@Coutelier I would imagine it's because she's spent so much time in the realm of humans. She was abducted as a child, after all.
She hasn't been around elves for a long time, so yeah, obviously not much call for her to speak elven in the circus. But she probably learnt common while in captivity, which would have added a great deal to the fear and confusion she felt when she was first abducted as she wouldn't have understood what most people were yelling or saying to her.
I think one of the reasons Aerie gets so much hate is that people are sympathetic with different things. One person might see a homeless man on the street and buy him food and feel awful for him. Another person might walk by and think to themselves how lazy he is. Neither person is better or worse than the other because people just have different empathy triggers.
Aerie hits my empathy triggers while she obviously doesn't for other people. The thing about sympathizing with Aerie, for me at least, is that I needed to empathize with her feelings of loss, not the particular loss itself.
For any of us, it's hard to comprehend her loss because none of us could ever fly and the charname has also experienced torture and cruelty without developing obvious emotional issues (unless you RP him/her as having them or count slaughtering hordes of people as an obvious issue). To me, it's the way she speaks about flying that makes me feel for her. I don't know her banters by heart, but I seem to remember all of her descriptions of flight carrying this sense of wonder, freedom, and liberation. I can't understand losing my wings but I can understand losing my freedom.
Another thing I liked about her is that she never expresses bitterness towards the child she tried to save. Knowing me, I would've blamed that stupid little jerk for being the reason I got caught, but it's never anything Aerie shows. She's sad, yes, but not angry at innocents. She also doesn't show regret over her actions. Hell, if I were in her place and knew that I'd get caught if I tried to save the child I would just fly right by. It's just admirable to me that she can still find empathy and care despite what she went through. Even in real life, there are some people who lose limbs or senses and become bitter and angry over it while there are others who don't let it tear them down. We all understand that being disabled makes life harder, which is why I think seeing someone in those situations being upbeat impresses most people because we expect them to fall apart, to let the loss get to them. I doubt I'd be able to remain so hopeful or positive in her situation.
(Please note, I know that people with disabilities can lead deeply fulfilling lives, I merely brought them up to give an example of a loss that we humans might better understand. I do NOT think that being disabled necessarily makes you an object of pity, but I do think that it makes life harder when society is built on the assumption that you can see, for example. I apologize in advance if I offended anyone by bringing up the disabled.)
But I can also see how she can be seen as whiny because these factors all trigger my sympathy reaction but may leave others unfulfilled.
For any of us, it's hard to comprehend her loss because none of us could ever fly and the charname has also experienced torture and cruelty without developing obvious emotional issues (unless you RP him/her as having them or count slaughtering hordes of people as an obvious issue). To me, it's the way she speaks about flying that makes me feel for her. I don't know her banters by heart, but I seem to remember all of her descriptions of flight carrying this sense of wonder, freedom, and liberation. I can't understand losing my wings but I can understand losing my freedom.
What I think people sometimes seem to forget or not realize is that it isn't just about losing her wings and not being able to fly; that's just the culmination of a long series of events. She was shot, kidnapped, and then the slavers wouldn't have sold her to the circus right away, they'd have transported her to some place, many miles from her home, while arranging her auction. Then in the circus she was further tortured and abused, not to mention displayed and humiliated on an almost daily basis. By now all she has left is her identity, but then even that's taken away by removing her wings, also meaning that any hope she might have had of been able to go back home and return to her old life with her family and friends is gone too.
It's extraordinary however that none of this actually breaks her. Even though she obviously is very sad and does get very depressed at times about all she's lost, she's obviously is determined to carry on and make a new life for herself inspire of everything.
Viconia. Perhaps not exactly the most annoying in the strict sense, but the most hated character Charname ever had the misfortune to encounter on Toril. Would rather spend the rest of eternity with Nalia and Aerie on a deserted island
I can sympathize with Aerie's loss, tolerate Anomen's immaturity, and laugh at Xan's melodrama, but some characters I don't like. Quayle, Tiax, Korgan, and Shar-teel if I have a male character.
Why? Because these people don't like you, and they let you know it.
Aerie talks about her pain. Quayle spits on your face. Both are unpleasant, but Aerie at least is your friend.
Keldorn and Mazzy are the least annoying characters. They're good people.
Never liked Jaheira. I like F/D's though, so she tended to tag along on playthroughs back in the day. Nowadays I often just leave her in FAI and/or to rot in the Chateau Irenicus. I just can't stand the woman. Too bad, since F/D is a good class to have in many different party setups.
Edit: the good thing is that I've started to use Cernd alot more in BG2 and realized he's the most underrated NPC imho. Didn't use him much before in vanilla.
Edit: the good thing is that I've started to use Cernd alot more in BG2 and realized he's the most underrated NPC imho. Didn't use him much before in vanilla.
Most annoying...Irenicus. The jerk captures and tortures you and Imoen, steals your souls, and then has the gall to assume that you wouldn't knock down everything in your way to stop him and get your souls back. I always say something like "Surprise, motherf#@$er!" whenever I thwart his plans and he says "What?! You?!"
In a world where you can raise the dead and learn spells like Wish, the whole missing wings thing is ridiculous. If she was a fighter or thief with no access to magic I'd be a bit more compassionate but she's a powerful priestess and Mage who can actually end up learning plenty of spells that would grant her flight. Relying on Quayle's expert opinion seems pretty silly as well. I for one am not trusting a wandering carnie to diagnose and treat my atrophying limbs
Dorn, he was great in BG1, but in BG2 his character was completely ruined. He just became stupid evil, plus they removed like 90% of the humor from his character. In BG1 when he gets fatigued he's all like. "We shall stop here, you look.... tired." Silly Blackguard with 14 con trying to be hardcore always made me laugh. In BG2 he's this humorless slave to a pretty crappy demon.
Wait I take back the Dorn vote, thinking on it it's definitely Neera's wild mage friend with the cat fetish. Herding cats is one of the most annoying quests in the game and I hate that little gnome for sending me on it.
Wait I take back the Dorn vote, thinking on it it's definitely Neera's wild mage friend with the cat fetish. Herding cats is one of the most annoying quests in the game and I hate that little gnome for sending me on it.
....... I can get behind that vote right there, actually.
Yes it's a super old thread but some of us are newer to the game, and why start a new thread on the exact same topic and lose all the insights from over the years?
Jaheira in BG1 is the only npc that i actively dislike. In BG2, i found her much more interesting and less annoying, and i was thinking about doing a 1 to 2 carryover, but i don't think i can stand to have her around that long in BG1, so we'll see.
Looking at others that generate a lot of negatives:
* the depressing guys like Anomen and xan are fine to me
* Minsc actually wears on me, but his voice acting is quite good.
* Seems I need to try quayle and cernd
* i actually find nalia to be hilarious and one of my favorites though i'm leaving her out of my current run
@Raduziel as you are a modder let me suggest you an idea for a mod for aerie.
If the tongue, and not the wings, has been cut away, she can be the perfect npc, once the AoP is equipped on her.
Silent, able to fly over the enemies, casting on them her powerful arcane and divine magic without the verbal component of the spells.
When she buff her str she can even be the party chinook...
Mute caster with somewhat unique spell list sounds (pun not intended) like an interesting idea for NPC.
I don't hate Aerie as a character, but I think it's irresponsible to join her to the party, because she clearly isn't mature enough for endeavor like that. Romancing her is even worse to me.
The only NPC that I found truly annoying (and not in the endearing, amusing way) is Corwin. To some extent Viconia - but only when you romance her.
I sometimes like to joke about Aerie, but the truth is that i am one of her bigger supporter, both as powergamer and from the RP side.
What she had to suffer is terrible, and she is forever spoiled of the freedom to fly, her personality has an evolution trough the game, like may be only Valigar one has.
She is a member of almost my parties.
Lot of people hating on a disabled teenager suffering from PTSD here
True. But in fairness to me of all of the teenagers I have ever met who have been irredeemably traumatised by having their wings sawn off she is by far the most whiny.
Damn millennials. Aerie needs a work in a coal mine.
If she still had her wings she could work as the canary... but that's not an option so pick and shovel for her.
Aside from the "woe" talks she also has an annoying tendency to fail saves vs death. Sure there is death ward but its really tedious at low levels to micro-manage this girl. High maintenance overall esp in a group of 6.
Comments
Aerie hits my empathy triggers while she obviously doesn't for other people. The thing about sympathizing with Aerie, for me at least, is that I needed to empathize with her feelings of loss, not the particular loss itself.
For any of us, it's hard to comprehend her loss because none of us could ever fly and the charname has also experienced torture and cruelty without developing obvious emotional issues (unless you RP him/her as having them or count slaughtering hordes of people as an obvious issue). To me, it's the way she speaks about flying that makes me feel for her. I don't know her banters by heart, but I seem to remember all of her descriptions of flight carrying this sense of wonder, freedom, and liberation. I can't understand losing my wings but I can understand losing my freedom.
Another thing I liked about her is that she never expresses bitterness towards the child she tried to save. Knowing me, I would've blamed that stupid little jerk for being the reason I got caught, but it's never anything Aerie shows. She's sad, yes, but not angry at innocents. She also doesn't show regret over her actions. Hell, if I were in her place and knew that I'd get caught if I tried to save the child I would just fly right by. It's just admirable to me that she can still find empathy and care despite what she went through. Even in real life, there are some people who lose limbs or senses and become bitter and angry over it while there are others who don't let it tear them down. We all understand that being disabled makes life harder, which is why I think seeing someone in those situations being upbeat impresses most people because we expect them to fall apart, to let the loss get to them. I doubt I'd be able to remain so hopeful or positive in her situation.
(Please note, I know that people with disabilities can lead deeply fulfilling lives, I merely brought them up to give an example of a loss that we humans might better understand. I do NOT think that being disabled necessarily makes you an object of pity, but I do think that it makes life harder when society is built on the assumption that you can see, for example. I apologize in advance if I offended anyone by bringing up the disabled.)
But I can also see how she can be seen as whiny because these factors all trigger my sympathy reaction but may leave others unfulfilled.
It's extraordinary however that none of this actually breaks her. Even though she obviously is very sad and does get very depressed at times about all she's lost, she's obviously is determined to carry on and make a new life for herself inspire of everything.
Actually, I bloody hate Edwin. Absolutely hate him.
Why? Because these people don't like you, and they let you know it.
Aerie talks about her pain. Quayle spits on your face. Both are unpleasant, but Aerie at least is your friend.
Keldorn and Mazzy are the least annoying characters. They're good people.
Edit: the good thing is that I've started to use Cernd alot more in BG2 and realized he's the most underrated NPC imho. Didn't use him much before in vanilla.
Jaheira in BG1 is the only npc that i actively dislike. In BG2, i found her much more interesting and less annoying, and i was thinking about doing a 1 to 2 carryover, but i don't think i can stand to have her around that long in BG1, so we'll see.
Looking at others that generate a lot of negatives:
* the depressing guys like Anomen and xan are fine to me
* Minsc actually wears on me, but his voice acting is quite good.
* Seems I need to try quayle and cernd
* i actually find nalia to be hilarious and one of my favorites though i'm leaving her out of my current run
BG2 Neera and Minsc.
BG2: Aerie
IWD: Aerie
FO1: Aerie
FO2: Aerie
DAO: Aerie
Sudoku: Aerie
Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock: Aerie
Fetch: Aerie
If the tongue, and not the wings, has been cut away, she can be the perfect npc, once the AoP is equipped on her.
Silent, able to fly over the enemies, casting on them her powerful arcane and divine magic without the verbal component of the spells.
When she buff her str she can even be the party chinook...
I don't hate Aerie as a character, but I think it's irresponsible to join her to the party, because she clearly isn't mature enough for endeavor like that. Romancing her is even worse to me.
The only NPC that I found truly annoying (and not in the endearing, amusing way) is Corwin. To some extent Viconia - but only when you romance her.
What she had to suffer is terrible, and she is forever spoiled of the freedom to fly, her personality has an evolution trough the game, like may be only Valigar one has.
She is a member of almost my parties.
True. But in fairness to me of all of the teenagers I have ever met who have been irredeemably traumatised by having their wings sawn off she is by far the most whiny.
Damn millennials. Aerie needs a work in a coal mine.
If she still had her wings she could work as the canary... but that's not an option so pick and shovel for her.
Aside from the "woe" talks she also has an annoying tendency to fail saves vs death. Sure there is death ward but its really tedious at low levels to micro-manage this girl. High maintenance overall esp in a group of 6.