#finally a shadowheart im happy with

[butteredfrogs]

god's favourite princess

[danielnelsen]

ok prediction time

(it’s my first time playing bg3, i know nothing about the plot; DO NOT SPOIL ANYTHING FOR ME. currently im at moonrise towers and the extent of gale’s plot is that he’s been stabilised by elminster and has also just made the shadow lantern. shoutout to astarion for being the only one not to tell me that was a bad idea, that’s when you know you’re making good life choices)

so what i’m getting from this is that the big moral choice in gale’s story is gonna be to get forgiveness and acceptance from mystra (presumably before/without using the orb) vs embracing his own ambitions and, having a vague idea of the intensity of some of the endings, possibly going way off the deep end with that

while i don’t know the full story for other companions, im feeling like gale was probably the best choice for me in terms of playing an origin because im an extreme completionist and im going to get sage inspiration points all over the place, but im also going to push *everything*. i want to follow every potentiality to its end, make dodgy deals, play all sides, etc.

and surface-level that sounds good for playing as astarion (definitely getting a lot of charlatan inspiration), but what it really means is that i get a lot of approval from astarion and also i feel like it’s gonna affect the way gale’s story ends a lot more. gonna try not to go too far off the deep end but it’s gonna be pretty tempting lmao. i’ll just keep downing these tadpoles and ‘trusting’ my hot dream guy. nothing can possibly go wrong!

[improper-use-of-mystran-rituals]

I'm so normal about these two (I'm not)

The ref comes from here

(psst: you can find the nsfw version here 👀)

[gideonthe9]

brand new epilogue LETS GOOO

[zevrans-remade]

👀

[mokeonn]

Currently I have so many bg3 saves bc I refuse to delete my old ones that will likely never be finished (first ever gameplays, not optimized, everytime I open one I get overwhelmed and stop), but also because I keep making new games with the specific purpose of romancing a certain companion, seeing special dialog, doing a specific style of run, or getting an achievement on steam.

[noeldressari]

WIP

A little snipit from a chapter of the bg3 fic im writing, just cause I really liked this chapter so far and I wanted to blab about it somewhere, so I figured "FUCK IT"

Wild Nights

Eryn laughed heartily as she fell back and sat on a tree stump. All around her, the tieflings party was still riotous. Her legs felt like rubber but she couldn't wait to catch her breath and join them again. Alfira had rounded up a group of other musicians and together they played rousing music, some of which was a little out of tune, but was still merry enough to dance to.

The campfire that had once been a solitary source of light and warmth in the midst of the chilled night, had been built up from many a helping hand, and was surrounded by dozens of gleeful faces. There were candles scattered around on tables and stones to spread light to the places the campfire couldn't reach, but the central fire seemed to be the nexus of all the excitement and joy. It was as if everyone’s energy radiated out from the light itself washing over everyone it touched. On the stones that provided some natural cover surrounding the camp, shadowy figures danced and swayed in the amber firelight.

After some persuasion, Wyll had finally rejoined the party. She could see him now, dancing among the others with as much glee as she'd seen in him, spinning one of the little tiefling girls around, teaching the kids as he went. Some distance to her right she could see Karlach going ham with an exaggeratedly spirited dance that Eryn couldn't categorize in any other way that mattered besides, passionate. Overhead, fireworks from Gale and Barcus crackled and sparked overhead in dazzling gleams of color. Eryn stared up at the cascade of light in wonder. There were so many colors in the Material. Colors that Eryn had never imagined possible before. Now her imagination could only expand.

"You seem in high spirits."

Eryn glanced up to see Shadowheart standing next to her, cradling a glass of wine in her hand and looking down at her with an amused smile; Eryn did notice she seemed more genuinely happy than normal.

"You sound in high spirits yourself." Eryn remarked, "Besides, shouldn't we all be? We killed those goblin bastards and got these guys a way out. And we fucking lived. If ever there was a reason to have some fun I'd say now’s the fucking time."

"There is that. Though we could've celebrated survival any day..."

"Well, then we'll just have to start doing that then!" Eryn grinned, only half joking.

Shadowheart was still smiling, but her words trailed off, "Of course, but we still have these little monsters in our heads." Shadowheart muttered, her gaze dropping a little as she looked down into her cup and taking a sip.

"Eh, that's a problem for our future selves." Eryn waved a dismissive hand, "If we spend all our days fussing over what's wrong with the world well never have time to enjoy what's right with it. That's no fun at all, trust me."

"Perhaps," Shadowheart said with her smile returning, "But it doesn't hurt to keep our ultimate goal in mind. So long as we still have these things in our head we-"

"Oh, believe me I haven't forgotten." Eryn said before taking a swig of her own wine from her canteen, "That's exactly why we're doing this now and not 6 months from now. We don't take time to be a bunch of drunken dumbasses now, who knows if we'll ever get to do it again? I imagine mindflayers don't have many parties."

"There is that." Shadowheart nodded, looking up at all the tieflings that celebrated around them.

Eryn knocked back her drink before pushing herself back up, "Well I'm ready for another turn around the dancefloor." She said as she turned and reached her hand out to Shadowheart, her smile wide and inviting.

Shadowheart stared at her hand in confusion for a minute, then shook her head and grinned coyly. "I'll pass, thanks."

"Oh come on, just once?" Eryn dropped her shoulders and pouted.

Shadowheart shook her head with an amused but uneasy smile, "I'd prefer to watch you than make a fool of myself."

Eryn shrugged and insisted, "No one’s sober enough to care. Including me."

"Well I'm still sober enough to care!" She retorted, raising her cup to emphasize the point.

"Easily remedied." Eryn grabbed her drink, "Later..." and set it down gently, expecting more resistance than she gave. She held out her hand in one last plea, "Come on, don't act like you're dead when you're still alive."

To her surprise, Shadowheart reached out and laced her fingers with her own. Before either of them could have second thoughts, Eryn tugged her with her into the crowds of merry making teiflings. She could hear the musicians staring up a new tune with a familiar beat. Eryn grinned as she turned to face an apprehensive Shadowheart. She was clutching her hand, and for a moment Eryn thought she was in pain again, but there was no spark of purple energy coming from it. It was an impulse, an expectation of a punishment she knew was coming.

But Eryn didn't give two shits about Shar.

She took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly as she pulled her close.

"I don't think-" Shadowheart started.

"It's ok, I don't know this dance either," Eryn put a hand on the small of her back, pressing her a little closer, then took her other hand and pressed it to her shoulder, "We're all just making it up as we go."

"But what if-"

Before she could protest further, Eryn took the first step, originally to side step someone else, but once they were off Eryns feet seemed to follow their own accord, and Shadowheart trailed behind to keep up.

"Don't think about it, just go with it." Eryn said, slowing down just enough that she could catch up.

It took a while for Shadowhearts inhibitions to wear off. For the first few minutes, she was stiff and anxious, clinging close to Eryn to try and ride her movements through it, not that Eryn minded. Eryn held her close, and did her best to lead them both through the steps of a dance that was frankensteined together from a little bit of the dances she'd learned as a girl and some of the other drunken dances she'd learned from the hearty sailors in the Blushing Mermaid. She swayed and swung them through the steps with ease, urging Shadowheart on but trying not to go so fast as to overwhelm her.

Then something beautiful happened.

Shadowheart began laughing.

Eryn turned and saw a smile break out over her face, one that Eryn wished she could bottle and keep forever. Her laughter was contagious, and soon they both began enjoying themselves. The two of them slid easily into rhythm with each other, stepping with the grace of two practiced sparring partners. The firelight danced around them, casting Shadowhearts green eyes in a lovely golden glow. She surprised Eryn by taking initiative, their roles switched as she took the lead and began pulling Eryn along through a dance that Eryn vaguely recognized from her time snooping around the nobles in Baldur's Gate. She grinned knowingly as they swung past each other then back again. She was definitely questioning her about this later, but not right now. Right now, all she wanted to do was dance and laugh and enjoy the moment. And enjoy they did.

Soon their limbs grew weary, and the music lulled as well. The music died down and the other party goers began to thin as everyone tired from the dancing, breaking into groups as they sat and talked comfortably. Eventually, Eryn and Shadowheart found themselves in a secluded corner, holding each other close and swaying in what might've been a waltz in slow motion, if they had remembered to move their legs. Shadowheart rested her head on Eryns shoulder, fighting the urge to nod off.

"How did you get so good at dancing?" She was saying.

Eryn shrugged, "I guess I just really liked doing it. It was probably the only thing I liked about-" She stopped cutting herself short, "Anyway, dancing seems to be the only time I can really let go and feel free. Everything else in the world doesn't matter for a little while, and no one cares how much of a fool you make of yourself; especially if there’s drinks." She felt Shadowheart smile a little against her shoulder. "Are you going to tell me how you learned The Baldurian Feather Step?"

Shadowheart smirked and glanced up, her chin resting on her chest, "Perhaps, if you ask me nicely."

"Dearest lady," Eryn said in a melodramatic theatrical manner, "Dark and elegant mistress of the night, won't thy grace thine ears with the riveting tales of your many exploits among the illustrious elite of Baldur’s Gate?"

That brought a delightful giggle, which, in itself was worth it. It occurred to Eryn that she hadn't heard Shadowheart laugh so often and quite so loud before tonight, "I may have had a few missions requiring me to rub shoulders with a few patriars at their parties from time to time."

"That explains the accent..." Eryn muttered. "When we first met, I mistook you for some noble’s bodyguard."

"Hmm, flattering." Shadowheart leaned her head against her chest and sighed like a contented cat. Eryn could almost imagine her purring as she listened to her heartbeat. "Speaking of accents, where are you from? I can't quite pin down yours."

"What do you mean? I'm just an orphaned city kid." Eryn hoped she sounded convincing, even though she knew she didn't.

"It's true there’s a distinct Baldurian accent that's most present, but there's something else underneath. Something foreign. Are you from southeastern Cormyr?"

"Nah, I should be so lucky." Eryn shook her head then went silent.

The firelight was distant but still reflected in her eyes as she looked up. Eryn found herself pinned down by her disarming gaze, unable to look away. As she slowly lifted her head up, inching ever closer, Eryn found herself being drawn in by the sweet golden honey that was spilled over her bright green eyes. Shadowhearts hand raised a little, pressed gently against the back of her neck, urging her down. She didn't realize how close they'd gotten until she felt her breath against her lips. Shadowhearts nose brushed against hers ever so slightly, and Eryn closed her eyes. She let the warmth of Shadowhearts breath wash over her, taking in the faint sweetness of the wine she could still smell on her lips, wondering what those silky lips would feel like against her own. She felt the slight intake of breath, before Shadowhearts voice whispered, still so close she was practically murmuring into her mouth,

"Perhaps you could tell me over a drink later?"

Eryn opened her eyes, and blinked as she met the honey stained green orbs before her again. "Uhh... What?" She was still in a haze, more drunk off Shadowhearts closeness than the wine they'd been sipping all evening.

"When the others are asleep. I know a spot by the waterfall, somewhere nice and secluded." She looked up at Eryn expectantly, "I've saved my best bottle."

"Just the one?" Eryn said, trying to recover.

"It's quite the bottle, I assure you."

Eryn took a breath, with difficulty, "Yeah, y-yeah sure."

Shadowheart grinned, and the suave confident woman was back, "Best not keep me waiting then." She leaned forward, and Eryn felt her words tickling against the side of her ear, bringing goosebumps, "I prefer not to entertain myself."

Eryn shivered slightly, then returned her grin, "I plan not to disappoint. I'd hate to see a good bottle go to waste."

Shadowheart grinned as she pulled away, her nails lightly grazing against her skin as she dragged her fingers down her neck. Eryn shivered again, almost aching from her absence as she turned and sauntered away. She exhaled sharply and rubbed the back of her neck. She could still feel the phantom tingles from her nails, arching across her skin as it both electrified and warmed her veins. Eryn watched her leave, her lip caught between her teeth as she looked her up and down. Her mind ran wild with more thoughts than words and wine. Then her fingers trailed over an all too familiar set of scars on her neck. Any joy or anticipation evaporated instantly with the memories those scars carried.

[capriclonus]

Because of you, i read "Break you in my Image" by QueenMills. Im lapping up that angsty cycle of abuse. Chef kiss recommendation.

Would it be implied that its the 'canon" prequel to your DJ shart? If yes, will there be a switcheroo chap where shart is the sub to your Tav as her form of twisted nostalgia or idk?

*daily reminder that im cheering for your writing*

Okay so, FIRST OFF, you are so welcome. The author is an absolute poet and I mean it quite literally--their prose is blended with the lyricism of poetry; it is beautiful and evocative and powerful and poignant and ARGH I LOVE IT. Its a tragic story but so, so well written. For anyone curious this is the work the ask is referring to. I would recommend it to anyone (though its not for the faint of heart). I also have it linked in the A/N of chapter 2 of my oathbreaker fic.

Got a longer ramble here, so I'm going to add a page break.

In terms of my Oathbreaker fic, no, I would not say their work is a cannon prequel for multiple reasons:

Because QueenMills has never given permission for such a thing (and I haven't asked them!)

Because honestly? I hadn't thought about it!

The way Shar talks to Tav in my fic is directly inspired by the way Shar talks to Viconia-- but the real kicker there (and the genius of QueenMills' writing) is that we don't know that it is Shar talking to her. There are moments where you grasp that maybe, just maybe, this is Viconia's subconscious reaching out, talking to herself. If I had it as a cannon prequel, it would retcon and ruin how obscure and thoughtful that was. What I really love about that story is that, even though Shadowheart is the hero of the story, it isn't actually about her: its about Viconia, and her loss and pain and confusion, and reconciling her past in the previous BG games with her present in BG3.

Although it does fit very well with my DJ Shart, I'm not sure it's what I want for my version of the character. And I say that with the utmost respect for QueenMills' work. I seriously love it, and I think I'd be putting a lot of pressure on myself if I dared to consider even touching such a beautiful piece! It would also take away, I think, from the essence of QueenMills story.

I think what happened to Shadowheart at the cloister should, in my work, remain as ambiguous as it is in-game because I think it adds a lot to the true tragedy of her character: that, even though she's finally got what she wanted and has this discernable title to tell her who she is, she hasn't got what she wanted at all, and she has no idea who she is. She is in a constant turmoil of confusion and pain and, yes, happiness, and she doesn't know how they all fit together. All she knows is that Tav was the closest she ever got to feeling like she knew herself, to grasping the life she doesn't know she wants, and she cant let that go--let her go.

I'm rambling now, but I will just add that the role reversals of their dynamic is very much something I intend to play around with as the characters develop.

oh and thank you so much it means so so so much that you like and enjoy my writing and also this ask was brilliant I really appreciate you reaching out, thank you dearly and have a lovely day ^.^ I hope you like the next chapter of Oathbreaker when I release it.

[fllagellant]

I was just looking at my homepage on tumblr and saw your asks so now I'm gonna be annoying too. For the oc questions: who has brought your oc to tears before (for Waaseyaa or Giilvas). Chuckles nefariously. Hi oomf

Hey I think after the conversation we had yesterday this is objectively a devious ask to have sent me . Immmm gonna GET YOU . Doing this for both of them bc YIPPIE !!! questions from here !

Staring with Giilvas he is actually like . Semi easy to get to cry . When he’ s in pain he will not cry but you tell him a slightly upsetting story and he has misty eyes . Karlach has , Shadowheart has , Wyll has , Gale has , Lae’zel has , Astation has …. Like there has been least one time for everyone that they’ ve had a conversation and Giilvas has gotten teary eyed . He also is a victim of happy tears rather often so not even just having a conversation about something serious and heavy if they make him smile a bit too big or like surprise him with something he’ ll weep . Something something gentle giant trope … Him and Wyll have had so many tearful reunions and tearful goodbye and and and .. Granted he is Good at hiding them so it’ s something you have to know about to see it but . Yeah

This Question for Waaseyaa is so fucked up . It is so fucked up . He wants to be emotionally disconnected so badly . But he’ s not . Does crying at graves count or . Because his first thing he would do upon being told the news would be to just sit . And cry . At the grave . And of course the finale goodbye him and Arthur have he waits for just long enough until he can’ t see or hear the man or his horse then just tries to find a quiet spot and cry . I think that Specific time is when he just has to let it all out bc he has been an observer and watched everything start to fall apart and he didn’ t do Anything about it but at the same time What Could He Have Done . He wasn’ t in the gang he had no real sway over anything … HEAD IN MY HANDS . Dude who is blaming himself for shit he could have never seen coming because it wasn’ t suppose to end like this . Im normal

[paletigers]

Found this template on Twitter (@ TheMoYouKnow_ ) and now I want to explain Marrowe's friendship dynamics :) (Under the cut :) and BG3 spoilers ahead!)

Lae'zel is Marrowe's first friend. Since Marrowe has amnesia regarding most of his "life" (see my this post for context), Lae'zel's companionship meant the world to him (he knew of his background during the events of BG3). He respects the hell out of her blunt personality because he doesn't really understand what people really mean a majority of the time. They butt heads a lot regarding opinions, but both can call it quits when they're proven wrong. They also had some sexual tension during the events of act 1, even getting to the point of undressing each other and ready to go at it, but they both kind of looked at each other and went, "is this like, awkward for you? i think i just find you to be a friend" and now theyre best friends :)

Shadowheart doesn't really earn Marrowe's respect until the end of act 2 during the Gaunlet of Shar. Marrowe didn't really understand her Shar worship but didn't want to get in the way of her becoming a Dark Justiciar, so he just helped her until they found the Nightsong. Shadowheart casted aside the spear and saved the Nightsong, much to the suprise of Marrowe. Marrowe isn't a hero, but seeing Shadowheart cast aside Shar made him rethink his worldview as well. They're buds, but Shadowheart not respecting Lae'zel really soured his perception of her, lol. He's really damn loyal to a fault.

Astarion!! Marrowe learned Astarion was a vampire from the moment Astarion knocked him to the ground. He saw his sharp teeth, his fangs, his red eyes, and saw himself. They're both monsters. He didn't say anything to Astarion about his knowledge of Astarion's vampirism, instead keeping a watchful eye over him. When Astarion woke Marrowe in the night attempting to bite him, Marrowe was extremely understanding. Marrowe is unfortunately, really really REALLY enabling to Astarion's bad behavior and vice versa. They're both full of revenge and hatred for people, so Marrowe agrees to Ascend Astarion when the time comes. They're both sick of being controlled and not having ownership over their bodies. By the time Cazador's mansion rolls around and Marrowe sees how Cazador affects his lover, he can't agree with the Ascension anymore. Astarion stays a spawn, and Marrowe is there by his side until the end of time. (After credits, they move into the Goblin camp area in act 1. They clean the fuck out of the place so they have access to the overworld and the underdark, so Astarion can roam freely where he chooses. They've made a lot of sun free areas outside so Astarion can still go out during the day. Don't ask how it works, just accept it.)

Karlach quickly turns into a best friend to Marrowe after they meet. Marrowe had already killed the people hunting Karlach before they met and was on Karlach's side from the get go. Marrowe does everything he can to aid Karlach's heart, not wanting to see his friend hurt. They're both incredibly touchy with each other after her final upgrade, hugging and cuddling all the time. They're the type of friends who are attatched at the hip. (In my canon, Karlach lives a happy long life with Astarion and Marrowe in the renovated goblin camp. no one can tell me otherwise.)

Halsin has the hots for Marrowe from the moment they met, but Marrowe isn't really interested in him. Halsin lives in the Marrowe Hype House post credits. (thats what im calling it now)

Gale and Marrowe are kind of weird around one another. Gale doesn't really like the shit him and Astarion get up to, but they're all weirdly drawn to each other. Astarion flirts with Gale during act 1 and Marrowe is quick to see this. They sort of all dance around each other, riling each other up and having weird unresolved sexual tension with each other. Marrowe is quick to help Gale with whatever he needs, ready to fight Mystra the second she even suggest Gale to blow himself up. Marrowe sort of favors him by giving him really nice equipment for spellcasting even when Marrowe (being a warlock) could use it more than him. He loves talking about magic with Gale and hearing his input on certain decisions. (Gale's like, "Me or Astarion!!" and Marrowe's like "havent you seen us kiss like 500 times already? I thought you knew we were dating." and Gales like "wait what" and Astarion is just "you could always join us yknow like i wouldnt mind kissing you too if thats whats holding you back" and gales fragile virgin mind cant handle it LMAOOO)

Wyll! Marrowe doesn't really understand the whole "Lets fight evil! Yippie!" Thing but respects the hustle. He finds it hilarious that he wants to fight the forces of evil but has Mizora as a patron. He gets really annoyed with Wyll not liking Karlach for a brief moment and him and Astarion bickering pisses him off but its more like "come on my boys kiss and make up before i punch you both". Wishes Mizora would leave the poor fucker alone and gets into shit with Mizora constantly at camp. "Will you please fucking leave im so tired of you" "no but like id fuck you if i had the chance" "PLEASe LEAVE???" (this happened in my game i dont even know why mizora wanted to fuck so bad) (the other three companions i didnt really talk to or have in my camp LMAO) Marrowe WILL have his toxic gay yaoi with Astarion and Gale as the Astarion's thirst card foretold

[luxsea]

so i finally beat bg3 for the first time last night :))

also hap halloweenie :]

(not all but some) thoughts dump

im honestly so glad i got spoiled for karlachs ending back at the start of act 2 so i had time to go thru the stages of grief, make sad playlists, etc bc my tav/karlach really hit me like a truck. i knew i was going to romance her before i even got the game bc she literally is the reason i started playing to begin with but doing her route feels very right for a first playthrough bc imo despite how devastating and lacking her story can be it sure does shine when its good. her introspective moments you can only get if you romance her are everything to me. knowing she cant be saved in the end lead me to choose more accepting dialogue options which lead to infinitely more satisfying and at times inspiring scenes than if i pushed the "what if"

as for the very end, in a way karlachs dying scene and/or going to avernus scene is a lot more than what most characters get even if theyre youre romanced character... despite her ending being shafted to begin with?? which is ridiculous. (correct me if im wrong. most of them had nothing to say and what ive seen uploaded ie shadowhearts romanced ending is so meh) lae'zels orpheus ending did make me tear up, everyone else was just kinda standing there wearing ridiculous armor bc i forgot.......

despite everything im really happy with karlachs scenes? and idk if thats just bc they were the romanced versions and bc i didnt have my hopes up for her (if i hadnt been spoiled i wouldve been LIVID) but it rlly was one of the most touching moments for me. the "how'd i do?" "you were spectacular in every way" "for you. and for the city, and for myself, and blah blah. but most of all for you" caressing tavs face and her repeating back to herself that she was spectacular like shes at peace just by those words alone. "it's the one thing i can't beat, isn't it? same below as above. i love. you." and the blue flames of all her love for them searing hot white and killing her engine faster?!? ough "you more than anything. i saw- ...goodbye, sun. goodbye, sea. goodbye" I FEEL SICK I FEEL UNWELL. i should be crying but my heart just aches she's just everything to me okay!!

and the avernus scene is better than i thought it would be, the music is so sweet and badass, sharing cigars!!, lots of gay fuel for my fire, the feeling that its just the start of a new journey and not the end, charging together into the hells its so mwah mwah as long as you ignore the trauma and the fact that we couldve solved this any other way!! (do wish wyll wasnt treated like an awkward third wheel if the three of you go considering he's the one who advocates for her and going to avernus is part of his ending too. but ofc im also going she's my wife and the interaction is rlly touching)

as far as the rest of the game the emperors writing was so flimsy and uh they did a really good job making it feel like your choices didnt matter much in the end considering the praise its gotten and how the game was marketed. rip it needs some serious work but i didnt hate it. karlach brain worms take a lot of credit

my highest praises overall are that ive never felt this attached to a player character that i've made before and ive never seen a more memorable cast of npcs. there's too many stand out moments to count that it makes the insane amount of lag and bugs i had worth powering thru

BUT IM FINALLY FREE I CAN FINALLY REPLAY AND DO IT ALL AGAIN BUT BETTER

[tsgmain]

Just finished my first campaign of Baldur’s Gate 3… wow. I’m in pieces. My character, Zeryth, nor I, was not ready for how hard the final scenes hit.

This will have minor spoilers, but I’ll keep things mildly vague.

Fuck. I was not ready for the end for Karlach. Zeryth doesn’t have it in him to make someone do something they don’t wanna. So the ‘best’ option wasn’t on the cards. That shit stings so bad.

Astarion getting his weakness to sunlight returned as he’s talking about spending more time with the gang is awful, I feel so bad for him.

Gale left to get the crown, Zeryth tried to stop him, but also hopes he can do it and harness its power. Im glad Gale believes in himself again though!

Wyll had a nice ending, im happy he’s free of the pact, and he and Zeryth will definitely be drinking buddies after a long tenday of adventuring saving the coast.

Lae’zel is off to fight Vlaakith, fuck yeah! Good luck, and Godspeed!

Shadowheart didn’t say much, but it seems she intends to stick around in Zeryth’s party? Either way, good job her, overcoming her abusive goddess.

Honorable mention to Jahiera and Minsk, who I can only assume are going to do the same as Shadowheart and Wyll, joining with Zeryth’s adventuring gang.

In the end, I think I played Zeryth well. He got a happier ending than he would in his original world, so I’m sure he’s happy about that.

[nightmarist]

im scREAMING abouit all my choices in bg3 so far. gods above.

BIG spoilers ahead esp about githyanki, the Artifact, thorm, selune, shar, astarion's scars, shadowheart, the nightsong, and tieflings (not necessarily connected nor in that order).

okokokok

i went into the shadows through the underdark, but lae'zel threatened to leave my party if i didnt go find the creche. some of the tieflings were kidnapped, a selunite cleric, Isobel, was able to bless Last Light Inn with her magic. A former Flaming Fist turned cultist with stitched wings came to kidnap Isobel under General Throm's orders, but specifically needed her alive. They realllly emphasized that, he even yelled at the bat demons attacking her to keep her alive.

I managed to keep all the tieflings alive and kill Marcus, but I admit i was very tempted to kill Isobel to ruin his plan; however I felt like if she died, the spell protecting the Inn would vanish with her. So, best option was just to protect everyone and kill Marcus.

Went poking around the Thorm tombs, and found his journals revealing he has a missing daughter: Isobel Thorm. No one seems to have anything to say about that, but it might be bc Tav and co. don't realize Isobel Thorm is the same Isobel from Last Light.

we went through the trials of Shar in the Sharran temple to help Shadowheart become a Justiciar, but Lae'Zel threatened to leave if we stray too far from finding a creche so I left. All the trials are finished but the final location isnt so shes not a Justiciar yet.

We found Raphael and I helped Astarion kill a creature to get Raphael to tell him about the infernal markings on his back. It was a bitch of a fight, btw, one of the hardest I had yet, granted it was probably a fight better with heavy artillery, not a cleric, rogue, and warlock with One damage-tank Lae'Zel. Astarion was the only one alive at the end, and I had One revive scroll. Brought back Shadowheart to cast her spells and heal everyone.

When I first saw the scars on Astarion's back and he said they were a poem, I immediately called bullshit. I mean, not that I thin khe knew, but that they were clearly in a sigil formation. Someone on reddit attempted to translate them which was neat. That thread has mostly people assuming its apact between Astarion and Cazador, but I was wondering: how many spawn does Cazador have? The fragment "translated" sounds like it's in the middle of a sentence. Turns out, yes, Astarion has "sibling" spawn. The full texts are probably spread across their bodies.

It turns out it is in fact a pact with Mephistopheles, but one to give Cazador human properties while maintaining vampire abilities (sunlight walking was the main one). more or less. i REALLY want to help astarion steal it from cazador. Even astarion said he does feel somewhat bad for his "siblings" as Cazador's puppets but if they die it'd spare all of Baldur's Gate their scourge.

We went to try and find missing tieflings, but Zel once again threatened to leave if we dont find the creche. So i went to the mountain pass and found the creche.

I let Zel use the Zaith'isk first since shes been wanting to all this time and I didn't feel it was right to "take" that from her even if we're all apparently going to use it. But it almost killed her and it exploded. We killed some of the Giths to escape and I was forced to either reveal the prism thing or fight the whole creche. I revealed it against the Guardian's wishes, and Vlaakith herself appeared. She wasn't happy that I asked her a question instead of bowing down to her, but she revealed the prism is an Astral Prism and that the Guardian is inside of it. She wanted me to go in and kill him. I said I would but I was reluctant, hoping I didn't actually have to, and lo and behold I had a conversation with him instead.

Apparently Vlaakith is not a real goddess and instead wants to take the prism's power, because otherwise the ghaik will overthrow her.

When we left the prism it was revealed Vlaakith had intended to kill us regardless if we killed the prism guardian or not. We fought ourselves out of that, but I didn't want to fight a bunch of other Githyanki, so I fled through an interesting secret passageway.

It was heavily guarded with traps, but we came to the Blood of Lathander, which was a mace with crystalized blood as a jewel. I stole it and only had 4 turns to leave or the temple would be destroyed. So we barely made it.

At night in camp, Voss came by and offered to help us overthrow Vlaakith and keep the prism safe. He also revealed that the Zaith'isk was never intended to cure the parasite, and that Ascension isnt real. The Zaith'isk steals memories and kills the occupant, Ascension is Vlaakith's way of stealing the lives of Githyanki to ascend to real godhood.

Lae'zel's entire world is basically turned upside down.

As angry as she was, she turned it around, at least, that Vlaakith would name her a betrayer, her loyal child of Gith, and that it isn't Zel who betrayed Vlaakith but Vlaakith who betrayed Lae'zel. I'm glad she has that outlook, but I can't imagine how devastated she would have been.

ive been fucking around exploring the map before i commit to either heading into Shar's temple and into the Shadowfell, or continue to Moonrise Towers.

Met Balthazar, a necromancer(?) on Thorm's side who has been resurrecting undead. He asked us, as we're pretending to be Absolutists, to find Thorm's artifact.

I flitted back and forth between either Moonrise or Shadowfell. if I go to Moonrise will that cut off Shadowfell? But what if I can steal the artifact from Thorm and use it at Moonrise, and save the Tieflings?

Eventually I decided to take Shadowheart, Zel, and Astarion into the Shadowfell.

Shadowheart prayed the entire way there, Balthazar led us into the depths. We had the opportunity to attack him but I wanted to see where he was going with it first.

We came to a magically shackled Aasimar, who turned out to be the Nightsong "artifact" ; her immortality was being siphoned by Balthazar to keep Thorm alive.

We killed Balthazar after about two tries.

Shadowheart took up Shar's pear, ready to kill the Nightsong as is her apparent purpose, but the Narratorpointed out our bond is very strong, she could potentially be swayed. I sowed some doubt in her, but failed a check (it needed 30, so unless I rolled a nat20, which I didn't, I would fail to convince her).

However, Nightsong took her doubts I sowed and used it, telling her there's more about her past she needed to know, about wolves in the forest. Selune blessed Shadowheart, but she's so quiet now. It's almost unsettling. Shadowheart was taken captive, momentarily, by Shar, and tortured, but was blinked back to the party, exiled from Shar.

It's so fucking sad, man, I'm actually tearing up for her. Now I have two apostates on my team who have been nigh torn asunder from their supposed Goddesses. Even the Narrator said if Shadowheart admits who blesses her now, she might break. If you ask her to go to camp, she'll say she's unfit for company and just leave without argument. Its so jarring. I need to give her a hug.

[connorsui]

Now my author …when I say I stumbled into this fic knowing the angst was gonna hit ..I meant I knew I was get a few bumps down the road …BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT A WHOLE POT HOLE TO SHOW UP MID WAY DOWN THE INTERSECTION 😭😭😭 !?!?! — like u got me hating him …wanting to throw him straight into the sun in hopes that dam sunwalker gift goes against him …like all of a sudden now u be regretting ur decision making and u now wanna be doing things right with this bby i be carrying??..

U know what ..fuck u for NOW WANTING TO BE IN THE BBYS LIFE …I NEED YOU TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT 🤡🤡🤡💀

Like he obviously threw us out since the beginning cuz we wouldn't support his wayyss ..like honey ..u were being toxic ..and all as hell I ain't gonna be one of ur little toys🧍🏻‍♀️ ..but when I went off he has the damn AUDDACITYY TO GO FUCK AROUND WITH OTHERS!?!? ….i- 🤠💀 …like did our time together not mean aaaannyyythingggg?? ..couldn't even mourn me for a littleeee!!?!

Tho obviously he did 🧍🏻‍♀️which is why he went out looking for our ass but manz was only thinking of getting us back …not getting a bby as the package deal 💀💀 cuz after he told shadowheart he wanted to us …and we opened the door to our disheveled state ..he took one hard look and gave himself a minute before he could respond properly 😭😭😭

astarion: …*looking at us* …wow …uhh (reader) I'm so glad I finally found you ..

Reader: …why the sudden pause? …I'm literally out here fighting with my inner demons…aka ..ur child

Astarion: no no …im just finally happy to see u is all

Reader: ….🧍🏻‍♀️⏬️⏬️

Astarion: ⏫️⏫️⏫️

LIKE JUST SAY U REGRET UR DECISION NOW 😭😭😭😭🩷🩷

all truthfully tho my author ur writing got me smiling and cackling – and I now u be saying u didn't edit at all for this fic but it did deliver💅🏻 it was like getting ur Amazon package and the box is all the way fucked up cuz of USPS but the contents inside of it still came unharmed 🩷✨️

And gods above I will be loving this fic and keeping it in my heart ✨️

I Wondered If I Could Come Home? (Astarion x F! Reader)

Synopsis- It’s been 4 months since you last saw Astarion and 3 months since you killed the Netherbrain with your other companions. Shortly after, you settled down in Silverymoon to begin a life out there and try to push Astarion out of your mind- except it can never be that easy. You shortly discover you are pregnant with his child- a child that could kill you during childbirth. Scared and alone- Shadowheart stays with you to help you deliver the baby and keep you alive.

While out at the local market, Shadowheart runs into Gale and invites him over for dinner. Gale has unexpected company.

CW: Pregnancy, mentions of potential death during birth, mentions of nudity, mentions of NSFW smut

To my fellow DND fans- no this is probably not canon compliant, yes I’m upset about that, but look I really needed to write this so sue me I guess

Author note- Self indulgent, I have baby fever, but don’t want a baby fic. I’m unsure of how long this will be or if it will have more parts-it depends on how angsty I feel, but I need to have like six different ideas to think about at a time soooo 😂

*This hasn’t been edited ✨well✨so please forgive me

*again, no fucking clue who’s picture it is, but it sure as shit isn’t mine so if it’s yours- reach out so I can give credit!

You keep yourself propped up against the sink in the kitchen as Shadowheart holds your hair out of your face and dabbing away the cold sweat that drips down your neck.

You are really sick of being morning sick. It’s absolutely the worst thing in the world- well besides your potential death from carrying your little girl inside of you. You sometimes think Astarion may get his wish- you may just die screaming.

You dry heave one last time- not a single thing comes up because you haven’t kept a single thing down since two mornings ago. Your morning sickness is inconsistent and comes on with little to no warning.

It’s been five months since you conceived this fricken kid, but it was like all the symptoms hit after you killed the Netherbrain.

A part of you really wishes you had somehow known before then- maybe it would have changed the cruel fate that ended your relationship with Astarion. You were literally pregnant in the middle of fighting Cazador. You think about what he last said to you all the time and just sob hysterically- like it happened yesterday.

A deeper part of you feels abandoned, but you blame yourself for him leaving. You should have been more convincing or maybe you shouldn’t have flat out told him no and explained why in the hells you didn’t want him to ascend.

For example- you didn’t want to lose him to some evil version of himself.

Ironically, you lost him anyway and are pregnant with his fucking child who insists on occasionally making you miserable.

Despite your inherent sadness, anger, and sickness, you find you are actually quite excited to meet her. You haven’t settled on a name yet and Shadowheart has been very helpful in regards to making sure you are healthy and strong for delivery. She’s your best friend and you could not be more grateful for her.

“I’ll go back to the market today and get you more of those herbs,” Shadowheart says quietly when she talks to you, “they seemed to help last time?”

You nod- exhausted and your head is pounding. You and this kid are going to need to have a serious conversation. You will not be letting a second Acunin make you miserable before she is ever born.

Shadowheart guides you to your bed upstairs, standing behind you in case you get hit with a wave of vertigo- which usually happens post vomit episode.

You pull your curtains closed- thankful that the desperate hope in your heart led you to buying black out curtains. You close your door and lay down on your bed- tears spilling down your cheeks freely.

You miss him terribly. You shouldn’t. You should positively hate him, but everyday of this pregnancy makes you ache for him. You should be doing this together.

You know it’s hormones- the weepiness, the intense longing, and the Gods awful horniness. Dreams are the worst. You wake up a squirming disaster at least three times a week with your skin burning hot with memories of Astarion touching you.

You are happy that isn’t the case currently, but the weepiness sucks too. Remembering how he used to curl around you, the way it felt to have him kiss you on the forehead, and all those late night conversations with (now empty) promises. You curl yourself around your pillows, willing your imagination to pretend it’s him, and you sob until you fall asleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Astarion tries to contain his excitement and fear as he follows Gale and Shadowheart to your home. Finally, after searching for literal months, he was going to see you again.

Astarion has been haunted by the last words he had said to you for what feels like eons now. He hadn’t meant it at the time and he certainly doesn’t mean it now.

He had been too afraid to come back to you after everything he had said. Astarion decided you probably hate him anyway so he tried to move on.

He tried being with other people (it always failed miserably because they weren’t you), he drank until he couldn’t remember a damn thing, and when all else failed, he began his search for the Ring of the Sunwalker.

After the nightlife of Baldur’s Gate lost it’s appeal and he finally found a ring location, Astarion found himself in front of Gale’s door in Waterdeep- begging him of all people to help him.

The wizard had been puzzled and melancholy when he realized Astarion was at his door. Astarion told him every little piece of how he feels about you, how much he misses you, and how he wants to be able to give you the life that you deserve. Astarion was practically on the verge of hysteria while trying to make his case.

Thus began the search for the Ring of the Sunwalker.

They were able to locate and obtain one after a grueling three month long journey and some help from one of Gale’s old friends. Then, they headed straight to Silverymoon- your last known whereabouts.

Running into Shadowheart had felt like a miracle, but to also have her living with you had made the trip even easier. Except Shadowheart was being really really weird towards him.

When Gale first asked if Astarion could come along too, Shadowheart had asked Astarion why he wanted to come and see the person he “hoped died screaming?”

Astarion had flinched at the anger and venom in Shadowheart’s voice. He figured the others would be mad, but he was hoping maybe Shadowheart would give him a little easier time like Gale had. Astarion was genuinely surprised by how quick she was to be defensive of you and your whereabouts. When Gale confirmed that Astarion was telling the truth, Shadowheart reluctantly said he could come.

The three arrive at the front of your shared townhome- it faces the beach and has the perfect amount of windows for the sun to light up the house, but one of the rooms is hidden from sight with heavy, black out curtains.

Shadowheart turns to both of them, “Tav might not be able to join us… she’s been sick for a bit now and is… recuperating.”

Astarion feels his heart drop to his stomach.

“Sick? For how long?”

Shadowheart shifts on her feet uncomfortably, “5 months, but it got worse around 3 months.”

“Tav has been sick for that long?” Gale exclaims, “why didn’t you write!? I could have helped.”

“This particular affliction is one you wouldn’t understand,” Shadowheart says with a finality that suggests the conversation is done as she leads them into the kitchen.

Shadowheart immediately gets fussing with the herbs while Gale looks around the house. Astarion is still unsure of what he should be doing. The house engulfs him in your scent and he feels positively intoxicated. You must be really sick though because your scent smells different- not bad at all, just different.

Does he talk to Shadowheart? Does he look around with Gale?

Or does he sneak off and find you? Astarion doesn’t want to waste anymore time than he already has. Slowly, he creeps towards the stairs.

“Don’t even think about it, Astarion,” Shadowheart warns.

Astarion looks at her and then back at the stairs. He does this a couple times until Shadowheart appears to be annoyed enough that she’s let her guard down a bit.

Astarion takes off up the steps and he hears Shadowheart and Gale coming up right behind him.

Astarion hears a dry heave from down the hallway and he goes racing for the door.

If you are as sick as Shadowheart has suggested (5 months is crazy long), Astarion may not have much time with you and Gods he needs to take advantage of the time he does have.

Shadowheart be damned.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You wake up feeling even worse than you did when you fell asleep. Your headache feels like it’s taken on a life on it’s own and Gods you are going to vomit all over the floor if you don’t move NOW!

You get up with an impossible amount of speed for how dizzy you are and you grab the pail on your nightstand and heave painfully.

You are rocking back and forth, groaning as more stomach acid comes up because again, not able to even keep anything down.

You hear a pair of footsteps and then Shadowheart screaming after-

“ASTARION! THEY ARE SICK! YOU NEED TO WAIT!”

“I have been looking for them for months now,” you hear him hiss, “if they are sick, I need to see them. If this has lasted five months- then who knows how much time I’ve wasted!”

“Will you stop being selfish for five minutes!? It’s not about you and who even says she wants to see you!?”

Shadowheart and Astarion are yelling in front of your door now. You feel tears prick your eyes- Astarion is here. Here here. A flurry of excited kicks from inside you catches your attention and a feeling of blissful happiness comes over you. Oh look, the nausea is gone. Of course it is.

“Traitor,” you whisper before laying down on your bed for a moment.

You are very happy that your unborn daughter appears to be pleased and feels good about her dad being on the other side of the door. You, on the other hand, are less than optimistic.

Wasted time doing what? And why did Shadowheart say I was sick!? In what world was that going to keep him from going upstairs!? Especially if he, your mind pauses, cares about me? Again?

Which you hope he does- you would hope Shadowheart wasn’t so sick of taking care of you that she brought him here to finish the job. Maybe this is all one big show.

Another, “I WILL DO WHAT I PLEASE” from Astarion, a “YOU SELFISH BASTARD” from Shadowheart, and a “Please can’t we all just be nice, catch up, and get along?” from Gale finally gives you the motivation to get up. The arguing feels far too much like being in camp again. You pinch the bridge of your nose, willing the growing headache to go away.

It doesn’t so you change into a pair of longer cotton pajama pants, a t-shirt that is unfortunately showing off your bump more than you’d like, and then you swing open the door in tired annoyance.

You are met with Astarion looking at you- his eyes scanning up and down your body- settling on your stomach. His expression is unreadable- it’s somewhere between lust, love, grief, and heartbreak. Embarrassed by Astarion’s intense gaze, you look over at Gale who is all smiles for you.

“Congratulations Tav!!!” Gale practically yells, making you wince, “the father is a lucky man.”

“I don’t think he considers himself a lucky man,” you say pointedly before turning to Astarion, “or do you?”

Astarion’s face changes entirely with your words. His eyes look at you, round and soft. His eyes are full of adoration and need- a look you never thought he would give you again. You have to fight the urge to grab him and drag him into your bedroom. You will not let the hormones win- you will be strong.

“I- it’s- I mean,” Astarion is fumbling over his words, “you are carrying my child?”

“Yes,” you say grumpily, crossing your arms,” and she’s been giving me nothing but trouble. Thanks to your genetics, I’m sure. This is day two of not being able to keep a damn thing down and this fucking headache is UNBEARABLE so please for the love of every God keep the arguing down.”

Astarion is still looking at you with a mystified expression- taking you in as if for the first time in his entire life. You look back towards Gale and Shadowheart- you are entirely too self-conscious and way too excited to see him for him to be looking at you like that. You are trying to be mad dammit!

Shadowheart gazes at you and your surely red tipped ears with amusement before she says, “I’ll go and get the potion ready for you- that should hopefully help.”

“I will- uh,” Gale says awkwardly, looking between you and Astarion, “join you! I might need to know which herbs to use… in the future?”

“Planning on getting pregnant Gale?” You say with a smirk.

Gale snorts at you, “Dear friend, as wonderful as you look right now- none of the side effects sound appealing.”

“Oh they most certainly aren’t,” you say,” but thanks for thinking I look ‘wonderful’. I feel, well, disgusting.”

“Gods, how could you even think that?” Astarion blurts out, appearing shocked that he even said it, “you look like…. A vision. A wonderful, stunning vision, Darling.”

Shadowheart and Gale excuse themselves as you struggle to find the words for Astarion’s comment. Your entire body feels like it’s on fire and you feel yourself begin to melt a little bit. You feel your emotions bloom into something resembling spring as he steps closer to you- looking at you with pleading eyes.

You clear your throat, “would you like to come into my room and talk?”

Astarion nods eagerly, following behind you so close that you once again have to remind yourself that ripping off the clothes of someone who literally told you they wanted you to die screaming was not healthy- at least not until you get a proper apology.

You sit against your headboard as Astarion walks around your room- running his fingers along the bassinet and rocking chair in the corner. You still can’t get a read on him.

“A girl?”

His question breaks the air.

“Yes,” you smile at him, “no name yet though.”

“I’m sure you’ll pick a nice one,” he says with a smile, but his tone is entirely too melancholic.

A painful thump in your heart fills your body with sadness. He doesn’t want to be involved. Of course he doesn’t want to be involved. You are his knocked up ex-girlfriend. What were you expecting? The lump forming in your throat is unbearable.

“You don’t want to be involved?”

Oh good Gods you are crying. Astarion rushes over to you the minute your tears begin to fall- sitting in front of you on the bed. He reaches out and gently wipes your tears away as he speaks.

“I want to be involved so badly it hurts,” his voice comes out scratchy and emotional, “but that is your decision, not mine. You have been on your own for months, my Love. Instead of trying to come back and make it better- I pushed it off until I thought I could give you what you deserved- a life in the sun.”

You almost whine in protest when his hands leave your face. He twists the ring around his index finger before continuing, avoiding your gaze, “But maybe I was wrong. Maybe what you deserve is a person that isn’t so damaged. Someone who can give you what you actually deserve which is a loving partner who hasn’t hurt you over and over again- a man worthy of being a father to ou- I mean your child.”

His confession and the tears that are streaming down his face are enough for you. Yes, you absolutely want to scream and yell at him, but you also ache for him. You can’t fault the man for being a slave for 200 years and then not taking it very well when you told him what to do. You always knew you would forgive him if he came back- you never thought he would, but here he is and like he said- there is no reason to keep wasting time.

“She is our child, Star,” you whisper and guide his eyes to look at you, “I want you to be involved. I don’t care what you think I deserve either. I have missed you so horribly since you left. It’s almost pathetic really. I’ve tried to blame it on the hormones, but… I don’t know. The picture has felt incomplete up until now.”

You absentmindedly put your hand on your stomach- receiving a kick. You glare at the place where your hand is resting.

“Will you stop kicking me for five minutes!?” You scream, “I WAS IN THIS BODY FIRST!”

Astarion looks at you bewildered and confused, but quickly realizes you aren’t talking about him. The smile that spreads across his face is wide and Astarion gingerly moves closer. You are still a little cautious- needing to protect not only yourself, but also your unborn child. He moves to the right of you and goes to move you just slightly so he can slip in behind you.

“Could I? I mean if it’s not crossing any boundaries!”

Astarion is on edge- you can tell that much, but he doesn’t look at you like he did that last time you saw him- Astarion is looking at you like you are the most precious individual who has ever walked this earth.

You nod shyly, and then Astarion slots himself behind you, your back against his chest, his face in the crook of your neck, and his legs on either side of yours. He cautiously puts his hands on your stomach and is immediately kicked.

Astarion laughs with joy, “she’s strong!”

“Strong willed and strong physically,” you shake your head and you are laughing a bit now too, “you may just get your wish yet.”

“What wish?”

It had slipped. You hadn’t meant to bring it up again- or maybe you did. You want to know for sure if he still feels that way, but the confusion in his voice says he doesn’t. You go rigid and go to dismiss it when you feel his posture change behind you, his grip loosening ever so slightly.

“Right… that.”

The silence is nerve-wracking. You’ve lost him again, you are sure of it. A stray tear begins to roll down your cheek.

“Astarion-“

“No, let me think, Darling. I want to make sure I say everything I want to say correctly.”

You continue to sit there in silence, he places soft kisses on your neck. You feel him smile against your skin at the needy moan that escapes your lips. You absentmindedly reach out for one of his hands and begin to play with his fingers while he thinks. Astarion used to let you do this all the time while you were traveling- it helps you feel grounded.

“I was so consumed by all that power in the moment,” he says slowly, “I wasn’t thinking. By the time I had realized what I had done, I felt like it was already too late- you most likely hated me and moved on.”

You have to bite your tongue- you want to scream. Hate him? Never. You had been miserable without him around for that last month of traveling. Your heart had felt like a dead weight in your chest and you had been moving around like a zombie.

“So I tried to move on… I even tried to be with others, but I just couldn’t do it. It’s selfish, but I want you. I never want anything bad to happen to you- I certainly don’t ever want you to die screaming. I don’t want you to ever carry a child that is not mine.”

You are surprised by the warmth in your core when he says his last sentence. There is something so primal there that you have to really focus on what he is saying next.

Astarion clears his throat before finishing speaking, “I don’t want to be without you anymore- four months is too long. I don’t want to miss out on anymore of your pregnancy and I want to be here for you- with you- doing this together like we should have been doing this whole time. I was a horrible fool- please give me another chance. Please, Darling. I love you- so so much more than I ever thought anyone could ever love someone.”

Astarion’s words hang in the air and you are trying not to begin crying for the 15th billion time. This is what you had wanted to hear all along. You can feel his tears on the collar of your shirt- the way he inhales as if to memorize your scent like this is the last time. Astarion is not expecting you to say yes- you know that because he’s starting to loosen up, pulling away from you so that he can respect your decision.

“I love you too,” you whisper, “I don’t want to be without you anymore either. I forgive you- please stay.”

“I won’t be going anywhere unless you want me too, my Love.”

[prynnehesters]

new things that have happened on my 5th playthru of bg3:

auntie ethel gave me her hair to eat and ran away. i honestly might take her deal this playthru lol (her third act one)

i just avoided the zhentharim in act 1 and so lady jannith is just having an art show in her estate and oskar forges art for the zhentharim now (happy ending, no annoying quest line)

taking jaheira to sarevok yields new dialogue. i can't wait to play resist durge with jaheira and minsc

i love jaheira. my queen truly

i found a way to the mindflayer colony in moonrise towers before the final battle but it's like, the outskirts of it, which is still cool

i ended up doing battle w the absolute cultists in the mindflayer colony

we killed the rats in the shar area and didn't get astarion anything out of it but we're discovering the ritual shit in act 3

i love being an oathbreaker, it's so much fun.

also i found a head you can talk to (weird)

ok, so idk what the deal w mol is...but like, i think i may or may not have managed to get her out of a pact w raphael??? so previous game where i had her survive to act 3, she shows up w 2 perfectly good eyes, but for this one, she still had an eyepatch on. idk lol. i will probably make my way over the the house of hope (on tactician....ripppp)

idk man it's still super nuts that im on playthru #5 and im still finding new shit

also i found out shadowheart only has 2 romance scenes???? i thought she had 3???? gale, karlach, astarion, and lae'zel all have 3. wyll has 2 cuz he is very obviously sidelined (i love him but he very much feels intertwined with karlach hella and their stories do not feel satisfying w/o each other). minthara has 1 explicitly romantic/sexual scene and then like, a few conversations in act 2 and 3. and then halsin has....his scene😏. but like...shadowheart only having 2 scenes is so weird...like i thought she was the devs second favourite. wtf....(maybe that's lae'zel tbh). but like, 100% some origin companions feel more relevant than others and some feel more "complete" than others. im just kind of surprised that out of the 6 origin characters, only 4 of them have like, romantic camp interactions for all 3 acts. granted act 2 is a pretty stressful act for shadowheart granted the penultimate part of the act is her ultimate decision so it makes sense for her to not have time for romance during that act (but you have her reconciliation scene)

[diantha]

im sure someone has asked this before but how do you get your ocs to look like theyre talking? and get your characters to look like theyre in scenes with npcs?

I haven't been asked this yet and I'd be happy to help!

Kinda long, under cut.

To make your OCs look like they're talking: I'm actually just straight-up editing the origin characters in-game to look like my OCs using Appearance Editor Enhanced: Origins. This allows you to edit origin characters like Astarion, Gale, etc, but unfortunately, you can't change body type or race. I use Astarion for Balian and Orestes (all the siblings are technically quarter-elfs but only Orestes and Darya have visible ears-- but you can't see the ears through Balian's hair, thankfully, and my character creator lets you use both half-elf and elf presets for both races-- I have no clue if this is normal or if it's one of the other mod I have installed). I use Gale for Yusuf, and Shadowheart for both Darya and Iphi (again, Iphi technically has human ears but you can't see them).

You can use another mod on the same mod page to change body type/race for custom/durge characters, but it is sometimes buggy so use at your own risk!

To get your character in scenes with NPCs: they're just normal romance scenes but you change the other character to look like the NPC you want (for example, the restaurant scene was Karlach's romance and I turned her into Gortash. Sorry, Karlach). There are several ways to do this: Born To Be Anyone, which allows your companions to change into anyone by having their camp shoes have a transform spell. Ring of Metamorph, which gives you a buyable ring that lets you change both companions and in-world NPCs into whomever.

Finally, there's NPC Tool. You have to install cheat engine to get this to work, and I'd recommend being very careful while doing so because it can install malware onto your computer if you aren't paying attention! The only reason I am using this one specifically is that the other two options, for some reason, don't have a hand for Gortash. Like, one of his hands is just...gone. I don't know why. I'm sure it's fine for other NPCs but for Gortash specifically, you're gonna have to use NPC Tool to get him to be completely handed.

I also recommend Baldurian's Save Games if you want to download a save that is close to the specific romance scenes you're looking for-- the creator is very responsive and will usually upload new saves for you if you request :)

I also recommend Basket Equipment to Camp Clothes since most romance scenes have your characters in your camp clothes, and you can dress them up super nicely for whatever scene you're doing.

I HOPE THIS HELPS <333