#3 giths team

[zellk]

Githyanki doodling on post-it notes that I cleaned up a lil bit Lae'zel from memory on the first (im only happy with the profile tbh), and Anma and Mitas on the second (It was SO easy to fit them in BG3 lore it's insane... I even have a whole storyline roughly figured out for them and it came together in like 30 minutes on my walk home from work.) I don't have any energy to draw nowadays except on post-its, but it's better than nothing.

[jeeaark]

And now my brain goes mad.

Greygold X Lae’zel X Emps?

Does Icarus fly too close to the sun? Do mortals not wish to wield the power of gods without consequence??

Can dreams really come true???

No one in this universe wants LaexGreygxEmps to happen more than Greygold. But Baby Steps. Right now, they'd be ecstatic if all three of them were in the same room without any blood spilling. Oh, the 19th century Victorian blush they'd have if they ever got to the point of hand-holding.

[imperial-daffodil]

Purple Team is back in business.

They look like a cover of a hard rock band album x)

Squid rock, to be more precise.

[cultycatlady]

Answering this with Rova, my best boy. May answer in the future with other Tavs who knows

Astarion: easily. The way I have him built is as a ranged fighter. The moment Rova gets into melee with his truly ungodly amount of movement (base 9m+4.5m from unarmored defense+3m from mobile+3m from the momentum helmet for a total of 20.5m) Astarion is getting stunned so fast bro has no con save. From there just flurry of blows and more stunning strike, and if Astarion tries to run away he has Sentinel

Karlach: Imma go with probably not on this one. She's got so many hit points and he does Not. She's also got a pretty beefy con save so stunning probably isn't gonna work very well on her. If Rova can duck and stay out of prolonged melee (not a good place for him), he might survive, but I don't think he'd win

Lae'zel: maybe. He'd probably be able to make a good run of running in, throwing stunning strikes, then running away with mobile not provoking aoo. If he gets properly caught by her he's probably boned with that d8 hit die, but he does have some four elements stuff for that to maybe not happen.

Gale: absolutely. Gale only has a decent con save when it's concentration checks, he's getting stunned and punched to death so fast, if he's lucky he'll get a spell off before it happens. Even if he can teleport away, Rova can fly with monk bullshit to that won't work for very long. Maybe Gale can survive with greater invisibility and sniping Rova

Shadowheart: again probably pretty well. Her con isn't that great, she's getting stunned and punched. Most of her spells and stuff are either attack rolls against Rova's fairly high AC, or dex and wisdom saves that Rova is pretty good at.

Wyll: once again with the mid con saves. He's getting stunned and punched. Wyll is a ranged guy, and there is no way he is outrunning Rova for very long. And once again, teleporting probably won't work since Rova can fly

Fun Tav Ask!

Which companion(s) could your Tav take in a fight? Which companion(s) would totally kick your Tav’s butt?

[zwolfgames]

The Creché is super safe, right Lae'zel?

(Yo guys, been a while but that's because uni is kicking my aft :3. Here's more BG3)

Warnings: mentions of yandere stuff ig

Other parts: Begin, Goblin camp,

(3rd person POV)

Well, that goodbye party with the thieflings from the grove had been great.

Astatrion had snuck you some wine while no-one was looking since you told him you never had any. Worst idea a two hundered year old could possibly have but who are you to judge?

Halsin had decided to stick by your group as he had some buisiness to take care of in the shadow cursed lands... And he just met such a cute little cub like you, surely these weirdo's you're travelling with aren't keeping you out of harms way, as a responsible and wise druid he must step up to protect you!

This change in the team hadn't gone unnoticed by any of your compagnions, Lae'zel no longer found herself able to walk close to you on the way to the shadow cursed lands, as did many others notice that they weren't having as much time with you either since that new big elf guy was hogging you the whole time to teach you about plants!

You were focussing ahead as you had all stepped onto a lift, bringing you to a lower part of the mountain pass. From the moment you had all found Githyanki remains, Lae'zel started insisting that you must all go to the creché...

It's sweet to think she beliefs they'd help any of you... but your hopes were low, as your mother had described.. usual Gith were very cruel creatures, not only to themelves but to outsiders aswell.

"Are you sure about this? We can't exactly fight a whole bundle of gith on our own." Karlach bites her lip as she hesitantly speaks to Lae'zel about her worries.

"They will not harm us as long as you all stay by me." Lae'zel tsks and keeps walking up front.

"Karlach has a point, we do have a kid with us." Wyll adds.

"Teen." You correct with a face that should get the message over that you're done repeating that.

"You think they'd harm our youngling?" Lae'zel growls in offence.

"Yes? Y/N's not exactly the same species..." Wyll nods.

"What if we just all paint ourselves green?" Gale adds with a mocking tone.

"Shut up before you anger her." Shadowheart hisses and nudges Gale in the ribs.

The wizard let's out a little 'ow' as everyone marches on.

You all arrive at the door as two Githyanki guards asses your group, weapons unsheated. If you weren't confident in the fact that these people care about you enough to jump in the way if you were to be attacked you might have been nervous.

"State your purpose." One of the guards demands Lae'zel with a sneer.

You zone out as she starts telling that same story about how you all got kidnapped by mindflayers and infected and bla bla bla...

They eventually let you all in, apparently Lae'zel had a charm to her you wouldn't have ever noticed by the way she smooth talked you all into the creché.

"Behave, we must get cleansed by the Zaith-isk..." Lae'zel explains shortly.

"I call shots." You raise your hand.

"You will not be going first. I say we let the vampire do it." Shadowheart huffs.

"Excuse me? Let these Gith poke around in my brains? Defenitly not! I'd lose all my charm." Astarion huffs in offence.

"I will go first, it is my right." Lae'zel states clearly. No one seems to object so thats all fine.

You take a step back as Lae'zel lays down in the strange looking Gith apperature. The machine doesn't move before the scientist of the local Creché flips a brass lever, making the machiene whir to life.

It looks a bit too roganic for your liking, not exactly a machiene if it's got organic parts.. is it?

As the Zaith-isk started doing.. whatever the hell this is, you and your party stared in concern as Lae'zel started screaming.

Yea that... can't be good.. And no ones doing anything but staring.

Seriously, do you have to do everything here? That machiene obviously wasn't going to let Lae'zel out alive.

You snatched the crossbow off of Wyll's back and took aim, clicking the string into place before lodging an arrow into a nook between the plating and the delicate wiring inside of this strange contraption.

The Zaith-isk sparked and rumbled before it partially exploded and pushed Lae'zel out.

Your gith compagnion looked stunned and angered.

The question was, was she going after your head or the scientists'?

"You- Why did you do that!? I was getting cleansed!" Lae'zek seethes. looking ready to strangke you if it weren't for the annoyance of a protective instict that you've brought up in her in this journey.

"Frying you alive you mean? Yea, thank the kid instead." Astarion scoffs with an added tsk.

Lae'zel then turned to the Githyanki scientist, looking infuriated.

"You were planning for me to die?" She growls, sharp teeth bared.

You hide a bit behind Wyll as Lae'zel raises her sword.

The other Gith starts yelling for reinforcements and you stiffen in slight nervousness. A whole camp of Gith is... a challange.

"I think we're screwed." You whisper to no one in particular.

"No, no we have this.. uhm.. do you remember that spell I taught you, Y/N?" Gale whispers back, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"Uh.. no." You shake your head. The wizards sigh in dissapointment.

"The one with the hail?" Gale tries again.

"Oh, yea. I do know that one." You nod now.

"Good, now, just keep the hail at the entrance of the door as long as possible, so that everyone that runs in slips and falls, ok? We will take them out." Gale tries to smile. What an ass of a plan. As if Gith are that prone to slipping.

But whatever, Gale knows exactly what he's doing, doesn't he?

...

"On your left!" Karlach shouts in fear as she sees a spell fly your way.

You look to your right like world's most incompetent child and get hit square on the chest with some random pshycic spell.

It flings you back right into a diffrent Gith soldier who growls and raises his sword.

You freeze him with your hands as you yelp in pain from the impact.

Gale's plan had only worked for about the first two soldiers that ran in before they realized they just had to shuffle in instead of run.

And now you're all fighting for dear life.

Karlach bashed the head in of the Gith you just froze. You let out a shudder at the blood that splashed on you.

This room was a damm bloodbath.

And that annoying voice in your head didn't stop shouting about the tadpole's you had to pocket before they got smashed.

Seriously, as if you cared!

All in all, it was chaos.

Not an alignment you were that comfrotable with.

You suddenly felt yourself getting scooped up. Debating between panic and rationality you decided to look behind you as to who had the audacity to pick you up. And ofcourse it's Halsin-

And why is he sprinting out with you?! The fighting isn't over!

You struggle in the elfs grip but he doesnt let up before he's made it outside. All the Gith were busy with your group.. so they didn't seem to care about the two of you escaping. The singular guard that ran after you got vine trapped before halsin made it to the exit, so that seemed solved.

"Where are we going!? We can't just leave everyone behind." You frown as the tall elf keeps walking away from the Creché.

"Out of harms way, you have no place amongst battle." Halsin shakes his head.

"Hey, I saved you in battle along with the party back at the Goblin camp!" You protest.

"Wich as reckless, your compagnions clearly don't have your best intrest in mind." Halsin huffs as he takes you up to the ruin that used to be Lathanders temple. Sitting out between the vine grown stairs as he holds you in place by your shoulder so you don' run off.

Seriously, you don't like it when some people just decide things for you, that's something only your mother could do and you haven't seen her since... since the mindflayers got you.

"Calm down, maybe they'll be fine." Halsin reassures reluctantly. You didn't really like how he seemed to not even want them to come back.

Why is everyone behaving so weirdly. Just a few days ago everyone was just jokingly insulting eachother...

You sit there with a defeated face while waiting for something to happen.

Eh, they have Karlach, should be fine.

You just keep telling yourself that.

After what felt like an eternity, the rest of the party finally comes out of the Creché, bloody and exhausted.

You stand up to yell to them that you're over here, what goes unnoticed to you is that Halsin almost reached out to shut you up.

You call out to them with a wave and their tense faces soften.

The party gets reunited again and Shadowheart starts looking you over fr injuries while the rest has a mixed opinion of Halsin taking you away from the fight.

To each their own opinion...

Atleast you got a healing potion. Good stuff, you should learn how to make that.

Before things go south..

Well, its been very long OmO. Not good I know, but I'm in university now and interior architecture is no joke apparently. Haven't gone a day without homework. Actually finishing this the day before my art history exam. (I am so gonna fail).

Hope you guys still enjoyed this! Next up would be the shadow cursed lands etc. But if you have any asks I'd love to answer those too!

ZWolfGames out ;3

[bloodycyrano]

I want to lore dump about my BG3 storyline and OCs so bad, but at the same time I don't want to release any information before it would come out in the future chapters of my fanfic, so to stave off the dark urge, here's.... 🥁🥁🥁

Team Tadpole doing sweet things for each other part 2!

Sometimes, when Astarion has trouble resting at night, Gale will stay up with him and play chess- They started with card games, but Astarion cheats like a fox. He still cheats at chess, but not as often.

Karlach probably notices when her comrades are in pain after battle, and will hug a sack of rocks until they heat up to make a sort of makeshift heating pad for sore muscles.- Bonus points, She'll borrow some scented oils from Halsin to add an element of aromatherapy.

Gale has 100% done talis card readings for Team tadpole when they deal with heavy emotional stuff, if only to help them find their path forward. Maybe he isn't the best at verbal comfort, but magic is one thing he knows he can use for at least some benefit.

I feel like Gale also notices when people aren't dealing well with things, and will purposefully annoy Durge so they have someone to pick on and hopefully feel a little better afterwards. They're definitely the sort of friends that pretend to hate each other, but are there when you need them. Durge definitely brings out his petty side, but its all in good fun. Usually.

While maybe they have a bit of a rocky relationship, I also believe Durge would indulge Gales special interests and let him ramble about things, because they know what it's like to have to shut up to make other people happy. I also feel like Gale would return the favor and deliberately ask about weird, macabre things so that Durge actually has an excuse to bring up topics that interest them.

Wyll has a knitting hobby. You probably wouldn't expect it, but he definitely does. And he's really really good at it, too. He uses every holiday as an excuse to gift people things like socks, scarves, mittens, etc. And I mean EVERY holiday. Earth day, valentines day, national owlbear day (Which is totally not something he made up as an excuse to give people their presents early), etc. The thing is, he notices when people complain about their socks getting worn from traveling, and gets random ideas for gifts at 3 AM, and then spends the rest of the night knitting. He has also been known to make cute little knitted outfits for the group pets in the winter, because he thought Scratch was getting cold.

Adding onto this, Lae'zel is the only person Wyll is willing to go to for a blunt and honest opinion on the gifts he makes before he gives them. Lae'zel doesn't take this lightly, either. While maybe she doesn't show it, she takes this very seriously and is somewhat honored that Wyll came to her instead of anyone else.

Shadowheart tends to replenish Wylls yarn reserve without telling him as well. She asks Lae’zel what colours he's run out of, and then sneak some extra spools into his pack. Wyll still doesn't know who's been doing it, but he's thankful nonetheless. And it's one thing the cleric and the gith can actually be somewhat peaceful about.

Durge doesn't take all of their kills lightly. When it comes to someone they actually respected, there's a ritual they perform afterward that they read about in Withers old temple. They'll grind bone and ash into ink and take time to write out the names of those they respected, and bury it with the bodies. As well as little offerings as well. It isn't a short process either.. Durge will spend the entire night locked in their caravan burning incense, praying their name to Jergal in hopes that the spirit will find rest, and doing little things in honor of the dead.- It isn't hard for team tadpole to figure out when Durge has taken the life of someone they held a genuine respect for, and will be careful not to disturb them, or leave bones or herbs/flowers on the steps of their caravan. Karlach and Astarion will occasionally come to check on them. While maybe it doesn't happen often, it does happen. Withers was particularly surprise to begin receiving prayers after all this time, but it strengthened a sort of bond between the two.

[sorcerous-caress]

In adventuring party full of non humans—varying from elves to other races, there is like one humans among them and everybody is silently expected (wish) to fuck that human

— RED anon

Do you live in my brain. Have you been reading my mind?

I never had an original thought in my life omfg anon that is one of my BIGGEST fantasy daydreams.

Because the thing is, those races, will demolish each other if given the chance.

You expect the high elf not to look down on the gnomes and dwarves? Good luck convincing them not to put explosives into the high elf's luggage.

The drow won't stop referring to the wood elf as tree hugger no matter how many times you beg them to, and the wood elf keeps putting poisonous leaves into the drow's drinks.

The aasmire won't stop giving dirty looks to the tiefling, murmuring a small prayer whenever they pass by as if to rebel a devil, the tiefling just keeps "accidentally" ruining their holy water by spilling them onto their holy textbooks.

The half-orc and dragonborn had like 3 fights since everyone woke up, and it's still 7 in the morning. Dragonborn thinks they are superior and more efficient while the half-orc says they're nothing but failed dragon spawns.

Oh and the dwarves and the gnomes are also fighting in between each other, terrorising the high elf was the only peace they ever got.

There is hafling, smiling while being passive agressive to the scrowling gith next to them who looks seconds away from unleashing their sword.

The singular human there will have to be shared as the communal peace keeper. Or even communal target in case of the evil races deciding to team up against them.

Now imagine adding sexual tension into the equation. Each race has their own different mating standards.

Drows need to own you, they don't accept anything less. Both sex and love, your whole being will belong to them.

High elves think your souls must intertwine and see each other throughoutly before getting to third base.

Dwarves courting will shower you in all kinds of expensive gifts and weaponry. They're very hardworking to earn your heart and body.

Gnomes share their secrets, open their inner circles to you and expect you to do the same. Their harsh surface softening just for you.

Half-orcs want to overpower you into submission, show you that you'll be very protected under them. That they are soley deserving of being your mate here.

Dragonborns entice you with their shiny shimmering scales, purring and growling whenever you touch them and wrapping their tail around you protectively. You're part of the herd and it's just a matter of time before you realise it.

Haflings will bake you the most delicious things you have ever tasted, make you truly relax, laugh and forget your worries. They charm you beyond your comprehension and make you feel like you're at home.

Githyanki will become more overbearing, making sure you're eating full meals, sleeping full hours and getting all the training you need. They look out for your health and performance, even allowing you the intimacy of being near them while they train.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Evie (Ace!Tav) Playthrough Day 2

Day 1 — Day 3

Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) Masterlist

For the uninitiated, I wrote a Tav well before I ever had a chance to play the game. Now, I finally can and thought it might be fun for my first play through to be as that Tav. Or, at least as much as the game play will allow me.

These are just some of my notes and scattered highlights that I thought would be fun to share.

Let me know if you think if I should continue this and any suggestions you might have.

Okay, so actually playing the game, I really have to think about what Evie thinks of the mindflayers. Genuine terror is my first reaction. I can't imagine she's even heard of them or Gith for that matter.

Her seeing the injured mindflayer and how they tried to take over her mind frightened her, which is my kind of subtext motivation for why she reacted in anger and killed it

Something to keep in mind for later; honestly need more fics about Tavs in general with PTSD from the mindflayers

Moving on from that; Gale!

I'm more convinced now that Evie and Gale get on from the jump

A little full of himself on first impression? Yes, but much more polite and verbose than the alien, cagey cleric and the man who just put a knife to her throat.

As an aside, Evie did break out of Astarion's grip, she talked him down; I think talking her way out of things is more her style, I'm not sure if that will continue to be a viable solution but we'll see

And on the subject of Astarion; my novice understanding of game mechanics is not leaving him and Evie on the right foot

I thought I could break down the door with thunder wave and ended up hitting Astarion instead

Also, I really did think he was clear of the stone when I dropped it

Honestly tempted to write a short fic based around that; I can't imagine Astarion letting that little accident go any time soon

Y'all weren't exaggerating about Shadowheart though; she missed so many of her attacks

MVP really does have to go to Gale, between fire bolt and his staff he was really pulling most of us through the encounters, the undead around Withers tomb especially

For his question I ended up answering with Evie saying that "one life is infinite in value and merits sacrificing everything"

I did admittedly have to think about Evie's answer, but I think at the end of the day Evie is a romantic at heart

It's gotten her into more than more bad situation, but she's not ambivalent towards people and has tried as she's gotten older to be the person she wished she had when she was younger

(I can also see Astarion hearing this and wanting to scoff, but also tucking it away for later; a bleeding heart could be useful)

Also if anybody knows what I might have missed on the cliffs; the entire party failed their survival checks; nothing happened that I can tell, but please tell me!

Not going to lie, started heading towards the grove and immediately turned around because I wanted to make sure I found Lae'zel first

I knew for a fact I would get distracted at the grove and wanted to make sure I had her in the party

Was not expecting to kill some tieflings; Evie would want to protect the person who most certainly saved her life, but that's another thing for her to feel guilty about

I imagine before getting captured killing folks wasn't really her thing

I really want to get to the grove, but I think next time I log in I've got to get the team to take a long rest; Shadowheart was really badly hurt and everyone is out of spell slots

Wish me luck!

[tatterings]

Lamentable is the Autumn Picker Content with Plums - Chapter 6, "Bracing the Branches"

Pairing: Astarion/Halsin

Rating: Mature

Tags/warnings: NSFW. Spoilers to the beginning of act 2. Trauma/light SA discussion. A little angst.

Word count: 4.9k

~*REBLOGS VERY APPRECIATED*~ <3

Note: This is the sixth chapter of my first ever fanfiction!

I’ve also posted this on AO3.

Fic under the cut.

The party had chosen to transverse the Mountain Pass, at the insistence of Lae’zel of the promise of a creche hidden there. They had set off for the steep hills in the distance. After a day of travelling just to get to the creche, positioned in a former monastery, they had burst through its rotting doors the following morning before the sun had a chance to rise. To nearly everyone’s chagrin, the Gith inside were also early risers. More disappointment followed when the adventurers discovered the creche was not the Vlaakith-sent gift that Lae’zel had imagined, and the Gith “cure” was a painful death. To survive within the creche, the party had to paint its halls with blood, as hostile Gith met the group around each corner.

During each fight, Halsin had found himself fighting by Astarion’s side. As a sleek black panther, the druid had slunk to ambush foes, paired with the stealthy rogue. Together they’d downed scores of Vlaakith’s faithful with claw and dagger, amidst a symphony of slicing blades and startled shouts. A Gith quartermaster met her end when, just before she had reached Astarion, she was struck down with a mighty swipe from Halsin’s gigantic bear claws. Astarion had gently wiped blood from the cave bear’s muzzle and offered him a scratch behind the ears, after he had padded over to ensure his battle partner was unwounded.

Although the adventurers fought well together, confusion was inevitable when fighting as a group. A mix of shouts, spells, and slashing weapons sent the ruined monastery into chaos. Echoes of “Ignis!” and the clatter of weapons created a deafening ruckus that echoed off the stone walls and shattered stained-glass windows.

But within the dilapidated hallways, Astarion and Halsin created their own microcosm, a symbiotic team of shadow and strength, of slashing daggers and sheer brute force, of poisoned arrows and healing spells. It made the battles a little less daunting. And most importantly for Astarion, a lot more fun.

He delighted in the bloodshed of turning his opponents inside-out. The adrenaline rush during and after combat sent electricity through every nerve ending, and Astarion felt as close to a god as an immortal creature could become. It was even more of a delight when he attacked with his fangs to satisfy his bloodlust temporarily.

Once the adventurers had cleared the Gith forces from the monastery, the sun hung far in the west; it was late evening. After dragging a few bodies out of a large chamber, it made sense to use the ruins as their campground for the night.

**************

Though the ancient monastery’s mighty walls sprawled across the cliff sides, centuries of neglect had left the building crumbling. Nature had waited patiently for an opportunity to return, and she had done so with vigor. Trees, shrubs, and thick tangles of vines created a lush, wild grove within the walls. At Halsin’s request, their chosen campsite opened to a courtyard which teemed with life.

Halsin tucked himself away in the courtyard for a pre-supper respite. His companions were a grand old oak and the birds that sang from its boughs. He reclined against its weather-worn bark, his long legs splayed in front of him. In the druid’s hands tumbled what remained of a broken branch; he’d found it lying beneath the tree. He worked it deftly with a whittling knife. At least an hour passed in pensive quiet - Halsin had amassed small piles of wood shavings at his sides.

The sharp hiss of an arrow streaming overhead broke the silence, followed by a dull thud as it met its mark. The arrow had dug into the bark mere centimeters above Halsin’s head.

His lips turned downward, but not in anger or disappointment. The archer’s aim was objectively impressive. His frown was from the surprise of a scrap of paper tickling his nose. Dangling in his face, tied to the arrow with twine, was a small piece of parchment. Halsin raised a hand to steady it against the breeze. In precise cursive script the color of spilled blood, the note read:

“Room for one more, or are you brooding enough for us both? - ★”

Halsin’s smile spread across his scarred face, and his shoulders shook with a laugh. He plucked the arrow from the bark and rolled its shaft in his fingers.

“I would be happy for you to join me, Astarion,” Halsin announced; it was no shout, as there was no need for his deep voice to carry far. He was positive the vampire was quite close, cloaked in shadow.

Astarion seemed to materialize from the darkness about ten meters away. His perch was the east side of a half-crumbled parapet. His ivory hair seemed ablaze in fire from the orange of the sunset. His pearly smirk sparkled even from a distance and deep red eyes flashed as he sauntered to the druid.

“I appreciate the invitation, my dear,” Astarion drawled, casually kicking away wood shavings at Halsin’s side. “Old habits tend to die hard, you know.”

Halsin helped the vampire brush away debris before patting the ground at his side. Astarion lowered himself to sit, making a show of dusting off his breeches when a twig stuck to them.

“So, what are you up to all by your lonesome?” the pale elf asked, his hand gesturing at the wood shavings. Astarion tilted his head back to peer at Halsin through half-lidded eyes. “I’d jest and say ‘sawing logs’, but snoring is no laughing matter when one’s tent is near Gale,” he finished with a hiss.

Halsin presented his creation: an intricately carved wooden duck, small enough to fit in a person’s palm. “I use fallen branches for whittling things like ornaments, utensils… and ducks,” he explained with a shy grin. “I like ducks.”

“Not a bear?!” Astarion asked with a faux, incredulous gasp, his mouth curved in a fanged smile, “Ducks? You never shared with me your inclination for waterfowl.”

Halsin’s eyes were drawn to the smaller elf’s elegant nose; it was endearing to see it crinkle when he smiled. “Well, personal hobbies haven’t been a discussion topic,” Halsin replied apologetically. “With the tadpole issue, you and your friends have had more pressing matters to discuss.” The druid’s heart fluttered when the vampire’s wry grin pulled further at his handsome laugh lines. “Whittling is something I do to pass time. Conveniently, wherever I roam, there tends to be an abundance of wood.” Halsin regretted his words as soon as he saw the devious flash in Astarion’s ruby-red eyes.

“Darling, I’m quite sure that you could never run out of wood, based on what I felt the other night”, Astarion purred, sliding his delicate hand onto Halsin’s thigh. The druid hissed as he nearly cut his thumb with the whittling knife. One thick auburn eyebrow arched at the smaller elf.

“That is.. an apt observation,” Halsin admitted, a flush rising to his cheeks. The large elf pulled one last knife stroke along the wood grain to form the smooth curve of a wing. “I cannot deny my desires. Once you get to my age, you realize there’s little point in denying yourself what you crave… as long as it does not hurt others,” he finished with a smile, holding the wooden duck over Astarion’s lap.

A gift.

The deviousness in Astarion’s eyes melted to delight, his silver-white lashes fluttering as he studied the carved creature. The vampire cupped the duck in his palm with care; as if he expected it would turn to dust if he moved too quickly.

“But what of revenge then, dear Halsin? Surely once or twice you’ve wanted to mete out revenge to those who harm your precious ducklings?” Astarion teased. He finally moved his hand, bobbing the duck up and down in the air, like its live counterparts did on water. The large elf’s heart felt as though it would leap from his throat at the sound of Astarion’s giggle.

“That is fair enough. Perhaps I should rephrase it. ‘You shouldn’t deny your desires, if it hurts no one. Or, if those hurt deserve justice.’ Does that work for you, little duck?” Halsin replied, gently bumping his broad shoulder into the smaller elf’s arm.

Astarion’s porcelain cheeks flushed pink. “Well well, aren’t you quite the hedonist. I thought of you as a ‘let things go’ sort of druid.” He turned his face from the duck to the druid. “But anyway.. thank you. For the gift.”

Halsin’s eyes twinkled as he met Astarion’s gaze. “Thank me by returning the favor, why don’t you?” he asked, “Come on, I’m sure you’ve got something more interesting to share about yourself than a whittling hobby.”

Astarion arched a single white brow. “If you insist. I… may have a bit of a sweet tooth?” he finished with a sing-song lilt.

A deep rumble emanated from Halsin’s throat and grew into a chuckle. “Is that so? Would you seek to drizzle honey on a neck, before indulging?” the druid asked, winking at Astarion.

“Ah, I.. I would not say no to an occasional treat,” the vampire replied. “But your blood was sweet enough on its own, no honey needed,” he said, leaning his torso into Halsin’s barrel chest.

The druid’s pulse roared, changing from a flutter to a drumbeat. He was sure that Astarion could hear it. “I will remember that for the future,” Halsin said with a chuckle. “Out of curiosity, Astarion… does the flavor of blood truly vary by person? Even in wild shape with heightened senses, it all smells of copper to me.”

Halsin felt a tenseness rise in the vampire’s form, which still leaned against his larger body. Astarion released a sigh and his muscles seemed to relax; but only a little.

“I’ve had this condition for two centuries… but truth be told?” Astarion turned his head to Halsin, his gaze half-shielded through his long snowy eyelashes. “You.. were my first.”

“You jest,” Halsin replied, his jaw slack in disbelief. The druid, whose cool-headedness allowed him to not jolt when Astarion’s arrow had struck above his head, could not hide his shock.

“About this topic, Halsin? I would never,” Astarion assured, his eyes wide and earnest. “You were the first person from which I’ve ever actually fed. Sure I’ve gotten a few bites in, but no actual sustenance. In all these years, I’ve only fed on beasts.”

Halsin shook his head in surprise, flyaway strands of his long hair tickling Astarion’s ears.

Astarion nodded, white curls bobbing against the growing dusk. As darkness settled upon them, he seemed made of white marble; true Nature-sculpted beauty. “I was expressly forbidden to feed on thinking beings,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. His arms lay limp in his lap. “Boars, deer… kobolds. During the worst of it… I was served only putrid rats. A cruel jape from my master,” the vampire’s voice trailed off. It seemed as though the energy had been drained; even his hands fell open around the small wooden duck.

Halsin had no words that could ease such a painful memory. He placed a hand on Astarion’s leg; his fingers, when splayed, nearly covered the smaller man’s thigh. He gave a gentle squeeze as they sat, birdsong rolling from the tree above them.

The purple darkness of night finally set after a while, only illuminated by a bright bit of flame shooting into the sky over a crumbling wall. Gale’s cantrip ignis served as a proverbial dinner bell.

“Ah, dinner is served,” Halsin noted with a nod. “And speaking of nourishment… you are welcome to feed again tonight, Astarion.” The large elf paused, waiting for the vampire’s million-realm stare to pull away from the whittled duck to meet his own eyes. “Also… I want to thank you. Your camp is a most welcome solace, one I couldn’t do without. I look forward to your company this evening.”

***********

Supper had been splendid as Gale, ever the people-pleaser and an excellent cook, had prepared specialized meals for his friends. A hearty vegetarian stew for Halsin. For the others, he had added meat from a rabbit Astarion had snared in a trap. And for the vampire himself, Gale had prepared black pudding from provisions he’d found in the Gith creche. Astarion had devoured it with delight and had thanked Gale with a pat on the wizard’s back and a genuine smile. Over the past few days, the vampire had grown more at ease in, figuratively and literally, reaching out to his fellow adventurers.

His friends, as Halsin had insisted on calling them.

Astarion had realized, as he reclined in front of his tent atop plundered creche pillows, they truly were friends. They had risked life and limb (and soul, in Wyll’s case) to protect each other. To work together on the tadpole problem. Everyone also had agreed to help Astarion exact revenge on Cazador, for which Karlach was especially excited. The pale elf felt no need to mask the smile that formed on his lips as he thought of his friends… and especially of the Arch Druid Halsin.

The rest of the party had socialized enough for the evening and had retired to their tents. Though the blood sausage had been delectable, it was time for Astarion’s main course.

The slender elf strode over to Halsin’s tent. Confidence set his mouth in a smirk. Halsin has been won over, Astarion thought, but this is my opportunity to ensure he stays that way. The vampire was certain that he had Halsin’s allegiance; the druid himself had said so, and proved time and again he was trustworthy. He had shown kindness which Astarion assumed stemmed from attraction. It was mutual attraction, if he cared to admit it; but he pushed that thought down to the pit of his stomach. Attraction meant vulnerability.

It was far easier to be an object of desire, than to entertain his own desires.

Halsin’s tent flap hung open, and again the druid was reclined while reading a book, holding it above his head. There were no logs to lean against this time; instead, the larger elf was propped up by delicately embroidered linens and plush pillows. Astarion had insisted that the druid had “roughed it” enough, and that he deserved to treat himself to the luxuries they’d found in the creche.

“Ah, good evening Astarion,” Halsin said, his smile extending to his honey-hazel eyes, “So glad you could join me for dinner.” The druid chuckled at his own jest and patted the bedroll. Astarion returned his smile and kneeled on a pillow by the druid’s chest.

“It is my pleasure,” the vampire replied, his voice a low purr, one hand settling on Halsin’s well-muscled chest. He absentmindedly tugged at the loose strings danging from the druid’s tunic. “Ready whenever you are, darling.”

Halsin nodded once and laid the book aside. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Astarion,” he said, with less nervousness in his voice than there had been in the last feeding. He raised his large hand to the small of Astarion’s back and placed his other on the vampire’s shoulder. His steadiness helped support the smaller elf as he assumed his feeding position.

Astarion took no further prompting; the druid seemed tantalizingly eager. It would make his task all the more simple. And more pleasant. The vampire accepted the unspoken aid from Halsin and climbed atop the druid. It was easier to feed if he straddled the large elf, as opposed to stretching across his wide body.

As Astarion lowered his mouth onto the red-ochre tattoo on Halsin’s neck, the friction of his leather trousers against Halsin’s stomach sent a rush of tingles to his groin. Hells below, he thought, flattening his tongue against the Arch Druid’s neck before a whine could escape from him. Astarion was certain that Halsin could feel his growing erection. Once, then twice his cock pulsed with eagerness; immediately after, the druid’s hand pressed more firmly on the small of the pale elf’s back.

This time, it didn’t bother him; the physical manifestation of lust meant it was easier for him to fulfill, and remain the object of, Halsin’s desires.

A rumble vibrated the druid’s throat against Astarion’s open mouth; Halsin relished in the cool wetness of the vampire’s tongue tracing along his jugular. The pale elf nibbled Halsin’s neck with his dull front teeth. Time for a tease, he thought, and pressed his hardened length into Halsin’s stomach. With the pressure, he felt a firm thickness between Halsin’s legs. The druid was already hard, and Astarion hadn’t even bitten him yet. Perfect.

But the teasing was enough, and his hunger gnawed at his stomach. The vampire opened his mouth wider and pierced his top fangs into Halsin’s neck. As he sank his fangs deeper into flesh, Halsin gripped Astarion’s buttocks with his large hands. The druid rutted his hips against the vampire with a deep moan, lifting them both off the bedroll with his lust.

Hot blood poured onto Astarion’s tongue as he lifted his fangs to suckle greedily at the druid’s neck. His soft tongue lapped at the divine offering, which coaxed a deep groan from Halsin’s lips. Astarion’s hands moved with swiftness; with intention. His slender fingers found Halsin’s nipple through the linen tunic and his mass of curly chest hair, and pinched it gently. Halsin hissed in response, his wide fingertips digging into Astarion’s hips. The vampire smiled against Halsin’s neck as he swallowed one mouthful of druidic lifeblood, then two.

Halsin’s chest rumbled fiercely against Astarion. The smaller elf took it as a sign to stop feeding; he lapped up the remaining blood that dribbled down Halsin’s neck, onto his collarbone.

Dinner was done; now for his duty.

Astarion’s mind was clear, rushing with the ecstasy of fresh blood. But for this second task, it was a habit to clear his mind completely. The vampire let himself mentally float away as he kissed along Halsin’s collarbone, then his throat. His movements were smooth, automatic; a deft hand lowered from the druid’s nipple to his stomach and teased under Halsin’s shirt, running through thick body hair. The large elf’s torso nearly raised from the pillows.

“You enjoy our feedings, don’t you, my dear?” the vampire whispered, his voice an octave lower than normal. “You naughty thing…” his voice trailed off as he lifted his torso from Halsin’s. Although his eyes looked directly into Halsin’s, he stared past the druid. The large elf’s face was a blur, out of focus, but Astarion could tell Halsin’s head tilted to the side.

“A-Astarion,” huffed Halsin, breath hitching in his throat. He kept his hands pressed firmly against the smaller elf’s waist.

“Isn’t this what you want, darling?” the vampire started, slipping his long fingers downward to settle on Halsin’s groin, hot to the touch even through the druid’s breeches. Halsin’s hips pressed into Astarion’s hand instinctively. The vampire drug his palm along the druid’s impressive girth, then rutted his own erection against Halsin’s arousal through his leather trousers. Halsin hissed through clenched teeth at the sensation, but sat stock still in his reclined pose.

It didn’t make sense. The druid’s hands should have been exploring Astarion’s body. Not to worry - they will, Astarion thought. He leaned his front against Halsin’s chest, again creating friction between them. “We could have a quiet evening for once, my dear,” he crooned. “Haven’t you waited long enough for what you want?”

The druid’s body did not respond as it should have. It was inexplicably tense.

**********

As soon as Astarion had finished feeding, his body language had shifted. His gaze had seemed to be a million realms away. His voice had even lowered to that of a stranger’s; it was deeper, with a predatory edge to its vocal fry.

The transformation shook Halsin’s confidence and his chest was heavy with concern. He couldn’t hold back his inner beast’s response to Astarion’s expert ministrations; but he had domination over his mind and his conscience. He did not return the vampire’s heavy petting. He needed an answer, first. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly to tame the beast; his focused breathing soothed the beast, and he felt himself grow soft.

“Astarion, tell me plainly. I need your truth,” Halsin demanded, tipping the vampire’s chin upwards with the tips of his calloused fingers, “What is it that you want? From me? From this?”

Astarion blinked once, then twice. His snowy eyebrows lost their wrinkled furrow, the crease in the skin between them disappearing as they raised. The small elf’s eyes went round and softened; wetness formed in the inside corners of his eyes until his silver-white lashes blinked it away. No cutting words formed on his tongue; no well-worn blithe phrases fell from his pink lips.

Halsin raised one large hand to Astarion’s face, pulling his thumb across the pale elf’s pouted mouth and marble cheekbone. He nestled his fingers into the nest of snowy curls at the back of Astarion’s head and gently ran his fingernails on the vampire’s scalp. He felt the goosebumps rise on the smaller man’s arms and neck as he carded his fingers through Astarion’s hair.

The druid did not repeat himself; Astarion had heard him. Nature has her own timeline, her own natural cycle in which life is born, dies, decays, and is born anew.

Halsin was in no rush; he would never pick from the plum tree in when it was tart and unripe in late spring, nor be surprised when the harvest was mealy and bird-pecked in late autumn. He knew it was best to wait for the natural cycle of things, were it in-season fruits, or the words of someone who did not know what to say.

He existed for this moment, with this beautiful man who haunted his dreams and clouded his mind. Astarion lowered his head to rest his cheek on Halsin’s broad chest, his blood-stained lower lip leaving a smear of scarlet on Halsin’s tunic. The druid pulled his hand from Astarion’s hair and lowered it to his delicate neck, using the pad of his thumb and rough fingertips to massage the vampire’s neck muscles gently. He felt a strained muscle and hummed the verbal part of a healing spell; his fingertips glittered a hazy green before the glow rolled from his hand onto Astarion’s neck, where it seemed to sink into his ivory skin.

Astarion broke the silence a few moments later. “I.. I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice muffled between Halsin’s chest and his own shoulders, “I had nothing at all for so long. Not my free will. Not even my body.” Halsin felt Astarion’s face scrunch into a scowl against his chest. “That was owned by Cazador; to tempt fools into his palace. I laid on my back for breadcrumbs a thousand times or more. Half of them I barely remember,” Astarion choked back the threat of tears he spoke. “Most of them never even bothered to grant me temporary bliss.”

The druid’s chest felt like it was being crushed by an owlbear. It wasn’t Astarion trying to seduce me. It was his past.

“Astarion. I am so sorry,”, whispered the large elf, wrapping his arms tighter around Astarion, accidentally pulling a small grunt from the vampire’s lungs. He released the pressure, but held the pale elf still. “You have survived so much. And you did not deserve any of it. You are so much more than what that bastard forced upon you,” Halsin assured with a low growl in his throat as he thought of Cazador. The druid inhaled deeply and his chest rose, lifting Astarion along with it. The vampire’s body slowly descended as Halsin exhaled. The large elf tilted his chin to place his lips on Astarion’s forehead, nuzzling his nose into the soft white curls.

******

Astarion let himself melt into Halsin’s embrace, and let his jaw relax. The druid’s large arms were heavy but not overbearing; the weight was a soothing balm to his frazzled nerves. For the first time in 200 years, he felt seen. He felt safe enough with Halsin to share the raw wounds of his past that had yet to heal.

“Thank you,” the vampire finally replied, his tongue thick and dry in his mouth. His voice had cracked when he spoke. He appreciated that Halsin did not acknowledge the lapse of composure.

“You are most welcome, dear heart,” Halsin replied softly, before releasing his hold on the slender elf. He raised his torso, bracing Astarion’s body as he swapped to a cross-legged sit. Astarion’s rear slipped into the gap between Halsin’s knees, nestling comfortably in the open space; the vampire’s toes dangled a few inches above the tent floor. Halsin adjusted his arm to support Astarion’s back while his free hand grasped Astarion’s long fingers.

“But I want to make something abundantly clear to you,” Halsin said, his deep voice soft and slow. Astarion’s brows shot up, and Halsin felt the man’s muscles tense. The druid gently squeezed Astarion’s torso.

“It is okay to not know what you want, Astarion,” he stated, his honey-hazel gaze meeting the pale elf’s round eyes. “What is not acceptable… is to make assumptions as to what I desire from you. You are no thrall. All of your choices… are yours to make.”

*****

For one of the very few times in his long life, Astarion had nothing clever prepared as a reply. He seethed as he felt his skin flush with the fresh blood when Halsin held his fingers. How is such a large man so gentle?

How he loathed that he could not hide the rosiness in his cheeks. But how he adored the druid for not mentioning it; for not poking fun. For the larger elf’s kindness and patience. For his willingness to see Astarion as more than a plaything, with which he could rut and then leave to rot.

“Halsin…” Astarion started, unable to resist pressing his cheek against the druid’s face. “I.. I appreciate you. More than you know.” He pulled his head back to look into Halsin’s eyes directly. They were as warm as the evening sun; as comforting as a crackling bonfire.

“I needed protection. People don’t trust vampires, perhaps understandably,” Astarion admitted with a nod of his head and flick of his hand, “so I needed someone to get on my side. Seduction has always been easy. It’s all I’ve known for centuries. But now...” His voice trailed off as his gaze drifted realms away.

Halsin waited patiently, dragging his fingers along Astarion’s long leg. His movements seemed aimless, with no intent on seduction. Astarion felt that the druid’s touch was an anchor for him. It tethered his mind to reality and the present moment. For once, he did not drown in a tumultuous sea of past memories. Astarion finally exhaled, his cool breath tickling the hairs on Halsin’s arm.

“I…don’t think I want you to think of me in terms of sex,” he admitted, meeting Halsin’s gaze again with his snowy brows knit upward. The corners of the vampire’s eyes became wet again; as chilled red wine in a glass, covered in dewdrops of condensation. “I don’t know if I want anyone to.” He turned his gaze down, pretending to study his nails.

His body shuddered as he choked back a sob, disguising it as a cough. Astarion knew Halsin likely saw through his ruse; he didn’t care either way. He could not look the druid in the eye. Halsin’s hand stopped its crawl and raised to Astarion’s chin, tenderly pulling his face to meet the druid’s. The larger man’s other arm curled tighter around the vampire’s back.

“Come now dear heart, do you truly see me as so fickle?” Halsin asked, his voice low and thick with hurt. “A river does not suddenly breach its banks to change course. Nor would a bear decide to be sated only with grass,” Halsin said with a chuckle. “Revolutionary upheaval is not the way of nature. Nor is it my way.”

The large druid placed his scarred forehead to Astarion’s pearly brow. Astarion couldn’t hold back the small smile that tugged at the edges of his own lips.

“I have lived a long time, Astarion. I have grown to understand my own desires. I will admit that you tempt me to ruin,” Halsin continued with a wink, rubbing his nose to Astarion’s, “and I would love to partake in your body, and share mine with you. But, that will only happen when, or if, you wholeheartedly want to do so.”

Astarion’s mouth fell open, but no words formed on his tongue, which had grown too heavy and thick to speak. All the vampire could manage was a nod, before tucking his face under Halsin’s chin. The tips of his pointed ears burned with heat as the druid’s thick arms held snugly against his waist.

Astarion felt as though his dead heart had begun to beat once more.

[thiriann]

Extraterrestrial - Chapter 3 "Insecurity"

My Githyanki playthrough inspired me to write a fic about my gith, Ilaara and Astarion's adventures. Haven't written in over a decade but Astarion got me to try again. Astarion POV for most of it.

This is a continuation of an ongoing fic.

You can also find me on AO3

Pairing: Tav X Astarion, F/M.

Content: Githyanki Tav, Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Alien Cultural Differences, Cleric Tav, Astarion Being Astarion, Flirting, Seduction, Biting,Vampire Bites,Blood Drinkin, no sex in this chapter but will be in later ones. Ongoing fic

Words: 2k

Summary:As the group readies to depart from the grove, Astarion finds himself wrestling with the mystery that is Ilaara.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The previous night had been incredible, but in the light of day, he could admit he had gotten carried away.

The irony was not lost on him—the first gesture of kindness he'd received came from someone not of this world.

As she woke, he approached, trying to gauge her feelings now that she’d had a few hours to mull things over.

“Good morning. How do you feel?” he tried to make his tone sound caring, yet there was an undercurrent of caution.

“I'm fine, I just feel a little woozy.” she replied, her rigid posture and stern expression belying her words.

“It'll pass. Just be glad I'm not a 'true' vampire. A bite from them and you might wake up as a vampire spawn, like my good self. All of a vampire's hunger, but few of their powers.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, lips pressed into a thin line. That confirmed it—he was a vampire; that's why he needed blood. She struggled to recall what she knew of his kind—so many creatures in this world, and his was not well-known. Fortunately, he seemed willing to share details of his condition.

Before he could decipher her expression, she asked ,“Any other drawbacks I should know about?”

“Oh, I've no idea. For two hundred years, the sun would have turned me to cinders. Until the crash, when I woke up bathed in its light.” he shared, revealing the thoughts that had plagued him since the crash “Someone - or something - wants me alive. They've changed the rules.”

“Standing in the sun, wading through a river, wandering into homes without an invitation - they're all perfectly mundane activities now.” he continued, his voice tinged with wonder.

“As for my other quirks - well, we can figure those out in time.” he concluded with a salacious wink.

“What's causing this? The mind flayer's parasite?” Ilaara inquired. It was highly unusual for the tadpole to cause such side effects, but then again, they hadn't encountered many of his kind who'd been infected.

“That's my theory, but who knows?” he mused. She hummed under her breath, this was a fascinating revelation indeed.

“I'm just glad you're being sensible about these revelations. I was worried people might turn up with torches and pitchforks.” he admitted.

“Although there's still time,” he added, glancing nervously over her shoulder.

Their teammates were approaching, standing by her side.

“A vampire among us? So be it.” Lae’zel declared sternly “For his sake, he best not develop an appetite for githyanki.”

She eyed Ilaara, her judgment clear. If all Githyanki tasted like her, resisting would indeed be a challenge—not that he would dare risk Lae’zel's wrath.

“Given our group's nature, I don't see much harm. We're each monsters in the making, after all.” Shadowheart chimed in.

A flicker of pain crossed Astarion’s features. It really was all he was in the end. Just another monster.

“Enough,” Ilaara cut through the tension “I trust him. He won't hurt us.”

“Quite the opposite. I'm here in the spirit of openness and honesty, to work together as a team.” Astarion asserted, hoping to bolster Ilaara's defense of him.

“Fine - he stays, 'til he's no longer of use. Besides, my flesh is not so easily tasted.” Lae’zel declared, her gaze lingering on Ilaara before she turned away.

“You say all the right words, but I'm not so sure you mean the right things. Still, I will respect the decision that was made.” Gale remarked, his skepticism apparent as he left.

Alone at last, Astarion exhaled a sigh of relief. One more hurdle avoided, for now.

---------------------------------------------------------

Luckily the day carried on.

Ilaara had refused to get involved in the squabble between the druids and the squatting tieflings insisting they didn’t have time to be sidetracked. True enough they could turn into mindflayers at any moment.

“We should gather supplies from the grove before we set to the road” she proposed, leading them to spend the day haggling for supplies bartering for goods.

“Ah, if it isn't the talk o' the camp?” greeted one of the grannies, her tone a blend of surprise and delight.

“It's a rare day I see one of you lot about. Thank goodness you came along when you - oh!” she gasped concerned “You look more green then yellow, petal! Are you hurt? Cold? Feverish?”

“Auntie Ethel will sort you out. I've lotions and potions galore!” she assured, bustling with an array of concoctions.

“Why she sounds positively demented.” Astarion mused with a grin “I love it! Let's tell her everything.”

Ilaara shot him a sceptical glance.

“She is not to know of the... our ailment. Only a gith healer may make us pure.” Lae’zel chimed in, scolding him.

“You could be friend or foe. Why should I drink anything you prepare?” Ilaara challenged.

 “I know githyanki make a habit of paranoia, but 'tis just a healing potion.” the granny retorted.

“A being like you knows of the gith?” Ilaara probed, suspicion lacing her tone.

“Yes, and you're as grumpy as I remember. No offence, love but...” Auntie Ethel deftly sidestepped the question “...you don't look well. Are you all right?”

“My health is my concern, not yours.” Ilaara snapped back, her patience wearing thin.

“Ah, don't be grumpy, petal. I only want to help.” The granny offered cheerfully.

“I've got a mind flayer parasite in my head.” Ilaara stated bluntly.

Auntie Ethel noded along - her eyes wid. “I see no sign of a tentacle yet, but that could change in an instant. You need help, serious help.”

“I've ne'er a potion or lotion here that could do it, but...” she trailed off thinking “...yes. I may have something at home!”

“You'll have to stop by my house - just at the edge of the forest! Let me mark it on your map. I'll be heading back soon, so I can meet you there.” She marked a spot on Ilaara’s map with haste.

“See you around, petal,” she called out, departing with a wave.

“We don’t have time to be paying house visits.” Lae’zel said pulling Ilaara to the side. “Our kin offer the only cure.”

“That is true.” Ilaara nodded in agreement. “We cannot trust this woman. But she was rather…unusual.”

“You there! Saw you fighting those slimy bastards.” an older tiefling bellowed,“Fancy a bowl?”

Ilaara arched a brow, intrigued. “This is a delicacy in your land? I’ll try anything once.” She said, accepting the gruel.

Astarion grimaced at the sight.  It appeared more repulsive than he remembered solid food being and smelled awful. His vampiric diet suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

“Ha! That’s a good attitude.” the tiefling praised. “Here. Have some more. We’ll need every bit of strength to make it to Baldur’s Gate. Trust me.”

---------------------------------------------------------

They’d managed to pick up the famed Blade of Frontiers as part of their little group, much to Astarion’s dismay. He was chasing some devil from the hells, and Lae’zel claimed they didn’t have time to help him in his mission, but Ilaara had insisted they needed to help every infected so as not to spread the mindflayer infestation. Even in the middle of the wilderness, they’d managed to take into their camp the first monster hunter they’d found.

At least everyone knew Astarion was a vampire now, so he wouldn’t have to worry about their reaction, but having Wyll at the camp still made him feel very unsafe. Ilaara had protected him after he’d bitten her, but for how long would that continue before she found him a threat? She would undeniably stand against him if he told her he intended to take control of the tadpole instead of getting rid of it.

He had to hurry up his plan and win her over to his side.

Still, despite her unexpected generosity, she seemed rather unimpressed by his charms. He could hardly tell on her face, always scolded in a neutral expression, a true soldier she was.

He had the urge to ask her to Three-Dragon Ante, just to see who'd give away less out of the two of them. But he tried to push aside notions like that and focus on the task at hand. As time went on he slowly started noticing the small shifts in her expressions, the briefest changes really, but he noticed. All the time spent  studying her was paying off bit by bit. He had to know though, if what he was doing was getting to her. He supposed he could always take a small peek inside her mind and confirm or deny his suspicions. But the sheer thought of going into her head, her mind uninvited, repulsed him.

Doubt crept in. Usually, his charm and a few flirty lines were enough to get potential targets at least partially interested. Should he switch things up? Attempt a show of martial skill, or... gods, what did gith even find appealing?  Maybe it was the nose? He had overheard Lae'zel talk about it, calling it a mistake.

That brought an interesting idea to mind. The following day, he procured what he needed. As the camp settled into rest, he took out a mirror he had stashed from one of the vendors they encountered. He had often wondered about the face so many raved about, the one so many drunken songs were sung and poems written. But much to his disappointment the tadpole hadn't affected that – he still didn’t possess a reflection.

Bitterness swelled within as he gazed into the void.

“Looking at something?” he asked, noticing Ilaara's approach.

“Just looking. What are you doing?” she asked.

“I'm looking too, but not seeing very much. Another quirk of my affliction.” he sneered at the mirror.

“Vanity is a weakness.” she deadpanned, not really surprising him with her declaration.

“It's an indulgence, I'll grant you, but a weakness? A well-presented face can open a lot of doors.” he said, swifty changing his expression to an easy, welcoming smile with ease.

“Not that I've seen this face. Not since it grew fangs and its eyes turned red.” 

“What colour were they before?” Ilaara asked, perplexed. She had no idea eyes could change upon this kind of transformation.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she made a note to document the vampire-specific detail she was learning into the tir’su slate.

“I... I don't know. I can't remember.” he confessed, surprising them both.

“My face is just some dark shape in my past. Another thing I've lost.” he hissed, throwing the mirror in anger.

Unexpectedly, she leaned into him, catching him off guard.

“What?” he asked, confused.

 “I'll be your mirror. What do you want to know?”

“I want to know what the world sees when it looks at me. What you see.” he implored.

“An elven vampire spawn, approximately 5'11", medium build...” she began listing.

“Gods above. Would it kill you to dispense a compliment?” he scolded.

He felt a twinge of delight at the panic that flashed in her eyes. Her composure faltering for just a moment.

“When you smile, your face wrinkles. It is comforting.” she said finally.

“Excuse me? I'm an eternally young vampire, not your doting grandmother.” he retorted, pretending to be insulted. “You can do better. What else?”

Her eyes twinkled with understanding before she answered, “That dangerous smile.”

“Very good. Now just tell me I'm beautiful and we can call it a day.” he waved, pleased.

Ilaara gave him a strange look then, a little half smile on her face. She’d never called anyone beautiful before. Physical appearance had never mattered much to her people and neither had observations regarding it. But as he stood before her now, she couldn’t deny his enchanting features.

“You're beautiful.” she conceded.

“Observant.” he stated “Mirrors aren't much use, but being reflected in someone else's eyes?”

“ Well, I could do worse.” he smiled, clearly pleased with their interaction.

He watched her as she walked away. It seemed his little experiment had proven successful. With a significantly boosted ego, he strolled out of the camp preparing to hunt.

[cheeserwinkle]

just a quick thing to explain her adventure in five minutes XD

In Act 1, Vic looks overjoyed because she is finally helping someone outside the temple. All her life she has been mentored by her mother, so she is happy to meet people who need help. She is trying to solve the problem in Emerald Grove peacefully, convincing Kagha, but nothing works (Cain and Lae'zel are very active in helping to slaughter the goblin leaders.. Vic does not even manage to question these creatures about their religious and cultural component)

In the same act, she meets Voss and their first interaction is "бе - ме"

In Act 1,5 she takes the egg from varsh Ko'kuu and now she has a son. In general, there are a lot of interactions with giths in the crèche, because there are a lot of teenagers and children there (who will gladly beat her up but we will miss it).

When Voss shows up for the second time to convince Lae'zel, Vic tries to strike up a conversation again. This time to ask him about a historical reference, since he is an important figure in gith society. Of course, he doesn't like this attempt to conduct an "interview," and he doesn't like the fact that she took the egg and is going to raise it either. But she is a prism carrier, so he have to put up with it 🤷🏼‍♀️

In Act 2 Vic helps Minthara and, surprisingly, they are united by a newly hatched Xander and an interest in giths. In addition, Vic becomes friends with Lae'zel and Astarion despite the great difference in personalities. It's funny that she didn't make friends with the good guys (except for Karlach lol).

The end of Act 2 and the beginning of Act 3 breaks her mental state. Especially when she finds out that the Emperor is an Ilithid (and not her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother). It breaks her even more that she had to kill the entire Honor Guard in Xander's face, that leaves a small child very traumatized. Vic blames herself very much for this.

In Act 3, her and Voss's relationship warms up a bit, as she convinces him to stay in the camp and accept treatment, otherwise he'll catch something and die before Orpheus can see him, lol. This allows them to get to know each other better and she finally interviews him! (xD) But seriously, he becomes her support (rather their depressing deliberation) and the last hope that at least Xander will survive. After all, Voss isn't infected, he has a dragon - he can fly away and take the child with him. She even negotiates with him about it.

And in the third act, she becomes... well, a vegetable. Vic has no motivation to help or do anything, and does not believe that the Dead Three's plan can be defeated. She doesn't believe that their team can save the world and all that. Most of the characters solve their problems on their own, without her involvement.

As for the ending, there is a canonical one for her (where the elderbrain is defeated) and Au's. In a good ending Orpheus is alive and, in general, she agrees to help against Vlaakith, because she perceives the gith society as more dear to her. And the relationship with Voss is developing further.

Something like this.

[animentality]

Baldurs Gate 3 made me genuinely emotional tonight.

I got to the githyanki queen part where Laz'ael is all emotional about obeying the gith queen and she's furious that you aren't siding with her, but I was like...no, Laz'ael. Please don't leave.

We've been through so much together.

I love you.

I don't want you to go.

And when you plead with her, she's all like...you knew what choice I have to make.

And I'm like...;-;

But Lae'zel...you're my girl.

You've been on my team since the beginning.

I wanted to have you until the end...

[thetavolution]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companion!Tav Ask List

Paloma Silkflower

What if your Tav was a recruitable companion, instead of the main character?  (contains major spoilers for the game, and for some dark urge runs as well)

General

Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act? The PC meets her on the Nautiloid. She's immediately over Shadowheart and Lae'zel's bullshit. She's hyper focused on getting out.

Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav? She's a drow so some people has some pretty nasty stuff to say. Wyll, Gale, and Karlach are chill because that's who they are. No one trusts her at first because they assume she worships the Spider Queen. Over time, they realize they were wrong about her.

Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions? Shadowheart: "She proved herself back on the Nautiloid. She'll be useful to have at our side in battle." Astarion: "I'll be blunt. I don't trust Astarion as far as I can throw him, but I can deal with him." Gale: "I've never seen a wizard stuck in a rock before. I guess there's a first time for everything. I'd be lying if I said I didn't find him endearing though." Wyll: " It's nice to know that there are real life prince charmings in the world. It'll be an honor to fight by his side. Let's just hope he doesn't end up getting sidetracked trying to save a princess." Lae'zel: "Gith may be brutal, but they're also fearless. If she's on our side, we're in good company. But we better stay on her good side." Halsin: "I think everyone has been drooling over that man since he came to camp. I can't blame them. I wouldn't be against climbing Mount Halsin myself...." Karlach: "She's a firecracker, isn't she? She's a fantastic addition to our little team of freaks. It's been so long since I met someone who just radiates goodness. She's doing wonders for my heart." Minthara: "You don't expect me to be happy she's here, do you? You can't put a Lolth and Seldarine in a room together and hope for the best. (sighs) While I wish you hadn't recruited her, I'll get over it for the good of the team." If you have high approval, she'll add, "I trust your judgment above all else." Minsc: "I already love Boo so much. I'd keep Minsc around for for his sake alone. All jokes aside, it'll be an honor to fight alongside Minsc. He's a good man." Jaheira: "I'm afraid I've only recently learned of her exploits, but I'm thoroughly impressed. I have a lot I'd like to learn from her. We also need someone around who can bust our chops a little bit."

What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval? She has a soft spot for kids, especially orphans. If the PC is kind to children, they'll get approval points. She'll also be impressed if the PC can talk their way out of confrontations.

Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions? The PC can driver her off. It's not easy, but it can be done. If her approval rating is too low, she'll leave on her own. If you pick insulting options too often, she'll ditch you, too. She will not tolerate that kind of abuse.

Do they have any secrets that can be revealed?  What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light? She's secretive about her past, but she can either be persuaded to confide in the PC or a future quest will reveal her secrets. It's mostly about her sister. (More on that in a bit.) I might expand on this idea more in the future. She's also a mom, but she keeps that a secret to protect her kids. If she trusts Tav enough, she'll tell them she has three.

Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game?  Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes? Her sister will make an appearance later on and you can choose to help her or not. Her sister, Lamia, is a criminal who is constantly getting into trouble. She's being chased by the authorities and you can choose to help her or let her get arrested. You could also possibly break Lamia out of prison later. Lamia will help in the final battle if you help her stay out of prison. If she goes to prison, she obviously will not be able to help.

What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp?  How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again? Stay in camp: "Are you sure? You know, if you need me, you can call on me any time." To go adventuring again: "At the ready. I get worried about you when you go off without me." (Even if she's not romanced, she will say this platonically. She will either see the PC as a lover or a sibling.)

Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight? Oh yeah, she and Minthara are at each other's throats. Minthara underestimates her and Paloma looks down her nose at Minthara. If the PC plays their cards right, they can get the two of them to tolerate each other. They might even eventually respect one another with the right choices. Or the PC can egg them on. It will lead to a fight and possibly a death, or just one of them leaving for good.

Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game? Paloma grew up in an orphanage called the Holy House of Nym. It's run by Ilmater clerics and the PC be able to meet the clerics who raised her. Paloma isn't particularly fond of many of the clerics. Note: Paloma is from an original story and I named the House of Nym before I knew anything about BG3. It having the same name as Nym Orlith was an accident. Lamia, a changeling rogue, grew up with Paloma at Nym and she's an optional NPC to interact with. She's like a sister to Paloma, but she's also an absolute disaster. You can choose to help Lamia escape from the authorities or leave her to her fate. Allie is a barbarian Dragonborn that Lamia pals around with. Allie is kind of a meathead who likes to spit acid on people. You can also decide to help her escape capture or let them both go to jail. If you help them, you can call on both of them for help whenever. Lamia would do anything for her sister. Paloma will be surprisingly understanding if you don't want to help them. If you do help them, you get a HUGE approval boost with Paloma. You won't get disapproval for not helping though. If you go to the babysitter's house, you can also meet her children, Orianna, Lucan, and Meriele. The babysitter has yet to be named.

Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner)  If you help any orphans, she might be tell the PC a story of her past. This is one of the potential ways for the PC to discover she was orphaned as a child. She can regale them with a story of her childhood. She'll also mention keeping her "little sister" out of trouble. If Ilmater is ever mentioned or read about in a book and the PC knows she's an orphan, she'll talk about how the orphanage she grew up in was run by Ilmatari. She has a complicated relationship with Ilmater worshippers. If Tav knows about her kids, she'll also talk about the shenanigans they get into. Gale will probably chime in because he relates to being a precocious kid. It'll be cute.

Story Specific

How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor? She 100% doesn't trust them. "I don't know what to make of them, but I don't trust them. How do we know they actually have our best interest at heart?"

How do they advise the player character on Raphael? "Don't trust a devil. Nothing good can come of it. He can smell our desperation and he will prey on it."

How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character? "I told you! Didn't I tell you? I knew there was something up with him. ...I don't actually care he's a vampire. It makes him kind of hotter, if I'm being honest. But the important part is I was right!"

How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them? "So... can we take turns doing this, or is it a one time deal?"

How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power? "Gods... why would you do that? Are you trying to become a mind flayer?" She'd also check up on the PC to make sure they're okay. She'd be genuinely very worried about them and acting like a mother hen until she was convinced they were okay.

Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently? If they side with the goblins, she'll leave. She can't help but feel for the tieflings, especially the kids. She also has no interest in rubbing elbows with goblins in general.

What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party? She'd retreat to her tent to drink a glass of wine alone. She's not a big partier, but she'd be personable if you approach her.

Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with?  She'd approve of anyone you bed, honestly. She knows she's traveling with a group of hotties. She'd have a very "Go you" reaction. She'd also ask for details later.

Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander? "I understand the appeal of the nice shiny sun cannon, but I stopped understanding at the part where you let it crush me! Gods, what were you thinking?" If you have high approval, she'll add, "You're lucky I like you so much. I forgive you." If you don't, you'll have more options to either apologize or antagonize her.

How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar? "Do not put stuff like that in your mouth. You're going to make yourself sick!" A second time: "No! Bad! Put it back!" Sometimes her dialogue will be redirected at another companion, "Have they done this before? You'd tell me if they did something like this before, right?"

What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown? 1: "I saw a clown in the Underdark once.... His corpse was used as a warning for any other clowns that dared come down." 2: "Do you really wish to see me up there? Or do you just have a thing for humiliation and didn't tell me?" 3: "Well... our friendship was nice while it lasted." / If romanced, "I hope you don't plan on trying to crawl into my bedroll tonight after this stunt."

Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal? Yes, she can be. Orin would pick up on her trying to be a big sister/mom to everybody, but she'd 100% overplay it. She'd perform her like a really bad OOC fanfic of Paloma. She'd make her freak out that she couldn't protect "her babies" and the PC would be able to see through it. It'd be a lot like Halsin, but about protecting the group. When rescued, she'd be grateful. "Thank you. It's good to know I can always count on you. Now let's get out of here. It smells like someone died in here... Huh. I'm hearing myself say that and feeling very stupid."

How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn? I think she'd be so heartbroken if he ascended. He grows on her and she wants to protect everyone. She just wants the best for her little crew. She'd tell the PC how sad she is Astarion ascended, but would still want him in her life. She would also be touched if Astarion spares the 7000 spawn, but worried out of her mind. She just doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer?  Can they offer to become one themselves?  Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?  She wouldn't but only because of her kids. She can't become one because of them. She would be so sad if the PC becomes one, but she'd never leave their side. She'd take care of them and stay with them if romanced, no matter what.

How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them? She'd be scared, but she would be there for the PC. She's supportive and loving. She would have a suspicion of what's going on, but she'd keep it to herself until later.

How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira? "Did you do this? Please... please, tell me this wasn't you. Gods, why? Why would you do this to her?" She'd still be suspicious she knows that the Dark Urge is a Bhaalspawn, but she'd never say it. She'd just do everything she could to help the PC.

If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2? When she first wakes: "Love...? Is everything alright? What's happening?" After being told what's happening: "You wouldn't be the first lover who tried to kill me, but I do wish it would stop happening... Whatever is happening to you, we'll get you through this." She would be supportive as always and protective. She would talk the PC through it and stay calm for them. She'd calmly and firmly ask for an explanation afterward.

Romance

Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them? Yes, she is definitely romanceable. She'd pretend she's hard to get, but she is not.

Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough? In order to get things moving faster, the PC can flirt with her and let her know they're interested. If the PC gets her approval high enough, she will bring it up first. It just takes a little longer before she feels confident in making the first move.

Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option? She's a poly option. She'll just ask the PC to communicate with her about their needs/wants.

Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party? If her approval is high, she'll flirt with the PC and make the first move. But the PC will also be able to ask her to spend the night with them. She'll take you into the woods to spend the night together.

Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take? She would have a pretty straightforward path, even if you take a poly angle.

How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them? She'd be really upset about it, but trying to put on a brave face. She would try to act as if she doesn't care, but the PC definitely broke her heart. She'd also probably get in a jab at whoever the PC left her for... and immediately feel bad about saying it. She'd apologize for that. She would ask to stay friends.

What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test?  The heart is fraught, so let us begin with the joyous. When is Paloma happiest? A. When she's curled up in bed with some snacks and a good book. Or if Tav knows about her kids: When she's with her children. ★ B. In the Underdark. C. When she's with me. ★ (If romanced.) D. While fighting on the battlefield. Listen. Think. What is Paloma's greatest fear? A. Spiders. B. Letting everyone down. ★ C. The Underdark. D. Losing her children. ★ We often gaze through a veil of roses, but love accepts both the petal and the thorn. Paloma - what is her greatest flaw? A. She has a huge ego. B. She holds herself up to an impossible standard. ★ C. She's greedy and prioritizes money above everything. D. She spreads herself too thin. ★

If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin? She's into it. (In my play through, she's romancing Astarion and Halsin.) She'd hope he'd be down to let her join in.

How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor?  Haarlep? She doesn't want to tell the PC what to do, but she'd disapprove of Mizora because of what she did to Wyll. It'd be less about the sex and more about who it was with. It might get her to leave the PC. She'd disapprove of the Emperor and Haarlep, but she would be empathetic toward the PC.

Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no? She would! She'd love it.

What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in? She'd propose and there'd be an option for the PC to beat her to it. She's poly, but not against marriage. (She's also willing to be monogamous for someone she loves. It's not something she HAS to have.) As long as the PC accepts her children, she wants a future with them.

Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au! I'm actually planning on doing some VO shorts with Paloma, Lamia and Tessa. Just for fun! It'd also be some voice acting practice for me.

[bhaalble]

tell me about orroros i would like to know

*points* tricked! Deceived! Now you fall into my trap (thank you)

Ok so. Important context around Orroros. I had a first playthrough for BG3, a half elf ranger based on a preexisting oc, where I basically fucked around for 6 hours, did everything wrong (did not. Figure out how to long rest until about 3 hours in and only found Shadowheart and Lae’zel which made combat exactly as fun as you are imagining) before I decided to scrap it all and go in fresh. Meaning I KNEW githyanki would likely have some shit early on. I was curious to see if the game would automatically make you a part of Lae’zel’s squadron/part of the githyanki that are attacking the Nautiloid. It does not. Lae’zel doesn’t seem to have a clue who you are. There are a thousand reasonable explanations for this.

I instead elected the way of complications.

So. Orroros Bor’gialyz. Is NOT githyanki. They are githzerai. The githzerai are offhand mentioned once or twice in Baldur’s Gate 3, but (at least as far as I can tell), we never see one or hear a lot of explicit reference to them outside of some flavor text. The githzerai are a distinct faction of the gith. Basically, post slave revolt with a lot of mind flayers having been wiped out, Mother Gith was full steam ahead on wanting to take the illithid empire for themselves. Another gith, Zerthimon, objected to this, saying Gith was essentially planning to replace one tyrant with herself and that the gith wouldn’t benefit from perpetual warfare. Civil war breaks out between their followers, with the two factions becoming the githyanki (or “children of Gith”) and the githzerai (“those who resist Gith”). Accounts split on how things ended up, some believe Gith defeated Zerthimon and others say he defeated her, but let her live. Ultimately, though, the githzerai wind up retreating deep into Limbo. They spend the following centuries mostly in monastic contemplation and developing their psionic abilities. Githzerai society tends to be pretty staunchly isolationist, preferring to withdraw from Astral Plane politics. However, they do keep warriors on hand and are known to send out strike forces when they believe either the mind flayers or the githyanki are mobilizing to do something severe.

Into all this drop Orroros. Orroros is a stormborn sorcerer: their powers were acquired when lightning struck their cluster of eggs, leaving them as the only survivor. This marked them pretty early on as Gith To Watch Out For: plenty of Gith have some magical ability, but by virtue of not having bloodlines in a way that matters for magic sorcerers are pretty rare. They were pulled into Limbo a little younger than would typically be allowed, largely to start preparing them for the path to becoming a zerth (in essence: a religious and political leader adept at magic, combat, and their own inborn psionics). This is where their soldier background comes in. They’ve been leading squadrons in routine missions since their teens, though its only recently they’ve been allowed outside of Limbo.

Obviously, everything going on in Baldur’s Gate pre-game was making a lot of noise. It was noticed that a lot of mindflayers and psionic activity taking place in Fae’run, as well as the fact that the githyanki were sending a LOT of dragon riders in that direction. Orroros’ team was sent to find what they could. The mission was ultimately unsuccessful and they were given the order to pull out. Orroros sent their team on ahead, lingering behind to clean up the last remnants of their presence...only to get grabbed by the Nautiloid in that exact moment. 

When they next wake up they’re right next to a warrior in githyanki silver armor and the journey does not improve from there.

Githyanki and githzerai aren’t simply factions at odds: they hate each other almost as much as they hate mindflayers. And with more githyanki bearing down on the nautiloid Orroros believes that even if they managed to get the upper hand on Lae’zel they may likely be attacked by anyone who came here with her. At which point they make the panic-fueled decision to pretend to be githyanki. And just sort of. Keep doing that when they hit the ground, because god knows when they’re getting back home and they truly cannot afford to be either killed by Lae’zel or lose Lae’zel’s help if the truth comes out.

This was the rp hook I kept up for Act 1 pretty much up until the creche, that Orroros is doing their level best to pass as githyanki and ultimately. Doing a pretty miserable job at it. They’ve never directly interacted with any before, their knowledge comes from books and from githzerai accounts, most of whom tend to paint the githyanki as bloodthirsty power-mad despots all too brainwashed to realize the lich queen is marching them to their deaths. Which, yeah, Lae’zel doesn’t initially do much to unseat that, but it does mean the performance can feel extremely disjointed and cartoonish at times. Their companions definitely know they’re up to SOMETHING but none of them know enough to understand what. Lae’zel assumes its the sort of posturing a young githyanki does when they’re scared and insecure and is mostly just irritably waiting for them to drop it and get real.

This is mostly comedy right up until the Creche at which point. Shit gets uh. Very Real very quickly. I had them avoid it as long as they feasibly could while still dodging the worst suspicion. Mostly because it represented more chances for them to be outed by anyone who knew anything. This is, however, also where we get into what wound up being the ideological meat of what I wanted to do with Orroros: the idea that “here’s a race, one of them is bad and violent and the other is weird but peaceful” is usually dumb. I wanted to deep dive into a lot of the inherent complications of this shared point of collective trauma (ghaik slavery) and also the devastation of this kind of factionalism. There are a lot of the worst excesses of githyanki society that the githzerai avoid, they generally tend to be less supremacist and also have much less of a crush on the imperialist system that created them to begin with. But that isolationism creates a supremacist view of its own. The revelation I think Orroros has on actually forming a relationship with Lae’zel, seeing the creche, meeting Vlaakith, and finally understanding this other half, is that githzerai have been leaving the githyanki to rot for centuries under a different kind of master. And that maybe sucks of them a little. Lae’zel, the youths they meet in the creche, Voss, clearly none of them hatched out of the egg brainwashed and violent and evil. There were always systems of power that made them that way, and there was always more to them than the people they had to perform as.

At that point, Orroros’ directive shifts internally, from a desperate need to return home, to an understanding that the best way to serve their people might just be to make them whole again.

Some other minor background notes, because this definitely isn’t long enough:

-Mind over matter is a huge concept you run into with the githzerai, a product of a pretty heavily monastic culture as well as a species with a lot of experience being on the receiving end of psionic torment. This is mostly relevant to Orroros in terms of their relationship to pain. Part of their training involved being taught how to endure a great deal of suffering without revealing information or betraying their directives. In theory it was meant to encourage discipline and stoicism. What it actually did is cause Orroros to link pain with both their inherent value and with praise from authority figures. This was a fun thing to resurface during the Abdirak scene and became the foundation of their eventual affinity for Loviatar in general.

-Githzerai tend to be a little less hierarchical, though still pretty militarized. I extrapolated out from this a different philosophy of leadership. Where Lae’zel attempting to being in control of a situation tends to be a very top-down “I’m your C.O. so fall in line or fall behind”, Orroros tends to prioritize the furthering of the goals of the group as a way of sustaining morale. They tend to be very reluctant to voice their own opinion until everyone else has been heard out first, and focus on making things happen for the people they consider as part of their squad. This also means that they have a tendency to be very two-faced with their companions and apply inconsistent standards to them as individuals. Whatever keeps the unit moving.

-Astarion was the first to figure out that they were githzerai, largely because he could sense SOME secret and kept probing until eventually it was easier to tell him and keep him quiet than to keep dodging the question. He didn’t particularly care for a while, mostly because gith internal politics are a little niche for even his bottomless appetite for gossip. Was sort of fun to hold over their head though. They had a relatively antagonistic relationship for the first few weeks, largely because Astarion read them as uptight and boring (only 60% true) and Orroros was both devastatingly attracted to him and desperate to not be upfront with that. Astarion’s a culture shock for someone who comes from an ideological background as inherently collectivist as githzerai culture is. To their eternal horror they found that selfishness and blatant willingness to use horrible means for his own ends only made him more compelling. That and the fact that they have the same sense of humor deep down.

-For all their world weary commander attitude, they’re relatively young (barely 30, and that’s complicated by virtue of how Time Works in the Astral Plane) and also, extremely sheltered. Most of the things they know about they know about by books.

ANYWAYS. Thank you for indulging my madness I have. So many thoughts this isn’t even all of them but I figure nearly 2k words was a good stopping point. 

[talesandfluff]

Fandom ask game: 3, 9, 24 ❤️

Thank you so much for the ask!

3. NoTP?

I don't think I have a lot of those anymore, so it's not exactly a NOTP, but I'll say I absolutely cannot find any joy in shipping Shadowheart with any man, including the companions. That's somewhere I don't go whatsoever.

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

These days I mostly read Critical Role fanfiction, however I'd say for BG3 you can't go wrong with A First Time for Everything by @gunpowdercarousel, where Lae'zel learns how to cuddle with Shadowheart :) It made me "aww" audibly multiple times.

24. What's your favorite thing about [character]?

I'm gonna say it for my girls.

Lae'zel: She is markedly nicer than any other gith lol. Like for a githyanki, she is a model of patience, kindness, softness. It would make her ashamed but from the get go she has something different about her. The gith socialization didn't completely destroy her good heart.

Shadowheart: best ass in all of Faerun I love how petty she is lmao, that girl can drop a mean zinger just like that I adore her

Karlach: Easy peasy, it's her optimism. She never gives up and she lives every moment like it's the last (till it eventually is…). I admire that a lot about her and it makes her breakdown in act 3 all the more impactful.

Minthara: As I've played more with her in my team I've realized she is much more open minded than I'd anticipated after act 1. I don't know if I expected a Lae'zel clone or something, but she really often has unexpectedly nuanced takes on moral situations, is able to show sincere compassion and understanding, etc. She is far more morally complex than just this drow killing machine image of her.

Fandom asks <3

[optiwashere]

Baulder's Gate 3

Act 4

One Last Score: Help Aylin and Isobel real quick it'll be so quick like a ten-day tops come on guys please we can do it together as a team. Y'all know you want to. It'll be so fun! And we get to see Aylin and Isobel again!!! Huh. Huuuuhhh!! You'll love it come on I already packed :)

*rolls persuasion with advantage*

So far we've gotta

Help out with Aylin and Isobel's Selûnite shenanigans

Help Karlach fix up her engine for good

Do Operation: Nocturne where we get her out of Shar's grasp

Potentially get involved in the gith conflict (and people need to learn about githzerai!!! They're the best!)

Easy-peasy, Larian. I'm sure that wouldn't take years and years of basically making an entirely new game.