#Baldur's Gate 3 Original Character

[mattness]

Original character of my friend 🤲

This is Fox. He is a leader of a gang, part of which was her Tav before events of BG3

\\ If you like, you can ask me to draw your Tav. I'll be happy to hear her/his story and then make a portrait 👉👈

Get in touch with me: my messages or whispersinthedark@gmail.com

[reagan-the-saunders]

Wizard & Sorceress

[burntpink]

We wanna see the druid! 🍃

this is Hesper, she's a druid from the Circle of the Moon, and her name means evening star ☆

she's very kind and sweet and just wants everybody to get along, if you think she looks bitchy or unfriendly that's your prejudice against drows. she always pouts when she's thinking (not her strong suit, intelligence is the lowest attribute) and looks like a scared puppy when shit goes down

[xpao-bearx]

Guess who started being consumed by playing BG3??? 👁👄👁

In honour of this INCREDIBLE game, here's my Tav!

(Sorry that the photo quality isn't the best, these are not in-game screenshots! I just took pics with my phone, but I do wanna say that my Tav has a LOT of freckles on her body that the pics didn't do justice)

Her name is Mon'sun and SHE IS MAH FUCKING BABYYY 😭❤️❤️❤️

I plan on writing a fic with her and the star himself (AKA MY DARLING 🥰): ✨️Astarion✨️ I already have a SHITLOAD of ideas, I just wanna play some more first and see how Astarion's romance pans out before I begin! So if that's something you'd be interested in reading, thanks sooo much and deffo keep a lookout for any updates~ Also, their ship name is SunStar which is JUST THE CUTEST FUCKING THING ALSKDJSKLJ

And I just wanna give my deepest love and gratitude to my two queens @kuroosexuall and @matchamocchi 💕 They have been nothing but patient and supportive of all my SERIOUSLY unhealthy fangirling over the sassy vampy elfy as well as my OC 🥲

But for the meantime, while I still haven't written my fic, below are some (*cough* a LOT so buckle up *cough*) stuff I've thought up for Mon'sun! Just to give y'all a fun lil taste of how I imagine her as a character, though I'm sure as I continue to play I'll get even more ideas and I'll probably have to edit this or post more about her, in which all posts connected to her will be tagged as #Mon'sun and Mon'sun x Astarion being tagged as #SunStar so y'all can easily search for them if you're interested. BTW I purposely left out extra details regarding her childhood as well as her thoughts about the tadpole cuz those are stoofs I'd like to reveal and explore in my fic!

And sadly, I'm not an artist, but I'm planning on and SO excited to commission various artworks of Mon'sun and SunStar from some truly extraordinary artists when the time comes so just wait for thy eyes to be blessed! \(^o^)/ Speaking of, if y'all are ever curious about Mon'sun, please don't hesitate to send me asks and such cuz your interest in my baby would be the BIGGEST honour 🥹

Now, without further ado...

Get to know "The Scarred Bard" under the cut!

In the game, I chose Voice 8 for Mon'sun but I headcanon that her voiceclaim is annapantsu (YouTuber who does a lot of amazing song covers!! 🙌)

Her theme song is Love Runs Out by OneRepublic

She does have a last name that she took on in honour from the woman who adopted her in Baldur's Gate but she hasn't found the need to tell anyone what it is

A drow half-elf and a College of Lore bard 🎵

Tends to face a lot of discrimination due to being a "filthy half-breed" and possessing drow ancestry, not to mention her drow parent being Lolth-sworn; her blood red right eye a telltale sign and a deep, angry scar permanently carved across it a merciless reminder of what she resents about herself

Occasionally has dreams and thoughts of the goddess Lolth speaking to her, tempting her with sweet whispers of cruelty and darkness. Mon'sun tries her damndest to resist--to stay on the path of good--but violent impulses erupt when the thin string of her patience (and sanity) snaps and it feels so fucking good

Mon'sun aligns as a chaotic neutral character. While she does try to be good, she is quite an unorthodox heroine in her personal little tale and can be pushed to make extreme decisions should she feel that they are for the better...or just whichever's a more fun option 🤭

Survived a poor and bleak childhood, but full of love in her early years; certain circumstances impacted this happiness which drastically changed everything

One of the youngest in the party, only in her early to mid 20s. And though she's not sure when her actual birth date is, she does consider the day she was adopted--saved--as such

Very resilient and versatile even through the worst scenarios (likely due to her past), but would much rather avoid problems whenever possible. She may be seen as a bit of a coward because of this though she certainly doesn't mind (she'd like to keep her gorgeous head, thank you very much!). However, there are times where she exhibits great bravery, such as standing up for the weak and defending innocents regardless of the consequences. She can also be quite mischievous and defiant with her enemies, truly a bard through and through with her vicious mockery 😈

She tries to see the good in everyone, to be patient and understanding, giving them the same chance she hopes to receive if she ever finds herself in a similar situation. However, some fuckers don't deserve that kindness and a sick, exhilarating part of her deep down yearns for the bloodshed sure to stain her hands. After all... She would only be granting them a mercy by ending their repulsive, pathetic lives...right?

She is proficient with weapons though she prefers casting spells especially ones that can be utilized from a good distance (Fireball being one of her all-time favourites--efficient and hot, both in a sexy way and an "I will feed your barbecued corpses to my widdle baby owlbear" way). She's also a fantastic cheerleader; she will happily let the stronger people on the team handle the grittier scraps of battle while she does a jaw-dropping performance of ✨️Bardic Inspiration✨️ on the sidelines (Lae'zel STRONGLY disapproves)

Skilled in stealth and sleight of hand accompanied by a biting wit (seriously, she has the potential to have been a rogue instead). Tries her best to make an honest living as a wandering bard, but whenever money and options are tight then she's driven to petty thievery. Although, as much as she hates to admit it, there is something in her that utterly relishes in the intoxicating rush of crime

Lockpicking is more so a hobby rather than a necessity for her. Funnily enough, with how much she likes to explore, she probably came across and "collected" the key that opens that mysterious door advancing the party's adventure. However, the key seems to be merely decorative because Mon'sun already opened the door since the shiny lock caught her eye as soon as the party stepped into the room! She'll even lockpick a shabby chest filled with absolutely nothing simply because she finds it to be a fun game to pass the time while everyone else debates on the next course of action (like a child being given a toy to amuse themselves with while the adults discuss boring adult shit). Astarion will even join her sometimes, and they also constantly challenge each other on who gets to disarm a trap first while the rest of the party make bets on who will win

What she lacks in strength, she makes up for with her incredible dexterity

While she is a survivor in her own right, she can't deny that pure dumb luck has saved her more times than a bard has bedded a dragon...which is definitely saying a lot

After travelling around for so long, the vast world of Faerûn has fuelled her curious mind with quite an impressive amount of knowledge along with fascinating stories to tell. But while she basks in the freedom of it all, her heart aches for a true sense of belonging; a home

She loves--and I mean LOVES--looting dead bodies. While their demise is certainly unfortunate, their loss is her grateful gain as well as a much less criminal way to obtain some quick valuables (hey, she can sympathize and get rich. It's a win-win!)

A biiit of a hoarder (perhaps she was a dragon in a past life, she jokes). Her pack is nearly always full of various junk, good and bad. She gets attached easily to these items and keeps making the excuse that "they could be handy or fetch for a pretty penny one day" all while almost never actually trying to get rid of them (DEFINITELY not me projecting myself here 👀)

She is VERY charismatic, successfully deceiving or talking her way out of many toils and even persuading powerful creatures to side with her which makes her pretty powerful, too, in her own right. On the other (much darker) hand... This sweet, cheerful bard has convinced some enemies to literally kill themselves, saving her from aaall the tough work she really can't be bothered with of ridding them herself--and she'll gladly do it again in a heartbeat. Work smarter, not harder as they say! 👏

Confident, outgoing, and playful with a flair for the theatrical; also rather perceptive to the people and things around her, but can be serious and empathetic when needed. Often tries to keep a positive (if not naive) outlook on life and continues to hold hope for a better future against all odds, yet is actually burying a devastating loneliness and pain within the depths of her soul

Can be a flirt and almost never hesitates to sleep with any man interested in her. For her, however, it's not about physical pleasure--it's about intimacy. Chasing after the high of being in someone's strong embrace, their warmth melting the icy melancholy her heart is trapped in; even if only for one, meaningless night

Despite everything, she has a big heart. She has a hard time saying no to anyone in need, her selflessness (or too much of it for that matter) sometimes leading to be a weakness. She particularly has a soft spot for children and animals, as well as being able to understand and communicate with the latter thanks to the "Speak with Animals" spell. And while she is a chaotic neutral, she instantly becomes chaotic good (emphasis on chaotic) when it comes down to animals, literally slaying everything in her path if it ensures the animal is safe from those that hurt it as well as adopting any stray back in camp if it's possible (Astarion hated it at first, until an ungodly swarm of adorable cats eventually started to appear 😹)

Besides her affinity for dramatics and the spotlight, she is usually a pretty relaxed person. That all changes, however, when a party is involved. Bring her to a lively tavern and pump some drinks into her system and she's more than ready to live it up the entire night! Good luck trying (and failing) to rein her back in... She's toootally not banned from a few taverns because of this 🙃

Talented in singing and playing many different instruments, but her main instrument of choice is the lyre. The lyre that she ventures everywhere with is from her childhood, a gift from someone near and dear to her heart. The "Spider's Lyre" as it's curiously called, in which her nimble fingers have nearly been sliced off countless times in her youth while practicing due to its dagger sharp strings, but she cherishes it like her own life

Although music is her passion--her blood--she indulges in other forms of creative art like writing and drawing when she has the time. She proudly showed off her skills this one instance when she doodled on Vlaakith's portrait in Crèche Y'llek. She believes she made it look so much better, but you could say that she and Lae'zel had...creative differences. But was it worth it even though she got chased around by Lae'zel afterwards as the gith maniacally swung her sword, Astarion giggling in the background while everyone else tried to stop Lae'zel? Oh, absolutely!

While she doesn't have much and has learned to make the most out of very little, she's quite vain and puts in the time and effort to take care of her appearance. As a bard, she lives to perform, but stands by the firm belief that her beauty needs to shine as brightly as her stage presence does lest she's hardly a bard at all

Easily makes friends almost everywhere she goes (even with more, um, questionable folks), but difficult for her to open up more and feel that she is genuinely close to someone (until she met the companions, that is)

Has a little habit where she fiddles with her eyebrow piercings whenever she's anxious or deep in thought

She's not a fan of dark spaces. She's not afraid of the dark, but being in any gloomy place for too long makes her feel uneasy and prone to panic attacks, desperate to feel the sun on her face again. One of the reasons why she's never visited the Underdark before, opting instead to learn about such dangerous beauty through books and other adventurers' experiences

When she's being idle...well, she's not very idle at all. She's always softly humming something to herself or slightly bouncing/dancing in place

Keeps the party entertained on their journey through singing and sharing tall tales. Well, "entertained" is a bit of a stretch, considering Lae'zel's always screaming at Mon'sun to shut up (spoiler alert: she won't) 🤐

Has nicknames for everyone in the party: Astarion is Astie (later on "my star" when romanced and Astarion calls her "my sun"), Gale is Big G, Lae'zel is Lae-Lae (*cough* more like Lae-Me-To-DEATH *cough*), Karlach is Spicy Mama, Shadowheart is Shady Girl, and Wyll is Bof (short for Blade of Frontiers). Can't say that everyone's too pleased with what they're so lovingly (and weirdly) bestowed with, but they just got used to it and allows only Mon'sun to refer to them as such

Can be deemed as the therapist of the group. While she absolutely has issues of her own (and plenty, might I add), she chooses instead to focus on everyone else and help them. She is super protective over them (although, one pale elf in particular has caught her favour out of all)

While she cares a lot about everyone in the party, she does consider Gale to be her bestfriend. They just get along really well together; Mon'sun proves to be an eager and like-minded listener/conversationalist to the wizard prodigy's ramblings while Gale is just thrilled that someone (and so pretty, too) is actually so kind and attentive to him as an individual, even helping him with his little--well, BIG--situation. Astarion, on the other hand... Well, let's just say that he's not as thrilled for Mon'sun to be so close to someone else, especially Gale of all weirdos 🙄

She's a pretty colourful person so it fits that her apparel is the same. She'll never be caught dead wearing something so woeful as plain ol' black or white. In fact, being so unbearably boring may just be the cause of her death!

Has complicated feelings about gods. They're interesting, for sure, and she respects anyone's beliefs in them though she wouldn't exactly put her faith in any of them let alone kneel (looking at you Vlaakith). She'd rather put her faith in herself--just like she always has--but that doesn't mean she won't take advantage of any "divine" blessings that may come her way. Such is the case when she obtained the Phalar Aluve sword from the Underdark, offering a tiny bit of her blood in exchange which pleased Eilistraee yet greatly pissed off Lolth (Mon'sun the chaos gremlin definitely got a kick out of that especially since she knows the big scary spider lady can't do anything to her...she thinks. She hopes)

While she certainly revels in having the upper hand in troublesome situations, she's not really a power-hungry person. Although, having power does have its perks. She won't lie, she has played around in her tadpole-infested mind the far-fetched but very possible idea of seizing the Absolute's followers under her own control (I mean, hey, if there's one thing she's learned during this unique little trip is that anything is possible). Not all cultists are actually evil; she likes to think that she could give them a fair shot at redemption, and it doesn't hurt that some of these cultists are powerful people that could potentially be used to "liberate the world of evil"... Blame (or rather thank) Astarion for unlocking (hehe subtle pun) this ambition of hers, though she doesn't think she could ever do this without Astarion ruling by her side--together

[i-was-bored-so-this-happened]

Greensleeves Chapter Twenty-Three: Kiss With A Fist

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3 Wordcount: 3.3k Warnings: Canon-typical violence, vicious mockery

Xaph, Gale, Astarion and Karlach battle against the hag, which leaves some of them in worse shape than others. Bitter emotions boil over, leading to a fight within the group. Shadowheart shares some of her past with Xaph.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter AO3 Link Writing Masterpost

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

The hag knows how to set a good trap, they’ll give her that. It takes the party a significantly longer time than they would like to pick their way down to the heart of her lair. Gale has to accept Karlach’s assistance over the largest gaps between rocks and drops without ladders. The path is lined with seemingly innocent flowers that prove flammable when disturbed, and the outpouring of noxiously green gas doesn’t dissipate and leaves them tiptoeing along the edges of the tree branches, roots and rocks - Xaph keeps a tight hold of the loose sleeve of Gale’s robes. It takes them far too long. Karlach’s getting antsy, even for her, and a misstep at this point would either send them up in smoke or force them all the way back out into the swamp. Once again, the tunnel opens up into a chamber, with a higher ceiling than the first. From that high ceiling hangs a cage wrought in dead branches that have been twisted and tangled in such a fashion as to suspend the cage above a gaping hole. They can hear water rushing below. To fall from the ceiling would be to land in the depths of the enchanted swamp. Doomed. And in that cage-

“Mayrina!”

“Karlach, wait, we have to think here.”

“Oh, would you look at that,” Astarion’s words smooth over Gale’s sharp warnings, which had been just barely enough to keep Karlach from running off, “Hag’s lair continues to be rigged to nonsense.” Upon further inspection, and Astarion’s guidance, each of them can see how the cage works. On the opposite side of the cavern - reachable only by trekking about the circumference of the chamber - there is an orb held in a nest of twisted twigs that attach to the branches that make up the cage. It’s a complicated tangle but a connection they can’t risk breaking without Mayrina tumbling down. The poor woman is crying and yelping from within the branches and she seems to be conflicted as to whether she should be saved or left in the lair to spare any possible rescuers. 

“This is a delicate operation,” Gale has lowered his voice down to a whisper, “Ethel knows we are here, but we do not know where she is.”

“What’s our move, then?” Karlach asks. Silence thins out into uncertainty.

“We split,” Xaph picks up the ball Gale has dropped. He’s a wizard, not a strategist, “Astarion and I will take the right to get Mayrina out of the cage,” it’s the longer way round but it’s the safer way for that exact reason, “And unless the hag attacks, you wait here.”

“What?”

“This is the only way out we know of, we can’t let her block it.”

“Alright, soldier.” Karlach nods. She’s not stupid, she knows that risking their escape route is to tip the scales in the hag’s favour. She and Gale pull back into the shadows to watch Xaph and Astarion creep around the chamber. They keep as close to the wall as they can, skirting around the odd torch that has been lit. There’s a door down here, opposite the platform where the cage will sit when it’s lowered, but gods only know where it leads. Astarion notes the strange platforms in each corner of the chamber and lags behind as Xaph takes the chance and darts forward to press her palm to the glowing orange orb. The hag’s voice begins to ring through the cavern, rising in volume until it punches out of the echoing warning from before into a screech,

“You come into my home, interfere in my business, and now have the gall to face me in the heart of my own lair?” Ethel melts out of her invisibility spell as she screams and to Xaph’s devastation she’s on the other side of the chasm, spattering Karlach with furious spittle, “You petulant bollocks,” the hag’s form seems to vibrate and it seems to be out of fury until a second hag appears in the space between Xaph and Astarion, “I will rip your spine out your arsehole,” a third Ethel wrenching Xaph’s hand off the extinguished orb, “I will use your blood to spice my stew,” a fourth hag behind Gale, yanking him out of Karlach’s range, “I’ll keep you alive until I’ve sucked the marrow from your bones,” the force of the quartet of voices is almost painful as they unite, “And then I’ll bring you back and do it all over again.”

“Shit, shit, shit-” Astarion’s scrambling backwards to try and escape his Ethel, scaling the vines in the corner platform closest to him. This leaves Xaph with two copies of the hag. There aren’t four hags. Three are copies…but which three? The claws that scrape across the leather of Xaph’s armoured chest feel pretty real, but so does the rancid rush of air from the other Ethel laughing behind her,

“Look at that, petal, he left you behind. Anything to save his own skin,” the Ethel behind her flings an insult over her shoulder, “You’re one thirsty night away from betraying everyone.” There’s power in the words, power enough to make Astarion fumble the bow he’d been lifting. The Ethel in front of Xaph swipes with her claws again, and then shoves when Xaph stumbles to make her fall, “And you, everyone’s punching bag and nobody’s favourite,” Ethel’s words are a lance through her, stealing her breath and cooling her blood. Fear. Overwhelming fear. Not quite enough to keep her from moving, but enough to make her miss her mark when she tries to jam an arrow in the hag’s ear canal, “There’s no crawling out of this hell, dearie.” Viscous Mockery. For all the time she has spent with bored bards, Xaph has never felt the cantrip as strongly as this. The tenacity of fey magic. The hag has her claws in the tiefling. Figuratively speaking, for now.

While two Ethels hurl paralysing insults at Astarion and Xaph, the other two bear down on Karlach. She’s only been able to keep back physical attacks because her Tyr-blessed sword is stronger than the hags’ sets of claws, but her red skin is coated in sickly green goop that’s slowing her down and making her cough. Gale is putting as much distance between himself and the hag copies as he can without them noticing. At the very least, the wooden cage has lowered enough for him to help Mayrina back onto solid ground and move her away from the edge of the chasm. A glance around the cavern is terrifying, to be quite honest. Ethels One and Two are wearing Karlach down, it won’t be long before she falls and they turn on him. Astarion is up on one of the strange corner platforms, but his grip on his bow is loose and he’s pressing back against the wall as though trying to become one with the stone to escape Ethel Three. Xaph rolls away from Ethel Four and comes up on her knees, somehow managing to scoop up a rock that she throws at Ethel Three before she can physically attack Astarion. She dissolves. The copy of the hag, not Xaph. She simply disappears with a gargled groan. After only a single hit. The copies don’t have the hag’s strength. They are only mirrors, meant to be shattered. One of these Ethels has to be real. Gale just has to work out which one before his friends are killed. No pressure.

“Astarion. Astarion! Shoot! Shoot!” Xaph’s screaming for her companion, her friend, her voice breaking with fear while she tries to scramble away from Ethel Four. Crying for his help after she’d saved him.

“Elves are so pretty. Pretty worthless! You fancy yourself immortal, do you? Let’s see how long that lasts.” Ethel Four won’t let Astarion come to the rescue. He shrivels even further back, the bow he had been lifting to his shoulder faltering and dropping back down. Xaph had taken the opportunity presented by Ethel Three’s insult to get up and run but Ethel Four caught her by her bow and snapped the string. Freshly freed Mayrina screams as Xaph slams into the floor again. Astarion’s out of action. Xaph can’t manage by herself. Terrible cackling tells Gale that Karlach has been overpowered. He has to do something. 

Oh. Of course. Just one hit.

With a muttered incantation and an outstretched hand, three red darts of magic fly from Gale’s palm. Each follows a smoot, uninterrupted path to its assigned Ethel. Each finds its mark. Magic Missile never misses. Two Ethels dissolve, leaving only one shocked hag staggering back from Karlach,

“Bloody clever clogs!”

***

It’s…a downcast evening. Not in terms of weather, the sky has remained clear, but in terms of the mood. Today was not a good day. Karlach, bone-weary, had collapsed into her tent without even a mention of dinner, the stamina she’d built up over ten years in the hells depleted by mind flayer infection. Gale’s robe has been ripped to shreds leaving him little choice but to dump it and sit uncomfortably by the cookpot in his undershirt and a coat Wyll has lent him. Uncomfortable in part because he’s not familiar with these clothes and doesn’t like being visible, and in part because he doesn’t know where Astarion and Xaph are. They’ve been particularly closed-off since leaving the swamp. Xaph had comforted Mayrina and sent her in Halsin’s direction with a frog escort to help her get to a safe place, but she hadn’t said anything else. She appears at the edge of camp as though summoned by Gale’s thoughts, holding a bundle that she separates in two and drops half of by Gale.

“This is leather armour. You’re going to wear it. This is not a discussion.” Her words drop like stones, her cadence similar to Lae’zel’s. This is not a discussion indeed. An unintelligible but no doubt snide comment comes from Astarion, breaking through the treeline. Xaph had understood it, Gale can tell by the quick and disgruntled flick of her tail. The ranger sits beside the wizard, though she leaves a little space between them, and the rogue sits across from them. Glares burn as hot as the flames. Small sounds of pieces of metal moving together come from Xaph’s lap as she arranges herself. More armour. Thin scales of bronze overlapping one another to form a kind of shirt that will fall halfway to her knees with tooled leather finishings. It’s not perfect. There are scorch marks all over the metal that she’s working on polishing off, a few missing scales and tears at the hem and the leather sleeves are held together with string. She must have traded her old armour for it. Her old shoes, too, and the lightly enchanted helmet she’s been toting around just in case. Maybe even her share of the spoils from the hag’s lair. For secondhand scale mail and a fresh leather cuirass. Gale senses she’s not going to be the most open to gratitude at the moment, but he makes sure to store all the thoughts that come to him at this gesture of kindness and compassion. 

“More presents for your squishy little wizard? My boots not enough?” Astarion snarks. Xaph’s upper lip lifts to show her teeth and her tail swipes over the leaf litter behind. She doesn’t say anything, but her polishing becomes a touch more intense, “That black heart of yours bleeds so badly for your strays, but you really shouldn’t pick favourites, now, should you?” Xaph’s hand stills. He’s parroting one of the hag’s mockeries back at her. Despite his spells and the knife in his hand, Gale suddenly feels very unsafe. 

“Rats never were my favourite creature,” Xaph comments. The steel of her words is very thinly veiled, “Nor elves. But I at least admire a rat’s loyalty to their colony.”

“I do grow tired of metaphor, dearheart. Wouldn’t you rather we speak plainly?”

“About what? Your being a yellow-bellied bastard?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” Astarion inspects his nails to nail home the nonchalant tone. Now Xaph sets the armour aside. Now she returns his glare, equal and opposite.

“I saved you. Twice I saved your skin and you, all that talk of trust and allyship, you just watched that hag-”

“What was it she said? ‘The only evil here is what’s inside you, ranger.’ Whatever could that mean?” Astarion’s voice, ever smooth as silk, slides coolly over Gale and Xaph, “Oh, I know! Is that what you wanted to tell me that night, that glorious night we shared?”

“You what?” Gale blurts the words without thinking, and he recognises the trap a second too late when Astarion’s fangs flash in the firelight and Xaph snaps,

“We did not-”

“‘I trust you, Astarion, I value you, I want you-”

“Come on, now, I really don’t think we should be-” Gale tries, no one can deny him that. He does try but neither of them hear him, Astarion doesn’t even stop his sentence,

“-Remind me, what sort of terrible things did you do for Raphael that you could only share with me? Having decided my heart was blackest next to yours?”

Chaos breaks with all the elegance of a falling tree. Xaph lunges over the campfire, completely disregarding the flames, Gale narrowly avoiding being slapped in the face by the end of her tail, and throws all her weight on Astarion to topple him. He’s ready for it though, rolling away from the fire with Xaph. They sound like a pair of fighting wildcats complete with hissing and snarling and scratching. Gale shouts in shock, and he’s not even sure what he says, but it brings Lae’zel running.

“Ah. Finally.” Lae’zel stands at ease, folding her arms across her chest.

“Aren’t you going to stop them?” Gale asks, watching Xaph’s tail wrap around Astarion’s ankles to immobilise him.

“What? Of course not. Their disagreements must be bled.” Lae’zel replies. Astarion has grabbed one of Xaph’s horns and she’s screaming back at him and pulling his hair. 

“Lae’zel!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Shadowheart is coming to the rescue at least, barrelling past the fire and leaning down to bodily lift Xaph off Astarion, “I thought we were done with this.” she starts to shout for Lae’zel but then thinks better of it and calls for Wyll who is already making his way over to them to hook his hands under Astarion’s arms and drag him away. He very tactfully ignores Astarion’s yells of get away from me you fucking oaf, and Shadowheart manages to get a thrashing Xaph about four feet away before she can’t contain her anymore. For a moment it looks as though Xaph’s going to lunge at Astarion again but Shadowheart shouts a warning. It doesn’t exactly bring her to heel, but it does change her trajectory. Xaph turns and stalks past them all, past her tent, only pausing to pick up her battleaxe before she disappears into the woods. Astarion brushes soil off his shoulder and slinks to his tent.

“Xaph!”

“Gale, wait. Let me.”

***

When Xaph goes off on her own, she normally leaves some sort of sign. Snapped twigs pointing in the direction she’s gone in, chalk marks on tree trunks. No such clues today, but it isn’t difficult to find her. The sound of axe in wood travels more clearly than the muttered insults deep in her throat that are playing between the trees to try and trick people into going the wrong way. Shadowheart is not so easily tricked. She finds Xaph hacking away at a fallen tree and settles herself on a rock to watch. She lets the spectacle continue for a while, comfortable knowing that Xaph has sensed her nearby. When the pile of firewood is knee-deep and Xaph has stopped shouting for every strike, Shadowheart decides it’s about time to step in.

“You know, I enjoy melodramatic destruction as much as the next person, but I think that’s about enough wood to keep an army warm,” Shadowheart calls. Xaph throws the axe down, burying the blade in the earth at her feet while her tail sweeps back and forth. She pushes a palm to the base of her horns. “Want to tell me what all that was about?”

“You want to hear about my feelings?”

“Don’t question it or I’ll revoke the privilege.” Shadowheart warns her. Xaph lowers herself to the ground, crossing her legs and pulling her bow off her back to sit in her lap. The string has been snapped.

“The hag said things. She didn’t use a standard Vicious Mockery, it was more powerful. More personal. She said things about us that we haven’t told anyone.” Xaph scratches nervously at her ribs, her tail twisting around the wood of her bow.

“Except Astarion.”

“I tried to tell him, once, and he tried to kiss me. Nothing happened. I thought we were done with it, I don’t know why he insists on going back over it again.”

“Certainly bothered Gale,” Shadowheart remarks. Xaph’s eyes flick up to hers, confirming several suspicions at once. Shadowheart likes to think she gets on well enough with her, but out of the whole party Xaph’s closest to Gale without question. The cleric’s maybe second or third on that list. She hadn’t really expected to place at all, and yet here she is, “I’m not judging you…not yet.”

“Thanks,” Xaph replies, but she’s still troubled, “I didn’t hurt the stupid elf, did I?”

“I don’t think so, no.”

“I didn’t want to. I just…”

“You wanted to hurt something,” Shadowheart supplies with a shrug, “The hag wanted you to turn on each other and hurt each other. It worked.” Xaph digests, considers. Her tail unwinds from around her bow.

“Thanks,” she says, and she sounds a little better this time. Shadowheart simply nods and stands when Xaph turns to collect her axe, “I guess we should head back. Night watch’ll be starting soon.”

“Want a hand with all that wood?” She asks, already moving forward to collect quartered logs.

“Shadowheart, wait,” Xaph says, laying a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder, “You wanted to tell me something the other day, before we met back up with the tieflings. We haven’t had the time alone to talk.”

“You want to talk about me now?”

“Turn about. You helped me clear my head. Let me help you, then I’ll apologise to Astarion.”

“I…well, it might be easier to show you than tell you. It’s one of the few memories I have. Use the tadpole. Our connection. Come into my mind.” It’s a new experience, Xaph has to say. They can all speak in each other’s minds and Xaph has experienced some of the other’s memories from their point of view, but she’s never experienced a memory with her and the other person as spectators. She watches as a young Shadowheart, maybe seven or eight years old, with a deep scratch across her nose and cheek that Xaph knows as her distinctive scar, shies away from a wolf. She’s saved by Sharrans, masked women in robes wielding spears. One woman crouches in front of the young Shadowheart and obscures her vision as the wolf yelps in pain. So many things about her companion slide from confusion to understanding. Xaph touches Shadowheart’s wrist, only very lightly, for reassurance.

“She asked my name,” Shadowheart’s voice echoes a little, reminding Xaph that they’re communicating via their worms, “I can’t remember what I said. I can’t remember anything before those woods. All I know is she saved my life and gave me a new home. With Lady Shar.” The vision is sucked away as she speaks, leaving the pair in the woods again. Xaph stays connected with her friend until Shadowheart draws back to pick up wood.

“Thank you for sharing that. I know it’s not easy for you,” Xaph tells her while they walk, “But if you ever want a third opinion from someone who gives the gods more credence than I do, I think you should consider Lae’zel.”

“Lae’zel?”

“You’re more similar than you want to think.” Xaph tells her. Shadowheart scoffs,

“As long as you’re there to play peacemaker.”

[cheesy-cryptid]

When youre on your way to class but the party infront of you is subtly trying to get your attention

Another addition to my BG3 but its a filipino coded college au 😙

🎶Gagawin ko ang lahat pati ang thesis mo

Wag mo lang ipagkait ang hinahanap ko

Sagutin mo lang ako aking sinta'y walang humpay o ligaya 🎶

[feyflorist]

average Astarion interaction

[velnna]

I'm having a great time

[elysianvrt]

my disaster gay paladin and his yapper autistic wizard boyfriend. i love them so much i cant stop thinking about them, they've consumed my every thought pls send help.

idk how well video posts do on this site so im not even gonna bother trying lol (if u wanna see the video version, its on my tt)

[mynqzo]

sketchy my artificer durge, lamb

[saddleseatollie]

I've seen a lot of people point out that while Astarion's whole "thing" in act 1 is that he's this sexy sweet talking savant, he only has 10 charisma and actually isn't all that good at it.

He practices cheesy pickup lines within earshot of the person he's going to say them to, and every single time he flirts with tav it's extremely heavy-handed and almost cringeworthy. It's pretty obvious that he's trying to manipulate tav, even if the reason doesn't become clear until his act 2 confession.

But here's the thing: Astarion never actually needed to be all that good at flirting.

He says himself that the vast majority of his "targets" were drunks and brothel-goers. People who never actually saw him as anything other than an object for their pleasure. They were going to go home with him no matter what he said. A few pretty words and his physical beauty would do the rest.

But Tav is the first person to actually view him as a real person, which is why it becomes so glaringly obvious that he's not nearly as charming as he thinks he is. Astarion tells them at the tiefling party that "every part of their body screams temptation" and their response is that he's "sweet" and "silly". They're not buying it for second, because they don't need to be told pretty lies to like him. They like him because of who he really is as a person. They fall in love with him not because he's good in bed or has pretty eyes or a sexy body. They fall in love with him because he's sweet and secretly very kind. Because there is so much pain and sadness and fear in him, and he truly cannot see how amazing he really is. That his goodness never really went away, it just got hidden for a while.

[mattness]

Dears, i have a question

I think I should a proper introduction of my Tav (Sylvia), but I don't really think that anyone here is interested in her, except me, of course, haha. I love her so much and after seeing so many different blogs and arts, I consider, I really need to do an introduction of her, cause I posted so much arts with her and Astarion and never tell you about their relationship or their story. Maybe it's the time after almost a year 😅

Anyway, if you'd like to know her better, you can ask me any questions and I put it on her list of introduction and maybe tell more about myself too. Let me know if you are interested in it 🙏

[reagan-the-saunders]

| Hell's Magician

[saffron-rays]

Nightmare

HC: even though he doesn’t require sleep, if tav is human, Astarion picks up the habit as a means to spend as much time with them as possible… since humans have one of the shortest life spans of all the races in Faerûn.

[darpart]

"Astarion: Redemption" — Baldur's Gate 3 (fanart) 🌒

Just another close-up!

Thanks you so much for your reactions, guys! 😳💓

[hot-pota-toes]

If I could add one thing to bg3, I would give tav a tent

Everyone else gets one while we just sleep in a bedroll by the fire. I want my own little space at camp to decorate with random shit

Give it some personality we could choose the colour of it and what type of tent it is. The chest at camp that we fill with random junk from our adventures would be right by our tent

Also, if you play as an origin character, your tent gets removed ??? Why are our tent privileges taken away 😭