Nipped in the bud by Renal Bloodscalp
Although I had played Baldur's Gate 2 about 2 years ago, closer to 3, I believe, I couldn't quite recall many of the quests. One of them required the PC to choose either the Shadow Thieves or Bodhi. Some have said that choosing the Shadow Thieves was the good way and Bodhi the evil one. Some argue that there is no good or evil way as both guilds are not exactly good. Well, the PC doesn't know that much about Bodhi but do know the reputation of the Shadow Thieves so it is just a question of the devil you know or the devil you don't. There is also the argument that if you take the Bodhi route, you would take down the Shadow Thieves and eventually further along the storyline, Bodhi's guild as well. One forum gave this advice when asked whom to choose: when a decision is asked of by Bodhi, listen to what the NPCs in your group have to say. Well, I did and they didn't sound too happy about Bodhi so that was it then, Shadow Thieves, here we come!
At the same time when Bodhi's spokeperson, Valen appeared, so did Brus, sent by Gaelan Bayle. Anyway, I met up with Bodhi, turned her down and while traveling to the slums to meet up with Bayle, saved an injured (poisoned?) man who asked to be delivered immediately to a house in the Docks. At the entrance archway, Yoshimo voiced concerns about his well-being should he not pay his respects to Renal Bloodscalp of the Shadow Thieves while waltzing through the Docks. So we paid a visit to this Renal Bloodscalp and did his quests and picked up Edwin along the way and all the while thinking that aha! I managed to wriggle myself out of paying Bayle 15,000 gp by going straight to the Shadow Thieves. So imagine my surprise when I asked him about Irenicus and Imoen and he answered, "Heh, you are a tricky one. Didn't Gaelan already tell you that the Shadow Thieves would be perfectly willing to help you out at the correct price?" Darn!!! He found me out!!! Looks like I have to fork over the money to Gaelan Bayle ... sigh ...
