DavesGaming

Moving on to Baldur’s Gate II. Apart from apologizing for being a little slow (and really, I may only get one more update in before 2026) Gabrella is ready to lead her team into the next adventure.
This run stands in contrast to my previous with Jill, who was a good hearted dingbat. Gabby is strong and in charge. Still good at heart, I don’t run them any other way, but Gabby will pointedly make things right in Faerun. And she will build a team that she can trust and rely on. In short, she’s a good and thoughtful leader.

Without further delay…

*****

I’ve gone in and out of consciousness while the madman runs his tests on me. He was ugly enough in his hooded cloak, I really wish he’d cover up again. oof.

I don’t know where I am or what the status of my team is. Where is my friend and sister? And my heart breaks with worry for Bull. I know he’s somewhere nearby in this madman’s lab, I’ve heard his voice. But somehow that makes things worse not better.
And my friends Minsc and Dynaheir, Khalid and Jaheira. We were all together a short time ago. Or has it been months? I loose track.

I hear an explosion in the distance and my tormentor runs off.

Quickly, we set about rounding up the team.

We find some older gear in an adjoining room.

As we search the surrounding area, we are forced to battle the denizens of this large madman’s fortress. There are goblins, Duergar Dwarves, Mephits and a few others barring our way. We battle and defeat those who would hold us here. And gradually we find a some better gear, a few better things. Still, we’ve lost a lot, and that will weaken us tactically.

After searching every corner, we find a transit portal. Going through leads us to a storeroom, a place we’d not seen yet.

Exploring more of the base, we find Khalid’s disected remains on a table in another storeroom. He’s obviously been there a while, and seems beyond any help magic can provide. We have lost so much! Khalid and Dynaheir are the dearest part of that. I grieve with Jaheira. We will escape here and repay our captor.

We do finally see daylight and follow it to an exit. Right into a battle. The madman battles a group of thieves, whom he defeats even though Imoen tries to contribute some firepower to their side. But this barely gets going when a several mages teleport in. After Irenicus, our nemisis, stands down they proclaim this was “an unsanctioned use of magical energy” and arrest Irenicus… and Imoen. Yet again we’ve lost what is most precious. I grasp Bull tightly and sob. Just a moment. Its all we have.

Jaheira recognizes where we are. The capital city of Amn, Athkatla. Where Arcane magic use is illegal. Swell. We need an outfitter, someone who caters to adventurers. Jaheira knows just the place and it isn’t far, so we set off.

Along the way we come across a circus tent with desperate young boy out front. His mom is still in the tent, but something happened and its all shut down now. We talk to a guard who informs us something went horribly wrong inside. We offer to enter and sort it out.

The inside is far larger than the outside. We first meet an ogre with a young woman’s voice. She says its all an illusion, this is all illusion. Next we meet a spider who claims to be the mother of the young lad outside. And then a couple of peasants attack us, and change into orcs. Wow! Horribly wrong is an understatement.

We put down the little tyrant, which breaks all the spells. There have been several deaths here, but we can reunite mother and son.

We finish our short trek over to The Advenurer’s Mart. We have accumulated a fair amount of loot from escaping Irenicus’ base and now the little circus. We sell this for some better gear. We can make sure everyone has at least one magic weapon they are proficient in, and we get a few other items of immediate use.

We also get a contact who may be able to help us restore Skie. She is a complete innocent who was destroyed purely to frame me for murder.
We also meet one Gaelan Bayle. He offers the help of an (undefined) powerful group of people who can help us secure Imoen’s release. It will cost us 20000 gold, far more than we currently have. We do have the ability to acquire such funds pretty quickly, although I bristle at this delay.
As we leave Gaelan, Yoshimo confirms suspicions. This was the local thieves guild that reached out to us. I know of this group, the Shadow Thieves. They have a fearsome reputation. But I have a deep seated distrust of the local authorities just now, they’re the ones who took Imoen. I will get my friend and sister returned.

Jaheira has suggested we head to the Copper Coronet. A seedy dive bar, where we can likely find work of the sort that will earn us some money.
On entry I suggest Yoshiomo head his own way for now. We will check in later and will likely need his skill set once again. We then quickly notice a young woman looking for help to free her family home from some sort of monster invasion. Well, that sounds right up our alley.

We are quickly distracted by noticing how awful and evil this place is. They are running illegal gladatorial games in back. We put a stop to it and free the slaves. Who inform us their children are held across town. We all head out and put a stop to this monstrosity. Nalia in full agreement this demands attention.

After resting up we head out to free Nalia’s home next. This led to a series of mis-adventures. It could almost be funny how it took us three days to get out of town, but Jaheira (and all of us) are apparently now enemies of the Harpers?! Jaheira is sure this not true, but locally it seems to be.

We finally get to Nalia’s “home”, which is actually a good sized castle. It has been over-run by trolls and others.

The end was heartbreaking for our new friend Nalia. Her father, most everyone she knew, is dead. The castle is trashed. Nalia made an odd suggestion. She is currently trapped in an unwanted betrothal, that will lead to her family lands passing to a noble family she scorns. She offers to give Bull and I her lands, while she still has some executor authority. Apparently in Athkatla a mage cannot hold such title? Wierd.
But I agree on the grounds she stays with us and helps us lead and learn how things are done. And she will always have a home here, we will never remove her from her family legacy.

After a few days of gathering up pieces, Bull and I decide to host a memorial for the lost, and celebration of new beginnings. All in the De’Arnise lands are invited. It will be a casual event, and we will provide the food.

The event starts somber, as Nalia is not the only resident who has lost loved ones. And physical damage was great, to structures, livestock, crops… a real mess.
Then we pledge funds to start repairs and restoration (we still have so little ourselves! And we have other needs. But this is profoundly important). Bull and I are announced as the new arms masters who will defend this land. We are formally joined to this responsibility.

Bull reminds me when a couple years back, he said I went through life with the subtlety and finesse of a charging bull, it was only fitting that now I was Mrs Bull. Hah! My goofball.

*****

I’ve done a few other things not mentioned. Hopefully I’ll get one or maybe two more updates in this year. But things are still pretty busy for a while with Christmas, New Years, and all the related family and friend events coming up. I only mention this to say things may seem to be slowing down, but I expect in January my posting (and actual time for playing the game!) will pick up again.

I am using the MAI-Image 1 generator a little more often now. It is outstanding at doing exactly what I tell it to do. And the very realistic human figures work very well for my prefered look. On the minus side, the colors are more drab and don’t suit the colorful version of fantasy I often like. This carries over to say it doesn’t do fantasy characters and effects as well either. But when I think of it I will try to use a tag showing which generator was used when.