#30 questions for durge

[sorrowfultales]

18, 29, 10 and 17 for the Durge questions 🔫

You work fast my friend I'll give you that

30 Questions for your Dark Urge

10. What motivates your Dark Urge to either embrace or resist the tadpole?

For Anathema I think it initially boils down to that moment in the nautiloid when the woman inside the pod turns into a mindflayer: The thought of going through the same things is just unthinkable. Not only because it looks painful as fuck, but also because despite her amnesia, Anathema has this "feeling" that she's "perfect" and to risk tainting herself with ceramorphosis (or in this case just the tadpoles) almost makes Anathema physically ill. She has this urge (ha) to keep herself as she is: Father's perfect little brid-DAUGHTER.

17. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest regret?

This one is HARD (I'm still not sure of many details of Anathema's story) so this answer may change in the future. Right now I think her greatest regret would be Enver. Just… Him. Not in the sense of meeting/working/falling in love with him, but more the "what could have been"s of their relationship. What if she had seen Orin's attack coming? What if she had defied Bhaal sooner? I can see her torturing herself over the many what ifs; just imagining what a whole life with him would have been like. Daydreams about what might have happened if she managed to convince him to kill the brain and be a hero to the city with her… Sad hours, man.

18. How does your Dark Urge feel about love?

This one is even harder… Damn you tumblr user @/wilchur!!!!!! Well, love is complicated for Anathema. Not just romantic love, but any type that isn't whatever fucked up thing she feels for Bhaal (and even that is a mess most of the time). Anathema had a normal childhood (for the most part) and back then I think she thought love was the way her mother brushed her hair or how her brother would carry her on his shoulders, but after she was taken in by Bhaal, he started to eat away at all those good things and replace them with nothing but him. For decades "love" is the dread she feels when her Father is near, it's the status he gives her, it's the promise of heated touches in her dreams. For a long time, love is Bhaal. She would only start to truly "branch out" once she met Enver and started to venture out more by herself, away from the Temple (where her father's control over her is stronger). She realizes that love is how Sceleritas takes care of her, it is the way Gortash holds her by the waist and whispers in her ear. (In Triumvirate) it's the taste of Ianira's blood on her lips, the feel of her fingers on her skin. Later, when she has forgotten how Father's love feels like, it's the smell of Gale's cooking, the sounds of Lae'zel sharpening her daggers for her, the sensation of Shadowheart braiding her hair, how Wyll hums when she helps him apply salve around his horns, how Karlach lifts her off the ground when they hug. It's Astarion's surprisingly patience when teaching her how to disarm traps. Damn this got deep all of a sudden.

29. What advice would you give to your Dark Urge?

Advices… Damn. It depends where she is in her life I guess. When she's a child… I guess my advice would be to not visit her parents that fateful year when Bhaal made her slaughter them. I wouldn't tell her why, but just "hey maybe just writing to them is enough". When she's Chosen, my advice would be "run". Just bolt, girl. When Gortash offers you a way out mid a passionate speech full of implied feelings and sexual desire, TAKE IT. After the lobotomy, I guess my advice would be "promise Gortash you will marry him if he fixes Karlach and helps you kill the brain". It would save her a lot of time.

[masterskywalkers]

Questions for Tavanna [Part Four]

Part one - with links to the original questions - can be found here.

16. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest desire?

Tavanna's greatest desire is control over her own self. To not have to fight against a part of her she desperately wishes didn't exist, nor had hold over her. It's what she constantly fights against, knowing that to give in to the urges would only make her a slave to Bhaal.

17. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest regret?

Alfira's death.

Tavanna was fond of Alfira. She thought she was sweet and kind, and her desire to adventure alongside them was a contagious warmth. She was hopeful that they might become friends eventually, and Tavanna found Alfira to be very talented with her music.

Her death was the first sign that something was very wrong within herself, and Tavanna quickly felt guilty for killing her. She never really recovers from that guilt and carries it with her even years later. Tavanna had even begged Withers to bring her back, but Withers refused on the grounds her fate had been set.

18. How does your Dark Urge feel about love?

Pre Orin's betrayal - Tavanna had no concept or thought of love. As Bhaal's chosen she used sex and affection as a tool, especially when it came to her 'relationship' with Gortash. Anything that helped her to further her goal, it didn't matter to her how she got there.

Post nautiloid crash - Tavanna didn't really think much about love to begin with, not until she started finding allies and building real friendships and connections with them. She quickly came to realize that she liked having friends, and that the people she surrounded herself with were people she had grown to care about.

19. Has your Dark Urge become particularly close to anyone romantically and/or platonically in their journey? If so, who, and what is the relationship like? If no, why not?

Tavanna is closest to Astarion.

At first, she didn't like him. At first, they tried to kill each other, their first meeting ending with the pair of them aiming their daggers at one another. She didn't trust him, and sensed early on how avoidant he was when the subject came to focus on him beyond what she thought was only petty vanity and pride.

But as they got to know each other more, Tavanna found herself warming to him. There were a few occasions where he surprisingly made her laugh with a sharp and unexpected comment he would make, but it wasn't until one evening when they both sat near the campfire just talking that she realized they could be friends.

By the time the Tiefling party happens, Tavanna feels that Astarion is one of her best friends among those she's come to travel with. She's surprised when he propositions her, but figures that yes, she is rather attracted to him, and if he's proposing a night together then there's no harm in joining him.

One night becomes two. Two becomes three -- until she soon realizes that they have fallen into a friends-with-benefits situation.

She comes to realize she might care more for him during their time in the Shadowlands. Tavanna keeps that revelation to herself - she doesn't think it's proper to say anything while he's supporting her with her own growing fears of her urges, and she's learning more about his own past with Cazador.

They do eventually confess that they share mutual feelings that are deeper than what they expected after the meeting with Araj, and when Tavanna learns about Astarion's true emotions when it comes to sex, she's very quick to support him and suggests that they put that sort intimacy on hold for however long he needs. That, and she thinks it'll be nicer for the two of them to learn how their new, fragile relationship will work on a more serious level, since it's a new experience for them both.

After Cazador's death, both Tavanna and Astarion tell each other that they love one another.

Tavanna is also closest to Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and Gale. Gale had fallen for her a little bit at the start of their adventure, but when he realized she didn't share his affections he soon backed off, giving her space and instead taking his place as one of her best friends.

Tavanna also has a very high admiration for Jaheria after she joins them. They have a bond that is unlike that she shares with others - Tavanna thinks the closest she could describe it as being is like Jaheria were a mentor to her.

20. Is your Dark Urge open about their Urge or do they try to hide it? Why?

Tavanna doesn't hide her urges from her companions. She feels it's important for them to know that she is struggling with this part of herself and that they need to be warned in case she ever becomes a danger to them that they need to be rid of (her companions refuse to kill her, which frustrates Tavanna to no end to learn because 'I'd rather you guys protected yourselves if I lost myself than risk your lives'). She confides her fears and thoughts the most with Astarion though, especially after the night when she nearly kills him. He encourages her to talk in the same way she gently encourages him to share anything he feels comfortable sharing with her, and he ends up being the person who knows best how to help her when it all becomes too much for her, or knows to read the signs when she needs a moment to stop and remind herself who she truly is.

Jaheria eventually becomes a valued confidant too, as her past experience with bhaalspawn helps to reassure Tavanna that, as long as she can keep her urges under control, there is a chance her life can go ahead with some sense of normalcy.

[alpaca-clouds]

Trying to figure out Gortash's backstory

As I said before, I am right now very much inspired to write a redemption story for Gortash. Like post-canon, Gortash lives AU (because I still hate that he dies), and he actually gets a chance to redeem himself. Not only like: He turns good, but he actually does something good enough to be considered a redemption. And he does so without dying.

But... Yeah, that story is going to be from Gortash's POV, which means that I very much need to come up with some fillings for the big ass holes that the game leaves in terms of his backstory.

We don't know how old he is, but I would estimate him to be around his late 30s or early 40s. Which means we kinda have like 20 years to fill up.

While the entire timeline of Raphael "buying" him from his parents and him escaping the hell is very vague, he was probably somewhere between 18 and 20 when he got out of the hells. And the exact stuff what happened in between is vague. Even how he escaped the hells is not quite clear. I mean, was Helsink responsible for that? Or how did he get out?

And then he starts to do illegal weapons trading once he is back in Baldur's Gate. Which is fair. I am going to assume that he is actually going to throw some stuff in there that is of his own making, given that he clearly is a tinkerer.

Given Karlach is 30, I do not think he hired her before she was 15, so at max she has worked for him just a couple of years.

I mean, technically those details don't matter. What does matter however is: How does he become a Chosen of Bane, and how does he get into contact with the Dark Urge?

As quite a few people have pointed out: Technically the Dark Urge existing is very confusing given that they have been created by Bhaal and Bhaal was dead for about a hundred years until ten years ago. So unless Durge is ten years old, this does not fully make sense. Sure, technically speaking Durge could be immortal, I guess, but... Well.

See, the issue I see with Gortash is, that I just do not pick him as the religious type. I do not see him going to the Banite church and actually give enough fucks to make himself a name in the church and after some great show of faith getting the status of chosen. I mean, if you talk to him, he just... Ketheric is devoted to Myrkul, sure. And Orin was indoctrinated into the Bhaalist cult from her birth onward. But Gortash? He would follow nearly every god if that god gave him powers. At least that is my reading of him. Sure, the entire tyrant thing plays well with his pompous and kinda narcissistic personality (and I mean this in a neutral way - given how he grew up narcissism in a medical sense is to be expected), but... Like, had Oghma thrown him a boon, he would have served Oghma, right?

So, why is he a chosen?

Usually chosen are either one of two: Either, they are very dedicated to the god and have proofen themselves to them over and over again, or they have something (power, knowledge, influence) that the god is interested in. As I don't see Gortash falling underneath the first umbrella, the second one could be it. Was Bane interested in Gortash maybe, because Gortash had a lot of knowledge about the hells maybe? Was Bane originally interested in the crown or something else that Gortash knew about? That would be one possibility.

Though, there is another one. Because it just so happens that in the lore of Faerûn something happened just 8 years ago, that could have given him chosen status without him doing shit for it. Even though it would also mean, that him being a chosen is almost random. Because 8 years ago the second sundering happened. And during the second sundering for a variety of reasons the gods picked quite a lot of chosen. And yes, that included the Dead Three as well. And a lot of those chosen were in fact not people super dedicated to the gods or anything, but just people who generally aligned with the domain and alignment of the god in question. And I cannot help but wonder: Was Gortash just one of the chosen Bane got from that event?

It would work out fine. Because there is one thing that keeps bothering me: Sure, Gortash kept secrets from Karlach. But she still was his personal bodyguard. And she had no idea that he was aligned with Bane. Which makes me think that indeed he was not a Banite when he sold her off to Zariel.

And yeah, I cannot help myself. The timeline would work out rather well: Gortash becomes a chosen closely prior the events of the second sundering, but after he sold of Karlach. After a bit the Dark Urge (who somehow very much is an adult, because I guess he time travelled or something) finds him. The two hit it off (whether romantically or platonically) and come up with their grand evil scheme. At some point Ketheric joins.

Of course, there is one big hole in that explaination, though: Who are the other people working for Gortash while he just is a black market weapons trader? If he was a Banite it would be easily explainable (other Banites), but like this it leaves open the question: Who are they and what happened to them?

I don't know. I am rambling. But yeah. I like this asshole. And his story is fun to think about.

[xxnashiraxx]

AO3

๋࣭⭒๋࣭ ⭑ Fics ⭑ ๋࣭⭒๋࣭

✧˖ With Stars to Fill My Dream: Main ongoing long-fic isekai story following the events of the game. Releases every other Sunday!

A street-smart, musically inclined human girl with a tragic past gets abducted by a nautiloid after her painfully average shift at a retro singing diner. What's worse- putting your all into Olivia Newton-John and Travolta for lousy tips, or getting your guts ripped out by a gnoll? Or worse- getting turned into a hideous humanoid squid?

Ofelia Montez will have to see if she can survive long enough to find out.

🗡Chapter 1: Chasing Rabbits 🗡Chapter 2: Known Me, Broken By My Master 🗡Chapter 3: But It Was a Trick and the Clock Struck 12 🗡Chapter 4: Behind a Broken Frame 🗡Chapter 5: Close Your Eyes and Hear My Secret 🗡Chapter 6: My Thoughts You Can't Decode 🗡Chapter 7: From Now Our Merge is Eternal 🗡Chapter 8: Born in Blood I'm Not Like You 🗡Chapter 9: Darkness Helps Us All to Shine 🗡Chapter 10: Let the Dystopian Morning Light Pour In 🗡Chapter 11: Try to Keep the Truth From Showing Up 🗡Chapter 12: You Know How Much You Broke Me Apart 🗡Chapter 13: Moving Through the Silence Without Motion 🗡Chapter 14: I've Held On but I Feel a Storm Approaching 🗡Chapter 15: Coming 12/8!

✧˖ Kinktober 2024: Small collection of fun prompts featuring Astarion and Ofelia from my main fic.

🗡Prompt 1: Incubus Astarion + Fanart! 🗡Prompt 2: Breeding Kink/Sex Pollen + Fanart! 🗡Prompt 3: Inappropriate Use of Tadpole/Melted Candle Wax/BDSM

๋࣭⭒๋࣭ ⭑ Lore ⭑ ๋࣭⭒๋࣭

✧˖ With Stars to Fill My Dream Art: My Art: Character Portrait & My Art: Ofelia Portrait WIP) Commission of Astarion and Ofelia Dancing from Chapter 12!, My Art: Spoiler Art of Ofelia (See After Chapter 8!), My Art: Sad Ofelia Portrait, Amazing Art of Ofelia and Alfira as a Promo for Their Tiefling Party Performance by the incredible @bby-bel!

✧˖ Ofelia's Playlist: #1 Mitski ,

✧˖ Extra Screenshots: Astarion & Ofelia Meeting, Karlach Meeting,

✧˖ Ofelia Lore: OC Smash or Pass, OC Insight: What Kind of Love Are You?, OC Patron Saint Game, OC Deep Dive:Ofelia, All About Your Tav/Durge and Their Romantic Interest, 30 Questions Ask 1, 30 Questions Ask 2,

✧˖ Extras: Ofelia Moodboard 🖤🩸

✧˖ Future Scene WIPs and Drabble: Potential Future Smut Scene,

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the new tag list!

✧˖Tag List: @khywren @allymcfee @pinkberrytea

[daemon-in-my-head]

OK but how fucking old is Gortash really?

I've seen a lot of people hc him to be somewhere in his 30s, some mid 30s to early 40s.

Meanwhile my ass is sitting here like, mid 40s at best. Maybe even early 50s.

That man is scrunklier than my Durges, and I'm smashing the mature slider the way I'd redacted.

Tldr; how fucking old is that man. Rugan is supposedly in his 50s, and his wrinkles are comparable to the tyrant's. Yes, I've sat down to compare them, sue me. But the question remains.

[bharv]

are there any canon ages for the three chosen + durge? if not, do you have any headcanons regarding their ages?

Ooooh juicy question anon thank you!

I don’t believe there is any canon evidence about the ages of any of the chosen including Durge. All we know is that Durge is at least 31 years old, because they would have needed to have been over their majority by around a year minimum (which is 15) during the events of Blood in Baldur’s Gate.

As for headcanons…

I’ll start with Orin. Durge calls them little sister so we can assume she is younger, though Durge could be anything from 30 to centuries old to literally having been blinked into existence so that doesn’t give us much. I personally think she’s in her twenties still though, probably late twenties, but again I try not to look TOO close to the lore as it starts to peel away in to difficult territory when trying to marry it to Murder in Baldur’s Gate (side note how nuts would it have been if Orin had been born after that and is only wearing the skin of an adult and you realise she’s actually a kid playing dress up?)

Ketheric is so hard to tie down across his lore because I truly don’t think we are supposed to take any of this literally. Also like. He’s dead lmao I don’t think he’s aged in about a century. But even then I think he must have been an elder, probably coming up to his 140s when he died.

Gortash. Handsome younger man? That’s a man in his early fifties to me. I feel like he’s been around the block and reinvented himself enough times that he needs some good years below his belt. But again really anything from 35-60 makes sense to the canon, I’m just going off appearances and when people generally start to come into their own at that level of politics and learning.

[baldursgrave69]

Hands

Listen folks, I have been trying to write this fic for two months and it's finally done.

Rating: NSFW - MATURE, MDNI

Pairing: Enver Gortash x fem!durge (named)

Word count: 2.1K

Tags: MDNI, afab!durge, unprotected sex, piv, vaginal fingering, feelings, oral sex,

While writing this I was listening to: Pork Soda by Glass Animals

Agnes sat with her hands folded in her lap, leaning back in her chair as Ketheric Thorm droned on about his plans to build an army for the Absolute. Enver Gortash sat across from her a quill in his hand as he jotted down notes on parchment. Every time Ketheric opened his mouth Agnes would immediately tune out, she couldn’t stand his tendency for verbosity when it wasn’t necessary, and the way he could go on a tangent for 30 minutes about a painfully specific frontline strategy.

Agnes looked around the room trying to find anything to distract her from the general’s droning. Her eyes landed on Enver’s hands, the golden gauntlet he often wore tapping against the table as his other hand continued to scribble on parchment. She always told him how much she hated the unnecessary, gaudy accessory he insisted on wearing. And she did. He always insisted on embellishments and accents on his clothing that Agnes didn’t feel were necessary. She did perfectly fine flashing a blade to get her way. But he insisted that sometimes it was better to simply “talk” to people rather than threatening them. And apparently appearance meant everything when “talking” was involved.

As Agnes eyed the man’s hands, she couldn’t help but think about what the cool metal of his gauntlet might feel like on her body, the sting of the metal against her bare skin would feel so delicious. She wondered how it might feel for him to wrap his hands around her throat, the tips of his gauntlets digging into her flesh as he squeezed.

Agnes felt heat rip through her, desire burning inside as she fantasized about what Enver might do if he knew she was having these thoughts about him. She could feel her pulse flutter, her face felt flushed and her body felt warm. Agnes bit her lip as she extended her foot, grazing it up Enver’s pant leg across from her. She watched his face, his even expression wavering ever so slightly as she ran her foot up his leg. She felt him rub his leg against hers as he asked Ketheric a question, his hand continuing to drum on the table.

Agnes watched his fingers tap the table, the voices of Enver and Ketheric a drone in the background as she imagined Enver Gortash pounding into her, his hand wrapped around her throat.

Agnes felt a kick under the table, her eyes shooting up to meet Enver’s who widened his gaze at her, subtly tilting his head in Ketheric’s direction.

“What?” She said without thinking, straightening up to look at the general. Ketheric pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, taking a deep breath before addressing Agnes.

“I was asking your thoughts. On all of this,” Ketheric said with a sigh, knowing very well Agnes had no idea what they had been talking about.

“Oh, right. I’d rather hear Gortash’s thoughts,” she redirected, looking in the Baneite’s direction.

“If you’d been listening, my dearest, you would have already heard my thoughts on the matter,” he said with a confident smile, nudging her foot with his. Agnes huffed, kicking his shin and standing from the table.

“I trust you will make the right decision, then. Are we done here?” Agnes grumbled, looking in Ketheric’s direction.

“Just be here tomorrow for our meeting,” Ketheric sighed, waving his hand at her to dismiss her. Agnes spun on her heel, exiting the room and heading for her office.

As Agnes made her way towards her office, she could hear the all too familiar click of Enver’s boots following her down the hall. She kept her pace steady and her head down, entering their shared work space and heading towards her desk. She heard the office door close and lock behind her, a smile crossing her face. Agnes braced her hands on her desk as he came up behind her. Her breath hitched as she felt Enver’s hand wrap around the column of her neck, the metal gauntlet digging into her flesh.

“You little brat, distracting me during our meeting” He growled, his tongue tracing the tip of her ear. Agnes leaned back against him, she could feel that he was already hard, his erection pressing against her ass. She let out a low chuckle, grinding against his crotch. Agnes felt him tighten his grip on her throat, his other hand sliding down her front and dipping into her pants. He pressed his fingers to her cunt, groaning at how wet she was.

“So wet already,” he hissed, biting down on her shoulder as he teased her entrance with his fingers.

“You can’t even make it through a meeting without wanting me to fuck you, can you?” He said, continuing his teasing causing Agnes to moan loudly.

“I just can’t stand listening to Ketheric. I had to keep my mind occupied somehow,” she breathed, his hand still wrapped around her throat.

“Don’t lie,” he growled, shoving two fingers inside her. Agnes yelped at the sudden sting of his fingers in her cunt, breathing heavily as he pistoned in and out of her.

“Is this what you wanted?” he whispered in her ear, his thumb rubbing her clit as he continued to fuck her with his fingers.

“Gods, yes,” she moaned, his fingers hitting that sweet spot inside of her that made her tremble. Enver squeezed her throat as he quickly pulled his fingers from inside her. Agnes groaned at the emptiness, needily grinding against him. Enver spun her around to face him, walking towards her and backing her up against her desk. He pried her mouth open, shoving his fingers inside.

“I want you to taste just how needy you are,” he growled as she swirled her tongue around his fingers, spit dribbling down her chin. With his other hand he dragged his fingers down her neck and chest, the cool metal scratching her skin.

Agnes took a deep breath as he removed his fingers from her mouth, the feeling of his hands touching her body was exhilarating, she craved his touch. She couldn’t help the smile on her face, she knew exactly what she was doing.

“You make it so easy for me to get what I want, Enver,” Agnes purred, hopping up onto the desk and wrapping her legs around his waist. She placed her arms around his neck, tangling her hands in his hair.

“You’re insufferable,” he huffed, pressing his lips to hers. Agnes pulled him closer with her legs as she kissed him, pushing her tongue into his mouth.

Enver dug his fingers into her, the sharp claws on his gauntlet ripping into her clothing. She moaned into his mouth at the sting of the metal against her skin. She could feel him break skin as he clawed at her, his teeth clacking against hers as he kissed her roughly.

“Clothes off, now,” he hissed as he pulled away, pointing at her with his gauntleted hand.

“Hah. Or what?” Agnes smirked, crossing her legs.

Enver wrapped his hand around Agnes’ neck, squeezing so that the metal claws dug into her skin. Her breath hitched as he pulled her closer, hovering his lips over hers.

“You distract me in an important meeting and then act like this? Who do you think you are?” He hissed, squeezing harder as he bit her lip. Agnes could feel blood drip from her mouth as Enver bit down harder.

Agnes let out a laugh, pulling away to press her fingers to her lips, feeling the blood begin to drip down her chin. She swiftly kneed Enver in the groin, causing him to fall to his knees before the bhaalspawn. She pulled a dagger out from behind her, toying with the dull edge of it.

“You forget who you’re messing with, Baneite,” she said as she tangled her free hand through the man’s dark, messy hair. Agnes pulled Enver’s head back so that he was looking up at her, pressing the dull edge of the dagger against the man’s neck.

“Now, be a good boy and I may give you what you want,” she said with a smile, leaning down and softly pressing her lips to his. Enver let out a huff, giving in and leaning into her kiss. Agnes threaded her hands into his hair, pulling him up onto his feet towards her. She hopped up on the desk, beckoning him towards her with her finger.

“You want my clothes off? Do it yourself,” she smirked, spreading her legs slightly and leaning back on her hands. Enver narrowed his gaze as he approached her, quickly tugging her shirt up and over her head. His eyes trailed her chest as he unhooked her bralette, allowing it to slide off of her shoulders. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers as he cupped her breast, his thumb rolling over her nipple. Agnes felt his thumbs hook into the band of her trousers and small clothes, yanking them down in a swift motion. He pulled away, sliding his hand down her leg and gently removing her pants and boots one leg at a time.

“Very good,” Agnes purred, watching Enver’s gaze darken as he looked her over. He rolled his eyes, closing the gap between them and leaning in to press his lips to hers.

“Ah ah,” she said with a tut, pushing him away from her. “Your turn,” Agnes smirked at Enver, gesturing for him to remove his clothing. He huffed at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You think you can just order me around like some dog?” His body betrayed his words as Agnes watched his erection strain against his trousers, his breathing heavy and gaze darkened.

“Yes,” she said, cocking her head to the side as she dragged her fingers through her folds, a moan escaping her lips. Enver watched as she traced circles on her clit, her head falling back as she pleasured herself.

“Hells below,” he breathed, a hand palming his hard cock through his pants. Agnes looked up at Enver, locking eyes with him as she pushed two fingers inside of her cunt, her breath hitching as she languidly fingered herself.

“Fuck it,” Enver hissed, hurriedly pulling his shirt up over his head and tossing it to the side. Agnes watched, continuing to piston her fingers in and out of her cunt as Enver quickly undressed, his length springing free from his pants. He kicked his trousers to the side, one hand pumping his impossibly hard cock as he walked towards her. Agnes groaned as she watched him spit into his hand, lubricating his length, resting his free hand on the desk.

“Let me fuck you,” Enver breathed, pressing his forehead to hears as he watched her fingers trace circles over her clit. “Please,” he added, bringing the head of his cock to her entrance, teasing her with the tip. Agnes bit her lip, nodding as she felt him nudge the head of his cock inside her. Enver slowly pushed himself inside of her, bring his gauntleted hand up to cup her face.

“You drive me mad,” he groaned, burying himself inside her. He could feel her tighten around him as he languidly fucked into her, grunts escaping from his lips.

“Gods,” Agnes moaned, her mouth hanging slightly open as he increased his pace, pulling her as close as he could with his free hand. Agnes brought her hands up to his neck, wrapping her arms around him as he fucked her. Enver brought his hand to her throat, wrapping around it and squeezing.

“Yes, please don’t stop,” Agnes breathed, his hips pounding against her. Agnes felt the air being punched from her lungs, growing dizzy from the bruising pace and his hand wrapped around her throat. She could feel waves of pleasure ripping through her as her orgasm rapidly approached with his cock pounding into her.

“Come for me Agnes, I know you can,” Enver growled, loosening the grip on her throat as he pressed his lips to hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, his thrust becoming more erratic as his own climax began to build. Agnes pulled away from the kiss, burying her head in the crook of his neck as she came, obscenities falling from her lips. Enver held her close, fucking her through her orgasm, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he chased his own.

“Gods I- I’m,” Enver grunted, biting down on her shoulder as he spilled into her. Agnes could feel him throb inside of her, his teeth still buried in her neck. Enver pulled out of her, breathing heavily as he rested his hands on either side of her on the surface of the desk. Agnes smiled at him, caressing his cheek as she caught her breath.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Enver huffed, still trying to catch his breath.

“I hope so, my dear tyrant,” Agnes whispered against his lips.

[smallnico]

7 for the ask game.

hell yeahhhh thanks for asking!!

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

i already touched on this in the romance ask but, as is the durge way, esper's arc is hinged on whether they embrace or reject bhaal. i do like to imagine that the facts of their arc are more of a flavour to the actual conflict with esper, which is about doing what you're meant to do versus having the freedom to fuck around and just exist.

hella elaboration under the cut, it's long lmao

esper is a character who doesn't feel entitled to anything. everything they have is a gift they owe someone else, and that gift requires constant vigilance and maintenance to avoid disrespecting the person who bestowed it upon them. they'll never admit it but one of their greatest shames is that they sometimes feel proud of the hand they've had in cultivating their own skills, because it really does require a lot of work, but none of that work is really theirs to give or take pride in because the way they see it, it's really the least they could do.

especially when they don't have any memories, and all they have is the frantically cobbled-together mask of behaviours that assure that the people they're travelling with won't abandon them, nothing esper has feels like theirs, not even their mind, not even their body. they will do anything in their capacity to be useful to and liked by the people around them, and when the voice of their god and creator tells them to kill, the only thing really stopping them is an (in their/bhaal's mind) stubborn and spiteful flaw in their soul that insists that they don't want to -- they want to do something that's all theirs, that they can actually feel proud of, they want to feel like their messy and complicated existence as a person is true and worth something, that it isn't just a mistake someone made while trying to craft the perfect tool.

the choice for the player is complicated by the fact that esper is really very good at killing and magic, and is extremely receptive to being told what to do. they won't disapprove of your choices if you're evil or good, as long as you're good at what you're doing. when utilized correctly they're versatile and efficient, and they'll make themself useful to you like their life depends on it by offering psychic insights into the people you come across, saying the things you're afraid to say, offering to stay back as a sacrifice, all that jazz, because their comfort zone (even without memories) is Being Used. they compare themself to a well-balanced sword or an instrument -- someone crafted it with love and skill, and it would be both a shame and a waste to not sharpen it, tune it, use it, maintain it, let it do what it was meant to do. let the sword swing and find flesh, let the violin play in a concert hall.

(sidenote: i have in my mind the idea that you gain approval from them by passing skill checks to resolve situations in clever ways, and lose approval by failing skill checks where the consequences matter -- because esper would feel a twinge of disgust at the type of person who, say, lets a child that they were Trying to save die because they overestimated their own abilities and clearly didn't care enough to ensure success or adequately assess their own limits. if you fail at something you care about esper Will make you feel worse about it. they suck lmao)

but at the end of the day, esper isn't an object, and it's kind of the fundamental tragedy of their existence that they were made to be both a person and a tool, so the mere act of using them as bhaal intended to would be an act of violence. esper has character quirks that embarrass them: they have medicine proficiency, but their bedside manner is atrocious -- they love having money, and they will get SO frustrated if you spend it frivolously -- they have a soft spot for mischief and for the thieflings, and they're always down for a childish shenanigan (even if you have to persuade them so they can save face) -- a good cuddle makes them so incandescently happy they don't know what to do with themself -- the moment you make them feel okay with showing you things they will show you the cool rock or the weird bug they found -- they loooove messing with people and Will play along immediately if they notice that's what you're doing -- esper is always down for theft and fraud and scamming people --

-- that's esper. point is. resolving esper's internal shame and self-loathing by telling them to embrace bhaal and efface their chance at personhood is less a matter of whether they'll be a good or redeemable person or not (because even if you do get them to reject bhaal they're still a bad person lmao) and more about whether they'll be A Real Person or not. by embracing bhaal, esper concedes that the right thing to do is to cede control to the higher power that determines their use, to which they owe their existence, that their whole personality was a distraction and a mistake from the inexorable pull of their destiny, and fighting against it to begin with was an act of disrespect for which they'll be atoning forever.

and you can't really Tell esper to reject bhaal, either. like, you can, and they will, but it will be because they like you more and they're ceding control of their destiny to you instead. you kind of have to patiently encourage them to do what they want to do and get them to a point where when faced with the decision to embrace or reject, and you ask esper what they want to do, they can honestly say that they would rather be dead than in the hands of a creator that designed them with personhood specifically To Have That Personhood Violated, but they can also look at you and honestly say that you helped them see that they wanted to have a life anyway.

and then bhaal kills them but withers brings them back yay

if you read all this i love u. thank u again for asking!!

[chizups]

30 QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DARK URGE

Durga multiclassing Storm Sorcery and Bard College of Lore. Since she is a gnome, brute strength is not a thing she can use in her daily Durge activities really. Makes sense for her to be a master of the word and be able to cast magic from early ages to be a capable fighter and persuasive leader.

[pinkberrytea]

30 Questions for Your Tav!

From this post!

Your Tav as a Companion

1. What would your Tav’s greetings be (at different levels of approval)?

Negative

“Hm… hm…” “Hm, yes?” “Er…”

Neutral

“Oh, hello.” “Hm? Oh, I’m sorry, did you need something?” “Yes? How can I help?”

Medium

“Oh, you’re here!” “Oh! Is there anything I can do for you?” “Hey, you!”

Flirting

“Hm? Oh! Oh… h-hi!” “You’re here! I-I mean, what can I do for you?” “H-hello! Wait, does my face look weird? Ugh, please don’t stare!” “I was just thinking of you! O-oh, I’m sorry, did I say that out loud?”

Partnered

“Yes, love? Whatever it is you need of me, I’m yours.” “Oh, my love, just gazing upon you makes my chest feel so tight…” “Is such happiness really possible? Sometimes it doesn't feel real...” “Oh, darling…”

Bhaal’s Chosen

“This body is but a vessel. Words are useless.”

Broken up

“Oh, uh… hi.” “Please... please don't.”

2. Describe their tent setup! What’s on the outside? The inside?

Mav’s tent would probably be very humble and barebones at first, since she never really owned anything prior to her abduction. However, with time, I could see her trying to spruce it up with stuff she finds along the way, maybe decorate it with candles and flowers, books, pillows, cute stuffed animals Karlach would get her as gifts. Needless to say, it’s Mav, so the color palette would consist of mainly whites and reds!

3. What would their character quest be titled? Why?

Since she’s Durge the boring answer would be “The Dark Urge”, of course, but if I were to give it a Mav flair, maybe something like “Bloody Rose” could work?

4. What would your Tav’s romance scenes look like? How many would they have?

Oh, this is a fun one! I’m guessing Mav would have three romance scenes, one for each Act:

Act 1

Once the player raises her approval enough, a dialogue option will become available when speaking to Mav, something along the lines of “Careful there… a less charitable soul might mistake your overfamiliarity for flirting.” She would blush in response, and ask if it bothers the player that she’s been trying to get closer to them. If the player replies it doesn’t, then she’ll ask them to meet her later, and the next long rest, she’ll have an exclamation mark over her head. Upon speaking to her, the scene will trigger: she will take the player to a secluded place in the forest, where they can take a walk and talk in private. After some light banter, she’ll start by saying that from the moment she left the Nautiloid, she’s been stuck in a living nightmare, and everything terrifies her, most of all herself—this darkness within her that she still knows not the source of, and her past, a shadow looming threateningly over her. “But with you… I feel safe. Safe from myself.” The player is then prompted to choose whether to say they’re scared of her too, kiss her, or pick up a flower and tuck it behind her ear. The first option ends the scene (and the romance—bby gurl is hurt 😔); the second initiates some soft lovemaking in a field of flowers; and the third gets the player +15 approval with her after she gives them the sweetest little giggle and a peck on the cheek (the player may initiate lovemaking with her here as well by asking if she’d be okay with it).

Act 2

Since she’s Durge, Mav’s Act 2 romance scene would have to be tied to Durge’s Act 2 resist scene. It wouldn’t be that different from the original, except the player would witness the scene from the perspective of the love interest being woken up—they’d have to pass a persuasion check to get her to admit what Sceleritas has told her (if they don’t, rather than murdering them she’ll run away and spend the night by herself, and in the morning, end the romance while claiming she doesn’t want to risk anything like this happening ever again). After hearing what she has to say, they’d then tie her up and stay by her side throughout the night, whispering words of comfort in her ears. Once the Urge leaves her, she’ll be incredibly thankful and ask the player if she can hug them—if they agree, they’ll become partnered with her!

Act 3

Mav’s Act 3 romance scene varies greatly depending on whether she has resisted the Urge or become Bhaal’s Chosen—in the latter case, she won’t be herself anymore, the real Mav will be dead. However, the Urge will allow the player to use her body if they so wish; if the player accepts, this will immediately trigger a scene where they engage in rough, bloody sex with her on top of the altar at the Bhaal Temple. By the end of it, they’ll have to pass a perception check to stop her from sticking Bloodthirst inside their chest.

If she has resisted, then instead she’ll be crying quietly at camp, and the player can offer to comfort her—they’ll then take a romantic bath together under the soft moonlight, during which the player helps Mav wash away all the dried blood while making sweet love to her. The morning after, she’ll thank them for trusting her, for seeing the good in her even through all the darkness. “You cared, even when I had already given up on myself. I’m yours, body, mind and soul. For however long you’ll have me, I’ll be there. This I promise.”

5. Describe their idle animations!

Playing with her hair while idly rocking her body back and forth, tail swishing leisurely.

Sitting on a chair near her tent while sipping on some tea and reading a book (and nearly spilling the tea over the book at times).

Picking up a flower and tucking it behind her ear, only to then panic thinking someone is watching her and taking it off immediately.

Bending over to pet Scratch and the owlbear cub.

Looking at the player like she means to walk towards them, hesitating, trying again and then giving up.

6. How would the player go about meeting them in Act 1? What is their introduction?

Mav would be kneeling by one of the dead bodies at the Nautiloid crash site, holding her head with both of her hands, covered in blood. As soon as the player approached her, instead of scurrying off or attacking, she’d jump into their arms crying while saying something along the lines of “Dead… dead… they’re all dead… I’m scared…” Welp, see the mousy little weirdo with the big wet doe eyes and the offputting and unstable disposition (who may or may not be a tad homicidal)? Congrats, she’s your problem now!

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

Mav is Durge, so her arc would be pretty much what we already see in-game. However, unlike with her canon counterpart, the Urge is a separate entity from herself. If she does decide to embrace Bhaal, this will thus result in a complete erasure of her individuality—instead, she will become an avatar for the Lord of Murder, and Mav as the player knows her will be no more.

8. After Act 3, what does their life look like? What are they talking about at the reunion party?

This varies a little depending on whether Astarion has ascended or not—if he hasn’t, then the spawn will be gone and they’ll be traveling the world looking for a way for him to be in the sun. While they do eventually settle down and realize that their life together, however imperfect, is already happy enough as is, at the time of the party, they’re still out and about, staying awake throughout the night and then sleeping during the day. Mav is his own personal blood bag, and it becomes rare for him to feed on anyone else that not her.

If he has ascended, then they’ll also be traveling, but for entirely different reasons! Mav wants to see the world, and he is more than happy to indulge her, pampered little consort that she is. He puts his plans of taking over Baldur’s Gate on hold for her; while Mav knows that she cannot get him to give up on them completely, she does try to gently distract him from his ambitions, wanting nothing more than for him to realize that living eternally in each other’s arm is in itself a privilege unlike any other.

In both cases, she is his light in the darkness, the trembling flame keeping him from being consumed by the shadows, albeit in different ways. And in both cases, they adore each other deeply and are attached at the hip, codependent to a fault. At the party, she doesn’t talk much about herself, unless prompted; the others can tell though, that she loves him, he loves her back, and they’re each other’s home—this will never change.

Back to Basics

9. What’s the significance behind your Tav’s name?

Mav actually has two different names! Sol, the name given to her by her foster parents, means “sun” in Latin, so that’s a simple one. As for Mavka, her real name, it means “the dead” in Old Slavic. Mavkas are a type of nymph or female spirit in Ukrainian folklore, known for luring young men to their deaths, although their evil is not always intentional. I like the contrast between the two names, I think it encapsulates her duality well!

10. Does your Tav have a last name? Is there a meaning behind it?

Mav was adopted into the Provoss clan, an upper class family hailing from Baldur’s Gate, whose patriarch, Sigurd Provoss, was a fervent follower of Tyr. He’d take her in under the pretense of raising a devilish child into a devout woman, yet as time passed, his fanaticism would consume him completely, to such extent that he’d forsake all else in his fixation with dominating her, including the family business. This would inevitably result in major losses to the Provoss’ now abandoned cattle herds—by the time of their untimely demise, the clan had been facing near destitution.

11. What is your Tav’s go-to comfort food?

Mav loves sweets foods, especially berries and milk tea!

12. Does your Tav have any tattoos or scars? Why?

Despite Mav’s torture at the hands of Kressa, the tadpole would prevent her from becoming scarred then; her only scar thus dates back to when she was still a child, resulting from the first in a series of events that would culminate in her awakening as Bhaal’s Chosen. Specifically, the base of her left horn has a nasty scar on the spot where it meets her skin, though it’s usually concealed under her hair. It was made by her own foster sister, who’d ambush her one day in an alleyway alongside a group of friends, brandishing a rock: “We’re family, right? Yet we don’t look alike at all. I mean, look at you—you’re a foul-blood! As your sister, I’d be doing you a kindness by ripping off those hideous things on your head.” They’d then hold her down and start hitting her with the rock, cutting a gash across her forehead—at that moment, Mav would finally give herself to the Urge, losing consciousness momentarily only to wake up with blood on her hands and the ground beneath her painted red with the innards of her attackers, who’d all been brutally murdered.

13. What is your Tav’s main color palette? Why do they choose those colors?

Mav is a whites and reds girlie through and through—she probably gravitates towards reds in particular due to her Bhaalist origins.

14. Where are they from? What was home like?

Mav is from Baldur's Gate, born and raised!

15. Is your Tav more likely to fight/flight/freeze/fawn?

Freeze, at first. Depending on the situation, also fawn.

16. What do they do for fun, when not adventuring? What are their hobbies?

Mav loves reading, mostly poetry and sugary sweet romance novels. The cheesier, the better!

17. Do they have any enemies outside of the main plot? Any friends?

Outside of the main plot, not really. None alive, anyway.

18. Where/with whom do they feel safest?

With Astarion—he is her safe haven, her anchor, her shield.

19. What is their MBTI Type?

ISFJ-T (Defender)

Deep Dives

20. What is their relationship to touch? Do they shy away from it? Do they need it to feel present?

Mav is very cuddly (and touch starved). Bear hugs, head pats, nose rubs, forehead kisses, she loves it all, though she doesn’t typically initiate pda—girlie is a bit shy!

21. Describe a defining moment from their past, which makes them who they are today!

The demise of her foster family by her own hand—or rather, by the Urge, as she was but a passenger inside her own body then, forced to helplessly watch them die one by one, crying out her name while begging for mercy.

22. How is your Tav’s relationship with their family? Their parents?

Mav’s foster family was terribly abusive towards her, her father most of all. He was obsessed with her, to the point of insanity, and this would in turn earn her the resentment of her foster mother and sisters—who truth be told, he’d treat horribly as well, yet when at one point Mav tried to bond with her mother over his victimization of them by telling her about his nightly visits to her room, instead of compassion and understanding, she was met with a slap across the cheek: “Don’t you dare speak of this, not now, not ever. Ungrateful child.” Her real family was of course not much better; Bhaal, her true Father, saw her as a means to an end, a sacrificial lamb, made to be consumed and then cast aside as soon as she was no longer of use to him.

23. How does your Tav act in situations of stress? In moments of peace?

In moments of peace, Mav’s presence is comforting to those around her; in situations of stress, she tends to either freeze or look to others for help.

24. What does your Tav consider to be their own biggest character flaw?

Mav is painfully self-aware and knows full well that most of the time, she comes across as too clingy and gullible. Her thirst for connection also makes her rather prone to selfishness and hypocrisy; she’s willing to forsake her morals entirely for those she loves. In that same vein, she hates that she cannot just let herself be kind without associating any so-called selfless acts with her overwhelming need for acceptance.

25. What is something they would die on a hill over?

Her love and devotion to Astarion. Especially as his consort, she will not allow others to imply she is not by his side of her own volition: “Please don’t patronize me. You think I don’t know what I’m doing? That I’m some damsel in distress? I know you mean well, but please don’t pretend that you understand this. That you understand us. You don’t. No one does.”

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets!

Mav actually can’t hold her liquor at all, so she usually abstains because she’s terrified of making a fool of herself. She will cry, puke, ask everyone if they love her, beg for their forgiveness, lean on them and fall asleep, drool all over their clothes. Her cheeks also become super flushed—Astarion thinks it’s adorable, and a bit hilarious.

27. What is the worst thing they’ve ever done/said to someone they love?

Nothing. When confronted by Karlach about choosing Astarion over her, Mav would say nothing. She was lying in her tent then—instead of apologizing, giving an excuse, saying anything at all, she’d hide under her blankets and start sobbing quietly, like the heartless coward she is. Karlach would forgive her eventually, though Mav still doesn’t believe herself worthy of such grace; of such love.

28. Describe a smell that reminds your Tav of childhood.

The metallic stench of stale blood.

29. What fears keep them up at night?

Herself; the Urge.

30. What does your Tav want more than anything?

To be loved. Deeply. Unconditionally. Forever. For good.

[veliatra]

Also a little tidbit about Gortash being a Banite...:

((and dwelling into a scolding of Bane? + Very very sporatic tid bits of information. Tried to organise part a bit better with titles.))

Long text post, no tl;dr

You die like me(n)

First impressions; false information;

There's a good reason why Gortash seeks to have a temple to Bane made, with all the massacres a hundred or so years before wiping out most Banites or turned to Cyrics; Ixachtu Xvim or underground. So at this point whatever he has organised with the clergy is well.. most of it.

He doesn't strike me as that typical worshipper; not a wizard, not a cleric. I'd say he does follow the hierarchy and well; with the way he is followed around by other Banites, him being 'the chosen' would mean he's the current version of The High Imperceptor. Everyone would bow to him, kiss his feet, kneel etc. He'd have the remaining to be on his call.

Expeecctt that whole thing? BULLSHITE.

The temple to Bane was converted back to Bane worship a few decades later in the mid 14th century; and Bg 3 is set in the late of 15th.

After the Time of Troubles when Bane was ressurected he re-established his worship

So by then things are settled and Gortash's SIMPLY spreading it. Albeit/presumably without as much backing as in it's golden days. Riding on the new wave of 'cool to worship gods' (I don't presume to know trends. I guessed he is an emo hunk who'd love some edgy god who died and came back. Isn't it like just the choice you'd have made at 11 in an IKEA with a floating black stone on a cool stand?)

Scolding of Bane

Also Bane, tf you keep causing calamities. Chill dude. You died when you walked among your followers, come now, you thought now that you're vulnerable it would be best you fought other gods? Yeah, pretty characteristic if YOU HAD NO BRAINCELLS. I mean yes, you had the chance to take matters into your own hands and not let silly mortals fail and stumble. FiNe.

But I digress;

Gortash as a Banite;

he's the choosen, but is he the High Imperceptor? Well, no? Yes? No. He's far too busy with the Absolute to also tend to the Banites. He's definitely high ranking, maybe even above the Imperceptor(?), BUT not with the same responsibilities, he doesn't look like he does more than benefit from the clergy. He borrows manpower, sure; and maybe he aims to be eventually even more hence he wants to build a temple to Bane.

The hierchy has strict rules on how to treat those above you, he definitely likes that when it's directed at him, not him giving. Which begs the question: he had to be at the bottom of that ladder at some point. He had to do kneeling, bowing maaaaybe even a boot kiss or two.

That said; he maybe a worshipper, and a chosen, but is he a proper part of the church? Well yes, but do you consider a christian the same way part of the church as a priest at a temple?

He's saint level perhaps in those terms.

There was a trend among Bane worshippers: face tattoos. Sadly we didn't get that with him. Would have been cool, but alas, handsome mid 30's younger man is our to marvel at.

Bane comes to him in dreams to direct him and Durge; he commissions a painting of him and a bust according to how he came before him.

That said it would have been funny if someone painted/sculpted Bane during The time of troubles.

Gorty really was thinking of rebuilding the Black altar wasn't he?

Please feel free to correct me on lore. I would love to be wrong.

[eeldritchblast]

what dark urge playthrough moments ended up especially sticking with you? how did lara feel about the emperor? actually, do you see yorself redoing those 30 dark urge questions from awhile ago?

Aaahhhh 🖤

The two moments that especially stuck with me:

Alfira's death - there's something so haunting about that first moment of Durge losing control, even if you RP them as resisting the Urge up to that point. And I LOVE Durge trying to wash blood off their hands and still envisioning it there. Give me all that Lady Macbeth shit!

Bhaal possessing Sceleritas Fel - the cinematography is so fucking good holy shit. The way Bhaal speaks through the bloody reflection of Fel's corpse? Oh my god.

Lara and the Emperor:

Lara somewhat related to the Emperor, because of the way it spoke of how it's not just a mindless monster. She also didn't really see that much of a problem with it using a different appearance at first, being a changeling herself. So, they got along quite well, and remained allies to the very end.

Dark Urge Questions:

Well, NOW I'm going to! I forgot about those, damn.

[masterskywalkers]

Questions for Tavanna [Part Three]

Part one - with links to the original questions - can be found here.

11. What motivates your Dark Urge to either embrace or resist the Urge?

Tavanna comes to value her own autonomy and making her own choices, and the urge is something that she both fears and represses as best as she can. She can feel how it's trying to gain control over her and turn her into something she doesn't believe she is, and she is resistant to it because she refuses to live under someone's control.

The urge terrifies her though - especially as her adventures move further and she learns more about them and her past - and she hates that it tries to hold more domination over her. There's a point in her journey when she really worries that she'll fail and become the monster she vaguely recalls, but even as she fights against the most debilitating of side effects, Tavanna pushes through.

12. How does your Dark Urge feel about being a bhaalspawn?

When Tavanna finally learns that's what she is, the first thing she feels is somewhat defeated. She knows of bhaalspawn, has heard the stories as much as the next person, and she knows how dangerous they can be.

It's actually Jaheria that helps her to see things more positively. Once Jaheria feels confident that Tavanna's serious about fighting against the darkness inside her, Jaheria tells her the truth of the options she has available to her. Tavanna finds it relieving to hear that there is a chance she can live without letting it take over (although she's still determined to find a way for herself to be free of her urges). Jaheria tells her that her life will prove difficult just because of her nature as a bhaalspawn - whether she embraces that or not - yet Tavanna isn't really phased about it. Her life is already dangerous as it is, people hunting her because she's a bhaalspawn wouldn't change that.

13. How does your Dark Urge feel about killing?

Tavanna's quite numb to death and killing, honestly. She's no stranger to violence - she just doesn't like murder without a reason - which is why she pushes against her urge so much. Alfira is one of her biggest regrets, and it stays with her forever because she liked Alfira. She believes her death was unwarranted and meaningless.

14. How good of a liar is your Dark Urge? How do they feel about lying?

Tavanna is convincing. She doesn't mind lying or hiding part of the truth to persuade someone a certain way. If it's someone she doesn't know, she doesn't really care - just as long as she finds a way to the solution she needs.

But when it comes to the people she loves and trusts? Lying is absolutely off the table. Tavanna is loyal and honest, and she expects the same in return. She will be frustrated and upset if she learns someone she cares about is outrightly lying to her over something serious, and she won't hide things herself. She feels as if she's been through too much with the people she regards as close to her, and that they've all seen the best and the worst of each other that there is no need for such secrecy anymore between them.

15. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest fear?

She has two, the first being a fear she holds for herself. She fears going mad and losing her agency, becoming the thing Bhaal created her for. The idea of being a thing meant for murder and destruction, or even to be bred to bring more of those very same monsters into the world? Tavanna has nightmares about it, and they stick with her long after she is free from Bhaal.

The second fear (which resolves itself during the run-in with Cazador) is losing Astarion to his own fears and watching him become the very thing he doesn't want to be through the ascension ritual. There's a genuine moment where she falters before him, wondering what she can say or do to set him back on the path he was walking before he became obsessed with the idea of taking such power for himself or if perhaps they were both past the point of no return. The moments spent in Cazador's dungeon stay with both of them long afterward, with Tavanna grateful that he was able to clear his mind in the moment long enough to see the truth.

[swordbisexual]

All That You Held Sacred Falls Down And Does Not Mend

Reynaud, cleric of Kelemvor, was haunted by the question of his young ward Vissenta's parentage, all her life. On her thirteenth birthday, he told her the story of her arrival as he'd always done, and in the telling, glimpsed something dark that would haunt him to his grave. 4k words

warning: Durge backstory, with Durge violence by the end

--

30 Marpenoth, 1475 DR Year of the Final Stand

“Tell me about the eclipse again, Fox.”

The creases around Reynaud’s mouth deepened as he frowned down at his ward, pretending at irritability to disguise how much her impertinent nickname had grown on him. Fox. He didn’t deny that he looked like one, though with more white in his fox-hued hair than he ought to at his age, largely thanks to the dark-haired, green-eyed pup of a girl staring expectantly up at him.

Methodically, he moved another book from table to shelf, considering his response, knowing he ought to reprimand the girl for shirking her present task of sweeping the whole of the temple floor. What came from his mouth instead, on a disused croak, was far more encouraging than he intended. “That’s no way to ask your uncle for a story.”

His charge, more like to a daughter to him than a niece, and in actuality neither, being simply a babe left at this temple thirteen years gone by - which wasn’t so simple, really, not when it made her one of a series of portents Reynaud himself recorded in meticulous detail in his own private journals - crossed her arms, tucked her broom into the crook of her elbow, and narrowed her eyes. “May I please hear the story of the Soul’s Harvest blood moon in the Year of the Elves’ Weeping, Father Chastain?”

read the rest on AO3

[leofrith]

hii so i‘m way to invested in everyone‘s baldurs gate plays. can we see your tavs? I would love to see them haha😭

YESSSSSS i will happily take any excuse to talk about my tavs. 🥰 i'm sorry this took so long. i wanted to have their Lore™ a little more set in stone before answering this, but then i proceeded to make uhhhh 2 more tavs and a durge. 🤡

i am listing my characters in the order i created them. they're all good/neutral aligned because being mean in video games makes me break out in hives. aaaaand this is going under a read more because it got really fucking long. 🥴

marqwyn stoneheart

race: human

class: eldritch knight fighter

background: soldier

romance: gale

my first tav who i adore. ❤️ i stole her name from the very first character i created for a now abandoned dnd campaign (though she's nothing like og marqwyn). she's a former flaming fist who left their service due to the corruption she witnessed there. after leaving the city she became an independent soldier for hire—but she's a terrible mercenary because she's a bleeding heart who will help people because they need it, regardless of whether they can pay her or not.

she has dragged the party into many an unnecessary brawl because her charisma is literally in the negatives. we love a girl incapable of talking herself out of Situations. she also used to have two brown eyes before deciding to get herself volo'd during a brief moment of desperation-fuelled insanity.

her backstory has changed a lot since i first made her, mostly because i didn't really have anything in mind when i started playing. 😬 i also had no fucking clue what i was doing when i first started and it certainly shows (tons of missed content, didn't take enough long rests, completely missed lae'zel for the first ~30 hours of gameplay, have done quests in an extremely questionable order, etc.).

i romanced gale with her because the wizard had me by the jugular the second he opened his mouth, and buff wife who hits things with her big sword and her squishy wizard husband who casts counterspell is something that can be so personal. that being said, i do want to rework her character and do another playthrough with her, probably romancing wyll, because her playthrough is a mess.

i will now dip into the alternate canon that lives in my brain in which my next three tavs are allowed to coexist, so just stay with me here and trust in the vision ajgjsdgf

meadow moonwillow

race: mephistopheles tiefling

class: storm sorcerer, bard of the college of lore

background: entertainer

romance: karlach (or enya in the canon that exists in my head)

i made her specifically for my karlach romance run, because best girl deserves a little sunshine to match her own. meadow was born to play gigs in dive bars, but was cursed with a natural talent for magic. 😔 she'll use it because it's useful in a fight, i guess, but she'd much rather insult people to death. if there is shit to be disturbed, she will disturb it.

her and gale are best friends, because i think having some friendly spell caster competition with his bestie who (begrudgingly) lets him teach her wizard spells would be good for his mental health. her and wyll butt heads a bit at first, mostly because meadow's way of trying to comfort people is through humor, and her attempts to make him feel better about his new devil form come off as insensitive (inspired by the way i accidentally insulted wyll at the tiefling party in my meadow playthrough by joking that i was jealous of his horns. king i swear it was meant as a compliment!! 😭). eventually they become really close, which is certainly a necessity when you're both going on a vacation to hell with no set end date.

also my choice of name for her definitely has nothing to do with the fact that i am in the middle of watching the sopranos. definitely not.

landric sparrowsong, "the wrath-bringer"

race: human

class: oath of vengeance paladin, tempest domain cleric of ilmater

background: sage

romance: gale

his backstory is probably the one i've thought about in the most detail, mostly because he's a walking tragedy and i live for that shit. 🧍🏻‍♀️

he was once a school teacher and wasn't much of a fighter at all before his little village near baldur's gate was razed to the ground and his wife and (or so he thinks 👀) daughter were killed, at which point he took up his oath of vengeance. his favourite pastimes now include self-sacrifice and violently murdering evildoers, hence the "wrath-bringer" epithet.

he has been alone—mostly by choice, because he can't lose any more loved ones if there is no one left alive that he loves—for over a decade by the time he's infected, but the forced proximity means the companions very quickly get under his skin. he's very protective of meadow especially (when they're both in the party at the same time in the universe that exists in my head) because she reminds him of his daughter.

he is god's favourite sacrificial lamb, and is consistently the first to go down in a fight (inspired by me, constantly getting him killed by taking far too long to figure out how to play a support class). naturally i paired him with gale because i think the idea of a guy finally opening his heart to the love of another after over a decade of self-imposed solitude out of fear of being hurt again, only for gale to decide to take on a suicide mission just as they're finally realizing their feelings for one another, is soooooo good and tragic. ☺️

he has a soft spot for children, but being around them makes him sad and withdrawn (for obvious reasons), something that the companions notice pretty quickly once they get to the grove and see his cold exterior totally melt around the kids there. he carries a journal which he adds to often, either little blurbs or sketches of people he meets in his travels, ever observing from afar as an outsider.

he was actually a war cleric of mystra when i first multiclassed him because the idea of this man finding solace in his goddes during the worst years of his life only for that same goddess to tell the first person he's truly loved in years that he needs to kill himself is sooooo. anyway. but i decided to change it because war domain just wasn't doing it for me and also have you seen ilmater's whole deal?

also if he bears a close resemblance to my favourite unromanceable assassin's creed npc, that's just a coincidence (lying).

enya sparrowsong

race: human

class: beast master ranger/circle of the land druid

background: urchin

romance: lae'zel (or meadow in the canon that exists in my head)

enya is landric's very alive daughter. i made her in the character creator with no intention of actually doing a playthrough as her, which is a lie i tell myself every time i open the character creator. 😔

ideally she would not even be filling the role of tav at all, but that's obviously not an option for an actual playthrough. she spent her childhood hunting and gathering in the wilds and later pickpocketing her way through the darkened alleys of baldur's gate to survive. in the version of her backstory that lives in my head, she eventually caught the attention of jaheira (by trying to rob her), who then took enya under her wing. the harpers became a family to her, and she is with them in the shadow lands when we meet them at last light in act two. also depending on my mood on any given day, enya and meadow are either bitter exes or couple of the year.

she is generally very abrasive with most people she doesn't know well (her and lae'zel are very perfect for each other), but has a soft spot for animals and orphans. she likes her solitude and it takes a lot of effort to earn her trust (there's a reason she's survived alone as long as she has) but once you do, she's ride-or-die.

she has a raven companion and her preferred wild shape is a wolf, but i've also had a lot of fun using her wolf wild shape and a wolf companion for twice the mauling in combat (and twice the torment for shadowheart—thank you sam for pointing out that she would fucking hate this 😭). i also like to think that she's been helping shadowheart get over her fear of wolves.

her relationship with her dad is deliciously complicated!!! but that's for another post.

idunn

race: high elf

class: necromancy wizard/gloom stalker ranger

background: haunted one

romance: astarion

i haven't played as her much yet, and she's my first durge so i don't really know a ton about that whole background. but her brain is currently scrambled egg and she doesn't remember her past so i figure it's fine if i don't know anything about it either.🧍🏻‍♀️

she's trying so very hard not to kill people, and making up for the lack of murder by being incredibly rude to everyone she meets [astarion approves]. i named her idunn because i like the name but also in large part because i think associating the dark urge with the norse goddess of rejuvenation and vitality is really funny.

aelius lucilius

race: drow half-elf

class: light domain cleric of selune

background: acolyte

romance: shadowheart

he's my newest tav and the one i've played the least, so i'm still working out his backstory. i honestly just really wanted to romance shadowheart as a selunite, which is working out great so far because the shar is already out of the bag and now she loudly and openly hates his fucking guts. 🤪

[sketchyelvenasss]

Playing the Ascended route for the small amount I did just to taste it (like 20-30 minutes), did give me a question.

As the Dark Urge who has more control over them now?

Astarion their Ascended vampiric master?

Or Bhaal? Their father who’s a literal god?

Wanna argue Astarion now bc you can play Durge defying your urges lol scary