Let's Read & Play: Baldur’s Gate II - Bhaal is Dead!

[JadedDM]

Ludonarrative dissonance is when the gameplay contradicts the themes of the story. For instance, if the hero's objective is stop the villain from killing a person, because murder is wrong, but the hero kills 1,000 mooks to get to the villain.

[Khay]

Yep! Another good example is when the game has Raise Dead-style magic but doesn't let you use it to undo plot-relevant deaths (without explanation).

[Calemyr]

Yep! Another good example is when the game has Raise Dead-style magic but doesn't let you use it to undo plot-relevant deaths (without explanation).

Ah, yes. The old "Why didn't Cloud use a phoenix down?" issue... That particular case always struck me as odd because they handled it much better in FFV: when a plot-relevant death occurs there, the party explicitly tries to use every type of curative item they have on the victim. It didn't work, but it mattered that they tried. Baldur's Gate, at least tries to explain it: every perma-death we see is either a Bhaalspawn, someone without a friend willing to pony up the dough, or someone with connections to Bhaal (such as Sarevok and Irenicus via their research). I mean, if you think about it, if there was such a thing as a ritual to render a corpse beyond resurrection, it would be known to "the god of murder" and his most zealous acolytes. Others, like half your potential party from BG1, just hop back up in the sequel and when asked about their deaths just shrug and ask back "What's your point?". Because in D&D death is a revolving door and crypts rent to adventurers by the hour.

[Spore]

Didn't Baldur's Gate's rendition of AD&D also feature the death version where some party companions could be irredeemably killed? You cannot ignore this feature just because 90% of the players choose to play without (and the remaining 10% revert to an older save file in most cases).

[GloatingSwine]

Didn't Baldur's Gate's rendition of AD&D also feature the death version where some party companions could be irredeemably killed? You cannot ignore this feature just because 90% of the players choose to play without (and the remaining 10% revert to an older save file in most cases).

Yeah, if a character got chunked they couldn't be rezzed. (Resurrection requires a reasonably intact body and a willing soul, and True Resurrection which can work without the body isn't in BG.)

[LuckGuy]

Stabbed in the calf by a minotaur? Bravo.

[Calemyr]

All this has lured me into another round of BG2 (Enhanced Edition), and I always forget just how wonderfully snarky they let the Scion be in the game, and they upped that even further in EE. I've got a massive weakness for what I refer to as "veteran humor", that kind of gallows humor you get when an adventurer has been everywhere and seen everything and is simply tired of the bullscat.

Just found one that really amused me, in the Tomb of Dragomir, a legendary vampire lord.
Dragomir: Why have you come to my tomb, Scion?
Scion: I try to have at least three phenomenally bad ideas a day. I'm counting this place as two.

And of course there's my original favorite:
Vampire: You are brave to come here, but perhaps bravery is not enough.
Scion: Bravery. Stupidity. Whatever gets the job done.

There are a lot of other ones, of course, like the epic verbal beatdown of Portalbendarwinden in BG1. (Copied from TVTropes.)
Scion: OK, I've just about had my FILL of riddle-asking, quest-assigning, insult-throwing, pun-hurling, hostage-taking, iron-mongering, smart-arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you've got a straight answer ANYWHERE in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I'm going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster AND his hat, and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the nine hells themselves wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I MADE myself perfectly CLEAR?!

Anyone else have a favorite line or two?

[Spore]

Stabbed in the calf by a minotaur? Bravo.

I sense a pun.

the Scion

What are you referring to? Does anyone call the Bhaalspawn "the Scion"?

[Kish]

Calemyr does.

He's it, as far as I know, but it's easier to understand his syntax if you're prepared for him to call the BG1/BG2 protagonist Scion/The Scion.

[Calemyr]

Calemyr does.

He's it, as far as I know, but it's easier to understand his syntax if you're prepared for him to call the BG1/BG2 protagonist Scion/The Scion.

Yeah. Sorry. I just can't bring myself to call them the "Bhaalspawn" because there are dozens of those. Your character is ultimately the heir of the power of Bhaal, however, so Scion describes them. And Charname has its charms but ruins the suspension of disbelief. So I favor Scion. Didn't realize it was getting on peoples' nerves. Apologies.

[Spore]

Regarding Bioware I then proceed to remember Kotor 2's bland romance options The Handmaiden/The Disciple.

[Keltest]

Yeah. Sorry. I just can't bring myself to call them the "Bhaalspawn" because there are dozens of those. Your character is ultimately the heir of the power of Bhaal, however, so Scion describes them. And Charname has its charms but ruins the suspension of disbelief. So I favor Scion. Didn't realize it was getting on peoples' nerves. Apologies.

Officially I believe the correct way to refer to the protagonist is Gorion's Ward. Charname is just as easy to understand, but its a fan title.

[Honest Tiefling]

I know I'm late to the party, but I don't think the game explicitly states that the statues in Bhaal's domain are the ENTIRETY of the Bhaalspawn. I wonder if there is a chance that those guys are only those who advanced their own essence (like Mr. Muderhappysupreme and the Scion/Bhaalspawn), as opposed to just about anyone. Dude probably left behind a lot of Bhaalspawn, and how did Bhaal find the time? Sheesh. Since he made them (mostly) as a mortal, I do wonder if they were conveniently in one area of the world to make the plot a little smoother.

Been a while since I played the sequel, so it wouldn't surprise me if someone had a ritual to yank out essence from weaker Bhaalspawn, but that's purely conjecture.

As for Spellhold...I have a (probably) unpopular opinion. I hate puzzle dungeons. Often they don't make sense (Was Dace just really forgetful and sometimes tried to show up to the big giant head without his hand? Did no one check out the basement?), and even then...Well, when you have a Minsc-type in your party, every puzzle starts to look really fragile. Other times, the party Nerdcaster can often try to dispel any magical puzzles. Except the DM usually gets upset at this, even when breaking complex machinery and magic seems pretty in-character and logical.

The Spellhold dungeons are weird...And honestly? I think should have been replaced with an undead themed sort of place. Bodhi has access to bodies, and has for a few centuries. And I think it would have been quite adorable of her to make the puzzles herself. Every lady needs a hobby! This combined with the place you find with the Unseeing Eye sorta makes you wonder why people don't check basements a bit more. That one was quite interesting, and made a bit more sense why it was hidden for some time...Unlike the place staffed with paranoid mages without a huge distance or strange magic between them and the weird bits.

[Kish]

No "few centuries" for Bodhi; she and Irenicus are both cursed to being short-lived, which her vampirism did not cure.

Beyond that, even before Bodhi turned Dace into a vampire, I never got the impression the Cowled Wizards were given to going into the asylum maze. The automated final tester even comments that, the claims of Wanev aside, no inmates were actually meant to survive the "tests."

[Spore]

No "few centuries" for Bodhi; she and Irenicus are both cursed to being short-lived, which her vampirism did not cure.

My understanding of it was that it wasn't a curse but both were cut off of the source of longevity of said elves, and she resorted to vampirism while Irenicus resorted to various other methods (I mean if you take his artwork, he looks like a walking mad scientist experiment).

[Khay]

I don't think it's ever quite explained? Irenicus' journal implies he was feeling the effects of (human) old age, which Bodhi was avoiding through turning undead, but you'd think Irenicus would at least consider something like that. He seems to be running low on time; why not consider lichdom while you're waiting for CHARNAME to show up? There may be more to the curse, though.

Anyway, welcome to Chapter Twelve! We still aren't done with Spellhold. This is starting to wear on me a little. Oh well, we'll be out soon enough.

Spoiler: The book

Show

Last time, Team Abdel made friends with a minotaur and a backwards talks who man. Let's see what these crazy kids are up to now!

Jaheira pressed her hands to her temples and held them there tightly. She'd eventually have to stop taking blows to the head, she knew, or there might be permanent damage. Abdel was next to her, though, and holding her now in his strong arms, so she was already feeling better.
She looked over at the minotaur sitting on the floor in the little room. A chill ran down her spine, and as much as she thought she trusted Mielikki's varied creations until they proved untrustworthy, she was afraid of the huge creature.
"I get knocked out for two minutes," she whispered to Abdel, "and you make a new friend."
The sellsword smiled and said, "Any port in a storm."

I'd point out that damage isn't really permanent when there's healing spells around, but Jaheira has to be able to actually cast them, so... point taken.

Abdel has made two friends in his life: Scar (the captain of Baldur's Gate) and now this minotaur. You could probably support his efforts a little more, Jaheira.

There's also a naked dude here. No word on whether anyone's friends with him.

"Sir, fight a up put won't I," the madman said.
Abdel looked at him blankly, and Jaheira let out a breath that might have been a tired laugh.
Abdel helped her to stand, and she looked at the minotaur. "The coordinator," she said, "a man named Irenicus, do you know him?"
The minotaur nodded, the gesture obviously reluctant.
"You can speak," Abdel said to the creature.
"Crazy we're thinks he," the madman said to Imoen, a gentle smile on his face. "Me ask you if one crazy the he's."
"I can speak," the minotaur said, ignoring the madman. Imoen gasped at the sound of the creature's gruff voice.

This kind of backwards-speech is quite interesting in a written medium. It's relatively easy to read - easier than reversing the letters, at least, though I did like that comic. It would be close to incomprehensible when spoken, though, so it makes sense the characters can't make sense of the madman.

The minotaur, still nameless for now, explains that he was "made to inhabit" the labyrinth and that Irenicus had nebulous plans beyond the asylum.

"His of woman vampire that with Underdark the into went he," the madman mumbled, nodding.
"Vampire?" Imoen asked him. "Did you say vampire?"
"He went into the Underdark with that vampire woman of his," Jaheira translated. "Why?"
"Does it matter?" Abdel asked, not expecting an answer. "Good riddance. He belongs down there."
"His plans are for Suldanessellar," the minotaur said, and it was Jaheira's turn to gasp.

Athans relies on a relatively small amount of emotes. His characters often gasp or yelp when reacting to things, though Abdel occasionally gets angry too. Maybe he was hoping for an anime adaption?

Anyway, Suldanessellar! What... is that and why do I care?

"Suldanessellar?" Abdel asked.
"What's that?" asked Imoen.
"Us about care really didn't he like was it," said the madman. "Me with fine just be it'll him kill and him find you if, anyway."
"Suldanessalar is an elven city," Jaheira explained. "It's no surprise you've never heard of it. It's one of Faerun's best kept secrets. It's the home of some of the few elves who have yet to join the Retreat to Evermeet."

I had to look this up. Apparently the Retreat was a mass migration that started in 1344 DR, twenty-eight years before the events of this plot. Suldanessellar's permanent population is less than 5,000 people. I learned something new today! The place isn't that secret, since that's where elf conventions are held, but I figure it makes sense humans wouldn't know about it.

That said, Irenicus has been very tight-lipped about his plans so far. Imoen and Jaheira spent quite some time in captivity, and Irenicus never mentioned Suldanessalar, not even once. And yet these two randos just happen to know what his plans are? From the way they talk about Irenicus, they can't be acolytes, and they didn't attend the ritual either. How did they even have time to learn about the plans for Suldanessellar? Are we back to the expanded timeline? Why do our heroes even consider these two clowns to be trustworthy sources of information?

TL;DR: I have questions.

Jaheira suggests that it might be worth their while to save the people of Suldanessellar. Abdel is a little more ambivalent about it.

The minotaur nodded, but said, "Your quest is not mine."
"At least tell us how to find them," Jaheira insisted.
"Do we need to?" asked Imoen. She turned a questioning gaze on Abdel.
The big sellsword sighed and said, "I guess we do. We can't let this go on. I owe him one for that ritual anyway and for the odd kidnapping here and there."

I have such a rant brewing about the way Athans chose to handle the second-act twist. It'll be in the next update, but I'm just going to point something out: "I guess" is a terrible way to motivate your characters.

The madman is a little more helpful.

"Easy is down way the," offered the madman, who was busy replacing the copper band on his head. "It over hanging skull a with door a to come you until turns left three first the take and right the to corridor the follow just." (...)
"One that want don't you," he continued. "It over nailed bat dead the with door the through go and that by pass. Ramp a to lead that'll."
"You know what?" Imoen said. "This isn't making me feel better."

This bit continues until it starts to become annoying, and then just a little bit longer, which shows a great understanding of comedy. I feel you, Imoen. (Also, these are mundane directions. Apparently there's a big staircase you can follow all the way to the Underdark.)

"Underdark the to get you when," the madman concluded, "It know you'll."
"One question," Imoen said, looking directly at Jaheira. "Is this Suldanessalar place worth it?"
"I spent time there," Jaheira said. "I learned to be a druid there."
"I'll take that as a y—"
Imoen was cut off when the madman yelped and seemed to hop up off the table.

If you're still doing the Bhaal is Dead! drinking game, take a shot for "exposition is interrupted by a random encounter."

The madman hadn't jumped off the table— he'd been pulled off. Ropelike tentacles covered in a viscous slime hung from the ceiling and wrapped themselves around the suddenly stiff, unmoving inmate. (...)
"What in all Nine Hells is that?" Imoen said, stepping quickly backward to get out from under the thing. "Carrion crawler," Abdel, Jaheira, and the minotaur all answered simultaneously.

I have to apologise to Chapter Eleven. I thought the minotaur wrestling was completely pointless, but... no. This is pointless.

Abdel realises this room has a pretty high ceiling. While he's looking at the architecture, the minotaur swings his axe at the crawler, chopping off one of the tentacles.

The carrion crawler let out a hiss and withdrew into the dark opening near the ceiling, dragging the paralyzed madman in with it.
"I won't need your help," the minotaur said. "Go on about your quest."
The bull-man didn't wait to see if Abdel and the women complied. It jumped up, grabbed the edge of the opening with one hand and was through it before Abdel could even get to the table.
Jaheira stopped him from following with a hand on his arm. "Suldanessellar," she said.
"Irenicus."
Abdel looked at her and nodded, then looked once more at the dark opening, and said, "You understood those backward directions?"
"I didn't," Imoen admitted.
"I think so," answered Jaheira.
"Then let's go," said Abdel.

They go, leaving the madman and the minotaur to their respective fates. See, normally I'd support the idea of bailing out of a random encounter to move the plot along, but this is pretty callous. Carrion Crawlers aren't that dangerous, but their attacks can inflict paralysis. Fighting one alone is a very bad idea, because you will die if you fail a saving throw at the wrong time. Apparently, running for the Underdark is so time-critical that they can't spare like three minutes to make sure their new friends make it through okay.

The character dynamics in this scene are strangely off-kilter. Throughout the first book, Abdel was consistently the voice of apathy and cynicism, and his whole character arc was about finding something to care about. Jaheira was always trying to push him in that direction. And now she's the one telling him to leave these two to their fate?

You could justify this scene if it was part of Jaheira's arc - indeed, it would be pretty interesting. "Not in my back yard"-ism is a character flaw that fits well with her character archetype; she's an elf, a druid and a Harper, all of which are given to hypocrisy. Who cares about a beast and a lunatic when there are real people to save? Alas, this scene goes completely unexamined.

You could argue that Jaheira is being Ruthlessly Pragmatic, but there is absolutely no reason for her to suspect that Irenicus can be a threat to Suldanessalar. As far as she knows, he's just a mid-level mage with vague plans that somehow involve vampires and disturbing polymorphs. I mean, that's still dangerous, but it's the sort of thing Suldanessalar should be prepared for. In the Forgotten Realms, you don't get to be a major city unless you have a way to deal with would-be mage warlords.

Also, in case this is meant to be gritty and real, why don't they try heading off Irenicus and Bodhi? Athkatla isn't too far away. Jaheira could check in with her Harper contacts and have them deliver a message, I'm sure they can get a warning to Suldanessalar. Or, hell, just arrange for transportation. You're super close to Athkatla; just hire a mage to teleport you to the forest or something.

You know, it's been a while since this book left me actually annoyed with its characters. It's kind of nice.

Spoiler: The game

Show

Last time, Bodhi tossed us into a dungeon below Spellhold for her own personal amusement. After a few false starts, we opened up the exit.


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Well, not quite the exit-exit, but we should be one step closer now. Yuan-Ti Mages now show up with regular monster parties, because we've kinda grown beyond them.


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This level has two gimmicks: Monster portraits and mithral coins. You can find them scattered throughout the labyrinth. Portraits open these doors here. The tokens will become relevant later.


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There's also this little arrangement, where you turn levers to open and close doors elsewhere. I think the Cowled Wizards assembled this dungeon from standard modules.


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This dungeon also introduces minotaurs to the Baldur's Gate universe! I guess this is where Athans got the idea. They're big and strong and hit quite hard, but that's really all they do.

There's a statue of a minotaur up ahead. It's missing its horns, so I guess our next task is to-


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... ahhhhh okay I guess it's not going to be quite that straightforward.

BODHI: Here, mousey mousey, the hunt draws to a close here and now.
CHARNAME: I expected you to come. You'd be a fool to let me reach Irenicus.
BODHI: I know I'm early, but I just couldn't bear to see you leave. You were amusing, but the game is over. One last time, let our paths cross in blood!

Bodhi can show up elsewhere if you take too long, I think, but she'll always stop you here.

Well, this is earlier than we expected, but I'm confident that we can handle this. Bring it on, bloodsucker! We're not going to let you get away with... get away with Imoens'...

...


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...


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T͍h͔̘̺̖i͇̦͈͍̥s̶̩̱̖̮̟ ̶̤̼̳̗e̦̘nḍ̥̤̳̞̣s̜̲͠ ̼͖̩ń͉̳̱̖o̖̬̗͔̥͕w҉͚.͞


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I̕n m̛͡y͟ ẁ̕a̢̡y̧͟͟

BODHI (shocked): What is this?! A creature of pure death and darkest shadow! Child of Bhaal, what have you become?!
BODHI: Away! Irenicus must know of this! We will observe from a distance!

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ĮN̕.̷͡ ̨M̡̀Y̨̕͞. ̶͞WA̸͘a̶a̛áa ohgodmyhead.


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[retching]


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IMOEN: <CHARNAME>, that was... that was the Slayer. It's one of the avatar forms of Bhaal! You... you became the Slayer?
CHARNAME: The what? How do you know that?
IMOEN: I've read descriptions of the Slayer before. It appeared when the Time of Troubles forced the gods to walk the land...
IMOEN: <CHARNAME>, we've got to get our souls back from Bodhi and Irenicus. You've been left empty and it's affecting you different than me.

This is... this isn't good. This isn't good at all. We have to hurry and find Irenicus before anything really bad happened. At least... well, at least Bodhi's reaction suggests they didn't plan for this at all, so... silver lining?


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So... yeah... back to business, I suppose. Just a brief... you know, one of these things. No need to be worried.


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Several corridors branch off the room with the statue. One set of doors is locked, which presumably leads to the exit. The others are full of minotaurs and gauths - mini-Beholders, essentially. The missing horns are scattered around the side-corridors.


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Also, there's a scroll of Limited Wish just hanging out here. Nice. Both Aerie and Imoen now have the spell in their respective spellbook, though it'll take a while 'til they can start to cast it.


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We also find a few more of those weird paintings. I guess we should investigate these first, before we complete the statue. We won't be coming back here, after all.


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Each painting acts like a key, opening the matching door. There's a troll behind the troll door, a genie behind the genie door, and a squid-thingy behind the squid-thingy door. You can find Flame of the North +2 and Malakar +2 here, two solid weapons (though nothing special.)


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The Umber Hulk chamber opens into a corridor of sorts. There's probably something interesting behind this. Let's rest first, though - we took some damage, we should heal up before we continue.


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Cozy, isn't it? I'm not sure if I've ever shown this, but a little animation plays when you rest. This is the one for sleeping in a dungeon.

Ugh, that didn't help at all. If anything, I feel worse than befor̵e.


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Oh no, n̢o͟t AGAIN̡

NARRATOR: You wake suddenly, a pounding in your ears. A shock of pain passes through your body, and you feel your mind slipping away, forced aside by the darkness within.
JAHEIRA: Are you well? I am growing very worried about you, you know. I should not like to lose you in this evil place.
CHARNAME: Jaheira, I would get back if I were you. I think it's happening again!
JAHEIRA: <CHARNAME>? Your lips move but there is no sound. <CHARNAME>? <CHARNAME>!!!

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Y̕͡҉E̡S.̶͝͠ Kill themmn

(You lose control of CHARNAME when this happens. They shift into Slayer form and start attacking wildly. It turns into a game of keep-away where you try to keep them from eating their own party members.)


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Oh god, this one was just... worse than the last change.

JAHEIRA: You would have killed me, if I had let you. You would have left me to rot in this place.
CHARNAME: I tried to warn you, but I couldn't speak. I am sorry. I should leave.
JAHEIRA: No, you should not be alone during this. We will get through, I am sure. We just have to keep going, no matter what comes.

This is supposed to happen with whomever you are currently dating, but for some reason, Viconia takes precedence. But thanks to the magic of editing, I can pretend the script worked as intended!

Yeah, this is... pretty bad. We are not doing well. Pack your things, we're leaving immediately.


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Where "immediately" possibly means "after buying some shoes." I mean, we have all these mithril tokens. Might as well spend them, yes?


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Okay, but for real: Time to leave now. Time to leave, and never look back.


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Oh for Oghma's sake - this place is really trying my patience.

APPARITION: Here begins the tests of madness, of sanity and clarity. Presented with nonsense how will you proceed?
CHARNAME: You wish to test me? But this place is derelict. The directors are dead.
APPARITION: The procedures laid down proceed regardless of time or circumstance. Such is the nature of this place. Protests are futile.
APPARITION: This area works on its own, allowing the directors to watch in safety. You are here, and there is no other way out. Comply or die. You are sane enough to understand that.
APPARITION: Now, when madness beckoned, how did you answer? Now comes the judgement, when we decide your fitness for life outside.
CHARNAME: Very well, do as you must, specter. I will not protest if it is pointless.
APPARITION: Very good. Restraint is a good sign. Perhaps you are closer to release than I thought. We shall see.

The Apparition then teleports us elsewhere. Let's see what it looks like when you leave mental healthcare to an AI.


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Yeah that's roughly what I was expecting.

For some reason, the "tests of madness, of sanity and clarity" involve a lot of combat. First up is a Spore Colony. The mushroom is immobile and doesn't attack, but it has a lot of HP and it summons mushroom-people. No big deal. Once it's dead, we get another simple riddle...


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... and, after answering it correctly, another change of scenery.


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This makes a little more sense. Not much. But a little.

All the Apparations here are dressed in matching colours, and they have no voice-acting. Normally a little sound plays when you right-click on an NPC - innkeepers burp, kobolds yip, that sort of thing - but not with those. It's a nice touch.

ELEPUZ01: Found your way into the secret of places? What should we do with you?
ELEPUZ01: Wandering to the edges of madness, did you expect to find sense and reason?
ELEPUZ02: None in this place, no matter how thorough the searching.
ELEPUZ03: To even suggest such a thing from the departed and deranged...
ELEPUZ04: Aye, it suggests imbalance even in the asking.
ELEPUZ03: Then what is the proper fate?
ELEPUZ02: Answer nonsense with nonsense. Let a backstep of logic move them forward.
ELEPUZ01: No sense to be had. Let us see how far into the strangeness you can stride. Answer me this, and decide where you end.
ELEPUZ01: It is better than the best of things and worse than the worst of things. You love it more than life. You fear it more than death. The rich have need of it, and the poor have it in endless supply.
CHARNAME: Nothing
ELEPUZ01: Giddy I am with the clarity of your perception, but free you are not. Have my fellows questions for this young mad<MANWOMAN>?

They do, but you get the idea.

Let's skip ahead a little.

ELEPUZ04: Your thoughts are clear and flowing, and free you are from here. Onward, to places secret and rewarding.
ELEPUZ03: Yes, onward, and leave this festive place. You will see the unknown, and if willing, receive its gifts.
ELEPUZ02: That makes very little sense at all.
ELEPUZ01: Then it is more than I would have hoped from a room of the maddened dead.

Maybe this'll start making sense soon. Where next, Apparation?


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Troll cave. Obviously.


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How can a place be a relapse? What have we relapsed into? This cannot physically be inside Spellhold, can it?

Mechanically, this is a bonus area. You go here if you ace the "sanity tests." You can take the head of one of the trolls and sacrifice it on the altar for a sweet magical club.

Next stop: The roof.


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Yeah, I can see some problems with the system. This is a great choice of setting, though - we are on the highest part of Spellhold. We are under open skies again, and we can see all the way to the horizon. (You know, probably. In-character.) This is a good metaphor for clarity.

APPARITION: And now comes judgement. Have your thoughts been focused by your ordeal? Have you gained clarity?
APPARITION: Who can say. It has been quite some time since the process has been refined. Really, I do not think you were intended to survive.
APPARITION: But I will fulfill my purpose as best I can and use your own words to judge your fate.
APPARITION: Your will is satisfactory. You have passed what test I had to offer. This session is now done. You are free.

Journal entry:
Escaping the Asylum

I have encountered some kind of Arbiter in the asylum maze. I was free to continue after passing his judgement... perhaps out of this madhouse, once and for all?

The exact route you take through the test chambers depends on the answers you give. We took the "best" route, where we were cooperative and answered all the riddles correctly, but there are other routes. If you fail the test, the Apparation makes you fight a Mind Flayer.

I have no idea what this... whole thing is. Something interesting came up in the thread the other day, which made me think about the Cowled Wizards a little more:

The Cowled Wizards... they have their priorities. I don't want to say 'straight,' but they have them. They seem to act within their mandate as a regulatory agency for wizards rather than going mad with their own power (sort of the point, I think), and they seem to do their best to not get involved in nonmagical affairs.

The Cowled Wizards do seem to be a rather straight-laced organisation. They function as a sort of secret police. As such, they're not really above the law, but definitely... next to it. They have exclusive jurisdiction over everything that has to do with magic, they make their own laws, and they operate their own black-site prisons. They do imprison people without trial, but that's hardly unusual in the Forgotten Realms. They strike me as very Lawful Neutral. So far, they've been antagonists, but not exactly villains.

The Spellhold dungeons hint that they may be up to something more nefarious. Yes, Bodhi and Irenicus did a number on the catacombs, but... they weren't the ones who built them. I don't think Irenicus would've had the time or inclination to set up this testing process either. It seems to have suffered a lot of goal drift over the... months? Years? Decades? Who knows. This is at least a crazy-ass epic-level Final Boss Illusion. The fact that it's so hostile and so poorly maintained suggests that, long before Irenicus came along, the Cowled Wizards stopped caring about rehabilitation. That's pretty dark.

Anyway, we survived the trap. Time to confront Irenicus and en̨d this. And him. Others may also die; I'm thinking Saemon and Bodhi and Saemon and Yoshimo for starters. I'm playing this by ear.

... next time.

Spoiler: Comparison and commentary

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We've seen some parts of Irenicus' evil plan by now, including the Slayer transformation, but we're still lacking some context. I want to talk about the plan, but... not quite yet. In a few updates, I promise.

That said, this chapter is still interesting, because it feels like... well... a relapse, actually. One of the big problems in Bhaal must be Stopped! was that the book was heavily driven by coincidence. Things just sort of happened to the characters, who careened from plot point to plot point with very little input from them. At times, it seemed like Abdel actively avoided listening or caring, knowing that the plot would continue kicking him along anyway. Events occurred because they happened in the game, not because it made logical sense in the story or followed from previous events. Characterisation was, at best, muddled.

The first third of Bhaal is Dead! did a little better. (Three-fifths, really.) There were still weird coincidences, and Abdel still got railroaded, but there was an in-universe reason for it - Bodhi was stringing him along, trying to make sure he falls into the trap. The book had problems of its own, like the impossibly compressed timescale or the rape scene, but the plot soooooorta worked.

This is where that goes out of the window. We're back to relying on coincidence. Our heroes are on track to visiting the Underdark, but what would've happened if Abdel enjoyed punching orcs a little less? What if they went down a different corridor? What if the minotaur hadn't accidentally stabbed an eel during Chapter Eleven, thus waking up the madman? Irenicus' plan actually requires Abdel et al. to follow him, but he's taken no steps to ensure this actually happens. Unless you want to really stretch believability and assume he placed the madman and cowboy duo here for Team Abdel to run into, but that just leads to different and even more confusing questions.

The Spellhold dungeons were nonsensical in the game as well, but at least there was a little bit of an in-universe reason, you know?

Anyway, there'll a lot to talk about with regards to the evil plan. We'll get there, don't worry.

I'm having trouble coming up with a good AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION for this one. Maybe... so far we've mostly been talking about the gameplay, and choices you make in the game, but perhaps we could chat about the plot a bit.

So here's something of a writing prompt for you: How would you fill in the gaps in Spellhold's history? Is the test as old as the labyrinth, or did one come before the other? Why is the test so weird? Is it self-aware, or is that somehow part of the testing process? If the Cowled Wizards aren't using or maintaining it anymore, why haven't they shut it down in the meantime? As noted in the thread, it's really weird that they would even have this basement.

[Kish]

She is now thoroughly seduced by her vampiric condition, despite its previous failure to counteract the death sentence she was under.

I'm not really seeing the ambiguity there; call it a "curse" or whatever you want, Bodhi, even as a vampire, is mortal.

[Spore]

as much as she thought she trusted Mielikki's varied creations until they proved untrustworthy, she was afraid of the huge creature.

Not sure how you native speakers feel about this sentence. But it is an utter trainwreck for a foreign speaker of English - and I do not even consider myself that novice. She trusts until she doesn't trust anymore but now she trusts, but it is a fearful trust?

Spoiler

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The big sellsword sighed and said, "I guess we do. We can't let this go on. I owe him one for that ritual anyway and for the odd kidnapping here and there."

If nothing's better on TV, I guess we will check out what my arch nemesis is up to.

"I learned to be a druid there."

Suldanessalar has terrible druidic teachers then.

As far as she knows, he's just a mid-level mage with vague plans that somehow involve vampires and disturbing polymorphs.

Maybe your musings in the Infinity Engine and D&D in general has left your sense of wonder diminished. If the DM chooses (and Irenicus is ultimatively a creature of the DM in this meta sense) the villain can jump up several levels just by seemingly arriving at a convenient plot point. Even if Book!Irenicus is less cunning (imho) than the game version, he is still a capable mage (and any optimizing player in the forums can attest how dangerous mages with a good plan are).

How would you fill in the gaps in Spellhold's history? Is the test as old as the labyrinth, or did one come before the other? Why is the test so weird? Is it self-aware, or is that somehow part of the testing process? If the Cowled Wizards aren't using or maintaining it anymore, why haven't they shut it down in the meantime? As noted in the thread, it's really weird that they would even have this basement.

The ruins really look ancient and the architecture reminded me of Amaunator's temple (simple forms, giant statues) so maybe they were an ancient ritual site.

Second possibility is that the ruins are of Mindflayer design occupancy. That would explain them trying to hold off creatures of brawn but not brains from their entrance to the Underdark. While technically someone of Minsc's mental abilities could be enough for a Mindflayer to persist on, maybe stupid people are the junk food of Mindflayers and they have found a way to get to smart minds (infiltrate a mage prison) and to sort out the truly mad ones (get them killed in the tests).

As a kid monsters attacking my mind were not exactly unknown to me (after all, many B movies featured zombies, or alien brain slugs or similar) but they were certainly an exciting and new enemy type for me to deal with. They didn't fit the classical caster type, they weren't "fighters" in the sense that they were a hard hitting heap of walking HP. They had their one trick, and if you were suspectible to that you had a problem. IF you could go around that, you were fine. Other monsters such as that include:

Beholders, any monster that tranforms you into stone, early game poison enemies, mind controllers (nymphs etc), or even monsters with unique defensive traits (trolls, jelly monsters, werecreatures).

As the area where surface encounters and underdark monsters mix, they are certainly too much of a preparation to face underdark monsters to just be coincidence. Along with the typical encounters you have said Gaunths, a Mindflayer, Spore creatures

If you're still doing the Bhaal is Dead! drinking game, take a shot for "exposition is interrupted by a random encounter."

Yes but we should make themed cocktails!

[Keltest]

Not sure how you native speakers feel about this sentence. But it is an utter trainwreck for a foreign speaker of English - and I do not even consider myself that novice. She trusts until she doesn't trust anymore but now she trusts, but it is a fearful trust?

It means she considered herself open minded, but when faced with an actual "monster" race, she ended up being prejudiced and afraid anyway. Its kind of weird in as much as minotaurs aren't really any more a part of nature than, say, dwarves are, but it is a complete thought that makes sense.

[Maryring]

It may make sense, but it's still a very clunky sentence.

Anyhow, one thing that always struck me about the Spellhold dungeon is that, prior to the riddle trials, you're thrown into a an area with mushrooms that has mind-muddling spores. I always took this to mean that the dungeons below Spellhold is intentionally designed to get those thrown into them killed. Also see instant kill crush trap on the first floor and oh so many beefy monsters on the other floors.

Also, I remember the first time I got the slayer transformation. My jaw hit the table and I let out a mentally loud "whaaaaaat" as I desperately tried to get my characters away. Luckily, my first play through was as a mage, so the slayer... actually didn't do that much damage, go figure.

[NRSASD]

What if the minotaur hadn't accidentally stabbed an eel during Chapter Eleven, thus waking up the madman?

I thought you were just being snarky and made this up, but a closer second reading confirms you were telling the truth. Wow.

I like the idea of the dungeon as an abandoned testing site for the criminally insane. It gives an alternative answer to the question of absolute power, without oversight or accountability, corrupts absolutely. To me, the whole dungeon felt less like an evil maze than if generations of wizards added their own "improvements" and never checked to see if it was coherent or even necessary. The whole thing felt unedited, so that by the end the tests are so lethal and testing such weird conditions that no normal person could ever hope to solve it.

[TheStranger]

My new theory is that the Spellhold dungeon is a genius loci. Naturally, Spellhold was built in a place of power, because that's what wizards do. While that power allowed the Cowled Wizards to construct an effective prison for powerful mages (well, those not named Irenicus), the power underlying the place continued to shape Spellhold after it was constructed, creating a warped mirror of the asylum in the dungeons below. Because Spellhold is a place obsessed with powerful magic and twisted minds, the dungeons reflect this with a bizarre medley of puzzles and deathtraps.

Naturally, this addition to their asylum didn't escape the notice of the Cowled Wizards. However, they were completely unable to do anything about it. Nor were they able to admit their impotence, lest they lose their favored position in Athkatla. So they did the next best thing - they pretended that they had created the dungeons on purpose. After several failed attempts, they were able to place the apparitions at the end of the dungeon to reinforce that idea, but that was the extent of the control they were able to exert.

So the thing to remember is that none of what you see in the Spellhold dungeons - not the architecture, not Dace's hand, not the puzzles, not the traps, monsters, none of it - is actually part of the history, design, or function of Spellhold as created by the Cowled Wizards. It was all created by the genius loci of Spellhold. Nobody knows why - maybe malice, maybe a mindless reflection of the overseers' collective subconscious, maybe a twisted attempt to "help" the Cowled Wizards. But the only part the Cowled Wizards did was make up the story about "testing" and add the apparitions at the end so nobody would know they weren't really in control of Spellhold.

[Honest Tiefling]

So here's something of a writing prompt for you: How would you fill in the gaps in Spellhold's history? Is the test as old as the labyrinth, or did one come before the other? Why is the test so weird? Is it self-aware, or is that somehow part of the testing process? If the Cowled Wizards aren't using or maintaining it anymore, why haven't they shut it down in the meantime? As noted in the thread, it's really weird that they would even have this basement.

I'd just have made Bodhi do it. It would be interesting if she showed similar signs of ingenuity as her brother, even if she is hampered by bloodlust, boredeom and an inability to wear proper clothing. Bodhi to me was actually kinda dull in the game. Doesn't help that her lair looks ridiculous and awful. Why do you need a blood pool, you trashily dressed idiot!? Do you want flies? Because that's how you get flies!

Sure, she's doing it for a contrived reason, but playing with her prey was a very established character trait she had, so it would have made sense. It also would have made Irenicus submitting to the wizards make even more sense: not only was it a prison full of people to experiment on, they are basically saving him a teleport spell to go see his sister. Spell slots are important, after all.

[Spore]

It may make sense, but it's still a very clunky sentence.

That is what I wanted to know. I feel the same. It is certainly not a sentence an - by this point - experienced writer should create.

Ludonarrative dissonance is when the gameplay contradicts the themes of the story.

I wanted to catch up on Khay with another playthrough of Baldur's Gate to refresh my memories (because I certainly have forgotten much of the game) and since evil (and neutral) lacks healers or clerics I was thinking about clerics.

But few things just hurt my brain just like a Talos cleric that is essentially (HA, puns!) another god in disguise. How and why would another god grant you divine power? I can see a few reasons why other gods would want to manipulate the rise of Bhaal. Heck a few Cyric clerics antagonize you in the first game just because of that.

But a cleric just feels - odd, even an unkitted one that I can pretend siphons its own divine essence for spells.

I mean I eventually rolled an overstatted but unkitted bard because what else would fit an adventuring book maniac better? I go chaotic neutral, RP as if my life is just a game or play and even consider godhood just a side thought. Maybe the right person comes along that is worth giving godhood up for. Maybe my companions just annoy me that much that becoming the avatar of bloody murder is the right choice.

Basically I will try to RP Journal!Charname.

[Keltest]

Clerical powers in the Forgotten Realms are a sort of automatic thing on the part of the gods. If you perform the spell right and aren't in overt disfavor, the god gives the energy without having to actually pay attention to it. Besides, prayer is prayer. If you could have a Bhaalspawn for a minion, why wouldn't you?

[Khay]

I always wondered why Sarevok has so many Cyric worshippers serving him. Mulahey, for instance. You'd think Cyric wouldn't want his minions supporting the guy who is actively gunning for his job.

Also, interestingly, the default biography for a Cleric!CHARNAME all but calls them a deist:

Long have you marveled at the tales read to you by your foster father, many gathered from the various holy books on the shelves of Candlekeep. The strength and power of faith inspired you, but the petty squabbles of the gods only filled you with disdain. From this you came to understand the monks with whom you share your home, and the nature of their nondenominational beliefs. Joining in their studies you have come to think of yourself as one of the Avowed. Some of the brethren, perhaps responding to Gorion's subtle urging, have graciously fielded your many questions and taught you much about the meaning and role of the priesthood.

[Keltest]

I always wondered why Sarevok has so many Cyric worshippers serving him. Mulahey, for instance. You'd think Cyric wouldn't want his minions supporting the guy who is actively gunning for his job.

Also, interestingly, the default biography for a Cleric!CHARNAME all but calls them a deist:

Cyric is A: kind of mad, and B, probably knows Sarevok's plan wouldn't work. Even if the plan went off as, well, planned, Sarevok wouldn't become a god, it just doesn't work that way. Meanwhile Cyric gets to watch all sorts of pointless and destructive slaughter, which is his whole thing.

[Kish]

I always wondered why Sarevok has so many Cyric worshippers serving him. Mulahey, for instance. You'd think Cyric wouldn't want his minions supporting the guy who is actively gunning for his job.

They don't serve him. They serve the Iron Throne, which he uses--and then discards.

[Honest Tiefling]

Cyric is A: kind of mad, and B, probably knows Sarevok's plan wouldn't work. Even if the plan went off as, well, planned, Sarevok wouldn't become a god, it just doesn't work that way. Meanwhile Cyric gets to watch all sorts of pointless and destructive slaughter, which is his whole thing.

Cryic (at the time) had the portfolio of murder, strife, lies, intrigue, deception, illusion. So...Tricking Saverok/Bhaal while spreading his own influence via murder and other general unpleasantness is just plain multitasking. Add in the fact that he's already tricked more than a few gods, and well...It's really not hard to see why he's doing what he's doing. It clearly doesn't work, but how was he supposed to know that Bhaal would spawn a Player Character in a video game!?

Doesn't hurt that he shows up later to pester you.

[Khay]

Hmm. Yes, that's a good point about Cyric. The original Baldur's Gate doesn't quite say if Sarevok's plan could've actually worked, but the later games make it pretty clear that it was doomed from the start.

Also! It's an unlucky number, but Chapter Thirteen contains good news for us. For example, this is where we hit the halfway point! Also, we make it out of Spellhold at last! ... that is, this chapter concludes the endless Spellhold content. There's still some left. But this is the tail end. This is the last time we'll be talking about Spellhold or the Cowled Wizards.

If you're reading this post from the index, definitely check out the thread too. There were some great responses to the writing prompt in the last chapter. I think my personal favourite is TheStranger's genius loci theory, but they are all worth reading.

The game and the book have diverged a little, but we should be able to get things synchronized once we reach the Underdark. I never thought I'd say this, but the 50k character limit is actually giving me some trouble.

Spoiler: The book

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We open in media res, as we often do:

The creatures intended to eat them alive, Abdel knew that much for sure. What he didn't know was what exactly they were or how he was going to kill them.
"What are these things?" Imoen shrieked. "And how are we going to kill them?"

Okay, okay, I smiled a little. I don't know why, but this stupid joke gets me every time.

The things in question are thick-bodied worms with rocklike skin, vaguely humanoid arms and a huge mouth with triangular teeth. The narrative will later identify them as rockworms, fulfilling a promise made by the back cover.

Jaheira continues to be a spellcaster:

Jaheira's voice echoed loudly through the cavern. Abdel under tood only the occasional word. He glanced at her as he spun around to toss the rockworm away from him, and he could see her standing still, eyes closed, chanting what must have been some prayer to her goddess. (...) Another of the monsters snapped at her, and she twitched away. There was something about the movement that looked wrong to Abdel. Jaheira moved just a little faster than he'd known her capable of in the past, and the monster seemed to move more slowly than his companions.

Haste and Slow aren't on the Druid spell list, so I think this is a reflavoured Chant, following actual D&D rules. It's good to see that the author has found a role for Jaheira; Abdel is always going to overshadow her in combat, but buffs/debuffs still let her contribute.

The prayer enables Abdel to pick up one of the rockworms and slam it into the ground, momentarily stunning it.

There was a pained, all-too-human scream from behind him that sent a chill down Abdel's spine. One of his companions had fallen. The scream had an edge of panic in it that Abdel recognized all too well. Whoever it was was sure she was dead.
"Imoen!" Jaheira screamed, then grunted when the worm she was still just trying to avoid lunged at her again and almost found its mark.

Still not a fan of the constant damseling in these books, but at least it wasn't Jaheira this time. Book!Imoen would have very little combat experience, so I have to concede that she'd be the most likely to get rockworm'd.

Abdel stabs his current opponent in the eye, which bursts, and then stabs it to death through its mouth. Ew.

"Abdel!" Jaheira called sharply. "Mine!"
The sellsword burst to his feet, yanking the sword out of the dead creature's gullet and turning in the direction of Jaheira's voice. (...)
The worm twisted, anticipating the attack, but didn't move fast enough to avoid it. The prayer Jaheira had offered up was the obvious source of this welcome advantage.
Abdel's sword lodged into the rocky flesh of the creature's bottom jaw. It too shrieked in pain, and Abdel smiling, as he sawed into the thick hide. The rockworm's lower jaw came off with a pop and a torrent of gray fluid.

The rockworm thrashes as it dies, and Abdel gets hit in the stomach. It doesn't really hurt, but Abdel does get the wind knocked out of him.

Fights in these books are always very visceral, full of bruises and spraying fluids and severed body parts. Athans is good at this sort of thing. Fantasy combat is often prettified or glosses over the more disgusting aspects of combat, but... not here. Back in the first thread, I speculated that this may be Athans making A Point about the Bhaal taint, and I think I'm standing by that.

Speaking of Bhaal, though: Imoen is unwell.

Next to the base of the stone column, Imoen was lying, gasping for breath like a drowning woman. (...)
"By the black gods," Abdel muttered, "she's been... half... eaten."
Imoen's eyes stared up at the darkness above them in mute, twitching agony. Jaheira's voice lifted in a songlike prayer, and Abdel thought he could see a thin, blue-gray glow around the fingers of the hand she now pressed hard into the wound.
Another wave of pain made him stagger backward. Jaheira didn't look up at him. He stepped back, then fell back and rolled away from the women. In the darkness no more than a few paces from him, rockworms began to gather.
Jaheira pulled her hand up suddenly with a shouted last word and her prayer was over, Imoen pulled in one rattling, deep breath and made to sit up. Jaheira, her hand covered in the girl's blood, gently pushed her back down.

Another healing spell! This has to be Cure Medium Wounds at the very least. The narrative treats Jaheira much better than it did in the previous book. I won't say it's good, but it's much more tolerable. She actually gets to do things.

The availability of easy painless healing interacts... oddly with the visceral, back-straining, bone-breaking combat in these books. See, in a good low-fantasy work, the highly lethal nature of combat serves as commentary of sorts. High fantasy is usually a very romantic genre, and low fantasy can be used to deconstruct some of the Glorious Honorable Combat tropes. You can win a fight and still come out a broken man who will spend the rest of his life limping. (Usually a man, because even good low fantasy tends to have issues.)
However, the presence of a Cure Light Wounds spell inherently pushes a work towards romanticism. Taking a sword to the stomach just isn't as harrowing if Jaheira can just shove your guts back in by praying at the wound. I mean, it really sucks for a minute or two, but there aren't any lasting consequences. This book introduces some high-fantasy elements to what was previously trying to be a low-fantasy series. This yields mixed results, but it is kind of interesting.

... anyway, there's a bunch of slimy wiggly rock-things and Abdel swords at some of them. So far so good, yeah? But then Abdel suffers a... momentary relapse.

[Jaheira] spun, realizing in a wave of nauseous dread that she'd lost sight of him in the darkness.
"Abdel?" she called again.
She was answered by an inhuman roar that echoed deafeningly in the confines of the cavern and made the half-elf throw her hands up to her gently pointed ears to keep them from bursting.
"Abdel!" Jaheira screamed, her voice drowned out not only by the ringing in her ears but by the clatter of rockworms—all around her—moving in fast for the kill.
She saw Imoen mouth, "It's happening again."

[Ron Paul IT'S HAPPENING!!! gif]

Get out your party streamers and your paper whistles, because this is the paragraph that's quoted on the inside cover:

Everything that was the essence of Abdel Adrian disappeared into a roiling vortex of rage, bloodlust, and wild, kill-frenzied mania. His body contorted—he could feel that, and it hurt. He was changing again. He didn't know exactly what was happening to him, how it was happening to him, or why it was happening to him. He could feel it and experience it only for the first few moments, then any greater consciousness was replaced by the pure murderous impulses of the Bhaalspawned demon he had become.

This is the second act's big money shot: The Slayer transformation. And it happens during a random encounter. The third random encounter in as many chapters, I should note. I'm not sure if "Bhaalspawned demon" qualifies as a pun or if it's just stupid.

What it's like being a demon, Abdel?

When he squeezed he could feel the rocklike skin puncture, and the thing's blood bathed him. He roared in idiot pleasure[.] (...) He tore through their stony bodies as if they were made of tissue paper. When some of them turned to flee in the face of prey that had turned predator, the Abdel-thing moved quickly behind them. (...) He killed them for the pure joy of it and let not one single rockworm escape alive.
When the last one lay twitching at his transformed feet, pouring its charcoal blood onto the cold floor of the cavern, Abdel screamed again. This time, his voice sounded more like his own, real, human voice, and his body convulsed through a single body-tightening cramp that made his vision blur and flash yellow again. He fell to the floor of the cavern, and his eyes cleared enough to see his hand, and it was starting to look human again.

Having turned back into the Slayer, Abdel easily kills the remaining rockworms. Once again, it's very visceral - crushed bones and squashed organs. Once the rockworms are dead, Abdel collapses, cramping and coughing and shivering.

"Abdel!" he heard Jaheira call, her voice echoing from quite a distance.
He looked up, and with tears streaming down his face, he saw the dull blotch of Imoen's torchlight. It took him several minutes to stand on shaking, cramping legs, but he eventually made his way back to the light.

The writing isn't actually bad here. I'm definitely getting the impression that this was a traumatic experience for Abdel. He's a very physical person. He doesn't have complex emotions like "existential dread," but losing control of his body like that... that shakes him.

But it's just so meaningless. Sure, the rock worms are overpowered, so it's a desparate fight, but it's still just a roll on the encounter table. Abdel turns into the Slayer, cleanly resolves the encounter, then turns back. It's not a fight against his hated vampire-nemesis, and his loved ones are never in danger. For some reason, the author seems hell-bent on lowering the stakes of the conflict, and that's weird.

They pull themselves together after this, and continue travelling. They don't make much headway.

There was no passage of time, save for the rhythmic drips of water or the occasional fall of pebbles. Abdel had no idea how long they'd been down there. (...)
The nature-worshiping Jaheira just seemed tired all the time. She prayed to Mielikki, and her prayers were answered, though it was an unlikely place to feel the touch of the Lady of the Forest. (...)
Imoen was as uncomfortable underground as any surface dweller. Even before she was nearly killed by the rockworm, she was always looking over her shoulder, sensitive to every random noise or shift in the cool subterranean breeze.
They rested again, and Imoen, who had been able to walk only with the help of either Abdel or Jaheira, had fallen into a deep sleep. Jaheira gathered mushrooms. Only she had some idea which might be edible and which deadly poison.

Without the sun to mark the passage of time, they just travel whenever and rest whenever. None of them really feel like talking. Eventually, the silence gets too much for Abdel, and he opens up to Jaheira during a nice meal of Grilled Mushroom with Grilled Mushrooms.

"That necromancer—or whatever he is—did something to me," Abdel said. I’d be happy to let him go wherever he's going in peace—at least if it meant I could climb out of this hole once and for all—but he—"
"He has plans for you," Jaheira told him with obvious certainty. "He must have plans for you both. If he's going to attack Suldanessellar for some reason, maybe he intends to use you as a kind of weapon."

This is presented as speculation, but I'll go ahead and confirm it, since it isn't much of a spoiler anyway. Jaheira is exactly right - Irenicus intends to use the Bhaalspawn as glorified siege weapons. As far as evil plans go, this one is pretty straightforward.

"But you said he couldn't control us, me and Imoen," Abdel said, nodding at the sleeping girl. "What does he mean to do... get me to go there, then get me angry? Let me ravage the place in the form of some... whatever it is?"
Jaheira shrugged, her face a dark mask of fear. “That could be enough." She shuddered visibly[.]

... sooooooo why are you travelling to Suldanessellar, again? If you think that Irenicus intends to use you as a weapon against Suldanessellar, you could try not being near Suldanessellar. Jaheira clearly has contacts in the place, if not through the Harpers then certainly through her druidic order. You could warn the city through one of those channels, then leg it to Candlekeep. There's no immediate pressure here. Irenicus has no power over you right now.

Eh. Stupid railroad plot.

There is one more topic to discuss:

"You never told me how you found us," Jaheira said. "How did you know to come to that madhouse?"
"It was Bodhi..." Abdel blushed and turned away. He hadn't considered... but that had just been a dream, hadn't it? He hadn't really touched Bodhi that way, been touched that way by ... (...)
"Vampires have certain powers, Abdel," she said. He shook his head in answer, but she continued, "You weren't necessarily—"
"Stop," he said, too loudly. "Please."
"We should take advantage of Imoen's need for rest," she said, not looking at him, "and rest ourselves."
Abdel nodded, but neither he nor Jaheira moved for a long time.

This isn't the worst possible way that could've been handled. It's also all we're getting, so... that's good, I guess.

Up next: The Underdark.

Spoiler: The game

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Last time, we passed Spellhold's mental health... thing. Today, we finally confront Irenicus. I hope you've all enjoyed the thread, because we're about to resolve this conflict once and for all.


Screenshot

The stairs lead back into the ritual chamber, where we meet an old... well...


Screenshot

Not "friend," really. Acquaintance, perhaps, but mostly in the way that you're acquainted with a pebble in your boot.

SAEMON: There you are. I see that you have weathered the storms of this place with reasonable pluck and health. It does me good to see you alive.
CHARNAME: I face treachery at every turn! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you!
SAEMON: Such hostility, and I wager it is well earned. It is, however, misdirected. I do not wish to be your enemy here.
SAEMON: Irenicus pushes ever forward, though I cannot see how I will profit. The blade he gave me is hardly compensation. Better that this place were free for the looting.
SAEMON: I offer advice to foster a trust, and you may determine the value as you wish. It is simple enough for the moment, and will save you in the long run.
CHARNAME: Make your words count. They will determine your lifespan.
SAEMON: Irenicus is a power, indeed. I have seen no chips in his armor of spells. You would need an army to face him, and I suggest that there is one to be had.
SAEMON: The inmates of this place are a resource to be tapped. Release them and their anger and frustrations will strike at Irenicus.
SAEMON: That is my suggestion, and I leave the workings of it to you. Upstairs your army awaits. Use it, or you will perish.
JAHEIRA: As much as I should not trust his advice, he may have a point, <CHARNAME>. There are powerful mages above who may be the difference between life and death.
VICONIA: I am loathe to listen too closely to the words of the human, but his advice may be wise. Let us at least see if these mad wizards can be released... and harnessed.


Journal entry:
Escaping the Asylum

After the maze I encountered Saemon Havarian again. I don't know if I can trust him, but he seemed genuine in abandoning Irenicus' unprofitable plans. He offered advice: if I am to challenge Irenicus I will need an army, and there is one to be had in the asylum... the captive mages. Of course I would be mad to free them, but he may have a point. Saemon left before I could question him further.

Saemon then vanishes before you can sword him. Well... I hate to say it, but this is an interesting idea. There's a lot of magic power floating around upstairs; we could point it at Irenicus. I don't think the inmates are overly fond of their Coordinator.

(You don't actually have a choice here; if you confront Irenicus without help, he just kills your party in cutscene mode.)

Let's explore this level, then head upstairs. We can at least have a chat with the locals.


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This portal seems interesting, but the game makes it very clear that we're not going there yet. Maybe later.


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Hey, what's this?


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It seems that some of CHARNAME's compulsive journaling has rubbed off on Irenicus.

No doubt these texts will prove to be an embarrassing legacy, but I must order my thoughts herein, lest they spill from my accursed mind.

Spellhold is in my control. Once recovered from my torpor I made short work of what defenses there were. Coordinator Wanev conveniently removed himself, suffering a peculiar reaction to a spell of mine. I forget what it was; perhaps something I heard in the temples of Suldanessellar... does it even matter now?

My condition grows worse, and what I remember of my 'home' is fleeting. I see images of family whose names I cannot recall, and dream of emotions I no longer feel as vividly. On occasion I sense nature as if she is my mother, as though never removed from her bosom, but such moments are few. I bear the hallmarks of senility with the rage and power of a young elf to lament it.

Bodhi endured the curse much better than I do now, but she was more focused and, more importantly, undead. She is now thoroughly seduced by her vampiric condition, despite its previous failure to counteract the death sentence she was under. She had embraced her mortality, excited by the urgency of it, but now she is confused. Imoen's soul has restored her, but her motives remain transparent, even simplistic. She revels in her carnal nature, even as the elf within despises the creature she has become.

I would pity my 'sister' if I was capable, but emotions come to me only in violent outbursts. Ellesime has taken my ability to truly feel, and I am left with the threadbare heart of a human, or some other short-lived vermin. I will not suffer this much longer.

Spellhold has met my needs quite well. They had made a practice of experimenting on inmates here for quite some time, though in a barbaric fashion. I refined their instruments, and have finished preparing the necessary rituals. I am quite through with Imoen, though she can still serve as bait. I am certain <CHARNAME> will make an appearance sooner or later.

Bodhi has delivered more assassins than I had asked for. I disposed of some in advance, but it seems such a waste. I think she has done this on purpose, as she has taken to releasing the extras in the maze below and hunting at her leisure. I marvel at her hunger, and how she seems so *alive* in her undeath. Perhaps it is the soul of Imoen. Soon I shall see for myself. <CHARNAME> had best hurry.

This is a real Baldur's Gate 1 moment - not only is there a lot of really important information hidden in this text dump, the journal is also found in a random barrel in a little side-room.
We learn a little about Irenicus' backstory and goals - he's from Suldanessellar, he used to be an elf, and he's incredibly angry at someone named Ellesime. The process of taking over Spellhold isn't described with a lot of detail, which is probably for the best. (Wanev and Perth, at the very least, should've been real obstacles.) He also holds secret contempt for his sister Bodhi, even as he relies on her to do his errands. Irenicus is a real mess.

Not quite sure why he needs our soul, exactly, or what his next steps are, but we can beat that information out of him later. For now, we have an angry mob to rally.


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Don't try my patience, little man. You don't wa̴nt this.

LONK: What? What are you doing here? You should be in your cells with the rest of the wackos! Lonk the sane takes care of you, but you had better show respect!
LONK: Everyone gets locked down tonight. Too many people getting agitated. Always happens when the boss experiments. Makes them angry, I guess.
CHARNAME: Makes them angry, does it? What would happen if they got loose?
LONK: You're one of them, what would you do? Individually they can be bullied around, but all together? They get too excited to control!
CHARNAME: What would it be worth to get you to release them?
LONK: Worth to me? How much is a life going for these days? That new director Irenicus would have me quartered in his experiments. He's done it before.
CHARNAME: How about 2000 gold. Is that worth it?
LONK: 2000! That's... that's a fortune! I could get pretty far on that... yes sir...hmmm.
CHARNAME: Alright, if you want them out so bad, I'll let them out. I'd better head straight for the docks and get out myself though. Irenicus is going to be incensed.

... oh! Well, it's nice to see corruption working in our favour for once. Lonk gathers the inmates, then runs off.

Let's take stock of our army.


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I am already regretting this!

DILI: Tonight I am someone free? What face should I wear for this?
TIAX: You will wear what face Tiax orders! Today he rules all!
DRADEEL: Silence yourself, diminutive one! Do you not hear the howling! Around on all sides they are!
TIAX: You will regret the day you crossed the will of Tiax! My conquest of all is not something to be mocked!
APHRIT: Is that the rule of all you survey, or beyond? What of those that walk inside, and around, and through? That stand where you stand now?
TIAX: None stand where Tiax stands, lest he walk atop them!
APHRIT: As I see you do now, and beneath others. Do you not see? See them inside and behind and beyond!
NALJIER: N-no... you speak too much of what can be seen... I wish to see only my pretties again... I won't look too far, I promise...
TIAX: Bah! Tiax is surrounded by fools and madmen! Who is to blame for this outrage? Whom shall Tiax smite!
CHARNAME: Settle down, all of you. If you want out of here we have to confront Irenicus!
DILI: Irenicus? I... I took his face once. His punishment was...
NALJIER: To look at him is to see too far... I cannot look to him...
APHRIT: He is cold through all the planes... none walk where he does, though they see him not.
DRADEEL: I would prefer to face the dogs of fire themselves! This Irenicus is surely a tool of the Gibbering Twelve!

The voice-acting continues to be great. Dili is innocent and a little lost; Tiax tries to sound badass but fails; Dradeel is very high-strung and his voice keeps wavering. Aphrit is shaky and always seems on the edge of panic. Naljier just sounds pleading. And Wanev... well...


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Wanev experiences a sudden moment of clarity.

WANEV: Heheheeee... he did this... He did this! I will... We must find him! He is the cause! He is the one that brings the tests!
WANEV: I will not rest until his head is mine and mine and mine alone!
CHARNAME: He has tortured the lot of you! Aid yourselves and help me defeat him!
TIAX: Tiax shall face him alone! Tiax judges you not worthy of helping him! Though you may watch if you wish!


Journal entry:
Escaping the Asylum

I have set the inmates free and goaded them into turning on Irenicus. They have gone downstairs en masse, and I will have to move quickly to catch up to them. Hopefully this will be enough to defeat the wizard... but I have the feeling this is far, far from over.

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Wanev then teleports us downstairs.


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Irenicus is annoyed at the interruption, which is his default response to absolutely everything, but he's also mildly surprised for once.

IRENICUS: What is this? You have released all of my test subjects? How wonderfully mad of you. I didn't expect this in the least, so dangerously risky it is.
CHARNAME: I don't need them, but I thought it fitting that those you tortured help in your fall!
IRENICUS: As over-eager as ever, but your boasting is wasted on me. You are no threat, not even with your army of madness.
IRENICUS: Your fate has been sealed with the curse I transferred to you. I have the souls from both you and Imoen, and they have healed Bodhi and myself. You will die in our place, or worse.
IRENICUS: Bodhi tells me you have exhibited a... transformation. With your will slowly fading perhaps the essence of Bhaal will rise to take you. That would be a sight, I am sure.
WANEV: I'll take back what is mine now! I'll take it back! You perverted this place and I'll take it back!
IRENICUS: You tortured those here long before I arrived. I merely had more purpose to do it. Bah, I speak with madmen when I should be at my revenge!
MINSC: Yes! Revenge! Revenge for precious Dynaheir! Tremble, wizard, for the mighty Boo will have your eyes!! RAAAARRRRGHH!!
JAHEIRA: What revenge do *you* have, wizard? You killed my Khalid with no more thought than one would give to a fly! I shall have *my* revenge! Nature's fury shall strike you down!
IMOEN: You... you used me! You tore apart my soul and then you ripped it from me!! I'll kill you for that, Irenicus! I'll kill you!!
IRENICUS: Bah! Your pathetic mewlings mean even less to me than <CHARNAME>'s!
IRENICUS: Die! All of you! I have restored myself and will work my revenge without your interference!

Here we g̛ơ. Draw steel - this ends today!


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This battle is a chaotic mess. It's difficult to do this justice with screenshots, but it's quite intense. (The Mages & Murderdads boys have some footage of the battle, if you're interested.)

Here's how it goes: Irenicus takse an Insect Plague and a couple of Melf's Magic Meteors to the face while our backup mages drop some buffs.

Irenicus then summons clones of your party, Mirror of Opposition-style. That may sound dangerous, but they have no equipment and (I think) no abilities. I tend to ignore them, because...


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... Wanev knows Time Stop, Symbol (Stun), Symbol (Fear) ...


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... and Wail of the Banshee. Wanev alone invalidates the evil party.

This fight is spectacular and visually impressive, and also pretty easy. Not all the inmates contribute as much as Wanev does, but they are a huge help.


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The mad wizard falls!

IRENICUS: Damn you all, why do I fight over this place when my plans may be laid anywhere! I must start anew!
IRENICUS: Have your victory here then, but know that you are dying on the inside even now! Many will join you before I am done! My home will feel my wrath!
IRENICUS: Here! Fight amongst the mindless assassins I would sacrifice! I shall find others to serve my needs! This place is yours! I hope it is your tomb!


Journal entry:
Escaping the Asylum

Irenicus saw no point in fighting over the asylum now that the ritual on me has been completed. His 'plans' can apparently be done anywhere, and so he left with my soul, and Imoen's. He has released the assassins he had enspelled, making this a real madhouse. I must flee this place and find some way off of this island!

... well, the mad wizard has been inconvenienced.

Irenicus quickly teleports away, narrowly escaping death. Our allies drop dead for some reason, and the assassins show up.

Hey, don't we know this guy?


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Hi, Yoshimo. I'm revoking your Gorion's ReWards loyalty card, just FYI.

YOSHIMO: There you are, I see. Why do you continue? You are dead inside already. Irenicus has seen to it. I am left to finish your physical shell.
CHARNAME: He will not succeed in the end. You should reconsider your allegiance to him.
YOSHIMO: I can't fight it, <CHARNAME>, I can't. I was in his service first, and all those that follow him must undergo a Geas. I was willing at the time... but now...
YOSHIMO: Do you... do you know what happens when you try to defy a Geas? It hurts... It hurts and then you die. His spells are powerful, <CHARNAME>, so powerful.
CHARNAME: I will help you. This does not have to be like this.
YOSHIMO: I believe it does... I can wither and die for failing to kill you, or I can fall in battle, and pray that my heart will find purchase with Ilmater.
YOSHIMO: No redemptions or second chances, let us get this over with! I stride into the hell that Irenicus promised! Ilmater take my heart, I have no choice!

A geas is a magically-enforced oath. If you don't take Yoshimo along to Spellhold, he'll move to the Copper Coronet. Go to the Copper Coronet, and you get to see him explode into bloody chunks, because he failed the geas. You can't get rid of a geas except for fulfilling its conditions. (Well, there's the usual "Miracle or Wish" escape clause, but that isn't super realistic.)


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Ilmater is a forgiving guy, but I'm pretty sure that "refusing to attack and taking the magical backlash" is a course of action he'd be more likely to approve.

However, Yoshimo attacks alongside some anonymous Murderers. They love their sneak attacks, so True Seeing goes a long way here.


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He also drops a special item. This is part of a sidequest. Ick.


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Nothing left to do down here. We shouldn't linger.


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Our old guy-we-know is here. He has something to say, but hold that thought for a second, there's something very important up here.


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Yoink!

Second Journal of Jon Irenicus

Victory! I am restored! <CHARNAME> has given exactly what I needed, exactly as I demanded, and now I see where Bodhi has found such fire! I feel the essence of the gods within me! Damn Ellesime's curse for the weak minded spell that it was; now I am free. <CHARNAME> did not make proper use of the heritage given <PRO_HIMHER>.

Now comes the time of retribution. I will not allow such a crime to go unpunished. The audacity of Ellesime, claiming my punishment was just, and the hypocrisy of 'my' people, accepting such an act while decrying mine. I will not let this rest. I will take what I intended, and those that would stand before me will fall as they should. Today is a much better day. I will act at my leisure.

There is a Third Journal of Jon Irenicus in the game assets, which has an icon and an item code, but unfortunately it just says "The plan to come, about drow and stuff." So this is all of the exposition we're getting for now. It appears that Irenicus is going to Suldanessellar next, to do... something... as revenge for his "punishment."

Alright. What did you want, Saemon?


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... have you been watching us?

SAEMON: Gone and off like the shadow flees the morn. You aren't going to let him fall away so easy, are you?
CHARNAME: I ruined his plans for the moment, but he has escaped with my soul. I intend to follow him.
SAEMON: Truly admirable goal, and I would aid you if you permit it. You may view me with suspicion, but please take a moment to see my situation for what it is.
SAEMON: It is true that Bodhi employed me, but she is fled now, and I owe her 'brother' no loyalty. The trinket blade they gave is nice, but I have other needs.
SAEMON: Besides, I know a little of his plans through a peek or two at his journal. It's little enough, but I figure we're all in trouble if he isn't stopped.
IMOEN: I don't see why we should suddenly trust you. That certainly wasn't any risk... why are you so scared of Irenicus' plans now? He's said nothing of them.
SAEMON: No doubt he feels a villain is always undone in the exposition. I cannot say I blame him. I have many a dead friend that boasted when silence would have served.
SAEMON: From what I saw of his journal and from overhearing chats with Bodhi, I know his destination to be an elven city in the Forest of Tethir... Suldanessellar.
SAEMON: What he plans on doing there, exactly, I don't know, but he seems to expect to become more powerful than anything... than the gods even, and that can't be good.
AERIE: Suldanessellar... it... it sounds familiar. It is the high elven city, but I don't know what Irenicus would want with it. But... he obviously can't be allowed to succeed.
SAEMON: So I will offer my service to you, in the hopes that we can benefit one another. I'm sure you can understand the motives of self-preservation.
CHARNAME: So you propose an allegiance? I only see a benefit for you in this.
SAEMON: Of course I would not impose this upon you without a proper offering of peace. Let me first inform you of the ways you may escape this place.
SAEMON: Irenicus left by a magic portal... it could be trapped, and it may even lead into the Underdark. Not a safe place to go.
SAEMON: He sealed the doors, but I think I can get us to the surface. I suggest we go back to my ship. I know where he's *headed*... we may even cut him off.
CHARNAME: That seems convenient. What is the catch?
SAEMON: There are no secret conditions on my help. I merely seek your friendship, or at least your pardon. I require allies if I am to survive.
VICONIA: I have no eagerness to return to my home realm, <CHARNAME>. I am unwelcome there. I say let us take the ship the pirate offers rather than brave its depths so lightly.
AERIE: The... the Underdark? No... no! I cannot go there! You do not understand, it is death for my kind! No Avariel has ever traveled the depths!!
AERIE: Please, <CHARNAME>, let us take the ship! But... but Irenicus must be stopped, too. If... if you think it best to go into the Underdark... Baervan protect me, I will go, too...
IMOEN: I don't care which route we take. I want my... my soul back. And I want Irenicus to suffer for what he's done!
SAEMON: So, will you try the portal or accompany me to the surface? Perhaps I will throw in the blade I was paid, to show you my good intent.

Journal entry:
Escaping the Asylum

I released the inmates of the asylum and drove Irenicus off, but I will have to follow. He still has Imoen's soul, and mine. According to Saemon Havarian, Irenicus has plans in an elven city called Suldanessellar. The traitor offered to take me to the Forest of Tethir on his ship but I don't trust him.

The way Saemon explains his offer makes sense, really. Do we really want to take our chances with the portal? The Underdark is a horrible place, and I've no desire to go there. (Partially because umber hulks are really quite annoying to fight.) We know Irenicus is going to Suldanessellar, and we can cut him off. Saemon has given us good advice before, and the diaries we found confirmed his story.

Can we not trust our good, rueful, redemption-seeking pirate friend?

Hmmm...


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Yeah no.

Spoiler: Comparison and commentary

Show

So we are finally done with Spellhold, and we're about to depart for the Underdark proper. We'll have a lot to talk about once we get there, so now's a good time to take a step back and take a look at the overall arc of the plot.

So... Irenicus and his plan, yeah? We've been punting the topic down the line for a few chapters now. There are still a lot of question marks remaining, but we now know the overall shape of things.
Game!Irenicus had his sister abduct Team CHARNAME some time after the events of the first game. He tortured Imoen and CHARNAME over the course of weeks or months while his sister, Bodhi, waged a turf war against the local Shadow Thieves. Eventually this caused the Shadow Thieves to attack the compound, allowing CHARNAME and company to flee. We stumbled into a chaotic melee, which ended with Imoen and Irenicus being detained by the Cowled Wizards. They were taken to Spellhold, a blacksite prison on a small island somewhere near the edge of Amn's sphere of influence. We rounded up some allies and were taken to Spellhold by a less-than-trustworthy pirate captain, arriving to find Irenicus in charge of the place and Imoen a mere shadow of her former self. He knocked us out, stole CHARNAME's soul, and then threw us into the garbage. We managed to survive the metaphorical garbage disposal, but in the process, something very bad started to happen within us. Without their soul, CHARNAME is collapsing in on themselves, and in an encounter with Bodhi, the taint just... took over. We are very much on a clock here. We struck back at Irenicus, but he escaped to the Underdark through a portal. We know from his journals that he's planning to assault the elven city of Suldanessellar to take revenge for something, now that he has his strength back. His ultimate goal is still opaque, but it's quite bad. We'll learn the details once we get back to the surface.
Book!Irenicus was subcontracted by the Shadow Thieves to abduct Team Abdel less than a day after the events of the first novel. He held on to them for too long, though, so the Shadow Thieves attacked the compound, allowing Abdel and company to flee. The guard arrested Irenicus. He pretended to be mad, so he was taken to an asylum just off the coast of Athkatla. Irenicus took over, and had Bodhi move the abducted Imoen and Jaheira over, with the intent of luring Abdel over. Bodhi told Abdel to go kill a dude and then rent a rowboat, so that's what Abdel did. In the meantime, Irenicus told a minotaur he's planning to attack an elven city by the name of Suldanessellar. Once Abdel was captured, Irenicus performed a ritual of some kind, which transformed Abdel and Imoen into demons. His cronies were slain, but the asylum has a tunnel leading straight to the Underdark, through which Irenicus escaped. Abdel suffered a demonic relapse while fighting some rockworms, suggesting that this isn't over yet. Irenicus plans to use this demonic transformation to attack Suldanessellar... somehow. There are no hints on why he's doing this or how. We'll learn the details somewhere around Chapter 20.

So it goes without saying that the book fails at being a faithful adaptation of the game. That's already out the window. We're kind of following the broad strokes, but no more than that, and the details are obviously different.
For some reason, Athans seems violently opposed to letting his characters understand the plot. Abdel has literally never had a conversation with Irenicus, and Irenicus is playing his cards very close to his chest (unless around minotaurs.) I get that you don't want to have too much exposition, but this kind of goes too far.

Also, the whole soul thing? Yeah that totally changes the context of the plot. Game!Irenicus and Game!Bodhi were dying. They had their own souls taken, somehow, and they were rapidly withering away. They had to take CHARNAME's and Imoen's souls to survive, and to gain power for themselves. Their real goal was always in Suldanessellar, though. As far as Irenicus is concerned, you are no longer relevant once your soul is taken; you are free to go and die in a ditch at your convenience. Very bad things are happening now that your soul is gone, but that wasn't even Irenicus' goal. You were but a stepping stone on Irenicus' path to greatness.
Book!Irenicus is a different story entirely. He doesn't seem to be suffering from any kind of curse, unless you count ambition. Irenicus' plan does involve a wacky Bhaalspawn-based polymorph spell, and he seems to be planning to use it as a weapon of some kind, but it's... not nearly as intrusive as the soul thing, and it somehow manages to make even less sense. He is a lesser villain in every sense of the word - less threatening, less cruel, less interesting, less memorable. Less well-written.

The two vary in personality as well, though it's a little more subtle. Game!Irenicus is a complete monster - we got a good look at his torture-dungeon, back in 2017. He's cold, arrogant and aloof, and he's completely dismissive of CHARNAME and company. The only emotion he really expresses is outrage when some insect like you dares to get in the way of his revenge and his ascension. Worse yet, he has the intelligence and arcane prowess to back this up. As I said above, you are but a stepping stone to him. At least with Sarevok, it was kind of a personal thing, you know?
Book!Irenicus only shares some of these characteristics. We never saw much of his compound, but he did employ a torturer on loan from the Shadow Thieves. But he's just... flatter than his game counterpart, ultimately. He's less flamboyant, and he seems like he could actually get through a normal conversation, but that's not exactly a positive. He's a lot more generic than Game!Irenicus, his plans are simpler and less ambitious, and - for some reason - he really enjoys annoying people. He's not laughable by any means, but he's also just... not nearly as scary. The game -> book transition didn't do as much damage to this character as to (say) Minsc or Saemon, but it still doesn't look good. He has far less of a presence in the plot and there's no sense of impeding doom hanging over our protagonists. The next chapter will kind of put a capstone on this, by having Abdel express (reasonable) doubt that Irenicus' ritual was even responsible for the transformation. That's not something you could ever say about the game's Irenicus.

In all fairness, it was always going to be difficult to portray Irenicus well. A lot of the character's appeal comes from the outlandish character design and David Warner's excellent voice acting job, and Chateau Irenicus introduces us to his scrambled psyche in a way that's very difficult to replicate in a non-interactive medium. A skilled author can pull this off, but... it's probably not a job you want to give to a rookie. (Fun fact: There hasn't been a physical description of Book!Irenicus. I couldn't tell you what he looks like.)

We'll return to this topic once we get to Suldanessellar. For now, we have a big ol' cave to explore. Back in the day, the drow were absolutely infamous because of how badly some authors handled their whole sexual... everything. A lot of really bad authors were writing about drow back in the early 2000s, when Drizzt Do'Urden was near the peak of his popularity. Given that the author of this book was a recent immigrant from the Semi-Elemental Plane of Everything Bad About the 1990s... well... this could be interesting.

There's a relatively straightforward AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION here: The Sahuagin city! This is a semi-hidden, semi-secret bonus chapter you can access if you do Saemon's quest line. We won't be able to visit the place during the Let's Play segment, so I'd suggest that as a topic of discussion.

Do you usually like to visit it, or do you not bother? Did you stumble over it during your first playthrough, or did that happen later? I only went there after being told it existed, which was during my third attempt to play through the game, and it blew my tiny mind. The city has a pretty neat design, and it's different from anything else in the game. To have something like that just exist, easily missed and without any hints it exists... it was amazing. The city itself is a bit barebones, and the plot seems to be aware of that (three different High Priestesses?) but it was still cool to see. Mostly unique assets too. How do you feel about it?

(Also, frankly, I think the plot of Chapter V makes a lot more sense if you visit the City-of-Caverns. There's an upcoming cutscene that works much better with a small time skip. But that's neither here nor there.)