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

[Kish]

Irenicus has a prepared Wish that can kill six people; you can see it in the combat text if you confront him alone and look before you get the dissolving pink hand. If you bring the prisoners to help fight him, it gets used on them instead of on you.

[Guancyto]

I don't think I've ever not done the City-of-Caverns, the loot there is obscenely good (Cloak of Deflection used to return all spell damage instead of just absorbing it) and there's a vendor there who will buy your items at vastly inflated prices (if you've got max discount from reputation and charisma, she will buy for more than she sells for). Also, the Spectator Beholder was a hidden gem, and I liked the music and atmosphere.

[Honest Tiefling]

I agree with Gauncyto. The loot is simply fantastic enough on its own to try.

But I think the whole thing does something a lot of games don't: Make your choices matter. Do you go through the weird portal thingy, or do you go to the obvious smug snake? Sure, it doesn't quite go as planned, but there is a difference between the two routes, as well as reasons to do one over the other. Neither path is completely idiotic or stupid evil, which is also a nice touch.

[Kish]

I'd find it more impressive if there was actually an area through the portal that you didn't get to by going with Saemon, instead of that just meaning you skip to after the City of Caverns. "Do you want to skip this part of the game, y/n?" isn't really what I call a meaningful choice.

[Guancyto]

Not necessarily even another area, but it would make sense to have some sort of advantage in the Underdark from being right on Irenicus' tail instead of trying to get ahead of him and winding up behind. Maybe longer time limits on the Ust Natha quests?

Edit: Admittedly I've only ever hit any of those time limits once, trying to get through the Mind Flayer city exclusively by summoning undead and resting, so...

[Spore]

The Sahuagin city was weird to be honest. You are in the middle of your character's story arc. Everything is on the line, time is of the essence, and you go venture in a fish people city? What? Other than that, just two comments.

1) Cursing Irenicus with slowly dying from a curse seems needlessly cruel and complicated. Why not just execute him? Death and killing are part of nature.

2) Irenicus lacks ANY motivation to ruin anyone's day in the book. I think I'll choke on my words here but Book-Sarevok was a better villain than Book-Irenicus. So far, at least.

[Keltest]

The Sahuagin city was weird to be honest. You are in the middle of your character's story arc. Everything is on the line, time is of the essence, and you go venture in a fish people city? What? Other than that, just two comments.

1) Cursing Irenicus with slowly dying from a curse seems needlessly cruel and complicated. Why not just execute him? Death and killing are part of nature.

Two reasons. One, elves don't like to kill, period, ever. They just don't. It was a technicality the queen used to avoid outright killing him.

The second is that elves in the Forgotten Realms have a specific afterlife waiting for them, where they continue more or less as themselves. Removing his soul and making him die in this manner bars him from it. He is, basically, barred from Elvendom in every manner.

[Kish]

It's not like the game doesn't answer this (and the answer it gives is that Ellesime hoped Joneleth would reform, not either of the ones provided by Keltest).

[Keltest]

It's not like the game doesn't answer this (and the answer it gives is that Ellesime hoped Joneleth would reform, not either of the ones provided by Keltest).

Given that she outright removes his ability to feel remorse or other positive feelings, its rather implied that she is lying to herself. And the game also makes it clear that stripping him of his elvendom was a deliberate part of the punishment.

[Mordokai]

I'm kinda sad you decided to skip City of Caverns, to be honest. It's probably one of my favourite areas in the game and the loot has little to do with it, great as it may be. I just love the atmosphere, the music and, most of all, the Spectator beholder That guy always cracks me up. It's just a neat area.

I found it on my first playthrough and have accessed it every time since. Back in the day, it meant postponing Underdark for as long as possible. As a prepubescent male, I had this vastly inflated(and, obviously, mistaken) idea of the importance of my gender and seeing the matriarchy of Ust Natha, well... it was depressing to me. Compound that with all the bleakness of the environment and yeah, I was none too happy about going to Underdark.

Since then, I have grown up(or maybe just got older ), but I still don't really care for Underdark. Too many beholders and, above all, too many of them squidly head things(yes, I'm talking about mind flayers). It's just not a favourite area of mine, by and standard.

[Guancyto]

Given that she outright removes his ability to feel remorse or other positive feelings, its rather implied that she is lying to herself. And the game also makes it clear that stripping him of his elvendom was a deliberate part of the punishment.

Well, that brings up an interesting question. Was that on purpose, or was that a side effect of stripping everything 'elven' away from him?

Would it be even a little bit out of character for a bunch of elves in the most arrogant, insular elven community in the world to go, "well, humans have nothing elven about them and they seem to get along just fine (for a bunch of barely sentient monkeys), so we'll strip everything elven out of this criminal and he'll basically wind up human, probably, and if he doesn't it will surely work itself out because he has a mayfly lifespan now and there's no problem we can't solve by outliving it"?

Ellisime isn't a monster, she... well, let's let Alucard field this one.


(You also have to wonder how much of Irenicus' description of his mental condition is literally the case and how much of it is him being poetic and melodramatic because he's let his curse destroy him emotionally - you'll notice that he doesn't up and get his positive emotions back when he takes CHARNAME's soul and breaks the curse, he's just way more fired-up about all the murder and revenge he's going to get. His self-narrative is the only description we really get of the curse's nitty-gritty effects, and even as intelligent as he is I suspect he is not even a little bit objective about it. It's also stated outright in the first journal entry that he's going senile as he nears the end of his 'human' lifespan - how much of his mental degeneration is specifically targeted by his curse and how much of it is just... his mind is going and he's built a narrative around those pieces of his mind he's managed to keep?)

[Maryring]

I haaaaate the elves. And Ellesime. And Suldanessellar. And every darn elf from there you meet prior to actually getting into the city. I never force attack anyone, but oh how I want to make an exception for the elves you meet as you flee from the underdark. And of course those are the ones you can't hurt. Because the solution to making such unlikeable ***** is to make them instakill you. Good lord how that part of the game made me angry.

Ahem. But enough about how Suldanessellar is the worst with the worst queen ever. Personally I always go through the City-Of-Caverns. The Spectator and the imps are fun to play around with, the city has a lot of good loot, and Imoen needs some XP to get properly into gear as we reach for the Underdork.

Two reasons. One, elves don't like to kill, period, ever. They just don't. It was a technicality the queen used to avoid outright killing him.

Except, of course, non-elves. They can be killed and sacrificed en-masse. It's totally not a problem to throw a murderous archmage into their midsts and not even warn them. Who cares about non-elves.

[Keltest]

Except, of course, non-elves. They can be killed and sacrificed en-masse. It's totally not a problem to throw a murderous archmage into their midsts and not even warn them. Who cares about non-elves.

From what I understand, Irenicus wasn't murderous or super sociopathic before his exile, just power hungry and ambitious. Still not a great combination, but not one inherently likely to result in the unprovoked destruction of multiple city blocks or anything, especially in the Forgotten Realms where every third hamlet has at least three retired adventurers and every city has one or more archmagi on staff. Plus, you know, he was going to die in a few decades of "natural" causes anyway.

[Maryring]

No. He was a super-murderous sociopath before he was exiled. He was exiled BECAUSE he was a super-murderous sociopath who was willing to sacrifice their connection to the elven afterlife for his own power-lust.

And "besides he was gonna die in a few decades anyway" is not an excuse. If anything it's an aknowledgement that you're giving someone a lot of time to do more havoc. It's the equivalent of saying "Oh sure, Lex Luthor may have tried to destroy Metropolis, but it's okay, we'll just put a collar around his neck that'll explode in a year and then send him to Europe. What's the worst that can happen?"

[Calemyr]

On Irenicus/Ellesime: As Jonaleth, Irenicus was ambitious and pushed that ambition too far - committing extremely destructive acts in order to get more power, with Sister Bodhi urging him on at every turn. He could have destroyed the elven gods if he'd succeeded in his experiments, though I doubt that was a goal at the time.

Of course the elves don't like killing people - it's morally questionable and practically unreliable in a world where resurrection is so darn cheap. You don't even have to travel the world looking for star-marked crystalline spheres... More to the point, however, Jonaleth was Ellesime's main squeeze at the time, making her want to kill him even less. So she gave him a curse that should have removed him as a threat while giving him ample opportunity to explore the mistakes he made and redeem himself. Unfortunately, she too is an elf, and didn't understand what happens to humans in old age, rendering Jon Irenicus every bit as intelligent as he ever was, more driven than he ever was, and trapped in a spiral of escalating frustration and diminishing emotional control. Now he wants that power, the destruction of his homeland, and the death of the gods is a perk rather than an undesirable side-effect.

So yeah, through a mixture of ignorance, arrogance, and love, Ellesime created the Shattered One by accident.

On the Sahuagin side story: Yeah, I always go for it. Largely, this is because my vision of the main character is as someone who tends to focus on the goal without thinking about the fiddly bits on the edges. That's how they manage to get blind-sided so often - such as Yoshimo, Firkraag, and even getting fingered by Gaelan Bayle (my versions of the character always tries to play that meeting aloof but ultimately slips up when Imoen is mentioned). Getting to Suldanessalar before Irenicus and repelling him before he can even touch the forest would be ideal, even if it involves gambling on a Saemon. That said, Saemon is a weasel and all but trades pretty fairly (except for as a backup if Yoshimo isn't handy). If the githyanki hadn't chosen that moment to attack, I fully believe he would have dropped us off in Athkatla and happily sailed off for new trouble. But, since they were likely to, Saemon sets you up take the fall instead of him in the case they do show up.

Outside of RPing it, the side story has some great things. I love the Spectator portion, particularly the Spectator itself, with the two of you working out a way to weasel out of his orders.
Charname: Did he specifically say this chest?
Spectator: Well, no. He did scream "My chest!", but he had a spear through the rib cage at the time...

It also has a nice payoff in Throne of Bhaal with the Spectator appearing in another dungeon, greeting you cheerfully, and casually mentioning an ironclad certainty that you were going to butcher its summoner and all their friends and the sooner it happens the sooner it could go home. Ah, it's nice to have friends you can believe in..

The extremely generous merchant and unique items like the Rod of Lordly Might aside, the plot of the side story was pretty decent: a paranoid king so fond of sacrificing his subjects that his kingdom's viability was failing, and a rebel prince who was not a nice guy but at least realized a king needed a working kingdom to remain a king. Honestly it's hard to say whether placing a competent leader on the throne is a good thing, perhaps it would be better to leave the maniac in charge until the kingdom collapses and and they never become a threat to the surface again...

Besides which, any opportunity given to let the main character out-think and out-maneuver everyone around them is an opportunity I am likely to take. I like guile heroes, and dancing on the razor's edge in order to play two royal nitwits against each other is always fun..

[NRSASD]

I found it the first time by accident and freaking loved it. I always go there because it's not like any area in the game and because of that Spectator Beholder. In a game full of hostile monsters, evil villains, and ever so serious good guys, finding a rather chill Beholder who is more interested in shooting the breeze with the adventurers than fighting is a welcome change.

Also, I've always thought Jonaleth is possibly the dumbest elven name I've heard of.

[halfeye]

Also, I've always thought Jonaleth is possibly the dumbest elven name I've heard of.

Now that's cursing.

[TheStranger]

Oh, man. That codpiece. I kind of get the weird mask/hood thing as a way of hiding his elven features, but what kind of person wakes up in the morning and thinks, "A giant piece of ridged metal covering my junk would really pull this outfit together?"

[Kish]

I don't think anyone ever accused Irenicus of being well-adjusted.

--Or having taste, for that matter.

[GungHo]

Also, I've always thought Jonaleth is possibly the dumbest elven name I've heard of.

He's from Elf Kentucky, and he can't help that.

[Honest Tiefling]

So all of you are going to pick on poor Irenicus (hey, it's not his fault he was born into a race of fashion diasters...Check out what Queenie is wearing. Slutty and sweaty!), and not mention Bodhi? That one sticks out more to me, since it's Sankskrit and elves aren't from Not India in this setting.

[Spore]

I never liked Irenicus' most popular artwork. This one is far more sensible:

Spoiler

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Eerily calm, yet you can see the hints of his mask, an armor that protects his neck (since Abdel likes to chop off heads so much). To be honest his ingame portrait more or less always keeps his insanity ambiguous while here it is clear that he is not raving mad but cool and calculating sociopathic mad.

[Honest Tiefling]

I think it's better than his Spiky 'I don't know how BDSM works' leather outfit...But then I look at his lap and I think the artist made an unfortunate decision. The neck armor is also far too much. At least Game Irenicus can turn his head to the side.

[Keltest]

I think that's supposed to be a hood, not neck armor.

[Khay]

I honestly have no idea what's going on with the costumes in the Baldur's Gate series. I do like some of the fan art, though.

Chapter Fourteen is here! We've (mostly) survived the dry spell, and we're finally about to get some interesting content. Specifically: The Underdark. My spellchecker insists that there's a dragon named "Avalon" in this story; let's see how often I end up messing that up.

Spoiler: The book

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In the last chapter, Abdel and company went down a super long staircase into the Underdark, which is a thing Spellhold has for some reason. They also fought some rockworms and Abdel turned into a demon. It was exciting.

But... you know what? It's been a few chapters. Let's check in with Team Evil before we continue.

“Your skin," Bodhi said, her eyes sliding slowly along the drow's lithe body, "it's so... May I touch you?"
The drow woman smiled and shrugged. Bodhi brushed the back of one finger against the drow's cheek, and the woman leaned into the touch, smiling[.] (...)
"Satisfied?" the drow Phaere asked playfully.
"No," Bodhi replied, taking her hand away, "but there are other... priorities tonight."
"Is it night?" Phaere asked playfully[.] (...)
"Force of habit," Bodhi admitted. "My apologies."

A common drow stereotype is the hot dark elf chick who flirts with other female characters for the titillation of the (presumed straight male) audience. The same holds for the sexy female vampire stereotype. So it really makes perfect sense that Bodhi and Phaere would be interacting like this.

The two continue flirting/bragging about how evil they are.

Bodhi nodded in conciliation and sat in a deep armchair upholstered in a strange, soft leather. She touched the leather in the same way she'd touched the drow's ink-black skin.
"Halfling," the drow offered. "Very expensive."
Bodhi knew she'd passed another not-so-subtle test by not recoiling from the fabric.

That sort of thing. You get the idea. This may look stupid, but... well, it is stupid, but that's how drow culture works in AD&D canon. Lolth insists on it. (Lolth is one of those gods you'd never worship voluntarily. She makes Talos look reasonable.)

The two continue bickering for a while, but eventually get around to business.

"You have the pieces of the lanthorn," Phaere said, changing the subject. (...)
Bodhi returned the drow's stare and said, "You'll get what you were promised if you do what you have promised."
"The mythal," Phaere said.
"Power," Bodhi concurred. "Enough to destroy your mother, yes?"
Phaere smiled and turned away. "I won't expect you to understand the subtleties at work. It's not just matricide."
"Of course not," Bodhi said quietly, though she knew that's exactly all it was.

I mean, matricide is just about the only way to advance in drow society. Sororicide can also work, but it's more situational. Patricide and fratricide do happen as well, but mostly for entertainment purposes. Lolth is the worst, which is quite an achievement when your competition includes the likes of Cyric and Umberlee.

This said "mythril" in my PDF, but it's "mythal" everywhere else. A mythal is a real thing, so I assume that's correct. The PDF riddled with OCR errors - for example, it seems to think there's a character called "Captain Bavarian". We'll see.

Back to Team Abdel, though! What's good?

It started with mist.
They'd been underground for some immeasurable length of time and had fallen into a sort of routine, the three of them. The Underdark held certain surprises, but each was dealt with in turn.
They persevered and continued on. They found traces of Irenicus and someone else at odd intervals — enough so they knew they were on the right track.

You know, it might've been interesting to actually read about these things? Just a suggestion. It's nice of you to tell us that there were "certain surprises" and "traces of" Irenicus, but it might've been better to show those. (That said, I am quite tired of random encounters, so... I guess this is fine.)

Anyway, one of the certain surprises is indoor weather.

The mist was cool, not too thick, and didn't even really seem unnatural. It wasn't too hard for Abdel to believe that even the Underdark could have its variations of weather. They continued on, maybe a little more cautiously. The three of them tried to keep closer together so as not to become separated in the mist.
"I find it hard to believe," Imoen said, "that this is just some random thing."

Abdel is right for once - cave weather is a real thing, as is indoor mist. Buildings above a certain size have the same problem. The Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida actually gets indoor rainclouds when they shut off the dehumidifiers.

Imoen is also right, though. The mist continues to thicken, eventually reducing visibility to a few feet. Abdel draws his sword as a precaution.

"It can be dangerous down here," an unfamiliar voice echoed out of the mist.
Abdel stopped, planting his feet, ready for anything, even though the voice was obviously a young woman's and not terribly threatening on its surface.
"Over there," Imoen said and pointed into the swirling heart of the mist.
It was a girl in her late teens. She was pretty and blonde, with features so perfect she looked like some Netherese statue — the kind people said were actually petrified slaves made perfect by magic, then frozen as stone for all time.

Bodhi excepted, the female characters in these books are incredibly young. Jaheira is the oldest at 21. Everyone else is (or at least looks) to be about 17. Everyone.

The girl of the hour wears a simple white toga, has blue eyes, and is supremely unimpressed with the size of Abdel's sword. She introduces herself as Adalon.

"I find it hard to believe that a girl like you could just happen to be wandering around down here alone, cloaked in mist, casually strolling through the Underdark like—"
She cut him off with a laugh that implied a wisdom greater than her age. "Not much gets by you, does it Abdel Adrian, Son of Bhaal, Savior of Baldur's Gate?" (...)
"You work with Irenicus," Imoen assumed aloud.
A look of impatience crossed Adalon's pretty features for half a heartbeat, then she smiled and said, "Not in a million years, Imoen."

Adalon claims she wants to help them reach their goal. Abdel impatiently waves his sword at her, telling her to get out of the way. Adalon doesn't even react, and Abdel's vision turns yellow again. Adalon is having none of that either.

"Calm yourself, Abdel," Adalon said. "He's changed you. He's brought out what was inside of you — what you, with Jaheira's help, have managed to keep deep inside of you. Your father's blood powers his avatar, and you will lose yourself to it if you let yourself."

I think Adalon might be bluffing, because that's not how thing went down in the first book. Abdel started out lost. He spent the first 50% of Bhaal Must Be Stopped! in killer mode, plus all of his mercenary years before then. You could argue that he pulled himself out of it later - his character arc didn't really work, but that was clearly what the author was trying to set up. Abdel hasn't even known Jaheira for longer than a few months.

Anyway, Adalon has more exposition to drop.

"Irenicus has designs against Suldanessellar, and I've been a friend of Suldanessellar for a long time. I don't want to see harm come to them. I can help you help them, help you help yourselves, help you get to Irenicus. If he gets what he wants, Abdel will lose his soul, and Imoen will waste away to nothing, Suldanessellar will lay in ruin, and Irenicus will be immortal. That's not a world I'd like to live in."
"What are you?" Imoen asked.
"If I told you I was a dragon," the girl said, addressing Imoen with a soft tilt of her head, "would you believe me?"
Imoen let out a breath but didn't look away. "I stopped choosing what to believe in a while ago, thank you."

Imoen may not be much of a snarker, but I'll take what I can get.

"The drow of Ust Natha have stolen my eggs," Adalon said. "I want them back."
Abdel sighed and took a step back from her. "This is madness. This is all madness."
"Eggs?" Jaheira asked. "You have... eggs?"
"So I could tell you I was a dragon, and you wouldn't believe me, druid?" Adalon asked, a wry smile playing at the sides of her lips. "Come back this way, where there's more room."
With that the girl turned away and slipped behind an outcropping of rock, disappearing from view. Jaheira made to follow her, but Abdel held out a hand to stop her.
"Please tell me you're not going with her," he said. "If this isn't a trap, I'm—"
"Give it a rest, Abdel," Imoen said wearily, passing them both and following the mysterious girl.

... except now Abdel's the savvy one...? I think this is the first time Abdel has actually recognized an obvious trap. This is the nice kind of trap, so he's still wrong, but... you know, he's using the right method.

Abdel followed Imoen and Jaheira. As he came around the outcropping, he almost ran into Jaheira's back. Before he could say anything, he looked up and saw the reason the half-elf had come to such a complete stop.
To say that the dragon was the biggest living thing Abdel had ever seen would have been a tragic understatement. He'd seen smaller castles.

"To say the dragon was big was like saying the Great Wall of China was long."

It's surprisingly difficult to find numbers on small castles. Or the size of AD&D silver dragons, for that matter. It seems to be the right order of magnitude, I guess, if we're talking about a small fortification of some kind.

(As an aside, this confirms that the "mysterious girl" really isn't underage at all, which is good, but... she still chose "sexy teen" as her human form. Or rather, Athans had her choose that.)

(As a second aside, the AD&D manual specifically mentions that Silvers like to use Wall of Fog to mask their approach, so give the author a point for getting this right.)

The thing's body reflected Imoen's torchlight a thousandfold. Her skin was silver, polished to a high sheen, rippling with muscles and tightly woven scales. The palpable sense of power that washed out from the thing effectively paralyzed all three of the tiny little people who stood before her. Adalon was a creature of godlike beauty.

Silvers do have ridiculously high CHA scores, topping out around 30ish for a Great Wyrm. That would indeed have a dazzling effect on mortals.

Adalon begins the, err, negotiations.

"I will give you the way into Ust Natha. You will find my eggs and return them to me. You will defeat the plans of Irenicus there and stop the drow army from invading the glens of Tethir. You will return to me, and I will lead you out of this godsforsaken hole in the ground. You will confront Irenicus and regain your soul from him if it leads you to Hell. You know you never had any choice, Abdel Adrian, Son of Bhaal, Pawn of Evil, Tool of Good."
"I know," Abdel whispered. "I know."

"Well, where I'm from, the highest term of respect is... 'tool.'"

Athans usually does okay with dialogue, but this little speech just falls flat. Adalon drops the contractions, and she goes for a variant on the Aragorn-son-of-Arathorn thing, but... well, I get the intention, but it comes across as a bit amateurish. This is the sort of speech you imagine your high school DM reciting in a big, officious voice. But not too loud, because you'll wake up the neighbors. Whisper-shouting. You get the idea.

It could be that this is intentional. The game's Adalon always seemed just a little too eager. It could be that Athans is going for something similar. But... the books aren't usually this subtle. I don't know.

Anyway, you know how dragons are spellcasters?

The massive creature intoned a string of unintelligible syllables, and Abdel's arms twitched with the desire to attack the thing before whatever spell it was casting managed to burn him to cinders. (...)
He looked down at himself expecting to see insects covering his skin, but what he saw was actually more disturbing than that. His skin had turned the color of obsidian. He looked over at Jaheira, who was looking at her own arms. She'd turned black too, and her ears, once gently pointed, were now needle-sharp on top. Her hair had turned white and her eyes violet. Imoen was seeing down her own shirt, her brow wrinkled and black as night.
"That's..." Imoen said. "That's just..."
"You'll look like drow, sound like drow, be able to understand the language of the drow," the dragon said confidently (she said everything confidently).

Boop! Drow.

You can't just say the dragon says everything confidently. You want to write your dialogue in a way that makes the audience think "wow, this is one confident dragon." It just has more impact if the reader draws the conclusion on their own.

Abdel really isn't into this. This deserves to be quoted in its entirety:

"No," he said, turning his back on the dragon, "this is ridiculous. Why would we ever do this? We're going to just stroll into a drow city... a drow city... because we happen to run into a dragon who tells us we should, so we can defeat the plans of someone who, as far as we're concerned, has already been defeated. We're together. I got what I wanted. So this Irenicus is going to attack some elf town I'm not welcome in anyway. That sounds more like their problem than mine."
"Abdel," Jaheira said, her voice impatient but gentle, "I know you don't really believe that. You can't let Irenicus have his way with innocent people."
"And what about all this Bhaal stuff?" Imoen asked. "You think it's all right that we just sort of turn into mindless murdering monsters from time to time?"
"There is very little time for—" the dragon started.
"So you think he's going to just reverse that if we find him?" Abdel asked. "He probably wouldn't even know how to if we could somehow convince him to do it. I'm not even convinced it was any of his doing. My blood has betrayed me in more ways than that, with very little outside help."

See, these are all common-sense objections, and they fit with Abdel's alleged personality of being sullen and cynical. Even the bit where Abdel doubts Book!Irenicus did this makes some sense, given that the book's villain is weirdly passive.

However, it's far too late to start voicing objections like that. The entire plot, until this point, has rested on Abdel doing things just because he happened to run into someone who told him to. Abdel has never had much of a justification for doing what he did, not in this book and not in the previous one. Pray tell, Abdel, why exactly did you kill Aran Linvail?

Adalon is quite done with this discussion, thank you very much. We have a plot to get through.

He didn't see the dragon pull in a deep, full breath, but he stopped talking when a blast of freezing cold air actually picked him up and blew him off his feet. There was a series of screams from deeper in the cavern. Abdel rolled to his feet, bits of white frost falling off him like snowflakes. He spun in the direction of the screams and saw half a dozen figures quite literally frozen in place, ice hanging from them and pieces of them already snapping off under their own weight. Behind them, another half dozen figures scattered among the stalactites. The torchlight was dim, but it didn't take Abdel more than a second to realize the figures were drow.

Tune in next time, when we see six more drow commit suicide-by-dragon. I mean, I'd pretend this a cliffhanger of some kind, but... come on, she's a dragon.

Spoiler: The game

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Last time, we stepped through a portal that took us to unknown regions - somewhere in the Underdark, supposedly. Today, we explore our strange new surroundings.

But first, an intermission.


Screenshot

We don't know the names of those drow yet, but we'll learn them shortly, so I'll just name them here.

ARDULACE: Things go well on the surface. The temple of their false god has been defiled.
IRENICUS: I am pleased. My revenge will soon come.
ARDULACE: We did not act for your benefit, Irenicus, though you did offer some... interesting opportunities.
IRENICUS: Yes, Matron Mother. Excuse my careless words.

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PRIESTESS: Our first prisoners arrive, Matron Mother.
SOLAUFEIN: These two rank high among the surface scum, Matron. What is to be their fate?
ARDULACE: Their presence sickens me. Kill them.
IRENICUS: Perhaps it would be better to interrogate them first.
ELF: Joneleth, what are you doing with these monsters! You are one of...

Screenshot

ARDULACE: An odd way to question, Irenicus. Did you not like his tone?
IRENICUS: I... reconsidered, Matron. Your command was the wiser.

It's strange to see Irenicus brown-nosing like that, but I figure he needs the Matron Mother's aid for now. I'm guessing the drow are heading straight for Suldanessalar.

Welcome to the Underdark. It's not a nice place.


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Though it does have some fancy CGI.


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Journal entry

The Underdark is quite a change of pace. Spellhold was a strictly linear dungeon; Chapter II was more open-ended, but had a defined goal. Chapter V is neither. You are thrown into this huge, unexplored area, and the direction you're given is... well, nothing. You know from the intro cutscene that Irenicus is with the drow, but that's it.

If you wander around for long enough, though, you'll soon run into plot.


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Plot, in this case, means three duergar merchants.

UDDUER01: Cor der noror rrin doth samman?
VICONIA: Lil waela lueth waela ragar brorna lueth wund nind, kyorlin elghinn! Sarn! Usstan uil Viconia! [The foolish and unwary discover suprises and, among them, waiting death! Beware! I am Viconia!]
UDDUER01: Of... of course, Malla Viconia. I am at your service in all matters.
UDDUER02: Wait, wait! Carlig, she bears no house insignia that I know. Look at her companions! She is outcast!
JAHEIRA: Well, Viconia. It would seem you carry less weight than you thought. He questions your worth, rightfully so.
VICONIA: You dare?!
UDDUER01: Mordin dares nothing, I assure you, though it is simply good policy to understand who you are dealing with.
UDDUER01: You must excuse my fellows, but it is not often that those not directly associated with a house pass this way.
UDDUER03: Yes, very seldom. They do not live long.
UDDUER01: Well, unfortunate things can happen in the depths, but we do not partake in such events. I am Carlig, a trader of sorts.
CHARNAME: I am <CHARNAME>. I am looking for a couple of other 'surfacers,' as you say.
UDDUER01: I haven't seen many strangers around here, and I talk to everyone. Well, almost.
UDDUER02: Those two creepy ones were back, Carlig. You remember, the neck-biter and the mage.
UDDUER01: Oh yes, those two. Bad news, I would wager. I've seen them near the Drow city. Must be up to dirty dealings; those ol morogh dark elves don't usually let strangers live.
CHARNAME: Those are the two I'm looking for! Bodhi and Irenicus! I'll have to go after them!
UDDUER01: Well then, I'll wish you luck, though you won't be able to simply walk into the Drow city.
UDDUER03: That place will come down on your head harder than a llargh tunnel unshored.
UDDUER01: That's their choice to make, Finderlig. No need to worry them more. Ask about before you go assaulting that place. Might be a better way.
UDDUER03: Ha!
UDDUER01: Well, in any case, I've wares to sell if you are interested. Always looking for fresh faces to trade with. No matter the color of shadow in you.
CHARNAME: I'll have a look. Let's see what you have.


Journal entry:
Tracking Irenicus.

Bodhi and Irenicus did pass through the Underdark. They may have been dealing with the Drow to secure passage.

As you can tell, taking Viconia along changes a lot of dialogue down here. That's a good reason to take her along. I do enjoy that she still doesn't get any respect.

So we have a goal now: Bodhi and Irenicus are in a Drow city somewhere around here. We can't just walk right in, so I guess our next task is to find someone who can get us there.

The next step is, once again, to wander around until you trip over plot.


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The Underdark is full of nasty random encounters. This is roughly where the game stops being merciful with them. It's all drow war parties from here on out. The EXP is good, though, and they drop some really good loot (though it can only be used in the Underdark.)

To the north, we find a strange machine:


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This is apparently a magic prison of some kind. Mechanically speaking, it's another can of monsters. No idea why it's just... out in the open, but it's full of long-imprisoned people. And a lich with 9th-level spell slots, so... be careful.

There's an exception, though:


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Bedlen Daglefodd, undergnome.

UDTRAP06: I meant no harm, I swear! Please, cease your casting and... and...
UDTRAP06: You... you are not the ones... you are from the light? I have not seen your tone before...
UDTRAP06: But you have them among you. If you travel with the blessing of the Drow I offer my respect. I hope you shall let me live.
UDTRAP06: Please, speak to me of your good intent. I am humble and only wish to go home.
CHARNAME: I don't know who you are, but you've nothing to fear from me.
UDTRAP06: Then I thank you for releasing me, but I must be on my way most quickly. My father will be worried.
UDTRAP06: If you ever make it to our village be sure to speak with my father. His name is Therndle Daglefodd, and he will be most grateful, I know.


Journal entry:
Victims of Imprisonment -- Bedlen Daglefodd?

I located a svirfneblin child that had somehow angered a group of Drow and been imprisoned in the crystal that I had found. He has gone back to his village to tell his father of his rescue, and has told me to do the same.

Props to CHARNAME for just knowing the word "svirfneblin."

This still isn't related to the plot, but it does point you towards the svirfneblin village. There's no hint that it's connected to anything else here, but it's not like we have any other leads, so... let's make our way there.


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Obstacles include a group of mushrooms. We can still get through most encounters without really trying, thanks to the Fire Elementals, but it's becoming a bit more difficult.

The entrance to the village is just behind the myconids.


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I haven't been able to find a translator for this, which is annoying. I bet there are all sorts of cool easter eggs in there. Possibly it's a cipher of some kind.

UDSVIR01: Edo, od golver d'tanyon! Da sugden os tera!
CHARNAME: I'm sorry, but your meaning escapes me.
UDSVIR01: (ahem) You there, you who are there! Stand and identify yourself and your purpose!
CHARNAME: <CHARNAME>, and I'm not here to cause trouble. I come in peace, as they say.
UDSVIR01: Hmm... you are not a resident of this place, are you. Strangers from above then? Come here you should not, though useful you may be.
UDSVIR01: You may enter, but on your best behavior be. Go and speak to the Lord of our fair granitehome. He will see to your wellbeing.
UDSVIR01: And know this: I see the darkness you travel with. Friends of the Drow we are not, but we will tolerate her here for now. Respect our peace.

Journal entry:
Svirfneblin Village.

I met the leader of the guards for a small village of svirfneblin. He advised that I may pass through as I wish, so long as I speak with their leader first.

I bet this is what it's like to go abroad as an American. Everyone defaults to some local gibberish, but that's alright, they all speak English too.

The village is very small - just a communal bedroom, a small inn, and some mining tunnels. We stop to have a quick chat with the mayor.


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What's good, my dear gnome?

If the early part of the Underdark is short on exposition, Goldander more than makes up for it. I hope you're all comfortable, this'll take a while.

🎩 UDSVIR03: Ahh, travelers to our fair city. That would be rare enough, but you are surfacers by the look of you.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Surprising that you travel with the darkness of a Drow. I mean no disrespect, but it is surprising.
VICONIA: I find it more surprising that you svirfneblin gnomes risk my anger by constantly pointing me out.
🎩 UDSVIR03: No offense intended, but your kind does not often come for social visits, no.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Come, I would have words with you, if you are willing to hear.
CHARNAME: I will trade you words. I need information about some fugitives I am chasing.
🎩 UDSVIR03: I will help as I can, but my matter takes importance. Too much svirfneblin blood has been shed over this already.
🎩 UDSVIR03: I will give you details of the task first, and you may decide if you wish to accept. I tap rock that you will.
VICONIA: How quaint. Get on with it.
🎩 UDSVIR03: As you can see, our granitehome village is quite empty. I have sent the majority to deeper climes far from here. It was no longer safe, and it is our own fault.
🎩 UDSVIR03: We tunneled too deep recently, and unearthed a monstrosity. A strange cavern that yielded death, a monster we have not seen outside of dreaming.
🎩 UDSVIR03: The task I ask of you is simple to explain, but difficult in deed. I ask that the beast be killed, and the tunnel be closed.
CHARNAME: Could you not just collapse the tunnel upon the creature?
🎩 UDSVIR03: The tunnel will readily collapse, of that we are sure. What is unsure is whether that would kill the beast now that it is awakened.
IMOEN: A... awakened? Please tell me that you mean it was hibernating and not... otherworldly.
🎩 UDSVIR03: As I said, it is a beast out of dreams, or nightmares, if you prefer. It is not of the rock. I do not know what to call it.
CHARNAME: The goal is clear enough. Now I must mention what I will need from you.
🎩 UDSVIR03: I am listening, but keep in mind that we are not the richest of granitehomes. We are under constant pressure with the Drow being so close.
CHARNAME: I require no payment for helping others, but I seek two surfacers that came this way.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Surfacers other than you? Ahh, I know of them, but you will have a hard time finding. They passed within the city of the Drow, Ust Natha.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Now before you ask, I may know a way into the Drow city. Well, I know a being that might help you. She could see you safely inside, but after that you would surely be dead.
🎩 UDSVIR03: No offense, Malla Drow, but I see you do not wear the symbols of any House that I know. You would fare no better in there, especially with your current companions.
MINSC: Worry not, Viconia! Minsc and Boo stand at the ready to protect! Right Boo?
VICONIA: Indignity after indignity. Get on with your safe alternative, Goldander.
🎩 UDSVIR03: If such is the risk you would take, I will gladly point you in her direction. The great staircase goes to her lair. It is the blackest of all the tunnels, but there is glorious light on the other side.
🎩 UDSVIR03: She is called Adalon by choice, though 'My Lady' will suffice just as well. Show respect and you will have it in return.
CHARNAME: If she is so powerful why don't you get her to help you? Why use me?
🎩 UDSVIR03: She is receptive to help, of course, but she more respects those that help themselves. She is a creature that keeps very particular company, perhaps more so than others of her kind.
🎩 UDSVIR03: I'm sure she will see to your concerns if you approach politely, but I fear I must restrict your access until the needs of my village are met.
VICONIA: Of course. Selfish in your generosity. Admirable.
🎩 UDSVIR03: The passage to her lair is guarded against intruders by a force of her design. It is the blackest of dark, preventing even the Drow entry.
🎩 UDSVIR03: When the beast in the cavern is dispatched I will give you a 'light gem' to banish the darkness of the tunnel. I carry it with me always, but I will gladly give it to you for this service.
CHARNAME: Fair enough. Where must I go to find this beast you need killed?
🎩 UDSVIR03: I am glad of your decision. The passage is to the Northeast, guarded by one of my best breachgnomes. He will let you pass now.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Take this Stoneshape scroll. It is linked magically to the stone of the cavern. When the beast is dead, use this to bring the cavern down upon it. I shall make it a forbidden area forever after.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Thank you, <CHARNAME>, you do not know the good you have done here.

I swear to Kuraulyek, if you make us clear kobolds from your mine...

This, at last, is a plot thread we can actually follow. Help Goldander, talk to Adalon, gain entrance to the drow city... something something... get our soul back. The Underdark is pretty big, though - you could wander around the cave and its side-areas for days before stumbling over the svirfneblin village. This was very frustrating to teenage me. (I grew up in the beforetimes, when "Internet time" was strictly limited and walkthroughs generally unavailable.)

Goldander has unlocked the cavern for us. It's a small room to the northeast.


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Interact with the cavern twice to summon...


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... a Balor! This fight is quite difficult, since the Balor has access to Fear and Paralysis effects. You need +3 weapons to hurt it, which you can find on the drow patrols.

Once the Balor dies, we seal the cavern.


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Done and done.


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Goldander is appropriately grateful.

🎩 UDSVIR03: You are welcomed back. We had worried for your safety as though one of our own were in danger.
🎩 UDSVIR03: I heard the rumblings of your battle, <CHARNAME>, and I am glad to see you alive. I thank you immeasurably.
🎩 UDSVIR03: With the tunnel collapsed, the creature will not be disturbed again. I know it is dead, but who knows what could happen with such things.
CHARNAME: It will trouble you no more.
🎩 UDSVIR03: Yes, and with all haste. I will not delay your own goals a second longer. Please, accept this magical item as partial payment.
🎩 UDSVIR03: And also the light gem. With this you will be able to pass the great stairs and enter the lair of Adalon. I wish you well.


Journal entry:
Svirfneblin Village Concerns.

Goldander was quite relieved that the creature would no longer be bothering his village. He reaffirmed his gratitude by giving me a magic item as reward, as well as the gem that would allow me to enter the lair of Adalon.

There we go! Finally, we're making some headway.

Of course, he didn't tell us where Adalon's lair actually is, so... back to wandering.


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Drow are annoying to fight. They carry weapons that can hurt Fire Elementals, they have decent Magic Resistance, and their war parties always include a mix of fighters and magic-users. We cut them down, though.


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Adalon's lair is right next door from the city, for some reason. I wonder what she's like. I bet she's nice. Yeah.


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Oh right, the romance thing is still going.

JAHEIRA: We continue on our path and I cannot help but wonder if we walk in balance. I have a role to follow...
CHARNAME: I assume you speak of your role as a Harper?
JAHEIRA: As Harper and as druid. They are complimentary, despite bards being thought the Harper standard-bearers. Both seek balance over all. I...I think I have done so.
JAHEIRA: Sometimes the proper course is hard to see; what is best overall may seem barbaric at first. You will know this when... if you deal with Harpers in the future.
CHARNAME: It sounds like you do not trust yourself. That is very unlike you.
JAHEIRA: The goal is what matters, despite a questionable method. Balance in politics, balance in nature, balance in one's self; all take strong measures to maintain.
JAHEIRA: I think...I think I am the one out of balance, not you. I think...well, I think many things. I...I need more time to consider this.
JAHEIRA: I'm afraid you'll have to indulge my silence for a time longer. I...I apologize for interrupting you.

The romances are on hold during Chapter IV, I think, which spaces out the content further. I hope we'll have time to complete the romance before the game ends.

Anyway, Adalon! I bet she's


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Well they did say she lives in, specifically, a lair.

She also has echoey voice acting, which I take to mean she has no indoor voice.

💎 ADALON: Welcome, welcome to my lair. I have watched your progress with great interest.
CHARNAME: My lady, you honor me with your words.
💎 ADALON: I'm sure I do, but flattery is not why I have allowed you to come here. Do not think me too generous; I am not as tolerant as others of my kind.
💎 ADALON: I am Adalon, the guardian, and I have done my duty as well as I have been able for many a century. I was not the first, but I know the history.
IMOEN: And you are truly a magnificent sight, my Lady. I am awed.
💎 ADALON: Yes, yes, of course, but I have little time for your starry-eyed fawning. Listen well to what I say.

Silver dragons are generally Lawful Good and quite nice about it, though Adalon appears to be something of an exception.


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She's all business.

💎 ADALON: My charge is the elven ruins above, an ancient temple that marks the gateway to the Underdark. There are others elsewhere, but this was the first.
CHARNAME: Why does it warrant you as a guardian?
💎 ADALON: The temple marks where the elves of dark hearts first decended, truly separating from Elven kind and becoming Drow.
💎 ADALON: The Drow keep the outpost of Ust Natha here as a symbol, one that is fought over regularly, though I have governed the hostilities and seen peace for decades at a time.
💎 ADALON: But there has been a crime here recently, and I can no longer honor my commitment. I will ask your assistance, and in return I will aid you.
CHARNAME: Speak on. I will listen and see what I can do.
💎 ADALON: Silence! I... I will tell you when you may speak. This is a VERY important matter, and I will not be interrupted.
JAHEIRA: Of course, my Lady Adalon. <CHARNAME>, do keep quiet.
💎 ADALON: The Drow respected the borders of this place for centuries, only venturing out for sport and small skirmishes. That was the balance.
💎 ADALON: The two you seek, this Bodhi and Jon Irenicus, I believe they have made a deal with the Drow for their own safe passage and offered a way to tip the scales against their Elven enemy.
JAHEIRA: It is unfortunate that they did not offend you in some way. We might have been spared the headache of this journey if they had to face an angry Silver.

I'd like to see that matchup. Adalon is at the very least an Adult, and that comes with a truckload of power.


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I think Irenicus could put up a fair fight, depending on who gets how much preparation time, but Silvers are quite dangerous.

So why aren't you soloing the drow army, Lady?

💎 ADALON: You may ask why I do not extend my influence. I cannot. Irenicus bargained with my most prized possession. He violated my lair and stole from me. They have taken my eggs.
CHARNAME: Vile creatures! Such a crime is unthinkable!
💎 ADALON: I have been informed that to move from my lair is to cause the destruction of my eggs. It is the final straw in a long list of atrocities I have been witness to.
MINSC: Boo shakes with disbelief! Such a crime will not go unanswered!
💎 ADALON: You must retrieve them for me. Do this, and I will reveal a safe escape route to leave the Underdark, one that emerges close to where Irenicus plots his next move.
💎 ADALON: In addition to placing you near your target, I will also make a gift of an item from my hoard. It will be powerful, and worthy of your service.
CHARNAME: I wonder what it is that you think I can do? You ask me to face an entire Drow city.
💎 ADALON: I realize the danger of the request, but I do not ask you to simply assault the place. No, there is a much more subtle way to succeed.
💎 ADALON: You will take the identity of a group of Drow I dispatched recently, a party from another city destined for Ust Natha.
JAHEIRA: To become such a hated thing... I do not look forward to that.
VICONIA: An improvement, I think. One that you should relish as a brief glimps of your betters.
💎 ADALON: I will address you shortly, Drow. Make no mistake. First, to the rest of you.
💎 ADALON: I will transform you, and you will be able to pass among the Drow with ease. They will not see through the fiction I create.
💎 ADALON: When you arrive at the gate, tell them you are from the city of Ched Nasad, and that you seek sanctuary within Ust Natha.
CHARNAME: Wait, this is just too dangerous. There must be another way.
💎 ADALON: I fear that the choice is no longer yours.

Boop!


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Drow.

💎 ADALON: It is done. You now resemble the denizens of the Drow city, complete with a house insignia that will not draw undue attention. I suggest you act like Drow when speaking to anyone you meet.
💎 ADALON: You will also have knowledge of the language of the Drow, and your speech will be heard as though you have spoken their dark tongue all your life.
💎 ADALON: The illusion will last as long as it needs to. Trying to leave the city through their main gate to the surface will dispel the magic. You will be on your own against impossible odds.
💎 ADALON: I am sorry, but I must protect my interests. The only safe escape is through my influence once my eggs are recovered.
CHARNAME: I will do what I can, Adalon.
💎 ADALON: I thank you. Remember, you are from the city of Ched Nasad. Take a Drow name as well. Use 'Veldrin,' it is commonly used.


Journal entry:
Recover the Silver Dragon's Eggs.

I have finally encountered Adalon, a female silver dragon who is desperate to have her eggs returned. She normally guards the path to the surface from drow incursion, but Irenicus and Bodhi have stolen her eggs and given them to the drow... and she can do nothing for fear of her eggs being destroyed.
She has turned me into the likeness of a drow, with the name 'Veldrin', and bade me to enter the nearby city of Ust Natha in search of her eggs. Once her eggs are returned safely, she will show me to the surface and reward me with an item from her hoard.

Veldrin appears to be a gender-neutral name, because it's the same for a female CHARNAME. It's a bit strange that an over-the-top sexist society would have those, but... so it goes.

Adalon really gives you the hard sell, which I always thought was interesting. You don't technically have to do anything she says. You can walk straight out of the Underdark if you so desire. (You'll have to, if you mess up this quest line.) Adalon is really harsh for a Silver. She comes across as desperate, which I suppose makes sense. Metallic dragons are always Good, but they're still dragons. The fact that a lesser being was able to outsmart her and steal her eggs is probably eating into her ego quite badly.

Anyway, it appears that we have a plan. If we infiltrate Ust Natha and retrieve Adalon's eggs, she'll help us deal with Irenicus and Bodhi. Sounds straightforward enough, right? Let's get on that.

... next time.

Spoiler: Comparison and commentary

Show

So this chapter introduces us to the Underdark, one of D&D's more enduring (sub-)settings. And it's... vaguely mediocre, I guess?

I am a little disappointed that, yet again, we get very little local colour. Athans mentions (but refuses to show) various "strange things," and he bypasses all the rock gnome business by skipping directly to Adalon. We do get to see Phaere and Bodhi interact, which can give you an impression of what the drow are like, but that's it. It doesn't really do the setting justice - the Underdark is weird. Being in a big cave rather than on the surface makes for a very different environment, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at this book.

Still, I can't blame Athans for wanting to get on with the plot. I don't think I could've stomached another chapter of random encounters, and the early sections of the game's Underdark chapter are a bit directionless. That may be part of the point - CHARNAME is lost in a hostile environment with doom hanging over their head - but it can make for a frustrating experience if you don't guess that you have to go north to continue. Athans made strange choices when deciding which random encounters to include, but I understand why there had to be cuts.

... I guess there is a bit of a plot hole here in that Book!Adalon doesn't explain why she can't go get the eggs herself? In the game she lays out the terms of the blackmail, and I guess the drow have dragon detectors around her cave or something. But in the book, she actually does leave her lair to talk to Abdel and make some drowsicles, so I guess it can't be a concern. Book!Adalon is a dragon and a high-level mage in a low-magic setting, and she has access to crazy epic-level Final Boss Illusions. She can probably handle this without the help of the Tool of Good. Eh.

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that Adalon sought out Team Abdel. It's a marked departure from the game, where the process involves a lot of blind stumbling. It deepens the problem where Abdel never does anything out of his own initiative - the plot just drags him where he needs to be - but it makes more sense for the Lady herself.

I don't have all that much to say about this chapter, I think. Abdel's rant is funny because it shows the author was aware of the problems with his style of plotting bit unwilling or unable to fix them, so that's cool. Uhh. I'm really not getting the sense of imminent doom from the book, but we've already discussed that last time. I also question Adalon's decision to cosplay as a teenager, but at this point I've accepted that every woman in the Athansverse is either 17 or a vampire, so I've grown numb to that.

... yeah, I got nothing.

I hope to see you next time, though. We're about to meet the drow, which should be interesting. I should note that the book's other Infamous Scene is approaching, but that's in Chapter 16, so, you know... stay tuned. Or just keep reading, oh mighty citizen of the future.

I considered two AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION activities for this update. I couldn't decide, so let's just do both. First of all, we've entered a new area, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Underdark. As I've hinted above, I think the area could've used some more signposting - as it stands, you really have no choice but to wander around and hope you bump into the plot. I didn't appreciate the feeling of being lost, but perhaps your experience was different? How do you like the introduction to the Underdark?

And, secondly, the next chapter will see a certain character return to the plot. Let's see if anyone can guess who it'll be, and how! A few hints:
1.) The character has appeared before.
2.) The character is not native to the Underdark.
3.) Having the character show up at this point in the game would require extensive modding.

Bonus points if you can explain how the character ended up down here - the more convoluted the better. If you already know, no spoilers please. I want to see some wild speculation. The Spellhold backstory crowdsourcing worked out great, after all.

[Kish]

You can actually walk straight out, if you know how. The Underdark is technically optional, though the game never tells you this.

Check that link again; you can only walk out if you have the drow disguise (which means already having dealt with the svirfneblin and met Adalon). If you're not disguised, the drow attack you on sight, and after killing them you're informed that you can't get through the ward on the door.

There's an exception, though:

Two exceptions: there's a fellow called Gont who won't want to fight either. You can also cure the madness of the one who just makes inarticulate noises, with a Heal spell, though it's kind of tricky to do without getting the caster Imprisoned.

Also, if you speak to all the duergar, one of them tells you that a strange mage was imprisoned to the north; you can buy a Freedom scroll and use it to free him. Among other things, he'll direct you to the svirfneblin village as part of his quest.

The romances are on hold during Chapter IV, I think, which spaces out the content further.

More precisely, there are a number of areas that the romance conversations won't take place in because your companion isn't going to suddenly decide to discuss your relationship in them. This includes Brynnlaw, Spellhold, the City-of-Caverns, and all of the Underdark except Adalon's lair (and Adalon's lair is probably an oversight).

Veldrin appears to be a gender-neutral name, because it's the same for a female CHARNAME. It's a bit strange that an over-the-top sexist society would have those, but... so it goes.

It's Drow for "concealment."

[The Glyphstone]

Wait, so CHARNAME is literally going around Ust Natha announcing that they're a spy?

[Keltest]

Wait, so CHARNAME is literally going around Ust Natha announcing that they're a spy?

As opposed to all of the other Drow, who are completely open and have nothing to hide from anybody?

[Khay]

... hah. Somehow I never thought to look that one up. Amazing.

Check that link again; you can only walk out if you have the drow disguise (which means already having dealt with the svirfneblin and met Adalon). If you're not disguised, the drow attack you on sight, and after killing them you're informed that you can't get through the ward on the door.

Interesting! Seems I misremembered, I thought for sure that you could just walk right out. Maybe I triggered a glitch the one time I tried that, or something. Turns out there are still some things about the game that I didn't know yet.

[Honest Tiefling]

Unless second edition changed something, Netherese are 1) dark-haired, not blond 2) kinda racist. So mistaking a blonde for one of them is either an accidental stroke of genius, or someone forgot to give Athans some important setting notes. Or he was too busy writing about underage dragon girls to care.

And if you mean that 'Veldrin' means that the main character is announcing they are a spy, I don't think that's the case. I think it's just a matter of what they name their babies, because what else are you going to do, name them after idiotic traits like 'Truth' or 'Light' or 'Brave'? Even drow aren't that cruel!

As for Sarevok, the man just knows how to get the ladies.