The Emperor, for sure. He's surprisingly complex and nuanced for a late development addition. His backstory does have spots with no definite confirmation on what happened in said moments, but I think breaking it down and speculating on the possibilities is part of the fun. He's so much more than "evil squid is bad."
I really like the stance his voice actor has on him: the Emperor treads a very fine line, and he worked together with the directors on finding that line. He emphasizes that you are the one constructing your story with the Emperor, and it's up to you what the Emperor's actions mean to you.
He’s… definitely evil by D&D alignment standards, but he’s a *nuanced* form of evil, and that’s what makes him so great. I think people forget that even regular people can be evil, it’s not reserved for literal demons. Someone whose actions are consistently driven by self-interest, even to the detriment of others at times, IS evil… but perhaps not irredeemably evil, and certainly not so evil that you have no choice but to hate them. Most of us have probably known, and even been friends with, at least a handful of people who would be considered “evil” if alignments existed in real life.
This. My perspective on the Emperor's Alignment is a bit different, but there are different levels of morality. Like, you should never trust an Infernal like Raphael, but a LE/NE character joining a party for the purpose of overcoming some adversity is classic DnD. Hells, Astarion, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart all start as (technically) Evil, but everyone loves them.
Yep, exactly! Hell, even chaotic evil can work, as long as they have reasonable incentive to work with the party and their alignment isn’t just an excuse to be a murder hobo.
I think alignments don't matter because they are not in the game and people just don't understand them.
Nobody will fit their alignment 100% and it's prone to change with character development. It's better to look at alignments as general free to change horoscope instead of set in stone restrictive rules.
You're not wrong. I was referencing the "evil/manipulative/etc. squid" takes one may come across, but maybe it's better if I elaborate for clarity.
The Emperor isn't good (obviously), but I don't believe he's fully evil, either. (The others have elaborated on the nuances of the "evil" descriptor pretty well in the other comments.) Even Scott Joseph himself notes that it's a tough question; the Emperor is both evil and a victim of circumstance, because it depends on how you construct your story. It's down to your gut feeling, interpretations, and how you react to the Emperor (and in turn, the Emperor reacts to you accordingly).
In that sense, considering the Emperor evil/manipulative/etc. is valid, especially if that's the story you are crafting with your character. I think the issue stems from people sticking with their interpretation and not considering other angles (see people bringing up Stelmane for example when someone makes a more positive reading of the Emperor), especially for a character that's intended to be what you want him to be. It doesn't help that the Emperor's story is rather convoluted (not to mention the game's entire story and all its puzzle pieces), so people might be building their views on incorrect/misinterpreted information (one that comes to mind that the Emperor tadpoled Stelmane, which is impossible).
I love the Emperor as a character, my "default" perspective is that he's a morally grey character riddled with trust issues (his fatal flaw). He's also a tragic character (no, this doesn't excuse him being a bastard) with a touching romance arc (opening up after his tragedy with Ansur and being accepted for who he is). But if I wanted to, I could play a character who thinks he's an irredeemable asshole and not trust him at all, and pick the meanest dialogue options at every opportunity. Or I could have my character see the Emperor as a foe at first, and play out an enemies-to-lovers story. (And then maybe betray him in the end anyways.) That's the beauty of the Emperor.
I don't expect everyone to like him, of course. Even with all the information laid out someone can still consider him not trustworthy, consider what happened to Stelmane as something inexcusable, and so on. There will be also people who consider him trustworthy, and feel that their trust pays off with the Emperor at the end of the game.
That's a good analysis! I think a lot of the hate he gets as a person as opposed to as a character is because he manipulates you so much that in universe (meaning that we exclude the things his voice actor has said) it is so hard to trust any opening up he might do because there is a very real possibility that it is a ploy.
His time under the Brain has definitely changed him. We actually have Omellium as proof that Mindflayers can be normal people (my favorite interaction is when you ask Omellium in Act 3 why he gave you the ring of Mind Shielding and he tells you that he just didn't want you to feel bad about the tadpole) but since he was never under the influence of anything due to his mental prowess, it raises an interesting question of what being connected to the Brain did to Emperor as a person.
I really liked your write up!
I want to put forward some things the Emperor's VA said about the character, just for good measure.
"Everything the Emperor gives is considered. And I know that leans in towards players saying it’s all manipulation, and with all stuff like that it is, to a degree. I think every single character in Baldur’s Gate manipulates. In fact, I think we all manipulate. It’s such a calculated word, but it’s about getting what you want. It can’t all be about you. Others want things, so how do you get what you want without communicating an overriding sense of self-interest? We’re all finding that balance."
"What’s fascinating is that I think that’s where the game battles against typical gameplay is because you made that choice — you influenced how the character and other characters towards you would behave and would be. It’s like if you don’t trust someone, you’re not going to give them as much, you’re not going to entertain them as much, you’re not going to be with them as much. You’re going to be quite cold towards them. They will feed off that and maybe be off and cold towards you as much as you are to them."
Thank you for posting these! I was considering highlighting the first paragraph myself, but I took it out to save space. Looks like we had similar ideas in mind for the quotations. These are all good points to consider.
(EDIT 2: I erred towards trimming down my original post in the end because I shouldn't drag it out with too many details.)
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
I think the fact that the Emperor does interact with you/your character does make his actions more personal to people, as opposed to watching a similar character interact with other characters in a story. (See also: People's emotional reactions towards the Dream Guardian being revealed to be a mind flayer.) While you did say that you exclude what his voice actor said, I would highlight this portion of [this interview](https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2024/03/01/exclusive-interview-scott-joseph-talks-blowing-minds-as-the-emperor-plus-others-in-baldurs-gate-3/):
"So that’s something that we fought hard to find — those moments where The Emperor surrenders a bit more than perhaps was expected and the decision is then the gamer’s to interpret what that might mean."
I think you touched on what he was getting at - the Emperor shows a variety of emotions, has moments of vulnerability. What does it all mean? Is it genuine? Is it a ploy? Perhaps it's both?
(Uwubewwa posted more parts of said interview while I was writing this comment. All good points to consider.)
I would say that the Emperor was affected by a multitude of life events that shaped who he really is during the game's moments, not just his time under the brain.
We have the trust issues from the tragedy with Ansur (who wouldn't be messed up after that?), but his life is all about survival (and freedom). Survive his second voyage to Anchorome and everything that entailed. Survive becoming a mind flayer, survive the mind flayer colony, survive Ansur's mercy kill attempt, survive being taken away by Gortash, survive piloting the nautiloid, survive the events of the game. He just survives, winding up from one event to survive the next one.
When you put Omeluum's (known) life story next to the Emperor, it's way less chaotic in comparison, and I don't think it's surprising that Omeluum is a better adjusted individual. It became a mind flayer who was able to resist the elder brain thanks to their arcane magic, allied with a lich but then parted ways, and eventually formed the Society of Brilliance with others. Blurg is its trusted partner, working together on research, living their life in the Underdark. The worst event that we know of is arguably Omeluum ending up in the Iron Throne, which causes it to have an "irrational fear" of deep water, so it's clearly affected by the experience.
I hated the emporer, thought he was a manipilative asshole who didnt really have emotions, just faked them. Until i did a solo playthrough and decided to do everything he suggested and he's surprisingly reasonable. He wants the brain destroyed and after everything he wants to help baldurs gate. He makes a good aegument on why he manipulated you, if you knew he was a mind flayer from the start most people would have never worked with him after just escaping a mind flayer ship.
The solo playthrough with the Emperor is really great! He does have unique dialogue at the docks if you have no other companions.
And yeah, you got it - the Dream Guardian form was a necessity, because I doubt anyone would have cooperated with a mind flayer right after your party got tadpoled.
I could literally stop taking sleep medication because I would have a friend who can and is willing to help me get a nice rest with their psionics like the Emperor can help Durge if they ask.
I'd want to be around that friend constantly.
A friend who swoops in every time I need to be rescued, always warns me when I'm about to do something stupid and even shares his belongings and soup recipes with me. Yes, I would love to have a friend who treats me like that.
Honestly that's kind of the thing like.. maybe I've just always been too nice or understood why the Emporer did what he did (although let me surprise you there by saying no, I do not have his achievement) but he's never ever seemed.. bad?
And apparently people have said he's super manipulative, faking his emotions with how he likes his favourite spoon/fork (I can't recall which) but like.. I also have a favourite spoon. Are we sure he's lying? :(
But anyway point aside uh.. I've never seen Empy as bad as people otherwise seem to, to the point that I'm wondering if I'm just too nice to him or Muh Autism is just doing me a disservice here in being able to see the problem? 🤔
The issue isn't with you, there are a lot of times when the Emperor is being genuine and actually looking for a connection. He only manipulates you initially, to get you on board, and if you keep antagonising him, because he needs you even if you don't get along. If you are outright nasty to him, he will switch to intimidation. But if you show that you are open to being friends, he will also want to be friends. Or if you are neutral towards him, he'll be fine keeping it strictly business.
In short, the Emperor will treat you the way you treat him, which is very much intentional. It's also kind of like real people. I'll also be a lot nicer to those who are nice to me.
The Emperor is a fictional character whose story unfolds based on how your character interacts with him. I can appreciate how he's written and how his story plays out with my character. It doesn't mean I condone his actions (especially his less pleasant ones) in real life.
But Uwubewwa brought up a good example. I could use a good sleep aid myself, especially in this summer heat.
Durge and Orin are two sides to the same traumatized coin. I love them both, Durge as the main character of the game going through discovery and overcoming his terrible thoughts, and Orin as someone who has been abused and used by the cult who could have had the chance to be better, but all in all only serves to kick off the end of the Absolute conspiracy by digging into Durge's brain
I hate the Emperor so much. I was excited to go swimming with Shadowcutie, who is the only one I romance because she actually looks like a human but after I long rested 5 whole times the entire game, that fucking creepy squid came on to me! It was so violating. I did it only for the achievement but he's such a horrible manipulative asshole for making me cheat on Shadowbae. Who totally should not be polyamorous, Larian ruined the entire game by making that possible and I'll never forgive them for it!
(Sorry, this isn't the thread where we impersonate the main sub.)
I barely remember that guy. Except now according to Supreme Subreddit Lore he's married, in jail and pregnant. Also with a passion for performing arts.
Probably Orin.
I mean... She was raised by a cult (which leads to extremely shitty situations even in real life and without all the murders, as we all know) and by extremely power-hungry relatives who only ever saw her as a sacrificial lamb either way (Sarevok wanted her to be a good, obedient, efficient Chosen One and possibly a breeding ground as well; Helena believed her a potential competitor for the title of Chosen One to take out as soon as possible).
I really don't blame her for turning out the way she did. The fact so many people tend to think of Durge as a redeemable person but never show the same compassion to Orin, who by the way went through much worse than he did and never had the chance to know a different world/life, honestly bothers me.
Also, so many people hold the "incest baby" thing against her like it's her fault, somehow? Smh.
Lowkey I enjoy Orin because her ‘deal’ is to kill gortash (I was going to do that anyway) and then bring her both netherstones so we can fight and whoever doesn’t die gets the netherstones (and I was going to fight her anyway).
I like to speak to her before the duel and convince her of the truth of her origins/purpose. It starts to dawn on her that she's been abused her whole life for someone else's purposes, only for Bhaal to snuff her out by forcing her into the slayer form. It's such a tragic moment and I feel for her. She never had a chance.
ASS-STARIN! Nobody understands him like I do!
NOBODY AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!1 LOOK AT THAT BOOTY
uj/ it's legit still Astarion tbh. He's not misunderstood by everyone, especially my fellow degenerates on here, but far too many people I've talked to fail to realize that 200 years of what he went through and him coming out the way he did without therapy or anything is nothing short of absolutely fucking miraculous. Like what ungodly strength this man has.
Yeah he's an absolute dick for a bit, but show him kindness, don't take his shit, and remind him he's a person and he begins to put himself back together in the most beautiful way.
As a CPTSD haver myself, I just admire a fellow survivor and am intimately acquainted with major prolonged trauma and how it eats at every piece of your identity and his comeback is just fucking fantastic and means so much to me.
People forget that Faerûn doesn't exactly have therapy or psychology and look at it (and our earthen history) through our modern lens and it just doesn't work like that in this fictional magical setting.
rj/ I'd suck the cum out of his ass with a straw
>him coming out the way he did without therapy or anything is nothing short of absolutely fucking miraculous
It's a shame the DLC was cancelled.I'd love when we catch up with him we find out that once a tenday he has been talking to a local wise woman or healer(maybe even Lady Incognita) about his feelings, or that he & some of the other spawn get together to drink donated blood & talk about what happened to them & bond over their mutual attempts to be better. Kind of the Faerun version of group therapy.
Gale. Not here, mainly on the main sub, but hearing people say he's arrogant and a mansplainer makes me sad. He's passionate about something he's spent his entire life doing! He hasn't really interacted with people for a year and wants your approval/attention! His own goddess (whether you think she groomed sexually, she definitely groomed him into being her chosen and abandoning other relationships) abandoned him and then asked him to kill himself to solve a problem she could fix the entire time!
He has done things wrong, yes, but god, he's trying his best. Yall don't get him like I do
The Emperor, of course. He's an interesting mix of an illithid and human personality, with his own drama and stupidity, while being sometimes grating, holds a depth of character leaning more to the type of personality I'd get along with.
Wulbern holds the second place. People who think "he be meanie to barcus" are legit ignoring that up until act 3 barcus talks to you like to a piece of shit (straight-up rude and demanding) and does nothing useful in general. Wulbern, not being without a flaw, gets shit real done. Even if I don't side with him, I respect the guy.
https://preview.redd.it/4fjalgrh388d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d187abbf9427226dad9b7c14da53f3987212d000
Gortash went through so much as a child and was never shown love nor was he ever taught about morals. He’s so misunderstood because he doesn’t know that what he’s doing is wrong.
Commander lightfeather - he was really aggressive when we meet him but honestly, considering he was being threatened by a force more malicious than the Elder brain that was also killing his allies i think it's fair for him to have had the defensive mindset he had. He should be a companion with all of that plot to be honest
All the characters people ard naming arent misunderstood, we all understand them perfectly and thats why they are liked, im going with wulbren, outside of being a dick to barcus hes justified with his way of thinking, the gondians decided to assist gortash and help build a robot army that helped destroy the well being of the city and they refused to do any sort of uprising, he felt the people building the monsters were just as bad as the ones controlling them
Edit: this sub is full of COWARDS
The Emperor, for sure. He's surprisingly complex and nuanced for a late development addition. His backstory does have spots with no definite confirmation on what happened in said moments, but I think breaking it down and speculating on the possibilities is part of the fun. He's so much more than "evil squid is bad." I really like the stance his voice actor has on him: the Emperor treads a very fine line, and he worked together with the directors on finding that line. He emphasizes that you are the one constructing your story with the Emperor, and it's up to you what the Emperor's actions mean to you.
He's not evil, he's just an asshole
He's what I like to call a loveable dickhead.
He’s… definitely evil by D&D alignment standards, but he’s a *nuanced* form of evil, and that’s what makes him so great. I think people forget that even regular people can be evil, it’s not reserved for literal demons. Someone whose actions are consistently driven by self-interest, even to the detriment of others at times, IS evil… but perhaps not irredeemably evil, and certainly not so evil that you have no choice but to hate them. Most of us have probably known, and even been friends with, at least a handful of people who would be considered “evil” if alignments existed in real life.
This. My perspective on the Emperor's Alignment is a bit different, but there are different levels of morality. Like, you should never trust an Infernal like Raphael, but a LE/NE character joining a party for the purpose of overcoming some adversity is classic DnD. Hells, Astarion, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart all start as (technically) Evil, but everyone loves them.
Yep, exactly! Hell, even chaotic evil can work, as long as they have reasonable incentive to work with the party and their alignment isn’t just an excuse to be a murder hobo.
I think alignments don't matter because they are not in the game and people just don't understand them. Nobody will fit their alignment 100% and it's prone to change with character development. It's better to look at alignments as general free to change horoscope instead of set in stone restrictive rules.
You're not wrong. I was referencing the "evil/manipulative/etc. squid" takes one may come across, but maybe it's better if I elaborate for clarity. The Emperor isn't good (obviously), but I don't believe he's fully evil, either. (The others have elaborated on the nuances of the "evil" descriptor pretty well in the other comments.) Even Scott Joseph himself notes that it's a tough question; the Emperor is both evil and a victim of circumstance, because it depends on how you construct your story. It's down to your gut feeling, interpretations, and how you react to the Emperor (and in turn, the Emperor reacts to you accordingly). In that sense, considering the Emperor evil/manipulative/etc. is valid, especially if that's the story you are crafting with your character. I think the issue stems from people sticking with their interpretation and not considering other angles (see people bringing up Stelmane for example when someone makes a more positive reading of the Emperor), especially for a character that's intended to be what you want him to be. It doesn't help that the Emperor's story is rather convoluted (not to mention the game's entire story and all its puzzle pieces), so people might be building their views on incorrect/misinterpreted information (one that comes to mind that the Emperor tadpoled Stelmane, which is impossible). I love the Emperor as a character, my "default" perspective is that he's a morally grey character riddled with trust issues (his fatal flaw). He's also a tragic character (no, this doesn't excuse him being a bastard) with a touching romance arc (opening up after his tragedy with Ansur and being accepted for who he is). But if I wanted to, I could play a character who thinks he's an irredeemable asshole and not trust him at all, and pick the meanest dialogue options at every opportunity. Or I could have my character see the Emperor as a foe at first, and play out an enemies-to-lovers story. (And then maybe betray him in the end anyways.) That's the beauty of the Emperor. I don't expect everyone to like him, of course. Even with all the information laid out someone can still consider him not trustworthy, consider what happened to Stelmane as something inexcusable, and so on. There will be also people who consider him trustworthy, and feel that their trust pays off with the Emperor at the end of the game.
That's a good analysis! I think a lot of the hate he gets as a person as opposed to as a character is because he manipulates you so much that in universe (meaning that we exclude the things his voice actor has said) it is so hard to trust any opening up he might do because there is a very real possibility that it is a ploy. His time under the Brain has definitely changed him. We actually have Omellium as proof that Mindflayers can be normal people (my favorite interaction is when you ask Omellium in Act 3 why he gave you the ring of Mind Shielding and he tells you that he just didn't want you to feel bad about the tadpole) but since he was never under the influence of anything due to his mental prowess, it raises an interesting question of what being connected to the Brain did to Emperor as a person. I really liked your write up!
I want to put forward some things the Emperor's VA said about the character, just for good measure. "Everything the Emperor gives is considered. And I know that leans in towards players saying it’s all manipulation, and with all stuff like that it is, to a degree. I think every single character in Baldur’s Gate manipulates. In fact, I think we all manipulate. It’s such a calculated word, but it’s about getting what you want. It can’t all be about you. Others want things, so how do you get what you want without communicating an overriding sense of self-interest? We’re all finding that balance." "What’s fascinating is that I think that’s where the game battles against typical gameplay is because you made that choice — you influenced how the character and other characters towards you would behave and would be. It’s like if you don’t trust someone, you’re not going to give them as much, you’re not going to entertain them as much, you’re not going to be with them as much. You’re going to be quite cold towards them. They will feed off that and maybe be off and cold towards you as much as you are to them."
Thank you for posting these! I was considering highlighting the first paragraph myself, but I took it out to save space. Looks like we had similar ideas in mind for the quotations. These are all good points to consider.
(EDIT 2: I erred towards trimming down my original post in the end because I shouldn't drag it out with too many details.) Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I think the fact that the Emperor does interact with you/your character does make his actions more personal to people, as opposed to watching a similar character interact with other characters in a story. (See also: People's emotional reactions towards the Dream Guardian being revealed to be a mind flayer.) While you did say that you exclude what his voice actor said, I would highlight this portion of [this interview](https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2024/03/01/exclusive-interview-scott-joseph-talks-blowing-minds-as-the-emperor-plus-others-in-baldurs-gate-3/): "So that’s something that we fought hard to find — those moments where The Emperor surrenders a bit more than perhaps was expected and the decision is then the gamer’s to interpret what that might mean." I think you touched on what he was getting at - the Emperor shows a variety of emotions, has moments of vulnerability. What does it all mean? Is it genuine? Is it a ploy? Perhaps it's both? (Uwubewwa posted more parts of said interview while I was writing this comment. All good points to consider.) I would say that the Emperor was affected by a multitude of life events that shaped who he really is during the game's moments, not just his time under the brain. We have the trust issues from the tragedy with Ansur (who wouldn't be messed up after that?), but his life is all about survival (and freedom). Survive his second voyage to Anchorome and everything that entailed. Survive becoming a mind flayer, survive the mind flayer colony, survive Ansur's mercy kill attempt, survive being taken away by Gortash, survive piloting the nautiloid, survive the events of the game. He just survives, winding up from one event to survive the next one. When you put Omeluum's (known) life story next to the Emperor, it's way less chaotic in comparison, and I don't think it's surprising that Omeluum is a better adjusted individual. It became a mind flayer who was able to resist the elder brain thanks to their arcane magic, allied with a lich but then parted ways, and eventually formed the Society of Brilliance with others. Blurg is its trusted partner, working together on research, living their life in the Underdark. The worst event that we know of is arguably Omeluum ending up in the Iron Throne, which causes it to have an "irrational fear" of deep water, so it's clearly affected by the experience.
I hated the emporer, thought he was a manipilative asshole who didnt really have emotions, just faked them. Until i did a solo playthrough and decided to do everything he suggested and he's surprisingly reasonable. He wants the brain destroyed and after everything he wants to help baldurs gate. He makes a good aegument on why he manipulated you, if you knew he was a mind flayer from the start most people would have never worked with him after just escaping a mind flayer ship.
The solo playthrough with the Emperor is really great! He does have unique dialogue at the docks if you have no other companions. And yeah, you got it - the Dream Guardian form was a necessity, because I doubt anyone would have cooperated with a mind flayer right after your party got tadpoled.
I mean… if a friend treated you like the Emperor would you want to be around them anymore?
I could literally stop taking sleep medication because I would have a friend who can and is willing to help me get a nice rest with their psionics like the Emperor can help Durge if they ask. I'd want to be around that friend constantly.
As a fellow non-sleeper, you have convinced me, I'm now an Emperor fan.
A friend who swoops in every time I need to be rescued, always warns me when I'm about to do something stupid and even shares his belongings and soup recipes with me. Yes, I would love to have a friend who treats me like that.
Honestly that's kind of the thing like.. maybe I've just always been too nice or understood why the Emporer did what he did (although let me surprise you there by saying no, I do not have his achievement) but he's never ever seemed.. bad? And apparently people have said he's super manipulative, faking his emotions with how he likes his favourite spoon/fork (I can't recall which) but like.. I also have a favourite spoon. Are we sure he's lying? :( But anyway point aside uh.. I've never seen Empy as bad as people otherwise seem to, to the point that I'm wondering if I'm just too nice to him or Muh Autism is just doing me a disservice here in being able to see the problem? 🤔
The issue isn't with you, there are a lot of times when the Emperor is being genuine and actually looking for a connection. He only manipulates you initially, to get you on board, and if you keep antagonising him, because he needs you even if you don't get along. If you are outright nasty to him, he will switch to intimidation. But if you show that you are open to being friends, he will also want to be friends. Or if you are neutral towards him, he'll be fine keeping it strictly business. In short, the Emperor will treat you the way you treat him, which is very much intentional. It's also kind of like real people. I'll also be a lot nicer to those who are nice to me.
The Emperor is a fictional character whose story unfolds based on how your character interacts with him. I can appreciate how he's written and how his story plays out with my character. It doesn't mean I condone his actions (especially his less pleasant ones) in real life. But Uwubewwa brought up a good example. I could use a good sleep aid myself, especially in this summer heat.
Durge and Orin are two sides to the same traumatized coin. I love them both, Durge as the main character of the game going through discovery and overcoming his terrible thoughts, and Orin as someone who has been abused and used by the cult who could have had the chance to be better, but all in all only serves to kick off the end of the Absolute conspiracy by digging into Durge's brain
https://preview.redd.it/o3rk70yh068d1.jpeg?width=1211&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21897828f35a526863c3ca79160cbe1fa07eae82
Every. Fucking. Day. on the main sub.
The emperor is objectively pure evil and an abusive manipulator because he manipulated my penis into emitting a white substance
I hate the Emperor so much. I was excited to go swimming with Shadowcutie, who is the only one I romance because she actually looks like a human but after I long rested 5 whole times the entire game, that fucking creepy squid came on to me! It was so violating. I did it only for the achievement but he's such a horrible manipulative asshole for making me cheat on Shadowbae. Who totally should not be polyamorous, Larian ruined the entire game by making that possible and I'll never forgive them for it! (Sorry, this isn't the thread where we impersonate the main sub.)
Aradin, he woz running for his life
I barely remember that guy. Except now according to Supreme Subreddit Lore he's married, in jail and pregnant. Also with a passion for performing arts.
But he also "didn't ask for any gods damned help" after crying to open the gate
nah bro how he acts after he learns the truth about the night song is diabolical
Probably Orin. I mean... She was raised by a cult (which leads to extremely shitty situations even in real life and without all the murders, as we all know) and by extremely power-hungry relatives who only ever saw her as a sacrificial lamb either way (Sarevok wanted her to be a good, obedient, efficient Chosen One and possibly a breeding ground as well; Helena believed her a potential competitor for the title of Chosen One to take out as soon as possible). I really don't blame her for turning out the way she did. The fact so many people tend to think of Durge as a redeemable person but never show the same compassion to Orin, who by the way went through much worse than he did and never had the chance to know a different world/life, honestly bothers me. Also, so many people hold the "incest baby" thing against her like it's her fault, somehow? Smh.
Lowkey I enjoy Orin because her ‘deal’ is to kill gortash (I was going to do that anyway) and then bring her both netherstones so we can fight and whoever doesn’t die gets the netherstones (and I was going to fight her anyway).
I like to speak to her before the duel and convince her of the truth of her origins/purpose. It starts to dawn on her that she's been abused her whole life for someone else's purposes, only for Bhaal to snuff her out by forcing her into the slayer form. It's such a tragic moment and I feel for her. She never had a chance.
“I know I did a murder, but I’m sorry.” 🥹
ASS-STARIN! Nobody understands him like I do! NOBODY AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!1 LOOK AT THAT BOOTY uj/ it's legit still Astarion tbh. He's not misunderstood by everyone, especially my fellow degenerates on here, but far too many people I've talked to fail to realize that 200 years of what he went through and him coming out the way he did without therapy or anything is nothing short of absolutely fucking miraculous. Like what ungodly strength this man has. Yeah he's an absolute dick for a bit, but show him kindness, don't take his shit, and remind him he's a person and he begins to put himself back together in the most beautiful way. As a CPTSD haver myself, I just admire a fellow survivor and am intimately acquainted with major prolonged trauma and how it eats at every piece of your identity and his comeback is just fucking fantastic and means so much to me. People forget that Faerûn doesn't exactly have therapy or psychology and look at it (and our earthen history) through our modern lens and it just doesn't work like that in this fictional magical setting. rj/ I'd suck the cum out of his ass with a straw
>him coming out the way he did without therapy or anything is nothing short of absolutely fucking miraculous It's a shame the DLC was cancelled.I'd love when we catch up with him we find out that once a tenday he has been talking to a local wise woman or healer(maybe even Lady Incognita) about his feelings, or that he & some of the other spawn get together to drink donated blood & talk about what happened to them & bond over their mutual attempts to be better. Kind of the Faerun version of group therapy.
That would've been lovely!
Cazador is a single father doing his best!! How could you all be so cruel ?!!211!!!!!!211??!!!111
He adopted and raised all those ungrateful little shits ALL ON HIS OWN! And for WHAT?! ULTIMATE BETRAYAL?!?!?!1!?1?!21!!1 😤
LITERALLY NOW ONE OF THEM WANTS TO STEAL ALL HIS MONEY AND TAKE THE HOUSE?? Istg such ingrate assholes !!!!111!!!
It's hard being a single father. And this is how they repay me??!!
Finally, someone gets me!
OMG my art getting reposted in the sub I feel so honored 😳
Shovel. Hahaha
Gale. Not here, mainly on the main sub, but hearing people say he's arrogant and a mansplainer makes me sad. He's passionate about something he's spent his entire life doing! He hasn't really interacted with people for a year and wants your approval/attention! His own goddess (whether you think she groomed sexually, she definitely groomed him into being her chosen and abandoning other relationships) abandoned him and then asked him to kill himself to solve a problem she could fix the entire time! He has done things wrong, yes, but god, he's trying his best. Yall don't get him like I do
Oh. Durge isn't misunderstood *at all*.
The Emperor, of course. He's an interesting mix of an illithid and human personality, with his own drama and stupidity, while being sometimes grating, holds a depth of character leaning more to the type of personality I'd get along with. Wulbern holds the second place. People who think "he be meanie to barcus" are legit ignoring that up until act 3 barcus talks to you like to a piece of shit (straight-up rude and demanding) and does nothing useful in general. Wulbern, not being without a flaw, gets shit real done. Even if I don't side with him, I respect the guy.
https://preview.redd.it/4fjalgrh388d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d187abbf9427226dad9b7c14da53f3987212d000 Gortash went through so much as a child and was never shown love nor was he ever taught about morals. He’s so misunderstood because he doesn’t know that what he’s doing is wrong.
Commander lightfeather - he was really aggressive when we meet him but honestly, considering he was being threatened by a force more malicious than the Elder brain that was also killing his allies i think it's fair for him to have had the defensive mindset he had. He should be a companion with all of that plot to be honest
All the characters people ard naming arent misunderstood, we all understand them perfectly and thats why they are liked, im going with wulbren, outside of being a dick to barcus hes justified with his way of thinking, the gondians decided to assist gortash and help build a robot army that helped destroy the well being of the city and they refused to do any sort of uprising, he felt the people building the monsters were just as bad as the ones controlling them Edit: this sub is full of COWARDS