#Ithillid

[marketableghost]

more of my boy

[naivety]

i just need one more druid companion to complete an entire druid party.... our own little freak coven :)

[cap-sweet-and-salty-sadness]

— “c’mon, i can tell you’re freezing. i won’t tell anyone that you like to be the little spoon, honest:” - For whoever you want to write. <3

I chose to write some fluff for Astarion/Karlach. There's some mild spoilers of Karlach's personal quest, Astarion's backstory and act 2, nothing main plot though. Hope you like it!

Read on Ao3

There were many disadvantages to having a tadpole living freely behind one's eye, namely the unavoidable doom of becoming a mind flayer and having Faerûn destroyed and overrun by an army of said mind flayers.

Astarion understood the fears that struck his companions, he really did, but they were overthrown by the unique benefits that his state of possession had given him. His whole anatomy had been transformed, the rules that he'd followed for two centuries completely turned upside down.

He wasn't under Cazador's beck and call anymore. No more living through the shadows, he could walk under the sun and embrace its warmth once again. He could walk inside any building he wanted without needed to be invited, he could swim in any body of water. He was still bloodthirsty, figuratively and literally, and along the bite scars on his neck and his pallid skintone, those were the only remaining signs of his vampirism.

Hence his lukewarm willfulness at getting rid of the tadpole. If only he had more time to seek someone knowledgeable in ithillids, perhaps they could find to cut contact of the tadpole to the hive and keep it in permanent stasis. Unfortunately time wasn't a luxury they could afford, especially not now that they were in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. If a shadow wasn't trying to get at them, it was some vile creatures ambushing them.

At least the curse wasn't an issue anymore for them, with the blessing of Selûne, but the real problem for Astarion was the overwhelming, bloody cold. He'd forgotten how his body used to be severely influenced by temperatures, and it’d been fine on the Coast with its warm sunny days and temperate nights. But here in these lands, it felt like the chill seeped down to his bones.

It’d been days of this, to the point he couldn’t remember when he hadn’t been cold. It wasn’t so bad when they were walking around and getting into everyone’s business, but it was hard to dismiss when they were at camp and resting. The campfire helped somewhat, but he feared that if he sat any closer he’d been sitting in it, and he didn’t want the others to know his predicament.

He trusted them somewhat, but not enough to disclose his discomfort. He wasn’t the only one afflicted by the weather, seeing as Gale was using a spell to keep himself warm and cosy. He hadn’t even offered it to anyone, the prick. Not that Astarion would’ve accepted, mind you, but it appeared wizard schools taught no manners.

He tightened his hold on his thin blanket and sighed. At least everyone were getting ready for sleep. Perhaps he’d find some comfort in his bedroll, if not in meditation. The cold was reminded him of when he’d been trapped in a tomb for a year as punishment. That was why he was reacting so badly to it, he was realising.

“Hey soldier,” Karlach said, joining him by the fire. She probably was immune to the cold, with her engine heart running so hot. They’d visited Dammon to upgrade it a second time, where Astarion had been in earshot when he told her it was only a temporary solution.

“Evening, darling.” Astarion was massaging his stiff hands, not managing to improve their state much.

“I know you’re normally pale, but not this blue pale. Are you feeling alright?”

Astarion hesitated. Beside Wyll, she was the most trustworthy of the companions. She was loyal to a fault, despite being betrayed in the past. He wasn’t sure whether to call it naivete or resilience. “I’m just cold. The curse on these lands, its chill seeps through our blessing it seems.”

Karlach made a sound and approached him. “You should’ve told me, I run almost too hot for this plane after all. Unless you don’t trust that I wouldn’t hurt you, which I understand.”

Astarion shook his head at that. “Would it be too much to say it’s not you, it’s me?” They were only in close proximity and already he could her warmth, the glow of her heart pulsing steadily through her ribcage. It was a beautiful sight, if ignoring the fact it was killing her.

She crouched in front of him and extended her large hands. She wasn’t forcing herself on him, instead letting him choose. He appreciated that.

He slid his hands into hers. They were almost too hot to bear and his body instinctively flinched at the change in temperature, but he held on and soon it felt like his hands were dipped in a hot bath. So good and relieving.

“By the hells, Astarion, you’re freezing,” Karlach said, gripping him before letting go. Astarion almost whined in displeasure. He watched her retrieve her bedroll and spread it beside Astarion’s.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m not letting you freeze another night. Help me with this.”

Together they spread the two bedrolls like a makeshift bed so they could both fit underneath. Karlach was the first to slip into it.

“Come on. I won’t tell anyone that you like to be the little spoon, honest.”

Astarion laughed and joined her. It was a tight fit, but Karlach didn’t seem to want space between them. She pulled him against her with a strong arm, hugging him. It felt like his limbs were melting from ice blocks and he could finally have control of his body again.

He liked that she smelled of ashes and fresh air, that her skin was scarred and tough when he rested his hand against her bare back. He’d been fond of her pretty eyes and easy smile for a while but hadn’t acted on it with her whole ‘my skin will burn you’ thing before, but tucked against Karlach, the warmth he felt wasn’t just physical. He felt comfortable and safe.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, soldier.”

[antiqua-lugar]

Not the Emperor opening up to Dorian about Belynn and talking about how people believe ithillids don't have souls yet they feel two days after Dorian found out he is a Bhaalspawn

[rainydayscore]

ithillid

[tiefighter]

Cross your heart and hope to squid, the ithillid know what you did :)

[fenharelsregret]

Some creatures were always considered unacceptable for ceremorphosis. Those included [...] dwarves, [...], halflings. Any attempt to conduct ceremorphosis in one of those races invariably resulted in death for the host and the tadpole.

Hmmmm......

i wonder about this tampered tadpole....

[sapphicseer]

I made custom dialogue for an Eldritch Entity in my D&D Campaign, I am sharing it because I am proud of how it came out.

[billiambabble]

I was desperate for some retail therapy in a real "in the street" "bricks n mortar" shop, so I bought this. Any fans out there of this source book? I'm struggling to read it. "It's just business" and "franchise" - I mean, I have even have trouble with the concept of "adventuring" as a "profession" in terms of survival and heroism in fantasy worlds, I get it, but sometimes it feels too specifically "mundane" or "meta" even? In my defence, the only other books on the shelf in the shop were a Monster Manual and an Essentials Kit, so at least I've expanded my collection. I really should have read the description more closely. Supporting the new FLGS in town is leading to poor impulse choices. Talking from experience, there's sometimes a table or too in the least loved rulebooks which become essential in a gaming pinch, but for £42 a book? … Oh well. I have very little recent knowledge of Penny Arcade's broadcasts which this is apparently based on. (Man, I'm getting sick of discovering these things are mostly tie-ins after I buy a product, but I'm naive like that). [image : photograph of a cover of book entitled "Acquisitions Incorporated" - a D&D book with cartoon-like illustration of a octopus headed humanoid - possibly an ithillid - a standard nemesis in D&D ] #dungeonsanddragons #DnD #Wizards #TTRPG #RPG https://www.instagram.com/p/CcILJrSs2EH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kojottek]

Pros of having Wyll in the party:

-not doubling classes

-pretty powerfull spells

-ithillid teleport is rather cool

-he hilariously flirts with Lae'zel

Cons of having Wyll in the party:

-lawfull good or whatever, basically disagrees with everything I do

-not Astarion?

-literally misses 90% of his spells must be the bad eye

Pros of having Astarion in the party:

-Astarion

-he will always approve my decisions

-if everyone fails to spot a trap he's there to save the day

Cons of having Astarion in the party:

-who needs 2 rogues?

-???

[marketableghost]

working on another oc..

[rageagainsttherobots]