#baelen

Vor der Flut im Tal

Baelen (B), Juli 2021

It's complicated. On the one hand, I understand where she's coming from. If you read her journal, you discover her husband's been abusing her for 70 years, to the point that she was too afraid to leave him. He is (or rather was) apparently well-known and well-connected in Baldur's Gate, so escape was impossible. Even if she tried, his friends likely would've forced her back or told him where to find her.

You can also find a note in her bedroom confirming Baelen's condition, along with a message from his healer, telling her that all he needs to do is consume a noblestalk mushroom and he'll be cured. If you give her the noblestalk, however, she uses it to save her shop, intentionally keeping it from Baelen. That's completely understandable, of course. She's covered in scars from the abuse and even the rothé confirms he was a piece of shit—he beat that poor animal, too. It's only natural she wouldn't want his mental faculties to return.

That said ... the Baelen she's abusing is not the same man who abused her. His mind is different. He's different. To make matters worse, he's entirely dependent on Derryth and believes she loves him. He may deserve that comeuppance, but he doesn't even understand why it's happening. Regardless of his past actions, he is mentally handicapped, and the immorality of using and abusing someone like that is pretty cut and dry. Plus, it isn't healthy for Derryth herself. Keeping him around as a constant reminder of the hell he put her through, forever angry and vengeful, doesn't help with her own recovery. She needs peace.

Ironically (and perhaps unfortunately), the arguably best outcome for this side quest is healing Baelen. When you meet again in Act 3, you find him running the shop alone. If you ask him about Derryth, he says she "fled in the night", and he claims to be fine with that. Though he expresses zero regret or remorse for how he treated her during their marriage, it does seem he's willing to let her go. You can later find her working in the Elfsong Tavern, where she gives a very inspiring and heartfelt speech about freedom and regretting her treatment of Baelen when he was sick. It's nice, but one does have to wonder if he'll truly leave her be.

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My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Ok so I actually have a busy night, guess I’ll be work scum another night. Womp Womp.

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Ahhhhhhhhh I’m drinking a mimosa

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The golden egg moment (it was my bday)

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No one tagged but I thought this picrew was really cute so I decided to make a few of my ocs!

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Baelen, Belgien (Juli 2021)