#Also I wonder what Lae'zel was thinking this whole time?

[satanicspinosaurus]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: A great way to explore a character is to see just what it will take to make them act against some trait of theirs. (And yep, love is one of the best ways to do that!) This is a bonus since we are going against both Aldiirn's concepts of women/power AND resource distribution. The grim determination of him reaching through that shitty tent (I'm getting annoyance at this happening, fear of Lae'zel, + concern Astarion will metaphorically bite back about this) melting into really thinking about that damn blanket. Oh! My heart! I'll also say that, the low-key implication that Aldiirn's included in the "they" (via his narrative power) is...interesting. Obviously because we as the audience know he's terrified of someone right now! The Elmenster Red is such a brilliant thing btw! Makes me think of the Kagha Journel as less of, he's got weird tastes/ nosey and more like...OK he's kind of legit hoarding. Not like videogame hoarding where who cares about inventory, it might be useful. No, like hoarding the same way an abused animal would. A potion of speed would be helpful to a rogue but like....he's also just hoarding. Ultimately, I'm thinking about Aldiirn's long-term goals. Does he want an inventory sharing system? Yes. But I think his long-term goals of making the Underdark a place that is livable shines here. Like the choice is to be kind to someone who has suffered. I'm always fascinated when moral goals like honesty vs kindness bump up against each other.

Our little feral cat has like no clue this happened though, huh?

Continuation of Taking Inventory that got a little out of hand. Aldiirn really does treat any interaction with Lae’zel as life or death, meanwhile Lae’zel is just pleased that one of these istiks shows respect.

[avocado-writing]

Okay, I've had this idea bouncing around in my head, waiting for you to reopen suggestions, haha. How do you think the Origins Companions + Halsin, Rolan, Dammon, and Zevlor would react if they found out that Tav had been hiding a very serious injury from them? The kind of injury where Tav is convinced that they're fine and they don't want to worry anyone with something they can handle on their own, especially the people they care most for, but as they try to ignore the injury it only gets worse until it's potentially life threatening and they can't keep up the facade anymore. I will leave it up to you whether or not Tav and the other individual are in a romantic relationship. I think both ways have potential for wonderful angst 😆

ooohhh noooooo! but also oh yes, LOVE this sort of angst lol. written as if you have had an infection come on from an injury. this is gonna be a long list so let's buckle up...

Astarion

really tries to hide his panic but fails miserably.

can't help but start snapping - how could you keep something like this from him?

you try to give your excuses but he waves them away, angry, but mostly because he's terrified that he might have lost you.

if he has any healing potions he helps you take them, if he doesn't he immediately... sources some from somewhere.

holds you as tight as he dares, worried that he will aggravate the injury otherwise.

as you begin to heal and drift off to sleep he spends the whole night watching you rest, making sure that you're still breathing, still safe. doesn't mind when you cuddle up to him in the night, sleepily.

Gale

curses himself for not noticing your condition. he's a wizard, damn it! he's meant to be bloody perceptive.

wishes for the first time ever that he didn't just know wizard spells. wishes he knew how to heal, too.

makes you as comfortable as he can while he finds a book about what he can do for an infected wound, probably swallowing his pride and going to Shadowheart if it's bad enough.

you manage a weak, "Gale, you don't have to--", and he cuts you off, "if you're going to insist that I don't have to look after you, I'm telling you that I do."

fixes you something to help with the pain and infection, makes sure you drink it all despite the horrid taste, then tucks you into his bedroll to let you rest.

when you go to reach out and cuddle him he slips into your arms, presses his lips to your hair, and whispers as you fall asleep about how much you scared him. about how he'd never be able to lose you.

Lae'zel

only realises how unwell you are when you fall over mid-journey.

"tsk'va! why did you hide the extent of your injuries from me?"

hauls you onto her back and carries you back to camp, muttering about your foolishness the whole time.

makes you comfortable in her tent and uses her knowledge of githyanki medicine to help start healing you.

it isn't comfortable as she works on your infection but for the first time you feel her hands being soft rather than vicious.

"you should not have kept this from me." "I know. I'm sorry." "hm. ridiculous thing. zhak vo'n'fynh duj."

goes and intimidates the camp into being quiet so you can rest. it works. this is the nicest she's ever been to you. you could get used to it.

Shadowheart

obviously this is not a huge problem for her, but she is still worried that it got so far without her noticing.

immediately heals you, pouring far too many spell slots into your body in order to get it up and running again.

it helps, immediately breaking the fever you've been nursing, and the touch of Shadowheart's hand to your face is cooling and reassuring.

"lady shar teaches us to embrace our pain... but not like this. you should have known better. you could have died."

her hand slips down to cup your cheek, you cover it with one of your own. she's telling you off but you can tell it's because she cares.

"I'm sorry that I scared you." "I know. don't do it again."

she smiles and the ache in your heart is lifted, too.

Wyll

panics.

you collapse on day in camp and he immediately calls on the others for help, not so proud as to be unable to admit when something is out of his knowledge. he is not a healer. he needs help.

he manages to catch you in his arms as you tumble, hugging you close to his chest while magic is worked or a healer checks you over.

lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding when you begin to stabilise.

helps you back to your tent to rest, gently chiding you but letting you know that he's glad you're alright.

when your hand weakly comes up to touch him, he indulges you in a kiss to let you know how relieved he is.

constantly watching you on the battlefield from that moment on. if he can help it, you'll never be hurt again.

Karlach

another panicker.

scoops you up in her arms and holds you to her chest, running to the tent of the nearest healer in camp - or, if you're in the city, kicking down the door of a local doctor.

begging the healer to check you over, but is reluctant to let you go. if she stops holding you it's like she's relinquishing control and that scares the life out of her.

you're healed and she feels you start to stir in her arms, peppering you with kisses of relief, choking through her tears that you're never to scare her like that again.

carries you back home, even if you're totally capable of walking. she just wants to make sure you're okay.

Halsin

sternly disappointed that you didn't tell him, but more annoyed that he didn't notice something was wrong himself. how could he not see how out of balance with nature you were?

squirrels you away to his tent to heal you, make you soothing and medicinal teas, his big hands over the source of the infection.

you burrow into his touch, into his chest, and you end up sitting in his lap as he heals you.

he wants to tell you off a little, but is more relieved that you're alright. encourages you to share all your burdens with him.

kisses you on the forehead, then on the mouth when he's sure you're strong enough for it not to knock you flat.

Dammon

my poor boy is just a blacksmith, so though he doesn't exactly panic, he does scoop you up and try to find a healer as soon as he can.

waits quietly and nervously as you are examined, silently cursing himself for being too busy to see how you were hurt. he's meant to be better than this. he's meant to love you, how didn't he notice?

when you come to he can't stop apologising, and it takes several of your kisses to soothe him and tell him it was not his fault but yours.

he makes you promise that you'll always tell him when you're hurt. has you look into his eyes and swear it.

he can't do much on the battlefield but he can protect you where he can.

Rolan

another one cursing that he doesn't know healing spells.

"you aren't meant to die, gods damn it! you're meant to be strong... what good am I if I can't keep you safe..."

rushes you to the best doctor in Baldur's Gate. pays for all the treatment that you could need. holds your hand at your bedside for your entire recovery... until you come back to consciousness, of course, at which point he just starts telling you off for being stupid enough to get into his mess in the first place.

you grab him by the collar and drag him down for a kiss. that finally shuts him up. but he never lets you forget how foolish you were.

Zevlor

practical but still worried about you.

you collapse in the field and he finds a safe place to hide the both of you from dangerous eyes, using his Lay on Hands ability to channel his magic into healing.

you try to apologise but a finger to your lips silences you, and all you can do is watch in quiet wonder as he burns the infection out with his Paladin's light.

when you're better he gently chides you. tells you that you have people relying on your leadership, and that a problem shared means there are more heads working on how to fix it.

when he sees how sorry you are lets you cuddle into him. when you say you'll repay him, he insists your happiness and well-being is enough for an old warrior like him.

does take the kiss you offer, though. he's been wanting to do that for a while...

[meanbossart]

I've been loving the DU Drow as a companio asks, so I've got my own. I was wondering what kind of interactions he would have with the other companions.

More specifically, we know Astarion flirts with almost anyone (for his own reasons) and even sleeps with Bae'zel at the tiefling party if you turn him down as a player. So, since the Drow is in the group now, what would his interaction with Astarion be? Would Astarion assume him to be the strongest and best chance of survival if manipulated? Would Astarion try to sleep with the Drow the same way he would with Lae'zel?

(Regarding the companions in general) Oh I can easily see him and Shadowheart having some cute party banter, they'd poke light fun at each other and have a similarly "darkly dramatic" reaction to things. He'd easily be the most talkative with her, often initiating mundane conversations about stuff you find. I can see some dialogue between them triggering upon finding one of the many drink-stashes you come across where they discuss what they like best when it comes to wine - or what they think they like, at least, considering the state of their memories.

Gale would be eager to inquire him about drow and the underdark, and where he got his fighting prowess from, which would visibly annoy DU drow since he can't fucking remember anything LOL he'd comment about how he always thought male drow were supposed to be a little… Flimsier, prompting a response along the lines of "I suppose my mother must have fed me well. I do have quite the appetite for loud-mouths."

Gale's like :U my goodness. Point taken.

He might talk to Karlach about Avernus, being fond of the savage nature of it. He'd also ask her if "something's bothering her" and when she asks why he's asking, he comments on how she can never seem to be still for long LOL

If Jaheira joins the party later she takes an interest in him (I WONDER WHY) and they could also share a little friendly banter. DU drow ends up asking her things about Baldur's Gate and herself to fill the gaps in his memory, as well as her children. He expresses how, if he thought himself more fit for a father, he'd have some of his own. Jaheira tells him it's probably better this way.

The banter with Astarion would be pretty par for the course - a mix between being flirtatious in nature and a little passive-aggressive all at once. At some point he says he can't keep quiet about how he stinks of carrion - DU calmly tells him that it can't be helped, due to their circunstances, and that he has a pretty cadaveric perfume himself. Astarion gets offended and tells him he knows for a fact that he smells lovely - DU drow tells him those statements need not be mutually exclusive.

He'd also ask Wyll about Mizora and what it's like to be in her servitute, claiming that he "wouldn't mind doing her a few favors himself" and Wyll tries his darn best to brush that off.

Lae'zel picks on him about his, erm, unreliable state of mind and accuses DU drow of basically being a ticking-time-bomb. DU responds that he feels less like a bomb and more like a vent releasing a steady flow of noxious fumes - if that helps her sleep better at night.

He also snorts at Minthara's "jokes".

(Onto the second part of this already far-too-long reply:)

And I THINK SO, I think Astarion would take him for being more easily manipulated than Lae'zel and try his luck there instead.

Small detour: you know, I always thought it'd be neat if some of the companions formed relationships with each other if you didn't pursue them. We see friendships form but romances would be fun too - like Karlach and Shadowheart could get together if you didn't pair with either of them, and Ascended Astarion and Minthara if you happened to have that party configuration in act 3. I don't really see many of the others having that kind of chemistry, but I wouldn't want the whole camp to be in love with each other anyway lol just 1 or 2 other couples would make the party feel more autonomous.

So, in a world where that's a part of the game, I obviously would say they get together if you don't romance either (from a mechanic standpoint player still gets first dibs LOL) and that unlocks unique party banter and dialogue where you can ask them about it once per act and reveal the "status" of the relationship. In act 2 you get to comment about how they seem to "steal away" together often. Astarion implies they're obviously having sex, and that he's always wanted to "try a little drow - but a big one is even better". If you ask DU drow about it he keeps details and motivations to himself, but acknowledges that they have something going on. You can then tell him that you believe he's being used, and DU drow very nonchalantly says that "he's well aware", but that he isn't worried about it.

In Act 3, when you ask again, Astarion somewhat bashfully reveals that the drow grew on him, and if you press on about the topic he reveals that they haven't even had sex since act 1, they just do a lot of talking, as he sheepishly puts it. If you ask DU drow about it he's much more upfront in saying that they've become an item, and that he's very happy in Astarion's company.

[crossdressingdeath]

I'm thinking about Karlach and in particular her relationship with Gortash, and the more I think about it the more I really wish that she'd known he was a Banite from the start, or at least for a good chunk of her time working for him. I mean, the canon story of "I didn't know what he was, he lied to me and I didn't realize the truth until he stabbed me in the back" doesn't not work? It just feels like a very... safe option. Now, I love Karlach, I really do, she's a joy to be around. But I don't know, the whole "I didn't know what they were doing" method of letting a wonderful person work for the bad guys has been done. It's been done a lot. And it also makes Karlach feel less morally complex than the other origin companions to me! I mean, it's entirely possible she didn't even know Gortash was a criminal; his public persona would require bodyguards too. So if we assume that she didn't even know he was a criminal then her moral complexity is limited to having some friends who are devils and wanting Gortash dead, which... even just by general fantasy standards and especially when compared to characters like Astarion, Shadowheart and Lae'zel (as the most obvious examples, but personally I also find Wyll's pact with Mizora and Gale getting the orb at least as complex if not more and they didn't work for the villain, so that feels like a bit of a problem) is very straightforward. She's good. Maybe she used to be a bit naive and then learned not to be so blindly trusting through betrayal. Sure. Fine. Personally I do not find that particularly compelling, if I just saw her backstory written out without the super hard work of her writer and VA in the rest of the game my reaction to her would basically just be "Eh". And if we assume she did know he was a criminal then it feels kind of weak that the only time that even vaguely comes up is Gortash potentially making one comment about how Karlach knew what he was and shouldn't really have been surprised.

Also, an additional point, the fact that supposedly Gortash was putting enough work into keeping her ignorant that there was a noticeable drop in his ethics after he sold her is... kind of weird, because the only reason we're given for it is "He liked her"? To be clear the fact that he liked her isn't the problem, we know Gortash is perfectly capable of liking people. But... he went out of his way to deceive this one employee? To the point that people noticed a change when he was gone? Or alternately selling her specifically actively made him significantly worse, which... would also be kind of weird. There isn't even any particular reason for him to see himself in her, other than the Lower City upbringing they had very little in common before Gortash sold her (unless baby Enver was way better of a person than his current self would suggest). I feel like if Larian was going to justify Karlach apparently not realizing she was working for an arms dealer and slave trader as his personal bodyguard (so someone who'd logically be around for a lot of shady shit or frankly what is the point of her being on the payroll) with "he lied to her" more needed to be done with it.

But if she knew he was a Banite and knew what he was doing for a good chunk of the time she spent working with him that adds a tasty "I didn't think the leopards would eat my face!" energy to the whole situation! I love the idea of Karlach liking and trusting Gortash despite knowing what he was because he treated her with respect and that was all that mattered! Obviously this is subjective, I will freely admit I like my characters with a bit more moral greyness than Karlach shows, but to me at least her reassessing and improving her morals from a standpoint of "Him liking me and respecting me wasn't enough to save me because other people's lives do not matter to him" would be much more interesting than her being a perfectly lovely person from the start and not knowing what her boss was doing and getting betrayed and then continuing to be a perfectly lovely person. (I'm not going to claim that a person's morals improving when the thing they did to others is done to them is particularly ground-breaking, but I would argue it's no less ground-breaking than "they didn't know and were good all along and their boss was lying to them" and to me at least it's significantly more engaging.) And it would also neatly remove the question of why Gortash cared enough to lie about what he was doing to this one specific employee from day one (so before he could bond with her at all), which. y'know, would be nice.

[bl3ss3dbyt1amat]

misc bg3 companion hc

this is so much. i have no idea and im also sorry. all of the origin companions included under the cut

astarion:

i feel like he claps funny. like hes clapping but its that specific way thats meant to be like quieter? like clapping on the palm of his hand. this might be projection but i feel like hes also the type of person to do like a little clap or a spin or his trademark ridiculous giggle whenever hes happy.

i think that hes prone to dramatics like. like pretending to fall on the floor and die if you say hes actually not on your mind 24/7. oh whats that? you dont think im the prettiest princess in the entire world? well astarion has dramatically fallen to the floor

in the early game astarion most definitely practiced his lines loudly and publicly (in camp). he cant even see himself in the mirror but hes trying to look all suave and being like "shall i compare thee to a summers night" while lae'zel and shadowheart both shout "NO" from across the camp. (can be interpreted as bloodiedblade/wyllstarion but i think wyll would be amused and even finish the quote).

wyll:

this man is probably good with basic medicines and ill die on this hill. hes got aloe vera type shit on him at all times. sure, hes not a cleric or healer or even a bard, but he'll stay with you and try his damned best to cheer you up when youre hurt or sick.

on a related note i feel like wyll would be absolutely DELIGHTED by a bard tav. he would just be so amused and filled with whimsy. never gonna complain about playing, even if its like 2am. just occasionally putting in song requests. hes so incredibly enthusiastic like spinning tav around like "THAT WAS BRILLIANT!!!"

wyll probably keeps houseplants. (minor blazingblade but i feel like karlach would accidentally kill one of the plants and actually begin weeping. once she gets her engine fixed wyll tries to teach her how to garden. this goes weirdly) furthermore i think he like goes around his house like humming merrily and watering his plants and crap

gale:

i dont think hes coordinated at all. like this man is tripping down the stairs on a daily basis. he is dropping his tea, his book, his body, ect. to the point that hes got a habit of just hugging the railing for dear life every time he has to go down a staircase. this made traversing shit like the underdark actually literally horrible. every time he falls karlach is so overly concerned and probably offers to carry him. astarion, to everyones dismay, dies laughing each and every time

pretty sure wyll and shadowheart have a conversation about weird book porn. i am here to say that gale was holding back his power while that conversation happened. gale has read so much book porn and if you knew the real scale of it you would be concerned. tara is concerned at least.

shadowheart:

especially during early game, i feel like shadowheart was literally clenching so hard to avoid admitting cute things were cute. like "oh.. a stray mutt... charming I MEAN IN LIKE A GROSS WAY". she was trying to hard to be all scary and into shar and shit but she just really likes puppies and other animals and crap

if she were modern i feel like she would really like pixar movies (inside out comes to mind for reasons i cannot explain) and wear long jean skirts. i cant explain any of this but it is fact in my mind. even in the bg3 setting i do feel like she would wear very long boxy type skirts. sort of plays into her whole "dark priestess" sort of vibe

shadowheart was sitting in her tent with scissors fucking losing her shit with anxiety trying to cut her own bangs without a mirror. it is a literal miracle from selune that they dont look like complete and total shit. no wonder halsin was surprised. (minor silverheart/shadow'zel: when she first like actually properly noticed what shaodwheart did with her hair, since the initial joke is she cant tell what changed, i think lae'zel was very impressed. she even likened it to like a sort of war paint against shar. also we KNOW lae'zel likes silver)

(can be interpreted as bladeheart/,,, do wyll and shadowheart have a ship name yet? HM. well anyway i think that in conjunction with the previous headcanon about wyll gardening, he and shadowheart garden together and he specially grew her night orchids)

lae'zel:

ever since i looked at her stupid little mindflayer training dummie in camp ive had the image of her in my head very angrily and intensly carving up a turnip to look like a mindflayer. draws a little mean face on it like the worlds most violent six year old. every time she messes up on her little DIY project shes muttering curses in tir'su.

lae'zel will take any opportunity to infodump about githyanki culture. specifically red dragons. if she met a red dragonborn or even maybe a follower of tiamat or some shit she would be so hype. in her "i hate everyone SVAH" way ofc. but like. trying to casually slide trivia into battle conversation or party banter with all the subtlety of an owlbear. "yes... the battle preparations are proceeding as expected... as expected a red dragons hibernation cycle..." and everyone just has to turn their head and ask what the fuck shes talking abt

(can be thought of as silverweave: lae'zel and gale talk in draconic about dragon history and the celestial plane. hes so tickled to have a mutual interest with lae'zel)

no one hears lae'zel laugh but when they do its so weird. like its some weird like hissing sort of sound and everyone has to do a double take and make sure theyre understanding what the fuck is going on for a second. lae'zel is incredibly defensive when people notice it but theyre not trying to be mean

karlach:

before her engine gets fixed but like early on to where shes not used to it, karlach keeps trying to touch things and keeps breaking them. this fills her with genuine despair and she will start crying (everyone in camp has to go on a group effort to calm her down). she just thinks the world is so beautiful and is so sad she cant interact with it

she likes to dance but in like a boot stompin way. karlach is probably just an absolute party animal when she gets her freedom back because honestly in her situation who wouldnt be. SHE JUST GOT TO NOT BE ON FIRE LET THE GIRL PARTY

once shes been fixed to the point where she can touch people, she just never stops. manhandling everyone in the party constantly. oh whats that? tav is on low health? dont worry karlach is sprinting over to put tav on her shoulder. literally any problem can be solved by karlach hugs and i wont be taking feedback on this

[eliteseven]

At this point ( I do not know who is where, doing what in Serena's timeline but...) for some reason I can just see the whole gang kind of popping in when Shadowheart gives birth and it at some point becomes this comedic event (tbh it is my personal HC that no matter what: Shadowheart and f!Tav have children, does not matter how) but everyone fills out a role that is just so perfectly timed. Like Lae'zel comes in with Xan and she berates Tav, that she did not build a proper birthing ground or something. And the list just goes on and on.

Also, I mean, it's moon magic and all but I do not think Isobel would be able to reproduce in any capacity. But if she could. Omg the little Aylin and Isobel look-a-likes with wings would be a menace.

If I’m bringing in the entire ensemble cast, I want CHAOS!!!! 👹

-Like, Xan playing with Aylin and Isobel’s winged babies and every single animal in the cottage chasing after them!! Knocking over all of Shadowheart and Tav’s carefully placed decor. 🥰

-Aylin and Lae’zel trying to give Tav an aggressive crash course in motherhood (she’s already ready and potentially better suited than both of them 💀 but anyway) and Tav just freaking out.

Aylin: “and remember, in the event that the little one can fly-“

Tav: “if she can WHAT?” 😮

-Wyll arriving with the Baldurian equivalent of a secret service security detail that gets on the way of everything. The cottage is already…so small. 💀 but he comes with like…a caravan of gifts and supplies so really they need the manpower to lug that up the hill, anyway

-Shads getting her first labor contractions and Tav just doubling over like a sack of potatoes because of the warding bond rings 😅

-Karlach coming with a whole wheelbarrow of stuffed animals to meet her goddaughter🥹💕 which she promptly dumps in their already-way-too-small bedroom until there’s no space to walk.

-Astarion fighting with one of the cottage cats for a rat that he “saw first 🙄” bc this is taking forever and it’s been over 12 hours since he last drained a criminal.

-Shadowheart begging Gale to cast silence across the entire cottage so she can finally get some fucking peace and quiet. His new lover from Waterdeep is having second thoughts seeing this weird family 😭

-Arnell, Emmeline, and Amelia staring at this group wondering how the fuck they saved Faerun. Jaheira finally has found her people: The Older and exasperated group™️

-Shadowheart complains that it’s taking too long and Withers just pops in out of nowhere with a classic “fate spins along as it should”, startling everyone, and Shadowheart nearly decapitates him in her pain

-Minsc suggesting that they name the baby “Minsc” 😭

-Isobel and Shadowheart finding common ground in being the only two relatively normal ones there 😅 makes them realize they might have a lot more in common than previously thought.

[hijackalx]

WYLL SFW HEADCANONS:

 wyll puts on this tough guy front but he is A BIG ASS BABY YALL !!! like he wants to be babied sooo bad lowkey. he wants to lay his head in tav's lap while they stroke his head and listen to him complain about his day 😭😭 hes so sugary sweet too. like calls tav so many pet names and wants them to do the same. the type of dude to text tav some shit like "goodmorning starshine! ⭐️😁" #CORNBALL !!!!!!! but in a good way tho like its just so goofy and endearing

okay but sometimes if hes feeling really moody he'll get kind of toxic. like if tav doesnt watch what they say to him he'll shut their ass OUT and get pissedddd. he usually comes back around tho in like an hour so its ok lmaoo

also even tho he wants to be babied behind the scenes in public he wants tav to be like, his damsel in distress. he just wants to protect them and play the knight in shining armor so bad. it makes him happy just go along with it yall

i feel like hes similar to lae'zel in a way like he also just wants to feel like hes good enough. validate him or he'll be sad (it will crush him eternally)

love language:

giving= physical touch and acts of service

was anyone surprised. i feel like he wont be comfortable touching tav for a while tho like he just doesnt want to overstep boundaries. he is the type of person who takes that kind of stuff reallllyyyyy slowly at first like itll have tav wondering if hes disgusted by them or something. like why did u jerk ur hand away like that tf? the whole time hes just being considerate 😭

receiving= words of affirmation. and quality time cuz him and tav do a lot of leaving room for jesus at the start. but yeah he just likes to be around tav like kind of the clingy type ? not obsessively tho. if they need space he'll respect it. he also wants tav to tell him what a big strong man he is and also praise him for always protecting them and all that.

i think hes pretty tall im getting 6'2 vibes from him also pretty buff. like HIS ARMMMMSSSS OKAYYY i feel like theyre his prized characteristic. ugh imagine them flexing while hes showing off and dropping baddies for u 😍😍

WYLL NSFW HEADCANONS:

i feel like he switches between dominant and submissive OCCASIONALLY but hes mostly dominant. like he feels it is his manly duty or whatever LMAO although he just kind of naturally takes control like that. like i dont think he thinks about it very much.

the MOST vanilla mf here. but thats ok. his fav position is missionary but sometimes he likes to spice it up with doggy style lol. lovvvessss oral like both giving and receiving. i think when hes receiving oral is when he'd be most submissive tbh. how tav looks going down on him is just sooo hot and how they look up at him like he prolly nuts quick asf gettin his meat slobbered on LMAO

godddd i feel like hes totally into breeding tho. like wants to cum inside SO BAD !!!! if tav is afab hes totally into the idea of getting them pregnant and is open to having lots of kids. if tav wont let him cum inside he'll ask to finish on like their face or stomach.

he prolly has beautiful ass rugged manly hands and they prolly feel soo good on tavs skin.... especially if hes fingering/giving a handjob 🤭 EUGH I LOVE IT

omgomgomg hes into manhandling too like he def wants to pick up tav and throw them around *gently 😌 hes not into hurting tav even a little bit like if u suggest it he will literally go soft af and it will turn into a naked therapy session

i wouldnt say he normally finishes fast only when hes getting a blowjob. other than that he has good stamina. also hes prolly around 7 inches a little closer to 7 than astarion is lol. his definitely looks angry af tho like rlly veiny and THICK !!!

during aftercare he expects tav to be attentive to him like hes WORE OUT !! he wants them to get the towel for him 🥺 and clean him off 🥺 and get him fresh clothes 🥺 and tuck him in 🥺 and kiss him goodnight 🥺 HAHAH BUT IN A CUTE WAY OKAY

[blackjackkent]

OK, resuming the Rakha adventures in Rivington! We've finally sorted through the immediate reactions to the latest revelation about Rakha's heritage, so it's time to get out there in the world and Pretend Everything's Normal.

How you feeling about all this, Rakha?

Yeah, that tracks.

Quick pontifications on Rakha's mental state before pushing on here... realistically I don't think she is doing well at ALL at the moment. She's not usually overtly emotional and wouldn't know how to articulate exactly how she's feeling, but she's all of a sudden juggling a lot of very conflicting feelings.

She is, honestly, deeply relieved on some level to have learned exactly what is happening to her. She has a name to put to it and people around her who also know what that name is. This is a huge step forward in some ways.

On the other hand, the dark thing in her head is from a source far more powerful and terrifying than she had ever thought to imagine. She wants to stand against it but is suddenly far less sure that she's strong enough to do so even though she's managed it thus far.

She's deeply afraid that, in spite of his reassurances, Wyll will decide this is too much to have to deal with. (And, tbh, there's no way Wyll is as confident about it as he's acting; the boy is 26 and being faced with the knowledge that his girlfriend is the child of a death god and used to perform murder rituals for funsies before she lost her memory. No matter how wonderful Wyll is, that has to give him pause.)

She's absolutely imprinted on Jaheira like a baby bird in the wake of all these discoveries. Jaheira being there right at the moment where all the realizations happened, and being a calm steady presence with knowledge of exactly what Rakha is going through, was something she desperately needed. I think they spend a day or so in camp letting Rakha (and everyone else really) adjust to this discovery, and she spends the whole time restlessly moving between Wyll's tent and Jaheira's, not even really saying anything, just lurking nearby and making sure they're both still there.

I think her good relationship with Minthara is not going to last. The two of them bonded over their desire to destroy Ketheric, and Minthara's cold practicality meshes well with Rakha's attitudes in a lot of respects - but with the Bhaalspawn reveal it's suddenly become super clear that their fundamental goals are very incompatible in a way that might very well lead to a splintering, or even violence.

Her relationship with Lae'zel is in an incredibly weird state right now. Lae'zel hates that Rakha consumed the Astral Tadpole and allied with the Emperor willingly, but still cares about her and is very aware that Rakha needs all the support she can get right now. So it'll be interesting to see how that develops.

Generally speaking it just sort of feels like everything has gone upside down and sideways and Rakha's holding on by her fingernails. But... there's nothing she can do but try to keep going. The Chosen and the Absolute need to be dealt with in order to protect Wyll's city, and Orin needs to die if Rakha is going to survive.

So... come the next morning, she squares her shoulders, grits her teeth, and steps back out into Rivington.

On the bright side - whatever lies ahead, they're done with the circus, so there will probably not be any more clowns.

[wearethewitches]

Could you maybe gives us a bit of a peak, or insight about the fics you put up to vote? At least maybe the top 3? No pressure, just very curious!

oh i can DEFINITELY do that!!!!!!

Shadowheart, time travelling cleric of Selune; Shadowheart/Aylin/Isobel

disclaimer: i don't have stuff written for this, so i'm copy-pasting a paragraph or two of my vast, vast selection of notes for this fic. i generally write a synopsis of every chapter for my planned fics.

Shadowheart wakes the moment her tadpole is given, protected from Shar's influence and marked for all to see. White hair. Sees everything from a new perspective, shocked at how loyal Lae'zel is to Vlaakith and how genuinely sad everyone else is. Whole thing about being a cleric of Selune instead of Shar, and getting rid of her armour. Gives the relic to Lae'zel and doesn't believe the Emperor when he tries to convince her he's a friend; only Selune's mark protects her divine knowledge of the future and she advises the Emperor not to touch her thoughts unless he has to. Ends up being the party leader for the most part, though abstains from speaking to strangers; adopts their pets without pause and asks Mol if she knows how to find Nine-Fingers, etc., gaining her trust after refusing to steal the idol.

2. Jaheira/Karlach; "Hero Worship"

i do actually have fic written for this, as it's only a one-shot, but i got distracted and forgot to finish it, so when i'm in the mood, i will be finishing + posting this in full - so watch out!

‘Tired?’ came the teasing voice of her best and worst nightmare, Jaheira reaching over to flick a clump of sweaty hair off her eye. The druid laughed at her suffering, ‘Feeling lonely, Karlach?’ Say my name again, the tiefling thought. At Jaheira’s attention she straightened, knee knocking against the table leg, cursing as the abrupt movement nearly spilt hers and someone else’s tankards everywhere. The other tankard, she realised as Jaheira reached to catch them, sliding into the other seat, was Jaheira’s. Shit, she’s sitting across from me. Shit, shit, shit-

Mwahahahaha......and finally-

3. the next chapter of (Selûne, thou) with softest starglow.

oh boy, but have i got a treat for y'all with this one. i've currently got 9k of what i think will be around 40k for the next "chapter" (genuinely wondering if i should split it at some point, tbh. might make it easier, but also ruins my three chapters for the acts, and interlude and epilogue game i've got going) - and i have a new spotify playlist, dedicated exclusively to selune thou.

because i'm nice, i'll put some of the new chapter under a cut for you. how much of it, you ask? oh....only about 350 words. should be enough to make you go "wtffffffffffff!!!" and that's the kind of reaction i love. again, you should expect the new chapter to come out in late february, at the earliest.

enjoy!

excerpt from chapter 4 of selune thou

Smoke billowed from the centre of town, a tower of blackened soot and ash as the house burned, despite the veritable sheets of rain.

‘Fireworks,’ Jaheira rasped, eyes distant as Halsin scrubbed lathered fingers through Shadowheart’s ruined hair. The few other adventurers—Jaheira and Shadowheart having been joined by Lae’zel, Valeria and Astarion that morn—were bitter as they explained the conspiracy to harm refugee children. Exploding toys, Isobel found, were not even the extent of the problem.

Her daughter, mumbling through a bread cauldron of soup, said, ‘There was a house, with a basement full of fireworks. We’re going to track the bastard who lived there down—Astarion was suspicious about what he might have had stashed there, and he was right. We put two and two together. Then I set off a trap. The new family barely made it out faster than we did.’

‘It was like something out of a play,’ Shadowheart hissed, batting her purpling hand against Halsin’s convenient thigh. ‘Oh, you aren’t Loviator! Stop it!’

Isobel watched as the gentle druid halted Shadowheart’s flagellation, quiet words in her ear calming her in seconds. Halsin, she’d discovered, was quite the specimen—and although she was immune to his particular charms, he’d clearly set his sights on more than one of Valeria’s friends.

‘Why does her hand hurt?’ Yenna whispered rather loudly from the other side of the barn. Halsin’s oddity, Minthara had called her, before giving her—and her cat—a tour of the camp herself. Isobel refused to forget what she had told them.

I have known the pain of losing a child to violence.

‘She is cursed by the goddess, Shar,’ the drow explained to Yenna, voice grave, ‘who kidnapped and converted her to Shar’s, quite honestly, ridiculous tenets of loss. Shadowheart rediscovered that she was a Selûnite acolyte quite recently, and so the curse is doing its very best to remind her who took advantage of her for nigh on forty years.’

The young girl’s eyes—her skin pink underneath, a sign that Isobel had best give her a look over sooner rather than later—went wide, before she looked to Isobel and Aylin, asking Minthara, ‘How many Selûne followers are here?’

‘Counting Valeria-’ judged Minthara, grimacing. ‘Four.’

[riddlerosehearts]

all right so, some more thoughts on act 2 of baldur's gate 3 now that i finally replaced my hard drive and have been able to play again! this is basically all about like the very end of act 2 because i enjoyed it but just didn't really write things down for most of it.

so first of all i actually kind of love ketheric thorm and the tragedy of his character. i love villains who are willing to destroy themselves and the world for the sake of their family 💖

however i wish that if you talked to him about his wife and passed the checks to try persuading him to repent you could actually change the outcome of things. like what if you could save him and recruit him.... i honestly really think my tav would've felt a bit of empathy toward his situation and wanted to save him if they could, and also personally i just find him more interesting than halsin or even jaheira asdkjfghsdf

i'm sure jaheira is a lot cooler to people who know her from previous baldur's gate games but having 2 druids feels a bit redundant when there are so many other classes and she and halsin both become recruitable a little too late imo, especially given that halsin kind of has nothing to do after he finally joins you. ketheric would be an even later addition but sorry i just think he's so cool and that making one of the villains redeemable + recruitable would've been neat!

ANYWAY i also love the fact that even though i was spoiled on a lot of random bits and pieces about the different companions' personal stories before i started, i was not really spoiled at all on the actual main plot of this game lol. it just makes it that much more exciting getting to see how it all unfolds.

i also wasn't spoiled on the details of wyll's pact and now that he's finally talked about it, i love his character even more!! he's literally like if a disney prince loved his home and its people so much that he sold his soul to save them. i wish we could've had a full flashback when he agreed to show us what happened like the ones we get when we see into shadowheart's past.

i also wish he got more appreciation from fans and had a more complete romance but we all know why he doesn't 😔

i think this is literally the first "stereotypical horny bard" dialogue i've come across omg 😭 didn't actually pick this because it would've been ooc for elenion to say but i will say i think it would've been really funny if there was like. romance-specific dialogue here because you have such insane first meetings with every companion. i'm just imagining elenion going "love at first sight? i suppose so, although for me it was more like love at first hand" and leaving isobel wondering wtf that's supposed to mean

all of this confusion and going back and forth about whether to trust the dream guardian... and they were a mind flayer the whole time!! tbh that actually does not make elenion automatically stop trusting them because we've met omeluum and he didn't seem bad, but what does kind of make them lose trust in the emperor is the whole "encouraging you to turn into a mind flayer" thing... yeah, not doing that.

actually though i found out a while ago that something was up with the dream guardian but like. i was expecting them to turn out to just be fully evil and wanting to try and manipulate us more directly after the reveal, not for them to be acting like a nice friendly heroic mind flayer, so that does come as a surprise!

i wish i had thought to take lae'zel with me to the astral plane in case she would've had anything to say about orpheus while we were there... but oh well, i didn't really have her on my team during act 2 and she wasn't relevant to basically any of its story so i missed her a lot and i am so proud of her now for how she told off vlaakith.

??? halsin just tried to confess his love to elenion and said he thinks they feel the same way and i mean... at least he was very kind and understanding when they rejected him but i am baffled because i haven't really had him in the party at all and. like. when he asked them to tell him a secret they even said they didn't feel like there was anything to tell because they didn't wanna open up to him too deeply (well, and also because for some reason the only other option is to say you're afraid of krakens), but now he thinks they're in love with him? 😭 i've heard that it used to be extremely easy to accidentally romance gale but i do not understand how this happened with halsin. oh well.

oh yeah also i got this dialogue from wyll and i wish there was an option to say that you're anxious about being back or something. because elenion has been sort of avoiding visiting home and only going back very infrequently for a very long time and he and wyll are close so i imagine that wyll knows why that is. but i ended up just picking the first option and imagining that wyll is too polite to question it.

anyway, i've stepped into rivington and am ready to start exploring it but i'm going to end this post here for now!

[the-phantom-otaku]

What if Bayonetta was in Tav's place in BG3?

This thought has passed through my head once or twice, so why not?I can't talk about within the context of the whole game, of course, so I'll just hit points that I think are interesting or that I have thoughts on.

Just some groundwork: Witch Hunts and the War still happen and all that, just in the BG3 world. I think all of that would go down on a different plane of existence, tho, much like how the Gith reside on a different plane. Anyway, Bayo probably set up shop in Baldur's Gate. She still has guns, too, but guns are something exclusive to the Witches. Just another secret they kept hidden from everyone else. As a result, they're considered to be some of the rarest weapons one could possibly attain.

Anyhow, on with the show:

-Unlike Tav, she doesn't end up there bc she was captured. Enzo was snatched and she went after him. She managed to get him out of there but she basically took his place and got wormed instead. The ship escaped to the Hells before she could get off.

-Joined up with Lae'zel and saved Shadowheart like Tav did.

-Found Astarion on the beach after taking out some of those brain things. Tho she falls for his ruse initially, he's unable to pull her to the ground like he planned, and he found himself faced with the barrel of a gun. He weaseled his way out of it tho and she agreed to let him join them so long as he didn't pull anything like that again.

-Finds Gale on the beach too. Pulls him free with ease and allows him to join the party as well. I think bookworm Gale would recognize what she is immediately and begin asking her questions regarding Umbran magic and their history.

-They rescue Lae'zel from the Tieflings. I imagine Bayo managed to convince them, but she could've also just threatened them. I think they managed to get through this without actually killing the Tieflings.

-Speaking of Lae'zel, her and Bayo don't get along at all. They take pot shots at each other and insult one another. She isn't scared of Lae'zel at all either. They do have a begrudging respect for one another, tho, based on fighting prowess.

-Probably threatened to beat the shit out of Nettie after she tried to poison her and her companions. But ultimately, she agreed to clear out the Goblin camp to look for Halsin. Any complaints (from Astarion & Lae'zel) were met with the absolute fact that they needed Halsin anyway, and there was little chance of them sneaking him out.

-Idk if Astarion would actually try to bite her considering the fact that he's seen how strong she is, but since she's in Tav's place, we're gonna say he wanted a taste of witch blood. She'd once again threaten him but wouldn't throw him out of camp. If he acts up, she could kill him without much trouble and she makes sure he knows that. I don't think she'd let him have blood, but we're gonna say she agreed bc he was very pitiful and she did like the promise that he'd fight better if he had some.

-Speaking of that, I almost wonder if he'd fight even better or if he'd gain some residual magic from her bc it runs so thick in her blood.

-Everyone in the party would be shocked, to say the absolute least, the first time the angels come down to fight her. Gale's the only one who is sort of in the know about the Umbra, but even his knowledge of them is limited by quite a bit. I imagine she'd tell them to stay out of the fight, but with the angels gunning for them as well as her, they don't have a lot of choice. Anyhow, the angels are the first time they really see what all she can do bc up until that point, they haven't faced anything that's made her use her entire skillset.

I think that's about all I've got. I'll update if I end up with any ideas.

[dutifullylazybread]

☃️ 💧 ☔️ for the ask game!

Thank you for the ask, Cabbage! I started rambling so I'm sticking this under a lil cut!

☃️Does the “tadpole” storyline interest you? How does it affect your writing?

It absolutely does! Since my current fic takes place after the events of BG3, I don't really know that I have explored the tadpole implications very much--I've made reference to it, and I've gotten to dig into some of the pieces through flashbacks, but I haven't gone all out. As far as how it affects my writing, I do want to consider just the emotional/mental implications that carrying a tadpole around must have on the characters.

I think the storyline implication that interests me the most must be the amount of distance the party feels like they need to place between themselves and others. I don't know if I'm verbalizing it well, but for me, when I think about how cautious they must be about who finds out about the tadpoles, it makes me wonder how alone/alienated they must feel from others. Certainly, they have each other, but do they ever feel like they need to hold people outside of the party at arm's length? What would happen if the wrong person found out? Would the party be locked up so that their eventual transformation wouldn't hurt others? Would they be immediately written off as undercover True Souls/Absolute Cultists and handled thusly? Would they be banished? Worse?

The other part is the nervous undercurrent that the game introduces at the beginning? When is the transformation going to happen? Do we have time to dither? As a player, I didn't know if I had to meet a game condition every X amount of long rests or I would become a mind flayer until the Dream Guardian came in. So I was pretty nervous about making sure I thoroughly explored everything in Act 1 while also trying to figure out if there was a hidden timetable. Not to mention everyone really wants my cool artifact!

So when I write about the party during in-game events, I want to focus on how anxious they are. How irritable do they get with each other? How scared are they? Do they have time to sleep? Is that skin bruising or is it purpling because of transformation?

💧Is there a ship you wouldn’t write yourself, but love reading?

This is a tough question! I prefer to write mostly Tav x Character ships, so that's normally what I lean into, and a lot of my writing reflects that.

That being said, I do really enjoy reading pairings between origin characters--Shadowheart x Lae'zel and Wyll x Karlach are two of my big ones (there are *many* others). For now though, I don't have any ideas for those ships. I am seriously enjoying reading what others have written for them though!

☔️Do you care about wider DnD lore in your fics?

This is a 'rules for me but not for thee' situation, where I will worry over how lore-accurate my story is, but when it comes to someone else's fic, I'm there to read and have a good time.

This is a mess of a situation in my brain--I really enjoy using lore to help build out ideas that I have, but I also don't ever want to run into a situation where I feel like I can't write an idea because the lore wouldn't support it (that doesn't stop me from worrying over it!). I will research lore to death to make sure an idea is viable (and likely not ask the right questions and miss a key detail); I am very lucky to have a lot of DMs in my life who are ready to help me research/remind me that the Rule of Cool does exist.

My DM also pointed out to me that the current D&D wikis and player books are nice, but they don't have the same breadth of information that older editions contained, and to purchase those books can get very pricey. There are .pdf's online, true, but I get nervous about what I am downloading--so even if I want to be as true to the lore as possible, I might not even have access to the whole picture.

So this is my way of saying that I try to afford myself a little grace, because I might not even have ready access to wider D&D lore.

[sisislair]

Baldur's gate 3's premise truly is just the perfect crossover machine lol. Thinking about Xie Lian getting picked up by the nautoloid, but not sure if it should be post canon or a little bit after he ascends. Leaning more towards it being either right before or after the Banyue arc. Still can't decide if I want Hua Cheng to get grabbed along with him, but I'm thinking yes.

Honestly this was spawned because I was thinking about both Astarion's and Xie Lian's respective times being trapped in coffins, and that I think Xie Lian would absolutely have saved him if he could have heard him. But you know, banished.

I think Wyll would remind Xie Lian a lot of his younger self, which we've seen is always very conflicting for Xie Lian. He might try to protect him a bit.

Xie Lian is one of the first in line to hug Karlach after her engine is fixed, and I could see some hurt/comfort happening if she got hurt and he tended her wounds despite it burning him because of his usual, "it's not like I'll die" mentality. I think they'd get along very well honestly, they both have a similar, I'd rather think about the good things in my life than dwell on my suffering way of going about things.

I think he would find Gale's knowledge entertaining, and I also think he would have some very poor opinions of mustard, especially after the whole, blow yourself up for me deal. Gale tries to teach Xie Lian how to cook something edible with varying degrees of success. I think he's the first one to figure out who Xie Lian is as well as his godhood status due to his education and designs with Mystra.

Actually really intrigued by Hua Cheng interacting with both Gale, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel given all of their differing gods and how they devote themselves to them.

Honestly just conflicting feelings all around once Xie Lian's godhood is revealed and we start having interactions with some of the gods in Faerun.

I think Raphael is the one who reveals his godhood to the group, although Withers definitely gives out some hints.(Finding Withers alivish in the sarcophagus was a little traumatic for Xie Lian) but yeah, basically when the run into Raphael at the last light he makes some digs about how Xie Lian might as well be thrice ascended and banished due to his current state with the mindflayer parasite, and that no wonder he's the laughingstock of all the realms. He also tries to make a deal by saying he could possibly get rid of Xie Lian's shackles, but he doesn't take him up on it. This does, however, lead to some pretty interesting conversations in the group.

My brain is trying to cook up some polyamory in the background right now lol. Could really only see these ships below happening if it was post canon with already established Hualian.

Astarion x Xie Lian x Hua Cheng - We know that Xie Lian really enjoys biting commentary, so I could see him enjoying Astarion's sense of humor, especially enjoying the show of Astarion and Hua Cheng trading barbs with each other. I think he would be very flustered and startled by the flirting, and Hua Cheng would be very pissy about it. Some serious drinking vinegar. I don't see sex happening unless it was much later in the relationship, what with Xie Lian at the very least being demisexual. And I think it would be nice for Astarion to have a relationship with no sex at the start. Just quiet intimacy. Xie Lian at first and then Hua Cheng later on both treating him so tenderly. It's part of what breaks my heart about Hualian, and I think it would shatter Astarion a bit too. To be treated softly. Could see a big breakdown scene happening after Xie Lian's godhood is revealed where he cries and screams a bit about why how none of the gods answered his prayers, and Xie Lian holding him while telling him that if he had been able to hear him, he would have saved him. The grave sex scene between the three of them is very exquisite and heartbreaking, the dead, the undead, and the undying intertwined.

Gale x Xie Lian x Hua cheng - like I said above I think Xie Lian would think Gale's info dumping and dry wit very entertaining, and I think he would like to listen to him talk. I think Hua Cheng and Gale would have fun debating and theorizing about things together. Gale and Xie Lian would definitely bond over cooking and their love for their moms. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng both feel like Gale's relationship is none of their business, right up until she tells him to go kill himself. Because while Hua Cheng would do that for Xie Lian, he knows that Xie Lian would (a) never ask him that, and (b) he put that power into Xie Lian's hands on purpose. Was Gale arrogant? Sure. They both see Mystra cutting off the relationship as a complicated personal issue, but her asking him to blow himself up after suppressing the orb, something she could apparently have done all this time but chose not to until it conveniently fit her needs? Their both pretty upset about it. Cue them trying to convince Gale of his own self-worth. Something they both have experience in lol. Gale is very hesitant when the relationship starts due to his previous troubles with Mystra, but Xie Lian and Hua Cheng have always returned devotion tenfold. If they ever have sex Gale is very much thinking it's going to be more astral projection stuff. Imagine then how shocked and touched he is that they would want to interact with his mortal body in the flesh, and find worship there.

Karlach x Xie Lian x Hua Cheng - Honestly see this as being more platonic than romantic, but I think that the three of them would get along pretty well. A lot of casual intimacy once the engine is fixed, and her bad end can totally be avoided because there is not a single one of these ships where Xie Lian doesn't at the very least offer to bring his and Hua Cheng's lover up to the middle court of heaven and beyond. Karlach is both very positive, but also has enough of a darker sense of humor to get along with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.

[optiwashere]

This is a big one for the Asheera replay.

Context if you've missed things so far: I'm replaying the game as Asheera again for a combination of inspiration, reminders of characterization, and also to solidify how Asheera feels about a lot of the major companion moments in-game. I'm also way farther than this now so I'm probably going to speed up what content the replay posts cover...

Before we get to the main event, I wanted to go over some of Asheera's high level thoughts on the companions so far!

Karlach - Fast becoming good friends. Lots of silly banter shared in camp, on the road, basically wherever. Asheera enjoys hearing Karlach's stories about Avernus whenever she's willing to share them; it gives her better perspective on her oath. To see what some would call a monster, a woman that was on the frontlines of the Blood War, and call her friend?

Lae'zel - Still tense, but Lae'zel is coming around on Asheera. Asheera respects her in combat, the crèche is still a possible cure, and she still knows more than anyone else in the party about illithids. Side note, but Lae'zel thinks the situation between Shadowheart and Asheera is pointless given their condition. It's not even physical? Why bother?

Shadowheart - Growing closer, and the rest of this post kinda goes into why. Asheera is starting to hear her faith as zealotry and that's concerning, but it's also... sad? Asheera hears in her words something that triggers the redeemer's instinct to search for more than what's on the surface. She doesn't respect Sharrans (who would?) and she wonders what lies behind the fanaticism.

Wyll - He's everything he ever said he was and more. Asheera thinks he's just a good guy, and that's honestly something she needs on her side. He's quite flirtatious too, which is a fun break from fighting. She doesn't swing that way, but it's fun watching him fumble with literally everyone in camp.

Gale - Asheera is glad that she was wrong about Gale. He really is just eccentric. Maybe a bit egotistical and prone to overexplaining himself, but he's been a decent man so far and he did explain the entire magical item eating problem pretty quickly. Being able to trust a wizard is always good!

Astarion - He's just fascinating. He's an asshole and a blowhard, but he's at least open about it. That at least gives her something to work with. The whole "pretending not to be a vampire" schtick was getting old anyways. Plus, imagine the look on her fellow paladins' faces when she tells them she actually had a chance at redeeming a vampire spawn? That's worth the effort alone.

Now. Time for Shadowheart and her "oh btw, I worship Shar" reveal. Which, you know... wasn't obvious by the armor she wears to begin with or the gigantic purple tent with Sharran iconography stitched into it. It's always good to have confirmation!

But seriously, this is a really major moment for the Asheera/Shadowheart relationship.

After Asheera hears this confession, I have to just headcanon that Shadowheart's tent doesn't have the iconography on it. Otherwise this being a "reveal" is completely lost for me. When she first mentions it, Asheera is definitely surprised. Yeah, Shadowheart can be annoyed when Asheera acts altruistically, but it's never been something that comes between them really.

She said 2 in this dialogue by the way. It's a moment where she wants to put all their cards on the table. After a somewhat long discussion, Shadowheart then says something that completely changes the tone of the conversation:

At this point, Asheera sees Shadowheart. Really, finally sees her. Not the "shield of secrecy" that she preaches blindly, mindlessly regurgitating things she's been told about Shar. Right here, she sees pain in every word that Shadowheart says about her Dark Lady. There is a purpose to it all, that's what she wants to believe.

Not the pain. None of what Shadowheart says here is actually about loss, pain, or suffering. What Shadowheart yearns for is purpose and meaning. That's all Asheera hears, and her heart breaks for this woman that she just thought was going to be a distraction during their adventure.

It's also so massive for Shadowheart's characterization for the same reason. She's so deluded that she then starts spouting propaganda that's completely and totally false...

Like, Shadowheart?

Baby?

Shar advocates for literally none of that lmao. Sharrans destroy things that aren't Sharran and call that idolatry, they worm their way into organizations with assassination and manipulation to control them, and heretics are anyone that will not accept Shar. The level of brainwashed this girl is operating on with this dialogue is wild and it remains one of my favorite convos in the game even on replay.

For Asheera, she hears the absurd self-justification in Shadowheart's words. She is almost melancholic throughout this conversation except when she's talking about Sharran ideals. Suddenly, she becomes angry. Like it's a learned response from decades of abuse to force her into the mold she's been randomly chosen to fit.

Asheera's heard zealots before. At this point, even if their situationship never becomes anything more, Asheera is convinced that she needs to know more about this woman's pain. Maybe there is a way to help her?

Side-note: Shadowheart's defensiveness towards her own abuser is so fitting that it's kinda hard to watch on replay, knowing what we know about her entire arc. "So long as it has meaning..." what if there is no meaning, Shadowheart? What if it was entirely arbitrary?

That's what Asheera's thinking during this.

Furthermore, when Asheera learns that she's had her memory deliberately suppressed — and combined with the pains from the wound on her hand — it's basically red flags galore. She's not used to dealing with someone so thoroughly... unaware of her own situation. Asheera is very much a "charge headlong into the situation" type person for the most part, even if charging means a discussion rather than a fight.

Yet Shadowheart thinks that she can have everything she ever wanted if she appeases her own abuser. Horrifying.

I find this single approval tag so fucking telling. The approval tags can sometimes be broken and multiple in one branch can be directly contradictory depending on the sort of "route" you're trying to bring a companion down, but there's no alternative approval/disapproval in these choices. Everything else is neutral, but this one touches her.

Like, at this point we all know that Shadowheart is a deeply wounded person that wants to believe in something so that she four decades of suffering was for something, but the fact that she approves of you offering to help her with her wound is so... there's an entire essay to be written there.

It's unreal. She goes on and on and on about how Sharrans must remain free of all but their love of Shar. Her (perverse, abusive) love of Shar is literally physically symbolized in the stigmata she carries.

And she approves of Asheera trying to ease that pain? I think Shadowheart rationalizes this as Asheera trying to help her be a "true" Sharran and avoid the pain altogether, but that's not what the dialogue says. Nor is it Asheera's intent. Her intent is to help her ease the pain.

Now, there's lots of ways to read Shadowheart's wound as a depiction of chronic pain, and I don't want to take that away from folks. Love that for y'all, but in "my canon" and with Asheera specifically this is a moment where Shadowheart reaches out, hand held open hoping for anything or anyone to reach back, and Asheera is the first person that doesn't swat her away in fear or call her a failure for not adhering to her religion.

She takes Shadowheart's hand willingly, ignoring all the traps and knives Shadowheart's set up to protect herself. Why was sharing everything so easy? Secrecy is supposed to be what Sharrans need, after all. Why was it so easy for someone to listen to the way she speaks and for them to say, "I'd be lying if I said [Sharran faith] didn't sound convincing."

So long as it has meaning, right?

Also, I keep forgetting to take screenshots of Asheera's Dream Visitor and since they were brought up in one of the Companion!Tav asks...

Here she is in the character creator because I think the next time I see this character they will look quite a bit different lmao. Seeing this person in her dreams doesn't startle Asheera, it's not uncommon for her to dream about this person but then this dream version of that person begins speaking strangely. It makes Asheera immediately distrustful of this thing, whatever it is, once it starts speaking freely and saying things that this person would never have said.

[ryttu3k]

BG3 update, exploring Reithwin, a new team member, to about midway through Moonrise Towers!

Little snippety bits, team banter, etc that I've smushed into one image because I have a limit here:

*eyeing that 'unknown elf' listing* Also I love how Astarion is genuinely bullshitting in the blood-taste bit because we know he hasn't been drinking thinking-peoples blood aside from enemies and, once, Tae.

Anyway. To Reithwin! Delightfully spooky, honestly, the atmosphere here is fun. Managed to talk three enemies to death - the tollkeeper (who reminds me of corrupted No Face in Spirited Away?), the absolute creep in the House of Healing, and, after the world's grosses drinking game, the bartender. More on the latter two later!

At the cemetery, we meet Arabella! Who has... picked up some new skills.

Of course she can stay at camp while we look for her parents!

Into the bar for the world's worst drinking game. Plus side, got a boatload of approval from Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel from it! And some... really nasty mental images!

"Really? Right in front of my drink?"

Stopping to camp for the night. Getting some much more genuine Astarion when asking if Cazador has other spawn. Larian let me hug him as a friend.

Karlach brings up the whole... Gale thing. Which I still feel bad about tbh.

On a more depressing note, telling Arabella about her parents hurts ;_; Apparently not everyone gets the scene that follows, so I'll include a Youtube link to it here! Man, given Withers'... everything, I have to wonder just what that destiny will involve!

Honestly, though, I goddamn adore him as a character. Even if he does warn Tae not to get distracted by Karlach XD;;

Not the only intriguing camp companion we have, apparently!

Speaking of companions, visiting the House of Healing and retrieving Art's lute allows us to progress with starting to end the shadow curse, and properly recruiting Halsin!

I really like when you can let companions speak for themselves, you get so much more lore, like letting Lae'zel speak at the creche.

Once Thaniel is restored, Halsin officially becomes a member of the Brainworm Squad, albeit minus a brainworm! The companions have assorted things to say about him (including Wyll calling him a 'thick hunk of an elf'), and Tae gets to know him better. He likes honey and knows it's funny! He likes whittling! He likes whittling ducks!

"I like ducks :)"

(Tae has officially decided he's their new grandpa now. The other companions have... less familial views, apparently!)

Back to the mission! Heading to the Thorm mausoleum, and oh dear, look what the cat dragged in...

After getting some good advice to skip the mausoleum until prompted to go there later, we turn back, and this time, make for Moonrise Towers itself! (Minus Halsin, with the narrator very helpfully reminding me that, hey, may not want to bring someone without a brainworm there.) Discover some... concerning cargo:

Yeah, we, uh, took the canister and now it's just. Sitting in the traveller's chest. What do we do with it?

Into Moonrise Towers, witnessing a group of goblins attempt to kill Ketheric and. Completely fail. That's concerning!! Tae is instructed to deal with the remaining goblins and opts to let them go, because who knows? Maybe they'll return the favour one day. Karlach hears from an old 'friend', Florenta the Garrotter, a cambion from her Avernus days, and gets given some soul coins (albeit with a story attached to each).

Lots and lots of concerning bits of evidence, all pocketed. Stuff on recruiting drow, shadow druids, goblins, et cetera, invasion plans for Baldur's Gate, and - what have we here? Collaboration between Ketheric Thorm and Gortash!

We meet Araj. We meet Tae's extreme urge to punch her in the face. We meet Astarion's genuine surprise and gratitude at someone giving him a choice on what he does with his body for possibly the first time in two hundred years I'm gonna fuckin' cry. Larian let me hug him as a friend, part two.

We meet Steelclaw. Steelclaw I would die for you. ...Can we recruit her for the final battle?

That done, time for a prison break!

I don't like him much. Barcus sweetie you can do so much better. The tieflings are much happier to see us! (Lia: "Oh, you clever bastard. I could kiss you!" Cal: "Not in front of me, please. I've suffered enough.")

After the successful prison break, it's time for a rest. Is it weird to find, like, a 'realistic' place for them to rest? I used that office/tower in the middle of the prison, in the upstairs bit, where anyone awake could watch out for anyone approaching. Anyway, Gale has set up a hologram kind of... thing to invite Tae somewhere, finding him in a Weave illusion and in a... very melancholy mood.

Understandably.

Was definitely concerned this would lead more romantic. Thankfully, the game allows it to be played completely platonically, which is good as! Gale is a friend! A friend who's hurting and terrified and needs support and anyway Gale haters can fight me.

Genuinely beautiful scene, and I absolutely got misty-eyed.

Fight me, Gale haters.

Back to Moonrise. We do some more exploring, finding the third part of the tale of Orpheus. Lae'zel is... not impressed in the slightest. We also meet Ketheric's dog :( And private chambers. And stuff relating to his dead wife, and their daughter, who I have definite suspicions about. (It's Isobel, right? Isobel is Ketheric's daughter, right? Don't tell me either way, but that definitely seems to be the vibe I'm getting.)

We meet with Disciple Z'rell, and get a new mission - go to the Thorm mausoleum, and retrieve the artefact for Thorm. Now we can go! Also, at the least, she seems to trust us?

Back to the Last Light for some happy reunions! Alfira is ecstatic to have Lakrissa back (who proceeds to flirt with Tae, Lakrissa please their girlfriend is standing right there), Barcus is so excited to see Wulbren again... who doesn't appear to feel the same way.

Do you think Barcus would mind overmuch if Tae stuffed Wulbren in their pack and threw him back in a cell? Just saying.

Then back to camp for a rest, and a conversation with Astarion that punches me in the emotions!!

Full scene (including the initial confrontation with Araj) available here. The options I picked were, "Why has she upset you so much?", "Have you even enjoyed having sex, in these last decades?", and "You aren't a slave any more, Astarion, you're free."

Anyway that scene emotionally kicked my ass and I still couldn't even hug him. Larian let me hug him as a friend, part three!

[jacqcrisis]

This a ramble about some thoughts I'm having while playing bg3. Please ignore if you want cause I'm only just now about to start act 2 on my first playthrough.

I wonder if due to the general rarity and more animalistic appearance of a dragonborn, if Ronan is a hard sell on the 'attraction' front for a lot of people. I can't imagine most people's first reaction to meeting a new lizard man is 'the pants are coming off', unless they are a very particular kind of person or have been around people of that race enough for the general wariness for the visual peculiarities to have worn off. Especially not in a crisis situation where if you really wanted to bone down, there's other more human options with skin and normal teeth and...lips.

Obviously, all the companions are video game bisexual and also seemingly devoid of personal aesthetic preferences in order to help facilitate you the player's personal role-playing fantasy adventure. Everyone is available no matter what race you pick in a game mechanic sense but thinking logically in a worldbuilding/narrative sense...

I understand Lae'zel wondering outloud to Ronan if she could 'ride him like the red dragons'; that makes sense for her and her...interests. She seems like a certified freak (affectionate). And I would get it if Gale had a dialogue option that implied or directly stated he'd wondered what it'd be like to be with a dragonborn because he seems like he's spent a lot of time reading weird porn inbetween simping for an actual goddess who probably can and did true polymorph herself into some fucked up shit for him. Their sex life had to be crazy if he's willing to turn himself into a thermonuclear device to try and get it back is all I'm saying ANYWAYS

But since I'm romancing him this playthrough, I have to imagine for someone like Astarion, that it had to take some personal pep talk before putting on the fawning voice and asking Ronan to sleep with him. And even more psyching himself up because in my game, it took two additional long rests after that conversation to actually get to the awkward sex scene. He had to really think about that one, literally had to sleep on it TWICE to make sure he's got his head in the right place to find out what dragonborn dick is about.

Not that hes disgusted, just... put off by the prospect on how he's going to sell this whole charming, super into the dragonborn shtick when he's just not all that much. I just cannot imagine, even outside of the manipulation game he's playing with the PC, Astarion sitting there, being like 'you know who I'd like to get rowdy with now that my body is my own again? Out of everyone at this camp? Thats right. The Lizard.'

I'm only just now about to start act 2, so I could be super off base, but that's the headcanon I'm running with right now. Vampire didn't find much physically of the big dragonborn tantalizing before deciding sleeping with him was the best course of action. The idea that this would obviously change over the course of time is compelling to me.