#and fitting instead of Orin

[eye-of-yelough]

When you CAN... I'd love to see the answers to 5, 7, 11, and 16. For Gortae. On your stunning Enemies Ask Game. 🙏

yippeeeee

hi @cedarw00div tagging you cos you also wanted the answer to 7‼️

Is this fuelled by hatred? if so, is it mutual? Or is it opposing standpoints and ideals? A Romeo and Juliet type situation where they don’t even know why they’re enemies?

hate, love, lust are all inadequate words at conveying the gortae motivations. As for ideals, it’s. complicated, because everything with them is. Opposing ideals but eerily similar approaches of working towards them. or similar ideals but different approaches. one of those. not sure.

for Gortash the motivations are morbid fascination -> trying to kill - while testing the limits of - His Heart/Aeryn’s empathy. he has no use for it. it’s a burden. to realising proximity to it has ignited a passion in him that wasn’t there before. not for life, but for domination. sadism. a ravenous hunger. truly a ‘machine meets its soulmate and starts feeling’ story but the feelings are not romantic and this is a horror. and once he realises his heart is an asset and not a deficit, his motivation becomes doing everything in his power to keep that proximity. We Must Never Be Apart etc etc.

for Aeryn there’s. no real motivation there? there’s no solid end goal, just a guy who believes in destiny so hard he doesn’t bother fighting it all that hard, trusting everything will work out, even if it means his death. especially if it means his death. i think after a while when the horrors start fostering resentment there’s a very ugly kind of envy that i haven’t really talked about yet. a need to prove himself (to escape his big brother’s massive fucking shadow before it drowns him) and rip his face off and wear it as a mask. to be as good at charming those around him, to have that pure ruthless determination, to radiate a blinding pillar of light. normal fantasies.

which relates to the How similar are they, really? question. that “opposite but exactly the same” sibling vibe. similar childhoods, surrounded by Infernals and just the absolute worst kinds of people (hi Vykrum) They’re pretty similar! Aeryn is like. if Gortash’s god complex was replaced with a victim/martyr complex and the ruthless pragmatism was replaced with unkillable empathy. the main difference is that Aeryn is worse. not in a morally a worse person way, just, not as efficient or smart or charismatic or ruthless, as i said. Gortash’s wretched little shadow, dragging behind him forevermore.

this song, basically.

Do they wish things were better, or do they embrace the conflict? Do they feel justified that they’re doing the right thing?

they’re both lovin’ the awfulness, but. uh, how to explain. Gort loves it in a very genuine way that is not sexual and any sexual gratification he derives from it is purely coincidental. Aeryn ‘loves’ it because he’s a masochist who loves to romanticise his own suffering. he would hate this shit if he were just a little bit less horny about it. lol

gortash and aeryn both always feel justified in everything they do. because they suck. aeryn to a slightly lesser extent, but gortash is very good at shooing away his moral doubts and “keeping him on the right path.” 😬 pukes.

How much pleasure to they take in each other’s pain and suffering? What are their preferred methods to inflict it?

Aeryn’s sadism is very simple. he wants Gortash to hurt and he wants it for mostly (but not entirely) sexual and Dark Urge reasons. he wants to make him beg. he won’t/can’t do much with this urge, considering how Gort is always one step ahead, but he usually doesn’t mind too much, because he’s learned to satiate sadistic urges with masochistic ones. Gortash is. alllll about the long game. loves watching Aeryn get slowly more anxious and distressed and empty and volatile over the years. loves messing with his head scary style. totally pops a massive emotional boner when he asks Aeryn his foster parent’s names and watches him stammer and press his thumbs into his temples racking his brain trying to figure out why he doesn’t remember until he gets a migraine, when the reason is sitting right next to him. on good days he even reaches out to him seeking comfort like a hopeless child who just heard something that scared them.

uh. sorry you had to read that

[amatres]

hm. thinking thoughts.

idk how fitting it would be for what is in canon but for now im going to headcanon chosen era dawn and her enthusiasm for ending the world in bhaals name was in part bc she desperately just wanted the urges to end. yes this came from me imagining an au where she was never usurped and her having a monologue that ends with 'either you kill me now, or i kill you and go on to kill everyone in my father's before finally myself. either way, i will be free!' which isnt true anyway bc then she just gets stuck in bhaals ghost squad but you know

she still has fun with the murders btw, shes fully bought into it. this is just her deep down motivation. which is why when shes factory reset by orin, she resists so much. that part of her deep down Doesn't want it back

[rexscanonwife]

OH FUGG!!!

Little (work)Shop of Horrors AU???

[lets-go-hurt-someone]

Evil or redemption, I can’t get over the idea that Gortash was the first person Durge ever loved and it inevitably triggers the demise of the Dead Three.

Just based on how Bhaal treats redemption Durge, it seems likely he made Durge kill anyone he had soft feelings for. It started with his foster family when he came of age, and it probably never stopped. In an almost Pavlovian way, Durge eventually must have felt revulsion, anger at himself for caring about anyone and letting them live. Bhaal had him well-trained. But then Enver Gortash came along.

He saw Durge— he liked Durge, and Durge clearly liked him back. Normally Durge would have killed him for that without Bhaal even having to tell him to, but he couldn’t, and Bhaal knew he couldn’t. Not this time. Gortash was protected. He was the Chosen of Bane; he was necessary for the Absolute hoax to succeed so Durge could usurp it and end the world. Cue the overwhelming guilt and shame from Durge that gave us the miserable ‘prayer for forgiveness.’

Sarevok says Durge got cocky and that’s why he didn’t see Orin’s betrayal coming. I think he got distracted. He was really happy, for the first time since the Urge awoke, but the source of his happiness was also something he had to struggle with constantly. A knife to the brain was probably a fitting punishment for loving someone other than daddy, something other than murder and fear and blood.

But then Durge gets a second chance. He’s literally taken apart and put back together again, born anew out of his own ashes. With absolutely nothing in his head, Bhaal has the perfect chance to rebuild his Chosen exactly as he wishes from an utter tabula rasa… and yet. And yet.

Durge does it again. His body may remember—the body always does—but he doesn’t, and he lets himself fall in love again. He just can’t help himself. And this time, without the fear and obligation and guilt conditioned into him over decades, he doesn’t even try to escape it. Instead, he fights to overcome what his body is telling him, what Sceleritas is trying to remind him of, just to hold onto this precious thing he’s found.

He was crafted from Bhaal’s own gore to be the perfect, heartless murder machine, but even a god can’t stamp out a mortal’s propensity for love. And it’s such a tiny thing. Such a petty, common emotion. It shouldn’t matter.

But it does. There’s no way around it. The murder god’s favourite bespoke weapon will fall in love again and again and again, even across a thousand different universes.

And so it all unravels.

[mlarty]

I've noticed that in art of Marrow from before the tadpole, that she has long braid down her back but after the tadpole she just has the short hair. Did she cut off her braid herself, have someone at camp do it for her, or possibly Orin as a sort of trophy?

Yeah, the braid was part of her "Dark Urge style" before, and even more — a weapon. So, originally, yes, we thought that Orin had cut it off as a form of humiliation, but later we realized that it didn't really fit her character.. a little out of her style?? She prefers more creative and bloody language than messing with her girlfriend's hairstyle. Instead, Marrow's new stylist was Kressa Bonedaughter. The reason is quite simple and trivial: long hair interfered with brain experiments and other gore stuff, as Marrow kept trying to choke her with the braid every time :3

Has Marrow thought about growing her hair back? We don't think so. New she likes short haircuts and it's more practical for her lifestyle as a traveler and cultist hunter

[opuspace]

Being a Halsin fan is....a unique experience in that you're frequently prone towards running into all sorts of taunts and insults from being called "mentally ill" for liking him because people assume you're into his "deviant behavior" to hearing that there's only "7 romances" because he doesn't count, to hearing that he's a sex pest, constant reminders of how players kill him in a feedback or fan thread about him, him being seen as fit for only being left as "Orin bait" by a few Astarion fans (who hate him because they see him as a sex pest) when I'm meanwhile turning Astarion down only to run into Astarion canonically admitting that he sees Tav's denial of consent as a "dire mistake to be corrected":

Or, frequently running into complaints as to why he's there when Jaheira is around for the Druid role (he was around first so it's clear why they're not acknowledging that).

"He's just fanservice that didn't need to be there! Why can't we have Alfira?!"

"We could have had a werewolf instead of him?! Wasted opportunity!" (Fans datamined that and discovered that Helia was dropped long before they added Halsin so it wasn't a toss up between them that fans think)

"He's a cheater trying to get you to cheat!"

Ironically, another fan found a post that not only was this wrong, Shadowheart and Astarion approve of the player sexually harassing a married NPC:

His point and click lines have still not been fixed despite requests to address them for months now.

Requests for more depth from his days in Early Access has not happened.

Pleas to Larian to please fix the writing that has him making fans uncomfortable has only just now been addressed but the damage has been done.

I see all these moments that get other characters amusement and affection while seeing Halsin vilified for stuff that doesn't even happen. I see acknowledgement that Gale's Weave scene was a bug, Wyll's dance scene where you couldn't avoid him trying to kiss you as "not a big deal" (until they were corrected) and I agree, that's exactly what they were: unintended side effects of poorly thought out writing/coding/scripting.

And yet, Halsin's presence has to be justified every step of the way.

There is so little sympathy for this character. So little sympathy for fans of this character. It even feels like Larian wrote him off when their attempt to make him a companion backfired.

I'm not even sure why fans want more romances added when this one ended with such hostility. I'd rather they fix and expand on the current romances like Wyll's, Minthara's and, yes, Halsin's (he does count as a romance).

[meanbossart]

Hi!! I don't know if this has been asked before, but I was curious about the DU Drow's relationship with our dear little wretch Sceleritas Fel! What's their dynamic like? Btw love love love your Drow. You made him so freaky and fun, I should not but by god I want to chew on that man

THANK YOU SO MUCH! Oh boy, I love Sceleritas Fel a lot and I feel like they had a pretty in depth relationship.

The way I wrote DU drow's backstory involves him being almost solely in Sceleritas company for a couple of years. I really took the line "You always needed a lot of assistance" that you get from him to heart - Sceleritas didn't just serve idly, he was a grim cheerleader and sponsor who, for whatever reason (I guess just inherit nature - this is his whole life's purpose after all) would have always been eager to see DU drow succeed. After He killed his matron and Sceleritas finally appeared, he became a near-constant companion in leading him out of the Underdark and through the surface, save for seldom times where he was just gone for a little while, but never for longer than a couple of days.

As a pre-adolescent and through young adulthood (And eventual bhaal...hood) I picture their relationship evolving pretty drastically. child/pre-teen DU drow was a badly socialized feral child with very little grasp on reality, I think he assumed Sceleritas was some sort of figment of his imagination for a very long time - but followed his instructions nonetheless as he had no other direction in life. He was near-mute and seemingly lacking cognitive capabilities/self preservation instincts, so when Sceleritas said go, he'd go. When the butler would point at something he could kill and eat, he would try (and at the start, usually fail) when Sceleritas told him to seek shelter from the elements or danger, he would do it. When he came into contact with people who seemed to have his best interest in mind (concerned travelers and the odd kindly city person whenever he happened to be passing through a town) and Sceleritas told him not to trust them, to take whatever advantage he could from the situation and, often, kill them, he'd do just that. It was almost as if Sceleritas was the master and he was the thrall.

As he grew a little older (15 and on) and his skills in survival and cunning had been honed, as well as him growing a little more talkative, the dynamic would begin to flip; not only that, but DU drow would slowly grow more and more frustrated and skeptical of Sceleritas promises that he was leading him to his supposed destiny, and would try to press him for what that even entailed - Sceleritas would never fold or tell him anything (he didn't want to ruin the suprise!) and instead just reassured DU drow that if he could just outlast his circumstances for a little longer, that he would eventually be greatly rewarded - that he just needed to prove himself first.

This is also around the time where DU Drow first killed him in what was probably a fit of anger and frustration; a decision he immediately regretted and panicked about, since he was so reliant on his guidance and Sceleritas was essentially the only reason he had to keep on living - but when the butler just popped back up after a few days later (he figured it would be good to scare him a little bit!) and DU drow realized he was immortal, it became a habit to take his frustrations out on him.

After a while of finally joining the temple and learning of his status as Bhaal's progeny, DU Drow would completely grow into the role of Sceleritas superior and master. He was tyrannous and demeaning and Sceleritas loved it, of course. He was still very attached to his assistance, but now it mostly applied to trivial things and everyday necessities; fetching and sending off mail, arranging his meals and meetings, keeping track of his schedule, cleaning and organizing his space, every so often playing little pranks on the other bhaalists and Orin, and, of course, aiding with DU drow's constant bouts of violence and cruelty, as well as every so often listening as he vented his frustrations at him. He took Sceleritas everywhere - DU drow most definitely didn't need him anymore, he simply wanted him around (to the despair of most people).

Sceleritas would also... Gently criticize him for some of his choices, specially DU drow's masochistic penchant and his obsession with Orin - which was usually met with a swift demise at DU drow's hands for daring to question him. Simultaneously, he would enable the same habits by complying with DU drow's orders of arranging for his wounds to be cared for or keeping close track of Orin's schedule, conversations and habits for him when requested.

If we're talking main campaign, tadpoled DU drow was understandably surprised by the visits he received from this tiny dapper gremlin LOL but he very quickly fell into his flattery like second-nature. It was only around Act 2 where he began to turn on Sceleritas for trying to order him around (telling him he should kill Isobel) and obviously for setting him up to kill Astarion, seeing the butler as an enemy and traitor from that point forward even though he would remain inexplicably fond of the little guy throughout.

[dearest-and-nearest]

Okay, so, i want Gortash in party so badly, here's few things i headcanoned for how it would be. Durge run, because it seems more fitting for me

- After the destruction of the grove, only Wyll leaves, Karlach stays behind and, when she meets Gortash, gives you an ultimatum: it's either him or her. Gortash's taunts don't help the cause, but in theory you can convince her to just leave without attacking. Afterwards, Gortash joins the party, as he needs to deal with Orin personally.

- You can go to him from any LI, you don't have to be a loner for the whole game.

- The personal quest is tied to the House of Hope. Maybe it's about the contract with the sale of Gortash, not sure yet. If you take him there, you can get unique interactions with almost everyone on the location, when you meet the man who used to be the jailer you have to pass a persuasion/intimidation check so he doesn't raise the alarm and shear everyone at you

- There's unique dialog with Raphael too, even at the deal-making stage (Gortash won't approve it). He mocks Gortash by suggesting him go back "home", calls him by his real last name, and says that he became like that solely because of his upbringing from Rafael. After the deal, you can talk to Gortash about it, he'll snap at you and won't let the subject develop. Full dialog will be after Raphael's death, then the start of the romance can also be...?

- Additional unique dialog when meeting Gortash's parents. In the romance, Gortash will laugh that he invited MC specifically to introduce his dear parents to beloved of their lovely son. At the same time, he will disapprove for trying to contact them by tadpole, and if you do try to talk about it, he will emphasize that they got what they deserved.

- Alternate quest options with the factory and the prison. On both we instead of releasing prisoners on the contrary more oppress them + the opportunity to personally chat with Gortash's subordinates (they will snort that he told them about you all the time, they're sorry for Bhaalites, if you are the same), in addition, if Wyll previously left the party, it's Gortash who gives a quest about the dragon. He also is the main fan of dragons here and with all the polite impossibility to refuse asking to be in a party to go to look at the dragon

- Because of dragons, here are banters with Laezel, where he tries to ask more about them and sighs that he wanted a dragon when he was a kid, but even Bane didn't give him one, and someone in this world talks about justice.

- There's no good route with him. Like at all. Just no. Just like Wyll and Karlach have no evil and they argue and angry when the MC tries to move in that direction, so it is with good and Gortash. If you try to draw an analogy between his slavery and what he does to those around him, he disapprove on 30 points and warns you that okay, you don't remember, but bring it up again and blame yourself. If you try to continue, he gets angry and either attacks or leaves the party, saying that Urge has really changed too much.

- If you come to Sarevok with him, a free dose of grandfatherly grumbling is assured. If there is romance, he can also start mentioning how much Urge admired Gortash, which will give Gortash a satisfied grin. With Orin, if Gortash is in the party, it will be much harder to save the hostage (checks 30+-) and after the duel, your father will additionally condemn your choice of the chosen one (but I would like this with all romances, not just with the Gortash personally).

- The butler doesn't call him by name, but keeps telling that his lord/lady deserves much better than this. Gortash finds it funny

- He doesn't die at the brain like stupid, instead he can meet Emperor again. Thinks that becoming illythid is stupid if there's already a squid here, and after all it would be easy to betray him. Also in the finale gives the ability to summon a squad of Steel Guardians. Of course, will agitate to become an Absolute

- If you still destroy brain, then obviously romantic dialog after the finale, where he sighs that okay, to rule the world is still a little failed, but you two will practice for now on one city.

[eeldritchblast]

Lara 🖤

(Plain text info below)

Lara - The Dark Urge:

AGE: 28 GENDER: Female (she/her) SEXUALITY: Bisexual RACE: Changeling BACKGROUND: Haunted One CLASS: Rogue SUBCLASS: Arcane Trickster ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

Personality:

Before losing her memories, Lara took pride in being the pure spawn of Bhaal, believing it made her superior in every way. She lorded it over everyone, including Orin. Lara was a cold, sharp edge in the form of a person. She let her faith in Bhaal guide her in everything, seeing herself as his instrument of murder rather than a real person. As such, she denied herself any pleasures outside of killing. However, this started to subtly change when she began to form an alliance with Gortash; the first person outside of the cult she ever got somewhat close to. Lara dangerously began to think for herself, and this scared her. She prayed for forgiveness and reassured both herself and Bhaal that she was committed to his demand for the world’s slaughter.

After losing her memories, Lara woke up with only her Dark Urges to guide her. Since they served her well in escaping the nautiloid, for the most part she succumbed to them without a fight. That is, up until she woke one night to discover she had brutally murdered Alfira. Horrified of not having control over herself, Lara vowed to find a way to master her Urges. And in doing so, along her journey she discovered she had more inside her than just darkness. She was capable of kindness, patience, and affection for those around her. Ultimately, losing her memories gave her freedom to start anew, and after eventually remembering some of her origins, Lara decided to see it as a blessing. She chose not to let Bhaal define her.

History:

Even when Lara was a newly-created infant, her foster parents knew there was something different about her. When she was in a fit, she would not cry; instead she would lash out and claw at herself or others. But while her parents raised many children, a changeling was new, so they dismissed it as that. Their minds were put to ease for a time as Lara grew and learned to better control herself… or so it seemed. Until she was age seven, when the last thing they saw before death was Lara standing over them, soaked in the blood of their already dead foster siblings, ready to pounce.

Lara was a resourceful child though, and managed to fend for herself on the streets well enough for the next three years. During this time, she also honed her murderous craft, feeding her Urge without question or remorse. Lara would often pose as a poor human girl to draw sympathy from kind souls, only to slay them. The Cult of Bhaal received a missive from their lord, identifying Lara as his pureblood spawn and ordering them to collect her. It was also around this time that Orin killed her mother Helena, and Sarevok was ordered by Bhaal directly to protect the child. Tension sprouted between the two changeling Bhaalspawn children, over who was better at everything. Yet at the same time, they had an understanding of each other that no one else in the world could possess. This made for a turbulent sisterhood that only worsened after they both completed the steps of the Unholy Assassin, with Lara clearly coming out on top as Bhaal’s favourite. Lara took control of the cult at just age eighteen, with Orin becoming her second-in-command.

Lara was a resourceful child though, and managed to fend for herself on the streets well enough for the next three years. During this time, she also honed her murderous craft, feeding her Urge without question or remorse. The Cult of Bhaal received a missive from their lord, identifying Lara as his pureblood spawn and ordering them to collect her. It was also around this time that Orin killed her mother Helena, and Sarevok was ordered by Bhaal directly to protect the child. Tension sprouted between the two changeling Bhaalspawn children, over who was better at everything, Lara clearly coming out on top as Bhaal’s favourite. Lara took control of the cult at just age eighteen, with Orin becoming her second-in-command.

Over the next ten years under Lara’s control, the cult of Bhaal had a resurgence in Baldur’s Gate both in numbers and power. This caught the attention of Enver Gortash, who was responsible for reestablishing worship of Bane in the city. Curious, Gortash went out of his way to forge a reason for them to meet, by arranging Bhaalist torture racks be put on display in the Hall of Wonders, then offering to assist in recovering them. At first, Lara was only interested in recovering the ancestral property and dealing out revenge, but could not help but be somewhat impressed with how Gortash conducted himself during the mission. This drove an even bigger wedge between her and Orin, who saw Gortash as a blossoming distraction that made Lara weaker.

Lara’s alliance with Gortash only strengthened when they were each named Bhaal and Bane’s Chosen respectively, and ordered by their gods to seek out Myrkul’s Chosen, Ketheric Thorm, as well. Soon, Gortash presented his plan for the three of them to conquer an elder brain using the Crown of Karsus. He and Lara succeeded in stealing the Crown from Mephistopheles, but during their raid on the illithid colony to enslave the elder brain, Orin saw her chance to size control. Orin stabbed Lara in the head and inserted a mind flayer tadpole, then declared herself Bhaal’s new Chosen.

Relationships:

ORIN: Orin was only a couple years younger than Lara, and their similar backgrounds meant they had an understanding of each other that no one else in the world could possess. But growing up, they were also in constant competition, making for a turbulent sisterhood that only worsened after Lara was the one to take the Cult of Bhaal’s leadership. Orin was jealous of Lara being Bhaal’s favourite, believing herself to be more deserving.

GORTASH: Lara developed a respect for Gortash in a very short amount of time, for his charm and his cunning. She didn’t even mind his flirtation, though she refused to reciprocate his obvious desires for her. Lara would try to tell herself that she was only using him, but truthfully, he was becoming her very first semblance of a friendship.

KETHERIC: Lara saw Ketheric as the weak link in their alliance, because of how he let his emotions for his family get the better of him. Ketheric saw Lara as a poor excuse for a leader. Had Lara made it all the way to witness the fruition of their plan, she would have been stunned by his planned betrayal.

THE EMPEROR: Lara somewhat related to the Emperor, because of the way it spoke of how it's not just a mindless monster. She also saw no problem with the revelation it had been using a fake appearance at first, what with being a changeling; to Lara, it changed nothing about who the Emperor was as a being. They formed a strong bond that lasted all the way to the end of their fight against the Netherbrain.

ASTARION: Lara deeply appreciated Astarion’s non-judgemental approach to her Dark Urges. She felt like even at her worst, she could at least count on him to have her back. Lara suspected from the start that Astarion was trying to use her, but wanted to help him voluntarily just as he helped her. So when he confessed to this, she was not surprised by it – instead, Lara was surprised by how her own feelings had shifted romantically just as his did. They agreed to see where the feelings took them, and still remain together.

[autistichalsin]

I know I am in the extreme minority, but there hasn't been a single change Larian has made to the game post-release that I have worse than neutral about, and most of them I consider moderate to extreme improvements. There are some added lines I didn't like per se, but I never liked those less than what was (not) there originally. Some examples (most Halsin-focused because those are the ones I pay the most attention to)

Neutral:

Changing Gortash's note

Allowing the Dark Urge to have a flirty line with Gortash (if that has been confirmed)

Changes to certain dismissal lines

Halsin's line if you show him Kagha's letter

Spawn Astarion's response if the player sleeps with Mizora

Some of the new lines for Halsin re: Baldur's Gate, Shadow Druids, etc

Liked:

Additions to the epilogue that let you talk to your (former?) love interest if you went to hell with Avernus, rode dragons with Lae'zel, etc

Other new lines for Halsin re: Baldur's Gate, Shadow Druids, etc

Scenes dealing with Vlaakith path Lae'zel ascending, the implications of this, etc in the end

Loved:

New kisses

Camp idle behaviors

The Halsin-Minthara ultimatum

The epilogue party

Halsin's expanded post-Drow discussion

Halsin's platonic path

The updated lines when spawn Astarion gets burned in the sun

Cuddling cinematic post-Drow foursomes/moresomes

The new bad ending sequence, both in terms of animation, and the fact that now romanced Minthara or Ascended Astarion who encouraged the player to take over are spared by the player (if anything, I feel they could change this bit MORE and give us more of the aftermath of the player thralling their friends and loved ones)

The new note in the epilogue from Archdruid Francesca, mentioning sending Ormn to live with Halsin at his commune

The new Speak With the Dead lines for Halsin if he dies to Orin instead of in the goblin camp

Karlach's ending with Wyll and/or the player in Avernus

The option to tell Halsin you want to join him at his commune

... Etc.

I can think of nothing off the top of my head that I think made the game worse. At worst I might go "strange to add that as it didn't change anything," I.E. Halsin's non-reaction to Kagha's note. I didn't hate it- I just felt it added nothing. (Maybe it's a way of setting flags for the dialogues specific to Halsin knowing about the Shadow Druids in case the player didn't investigate Kagha before finding him?) But I can't think of anything that made the story/my experience worse in any way.

I know people keep complaining that Larian is "listening to some fans over others" and such, but to me, I don't think they have done that? Very few of these seem in any way like they were influenced by fan complaints (and the few that were, were, in my opinion, definite improvements, I.E. the player/Wyll going to Avernus with Karlach, Halsin's additional post-Drow dialogue, etc). And of course, Larian has shown they also have no problem NOT adding things when it goes against their vision- they have repeatedly shut down requests for an expanded evil path, haven't added to Wyll's story despite very loud fan outcry, haven't made Halsin monogamous despite a very vocal group of fans calling for this on the Larian forums and Discord... etc. It clearly isn't number or loudness of the fans influencing 95% of these changes- it's Larian adding things that already fit in their vision.

I guess it is also baffling to me because I'm used to games that are either from series that have been dead for decades or are rushed out just as money grabs (Pokemon) with little attention given after besides minimal bug fixes and content for paid DLCs (cough, Pokemon). To see a game that reflects on their story (or just general experience, like their constantly giving Cazador buffs in tactician mode) and constantly changes what they think should be is, in my opinion, pretty admirable. I truly don't understand all the outrage- to me, it's a sign they care about their story and want it to be the best they can make it, even after people have already paid them for it.

I know i'm in the minority here, but the changes make me respect Larian a lot more than I already did.

[ingkkantadia]

Durgetash brainworm is wriggling around again and fueling my delulus but. hear me out. Durgetash with this type of flavor? Especially in an childhood friends AU??? chef's kiss

"To love someone long-term is to attend a thousand funerals of the people they used to be."

-Heidi Priebe

Durgetash but they met as children and became the best of friends. Durgetash who were pure enough to declare, "one day we'll conquer the world and make it a better place." Only to be separated when Enver's parents sold him.

In the time they spend away from each other, they grow calloused and bitter. In order to survive the separate worlds they find themselves in, they had to strip their past selves layer by layer, until they grew desensitized by the violence around them. Until they developed a hunger to wrought the same pain and destruction life inflicted on them.

Years pass by only to be reunited again, now serving their respective gods. Though they hide it, there's a sense of awkwardness at first. There's too much history between them, one that they don't talk about, maybe until after the heist. Sure, there's sexual tension between them as soon as they reunite, but maybe they're still Bhaalspawn and Gortash around each other instead of Durge and Enver until that point.

After the heist, they reconnect once more. They learn more about the adults they became. But maybe there are still things that they retain, like a secret nickname or an inside joke. Back together and further plotting the Absolute plan, they're an unstoppable team. "One day we'll conquer the world and bring it to its heels." Only to be separated yet again because of Orin.

It makes the reunion more bittersweet, especially for a redeemed Durge, because they're disjointed again. Once again, their edges don't fit anymore. Durge literally doesn't remember Enver this time. Enver doesn't recognize his person, even though they're wearing the same face. If love was truly attending a thousand funerals, then maybe the last funeral was the final one.

God i love them so much.

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Orin Scrivello DDS from Little Shop of Horrors vs Berdly from Deltarune

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. i will block you if you harass others in the notes, please consider sending your unhinged harassment to my inbox instead)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Orin Scrivello DDS:

BOTH: - "The whole joke with his character is he’s the worst kind of person and everyone hates him and he’s the most easily justifiable murder (domestic abuser and sadistic dentist) and as a person I definitely find him morally reprehensible (especially for his realistically controlling dialogue with Audrey) but as a character the enthusiastic way he is portrayed is always really fun and silly to me. Dentist! is a delightfully mean song and Steve Martin’s portrayal and mannerisms of him in that leather (vinyl?) apron is honestly hot and he’s hilarious as fuck. Still a domestic abuser though"

Berdly:

LOVE: - "He DOES NOT deserve to be controversial, at least to the level he is. Yeah he can be an asshole both intentionally and unintentionally, and his personality can be understandably grating on some people, and he is a bit of a pathetic loser, and he was a shitty friend to Noelle, but that's not the reason he's so controversial. Just because he fits the "cishet incel nerd" archetype doesn't mean he is one! He isn't transphobic or homophobic he's not a chaser he's not the guy they hate but they act like he is, they don't hate his character they just use him as a vessel to hate people they do hate, which is annoying, he wouldn't say that, just because he reminds you of someone who would say that doesn't he is like them use critical thinkings skill god hell. although i'll be real though some people kinda over shoot in the other direction and act like he did nothing wrong.. like he had a arc about learning he was wrong you kinda have to do things wrong to have an arc about that" - "He is my scrunkle skringus and I love him very much but also he is designed to be the MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER so many dislike him. He is soooo funny and pathetic."

[bluerose5]

I am a creature of devotion.

This, I know to be true.

Once upon a time, my god, my FATHER, possessed said devotion in full. I was his Chosen. I was his most loyal spawn, son, and follower. I was ready to burn the world to the ground, along with everyone in it!

I was ready to forsake everything, EVERYTHING FOR HIM!!!

I was ready to take on my duty to become the last soul alive, right before I ended my life in HIS NAME.

A red dawn would have shone over an ocean of blood.

It would have been glorious, but then...

Then Father abandoned me. Precious Orin had a hand in my ruin, the full extent of which I am still uncertain, but Father made a mistake when he turned a blind eye to my suffering. Tossed me aside like I was nothing!

He made a grave mistake.

I gave him everything, but he gave me nothing in return. Rather than help his spawn in its time of need, he repaid my faithful years of service to him with not so much as a passing glance.

He proved unworthy of my devotion, and so I gave it to someone who was worthy instead.

Astarion.

The Vampire Ascendant.

My master.

My lord.

My love.

If I could not have the god that I was worthy of, then I had to forge one myself. My fellow companions apparently thought that I was "better than that", but they only saw what I wanted them to see.

This was the true me.

Oh, the screams of all those spawn dying at his command! How I wanted to bathe in their blood.

Astarion seems willing enough to nurture my... more murderous tendencies, and in turn, I am more than willing to serve him as he sees fit.

I need not die in his vision for the future.

He will extinguish the sun. He will pour shadows over these lands. They will only know darkness.

And I will be right there at Astarion's side, free of my Father's influence, with only him to command me.

I am a creature of devotion.

This, I know to be true.

I am a creature of devotion, and I am devoted only to the man that I love.

May his reign live on for our eternity together.

—This page bears the marks of smeared blood and multiple scratches. The ink is bold upon the page, written with great force applied. The script gets sloppy towards the end, as if written in a frenzy. Perhaps in excitement even.

[thats-a-lot-of-cortisol]

I've been chewing on what fears the bg3 characters would be because I do that with almost every piece of media I like now.

Gale is the Beholding (hubris, pursuit of knowledge above all else, his ex can literally see everything he does in/with the Weave). You could make an argument for Desolation b/c of the orb but I think that's secondary. Wyll is the Hunt imo, but the Desolation works for him too- I think his situation is similar to that Hunter we meet whose name I'm forgetting, whose inciting incident has to do with the Dark. I thought the same thing about Karlach but I think she's Desolation instead of Hunt, both aesthetically and because she was actively betrayed and is, you know, dying. Shadowheart is the Dark. Halsin could honestly be the Lonely: he's pretty isolated from the people around him emotionally. An island unto himself etc etc. Lae'zel is the End imo. You'd think she'd be Hunt but End fits into Vlaakith's whole deal (victim of the End, avatar of the Hunt?). Astarion could be either the Buried (since that covers abuse as well, he was literally kept underground/out of the sunlight, etc etc) or the Hunt. I'm a bit undecided there. I don't know enough about Minthara to make a call on her and I don't want to just say Web because of Lolth. Slaughter, maybe? Since that fear covers war. Jaheira and Minsc are Hunt too, I think (there's a lot of Hunt but that comes with the territory when you're adventuring).

Gortash is Web and you cannot convince me otherwise. I think Orin is Slaughter but, honestly, Durge seems more associated with the Extinction to me because of Bhaal's end goal. The Desolation and the Lonely tag-teamed Ketheric's ass but he's an avatar of the End. Dame Aylin is an avatar of the Hunt, victim of the Dark, and Isobel is an avatar of the End a la the main End avatar we see (Oliver? I really need to re-listen...)

There's obviously a lot of overlap and bleed because there always is. I've been wanting to make art based off of this but it's not happening anytime soon so I figured I'd shout about it into the void a bit lol

[crossdressingdeath]

Orin: The little lordling has been whispering in your ears? He always knew how to tumble and twist your mind matter, leave you knotted in his cords.

I'm fascinated by the implications of this line. Especially with the patch 6 crumbs suggesting that affectionate mind games was a fairly big part of Durge and Gortash's relationship, or at least big enough that Gortash missed it. Like... was Gortash actually manipulating Durge, or was it all part of a game that Orin wasn't part of and didn't understand? I love the idea of Orin thinking Durge was a victim of Gortash's manipulations (and possibly turning on them because of it) when they were actually in on the whole thing from the start and having fun with it. It fits well with Orin's anger at having to follow a plan that involves restraining herself and her assassins when Durge helped create that plan and Bhaal presumably signed off on it. All evidence suggests that Durge and Orin weren't particularly close, and Durge definitely didn't confide in her; it makes sense that she didn't understand Gortash and Durge's relationship and just saw her idiot sibling letting a Banite manipulate them because she couldn't see that they were as much a part of the game as he was! So of course she assumes that he manipulated them into agreeing to a plan that involved not killing; why would Durge ever trust Gortash's plans enough that he could convince them that it was the right course of action? But then of course... they did trust him. And if Orin had trusted that they knew what they were doing instead of assuming they'd fallen under Gortash's thumb and stabbing them in the back the Chosen might actually have won.

[rubybates-oc]

The weekly mailman drives by, inserting a white, gold crested envelope with letters spelling ‘RUBY’ in the mailbox, and carries on with his drive.

You go to open the mailbox and immediately open it. When you do, it’s very pretty and even has a familiar handwritten note in marker..

This delivery the mailman will remember for a while. As he was about to place the envelope he heard growling and next thing he knows, there’s a girl chasing him absolutely unprovoked. The invitation fell on the ground as he ran.

Ruby wasn’t able to catch up to him as he got on his bike and drove off, making her come back home empty-handed. She probably wouldn’t even have noticed the envelope he dropped if it wasn’t for the shiny parts that she just HAD to have.

Ruby bit a part of the invitation but it didn’t turn out to be really tasty, to her disappointment. She finally looked at it properly and saw…words. She knew these were words but she couldn’t exactly read what they were saying. Ruby voiced out a couple of letters she did recognize but the word just didn’t register. At least she knew one person that could probably read!

Ruby runs back into the palace, ignoring every other bodyguard that is looking at her confused as to why she’s in a hurry and who she's looking for. 

After smelling multiple rooms and hallways, she finally found @lost-admiration and just handed him the invitation, without any context as to where she even was or why she’s out of breath.

- Read, please!

Ruby requested, presenting him with a letter that now said “rin antino” instead of “Orin & Santino” due to the piece she bit off. 

She never used “please” before joining Vincent. While trying to make her at least slightly fit in they were able to teach her to say “please” but the meaning of this word still didn’t exactly stick in the way it’s supposed to. She just interpreted it as “If I say please people will do anything for me” so now she just spams the thing.