I meant that I see finding Helsin as the only narratively reasonable objective to pursue
And that is perfectly fine ... as long as you keep it as the only reasonable way for yourself.
But there are other characters, with different perspectives and priorities ...
Sadly, many people around here is unable to look beyond what *they* would do.
I think that part of the problem is that the story kind of breaks down if you try and take the tadpole as a serious, immintent threat. And the game does start by presenting the tadpole as an imminent threat. And if it's valid to look at the kernels of evidence suggesting that it isn't and latch onto that, then it's equally valid to misunderstand the evidence or just not trust it (I did both in my first playthrough). But if the player/character goes the latter route, what happens? It's not actually an interesting choice. You only lose out if you take the initial threat presented by the game seriously. From my perspective, all the evidence of something strange with the tadpole is just confusing and adding the mystery of what's going on with it, which only further makes me nervous of it and want it gone, it doesn't make me feel reassured. But if you try and act from that perspective, you just get less of everything. Less loot, less xp, less companion interaction, less story. So in order to enjoy what the game has to offer, I have to play in a way that I find narratively unsatisfying. Because I don't like playing characters who are dumb or smug or reckless, it feels unnatural and uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that are too small. And the game isn't giving me enough to really play a character that isn't like that. It's all just disparate hints that the tadpole is different in some way.
And I will also keep harping on this; it's an unsatisfying way to resolve the tadpole threat that we're presented with at the start of the game, because it doesn't resolve it. We as players are just expected to ignore the really urgent tadpole threat that the game presents right at the beginning of the game. The game pretty much starts with us seeing the tadpole get implanted in us from first person perspective. It's a visceral, horrific scene, then as soon as we meet our first companion she's telling us about what it will do to us, and she tells us again in even more gruesome detail later. The game very effectively establishes the tadpole and threat of transformation as the main threat, and finding a healer as the main goal of the game, at least at this point. At the same time it also gives us hints to undermine that urgency and rewards us for doing stuff that doesn't present an immediate solution to the problem. Like the whole Aunt Nettie plotline. That starts with two random dudes accosting an old lady. Even playing a good character who thinks they can afford to spend a few minutes stopping that, what reason do I have to pursue that plotline further? At best she seems like maybe a wizard or something who's living in a cottage. In my first playthrough my character just moved on right past it because hey, the situation was resolved, nothing more for me to look into, and I've got pressing things and actual leads to follow up on. And what's worse is that pursuing that quest actually gives you important information about the tadpole (that's gated behind a major debuff. Yes I am still very bitter about that).
If Larian wants us to take it slow, then they shouldn't have started the game so urgently. Instead they give us a big, scary ticking clock that they then have to walk back. And they're doing at best a mediocre job of that.
