#I've never been able to bring myself to make her go to avernus I just cannot do that to her

[tearlessrain]

the thing about karlach's ending that pisses me off is that it doesn't make sense if you do everything you can for her though. the gondians are master workers of infernal iron, and if you liberate the house of hope, and make sure dammon lives, you have all the ingredients needed to help karlach's condition improve. it simply doesn't make sense for her to say that she will NEVER EVER go back to avernus even when you have a safe place to set up an independent hellforge and work on a new non-explosive heart replacement. it frustrated me immensely that in my playthrough because i didn't choose to romance her and i had wyll become a baldur's gate bigwig, she chose actively to explode and die... when i had everything i needed to save her life. to go on the terminal illness theme, it felt to me like she had cancer and i had chemo and she was rejecting it and choosing to die horribly instead of get it treated... which totally does happen IRL, but isn't exactly FAIR to her as a character. it's good writing because it makes me engage emotionally with it to this level but it's frustrating because i felt like i should have been able to save her with the pieces available in the game.

this is all also leaving aside that gale has a scroll of true resurrection in his fuckening satchel. WHY can't i immediately use it on Karlach after she 'plodes lol is Gale really that selfish?

okay fuck it, I'll bite. yeah, it IS unfair and frustrating and she doesn't deserve any of it, and that was kinda the whole point and it's why I think they did such a good job with Karlach's arc. because, again, it was a pretty clear metaphor for terminal illness and the associated grief/helplessness/denial/scrambling for solutions that comes with dealing with it. your chemo metaphor is interesting because as you've mentioned people DO often choose not to go through chemo, because chemo itself is miserable and draining and wrecks your body and is not guaranteed to work, and some people would prefer to just remain as active and present as possible for as long as possible and then go out when it's time, especially if the cancer is aggressive and terminal and chemo may not do much. kind of like going to Avernus would be miserable and draining and dangerous, and Karlach stated many times how much she hates Avernus and would rather die than go back. how on earth does it not make sense that she wouldn't choose that, especially believing as she did that she would immediately be shanghaied back into Zariel's service indefinitely after so many years of being desperate for freedom.

though ironically, people in real life sometimes react to cancer patients choosing not to do chemo or other procedures that suck/are invasive and awful the same way you're reacting to Karlach not wanting to go to Avernus. sometimes, and for some people, it's not about just extending your life as far as possible at any cost. there's a point at which it isn't worth it, and that point is different for everyone. and BOY does that make some folks upset when a loved one's "it's not worth it" point is different from theirs. It's why DNR is a thing, and it's also why you should think very carefully about who you want making medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated and have a talk with that person/clear instructions written up.

I already mentioned in the post that they sort of dropped the ball on not explaining why all those potential avenues don't work so I don't know what you expect me to say about that, but I stand by my previous statement of "all I really need them to say is 'yeah the gondians agree, this thing is fucked' and I'll accept that." I would love for them to add that in. but I don't think it should be fixable.

finally, considering that the scroll of true resurrection was intended to be used on Gale during that quest, yes it's on Larian for letting you revive him in other ways and keep the thing, but it's still metagame-y and I don't think it qualifies as a plot hole so much as a game design flaw. it annoys me when people bring up "why didn't they account for my cheesing in the story" arguments as writing critiques.

[beesneedswords]

Enriched

Karlach x Wyll. My favorite companion ship. POV of Tav. The ending we all need, Karlach stays in Faerûn.

Masterlist

You're startled awake by footsteps a few feet away. You turn slowly as to not disturb anyone else and see Karlach dancing with Wyll. Never touching in fear of being burned. You'd always noticed their corny jokes and Wyll's light touches, but never thought it was anything but friendly banter. Maybe it was at first, but this is definitely different, intimate almost. And when she kisses him, you know. However, they have to pull apart quicker than either wanted since Karlach is still too hot for this plane.

Wyll sighs, "So much shadow around us. I almost missed the light." His words are sweet and beautiful, you can't see how Karlach reacts, but you know you'd be melting if he'd said this to you, "Well - it's getting late. We can't face the morrow if we don't bid farewell to the now."

She leans in for another kiss. Savoring the moment they just had together. You can tell neither want this moment to end, but reluctantly Wyll pulls away.

"I've drunk wines from Daggerford to Cormyr, but I've never known a taste as rich as yours. Gods damn it. You almost asked me forget myself. But I still keep faith in the old tales of love, the once-upon-a-times and happily-ever-afters." He smiles fondly, "I'd like to do this the proper way. The way of the old romances sung by the bards." He bows his head slightly, "Till next time, goodnight - and dream sweetly."

You watch as Wyll walks away from Karlach, backwards, to his tent. Not losing sight of her until he turns to lay in his bedroll. She smiles giddily and goes to bed herself. She seems to sleep sounder than she has before. It's the first and last time you see them act in any romantic scene, thinking it may have been a one time affair. You lift the Shadow Curse and head to Baldur's Gate.

____________

You watch as Dammon works hard to forge the enriched infernal iron, you found on some Steel Watch, into a new engine for Karlach. This is her last option to stay here with everyone. Beads of sweat run down Dammon's neck and forehead as he hammers the metal. Karlach is clearly in distress, wondering if this will work.

"Hurry up already, Dammon!" She says frustrated, "I want to see if it works!"

"Almost done, this stuff is harder to work with than anything else I've worked with." Dammon replies, trying to stay calm. You can tell he's just as nervous as she is.

When he's done he hands the piece of machinery to Karlach and she puts it in swiftly. Both of them waiting. The flames around her slowly sizzle out and she just about leaps for joy.

"You did it!" She grabs Dammon into a huge hug, "Thank you, so much!"

Dammon tries to speak loud enough for you to hear, "I don't know how long it will last, I didn't get to test it muche before you came to me with it. It should last longer than the last one I made; however, I'm not sure it will last forever." Karlach finally let's go, "If you bring me some more I can test to see it's lifespan and then give you an estimate on how long it has."

"No problem, we know just where to get more." You say.

You have yet to finish off the Steel Watch, so that is your next quest. You hope this will keep Karlach stable and able to stay in Baldur's Gate with everyone else. With Karlach's new engine she is a machine when defeating the Steel Watch. She seems to be able to rage without overheating, as well as take flames. You collect several more pieces of iron and head back to Dammon. He convinced you to finish what you started, she has plenty of time to save Baldur's Gate. So you do, you beat the Netherbrain and after a few days of rest you go back to talk to Dammon.

"She has at least a few years with this engine, but with the amount you have, I can make her plenty to last the rest of her lifetime." He says, a smile on his face for being able to save her from Avernus.

Karlach is smiling too, "So how many is a few years? I want to live for ages."

"I would say at least 5 years per engine. It really is up to what you plan on doing." He says, "If you continue fighting and raging, you have 5 years with each engine. If you decide to take it slow and relax you may have up to 10 years with each engine."

"That is amazing!" She yells, "I'm just wanting to live a normal life, a normal job. Maybe even a family? I have no idea, but I have options now!"

She starts actually jumping for joy and running about yelling how she is finally free. You can't help but laugh with her, you're so happy for her.

Wyll smiles, "You get to live your own life now, Karlach."

"So do you!" She yells, "I would love to spend it with you!"

"With me? Are you sure?" Wyll asks, "I have to take over as Duke, is that really a life you want?"

"Why not? We could be wonderful together." She laughs, "There's nothing we can't do now!"

Wyll smiles, you never noticed how he looked at her before. Duke and Duchess together sounds like the perfect life for the two of them. Would she be Duchess? She would only take that title if they married, you guess.

"I would love that." Wyll says, "We better get started, we have a city to help rebuild."

The two leave, Karlach grabbing his hand a few feet from you. You turn away to start your own life, no idea what to do, maybe another adventure.

A year later, you hear from Karlach and Wyll before you set off with some old companions for another adventure, they were engaged to be married. You'd heard other Dukes and people of power were not very fond of a Tiefling joining them or Wyll's demon looks. Wyll asked Karlach if this life, being a Duchess, was really what she wanted. Her answer, of course, was yes and he proposed. The rings were blue stones within gold bands, and you'd realized they were True Love's Caress and Embrace, you'd given them before leaving for your own adventure not six months ago at the party Withers hosted. You are happy to be able to be a part of their life still, even if you are so far away.

A few months after their announcement you receive a letter from Karlach, a wedding invitation for you and your companions, for 3 months later. you quickly write back that you all will be attending. You finish some loose ends and begin the long trek back to Baldur's Gate.