a Baldur's Gate 3 writer has reflected on Larian Studios' decision to include a tribute to a fan's father who has Alzheimer's disease in the game, saying that they are “very happy that we were able to honor the mighty mind flayer hunter.”
A plate reportsthe origins of this story date back to 2020, when a player who goes by the username Solfalia took to the Larian forums to thank the developers before releasing Baldur's Gate 3 in early access. They explained that the early access release would allow them to play the game with their father – something they worried they wouldn't be able to do after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Their post resonated with the folks at Larian Studios, and in a follow up post created by Solfalia last September, they confirmed that a “super writer” had contacted them to ask if the team could include something in the full release of the game to honor their father.
The tribute in question came in the form of an NPC named Golbraith, described as a legendary, retired mind flayer fighter, who can be found in a basement in the lower city of Baldur's Gate. Solfalia wrote at the time: “Golbraith not only looked like my father, but he also had several dialogues. Some really moving ones too (at least for me). The various papers in the house were wonderful, the stack of letters between Golbraith and his son gave me a lump in my throat. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have misty eyes. The Mind Flayer Hunter secret basement was amazing.”
Solfalia added that even though their father can't play the game now, when they told him about Golbraith, “he loved every moment of it.”
Since screenshots of this post are making the rounds on social media, Baldur's Gate 3 writer Rachel Quirke responded on Twitter/X, and wrote: “There was not a dry eye in the house when we read that letter, and I offered to write to Golbraith. (By the way, I'm not a super writer and I respect their privacy unless they want to reveal themselves). I'm really happy that we can honor the mighty Mind Flayer fighter.”
At the time of writing, the anonymous 'super writer' apparently has not yet come forward. However, in a separate message Baldur's Gate 3's director and CEO of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, added: “Super writer is a great person.”
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