#I just want to help people experience Minthara

[alicelufenia]

I've been struggling to write a rp helper for those who want to recruit Minthara the proper way on their next playthrough, but struggle with being required to raid the grove. There's going the grove civil war route (which at least starts with you doing what Zevlor asks you to do!), but that doesn't necessarily give you a reason to join Minthara to mop them up. But @spiderwarden recently summed up the perfect one-size-fits-all Raid The Grove Tip

Just play a drow. Especially a male drow, but even if you don't it's not going to change why this is the perfect choice.

Think about it; what does a drow tav/durge owe the grove? Zevlor has to tell everyone not to hate crime you, the only one who's properly grateful to you is Kagha, who the game won't even let you properly side with! Seriously why can't you side with Kagha after exposing the shadow druid conspiracy?? That place sucks, and Zevlor COULD have let you escort their caravan as they actually headed out on the road (you could even offer your many supplies you rummaged from crates and barrels for the journey), but instead, he'd rather send you to go assassinate the generals in the goblin army, the same one that captured the Archdruid AND slew or captured half the adventuring party that was accompanying him. What did you have no faith in those guys, but oh, I'm different surely?

And if you offer to take care of Kagha, he feigns a moral quandry (whatever as one oathbreaker paladin to another I can tell him he's full of shit on that one) but agrees we're in a better position to deal with her since she's allowed us to get close. And if you follow through directly with that (who has time to search around for conspiracies when you have a MIND FLAYER TADPOLE to deal with? Why are you even still here??) the druids instantly start slaughtering all the civilians Zevlor was trying to protect! Good thing you tried to help I guess.

At least Nettie has the idea to remind you that they might mistake you for one of them with your tadpole infection, but she also tries to poison you, and with my first drow tav she asked me to hold out my hand, and then SLASHED me with the poisoned thistle with a smile on her face. She did that to a DROW?? The suicidal audacity of that bitch!

And then, just past two bridges is the goblin camp.

Immediately upon approaching these little bastards hop to it like "Drow comin through!" and that's it for customs. They'll scrape and bow and never look you in the eye as they ask if you'd like a foot rub and manicure, m'liege! Finally someone on the surface who knows how to give proper respect to their betters! And they'll immediately tell you about the drow commander. Oh word, another drow? No wonder these goblins know how to act right. Already your day is going about 100000% better than when you first spied the emerald grove. Even after the mind blast the Absolute gives you as you walk in the entrance, that's quickly solved by the artifact that darthiir was clutching like a spider guards her eggs. Normally you'd slice her throat and nick such a clearly valuable and important item first chance you got, but she's been useful enough. Better to keep her close for now.

As the goblins wither at your gaze, you head straight for this "Minthara" everyone has been talking about. And then you do your best impression of someone who isn't about to shit and piss themselves because their drow commander is none other than a honest-to-Lolth BAENRE. She doesn't have to introduce herself for you to recognize that tattoo on her neck; she must be one of those zealots who are always accompanying priestesses and slaughtering heretics in the streets. So what's a paladin of Lolth doing serving this false god of an Absolute?

Ice enters your mind, and you understand why; she's just like you, a tadpole in her brain, but she doesn't seem to know it. And she is thrilled to see you, and immediately offers an alliance. This couldn't be more perfect for you. Already you've been reluctantly willing to take on a half-breed cleric, an abomination from the astral sea who's at least good with a sword and is the only one who knows anything useful about your infection, a vampire boytoy, and even a dark-damned Wizard.

Of course you'll jump at this opportunity to have such a powerful ally as Minthara on your side! No one at the grove ever lifted a finger for you, as far as you're concerned this is the first friendly settlement you've come across, and unlike Zevlor, Minthara is willing to get her hands dirty right along side you. Let the raid begin, commander!

And now you're ready to roll up a drow tav on your next playthrough and see ALL the content the best character in the game has to offer.

I'll even close with a teeny tiney extra tip, to remember me by as you move forward.

You don't actually have to play evil-for-evil's-sake.

You were raised to be pragmatic and ambitious. Unless you're playing the most hardline-rebel-drow-fanboying-over-Drizzt ever, Minthara will be your best and most understanding ally. Beyond that, not a lot of other cartoonishly evil options really work for you unless you decide they do. Last Light inn is valuable as a safe space in the shadow curse, and you'll want to defend Isobel for that alone. Posing as a True Soul to enter Moonrise isn't very morally complicated; Jaheira will even encourage you to do exactly that! And by the time you reach the Gauntlet of Shar, you probably know what your character will do having gotten to know Shadowheart, rather than thinking "do I pick the good or the evil option".

Thanks for reading, and happy raiding everyone!

[hijackalx]

BG3 NON-COMPANIONS/NON-ORIGIN COMPANIONS TURN ONS/KINKS +18

FEMALE BG3 COMPANIONS

MALE BG3 COMPANIONS

characters included: halsin, minthara, jaheira, gortash

*dark content warning for gortash*

HALSIN

SIZE DIFFERENCE

OBVIOUSLYYYY lmao. he loves how small u are in comparison to him. i mean everything about him is large— hands, arms, chest, thighs. also, i feel like he likes that he has to help u when u take control because ur smaller or weaker than him. like, when he has to subtly help u pin his wrists by moving them in the direction u want lol

THIGH RIDING

this also plays into the size difference thing. like his thigh is just so big/muscular, and he loves watching u grind on it (or he can bounce his knee to help u get off too). the type to grab u by ur hips and assist u when ur rhythm starts to stutter. he also loves the wet spot that forms in ur underwear if u keep them on 💗

DEEP THROATING/FACESITTING

OK HE LOVES BOTH like i said everything about him is large (😈) so he loves to see u try to swallow him whole. the way u gag and struggle to take him in is soooo hot to him. also all the drool that spills out of ur mouth 🤤🤤 as for facesitting u better sit ur ass tf DOWN !! HE CAN TAKE IT !! lovessss when u grind on his face/mouth, also loves to squeeze ur ass during it

THREESOME

THIS MAN IS GENEROUS !!! LOVES to share !! always wanting to invite people to have sex with y'all. he feels like it's so much more fun and also loves to watch u get fucked/have u watch him get fucked. will want to do spit roasting too.

SWINGING

sooo into exchanging partners with other couples. or just fucking other people in general. of course he won't do this if u don't want to though. but he gets really excited if u do 😹😹 probably gets off while sharing ur experiences with each other

MINTHARA

KNIFE PLAY

likes the way u shake and whimper as she brings her knife close to ur skin. will leave small cuts and want to carve her initials into ur skin. also slightly into bloodplay too ?? i feel like she'd be into smearing ur blood on her hands and making u clean them off with ur tongue OOF

BONDAGE

she would absolutely cast web and use it as bondage restraints LMAO. will have u in some crazyyy positions too. kind of in a shibari way but with webs. the webs are actually pretty gentle though and have some give so she's not like, totally sadistic with it 😌💗

DACRYPHILIA

SHE DOES LIKE TO SEE U CRY THOUGH LMAO like something about how weak/pathetic u look turns her on so bad— as long as SHE'S the one that made u cry. if it's because of somebody or something else it's lowkey a boner killer for her 😹😹😹 will say really horrible, mean things to try to bring u to tears and then get wet af. will not comfort u after either

GAGGING

likes to use a ball gag but will honestly use whatever she has at the moment. a rag or her fingers even. she likes that u can't speak and can only moan/whimper. also into the way u drool. will purposely ask u questions and then punish/degrade u for not being able to answer

BOOT WORSHIP

LOVESSS making u kiss her boots. will want to hold u down with her boot and make u praise her endlessly. or step on ur face. might even be into giving u a little kick in the diaphragm if u want 😹😹😹

JAHEIRA

MIRROR SEX

WILL WANT TO BE FUCKED IN FRONT OF A MIRROR!!!! with her face pressed against it while she's getting backshots or even with one propped up beside the bed so she can watch how good she looks while she rides u. lowkey will put on a show for herself and get off to it 😹😹

LINGERIE

loves lingerie of all kinds. the garter straps on her thighs are her favorite part tbh. probably prefers to wear black or red— like classically sexy colors. also probably likes it if u wear some too, and will want to keep it on for the full duration of the sex. LOVES lace

STRIPPING

^^ ALTHOUGH.... she also really likes to strip for u. like going nice and slow while u try to restrain urself lol. will probably give u a lap dance too and is pretty playful with it sometimes. particularly loves to see how u get progressively more horny the longer she takes, also into seeing u touch urself a little bit during it too

NIPPLE PLAY

sucking on/playing with her nipples is a MUST. HUGEEEE erogenous zone for her. can probably cum from nipple stimulation alone. likes when u make it hurt a little too, like pinching or twisting them

DEGRADATION

kind of into u calling her names.... like whore or slut. tell her she's a dirty whore while u pull her hair and fuck her from behind. will also talk down to u if ur not really doing the best job LMAO like u better fuck her right or ur gonna get it 😹😹 she'll straight up be like "is that the best u can do?" or "this is pathetic."

BONUS:

GORTASH

BREEDING

HE NEEDS HEIRRRSSSS !!! ALWAYS wants to cum inside. an actual babymaking MONSTER like he cums so much its crazy. loves to see u stuffed full of his cum, it really makes him feels accomplished after all of his hard work 💪🏻💯😹

DADDY DOM

he is so into being called daddy. depending on the context he’ll get rock hard but also likes if u call him that outside of sex too. u can basically get anything u want from him if u add a ‘please daddy’ at the end of it— like he just can’t bring himself to say no. he’ll do anything for u to keep calling him that lol

*** DUBCON ***

DEFINITELY into coercing u/figuring out ways to get what he wants. likes when u get overstimulated and start telling him it’s too much or trying to push him away (u do have a safeword). also the fact that he can overpower u if he wants gets him sooo hard

POWER PLAY

LOVESSS having u at his beck and call. the more pliant and submissive u are the better. won’t do this outside of the bedroom unless u want to or if u initiate it since he prefers the idea of only him being able to see u like that. he’s the only one you’ll roll over for, so to speak lol

COLLARING

makes a special collar for u with expensive imported materials and shit lmao. thinks u look absolutely gorgeous in it and will tell u that all the time. loves the way u gasp when he sharply tugs on its leash. will also tug on it while giving u backshots. likes how it chokes u a little bit too, and the bruises it leaves behind when he’s too rough with it

MALE BG3 COMPANIONS

FEMALE BG3 COMPANIONS

[moonselune]

if this is too far out there i totally understand you turning down the request but o_o could you maybe do the ladies post-game with a bhaal rejecting durge who found a way to spare and now took in orin to help her rehabilitate (so now they and durge live together as a couple and orin is kind of a roommate). Would there be tensions? Do some just outright make an ultimatum?

Okay okay so gonna do this as more headcanony and see where it goes

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Karlach:

She would be so wary

Probably thinks you are just got hit a bit too hard in the head during battle

"How many Mama K's do you see babe?"

You manage to convince her that if you are going to Avernus to kill Zariel, we might as well bring the incest murder baby with us

Orin's just stood there like "please I'm so good at it."

Karlach groans and relents, kicking the dirt and murmuring something about cannon fodder

Orin is elated and swears on her favourite dagger that she will not kill anyone she is not allowed to

I can see your relationship with her getting better through this because she can prove herself doing the one thing she does best

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Minthara:

no

just no

this would be an ultimatum

at the end of the day you are choosing Minthara and offering up Orin to her as an apology for even thinking it

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Lae'zel:

Also cannot imagine Lae'zel allowing Orin near you

maybe if you join her to lead the coup against Vlaakith, for similar reasons as Karlach

But if she is staying in Baldurs Gate with lil Gith egg baby Xan

absolutely no way

would also ask if you got hit too hard in the head during battle

Lae'zel would not be able to trust Orin and would just have to kill her whether you liked it or not

she could not live knowing Orin is lurking somewhere, good intentions or not.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Shadowheart:

Surprisingly I feel like shadowheart would be the most accommodating

like orin can stay on your farm

maybe in an old barn or something

but she can stay

any animals get hurt though and Orin is out

Unless they are predators to Shadowheart's animals

then Orin is like a guard dog

"Yeah you can get those ones"

Orin would probably rehabilitate the best out here and would have the best chance of fixing herself and your relationship with her

we've made her touch some grass <3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Jaheira:

She's way too old for this shit

She would be so torn up because she has had so much experience with Bhaalspawns

A part of her thinks she should help, because if she hadn't helped you then you two would never have fallen in love

but I think Orin's eccentricity would put her off and she can't risk losing the people she has fought so dear to protect

and a part of her doesn't want to have to fight anymore

she wants to join being with her family, being with you

not having to look over her shoulder just in case her sister-in law got in a mood and now there's one less place at the dinner table

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

These are a bit short, but I like these requests because it really makes me think how they would react and what they would want not only for yourself but for you

Anyways hope y'all enjoyed it even if this was a bit more rambley - Seluney xox

[novarex]

Thoughts on Nere

Ugh, look at his pretty white eyelashes. I just want to smoosh his face.

I have a lot of thoughts regarding Nere and how he could have gotten where he is by the time we see him. @lysblack has started a really excellent conversation I would like to expand on. For science.

So may I present a somewhat lengthy analysis (rambling thoughts) of Nere, based on comments of other characters, what we know, and my reading of the Drizzt Do'Urdon books that go deeply into Menzoberranzan and life there.

Warning - this is long

Let's start with when we meet Nere.

Before we meet him, we meet the duergar, who have some things to say - Morgal is the one asking if you and the other duergar are "plowing", and from Corsair Greymon asking if "the Sargent has choked on True Soul Nere's prick". I do think that the duergar here are just generally vulgar and probably don't have much respect for anyone, but they are definitely getting to the end of their patience with Nere. They are mostly hired mercenaries with at least one believer in the Absolute among them (Sargent Thrinn). Something to note here is that duergar are a race of dwarves that were experimented on an changed by Mind Flayers and later escaped, that is why they have psionic powers, you can connect to them without them having a tadpole, and they have a special nose for True Souls because they can literally smell the parasite in you.

When you move down to the cave in area where Nere is trapped and Thrinn and her crew are trying to dig him out, you can talk to Nere through the rubble. He is literally suffocating to death on the poison that is filling the room, and obviously panicking - he thinks he is going to die in that room and I don't blame him. In his eyes (and any Lolthsworn drow), the people that are supposed to be rescuing him are just about the worst case scenario - they are inferior, disloyal, stupid, and unlikely to succeed. Like Minthara, I am sure he would MUCH rather have drow coming to rescue him than mercenary duergar and slave deep gnomes. On that note, he even is quick to tell you, another True Soul, not to trust the duergar mercenaries.

I also want to take a moment to say that no matter what we think of his behavior, Nere has to be under an absolute unbearably high amounts of pressure at this point - he is failing in his mission, he is stuck in the rubble that is quickly filling with gas, with wildly unreliable help. Like this is peak desperation. He is lashing out in anger and fear in any way he can. I think our Tav showing up is probably the only thread of hope he has to cling on to. Even Gale recognizes how bad of a situation Nere is in.

When you push into Nere's mind at the rubble and see through his eyes while he is suffocating to death in the cave in, the narrator makes a point to say that he had killed a gnome with powerful magic. He probably went to Sorcere (school for magic) in Menzoberranzan (although it is possible he isn't from Menzo).

Most noble drow have a natural talent for magic (breeding throughout the centuries), but sometimes commoners have the talent for it too. Sorcere is almost exclusively men because women with any talent for magic go to Arach-Tinilith, the school for drow priestesses. Male drow can also go to the school for fighting, Melee-Magthere (Drizzt went here), and they do spend one year at the end of their training in Sorcere learning some magic.

The reason I don't think Nere is a noble is that he would have certainly let us know if he were, especially if you are playing as a drow (I play as a drow female). This could just be an oversight in the writing, but I don't think so. When you fight the spectator over where the petrified drow are, if you manage not to get Dhourn the wizard killed and talk to him (disguise yourself as a female drow if you don't play as one and you can bully him into giving you his research and not have to kill him), he immediately lets you know he is the third boy of house Ba'Tol. In everything else I have experienced, drow are quick to name drop their house. It is extremely important in Lolthsworn society.

Nere is probably a commoner with enough magic talent to go to the school. All drow have a little magic to some degree, but to really learn it you have to go to Sorcere. There are few things you can do as a male in Memzoberranzan that give you any sort of status besides "useless male", and wizard/sorcerer is one. I suppose it is possible he is of noble birth, but I really think he would have let us know.

In Sorcere he would have spent most of his time around other males, as Sorcere is a 30 year long school (unlike Melee-Magthere which is 10), and exclusively male, which could explain why a female hadn't absolutely killed the shit out of him yet. The occasional priestesses from Arach-Tinilith would be around, but I think he could manage to be fine.

Nere certainly has an attitude to match with having gone to Sorcere. Some of his reactions, like blaming others for failures, are actually VERY cultural and expected among Lolthsworn drow. It just tracks. It would be strange if he didn't. He would have, however, faced constant criticism, bullying, sabotage, and crappy backstabbing politics within his time there, so it makes sense that he would have some emotional baggage regarding failure. Pretty much all male drow do to some extent. Even if he didn't have to deal too much with daily subjugation by female drow, he would still have faced a lot of scrutiny from other males in Sorcere. Failure of any kind is extremely dangerous in Lolthsworn society, especially for men.

I don't think his failure necessarily comes from him being bad at things. He has really good stats, so he isn't weak at all. He is also physically very strong. He is taller than both Gale and Astarion. The top of my female drow's head comes up to his chin (as opposed to Astarion and Gale where the top of her head is about dead center on theirs). He is also clearly intended to be intimidating. He has the Muscular feature as well as High Spellcasting - so he is big, strong, and good with magic. Wisdom is his lowest stat, and that could be the source of his problems in life. Strangely, he has really high charisma... but I will get to that shortly.

Anyway, back to the Grymforge. Before you bust him out of the rubble, talk to Thrinn, then go talk to the two drow who want to betray Nere, go back and talk to Thrinn and let her know they are planning to betray him. She doesn't seem particularly concerned with Nere's ability to handle them.

I think it is reasonable to assume that Nere is not a total fuckup. I think he has a lot of talent and strengths, but is either unlucky or unwise, or some combination of both. He has enough intelligence and strength to be powerful, and enough charisma to persuade people, but not enough wisdom and insight to know when to shut up or walk away... or when he is in over his head.

I do think he is unwise... there are some indications that he constantly underestimates what he is up against. This could be from lack of experience or this is just a character flaw.

Baby boy, what about any of this is simple? Please. You should have known better.

He is trying so hard here to convince himself that things are going to work out, but you can here it in his voice that he is trying to believe it. He must think that we are surely powerful enough to speak to Ketheric and convince him that Nere is still worthy. He is lacking the appropriate wisdom and insight to really accept what has happened.

We know from talking to Minthara that the influence of the Absolute is extremely overpowering and overrides any of your own common sense. It turns you into a fanatic and forces you to do things you would never ever do if you had control of yourself. This would also be true of Nere. He has this wild fanaticism and desperation to please Ketheric and the Absolute, but he drops it IMMEDIATELY when you fill him in on what is really going on. Once he is free of the brain's power and sees the bigger puncture, there is a very strong shift in his attitude.

He becomes very reasonable and quickly puts two and two together. This is probably the first time ever in his life where he is free of cult influence - if you convince him to run from the Absolute (and also I assume Lolth, because dear god he CAN NOT go back there without being tortured to death for information and then killed or worse, turned into a drider for his sins against Lolth)... and it does seem like he has a lot to process.

He is actually very calm and grateful for what you have done for him. It is such a shame you can't drag him around with you.

I am also not sure if it is an oversight in writing, or if Nere loses control of his mind again once we leave the area, or if he is just so pissed off at Balthazar and Ketheric and the whole ordeal that he goes after Balthazar to try and mess everything up for the Absolute by sabotaging the Nightsong plot.... but it is just such a shame that he dies anyway. I would like to think it is just a gap in writing because the game is SO HUGE.

If he is wiling to potentially die for a cause, what better cause than getting revenge on the people who did this to him? What better hook to get him to join our party and quest to destroy the Absolute and rid ourselves of the parasite? I think this is a huge missed opportunity.

LET ME DO IT, LARIAN. AGHHHH. LET ME SAVE HIM.

As far as how he became an exile/rogue, because I really do think he was.... (previous post on this)... I think there are a few possibilities, and we have absolute no indication as to what they could have been.

So this is pure speculation with nothing to back it up on my part. Here are a list of reasons he could have resulted in him being separated from Lolthite society.

Was out on some kind of mission and failed, couldn't go back without risk of severe punishment or death.

Separated from expedition to the surface (for slaves, or supplies, or whatever) either through no fault of his own or because he was unwise.

Attempted to kill someone and failed, fled. Probably while they were away from the city.

There was an attempt on his life that failed and he fled. Probably also while they were away from the city.

Was scouting or part of an expedition for a noble house that was annihilated while they were away. Nothing to return to without risking being killed.

I don't think he was some matriarch's special pet, because there is a certain level of obedience a reverence for female drow he would need to have to not be killed. His attitude is way off to have been some matron or priestess's favorite. Sure he is hot, but most drow are hot, so the standards for "too hot to be killed" are way too high for that to have been it. There are plenty of dead hot drow men.

I think it is likely that he made some mistakes that led to him not being able to go back for fear of death. I also think that when he mentions going to the Order of Soul Spiders, that is just him being unwise and not thinking the whole thing thorough. Like baby boy, you are going to be destroyed once the hear what you have to say. Sure, they will want to know it, but you are NOT going to escape punishment for abandoning Lolth. That isn't a possibility. Think it through.

Ok wow this post got too long and way out of hand. Nere is my current hyperfixation, and I hope that at least two of you share this hyperfixation with me and found this worth reading.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[tilthedayidice]

Hey welcome back to my BG3 Hot Takes

While I have your attention, here's a cool site to help Palestine, all you gotta do is click it daily.

This session was inspired by @lipsie, gettin me ttalkin way too much. Yes I am aware that the tadpole changes things, and they have to make it balanced for the game blah blah blah- let a bitch complain.

Screenshots sourced from the Baldur's Gate 3 Wiki

Gale is the only character I feel is spec'd correctly, He's smart but fiuckin stupid, he has autism rizz, mam could not lift any box you asked him to, the only reason his constitution is 13 is because he's been dealing with the Orb and he's used to it by now.

Karlach should start with 20 strength and you CANNOT convince me otherwise, her charisma should be higher also, she's a ball of sunshine and could put the fear of god into anyone, and the line "Gods I wanna ride you til you see stars" will never leave my brain. Give this bitch a 15. She do be a little dumb I'll give you that.

Shadowheart is just funny to me, How can her wisdom be a 17 when she's been cloistered away for so long? Her wisdom is only a 17 in ONE SPECIFIC SUBJECT, a subject where she's forced to give up her memories. Memories are where we get our wisdom. Wisdom is gained through lived experiences, I'd give you the 17 for endgame Shart, but not start of game Shart. I'll take the 8 CHA cause she's a bitch (said with love, me too babe) but she knows enough to get what and where she wants so I think we should nudge it up to like 10.

Lae'zel.... I think it's unfair to put Lae'zel's intelligence at 10. Her wisdom being low, yeah i get that she's been cloistered away in a society that believes its the only way, it's all she knows. But intelligence? No. She might know much about Faeruns culture and people, but she knows EVERYTHING about the stars. And there's far more of that than there will ever be of Faerun. She's the funniest person we know, give her 9 CHA.

Wyll my beloved, do you airbrush those abs on? Do you wake up every morning and contour them? I DON'T BELIEVE YOU DO!!!!!!!!! SO WHO'S THE ASS WHO DECIDED YOUR STRENGHT WAS A FUCKIN 8??????? THE BLADE OF FRONTIERS SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST A 13. He deserve a 15 but I know they won't give it to him. Lipsie and I were talking about him and they're right, WHEN WE DUMP THE BITCH HE SHOULD RESPEC INTO BARD.

Astarion..... oh Astarion.... you're such a disaster. Such a wet cat of a man. Such a pathetic little mew mew. I shit on him a lot, but I do really love his character and development lol. LESS STR MAKE HIM WEAK, he has been starved and living off rats and shame, he can have his measly 8 AFTER he drinks... uh "Thinking" Blood. His CHA being 10 is perfect actually no notes. I personally think his actual INT should be lower, not too much lower, maybe 11/12, I knooooow he was a magistrate, but you can't tell me he's not giving himbo... no what was that word on the meme graph? Himbim? Himbim.

Halsin.......... 10 STR? 10?!?!?!?! You built him LIKE THAT and give him 10 STR?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? What in the nine hells...... Weaker than Karlach of course, but 10????? Give that man 15 at least 8 INT???????????? 8???????? LARIAN WHY DO YOU HATE HIM???? Is it because he isn't Gale? Mans has been studying the mindflayers on his own, he's been studying the shadow curse... on his own. HE'S A MASTER HEALER?!?!?! AN ARCHDRUID?!?!?!?!?!?!? That takes time, study, and dedication. You wanna assign him himbo so bad. He's just a whole well rounded man with autism,. (Not a dig on himbos, quite literally my favorite genre of Man). This is just 'cause he fucks isn't it.

Minthara she's so much smarter than Larian gives her credit for. While I agree with the WIS, that's more a product of being so closed off, Her INT is much higher. I'd give her a 14? She cunning, just because it's used for Evil deeds doesn't mean she hasn't been she hasn't put a lot of thought into her work. She lived in Menzoberranzan for Gods' sake. She had to be smart or be killed?!? She's said so on multiple occasions! Just because she's Evil aligned doesn't mean she not smart. (She's just as smart as our average Bear according to Larian)

Minsc...... First off let me say that I love that they chose this image. A Bad Bitch. Anyways, anyone who doesn't find that dumb happy face charming is either lying or literally has a stick up their ass.... 12 CHA. Also why is he so weak? I know he isn't like actually weak... but mans chunked that mimic? Let him have 14.

Jaheira I'll give you the 10 STR, she's complained about her knees like three times in my most recent session. 8 INT? So what I'm getting here.... is anyone not an origin character is just baseline 8? Lazy. Especially considering she was ALREADY GIVEN STATS IN TWO PREVIOUS GAMES. In both BG1 and BG2 she has an intelligence of 10, and if anything she's only gotten smarter over time. I wasn't gonna do this... but left is 1 right is 2.

15, 14, 17, 10, 14, 15, and 15, 17, 17, 10, 14, 15

Make it make sense. I know she's old at this point, but in my game she killed Sarevok again so idk man.

Rip me apart in the notes ;)

But do it nicely...

[nika-vincent]

Some of our reflections on the development of Halsin's personality in Bg3. Long post warning.

I can say that this post is something like a continuation of my previous one, which was devoted mainly to romance with Halsin. This time I gathered some more thoughts from my recent discussions with the guys who love this wonderful character, but this time the main topic will be the development of Halsin's personality in the game. Some things about romance will also be mentioned here a little, the moments we found in the game files, and a few more facts from the datamine. So if you haven't completed the game and don't want to get spoilers, then I suggest skipping this article for now. We will be very happy if this review can also help Larian to see some points that could be supplemented or repaired with patches and also look at how the players perceive our beloved bear and what they would like to see with him in the future.

I would like to start by saying that if we compare Minthara and Halsin in terms of the degree of personality development throughout the game, Minthara is prescribed better and even has her own different ways: to change herself for the better or to remain a bad girl. And I'm not gonna say that she doesn't deserve this because most players choose the path of good and there is no point in investing in the development of her character. Not at all. On the contrary, it shows that it is important for developers to take into account every detail in the game, and if players want to play the game differently for a change, they will discover a lot of new things and say: "Oh, dude! Minthara turns out to be not as bad as she seemed at first glance!". And this is really a wonderful move by Larian, which doesn't allow players to get bored and makes them look at situations and the characters themselves differently. (And by the way, if some character is in the minority according to the preferences of the players, this does not mean that it deserves to receive poor development.)

As for Halsin in this case, at the moment not only his romantic content is missing, but also his very development as a character and a full-fledged companion. This can be explained by the fact that he was probably recently added as a companion, and there simply wasn't time for him to prescribe more things that would reveal his character and potential to the fullest. Considering Sven Winke's recent post on Twitter, where he announced that Larian will again involve voice actors to record new content, there is a chance that these flaws will be fixed in patches and Halsin will get more interactive scenes than those he has now. (As far as I know, Minthara is also suffers from a lack of romantic content, as does Halsin, so I suggest waiting for now and following the official news from Larian …)

It's sad to see that new players who don't experience early access called Halsin a rather boring companion compared to others. However, players from early access spoke about him much higher and more positively, otherwise he wouldn't have become one of the popular characters of the community. So, why did this happen? I can explain this by saying that at that time Halsin was just something like an episodic character that we just had to rescue from the goblin camp and he would tell us everything he knows about our parasite and where we should go for further answers then. (And for an episodic character, that would be enough.) After that, we witness how he scolds Kagha because of the rite of thorns. And I think a particularly strong point was that in the case of Arabella's death, Halsin says in raised tones: "As for the Idol? It's nothing compared to life! A mere object, next to one nature's creations! You showed no pity, no remorse. I cannot absolve you!" I've seen people write admiring comments like: "Until that moment, I thought I couldn't love him even more!". The way he expresses his thoughts, shows concern, compassion, or regret and disappointment mixed with anger (because of the death of a little girl that Kagha allowed) - all this showed us the traits of Halsin's character and caused emotions among the players. Someone thought he was too soft, and someone admired his kindness. And that's how it should work, so that the character evokes different or even contradictory emotions in people, anything but boredom or the feeling that something is missing. This is what makes the character interesting, we want to learn more about him, see how he will behave in other situations and especially how he will react to the Baldur Gate City itself. And I can also note that we were particularly interested in his story with Ketheric Thorm, which he tells us about after the Tiefling party, as well as what he feels guilty about and what unfinished business he mentioned.

Unfortunately, much of what concerned Halsin's personal growth in the release version of the game remained not fully disclosed and seemed unfinished, especially in act 3. His quest during act 2 was challenging from a gameplay point of view, but from a story one it was quite touching and helped us learn a little more about Halsin's past and that the spirit of the land named Thaniel was his only childhood friend. We also learned a little about his parents, as well as the reason why he became the archdruid.

But the story of the shadow curse still remained as if unsaid, and also we didn't see any of his interactions with Ketheriс Thorm, which I think deserved to be realized, and were not limited to Halsin's stories only about Ketheric if we ask him. An interesting fact is that for a long time there were hints in the datamine that Ketheric's daughter Isobel died because of Halsin (correct me if I made a mistake somewhere, please). And I remember, I saw there that Isobel was killed by the spear 'Sorrow', the same spear that we can get in the secret vault in the emerald grove. Not to mention that in Halsin's room we can even find his diaries, in which Isobel was mentioned several times. This would have added a lot of intrigue and special opportunities for Halsin's interactions in the plot of Act 2 itself, but for some reason it remained behind the scenes and even if we ask Isobel about how she died, she cannot remember her killer. Although there are some special dialogues between Halsin and Isobel in the game files themselves at the moment, but there are none of them during the gameplay. I dunno why it was necessary to cut or change these things, and it is not for me to decide what to do here after all. But in my humble opinion, it would have added fire to Halsin's plot in act 2. I would regard this as a fact that even such a good and kind character as Halsin can make mistakes, has his own shortcomings and even dark sides. Therefore, before the release of the game, I had high expectations that Halsin would play a much bigger plot role in Act 2 because of these intrigues between him, Ketheric and Isobel than what we have in the game at the moment. The feeling of the whole story being left unsaid is still present in Act 2, but who knows, maybe it can be improved in patches?

When Halsin became our full-fledged companion in the game, we got new options for the dialogues, but very few of his interactions in the future. It's as if the development of his personality in the second act ended along with his quest. Remember what wonderful scenes with companions in Act 1 we watched over and over again when we stayed overnight in the camp. It helped us to get to know them better, to love someone or hate someone. Halsin definitely should not be deprived of this, we still want to get to know him so that later we can draw conclusions about him in Act 3 and help him find his own path, as it was with the other companions. We got to know our companions during acts 1 and 2 to see the end result of what we experienced together in act 3.

What confuses me is that the developers seem to have paid more attention to his sexuality than the development of his personality instead (not to mention that scandalous story of his sexual slavery to drows in his past, and he only tells us about it after we sleep with the drow twins in a brothel in his company). This looks especially sad for romance, because it looks like Tav fell in love with Halsin more for his sexy muscular body, and not for what kind of person he is. After all, even in real life, we fall in love with someone not for having a fine big booty, but for how a person presents themself to the world and how they treats us. I want to add here one quote that I just remembered: 'Personality is much more important, because the external beauty of a person is taken away by old age, but the beauty of the soul will remain forever.'

In act 3, at the moment, Halsin reveals much less, but we can still see some hints. After he appoints a successor to the Emerald grove in his place, and after we help heal the lands from the shadow curse, Halsin apparently has a conflict with himself about finding a new goal. He notes that he does not like the city of Baldur's Gate, he is saddened by the fate of orphans here, he would also like people to see a friend in nature. And there are also curious moments in his reasoning about shadow druids and their methods. But all this remains so far only at the level of discussions and comments that pop up sometimes. And we can only find out at the very end that he decided to find a new goal in helping people and orphans from the city in Thaniel's world. And you know, it's a really great idea, but I have this feeling again that in act 3 we missed a lot before he came to find this goal in his ending. The idea of his personal path still remained unfinished to the end. I also heard that he was supposed to have some kind of quest with a druid circle in the city, well, let's see if we'll have a chance to see it in patches.

Сomparing Halsin with the rest of the party, he still looks pretty unfinished in terms of development by the end of the game. Because each companion has their own personal options for the path of development, which we are able to influence, and we can notice the difference in the change in the character of a certain companion comparing with what they were in act 1 and what they became by the end of act 3. We can see what Shadowheart can be like if she rejects Shar, or what she will be like in the future if she becomes a dark justiciar. Astarion can remain as a spawn, but at the same time preserving himself as a person and not turn into the likeness of Cazador, whom he hated so much. Or we can help him become a Vampire Lord and the power will intoxicate him so much that he will even begin to dream of taking the city itself in the end. Even Minthara, the companion opposite to Halsin, also has her own personal path of development. But with Halsin himself, unfortunately, this is happening pretty weakly at the moment...

We have been discussing a lot lately what would help for the development of Halsin's personality, so that he could be on a par with the rest of the companions. And I'll start with an excellent thought from my dear friend @merrinla, which would give an excellent opportunity for the development of his personal path, which at the moment in the game looks somewhat unfinished (but I still believe in the power of patches, official writers and the love of fans!❤).

Considering that his background is labeled 'outlander', this makes him a person who grew up in a wild environment, wandering a lot, living in harmony with nature, free as the wind. And even his best friend is the spirit of the land, not from the ordinary people. In his youth, he lived this life, unencumbered by responsibilities, exactly before the crisis moment happened, which was a shadow curse that abruptly changed his usual life. And for 100 years, his goal was to heal the lands from this curse. Plus, his duties as an archdruid piled up here and he didn't have time for his own desires at all. "I was forgetting who I was," as he once told us. After the events in Act 2, he does not seem to be eager to return to the emerald grove, but keeps in touch with Francesca to find out news from there. He speaks quite critically about the city of Baldur's Gate, but he has a desire to help people here and make life in the city better. And I think it would be appropriate here to let Tav tell him something like: 'You know, Halsin, it's not for nothing that people say that everything can be found in Baldur's Gate. Maybe you can find yourself here too?' and also try to change his views on the civilized world, because at the moment he is not familiar with this world too well, and we could help him adapt, convince him that the city itself is not so bad, and find himself here. Even the romance with him will look great with this option.

So it would be a suitable solution if Halsin also had his own development paths: 1 - if he trusts our advice and assistance in adapting to the city, which will allow him to become more civilized. 2 - we agree that he is right in his critical views on the city and civilization, and ultimately he decides to remain an outlander.

I think that even his ending with the orphans could also look different depending on the choice of his personal path, as well as in the case of the romance with him. This is a really great idea, and thank you @merrinla so much for sharing it with me!🙏❤

I would also like to give my comment about Halsin's role in our party. Considering that we have often witnessed conflicts between our companions, in Halsin I see something like scales holding the balance. Someone like the 'father' of our party, an adult wise mentor with whom we could consult about our experiences and ask for his advice. And I would also be very happy to see how he will try to calm our companions in case of any conflict.😂 His wisdom and mentoring experience just have to play a role in our party. If we go on a romance path with him, I would really like him to let us know that he will always listen to us at any moment and support us. Maybe we could even unobtrusively take his hand in return for a while to show how much it means to us. It would also be nice if Thaniel could communicate more with Halsin in the camp, and, in the case of romance, in a dialogue with us, he would notice that Halsin cares about us. These cute moments and his modesty suit Halsin much more than excessive sexual innuendos.

I dunno if Larian will do something about the fact that in the game files Halsin should have received more interactions with Isobel. But I think it would be great and intriguing. And interactions with Ketheric would also be perfect here (Girls, don't start a fight until I find my popcorn😅). And it also seemed strange to me that Halsin had no reaction to Zevlor's betrayal. Maybe it's a bug or just another flaw, who knows. But it would also be good to get this scene, even if he was at our party at the time of the showdown with Zevlor. Maybe it would be nice to organize some kind of his reaction to Nightsong, too, given that Halsin learned about her from Aradin, but he thought she was an artifact, not a living angel. Some interactions with our pets in the camp, I think they should be for Halsin too. (Let him stroke Scratch's belly, haha) And also… the arm wrestling scene of Minsc and Halsin when? Just imagine how funny it might look, 'cause even the dialogue with Minsc about it was hilarious.😁

That's all for today! Thank you guys for reading this review to the end, and also join us in discussions in the feedback about Halsin of the official Larian's discord club! I wish great success to Larian and I thank them for creating this wonderful game for us, which unites people and allows us to discuss many things. We love you and hope that you will also succeed in your future projects, and I also wish you good luck and inspiration in working on new content for BG3!❤🙏

[spicyraeman]

1. They're so cute 😭 My heart palpitations are not going to get better with these drawings

2. Astarion is the manager obv. He loves sweet talking people and feeling important too much

3. I kinda imagine them having a first band with Minthara but booting her out because she just wants to do some Bela Lugosi's Dead type of songs all the time and they're bored

3.1 Minthara doing her own band with Droz and Gut maybe? Also Gortash and Ketheric doing some old dad rock&roll

4. I imagine Lae'zel insisting on doing The Very Complicated And Long Song on every show, like Ghost Love Score or The Greatest Show on Earth from Nightwish

5. I kinda see Gale being the genius composer/producer in the shadow

6. Wyll is the community manager, his style doesn't match the bands but it's okay. He's wayyy too happy for hungover SH and sober Lae'zel

Am I too invested? Maybe. But what's stopping me? ( I hope I'm not spamming your asks, if so forgive me)

🫀🚑 Anon

Oooooo love these and there’s no such thing as being too invested, spam the shit outta my ask box I don’t mind (I'm just shit at answering anything timely)

Im kinda down for manager Ass, but from my limited experience with him it seems like he actively kinda hates talking to people and being responsible for things lol, really hoping building up some of the others helps me place him better cuz I really want him in here

I also had like, vague thoughts of Minthy being a solo artist (same with Halsin) but a band with Droz and Gut sounds funny as hell, the amount of snark generated from dealing with those two would be insane. And I could not give less of a shit about Gortash but dad rock Ketheric is just too good to pass up

Lae'zel is 100% that kinda person, imagine she'd relent tho as long as shes given at least one good chance to show off

Producer Gale is exactly on point for what I was thinkin'!! (he's prob a math rock nerd too) And Wyll being a community manager just fits sooo well, also imagined him being a solo artist stuck in a incredibly shitty contract cuz that story aspect translates really well. He may be too much at times but they love and appreciate him to bits 

[separatist-apologist]

MB I have very important business now that you know the bg3 companions, let's go for a classic. Who is the best companion to take to ikea?

Okay first of all THANK YOU. Secondly though, I'm only doing main companions because Jaheria died during our fight at Moonrise and it took me SO LONG to win that I wasn't re-doing it and I've never one time been tempted to pick Minthara over Halsin.

This is, as always, worst to best

Lae'zel- She would not understand the purpose or the point. But what do you need? Nothing, we just came to look and waste four hours pretending we could live this way. I do not comprehend the nonsense of your species.

Shadowheart- I know this will be controversial but damn I feel like she would just complain and sneer the entire time. She's up to the experience until you're halfway through the kitchen section and she suddenly gets mad but doesn't TELL you. The whole vibe shifts and she's being curt so you rush yourself out of there

Halsin- Look, I just think Mr. Nature would not like seeing just how many. trees were felled in order to make a cheap cabinet that isn't going to last you longer than two-three years.

Astarion- I know someone won't like this because it SEEMS like he should enjoy it, and he does for a while. PAPER light fixtures? PLYWOOD furniture? Oh darling. This is awful, take me somewhere people have TASTE.

Gale- It's possible to be TOO enthusiastic about something, actually. Gale. I'm begging you, PUT THE TRINKET DOWN. You actually do not need to touch everything, has anyone told you that? What was supposed to be a light hearted two hour day has spanned the full business hours of ikea and if Gale doesn't stop picking up plants, you're going to wait until the store closes and hunt him for sport.

Wyll- An altogether good time with the Blade of the Frontiers. Does he entirely get what we're doing here at 10am on a Saturday? No, but he DID wear walking shoes and he will definitely stage a half-hearted fight with you in one of the living rooms. You spend half the day making jokes about childhood trauma, and the other half trying to figure out how to get that impulse buy cabinet home in his subaru (look I know this is in my heart okay?)

Karlach- You already knew. The RIGHT enthusiasm and so much hype. OH MAN MEATBALLS? Fuck yes. Not only does Karlach also want to lay down on one of the massive beds and play pretend that you could absolutely live this way, but she's willing to help you build the furniture (she's got tools at home, this is going to be so easy she says!). Youre relationship is better for going to ikea

[linka-from-captain-planet]

Hi again! Here's another thing I'd like your angle on: When trauma catches up with either Minthara and Florrick, how do they help each other cope?

hi! This is tough to answer because you first have to arrive at one or both of them a) registering the fact of being traumatized and simultaneously b) welcoming help from anyone, let alone one another.

Cut for wall of text

Minthara picks and chooses what trauma she's willing to recognize (e.g. she will talk pretty freely about Orin, but will never acknowledge the trauma of her upbringing). Florrick definitely thinks she doesn't have any because the only real setback she's ever experienced in her life was Wrym's Rock and that Turned Out Fine. So the first barrier is that neither is really likely to open up.

In my headcanon, Minthara opened her heart to a Tav only for them to choose someone else, so she's more hesitant than ever to open her heart, even as much as she desperately wants that connection. She would write Florrick off as not being able to understand because she didn't experience the tadpole herself and has only ever heard the worst of Menzoberranzan, and she's also very cognizant of the fact that Florrick wants her to change. She feels like she's still at war, so showing any "weakness" just wouldn't fly. Florrick would be able to recognize when Minthara was upset, but being more emotionally reserved and not a words of affirmation type, her attempts to support in other ways would probably fall short. (This is increasingly the conflict in my fics).

For Florrick, hubris is a big part of her personality and I think she sees herself as being logical and methodical, when really she just isn't. She was on board with the logistical implications of losing Ulder to the Absolute and grieving for her city, but she doesn't quite grip the purely emotional impact of the truth that she was almost killed, her talents and efforts weren't enough, she was betrayed by a monster wearing the face of the most important and trusted person in her life. It keeps her up at night, but she holds the feeling at arms' length, trying to rationalize it away. Minthara, depending on how emotionally engaged she's feeling, might not have a lot of sympathy because betrayal and impending execution are just a regular Tuesday to her. At her best, I think she'd actually be quite good at comforting Florrick with her poignant words and grounding touch, but she's also self-conscious of her feelings in contrast to what she perceives Florrick's to be, so she could easily hold back.

Another thing is that Florrick has something that Minthara doesn't: other people to turn to. If she felt she needed support, she would seek out Ulder, other friends, or other more established romantic partners first, both because they know her better and because she isn't sure if Minthara wants to be that emotionally intimate. For Minthara, the loneliness of surface life is a big pain point these days, so feeling like Florrick chooses others over her builds resentment and makes her less likely to try.

So basically, they could help each other cope, but... it's spotty at best.

[spiderwarden]

hi! I hope it's okay to send this ask

I don't remember how I stumbled upon your blog but I really enjoy how you write minthara! it's got me wanting to make an rp blog now haha

the thing is Ive never done tumblr RP? and you guys seem so fancy and put together it's a little intimidating 😅 basically what I'm asking is doooo you have any tips on getting started? I would really appreciate any you can give! 🥺🙏

Oh of course it's okay Nonnie! I am well aware that some people have had negative experiences with personals or non-rp blogs but I on one hand, would never dream of being mean to them and I am more than willing to be happy to help you along! (not that I myself can do much) Did you know that I actually started out as a personal blog watching rpers just like you are (and also just like @yathtallar and @daughter0fslaughter ) and I started with nothing but a simple theme and a few images of my character I found off of tumblr. (I wrote Cersei Lannister, you see) and some time later I am now here blessed with friends who are happy to provide! So I promise you! The start is always little but with the right patience you will entirely get there!

The advice that I give you would be first and foremost, is keep your wits about you. The caution you have in approaching negative people or sensing red flag in your corner - keep that about you.

There are free resources out there in regards to getting started between theme makers (if you want to make a theme) and screencap providers if you can't get them yourself. But - I always say , just make a URL for the character you're interested in and then go from there.

I can help you along if you'd like? But I do warn, nothing on this blog is mine but the writing everything else either belongs to @infernaliscor , or @orchideae (i'm not saying they're resources! just friends who have blessed my life!) Trust me, I am.. not as put together as you may think - I owe... so much.

But don't!! get put off by the silence that comes when you first start! every new rp blog is slow to start! Everything else will come with time! And! Have fun. This is not a competition!

HOWEVER IF ANYONE ELSE OUT HERE HAS ADVICE!! YOU ARE SURE WELCOMED TO CHIME IN!!!

[dwarfsized]

things that i would like to know about my fellow writers!

tagged by @aevallare thank you my looovveee

i will tag @simon-says-nothing and @raccooncrimes!

Last book I read: 

i am stalled on The Witch King by Martha Wells, not because it isnt good but just because. lmao. If im reading, i cant be writing. or sewing. or or or. The last one I remember finishing was This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, and i loved that.

Greatest literary inspiration: 

I put part of a Mary Oliver poem on my graduation cap. Also genuinely quite inspired by Tamsyn Muir.

Things in my current fandom I want to read but I don't want to write:

I dont know if I'd ever try my hand at a modern au but i adore aevallare's pour one out.

I certainly wont write no-magic or all-human aus (I like tieflings a normal amount, she says, lying) but I'm sure someone could do something cool with those.

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me: 

:') i already think this about my work but i write it anyway. who wants to read astarion stuck in a druid grove when he's [redacted]?? well, i do, so now we have eldath's mercy.

i am working on a story rn where kira is a ghost haunting the szarr palace. do i think very many people will be interested in that? i dont know! but I want to write it, and at least one other person probably wants to read it, so. eventually, it will go up onto ao3.

id love to do something with a focus on minthara. she's going to matter in true colors but that's not going to happen for a while. for now i rotate her in my brain.

You can recognize my writing by:

7000 word chapters where fully half the words are the characters thinking sooo hard, mid-chapter pov shifts, asides about tiefling/druid culture that i've made up whole-cloth, tail mentions.

My most controversial take (current fandom):

if you mod anyone in the game to look younger/more conventionally attractive i am putting you in the oubliette in my mind-palace. why cant you like these characters as they are. i thought we enjoyed this game

if you mod gortash clean or mod away a character's scars, i am putting you in the oubliette inside of the oubliette in my mind-palace.

Current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut):

2 babeyyyy, but if i could instead shelve all the current wips and start wip #15 id be at an 8. alas! i cannot do this.

Top three favourite tropes:

in no particular order:

when a character's specific past experiences lead them to a wrong conclusion that is soooo wrong but like, ohhh sweetie. of course you think that.

magic that has a cost, even divine magic, and cannot fix everything

you were not selected for this. anyone could have been the person in this position. but you are here now, and you have to do the task. get to it.

are these even tropes? do i know what tropes are anymore. help

Share a random frustration:

I USUALLY AVERAGE 700 WRITING WORDS A DAY BUT IVE BEEN EDITING ELDATH'S MERCY CH 2 FOR ALL OF APRIL AND IT HAS BROUGHT MY AVERAGE WORD COUNT DOWN TO 26. 26 WORDS A DAY. BITING. BITING AND YELLING.

[wildskissed]

Eve's Thoughts on the Companions

LAE'ZEL: Eve thinks Lae'zel is very interesting. She's intense, and she is singularly minded, but she seems to be just about the most loyal person that Eve's met in a long time. They have to band together out of necessity, but even with her gruff demeanor, Eve trusts her judgement in battle situations. She certainly tells her to chill though on multiple occasions when things can be solved with respect and communication over fighting. At the same time, once she learns more about Vlaakith, Eve finds herself liking Lae'zel even more. She's been trying so hard to live a life that her Queen would be proud of, but in this whole endeavor, Lae'zel is also finding herself while not compromising her beliefs. It's that kind of strength, Eve is drawn to in people, and she just wants Lae'zel to be happy.

SHADOWHEART: Eve adores Shadowheart, but she also goes back and forth between trusting her judgment. Because she makes it very clear in the beginning that this is out of necessity, Eve does have a wall up, but eventually, she grows to want to protect this young woman from herself. She doesn't believe in shaming anyone for their religion, but very much doesn't believe in Shar either. Eve LOATHES the Shadowlands. She very much tries not to talk about Shar as much as she can, because when it comes to this, she wants to protect Shadowheart from this, what she believes to be, a horrible influence, and it isn't until she can see the cracks in Shadowheart learning it for herself that she will push against it. She knows from personal experience that you can't force someone to see the light, and she knows there is a chance that she herself is wrong. All that matters to her in the end, is that Shadowheart is happy.

ASTARION: Eve appreciates that Astarion is a chaotic kindred spirit, but he's definitely far more chaotic than she is in most instances. She vividly remembers him pulling out a knife on her--of which she threatened to make him eat it--but even then, she understood. She tries very hard to try to get him to see that being kind doesn't hurt them in any way, but the more he opens up, the more she gets why he gets so bratty about that to begin with. It also makes it easier for her to open up to him later, because in being vulnerable herself, she hopes he realizes she's being genuine about wanting what's best for him. Once again, another person she would love to save from themselves, as she's very anti-ascension, but very pro-Astarion.

GALE: This one I think is the most complex (aside from Minthara), just because her initial reaction to him isn't entirely positive. Eve grew up in a time of war, where the only outside experience she has with human mages, is as enemies. They sided with the Fey'ri that tried to destroy her circle and her family, and the man that tried to rip her throat out. So, she finds this wizard stuck in a portal and while the magic and his knowledge intrigues her, she's not sure she can trust him. However, he is nothing like she expected, so while she started with banter and pointing out at every turn that she is in fact made of magic so how dare he talk down to her about the Weave, she is drawn to his knowledge and his passion for magic. She loves that she can talk to him about books and the weave, and that even though his arrogance rivals her own, he's a gentle soul that cooks for them, and genuinely cares. She also finds herself endeared to him the moment she realizes that the feeling of dread she has around him is in fact the orb, and she hates that it brings him such pain. Karsus is actually something they could talk about, as she's been in the tainted part of the High Forest that holds his body from his fall, and she does know a little about that. She just wants him safe and Mystra-free.

WYLL: Honestly, Wyll endeared himself to Eve pretty quick. Not only was he the fabled Blade of Frontiers, fighting off goblins to help the Tieflings, but Eve found herself more interested in the fact that he is so good with the Tiefling kids. Being someone that loves kids and animals as it is, she's so happy to meet a kindred spirit. He's got layers just like she does, was also raised with proper etiquette, and she bonds with him almost immediately. She's quick to believe his plight, just because she already feels like they have things in common.

KARLACH: Since she met Wyll first, she at first thought of Karlach as someone other than who she was, but even upon the first meeting, that idea of her was completely turned upside down. She was nothing like the vision of her that Wyll had in his head, and it almost immediately made her do a double take. It was clear, that Wyll was being deceived, and it makes Eve feel really bad about thinking the worst of her before they met. Talking to her sets them straight, and Eve is quick to believe her, not only because she likes to give people the benefit of the doubt, but because Karlach seems so very genuine. The more they get to know each other, the more Eve feels like they're the moms of their merry little band of misfits, and she loves how caring Karlach is, and how beautiful she is inside and out.

HALSIN: As an archdruid, Halsin reminds Eve a little bit of her father, who is also an archdruid. He's also big like her dad, and a calm, happy-go-lucky wood elf, so she's immediately drawn into a comfortability with him. The more she gets to know him, the more she enjoys his company, but she's not as anti-city as him at all. Eve loves the city. She understands where Halsin is coming from, but she isn't really in agreement, as much as she likes nature herself. She's also not big on the casual sleeping around thing, so they differ in that respect as well. Not saying she would never do it, it's just not her philosophy. Regardless of all of that, Eve adores Halsin and respects him very, very much.

JAHEIRA: As a 'former' druid, Eve does look up to Jaheira a lot. She has a lot of experience, and a lot of knowledge to pass down, but Eve is meeting her in her Sorceress era, so she's probably not as excited as she would have been prior to realizing who she is at her core. She is younger than Jaheira, but because she's definitely older than almost everyone she's travelling with (she's only younger than Halsin and Astarion), she's not a fan of being called 'Cub'. However, she will steal that and calls the others similarly, and Jaheira has a lot of her RESPECT.

MINSC: Honestly, Eve has NEVER met a funnier person than Minsc, and she absolutely adores Boo. She thinks that he's big, goofy and super sweet, and she would protect him with her life. She also probably 'sweet summer child's him a lot, if I'm being completely honest, but other than that, I don't see them butting heads TOO much. At the same time, I can see them bickering over all sorts of things, but I think they both mean it playfully.

MINTHARA: This one is so hard to even answer because honestly...being an Elf, Minthara addresses you as 'Fairy' in the most derogatory tone I have ever heard in my entire life and she got murdered. I haven't done a playthrough yet where I've had Minthara, but Eve does not like her right away, and something tells me they'd have a hard time getting along, but that doesn't mean they would stay enemies in an RP universe. I can absolutely see them eventually getting along in an RP setting, especially given what I have seen of Minthara's story. I think that it would be so much fun to explore, just because they are pitted against each other right off the bat, but something tells me that digging deeper they would both understand each other better in the end.

[archfeyllen]

what are elilynn’s thoughts on the companions!!! does she have a favourite? a least favourite??

UNPROMPTED ASKS — Accepting.

Oooo this is a fun one. Lot's of rambling ig? Expanding on her ACTUAL thoughts on them instead of just the dynamic was fun HEADS UP : This will purely be based on her assumptions on them at the current moment in my game, since i have yet to finish it :)

ORIGIN COMPANIONS

KARLACH :

Definitely one of her favorite companions. Karlach's pure raw strength and her sweetness is something that she both envies and appreciates. Good conversation, plus she's saved her ass more times then she can count. Tall lady who could and can kick her ass ,,,, what more does she have to say?

WYLL :

Sort of kindred spirits. Being both nobles, they understand each other on a certain level, and she'll do anything to help rescue his father. Trying to convince him to dance with her, she's curious about the differences between the dance's in Baldur's gate compared to the feywilds.

SHADOWHEART :

She owes a lot to shadowheart purely because of how many times she's kept her from dying while traveling. It's been an experience seeing shadowheart open up to her overtime, and she wishes she could do the same, but she can't so instead she does whatever she can to help her fellow half-elf remember what she's lost. Her charming snark is very entertaining.

LAE'ZEL :

Elilynn both admires and fear's the warrior. She's blunt and mean and while its something she can appreciate, her pure intensity freaks her out sometimes. What do you mean you kill your classmates. Injuring them she can get she's been in that situation but DEATH?? Every new thing she learns about gith'yanki culture throws her in a loop and she is trying her best to wrap her head around it.

ASTARION :

He's a complicated fellow that she can plainly see. There's his usual charm, but she can tell as a fellow pretender that its been cranked up to a hundred and forged into a mask. She's drawn to him, probably out of pure curiosity. He's kind of freaky, she wants to find out what makes him tick. Show him that not everyone is the worst version of themselves. Lockpick duo cause they both keep forgetting about the keys they find everywhere

GALE :

Convinced he's the most basic, normal guy ever and appreciates it until he starts talking and says the most out of pocket things. Does Waterdeep have a therapy clinic? does Baldur's gate?? She'll find out when they get there. Now playing the game's hardest game of "stop your wizard from killing himself just because his ex told him to". Gale. Gale your smarter then that NO that is not the best solution!! She's tired.

OTHER COMPANIONS

HALSIN :

Big appreciator of a fellow book enjoyer. She feel's she doesn't deserve his praises despite what she did for the grove and tries to make sure his stay at her camp is up to any non existent standards. Make's an effort to pass along any of the books she picks up so that he has something to do.

MINTHARA :

Sometimes feel's bad for killing her, then feels bad ABOUT feeling bad. It's a process.

JAHEIRA :

She's kind of intense, in a way that make's her unable to argue against what the older woman has to say. She can understand why Karlach idolizes her, maybe its time to find a good book to find out why she's such a big deal. News's often doesn't travel well to the feywilds.

MINSC :

Hasn't met him yet :,)

All in all in terms of people she's actually traveled with, Wyll and Karlach are tied for top spot, meanwhile white she doesn't hate any of them lae'zel is probably her least favorite.

[lutethebodies]

hey just letting you know, I really enjoy your Cannor/Minthara ship posts. You're one of a handful of the regular shippers I know who thinks about, like, long term relationship stuff with your oc and Minthara, beyond the puppy love years and actually considering how they'd manage to live/work/survive together without it all breaking down.

keep it up, you're appreciated ^_^

I hope anon will forgive me if I jump off their very kind note to mention a few reasons why I think I might be good at what they noticed about my character pieces like the one they mentioned.

First, age. I was recently told in no uncertain terms (by people much younger) that it's both hilarious and pathetic for me, a 47-year-old person, to post on Tumblr about anything at all, let alone BG3 character ships. I think someone even said "you're as old as my parents, just stop." And, well, whatever. I made a dumb and needlessly negative mistake (which earned me a lot of other weirdly reductive and untrue assumptions, and because this is the internet, all of it will of course live forever somewhere) on a topic I'd already covered better in non-negative ways. But it ultimately doesn't matter, because life is cringe and self-flagellation is performatively silly and nobody who cares about me judges me for blogging on Tumblr anyway.

However, I think my age (at least in terms of life experience) helps me think about interpersonal behavior and relationships in ways that younger people might not. I don't wanna go full Joe-Biden-in-denial about this—because who the fuck am I, really?—but the fact that I'm still married to the same person after 18 years (with 8 more together before that) speaks to what I've been able to learn and know about how these things work. (Pro tip for a successful marriage: don't have kids; we don't and we're very happy about that.). So that's a bit of an obvious self-insert in what I write for Cannor.

Second, employment status. After decades in the professional design/marketing world, I'm very fortunate to (post-quarantine) be able to freelance part-time as a creative professional and stay home as a house-spouse. I can make art and record songs and write posts and bike for exercise pretty much when I want, as well as take care of housework. It's really inspiring and I like to spread inspiration whenever I can. I also think it's important to be a proud house-spouse as a cishet USAmerican man because even now (get your tiny violins ready) we are still mocked as unmanly and societally useless if we don't have the right job title or don't make more money than our wives or don't have 6 kids or whatever it is that a man's man's man is supposed to be like. Fuck that noise.

I have no problem being a man who is, in many ways, overshadowed by what my spouse does in her life and with her career. She works hard, she's really good at what she does, and is really patient with a flighty artist guy at home. That's how love works for us. (She would probably be annoyed at the mere fact of me getting hung up on all this shit, btw). Most of my "career" work has been ephemeral (that's marketing for you), and I value my decades of making art and music way more anyway, even and especially since it's a hobby and I'll never be celebrated for it. So that vibe goes into my Cannor-Minthara headcanon as well (remember folks, self-insert is not a sin).

Finally (and I say this as a reminder to myself as much as anyone else): think before posting. Don't put needlessly negative things out there, because the world will oblige you in return a hundredfold. Perhaps obvious, but always a lesson worth re-learning. Believe it or not, some old people do realize when they need to re-learn shit.

Now, if you don't mind I'd like to go back to being laughably cringe on main.

[mumms-the-word]

As requested my durge boy Amnon. Purple asmodeus tiefling, oath of devotion paladin. He hasn't started a romance yet and the options are all so tempting to me. He's trans and the memory loss seems to only be affecting the last 20 or so years of his life. He's in his forties. Remembers being a kid, running away, taking his oath. He doesn't remember that his oath was broken ages ago and many times over. Or exactly what happened to his parents, all he can remember about that night is blood and fear and rage. So far he's a very helpful nice guy. He wants to help people and stomp out evil and suffering. He's gonna have a breakdown when we hit act 3

Perfect we love a paladin

Dani is happy to have another tiefling around, even a buttoned-up (but also slightly unhinged??) paladin type. As long as he doesn't chide her for doing dubious things like picking rich people's pockets, they'd probably get along. She gets along with everyone, really. If he's stuck on who to flirt with or romance, she would be the one to go to. To flirt with, yes, but also to ask advice. She'd love sitting down with him and playing matchmaker, but all in good fun. Dani's recommendation? Astarion if he's into sharing/trading trauma experiences, Karlach if he wants a healing relationship and a good time, or Shadowheart because cleric + paladin sounds like a pairing from the most romantic of ballads. I wonder if Amnon would remind Shadowheart of Nocturne? Who knows. Dani would tell him to follow his heart and ignore her recommendations if they don't vibe with him.

Ardynn would like him a lot...as long as he can keep control of his urges for the most part. The minute she sees him kick a squirrel, though, she's avoiding him for DAYS. She would be so upset. But she would be sympathetic to his memory loss and want to help. Ardynn will also have a breakdown when they get to act 3, but only because the city is hella overwhelming. They can break down together!!

Freyr would have mixed feelings about Amnon. On the one hand, dark thoughts paladin type. On the other, Amnon seems like the type to resist the dark thoughts, while Freyr is more of an embracer of dark thoughts. And Freyr already has a paladin he'd trust with his life and her name is Minthara and she is the coolest. If Freyr is the lead Durge in the party, he'd probably ignore Amnon until Amnon's better nature leads him to leave the party or until Amnon caves to pressure and becomes dark like everyone else. It's nothing personal. Freyr just doesn't have time for do-gooders. He's got a world to conquer with/for his wifey, Minthy. If Freyr is the companion, he'd just sullenly cross his arms and silently disapprove every time Amnon made a good decision.

Invi and Amnon would get along great. His integrity as a paladin of devotion despite his dark thoughts would impress her. She doesn't have as good a handle on her dark thoughts, so I think the two of them would get pretty close, since they both understand how hard it is to resist. He certainly remembers more than she does. In truth, she'd probably befriend him faster than she befriended any of the other companions in camp. They'd have lots of long discussions about the dark urge stuff, everything they can't say to their fellow companions because they'd look at them weird.

Thanks for the second ask! I hope Amnon has fun! Playing a Durge is such a wild time for anyone who hasn't played it yet.

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

for Majexatli

lae'zel 5. Did your character influence Lae’zel into staying loyal to or rejecting Vlaakith? How did this affect their relationship with her? shadowheart 4. What did your character think about Shadowheart’s devotion to Shar, including her memory sacrificing? astarion 4. Did your character help Astarion uncover the nature of his scars through Raphael? Why or why not? gale 3. What did your character think about Gale’s romance with Mystra? wyll 3. What did your character think about Wyll’s relationship with his father? Did they help Wyll save his father and repair their bond, or did Duke Ravengard die? karlach 4. How did your character feel about Karlach using soul coins? Did they give her any? halsin 3. When Halsin asked your character to share something personal, what did they say? minthara 1. What motivated your character to initially spare or side with Minthara, then later rescue her from Moonrise Tower? jaheira 2. How did your character react to Jaheira attempting to get your character to drink truth serum? minsc bonus. What did Majexatli think of the guardian spirits of the Sleeing Lands Minsc described? What about his opinions of their Baldur's Gate equivalents?

Did your character influence Lae’zel into staying loyal to or rejecting Vlaakith? How did this affect their relationship with her?

I don't think Majexatli tried to influence Lae'zel, honestly, they let her decide and process things and just was there alongside her for it. Before meeting Lae'zel, Majexatli didn't know like, anything about the Githyanki or Vlaakith, and they're mindful of their lack of knowledge. From the beginning, they've been very supportive of Lae'zel and whatever choices she makes and thinks is best--they agree to go to the Creche, they are very respectful and interested in what Lae'zel shares about her people, they have no reason to be hostile or wary of it all, especially when Lae'zel is so strong in her beliefs.

When the things unfold at the creche and in the prism and Majexatli sees the whole picture, they're actually quite sympathetic towards Lae'zel. Majexatli has some experience with being abandoned/forsaken by a god, given their history with Silvanus. They understand devotion and how Majexatli trying to argue with her wouldn't help things, so they allow Lae'zel to take charge and decide what she wants. And, as they expected, when left to decide for herself, Lae'zel eventually realized the truth and rejected Vlaakith, though she I think relied on Majexatli for some support.

As for how it affects their relationship, I think it's part of the foundation of their relationship. Majexatli being there to support whatever choice Lae'zel makes I think is what helps change their relationship from "allies that hook-up with no strings attached" to something deeper and more complicated.

What did your character think about Shadowheart’s devotion to Shar, including her memory sacrificing?

From the beginning, Majexatli wasn't really opposed to Shadowheart's worship of Shar. I mean, Majexatli themselves worships and Evil god, so they aren't about to judge. Especially when for Majexatli, worshipping Malar was important to their freedom and survival. And I think that Majexatli is slightly biased to look at Shadowheart's worship of Shar in a similar war at first, or at least that they assume that is what's happening and look for confirmation.

The memory sacrificing I think is like, a bit borderline for them. Because on the one hand, they also know what it's like to have a religious practice other people think is extreme or wrong, so they sympathize there. But on the other hand, I think the combination of the memory sacrificing and the wound on her hand uneases Majexatli a bit. After everything with Althyran, Majexatli struggles to find anything holy in suffering. That along with seeing Shadowheart's memory (and recognizing the potential Selune connection) and seeing Shadowheart herself seem to hesitate or question her faith I think eventually solidifies for Majexatli that Shar worship might not be the best path for Shadowheart, but like with Lae'zel, they don't want to make decisions for her.

Did your character help Astarion uncover the nature of his scars through Raphael? Why or why not?

Yeah, they did jsdjlflsdlfks. Majexatli was able to translate them a bit, enough to recognize that it was part of an infernal pact (though their infernal isn't the best). And for better or for worse, Majexatli respects everyone's autonomy and ideas. With Astarion especially, I think they know that if they tried to say no that it wouldn't change his mind. While Majexatli is wary, they really do want to help Astarion, so when be brings his plan to ask Raphael, Majexatli is a bit wary but agrees. And they help him kill the devil for Raphael (and die in the process, which adds some fun angst to the whole thing).

What did your character think about Gale’s romance with Mystra?

Man.

I think Majexatli is uncomfortably reminded of Althyran. Because... I mean, while Althyran wasn't a god, he was their mentor when they were a teen who eventually became their lover in a way that felt Wrong and Manipulative. So I think Majexatli has a negative view of it and sees it as Mystra doing something kinda fucked up and manipulative and taking advantage of power dynamics.

What did your character think about Wyll’s relationship with his father? Did they help Wyll save his father and repair their bond, or did Duke Ravengard die?

Answered here!

How did your character feel about Karlach using soul coins? Did they give her any?

I don't even think it really crossed their mind not to give Karlach soul coins, honestly. Mechanically I always forget to use them while playing, but they don't see any issue with her using them. I suppose someone could have objections, but Majexatli doesn't always have the best morals, given that they're a Malarite. The souls are in the coins whether or not they're used, if Karlach didn't use them, the coins would still exist with the souls trapped inside them, and Karlach is using them for a good reason to do good.

When Halsin asked your character to share something personal, what did they say?

I think Majexatli tries to be honest but is also avoiding speaking about you know, the fact that they aren't a druid really or the fact that they're a Malarite.

So I imagine they say something along the lines of "I've spent more of my life in wildshape than I have outside of it, being in my own skin so often and around so many people is something new and a bit uncomfortable for me,"

What motivated your character to initially spare or side with Minthara, then later rescue her from Moonrise Tower?

Despite the Everything about Majexatli, they went into the goblin camp not wanting to kill any people more than necessary. With Minthara I think specifically they spared her for a few reasons maybe. One being that they confronted her after they had the first Dream Visitor dream, which Really Fucked Majexatli Up. So they were quite out of sorts, and I think having some doubts in their mind about what they were doing. Their dream visitor took the form of Althyran, which was a good tactical choice for the most part on its behalf, but it also came with the fact that 20 years down the line, Majexatli is sometimes able to recongize just how messed up their relationship was and that Althyran was Not a Good Person.

So I think sparing Minthara was a moment of hesitation on their part, mixed with dealing with complex emotions and already having decided to only kill when absolutely necessary.

As for why to save her at Moonrise, I think. Well, Minthara failed the Absolute and Kethric because of Majexatli. And they see that sparing her just means that now she will meet a crueler end. And when they see how she gets punished, being completely erased and having her mind broken until she's a husk, they really don't think anyone deserves that fate. And, tactically, they know that she would be a powerful ally and could come to their side now that the Absolute has turned on her.

How did your character react to Jaheira attempting to get your character to drink truth serum?

Oh they 1000% thought Jaheira was trying to poison them because of the fact that, you know, they're a malarite which is kind of an enemy of Harpers and Druids, not to mention the fact that they have a mindlflayer parasite. So when they realize she's just giving them a truth serum, they're surprised and a bit relieved, especially because just... they're a terrible liar anyways. They have 10 charisma or smth, they don't have any skill there until they take the Actor feat in Act 3 iirc.

For as bad as a liar they are, Majexatli is skilled at talking around the truth, so I think that was also a source of relief, in knowing that even being forced to tell the truth they could avoid telling the truth still.

I do imagine later on though, that Jaheira singles them out one-on-one and tries to pry more information out of them because it's clear they're hiding stuff.

What did Majexatli think of the guardian spirits of the Sleeping Lands Minsc described? What about his opinions of their Baldur's Gate equivalents?

Majexatli has spent most of their life far from cities, and has a druidic background, so I think they are 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽 on the idea that there are spirits in every rock, root, and tree and the fact that Baldur's Gate feels quiet in that sense. They also have spent their life much further north than Baldur's Gate, so I think they kind of can relate to the difference between Home and Baldur's Gate.

I honestly haven't interacted too much with Minsc so I unfortunately don't have that much to say lmao