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flamemittens · 6 months ago

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maybe for morgayne and gortash?

Flower Language prompts from here!

Gortash x F!Durge. 1.3k words. *Act 3 spoilers*.

*Now extended and on AO3*

Black-eyed Susan - "Revenge tastes sweet, and so are you."

The first time she meets with him is shortly after the coronation ceremony.

Her companions do not want her to go alone, but Morgayne insists. It is better this way. There is an inexorable pull towards the man that she finds she cannot ignore, and he seems to have at least some of the answers she seeks—if he is telling the truth. They have heard the rumours—from whispers that coil in dark corners, to braver shouts that ring off the buildings and cobblestoned streets—all over parts of the city and its outskirts; in his rise from upstart lordling to city ruler and protector, he has used everything and everyone—whether at his disposal or not—to ascend.

She finds him upstairs in his office, as promised.

He assures her that their plans can still be brought to fruition. He confidently directs, explains to her what they should do, and Gods, that evasive something in her wants to listen. It is all so frustratingly, distantly recognizable. Hypnotic, in a way.

There must be more to it, she thinks. To them. She recalls the torn page she found in the Moonrise mindflayer colony, and its frenetic, tormented penmanship.

“Lord Gortash. Who were we to each other? Really?”

He seems to wince, for some reason, at her use of his title. After a brief silence, he finally offers his answer.

“I meant what I said in the audience hall. You can use that as a reference if you wish.”

Morgayne frowns. “As strange as it may seem, that does not make things much clearer. I only have more questions.”

“Well then. Allow me to fill in some more of the specifics for you, in a way that leaves no room for interpretation.”

“Please do.”

“Have a seat, then.” He sees her hesitate, and adds, in a strangely gentler tone, “I insist.”

They talk for an hour before she takes her leave.

She returns to him again a day or two later. She doesn’t really know what draws her there; perhaps it is this nostalgic, tenuous thread of intimacy and trust that she cannot yet determine the root of.

They talk further.

“How are your memories?” he asks, after a while.

Morgayne sighs. “It’s like trying to complete a puzzle but all the pieces are broken, scattered, and some will forever be missing. However, some things are coming back to me, I think. Slowly.”

Something like delight flares in his dark eyes. Something like hope.

She stays for longer this time.

“How was your Archduke, darling?” Astarion asks later as he sidles up to her on her return to the Elfsong, amusement plain on his beautiful features.

“He is not my Archduke” she counters flatly, feeling none of the conviction she tries so hard to imbue the words with.

“I heard you went to the Hells today” Gortash begins the next time she visits him. “You’ve been busy, my dear.”

“Yes” she confirms.

She tells him about it all, of Helsik, of Hope, of Nubaldin. Of what the self-important rock gnome revealed before she was compelled to sear the flesh from his bones, to burn away his smug grin—but not how she later felt she had been told part of the story before. That she keeps to herself for now. She speaks of the Master of the House, and how she robbed him blind.

Any other eyes on the scene would think he is not reacting, but she sees something subtle in the set of his jaw, the rise of his shoulders, the pitch of his eyes. How one clawed gauntlet grips the edge of the table, pressing marks into the oak, how the knuckles on his other tightly fisted hand are turning white. How he won’t even look at her, his gaze fixed on the floor as she talks.

“Raphael is dead” she finishes.

His eyes flick to hers eventually, the tension bleeding out of him faster than it bloomed.

“It’s…curious, isn’t it” he muses.

She doesn’t need to ask what he means.

As per their agreement, she goes to him after her duel with Orin.

She tells him what happened, down there in the dark. How she defied her father. How she lay there, drained and dead on the cold, bloodstained stone. How she came to be here now, telling him about it all.

“You have our—your revenge, then. And your freedom.”

She takes a mouthful of the Marsember Blush, lets it linger on her tongue before swallowing. It’s a balmy evening, and the wine is as refreshing as it is spicy.

“Yes. It would seem I do.”

He studies her with an almost unnerving intensity over the rim of his glass.

“I always knew, Mori.” is all he says.

That’s the name engraved on the inside of the ring she wears on her right hand, she thinks.

Her Archduke looks tired tonight.

The letter arrives the next afternoon, precisely crafted if a little concise, and mildly fragranced like his coronation invitation. She takes it to a quiet corner to read, drinking in its scent. His scent. It is one line, with an Upper City address at the bottom.

M Come to this address tonight. I can promise you it will be worth your while.” E

Later, she slips away from the others, but is intercepted by Jaheira on the landing outside their rooms. The older half-elf appears concerned. She can’t say it isn’t justified.

“I feel we are losing you.”

“Interesting that you should say that. I feel I am finding myself.” She packs as much of an apology as she can into her smile.

Jaheira looks as if she understands somehow. “Be careful, cub” she says, after a beat.

A short time later, Morgayne reaches the building in question. It’s a sprawling, well-appointed manor like many of those in the Upper City. She glances down one side of the building, spotting a tall trellis thick with ivy that scales up to a balcony. A fragment comes back to her then—heavy rain, gloved fingers slipping on the wood before finally reaching stone.

On entering, she is welcomed and led upstairs; she notices the guards, yes, but also the minimal staff, the thin coat of dust over almost everything—he does not come here much anymore, she recognises.

She is ushered into what she is informed are his personal chambers.

Gortash—Enver—sits at a desk, nearby a large chaise that faces an unlit fireplace. Multiple pages of what looks to be Steel Watcher schematics are spread over its surface. A decanter and tumbler, both half-filled with amber liquid, sit at his elbow. He is casually dressed, save for his golden gauntlets.

“Ah, there you are. You found your way here, at last.”

He rises as she approaches, walking around to stand in front of her.

She sees it all then, plain on his face. Relief. Pride. Desire.

He leans in with a confidence, a lover’s closeness that she supposes he has already earned, long ago. Something clicks into place as she smells the whisky on him—it’s less a moment of realization and more of a punch to the chest that steals her breath away—it speaks of the past, of hushed conversations and affection and trust.

The air seems to become warmer, thicker with every passing moment. He’s orchestrated all of this, she knows now. A tableau of echoes just for her.

She believes it all, feels the truth in it.

He kisses her then, and she kisses him back. It’s clumsy at first, like a musician trying to recall a once beloved tune, but she falls into the familiar rhythm soon enough. He trails his mouth along her jawline and pulls her flush against him, as one hand slides round the back of her neck and up into the base of her braid—the cool metal against her warm skin is…grounding.

“Stay here” he murmurs into her ear. “Where you belong. Don’t go back to them.”

And Gods help her, she stays.

#thank you poppy <3 #sorry this got longer than i intended lol #asks #flower language prompts #bg3 #baldur’s gate 3 #enver gortash #the dark urge #durgetash #oc: morgayne #flamemittens writes

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smallnico · 2 months ago

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Okay I know these are basic but I actually think I haven't asked them yet. A rundown of Esper's favorites: favorite flower? Food? Drink? Animal? Color? Season?

a lot of these i hadn't thought about either, so thanks for the opportunity!!

flower: i don't know if this counts, since it's not really known for its flowers, but i would probably say rosemary.

i've written a little story where esper gets a gift of a sachet of rosemary from astarion, in part to help with the whole 'lingering smell of death' situation, so it has a lot of sentimental significance to them. that said, it's also pretty appropriate -- in addition to smelling nice and tasting nice, it's also said to purify and protect against negative and corruptive spiritual energy. some meanings i've found in terms of flower language are memory, love, lust, mourning, and fidelity, all of which are also appropriate lmao. it also looks like esper, a little -- so pointy and kind of evocative of spikier pine needles, so you don't want to get too close, but when you do the needles are actually pretty tender, and the flowers are a well-kept secret -- maybe you didn't realize that rosemary Had flowers, that it was just a leafy herb for seasoning, but it has a lot of beauty to it even beyond how useful and versatile it is.

food: roasted dwarf, obviously -- just kidding, though. esper's favourite food is probably sauteed mushrooms.

(and not just because the durge c*nnibalism stuff squicks me out a little, so i choose not to incorporate it more than i have to into esper's story.) esper actually doesn't like eating meat if they can help it. it feeds That Durge In Them, but that's why they don't like it. mushrooms, on the other hand, remind them in some small way of better times. they did grow up in the underdark, so they ate a lot of mushrooms as a kid!

drink: esper will drink anything that's given to them, but they're especially fond of mint tea.

esper used to be an absinthe and dark liquor enjoyer back in the bhaalist days, but ever since their lobotomy and necromancer vivisection experience, their old drow poison/alcohol tolerance is pretty much nonexistant, so they don't drink much alcohol. tea on the other hand is good for stress management, and mint tea in particular helps to bring up your energy level without caffeine, so it doesn't make it harder to sleep -- something esper, chronic bhaalspawn nightmare haver, struggles with enough as it is.

animal: no question here. cats!

it's partially a joke, but i associate esper pretty strongly with cats -- and in-game (though this is mostly my fault) i use speak with animals to prevent ever harming them (yes, i know about steelclaw and grub. not on my watch, larian), as well as other animals. esper has a soft spot for creatures, but they do have a particular affinity for cats and their ways of life. esper too pinwheels between being god's favourite little acrobatic obligate predator and being so cuddly and sweet. also, between being cool and aloof and careful, and being an absolute fucking bastard menace with a taste for mischief. if you've ever been stared at relentlessly by a cat, you understand how it feels to be stared at by esper.

colour: you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at them, but it's somewhere between teal and purple.

these are the colours i use to depict their magic, not coincidentally! even though the main non-black colour accent i use with esper in art is this purplish red, that's the colour i use when i want to depict The Urge, or bhaal. this is why their text bubbles in my comics are pink -- it's halfway between bhaal and esper. :>

season: now this is one i'm not sure about. they'd need to have a few more years accumulated of Experiencing Seasons before they'd be able to make up their mind, but i know in my heart it's probably autumn.

i have an easier time saying for certain what seasons esper hates, lmao. they hate summer. too much sun, too hot, too much Weather, too humid. again, they grew up in the underdark and spent a lot of their forgotten adult life either underground or prowling at night. they are more than happy with shorter days and cooler weather -- the only reason winter isn't their favourite season is because snow is a pain in the ass, and because esper runs hot (body temp wise) but not hot enough to dress how they usually like to when it's Actually Cold. and spring just means summer is coming, so to esper that makes it the sunday night of seasons. autumn is nice and cool, kind of spooky, dark, and full of the smell of things rotting (but in like a good way).

THANKS FOR ASKINGGG you're a real one molly <333

#the askbox #loquor #esper #long post #beecreeper

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alpaca-clouds · 11 months ago

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Gale's Trauma (or: Fuck Mystra)

I have right now four different game states playing in BG3. I restarted my Tav, I have a Durge, then I am doing Astarion and Gale. I did not really plan on doing a Gale run, but then I learned that with him you have Tara in your camp and fuck, I love this snarky little cat. xD

But man, going into this... The shit with Mystra really hits home for me. Like, fuck, I hate Mystra so much.

Spoilers and CW for abusive relationships under the cut!

To me the true tragedy with Gale is, that he really does not realize how fucking abusive Mystra was and is towards him. Like, best case scenario (as someone who has not romanced him) is that he starts understanding this abuse towards the end of Act 3. But he very much starts the story thinking that Mystra was right about everything, continues thinking that her ordering him to commit kamikaze suicide is totally valid, and then only in Act 3, after being stopped from blowing himself up, starts to understand that maybe this was not okay.

Here is where I love Tara. Because Tara respects Mystra, but Tara is also very aware how toxic the relationship was for Gale. And while I have not reached the point, I saw the video of Tara react to the "blow yourself up" command. And I just fucking love how she says basically everything I wanted to say in reaction to it. Like, my sweet cat, you are BASED!

This is of course realistic. He was in a very abusive relationship and while we do not have a lot of details on what happened exactly between him and Mystra there is a lot of evidence that she probably took him as a chosen when he was a teenager. So, he probably was very dependent on her - and with that she had a ton of control over him.

Also I am very much shuddering about her having sex with him, because... well, age and power difference.

Him not realizing the abuse is just very typical about someone coming out of an abusive relationship. Because especially if it is the abuser ending the relationship the abuse victim will often end up feeling very, very guilty and at fault for it. Something we see a lot in Gale who just excuses Mystra's action towards him as understandable and seeing himself at fault for it.

And we know, of course, that Mystra could have just made his problem go away. She very much would have been capable of just removing the orb. We know that, because she does this when he brings the crown of Karsus to her. So, she was very much capable of doing this all along.

Funnily enough Gale for me is the character, too, who first and foremost needs friends, not a romantic partner. Because I can tell you, if you just start to realize how toxic your last romantic relationship was, you will just try and fall back into the same kind of dynamic if you start a new relationship.

What is good to know is that he has Tara and Tara does look out for him very well. I really love this cat (yes, I know she is a Tressym, but also... I don't cat, she is a very good kitty).

#baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #gale #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #cw abuse #abusive relationships #emotional abuse #fuck mystra

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de-pointe-du-lioncourt · 1 year ago

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I fail to see how Astarion asking you if you want to become a vampire is him being like Cazador. Astarion asks for your consent, he’s letting you choose. Even though it pisses him off and he breaks up with you if you say no, he lets you choose that. He’s desperate for someone to be by his side forever but he also doesn’t like the idea of turning you. Personally, I take the “he will always see you as degrading yourself” as him believing that doing it FOR HIM is degrading yourself. He may be all powerful now that he’s ascended but he hates himself. He thinks you deserve better than him, deserve better than being a vampire, bound to him for eternity. In the same breath I think he hates the idea of turning you because of how he was turned, without consent, without Cazador caring for his thoughts about it.

It reminds me of Lestat and Magnus in some ways. Abducting him and forcing vampirism onto him. Is Lestat asking Louis to become his companion “Magnus 2.0”? Maybe it’s not the best example because as we all know, Lestat can and has been abusive to Louis, to Claudia, to many others.

The word “forever” is said so often in vampire media and the context can change it so drastically. Someone like Cazador or Magnus saying that someone is theirs forever does not have the same meaning as when Astarion asks you to be with him forever or when Lestat asked Louis the same. The important distinction is consent. Letting the person they love have the option to say no. There was no love or consent between Cazador and Astarion or Magnus and Lestat. And even though it is different this time around, both Lestat and Astarion have their trauma around the act of turning into a vampire, so it would make sense that Astarion hates the idea of turning you. That you’re degrading yourself.

Even when Astarion breaks up with you for saying no, he stays in your party, he fights by your side as an ally, he tells you later that he respects you for the choice you made. Yes he can be manipulative and possessive but he’s a far cry from being like Cazador to Tav.

If you say yes, he shares his power with you, he assures you that you will be protected from the sun and anything else that may harm you. He promises to turn you into a true vampire eventually, and even though there’s the possibility of that being a false hope or manipulation, I think it’s up to headcanon because we don’t see what happens after the events of the game. He also tells you of all of his plans for the world and how he wants you by his side while they come to fruition, you’ll be partners in this.

Will you ever be truly equal? Maybe not. It really depends on the choices your Tav has made. Are you Bhaal’s chosen, do you control the crown, among others. If these were your choices, I think you’re pretty fucking close to being equal, maybe Tav even has more power than Astarion at that point, being a child of a god and having the ability to manipulate anyone and anything.

If you aren’t playing as Durge and you don’t take the crown and you are a good person in your playthrough, what was the point of choosing ascension when we all know it’s the “evil” choice? I thought Astarion deserved it my first good playthrough, but it just didn’t work and I reloaded. It felt wrong, gross even, having Astarion go through all that character development just to do a complete 180 like that. It will feel like he no longer loves you, that there is a giant power imbalance between him and Tav. It’s entirely different (to me) when you’re playing as an evil character.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record. But yeah.

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #astarion ancunin #cazador szarr #bg3 spoilers #baldur’s gate spoilers #dark urge spoilers #tw: abuse

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maegalkarven · 1 year ago

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An interlude. What now?

Happens between Empty Prayers and Dreams of Red.

Nemo tries to be serious and Think of the Future. It backfires.

Characters: Dark Urge (Nemo), Enver Gortash, Astarion, Karlach, Wyll, Shadowheart, Gale, Lae'zel.

TW: mentions of cannibalism, questionable way to raise children (Nemo wtf), canon-typical Durge behavior.

Info about Nemo's assassins:

https://www.tumblr.com/maegalkarven/732101148639707136/so-i-actually-created-most-of-the-notable?source=share

"You do realize we all are doomed, right?" The question comes out of nowhere amidst of one of the calmest nights they have. It breaks the feeble illusion of peace right away.

"Now, you don't have to put it like that," Gale tries. "We still have some choices-"

"Blowing yourself up is not a choice," Wyll cuts out, uncharacteristically sour.

"But-"

"No, Gale," Shadowheart agrees. "No more stupid self-sacrifices for the gods who do not deserve that. Besides, you remember what Gortash said? What if you have done as Mystra wanted you to and detonated the orb in the illithid colony, it would turn every parasite-infested person into mindflayer?"

"I'm not sure how much we can trust a word of the former Chosen of Bane."

"Fair," the former Chosen of Shar agrees. "I wouldn't trust him either. But something tells me this time he was telling the truth."

"He also sits just across you, if your memory is that fragile," Gortash comments. "And thank you, not like I was thinking of impending doom and our deaths for every hour of every day now."

"Not like you kickstarted this whole event," Karlach comments.

"And what would you have me to do, let Orin kill Nemo?"

"Well, you could have not tried to conquer the world using the extremely dangerous magical artifact and, you know, the Elder Brain."

"You keep saying that, but I have yet to hear a single idea how to fix it and for us, you know, not die drastically and like fools."

"Everyone always dies like a fool," Astarion comments. "Death is dumb like that."

"If you'd only let me finish," Nemo raises his voice. "And stopped this 'woe are us, we are doomed' crying-"

"We are listening," Wyll tries. "Oh, well, at least I am trying to."

Nemo sends him a grateful look.

"Alright, let's start it anew, you literal bickering children-"

"Hey-"

"Gortash started it-"

"Oh, fuck off-"

"Quiet," and surprisingly, they all quiet down. This is who Nemo is forced to work with these days. Unbelievable.

"We are screwed. This is not me being overly dramatic, this is not me being pessimistic, this is the actual truth we're dealing with. The Elder brain has one stone and if it wasn't breaking out of the hold before - which he was, very much - it's clearly out of it now. Now, the questions why it hasn't turned everyone into mindflayers and why it's playing laying low for now is a mystery, but-“

"It's luring us back to it," Astarion comments. "What? Can't we offer our thoughts too? I didn't know it's One Man show you're having here."

"You have no idea how many people have been stabbed over interrupting him mid speech," Gortash comments. "Me included."

"Oh yeah, well, maybe try to not talk over me, asho-"

"I wasn't talking over you-"

"Just like you aren't doing it now?" Nemo glares at him. "You're lucky I need you alive."

"Thank you oh so kindly, the gracious one-"

"Tsk'va," Lae'zel interrupts the quarrel. "You two desire to tear into each other’s flesh so much it makes you stupid. Go get the urges out of the system and come back when you're capable of being rational."

This comment, made with intention of calming things down, has rather the opposite effect.

"You're the one to talk," Nemo hisses as his face reddens.

"I do not ‘desire to tear into his flesh’," Gortash argues.

Astarion laughs.

"Yes, and I am not a vampire spawn."

"Can we not fight?" Wyll, an unfortunate voice of reason amidst this chaos.

"Oh, I don't know," Gale smirks. "I rather find it amusing to watch."

"You know what?" Nemo snaps. "Go on, detonate this orb. I'm done with it."

"Now I'm not going to, purposely because you asked me so nicely."

"I fucking hate this family."

"Karlach, you already said that."

"It doesn't mean I hate it any less."

"I miss my children," Nemo suddenly chimes in. "They listened to me."

"Your who?"

"Oh, please," Gortash snorts. "I once saw one of your children stab her brother over something minor."

"It was their brother and it was nothing minor. He took their target, that's just rude."

"I'm sorry," Gale tries. "Can we backtrack now? What children are you talking about now?"

Nemo blinks at them.

"Oh," he exclaims. "My assassins, of course, the ones I personally brought into the fold."

"And the reason you address them as children is because..?"

"They were orphans Nemo picked up from the streets," Gortash mentions. "At least that's what I was told."

"Excuse me, what?" Karlach, indignation flaring with her fire. "You stole children?"

"First of all, it's kidnapped and not stole. Second of all, they came willingly," Nemo scoffs. "And really, do you think they had any other choice? Do you think any good life was waiting for them? I saved their lives."

"You've abducted children into the cult and made them killers," Wyll speaks. "Nemo, this is-"

"Wrong?" He interrupts. "How wrong can it truly be? They would die without me, or better yet, get killed. Do you think there's mercy for a girl who took a life of her stepfather? Whose mother blamed her for the murder even if said stepfather was in dire need of killing?" He pierces Wyll with a sharp stare.

"Do you think Flaming Fists would save a little tiefling boy with too much magic in his blood? Do you think they'd get to the mad crowd in time and protect the boy from it? Do you think they'd even care? A tiefling child, an evil child, a hellspawn. No one would miss him, no one would cry for him. And," he smiles and this smile looks poisonous.

"Do you think your honorable father would spare a child whose survival was linked to the deal with the fiend? Do you think he, who exiled his own son, would look at destruction of the House Et'rris, at the only surviving its member, linked to a devil, and help them? Save them?" His voice drops to a low tone.

"How dare you judge me? You were not there to save these children, I was. What did I do but gave them a second chance? What did I do but gave them home? Where else would they go? Who else would feed starving orphans on the streets, Duke Ravengard?" He laughs an ugly, bitter laugh.

"The Council of Four? Don't be ridiculous, they never even looked down to see the low folk struggling. Those children, all those children would die if not for me. From the so-called justice, from an angry mob, from prison, from starvation. I found them, fed them, cared for them. I made them best of the best, the perfect murderers, the perfect shadows of the night. And who can hurt them now, when they're the worst things haunting Baldur's Gate? Who would dare to strike at them but their own? I made them strong."

The stunned, eerie silence falls over the camp.

Then Karlach raises her voice.

"What did you feed them with?"

"This is irrelevant."

"No, it's not."

"It was a good meat: not rotten, not touched by any diseases, I even cooked it-"

"I fed children the human flesh?!" Gale asks in horror.

"Of course you'd assume it was human," Nemo scoffs. "It was elven too, you know. Some dwarf meat, even halfling or tiefling there and there-"

"You did what?!"

"It was that or starving on the streets! And anyway, I was fed humanoid flesh my entire life and I turned out alright-"

Astarion scoots a little closer to Gortash.

"He did not turn out alright," the pale elf whispers, watching the argument rising to new, dangerous heights. "And you knew that, didn't you?"

"What Nemo eats flesh?" Gortash hums. "It wasn't a big secret."

"And what he feeds his...children the same?"

"It's a Cult of Murder," the man shrugs. "One expects some level of atrocities from it."

"That's not the answer."

"That's the one you'll get," Astarion watches Gortash watching Nemo, a small satisfies smile dancing on his lips. "I don't particularly care what he feeds his assassins, only what all of them seem to care very little for table manners."

"So I'm guessing you've met them?"

"Yes."

"...What are they like?"

"Why don't you ask their benefactor that and not the man who saw them once or twice?"

"Because their benefactor is currently in a screaming match with our companions," Astarion's shrugs. "Though he seems to be holding his ground just alright."

Gortash snorts.

"He used to lead fifty or so bloodthirsty murderers and made it look easy," another long, heavy look at Nemo. "He is good at handling people. Bhaal convinced Nemo the best thing a bhaalshapwn can be is a perfect blade, which is a shame, really. Nemo would do wonders in high court; he has enough charisma and intelligence to wrap the nobles around his fingers without them so much as noticing it.”

"It sounds like you admire him," Astarion comments, trying very hard not to feel slighted at that. Of course tyrant admires his nearest in dearest, it was to be expected. And anyway, doesn’t Nemo deserve to be admired?

But why does it sit so ill against his skin?

"Of course I admire him," the tyrant replies, not even looking away from the assassin. "He is brilliant. His part in our plans is not to be overlooked; everything came falling apart the moment Orin replaced him. Bhaal might have been content with a mad woman who could not control her urges, but our plan could not. She made a mess of things, ruined several of carefully constructed plans and hadn't even noticed. The amount of people I had to tadpole simply because Orin was acting unwise is-" he sighs. "Where Nemo would just waltz into the room, smile and bullshit his way through everything, Orin made things worse."

Astarion hums.

"I once saw Nemo convince an orthon to kill his minions, then his pet, then himself," he mentions. "So I can easily see him doing that."

"An orthon?" Gortash looks surprised. "Where in the Nine Hells did you find an orthon?"

"In a Gauntlet of Shar," Astarion shrugs. "He made an ill-fitted deal with Raphael and tried to get out of it. Nemo tricked him into false getaway."

Three's a long silence after that.

"Raphael," Gortash speaks slowly, as if tasting the words. "It's been a while since I've heard that name. How did you stumble into him?"

"More like he stumbled into us. He appeared from the thin air, laid heavy on those sweet talks of his and tried to talk Nemo into a deal. Probably still trying, all things considered. I am not sure what exactly he wants from Nemo, but he is insistent."

Gortash grows silent once more.

"I would advise against strikingly any deals with that particular devil," he comments after a pause. "Deals with him are even fouler than the deal with the devil would be expected to be. Raphael is clever; he is patient and knows how to play the game. Worst of all, he is at advantage of knowing Nemo while Nemo does not know him, and in the position where he is holding a grudge against the dear assassin of mine."

Astarion bites down the bitter taste of the way Gortash claims Nemo as his.

This can wait. His questions would not.

"Why would he hold a grudge against Nemo?"

Gortash actually laughs, a short lived and curt sound, but laugh none less.

"Because Nemo has done something Raphael failed to do. Raphael has been lusting after the Crown of Karsus for millennia, but was never able to relieve it from Mephistopheles' vault. Together Nemo and I successfully orchestrated and executed the plan what brought the crown into our hands."

So this is what Raphael wants.

"He is after the crown," Astarion comment. "And he thinks Nemo will be able to get it for him."

Gortash nods.

"And I can't express enough how this is absolutely a thing what cannot happen. Raphael is bad enough without a otherworldly power what is the Crown of Karsus in his claws."

"So," Astarion studies the man closely. "Better the crown in your hands then?"

Gortash smiles.

"Providing what we can get it off Elder Brain first and live," he comments. "But yes."

#empty prayers au #dark urge: nemo #bg3 #dark urge x gortash #gortash x durge #lae'zel really said: you want to fuck each other so bad it makes you look stupid #it is like 1 line she has bc I have hard time writing her but isn't she valid for it #nemo is petty bitch but also OKAY-ish stepparent of turned out OKAY-ish 8 children. don't judge him he did his best #what's a lil cannibalism in the family #nemo saying: 'i was fed flesh and turned out alright' the same way ppl say 'i was beat up and turned out alright' like sweetheart. baby #you didn't turn alright #you're so not alright it's tragic #girl who killed stepdad is clotilda #the tiefling boy is vivias #he's also the brother some assassin stabs #i wrote 'brother' and then realized vivias is the only boy nemo adopted so #sorry bby #the assassin stabbing him over a kill is writt #they're a bitch and I love them so much #gortash not mentioning a thing about maybe knowing raphael...dude I see what you're doing #also everyone desires the crown of Karsus...EVERYONE #Gortash's new goal is to get crown of Karsus for himself now ESP after he found out Raphael is trying to talk Nemo into giving it away #shadowheart who probably ate humanoid flesh several times in the course of her life bc it's shar's thing too: *is suspiciously quiet*#astarion: nemo talked an othon into killing all his allies and then himself #gortash: nice!

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eye-of-yelough · 5 months ago

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1 and 10 for me plz. With a side of fries. Small shake

okay swag that’ll the be 69.99. sorry, inflation.

What or who inspired your durge’s design the most? a particular vibe or idea or perhaps another hottie or baddie?

a lot of his significant development beyond “mascot for tortureporn scenarios” happened while i watching farscape and going insane about it, so… he’s named after Aeryn Sun, and his mannerisms, voice, and parts of his personality are inspired by Chiana (hypersexual little gremlin) and Stark (hyper-empathetic ferryman type character with off-putting autistic rizz) also of course elden ring’s masked war surgeon/mercy killers. “medicine is mercy, and mercy on the battlefield is ruthless, beware the killers clothed as men of compassion” “a sense of mercy is often a catalyst for bloodlust” yes i really do just. have those quotes memorised. i’m crazy about them. they made me think about durge’s inherent medicine proficiency and how totally plausible (and COOL!!) a durge as an actual medical professional would be. Hypodermic Sally from American Horror Story: Hotel is probably the biggest one tho in terms of similarities. sexy ghost haunted by an addiction demon who she has to find victims for otherwise it’ll torture her. heroin addict. enjoys scaring people and especially children for fun. good at stitching. sewed herself and her fuckbuddies together so they’d never leave her because shes insane. “say, “i love you, sally” and the pain will all go away.” funnily enough i only made all these realisations After a lot his development, so much of it is unintentional

aaaand i just reread and realised this question is about the design, not personality. it’s still chiana from farscape. and maybe a lil abe sapien from guillermo del toro��s hellboy. here’s some chiana gifs

How much of yourself can be found in your durge? Do they share the same personality, taste, and specific feature? Are they who you want to be or used to be? Are they entirely removed from you as a person?

Yeah, you can find a lot of me in him, but more in the sense that he has a lot of traits i find compelling than traits in common. i’m gonna copy paste my answer to being asked what we have in common before: Probably the overwhelming feeling that we’re literally too stupid to be alive and need someone to tell us what to do every minute of every day lest we fall off the face of the earth. lol. aside from that we couldn’t be more different. he’s hypersexual, i’m asexual and have never gone further than handholding. he’s emotionally insightful, good at reading people, sensitive, intuitive. i’m uhhhh. Not. he can lie, i can’t for the life of me. he loves pain, i can’t stand it. he likes raw vegetables, i don’t. i associate him with electronic music despite not listening to it much. he’s a bit of a social butterfly and would probably love to be at the club rn, i can barely leave the house once a week. and i would simply not let gortash torture me like that, sorry to aeryn but i’m different 🙄

#thankies vice #your daily dose of idiocy #asks #oc aeryn

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gale-dekarios · 6 months ago

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Party banter for Rose: 5, 15, 26, 35 and 37

thank youuuuuuuuuu :33

5. Taking a short rest

"Gods, I needed that." "Let's get going, eh?"

15. Looking at an astrolabe

(previously answered)

26. Party banter with Gale

"Do you ever partake in a little dancing Gale?"

"Oh yes, I had very dillegent tutelage in the art of dance as a lad. It's very important that a wizard keeps themself spry and limber, although I must admit I can hardly remember any of the steps now."

"I meant real dancing, like in a tavern?"

"Oh! Well, perhaps when I was still a student, if I were in the mood to. I must confess, I always did have two left feet when I didn't have any steps to follow, so it was a rare occurrence, brought on only by the strongest of ales or what-have-you."

"Pity. Maybe I could teach you one day."

35. How would your Tav/Durge greet a player character if they were a companion at low, neutral, high, or romanced approval?

Low

"Oh. You." "What do you want?" "(Sigh.)"

Neutral

"Hello there." "Can I help?" "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

High

"What's the craic?" "Hello, sunshine!" "Need a hand with something, mate?"

Romanced

"Don't look at me like that. You'll make me blush." "Can I do anything for you, my darling?" "Gods, I've missed you."

37. How would they respond to a player character prompting them with, "Tell me about yourself?"

"I'm a stonemason by day, tavern bard by night. It doesn't get more interesting than that."

(If prompted further:) "Fine, fine. I have nine siblings, I've never lost a drinking contest, and my favourite flowers are sunflowers, which I'm aware is ironic. (Lightheartedly) Now, as much as I'd love to keep talking about myself, I think I've met my fun fact quota for the day."

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 tav #oc: rose

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veilkeeper · 1 year ago

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Tav asks for you! General 1, 8 and 9, story specific 12, 15 and 17, and romance 1 and 12 for Roz?

questions from here

(Roz is transmasc and nonbinary, they/them pronouns.)

General

1. Where can your Tav be recruited? Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region? Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

Hm... I'm tempted to say the player would find them on the nautiloid, but in the interest of not throwing another githyanki in there, I'll say the PC finds them for the first time later, on the risen road. They'll be cagey but with a high enough charisma, they'll tell the PC they were pretty sure this road led to elturel. Or maybe there's a brainlink tadpole moment and the PC can feel that they were heading to elturel, somewhere familiar to them. when it becomes apparent that you share their tadpole affliction and that the PC intends to do something about it, they consent to traveling with the party, if the PC is so inclined.

8. What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp? How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?

Roz is very non-combative when it comes to "orders", so while they think it's a bad idea to leave them in camp, they'd probably just do an "uh huh. I'll be here if you need me." When the PC asks them to rejoin the party, something like "About time. I was getting sick of standing around." if they're romanced, theyd switch to a softer "i would prefer not to, but if you insist," if they're asked to stay behind.

9. Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

I don't think so. Roz prefers to stay under the radar. If they have a problem with anyone, they would rather keep it to themself. And since they're very good at taking cues from other people, I think they'd be good at keeping at the very least a working relationship with everyone.

(more below!!)

Story Specific

12. Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin? How is Orin's deception revealed? How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?

YES. I'm a sucker for the drama. How does she get caught, though? Probably by talking too much. Suggesting the PC does things before being specifically asked for an opinion, being a little too verbose and intense to really sell it. Roz is definitely shocked that anyone would come to rescue them, and would thank the PC the next time they're spoken to in camp. "I wouldn't have dared ask you to put yourself in danger for me. So, thank you. Your consideration is... appreciated." *looks away awkwardly*

15. How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?

Roz: "Thank you for telling me." 1. Is that all? 2. You seem troubled. 3. You're welcome. Narrator: [Insight: Success] *They shift on their feet, their eyes turned skyward. They're uncomfortable, but you do not think it is because of anything you've said.* Roz: "Not troubled. I simply do not know what you wish for me to say. You know these desires are not normal or you would not confess them like this, so I will not deign to convince you that they are. However, as thoughts alone they matter little. The mind is full of things we may not wish for. If they trouble you, I would suggest not turning them to action. But do not fear judgement from me, either way."

17. If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2?

"Ah. And yet, you passed up a very good opportunity to see me dead, so I like my chances. (More seriously) Tell me what you need, please." As always, Roz would first and foremost be concerned with Durge's feelings and waiting for the cue on what they want them to do in this situation. Afterwards, they'd ask for more details but in a way that more suggests that they're looking for a game plan for the next time their lover might get possessed by the murderghost that seems to live in their brain, and less as a judgemental, "you owe me an explanation" sort of thing.

Romance

1. Is your Tav a romanceable character? Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

Definitely! But it would take some effort. I don't think there's specific requirements per se, but it would take some persistence: they're the kind of person who would take a few flirts before they acknowledge the PCs interest. They would definitely be interested, they just wouldn't be sure that the PC is right away, and would need some convincing first.

12. Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

Stealing from my long ass meta post sitting in my drafts: They won't autonomously talk about themself, but if the PC brings them in the party, they will occasionally make comments, and similar to Sten in DA:O when camp is set the PC can ask about it. I.e. they'll mention having been in this area before, or they'll know the history of something that a githyanki soldier wouldn't.... typically know? And the PC can ask about it and that's when they'd talk about themself. They'd be a very "you get what you give" companion. The more effort you put in to take interest in them, the more forthcoming they'll be.

#had to brainthink on these a bit thank you!!!!#asks #i love roz theyre my little guy #well. little is relative. they're tall as hell.#oc: roz

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thegempage · 1 year ago

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uh so. context. two of my bg3 characters are kyria, a drow monk who was raised on the surface, and melody in the spores, a half-drow bard raised in the underdark. melody in the spores is a durge (i'm still in act 1, no spoilers) and. idk. i mentioned to a friend a while back that these two would have interesting conversation over drinks so this is that. also, kyria's added one (1) extra worm to her brain but doesn't want to do any more, and melody in the spores thinks the dream guardian can get fucked so she hasn't added any, and kyria has a hag eye while eventually melody in the spores is gonna get the volo one

The silence is... tangible, but not rough.

Melody In The Spores sits across from you, staring at her teacup as if she's unsure what to do with it. Your teacups look small in her hands, not quite comically so but in the way it feels to put on a shirt and know that you'll only get another use or two from it before you have to pass it on. You cradle your own to feel the heat crawl through your fingers, warming up joints that did their best to survive mountain air. It's not cool enough to drink, yet. Something behind Melody In The Spores's eyes makes you consider that her confusion is, in fact, genuinely about the tea. Perhaps no one has been kind enough to make her tea like this; many bards, you've heard, tend to spend far more of their time among inebriation than contemplation.

"To put aside circumstances," you say, breaking the silence because she did not seem able to, "it is nice to meet you, Melody In The Spores."

She coughs, the polite way to cover up spiderwebs of thought in the throat. Her voice rumbles deep in her chest, a sturdy foundation for the way she turns her head, fiddles with her fingers, scratches her beard, "Pleasure's all mine, Kyria. Putting aside," and she gestures to her head.

You decline to comment the twin your hitchhiker ate, but you nod in agreement with the general sentiment.

"I've heard you're quite famous, in your home world," you muse, pretending not to notice how she flinches when your foggy eye meets her blue one. You've both had to make choices to survive.

Her chuckle is scrawled across damp parchment. "So have I. Can't imagine fame holds up particularly well when you disappear for..." Her eyebrows knit together. "Time be damned. Fame is fickle."

The tea is cool enough to drink. You partake, and she waits for you to finish your first sip. "Time has certainly lost much meaning. Not that it meant much in the first place, really."

"To you more than me, I'd imagine."

It takes a moment before you remember -- half-drow. The human parts of her face hide in what you have to believe is the supernatural, and the supernatural clings to elven blood in the most benign of times.

"Maybe I ask you a question, Melody In The Spores?"

"Besides that one, I imagine."

You snort in a manner than you'd consider undignified, if you still cared about such things. "Yes, besides that one. You grew up in the Underdark, didn't you?"

Her "I did," is far away.

You pause, take a breath. "What... what was it like?"

You were expecting the confusion in her eyes. What you did not expect was the pain, the missing pieces, the way she looks down at her drink in shame. "I-I..." She takes a long sip of her drink, draining most of the teacup, and you refill it without a word. "I don't... remember."

You know you look crestfallen. You try, desperately, not to show it, but it is too late. You take a long drink of your own. "That makes two of us," is what you try to say, but some of it doesn't quite make it out of your mouth. You think she understands.

Melody In The Spores taps her foot on the ground, a rhythm to a dance song you don't think she can tell you the name of. "But there's... I've heard, from rumors... I want to go down there. I have to know."

Know where she came from. Know if her mother is alright. Know why she's lost so much.

You understand.

"We'll have to share experiences."

The silence is rough, this time.

"Have you --" She stops, reconsiders. "What do you think of Shadowheart?"

"I think she's in over her head."

"In?"

"All of it. What do you think of Karlach?"

"Quite the treasure, really. She loves twice as hot as she burns."

"She does. It's not so bad."

You pour yourself another cup.

"We could be sisters, I think," you say. "In another life."

"...I think I'd like that. Another life without worms and world endings and..."

"And blood on our hands."

#little rock.txt #ciaran does the art #bg3 #the dark urge #tav #i think. i need to go lie down now #but yeah. i love them your honor

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crossdressingdeath · 8 months ago

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#oh thats a good point about their reactions#yes based on that i definitely can see Astarion Gale Halsin and Minthara as team Durge#it is very complicated with Wyll because unfortunately they just don't give him enough lines#we could say his lack of reaction was due to him being distracted by his father#but really larian just didn't give him enough lines#he does focus on Durges ability to still be good in the bhaalspawn reveal conversation#but i think he could see the preamnesia durge as someone without the true ability to choose#I'm currently romancing Wyll as origin Astarion and i want to see his reaction to the Sebastian reveal#i think that will help me decide how Wyll would react in the moment#but yes i would love for there to be tension around camp for awhile following the reveal#nobody hates durge but they're feeling conflicted after the reveal#meanwhile Astarion and Minthara would be defending them up and down#halsin and gale would be trying to keep the peace but still show durge theyre on their side#karlach would probably want space for a little bit#Shadowheart would probably pray for them#i could see laezel keeping to herself more too and maybe just being silent around durge as she tries to decide how she feels about it#Mama Jaheira would be giving full disappointed parent vibes#maybe they even have a camp meeting to talk it over and finally decide they all still trust durge (tags via @litterateur97)

Another thing that I'd kill for is the option for Durge to... y'know, respond to all their friends talking like they hate them? As it is Durge just has to stand there and let the party yell at them. Everyone else gets the option to actually talk about the things they did, whether to defend them or to agree that it was fucked up! Durge just... doesn't. Which given they're guaranteed to be the player character if present seems a bad call; Larian, did it really not occur to you that the players might not enjoy having to stand there mutely while the party tells them off for things their character doesn't remember? (It was especially wild when fellow amnesiac Shadowheart yelled at Durge for not telling the party about it beforehand, but I believe Larian recognized that that was just a teensy bit unfair and changed her line.) Durge gets no opportunity to defend themselves and no one defends them and that makes the party's treatment of them come across as... pretty shitty, even though their anger is understandable. There's no opportunity for understanding and empathy like Durge can show to everyone else. And to be clear I think like 90% of that is Larian's unwillingness to give Durge's story any nuance (either you reject Bhaal completely and become basically Tav and there's no acknowledgement that maybe losing the only family you had and getting a piece of your soul ripped out and also dying was maybe somewhat upsetting and traumatic, you're fine now, no one's going to ask if you're okay, or you agree to reclaim your place as Bhaal's Chosen and clearly you're pure evil and doing this because you like hurting people, no one cares that Bhaal owns your soul and made it clear he'd kill you if you said no, you're a monster and all your friends hate you and lowkey want you dead and will be abandoning you as soon as the brain is dealt with)? But it also is like, guys. I have been nothing but understanding about your shit and you learn one bad thing about me and respond like this? And never give me a chance to explain myself? Come on. Should I be mad at the characters for showing zero understanding or compassion towards their friend who's been nothing but understanding and compassionate towards them, or mad at Larian for deciding this is a black and white morality situation? This is why my extremely long post-coronation WIP is just Kyvir (my Durge) being miserable and making bad decisions because he's convinced everyone he's come to know and love hates him forever now...

Gale: The tadpoles, the Absolute... it was because of you? I think you've said and done more than enough. Leave me be.

Ouch. The fact that there's no real followup from this drives me nuts, Gale is like "You've done more than enough, get away from me" and then you talk to him again and it's back to "Hi friend, so glad to have you around!" like nothing happened? Come on. There's so much tasty angst in the whole thing, give me the party clearly being on edge around Durge until/unless they reject Bhaal entirely!

#bg3 #durge #i think at a minimum the party is more invested in how they feel about the bhaal's chosen thing than in how DURGE feels about it #which is understandable to be clear but like... i don't know. the party doesn't show a lot of consideration towards durge in act 3 #i don't know how much of that is them actually not caring about their friend's feelings and how much is poor writing though #(i mean. they also completely ignore the way that ketheric clearly knows durge personally in act 2 lmao)#(that one's DEFINITELY poor writing)

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allenmendezsr · 5 years ago

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My name is Emma Eccles. I’m not a professional ad writer. But what I have to share with you is so important, I had to write you myself. So please bear with me a little.

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After hundreds of success stories I’m so sure that it will work for anyone…I am offering you a 60 days, full money back guarantee that it will cure your condition as well. Not only will your foot pain be a thing of the past, you will be completely healed and never ever suffer from plantar fasciitis again.

All you need to do is plug into this proven system so you know exactly what to do. You don’t have to think about anything. Just follow the simple plan and you will experience relief of your pain within days…in light cases as little as hours!

How It All Started

I was 40 years old and very busy. My job in a restaurant wasn’t always easy. And my kid needed her mom to take care of her. I had little time for myself but I never complained. I like being there for people.

I still remember that one Sunday morning. The day before had been crazy. It was a wedding party we served. Those are usually the worst. Now, don’t get me wrong…I love weddings just like the next person…but…serving those parties is madness. Lots of people, lots of orders, and they always last until the wee hours.

I was on my feet all day. Rushing back and forth between guests and kitchen. My feet were tired but I just pushed through as I always do. I ignored the mounting pain. I had a job to do.

The next day I woke up with a surprise. My feet still hurt.I did not think much of it. I was sure the pain would go away just like it always had. Little did I know…

I Was In For A Trip To Hell

The pain lessened by the evening. Everything seemed to be ok. Than came the next morning…and the pain was back. In fact it wasn’t just back. It got worse. I still wasn’t worried though. I still thought things would work themselves out.

It took a week for this bubble to burst. When the first thing you feel after getting up is pain… not once…not twice…but every day of the week you know something is WRONG. However I was as clueless as the next person about the cause. Maybe a heel spur, I thought.

I made an appointment with my doctor. Certainly this was easy to fix….just like all the other conditions I had until than. How wrong I was!

My doctor listened to my story. He seemed as clueless as me. So he sent me off to get some x-rays. The x-rays didn’t help him much. But that was not what he told me. He just said it wasn’t anything serious…no broken bones. I’d probably recover fast. I reminded him of my pain. He prescribed me Vioxx. Thanks God I did not stay on it…or I might be dead by now!

A week later I was back. No improvement. If I did not take the pills I was in pain. My doctor tried to calm me down. It would all work itself out. But I was having none of it. I’m on my feet all day. I need to get well…FAST…I told him. He sent me off to a specialist.

My next stop was a podiatrist. He gave me the diagnosis: plantar fasciitis. Didn’t mean anything to me. He advised night splinting my foot. The splint was so uncomfortable I could hardly sleep at night.

By Now I Had Hot Burning Pain All Day

The night splint didn’t do anything for me. I had switched to Ultram because the pain got worse…and my ankle had started to hurt as well. The podiatrist wasn’t much help. His advice was the usual: Rest your feet, do some stretching and you will get well soon. If it had been only that easy!

I couldn’t lie in bed all day. Who can? And those exercises hurt. In fact it was as though the pain would laugh at me. It wouldn’t let me go. Like a shadow it was following me everywhere I went. I was getting more and more desperate. In tears I begged my doctor for a cortisone shot. That ankle shot was the most gut wrenching pain ever…and that’s coming from someone who gave birth!

Still it seemed to be worth it…after the injection I was actually pain free. I felt like singing and dancing. However just 10 days later I had a rude awakening: The pain returned…and with all its might! Not only was I disappointed…I was devastated! In fact…

I was Ready To Cut My Foot Off

But before I went on a merry-go-round of doctors and specialists. My thinking was simple: There just had to be someone who could help me. I was ready to listen to anyone who seemed to be qualified to give me advice….and lots of people thought they were.

My experience was that pretty much everyone had something to say. If I had a dime for every advice on how to treat plantar fasciitis…I’d be sipping champagne at the beach by now! For months I followed one recommendation after the next…

Orthodics that cost me $400

Gel pads, cups, cushions, inserts, you name it

Reflexology

Reiki

Aromotherapy

Physiotherapy

Deep Heat Rubs

Nonsteriodal anti-inflamatory durgs (NSAIDs)

But NOTHING worked.

All my friends were already tired of hearing about the condition. So I went under the knife. The first night after the surgery was rough, no lying about that. No wonder. They had removed scar tissue from around my nerve, thinned my plantar fascia and even sawed off some bone spurs. It felt like it wasn’t too far from having my foot cut off.

I thought it a miracle when they put me off pain meds just three days later. The next 2 months I spent on crutches – using my foot was off limits. What followed were 2 more months in a boot and then physical therapy. Was it worth all that? Well…all those months during recovery I was pain free…but…

What Doctors Don’t Tell You

Now my story could be over right here. Another prime example of the miracles of modern medicine.I so wish it would have. No one talks about what that recovery really means. It’s almost like being a baby again. You can hardly move and when youdo …you are sloooow. Driving is out of the question. You either have someone who takes care of you…or you are screwed.

And don’t think this situation will be over in a heartbeat. It drags on for months…all the muscle on your legs disappear…and at the end of it…you basically need to learn to walk again. If you love sports it will break your heart.

By the time I had suffered from plantar fasciitis for over a year so I was ready to take it all…If only the pain would disappear! It seemed as though it had – so I did not complain. That came later.

A month after physical therapy I hit rock bottom. I was finally back on my feet…finally bening able to do what I wanted without asking for help…when I found myself back at square one. I woke up with the hot burning pain I was assured would never return.

There’s an ugly truth about plantar fasciitis surgery doctors don’t want you to know: The success rate can be as low as 30%. Even with a great specialist every 5th patient gets no relief whatsoever from surgery. Thinking about how none of the doctors ever bothered to mention this still makes my blood boil.

The plantar fasciitis operation is often called the last way out. However…all too ofen this way proves to be a dead end. Just imagine what you would tell your bank if they’d recommend a “save investment” that comes with a risk of 70% of losing all your money. If there’s a proven way to stop plantar fasciitis…surgery certainly is not it.

When Everything Fails

Now when the going gets tough – and it dosen’t get much tougher than being a “hopeless case”…suffering from pain all day every day…with no options left – most people give up. Just try to live with it. Because what can you do?

But I have never been a quitter and living with this horrible pain for the rest of my life simply wasn’t an option. Not for my own sake…and not for the sake of my daughter you needs a healthy mother to take care of her.

I needed to make a last ditch effort…start my own research – deep research that leaves no stone unturned. I was firing on all cylinders…went to all the forums I could find online…bought all the books about the subject…watched all the videos on YouTube…and even digged into those scientific articles you need to read three times and still understand only half of it.

I turned myself into a human guinea pig and nothing was too strange for me to try. Almost everything turned out to be a huge waste of my time and money. However some of the techniques seemed to help. It was a small glimpse of hope – enough to keep me going.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I mixed together everything that brought results…combined it in all possible ways…and for the first time since my operation…my pain went away!

I had struck gold.

Something about the combination of rest periods, special taping and short series of light exercises brought that relief nothing else had.

I don’t think anyone who hasn’t suffered from plantar fasciitis can ever imagine what it feels like to stand on your feet…and not feel a hot, burning pain. It literally feels like being reborn.

What would you do if you escaped your misery? What would you do if your feet would finally be pain-free? For me it was catching up. I enjoyed all the things I had been missing the last years. Amazing!I

However…after some time I began to wonder…

Does this system work for anybody else?

I went back to the forums I used to visit and got in touch with other plantar fasciitis victims….asked around who was willing to follow in my footsteps and try the approach that had healed me. A lot of people raised their hand.

There was only one problem…I had no way of showing people what to do. Explaining even simple exercises in words is awfully complicated. And with a condition so serious you want to make certain you do the right thing.

I thus decided to make some brief videos for people to see what to do. A friend of mine produces videos for a living and I got him to help me out. Together we made 13 professional videos showing everything there is to do. I also wrote up a manual explaining the exact treatment plan.

I sent the entire package out to people for free… responded to all the questions they had. And they had a lot. The initial descriptions confused people. I had to rewrite them….again and again…until they made sense for everyone.

The questions got less and less…and instead…I started receiving feedback on the results. Glowing testimonials of average people that thought nothing could cure their plantar fasciitis…before they tried my system.

Here are just a few of the reports I received…and still receive…on an almost daily basis:

“Since I started your program…my pain is almost gone.”

“Dear Emma, I can’t thank you enough for you system! I suffered from pf for over a decade and I thought I had tried everything (not counting going under the knife). The only thing that kept that pain at bay was accupuncture which was costing me $50 a session. With the one session a week that was $200 a month and all for temporary relief. Since I started your program three weeks ago my pain is almost gone. I’m still in disbelief. I already saved over $100 on accupuncture and during these times that means a lot to me. Much love, Christal”

– Chrystal Smith

“Your system has succeeded where every doctor failed.”

“Hi, for the first time in the last 10 months I was no longer afraid to get out of bed. Usually I knew the hot, throbbing pain would await me once I set my heel down but not this time. Your system has succeeded where every doctor failed – not only treating but curing my plantar fasciitis. I’ll be forever grateful for this miracle. Yours truly, Steven”

– Steven Clegg

“…my pain is about 75% gone and I just started your program.”

“Emma, I started on your program a few days ago and I am already seeing significant improvements. Incredible! You know more about plantar fasciitis than all the doctors I have been to. Not only didn’t they know how to to help me, they belittled my pain, tried to pump me full of meds, diagnosed a stress fracture (x-rays prove otherwise) and even implied I was had a mental disorder! Now my pain is about 75% gone and I just started your program. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this information! Valery”

– Valery Martin

What most people commented on was how easy the system was to follow. Especially including trigger points into my approach had a huge impact in lessening and even eliminating the pain in just minutes.

Trigger points are small contraction knots in the muscles of the body. More and more research confirms that these knots can cause a variety of aches and pain in the body. Let me tell you why this matters to you…

What REALLY Causes Your Pain

If you have been to countless doctors and none was able to successfully treat your plantar fasciitis…you might actually not suffer from plantar fasciitis at all! Muscle contractions in certain areas of your body can cause pain that is easily mistaken for plantar fasciitis.

Despite the fact that these trigger points have been discovered more than 60 years ago many doctors are still completely in the dark about them. The good news is that you don’t even need a physician to treat pain triggered this way. Once you know how, you can be your own healer.

Let me show you the most important trigger point that can clear up light cases mistaken for plantar fasciitis in just minutes.

Pain from this trigger point shows itself in the following areas:

Heel

Calf

Back of the ankle

Sounds familiar?

The trigger point is located below your calf muscle, at the bottom of the Soleus muscle. You can easily find your Soleus when you lift your toes and pay attention which muscle in your leg contracts. The trigger point you are looking for is at the bottom of your calf muscle right in the middle of your lower leg.

If you put your hand on your lower leg with your middle finger touching your heel the point is roughly where your carpal bone makes contact with the leg. If you can not find it on your own, take a look at the pictures included in the FREE bonus guide that comes with the Plantar Fasciitis System.

Now simply put your finger on the point and press. You should feel slight pain. If you don’t feel anything, move your finger up and down until you found it. Massage it for half a minute with one of two fingers. Doing this repeatedly over the course of several days has the power to eliminate even stubborn pain.

Now in case that this might not work for you…don’t worry! This is just one of several trigger points explained and the use of trigger points is just one component of the complete Plantar Fasciitis System. Each component is designed to work with the other to create a synergetic healing effect that clears up even stubborn cases of plantar fasciitis.

“I love how simple yet structured your approach is.”

“Hey, your system did what even the $235.00 handmade German shoes I bought didn’t help to do: Having pain free feet all day. I love how simple yet structured your approach is. It’s truly is a SYSTEM that cure plantar fasciitis. Thanks for rescuing me! Martha”

– Martha Rowan

Warning! Do NOT Trust Any Guide Or Self-Proclaimed “Expert” Unless They Prove The Following 5 Things To You

I know there’s a ton of conflicting information out there what really works for healing plantar fasciitis. For this reason I want to give you 5 things you absolutely, positively must check before you trust anyone to give you advice:

There MUST be proven results! The most effective way to fast healing is to copy what’s already been proven to work. The Plantar Fasciitis System has already helped hundreds to cure their condition. More importantly people still write me every day thanking me for the miracle of relieving their foot pain…a pain they often suffered from for years. This is why I am so confident this system will work for you as well I offer a full, 100% money-back guarantee.

You MUST get a treatment plan from someone who knows what she’s talking about! Before trying any treatment, make sure it’s designed by someone who knows what plantar fasciitis means. Don’t fall for some book smart doctor that has never actually cured anyone and that might have last seen a case 30 years back in some textbook while he was studying. I have struggled myself for almost 3 years before I managed to cure my plantar fasciitis. During those years I have been to countless doctors. Most don’t have a clue how to help you. Most people I talked to tell me the exact same. My system cured me. It helped hundreds more. Please let me help you, too!

To save you suffering and frustration, you should exchange money for valuable information stops your pain — fast You know, I’ve learned over the years that it pays, many times over, to discover what others already know. This way you save a ton of time because you can completely eliminate the learning curve you need to go through when making the experience yourself. “Free” information you get from somewhere online are probably worth exactly what you pay for them. Not only don’t you know if they work, they could actually harm you. In the best case you waste your time and needlessly suffer for longer than you have to. Don’t do this to yourself and your feet! The Plantar Fasciitis System will get you pain-free as fast as humanly possible. And it’s easy to use.

The information MUST be up-to-date Research and medical discoveries never stop. Methods that used to be effective get out-dated faster and faster. You shouldn’t follow any advice that does not rely on the newest, cutting-edge science. I know this and I’m still active in all the forums. There isn’t a study about foot pain I don’t read. Nothing makes me happier than when I find a way to make the Plantar Fasciitis System more effective. Why? Because I know exactly what it feels like to suffer. And I don’t want that for anyone!

Most importantly, you must be able to trust the person that offers a cure

You know…I wrote the Plantar Fasciitis System to make sure you have a proven step-by-step guide to forever rid yourself of any foot pain. I want to give you a short-cut for rapid healing…worth at least 10 times the price of this system!

Here Are Just Some of the Secrets Revealed in this Course

Secret #1: The almost magical self-treatment that can erase plantar fasciitis pain in minutes – proven to work in 73% of all cases (p.15-16)

The “dirty secret” about what causes plantar fasciitis most doctors are too embarrassed to tell you (p.11)

Secret #3: Two amazingly effective, yet totally pain-free ways to stretch your plantar fascia…easy to do no matter how out of shape you are (p.17)

57-year-old Mary had no clue why her feet hurt. No doctor was able to tell her the reason. A quick glance on page 8 of the Plantar Fasciitis System manual finally gave her certainty. And easy-to-follow instructions on how to treat herself.

Secret #5: How to massage your plantar fasciitis away (p.39)

Sam, a sport enthusiast from Arkansas, was heart-broken when his doctor told him not to engage in any sports or exercise activity. In the manual he discovered 3 sports that are completely save to do even with acute plantar fasciitis. See for yourself. (p.42)

Secret #7: The fasted way to escape your burning heel pain…proven to work for over 60 years (p.3)

How normal is your plantar fasciitis? New medical study reveal surprising results (p.9)

Secret #9: The biggest mistake most people make with resting…and how to avoid it (p.10)

The 5 best stretching exercises…including the single best stretch for plantar fasciitis – according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (p.18)

Secret #11: What does not cause plantar fasciitis – no matter what your doctor told you (p.11-12)

Pain during the night, pain in the morning, pain all day…how normal is your pain pattern? (p.90)

Secret #13: The one advice every doctor gives when treating plantar fasciitis that is right on the money (p.42)

How to attack your plantar fasciitis from 3 angles…guaranteeing a save and lasting treatment that bans it forever from your life (p.6)

Secret #15: 3 incredibly easy ways to bullet-proof feet…you can do them at home using common household objects as your “equipment” (p.31-38)

How likely are your friends and family to also suffer from plantar fasciitis? Discover the highest plantar fasciitis risk factor and what to do about it (p.12)

Secret #17: Nature’s counter-intuitive way to avoid injury…and how it helps you to look and feel more youthful(p.17)

Army study reveals highest risk factors for injuries – are you or your loved ones among the unlucky? (p.12)

Secret #19: The counter-intuitive plantar fasciitis treatment…proven to work for virtually anyone…even if your doctor has already give up on you (p.17)

Why the 3-angle approach trigger point therapy takes is THE best approach to treating any pain related condition (p.14)

Secret #21: 7 Proven methods that make your feet forever plantar fasciitis proof…even if surgery failed you (p.31-39)

How to save hundreds of $$$ on orthotics (p.43)

Secret #22: The surprising reason why more women suffer from plantar fasciitis and foot pain (p.44)

And more. A LOT more!

Why The Plantar Fasciitis Sytem Is Unlike Anything Else Out There

Reason #1: Fastest treatment

When you suffer from plantar fasciitis all you want is…get rid of the pain! This is why the Plantar Fasciitis System attacks the root of the pain from the very beginning. It relieves the muscle tightness…and short-circuits the nerve triggers that are responsible for your misery.

It works its magic in not just one way…but attacks the pain from multiple angles leaving it no other choice but to surrender. Like wheels in a clog every component works with the others to achieve the fastest pain relief humanly possible.

Reason #2: The only systematic way to treat plantar fasciitis…guaranteeing results

When dealing with a condition as severe and persistent as plantar fasciitis…a few “tips and tricks” won’t do the job.

If you think a guide with a few stretching exercises or some badly filmed practice you found on youtube will help you…you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Your plantar fasciitis won’t leave you that easy.

You need a proven, systematic approach that attacks and resolves the issue in all possible ways. For this reason the Plantar Fasciitis System is not just a collection of various exercises. It is a well thought-through, step-by-step manual that has already helped hundreds of people just like you to leave the pain behind.

In fact, I’m so sure that it will help YOU that I’m offering an unconditional full money-back guarantee. In the very unlikely case that you will not see rapid improvements and a lessening of your pain in just days I beg you to ask me for a full refund.

Reason #3: Clear, easy-to-follow explanations

The worst thing is looking for help…and getting confusing, unclear advice. Not with the Plantar Fasciitis System. Constant feedback from hundreds of users together with countless revisions have made sure everyone can understand and follow this treatment.

Even better: Not only do you receive a detailed, step-by-step plan including pictures…you also get 9 HD videos showing you exactly how the recommended exercises work. All you need to do is press “Play” and follow along. It couldn’t be easier.

Check Out What This Whole Revolutionary System Contains

The Plantar Fasciitis System

The Plantar Fasciitis System is the most complete, effective and FAST way to cure plantar fasciitis. I developed this system over years…based on my personal experience with plantar fasciitis.

Over the years the system has been constantly improved and shown its effectiveness on hundreds of people that suffered from foot pain.

The entire system contains a manual which gives you step-by-step explanations exactly on what to do…when to do it…and how to do it. All exercises are explained in simple English and come with clear pictures that show you how it should look.

But this is not all. To make 100% certain that you do everything right – and to make it easy for you – it also includes 9 videos…filmed in HD… demonstrating the exercises step by step…so you can easily follow along.

The Plantar Fasciitis System gets delivered digitally. This means in just minutes after you go ahead and click the button below you will get access to everything you need to escape your foot pain forever.

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Lego Star Wars Holiday Special Is Everything Star Wars Doesn’t Need Right Now

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This Thanksgiving, around the time we’ll all be reading articles online about whether or not it’s safe to insult your extended family in person, or over Zoom, there will also be a new Star Wars “festive” product to watch on Disney+. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is coming whether your want it or not, and even if you haven’t paid attention to any of the other Lego Star Wars things, something in the Force tells me everyone is going to have an opinion about this thing specifically.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

In an exclusive report, USA Today revealed that the special will reunite Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron to celebrate Life Day, the Star Wars holiday first introduced in the original Holiday Special that aired on CBS in 1987. Executive producer Josh Rimes described the new special as It’s a Wonderful Life but in the Star Wars universe. Rey will meet a young Luke Skywalker via time travel, and there will also be Lego versions of other Wookiee characters from the original special.

So, Lego Rey is going to meet the ghosts of Star Wars past a la A Christmas Carol, and the whole thing is going to be zany and heartwarming, right?

Well, maybe.

Previous Lego Star Wars projects almost always emphasize goofy humor, with varying degrees of success. But, when it comes to this new holiday special, to paraphrase the opening theme song of A Series of Unfortunate Events, we really should look away. Just because there’s a cutesy new Star Wars thing that is threatening to mine nostalgia from the entire saga AND the embarrassing 1978 Holiday Special, doesn’t mean we need to watch it.

Star Wars fans should think hard about what this kind of thing really is: A subpar Star Wars product which has the same relationship to actual Star Wars as “cheese product” has to real cheese. Even before it airs, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special combines the three things that are the most embarrassing about Star Wars junk: The tendency to make cool Star Wars things into reductive Lego romps, nostalgia as a product, and a dishonest love for the objectively terrible 1978 Holiday Special.

Like Darth Vader swooping in on Rebel pilots Dutch and Tiree during the Death Star trench run, let’s knock out those first two real quick. Most of the Lego Star Wars movies and shows are not very cool and destroy their own potential by being Lego products. I mean, the best Lego Star Wars thing is The Freemaker Adventures. Not only does that series star mostly entirely new characters (the Freemaker family) but it’s closer to canon, and best of all, it features the most powerful Black family in Star Wars.

And yet, for all of the good things about The Freemaker Adventures, it’s still not quite canon, and that’s mostly because of the Lego aspect. This bothers me. It’s the most racially diverse version of Star Wars, but it’s relegated mostly to a Lego-joke. Why not feature these characters in a regular Star Wars thing?

Lego Star Wars isn’t necessarily evil, and it’s (probably?) not hurting anyone, but anything interesting or progressive that happens in a Lego Star Wars thing (like the Freemakers) is undone by the fact that it is Lego. It’s impossible to take it seriously, and while fans of Lego Star Wars stuff will tell me to lighten up, I’d like to point out that it’s possible to be funny without being zany. Star Wars already has a fantasy hyperbolic artifice by nature. The Lego version just reduces it to a toy ad, an overtly commercial venture designed to entice you to buy Star Wars-themed Lego kits.

Look, a saga-spanning Star Wars Holiday Special doesn’t sound bad on its face, but the question is: why does this have to be Lego? Why not just an animated Star Wars Holiday Special done in the style of Forces of Destiny or The Clone Wars? The premise sounds fun: Rey discovers the World Between Worlds from Rebels and then travels back in time to meet everyone significant from all of Star Wars. Thinking about this as a piece of non-Lego animation is much more exciting. Thinking about it as a Lego thing just telegraphs out the message ahead of time: This is just a new notch in Disney’s partnership with the toy company.

How Star Wars: The Clone Wars Forgot About Durge

By Ryan Britt

What Star Wars: The Clone Wars Says About Maul and Ahsoka’s Connection

By Megan Crouse

What would happen if you had a Star Wars Holiday Special sponsored by 7-Eleven and all the characters were just drinking Slurpees the whole time? This is kind of why I hated the Michael Bay Transformers movies; they were commercials for Hummers, Camaros, and Mountain Dew. At its worst, Star Wars is a commercial for its own merch and toys, and adding Lego on top of that just makes it seem all that more superficial.

Which brings me to the larger point. This feels desperate. If Star Wars — as a brand — were trying to mitigate some of the sourness caused by The Rise of Skywalker, this doesn’t feel like the way to go. If the Sequel Trilogy proved anything, it’s that nostalgia will only get you so far. Playing the hits is fun at first but bringing the Emperor back for reasons in the third act of a trilogy that’s supposed to be about a new generation of heroes shows a lack of imagination…and an unwillingness to move forward.

And the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special shows that Disney has learned nothing on that front. Why does Star Wars have to pay any kind of homage to the 1978 Holiday Special in 2020? The original Holiday Special is a media product that George Lucas himself wishes he could take back. Look. I know it’s funny to say “Release the Holiday Special, you cowards.” But, come on. It’s really bad. Do you want to see Chewbacca’s uncle or whatever low-key masturbating to weird dancing girl holograms? Do you want to see Mark Hamill’s bizarre haircut? Do you want to see Carrie Fisher furious that she has to put words to the Star Wars theme song?

The Holiday Special is Star Wars on coke, trying to play it cool at a five-year-old’s birthday party. It is not a good look. George Lucas was right. We shouldn’t have nostalgia for things that are truly terrible just because there are kitschy aspects to them that are interesting to pop culture historians. Nobody actually liked the Star Wars Holiday Special when it aired, and that’s not because people were wrong. It’s just bad.

Yes, the brief animated cartoon which introduced Boba Fett is cool. But we have a wonderful live-action version of this called The Mandalorian. Where’s my animated 20-minute Baby Yoda Christmas Special? Doesn’t that automatically sound better than this Lego thing? Want to evoke some real nostalgia that actually won’t suck? Why not do a holiday episode of The Mandalorian, but in the animation style from 1978? THAT would be cool. In comparison, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special feels like the extension of a marketing deal that is being passed off as a narrative. It may fool very young kids, but older ones (including those in their 30s and 40s) should know better.

Nobody asked for a Lego Star Wars Holiday Special. Let’s not repeat history by just trying to do the same thing, but only worse. The path to the Dark Side often comes from many kinds of negative tendencies— greed, jealously, fear — but the one we tend to leave out is the one Star Wars displays the most often: bad taste.

The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special premieres on Nov. 17 on Disney+.

The post Lego Star Wars Holiday Special Is Everything Star Wars Doesn’t Need Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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