#she's so full of regret at the tiefling party she has sex with Astarion about it

[alicelufenia]

I've been struggling to write a rp helper for those who want to recruit Minthara the proper way on their next playthrough, but struggle with being required to raid the grove. There's going the grove civil war route (which at least starts with you doing what Zevlor asks you to do!), but that doesn't necessarily give you a reason to join Minthara to mop them up. But @spiderwarden recently summed up the perfect one-size-fits-all Raid The Grove Tip

Just play a drow. Especially a male drow, but even if you don't it's not going to change why this is the perfect choice.

Think about it; what does a drow tav/durge owe the grove? Zevlor has to tell everyone not to hate crime you, the only one who's properly grateful to you is Kagha, who the game won't even let you properly side with! Seriously why can't you side with Kagha after exposing the shadow druid conspiracy?? That place sucks, and Zevlor COULD have let you escort their caravan as they actually headed out on the road (you could even offer your many supplies you rummaged from crates and barrels for the journey), but instead, he'd rather send you to go assassinate the generals in the goblin army, the same one that captured the Archdruid AND slew or captured half the adventuring party that was accompanying him. What did you have no faith in those guys, but oh, I'm different surely?

And if you offer to take care of Kagha, he feigns a moral quandry (whatever as one oathbreaker paladin to another I can tell him he's full of shit on that one) but agrees we're in a better position to deal with her since she's allowed us to get close. And if you follow through directly with that (who has time to search around for conspiracies when you have a MIND FLAYER TADPOLE to deal with? Why are you even still here??) the druids instantly start slaughtering all the civilians Zevlor was trying to protect! Good thing you tried to help I guess.

At least Nettie has the idea to remind you that they might mistake you for one of them with your tadpole infection, but she also tries to poison you, and with my first drow tav she asked me to hold out my hand, and then SLASHED me with the poisoned thistle with a smile on her face. She did that to a DROW?? The suicidal audacity of that bitch!

And then, just past two bridges is the goblin camp.

Immediately upon approaching these little bastards hop to it like "Drow comin through!" and that's it for customs. They'll scrape and bow and never look you in the eye as they ask if you'd like a foot rub and manicure, m'liege! Finally someone on the surface who knows how to give proper respect to their betters! And they'll immediately tell you about the drow commander. Oh word, another drow? No wonder these goblins know how to act right. Already your day is going about 100000% better than when you first spied the emerald grove. Even after the mind blast the Absolute gives you as you walk in the entrance, that's quickly solved by the artifact that darthiir was clutching like a spider guards her eggs. Normally you'd slice her throat and nick such a clearly valuable and important item first chance you got, but she's been useful enough. Better to keep her close for now.

As the goblins wither at your gaze, you head straight for this "Minthara" everyone has been talking about. And then you do your best impression of someone who isn't about to shit and piss themselves because their drow commander is none other than a honest-to-Lolth BAENRE. She doesn't have to introduce herself for you to recognize that tattoo on her neck; she must be one of those zealots who are always accompanying priestesses and slaughtering heretics in the streets. So what's a paladin of Lolth doing serving this false god of an Absolute?

Ice enters your mind, and you understand why; she's just like you, a tadpole in her brain, but she doesn't seem to know it. And she is thrilled to see you, and immediately offers an alliance. This couldn't be more perfect for you. Already you've been reluctantly willing to take on a half-breed cleric, an abomination from the astral sea who's at least good with a sword and is the only one who knows anything useful about your infection, a vampire boytoy, and even a dark-damned Wizard.

Of course you'll jump at this opportunity to have such a powerful ally as Minthara on your side! No one at the grove ever lifted a finger for you, as far as you're concerned this is the first friendly settlement you've come across, and unlike Zevlor, Minthara is willing to get her hands dirty right along side you. Let the raid begin, commander!

And now you're ready to roll up a drow tav on your next playthrough and see ALL the content the best character in the game has to offer.

I'll even close with a teeny tiney extra tip, to remember me by as you move forward.

You don't actually have to play evil-for-evil's-sake.

You were raised to be pragmatic and ambitious. Unless you're playing the most hardline-rebel-drow-fanboying-over-Drizzt ever, Minthara will be your best and most understanding ally. Beyond that, not a lot of other cartoonishly evil options really work for you unless you decide they do. Last Light inn is valuable as a safe space in the shadow curse, and you'll want to defend Isobel for that alone. Posing as a True Soul to enter Moonrise isn't very morally complicated; Jaheira will even encourage you to do exactly that! And by the time you reach the Gauntlet of Shar, you probably know what your character will do having gotten to know Shadowheart, rather than thinking "do I pick the good or the evil option".

Thanks for reading, and happy raiding everyone!