#but the last thing minthara wants is to be alone

[trappedinafantasy37]

Minthara's Underdark ending, although far from her worst ending, is quite the tragic one. And I'm talking about when she goes to the Underdark by herself and this is considered her "default" ending.

The entire game, when she speaks of home, it's with heavy grief and sadness. She says she will miss home until the day she dies, accepting that she will never go back. To return is to beget death as she would be returning as a traitor to Lolth. And as a former paladin of Lolth, she knows better than anyone what is in store for her. She knows she will be hunted down and has a target on her back.

So it is especially tragic that when left to herself, she goes back to the Underdark anyway. Danger and treachery is all she has ever known, but her dialogue at the party almost hints that she isn't enjoying it this time around.

In her Baldur's Gate ending, she seems so much happier. Ruling the city from the shadows isn't without its dangers, but it most certainly is not as dangerous as the Underdark is. If you romance her, this is what she actually wants to do. She wants to stay on the surface with you and slowly but surely take over Baldur's Gate. She only returns to the Underdark because you propose it. If you never mention it, she embraces and welcomes the biggest change of her life and learns to live on the surface, something she had never once considered before in her life. Your presence gives her the courage to do things she has never done before and embrace change.

But without you, she returns to the only thing she has ever known because she is too afraid to embrace the change, too afraid to walk a different path. Where staying on the surface is so much more terrifying than returning to the Underdark where she will constantly be looking over her shoulder. Shunned by Lolth, she feels lost and doesn't know what to do with herself. Up until 6 months ago, she had a purpose, destroy the Absolute. Then that quickly changed to claim the Absolute. The idea of claiming the Absolute, she saw a future that already fit her world view and details everything she needed to do because it wasn't so different that what she would of otherwise done. She already imagined a world of conquest, and she preemptively gave herself a long term purpose.

Without the Absolute, without you, she has no purpose, and no real reason to stay on the surface, and does not know what else to do with herself. At least in the Underdark she has a purpose and it's the same one that any noble female drow would have: kill mom and become matron. But I don't know if Minthara has really thought of what to do beyond that because she's not particularly good at straying from preset courses on her own. There is this potential risk of regression here. Of turning back into that prideful woman that the Absolute was able to easily lure into a trap. To return to the person who was lost in blood and madness, and Minthara already sees herself as being mad for even returning to the Underdark to begin with. Even though she has every intent to piss off Lolth, I can't help but wonder if Minthara who is left completely alone and lost would return to Lolth if she made Minthara a sweet sweet promise, throwing Minthara into the same damned cycle all over again.

[moonselune]

Hey ! First at all I love your blog and I'm so glad I discovered it ☺️

I have a silly idea about Minthara, what will be her reaction if she said something that hurt her tav, cause I love her but I'm a crybaby 😭

Thank you ! And sorry if my English is bad

Your english is great dw! Oh how I love to write for our lord and saviour miss sexy drow lady

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Minthara x reader | Crybaby

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The argument had started out small—just a disagreement over tactics during the last skirmish. You had suggested a more cautious approach, one that would spare as many lives as possible, while Minthara, ever the warrior, had insisted on a more aggressive strategy.

But what started as a discussion quickly escalated. Minthara's patience wore thin, and her words became sharper, cutting deeper with each exchange. Her voice, usually controlled and commanding, rose in frustration as she dismissed your concerns.

“I truly didn’t think you could be so naive,” she finally spat, her tone dripping with disdain. “You don’t understand what it takes to win and at this rate, you never will.”

The words hit you like a physical blow. The implication that you were somehow weak, that you didn’t understand the cost of survival, cut to the core. You felt your throat tighten, a familiar sting in your eyes that you fought desperately to suppress. But the hurt was too much to contain, and before you knew it, you were storming out of the tent, not wanting Minthara to see how deeply her words had wounded you.

You made your way to the lakeside, your footsteps heavy with emotion. The cool evening air did little to soothe the turmoil inside you, and the soft lapping of the water against the shore seemed to mock the chaos in your heart. You wrapped your arms around yourself, staring out at the dark water, your tears finally spilling over.

You hadn’t been out there long before you heard footsteps approaching from behind. You didn’t need to turn around to know it was Minthara. Her presence was unmistakable, a mixture of strength and authority that seemed to fill the space around her. But right now, it was a presence you didn’t want to face.

“Leave me alone,” you muttered, your voice trembling as you tried to keep the tears from spilling out any further. “I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

Minthara didn’t respond immediately, but you could feel her hesitating, torn between giving you space and not wanting to leave things unresolved. You heard her take a step closer, and then another, until she was standing right behind you.

“Look at me,” she said softly, her voice stripped of the harshness it had held earlier. You shook your head, your back still turned to her.

“No,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “Just go away.”

But Minthara wasn’t one to back down, not when it mattered, not when it came to you.

“Please,” she insisted, her tone gentler than you had ever heard it. “I need you to look at me.”

There was a long pause, the tension in the air thick and suffocating. Finally, with a heavy sigh, you turned around slowly, your eyes still fixed on the ground. But Minthara wasn’t having that either. She reached out, her fingers gently tilting your chin up until your eyes met hers.

Your vision was blurred with tears, but you could see the regret in her gaze, a sorrow that mirrored your own pain. Minthara’s strong features, usually so composed, were softened with an emotion you didn’t often see—vulnerability.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

The sincerity in her words broke through the last of your defenses, and a fresh wave of tears rolled down your cheeks. Minthara didn’t flinch; instead, she reached out, her thumb gently wiping away your tears. The touch was so tender, so unlike the warrior you knew, that it made your heart ache even more.

“I was angry,” she continued, her eyes never leaving yours. “I didn’t think before I spoke. I’m sorry for what I said—it was cruel and unfair.”

You took a shaky breath, the weight of her apology easing some of the hurt. But the pain was still there, raw and aching.

“You think I don’t understand?” you whispered, your voice breaking. “I know what it takes to survive. I know the cost.”

Minthara’s expression softened further, a look of deep regret and understanding crossing her features.

“I know you do,” she said quietly. “I was wrong to say otherwise.”

There was a silence between you, heavy with the unspoken words and the lingering pain. But in that silence, there was also a sense of healing, a recognition of the love that bound you together despite the harsh words.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” you murmured, your voice still trembling with emotion.

“I don’t either,” Minthara replied, her voice steady now, full of conviction. “I never want to hurt you like that again.”

She pulled you into a gentle embrace, her arms wrapping around you protectively. You leaned into her, resting your head against her shoulder as you let the last of your tears fall. Minthara held you close, her hand stroking your hair in soothing motions, her own heart aching at the sight of your pain.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice filled with a tenderness that she rarely showed to anyone but you. “More than anything.”

You held onto her tightly, feeling the sincerity in her words, the warmth of her embrace melting away the last of your anger and hurt.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, your voice barely above a breath.

Minthara pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head, her arms still holding you close as the night slowly wrapped around you both

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Awwww this was so sweet to write and I hope you guys enjoyed it! - Seluney xox

If you want to support me in other ways | Help keep this moonmaiden caffeinated x

[sae1549]

More very random head cannons. -SFW—NSWF-

Characters mentioned: Astarion, Gale, shadowheart, laezel, Wyll, Karlach, Minthara and Halsin +1

Content warning: hair pulling, oral f/recieving & m/recieving, knife play, size kink, predator/ pray kink.

Word count: 3.2k

Astarion

-SFW-

- He has a very gravelly voice in the morning that lasts around 25 minutes.

- He absolutely loves cats. And later you end up moving to the underdark, you both adopt a cat that is able to travel alone to get the things that they need. He sees it as your baby and treats it as such.

- He is the person you go to if you want any gossip. When you both get to the underdark I could see him becoming a bartender or something like that. Where he can swindle people of their money while having fun doing it.

- He can cook. Contrary to him not eating normal food anymore he was once human. But he will look over cookbooks for a while if you tell him that you would like to try his cooking.

- He dislikes flowers, of course he thinks that they are beautiful but they do not live long. He gets sad because he links that thought to losing you. So he tries to keep those thoughts away from him.

- He absolutely loves shoes, he can rant and rave about them, when everyone was in camp he would like to go up to gale the most. He really liked his shoes, even going as far as stealing them. Only to have a grumpy gale walking through camp with his arms crossed pushing Astarion over and taking his shoes back.

- Astarion has to clean himself in his bat form as well as his normal form. So he takes extra long in the shower. But he gets so fluffy!

- He starts seeing a therapist after everything is settled in the underdark.

- He loves to give forehead kisses.

- Astarion loves to be called beautiful!! Call him beautiful often!!!!!

- When you ask him what his natural eye color is he thinks about it for a while getting back to you telling you that they were a steel blue.

- He does not have many things, but he wants to some day. So without him noticing you slowly start to give him little things here and there. Like an extra bedroll that you had, a blanket. Some new pillows, candles, anything that you can find that you think he would like to make him more comfortable.

- He loves horror movie nights!!!!!!!!!

-NSFW-

Ascension ver.

- When he is ascended he does not care as much if you get off first.

- He would be a lot more rough, biting much more feverishly and more often.

- He would give you head, but he would not do it for long.

- He knows exactly how good you are feeling, but will make you tell him.

- He is the dominant one.

- He will take up multiple partners as he expects you to do the same. He would go out of his way to ask if you would want to add another partner into your nightly activities.

- His sex drive would increase greatly.

- He sets a brutal pace.

- He likes to tease.

- He would not fall asleep after doing it, but he would ask you about what you liked and how he did.

- He lets you rest your head on his lap to fall asleep after.

Gale

-SFW-

- Man can sing. But mostly does it when he is bathing or concentrating. Quite interesting to hear for the first time when you are in battle together. Singing in a tired gravely voice before shooting off another spell.

- He tried to convince Tara to let him dress her up in a cute little outfit one time. He left around 30 minutes later covered in scratches. That is to say he does not make those comments anymore.

- He likes painting from memory, yes he can control the weave but he would like to have some sort of proof if there was ever a day when he could no longer handle the weave any longer.

- When coming back from a particularly hard day, if you massage his shoulders a bit he will melt into a puddle and fall asleep.

- His favorite juice is apple juice.

- Always likes books more than movies. Does not matter if it is actually a good movie.

- He keeps photos of you on hand so he can show his students. And they know so much about you and he wants to ask if you would visit his class to shed some light on recent events. Totally not an excuse for him to see you more.

- He likes his food hot, even his salads. All food needs to be hot.

- Loves silver jewelry, his wedding ring is silver with purple stones embedded into the ring. You have the matching version obviously but it is a wide band with white and purple stones honored on the ring.

-NSFW-

- He is into pulling hair, if things are getting a bit more rough. You are sitting on his lap. Getting into a very heated makeout session, in a heated kiss his hand snakes up onto the back of your head, seating itself into your hair. The other hand softly rocking you back and forth. He breaks away from the kiss. “You are quite breathtaking my love.” He says through slightly labored breaths, he grips and gently pulls on the hair at the back of your head. Swiftly latching his lips onto your neck.

- He does like when there is a bit of lightheartedness while making love, but it is serious so he will always go back to being more serious.

- He likes to lay in the sun after finishing, watching as you also bask in the light, he thinks it makes you look ethereal.

- He would go at a moderate pace, and would not have very good rhythm when he first starts.

- He thinks it is a bit romantic to have music playing while enjoying eachothers company. So there will be soft piano playing in the background.

- He definitely uses magic, mage hand would come in handy, being able to bind your hands for a little rougher session.

- He does not own any toys, but would be okay with owning some if it helped you get off better. He would end up enjoying it immensely.

- Public sex is something that he could be talked into. As long as it is somewhere where less people are. But there is still the thrill of possibly being caught.

- He masterbates from time to time, it is not often. But if you are not around and he is fully alone then he would enjoy himself.

- His stamina is not very high, but he can fully please you and a little more if he is asked.

Lae’zel

-SFW-

- She would keep a collection of rusted or busted knives to fix while at camp. It helps her calm down plus it gives her something to look forward to.

- She would eat dinner at either 5 pm or 10 pm no in between.

- Talks to herself all the time. Saying she is the best therapist she knows.

- Her favorite color is Silver.

- She likes to read before she goes to bed.

- She also likes to sit on a high point at the camp to look at the stars.

- She would be an astrology girl. And would believe it completely.

-NSFW-

- She is the top.

- She is a biter, lightly gliding her teeth across your skin. She loves to feel you shiver from the touch she is giving you.

- She is not loud, and does not want you to be loud either.

- She would be 100% serious in bed. No laughing, no jokes.

- She has a moderate sex drive.

- She is a C cup.

- She would not fall asleep directly after having sex. She would wait until you fell asleep before she would sleep.

- She would have a small collection of toys that she would bring into your sex life.

- She has a lot of stamina, she would want to go more than one round if you are up for it.

Wyll

-SFW-

- He liked bugs when he was a kid.

- He really likes spicy food, and will go out with Karlach to find it.

- Has a very big sweet tooth, and loves to share it with everyone in camp. He has a whole pocket in his pack dedicated to sweets. Giving them away to children you may meet. It makes him feel extra happy if there is a group that he can give it to. But he has a special place for candy that you specifically like, which he gives to you when you feel down.

- He loves Halsin, and goes to him for advice about his father.

-NSFW-

- He loves sensual romantic sex.

- He could get off to kissing. You don’t even have to fully have sex to get him all riled up.

- Man is cheesy, he will set this up when you are living together. Setting out roses leading from the front door to your bedroom. When you walk into the bedroom it is enveloped in a warm soft glow of candlelight dancing over the horned man laying across your bed that is also covered in flower petals in the shape of a heart. “Welcome home my sweet.” He would say in a sultry voice, getting off the bed to meet you. Taking a rose off the table and handing it to you.

- He would be really good at praising you.

- “Tell me how good I make you feel.”

- He is not very experienced, but that is okay, he is very willing to learn.

- He likes things to be more serious in the bedroom, but a soft giggle or smile would not go missed.

- He would have a slow pace, he would want to take his time and enjoy every moment.

Shadowheart

-SFW-

- She loves yoga. And will do it every chance that she has downtime to do it. But it is mostly just her stretching.

- She would be a Hello kitty girl, and would own so many of the stuffed animals.

- She hates classical and post- disco music. But would love R&B and jazz music. Shadow heart in the garden with soft music playing in the background. She hums along while you are on the opposite side of the garden. This was an activity that you both loved to do. She would be dressed comfortably in a shin length skirt that was covered in loose soil. She turned the music on a little louder, swaying from side to side as you both worked together, sharing in kisses here and there. It was quite an eventful afternoon.

- she hates orange juice. Like genuinely hates it and will get upset if you give it to her.

- Likes a good cup of tea. With very little sugar. But if she were to have coffee she would want a lot of sugar but no cream.

- She wants a flower garden.

- She would end up being a plant girlie.

-NSFW-

-She is somewhat experienced. Having done it with a handful of people at most.

- She would get her nipples pierced. I think it would make her even more confident than she already is.

- She is very confident in bed, she is fully okay with taking charge or letting you take control.

- She would try almost anything once. Outside of things that would hurt her too bad.

- When you are in the comforts of your own home she is really into bondage. Being bound really excites her.

- She is serious while doing it, you can laugh during it. But she does want it to be a more serious moment shared between the two of you.

- She would prefer a faster pace, it would drive her wild.

-She is a B cup.

Karlach

-SFW-

- She gets very protective of scratch, he lays near her when going to sleep for a very long time.

- She loves going swimming since it cools her down. But will refuse anyone to go with her since the water around her would get way too hot. And possibly boil anyone going in there with her. But that is in fact how she has gotten you dinner before. When everyone was literally starving and going off wine and grape soup for the 4th day in a row. Karlach brings back fish. And sets them on the table. She announced that we will be having something different for dinner than the normal everyone was so excited that they forgot to ask. Later on that night she told everyone. And was met with a still silence. Before someone cleared their throat and everyone went right back to conversation.

- She would drink a lot of water to try and cool herself down.

- Her favorite color is Blue.

- She likes doing yoga to stay limber.

- She smells like Vanilla and Amber.

-NSFW-

- She is the top, no questions asked.

- She would have nipple piercings if she could. But her heat would have them melting to her skin. So she just settles for real and natural.

- She is not very experienced. Since she was always fighting for others she never got to find much pleasures of the flesh. But don’t worry she is a quick learner.

- She would definitely be goofy in bed, joking here and there. But does know when to be more serious.

- She would enjoy slow and steady pace, she would also enjoy taking her time. But also loves a brutal pace from time to time.

- She is a D cup

Minthara

-SFW-

- She would jump out and scare children if she could.

- I feel like she eats the crust first on pizza.

- Despises ranch.

- She ends up wearing glasses later in life.

- She would only eat while standing.

- She likes red wine, and will always ask if you would like to join her in a drink.

- She becomes softer and a bit nicer when you start to get close to her.

- She could fall asleep standing up. She is also a really light sleeper.

-NSFW-

- Scary in a hot way.

- She would be into knife play. Holding a knife to yours not the other way around.

- Top.

Her favorite part of her partner's body would be the neck. Thinking that it could be the quickest way to kill you in case you threaten her. But also that it is so sensitive and gives wonderful responses when kissed.

- Gives absolutely amazing head.

- She likes the predator prey dynamic, finding it quite thrilling to chase before taking what is hers.

- loves to see you in skirts (if you wear them) Or really tight fitting pants. And will tell you all about it in confidence later.

- She is quiet, she does not moan too much.

- She is very experienced, she has enjoyed many pleasures of the flesh. And is ready and willing to show you everything she has learned.

- She is very serious during the deed, there would be no laughing.

- Brutal pace or nothing. She wants to go hard and fast bringing herself and you to a high quickly before doing it again.

- She is a D cup.

Halsin

-SFW-

- He walks around barefoot. You question how his feet are still intact from all the rough places that you have traveled together.

- He literally sleeps on the ground for more than half of the time he is in your camp. I think he just didn’t know how to bring up that he didn’t have a bed roll and just waited till he could buy one. He will never tell you that though.

- He cannot handle spicy food in the slightest.

Likes plum juice, and would drink it all the time if he could.

- He has joint pain, so he sits on the ground to relieve a bit of the pain and stress off them. He will often ask if you would like to join him for a walk. When you say yes you both walk together for a few minutes before he sits on a rock in the woods. You sit down next to him and continue your conversation. For a long while. You knew why you had stopped, This had become a favorite spot to stop for him while you are in this area. Before he got up and continued walking. He would give you a soft warm smile as you walked holding hands.

- He will carve you small gifts and sneak them into your pack as long as you have the room.

- he would partake in the grass. But would be away from anyone else so they are not bothered by him.

- He likes fruit and vegetables over meat.

-NSFW-

- He is quite fluid, anything you want to do or try he would be down to do it.

- He loves when you kiss his neck, the tenderness will make him melt.

- His ideal place to do it is in a field of flowers, or a forest area where there is a soft patch of moss.

- He likes to bite, gently of course. But he gives soft nips and bites any part of their body. Loves leaving hickeys.

- We all know this man is experienced, he is ready and willing to give you all of that experience.

- He can be goofy during, he likes when things are lighthearted but sensual.

- Animalistic pace, or soft and sensual no inbetween.

- High sex drive.

- He only masterbates when he has not gotten action in a long time. But would find a very secluded area to do so.

- It takes him a long time before he falls asleep after. But when he does he sleeps like a rock.

- he thinks you being smaller than him is very hot. Definitely has a size kink.

A little extra…

Rolan

-SFW-

- He thinks it is funny when people try to cast magic and it fails.

- He ends up taking on an apprentice.

- When he has down time he would read all the books that were in the tower.

- When he would go back to his tower after the events of the game he would be sad seeing many of the books, but went in to look for survivors that may have been inside.

- He was a spoiled child, but he grew out of the spoiled attitude.

- He is only sweet in private.

- He would not be into PDA. But does kiss you when no one is looking.

- He wants to be able to teach people magic. But, would treat them all wonderfully. He would be a great teacher.

- He would smell like cedar and old books.

- When he blushes the blush spreads over his face and up to his ears.

-NSFW-

- His favorite part of his partner's body would be their hands.

- He thinks that it is so hot to cum on your face and chest. The thought alone would make him cream his pants.

- He is not experienced. He has not been able to experiment while on his travels.

- He is loud, his moans can be heard from a fair distance away.

- He loves to degrade.

- Power bottom on a good day. Bottom.

- He can get really shy when asking for alone time.

- He loves when you take charge and tell him what to do.

- He has moderate stamina. But will only want to go for one round.

- He will fall asleep soon after finishing the deed.

————————————————————————

I'm sorry for any of them being shorter than others. I have not been able to do all of their story lines yet. I am slowly working towards finishing them all. So if any of my head cannons are very off from the characters I am very sorry! Thank you!!

[karniss-bg3]

I figured you’d be the right person to ask this question, why is Kar’niss’ skin super pale when he was originally a drow? 🖤

I had the same question myself and I did some digging a bit ago. All of the official drider concept art I've seen has depicted driders with dark skin, so it stands to reason that the transformation alone wouldn't be enough to alter his appearance. This leaves one interesting theory at play; Kar'niss was a Szarkai.

Szarkai, which translates to "ghost spiders", are albino drow. This is a very rare mutation that affects only 0.1% of the drow population. Their skin tones are so light in fact that they are able to pass as surface elves with little trouble. Some would think that this would make them outcasts but in fact Szarkai were viewed as a blessing of Lolth, hence their namesake.

There are some interesting crossover traits between Kar'niss and Szarkai that lean me more toward this theory, such as: -Szarkai look almost identical to drow outside of the skin tone. However, they have also been known to have minor deformities. The most notable is "gnarled and claw-like hands" which we know Kar'niss to possess. Originally I thought this was due to the transformation, but now I think he may have had it prior to the change.

-They are very adverse toward combat, preferring to let others do the dirty work so to speak. When the player engages Kar'niss in a fight one of the first things he does after his multi-attack is cast sanctuary on himself, protecting himself from harm and forcing his companions to take the hits. I also saw a video where someone cast banish on Kar'niss and when he returned he disengaged, healed himself, and ran from the fight. Now this was likely a bug, but it'd be on brand for Szarkai's desire to escape a fight rather than engage in it.

-They were mostly used as spies and gathering information since they could easily blend into surface societies. While there isn't much evidence that Kar'niss has much training in this field, what stuck out to me was the professions Szarkai favored. One of them is bard, and we have at least some notion that Kar'niss is linked to one musical instrument by way of the spider's lyre. I recall someone commenting asking if the lyre may have belonged to Kar'niss at one point and while I can't say with certainty, if it was and Minthara was merely holding on to it then it'd lend credence to him being a bard formerly. That and he's super pissed if you play it poorly!

-I haven't done a playthrough with Minthara in my party so I am not familiar with all of her dialogue lines. However, she does know Kar'niss in some capacity and the lyre is used to call him. Her last name is Baenre which is one of the most notable drow houses in all of Menzoberranzan, famous for Jarlaxle the leader of Bregan D'aerthe. I say this because Szarkai seemed to be far more common in noble houses, which Baenre would be. This could, even if loosely, establish a link between them.

IF this is true, that puts a very intense spin on Kar'niss' potential history. Szarkai were protected, considered valuable, and their existence kept secret. They were removed from drow life, and even kept in far safer conditions than others. This didn't mean they were shielded from the cruelty drow are known for but it was a different kind of cruelty. Often trained from a very young age to be spies and saboteurs, and subsequently being shipped to human cities to do as ordered. It makes me wonder what Kar'niss could've done to incur Lolth's wrath to the extent she warped him into a drider. Betrayal? Failure? Weakness? Or perhaps Lolth just really wanted an alabaster pet, it's hard to say.

Thanks for the ask!

[razrogue]

Baby, You're The Devil I Know (Ascended Astarion)

Ascended Astarion x Tav

Tags: Evil Tav, Post Rite of Profane Ascension, Canon Divergence, Light Angst, A Little Hurt and A Little Comfort

Chapter Summary: Astarion finally makes it back to their camp, hopeful that he would be able to make things right with the only person he wanted to share his future with

Notes: The music is winding down and we're finally at the last chapter! These two are flawed but so devoted and romantic, they deserve each other. I appreciate every one who has enjoyed and engaged with this small glimpse into the relationship of the Spawn turned Ascendant and the Assassin he fell hopelessly in love with 🫶🏾

Read what happened immediately after the ritual on AO3 Read all 4 chapters of what unfolded in that aftermath on AO3

Camp wasn't particularly lively but there seemed to be a buzz in the air nevertheless. He knew Gan had definitely returned judging by the mostly relieved looks on almost everyone's faces. He wasn't sure what she'd said to everyone, if she'd even said anything about their argument in the tavern. Minthara had not greeted him by smiting so maybe Gan had kept everything to herself.

When he'd stopped by temporarily the other day to drop off the staff and let everyone know they were okay, he could sense a change. Shadowheart had run over, her expression beset with worry when she didn't see Gan with him. Gale stood outside his tent, a faint smile dragged across his lips when he heard Astarion say Gan was fine, but his eyes wore a hint of sadness.

It wasn't lost on Astarion how almost everyone's behavior towards him had shifted. Shadowheart and Gale seemed weary and cautious, almost sad. Minsc was always in his own world while Boo seemed more prickly than usual. Jaheira's expression was her usual steeliness but she had made it a point to tell him how they'd be cozy neighbors after everything was dealt with. Lae'zel scoffed at his shortsightedness, as she called it, but she was behaving no different than before towards him.

Minthara though? She was a surprise. She seemed genuinely happy for him. Happy that he had seized the power and struck down Cazador. No chastisement, no sad looks, no veiled threats. Just congratulations and genuine happiness.

Sure these people weren't necessarily his friends but that moment in camp made him feel like the camaraderie they'd been building and developing over their journey had been conditional. Of course he was one of the gang until he'd done something they didn't exactly approve of. The ritual and its outcome seemed to bring out a side of nearly everyone that would have been devastating to him under his old circumstances. The spawn might have been hurt, lashed out at them, even shed a few tears over it when he was alone on a hunt perhaps. But now? Now it was merely annoying. Anyone who really mattered to him, they supported him. And their loyalty would be rewarded.

Her tent was empty but he figured she had to be in her little spot. The group had been camping near the port by an abandoned tower off the river. A tower that despite its dilapidated appearance, she’d claimed as her own. For thinking, for scheming, he wasn’t sure what for but she’d spent some nights there once they’d decided to lay low here. He carefully made the climb up, carefully stepping upon each rickety step, and found her perched on a precarious ledge overlooking the water.

She didn't even turn to see who'd come up after her, knowing it could only be him.

“So who am I talking to? The great and powerful vampire ascendant?” Her voice cracked a little as she tried and failed to mask the hurt she was feeling, “or has my Plum come to talk to me?”

Astarion sighed. She had supported him. Even when the rest of the companions were displeased he was even considering usurping Cazador's ritual, Gan stood up for and beside him. She never said to him he was wrong or right. She simply asked him if this is what he wanted and trusted him to do what worked for him. For the first time in a long time, he was free to really choose for himself. Astarion hadn’t had this sort of freedom in centuries and it was frightening at first. He’d even asked her outright what he should do. And Gan simply told him, you do what you need to do, I’ll be there whatever you decide.

So as he tried to push past the awful words Cazador was saying, deciding in that moment what he wanted, he turned to her for help. To help him reclaim his freedom and never have to live in fear, once and for all.

I can do this but I need your help.

She didn’t chastise. She didn’t mock. She did what she always did. Whenever they turned to her in their times of need, looking for guidance, she always asked if it was what they wanted. Some might have thought it foolish. Many would have said you should try to persuade your friends, especially when they’re faced with huge life decisions. But that wasn’t her style. Her style was always to leave their decision or mess making to them. It wasn’t her life to live, she'd told them and they’d have to live with their actions. She said the same to Wyll. To Karlach. To Lae’zel. To Shadowheart. To Gale. And now, it was his turn. He had to have faith in his choices and that was all she ever pushed anyone to consider. For better or worse.

She stood there, looking at him intently, only asking him one thing: is this what you want?

Cazador was in shock as he trembled on the ground, trying his best to get Astarion to walk away, foolishly thinking his belittlement would shake him like it had numerous times before. But he was different now. He stood there before him, dagger in hand, the same one Astarion recognized as the one he used to write the infernal on his back. Upon realizing what he held in his hand, Astarion knew exactly what he wanted to do.

The rest of their companions protested vehemently and their cries went ignored. He ignored everything around him, save for her.

Help me do this. Please.

Gan simply nodded and proceeded to let their tadpoles mingle until their minds intertwined. More than their minds really, their beings had become like one. Her eyes were his eyes. Their memories and emotions were one in that moment. They both drowned out everything but each other and began.

Astarion realized what he was blinded to earlier as they faced off in the inn. He didn’t need to compel her. He never did because she was always there. By choice. A choice he’d almost taken from her. Thinking about it, he knew where she stood. What she wanted. And for some reason, whether valid or foolish, she chose to be there with him.

Well he certainly didn't want to admit that to her just then. She was already giving him a look that he was beginning to waver under. Her eyes could melt him, probably literally if she put her mind to it. She trusted him and in a power filled haze he almost destroyed that.

"Yes, well there's no rush," he finally remarked, trying to appear nonchalant as he looked at his nails, "things can be sorted out after we've brought the brain under our control."

Gan closed her eyes, contemplating this “apology” he'd conjured up.

The two of them had really been through a lot, as far as their respective lives, and together with each other over the past few months. Both had done things and endured things in their lives that others wouldn't understand. When they finally started showing each other glimpses of who they really were underneath, they realized they'd found someone who could understand. Someone who saw the darkness and instead of asking them to come to the light or running away, they opened their arms and eventually their hearts. They embraced the messy, the bloody, the scary, and the shadows. They saw those raw edges and didn't say they needed to be sanded away. Instead they were all in for each other, ready to sharpen and hone, acknowledging the edges and that the world would just have to adjust to them or move out of their path.

She held up her hand, placing it gently in his open waiting palm, while he helped her up to her feet. He leaned back against the wall as she stepped in front of him, finally resting his hands on her waist.

As her brown eyes peered up at him, he cursed to himself that their argument was why her normally alert eyes were puffy and tinged with redness. Her cheeks still slightly damp from tears that he'd caused her to shed. He'd strike down anyone who brought harm to his Darling One but what to do when it was him. They'd both pushed each other but he didn't care who was at fault, he just wanted to make sure she was okay. He wanted her to feel better and red eyes and tears, no matter whether they were fresh or not, were far from that goal. Gan wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested her head against his chest.

"I don't like seeing tears in your eyes, love," he finally said as he gently stroked her back. She remained quiet, choosing to relish the comfort and closeness in this moment. He deserved to be slapped, maybe a small reminder of what Bloodthirst in the hands of an unholy assassin was capable of, but right then she just wanted his arms around her.

The two of them stood there embracing each other quietly for a few minutes until he stirred and raised her chin up so he could look at her. He needed to look her in the eyes. Needed her to understand. He did not like feeling the way he was right now and it unsettled him a little that this had affected him the way it did. He was the Vampire Ascendant, something new, something else, and he didn’t want to be burdened by this regret that was bubbling up in him.

"Do you hear me?" Though his expression and voice were stern, his touch was far gentler this time, nothing like the painful hold back at the tavern.

Her eyes searched his face, noting how his brow furrowed and his jaw held tension. He was remorseful, or at least she hoped he was, and for now she'd let things be.

"Behave yourself and you won't see them," Gan countered before closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"I guess that depends on you then, doesn't it," Astarion quipped before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Gan grabbed hold of his side strongly enough that he quickly uprighted himself, hissing loudly through gritted teeth as he glared down at her. His reflection in her brown eyes surrounded by a quiet ferociousness; that defiant side of her peeking through the sadness that had covered her face mere moments ago.

Astarion huffed and shrugged his shoulders, freeing himself from her grip and shaking off the moment. "Well now that that's dealt with, shall we descend this death trap of a structure and get back to solid ground?" With a swift smack to her ass, he released her and motioned towards the ragged stairs.

This partnership of two troubled souls who'd traversed the darkness alone before meeting each other was one of many firsts for both of them. By choice, hand in hand, they decided they would walk off into the future by each other's sides. A future they were seizing for themselves and woe to anyone who dared to get in their way.

[randobisexual]

Could I have some fem reader X A.K.I headcanons please? 🙏🙏🙏

AIGHT BET HELL YEAH YOU CAN!

●first off, aki is 100% yandere for F.A.N.G., so in my opinion, she's the exact same with you

●falls for ya the moment you show interest in her or fang's poisons

●however, she will first have to get fangs permission to be with you. She won't do a thing to you unless fang allows her to be with someone romantically

●I can see this bish first stalkin ya and doing everything she can to find out everything she can of you before she makes any sort of actual moves on you

●you accept her feels and she'll immediately have you move in with her as soon as possible, being extremely giddy

●you reject her? Oh honey, no is not a answer when it comes to aki. She injects you with a paralyzing poison and kidnaps you, simple as that

●she's extremely happy when with you, almost always giving some kind of smile on her face, like the smile she has when she's talking about fang or his poison or something like that.

●she's always calling you by some kind of pet name. "My love?" "My darling?" "My muse?" Hell, on occasion she'll call you mistress if you're into it

● She's absolutely obsessed with you, though make no mistake, fang takes priority in her eyes

●don't worry though, she still absolutely loves you, and puts you on a pedestal like she does with her master

●she will let you outside and in the city if she's around, but if not, she's always having a sort of guard around you at all times

●even when you're out alone, you're not really alone. Aki is always watching you, making sure her beloved isn't in any danger

●every night when you and her are about to go to sleep, she will cling to you, wrapping her body around you like a snake

●the absolute last thing she wants is to displease you, so she's constantly spoiling you whenever she gets the chance to. Whether that's by giving you a taste of fangs newest poison (assuming she deems that you're poison resistant enough), or by simply cuddling with you all day and coddling you

●speaking of poison, she is 100 percent raising your poison resistance by slipping in small nonlethal dosages of poison into your drinks or food

●another way she'll sneak poison into you is by kissing you, since she has poison on her lips 24/7 (yes I got that from minthara from bg3 don't hecking judge)

●though, on the off chance she overdoes it with the poison and you get sick, she's pulling out any and all tricks she knows of to have you get better as soon as possible, while mentally scolding herself for not knowing that your fragile body wouldn't be able to handle that much poison like how her and fang could easily handle

●aki can't risk losing her beloved now, can she?

●she's 100 percent clingy on the inside, but she shows a lot of self restraint infront of others, but will always have her hand on your body, whether on your hip or shoulder, and aki will drag you everywhere she goes, so long as she can ensure your safety

●you are hers (aka her bitch)

●she will teach you everything she knows about poisons, and might ask fang to also help teach you, and maybe even take you in as a student

●whenever you two are alone, it's constant cuddles or physical contact, and when aki gets back from an assignment, she will immediately rush to you after giving fang the news of her success and then hug you tightly, like boa constricter type hug

●she also, surprise surprise, gets jealous easily

●one time a new guy got a little too close to you than aki liked (aka your elbows occasionally grazed during conversation) and that guy was a new experiment for her most painful and slowest killing poisons the next day

●She is heavily protective, but doesn't show her extremely protective side very often

●she will also 100 percent have you marry her within a month or two of being officially together

Anyways, if you can deal with all of that, then congrats! You got a new wifey, aki!

(Also, send requests)

[arach-tinilith]

For Zafyna and/or Naadja please!!

If your character had to get a tattoo, what would it be?

Is your character willing to ask for things?

What is your character's favorite food?

Does your character prefer hot or cold weather?

Is your character upfront about their feelings?

Is there a fear your character wants to learn to overcome?

What is a topic your character would be excited to talk about? 

Tysm for the ask!!

If your character had to get a tattoo, what would it be?

Naadja is not very sentimental as far as getting something permanently etched onto her skin BUT!!! i did see a tweet a few months ago and i do not remember the source but it basically described tattoos for drow caster were a type of vehicle for power that would forgo the need for a staff. If Naadja were to get any tattoos itd definitely be an enchanted one

Zafyna has a tattoo in game technically but i retconned that to be a brand lol. If she were to get a different tattoo i think she'd be the type to get like, a full back tattoo of Lolth's sigil because she's ride or die like that💀 

Is your character willing to ask for things?

Well, yes but Naadja prefers being offered things without having to ask. Which makes things incredibly difficult so she gets frustrated often that people don't give her whatever her heart desires. Minthara gave up trying to respect the tadpole connection and started peering into her mind whenever she saw Naadja acting particularly needy because she quite obviously wants someone to read her mind. But actually asking for something she needs is extremely difficult as she has a hard time being sincere

Zafyna would sooner take things for herself than bother asking anyone for anything. She's self-sufficient because the last time she relied on someone for something it blew up in her face pretty spectacularly

What is your character's favorite food?

Naadja claims to like surface food but she hates it and it makes her sick. She's just eating it because it makes her feel important. Her actual favourite food is potato soup and deep rothé ribs

Zafyna will eat ANYTHING but her favourite is definitely stew. She can't handle super rich foods but her main concern is nutrition 

Does your character prefer hot or cold weather?

Naadja loves cold weather! Whatever her feelings are about the Aevendrow, she really thrived in the cold. 

Zafyna likes it perfectly room temperature no humidity, overcast, and zero wind

Is your character upfront about their feelings?

Absolutely not. Naadja makes a huge show about being emotional but its a false flag. Peer past the facade for one moment and you'll realize Naadja doesn't process her feelings in the slightest and has no way of expressing them appropriately 

Zafyna is surprisingly very sincere about her feelings. She'll guard them, sure, but she's much more open to expressing them than you'd think

Is there a fear your character wants to learn to overcome? 

Naadja's fear of failure, definitely. she's still of the mindset that the solution is to be perfect 100% of the time. In reality she needs to accept she will fail and it's okay

Abandonment. Zafyna’s greatest fear is not just being alone but the pain of that loss. Which is p ironic given she ends up alone anyway while hunting Naadja 

What is a topic your character would be excited to talk about? 

Other than herself? Probably the deconstruction of faith and how its used to manipulate mortals

Zafyna would love to yap about demonic rituals, it's her special interest 

[merilaurecus]

So there's a datamined option for Halsin's ultimatum

What if Tav kicked Halsin out, felt bad for it and after the defeat of the Netherbrain they accidentally met? 👀

Forest in the spring was welcoming as ever. Everything began to awaken with little snow left on the rocks.

And I could be careless again. I could enjoy life like before all of this happened. The brain, our adventures...

Of course I couldn't wash out the part when I had to tell Halsin he needs to leave. Feeling came down to me when I remembered I'm technically near his commune. But I was still far enough for him not to notice. Or so I hoped.

Now I was alone, playing in the forest to move my mind away from such thoughts.

I knew he wished me well but I avoided him at almost all cost. I wished him well too, he was a good-natured person after all...

But it was Minthara who was infected and needed Emperor's protecion. And she had better arguments, untouched by emotions. I still couldn't understand how Halsin let his feelings cloud his judgement.

As stated before, I was careless. I was very dexterous though not exactly now. My foot slipped on the stone when I tried to cross the tiny river by hopping on the stones.

I tried to reach the ground with my hands but my head was faster.

Darkness claimed me.

I woke up and first thing I felt were dizziness and nausea, though the second feeling was light, thank the gods. But I was not in the forest anymore. Someone... found me. I felt the blanket over my body. I was on the bed.

When my vision cleared enough to see where I was I saw it was a small room with occasional whittled figurines on the shelves. Wolves, owlbears, ducks...

Oh.

No.

I tried to get up quickly but my head spinned like crazy and someone entered the room, using strength to quickly prevent me from doing that. Firm hands put me back in my place.

- Easy. You hurt yourself really hard, Tav.

No, no, no no no.

I tried getting up once again, regardless of my state. He used more of his strength this time.

- Tav. I need you to calm down. It won't do you any good.

- But... - suddenly I found it hard to speak with nausea strengthened - I told you... to leave - I kept taking heavy breaths in order not to throw up - and kept Minthara. I... thought... you... hated me.

I heart a light chuckle. Druid smiled down at me. It was almost two years since last time I saw him

- Forgot the part where I wished you well? I kept praying to the Oak Father to keep you safe on your adventure. And Thaniel... I was not there to tell you but he lended his hand in your final battle - I could recall easiness of movement, what I could not do was locating its source. Must have been Thaniel then. Perhaps in duo with Oliver.

- Still I thought you wouldn't be too happy to see me.

- Well, I didn't have the luxury to think about it first when they brought you in here. But I am happy regardless of our past. Though I must ask, what were you doing out there?

- Well, trying to have fun away from people. So many call me a saviour, a hero. I just wanted to be me for a moment. I slipped on the rocks and here I am. Perhaps Beshaba, perhaps... Silvanus wanted us to talk again - the last part of the sentence left Halsin smiling even more.

- And given the outcome of our conversation I have a feeling the second option is more realistic. Our past aside, I'm really glad to know you're well and saved us. I'm forever grateful both for that and help with the Shadow Curse - he sat down next to me but still didn't allow me to get up - Thank you, Tav, for everything.

I could feel a weight leaving my body as I realised all was well.

[biohazzard121]

Meet Dutchess, Bhaals Dark Elf (Lolth-Sworn Drow) Blood Sorcerer Assassin. I never play as female characters even tho I am female. I'm very much attached to my Durge/Tav Male Wood Elf.

Contains Embrace Durge Spoilers read at your own risk.

Anyhoo, Dutchess, she is FULL embrace Durge, she has OBLITERATED everything in her path

Act 1 -

The grove along with Wyll was a blood bath

She gave Marina to the hag and made Gale eat the hags lice infested hair clump because he complained.

She had s**y fun time with Minthara.

She left Karlach to die along with Florick.

She peeved off Lae'zel by Slaughtering her kin then left Lae'zel to fend for herself.

The Gur looking for Astarion didn't get far, Dutchess didn't care for his lies about her friend, so what if Astarion is a Vampire spawn. So she thrust her dagger into his belly.

Gnomes don't fly very far, She giggled when the nasty little deep gnome took flight, after she killed them fithly goblins.

She desamated the underdark.

Dark Gnomes, Myconids and Dark Dwarfs are all the same to her parasites so she killed them all, the drow Nere killed the Gnomes in Grmforge, True Soul Nere what a Joke, How Dutchess laughed at him, he was but a man and they are only good for one thing... and this one was useless so he too was killed.

Act 2.

She told Z'rell exactly what she was going to do to her and Murdered all but Kethric in Moonrise before rescuing her lover. And leaving the Gnome prisoners to their fates.

She took a trip to Last light and tricked Jaheira, then sided with Marcus, oh what a shame last light has fallen. Glorious death when the shadow curse consumed them, Jaheira was still hopeful, so we sent her to Baldurs Gate alone (she still turns up again at Moonrise)

She stood back and watched as the Shadowheart embraced Shar.

The only person Dutchess has been nice too was Astarion, she hasn't romanced him but they are BFFs.

My team which consists of

Dutchess

Sharren Shadowheart

Minthara

And Astarion

Gale is at camp whiling away the hours. He probably wonders why the F he's stuck around in all honesty.

We now stand at the entrance to the Mindflyer colony waiting to jump.

I will of course Ascend my BBF, and allow Gale to believe he's becoming a god I will Take my father's gift and watch Jaheira die in the temple of Bhaal, and i will betray the Emperor.

Man I'm looking forward to this lol

So this is team B**ch before the slaughter of Moonrise and the rescue of my beloved. They all are wearing Bhaal gear but I removed the Bhaal perks. Shadowheart is now in her Dark Justicier gear and well Gale is at Camp lol.

Dutchess, her lover, the BFF and the Sharran lol

So we've reach Act 3 now,

Jaheira has joined us......

Minthara didn't want Yenna to join the camp but soon changed her mind when I said we can use the child..... (I intend for poor Yenna to be Orin's victim), I considered Gale but the Wizard has his uses atm.

Dutchess has just found out she's Bhaals Sion and heir.

"Today is a good day for ..... MURDER"

I may add a few pictures of the end and depending on how long the new evil ending is i may post that as well.

For anyone interested

The Dark Urge slayer equipment and spells mod (for her outfit)

Mac Lovings Solid white eye mod

FacesUnlocked Console (as I'm on ps5, I think her face maybe was one of the Half Elf ones)

HairUnlocked - one of the Harpies hair styles

Bangs bangs and more bangs mod

[trappedinafantasy37]

Alright! It is finally time to face the Elder Brain and end this run. For a little disclaimer, I did complete this run just a few days before Patch 7. I just have posting paralysis and shit sits in my drafts forever before I post things.

Shadowheart tried to dominate the Elder Brain. But, her plan was an abysmal failure.

And doomsday has arrived for the city of Baldur's Gate.

Pro tip: before walking into the apocalypse, make sure your pet illithid is well fed. Locally sourced brains are the preferred nutrition, but store bought is fine.

Despite the apocalyptic scenario she finds herself in, Minthara is enjoying herself and having a grand old time. Definitely the kind of person who thrives in chaos and is her most calm when shit hits the fan.

At the beginning of this all, Shadowheart was alone, trying to navigate the dangers by herself. She felt that she did not need any allies as they would be nothing but liabilities. But Minthara was the one who, ironically, pulled her out of the darkness and gave her the push she needed to step away from Shar. She never could have made it this far without her.

A failed Sharran, a drow, and an illithid walk into a bar...

Meet my friends!

RAWR!

Now this is what I call some quality gameplay! No one can attack you if they can't see you. And even if they could see you, you've evoked the "you can't touch me" rules!

In a final act of desperation, the nether brain pleads for its life, trying to entice Shadowheart into becoming Absolute. Of course, Minthara wants Shadowheart to take the brain and they can rule the world as gods. Sadly, Shadowheart has turned into a helpless do-gooder and destroyed the brain. Lame.

Yay! They saved the city and Minthara unintentionally did a good thing! Now, she wants to get shitfaced so she can forget the awful experience of being a hero against her will.

So, Shadowheart sleeps and Minthara trances, right? Meaning Minthara wakes up long before Shadowheart does. Therefore, Minthara has spent at least 4 hours just sitting here, staring at Shadowheart and waiting for her to wake up. I mean, I would do the same thing too...

Babygurl, it is just me and you here. Who the hell do you think I've been partying with without you? Who are you so afraid of? Who are you trying to poison?

You know, Withers could have just visited the evil lesbians in Baldur's Gate instead of throwing this lavish and extravagant party in the middle of nowhere.

Whoooo boi! This has probably been the longest it has taken me to ever complete a run in Baldur's Gate. Not because it was difficult, but because I was fighting burn-out at the same time, and, well, life stuff happened. But now with Patch 7 being here, I can finally download and install some mods to bring back that spark and replay Daedra and maybe complete that Karlach origin that I keep putting off. This will probably be the last time I do a Shadowheart origin as I have already done it three times and I miss her as a companion.

This is my first duo run and I have had a lot of fun with it. Knowing that I only had two companions and limited resources really made me approach combat and scenarios more tactfully and prepare in advance. It also provided me with some really good RP reasons to make some not so morally good decisions. This was a run that started off with Shadowheart making evil decisions out of necessity and survival, but then her selectively choosing to be good and to be better as she knows she has the power to be better. And having a powerhouse like Minthara at her side certainly gave her the confidence. Of course, Minthara had to get dragged through all this character development, grumbling and bitching about it the entire time. Although, I do not think she learned the same lessons as Shadowheart did as she is still up to her same old drow shenanigans.

This entire run was completely inspired by a random Shadowthara gifset I came across months ago and I knew I just had to do it. Shadowheart and Minthara have very quickly become one of my favorite ships and is my second favorite ship for Minthara specifically. I always knew that Shadowheart and Minthara had some overlap in their stories, but I didn't realize just how much they did overlap. I feel most people probably would have had Shadowheart go the DJ route with Minthara (and would be the canon route if Shadowheart only had Minthara by her side). So I went the opposite direction and found a good RP motivator to make Shadowheart reject Shar instead. To be honest, I think Minthara and Selunite Shadowheart mesh better together than DJ Shadowheart (although DJ Shaodwheart and Minthara are delicious in their own way).

Now that the run is completely over, I will get to my final wrap up in the next coming days. I will also polish out the chapters I have already written for my Shadowheart fic and start getting it published. And for all those who have followed me through this run when you really didn't have to:

Thank you!

< Orin |

[blackjackkent]

Resuming Rakha's adventures... my poor Durge is having kind of a rough time of it at present.

She does manage to sleep at last, in the wake of the revelations about her bloodline and the cause of her beast urges. Jaheira, true to her word, keeps watch over her, and there's some comfort in that. Rakha already respected Jaheira a great deal - seeing in her a combination of the things she has admired most in her companions up to this point: Wyll's fundamental goodness, Minthara's experience, Lae'zel's ferocity.

And Jaheira has known Bhaalspawn before. Traveled with them. She does not see something irredeemable in this new truth about Rakha - but nor will she let anyone in their camp to come to harm at Rakha's hands. To Rakha, who feels more unmoored and frightened than she has at almost any point in her limited memory, this is an anchor point against which she can steady herself.

Come morning, though, that truth must be explained to everyone else in the party. And that... is much more complicated.

-----

She goes to Wyll first, of course. If he will not accept this new truth about her, then nothing else matters.

"I am born of the Lord of Murder. I am a Bhaalspawn."

"Hells. It explains so much. Listen to me. I knew another like you - Gorion's Ward, one of Baldur's Gate's great heroes. Bhaal's blood ran through their veins too. They burned away their own darkness with their own inner light. They chose courage. They chose honor. And so can you."

Wyll is such a good dude. TBH I think they must have a much longer conversation than this in truth; all of these conversations are very short to fit in the framework of general camp convos, but Rakha definitely spends a long time talking to him, asking directly and indirectly for reassurance that he won't turn away from her. That he still does believe she can have that light in her, given the monstrous nature of the darkness it stands against.

I have to imagine this is a very weird thing for Wyll, too. He is a deep romantic at heart and despite how much he cares for Rakha and how intensely invested he is in seeing her worthy of redemption and hope, there has to be a part of him that's still held onto the picture of a storybook romance waiting for them once the Absolute is finally dealt with. But Rakha telling him this kind of shatters that apart.

There will be no easy path through this. He loves her, he will not give up on her, but she has just made it clear that there will always, always be a part of her that is in battle with itself.

Luckily, Wyll is the sort of man who sees something worth having as something worth fighting for.

-----

Karlach is, of course, a sweetheart about the whole thing.

"I've discovered I'm a Bhaalspawn, a child of the god of murder."

"That's a heavy weight. I know you can carry it, but it's heavy all the same. You are so much more than your parents; you're more than the affliction that wants to consume you. You are my friend. And you get to choose your destiny. Choose well, all right?"

<3 <3 <3 God I love Karlach.

I've gotten the impression that Rakha has pretty severely freaked her out on more than one occasion, so this intense statement of support means all the more, really. And she echoes the message already put forth by Jaheira and Wyll - this doesn't have to define you; you're strong enough to stand against it. It is your choice.

Rakha isn't sure if that makes her feel calmer or more terrified. But at least she's not alone with it.

-----

Lae'zel's reaction is more complex - which is appropriate to where her relationship with Rakha stands right now.

"I discovered I'm a Bhaalspawn. The Lord of Murder's blood flows through me."

"I'm not surprised. You've become death incarnate. Mighty, yes - and altogether unpredictable and intractable. One day, perhaps soon, Bhaal will demand your fealty. You'll either muster the strength to defy him - or you will succumb. I know how I'd choose."

There's a lot going on here.

Lae'zel and Rakha, I think, haven't really spoken since the night Rakha accepted the Astral Tadpole. Lae'zel is deeply upset that they're allied with a mind flayer and that Rakha seems to have accepted it and its illithid influence without question.

At the same time... she still cares about Rakha, and also is more familiar than almost anyone else in the camp besides Shadowheart with just what it takes to turn against a god, and how it feels to see one's whole identity shattered apart and reformed. She knows this is a terribly difficult situation for Rakha on multiple levels.

So this is, I think, a tacit admission of all those things - and a reassurance, however awkwardly delivered, that she believes Rakha is strong enough to defy Bhaal, and that Lae'zel will stand by her side as she does.

And Rakha - also given to few words - understands, and it means a great deal to her.

-----

Halsin and Shadowheart's reactions are both kind of lackluster tbh.

"I understand my affliction at last. I am a Bhaalspawn. The Lord of Murder compels me."

"You are a mortal child of Bhaal? Be careful with whom you share that fact - I hear many of your kind have met premature ends."

"I suppose that makes you quite remarkable... though not in a way I'd envy, perhaps. From what little I can recall hearing of Bhaal's mortal children, not all succumbed to his influence. Perhaps you can still resist your nature - if you want to."

I'm honestly not entirely surprised about Halsin's response - he and Rakha don't really know each other all that well, and he doesn't really have an innate connection to the situation (that I can think of) to draw on beyond a general response of, "Well, that's... upsetting. Uh, be careful!"

Shadowheart, though, is a bit of a letdown; as I mentioned above, she is the other one in the camp besides Lae'zel with direct experience defying a god. One would think this whole thing would resonate a bit more with her. She and Rakha have been reasonably companionable, too, so it would have been nice if she was a little more emotional about this.

That said - her expression of support for resisting Bhaal's influence is still welcome. I like to think she and Rakha talk more about this as time goes on, in scenes the game doesn't directly show.

-----

Gale's response is also pretty low-key, but it did make me laugh. XD

"A Bhaalspawn? Gosh. I know what it is to have a closer connection than most with the gods. But with Bhaal... that's not a bond I'd like to be bound with. You should be careful. Very... very careful."

I snickered out loud at the computer reading this, because "Gosh" is such an incredibly understated reaction to the whole situation. XD

Gale has always been a bit more skeptical than most of Rakha's whole deal so this isn't necessarily surprising either. I notice he carefully reserves judgment on what exactly she should do besides "be careful"; understandable, given his own inclinations to hubris regarding godlike power.

-----

Astarion's response... is actually fascinating, and a much more complex conversation than these others have been.

"The Urges are calling on you again, aren't they? I haven't seen you sleep through the night once in the past days."

"I had a vision. I found out I'm a Bhaalspawn."

"I knew you had some nasty habits, but I didn't want to pry overmuch. But... bloody hells, a Bhaalspawn?" He looks legitimately alarmed. "Probably more Baldurian parents scare their children with stories of your kind than mine. I thought your kind was extinct. Goes to show - you should always check your facts."

"So... how are you feeling? Keen to reconnect with your family? Or ready to throw yourself into an oubliette?"

He's deliberately flippant, lip curling a little, and there's a part of her that wants to lash out angrily in response. But there's something else under it, something tighter and more troubled, something that echoes her own fear - and it's enough that, almost in spite of herself, she answers with complete honesty.

"I'm very afraid. How can I stand up to a god? He wants me to cause carnage..."

Astarion studies her in silence for a long moment before he answers. "You know," he finally says, unusually soft, "I didn't realize you and I were so alike. I... I felt paralyzed to do anything about Cazador for so many decades. I gave up on myself. I gave up on any hope of escape after a few lashes. Bhaal controls you in much the same way."

He tips his head forward, his eyes narrowing. "I don't know how you can beat him, but I do know this. You *must* try. The half-life of a mind-addled slave is worse than death. Don't become his. I wouldn't live another century as one for all the moonstones in Evereska."

It's interesting... all of her friends thus far have expressed support, to one degree or another, for her standing against Bhaal, turning her back on her lineage and resisting its terrible urges. But its this moment, this flat exhortation coming from experience and not from any real affection between them, that cements it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She will resist.

-----

It's a good thing, as it turns out, that everyone else has encouraged her thus far, because Minthara's opinion is... very different. And her influence on Rakha normally bears a great deal of weight.

"You know there is a darkness within me. I have learned its origin."

"Tell me. Or show me. My mind is open to you."

"I am a child of Bhaal. But I believe I can resist my father's savagery."

Rakha, presumably, says it this way because she has already been encouraged towards this by everyone else in the camp. She's made her decision and expects Minthara's support as well - the two of them have, after all, been in sync on most things up to this point.

To her surprise, though, Minthara's eyes go very wide - with dismay.

"You are heir to a divine inheritance that few would be able to command... but I believe you could. To reject it would be to reject godhood. You would lose the possibility of shaping the world to fit your desires. Bhaal is not like the Absolute. He will not control you... he will unleash you."

Eek.

So, obviously, this isn't a surprise. Minthara, while fascinating and tremendously complex and (now) recruitable in a good run, is fully an evil-path character and one of her primary story roles is to indulge your character's worst impulses and their desire for power. She and Rakha have a similar outlook in many ways but this is the second conversation they've had where it becomes clear that Minthara's desire for control and (narrator voice) authority is the point at which their relationship splinters.

Rakha does not want power. Rakha wants peace. She wants her mind to be silent, all the maddening voices in her head locked away. She wants to be the kind of person Wyll would wish her to be, even if it does not come naturally to her.

"I want nothing to do with Bhaal," she says flatly.

Minthara scowls. "You cannot deny your own blood," she says, now with marked coolness. "Yours is a heritage of murder. It cannot be ignored or evaded. You will either kill or be killed. We must find the Temple of Bhaal, slaughter Orin, and claim your inheritance."

Well, Rakha thinks, turning away - they are of the same mind on those first two items at least. Perhaps, by the time they reach the third, Minthara can be convinced otherwise.

[sybaritick]

cal "sybaritick" BG3 fanfic compilation post (updated Jan 2024!) ✨

a new pinned post because i've written 4 more fics since the last one!

Astarion/Gale

nor heaven peep through the blanket of dark (2.4k, E): the one where Astarion convinces Gale that if a sussur flower is nearby, he can drink Gale's blood, and this is totally safe and fine and not at all an excuse to get Gale in a vulnerable state

Appetites (1.2k, E): the one where Astarion is a little too into Gale being chubby and feeds him pastries and dreams of keeping him like a cute little overfed pet

Ensnared (0.8k, M): the one where Gale gets sexily caught up in an Ensnaring Strike and Astarion's predator instinct is very much awakened

At Knifepoint (2.4k, E): the "mark me down as scared AND horny" one that goes with this amazingly hot artwork of some bloodweave knifeplay from the art/fic swap! :3

oh, rotten little thing (1.9k, M): the one where Gale realizes the Netherese orb has grown powerful enough that it wants to absorb magic from people, not just items...

Alternatives (1.5k, E): the one where they got their nice domestic ending but maybe they'd like to imagine just for a moment what would have happened if Astarion made a worse choice. and as a bonus, they're both transmasc in this one! (both described as if they're on T but pre-any-surgeries.)

On Concentration (1.8k, E): the post-game established-relationship one where Astarion walks in on Gale using Mage Hand for certain purposes late at night in his library

Minthara/Astarion/Gale

Certain Talents (3.3k, E): i just think gale would be really into femdom and know way too much about drow culture (and astarion is extremely aware of this and willing to share just this once)

Tav/Gale

Suggestion (1.9k, M): the one that takes place post-canon where Gale is horny about the concept of being charmed by his somewhat-ethically-questionable enchantment wizard friend

just Gale

catalyst (2.3k, M): gale decides to spend his time stuck in his tower alone by Eating A Lot. a gift for excellent writer gaspingforcontact that takes place a few months before her gale feeding kink fic. 100% stuffing/weight gain/fat fetishism you were warned

Gortash/Dark Urge

Grim Trigger (3.0k, E, graphic violence/gore cw): the one where Gortash and the Dark Urge have a normal, friendly conversation early in their alliance that is definitely not some weird psychosexual dominance game slash foreplay

Gortash/Gale

Incentives for Compliance (3.7k, E, noncon cw): a prompt fill for the bg3 kinkmeme where gortash kidnaps gale to secure help from the rest of the tadpole gang and then uses the fact that he's no longer nearby the astral prism to mind control him; 100% an excuse for blatant mind control fetishism

enjoy! :3

[moonselune]

Heya, would it be possible for you to write about the bg3 ladies comforting/helping their Paladin Tav after their Oath was broken on something seemingly mundane. Like "cutting a deal" with Gortash to "work with him" to deal with Orin, as a way to avoid conflict after his promotion ceremony. The breaking of Tav's Oath weighing heavy and Tav doesn't want to retake their Oath until what caused it to break was rectified. Like getting Gortash that cheeky shit

This was such a good request honestly I am so impressed with everyones imagination (I literally sound like a school teacher lmaoooo)

Karlach:

You sit by the campfire, staring into the flames as the weight of your broken Oath presses heavily on your shoulders. The decision to cut a deal with Gortash gnaws at you, a compromise that went against everything you stood for as a paladin. You had done it to protect your camp, to avoid a conflict that could have cost lives, but the cost to your soul felt almost unbearable.

Karlach approaches, her fiery- and notably fuming, presence a stark contrast to your somber mood. She sits down next to you, her usual boisterous energy tempered by concern.

"I don't get it," she starts, her voice tinged with frustration. "We could have taken Gortash down right there. Why did you make that deal?"

You wince at her words, the guilt and shame bubbling to the surface. "I did it to protect everyone," you say quietly. "To protect you. We were unprepared and we would have been obliterated by the steel watch... but it broke my Oath."

Karlach sighs, running a hand through her short, spiky hair, seemingly ignoring your last comment. "Look, I get wanting to keep everyone safe, but sometimes you have to fight for what's right. You should have let me kill him when I had the chance."

Your temper flares, the stress of the situation pushing you over the edge. "Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I wanted to break my Oath?" you snap, your voice breaking. "I did what I thought was best, and now I'm paying the price."

Karlach's eyes widen at your outburst, and she realizes just how deeply this is affecting you. Her expression softens, and she places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it worse... I just hate seeing you like this."

You take a deep breath, trying to regain your composure. "I can't retake my Oath until I make things right. Until Gortash is dealt with."

Karlach nods, determination hardening her features and she wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Then we'll get him. Together. I promise you, we'll make things right."

Her words bring a flicker of hope to your heart, and you nod, leaning your head against her shoulder, "Thank you, Karlach."

She smiles, her fiery spirit rekindling and she presses a kiss to the temple of your forehead. "Anytime. Now let's get some rest. We've got a bastard to hunt."

Minthara:

The night air is cool and still as you sit alone, the weight of your broken Oath heavy on your soul. The Oathbreaker's words rattling through you. The deal with Gortash had been a bitter compromise, one that went against every principle you held dear as a paladin of the Oath of the Ancients. You had done it to protect your loved ones, to avoid a deadly conflict with Gortash and his steel watch, but the cost to your spirit felt immense.

Minthara finds you, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and amusement. She stands beside you, her presence commanding and confident.

"So, this is why you should have taken the Oath of Vengeance," she teases, a smirk playing on her lips. "No room for compromises, no room for weakness."

You don't respond, your eyes fixed on the ground. Minthara's smirk fades as she senses your distress. She crouches down beside you, her tone shifting to one of genuine concern. "You are truly troubled by this, aren't you?"

You nod, your voice barely above a whisper. "I broke my Oath. I betrayed my principles to protect everyone, but it still feels wrong. Devastating, even."

Minthara's eyes narrow, her expression thoughtful. "You did what you thought was necessary. Sometimes the path of righteousness is not clear-cut, my love. But I see that this weighs heavily on you."

"I can't retake my Oath until I make things right," you say, the determination in your voice masking the pain. "Until Gortash is dealt with."

Minthara places a firm hand on your shoulder, her grip reassuring. "Then we shall make it right. I swear to you, we will bring Gortash to justice."

You look up at her, surprise and gratitude mingling in your eyes. "You'd help me with this?"

Minthara nods, a fierce glint in her eyes. "You are my ally, my lover. I will stand by you, no matter the cost. Together, we will see this through."

Her words fill you with renewed strength, and you nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Thank you, Minthara."

She leans in, her lips brushing against your forehead in a rare display of tenderness. "Rest now. We have much to do, and you will need your strength."

Lae'zel:

The campfire crackled softly in the still night, but its warmth did little to chase away the cold weight of guilt and shame pressing down on you. The decision to cut a deal with Gortash haunted you, a compromise that had shattered your Paladin Oath. You had done it to protect your group, to protect your loved ones, but the cost to your spirit felt immeasurable.

Lae'zel approached with her usual determined stride, her sharp eyes narrowing as she assessed your state. She seated herself beside you, her presence both comforting and commanding.

“You seem lost,” she began, her voice unwavering. “What troubles you?”

You sighed heavily, unable to meet her gaze. “I broke my Oath, Lae'zel. I made a deal with Gortash to avoid conflict, to keep everyone safe. But in doing so, I betrayed my principles.”

Lae'zel studied you for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she placed a firm hand on your shoulder. “Your actions were guided by necessity and loyalty. There is no shame in that.”

“But it feels wrong,” you said, voice trembling. “I can’t retake my Oath until I’ve made things right, until Gortash is dealt with.”

Lae'zel’s eyes flashed with determination. “Then we shall hunt him down and restore your honor. My blade is yours, and I will strike with the force of a thousand Githyanki warriors.”

Despite your heavy heart, you couldn’t help but chuckle at her fierce proclamation. “A thousand Githyanki warriors, huh?”

She nodded solemnly, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips and she nudged you. “Indeed. We will make Gortash regret his actions. Together, we will see this through.”

Her fierce loyalty and unwavering support filled you with renewed resolve. You nodded, a small smile forming. “Thank you, Lae'zel.”

She inclined her head, her expression softening slightly. “We fight for each other. Now, rest and gather your strength. The battle ahead will be fierce.”

Shadowheart:

You sat in your tent, head in hands, the weight of your broken Oath pressing down on you. The decision to cut a deal with Gortash had been agonizing, but necessary to protect your companions. Still, the betrayal of your principles gnawed at you, leaving you feeling lost and adrift.

Shadowheart entered the tent without warning, her presence like a jolt of lightning in the oppressive gloom. She took one look at you and sighed, her expression a mixture of exasperation and concern.

“Get up,” she commanded, her voice firm. “Sitting here wallowing in self-pity won’t solve anything.”

You looked up, startled by her abruptness. “Shadowheart, I…”

“No excuses,” she interrupted, grabbing your arm and pulling you to your feet. “You made a difficult choice to protect us all. That doesn’t make you weak or dishonorable. It makes you human.”

“I broke my Oath,” you protested, your voice breaking. “I can’t retake it until I’ve made things right.”

“Then make things right, but moping around isn’t going to help anyone. Least of all yourself.” She said sharply, she then unsympathetically dragged you out of the tent and into the cool night air, her grip strong and unyielding.

"Shadowheart just-"

“-Look at me,” she demanded, her eyes locking onto yours. Her hands cupping your cheeks and forcing you to look at her. “You are a Paladin. A protector. Start acting like one.”

You blinked, taken aback by her intensity. But there was a fire in her eyes, a fierce determination that mirrored your own. It reignited something within you, a spark of the resolve you had thought lost.

“I will make it right,” you said, your voice steadier now. “I’ll deal with Gortash and restore my Oath.”

Shadowheart nodded, removing her hands, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips. “Good. And I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.”

You felt a surge of gratitude and affection for her. “Thank you, Shadowheart. For not letting me give up.”

Her expression softening slightly, and she kissed your forehead. “We’re in this together. Now, let’s get some rest. We have work to do.”

[catgirlsp0ck]

the bg3 companions and what i think their favorite judas priest album/song is (including lyrics that i think fit each character and also this is not including halsin, minthara or durge sorry lol)

Wyll

i think wyll would like the album sin after sin. some of the songs are pretty romantic and i think he would really enjoy them. his favorites from this album i think would be last rose of summer and i think he definitely listened to here come the tears for a while after he was cast out from baldur's gate. here's an excerpt from last rose of summer that i think wyll would like: "I give you this, the last rose of summer / A token of my unyielding love / So when the winter's mantle stills the earth / And all around seems dead and cold / This rose reminds you of a time when all was warm and living" and here's a lyric from here come the tears that i think wyll would've resonated with: "Looks like it'll always be the same / No one here to comfort me / Here come the tears / All alone, no one cares /So much to give to you all out there" i think wyll would've liked this line in particular because im sure he didn't have time as the blade of frontiers to have the fairytale romance he wanted bc he was traveling and saving people and didn't make time for himself or for love. and another lyric from the here come the tears, for when he does find a love of his own (whether that be your tav, or an origin character): "Take me now, in your arms / Let me rest, safe from harm"

Astarion

defenders of the faith would be his favorite and he would joke and say it's bc of all the songs about gay sex (jawbreaker, love bites, eat me alive lol) but he also just really likes the song night comes down, which i feel like would be a perfect song for astarion. here's an excerpt of some lyrics from the song: "In the last rays of the setting sun / And the past days, yeah, that's where our memories run / And all of those times, still race through my mind / I'm shattered inside to find / When the night comes down / I'm here all alone / When the night comes down / There's nowhere to go"

Karlach

karlach would like the album painkiller. i feel like she would love the fast pace of the album and you know she would absolutely pull out the air drums or air guitar which would be so fun to do for this album. her favorite song would probably be either hell patrol or leather rebel ! here's a line from leather rebel that i think is a little on the nose for karlach lol: "Leather rebel / With a burning heart" and also earlier in the song: "Like a renegade / All alone I walk through fire / 'Til I crash and blaze / I'm living on the edge"

Lae'zel

honestly i think lae'zel has probably never listened to music before the whole tadpole situation. idk gith lore but i feel like they would probably see music as a waste of time unless it's some song about vlaakith but for the purpose of this list, im ignoring all that and saying she would like the album ram it down (which i am very biased for bc it's my favorite album lol). i think she'd like the songs hard as iron and blood red skies. here's a lyric from hard as iron that i think she'd like: "As I destroy, last thing you'll hear me cry, is victory, is victory / I'm blazing on to glory / There's thunder in my veins / And nothing stands before me / Forever I'll remain / Hard as iron / Sharp as steel / Stop for no man / You better beg and kneel" and from blood red skies, she'd probably like these lyrics: "I will stand, I will fight / You'll never take me alive / I'll stand my ground / I won't go down / You won't break me / You won't make me / You won't take me / Under blood red skies"

Gale

a little unconventional for gale but i think he would like a few songs from screaming for vengeance. specifically (take these) chains, fever, prisoner of your eyes and pain and pleasure. pain and pleasure, (take these) chains and prisoner of your eyes make me think of gale's relationship with mystra. for example, from pain and pleasure: "Do what you wanna do / Oh what you put me through / How I suffer for your love" and from prisoner of your eyes: "Love is blind / And love deceives you / You came along and captured me / Now I'm a prisoner of your eyes / Trapped in time / I cannot leave you / I'm just a prisoner of your eyes / As each day goes by / I've given up completely / I've locked myself inside your heart / And thrown away the key / Only time will tell / If I can live without you / Can you see into the future / Will you ever set me free" and the song fever is perfect for when you are romancing him. the beginning of the song perfectly describes gale as he was stuck in his tower with just tara for company: "I'd spend my days alone / I used to stay at home / Lost in seclusion there. / Like I was in a cell / A captured heart as well" and the later half of the song is perfect for describing his romance with tav or an origin character: "Then one night as I walked / I heard your body talk / I saw a shooting star / In some magnetic trance / Our beating hearts would dance / And crash down from afar. / Oh how strange fate is / Never dreamed of this. / So destiny has brought us / Oh so close together / We were like angels in the night / Living the dream / At last I'll be with you forever. / And all at once it feels so right."

Shadowheart

i think shadowheart would like the album nostradamus (an album which i think is pretty divisive with judas priest fans, a lot of people hate it and some ppl love it. i just listened to it for the first time for this post lmfao. i was trying to find lyrics that would be good for shart and found one in this album so i listened to it for the first time, i liked it :P ). while she can't relate to the whole album of course (bc its about nostradamus lol),, there are definitely a few lyrics that shadowheart would resonate with. particularly in the songs exiled, hope and new beginnings. from the song exiled: "I'm banished in exile / To meet their demand / Rejected messiah / They don't understand / I'm searching for something / That's lost in my heart / God knows I'm a sinner / I'm falling apart / If this is my destiny / I've got to believe / The passion inside me / Has left me to bleed" and from the song hope: "I see your light on the wings of a dove / Lifting me up as the dark clouds retreat / Courage transcends and you make me complete / Hope in my heart with the advent of spring / I am reborn with the love that you bring" these lyrics make me think of when dame aylin helps shadowheart with her past and her future after leaving shar behind. and then, these lyrics from the song new beginnings: "A new beginning has arrived / At the crossroads of my life / This new love keeps me alive" now, tbh i haven't romanced shadowheart (YET) but these lyrics make me think of shadowheart after choosing between becoming a dark justiciar for shar or rejecting that and leaving shar behind (the crossroads mentioned in the lyrics) and her love for tav or an origin character helping to keep her going after the tough decisions she had to make and knowing that her love will be standing with her as she navigates that future for herself.

[seaofdaydreams]

Now that I'm doing my evil playthrough, I have some things to share on romancing Astarion in Act 1!

I remember watching goblin party videos on Youtube and seeing comments lamenting that Astarion doesn't trust you because in that version, you wake up to him basking in moonlight instead of sunlight which means he didn't trust to stay with you through the night.There was also some talk about how in this version, he never fully turns his back to you? I never noticed that though; it looks the same to me...? Might need a side by side to tell.

I put off the goblin vs druid quest until the very last moment because I was struggling with killing off a lot of people I had grown to love my previous playthroughs. I hit high approval with Astarion very quickly and ended up getting propositioned way before I ever got to the goblin party.

And Lirael woke up to Astarion in sunlight.

So now, I feel like it's not quite about him trusting you or not. Lirael did plenty of messed up stuff before she dealt with the druid grove. I feel like it's just that you have to wake up to him in moonlight because how else is Minthara going to try to murder you in your sleep in the dead of night for plot purposes?

But anyways, because the "meeting in the forest/back scars" scene had already happened, I was curious to see how this night would pass. Of course, Lirael talks to Astarion first and he gives the "Here's my treat, etc, you will come to my bed, won't you?" lines instead of offering a drink and proposing a toast. Lirael's been smitten since pretty much day one and agrees to spend the night together.

Lirael didn't talk to Minthara during the party and gets ambushed immediately by her after I click the LR button and propositions her a second time. For a myriad of reasons, Lirael really doesn't want to. But Lirael might gain safe passage to Moonrise and important information about the Absolute from sleeping with Minthara and Lirael is someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to gain power so that she can survive and thrive. So she reconsiders despite having refused earlier. After a few moments, Lirael gives in and agrees, despite being pretty uncomfortable about it.

I click long rest and we go to the "Who will you sleep with" options. I chose Minthara. We fade to black. And you know what?

ASTARION SHOWS UP INSTEAD OF MINTHARA. "I hoped you would come. I have missed you. And now you're all mine, and I'm all yours."

Bruh. At first, I thought it was because I knocked out Minthara non-lethally (I may or may not have saved and killed all the goblins in camp for chasing Scratch, stressing out the Owlbear, and for cutting the lute out of Alfira's cold dead fingers) but it happened even when I left the goblins alone and Minthara wasn't knocked out. Normally, it seems accepting one proposition can lock you out of others (my first playthrough I agreed to share a bottle with Shadowheart not realizing she meant sex and Astarion was pissed) but Astarion was still propositioning even after I tried talking to Minthara first and agreeing to spend the night with her.

I know it's probably a bug but I like to think that Astarion noticed how uncomfortable Lirael was and swept her away before she could do something she regretted. 🥰🥹

Anyways, tldr, I'm now convinced that Astarion does genuinely like and trust you whether you're evil or good in Act 1.

[loderlied]

what are zeke and the companions’ dynamics like? what are their first impressions of each other?

and why does minthara leave in act 3? (i mean the answer’s fairly obvious but it’ll sound better from you)

i uhhhhmm have to replay the game to give you accurate answers for everyone because a lot has changed since my first playthrough 6 months ago but i think the only ones that will stay relatively the same is his dynamic with shadowheart.

so, zeke and her are very enemies to ‘lovers’ basically lmao. zeke is skittish and extremely mean to everyone, but especially someone like shadowheart, who is not afraid to bite back against his bullshit, makes him act out. she offers him her last healing potion one time because he’s (as usual) more injured than her and he shatters it against the ground, thinking he’s being so clever by exposing her attempt to poison her.

when you ask him why he’s letting her stick around, or more accurately, sticking around her, he’d spit in your face, grunt and walk away, but really he comes to see her as a big comfort. someone who lost his memory like him. he almost sees it as distraction from his own memory loss, figuring out her ‘case’ so to speak. she’s also a cleric, and subconsciously i think zeke just deeply wishes for some healing, y’know. even if the wounds gortash inflicted/inflicts on him are not able to healed, it’s a nice thought i think. and most importantly: shadowheart, besides just seeing the wild freedom in zeke she never really had in her life and coming around to finding it absolutely beautiful like a raging storm is beautiful (her being afraid of wolves but then finding the beauty in them do you get it), sees that smart, fiery young man who gives 110% to everything he does. and she wants to believe that there is good in him, too. that he is a person. a person who is capable of loving her back. those last things are not true of course, but zeke is so extremely drawn to people who have a ‘i can fix him’ mentality about him, people who are good/things he could never be, because to some degree, he WANTS to be fixed. he WANTS to be normal and he wants to love and do things normal boys do. have crushes and go on dates and get married and have kids. but that’s him dreaming and really just hiding from gortash. he’s someone who hides in the shadows quite a bit, and this is no different. because if he really was capable of being the person shadowheart believes he could be, then he wouldn’t be gortash’s/the machine’s antithesis/archnemesis as the wild anymore.

i really like the ‘wolf who has been on the hunt for so long that its paws are bloody resting on a flowerbed temporarily and involuntarily crushing the flowers during this before getting up again’ imagery for them… like, zeke is not a good partner. he’s horrible. shadowheart i am so sorry… it’s like hugging a wall of thorns….

but again in between all this heartbreaking stuff there’s also lots of moments in which zeke genuinely gets close to feeling happiness for the first time in (t)his life (insert gortash seething behind the scrying eyes control board here) and also just. lots of shenanigans. zeke has 5 charisma and is just so painfully awkward and awful. sometimes he just crawls into her tent in the middle of the night and just like. watches her while chewing on his fingernails or something and when she wakes up and ask him what tf he’s doing he’s just like. ‘being…boyfriend…?’ like. god.

shadowheart about him is basically that one post that’s like. ‘yeah it’s rotten work. especially if it’s you i’ll fucking do it but christ alive’ and she NOTHING but pain and suffering for it!!! because that’s what happens when you get involved in that bullshit in any way sigh

also while gortash does not like this situation, he has no ill will towards shadowheart actually, that all goes to zeke as usual. he sees it for what is: zeke dreaming, attempting to hide from him in some way, pretending to be something he’s not. he punishes zeke for that alone. he will drag him out of the shadows into his searing light & their war as he always does.

he does have a conversation with shadowheart (in an emotional outburst she tries to assassinate him for what he did to zeke the night prior and he’s of course aware of her breaking in and all but lets her get through into his room in which he’s waiting for her with a cup of tea lol) and he’s basically telling her that he doesn’t care what happens to her, but that he won’t have to do anything about her transgressions tonight because zeke is going to kill her sooner than later. she ultimately stays with zeke and gortash, zeke expert 9000, is of course right, but again, does not give 2 shits about shadowheart, maybe even preferred this outcome because it caused zeke more suffering.

edit: they are so ‘i love you’ ‘it’ll pass’ coded. sorry