered the hidden temple, and conquered the Shade Lord that had been upsetting the balance in the greater area. However, I am very uneasy with the Shadow Dragon remaining, who doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon despite the curse being lifted. This is something I definitely have to revisit at some point; but right now I am just not that powerful to slay a dragon. But it will weigh on me in the mean time. So much so--that I even visited Firkraag again and see if he has any words to impart about the Shadow Dragon (he didn't); he, at least, has been maintaining some balance in the Windspear Hills all this time.
Next I went back to the Druid Grove to become the Great Druid of Amn. As anticipated, my ability to bring balance to the Umar Hills had readied me for this next responsibility [i.e. I hit level 14]. This had been my destiny since I awoke in Irenicus's dungeon. Now that I was the Great Druid, I felt I had a tide of power that could be used to meet the Cowled Wizards and whatever other foulness I encounter at Spellhold. I returned to Aran and Athkatla only a week later, but having grown much.
In Spellhold, I was reunited with Imoen. But, I did not have a cleric in my group, nor any scrolls or ability to resurrect fallen companions. In the escape attempt, Imoen, Jan, and Valygar all died. Only Nalia and myself survived, and we somehow, very dramatically and with much difficulty, battled our way back up to the surface [Note: this was very memorable to me as a player! I thought I was screwed.].
After our group was resurrected back in the pirate town, we shipwrecked in the City of Caverns on our voyage back...my plan was to bring the exiles back to the City of Caverns--but I did not like's the Prince's blind ambition. Unfortunately this led to me slaughtering the rebels; as balance, the only thing I could do was to lay waste to the King and his ilk in recompense, and hope that a new society could grow from its roots. Unfortunately the king escaped; I killed all I could, but at some point, I had to take leave from these fish people and trust nature to bring back some order to these now empty and bloody caverns.
Later, while disguised as a Drow by Adalon's magic, I began to explore the Underdark and Ust Natha, and even stayed in the city as a guest for a brief time period, which gave me time to explore the place and see how the principles of nature operate in this dark, strange place. I was in no hurry to leave there; while I understand other surface-dwellers may try desperately for a shot at seeing the sun, I know I have a larger duty to bring balance to the places I travel.
Eventually however, the entire city turned against me. I failed to protect some noble's daughter from a mind flayer attack, a task I was roped into as part of my cover. I didn't know if they realized I'm not a Drow at that point, but either way they are looking to kill or enslave my party.
Balance is a tricky thing here; I do not believe it is my place to wipe out the city, as bloody and difficult that would be. But apparently the Drow are building their armies in preparation for an invasion of the surface? This is because they have Adalon's eggs. I decided to explore the rest of the Underdark to assess the balance here, before determining how to proceed (with stealth or with force).
Eventually I found my own way out of the Underdark via an apparently hidden path in the western tunnels. The Drow still have Adalon's eggs--and I did not intend to leave before I retured them to her. I confirmed that I can potentially sneak into the Temple of Lloth, and battle as much of the Drow as I like--the city is not yet closed off to me. But before that, I still wanted explore more of the Underdark ecosystem, much of which was still unknown to me at that time.
I delved deep into the Beholder Lair and Mind Flayer city... I slew the Main Brain (or whatever it's called) in my bid to escape--there was no other way. I believe this warranted slaying the Drow in the Temple of Lloth as I liberate the eggs for Adalon; what has been done to the illithid should be done to the Drow as well, as the natural order of things, so one side does not gain too much leverage.
But after several long days, I explored as much as I could. It was truly dark, depraved, and full of death, and I determined at last it was time to surface. It had been a few days since I had been "discovered" by the Drow, but I bet they didn't suspect I was still palling around the Underdark (since I was able to kill all Drow I run across since then). We made one final incusion into the Temple of Lloth in Ust Natha to kill the temple elders and take back the dragon's eggs (my party used Invisibility for most of this, and Haste to quickly traverse though Ust Natha while hidden).
I was actually furious that Adalon abandoned her position once I returned her eggs. Her entire role was to keep balance, but she selfishly abdicated. If I could have slain her then, I would have. But at that point, a road had opened up to Irenicus and Suldanessallar, and the silver dragon was long gone.
I did much soul searching and decided how can I set an example for the world, if my own party is imbalanced, in terms of good and evil alignment. Was that why my journey through Spellhold was doomed? There was a rotting imbalance right under my nose? As loyal companions as Valygar and Imoen were, I determined they were a source of imbalance. My party as a whole was too focused on doing the "good" thing, rather than the natural thing. I found Korgan, who I knew was evil, and added him to the group, saying goodbye to Valygar and Imoen. Now, with Korgan (evil), Jan (neutral), and Nalia (good), I have a more balanced group--yes, it leans chaotic, but nature is chaos. All the better. Our first quest as a group was to quickly help Korgan penetrate a tomb underground, this coincidentally led us right to the returned Bodhi and the Lanthorn we needed.
The final group makeup was:
Selerel (Avenger)
Korgan (Berserker)
Nalia (Thief>Mage)
Jan (Illusionist/Thief)
Knowing this would be one of my last visits to Athkatla for some time, I resolved whatever else I thought I must, including a short jaunt to another dimension to deal with some extraplanar creatures (a strange subplot at the time, but urgent in the moment). But most drastically, I morosely laid waste to the Shadow Thieve's guild, killing Aran Linvail, Renal Bloodscalp, and dozens of whatever other thieves I could find. With the vampire guild gone, the power balance was shifted too much in one direction; this large scale bloodshed was the only way to bring some semblance of a natural reset, as unfortunate as it was.
I also traveled to the Government District and killed Corneil, the only remaining Cowled Wizard in government. While Irenicus thankfully took care of a substantial part of that organization in Spellhold, it was only right to finish the job in the city. This turned most of the Government District aggressively hostile against me, but it's fine--I'm done with Athkatla and shouldn't have reason to return for a long time. The raging tide of nature certainly washed over the city in my time here. Hopefully I was able to cleanse much of the foulness...but other places need me now.
I journeyed back to the Umar Hills and killed the Shadow Dragon, restoring a huge sense of balance to the countryside and getting a large weight off my shoulders. (I guess I returned to Athkatla quickly one more time to get the Shadow Dragon armor from Cromwell after that?)
Then, finally: I saved Suldanesselar and defeated Irenicus. The battle with Irenicus was slow and sloppy, but once the fiend was blinded by Nature's Beauty, there was not much to be done but siphon his life with a variety of methods, both magical and melee.
Part for final BG2 battle:
Selerel (Level 15 Avenger)
Korgan (Level 15 Berserker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 17 Mage)
Jan (Level 13 Illusionist/Level 16 Thief)
Reputation: Disliked (7)
My journey through Hell has actually transformed my alignment to "neutral evil"--and that is fine. I decided to take the nymph skin cloak, believing a purely evil object used for the purpose of good in my group does in fact equate to balance of a sort.
As I always knew, nature is violent and chaotic--and yes, can even appear as evil in the most literal ways. As a son of the God of Murder, it may just be my fate to use murder as my primary tool to bring the balance the world needs. I no longer shy away from this; although I may be considered evil by some (e.g., slaying those who may not have specifcally broken any of man's laws)...I know in my heart that my service will always be for the greater good. But I simply will no longer feel any pangs of guilt for embracing and weaponizing my violent dark side--it is the way of nature.
[Day 79]
I have very much tapped into my divine heritage, and have created a Pocket Plane for my continued journey.
I provided my divine life spark to Sarevok in return for an escape, and some knowledge, out of the Pocket Plane. I did not ask him for a geas; in fact, I planned to kill him as soon as I was free to travel back to the material plane. I had no reason to trust him.
And shortly after getting my bearings in Saradush...that's exactly what I did. I slew him right in the town center, only hours after he was brought back to life, then cut him from my party. My life shall not be guided by some prophecy of which only Sarevok knows the details. No--Sarevok has always been an insufferable imabalancing force and I will not be responsible for bringing him back.
[Day 86]
I have defeated Yaga-Shura, although it was too late for the city and Saradush was destroyed. Melissan has told me about Bhaalspawn causing additional chaos in the south, and let me know where other, powerful ones were. However, I haven't not yet seen the chaos and imbalance with my own eyes; I have no great reason to doubt it, but Watcher's Keep in much closer and has beckoned to me for quite some time. Clearly there is a large disturbance occuring there, and I've neglected it for too long. I will travel there to see what I can do, prior to journeying south.
I understand I am embarking on a huge undertaking. Watcher's Keep has an almost mythological history--and I'm about to become involved in it.
[Day 87]
6AM. Remembering the importance of setting a balanced party alignment, I decided to recruit my old loyal companion Valygar. I was able to get through Saradush unscathed, but the imbalance among my party is beginning to gnaw at me. In fact, the reason I split ways with Valygar back in Athkatla initially was for alignment balance; so it is natural he should return when the pendulum swings in the other direction. So I call up Corthala to my service...since *I* am the one that is evil now, he may serve as a counterbalance to me if my darker tendencies begin to take over. His presence is important, then, just as much of an advisor as a stealth warrior. I'm glad to have him back.
4PM. After resting in the Pocket Plane and preparing and re-equipping my new team, I finally delve into the first level of Watcher's Keep...
Selerel (Level 19 Avenger)
Korgan (Level 20 Berserker)
Valygar (Level 16 Stalker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 19 Mage)
Jan (Level 14 Illusionist/Level 18 Thief)
Reputation: Average (11)
[Day 87 Continued]
7PM. Reviewing the tome "History of the Imprisoned One", my responsibility--and fate--in this circumstance is to kill the demon. Helm is a decent and true God, and he purports to keep balance. But again--I bring the true balance of *nature*, and it seems my role here is to kill the great imprisoned demon once and for all, despite what this small clan of Helm believes, or even what they think is possible. [Note to self: Nalia and Jan have both been keeping one Spell Seqeuencer active.]
[Day 88]
2AM. I have made my way to the second level; I realize even if I free this Chromatic Demon, and it helps me as it says it well...I will say have to slay it anyway. And I got to thinking, does the same principle apply to the ghost of the Archivist upstairs and the Guardian Golems? I made peace with them and the lingering Priest--but was that a mistake? Maybe ALL creatures and spirits must be destroyed in this unholy place. I'll revisit it when the bigger problems are solved.
11PM. I am on the third level: the maze. I make a deal with the Baatezu to slay a Tanar'ri lord; because apparently, that will cause these demons to leave this plane. Sounds like a good plan in theory, but I have my doubts if it will turn out how the demons say.
I'm realizing this maze is more sprawling, and finding the exit may only be the beginning to settling the major disturbances in this place. If not, why am I here?
[Day 89]
3PM. I continue to explore the maze level of Watcher's Keep. I found the tanar'ri lord and returned his heart to the rival pit fiend lord. Unfortunately (for them), it did not expediate their exit from this plane of existence. So with the advantage of first strike, I also destroyed this other pack of demons.
[Day 90]
7AM. After clearing the entire maze (and mapping it out), I gambled with the creature holding the gem for the specter to the next level down. I tried first for the Spectral Brand, thinking it could help me in my further trials...but I lost. And since I would not gamble my experience or vitality that first time, the demon found his way out, while holding up his end of the bargain and allowing me my escape.
I returned to the surface, and my Pocket Plane, to regroup and rest. Korgan had been hit with a plague curse so that needed to be healed, and we battled some shade demons on the new level of the Keep (after encountering Carston in the Machine of Lum the Mad), and Valygar was level drained.
I've been resting on the surface by the base of the Keep. In the morning, we head back inside...
Current Party:
Selerel (Level 22 Avenger)
Valygar (Level 18 Stalker)
Korgan (Level 22 Berserker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 20 Mage)
Jan (Level 15 Illusionist/Level 19 Thief)
Reputation: Average (11)
12PM. I have stormed through most of the illithid encampment on the fourth level and cleared out the mind flayers who live here. What a wonder this Keep is, that it has stood for so many ages and has drawn so many creatures from exotic planes of existence that have come to calling it home...no, it isn't right, and none of these monsters should be existing here. Goes to show I need to continue my fight to restore balance to this place...by hopefully obviating the need for it in the first place: destroy the prisoner and there is no need for the prison.
In the midst of our trials, Valygar stops me to relay his concern about my growing power and potential to turn towards evil. Indeed, I have already become evil in a way, and I initially reacted angrily at his confrontation. But I remembered, that is indeed why I brought Valygar along on this journey, to act as a check against my own dark nature. So very well, friend...
3PM. I have met Saladrex. This dragon--like all the vile creatures in this cursed place--does not belong here. Unlike the others, he seem to not even be willing to leave if he had the opportunity. I will have to slay him then, like most other things I've encounterd in this dungeon. I appeased him for the time being, but I will visit later to finish the deed.
I'm also realizing that one of my greater goals here will indeed be to kill Carston. His selfish interference here looks to be a main reason why there are so many extraplanar creatures trapped in pain and chaos, and it's crucial that he's stopped.
4PM. Without resting again, I felt I had enough in our party to slay Saladrex right then. So I cast buffing spells, summoned the Prince of the Earth Plane, some Mordenkainen's Swords, I had Jan lay a Spike Trap to turn the dragon hostile. Then the battle commenced. After Nalia and Jan got some Lower Magic Resistances and Breaches and Pierce Magics in, my tanks were finally able to start doing some series damage. Saladrex was able to kill Jan, but we resurrected him shortly after the battle. The dragon never activated the spike trap, by the way.
However, there is no way I can defeat the nearby demilich like this. Unfortunately, I don't think I have weapons enchanted enough to even harm the creature. I'm going to return to the surface, to rest and recover (Valygar and Korgan are fatigued), and then return kill Carston.
[Day 91]
8PM. We've descended futher into the Keep.
Once I breached the Machine of Lum the Mad, I made short work of that scum mage Carston. I also used its magics to enhance my body and mind, so my fight for true nature can continue on even stronger.
On the final level of the Keep, I was able to pass all trials, and and bested all monsters, beasts, and vile creatures in combat. Now, with the final seal able to be opened...it's time to rest and recover. My most important and epic battle to date may lie directly through a portal, and I need to make sure my soul is prepared.
Still gnawing at me are the golems and the archivist ghost I left on the first level, and then that demilich in the Githyanki encampmet on the fourth level. It may be only right to deal with the lingering inhabitants before I face the Imprisoned One.
[Day 92]
8AM. Now that I found +5 weapons by my adventures deeper into the Keep, I was actually able to harm and defeat the demilich encamped on the fourth level. Even though Korgan was unskilled with a two-handed sword, I gave him Psion's blade, hasted him, and had him start wailing on the liche...alone and enraged. Eventually, it paid off and the undead monster was defeated and dispersed from this place.
I then made the journey to the top level and laid some spike traps for the Guardian Golems to destroy them. Once Jan laid two for each, all it took was two arrows from Valygar to activate them while the rest of the party was safety away.
Surprisingly, and frustrating, I could not destroy the ghost of Archivist Giltham. Neither magic nor weapons could harm him, and I had no luck dispelling any protections he may or may not have had. His essence must be tied to the keep itself, as opposed to just some lost creature. Very well...apparently there is nothing I can do.
With the rest of the Keep still and clear of all beings and creatures, and with my party still relatively rejuvenated...I still decide to take the morning to recover the spells and skills I used on the demilich and the guardians. And then to confront the Imprisoned One--and the right thing to do is to destroy it, to the possible objection of the Helmites.
5PM. I have confronted and destroyed Demogorgon. The Prince of Demons told me that the Helmites actually meant to seal me in here with the demon; disappointing, but would have been more angering if I ever intended to read the ritual scroll--instead, I meant to kill the Imprisoned One from almost the very beginning. If the God Helm thought it so necessary to construct this mythological dungeon to imprison his enemy, then it's only natural and righteous that enemy should be just be destroyed completely, if possible.
The Demogorgon battle started fast and furiously, but eventualy devolved into the anxious combat of desperation and attrition. I was able to remove some of the demon's protections with my mages, but soon just started having them cast their summons spells, in between the occasional Breach or Pierce Magic. Valygar had a poison amulet so initally was picked to take the brunt of the Maraliths' attacks. But While Valygar and Korgan both fought valiantly, they both ended up dying. At that point we had so many summoned creatures that thre three of us remaining (all spellcasters) were able to spread out and away to avoid the wrath for a short period--it was a legion of Fallen Devas, Greater Earth Elementals, MordenKainen's Swords, and Efreetis.
[Rather than calling it quits and reloading at this point, I shrugged and...] I had Jan go up the northern staircase and lay 4 spike traps in a bunch. During this time, Nalia and I crept around the perimeter of the room so we could eventually slip up the southern staircaise without getting attacked. ...I had hoped to lure the Demogorgon only (without the Mariliths) up that staircause, using one of the summons he had been targeting --it was going to be a tough coordination but I think I had enough room and control to do it...when it happend, Jan eventually had to risk HIS hide and come in to help, the summonses couldn't pull it off and were quickly dying at that point.
But, in a great moment, the Prince of Demons his Jan's four spike traps all at once and got destroyed on into the abyss. Misson accomplished. But instead of celebrating, I still had the two Mariliths to deal with. I still had summon spells (benefit of having a group with a high-level Avenger, Illusionist, and Mage), and I personally transformed into a Fire Elemental to finish off these demons in what I thought would be an easy cleanup. Nope--for whatever reason, my summons could not hurt them. I had Jan and Nalia cast their remaining Breaches, and even a Pierce Magic, but no damage could be done. Luckily, they weren't doing too much damage to my summoned Swords either. I had time to resurrect BOTH Korgan and Valygar and have them pick up their equipment. They couldn't don their armor in the midst of the combat going on, so I actually took the portal back up, caught my breath a bit, then headed back down.
My remaining casts of Breach and Pierce Magic didn't help, and they were immune to all other spells. Only Valygar with Ixil's Spike +6 could do damage--so with one final push, and Valygar's greater whirlwind attack, we were able to finish off the remaining demons.
I surfaced and confronted the Helm clan. Again--I had no intention of ever reading their scroll, so the consequences of what may have happened are not as urgent to consider. And their cause itself was noble, if tinged with cowardice. I gave them absolution and told them to move on--Watcher's Keep is empty, now.
[Day 94]
7AM. Amkethran was my next destination; it seems my responsbility now is to travel there and calm whatever chaos and destruction that Melissan warned me of. My duty to nature is naturally and inextricably tied to the Bhaalspawn of the world--my kin.
On my way, I traveled through an oasis and slew a large legion of Tethyrian guards who looked to do the same to my party. A massive bounty appears to be placed on my head by the lords of Tethyr; I am to take responsibility for the destrution of Saradush, it seems. This is not the first time I've been in a situation like this, and I will stem whatever tide comes my way as I continue to perform's nature's duties. I have no choice but to push on.
Chapter 9
4PM. I have arrived in Amkethran and met Balthazar. While I still must gather a lot more information--it seems like they are preparing for war--I know for sure that Balthazar rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not quite sure yet how he's affecting the rightful balance in this part of the world, and why. He still may yet be on the right side of nature...but for now, I don't like him. And Melissan...from what I hear from the Priest of Waukeen, she is likely an instigator herself in all this pain and chaos.
[Day 95]
2AM. Now that I have access to the Arcana spellstore again, I spend some time writing scrolls and reconfiguring our party's spellcasting a bit. This requires some rest overnight at the Amkethran tavern...I encounter a mysterious stranger named Hexxat, but she runs off before I could ask her any questions. [I had no history with her in Athkatla this run...]
10AM. My party is rested and rejuvenated, and ready to begin my next steps here. Before rushing off to Sendai or Abazigal, I determined I'll investigate the goings-on here in the village a bit futher, and see what Balthazar may really be up to. I heard that the Smugglers may know a way to infiltrate the monk's fortress.
My current party is:
Selerel (Level 24 Avenger)
Korgan (Level 25 Berserker)
Valygar (Level 20 Stalker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 22 Mage)
Jan (Level 16 Illusionist/Level 20 Thief)
Reputation: Average (11)
11AM. I entered the Smuggler's cave, look to gain information on Balthazar's reign here in Amkethran. I stepped in the middle of a confrontation between the smugglers and some monks. This time one of Balthazar's *followers* rubbed me the wrong way; and it's clear to me at this point how much they are exploiting the town. I don't know the details or the motives yet, but it's clear that he is bringing a level of imbalance to this village not seen for a while. I was initially willing to give Balthazar the benefit of the doubt until I could figure out what's going on...but this confrontation, maybe ursurprisingly, led to violence. The rest of the smugglers weren't any use, besides the information that one "Esamon" knew a way to access the monastery. But he hasn't been around for a while.
1PM. I agreed to settle Marlowe's problem with Vongoethe the lich...the lich's appearance, after all, seems to be causing more trouble for the village than what is limited to just the new visitor and his sick daughter.
Upon realizing the true source of the lich conflict, I brought Marlowe to the undead cavern to give his soul up, to restore the debt he owed and to convince the vile lich to leave this village. It's also the right thing to restore the soul to his daughter, as I said I would, thereby bringing true balance back to the situation.
11PM. I seemed to resolve what I could in Amkethran for the time being. I couldn't get access to the monastery; so I rested the rest of the day, and journeyed out to meet this "Sendai", another supposed Bhaalspawn. What will nature's role be?
[Day 96]
3PM. Journeyed to Sendai's Enclave. Ultimately I wanted to talk and understand the foul happenings in this corner of the world, especially as it related to my father and my bloodline, but it looks as though the Drow here just want to kill me with any chance they get...so I press on.
Some spell cast on Jan by a Beholder Hive Mother dissipated all the wands he was holding--about 3 or 4 Spellstrike wands among them--and even left my resurrection rod down to only 2 charges left. [This was actually brutal! So be it, I should be able to survive. I didn't realize this was even an enemy attack, or is it a bug??]
[Day 98]
5AM. I have defeated Sendai. [I tried twice without resting (and without summons spells), but couldn't win. I decided it made sense that I would recognize the final chamber, and retreat to the Pocket Plane before that to prepare appropriately...]
It appears that these other Bhaalspawn really won't even pause to listen to reason...but I have no choice but to fight them to do what's right for the world. All the struggle and chaos...it's because my kin have caused it. And it's all always done for self-empowerment. I am disappointed to see there seems to be no higher goal beyond that... While I may learn more as my end-journey continues, it's clear my fate is to destroy these Bhaalspawn, and I accept that..
I press out to Abazigal now...hopefully, this confrontation goes better.
[Day 99]
7AM. On my way to confront Abazigal, his son Draconis attacked me. So lays another dragon dead at my feet. Both Nalia and Jan are loaded up on Breach and anti-magic protection spells (Jan using Pierce Shield specifically), so with those being cast as necessary, and with me landing a devastating Implosion at the right time...we slew the monster and ventured forward.
[Had to reload just once with this guy, I was a bit unprepared the first time.]
Even though I originally recruited this "magic-heavy group" to confront the Cowled Wizards (seems like ages ago!), we have grown together to be very effective against these powerful, late-stage enemies. We have so many arcane spells ready to cast that we can survive many encounters in a row without needing a long amount of preparation time leading up to them. And even I am the Great Avenger Druid, so I cast some arcane spells in combat as well--mostly Chain Lightning at this point.
Now I encounter Fll'Yissetat...I may have heard that he is enslaved here, bound by a geas to serve Abazigal? I will hold on slaying until I may be able to recover that scroll that the prisoner monk mentioned.
10AM. Once I retrieved the Scroll of Reversal, I freed the Guardian dragon and sent her on her way...she was not meant to be there, ungrateful to me or not. I returned to the Pocket Plane to rest prior to entering the lair, knowing this will be a difficult trial...
[Day 100]
7AM. We have slain Abazigal and now look to confront Balthazar. The Bhaalspawns' meddlings have stirred my father awake. The only right thing to do is to resolve ALL of this, finally and ultimately....
10AM. Apparently knowing I was coming for him, Balthazar's army of mercenaries and monks attacked me while coming out of the Temple of Waukeen-before I knew it, I had both legions attacking us in full force and could do nothing but slaughter... We killed all Balthazar loyalists in Amkethran. One of them dropped a key to the monastery gate, so I didn't need to rely on Saemon or any smugglers as it was implied to me earlier--the direct assault method apparently worked. Now that I am about to enter the compound and confront this supposed last Bhaalspawn, I'm going to port into my Pocket Plane; I haven't rested since Abazigal.
[Day 101]
1PM. I have now killed Balthazar--who had noble goals, I must confess, although it was not his fate to see them completed--and also the Ravagar in the Pocket Plane--my final test from Solar and the Ao.
It looks to now be the endgame: to leave this place for final battle against Amelyssan the Blackhearted and seal my fate in this world.
My current party is:
Selerel (Level 26 Avenger)
Valygar (Level 23 Stalker)
Korgan (Level 29 Berserker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 25 Mage)
Jan (Level 17 Illusionist/Level 22 Thief)
Reputation: Average (11)
- Like a nishruu attack, Hive Mother antimagic drains item charges and mage spells.
- Spell failure from Hive Mother antimagic lasts longer.
- Hive Mother antimagic causes innate abilities to fail in addition to mage and priest spells. Even the ones that are clearly flavored as nonmagical.
- Hive Mother antimagic removes spell protections in addition to dispelling everything.
If you want to protect those wands, you have a few choices.
- Drop the wands or toss them in a bag when you see a Hive Mother.
- Keep the mages out of range of the HM.
- Cast Spell Shield.
3PM. I confronted Amelyssan for the final battle in the Abyss: and I destroyed her. It was a long fight, but the outcome was never truly in question. Her scheme was laid in ruins.
[Note: I pre-buffed with Chaotic Commands, Protection from Evil, some others, and yes, I did lay some Spike Traps to make some of the rounds go a bit quicker (I'm not quite an expert player so I use Spike Traps sometimes, and especially for this fight...). Although I did have some GWWs and IH casts leftover so I probably would have been fine without the traps. With the various buffs and Hardiness, my tanks were fine 95% of the time. Valygar got killed temporarily by the Fallen Solar, but utlimately...this is a large group and I had a lot of magic debuff spells and summonses at my disposal. I just had to remember to have my spellcasters scurry far enough away as soon as every Amelyssan round started.]
[I think I reloaded once, twice maybe (got hit with a death spell or something). I don't have too much experience in this battle, so glad I was able to get past it without too much hair-pulling-out.]
I accepted the Throne of the Bhaal and the dark power that comes with it. While it is a solemn and grim responsbility, it has always been my fate. I fully believe that my trials and tribulations will become unfathomabley more difficult and complex with this new divine status; but I know in my very essence that I will hold true to the righteous ways of nature. As I've proven through my mortal life, murder and death can often bring about a restoration of balance...and I will continue to prove it as an immortal.
This was the final party...(same as last post):
Selerel (Level 26 Avenger)
Valygar (Level 23 Stalker)
Korgan (Level 29 Berserker)
Nalia (Level 4 Thief>Level 25 Mage)
Jan (Level 17 Illusionist/Level 22 Thief)
Reputation: Average (11)
My final equipment (I always have the PC wear the best equipment available to them):
Melee: Belm
Ranged: Erinne Sling
Offhand: Buckler (wtf??)
Armor: Shadow Dragon Scale
Gauntlets: Hands of Takkok
Helm: Helm of Balduran
Cloak: Cloak of Displacement
Boots: The Paws of the Cheetah
Belt: Elves' Bane
Amulet: Amulet of Power
Ring 1: Batalista's Passport
Ring 2: Heartwood Ring
Here is also my final character info:
The End
[Note: Well, that's it for this playthrough! Selerel you've been a good blue Avenger. One of my oldest EE characters actually...I started in late 2016 if you can believe it and just finished today. If you read through all of this, I appreciate it and thank you!]
[So I also have 3 other active playthroughs, there are all in SoA at various stages. One is my evil Berserker I have the other thread about, but I also may be interested in going back to a Neutral Good Wizard Slayer>Thief dual who's in the Underdark right now...I'll have to think about it...]