#Astarion surprised me. I was planning to romance him from the start because I have shitty taste in men but his romance was fucking beautifu

[genderfluidloki]

I just have to say like. Astarion is some of the best trauma survivor representation I have ever seen, especially in a video game. Larian handled it with so much care, I'm really blown away by it.

[lets-go-hurt-someone]

Am I the only one who actually prefers the Araj confession from Astarion? I see so many people wax poetic about the “nice, simple plan” scene and how much better it is that I want to wax poetic a little about my favourite.

The first time I played BG3, I didn’t know anything about Astarion’s background and I thought he was a jerk. When I first ran into Araj at Moonrise, I was surprised that he wasn’t interested in biting her, but he gave his reasons and I was like, damn, okay, that sucks but I’m not gonna force him to do anything. He said no, so it’s a no. Then I moved on, and genuinely thought nothing of it.

When he hit me with the Araj confession at camp, when he explained how he felt in front of her and how easy it would have been to just grin and bear it and do as he was told, I started crying. Sometimes I struggle to even put into words the emotions it brought up — not the smallest of which was the realisation that I had had more respect for this video game character that I didn’t even like at the time than a lot of people had ever had for me, a real fucking human being.

So I love absolutely everything about that scene, from the writing to the performance to all the different ways it can play out. I know the other confession is more cute and sweet and romantic, but the Araj one held up a mirror to me and genuinely made me confront myself and change how I approach intimacy. Which is kind of an embarrassing thing to say about a video game romance scene but here I am saying it.

Because if this fucking rude ass pixel boy (affectionate) can learn to be honest about his needs and limits and have them respected, then so can I, goddamnit. And that will always be so much more profound to me than a nice, simple plan that fell apart.

[thedomesticanthropologist]

In one of my playthroughs, my Tav is having a TIME with Astarion, and it's a version of his romance I don't see represented online as much and I want to talk about it.

If you choose more lightweight dialogue options, if you don't dig into his mind at the bite scene, if you get his Araj confession instead of his impromptu one,

Then by the end of Act 2, you do *not* have a secure relationship AT ALL, he has never said he's in love, and everything feels REALLY rocky.

All through act 1 he lays on the seduction heavily, but in act 2 a bitch is MAD. He is stressed, he needs to figure out his scars, he feels hunted and un-safe and because of this, he starts to take it out on Tav a bit.

SPOILERS FOR ACT 2:

when Raphael shows up to talk to him, he snaps at Tav saying "don't get in my way". When you do his quest and kill the orthon, you have to PRY a thank you from him by literally telling him to parrot your words ('thank you for helping me, it was very... Kind') and he spits it out like he really, really wasnt intending to say anything in the form of gratitude.

When you talk about what to do about Cazador, my Paladin chose 'youll never be free while he lives' because it's true. If he runs, cazador will hunt him. If cazador lives, he will never stop looking over his shoulder. His reply 'i hate that you're right'

Even when you say you'll join him to hunt his master down, you can watch his facial expressions and see: he's not convinced. Of course he isn't. He's terrified. And is he grateful? Yes, but again, it's guarded.

I then went to moonrise and talked to Araj, and I defended his autonomy 100%.

When his Araj-confession happened, it was absolutely NOT a LOVE confession. It was more like:

"thank you. This made me realize I was still acting like a slave even in freedom, and you supporting me there made me feel like I can start to snap out of that kind set. Sooooo... I should tell you, since you did me a solid, that I was using you for protection and manipulating you up until now"

If you DONT choose the top options, the MOST he tells you about how he feels about you is a single line of dialogue

'imagine my surprise when I started to actually feel... SOMETHING... For you'

This could be friendship, crush feels, etc. It's VERY vague, and important things to note is while WE THE PLAYER know more about him and what he may feel at this point or what he's gone through, YOUR TAV DOESNT.

He does not apologize for using you. He states his regret that his plan failed because he started to value you as a person instead of a tool for him to be used. That admission is his gift back to you for defending him in front of Araj.

If you then choose 'what do YOU want' he approves, but says he doesn't know. And then he defends that 'isnt it nice not to know?' You still get soft faces, your hand held. He's trying to *silently* communicate what he can't bring himself to say, but he *DOESNT* SAY anything to affirm you two are a couple/in a relationship/etc. Just a vague 'lets not talk about it but see where it goes'

Honestly, based on this experience via dialogue choices for this character, it almost seemed to me like "sounds like you need a friend not a lover" makes the MOST SENSE. Of course this is my Astarion Romance run, so my Paladin instead said, basically, I'll wait for you until you're ready. (She chose the 'what do you want,' and let it lay there as is)

Afterwards you can ask about your relationship with him and again, he's flustered, he's hedging, he's defensive, and he brushes it off. He's not ready to talk, he's not ready to commit, he's fully focused on Cazador and his safety.

You enter this waiting period where Tav has been manipulated, spoken down to, snapped at, bitten, and responded to without gratitude, but is ALSO given just the faintest, BAREST glimpse at the vulnerability beneath the surface. The player is being asked at this point to REALLY trust and WAIT without ANY evidence that this relationship could become healthy, or could turn into love, or could because a real relationship. And that's SO NEAT

If you don't romance anyone else and aren't put into the position to choose him, you never get a confirmation of dating. If you get the Araj scene and don't choose hug, and don't force him to confirm he was attracted to you etc, you can literally end the talk on "thanks for defending me, also haha I was using you this whole time just so you know, thanks for being nice about it"

From a Tav point of view, this *could* be fairly devastating, and even if Tav decides to wait and keep supporting him, at this point, even post "confession" there is VERY little evidence that things are gonna get better between you.

We know it does. WE do. We get the access to other dialogue and choices or the other confession IF we chose that. But this, this scene, these dialogue choices REALLY emphasize his Act 3 confession

"you were patient. You waited, through blood lust etc /even when it was an objectively stupid thing to do etc"

Cause yeah. He's RIGHT. If you don't choose VERY specific dialogues to get more out of him, most of his romance up until the Act 3 confession,most of how he treats you, most of how he responds to your decisions in game (if you're playing fairly good and not evil/durge) gives Tav no reason beyond faith to continue to pursue him.

I think he knows this, and it's why he's surprised when you state you don't want him for sex. Because up until Act 3, he KNOWS how he's been treating Tav and even HE wouldn't have stood for it if the roles were reversed, so h thinks 'it must be because I'm good in bed'. Then he takes the sex away and you still stay? Even when he's chasing power, hunting for revenge, snapping at you, refusing to commit?

It's a powerful story line. It's so engaging. And it has room for SO MUCH ANGST

Anyways thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

[wellen-katze]

I see that you are into Asccendent Astarion. Do you have and do you plan to make Spawn Astarion comics (even one shots)? Do you think Astarion is truly evil/roten to the core? Do you think he can have his redemption if he is given a chance?

Oh, I've already drawn some Spawn Astarion comics. I just don't title them 'Spawn' because, well, Spawn Astarion is Astarion lol~ But yes, I'd like to draw some more Spawn Astarion comics.

Well, Ascended Astarion is pretty much written like a disney villian. He wants to take over Baldur's Gate without any remorse, so I suppose you could call those actions 'evil.' But there are also things that surprised me about him. For example, the dialogue options when you romance Karlach with him. If Karlach tells Astarion she wants to die instead of going to Avernus, he is pretty much the worst person ever, and while Spawn Astarion weeps, Ascended Astarion seems to be nearly disgusted by that weakness and acts like, 'well then just go die.' But there is also the loyal side of him, and if Karlach wants to go to Avernus, he will follow. More because he thinks about the power he could get from it than anything else, but still, he actually goes with his partner to the Hells, and that shows how very important bonds are to the character. Maybe it's not really 'love,' but he cares about you, perhaps like you would care about a billion-dollar bracelet (I would care a lot).

The question 'if a character like Ascended Astarion can change' is even more complex (and obviously only the original writer could give you the right answer) because one of the problems about the ascension is that we don't really know 100% what the contract meant. In the end, it was Cazador who made the contract. And I think the game told us enough times that you can never trust a devil. The possibility is high that Astarion lost a part of his former soul. All in all, a 'true' vampire is closer to a mindless monster than ever. And if that is the case, there would probably be no way back.

To me, the ascension stands for a decision a person can take in life. A worldview that you won't get hurt if you have more power than other people. Astarion wants to take that path from the start, and the ascension is like the ultimate agreement.

So to sum it up: Yeah, he is pretty evil, and no, I don't think he could change because, well, why would he want to haha~

[all-pacas]

BG3 EPILOGUE STUFF

since i had a save from just before the final battle and, for one, had been dying for details all afternoon: this is from a game where i was durge and romanced astarion.

It's in the slightly random order of "who I happened to talk to in whatever order."

MINSC: Taking his job of "working with" the Guild seriously, and shows up to the party with a random thief he had been in the middle of dangling from a high tower. Says he visits Astarion a lot, but that Astarion keeps accidentally forgetting to tell him when he moves. You can ask him if there are others from the first Bhaal crisis left alive, because you're studying it.

OWLBEAR CUB: Been having fun fighting! You can suggest he settle down with Halsin or Shadowheart (I picked Halsin) and he's very excited.

SHADOWHEART: Says she's almost surprised you came; you can joke "what, just because I don't have a butler anymore?" and she says she was worried, but is glad to see that old memories haven't kept you away. She's found a little cottage in the country and is having a nice time living peacefully. Her parents are doing well, and her mother is teaching her to cook. She also has EVERY SINGLE pet she can find. Just gone from full goth princess to cottagecore.

You can tell her that you went Candlekeep to research Bhaalspawn history, and you agree you'll keep in more proactive touch.

JAHEIRA: The Bhaal temple is still standing, but she assures you it's empty, thanks to you. Jord has joined the Harpers, and Rion has rejoined the Flaming Fist, and is spending her time bullying them. Jaheira is mildly/proudly worried they'll kick her out. Again. She's wrangling Harpers and working to rebuilt Baldur's Gate. She asks if you plan on starting a family of your own, and you can tell her that you plan on letting Bhaal's line die with you.

VOLO: He's writing a tell-all, and says he's gotten very good at faking your signature for the disclosures. He wants to call it "The Hero and Me," and you can suggest "The Bhaalspawn 2." He doesn't think you should think of yourself as a mere sequel.

KARLACH: "I've missed you, you old Bhaalspawn. Oh - do you not want to me to call you the B-word any more?" You can joke that your "army" is bath salts and scented candles, tell her that everyone slips up from time to time, or brag about not thinking about it AND not killing anyone in six months. The answer I picked: "I see my blood not as a curse, but a duty. I have been studying Bhaal, so I can fight him, if his cult ever strikes again."

Karlach and Wyll have been having a lot of fun fighting and surviving hell. She feels a lot better, and tells you about their plan to heist a new heart for herself. You promise to meet up again.

WYLL: Mizora hasn't been bothering him much, sending him after legitimate demons and evils. She's set him on a new mission he doesn't know the details of, but apparently his target is a devil. He's happy to be traveling with Karlach. He's been able to visit Baldur's Gate and his father a few times, and dad's doing well, leading the city and rebuilding. No Bhaalspawn talk.

HALSIN: He's still hanging out in the former Shadowlands, and Moonrise has been torn down to make new houses. He gives you a wooden duck. No Bhaalspawn talk.

LAE'ZEL: Is just on her full YA Youth Hero phase. Has been fighting and leading and just being super cool, allying with the githzerai. She's currently a dipomat, and you can be like "lol, seriously?" She's amused and says you taught her that diplomacy and words are as sometimes as important as a blade. She's clearly joking around a bit (she calls herself bossy and that it's her charm), but as deadpan as ever.

GALE: HE'S A PROFESSOR, school of illusion. As a sorceror, you can say you're surprised he's only teaching one school, and he agrees and admits he offered to teach them all, before being told he had to pick one. He talks about how much he likes illusion and imagination, and so now I feel like I have to make him illusionist in my runs. He gave the Crown to Mystra, and feels great relief to have the Orb gone. He clearly really, really loves teaching and spends his time trying to make his students love magic as much as he does. He complains they sleep a lot, and Tara butts in to call them cheeky and offers to swipe them.

He asks what you're up to, and you can joke you're napping and thinking of becoming a massage therapist — he jokes that he's glad you found a new career, but maybe leave off your "neck snapping" past when meeting clients. Gale offers you a "guest lecturer" spot, and you can remark that "the healing of my cranial trauma would be a prime case study for the school of Evocation." Gale invites you to stay in his — SORRY, TARA, OUR — tower.

TARA: YOU CAN PSPSPSPSPSP TARA. She does not deign to respond. She asks if you're the one who helped Gale with the Absolute, and if you politely say that Gale helped you, she doubts it very much — obviously he's the hero. She then invites you to visit them, and if you accuse her of having no respect for the "co-savior of Faerun," she retorts that she's here, isn't she? Before dismissing you.

ASTARION: He's happy all your friends are well, but hesitates on joining the socializing himself, because he's just so good at "skulking." He says he doesn't want to hog you because he gets you all the time.

LETTERS: (This was not a 100% completion game.)

Art is rapidly declining, his age catching up to him. He doesn't have long to live, but is happy and content seeing the Shadowlands cured.

Duke Ravengard does not even mention Wyll in his letter.

Arabella is being trained by Elminster! Love that for her.

The Gur write their letter to Astarion specifically, saying they've been keeping an eye on him and admire his restraint and control over his bloodlust.

THERE'S A LETTER FROM ALFIRA ahaha. I did the Durge Savescum to save her, and her letter basically goes: Yeah, I heard you're a Bhaalspawn? I saw murder in your eyes whenever you looked at me, and I'm glad you're doing well, but I'm not going to tell you where I am now. Thank you for sparing me! Bye!

Barcus Wroot has the single most Barcus Wroot letter of all time. "Withers gave me this address and said I could consider writer. Well, I considered it. Return address included. Best, Barcus Wroot." I love him so much.

Dammon 100000% has a crush on Karlach. His letter is basically: "Are you still alive? I think of you all the time. Will you write to me? Yours faithfully." Omg.

Nocturne is in a new Sharran cloister, but she hopes Shadowheart is well and wonders if maybe one day she'll also be brave enough to leave.

ROLAN DID NOT WRITE ME, woowwwww

CONCLUSIONS:

Durge gets two threads: I am living in a spa, and I am spending my time researching Bhaal. Or maybe both!

Wyll and Karlach definitely seem to be hinting towards some kind of DLC, with Wyll's new devil target and the whole heist situation. Withers also has an unreadable note on his desk with Hints Of Important Things.

[moorishflower]

I found your work a few months ago because of the Sandman fandom, and I LOVE your writing, and I hope you'll continue writing for dreamling. With that said, I will follow you from fandom to fandom because your fics are sublime, so in the event you start writing for BG3, I thought that I should learn a bit about the characters and I have been happily googling away. One thing I haven't been able to track down is why the Gale/Astarion paring is being called bloodweaver. Please enlighten me.

ToT Anon when I say this made me SO happy I cannot overstate it enough, this is incredibly flattering. I don't have any plans rn to stop writing Dreamling! I have to finish doing You're the One I Need, and I am working on something that I might use for the Big Bang! But yes, I am in a bit of a BG3 spiral rn lol. This game has been in early access for SO SO LONG, and I am really just glad that my (not quite ancient) PC can run it! I highly recommend it for people who are fans of: D&D, the Forgotten Realms novels/setting, high fantasy stories, turn-based tactics games, Dragon Age/Mass Effect, and anyone who enjoys incredible characters. Seriously, Larian Studios has done SUCH a good job with each character, I would die for any one of my companions.

Spoilers for the game below the cut! Nothing major, it's all stuff you learn in Act 1.

As for why Gale/Astarion is being called Bloodweave, it's because Astarion is a vampire, and Gale is a wizard. Magic in the Forgotten Realms setting (where the game takes place) is accessed through something called the Weave. it's been variably described as the "source" of magic and also the way that raw magic can be manipulated. Like a sheet of silk laid over water, magic-users can poke different spots to let little bits of water through, but if they poke too hard then it damages the Weave and you can't interact with magic in the same way.

Gale has a really SPECIFIC connection with the Weave because he used to be in a relationship with the goddess of magic, Mystra.

Surprising no one, Gale and Astarion both attracted me because they have the same rough personality types as Dreamling, lol. Astarion is deeply traumatized, vacillates between embracing his monstrous nature but also having a very deep sense of morality about very specific things, and has an absolutely heartbreaking backstory. A lot of Gale's personal quest revolves around him falling desperately in love with something MUCH bigger than him and doing everything he could to impress it...only to fall short, and be tossed aside in the process. He loves cats, he cooks, and he reads poetry. He's also incredibly arrogant about his own magical abilities and deeply, deeply depressed. (Literally, there's a point in Act III where you can be, if you're romancing him, asked what his greatest shame/deepest flaw is, and the correct answer is that he thinks he and everyone else would be better off if he were dead.

Honestly, ALL of the characters are incredible. Shadowheart and Lae'zel are another pairing I'm interested in writing if I get the urge. Both of them were basically raised in cults and they start out hating and not trusting each other, and grow to respect each other over the course of the game (depending on your actions).

There's a little something for everyone tbh.

[ghost-proofbaby]

hiii, hope your well <333

so i got all the way to the very start of act 3, romanced astarion (or so i thought) just to have him reject me !!!!

for added context, he propositioned me at the celebration (i obviously said yes), helped him get raphael to explain his scars AND let him drink my blood. it says his approval is very high aswell. so i have no idea where i went wrong :|

hello love!! im doing pretty good <3 and oh nooo.

(spoilers for games. y'all have been warned.)

did you get a confession scene towards the end of act 2? to solidify the romance with any companion, there will always be a cut scene where the explicitly say "hey, we're doing this. we're a couple." there's specific things you have to do in order to trigger them. (and if you're doubting if you got that scene, once you have solidified the romance, you will have the dialogue options to ask for a kiss and ask what you are to that companion! every time you talk! endless astarion kisses if you so please!)

astarion has a few variations, below the cut.

1: you went to moonrise, encountered a drow named 'araj', and didn't make him drink her blood. plain and simple. most people resort to triggering the confession this way. it will be a cut scene that triggers during a long rest, and not an exclamation point. usually within 1-2 long rests, depending on if you have a backlog of camp events since you haven't been long resting much!

2 (my personal favorite and the most popular to be posted online): you completed his quest with raphael and the deal regarding his scars. this one has been trickier for others to accomplish. you can't encounter the drow first, and i usually avoid moonrise altogether to get this confession. it's the iconic "i had a nice, simple plan" confession. cut scene just like #1, where it occurs once you go to bed at camp. if this didn't trigger for you after the raphael encounter and killing yurgir (spoilers lol), then that's the same issue a lot of people have! i've only sought out this confession with exceptional approval. maybe the approval affects it? who knows. also, i have no idea if it's related, but i had friendzoned every other companion when i got this one, to avoid being in a double romance type of situation like the option below...

3: you begin to romance someone else in tangent with him, and are given an ultimatum between that character and astarion, and choose him. i've never done this path. i do not know the specifics to triggering it. i know it's common when you romance both gale and astarion specifically, but from what i've seen, it's very sweet and cute because he gets surprised you would choose him lol (also sometimes it appears to happen in late act 1??? like i said, i've never done it. when i set my sights on my boy, it's over for everyone else. even halsin. which, if you're curious, you can have a poly relationship with halsin and astarion. you just have to talk to him about it, which halsin brings up automatically. it's only available once in act 3).

if none of these works, try long resting back to back like all hell!! it'll literally be the tik tok audio of "night time, bitch! night time, bitch!". certain scenes just won't trigger out of order. <3 #1 has been confirmed by the community as the simplest way to get the confession, definitely used as a fail safe, because it always happens immediately the first long rest after that encounter.

also, some choices will lock you out, but you would know. astarion makes a very dramatic mess of the 'breakup'. usually, it's if you made him drink the drow's blood. higher approval leads to options to talk to him about it and stop the breakup, but also some really fucking awful options (do NOT try and have sex with him after he says he doesn't want anyone to view him in terms of sex, in case that wasn't obvious).

hopefully this helps? i just recently saw this start to be an issue for people haha. also finding the drow is a bit tough, she's in a side room. i recognized her voice from videos i'd seen on tiktok so... that's how i found her. and no, you can't fireball her into oblivion. i tried. multiple times. she won't take damage while at moonrise, fuckin cunt.

[mnlpine]

First Full Run

97 hours. Last night, I've finally done it, after Baldur's Gate 3 has had me in a chokehold since the game was gifted to me a month ago.

Balanced mode, Pure Draconic Fire Sorcerer Dark Urge. I am so pleased!

Next, tactician build suggestions, anyone? Preferably high charisma. Can't decide between a Swords Bard (because it seems fun! And generally in games, I just like being able to talk my way out of accidental fights before starting said fight on my own terms), a Canon Durge-Adjacent Blue Draconic Lightning Sorc (because charisma too, and having done a sorcerer in my first run just made my heart swell with pride and I just like magic) and a Stealth Archer build (because in the end, it's alllllllll Skyrim. Can't decide if I should go Ranger or Rogue for this one).

Oh my first full run was so much fun! Karlach died on me though, which my friend was surprised about because Wyll apparently offers to go to Avernus with her?

I didn't finish Wyll's and Lae'zel's companion quests. Lae'zel left Faerun in the end, because I let the Emperor kill Orpheus. Wyll became an adventurer, and so did Shadowheart! Gale became a professor which was sooooo cute. Astarion and I look after the vampire spawn in the Afterdark.

Astarion and Halsin and the Emperor all got romanced. Though honestly, I didn't think I would be so drawn to Gale? I came into this game set on romancing Astarion, but Gale got my heart.

If I wasn't so set into romancing Astarion first, I wouldn't have broken Gale's heart. But I was happy that he didn't leave the camp over it. I'm definitely romancing him in my tactician run.

I think the ending glitched somewhat (Act 3 in general just lagged and bugged out for me), because I got Astarion's and Halsin's scenes.

I was able to recruit all possible companions, except for Minthara. I didn't know she was recruitable until the end.

I didn't get to meet Sarevok although I did get a letter from him in the end. Apparently, I was supposed to be able to meet him along the way before defeating Orin, but I somehow stumbled into the Temple of Bhaal before that. My quest journal bugged out saying I killed him (which, I never met him, so that's a no).

I saw on some posts that Custom Origin is recommended for the first run, and I can kinda see why. I started this game with a Custom Origin first, before accidentally stumbling into Act 2 without finishing open quests from Act 1, so I decided to restart, but do Dark Urge since the appearance is customizable too anyway.

And by the gods, right off the bat, Durge had so much more meat to it compared to Act 1 of Custom. I don't think I can play as a Custom Origin ever again.

Just, this game. It's been a wild ride. It sucked me in and has occupied my thoughts for so many days, I haven't been able to touch any of my other personal projects because of it. It's just really good!

Already planning a character for a tactician run.

[afterthedescent]

Last night I triggered Astarion's second scene (which was honestly kind of a let down? because I got it after telling the drow in Moonrise off, and the dialogue you get from that is not as great as what you get if you trigger it before that happens, but it was still super sweet and I loved it), so the S. S. Kallarion has officially set sail.

But that also means that I have to break Gale's heart, which I am not emotionally ready for.

So what I did instead was reboot an earlier save to try and trigger Gale's scene because I want it, damnit. Camped and I got Astarion's again (different dialogue because I hadn't talked to the drow yet). I got distracted by feet kicks and squealing, so I had to reboot AGAIN and this time broke it off with him. Camped again and GOT THE GALE SCENE AHHHHHH. It was incredible and I cannot wait to do my Galemance playthrough.

Anyway, all of that got me thinking about Kallan's love life. She was initially attracted to Gale and felt comfortable with him really quickly (too quickly, really), and when he distanced himself from her because of the whole bomb-in-his-chest thing, she inadvertently took it personal. This, coupled with all of her internalized angst during Act 1, pushed her towards Astarion, who was like yes absolutely, this is all going according to plan.

So when Gale, at the start of Act 2, spurred on (I assume) by the fact that he thinks he's going to die soon, makes his feelings for Kallan known, it confuses the hell out of her. And she probably subconsciously distances herself from Astarion, who's probably like shit shit shit no, must ramp up the rizz.

I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll keep letting the other companions down (we're up to 3 now) part of my canon narrative, but it's fun to think about.

Regardless, at some point, Kallan comes to realize that she wasn't attracted to Gale per se (I mean, she is because she's not blind - her and Astarion even talked about it once), but because he reminds her so much of Samael. And that's not fair to him. At the same time she also realizes that she doesn't just enjoy the physicality of her whatevership with Astarion. In his words, she (at some point) started to like the whole package. It probably took her by surprise when she realized it, honestly. She's got a lot on her mind (and, well, in it), so romance is not at the forefront of her thoughts (mine, however...). Which is actually very funny to me because romance isn't on her mind, yet she got totally caught up in Astarion's web. Idk. Girl's just going through it.

[aranel-ancunin]

I’m sorry for venting but I saw your post and I like you and if you willing to talk about it I’m all for it. Especially to hear opinion on my thoughts from someone who can think better 😅

I’m quite new in the BG3 fandom, and since begging I always saw everyone taking about the betrayal. Was it ever like an interview? Why are we so sure there’s gonna be this big awful betrayal?/genuine

But aside from that, everyone keep saying it’s obvious Astarion gonna be the one who is backstabber. “You think it’s zevran but he’s not, he’s evil” I always read and finally I played and watched every option that there is and… he is literally like zevran story? I’m staring to believe people forgot how awful zevran was a t the begging? If you had low friendship with him he literally ridiculed you. He liked killing, he was approving the worst decision. He heard Bhelen is awful and went “oh that’s what we need. Not someone nice. We need an asshole”. He can be talked into selling slaves and not give you the slightest dissaproval. “Astarion was always evil and he’s not telling you the whole truth” like zevran having fun murdering everyone and literally torturing his lover? People also say, Astarion is only using his charm to get to you, it’s just a power play, and like.. it’s also the same for zev story?

I know it’s two different games and two different characters with kinda similar backstory, but still not the same. But I saw a lot of people using these arguments as impossible to change, as the story would not allow romance with characters like this and they started using the argument “it’s not zevran” so I needed to say well I don’t see it

Also I don’t think Astarion will betray us simply because it would be boring and if they decided to do it, even if we have high approval or/and romance than it would feel cheap and predictable and seeing devs other works I expect much more from them. But that’s just my thoughts from someone quite new and not familiar that much with it. I just expected Astarion to be much bigger red flag considering what fandom is saying. What do you think? Am I just and idiot who’s not seeing the bigger picture? Or those that make some sense

Greetings Anon 😀 Thank You for your message. I'd be Delighted to chat with you & here your thoughts and opinions regarding Astaion & BG3 😀

I started playing BG3 in April 2021 and since then I have seen countless posts and comments on Astarion's inevetable betrayal. It seems to me that people only see the vampire, and he has to be bad/evil and full of betrayal because vampires are the most evil & dispicable creatures in DnD. We don't know what he was like pre-vamp,a possible corrupt Magistrate, his background is not yet set in stone until full release.

I don't see him as a backstabber. I do think Astarion's using his charms at first , but seems to soften and seems more genuine as you progress with him. When you agree to let him bite you he seems surprised. He seems so genuine & soft in his mirror scene, and scar reading scene. His facial expressions give him away, for me at least.

I have seen alot of comparissions to him & Zevran. Yes they are both Rouges who enjoy killing but I don't see it. Zervan was not a good person either. Zevran in the end found a purpose and place at the Warden's side , epecially if he was romanced, and I can see the same being said with Astarion.

There is so much to Astarion and it's hard to speculate on a character that isn't complete yet but I go off of what I see and expereince in-game. For betrayal he is way too obvious and someone who is always on edge doesn't scheme or plan things out.

I agree with your point there regarding how obvious, predictable, boring it would be regardless of how we progress our storyline with him would be stupid of Larian, which I don't beleive they would do but then again who knows, but they do seem to understand how popular he is.

For me , Astarion is not a red flag. It's far easier for you to betray him than for him to betray you. You can stake him during the bit scene, turn him over to the Gur Hunter. Many seem to hate/dislike him because he kills you during the bite scene. It's his first time drinking from a humanoid so what do they expect.