Immediately after the Vanishing of Varnhold, two events started, and I had to pick between the two of them. One of these was "Betrayer's Flight", and was presented as a resurgence of The Bloom, centered on Lake Candlemere. Immediately following this, a pop-up of Linzi talks about following a traitor, Tristian, even though nothing has been said even hinting at his involvment. Further, it was made abundantly clear in the during the scene in Vordakai's Tomb that Tristian was somehow being coerced, but everything talks about him being a traitor. Quest updates continue in the same vein, talking about pursuing Tristian, even though nothing within the narrative of the game itself even hints to this.
I chose to go to help against the Barbarians first, and disregarding potential issues of how this plays out (Why would Armag not kill Amiri then and there, why was Amiri's friend even being sacrificed and why can't I even ask about that?), I find myself marching up against their camp with my entire group, knee-deep in the blood of Hill Giants and barbarians. When I reach the camp and start killing the guards at the entrance, the few remaining Brevan soldiers run in, leaving me to kill everyone at the gate. As I step into the camp, everything there is suddenly peaceful, and barbarians are standing around in the exact same way they did during the Amiri section, which is surreal considering the situation. After meeting up with Amiri, her friend and the barbarian dude, Jamandi Aldori shows up, and says that I've achieved the best of victories, a bloodless one.
I'm sorry, did I not wade through a battlefield to get here? Was this some kind of last-minute change to extend the game, them thinking that it would be too cheap/quick to resolve this whole thing peacefully. I then have a choice to speak out as if allying with the Surtova or Aldori - there is a third choice, of bowing before both and telling them that as a third faction, you can act as a guarantee for peace. This is locked behind being Neutral. Any kind of neutral. Chaotic included. Lawful Good need not apply.
Then I went to Candlemere, to resolve The Bloom/Pursue Tristian (which still hasn't been hinted at in any way whatsoever, just outright stated as a fact for.. some reason?). After battling my way through a bunch of meaningless mobs and getting to the top of the tower, I find the portal, the guy that was there earlier is dead, and then a bunch of mobs spawn that I get to kill, and then I'm now pursuing Tristian (which, again, I have no idea how he's even supposed to be involved, because literally nothing has been suggested from the start to have anything to do with him). I hop into the Portal and boom, I find myself in a dungeon.
In this dungeon, there are several hints that something evil was kept there, but nothing really comes of it, although the hints that Armag was raised there is pretty cool. There are several hints that there is something in here turning things to stone. But.. there's nothing there that petrifies. At all. There's petrified mice. Just no petrifier. And then I found a secret room with an alcove full of books, and upon finding it, it talks about the medusa we met in the library.
..I'm sorry, what medusa we met in what library?
And it just sorta continues in the same vein, like the oddity of the Lost Brother.
