#mystery for dammon

[csphire]

The mystery that's a part of Dammon's appeal and a solution to preserve it.

From this clip posted by Frazer Blaxland, provided to me by northlandcleric I'm starting to understand where his voice actor is coming from and can even respect it.

But it's also a really brilliant idea for his romance conflict and/or character arc. The thing is, Larian could keep some to most of Dammon's history and motivations a complete mystery. By simply having him struggle, dodge, or even outright refuse to open up about his past and present.

They could drop little ominous clues. Scraps of paper are found during his missions or around his tent in camp with drawn symbols not even Gale can recognize. For his character arc missions, he needs our help to collect a few mysterious items from various sometimes dangerous and highly guarded locations. But the problem is he won't tell you what they are, he refuses to show you them or admit why he needs them. They all just go into this peculiar box of his which he works on out of view of the camera. Much like when he was preparing a fix for Karlach's heart. It could cause the device inside to glow and make some chilling sounds that make us question our decision to keep helping him.

If that wasn't bad enough, there are odd things he mumbles to himself in passing you can't quite make out. We could have a cutscene where we catch him continuing to work on this mysterious device that he quickly hides away.

He could occasionally disappear from the game. As in, he's not available as a companion for a day here and there. He warns you this could happen beforehand and not to worry. Or there is simply a note he's left behind.

I should be back in a day, possibly two. - Dammon

When he comes back, and we ask where he went, he tells us he can't say. Sometimes, he comes back shaken or injured and still won't tell us what has happened or what's wrong.

His story is filled with all kinds of little things that would pique our curiosity and cause us to wonder and yearn for answers.

Perhaps the items he collects look to be transfered into a special locked chest at camp near his tent that he says is private and to not touch. And if the player doesn't listen, picks one surprisingly low roll lock, and opens it regardless, it provides zero answers. It contains just a few mundane, possibly sentimental items. What do these items mean? It doesn't matter, at least not yet, because it was a duplicate box. A temptation. A test to determine if Dammon could trust you, and you just failed it. Upon opening his chest, and violating one of his boundaries, he leaves the party and disappears forever. Or better yet, the game suddenly ends, and the credits roll.

What the hells happened?

We'll never know but we just messed up big time.

Why do I think this idea is perfect for him?

One Frazer wants him to be a man of mystery. Okay, that's valid. Here is your mystery, another paycheck, and more acclaim Frazer.

Two, because it's already set into Dammon's character somewhat. Upon minutes of knowing us, when he speaks of his time in the hells he outright admits, "I hope to forget most of it."

Again, that could be the issue the player character has with him. He simply doesn't want to talk about his past, his trauma, and possible sins. He wants to focus on the present and future with you and/or Karlach. Dammon can be a rather private and guarded character. Why is he like that? It's another mystery.

Being with him as a friend or lover is a complete leap of faith.

Perhaps he actually did, or was made to do, something horrifying and possibly unforgivable. If he confesses, maybe he fears it would destroy our warm view of him and the better person he wishes to be now. Maybe something unspeakable has happened to him, and he doesn't want to be an object of pity. He could be a god, a devil, a Great Old One, or something else in disguise. He could be from the future or an alternate dimension. Or maybe he's entered into an infernal pact of some kind that's bound his tongue on the whole matter. The list of what his secrets are can go on and on.

Then as his love interest or just friend, do we accept that he has a few secrets and respect his boundaries? Do we keep our hands off his metaphorical Pandora's box? Or do we break things off with him for refusing to trust and open up to us? Better yet, he could choose to break it off with us eventually or even leave the party for good if we keep pressing and again, open that chest of his.

This would allow us fanfic writers to go wild with theories. The fandom as a whole will debate over which ones seem more plausible. None of which the developers at Larian will ever confirm.

Parts of his past will never be explained to us the player.

Finally, after he's collected the last thing he needs, and fiddles with it after he places it in the box, it just winks out of existence. Maybe dramatically, it hums, levitates, and glows first then poof! A real "Stand back!" like it's going to blow up moment.

After it's gone, Dammon drops to his knees, shivers, and lets out this huge sigh of relief, maybe even laughs next. Make it a touch maniacal? Sure, that would make us sweat over if we did the right thing in helping him. Make us squirm Larian, please.

The important thing is, that whatever problem Dammon had is over... or is it?

The player character can ask him if he can now explain himself. If a friend, he'll just shake his head and thank us. If we have low approval with him, he'll just shake his head and apologize that he still can't speak of it and ask us to, yet again, drop the matter.

But if he's our love, he'll ask if we are sure we want to know and if we can keep a secret. If we vow to, he will lean in and whisper something into our character's ear. We the audience won't know what he's told our character. But at least now there are no more secrets between him and the one(s) he loves.

We just get to watch on as our character's eyes go wider and bug a little in shock as he whispers away. When he pulls back, we can choose to rush and hug him. So tight with an expression of utter belated fear of all that could have gone wrong on our character's face. Or we could choose to break up with him because whatever our character heard has damaged the relationship beyond repair.

Now that the player character knows everything they can consummate the relationship. Why now? Because full disclosure is sexy, and so is a good slow burn.

Oh, and remember those sentimental items? After telling us about his completed mission to our character, he finally shows us what's in that locked chest that had been a test of trust. The one we decide to respect his wishes and leave alone. He finally opens up about his past a tiny bit and talks about why each item he kept in there was so important to him. But of course, most of his trinkets will not be related to his time in the hells or his mysterious now completed task.

Later on, we can ask, "What in the hells were you thinking, taking all that on?!"

Dammon's response? He gives a sheepish shrug and says, "I think you know why. Everything is in order now. That's all that matters, my love. Thank you for trusting, helping, and believing in me."

To just a friend player character, who tries yet again for an explanation, Dammon will only offer, "Just know everything is in order now. That's all that matters, and you have my deepest thanks."

Again, to be clear, we the players are still kept in the dark. It will be only our romanced player character that will know what happened, and there could be an option to whisper Dammon's secret to others. That temptation could always be there among the dialogue options when speaking to the other companions. But kissing and telling will come with consequences. Anywhere from earning a large chunk of disapproval with Dammon to him outright breaking up with the player's character and leaving the party. Maybe he tells all to Karlach too or maybe not, it could all depend on your and Dammon’s relationship with her.

But no matter what, Dammon keeps a majority of his mystery.

Frazer is hopefully happy. We'll be happy.

Everyone. Can. Be. Happy!

If you agree, please consider sharing this to help bring it to Larian's attention. Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments below too.

Let's get Dammon into a starring role as an origin character and romanceable in a DLC to help feature the Artificer class!

[csphire]

Ugh for fu-crying out loud Frazer! Dammon can be BOTH mysterious AND romanceable!!! I say this with love, but PLEASE expand your imagination a little, sheesh! It took me five whole damn ass minutes to come up with ideas on how to keep Dammon mysterious and actually use that as an arch for his character conflict and keep most of his mystery in the end. Here Larian Writers, just take this idea and run with it already! Take it and take my money when the DLC rolls out, okay? Hells would work for practically free on this if you wanted more help. I'm not kidding.

Logging off twitter for the day because the discourse is going to get even messier now. 😂😭

[mimsynims]

Fool For Love

part 8

~~~

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7

~~~

Author's Note: Sorry this took longer than usual, it was a stressful week at work and I didn't have time or energy to write as much as I wanted. There will be at least one more part, but I'm hoping I'll wrap things up next time (but honestly who knows with these two)

More act 2 spoilers this time!

~~~

Astarion x reader/Tav

Tags: (mildish?) angst, pining, pining while fucking, jealousy, minor Karlach/Dammon, non-explicit injuries, eventual happy ending

Summary: You thought you knew what you were doing when you let Astarion into your bed. He doesn’t have feelings for you, and vice versa. Only…now you do.

Up until now, you’ve not been handling it very well, but you make an effort to move past it. Past him.

~~~

You keep your promise to yourself fairly well in the following days. The Shadowlands, as expected, keep you busy with new mysteries and clues — and plenty of battles — and most of the time, you manage to remain focused on the task at hand.

Perhaps your heartbeat picks up a notch every time Astarion is near, but you ignore it. And maybe, just maybe, you stare at him a smidge too long when he’s not looking, but only when you know it doesn’t pull your attention away from something important.

You’ve caught him watching you too, but you keep your distance. No distractions, not even for a quick roll in the proverbial hay.

Everything is going relatively alright — until it doesn’t.

Thanks to the psionic detector, the Githyanki ambush doesn’t catch you off-guard, but you learn quickly that you have underestimated the danger they pose.

Perhaps you all got too cocky these last few days — too many easily-won battles that have boosted your confidence into thinking that this too will be readily handled.

In retrospect, you should’ve returned to stock up on scrolls and potions before taking them on. Too late now.

It’s a drawn-out battle, wearing you all out little by little, but if it’s anything you and your friends are, it’s tenacious — and after what feels like an eternity, you’re down to one foe. It’s their leader, but even with all of you severely injured, you should be able to take them out.

You grin as Karlach deals a critical hit with her halberd, finishing the Githyanki off with a savage roar.

“Gods, that was close.”

“Too close,” Astarion says as he sheaths his swords. Things aren’t exactly good between you, but it has been getting better. “Next time we contemplate doing something this stupid, how about we don’t?”

“You’re just cranky ‘cause you didn’t get to bite either of them.” Karlach nudges him with a grin. “Isn’t that right, Fangs?”

You’re still laughing when something behind the others steals your attention.

One of the other Githyanki. You saw them get felled by one of Shadowheart’s spells, but perhaps they only got knocked out.

You stop breathing when you realise that not only are they alive — but they have an arrow notched, ready to fire.

And it’s aimed at Astarion.

It’s too late to stop the arrow as they, at that moment, let it fly — so you do the only thing you can think of.

“Tav, what–”

You push him out of the way, but it’s not fast enough.

The pain of the arrow piercing you is blinding; you think you might be screaming.

“Tav!”

You sag to the ground, and the last thing you see is Astarion looking at you with a panicked expression. At least he’s okay, you think.

After that, everything fades to black.

“…Calm down, Astarion, Tav will be alright.”

“They don’t look alright! Why aren’t you doing more?”

“The only thing we can do now is wait. If you can’t behave, leave. We’ll find you when Tav wakes up.”

You’re vaguely aware of the voices, but you’re not quite capable of parsing what they’re saying.

“Hah! And leave them alone with you lot? I don’t think so.”

Why does everyone sound so upset? You can’t remember, and before your mind is clear enough to figure it out, you drift back into unconsciousness.

Your mind still feels like a blur when you come to next. You think someone might be holding your hand, but it’s difficult to be sure when you’re groggy with pain. And you’re not ready to open your eyes just yet.

“Why, oh, why, must you always play the hero? And for me, of all people?”

You recognise the low-pitched voice. Astarion. Why is he here?

“So stupid.” What feels like hair brushes against the back of your hand. “I’m not worth you losing your life.”

“Sure you are,” you press out, because it’s that simple. “I’d do anything for you.”

He inhales sharply. “Tav? Tav, darling, open your eyes for me.”

You reluctantly do as he asks, and it surprises you to find him looking uncharacteristically dishevelled.

“There you are. You had us worried, you know.”

“Astarion.”

“I’ll go and get the others.”

“Astarion.”

Before you can stop him, he leaves, and when he returns with the rest of your friends, he sticks to the background, letting the others dote on you.

You want him to come back, want him to hold your hand again. If the others weren't around, you might have asked him to. Instead, you see him sneak out of the tent when Karlach starts admonishing you for your brave yet careless stunt.

You love them all so much, but in that moment you’re this close to telling them all to leave. You would have, if you didn’t know that they probably need this to ease their own worries.

Still, you’re eternally grateful when Shadowheart ten minutes later shoo everyone out of your tent. She’s about to leave too when she turns to give you a secretive smile.

“You said his name, you know. More than once. When we carried you back to camp.”

With a bone-deep groan, you hide your face in your hands. “Please tell me he didn’t hear.”

“Oh, he most definitely did. But you know how he is, after the initial surprise, his expression turned blank. But his eyes never left you after that.” She huffs a laugh. “Not that he let you out of his sight before that. The only one allowed to carry you was Karlach.”

It sounds too good to be true. “Really?”

“I thought he was going to attack Halsin when he bent down to pick you up.”

“Why would he do that?” It truly makes no sense.

“Jealousy, of course.”

“Astarion? Jealous?”

Instead of answering, she just gives you a wink. “Seems like you two have that in common. Now make sure to rest, alright? I’ll come by with something to eat later.”

“Right.” Your head is spinning, and not only because you're recovering from an injury. “Thank you, Shadowheart.”

You want to process everything you just learned but your body is not having it; in mere minutes, you’re back under again.

No one is holding your hand when you hours later rouse from sleep. Strange that, how your mind seems to have expected it just because it happened last time. When Astarion was sitting by your side.

Astarion.

You have to find him.

It still hurts like hell, but the pain level is manageable. Perhaps a grunt or two slips out of you as you drag yourself up to standing, but no one’s there to give you grief about it so it’s fine. It’s nothing you can’t handle.

It’s dark outside, but you should’ve known better than to think that that would be enough to let you sneak away unnoticed.

“And just where do you think you’re going, soldier?”

Karlach.

“I need to see him.” She already knows, so you might as well get right to the point.

She sighs. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“No.”

“What if I go and find him for you?”

“Karlach.”

“Fiiiine. But only because I was already heading that way, anyway.”

“Dammon?”

Her besotted smile is a fetching look on her and you would hug her if you didn’t think it would hurt too much.

“Yeaaah. And last time I saw Astarion, he was heading in that direction.”

You don’t talk much on the walk over to the inn, your mind too busy going over and over what you want to say. What you want to ask him.

“You alright there, soldier?”

“Mmm, yeah. Maybe a bit nervous.” Because it’s truly dawning on you what you’re about to do. What if you’ve got it all wrong?

“Hah, trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Her gentle squeeze on your arm feels reassuring. At least a little bit. She glances over her shoulder at the smithy where a fire is still burning. “And this is where I leave you.”

“I’m happy for you, Karlach.”

“Thank you, Tav. I’d say good luck but I don’t think you’ll need it. Now go and shake some sense into the vampire of yours.”

“Will do,” you say, even though you’re not sure you mean it. Every plan you’ve made so far involving this man has gone sideways, so who’s to say it won’t this time?

Taking a deep breath, you find yourself remaining where you are. Stalling.

“Should you really be up and about, Tav?”

“Jaheira.” You are so caught up in your own thoughts that you didn’t hear her approach. Turning around to face her, you give her a small smile. “I have something important I need to do.”

“I see.” With a slight bow of her head, she acknowledges your wish for privacy. “It’s good that you’re here, I wanted to thank you for your help the other day. I’m not sure we would still be standing if it weren’t for you and your friends.”

“Trust me, I’m just as happy as you are about that. And you made quite the dent in enemy forces yourself, taking down several of those winged horrors.”

“Their deaths wouldn’t have mattered if you hadn’t dealt with Marcus.”

“Still.” Jaheira is a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about it. “We could use someone of your calibre in our party.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m needed here.”

“I understand.” Something in her expression tells you that she’s tempted. “Consider it an open invitation. In case you change your mind.”

“I will, thank you.”

“You don’t happen to know if Astarion is here somewhere?” You decide you might as well save yourself some time and ask. “Karlach told me she had seen him head this way.”

“He came here a while ago, yes. I think he’s down by the water.” She nods in the direction between the inn and the barn.

“Thank you.”

~~~

[forgeofthenine]

Now that I have a whole new PC setup and can play bg3 on my ultrawide monitor at full settings (compared to a laptop that sounded like an airplane every time I booted up the game on the lowest settings) I've finally started playing the game again! I have some screenshots of act 1 with my newest character Seren and I'll be popping them under the cut for anyone interested. The screenshots also include a few NPCs I wont name...

Seren, my lovely tief sorcerer. Raised by sages at the insistence of a human mother who had not the patience or resources for a baby that constantly covered things in ice (or alternatively set them on fire) she found herself in a ragtag group trying to make it to the city of Baldurs Gate. Currently besties with Karlach and Lae'zel and consistently sassing Gale (though the two have had a budding romance throughout the first act), she's been a champion for the situations of the tiefling refugees, the myconids, and the ironhand gnomes as she's always prepared to fight for the underdogs.

After visiting Dammon in the grove and then meeting a certain devil that she wasn't particularly fond of, Seren soon found herself preparing to take on the whole goblin camp.

Actually taking on the camp wasn't the worlds hardest task for our sage turned mercenary, and she found herself well rewarded well by her new tiefling friends. With the added bonus of seeing an incredibly angry and attractive Halsin rebuking his impromptu replacement.

This also included both some wise words from Zevlor and seeing Rolan doing an impression of their favourite paladin.

The highlight, however, was certainly Rolans magic show.

After that, it was time to heed Halsins advice and brave the Underdark. When faced with a spectator and exploding fungi, Seren had to navigate an entirely foreign world to her and all the rest of the party.

This soon led them to a mysterious place full of rising tensions, the Adamantine Forge.

Journeying through the Forge proved fruitful for saving the the enslaved gnomes, and taking true soul Neres head, but ultimately the forge kept it's secrets and Seren moved on after a quick visit to say goodbye to her newest friends, the myconids.

And with that I (unfortunately) reach tumblrs photo limit and will post a part two featuring the Gith Creche.

[wakacreations]

Letters From Rolan (Anthology)

Stay Safe Idiot! Letter Properly Sent.

Word Count: 450

Summary:

Some letters are sent and some letters are canned. Rolan has a habit of writing letters that he won't let be read. It is more personal than a diary and inconspicuous to be seen penning as it's quite normal to be writing letters so often if they weren't addressed to Tav... What happens when Tav mysteriously receives letters from the Master of Ramazith's Tower.

Dear Tav,

You’re an idiot but also I wanted to tell you that… I hope you are doing well. You’ve been off gallivanting across the Sword Coast last I have heard at least. DON’T BE AN IDIOT and getting yourself into unnecessary trouble! The last thing I need is to worry and for you once again to be all banged up and bruised entering the Tower. Some heroic adventurer you are. A good heroic adventurer would know how to properly care for themselves. Especially if they chase after danger. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SAVE PEOPLE! ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE PEOPLE WAITING for them back AT HOME, Baldur’s Gate! You know how much Cal and Lia worry.

I…  I don’t think I have properly said thank you for saving the world. I must confess that without you, there would not be a world for Cal and Lia to happily exist in. For that, I humbly and graciously say thank you. I know I and my family put you in unnecessary grief with the events of the Shadow-cursed Lands and with the previous owner of the Tower… I am often stuck to wonder if my family is fortunate or misfortunate for all that transpired. I do not know if all this misfortune were for us, to have the fortune of crossing paths with you. 

Whatever the case, I am here to inform you that we are doing pretty well for ourselves, quite well. Cal’s orphanage he runs at Alfira’s and Lakrissa’s Bard school just received a large amount of funding. Duke Ravengard is personally securing funds to make it a permanent facility in Baldur’s Gate. Lia has been moving up the ranks of the Flaming Fist quite vigorously. Zevlor and Tilses have been her personal mentors in ensuring she will outcompete even the experienced Fists. She will be up for promotion soon to lead her own task force.

I, myself have been receiving letters to speak at lectures for the modifications I made to Ramazith’s Tower. Many scholars and wizards are eager to learn about the specifications of “the great cannon used against the elder brain”. While I am quite pleased they are so interested, I much prefer if they would show the same enthusiasm to my research (Demystifying the Weave: Accessibility to Spellcasting for Beginners). I have heard whispers that Karlach and Dammon are having a little hellion but you didn’t hear a word from me. They might be a girl perchance and their name will be Daisy. *cough *cough Alfira’s and Lakrissa’s words not mine. Speaking of them, expect those two to become official soon to no ones surprise.

There is a lot waiting for you, Tav back in Baldur’s Gate. I am sure I, WE expect your safe return. DON'T BE AN IDIOT! Take PROPER care.

- Rolan (Master of Ramazith’s Tower)

[solmesia]

Sorry that you're in pain, I hope you get relief soon!! Sending good vibes your way! Have some feel-good head canons (stuff I want to write 918273 fics about):

- Dammon, Karlach, and Wyll are a power throuple.

- Astarion is the group's hair stylist. He keeps everyone looking fresh because he refuses to look at their split ends.

- Halsin's menagerie of orphans includes Yenna and some of the tiefling kids (like Mirkon, too pure for Mol's hijinks), and he affectionately refers to them as his little ducklings.

- Astarion and Tav adopt His Majesty.

- The gang gets together for a fancy party. Like maybe Duke Ravengard holds a ball for Wyll's birthday or something and it turns into a DA: Inquisition, Winter Palace-style political plot/murder mystery thing so the gang's gotta get to the bottom of it, just like old times... except in masquerade.

[weaveandwood]

Weave and Woods Chapter 10: A Wondrous Thing

Gale/Named Tav | Slow Burn | Read on AO3 | Entire Work

Summary:

Auroria is exhausted from all the perils of the Shadow Cursed Lands and Gale tries his best to get her to actually sleep. The Harpers throw a party after a successful mission rescuing prisoners from Moonrise Towers.

He jumped up from the barstool and made a beeline for the door, pushing past a group of gnomes and two tieflings. Relief washed over him. They’re back, and they were successful. He went out into the courtyard, and saw her smiling and laughing, celebrating with some Harpers who had greeted her and Lae’zel first. She was safe, unharmed. She made eye contact with him and gave a small wave, which he returned. He felt his heart swell inside his chest, unable to be contained anymore. I love her.  He was a man possessed. He strode up to her, cutting through the Harpers, bypassing Lae’zel. He saw no one else but her. Only her. Always her.

AN: I love them so much. Thank you for reading this fluffy sweet chapter <3

“You look exhausted.”

“Thanks for pointing that out.” Auroria yawned, her head resting on the bar at the back of the Last Light Inn. “I am exhausted.”

Gale pulled up a stool and sat next to her. It had been a long few days since they got to the Last Light Inn, and she had been going non-stop, sleeping only a couple hours here and there between a flurry of activity. There was finding Dammon and getting Karlach’s engine fixed, getting her ribs crushed by Karlach’s first hug (and thirty seven hugs after that in the past few days), discovering the mysterious man sleeping in the room on the first floor, delivering the news to Arabella that her parents were dead, saving Isobel from a corrupted Flaming Fist, defeating a caravan on their way to Moonrise towers which granted them a pixie’s blessing to be immune to the shadow curse, and now she was developing a plan to both infiltrate Moonrise Towers and rescue the tieflings and the gnomes from the prison. She and Lae’zel poured over maps from previous scouting missions with the Harpers for hours before nodding to each other, satisfied with what they came up with. That was when she went to the bar by herself and finally sat down for the first time all day. 

“Why don’t you go take the night off and get some sleep?”

“If I take a night off, then these innocent people are still needlessly trapped in a prison and could die. We told them to come this way - I feel responsible for them. Lae’zel and I are going to go to Moonrise tonight. We can sneak into the prisons easily under the guise of being True Souls, and we have a real chance to break them out without violence. Or much violence anyway,” she laughed softly, trying to stave off the tears that threatened to form in her eyes from her deep felt guilt about her part in the plight of the tieflings.

“I’m worried about you.” He said as he reached out, covering her hand with his. “You don’t have to take on everything - we are all capable. I’ve asked you before to let us carry more weight - a burden shared is a burden halved.” 

Her eyes softened as she turned to him and she gave him a half smile. “After being on my own for so long, it’s hard to relinquish control. Please understand me, I’m trying, but I’m used to doing everything myself. If you were talking to the Ora of six months ago, I’d already be at the towers alone, probably getting myself killed or something close to it. At least now, I have company who can talk me out of anything extremely rash when I let my feelings guide me instead of my brain.” She sat up straight, raising both arms over her head to stretch. She saw his eyes flick up and down quickly, trying to be subtle - the stretch was a calculated move on her part. “I promise I’ll sleep tonight. Full eight hours and everything, ranger’s honor.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” he smiled, his warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Thank you for worrying about me. It feels…nice. No one has worried about me in so long, I forgot what it felt like for someone to care if I live or die.” Auroria reached out this time, grabbing his hand, intertwining her fingers between his. “You’ve shown me that care since the beginning of this strange journey. And…it’s appreciated. I just want you to know that.” 

He ran his thumbs over her knuckles, a soft laugh escaping as he nodded. “Perhaps taking care of each other is what we do. You’ve done that for me since I confided in you about my condition, almost no questions asked. How could I not do the same for you? Our party would suffer greatly without you. I would suffer greatly without you.” 

“Well, I would imagine, since I’m the one who got all those magical artefacts for you,” she teased, trying to clarify for herself if he was speaking pragmatically or something else. She hoped it was something else.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Ora,” he said softly. 

Her face flushed slightly, the tips of her ears turning pink as she considered the implications of what he was saying. She leaned forward a little, closing some of the distance between them. 

“Hmm. And what did you mean then, Gale?” She smiled at him, her eyes taking in his handsome face as he looked at her like she hung the moon. Please let him love me , she pleaded to no one in particular. 

A throat cleared behind Gale. Auroria looked over his shoulder and saw Lae’zel, standing with her arms crossed. “It’s time.”

Auroria nodded, trying to mask her internal disappointment. “Alright, let me go get something I can smash things with.”

“Smash things?” Gale asked, brows furrowed in confusion, the lines between them becoming prominent. She loved those lines that showed up when he was deep in thought. 

Auroria smiled brightly at him. “We’re going to break down the back walls of the cells. The scouts said the tower hasn’t been maintained well so it should be relatively easy as long as we can get out before they realize what we have done.” She watched a smile grow on his face. “Good plan, don’t you think?”

“An excellent plan, though I’d expect nothing less from you. Take my quarterstaff, it’s been quite the asset for me, very useful in smashing, and I would love for it to be in your capable hands,” he said, motioning to the staff that had been leaning against the bar. 

“Thank you, I’ll return it in one piece when we get back, hopefully with freed prisoners and a good story to tell.” Feeling emboldened by their conversation, she kissed his cheek as she got up and picked up the staff, meeting up with Lae’zel who was already waiting on the other side of the room. 

“Well, things with you and Gale seem to be going…well,” she said. 

Auroria smiled. “I think so, too. Now, let’s go rescue some prisoners.”

******

Gale waited at the bar, watching the door for Ora’s return. After getting hugged no less than four times by Karlach, he sent her to hug Astarion, much to Astarion’s dismay. He heard the barstool next to him scraping as it slid back and found Wyll now sitting beside him. 

“I saw you and Ora talking earlier, before she left. It looks like things are blossoming between you?” he asked, having become a confidante to Gale over these past weeks regarding Ora. Gale couldn’t believe he was ever even remotely jealous of Wyll for being someone who so easily could wear his heart on his sleeve. He very clearly loved her as well, though Wyll took time to clarify after the Bibberbang incident that it was just in a friendly manner. The two had grown close ever since, finding they were similar in many aspects, namely matters of the heart. 

Gale nodded, “I must confess, I wasn’t expecting it. How could I? Cast aside from Mystra, cursed orb, locked in my tower for a year of my own volition, tadpole abduction. Who would have thought it would lead me to her?” He took a sip of wine. “Now with Moonrise Towers and Mystra’s command looming over me, I wonder if it is fair to continue on as we are. A small, hopeful part of me believes that time must not be wasted, though.”

“You know me, Gale, I am a romantic. I say go for it - don’t waste time. Love is the most powerful thing on this plane and is capable of working wonders.”

“Perhaps you’re right. I’ll think it over. Thank you, Wyll,” he nodded as Wyll got up to go get his hourly hug from Karlach, who was proving to be quite the menace now that she wasn’t dangerous to touch.

Hours passed. He tapped his fingers on his thighs as he drank wine and read from a book he had found laying around, forgotten by someone. Attempted to read, really - he had glanced over the same four pages at least ten times. He felt the tug of Mystra’s command once again and shook his head as he contemplated the moment of the Absolute’s destruction as well as his own, closing the book and downing the rest of his wine when he heard a commotion outside. They’re back.

He jumped up from the barstool and made a beeline for the door, pushing past a group of gnomes and two tieflings. Relief washed over him. They’re back, and they were successful. He went out into the courtyard, and saw her smiling and laughing, celebrating with some Harpers who had greeted her and Lae’zel first. She was safe, unharmed. She made eye contact with him and gave a small wave, which he returned. He felt his heart swell inside his chest, unable to be contained anymore.

I love her. 

He was a man possessed. He strode up to her, cutting through the Harpers, bypassing Lae’zel. He saw no one else but her. Only her. Always her. 

“Gale? Are you oka-” 

He put his hands on each side of her face and kissed her deeply, surrounded by cheering Harpers, and even a smiling Lae’zel, who he thought he heard say “ Tchk. Finally.” The feeling of her lips against his was everything he thought it would be - no, it was more. It was perfect. And when she closed her eyes and kissed him back? No magic in all the planes could even hope to compare. 

Reality came trickling back in, slowly, then all at once. He broke the kiss and stepped back, clearing his throat. “Ah, apologies, I got caught up in all the celebrations. Congratulations on a successful mission,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Ora laughed then, and handed him his quarterstaff back. “Well I suppose if that’s the reward for a successful mission, I’ll have to make sure to be successful more often.”

A Harper came up, shoving a cup of wine into their hands - everyone was in a celebratory mood, a tangible success after so much hardship and turmoil was much needed. She clinked her cup to his. “To a successful mission, a safe place to camp, and good company.” They both took a drink before she was pulled away by Karlach for a welcome back hug. They were surrounded by people and yet his eye was only drawn to her. Her bright smile and cheerful laughter were a salve in this blighted land. 

He raised his cup, “To you, Ora.”

The evening passed, the celebration finally dying down after the revelry lasted well into the night. He found Ora back where their day had started, with her head on the bar, struggling to keep her eyes open. Drink and lack of sleep were most likely taking a toll on her, though at some point in the evening she did have the foresight to remove her armor.

“Ora, I don’t think you will last another minute if we don’t get you to bed,” he said, sitting next to her again. She opened one of her eyes and smiled at him from her uncomfortable resting place. Oh, she is definitely exhausted.

“You want to take me to bed, Gale?” she giggled before sitting up and leaning over to him. “I want you to take me to bed, too,” she whispered in his ear. She is exhausted and definitely drunk.

He smiled and laughed softly. “Yes, I want to take you to your tent and put you in your bedroll so you can get that full eight hours you promised me this afternoon, remember?” He took her hand as she stood up and supported her as she walked so she didn’t lose her footing in her state. 

“Hmm, too much wine, not enough sleep,” she slurred, leaning against him. He tried not to think about how good she felt pressed to his side.  

“Yes, exactly.”

They continued walking to their campsite, nestled at the edge of Isobel’s ward to protect from the shadow curse. He led her to her tent, settling her down onto her bedroll, sitting beside her for a moment. Just until she falls asleep, he told himself.

“There we go. Now, eight hours, no less. If anyone even thinks about waking you up early in the morning, they will have to face an angry wizard armed with a fireball and a big stick.” That got a laugh out of her as she got comfortable. He would cherish that sound until the end of his days.

“My hero.”

He moved to get up, to allow her her privacy but she didn’t let go of his hand. “Stay with me tonight?” His heart dropped. He wanted to more than anything, but not with her in this state. He didn’t want to take advantage of the situation, but he also didn’t want to hurt her feelings, put any cracks in this beautiful night, this wondrous thing happening between them. He smiled and kissed the back of her hand.

“I would love nothing more, Ora, but you need to sleep, and I need to be able to guard your tent in the morning.” He moved to cover her up as she hummed in agreement, eyes already closed. He brushed a stray hair from her face and stayed beside her until her breathing deepened and she fell into a serene, restful sleep. 

Back in his tent, he thought he might explode, even with the orb stabilized. He wanted to tell her everything. His feelings, his fears, his desires. He wanted to kiss her without apologies, without excuses about being swept up in the moment. He wanted to hold her in his arms while they made love under the stars. He wanted it all with her, and hoped that she wanted the same, even considering…everything. 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would tell her, and he knew exactly how.

I love her.

[vera-king-hrfl]

Heat of the Night chapter 17.

The gang attends a ballet performance at the House of Hope in the midst of a vanishing tiefling mystery! This was nearly as difficult as the dinner party due to myself having to tell a coherent story using only descriptions of bodily movements in text, but I like it!

@crowwolf OC Kit gets her own handsome tiefling in this one, too. ��

Featuring: Cal, Lia, Lakrissa, Alfira, Dammon, Damays, Astarion, Max, Hykyath.

Performers: Kitalia, Ryldinn, Haarlep, Klaus, Zethino.

Musicians: Calliope Blingsdorf, Viola Silvertongue, Medrash

Appearances by: Gortash, Shadowheart, Nienna, Rolan, Florrick, Wyll and Ulder Ravengard.

Also, this is what Ryldinn looks like for the performance. Pretty little guy. 🥰

[cartwrightandtenner]

Rise from slumber, Detective Cartwright, there is work to be done.

Case 2 has officially begun and the audience can now place their actions. Thank you for your patience.

Cartwright and Tenner is a choose your own adventure mystery horror comic in which you the audience can suggest actions for the main characters to partake as they investigate their cases. To suggest an action, all you need to do is comment (Either on patreon post, on here or on the latest panel on the website) about what they should do! Patrons do get early access to the comic and tend to be favored!

Feel free to be as detailed as you want! If you make a long post, try to provide a summary in a similar vein to something like this:

"Action: [Investigate] X"

"Action: [Talk] to X about Y"

"Action: [Pick up] X"

"Action: [Cast] X"

Feel free to comment , suggest actions and speculate!

I will be trying to keep at a steady pace whilst I prioritise working on commissions. I still want to make this comic as good as it can be, so I hope folks will understand the slower release schedule.

Credits: Glaz (@RotundFox) - Artist and Writer Simmy (@SimmyWuff) - Writer and Editor Selph (@KaboomPanda) - Editor Dee (@WtfGayLilBadger) - Editor Jack (@BigCritterJack) - Story Submmission Coordinator and Creative Consultant Jacob Gregory Dammons (@cherrydadgreg) - Creative Consultant Hiro (@HiroRwar) - Proofreader

[the-mic-drop]

Zelink gets Isekaied into BG3 Pt4: Moonhaven and Karlach

Zelda- High Elf Draconic Lineage Sorcerer

Link- Half Wood Elf Champion Fighter

So far: Zelink, Gale, and Astarion have come clean about their big secrets.

The party wakes up and Zelda is surprised to find everyone is tending to look to her for direction and instruction. Link gives her the all ready signal to move out before she can consider how she became the leader of this little group.

They run into Edowin's corpse and Zelda hears the Dream Voice for the first time. It fails to tempt her to absorb the tadpole.

After meeting Scratch and the Owlbears, the party makes their way into Moonhaven.

It turns out that being a demi-god who has lived for untold millennia being backed up by another demi-god and a handful of very capable-looking combatants makes you very persuasive to goblins. As such, they make it into the Blighted Village and rescue Barcus.

They take care of the well spiders, find a forge in a basement, and make a deal with an articulate ogre.

Another basement yields a mysterious magical mirror that lets the party in because Zelda was nice to it. In the adjoining room they find a VERY spooky book that Zelda gives to Gale for safe keeping, much to Astarion's chagrin.

They continue north, passing the love shack because Zelda is not interested in investigating at all.

Raphael appears in front of the party for the first time and Link is instantly been him and Zelda. Raphael offers his bargain and is shut down hard. He leaves in a huff and the group discuss what just happened.

Wyll is most vocal about resisting the devil at every turn, Astarion is more open to it but ultimately, Zelda voices her policy of avoiding Raphael in the future.

They cross the bridge, deal with the Gnolls, and find Karlach. Zelda talks down Wyll by appealing to his empathy and common sense. Karlach joins the party!

They make short work of the "Paladins of Tyr," and everyone clears out while Karlach lets off some steam.

When Karlach cools off (relatively speaking) Zelda is very concerned about her. She reaches out to touch the Tiefling, but Karlach leans away just in time before explaining the whole situation with her heart, her heat, and her story.

Once her concern wears off, Zelda asks as many questions about the infernal engine as she can before Karlach just firmly suggests she ask an infernal mechanic instead. That is enough to get Zelda to warp the party back to the Grove to talk to Dammon.

After getting Karlach's heart tuned up, Zelda has plenty of questions for Dammon and the two chat for a while about infernal machinery which allows the party to take a short rest.

During this rest, Karlach asks Link the question everyone else was a bit too polite to ask; what's the deal with him and Zelda?

[csphire]

A hint of duality in Dammon

"It's been a while since I was able to work with anything from the Hells. I won't say I miss it, but... well, maybe I do." - Dammon

He's not all sweetness and light but then none of us are. This quote above only shows up when he's speaking with Karlach in her origin playthrough. Barely into Act I, and it's already been eye-opening.

Because of their shared experience in the hells, he seems comfortable admitting he misses working on infernal machinery to her while offering up a perhaps knowing half-smile. Whereas with a Tav or Durge, he'll only comment on being awed by the power of them all wide-eyed and slightly horrified.

Keep in mind infernal machinery requires souls to power them. Again, the destruction of souls. We are left here to wonder if he feels conflicted over this fact, tries not to think about it too hard, or perhaps deep down doesn't care. Like Karlach, Dammon might be just as guilty for the destruction of some souls while in the Hells too.

This might be a part of the mystery Frazer is talking about. However in a DLC his whole character arc could be a collection of more of them.

"Should we really be helping him? Why won't he tell us what he's really up to? What is he making? Why do we need these artifacts?"

He won't or can't tell us. It's a leap of faith with Dammon that in the end, we helped him create something for the greater good. But I'd like to think the writers and Frazer could also play it all up with a hint of a villainous edge. Leave us forever wondering if we did the right thing. Thus allowing Dammon to retain most of his mystery.

More about this idea is below:

💡The mystery that's a part of Dammon's appeal and a solution to preserve it. 💡

[karlachismylife]

Worshipping the Sun

Solar eclipse is beautiful, thinks Johnny when he looks at his circular dogtags blocking out the glowing light of Karlach's engine. He wouldn't mind seeing a thousand of those as soon as he gets a chance to make the little steel plates bounce on her chest.

CW: fluffy smut (MDNI), two very desperate for touch golden retrievers having their first kiss and sex simultaneously (finally), p in v, breeding (wrap it, they just don't have condoms in Faerûn), breasts/chest worship, mild possessiveness and hint of jealousy, tiefling anatomy, title from Iron Maiden's "Total Eclipse", my English is lacking, also barely proofread.

A logical continuation to Total Eclipse of the Heart (this one's SFW)

If there was anyone who could match Karlach's eagerness to bolt to Dammon's forge with the last piece of the bloody infernal iron, it was Soap. Everyone could see how antsy he got the second they obtained the metal with an eerie crimson glint to it; he wouldn't let anyone else carry that precious fragment and constantly checked on it, patting the secure pocket he kept it in or even pulling the sharp-edged chip of an unknown heritage to look at its mysterious shine. Karlach saw it too, and his nervousness rubbed off on her, evident in the constant jittering of her knee whenever the party took a short rest and the swishing of a clearly tense tail at each step. She didn't rush anyone, though, sporting the same toothy smile to mask a guilty look of longing in her eyes, unwilling to put her own needs above everyone else's - she's waited for ten years, she could wait just a bit more. Probably. Hardly. At least she could try.

Soap, however, could not.

Not even his own Captain was safe from the snapping of the impatient mutt and had to tell Johnny off twice; in the piercing eyes looking at him from under a well-familiar hat, Soap, ready to butt heads with anyone who would suggest another detour or stall the ordeal with anything of little importance, saw something calming. An understanding and unwavering will, taming his impulsiveness with a rough hand tightly gripping his nape.

"You stay in line and be patient, Sergeant. You're freaking the lass out. Get yourself together and stay put for 'er, a'right? How copy?"

Soap's frown didn't go anywhere, but a loud huff let some of the frustration out, the burning itch where the goddamn iron piece's supernatural warmth seeped into his body reluctantly quieting down.

"Aye, sir. Copy tha''."

"Good. We're not making further stops, everyone get a move on." With a forceful pat on Soap's neck, Price raised his voice, taking on the leadership once again - despite the clear reluctance and annoyed groaning on some party members' parts, they all fell under his command, hurrying up on the way to the Last Light Inn. Ghost gave Soap a reassuring shoulder slap passing him with effortless long strides, leaving the Scotsman to follow along as close to buzzing Karlach as possible. Her excitement radiated off of her in heatwaves, bright yellow glow crowning the dogtags she never took off since the day Johnny gave them to her.

The first time they left her crimson neck was when bright-eyed Dammon, drenched in sweat after working on blazing hot metal, handed her the insulation chamber to install in her exhausted chest. Soap didn't even register that he held his breath watching those untouchable read hands work intricate machinery, strained growling and mechanical clanking of the engine changing its timbre, subsiding.

Calming down.

"So... did it work?" Uncertainty in Karlach's voice barely snapped Soap out of his daze. His hand twitched, ready to reach out, and stopped, when the mesmerizing shimmering in her chest got slowly eclipsed by the tag with his name on it, once again carefully placed there by Karlach herself. She closed her eyes, pressing a big palm over the steel disc and listening in on the engine inside, trying to notice subtle change in the way its scorching heat gnawed on the insides of her ribs. Licking his lips, Johnny finally looked up from Karlach's chest and spat out in unison with the blacksmith: "Only one way to find out."

A quick glance at Dammon made Soap's cheeks heat up, slight flush thakfully masked by the way everyone was blushing in proximity of the powerful forge. That bloke was looking at Karlach, his Karlach, as if she was one of his beautiful creations, perfectly formed and bent by the will of his capable hands and hammer. Like she was the fire in his forge and the sun in his skies.

Nothing Soap could blame Dammon for. Irritating possessiveness stuck in his throat, unable to spill, not when overriden by a whole whirlwind of other emotions; desperation, adoration, happiness, hope - and one clear realisation hitting him at that exact moment. His body finally unfreezing and moving on its own to crash into Karlach's.

No hesitation. No second thoughts. No worrying if the upgrade worked properly.

If this was the day he finally was going to burn because of his carelessness, Johnny would gladly accept that fate.

Karlach found herself wrapped in the tightest hug she's ever recieved, calloused hands gripping her back and trying to squish her into Soap's uncomfortable vest, shove her inside of his opened up chest to keep forever cooled down by the bluest seawaves spilling out of his cerulean eyes. A second of careful hesitation, waiting for a pained scream of a person being burnt alive - and when it never came, she wrapped her arms and tail, finally her tail, around Johnny, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"Ah'm nae letting ye go, ever." A pointy red ear twitched as the raspy whisper hit it with a wave of warm breath - not the scorched dried air of Hell, not the grueling heat from her engine going into overdrive, not even a homey heatwave of the campfire shared with comrades and friends. The warmth of a living being, a person, pressed up so close that their skin was ready to melt shut together.

Johnny felt the cool sea of his homeland spill into tiniest droplets on his eyelashes when he heard Karlach's voice cracking, muffled with his chest.

"Thank you."

The whole way back to camp they held hands so tightly that their fingers went numb, stupid grins plastered on their faces in spite of the whole world being out to get them. Not even Astarion's snidy remarks could distract them from stealing glimpses at each other, headbutting tenderly every time one of them got caught by another.

Karlach was happy. Soap was going nuts from the nightfall being so goddamn far away.

If it wasn't for remaining respect for his team, he would've knocked every party member out cold with zero hesitation.

Some of their comrades were definitely not asleep yet when he heard familiar heavy footsteps approachng his bedroll, head tilting up immediately to be met with a view of Karlach waving at him shyly. Dropping his journal, Johnny sprung up to meet her halfway, wrapping his strong arms around her formiddable form and spinning her around effortlessly, peaceful scenery dimly lit by several burning fires blurring into an unimportant background. The tiefling held onto his broad shoulders and giggled, leaning her forehead against his with a content smile - a soft, irresistable magnet to his own mouth, aching to finally taste her, swallow every chuckle, gasp and moan. But before Soap could close that barely existing distance between them, he got distracted by a quiet metal clank of his own tags, hitting her chest after being tugged away by the forceful spinning. Karlach caught the direction of his gaze immediately and looked at the plates too, clawed fingers living their own life and tangling themselves in short strands of Johnny's outgrowing mohawk, tugging and twirling, but not pulling him away.

"Doing a damn good job at protecting me so far, soldier," she muttered, watching that dark round shadow laid over her chest, still shining bright, but finally not hurting. Even breathing came easier now that the engine was a bit more stabilized, and Karlach took the opportunity to inhale deeply, lungs filling with the cool night air and Johnny's scent - a bit sweaty, musky with an overtone of the cheap soap the least picky in the party have been sharing. It didn't stick to her crimson skin, overpowered by the spicy burning smell following her everywhere, but the man holding her with little strain in his muscles, and breathing a bit heavily for completely different reasons, clearly took time to scrub himself clean tonight.

The implication of the act - more like an obvious conclusion at this point - made her eyes sparkle and tail swirl around Soap's burly thigh, brushing against his already chubbed up cock accidentally. Well, that was certainly obvious, if nothing else was.

"Fuck if Ah let ye take 'em off now, bonnie," he breathed out loudly and, before Karlach could even reassure him that she wasn't planning on it, finally crashed his lips into hers. Far past the reverent romance of a timid first kiss, Johnny devoured Karlach's mouth like the starved man he was, pushing his tongue into the welcoming heat and moaning when his own mouth filled with excess drool in reaction to her taste. Slurping up leaking saliva, Soap stumbled back to the bedroll, barely allowing Karlach to find her footing before toppling them both over.

They hit the ground with a loud thud and pained grunts, teeth clicking in the process with no avail at stopping the needy snogging. Karlach plopped right onto her ass, accomodating Soap's knee, shoved hastly between her thighs, and grabbing his thick waist after she let go of his mohawk momentarily. Her long claws dug into his meat, making his cock twitch in the tight constraints of his pants - a single thought of those feral nails dragging along his shaft to tease him forced out another moan out of Johnny's throat.

Maybe they should've moved much, much farther away from camp if this was their volume with all layers of clothes on, but who has time to take such precautions when you've already wasted so much of it being forced apart?

"Shit, are you okay, Johnny?" - if he wasn't already head over heels thrice for her, he would've been now, when Karlach found it in herself to be worried about him hitting the ground too harsh while her whole being was focused on getting as close to him as possible, as much skin contact as they physically could have. "Was that your fucking knee cracking?"

"Fuck mah knee, bonnie," growled Soap in response, too busy covering her neck in open-mouthed kisses to register pain from the fall. Next thing he knew, Karlach, still a soldier at heart, did just that, bucking her wide hips and grinding her core against his heavy knee, shaky gasps spilling from her full lips. Even through the stiff leather of her worn pants he could feel pooling heat - not the infernal kind, but a living, throbbing desire, years of pent up yearning, all for him to feast on. Intoxicating, she was, driving him mad with the intensity of each movement, a hot mess, but so far from pliant and soft. "Steamin' hell, lass, ye're gonnae make me spill before we even start."

The only result his panting grumbling gained was a dizzy smile, baring Karlach's canines as she relished in the feeling of being wanted, being touched. Soap's hands slid up her torso, pushing the leather straps out of the way, thumbs pressing under her breasts and eliciting another whine from her throat, stamped with a firm bite at the same time. Her fingers scraped over Johnny's nape, slid down and started tugging on his shirt desperately, fabric nearly ripping before he finally managed to tear himself away from her bare skin and pull it off over his head in one abrupt movement. His eyes emerged from under the discarded clothing with a new vigor burning in them, messy strands falling on his forehead from his ruffled mohawk. Karlach ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it out, then cupped the back of his head and pulled him in for another sloppy kiss, free palm studying the body she knew already so well anew - blindly this time, relying solely on touch, deprived so long that it didn't seem real.

To make sure this wasn't an illusion, she touched every inch several times, brushing over the dark fur coating his chest, pressing her big palms into the impressive muscles covered with a healthy, squishy layer of fat, tracing her calloused fingertips over some old scars. Johnny's tanned skin marked every path of Karlach's touch with trails of goosebumps, every ounce of restraint in his body channeled into letting her explore him and the newly reclaimed ability to touch someone without rushing. He saw it in her awed expression, eyes wide open and a dreamy smile, as if he was some kind of miracle - a whimsical Scottish unicorn trotting around and allowing a little tiefling girl to pet its soft, warm hide.

Soap couldn't take that moment away from her, no matter how stiff his dick was in its prison, so he slowly leaned back, guiding the enamoured tiefling by her ribs, until she firmly straddled his lap. Giving up control, entrusting with his whole being and every single emotion that were out in the open for Karlach to see, hear, smell, touch, touch, touch.

Her palm stopped, lingering over his fluttering heart - an alive, real one, without a trace of metal or a hint of mechanical whirring. Karlach closed her eyes, breath hitching and nails digging into the soft skin of his chest, and Johnny felt his last chance of freedom melt into an alloy, firmer than any metal known to any of their two worlds.

His name dangled right before his eyes, tags hanging from Karlach's neck as she leaned over him, but it wasn't her who belonged to him.

"Take wha' ye want from me. Ah'm yers, sunshine, please, let me gie ye everything-" A wave of heat and a sharp flare hit his face, cutting his smitten ramblings off. Suddenly, Johnny fellt like he drowned, molten ocean filling his chest instead of air.

The world bathed in a beautiful underwater azure eminating from Karlach's shining form. Blazing hot, she was a vision on top of him, usually warm tiger eyes now a searing propane blue, looking at him with nothing except angelic devotion.

"Say it again, Johnny," not a command, a plea, desperate, filled to the brim with a carnial need, leaving no room for refusal. His heart answered before he even took a breath, speeding up and throwing itself at his ribs' confines, drawn into Karlach's grasp by the gravity field of the Sun stuck in her chest.

"Ah'm yers, Karlach. All yers."

It was the breathy ch on the end of her name that did her in.

The sound of his dogtags clanking, as she hastly discarded what was left of her clothes, was almost deafening, overriding the buckles being undone and leather creaking as it slid off her body. Soap's hands moved automatically, trembling every second they weren't full of Karlach's supple flesh while he shoved his pants and underwear down, propping himself on elbows to kick them off along with his unwilling boots.

The second her wet heat pressed up to his boner, white flashed beneath his eyelids fluttering shut, a loud groan bordering on a whimper leaving his mouth and landing into Karlach's kiss. Framed by her thick thighs, Soap reached out to grip her hips, thumbs brushing over devilish ridges protruding in beautidul arches over her pelvis. He went over them again, sensing the shudder in her form when he increased the pressure, and then slid his palms higher, studying otherwordly beauty on top of him. There was too much to take in at the same time: dark tattoos overwriting big, wide scars and the torment they marked in her life, more ridges decorating firm, sturdy bones of a warrior, metal pieces incorporated in the body of a woman who refused to be reduced to a killing machine.

Glaring beryl sun reliving its total eclipse underneath the dark shadows of her sternum and his dogtags.

An explosive flare shined through when Soap carefully cupped Karlach's breasts, flicking his thumbs over already hardened nipples, an excited grin stretching his lips as he did it agan and got the same result. Playing with flammables was his second nature, fearless curiousity guiding his mouth to wrap around one of the stiff peaks, sucking and circling it with his tongue - no matter how much pure bliss flooded his mind, Johnny kept his eyes wide open, glistening aquamarines reflecting every change in Karlach's responsive flames. Her moans were deep, husky, akin to an unoiled machine learning to produce those sounds anew after so many years of deprivation, her hand, glazed over with that same cobalt glow digging into Soap's mohawk again and locking him in place. She didn't bother to look, the sight of his devoted eyes framed with the prettiest lashes imaginable etched into her mind, stamped into the back of her eyelids even as she let her horned head fall back and arched into the greedy worship of his hands and mouth.

Leaving one nipple alone, his drool evaporating almost immediately and inflicting more longing tension on the aching bud, Johnny moved on to the other one, grazing it with his teeth and running his tongue flat over, lapping up the tangy clove aftertaste of Karlach's skin. The more desperate his caress became, the harder it was for the tiefling stay still, hips grinding into him. Thick, viscous slick covered her burning folds and smeared over Johnny's cock, mixing with the pre-cum drooling from his tip almost as red as Karlach's body. They sticked to each other with obscenely wet sounds, her drooling pussy clenching around nothing each time her clit caught on his hard length. It was insufferable, the need between her thighs, spread wide to fit around Soap's bulky form, grew worse at each squeeze his rough palms gave her smooth tits, each sharp suck and pointed lick, his capable tongue hooking under the firm nipple and flicking up.

If Johnny ached just as much to bury himself in the infernal heat of his devil woman, he worked hard to distract himself with her chest. Letting Karlach catch a breath, he pressed his wet, chapped lips to her collarbone and skimmed along the firm bone - just as sturdy and reliable as the rest of Karlach's build. There was nothing delicate and frail about her, heavy weight pressing down on him, plump ass with a thick, leathery tail beating the ground between his legs like an impatient pup wanting to play.

One huge, feral, deadly pup, digging her claws into his shoulders and smothering him between her breasts when he finally ran his fingertips down her tense abdomen and found one hard, throbbing clit, ready to send shockwaves through the tiefling's body at first touch. Karlach pressed into his fingers hard, demanding more touch immediately, and Johnny obeyed, catching her sensitive bud between two fingers and cupping her mound to increase pressure. His neck was one wrong move away from snapping in Karlach's tight embrace, cheek stuck squeezed into the uncomfortable firmness of his own dogtags, mouth agape in attempts to breathe through the sweaty heat between them.

He barely noticed any resistance when his fingers slipped into her welcoming cunt, that same thick wetness seeping into his palm and gluing digits together with semi-transpatent cream, pooling down at his knuckles as he started thrusting and searching for the right angle. Judging by Karlach's loud and bright - she lit up like a rescue flare each time - reactions, every angle was right. Her snatch accomodated his fingers easily, inner walls swollen and pliant, entrance stretching around an added third just as eagerly.

"Fuck, mate, please, just... I can't wait any longer." She didn't need to ask him, he was there to guess and serve, but the neediness in her pants made his cock twitch once Soap pulled his fingers out and immediately shoved in his mouth, moaning with eyes rolled back at the spicy taste. He returned his wet hand on her hips, guiding her up and positioning above his rigid member, and supported her heavy weight the whole way as he slowly sank down.

"Bloody hell, sunshine, ye're gonnae melt mah dick off," Johnny sounded choked out, Karlach's burly arms squeezing in a nearly-deadly hold around his head and his cock wrapped in the Hell's heat. Her throbbing walls were already milking him, fluttering around the delicious grith and coaxing more leaking wetness out to compensate for the steam that he could've sworn he saw rising from where their bodies connected. When Karlach didn't respond, Soap shifted his head, looking up to see her expression.

She looked peaceful.

Her body was still adorned with the hottest blue flames, lapping at her skin like ocean waves, tense muscles filled with overflowing arousal, heavy, laboured breathing - but her eyes were calmly shut, a tender smile dancing on her lips, bliss and contentment all the way down to her engine.

Her calm, evenly whirring engine under Johnny's cheek.

When Karlach opened her eyes to look down at his face, she lit up once again - azure crown around the metal circle - as she saw his adoring eyes. The sea their shared between wasn't a stormy one, but the serene, eternal deep ocean, mother to all living things, full of love just as it was millions of years before and will be after this pitifully short moment.

"Karlach," her ears perked up in a painfully obvious way at the beloved sound of her name on his lips. "Please, let me love ye properly. Ah swear tae gods, ah'll dae right by ye."

Her tail answered first, lifting from the ground and wrapping itself around Soap's ankle, and then followed the first bounce. His whole core shivered, arms locked in a bear hug around her hips, a loud low moan drowning in her chest as his face slid down her sternum and back up, nudging the dogtags away. Maybe Karlach followed it up with a breathless "yes", but Johnny didn't hear it already, palms sliding down to grab big handfuls of her ass and knead her thighs tensing up and relaxing as he rode him.

He must've left bruises before Karlach finally gave up on staying upright and nudged him to fall back first onto the messy bedroll. Soap caught one of her hands, placed on his torso for support, and guided it away, interlocking their fingers as she leaned forward. Her eyebrows knitted together with another moan, his swollen tip hitting the spongy spot inside and dragging past it at each thrust of his hips meeting the tiefling's efforts halfway.

Raw slaps of their bodies hitting each other mixed with the metal jiggling of those tags, bouncing between Karlach's palm-sized, fucking perfect breasts. Up. Down. Slapping her chest and hitting each other.

Up - the blue sun shined down the deep waters of his gaze.

Down - perfectly round shape of his devotion's evidence overshadowed the celestial body encased in its cage.

Thousands of solar eclipses right before his eyes, each and every one for John MacTavish only. His whole universe in the form of a woman climaxing around his cock with a shuddering growl.

Myriad of blazing hot, white and blue supernovas exploded in his eyes when he felt Karlach squeeze around him, both of them stubbornly fucking through the orgasm even after she collapsed on top of him - a horned head ramming his forehead sent another wave of bright sparks dancing behind his eyelids, his restraint finally snapping. He grabbed Karlach around her waist again, whimperng into her twitching ear, and fucked up into her spasming pussy, their tight closeness overstimulating her with relentless grinding until his pace stuttered, hot wave rushing down his body and spilling inside.

Soap's knuckles popped from the sheer strength of her grip, tightening as his seed painted her insides in thick, messy ropes, a sticky swamp smeared between their crotches, too wet to dry out even under Karlach's relentless heat. He chuckled, wrinkling his nose in the manner he already picked up from her, and pulled his reddened palm from her big paw - only to splay between her shoulder blades and hug her tighter. They stayed entangled for some time, catching their breaths, until finally Karlach moved, lifting up a bit. Johnny's chest immediately raised with a grateful sigh, previously squished by the tiefling's weight, and she shoot him a worried look, but was met with a fucked-out expression of a man that had just experienced heaven.

"Hey, soldier." Karlach cooed softly, nudging his nose with hers. Soap's grin widened, and he finally focused his gaze on her sweet smile. Irresistably kissable. "How'd I do? Spectacular?"

"Hey, sunshine." He mumbled, brushing his thumb over her smiling cheek and pinching gently. "Ye sure ken how tae fuck a lad's brains oot."

His hand travelled lower, hooking a finger under the chain that once decorated his own neck and tugging onto it until it dented Karlach's skin. She leaned back down after a lingering pause, leaving him breathless once again in more ways than one.

A loud, ear-ringing slap landed heavily on her ass, jolting her tail up like a flag and causing her cunt to tighten around his slowly hardening again cock.

"Now tha' we've warmed up, how about Ah show ye how we dae it where Ah'm from?"

[rinwellisathing]

Get to know my OCs: post-adventure family life.

Most of my Tavs are parts of the same polycule in various different ways so they are mostly still a found family post game also with updated older models:

Sentry Ojeda:

Traveling with Astarion before they settle in a home in the city, sometimes they stay a few weeks with Halsin in his village. Sentry has twins with Halsin a short time after defeating The Elder Brain. He also sends a letter to the daughter he had with Gortash, hoping her adoptive parents will give her the letter when she's old enough. He writes mystery novels and copper dreadfuls and after one accidental oversleeping incident which resulting in him turning in his journal instead of his manuscript, he is the author of a wildly successful vampire romance novel.

Jaina Thalassia:

Already pregnant with hers and Wyll's first child by the time of the final battle. Unfortunately, without the tadpole suppressing it, her illness returns, a disease common to her specific subrace of sea going Tiefling which causes bad atmosphere to slowly calcify her lungs. Wyll goes to help Karlach in Avernus, meanwhile Jaina uses her free time now that her illness keeps her from working to collaborate with Rolan and Dammon on ideas to fix Karlach's heart. She and Wyll have two children and she has one with Halsin as well after time in Avernus with Karlach convinces Wyll that storybook love can still be shared.

Octavia of Creche K'liir:

Becomes Morena Dekarios' second favorite person in the world after her marriage to Gale. Takes easily and happily to learning how humans live, cook, keep house, and care for family. She adopts an abandoned Githyanki egg, which hatches into a daughter she and Gale raise together. Visits Baldur's Gate frequently to see her brother and friends.

Kroger of Creche K'liir:

Starts a free clinic in the lower city with Shadowheart's help, joins Wyll and Jaina's family as well. When Shadowheart has a daughter, he helps raise her alongside Wyll and Jaina's children. He also works tirelessly to try and cure Jaina of her chronic ailment and save her life.

[shewhowas39]

fuck it. i'm doing it. starting a tarot deck prompt tag here. i'll always include a pick of the card and what deck i'm pulling from.

***

Title: "You've Got This" Card: Queen of Crosses Deck: Favole Tarot by Victoria Frances Ship: Karlach x Shadowheart Rating: Non-explicit Warnings: Mild sexual references, swearing, and some light Juniper & Starlight spoilers.

Summary: Karlach reminds herself that she's a sexy badass before making a move on the girl she likes.

Karlach glances around, ensuring that she's not being watched, before swiping the hand mirror from Astarion's pack.

She'd seen him using it before and been absolutely baffled - until she realized he mostly just stands around with it, huffing dramatically, until June comes over to tell him he's pretty. She's seen this happen more than once now, and it's hilarious every time.

Gods, she adores that pointy faced little man.

But he doesn't need the mirror right now and she does. She quickly runs back to her tent before stopping to check her reflection. She moves the mirror around so she can look at her face and neck from every angle. Are her horns looking shiny? Has she gotten all of the blood off from the fight earlier?

Or did the blood actually make her look better? Maybe she should go out and find some Absolute cultists to kill before she does this?

Karlach takes a deep breath, shaking off the string of nervous thoughts.

"You've got this, Karlach," she tells her reflection with the same determination and enthusiasm she would use to give her companions a pep talk. "You're good looking and funny and you kill things so good. You're a catch!"

In the nights since Dammon had fixed her engine, making it so she could actually touch people for the first time in a decade, she'd kissed countless Harpers and tiefling refugees in the tap room of the Last Light Inn. And she'd never felt a moment of insecurity. She knows how hot she is - ha! literally! - and worst case scenario, they'd turn her down and she would move on to someone else eager to get ot know Mama K.

This is different, though. This isn't just some random person she'll never see again. This is her friend. Her insightful, mysterious, sexy friend. She doesn't just want to kiss her at the bar or even carry her up the stairs to share a locked room and a night they'll never forget. Though that sounds really nice, too.

No. She wants to do this the right way. The Wyll Ravenguard way.

She can hear Wyll in her head already, cheering her on. Telling her to chase her heart's desires. She isn't nearly as romantic as him - and certainly not as chaste (at least, not by choice), but he has a few good ideas in that cute head of his.

Karlach knows now might be the worst possible time. They have this fucking Shadow Curse and Ketheric Thorm to deal with. But based on the way two beautiful green eyes have been looking at her these last few nights, she thinks this might be her shot.

And by the hells, she has waited too long for this sort of opportunity to miss it because of a stupid, evil, life stealing curse and a few hundred cultists.

"This is your shot," she tells her reflection again. "You'll regret it forever if you don't take it. And you're looking great tonight. Blood or lack of blood - doesn't matter. You're a babe." She winks at herself and then giggles at the absurdity of it.

Outside, she hears voices. She quickly stashes away the hand mirror, runs her hands over her clothes, and then pokes her head out of the tent flap. Shadowheart, Astarion, and June have come back down from the inn and seem to be finishing up some conversation.

"One of the Harpers says there's a Thorm family mausoleum around here. It might be a good place to gather some information," Shadowheart is saying.

"Oh, a crypt? Finally! It's been so long since you've dragged me to some disgusting, rat-infested hole in the ground," Astarion snarks. "I was starting to miss it."

June elbows him with a snort before nodding to Shadowheart. "Sounds like a good idea to me. We can talk it over with the others in the morning."

The three part ways as June and Astarion slip off toward the river and Shadowheart begins moving around camp, apparently gathering supplies for a bath.

Nope, nope, nope. Don't think about her int he bath, Karlach! She swallows. We're doing this the right way. The wyll Ravenguard way remember? And you're confident. You are so. fucking. confident.

With one last deep breath, Karlach climbs out of her tent, puts on her biggest, best - hopefully sexiest? - smile, and strides over to Shadowheart.

"Hey, you," she says. "Got a minute to talk?"

***

author's note: so this deck is a bit different. it leaves the reader to interpret what each of the suits corresponds to in a typical RWS deck. i, personally, read crosses as similar to wands. so that's what i used as my inspiration for this story.

[forgeofthenine]

Wouldn't it be cool that Larian gave us a mini adventure where your companions are some of the NPCs of the game, such as Alfira or Rolan, and that gives you the possibility to have some subtle slow romance options to interact with them?

For me it would be awesome. Not to say that I would gladly give some extra money if that meant that my Tav can have some sweet moments with the fav blacksmith.

Like, I can perfectly imagine how (since the VA of Dammon does not like the idea of a romance route, affirming that once the players can "have" him he might lose his charm and mystique) during the adventure, your character is able to have some bonding moments with the NPC you choose in order to have a more deeply connection and could aim into a beautifully strong friendship or aim into the beginning of a romantic interest. But just that.

Either friendship or the beginning of "what it could be". Getting the tension and the vibes of romance but never actually getting a kiss or a more physical option.

Just let my half-elf character have a nice "no-date" with Dammon where they spend all night long talking about their interests and at some point he tries to show her how to properly hammer or do some blacksmithing stuff by helping and correcting her posture from behind. Like in Ghost.🥲

I can totally understand why Frazer doesn't want Dammon to be a love interest, and he brings up a great point with the mystery aspect, but I would love a patch or a dlc that adds more to the NPCs.

Even if we don't get romance routes (though both Rolan and Zevlor would slot perfectly into being love interests, though I digress) I would like more options to flirt and/or chat with NPC fan favourites like the tieflings (Alfira, Cal, and Lia included) and others like Rugan. Really, I just want more content for our favourites, and having Dammon and Rolan hanging around in act 3 is nice, but I'd still like to at least be able to get my first on with them instead of just having to think it in my head lol

[butwhatisit]

Friends I have been reading BG3 fic for so very many days now and my recommendation to you is that you read the Hellion's Heart series by @mel-0n-earth. It's two sides of the same story, where Tav and Dammon have anonymous sex but uh oh what will happen when they figure out who their mystery lover is oh noooooo

It's so good! A real stand out work, and I do so love to see my boy in action (so to speak). I probably don't have to say that it's smut but it is, gang, thank god.