#like how i didn't pick up lae'zel because i didn't understand how to get her out of the cage lol

[museofvoid]

not that anyone's asked but i keep thinking about this and i feel like i need to explain how this happened

so, when i started this game everything was new and confusing and very overwhelming to me, i was only there to kiss the vampire ffs. either way, i left the crash site and, after picking up a few companions along the way, i found myself at some ruins. i killed the bandits outside and had my first long rest right after. the next day i tried to get inside the temple, but the guy at the door wouldn't let me through and i didn't know how else to get inside so i gave up and left.

instead i found my way to the druids grove, i fought off the goblins and was let inside. i talked to the tieflings and the druids, who were all talking about some ritual to close off the grove and throw out the tieflings, unless! their missing archdruid would come back to stop it! and the ritual was almost done, so i had to find him!

from this i made the assumption that this quest was on a time limit. i thought that if i long rested now, the druids would close the grove and the tieflings would be doomed.

so, i rushed over to the goblin camp! as a drow, any goblins along the way were very nice and let me pass without any trouble. i got to the temple, and made my way straight inside. there some goblins were telling me about their three leaders, assuming i was there to see the drow. so after a few stops along the way to help some prisoners, i went to see the drow.

i find the drow, knowing i have to kill her, and get straight to it. i honestly don't remember exactly what i did here, i think i wanted to get rid of the scrying eye, which obviously upset minthara, causing her to attack me in turn. this fight took me several tries, because i was still at like level 2, maybe 3? anyway, after much struggle i eventually defeat her, but it took a toll on my party.

but i kept going. i found bear halsin in a cage and helped free him, and i was so relieved. this meant he would return to the grove and the tieflings would be fine! i was again in pretty rough shape after that fight, so i thought it would be a great time to finally take another long rest :)

but halsin didn't like that. "what are you doing?" he asked. "we need to kill these goblins!" he said. so, reluctantly, i kept going. thankfully with halsin on our side we got some much needed support in the next fight against priestess gut. it still took a few tries, but was far easier than minthara.

only one leader left now, but the team was not looking good, and our stock of healing potions were running low. halsin with his healing and, what? level 5? was a god send. the fight against dror ragzlin was still pretty bad. his band of goblins were mostly fine to deal with, but if ragzlin himself got close he would practically one-shot any of us with that fucking hammer.

i had to get a bit creative to survive this one. learning how to take advantage of the environment, and using area damage, with what little i had to work with.

in the end, i'm not even sure how i did it, but beat him. and after some final exploration of the now empty temple i just fast traveled back to the grove (thank the gods i didn't walk out the front door!)

and that's it, the druids were happy (except for kagha), the tieflings were happy, and they wanted to have a party at my camp. so i got to fuck astarion very early on which was fun, but other than that i was a bit disappointed that this party i had heard about happened so early in the game lmao

TL;DR - i thought that if i long rested after finding emerald grove, the druids would finish the ritual and throw out the tieflings. which meant that to prevent this i struggled to defeat the goblins in one single day while being severely underleveled :)

after now having spent over 500 hours playing baldur's gate, it's kind of insane to think back on that in my first playthrough i had the tiefling party on my second long rest

[smallnico]

durge desensitizes to casual positive affection and friendship compilation

also known as real feline durge hours. esper's companions look at them and say Is Anyone Gonna Manhandle That Murderous Twink and then not wait for an answer. contexts/explanations under readmore for the curious

lae'zel and esper do morning exercises and meditation together. most of the time they pass the time in silence, but sometimes they're joined by the local wildlife. esper is a great fan of showing their friends things they might find interesting as a form of affection instead of words, especially with lae'zel, since they have a common discomfort with small talk.

esper doesn't like looking at themself in the mirror, so their makeup is always ancient and haphazardly applied, a fact that distresses the more image-conscientious shadowheart. she and esper have a sibling-like relationship fuelled by mutual amnesia and goth solidarity, among other things, but sometimes a sister has to take it upon herself to fix her stinky sibling's wings.

i already expanded on wyll and esper's dynamic a bit in this piece and i didn't feel like drawing the same thing twice, but suffice it to say, they have absolutely no idea how to talk to each other, but still look out for each other. the joke here is about how i've done a couple of long rests in-game with just alcohol i've found. hey 5 camp supplies is 5 camp supplies

jaheira unearths esper's forgotten mother issues. no real things to add here. no thoughts only cub.

gale said way back in act 1 that esper reminded him of tara, and esper isn't leaning into that on purpose per se, but as i said for lae'zel, they like getting their friends things those friends might enjoy. they also love chaos. show your evocation wizard some love by bringing him extremely destructive spells to play with. show your durge some love by casting chain lightning and letting them watch

i have no justification for this one lmao. esper isn't a Huge fan of being picked up and hefted around like a sack of oats, but maybe they should've thought of that before being small and scoop-uppable. socially, esper and halsin don't click especially well, but esper is fundamentally a creature, and therefore pretty easy for halsin to understand. obviously they don't mind that much :J

esper and karlach voted two most touch-starved nerds in faerun, they help each other cope by sleeping in a cuddle pile like cats. karlach runs warm even after getting her engine tuned up, but esper doesn't mind. she's cozy

astarion is by far the person esper is the most verbal with, probably because he's the only one who really thinks the durgeisms that slip out are funny and #relatable. everyone else errs on the side of caution with esper, but astarion knows he's allowed to take liberties with them, and he does. they have the same sense of humour. these two freaks are completely insufferable together because they're vibing so hard on a level incomprehensible to everyone around them, but astarion can put a stop to esper's self-destructive internal stress engine, and esper can drag him into helping and working hard. the others have no choice but to tolerate them as a couple because no matter how unhinged they are as a unit, they're so much worse for society on the whole as individuals. do not separate them

if you read all this, hope you enjoyed this illumination of esper's party dynamics, i love you <3 enjoy

[teaffrogy]

Hi! I saw you were looking for ideas so I'm going to submit a couple if that's okay! Feel free to ignore if not lol

First idea is for Gale (he needs more attention in this fandom!!) Tav who's kind but completely oblivious when it comes to flirting getting hit on and just not picking up on it, how would Gale react or not react? Would his reaction be different if he saw it from afar, up close, or just heard about it? Can be pre-relationship or during :)

Second idea can be for any or all companions (personally tho I think it'd be interesting for astarion, halsin, and gale) Their reactions (separate) to Tav realizing there's mutual attraction so they take them aside and nervously confess that they're asexual and would understand if they don't want to be partners after knowing this about them and that they wanted to tell them before things got serious.

Sorry for rambling in your inbox but I hope this was atleast somewhat helpful :D

Omg yes both I love sm omggg okay imma work on one first then the other. And I totally agree! Gale deserves more attention! I adore that man sm😭❤️ also so sorry it took me a while I have been taking care of my cat who got surgery

Oblivious Tav

Gale x Reader(Tav)

I honestly believe Gale immediately Knew Tav was super oblivious to people Flirting on them And he first found out About it when Lae'zel made the first move. Instead of falling for her words, you just gave her a puzzled look. “I'm sorry Lae’zel. I don't want to fight with you.”

The second time he saw it was with Astarion at The tiefling party. Of course he put his Vampiric charms on you but it just flew past you. And Astarion had this look on his face that made Gale burst out laughing. Some of the tieflings gave him a puzzled look.

Another interaction was when a tiefling was flirting with you. She rubbed your hand up and down softly that he himself even felt the shivers. She had tried to tell Tav how gorgeous they are and how even better they would look under her. But that left you confused. “Why do you want me to lay down?”

Like always, he found it funny because what you say and the other is the person's reaction. But Gale wouldn't lie, he had fallen in love with you the day he taught you how to cast spells just so you could feel what he feels, the magic of it. It was just the way your eyes shined as you looked around you. The moment you Two had made him realize how much he wanted you in his life, read a book beside you, be on his balcony, have a cup of tea or coffee, whatever you like to drink! And just read a book with you, watch the sunset, see the boats sail away, watch the waves of the sea. And just be with you. He loves you.

After that, he did try to make some moves.

Gale didn't know if he should feel bad or

embarrassed for you.

No matter how many times he tries to flirt, it simply just flies Over your head. You two were in the shadowlands and he took so much time and dedication to say those words to you that it simply flew past you. Astarion couldn't help but let a Laugh. Shadowheart was holding hers in. He knew you were obviously but not that much!

He tried it again, a small pick up line and you just stared at him and gods he loves you but oh my god he also is embarrassed when you simply don't get it. He had to actually say those three words.

“What I am trying to say is that I am in love with you. I love you.” Gale says and your eyes go wide at those words. “And I have been trying to make you get the hints that I am really in love with you but it just flies by you. I was thinking it was the tadpole wiggling those words out but that's just how you are.” He says and you feel embarrassed. “Oh.” You say and Gale holds your hands. “I'm in love with you Tav.” and he brings your hands close to his lips, kisses each one hand and looks up at you. “I love you too Gale.” You say and he's more than happy to hear those Words come out.

And even now that you two are together, it simply flies by you. From times you do get his little pick up lines, but there are those other times where it flies by.

But Gale loves that about Tav and finds it cute.

[thatfreshi]

"Yeah, Besties" (Uni AU P. 11)

tw - slight mention of abuse

You and Astarion proceed to spend all your free time together, which isn't much for him, but it's nice in between the stresses of life. You go from barely being friends to almost inseparable, studying in his dorm and talking about nonsense. There's plenty of times when he has to disappear for miscellaneous modeling things, which he still doesn't really talk about, but you don't mind.

It's been about a week and a half since Astarion got back from LA, and things have been getting much better for everyone. Academics are picking up, sports are starting, and your little group of, 'friends,' has started to somewhat get along, which is a big relief. Since the seven of you are still working on that damned public speaking project, you meet up on Saturday to start discussing the presentation, but of course, you don't actually end up doing that. Besides, who goes to Starbucks and actually ends up studying?

"Ugh! Tav, I told you it was going to be far too busy here on a Saturday."

You roll your eyes at your white-haired friend.

"We're not even staying here, we're going over to the park across the street. Cool it broody."

He mocks you and you elbow him in the arm, making sure to be gentle about it in case there's some other 'scrape' he hasn't told you about.

"Can the two of you stop flirting and decide what you want please?"

Lae'zel is impatient, especially when it comes to caffeine.

"This? This is not flirting, we're like besties."

You throw Astarion a smile, and he responds, almost reluctantly.

"Yeah, besties."

You hear Gale and Shadowheart giggle to themselves somewhere in the back of the group, but you're not sure what about. Probably some bullshit they always find funny that no one else seems to understand. After some group discussion, Karlach decides to pay for everyone's drink, because oddly enough she's never been in a Starbucks.

"I don't know, I've just never gone! Drink a lot of protein smoothies, ya know? Coffee isn't really my thing."

Shadow of course is wrapped around Karlach's buff arm, and here's where someone would say that thing about sapphics and move-in vans on second dates. Eventually you all make up your minds. You get an iced coffee, something basic for your still-waking brain. The rest of the orders go as follows:

Astarion gets a caffè mocha, but asks for double the espresso, which you soon find out is six shots. You know from texting him this morning that he didn't sleep last night, and you're honestly not sure how he lives off of the amount of caffeine he drinks.

Karlach gets the dragon drink because she thinks it sounds cool.

Shadowheart orders a pink drink, blended, and proceeds to deal with intense teasing from Wyll about her edgy exterior. She yells at him about how she just like strawberries, and the aesthetic of her drink has nothing to do with how cool and mysterious she is.

Wyll then orders a chai latte, admitting he's never actually had coffee before after he was scared off of it as a kid.

Gale, like the classic man he is, goes with the caramel macchiato, but makes sure to ask three times that they're using almond milk, making a big deal about how his stomach will not handle it well if it's actual milk.

Lae'zel gets straight-up black coffee, hot. That's it. She doesn't add sugar, creamer, not even a little flavor, just hot black coffee.

So the baristas get to work on your myriad of drinks. You go to ask Astarion something, but quickly get interrupted by a stranger tapping you on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I just wanted to say, you are absolutely gorgeous. Mother Nature blessed us the day she made you."

You turn around to see a rather tall and built man. Your cheeks can't help but fill with red at the sincerity of the compliment you've just been given.

"Thank you! See, you guys really should worship my looks more."

"I know this might be strange, but I'd be honored to take you out sometime. Here's my number, you don't have to text me if you don't want to, but I just couldn't pass up this opportunity. Oh, and I'm Halsin, a pleasure to meet you."

This Halsin character soon walks off, leaving you with a receipt he's written his number on.

"Wow, and I thought I was a gentleman."

Wyll is clearly shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"Seriously, Tav you have to text him! What a heart throb."

Shadow eggs on the flirting that just occurred.

"I don't know, should I? What if he's like a weirdo."

"Oh c'mon, he seems so sweet! You'd be stupid to not at least give him a chance."

There are murmurs of support for Karlach's statement. Soon, your drinks are done, and your ragtag group starts to leave the building.

"I mean, he was maybe a little forward. And the line about 'Mother Nature?' Did he not have anything better?"

"We get it Astarion, you think you're a master flirt. Not everyone is as lusty as you are."

You don't see it, but Astarion proceeds to give Gale a solid middle finger, and Gale matches him. As much as everyone's getting better at getting along, those two still have some trouble.

"I don't know, maybe I should text him. I mean what's the harm?"

"I don't know, the possibility that he could be a serial killer freak?"

"Astarion, he's not a serial killer. There is literally no way the guy that came up to us is capable of murdering anything."

Shadowheart takes a drink of her pulverized fruity beverage in confidence.

"Alright fine, but if darling Tav gets murdered, don't blame me!"

"I mean c'mon Astarion, you hate every guy I'm interested in on the apps anyways."

It's true, because you've sat there and scrolled through Hinge with him far too many times, and everyone you've ever come across has received negative remarks from your pale friend.

"Because they're all weird! Besides, I find making a real-life connection is much more enticing."

"Says the guy who has never been in an actual relationship."

"You shut it Gale! This mystery woman is the first person you've ever been with, so you have no room to talk. Besides, I'm sure I've bed more people than you've ever laid eyes upon."

"Woah, cat fight. Calm down, you might scratch an eye out."

Wyll's comment earns a few laughs. The group eventually gets to the park across the street, finding a large shady tree to sit under. Astarion makes some off-hand comment about how his pants are too nice to be grass-stained, but he ends up joining the rest of you anyway.

"Okay Tav, so how do we craft this message to the hot nature guy? Because honestly I'd climb him like a tree if I could, you're lucky."

Shadowheart scooches next to you in order to brainstorm.

"Oh, so we're still on this? Great. I'll be over here, not thinking about the wannabe nudist."

"Come on Astarion, you have to help too! Shadow's too thirsty. I need a voice of reason."

He rolls his eyes, only obliging because you're the one asking.

"Fine. We will craft a text to this Halsin fellow."

While the others check their student email and actually do productive things, the three of you sit over your phone, wondering what to send to this hunky stranger. After Shadow and Astarion argue quite a bit, you settle on a sweet but intrigued message.

"Are you guys sure I should hit send? I don't know, what if he was kidding? Or it's like some prank?"

"Tav, if it was a prank I'll kill him."

Shadowheart agrees.

"I second Astarion, I would also kill him."

"Okay, fine! I'm doing it!"

You're a little giddy, excited that a stranger so kindly hit on you. It could've been creepy and weird, but he was so nice. With a slight tap, you've sent the message, and your phone emits a little whoosh noise. Little did you know, Gale had started texting Astarion while listening to your conversation.

~~~

gale_eats_paint: you should tell them

wannabe.vamp: tell them what ??

gale_eats_paint: that you like them. i can see you gritting your teeth all the way from here

wannabe.vamp: fuck off gale, you don't know what you're talking about

gale_eats_paint: alright, if you insist on being secretive that's fine. but i wouldn't wait around too long. also your @ is lame. what are you, a middle schooler?

wannabe.vamp: i'm literally albino AND anemic it could not make more sense

~~~

"Oh god, he responded!"

Astarion perks up from his phone, giving Gale a look across the shaded patch of grass. The artist simply gives him a concerned, yet discreet eyebrow raise. You read out the message, which asks if you'd be free this evening for a botanical garden tour.

"Aw, that's adorable! Tell him you're free!"

Karlach is now scrunched up next to you and Shadow.

"Thanks guys, this is so exciting! And what a cute first date idea, bringing someone to a garden? Oh, and Astarion, you have to help me plan my outfit, pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

He rolls his eyes.

"Sure, since you asked so annoyingly, I will."

You go to wrap him in a grateful hug, which catches him severely off-guard.

"Thank you! You're the best Aster."

He almost questions the nickname, but decides to keep his mouth shut, because if this is the type of affection you're going to show him, he'll take it, no matter how small. Gale makes eye contact with him again though while you have him trapped in your warm embrace. While the two aren't particularly friendly, there's a sadness in Gale's eyes, knowing that Astarion won't speak up, no matter how much he wants to. Either way, he'll help you get ready for that date, even if it crushes him when you leave for the evening.

[antivanbrandy]

i wanted to take a crack at the relationship chart meme for bg3, but made life harder for myself in the process by doodling everyone asdfghjkl

a bit of info about the relationships under the readmore!

so to start from the top and work around clockwise:

Astarion: her best friend, her partner, and love of her life. his flippant hot-n-cold attitude at the start of their relationship (she failed that first big insight check so she didn't know it was all an act at the start) leaves her feeling bad about herself at times, but once they have their Act 2 heart-to-heart, their relationship only goes from strength to strength. we all know what a supportive and loving tav does for spawn!Astarion, but over the course of their adventure he supports her, too. they make each other stronger.

Rhapsody's self sacrificing need to help everyone, no matter how thin it spreads her, comes dangerously close to breaking her by late Act 2. Astarion talks her back from the ledge, so to speak, and helps her realise why she's doing it (Family Trauma Hour 2, Shitty Father Boogaloo) and the harm it's doing her in turn. it's purely self-interest that motivates him at first, because if she burns out then his protection and best chance at taking on Cazador goes with her, but once he comes to care for her his motives are much kinder.

i have so many post-game thoughts for these two, which includes an eventual cast of good old Reincarnation (which i honest to god rolled for and nearly squawked at the outcome) and the very specific complicated feelings that digs up for them, but if i keep typing i'll be here all day.

-

Gale: truly one of her best friends. she could sit with him in silence, just reading together, or her playing an instrument while he studies the weave, and be perfectly content. Rhaps is a lore bard, so she really enjoys swapping stories, information, and theories with him. she's also a big fan of his cooking, and enjoys the simple companionship of doing vegetable prep while he cooks and they chat together. she'd go to bat for him against anyone.

-

Wyll: a dear friend, and inspiration for more than one epic ballad (which makes him proud-blush every time). they swap tales, often together with Karlach, and he's been known to join her in a song and dance when she plays at camp if he's feeling in the spirits. they bond over complicated relationships with their fathers, love of good red wine, and most importantly, their unflinching dedication to helping people in need.

-

Lae'zel: their relationship is complicated. they both operate on a level the other just does not understand, and chafe against the others attitude to life. they grow to respect each other, but never truly become friends, which is sad because Lae'zel does get to a point where she'd like to extend that offer but has no idea how to voice her growing fondness, and then the adventure is over and she leaves with Voss.

-

Minsc: definitely a friend, even if they're not especially close. for his part, Minsc is delighted when Rhaps comes up with a little ditty about him ('from top to tail, evildoers do fear - Boo gnaws their eyes, Minsc kicks their rear!').

-

Jaheira: Rhaps' liked Jaheira immediately, as soon as she clocked the wine was spiked and Jaheira gave her that knowing smile and asked her to drink anyway. Rhaps grew up starved for parental approval and attention, and there's an undeniable current of Momther™ that carries with Jaheira's approval, stories, pick me ups, and pep talks that she latches onto very quickly. Jaheria herself is reluctant to be seen as a mother figure, she has her own kids after all, riiiiiight up until the point the gang come face to face with Rhaps and Aisling's father and she sees first hand how she's treated and how much she wilts in his company. After that it's just kind of defiant instinct, if a parental-flavoured pep talk is what the cub needs to get through the end of days, that's what she'll get, and her old man can go get fucked.

-

Shadowheart: Shadowheart and Rhapsody have a rocky start - Shart's combative attitude puts Rhaps on the backfoot, and they have a two steps forward one step back slow-crawl to understanding each other. There's a bit of a blow-up between them in the shadowlands that sets them back even more; Shadowheart's constant sneering and too-edgy-for-you remarks regarding Selune and Selunite magic grate on Rhapsody, who is already spread desperately thin by this point and is absolutely baffled Shart can't keep it buttoned for ONE minute when Selune is all that's standing between the people at Last Light -the tieflings she fought tooth n nail to save- and a gruesome death. and the more evidence they see of Shar's cruelty in the shadowlands, the more Rhaps begins to truly understand what Shar is capable of and the thinner she's spread from trying to help people in this bleak situation, the closer she gets to lashing out, until eventually Shadowheart goes one snippy comment too far and Rhaps blows up at her. they have it out, and it's bad, but when they eventually make up afterwards theyre stronger for it, and by the end of Act 3 theyre a lot closer than they ever thought possible.

-

Halsin: Halsin is a calming presence in Rhapsody's life. she thought turning down his offer was going to make things awkward for them, but it never did. there's a lot to learn from him, and a call to a calmer life and a sense of peace that Rhaps feels most keenly when she's out in nature with him. the druidic life isn't for her, but those moments of peace do wonders for her when she needs it.

-

Karlach: darling dearest bestest friend, platonic love of her life, sister from another mister, 'would absolutely ride the rollercoaster in the front car with you' bestest best friend forever. Rhapsody adores Karlach, admires and is inspired by her. Rhapsody has had very little interaction with other tieflings, and in comes Karlach full of friendly cheer and good humour and a massive heart, emotional vulnerability and honesty and cheeky smiles, all things Rhaps is drawn to and wants to be. she'd do anything for her, go to any lengths, and I can't even begin to describe how heartbroken this makes her on that dock at the end.

[riddlerosehearts]

all right so, some more thoughts on act 2 of baldur's gate 3 now that i finally replaced my hard drive and have been able to play again! this is basically all about like the very end of act 2 because i enjoyed it but just didn't really write things down for most of it.

so first of all i actually kind of love ketheric thorm and the tragedy of his character. i love villains who are willing to destroy themselves and the world for the sake of their family 💖

however i wish that if you talked to him about his wife and passed the checks to try persuading him to repent you could actually change the outcome of things. like what if you could save him and recruit him.... i honestly really think my tav would've felt a bit of empathy toward his situation and wanted to save him if they could, and also personally i just find him more interesting than halsin or even jaheira asdkjfghsdf

i'm sure jaheira is a lot cooler to people who know her from previous baldur's gate games but having 2 druids feels a bit redundant when there are so many other classes and she and halsin both become recruitable a little too late imo, especially given that halsin kind of has nothing to do after he finally joins you. ketheric would be an even later addition but sorry i just think he's so cool and that making one of the villains redeemable + recruitable would've been neat!

ANYWAY i also love the fact that even though i was spoiled on a lot of random bits and pieces about the different companions' personal stories before i started, i was not really spoiled at all on the actual main plot of this game lol. it just makes it that much more exciting getting to see how it all unfolds.

i also wasn't spoiled on the details of wyll's pact and now that he's finally talked about it, i love his character even more!! he's literally like if a disney prince loved his home and its people so much that he sold his soul to save them. i wish we could've had a full flashback when he agreed to show us what happened like the ones we get when we see into shadowheart's past.

i also wish he got more appreciation from fans and had a more complete romance but we all know why he doesn't 😔

i think this is literally the first "stereotypical horny bard" dialogue i've come across omg 😭 didn't actually pick this because it would've been ooc for elenion to say but i will say i think it would've been really funny if there was like. romance-specific dialogue here because you have such insane first meetings with every companion. i'm just imagining elenion going "love at first sight? i suppose so, although for me it was more like love at first hand" and leaving isobel wondering wtf that's supposed to mean

all of this confusion and going back and forth about whether to trust the dream guardian... and they were a mind flayer the whole time!! tbh that actually does not make elenion automatically stop trusting them because we've met omeluum and he didn't seem bad, but what does kind of make them lose trust in the emperor is the whole "encouraging you to turn into a mind flayer" thing... yeah, not doing that.

actually though i found out a while ago that something was up with the dream guardian but like. i was expecting them to turn out to just be fully evil and wanting to try and manipulate us more directly after the reveal, not for them to be acting like a nice friendly heroic mind flayer, so that does come as a surprise!

i wish i had thought to take lae'zel with me to the astral plane in case she would've had anything to say about orpheus while we were there... but oh well, i didn't really have her on my team during act 2 and she wasn't relevant to basically any of its story so i missed her a lot and i am so proud of her now for how she told off vlaakith.

??? halsin just tried to confess his love to elenion and said he thinks they feel the same way and i mean... at least he was very kind and understanding when they rejected him but i am baffled because i haven't really had him in the party at all and. like. when he asked them to tell him a secret they even said they didn't feel like there was anything to tell because they didn't wanna open up to him too deeply (well, and also because for some reason the only other option is to say you're afraid of krakens), but now he thinks they're in love with him? 😭 i've heard that it used to be extremely easy to accidentally romance gale but i do not understand how this happened with halsin. oh well.

oh yeah also i got this dialogue from wyll and i wish there was an option to say that you're anxious about being back or something. because elenion has been sort of avoiding visiting home and only going back very infrequently for a very long time and he and wyll are close so i imagine that wyll knows why that is. but i ended up just picking the first option and imagining that wyll is too polite to question it.

anyway, i've stepped into rivington and am ready to start exploring it but i'm going to end this post here for now!

[jacqcrisis]

This a ramble about some thoughts I'm having while playing bg3. Please ignore if you want cause I'm only just now about to start act 2 on my first playthrough.

I wonder if due to the general rarity and more animalistic appearance of a dragonborn, if Ronan is a hard sell on the 'attraction' front for a lot of people. I can't imagine most people's first reaction to meeting a new lizard man is 'the pants are coming off', unless they are a very particular kind of person or have been around people of that race enough for the general wariness for the visual peculiarities to have worn off. Especially not in a crisis situation where if you really wanted to bone down, there's other more human options with skin and normal teeth and...lips.

Obviously, all the companions are video game bisexual and also seemingly devoid of personal aesthetic preferences in order to help facilitate you the player's personal role-playing fantasy adventure. Everyone is available no matter what race you pick in a game mechanic sense but thinking logically in a worldbuilding/narrative sense...

I understand Lae'zel wondering outloud to Ronan if she could 'ride him like the red dragons'; that makes sense for her and her...interests. She seems like a certified freak (affectionate). And I would get it if Gale had a dialogue option that implied or directly stated he'd wondered what it'd be like to be with a dragonborn because he seems like he's spent a lot of time reading weird porn inbetween simping for an actual goddess who probably can and did true polymorph herself into some fucked up shit for him. Their sex life had to be crazy if he's willing to turn himself into a thermonuclear device to try and get it back is all I'm saying ANYWAYS

But since I'm romancing him this playthrough, I have to imagine for someone like Astarion, that it had to take some personal pep talk before putting on the fawning voice and asking Ronan to sleep with him. And even more psyching himself up because in my game, it took two additional long rests after that conversation to actually get to the awkward sex scene. He had to really think about that one, literally had to sleep on it TWICE to make sure he's got his head in the right place to find out what dragonborn dick is about.

Not that hes disgusted, just... put off by the prospect on how he's going to sell this whole charming, super into the dragonborn shtick when he's just not all that much. I just cannot imagine, even outside of the manipulation game he's playing with the PC, Astarion sitting there, being like 'you know who I'd like to get rowdy with now that my body is my own again? Out of everyone at this camp? Thats right. The Lizard.'

I'm only just now about to start act 2, so I could be super off base, but that's the headcanon I'm running with right now. Vampire didn't find much physically of the big dragonborn tantalizing before deciding sleeping with him was the best course of action. The idea that this would obviously change over the course of time is compelling to me.

[catinfroghat]

Companion impressions so far: (spoilers)

Shadowheart = to start with I didn't really like her because she seemed snooty and rude/prejudiced towards Lae'zel but now my affinity is higher with her I feel really sorry for her... It seems like she was raised in a cult and is quite heavily indoctrinated? I'm trying to stay open-minded because I don't really know much about the religions of faerûn but the taking her in as a child and manipulating her into giving up her own memories seems like a huge red flag especially all the stuff about pain being sacred and wanting to bring about an age of darkness or whatever? Hopefully I can help her? Also clerics are by far the most essential party member in early levels so I'm glad I've learned to like her because she's almost constantly in my party.

Gale = Love him! Instant fave!!! I have the highest affinity with him but still know very little about him. He mentions that he likes cats at every opportunity though which is enough for me. His ironic humour and quips are great. He's a bit of an asshole and a snob in the typical academic/wizardly fashion which reminds me a lot of my very first dnd player character (She was also a high elf so even more arrogant) which is cool. My sorcerer has a bit of a friendly rivalry with him when it comes to their differing approaches to magic. I think the game knows he's my fav because when he gets downed my character always says something like "I can't lose you!" and when I click to speak to him she says stuff like "this always cheers me up". It makes me laugh... they're besties! I wish he wouldn't keep eating my magical items but tbh I have no use for some of the bardic ones since SOMEONE decided to kill the only person in my party proficient in instruments 😑

Lae'zel = I really enjoyed her right from the start! I like that she's rude and uses people's fear of her race against them by playing up the intimidation. When she showed her vulnerable side and I saw her fear of failure she became one of my faves (Sure she was planning on annihilating the entire camp at the time but god forbid a woman do anything). I really wish I could have her in my party more because I find her the most interesting but I think she would get pissed off at me for choosing the nice options and I don't want to tank my affinity now we're getting along well...

Wyll = He's so sweet... He was helping all the tiefling children and he even sacrificed himself to save Karlach... He's the kindest in the party and tries hard to protect others. Honestly I've never played in a party with a warlock before so I don't understand their uses but I just went into a surprise battle with him by accident and he held up really well so I'll definitely be keeping him in my party a bit more. The horns are badass and I really want to find out what a warlock oath involves and how to break him out (Again I don't know much about warlocks because I've never had much to do with them them during dnd campaigns)

Astarion = I wasn't expecting him to speak like that but that's really his voice huh. I still think it was kind of ooc for my player character to invite him to camp but whatever I'm metagaming. I've never used him in a battle but I used him to pick a lock and all his bonuses make it super easy most the time. I don't like rogues as a rule in RPGs because they don't suit my playstyle but I'll have him tag along for dialogue at least. He has a vicious dry sense of humour that does make me burst out laughing sometimes. Unfortunately, he's another character I will probably struggle to get my affinity up with since he seems to only like cruel options and my player character is nicey... Also sorry monsterfuckers but I have a fear of bites/puncture wounds so I don't think I'll let him drink my character's blood because it would gross me out.

Karlach = I love her silly quips and she is so so useful in battles since the rest of my party is usually spellcaster weaklings. She does little dances and brings a jolly energy to the party. I haven't killed the guys she wants me to kill yet because I was underlevelled and died very quickly but I'll probably be okay to go back to them once I've finished what I was doing with the goblins. I think maybe the fact I haven't done what she asked yet made her have a grudge against me because during one particularly bad battle my player character died like straight up and the first thing she said when we finished the battle was something like "I'm so glad to be alive!" whilst standing over my corpse which seemed a bit mean tbh. I've been making it up to her by giving her all the teddy bears I can find/buy. So far she has about 3 in her inventory.

[flowersdaggersviolasandblood]

Blood, Flesh, and Tears

Name: Torment (He/Him)

Race: Zariel Tiefling

Class: Paladin (Oath of Vengence)

Background: Haunted One

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!

Coming back to Torment, we decided to forge a new mace for Shadowheart and new armor for Torment so that he has splint mail. Gave Lae'zel my old armor. While here, we went after the laughing amulet, but this time I let Astarion go and pick up the item instead of letting a strong character hop and skip over to the chest. I allow Astarion to pocket it and we went up to the surface.

Upon reaching the Shadowlands, much like Nalanthar, we encountered the Harper group who were scouting the place. After assisting them with the Shadows that ambushed us, we got an invite to Last Light Inn. Upon meeting Jaheira, Torment opted to not reveal the reason behind why they're unaffected they the parasite, despite being a True Soul. This time around, aside from talking with Dammon to help Karlach with her Infernal Engine and buying some drip, I decided to talk with a few of the Harpers.

Talking to one Harper, we learn that Counsellor Florrick has arrived at the Last Light Inn! Entering the Inn, Torment and the gang decided to go talk with her first. This is the same area where we can find the comatose Art Cullagh and Florrick discuss how she intends to bring reinforcements from Baldur's Gate, specifically from Lord Gortash and his automaton creations, the Steel Watch. While she tells us not to hold our breath for this reinforcement, she does ask that we continue our trek to find Grand Duke Ravenguard, A.K.A. Wyll's father. Considering that Pero also saved the Counsellor as well, it once again saddens me that I missed these moments in her gameplay which caused her to become emotionally stunted after the fall of Last Light.

After talking with Jaheria, I spoke with Rolan and learned of his siblings disappearance. Unlike Pero who felt guilty for his circumstance or Nalanthar who didn't tolerate his tone, Torment takes it with stride and makes it his goal to find the missing Tieflings. Speaking of which, he does learn of the Tieflings disappearance and Zevlor's downfall upon the refugees being ambushed by the Absolute cultists. Seeing another path that must be paved with vengeful blood, Torment is about to make it a point to raid Moonrise Towers.

Also, remember how the first time Astarion and Torment were gonna do the whoo-hoo, Torment backed out at the last minute? Well, despite the fact that the pair laid during the Tiefling party, surprisingly, Torment was still completely unaware of the scars that Astarion bared. I didn't take a long rest upon reaching the Cursed Lands, so when Raphael placed his attention on Astarion, Torment became a bit protective and questioned Astarion about what Raphael meant. Which, of course, resulted in Astarion getting naked and his scars being revealed.

Not only that, but because Torment is a Tiefling, he can easily understand Infernal! However, because the message on the back is coded, all Torment was able to sus out was that it involved some kind of pact and a "fire below." After hearing Karlach lament how her Infernal Engine is acting up, Wyll encouraging us to rescue his father, and telling Halsin of Art; Torment fell asleep and met his disturbing Guardian again as she expresses her exhaustion with keeping the parasite at bay.

[awellboiledicicle]

Lud's eyes are Like That because of Mora and Nocturnal fighting over her. Ok more specifically it's Mora after all those damn books when the cult was after her that one time.

No, not that cult, the other-- the dragon one.

She's literally only not in nightengale armor bc a mod for that hasn't been uploaded. In universe of the fic she can just. manifest it from the shadows, so rn she's just slumming it in travel leathers.

Shadowheart thinks she's worshipping Shar when she makes little alters in camp and burns inscense. Lud very calmly explains that Shar isn't a very good goddess of night if you know jack and shit about her. This lead to a vaguely tense but enlightening conversation about aspects of darkness and how they focus on the different ones.

Gale and Wyll are in the background wondering if they signed up with a cultist.

Then Lud tries to understand the planer system and gets a headache. Because listen, she went to the College. She did her studies so she'd understand the shit that could help her in battle and in thieving. But the finer academic points were not her strong suit. She can cast fuck you beam, doesn't really understand how the magic gets from extraplanar sources to her outside of "Magus does it". She does hate the idea of working with Mystra, though. Not even for anything gale related at first, she just hates the idea of asking permission to do what comes innately.

She also accidentally Fus's Gale into the lake by their camp because he insisted he could speak dragon without clarifying he meant draconic, not... whatever the fuck she does.

Wyll's whole warlock deal just strikes her as daedra worship with paperwork. Which she kinda just nods and says she gets it, because yeah. A bit confused why he sold his soul to NOT the biggest baddest player, but she assumes he had a reason.

Speaking of Mizora and by extension Raphael.... they don't know what to actually offer that would be like. fair. for her soul. Because she's a dragon. And while fair isn't usually what they go for, when a divine being is what you're aiming at, you try to get the legalese straight and make it semi-equitable if only so if they get mad at you, their godly relations don't get pissed. Because they don't know how far a god from another plane can reach, but time is not a domain you fuck with. So rules lawyering to get what they want becomes infinitely more tricky. Add in that she knows how to pick through contracts with a fine toothed comb, and Raphy boy is sweating through his doublet during the initial meeting. Mora writhing behind her eyes doesn't help either.

Lud is not really aware of this little fidget happening, because she's principally just generally against sharing out even more of her soul level. Because she's got, technically, spares. Which she hordes. Because if you didn't listen to Paarthy, your soul and skull got to be housed in her manor. And she's very protective of her horde.

Lae'zel reminds her of the Companions. This is both good, because she liked Kodlak, and bad because the rushing in headlong to fight is exhausting. There's tactics, sure, but managing where she is makes Lud tired. Mostly because if they HAVE to be killing people, at least do so swiftly. Lae'zel is, by dint of the size of her weapon and her armor weight, going to move slower than her. Which means not getting too far or too close to her. It's a thing. Learning how young she is turns it into "oooh, murder child" "I am no child." "Relatively, you are child."

Astarion meanwhile has to deal with her peering over his shoulder while he's practicing his lock picking to be as fast as she is at it. She's doing it to learn how they do it in Faerun, since the locks are designed differently. She's just very good at learning fast, so it looks like she doesn't have to learn. She's going to fuck up a trap disarm and have to deal with him laughing at her, followed by him being loomed over by a very on fire nord that informs him she doesn't appreciate being laughed at.

A fun thing is i'm delighted imagining the boar scene because i can imagine her commenting that vampires don't generally do well eating animals, in her experience. Prompting a "what" from the group, and Astarion to recalculate how he's going to word things. She gestures to the neck of the boar. "Back home, you meet a vampire in woods, it will try to drain you. You meet a vampire in their den, you will find a larder of human bodies. Thralls tending fireplaces. Armed." A frown as she toed the carcass. "Only vampire I have seen eat mostly animal? She does not waste the flesh. I can only assume it was scared off before it could properly finish." "Then we can't waste time getting out of here, can we?" Astarion tucked the idea that she was friendly enough with a vampire to have a present tense explanation of her diet into a corner for now. Because either he was safer than expected, or wildly more unsafe. Lud huffed through her nose and regarded him for a moment with those inky eyes. Like she was knowing something about him in that moment. And he hated it. "What?" With a dismissive wave, her expression eased back into the relaxed smile they'd all gotten used to from her. "We will see what comes. Now, let us find more goblins to kill, yes? If they reach the grove again we will have nowhere to go drinking after."

Karlach is a delight to her, if only because then she can fire breath without worrying about actually hurting the person running out ahead of her. She's also very very quick to catch onto the kind of person Lud is and is wary for about as long as it takes to find Halsin. Because she reminds her of Gortash. The difference, of course, being that Lud is also genuinely cordial until you fuck with her.

I just. [waves hands] having fun

Making a skyrim/bg3 au entirely to make Astarion not know what to do with an equally morally dubious nord that deeply doesn't take anyone's shit.

She is also 40. Because she gets yote to Faerun on one of her "let's go make sure the mages aren't breaking time again" runs post saving things and posturing at the Thalmor.

Shes also a nightingale.

Her name is Lud and she is good

[riddlerosehearts]

okay, so i finished my first playthrough of baldur's gate 3 last night!! and then i played the ending cutscenes and the epilogue twice so i could collect my thoughts and reactions and figure out how to write them all out. god, i love this game. for a while i almost didn't want it to end because i loved it so much but i think now that i've finished it i'll only become more attached to the silly little half-elf bard that i created to play this game with, and want to keep thinking about him and posting about him more--especially since i'm planning to eventually get a new graphics card and then i'll be able to make nice high quality screenshots and gifs of the game. i've already been planning out what my next tav will be like too, and thinking about doing so many more playthroughs of this game! i may have some criticisms here and there because bg3 is definitely flawed in some areas, but i mean, what isn't? it's a huge game, i had a lot of fun with it overall, and i'm so glad i finally decided to pick it up in march after months of seeing its characters flood my dash.

i kept hit the "4096 characters per block" limit while making this post btw 😭😭 but it seems i could get around that just by breaking up the bullet points a bit. i don't care if nobody but me is going to read my million words of rambling about how much i love these characters, i am not cutting anything out of my post.

so we have the big goodbye scene at the docks, starting with orpheus wanting you to mercy kill him and lae'zel to carry on his legacy and lead the rebellion. i wasn't sure what to have her do, so i initially picked the option for her to make her own choice because i wanted to see what would happen, and because it's what i've usually been choosing in these situations. she decided to do as orpheus asked and the dialogue she had about it was beautiful, but honestly in this specific case i think persuading her to craft a new fate for herself in faerun is the most in-character thing for elenion to do. so i reloaded and did that. and i think it definitely was the right choice for this playthrough, because what she said about her destiny not being for orpheus or vlaakith or decide, and how it was on faerun that she learned to be free, is pretty much the exact reasoning i had in mind! and the epilogue party, with the hopeful letter from voss mentioning an alliance with the githzerai and the dialogue from lae'zel about fighting vlaakith's army, also ended up confirming for me that her staying in faerun doesn't mean the githyanki are doomed or that she won't still find ways to fight for her people.

the way she's all like "go mingle! that's the word, right?" and "this is... nice. yes, i think that's the right word for it" at the party is so funny and cute. she's trying her best!! i adore lae'zel and i will never understand why she seems to be so much less popular than most of the other companions.

after lae'zel's scene we have a very short scene with gale talking about the crown of karsus. i chose to have him give it back to mystra. i'm going to come back around to gale later and talk about astarion now though! his ending scene makes me so sad to think about, like, everyone is talking about celebrating and then he's just suddenly on fire, nobody really shows any concern outside of one of the companions saying a single line about how he won't get to see the sun anymore, and then that's the last anyone sees of him before the epilogue party?? the tone of the scene feels like it's supposed to be funny but like i said, it just makes me sad :( the epilogue makes things a lot better, though--you get to actually talk to him about and he's surprisingly earnest and apologetic, and seems so much happier and more at peace now. he also continues to be hilarious. the second time i did the epilogue party i chose the "i've been boring--living a quiet, peaceful life" dialogue option and he's like "and fate let you get away with that? i'm impressed!" anyway, though, i love his growth and i'm so proud of him.

next up, wyll and karlach--i totally get why so many people ship them now because wyll is the one to call out to her and bring up the idea of them going to avernus together, and then at the party she says having him there has been incredible and that you can get through anything with someone you love at your side?? i mean, karlach is very freely affectionate with her friends--she tells a non-romanced tav she loves them after fighting gortash, and if you tell her as she's dying that she was spectacular in every way she'll say she adores you. so no, her saying she loves wyll doesn't have to imply anything romantic, but it is just adorable anyway.

the scene with them in avernus feels so weird though... i mean, karlach's part in it is badass, the problem is wyll just standing there being silent the whole time. i know that if you romance karlach your tav can go with her to avernus instead, and it feels really obvious that the scene must've been made with only that scenario in mind when wyll's version of it could've been unique to him and had actual dialogue between him and karlach!! honestly, it just feeds even more into the feeling of wyll's personal quest never being about him. it also makes me even more curious what the ending is like with him becoming grand duke... i mean, does he end up becoming a slimy politician who's corrupted by power? if so, then why did the story itself not do more (or anything, really) to hint that that would happen to him and give him more of a power hungry side and if not, then why do the dialogue options for convincing him to become the duke both talk about power and make it seem super obvious that that's the Bad Ending™?

oh well, i guess i can't say i'm not happy that there's a way to give karlach a more hopeful ending! i understand the appeal of a good tragedy, and i understand that karlach herself would rather die than be unable to live freely, so maybe you could say that letting her make the choice to die rather than return to avernus is the option that gives her the most agency... but at the same time, the song that plays over her ending scene is "i want to live". she says she wants to live, to be free and be happy with her friends by her side, but it just seems so hopeless. if one of her friends is willing to brave avernus with her, to make sure that she won't be alone while helping her have a fighting chance of getting her life back, then i think she should be able to take that chance. i kind of wish it was possible to fix her engine and give her a fully happy ending as well--everyone but her pretty much has one, as even though astarion can't walk in the sun as a spawn he can still be free from cazador. and if the tragedy of karlach's death or the bittersweetness of her returning to avernus resonated more with someone, then they could still choose one of those endings. but i guess larian probably isn't going to add anything like that at this point :(

i also still just can't help but feel like wyll really deserved better treatment from the writing. well, at least his epilogue confirms that mizora isn't bothering him too much, and you get some incredibly sweet dialogue if you tell him you've missed traveling with him.

does... shadowheart not have any kind of ending scene at the docks?? like, she's obviously there, she can be randomly chosen out of the companions to make little comments on things, but i don't get a scene with her at all and i'm unsure if it's bugged or if the writers just left her out?? it feels weird. but i guess that's okay for now, because i absolutely adore the entire conversation i got to have with her at the party. i'm so glad she chose to save her parents in this playthrough--apparently, there are certain hidden requirements you have to meet or she'll agree to let them go, and i guess i came across everything by accident during the brief time that i took her around the city with me. anyway, elenion got snarky with her and pretended to forget her name and then she got snarky back and just automatically hugged him. adorable. the first time i played the epilogue i volunteered halsin to take the owlbear because i hadn't talked to shadowheart yet, but the second time i played i gave him to her because holy shit she's got as many animals in her house as fluttershy. love that for her. and the way she rambles on about her parents, her mother's recipes and her father's terrible jokes, and then apologizes because she thinks it must be a boring topic?? excuse me, no, i am unironically extremely interested in this and i think elenion is too because he's also just been trying to live a normal boring life with his and gale's families for the last 6 months.

and now, back to gale. god he's so cute. the way he does this little bow to your tav during the ending and then they bow back. the silly indirect way he tries to propose by asking if you'll come back to waterdeep and become part of the dekarios clan. the way he says it would make tara and his mom happy if he got married and then goes "oh thank goodness!" when you say yes. the kneeling down and kissing your tav's hand after that. i had to try and get decent screenshots of that part because it was so cute:

i also tried both of the choices, between whether to move right in and settle down with him or continue traveling together, because i was initially indecisive about what would be the best/most fitting choice for my tav's character. in the travel ending, i love how gale says that even while adventuring, he's never been so relaxed and now he spends his free time writing, painting, and knitting. i also had this extremely cute dialogue at the party and now i'm wondering what the variations for each class are:

but, ultimately, after trying both and having both versions of the epilogue convo, i decided that just moving to waterdeep and living a calm life is what felt most right. i figure that what elenion needs most in their life now is stability. also, gale becoming a professor is just perfect for him and is so cute. and so is this:

see, this is why gale with a bard tav is a perfect combination: they can collaborate on their writing! anyway i love gale so much but this post is so stupidly long at this point and i need to try and wrap it up, so uhhh, what else...

tara is so cute and funny at the party, grumbling about being jealous of gale's relationship with your tav if you romanced him and then complaining that he keeps his potions in such disarray that it seems like he was raised in a barn. i also overheard her calling everyone ugly while i had speak with animals up AKJAFGHSKFG. at least half the reason why i want to do a gale origin playthrough is because i need to see more of tara.

volo claims his invitation got lost in the post. i really, really think he just was not supposed to be invited, and yet here he is! one of the first things he tells elenion is that he's gotten good at forging their signature, and then he says their success has been wonderful for his reputation. they just might be considering hiring astarion to kill him.

i did not even know jaheira had kids. i looked it up and apparently you can find her house and meet her family in the city but i just completely fucking missed that. something to keep in mind for my next playthrough!

i love that there's a whole box full of letters from people you helped throughout your journey. honestly, i wish there were a few more, specifically from characters like rolan or his siblings, isobel and aylin, omeluum and blurg, and more from the tiefling refugees in general because i love them. but the ones from alfira and dammon are so so cute. also, i got a letter from shadowheart's friend nocturne, which made me realize... i never met her and i never got the memory related to her either because i didn't know you could give shadowheart the noblestalk LMAO oops. i missed quite a few details, huh!

...and i guess that's where i'll end this post. i've been playing this game since march and i've only just finished my first playthrough, though granted there were like 3-4 whole weeks in there where waiting for a new hard drive + feeling weird from irl stuff meant i didn't really play at all. still, though, i can't wait to start back over in act 1 again! especially since, tbh, i think act 1 just might've been my favorite. i love act 2 for ketheric and isobel and aylin and a lot of other things, and act 3 honestly felt a bit messy and overwhelming but still had a lot of great moments. but there's just something i love about beginnings, and the atmosphere during act 1. so, yeah, can't wait to experience it again as a whole new character.