Bone Man Provisioning Co.

Ulder Ravengard thinks in a similar way, and we have to imagine that Wyll learned much of this thought patterning from him. What’s so interesting about Wyll’s story in particular is that he must bear the repercussions of his father’s moral categorizing. When Wyll takes Mizora’s deal, he gets shunted straight into his father’s Bad Category. In Wyll’s own words, “He thought I was a fool or a traitor, and Duke Ravengard suffers neither.” Notice it’s “Duke Ravengard” and not “My Father”, but I can’t explore that rn.

Though Wyll gets redeemed in his father’s eyes depending on the players choices, we fall short of seeing Ulder acknowledge that his way of looking at the world is fundamentally cruel. Instead of fully confronting that the world is complex, Ulder simply shifts Wyll back into the Good Category. Wyll is reframed as Good, and thus worthy of love again. Nothing has really ontologically changed for Ulder Ravengard. Love from Ulder Ravengard was conditional and remains conditional.

When you confront Karlach he expresses doubt, but it’s so easy to convince him to push those doubts aside. You can even reassure him after her death that he did the right thing. He says something to the effect of “I’ve killed many devils, fiends, and ne’erdowells, how should this be any different?” (Heavy paraphrasing, here). It’s only after Mizora confirms Karlach was a tiefling that it really sinks in for him.

In past playthroughs where I’ve spared Karlach, it was easier to believe Wyll when he says he’s only used his warlock powers for good. But watching him struggle with the self-doubt he feels after killing Karlach? Suddenly it recasts all of his previous kills in a new light.

How many others were like Karlach? How many were good people caught in bad circumstances, except they didn’t have a tadpole connection to demonstrate their goodness?

There’s a strong parallel, too, with Resist Durge’s own guilt over Alfira. Resist Durge questions themself: who am I that I would kill an innocent like this? And after killing Karlach, Wyll is forced to ask himself the same question. The visit by Mizora and the visit from the butler add further resonance to the two’s struggles. Both visitors provide their charge’s with boons as rewards for carrying out the will of greater malevolent forces.

New Durge for my first embrace run! Hornless, clueless, and more than a little forgetful. Emotional support Wyll in the background. Headcannon lore thoughts below.

This gets my goat every time. “Oh we’ll meet again, it’s the mechanics of fate, you wouldn’t understand.”

Okay sure, but didn’t you just… idk… walk to my camp? 😐

Imagine if each party member had a special friendship dialogue option that unlocked after you reach a particular plot point and approval threshold.