#Mystra can go die in a hole

[randomfanner]

It crushes me how much Gale Slander there is.

I know a bug made him horny and clingy but in my current play through Gale and Blanche(what I named my Tav) are bros and I have found it easy to avoid romancing him.

And how can you dislike Gale for being a bit pushy and hitting on you when literally EVERYONE HITS ON YOU!!! At the Tiefling Party, if you have medium approval with anyone you can start romancing them and they all want you to god dammit.

But if you actually romance Gale, he is pretty damn shy and hesitant. You can think you want to kiss him and he doesn't just kiss you, he is just stunned. He is not trying to jump right into a romance with you! He can get pretty forward once you, the player, have shown interest in actually romancing him. (Like when he says you are hot when you fight)

A lot of people dislike Gale for talking about Mystra when he is trying to romance you but we have to remember: Mystra means so much more to Gale than just being his ex-lover. Gale worshipped Mystra as his goddess before, during and afterwards their relationship. Mystra is magic, the literal goddess of what he ties all of his self worth too. I will admit I am biased towards Gale because I am the same way about my grades, and for Gale, the Goddess magic and the embodiment of his art took an interest in him and made him his chosen.

When he lost the favor of Mystra, he lost everything he had worked so hard for in his life. Was it partly his own fault? Yes, he fucked around and found out. However I genuinely think if Gale had only been Mystra's Chosen rather then Mystra's Lover, he wouldn't have.

Mystra approached Gale and from how we see Gale act when he is trying to seduce Tav, he didn't make the first move romantically either. Mystra had a lot of power over Gale and I don't blame Gale for wanting to become the equal of the woman he loved.

Of course the problem arises because she is a Goddess and he is a Mortal Man who is overly ambitious. But I do not think the bases of what he wanted was too much to ask for.

Maybe I am giving Gale too much credit, I mean, look at how he reacts to the Crown and oh I do sigh at that. But his reasons are very complex for wanting the crown more then just power.

And the magic items. It is three magic items and you get so many thrown at you during this game. Not all of them are good for every run. An uncommon magic item is like what, 33gp?

When Gale actually comes to you about it too, it is either after you have shown you are a good person who likes to help people and he feels he can trust you to help him with the bomb in his chest that could wipe out a city. Or the alternative is he literally has to come talking to you lest he actually, literally explode and you are the person who is in charge. Yes he gets angry when you refuse but man has good reason, everyone's life is at stake!

Does he give you all the details? No! But the only people who tell you everything at this damn camp are Lae'zel and Karlach! Literally no one tells you ja

There are plenty of reasons to not like Gale. Gale is my favorite but I do see how parts of him, like how he can be sort of a classist asshole about magic(I do not think he intends to be and I think that is Gale's ~Touch of the Tism~ showing and being mixed with self worth issues)

Gale is such a genuinely sweet guy. He values life and people and magic. He may be over the top and get in over his head way to easily just wants to be at home with his cat and a good book and I am so sick of all the slander towards my boy.

[sorceresssundries]

Janet from HR's Banter/Dialogue

Thank you for the asks around Janet's party banter! There were a few crossovers, so instead of doing separate responses i'll put them all here and tag the people who asked about it!

There were a few, so i'll put them under the cut!

Thanks @mumms-the-word @lanafofana @residentdormouse and @briwhosaysni ! <3

If you'd like to do this for your Tav, the link is here!

2. Spam clicking on them too many times Stop it! Before I make an official complaint. 

3. Directing them to attack/move in combat Fine, but after this I want a glass of wine and a lie down.

4. Hiding/sneaking/hidden movement Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious… 

5. Taking a short rest Time for a nap and a cry. Then back to it.

6. Low health/asking for healing Just leave me to die actually, i’m so sick of this.

13. Picking a lock Good job I've got a messy bun full of bobby pins.

12. Encountering a locked door No way through, can we go home now?

14. Looking at a Globe I’m taking a fucking holiday when this is all over. I need a tan, a mojito, and a dirty book. 

17. Looking in a mirror Fucking hell. Has anyone got any concealer?

19. Noticing a trap Don’t you lot have fucking magic elf vision or something? How come i’m the only one to spot that very obvious trap.

20. Can’t fit into a small hole Nah, sorry love. Not without a whole lot of lube.

26. Party banter with Gale

Gale: It is in the aftermath of battle, when the haze of the Weave lingers from the sparks of magic, that the memory of Mystra’s embrace feels most vivid. It's as if she’s still guiding my hands, her presence intertwined with every thread of magic I spin. 

Janet: I’m not gonna lie man, she sounds like a real bitch. 

28. Party banter with Karlach

Janet: You know, my ex didn’t have a heart either

Karlach: What?! That’s awful! Gods, soldier - i’m so sorry. That must have been really tough for you. Did he get sent to the blood war too?

Janet: Oh.. no.. I meant… Never mind. Thanks Karlach.

32. Party banter with Jaheira

Janet: Hey babe, my friend Shannon does my botox and she’d work wonders on you.

Jaheira: *glares* She would approach me with a needle? Does this Shannon value her life? 

Janet: Not really, she’s a pisces. 

34. Party banter with Minsc

Janet: I got my kids a hamster once

Minsc: Ah! Then you must know what tough and wise companions they make!

Janet: I accidentally sucked it up in the hoover after a week. They’re not that tough

[aeternitimperi]

okay i’m always thinking about this

i approach the “canon” of Forgotten Realms lore in a way that BG3 addresses pretty succinctly. when you meet Jaheira at Last Light, she makes a comment about how the stories have her slaying gods or laying with them, depending on who’s telling it. that and the fact that many of the (at least early edition) sourcebooks are written in-character by Volo, i like to think a lot of D&D canon is, by design, fallible, malleable, and perhaps embellished from the truth.

first and foremost, Dungeons and Dragons is a participatory oral storytelling game. it’s also 49 years old. there are conflicts and plot holes and whatever because there are sooo many people who have contributed to how this world is built and what its rules are. which i do find genuinely beautiful, and it makes me feel like i’m part of a broader tradition when i’m playing with my friends :)

anyway, as for how D&D treats the divine, my understanding comes down to a few things:

people from the prime material plane have souls, which is not true for the denizens of other planes. who and how you worship in life impacts where you go when you die

gods are empowered by their worshippers on the prime material plane. the more people who worship you, the more juice you have

gods are not all powerful, even within their own domains, because they often share their domain with other deities

divine politics goes crazy. most of the gods are petty and hold grudges against each other in perpetuity, all of them (and occasional mortals) vying for power in a complex hierachy. gods broker various deals and alliances with each other to keep the divine wheel turning, each to their own ends

a god’s moral alignment has less to do with their domain and more to do with their own character and how they play politics

there is an over-god, Ao, who maintains cosmic balance, restricts how much the other gods interfere with the prime material, and otherwise turns up when the world needs to be punched round (like iluvatar from LOTR)

as Gale said, Ao’s not gonna be happy if Mystra jumps in and smites the Dead Three’s chosen herself, but she can go through intermediaries like Gale and Elminster to avoid looking like she’s interfering Too much. (to that same end, Vlaakith is not a goddess, she’s just a lich who aspires to godhood and answers to no one, so she can do whatever she wants)

while a humble fisherman can make an offering to Umberlee in the hopes that he’ll make it back to shore, in all likelihood, Umberlee is busy with something else. if that fisherman dies and his spouse curses her with their whole being, that might get Umberlee’s attention (Uh Oh) because she’s spiteful and mortal entitlement rubs her the wrong way.

if the fisherman was caught in a storm and made a plea to Valkur, a minor god of sailors and ships, he might make it out alive! but back on land, it would behoove him to make an offering to Umberlee anyway, because she’s jealous and he needs to maintain a working relationship with her.

all in all, there’s a rich vein to tap of mortal/divine interactions in this canon, and the political machinations and limitations of the divine are probably my favorite part of D&D lore. that said, it’s a sprawling collaborative canon that’s bound to have conflicting elements, and you can take or leave whatever you want!

Suddenly having lots of thoughts about the nature of Gods like Umberlee and Talos. Is this what's gonna finally get me to buckle and read [shudder] actual d&d lore?

The thing is. Okay the thing about d&d worldbuilding is that it does not (imo/afaik) really engage with just how fundamentally DIFFERENT a world with actual tangible gods would be.

What I am interested to know is: does e.g. making an offering to Umberlee actually, demonstrably increase your chances of having a safe sea voyage? Like, that's measurable! Does it work or not--that's an *answerable question* in-world.

That's huge! Does d&d lore handwave it as a "nobody really knows, ppl disagree how effective it is"? Because if so that's such a cop-out. The version of faerun that is most interesting to me is the version where you can make a rote offering to the chaotic evil sea bitch and the transaction will just. Go through!

and THEN maybe ppl start gaming that system...

[lairofsentinel]

Mystra

I'm so new in the Forgotten Realms lore that everything I read needs always further research. So far, what got me between disbelief and mistrust was Mystra stuff meddling with humans to such deep level. Because, really... what the fuck these Gods? I always have problems with Gods in fantasy worlds. I don't like them when they are like Greek mythology entities. I prefer them when they are a mere illusion of mortals.

However, here, in the Forgotten Realms, we got them as entities like Zeus... so they can have mortal fun. UPDATE April 2021: What it’s said in this post about shadow weave and shadow weave magic and shadow magic are incorrect. In 5e, shadow weave is not mentioned, apparently a non used concept anymore. In 4e it was collapsed with the destruction of the Weave, and Shar attempted to recreated it, failing at it because she never “was” the Shadow Weave. Shar always rejected that level of commitment. However, according to bg3 [Ethel’s words] shadow magic currently is the same as netherese magic, described by Gale/Narator also as “Primal weave” or “blackest weave”. No book from 5e says a word about shadow weave anymore. 

According to what I've read, Mystra was, in fact, a young peasant girl with non-trained skills in magic, but somehow, she became the Goddess of Magic when Netheril fell. [I need to read a lot of Netheril because apparently everything bad comes from there. It's the Tevinter of the Forgotten Realms. I honestly don't understand how you just become a goddess out of the blue. One day a mediocre mage, the next one, Goddess of the Magic itself. What a gap there.]

As a Goddess, she has a system to determine who is her “Chosen One” (hence why Gale explicitly said that word, it was not by chance). The Chosen Ones have unique access to the Weave and therefore they cast powerful magic. Among their responsibilities, they need to research new magic, wander the Realms fighting the evil (and/or doing research), and to stop the abuses of magic and the imbalances of the Weave. This makes Shar followers an easy target for them to strike so far I understand, since Shar crafted an alternative Weave (Shadow Weave) from where she drags the power that infuse into her followers. However, it's a mirror Weave, extremely dependable of the normal Weave. Like Gale explained, when Mystryl died, the Weave stopped existing, and with it, the Shadow Weave fell apart too. It seems that Shadow Weave is an aberration, an imbalance of the Weave itself. [So, Shadowheart and Gale may have strong discussions on the matter.]

The man who was Mystra’s first Chosen One was a lesser god called Azuth (we found some books of this guy in BG3). The man was his devotee (despite being a low rank deity as well), his servant, his chosen one, and later, his lover (when Mystra was still Mystryl). It seems he shifted his role to a more fatherly one when Mystra was reborn [Oook]. He also was in love with another Mystra's chosen, so... divinity polyamory we have here.

Then she proceeded to accomplish a strange plan [details of this atrocity here]: to have seven immortal Chosen. So she possessed a sorceress who conceived seven immortal women with her husband [thanks god it was with her husband and not with a random man that Mystra fancied]. These women are known as the Seven Sisters, all of them are “chosen ones” of Mystra, and in a sense, they are also her daughters. [oh, boy. Greek Gods-like stuff.]

She also named Chosen One a necromancer called Sammaster who was doing research related to metamagic and dragons. The story says that Mystra appeared before him and they “spent 10 days together”, turning him into his Chosen One for a while. She apparently had a whim to choose him because soon a previous chosen one was going to die in battle, so she wanted to sort this out sooner than later. The story also says that this encounter made the necromancer feel as though they were in love. [I see the pattern now....] What it's worth highlighting: this man went into deep undead research all his life showing that Mystra has a weird moral sense of what is good from evil, which makes sense, since (magical) knowledge by itself has no alignment. Magical knowledge is never good or evil, it depends on the use you give to it (It’s also worth noting that the previous Mystra was True Neutral while the one reborn in Midnight was Neutral Good. There are two different Mystras in history.). But returning to the necromancer, the guy, in the end, manipulated by a priest of Bane, abused of his powers of Chosen and Mystra removed them. He concluded that most of his problems have been caused by accepting Mystra's role as Chosen One. Soon after that Sammaster became evil and succumbed to madness.

In short, Mystra is a goddess who loves to play favourites, and encourages research in a competitive way using a certain degree of seduction for that. So that, the Arts and the arcane knowledge will be always expanding via competition [she has such a neoliberal-magic ideas]. So, being her Chosen One seems to bring a lot of responsibility and troubles. However, it also grants you fancy benefits:

Casting more spells with less effort. 

Natural detection of magic (maybe some residual effect of this ability is what makes Gale able to sense shadow magic in Shadowheart or in the Main Character if they are a user of magic. Hence his “that gust of weave”. Gale also presents sensitivity to detect magic via smell (mirror) and taste)

Development of magical immunities, and sometimes even poison and disease immunities.

The chosen ones become harder to kill, kind of tank-wizards. [Which feels like an oxymoron, lol.]

And the most important blessing: silver-fire [this is the fire Gale speaks about when his spell failed] Which is an overpowered ability in the Forgotten Realms. It can destroy any barrier and does massive damage. It can be cast once each hour, which is... wow. It can destroy “dead magic zones”, which are zones disconnected from the Weave and therefore, places where no common magic can be cast. With Silver-fire, such zones are reconnected to the Weave and become part of Mystra's influence once more. And finally, it allows precise teleportation once a day.

What we can infer now from this info and Gale, is that... when he got Mystra’s attention, it was not just because he was a prodigy alone. It had to be whether he was doing some research that interested her (probably not) or his fate was going to lead him to unknown knowledge in a future. Considering what he did with the netheril orb, one would say that maybe Mystra saw that event in a future, and considered it interesting enough to choose Gale as the one dealing with that bit of hidden and dangerous knowledge. Because so far I read, it’s clear she can see future or potential in a certain degree, and determine who replace her chosen ones. We also saw she favours those who explore the unknown without moral issues, and she has no reserves to exploit that by seductive ways. 

Now, unlike Sammaster, why did Gale stop being his Chosen one if his fate was to retrieve that netheril orb? I believe she removed his title of chosen one when Gale got that orb stuck in his chest, not because his action was an aberration before her eyes (we remember she is quite flexible in her morals) but because the artefact was dangerous to herself. That orb looks to me like something that imbalances the Weave in great escale; it’s basically a necrotic black hole which feeds on Weave. Maybe she removed her favour on Gale because now the man had a power that could consume her. Remember the Chosen Ones are constantly in “touch with her body/weave” [lol, horny gods these gods], and considering that thing sucks all Weave... it seems obvious that could eat her up. So, maybe, all this stuff of Gale being Chosen One was just another of her plans to access to the knowledge of that tiny bit of primal Weave, completely hidden from her, and she is expecting for Gale to resolve it in order to recover his benefits as Chosen one. 

She certainly is a super smart goddess, basically a mastermind, who doesn’t care to whom she uses and discards in order to obtain knowledge. So, using Gale this way, without explanations.... it could be one of her plans. Turn into her lover a young man that would be desperate enough to risk reaching dangerous spaces to offer her precious unknown knowledge. The plan became too dangerous to Mystra, so she severed the deep link between them out of preservation, and now she is waiting for him to solve it, offering her the knowledge obtained from the process. Absolutely possible.  

But we’ll see. So far, I know a little bit more of Mystra.

Update of several days after writing this: The more I think about all this info, the more I wonder if Mystra’s Chosen One system splits her champions into two different groups: The “valuable” Chosen Ones, where Elminster and her seven daughter fall; they are the embodiment of the good use of magic in favour of neutral or good uses. And then, you have the “disposable” Chosen Ones, who seem to be more like victims of a certain degree of manipulation of the Goddess. In this category falls the necromancer Sammaster (and potentially Gale?). They can have more grey morals, but as long as they provide new knowledge and advance in the Arts, she favours them anyways. I mean… so far I read, Elminster was never “in love” with Mystra, and all that crappy dynamics between Goddess and mortal was never part of his relationship with her. His lover, though, was one of the Seven Sisters, so maybe that’s why Mystra controlled herself. I don’t know xD [These horny gods]. But when it comes to the necromancer’s story… it feels as though she encourages this seduction so the wizard will take all the necessary risks to go beyond the limits of knowledge to get her attention and favour. There is something manipulative there. 

More content of bg3 in general [here]

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Magi: Adventure of Sinbad S1

Oh my god Sinbad’s birth is being sensed throughout the world 

I didn’t really realize that Hakuei was that much older than Sinbad (unless that’s her mum?)

“His name is Sinbad, Future Overlord of the Seven Seas” is that really how you described your newborn baby 

This man is taking sailing advice from his two-year-old 

“I can help out if you just let me try” what a sweet little boy I’m sure his life is about to go terribly awry 

I have bad vibes about this war-hero-turned-village outcast narrative it has historically ended sadly in everything else I’ve watched

“Why’s your hair yellow? That’s really weird!” Sinbad talks a lot of shit for a kid whose hair is purple

Holy yikes this narrative took quite a turn 

“We don’t want to get mixed up in your problems” why does nobody in this universe care about children like at all 

I’m actually glad that Badr stabbed him that dude deserved it  

“On your feet” He’s only got one foot I’m pretty sure 

“Please don’t open without permission” Ddfjhkjdhfkjh I love Yunan and his ridiculous cleavage 

Also what is it with Magi and hiding inside barrels of fruit??

The fact that Sinbad and his mum still take people in after they were betrayed my heart and soul <3 

@ Sinbad just ignoring all his problems until they come to punch him in the face.... same 

Dragul has Laxus’s voice and Freed’s gay ass aesthetic 

Yikes @ Yunan creating something called the Hole of Death you done fucked up you woodland twink

“I’m fairly certain my older brothers wouldn’t have had this kind of duty” “I’d watch what I say inside the castle walls if I were you” DRAGUL CAUGHT MONOLOGUING LMAO 

Maybe declare your treason after you’ve captured the dungeon Sinbad

“Once you’ve acquired the power of a dungeon, what will you become?” if the other series are to be believed: Devious

I gotta say that Dragul (Drakon?) had one of the best introductions I’ve ever seen 

“What the hell’s so bad about not wanting to die? It’s not embarrassing! It’s normal!” Baby Sinbad speaking the truth 

Lmao @ this montage of Drakon falling in love with Sinbad in the dungeon

No offense to Drakon but I don’t really care that much about his crush on his sister-in-law like Sinbad is trying to protect an entire kingdom of abused citizens 

“This is a gift, from me to you,” said Yunan, before throwing Sinbad through the air like a football

Damn I should’ve known that everything was about to get sad 

Fhlghjljhljhlfdjhl love this boy with a playful but antagonistic relationship with the nobility 

Jafar!!!! We’re finally gonna meet him as a baby (also the age of everyone makes it seem like Sinbad is a lot older than I thought he was like he’s 14 now and Alibaba’s probably just about to be born or a toddler)

Poor Hina he doesn’t have the heart to tell his sister that Sinbad took down the abare narwhal 

“I want to visit every country, so I can change the world” my boy <3 

“Kids like this one require discipline” I’m laughing at Sinbad trying to parent Jafar because he can’t be more than like 3-4 years younger than him lmao 

On a scale of Alibaba to Jafar how well do you deal with empathy 

I bet Jafar still screams “I’m gonna kill him someday” on a daily basis 

Ngl it took me googling a picture of the Eight Generals to realize where all of this friendship is headed 

“Don’t waste your time on a small fry” said the literal pre-teen Jafar

So what I’m gathering is that Jafar’s assassin tribe are a bunch of demons

That was quite literally a cheap shot Drakon 

Sinbad showing his devious side by tricking all the dungeon capturers into teamwork what an adorable sneak

“Sinbad’s passion has reawakened my own” that’s gay Hina 

I can’t believe that Sinbad has roused the rukh of every man in this room 

“Monster or human it doesn’t matter, they’re still comrades” SINBAD <3

Barbarossa: I don’t care about my wife but you’re not allowed to like her 

Omg @ Hina calling Sinbad tiny and fragile and “a truly amazing man” in the same sentence 

“If you don’t have a home, I’ll provide it for you” get u a friend like Sinbad

“If I were free, I would’ve made you my master” that’s gay Drakon 

I cannot believe that Drakon was the first person in the world to become a Household Member and he did it without even acknowledging that he and Sinbad were friends now that’s love 

Don’t give alcohol to Jafar, Sinbad, he’s a minor (and for that matter so are you?? What are the alcohol laws in this world)

I can’t believe that Jafar went from a Demonic Assassin to a Cute Little Merchant Boy in the span of one episode my god  

I have to say I’m 300% unsurprised they were immediately duped by the dude who wanted to buy their merchandise on the sly although judging based on his beard it’s Alibaba’s dad which is a weird introduction to the King of Balbaad 

Young Sinbad: I! Love! Merchants! #EmbraceCapitalism 

“You have a composed greed about you” what a backhanded compliment

Oh my god Harun’s got the same little hair floop as Alibaba!!!!!

I can’t decide whether I’m going to like Harun or not he does have a lot of impoverished people in his country after all but he is going to be friends with Sinbad and father to Alibaba

King Rashid’s living his wildest life just throwing bags of money at ambitious 14-year-olds 

“This will be your little brother” I can’t believe Hinahoho and Rurumu are Jafar’s parents

“Have fun playing with your big brother okay?” dghkjfhgkdjfhg I love Jafar and his freakishly large family 

I’m not sure what I love more Jafar becoming a Household Member to save his giant baby brother or Sinbad and his ridiculous bling

“Why not give some thought to publishing your adventure stories as a book?” that’s a little self-congratulatory but fair enough 

I’m super excited for the Land of Purity because I assume there’s going to be some jokes about Sinbad being a hoe

“There’s nobody in our kingdom like you” take a shot every time someone falls in love with Sinbad

I’m very concerned about what will happen to Mystras considering Spartos is the one who eventually joins up with Sinbad like what’s gonna happen to him why isn’t he a general

“I don’t really know who he is” “Well that’s a bummer. I’ve only been watching you this entire time” Yunan admitting to stalking Sinbad 

Seems like Knight-King Darius just brought magic to a sword fight 

Damn Sinbad’s had a wild few episodes he went from magic tricks in a theatre to a full djinn equip destroying mountains good lord

“I think I was just jealous of you” still no excuse for bad parenting Darius

I am deeply concerned for Mystras 

Jafar and Hinahoho’s faces every time Sinbad talks about ladies lmao 

“Men are only here for one thing and that’s to produce our offspring. How can I speak about diplomacy with such barbarians ” me too Queen Mira

“I’m different from other men” [Sinbad voice] I’m not like other girls 

OH NO ARE THEY KEEPING HINAHOHO BECAUSE THEY THINK HE’S STRONG AND VIRILE

Update from ten seconds later: Yes

“Those things that aren’t acceptable to be seen on screen” Jafar breaking the fourth wall for a dick joke 

I love that Sinbad’s noble selflessness lasted about ten seconds 

Jesus Christ what a little demon boy Jafar ripping apart a snake with his bare hands

How much time is passing Rurumu come collect your husband and your idiot boys you’ve got children to raise 

“Balalark Meat!” jghkfdjhgkjdfh Sinbad stop this 

“Women are such dependable goddesses” me too Artemyran man

What kind of Inuyasha ass equip is this these cat ears and fluffy tails

“I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong” OH NO HINAHOHO 

I’m real surprised they did not see the red-light district thing coming 

Oh my god Pisti being held by Sinbad was the cutest thing in the world I want him to take care of all the babies 

“By the way ladies, Mystras here is single” what a lad Sinbad is wingmanning his homie from the moment he arrives