#not only from Bhaal but me as well 😭

[eliteseven]

I just started my Durge campaign so I have to wonder - do you plan on making a Durge character?

Durge!Serena existed for about 30 mins before I purged her file forever 😅 it felt weird and she already has parents and a backstory!

So I pivoted and made a new Half elf Durge sorcerer-paladin beefcake. He took the oath to try and fight his urge (and I just wanted to smite stuff) and as such is now oathbroken 💀 I will not be paying 1000 gold thank u very much. His name is Malachi and he also lives in Serena’s shadow bc I love him far less 😔 a real villain origin story, I fear

His eyes change when he rids himself of the urge. As a treat.

[meanbossart]

Ask Compilation: Blondes, feet, bowl-cut guardian lady.

He did not, they never had sex. But he was in love with her.

For sure. I think she struck him more like a teenager with the black hair and bangs, after the change (both visual and in attitude) she became a far more mature AND attractive person in his eyes.

PFFT, well, if you're saying they meet ALL of the criteria, I assume you mean both in looks and personality and hence be damn near his soulmate. DU drow could overlook weird feet (and a lot of other things, actually) if he were in love with the person in question. He would probably gently request they take better care of them, though.

Nothing special there, I'm afraid! He just has human-like skin - perhaps a little on the oily side but completely within the bounds of normality.

He runs a little hot, if that's anything. Oh! His hair is shockingly soft.

Correct! DU drow only (arguably) looks like a drow. He doesn't have their usual bone structure, height, or associated magical proclivities. He has some dark vision but its nowhere near as good as a drow's either.

I don't necessarily think all Bhaalspawn are the same way, but the Dark Urge IS quite different from the previous game's iterations. DU isn't simply Bhaal's child conceived with a partner, he's a piece of the god that supposedly slobbed off and grew legs and a face, pretty much. So yes, I do think that the Dark Urge at least is it's own unique thing.

The reason why he looks like a drow, is because he was placed in the Underdark upon creation. The metaphor I always use here is that if you place something infantile in a biome that is alien to it, it may try to adapt to it's environment to survive as it develops, to different degrees of success. This is why DU drow looks the way he does.

[MORE UNDER THE CUT]

You're welcome!

I've received a few snippets here that you can find through the #gift art tag! There is also the fic I'm in the process of writing called A Novel Experience on AO3.

It was just something I was compelled to do when I first drew him! The facial scars felt like they should lead into something else so I just made up a pattern on the spot, minus a tiny tweak here or there, it has stuck basically unchanged. All and any lore relating to the scars came later.

I get a lot of sweet messages but "thanks for your man's penis size" has to be one of my favorites. Thank you!

HELLO!

Thank you so much for the kind message! And that sounds like a fun dream, I love that your Tav got jealous of the attention ASTARION was receiving instead of mad that he had to share in the first place LOL

DU drow is desperately monogamous. He doesn't care what other people do with their lives but he's very much a "one and done" kind of person.

He would be willingly to participate in a threeway/have group sex with a partner, assuming the rules and regulations of said encounter were laid out clearly before or at least mutually understood between them. He would never want to see these people again after the fact though.

She does not, naturally I had no idea that this character was going to turn into anything when i made him, so I just... Made a lady. And since she was supposed to be a "guardian" I gave her a Joan of Arc type of look.

I've occasionally thought about changing this, but... Y'know, sometimes you don't need lore to be that in-depth, LOL.

The emperor gave everyone else a nondescript hottie he assumed they would trust, DU drow just got the same treatment. She's not even DU drow's type but definitely someone he would be compelled to take seriously yet not feel threatened by - so ultimately, her design does make sense.

---

That's all I have the energy for tonight folks, as always thank you for the many encouraging and sweet messages you send me, I'm sorry I can't reply to all of them! 😭

Have yourselves a great week!

[majorasnightmare]

OC Interview Tag!

Playing 20 questions with Faerûn's most prolific uncaught serial killer! Courtesy of @arach-tinilith and @the-weeping-dawn ! And @mogruith because this has been sitting in drafts so long I got @'ed AGAIN. Sorry I took so long to respond, Dirge took a bit to be wrestled into cooperating 😭

Are you named after anyone?

"I mean, I'm barely named at all. This is just the first thing that came to mind on the beach, and I suppose it stuck. I certainly don't have anything better in mind. I suppose it'd be nice to know what my parents called me, back when that would be relevant, and their reasoning behind such a name, but the time for that has long since passed."

When was the last time you cried?

"I'm not a crier, not really. The last time was... I don't think I've cried at all since waking up on the nautiloid, come to think of it. Hm."

Do you have kids?

"Absolutely not. And I never will."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Only when it's funny. Or Gale presumes something particularly egregious."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"I.. hm. I don't really notice people at all. They're just kind of a blur of skin and organs. I suppose anything unusual about them? Eyecatching features like scars or tattoos. I've gathered that dragonborn are supposedly rare, and truthfully I see so few of them that it's always a bit of a surprise when I DO encounter one. So things like that, I suppose."

Scary stories or happy endings?

"Well there's only a few ways a story can end happily, isn't there? But an infinite depth to fear, horror, terror. I'm sure happy endings have their place, but I just can't help but feel the exploration of fear is more interesting."

Any special talents?

"Well I certainly have skills, though I don't know if they'd be considered talents. I'm fairly adept with magic, and have a wealth of experience utilizing psionics. I've found I can be quite persuasive in cirumstances that call for it, and quite a few beside that are just fun. I'm an exceptional killer, with years of experience, and a graveyards worth of corpses to prove it. And I have it on reliable authority that my tongue is pleasingly skilled at more than just honeyed words."

Where were you born?

"I... believe I hail from Baldur's Gate. Though I don't strictly know if I was... "born" there. Given the particulars of my heritage, it might be more accurate to say I was born within Bhaal's Throne of Blood, but admittedly I tend to think of it similarly to a potter throwing clay on a wheel."

Do you have any pets?

"Scratch! Oh, I love Scratch, he's such a good boy. Such a sweet dog. I adore him. There's also the owlbear cub, Sniff, but he prefers my brother's company to mine. Really those are the only two that come closest to pets, but maybe you could count Shovel if one was feeling particularly irritable about her. Us is too... oh, whats the way to phrase it. Us feels less a pet and more like a follower, meant as kindly as possible. If it finds enjoyment in tagging along behind me, I'm certainly not going to complain, but if it ever desired to do anything else, it's not like I would stop it."

What sort of sports do you play?

"What... exactly counts as sports? I've certainly made a game out of toying with prey, while it shivers in the dark clutching useless weapons. I'm sure I've entertained myself with corpses plenty of times before. But I'm not going to pretend that's what people think of when they say sports. Though I might be open to suggestions."

How tall are you?

"Last time Lae'zel informed me, I was 6'5" if that means anything. Oh, without the horns, I haven't bothered to measure them."

What was your favourite academic subject?

"Did I ever actually attend school? Wait, I don't think I did. And judging by the barebones state of the Temple's lending library, I don't think I was finding much material there either. If it was even instituted when I was a child. I imagine I took rather well to lessons in doctrine and theology, and certainly, ah, bloodletting as it were, but I seriously doubt any academic institution would recognize my expertise in those subject matters. Nowdays there isn't much I don't enjoy, though history tends to crop up more often than I would have expected. Oh, and arcana is always enjoyable. I wouldn't mind studying that academically."

What is your dream job?

"What a question. I honestly don't even think about it, thought that's... probably because I tend to find myself at the mercy and whims of situations I can't afford to ignore. It's not like a child tells their parents their dream is to lead a cult on a path of bloody devotion to carve a city of innocents into a meal fit for a god, after all. And similarly I don't imagine anyone is fantasizing about spending their days scavenging rations from the ruins of a conquered village while on the run from a horde bent in service to a maddened illithid elder-turned-hoax. But such things have consumed so much of my time, it's difficult to ponder what I would do besides such things."

tags: I took so long doing this everyone already passed this around each other 😅 so if you see this, and haven't already been tagged (or want to do it again with a different character) just tell everyone I tagged you (and @ me so i can see it+reblog it!)

[seb-reads31]

Hey, saw you wanted some angst, and that you write for Vox Machina. How about a short story where Pike sees her s/o killed while they all fight a necromancer, only for her s/o to be raised as a zombie?

Cautions - death, resurrection (this is gonna be gruesome), very harsh detailing, me guessing how a necromancer brings people back to life 💀, lots of unaliving, not short but I don't apologize

Genre - angst (no fluff) HAHAHAHA

Type - oneshot (someone give me a lesson on the different versions of fics, cause I don't think this is right 😭)

Comments - Omg ily 😍 this is gonna hurt my soul, and poor Pike, but it'll be great ✨ (I'm actually gonna start working on that Bhaal worshiper reader eventually, sorry about that! 😭) and the reader is a paladin of sorts, much like Pike, but it's implied mostly. Takes place before season 1?

Undead love

There was so much happening, and it was almost deafening. Blades hitting blades, yelling, cursing, spells being cast, cries of pain.

Fighting a necromancer wasn't entirely new for Vox Machina, having fought undead before, just not the person who makes them rise in the first place. It was.. disturbing, to say the least. Not to mention the stench of death surrounding the party, not that anyone had any time to really smell it anymore.

Vox Machina was brought here for a little extra gold, to figure out why there were so many disappearances in a small village. As the group searched, there were rumors being spread that there was a villager that was exiled due to studying dark magic. And with enough asking around, the group found themselves in a graveyard surrounding a small hut, it nearly covered in dead flora.

It was eerie, but as the group approached, the fight began. Skeletons and partially rotted bodies pulled themselves from the ground, worms and dirt covering them as they charged the group, some hobbling along slowly, but still put up a fight.

You and Pike worked together to put the poor souls to rest, like they should've been. The ones you could get to before the others, atleast. Keyleth did her best to restrain them so you and the gnome could do your thing, but the others were too busy trying not to get mauled or over run by the bodies.

After you had taken down all of the bodies, the creator of them stepped out of their cabin, and they weren't very happy to say the least.

What the villagers didn't tell your group was that this necromancer was very skilled in magical combat, as well as a sword.. so this was going to be a long fight.

Keyleth and Pike did their best to block any arcane shots or other spells, but couldn't get them all. You were always better at close ranged combat, so getting close to the necromancer was tough, but when you did it was even worse.

They had kicked you, slashed at you, tripped you, even some moves you've never seen before! And while you did your best to keep up, it was all for not when they caught you by the neck after they had stunned you by unarming you from your weapon.

You struggled against their grip, trying to kick and scratch your way away from the necromancer. Your party noticed immediately, Pike being the first to run towards you, screaming your name out, asking you to hold on a little longer.

But she was too late.

The necromancer pulled their blade back, then thrusted it through your chest, straight through your heart.

Pike stopped, watching as the necromancer twisted the blade, causing more and more blood to spill out as you screamed. You were begging through tears, begging for any god, your party, anything to save you from this pain.

The rest of the party stopped, tears pricking their eyes as they watched the necromancer play with you. The necromancer couldn't even give you the sweet release of a quick death, no, they drew it out which angered them all, Pike the most.

She didn't quite realize it, but tears were flooding down her face as she let out a pained yell alongside yours, rushing forwards to try and save you.

As she took her first step, the necromancer pulled their sword out of your chest, dropping your quivering body to the floor as they pointed their blade to your neck..

Pike stopped again, screaming out in horror as the necromancer plunged their blade into your neck, finally ending your life.

She fell to her knees, her shield disappearing in her sorrow. "N-No.. Starli-" she couldn't even finish her sentence before she threw up. She hunched over as she emptied her stomach onto the long dead grass, feeling weak and helpless.

The necromancer laughed before they began to dip their fingers into your blood on the ground, and.. drawing?

The rest of Vox Machina looked on in horror as the necromancer started to mumble in what sounded like old Latin. The markings they drew began to glow green, catching the attention of the grieving gnome several feet away.

The flow got brighter and brighter, the necromancer continued their mumbling as they stood again, using their blade to make a small gash in their palm, blood already dripping down.

They squeezed their cut open palm over your chest, where the wound was, and over some of the runes they drew before. The glow turned a deep red as it soaked into the ground, pulsing green yet again, signalling the spell had worked. Not that Vox Machina knew.

"Rise, my newest soldier, hear my orders!" The voice boomed throughout the forest, many flocks of birds nearby flying away out of fear, and shook Vox Machina to the bone.

Pike watched in a rekindled horror as you slowly rose again, a dead look in your eyes as blood dribbled down your chest, neck, and mouth. Your skin looked pale, the left over blood still pouring out of your wounds. Your eyes are glowing green now, showing that you were no longer there even if Vox Machina could see your body Infront of them.

"Y-you... Monster..!" Pike wasn't just angry, she was furious. Not only had the necromancer tortured you before they ended your life, but they refused to let you rest. How dare they?

She stood up, albeit on wobbly legs to confront the necromancer again. The rest of the party quickly can forward, standing beside Pike as they readied their weapons.

The necromancer only chuckled as they placed a hand on your shoulder, giving you a command that Vox Machina would've never been prepared for.

"Kill them, but leave that little gnome there for last." They stepped back, but you charged forwards, towards Vox Machina with your weapon in hand.

Even though you had risen again just moments ago your fighting was still top notch, which nearly bested poor Grog, who was still shaking and not quite processing you coming towards him.

He did his best, but you were too quick, taking any chance to strike him, but it came to a stop when a mace struck your side, flinging you a good few feet away from Grog. But it didn't do much as you were back up on your feet almost immediately.

Grog was terrified, not because of you, oh no, he could handle you.. mostly. It was Pike, and how she used her mace against you. But everyone knew that there would be no getting you back, and Pike knew it, she just needed to get close enough to lay you to rest.

"I'm going to take care of them, the rest of you deal with the necromancer!" Her voice quivered, but she kept herself as composed as she looked in your unfeeling, glowing green eyes. She loved you, so much. But this needed to be done by her.

"Pike, you can't be-" Percy tried to interject, but Pike cut him off immediately. "No! I need to be the one to do this." Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, her brows turned upwards but filled with determination regardless.

No one dared to disagree, but they were all worried about Pike, especially as she was about to fight her now undead lover.

As much as everyone wanted to help, there was no changing her mind, no matter how much they wanted to. And so, they went and fought the necromancer, and let her put you to rest..

Pike kept a shaky but firm grip on her mace as she approached, her lip trembling as she looked you in your cold, hate filled eyes. As she took in a deep breath, you lunged, weapon in hand and ready to end Pike.

You were fast, too fast, but she's trained with you for too long to not know your moves. She knew your preferred weapons, the weight of them, the style, and how you used them against enemies. The only thing she didn't know was how you went for the kill, which threw everything she knew out the window as you threw a small knife at her.

She dodged it, turning her body to the left as it flew right by her throat. Pike would've done something back, but you swung your leg into her iron clad chest, knocking the wind out of her as she landed on the ground, mace forgotten somewhere along the dead ridden field.

Without giving her a chance to catch her breath you jumped onto her torso, bringing a much sharper knife to her throat. Pike just barely grabbed your wrists before the blade was lodged into her neck, arms shaking as she tries to push you back. Her eyes mist over again, feeling the hatred burn from your eyes as you put all of your weight into inching the blade closer and closer..

"S-Starlight..." Pike begged, even though she knew you couldn't hear her. Her iron clad hands shook, the knife slowly inching closer to her throat. Even though you were trying to kill her, she couldn't help but see the kind soul that was always pushing her to do her best, to make sure she was okay after every fight. But that same face died, and would never smile at her again.

Now, she has to put you to rest. The last thing she ever wanted to do.

Using the littlest bit of strength she had, she moved the blade to stab the ground. Pike took one of her hands off of your wrist, placing it on your forehead, her hand glowing with that familiar, heavenly glow. "Rest, love, and may the Star Bright guide you to where you belong."

Your body slumped, the necromancer's magic forcefully being dissipated. Your once green glowing eyes return to their natural color, and your face that was once filled with anger now looks down at Pike with relief.

The dwarf leaned up, holding onto your still bleeding body as your movements slowed significantly. The dark magic that was being used to forcefully reanimate your body slowly seeping out, but that didn't stop you from bringing your cold blood soaked hand to Pike's cheek. Stroking it softly, you mouth the words 'I love you.'

Tears pricked her eyes, her hand reaching up quickly to cover yours as she muttered those three words back.

And with a soft smile, you close your eyes, letting your body go slack as you die yet again, in her arms this time. Never awaken and hold her close, to reassure her that you'll be alright, and that you both will survive.

[blackjackkent]

All right, back to camp after what has definitely been the longest day of Rakha's life, remembered or otherwise.

There is, as I have been warned, fairly little reactivity to the Durge business, despite the monumentally weird nature of everything that just happened, but we do get brief commentary from everyone who wasn't present that I didn't talk to already:

-----

"Your new lease on life suits you rather well. What do you and your newborn vitality require of me?"

"The vile urge within me has been scourged. My heart is pure at last."

"Nothing like ridding oneself of a god's unwanted influence to lighten the load on your shoulders. I wasn't sure if we'd lose you to that darkness entirely. I'm glad to know you've found your way back to us."

-----

"Well done again on besting Bhaal and all that. It was very twee. Especially the part where that poor excuse for a skeleton waved his magic wand and made it *all better*."

"I am myself at last. You don't need to fear anything from me ever again."

"Yes, you were so *very scary*. I knew you had that sweet heart all along. I was alarmed by you sometimes, scandalized even, but somehow by your side, I still only ever saw you."

Aw. This is oddly sentimental for Astarion. He and Rakha have not really seen eye to eye in recent months as Rakha has tried to crawl out of the pit of Bhaalspawn instincts, so it's hard to say exactly how sincere he's being here... but it's a nice sentiment all the same.

-----

"You're cured! You're free! This merits a celebration. You did what you had to do to get yourself right - to choose the life you wanted to live. Very fuckin' proud of you, mate. Seriously."

Aw, Rakha got a lil smile on her face hearing this.

We really do not deserve Karlach. She and Rakha have REALLY not always seen eye to eye, especially with Rakha's recent alliance with Gortash, and there's also no way she doesn't feel more than a little jealous that Rakha was able to "cure" herself in a way she herself will never be able to. And yet she's right there on the front lines to cheer Rakha's victory anyway.

<3 <3 <3

-----

"It was no easy thing, overcoming those urges that gripped you. I'm not sure I would have managed in your shoes. Well done."

"My affliction is no more. I'm finally free."

"Good. I knew you had what it took to quieten your demons. I'd hate to have lost the real you. You... are quite remarkable."

... Aw. 😭 Rakha really needs to hear this right now tbh. Because the "real her" is still kind of a mystery to her for the moment.

[ceruleanskyz]

Fuck it, I’m rewriting this to be more canon complainant. I like it though, so I’ll just rewrite the scenes to fit the new storyline. Yall can have this unfinished bit cause I really don’t have the heart to finish it knowing imma rewrite it rn, so be left in suspense.

CW/TW: Copious angst, Bhaalspawn typical violence, hurt with a little bit of comfort but mostly hurt, slight sh ig but it’s not like, a thing, feel like I should still warn yall tho. Fic ends REALLY ABRUPTLY, IM SORRY.😭😭😭

Enjoy lmfao

Today was not a good day. Rhyse had been lightly ignoring Gortash for weeks; it wasn’t his fault, this time. You see, the two had been allied for somewhere around 3 years, quite a significant amount of time for Rhyse. Gortash was the first person that his father, the god Bhaal, had allowed him to be this close too…. well.. allowed was a strong word. Bhaal tolerated the two, or, at least, he did.

Rhyse first noticed it weeks ago, his Urges getting stronger around the tyrant, even after he’s more than satisfied his kill quota, and his nightmares were worse, more… real, almost threatening for Gortash to end up like his long gone adopted family. He suspected his father was punishing him for getting nowhere with the heist, to steal the Crown of Karsus, in weeks. (A plan the two were not so subtly elongating. The truth was, the two quite enjoyed the comfort the added time together had brought them, though, neither would openly admit it.)

He got his confirmation around a week ago, plain as day, from Bhaal himself. ‘Gortash was no longer beneficial to the cult, kill him’. Rhyse, of course, tried to refute, pleaded, their plan for ‘The Absolute’ had only just begun. He spoke of the souls it would bring his father, he hadn’t forgotten about their grand plan, he promised. It would still be him alone in the end, and then none, but until then let him live.

Bhaal would hear none of it, and frankly, Rhyse was terrified. He knew his father would have to see reason eventually, he wanted Orin, his sister, gone too, before Rhyse found a use for her. No, Rhyse was afraid that by the time his father would even hear him out, his tyrant would be long gone.

It was killing Rhyse to ignore Gortash’s letters, delivered to his windowsill by his Crow, Carrion, or even into Rhyse’s head through the sending spell, and Gortash hated using sending spells, he was clearly growing more desperate, the letter’s contents were getting more sporadic.

Rhyse knew he needed to confront the man head on, he wasn’t sure how bad his urges would be affecting him, but from previous experience… well, Rhyse didn’t like dwelling on the past. No, best to meet with Gortash now, while he is still, mostly, in his right mind.

Rhyse takes no weapons with him, but he doubted it would matter, his bare claws would be more than enough to take care of Gortash, he just hoped the tyrant had enough sense to properly defend himself. Rhyse scratches his Direwolf, Marrow, as he leaves, but he would not dare bring the beast with him. A ranger’s companion has a unique bond with the ranger's soul, it can fein death as long as the ranger is alive, but in exchange, it also gets some of the bhaalspawn’s… quirks. He knows from experience the urges affect his precious companion too, and he wasn’t willing to risk Gortash’s life over it.

Rhyse arrived at Gortash’s estate not long before noon, as he misty stepped into Gortash’s office with no sound more than a click. It took the man a moment to even notice Rhyse was there, his deeply sleep deprived eyes scanning some legal scroll, it’s only until Rhyse flicks his tail against a metal candelabra that Gortash’s eyes shoot up.

“Rhyse!” the man's voice fills with equal amounts of relief and anger, and worry. Rhyse waited to get chewed out by the man, already knowing he definitely deserved most of it. “Where in the Hells have you been!? You haven’t given me so much as a note, a ‘hey by the way I’m not fucking dead’ In weeks! The only thing I had to go off of that you were even receiving anything I was sending was your damned pigeon!” He pauses finally to take a sharp inhale, clearly running out of energy to stay upset, “And- And now you just ‘appear in my office’? Like nothing happened? I expect a damn good explanation from you.” He sighs, and laces his fingers through his obsidian black disaster of a haircut.

“Good to see you too” Rhyse basically collapses in a chair, he sees Gortash’s eyes dart across Rhyse’s body, searching for any insight on the situation.

“Where. Were. You.” Gortash snarls, his eyes narrow on the tiefling.

Rhyse pauses, he can’t exactly tell Gortash ‘Oh hey, funny story, dear old dad wants you dead’ but he can’t bring himself to lie to him, not with the two so ragged, emotions raw and strained, even though lying would be so easy, so simple. They could pretend to be normal, if only for a moment. “I- It’s… It’s complicated, okay?” Rhyse pauses, unsure of what to say. “My urges have been… inconvenient as of late. It was easier this way.”

“Easier!? Rhyse I-” Gortash sighed, and forced himself to relax in his chair, “Gods you are a nightmare sometimes. Just… Just tell me all you can, it’s not good for either of us if you’re ignoring me, so just spit it out.”

Rhyse chuckles slightly, it would be better for both of them, actually. At the very least for the tyrant, and as long as he’s safe, well, Rhyse can deal. He thinks about how to broach the subject with the man, the fragile, horrible truth, that could mean losing him forever. “I- You know how my Father is. He’s… not seeing the bigger picture, currently. But I have a- GH!” Rhyse’s blood goes hot, mind clouded with the overwhelming urge to wrap his claws around Gortash’s throat. He forces his talons to meet his forearms instead, in a futile attempt to subside the rush, to drown it out with pain of his own. “Oh hells” he muttered through gritted teeth, and bowed his head down, squeezed his eyes closed. He could wait it out, he wasn’t going to let his urges get the better of him.

He felt Gortash’s hand lightly trace his bloodstained fingertips, felt some part of himself that wasn’t quite his own growl at the touch, he fought every urge to rip his calloused fingers from his hands. “You weren’t exaggerating.” He said, tone laced with concern, and placed his hand firmly on the Bhaalspawn’s, forcing it to loosen slightly. “Who does your father want dead? It’s not- Hells is it me?”

Rhyse shrinks into himself. “Look I- nothing’s going to happen to you. I can control myself.” He bit back through the bloodlust, the worst of it fading from his mind. Rhyse eased slightly, and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “I don’t know what I’m going to do” he chuckled grimly. Rhyse met Gortash’s eyes, far too calm for their current situation. It would be so much easier if Gortash hated him, feared him. Gortash was the first person he’d allowed himself to get close to since coming to the Bhaal temple, first person that was his, not his fathers. Part of himself agreed with his father, he had gotten soft, but maybe- maybe that wasn’t the worst thing.

“We.” Gortash reminded, “What are we going to do, because you are not going to ignore me like that again.” the man commanded, Rhyse wished he had that kind of confidence.

“Right, We.” He looked away, he wished so desperately the two could be we, be each other’s, but Rhyse belonged to Bhaal, and Gortash to Bane, they weren’t allowed to be any more. “We should work on that heist. It will be easier to convince him once I have concrete proof it’s possible.”

Gortash nodded. “Of course,” he got up from his chair to bring a stack of books and maps to his desk, Gortash grabbing a hefty tome detailing Mephistopilese’s layer, and Rhyse finished a chart of the journey. Neither could find a map of the archive’s insides, but they did find descriptions of hidden passageways, and traps.

Rhyse paused, and moved the map closer to Gortash “You think we could use a spell to get in through this window? Using an Interdimensional Gateway spell possibly?” He examined the map further, it should be old enough to have limited security, but from there they could find a passageway into the inner archives.

“Hm…” Gortash thought for a moment, “Maybe, but what if there’s spell detection? He is a wizard, it would be protected… wouldn’t it?”

“Hah! But that’s the thing!” Rhyse grinned, and he pulled out a tattered journal from the stack, and flipped to a sequence of stitched in notes detailing security protocols. “See here, there’s only portal detection to get into the archives, because over here-” he grabbed the man’s hand and traced it to a small clearing, nearby, separated physically, yes, but near enough that anti magic systems would be counterproductive. “Is where the Archivists mages train. Which means the radius can’t extend farther than about… here.” He uses Gortash’s finger to draw an arc, and points his free hand to a spot just outside of it, “This is where we get inside. I know, don’t thank me.” Rhyse chuckles, proud of his work.

Gortash stared at him, eyes wide “That’s- That’s what we’re missing. You’re Brilliant!”

“We’re brilliant.” He says, quoting the tyrant’s previous words. Neither could’ve gotten anywhere near this close without the other, but together, together they were unstoppable. The two continued like this, bouncing ideas back and forth, enjoying the others' company until nightfall.

“-Anyways, if we use this hidden passageway, this tome says there may be an exit leading right to- Is your tail wagging?” Gortash’s ramble stopped abruptly at the realization. Wait was it?- Gods it was, Rhyse willed his tail to stop.

“I- What are you talking about?” He lied, Gortash was never going to let him live this down, Rhyse knew it.

The man burst into cackling laughter, “Gods, it was! Are you embarrassed?” Gortash sneered.

“Shut the fuck up, not a word.” Rhyse huffed, feigning being upset, holding back his own laughter. For a moment, it felt like it was just the two of them in the world, no priorities, no responsibilities, no Orin, or Severok, or Bhaal-

A treacherous thought, immediately punished by a surge of bloodlust. He tried everything in his power to keep it down, keep it under control. “Dammitdammitdammitdammit Fuck!” He fell back from his chair to the cold hard stone, and pushed his back with force into the nearest wall. His vision went blurry and red, his hearing clouded by the rush of his own blood. Claws raked through his raven hair, his breathing grew unsteady, his muscles urged to gut the man open, to hold the heart in his hands and crush it, watch the blood and gore drip down. Stopitstopitstopitstopit, keep it under control, he had too.

“-yse, Rhyse! Rhyse gods damn it!” he heard the tyrant rush over to his side, wasn’t in control of himself when he felt his claws sink into the man's shoulder. “Hey, you’re alright, breathe.” But the Bhaalspawn wasn’t in control of himself. He ripped the coat from the tyrant, and immediately Rhyse saw Gortash’s eyes flash genuine fear. The Urge relished in the man's fright, but it only made Rhyse fight back harder. Rhyse heard the man’s voice waiver as he attempted to comment wittily, but couldn’t even manage that. “I-” The Urge growled and sunk Rhyse’s claws into Gortash’s neck.

Right as he was about to finish the man off, he regained control and stumbled back. “Fuckfuckfuckfuck oh Hells.” He tried to calm his own breathing, but all his immediate attention was on Gortash. Rhyse rushed forward slightly, preparing a cure wounds spell for Gortash, but stopped immediately when he saw the man flinch.

After a second, Gortash sat up and chuckled grimly, unable to meet the Bhaalspawn’s eyes. “Gods, for a moment, I thought I was really going to die.” Gortash allowed himself to be healed. Even without his coat, he was an expert at hiding his emotions, but Rhyse heard his voice elevate, the waver in his words.

“I shouldn’t have come.” Rhyse growled, mostly to himself, how could he have been so stupid, thinking he could fight his own father, his very blood. Once Gortash was healed Rhyse immediately got up to leave, but he felt a hand grab his wrist. “Gortash, let go.”

“You don’t plan on returning, do you? Is this really it? Our plan, everything we’ve built towards, is this really where you want it to end” The tyrant nearly pleaded, it’s unbecoming of a Chosen of Bane. His hidden words, his broken eyes, ask a different question, Is this where we end? Like they ever ‘began’ in the first place, but it nearly made Rhyse break. How could he still care about him? Rhyse nearly killed him.

“Let. Go.” Rhyse snarled. Let go of him, his memory, move on, it will hurt less. Rather cut their losses now, than watch the dagger twist through his ribcage, tears pouring down as the tyrant’s heart stops.

“When do you plan on returning? Because you will return.” He grips the Tieflings wrist tighter, Rhyse could rip that pretty hand off his wrist with no more than a well placed yank.

“Let go. I will not warn you again.” He tugs his arm, but makes no real effort to break free.

Oops, there’s the end :/ I have beef with tumblr for fucking up all my formatting but I’m on mobile so I can’t do anything about it.

[kemalamalam]

RULES: post 5 songs associated with your OCs and 4 outfits they'd wear

i saw @bhaalsdeepbat doing the tag game and i wanna make one too i hope you dont mind 👉👈

huehuehue this is Chevrotain, my durge bard

they got fucking wormed half way through the game and became hard to look at so i changed their hair then they look half-decent (not as good looking as the default but still)

im gonna be sorta infodumping about their lore bc im insane for them

1. Bloody! Bloody! - Junie & TheHutFriends

so in my canon Chevrotain isnt the dark urge like the origin character but another bhaalspawn, theyre still a bhaalspawn though so their gameplay is still a durge playthrough and this song is so accurate to durge's storyline?? like

Ain't it funny how I scare myself sometimes

..You take his hand quite literally..

..I probably shouldn't have said that..

They said, the lady in red / Bloody! Bloody!

Durge being literally shocked at kicking the squirrel involuntarily?? / the Gale incident / durge saying freakish shit most of the time / literally Orin

this song is my number one go to when i think of Chevrotain 😭

2. Abbey - Mitski

i mentioned that Chevrotain is a cannibal 🥺 its funny bc they dont have any sense of taste, they also have a huge identity crisis thanks to Bhaal whispering to them on their "role" and they whole "you were created bc blah blah blah"

I am hungry I have been hungry I was born hungry What do I need? I am something I have been something I was born something What could I be?

the theme i like to go with them is "starvation", like being starved of fatherly love from Bhaal, being starved of their own identity, being starved of their own mind, being starved of a home.. so this song fits into it SO PERFECTLY

3. Our Word - 36 Questions, Jessie Shelton

GAH this song is so cool from the coolest musical i know (i only know like 6 musicals 🙃), its literally a musical podcast?? so cool.

anyways Chevrotain is a bard right, they usually manipulate people with their words, a lot of deception and persuasion bonuses, so they are a very deceitful and as a result they are a very distrusting person.

the song is about a girl who was raised to be a compulsive liar - when she accidentally broke her dad's ship in a bottle - her mom told her to lie to get out of trouble and it worked, so she kept lying and lying and lying to get herself out of situations.

the song ends with a near death experience, but all she can think in her dying moments is how her parents are going to lie about her existence just to avoid the hassle of dealing with her death.

And it's our word Yes, our word It's our word Yes, our word Against theirs

the thing about Chevrotain is that they cannot trust easily - and what they fear the most is that theyd be tricked the same way theyve been tricking others - its a constant for them and this song embodies it perfectly (･ω･)b

4. Animal Cannibal - Possibly in Michigan, Karen Skladany

haha cannibal mention

iconic song tbh, this one isnt as intricately tied to Chevrotain's character quirks in my mind as the others and its more of their whole vibe and sthick

Who knows how some people turn to strange ones Is it up to me to make them into dead ones? (Here we go again) I bite at the hand that feeds me Slap at the face that eats me Some kind of animal cannibal (Animal? Cannibal)

the tricking people into thinking theyre an unassuming bard even though theyre an experienced necromancer

and that they rebel against Bhaal pretty aggressively (well, as aggressive as you can when youre going against your literal God father without being punished by death 💀) such as never calling Bhaal as "father" pre-amnesia

5. The Milk Carton - Madilyn Mei

have i ever mentioned here that Chevrotain fell into the Feywild when they were around 9?

they were following a grinning cat named 'Alice Alice van Malice' who later became their guardian because fucking Ethel spotted baby Tain, took them in bc she realize that a bhaalspawn would make a strong hagspawn, since Alice didnt want to be responsible for a horrific fate of a child he decided to keep watch of them 😭

so this song is more to baby Tain's perspective, that they are now living in a stinky swamp in the Feywild and sleeping on a cold slab of stone instead of the cozy foster home they were in before..

I think I really miss my bed Oh when, oh when will the nightmare end? I had it good, I had it good And yet I left and can't retrace my steps Think I forgot a couple things My brain is still at home (Stop telling me all about your problems)

..but hey, at least theyre not dead!

Outfits/Style

Chevrotain's style is called classy and youthful in the DnD universe and timeline, but in todays world we call it grandmacore ❤

ok well it has a prince-like flare to it, the embroidery would be all silver bc one thing about Chevrotain is that theyre good at commiting to the bit, also the clothes beinf airy, flowy and puffy is important bc they dont like their clothes being skin tight bc they get uncomfortable easy.

its all billowy blouse + black pants combo bc its a classic and i love it SO MUCH, i eat this combo all the time everytime

im too shy to tag anyone else for this akdnsjnd anyone who wants to join in from seeing this post.. please tag me in it bc im nosy and i want to see ur Tav/Durge :3

[jones-friend]

BG3 is an all-timer

Since 2017 I’ve been making more of an effort to play more games. Two have always sat at the top for me: Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Bloodborne. The first game to be added to these two since my Bloodborne fascination is Baldur’s Gate 3.

I’ll be sharing my thoughts and experiences on the game, spoilers will be below the cut.

Very few games conclude with me feeling like I’ve earned the adventure the game wants me to feel. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a whole ass adventure full of twists and turns, puzzles, combat, fantastic sound design, incredibly well written companions, a legendary soundtrack, and a full suite of antagonists to face off against. It is the widest game I’ve ever played with so many systems below the surface I stop seeing the inner workings of the clock and it appears to me as magic.

Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t do anything New per say, but what it does is incredible. Everything is bound together in story, everything becomes a piece of the whole and all of it works in concert in a way that enchants me unlike any game I’ve played before.

A playthru of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the hour equivalent of the entire Mass Effect trilogy.

We don’t get games like this often at all. They just don’t come around like this. If you have not played BG3 I cannot recommend it enough, it is incredible in every facet.

In my playthru of Baller’s Gate 3 I made Jones the pal-adin, oath of the ancients.

Dragonborn look so fucking good in this game. I romanced Karlach and was so taken by her personality that when we left to Avernus to fight together so she could live it brought me to tears.

All of the companions are top tier quality. All of them. I will say some have stronger storylines than others but all voice actors and writers are bringing their A games and I can recall incredible moments with all main six party members that endeared me to them:

Astarion: when I discovered his performative voice and his vulnerable voice and we held an entire intimate conversation in his vulnerable voice after all our companions went to sleep

Gale: when after all the game he approves of so many actions you take and is so quick to be your best friend/lover as you support him with his struggles with Mystra he triggers a Disapproves when you try to talk him out of ascending to godhood

Wyll: when after he declined to dance earlier in the game you catch him dancing about and he offers you to join, having a moonlit dance led by Wyll to an orchestra vers of the game’s main theme between just the two of you

Shadowheart: when I offered her to let her heart decide what was best with her parents and she chose to save them, shunning Shar’s teachings of Loss to excise Pain

Lae’zel: when after being saved from Orin in the Temple of Bhaal her demeanor shifted, using Faerûn customs to thank me and asking me “is something burdening you” whenever I talked to her in camp

Karlach: her anger over killing Gortash and how it fixes nothing for her, her pivot from I’ll never go back to Avernus to I want to live bc now she doesn’t have to go it alone 😭

What is incredible is the climax of each storyline of these characters hinges on your understanding of these characters and characters. If in 100hrs did you learn the people you travel with. And thats just the companions. Theres Halsin, Jaheira, and Minsc I was so entirely taken with. Then there’s NPC’s both allies and antagonists.

A lesson I learned from this game is make your antagonists HATE each other, this gives the players exploits that make the story thrilling. The antagonists in this game are incredible. Ketheric Thorm is my favorite of the chosen, when you ask him if he’s going to betray the other two chosen and he gives this resolved “Yes. Its going to happen. Everyone will die bc Myrkul is the only god who answered me. So I’ll be the best chosen he’s ever had”.

Orin and Gortash are excellent pinnacles of their deities and you’re given so many opportunities to interact with them beforehand letting you really get to know who you’re up against.

Raphael is also absolutely incredible. A devil in hell with the House of Hope who preys on the desperate offering contracts to be their savior while reaping all the benefits. Raphael, who watches your progress to let you get in over your head before striking with an incredibly juicy deal, and refusing to steal from him is an entire questline created from the player’s defiance and NOT from an NPC setting it up for you, AND his final fight has a disney villain song he sings. Holy shit is all the House of Hope stuff good.

But what really sets all the pieces of BG3 together is The Emperor. My roommate and I have had discussions for HOURS on his half truths and metered out information. When Ansur called me the Emperor’s thrall I FELT something. I felt played, betrayed by this character who reassured me they were my friend at all times bc I knew Ansur was RIGHT. I was being manipulated hardcore even if we had the same goals. This was NOT an even alliance. The emperor and his execution is one of the best characters I’ve ever seen in any video game.

And thats part of what BG3 does so well. Characters so rarely just spit out what they’re feeling. You have to listen and watch how they speak and interact with them as if they were a person. To me that’s the greatest triumph of BG3, I have to approach all the game’s characters like characters in a dnd session, like people. Its a really REALLY hard trick to pull.

Mechanically this game is a joy. The sound design is so chunky that all the actions and effects feel great to use. Respec’ing is easy and quick, and bc gear doesn’t upgrade you can respec and get back in the game instantly. It felt GOOD to deal 333 damage in the last round of combat with Huge Pal-adin Jones.

Btw, Elixir of the Colossus and the Growth effect on the giantslayer stack.

The fights are executed so well with multiple allies and enemies, casters in almost every combat, lots of uneven terrain and hazards, and not every combat is a “combat”. Many endgame scenarios caused me to sit back and say “oh? So we’re gonna cheat huh? I’ll show you cheating”.

Theres also bits I learned here I’ll be applying to dnd. The Blood of Lathander is a great example. Its a +3 weapon on a subpar weapon die, a +3 1d6 mace is just a more consistent +1 longsword. And its undead boons don’t do much if there’s no undead around. And its 6th lvl spell only gets cast once per long rest. Its a great weapon that makes the player feel overpowered against undead without breaking the game.

And thats just thoughts from running a custom character. I’m on Dark Urge and co op playthru and I love how the Durge playthru is just a cursed version of a custom character playthru.

I would be remiss to post my thoughts without mentioning The Bugs. This game has some major bugs that would have been a dealbreaker for me in a lesser game, but I’m willing to forgive BG3’s bugs bc of how much its trying to do. Some of them include:

Lae’zel T Posing on top of the altar she should be shackled to

The entire fireworks quest not working from guards always getting involved to fireball being thrown through two stories of wood floors and ceilings

The sound not working during the first final battle requiring a reload

Gale reprimanding me for taking a deal that had yet to be offered to me

Black boxes constantly flickering over Karlach’s campsite

There were more. And they did dampen my enjoyment of the later Act 3. However these are in the process of being fixed and with the game’s scale I’m willing to look past them. I will also say in its current state, 11/13/2023, the epilogue is far too short. Shadowheart didn’t even appear in mine. I’d at least like to know the fate of my main 6 party members, maybe more about the world after the ending. The ending is currently lacking for how well juiced the rest of the game is.

This is one of the best. Through and through. Its an experience thats left me changed, I truly feel I’ve gone on an adventure with my companions and we’ve gone through some intense trials and tribulations, faced down monsters and menaces, and played the big hero and saved the day. I cannot recommend the game enough, its a must play for anyone with capable hardware that can run it. Instead of a top two I now have a top three: Zelda Breath of the Wild, Bloodborne, and Baldur’s Gate 3.

[dismalzelenka]

For the WIP game: first, I'm in awe of three digits worth of files!! And second, tell me about "spicy bloodletting thing"

This took me forever to answer because this is absolutely a dead dove fic and I couldn't find the button to put something under a cut until someone pointed it out to me today 😭 but anyway the pairing is orin/tav/gale. CW for like. Blood, noncon, and fuck-or-die 💀

READ MORE AT YOUR OWN RISK Y'ALL IT IS LABELED AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN

also if you find you don't want to know after you asked that is also okay! I don't know how well the cut works on ask answers on mobile so here is Buffer Space for you to back out now so you don't accidentally stumble on something you don't want to see.

anyway here goes

I can't remember the submission on the dirty confessions blog that inspired this, but the basic premise is that Orin kidnaps Miri AND Gale to the Temple of Bhaal, holds them in separate rooms, and shows up to each of them to "comfort" them while wearing the other's face, and basically at some point she does that thing where her speech gets increasingly unhinged and she drops the disguise. Some spicy psychological torture. And then she finally locks them both in the same cell and threatens to cut them bloody in front of one another if they don't fuck in front of the entire temple, and her commands for the things they have to do to one another also get increasingly unhinged. And the general vibe from Miri and Gale is "I'm so sorry, I don't want to do this, but it's the only way I can keep you alive long enough to think of a solution."

And then the rest of the tadpole squad shows up and rescues them. :V

[staysafedontdie]

I thought I was free of BG3, but I was not.

(sorry Im not using the real app so it's not letting me edit correctly)

So, I made another Redeemed!Durge playthrough.

While my first one was narratively and cognitively dissonant, story-wise (an unusual looking Githyanki Bard, doing serial murdering in Baldur's Gate? Brushing elbows with powerful people? And no one noticed???) I decided to chalk that up to Bhaal being incredibly cocky. He has the old man voice and is much more tired than my current PC.

My goal with this updated playthrough was two-fold:

Make the ultimate Durge - constantly underestimated, can go anywhere, no one bats an eyelash at their presence.

Get Astarion as the first and only companion and using a specific guide (https://reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/s/visFK1mKzl - top comment), get the scenes that I initially missed. (Most of the companion scenes are tiered/have priority, I think it's a combination of specific character and approval. Most often Astarion's scenes get overwritten by Shadowheart, Lae'zel, or Gale.)

So, my new character is a Female Half-Elf Bard (Sword Bard OP), with more traditionally Elven features, tanned skin, freckles, and light brown hair with a bit of blonde from sun-bleaching. She looks like the personification of the sun. Someone who's never gone a day without.

But she's also pretty, and forgettable -which is the important part. Other than the shattered dagger throat tattoo, a scar over her lips and the dagger earrings, she's just the girl next door. And since she's slight in build, she's constantly underestimated. It made for quick work to lure people to their doom.

the WORST part is that I've been writing blurbs between playing.

I've written over /16,000/ words. On my phone. Mostly idling in game, headphones on, listening to the ambient music. Or laying in bed. It's not even edited, it's just terrible stream of consciousness stuff.

I call the story collection 'Brief Moments in Time' and one of them involves my Half-Elf, Lysithea, having a core memory unlocked when Astarion is spouting lines at her during the Tiefling Party. Turns out she not only LIKES pick up lines, but also COLLECTS them. They were very useful for luring people to their deaths - like a less sexy version of what Astarion used to do for Cazador.

Here's the little memory flashback I have for her. The ending lines are meant to invoke that moment with the dying Mind Flayer you find at the crash site in Act 1. (Compassion??)

-----

The settings are vague, but the bustling environment must be a local tavern. She’s sipping ale quietly from a table that has a strategic vantage point. The occasional scratching of a quill in a book accompanies her gaze, making sure to take notes on would be targets.

But just over by the bar, she hears a drunken man say a fun pick-up line a little too loudly. Like Astarion she used whatever means she had to lure people away to their doom, and she pays attention to the honeyed words to try and see if they’ll be of some use to her.

“Are you a Gelatinous Cube? Because I feel like this encounter is going to end up with me inside you.”

Past the rage and the darkness that consume her, there’s a small bubble of… joy.

Joy?

-----

And then she spends the next little bit spouting lines at Astarion, which he rather likes because she calls him beautiful. And it's nice to be on the receiving end of such attention every now and again.

She's also aware the entire time he's using her, but doesn't care. She's got no sense of who she is, beyond a few small things, so she's using him as well for companionship and to help curb the urge and build new memories. After all, they're a lot alike.

UGH I JUST CANT STOP WRITING LITTLE GARBAGE THINGS ALL THE TIME. I HAVE BEEN CONSUMED. NOTHING REMAINS BUT BG3. please help me 😭

BUT!!

...In the future I want to do a Wyll run where I romance Karlach because I heard he goes with her at the end to Avernus anyway and they're so sweet to each other 🥹

[crossdressingdeath]

yoakesan Op of the mentioned post here, I'm DYINGGGG, my poor heart 😭 just think of how shocked and hurt Karlach would be to hear Durge say that so simply, after all that she and the other companions have done for them — and yet again, no one would be able to understand

The dynamic between Karlach and Durge is everything to me, she deserves more Durge content. But just in general the companions really don't want to know the person Durge used to be. They want to know their friend, they love their friend, they'd follow Durge to the end without a moment's hesitation if Durge asked it of them, but I think there's a concentrated effort to separate their friend who's helped them through so many crises (personal or otherwise) and been so good and loyal to them from Bhaal's Chosen, Gortash's old ally, the person who helped steal the Crown of Karsus and take control of the elder brain. Leaving aside Gale (who's the only person to directly confront Durge on the subject, but I didn't get that dialogue so I don't want to comment on it either way), I get the sense that the group wants to think that Bhaal's Chosen was... someone else. An entirely different person who just happened to have the same body as Durge. At least that's the only way I can account for the total lack of response. They want Durge to be good, and that's fair and understandable, but it comes with a complete refusal to face the parts of Durge that weren't good. Durge was a cult leader and serial killer for a long time, probably most of their life (we know that they were a normal kid for a while but killed their foster family when they were still a preteen, and while we don't know when exactly they found Bhaal's temple the presence of Sceleritas's voice in the Heal memory suggests he started guiding them not long after); that doesn't go away just because they don't remember it, but the rest of the party doesn't want to have to deal with accepting that their friend was very much not a good person.

I wonder if part of the problem is that they don't remember it, actually. A lot of the companions have done things that sound irredeemable without the context of why they were doing it, after all; Astarion lured hundreds of people to their deaths (well, conversion into vampires, but for most of the game he thinks they died), Gale nearly ended the damn world by messing with the Karsus Weave, I believe Lae'zel mentions having killed a bunch of her kin growing up... We sympathize with and forgive them because we have context, we know about Cazador's control and Mystra's grooming and the gith's whole deal and we see the companions as victims. They weren't doing it just because they could or because they were evil. But because Durge doesn't remember their past they can't offer that context for why they did the things they did. The companions seem to underestimate the grip Bhaal has on Durge to begin with (even Jaheira and Minsc I think underestimate it a bit, which makes sense when you consider that Durge's ties to Bhaal are from what I understand much closer and more established than Gorion's Ward's were even before we get into any differences that come from Gorion's Ward being Bhaal's child and Durge being crafted from Bhaal's essence), and Durge being unable to tell them what it was actually like pre-tadpole would make that worse. We get hints throughout the game that pre-tadpole Durge was at the very least not entirely comfortable with what they were doing, but all they'd be able to tell the others would be "I don't think I entirely liked it," which... isn't super convincing when we're talking about mass murder. The fact that the companions stick with Durge at this juncture says a lot about them and how much they love and trust Durge, but they really don't understand what it must have been like to be Bhaal's Chosen and quite literally made to kill the whole world, and they can't understand because Durge doesn't have the memories they'd need to explain it.

Thinking about an AU where Durge remembers more than they do in canon and they and Karlach end up getting into an argument about Gortash (either because Karlach got too aggressive about him or Durge got too defensive of him) and Karlach demands to know why Durge is so protective of the man after everything he did to the city and its people and her, and Durge just looks at her and says very gently "He's the only person who's ever wanted to know all of me."

[meanbossart]

Another much overdue ask compilation! Some short-ish lore asks (Gale, Gort, DU drow relationships and pet-companion preferences) and a couple of art/advice ones sprinkled in. THIS IS BY NO MEANS ALL OF MY ASKS so as usual I appreciate everyone's patience!

I actually think he'd give them a pass entirely as soon as he noticed. Correct me if I'm mistaken but half-drow get No love from underdark drow and are usually surface babies right? So that fruit is miles away from the tree lol. I think he generally has a bit of a soft spot for mixed kinds since he himself feels like an amalgamation of sorts.

Thank you! They're kind of a pain in the ass to draw at times for that very reason but man I do like the look 😩if other people like it too then that makes it all worth it!

THAT'S TRICKY TO ANSWER BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES I'M NOT... REALLY TRYING. I've draw a ton of horror comics for mine and my partner's series' SAD SACK and SORTIE, so I think it just comes naturally to me 😅 also I do genuinely find expressive and, uh, rugged faces more attractive? (I think they look rugged, again that's what people tell me at least.)

I think the secret might be adding bits of realism in there. I get a lot of comments about the wrinkles and eyelashes I add to my art, as well as the way I draw individual teeth (though I've lately been making an effort to simplify my style in favor of drawing faster, so I haven't done that as much or in as much detail.)

Both symmetry and the lack of it can also add to that effect. I have employed both facial unevenness and almost point-perfect symmetry to achieve something a little frightening or otherworldly in my work. [MORE UNDER THE CUT]

Thank you so much!!! The contrast is very much intentional, that's what DU drow's character is all about ;)

Hahah well I somewhat doubt Bhaal would care that his spawn gets named, but either way he stripped himself of his name as soon as he killed his foster parents and abandoned the Underdark. He had a drow name that I jotted down somewhere but it's completely irrelevant because nobody has used it since he was a child, and he doesn't remember it (even pre-tadpole/having his brain scrambled.) Here's a little write up about his origins that might shed some more light on that: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739688837431836672/did-drow-ever-have-a-childhood-before-the-temple

And about his original drow-given name and the reason behind it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/741350986692591616/drow-had-to-have-been-given-a-name-by-his-adoptive

Everyone just referred to him as his supposed race, or as Bhaalspawn or Bhaal's child, and any other similar titles. Orin called him "kin" and "brother" and Gortash likely called him his associate. Post-tadpole the camp grows entirely used to calling him "the drow" and he has no desire to change that or to choose a proper name.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH😭 no reason to be intimidated, I'm just some rando drawing BG3 fan art LOL I've been drawing since I was a child, and started taking it semi-seriously when I was 16 years old, so twelve years ago! That's around the time where I got my first non-display tabled and used that well into my twenties, prior to that I only did stuff on paper and liked to do inks color with pencils. I never really ventured into traditional painting at all except for a little bit of water-coloring in college.

Traditional and Digital art are very much different beasts. Which one you want to start with is, in my opinion, just dependent on what you want to do. Digital art gives you a lot of tools that makes learning easier, but you might find yourself having much steeper of a learning curve if you ever decide to do traditional art instead. If you want to be good at both, you need to practice both, since the skill doesn't entirely translate from one medium to the other.

Naturally you will be able to draw well on either, it's just... Different. I will say though, that I think if you're still learning you should use whatever allows you to look directly at what your hand is doing, so either traditional or display tablet/Ipad. I have no idea what a non-display tablet would do to a beginner, but remembering my experience with it I feel like it might be a huge detriment to developing the skill (feel free to share your experiences in the replies if you disagree, as I would definitely be curious to read them!)

YOU KNOW ME BABY IT WAS MESSY AND COMPLICATED the tldr.: is that they were "buddies", absolutely no romance intended there on either mine or DU drow's part, but due to his nature the friendship was extremely weird.

Here's a couple of replies where I go into more detail about it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739191190871818240/i-dont-have-a-particular-question-in-mind-sorry

https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/744952815768764416/so-not-sure-if-youve-covered-this-but-i-thought

That's definitely reserved for the vamp LOL DU drow very much enjoys when Astarion teases and fusses over him, and while Astarion probably got a kick out of acting that way around such a big and scary looking guy at first, I think by "now" (later and post-game) he's pretty much immune to DU drow's looks and just enjoys doing it in earnest.

He's not at all averse to being touched (even rather intimately) by close friends, but he wouldn't be quite THAT vulnerable with anyone else.

HE REALLY DISLIKED GALE... He irked him out by seemingly fostering a rather persistent romantic interest in him for at least half the time they spent together (very much based on my interpretation of their in-game interactions at the time, though my Gale might have been a little bugged.)

But also they had a... Fairly in depth relationship still? Gale was a staple in my party, and even though I antagonized him constantly by the end of the game it still felt like they had so much weight in each other's lives, if that makes sense. I might need to do a bit of an "update" on the DU Drow/Gale lore sometime, I feel like I've had some thoughts since that warrant more exploration of their dynamic (you can find a lot of old asks about it if you just search the Gale Dekarios tag in my blog though).

The gist of it is that DU drow found him arrogant and duplicitous, his constant optimist irritated him to no end and felt like it veiled a stream of self-pity (two things DU drow despises) Gale's attempts to get through to him only added insult to injury. By the end of the game he decided to pursue the crown of Karsus and this only lost him even more respect in Drow's eyes, seeing as he doesn't value godly power at all.

I was pretty overwhelmed by the game at the start so I actually missed a lot LOL including Scratch. I did get the owlbear cub though, which DU drow gladly welcomed into camp since it was injured - but I think he would have wished for it to remain a wild animal and to return back to it's home after it had grown up a bit. He didn't really make a "pet" out of it more than he just looked after the little guy in the way it's mother might have, probably with Shadowheart's help.

He wouldn't be opposed to proper pets though if one were to stumble into his life. He'd definitely be more of a cat guy because of their independence and strong little attitudes.

It is very hard to build proper rapport with him. He will be "friendly" to most people who have a good sense of humor about them, but friendSHIP is another thing entirely.

I think it's kind of circumstantial. He's very economical in his relationships and doesn't really seek them out at all - so a situation where he's forced to be in someone's company might be the only way to develop a bond with him, as he doesn't appreciate insistence either and that's more likely to push him away. He doesn't value status or titles either (kind of looks down on them really) so that won't help.

I think he just likes people who are true to themselves and their nature, sometimes even if the nature is one he disagrees with at it's core. This is why he liked Gortash, why he and Shadowheart got along so well, and why him and Astarion fit together so seamlessly despite seeming so different. Likewise I think it's why he didn't jive with people like Gale or Wyll, because they seemed to be rather... Dishonest with themselves and their own end-goals.

[delicate-paint-stained-daffodils]

You know what actually I will (tragically I dont actually have many on my phone, they’re all on steam)

Wren is like an angel to me, the only even mildly put together person in that whole party, so utterly very in love with the world around her (and so horribly pathetically in love with that ridiculous vampire)

I find how compassionate and, honestly, happy she turned out to be pretty interesting as it is not what I had in mind at all when in the character creator. She was loosely inspired by Wyren, my first Skyrim character I properly played the game with, who was… let’s say rather miserable. Something about Skyrim and it’s weirdly executed narrative evokes such a lonely feeling, violence is pretty solidly the only solution to just about everything in skyrims quests and I found my character ended feeling very disconnected from most npcs, she was lonely and powerful and honestly evil, she found no value in life because the game forces you into that. But Wren ended up the opposite and I’m honestly so glad.

Could talk about the weird loneliness of Skyrim forever but I will not :) I will instead talk about the weird loneliness of the Dark Urge :)

I was admittedly not feeling super well during my first Durge run and it SHOWED, she could not make a good, fulfilling choice to save her life, I’d started the run knowing i was going to be a little evil as I wanted to see what an evil run looked like. Anyway she has like fifteen million things wrong with her and I’m in love with her. She made everyone around her worse except for Shart and Lae’zel, who only escaped her mouldy ass aura by her largely ignoring them 😭😭

She ended up romancing Astarion, but not out of genuine love, ironically doing the same thing he does to the player in act 1: taking advantage of their interest in you to have them protect you. He managed to save himself from the urge when she almost killed him, maybe her can save her from it too? Surely? Don’t worry about the fact that every time you look at Gale something in your chest shifts haha, dw about it, trust me you’ll be so happy with that soon to be all powerful vampire bloke! Hey! Stop feeling genuine guilt and remorse for your crueltys when gale looks at you! Pull yourself together wretched thing <3

She’s so self destructive it’s almost impressive. Anyway she ended up Bhaals chosen out of cowardice and self neglect, she doesn’t love herself enough to resist the urge. But she ultimately destroyed the brain, one good action, not redemption, no certainly not. But at least other people will survive. She’ll be punished of course, father could not forgive this. But they’ll live, each may make the world worse, but at least there’ll be a world to make.

Minthara forever ruthless in her twisted beliefs. Astarion a miserable fool who took power he ought to have let be, too much like her, may he rot in that grim palace. Gale a god, she can only hope he’ll claim her soul, better him than Bhaal.

There’s of course everything with Gortash (big durgetash fan) but this is already long rambly nonsense and I have so much to say about them. Only genuine love she ever felt and I’ll leave it at that, they deserve each other.

The dark urge to post so many Tav screenshots hmmnnn,,, I love my little women