#KARLACH HUG

[shiniestcrow]

The misadventures of Sage part 4! (which I totally didn't have to look up twice because I forgot it immediately after the first time lol)

Sage has been very busy since last time, and I don't feel like writing it all down, so you'll mostly just get some highlights:

The most important part first: we made a bear very happy :D (by saving Halsin, but that's not the important part here)

Rest under the cut

Sage got read to filth

there was a party and Sage had to reject Lae'zel. She took it well

...uhhh a little too late for that, Karlach dear...

obligatory close-up of Sage looking pretty:

Had a chat with a Hag. She was... nice. Karlach had a very succinct opinion on the Hag's lair

Then everyone went into the Underdark, and Lae'zel and Shadowheart immediately tried to kill each other, but luckily Sage managed to intervene. Anyway, that's not the important part here. Because there was a visitor!

Unfortunately, Astarion scared it off, and Sage very seriously considered killing him after all

Then they went and saved some slaves and also found an ancient forge where they made some nice gear after defeating its guardian. And then Sage got declared a god by some fish people. Shadowheart was not impressed

(it's the name isn't it?)

The group also met a mindflayer who tried to help with the tadpole. The tadpole was not impressed either

And finally, after leaving the Underdark, our little Owlbear Cub returned and joined our camp permanently <3

[lazylittledragon]

more of karlach's coffee shop which isn't just an excuse to draw more shadowlach

[raintides]

astarion is either sad or he was caught cuddling and is now hiding his face in embarrassment

[druidgroves]

the baldur's gate 3 experience when you accidentally trigger an unintentional romance because you thought you were just being a really supportive friend

[tinyhorror]

"look at his little beak! c'mere, you doll..."

insta | twitter | inprnt | redbubble

[blackjackkent]

More explorations through the parsed dialogue files. The nymph in Sharess's Caress (the one whose Fist client turns into a mind flayer) offers you a "moment of ecstasy" in return for saving her life - and apparently there are some character-specific dialog options for all of the origin characters (minus Lae'zel and plus Minsc) regarding their deepest desires. And I'm kinda having a lot of feelings about it.

Naoise Nallinto: The all-being. Here, there is no suffering. Here, you want for nothing. Here, you are anything. You have one word. Tell me: what will you be?

DARK_URGE: Sane. Naoise Nallinto: You are sane. Time dances on in sequence, the winding path of time evens, and becomes straight. With a quiet head, you can once again hear the song of the birds and the wind in the grass. You pluck a flower, and it does not bleed.

SHADOWHEART: Whole. Naoise Nallinto: You are whole. Within and without, free from expectation and the crushing burden of solitude.You are the entirety of you. Every path outward leads to adventures yet unknown. Every path inward leads to dreams eternally fulfilled.

ASTARION: Safe. Naoise Nallinto: You are safe. The winds of fate blow you to the warmest of hearths in the most cordial of inns. Your seething passions lead only to pleasure. The touch of the sun comforts your flesh, but never burns it.

KARLACH: Alive. Naoise Nallinto: You are alive. Your senses vibrate with sensation - smell, taste, touch, sound, sight. All alert to the beauty of now. The sound of your heart - your heart - beats a steady rhythm: Hello, hello, hello.

GALE: Wise. Naoise Nallinto: You are wise. The erudition of the ages flows through you and from you, illuminating the scholars who seek your counsel. You know yourself, for such is the beginning of all wisdom. When souls would drink the waters of learning, you are their font.

WYLL: Free. Naoise Nallinto: Then be free. You are an eagle, the most divine of messengers, soaring above the peak of Mount Sundabar. No man or woman, no devil or demon, no goddess or god dares confine you within one border or one creed.

MINSC: Minsc. Naoise Nallinto: Er - you are Minsc. You are the most Minsc. Wherever you go, there is only Minsc. Every step, every breath, every thought shall be - the Minsc-est. (DEVNOTE: Confused but making it work.)

[sky-scribbles]

Honestly we were robbed of a cutscene where Karlach post-heart upgrade runs into camp yelling, 'All right, I'm going to hug everyone who's comfortable with it! Incoming!!!' I want to watch her pick Wyll right up and give him a big ol' squeeze as she promises she'll do everything she can to end the Hells' influence over him too. I want to see her crying with joy as she pets Scratch. I want to see her yelling 'come here, magic man!' and sending Gale's books flying as she ambush-hugs him from behind. I want to see her hugging Shadowheart and realising that holy shit, do you wanna braid hair, I can do that now! I want to see her bouncing on the balls of her feet as she asks if it's okay to hug Lae'zel, and Lae'zel pretending to agree reluctantly, but smiling secretly as Karlach squeezes her. I want to watch her ruffling Astarion's hair while he yelps no, do you have any idea how hard it is to comb one's hair when you don't have a reflection? Gods! But he doesn't back away.

Just. Karlach getting to show how much she loves her friends with everything she has. It's what she deserves.

[maskenjager]

my fiery wife

[albaharu]

after a life of dwarves on top of barrels to kiss your lover in dragon age im so happy they animate everyone kneeling to hug and kiss the dwarf...

[oiulse]

LARIAN LARIAN PLEASE LET ME HUG DAMMON AS KARLACH PLEASE LARIAN

they are so dear to me no one can take this hug away from me

[fuckyeahkarlach]

"I want to do this for so long...."

Caption and Art by deatoozhu on Twitter.

[raeb33s]

Me, before playing bg3: I don't know if I'm gonna like that Astarion guy, he seems like a pompous prick

Astarion:

Me now:

[bevirspnsblmnt]

HUG RELAY!!!

[trappedinafantasy37]

Sometimes I think about when Minthara first joins camp after you save her from Moonrise. She sits in her tent, alone at night, surrounded by strangers who she believes have every reason to kill her. She sits there paranoid, feeling that they will just kill her at any moment for any reason. You have earned a small sliver of her trust, but not completely. And she goes along with you and everyone because she really doesn't have much of a choice. And it's not like her fears are unfounded, some of the companions do state their reservations about her when she is first recruited (and one of the companions actually does want her dead if a certain datamine ever gets added to the game).

She only comes to completely trust you when you allow her to read your mind. But, it doesn't clear her of any paranoia with the other companions. She only trusts them because you trust them, and she trusts you.

In spite of this paranoia and fear, she is still willing to risk her life to protect them and save them from whatever trouble comes their way. Even if she won't admit it, she does care about all the companions in camp. Yes, even the wizard. But she feels that none of them will ever lift a finger for her and will let her die when she needs help the most.

One of the many reasons why Orin kidnapping her is so heartbreaking. Because ALL of the companions want to go and save her and get her back from Orin. And one of them is extremely outraged and pissed that Orin had the audacity to take her Minthara away from her. The one time the companions show unanimous love and support for Minthara, she isn't even there to hear it. If only she knew how much they wanted her back, she would probably stop being so paranoid of them.

And she attends the reunion party still thinking that nobody likes her and they all hang out without her. When in reality, they all love her. She is surrounded by people who love her, and she thinks they hate her and are still plotting to kill her. And it's all because she wasn't there to hear how much they do care about her.

[gribbo]

It's cause for celebration, Karlach thinks. She just has to leave half of it out.

She leaves half of it out, and Wyll whirls her up and down the taproom in a stamping jig. Lae'zel clasps her arm in a warrior's grip. Gale shouts a startled laugh when she sweeps him off the ground—she's never heard him laugh like that, like a burst of wild magic—and the High Harper claps her shoulder, and Shadowheart kisses her cheek, and Vally crushes the breath out of her with those archer's arms. She arm-wrestles Halsin and wins; she arm-wrestles the kids, all of them heaving on her hand at once, and lets them win. She musses Silk's hair. She musses Astarion's hair. She sprawls on the hearthstones with Scratch and buries her face in his warm, smelly fur.

It doesn't singe. He doesn't yelp. The white-hot thing flares harmless in her chest.

"You cold, mate?" she asks when the grim little tinker, Barcus, steps around her to prod at the fire. He's as bald as Dad. The tiniest things make her teary, tonight. "I know a trick for that."

He gives her a suspicious sidelong look. "I'm sure you do—"

She puts a hand on his head. His frown wriggles, after a moment, into something wry and bright.

[tinyhorror]

☀️✨❤️‍🩹 (night ver)

twitter | insta | inprnt | redbubble