>>532468170
Bhaal ending is the brain ending though. Bhaal ending also implies that you're on a path towards the utter extinction of all known life.

Withers is pretty vague as a character but I think that when he helps embrace Durge it's with the idea that Ao will eventually kick Bhaal's ass in the long run.

Also Mindflayers aren't really soulless. If you kill yourself as a mindflayer Withers meets you in the Fugue plane and says huh weird you aren't supposed to be here guess everything I said earlier was wrong lol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEntYUCnntI