#i went there as to check what happens and gortash tells me about that orin might've infiltrated my camp

[zevrans-remade]

act 3 is so overwhelming 😩 i am kind of lost in which order to do stuff since there are always timed quests that fail after some amount of long rests 🥲

[jellymellydraws]

Gortash's coat magically keeps his composure and emotions in check. So walk with me for a moment...

Grief Concealment

Rose is furious. He tells her she was his nearest and dearest. They would have been gods together. They meant to rule as the Absolute, together. But she hears how hollow those words come out. Like rehearsed lines by a poor actor. She calls him out on it.

"You're lying!" The accusation. "If this is true, you're a shitty lover. Where were you when the filthy Myrklites were carving me open? When I disappeared, did you even bother looking or was it too inconvenient?!"

The tears threaten to fall, recounting the horrible pieces of her demise that she's picked up along the way. This entire time, there was someone who could have stopped it. Someone who supposedly cared.

And he did nothing.

"Did it ever occur to you how convenient it was that my disappearance was followed by the discovery of the tadpoles' modification? The very piece needed for our plan to work. Did you ever wonder, for a second, who patient zero was?!"

She keeps the tears from spilling, but not her voice from shaking. All he did was stand there. Hands folded in front. Staring at her with dry eyes. No expression. Cold. Calm.

Uncaring.

"You're full of shit. You don't give a damn about me." A stray tear betrays her. Trails down her cheek. "Maybe you never did."

Gortash exhales a slow, controlled breath. No response. No admission. No denial. He turns to his desk and approaches it with tormentuously slow steps. The clinking of metal accompanied him as the fastenings of his coat were undone.

The heavy ornamental garb was tossed aside, unceremoniously. His hands press against the wooden surface as he hunches over. Another heavy breath.

Shaky.

A sudden pang in her chest as she watched him. Closely. The man that faces her is nothing like the one moments ago.

Grief creases his features. Despair lingers in his eyes.

Her lip quivered. This was him. This was real.

"Enver..." The words slipped as a soft cry. The urge to step forward, to reach for him-- it wanted to overcome her, but she was untrusting of it. Scared for what may come if she listened.

So he reached for her instead. Closing the distance and pulling her closer. Holding her as his lips met her's. Caressing her head as he brings her to his chest. His heart beat was frantic.

He couldn't fake that.

"I thought I'd never see you again," his shaky voice reached her ear. He breathed in her scent, trying to convince himself that she was, really, there. "When Orin returned and took your place, I didn't want to believe it. You? Undone by your impulsive and rash brat of a sister? Impossible."

She listened, doing her best to keep her breathing from getting out of hand. But she was shaking. She knew she was. He tightened his hold around her. A free hand stroked her back.

"But you never returned from Moonrise...Ketheric claimed he didn't know what happened. Orin's claims became more believable as time went. If she turned you into one of her art projects, I didn't want to see it."

She began to bury her face in his chest. With nothing to hold, her fingers curled into tight fists. His every word sounding more genuine as he went on. This was the truth. The unbearable heart wrenching truth. He pressed a kiss to her temple, burying his face into her hair.

"I couldn't let that be the last thing I'd have to remember you by."

[animentality]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm curious. How much of a part do you think ketheric played in durge's downfall? I recently replayed moonrise and ketheric is smirking and gloating and the narrator even mentions he knows exactly who you are but will never tell. Gortash's memoirs indicate that they learned about the elder brain after visiting moonrise, and the warden says that durge only ever visited once and never left. Maybe durge and Gortash learned about the brain then just ran off to conspire together, giggling and plotting, and ketheric was just done? Especially since Durge and Gortash came up with the plan without him - leaving ketheric out while in his own domain. Plus, how did orin know they were even there? I can't see durge telling their underling about their plans. Did ketheric somehow find out about her and contact her like "I know how you can remove durge. Btw pretend to be Gortash, trust me"? She had no reason to be there. Plus the way ketheric smirks at durge, commenting "treat me like you would any other chosen" when it had been just him, durge, and Gortash previously, which is basically him saying to give him the respect durge gave Gortash. I feel like ketheric probably played a major role in it and I'm interested in your take on it. Thanks so much!

I never considered the double entendre of "treat me like you would any other chosen" and that was DEFINITELY Ketheric being a little cunty elf, like ok queen, I see you, I hear you, I feel that.

EDIT: Ok, I just checked, and he apparently says, "Obey me like you would any other chosen."

Which is less iconic. But still. Have a cookie for writing that little double entendre better than Larian.

Not so sure on the "obey" part in terms of durgetash though. I highly doubt the Dark Urge ever "obeyed" Gortash just, without question.

But as for if Ketheric was involved...I don't know.

He didn't seem particularly happy to have Orin on board. The plan really started unraveling when the Dark Urge was deposed too. I doubt he liked the power struggle. I don't think he really had a huge issue with the Dark Urge, all my joking aside, only because the plan was going along well when the three of them were working together.

Him smiling and being coy could just be him being amused at their state, since he's an asshole, and the last time the Dark Urge was at Moonrise, he was mad at them about something...

Although...to be fair...I guess we never did know why he was angry at them.

The Dark Urge specific scene says that the Dark Urge was "demanding" something from Ketheric.

But I don't think we ever really know what?

Like they were working together on their brain thing...the fuck were they annoyed about? What were they demanding?

Also...in the timeline where the Dark Urge just dies...Orin hikes their body all the way back to Baldur's Gate, fully intact?

She went all the way to Moonrise, then lugged it back?

I guess that's just nitpicking, but it doesn't totally make sense to me because, first off, I don't understand if Orin tadpoled Durge at moonrise or somewhere else. secondly, I just don't see why Ketheric would support an usuper instead of the Dark Urge.

Ketheric being a smug little bitch only because he hates you on principle would make SENSE. Because he definitely knew you got fucked, since Balthazar is his advisor, and he knows what happened to you. There's no way Balthy wouldn't have told Ketheric, right? So Ketheric just straight up didn't tell Gortash because he's an ass.

And he smirks at you because he's remembering how annoying you are, and he's glad to see that arrogant bhaalspawn put in their proper place.

But the story in terms of how/when the Dark Urge got tadpoled is very scattered! I am not the only person who's noted this. It's a MESS in terms of timelines. Especially where the Dark Urge is concerned.

I really don't know how involved Orin was in the Absolute Plan before she usurped the Dark Urge.

Was she their right hand, and thus, well known? It might make sense for Ketheric to hear her out...but again, I don't think he'd be fond of a power struggle?

Also.

You get tadpoled in the opening...but the Dark Urge is the first tadpole victim.

So I guess you had the misfortune of being tadpoled twice (ahaha, just kidding, this is a nitpick, I know it's the same for everyone).

More seriously though...so the Dark Urge seems to know Enver Gortash is the Chosen of Bane BEFORE they did their little Hall of Wonders date.

But Gortash says that their gods came to them in a dream? And named them as Chosens together, and to seek out Ketheric Thorm?

But then...then they didn't come up with the plan...they got sent to Moonrise...

"Together?"

But...the Dark Urge only went to Moonrise ONCE?

So????

It's CONFLICTING information! It gets even worse when you realize ok, so they went to Moonrise together (maybe?), found the mindflayer colony, realized they could enslave an Elder Brain, then decided to seek out Helsik to steal the Crown...but when they stole it, it's mentioned by Gortash that they "crowned" the Brain and THEN started the cult of the Absolute?

So the Dark Urge would be running through the streets murdering people????

So...where in the plan did the Dark Urge go missing?

So in short.

I really don't think Ketheric was involved in the Dark Urge disappearing...and insofar as, when and how did Orin kill them...

I don't know, but their body is literally in her bedroom if the Dark Urge dies in that timeline.

So...she never tadpoled them...then...who was the first victim?

And also. WHEN DID SHE DO IT?

AAAAARGH.

Anyway.

The wiki conflicts with info in the game, Gortash is a lying slut, the Dark Urge only has three notes and two of them are just thirsting over Gortash, and the other is inviting Orin to split their skull open...

We don't have any correspondence with Ketheric on the Absolute Plan because it's too early to find that out in act 2...

It's a mess, my guy (gn).

I don't even try to piece it together most of the time.

If anyone knows...dm or anon me, and we'll figure this out.