I don’t know how to do the spoiler stuff, if it’s even possible on Voyager, so please be aware of SPOILERS!!!
So, this weekend, I finally beat the game. I clocked in at 123 hours, and did as many side quests as I could. Wyll’s sidequest was the only one that got borked for me, and I missed out on his and Karlach’s exchange after the final boss.
So, I did two different endings because I wanted to see the outcomes. For further backstory, I played the game as a good guy (my true role playing pleasure, since I can’t save the world/people in real life like I can in games) and saved every single person the game allows you too. Every. Single. One.
Now, the endings. Again, please be aware of SPOILERS!!!
I did the bad ending first, because my curiosity got the best of me. I killed Orpheus, who was in his Illithid form, while he was focusing on the brain. My character stabs Orpheus to death (quite gruesomely) while my party members (who I remind you, have watched me ONLY do good guy things for our entire journey!) are freaking out and even Astarion asking “What in the hells are you doing?!” “I’m doing what I planned to do from the beginning.” Is how I answered. The scene goes on to show my character snapping his fingers and turning my entire party into thralls, and claiming the Absolute’s Throne. When he sits down, he is smiling in a way I hadn’t seen the entire game. He looked menacing, and pure evil. As he sits atop his new throne, he looks into the camera and says, “In my name.” As I had done nothing the entire game but challenge the gods and their chosen, because gods and devils play too much with mortal lives.
This ending, was actually weirdly REALLY satisfying. I spent the entire game being THE good guy. THE champion. I saved countless souls. My entire party had nothing but faith in me. I successfully took every member of my party through their entire arc (except Wyll, damn bugs!) and gained both adoration and respect from every single one. What did they, and the rest of Faerun get for their loyalty, support, and adoration? Thralls. Every. Single. One. It was such a twist to even myself that I was in awe, and was excited to get my good guy ending!
So, I reloaded my quick save at the final options and did the good ending. While it gave some slight satisfaction, I can’t help but feel like the evil ending was way more interesting. While I’d still choose the good guy way always, it was quite fun they allowed me to subvert all expectations and pull an M. Night Shyamalan and give myself a twist ending.
Fantastic game, and I hope some of you will even regale me with your own stories you made in game! Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Good day. 🙏🏻
I felt kind of let down that the only option Karlach got was to die basically or go back to being a slave for war. I let her perish, thinking ultimately, it was for the best. (In the moment)
I’m glad you two played it together and she was into it! Thank you for your comment and story! :)
It’s also explicitly what Karlach wanted - she said multiple times she’d rather die among the things she loves than spend one more day in Avernus. I stayed with her while she died, having succeeded in saving the city. A bittersweet ending, and of course it’s tempting to save her, but this was what she wanted, and I had to respect that.
Damn… in my rush to save everyone, I never once took into account if they WANTED to be saved. Well played, friend. Well played. I see the loss in a new way. 🙏
In our playthrough my buddy was the one playing Karlach, and she was the one that went full illithid. That choice ended up “saving” her and she had a special note of dialogue at the end about having the opportunity to live now.