The Cursed: That was Wild

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Down to half strength, the party returns to the Friendly Arms Inn to recruit Dorn the orc as well as Neera and Baeloth who (seem to be getting close) returned there from Nashkel . Neera is particularly annoying this time, saying the team owes it to her to escort her to an elder wild mage so that she can learn to control her powers.

Catharina obliges her and they follow her lead to a goblin infested area. Fortunately they pass a bluff test to convince the goblins that they are friends, letting them skip right to the boss' cave - who happens to have the elder wild mage hostage.

The boss goblin isn't fooled though and attacks, and Dorn "the ultimate warrior" is defeated by the little green man. I assume the orc was castrated before being kicked off the cliff into the underground ravine below. It's only after defeating boss gob that the Thayans chasing Neera show up, and put up a good enough fight to warrant the use of summoning wands.

Frankly, Baeloth is preferred.

Despite the victory it is ultimately all for naught as the old wild mage has zero wisdom to impart and accidentally teleports himself out of there. Possibly to the moon.

Insight: Wild mages are potentially really strong if you are willing to reload unfavorable random effects. They can literally kill themselves and their party each time they cast any spell.

The Cursed: Iron Shortage

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Khalid finally leads Party Girl, Catharina, Minsc, Dynaheir and Branwen to the Nashkel mines. On the way the team encounters yet another assassin group but have the unexpected ally of Dorn the angry orc who wants payback on his ex-crew.

With all the scum cleared Dorn thanks the team and suggests that if they ever need a "real" warrior, he'll be waiting at the Friendly Arms Inn. The team proceed to the still active mine and find (four floors down) that a team of kobolds had been corrupting the ore veins with a strange fluid, causing the iron shortage.

Seems that they also work for money!

They are led by a human though, and based on his correspondence he is just one small cog in a bigger conspiracy. Also found at the base of the mines is the elven mage Xan, once adventurer now prisoner/bitch. They free him and make their way out the "back way" which is a massive shortcut to the bottom floor. That would have been handy to know about on the way in!

Insight: All those "important" letters? Junk them after reading them to save bag space. It's only at near end of the game where you need to hang on to a few of them.

The Cursed: Jokes on Me

[Part of the Cursed story line]

On the way to the stronghold the party encounters "the fastest dart thrower in the West". This joke brigand manages to hit Rasaad right in an eye, proving how terrible an adventurer he is. The monk is immediately sent back for medical aid.

Other than that, there are no encounters worthy of note. Even the frontal assault on the gnoll stronghold is made easy with Catharina in the lead and waving wands of fireball to incinerate the packs of enemies easily. Dynaheir is found in a pit, having been the gnolls plaything and Catharina opts to rescue her which infuriates Edwin enough into leaving.

The team returns to Nashkel to sell and recover, visiting the nearby fair grounds while they are at it - finding one of the attractions is a "stone warrior maiden". They purchase an expensive stone to flesh scroll from a peddler and release the petrified person who turns out to be the cleric Branwen. In thanks, she decides to join the party.

Glad it wasn't some stone golem instead!

Insight: The stone to flesh scrolls are much cheaper if purchased at a temple. Again, I still didn't know about those at this time and was very tempted to use it to free one of the original Black Pits characters before ultimately opting to free Branwen instead.

The Cursed: Another Detour

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Finally convinced by Jaheira to go to Nashkel as the situation is dire (really? doesn't feel that way), Catharina and company run into more elite hobgoblins who almost kill Neera with poisoned arrows. Fortunately Jaheira can cure it, but in doing so leaves herself open to a hobgoblin backstab which cripples her. Khalid is in tears as his wife is put on a random wagon back to the Friendly Arms Inn for medical attention. As usual, Baeloth makes snide and inappropriate comments.

"At least she wasn't backstabbed with a flaming sword... up the ass!"

This results in the drow sorcerer being voted out of the party at Nashkel proper. The low HP Neera is also side lined to recover from her near death experience after defeating yet another would be assassin at the inn. Replacing them is Rasaad the monk who immediately gets along with Khalid, Minsc (and his miniature giant space hamster Boo) who want to save a woman named Dynaheir from gnolls, and the Thayan Edwin who wants to kill a woman named Dynaheir. Party Girl wonders if it's the same woman. She has low INT.

While almost everyone else is asking that the party investigate the nearby Nashkel mines to solve the iron shortage (because random adventurers are qualified to do that apparently), Catharina wants to avoid having another walk out like Montaron so they delay heading there again and instead head West to the gnoll stronghold to find Dynaheir.

Insight: If left to their own devices, party members will converse with each other. This can also lead to in party fighting if they don't get along - mainly stemming from alignment differences. If you keep everyone busy though, they'll never get a chance to act out.

The Cursed: Patience

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Imoen's crew encounter Ajantis on the road and recruit the paladin to the team, deciding to help him hunt down the bandit threat. They successfully slay a number of ghouls, sirens, half ogres and a mass murdering necromancer as well as finding an idiot who polymorphed himself into a chicken.

Pretty. Pretty evil.

Ironically, a skull is required to undo his spell but no one had been picking them up and now no skeletons were dropping them. He'd have to live as a chicken for awhile longer!

Despite the moderate success the party still suffers a loss when Montaron loses his patience and decides to abandon the team to go ahead to Nashkel mines, solo. The wandering ranger Kivan, who is also hunting the bandit menace, eventually takes his place.

Insight: As I learned in this entry, the game NPCs have timed quests. It pays to do them if you want said NPCs hanging around. Also, you might want to hang onto one skull for the silly chicken. 

The Cursed: Baeloth's Return!?

[Part of the Cursed story line]

On the way to Nashkel the party enter the town of Beregost where they immediately kill an abusive drunk, save the wild mage Neera from some Thayans, and meet Kagain the dwarven proprietor of an "escort" business. They also put the bard Garrick out of work by killing his manipulative boss.

At this point Catharina doesn't really feel like heading to the mines so she and the others opt to "see the world" and start randomly walking through wilderness areas as adventurers do.

They are caught by surprise at a ruined tower late one night when a portal opens and out pops... Baeloth!? Apparently Najim honored his final wish which was "protection from death". Being on the surface certainly seems to make the drow suffer though, so Cath and co. decide to spare him, sending him to the Friendly Arms Inn to wallow in misery.

He does seem to be suffering. Good.

Insight: Inventory management in this game is a chore. Take only the items that you need or will sell well (gems) to speed things up. Weight is also a consideration. If you want to make things easier, be sure to buy a gem bag, a potion bag and a quiver/case/bag of plenty (infinite ammo) when you can.

The Cursed: Gorion's Foolishness

[Part of the Cursed story line]

In hopes to protect her, Gorion spirits away with Catharina only to run right into a band of assassins led by a heavily armored scum. Gorion tells Catharina to flee while he gets slaughtered by said crew who then abandon pursuit for some reason.

But looking scary is tiring!

Fortunately, Catharina's childhood friend Imoen tailed her, and brought her other party members too. Since this adventure is going to be too dangerous for the troublemaker, Imoen is instructed to go back home but she refuses - instead deciding to make her own party of adventurers starting with the two psychos on the road Xzar and Montaron.

Catharina wishes them luck and heads on to the Friendly Arms Inn as per Gorion's last instructions. There the party meet a sulky orc named Dorn, and Gorion's friends Khalid and Jaheira. The couple try convince Catharina to look into the iron problems in the Nashkel mines but Catharina just says she'll think about it.

Insight: Playing the Black Pits first and importing the characters to Baldur's Gate makes most of the early fights really easy.