[Thadius]

Thread two, now with more feeling!

If you aren't familiar with my first thread, go fix that.

When last we saw Mary Worth, she was getting drunk off her ass. Hey, why am I back here, anyways? I fully intended to leave you for dead.

Necromancer? I just channeled my spell back along the same connection you're using now.

Ah, threadomancy. Curse you. Anyways, today we'll be finishing up the last of the normal story. Step one is to return to Baldur's Gate.



Check. Step two?

Sorcery shop has a new patron nearby that you should check out. She's somewhat important. Just be careful, the Flaming Fist aren't your friends anymore and you really want to avoid them. Cause if you don't, well...









Not who we wanted, but nice to know that there's someone who believes in us.







Should we bother?

Hell yes.











Beat him, but don't kill him if at all possible. In other words, show restraint. Is that manageable?

Technically, yes, you could do that. If he weren't a raving delusional mass-murdering psychopath, then yes, you could foil all his plans and make him come to justice.

...So it's not gonna work out.

Since when has anything related to the Plot ever worked out for you? Anyways, let's follow up on that lead.







Oh hell no he still has some. That cannot be good.





This encounter. I remember this one. This is the only one where at least one disspell magic spell is required to go off. The man has blur and the female is a mage/thief with invisibility. Once their protections are down it's a simple matter of thinking/Minscing them to death.



Doing so earns Imoen a shiny new blade.





Along with our requisite plot coupons. Now for the Iron Throne building, take two!







Everybody is in a panic.



Perhaps rightfully so.



After all, their leaders are dead. And then there's Minsc killing anyone who wants to stop you.





In some cases they're actually advocating you do what you do best.

Killing things and taking their loot?

Indeed.



See? They want you to oust their new 'leader.'





Sadly the only person left here is his shoulder devil and a few semi-invisible ogres. Another disspell, a few rounds of hacking/thinking things to death, and voila!



Yet another plot coupon is ours. Now it's time for going to jail.

I thought you said not to?

No, I said not to before you did all these things. It would have been very inconvenient. You're going to have to sooner or later.

Fine. Where's the nearest Flaming Fist?

Just outside.





Interesting note, if you threaten him, you get put away with no casualties. If you insult him, someone dies. Don't insult him, or it's a 1/6th chance of game over!







Mary does some mental gymnastics to get out. Anyone who can tell me how that sequence works will get a cookie. Anyway, getting back in requires Minsc to make mincemeat of the no-longer Flaming Fist mercenaries, which he can do with no fuss at all. Going upstairs...



We find someone with a brain, and another greater doppleganger. Only one of them comes out of here alive.



We also find the duke, and getting him to medical attention is now a priority. I don't know if you can fail this or not, but since the place he needs to go is right next door, why would you?



Now it's time to confront your old foe.

This will be extremely cathartic.



First we have to get past the bouncers.



This is clearly a trap, so having everyone inside will be important. As will having a few disspells on standby, along with that wand of fear.











And now it's time for a battle with half a dozen or so Greater Dopplegangers. Everyone who didn't see this one coming from a mile away, raise your hand.

I am noticing a lack of hands on both sides.



Then a battle where you have to keep whoever lived alive long enough to make the least inconspicuous evil guy ever go 'aw fuck it' and run away. Talk about lazy!



Fortunately whoever lived will send you right to him.



Much to the chagrin of the thieves.





She's not kidding. This place is horrible.



Welcome to the maze! Your goal is that little doorway on the west side. It's not easy getting there!



This is the route I tend to use. Carefully watched, all the characters can make it there without dying horrible deaths or activating any more beasties than necessary. The ones that do activate aren't that bad in the beginning...



But then they turn humanoid, hit hard, and become somewhat resistant to magic. Not fun.



Of course, these guys are even less so because they have bows and arrows of ice!







Eventually we make it to the end and find that evil villain number one has disposed of his number one. We must be getting close to the end now!







Seeing as how we need to heal up, we rest in the maze and Mary gets another freaky dream sequence, along with her last ability, another Draw Upon Holy Might.



Welcome to the Undercity! Yes, Baldur's Gate was built twice, these are the ruins of the first attempt. Let's just leave it at 'something destroyed it so hard it sank into the earth' and move on. All along the southern edge are weak undead. Not a challenge, and not why we're here. We're heading to the only intact building, bar a few speed bumps. Actually, strike that. We WANT to hit the speed bumps and clear them out.



Speed bump number one. Nothing much to say here, they all die in a fire.



Speed bump number two. Yeah, you can talk her out of it, but there's a very good reason to kill her. Not merely because we can't keep our promise...



But she has the best full plate armor in the original game. Minsc and Kahlid are already wearing Ankheg stuff, so Jaheria gets the upgrade.

Can I please kill him now?

Nope.

There had better be a good explanation.

Simple. Yes, you've fought tooth and nail to get here, but there are three other quests that you can and will do. One is short. One is of middle-ish length. And the third one is a horrible lengthy puzzle dungeon. All three will end up giving you more power than you could ever need to bring him down. While yes, you might be able to kill him now, if you were willing to sacrifice your teammates, I feel that you shouldn't have to!

You make a compelling argument...

Next time in this thread on the next page - I was unaware Hell had frozen over...