Summary
As players continue to examine plot details fromBaldur’s Gate 3, some believe that they have found some hints that Halsin may not be the master druid he was sold as. There are certain details that players can findin the Emerald Grovethat, presumably, a group of druids under better leadership than Halsin’s probably should have picked up on. While Halsin was capturedat the Goblin Campfor a while, some players still find it odd that he and his followers weren’t able to sniff out trouble surrounding their base of operations.
One reason players thinkHalsin should have noticed these thingsis that Tav and his companions can figure these things out pretty quickly. However, there may be some in-game reasons to explain why the druids in the grove didn’t catch on more quickly. It is up to players to decide whether they think it makes sense that Halsin and his followers would have missed these details or if they represent a serious lack of judgment on his part.
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Players Question How Halsin Could Have Missed Ethel Or Zlorb In His Camp
Two Powerful NPCs Are Hiding In The Druids' Camp
Reddit userDropShoddy1128started a discussion about how the Emerald Grove druids could have missed the fact thatEthel, a powerful hag, was hanging around their camp. This prompted others to bring up the fact that they also missed Zlorb, a shapeshifting blob who is disguised as an ox. Some used this as evidence that the druids of the Emerald Grove must not be very aware of their surroundings and even called Halsin’s leadership of them into question.
Missing Zlorb seems to be the more egregious mix-up of the two. After all,druids are famous for communing with animals. One would think that they would have noticed something strange about Zlorb in comparison to the other oxen. After all, the player only needs to pass a DC 10 insight check to realize that something is up with the ox and only another DC 10 arcana check to realize that Zlorb isn’t what he seems to be.
Auntie Ethel’s presence in the camp also raises some questions. Did the druids not notice people going missing? Could they not sense how powerful she was? Though Ethel is proven to be better at hiding her true form, one might think the druids would have shown more concern over her strange dealings with Mayrina. This could be explained by the druids’ isolationist nature, which also makes Halsin’s style of leadership look bad.
The Druids’ Lack Of Concern Paints Halsin’s Leadership In A Negative Light
Halsin Was The Archdruid Of The Emerald Grove
The easiest explanation, which seems to be supported by the text of the game, is thatthe druids of the Emerald Grove simply didn’t carethat much about what was going on with the tieflings or the other refugees. Their main concern seemed to be getting the tieflings out of their grove as quickly as possible, so they likely weren’t paying close attention to the ox or what members of the refugees had gone missing. While this would seem to patch up any potential plotholes, it doesn’t look great for the druids.
The fact that Halsin’s fellow druids were so unconcerned about what might be happening to the refugees who came to them for help isn’t a great look. Now, it’s clear that Halsin himself cares about helping, which is why he went to the Goblin Camp, but he doesn’t seem to have impressed the importance of helping the tieflings onto the rest of the druids. One could argue that Kagha is to blame, but it also doesn’t make Halsin look like a great leader thathe is instantly usurped the moment he goes missingand the rest of the druids follow.
Some Background Lore May Excuse Halsin’s Shortcomings
Although these things may make Halsin look bad, some potential explanations could get him off the hook. For one, the game makes it clear thatAuntie Ethel’s ability to conceal things is very strong. It takes a DC 20 insight check to see through her illusion of the Sunlit Wetlands, and that’s a disguise on an entire area, not just herself. It’s more than possible that the druids were concerned about missing refugees, but were unable to see through Ethel’s powerful illusion magic.
As for Zlorb, just because druids can talk to animals doesn’t mean they necessarily chit-chat with everyone they come across. It is possible that the druids simply had too many concerns to stop and talk to some oxen who were brought in by the refugees. One may not blame Halsin for these oversights, especially when he was willing to risk his life against the goblins, but it does seem that these instances have raised some questions amongBaldur’s Gate 3players as to his effectiveness.
