#even if this is too much i don’t think gortash would ever use one on zeke that he uses on slaves.

[loderlied]

what if gortash had a special whip he only uses on zeke. all fancy and handmade by him with the finest (and hardest) leathers and everything. specially adorned and all white and built so intimately attuned to zeke’s weaknesses. sohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh normal.

[hijackalx]

Headcanon thingy, but how would the companions + Gortash react to their lover taking a blow meant for them? (Sweetheart survives, but they'll definitely need some time to recover)

this post would get realllyyyy long if i did all the companions so i did the male companions + gortash, but let me know if u want me to do a separate one for the female companions too 💗💗

GN!reader, small mentions of violence

GORTASH

he’d prefer for you steer clear of any conflict— he considers it beneath you to get your hands dirty— but he doesn’t like to argue. he imagines one of these times you’ll learn your lesson, meaning he’s fully expecting you to come crawling back after a good whooping while promising to never do it again

when he’s approached by an angry subordinate, shaking their fist and yelling profanities at him, he easily maintains composure— he knows his steel watch could reduce anyone to a skid mark on the earth with a simple command. his scrappy sidekick however…………… 👹

he’s only slightly embarrassed when you jump in front of the aggressor, telling them off for their disrespect. suddenly their anger is directed towards you, resulting in a nasty pop to the face that sends you onto the floor. his eyes widen at the sight of you injured for his sake, and with one sharp inhale, he orders his steel watch to destroy your attacker. (and their family. and their friends. and their acquaintances)

he stays at your side while you get bandaged up, threatening the healer’s life every time you wince. he asks what you learned from this experience, hopeful. you think “i need a thicker skull” probably wasn’t the right answer, seeing as his immediate response is “🗿” LMAO

WYLL

he loves to be the one who swoops in and saves you. it really gives him that “heroic” feeling (even if you have to pretend to be his damsel in distress). you guys are always giving your enemies the ick 😹😹

this all goes to his head though, and he can get a little too cocky— like when he jumps in to take on too many enemies at once, and is clearly having a hard time defending you both. he tries to maintain his heroic persona, but you can’t help noticing how you two are getting backed into a corner

while he’s distracted and putting on a show of chivalry, you see an enemy going straight for his blind spot. it’s too late to retaliate, but you do have enough time to jump out in front of the attack. he watches you fall to the ground in pain, HORRIFIED by the fact that he failed to protect you. he forgets his knightly act in a fit of desperation, fighting as dirty as he needs to so you two have the opportunity to scamper away

he criticizes himself SO badly over your injuries. the hit may have broke your face but his failure broke his soul... 💔 LMFAO. he vows to you that it’ll never happen again, and that he’ll be more vigilant than ever from then on out— cue his extremely rigorous and inspirational training montage

GALE

he usually stays toward the rear during battle, using long range magic attacks while you take care of things in the front. he’s not adept at wearing armor and his robes don’t offer much protection— it’s just smarter this way

now imagine how his feeble wizard bones begin to quake when an enemy sneaks past you and sprints his way with a melee attack LMFAO. he’s a planner, not an improviser, so his brain races a million miles a minute trying to think of which spell to use. he needs to cast something powerful, but your close proximity makes him hesitate

you notice his stutter and quickly reach out to off the enemy. unfortunately, this results in you turning your back to another and opening yourself up to a sneak attack. you’re hit hard, and it takes you out of the fight. luckily, the last enemy has 1 HP, so he can easily finish them off with a hasty bop on the head from his staff 💥

afterwards, he’s STRICKEN with worry, cradling your face and trying to get you to speak to him clearly. once he realizes that your injury is healable, you get whiplash from how fast he switches back and forth between admiration and concern. “that was absolutely amazing! 🤩 ” “I THOUGHT YOU DIED!!! 😵”

ASTARION

you guys are super playful in battle. seeing who can kill the most enemies, doing fun combos together, trash talking (it’s giving legolas and gimli). fights with him on your team are rarely serious

he’s quick and alert, so he’s an expert at dodging attacks— it just so happens that you’re standing behind him one of these times, and you end up taking the full force of the blow in his place. he’s used to teasing you for your misfortunes in battle, so his first instinct is to point and laugh 😭

when you don’t get up and give him a bloodstained grin, he realizes something is seriously wrong. a wave of panic washes over him, and the last thing he remembers is switching into feral vampire mode to get you two out of there safely— i’m talking ripping out throats with his teeth 👹

you’re immediately scolded once you come to; “imagine how bad that could’ve been!”, and “you scared me half to death!”— a.k.a he feels SO BAD for letting this happen LMAO, and he 100% blames himself for not knowing you were behind him. he admits it was his fault after you promise to be more careful, and he promises that he will be too (with a little leg room for fun, of course)

[animentality]

You ever think about the idea that Durge very likely has told Enver to his face that they will be the one to kill him in the end? You ever think about how that conversation went? Was it a factual statement of intent delivered passionlessly from one wicked being to another? Or was it a promise, bathed in desire to be the one holding the knife, parting his flesh, wedding them together in the Bhaalist way? Or perhaps, if you’d like a bit more angst, was it a tearful confession? A choked out plea for forgiveness, an explanation that their wants and desires matter not to their holy father. That they will one day wield their knife against their only friend, their only love, and there is nothing they can do to stop it. They will kill him, it is as certain as the sun rising, and the only difference is whether they do it willingly or not. I enjoy this last one because by extension, this means that Gortash would have to know his fate at the hands of his nearest and dearest and choose to stay by their side anyway. When his only chance for survival is to send them away or try to kill them, he makes the choice to either accept fate or plot to defy the gods rather than act in self preservation. If that’s not love I don’t know what is.

Anon, come with me and imagine...

The first time they said it, it was cold, emotionless. A statement of fact. And he smiled and said, of course you will. But perhaps I'll have crafted a strong enough leash for you by then.

And they speak no more of it.

The second time they said it, it was with great pleasure. Perhaps after a vicious argument, or even a thrilling victory, because they have always enjoyed killing, but never before have they gotten close enough to someone that the thrill of killing them was enhanced by their fondness for them. They are smitten when they say it the second time, but threatening to kill him is an intimate act, a shield, a flimsy facade, to mask the softer emotion rotting within them. And Gortash smiled and said, If I must be killed, I'd want it to be you.

And then.

The third time.

The third time would be the last time.

And that would be the time when the Dark Urge would say it with a tremble to their throat.

A hint of fear, uncertainty. Because they're in too deep.

They've fallen in love, and they know they can't do that.

They know their father expects too much of them. The end of the world, for one thing, and as many Bhaalspawn as they can make, with as many partners as possible. And the time is approaching. Their plan is reaching its culmination.

And they don't want to go through with it anymore. And they decide they won't go through with it.

And they will let their sister kill them.

Because they need Gortash to survive.

They want him to carry out their plan.

So they tell him they will kill him in the end...and it's not a threat, but a concern. It's a future they want to avoid. A prophecy that cannot be allowed to come true.

And thus, they allow themselves to die, so they won't have to be the one to do it.

They know he can survive Orin, the way he can't survive them.

It's just...a dark little irony...that when they survive their sister's murder attempt, and come back...

They fulfill that promise in the end, regardless.

Fate comes for us all.

Anyway, anon.

Thanks for the ask! I now must think about some things in my dark corner...

[cringecannon]

first time sending anything like this, but i would go ABSOLUTELY FERAL if you elaborated on gortash fucking someone with their body half way out the window and just making them so scared of falling. i’ve been thinking about it ever since i read the tags on the fear post

Any inkling that you might be afraid of heights gives him the idea. Maybe you avoid walking close to the edge on bridges, or you take steep stairs too slowly. It doesn’t matter how he finds out, because his mind is made up.

He summoned you for a stroll. You don’t trust it, but refusal is never an option. His hands are crossed behind his back as he walks ahead of you through the halls. Cool, confident, sure of himself as always. What worries you most is how high his spirits appear to be. It unnerves you. He makes idle conversation, and you respond when appropriate. Nods and hums are good enough for him most of the time. You think he must just like to hear himself talk.

The walk feels aimless. He’s just talking, and talking, and you’re failing to see the point of it all when he suddenly stops dead in his tracks. You nearly walk right into his back, barely stopping in time. He’s looking at a cloth covering the wall, and you wrap your arms around yourself. This hall is much colder than the others, a draft chilling you. Gortash smiles when he looks back at you, but there’s no kindness in it. He reaches out and tears the cloth down, dropping it unceremoniously to the floor and revealing a window. It’s the same shape as any of the others, but the glass is missing. Cold air comes in with full force, and you fight back a shiver when he pulls you closer.

He tells you that a servant broke it while cleaning. The glasswork was poor and should have been replaced ages ago. It wasn’t, though. So one clumsy misstep and the handle of a broom went straight through it. The servant was punished severely of course, to send a message to all the staff. Anything less than perfection cannot be tolerated. He looks down at you, but you still don’t see the point. He gently pulls you a few steps closer, all the way until you can finally see out. Your stomach drops when you see the sheer distance to the ground. You stare at the stone of the wall instead, fighting to not back away. He wraps his arm around your waist as he continues on. The servant was punished severely to send a message, but Gortash can admit his own faults. He failed them as a master, since clearly they didn’t respect him enough to be careful. This mistake would not have happened if he had a firmer hand. Clearly, he needs to take some preventative measures.

What better way to start than with you?

Your blood runs cold. You ask him what you’ve done to deserve it and he silences you. Nothing, pet. Nothing at all. It’s merely a precaution. Why wait until you’ve already acted out to punish you, when he can ensure your compliance now? His hand creeps up your back, stroke the back of your neck for a moment before forcing you through the window. You scream, hands scrabbling at the stone, looking for some sort of grip. You close your eyes as fast as you can, but the split second glimpse was enough. Directly below you and a great fall down is rocky cliffs. Just beyond that is water, even further down. Your stomach aches from the weight of him pushing you down against the pane.

You can barely hear him speaking over the blowing of the wind and the pounding in your head. He spreads your legs, pulling your clothes out of the way and slipping a hand between your thighs. You’re used to these motions, but zoning out is impossible under this circumstance. You’re hyper-aware of every jostle, your stomach lurching with every movement. He praises you for holding so still. If he knew this was all it took to get you compliant, he would've tried this first. The feel of his cock splitting you open is second only to the sharp pang of fear in your chest when he thrusts sharply, the force of it pushing you out just slightly further. With every pump of his hips the movement causes your entire body to tense. He clearly enjoys the feeling, because his next move is to grab your legs and force you out even further. You scream, your entire upper body now hanging from the window. Your feet are no longer touching the floor, the only thing keeping you from toppling out is his harsh grip on your hips. You clench around him painfully and he groans lowly, appreciative. You want to sob. You can feel it bubbling in your chest. He laughs a bit, tightening his grip on your trembling lower half before he resumes his thrusts. Such a good pet. Keep being good and still, and he'll let you back in.

[sserpente]

Te Curo

Gortash is dead. Your ally. Your partner in crime. Your lover. Stricken by grief, you seek to speak to the only man who has ever made your cold heart beat just one last time and cast Speak with the Dead on him to say your farewell. Only you aren’t greeted by Gortash’s charming voice but the Black Lord’s himself, ensuring his Chosen suffers for his failure. The pain becomes too much, the anger overwhelming, the agony blinding until something inside you…snaps. You can’t let him have him, you won’t. Luckily, you know just the spell to spite Bane and bring Gortash back to you…

A/N: No because I wish we could pull a Revivify on him.

Words: 2018 Warnings: death and resurrection, Durge!Reader (albeit pretty vague)

“Gortash is dead. But you’ve made me undying,” the fresh corpse spoke with a foreign voice. Its eyes and mouth glowed, drawing you in, stoking the fire of your blinding anger.

“No…no…NO! I won’t let you have him! No!”

Somewhere behind you, somebody called your name. Gale? Astarion? Shadowheart? You couldn’t tell. The voice was an audio-visual blur as if someone had filled your ears with cotton.

“Give him back! You can’t have him! Give. Him. Back!” Grabbing Gortash’s collar, you yanked his dead body against you in a desperate attempt to shake his soul back into him as the green glow faded. Nothing happened.

Anguish as hot as daggers summoned from the deepest pits of the hells buried themselves deep in your stomach, had you curl up. You had survived a tadpole infection, the fury of a devil, even torture; and yet, nothing compared to the pain you suffered now. It was a fist, a black fist perhaps, crushing and twisting your heart in your chest, making you choke and gasp for air. It’s not fair. Give him back. Give him back. Give him back!

You said it, over and over again, while your companions watched, hesitation washing over their exhausted faces.

“Shadowheart. Revive him. Do it. Do it now. Right now!”

The Sharran took a step back, hands raised in defence. “This…this is Gortash we’re talking about. I hate to say it but it’s probably for the best. Do you truly think he would not have betrayed us? We need to press on.”

She’s right, the Emperor added in your head. You clenched your fist, gritted your teeth and clutched your head. I’m sorry for your loss but we have no time to waste.

“Shut up! Shut up!” Your screams were hysterical, maniacal even. But here, inside the Astral Prism, you couldn’t care less. “Astarion…I need my bag. Where is my bag?”

“Bag? I don’t know where your bag is, darling.” He too took a step back at that.

Your chest was heaving, your face stained with tears and grief like you’d never experienced before. Enver Gortash belonged by your side. Enver was…is…the only person you ever loved. No one had the right to take him away from you. No one.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the vampire slip a small bag behind his back. A subtle action you would have rolled your eyes at under any other circumstances. This time, however, you were out for blood.

You let go of Gortash’s corpse with reluctance and rose to your feet. A single shove was all it took to make Astarion lose his balance. He caught himself the very moment you snatched your bag from him with a growl and then turned back around to face your dead lover.

“What is wrong with you?” Shadowheart exclaimed. You ignored her, kneeling down in the rubble as you rummaged through your bag to find the one most valuable item you had stolen from a merchant.

“I won’t let him have you. Come back to me. Come back…”

Gale spoke your name, interrupting your new-found mantra. “This is madness. Shadowheart is right, we can’t afford to stop now.”

“Then go! Leave! No one is asking you to stay,” you spat through gritted teeth, right as your hand closed around the scroll of Revivify. Pulling it out, you tossed your bag to the side and centred yourself. You took a deep breath and eventually, uttered the incantation. “Te curo!”

With your palm pressed against Gortash’s chest and your eyes shut, you willed the magic to flow from the scroll into you and subsequently, into him. For a long, agonising second, nothing happened. Then, with a start, Gortash gasped for air and sat up, coughing as if he’d died drowning. One by one, the burst veins in his brain and on his face healed and faded, his eyes returning to their original colour.

You didn’t breathe. Didn’t think. All you were capable of doing was throwing yourself into his arms before he could mutter a single word.

“What…happened?” His voice was raspier than usual, deeper too. You held him an arm’s length away from you, your hands cupping his cheeks.

“G-Gortash? Is it you?”

“Of course it’s me, who else would it be?” Relieved, you rested your forehead against his. It was only then, it seemed, that the memories of what had gone down at the Morphic Pool returned to him. He paled, his lips pressed together to a thin line.

Determination rippled through him, you could feel the energy, searing hot and angry. And yet, for the first time, there was something else. You’d seen it for the first time when the Netherstones failed, right before the Emperor had pulled you all out. It was fear.

Fear of what was to come. Fear of the consequences of his actions. You took your hand in his and squeezed, the pain of the warm metal of his rings digging into your palms a welcome distraction.

“Let’s go,” you whispered. “We have an Elder Brain to destroy.”

The silence within the sparsely decorated hostel room was pregnant, heavy and thick. You’d woken up with your ears ringing from the battle the day before, the hasty escape after and lastly, the most furious and yet most tender love-making so eager and raw you were still tangled up in your sheets now.

Warm rays of sunlight crept through the windows, their beams illuminating the wooden floor. The other side of the bed was cold, empty. Gortash must have been up already. You scoffed. He’d always been an early bird and oh, he was particular about how he wanted his coffee to be prepared. You’d happily make it for him every day from here on out. He was alive. And you’d come so close to losing him that you were willing to kiss his boots to keep him content. Give up everything you had just to be with him. Fuck. So this was what love felt like.

The fight wasn’t over yet, of course. After the Nautiloids attacked and the githyanki soared through the skies, realisation spread among the Baldurians, especially the Flaming Fist. The realisation that their beloved archduke Lord Enver Gortash must have had a hand in the making of the Absolute, that they had been led on and deceived. But not all hope was lost. He’d survived doubters and assassination attempts before. Elder Ravenguard was dead, after all. He’d reclaim the throne of Baldur’s Gate, and return it to a state of glory. You both would. Patience was a virtue. Gortash knew that better than anyone.

“Enver.” You rarely used his first name. He didn’t want you to. His first name, he’d told you once, reminded him of his parents and the horrors they’d inflicted on him for being different and eventually, for enslaving him to a devil. Right now, however, it felt right.

He had his back turned to you when you climbed out of bed and threw on your laced underdress, facing the open door leading out to the small balcony. He was dressed already, too. Something was missing though.

His long coat was a mess. Ruined. The golden ornaments once adorning the fine leather, Banite symbols, had been ripped off and laid scattered on the floorboards. It had left ugly, irreparable holes in the material. Was that blood on the sleeve? He must have cut himself on the sharp ends while tearing them off. One last, unwilling sacrifice for the Black Lord.

“You mean to turn your back on him.” It wasn’t a question, for it didn’t need an answer.

“Bane hadbecome my purpose long before I escaped from the House of Hope. He whispered in my ear, promised me glory and recognition. I had nothing else, no one else. Bane’s determination was what kept me alive. I gave my life to his cause. And he discarded mine because I failed him. I always believed…” He paused and for a moment you wondered whether he was battling…tears? “I always believed I was strong enough. That, should I die in my attempt to lay Baldur’s Gate at the Black Lord’s feet, I would gladly receive my punishment.” He paused yet again. “I remember. I remember the agony and the pain I endured at his hand before I was resurrected. I feared Bane in life as was my duty and I feared him even more in death. I did everything he asked me to do. I was loyal. More than that…I was devoted. I deserve better than an eternity of suffering.”

A single nod. A single nod was all it had taken for your relief to take hold. When you’d stood on top of the hideous Elder Brain, the Emperor channelling the power of the Netherstones to bring the crown back under control…victory would have been temporary, even with the temptation scouring your veins.

There were other ways to rule. Ways that did not come with the looming threat of turning into an Illithid slave. The brain had to die. It was the only way. You’d feared his reaction, feared the rejection that would follow. It didn’t come. Instead…he’d nodded and surprised you in ways you’d never thought possible.

“I’m the one keeping you alive now,” you finally said. “You don’t need Bane. You never needed him to begin with.”

Gortash turned around at last, the faintest hint of surprise marking his ragged features. There were no tears staining his face, his eyes, however, were bloodshot and tired. The events of last night had taken a toll on him. On everyone. But especially on him who’d cheated death.

“I turned my back on the Lord of Murder himself and lived to tell the tale. You survived an eternity of suffering at the hands of the Black Lord. Together, we will be unstoppable,” you continued.

“I only survived because you brought me back, my dear. I am…weak on my own. Powerless without Bane’s power flowing through my veins.” In other words, because of his failure, he now felt the same way he had felt back in the House of Hope. Defenceless. Meagre. Insignificant. But…he had no reason to.

You tilted your head. Never before had you heard your lover speak such candid and insecure words. Ever since that fateful event inside the Astral Prism, something between you had changed. It was one thing to form an alliance in an attempt to rule over the Sword Coast together…it was another to bring back your beloved from the grave.

“Powerless? Weak?” You smirked. “May I remind you who convinced the Flaming Fist to keep out the many refugees seeking entrance into the city? May I remind you who enslaved an entire people to build an army of Steel Watchers for him? Who gained the nobles’ and patrons’ trust simply by whispering sweet lies into their ears? You have a gift, Enver. You are cunning, manipulative, shrewd and an artificer like I’ve never seen one. You never needed Bane to exercise your dominance and your tyranny. Bane needed you to exercise his. And…” You motioned at the bustling Rivingtonians beneath you. “…look at them now. You could have the people’s favour still. Until we’re ready, we’ll operate from the shadows.”

“Together.” The corners of his lips twitched. You nodded. “In which case I’d like to visit my office at Wyrm’s Rock if it still stands. The engagement ring I had made for you is in my safe.”

Your heart skipped a beat, your eyes widening. “E-Engagement ring?”

“Did you think we were going to rule over Baldur’s Gate as friends?” he said, his tone almost mocking.

You shook your head, a dumb grin spreading on your face. “Enver Gortash, I love you.”

His face fell, almost as if he’d never heard anyone utter those words to him before. Well, it was a first for you to say it to someone too.

“We’ll make the trip today. I will have you wed to me before nightfall.”

You smiled. It was his way of reciprocating it. For now, that was good enough for you.

[maegalkarven]

I understand what you’re saying about the Chosen of the dead 3, but I think Orin and Gortash are in the same boat. She wasn’t part of the plan at all, she killed or tried to kill her sibling to actively be part of the plan. She wasn’t even Bhaal’s chosen, she forced into that position herself. And if her abuse is grounds for understanding, then I’d say Gortash’s abuse is too. Sold to a devil as a child and tortured for years until he escapes and he grasps at anything to be in control so no one can control / hurt him again. I think he’s a shit person that did shit things, but I do like the character. And I don’t think Orin’s abuse outweighs that of Gortash. Someone/something messed them both up really bad. Bhaal uses Orin’s bloodlust and trauma to get her to do what he wants, Bane uses Gortash’s fear and need for control to get him to do what he wants. Gortash isn’t more/less redeemable because he’s the smart one that put the plan together. Also being Bane’s chosen means if he fails, he’s tortured for eternity. After being tortured for years, I’d imagine he’d do quite literally anything to not end up there again. Either they’re both redeemable or they’re both not in my eyes at least. Ketheric is the most redeemable for sure, he started out with a decent reason at least.

Gortash is my absolute fav actually because of all the layers. He's a fucking onion.

"Trapped in narrative- escaping the narrative"wise Gortash is the only one who actively walks into His.

He could do anything he wanted after escaping Hells. He wasn't exactly chained up or forced to climb the ladder to world domination.

Back then he still had a choice, even if his mind, twisted and turned by being Raphael's captive, didn't want that choice. Because fear is a strong thing, fear can control person in the worst possible ways. I believe Gortash chose "be the worst ever so no one can hurt him again" road and narrative himself.

But he CHOSE it. (The same way, some might argue, Ketheric chose not letting Isobel go, but I think Ketheric simply wasn't able to let her go)

Orin is different because she didn't exactly force herself into the narrative; she had always been in the narrative. She was born into the narrative.

No Bhaalspawn is ever free and no Bhaalspawn is ever not Bhaal's tool. She would inevitably be put on Durge's path because Bhaal loves putting his children against each other and because only One Bhaalspawn can remain. She even tried to play by the rules and challenged Durge, who didn't take her seriously and refused.

Both Orin and Gortash are more tragic than Ketheric because they're broken children who can never let it go.

Gortash is willingly not letting it go while Orin is literally trapped in it (her family, her cult, Father Bhaal in her head).

Ketheric is someone who, if convinced he can actually redeem himself (and if Isobel is alive), would try it.

Orin can only be redeemed if you forcibly take her out of her cult and cut off Bhaal's influence getting DIRECTLY INTO HER MIND. (Bhaal doesn't really have children, only victims)

Orin could easily be on Durge's place, tadpoled and amnesiac. Tbh I feel like her losing memory is the only way she could ever break free because for her where was nothing but Cult and Bhaal. She wasn't allowed anything else. Confronted with the truth about her upbringing, she's horrified; she also had been punished by Bhaal before for disobedience, Bhaal commands her what to do and Bhaal literally strips her of her own will and body because this is what Bhaal does. But if we can claw her out of it, knock her memories away and cut Bhaal off? Then she has a chance.

That's pretty much the only way she can have it (there's a reason Jaheira calls her lost soul).

But Gortash would not want redemption because he was not forced into the path of tyranny. He chose it. He quite likes it up on the top. He's comfortable over there being the worst and selling people and giving explosives to children. The only thing better would be if he had someone to share his kingdom with, someone who gets his genius.

If put on the ground, he will try to climb right back again. He doesn't care about freeing himself because in his mind only on the very top is where he is free. This narrative not his cage, it's his castle, he build it and he's not giving it up.

That's why any attempt to actually "redeem" him would fail because he is Not Interested in That. He is interested in Power and Being the Biggest and Strongest. Also so ppl would love him, idk how he plans to balance it out with his tyranny, but he pretty much requires the gaping audience. Admire him, everyone.

I have several plots of dragging him off his high horse bc the other alternative is his death, but all these plots require things to be the way where he's actively stripped of power in some way or another bc only his own survival will make him somewhat cooperate on an equal level (one particular ally, durge or tav, but more often durge aside). He is not a team player. He pretends he is.

There are, sure, some AU salvations for him, but no redemption because He Genuinely Does Not Regret a Thing, nor will he.

Neither is Orin, but Orin is a broken doll with a god of murder in her head. She lost herself so long time ago no one even recalls it.

Gortash has himself because no one ever had him. He will do anything for his survival and this is why he does not want or require redeeming. Not dying from Netherbrain, that's another story. But he inevitably always serves his own interests first.

Orin fights for the awful love and approval of a cruel god, Ketheric's love for his daughter transcends her death.

Orin and Ketheric's narratives are two sides of the same coin.

"A child craving affection of a cruel parent" VS "parent doing unimaginable horrors bc of the love for their child."

Gortash is out of that particular narrative, his narrative is "There's No One But Me. Only I Matter. No one loved me so I will love me in excess. No one loved me so no one deserves my love".

It is an echo and awful influence of his tragic past, but it's something he actively chooses. He loves that narrative of his, even if it doesn't exactly fulfill him 100% (because it's lonely on the top. Because somewhere deep inside Enver Flymm still lives. Because he can't let Enver Flymm go no matter now pathetic that past self of his is).

His tragedy is of being lonely af and not admitting it/not having anyone to match him in his genius, but not his Tyrant Path. This one he chose for himself.

The thing is, of course gods use their Chosen ones. I think Gortash knows that, and I think he also actively uses Bane. He wears the coat protecting him from the fear and is a chosen of a Dread Lord. That's telling. He doesn't actually serve Bane, he serves himself and aligns himself with Bane for as long as it works for him.

[vialae]

I was tagged by both @vestigialpersonality and @rinwellisathing (tyty) for WIP wednesday/WIP whenever respectively.

I'm kind of late to doing this too, so I think everyone I would have tagged has already been tagged, so feel free to use this as me tagging you if you would like to do this!!

I am currently flopping between what will eventually become my Gortoween submission, and a separate piece this will almost certainly never see the light of day lol. And so, as always, here is some Kai/Gort being the worst but still horribly domestic, now in a modern setting :D

As he came into Gortash’s peripheral vision, his head finally turned toward his partner. Eyes briefly flickered up to a plastic headband sporting small red devil horns. A slight smirk twitched at his lips, “I thought you weren’t participating.”

“You said I couldn’t start any fights, so I had to accept them.” Kaidos lifted his hand to pull them off, yet Gortash was quick to grab his wrist to stop him. 

“Keep them on. They suit you.” He pulled his hand away before the rest of his body could follow in automatically stepping toward his partner. “Besides, you blend in better now.”

Kaidos stared at Gortash, his mouth twitching slightly as he considered whether or not to retort with whatever words his mind had produced. He decided against it, his head turning away to look at the nighttime scenery instead. 

A smug look spread across Gortash’s face. He place his empty champagne flute on the balustrade, also leaning down. 

He did always enjoy attending parties with Kaidos at his side. It couldn’t happen too often though, since they did need to minimise any risk of rumours forming about the two of them. While it was perfectly normal for a businessman to have a bodyguard at his side during social events, it wasn’t normal for said people to be looking and talking to one another like that all the time. It would be something that slighted clients or potential rivals could take advantage of all too easily. 

Besides, Kaidos had demonstrated time and again that he did not care for the limelight as nearly as much as Gortash did. No, he much preferred to work from the shadows while Gortash worked his magic to charm and distract any fool that would fall for his act. 

However, despite his partner’s efforts to keep a low profile, he had received a decent amount of attention this evening. Gortash’s face fell to a more serious expression as his dark eyes looked back up to those plastic horns. The two had only been apart for mere minutes, and somebody else had already tried to step in? 

Perhaps it really is for the best that Kaidos doesn’t join him so often.

“You do know whoever gave you those horns was probably trying to flirt with you, right?” Gortash turned his body toward Kaidos’, his elbow resting on the balustrade.

“Are you telling me I missed an opportunity to help you?” Kaidos barely turned his head toward his partner.

“Who was it?”

“Answer my question first.”

“Answer mine, and I can tell you if they would be worth it.” 

Kaidos looked over his shoulder and back into the crowd indoors. After a few moments, his hand rose up to point, “That one with the wings.”

A young, pale man. His body was lithe and his costume revealing.

“He doesn’t seem like your type at all.”

“He isn’t. But maybe I’m his.” Kaidos grinned, absolutely revelling in the scowl that darkened Gortash’s face at such a joke. 

“He’s close with the Portyrs. If we ever need them to become malleable further down the line, you may have to make him disappear for me. Don’t start getting attached.”

“What, because of some shitty plastic horns? I doubt he even remembers what I look like anymore. You don’t need to start getting jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.” Gortash promptly turned away, looking out toward the city once more.

“No?” Kaidos also turned back, forearms resting on the balustrade, “I’d never let somebody like him touch me anyway. My flesh would crawl and I would have no choice but to rip his arms free from their sockets, just so I could never be tainted by such a filthy touch ever again.”

“He’s already touched you, you fool.”

“So maybe I should get rid of him sooner rather than later.”

“No. Only when I say. And with how stubborn that little Miss Portyr is currently being, that might not actually be that far away.” 

Kaidos smiled, losing himself in the plans he was making for the future. A man that small would be no issue for him. Maybe he could let Gortash watch? Or maybe if the pale man watched him and his Enver; teach him who he was so carelessly flirting with before ending such a meaningless life? He shifted on the spot just thinking about such possibilities. 

[your-talos-is-problematic]

WIP Wednesday!

Thank you @umbracirrus @skyrim-forever and @throughtrialbyfire for the tags! Tagging @sylvienerevarine and everyone else who wants to join!

More BG3 stuff! This one’s a retelling of a pretty major scene in early Act 3, so spoilers ahead as usual. Also it’s got missing chunks signified by a double space as usual. I am impressed by some of y’all’s ability to not jump around while you’re writing 😅 I really like writing BG3 and this scene stuck out to me as such an uncomfortable moment in game. I’m quite proud of this WIP so far :D

————————————————————————

A servant approached us and gave an awkward half bow. “The Archduke-to-be wishes to speak with you,” they said. I cursed the ambiguity of the you pronoun in Common. The request felt pointed at Karlach and I, but I waved over Astarion and Wyll anyways. They were locked in what seemed like an extremely boring conversation with a noble. Once they had extracted themselves, I pointed with my tail towards the throne. “It’s go time,” I said. “Remember, we’re staying peaceful for now.” I could feel Karlach’s hand heat up a bit in mine. I pressed a horn to her forearm, hoping she got the message. I don’t want to do this either, but we have to.

Gortash lightly picked up my right hand and placed it between his gloves. I shivered.��This is wrong. It was wrong for him to be staring at me so intensely with a face like he was plotting something. It was wrong that Karlach was twenty feet from the man who ruined most of her life and I wouldn’t let her do anything about it. He was even holding my hand wrong- the metal tip of his glove dug into the scales at my wrist. Most stupidly of all, my brain screamed that it was wrong of me to have taken my own gloves off earlier, since it was against the dress code.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. I swear there were more people around earlier. From this angle, everyone was too far, Karlach and Astarion and Wyll and Gortash’s guards. Right now, it was just us and two massive Steel Watchers lurking behind the throne. It was disgustingly private. I held eye contact, but I could feel my heartbeat speed up in panic.

“Your name is Tilia, correct?” he asked. It was such a strange, normal question for him to be asking. Unsettling, but at least it made it easy to answer.

“Tilia of Tragedy,” I clarified. My voice came out shaky.

He smiled and nodded. “A virtue name, I assume. Very infernal.”

Instead of thinking of a response, I just nodded. When had I ever gotten choked up like this? Titles didn’t scare me. Neither did thrones or the middle-aged men who thought they deserved to sit on them. The Steel Watchers scare me, I guess. They had a scent that was very familiar, like they might be made of infernal iron. And there were at least six of them in the room, but only four of us. Stay focused, Tragedy. You’re not fighting right now. “Yes,” I said. I wasn’t quite sure what question I was answering.

As soon as we were in the hall, Karlach whipped around to face me. “What the fuck was that, Tilia?” She sounded both mad and disappointed.

“I know,” I said. I could feel my tail trying to wrap itself around my ankle. Her being mad felt wrong; her being mad at me felt much, much worse. “But we agreed that we’d stay peaceful-“

“We said we’d stay peaceful,” Wyll said. “Not make an alliance with him.” Astarion said nothing, but stared at me with an incomprehensible expression.

At least that was an easy claim to dispute. “We’re not making an alliance with him. I’d never do that.” It was so strange to be on the defensive against Karlach and Wyll.

“Why would you tell him you’d consider it?” Karlach hissed.

“Karlach, I-“ My eyes were watering. I gave up on words and just pointed to the end of the hallway, where a Steel Watcher stood on guard. My friends followed my hand. While the three of them were turned away, I sniffled and tried to regain my confidence. “Right now, we’re too vulnerable to risk angering the city’s government, especially when he has the Steel Watch with him,” I explained, my voice calm. “I didn’t want to refuse his offer outright and give him a reason to be mad. But I promise that I will never, ever accept it. Even if it means the city turns on us.” I stared into Karlach’s eyes, pleading for a reaction.

Wyll spoke first. “I see where you’re coming from, Tilia. I think we all-“ he angled his head towards Karlach- “would have just liked to have been briefed beforehand.”

I pressed my lips together. “In my defense, I was not expecting him to be okay with sharing power with anyone.”

Astarion piped up. “Clearly someone thinks you’d be a good Archduke.” It seemed to snap everyone out of their emotions. Wyll shook his head with a sigh, and Karlach laughed and walked over to me to ruffle my hair. Her hands were still warm, but not dangerously hot anymore.

“I’d be a horrible Archduke,” I said. “Plus I wouldn’t get to use my university degree.”

Karlach leaned down to kiss me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Nerd,” she said with a giggle. “Now let’s get out of here before we run into anybody else.”

“That seems like a good idea.” I grabbed Karlach’s hand. We both waited for Wyll and Astarion to start walking before we did, falling into step a bit behind them.

After a few silent minutes, Karlach asked, “He was talking pretty quiet for a bit there. Did he say anything… weird to you?”

I frowned. “No, but there was an undertone.” I rubbed my forehead scales against her. “That’s kind of the only way you can have two people on the throne, so… I don’t think he meant anything by it.”

She nodded. “Hopefully. Or he just has a thing for tieflings.” We both laughed emptily. My heart was still beating at a mile a minute, and the faint crown of flames around her head made it clear that she wasn’t all the way done with being mad at him. Or at me.

[thenugking]

more Zephyr - sorry, this idea is FASCINATING to me, but - 3, 7, 11, 26, 27?

3. What would their character quest be titled? Why?

Oh man I fucking hate thinking up titles ahgghjkl. Something with Pirate (their job) or Ranger (their class) in it maybe.

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

I don’t think Zephyr has a path where they become More Evil, I think their bad ending is just that they don’t change at all. They continue to not really trust people, to lash out whenever there’s a problem, to look out for themself above all others. They dump a player they’re romancing because hey, this was fun, but it’s time to move on now. They might not even turn up to the reunion, and just send an impersonal letter saying it was nice working with you.

To get their good ending, I think you have to challenge them to do better, to look out for people, to let people look out for them. Most importantly, you have to show them love and support and maybe even forgiveness when that’s pretty difficult to do. Early game Zephyr is abrasive, being suspicious of other companions for keeping secrets while being unwilling to share much about their own life. 

I don’t think it comes out until Act 3, when you meet Gortash at his coronation, that the two of them are siblings, that he tadpoled Zephyr a week or so before the others and sent them off with the Emperor (appearing to them in the form of their Dream Visitor) to retrieve the astral prism. So you discover Zephyr knew all along that Gortash was involved, that the tadpoles weren’t transforming people but instead forcing them to hear and obey the Absolute, and that the cult wanted the astral prism. And I mean, this isn’t as bad as some of the other things your companions are keeping from you, but Zephyr lets it continue for way too long, refuses to apologise, and starts attacking you for blaming them for their family’s bullshit. And if you try to show sympathy, doubles down harder to try to push you away. To pull them onto a lighter path, you have to… not be okay with them doing this, and probably point out that they’re being cruel right now, but that you understand why, and you’re willing to put this behind you if they’ll try better in future. They’d shrug you off at the time, but during the next long rest, pull you into a cutscene to apologise, thank you for sticking by them and admit that they’re not good at dealing with kindness, and promise to try better in future.

…I don’t know how the Gortash plot resolves with Zephyr there (I’m still not sure how it does in their own game yet). Maybe you get an extra option to spare Gortash, but where that goes, I’m really not sure. I don’t think killing or allying with him effects Zephyr’s personality/arc a great deal, but they’re going to be Uneasy and somewhat guilty if you ally with him. I think if you kill him while on their good arc, they lash out before apologising and telling you they don’t blame you and stumbling through a request for emotional support. On the bad arc, they're more likely to just withdraw.

11. What is your Tav’s go-to comfort food?

Zephyr’s been scavenging a whole lot more food than I usually do--I enjoy buying my party little treats, but Zephyr thinks it’s a waste of money to get anything from a trader when there’s so many barrels of potatoes we could be looting. Until one of the traders had salmon pie, which they immediately grabbed up. Sooo I think that’s the answer.

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets! 

I don’t know if it’s as much a secret as a thing they refuse to acknowledge about themself, but they want to be treated kindly and gently, and not have to be the Tough, Independent One all the time. (They’re totally Better and Happier as the Tough, Independent One than the scared kid trying their best to appease their parents so clearly they don’t need to change that!!)

27. What is the worst thing they’ve ever done/said to someone they love?

As a kid, there was a lot of ratting out their brothers/throwing them under the bus to their parents, culminating in betraying their oldest brother while he was escaping so… maybe that. Though in fairness, they were an abused kid at the time, and they’ve also done plenty of shit to people as an adult who refuses to admit they need to fix themself.

The major shitty thing they’re doing in the game that I’m rotating round in my head is romancing Karlach without telling her hey, the guy who sold you into slavery is my brother. I hope they’ll feel guilty enough to tell her before they actually have sex, but it’s not impossible we’re going to be reaching the coronation before it comes up.

Anyway, Karlach reacts badly to the fact that Zephyr’s been keeping this from her, and Zephyr tells her that, whatever, you’re actually just like him for blaming them for something shitty their family did. So. That was a pretty horrible thing to say.

(And here’s where we get Zephyr’s in-game “being pulled to a lighter arc”. Once she’s processed things a bit, Karlach comes to find them and tell them that, hey, what you said was Deeply Shitty and wasn’t okay but look--I’m dying, and I want to make the most of my time left, I don’t have the time to hold grudges against people I care about, and who I know care about me and aren’t actually like their shitty evil bastard of a brother. I’m willing to forget it if you are. Zephyr… is aware they don’t necessarily deserve forgiveness for all that. But if Karlach still actually wants to be with them… They don’t want to hurt her further by pulling back again, even if they don’t quite know what to do with forgiveness.)

[veatomis]

hi my darling <3 can i have stillness, favourite & change for dhaeris, texture, bling & face for kyrtaar and then motion, night & favourite for arihs my beloved xoxo

hi bestie <333 thank u for enabling my insanity abt my blorbos again, love u lots <3 (also putting most of this under the read more because again. insane <3)

Dhaeris:

stillness: How does your OC act while still? Are they fidgety? Do they have any common gestures or tics? Does their clothing affect how they hold themselves while at rest?

Dhaeris would play a lot with his rings and necklaces when he has to sit or stand still. I can also see him loosely stroking his own arm and he definitely stands with one hand on his pockets if he can. He likes to wear at least one item of VERY tight clothing (like corsets or leather pants) so besides those small instances of fidgeting he would be pretty still when resting, he’s definitely not pulling a Karlach.

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

Dhaeris’ favorite article of clothing is definitely his long black coat with the starry purple inner lining. It was one of the first things he ever purchased and got tailored after getting his patron and it makes him feel more confident and protected but without looking like he’s hiding behind his clothing. He doesn’t wear it all the time though, he has too many outfits to try on so the coat usually gets worn when he’s out for a job or when he needs to feel more sure of himself.

change: Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change?

Oh yeah, before his pact with Graz’zt he was at first bound by a serious lack of money growing up and then he was really depressed and didn’t have the energy to care about his appearance + feeling like he didn’t contribute enough to his criminal company to actually take some of the money they were making to put towards a style change. So during that period of time his hair was very straight instead of the artfully sculpted kinda hair he has now, he didn’t have tattoos, he didn’t use makeup and his clothes were very basic second hand stuff that hid his figure a lot. AFTER his pact he finally gets to look the way he’s always dreamed of, he gets top surgery courtesy of Graz’zt, he wears expensive high quality fabrics, tailor made outfits, custom made shoes, LOTS of shiny rings and jewelry, he gets his neck tattoo… And while he still has a lot of problems with his self esteem at least he’s really pleased with looking the part of someone who’s made it. 

Kyrtaar:

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

They LOVE silk and lace but they don’t really wear them during their time as Bhaal’s head of the temple/pre-Gortash, they’re the utmost definition of “very demure, very mindful” since their spartan approach to life bleeds into their fashion at that time. They also like things like chiffon and bits of embroidery here and there, ironically though they DESPISE fabrics like brocade or damask (esp because of the colors they tend to come in), they think they’re too gaudy and flashy and they don’t have the delicate simple look Kyrtaar tends to go for.

bling: What jewelry does your OC wear? Does it have any meaning?

Pre-bhaal they wore SO much jewelry because their mom used to give them all of her necklaces, earrings and bracelets but after her death and them having to sell her things to make money to reach Bhaal's temple they pretty much swear off of jewelry until Gortash convinces them to wear the very occasional ring or necklace and even those look nothing like what they used to love wearing. They also have their septum piercing but that’s more for the bhaalist aesthetic.

Some of the rings i could see them wearing during their time as Bhaal's chosen:

face: Describe your OC's face. What's their smile like? Are their orbs cerulean? What would someone notice first when looking at them?

Kyrtaar’s face is the definition of traditional archaic elven beauty, overall androgynous look with a perfect mix of sharp and delicate features. They have a sharp jaw, soft lips with a perfect cupid’s bow and straight nose. Their eyes are definitely the first thing people notice about their face, icy gray-blue that pierces you when they look at someone. The only thing that breaks their stereotypical angelic look is that when they smile, it NEVER looks genuine, their lips stretch too much but it never lights up their eyes, sometimes they show too much teeth others they don’t show enough teeth but somehow it always ends up looking menacing or unsettling. 

Arihs:

motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy?

Arihs moves purposefully and confidently but also softly? He’s very graceful and he gesticulates a lot but with an elegant and almost cocky manner. He’s very flexible and his clothing is tailored for the movements he has to make as a rogue/archer, tighter fitting clothes so no part of his outfit snags on anything (with his field armor being the exception, as a leader he’s also meant to project an imposing appearance in more offense based encounters).

night: What does your OC wear to sleep? Do they have a favorite pair of PJs, or are they more the birthday suit type?

He’s used to sleeping in clothes that are comfortable enough to relax in but that cover enough just in case he’s woken up by surprise (something similar to his Skyhold outfit but without all the under and over clothes and the cloth belt) . After he starts sleeping with Alas and Dorian he steals their shirts and foregoes pants all together, wearing only his underwear. Sometimes, if they’re sleeping in Skyhold instead of out on the field, he’ll sleep entirely naked again depending on how hot the room gets. He’s also stolen some of Dorian’s really fancy sleeping robes because he would like to be the kind of person that sleeps in shit like that but it never does it for him.

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

His Winter Palace outfit. The circumstances sucked absolute ass but he felt like how he imagined the elves of the Dales might’ve looked like when they were still ruling that region and it was really important for him to look proudly dalish but also refined when stepping foot in Halamshiral for the first time, putting any kind of rumor about him being an andrastian inquisitor to rest. He’s worn it a couple more times after those peace talks but he mostly keeps it safe, especially after moving to Tevinter where he knows that kind of blue + silhouette + meaning aren’t as trendy/won’t make as much of an impact as it did in Halamshiral.

[elvhenmage]

2, 11, 17, 18, 25

30 Questions for your Dark Urge

2. Did your Dark Urge have any romantic and/or sexual relationships prior to their illithid adventure? If yes, who was it with and what was it like? If no, how did they feel about being single?

well you know the answer to this. it wasn’t romantic by any means because they’re both far too fucked in the head but yeah she and gortash were involved. turns out i was not immune to durgetash. the wiki really sold me on it with “It is possible that the Dark Urge and Enver Gortash found in each other the closest thing either of them ever had to a friend.” bc even though i don’t think makaria ever consciously considers him anything but a bug under her heel it’s still like, he DOES know her more than anyone else, and she knows him. they’re always at each other’s throat (literally) ((well, mostly it’s makaria at his throat)) but it’s also like. you’re the only bitch in this city that gets me. tldr i think he’s obsessed with her and she’s begrudgingly involved with him. it’s complicated

11. What motivates your Dark Urge to either embrace or resist the Urge?

alfira….. not just alfira though because makaria also has a Huge fear of being made to do things she doesn’t want to do (and generally just doesn’t like being told what to do), so that first blackout ending in alfira horrifically murdered and her having no memory of doing it immediately made her detest the urge. makaria may be casual with violence and murder but mostly only when someone does something she doesn’t like - alfira didn’t do anything, she was just a fun bard who wanted to join the party :(

17. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest regret?

probably uhh all the murder cult stuff LMAO like … she may not remember most of it, but from what she does remember and how it feels to be standing down in the temple, she very much regrets playing a part in that even though she was literally created and raised to do so. at some point you get the option to ask withers about the people you killed or something and i’ve been trying to figure out if that’s something she would do or not. on one hand i think it’d be a nice progression to have her need to face that part of her past but on the other maybe she doesn’t Want to look back… also i think a part of her regrets letting orin get one over on her by being too egotistical to see the betrayal coming - she dealt with a lot of inner turmoil coming out the other side and i imagine that that kind of deep-seated purpose of life ending in “failure” doesn’t ever completely go away - but overall she’s … maybe not GLAD it happened but she knows she’s better off this way. so not her greatest regret but a sort of regret regardless

18. How does your Dark Urge feel about love?

completely foreign to her. bhaal’s love - when it was even displayed - was twisted, there was no true love between her and gortash, and orin was little more than a brat who disrespected bhaal with her dramatics. everyone else she interacted with was beneath her. sceleritas didn’t love her so much as he revered her. and honestly i hadn’t thought about how this would affect her after the nautiloid until now so i’m actually not sure how she feels about love 🤔 i think someone’s gonna have to have a chat with her about it before she realizes that’s what she’s feeling but as for how she reacts to that, i’ll have to give it more thought

25. How does your Dark Urge feel about Sceleritas Fel?

sceleritas fel has ALWAYS been a damn menace. him and makaria are like if toadsworth and princess peach were really fucked up. ik durge canonically had a foster family but in MY canon sceleritas was mostly responsible for raising makaria, so they’ve been At Odds for as long as she can remember ‘cause he’s so CLINGY and persistent and she felt she knew what she was doing and so didn’t need his input. when she gets older and is sort of ‘claimed’ by bhaal for real, she gets more used to kicking sceleritas around (literally and metaphorically). bhaal being a direct influence in her life really inflates her ego for the worst. this doesn’t change after she’s lost her memories; she still very much immediately feels like strangling him with her bare hands whenever he pops up and tries coaxing her into following the urge

[loderlied]

pasting discord rambles here so i can easily access the lore later instead of having to search for 8 billion years pt idk

in the story i don’t think they ever interact besides gort basically telling shadowheart ‘ezekiel is going to kill you sooner or later :) probably sooner. definitely sooner ;P’

and i think the worst part is that he doesn’t really have a lot of ill will towards her. most of his ire is directed at zeke and he sees her as nothing but a mortal zeke is using as a distraction so he’s really like. i do not give a fuck about what happens to you but zeke will kill you btw.

i think while i talk about how zeke is basically daydreaming escaping his real life in the thing with shadowheart shadowheart is also doing that to a degree. this conversation with gortash is one of the few times in which she’s like. concious of the fact that zeke WILL kill her one day and that gortash is right. sadly she ignores this and even if she didn’t it would have been way too late. one of the few times someone should’ve listened to gort sigh

like. it’s hard to describe why exactly but it basically comes down to this ‘equal in divinity’ thing once again. he’s not doing it to save her life or something shadowheart is a lowly creature just doing what lowly creatures do. it’s irritating but nothing he’s gonna spend much time on. meanwhile zeke, his ‘martyr’, is wallowing in some fantasies of ‘love’ and ‘being a person’ aka he is malfunctioning and gortash fixes it. wakes him up.

oh but he’s definitely talking extremely condescending shit about her. ‘OF COURSE she doesn’t understand you ezekiel she is but a mere mortal she simply couldn’t even if she tried :) she lives according to her nature as a mortal just as we are living according to ours :)’ but again to him that description fits just. everyone with the exception of him & zeke of course so he doesn’t see her as more inferior than most

[hijackalx]

More headcanon asks for Gale, Astarion, and Gortash! What would their reaction be to their lover pampering them after a rough day? (Talking like preparing their favorite meal, treating to a relaxing bath, that sorta stuff)

GALE

LOVES TO BE DOTED ON SOOOOO MUCH 😹😹 to the point where he will mope and pout if you don’t want to pamper him. since he’s a wizard he gets a lot of bumps and bruises during battles, but he ONLY wants you to fix him up. he’ll look at you with those big ol’ puppy dog eyes, sigh really loudly, then go, “gee, i wish somebody around here cared enough about me to patch up my finger…” and it’s literally over a papercut LMFAO. it’s not that he’s not capable of doing it himself it just makes him feel loved when you do it 😹💗 the type to get a cut on his lip and ask you to kiss it better— also loves to have you sit on his lap while you clean up his face

GORTASH

he’s initially a little put-off by it since he doesn’t want his baby to have to lift a finger EVER !!!! not even for him. besides, he (probably) has servants who are willing to do that stuff, and he doesn’t want to view you as one of his lowly lackeys 😹😹. ALTHOUGHHHH, if you’re persistent enough about it, he’ll eventually let you. i think he’d be more adamant on a mutual kind of pampering though, like washing each other’s hair or giving each other massages (you KNOW this man’s shoulders are TENSE gurl). he really likes when you lay your head in his lap and massage his tired hands— that way he can use the other one to run through your hair 💗😌

ASTARION

THE MOST DIFFICULT when it comes to letting you do this. like he insists that he doesn’t need it or that he’s “fine” but lowkey he does want it 😹😹 he just prefers more subtle acts, like you doing favors for him (offering to wash his dirty/bloody clothes, for example) or listening to him rant/complain about his day. well actually— i guess letting him drink from you could be considered preparing his favorite meal? 🤔 so make sure to offer him your neck after a long day 😹. too much blatant doting on him makes him feel silly (or he gets the crazy idea that you’re doing it because you think he’s weak 👹). honestly just don’t smother him and he’ll live 😹💗

[flymmsy]

For Gortash and Lyra: 5, 8, 44, 49

Some really good ones here! I'll keep accepting these on a rolling basis if anyone wants to jump in my inbox - ask list here.

→ Gortash

5. What’s the worst sex they’ve ever had? It’s hard not to say Lady Jannath - just because it would be worse than bad, it would be boring. I’m the first one in line to make Gortash love the older ladies, but specifically Wisteria gives me big ‘bad missionary rocks my world’ vibes.

8. Have they ever been caught having? (lol this was definitely meant to say having sex.) Yes yes yes. Actually, a lot. Sometimes it’s purposeful (being caught in a ‘compromising’ position can be an advantage - it disarms the other person, or brings to light jealousies), but he’s also had the occasional accidental interruption. I think the true accidents of being caught were more during his Arms Dealer phase, and the purposeful use of it came when he entered the political realm.

Also - with Durge specifically, there’s a whole lot going on there. I wrote a short headcanon post on this that I intend to expand on later - but Durge loves watching him fuck others. They’ll sneak onto his balcony to watch while touching themselves. And while Gortash doesn’t always know he’s been ‘caught’, he would also get off on the idea of Durge watching. Really big “our sexual tension is too high so I’m going to fuck you through another person” energy.

44. Do they consider themself to be dominant, submissive, both, or neither? I’m a switch Gortash truther. Gortash would always /say/ he’s more dominant (to keep up tyrannical appearances), but with the right partner, he’d love giving up control. He’s very good at being dominant, but being submissive allows him to actually relax more.

49. Do they have any kinks that they’re ashamed of? I think, building off of the previous question, anything that puts him in a more submissive role he feels a degree of shame about. That’s only because he’s built up in his head that he has to be dominating, but underneath that just isn’t entirely who he is. This ranges from mild kinks like being tied up into more quirky kinks - I don’t mean to sound like a broken record here but going back to the mommy kink, I think it’s something he’d be embarrassed about because it’s clearly rooted in an emotional need of his. His shame is definitely proportionate to how much the kink reveals about his emotional needs.

→ Lyra (under the cut)

5. What’s the worst sex they’ve ever had? Okay hilariously, it is with Gortash - deep into their relationship, when they have a degree of comfortability. I like the idea of Gortash bringing her to parties in some way or another - in his head it’s always been an attempt to warm her up to society for when she is Archduchess. He likes that his murderous demon isn’t part of society, but he wants her to see how it operates. Lyra on the other hand would never admit that she actually does just enjoy the parties to an extent.

So I absolutely see them at a party one night spending the entire evening getting all worked up and Gortash making all these promises to tear her clothes off but then when the evening is over he delivers like two thrusts and passes out. Lyra is furious but then also gets really worked up about how stupidly vulnerable and unguarded he’s being and how she could slit his throat too easily and then has a whole menty b about it. In the end, it’s not the worst sex because it was so embarrassingly bad, it’s the worst sex because of the degree of crisis she has about it. She’s devastatingly protective over him.

8. Have they ever been caught having sex? She has sex on display as part of rituals a lot, but hasn’t ever really been caught necessarily. There has definitely been at least ONE time where Gortash watched her take a victim before killing them, but it was definitely all very purposeful.

I mean unless you count getting caught by Sceleritas and scolded for taking some Banite dick….then yes, she has. But hilariously, she wouldn’t count Sceleritas. Pre-tadpole, Sceleritas feels like an extension of herself in many ways. Gortash is definitely unnerved by it.

44. Do they consider themself to be dominant, submissive, both, or neither? With anyone except for Gortash, she doesn’t even think in these terms. From an outside perspective, she’d seem dominant, but sex is so wrapped up in murder for her that it’s not really dominant in the way this means. When she’s with Gortash, it reveals her true nature - switch switch switch. This is definitely a projection onto her but I just think it’s the best of both worlds, and it’s also why Lyra and Enver are really good for each other. They can both step into those roles and fulfill each other’s needs. Sometimes Lyra NEEDS to be in charge in order to even engage in the act - but sometimes she NEEDS to let go.

49. Do they have any kinks that they’re ashamed of? Vanilla sex. Lmao how could I not say that. So long as any sort of roughness is involved she can shrug it off. But vanilla, passionate sex? Shame, shame, shame. Gortash was the only one who ever got her to fuck that way and it ruined her.

[eye-of-yelough]

okay i’m just gonna turn this into a game. every random thought i have concerning them for the next. idk lets just say until i go to bed. i’m gonna write here.

- they hardly spent any time together their first 3 years of knowing each other. their third meeting i’m “writing” (hadn’t looked at it in a week) takes place 5-6 months after their first meeting. they mostly just stalk each other, gort is all sophisticated and distant about it, aeryn is a lot more up-close and personal. steak-outs in trees with binoculars type stalking. actively following him. they’re both fully aware. they leave each other notes on corpses, it’s fun. they once talk about how they kinda miss it when they stop in favour of actually spending time together.

- once in a ship template i put gort as a 100% dom top and aeryn as a 100% sub bottom and i just wanna make it clear that is not my perception of either of their characters separately but that is how they are with each other. Aeryn would happily fuck gort stupid if he asked, but he doesn’t. and not because there isn’t a part of him that wants it he just Cannot give aeryn that kind of power over him he’d literally rather die.

- despite his uhhh “devotion” or “love” for gortash, aeryn really only goes along with absolute stuff to eventually Kill Everyone Ever which i know is canon but like. he specifically does it to free them from gortash. because he knows that 1) he’s the only person that could kill gortash, he’s his one weakness, his achilles heel, and 2) he absolutely cannot bring himself to do it. even before gortash starts fucking with his head. i know i don’t talk about it much but there are no words to describe how much aeryn loathes everything gortash represents at first and how terrified he is of the future he envisions. he can’t talk him out of it. he can’t kill him. the only other option is to beat him to it. better a quick death now than a slow one later. pretty much his whole philosophy.

- of course the above is before gort starts fucking with his head. i can’t remember the name of it but that book in Flymm’s Cobblers about how much happier people would be if they were mindless sheep. he didn’t get that information from nowhere.

- first time gort sees aeryn naked he just stares at him for a really long time. like, full minutes in dead silence. before eventually saying “you have 119 spots.” aeryn tries to punch him in the face. it doesn’t go well.

- related to that. i don’t wanna copy archduke-enver-gortash (lol. lmao. that ship has sailed buddy) TOO much but man. gort would love to make shit out of aeryn’s bluegrey spotted skin. maybe gloves. no wait what am i saying it would obviously be the dolls. creep. he would stuff it and use it as a pillow. this doesn’t Actually happen but i know he thinks about it.

- i think a significant part of the reason why they don’t have actual sex until ten years in despite their relationship being overtly psychosexual is partly because gort feels like. okay familial is not the right word but you know what i mean. it feels like a taboo, like crossing a line. like fucking an inflatable sex doll. which isn’t really “taboo” but gort is definitely convinced that if he did he would feel super gross and would just get sick of aeryn after. cos he’s aspec and at this point has only had sex as manipulation, he just can’t imagine it would be as fun as his weird convoluted fantasies about it. and then the fantasies would be ruined.

- luckily aeryn got that premium shit hand sculpted by bhaal himself. that’s some “ruin your life” boypussy.

- and gort STILL prefers to fuck him in the ass just to deny him. amazing. his shittiness knows no bounds.

when you’re in an “i wanna be shamelessly annoying about my ocs/blorbo” mood but you can’t actually think of anything to say.

blinking at you 😐😑😐😑😐

[loderlied]

just realised the idea of zeke without the dark urge is just. completely incomprehensible. it’s just something that he wholly embodies in my mind. i guess my question is, is that something you’ve thought about? zeke if he rejected bhaal? what that could possibly look like, because i have no clue. in my mind there would just be nothing left for Withers to resurrect, he’d just cease to exist. (which would probably be a happy ending in comparison to what actually happens)

i guess this isn’t really an “ask”, just my stream of consciousness as i realise that Zeke is by far the best Durge ever created and all of us should just pack it in cos our ocs will never be on his level (lighthearted)

to parrot what i said in the first ask i sent you, with renowned emphasis: i sincerely love the way your brain works, and i hope you never stop posting about your fucked up little guys because they bring me so much joy.

thank you so much but also. noooooooo. don’t say that he’s just a roach!!! there are so many great durges (aeryn definitely up there as well of course :3)

but yes to your question… you’re absolutely right about zeke and the urge being one and the same being of course, but the only way i could imagine it in some form is honestly. hm. i think at least in my canon zeke is the wild given shape by bhaal honestly almost accidentally (complicated we do not need to get into it, but the giving shape part was obviously not an accident more the it being the fucking wild itself part lmao) so the ability to genuinely control him as you would a dog is one that no one (yes i am including gortash in that! gortash’s goal is to conquer & destroy zeke above all else after all) has in the end—i mentioned before how when sceleritas brought zeke into the temple for the first time that people quickly realised that the he is far too unpredictable/volatile and especially dangerous be around the cult or even to walk free on most days, until they unleash him onto the city of course. a move which is honestly partially rooted in ‘yes he’s gonna murder’ and ‘get this fucking time bomb out of my house’ basically lmao. so anyways what i’m thinking is zeke just fully severs their link in some way perhaps? perhaps it’s gortash and/or what he does to him. what he did before bhaal ever even gave shape to zeke. idk! lots of new things to consider as i’m doing my replay at a snail’s pace lmao