Larian Banner: Baldur's Gate Patch 9
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 14 of 24 1 2 12 13 14 15 16 23 24
Joined: Mar 2020
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Mar 2020
Originally Posted by Priest
Originally Posted by azarhal
Originally Posted by N7Greenfire

What if its both and the gith artifact holds her real memory/powers


It doesn't.

Take a look to know what is the artifact:
the artifact is a prison for a Githyanki General.



Which datamining thread confirms that the artefact is a prison for a githyanki general? (Gith herself?)
I know there was a lot of speculation about it being the infernal puzzle box containing the contract between Tiamat and Gith.



Reddit, someone posted the script notes for her scene when you don't recruit her and she show up at the camp. It mention what it is and it really should be under spoiler tag for this thread. This is not in-game information.

Last edited by azarhal; 01/11/20 08:23 PM.
Joined: Jul 2017
C
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
C
Joined: Jul 2017
If the absolute turns out to be exactly like The God King - a bland evil character with simple motivations that is he wants to destroy/enslave the world and will one shot you through dialogue, i think im gonna puke.

Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
Quote

Take a look to know what is the artifact:
the artifact is a prison for a Githyanki General.

...

Reddit, someone posted the script notes for her scene when you don't recruit her and she show up at the camp..


Ok, I've added a spoiler tag to my post. Can you please link me this thread for what the artefact actually is?


- Priest
Joined: Sep 2020
stranger
Offline
stranger
Joined: Sep 2020
In DND mythology their is the concept of the Illithid adversary.

When an Illithid undergoes ceremorphosis, it can occasionally take on some elements of the absorbed host creature's former mind, such as mannerisms. This typically manifests as a minor personality feature, such as a nervous habit or reaction (e.g., nail-biting or tapping one's foot), although the process that determines the type and number of traits so inherited appears to be stochastic. Some adult Illithids have even been known to hum a tune that its host knew in life. Usually, when a mind flayer inherits a trait like this, it keeps it a closely guarded secret, because, were its peers to learn of it, the Illithid in question would most likely be killed. This is due to an Illithid legend of a being called the "Adversary". The legend holds that, eventually, an Illithid larva that undergoes ceremorphosis will take on the host's personality and memory in its entirety. This Adversary would, mind and soul, still be the host, but with all the inherent abilities of an Illithid.

I think this is what the absolute is.

Joined: Mar 2020
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Mar 2020
Originally Posted by Priest
Quote

Take a look to know what is the artifact:
the artifact is a prison for a Githyanki General.

...

Reddit, someone posted the script notes for her scene when you don't recruit her and she show up at the camp..


Ok, I've added a spoiler tag to my post. Can you please link me this thread for what the artefact actually is?


Looks like it was posted at the time the mods on Reddit were deleting datamining stuff. Google showed trace of it on 4chan, but I'm not going to link to that place.

edit: I found the text myself in the engine using the extractor, posted it in the datamining thread here.

Last edited by azarhal; 01/11/20 09:28 PM.
Joined: Oct 2017
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2017
Interesting side note,
either Minthara does not have a tadpole, or there is an oversight. The Warlock Tadpole ability allows you to teleport to anyone who has a Tadpole. This is implemented almost completely comprehensively, you can teleport to all friendly companions, as well as enemies that have a tadpole. All of the "True Soul" Goblins can be teleported to, the Flind can be teleported to. The dead NPC you run into just outside of the druid camp can be teleported to. It seems unusual for them to so comprehensively implement a mechanic, going so far as allowing you to teleport to corpses of NPCs that possessed a tadpole, but not give it to the "Cleric of the Absolute."

If this mechanic is implemented as comprehensively as I think it is, you can use this warlock power to test NPCs for tadpoles without knowing anything about the NPC, because if they have one, you can teleport to them. Similarly, you can figure out who is branded by the Absolute by using the "Shield of the Absolute" power on NPCs. If they have a mark, they will not be afflicted with Bane, if they do have a mark, they are afflicted by bane. Its an interesting subtle gameplay mechanic that I hope they expand upon more as a "meta" method to learn information about NPCs.

Last edited by Sharp; 01/11/20 09:12 PM.
Joined: Sep 2017
Location: CARDIFF
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2017
Location: CARDIFF
I'm pretty sure The Absolute is an Elder Brain.


Love and sausages xx
Joined: Oct 2020
Tuv Offline
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
Joined: Oct 2020
Originally Posted by Sharp
Interesting side note,
The dead NPC you run into just outside of the druid camp can be teleported to.


Can you teleport to the one where the tadpole leaves and you get the choice to crush it? Is there a before/after? Quite the detail!

Joined: Oct 2020
N
old hand
Offline
old hand
N
Joined: Oct 2020
Originally Posted by Sharp
Interesting side note,
either Minthara does not have a tadpole, or there is an oversight. The Warlock Tadpole ability allows you to teleport to anyone who has a Tadpole. This is implemented almost completely comprehensively, you can teleport to all friendly companions, as well as enemies that have a tadpole. All of the "True Soul" Goblins can be teleported to, the Flind can be teleported to. The dead NPC you run into just outside of the druid camp can be teleported to. It seems unusual for them to so comprehensively implement a mechanic, going so far as allowing you to teleport to corpses of NPCs that possessed a tadpole, but not give it to the "Cleric of the Absolute."

If this mechanic is implemented as comprehensively as I think it is, you can use this warlock power to test NPCs for tadpoles without knowing anything about the NPC, because if they have one, you can teleport to them. Similarly, you can figure out who is branded by the Absolute by using the "Shield of the Absolute" power on NPCs. If they have a mark, they will not be afflicted with Bane, if they do have a mark, they are afflicted by bane. Its an interesting subtle gameplay mechanic that I hope they expand upon more as a "meta" method to learn information about NPCs.



Well she seems to be a fully devout cleric, and iirc a tadpole never spawn from her when i've killed her, maybe she's intentionally kept that way to make for a better infiltrator. Ethel could sus out something was up so any other moderately powerful being should be able to the moment they meet a host as well.

Joined: Oct 2017
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2017
Originally Posted by Tuv
Originally Posted by Sharp
Interesting side note,
The dead NPC you run into just outside of the druid camp can be teleported to.


Can you teleport to the one where the tadpole leaves and you get the choice to crush it? Is there a before/after? Quite the detail!

You can yes. This does not change after the Tadpole is gone.

Joined: Oct 2020
A
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
A
Joined: Oct 2020
Regarding the adversary theory:
Could a tadpole infect a mortal former god?

Regarding Minthara:
Her not having a tadpole would make the lack of an option to tell her about having one much less unsatisfactory. The question remains: Why isn't she a True Soul?
Becoming one does seem to be very important for all the absolute novices

You can find a book about the crashed netherese city Nhalloth in the arcane tower. Looters and Shadovar have been searching it while feeling that someone is watching them.
The see of Fallen Stars is not too distant from the Act 1 location. About equal distance to Baldurs Gate in the east direction.
We are also really close to fort morninglord. The paladins there disappeared and stone turned black.

Last edited by ArmouredHedgehog; 03/11/20 02:10 AM.

I sometimes use thought experiments. I don't necessarily believe in every idea I post for discussion on this forum
Joined: Oct 2020
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
Vlaakith.

Joined: Oct 2020
N
old hand
Offline
old hand
N
Joined: Oct 2020
I'm thinking the whole true soul being chosen thing is bs, especially if Minthara doesn't have a tadpole.

Sofar every true soul we have seen has essentially been a battlefield commander, with Minthara pulling the strings.

Maybe the True Souls are just ment to be Leutenants led by a Cleric of the Absolute which lacks a tadpole, making it easyer for them to sneak in and convert a populace.

Gut for example refuses to believe she has a tadpole and is driven to kill you in secret if you tell her

Joined: Oct 2020
A
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
A
Joined: Oct 2020
What makes you think Vlaakith could have something to do with it? Faerun is quite far from the Gith.

The novices say that the True Souls are meant to rule in the future. Maybe that is just propaganda but it seems to be an important element of the religion.


I sometimes use thought experiments. I don't necessarily believe in every idea I post for discussion on this forum
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
This is one of my current theories. It's quite a lot different in nature to the other ones in this thread, but here it goes:

I believe that "the Absolute" is not a single entity in the way others are thinking, i.e., it is not Vlaakith, Tiamat, Lolth, etc. It is thus possible that "the Absolute" is merely a construct / proxy.

There are a few reasons why I believe this is so:

First of all, we can see that characters have different views of what the Absolute actually is. Some believe "the Absolute" to be female, some characters believe "the Absolute" is male, whilst the mind flayer that captured us relates that: "You see other mind flayers arranged in a serene circle. Absolute unity. Absolute power", upon casting speak with dead on it. Perhaps it is because the thought of the Absolute being a female to a drow priestess from Menzoberranzan is more convincing or pleasing, as is a war-like male deity to certain goblins.

Secondly, I think it is likely that the Dead Three are behind what the Absolute "is", or somehow they are manifesting what the Absolute is in the minds of others. They have potentially done this via manipulating mind flayer tadpoles with Netherese magic in order to keep them in stasis. Thus, this enables the mind flayer tadpoles to continue projecting some sort of internal voice to the True Souls, convincing them to carry out its will telepathically. I think True Souls are those who have mind flayer tadpoles inside of them (but are unaware). Thus, the player characters aren't technically True Souls, and thus the other True Souls (Gut, Dror Ragzlin, Minthara, etc) mistake them for being True Souls. Again, they think they are communicating with "the Absolute", a brand new deity, but that is far from the truth, as "the Absolute" is merely a proxy, a voice in their heads from another source. By proxy, "the Absolute" knows that we know that we carry the tadpole, unlike the "other" True Souls. This is why High Priestess Gut and Minthara may have attempted to kill us: "The Absolute" must have demanded it.

---End of basic theory for "What is the Absolute"---

Further speculation:

The Absolute must, of course, have something to do with the mind flayers. Perhaps the Dead Three corrupted or gained control of an elder brain? This, in turn, controls the mind flayers to capture others (drow, goblins, etc), and inject them with "modified" tadpoles. With the modified tadpoles in their heads (preventing ceremorphosis), the voice ("the Absolute" proxy) commands them to carry out the will of the Dead Three. Considering the domains and portfolios of the Dead Three, they would certainly revel in the slaughter of others, such as the druids of the Emerald Grove. "Curved drow blades, crude goblin torches, gnoll teeth dripping blood" - what better force to wreak havoc and carnage with? Mayhap the Dead Three are trying to accrue followers to completely overtake others' (Shar's) portfolio / domain. As the Dead Three are somewhat powerless (potentially lesser deities/demigods) compared to their past glories, perhaps this is their bid to fully regain their divinity, with much slaughter in the process?


- Priest
Joined: Oct 2020
A
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
A
Joined: Oct 2020
Originally Posted by Priest


First of all, we can see that characters have different views of what the Absolute actually is. Some believe "the Absolute" to be female, some characters believe "the Absolute" is male, whilst the mind flayer that captured us relates that: "You see other mind flayers arranged in a serene circle. Absolute unity. Absolute power", upon casting speak with dead on it. Perhaps it is because the thought of the Absolute being a female to a drow priestess from Menzoberranzan is more convincing or pleasing, as is a war-like male deity to certain goblins.

That could be the case. It is also imaginable that the developers changed plan. I think some goblins refer to the absolute as she.
There is an unused? dialogue entry about a vision that reveals

that only a priest of the dead three can remove the tadpole

The involement of the dead three is a given. Their symbols are the symbols of the absolute. It is curious that characters well learned in the lore do not point that out. Surely a cleric of Shar would also recognize the symbols of Bane and Myrkul?

Someone in the datamine thread found out that

using the tadpole a lot can give true-souls power over the character.
I guess that this confirms that they are controlled from afar by the Absolute.


Regarding the Minthara True-Soul speculation:
There is an intimidation check for Minthara. "You wouldn't dare kill me - I'm a True Soul, same as you.
She answers "That might be. But you have not been truly tested yet"
That is not a full confirmation. Why would the absolute not use the control over all its clerics?


I sometimes use thought experiments. I don't necessarily believe in every idea I post for discussion on this forum
Joined: Oct 2020
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
Who specifically refers to the Absolute as "he"?

Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: United Kingdom
Originally Posted by Firesnakearies
Who specifically refers to the Absolute as "he"?


Multiple goblins, particularly after a successful raid on the grove. Talk to those in your camp during the celebrations. Here are some examples I picked up:

"You hear the Absolute's voice, don't you? I will soon - I can already feel Him coming closer!"

"Our gift to the Absolute. May the whole world see His strength!"

"Let the Absolute hear your prayers. Let the blood of His enemies flow over you!"

There are other examples, even in descriptions of items, instead of said by characters.
For example, hover over the "Absolute Protection" ability of the Absolute's Warboard. It says:

"The Absolute shields his faithful. Invoke His name to increase your Armour Class by 2."

Last edited by Priest; 06/11/20 02:45 AM.

- Priest
Joined: Mar 2020
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Mar 2020
Interesting the gendered examples you came up with. My guess is that it was a he and then got changed? Both Gut and the Hobgoblin leader insist the absolute is a 'she'.

Joined: Mar 2020
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Mar 2020
Here's another far out possibility @Priest. Far out there, not very likely but I'm just spitballing.

Perhaps the absolute, like all mind flayers doesn't have a gender. Instead the absolute is a god like Angharradh that is made up parts of other gods? The dead three, Ilsensine and Shar?

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Angharradh

Page 14 of 24 1 2 12 13 14 15 16 23 24

Moderated by  Dom_Larian, Freddo, vometia 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5