Beta-testers Wanted: Keldorn romance mod

[berelinde]

He's loyal. He's brave. He's... single?

 

Life is an uncertain thing, and changes come when we least expect them. This mod offers a chance to romance Athkatla's newest... and most reluctant... bachelor. All relationships take work, and this one takes more than most, but the rewards are great, for those patient enough to endure the trials.

 

This romance is not for everyone. It is certainly not a romance for the hasty. When it begins, Keldorn is grieving after the collapse of his 20-year marriage, and it takes him a long, long time to recover. It deals with mature themes, the real consequences of rejection and recovery, and some players may not want to go through all that, no matter how devoted the would-be love interest becomes in Throne of Bhaal. It is also very, very long, with 35+ talks in Shadows of Amn, though the talks are spaced more closely together to compensate for this.

 

To begin the Keldorn Romance, you must allow Keldorn and Maria to reconcile. He will only consider himself free if his marriage to Maria is legally ended, and imprisoning Maria will only separate them, not divorce them. Also, Maria's incarceration might present childcare issues that would be impossible to overcome.

 

The mod also features a quest for all PCs, romanced or not, though that, too, requires a reconcilliation between Keldorn and Maria.

 

At this point, only the SoA portion of the mod is done. Because of the nature of the romance, I will not be publicly releasing the mod until the ToB portion is written and tested.

 

Petals and Thorns is a community geared toward the female gamer. It features fan fiction and fan art in addition to modding projects for BG2, NWN, and NWN2. Check it out!

 

To sign up for beta-testing, please register at Petals and Thorns and reply to this thread so mynfel can add you to the workroom.

 

 

[KathStoneDog]

Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

Kath Stonedog

[berelinde]

Thank you! You're the one that did most of the editing.

 

And for those that are curious, this project is completely independent of Senka's planned Keldorn Romance. Since this one only starts if Keldorn and Maria are reconciled and hers starts only if Maria is imprisoned, players should be able to enjoy a Keldorn romance no matter what they decide to do with Maria. I just have to remember to put the PID into a separate component.

[Senka]

and hers starts only if Maria is imprisoned,

I don't understand what the sourse of this gossips, really

Infortunatelly I cannot register in your forum... I type right code but they say it wrong...

[berelinde]

and hers starts only if Maria is imprisoned,

I don't understand what the sourse of this gossips, really

Infortunatelly I cannot register in your forum... I type right code but they say it wrong...

I seem to remember you saying that once in this thread. Though looking at it again, it looks like the events of yours might prevent mine from happening. But I haven't been reading the thread at BWL. Maybe you've changed things?

 

If you're having trouble registering at Petals and Thorns, maybe I can help you. Or I can send you a download link to see the SoA portion for yourself.

 

We can certainly talk about it either through PM or here, whichever is easier.

 

It isn't necessarily bad to have two mods for the same NPC. People will play both.

[Sister Vigilante]

Da-ang this sounds great! If only I had a functional installation of BG2 to playtest it with

[Senka]

I seem to remember you saying that once in this thread. Though looking at it again, it looks like the events of yours might prevent mine from happening. But I haven't been reading the thread at BWL. Maybe you've changed things?

I'm surprise This conversation has nothing with Maria inprisonment... it's happened after Keldorn quest.

[Kulyok]

Da-ang this sounds great!

 

Sounds pretty horrible to me. Especially the "Maria's incarceration might present childcare issues that would be impossible to overcome" bit. It's like "Keldorn's leaving his wife for a young girl, but look! He obviously can't take care of the children! It's such a burden, so he's leaving it to Maria." Eeek.

 

Anyway, I've always thought that stealing a husband from a family with children is the lowest of the low - and it just can't go on hand in hand with paladinhood. So, it isn't about Keldorn. It's someone's "fantasy" Keldorn.

 

Keldorn and Maria love each other - they say so. They reconcile: he returns home after the Throne of Bhaal. And that's how it's going to be.

[Guest ?]

I`m also not a fan of elderly, divorced man but it´s far from horrible to me.

 

Yes Keldorn has a family and as a paladin he tries to do "the right thing" but he is still human. They were separated due to his work for a long time and have lived different lives, so it´s natural for me that they grew apart. And even if you try to fix a complicated relationship sometimes it just don´t works.

 

And when the relationship is already over (even if they maybe don´t want to admit that to themselves) it´s definitely don´t stealing.

 

Anyway developing feelings for a man, who has family is no crime and if he returns the emotion well than has to be something wrong with the relationship in the first place.

 

Anyway is useless to discuss this before I know more of the mod and everyone sees fictional characters differently.

 

So this mod will most probably not my cup of tea but I think it can work out.

[Senka]

Kulyok, Guest_?_*, I don't understand. Somebody wants you to play it? Somebody insists you download it? Just don't play, its simple, isn't? Why you post your "two cents"? To bite berelinde? Shame you!

[Guest Guest]

Kulyok, Guest_?_*, I don't understand. Somebody wants you to play it? Somebody insists you download it? Just don't play, its simple, isn't? Why you post your "two cents"? To bite berelinde? Shame you!

 

Well sry Senka but I think you misinterpreted my post. I said I think the romance is possible, but it is not my cup of tea.

 

And pls think for yourself... is the purpose of an open forum not discussion?

 

Anyway I will never shame me for declaring my opinion and I shurely did not offend berelinde. So pls try to accept different opinions.

[jastey]

It is OK to discuss different opinions, but the idea of the mod should be kept in mind, I think.

stealing a husband from a family with children is the lowest of the low - and it just can't go on hand in hand with paladinhood.

I think we all agree with this. Thing about this romance concept is that Maria will go away with the children. So, this mod is more about a fantasy Maria, so to say - if you can imagine this one thing to happen, that Maria notices, after the reconciliation, that she doesn't see Keldorn as her hero and waiting for him as her only life purpose, then the story could go as it is told in this mod.

If, of course, the idea behind the original Keldorn quest ("Keldorn is her only love no matter what") is the only thing you can imagine for them, then of course this mod does not make sense to you.

[Shaitan]

I find the idea of a romance with Keldorn intriguing. And with the quality of berelinde's previous mods, I think we all can expect to see a thorough worked-through mod. In other words I expect berelinde to handle the situation with Maria in a fine way. I've obligations for mods to reflect real life.

 

Cheers

[KathStoneDog]

What can I say? It works Berelinde has thought it through and - it works!

 

It won't be for everyone but then what mod is? we've probably all got an hour into something and then uninstalled it.

 

It isn't a light and fluffy piece. Very real.

 

I'm someone who fails utterly to play evil PCs because I can't deal with the dissonance between them and "my" paradigms. I don't have a problem with this mod at all.

 

Kath Stonedog

[berelinde]

Well, as I said, the mod will not be for everyone. If someone doesn't like it, it isn't going to hurt my feelings. Everyone is different.

 

The underlying principle of the mod is that people change. People grow apart. If love is not tended, it withers and dies. Keldorn loved Maria completely, there is no doubt about that. Every line of dialogue in the game reinforces that, and I kept it in mind the entire time I was writing the romance. Maria, however, has fallen out of love wth Keldorn. If she loved him, she never would have taken a lover, no matter how lonely she was. Her heart would have had no room for anyone else. When she felt especially lonely, she would have written long, soulful letters to her husband. But she didn't do that. She found another man instead. Maria does not leave Keldorn for Sir William or for any other man. She leaves him because she knows that she no longer feels that he is her life partner and helpmate. She doesn't love him anymore.

 

Initially, she does try to make it work. She is overjoyed with his announcment that he will be coming home for good, whether it be right now or as soon as his quest is done. Then she thinks about it for a while, and decides that she can't live a lie. She divorces Keldorn.

 

The inspiration for this mod came from this reference in Keldorn's P-file. It's even voiced.

IF WEIGHT #2 ~Global("KeldornLeave","GLOBAL",3)
~ THEN BEGIN 15 // from:
 SAY #10776 /* ~Hello.~ [KELDORA3] */
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #10777 /* ~Not feeling very talkative, then, are you?~ */ GOTO 16
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #10778 /* ~So you met with Sir William?~ */ GOTO 16
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #10779 /* ~And hello to you too, old friend.~ */ GOTO 16
END

IF ~~ THEN BEGIN 16 // from: 15.2 15.1 15.0
 SAY #10780 /* ~Sir William is dead... My Lady Maria left an hour ago. She took the girls with her when she left... All I have left is my Order and even it seems hollow today...~ */
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #10781 /* ~... Maybe we should give you a little time to yourself.~ */ GOTO 17
 IF ~~ THEN REPLY #10782 /* ~If it would help, you are welcome to join with us again.~ */ GOTO 18
END

IF ~~ THEN BEGIN 17 // from: 16.0
 SAY #10784 /* ~... Maybe.~ */
 IF ~~ THEN DO ~EraseJournalEntry(34660)
EraseJournalEntry(34661)
EraseJournalEntry(34662)
EraseJournalEntry(34663)
EraseJournalEntry(34664)
EraseJournalEntry(34665)
EraseJournalEntry(34666)
EraseJournalEntry(34667)
EraseJournalEntry(48002)
EraseJournalEntry(48003)
SetGlobal("KeldornFamilyGone","GLOBAL",1)
SetGlobal("KeldornLeave","LOCALS",0)
~ SOLVED_JOURNAL #48018 /* ~Keldorn wishes to visit his wife and family.

Keldorn took vengeance upon the man with whom his wife had betrayed him. As a result, Maria has left Keldorn and taken her children with him. The knight is devastated, obviously... but claims he is ready to return to my company so he can forget about these events.~ */ EXIT
END

IF ~~ THEN BEGIN 18 // from: 16.1
 SAY #10785 /* ~I want to forget this day. I want to wipe it from my mind forever. Help me do that.~ */
 IF ~~ THEN DO ~EraseJournalEntry(34660)
EraseJournalEntry(34661)
EraseJournalEntry(34662)
EraseJournalEntry(34663)
EraseJournalEntry(34664)
EraseJournalEntry(34665)
EraseJournalEntry(34666)
EraseJournalEntry(34667)
EraseJournalEntry(48002)
EraseJournalEntry(48003)
SetGlobal("KeldornFamilyGone","GLOBAL",1)
SetGlobal("KickedOut","LOCALS",0)
JoinParty()
~ SOLVED_JOURNAL #48018 /* ~Keldorn wishes to visit his wife and family.

Keldorn took vengeance upon the man with whom his wife had betrayed him. As a result, Maria has left Keldorn and taken her children with him. The knight is devastated, obviously... but claims he is ready to return to my company so he can forget about these events.~ */ EXIT
END

 

It was intended to play if the PC sent Keldorn to confront Sir William but did not accompany him. It was never implemented, but it does demonstrate quite clearly that even BioWare realized that Maria's love for Keldorn was dead. If not, wouldn't she be overjoyed by the fact that Sir William was killed and not Keldorn? Wouldn't she have stayed? But no, she took her daughters and left. She no longer loves him.

 

To me, Maria's sudden conversion from unrepentent adulteress to loving wife rang false. She never said anything like "I never meant for it to happen!" She never once utters an apology for her actions, not even after the reconcilliation. The whole situation felt artificial, as if the writers got a call from the editors saying "You can't put this in here. It's a children's game, for chrissakes. Look, you've got a married woman involved in an adulterous affair and then running off on her husband. I suppose it's too late to drop the whole thing, but lose the abandonmnet. Just give them a happy ending, OK?"

 

It does take Keldorn an incredibly long time to recover from this blow. He is still very much in love with Maria. He isn't Jaheira, to put the past behind him and move on right away. If he was, the mod would be much, much shorter. In his grief, Keldorn turns to the PC for advice and platonic solace.

 

The mod does not assume that the PC wants the relationship that grows between them to progress beyond friendship. She can tell him so at any point without damaging the friendship. But eventually, even Keldorn's heart will heal and he will start to notice the world around him again, including the PC.

 

He is very aware of the difference in their ages and the impropriety of any attraction he begins to feel for her. This plays out throughout the course of the mod. I won't say any more about it now. When the ToB portion is finished, read the whole thing and see for yourself.

 

I do understand that some people view love and attachment as a permanent thing, that a heart can hold only one soul mate throughout the course of a person's life, and tht the only appropriate future for a bereaved spouse is solitude. This mod will not make sense to them. There are others who understand that people change and that love changes with it. They understand that it is possible to find love and renewal after the termination of a marriage, whether by death or by divorce. If this mod makes sense to them, then I have done my job.

 

Of course, after all that and a world-class Wall of Text, some people still may not like the mod. That's understandable. There are mods I don't like, too.