#also i know she says it to origin wyll but i wish you could see her giving him horn care tips otherwise

[grey-wardens]

[keicordelle]

You know, I was going to make a post about how, for all that Mizora says she can't undo the magic that transforms Wyll, there are plenty of ways a powerful enough spellcaster could restore him to his original body, but when I went to read up on the spells I had in mind-- there really isn't, huh?

The obvious go to is True Resurrection. I mean, you don't even need the dead person's body to restore them to life, the spell creates one for them. And admittedly, the spell description is a little vague about restoring them to their own body, but I have to assume that's the intent. It does restore undead to their non-undead form, so it can alter the body of whoever it resurrects, but given that it states that so clearly, I'm reluctant to assume it'd be the same for someone altered in a different fashion (say, a werewolf, or perhaps someone twisted into a devil as a result of their pact). It does clear curses and other nefarious effects, so if it's a curse laid upon him then maybe it would work. But I think the chances of it simply giving him back his devilish body are pretty high, and given the 25k gold price tag on it, that's not really a risk I'd want to take.

Resurrection is similarly worded, except it can't clear curses or raise undead, so probably even less likely to restore Wyll's human body.

Clone can restore your youth, but given that it requires an offering of flesh to cast, I think it's safe to assume the test-tube grown Wyll would also bear horns and pointy bits where he does not particularly want them. If even Mizora can't undo the magic that turns him, I have to assume it's transformed him down to his DNA, and growing a new body from that same flesh will result in the same appearance.

Reincarnation could craft him a new body with a reasonably high likelihood of not being a tiefling, but he wouldn't necessarily be human -- and even if he was, it crafts him an entirely new body, like hitting the randomizer on a character creator. There's almost a 0% chance he'd end up looking like he used to. So new appearance yes, original body no.

If he felt like dipping into less savory techniques, he could try Magic Jar and then possessing someone else's body, but again, that doesn't really help him regain his human form.

True Polymorph could work, depending on how you define "creature". Is a human a different creature than a tiefling? Or are we talking broad categories here? Do I need to turn from a humanoid into an aberation? (This could work though to turn a mindflayer back into a humanoid though, couldn't it? Hmm...) The changing of stats makes the idea of tiefling-human transformation a little awkward, but it could work. Maybe. Just make sure he's stripped down before you cast it, or you're losing all that lovely gear you spent 17 levels gathering.

And of course there's always Wish, but I'm not sure there's a Wizard in the world who wants to risk that 33% chance of never being able to cast it again.

But I also feel like all of that is moot, because I really don't think Wyll would take you up on it if you offered. For all that his new form discomforts and discomfits him, I think he'd refuse to part with it. He wears his altered, intimidating form with pride, because it stands for his beliefs, his refusal to bow down in the face of evil when his morals are on the line. For all that he looks the part of a devil, that body represents his complete and utter goodness, and even if that's probably not how he sees himself, I think that he would want to keep his body if only to show that you can look like the most monstrous version of yourself and still hold true to your virtue. And once he's had some time to grow accustomed to the horns and the stares, he would not wish to erase his body and what it stands for, even if the opportunity presented itself.

[ladyduellist]

BG3 TAG GAME ✨⚔️

This one looks like a lot of fun! Thanks to my lovely friend @verbenaa for thinking of me!

Favorite romance: Astarion. I think it goes without saying that a lot of people have been able to relate to his plight in some form: whether that is through physical abuse, sexual assault, emotional abuse, or other traumas. He is not a perfect man and is a downright shitty person in the beginning, but if we never give people a chance to grow, we will never see them bloom either. He is a great example of us taking the time to understand why a person is the way the are and having a bit of humbleness in that regard. Astarion isn't just his trauma and I believe there's a lot of lessons to be learned through his character. That's what initially attracted me to him.

Favorite class to play: This is the first DnD game I was able to experience playing as a bard and I instantly fell in love with it! Otherwise, I do really enjoy playing as a beefy fighter or monk!

Favorite NPC: Hmm...Kethric Thorm is the first that comes to mind. He stole the show for me in Act 2 and I found his character to be incredibly compelling. I also have a soft spot for Roland, Alfira, and that sweet baby angel gnome, Barcus Wroot.

Favorite song off the soundtrack: Wash My Dreams Away, Nine blades, Who Are You, and Weeping Dawn to name some!

Tell us a little about your Tav: Tavelle is a balance to Astarion. He is outwardly a charming prickly extravert that is inwardly unsure, afraid, and anxious. Tavelle, on the other hand, is outwardly a humble introvert that is inwardly calm, slowly processes things, with bouts of depression. She's corny, flirty, quiet, feels confident in the skills she knows—readily showing them off—but suffers from making real connections with people due to her severe trust issues and sometimes lack of self worth. I could go on and on and on about her honestly!

Something you wish was in the game: I think some of the companions need more development. Halsin, Wyll, and Minthara are lacking big time in those areas. I also wasn't thrilled with how Act 3 felt overall. While I did enjoy the quests, it felt too much like I was playing in a sandbox of filler fetch missions, instead of enriching the story we were already playing through. Also, I actually really liked the original idea Larian had planned for the tadpoles??? It seemed actually quite interesting!

Do you create fanworks? Share something with us: I am a lover of inner turmoil, angst, and poetry. If you are too, please check out Epistles of Saints & Sinners! This fic has been the longest project I've ever worked on in terms of writing and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon.

Tagging: @inkymoonbunny @preciouslittlebhaalbae @kalmiaphlox @bhaalsdeepbat @roguishcat

[shiniestcrow]

Sage freezes the first time they come across a mirror after Volo's failed attempt at extracting the parasite.

Really, it could have been much worse all things considered. Sure, they lost their eye but the prosthesis Volo gave them really balanced things out. Their sight isn't even worse for wear. And on top of that, they now don't have to rely on magic or potions to see invisibility. Worth the pain, really.

And yet, that first glance at their face makes them freeze up. They turn to fully face the mirror. Their reflection feels... off. Rationally, they know why. Their eye colour changed. Gone is the extremely pale grey, replaced by a strange mix of blue and green. And that is exactly it, isn't it?

It's gone. Their original eye colour is fully gone, never to be seen again.

Sage closes their eyes and turns away from the mirror. It doesn't matter.

-

That evening, Sage keeps staring into the flames of the campfire, mind returning to the sight of their reflection.

"Hey, you," Karlach startles them out of their thoughts, and Sage can't help but smile at her as she sits down next to them. They note the careful distance she always keeps, just close enough that Sage can feel the heat coming off her without risking any accidental touch.

"Hey," they answer, mildly distracted by the reflections of the fire on her skin.

"Soo," Karlach says, drawing the word out. Sage finally notices the discomfort she is projecting.

They open their mouth, but Karlach is faster: "Are you alright?"

Sage blinks. And then blinks again because their new eye still feels a little strange.

"Sure," they say, shrugging. "Why?"

Karlach leans towards them then, staring at their face. No, at their eyes. "Because of that. You keep blinking, and you looked like you were freaking out a bit when you looked into that mirror earlier today."

Ah. Had they really been that obvious? Sage leans back on their hands, and Karlach gets the hint, immediately moving back too.

"It's fine. Just something to get used to." They smile grimly. "Besides, it was my choice. I knew the risk."

"Yeah, about that. I didn't want to ask and make you uncomfortable before, but why did you let that weird guy poke out your eye?"

Sage snorts and immediately tries to hide it behind their hand. Karlach just smiles at them.

They shrug. "Figured one of us should let him try on the off-chance that he could actually get the parasite out."

Karlach stops smiling. "And it had to be you because...?"

They shrug again. "I could hardly ask any of you to try it. No, I'm the one that wanted to know, so I'm the one that had to do it."

"Not that I'm volunteering him, but maybe Wyll could have tried? Considering that one of his eyes is already fake."

Sage winces. "Uh, best not to interfere with an eye given to you by your patron. Speaking from experience here."

Karlach stares at them for a moment. "You mean..." She points between her own eye and Sage's left one. "That one isn't natural?"

They can't help themself; they laugh. "Oh no, no. That one used to be grey, too. Turned black when I made my pact. It lets my patron properly see what I see, and I can still use it, so it's not really a drawback for me."

"Right," Karlach says.

There is a moment of silence.

Karlach eventually breaks it, sounding somewhat hesitant. "So, your original eye colour was that pale grey, right?"

Sage nods. They're pretty sure they know where Karlach is going with this. They're not happy about it.

"And one of your eyes turned black."

They nod again and look away. Better to stare into the fire than see whatever expression Karlach is making.

"And now the other one was replaced, too."

They don't nod this time, just shrug. "Yep. I'm all out of grey."

Karlach makes an unhappy noise in the back of her throat, and Sage looks up, alarmed.

"Gods, I wish I could hug you right now and smooch that stupid face of yours," Karlach whines, flopping on her back dramatically.

Sage snorts again. They really can't help themself around her. They also have to stop themself from patting her arm patronisingly, no matter how funny it would be in their head.

"It's fine, really," they say instead. "Like I said, I'll get used to it. And it's not like people ever stopped staring at my eyes. First, it was because they were too pale and then because one was black. That part hasn't changed."

"But it's not fair!" Karlach sits up again, pointing a finger at Sage. "You should be able to keep your eye colour of all things!"

"Karlach," Sage smiles softly at her. They have the feeling that her reaction isn't entirely due to what happened to them. "You're very sweet, but keep in mind that this is entirely the result of my own choices. I chose to make my pact and I chose to let Volo poke around the way he did. I could have told him to stop at any point. I didn't. I wanted to see if he would be successful and was willing to accept both pain and consequences. In fact, him having a replacement ready that would still let me see out of it is a very fortunate outcome. It's okay. I'm okay."

Karlach doesn't cry, but she does sniffle quietly. Sage, too, wishes they could hug her.

"I liked the grey," she mumbles, but there is a small smile back on her face. Sage returns it readily.

"I just hope that wasn't the only thing you liked about me. Might make me regret my choices after all."

Karlach laughs and Sage feels warm inside. This is better. Karlach shouldn't be sad. Especially not on their behalf. No, Karlach deserves to be happy. And if Sage can help with that, well, they're determined to do everything in their power to do exactly that.

[nerdalmighty]

i thought you might wanna know that i finally finished my first playthrough of bg3!! in my game, shadowheart chose to save her parents, which apparently has a hidden set of requirements that i unintentionally came across while playing. wyll and karlach went to avernus together, astarion let the spawn go free to live in the underdark and is trying to do good in his own way, and lae'zel was convinced to stay in faerun and find her own path. and gale and my tav got married and moved to waterdeep and now gale is a professor lol. the game has its flaws just like anything does, but needless to say i loved it and i thought the ending was beautiful.

Hey congrats!! I still haven't finished my first play through, but to be fair I want to finish it while my roommate watches and we haven't had any time to play recently. Which is SAD but I'm also glad I can log on whenever I want and still kiss the vampire with my original Tav lol (not that I wouldn't still be able to, but it's different, you know?)

I legit had no clue that Shadowheart could make different choices, that's actually so cool! In my game she chose to let them die and turn into moon motes, but in my roommate's she chose to save them and we fully thought it was a glitch. LOVE THAT! Wish there were more things like that.

I fully plan on sending Wyll off with Karlach, in my head they've become besties! Plus Wyll is literally the Blade of Avernus! Let him go!

I think Lae'zel will go to the Astral plane in my game, if only because I plan to use Orpheus for That Thing and I love the idea of her proving herself and taking his place.

I'm still nervous I accidentally condemned Gale to Godhood (I made HIM retrieve the Annuls of Karsus which I THOUGHT would be a good thing but turns out was a no-no), so it'll be interesting to see what he chooses in my game, but in a perfect world, he'd be a professor in my game.

As for Astarion, that guy's still a spawn and he and my Tav are def gonna look for a cure to let him walk in the sun again. Ideally they'd do everything (adventure, look for a cure, help the spawn in the underdark, etc), but that's the option I'm going to pick.

SIGH! Still putting it off because I don't want it to end. But I know it will eventually.

Love the endings you got and glad you had such a good time! Agree, there are flaws, but overall a great time! Thanks for the update and let me know if/when you start a new game!!!

[theowritesfiction]

Hi @theowritesfiction !!!

I just wanted to say that I absolutely adored chapter 30. It was a rollercoaster. Aang and Sokka are something else, aren’t they? So are Azula and Zuko. Can’t even behave at Kiyi’s birthday. Though I would posits that the entire thing with the candles was Zuko’s fault. Also it was weirdly sweet to see Azula sticking for her friend. If violently. Though I’m pretty sure that Mai has already moved on with a new fiancé…😉

————

I also had a question/prompt I just thought up for ya. It’s an ATLA/BGIII idea.

In one of the Karlach endings, the character that the player well plays (being either a custom/Tav, the Urge, or another origin) can choose to accompany a romanced Karlach to Avernus.

Say Azula at some point is sent to Avernus through a strange spirit accident. Either during her early childhood, the night Ursa leaves, or at some point during or after the show.

Once in Avernus, Azula is quite understandably shocked at what’s going on. After wondering for a few moments she is accosted by a passing patrol of Imp. Depending at what age Azula is sent to Avernus she either deals with the imps herself or nearly killed.

While Azula is accosted, a nearby Karlach and character that romanced her see what is happening and swiftly intervene. Rescuing Azula.

From that point onwards, Azula is basically adopted by Karlach and the (formerly played) character.

Sure, Azula is in one of the hells. But she is raised by Karlach so it evens out no? Even if she has to live in the blood war. Constantly hunted by Zariel as the de facto adopted daughter of Karlach. During that time, Azula is also on a relentless quest to fix Karlach’s infernal engine.

Of course, no ATLA related thing is complete without Azutara. So at some point in time Katara (and possibly other members of the Gaang/dangerous ladies) is either sent to Avernus via spirit tomfoolery, or Azula is somehow sent back to the world of Avatar. Though I don’t know what kind of big conflict Azula and Katara would fight against. Perhaps there is a devil or a demon they have to fight against. Maybe even Zariel, on a quest to rescue Karlach? Perhaps one devil wishes to merge their plain of hell with the mortal world of Avatar. Amin to Molag Bal’s plan in Elder Scrolls Online.

That the idea! Or at least a preliminary idea for your consideration.

Hi, @745voiceofthepeople ! Glad to hear you enjoyed the latest AKN update! Yes, Aang and Sokka had to take a little dumbing down for comedy's sake. ;) Azula and Zuko are the worst - and Azula probably wouldn't have cared too much about Zuko and Mai breaking up, but Azula just finds it very offensive that Zuko would choose Jet above her best friend.

Speaking about ATLA and BG3, I actually encountered that ending for Karlach in my game. My tiefling bard romanced Karlach and ended up joining her in Avernus. Oh, and Wyll came along with them, probably to carry their bags and do butler stuff.

Avernus is a very fiery place, that's for sure. Maybe Azula could end up there because the spirits very angry with her if she maybe used her firebending to do something bad, so perhaps it was a kind of punishment for her.

I think Azula and Karlach could have a very interesting relationship. Karlach is a rather simple girl and she would need time to understand why Azula is the way she is. But Karlach also has a good heart and Azula is just a kid, so she'd try to be patient with Azula. I think Azula would be frustrated that Karlach's default approach to problem solving is to chop them with an axe. But Azula would come to appreciate Karlach's loyalty and she would become invested in helping fix Karlach's engine.

Bringing in the other ATLA characters in this scenario might be a challenge, though. I currently have no clear ideas how I would do that. :) But thank you so much for the interesting idea!

[mumms-the-word]

THIS.

Okay, so for those who want to trigger this horrible (but oh so compelling) alternative bargain for yourselves, the way I accidentally triggered it was that I attended Gortash’s coronation, talked to Mizora right after, and then hop-skip-skedaddled right on to the Iron Throne.

(Note: I was only doing that because I was speedrunning an old save to get pictures in the Iron Throne for fic reasons lmao but I could see a plot/narrative trajectory that has a Tav/Durge going “This Gortash fellow is weird, let’s spend the day investigating him” and somehow ending up here too. But I digress. You also get this bargain if you kill Gortash at the coronation, or kill Gortash after the coronation without doing the Iron Throne but somehow haven't triggered Mizora's deal yet because you haven't long rested.)

I have...so many thoughts about this but I'll put them under the cut. The TLDR is that OP is so on point, I'm just showing screenshots to help support their point that yeah this is AWFUL.

It’s honestly kind of baffling that the game or Mizora defaults to her frankly weaker bargain (i.e., Wyll gives up his soul in exchange for Mizora telling him where his father is and promising to not let him die, vs. Wyll breaking his pact and Mizora being like “guess your dad’s dead then idk”). Because like OP said, she’s just bargaining with knowledge and a flimsy promise that she’ll shield Ulder Ravengard from harm. If she really wanted Wyll’s soul, and she is capable of plucking Ulder from the jaws of death, then why not just wait?

Ulder’s death is inferred to be at the hands of Gortash, most likely. Wyll himself says this the moment he’s outside of the Iron Throne and lashing out against the injustice of his father dying.

Wyll: My father, gone. I can hardly believe it. I thought the Absolute would have use for him. A general, a figurehead, something. Why infect and imprison him, only to kill him? I—I don’t understand… Tav: I’m sorry. I’m sure this isn’t easy. Wyll: To see my father laying there, lifeless…I will make Gortash pay. I will make Orin pay. And I will make that godsforsaken elder brain pay. Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard will be avenged.

If Mizora knows that’s inevitable, why not just hang back until then? Because this deal is so much more compelling than the default. Like, I get from a gameplay standpoint it’s meant to prompt you to try and pursue finding the Duke, and eventually get the Ansur questline rolling, but still. If Ulder is dead, Mizora’s bargaining position is so much stronger, especially if you’re playing as an Origin!Wyll.

Mizora: Your father is dead, Wyll. The Dead Three have claimed their prize. Wyll: It can’t be. I don’t believe you. Mizora: I’ve no reason to lie. He’s gone—for good, some might say. But not every death is forever. — Wyll: Shit. What did you do, Mizora? Mizora: I had no hand in your father’s death, Wyll. But that doesn’t mean he might not still live.

If you play as Wyll, Mizora reveals that “The Dead Three have claimed their prize.” Wyll’s dad isn’t just in the hells or the Fugue Plane, apparently. He’s officially a sacrifice of Bhaal or Bane, whichever one got to claim him. And since Withers himself generally refuses to mess with the souls in Bhaal or Bane’s domains, because we get locked out of resurrecting companions that Orin sacrifices to Bhaal, we don’t have any options to save him…except Mizora. And if Mizora has that kind of power? To resurrect Ulder from the grips of Bhaal or Bane? Bro, what is one soul—a soul she already has some claim to—compared to a feat like that?

She also tells Origin!Wyll she didn’t have a hand in his father’s death, but come on. She’s proven that she can intervene if she wishes. She just chose not to.

Which is why this bargain to bring back Ulder Ravengard from death is so much more compelling and so much more twisted, especially if she willingly chooses not to intervene on Ulder’s death to set up her bargain better. And like OP said, she times it just right. Wyll isn’t just angry that his father has been killed so arbitrarily (and that dialogue of him swearing to kill Gortash, Orin, and the brain is probably the angriest/darkest I’ve ever heard his dialogue). Wyll is grieving. He literally has a debuff to his ability checks in exchange for better attacks—in other words, he’s lashing out, reckless, not thinking straight because of his grief. What better time to swoop in and suggest a bargain that sounds too good to be true?

Grieving: Condition This creature has Advantage on Attack Rolls but Disadvantage on all Ability Checks while processing the loss of something dear to it.

And so Mizora swoops in. Wyll’s already given up his soul at 17 to save Baldur’s Gate, to save his father’s city, and by extension save his father, too. He wants nothing more than to make sure that his father is safe. It’s been his motivation for years. He’s been chasing down Ulder for weeks at this point, from Waukeen’s Rest to the mind flayer colony to the coronation, always three steps behind, and now he’s seen his father’s broken, abandoned body stuffed behind a cell in Gortash’s underwater prison. He didn’t even get a chance to try and save him. Not once.

What is one soul’s eternal torment in exchange for bringing back a hero of Baldur’s Gate, a leader of the city, a general who is in charge of the Flaming Fist and can lead armies into battle? Even Mizora says as much if you let Wyll sacrifice his soul.

Mizora: Such a touching reunion. It’s enough to bring a tear to my eye. Tav: I’m glad to see Ravengard’s safe. A shame Wyll had to sacrifice his eternal soul for him. Mizora: Is it a shame, though? Is a single soul not worth the return of Baldur’s Gate’s most beloved duke? Imagine the battles he’s still to lead once you’ve flattened the Absolute. Goodness me. For all that, a lone soul is a bargain.

Maybe it sounds unfeeling of me, but it really is a shame this isn’t Mizora’s default bargain. Not because I want to see Wyll suffer, but because it’s just so awful, so compelling, and it adds so much nuance and depth to Wyll’s storyline. This bargain is his last possible chance to save his father and give Baldur’s Gate the leadership it needs to recover after the Absolute is gone.

And all he has to do is agree to serve Zariel for an eternity.

hey so uh

this is definitely a spoiler (at least for an alternative outcome), but apparently, if you go to the Iron Throne first things first, before Mizora would offer to reveal Ulder's location and help you, he's, um.

He's already dead by the time you arrive. And if that happens, what Mizora offers Wyll in the subsequent deal is not knowledge, or a flimsy guarantee of a chance to save Ravengard, but rather, it's...

It's a resurrection. True resurrection.

She offers to essentially... pluck Ulder Ravengard's soul from the Hells, and bring him to camp, no frills, no questions asked. She offers to bring his father, safe and unharmed, back to life and back to him, in exchange for Wyll's soul- which she kind of already had to begin with, making it kind of a fucking bargain at that point.

And Jesus Fucking Christ, this setup... it's just so much worse than the "normal" deal, specifically because it's that much more tempting.

To get this outcome requires Wyll to have seen his father's body, bound and lifeless on the floor of a prison cell. It requires him to be actively mourning, with no chance at closure or redemption, as Mizora shows up, and what she offers him then is the ability to unmake this strand of reality.

Considering that under regular circumstances he is willing to sacrifice his soul for a mere improvement to the chance we already had to save the Duke, I can't even fathom how, in a realistic scenario, we could talk him out of taking this deal.

This is so much more fucked up than the default deal.