Originally Posted by KillerRabbit
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And in the end it doesn't matter, you are healed from the tadpole. So why not use it? But of course we don't know this before - I even wonder if the Emperor could now it. I think (but this is just my opinion of course) that he thinks there is no cure and we are about to transform anyway so could use tadpoles to be stronger and it wouldn't change anything.

Because:

1. You are roleplaying a good character anything that moves you closer to being an evil creature is to be avoided. In BG1 resisting the pull of evil was rewarded. You could either embrace evil and have the ability to use vampric touch or you purify the unholy power and focus on healing others.

2. Right he believes the cure in both impossible *and* undesirable. He's evil - his nature compels him to dominate and control others and he wants to become the same.

And it would be nice to prove him wrong the same way we proved Sarevok wrong in BG1 and ToB - Sarevok believed that we needed to embrace Bhaal's powers to succeed. We didn't and indeed his choice embrace the evil inside was his undoing.

So, again, I would like to have good ending - one that give us a choice between competing evils but of the two evils Orpheus is the lesser one.

The Emperor might not have known he was serving a devil but if he efforts didn't corrupt the government of Baldur's Gate he would have been removed from his position by the devil. I think this is a place where Larian understood the FR lore and used it appropriately - the Knights are agents of corruption whether they know it or not . . .


1. You can play like you want, you could also play evil if you like. I do play good but still it comes down to how you play your character (or just personal preferences). Using tadpoles if the Emperor assures you aren't going to affect you negatively to increase the chance of success is not evil - you do not hurt anyone by using tadpoles. The Emperor is preventing our transformation and we keep our mind/selves. But you don't even havve to use more tadpoles. You can play the game without using one.

2. This includes 1. - YOU have decided that YOU see the Emperor as evil. But I don't. And I don't think he is - compare him with Gortash or Orin. Sure, he is out for himself, but that doesn't make you evil. And please don't say all Illithids are evil, because this is not the case - "normal" Illithids are under the brains influence and the brain seems to be evil (at least that is what the Emperor says). But just like humans, there are always exceptions to the rules and not every mind flayer is the same - especially renegeade ones. Or do you see Omeluum as evil because he has to eat brains? That is hardly his fault. And the Emperor has to eat too and as the in game book showed (I checked it again and it even says condemned prisoner - meaning someone sentenced to death) that he indeed tries to not harm innocents. Like the one person who saw him one time - the Emperor did not kill him but instead just made it so that the guy would think he saw Duke Stelmane and not a mind flayer. He could have easily killed him and let him vanish, but he didn't which fits to him trying to not affect innocents.

Additionally, I said my PERSONAL head canon is that he didn't know there is a cure. But after speaking with other people and seeing in game that Tav at the end simply commands the brain to destroy the tadpoles I do think now (and that is why I changed my earlier post) that the Emperor COULD HAVE KNOWN that there is a cure. He says because of the netherease magic the tadpole can't be removed, but this would imply once the magic influence is removed, you can remove the tadpoles too. Aside from ordering the brain to kill the tadpoles - as Illithid I think he would have known that better than Tav or we.

That being said, he definitely prefers us as Illithid, as he said himself, it gives us more power and improve our chances of success. If there is no downside to it, then there is no harm in using them. You don't end up as mind flayer or with holes in your head. And he does not force us to become a mind flayer in the end - you can ask him to transform you so that you can use the stones yourself, but he even asks you if you are sure because it is not reversible. If he is so evil wouldn't he try to force us into a mind flayer or lie to make us one knowing it can't be reversed?

You seem to be set on the idea that he is evil and that is fine. But that doesn't make it true or what Larian was going for, you know. There are things unknown to us and open for interpretation.

3. That is completely speculation - sorry but this isn't even in the game, there is no text nothing to indicate that they are devil worshipping. We don't know if Larian kept this or not - this is you metagaming. And to say the Emperor must be evil because otherwise the corresponding devil would have removed him is reaching too - there are other knights of the shield orders too, not just the one in Baldurs Gate. The city is already corrupt, even without the knights. And maybe the devil would just play the waiting game as mind flayers only live a short time - what is 100 years for a devil? That is really not a reason to hate the Emperor in my opinion but do what you want. I understand people being upset by things we do know about him but this is really reaching.