Okay, so you’re asking, “Should I get the Mark of the Absolute?” I’ve been there, done that, got the tadpole-infected t-shirt. Let me tell you my story.
First off, I was playing a pretty standard playthrough, minding my own business, exploring the Goblin Camp. Found Priestess Gut, you know, the usual. She offers to help with the tadpole. Red flag, obviously, but I was curious.
So, I let her take me back to her little room. She starts with the whole “hypnotize you” routine. I resisted at first, roleplaying a bit, but then I figured, hey, let’s see where this goes. I let her do her thing, and she offers the Mark of the Absolute.
Now, I knew vaguely what it did. It’s supposed to give you some bonuses with Absolute-aligned folks, open up dialogue options, stuff like that. Seemed… potentially useful? But also, you know, evil-ish.
I hesitated. A lot. I mean, roleplaying-wise, my character wasn’t exactly a saint, but wasn’t full-on worshipping mind-flayers either. I considered the pros and cons. Did some Googling (yeah, I broke the fourth wall a little). Read some forum posts.
Ultimately, curiosity got the better of me. I said, “What the hell, let’s do it.” Gut carved the mark into my arm (or wherever she puts it), and boom, I’m marked. Didn’t feel great, RP-wise, but I pushed on.
What happened next?
- Dialogue options: I definitely got some new dialogue choices with goblins and other Absolute followers. Some were useful, some were just flavor. It did make navigating the Goblin Camp a little easier, for sure.
- The Shattered Flail: This is the big one. With the mark, you can actually assemble the Shattered Flail, a pretty decent mace. That alone made it almost worth it.
- Reaction from Companions: Some of my companions weren’t thrilled, especially the good-aligned ones. It didn’t tank our relationship or anything, but they definitely voiced their disapproval. Shadowheart seemed… less bothered. Surprise, surprise.
- The “Evil” Feeling: I gotta say, it felt a bit… dirty. Like I was playing a character I didn’t fully identify with. This is totally subjective, of course.
Was it worth it?
Honestly? Probably not. The Shattered Flail is nice, but there are other good weapons. The dialogue options were occasionally useful, but mostly just for getting through certain encounters without a fight. And the whole “evil” vibe kind of bummed me out.
I ended up reloading an earlier save and skipping the Mark of the Absolute on my “main” playthrough. I figured I could always get it on an evil run later.
My advice?
If you’re playing an evil character, go for it. If you’re on the fence, like I was, maybe skip it. It’s not game-changing, and it might make you feel a bit icky. Unless you REALLY want that Shattered Flail. Then, you know, weigh the pros and cons.
Ultimately, it’s your game, your story. Do what feels right. And hey, you can always reload!
