For people that have not completed the game yet - spoilers ahead!
There are actually a lot of possible lore appropriate additions to their situation that can be implemented:
1) Convince Emperor to wake Orpheus (while he is still imprisoned) with one hard Persuasion check and try to negotiate with Orpheus to work with illithid / us as second hard Persuasion check. If you succeed both, they make a truce and you can release Orpheus with Orphic Hammer when you get it without Emperor turning hostile and they both accompany you in final battle (and there are more enemies present to compensate).
2) If you failed any of these checks, but have Ring of Mental Protection, you can give it to Emperor and convince him with hard Persuasion check that releasing Orpheus is still necessary (since his powers are still needed). Emperor takes the ring and leaves and then you can release Orpheus. That leads to Orpheus helping party and Emperor not present in final battle at all (neither helping nor opposing).
3) Orpheus can still have an option to turn into illithid and control the stones even with truce and Emperor present, since very likely he does not trust Emperor enough and could be convinced to deal with Netherbrain himself.
4) After the battle, if both were working together there can be a twist where Orpheus turns on Emperor and threatens to kill him for "abusing his powers". You can talk him out with hard Persuasion check or pick a side and fight the other one.
5) In case Emperor still leaves and decides to oppose you in final fight, you should be able to knock him out and game should not count that as his death. That can have consequence of him waking after the battle and either explaining his behaviour (since he is quite quick to switch sides and trade his freedom that he tried to preserve for centuries) or cursing you, but still leaving peacefully.
Last edited by Volsalex; 05/10/23 05:51 PM.
