#so now i HAVE to ally with gortash to put my friends in place

[syrips]

my dumb friends betrayed me. i spoke about gortash's actions being 'not that bad' ONE time and they called me a gortash apologist and gortash simp

i thought theyd be on my side

but nooo

when gortash marries me and we take over the world and they cry in their cages, they better not come crawling back to me begging for forgiveness

[crossdressingdeath]

Lord Enver Gortash: You have the Netherstones - they resonate with my own. Lord Enver Gortash: I commend you for putting an end to Orin's madness - she must be screaming bloody murder in the Hells even now. Lord Enver Gortash: How was the reunion? I trust you demonstrated your particular spark of creative genius? Lord Enver Gortash: I always preferred your methods to hers. You have mastery over your Urges, Orin was consumed by her gruesome obsessions. Kyvir: My Urges are gone from me, as is any trace of Bhaal. Lord Enver Gortash: I'm surprised Bhaal allowed you to slip away from his grasp. But this changes nothing. Lord Enver Gortash: With me, you will have power greater than Bhaal could have given you, and you will bow to no master. Lord Enver Gortash: My involvement with Orin was never a true alliance. A mad dog understands the yank of the leash and the hand of its master, but it cannot be an equal. Lord Enver Gortash: You can be my equal.

I know people have talked about this before, but the way Gortash's immediate response to learning that Durge has fully rejected Bhaal is "This changes nothing" is so good. Even aside from the ship fodder of Gortash basically pulling an "I don't care about that, it's you I care about" it also makes a huge amount of sense if you think about it! Gortash doesn't like people killing just for the sake of killing, he doesn't seem all that fond of Bhaal in general, and he consistently praises Durge first and foremost for their restraint and ability to control their Urges. It feels less like he's choosing to maintain his alliance with them despite the loss of their connection to Bhaal and more like he allied with them in the first place despite them having that connection to Bhaal.

But I love how his first response is "I'm surprised Bhaal allowed you to slip away from his grasp." I mean, first off if you've got All The Brainrot like I do you can read it as a "He let you (the jewel of his collection) slip away?" sort of thing. I doubt that's the actual intention of the line, but it's fun to think about. But it can also be read as an implication that Gortash has known—or at least suspected—for some time that Durge wasn't serving Bhaal entirely willingly. After all, if he's surprised to learn that Bhaal "allowed" Durge to slip away from him that means he didn't think Bhaal would do that. He also doesn't seem to be surprised that Durge would want to reject Bhaal's power, just that Bhaal let them get away with that. Obviously it depends on the Durge, but the whole thing gives the impression that they may have confided some of their doubts in their old friend over the years. And the concept of Gortash being the only one who knows that pre-amnesia Durge wasn't as much of a gleeful, amoral monster as the companions seem to assume they were is just so good.

I'm also obsessed with the Chosen of the god of tyranny immediately choosing to assure Durge that if they stick with him they will bow to no master and have more power than Bhaal could ever give them the moment he learns they've turned on their father. On its own I'd assume he was lying, but with everything else he says... it really does seem like he means that. He decided that Durge is worthy to be his equal presumably years ago, and whether they're Bhaal's Chosen or not he does not regret that decision!

[amatres]

tagged by @turbulentpumpkin43 to fill out this relationship graph! here's balaerra's, she is doing so well in everyone's perspectives as you can see

i'll tag @fuckitwebhaal and @commander-lariel, for any of your ocs! no pressure tho! and anyone else who would like to!

here's the blank version!

Relationships somewhat more elaborated on under cut

Astarion: The toxic codependent relationship where they destroy each other bc they love each other and don't know how else to go about it of all time I think. What more needs to be said lol. The lamer versions of the Briarwoods for Baldurs Gate. Seriously though, the two found each other a safe place and fell in love without realizing it, and even much to Astarion's surprise Balaerra is a much more tender lover than he expected from the outset. Unfortunately they both believed power would keep them safe, and because of that they damned each other to eternity and killed over 7000 people for it.

Gale: They are just friends :) Gale had romantic feelings for her, for Some Reason, so that is part of my canon now. My man, I hope when everything is over you like. just live your life in peace never thinking of her again bc even if she only has good intentions for you, she will still destroy you. I do think he'd be stuck between his lingering affection for her, while also the horror at who she ended up being, for a long time.

Halsin: He propositioned her as well, which I am still perplexed by but I must contextualize it to make it make sense. So in my head, he saw the good she did in the Shadowlands (even if she was doing it out of anger and spite), and not only admired her for it but believed he could help keep her on that path. Unfortunately that is not true, and I'm sure later on he'll mourn her for what she was while probably helping whatever adventurer comes along to put an end to her with a heavy heart. Balaerra for her part thought he was nice and found his insights interesting, even if she didn't agree with him all too often.

Jaheira: Allies of convenience. Similar to Halsin, Jaheira saw the good Balaerra was possible of but unlike him saw much earlier how far she was slipping. 'I mourn the person you were before all of this' indeed.

Karlach: Childhood friends, Balaerra was the one who suggested Karlach work for Gortash so many years ago, believing it was helping her. Then Karlach went missing and Balaerra ended up in her own horrible relationship with her teacher. They want each other to live so badly, but they both die in the end. Karlach physically, Balaerra in every other way. With Karlach dying, I think that's also the last shred of Balaerra's former life that dies with her, and it's just the eternity she is tied to with Astarion afterwards.

Lae'zel: Besites 💕The two of them get along so well it's hilarious. They share similar pragmatism, as well as ride or die attitudes once they are closer, and Balaerra very easily signed a devil's contract just because Lae'zel asked her to. I'm pretty sure Lae'zel will leave for the astral sea in the end, so what thoughts she could have on Balaerra's further decay would never come to pass I think.

Minthara: Balaerra killed her, so there's not much to say unfortunately lol. Calling Balaerra being a half drow an 'impurity' hit too sore a nerve for her, so she had to go.

Shadowheart: Another complicated one! Shadowheart trusts Balaerra a lot, and it was at Balaerra simply asking if she was sure she wanted to do it that had Shadowheart change her mind and go against Shar. All the more heartbreaking that even though Balaerra had such a positive influence on her, at the same time Shadowheart has to watch as Balaerra and Astarion slip beyond the event horizon to their own traumas.

Wyll: Interesting as well, the two aren't the closest of friends but I believe Wyll saw promise in her, and Balaerra admired his strength despite all he endured. She pushed for him to be free of his contract, bc he would never be safe if he stayed in it. Similar to Jaheira, I think he would mourn who she could be while being disgusted with who she became at the end.