Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Why do we see this scene with Gortash and Orin?

I'm talking about that early Act 3 scene where Gortash poses for a painting and Orin stabs it

Almost the entire game follows our protagonists. We see and hear the same things that they do with only few brief exceptions (Jaheira reaching for her swords, Minthara watching the Nautiloid crash).

Those scenes are quick glimpses of a character reacting to something the party did or was actively involved in. But the Gortash/Orin scene goes a lot farther than that, its a full on conversation between them and one that none of our characters are privvy to

And that just feels really odd to me? Don't get me wrong, I like the scene. I just question why it was handled that way because it really sticks out to me on subsequent playthroughs

To maybe endear the player to either one of them when siding with whom?

A device often referred to as "setting the scene." in this case the theme of Act 3's main story line.

Right but in Acts 1 and 2 this was still done through your character's POV. Even the way Gortash and Orin are first introduced is done this way with your party being shown eavesdropping on their conversation with Ketheric

It just seems strange to me that this is the one time the game completely breaks formula and shows us something the player characters have no way of knowing

Yes, it's odd, but I think Larian sort of ended up between a rock and a hard place. Apparently those two were supposed to play a much larger role earlier in the game, only for all of that content to get cut; as a result, there's almost no opportunity for the player to get to know two characters who are going to become essential to Act III. As a sort of compromise, we get this extreme perspective switch.

I agree, it didn't fit well. I suppose they couldn't really think of a better way of telling us that Orin and Gortash were at odds after Ketheric's demise. But then again, when we do meet Gortash he says it himself anyhow before requesting an alliance, so I'm not entirely sure why it was required. If anything, I think it would've been more epic had it not been revealed until Gortash's coronation.