Let's Romance Baldur's Gate: But First, Shopping!

[mishisings]

Jaheira starts getting impatient if you take too long to get to Nashkel. She even has a voiceclip for it: "How long must we wait here? Things stir to the south as we sit!" But we're not quite ready to head south just yet. First we head west for some shopping.



Permidion Stark: Okay, okay, here's the plan: There's a big-time mage living just over that rise. Magic items scattered all over the place, I'm betting... Trouble is, he's got these two hideous flesh monsters guarding him and no shadows where I can lurk! Brute force is useless against the monsters, everything is useless. There must be a way to outwit the witless but damned if I know how... Ah hell, I guess I'd be better off just finding a halfling village somewhere to pick on. This dive is all yours.

That's the home of Thalantyr, a wise and powerful mage. I'd, uh, caution against trying to rob him, Jimothy.

Permidion Stark: Good luck!

We're not going to rob the guy, that would be a huge waste of one of the best sources of magical equipment in the game.



Plus the long lost Lord of Winterfell isn't kidding about the flesh golems. You need to use magic or magical weapons to even have a hope of scratching them. Jim doesn't have enough magical firepower to get past them, and the only magic weapons we have are Jim's +1 quarterstaff and Imoen's +1 dagger that we picked up way back in Candlekeep and that I forgot to mention because it was one of the rewards for one of those boring fetch quests. And putting those two on the front lines is a good way to get killed at this point.



Thalantyr is kind of a jerk and he'll make us go through this dialogue every time we want to trade with him but his selection is worth the annoyance. For now all we can afford is one or two spells and a scroll case where we can put our spell scrolls and important documents, but eventually we'll be able to buy the Robe of the Good Archmagi and the Robe of the Neutral Archmagi from him, among other great items.



This is the other guy we could have picked up to fill our roster of non-love interests. Kivan is an elf ranger on a crusade of vengeance against the orc bandit that tortured and killed his wife. You can play your female player character as having an unrequited crush on him, but he's too focused on his grief to even really notice. There's a mod for Baldur's Gate II that brings him back as a recruitable character, and I think you can either bring his wife back to life and have her in your party too, or help him get over her and romance him yourself.

... And then my companions all started talking at once. Starting with Ajantis because I really, really shouldn't have set the frequency of everyone's lovetalks down to 45 minutes.



It will depend on his behaviour, Ajantis. If he forces us to fight, I'll kill him with satisfaction.

We will fight them until they are beaten and lie broken at our feet. But should those evildoers surrender, I will help you to bring them to a proper court of law. There they will feel the power of justice! I swear by my honor! And if I say honor, Lady Jimothy, then remember: My honor is my life!

I doubt I could forget if I tried. You say that a lot.

Tell me: what do honor and justice mean to you?

Honor is a very flexible term, Ajantis. There have been decent men accused of dishonest behavior because people didn't know the whole story!

Still you would not lose your honor - before your god and yourself.

Well... I wouldn't betray those who trust me, if that's what you mean.

And justice?

I dunno, Ajantis... To me, justice is like a myth - I don't see that it truly exists.

But it *is* there! Strengthen your belief in honor, Lady Jimothy, because with honor comes justice. Let us strike onward and bring it to the people, and you will see that it is not a myth! My lady, in you I have found a like-minded comrade. I'm proud to fight by your side. Let us move on and carry out our duty.

Like-minded? I think you're wrong about that, but you're clearly a good guy, and I don't hate having you in the party.

Jaheira might be regretting inviting Ajantis into the party, because this happened next:



My devotion to her cause will outweigh any other considerations.

Yes, if that devotion is mutually understood and shared between you and Jimothy...

And have you the reasons to doubt such an understanding? I do not.

Still, I would advise you to take Jimothy's decisions amicably, even if it will go against your idea of what is honorable.

And m'lady herself will be amicably accepting if Jimothy decided that it would be the best for the party, if Khalid and herself were replaced?

But she would not do that! Khalid and I... *sighs*

Of course not. I won't worry about Lady Jimothy rearranging her companions yet, m'lady, though I appreciate your concern.

Well, now I feel kind of guilty for planning on dismissing Jaheira once we get to Nashkel.



Sometimes I get the impression you see a completely different person when you look at me.

So that was a thing. Don't worry, Ajantis, we're not going to dismiss you yet, if ever.