#Yes do tell me about how your durge thinks of this. Maybe you have an angle I haven't considered.

[y-rhywbeth2]

To Durge Bhaal is like several things at once: their parent, their god, and also technically their own self/original self. I feel like there's a couple of different ways of exploring that and think it's interesting to think about.

Like does your Durge view this relationship purely as a parent-child one with an atypical form of birth/conception, where the worship is just tacked on? Or is 'Father' a simplification of their connection? Does faith take prescedence, and you are a servant of Death, your sole reason for existence, first and foremost? Or do they actually view themself as the deity on some level, possibly owed the same reverence? Is it no different from a mage cutting off their finger to create a copy of themselves with magic*? How much of a division is there between deity and spawn? Are they anything more than a phantom limb? Which relationship (parent-child, god-worshipper, original-fragment/clone) is prioritised, if you put them in a hierarchy?

*...wait, did Bhaal cast some kind of modified version of the spell clone to make Durge?

[moonselune]

Hi, I was wondering what would be your personal take on the Ascended™ gang after Tav/Durge breaks up with them, no fanon or anything specific, just your own personal opinion on their possible behavior, maybe years after the event or something, and no pressure, of course, you don't have to answer if you don't like the subject

Okay okay, imma do this for my Dark!BG3 crew which does include the Ascended™ gang, basically my stream of conciousness written down when thinking about each lmao

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Conqueror Minthara:

she would actually jsut not believe you

like at all

she would just dismiss you

"Oh yes honey of course, and how is the weather?"

no fucks given

because there is no part of her that could ever believe that you would ever actually leave her

Then you do?

She goes to 0 to 1000 real quick

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Mother Superior Shadowheart:

absoluetly and genuinely devastated

queen of the guilt trip

how could you do this to me? To us?

How will Shar's cult cloister survive without us together?

I did all of this for you for us, you can't walk away now

etc etc

she would be so distraught but really lay it on thick

she's just so toxic about it

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

God of Ambition Gale:

He would get angry and mocking and very very threatening

He would like to see you try and leave him

you are ethereally bound to him

but no, have your fun

play with a few mortals

I'll just smite your home village for the funsies

watch you crawl back and beg for his forgiveness

he has power and he will wield it

you can choose to either be by his side or be subject to it

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Ascended Astarion:

no

no no no no

you don't get to leave

not now

not ever

such a mix between guilt tripping, threatening and mocking

it all screams desperation

he cannot have you leave his side

you belong to him

and I think because you helped him with his ascension there is some level of ingrained debt/gratitude he feels towards you

so he has to control that he has to control you, he can't have you traipsing off somewhere

definitely spirals

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Naturist Halsin:

quiet

deadly quiet about it

almost doesn't react to it

moves on as if he didnt hear you

you repeat yourself

and he just flips the table

roaring in primal anger

he petrifies you

you are cowering beneath him

he regains his composure and tells you that you are not leaving him

and then just leaves

you are left there shaking, unable to think about what to do next

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

[thelikesoffinn]

Hi!! ❤️

I would love to read your analysis of how your thoughts may have changed regarding Astarion and poly relationships, now that his post-Mizora dialogue has been revamped and he reacts badly to the affair. It's such a big change, I'm so intrigued by Larians decision to do it.

(dialogue here, just in case: https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/s/pEMgC6nQr4)

Thank you! Your opinions are so great, and I'm sorry if you've already talked about this and I missed it!

Hiya there, babes!

Thank you, I'm flattered you like my rambling ♥️

I'll gladly check that one out - I haven't yet seen the new reaction because it's been a hot minute since I played act 3 and I've been avoiding spoilers ever since patch seven, so we're all getting fresh eyes this time, haha. But first, since a couple of people asked about it these past few days, I'd like to go over why I hated the old reaction as much as I did.

I'm sorry for using your ask to make this sort of bastardised hybrid of your question, but I figured it goes hand in hand with your ask!

Let's get to it!

Why is Astarion's old reaction to Tav/Durge sleeping with Mizora so. fucking. shit?

Especially since he is generally okay with poly-relationships (see Halsin) and flings (see drow twins)? So Mizora shouldn't be a big deal either, right? It should be all the same.

Well - yes and no.

Yes, because essentially the bare bones are the same. It all just boils down to Tav/Durge having sex with a character that isn't Astarion and we've seen him be absolutely fine with Tav sleeping with both Halsin and the drow twins whenever Tav asked him about it.

Now, he wasn't exactly on board with Harleep but that was likely for an entirely different reason. You know, essentially selling your body to a strange incubus for eternity and all that may strike a chord with our fanged companion, since he himself already knows the weight of such deals and has first hand experience in how long a eternity is.

But the rest of them? Completely fine! Have at it, Tav, Astarion will not be standing in your way! He just needs a tiny bit of reassurance - hey, is this because I've not been putting out in a while? No? Fantastic, off you go - and then he's right as rain.

But, the thing is: That was an agreement. Astarion was involved in the decision and he was part of the conversation the entire time. So anything that did happen, happened entirely with his blessing and to his knowledge. That is how these agreements should work.

With Mizora, we aren't given that.

The cunt just whisks Tav away immediately to show them her nine hells and then she drops them off like nothing happened. There's no conversation about it, Astarion doesn't get to know until he sees Tav and Mizora or maybe until one of the other companions informs him of what just happened. (Probably Wyll, seeing as it's Mizora.)

I don't think it needs to be said, but that is cheating.

There's nothing we can do to justify this, especially not since it's rather obvious that Astarion isn't really against Tav getting frisky with other people. So there's no good reason for Tav going behind his back - not that there ever is - and it's just a plain dick move.

When I tell you, the first time I had this scene and noticed we didn't get to have a wee chat with him first? I was SWEATING so hard, because I thought 'hot damn, did I save before this!? When was the last time I fucking saved!? He's gonna leave me so hard and I fucking deserve it too!' and then he literally rocked up to us and was like: "Naw, you didn't ask me :( But it's okay, you're not just a snack. You're a whole damn meal babe, there's enough of you to go around."

Sweating was immediately over. It was not what I expected and I was really, really REALLY disappointed.

That was not how this is supposed to work. He wasn't supposed to be alright with this, because Tav treated him like shit. They didn't give a single shit about how he might feel and what his opinion may be, which is something he's already experienced for so many years. Tav disregarded him entirely for their own pleasure.

Anyone who's ever been in a working poly- or even just in a working open relationship will probably be able to tell you that communication is a huge part of what makes these relationships work. Openly talking BEFORE anything happens, coming to an agreement with all involved parties, regularly checking in with each other to see how things are progressing.

It also needs mutual respect.

Every party involved needs to respect their partners enough to NOT go against their agreements. Enough to listen to them and enough to be willing to compromise and respect the others boundaries.

And there needs to be SO MUCH trust.

It's not easy to be honest about wanting to share, wanting to be shared or even not wanting to share anymore. It's not always easy to believe your partner will respect your boundaries and will not do anything that you specifically asked them not to do. Voicing these things takes trust and confidence.

Tav literally shits on all three of these things. Respect is apparently a foreign concept, there is zero dialogue and they essentially break any trust there is for a single fuck in the hells.

By cheating with Mizora, Tav just shows Astarion that he isn't worthy of their consideration and that his opinions and feelings don't matter at all. And him accepting that with a smile is just him falling back into old habits.

He's back to taking shit he doesn't deserve just for the hell of it. It's the same thing he's done for years, the very same thing he's so desperate to escape.

The worst part is that he probably doesn't even notice it's the same thing, because, initially, it probably feels like it's just the same as all the other examples. He'll keep telling himself that Tav sleeping with Mizora is no different than Tav sleeping with the drow or Halsin. It's all the same.

But there'll likely always be that tiny voice in the back of his head going: "But is it really?"

Oh, and that voice? That voice breeds resentment. It's the only thing it's good at, the only thing it enjoys and it won't stop until he notices how fucked up this really is.

Astarion is no longer beneath anyone. He doesn't need to take shit anymore. He doesn't need to say yes and amen, he doesn't need to cower.

He's an equal in this relationship, but his reaction makes it abundantly clear that he himself has yet to realise it.

How have my thoughts changed now that his reaction has been adjusted?

Now, after reading through the dialogue you attached (thank you for that, btw! ♥️) and looking up a video...nice!

First: He voices his concearns and is honest with both himself and Tav about how this affected him. He admits that he may be disappointed, he admits he thought Tav was better than others and that he was very clearly wrong about it.

That takes guts, especially for people like Astarion who spent so long bowing their head to others whims and it's a huge sign of progress. Love it!

"As if you wouldn't have jumped at the chance. - Once, maybe, but things change - people change. Even if they never imagined they could."

Gold. Pure gold.

Self-reflection is lovely. He knows he's changed and maybe this situation just shows him how much.

"I thought I could trust you, which was no small thing. Now I'm not sure what to think."

This is SUCH a good line, because it's wonderfully ambiguous.

It shows both a healthy dose of self-reflection AND self-worth. On one hand, Astarion clearly knows that he's slow to trust people and that his trust has to be earned but, at the same time, it shows that, quite plainly, his trust is no small thing.

His trust is costly but it's a valuable thing, that Tav has now lost.

"And if anyone should believe in forgiving and forgetting, I should."

Haaa...I absolutely get what he means, but this is a dangerous line that I'm not sure I'd advise him to cross. It's something that does sometimes happen with certain clients and I don't think I've ever seen it yield good or pleasant results. This behaviour - the very lenient, very forgiving approach - is usually done to help manage guilt.

Clients who've done "bad things" can potentially become extremely lenient towards those they're close to because, in their mind, nothing can be as bad as what they've done and yet their loved ones forgave them. So they should forgive those little 'mistakes' just as readily, right?

No, obviously not, because receiving forgiveness doesn't relate to your acceptance of any future misdeeds. That is not what forgiveness means and anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't really forgiven you to begin with.

They just want something to excuse their own shitty behaviour.

His reaction doesn't necessarily have to mean he is going in this direction, of course. He may as well just realise that Tav is truly sorry...

"You can promise me the heavens, it doesn't change the choice you've already made. It was selfish. It was you not thinking about anyone but yourself and that's a feeling I know all too well."

The ABSOLUTE BLISS my inner social worker felt when she heard this line. The fucking catharsis.

Not only does he realise how shitty this choice was, no, he's also honest about it without giving two flying fucks about what happens.

That is not only brave, no, it shows that he knows he's in the right, which is a big thing for someone whose second name is 'Rationalisation'.

I think I mentioned it in another ask, but Astarion is someone who constantly feels the need to rationalise; to justify his own actions in basically any regard - the blood, the spawn, the ascension, cazador.

Every single time.

It's probably part of what kept him alive - keep quiet like a dead rat and if you can't, explain yourself so well and thoroughly that they won't hurt you. It works for misdeeds - which is mainly where we see him use it - but it works for emotions as well.

But this time, he doesn't. He doesn't justify his reaction, doesn't explain why he thinks the way he does. No, he hits Tav with the cold hard truth and nothing but that and it's so. good.

"I may not have the moral highground when it comes to betraying trust, but right now I see everything I've been trying to escape in you. Even I deserve better than this. We're done."

LOOK AT HIM FUCKING GOOOO! 🎉

First he realises and admits that yes, he's made mistakes and he's been a piece of shit too, which is great.

(I know I'm putting a lot of emphasis on self-reflection in this one, but he could do with a lot of that. Astarion is awfully unreflected in a lot of his behaviour at first and that is always detremental. We NEED to reflect on our own actions to see where we're wrong or maybe even where we're right.)

But, at the same time, he knows he doesn't have to take this. He doesn't have to take Tav's shit, because he's better than this. He deserves better and honestly? I've got nothing to add.

I love this, I wish this had been all he'd said and that is exactly the reaction he should've had.

To be entirely honest, I was a bit miffed that he still forgives Tav so easily - I get it, it's a game of choices, so obviously they'll give us an option to get Astarion to stay with us - but meh. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

But this last one? Perf. Absolutely fucking perfect and precisely the growth I like to see.

Puuh, that was a bit longer than I intented, I'm sorry! Let's just revise that, in the end, it's save to say that I do like the new reaction MUCH better.

Even the parts I personally don't agree with - namely any forgiveness for cheaters, because cheaters are loosers that don't deserve shit - I can respect, because he's still honest and reflected. He could probably reasonably explain the choice he made.

Not only can he explain it, no, it's a decision that very clearly costs him a little and he doesn't seem to make it all willy nilly.

That is enough. If it's a good choice or not doesn't matter that much, because mistakes and regret are a part of healing and growing. You can't avoid those.

Just being able to be honest about how he feels, how difficult this is and how Tav hurt him shows that he's starting to drop the habits that were tortured into him for so long and that is, in this part of the journey, absolutely enough.

Anyway, I hoped I answered your question and if not, feel free to let me know and I'll try again! Have a lovely day ♥️

Edit because I forgot to mention: My opinion regarding Astarion and poly-relationships as a whole remains unchanged, regardless of how he reacts to Mizora. Those two situations don't really sit on the same bracket, because one is an agreement and the other is a breach of trust.

So I still really do believe he's alright with them, as long as they're discussed!

[erme-maererme]

minthara and astarion are actually quite alike in many respects, especially when it comes to their worldviews.

most obviously, their approach to power/fear is distinctly along the lines of “they hurt me >>> i must become them/get their power”. it’s been said many times about astarion before, but minthara with her equating the absolute with orin and then wanting to become the absolute is very similar to astarion’s ascension. a significant part of the interactions with both of them as companions is spent on them talking about their experiences with orin/cazador and also convincing you how incredibly dangerous, evil and powerful they are. and you promise them revenge, and they go "yes yes love revenge how about we also take their power and rule the world". in these conversations, while i think the goal is partly to share and receive emotional support, the reality constructing function is more important to them, they’re filling the gaps in your knowledge of the world with these presentations, these are our villains and we go about them like this. astarion is not subtle about it, “thank you, but this isn’t about pity”, admits that he only shared so you would know to stay alert. although he definitely wants the sympathy too, 1) to make his convincing/manipulations more effective, 2) he does want comfort, however he’s definitely ignoring these feelings at that point in the game.

btw this isn’t to say that their experiences are the same, but they definitely informed their worldviews similarly. as i write here, it’s also why they are the only characters with the canonical motivation to control the elder brain other than durge, but durge has their own thing going on.

oh, and minthara and astarion have tons of issues when it comes to trusting other people, both in terms of friendship and family. minthara shares the story of how her mother tried to assassinate her, which is a norm in the drow society. for astarion it’s definitely the dynamics between the spawn siblings. when we meet petras and dalyria, it’s clear that conflicts were very common among them. then again, dalyria and astarion seem to be treating each somewhat nicer than the rest of the spawn, so i think some comfort was possible between them. but then again, one night they treat your wounds and give comfort, and the other tell cazador on you or are made too or they are compelled to torture you or you them and this repeats itself again and again. therefore, in both minthara’s and astarion’s cases the pain was to be expected at random, even from those people that are supposed to be on your side maybe and are not even the main threat, without any means to predict when affection and care will replace themselves with cruelty and betrayal. so, yeah, “our enemies are everywhere”. but they're also extremely loyal, if you do earn their trust (romanced or not).

basically, i like to think they understand each other pretty well.

[animentality]

Maybe a hot take, but I think Durge is the real protagonist of BG3. Like... I'm sorry, everyone love their Tavs, but from a narrative point of view, it doesn't have fucking sense. It's just another guy (gender neutral) in a The Choosen One situation. I've read this story before, hundreds of times. But Durge's recepción (or disgrace)... now that has juice! That makes sense on a narrative level. You started it, you end it, one way or another.

Anyway, I'm never (with my +500 hours) going to play a Tav run. Ever. Origins only, mostly Durge. Durge and Durgetash are waaaaay better, sorry not sorry.

You are spitting nothing but facts, anon.

You wanna know what the HONEST to GOD fundamental problem is with the writing of Baldur's Gate 3?

It's that it spreads itself so thin, desperately attempting to write an open sandbox sort of world in which ANY kind of character can fit in...that it ends up being this hollow nothing.

IMAGINE if the Dark Urge WAS the default protagonist. It WOULD'VE BEEN an amazing story, if it had been given the focus it deserved, instead of just blankly repeating the SAME dialogue you'd get as a Tav and as an origin.

The idea of a former villain turned amnesiac, and going on an adventure, learning about themselves from the perspective of an outsider and seeing firsthand the horror they've wrought? It's like a fucking Zuko arc, except finding out you were the Big Bad all along could've been written even better than that...

We could've had that blank, nothing slate that Tavs start out as...and then find out, that it has thematic significance, because WE CHOOSE who we become, after a childhood/adulthood of being unable to make our own choices, and being forced into the role of the villain before the game even starts.

It's a MUCH BETTER WAY to give people a blank slate to work with, for the fun of roleplaying, but ALSO asserting a particular theme. Which is, the gravity of your choices, big and small. To do good or to embrace evil.

YOU KNOW. How Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 did being a Bhaalspawn.

IT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT WAY to DO an RPG because yes, you slightly infringe upon the freedom of the customizable characters a person can make, but in exchange, you actually tell a fucking story where choices are the main theme.

INSTEAD. Because they were so dedicated to Tavs and the variety of ways you could play as a Tav...they completely undersell and underutilize what could've been a really amazing character.

You can literally choose to DIE for your friends in the end...and then what?

Withers brings you back in five seconds, no one has any real reaction to you doing that, except saying good job buddy :)

And then you're basically a Tav.

And ALSO. I want to say this, because it's been bothering me.

The Dark Urge has Tav syndrome too.

They have TWO notes in the entire game that we have to read into to try and glean a greater depth to their character other than murder hobo.

And that's it. They're a blank slate too.

If the Dark Urge was the protagonist, we might've been able to look into who they were before, outside of just laughably evil flesh eating monster.

They might've had real fucking depth, instead of just tidbits.

I and my fellow Dark Urge/ Durgetash enjoyers have to do the fucking work for them and write in stuff that isn't actually there. The Dark Urge as a protagonist could've been really meaningful. We could've seen inklings that they had misgivings about being Bhaal's Chosen. We could've seen scars of resistance, where they tried to defy Bhaal, but were punished with death, disintegration by the loving hands of your own father and flesh. We could've had betrayal, redemption, loyalty to one's blood family vs one's found family.

But we don't get that, because it's taking too much time away from Tavs.

Sometimes I really wish the Dark Urge wasn't even an option. They gave me this thing, and I thought wow this is the only way to play the game...and then I look and see, ah. But the potential for greatness could drive me absolutely insane.

And it has.

Durgetash is the product of my frustration with the game's characterization of the Dark Urge.

And I know I'm pissing off the salty BG3 fans who love their Tavs and all, and think the Dark Urge is lame, and god FORBID a protagonist have a character, can't have that in an RPG, but I can't find it in myself to care.

I'm built different than the rest of y'all. I don't just feed on content, I analyze its nutrients. I calculate how good for me it actually is.

And BG3 has wonderful mechanics.

But the story has so many problems, from beginning to rotten end.

And it is what it is. I still enjoyed myself playing it.

But the story isn't good for anything except allowing you to create a far more compelling story on your own, in fanfic or in original work inspired by it.

And I guess if that's all they wanted, then fine.

But goddamnit, I'm gonna complain anyway! Divinity 2 did it fucking better.

[thedragonwriter42]

So, recently I've started a Karlach run after I had my first with my tiefling Tav romancing her, just to see what her side of the story looks like. And well, I have things to say. Spoilers obviously.

First of all, I miss her so much. I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear Samantha Béart's voice in my ears to give Karlach personality. Though I try very hard to play her faithfully, the fact that almost every bit of voice acting disappears really reduces her to a shell of herself.

So here are some things I've noticed during my Karlach run, (I have a poly mod on, I wanted to explore the other romances (well, except Gale, sorry I just can't) with Karlach because how else was I supposed to look at the others if she was an option):

1. She does not turn blue when you kiss someone. Anyone.

2. While you do get some voice lines from her, they're not Karlach's really. They're Tav's just with Samantha Béart's voice.

3. You do get some Karlach voice overs pertaining to her own questline. It turns into a sort of dialogue between the narrator and her. They are few and far between.

4. When you first encounter Astarion, he can still grab Karlach by the neck and wrestle her to the ground. After her releases her, she can tell him he almost got incinerated but why exactly doesn't he?

5. When you first meet Gale, Karlach can pull him from the portal if she focuses enough on her flames to dampen the heat. Apparently she has a lot more control over those flames than we think.

6. Good thing, because that means she can scratch Scratch and the owlbear cub from the beginning.

This all makes the hug we get as Tav or Durge when we fix her engine less earned since she could touch anyone anytime if she focused hard enough. I thought you could somehow ask someone else in your party to help you with Gale. I understand that Astarion's scene would have had a completely different animation if he touched Karlach and got burned... but still, it feels strange that he can wrestle her to the ground and live! Perhaps have the perception check be an automatic success for Karlach or something?

7. When Astarion proposes sex at the tiefling party, you don't have the option to tell him right away that she'll burn him up if he touches her. You need to say yes to sex only to be like "oh sorry, actually no sex for either of us because big fire". And while it makes Astarion's romance scene very interesting and unique to Karlach, it still feels like you somehow led him on. Like, he took off his shirt and everything!

8. I did not get the Wyll kiss at the tiefling party so I don't know what happens if he does kiss her. He only touched the back of her shoulder and I feel like that's okay since it was sort of covered.

9. I also could not get the Lae'zel scene at the tiefling party so that part is a mystery to me.

10. A good thing though, is that you get Karlach's update pretty early in act 2, early enough to arrive before all of the romance scenes that happen afterwards. However, unless the romance scene has a hug, Karlach doesn't hug ANYONE. Everyone had a line of dialogue with her but no one TOUCHED HER. It feels wild that you can't jump on anyone after you get the upgrade. You touch Dammon's hand and that's it. There was an option to flirt with Dammon but I didn't take it because I wanted someone else to hug me, anyone else. Maybe I should have. Who knows what would have happened.

11. I appreciated Astarion having a special line and kiss after Karlach's upgrade. He is the only one you can kiss even if his act 2 romance scene has not triggered. All the others make you wait. While I did appreciate that part, why does Astarion grab her like that?? It felt so aggressive and controlling! It felt like something Ascended!Astarion would do!

11. You do get the option to be an absolute fangirl about Jaheira in the dialogues with her. I loved it!!! There is even an option in act 3 to spar with her at camp though it is only mentioned.

12. I do like that every time Gortash is mentioned, the narrator chimes in with something relevant to Karlach. Not a single missed opportunity there.

13. In act 3, Lae'zel and Shadowheart propose a long term romance with the player whether they are Karlach or not and you do not have the option to tell them that you are going to die soon. It's either break their heart or pledge a future you don't have. A tragedy.

14. Should have put this in the beginning but Karlach's party banter disappears as well. I'm not sure I understand why but it subtracts a lot of her personality as well. There is even on banter with Minsc where he screams a battle cry and Tav/Karlach answers but they stay silent, it's so sad because it would have been perfect with Samantha's voice! Even Tav's voice!

15. Karlach's reactions also disappear from the dialogues. I understand why. It forces the player into an alignment but it makes me miss her so much.

16. I have to say that everyone just following the player's lead is a lot more understandable when it's Karlach. Even if my Tav was a hunk of a Tiefling. Karlach has a lot more presence and is intimidating. She makes a great figurehead for the group I think.

I have not gone further in act 3 than this. I have not gone through the major personal questlines yet, I will update when I do.

[flamemittens]

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.

[smallnico]

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

[alpaca-clouds]

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).

[de-pointe-du-lioncourt]

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.

[cacturne]

1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 20, 43 for the oc asks! :]

OH FUN!!

1. Your first OC ever?

I kind of started out as an OC vagabond, as a kid i would just draw Sonic design after Sonic design and immediately move on without drawing more art of them, i just designed characters i thought were cool and did nothing else. Maybe made a small Flipnote story on my DSi featuring them but they would never stick. (maybe this is the origin story of how i got so into character design?)

So one day i very vividly remember telling myself to make a proper OC so i could become the most popular artist on Deviantart and have everyone draw fanart of my OC (<- most enterprising ~10 year old) so i sit down and draw Spike the Hedgehog, son of Shadow and Rouge (even though he was orange??) and i had literally nothing else on him because i didn’t think it was necessary.

I may have surviving art of him on my DSi but i don’t have access to it at the moment so take this quick doodle of him instead. He is orange and purple because ☝️ orange and purple were my favorite colors. (They still are, good taste)

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

I DOOOO usually it shifts depending on the fandom i am currently fixated on since i’m much more of a fandom OC creator than an original OC creator but it hasss to be my girl Vulture right now. I love her so dearly. She’s my sweetums my darling my little bald womanlet with the stupidest but also sweetest situationship ever. I can relate to her in some ways which i think contributes to it, but i’m too embarrassed to go too into that. Also she’s the reason i got my buzzcut we’re literally matchies!!

If i had to pick from my original OCs though, then either 02, a legacy OC (~5 years old) and thus has a soft spot in my heart. “Android” princess that used to be human and now has to re-learn how to be.

Or Throne, an immortal Paladin that is being constantly controlled by its goddess who is on a revenge quest because everyone forgot her, and is still kept alive solely by her pet Paladin’s forced fervent faith!

4. A character you rarely talk about?

Pbbtt prooobably Buzzard? He rarely gets screen time compared to my other birdies (sorry girl!)

Well to give you the crash course, Buzzard (he/she) is the Hawke in my second world state. He’s an aggressive two-handed warrior and built like a brick shithouse which he definitely uses to his advantage. Takes the whole “protecting your family” thing a bit too seriously and very willingly does shady mercenary work to earn money, keeps doing it even after the Deep Roads without much of an excuse. Unlike what you would expect from her archetype she’s actually pretty sweet and caring when off the job, which can induce quite the whiplash with people just getting to know her. Is also a great cook and tends to be a bit overbearing toward the people she loves. Her mabari is named Bella in reference to one of my favorite videos of all time.

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

I actually have kind of a complex regarding OCs looking too similar to one another or canon characters so i don’t have any that look SUPER similar but i do have these two bitches!

My two durges! Forgive the older art, it kind of hurts to look at. They don’t look suuper similar outside of being drow and sharing some of the durge flavor traits i like to give to my durges (black sclera for instance) but if i called them sisters you would probably believe me right? And that’s what counts .

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot

Right now i’m a big Adina fan (belongs to @herearedragons) RAAHHH COOL AS FUCK BEST FRIENDS WITH AN ARTISTIC STREAK AND A FASCINATING RELATIONSHIP WITH SPIRITS‼️‼️ SHE’S EVERYTHING‼️‼️‼️

But also, i like SO MANY of my mutuals OCs so definitely do not count yourself out here. Yes you, 🫵 you reading this. I like your OC A LOT!!!

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

Nooot really as a job or hobby? Singing in and of itself is something that highly embarrasses me, so i don’t really engage with it that often (not that i hate it or anything it’s just that thinking about the act of singing being related even a little bit to me makes me want to hide in a corner)

BUT Stork does tend to sing to herself when playing a song on the piano that has lyrics! It usually gradually evolves from humming into singing if she gets really into it, not full on belting just quietly singing to herself, barely audible over the sound of the piano itself. Though if anyone at all heard it she WOULD die on the spot. Please pretend you didn’t.

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

YES. YES I MOST CERTAINLY DO. IT’S EMBARRASSING.

Off the top of my head: -Lesbian -Autistic (intentional) -Autistic (unintentional) -Lanky (i like my girls like i like my beanpoles‼️) -No bangs (slick that hair back babygirl!) -Character has a loving mother no matter what -Pushed into a role they don’t want against their will -Difficulty expressing emotion -Unexpressive faces (ties into difficulty expressing emotion somewhat) -Likes puns -Overly devoted to their romantic interest -Not normal (non-human, powers, ostracized etc)

There’s definitely more, but i can’t think of more at the moment. Do You Think I’m Neurodivergent . . . Be Honest . . .

[maegalkarven]

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."

[eye-of-yelough]

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 🙄

[gale-dekarios]

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."

[veilkeeper]

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.

[thegempage]

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."

"And blood on our hands."