Rare scene - Act 3: Back in the kennels
It has come to my attention that some rare scenes are unknown to a lot of players, and I thought I'd highlight one of them, I originally posted it over at r/radiantrogue
Today we are going back to the kennels. Specifically, when the spawn attack your camp in Act 3, they will bring Astarion home if he goes down in battle. It has to be Astarion that goes down - they will grab him, and he will wake up in the kennels. Most players don't see this because you'd assume that would be the end of Astarion - and it can be, but it doesn't have to be.
If you let this happen, the kennels scene is extremely dark, especially if you fail your rolls and see how easy, simple and perhaps even pleasurable falling back under Cazador's control would be - Astarion's smile is what does it in this scene, along with the amazing narration.
"Like blood in a blister, Cazador's presence fills your mind. You accept it, bow to it, allow it to wash over you in a red tide. And then it is inside you, clogging your nostrils and throat with a sickening sweetness. You cannot fight back, you cannot reject it".
Perhaps we have to consider that giving in to being controlled can also be pleasurable. If you can be a "free agent" as long as you do terrible things, I think that you at some point also enjoy some of that. Especially as you are hurting yourself and want others to suffer too, after all, why should you be the only one in pain? Being out in the city, chatting people up, charming them, having some intimacy ... until you do it hundreds of times and you entire sense of what is enjoyable becomes twisted.
If you give up, or fail to resist, the narrator describes the process - but also very interestingly how Cazador's presence fills your mind - erasing your personality. That is a small piece of information about the compulsion that I feel a lot of people don't know about. Not only did Cazador control Astarion like a puppet - there was also an aspect of removing his identity.
Perhaps this goes an additional way to explain why Astarion is so unstable and somewhat confused in Act 1 - he is not just in an unfamiliar place in a lot of danger, he is also trying to find his footing and actually literally putting his own identity back together again.
It is possible to resist Cazador's influence.
But if you cannot, you are under Cazador's control. Until you're not - there is another puppet master that wants to control you - the tadpole steps in and pushes Cazador out.
Regardless of whether you chose to give up or not. Your choices are still not your own, not really. You are only a free agent as long as you do as you act within the tadpole's parameters.
Regardless, taking out Goodey in this scenario is very, very satisfying.
After this scene, you can choose whether to escape the Mansion or have the rest of the party come "rescue" Astarion. It's quite the roleplaying opportunity and one of those scenes that are well hidden in the game!
I hope you enjoyed this little delve into the Kennels!