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Could it be possible to expand on Keldorn's interactions with CHARNAME? The reason I wish it that my PCs have always taken him with them because of his joining dialogue ("let us seal our fates together", paraphrased) and each time they did his quest they felt like a b*tch for wanting him to go on with them. They wanted him along not because they really couldn't find anyone else to take with, but because they thought they were friends and needed their friend to remain by their side at least for a while longer and could not say this to him because of the very limited dialogue options. My PCs are also goody two shoes (neutral good) who always advice him to talk to his wife's lover instead of imprisoning her, in spite of the fact that my PCs hold said wife in very low regard. See, I cringe everytime I see the PC replies to the final conflict with the wife. Paraphrased, they are like this:
1. I wouldn't dare to stay in the way of love. I release you from my service.
2. Okay, okay, you have a day, but after that I am going to need your help.
3. My task must not go unfinished. Please, Keldorn, serve until we save find Imoen.
The problem is that the first option is something that makes my PCs would only say as a sarcasm, as it rings rather false after all that's happened. They are not going to be sarcastic when the situation is so serious, even though from what little is displayed of Maria, my PCs always feel that her late line "Thank you, Keldorn. My love." sounds forced due to punctuation and to the fact that her first lines in that conversation suggest nothing of that love, but concern for the life of her lover; when Maria actually adds that line it's after all the above and after Keldorn called her his love, so it sounds like an afterthought. But anyway, I suppose this is a matter of perception, I'm sure other players feel differently.
Back on topic, my PCs believe in the greater good, so if he loves her (which he does, so much) then he should be with her. But, at the same time, none of them want to let go of him completely, at that particular moment, because they view him as a friend and they think they need him more than his wife (who speaks so clearly of how she replaced him). So they usually choose the second option, which is also bad, because it sounds as if CHARNAME was a manipulative person who gave him a day off out of pity and expected her lackey to be back to service regardless of what he wanted. The third option is again not a possibility because, for my PCs, wanting Keldorn by their side is not a matter which depends solely on her quest to rescue the childhood friend who is in trouble (and to whom she feels not particularly close), but it depends on how much they appreciate his support as a friend. What I'm trying to say is that Keldorn's family problems quest reduces CHARNAME's motivation to have Keldorn by her side to this: "I need you and your skills and you live to serve me. Deal with it." Probably because the verb "serve" is very impersonal and because "okay, okay" sounds like exasperated, but indulgent favour given to someone they needed to aid them for free, in spite of his serious problems at home. Keldorn has a couple of NPC initiated dialogues with the PC that would support further development for a friendship. I won't write them here as they are too long, but I do have screencaps in case anyone is interested.
Anyway, the way I see it, I'd love to see something that would give either of these possibilities:
- add a line or two to Maria's dialogue so that her "love" for Keldorn rings more true in spite of both her deeds and her words
- add a line or two (banters?) between the PC and Keldorn, apart from those already in the game; these would develop a friendship and perhaps give the PC an option to ask him stay with him/her which would not sound as black-and-white as the currently in game three ones do. Also, the new option could perhaps justify why Keldorn's staying with CHARNAME even after Imoen is saved. 'Cause the way I see it, if the PC chooses the third option and asks him to stay regardless of his wife problems, he should leave once Imoen is saved. He doesn't, though. In my opinion, a couple of extra banters between Keldorn and PC which would lead to a fourth option in the Maria quest (or at least a change in the already existing three ones) would add both consistency (why Keldorn stays even after Imoen's rescue when he should actually retire) and variety for those PCs who do not want to have him with they because he "serves" them right, but because he's their friend. I hope this made some sense.
