#anyway ive been thinking about baldur

[j0rbits-art]

thinking about baby baldur

[rhysintherain]

@blackjackkent's liveblog of BG3 has inspired So Many Thoughts about the Emperor and Raphael and how they compare as characters.

It's come up that the Emperor's character writing could be intended to portray very different motivations based on how the player character responds to it, but personally I don't think that's it. At its core, I think the Emperor is being honest about its motivations: it only wants to survive. What it's not saying is that it will do anything to achieve that end, at the cost of anyone in its way. And the best tool it has to do that is the protagonist.

Its conversations with the protagonist always remind me of abusive relationship dynamics. it plays nice as long as that works, and changes tactics when nice doesn't get what it wants. It constantly reminds you that you need each other, that you couldn't survive without it, that it is the only one you can trust. It offers moments of vulnerability to lure you in, then tries to cut you off from any allies or courses of action it doesn't approve of.

The thing about abusive relationships is that they only turn violent and confrontational when the abuser doesn't get their way. Violence is a last resort, and most abusers prefer to manipulate people without it. Some people go years without discovering their abuser has the capacity for violence, because they never confront them on the control they exert.

And that's exactly how the Emperor relates to the protagonist. If you never question it, never choose a path it doesn't like, you never get pushback. As long as you play by its rules it has no reason to change tactics, because what it's doing is working.

It's only when the protagonist's aims clearly don't match its own that it resorts to threats. It's only when you call the Emperor's bluff, tell it you know it doesn't care about you, that it shows you the truth about its relationship with Stelmane.

Because the truth is, it only cares about its own survival and freedom. And it's very skilled at the game it's playing. It has a profound ability to judge what the protagonist needs to hear, and show them what they want to see. If you want to see a friend who transcends what a mind flayer is supposed to be, it plays that part flawlessly. If you see through that, it has other methods of control at its disposal.

And the Emperor is brilliantly written as a manipulator. It can convince you that it's been on your side all along. It leaves just enough doubt that you might never know the truth. It preys on trust, and exploits the protagonist's willingness to believe in the inherent goodness of people. It expresses trust and vulnerability to the protagonist, anticipating that they will return that trust in response, regardless of whether it can be trusted.

And the cool thing about Raphael is that he's a very similar type of character. He also knows that being nice gets you further than being dangerous. The difference between them is that Raphael isn't quite as good at it: he has a temper, and is quicker to drop the mask. He has an ego that won't let him tolerate even the slightest resistance without breaking character. He believes in bribery over trust, and it makes his act easier to see through. The protagonist can express the same doubt in both of them and get threats from Raphael and disappointment from the Emperor, which pushes them away from one and towards the other.

And one of the striking things about BG3 is the sheer range of dangerous people it throws at your party. You have the tyrant queen, who took power through betrayal and maintains it through disinformation. The power-hungry boss, who offers what you want only until his rise to power is threatened. The abusive parent, who sees his children as possessions who exist to entertain him. The political climber, who treats his loyalists as pawns in a long game of personal gain. The sadistic elite, who's never had to hide her cruelty to those she controls because that's what authority means in her social circle. The loving father, who cares so little for the rest of the world he'd burn it all down to keep his daughter safe.

It's all excellent writing, but the Emperor might be the masterpiece. You can play out the whole story without clearly seeing how it fits the pattern. It can be your loyal partner, standing at your side and protecting you from all those dangerous people.

But it doesn't have to be. If you question its protection and loyalty, it can also be your worst enemy, determined to use all your shared struggles and deepest secrets to tear you apart.

[silvertonguedcharlatan]

I want to run a durge cleric because it would be equal parts touching and funny, imagine waking up with cleric powers and knowing you at one point worshipped a god and you have to in the moment try to figure out which one it is and hope you pick right

AND THEN you very obviously do not pick right but the god you do pick takes you in anyway!!! Maybe it’s mercy or maybe all the gods LOVE fucking with bhaal and this is the best opening they’ve had in YEARS

Like a drow durge cleric of eilistraee, goddess of freedom and expression, would go SO HARD or any durge cleric of tyr trying to atone for sins long forgotten, they take durge in out of divine mercy and hope

Or a durge that picks another evil god like talos or umberlee because they know at their core they were made for destruction, they take durge in and immediately break down bhaal’s door and say “remember your kid????? I’m their dad now fuck you”

[clericofkelemvor]

so you could say i have some feelings about astarion's personal quest

(entirely unpolished and unedited)

[nadineross]

i've been thinking a lot about forever. moreso, i've been thinking about everything that comes before — and who i want at my side as it passes.

bonus aigul:

[pandaemoanium]

im being so normal about valtiel hes just a wee lad having fun playing funky tunes and chopping up people

[bodiesweaving]

lyrics only web weaving my breakup with taylor swift because he'd probably make fun of me now for it <3

+ ):

+

[nightmarist]

Some Zevlor Things —

EDIT 12/2/23: Added a few more things

A fellow Tiefling Hellrider, Tilses, is with him in the caves acting as his bodyguard. He sometimes calls her Tilly.

There is one bedroll in the caves shoved off in the far corner with a book titled "The Devil You Know: An Autobiography" - not sure if it's his personal writing or if he's reading it, either way it adds to the flavor of his of his tiefling pride (and/or anguish).

It reads:

Have you ever had a god change your blood? It is a horrifying thing, even for those who may desire it. Yet few tieflings wished for Asmodeus to claim their bodies, only be given no choice in the matter. It is not as if we were well-loved before the archdevil's gambit. Our people have always struggled against the notion of 'devilkin', as if a single drop of infernal ichor inescapably corrupts. How amusing, when so many others willingly sell their souls to fiends, yet their culture as a whole escapes the blame. By what method can we redeem ourselves, when the crime is not ours? I would drive a blade into every warlock that aided Asmodeus' damned ritual, but personal vengeance cannot undo the will of a god, much less one as slippery as the Lord of Lies. When every passerby thinks you a thief and heretic, it is deeply tempting to become one. (cut off) The only thing that has stopped me is knowing Asmodeus wants nothing more than for all of us to fall from grace.

Around the his table are Invasion Plans for Elturgard, Traveler's Guide to Baldur's Gate, Traveler's Guide to the Sword Coast Vol IV: The Risen Road (which aligns when he tells you earlier there are gnolls on the road), and "Front and Center: a Thespian's Memoir" that reads:

"... in fact, the greatest joy of my life hasn't been acting, but becoming. When you choose a character to play, you don't just wear a mask - you take a little bit of their soul for your own. Whoever you are in your heart of hearts, if only by the faintest note."

Zevlor aside I think this is a sweet quote for the player and player character relationship <3

Dialogue in the Caves:

Zevlor: I Hardly need a bodyguard, Tilses. This isn't Avernus. Tilses: No sir. At least the monsters there looked like monsters.

—

Tilses: Commander— Zevlor: Just Zevlor, Tilly. We're civilians now, remember? Tilses: With respect, sir — being a Hellrider is for life. They can't take — Zevlor: They can, and did. Avernus changed things — best we get used to that. Tilses: ... Yes, Zevlor

—

Tilses: The Watch or the Flaming Fist? Zevlor: Pardon? Tilses: When we get to Baldur's Gate. Where are we enlisting? Zevlor: I'm done soldiering, Tilly. I'd like a clean start. But go with the Watch. You're too honest to be a mercenary.

—

Zevlor: No word from the scouts, yet? Tilses: No sir. But if there's a clear path past the goblins, they'll find it. Zevlor: Yes, of course.

ITEMS —

in the Chest there is a bronze goblet, 46 gold, and a battle-worn blade. On his person he has his gloves (Hellrider's Pride), an apple, a camp supply pack, and the key to his chest.

The blade says:

A fine by well-used sword. It seemed to have once belonged to a holy order, but the indication of rank and patron deity at the hilt have recently been filed down.

The gloves' flavor text says:

A waft of sulphur emanates from this proudly-kept piece.

Celebration at the Camp:

"I should be out there, talking with them. In... Just a moment, maybe." "Is this everyone? Our numbers have grown so few..." "No more. I can't afford to lose any more of them." "No. Let them have fun. I'll be ruining it come morning anyway."

Mindfayer Colony:

Things he mumbles in the Pod:

The pod will show you his memories of Elturel:

After saving Zevlor, I forced myself to pick the "mean" options just to see how it goes.

If you tell him its his fault tieflings were imprisoned in moonrise, he says:

If you tell him "Do yo have a right to ask?" when he asks about the tieflings:

He doesn't argue with any of your remarks except one, when he says "For a moment I welcomed it" and you tell him "For a moment until you realized your reward would be a tadpole" he corrects you:

If you tell him if he wanted power he should live up to his own ideal:

If you tell him to get out of your sight:

When you tell him it's not his fault he was enthralled:

If you tell him "Fine. Good luck, Zevlor."

If you say you could use another blade in the fight to come:

At the Netherbrain:

(smiling <3)

"The journey has been brutal, but I stand here a Hellrider once more, and I would die a proud man if I died this day."

I know it's a Soldier thing to be proud to die for a cause but it still makes me worry for him given his background so far <:]

If you click on him, he has two unvoiced lines:

if you pickpocket him at this point, he'll have the same items on him as before (in this save he has a carrot instead of an apple for me).

His stats at this time: (Steeped in Bliss is from one of my items)

Post Game (Patch 5)

I don't know if there are other permutations of this letter, yet, but this is what I received:

I hope my penmanship has improved somewhat in the past months. When I first stumbled into this city, I shook so badly that I could scarcely hold the soup the priests pressed into my hands - let alone write and thank you as you deserve. It is only when the city itself began to shake that I felt my hands grow still. Along with the other veterans sheltering at the temple - discards of Elturel's 'unworthy' legions - I watched that monstrosity rise over the city. We felt no fear. Only anger. Disgust. Purpose - and with it, power. I do not know what oath we cling to now, or how long it will last - but we shall use it to ensure that this city will not suffer as Elturel did. Whether it wants us or not. It is more than thanks alone I owe. No words can make amends for what I did to my people, but that is as it should be. More come to the temple every day to aid in the relief efforts, and if I am permitted to work alongside them, then I am content. Come and see us, when you can. Zevlor

It's interesting — if not bitterswet, tragic, and inspiring — to hear that Zevlor and other Paladins regained their Oaths via pure, stubborn devotion to saving people when it began to look as bad as Elturel.

[walk-the-fade]

Coming from DAi, Ive seen so many ppl write their inky as a kid or at youngest 18 bc it changes the dynamic between them and the party...

Has anyone done that/ considered how it would change the relationship with Tav?

Lae'zel being frustrated and terrified that her survival is dependent on a teenager. She's taking orders from someone barely old enough to know their way around life on a good day, but now finding her people and being purified fully hinges on this kid's survival and she will be damned if she doesn't die to protect them.

Wyll sees himself in them, wide eyed and terrified at 17 when he bound himself to a devil and his father cast him out. The gods are cruel for giving children their toughest battles. He's going to give them every piece of advice he has and pledge his blade to their cause.

Gale being even more hesistant to open about The Orb and Mystra and his condition because he thinks it's too much for them. They should be tucked away in a library, they should be walking through Baldur's Gate worried about trinkets and sweets and being home on time so they don't worry their mother... not tasked with saving Faerûn from a cult.

Astarion thinks its annoying at first. "Free" for the first time in 200 years. Illithid tadpole squirming in his head and he's stuck following a literal fetus in hopes of survival. Its laughable. He almost –almost– feels bad about having to feed from them, but young blood is always sweeter. And when they earn his approval he's bitter on their behalf. Forced to be a hero, some beacon of light before you've even explored life and it's simple pleasures? Appalling.

Karlach... oh boy Karlach burns hot when they tell her exactly how old they are. Its stupid- its unfair- ITS BULLSHIT quite honestly. The nickname Soldier becomes so much more. This kid doesn't give up. They can't, Mama K will do everything in her power to stop it. They need a friend in these tough times and shes more than willing to be that person. Gods....

Shadowheart is a little surprised, but she's the one that underestimates them the least, for sure. They're not that much older than when she was taken in by The Dark Lady and her followers. She knows that you become strong when you need to be. It may be unfair but that doesn't make them any less capable as long as they understand the task at hand. She will see to it that they stay on the right path. And when her faith shifts she realizes neither of them deserve to struggle.

As for Halsin, it makes his heart ACHE in his chest when someone so young comes to his rescue. His knee jerk reaction is that they need training, gudiance... protection. But he quickly realizes that's only half true. They are young sure, but they are not helpless. He will help them in anyway that he can whether it be in battle against The Absolute or by carving them little wooden animals while they sleep and leaving them in their tent. They deserve a little happiness amongst the chaos.

Minthara (assuming she has been recruited at Moonrise) is surprised more by the fact that they chose to show her mercy than by their age. Given her upbringing, survival and violence go hand in hand and if this kid has survived this long, faced power of absolute and survived? Than they are worthy of her respect, hands down. She may not always agree with their methods but she will certainly not hesistate to stand beside them.

[thislousytshirt]

Wyll Ravenguard story suggestions

ive heard a lot of people, both fans and non-fans of wyll, say that his storyline is lacking, and i agree. i actually think lae'zel, karlach and wyll just have weaker stories than the other origin characters but ive seen people say they think wylls was neglected because hes the only black character and yeah... i think it has a lot of potential and ive thought about how id rewrite it without removing anything thats there (like completely changing the role of his father or changing wylls character, i tried not to change his character at all but there might be things i overlooked) i tried to come up with content that could feasibly be added to the existing game by larian. anyway heres what id add

-a scene early in act 2 where wyll confesses to the player that what happened with karlach has caused him to question whether mizora has manipulated him to kill other innocents or good people in the past. he summons her to ask (wait, can he summon her? i dont see why not) and she makes light of the question, refusing to answer outright but implying she has. this is upsetting to wyll and causes him to question his role as a hero. (this scene does not happen if karlach was killed or that quest wasnt completed)

-a scene early in act 3 where wyll tries to help a group of refugees but is rejected because one of them can sense his connection with a devil. this sparks a conversation with the player where wyll says hes come to terms with his sacrifice but he isnt made of stone and being rejected by his father and then continuously used by mizora is wearing him down. he then apologizes for being selfish and the player can end the conversation or tell him hes not being selfish and encourage him to talk about what it was like after he was outcast as a teenager. after this he will show frustration with the situation and say hes afraid he will grow to resent the people hes trying to help. the player can say that they value his help or they can encourage him to stand up and defend his own value to other people. (or they can say some dick thing yk)

-after duke ravenguard is rescued hes brought unconcious to the camp. he recovers and is freed from the absolute by the astral prism but is disgusted with wyll like his is in canon and refuses to work with the party or listen to what they have to say. he leaves to go to his house and gather his resources. the party agrees they must go after him before the astral prism's effect wears off (is this how the astral prism works?) the party sneaks into ravenguards house or fights his loyal flaming fists to get to the duke, and pass a persuasion check to allow wyll to talk to his father. it is a DRAMATIC and EMOTIONAL confrontation where wyll tells his father he made a pact to prevent a slaughter, that he has been fighting to save innocents ever since, and that it still hurts that his father believed he had done it for power. wylls father looks conflicted and agrieved - he doesnt want to believe he was so unfair to his own son. wyll tells him that he can disbelieve wyll and hate him if he wants but begs him to work together with him to stop the absolute and save baldurs gate. ravenguard believes him and is remorseful, they hug and everyones tadpoles connect catching the duke up on whats happened. he goes to their camp and becomes an ally like usual

*if the party didnt recruit wyll or he was killed, the duke becomes their ally like in canon and gives them the key to his house so they can use his stuff

*if the persuasion check to get ravenguard to talk to wyll is failed they will have to fight him. after the fight wyll gives him a potion and says his speech like normal. i just think it would be fun and dramatic to have a mini boss fight in there

*if for some reason the player decides not to bring wyll to the confrontation with the duke then they can just persuade the duke through dialogue and tadpole-meld with him but it will not be nearly as satisfying. back at camp wyll will say hes reconciled with his father and thank the player.

*if duke ravenguard is not saved at all then i assume there is a canon dialogue that plays with wyll but i havent seen it so if its as bad as his reunion scene then rewrite that too.

i havent seen like, every scene, i havent even finished act 3 in my playthrough because i have adhd, and ive only seen wylls early romance scenes. so its possible some of the stuff ive touched on is hidden late in act 3 or in the romance but i want it in his main story path and earlier if thats the case. and i have seen the confrontation with his father and i think its super bad.

also - i know rescuing the duke is already very difficult and annoying, and adding extra steps to recruiting him would piss a lot of people off, but its worth it for me to get the confrontation into a setting where lighting and staging can be used to effect, and the effect of wyll having to forcibly enter one of his families properties which he should have been welcome in - it symbolizes him no longer accepting his exile.

anyway tell me what you would have done differently

[luniidae]

~ A BIT OF ~

KINDNESS

Chapter IV

Note: Yay young Gortash !

Hi everyone! Here is a... Kind of a chill chapter ? To be honest, I wrote it to join two chapters together 🫣

____________________________________

Raphael didn't seem to be mad at Luvia. Anyways, he continued to treat her just the way he used to. He kept teaching her a whole bunch of things, from the history of the Hells to that of her disappeared people, and even poetry. Korilla (who was in charge of teaching her the practice of magic) sometimes took pleasure in teasing Raphael about it.

"Is everything alright with Luvia ?", the dwarf asked.

"Assuredly. She's very perceptive and attentive. I must admit that I look forward to see how things will be going", the devil replied, his voice slightly filled with satisfaction and excitement.

Korilla chuckled and the cambion raised an eyebrow, looking at her.

"What is so funny, Korilla ?", he asked.

"It seems like you've grown attached to her over time."

His eyes widened, as if he didn't want to admit it.

"Don't be ridiculous....", then he paused for a few seconds before adding, "How did you make this conclusion though ?"

He was staring at her, a hand leaning on a piece of his desk, the other on his hip, waiting for her explanation.

"I didn't know poetry was useful to conquer the Hells", she said with a grin. 

Raphael was keeping his eyes on her, expressionless, as if he was looking for a proper answer he eventually didn't find. He took a deep breath and turned on his heels without saying a word, vexed.

Korilla chuckled.

"You'd be surprised by the power of the words...", he finally said. 

"Oh I have no doubt"

Meanwhile, in the corridors....

For his part, Enver had recovered from his lynching session, as he always did.... But it wasn't that bad thanks to Luvia. That wouldn't stop Nubaldin from beating him again, but at least this time she maybe had avoided him the worst.

Luvia didn't approach him anymore, but he could briefly see her from the corner of his eyes from time to time, observing him from a distance. She may thought he didn't notice her... He missed their little interactions though. The food she used to bring him was always more than welcome, but most of all, he eventually got used to her presence.

He wondered why she was there though, in this so-called "House of Hope". Was she really Raphael's daughter ? It was strange to him as the cambion seemed to love no one but himself.

But he didn't plan to stay long enough to find out. Enver was smart; "too" smart according to his parents, those very same who had not hesitated to sell him to the devil. He would pay them a visit someday.... All he had to do was to find a way out. 

The young boy already had the occasion to see the mirrors room. He had observed them and had seen the worlds through them.

Waterdeep, Neverwinter, Luskan..... And of course.... Baldur's Gate. This is where he once lived, and he was determined to get back there. He would prove to the entire city, and the world, that you wouldn't get rid of him that easily.

Enver smirked at this thought, thinking about his escape, imagining his parent's face when he'd come back. All of this sounded fabulous. 

But he had not the time to think any further about it since he noticed someone 3 meters away from him: Luvia. She was standing there, facing him without a word or expression, but her scarlet eyes looked friendly, almost compassionate. 

Enver didn't know how long she's been there, but he said nothing. It's been about two weeks since what happened in the prison..

But something had changed since their last encounter. She looked confident, or resigned.

After a few seconds, Enver decided to break the silence.

"You're supposed to stay away from me"

She seemed about to say something, but instead, she assuredly headed towards him and took him in her arms. The young girl couldn't believe she was doing that, but she didn't have the occasion to apologize for what happened to him because of her. And maybe she would never have the opportunity to do it. 

Enver's breath got cutted by surprise. He didn't give the hug back, but it didn't stop her from holding him tight against her.

"I am sorry", she finally whispered in his ear.

That was the first time he heard her voice. It was soft and calm, and so different from what he used to hear. Enver was usually surrounded by the Eternal debtors and his jailor. Between the cries of despair or madness from ones and the barks from the other, there was no place for kindness and yet....

It was also pleasant to feel another kind of "grip" for once, he thought. 

Luvia could sense his bones through his clothes, and he could feel her little heart beating against him. That sounded weird to him.... He wasn't used to that kind of proximity with anyone. Even with his parents. 

Suddenly, she took a step back when she heard Nubaldin in the distance. She didn't want Enver to be punished because of her again... She was scared of the gnome, but she hated him more. She hadn't forgotten his expression while he was beating the young boy before her, how he seemed to have enjoyed it more than he should have. She was hoping to make him pay someday...

The jailor arrived in Enver's back, barking as always. 

"Hey shithead, you...", the gnome stopped himself and talked in a softer tone, which surprised his prisoner as it was very unusual from him, "Oh, Milady", he made a little bow, "My apologies, I hope you haven't been bothered by this...", he was looking for the right words but didn't find anything correct to say,".... Anyway, it won't happen again"

"You're the only one who's bothering me right now", she cutted him sharply. 

Enver and Nubaldin both looked at her with astonishment. None of them was expecting her to say that... And to be honest, Luvia didn't either. 

She happened to hear Raphael talking like this sometimes, and she had noticed the effect it had on people. She wanted to try it too.

Nubaldin went pale, "Of course Milady, I beg your pardon"

The young girl restreinted herself from smiling whereas she felt a pleasant feeling. She could almost understand Raphael, it gave her a sensation of.... Power ? Authority. That was a somewhat vague subject to her but it seemed to work somehow. 

But.... What was next ? What was she supposed to say after that ? Her brief moment of glory quickly vanished at this question. 

Luvia did her best to keep her calm and started to look for something to say.

"Aren't you able to speak to him without yelling ?", she asked rethorically.

"I.... Well, yes, I suppose...", he answered, frustrated and looking at Enver from the corner of his eyes, "But, you know... I'm not but a servent to my Lord and Raphael gave me specifical instructions for.."

"Does it imploy to be as noisy as possible ?", she continued.

Nubaldin looked annoyed. He didn't like Luvia. Not only because she was another child to handle, but mostly because of her sufficient look. He didn't understand why she was so important to his master. To him, she was nothing but another arrogant little brat.

"Should I report to Raphael that his beloved daughter disobeyed him again ?"

"What do you mean ? I was on my way to my chamber", she said, frowning. 

"Maybe....", he said shrugging his shoulders, "Or maybe not. After all, I just arrived and you two were here.... Together. And if I remember well, Raphael wasn't really happy about it the last time". 

Nubaldin knew that Luvia admired his boss as much as she was scared of his wrath. 

Enver could sense her frustration. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her eyes even began to glow for a moment, but she remained inflexible.

"That's what I thought", he added with a satisfied grin, then he looked at the boy, "You, with me. I'm not done with you yet, you bastard".

Enver wanted to fight back, he couldn't bear to be treated like that by this idiot. But he needed to keep a low profil if he wanted to have a chance to escape. He couldn't risk having his surveillance reinforced because of a misstep, so he followed the gnome without any protest. 

Luvia wanted to smile at him, to make him know he wasn't alone, that she cared. She really did. But her anger towards Nubaldin was so strong she couldn't feel anything else at this very moment.

She looked at him go without a word and ended up losing sight of them. 

She stayed in the corridors for a few seconds, thinking about what just happened, and what could happen to the young boy.

Anyways, she looked forward to grow up to show Nubaldin who he was dealing with...

To be continued....

Bonus:

[animentality]

You can ignore this if you want, as it’s not necessarily of your interest. I just had to complain somewhere outside the echo chamber of my mutuals and you’re a reasonable person.

The change they made for Gale devalues his entire companion quest. It is a roleplaying game, and sometimes you have to make decisions and sacrifices in an epic story to get something you want.

And if you want Gale in your party, you have to “put up with” giving him like a maximum of 3 magical items for the first arc. Are you truly bothered by it, you can pick him up a little later and then just go and meet Elminster. And then he is out of your hair for the rest of the game. There is an abundance of magical items in the Baldur’s Gate 3 universe. Not to mention that most magical gear you find in arc 1 will be out-levelled quickly as hell anyway. But having to be Oh So Kind and give him the scraps of your loot is too much?

Then get someone else in your party ig. You can literally respec anyone into a wizard if you need that so desperately for arc 1. Sell the useless magic crap that doesnt fit any of your builds and you have the money.

But it was so annoying that Larian had to make it optional.

(And i admit that either my game bugged a lot, or there was/is a need to gently alter his programmed behaviour as to not run away the second you ask him to wait once (happened twice for me, but i suspect its a bug from what ive seen) and that can be annoying. But giving him a reasonable condition for staying is not bad. And idk how he acts outside of the party, but I would guess you have to deal even less with that if he’s just at camp for the first arc.)

No, I fully agree.

And I say this as someone who didn't like Gale initially. Not so much for the magical items thing, but more because every time he died, he'd leak necrotic all over me.

But Larian making the companions nicer in general, like...let them be toxic?

It makes them more interesting.

More real. Of course Lae'zel is going to be rude, she's been trained to be a cold and heartless warrior. Of course Gale is going to be rude, he will die without magical items, and he has a chronic condition that leaves him in pain most of the time?

Like don't change these things, short of fixing weird bugs, of course, just because you think the players don't like certain characterizations.

Stick to your guns!!

Also feel free to whine about anything in my inbox! I love a good whine. I love when people actually engage critically with media they like.

[wachtelspinat]

Ok this is personal you don't have to answer this publicly unless you really want to... (Long time fan of your work, you basically got me on tumblr because I saw your work featured on the Rockstar fanwire thing they had back in the day and ive been hooked ever since. Your art got me into the Junkers in a big big way as wel...) Might I suggest peeking at Astarion from Baldur's Gate if you haven't already? I know... I know... On the surface I was very dubious because he is such a prettyboy elf (the opposite of my taste) and he is so stuck up besides... but the more you learn about him, the more you find out what a miserable little rat of a man he is and always has been... Gremlin man. His beauty and misplaced sense of arrogance is basically all he has going for him. I just honestly think you would find him amusing considering your past tastes. Also he is incredibly well written and is canonically pansexul. Anyway, thanks even just for reading! ILU NO MATTER WHAT!!!

hey there ! ohh god the rockstar fanwire... that was so wild... being exposed to gamers with your fanart is kinda... well. but glad that you stayed, really appreciate it ! and ah yes yes, astarion... i'm really digging the fanart i've been seeing, he seems like a fun, well-written character. i'm kind of very jealous of everyone who's able to play bg3... i have neither the equipment nor the time to venture into sth that huge rn.

[dwarfsized]

💥☔️🌪️ 🌸for the ask game?

💥Which BG3 villain is your most/least favourite to write?

answered here!

☔️Do you care about wider DnD lore in your fics?

I do when it serves me! Some of it rules. Wider D&D lore gave me the basis for eldath's mercy, but also wider lore has, like, the messiness with Mystra's death. How do you square that? she was "dead" for like 100 years, but she wasn't actually dead? So. what? dont come into my comments and explain this to me. I don't want to know. I'm dealing with it in my fic in my own way and if my way lines up with canon then neato! i could not care less what the official answer is.

What I frequently come back to is: did you know there are elves on the moon? the moon in the fucking sky? there's a whole society of moon elves (elves who live on the moon) and that's part of d&d lore. There are some wildly silly things in d&d lore.

Basically I pick and choose what I want from wider d&d lore, because the text is the video game Baldur's Gate 3. Everything that happens outside of the video game is not canon, and can be brought into my fics if I want, but it is not canon. And in general as an author I dont feel like we should act like anything that happens outside of the games is 100% for-sure canon even when it is a reasonable and accepted part of d&d lore.

🌪️Is there a nugget of game lore that fascinates you, but you haven’t written about yet?

I answered this here BUT i have other answers. So I will say NOCTURNE.

Nocturne and Shadowheart and Nocturne being unready and unwilling to leave a faith that is hurting her, and that she knows is hurting her because she's seen what it did to Shadowheart, but it is all she knows! Or. All she remembers. And she has power in the church now. So maybe things will be different...?

🌸Rec one of your fics and tell us what you like about it!

okay i send you to that's the kind of love ive been dreaming of, tav/astarion E dubcon shared dream fic of all time (to me, totally unbiased observer with no skin in the game, wink)

I liked getting in astarion's head and thinking about what he'd want out of sex when he didnt think he had to perform. i really liked thinking about how he would end up performing anyway.

Also it has a tiefling tail handie in it that im haunted by (in a good way) and is getting a chapter two very soon. many said to me, they said, "leetle, kira and astarion fucked around. we want to see them find out." and i am almost ready to show you what that's going to look like

[astarionenthusiast]

vaguely baldur’s gate related meal planning

hi guys

something to know about vienna is that i am a poor college student with a money spending problem, and something that i do to try and be better at that is meal planning

this week i was feeling very uninspired because i was kind of sick of cycling through the same things every week. i’m just getting out of what i think was my first super major depressive episode- i didn’t attend class for almost three weeks, i’ve been oversleeping AND undersleeping depending on the day, ive been late to work- it has been rough.

fortunately my teachers have all been very forgiving, and since i was feeling like that was getting back on track i decided next i had to start eating like a normal person again. i decided to take inspiration from the one thing that kept me talking to people through this episode: baldur’s gate.

i picked six characters, a different one every day (i eat at my parents’ on sundays) and picked dinners based on their vibes. i have no basis for these other than my own thoughts. shoutout to @marstarion for helping me pick some of these out- i’ll be updating every day :)

most of what i bought is from trader joe’s, that’s my favorite grocery store because they’re so good at single-serve meals. a couple things are from walmart but i can specify what is if it’s needed!

monday: halsin - steak pie and salad

sorry this isn’t the most clear picture- it was taken from a video hehe. anyways, when thinking of what to have for halsin’s i was immediately drawn to something cozy and hearty. he’s a big softie while simultaneously being a fierce fighter, and for some reason the vibe landed me at these steak and stout pies from tj’s. something about them just feels so quintessentially halsin to me. they were super yummy and a 10/10 in my book.

if there was anyone to include a salad with it was OBVIOUSLY going to be our favorite archdruid! there weren’t any flavors that jumped out as distinctly halsin to me so i went with avocado ranch. i normally like any salad but i didn’t super enjoy this one- the dressing tasted too earthy which is i guess in character for halsin but i didn’t really enjoy it. this one is like a 3/10 because it ended up clogging our sink too.

[kyndaris]

Blessed Mother

The Diablo series has always had a soft spot in my heart ever since I played the second game back when I was 12 at the behest of a few school friends. Yes, it was MA15+ and I probably shouldn’t have been playing it at that age but I managed to convince my father to buy me it, one of a thousand cherished memories that I had with him, because I was already hooked on Blizzard’s other games: Warcraft and Starcraft. So began my descent into the terrifying world of Sanctuary and humanity’s quest to purge the evils that stalk its land.

Unlike its other major franchises, Diablo is an action role-playing game. Or, ARPG for short. But for many, it’s known as the one game that helps most people develop repetitive strain injury (RSI) because of the constant clicking that goes throughout the gameplay.

Diablo IV continues in this vein as very little of the core gameplay has changed. The playable character moves around by clicking the mouse to a specific spot on the map. The playable character attacks by clicking on enemies. Occasionally, one can mix it up with a variety of other skills by pressing something on the number pad.

That is, of course, if you play Diablo IV on the computer. The controls might be a little different on consoles but I’ve always found that the best way to play isometric click-heavy ARPGs on computer.

Besides, I didn’t get a heavy-duty PC just to write my stories. I mean, yes, that is the primary purpose but not the sole reason. I do use it occasionally to play video games that seem best suited for the PC. Why, just recently, I even bought an external SSD to possibly install Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield because these games require an SSD. And while my PC does have an SSD installed, since I bought my PC about five years ago, the storage on it is only about 256GB with quite a bit of it taken up by...well...normal PC function.

How was I supposed to know that game development would go towards SSD? I’m not a TECH expert with a pulse on the ground when it comes to new technology although my work colleagues think differently.

Anyways, back to the game at hand: Diablo IV.

While I was excited to re-enter the world of Sanctuary following the events of Diablo III and the interesting premise promised by the trailers regarding Lilith, it is my personal opinion that opening up the world only served to damage the game. While some might enjoy having an open world to explore, I personally found the countless cellars and dungeons repetitive. With level scaling and how quickly I managed to level up to 50, much of Diablo IV felt much the same. Especially when I’d unlocked all the skills that could fill my skill hotbar.

True, I could have respecced my character but there wasn’t much need for it with my storm wolf druid. It was an effective DPS machine and with the added ability to fortify at the end, I was essentially unkillable in the lower world tiers. Especially when I began to be level past the recommend threshold.

Open worlds, it must be said, used to be one of my favourite game builds. However, as worlds have become larger with needless collectibles to fill out the world, they have also become some of my most hated elements because I’m a compulsive explorer - always desperate to check out the next nook or cranny in case of side quests or something interesting. Diablo IV proved infuriating in this respect as it had so many side quests but no way to track the ones you’d completed except with a ?/45 on the world map. This made knowing which side quests I’d completed difficult to keep track of and figure out which ones I was still missing.

For a completionist such as myself, it was a nightmare. 

Even as I attempted to get most of the blue exclamation marks that I could find. It doesn’t help that they also only appear if you’re in that particular segment of the map, which makes it even harder to mop out unless I decided to hop between fast travel portals.

Despite this, I can see why the developers decided to go for an open world. After all, Diablo end-game (at least from 3 onwards) has always been about collecting the best gear and becoming stronger than you were before. Slap on live-service with battlepass and it’s a winning formula to become an endless grind quest. 

A part of me almost wanted to shake the developers and have them turn the franchise into a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) for it appears to be the direction that the franchise is going. Should it go down this route, I’d also be happy for it to ditch the isometric focus on the ground. 

Alternatively, Activision Blizzard, you could also scale it back down. At least for the story segments and have it opened up afterwards. I much prefer the more compact nature of Diablo II, where I was free to explore the map of the immediate area, kill all the enemies it contained and be awed by the majesty of how large the world COULD be rather than be faced with all the open space and respawning enemies. Which, also, only seem to attack the playable character rather than have any real conflict amongst themselves.

Are you honestly telling me that the demons and the snake cultists wouldn’t fight each other or the hellspawn-esque willdlife?

Honestly, I pity the people still alive on Sanctuary. It’s clear that they can get nothing done without being mobbed by an endless amount of bandits, goatmen, cultists and demons.

Yes, it works from a gameplay perspective but it SUCKS from a world-building perspective. The people of Sanctuary might as well give up and succumb to the end if all they have to look forward to is being eaten alive by cannibals that are just outside their gates.

Now, most of my readers, and friends, would know that I love myself a good story. And Diablo IV delivered it, especially at the start. Lilith’s arrival in Sanctuary was suitably chilling and the prologue with the people at Nevesk laid the ground work for what I had hoped would be an interesting throughline of the greyness that encompasses real-life morality and perhaps have the playable character struggle with the implications of ingesting Lilith’s blood.

But did we get any of that?

No. No, we didn’t.

The playable character serves as a patsy to link up the other main characters: Lorath, Donan and Nyrelle. It is never explained why the playable character is so strong, tearing through demons left, right and centre as they traipse through Estuar (the eastern continent of Sanctuary). Or how they seem able to resist the influence of Lilith’s blood in their veins. Even Lorath is amazed at their mental fortitude but it’s never truly explored. I never see my character waver in their convictions although there is a scene where they confess to Nyrelle that they have flaws.

WHERE ARE THESE FLAWS? All that the playable character does is help out those that need it and shout defiance at the demons of Hell.

I would have preferred a story with more player choice and to see us grapple with the consequences of our actions. Instead, most of the major decisions were made by other characters and the player character was simply along for the ride as the hired muscle. 

It would have been far more interesting to me if we could have chosen to follow Lilith rather than stop her and allow Mephisto to do what he will upon Sanctuary. I mean, with that ending, there is little doubt in my mind that the world will be drenched in Hatred. A rather frightening prospect although it’s no different to the world we live in today. And while we fight amongst ourselves, the world as we know it steps ever closer to the edge with climate change wreaking havoc.

Let it be known that our current civilisation was laid low by our own hubris and the fact that we had grown fat and indolent on greed that thinking to change our ways to ensure our own survival came second to materialistic objects.

But enough of the doom and gloom! Diablo IV! 

Personally, while I am fascinated with the lore of the Diablo franchise, this recent game left me wanting. I would have much preferred a more engaging story where the playable character didn’t sit on the sidelines as the other characters decided the fate of the world. In fact, I’d have rather a slow-burn corruption story where we step off the path of the lawful good and accept the lesser-evil to save Sanctuary.

Or perhaps have us turn away from the Light entirely and fight against the Heavens for their callous disregard of humans.

At this point, I probably have a corruption kink. 

Wait. What are you doing?

No. Don’t look at that!

...

...

...

Okay, yes. Voldemort x Hermione Granger and Voldermort x Harry Potter are a few of the things that I like to peruse on the odd occasion. No, I won’t explain myself.

All right. Where were we? Ah, right. BALANCE!

For all its talk of balance, Diablo IV very much likes to paint things in black and white. Lilith, the Mother of Sanctuary, has an evil plan to cull the weak. As such, we must stop her even if it would open us up to the Greater Evils. Elias, because he brought the Mother back, is also evil despite his intention to save Sanctuary because of the ongoing threat.

As for the Angels, well, they’ve all apparently abandoned humanity. They might not have voted to destroy Sanctuary but they are doing nothing to combat the threat of the Greater Evils in the world. 

Tyrael, a mainstay of the last two games, is absent in Diablo IV and its difficult to understand why.

In any case, if Activision Blizzard ever saw fit to paint out a little more of the world, I would have liked to play a game where the playable character deals with the corruption of the Zakarum by Mephisto. 

Or maybe if we finally saw a few demons turn to the light. 

Why is it that angels can fall but demons remain forever in the depths of Hell?

Despite quite a few gripes regarding Diablo IV, I still enjoyed the majority of the game. My only wish was that it was more concise without so many open-world shenanigans thrown in to elongate the longevity of the game. Yes, there will be  a large group of people that will enjoy the end-game portion of it, but for those that thrive on story, the open world proves to be detrimental to one’s enjoyment. Especially when the world is so utterly grim. 

And I think the wider question that needs to be asked is if Sanctuary ought to be saved or not.