#shadowheart worship

[gunpowdercarousel]

You know what? Fuck it.

Githyanki Cleric of Selune

Romance~

[uselessgaywhovian]

sorry, saw someone on reddit talking about how they "had" to kill shadowheart because they were playing a "good" character and she was "evil" and i'm like

not to make her too much of a little meow meow, but this little bitch wants to be good so much that Shar had to put a shock collar on her when she was like seven and like 40 years later it's still not working great

[gallusneve]

Jenevelle

[trappedinafantasy37]

The last DeVir and the forgotten Baenre. Two noble drow forever exiled from their homes and abandoned by Lolth.

[shadowfalllen]

[orchid-n-petals]

So I've already shared parts of this on a discord server, but I have to scream about Ketheric Thorm on here as well. Obviously spoilers about the character under the cut! It's a long one.

The entirety of act 2 is about him, right? Jaheira, Shadowheart and numerous other NPCs shit on him for his fickle faith. First Selune, then Shar, then, as we meet him, Myrkul. You hear about his changes of faith on a whim, you hear that he's the person responsible for the shadow curse, he is painted as a villain, plain and simple.

You can figure it out pretty early on that Isobel was resurrected and that she is his daughter; the detail as well that he wants Isobel alive is so on the nose, it gives him away completely but there are still a few questions that remain unanswered, mainly about his faith.

And then you get to the mausoleum and the picture assembles; this entire tragedy, the death of hundreds if not thousands and the complete ruination of a landscape was all, ALL because you had this absolutely wrenched, heartbroken father who had lost everything and nobody answered his grief. He was left woefully alone, the Goddess whose daughter his daughter was involved with did nothing to save Isobel.

Imagine outliving your wife and your daughter. Imagine dedicating your life to fight the Lady of Loss, your Lady of Silver's enemy, and then be left so completely alone and in silence with your grief, with your loss. It's so, so poetic how and why he turned from Selune, and it's so understandable as well; he broke. His spirit completely broke. He couldn't deal with that void of having lost the only two important people in his life, seemingly undeservedly so. He was going mad with this and a lot of his ire was likely targeted at Aylin who, in his eye, represented Selune; she's literally her daughter, after all, and it was implied that even before the deaths of his family, he sort of saw Aylin courting Isobel as Selune taking his daughter from him, despite his service. This relationship was clearly not seen by him as a boon of "giving his daughter to the Moon-maiden".

His ways in the past clearly didn't spare him from tragedy and having to cope with it (which he clearly didn't, he snapped under the weight of his grief). He was clearly angry and unable to do anything, furious and helpless, which is a dangerous combination. A good part of his first change of heart must have been fuelled by a sense of revenge.

But then Shar didn't provide any balm to his aching heart either. If you read his letters in Grymforge and in act 2, he is so focused on enacting the will of Shar because he believes that healing lies in oblivion. Everything would be easier if he could just forget, if the damn world could just forget, if nothing was remembered because without Melodia and Isobel, nothing was worth remembering.

Then came Myrkul. Literally the only god who was not only able, but WILLING to give back his daughter to him. Imagine spending your all, EVERYTHING you have to serve two gods who would not give a single shit about the greatest suffering in your life. You were basically nothing, your loyalty didn't matter for shit, everything that was taken from you amounted to no recognition whatsoever: you should simply cope and seethe. Your grief will not simply go unanswered (which is not inherently antagonising) but ignored.

And then comes this supposedly evil entity who can alleviate your pain just like that, snap of a finger and it's a done deal.

I am so serious when I say that I believe Ketheric's main incentive was to extend Aylin's immortality to Isobel as well. You can read in her diary that she feels a taint after having came back, and there are things not even Selune can cleanse, but at this point, Ketheric doesn't care about Selune, vengeance is secondary if not tertiary, he's done that war during his Shar years and what did it give him? Literally nothing.

He doesn't even care about the fact that Isobel is still her cleric. He cares about the single most important fact: Isobel is back. Life is worth living again, there is something for him, and it was not Selune or Shar who gave it to him but Myrkul, and for this singular gift, he would raze the world for the Lord of Bones. Like people can clown on him for being disloyal but the man has the loyalty of a dog bonded to its owner.

He is powerful and is willing to go to insane lengths for crumbs. What is raising a single life for a god? Nothing. It has happened and it will happen again. But Ketheric will go to the ends of the earth to serve the single god who actually listened to him. The one god who didn't ignore him.

He knows that what he does is not the morally upright thing! He is so insanely self-aware that allying with Orin and Gortash and doing this entire plot with them only to then betray them is morally reprehensible at the best of times, he knows that people hate him, etc-etc. He was a Selunite at one point and he's not stupid. He just doesn't care; it could be literal Asmodeus and he wouldn't care as long as he got what he wanted, no matter the price.

He is probably the only one from the three of the chosen who has complete clarity over his situation, he almost sways (if you pass the check during his confrontation), he is not an inherently evil man blinded by power.

But he is inherently loyal to those deserving, and as of the story's standing, completely broken by his grief. In his eyes, at this point, the only one deserving loyalty is the one who actually listened to him. Isobel lives. It doesn't matter that she hates him, that his entire life has fallen apart, that literally nothing else that is good has come of it, because Isobel lives.

I don't think he regrets a single thing. His consciousness might tear at him at the end, but I believe he would do everything over again, exactly as he did, because in the end, his daughter was brought back. Because what would a grieving, broken parent give to bring back their child? Everything. Absolutely everything. And it's such a simply given answer, no second thoughts, no doubts.

Nobody can tell me that this man is fickle. Nobody. This man was willing to burn the world to the ground, create a Boudica destruction layer all by himself for the one single thing he wanted. For any God that would listen.

I don't know, I just have a lot of thoughts about his character.

[moghedien]

question: purely based on RP and NOT gameplay or mechanics reasons, do you respec Shadowheart and change her cleric domain once she becomes a cleric of Selune?

[krembruleed]

⭒☽◯☾⭒

[yaksinhats]

Shadowheart and durge have a heart to heart

[zazikels]

[xdraonarts]

finished off shadowheart's act 2 storyline

[gunpowdercarousel]

I love the way Shadowheart holds her dumb little plot gizmo like a rat holding cheese.

Absolutely squirrelcore.

[coldtortelloni]

[battleonthebigbridge]

He really knows how to ask nicely

[dekarios]

i can’t stop thinking about that would you date irl bg3 origins poll and uh overthinking it

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

For a Druid, Majexatli seemed remarkably uncomfortable at the Emerald Grove. 

It seemed ironic, given that it was Majexatli who was the one who dragged everyone into this mess. Shadowheart herself didn’t care for the refugees and the Druids and whatever conflict they had, but Majexatli seemed much more a bleeding heart. Though as little as she cared she could at least appreciate that Majexatli stood their ground. 

Astarion didn't want to be involved in any of this, neither did Lae’zel, and both were quite vocal with their disdain. Yet rather than capitulate to their whining, Majexatli pointedly ignored both of them.

Shadowheart had nearly written Majexatli off entirely as some pacifistic empathetic do-gooder, not her first choice in companion, certainly, but tolerable. But at moments, there were hints of… something beneath their pristine exterior.

Shadowheart remembered watching as Lae’zel ordered that tiefling to bow before her. She expected Majexatli to immediately step in, but instead, they allowed it. At least at first, quietly saying something in Infernal to the man that seemed to reassure him. 

When Lae’zel made a comment about tieflings afterward, Shadowheart hadn’t exactly what she had said, but she did see the dagger Majexatli pulled out of nowhere, sharp and silver with a worn leather grip. It was against Lae’zel’s throat in a split second.

“Speak of my people like that again and see what happens,”

They sent both Lae’zel and Astarion to return to camp afterward.

As admirable as Shadowheart found it, it hardly seemed druidic.

Majexatli was a druid, though. The druids in the grove—at least for the most part—seemed to acknowledge them as a druid, albeit an outsider tiefling druid. The leather armor they wore resembled what the druids in the grove wore, though it was different and much more worn. 

Regardless, they were able to command a presence, speak Silvanus’ words with a firm wisdom enough to get Kagha to release the tiefling girl, assuage Nettie’s fears and promise to take her poison the moment they felt the symptoms of ceremorphosis. 

It almost seemed like Majexatli belonged in the Grove, that being among fellow druids was a comfort.

Almost.

As soon as Nettie turned to go back to the infirmary, Shadowheart saw the gentle smile on their face drop, shoulders relax as they let out the breath they were holding. Majexatli quickly busied themselves with looking over the notes on the Archdruid’s desk.

“Anything of interest?” Gale asked, stepping over to the desk with Majexatli.

Majexatli hummed in acknowledgment before replying.

“Some notes on the parasite. Though I think Nettie was right, we might need the Archdruid Halsin himself to get an expert opinion.”

“The path is clear, then. The tieflings need safe passage on the roads, and Archdruid Halsin has been captured by the goblins. If we take out the goblin camp, we can help the tieflings, help the grove, and learn more about these tadpoles,” Wyll said.

“Kill two birds with one stone,” Majexatli said and they continued to leaf through the Archdruid’s notes.

“Indeed, though I imagine you’re not one to kill any birds when you can speak with them,” Wyll smiled, looking at Majexatli with clear fondness already.

“Perhaps we should avail ourselves of the library, there’s a chance there are more notes on these parasites somewhere among the books,” Gale said.

As Gale spoke, he stepped away from the desk, beginning towards the shelves of books. He had barely made it a few steps before someone stepped out from behind the corner and let out a gasp, startled enough to drop the few books she had been carrying.

She was an older-looking halfling woman, frizzy grey hair pulled into a bun.

“Apologies, we didn’t mean to startle you,” Gale said, leaning down to help her gather the fallen books.

“No, no, it’s no issue, I was just lost in my own thoughts, I must not have heard you all come in,” She laughed, setting down the small stack of books she had been sorting, “My name is Calnys, I’m something of the librarian here,”

“A pleasure to meet you, Calnys, I am Gale of Waterdeep,”

Calnys’ eyes lit up at the mention of Waterdeep.

“Ah, Waterdeep, it’s been a while since I met another from there. Is there anything I can help you with, child?”

“I don’t suppose you have any books on ilithid parasites and ceremorphosis, do you?”

“Ceremorphosis…? I’m not certain we do” Calnys paused for a moment in thought, then her eyes widened, “Oh! You must be the ones from the gate! Word travels quickly here, I’ve heard all about how you helped defend our Grove. And you’re the ones who protected that young tiefling girl and talked some sense into Kagha,”

“Oh, while I certainly helped at the gate, the credit for stopping Kagha does belong with our fearless druid companion, Majexatli,” Gale gestured to Majexatli, who pointed turned away once again focusing on the various notes on Halsin’s desk.

Calnys didn’t seem to pay attention to his words.

“It’s awful, really, to see my own people treat a child that way,” Calnys shook her head, “Terrible. I wish these sorts of things never happened,”

“I do hope this isn’t a regular occurrence,”

“Oh, no, no no. Master Halsin is one of the kindest archdruids I’ve met, I haven’t heard of any ill that happened while the grove was in his care. Not that Iliris was unkind or irresponsible with the circle. Though what happened with that child…,” Calnys trailed off.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shadowheart saw Majexatli flinch, almost imperceptibly, at the mention of Iliris.

“Iliris?” Gale asked.

“Hm? Oh, you’ll have to forgive me, my mind wanders more and more these days. Iliris was the archdruid at the circle I once was with before the Emerald Grove. Further north, I was born in Waterdeep, as I said,”

“You mentioned a child?” Shadowheart took it upon herself to ask, keeping an eye on Majexatli in the corner of her eye.

“Yes, yes, terrible business, it was. A tiefling orphan not unlike all those walking around out there, though this was some time before Elturel. Oh, he was quite shy and quiet, quite ill, but he was a talented young druid,” Calnys smiled fondly, “He started using wildshape when he was only 14, after only a year of living among us. I think he was even the youngest in the circle’s history to gain a title, though he only had it for a year, perhaps. His mentor—“

“We should get going soon,” Majexatli interrupted, still standing at a distance, arms crossed as they avoided Calnys’ direction, “Daylight is waning and we still must speak with Zevlor and we need to make camp before dark,”

Calnys blinked, looking at Majexatli as though she hadn’t noticed them before.

“You remind me of him, actually, the boy,” Calnys said, looking Majexatli over.

Shadowheart saw Majexatli stiffen, tense slightly.

“I hope not just because I’m a tiefling,”

“No, no, it’s the eyes. Forest green? I’ve never seen another tiefling with green eyes,”

It hardly even looked like Majexatli was breathing, their whole body was still. Almost. Shadowheart saw their hand twitch slightly, move towards their hip where something under the fur caught the light. If she hadn’t seen them pull their dagger before, she might have missed it.

“Perhaps you just haven’t been around enough tieflings,” Majexatli’s voice was calm, tinged with a politeness that seemed at odds with their body language.

“Oh, of course, I didn’t mean to imply you were related or anything like that. You must be at least a decade or so older than he would have been, not to mention the horns,” Calnys paused, “Though you still seem so familiar… are you from one of the High Forest circles? Waterdeep? Neverwinter? Perhaps we crossed paths before,”

“I’m afraid you must be mistaken, I’ve hardly been north of the Chionthar. I was born in Baldur’s Gate,” Majexatli smiled stiffly, “I do apologize for my bruskness, it’s been quite a long day and we all have much to do,”

They didn’t wait for a response, they simply turned on their heel and left. As they walked, for a split second, the candlelight reflected off something in their hand.

A dagger. 

Different than the one Shadowheart had seen earlier.

Very curious for a druid, indeed.