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[the-magpie-collective]

Dress-Up Time!

[the-magpie-collective]

Do you know when you have the perfect word in your head, but you're not 100% certain it means what you think it means so you look it up but then it turns out you're completely and utterly wrong but you are already so attached to this word that doesn't even exist and now your disappointment is immeasurable and your day is ruined and you cannot write another word?

Or the alternate feeling where the word is in fact perfect, more perfect than you had even imagined and you are a genius for remembering that that specific word exists? And so you cannot write another word because none of them will ever be as perfect as the word before?

Or is it just me?

[the-magpie-collective]

[Part 3/3]: It gets worse

Part 2

Because yes, the writing gets worse.

First, it's very clearly implied that the pact has already been broken when Mizora first arrives in camp in Act 3. Mizora offers Wyll a new pact to both herself and Zariel: 'Option one. I show you the way to your father. I guarantee him no harm except that from you and your allies. And you pledge your soul to me and the archdevil Zariel in a pact eternal.' A warlock cannot have more than one pact in DnD, the mechanics do not allow for it, a soul cannot be forfeit twice. But then she goes on to state: 'Option two. I break your pact. You are freed from your duty but retain your devil form. Your father dies by his enemy's hand.' So his pact isn't broken? Which is it?

Why didn't they write something like, 'Or Option one. You rescind your request to have your pact broken, I offer an alternate boon, and you continue to pledge your soul to me.' Why would you ever write it like that if that Pact isn't broken? Why does Mizora need to break the Pact if it is? It makes no sense.

As if that isn't bad enough we come to my least favorite part: Addendum F.

Addendum F. 'The Absolute must be avenged for the soul-binder's detention at Moonrise. The soul-bearer retains his gifts until such time as the Absolute is slain.'

What?! What do you mean Mizora can just add on addendums willy-nilly to the Pact without even so much as needing to run it by Wyll first? How the fuck does this make any sense? If Mizora can just add whatever she wants to Wyll's pact then why would she ever actually break it? Why not have Wyll dress up as a clown every full moon and run around terrorizing children? Why not use Wyll's pact to make every single soul in Baldur's Gate forfeit to her? 

This addendum is so stupid. I hate it. The only reason for it to exist is so that the in game mechanics make sense and Wyll doesn't have to be respecced as something other than a warlock at the 11th hour. But if that's the case why not just add something into the six months clause? Easy fix to add 'Clause Z, Section Thirteen: 'If the soul-binder consents to separation, she will release the soul-bearer from all obligation and rescind all gifted powers within six months. Like really why? What possessed them to add this addendum? Why make it seem like Mizora can change the Pact at any time and for any reason? Were they so oblivious to their own writing that this is the only way they could think of to patch that potential plot hole?

I just can't.

This is Wyll's narrative Arc and the writing is so slap-dash. It doesn't make sense. The player feels like they have little to no choice in the outcome. Wyll has no choice in the outcome. The stakes feel pointless because there's no reason why breaking Wyll's pact should endanger his father. The path the player has to follow is inane. And when we get to the end we find out it was all pointless anyways because the pact is clearly whatever shit Mizora makes up on the spot that comes to her mind because that's the only way any of this makes sense. This is the level of writing I'd expect from a DM who suddenly needed to pull something out of their ass, not a team of writers who have had plenty of time to sit down and plot out a story.

In the story they built there's no point in Wyll struggling to escape. This isn't a 'well, Wyll's story was hastily rewritten' issue. This is a bad writing issue. No attention or care was paid towards making the narrative crux of Wyll's story actually make sense. No one bothered to make Mizora's pact make any sense. You cannot tell me there wasn't a planned ending for EA Wyll to break his pact; I won't believe you. The writers clearly just didn't care to make it make sense.

Mizora's Pact might just be the symptom, but it really shows how poorly Wyll's narrative arc was written.

[the-magpie-collective]

[Part 2/3]: Let's drink the Styx down to the last drop

Part 1

And that brings us to Part II, or why it seems trivial to escape a pact even when the game tells us otherwise.

We come to the second time we are directly quoted Wyll's pact:

Clause A, Section Two: 'Should soul-holder choose to abandon his patron, he is freed from his duty. His father, Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, will be thus fated to die by an enemy's hand.'

Now Wyll's father dying as consequence of Wyll not fulfilling his pact is narrative horseshit. The only thing Wyll signed away with the pact was his soul. Wyll doesn't have the power to sign away his father's life. If it was that easy to guarantee someone's death every devil would be adding on nonsense clauses: 'Such and such person I dislike is fated to die tomorrow'. If devils' pacts actually had that power, hell would have already won. It makes no sense.

So let's say Ulder Ravengard is fated to die and Mizora just so happens to know this and it has nothing to do with Wyll's pact. Wyll doesn't need know that it has nothing to do with the pact and well, Mizora is petty enough it's believable that she would expend power to ensure Ulder's death happens by her hand so that Wyll feels personally responsible. But the way this clause is introduced in the game makes no sense.

The player frees Mizora in exchange for breaking his pact and Mizora rewards Wyll with a weapon and saunters off la-di-di-da. What? I don't know about you, but I was left sitting there thinking I had made a mistake in choosing my dialogue options and she was using some bullshit 'well Tav saved me so I don't actually have to free Wyll from his pact' cop-out. But no, they just have Mizora show up later to free Wyll from his pact because reasons?

Oh wait it's so they can railroad the player.

The main reason why BG3 works so well as a game is the illusion of choice and for Wyll's entire storyline this simply does not exist. Wyll is the only character who is not allowed to make his own choice at the climax of his story. 

The only way to save Wyll's father is by getting several specific cutscenes in a specific order. I had to redo the Iron throne so many times not because it was difficult but because I kept missing a goddamn cutscene. The player can't save Ulder Ravengard in the Grand Hall when he crowns Gortash even though nonlethal damage is introduced right at the beginning of the game and is used in exactly this way to save Minsc. Ulder Ravengard is just magically dead if you don't talk to Mizora twice before going to the iron throne. And none of this makes sense with what we have been told are the rules of how this game works.

So they use that bullshit pact clause to smooth over their shoddy story writing.

Now I understand that the reason why they did this was to make saving Wyll's father difficult, but come on. If you know anything about game design you know that forcing your player to follow a strict series of easy to miss steps in order to succeed is just bad game design. There are better ways to increase a scenarios difficulty. There's a reason why Larian didn't look at Honor Mode and go 'I know what would make this harder, if they don't talk to specific people in a specific order everyone in the Grove just dies for no reason :)'.

And fixing this wouldn't even be that hard. You have Wyll free Mizora and she rewards him with the rapier and then immediately call her sisters from hell and break his pact as promised. There's no reason why the six month clause* should prevent the pact from being broken then and there. It's not like she waits six months to let Wyll break it anyways. And then on the way out she can go, 'oh, I forgot to mention. Remember that clause that says your father is fated to die if you break your pact? Whoopsie. Toodaloo.' It would hit all the harder when Wyll watches the three BBEGs tadpole Ulder because he could be left wondering: is this my fault?

(*this is another bullshit clause that they never actually do anything with so I don't know why they even bothered to put it in.)

And then the player arrives at Baldur's Gate and sees Ulder standing at Gortash's side. Give the Player the opportunity to save him then and there. We already know it will be a hard fight between the Steel Watch and everyone else. There will be plenty of opportunities where Ulder could accidentally get killed, but having him just die no matter what is stupid. Mizora can still come around and threaten Ulder's life and give Wyll the opportunity to remedy things by re-sealing his pact. I mean there's already a bunch of bullshit clauses, what's one more that states something along the lines of 'If soul-holder agrees to re-sign the original pact within three tendays after choosing to abandon his patron, all consequences as a result of abandoning his patron are null and void'. And hey, if Wyll refuses, I know I wouldn't be complaining about it triggering a fight with Mizora. Anything that gives me an opportunity to actually get rid of her.

Or let's say the player listens to Wyll and doesn't attack Gortash and Ulder in the Grand Hall. Now, because Mizora has already stated that Ulder will die the player has a reason to confront Mizora when they see her standing on the bridge outside of Wyrm's Rock. And this is where things can stay the same, Mizora can dangle the hope of rescuing Wyll's father over his head and offer to provide information as to where Gortash is keeping him.

And if the player still doesn't talk to Mizora, then just keep the confrontation in the iron throne. Maybe add in an extra line of dialogue on Mizora's part, that she would have offered to help if they had come to her but now she's here to kill Ulder instead.

These are minor changes that offer the player the illusion of choice. A few changes and the player isn't required to do anything in a specific and arbitrary order just to save Ulder Ravengard. It doesn't entirely fix the issues with the writing around Mizora's Pact, but by the gods the way they have it currently in the game makes my teeth itch. It takes all of the tension and fear around the pact and just turns it into frustration because the consequence of Ulder dying does not fit with everything that has been outlined as the rules for the player so far. Why go to such lengths to make BG3 feel as close to an actually D&D campaign as they can, only to remove any freedom of choice when it comes to Wyll's story?

But wait, there's more.

Part 3

[the-magpie-collective]

[Part 1/3]: Mizora's Pact is narrative horseshit

I have a lot of issues with the writing that was done for Wyll's story. But there is one that annoys me the most: Mizora's Pact. It is shoddily written, hastily cobbled together, and serves as a poor narrative crutch in lieu of proper storytelling.

Mizora's Pact might merely be a symptom of the greater problems within the writing for Wyll's story, but it is one of my least favorite parts by far.

To begin, let's talk about what I believe the narrative purpose of the pact was supposed to be. This is three-fold:

Illustrate how clever and tricky devils are

Inspire hopelessness in the idea of escaping a pact / outsmarting a devil

Provide restrictions to aid in the narrative flow of Wyll's story

I'll tackle these and explain why I feel Mizora's Pact does none of these and in some ways actually undermines its own intent. We start with the first time the Player is told anything of the pact:

Clause G, Section Nine: 'Targets shall be limited to the infernal, the demonic, the heartless, and the soulless.'

In context, this occurs after Wyll was sent to hunt down Karlach and refused to do so. Wyll, with what he remembers of his pact, rightfully points out that Karlach is not infernal nor demonic. This is when Mizora points out that, how convenient, Karlach is missing a heart. Isn't it just so clever of Mizora to have put such a tricksy clause into the Pact?

Except that makes no sense. Even if we assume that this line is one Wyll specifically bargained for in the naive hope he could limit the damage Mizora would have him do, only for Mizora to twist it, this isn't particularly clever phrasing. In fact, it only seems clever in the context of Mizora using it as a reason to have Wyll hunt down the literally heartless Karlach. Which, unless Mizora is able to see the future, she would have had no way of knowing would happen when she wrote this part of the Pact. I mean really, how often does Mizora run into literally heartless individuals that she felt the need to include this in the pact?

Even if Karlach is already in Zariel's posession. Even if Karlach has presumably already had her heart replaced by an engine. Even if Karlach is just one of dozens of Zariel's new toys. Even if that's why Mizora chooses this particular phrasing it is only half clever at best and that's a lot of really big ifs.

The only way in which this clause make sense is in hindsight. Instead of putting in the work to create narrative world building that sets up logical consequences, the pact is used as a get out of jail free card. If this were the only instance, sure, I'd let it slide. But it's not the only instance.

Part 2

[the-magpie-collective]

Oh the Portyrs absolutely *weren't* the first to try a power grab like that. Power grabs are an important and storied tradition of Baldur's Gate ;)

Honestly, Ulder was quite patient, letting others have their turn before attempting his own power grab. What with the Caldwells, Vantampurs, Dluskers, and more I'm probably unaware of, who hasn't tried to rule Baldur's Gate unilaterally at this point?

The image of Ulder's perfect vision of ruling Baldur's Gate being ruined by Portyr's survival (again!) just tickles me. He might not be able to stop Ulder on his own, but he'd sure throw a wrench in the works.

Whether or not Wyll would agree with Ulder is a different question altogether. While I think they'd mostly agree on what the important issues are, I don't think they'd often agree on how to solve them.

I think it's a shame BG3 decided to kill off Dillard Portyr. I mean the man has already inexplicably survived 2? 3? major incidents that absolutely decimated the Council of Four, what's one more? And they killed him off screen to boot (for shame).

Can you imagine in a timeline where Ulder Ravengard survives and convinces Wyll to join him as Duke and he's getting everything ready to start his autocracy over Baldur's Gate with him and his son and counselor Florick and maybe Wyll's betrothed all backing his decisions so he can finally get things done around here, do things right and get Baldur's Gate cleaned up to his standards and then . . .

And then Dillard Fucking Portyr saunters around the corner, right as rain, having survived all of the horrible events that befell Baldur's Gate yet again. Between Gortash and Orin most of the patriars were slaughtered but nobody bothered to kill Portyr because it just wasn't worth it. No one cared enough to do anything about him. His 'go with whatever the strongest personality in the room is saying' strategy wins again. Even better if Liara is still alive because he had her installed as Blaze of the Flaming Fist (second in command) and she does have a spine so now while Ulder Ravengard is trying his power grab he has Dillard Portyr of all people opposing him.

Hilarous.

The lost potential.

I would pay good money to see the look of utter disappointment on Ulder's face when he realizes he is still stuck with Dillard Portyr for another few decades.

[the-magpie-collective]

I think it's a shame BG3 decided to kill off Dillard Portyr. I mean the man has already inexplicably survived 2? 3? major incidents that absolutely decimated the Council of Four, what's one more? And they killed him off screen to boot (for shame).

Can you imagine in a timeline where Ulder Ravengard survives and convinces Wyll to join him as Duke and he's getting everything ready to start his autocracy over Baldur's Gate with him and his son and counselor Florick and maybe Wyll's betrothed all backing his decisions so he can finally get things done around here, do things right and get Baldur's Gate cleaned up to his standards and then . . .

And then Dillard Fucking Portyr saunters around the corner, right as rain, having survived all of the horrible events that befell Baldur's Gate yet again. Between Gortash and Orin most of the patriars were slaughtered but nobody bothered to kill Portyr because it just wasn't worth it. No one cared enough to do anything about him. His 'go with whatever the strongest personality in the room is saying' strategy wins again. Even better if Liara is still alive because he had her installed as Blaze of the Flaming Fist (second in command) and she does have a spine so now while Ulder Ravengard is trying his power grab he has Dillard Portyr of all people opposing him.

Hilarous.

The lost potential.

I would pay good money to see the look of utter disappointment on Ulder's face when he realizes he is still stuck with Dillard Portyr for another few decades.

[the-magpie-collective]

This is excellent additional context. Time for me to do a read through of Murder in Baldur's Gate.

As for Wyll and Ulder being close—you're right. They were close while Wyll was growing up. That was poor phrasing on my part.

What I was trying to get at is that I think Ulder and Wyll often do not understand one another's way of thinking. While they are largely in agreement about right and wrong, they differ on how to get there. Ulder wants what he believes is best for Baldur's Gate. He will excuse deplorable actions so long as they are for the public good. He is fairly utilitarian. Wyll is more idealistic. He wants to see the best in people, including so called monsters like Durge or Astarion. I think this divide between them is part of what ultimately led to Ulder banishing Wyll. If Wyll had been in his father's place, I think he would have looked for another answer, I don't think he would ever have chosen exile. For Ulder the answer was clear: Wyll was a fool at best; a traitor at worst. And Grand Duke Ravengard suffers neither.

I don't really think Wyll qualifies as a member of the nobility.

(For clarity, I will be using nobles/nobility, gentry, and patriars interchangeably. The term patriar is Baldur's Gate specific.)

Wyll isn't a patriar. His father is the son of a blacksmith. We don't really get a clear explanation of what it takes to be considered nobility in Baldur's Gate (if you have a source that details this please please share) but we do know what it takes to be considered nobility historically.

First, what is required for one to be considered a noble? Generally speaking nobles are usually landed or titled or both. These are pretty straightforward terms. Landed means that a person owns land. Historically, owning land was not as easy as it is today. It also wasn't very clear cut. Depending on the location owning land could be a super huge deal. Not only did it require lots of money, but it also often required extensive connections. In some places if you weren't the reigning Monarch it was illegal to make any kind claim to land. (chop your head off kinds of illegal).

Is it possible Wyll's father owned land even while Wyll was growing up? I think it's extremely unlikely. While Ulder Ravengard did rise through the ranks of the Fist quickly and was therefore a respected member of the upper brass, he probably wasn't rich enough to buy land within Baldur's Gate and he is described as “lacking sophistication and tact” when it comes to matters of politics. Would he have managed to create the connections necessary to even be allowed to buy land? Doubtful.

The other option is being titled. Simple enough, it means someone possesses a noble title. Most titles are inheritable, but 'Duke' is not an inheritable title in Baldur's Gate. Dukes are elected by the Parliament of Peers.

A quick aside to explain how the government works in Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate is controlled by the Council of Four: four elected Dukes whose votes are what allow policy to pass into law. The Grand Duke is able to decide in the case of a tie-breaker being necessary. The Dukes are elected by the Parliament of Peers, those seats are held by patriars. There is one sort of exception. One of the positions of Duke is traditionally held by the head of the Flaming Fist, i.e. the Marshall. The Marshall of the Flaming Fist still has to be elected to Duke, they don't just get that position automatically, but most people don't like to go against tradition. (Though I've seen some sources point at Ulder Ravengard's not being immediately elected Duke? And it was tied to him not being a patriar/well liked? I haven't been able to find which DnD source book this comes from yet grrrr so I can't confirm)

So Wyll's father is likely elected Duke after Abdel Adrian's assassination (see previous post) on Returning Day in 1482 DR. Baldur's Gate takes place in 1492 DR, when Wyll is 24. So yeah, some quick math and Wyll wasn't the son of a Duke until he was around 14. He's banished at the age of 17. A grand total of three years where he has some political standing.

But Wyll was the son of a military man his entire life. A man who was known for being extremely strict. A man who often had to travel for his work. A man who, in spite of his best efforts, was distant from his son. Yeah.

Wyll's not a noble. Wyll is a military brat.

[the-magpie-collective]

I don't really think Wyll qualifies as a member of the nobility.

(For clarity, I will be using nobles/nobility, gentry, and patriars interchangeably. The term patriar is Baldur's Gate specific.)

Wyll isn't a patriar. His father is the son of a blacksmith. We don't really get a clear explanation of what it takes to be considered nobility in Baldur's Gate (if you have a source that details this please please share) but we do know what it takes to be considered nobility historically.

First, what is required for one to be considered a noble? Generally speaking nobles are usually landed or titled or both. These are pretty straightforward terms. Landed means that a person owns land. Historically, owning land was not as easy as it is today. It also wasn't very clear cut. Depending on the location owning land could be a super huge deal. Not only did it require lots of money, but it also often required extensive connections. In some places if you weren't the reigning Monarch it was illegal to make any kind claim to land. (chop your head off kinds of illegal).

Is it possible Wyll's father owned land even while Wyll was growing up? I think it's extremely unlikely. While Ulder Ravengard did rise through the ranks of the Fist quickly and was therefore a respected member of the upper brass, he probably wasn't rich enough to buy land within Baldur's Gate and he is described as “lacking sophistication and tact” when it comes to matters of politics. Would he have managed to create the connections necessary to even be allowed to buy land? Doubtful.

The other option is being titled. Simple enough, it means someone possesses a noble title. Most titles are inheritable, but 'Duke' is not an inheritable title in Baldur's Gate. Dukes are elected by the Parliament of Peers.

A quick aside to explain how the government works in Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate is controlled by the Council of Four: four elected Dukes whose votes are what allow policy to pass into law. The Grand Duke is able to decide in the case of a tie-breaker being necessary. The Dukes are elected by the Parliament of Peers, those seats are held by patriars. There is one sort of exception. One of the positions of Duke is traditionally held by the head of the Flaming Fist, i.e. the Marshall. The Marshall of the Flaming Fist still has to be elected to Duke, they don't just get that position automatically, but most people don't like to go against tradition. (Though I've seen some sources point at Ulder Ravengard's not being immediately elected Duke? And it was tied to him not being a patriar/well liked? I haven't been able to find which DnD source book this comes from yet grrrr so I can't confirm)

So Wyll's father is likely elected Duke after Abdel Adrian's assassination (see previous post) on Returning Day in 1482 DR. Baldur's Gate takes place in 1492 DR, when Wyll is 24. So yeah, some quick math and Wyll wasn't the son of a Duke until he was around 14. He's banished at the age of 17. A grand total of three years where he has some political standing.

But Wyll was the son of a military man his entire life. A man who was known for being extremely strict. A man who often had to travel for his work. A man who, in spite of his best efforts, was distant from his son. Yeah.

Wyll's not a noble. Wyll is a military brat.

[the-magpie-collective]

Goddammit I knew I was missing something

Thank you for confirming Wyll did know Abdel well

One of the few things Wyll mentions about his past is that when he was fourteen he got so drunk he puked in Dillard Portyr's bushes. This is meant to be just a funny throwaway line, that's it.

But this line haunts me.

First, Dillard Portyr is a Duke of Baldur's Gate. In fact, Portyr is one of the longest running Dukes of Baldur's Gate (for some strange reason Dukes tend to die often under horrible and/or mysterious circumstances in Baldur's Gate). Portyr was Grand Duke before Ulder Ravengard, until (for some inexplicable reason) he abdicated that position. So any party Wyll is attending at the Portyr's house is probably for good reason.

But surely there's no important event that occurred when Wyll was fourteen that we know of—

Just kidding, there absolutely is. Arguably one of, if not the most important event of Wyll's childhood.

You see, Wyll would have been around fourteen when his father, Ulder Ravengard, was elected to Duke.

An election that only happened because the prior head of the Flaming Fist—Abdel Adrian—was assassinated.

Now Abdel Adrian was a beloved member of Baldur's Gate. He was a retired adventurer, who had gone on to lead the Flaming Fist and then become Duke. One of his nicknames is literally The Hero of Baldur's Gate. As Blaze of the Flaming Fist, Ulder Ravengard was his second in command. There is no world in which Abdel Adrian and Wyll are not familiar with one another. It is likely that they were close and probable that Wyll regarded him as one of his personal heroes. And then Abdel Adrian was assassinated on returning day in 1482 DR, in front of a large crowd of Baldurians. Except assassinated isn't quite right. You see Abdel Adrian was a Bhaalspawn, overcoming his parentage to become a hero of Baldur's Gate. Bhaalspawns are compelled to seek out other spawn destroy them and it was a fellow Bhaalspawn who attacked him. Eventually one of them emerged victorious from the fight but we do not know which one. The other turned into a Bhaalspawn Slayer and attacked the crowd before eventually being slain by the Flaming Fist and a nearby group of Adventurers.

Let that sink in.

Wyll was almost certainly in said crowd on that day. His father would have most likely ushered him away, perhaps into the care of someone he trusted, before going to join the fight himself. Many people were killed in the ensuing fight, including many of the Flaming Fist. It is very likely Wyll knew several of the people who died, he definitely knew Abdel Adrian.

And there would be no time to mourn. As soon as Abdel Adrian's death was confirmed, Ulder Ravengard would be acting Marshall of the Flaming Fist and on his way to being voted in as Duke. Suddenly everyone and anyone would be interested in getting to know Wyll, pegging him as an easy ticket to get at his father. And meanwhile Wyll is suffering the loss of some of the most important people in his life.

Likely a celebration would be held in honor of his father's new position. It would make sense for it to be held by the Portyrs. And then Wyll is suddenly thrust into a celebration with little supervision, his father being dragged off to play politics. And so maybe he has a little too much to drink, because everyone wants to talk to him and Wyll just wants to mourn in peace.

And in the end he throws up in Dillard Portyr's bushes. And now, years later, Wyll plays it off for laughs. It's funny, really, when you think about it. His father's big day and Wyll's just off puking in the bushes.

Wyll is always playing his suffering off for laughs.

Maybe it's a silly throwaway line.

Or maybe it's not.

[the-magpie-collective]

One of the few things Wyll mentions about his past is that when he was fourteen he got so drunk he puked in Dillard Portyr's bushes. This is meant to be just a funny throwaway line, that's it.

But this line haunts me.

First, Dillard Portyr is a Duke of Baldur's Gate. In fact, Portyr is one of the longest running Dukes of Baldur's Gate (for some strange reason Dukes tend to die often under horrible and/or mysterious circumstances in Baldur's Gate). Portyr was Grand Duke before Ulder Ravengard, until (for some inexplicable reason) he abdicated that position. So any party Wyll is attending at the Portyr's house is probably for good reason.

But surely there's no important event that occurred when Wyll was fourteen that we know of—

Just kidding, there absolutely is. Arguably one of, if not the most important event of Wyll's childhood.

You see, Wyll would have been around fourteen when his father, Ulder Ravengard, was elected to Duke.

An election that only happened because the prior head of the Flaming Fist—Abdel Adrian—was assassinated.

Now Abdel Adrian was a beloved member of Baldur's Gate. He was a retired adventurer, who had gone on to lead the Flaming Fist and then become Duke. One of his nicknames is literally The Hero of Baldur's Gate. As Blaze of the Flaming Fist, Ulder Ravengard was his second in command. There is no world in which Abdel Adrian and Wyll are not familiar with one another. It is likely that they were close and probable that Wyll regarded him as one of his personal heroes. And then Abdel Adrian was assassinated on returning day in 1482 DR, in front of a large crowd of Baldurians. Except assassinated isn't quite right. You see Abdel Adrian was a Bhaalspawn, overcoming his parentage to become a hero of Baldur's Gate. Bhaalspawns are compelled to seek out other spawn destroy them and it was a fellow Bhaalspawn who attacked him. Eventually one of them emerged victorious from the fight but we do not know which one. The other turned into a Bhaalspawn Slayer and attacked the crowd before eventually being slain by the Flaming Fist and a nearby group of Adventurers.

Let that sink in.

Wyll was almost certainly in said crowd on that day. His father would have most likely ushered him away, perhaps into the care of someone he trusted, before going to join the fight himself. Many people were killed in the ensuing fight, including many of the Flaming Fist. It is very likely Wyll knew several of the people who died, he definitely knew Abdel Adrian.

And there would be no time to mourn. As soon as Abdel Adrian's death was confirmed, Ulder Ravengard would be acting Marshall of the Flaming Fist and on his way to being voted in as Duke. Suddenly everyone and anyone would be interested in getting to know Wyll, pegging him as an easy ticket to get at his father. And meanwhile Wyll is suffering the loss of some of the most important people in his life.

Likely a celebration would be held in honor of his father's new position. It would make sense for it to be held by the Portyrs. And then Wyll is suddenly thrust into a celebration with little supervision, his father being dragged off to play politics. And so maybe he has a little too much to drink, because everyone wants to talk to him and Wyll just wants to mourn in peace.

And in the end he throws up in Dillard Portyr's bushes. And now, years later, Wyll plays it off for laughs. It's funny, really, when you think about it. His father's big day and Wyll's just off puking in the bushes.

Wyll is always playing his suffering off for laughs.

Maybe it's a silly throwaway line.

Or maybe it's not.

[the-magpie-collective]

Let's talk about how Ulder Ravengard was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year when he finally runs into Wyll, for the first time in seven years, and his son is now definitely maybe sort of a devil?

Look, D&D cannon is absolutely wild and inconsistent but I need ya'll to know approximately how many horrible things befell Ulder Ravengard in the few months right before the events of Baldur's Gate 3.

Ulder Ravengard goes to Elturel. This is fairly normal. He often had to travel as a Duke for diplomatic reasons to nearby cities. Sure, the Vanthampurs' had their fingers pulling the strings this time to ensure he went, but that is also, unfortunately, normal. And it's not like anyone else can go in his place. Who would he send? Portyr whose only use is as a windsock? Stelmane who is suffering from the long term effects of a "stroke"? Vanthampur?

(Portyr, Stelmane, and Vanthampur being the other four dukes at the time)

So he goes and it's supposed to just be another diplomatic trip to a neighboring city. Except exactly nothing goes to plan. The Vanthampurs have made an alliance with devils and a deal with the leaders of Elturel to orchestrate the fall of the entire city into Avernus. Ulder Ravengard is there with several of the Flaming Fist when the entire city is plunged into hell. And no, Avernus is not some sort of cushy vacation spot. There's a reason why Karlach would rather die than go back. There's a reason why it is called hell.

It's not hard to imagine he watches many of the Flaming Fist get slaughtered. People he's worked with for years, maybe even decades. People he called friends. Not hard to think that he watches innocents suffer as they are preyed upon by devils and demons, children slaughtered in the streets all while he is helpless to stop it from happening. It's not out of the question to think this is possibly one of the worst times in his life. Oh, Ulder Ravengard has been through numerous disasters before. He's watched countless friends die. But when has he ever been so helpless as the time he was caught in an entire city of relative innocents as it is dragged down to the hells?

It gets worse.

You see, Ulder Ravengard is put into a catatonic state by the Demon Lord Baphomet using the the Helm of Torm's sight. The Helm of Torm's sight is a holy item that allows the user to commune with Torm (god of Duty, Loyalty, etc). In a last ditch effort to save the city of Elturel, Ulder Ravengard attempted to get to the Helm in the hopes that it could be used to fight back. Instead he gets to watch as his hope is perverted and used against him. He gets to see himself fall helpless and under control of the demon while his men are slaughtered in the attack.

We don't know how Ulder Ravengard escapes this situation (*cough* play Descent into Avernus *cough*) but somehow he does. After weeks of fighting in the hells (maybe even months?) and narrowly escaping with his life and mind intact Ulder Ravengard is hurrying back to Baldur's Gate as quickly as he can. He knows the city is in danger, whether the Vanthampurs' succeeded at seizing power or not. And on the way home he gets ambushed by fucking goblins and drow working together. He gets to see as some of the few survivors who made it through their time in Avernus with him, get killed. He gets to see his close friend and advisor Counselor Florrick get trapped in a burning building.

Then he's kept imprisoned, and likely harassed, in the dungeons of Moonrise towers. All he hears is 'the Absolute' this and 'the Absolute' that. Then what does he know but apparently the mastermind behind this whole thing is fucking Gortash, the slimy counselor he has spent the past while doing his best to ignore because even if he didn't like him and thought most of his ideas were bad he couldn't actually do anything to get rid of him. And then Orin—a fucking Bhaalspawn—uses him for a chair while Ketheric Thorm goes on a whiny oh-woe-is-me rant and Gortash sticks a tadpole in his eye all while mocking him.

He then gets to spend the next while under control of the Absolute. We don't know how unpleasant this is, but we do know that when the Absolute controls someone directly their brain starts bleeding so severely they collapse and die after less than a minute :) and when he's finally freed from the Absolute he has chronic migraines so yeah not fucking pleasant :)))))

And then his son rescues him. Yay. His son who he strove to teach right from wrong all those years. His son to whom he imparted the four pillars: strategy, courage, justice, insight. His son, who, despite everything he has ever taught him chose to throw all of his promise away to a devil. And he doesn't know why and maybe he hopes that there was a good reason behind it all, but he does know that he lost any chance he had to ever be able to fully trust his son again because he doesn't know the terms of the pact and he can't know the full terms of the pact but he does know that his son is now under the control of a devil.

And please just take a moment to think about how terrifying that would be. This isn't something that an 'I'm sorry' can fix. Wyll says it himself: it would be easier to drink the Chionthar down, drop by drop, than to break a devil's pact. The chances of Wyll ever being freed from his pact are slim to none and the damage he could do in the mean time is immeasurable. Ulder Ravengard has the weight of an entire city's well being on his shoulders. I am not saying he made the right choice, but there is a reason why Wyll says it was the only choice he could make. He told Wyll to go. Maybe out of shame, maybe out of fear, maybe out of the hope that his son would do less damage far away than if he were to stay. We don't know why. Maybe he regretted it, maybe he never looked back.

But he's been having one of the worst fucking years of his life and most of it is due either directly to devils or to people conspiring with devils. His mind has been scraped raw by the Absolute. He's injured and if you broke Wyll's pact he was just attacked by another devil and exploding spiders. If you didn't break Wyll's pact, he just saw evidence that Wyll is still in leagues with a devil, after all Mizora states very clearly that she always fulfills her promises as she saves him.

Oh and if you didn't kill Karlach, Wyll is a devil now (*techinically he is still human, just with some devilish features and will be regonized as infernal in origin by the spell Detect Good and Evil, but Ulder Ravengard doesn't have the insight to game mechanics that we have and may or may not be aware that Wyll turning into a devil is a lot less probable than him just being made to look like one.)

So maybe, it's just a little understandable that instead of greeting Wyll with joy or gratitude at being saved the first thing he thinks, the only thing he can think of is: what fresh hell is he in for now?

(And maybe ya'll can be a little more understanding of Wyll choosing to forgive his father too. I don't think it's out of character for Wyll. I don't think he's ignoring everything wrong with what his father did. I don't think Wyll is a bad person for choosing to forgive his father or that anger would have been the right choice for him. It's far, far more complicated than that.)

[the-magpie-collective]

Seventeen

Picture this:

You are seventeen. Your entire life you have been raised by a strict military man, who later goes on to become a politician. Every day you are taught strict morals of right and wrong. You've been taught to believe your duty is first to the people of your city, that one day you will follow in his footsteps and it will be your job to serve everyone.

Your father has left on an important diplomatic mission to a neighboring city. He left you in charge. Technically you aren't really capable of making any decisions while he is gone. It's only meant to be for show, a way for you to practice taking charge without any of the real responsibility, but you are determined to show him that he was right to trust you.

And then one morning, in the early hours when you still aren't thinking entirely straight, you hear a whispering voice tell you:

'Duskhawk Hill. The Queen of Chaos awakens. Go alone.'

A whisper in the middle of the night is no basis for raising the alarm, you might think. Perhaps it was only something you imagined, or some tangled thread of a dream carrying over in your waking hours. You might know in your gut that it wasn't, but is that really reason enough to go to the Flaming Fist?

It's reason enough for you to go yourself, just in case. If it turns out to be something, you can raise the alarm then. And if it turns out to be nothing, no one needs to know that a simple nightmare was enough for you to rush out of bed in the early morning hours.

You grab your rapier and set out. There are no stars to guide you, the night is dark and cold. And there, at the foot of the hill you see figures gathered around five totems carved with dragon heads on top. Tiamat's cultists.

Now, you think, is time for alarm and so you turn to go, but there is a devil in your way.

And she smiles and tells you that you should be grateful that she even bothered to warn you, that if you do nothing everything and everyone you have ever known and cared for will be destroyed by Tiamat. Your father will come home to a city of ruin and ash and you will have been too late to stop it, but, if you agree to sell your soul, you might still save it.

You are not naive. You have heard stories about devils. You know them all. Some you can even quote line for line, like the farmer who agreed to give a devil his 'most precious fruit' and lost his child instead. You know that there is a trick somewhere in here, a trap.

You also know that you cannot fight a devil on your own, that she has you exactly where she wants you. There will be no raising the alarm and warning the Flaming Fist.

'Hurry' she tells you with a sickening smile as you see the first of Tiamat's heads summoned into the world. She is offering you a city for your soul. An extremely generous bargain. She summons two of her sisters to bear witness to the pact. You know there's a trick to this. It's a devil's pact there is always a trick.

But she holds all the cards and really, what is one soul versus an entire city of thousands? You're not thinking of the power you could get from this. You're not thinking of the fame of being a hero. You are deciding unequivocally that sacrificing yourself is worth it to save others. You bargain as well as you can, but there's no time and you can't read infernal.

You say yes.

And whatever happens next ends with the cultists dead (you've never killed anyone before) and a bleeding pit where your right eye used to be. Your words are kept from you, but you're certain that your father loves and trusts you, that he'll see you were faced with an impossible choice but when you are unable to show him any proof, when the words don't come, all he has to say is:

'Go.'

And so you leave.

You spend two years in exile, stumbling from place to place, fulfilling the commands of the devil that now holds your soul. You can't let yourself regret it, because to regret it is to believe that your suffering is worth more than the lives of thousands. If you believe that you were tricked you will have nothing.

It is two years later when you stumble across a child attacked by a goblin raid and you save him. And maybe then you start to think that you can use these powers to do more good. Your soul is already forfeit so you might as well try. The harm you are certainly causing by helping a devil may not be outweighed by all the good you can do, but it can be mitigated.

And then people start to recognize you. They question who you are. So you come up with a name. Your deeds earn you fame and that fame earns you warm places to sleep and food in your belly. The respite you are able to earn gives you more energy to help more people and you might start to think that you deserve it, this fame and fortune, after all you are doing good, aren't you?

(You begin to hope that maybe, if you earn enough fame and fortune, you will be welcomed home with open arms. You cannot confess these hopes aloud, but they are there.)

And so the Blade of Frontiers reaches a tipping point. 

There are many possibilities for whom he could become. Two interest me. He could become a jaded adventurer, someone who still helps others because habits are hard to break, but who feels entitled to reward for it. The sort of person who demands more and more for the actions he takes. The sort of person who seeks out power, because after all, he wouldn't be able to do what he does without the powers given to him by a devil, right? And if anyone deserves power it's him, he'll use it well, use it wisely. He deserves it. He's entitled to it.

Or there is the self-sacrificial adventurer, someone who makes do with what they have, who takes the minimum of what they need. The sort of person who helps others because that is what they are supposed to do. The sort of person who scrapes themselves raw and sets themselves on fire to help others. After all, if anyone has to suffer, it might as well be them, right? It's fine as long as no one else is hurt. He deserves it.

Both choices could have made sense as possibilities for Wyll to have a "bad" ending in BG3, but neither actually has any real impact. The first because there was no narrative buildup or commitment to Wyll becoming a power hungry individual, so even when the dialogue choices for accusing Wyll of becoming power hungry are presented it feels out of place. Without any evidence to show him hungering for power it loses its impact. As for the second, the fact that Wyll's constant self-sacrificial tendencies are actually a bad thing is never discussed in game. He's a hero, he's chosen to be a hero, so obviously he should just sacrifice himself without complaint. If he chooses to break his pact, the other characters react largely negatively. The narrative itself doesn't care when Wyll sacrifices himself, so why should we?

And the most frustrating thing is there clearly was build-up for both of these possibilities. There was clear intent to go further in exploring Wyll's character. If we had gotten a truly 'evil' Wyll, one who chose to murder Karlach, one who begins to demand payment for services, one who is willing to look past misdeeds to achieve a better end result. Wyll as a character is perfectly primed for the phrase 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' and yet we never get that in canon.

And the thing is, having a more interesting Evil!Wyll would have made for a more impactful Good!Wyll. When both options you get are good and gooder, the character ends up feeling flat. The other characters have drastic personality changes from one ending to the other, while still feeling true to character. Look at Ascended!Astarion versus Spawn!Astarion or Sharran!Shadowheart versus Selunite!Shadowheart or literally any of the others. Gale becomes an out-of-touch God versus a dorky professor. Lae'zel becomes an undead abomination in perpetual servitude to her Queen versus someone who fights to free her people. Karlach becomes an angry and jaded individual who gives up her humanity to become a mindflayer or die, rather than someone who will give anything to cherish another moment of life.

Wyll becomes an adventurer in Avernus, slaying demons to help people. Or he becomes a Duke of Baldur's Gate, politicking and promoting policies in order to help people.

And so people think he's boring. Look, they say, no matter what happens to him, no matter what life throws at him, he is just a quietly dependable man. Helping others, slaying monsters, excelling at political functions. Pay no mind to the seventeen year old behind the curtain who had his entire life ripped away and so the only way he was able to cope was by putting on a mask. Pay no attention to the jaded adventurer, who began to question less and less whether the monsters he was hunting actually deserved it.

Wyll is just a man with an easy smile and even easier jokes (who is lying through his teeth) who is doing his best to help others.

Right?