#cazador's palace

[chilljustacat]

Baldur's Gate 3 locations 21/?

[plushrodan]

Wait… WHY DID CAZADOR WAIT FOR ASTARION TO DO THE ASCENSION?

If anyone who bears the scars can be sacrificed, why did he bother trying to get Astarion back? Couldn’t he just yoink someone off the streets and rewrite the scars onto them?

Unless… he was an idiot and didn’t write them down anywhere else. He did all the editing and revising on Astarion, not thinking to make another copy!

(Tell me if I’m wrong)

[imperatoralicia]

Spotted a good boy doing a big steppy!

[ihaveaskeleton]

Ydrich gained Divine Intervention on her last level-up and now I am thinking about Astarion being recaptured by Cazador.

Astarion in shackles, knowing no one is coming to save him from Cazador. It was foolish to pretend 'friends' would protect him. No one ever has before. No one ever will. He breaks free, determined to help himself.

The ground shakes and he loses his balance, falling to his knees. Bright light blinds him as divine energy tears a gaping hole in the side of Cazador's palace. His favorite cleric drops down, her furrowed brow turning to wide-eyed relief as she sees him, and then vanishing behind a mask of nonchalance. She holds her hand out, quipping that he didn't need a daring rescue after all.

Behind her, people filter through the hole, not just Wyll and Karlach, but the entire camp ready to fight for him. He takes Ydrich's hand, still scared but also a little hopeful as she helps him to his feet. Perhaps there is merit to the "friends" thing.

[sklaytonfun]

*Baldur’s Gate 3 Spoilers!!*

Something has been bugging me for a bit on my latest playthrough of BG3. In Astarion’s story we find out his master Cazador is doing a ritual to become a Vampire Ascendant —

For the ritual you need to do an incantation and to sacrifice 7,000 souls. The souls end up being a catacomb filled with vampire spawn Cazador has created and imprisoned across hundreds of years.

When Astarion gets kidnapped by the Nautiloid at the beginning of the game this apparently throws a wrench in Cazador’s plan. He needs Astarion for the ritual for some reason??? Why doesn’t he just make a new spawn to replace Astarion as the 7,000th soul?

If it’s because of the Sigil carved into Astarion’s back (I thought he carved the Sigil into every single one of the sacrifice’s backs —-) then couldn’t he do that to a replacement?

[astarions-wife]

Okay but the “kennel” where the vampire spawn were tortured, is literally next to the hallway where the regular room was. Meaning all the spawn who weren’t currently being tortured, were most likely being haunted by the screams of those who were—a constant reminder of what would happen if they stepped out of line.

[a2zillustration]

As it turns out you can just remove-curse Curse of the Sired but I felt like we needed a little ~flavor~

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[swirlmup]

Part 4/4 of The Magistrate!

Part 3 here!

Part 1 here!

Thanks for reading everybody! I hope you enjoyed!

I speculated a lot with myself on which of the principle spawn I thought might've come before Astarion, but eventually I decided on Violet because she's slightly more unhinged than Astarion, and that made me believe she likely endured a few more years of torture than him. Plus various tidbits of research suggesting that vampires tend to prefer the taste of their own race(she's also an elf like Cazador and Astarion), and the means by which Cazador would have his principle spawn collect prey(seduction, and what's more archetypically disposed to seduction than a female?). Thus, here we are lol.

[solarmidnight]

Once again thinking of how you can avoid Cazador altogether, save everyone else with a smile, and then look at Astarion at the party and say "no" to helping him kill Cazador. Like. Astarion expressly tells you he's hiding in the city, terrified, living off of rats again because he's one mistake away from becoming a slave again. He's watched you - even helped you, if he's been in your party - save everyone else, so he's hoping that there's still some of your goodwill left over to help him, he's basically jittery with nerves trying to ask you, only to be rebuffed coldly. With you, Astarion goes on a journey of learning that there's still kindness in the world. It's out there, it's real. But in one swift moment, you tell him in no uncertain words that whilst there's kindness out there, he deserves none of it. And he'll go back to his torturous waiting game, living in terror until he's back under Cazador's thrall again, with a swift trip to suffer an eternity in hell to follow it.

[scourgiez]

His side quest shouldve been called monster mash :(

[rawrsatthetree]

I’ve had this idea for a fic for awhile with a wizard noble background Tav that was engaged to Cazador who took a mortal fiancé to simply keep up appearances.

She doesn’t know him too well having only stayed at the crimson palace a for short periods of time for parties and chaperoned courtship. But when she does see him he’s excellent at playing the part, always kind and gentle with her even teaching her magic. She believes he’s eccentric and mysterious and maybe a bit of a heavy drinker, but she also believes he’s kind and will be a loving husband as he’s given her no reason to suspect other wise.

Also their wedding approached (as well as Cazador’s ascension) she started staying at the palace more and more. She given rather plain explanations as to why he and the spawn are only up at night, like his business requires late hours and the spawn are the servants that work the night shift with him. It doesn’t matter really as long as she placated until the wedding when he’s planning to ascend and take her as his first post-ascension spawn, perhaps he’ll even take her with a bridal ritual if she continues to prove obedient and useful.

During her stay a few of the spawn take turns staying back from hunting to play servant until their new mistress goes to bed. One night after growing restless with her routine and chaperone, she sneaks around the palace halls when she spots Astarion leaving very late in the evening. Her desire to explore the city and get some fresh air leads her to follow him. Surely it would be alright if she was with one of her fiancé’s most trusted servants, Astarion was always very kind to her, if a little timid. She could even help with whatever errand he’s running for Lord Szar, and it would give her an opportunity to learn about his businesses.

He spots her trailing him quickly, pulling her into an alley in the lower city. They argue for a bit as he begs her to return to the palace. She’s completely impossible and childishly stubborn. He’s about to loose his patience and drag he’d back by force when they’re both snatched up by the mind-flayers.

Thankfully Cazador had taught her enough magic to depend her self as she’s taken from her sheltered noble life style and forced into a dangerous adventure. Her goal, get rid of the parasite and return to her beloved fiancé. Confused, lost, and with out a chaperone or authority figure looming over her for the first time in her life. She grateful to have met Shadowheart. As they walk along the beach following the wreckage, she spots a familiar face. Her relief at seeing Astarion is short lived as he forces her to the ground and pulls a knife on her. He’s rude, mean, and forceful; so unlike the timid, kind, and respectful Astarion she had come to know. He only mocks her, there’s so much she doesn’t know so naive and stupid. But there’s a lot he doesn’t know about her as well. For better or for worse their both tasting freedom for the first time.

[bardcambion]

FAMILY.

Collab with my beautiful friends:

Sketch: @coyote-ralyn

Lineart: @sadist69

Color: @bardcambion

[inaconstantstateofchange]

Hellish Landscape: Art in the Szarr Palace

The other day my friend and I were running through the Szarr palace on multi-player, and found this elaborate painting which neither of us had ever noticed before. It is in the cursed guest room where you can find the body of Victoria, on the wall directly to the right of the door as you walk through.

If you use Alt or hover your mouse over the painting, it reveals that it is titled Hellish Landscape. And that title could not be more accurate, because what it is depicting is the Descent into Avernus.

The winged figure at the top is none other than Zariel, recognizable by the flail she has in place of one hand. Behind her, that glowing circle is the Companion, the second sun that burned above Elturel for 50 years, before it turned into a portal that tore the city through into Avernus. Elturel itself can be seen below both the Companion and Zariel.

What is particularly interesting, in in-universe terms, is how quickly this painting was made, relative to Elturel's fall.

Another question it raises, based on the incredible detail of it all: who made this painting, what was their connection to Elturel or the Hells, and how did it come to be occupying a sole guest room in Szarr Palace?

Note: The lighting in Szarr palace is truly abysmal, so I took the painting to Sorcerous Sundries for a clearer reference. Here it is in its original position.

ETA: This painting can also be found in the secret vault behind the inert gem in the House of Hope.

[limielle]

[ihaveaskeleton]

Tav is thief who has seen Astarion many times across the taverns of Baldur's Gate and assumes he is the same. Though they never speak, they build a rapport. Tav's gossiping tongue recommends the silver-haired elf to some of the wealthier patrons of the taverns and Astarion occasionally causes a distraction if the familiar thief is about to be caught.

The thief is more useful alive than dead and there are ample bodies to choose from so he never approaches the them. Not until the day a familiar pair of eyes lock with his from across Cazador's ballroom floor.

Cazador commands him to lock the thief up until the party is over, and so he does. He finds numerous lockpicks on their person — fifty-seven, to be exact — before he leaves them in Godey's care.

That is the last time he sees them, until a ghost runs past him on the Nautiloid.

[halsinningiswinning]

In the battle against Cazador, he doesn't comment on the party outside of a few lines when you leave Astarion at camp, but I wonder why.

There's a good chance it's because he's so close to his victory, and already such a lethal threat, that he doubts anything could stop him. I don't think that's why though, it stems more from the fact he doesn't see Astarion as an independent agent.

Cazador's dialog and diary make it pretty clear that it's not just malice that makes him treat his spawn like unthinking pawns. He genuinely doesn't see them as actual people. He can remember being a spawn after all, and how exactly he got the upper hand on Velioth isn't made entirely clear to us.

He has no reason to actually think Petras understood what was happening with Astarion, after all, they can be tricked. Cazador 'made' Astarion, surely he'd feel their connection be severed in some way, like a leash going slack.

Astarion's friends don't matter because Astarion can't have friends. That would imply Astarion can think and feel for himself and can want things for himself, it just doesn't compute.