We were done with that area so we moved to the area west of Bjornnin's half-ogres. This was a forested area with some rocky crags.
"We're really travelling now," Imoen said as we took in the beauty of the land. "I wonder what we'll find-"
Devastation. Carriages, rotting bodies of men, women and children alike strewn about in pieces.
Imoen put a hand to cover her open mouth. The rest turned away or grimaced at the carnage before them.
"What wanton slaughter is this? Even bandits would not go so far," Jaheira hissed through gritted teeth.
Indeed, the level of savagery was strange even for demi-humans like gnolls or hobgoblins. I leaned down, checked the remains of the victims. "So much dismemberment. Clean cuts and deep cuts through bone. I'd say a large weapon was involved."
I proceeded to examine the tracks, or lack thereof. "Not enough tracks for a large bandit raid."
I pointed out a long line in the ground next to a set of heavy footsteps. "Someone was dragging something long and heavy across the ground."
Khalid came up to take a closer look at the line. "That's the point of a sword. The shape of indentation tells us that much."
Other than the victims themselves, there was really only other set of tracks. "This was the work of a single murderer," I concluded. "I have a most likely suspect in mind."
"It's Brage, isn't it?" Neera asked.
I nodded.
I did recall this was where we would find Commander Brage. We were pretty far from Nashkel, which explains why he hadn't been found until now I suppose. Thankfully, I had remembered to bring with me the casing large enough for a two-handed sword that I had bought from the Nashkel store long ago.
"I have prepared the Remove Curse spell since we suspect his two-handed sword to be cursed. We were prepared to come across him eventually while traveling the countryside," Branwen confirmed.
As I mentioned before, old games like BG1 didn't have as much reactivity as newer games. In-game, the developers had not expected players to simply uncurse Brage using a spell. Still, we had plenty of spells to go around, so it didn't hurt to prepare Remove Curse just in case. After all, someone might pick up something cursed like Brage's sword by mistake.
---
We didn't have to go far before we met someone else. Oddly enough, we didn't bump into Commander Brage first, but instead a woman. She was dressed in priest garbs of Helm.
"Please, I beg of you to go no further!" she said to us, holding up her hands. "Brage is there, strewn about with the carnage he has wrought."
We asked her to come and tell us more, further away from Brage. This priestess was Laryssa, Brage's cousin.
"I have tried to reason with him but it is as if he is possessed by another's soul. It was all I could do to flee the swing of his tremendous blade," Laryssa explained.
We looked at each other. "Looks like he does still have that new two-handed sword of his," I said to the rest. To Laryssa's questioning look, I said, "We were trying to investigate the cause of Brage's madness before we set off looking for him. According to locals, he had only just obtained that new sword of his before his rampage started."
Laryssa's eyes widened. "I, I had no idea. I was away when it happened. I came down immediately from Beregost when I heard… I heard…"
As her voice trailed off, Khalid leaned forward. "It must have been difficult for you. You've lost your relatives to this tragedy, nieces and nephews? Were you related to his wife?"
"No, only to him. She was a good woman, and a wonderful mother. My cousin was a wonderful father too," she said, "Please, unless you wish to witness madness in a once-good man, leave him be and pray the spirit leaves him in good time."
"We've prepared a Remove Curse spell. If it is indeed a cursed sword which has caused the sudden madness in noble Brage, the spell should be effective," Branwen explained. "But we could use any other information you have to offer which might help us help him come to his senses."
Laryssa considered a moment. "There is something. As soon as he saw me, Brage posed a riddle to me before he attacked. I couldn't fathom the answer however."
"What's the riddle?"
---
"It has neither mouth nor teeth, yet it eats its food steadily. It has neither village nor home, neither hands nor feet, yet it wanders everywhere. It has neither country nor means nor office nor pen, yet it is ready for fight—always. By day and by night there is wailing about it. It has no breath, yet to all it appears," the man with crazed eyes said to us while bringing his greatsword to bear. The sword was still stained with blood. Brage himself had not been keeping himself well, his hair messy and his uniform covered in blood stains and grime.
---
As for the riddle, thanks to Laryssa we had heard the riddle in full earlier so everyone had time to think what the answer was. We had sat around trading guesses with each other earlier before we confronted Brage.
Imoen's guess had been 'cats'. "Because they're everywhere and they're always hungry."
"But it has neither mouth nor teeth?"
Imoen just shrugged.
Jaheira had guess fungus, for pretty much the same reason as Imoen. "No mouth nor teeth, but always hungry and gets around everywhere," she said smugly.
Khalid did a little cheer.
"Why is there wailing about it by day and night?"
Jaheira pouted, actually pouted! She did! I'm surprised myself.
"Ha, the spirit of Tempus!" Branwen said, which led to groans all around.
Obviously not!
"Wild magic!" Neera declared, pumping her fist victoriously.
I shook my head in disbelief. How could they find this riddle so difficult? I got the answer to this riddle correctly when I encountered Brage in my first playthrough long ago. The phrase "to all it appears" is SUPER suggestive.
---
"Death," I replied to Brage.
The sword Brage wielded fell from his hands, blade sinking into the ground with a thud.
"The end of night, where the light shines unto mine eyes and I can see clearly once again," Brage said slowly, the wild look in his eyes slowly fading. His eyes widened in alarm. "What hath I wrought?! 'Tis horrible, HORRIBLE!"
He fell to his knees, holding himself and trembling, no, quaking in revulsion.
Laryssa came forward at this point, and put her hands on his shoulders. "Cousin! It's me, Laryssa! Do you recognise me?"
Brage nodded, and started to wail pitifully.
I motioned for her to bring him away from the sword, and passed the case to Khalid. "Be sure not to touch the sword directly."
Not an easy job at all, considering how the blade had embedded itself into the ground. Branwen was standing by to cast Remove Curse in case anyone got cursed by the sword by mistake.
Meanwhile, Laryssa was trying her best to comfort Brage.
"I will welcome the block that must await me at Nashkel! How could I live with what I've done?!" Brage cried out, "Please, thou must guide me to the town that I might pay for my crimes! I fear I can keep my senses only for so long, and I must not be allowed to do this again! Too many good people have lost their lives to me! Please…"
Laryssa's eyes filled with tears as well. "Brage, no…"
"The temple of Helm in Nashkel has offered to take him in, in the off chance Brage be healed of the madness that drove his rampage" I said to her. "We need to go there under the cover of night, without the guard knowing."
Thankfully, Khalid managed to place the possibly cursed sword in the case I had prepared without incident.
Brage was adamant that he meet his fate for his role in the tragedy, but he was in no state to resist us. We snuck into town at night, tied up and gagged, and brought him before the Nalin, the priest at the temple of Helm. Only then did we remove his gag.
"No, I cannot show my face here after what I've done! Just give me to the guard that I might take my punishment as I should! Do not disgrace me further in front of Helm!" Brage wailed aloud. He was tied up so that he couldn't resist us bringing him here.
Laryssa was absolutely wrecked, put held her peace.
We told Nalin about our encounter with Brage. By now, we had used the identify spell to confirm that the sword was indeed cursed, a Two handed-sword of Berserking +3.
"'Tis the sword's fault, not his. No one could have resisted the sword's maddening curse," Imoen pleaded for him.
Nalin looked at Brage with pity in his eyes. "You see, Brage? Even total strangers advocate for you. What more Helm himself?" Nalin said to him, his voice full of sorrow. "Helm sees all that he wishes and knows much of what you do not. It was your hands indeed that did many a foul deed, but it was not your will alone. Intent is vital, and yours was influenced without your knowledge. Justice will be done, but with atonement, not punishment."
"But my crimes… my family… I don't want to go on!"
"You still have family, Brage," I said, and gestured to Laryssa. "They do not want to lose another loved one to this senseless tragedy. Can you console them, at least?"
Brage looked to Laryssa, who ran forward to embrace her cousin. The two sat on the ground together, crying their hearts out.
Nalin rewarded us with 1000 gold for return of Brage safely to the temple, more than what Oublek had offered.
We left the temple with heavy hearts, but there was nothing else for us to do for Brage. The temple of Helm would take over from here, ministering to the victim of the cursed blade.
---
Funnily enough, the Twohanded Sword of Berrserking +3 itself was also worth quite a pretty penny! I offered it to the Nashkel General Store.
"The CURSED Two-handed sword of Commander Brage! You could even charge people to see it! From a safe distance. Never touch it under any circumstances."
I could practically see the gold in the shopkeeper's eyes. "Why, that's a fantastic idea! It'll be the talk of the town! I'll be RICH! IT'S A DEAL!"
As I walked out of the store, the ladies smacked me over the head.