#Wyll and Karlach you're the only acceptable party members here

[y-rhywbeth2]

In themes, BG3 feels to me a bit like the original Baldur's Gate games and Neverwinter Nights 2 both got sequels and then they fell in a blender and accidentally came out as one game. More NWN2 than BG tbh:

Bhaalspawn shenanigans + references + location = Baldur's Gate

Githyanki presence + Illithid Empire threat, linking back to Gith's rebellion (and thus her sword, which was key to their defeat) + Plane of Shadow nonsense + undead villages consumed by the Shadowfell + the long overdue opportunity to punch Myrkul in the face + fuck you Karsus stop ruining things + human wizards with too close a relationship to the weave causing apocalyptic events + THANKS SHAR + my ongoing hobby of making life difficult for devils + *squinting at Withers* didn't I see you on the fugue plane? = Neverwinter Nights 2

I crave the silver sword of gith in this game. Lae'zel would lose her fucking mind.

[zwolfgames]

HHOORAY! BG3 update! I hope you will continue the series, but in the meantime, you can't write a little work about the relationship of the squad, because judging by your last work, everyone became a little jealous of the reader and behaved more intensely.

Me when any ask I can answer ♡⸜(˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝

Hope you meant can write a little work because otherwise I'm embarrasing myself heavily here.

So here's a little breakdown of all the party members' feels towards you and towards eachother at the end of act 1!

Warnings: Slightly jealous idea's

Lae'zel: (Just to mention that if the part of Lae'zel caring for the Gith egg from the creché didn't exist in game I'd have assumed that she hated kids, but that is a mother ya'll)

Lae'zel had been the first one to meet you, so by the age old saying she found you first so you're hers.

At the end of Act 1 she's started to accept that she does care about you and your wellbeing and that it's better to fight for you instead of against her protective feelings for you.

Obviously it's in het nature to be slightly possesive, but Lae'zel doesn't go overboard yet. The other party members are handy for nown they help in fights and that wizards cooks. Atleast she doesn't have to make you meals, Lae'zel already expects you to be disgusted.

The Githyanki woman manages to get along with Wyll, Haslin and surpisingly Karlach as they seem to want the same, protect you. Simple as that. Make it out alive, and maybe give you back to this mother that you keep mentioning if they really have to.

Lae'zel can't work with Shadowheart (obv) and dislikes the tricks Astarion teaches you. She's fine with Gale helping you learn new spells but she personally dislikes the guy just for being how he is.

Shadowheart: The second one you met. The half elf isn't sure what she feels towards you. On one side, you're quite annoying, with your childish behavior and silly jokes. But deep down Shadowheart does feel some sort of responsibility for you. You got stuck in this adventure too. You both have a worm in your brains.

She can sympathise with you and will keep you out of harms way if possible. Though if she had to choose between you or her godess, you're scrapped quite quickly at the moment. Not that that would emain the same after the Shadowfell...

Shadowheart can get along with Lae'zel as well as the gith can with her. So basically a harsh no.

Though the half elf does share some banter and talks with Astarion, and Karlach, she prefers to work and act in solitude, even if thats not possible with the current group. She doesn't have a big problem in letting the rest handle you, it makes it easier for her. But she did feel a strange tingle of jealousy when Halsin ran off with you during the creché fight.

This singular event has made her wary of Halsin, she's more likley to guide you a bit more away from him. Heal you more so he doesn't get the chance to be caring towards you. Yes, it's petty, but she was the one healing you first.

Shadowheart doesn't really have a strong opinion on Gale and Wyll, theyre just there.

Wyll: Wyll has it in him to protect younger ones (as seen by his first appearances) and this obviously applies to you too. He's not exactly fond of the idea that this band of randomly accumelated misfits are your guardians at the moment. He'd like for you to stick closer to him.

Afterall, he is a known hero. He can teach you some swordfighting, or some spells, you don't need Gale for that! And he simply despises Astarion, not for what or who he is, but simply because he's been teaching you how to steal and do other knarly pranks.

That's not Wyll's idea of a well raised child. He could do better if only you'd let him. He is yet to figure out that he can also just hog you like the rest does and that you don't hang out with anyone by choice.

He was glad with Halsins presence up until the creché incident. Echo Shadowheart, he feels like the druid is getting too daring with you. Who does he think he is? He just joined the party! He probably doesn't even know your favourite colour...

Wyll feels neutral with the rest, he can get along with Karlach the most, wich is surpising considering he was tasked to kill her for so long, but he can see the two of them raising you the best.

Astarion: A fan favourite, he thinks he's your favourite too. Not genuinely.. he's got his respectable insecurities. But surely his laid back and 'cool uncle' behavior makes you have more fun, right?

He's actually been quite attentive of your behavior, not having been around kids in a long time has made him intrigued. He can see how you don't look pleased with the other's overbearing behavior. So he won't do so. You can manage yourself just fine, especially with the tricks he's teaching you.

Astarion will push you out of the way of danger when needed. But he doesn't want that to show, he'd rather you think he just finds you funny and that's why he talks to you, not because he's genuinly worried and cares. It's not something he can admit to himself yet.

The vampire has some opinions on the rest of the group. He can be at ease with Karlach and Shadowheart.. Gale... on occasion.

Before the creché incident he got along with Halsin a bit too, personally the vampire found him a perfect piece of flesh to set his teeth in. But that little manouver went over his non official boundaries about you. He was worried when you dissapeared! He felt like this was something he'd be more inclined to do.. not Halsin..

His opinion on the rest of the party is slightly distrustfull, simply because of how much they smother you and how displeased you look with it. He's very empathic, don't you see!

Karlach: Karlach loves you, seriously, you're funny, you can joke with her and you're helping them solve this worm problem? She thinks you're awesome.

She's missed this playfullness in Avernus so much, just someone to goof off with! And obviously you fight with her, so she will protect you. You're smaller, it's only fair.

Karlach also gets along with Wyll well, same goals and all. She's thinking maybe you could join up with her when she gets her engine fixed and you can all go out adventuring with Wyll. Wouldn't that be a blast?

Now at the end of act 1, she's probably the one your most comfrotable with, even if Astarion would go cry in a tent if you said it. You may not be able to touch Karlach without getting severe burnwounds, but thats really handy, atleast she doesn't manhandle you like a familiar elf.

Karlach was quite furious when Halsin took you away, wich is kind of why they made it out of that Creché alive, her rage fueled the fight greatly.

Karlach wasn't very possesive of you at first, but atfter said event she's grown to accept that this is a hostile enviroment and not all party members can be trusted.

The only one she currently has a galring eye on is Halsin, though she find Lae'zel and Gale a bit unnerving. But she can live with it.

Gale: Your new and trustworthy magic teacher! No he hasn't accepted that you're a sorcerer and that his way of teaching you magic is way too strange for someone that just suddenly made up fireball by themselves. He's a bit oblivious about his teaching. Wich is strange, because he takes notice of all your other signs.

Gale has grown attached fast, he doesn't have Tara with him, and he's been lonely for a while. He's never thought he wanted a kid but you surely seem to make the idea spark in his head. He would explode for you, litterally, but a certain wizard hasn't come to tell hil that's possible yet.

He's a very overbearing guy with this new experience of having a kid, making sure your tent is set up right, making you read to stay smart. And due to him wanting to raise you his way, he's having a hard time getting along with Lae'zel, Halsin and Wyll. Not to mention that he can't stand the vampire! He's hogging you to learn you stupid tricks. Knock is way more important- what do you mean you know that already?!

The wizard has been wary of Halsin ever since you've all saved him. Seems he was right when the man ran off with you. Gale praises himself for his right gut feeling even though he's done nothing to prevent this from happening.

Honestly he just wants this to be over and go home with you in tow.

Halsin: The worst one of the bunch. You came to save him, he saw you (a little kid in his eyes) with a bunch of weird compagnions and knew he had a job to do here.

Halsin was quick with his protectiveness over you. The amount of time he's spend protecting the grove and living as a bear wasn't helping. He'd like to call you his cub, but even he isn't delusional enough to see that you'd freak out at the meaning of it...

Halsin actually doesn't like anyone in the group, he can get along with everyone, yes, but the only one he finds even slightly ok is Wyll.

Sadly his friendly act fell appart when he pulled his stunt at the Creché.

Don't blame him too much, he thought they were all going to die. If they did he would have tracked right back to the grove with you. Actually, that would have been way better for you considering the people you're about to face in the Shadowcursed lands.

There's not too much to say about Halsins behavior around the rest, he's mostly busy handling you, picking you up, subtly distracting you from the rest, teaching you his own learnings.

It's honestly disturbing that he went overprotective the fastest. You just met the guy less then a week ago!

Hope that answers the ask well enough! If not do let me know :3

I honestly have no idea how this concept is even being written, I don't think i was concious for half of the plot i made up. What happens happens, don't die.

And thank you for the ask! If my parents weren't home I'd have squealed. <3

[sanguineserrations]

Are we just going to ignore they pretended to be someone dead to manipulate one of our party members to do what they wanted?

Perhaps you haven't had that conversation with Minsc. Definitely one worth having if the topic at hand is manipulating people by pretending to be someone else- though in that case it didn't just take a form it thought would be favorable- it impersonated Dynaheir. From what he tells me, a Rashemaar is the constant companion to their Wychlaran- someone Minsc cared for deeply enough to devote his life to and would die for. The Emperor hiding their identity is one thing, but making someone think their long lost loved one had returned from the dead? Of course he's not going to trust once he realizes he was lied to, a much bigger lie than when the rest of us casts an illusion of Disguise Self. It must have crushed him to realize she was, in fact, still dead in the dungeons beneath the city of Athkatla. If I'm to believe what I've read here about alternate universes, if you disagree with The Emperor enough they'll even have the conjured image of Dynaheir try to kill Minsc and his companions or watch her die at their hands, but who am I to judge? It's not as if I'm a literal magistrate or anything. Ahaahaha! Though, I imagine that Jaheira's own husband also being killed by the same wizard is one of the reasons she's so loyal to Minsc. Misery loves company and all that- though, only if it's the same sort of misery. That and legitimately bonding through their adventures together- rather than stealing someone else's identity and established rapport.

How hilarious it is the person everyone thought the idiot is the one who most quickly realized The Emperor's deception- he knew it wasn't her. Can you really blame Minsc for not wanting to trust after that?

Surely you're aware of the number of Tavs whom their dream guardian appeared to as a loved one as well. I've seen many from other AU's- as well as my own. From his wandering mind she emerged, looking just like someone he loved dearly- though that's a question better answered by him if you really want to know. Quite a few Tavs I've seen here were lured into the comfort of letting their Dream Guardians emerge in a familiar, attractive, often loved form as well. It's a stretch to think it an accident- yet another lie of omission if you really think about how it came about, mmm?

The difference between The Emperor and myself is The Emperor is sloppy. It thinks it's so clever and then does the most idiotic things. One of the most important things about lieing is to not lie more than you have to- otherwise you get caught from being tangled in your own needlessly convoluted web.

I'm not going to pretend I'm the cute fluffy innocent Astarion everyone seems to want me to be- though my eyes are not blind to your criticism of me in the defense of someone else's actions. I am not without my mistakes or less savory acts. Many things are easier to criticize with the full image of hindsight, or from someone else's outside perspective- I won't deny there are some things I'd do differently knowing what I do now. That doesn't mean I regret the actions I made with what I knew at the time. Yes, I've done what others may consider terrible things because it was the easier path, or times I turned a blind eye not wanting to get involved in someone else's issues or carry their burdens. Very few living their lives do, honestly. Versions of myself in alternate universes have done unspeakable acts- though so has everyone else's. Wyll would murder Karlach and lie to himself she deserves it- he's victim blaming. It's easier for him to get a justice boner than accept the consequences for "doing the right thing" unless you twist his arm. Even ones who walk the path most would consider good demand a genocide of the goblins to remain by your side. The atrocities Shadowheart is capable of doing to a grieving mother to get her lover off and please her goddess are no better. Even goody two shoes Gale is capable of becoming corrupt if you undermine his self worth- he hates himself for it, but still complies doing what most would consider vile acts. We're all capable of making choices. Choices of selflessness. Choices where we leave ourselves vulnerable- and may be taken advantage of. Choices where we can do what's best for ourselves because the one suffering for that choice is someone else. And choices where we just do what's best or what's best for us with what we know at the time.

And isn't it incredible to have that choice? To make mistakes? To fuck up everything, or to see exactly what you hoped for fall into place? I'm far from perfect, even though I have hair that is. I've made choices that are selfish, I've made choices that are selfless, and a whole lot more that fell somewhere within silver.

Rarely are choices ever black or white.

I love myself for my flaws. My mistakes, my choices- good or bad, make up who I've become. If you love me, love the dynamic, flawed, corrupted, noble, and free version of me- they're all facets to the same person. Or don't, that's your choice too, I suppose. I'm not a flawless hero that self sacrifices at every turn. I don't have to be.

And neither does The Dream Guardian.

Yes, The Emperor can be an absolute monster. And they too have gone about some things in... ambitious ways that might be frowned upon. They, like me, are complex. And free to make their own choices too. Through it all they've proven to be a loyal ally... even if for some of it they haven't been the most upfront about things.

Truly accepting someone for all of who they are, especially if it goes against our own core beliefs, is what forges the bonds between allies and friends. It may not be easy, but few things worth having are. Our imperfections make us unique, much like our scars, a part of us that is traced onto the hearts of those we love. We all have secrets, only a fool would divulge them to complete strangers in unknown waters- but we've all swum them at this point. I won't deny subterfuge is useful, especially when showing someone things from your own point of view. What fun would the story we wrote together be, if it were all straightforward without a bit of mystery? Speaking of stories... don't you think you've spent enough time rotting your brain on that book of T'um Bu Lar for today, Astarion?

Fiiiine. Not like there's horribly much else to do at camp. As if I don't know Victor's always sending me back here so I don't see him being taken advantage of or doing other people's dirty work. On a completely unrelated note, if Wulbren Bongle ends up shanked you can't prove it was me.

The Astral Prism Isn't Grindr!- Why the Emperor didn't catfish you.🦑

Very long, rambling post I wrote while manic at 4 am. Enjoy!

I feel like the worst thing you can actually say about Emp in regards to his actions towards the player is that he lies by omission. But even then, to consider it lying you basically have to work from the perspective that you as a player, person, character or whatever, are entitled to know everything about someone you just met, who might have some very good reasons for not wanting to reveal certain things

He didn't "catfish" you the prism isn't grindr lmao?! And the game/companions/etc repeat to you over and over that the Dream Visitor is some kind of manufactured vision. You all have one and it's specific to your individual minds. He wasn't exactly doing some deepcover shit with a fake backstory to get your cryptowallet information or whatever real-life equivalence you keep trying to make. As if you run into alien squid monsters every day or something!

It's doubly bizarre because there is an extremely popular companion character whose entire arc is ACTUALLY lying to you about who they are, only admitting it when you catch them attacking you in your sleep, and then goes on to try to ACTUALLY manipulate you with sex and intimacy while at that point, not actually feeling it. This is the most popular character in the fandom btw- Astarion.

Emperor's morality is held up to a ridiculous standard. Not even the companions are held to that level- not even close!

A better equivalence to his situation than "catfishing" (a term completely exclusive to our world) would be if a sentient, alien creature was stranded on our planet and had to use a disguise to y'know....not be shot at and killed by confused humans? Why the heck would your brain first jump to catfishing? Girl if you approached your DG as a tindr date that's on you! Lliterally the only prompt the game gives you before creating them is "you need a guardian" (At least currently that's how it works, after official release.)

if you met a kind of weird guy and fell for him and he then revealed he's actually a sentient squid monster, I don't think your first response would be "OMG YOU CATFISHED ME?" I'm pretty sure it would be "HOLY FUCK A SQUID MONSTER!" because it would be very obvious and apparent (by virtue of them being a squid monster) that the intent was not to "catfish" you, but to survive a world that would be actively hostile towards him, on sight.

We accept this type of "ambiguous morality for the sake of survival" from characters like Astarion who are traditionally attractive, but we don't accept it from a being whose very appearance, forces them into that position of moral ambiguity. Emperor is not afforded the same privilege of even being able to consider full honesty, because just one look at him could make someone hysterical. Hiding himself from you is not an active choice he's able to make, anymore than a turtle can choose to break open it's shell- it will die.

Even if YOU wouldn't kill him, what about companions like Lae'zal, who are already suspicious of him and will definitely cut him down at that point? Even if you think that would be a good thing, you would then lose your protection from the tadpole/the Absolute. The game basically wouldn't exist without the Prism.

Let's also not use "well Astarion is traumatized" as an excuse here. Emperor is pretty obviously traumatized as well, in addition to being a brain-eating squid monster and having to manage that part of his nature, the way Astarion has to handle his. Yet he's still more up front than Astarion was. Astarion can accidentally kill you while drinking from you and he still doesn't reveal who he is to the others, AND pretends he doesn't know what happened to you lol.

Note my point here isn't "Astarion bad" but simply that if you have room in your heart to sympathize with characters like Astarion, then there's no reason you can't squeeze my man Emp in there too. He doesn't do anything significantly worse than any of the other main characters but is the most hated, and it's literally because of this ridiculous perception of him "catifshing" the player. The most media illiterate take I have ever seen in my life, honestly

Like first off, he's a squid, and secondly! ☝️ Read all that again.

tl;dr if you feel "cafished" by the Emperor you simply weren't paying attention for more than half the game. Fantasy might not be for you if you can't remove the plot from real life circumstances and turn complex fantasy monsters into human romance scammers, as if they're actually alike in any meaningful way.

Read more books maybe. That might help.