steadyweaver

[steadyweaver]

Me: Okay brain, fanfiction time. How can we get these two characters to hook up?

My brain: What are the implications of the Plant Growth spell? It's a 3rd level spell, so an adventuring bard, druid, or ranger could cast it from 5th level onwards. What does that mean for their affects on cities? How do they convince farmers to let them magick their farmlands? And what affect does this have on the supply chain - don't farmers sometimes destroy crops in higher yield years so as not to devalue them? Should one assume that any decently large city is already assigning people to cast something like this on an annual basis? Actually, how rare are 5th-level adventurers in this world?

My brain: ...

My brain: ...does it stack?

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb updated

Chapter 22, "Curio", is now up on AO3.

Summary: Curiosities abound. Tav gets to practice some scales.

Word Count: ~8900

Miscellaneous things from this chapter:

Everybody* at the camp getting tipsy

Dragons**

Daydreams

DLC

Thievery

Allies shooting at each other (consensually)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54365449/chapters/158329882

* Some exceptions.

** Language and descendant(s).

[steadyweaver]

ICE COLD

[steadyweaver]

me: yeah I'm pretty close to finishing this fic

the fic:

[steadyweaver]

Do you think the Little Mermaid on land experienced similar issues as the astronauts returning from the ISS?

Constantly dropping things on the ground because she forgot they won't simply float in place if she lets go

Frequently frustrated that she's essentially lost one plane of movement. What do you mean I can't go get that balloon because it's on the ceiling? Why did you build the room this way, knowing that parts of it would be unreachable?

[steadyweaver]

Strongly agree with the points above^

The language of the hells is Infernal! Which yeah, Karlach absolutely is fluent in. It was such a fun moment in the game to play a tiefling character and immediately recognise Astarion's scars for what they are.

If you'd like a fanfic that plays around with all the different languages these characters would know, may I humbly present my fic, The Spider and the Lamb? The MC is an elf with an interest in other languages, so that definitely plays into the plot. Please give it a try if that sounds interesting:)

Ok I gotta talk about this cause I ain’t seeing anyone talking about it (yet):

First off, how lovely it would be if we heard/saw different languages used in BG3, because 1. diversity and 2. some languages can be from dam fucking beautiful to hotter than Avernus 😛

Second, and following up to that, is how fucking cool it’d be for our companions to talk more in the different languages that they would canonically know. Like Astarion, he knows Latin right? I know he does have his parts where he speaks it, but 🫠… And Elvish? That would be a dream 🥰. Think how cool it’d be to hear Karlach rage out something in Hellish (or the language of the Hells) or throw some funny comeback with said language. Gale is full of knowledge! I know this man should know even more than just common language. Tell me something from your favorite language at the top of your head that you know, luv.

And I don’t mean how cool would this be in the game, but with fanfics as well! I think it would add a deeper level of immersion if some people gave it a try. But those are just my thoughts. 😊 I just want to hear/see it more.

[steadyweaver]

bg3 Fic Snippet: Maintenance

Summary: Karlach helps Wyll work around the new horns.

Word count: ~465

A muttered oath reached her ears, and Karlach stepped over to see what Wyll was doing. She found him sitting cross-legged on a mat, picking up a small glass bottle he must have just dropped. <<Hey, soldier,>> she greeted in Infernal, before switching to Common: “Whatcha got there?” 

Wyll looked up. His good eye shone ruby-red, a rare color even for her kind. Together with the horns, and that face under ‘em… she’d never thank Mizora for a damn thing aloud, but just in her own head, she could say that that devil punished people in style. (Though she’d still chop off that four-horned head if she got the chance.) 

Looking abashed, Wyll explained: he’d been attempting a bit of maintenance on his scalp, but he kept bumping into the new accessories. Karlach hid her smile. She’d had hers her whole life, and while she never snagged her remaining one on anything these days, there was definitely a stretch in her teens when ‘horns + growth spurt’ equaled some collateral damage. “Hang on a tick.” She opened her pack. “Let me get my oven gloves on, then I can help you.”

With a pair of leather gloves on, on a rainy day, out of battle, she was thankfully cool enough to hold the bottle. She didn’t dare go for anything more flammable, so it was up to the warlock to carefully part sections for her to tip the mixture onto.

Heh. Feels like being at a salon. Another stop to make, once she got back to the city. “Guess I don’t need to ask if you’re getting used to the new form,” she remarked. (Gods, now she got why they always made conversation. It was weird to do this without talking.) 

“My neck has ceased to ache, thank you for asking,” Wyll replied, moving to another section. “Though I’ve still yet to find a comfortable position in which to lay my head at night.” 

“Ha,” she chuckled. “Look, I’m sure you’d rather live without ‘em, but you should know: by tief standards, these babies,” she tapped one, “are absolutely magnificent. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve never looked better.”

“Truly?” 

“A hundred percent. These lips may burn, but they never flatter.” 

Wyll smiled. It was quiet for a bit while they both worked. Then he asked, “I don’t suppose you’ve any tips for keeping them in good condition?” 

“Easy.” She set the bottle back down on the mat. “Keep ‘em clean and dry, apply a bit of seed oil now and again – this kind works fine, actually – and they’ll shine.”

“Same as the rest of my head, then.” He smiled. Then, speaking slowly, he offered, <<Thank you, Karlach.>>

Absolutely horrid pronunciation. If she didn’t know better, she might have thought he’d said something seriously rude. <<Anytime.>> 

--- Thank you for reading!

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 21, "Olive Branch", has just been posted on AO3.

Summary: Trust, falls.

Word Count: ~7500

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb updated

Chapter 20, "Strategy, Part II", is now up on AO3.

Summary: A little more scheming, and a test.

Word Count: ~5100

[steadyweaver]

Comic excerpt.

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 16, "A Light Touch", is now up on AO3.

Summary: Backstories are revealed. Tav gets a nice reminder of their own past. A certain cat can't decide if he wants pets or not.

Word Count: ~8900

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb updated

Chapter 18, "Good Cause", is now posted on AO3.

Summary: On motivation.

Word Count: ~6000

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 16, "A Light Touch", is now up on AO3.

Summary: Backstories are revealed. Tav gets a nice reminder of their own past. A certain cat can't decide if he wants pets or not.

Word Count: ~8900

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb updated

Chapter 15, "Taking Notes", is now posted on AO3.

Summary: Post-guardian reveal, the group takes a moment to breathe. Tav notes the strengths of the party members, and ponders what they have to offer.

Word Count: ~8100

[steadyweaver]

BG3 Fic Snippet: The Devil

Tav comes face-to-face with a figure who knows more than he ought to.

Excerpt from The Spider and the Lamb - Chapter 11, "Showing Face".

Word Count: ~1100

Late that afternoon, the group stopped to make camp for the day, and Tav went to the lake to clean up. They were kneeling at the water’s edge, washing their face, when two things happened at once. 

First, the winds shifted, bringing a warning scent: sulphur, cherry, and something else they couldn’t identify. At the same time, a voice that didn’t belong to any of their companions whispered, Be on guard.

Tav straightened, looking around, and spotted the danger: a stranger was approaching them. His garb was utterly incongruous for the forest setting: that rich blue doublet with its embroidered sleeves and ruffled collar looked more suited to something in the Upper City. That gaze, though…he was exactly where he intended to be. And he was headed their way. 

Before he drew within conversational distance, the man - was it a man? - began to recite:

How the great stag admires its magnificent crown!

For this, the hunter shoots it down.

Had it but relied on its scampering feet,

It might have grazed freely. Instead, it is meat.

Tav’s breaths quickened. The winds - and that voice - had been right; this person was dangerous. “Abscondere me,” they whispered, and the winds swirled around them, whisking the sight of them away.

The man(?) spoke normally, and his voice was low and dark as a forest after burning. “A clever trick, and one that would fool most. But you cannot escape the devil’s sight.”

A devil…that explained the smell. But all the greater chance that he could be lying about seeing them. Tav sidestepped, raising their (invisible) hands. “If you see me, then how many fingers am I holding up?”

He turned his head as they stepped, following the movement he shouldn’t have been able to see. “A rather childish game for someone your age,” he sighed. “But if you insist: two on your left hand,” he pointed directly at said hand, “and four on your right.”

Correct. Dammit. “Who are you?”

“You mean to say that you don’t know?” The stranger chuckled. “I’d expected my reputation to precede me. That wizard of yours does love to prattle.” 

A devil that a certain wizard had spoken to. So much had happened since. But if they cast their mind back to that day at the grove, Tav could recall: the cliff where Alfira sat, the pipes in their hands, Gale standing just behind with Scratch. “Raphael.” 

His answering smile was far too victorious. “Correct! I’m glad to see there is more than one intelligent member of that little band of yours.” 

Invisibly (to everyone except this cambion in disguise), Tav bristled. They didn’t know what he intended exactly, but it was still unsettling to hear the others mentioned. How much did he know? Oh, he was a threat. They needed to get out of here, preferably without agreeing to anything. Also preferably without making this creature angry. “Do not teleport me anywhere, if you please,” they warned, keeping their tone as genteel as possible. “I would prefer to stay right here.” 

Raphael raised an eyebrow. “And if I were to do so anyway?”

“Then you’d be starting off this acquaintance in very poor standing.” 

He chuckled again. That was good, right? Amused was better than annoyed. “Far be it from me to cast aside courtesy. Although, I wonder if you're in any position to demand it.” 

“I'm not demanding anything,” Tav countered. Hey, random voice in my head? they tried. If you're there, any ideas?

It was silent. Tav was on their own here. Of course they were; the devil had planned it that way, just as he must have done with Gale. Well, they weren't going to panic. That would be playing along with his chase. “May I ask what you approached me for?” 

“Hope,” he said simply. “Hope you are in dire need of. One skull, two tenants, and no solution in sight. I could fix it all - ” he snapped his fingers, “like that.”

What an incredible offer. Tav didn’t consider it for even a moment. “It's kind of you to offer to help,” Tav said, taking another step to the side. Though it was hard to focus on staying invisible and juggling this conversation at the same time, they kept up the effort. “But my friends and I are handling it.”

“Yes, it’s quite an interesting band you’ve assembled.” Raphael shifted, the movement bringing him subtly closer. “So many delicious secrets among them. Especially from those who appear the most honourable.” 

He was trying to make them doubt the others. How long had he been following them? Did he know what Tav had been thinking about the group earlier? Get out of my head, they said, just in case he was in there. If he heard that, he gave no indication. 

Tav shook their head. No, this was all a trick. The devil was fishing. They wouldn’t let him get his hooks in. A few more little steps, and they’d have enough space to dart past him without passing in arm’s reach. “Thank you for your concern,” they said coolly, “but I’m going to keep trusting my friends.”

“As you wish. I merely invite you to consider this: they may not be as reliable as they appear.”

Step. “And so I ought to rely on you instead?” 

“Only if you want to stop chasing your own tail.”

No way in the place he called home was Tav going to put their trust in one of what he was. “No offence,” they said carefully, stepping again, “but you’re mad if you think I’ll make a deal with a devil.”

Raphael appeared utterly unfazed by their refusal. “And what is madness but a denial of reality? But if you won't yet take advantage of my generosity, then you're welcome to continue along in your quest. You’re free to put this little rendezvous,” he gestured between them, still accurate to their position, dammit, “out of that busy mind of yours. And those of your herd.”

You'd like that, wouldn't you? they thought sourly. Me fretting all alone. I'd make a much easier target later.

He was still going. It seemed Gale wasn't the only one who liked to prattle. “Or perhaps you’ll play your favourite trick: convince yourself once more that this is all but a dream.” 

Hells. How did he know about that?

“Sweet dreams, little fawn,” Raphael said. Despite Tav’s height, he still managed to look down his nose at them.  “I’m certain we’ll meet again.” He lifted a hand, thumb and finger braced to snap.

“Before you go,” Tav said quickly, “I have one question.” Answer honestly if you can, you sly devil. “Why did you approach me?”

His hand still raised, Raphael didn’t hesitate for a single second before replying. “Why, because you’re the head of this serpent! Why would I concern myself with anything less?” 

With one last sinister smile, the devil vanished in a scatter of sparks, leaving only his scent behind. Before the breezes carried that scent away, Tav had found their feet, and scampered.

[steadyweaver]

Adding some back-of-the-list doodles:

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 13, "Goblins, Part I", is now up on AO3.

Summary: Half the party goes to investigate the goblins' base. A series of fortunate and unfortunate events occur.

Word Count: ~9000

GODS this one took a while to plan. There's so much going on at the goblin camp. So much to do, so much to see (so what's wrong with taking the back streets?). Enjoy!

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 14, "Guardian", is now available on AO3.

Word Count: ~6750

Summary: Tapdole issues worsen. The party finds themselves in powerful hands. Good hands? Too soon to say.

Personal note: moved house in between this and the last. Hopefully I can get back on a more regular schedule, but no promises.

[steadyweaver]

The Spider and the Lamb Updated

Chapter 13, "Goblins, Part I", is now up on AO3.

Summary: Half the party goes to investigate the goblins' base. A series of fortunate and unfortunate events occur.

Word Count: ~9000

GODS this one took a while to plan. There's so much going on at the goblin camp. So much to do, so much to see (so what's wrong with taking the back streets?). Enjoy!