#and ended up making him in bg3. hes cursed and scared about it. and scared abt

[mechawolfie]

look at my sad scared pathetic cat man

[animentality]

I love Baldur's Gate and the Dark Urge and all -

And the idea of the Dark Urge redeeming themselves after a lifetime of horror by literally choosing to die and go to purgatory forever is really amazing. In fact, it's why I'm so dedicated to the Dark Urge as a character.

The idea of a villain losing their memory, becoming a hero, and then realizing that they need to die not just once, but twice to truly DESERVE their redemption is honestly brilliant.

But.

But.

Withers revives you way too fucking fast.

You literally die...and then Withers instantly brings you back.

In fact, it takes him fucking longer to revive your COMPANIONS than you, and your companions dying and being revived at camp aren't even part of the story, it's just you fucking something up and not wanting to waste a revive scroll.

Withers bringing you back instantly comes across as like, oh, so dying for your morals, being a true hero in the end, a martyr, defeating the villain, which is you...it's totally negated.

You died for about twenty seconds.

I've known people who died for longer on the operating table.

Where is my lover crying and clutching my body?

Where are my friends, all looking devastated, because they're all gotten to know me and root for me and truly care about me after I've done ALL THIS for them???

So that they could be safe from me?

Where is the emotion?

He brings you back and then your companions have a single line that's essentially just, "good job buddy."

Karlach says something like, I'm proud of you and Wyll says I'll drink in your name or whatever.

And Astarion has a really obnoxious line about how this means you aren't going to attack him anymore...and it's like... okay.

Cool.

So you guys are totally unphased by the fact that you just watched me die...but I suppose death doesn't mean shit in this game, since you have Withers to constantly bring you back.

Cool.

So then what? Nothing matters?

It's just frustrating because I know it's the cut content curse. They had more planned for Orin and the Dark Urge and Bhaal...but it just feels so underwhelming.

I think BG3's primary flaw comes in the fact that they wanted to build this richly crafted narrative, while also accounting for player choice. And they did a magnificent job of adding SO MANY extra scenes and alternate interactions, to the point where I'm still finding new shit, after like 800 hours of playing...

But the tradeoff is that the character stories...fall really flat, because they want so desperately for a Tav to be the main character, and no one else.

The Dark Urge especially suffers from this, because they made them a murder hobo in one ending, and basically just a Tav in the other ending.

As soon as you are brought back by Withers, you might as well just be a Tav. It has no bearing on anything anymore.

And that's such a shame.

I just wish it had some weight. The Dark Urge has spent their entire life ending lives... it should be beautiful, that they would end their own life to atone...their last victim, would be themselves, as they always knew...but for different reasons-

oh wait, withers is here.

cool, i'm back, guys, let's go to arby's and celebrate.

i just think the game should legitimately make you think you died, at least until a long rest or two.

force the squad to go on without you, make someone else your fourth member.

THEN withers can come to you, maybe in some kind of new Jerrgal-form, so you know he's Jergal for sure, and then reveal he was secretly a retired god.

And honestly, that makes Withers a far more interesting character too. To give him this huge hero moment, and have him say, no, this will not stand. I know he HAS that moment, but it's so rushed.

Let the player breathe on it. Let them FREAK OUT. Can you imagine how much stir it would've created, if Dark Urge players LEGIT thought they were dead permanently?

That would've given their sacrifice real weight.

But Larian was scared, probably, of players being upset that their characters are dead, even though that kind of sacrifice is literally the most heroic thing you could do in the game, besides become a damn mindflayer.

So some sacrifice! You sacrificed ten seconds of your life, and your companions barely care.

Alright. Fine.

I'll just be over here writing your story for you!

[your-talos-is-problematic]

WIP Wednesday!

Thank you @umbracirrus @skyrim-forever and @throughtrialbyfire for the tags! Tagging @sylvienerevarine and everyone else who wants to join!

More BG3 stuff! This one’s a retelling of a pretty major scene in early Act 3, so spoilers ahead as usual. Also it’s got missing chunks signified by a double space as usual. I am impressed by some of y’all’s ability to not jump around while you’re writing 😅 I really like writing BG3 and this scene stuck out to me as such an uncomfortable moment in game. I’m quite proud of this WIP so far :D

————————————————————————

A servant approached us and gave an awkward half bow. “The Archduke-to-be wishes to speak with you,” they said. I cursed the ambiguity of the you pronoun in Common. The request felt pointed at Karlach and I, but I waved over Astarion and Wyll anyways. They were locked in what seemed like an extremely boring conversation with a noble. Once they had extracted themselves, I pointed with my tail towards the throne. “It’s go time,” I said. “Remember, we’re staying peaceful for now.” I could feel Karlach’s hand heat up a bit in mine. I pressed a horn to her forearm, hoping she got the message. I don’t want to do this either, but we have to.

Gortash lightly picked up my right hand and placed it between his gloves. I shivered. This is wrong. It was wrong for him to be staring at me so intensely with a face like he was plotting something. It was wrong that Karlach was twenty feet from the man who ruined most of her life and I wouldn’t let her do anything about it. He was even holding my hand wrong- the metal tip of his glove dug into the scales at my wrist. Most stupidly of all, my brain screamed that it was wrong of me to have taken my own gloves off earlier, since it was against the dress code.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. I swear there were more people around earlier. From this angle, everyone was too far, Karlach and Astarion and Wyll and Gortash’s guards. Right now, it was just us and two massive Steel Watchers lurking behind the throne. It was disgustingly private. I held eye contact, but I could feel my heartbeat speed up in panic.

“Your name is Tilia, correct?” he asked. It was such a strange, normal question for him to be asking. Unsettling, but at least it made it easy to answer.

“Tilia of Tragedy,” I clarified. My voice came out shaky.

He smiled and nodded. “A virtue name, I assume. Very infernal.”

Instead of thinking of a response, I just nodded. When had I ever gotten choked up like this? Titles didn’t scare me. Neither did thrones or the middle-aged men who thought they deserved to sit on them. The Steel Watchers scare me, I guess. They had a scent that was very familiar, like they might be made of infernal iron. And there were at least six of them in the room, but only four of us. Stay focused, Tragedy. You’re not fighting right now. “Yes,” I said. I wasn’t quite sure what question I was answering.

As soon as we were in the hall, Karlach whipped around to face me. “What the fuck was that, Tilia?” She sounded both mad and disappointed.

“I know,” I said. I could feel my tail trying to wrap itself around my ankle. Her being mad felt wrong; her being mad at me felt much, much worse. “But we agreed that we’d stay peaceful-“

“We said we’d stay peaceful,” Wyll said. “Not make an alliance with him.” Astarion said nothing, but stared at me with an incomprehensible expression.

At least that was an easy claim to dispute. “We’re not making an alliance with him. I’d never do that.” It was so strange to be on the defensive against Karlach and Wyll.

“Why would you tell him you’d consider it?” Karlach hissed.

“Karlach, I-“ My eyes were watering. I gave up on words and just pointed to the end of the hallway, where a Steel Watcher stood on guard. My friends followed my hand. While the three of them were turned away, I sniffled and tried to regain my confidence. “Right now, we’re too vulnerable to risk angering the city’s government, especially when he has the Steel Watch with him,” I explained, my voice calm. “I didn’t want to refuse his offer outright and give him a reason to be mad. But I promise that I will never, ever accept it. Even if it means the city turns on us.” I stared into Karlach’s eyes, pleading for a reaction.

Wyll spoke first. “I see where you’re coming from, Tilia. I think we all-“ he angled his head towards Karlach- “would have just liked to have been briefed beforehand.”

I pressed my lips together. “In my defense, I was not expecting him to be okay with sharing power with anyone.”

Astarion piped up. “Clearly someone thinks you’d be a good Archduke.” It seemed to snap everyone out of their emotions. Wyll shook his head with a sigh, and Karlach laughed and walked over to me to ruffle my hair. Her hands were still warm, but not dangerously hot anymore.

“I’d be a horrible Archduke,” I said. “Plus I wouldn’t get to use my university degree.”

Karlach leaned down to kiss me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Nerd,” she said with a giggle. “Now let’s get out of here before we run into anybody else.”

“That seems like a good idea.” I grabbed Karlach’s hand. We both waited for Wyll and Astarion to start walking before we did, falling into step a bit behind them.

After a few silent minutes, Karlach asked, “He was talking pretty quiet for a bit there. Did he say anything… weird to you?”

I frowned. “No, but there was an undertone.” I rubbed my forehead scales against her. “That’s kind of the only way you can have two people on the throne, so… I don’t think he meant anything by it.”

She nodded. “Hopefully. Or he just has a thing for tieflings.” We both laughed emptily. My heart was still beating at a mile a minute, and the faint crown of flames around her head made it clear that she wasn’t all the way done with being mad at him. Or at me.

[parvulous-writings]

Could I request dating headcanons for Renton, Micheal, Markus, and IIvon with gn s/o?

Absolutely you can! Just note, if there's any spelling errors or things that don't make sense, please let me know; I wrote this whilst buzzing on work-made vanilla coca-cola, and that stuff is SUGUARY!!

Apologies, also, for these taking so long! I've been working on the BG3 fic on the side, and I got lost in it!

Warnings: None! These guys are just... So sweet. They all take place in their home environs! (The Hillmane farm, Rivington, and Moonrise outside of the shadow curse!)

Renton

Renton is the epitome of 'tries his best' (in a sweet way). He's never been in a relationship before, but he'll do everything he can to show that he cares for you!

Affection is frequent with him, he loves to hold your hand, and take you on walks around the fields of the farm for hours on end. Getting tired? Fear not! He shall carry you! He has those strong arms for a REASON (outside of farm work).

He likes having picnics, in a clearing in the woods just on the outside of the Hillmane farm - you go there at LEAST once a week in summer! When Winter comes, though, he and his father cook meals for you!

He teaches you how to care for animals; their needs, the attention they require - he even starts to show you the individual animal's preferences! He gets a bit nervous when it comes to lambing season, though... What if you think it's all too gross? What if you think he's gross, for helping out? Regardless of what you end up thinking, he shows you how to bottle feed the lambs once they are able to be bottle fed!

If/when he finds out that romantic relationships don't usually start off so hands-on, he feels a little bit guilty. He didn't mean to make you feel like you had to work to earn his love - that was never the case. He just found such joy, and wonder in sharing his life with you.

Micheal

Micheal tries to do everything 'properly' - the full courting process. Dinners, nights out in the gardens of the upper city, spoiling you with gifts - both bought and homemade. He takes things slowly, never wanting to rush you or himself; each moment feels like it's own dose of bliss.

It's only a couple of months before he's introducing you to his family - purely because it's so large, it'd be hard to avoid them all for too much longer. It goes smoothly, and Micheal introduces them all individually, so that you don't get too overwhelmed.

His family is important to him - very much so - but if you don't want to spend a huge amount of time around them, he's amicable about that, he's all too aware about how loud and overwhelming his brothers can be at times, so he doesn't take any offence of that choice, should you take it. However, he won't miss out on too many family occasions - he does always extend an invitation to you, though.

He likes taking you to various inns and taverns to eat in the lower city; that's your typical date with him. Sure, it can be loud and rowdy, but more often than not, Micheal books a lovely intimate booth in the corner, away from the majority of the noise and drunkards.

Markus

Markus can be a bit... Unconventional, compared to the others here. Spending a lot of his time transforming in and out of wildshape has blurred the lines a bit between his more human and animalistic natures. He'll become almost over-protective of you, seeing most other men around you as 'competition'. He is almost too eager to fight with others to gain your affection, but tries to restrain himself, so that he doesn't scare you off.

He likes to take walks through the woods with you; showing you his favourite spots to forage for mushrooms, telling you where to find certain wildflowers. He'll also take you to his favourite tree to nap under - an old Oak tree, that must have been there for at least a couple of centuries. He absolutely loves it - the way he speaks of it, it's like a second home to him.

Expect a lot of gifts; mainly furs and hides with some food - especially when it's coming up to Winter. He tans all the hides himself, and tries to make sure that the furs will be warm enough to keep the deep Winter chill away from you. He'd hate for you to get cold.

Ilvon

Ilvon likes to teach; philosophy, botany, weaving, you name it - he's a natural teacher and he loves to share his knowledge, especially with his beloved. He takes his time, and if you need to be shown or have something explained to you more than once, he's more than happy to help go through it again, slower or in a different way to help you understand.

He helps you understand the animals of the woods surrounding Moonrise. The foxes, wolves, birds and deer - all of them. He teaches you how to identify the tracks of different breeds, or the different types of birdsong. He always tells you about how it's important to stay close and connected with nature, as it is an integral part of the world order, and without it, the whole world may have been drastically, and catastrophically different.

He likes to read with you - or to you, it doesn't really matter. He has many many books that he shares with you, and his druidic clan. Long stories after a day of foraging in the summer is an absolute must, with him. The same with ballads - in the winter, when both of your hands are too cold to turn the pages of a book, he will sing to you. Stories of the gods, of heroes, and of nature. Anything that comes to mind, he will hold you close and sing to you.

[its-jaytothemee]

to find balance - chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Descent

Characters: Arabella

Word count: 1,637

Rating: Teen and up

Read on AO3

Summary: From surviving Elturel's descent into Avernus, to facing peril after peril on the road to Baldur's Gate. At the ripe old age of nine, Arabella truly thought she had seen it all.

But when she touched that idol in the druid's grove, something in her changed. She'll have to learn to navigate this bright new future ahead of her after so much pain and loss. Luckily for her, she'll make plenty of new friends to help her along her journey.

Tags: Arabella POV, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, tiefling shenanigans, anti-tiefling racism, multiple BG3 characters will be making sporadic appearances throughout the fic.

A/N: The brain worms just won't stop wiggling for this stupid game. Enjoy my take on Arabella's experiences through the events of Baldur's Gate, starting with the descent of Elturel into Avernus, going many years past the end of the game.

A lot of things are canon compliant, but the pre and post game things are just my own personal headcanons and the result of many forgotten realms wiki rabbit holes. It was very much inspired by my other ongoing long fic and my OC/Tav from that story will make a few appearances in this one alongside the rest of the tadfools.

Arabella squeezed her eyes shut while letting out a scream.

She’s falling. Falling further than she’s ever fallen before.

Further than the time she climbed on the roof of their house and broke two of her fingers when her foot slipped on a shingle. Further than the time she stepped on a broken branch while scaling a tree in the park, causing her to fall flat on her butt and sprain her tail.

But this time, someone’s holding her. Two someones.

She opened her eyes to see mum and pops huddled around her, hugging her tight between them as the entire city plummeted below the ground. They were kneeling in the street as strange looking winds rushed past them, all three of their tails coiled together.

The air was hot. Hotter than the sweatiest summer day she can remember. And it smells funny, like the time she threw a rotten egg at Umi’s window.

“Close your eyes, Bella,” mum shouted to be heard over the wind.

“I…I’m scared…” she sobbed into their arms. The air was so hot she swore her tears boiled on her face.

Was there another word for scared? One that’s scarier than scared? Because that’s the word she needs to tell her parents how scared she is right now.

“It’s alright my love,” pops yelled back and held her a little tighter. “Just stay close to us.”

Arabella had just been playing outside, chasing a small frog that was hopping along the stones leading up to their house.

Then the ground started to shake underneath her. She had been lucky that mum and pops were home that day. Arabella remembered them running outside as the quakes took over the city. They had barely made it to her side when the city started to fall.

The sun faded with every passing second, giving way to smoke and ash and rock. She saw weird looking meteors rush past them and even weirder creatures flying in the sky.

And then suddenly, she wasn’t falling anymore.

“Komira, run!” She heard pops yelling, but just barely. Her ears had a funny ringing sound in them, like there’s little bells being rung by a tiny pixie inside her brain.

Now she’s in pops’ arms…and he’s running. Their horns were clinking together in a soft rhythm as he sprinted down the road. Arabella had her tail wrapped tight around his waist as she clung to him

“Mum!” she yelled but had to cough a lot afterwards. The air tasted funny too, like the times she stood too close to a fire and the smoke filled her lungs.

“I’m here, Arabella,” mum called back to her, but it was hard to hear past the little pixie ringing the bells in her head.

Mum and pops aren’t the only people running. Everyone was yelling and cursing as they ran past them. She heard pops say something about the High Hall, but she didn’t think they’d ever been invited there.

The High Hall was a place for lords and ladies and other rich folks. Even a duke from Baldur’s Gate was staying there when the city started to fall.

Surely a duke would be a good fighter, and those guys tend to be the hero types. He would help save them, right?

When Arabella finally dared to look up again, she saw a giant black ball hanging in the air where the sun should have been. If it was so dark, why did it still hurt her eyes?

Even though they weren’t falling so fast anymore, the city was still moving further toward the ground. Which really didn’t make sense because she thought they were already standing on the ground.

A groan from pops startled her. She looked at his cheek and saw a big cut running down his cheek.

“Pops! You’re hurt!” she screamed to be heard over the chaos.

“I’ll be fine, Bella, just close your eyes!” he yelled back.

Lightning started to rain down on the city. Each strike summoned a creature that started to chase everyone who was running through the streets. Some of them looked like people but they were twisted and their skin looked kind of gross.

Then she started to hear more screams. Not the same terrified sounds she had heard before, but like the people making that wound were hurt. Really hurt.

She cracked one eye open with the rest of her face buried in pops’ shoulder, immediately wishing she hadn’t.

One of those strange demon zombies had just bitten into someone’s neck, sending a big spray of blood across the stone walkways.

Arabella let out another shriek and started to cry. She turned her head so pops’ neck would help cover her eyes.

I don’t want to be eaten by demon zombies. Why are we even here?

“Bella, love, keep your eyes closed.” Pops squeezed her just a little tighter as he continued to run. She could hear his breath getting heavier, and she hadn’t heard mum say anything in a while.

It’s okay. She’s probably just saving all of her breath for running.

She kept a tight hold on pops, her arms secured tight around his neck while her legs and tail kept wrapped around his waist.

“We’re almost there, Locke!” Finally, mum yelled at them.

“Where are we going?” Arabella yelled through her tears.

“The High Hall.” Pops had a very tight grip on her hips and the back of her head as he ran. “If we can get behind the walls and into the stronghold, we’ll be safer.”

So, they were going to the High Hall. They’d never been there before, she didn’t think–

A scream from mum startled her.

Arabella opened her eyes to try and find her. She had tripped behind them on a broken rock.

“Mum!” she screamed and pointed over pops’ shoulder.

“Shit,” she heard him hiss.

Pops skidded to a stop to go back for her, helping her off the ground just before another strike of lightning burnt the stone where she had been laying. It also brought down another one of those zombies. When he had turned around, Arabella could see the giant stone walls that protected the High Hall over pops’ shoulder.

But it looked like they were closing the gate.

Why would they do that when there were still so many people out in the streets?

Her tears came faster now. If the High Hall was the only place they could be safe, what would happen if they were locked out?

Mum and pops just kept running, even as Arabella screamed into his ears, even as she heard mum let out more infernal curses in one breath than she had ever heard her utter in her life.

She wanted so badly to yell out those curses too. Her parents were far too busy running to care about her cursing.

But she was too scared. No words came out of her mouth, only sobs and screams.

“Hold onto me tight, Arabella.” Pops turned and kissed her temple before squeezing her so hard she thought she might snap in two.

“Why what are you–”

Suddenly, they were flying through the air. For once in her life though, she listened to pops and kept her eyes closed as she clung to him.

Then, they hit something hard. It was the ground. Pops dove through the small gap left between the giant doors that blocked out the courtyard. Mum had landed not far from their side.

On the other side of the doors, Arabella could still hear the screams of everyone else who couldn’t make it in time.

“Everyone, in the keep. Now!”

A bald, dark-skinned man was shouting at them and pointing his sword toward the big doors of the High Hall. He wore armor with a strange symbol on it. It looked like a fist, but it was on fire.

It was chaos trying to get inside. Everyone was pushing past one another, throwing others to the ground to get ahead of them. Arabella was extra grateful pops was still holding her, otherwise she was sure she’d have been trampled to a pulp.

Once the courtyard was cleared, all the guards started stacking things in front of the doors. There were four giant planks of wood that slid into some brackets, but they also piled chairs and tables and chests in front of it as well.

Pops set her down, but Arabella kept her arms wrapped around his waist. Her tail was curled tight around her own leg.

BANG!

The main doors to the keep rattled as the creatures outside tried to claw their way in.

“We’ve almost secured the way forward, Duke Ravengard!” A guard came running into the main hall.

The bald, armored man gave the guard a nod. “Finish clearing it and get these people out of here!”

BANG!

She could have been imagining it, but she could have sworn that one was louder than the last one.

“You’re going to have to be brave now, my sweet girl.” She sniffled before wiping away Arabella’s tears.

BANG! BANG!

Mum and pops knelt on either side of her, wrapping their arms around their shoulders and resting their foreheads against her horns.

Each loud knock against the doors made Arabella flinch away, causing her to dig her claws into their arms. She could hear the shrieks coming from the creatures on the other side.

“But no matter what happens, so long as we’re together, everything will be just fine, my love,” pops whispered to her.

The guard came sprinting back into the room.

“The way is clear. Everyone, this way!”

With that, pops picked her up in his arms again and started to run deeper into the High Hall…just as the doors broke into splintered pieces and the demons broke through.

[carterashofficial]

Things that have happened in my BG3 play through (headcanons and actual things) with my bard Tavi, full name Octavia. This is mostly Act 1 nonsense

-her flute is less a flute and more shitty-elementary-school-recorder but somehow she can make it sound good (and she can passably play just about any instrument)

-Tavi’s ‘flute’ is made of metal and she absolutely has brained people with it before. Sometimes she plays Scratch’s belly like a drum and the dog is just so happy b/c belly rub. She thinks she’s a terrible singer but she’s actually pretty good. Her old boss wouldn’t let her sing or be in the spotlight b/c boss thought Tavi wasn’t pretty enough (cheek scar from a tussle as a teen)

-Tavi is always tapping out a beat with her feet or hands. Laezel threatens to cut them off if she doesn’t stop. this does not stop Tavi.

-Scratch decides his sleeping place is curled up with Tavi, preferably inside the sleeping bag with her. Multiple times she’s found a bone down by her feet b/c Someone wanted to protect it (and then Withers is on a rampage b/c the dog stole one of his tibia again)

-Astarion accidentally kills her via using Tavi as his personal juice box. Scratch sits beside her (friend is sleeping!) until Gale realizes she’s bloodless and he is absolutely heartbroken for poor Scratch b/c second friend in as many days died. so Gale revives Tavi (also: he might have a crush on her but sshhh)

-She wakes up to Scratch 3 inches from her face and he immediately drops a disgusting leather ball next to her head and begins licking her face b/c he’s so happy she finally woke up! Must have been a good sleep. Astarion is now on her shit list. Gale is on her “I sorta trust you” list.+

-Tavi and Karlach have a tap dancing competition which ends with Wyll showing them both up. Both Laezel and Astarion pretend it’s the dumbest thing ever but are secretly watching.

-Halsin accidentally scared Scratch while in Bear Form and doesn’t know how to explain to the dog that he sometimes turns into a bear b/c then the dog will think all bears are friends. His new strategy is to hide a new bone in camp for Scratch so the dog’s distracted. Withers goes on a rampage b/c again. his tibia. and now a rib. its insulting

-Tavi grew up an urchin in Baldur’s Gate and never had books of her own so Gale watches her read anything she can get her hands on and is definitely completely catching feels (she may be reading the books aloud to the kids at the grove). Except he is anything but normal about it and gets down on one knee and presses her hand against his chest so she can feel the curse. Ya know. As normal well-adjusted people do who haven’t been in a tower without contact from the outside world. Very normal.

-Scratch "I brought you a present! It made me think of you" and proceeds to drop a dead frog in front of Laezel. She's flattered. this furry creature hunted down vermin to show her that he is a useful member of the group.

-Tavi gets eaten alive by mosquitos/bugs the first night in camp and is miserable. She looks like she's got some contagious plague b/c there's spots all over her.

-Gale is the only one who calls her 'Octavia' in private b/c he's just Like That. Sometimes he says it while looking very serious and Tavi certainly Feels A Way about that. and he calls her Octavia while showing her how to do magic, and since their minds/souls are entwined, he feels her Reaction to that, she realizes he felt her emotions, so Tavi is bright red in the face while he stammers out that her thinking of him like that is a Surprise (but a welcome one). She can barely look him in the eye, while he can't look away from her.

-The group completely misses the fact that Gale and Tavi have an undercurrent of Something going on between them b/c Laezel and Shadowheart's rivalry is The Subject of Gossip (Astarion is taking bets on how long until they hate-fuck). Wyll and Karlach have taken bets. Halsin wants nothing to do with it.

-Tavi and Gale fall into the 'white people in a horror movie' category and are 10/10 trusting of Auntie Ethel. Tavi never had a maternal figure in her life, but read a lot of books with them. Auntie Ethel being overbearing reminds Gale of his mother. The rest of the group thinks Ether is Sus. Tavi and Gale think she's a lovely lady who can help them with the tadpole problem up (how can anyone evil live in such an adorable cottage?)

-Gale is absolutely enchanted with all the imperfect mortal things Tavi does. Like being sweaty in Grymforge. the wrinkles around her eyes when she squints in the sun. tangles in her hair. the scar on her cheek and how she doesn't always look enticing and takes a good half-hour to wake up in the morning. He'd forgotten how imperfection can be perfection in its own way. He doesn't feel like an inadequate mortal like he did with Mystra.

-Tavi absolutely adores children and plays hide-n-seek with the tiefling kids in the camp. Laezel 100% joins in b/c she thinks its to teach them tracking and hunting skills. Wyll and Karlach are terrible at hiding (on purpose) and help the younger kids look for the others. Gale is pulled into the game by Tavi and he whispers in her ear "you've made me hide, don't make me come seek you" and Tavi, who has never been on the receiving end of flirts like that, is left speechless b/c how do you even react to that.

[vitanithepure]

Hello, it's me again!

Do you guys often find that one character in media you consume that you just... hate so much you love them? Like, this fictional person is your total opposite, you would remove them from you life forever (in a not ominous way!) if they were real, but you also realize how great the portrayal is that evokes so much emotion?

I love all the BG3 companions, but I love to hate just one and I think it kind of seeped into how my OC sees them as well.

On with the spoilers for EA!

Astarion

First let's talk about bad first impressions, because as much as Vitani detested Lae'zel's and Gale's jump-scare entrance into their life, Astarion straight up takes the cake.

If she had a dime for every time they had a knife to their throat she would have two dimes... which is far too much in a span of a day.

Vitani is quick to forgive if given the right reasons and Astarion gave all the right ones. They did just survive a nightmare in mind flyer captivity, so she can excuse the lapse in judgement and empathize with his lack of trust.

I mean, who wouldn't trust this face, right? Right...?

Vitani was surely racking her brain and trying to remember Astarion from Baldur's Gate. He did seem to hail from the 'upper crust' of Balduran society, but they came out empty - both the name and face seemed to elude her.

It became painfully obvious why when Astarion decided to make her his midnight snack. Vitani doesn't possess killer instincts so things did not escalate as much as they should perhaps. They both survived that encounter.

But knowing now that Astarion is a monster, and not apologetic one at that leaves Vitani in a very peculiar position. They can't tolerate his flippant nature and disregard for life that is not his own. His attitude makes her blood boil.

And then he has the gall to open up a bit, showing them that this wasn't his choice. How cursed and wretched his fate seems to be. Does she believe it? No, but she was wrong about people in the past and if there is a glimmer of hope that he is, in fact, telling the truth...

Then they'll try their damn hardest to help him - even if she will have to get that tadpole out of his brain the hard way. And that's how the EA ends for them - she tries to not see a monster and he does nothing to help them with it.