Staying alert for traps is incredibly tedious in person. Well, that's to be expected. If traps were so easy to find, no one would bother setting them. So we had to move at a snail's pace, shining a torch over every dark patch, watching each step we take, looking for snares. Imoen and I led the team doing this dangerous work.
Newer CRPGs would have traps passively detected without the player having to do anything. Not so for Baldur's Gate 1. To emulate the difficulty of traps, you'd have to take a few steps with trap detection activated, wait, and take a few steps more. It's meant to be more immersive, I suppose? I would mod that tedium right out.
I really wish I had that option right now. The thought of missing a trap and getting a crossbow bolt loaded into my back was not welcome.
Between the slow progress through the mines and battling the odd group of kobolds, I broke the tedium with some chatter.
"So, let's discuss that last fight," I asked the team. "There were eight kobolds but I didn't call for Sleep. Why do you think was my reasoning, or can you give better suggestions?"
"Don't ask me, I'm busy!" Imoen said as she we dismantling another snare.
I looked to Neera in particular, who shook her head. "I have no idea, just tell us."
I put up my hand to indicate I should wait, and looked to the rest.
"Hrm, it's at the tip of my tongue," Jaheira said. She was biting her thumbnail in frustration. She really wanted to get this one!
Khalid gently patted her on the back, pulled her hand away from her mouth. "They were all armed with shrotswords."
"Aha! Yes, all these kobolds didn't have ranged fire. I and Khalid were engaging them in tight quarters," Jaheira pronounced triumphantly. "We only had to face a few at a time. No spells necessary."
The longer I spend with him, I get the impression that Khalid's a lot smarter than he seems. Actually I'd know that just by looking at his character record. It's a pity about the whole confidence issues. Or overbearing wife.
I looked to Neera and gestured 'ta-dah' with my two hands outstretched.
"Well, they would know that. They actually fight on the front lines," Neera said, pouting.
"It's the mage's job to consider the whole battlefield," I told her, my hands planted on my sides, "More so than priests."
Pink irritation #2 just gave a gruff harumph in response.
As it turned out, kobolds weren't the only things lurking in the depths of the mines.
I couldn't really remember every encounter. So when the torchlight illuminated the inhuman eyes of a ghoul looking right at me, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Gh-ghoul! Slow enemy, use volley fire!" I yelled while twirling my sling.
A single ghoul wasn't a match for a whole team, thankfully.
I caught my breath so that I could speak to the team properly after the battle. "Alright, why volley fire against the ghoul?"
"Still busy here," Imoen called back from where she was working close to the ground in front of us.
I looked to Neera again.
"It's slow," she replied, nonchalant. "You said it already while you were calling out."
"And?" I asked.
Neera was taken aback. "And nothing. It's slow, we shoot it down from afar. The end."
I looked to Jaheira and Khalid. More to Khalid than Jaheira.
"Paralysing touch. Melee is dangerous," Jaheira said with her arms crossed, confident and smug. "If there were more, we'd want to consider slowing them further before they close in."
"You knew that too, but let Jaheira answer?" I asked Khalid pointedly.
Jaheira's eyes widen, her arms uncrossed as she looked at Khalid. "You did that?"
Khalid looked like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Er, uh…"
"Hey, it's okay," I laughed, patting him on the back. Well, on the calf because I can't reach. "That's just married life, right? No pressure."
"It is not!" Jaheira protested. She spoke to her husband. "Dear, I love you as you are. But you need to speak up and contribute, lest people think I'm controlling."
"I-I-I'll try my best dear," Khalid stammered out.
Ack. Sorry Khalid, I think I just made things worse for you.
THREE elaborate traps in front of the entrance to the fourth level of the mines. Imoen was sweating while she dismantled them one by one while the rest of us stood way back hiding behind a rock.
"Bloody stupid kobold with their bloody stupid traps. Never want to see another kobold in my life," she muttered to herself unhappily as she worked.
I looked at the rest of my team and pointed at the traps. "That's a sign, isn't it?"
Everyone looked at each other, understanding the implications.
We must be close.
"If the boss is a warrior powerhouse, we bring out Doom and Blind-"
"Enough already!" Neera cried out. "Too much in one day! I can't absorb any more, okay?"
Maybe I'm overdoing it? I put up my hands in surrender.
From the point of view of the Kobold Commando leading its small troupe, today's patrol was like any other. Not many tall-folk make it this low down, especially not the thin ones with pick axes. The rare ones that did make it this far were more well-armed, but already weakened from the traps that the kobolds had painstakingly laid across the levels above. These armed tall-folk who tromped about loudly in their clanking armour were easy to spot. They would fall easily enough to arrow fire, especially to the Kobold Commando's enchanted fire arrows which the tall-folk would be completely unprepared for.
The Kobold Commando never even saw the sling bullet that shot out from the darkness, striking the kobold square in the head. The troupe it led fell into disarray, and was picked off from one by one by the occasional bullet from the shadows.
Zurlong's Boots of Stealth were really doing work for me, down here in the depths of the mines. I hadn't sunk any points into my stealth skills, but with my high Dex score, bonuses from halfling and boots, I had a score of Move Silently 55 and Hide in Shadows 50. Plenty for hit-and-run tactics on low HP kobolds. The fact I was using a Sling+1 which benefited from strength to its damage guaranteed each kobold would be downed on a hit.
I passed the unidentified fire arrows to Imoen, who wondered aloud, "If only I knew what these actually were? It'd be really helpful if someone would just tell me."
"Identifying unknown stuff is your job I'm afraid," I said back to her with a grin. "Don't worry if you can't figure them out for now. We'll manage."
As we moved on, Imoen pouted and kicked a pebble aside.
From the point of view of Mulahey, half-orc Cleric of Cyric, he knew he was in trouble. Tazok, his employer, had sent him to poison the iron from the Nashkel mines covertly using his small army of kobolds. Covertly was the key word here. So when word got out that miners were going missing and his kobolds were actually seen by witnesses. Tazok was absolutely furious, promising Mulahey would be replaced in his letters if he couldn't execute such a simple task.
Execute being the key word here.
Unfortunately, adventurers were sent in to investigate the sighting of demons and miners going missing and these adventurers had to be dealt with. Which led to more adventurers and deaths, more attention to their supposedly covert operations.
So Mulahey was expecting the hammer from Tazok to drop on his head any time already. When a group five warriors practically waltzed into his personal chambers, untouched by the kobolds supplied by his employer, Mulahey had put two and two together in his own head.
Mulahey sat up from his desk. "Tazok dispatched you here, and my traitorous kobolds let you pass, didn't they?" he said, looking them up and down. Well-armed, and definitely sent to kill. Mulahey shook his fist at them. "By Cyric, not a measure of ore leaves these mines unspoiled, and I am still to be executed!"
The brown-haired half-elf woman at the head of the group with a severe look on her face regarded him with cool eyes. "Fool! Tazok is indeed most displeased with thee! Reveal your treachery and mayhaps he will spare you!"
As if! These mercenaries sent to take his head had no authority to forgive his supposed transgressions, surely. Mulahey's mind raced. What could he do to survive this confrontation? He was outnumbered…
In the corner of his eye, he spotted a kobold in the back, beyond the notice of the mercenaries. Scared and uncertain, it looked confused. Mulahey made a hidden gesture, and away the kobold went to rally more.
The kobold's stupidity was working in his favour! Not recognizing Tazok's men, the kobolds would hurl themselves at these mercenaries at his behest. Mulahey needed to buy time.
"I have no desire to cheat him, or thee!" Mulahey declared. "My letters will prove my loyalty. I will fetch them from my chest."
"We can do that just fine. Wait here," the half-elf said. Then she said to no one in particular, "Sonny, no. Let's give him a chance before we skip straight to murder."
Mulahey's eyebrow raised, and he looked around. Nothing. "Who are you talking to?"
"Never mind that. Imoen, check the chest."
One of their number stepped forward, a pink-haired scout from the looks of it, and checked the chest for carefully. For traps? How cautious! But their caution would only buy Mulahey more time. He smiled to himself, and silently broke an activation rune stone in his pocket. A little extra surprise he had been preparing just for this occasion.
As the scout got his chest open and started rifling through his personal possessions, the sounds of the approaching mob echoed throughout the chambers. Not only a mob of kobolds, but skeletons as well. Being a cleric of Cyric had its perks.
It was now or never. Mulahey started incanting a spell, Hold Person, to incapacitate the most well-armored of the mercenaries. The far superior numbers on his side will do the rest.
Mulahey didn't realize an invisible quarterstaff had been aimed right at the back of his head. It cracked across his skull, and the warrior that Mulahey had been aiming his spell at slashed Mulahey across his shoulder, between the armor. Mulahey was in agony.
The half-elven woman came bearing down on Mulahey with her club. Mulahey screamed, "I yield! I surrender!"
The club stopped short in front of his face. The kobolds and skeletons were moments away. He just needed to buy more time-
"Your call Jaheira," a squeeky voice came from somewhere behind, below him. Mulahey glanced behind and saw a raven-haired halfling who had to be a child. He wasn't there before!
The half-elf woman regarded Mulahey with cold eyes. "No mercy for those who despoil-"
Her speech was cut short when she caught sight of the oncoming horde. "-Tsk, just die."
The club struck home, cracking Mulahey's skull wide open.
In spite of the large number of kobolds and skeletons facing the team, without Mulahey to support them with potent magic, both groups were not a serious threat. The kobolds were incapacitated with a Sleep spell, while the skeletons were turned by Branwen's divine exhortation.
I still think we should have taken Mulahey out when he was without his extra help, but it all worked out for us in the end.
The kobolds and skeletons had no loot worth noting. Mulahey himself had two very nice magical items, are pair of boots of electricity resistance and a Ring of Holiness (extra 1 slot to priest spells level 1 to 4). He also had a holy symbol, which we kept as proof of our deed to Berrun Ghoulnomnom later.
Mulahey's stash on the other hand had a LOT of goodies. 790 gold, 2 Healing potions, 1 Potion of Absorption (AC+10 vs crushing, 100% Electric resistance), 1 scroll of Sleep, Armour, Charm Person, Infravision, Web and Identify each, 1 Shortsword +1, 1 Moonblade (very special, more on this later), and two letters to Mulahey from Tazok, his employer.
The first letter detailed Mulahey's orders, as we might expect: poison the mines unnoticed by the miners and the Amnian guard. Meanwhile Tazok's hired two large mercenary companies, the Blacktalon mercenaries and the Chill, to destroy iron caravans to the region (said region being the Sword Coast, presumably) from the south and east.
"A very well-organised iron shortage indeed," Jaheira mused, Khalid nodding next to her. I expected the two Harpers would have a detailed report for their superiors as soon as we reached civilization and messenger services.
The next letter was one where Tazok lambasted Mulahey for allowing the kobolds to murder miners, thus drawing attention to his operations. That explained his reaction to our group. The letter also said, "If you have any problems then send a message to my new contact in Beregost. His name is Tranzig, and he'll be staying at Feldepost's Inn."
Branwen let out a yell of… rage? Triumph? I'm not sure, but she was sure loud. "Tranzig! That dog is at Beregost!" she shrieked. "We move for Feldepost's Inn!"
I grimaced. I had wanted to clear the southern regions near Nashkel of loot before we head back to Beregost. Somehow, I doubted that Branwen would brook any delay in settling her vengeance.
"So is this Tazok guy in charge of this whole mess?" Imoen asked. "And Tranzig is his underling?"
"Too early to say. Too many unanswered questions," Jaheira pointed out. "For what benefit? Tazok or the people he works for must command a lot of resources to organize this crisis, but the motive has not been established."
I was sorely tempted to show off how smart I was by telling them all who was responsible there and then. But to be fair, I would never have been able to figure out how deep the machinations go on my own.
So very tempting though. Damn, I really wanna farm more aura...