The Auntie Ethel is defintely my favorite area / encounter in the game so far.
I also loooove Auntie Ethel (whether it's at the Druid Grove or the bog). I mean, I still kill her, but I respect her craft (to some extend) 😁
Auntie Ethel is also fantastic. Her writing and acting and her hag character model are all amazing (though I always think her human body model is too skinny and young-looking for all she’s hunched over). The whispering masks if you put one on without protection are soo spooky I can’t resist doing it, and I love all the mini-stories behind her “pets”. And the whole illusion over the swamp and redcaps as sheep, and poisoned apples in a picnic basket with the “loving note”, and so many little touches like that.
Though there are some bits of the Ethel encounter I don’t yet find wholly satisfying, such as Mayrina’s brothers and the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a way to free the “saveable” mask before killing Ethel. And I’m sure there must be a better way of navigating through the poison trapped part of her lair than I’ve yet discovered. Plus what is really going on with that frog? I don’t feel I’ve got closure there!
But based on what we get in EA, I’m really looking forward to meeting Ethel’s “sisters” in the full game.
Yeah, I did notice that, no matter what, the brothers are scripted to die. I've knocked them out just outside the swamp and moved on. And the game still treats it as though they died. However, I absolutely LOVE lying to Mayrina and tell her that it was Auntie Ethel who killed her brothers and not me. >8)
Her reaction to that made me have a hearty belly laugh! She looks at you and says "Oooohhhh.... so that's how you want to play this, huh? OK then!" And then she plays along with you and tells Mayrina that she did kill them. Denying you the satisfaction of watching her attempt to defend herself in your lie. :P God I love that route! :P
And yes, I am extremely excited to meet Auntie and her sisters in full release!!! I'm not sure which route I want to take yet when the game comes out. I'm very much leaning towards this route... I want to knock out all of the servants and not kill them. Hopefully in the full game I can meet them all in Baldur's Gate later on. Then, get Auntie to 20hps, let her grovel, and not only take the ability point, but take Mayrina as well. I want to see what it's like to fight an entire coven of Hags who have a bone to pick with you!
