#and thaniel loved him a lot for that

[woodsling]

I really love the way Halsin kind of slowly opens up about his relationship with Thaniel and the Shadow Curse. He doesn't divulge everything about himself when the player asks, and sometimes it seems like he's actively somewhat obscuring the truth.

Like when he first talks about Thaniel (which, by the way, is WELL after he starts talking about the shadow curse), he says he met him in his meditations. Not true... You find out later when Halsin is talking to Oliver that he grew up with Thaniel, that they were friends when he was a child.

Similarly, he's obtuse about how the shadow curse came about until after the portal fight. When he firsts asks to join your camp, if he's questioned about his desire to go to Moonrise, he says vaguely "Unfinished business, and a lifetime of regret to repair." He says he helped overthrow Ketheric but was unable to stop the shadow curse, but doesn't breathe a word about how devastatingly personal it all was (ah, Isobel killed by Halsin storyline... Sigh. It's canon in my head.)

After the rescue of Thaniel and the recovery of Oliver, he gives a much more detailed description of what happened with Ketheric and Thaniel and his assumption of the Archdruid title way back then. He gets quite emotional then, recounting those memories - he's being vulnerable with the player.

And it really seems like the player defending the portal is a big turning point for him. He's putting all his trust in the player's ability to protect the portal and allow him to return from the Shadowfell... He literally can't do it all by himself, and while he does have a healthy respect for the part that he has to play, it's all for nothing if the player doesn't play their part as well. It's such a huge leap of faith - he's asking, "Will you stand with me and lend me your strength? Will you stay with me and help me accomplish the most important task of my life? I can't do this without you."

And when the player successfully helps him rescue Thaniel, that's when I think he falls completely head over heels. He's a little flirty before then, but after the portal fight is when you get his dialogue, "If you want me, I'm yours. Against [...] anything". This is when he can actually join the player. This is when he talks to a sleeping Thaniel about everything the player has done for him. He put his trust in them and they were there when it counted, and he totally falls for them. "I'll remain with you - If you'll have me, that is."

(Aside, I also love his line to Oliver, "...and then [Thaniel] was ripped away from me, same as for you," followed by, "but you need not be alone any longer." The parallel there, that Halsin also need not be alone any longer... Mmmmmmm yummy.)

Concealing his emotions like that... Feels guarded, and it adds dimension to him. Because generally he seems honest and straightforward with the player; he readily gives them all the information that he thinks may be relevant to their search for a tadpole fix and journey to Moonrise, even if they choose not to help him.

I think that it might be because the shadow curse is so close to his heart, because he doesn't share his trauma until he's basically given his heart to the player - before that, his walls were up.

I kinda see it too with him not mentioning his time as a drow captive until AFTER the Sharess Caress stuff. He's like, not secretive really... But it takes a lot for him to share things that dredge up deep feelings for him. He's not flippantly vulnerable.

Anyway this post is long enough I'm just having feelings about Halsin feeling safe enough to share his feelings 🥺😭

[autistichalsin]

Halsin and abandonment issues

One thing I've come to conclude about Halsin's character, based on many parts of his story and some lines he says, is that he might have abandonment issues.

To begin with: he lost his entire family over the years to accidents and disease, per his writer. That's the kind of thing that leaves deep scars- watching everyone you love fade away over years, until at a "comparatively young age" you're the last of your family and turned over to the Druids to be taken care of. (His writer didn't specify an age, but if he was young enough to be "turned over to the Druids" instead of "finding his way there" then it is likely he was not an adult.) There's no time to lose your family that isn't absolutely horrible, but as a young person is far, far worse.

Then there's Halsin's other traumas, all of which involve isolation; he was a prisoner for three years in the Underdark, and despite this, no one thought to come looking for him to save him. He lost most of his fellow Druids in the battle against Ketheric Thorm and the Shadow Curse that followed- and what few didn't die, he still lost their friendship to his leadership position, the "weight of responsibility". His one lasting friend in all of this, Thaniel, was lost to the curse and Halsin spent over 100 years blaming himself, fighting to be the best leader he could at the Grove, and having no one at all he could lean on for any of his burdens. And then he wound up kidnapped again, this time by the goblins, and when he returns, almost all his Druids have been turned against him, some even holding him in contempt. All experiences that are isolating in nature and reinforce to him that he can't rely on anyone else, that he is the only person he can depend on, and that in the end, everyone he cares for is going to leave or die.

It's not just speculation that he feels that way, either. He has several lines about his survivor guilt and isolation:

"[...] there is a burden to being the survivor... the witness to others' tragedies. It only grows heavier with time."

"[...] Grim as it is now, it was worse on the day of the battle. A vivid wound upon my memory. I was lucky - I lived, when so many did not. It would take me a day and a night to recite the names of all the friends I lost."

And lines that indicate he's used to being left, too.

If the player rejects him after he wildshapes (emphasis mine):

"Ah, I see. Well, of course. Back to camp then."

Saying "of course" implies it's not entirely unexpected.

After the final battle, if the player declines to have a celebration and says the party should split up:

"It was always destined to be so, if we prevailed. But the foreknowledge makes it no less bittersweet..."

He was expecting the party not to stick together.

Similarly, if a love-interest player breaks up with him in the ending:

"I see... After all my years of living, I know all too well that nothing lasts forever. Yet a parting can sting, nonetheless. But that just means what we shared was precious, and will live on in my memory. Thank you - I am a richer man for having met you."

The "nothing lasts forever" really sells it, to me, especially because the context makes it clear that he isn't just making a general statement- he's talking about relationships and people. Again- he was expecting it all to end.

His worry in the epilogue, when a solo-romanced player comes to the party with him, hints at this even more: "You could have done anything, gone with anyone... yet you chose me."

He's surprised that the player, even if they're in love, would want to live with him and share his dream. He can't believe they really wanted that- he even says that he keeps expecting to "stir from the dream".

I feel like that shows a lot about how Halsin feels after all the loss he's endured- he doesn't ultimately believe anyone is going to stay with him, whether because they choose to leave him, or because they'll die.

[alpaca-clouds]

Why I love Halsin

I really gotta talk about this right now. Because I kinda... Well... If you look at my fics, you might be forgiven to think that Astarion is my favorite companion in BG3. You might even think that, if you looked at my game data, given that I have him on my team most of the time.

And sure enough, Astarion is a lot of things for me. I do enjoy writing him, because he is just all the drama. And I do like his party banter, when you have him along.

However... My favorite companion is actually Halsin, even though I rarely have him on my active team (mostly because I cannot find a good gameplay dynamic with him - at least without shifting classes).

But as a character? In the way he is written? In the way he is shown? Fuck, I love him.

I think part of the reason is that he is a lot more centered in himself, than the Origin 6 companions are. Which is fair, given that he is a lot older than any of them - both if you adjust the ages and without it. (Sure, Astarion is not quite that far away, but he is also thanks his trauma and him being turned still fairly young.)

Within the game it is just nice to have someonw you can go to who will just listen to you. And that is what Halsin feels like to me, whenever I play it.

Especially as for the most part he does not have to be there. Like, sure, you help him get Thaniel back and all that, but other than everyone else he has absolutely no reason to come with you to Baldur's Gate. Especially given that he does not like the city a whole lot. He still will come with you, and he will fight at your side. And I love him for that.

And yeah. I was a bit hesitant to write about him so far. Mostly because he has so much backstory due to his age, and we do know so little about it. And I... I am always a bit hesitant to fill out too many gaps - and there are a lot of gaps.

But with all the challenges going on right now, I was at some point like: "Fuck it." And I started writing a bit more about him.

And I do want to write a bit more about him. Will probably do that with a lot of other challenges. And maybe will blog some more about Halsin Headcanons. We will see.

But yeah... Darn it. Most of all I just want a man like this to hug me, until my back cracks. Darn it.

[aerynwrites]

If you would be open to it, I’d love to ask for your HCs on: (* * spoiler-ish ahead * *) what if reader/tav went with Halsin at the end of Act III to establish a sanctuary for the refugees/take care of the children? Little snippets of life sort of things for how you think it would be between the two of them without the pressures of saving the whole world. I love your perspectives and writing !! Definitely would be awesome to read your take on that sorta thing

I as going to have this up sooner but tumblr apparently hates me and deleted the post on two different occasions when I was working on it lmao. so sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy!

Halsin and Reader after The game

Okay so

I feel like a lot of their first few months would be focusing on rebuilding efforts.

bc personally - I know Halsin in game says that he is going back to Thaniel's realm. But I love the idea of him actually returning to Moonrise/the old shadow lands and rebuilding the area there to truly give the refugees a place to call home.

so lots of rebuilding, coordinating relief efforts, etc.

I also feel like you would convince Halsin rebuild the little house that you all found Oliver in for a house of your own away from the hustle and bustle of things.

and after just a few short months it seems like its done.

sure there will always be things to do and fix and rebuild, but everyone had a roof over their head and full bellies and safety!

something none of you have had in a while.

Halsin relishes in it. you thought he was a bright light in the darkness before, he's even more so now.

like a actual weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

for the first time in centuries he's able to truly take in what's in front of him, and he spends pretty much every moment of that new feeling with you.

one thing you love doing is looking at the stars, an activity Halsin also enjoys.

he loves pointing out the different constellations to you, or if he's in bear for you'll do the same for him as you lean into his furry side.

speaking of his bear form...

The refugee children fucking love that shit.

the children love Halsin in general, especially those who lost their parents and look to him as a father figure of sorts.

They practically hang off of him whenever you two venture into the more populated areas.

they always beg him to wild shape, something he hardly ever denies since he often prefers that form anyways.

And he's admitted to you on a few occasions that he loves to see them happy and laughing after all they've been through.

life would continue this way for a while, your only true responsibilities being protecting those around you.

Life is finally peaceful, quiet and you wouldn't change much.

after a few years I could see Halsin possibly bringing up the idea of children, but he would never push.

if you want children of your own biologically he would be More than happy to indulge that desire lol.

but if that's not something you envision for yourself he would be happy that way too: kids, no kids, adopting one of the children in need...Halsin is happy if you are happy.

and no matter what life throws at you, you both know you have each other from now on.

[petit-etoile]

🪡how about a cute fic where astarion fixes up one of Tavs shirts and they realise they like each other or something heheee

here  is  my  hand  that  will  not  harm  you

pairing: astarion/tav wordcount:  1,110 content warnings:  none other tags:  canon compliant, introspection, character study, developing relationship, love confessions, getting together, gender neutral tav, human!tav archiveofourown: here.

tag list: @azrielshadows1nger, @pandimoostuff, @faevi, @microskies, @foreverthemaraudersera, @queenofthespacesquids, @claryvoyantfray, @6doodlaang14, @anne-isnotokay, @itshimbotime, @yeeteth-the-raven, @sessils,@8-opossums, @worryknotdear, @abirdaboxandachippedcup, @ghosts-and-ink, @b4um3pfl4um3, @gunslingerorchid, @hypopxia be added to the taglist here

summary:  Astarion repairs your clothes, and you can no longer keep a secret.

There is something Astarion is not telling you. You can tell in the way he slouches in his chair, his hands busy with the work he took upon himself, that there is something troubling him. Learning what Cazador’s scarring says has put a damper on his mood and everyone else’s, and now you’re all caught between procrastination and pushing on to the Moonrise Towers.

The Orthon fight took a lot out of you. Your armor took quite the beating, and afterwards with the rats… You’re glad to be staying at the Last Light Inn for one more evening. Everyone is resting before the fight tomorrow, and you’re relieved. You get one more night to sleep in a bed. The darkness of the Shadow-Curse is beginning to lift thanks to Halsin and Thaniel, and the shine of Dame Aylin’s excellence has caused Isobel to bask for hours on the balcony in self-imposed giddy isolation. It’s almost normal given the circumstances.

‘What do you think Gale is going to make for supper?’ you ask absentmindedly, turning the page of your raunchy smut novel.

Astarion hums in contemplation. You rest the novel you borrowed from him on your stomach and peer over at him. He insisted you take the bed after you arrived, and now he sits next to you biting his lip and cursing as he fusses over your chainmail. It’s quaint.

‘Hopefully just wine,’ he says with a snort. ‘We’ll need all the liquid bravery we can get.’

‘Do vampires get drunk?’

‘Certainly,’ he says. ‘A willing body drinks the wine, a willing vampire drinks the blood, and then they’re both willingly shit-faced.’

The thought of Astarion stumbling around drunk off your blood makes you laugh. It almost reminds you of how silly he was after devouring a bear, and you quietly begin manifesting that Astarion is right and Gale honors the tradition. You cozy down into the sheets and pat the book over your stomach as it growls.

‘Oh, fuck it!’ Astarion snaps suddenly.

He doesn’t fling your armor down as much as he seems determined to strangle it to death. There’s thread tangled around his fingers and his feet, and he’s pushing the needle back in his mouth as he fusses with a strap. He growls like an angry kitten and rubs at his brow in frustration.

‘What’s wrong?’ you ask nervously.

‘What’s wrong?’ he echoes, annoyed. ‘What’s wrong is that your armor is shit! To send you out there wearing it is basically wishing death upon you. It’s absurd how long you’ve worn this thing.’

You frown. It’s not exactly your favorite chest piece you’ve ever had, but you’ve worn it since the Underdark and haven’t found a suitable replacement. Then again, you hadn’t really asked Dammon when you arrived… You didn’t want to bother him as he was working on Karlach’s heart, and there was so much to do…

‘You can’t   —  You can’t go out there and fight everyone’s battles in armor held together by twigs and prayers,’ Astarion sniffs delicately. ‘I can repair it sparingly, of course, but… I wouldn’t feel good about it. It isn’t safe enough.’

‘What would you have me wear, then?’ you ask. ‘Perhaps there’s some additional armor somewhere in storage.’

‘This leather belt here is salvageable,’ he explains, showing you the damage from too many spells. ‘The chain mail will hold another fight, but…’

Something possesses you. You lean in, too close to his face, and watch as he runs his fingers over torn edges. He cares. About you. It takes you by surprise even though it shouldn’t. But Astarion doesn’t fuss this way over his own armor, just yours.

You look over his handiwork. You’ve seen it before in his clothes, his favorite sleep shirt, some of his socks, his gloves. He even repaired Karlach’s armor when she first joined. His hands are lithe and strong, and he works without too much thought like it’s second nature for him. Something about it is so bone-crushingly domestic that you can’t help but want to touch his hand. You cling to your book instead.

‘You’re good at this,’ you say.

‘Well, I’ve had quite a bit of experience,’ Astarion confesses. He smiles faintly at your praise. ‘Back at Cazador’s, I … I had a family I took care of. Sometimes they’d fight one another, and I’d fix little rips and tears. Learning to fix armor is a bit new, but none too difficult.’

‘Did you have many siblings?’

‘I had plenty,’ Astarion says. ‘I didn’t like them all. But I like you, so bring me all your clothes and I’ll fix them right up. I won’t even make you ask.’

You give in. You reach a single, curious finger towards his hand and slide it across the back of his knuckles. You take in the rise and fall of his hand, the smoothness of his skin, and the veins. He flexes his fingers beneath your hand and then, without saying a word, he turns his hand over so that he can hold yours. He muses over the connection and presses his fingertips to your pulse.

Gandrel, The Orthon, Raphael’s Deal. It goes without saying there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him. You want to tell him, but the thought of saying it made you nervous. You hold your tongue. But if there was to be a fight at the Moonrise Towers, you wanted him to know. It plagues you too much that you start to stretch, so much so that you’re afraid to speak lest you start rambling on and on about how beautiful his eyes are and how you can’t stop looking at him and how he takes your breath away.

There’s no one else you want to have to fight by your side, but it isn’t just that. There’s no one else you want.

Carefully, as though you are more fragile than you truly are, Astarion removes your hand from his to continue fussing over your armor. The feeling of his hand still lingers on your skin, and it makes your stomach ache.

‘I had better go looking, then,’ you say thickly, ‘for another chest piece to wear. ‘

‘No, don’t go yet,’ Astarion says softly. ‘I  —  There’s something I want to talk about with you.’

He doesn’t say anything else. You stare at one another, the armor forgotten between you, and like magic from the Weave, everything changes. When you lean forward, Astarion meets you halfway with the shyest kiss he has ever given you and the most honest eyes he’s ever allowed you to look upon. After tonight, nothing will be the same and you think you’re fine with that.

[cakenpiewhyohmy]

So I slept on it, and I really think Tav is Halsins fated one.

So not going into super specifics but in dnd lore, elves typically do sleep around l, go through multiple relationships etc UNTIL they find their fated mate.

Man’s there’s so much evidence (either intentionally or unintentionally) that Tav is. You could literally do absolutely nothing besides saving him, (sometimes not even that) and his grove and man’s is head over heels for you.

In all his dialogue while he’s waiting in camp he’s flirting with you almost every chance he gets and makes it clear that he wants you.

But if it’s just a fling or casual sex, why wait?

Well I think it’s because Tav is is soulmate essentially so he’s actually so in love with them that they consume his thoughts constantly. BUT he has a lot of guilt and Trauma that he’s burdened with and he feels like he can’t even think of being happy with them until he’s righted what he feels is his biggest failure. And after it’s defeated he even has a line where he says something like “I’m yours” before trying to correct himself and saying he’s yours in battle etc. (I could literally picture him blushing at his slip up)

We don’t really get anything till act three because with the shadow curse lifted he feels free to try and follow his heart (which is now with Tav) but is a little nervous to do so. Like hes been with tons of people before Tav is the first one that hes actually in love and feels connected to (soulmates) and hes trying to pace himself. Unfortunately the world is literally at stake so he doesn’t have the luxury of time

So what does he do? Blurt out a really bad confession and then gets so giddy he wildshapes.

Like that whole scene has him so out of breath you can practically see his excitement and nervs. (He even says he feared that it was too soon)

And about the whole poly thing, for one I do think he’s mildly traumatized, a free love hippy Druid , and someone who genuinely is poly and maybe a swinger lol.

However I also think he has no intentions of seeing anyone else. Like Tav is it for him. There’s multiple lines of dialogue suggesting so, he says “you are all I want” but encourages you to share your heart with others even though you already have his (man’s even calls you “my heart” I-) I think this could be interpreted a couple different ways and proly has multiple meanings.

But if we’re running with the soulmate idea then it’s because he’s both scared and traumatized by losing almost everyone he’s loved in his life, and also afraid of being rejected outright. Like he would rather have a part of you than none at all.

Because elves that do lose their fated ones typically don’t last long without them.

The only issue is the devs did him dirty with his ending….which again can be added for angst in this HC cause why not.

-he’s secretly hoping tav chases after him (my fav so far) he doesn’t feel like he is enough and he’s so ill suited for city life that he feels he would make Tav miserable and he would be miserable and that’s the last thing he wants. Especially since the big bad is over now. He feels like he doesn’t have much use to them anymore and fears being truly discarded.

- he feels a sense of obligation towards helping others and fear of screwing up the one genuine connection he has with his soulmate like (he feels) he has with all other things he has in his life. Losing thaniel, killing the turned Archdruid, failing his grobe etc. he fears it so much he’d rather run away than have that become a reality.

-and if they’re with someone else? Even more reason to leave. I feel like they treated him like a side piece when it came to his poly romance with Astarion or Shadowheart (especially since shadowheart and him didn’t really get along lol) and this coupled with his feelings of guilt and inadequacies? Yeah man’s said quit while ur ahead.

-the same way Astarion needs reassurance, I think Halsin does too. Reassurance that he IS enough for them, wether that’s in a poly relationship or in a solo one (I still think hes a swinger but I digress).

Man even has a line when asking him about himself where he says that people look at him and think that his feelings can’t be hurt.

Long story short, Halsin has been in love with Tav since they freed him, but Is Going Through It too and doesn’t know how to cope.

[megs-98]

There's A First for Everything

Ahhh, very excited to post this piece. I wrote this for @bloodlessbhaalbabe for a valentine's day gift exchange :3 hope everyone loves as much as they do!

Summary: (Taking place post game and featuring @bloodlessbhaalbabe 's OC Elyra) After celebrating Love Day in Thaniel's Realm with the refugees and his love, Elyra, Halsin sets up a romantic evening for the two. He has something important to tell her before the fun starts.

Pairing: Halsin x f!OC (Elyra)

Tags: Explicit!, mutual pining, fluff, love confession, f! receiving oral, inappropriate actually quite appropriate use of entanglement spell, vaginal sex, lots of praise. I think that's it

Word count: 2.7k

You were sitting at the dining table in the home you share with Halsin, pressing dried rose petals in a mortar and pestle with beeswax, making one of your signature nail stains. You heard the front door open and close, signaling that your lover had returned home for the evening. 

“Elyra, my love.” He said as he pressed a kiss into your temple. “How has the day treated you?” 

“A lot better now that you’re here, handsome.” You winked at him as you told him about how you taught some self-defense classes to the tiefling children, and adults that wanted some lessons as you applied the bright red stain to your nails. 

“So resilient, my heart. I surely do regret not being able to observe your teachings. You always look so beautiful when partaking in.. strenuous activities.” 

Halsin took up residence behind your chair now, rubbing your shoulders as he smoked his pipe. 

“I wished to ask if you were busy tomorrow evening, I have something special planned, so long as you wish to partake in the celebrations with me.”

You quirked an eyebrow as you leaned your head back to meet his eyes resting your head against his midsection. “You know I’m never too busy for you, big guy. What’s the occasion?” 

“Well, tomorrow will be the celebration of Love Day. I have festivities planned for everyone during the day and something truly special planned for a woman of your caliber.”  

“I think it’s safe to say how we spend every evening could be a celebration of Love Day.” You laugh as you take his pipe from him. “But yes, you can count me in, I’m very interested to see what you have planned for the special day.” Taking a puff from his pipe, Halsin leans down and kisses you on the forehead as he gives you a small chuckle. 

~~

You woke early with Halsin the next day to help him get decorations up. Simple garlands of leaves from the various trees in Thaniel’s Realm painted reds and pinks, some having little hearts painted on them,  an obvious activity from the children yesterday. Moving along to help the other adults set up different activities for the day, you and Halsin kept stealing glances at each other whenever the opportunity presented itself. 

“I see those looks. The Druid Halsin loves you very much, Elyra. I’m sure he has something beautiful planned for you tonight.” You heard an older tiefling woman say. You smiled as you nodded. 

“I’m not sure what he has planned tonight, he won’t tell me. You know, it’s odd. Out of all my past lovers, I’ve never been with someone during an actual Love Day celebration. I’m not sure what to expect, but if I know Halsin, he won’t disappoint.” 

“Well, there’s a first for everything, dear. I’m sure it will be everything you always imagined it would be.” She said as she gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

You enjoyed the day watching Halsin play with the young ones as they showed him their arts and crafts, even getting some from the children yourself, with Halsin coming over periodically to check in and give you a kiss. This wasn’t how you envisioned your holiday being spent, with dozens of refugees and orphans in lands that were once shrouded by a curse. Least of all with such an attractive and massive wood-elf by your side. Never did you think getting kidnapped and infected by Illithids would have resulted in one of the best things in your life, but here you were. Being showered with love by the people you helped save and the man you love most. 

As the day came to a close, you helped adults serve dinner to the children, taking a plate of your own once they had all been served. You sat down on a log a bit farther away from everyone else, taking in the conversations and atmosphere. You heard a twig snap from behind you, causing your head to turn. Seeing Halsin coming out of the brush, you relaxed. 

“Apologies, my heart. I did not mean to frighten you. I was just getting things set up for us later.”

You smiled as he sat down next to you, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You spoil me, you know that right?” 

“Anything and everything for you, love.” He said as he grabbed your chin, making your eyes meet his. “Once dinner has been cleared, meet in the clearing by the lake. There I will show you just what I have in store for us tonight.” He pressed a kiss into your lips as you let out a small moan, trying to deepen the kiss. 

Halsin laughed softly as he pulled away. “Patience, dear. You’ll have me soon enough. Enjoy your dinner and the company we keep. I’ll see you soon.” 

He got up from the log and withdrew back to the woods as you watched him walk away. Admiring the way he filled out his pants, how his leg muscles contracted and relaxed as he took his steps. You began imagining what salacious activities your man had planned for you, causing your thighs to rub together as you felt your core start to ache. You shake those thoughts from your head as your attention is brought back to the others sitting near you. You impatiently finished your dinner, silently willing the others to finish up a bit faster. Once everyone was done and you had helped clean up, you ran back to your house to quickly change. Opting for an off the shoulder, slightly see through, white dress that stopped just below the knee. You opt to leave on your boots since you knew you’d be walking through tall grass to get to the clearing. 

Making your way through the brush, you slowly saw lights come into view as you approached the clearing Halsin spoke of. You were quite privy to the location as this was where you and Halsin usually met each other if you were not in your shared bed. It was obvious Halsin had cast a dancing lights cantrip, as you saw him illuminated underneath the floating orbs, leaning against a tree whittling. Laid before him was a blanket with a bowl of plums, a jar of honey, and a bottle of wine with two cups. 

Halsin smiles as he sees you walking up to him, putting his whittling project in his pocket. 

“There you are, my heart. Still after all this time, my heart swells with ecstasy every time I see you. I hope you remember our first night together as fondly as I do.” 

“Course I do. I made you so crazy for me you almost turned into the bear.” You say with a wink as you rub your hands against his chest. “Am I gonna see the bear tonight?” 

You see a faint flash of gold roll over Halsin’s eyes as he gives you a hum of acknowledgement. 

“While I do appreciate the enthusiasm, this is a night between just you and I in our most earthly forms.” You feel his hands slowly down your sides, how he was obviously continuing to memorize all of your curves. Firmly grabbing your hips as he brings his forehead against yours. 

Having led you to the blanket, Halsin kneels down and motions for your foot as he takes off each of your boots then motions for you to sit down as he sits next to you. He reaches his hand into his pocket pulling out his project, placing it in your hand. You look down and see a palm sized wooden heart. 

You hear Halsin clear his throat, looking at him and you can see just how nervous he still is after being together for months. You place the wooden heart in one of your boots, for safekeeping, and turn back to the wood-elf who you had fallen in love with. Facing him and taking his hands, you give him your full attention. 

“Elyra, I have told you this once before, but I must tell you again. My heart does stir lightly, but it does when I am near you. Between the shadow curse and being archdruid, I was beginning to lose myself. But you, my heart, you lifted the fog and helped me see that there is more in life for me to explore. You being one of them. I love this life we have together and I love you most of all.” 

“Aren’t you such a big, sweet softie.” You say as you squeeze his hands “I love you too. I never thought this is where my life would be, but I’m glad I’m here with you.” 

You grab a plum and hand him one as he presses a kiss into your temple. You watch him eat the fruit as you pour yourself a cup of wine, taking a drink and setting it to the side. Now it is Halsin who watches you as you grab a plum of your own. He watches closely as you drizzle honey over the fruit and take a bite, causing its juice and honey to drip down you, some landing on your cleavage.

A low growl emanates from Halsin as you hear him whisper “Oak father preserve me”. He reaches a hand out, being sure to keep his eyes locked on yours, as he uses his thumb to take a swipe of juice and honey off the top of your breasts, coming closer to you as he sucks it off his thumb.

Keeping eye contact, Halsin moved in even closer. “My, my, little dove, you’re a bit messy tonight. Can I help you clean yourself up?” 

His closeness causes you to breathe harder, making your breasts heavy closer to his face. 

“I’d be more disappointed if you didn���t. Help a girl out, huh?” Your request came out breathier than you had anticipated. 

Receiving the consent he was waiting for, Halsin presses a bruising kiss to your lips, causing you both to moan. Halsin slowly works his way down your neck, leaving marks as he went, until reaching your chest. He licked the rest of the honey off your chest before he pulled back to look at you again, ensuring that you were enjoying yourself. He saw that you were leaning your head back as your eyes rolled back. Satisfied that you were enjoying yourself, Halsin reaches down and pulls the hemline of your dress down as he lays you down. Halsin slots himself between your thighs as he pulls your dress down more, revealing your breasts. He takes a nipple in his mouth as he paws at your other breast. Spurred on by hearing your moans, he continues working your dress down your body, silently thanking Silvanus for the loose fabric it was made of. Once he had you completely stripped, he sat up and marveled at your form. Running his hands down your body, grabbing handfuls of your plush stomach and thick thighs. 

“Silvanus truly took his time creating you, my heart. Oak father, preserve me, you are so beautiful.”  

Halsin leans down, placing tender kisses across every inch of skin he could see, leaving the occasional mark as he kissed closer to your aching core.  He places your thighs over his shoulders as he lays himself back down. He slowly kisses his way down each of your thighs as you card a hand through his hair, hearing a moan as your nails scratch Halsin’s scalp. Needing more, you grab a handful of his hair, attempting to guide to where you need. 

“Patience, my heart.” You hear as Halsin chuckles. “You’ll get what you need, and much more.” 

Just as you are about to protest, a gasp leaves you as you feel Halsin’s mouth around your clit. Tongue circling as he gently sucks on it, making your grip on his hair tighten even more. His hands come around your thighs, most definitely leaving bruises from his tightening grip, as he brings his tongue down to your slick folds. His name tumbles off your lips as you moan his name, feeling your core beginning to tighten, knowing that you’re close. You grind against his face trying to get yourself there faster. You feel as Halsin withdraws one of his hands from your thigh, quickly finding entrance as he continues to work your overstimulated clit. He pumps one finger in and out of you, quickly adding a second one after feeling how wet you are. As he continues fingering you, hitting that sweet spot oh so well, you back arches as you find yourself closer and closer to the edge.

“You’re doing so well for me. I love feeling the way you tighten around my fingers as you get closer to finishing. I need you to finish for me, love, like the good girl you are. Can you do that?” 

As you hear his praise and have your sense filled by the man, between his ministrations in your cunt, continuing to use his tongue to circle and flick your clit, and his strong hand around your thigh, you quickly find yourself tumbling over the edge. Halsin doesn’t stop though, he continues his work as he moans into you feeling you cum on his hand. Halsin kisses his way up your body as you struggle to catch your breath, feeling him take his pants off as he does. He grabs your hands with his, lacing his fingers between yours, and gives you a passionate kiss. 

“I need you to keep your hands above your head for me and if it becomes too much please do not hesitate to tell me.”  

You quirk an eyebrow at him, wondering just what the druid has in store for you. You hear him whisper “Voco vineae” with a flash of green, you feel as roots come up out of the ground, pinning down your wrists. You flash Halsin a mischievous smile as he leans down to kiss you again. Playing with one of your breasts as he gave his throbbing cock a couple of strokes before lining up with your entrance. You both moan as he sinks his length into you, stuffing his cock into you down to the hilt with little resistance. He brings your legs over his chest before he leans forward placing his forearms on both sides of your head. He feels you clench again as before he even starts thrusting, you turned on from how he has you folded and pinned down. He starts thrusting at an achingly slow speed, causing you to whimper as you need more. Need to feel more of his cock in you, need to dig your nails into his skin.. You just need more of him. After what feels like an eternity of his languid strokes, Halsin begins thrusting faster and harder, feeling himself come close to the edge. You moan his name as your head falls back even farther, eyes rolling in the back of your head. 

“That’s it, love. You take my cock so well, it’s as if you were made for me.” 

You struggle against the roots more as you hear his praise, wanting to feel his skin against yours. He continues his punishing pace of thrusting into, still perfectly hitting that sweet spot, just the way he knows you like. You, once again, quickly find yourself stepping over the edge as you finish. Once Halsin feels you tighten around him as you finish, his pace falters as he finds himself coming closer to the edge himself. With a wave of his hand, he dismisses the roots around your wrists and pulls you close to him, continuing his pace as he does. You instinctively pull him into a kiss as you wrap your arms around his neck, slipping your tongue in his mouth as he moans into you. He continues to hold you while he fucks you as he finally reaches his climax, stifling his moan as he buries his head in the crock of your neck. He slowly stops thrusting into you as he rides out his high. He lays down on his side, bringing you with him, as he kisses the top of your head. 

You rest your head against his chest, still fighting for breath as you lay there. “You’re gonna have to do that thing with the roots more often, big guy.” You say as you grab at his shirt.

Halsin gives you a laugh as he hears your words. “That can be arranged, my love.” He begins to rub your back as he tangles his body between yours as you both quickly find sleep.

[magicjesuscup]

I have feelings towards solo-romanced Halsin's ending/epilogue.

Halsin and Tav celebrate all night, and in the morning Halsin starts throwing out mixed signals. He's leaving to take care of the kids that were orphaned after the netherbrain fight and doesn't give any indication that he wants Tav to go with him, but it also doesn't sound like his feelings for Tav have changed.

I would've been (1) confused by the lack of an option to go with him, (2) hurt because this sounds like a break-up speech (like a "we shouldn't be together anymore, but let's stay friends" type thing), and (3) concerned that something's wrong because he's otherwise been a very good communicator up until this point.

It looks like originally going with him wasn't even an option (which was a weird choice to offer him as a love interest, but not give players a way to stay with him at the end of the game), and when that was patched in, they did it in the meanest way they could. Tav's line is:

Visit as soon as I can? Don't be an ass, Halsin. I'll come with you right now.

Oof. I wouldn't talk to my lover like this, and I don't know that I'd stay with someone who talked to me like that. I also want to note that I think you only get the cute, bragging "I love Halsin" lines to say to the other companions at the party if you call him an ass here first. Thanks, I hate it. I wish it was something more along the lines of:

Why can't I go with you?

Either option could've led to (most) of Halsin's dialog that followed.

But what about all that you'll miss out on? Your name will be feted in this city - there will be parades, medals, feasts, hands to be shaken, babies to be kissed…are you truly sure.

I know in the epilogue he's still surprised Tav chose him, and I'm trying to figure out why, and why he didn't throw out Tav accompanying him as an option. I get that a lot of people he loved/cared about didn't stay in life, but none of them left him voluntarily. His parents, the archdruid before him, and his peers died to either illness or the shadow curse. Thaniel's absence is only temporary if you lift the shadow curse, and the only reason he "left" in the first place was because he was trapped by the curse.

It would've made way more sense to me if he had a little freak out after falling in love with Tav and having the realization that the person he loves could turn into an illithid thrall. They would be gone, and he might have to kill what's left if they tried to eat his or someone else's brain. Also, it would absolutely be horrific to watch Tav go through ceremorphosis. Having a mind flayer parasite isn't the same as being sick, but it is a physical affliction that Halsin can't fix. He's weirdly positive that they'll find a cure, and they never do (at least not in the sense of medication or surgery).

It also would've made sense if he had a bit of a breakdown if Tav asks for one last kiss before the final battle starts ramping up. Things are getting stupid dangerous, and this has historically been when his friends start dying. But, nope he's still super calm here too and optimistic that they'd live (although after their night together, he admits he didn't dare believe they'd actually survive).

I'm not sure if they did the whole, "I'm going to ride off into the sunset, but watch the horizon for you everyday," thing to add some drama, but it feels out of place considering these other options. If Tav was going to "leave" it would've been due to the parasite or not surviving the battle. In the epilogue, those dangers have passed. If anything, it's at this part of the story where he should've felt most secure in their relationship because he's never had someone leave him "just because."

[eeldritchblast]

Thoughts on Halsin

I want to preface this by saying I don't have anything particularly against Halsin as he is in game. But I do find him lacking in depth, when compared to everyone else.

Even without knowing that he was added as a full companion last minute, I would probably have guessed as much simply because there's not much to him beyond the role he plays in the Shadow-Curse quest of Act 2. This is lampshaded with dialogue about how he himself feels consumed by his determination to end the curse. But to me, that just feels like a cop-out. Imagine any other character looking at the camera and just saying "yeah I know I don't have much character beyond what happens to me in the plot, too bad?"

But I think the worst crime about his lack of development, is the fact that because he doesn't have a lot else going on, he feels a little overly sexualized to me; like he's just there for the player to thirst after because he's this big, bulky man. Now, to be clear, I don't care that he's horny, and I definitely don't care that he's poly. (My GF is a poly lesbian, and honestly I could see myself having more than one romantic relationship , too, if someone else was ever interested in me like that and cool with it.) What I'm trying to say is, because he's lacking in other areas, leaving those traits being of his few you can list, it makes them feel of less value, and makes him feel more like a sex prop. And if you're gonna have a character with rape victim as part of his background like Halsin has, then that's the last thing you want, I think.

So, what more could be done with Halsin?

I once made a joke that someone should draw Halsin in a "Big Auntie Energy" shirt. For those of you who aren't Native, let me try to translate: In most if not all Indigenous Nations, we often call women who are champions of our cultures and communities "Auntie", whether they are actually literally your aunt or not. An Auntie is someone you dearly love, and trust to guide you. Halsin already plays something of a mentor figure to the protagonist—indeed, dev notes even call him "avuncular"—so why not lean into it further by showing what he does for others, too? Pretending that there was more development time allotted, here's what I would've liked to see...

"This place crawls with life, but little of it flourishes. I see refugees, unhoused. The destitute, unwanted. Orphans, unloved. … I wish there was a better way. I wish everyone could see the sun, have a full belly, and know nature as a friend. There is a balance that is yet to be found." —Halsin

After ending the Shadow-Curse, Halsin says he needs to find a new purpose. I feel like his purpose could easily align with his horror of the inequalities of Baldur's Gate. Instead of just talking about how awful it is, why not allow the player to challenge him to try and change things, then? For example, I like to imagine Halsin telling stories to the orphans in Rivington, providing them comfort and someone to look up to. Or another example: Halsin helping out in or maybe starting some kind of charity meal program. It's small, but it's enough to say that he could actually grow a little as a person within the game's story. And it would add at least a little bit of engagement on the player's end as well, instead of feeling like the relationship with Halsin, platonically, is one-sided.

This all doesn't come from nowhere, by the way. If you exclusively romance Halsin, he says goodbye to the player in the end because he is leading a group of people into Thaniel's realm to start a new life. But personally, I feel like this is too great a leap back into an Archdruid role he specifically rejected, because he didn't like it. It also would've been nice to get this kind of dialogue without having to romance him; to know what lies ahead for Halsin as a friend, too.

Now, that's the good ending. But almost all the companions in BG3 have a "good" and "evil" ending. I feel like this really adds a lot of insight into the characters, because they feel real through it; we all have the potential to make good and bad choices, after all. So what could be Halsin's evil-aligned ending? Well, remember when he questions if the Shadow Druids actually have a point? How about giving the player the opportunity to push him further down that path instead... Shadow Druid Halsin, holy shit.

Now, there's one more thing I want to circle back to: Halsin's past. He very casually speaks of his time as a captive in the Underdark. And maybe it was so long ago that he's long dealt with such trauma, but still, I really wish there was a way to say "hey bud, that's really fucked up and I'm sorry that happened to you." But there's not a single dialogue option that allows you to express sympathy, besides just saying "that's awful", which doesn't cut it. Halsin himself says, "sometimes I think people look at me and imagine my feelings can't be hurt." Not allowing the player to be sensitive to his feelings goes exactly against this message not to judge a person's emotions by physical appearances.

Anyway, Halsin is a character that I think has a lot of potential, but doesn't quite reach it in game. I think it's great that he was given a bigger role due to popularity, but I just wish that role was expanded on to the same degree as the other companions.

[angelatmidnight1]

i love your writing sm 😭 your characterization with wyll, astarion, gale, and karlach has fit my own interpretation of their personalities so far to a T! so fun to read! if at any point you decide to share your headcanons for halsin as well, i’d love to hear them <3

Daddy Halsin Tickle Headcanons

Lee-

Poking a bear may not be wise, but tickling one can be fun. 

Halsin is both very ticklish and offers a lot of ground for his ‘ler to explore. 

Laughter is one of nature’s gifts and, even if he doesn’t take part in it too often before the Shadow Curse, he welcomes it more once Thaniel/Oliver is safe and the land can heal. 

And welcome it he does; he doesn’t remember how ticklish he is, if at all, until someone offers him a quick reminder. His laugh is both like and unlike him: loud and roaring like a bear, but a rough, higher pitched cackle when he really gets going. 

Halsin doesn’t mind being tickled really; it certainly helps lift the weights he carries on his shoulders ranging from being the archdruid of the Emerald Grove to researching mindflayer tadpoles.

He’s ticklish all over, but his most ticklish spots in no particular order are his stomach, feet, and underarms.

Halsin’s also pretty open to the idea of being tickled if his ‘ler(s) ask. It’s not an awkward or embarrassing thing for him. On rare occasions, he may feel a tiny bit awkward from allowing himself to laugh so fully and freely, but otherwise he’s 100% down for it. 

Speaking of which, he doesn’t bother stifling his laughter. Why should he? It is as nature intended and can be heard from miles around. 

He also has the tendency to throw his head back while genuinely laughing.

Sometimes, if he’s laughing hard enough, he’ll accidentally wild shape into his bear form.

There’s something about tickling that reminds him of nature; whether it’s the tussling or the playful exchange between friends or lovers, unbridled laughter is a luxury for this Archdruid. 

Ler-

Halsin is usually a calmer, gentle tickler, but don’t count him out. Under the right circumstances, he can be quite playful and level the playing field with even the likes of Karlach. 

He can keep his lees close with his own strength, or borrow from nature’s gifts. He prefers the skin to skin contact. 

Most of the time, he’ll smile and chuckle along with his ‘lees as they laugh. Other times, if he’s feeling cheeky, he’ll tease with something like, “Where are you trying to go? There’s no running from nature’s embrace.”

If he’s riled up, if the tickle monster in him has been awoken, Halsin turns up the playfulness tenfold and seeks out spots that really get his ‘lee laughing. There’s a brighter glint in his eyes as he leans into his wilder side, though it’s still all in good fun. 

Big hands means more reach and access to tickle spots. And, especially in his heightened state of playfulness, he uses them to his advantage. 

Again, in his cheekier moments, he’ll offer lines like, “Were you not aware of what happens when you poke the bear? You are fortunate that this one will only tickle you.”

In his calmer moments, he’s just happy to elicit joy from his friend/companion/lover. “I’d venture to say that there is no sound in nature that is as beautiful as your laugh.”

Halsin’s open to a variety of experiences, so he wouldn’t judge if his ‘lee came to him and asked him to tickle them. He encourages them to let go and laugh and is happy to be the cause. 

“In the midst of your duties, it's easy to forget the importance of joy. Allow yourself this moment of laughter.”

A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about these; I romanced Halsin but feel like I don't have a strong grasp on his character. I gave these a try though. I hope you like them 🙏🏾

[autistichalsin]

So here's a hot take.

I see a lot of people saying that it would be fun to have a way to make Halsin worse. And I agree that it would totally be cool to be able to corrupt Halsin!

However, I don't think his canon arc would make the most sense leading to the Shadow Druids. Those are the tiny hints Larian dropped, yeah- the Shadow Druids being sent by Ketheric to corrupt the Grove to make them less of a threat against him, the Shadow Druids noting they are going to Baldur's Gate next, Halsin's brief moment of doubt that they were right. And a lot of other media love playing the ecoterrorist angle. So I can see why it's where a lot of people's minds go.

But from a characterization standpoint, I can't see it. Halsin dealt with the Shadow Curse for over 100 years. It cursed his home, and his childhood best friend who was the physical embodiment of nature. If he survived literally 100 years of darkness without being particularly moved to join the Shadow Druids, I just don't see how the sufferings of Baldur's Gate would push him into it. Those are much less personal stakes.

So, if we were to get a darker Halsin route, I would propose one of two things;

1. Introduce a failure state for act 2 that doesn't result in Halsin staying behind in the Shadowlands.

The easiest thought is that maybe doing part of the quest but not finishing it would result in him staying behind, seeing that there is hope to break it now, while doing nothing makes him think he's no closer to solving it than he was before, so things are unlikely to deteriorate while he goes with the player to solve the Absolute crisis.

Or if we wanted to make it REALLY awful, make it possible for Thaniel and/or Oliver to actually die, breaking Halsin's heart completely in the process. With his friend gone for good, his last hope gone, and with the Dead Three to blame directly, Halsin could become clouded by grief. Maybe it makes his story mirror Ketheric's in a sad way; Ketheric lost Isobel and became a monster, Halsin loses Thaniel and, while not becoming a monster per se, takes a darker, extremist path to avenging him, vowing to let nature reclaim Baldur's Gate in his memory.

Basically, what I'm getting at here is that there's nothing personal enough in Baldur's Gate proper to inspire such a radical shift. Canon, as it is, lets us see his momentary temptation and go "yeah makes sense" but there needed to be far more if I was going to buy his transformation to a Shadow Druid. This would provide that deep pain that cults are so good at preying on.

2. Similar to the above, but pushing it back to act 1. Make it so that the Grove raid, instead of being triggered by the player directly, can also be triggered by inaction; maybe once the player speaks to Minthara/frees Sazza, a timer starts for long rests, and at the conclusion, if the leaders aren't killed, the goblin leaders show up at the Grove. Halsin being freed already lets him fight on your side to stop them, while Halsin still being a captive lets the raid complete.

Similar to the above, Halsin's rage and grief at the defilement of nature then drives him into it. At first he just seeks out revenge, but later, after seeing the Shadow Curse and having those particular wounds opened back up (this one could proceed the same as canon) he gets pushed into something more methodical.

Shadow Druid Halsin could be a lot of fun IMO, but we would need something more than we have to establish a motive. Seeing sadness in a city for the first time wouldn't be enough to cause Halsin to drop every principle he has about nature being a balancing act between good and evil, darkness and light, order and chaos. For him to be pushed so firmly to an anti-society view, he would need to witness something far worse. So those are the two scenarios I can think of that would give just the little push, the sense of personal, direct harm, that would cause Halsin's morals to shift so drastically.

[j-l-kepler]

Do you have any plans for Durge’s romance on your comic?

an interesting question! one i've been considering throughout my playthrough...

tl;dr, while i find his romantic situation interesting, i don't think durge has any serious romances nor am i entirely sure if he will before journey's end. i'm sussing that out as i play!

LONG ANSWER. durge's relationship with briar has gone through a lot of changes as they've travelled. durge didn't want to recruit any help from the companions, so he didn't. but by the time he realized briar was STILL following him around from the ship, it was too awkward to ask her to leave. their partnership was mostly one of convenience with pleasantries, but it bloomed into mutual trust within a few days. after the events of Be Like You, he realized his own potential for harm and that he didn't want to hurt briar. hells, did he really want to hurt anybody? he hoped she'd leave for her own safety but also feared her doing so. they'd become friends by then, but in Real Monsters their bond was solidified.

durge's devotion to briar as a friend began budding into an infatuation around the time they attacked Grymforge, but he's only just BARELY begun to realize these feelings. as of the time of writing this, they've saved thaniel and begun the trek to moonrise. but one little visit has made it very difficult to ignore his affections: a visit and a threat from his hellish little butler.

huh. durge seems to have this recurring theme of realizing how much he values the relationships he's built when they're threatened by his urges. just noticed that.

that's not to say his feelings are explicitly romantic; i think while his trust in briar as an ally and friend is legitimate and he finds her very physically attractive, romance is entirely foreign to him. the only inklings of romance he'd had in the past were, well.... unhealthy and underdeveloped, to put it mildly. what "love" means to him is a vague notion at best.

is durge gonna end up single? is he gonna join the briar-halsin polycule? is he gonna get attached to minthara if we find her? i don't know!

i'm excited to see how he matures and develops as he discovers who he was and how who is now differs!

[alpaca-clouds]

Halsin's Kids

Let me talk a bit more Halsin headcanons, because I am babysitting a server (for work - on my weekend) and I am bored. So... In the epilogue Halsin talks about how he has adopted a dozen kids. Which is fair. Like, the man deserves a family, for god's sake. But the question is of course who those kids are.

Mind you, in most of my fanfic writing I do ignore the epilogue. One, because the epilogue came out at a time when I had already written two longer fics for it and did not feel particularly inclined to change much about that. Two, because fuck Karlach's canonical ending. She gets her engine fixed, she is fine, she gets to travel with Wyll and Shadowheart along the Sword Coast.

But I still like most of Halsin's stuff. Him adopting orphans? I love that, gods darn it! I love him creating a new grove by Reithwin, too, where he can be close to Thaniel. Especially given it is fairly clear that this is the area he has grown up in.

Something I still wonder about though: Which kids did he adopt?

I mean, generally speaking everything is fair game, I guess. There are more than enough orphans in the game. I have seen qutie a bit of stuff on him adopting Yenna (in my stuff she gets adopted by Gale, btw, after they bond over cooking). I ended up having him adopt most of the assorted tiefling orphans, including a very, very disgruntled Mol, who does need no parent, thank you very much, and at some point Arabella, too. Which I assume might be interesting, too, because I cannot help the feeling that she is a chosen of Silvanus. Which... sure, gives her a lot of power. But also... She is still nine. Being a chosen does not negate this fact.

In the end I gave Halsin eight of the tiefling kids of those who we know that survive. Partly, too, because Halsin does feel responsible for them. He allowed them in the Emerald Grove, only to go missing, which ended up with them getting endangered, of course. And in the end quite a few of the parents quite obviously died.

I ended up adding up two human kids to the mix as well. I mean, most people living in the city of Baldur's Gate are humans, so there should be quite a few of them orphaned as well.

And... yeah. I really want to write more with him and those kids. Because I love parenting fics. And I already know that once Arabella joins the family, there is going to be a bit of a rivalry between her and Mol.

[pupmkincake2000]

Some thoughts.

Okay, Halsin, what the hell?

When I was playing Gale origin, I didn't know what lines to choose so I pushed any friendly dialogue button I saw so it felt okay when Halsin offered me to be his lover. Everything I had to do was to refuse his offer. This time (playing Astarion origin) I was extremely careful and didn't choose a single line that could trigger such a dialogur, even friendship ones. I did not ask him about his past (lovers) or whether he has potential partners, I only talked about helping to save Thaniel, but Halsin still offers me a polyamorous relationship and sex! Hinting that he went to Baldur's Gate with us because of... us, right after a fight with Ketheric. With Gale it felt normal because, again, I didn't know what lines to pick. But with Astarion it feels at least strange.

I mean, why? I didn't cross the line when talking to him this time. When I played Gale origin, I wasn't sure what lines would trigger his proposal, but now I've carefully avoided anything undesirable and yet he still offers me sex! God, I do love this bear, he is the walking embodiment of everything I could love in a man, both his appearance and personality is a masterpiece, except for polyamory, because it is not my cup of tea, not in this case at least, but now it is his behavior that makes me feel disapointed in him. And what infuriates me most is the confidence with which he says I also feel attracted to him, although - again! - I carefully avoided any potentially dangerous lines that could trigger his confession. What's going on with this character? So to be just friendly with him is enough to get these scenes?

Since my Astarion is in a relationship with Gale, I decided to look at his (Gale's ) reaction if he was offered such an open relationship. I decided to try different lines and it really made me smile that Gale’s first thought about adding a third person to the relationship was a child.

Also, as I thought, Gale is monogamous in a relationship and is not ready to share. I like that he speaks openly about it and to some extent even with anger that he does not agree to this, in fact, that’s why I like him.

And it was really painful to choose a line about breaking up, even if it was just to see his reaction. I never want to see that pain on his face again. This only lasts a few moments, but his disappointment in love, in the very concept of relationships, is very palpable.

I think that after such a “betrayal” he wouldn't soon decide to open his heart to someone or would not dare at all. I think that's why I like him so much. And that's why I like their relationship with Astarion. Gale is ready to give his all for someone he loves, and Astarion (at least this is very much in his character after so many years of hardship and suffering) will tightly hold on to what he considers his.

Of course, Gale can be persuaded to have sex with the drow twins (I checked this too), but I consider this a flaw on the part of the developers. You may not agree with me, but I think it isn't in his character.

Because a person who so vehemently argued that two lovers should be dedicated only to each other would hardly agree to such a thing. Same story with Astarion. People say he agrees to have sex with the twins once he's completely free of Cazador, but the narrator's words make it abundantly clear that he's still not into it: "his mind is miles away."

And the fact that Gale has to be persuaded… his first reactions tell a lot. This is clearly not in his character too. I would never believe that a person who kicks the cat out of the bedroom while changing clothes would easily agree to such a thing.

Most likely, the opportunity to persuade him to do something like this is necessary for the variability of the game, no more. In addition, Gale leaves his copy in a room that just watches this makingout, he takes no part in it. People might assume, of course, that he shouldn't/cannot have sex because of the orb, but there was nothing stopping him from sleeping with Astarion before they reached Baldur's Gate. However, it seems strange to me that after this he does not break up with Astarion/Tav/whoever or at least discusses the thing. It’s probably still a flaw on the part of the developers, because Gale doesn’t react to the situation at all. And this despite the fact that he only recently screamed about how he categorically does not accept such things.

Therefore, I believe that in order not to mislead people, the developers need to stick to the character's personality as they were intended. If a character is meant to be monogamous, then why do they need lines that suit polyamorous characters only? I understand that the game is variable, but this is not about the plot, but about the characters, whose personality has already been developed and established.

Just saying.

[animentality]

Can I just bitch about Baldur's Gate 3 for a second-

JK, I'm not fucking asking.

So Ketheric Thorm...got an entire fucking act basically DEDICATED TO HIM.

The Shadow Cursed Lands suck because of him. Everything in that zone is fucked because of his nonsense. Every enemy you fight is either related to the shadows or the Absolute plot, which, as far as you know at that point, is tied directly back to him, and him alone.

And every fucking person you meet, rounds him out in some way.

Thisobald, Gerringothe, Malus, these are all unique looking and fun bosses. And they all round out Ketheric Thorm, showing us his fucked up family, and how terrible their impact has been.

Balthazar, Z'rell, even Aylin and Isobel- all thematically and narratively tied to our Shar/Myrkul worshipping bitch.

Even Halsin and Thaniel, Minthara and Shadowheart...all of them have ties to Ketheric.

And that's great and all. That's probably why I, unlike many others, actually enjoy Act 2 a fair bit.

But then. We get to the dreaded Act 3.

Which is a bloated, disorganized, incoherent mess.

But worse than that is... Gortash and Orin are our next big bads, yeah? And they have a kind of fun intro, that makes you think ooh, the next big bads...

And then.

And then what happens?

You can kill Gortash immediately, pretty much at the beginning of Act 3. No build up. You can just do that. Sure, you can do the Steel Watch or the Ironhand Throne quests...but tell me.

Could you just go up to Ketheric Thorm and kill him at Moonrise? The answer is no. Even if you skip a lot of content, you still have to go through a million other tasks before you can face him, AND the big boss battle at the end is entirely him and Myrkul. It's EARNED.

But Gortash? Well, fuck, he's fucking dead before you can even face the final big boss.

And Orin? Sure, you have to collect a bag of hands to get into the Temple...but so what? That's maybe two or three quests, but you can circumvent them. Besides, as soon as you kill her, she vanishes from the narrative and doesn't matter. She's a somewhat easy boss battle, but the actual build up isn't intricately tied into the narrative of Act 3...because there is no inherent narrative to Ac 3.

Act 2 was about an insane man's descent into villainy after losing the people he loved most.

It was tragic, but at least thematically consistent.

The fuck is happening in Act 3?

Gortash is committing war crimes because he's tyrannical, and Orin is murdering indiscriminately and just for funsies.

at least Ketheric's entire thing is about defying the gods, using them for his own gains, and similarly, being used by them.

But Orin? She has one sympathetic scene, and then she dies immediately after.

Gortash you can just kill and then he doesn't matter, or you can side with him, and then he just dies, and doesn't matter.

It's utterly baffling and mildly infuriating.

I know Act 3 was hit with the cut content rush and all, but I feel like you could've spent your time actually bothering to build them up the way you built up Ketheric. You could've given us political quests or world building quests with Gortash, especially given how manipulative he is, or given us more madness and shadows and underground labyrinths and spooky monsters with fucking Orin.

Instead of garbage quests like the Wavemother, Mystic Carrion, Stop the Presses, and Lady Jannath's Torture House, you could've given Karlach a quest related to fixing her heart, which would've tied into Gortash's plots, or given Gale more to do than simply go to Sorcerous Sundries, or tied Cazador to some kind of patriars plot, or had Wyll's father do more than be kidnapped and then later saved.

You could've given Halsin literally any fucking quest, instead of bringing in Jaheira or Minsc. But most importantly.

I just don't get it. Gortash runs Baldur's Gate. You could've easily tied him to a lot more quests, and made him far more threatening or hard to take down. You could've also made Orin feel like an actual threat, and not just a mild nuisance.

It's just kind of...it irks me.

Not just as a Gortash stan, but as a writer, because it's so odd, to have 3 perfectly decent villains...and only flesh out one.

The other two might as well be optional mini bosses.

[mumms-the-word]

Okay don’t come for me Halsin-enthusiasts and werebear truthers because like for the most part I agree with everything you say, and this is not one of my usual well-thought out deep dives, this is me rambling because I have questions BUT

One thing I love that hasn’t really been talked about (unless I missed it) is how good Halsin is with kids and how that’s distinctly NOT a male bear trait? Like, actually, Halsin deciding to adopt 30 kids actually kind of goes against what he says is his well-defined and very established nature. It’s very un-bear-like of him to want to raise kiddos

I mean maybe it’s a female bear trait but like hear me out

Male bears tend to mate with female bears and then leave. In some rare cases they will outright attack and kill cubs to mate with female bears (but this doesn’t happen often because mama bears WILL fight you and male bears aren’t looking for a fight they’re looking for fun). But for the most part a male bear dips out after mating and does his own thing for several months until it’s mating season again and then he’s like “knock knock guess whose back again no I will not be paying child support”

So like

If Halsin is a werebear, do wearbears have different behaviors? If not wearbear, then what else is influencing this desire to build a big family and settle down?

Are Halsin’s affections for/talent for raising a whole gaggle of kiddos a wood elf thing, a Druid thing, or something else?

I mean it could just be that this is an accidental overlooked thing despite that Halsin’s writer(s) are pretty intentional about writing him with a lot of “haha what a bear thing to do” traits (loving honey, etc) but we can probably headcanon our way into an explanation right

I’m only making a big deal out of this confusion in my mind because Halsin makes such a BIG DEAL about things being “in his nature” or “because of his nature” and so on. And obviously his nature is influenced by many things, not just his cave bear form, his identity as a druid, or him being a wood elf. I just think it’s interesting that for all his talk about stuff being “in his nature” and insinuating that at 350 he’s kind of established everything he likes and dislikes, that maybe he forgets he’s still capable of growth and change

On the same note, I find it so interesting that when you romance him he’s specifically like “the wolf mates for life, but the bear roams free and partners as its instinct dictates. I need to stay true to my nature and you to yours.” I mean, he’s being a bit reductive about wolves and bears alike here, but my point is that he’s constructing his polyamory as a bear-like behavior instead of being like “I was raised this way” as a wood elf, because wood elves are super poly too and that could have easily been the reference he went with

If I recall, his preference for roaming is also considered a bear-like behavior? In the dryad love test, the question “When is he most comfortable” has two correct answers: when he’s in the form of a bear, clad in nothing but fur (he says that’s a fair assumption but not the truest answer) OR saying that comfort doesn’t come naturally because he’s always restless and roaming (he approves of this answer more and says “Comfort is for the farm animal, snug in its pen.”). Roaming is…well a trait for any wild animal, but could be coded to a male bear specifically I guess…but anyway at the very least he makes this connection to being like a roaming wild animals over a settled domestic animal

So we have a Halsin who admits that roaming and avoiding comfort are things that are true to his nature…and yet he decides he’s going to build a community/commune out in the ruins of Thaniel’s lands and raise like 30 kids on his own/semi-communally. Which is not really a bear or wood elf thing to do (if we’re being super reductive about bears and wood elves, neither of which are monoliths, and also I could be wrong about wood elves because I can’t find much about their familial structures)

I’m not saying it’s inconsistent—because it’s not inconsistent to Halsin’s overall character. The minute I heard Halsin say that was his plan I was like “this is absolutely something you would do you great mad bear take me with you” (and then I was upset when I couldn’t go with him because it was patch 3 days and I was SAD). Like if you listen to him talk enough in Act 3, especially after visiting Jaheira’s house, that man has wanted a family for forever, and he has a big heart for refugees, the displaced, and children in particular

So, speculation, I think Halsin choosing to build a community and go from 0-100 on the family-building process is actually indicative of him realizing that now that he’s not an archdruid, and now that the shadow curse is fixed, he can remake himself into something of HIS choosing. Something that isn’t “dictated by nature” but aligns with his desires and motivations as a complex person. He says comfort is for the farm animal, but he builds a home in nature where his children will be safe and comfortable. He’s not making them a big nomadic tribe, they’re all in one safe space together. That could be seen as contradictory, but instead I think it just shows that he’s still a malleable person who needs a minute to grow into the idea that he can now be whatever he wants

And he chooses to be Daddy Halsin. He doesn’t even wait to see if his romanced partner (if he has one) is coming with him on this sudden about-face venture. He’s like “I’ve got nine wagons of kids who are already calling me Daddy and we’re leaving in two hours” like this dream is SO IMPORTANT for him. It overdrives nature and druidic duty and everything else. It very nearly overrides his love for his romanced partner

I mean it did kind of override it in earlier patches but the epilogue now lets us join him and patch 6 now let’s us openly be like “Halsin you ass I’m coming with you” when I say I slammed that button so hard let me TELL YOU but anyway his romance is not really going to influence his dream of having a family. He’s gonna raise those kids whether his current romantic partner there or not (but he will be disappointed and sad about his partner not joining him tho because obviously that stings)

Anyway I’m just rambling at this point. My question is this: do you think that Halsin’s desire for kids comes from a specific “part of his nature” (bear, werebear, druid, wood elf) or does it come from some other part of him as a person, or do you think it’s a moment where he realizes he can just decide things for himself and that he doesn’t always have to let nature dictate who he is?

Thoughts??

If you made it this far congrats you get a Golden Halsin :’)