Still in the dungeon, still hating the dungeon. I'm beginning to give up hope here. It always struck me that there were massive plot holes in the narrative at the start of the game. So here's my version of how Yoshimo became involved with Irenicus. Which of course will mean I have to put Irenicus' viewpoint as well at some point. Oh joy.
Chapter Four
Yoshimo
Yoshimo paced the room before the portal that was the entrance to the lower levels. How had he got himself trapped like this? He prided himself on being able to escape any difficult situation and took quiet pleasure in knowing that people thought of him as a "slippery character". But this? Like a fly in amber, defenceless and helpless waiting for death. The only hope of escape was to follow the instructions of a man he hated almost as much as he hated the Bhaalspawn.
Once again he found himself thinking of the course of events that had led him to this situation. It had all seemed so promising when his father had called for his help to find his sister Tamoko, a chance to rectify his mistakes and regain a little of his father's respect. He was well aware of how much he had disgraced the family name by abandoning his training as a Ninja to become a common thief. That Tamoko had stepped forward to take his place added to his guilt as that was the path that had led to her death. Of course Sarevok bore the blame, but deep down Yoshimo knew that if he had stayed, had been there for his family, his beautiful sister would still be alive.
As he had set sail for the Sword Coast from Kara-Tur, Yoshimo had been full of his plans for the future. He would find Tamoko, get her away from this "Sarevok" that she had written about at length in her letters. Letters that had been full of praise for the man, about his destiny and her part in it. In the more recent ones, she had displayed a cult like devotion to Sarevok and that had prompted their father to ask for Yoshimo's help. And when they both returned, he would turn his back on thieving and try and regain the respect he had thrown away.
But of course, nothing had happened the way he had planned. Tamoko had already been killed by the other Bhaalspawn by the time he arrived at Baldurs Gate. Cut down in the underground city because she was in the way, left to rot with no proper burial rights and her name besmirched throughout the city as Sarevok's whore.
Yoshimo felt the anger whelming up in him, almost choking him with it's intensity. He needed to calm down if he was going to be able to pose as an innocent fellow prisoner. But that thought did nothing to calm him. Instead of being able to challenge the Bhaalspawn, call her out for the murder of his sister, Irenicus had ensured that he could do nothing more than become a helpful companion. He had thought about ignoring the order, but that had caused his body such pain, such agony, that he had collapsed writhing on the floor incapable of moving until it had passed. It was only then that he had realised that he had been put under a geas that would kill him if he tried to break free from anything Irenicus instructed.
Yoshimo breathed deeply, using his former training to calm his heartbeat and bring his emotions under control. He thought back to his time in Baldurs Gate and how he had first come into contact with Irenicus. He had arrived less than a week after Sarevok's defeat when the city was still celebrating the escape from the threat of war with Amn. The name of the victorious Ayla was on everybody's lips, she was proclaimed as a hero with her companions, the saviours of the Sword Coast. The more Yoshimo heard of her exploits, the more his resentment grew. He tried to recover the body of his sister but the authorities refused him, she would be left where she lay in the City of the Dead with no funeral rites as was befitting a traitor. He was told he was "lucky she hadn't had her head removed and dispayed in public as a warning". Sarevok had left no remains but his great sword and battered armour were being displayed in the Hall of Wonders and the townsfolk queued round the block to gaze in awe and disgust at the relics.
He saw Ayla once on the street, surrounded by guards and well wishers. He didn't approach her, it would have been foolish to do so and better that she didn't see his face if he meant to kill her. He was surprised by how young she was, hardly more than a teenager. How could somebody so young have murdered his sister and killed Sarevok? He needed to know more about this murderer, so made it his mission to find out all he could. It wasn't long before he heard the rumours about her heritage, how she too was a Bhaalspawn and Sarevok's sister. It was during this time when he was frequenting the inns and taverns, using his gold and his easy going manner to elicit gossip, that he was approached by Irenicus with a proposal.
Yoshimo didn't like, trust or want anything to do with Irenicus on first meeting him. His every instinct told him to keep away but he was desperate. His dreams at night were haunted by his sister's unavenged death and her rotting corpse beneath the streets of Baldurs Gate. He used the excuse that he was spending all his time in the taverns and inns because he was gathering information about Ayla. But the truth was that he was drinking more and more because Tamoka rested uneasily and her decomposing spirit came to him at night, pleading for rescue and vengence.
Irenicus initially wanted Yoshimo to steal Sarevok's sword from the Hall of Wonders, nothing more than thievery, though not an easy task. He promised a large amount of gold and the help of his magic to accomplish the theft. It was only after this had been accomplished that Irenicus had let it be known that he had an interest in Ayla. Yoshimo leapt at the chance in spite of his misgivings. Nothing he had been able to do so far had got him close to accomplishing his goal. He had seen Irenicus was a powerful mage, with his help they could isolate her. And so they had made a deal, Irenicus would have Ayla until he was finished examining her and Yoshimo would then get the chance to avenge his sister's death.
Yoshimo grimaced to himself at the memories, how could he have been so foolish? It was obvious to him now, now when it was too late, that Irenicus had known who he was and about Tamoko before even approaching him. In the time since then, Irenicus' power had become more apparent to him. He had watched as Irenicus had woven his spells causing many of the influential figures in Baldurs Gate to turn against wanting Ayla in their city. Yoshimo had done his part as well. Spreading rumours amongst the network of thieves and street people about her intentions to control them. A few murders of outspoken critics of the Bhaalspawn had encouraged people to believe that she had plans to take over from the Dukes and rule the city in their place.
And throughout this time of fermenting unrest, the Bhaalspawn herself had appeared totally oblivious to what was happening. That had angered Yoshimo even more. That she could be so unaffected by what he was doing he took as a personal affront. Whan she decided to leave Baldurs Gate and return to Candlekeep for some time, he saw it as the ultimate snub. He was even emboldened enough to complain and rage about her leaving to Irenicus. But Irenicus had soothed his outrage by telling him everything was going to plan and that the Bhaalspawn would soon be traveling south with a small group and that was when they would take her.
Yoshimo remembered the ambush and the kidnap though it gave him no pleasure to recall the details. It was there he had met Bodhi for the first time and discovered Irenicus' sister was a vampire. And it was then he truly understood what he had become involved with. Too late though, too late, he thought to himself. Yet he still didn't try to run. For the first time since arriving from Kara-Tur he was close to the Bhaalspawn, close to achieving his goal. And so he came to Athkatla and carried on working for Irenicus, acting as go between and his spy on the streets.
It was his contacts in the Shadow Thieves that had alerted him to the news that they had found the body of one of their missing members in the sewers that were connected to this dungeon that Irenicus occupied. Two days ago he had come to tell Irenicus and had found himself the target of Irenicus' frustration and rage that his plans may be interrupted. He had been locked in a cell and told that he would die there. That was until the attack began. Then Irenicus had come and given him his orders, find the Bhaalspawn, should they escape from the lower levels, and follow them. He hadn't even told Yoshimo about the geas, so confident was he that his orders could not be ignored. Or perhaps he had wanted Yoshimo to experience the agony of trying to act with some free will as a warning?
So here he waited, guarding the portal to the the lower levels. Exhausted and hungry, and all the paths before him equally damning. If the Bhaalspawn attacked him he could not even defend himself nor could he tell her the truth. The only option was to live the lie and accompany the one person in the world he hated more than Irenicus.
Thankyou for reading. Would love any feedback which will encourage me to carry on and eventually, (one day, one day), get me out of this bloody dungeon.