#gortash. you’re insane.

[eye-of-yelough]

i haven’t even talked about his backstory yet and im currently tweaking it anyway but whatever here’s Aeryn’s foster parents, sister and the warlock who mentored him after he killed them

which i’m kinda on the fence about. on one hand, it gives him those fun gortash parallels, i mean obviously he didn’t grow up in The Hells like gort did, but it gives them enough “oh yes, that highly specific childhood experience from dealing with Infernals, i had that too!” and of course gives me an easier time figuring out how his pact came to be.

on the other hand. do i really want to give Yet Another authority figure who mistreated him. because a lot of aeryn’s uhh Whole Deal is because he’s just never been treated as an equal or shown unconditional love by anyone. which on its own isn’t too “cringy” of a character trait but like. another asshole? really? it’s getting a little unrealistic. (is coming up with a backstory for an alien child of the god of murder)

anyway i think if he DID spend a good few years with this warlock guy he would’ve found out about his Heritage way before joining the cult, which he doesn’t do until quite a bit later than most durges. probably around 20. and i think that heritage is why his patron (great old one in case you’re wondering) took interest.

[shaykai]

Do y’all think it ever bothered Durge that they couldn’t intimidate Gortash when they first met? Like Durge is - even in more cinnamonroll-esc iterations- pretty goddamn scary when they want to be

And then Gortash just casually strolls up in his anti anxiety jacket asking if they wanna hang out and maybe commit crimes together and is barely even phased by their knife at his neck

[trevisos]

i need to finish this durge run because i’m slowly going more and more insane about durge!xar/gortash

[hijackalx]

Headcanon thingy, but who would the boys (Gale, Astarion, Wyll, and Gortash) react to seeing their lover trying on lingerie?

felt like testing my drabble skills so i added a lil something extra to them 😎💗 enjoy pookie!!

GN!reader

SLIGHT NSFW BELOW

GALE

likes when you surprise him with it. wear some under your clothes as a little treat for when he’s undressing you 😌✨

you look so good that it makes him trip over his words. he’s too busy ogling your body to pay attention to what he’s saying. will have him laughing like a nervous virgin 😹

LOVESSSSS garters. can’t keep his hands off of them. particularly loves the way your thighs strain beneath them when you’re on your knees

instantly wants to enchant the bottoms to make them vibrate and watch you get off like that (don’t ask if that’s actually possible my brain functions on horny not logic)

your outfit is inconspicuous, plain— perfect for covering up the lingerie hiding beneath. you wait patiently in his lap as he unwraps your silken robe, biting back a smirk.

he pauses to take in the sight of the lace hugging your skin, how it flows so delicately around your shape. he tuts, shooting you a familiar, frivolous grin. “feeling naughty tonight, are we?” just moments later, his hands move to rest on your bottoms, a seemingly harmless action that results in a soft buzz and a gasp. “i can work with that.”

ASTARION

insists on going with you to pick some out. follows you into every dressing room to “make sure it fits right” lol. so picky but mostly because he loves watching you try them on

his favorites are flowy/frilly types, like babydoll tops or satin robes. also LOVES stockings of any kind

makes you feel like an actual doll ✨🌸 repeatedly tells you how perfect you are and can’t keep his hands off you. will also try to get you flustered by whispering really dirty stuff about how you look into your ear

likes when you have fun with it and show off for him— be cheeky. do a little spin. bend over in front of him. be prepared for him to pinch or smack your ass though

he sits comfortably on the dressing room bench as you approach him. “how about this one?” you pull your bottom lip in playfully, placing your hands on his shoulders as he takes your body into his grasp.

“mm,” erupts from his throat, watching as his lithe fingers slip over and under the fabric sparsely covering your skin. “now, this one i like.” he places a slow and deliberate kiss to your exposed abdomen, his ruby gaze flitting up to meet yours; there’s an impish glint to them that tells you he doesn’t plan on waiting to have you any longer.

GORTASH

likes to make sketches of you wearing it. has so many drawings of you in compromising positions with it on. definitely keeps them for when he’s alone

loves corsets and bustiers because of how they emphasize your chest, especially in blacks and reds. crotchless panties also drive him INSANE

the sluttier you act while wearing it the better. don’t try to be modest (there’s honestly no reason to be anyway, he’s a freak fr 😹😹)

a sucker for fishnets. likes to take them off and use them to tie your wrists together. will also shove them in your mouth/gag you with them on occasion

his dark irises glance up from his work every so often to study your decorated figure; they follow the arch of your back, the heart shape of your ass, and linger on the exposed area between your thighs more often than not.

“lower,” he directs, and you immediately respond by deepening the angle of your back. he hums contently, scribbles some more, then adds, “spread your legs further.”

you comply once again, happy to flaunt your body under his gaze. the corner of your lip pulls upward, anticipating your reward for being such an obedient little muse.

WYLL

bust this out on your honeymoon and he gets SOOO flustered. i’m talking stuttering/looking away/rubbing his neck

his favorites on you are lacy teddies— especially in blues, purples, and whites. more traditionally sexy styles really get him going

lowkey so obsessed with how you look in it. the kind of thing that’s on his mind 24/7. almost always asking you to put it on for him at the end of the day with a little pout 😹💗

LOVES when you strip for him nice and slow, especially how you tease him by carefully revealing each skimpy garment beneath your clothes. a lapdance is also mandatory

you spot the anxiousness simmering beneath his lax surface— he longs to touch you, but you’d rather toy with him a little more.

prowling closer to where he sits, you slowly unbutton your blouse. with each maneuver of your fingers, you reveal the lingerie lying beneath, watching how his hungry, needy gaze fixates on it.

he inhales sharply as you straddle his lap and take his hand in yours. he lets you guide it over your ornamented body, his eyes heavy with desire as he mutters a low and raspy, “you’ll ruin me.”

[wi1dshxpe]

it's funny because durge and gortash started at very similar places, wanting so badly to be "good kids" their entire childhoods. gortash to avoid further abuse at the hoh and durge because they were, excluding their one little huge thing where they had an uncontrollable bloodlust.

but then they also ended up at the same place but on opposite sides of the spectrum. druge is still trying(technically succeeding) to be a "good kid," just now for their insane dad instead of a conventional family. conversely gortash has thrown out any idea of "goodness,” he never wants to feel that way again and he doesn’t care if he makes others feel that way to avoid it. he’ll do whatever he wants to you and if you’re anything like him, powerful, resourceful, deserving, you’ll pull yourself up from your bootstraps like he did. it’s interesting to wonder the ways they might’ve clashed in their motivations

[animentality]

I love when Durge is bigger than Gortash is (i.e. default dragonborn, or etc) because that designates Gortash as the little spoon automatically and ohhh there is SO much to that. The trust that would have be involved for Gortash not just putting his back to THEE Dark Urge, but also letting them wrap him up completely in their arms? While he’s unconscious and vulnerable? Durge’s hands (and maybe even claws) pressed to his chest or stomach with all his vital organs just underneath. Durge’s teeth by his neck. Insane position for any normal person to put oneself in willingly. But imagine being Gortash and this is the only situation in which you feel genuinely truly safe, actually. You only feel protected when you are objectively at the mercy of the giant blood-crazed Bhaalspawn you’re wearing like a backpack. (Or maybe, less like a backpack and more like armour. Because the Bhaalspawn has claimed your death already, and swore it would be the last, so what is there to fear? Your life was already in their hands long before you laid down with them like this. You trust that they’re in control, that they have you. And if any assassin or whoever wants to get to you while you’re asleep, wants to take the life that already belongs to the Dark Urge, well. Nobody can touch you unless they go through the Dark Urge first, and good luck with that. If Gortash is peacefully asleep in the arms of an actual Bhaalspawn, it’s not Gortash who’s in danger, it’s everyone else.)

oh.

well written, anon. knee trembling one shot kill.

"if any assassin wants to get to you while you're asleep, wants to take the life that belongs to the dark urge-" and "it's not Gortash who's in danger, it's everyone else."

that's beautiful.

it's not even just the idea of Gortash trusting the dark urge not to hurt him. it's the notion that Gortash is content with the idea of placing his life and his death in the dark urge's hands. he takes comfort in the danger.

"his life is mine. his death is mine also."

"no one can kill him but me. no one can hurt him but me."

"I said you'd be the last, and you will be. all else who would seek to steal you from me, will suffer and will perish at my hands long before that."

this is Hozier coded.

good god, let me give you my life.

[sybaritick]

cal sybaritick's

durgetash fic recs 🔪⚙️

i love durgetash. i love evil/evil power couples. i love the drama and the religious guilt and the self-recognition through the other (derogatory) and the insane definitely-not-safe-sane-and-consensual kink.

for this reason, i have read several hundred durgetash fics on ao3. here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorites!

all of the recs will be marked with pronouns, race, and genitals (when relevant) of the durge for your convenience

An Obedient Butcher, A Beast On A Leash by NeverwinterThistle

durge notes: og/white dragonborn dark urge (my favorite!!), he/him with dick

E / 4.8k / sadism and masochism, choking, frottage and grinding / complete

The room was warm. It smelt strongly of skin; overheated, overcrowded, overscented to hide sweat. Fill for this prompt on the Baldur's Gate kink meme: Gortash and the Durge are lovers, but due to the strict orders of tyranny in all things that Bane requires, Gortash is not allowed to bottom, on pain of retribution or revocation of Chosen status from his god. And, well, maybe Gortash really wants to. What might their sex look like with such a restriction? How do they deal?

this author has done multiple incredibly good durgetash fics but this is definitely one of my favorites. the dynamic and push-and-pull between them is excellent, and you can tell they truly do respect each other in a sense, despite being godawful people. they glory in their empire of blood and that's so much fun. and of course, the kink in this one is delicious... yknow, every time i do fic recs i have the impulse to share things no one needs to know about my personal life for at least a couple of them, but you know what, maybe i can keep it to myself just this once. but the point is the way gortash wants to let durge tear his ass up but can't is incredibly hot, and i particularly like that gortash essentially considers it an outdated religious restriction... that bottoming is not actually indicative of True Submission in the way Banites are told to believe it does.

lose the halo, don't need to resist by @lamortactuallywrites

durge notes: they/them half-orc with dick :)

E / 7.0k words / bondage, orgasm delay/edging, kink negotiation / complete

There is no absolution to be found here. They wonder if their father is watching, if Bane is watching, if they will each know the wrath of their gods before the night is through. Yet somehow, with blood drying tacky on their hand, bruises pressed deep into their flesh, and his mouth hot around them like he was made for this, it feels private. Protected.

i adore the kink negotiation in this. gortash is such a jackass (affectionate)... and once they're in it, durge snapping back like an angry dog, struggling so beautifully, when they're too tied up to really fight back is hot. someone insulting you so desperately because in reality they know they're not the one in control is. extremely hot. like "come on tell me more about what a monster i am while you're tied up begging for me to touch you" ygm??? read the fic it's good.

Mutual Manipulations by fermiparadox

durge notes: he/him drow with dick

E / 3.1k words / hate sex, power dynamics, handjobs / complete

Bloodlust is its own kind of aphrodisiac.

i love the characterization of both Durge and Gortash in this one-- resplendently awful. and considerably less trusting of each other, in a way that's very enjoyable. this is absolutely hate sex, and done very well... Gortash wants to subjugate Durge and keep him on a leash, and Durge wants to murder him violently. beautiful!

Marsember Syrah by say_lene

durge notes: she/her with pussy

E / 5.7k words / dom/sub, [consensual] mind control, power dynamics / complete

After a successful operation in the High House of Wonders, Bhaal's Chosen and Bane's express their admiration for each other. It is, predictably, very tense. “Ah, so you’re concerned for my wellbeing,” he said – calm, even as a thin trickle of blood rolled down his neck. “You needn’t be. Our masters commanded us to cooperate, after all, and in suffering me to live, Bhaal opens the door to veritable rivers of blood. You know him better than I, of course, but surely even the Lord of Murder can see the value of delayed gratification.”

this author has done multiple incredibly good durgetash fics, but this one is my favorite. i love the way they characterize gortash. anyway, normally, being the mind control/brainwashing/hypnosis/etc fetishist i am, i would barely have anything to say about this other than "read this for the mind control descriptions they're so hot that i've read this fic at least four times." (which i have). however not only is that hot but everything else is *also* extremely hot, and well written/well paced. particularly the way gortash "offers" durge lesser banites to kill, and how she enjoys it so, despite not quite wanting to just let him hand-feed her like that yknow... very tasty.

Yank of the Leash by BlueCloverInGreen

durge notes: he/him with dick

E / 28.2k words / dom/sub, grooming, noncon and dubcon / complete

Many, many potential triggers. Please read the tags carefully. I will also post specific tags before each chapter. This is a work in progress and my first project. Critique is welcomed and appreciated. Not beta read.

definitely do mind the trigger tags on this one, as the summary mentions, but it's a great guilty pleasure-- and by guilty i mean you'll feel something for finding it hot considering how dark it is, especially with regards to the grooming aspect. i can read some very gory fics, noncon, heavy kink, etc and not question how into it i am, but this fic?? this fic made me feel guilty and uncomfortable and that's a compliment. it definitely gave me the sense "yeah, Gortash would want it like this"

Knowing by @chocolatecatcupcakecheese

durge notes: they/them

E / 3.4k words / power dynamics, cunnilingus, bondage / complete

“What were we to one another?” Tav asks at last. “We were allies before,” Gortash says. “We—” “Allies?” Tav interrupts, sing-song with insinuation. Gortash takes a slow, steadying breath against the echo of desire. That teasing tone of voice is so damnably familiar. “Yes.” His voice emerges lower than he intends. Tav laughs, a single exhaled note of contempt. Gortash steels himself and does not move away when they step closer, close enough to share the same breath. “Is that all?”

oh hey, gortash is trans in this!! that's definitely a favorite headcanon of mine. and it's totally for story-based reasons only (he's so transhumanist cmon) and not because i am also transmasc and also have several power-hungry techbro sellout things wrong with me. anyway, the way they talk to each other in this is *so* fun... their dynamic-- and their foreplay and dirty talk (which for a normal couple would perhaps not qualify as dirty talk) is great.

ménage à quatre by isolasea

durge notes: second person (you) with pussy

E / 2.9k words / power dynamics, BDSM, dubious consent / complete

Your Urge and his Hand, on each side of your mind and body, pulling you apart. Or, Gortash: [fucks like a tyrannical despot] Durge: [surprised pikachu meme face]

this fic is so much fun for the d/s power kink stuff and it also has some excellent lines wrt gortash's obsession with control. i mean right at the beginning even, “All murder and no play in the Church of Bhaal?” that and gortash trying to put another finger in durge even while he's fucking them and they're barely taking it as it is-- it's so greedy and so very fitting for him.

[cringecannon]

ive been reading ur posts for a while and i had a vision from god recently that i needed to share with like minds, so i hope this will be to ur taste... i've been trying to find others who i know this will appeal to (besides me)

but...... bhaalcest-- orin being incredibly possessive over durge and jealous over gortash and durge's relationship, so she changes into gortash when she knows durge is expecting him and has her way with durge, while they're none the wiser.

for the sake of everyone else (and urself) i wont get into the nasty gorey parts that really makes this so much better, i love me some knife"play" (is it really play if orin just outright stabs u) and woundfucking (that i really want to get into but!!!!! i have to find the right audience... hoping i can rant insanely about all that here i just didn't wanna outright plop it down when this scene is good by itself too LJDLASJFAL) -👻

To be fair, I already wrote about Orin fingering a wound. I’m all for insane fucked up knifeplay rants in my inbox. Anyway, obligatory Dubcon, Orin, and Improper Use of Gortash’s Body warning

Something’s wrong with Enver.

You only notice it sometimes. The look in his eyes is wrong, or his grip on you is far too tight. Whenever you mention the change in demeanor, he brushes it off. Or he gets angry. Yelling, throwing things, veins in his throat bulging kind of angry. There’s something wrong with him. The man you know wouldn’t act like this.

You love it.

You almost pounce on him the first time it happens, so turned on you don’t even bother removing anything but the bare necessities. He’s confused for only a moment, but quickly falls into place. You ride him until his eyes roll back, nails digging so hard into your hips that they draw blood. You leave your own bloody scratches down his chest, marking him.

Imagine your surprise when you get to see him again a few days later and the marks are gone completely. It throws you off- your hips are still bruised. You call him out on it, he waves his hand and says he had an image to uphold. He can’t walk around looking like he was attacked by a feral cat. The comment irritates you. You like seeing him marked up, proof that he’s yours. You reach for your knife subtly. You think he needs to be reminded of your real claws.

You’re frozen when instead an ornate dagger is suddenly held to your throat. That bastard. He’s stolen your trick.

He presses the point of it to your throat, drawing blood. You feel the warm drip of it down your skin and into your shirt. You should kill him for this. You should play in his guts while he begs for the mercy of death. However, feeling him cut through your clothes with no regard for your safety excites you more. Every thin slice into your skin as he hurries to get you nude is exhilarating. You’ll get him back for it, eventually. You just need him inside you.

He shoves you back hard, splaying you out on the table. You eagerly spread your legs for him, throwing your head back with a gasp when he bends down to lick the trail of blood all the way back up to your neck.

He groans into your ear, hips grinding against yours with a stuttered breath. He wants to savor your blood, forever remember it staining your pretty skin. He leans to the side to hold the dagger against your stomach, dragging the blade across it teasingly. The cut is thin, barely drawing blood. You arch your back, desperate for more. He laughs breathlessly, pulling the dagger away to instead hold it over your thigh. You ask what's gotten into him. He laughs again, biting down on your shoulder. He asks a question of his own- how far would you let him go?

The dagger dances on your skin and you writhe, holding back a grin. Anything. You'd let him do anything, so long as you could play with him too. He groans, mouthing at the junction where your shoulder meets your neck. Of course. It'd only be fair, he wants you to play in his blood too. Wouldn't it be divine, love?

He's never called you love, ever. You're not sure he's called anyone love in his life, but when the blade finally bites into your flesh... you can't seem to make yourself care. You just beg for more.

[nevarroes]

So who out of Cas and Gorty-boy fell for the other first? And who actually said it out loud first? (Did they even??? Or is this like the weirdest sort of coworker-relationship where technically everyone knows they're fucking, and THEY know that they're fucking and there's feelings involved, but nobody's put it into words yet? Like, oops, damn, fell our way into a relationship?)

ough this is a blake rambling topic .... dangerous ! let me try to answer this as best as I can 😭

I like to think they had mutual attraction from the beginning but the denial game was INSANE so not like any of them could tell or admitted it to themselves. Also honestly with Cas specifically I think he barely even knew because he thought he couldn’t feel that emotion. He really just despised and looked down to everyone before this (his parents arent that relevant I suppose but his brother literally did everything 4 Cas and he still hated even his ass so BAD). He also just sexually used and abused every mortal man before this because he thought that’s as far as that goes... (and as a way to take revenge about his past)

w that being said tho…. u know their first meeting was literally Gortash pulling all the fucking strings he could at the time to even figure out who this Chosen of Bhaal was just 4 Cas' first words to him being “Enver Gortash? You’re shorter than I thought you’d be. Are you sure you’re the Chosen of Bane?” 🔥

so idk they just kept going like this for years really, acting like the other is the biggest nuisance of their life while actively going out of their way to be around each other more just bicker the whole time. I think Ketheric almost killed himself too every time he had to be around them together❤️

they didnt actually say it or say anything until they started to rule the city together and started their conquest and stuff… it’s never direct or anything either it’s just shit like “You’re the only person that doesn’t bother me sometimes.” so I do suppose it's very much like what u described LMFAOOO

They’d also never call it a relationship u know simply because it's both beneath them etc etc and calling each other equals or even friends always had WAY more meaning, as, you know, people that never kept anyone else close before

[loderlied]

gortash 1, 6, 7

zeke 3, 4, 5

<3

(hi! i realised i had this finished but it was rotting in my drafts so i’m gonna queue this for my short absence lol.) i mean. gortash isn’t an oc but sure why not lol. you can always send me asks about him actually <3

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

just sitting still? not a problem. his problem comes with finding something like this to be an utterly wasteful way to spend your time. i think even when he gets done with work for the day earlier than planned (which doesn’t happen often because his plans are so meticulous. usually some incident like someone he was meeting with unexpectedly not being able to attend was the cause here which he. doesn’t like because interruptions in schedule bad lol) he usually finds some other way to be productive. (like spending time in his workshop or drawing for example.)

but uh. how long would he be able to sit still? if a plan of his for some reason required him to sit still and do nothing for a fucking week, he’d gnash his teeth about it but he’d be able to do that and much more—everything that’s necessary will be done. otherwise? you absolutely will not catch him just lounging around lmao.

6. Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

definitely immovable 100%. there’s just a teeny tiny problem with this—this applies to his system only, his way of viewing the world, his values and laws for himself and the laws and values he inherently imposes on others. he considers himself a man who does whatever is necessary, and more importantly the only one who is capable of actually deciding on and carrying out order. judge, jury and executioner, y’know. his word is law and his word is what he will stick to until the very end and everyone else better follow suit if they don’t want to be mentally branded as a mistake by him lol. i think he sees it as there being a universal way the world should work, which is the system of the machine with him as the core, it’s just everyone else that doesn’t see this ‘truth’ at the moment & needs fixing.

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

to me, gortash is a man of the future. yes, he does so enjoy taking his trophies from past conquests and yes, he does not forget the past, dissecting and learning is a process that includes his past as well as others’ he so loves to dissect and use in his schemes, but i simply don’t see him as someone who would ever wallow in feelings like nostalgia. it’s not even that he doesn’t want to, he just doesn’t experience it in the first place.

to sort of illustrate what i mean: i think he definitely remembers his coronation to become archduke as a grand stepping stone in his plan and all, but that’s what being a man of the future and baldur’s gate’s saviour means, it’s exactly that—a stepping stone for more. he won’t simply rest on the steps now when he has so many more to climb. and when you’re at the top of the stairs, there is no need to look back either.

3. How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

not at all uhhhhhh. only joking. well. only half-joking? zeke, due to his paranoia about everything surrounding gortash, the nightmares that result from that & just his nature as someone who never fucking stops being on his feet, has insane troubles sleeping. with his severe malnutrition and lack of sleep just result in the biggest eye bags known to man. more like eye trenches or whatever.

anyways, the solution is just uhm. going so hard until he eventually passes out and then repeat that process. 😬. later on when he does finally trust his companions enough to eat a bit around them, shadowheart laces his food with a sleeping potion because she hasn’t seen him rest for more than half an hour consecutively and he understandably gets triggered (gortash never put mind-altering drugs into zeke’s food, stuff made him sick for example was what was commonly used instead, because he needs him to be aware of his own suffering to enjoy it, but. still.) because of it. so. not ideal.

4. How easy is it to earn their trust? & 5. How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

i’m just gonna combine these into one bigger answer hope that’s okay 👍 so, every single thing starts out with lots of mistrust from zeke lmao. and yes, i don’t just mean every person, i mean everything, even objects he has never seen before or shit like that. but there’s still multiple levels of mistrust, there’s again the basic mistrust everyone gets, and then there’s mistrust as in ‘you’ve given me a sign (and this truly might be fucking nothing. it most often is nothing. this boy is insane) that you’re working for gortash and i am now immediately killing you’ 😬 and then there’s of course the ‘AAAAHHHHHH WHAT ARE YOU’ level exclusively reserved for mr gortash himself.

to gain his trust, you have to approach it a little bit like you would with a feral kitten except a lot more careful because this thing can actually kill you before you even know that he went for the killing blow if you do something wrong. you have to essentially let him sniff you out, sometimes metaphorically and sometimes literally, assure him that you’re not a threat to him. no sudden movements, loud noises or other similar actions and you’ll be good. he’ll still be on high alert, but is out of ‘kill once it gets within 10 metres’ mode lmao. and that’s basically it. building trust with him is an extremely slow, hard & painful (most often for the party that isn’t zeke) process and honestly? it’s not worth it considering YOU can never fully trust him not to suddenly feel his entire being scream to hunt & kill you. i’ve made this comparison before but it’s essentially like one of those people on taking an animal like a lynx or a chimpanzee into their home. they’ll probably get used to you and maybe even trust you, but they’re still wild animals at the end of the day. wild animals who can and will, if you’re not careful, severely hurt or even kill you if. zeke is the wild and the wild is zeke and all haha.

the methods to earn his trust and mistrust are both not very complex, but while earning his trust is a slow, never sure and stable thing, earning his mistrust is quick and very, very easy in comparison. once again, just one sign that you’re a threat, one wrong movement at the wrong time and you’re out. and this behaviour is just his base instincts as the apex predator and all. like how i described earlier, zeke also has SO many gortash related triggers on top of all that already. for example, telling him that his eyes are beautiful! they just are objectively extraordinary, so you most likely just want to genuinely compliment him! it’s rough. zeke is awful. end essay.

[eye-of-yelough]

uh. yeah

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - chapter 58

I quietly open the door to our room upstairs in Elfsong, hoping we don’t wake anyone up. It seems Karlach, Wyll, and their new addition are passed out quietly in their bed, Maddox lying curled up on his mother’s chest. I smile at them as we tiptoe into the room and I place Jenevelle’s bag on the floor. Looking at the love between all three of them fulfills a piece of me I didn’t realize I needed.

“Alright, my love. After I get her prepared for a night’s rest, you can feed her and we will lie comfortably in bed once she’s down for bedtime,” Gale mutters quietly with a light smile on his face, placing Jenevelle down on the quilt below to get her cleaned up. I remove my clothes rather discreetly, though Gale sees me from the corner of his eye, admiring me from head to toe. I slide on a baggy shirt and my undies, then sit down in the chair next to the bed so I can nurse Jenevelle. Gale gets the baby dressed and hands her to me gently, his eyes soft and warm as we make direct eye contact.. “Here we are. Also, my love… May I say I just find you so radiant? I love seeing every inch of you.” I chuckle and smirk at him, raising an eyebrow at his words.

“Even though I look like a beached whale?” I tease, placing my hand on my belly as I nurse our daughter. Soon, I’ll be doing this with two babies, which means I’ll be extra exhausted. I worry how I’m going to be once our second one is here. “And the fact I trip over my own feet more times than I can even count?”

“You’re not a beached whale, you’re my beautiful wife who is carrying my baby. You’re you, and I love every single quality you behold, inside and out.” I blush as I look down at Jenevelle, smiling at his words. “And whatever you decide to do with your mom and Gortash, I’ll be here every step of the way. Don’t feel like you need to be obligated to do anything you don’t want to.” I finish feeding our daughter, who is sound asleep as I place her on the thick quilt and cover her up with her baby blanket.

“Goodnight little peanut,” I murmur and then snuggle up to Gale, his lips pressed against the top of my head as I take a deep breath. “I feel much better. These next few days will be intense. I didn’t realize so much could happen so quickly. Then again, that’s basically my life motto. ‘Hey, is life being good to you? Hold the fuck up, let me make it a little spicy for dramatic effect.’ If a God were to tell me something, that’s exactly what it would be.” Gale fights laughter and pulls me in close to him, his warmth keeping me comfortable.

“Well, my love… Relax as much as you can. Hey, before you know it, we will be back in Waterdeep. Not much longer now. Just think — our comfortable bed, bath nights together, our garden, Tara… Oh I miss her.” I chuckle lightly as I feel his fingers trace every inch of my back, my eyes beginning to close. Now I’m thinking about the beauty and calmness of our city, our little study room where I can curl up next to Gale while he reads a book, the scent of coffee overtaking the space in our living room… I can’t wait. Throughout the night I could hear Karlach or Wyll getting up with Maddox, but it wasn’t very often and I slept through most of it. Jenevelle didn’t seem phased either, or maybe I slept through her cries. Man, this pregnancy is insane, I’m like a bear during hibernation. However, I did turn over in my sleep at one point and felt our newest addition kick, which woke Gale and myself up. I barely peek my eyes open, noticing Gale looking down at my stomach.

“I felt her kick,” he whispered in my ear with an excited tone as I’m partially asleep. “Incredible…” I wanted to say something back, but immediately passed back out afterwards. I think he began talking to me about something else, but I can’t recall a single thing he said, and I’m going to be embarrassed when he brings it up in the morning.

Before the sun fully arises, I feel Gale shake my shoulder to wake me up.

“My love, the bed is soaking wet, did your water break?” I jolt awake as I stare at the sheets in shock, and I gasp, realizing it definitely wasn’t pee. “I take it that’s a yes. Um…” Luckily, Jaheira is in the same room as us and decided to stay overnight should any events happen, whether it be with me or Karlach and Wyll’s new addition. She rushes over to us, which ends up waking up Karlach and Wyll as her footsteps slam against the wooden floor.

“You need to get to Jasik and quick!” Jaheira exclaims, picking up Jenevelle from the quilt. “I have your little one. Go, go, go!”

“Whoa, is it baby time?” Karlach asks with a sleepy voice as she stumbles out of bed. “Oh goodie!” Gale and I both kiss our daughter on the head, who looks confused and even slightly scared at the same time as she sticks out her bottom lip. My heart shatters as I leave her, but I know I’ll be back for her as soon as possible. She begins to cry as we leave the room, Gale and I are saddened as we leave her behind but thankfully she’s in good care. She has no idea what’s going on, however.

The people in the streets look at us in panic as water is leaking out of me and we are rushing to the healer’s building in the upper city. Thankfully I feel no pain, but it is weird having all eyes on me as we attempt to not cause a scene — which obviously didn’t work. I was so nervous the whole time and anxious from being the center of attention, that I got a little gassy from how nervous I was. I close my eyes in embarrassment, and I almost start crying, but Gale, being the angel that he is, completely disregards it and just leads me to the Upper City as quickly as we can.

The terrifying part of it all? We make it to Jasik’s, but barely. What could I possibly mean by barely? Well, the moment I lie down on the table, feeling unusual and nearly empty inside, our newest addition basically comes right out without any assistance. All the walking must have told her “time to be evicted.” Gale was there for it all, and caught her as she made her way into the world, her soft cries reassuring me she’s alright. I was more than surprised to see my daughter is bald, considering Jenevelle had a full head of hair. Jasik gets her cleaned up, then hands her over to Gale to get her swaddled; it’s been forever since I’ve held a baby this tiny, and it’s been ages since Gale had to swaddle a baby. Jenevelle is about five pounds bigger and six inches longer, but it’s been nearly five years since she was born. Gods, that’s so weird to even think about. I admire her sweet little face, her eyes closed as she whimpers and reaches for me with her tiny hand. Another forever baby, but one I still love and cherish nonetheless.

“Neeve…” I smile as I brush tears away from her eyes. “Neeve Tara Dekarios, my sweet little girl.” Gale sits down in the seat next to mine, gazing at me with wide eyes full of tears, a smile on his face that causes it to glow.

“That’s a beautiful name. I can’t say I disagree with the decision, especially with Tara’s name in the mix,” he murmurs and kisses the side of my head delicately, his lips lingering on my skin for a moment. “Where did that come from? I love it.”

“I have no idea.” Neeve is pronounced nee-vee rather than Neev.” I thought the spelling would be unique for sure. “I sure love her though.” Her scent — that fresh baby smell — brings me back so far to when Jenevelle was born. I feel at ease; calm, happy, and almost numb. There’s another sensation I can’t describe, but it feels like I’m in the clouds, as if my body is floating and nothing is holding me down. What is this? Whatever it is, I feel incredible.

“Two babies. Who would’ve thought?” His voice is soft yet assuring, he seems beyond ecstatic about our newest addition. “I hope Jenevelle takes kindly to her. She won’t quite understand what’s happening.” Gale strokes my hair as I admire our sweet daughter, watching her yawn as she grips my finger delicately. A wave of mixed emotions washes over me as I stare at her, my heart full of love but my mind full of worry. I pull down my shirt to provide skin-to-skin, building a connection with our sweet daughter, feeling her warmth against me.

“You’re next,” I tell Gale with a smirk, completely disregarding the embarrassment I felt as we bolted through the city earlier today, though I doubt that’s a moment I’ll ever forget. Gale smiles and places a kiss on the top of my head. Suddenly, Jasik knocks on the door. “Come on in.” He opens the door with a smile on his face, providing some baby blankets and burp cloths on my bed.

“Hi, I hope you’re all feeling well. I hate to intrude on this wonderful bonding moment between you all. I just wanted to bring up something rather important to consider, and it’s only a possibility, not for sure… And I am only guessing, so please don’t hold me accountable for anything…” Gale and I exchanged confused glances, our eyes baggy from exhaustion, waiting to hear his next words. “But your new addition — well, she has a soul. It was never given to the devils. She has her own, which means…”

“Wait, what are you implying?” I ask with a shaking voice, holding my daughter close to my chest. “Are you saying she will age?” The room is silent, though I can hear a nervous gulp coming from Gale’s throat as Jasik taps his foot while in deep thought. This isn’t exactly horrible, because if this is the case, then we will get our dream of watching at least one of our children growing up. However, this would also mean our daughter would outgrow us and eventually die. Life is full of surprises though, so who knows what lies ahead?

“I’m saying it’s a possibility. Only time will tell. Anyway… I brought you some pancakes! You’ll need your strength and nutrients to feed that darling baby of yours.” I completely dissociate as he brings out breakfast for Gale and I, a blank expression painted on my face as I try to process this possibility I never considered. Gale takes Neeve from my arms and sits down with her while Jasik places my plate of pancakes on my lap. Our new little girl coos with her eyes closed as Gale admires her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Now, there’s always the possibility her blood cells are frozen like yours, so take that into play also.”

Whatever the outcome of what’s to happen, we are just thankful she’s alright and made it to the world safely. It’s a miracle… She is a miracle.

[maegalkarven]

Yesss you GET IT. I adore Gortash because of the depth in his narrative (I love the way all 3 Chosen are written but Gortash’s especially), and you’re right, his trauma led him on this path but it solidified him to be entirely self serving and he would definitely fight tooth and nail to maintain what he’s earned through ruthless means and start over again if it was taken from him somehow, redemption would be insanely hard for him in any capacity realistically to the narrative as it is (but on the other hand it’s also fun to live in our delusions and I eat up those fics hehe), redemption may be possible if he had some severe amnesia bout like Durge did and literally forgot everything he’s ever learnt or done… But yeah long winded way to say I agree with your analysis!

Love a good tragic villain, they’re all so captivating. Larian did a fantastic job.

Thank you!

In conclusion: amnesia really is the only thing fixing that man huh (and that's not even guaranteed)

Larian did indeed an amazing job with their villains. All of them are human(elves, etc.) three-dimensional and very realistic. I wasn't planning on latching into one of the Big Bad of the game for life, but does it stop my Gortash obsession? Nah xD

[delicate-paint-stained-daffodils]

I have been 😳😳 drawing again 😳

Feeling so silly about my Durge (Ariett, if you’re curious) and Gortash, pre her getting KO-ed by Orin. Just wanna know what they were up to (aside from being down rancid and fucking) I would just like to observe them, to see her experience even the teeniest spark of actual human connection.

Anyway, I reckon this is the face she gives Helsik when she tells them it’ll be 20,000 gold to go to hell so they can steal the crown. She is so so close to snapping that over charging diabolist fuckers neck but plans for world domination and mass slaughter are holding her back by the scruff :))

I am sorry that Gortash isn’t actually drawn here I’d like to update it eventually though, I wanna draw that idiots middle aged final fantasy ass haircut. Anyways they are doomed <3 Durgetash is driving me insane holding on for dear life <3 <3 you know how it is :)) help me

[beecreeper]

3, 7, 10 for the durgetash asks!

Teehee *kicking my feet and twirling my hair*

Briar and Ferox infodump under the cut!

3.) What did durge think of the little wannabe tyrant at the beginning? Someone competent or someone who tries really quite hard?

Briar and Ferox had totally opposite reactions to him initially. Briar thought that he was someone with more intelligence than sense. Someone so caught up in planning and control and doesn’t seem to see how easy it is to gum up his gears with just a little bit of unpredictability. Thought he had a big head and delusions of grandeur (unlike her, whose delusions of grandeur were real, thank you very much.) She found this all very amusing and was excited to mess with him and put him in his place. As time went on, she came to respect his plans and just how thorough he was, in addition to being surprised with his ability to improvise when needed and how quickly he can change the plan.

Ferox on the other hand was initially quite impressed by the way Gortash seemed to have plans and contingencies for everything. A little annoying in how arrogant and proud of himself he was about it, but he had to admit that he *did* seem to live up to it. Ferox really started to soften to him when he noticed just how hard Gortash was trying to keep all of that up, running himself ragged with constant working and planning and tinkering. It added a layer of empathy on top of the respect he already held for him, plus even more admiration because it's one thing to just be competent and it's another to be a hard worker and insanely dedicated.

7.) Somehow we all hc that Durge and Gortash attended some kind of patriar function together. What was the thing they showed up to really and how did it go? How many deaths did he have to promise durge for them to agree?

For Briar, I imagine she invited herself as a power move without thinking through the repercussions. Gortash, responding in kind, was like “yeah okay, you can come. Let’s review all the politics and ranks and etiquette you’re going to need to know when you’re there >:3" and she was like “oh shit this is actually hell but I can’t back down now.” She haaaaaaaates the crowds and how slow and stuffy everything is, but makes her own fun by seeing just how much trouble she can cause, like trying to subtly undermine and embarrass Gortash in conversation and doing just a liiiiiitle murder? Just a busboy? Come ooooon Gortash let me murder just ooooone person. Also she probably got high beforehand and sneaks in her own booze. Regardless, she has a better time than she expected and they do it again. It’s like a fun challenge to try to play within such strict circumstances.

For Ferox I imagine the vibe was more like Gortash needed him there for something, like he had an assassination plan or maybe he just wanted to intimate people with his big scary boyfriend. Ferox was really apprehensive and uncomfortable because he has absolutely NO idea how to act in polite society. A high society party is about as far out of his element as you can possibly be. He would have spent the whole night stock still and stiff and glaring into the middle distance, which definitely would have helped the intimidation gambit Gortash was going for. Wouldn’t have taken any bribing to get him there, though. Gortash just needed to explain why him being there was necessary to the plan and Ferox would have gone along with it, however begrudgingly. Like doing a chore.

10.) Did the tyrant ever try to impress the serial killing godling and exactly how horrible did it end for him? What sorta things did he do solely for “the sake of cooperation” with glaring obvious ulterior motives?

Oh man, I think for both of my durges, Gortash was pretty much constantly trying to impress them, especially early in the partnership when he was peacocking what a good ally he would be. Showing them how much power he has and just how far he’s willing to go for more, how few lines he won’t cross. And, I mean, he literally promises them the world! But I also don’t think that’s unique to durge – I think Gortash is always trying to impress everyone. He NEEDS to build himself up as great.

Naturally, though, he would change precisely what he does to impress people based on that he thinks they’ll like. For example, I think Briar would have inspired some of the more sadistic things he does, like that one dismemberment experiment. Briar was more likely to press him on it, daring him to go further or challenging him herself. They often had a dynamic of trying to one up each other. For Ferox, he would have impressed him with scale, like blowing up a whole building and taking out half a city block.

[animentality]

I can’t believe you’re getting hate for your post about tavtash because you are so correct it’s not even funny. Tavtash is so unimaginative and off putting that I literally hadn’t even considered that anyone might actually seriously ship it.

I love your posts and really enjoy seeing your perspective on the Durge and Gortash relationship. Sorry you’re getting hate but I hope you’re not letting it get you down ❤️❤️

No, I'm not, but thanks, anon, you're sweet.

I wouldn't have a problem with that ship normally, purely out of apathy, because why would I care who you ship yourself with, Rolan, Dammon, Karniss, whatever. I didn't even mention it before, because of how little I care.

But this bizarre aggression, which again.

I didn't make a post about this, I replied to a fucking ask, sent to me.

Is really making me think the people who ship that have a bone to pick with Durgetash specifically. And it's reallllly weird that they're giving me shit about "attacking" them.

I ain't in YOUR inbox, now am I? You're on ANON, because you're a coward, and I couldn't harass you if I wanted to, because I don't know who you are.

also, they've been making this argument that Durge and Gortash meant nothing to each other - I mean, you can definitely assert that, and you can SAY durgetash is entirely made up, and I won't even deny THAT.

But saying that tavtash is somehow more "plausible" and "real" is a joke.

You know him for like a week, at most. They worked together for years. There is more basis for the two of them than Tav and him could ever have. And again, not me even saying Durgetash is canon...just that it's more canon than, here's a villain who wants something from you.

And the pushback is insane.

I make jokes about how I'm nuts for shipping Durgetash, but that is actually certifiable, to think that tavtash is like, "more" plausible. Not equally as plausible, or slightly less plausible.

But "more?"

Please.