#ulder

okay so.. what if instead of pursuing a Fist position Ulder decided to continue his father's work as a blacksmith in Baldur's Gate and taught Wyll how to do it as well

Unreciprocated

"Your Grace," Wyll says, by habit. Then- "Father, are you all right?"

The Marshal of the Flaming Fist dismisses this question out of hand. "How fares your hunt?"

“We haven’t gained much ground,” Wyll admits. Something in him still steels itself, discussing infernal business with his father. “Zariel’s lands are thickly patrolled. We might have an in past the third gate, but I don’t like the scheme. Too many moving parts, too many chances for a knife in the back. I’d prefer something simpler.”

“Your mind is keen as ever,” his father says. To another ear he might sound brusque or businesslike; Wyll hears warm pride. “I know you and your friend will meet with much success.”

“You don't have any new information,” Wyll realizes. Suddenly he’s cold, caked in drying sweat and hellish grime, and tired, and bruised down to his feet. He wants— somehow— to step through Gale’s spell and find himself and his father standing in the same room.

“No,” his father admits. He clears his throat. “I hope I have not interrupted your work.”

Karlach kicks another corpse over the cliffside and throws Wyll a lazy salute.

“Not particularly,” Wyll says.

“You may think me strange,” his father says, “but after seven years, to have you back for a week- a mere week- and then to lose you…” He falls silent. The winds of Hell rake hard overhead. “You may well think me strange.”

"It wasn't my intention, I promise you that, but for all my best-laid plans..."

The rest is more bitter. That the Gate has not been home to him since he was seventeen; that it seems a stranger to him now, for all he knows its streets and alleys better than himself. It had been a relief to face Hell again after an unfamiliar peace.

"I do not condemn you," his father says, sounding older than he ever has. "I regret our parting." And then, in a voice that does not belong to the Grand Duke- "Helm guard you, son; you and Cliffgate both."

"As long as we have each other," Wyll says. He reaches for the spell, a Woven miracle of sparkling air, imagining his father's calloused hand in his own. That had been a lifetime ago. A memory of a dream. Karlach smiles at him from up the rise. He leaves the magic be.

“I will find this… Gale Dekarios,” says his father, “and see what can be done. Perhaps the two of you could spend the Day of Wonders in Waterdeep."

Karlach mouths WITH THE DUKE? Wyll laughs. His eyes sting.

“I’d like that,” he says. And before the spell sputters out: “Walk carefully, father.”

For a website that makes a lot of jokes about hot dads, I was a little suprised when @bg3smash-or-pass had (excluding abstain votes) only 13.8% pass for Ulder Ravengard, and 43.3% pass for Arnell Hallowleaf. I have now discovered from my own subsequent polls more reasoning behind the pass rate for Ulder and Arnell.

Ulder Ravengard

Smash: 13.8%

Passed because he's Wyll's dad and you hit smash for Wyll: 49.1% (56.9% of all passes)

Passed because he's Wyll's dad (you did not hit smash for Wyll): 8.0% (9.2% of all passes)

Passed because he's a cop: 8.2% (9.5% of all passes)

Passed because of his past poor treatment of Wyll: 13.5% (15.7% of all passes)

Passed for some other reason: 7.4% (8.7% of all passes)

Arnell Hallowleaf

Smash: 43.3%

Passed because he's Shadowheart's dad and you hit smash for Shadowheart: 31.3% (55.2% of all passes)

Passed because he's Shadowheart's dad (you did not hit smash for Shadowheart): 3.0% (5.3% of all passes)

Passed becuse he's married to Emmeline: 9.0% (15.9% of all passes)

Passed because he's traumatised and you think he needs recovery more than romance: 4.7% (8.4% of all passes)

Passed for some other reason: 8.7% (15.2% of all passes)

and finally, an honourable mention for Arnell Hallowleaf:

Imagine saving Ulder from the Iron Throne. He is grateful to both Tav and Wyll but you can clearly see the disdain that his exiled son returned. Bc of the Big Bad Brain problem, he suggests Ansur, and when you head out he joins you. He and Wyll have one or two travel banters that show the awkward relationship they have now, with Wyll trying to get back into his dad's good graces and Ulder rebuffing it.

Wyll helps with all the trials as he does now and Ulder admits that he is impressed that Wyll still holds on to his teachings. When they reach Ansur, Ansur tells them he knows betrayal, he has died because of it, but what Wyll did is not that. He gives Wyll a cool blessing (after we murder his skeleton) that Tav can help choose.

Ulder:

Excluding the 'See results' option, we have:

Passed because he's Wyll's dad and you hit smash for Wyll: 56.9%

Passed because he's Wyll's dad (you did not hit smash for Wyll): 9.2%

Passed for some other reason: 33.8%

Arnell:

Excluding the 'See results' option, we have:

Passed because he's Shadowheart's dad and you hit smash for Shadowheart: 55.2%

Passed because he's Shadowheart's dad (you did not hit smash for Shadowheart): 5.3%

Passed for some other reason: 39.5%

You romanced Wyll

Ulder is Wyll's dad