#gate 11

[a-d-nox]

human design: the mind

the mind is considered the place where your thoughts come from. this is where heuristics are born - information is filtered, actions are rationalized, and understanding occurs. not everything is accurate based on what gates are conscious. this is where anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and overthinking begins. but also ideas, thoughts, and other ideas.

defined mind: human computer, constantly reviewing and/or researching, information overload, professional worrier, nitpicking, looking from problems where none exist, can't turn off thoughts, etc.

undefined mind: lax, contemplative, forgetful, clarity amongst chaos, other people's problems become yours, wanting to help others before helping yourself, openminded, being able to read what others are likely thinking, etc.

gates

4 - problem solver: fixing, solutions for problems that don't exist, over-preparedness, needing to always be doing something, puzzle lovers, can't understand something and getting anxiety from not being able to understand, over fixation, needing to lighten up, cleverness, having an answer for everything, whats relevant, etc.

11 - harmonious: imaginative, social harmony, utopia, seeking peace, consideration of others, fresh ideas, constant evolution, responsibility to others, change for the better, etc.

17 - follower: agree v. disagree, flexible thoughts, diplomatic v. healthy debater, opinionated, logical mindedness, understanding, forcefulness, fairness, opinions about everything, dogmatic, fixed on your own views, balance, impartialness, quality over quantity, etc.

24 - returns: rationalizing, constantly playing back the tapes, screenshots/receipts, preoccupied, interest in forensics, finding missing clues, conceptualizing, theorizing, set in your ways, etc.

43 - breakthrough: deep thoughts, one step ahead, unable to express self clearly, profound, wise, shifting everyone's perspective, wrapped up in your own thoughts, stubborn, unconcerned with other people thoughts, etc.

47 - realizing: thinking constantly, love for puzzles, lots of lightbulb moments, problem solver, abstract thinking, etc.

no gates: openminded, overwhelmed by everyone else's thoughts and worries, constantly reflecting on the world around you, getting cluttered with other peoples mental chatter, etc.

channels that connect from the crown to the mind

channels that connect from the mind to the throat

11 -> 56 - curious: seeking the meaning in life, insatiable, wanting to share new information with everyone, speaking your mind, excessive interest in a lot of things, interest in multiple beliefs systems, seeking firsthand experience, etc.

17 -> 62 - organized: strategic, logically minded, absorbing the facts and details available, giving concrete opinions and recommendations, well informed, futuristically minded, methodical, opinionated, enjoying debating with others, etc.

43 -> 23 - structured: giving insight, breaking new ground, changing the views of others, open 3rd eye, empowering others, provoking the reactions of others, lightyears ahead of everyone else, tactful, genius, authentic, confident, blurting things out, etc.

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© a-d-nox 2024 all rights reserved

[elfboypussy]

🩷💛🩵 Pan Pride 🩷💛🩵

astarion is grumpy because he thought there would be more naked twinks and debauchery based on the complaints in the editorial section of the baldur’s mouth gazette

jaheira and minsc are on the side doing that tiktok “talk valentina!”/“ally!” bit

[abneyart]

Based on this post from @waterdeepweave--it was too cute not to draw. Also begged a new hc from me that Gale refuses to put his infant daughter down, telling Ros "You carried her for 11 months, now it's my turn!"

[catsharky]

It's been a while! I know I said I'd have more Ember/Rolan stuff for you guys soon, and while it's already been longer than I expected (or wanted), it's going to be a liiiittle bit longer. While my normal lines/tones style isn't too taxing, rendering/painting takes a hell of a lot more out of my wrist and I've had to chip away at this a bit at a time rather than powering through it like I'd normally be able to with my comics.

So in the meantime here's some little WIP sneak peeks of what's coming!

(Also if you have sent me an ask and are waiting on a reply, I promise I'm not ignoring you! I'll be answering a bunch once I've got these done, I've just been trying to not let myself get sidetracked)

[jerichoes]

She is the one who brought me to Moonrise and into the presence of her so-called god—the Absolute.

[wrenhavenriver]

I'll be your mirror. What do you want to know?

[pierkyn]

A lone wizard with a chronic impairment such as my own is not in the most ideal of situations with regards to self-defense.

[a2zillustration]

(It's ok Yurgir will respawn in Avernus)

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[n0ahsferatu]

abdirak baldursgate you are my favorite he/him princess… i love you and your fuckass shoes so dearly

[loveofdetail]

Let's talk about Gale's sex scenes

I love the astral sex scene and it means so much to me, and I have some problems with the way I've seen it talked about.

I should start by saying this post is not intended to critique anybody's personal preferences. The license to do Whatever The Fuck in an rpg is sacrosanct and there are no wrong choices. But I’ve also seen people imply that the astral scene is not “real” sex, or that Gale romancers “deserved more.” I hope I do not have to explain why that's kinda fucked.

Additionally, I think it is a saddening misread to call the astral scene “performative” in contrast to the bed scene (which gets correspondingly framed as “showing Gale that you want the real him.”) But doing a grandiose magical gesture IS the real him!

I know I'm not alone in viewing Gale as autistic; for me the astral sex scene is a big contributor to that. For one thing, it resonates with the concept of having unusual sensory wants. For another, it reads to me as Gale opening up and showing his passion for magic to the PC in a way he’s never been able to with another mortal before. What neurodivergent person has not had someone view their passion as too weird or too over the top? Have you ever been at a level of enthusiasm that wraps back around into seeming “performative” to others? Ever wanted to show a loved one something that matters to you, but worried they’d never understand—or, worse, they’d actively cringe?

In the astral sex scene, Gale shows the PC how much he loves the Weave (which is not the same as loving Mystra), and the PC does not cringe.

If all the glowing merging translucent bodies, the nebulae, the multiplying limbs, the spinning, the trippiness, the celestial music—if all these trappings made you, the player, cringe: there is nothing wrong with that. But I do think it is a misread to say that the bed version constitutes “helping him heal from his trauma.”

Maybe I have a hair-trigger for anything that implies “becoming more sexually normative = character growth.” Or “vanilla sex = a more intimate connection.” But they are just such tiresome concepts.

I understand that some of the dialogue in the game also suggests that idea, but all that dialogue is coming from the PC. What Gale says is that having bodily sex is “a small gesture toward your comfort.” This has been widely glossed over, imo.

Ultimately the two versions of this scene fulfill two different narrative functions: the bed version is to show the player that Gale will set these wants aside for you should you ask him to. But the astral version is there to show the player who HE is and what HE wants. And I think it is sad to write off this beautiful, lovingly crafted, unique and creative approach to a sex scene as merely something “performative” that he only does because Mystra made him think he had to.

“Stay with me now. There are endless worlds out there. Countless ways to declare love. Infinite ways to express it. Too much for one night... but we shall try.” I've admittedly got a ways to go in the game, but so far this is my single favorite line of dialogue. I genuinely don't understand how people can hear this line, the way it’s acted, and think it's just for show. He knows he's about to get weird but he longingly, vulnerably asks you to stay there in his weirdness with him.

Many writers, when they are writing something kinda out there, have doubts of the form Who is this even for? If the astral scene just isn’t for you I don't have beef with that. But the people who saw the astral sex scene and went "Oh, my god, now THIS is FOR ME"—are perhaps people who only very rarely get to watch a sex scene and have that reaction.

I'm glad Baldur's Gate brought something this beautiful to this particular table and I think it deserves consideration as a serious element of Gale’s characterization.

[junowritings]

Honestly surprised it was so easy convincing Rolan to go back to the inn in act 2, fully prepared myself for a scrap but thankfully got to him alive.

I had a right game trying to track Rolan down so I just know my Tav was ready to carry him the whole way back to make sure he made it back in one piece might draw that next lmao

Bonus:

[cheekylittlepupp]

very very random but, since when does Astarion actually butt in into the Jaheira meetup in act 2???

[red-dead-sakharine]

All the plaques in the House of Hope.

[celestialholz]

Be still made, my beloved crossbow (or 'let's talk about Durge's other other weapon... and maybe a bit about Stillmaker too')

You've read this post, friends. You know it's true, I know it's true. (And it's bloody beautiful by the way, lovely job @darkurgediaries.)

But wait, there's more.

Let's have a quick chat about the Hellfire Engine Crossbow, because if Stillmaker is Durge's blade from Gortash, this is Durge's side-bitch from him... or it was meant to be, anyway. Man never quite got around to piecing it all together.

Okay, let's start with er... I mean look at it. It's white, has a phoenix head on it - a creature that symbolises resurrection, rebirth and immortality, how very Durge, and is also associated with sun gods when Gortash is this easy to turn into a Lathanderan and that guy brings light to each new day - and it's also embossed with Gortash and the Steel Watch's black and gold motif.

And then you take a mechanical look at it and... hang on.

What are you doing here, Lightning Arrow? The Steel Watch don't have Lightning Arrow, but you know who does have Lightning Arrow? Rangers - archery experts, usually - at level nine and up. And who can we consider that's on level nine and is really good at archery?

And who can we consider who might run out of lightning-basic magic in the heat of battle; who is white, and has a theme of rebirth either by rejecting Daddy Bhaal outright or embracing them anew, and knows a sun-coded Radiant guy, and may once have had business in the Foundry?

Well hello The Dark Urge Vanilla Edition, our old spicy friend. There's also the lovely addition of Reposition Malefactor - Lightning Arrow, grab, Stillmaker stab. Classic Baldurian efficiency.

You know what kills me about Gortash's Radiant coding and Durge's Lightning? The first thing you see of lightning is its flash, its brilliance, and the second thing you see is its destruction. The light isn't the part that hurts you, but it's inextricably linked to the thing itself, just as you can't have the destruction without the light. Symbiosis. Gortash could have been thunder-coded, but... no. Thunder isn't destructive, not usually. It doesn't happen at the same time in the storm.

It's not symbiotic... it's not equal.

... Yeah no, I'm fine, not emotional at all. No sir, could not be me. Despite being level nine too, Gortash doesn't have Lightning Arrow. Why would you need lightning, when your beloved has it in their veins, when you've made them a crossbow specifically for it? You just bring the 'light' part, don't you?

Symbiosis. Peace and love on planet Faerûn. Anyway...

If we must consider the application of Lightning Arrow as a helpful aid to the depleted Storm Sorceror, we should probably consider Stillmaker's equivalent.

Hold Person. Hold. Person. Which, yes - very useful bit of utility for our lovely Durge to have, 100% - but then you consider the fifteen separate dimensions of romantic overtones in Durgetash and you just can't help but feel: Hold Person. It's a bloody hug. It's support. He's made it easier for you to slaughter people, which at least used to be your favourite thing to do.

So Gortash has A. made your murdering life much more fun because you can savour the kill and B. made sure you can still kill from a distance if anyone else happens to be around and you're tired.

What a complete fucking simp. 🥺❤

On the subject of Stillmaker in fact, much as the Fabricated Arbalest to the Hellfire Engine, it's rather different to Durge's main dagger, Bloodthirst.

This is pure function. Made to please Papa in the most gruesome way possible, whichever hand you feel like using to wield it.

Whereas Stillmaker... it's got an attached hug. It's got a wavy blade, perfect for the task of slicing and dicing - one that's very difficult to forge, that must have taken time and care.

... Well. Must have taken a mortal time and care. Because lest we forget, it's not the only wavy blade Durge owns.

... Seriously, Larian. How are you going to make both of them wavy. I'm on your ceiling fans.

It's two separate dimensions to Durge's life, in two blades with the same nastiness to them - absolute utility, versus actual care.

This is literally more intricate than the thing presumably given by a god. That's going to tear like a bitch, truly. And it's even got Bhaal's delightful countenance up front and centre. What was that devnote, about convincing the child of a god that they're not a monster? Mm...

Oh, I don't know. It's almost like, for a while anyway, Durge's connection to Gortash was more important than the one to their father. Maybe they wrote something about that very thing, in fact. Imagine. 🥲

I'd like to take this opportunity to also note the very violent and Thunder-mentioning text attached to the Hellfire Engine...

... And the fact it's found in three parts, because y'know, Dead Three.

There's only one minor flaw in this whole thing, really. One teensy little tiny problematic detail.

Sorcerors, unlike Gortash, can't use Heavy Crossbows.

... But, then, they can't use shortswords either.

I'll let you be the judge, shall I?

[drawingswatson-holmes]

BALDur's Gate 👴🏼🫡✨✨

Hair swap and having everyone wear Astarion's hair 🤡

[fandom]

Video Games

Week Ending March 11th, 2024

Baldur's Gate 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Splatoon 3

Genshin Impact

Ace Attorney

Twisted Wonderland

Undertale

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Minecraft

Poppy Playtime

Cult Of The Lamb

The Sims 4

Team Fortress 2

Deltarune

ULTRAKILL

Rain World

Disco Elysium

Honkai: Star Rail

Obey Me! Shall We Date?

Stardew Valley