#inaconstantstateofchange

[everchased]

a random OC ask for you (for finch): what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

his favorite memory is playing the piano at the elfsong. he used to busk to raise money for a proper weapon for himself and eventually got good enough to play opener for acts at the tavern in the evenings. it paid CONSIDERABLY less than security work would for a half-orc but it was less frightening for a shy teenager with little combat experience outside fights with other street kids. it was probably the most fun he had in baldur's gate growing up.

and there was a lot of pride in earning enough tips that he could buy himself dinner AND squirrel some coins into his savings. a lot of hope tied into that. and there was a bitter satisfaction in his half-elven grandfather finally approving of something he did, even if it was only because he viewed it as a means to finch buying his own equipment and eventually providing for himself "doing what you're really good for." and no longer being his problem.

and for your second question: surprise! he'd go to a tavern! like any true adventurer. first thing finch does in a city is try the food and gauge the attitude of the locals. and he can do both of those by planting himself right in the middle of a pub. if people aren't friendly he'll finish his business quietly and try not to start something but if something gets started well. he'll finish it too. but really he just enjoys the opportunity to eat something hot and drink something cold. gods field rations suck.

[arnaerr]

a random OC ask for you: what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

this is unexpected, and I'm not sure what OC are you interested in BUT OH I'M EXCITED, THANKS FOR ASKING. I will go with Tavi and Sav. For Tavi, her fav memory was training with her friends in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, I think. And if she gets dropped in a random city with lots of money, she will try all the fanciest food that there is. Savari's fav memory is probably her and companions sitting around the fire in the evening and sharing funny stories :') and if she ends up in a random city with lots of money, she will probably buy some books and keep the rest of the money to invest it into some magical research later.

[chaoticbooklesbian]

random ask: what is your go-to daily drink? your special occasion drink? detail delightful, recipe spectacular.

∧,,,∧ (  ̳• · • ̳) /    づ♡ I love you drinks [you're pretty cool though]

An excellent set of questions! My day-to-day drink is usually boring old Pepsi for that bit of caffeine that my ADHD brain craves. If I'm going for something alcoholic, I love a sweet hard cider - my absolute favorite is Gumption, which has become impossible to find around here and may be out of production, but I also enjoy Woodchuck (especially the green apple variety - yum!!!) and Doc's Draft (the sour cherry and peach varieties are excellent).

A fun (alcoholic) drink that I've done a time or two is to mix sparkling apple cider with a little bit of Fireball, it's like a bubbly spiced cider, I love it! A hot version could be made with regular apple cider and Fireball or any spiced liquor of choice - I had some at a party once that was made with Captain Morgan, it was lovely!

For a non-alcoholic hot drink on a nice chilly morning, I like a homemade mocha. Make some coffee however you normally would, making sure to leave some room in the mug when you pour it. Add milk, chocolate syrup, and vanilla syrup to taste. If you want to make it a little extra ~cozy~, add a little bit of ground cinnamon. Mix and enjoy!

I also adore hot, spiced, non-alcoholic apple cider - add a gallon (or half, or however much/little you want) to a heating vessel. Slow cookers are great for parties/large batches, you can also use a small pot if you're making just one portion. Add ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves to taste - you'll probably need far less of the cloves than the cinnamon and nutmeg, but you do you. Stir and allow to heat up. Serve hot, preferably while wearing a cozy sweater and staring at pretty fall foliage. Handmade mugs make it taste better, if available.

Also, adding a little cinnamon to hot chocolate kicks it up just that little bit. Or a tiny bit of chili powder. Or both. A little goes a long way for one mug of cocoa.

[aleisters]

okay, so with regard to the previous ask about raphael fic, i am extremely curious: what types of raphael fic concepts do you go for, in your house?

raphael/men

[barnespls]

a random OC ask for you (for nyla) : what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

I'm assuming you mean Spinkle? (Spinkle is my durge and Nylla is my friends Tav in our multiplayer save/Spinkles bestest friend)

Spinkle was hit with that true factory reset so any memories she has are all from within the last month, but I'd say the most fun she's had in that short span has been running loose in the mindflayer colony below Moonrise. Moonrise towers? Boring. Fleshy cool stuff hidden underneath it? Awesome!!!!

And as for a nice day trip out with no obligations? I wouldn't even say money is necessary I think she would just want to go on a chase, like a dog being let off it's leash. But like, she bites, so take caution.

[yuanzhous]

random ask: what is your go-to daily drink? your special occasion drink? detail delightful, recipe spectacular.

∧,,,∧ (  ̳• · • ̳) /    づ♡ I love you drinks [you're pretty cool though]

oh, I'm just seeing this one! hello what a fascinating question

daily go-to drink is definitely coffee, part of my morning rituals and light of my life through the Curses (work)

and I think the closest I have to a special occasion drink is boba - sometimes I have it on real special occasions, sometimes the occasion becomes special due to having boba

and I love ermmm drinks as well 🤭

[rostii]

random ask: what is your absolute most favorite food ever? the one that you wish you could summon at will with no prep required and also need everyone around you to try and also love (but not so much that there's none left for you)?

mujadara, lentils and rice ! i'm actually making some tonight for my friends :+)

[vspin]

random ask: what is your absolute most favorite food ever? the one that you wish you could summon at will with no prep required and also need everyone around you to try and also love (but not so much that there's none left for you)?

this is the hardest question for me to answer 🤣🤣 food is one of my ultimate loves and I have many favorites.

if i had to choose i'd pick the food I wish for the most but no longer can get...a New Mexican green chile breakfast burrito

ty for the ask!!

[bornfreakdraws]

U & Y for the recent ask game!

[the ask game]

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Mmh, ok so, the first three that come to mind in no particular order then:

Nicolas Brown from 'Gangsta' because of how the author handles him, sets him up as this scary, badass, heartless monster and then shows the reader that he's actually incredibly soft. And also because I'm weak for those loyal type characters whose sole purpose in life is to protect their friend or companion.

Nadja from 'What We Do In The Shadows' because she just cracks me up. Plus she's GORGEOUS and her style is amazing. I think she's an extremelly succesfully written female character.

Ashitaka from 'Princess Mononoke' because he's compassionate, kind-hearted, responsible and, honestly, one of the first characters that actually informed my personal moral code growing up. I feel like characters like this are so important. It's important to stick by what you believe in and still remain sympathetic towards others.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Oof, I'm not super familiar but I'd say 'Hades' (the video game) because my patrons requested some fan arts. I guess I got to know some stuff about Baldur's Gate 3 through fan arts from people I follow (and my social media algorithms) lately, so there's that.

[lemongogo]

a random OC ask for you (for zaihala): what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

aah omg this is so sweet ehehe, thank you for the qs :3c

i like to imagine that zaihala is an avid stonemason and mosaicist .. i think she is enraptured by the idea of taking something so resilient in nature and molding it under the guide of mallet and chisel . she's a humanist intrigued by the natural world, by geology.. by the incredible craftsmanship that goes into such a trade .

if she were to be dropped into some random city with the freedom of both time and money, i think you could find her in the market , sourcing materials or tesserae she couldnt otherwise acquire at her local workshop. . glass, shells, ceramics etc from vendors or acquainting herself with quarry tradesmen in order 2 procure the stone that best fits her vision.its an obsession..u literally have to pull her away or she'll be there all day

as for her FAVORITE MEMORY!!! omg.. i keep picturing her as this fresh face in baldurs gate, having just moved there on her own , sworn to independence but feeling like maybee she made a mistake. . maybe she was too impulsive, chasing her desire to pursue stonework on a whim, not having thought abt the consequences or the finances or what have u .. but she takes the chance to meet up with some local artists on an outing just outside the city .and its just sooo .. reaffirming to her in that moment. to be surrounded by people who are drunk on wine & laughter and to see the sprawling city just before her as the sun is setting..and the wind is warm..gentle...and it leaves her feeling so content..like a feeling of peace that swells up within her and lets her know tht she made the right choice. that it will be OKAYYU!!!!!!!!!! i think that's gotta be in one of her top ten.. perhaps.

[romanitas]

i just saw your tag, happy birthday!! hope it is a great one ^^

thank you!! it was great, i had very excellent thai food and a weird christmas adventure 💖

[hazelmoon-rah]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers ♡

My beloved crab family (you each deserve to be ur own item on the list but that seems like it would be considered cheating so I shall resist)

The orange chicken from my local Chinese restaurant

Anything and everything The Last Unicorn-related

Bunnies

Listening to people explain niche lore about something they're super interested in, even if it's not something I'm usually into

[thisaccountisagainstmywill]

random OC ask: what would your OC wear on an average day? what would they wear to a special event?

[feel free to include reference images, if you'd like!]

Thank you for this ask! This has been an excellent excuse to pull the sketches I've been sitting on for the last few months together and throw them onto some quick paper dolls-type models. Luce Locke the Half-Elf Lore Bard

Every day Luce wears oversized clothes (don't ask where she got them from) adjusted to fit her properly with either ties, corsetry, vests, or exceptionally wide belts. For a formal outfit: I've gone with a Hero of Baldur's Gate, patriar-appropriate styling that leans a bit more into her Wood Elf Heritage fancied up but still keeps the silhouette type she prefers.

Elain Freespawn the Tiefling Sorcerer

Elain's every-day post game uses elements of her old formal robes softened up. She keeps the 'belly dancing' bells as part of her costume because she enjoys how they sound like windchimes when she flies around. Elaine's Formal outfit is a de-gore-ified version of her old cult robes.. -- Which is largely based on one of my own RennFair costumes

Aerfen Mlaștină the Human Monk

Aerfen's every clothes are just her monk clothes which are based on traditional formal Romanian clothing. Her formal clothing is her normal monk robes plus a Vest. Very fancy. :)

Malkira, Chosen of Bhaal the Drow Druid

Mal's everyday clothes are her personal (non-Bhaalist) assassin robes. Her favorite clothes. She likes that it gives her a weird silhouette around her joints when she crouches. Her formal clothes are her cult leader-worn clothes, she does no other formal events willingly. And this is where I would put Vlaaz, Githyanki Cleric of Vlaakith. But to be honest, drawing the Githyanki armor sucks ass. And I was only going to joke that she wears the same thing for daily and formal and it wasn't worth it. Here's Vlaaz anyway. I think she's neat.

She will not dress up any more than this. This is perfection.

[unreadpoppy]

A Noble Beast

Minthara centric fic (with a side of Minthara x Tav)

Summary: Minthara is no stranger to her companions' distrust, but when an unseen enemy preys on the uneasiness between them, the consequences may be severe.

My contribution for the BG3 Women's Wrongs zine

A/N: tw: animal death

This is the fic I wrote for the @bg3womenswrongs, way back in September. During that time, my dog, Malta, got extremely sick and unfortunetly, passed away, which served in part as inspiration for this. I think I'm still grieving her.

Shout out to @inaconstantstateofchange for beta reading this fic 🩷

ps: @viina-art did some amazing spot art for this fic, you can check it out here

word count: 2,527

Minthara first began to notice how strangely Halsin had been acting a week before, while they were out in the city, buying supplies. 

She’d never expected them to be friends, but the two had achieved a somewhat mutual understanding. Minthara did not bother him and he did not bother her. 

But that day, as she waited for Galatea - the group's de facto leader - and Astarion, to finish their shopping, Halsin came up behind her and whispered so delicately, she almost believed it was a trick of the mind. 

“You do not belong here,” he said. “The others will soon see who you truly are. They do not want you here.” 

She scowled. “Mind your tongue, darthiir, before I rip it out.” 

Halsin smirked. “Oh, but you wouldn’t dare.”

Her nostrils flared. “Is that a challenge?” 

“No. It is a fact. If you were to hurt me, who would the others believe more? The druid, who has always lent a helping hand, or the vengeful drow, born and bred in betrayal?”  

Minthara frowned, straightening her back and examining his eyes closely. There was something…perverse in them. As Halsin was not infected by a tadpole, Minthara could not reach his mind, but her instinct told her something was afoot. 

The same instinct that had told her to trust the outstretched hand of Galatea.

Her first thought was to bring it up to the others, but it quickly perished. Minthara would not throw baseless accusations with only her intuition as proof, and even if she did, the rest of the party would call her paranoid. Although she knew that Galatea would trust her judgment, she would not risk the two of them losing the artifact’s protection.

Minthara took a deep breath. “Meditate with one eye open, druid. I do not give my enemies a chance to strike against me.” 

Halsin said nothing, as his mouth twisted into a sardonic smile, giving Minthara an unreadable look before turning his attention elsewhere. 

.

It was evening, and the camp was quiet as Minthara laid on the hammock inside her tent. Almost everyone had gone into the city, but she had elected to stay behind, citing injuries from their last battle.

Surrounded by silence, she contemplated her current situation, as she entered a state of trance. Halsin wasn't the only one who had been acting increasingly strangely towards her. 

There had always been an invisible barrier between the party and Minthara. She remembered hearing their concern when she first joined camp, fearing she would act against them at any point. Even after weeks of traveling together, she could still sense a distrust. Whether in camp or in battle, they were distant from her. She thought back to their last battle. Minthara had been cornered by their enemies. She had looked at Shadowheart for assistance but the cleric had hesitated, only moving after she had already been struck. 

This rankled Minthara. She never expected them to be friends - nor did she particularly want to be - but how would they defeat the cult of the Absolute with so much distrust between them? 

And she knew who was causing this - Halsin. 

She had seen how he would whisper in the others’ ears, things she could not hear, but judging from how they would look at her, it was nothing good. He had also begun to bring up the Grove more, even in casual conversation, and he'd remind everyone what Minthara's original plans were. Afterwards, she'd see the way they all looked at each other, shifting in their seats.

At the very least, Galatea trusted her — a fact she was grateful for. The two had grown intimately close since Moonrise Towers, and although their relationship was still fresh, Minthara knew that the tiefling valued her presence, and as long as she did, Minthara would be safe. 

During that time, when she was feeling ostracized, Minthara had often found herself playing with Scratch. At first, she thought the dog to be a lowly beast, a mongrel who only followed them for food, but he ended up growing on her. 

Scratch, unlike many, was loyal. Though such a concept was uncommon and even despised in the Underdark, it was a trait Minthara had found herself admiring as of late, and she soon found that Scratch, a dog who had originally attacked the group for getting too close to its master’s body, was less likely to turn on her than some of her so called companions. 

When she was lonely, he’d run to her with his ball in his mouth, placing it at her feet, ears perked in a hopeful request. 

Minthara would indulge him, grabbing the ball and throwing it far. He’d run to it, and bring it back to her. A simple thing, but Scratch's enthusiasm for it lifted her spirits, a reluctant smile growing on her face as his tail wagged happily.

Her meditation was interrupted by the sound of Scratch’s bark. Immediately, Minthara sprung into action, grabbing a nearby weapon, prepared to ward off any intruders in the camp. Instead, she saw Scratch growling at Halsin, showing the druid his teeth, as the elf looked at him with disgust. 

When Halsin raised his fist, Minthara shouted Scratch’s name, grabbing their attention. She walked towards them, her weapon still in hand, and the dog quickly ran to her side. 

“Look at how he goes to his mistress.” Halsin sneered at him. “So obedient, so subservient. Did she tell you to attack me?” 

Scratch barked, and Minthara moved to stand between the two. 

“Keep your bloody mutt in check,” Halsin growled. “Before I find a way to silence him for good.” 

Minthara raised a brow. “Surprising that a druid such as yourself would be so bothered by a dog. Was it not a greater beast that gave you those scars?” 

“Yes. But the owlbear who did it is no longer in this world. I will not be provoked by any beast, great or small.”

Minthara’s eyes squinted. “You mean the bear who did it. I recall you saying it was a female bear who attacked you.” 

Halsin’s jaw clenched. “You probably misheard it. It was an owlbear.” 

Minthara did not reply. A moment passed, the two staring at each other, before Minthara took a step back and left, Scratch following behind. Neither of them relaxed until the druid was well out of sight. 

.

The following night, Minthara sat by the campfire, cleaning her weapons, still seething as she  remembered the woman from the Couriers, who’d claimed Scratch was hers. After she’d demanded the dog to be returned to her, Minthara had almost snapped her neck, the action only stopped by Galatea using her silver tongue to deceive the woman. 

“I didn’t realize you cared that much for Scratch.” Galatea said now, standing close by with her arms loosely crossed. 

“He is a noble beast,” Minthara responded. “And loyal - a quality many lack. It would have been foolish to betray him, to leave him with that bitch. Scratch belongs with us.” 

Galatea nodded. “I agree.”

A moment of silence passed between the two when Galatea said, “You know, he reminds me of you.” 

Minthara lifted an eyebrow. “Are you calling me a dog?” 

“No,” the tiefling shook her head, chuckling. “I just mean that you two are similar in how you act. Protective, caring, loyal.” 

Minthara opened her mouth to reply when a scream rang from across camp. Immediately, the two women ran towards the sound. 

In the barn where the owlbear cub typically slept, Shadowheart was kneeling, crying over…

Minthara caught a glimpse of white fur and felt an unfamiliar dread rising in her stomach. 

“Shadowheart? What’s wrong?” Galatea asked. 

“Look at him!” She stood up, pointing to the ground. The others arrived just as she did, all met with the sight of Scratch’s limp body, his eyes open but unmoving

Dead. 

From the corner of her eye, Minthara saw Karlach put a hand to her mouth, a curse falling from her lips as she cried, while Wyll hugged her from the side in comfort.

But her attention was quickly drawn back to Scratch, and she felt a sudden pain inside of her. 

She scowled. It was strange. She had seen death before, even of those she loved. She had killed lovers and held them in their final moments, and even in those moments she had not felt…this. This sudden empty feeling, the same as when a child loses its first spider. Minthara despised this feeling. 

Shaking her head, she stepped closer, and put a hand to Scratch’s fur. What was once warm and welcoming was now cold. Scratch should not be this cold. She petted his head, as she would normally do, and she felt her skin prickle with the strange sensation of something wet on her face. 

Tears. It was almost odd. How long had it been since she last cried?

Minthara quickly wiped them away, and stood up. Galatea's cold hand rested gently on her back,

“Are you alright?” The tiefling asked. 

“I-”

“How could you?” Halsin interjected suddenly, directing a furious look at Minthara. 

“Excuse me?” 

“You fool no one with this act. You know what you did, drow.” He turned to the rest of the group, grabbing Scratch’s dog bowl. “I saw you putting something in Scratch’s bowl.”

“It was his food.” Minthara said flatly.

“But that wasn't all, was it?” He handed the object to Shadowheart. “You’re a cleric. See if there’s anything wrong with it.” 

She looked between them, brow furrowed, before she muttered a prayer and passed her hand over the bowl, which still held some scraps of food. There was a faint yellowish glow on the food, and on Scratch’s muzzle. 

“It…it’s poison. His food was poisoned.” Shadowheart concluded and all eyes turned to Minthara, a grim accusation building within them. 

Minthara’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Halsin. “How dare you.” She bit out in a low voice, before turning to the rest of the group. “His accusations are false. I would not have intentionally hurt Scratch, much less take his life.”

“She lies.” Halsin declared. “You cannot believe her words.” 

“But…but why would she do it?” Karlach asked. 

“For the same reason she would have attacked the grove, child. Because she can.” 

“I have to agree.” Astarion chimed in. “We have all seen how ruthless Minthara is.If anything, I'm surprised it's taken her this long to get fed up with playing nice.”

“You know that’s not true,” Galatea defended. “Minthara never-”

“Would she not?” He scoffed. “You are too blinded by infatuation to see the truth. Minthara would sacrifice all of us to get what she wanted. At least I own up to my kills.” 

Soon enough, the situation devolved to a shouting match. Accusations were thrown from all sides, calling Minthara a monster, a cold and calculating murderer. Galatea continued to protest, with Karlach and even Gale chiming in as well, but everyone else kept pointing fingers at her. 

Minthara stayed silent, as her gaze shifted between Scratch and Halsin, trying to understand what had happened. It was when the druid caught her gaze, his mouth twisting into a sinister smirk, that it all clicked. 

“Orin.” Minthara uttered, the word ringing with iron fury. The druid’s smirk grew, stretching and warping unnaturally as his skin melted away to reveal the Chosen of Bhaal. 

“You spoil my fun. I was going to enjoy watching as they tore you into precious pieces I could gift to my dear father.” Orin sighed, pouting insincerely. “At least I still have your druid to content myself with.” She laughed, twisting the ring in her finger and in a flash of light, she was gone, leaving them to the chaos in her wake. 

Silence rang across camp, as though no one dared to speak for a long moment. Looks were exchanged, heads shook in shame and guilt as the truth of the matter sunk in. 

Minthara walked towards Scratch, picking up his body, ignoring the others muttered regrets and attempted apologies

“Don’t apologize.” She said, back turned to them as she grabbed a shovel. “It is far too late for that now.” 

. 

Minthara chose to bury Scratch in a spot not too far from camp, in a wooded space that had been the site of more than one game of fetch. The effort left Minthara sweaty and covered in dirt when Galatea found her sitting on the ground, back resting against a tree.

Minthara chose to stay awake, looking at the fire she’d built to keep her company. Soon, Galatea joined her, sitting besides her on the floor. 

“Thank you.” Minthara said. “For trusting me, even when others didn’t.” 

Galatea held her hand and nodded. “Always. Though, I apologize for what happened.” 

Minthara shook her head. “There’s no point in doing so.” She sighed. “I expected this would happen.” 

Galatea frowned. “How?” 

“I grew up in Menzoberranzan. Betrayal is as normal as breathing.”

“But this isn’t the Underdark.” 

“Is it not? Spinning a web of lies to sow chaos is exactly the type of thing Lolth would be proud of.” She scoffed. “I do not need them to like me, but seeing as we share the same goal, a certain level of trust was expected.” She shook her head. “My freedom depends on the Prism to ward off the Absolute’s influence. I would not risk losing that with betrayal, even if it’s what others believe of me.” 

Minthara closed her eyes. “Halsin had been acting strangely. I should have known it was her. I should have told you my suspicions.” 

Galatea frowned. “Then why didn’t you?” 

“I…don’t know.” She answered honestly. “I feared no one would believe me, and my suspicions would be regarded as baseless accusations.” Minthara paused and took a deep breath. “I hesitated and now…” she didn’t finish her sentence, as her gaze turned to where Scratch was buried.  

That unfamiliar ache from before bloomed in her chest again, as she thought of Scratch. “He knew it was Orin.” Minthara whispered, a stray tear falling down her cheek. Galatea gently wiped it away as Minthara spoke. “He barked at her, and that’s when I knew it wasn’t Halsin. And still, I hesitated.” Her jaw clenched, as she took a deep breath. “I do not care that the others don’t trust me, but for them to believe I would ever hurt Scratch…” 

She looked away from Galatea, her next words coming in a helpless murmur. "Why would they think I killed the dog? I liked the dog."

The two stayed silent, looking at the moon, when Minthara finally stood up. 

“I hesitated once and Scratch died for it. I will not make the same mistake again.” She grabbed the shovel, and began marching towards camp, Galatea following behind. 

Entering her tent, she said, “Tomorrow, we will go after her, and when we do find her, I will kill Orin. Then, and only then, will I smile.” Her fists were clenched and she looked at Galatea. “Are you with me?” 

She nodded, eyes firm. “Yes.” 

“Good. For I will not know peace until Orin is dead.”

[yuanzhous]

Get attacked!! ✨🌈SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING🌈✨

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ now with secret evil boop ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

[BOOPS YOU BACK] 💖

[shellem15]

The Case of Baalphegor

So, in DnD lore, there's this one character who gives me a lot of brainrot: Baalphegor, the she-devil consort to the Archdevil Mephistopheles. (For my bg3 girlies, this would be Raphael's stepmother!) As you can imagine, she isn't really talked about much, but what we do know about her is super cool!

(Note: Though I don't subscribe to their theories, @inaconstantstateofchange has a pretty good compilation of some of the lore and sources I'm using here.)

Baalphegor is an archdevil who's been around since the beginning of Hell (Baator), described as a skilled diplomat, tactician, and unmatched sorceress, as well as an inventor who's created a ton of artifacts and techniques used in the Hells. She's well-respected, and has many allies among Hell's upper echelon (Pit Fiends in particular).

So already, she's got a lot going for her (we love evil women in STEM). But here's where things get interesting:

Baalphegor is, apparently, extremely respected and valued by Asmodeus himself. So much so that he lets her live with Mephisto, and is one of the major reasons why Asmo tolerates him and his constant scheming. Now this is crazy, considering Asmo and his Big Fuckin Massive Ego™ and general lack of respect for anyone he considers "lesser", which is everyone.

Baalphegor toes the line between the two archdevils, keeping her goals "to herself" and being minimally loyal to Mephisto, while also maybe vying for a spot at being Asmo's new consort (or at least getting closer to him). Mephisto tolerates this because of the protection she gives him, but I imagine that he's not too happy about it. (Also she's gone missing? Which isn't really relevant to this post but is still something to note).

All of these details combined suggests to me that she has way more sway over how things are run in Cania (the 8th Hell) than we're told, perhaps even more so than Mephisto! The devil behind the throne, whispering into her arrogant consort's ear. I think this is neat, and makes Mephisto even more of a girlfailure, which is funny as hell (pun intended).

Small sidenote: in the lore of Hell, there's these guys called the Ancient Baatorians, the original rulers/inhabitants of Baator (Hell). These guys were pretty much all murked by Asmo and his devils when they conquered Hell, but some remnants of them survived: In the Dogai (assassin devils), who were transformed into devils; in the nupperibos, which are their larval stage; in more grown ancient baatorians called life stealers (an invisible monster which eats light and your life-force). These more mature forms are only really found in the cave systems beneath Malbolge and Maladomini (the 6th and 7th hells), places which even devils don't enter. There are also some of these guys trapped in the ice of Cania, as well. (Lore about them is compiled in Power Score RPG's Blog here.)

Why did I bring up the Ancient Baatorians, you may be asking? Well, some people on the internet really think that Baalphegor is an Ancient Baatorian. The original ruler of Cania, even. Now, I've looked and there seems to be no lore basis for this at all, but its fucking awesome so I've decided to include it here.

Additional Sidenote: So Asmodeus (and the Hells, by extension) has a lot of origins stories, all of which are iffy at best. One of the origin stories is that he's secretly a giant evil snake called Ahriman who, along with his goodly snake-sibling Jazirian, created the universe and the planes out of the primordial soup with the power of Law™. They disagreed on where to center the universe, and in the resulting conflict Ahriman fell into the Hells where his body now lays wounded at the bottom of Nessus. Ahriman eventually disguised himself and now rules the Hells  as Asmodeus, biding his time and eating the souls of atheists to heal his wounds and eventually rule the cosmos.

Now I don't particularly like this origin story (I find it just makes Asmo less interesting), but the idea of a big giant snake being the original ruler of Hell is sick, so I propose we take a page out of Pathfinder's book and give it to someone who's not Asmodeus. Who, you may asking? Baalphegor, of course!

…

The frozen peaks of Cania hold many dangers, but none so insidious as its dark mistress, the Lady Baalphegor. Consort to the Archduke Mephistopheles, Baalphegor takes a backseat role in the rulership of Cania, but is by no means unimportant—she is, perhaps, the smartest devil in all the Hells; A trait which has seen her rise to a position of great power.

Baalphegor holds immense sway and influence in the Nine Hells. Preferring diplomacy over brute force, her power is subtler than her consort's explosive dramatics—but has far greater reach and longer-lasting impact. That is not to say she is physically weak—she is an unmatched sorceress in the Hells and beyond—but that she'd rather make a friend than an enemy. A rare trait in the Hells, indeed.

Much like her husband, Baalphegor is an inventor, one who has created many of the profane artifacts and diabolical techniques used throughout the Hells. Her knowledge is as vast as Cania's great glaciers, collected over many eons with perfectly preserved clarity. Her spellcraft is precise and calculated, in contrast with Mephistopheles' volatile magics. In addition to her role as the Lady of Mephistar—Mephistopheles' great citadel—Baalphegor oversees the operations of the various libraries and laboratories in the frozen citadel. It is said that she can recite, by word, all the texts and tombs found within Mephistar's halls.

These traits have earned Baalphegor a position of great esteem in the Hells, so much so that she is respected by even the Archduke of Nessus, Asmodeus himself. The Lord of Lies counts her as a great friend and ally, often seeking her advice and counsel in matters requiring a more delicate hand. Rumors persist that Baalphegor's influence is one of the major reasons why the Lord of the Hells has not deposed her unruly consort.

In any case, an understanding exists between the two that Mephistopheles is not privy to, a fact which ignites much jealousy and insecurity within the Cold Lord. Despite the tensions between them, Baalphegor manages to walk the fine line between the two Archdukes, appearing loyal to both her consort and her King without making a distinction between the two.

Baalphegor's talents and connections have made her an invaluable asset to her consort, but also a grave threat. If she so chose to, she could quite easily overthrow the Lord of Hellfire. Luckily for Mephistopheles, however, Baalphegor has no current desire for usurpation, content with being the power behind Cania's icy throne.

While all in the Hells know Baalphegor to be an old and powerful devil, few are aware of the true extent of that fact. The entity known as Baalphegor is an ancient being—older than the Hells, older than Asmodeus, older than the Outer Planes itself. A serpent as vast as a galaxy, devoid of any light save for the stars in its belly. A devourer of suns and stars, one who feeds off of light and life and hope itself.

Somehow, this great serpent found itself trapped in the depths of Cania, long before any devil stepped foot in the realm. It found kin amongst those strange and incomprehensible Ancient Baatorians, the original rulers of Baator. This state lasted for countless eons, until the arrival of the Heavens' greatest angel, a young Asmodeus.

Before his fall, the Lord of the Hells discovered the plane of Baator on one of his many expeditions to the Abyss. Intrigued, he ventured deep into the bowels of this dark realm, until he found the great serpent in its nest. Instead of devouring him, the serpent hosted the Son of Light, sharing with him secret knowledge and long-forgotten truths of the cosmos. Asmodeus left the serpent's nest with his life, and, more importantly, a newfound friend.

When Asmodeus returned to Baator with his infernal host, he entreated the serpent for its aid in his conquest over the plane. The serpent agreed, on condition that the favor be repaid at the time and place of its choosing. This is the only debt that the Lord of Nessus still yet owes.

The serpent donned the guise of Baalphegor, and served as Asmodeus' advisor in his war against her former kin. With her knowledge, the Lord of the Hells vanquished his foes and seated himself upon the throne of Nessus. He rewarded her with a position of power in Cania, but cleverly did not grant her the title of Archduke, instead bestowing it to the obstinate yet controllable Mephistopheles. Baalphegor was made consort to the Lord of Cania, a station she holds to this day.

The truth of Baalphegor is only known to herself and Asmodeus, a secret well-kept and well-hidden. Only the lady herself can say what her true goals are, but for now she bides her time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.