I can be a night owl sometimes and then tend to sleep in the next morning. I'd love to see a release today so I stuck with my creative burst and here's what I've come up with. I'm going to make two posts to make it easier on the eyes. This post will be Erevain's background and the resulting dialogue. The second post will be flavor text and item properties. Miscellaneous thoughts as I begin: first, is it in the spirit of the game to offer a (minor) "set bonus" for completing the Stuff of the Magi? I know that's pretty much a WoW phenomenon but it struck me as a possibly cool idea. It wouldn't have to be major (let's face it the items themselves are pretty uber). Just a little "you did it!" sort of set bonus. I know I like to try and get all the spells for my spellbook. Something along those lines where it's more in the completion of the project rather than the reward itself. Also, you said earlier in the thread which I chewed on subconsciously during my movie:
Maybe Tolgerias for one of them, I don't know... Are there any other strong mages?
I sat back down at my PC to work on my part of the project and I had an "Oh! Duh!" moment. Is there a strong mage in
BG2 besides Tolgerias? Uh... Irenicus! His item (I'm thinking the ring or cloak whichever isn't the wild mage item) could drop in the pocket plane and could be used for the Hell trials before the final battle of
SoA! I really like this idea. Hopefully there's not a technical reason it can't be done. As a style addition could we make a corpse of Irenicus appear in the pocket plane and put the ring/cloak on the corpse? Not only would this be plain cool but it would make for a nasty surprise for the one person that may play this mod and never have beaten
SoA before (yeah right, lol). Anyway, under the presumption that Irenicus can indeed have an item of the Stuff of the Magi I continue.
I begin with a timeline so that you don't have to piece my tale together using only the snippets that dialogue and item flavor text provide.
1.) Erevain and Joneleth are both High Mages of Suldanesselar. Erevain is a pioneer in a field of study that won't become more common until after the Time of Troubles, wild magic. Joneleth is a traditional High Mage. They are peers of each other and aware of the other but are not friends or co-magicians.
2.) Erevain's study of wild magic leads him to study human magic and he ends up spending time in Candlekeep. In his of the then miniscule field of wild magic he learns of the Time of Troubles and later Bhaalspawn spoken of in the prophecies of Alaundo the Seer. Erevain mentions both events to several of his colleagues, including Joneleth.
3.) The Time of Troubles. Erevain sees his study into the area of wild magic bloom. He also sees the devestation on Faerűn of the Time of Troubles.
4.) Through divination Erevain learns that the Bhaalspawn episode will affect Suldanesselar more directly than the Time of Troubles does. Fearing for his beloved city he begins the process of becoming a baelnorn to protect Suldanesselar from the second of the two whammies, the strife of the Bhaalspawn. In a chicken and the egg syndrome he mentions the coming of the Bhaalspawn to Joneleth (and other peers).
5.) Erevain finishes his research into becoming a baelnorn and the crafting of the Stuff of the Magi. As a part of being a benign undead he needs to show his faith in the Seldarine by giving away his Stuff. This is the opposite of an evil lich's phylactery. Whereas a lich hoards his phylactery as his most prized possession, the baelnorn gives away the most prized possessions to show faith in the Seldarine.
6.) Erevain finishes the Stuff of the Magi and becomes a baelnorn. He has no phylactery. The creation of the Stuff of the Magi was enough to cement his existence on the Prime so that a phylactery was unneccesary. He does feel a strong connection to the Stuff, though.
7.) Joneleth attempts to become a member of the Seldarine. He is cast out and becomes the Exile (with Bodhi of course). He recollects Erevain's mention of the Bhaalspawn and begins the research that leads to
BG2.
8.) Erevain confronts the PC. I don't have the whole reason for Erevain's transformation fully fleshed out on purpose. Is he a baelnorn because of Irenicus or because of the PC? Both? The Bhaalspawn threat in general? I leave this to be fleshed out after this contribution by myself so that others who are working on this can help determine the climax. I'll write the dialogue and it can always be modified if there's a strong opinion on Erevain's motivation. Since this is a story being told through item flavor text and dialogue it could even be left vague so that the player can draw his or her own conclusion.
There's possible holes in my timeline. For one thing, I've played
SoA quite a few times to completion but I can't say I've ever learned how long ago Joneleth committed his crimes and became Irenicus. To be safe I had Erevain become a baelnorn before Irenicus attempts to join the Seldarine, fails, and becomes the Exile. Done this way I'd say that Erevain's motivation should probably be either the PC specifically or the Bhaalspawn and the havoc they wreak in general.
Here's my second draft on the dialogue. I suspect that a third draft should hopefully only tweak on this. I'm having trouble writing dialogue for NPCs I don't know from personal game play experience. If anybody feels strongly that an
NPC should pipe up here feel free to add a line or two of dialogue. Personally I feel that a comment from Jan is due but all I can come up with is some drivel from reading the
FR wiki.
Erevain Beraskána: And so, at last, my choice to continue on the Prime as a member of the undead proves correct. Foolish mortal, how dare you seek to claim my magical accoutrements!? Two hundred years ago I, Erevain Beraskána, completed my work crafting these items that are worthy of any archmage. Doing so allowed me to become a baelnorn, an elven lich, without the need for a phylactery. Now my studies into the prophecies of Alaundo the Seer demonstrate their truth. I cannot let an impertinent one with a tainted bloodline such as yourself, Bhaalspawn, wear them now. Give them over lest you face your doom!
Cespenar: Ooh, Master never told me about these shiny ones! Master has a new set of shinies? Now why didn't Master tell Cespenar so Cespenar could check his recipes?
Charname: 1. Tainted bloodline? This from a member of the undead? Well, Erevain, you can see yourself away from my pocket plane and back to whatever little hidey hole you crawled out of.
Charname: 2. I see, oh noble baelnorn. Of course I will return your treasures to you. Here, take them and return from whence you came.
Charname: 3. Thanks for visiting my pocket plane. I'll be sure to search your corpse for more treasure to add to my growing collection!
If Charname 1 then:
Imoen: You've got a lot of nerve pointing out a Bhaalspawn's tainted bloodline when you willingly became undead! I'm with you, Charname!
Aerie: I'm not so sure of this. I know I was raised by gnomes but I think baelnorns are actually good. Are you sure you want to provoke him, Charname?
Jaheira: The undead are an abomination of Nature. Truly, whether this creature is good or evil, Balance will be served by its destruction.
Edwin: That's the spirit, Charname! Let us show this lich what for! (For surely you simians are destined to pass these items on to me.)
Jan: Whoa! This fellow looks just like he made a deal with Old Scratchy... It reminds me of.. this is just like that time I... hmm. I don't think anything like this has ever happened to me before... I think this fellow would have done better to eat his turnips than to become a lich.
Erevain Beraskána: Bah! How little you younglings know, 'tis true. I give you one last chance to return my belongings. Will you part with my paraphernalia or must we do battle? Know that I have studied the Art through the fantastic branch known as wild magic since before your mother's mother was even conceived. My power cannot be denied nor my righteousness. You face not only a High Mage, an elven archmage, but also one who is a master of wild magic as well. As a mortal I knew no equal in the Art of the Weave's chaotic side and my powers have only grown since my passage into undeath.
Charname: 1. I am on a quest to end the strife of the Bhaalspawn. You should have passed on to your final resting place, Erevain. If you still lay claim the gear of your mortal lifetime you must take it by force. {Queue battle}
Charname: 2. Noble spirit, I did not know that you were still inhabiting Faerűn. Since you proclaim need yourself, I gladly return your belongings. Fare thee well, High Mage. {Items removed from inventory. Quest experience gained (but how much?)}
If Charname 2 then:
Erevain Beraskána: It is good to see the work of my lifetime restored to me. Here, take these scrolls. May they serve you well. {Add scrolls and scroll box to inventory. Quest experience gained (but how much?)}
Imoen: Whoa. I don't know if I could have done that, Charname. The stuff of that mage sure was potent! It may be a remnant of my rapscallion days back at Candlekeep but I don't know if I could have returned those magic items if it were up to me.
Cespenar: Master didn't keep the shinies? But think of the beautiful items that could have been wrought with that stuff of the magi and Cespenar's recipes? Oh well!
Aerie: That was well done, Charname. You may miss the power of the stuff of that High Mage but you did what was good and righteous!
Edwin: You are an imbecile for giving away such relics of power! (If it were up to me I would make certain you one day regret this decision. I could have used those items!)
If Charname 3 then:
Erevain Beraskána: And now you learn the power that was behind the crafting of these items. Now, young mortal, you will die. {Queue battle}.
Next post will be my item flavor text and discussion on the Stuff of the Magi's properties.
Edited by Rastamage, 03 June 2008 - 10:34 PM.
