#I say normal activities but I mean BG3

[chitrolls]

Still not dead, lads. Just mad busy, but I’m finally about to wrap up some things, which means I can return to normal activities. :)

[veren-cos]

Just Let Me In

Astarion (Bg3) x reader

TW: Contains mentions of self-harm. Do not read this if you are not in an okay mental state. If this is something you struggle with, I strongly recommend you reach out to someone.

"I just need you to let me in." He held on to your hands, tightly grasping you. It's as though he thought if he let you go, you'd disappear. "I see you. I see you're hurting. I see you're hurting yourself!" He makes a gesture to you and your new scrapes and cuts. "But I need you to talk to me! I can't help you if you don't let me!"

You looked away. It had been so long since you had hurt yourself. So long. You were doing so well. And then it hit. You had tried to hide it, but Astarion knew every part of you. He knew something had changed.

Tears began picking at your eyes. You turned back and just stared at him. Every time you tried to speak, nothing came out.

And then tears spilled.

"My love, my darling. It's okay. I'm not.. Upset." He made a face. "Okay I'm upset. But I'm not angry. I could never be angry at you. I'm upset because you didn't talk to me. Because you felt like you couldn't, given your stammering."

He pulled you into a loose hug, and then led you to a chair. Once he had you sitting, he got a cup of water, and set it on the desk next to you. He crouched in front of you, and reclaimed his hold on your hands.

"Take a deep breath." He didn't need to breath, but he made a bit of a show to get you to follow his lead. "There you go, Darling. You're okay. Drink some water once you catch your breath."

It takes a while, but you finally stabled. Your breath was at a normal pace, and you weren't actively sobbing.

"Good. You are doing so well. Now." He made sure you were looking in his eyes. "Talk to me."

And you felt like crying. Again. Gods is this what you were going to do all night?

"I'm sorry."

"No." He sighed, "No, don't be sorry. You didn't do this because you're sorry. You're sorry because you've hurt yourself. What is the cause?"

Another brief pause to calm your eyes. He held your hands as you began to speak.

"I don't know what to do with myself. Any reason that I could possibly give doesn't seem good enough. I know I shouldn't be like this. I know I shouldn't do this. But it felt like I needed to...'

You continued, "Astarion.. Astarion, it had been so long, you have to believe me! I was doing so well! I have been trying so hard. I dont know why I'm like this, and I don't know how to fix it. I'm sorry."

He pulled you into another hug, and leaned against you to keep his balance on the floor. "Shhh shhh..." He rubbed small circles on your back. "It's okay. You can do this. I'm right here. Keep going. It's okay."

You took a deep breath. "I don't like myself. I'm not good enough. I know you will just say that I am, but I could be doing so much more. All I want is to get this damned parasite out of my head. All I want is to be okay. Okay, and with you. But I don't know how to deal with this. It's too much. The only way I know how is with. Well. I mean you saw it. I don't think I can say it out loud. Not yet."

You had managed to get through your whole speech without crying. You clearly said every word, even through the shaky breaths.

"Well then let's start from there. I am so proud of you, darling. You have done so much. You have helped me - and our rag-tag bunch of idiots out there - more times than I can count, and more than you'll ever know. You are doing so well, and yes you took a step back. But that is okay. You will take two steps forward. And I will be right here."

Astarion pulled back from the hug to look you in your eyes. Even after crying, he still thought you were the most beautiful person in faerun. He made a note to tell you that later.

"I love you. And it will be okay. You will be okay. Now let's just take a moment to get you all fixed up. I can steal a potion of lesser healing from shadowheart maybe?"

You nodded in response, but with a look that said 'but no stealing' which he promptly ignored.

Once he came back, he had you drink it and then laid down. He gestured for you to lay beside him. But you settled on his chest, wrapping your leg over his waist.

"Thank you." You all but whispered.

"There is nothing to thank. Now sleep, my love."

You felt a bit better from the potion. It had sealed up the new cuts. Made it as if they were never there. But you knew. You knew that it would feel like it never went away. You still felt as though the wound in your mind was wide open.

But it would be okay. You had Astarion with you. He sat next to you as you went to sleep, your hand in one of his, and a book in the other. He quietly read out loud, enough for you to follow along but low enough as to not disturb you if you fell asleep. He cared for you. He cared for you so much you didn't know what to do with yourself.

So yes, it would be okay. He made it okay.

You had finally let him in.

Authors Note: Once again, if you are struggling with self harm or suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help. There are multiple help lines and resources depending on your region which are easy to find on Google. Talk to your friends. I promise things get better.

Ps. If there is a way I can more clearly label the trigger warning lmk, I wasn't entirely sure how to phrase it, but it serves its purpose.

[lucrezianoin]

How to use Photomode mod for BG3 (free cam mod)

I received a cry for help on youtube on how to use the photomode (free cam) mod, so I am going to try to write a very very simple guide.

First of all this mod is not free, but can be downloaded through fransbouma's patreon. The patreon post is this one, and the guide for the mod is here:

STARTING THE MOD

The post about how to is here, so I will summarize the main points.

1)Download and open, you will have a folder like this:

The only thing you need to click on is the one I highlighted: IGCSClient.exe. No installation is required, this is the actual photomode mod. You can keep this folder wherever, I keep it on my desktop because I am lazy.

2) Open the game first!! This is very important. Launch the game, and wait until you are in the menu, or even in the actual game.

3) Now click on "IGCSClient.exe".

Now you will see that that "inject" button can be clicked (it cannot be clicked without opening the game):

Click on it, this will activate the mod. And now you should get these 3 pop ups, the last should say "Camera found". These to me appear on the left top side of my screen.

Okay, now the mod can be used!

CONFIGURATE IT

Okay, now make sure that you now what and how to use it. Click on "Key bindings".

I only use specific buttons, and I did not change any other thing. So I ignored "configuration" and "image adjustments", as I was fine with how my game was captured.

The buttons I use and I make sure to set up to easy to remember keyboard buttons are:

As you can see I never use the path-system, and have yet to learn it! For now I am only using the ones above and for me they are enough to explore the game.

Basically, as you can see from my pictures these are the main functionalities:

Enable/disable camera is the main one. By clicking it you activate the mod in game. This means that now you won't be able to click on game dialogue, but you will be able to use all the other buttons and functionalities.

Toggle/game pause is another one I use often. Because the game keeps playing even with activated camera mod, you might want to pause it to make sure to position your camera. Keep in mind that if a dialogue started, the game will play it anyway even if you paused it, and will pause the start of the next dialogue. For example, if Astarion is saying "Do you have a moment? We need to talk", and you press pause as "Do you", Astarion will sort of move in a glitchy way and the dialogue will pay normally, then he will pause at the end of it.

Increase FoV/Decrease FoV are two I rarely use too much, but basically they increase or decrease focus

Toggle HUD makes sure to make the HUD (the dialogue subtitles, and all the extra stuff around the frame) disappear. I always toggle this off.

The rest are other options to basically turn left and right, rotate, go up and down. My mouse also turns the camera left and right, up and down. It is only a matter of making sure your numpad is activated, and playing with it. At the beginning I was very clumsy!

NOTE: Recording a dialogue, as you might have noticed from my videos, work like this for me:

Enable camera (I press -)

Toggle HUD off (Delete key on my keyboad)

Pause (0)

And then I move around to find a good angle.

You can see an example here:

This happens if there is a continous scene, which means there is no dialogue choice in the middle of it.

Here is an example of what happens if you have dialogue choices:

You can see that there are some jumps. This is what is happening:

I activate the camera mod

I zoom in and out and turn around a bit

At 0:17 I deactivate the HUD, so the subtitles disappear

Then I check a round a bit, and at 0:39 there is a jump. The jump happens because I deactivated the camera mod

And then I reactivated the HUD. This is the only way to actually continue with the dialogue. So then I choose the dialogue option and...

I reactivate camera mod

Small warning: this is a photomode, it take pictures, so recording videos is not as smooth. You will get these flashes because the camera tries to "focus" on the new pov. Ex. If you have the camera on Astarion with the mod, but in game that moment is showing Tav, you will have a small flash of Tav.

[allymcfee]

Fun Facts About Your Tav

Thank you for tagging me @emmy-dekarios-bg3 , @pinkberrytea , @andromedaancunin , and @xxnashiraxx ! I loved learning about your tavs 💖💖💖 This game is so amazing for letting us have such different characters. So for my evil run Durge…

Jynx

1. Is Your Character Good, Evil, or Neutral? (Makes some good decisions, some bad ones?)

Jynx is straight up evil. She just likes to see what will happen with no regard of the consequences for others. All that matters is that she and Astarion are safe. She will turn on the other companions if the need arises. Right now, they serve their purpose. Shes like a pissed off, wounded cat that’s been backed into a corner. She’s been hurt before by those closest to her (papa Bhaal, Orin, and Gortash to a lesser extent) and she’s never letting that happen again.

2. What Hobbies Do They Partake In?

Astarion and Jynx like to play a hunting game where they hunt each other kind of like a fucked up hide and go seek. If Astarion wins, he gets to caprisun Jynx until she’s drained dry (don’t worry they have so very many revivify scrolls). If Jynx wins, well let’s just say someone’s getting a spanking.

3. Do They Own Any Heirlooms From Their Family or Ancestors?

Her runic neck tattoos. She doesn’t remember their significance yet, but they allow Bhaal to control her through the urges. The tadpole mitigates the urges somewhat, but the runes are even more powerful magic. He put them on her neck because he was worried if they were anywhere else, she would just cut off that limb to escape. Kind of hard to live without a head - just ask Karlach.

4. Can Your Character Cook?

Hahahaha. No and I wouldn’t suggest you try anything she is eating either. Gale already caught her trying to sneak dwarf into the camp stew. He now places wards around the camp cooking pot which she’s already activated twice.

5. Does Your Character Have a Best Friend?

This is normally where I would list Karlach. RIP Mama K. For Jynx, if she can’t pick Astarion, she would choose Shadowheart. She is the female version of Astarion after all. Shadowheart is a Way of Shadow Monk and she and Jynx have a friendly competition on who can kill the most people in each fight. Jynx even gave Shadowheart her Death Stalker Mantle to make it fair.

6. Their Biggest Fear?

Losing herself to the urges or losing Astarion. All of the worst things that can happen to her have happened already. Like Gortash, instead of rising above, she’s going to lean in and become the baddest bitch in Faerun. She thinks if she is all powerful no one can ever hurt her or Astarion again. She doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. No one looked out for her except Astarion; so he’s the only one she will protect.

7. Name One of Their Red Flags.

I mean she’s kind of all red flags. Her only green flag is that she loves someone and wants to protect him. Otherwise she’s making everyone around her worse and killing everyone else.

Thank y’all again for tagging me! Sorry for the delay. I was on a business trip all last week and just got back late last night. I just want to say “Fuck Trump” because well fuck him.

My no pressure tags are @onlyancunin , @atsadi-shenanigans , @preciouslittlebhaalbae , and @marlowethebard .

[oathbreakerapologist]

sooooo does the slayer form factor into any of their activities together?

HAHAHAHA GOOD QUESTION

(I've been meaning to draw Ghost's slayer form... this ask might have pushed that closer to the front of my art queue.)

Yes.

Because I can't ever answer questions that straightforwardly, a bit of exploratory Bhaalist metatheology: I headcanon that the idea that there is only one true Chosen of Bhaal is an idea held by the Cult of Bhaal and promulgated by Sarevok, primarily to ensure his own singular position of authority; I don't think that's actually Bhaal's own intent. If two potential Chosen are on opposing paths, it certainly makes sense for them to murder-duel it out, but pragmatically speaking, it makes significantly more sense for there to be more than one person permitted to lead the slaughter of the entire rest of the planet. Conflict between Chosen is a roadblock to Bhaal's goal; cooperation between Chosen is not. So I don't think there's any reason why a well-behaved, goal-sharing duo cannot both be Chosen of Bhaal.

All this to say, ever since Orin became an adult and was initiated into the temple of Bhaal, both she and Ghost had slayer forms. Ghost lost his when he was tadpoled, then regained it during the events of the BG3 campaign. After his return to Orin, they've still both got slayer forms.

I can promise you that they've fucked in every permutation of normal form and slayer form possible.

That being said, I think they both ended up with a general preference for not using slayer forms for sadomasochistic purposes; one loses some finesse and control when one is large, vaguely insectoid, and in possession of claws and mandibles.

[hyperanaemia]

Sorry, I don't mean to disappear for months, but I've been getting back into reading comics after taking a super long break to play bg3. So, I've finally gotten around to reading the Knight Terrors: Robin issues that have been sitting in my 'to read' box months after they've been relevant. I’m sure everyone else had a bunch to say when it came out but here’s my two cents. 

The issues just really fall flat to me. Like, I wasn't expecting a two-shot to be a deep dive into Tim's dead-dad trauma or anything, but I do feel like it misses what the core fear/horror that surrounds Jack's death is. 

Like, the KT issues posset that what Tim fears the most is failing to save people, with his dad's death being the figurehead of that. That this failure is what makes him unworthy of being Robin. I'm not going to say that isn't true, that reasoning definitely factors into Tim's trauma. But it also just feels basic to me.

Like, 'failing to save a loved one' is one of the most basic superhero tropes at this point. I'd be hard pressed to think of a hero who hasn't failed to save someone they know. It might as well be a rite of passage.  

(In fact, here's a panel of Tim thinking as such about his parents in an issue literally called Rites of Passage.) 

Also, Tim has already had a 'crisis of faith' arc after failing to save someone with the character of Eldon Adams (Young El). It had a very big impact on Tim and the fallout of that lasted for several issues.

Identity Crisis certainly has its flaws and at times I question the need to kill off Jack in the first place. But, to me anyway, Jack's death is beautifully written and manages to tie his and Tim's decades-long storyline off in an interesting way. 

The important point to make about Tim in relation to all this is that he chooses to be Robin. He was never picked, he was never fated, he was not born to do it. Robin is something he actively chooses to be. At first, it's an easy choice to make. Tim reasons that since his parents are off doing their own thing it won’t be an issue if he’s gone all the time. But, as time goes on, Jack starts spending more time at home, wanting to spend more time with Tim. The issue "resolves" in this instance by having Jack's time get taken up when he starts dating Dana Winters. But this tension continues to be a major subplot throughout Tim’s series. Tim and Jack’s already strained relationship is constantly made worse by Robin.     

Tim feels guilty that his duty as Robin keeps getting in the way of his relationships. Tim's friends like Ives and Ariana are constantly stood up or brushed aside. Anything that ties Tim to the normal life he used to have is always being balanced against Robin. And for as much as Tim tries to maintain it, for as much as he says his normal life is what keeps him grounded when push comes to shove Tim always ends up choosing Robin.  

The thing that makes Jack's death different from all the other parental deaths in the Batfam, and the Identity Crisis did right, is that they made it a direct consequence of Tim choosing to be Robin. Bruce's parents were killed at random. Dick's were targeted in a situation outside of his control. Jason's mother was killed for her involvement with the Joker, which started before he even met her (and his dad with Two-Face).  

Jack was killed because his son was Robin. In Identity Crisis, Jean Loring targets the family members of heroes. She never would have hired Captain Boomerang to kill Jack if Tim wasn't Robin.  

(Obviously, none of this is to minimize any of these characters' pain or to say one is worse than another.)   

The added twist of the knife is that Tim had been spending that week with Jack instead of helping everyone find the killer. It's the one night that Tim chooses to go out as Robin again that Jack is killed. If Tim had stayed just one more night, even just one more hour, he could have saved his dad. And Jack lets him go because he knows how important Robin is to Tim.

This is more of an aside, I love this sequence of Tim ripping off his Robin uniform. Like obviously the intention is that Tim can't be seen wearing it when the police arrive. But the subtext to me reads that Tim is ripping Robin off, this thing that's come between them at every moment. Tim, before he even knows if Jack is alive or dead, doesn't want Robin to come between them anymore.

And Jack's death is something of a 'point of no return' for Tim. Before this, many of the people who know Tim is Robin have pointed out that he could always return to a normal life if he wanted to. Tim himself believes that he'll probably retire being Robin at some point. (I have my own thoughts that aren't relevant here about how that's more about him being practical as opposed to his genuine wish for his future, but I digress.) But after this, Tim is locked into the vigilante life. There's nothing normal he could return to. If he can’t be good at this, then what was the point? 

KT Robin just feels uninspired. It doesn't try to extract what makes Jack's death unique or interesting. It just picks the most surface-level takeaway you could have from it. Like, it's not just about being not good enough for the job. It's losing everything because you chose to do this job and you still don't know if you're good enough to do it.

[rpfisfine]

this tweet made by someone's brother playing bg3 for the first time honestly haunts me bc i can't figure out who he means. you could say the only person who does proper surgery on you is volo but he's not a goblin he's very obviously a normal human so that can't be it. the next most logical option that comes to mind is priestess gut who is actually a goblin but she never does any real surgery on you she just brands your hand and then when you want her to do surgery on you in her chambers she just puts you to sleep with a potion and then you wake up in chains in a prison cell so that's also not it. and then the third option which is probably the real answer is auntie ethel who isn't a goblin but a hag but i guess if you're playing a dnd type fantasy game for the first time you wouldn't be able to differentiate very intimately between different races and stuff and would just use like overgeneralizing descriptors instead which makes sense and she does actually do surgery on you but the part that is so unbelievable to me is that regardless of how inexperienced you are with the game and how many bad choices you've made i cannot imagine someone actually making the string of decisions that lead to auntie ethel removing your eye instead of just exposing and killing her like there are so many red flags that are actively discouraging you from going down this path and in my mind only like 20 ppl in the whole world made this specific choice but i guess that's the most plausible explanation although there's still a haunting quality to this tweet no matter how solved you consider it

[thetavolution]

TESSA CHASTAIN | Human | Rogue-Monk | She/Her | 35

What is your Tav’s…

Favorite Weapon: Sword of Screams

Style of Combat: She's pretty hands on in a fight. If she's not slicing and dicing, she's punching and kicking. She's a rogue-monk so she gets her hands dirty in every fight.

Most Prized Possession: At the beginning of the whole adventure, it's a necklace her father gave her. By the end of it, it's an engagement ring from Gale.

Deepest Desire: She'd love to settle down and have a normal life, even just for a little while. She's never been "normal," but she'd like to try.

Guilty Pleasure: She loves reading terrible romance novels and erotica.

Best-Kept Secret: She was born into the Zhentarim because of her father. Her family is from Icewind Dale so even a lot of the local Zhentarim members don't know her. It's likely they'd recognize her father's name if she brought it up though.

Greatest Strength: She's loyal. She's the mom friend so she's always comforting to be around.

Fatal Flaw: She's impulsive and leaps before she looks.

Favorite Smell: Roses.

Favorite Spell or Cantrip: She doesn't really cast spells often, but she does like using Ice Knife. When it comes to her allies, she loves it when they use Wall of Fire. It's wonderfully effective when used right.

Pet Peeve: Being late.

Bad Habit: She steals stuff all of the time. Her impulsiveness is also a bad habit. She stays up late and, when she was much younger, she was a party animal.

Hidden Talent: She's a talented writer. She's written short stories and novels, but she does nothing with them. They just sit, unread by anyone else. Gale will be the first person to know they even exist.

Leisure Activity: Writing.

Favorite Drink: Brandy

Comfort Food: Sun-Dappled Paella and Cranberry Cake

Favorite Person: Gale, Shadowheart, and Halsin

Favored Display of Affection (platonic and/or romantic): She likes to tell people how much they mean to her. Word of affirmation are big for her. With certain people, she likes to roughhouse. (She grew up with 5 brothers.) She's big on cuddling and kisses, too.

Fondest Childhood Memory: Most of her fond memories are the times her family were all together, but a few specific moments stick out. When she was around seven or eight, her father brought home a puppy for her and her brothers. Tessa was the one that doted on that dog though.

BEX MCQUOID | Mephistopheles Tiefling | Bard (College of Swords) | She/Her | 36

What is your Tav’s…

Favorite Weapon: Rapier

Style of Combat: Talking is her favored battle technique, be it Vicious Mockery or Dissonant Whispers. In melee, she likes to stick to her rapier. She's known for having some flair while sword fighting.

Most Prized Possession: Her violin. It was gifted to her by her teacher, the only person she felt cared about her during her childhood.

Deepest Desire: She wants to find where she belongs. She wants to finally let down her walls and care about someone deeply. She wants to be cared for in return and feel safe.

Guilty Pleasure: There is no guilt, only pleasure. Bex doesn't like to think of anything as a "guilty pleasure." Life is too short for that.

Best-Kept Secret: Unfortunately, I can't say! It mirrors her past in @thebonnevillegame too much. (Think of BG3 Bex as a multiverse version of The Bonneville Game's Bex.)

Greatest Strength: She's unflappable and steadfast. She can keep calm in a fight or stressful situation.

Fatal Flaw: She doesn't take situations seriously enough. She's also so used to taking care of herself that she's not great at being emotionally available for other people.

Favorite Smell: Oranges and the smell of fresh brownies

Favorite Spell or Cantrip: Dissonant Whispers

Pet Peeve: Being interrupted, leaving cabinets/drawers open, and egomaniacs.

Bad Habit: She's something of a packrat. She'll hold onto things just in case she needs it, or because she thinks having it adds comedic value to her life. She also relies far too heavily on alcohol when sad or anxious.

Hidden Talent: Although she's a bard, she's a talented cook. It's something she'll do to help pay the bills from time to time.

Leisure Activity: Cooking/baking and learning new recipes. She also likes to keep in shape.

Favorite Drink: Coffee or Mermaid's Whiskey

Comfort Food: Homemade Bread

Favorite Person: Astarion and Karlach

Favored Display of Affection (platonic and/or romantic): She loves hugs even if she won't say it. She's big on terms of endearment. Any kind of physical contact is welcome, including something as simple as a touch of a hand. Sometimes she'll gently "punch" people in the arm.

Fondest Childhood Memory: Training under her teacher, Valus. She was neglected as a child and Valus was the first adult in her life to look after her. Her fondest memories are spending time with him.

Thank you for tagging me @tavsboots!

I don't have anyone to tag. If you want to do it, please go right ahead!

[rottenbrainstuff]

BG3 playthrough - the circus and other notes

A quick break from the drama to do something fun! (Spoilers below)

Oh I forgot to talk about the big ol durge act 3 Bhaalspawn reveal there. First of all I wish the scene was a bit….. I dunno… bigger, somehow. I’m reminded a little of the unsatisfying conversation with Shadowheart after she refuses to kill the Nightsong, where she just MENTIONS oh wow so crazy thing just happened, I just got transported to Shar’s presence and it felt like I was dying a hundred deaths and Shar told me I’m worthless and I’m kicked out now (whereas if you do kill the Nightsong, you actually get to see her talking to Shar) Like sure we do get the vision of a fight with Orin, but then it mentions all these memories of leading the Bhaal cult… please! A little dramatic cutscene? A little teensy tiny glimpse of what my tav used to look like? Just a hint? A dark shot from the back? Something super zoomed in? Anything? Or it doesn’t even have to be complicated and animated with a ton of assets actually SHOWING the cult activities, couldn’t we just have like I dunno. The edges of the screen start to bleed red and there’s a wooshing effect or something? Like even something simple? I’m thinking of like the simple animation that happens when you step into the Shar pool and get transported?

Basically anything at all that’s just a TOUCH more dramatic than just standing there deep in thought while the narrator explains that you remember all the bad stuff? Meh.

My poor tav though. Resisting durge has been a hell of a ride. Wow. He’s been trying his hardest this whole time not be ruled by these horrible voices in his head, and to find out what happened to him, and it just gets worse and worse and worse. At least the revelation ends on a slightly hopeful note, with a way forward to attempt to make some kind of amends for everything.

After this, you can choose to tell your companions about it, if you want. The reactions are all really interesting.

Halsin actually was a lot less supportive than I thought he’d be - disappointed me a little, tbh.

Gale is wary, and fair enough, I guess, but it still stung a bit. Gale has always been the most wary companion with all the dark urge stuff, but I mean it’s not like I don’t deserve it.

Lae’zel is quite practical - yes that makes sense, you are very good at killing and also annoying, lmao. When it comes time to choose to defy your god, choose wisely, like I did.

Shadowheart seems like she’s trying to think of something supportive to say, but it comes out a bit wrong - wow it sucks to be you! I think I’ve heard not EVERY single bhaalspawn was horrible though?

Wyll and Karlach are the absolute sweetest, obviously. Karlach is so sad for us that we learned this information and is behind us all the way. Wyll is similarly sad for us, and tells us about a bhaalspawn who actually went on to be an important hero. What a couple of absolute solid friends right there.

And then there’s Astarion. He has a lot of dialogue here. I suppose this is what people are complaining about when they say Astarion has so much more dark urge content written for him than the other companions. I thought at first the reason he has so much to say is that I was romancing him, and I’m still not 100% sure but it sounds like this is just the normal dialogue he has with everyone no matter what. With Astarion, you don’t have the option to decide to bring it up or not, he will notice right away that something is wrong and comment on it. (you can choose to not talk about it though) The other companions only have a few lines for you, but Astarion actually has branching dialogue choices. If you talk about your father’s commands, it leads to some other dialogue and a HILARIOUS comment about “worshiping your father’s emissions” lmaoooo Astarion, always the best reactoins. There’s a few dialogue options that lead him to joke (....not a joke?...) about missing the first bhaalspawn epidemic, and how he’s glad to be around to watch the murder this time.

But if you tell him you’re scared, he gives you this surprisingly sincere and emotional reaction about how he knows what it’s like to be a slave to things you can’t control, and how he wouldn’t go back to that life for anything you could possibly pay him, and neither should you. It was quite touching. Man Astarion. Thanks for that. No thanks to you though, Halsin.

And then I had an Emperor cutscene! I wasn’t expecting this! None of the guides I checked had mentioned this one so it was a surprise. The Emperor is feeling wistful after hearing Belynne Stelmane is dead. (why is she called a duke though? Why not duchess? Faerun still has queens?) Man. Man, I dunno. I thought I had this guy all figured out from everything I had read, but this is all playing out just a liiiiitle bit different than what I expected, and now I don’t know what to think. This fucker, I actually do feel a little sorry for him, I do wonder if I can trust him. I’m falling right into the mindflayer’s goddamned trap. Fuck.

Currently I have just finished up at the circus. Man it’s is hilarious, I adore all the colourful NPCs, this is the most “actual tabletop dnd game” part of the game I’ve run into yet: The DM tells you that you notice that the djinni is cheating at the wheel game. You announce you want to try and distract the djinni by farting really loud. You roll a nat 20. The DM sighs and sends you to dinosaur land. I love it!

Fun fact: bards having the fart option is maybe not really as randomly stupid as it sounds. Medieval jesters often had on-command-flatulence as one of the talents in their performing skill set, lmao.

I’m still undecided on who I should commission a statue of. I’m leaning towards forcing everyone in camp to stare at a sexy statue of my boyfriend every day. I wonder what the original Dribbles was like. He seems so incredibly well-regarded by the crowd, I have to assume his act was actually interesting!

I spent 20 minutes just trying to steal the cheese book from the djinni tent. Doesn’t matter if there’s no one looking, as soon as I take the book, three flaming fist come running up out of nowhere. The unnoticed theft of a single insignificant book is of vital importance, I guess. By that point it wasn’t even any actual desire for the specific book, it was just the principle of it, I wanted to have this book because they didn’t want me to have it. We ended up with my party explaining to the three guards that we didn’t see anything, while Astarion was off hiding in the bushes by Zethino, giggling like an idiot the whole time, I assume. We got the book in the end and the only ones angry are probably the refugees on the road having to stand there and wait because the guards they were trying to talk to left to go take care of a single missing book.

I have found 5 NPCs so far that have the possibility to be Orin. (once you find her twice, she stops transforming and you won’t continue to find her, but because I reload old saves to investigate things so much, I run into Orin in other situations that I didn’t do in my main game… it is SUPER SURPRISING when an NPC suddenly starts having a different conversation than I’m used to) I wonder how many other NPCs she’s programmed for?

I really liked that steel watch robot thing at the gate. I loved how I was told I had nothing to fear if I had done nothing wrong, I loved how it decided to arrest me because it had a database of info obtained by scrying eyes that I had attacked the Absolute. That’s always the argument people use in favour of increased police surveillance - well if you have nothing to hide, it shouldn’t matter, right? Haha but that all depends on who the folks in charge decide who the enemy is, doesn’t it?

Next up - doing the lazy elephant detective’s job for them, because that’s what I do in this game, apparently. (I’m just being silly, this quest legit sounds fun)

[the-lady-general]

BG3: Magic Pockets & Traveller's Chest

The in-game tutorial is in the Tutorial tab of your journal - hotkey J.

Read this if you need to play the inventory game and don't know where your towel is.

Magic Pockets are magic. Access them by hitting I for only the selected character's inventory or Tab for the party's inventory. You can only access the inventory of characters that are in your party, and you can only access the Traveller's Chest in camp.

You can send any item, including stacks and containers with other items inside, between your party members or to your Traveller's Chest. Select the item or container from your inventory, from the ground, or from inside a chest/corpse, right click and choose Send To... (Character) or (Camp). The item, stack, or container will now appear in the first free slot from the top left in the inventory of the character you chose, or the Traveller's Chest if you picked Send To Camp. You can also open the party inventory with Tab and drag and drop items between characters.

Quest items and keys will normally just be sent to the character who uses a corresponding door. If you try to open a lock and the tool tip says it's locked, that means you really don't have the key. Time to break out the lockpicks - or to break down the door/chest. The latter option can damage items or knock them out of reach.

You can equip items from any character's inventory on any other character by selecting the character you want to equip and opening the party inventory. Double click the item you want to equip. If the selected character already had an item equipped in that slot, the unequipped item is going to turn up in the inventory of the character that donated the new piece of equipment.

In combat you can swap grenades, scrolls and potions between all party members. The active character can access the right click menu in the party's inventory to drink a potion directly out of someone else's backpack, provided they're in range. If characters are too far apart to drag and drop items, use right click and Send To... between any characters, regardless of turn order. This doesn't use an action. Dropping an item or piece of equipment also doesn't use your actions.

Side note: If you accidentally put armoured gloves on Gale or a Heavy Crossbow on Shadowheart, drop it during combat by selecting right click -> Drop or they won't be able to cast spells. If you drop your melee weapon and you're not a Monk, enemies attack you with advantage. Putting on a piece of equipment costs your action for the turn.

Side note: If the character who carried all your potions goes down, use Send To... to send a potion another character, who can use their action to Throw the potion at their unconscious comrade. Better than Help if you have the potions to spare (ranged + it heals more HP), but not as good as Healing Word (which uses a Bonus Action + Spell Slot instead of a Full Action). Check the initiative order at the top if the screen to make sure your revived party member has a chance to get themselves to safety, instead of immediately going down to the next enemy attack again.

You can split item stacks by right clicking and selecting Split Item. The following slider let's you select how many of the item goes into each new stack. If you want to create more than two stacks you have to Split Item again.

You can stack up many items by dragging and dropping the item's icon on top of another item. If you have containers (Alchemy Pouch, Supply Pack, Key Ring, pouches, backpacks...) in your inventory, you can drag and drop items into them. To open containers inside your inventory, double click or right click and select Open.

Side note: When encumbered do not forget about the loaded up containers in your inventory. The fastest way to save carrying weight is usually by sending your Supply Pack to Camp. You'll need to recover it from the Traveller's Chest before your Long Rest to access the supplies.

[satanicspinosaurus]

OMG OMG OMG I like zonked out for a (I’m not actually sure how long-form time works with enough chronic pain so let’s say more than a week and less than a month) and bam you cranked out a beautiful comic!!!! I think I remember reblogging 3 parts, but oh my gosh it’s wonderful and going through it again is a treat.

Part 1 coming back to, I really like how authentically confident Aldriin is here. Especially the casual sit down. You can tell he’s in his element, *working* Astarion to agree with his point. Like that pose is just perfect. Open body language, a hand moved a bit closer. I’d actually say it’s a stone throw away from flirty. And I mean that very strictly. There’s something about the facial expression that cues me into it not actually being, but it’s brillant story telling because it makes total sense why Astarion picks the sex bid (beyond his “gods given” options as he puts it) later. The end panel is great. Aldrin is round in ways that will change. Astarion is gaunt in ways that will change. They are, oppositional in appearance but so very similar shades of moral grey, down to two smiles that aren’t warm when you look carefully. Part 2 panel I love is the horror look. Beyond the person (being seen/ repped is often fun) I do like the very natural response of Astarion here. It’s not my story, but a lot of A-spec folks are treated like their natural way of experiencing the world must be a result of trauma (or fear of it). There’s also the delicious euphemism “soft” here. It’s great character writing because Astarion is an asswhipe at times, but he’s honed into something a bit by accident. I think he’s trying to imply he isn’t fatphobic like society, which does link body fat % to maturity. But it also ends up being a real a-spec rep moment. That if we aren’t sexually active/ desiring we are immature, and really don’t worry dear, I see you’ve got some adult traits hidden under there I can help bring out. (And as a viewer, I am of course rooting for our fav half-drow’s moments of realization. It might be coming via manipulation but self-knowledge is self-knowledge.) Pt 3’s shift to cool grey is such an awesome thing btw! The tone shift hits immediately, and oh it’s such a strong way to experience someone “cooling down” after the heat of a moment. The heavy amount of blank ink makes it feel almost claustrophobic as our poor dude is huddling around a tiny amount of light/ insight. The brightest panel on his face being him admitting Astarion actually smiling is nice is such a nice touch. Especially compared to the heart-wrenching shading on the “normal people” panel. The heavy use of silhouettes, the literal picture of a cave, and the struggle of learning the truth ends up being a solid fun way of thinking about Plato’s allegory of the cave.  Part 4!!!! Yeah, it was Mama K! First off- this woman is giant and I love it. You do not remotely shy away from making her a powerhouse. Honestly, I love the slight change to her camp clothes. That’s not a bra really anymore, its’ more how I see bodybuilders wear tank tops. (Especially when Aldiirn  poofs out. That is beautiful and hats off.) I also really like the explicit reaction of her assumption that Aldiirn  is gay. I don’t see a lot of that, probably because the BG3 setting tries to be post-(or never existing) homophobia. But there’s an explicit lack of acknowledgement of it in the setting that goes beyond that that keeps the game “player-sexual”. You could argue in Faerun everyone is bi, but that would make no sense in context of how the Drow operate. Or how the couples we do see ratio more like our world. Which is a long way of saying, your Karlach’s reaction hits me more like I *think* they want us to read the setting as. Any sexuality is fine (as long as you shack up with someone) but exclusive preferences in either direction are less common. Basically bi/ pan as the norm. (I guess the fan’s idea of the game vs the game’s text.) Also: yes Karlach, THANK YOU. The chance everyone in this party is single and/or ready to mingle is low AF. THANKS! Oh, also Karlach as a source of light really helps repeat the themes of knowledge=light in the last section. Karlach is pent up, but knows what she wants. And I really believe just talking to people helps us understand ourselves, like the way Aldiirn  seems so much better in his self-knowledge quest at “of course”. Part 5 

Astarion’s catty-ness coming out as a defense mechanism is just a slow spiral horror show. I think Aldiirn ’s, er casual affect about sex probably is just read as terrible by Astarion here. His mark isn’t consumed by him, so he’s in trouble. It really digs home how early game he only thinks his body is his only option. And I don’t think we recognize enough how terrifying that must be in a game of hotties (that are all very horny to boot).  It’s amazing how his last panel makes the idea of him getting blood really feel like a cheap consolation prize. After all, if he can’t manage a miracle, this just becomes a tiny detour in decades of slavery. Also that heavy shading is doing work, including the dark speech bubble. A “healthy” attitude might be that hey, he still has access to good blood. But honestly, it does remind me that he’s very transactional. Astarion is trading away himself still for it (as sort of a quick Dom thing) in his head. It’s not that Aldiirn  sees him having a need and realizes he can meet it. No, it’s a trade. Performance for food. And that’s humiliating. The journal by the way is clever as shit. Love it. Aldiirn really appears honest in his tent, I feel like his gender presentation shifts a bit without an audience here. The concerning amount of mushrooms, the supply focus dialgoue, hells the way his hair is tied. There’s something honest here- even when there’s a source of lighting it’s soft and doesn’t cast shadows on his face part of his body might still be a little obscured but that the the setting feel kinder. (Well until the detour comment….but I think that’s more telling us what will happen.)  I’m glad we get to see him in private. It makes the more open Aldiirn that shows up to Astarion feel a little performance-y. And I think it again works to affirm why Astarion assuming things. Yep, Aldiirn is hiding things and well. Concerns, active agency, his own problems. Aldrin might show up in a much better headspace after getting to think and talk about things, but he’s not fully candid and able to talk to Astarion openly.

In all honestly, the last page kind of explains a lot. It’s a little jaring to not see Aldiirn digest Astarion’s actions. He moves onto Karlach and his issues. It’s not even clear if Astarion fed on him, as a lot of his neck his hidden so there’s no clear lack of or presence of bite marks.

To be clear, it’s healthy for him not to be obsessed with Astarion. But again, Astarion needs obsession. There’s no way someone like Aldiirn who just cares about these random people exists, based on his world experience. That plus, Aldiirn clearly not caring about his own self needs has to be apparent on some level to our “magistrate”.

It’s a story of two liars circling each other, and it was a joy to read.

Stealing Hearts (Complete)

14 pages, all in one post! A bard and rogue make for a smooth heist team but have a rocky romantic start due to both being idiots who can't say no. I started this scene in December when thinking about how the Astarion romance would have kicked off for my demisexual tav, Aldiirn, and how a long rest queue surprise fit in.

Rest of the scene under the cut! The daytime pages have also been updated for a better texture so they're not dark like the OG posts.

[yourunholyeditor]

hi id like to request a bg3 matchup ^_^ i'd like male matchups and keep the rating to a T. i would be a druid/ranger maybe.. but feel free to choice one for me. keep the reader gender neutral as well. i also would like the romancable cast only bc im still not so well versed in the game tyvm.

im an introvert, very quiet and calm and rather hard to provoke to actual anger. i'm easily irritated, lack patience and have a pretty sharp tongue with people who don't really think things through or lack my idea of what common sense is. im very loyal and reliable as told by my friends and act similarly to a nagging aunt of sorts?? i'm rational, ambivalent and rather stubborn in the things i do but i relent quickly depending on the severity/how easy it is to take care of. at times, i'm rather gullible esp if someone is lying for the fun of it.

i've been told it's easy to be around myself as a person, and people are really comfortable to be themselves in my presence. generally, i'm very blunt since i don't know how to phrase my words any better and some people (& even friends) at times, take the things that i say the wrong way without meaning to. i tend to get along with most people as long as they deal with the same mutual respect back.

i'm rather sarcastic and tend to tease a lot out of the fun of it. it's really easy to get me flustered though, especially with flirts but the first thing i do is laugh and seem terribly off-put by it all (according to what people have told me) 😭 i have been told that it's hard to know what is going on in my head because i don't project things outwardly. in general, its hard to get to know me because i won't say anything, and i mean anything at all unless you ask. like an air of i have going on i think but i haven't tried to change it either.

i wouldn't really consider myself the most passionate person either but i enjoy listening to those who have one. it really makes me happy to see people enjoy the things they do. in a sense, i like when people have the things that i lack (energy, passion etc) i just love seeing it reflected in other people which is nice. if you get to know me better, im a really nice person i swear 😓 i just have a hard time showing it at first (& in general). hobbies include art and gardening but everything i grow tends to die. im also learning to play the bass guitar as well. im not really picky in a partner but personally i cannot take overtly clingy people or superficiality at first glance unless they might change overtime. otherwise.. just simply be normal.. or a least a mostly moral person bc im not the most moral in some cases either.

thank you and have a good day/night ^_^

Class: Rogue

Explanation: Your ability to navigate social situations combined with your preference for listening and observing rather than actively engaging are great characteristics for a rogue. Your sharp tongue and adaptability align with the wit and cunning often associated with rogues, and your gullability when it comes to lying makes me think being a rogue class would suit you more than the bard class.

Matchup: Wyll

Explanation: I think Wyll would appreciate your calm demeanor during your journey and the chaoticness of his life would bring lots of energy and passion into the relationship. He’s also empathetic and open, which helps him navigate your tendency to keep your thoughts and feelings guarded. While you may not be the most passionate person yourself, he can introduce you to new experiences and adventures as the two of you travel. He is always genuine and forward with his feelings toward you. Romantic gestures through gifts and sweet words are his primary way of showing he cares for you. He might get self-conscious of his new appearance at times, so he will need reciprocation in some form from you, otherwise he might not feel worthy of being at your side. Reforming how he thinks about himself and building up his self esteem will be the first stages of your relationship, but after this, he will make sure you’re the happiest person in all the realms for as long as he lives!

fic/drabble below the cut!

GN reader, T rating

Drabble word count: 308

A Toast! To the One I Love the Most

It was nice to witness Wyll in his element at the Elfsong Tavern, ragling the party with tales from his youth over mugs of ale. From pranking the old barkeep to sneaking away for his first late-night tryst- laughter filled the air, mingling with the lively chatter of the taven. Your cheeks flushed as he recounted his teenage naivety, burying his embarrassed face in his hand. Amidst the cheery atmosphere, Wyll’s gazed turned to you, catching the flush on your cheeks. With a smile softened by the warmth of the ale, he drew you closer, his words laced with affection.

“I’ve come a long way since those days, haven’t I, my love?” he declared, his candidness catching you fof guard. Amidst the cheers of your companions, Wyll led you away, seeking a moment of privacy with you away from the bustling tavern. Away from prying eyes, he expressed his concern, apologizing for any discomfort his openness may have caused. You reassured him with a shake of your head “I guess I wasn’t expecting you to say that, that’s all” you replied, appreciating his sincerity.

“If anything ever crosses a line, just let me know,” he assured, his gaze searching yours. Instead of words, you found solace in a tender kiss, conveying your feelings more eloquently than words ever could. He chuckled at your choice of communication, leaning into your body until you pulled away.

“In a love like ours, words often pale in comparison,” he teased, his affectionate banter a testament to the unspoken understanding between you. He took your hand, electing to turn in early for the night with you by his side in the rooms upstairs. And as you shared a knowing smile, basking in the comfort of your shared bond, you knew that with Wyll by your side, every moment was an adventure worth cherishing.

[zeawesomebirdie]

You with Superbat 🤝 me with BG3 - the absolute Fever of new obsession. The Disbelief at being so into it. The strong urge to immerse yourself into it so much you never surface again. Men who are stupid. Godspeed my darling, the only Batman stuff I read were a series of Bat... cest? I guess? porn comics that changed the way I saw comics forever but I understand and I find it so funny we've synced up our brainrots <3

🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝😌

The fever of it all. The disbelief that I am even here. (I still don't actually know where here is btw. I'm learning fast though, faster than usual) When I say I'm marathoning these fics I mean I am spending 95% of my waking time reading fic right now. I don't know that I will ever go back to normal (and rip to my Gunsmoke fic because I was really doing well with it) (also rip to my MASH fics) (and the Beedle backstory fic) but also I'm not even sure I want to go back to normal now, I don't even know that I can

No but Ram, you know we have a fondness for men who are stupid, but even Anakin and Obi-Wan, no, not even Kylo and Hux were this stupid. These men are stupid stupid. They are "will 100% date each other enthusiastically as their mundane personas while actively turning down their superhero alter egos to sPaRe the other persons fEeLiNgS even though they are both NOTICEABLY SMITTEN" stupid. Ram. I genuinely think of all my ships they are the stupidest and I'm not even exaggerating (affectionate) (and I'm also not complaining because oh my god I'm living my best life right now)

The timing though, our synchronisation, that's pretty neat ngl. I'm sorry I haven't been dashwords recently (beyond my obvious spiraling, ofc) because I'm very interested in what you're up to, and I hope you're enjoying yourself!!

Godspeed to you as well my love, may we weather this storm as all the others before 😌

[homesweetgoodneighbor]

I am not having a good night for sleep

First, about the time I start to feel like I can sleep, I hear gunshots.

There is no mistaking it was gunshots.

Where I live this is not a normal thing despite rich assholes saying otherwise about our "poor side of town" *gag*. Like, this doesn't happen here, so this is A Thing Of Note.

So, I'm on alert. Not freaked out more than just On Alert. Weirdly, you'd think being in the U.S. I would be freaking the fuck out, but I mean, where I live and have lived there is enough rural folks that gunshots are a thing that happens sometimes because either people are being stupid or...people are being stupid. It's just, we are in the city now, so this is New. City gunshots aren't the same as country gunshots. Don't let Hollywood fool you. Most country gunshots are either people killing predators or people being stupid. City gunshots are either full of anger, hate, defense, or some fucking cops being assholes. (In this town, usually cops being assholes.)

This has activated my "maybe sleep isn't such a good idea yet" response...which auto activates "INSOMNIA PARTY!"

I decide to use this time in a constructive manner by being an absolute terror on Moonrise Towers in BG3.

I finally start of feel tired, but also decide to check on the rats before sleep. I am bitten while refreshing a water bottle because the two girls we have right now aren't social and I might've been a monster trying to do them harm. Fair enough. I harbor no ill will. 'Cept now my finger hurts.

I realize I set an alarm to go off in a few hours so I might see to a thing that requires Adulting.

I am now full of anxiety because, as I told a friend earlier, I live in dread of alarms. (This has a lot to do with how I was raised. I love my departed mother, but she was raised by Boomers and being terrified awake by alarms and a parent yelling at you to get up was normal for them. Gods, Mom, why were y'all so fucked up?")

So, anyway, I'm not having a good night for sleep.

[something-ignites]

Putting an idea out there that I'm 100% down to be wrong about but...does "sexuality" as an axis of identity even exist in the world of Baldur's Gate 3?

(Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with the forgotten realms, so I'm just speaking to what's presented in BG3 as a stand-alone piece of media here.)

In our current "real world" society, we see "sexuality" as an axis of identity: one can be queer, straight, gay, lesbian, bi, pan, etc. These identity labels help us understand who we are, and help speak to who someone is. And the reason we - in our contemporary society - have sexuality as an axis of identity is due to a specific set of sociocultural/historical circumstances. But that same sociocultural/historical context does not exist in BG3, which means that the world of BG3 does not need to have the same sorts of social constructs we do.

And in my 300+ hours of playing this game, I have come across zero in-game content (text or dialogue) that suggests the people in the BG3 universe understand themselves through the lens of "sexuality." There are no references made to sexual identity labels, and we don't meet any characters who define themselves through the lens of sexuality. We see characters taking their race and class as axis of identity (Lae'zel taking significant pride in her Githyanki heritage; druids and clerics building communities for themselves, etc), but never do we hear characters define themselves in accordance to their attractions.

While there certainly are preferences (Haarlep asking about which body type the player character prefers), the way those preferences are discussed seem akin to the real world equivalent of having aesthetic preferences (eg, preferring brunettes over blondes). Those body type preferences might impact what types of activities someone might engage in - and with whom - but they don't appear to define who a person is.

Furthermore, being attracted to a wide variety of body types seems to be completely normalized. (Which also makes sense, considering the amount of interspecies fucking going on, and the different forms of genitalia and pleasure zones that exist in different bodies of different species...)

Which is to say: I don't think any of the characters in Baldur's Gate are gay. Or straight. Or bi, or pan. Because those identities don't seem to exist in that universe. Characters are just attracted to the people they're attracted to without ascribing labels to their attraction.

(Disclaimer, the second: What I am attempting is an in-text analysis of the world presented by the game. I am not trying to invalidate anyone's head-canon or need for representation, or whatever. I make no value judgements here; I am just adding my analysis into the void that is BG3 meta.)

Nothing annoys me more than people “jokingly” calling Astarion gay or Karlach a lesbian. Like… ya’ll consider yourselves to be the “progressive” demographic, and yet you still cannot understand basic queer stereotypes and how they are evidently rooted in hetero-normativity and not “queer culture”.

“The tall muscular woman must be a lesbian for no reason other than her physical appearance and the over-dramatic pretty man must be gay because how could he be frivolous and also like women? Only big strong stoic men can be attracted to women.”

Y’all hear how that sounds, right?

[mybg3notebook]

Gale: Manipulation, Lies, and Trust

Disclaimer Game Version: All these analyses were written up to the game version v4.1.104.3536 (Early access). As long as new content is added, and as long as I have free time for that, I will try to keep updating this information. Written in June 2021.

Additional disclaimers about meta-knowledge and interpretations in this (post) while disclaimers about Context in this (one).

Before anything I strongly suggest reading this post about "Context, persuasion, and manipulation" to understand in a simplified way the meaning of the words we use, so despite not being related to bg3, it's related to communication and social issues. Since fandom loves to misuse them, I think it requires a proper explanation so we all know in which frame we are analysing these scenes. 

Due to the fact that this post ended up turning into a much longer one than I wanted to, I split it into four posts, each of them showing how many sides Gale has in those scenes, how much his actions are "manipulative", how many details related to lore he shares, and possible interpretations of his behaviour, since it's rather easy to lose his scenes because they have the lowest priority. In this post I will only make a summary and a compilation of the broad details explained in those posts, so pick what you want to read since all these posts may have overlap of information and repetitive concepts (they were written to be self-contained as much as possible).

'Stew'Scene

"Loss Scene"

"Party Scene" (with Revelation scene)

"Extra Scenes": Death Protocol and Comments on Dreams

I'm analysing these scenes in detail because I noticed that many players incorrectly paraphrase Gale's words, putting in his mouth words he never said, so for the sake of transparency, I transcribed many fragments of his dialogues, making these posts more lengthy than they should be.

The stew scene

The details are shown in the post of the "'Stew'Scene". In this scene, Gale shares a friendly introduction with the stew and with a list of good deeds done by Tav. This shows that he has begun to trust Tav so he can talk about this issue earlier than he wanted to (he will wait much longer in the neutral version). As a gesture of honesty, Gale sets an explicit boundary by telling Tav to refrain their curiosity and do not ask about the 'why' of the issue he is about to talk about (under no circumstance he is forcing Tav to agree with the delivery of artefacts before telling them 'what' he needs). He acknowledges that it may be unfair not to give the whole context, but he still can't speak in detail about this very personal issue. As an interesting detail, his trust in Tav at this moment of the conversation is so honest that he has not shielded his mind, so Tav can intrude with the tadpole without Gale knowing it—if Tav succeeds— . If Gale doesn't trust Tav even successful intrusions of the tadpole can be perceived by Gale's trained and cautious mind. For more detail read the post of "The Tadpole".

I personally interpret the stew scene as one of those moments in which one is developing a friendship with a stranger, and at some point, someone has to trust first. It's a rare occasion in which the act of trust is shared in equal measure by both members in a new relationship. Usually, one of them offers a bigger portion of trust, testing the other, seeing if it was not misplaced or if it will be honoured later. It's a normal asymmetry, and in this case, Gale is only explicitly asking for that asymmetry in his favour. 

Considering how Gale opens up later, Tav passed the test in his eyes. Helping him during his direst moment and accepting that temporal trust asymmetry made Tav “earn the respect of years” despite being a stranger he met a couple of days or weeks ago. But Gale will not be blind to that gesture. He will progressively honour that trust in the Weave, the Loss, and the Revelation scenes. And by the end of EA, if it is not bugged as usual, Gale's approval status can change to “best friend” (an information given as meta-knowledge, therefore very unlikely to be "a trap set by Gale". For more details read the post about "meta-knowledge").

It's pretty common for manipulative characters (whose trait of manipulation belongs to their personality, not characters who may have circumstantial manipulative actions) to expose their pain too soon with strangers as a tool to force empathy on the listener and "catch" them. Gale does exactly the opposite: he won't open up until having a solid ground where to place his trust. Nobody wants to share their pain in unsafe places, after all. 

Helping him with artefacts is deeply appreciated by him and a great boost of his approval for obvious reasons: people tend to place their trust on persons who helped them in their most desperate situations or in their survival. It has to do with the unique connection that often happens between survivors of extreme situations (war-like) who helped each other in surviving. The shared link is deep. One could expect this link to be built with any of Tav's companions since the Tadpole experience is traumatising and extreme. I think this has higher chances of happening with neutral and good aligned companions, since evil ones may have little scruples to not honour the trust received. 

Gale could have avoided Tav's questions and mistrust for this secrecy by just lying. However, Gale opts for an explicit enunciation of his limits and boundaries. And Tav is completely free to agree or not since Gale won't abandon the party if not. We know that, in that case, he will try to find another solution that he may find in Raphael's deal. Some players consider this situation of mutual agreement in the terms and conditions that the conversation will happen as a coercive one. What I see is diplomacy and negotiation rather than manipulation.

Gale's need for secrecy is related to two factors: 

Survival: He needs to be sure that Tav won't kill him out of fear (which we saw during the scene with Nettie; it's a common procedure in Faerûn: exterminate what's dangerous). Gale's case is even worse because killing him will only activate the devastation he is desperate to avoid: Gale wants to survive but also wants to avoid the massacre that the “orb” can cause.

Personal reasons: Which is the main reason at this point: Gale is unable to speak about the "why" of this condition because it's originated in Mystra's abandonment and the horror of the “orb”: such traumatising experience that turns the Tadpole experience into an inconvenience (this is why his attitude with the tadpole is more relaxed too, he has already passed through a much worse, terrifying situation). 

The Loss scene reinforces this concept when we see Gale—usually so verbose and impossible to shut up— can't speak or find the words to say what he lost and why. And only by the end of the scene, if Tav insisted with many checks, he managed to say something. It's worth noting that these checks tend to be strangely low for a character who is struggling with a personal secret. This is usually understood in DM-code as Gale wanting to share this info (setting a lower DC than the average). Gale is not finding the way to do it, and a Tav gently pushing him will do the trick. 

It is for this reason I personally think that Gale's secretive attitude is more like a series of obvious clues he purposely leaves in his conversations for Tav to draw their own conclusions before he could finally open up. If all Gale's scenes are triggered (which at this moment is very hard to do with his priority being always the lowest) and Tav pushes him to speak more than he is willing to, the player obtains a decent amount of information to conclude that Mystra and Gale had a deeper relationship, and that the “orb” is something dangerous not only for Gale. To be honest, the death protocol is a gigantic red flag pointing out that Gale's primary condition is not to be taken lightly and “many innocents” can die because of it. 

With a neutral or lower approval, Gale will not ask Tav to trust in him. He doesn't trust Tav either, and there is no promise to speak and disclose his condition later. Gale clearly is more mindful and caring with a medium or higher approval Tav who he is starting to see as a good companion/friend, while with a neutral or lower approval Tav he cares little about keeping the contact beyond what diplomacy demands.

It's not by chance that this Stew scene is meant to happen before the Weave scene. From a narrative, contextual point of view, the trust that Tav gave Gale during the Stew scene is afterwards paid with the Weave and the Loss scene. Let's remember that Gale would only ask for that trust if Tav is of medium or higher approval, so the Weave scene comes naturally (when not bugged). The neutral and low approval Tav is never asked for that trust and therefore the Weave scene never happens (if their approval keeps going down). In fact, Gale can leave permanently without any chance of convincing him to stay if he reaches very low approval. What I mean is that, from a narrative point of view, the Weave and the Loss scenes are Gale's way to return that trust that Tav gave him first during the stew scene and the first artefact consumption.

The Weave was not a premeditated scene. It happened by surprise, triggered by Gale's deep loneliness: Tav startled him when he was longing for Mystra while seeing her image in his incantation. He shares in that moment how important and vital magic is in his life, and only then, the previous actions done by Tav encourage him to share this experience. It's important to highlight that this is too personal for Gale, too important, and a bit painful too, since we know later (second dream) that every time he connects with the Weave, he meets with Mystra's disappointment: "What magic I can still weave is met only with undercurrents of disappointing silence." 

After a moment of rambling, Gale invites Tav to share this experience. Here is where all the branches about explicitly displaying Tav's romantic interests can be developed; a neutral option for a friendship path, or very aggressive and violent reactions can be picked as well. More details about this scene can be read in the post of "Gale Hypotheses- Part 2", section: "Proposition to Cheat". And again, for a char so guarded of his own privacy and personal issues, sharing the Weave can be clearly seen as the repayment of the trust that Gale received from Tav during the stew scene.

The Loss scene 

The Loss is a scene that starts with a mystery about Gale's incapacity to cast a spell. He keeps pushing Tav away, claiming that night to be of personal regrets. Tav knows already that something is dangerous in Gale's consumption of artefacts that can cause a catastrophe, so in this scene some links can be made between the two conditions.

If Tav gently pushes Gale to speak, we will notice that most DCs are rather low, meaning that Gale is not putting a strong resistance for the pushing: a friendly Tav pushing him can be interpreted as Gale wanting extra help to open up and speak (in the end he approves the caring despite his reserved persona). Gale gives many hints in this scene that suggest he was a Chosen of Mystra. The most relevant one is the Silver Fire reference. For more details about the Chosen's powers read the post about "Mystra and her Chosen ones".

We also see a reinforcement of Gale's pattern behaviour: He prefers to speak in this poetic way when he has to talk about painful topics (we see it after killing the druids that triggers “the barren oak” scene or during the goblin party scene). Talking in third person puts distance, but also the embellishment of his narration makes it easier for him to speak, after all he is a poet/storyteller as well. 

What's clear is that the verbose companion, who always has a lot to talk about, is basically speechless in this scene, stuck in his "loss" (literally, metaphorically, and psychologically speaking). Part of this behaviour can be understood a bit more in the post about "Gale Hypotheses- Part 1", section: "Grooming". Besides being a private person, Gale also has a perspective that talking about things that can't be changed is useless. He is so stuck in the loss, that talking about it means nothing to him, "the outcome" is always the same. 

After pushing Gale to share his burden, the presence of Mystra in Gale's life is undeniable for Tav. Gale sounds like a strong devotee that somehow lost Mystra. We know in this short description that he “did something” to impress his Goddess and earn her favour back, and in doing it, he failed, invoking death upon him. If Tav is sharp enough, knowing that Gale's consumption of artefacts is related to a “catastrophe” and a certain death of himself... maybe they can start connecting some dots and suspect that Gale's primary condition may be related to the loss of Mystra. My point is, even Tav has been informed quite a lot about Gale's “truth”. As we can see, the “Revelation” scene should not be such a shocking “revelation” as it was written, but more a “detailed description” of the situation.

The context seems clear so far: Gale knows he hides the details of his condition (which are not so hidden anymore), and knows that it's information that can cause a second abandonment (whether as a friend or a lover). Gale is at this point in his life very tired and lonely of struggling with the “orb” inside him too. He could use some emotional support, and this is why I believe he has less tough DCs that one should expect from a character who is actively holding information he doesn't want to share. We need to remember that Gale lives in a permanent anxiety mind-state, too focused on Artefacts and the disaster he can cause, increased with the dreadful, hungry feelings that the “orb” inspires with each passing day. He is getting fond of Tav at this point, and their abandonment would mean too much, even though he knows that he may deserve it. 

We know that Mystra abandoned him, but did not ban him from using the Weave. I personally speculate that maybe Gale's point of view of the situation of the “orb” and the following abandonment of Mystra is partial: Mystra may have abandoned him not on purpose but as a consequence of having that Weave-sucking power in his chest. As it was explained in the post of "Mystra and her Chosen ones", Chosen ones have a deeper connection with her, and they are able to use raw magic in the form of Silver Fire. This means that Chosen are part of Mystra herself (in Dead Masks, it's stated that Mystra leaves a bit of her own divinity in each of her Chosen), so Chosen ones are also part of the Weave, always connected to Mystra who is the Weave. If the “orb” inside Gale consumes Weave, and we all know that Weave IS Mystra, it's not too far to conclude that Mystra may have abandoned him as a safety measure since, if Gale remained as Chosen, his contact with her would be deeper and would expose her to the “orb”, destroying her eventually. But this, again, it's a mere personal speculation.

The party scene

Gale has finally reached a degree of trust in Tav that gives him enough courage to finally speak about the details of the "orb" (and I emphasise details because in broad aspects, he already shared what's most important: the “orb” in his chest is a dangerous thing. If Tav assisted in his death protocol, this is undeniable by now, unless Tav did not pushed him and respected his privacy).

If he is romanced, he promises much more: confessions in the art of conversation, pleasures in the art of the body, and, hopefully, acceptance. For Gale, acceptance is a big deal: I personally believe he shows a fair level of naivety on this matter. It seems (especially later, with his arguments in the morning) he thought he needed this level of intimacy to reach acceptance first (a process that this book guarantees to happen), so he could speak openly. He wants to have this night before any confession because he wants to acquire acceptance which, in his mind, would prevent the abandonment he viscerally fears.

Gale is so eager to spend the night with Tav first and confess later that the only way of not doing it is not romancing him at all or telling him that Tav is not in the mood. It's not clear in EA if this ends the romance; I think it doesn't since the disapproval is not big (there is no change in the approval status).

 Gale wants to be with Tav intimately so badly that he doesn't mind Tav having casual sex with other companions first as long as the "commitment" part would be established with him. This is reinforced by the fact that, if Tav never shared the Weave with Gale, there is no way to sleep with him: Gale is not a character for one-stand nights. He craves for deep connection, for commitment, in whatever fashion he can get it. Mystra taught him not to ask about exclusivity after all, and because of the ephemeral nature of his relationship with her, he craves for something meaningful and more committed.

Mystra was his first love. After her abandonment, he made the mistake of the “orb” that dragged all his energy into studying Netherese magic and possible solutions. I consider it fair to think that maybe Gale never had a relationship beyond the Goddess, and all what he learnt about romantic relationships was through books like the one he mentions or, as a poet, through novels or romantic poetry. He must have an idealisation of love (also proper of a poet) that made him believe that through sex “intimacy” there is a guarantee of acceptance. 

His pattern, in my opinion, says that he tends to make mistakes in his emotional state, which is mostly triggered by the “orb” and the potential of “abandonment”. Not so much with Mystra herself. He seems to be nostalgic, but more aware of what loving a God causes (his regret is explicit during the conversation about Karsus). He seems to be quite done with "her romantic love", but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be forgiven nor he doesn't love her as the essence of Magic itself. More details in the post of "Mystra and her Chosen ones". 

Some players see the “Revelation” scene as manipulative. Although that's personal interpretation, if we analyse the kind of information withheld by Gale we found little new: the dangerous nature of the “orb” had been indirectly disclosed in all the previous scenes. Tav being surprised about the “orb” seems strange. And Gale sleeping with Mystra has little relevance: in a game for adults, why are past partners such a big deal? The scene is so confusingly written to make it sound as if Gale is still in love with Mystra, but previous scenes showed he has been working on getting over it. Despite loving Mystra as the embodiment of Magic herself, Gale showed to be very aware that all that love belonged to the past (second dream), to a younger self, and even though he is not certain if he loves her still, he is clear that nothing good comes from relationships between mortals and gods (comments on Karsus). He is very explicit about desiring her forgiveness (second dream). So, there is little withholding information at this point for a Tav who pushed him to speak. Now, Gale's attitude certainly has been tactless. Not the best decision to disclose a past lover with such a degree of fascination just after sharing a night with Tav. But it's understandable since in order to “disclose” the “orb”, Gale needed to provide the context of his young love for the Goddess.

The whole scene of the Revelation seems very, very unpolished, mixing tones and confusing information that was given before and presenting it as if it were a revelation when it's not the case. It jumps from one drama concept to another, and never sticks to one, and Tav's options tend to be extreme: or the player calls this disclosure a “great betrayal”, or makes it seem as if nothing has happened, giving little options of what Tav already knows, or if they want to show a moderate annoyance since most of the information has been disclosed already, but still Gale's timing is annoying. Part of this can also be written on purpose to show what a disaster Gale is when it comes to the potential of “another abandonment” in his life. Hard to tell in EA.

Tav's romantic options react as if Gale confessed to have cheated on them, while what he explains has a different degree of conflict: he confesses he is not sure he still loves Mystra, but his lines in previous scenes show he wants to get over it, without losing his magic/relationship with Mystra, because magic is too important in Gale's life. At times, Tav's options are meant for them to react with jealousy, other times as if this were a big betrayal, or as if Gale's romantic past should have been disclosed before the night, and in the last part of the scene, Larian remembered that the “orb” could be considered a conflict too, so Tav has some occasional options to react to the “orb” as if it were a big revelation (when it's not, because we had 3 scenes, four if we include the death protocol, stating its dangerous nature). So, I personally understand why every person has a completely radical interpretation of the situation: it has been written in a rush, and I see it as very inconsistent in tone and context. This all makes sense when one remembers Kevin VanOrd stream where he explained that Gale was meant to be in the second wave of companions, and not in EA. Gale's writing was rushed and it shows in the last of his scenes and his meeting scene. 

Some people may argue that talking about a previous lover right after sharing the first night is, at the least, a very bad taste. However, the player (not Tav) can understand the reason behind it: Gale started the story in order to explain in detail the "why" that has been left up in the air since the stew scene. That "why" can only be explained if Gale discloses Mystra's relationship as the origin of his mistake. So... on one hand, this disclosure right after the shared night is unfortunate for Tav (especially by picking the long version of the explanation in which Gale shares too much unnecessary detail). On the other hand, if he omits this relationship, it's harder to explain the context of why he got the “orb” in his chest. 

In general I think this scene has been handled poorly. The whole “conflict” portrayed here implies two aspects: He slept with Mystra, and he has an explosive “orb” in his chest. Neither of them are truly big arguments for the drama degree that this scene seemed to have been written because we already know, to a certain degree, about them. 

The “orb” is not truly “such a revelation” at this point. The stew scene alone gave Tav and the player a clear idea that something in Gale could cause a catastrophe without consuming artefacts. After the death protocol that certainty is clearer. So, these “revelations” are more like “extra details” of problems we already know about. Which is what he exactly says when introducing this scene: “Those are but the broad strokes. The time has come to paint you the true picture”. 

Having past lovers seems also a strange concept for a “betrayal”. Adults carry pasts. It's true that maybe speaking of a past lover in the same moment he awoke with a recent one is in a pretty bad taste; it's a bit more understandable when you finish the scene: the origin of the “orb” problem was Gale's love for Mystra, so it makes sense to start from her. However, I see the conflict of the conversation switching constantly in three directions: the fact that Gale had a lover that didn’t talk about the previous day, that “Gale is still in love with Mystra”, and that he has an “orb” that Tav “never” knew about it. A very inconsistent conversation.

It's true that Mystra is not a standard lover—she is a goddess—but she is quite known to have these affairs (at least for the player), especially during her past when her direct contact with any human was not banned. It should be more surprising that Mystra seemed to have broken that ban for Gale's case (since she only kept in direct contact with her chosen ones: Ao's decree). And it's also clear the scene tries to show that Gale is still “in love” with her, which is very confusing with what he spoke during the Loss and mainly, during the second dream. Again, I personally feel the scenes of the party and the romance are a mess from a cohesive narrative point of view, and they are the result, alongside Gale's first meeting, of his rushed introduction into EA.

This post was written in June 2021. → For more Gale: Analysis Series Index