→Act Three
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Before the events of the game, a [[Mind Flayer Colony|mind flayer colony]] was established under [[Reithwin Town]] and what would later be [[Moonrise Towers]]. With the colony steadily growing unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the town, in time, an [[Elder Brain]] would emerge to lead it into furthering the [[Grand Design]], a sacred mission to restore the once vanquished illithid empire. | Before the events of the game, a [[Mind Flayer Colony|mind flayer colony]] was established under [[Reithwin Town]] and what would later be [[Moonrise Towers]]. With the colony steadily growing unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the town, in time, an [[Elder Brain]] would emerge to lead it into furthering the [[Grand Design]], a sacred mission to restore the once vanquished illithid empire. | ||
At some point during his efforts to take over [[Baldur's Gate]], [[Enver Gortash]] stumbled into the colony when visiting [[Ketheric Thorm]] at Moonrise and, sensing an opportunity, hastily formulated a plan: using the [[Crown of Karsus]], an ancient artifact of immense power belonging once to the archwizard [[Karsus]] of [[Netheril]], he would enslave the brain in order to harness its power and take over the [[Sword Coast]] in [[Bane|Bane's]] name.{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}} Together with his partner, the [[The Dark Urge|Bhaalspawn]], they hired the services of a diabolist named [[Helsik]] to provide passage to [[Mephistar]], lair of [[Mephistopheles]] and location of the crown. With the crown obtained, the pair returned to Moonrise to join Ketheric and chain the elder brain, yet after the Bhaalspawn placed the crown on the brain,{{ref|name=morphic|[[Morphic Pool]], lines spoken by the Netherbrain when confronted by the Dark Urge and their companions.<br>"''You placed the Crown upon me in the depths of Moonrise Towers, and there I was born. (...) Your plan was devious, your cruelty unparalleled. I would have followed it, were your mind not destroyed by your sister. But with you gone, the three pitiful Chosen fought like children in your wake. I gave them power to harm one another with, while I crafted my design."''}} [[Orin|Orin the Red]], second in command of the Bhaalspawn, betrayed her superior, slaying them and pronouncing herself the new [[Chosen]] of [[Bhaal]].{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}} | At some point during his efforts to take over [[Baldur's Gate]], [[Enver Gortash]] stumbled into the colony when visiting [[Ketheric Thorm]] at Moonrise and, sensing an opportunity, hastily formulated a plan: using the [[Crown of Karsus]], an ancient artifact of immense power belonging once to the archwizard [[Karsus]] of [[Netheril]], he would enslave the brain in order to harness its power and take over the [[Sword Coast]] in [[Bane (God)|Bane's]] name.{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}} Together with his partner, the [[The Dark Urge|Bhaalspawn]], they hired the services of a diabolist named [[Helsik]] to provide passage to [[Mephistar]], lair of [[Mephistopheles]] and location of the crown. With the crown obtained, the pair returned to Moonrise to join Ketheric and chain the elder brain, yet after the Bhaalspawn placed the crown on the brain,{{ref|name=morphic|[[Morphic Pool]], lines spoken by the Netherbrain when confronted by the Dark Urge and their companions.<br>"''You placed the Crown upon me in the depths of Moonrise Towers, and there I was born. (...) Your plan was devious, your cruelty unparalleled. I would have followed it, were your mind not destroyed by your sister. But with you gone, the three pitiful Chosen fought like children in your wake. I gave them power to harm one another with, while I crafted my design."''}} [[Orin|Orin the Red]], second in command of the Bhaalspawn, betrayed her superior, slaying them and pronouncing herself the new [[Chosen]] of [[Bhaal]].{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}} | ||
With the brain under control, the Chosen of the [[Dead Three]] begin their plan of taking over the Sword Coast, coming up with the [[Cult of the Absolute]], a sect dedicated to the figure of the [[Absolute]], the name given to the newly enslaved brain. Using it, they would hatch tadpoles to infect the population of important cities and amass as army to take over the entire coast, luring them with the promise of a powerful, new goddess that welcomed the meek, the outcasts. The netherese magic of the crown allowed them to create special tadpoles that would remain in their victims in a suspended state of ceremorphosis, able to be controlled psychically while not becoming properly illithid yet.{{cite text|Accelerated Grand Design|Enver Gortash}} This way, the group would be able to target important targets while maintaining the ruse of religious fervor instead of the more sinister truth.{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}}{{cite text|Next Steps|Enver Gortash}} | With the brain under control, the Chosen of the [[Dead Three]] begin their plan of taking over the Sword Coast, coming up with the [[Cult of the Absolute]], a sect dedicated to the figure of the [[Absolute]], the name given to the newly enslaved brain. Using it, they would hatch tadpoles to infect the population of important cities and amass as army to take over the entire coast, luring them with the promise of a powerful, new goddess that welcomed the meek, the outcasts. The netherese magic of the crown allowed them to create special tadpoles that would remain in their victims in a suspended state of ceremorphosis, able to be controlled psychically while not becoming properly illithid yet.{{cite text|Accelerated Grand Design|Enver Gortash}} This way, the group would be able to target important targets while maintaining the ruse of religious fervor instead of the more sinister truth.{{cite text|name=memoirs|Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda|[[Enver Gortash]]}}{{cite text|Next Steps|Enver Gortash}} | ||
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With the defeat of Thorm by the party and the resulting loss of his [[Ketheric's Netherstone|Netherstone]], the remaining Chosens' control over the brain is severely weakened. As a result, the brain makes frequent attempts to break free from its enslavement, resulting in regular psionic outbursts that are believed by the rest of the populace to be earthquakes. Knowing the threat that this poses to their plan, both Gortash and Orin attempt to [[Consider Gortash's Bargain|convince]] (or [[Rescue Orin's Victim|coerce]]) the party to kill the other Chosen and bring their respective Netherstones to them, in order to reestablish control over the brain. | With the defeat of Thorm by the party and the resulting loss of his [[Ketheric's Netherstone|Netherstone]], the remaining Chosens' control over the brain is severely weakened. As a result, the brain makes frequent attempts to break free from its enslavement, resulting in regular psionic outbursts that are believed by the rest of the populace to be earthquakes. Knowing the threat that this poses to their plan, both Gortash and Orin attempt to [[Consider Gortash's Bargain|convince]] (or [[Rescue Orin's Victim|coerce]]) the party to kill the other Chosen and bring their respective Netherstones to them, in order to reestablish control over the brain. | ||
Once the party confronts the brain in the [[Morphic Pool]], the brain reveals that it orchestrated the entire series of events leading up to their confrontation. | Once the party confronts the brain in the [[Morphic Pool]], the brain reveals that it orchestrated the entire series of events leading up to their confrontation. The player attempts to dominate the brain with the rejoined Netherstones, but it overwhelms them, prompting the Emperor to force the player into the Astral Prism for safety. The Emperor explains that the brain in its current state is too powerful for any mortal to bring under control again, and that only an illithid has the mental capacity to dominate the brain. | ||
With its free will fully restored once again, the Netherbrain proclaims that it will achieve the Grand Design, rising from beneath the city to reveal itself. It commences a full-scale assault on Baldur's Gate, forcing many tadpoled civilians to transform and commanding the hordes of the Absolute's armies to attack, while simultaneously summoning a fleet of [[Nautiloid|Nautiloids]] to provide additional support. With the help of an illithid, the party manages to battle their way to the brain itself, where the illithid can use the Netherstones to enter the brain's mind and defeat it once and for all. | With its free will fully restored once again, the Netherbrain proclaims that it will achieve the Grand Design, rising from beneath the city to reveal itself. It commences a full-scale assault on Baldur's Gate, forcing many tadpoled civilians to transform and commanding the hordes of the Absolute's armies to attack, while simultaneously summoning a fleet of [[Nautiloid|Nautiloids]] to provide additional support. With the help of an illithid, the party manages to battle their way to the brain itself, where the illithid can use the Netherstones to enter the brain's mind and defeat it once and for all. | ||
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Once beaten, the Netherbrain yields to the party, proposing that they take control of it and rule in a last-ditch effort to spare its own life. From here, the player can choose to have their illithid ally destroy the brain, or betray them and take control of the brain, and the Absolute, for themselves. If the latter option is selected, the player will stab the illithid and seize the Netherstones, taking a seat atop the brain and proclaiming themselves as the Absolute. | Once beaten, the Netherbrain yields to the party, proposing that they take control of it and rule in a last-ditch effort to spare its own life. From here, the player can choose to have their illithid ally destroy the brain, or betray them and take control of the brain, and the Absolute, for themselves. If the latter option is selected, the player will stab the illithid and seize the Netherstones, taking a seat atop the brain and proclaiming themselves as the Absolute. | ||
If the player chooses to kill the brain, the illithid ally will order the brain to destroy all of the tadpoles, including the party's, before killing itself. Overwhelmed by the Netherstones, the brain is forced to comply, and it falls into the sea, sinking along with the Crown of Karsus into the harbor, thwarting the Grand Design once | If the player chooses to kill the brain, the illithid ally will order the brain to destroy all of the tadpoles, including the party's, before killing itself. Overwhelmed by the Netherstones, the brain is forced to comply, and it falls into the sea, sinking along with the Crown of Karsus into the harbor, thwarting the Grand Design once more. | ||
== Combat == | == Combat == |