garlicbreadbatstarion

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welcome to my tiefling appreciation kingdom. I'm so whipped for this man

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Regarding The Busts in Gortash's Office

So because I'm endlessly obsessive, I did what I said I would do & wrote down the names and descriptions of all of the people that Gortash has busts of in his office because they seem to be people he admires so I wanted to analyze them, as one does when one is endlessly obsessive. I also did additional research on the ones that I could find more information about. Here they are, and some of my own thoughts on why they might have been included (under a read more because it's long because, again, obsessive).

Baron Alec Bormul - First of the Bormul patriar family to start his own venture, Alec is the unscrupulous bastard who made their fortune in mines and vineyards.

Now, as far as I can find, this is the only information we have about this character. However, there are several other Bormul family members that exist in the game (including an NPC called Callem Bormul who is present at Gortash's ordaining ceremony). The one that stands out more to me though is Ilza Bormul, who is mentioned in the in-game book "Baldur's Gate and the Dialectics of Plunder" and stated to own "slave-labour mines in the mountains of Amn". Presumably therefore Alec is an "unscrupulous bastard" due to the use of slave labor. Not particularly surprising Gortash would approve of that since he is a known slaver himself. Interestingly, that same book also mentions Xeremiah Eltan, who is another of the busts in the office, as another example of the fact that Baldur's Gates patriar families are all founded by blood and immorality (which the author of the book says no one ever talks about). So I imagine both busts are also included as confirmation of his worldview that no one innocent ever gets far in life. I think it's also notable here that Gortash chose to commemorate the "first" of the family who "started his own venture". We know he loves a self-made man, no matter how brutal his path was. Commodore Morgan Redlocks - Baldur's Gate ship captain Morgan Redlocks wed a man thrice her age. After the wedding, the groom suffered a heart attack. Redlocks converted his merchant ships into a pirate fleet.

Unfortunately not a character that I can find any more information about, but how much do you want to bet that she killed her husband? I mean, come on. He has a heart attack so soon after the wedding that he's still being referred to as the "groom" and not the husband? Plus it wouldn't even remotely surprise me that Gortash would appreciate a subtle femme fatale assassin. Also, of fucking course he would admire a pirate. Magnate Carric Ilphescient - Carric started from nothing, built a financial empire, and founded the Counting House. He refused to mingle with the other patriars, saying, "They didn't want me when I was an urchin, and now they can't have me."

Another self-made man, and one who does not mince words about it. Easy to imagine that that quote reflected Gortash's own mentality. Only other reference I could find to him was in an in-game book in the Counting House called "Record of the Honoured" but all it tells us is that he did in fact found the Counting House. The Cockeyed Stranger - This is a bust of the god Bane as he first appeared to Gortash in dreams, and was then described to a Rivington sculptor.

Bane is obviously a far more established D&D character than anyone else here, so I could write a whole page just about Bane and how I imagine Gortash sees him. I swear I've seen a bit of loading screen flavor text in BG3 that states that when Bane was a mortal man, he was originally a battleslave of Mephistopheles, but it is possible that I'm wrong about that because I cannot find confirmation of this lore anywhere on the internet. (If anyone else has seen that loading screen flavor text, please confirm so I know I'm not hallucinating!) But if it is true, then it's immensely clear what Gortash sees in him. Gortash's whole thing is he absolutely loves the idea of someone who started from the bottom and rose to the top through sheer ruthlessness. He likes the idea of overthrowing his oppressors and taking their place. As a whole, Bane's doctrine also fits Gortash really well. The Forgotten Realms Wiki says that Bane "embodied the principles of ambition and control and believed that the strong had not only the right, but the duty, to rule over the weak." I can easily imagine Gortash having the same mentality. Bane is also known for being a lot more open to having alliances than is typical for an evil god, but he always makes sure he ends up on top. (I could write a whole other analysis about how the original plan hatched by Gortash, Durge, & Ketheric leaves Gortash in the best position. Ketheric gets to be a fearsome conquering general, Durge (later Orin) gets to spread chaos in the streets, but Gortash is the one who ends up being the hero who can actually not only have the benefit of his legitimate ruthlessness but also the benefit of it remaining hidden! By far the best position in the alliance. Orin actually is mad about this (she gives a little speech to Durge about how Gortash betrayed them because all her murders only drive the people of Baldur's Gate into the arms of his Steel Watch) but it is implied that Durge didn't think of it the same way since those were always the terms of the plan... something that always makes me wonder about what exactly it is that Durge & Gortash originally had planned in the long-term. Were they really just both always planning to betray the other eventually? Because I'm honestly not so sure about that. I think they're both too smart for that. But I digress.) Dame Amafrey Ephemial - Dame Amafrey, the Orphans' Friend, founded several orphanages in the Outer City, as the Lower City was no place for children (and the Upper City declined to sponsor an orphanage).

Okay, this is by far the black sheep in the set. A philanthropist? Seemingly without an ulterior motive? Why is she included here? I mean, on the one hand, I could almost believe that Gortash is sympathetic to the plights of children in a way he wouldn't be for adults (since he suffered so much as a child & since children don't have as many ways to help themselves and take responsibility as adults do), but on the other hand, it is so deeply inconsistent with his character too. But then again, maybe he's just a hypocrite. Maybe this really is some sort of secret soft side. Or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that she seemed to be bogged down by the corruption around her (the Upper City declined to sponsor an orphanage) so maybe he keeps her bust around as a reminder that good intentions don't get you far enough. I genuinely don't know with this one, and I was unable to find any more info about Dame Ephemial. Grand Duke Eltan - Founder of the Flaming Fist. Later history is kinder to him than accounts from his time, which portray him as a cruel and hard-handed mercenary commander.

According to the same in-game book mentioned previously (Baldur's Gate and the Dialectics of Plunder), he "founded the Flaming Fist as a ruthless mercenary company that slaughtered and burned for pay along the entire length of the Sword Coast". He is also a character in the first Baldur's Gate game and the expansion Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear. According to the Forgotten Realms Wiki, he was Lawful Neutral and he was known as "steadfast and principled" because of his "tactical genius" and "a sincere belief in maintaining the balance of power among the many small kingdoms of Faerûn". Also apparently he survived a whole lot of assassination attempts. Easy to see why Gortash would see this one as a role model, I think. He is described as a "tactical genius" himself. I also think it's interesting that it says that "later history is kinder to him than accounts from his time". I mean, we know Gortash is huge on propaganda and controlling the narrative. I would imagine he cares how he might be remembered.

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

Even your biggest passion can tire you out occasionally...

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If you think about it the relationship between Bhaal and a resist!Durge is basically that Hollywood trope where the dad is like "But son! Football is your dream!" and Durge is like "No, dad. Football is YOUR dream." Except instead of football, it's genocide.

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

My party has like no charisma, it’s terrible

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As requested, @quiddie 🫡

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The observant Astarion notices that Tav and Rolan have been spending more and more time together. He decides to clarify this with Tav:

"So, are you and the new Archmage a thing now?"

Tav shrugs, anticipating an awkward conversation, and nods at him, but he doesn’t relent.

"Of all the people you could have chosen, you picked him?"

"Well, I guess I have a weakness for grumpy wizards."

"Or for big towers..." - the vampire says casually and grins.

"What?"

"Darling, I mean, to put up with that tiefling’s foul temper, there must be a really good reason. So, my question is — just how big is his tower?"

"???"

"👀"

Tav, stunned by such brazenness, pinches the bridge of nose:

"Astarion! It’s definitely not your business."

"Ah... how boring. And spare me the moralizing! I was just hoping for some juicy gossip."

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

@strikeaprose inspired me a little too hard

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

180° from the usual style but hey. Have a Rolan Baldursgate.

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

Bloodless: Chapter 1 - Pages 1~24 (complete) Minor art updates to some pages and an overhaul of page 1 to align with the style of the rest of the pages better. I missed a few things I'd planned to fix but it's nothing life-altering, just text alignment or balloon corrections from earlier pages before I figured things out. Chapter 2 should begin next week once I'm done with more prep work on supporting character designs and landscape/floorplanning of important locations~ Thank you to everyone who has liked, commented, reblogged, and shown support so far!

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lower city docks

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just girls bonding 💖

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This is purely self indulgent. Larian, Grumpy Wizard romance WHEN?!

My Knowledge Domain cleric who is probably teaching him to identify trees or reading him sonnets or something nerdy.

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As some of you know I always have a list of ideas (183, now 182) and I draw random number. Today we have Mrs. Dekarios inviting Tara over for an afternoon tea... Gale is very happy about it.

[as always more silliness here]

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Baldur's Gate 3 91 / ?

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Ten facts about the tiefling refugees that you may not know, from the dialogue files (as of Patch 7)

Arabella is nine years old, per Zevlor if she dies.

Danis and Bex want to name their cat Geoffrey, per a dialogue with a Githyanki Tav (who may get cats and gnomes confused)

Okta (the cook) has unique dialogue if you steal her cauldron.

Speaking of: Ikaron is Okta's son (in files for the gobling attack, the pair are referred to as "ChefAndSon" respectively)

Doni (the grunting kid) does not have a single line of traditional dialogue - but DOES have a line with Detect Thoughts ("Got to keep watch... but it's so bright and noisy here. Want to be back in the hideout")

If Cal and Rolan both die but Lia survives in Act 2, there are no fewer than four dialogue lines, ambients, or devnotes suggesting Lia plans to imminently kill herself. Despite arguing with her siblings the loudest, she is the one who takes losing the others hardest - even moreso than Rolan. Rolan endures to Lorroakan but goes bad, while Cal just...shuts down. But Lia plans to walk off into the shadows and let them claim her. She does not appear in Act 3 in this scenario. (See also: Why Rolan, Cal, and Lia won't truly have their happy ending unless they split up post-game)

Zorru survives to Act 3 by having escaped AFTER being captured alongside Lia/Cal/Danis/Lakrissa. Given this means he survived the Absolute's forces AND the Shadow Curse (unprotected) AND the Githyanki, this makes Zorru just about the luckiest low level NPC in the game

Alfira, a tiefling bard of at least moderate skill and knowledge, knows next to no songs or stories featuring tiefling heroes, just ones with tiefling villains, in Act 1. (A good reason to convince her to write a song about tieflings at the party!)

During the Goblin Battle, Memnos prays to no fewer than four gods - in order, Torm (for courage), Helm (protection), Tymora (Good fortune), and Kelemvor (for mercy, as god of the dead)

The devnote for the famous 'Don't be greedy' line is 'Slight smile - half joking'. Yes, dear reader, Rolan is flirting with you or teasing you just a tiny little bit.