I am really curious as to why you were surprised.
Few reasons actualy ...
For one, his attitude toward Goblins seem to me just the same as Shadowheart's toward Gith ... and she also dont leave you, when you invite Lae'zel to join your group ... she keep talking about how bad decision it was, but that is all. I expected the same from Wyll.
Of course, if you watch datamining materials ... we kinda know that it wont be all even between this pair.
For two, the second you enter Goblin camp, he seemed to me like he completely forgot how much he hated them ... and when you talk with Spike, more like when HE talked with spike, it seemed like he aimed his focus elsewhere ... specificly to find Mizora, and it seemed to me like he totally forgot about murdering Goblins, since he never mentioned it again. Therefore i presumed (and now i know i presumed incorectly) that all those talks about killing the Goblin leaders was just to find some group of adventurers, who would help him to get inside ... therefore to Spike ... therefore to info about Mizora.
Aaaand maybe there was something more ... but if so, i forgot.
I can't imagine a reasonably intelligent person taking that much risk on their own presumption.
Honestly?
I believe that every risk in history of humanity was made based on own presumptions.
Even if that presumption would be just hope that other person will not betray you, and certainly told you the whole truth.
But, you are right ... lets stick to the topic.
Just as i stated in that previous topic, lets talk for a second what risk are we talking about really?
- Are we talking about risks, that is in marching in middle of enemy camp?
No, that is something we will do in both cases, so that cannot be the problem here.
- Are we talking about risk, that whole cult will turn on us and atempt to murder us?
No, that is something we risk aswell, once we start to murder their leaders.
- Are we talking about risk, that we will turn into Mind Flayers? I believe we do.
BUT! (And this is important butt!) ... lets not forget about the fact that Minthara was not on the ship with us, nor Gut, nor Ragzlin. This fact is even more proved to us by the fact that this trio, allready have established power base here!
Therefore, logicaly, they was probably tadpolized in the past, even if that would mean few days before us.
Therefore, logicaly, until we find out that our tadpole is in magical stasis, we can presume that our clock is ticking ... but theirs should aswell, and until they start turning we should be fine. First in > first out.
Therefore, unless we find out what is this whole cult about, we can simply use Minthara, Ragzlin and Gut as countdown device.
So ... that is my reason why my Evil character (that one who cares, btw) dont concider his tadpole a threat.
And once you get to that point, you find out that your characters are in exactly same danger both in Evil, and Good playthrough.
Joining up on the presumption that you'll get power feels too flimsy to me honestly. It feels like it relies on your character making too many assumptions based on circumstantial evidence.
That one is true ...
But i have two arguments against it ...
1) Minthara actualy allready promised us power ... well, technicaly she called that "favour of the Goddess", but is there really any difference?
2) Even if not, to be completely honest ... most of my characters would concider their own assumptions (even those that are vague with no base in reality) to be better source of information than any word from Fanaticaly believing Drow.
Also there is circumstantial evidence that you probably didnt concider.
And its the fact that Minthara herself is tadpoled ... longer than you, as i mentioned abowe ... and that would mean, for your character perspective (unless you allready talked with Omeluum), there is certainly *something* that is preventing her metamorphosis ...
And what one obvious thing is differing all the tadpoled NPCs from your party (or potential party members named Karlach)? That is right! They all pray to the Absolute!
Whole cult keeps talking about the fact that their Goddess is keeping them safe, and right in front of you is standing tadpoled Drow proof in the flesh.
Of course using metagaming info we know its actualy some kind of Dark Netherese magic ... but is there connection to the Absolute? I believe ewen we can presume that there is, it would be probably more something like *they who call themselves the Absolute* for some reason alterned the tadpole like this ... more than the Absolute is acutal Goddess who is protecting her believers.
But in the end, those are minor details. :P
If you go with the good path, you're getting an opportunity to remove the parasite, and if that fails then you can just move onto the next opportunity. If you side with the evil path, you get an opportunity to maybe control the parasite, while also surrounding yourself with people who have the ability to mentally manipulate other people infected by the tadpole without their knowing (how will you know if they're doing to you what you may have done to others already?) And if you're wrong then at best you've wasted precious time you could have been searching for a cure and also lost a potential healer in the process.
I believe you are wrong here...
Note that i know that this is pure speculation, since we dont even know what will happen in Moonrise Towers ... even tho some effects of our decisions was allready datamined, but i dont remember.
- If you side with Grove (aka Good), you loose all the options that Goblins are offering ...
Wich as i dare to presume, would be controling the tadpole (or maybe brainwash, and forgeting about it, duno ... but i would be surprised if Larian dont set such trap there)
- If you side with Goblins (aka Evil), you loose only one option to remove the Tadpole ...
And that one is Halsin, all others are still there ...
About mind manipulation ...
If you will see the conversations carefully enough, you notice that manipulation without noticing is possible only on Goblins, and only for those Goblins who have neckage of the Absolute on their necks.
(But some people seem to be convinced that its actualy about the mark they have burned into their flesh by Gut.)
Anyway: "As the
symbol glows, power courses through you. Authority."
(That is BTW another solid proof of the Absolute power in perspective of your character ... since if your tadpole would have power to subdue any mind ... you would be able to use it on anyone. :P)
But back to manipulation itself ...
You can also notice that when you try to use your tadpole powers to litteraly anyone who ALSO have his, or hers own tadpole ... they can notice (therefore there is usualy Wisdom check) ... and in at least one rare case
when you order Gnoll leader to eat herself
, can can disobey your comand, if their Wisom roll is higher ... i mean, their mind is stronger.
In matter of "wasting time" i would just repeat the argument about Minthara = potential countdown machine.
So i skip that.
How much influence do they actually have? How long have they been around? The kind of basic information that would be pretty reasonable for a character to ask upon first encounter. Do we know whether or not this isn't just a bunch of drow with tadpoles who've mentally dominated and intimidated goblins into doing their bidding?
Certainly enough to be the second most powerfull fraction in surface map.
No really ... i mean that is not easy question, no religion have "much influence" in the start ... question here should be more about its potential, and that is huge.
No idea.
But as far as i can say, so far we have not even idea about how long we were on that ship, so ... time seem a little vague here.
Well ... we do.
It would certainly be more just bung of Drow, and Goblins, and Hopgoblins, and Dwarves, and Duegars, and Gnolls, and most importantly Illithids.
And even more importantly ... illithinds that had at their disposal at least one completely working Nautiloid ... and lets be honest here, that itself is quite some achievment.
Anyway when you decide to interfere with Dror Ragzlin's speak with dead Illithid, he can answer you the question "What is the Absolute?" and if that would be just Drow scam, he would never answer that.
