#some of those mods are really like “we have astarion at home”

[loki-wants-an-army]

He's immortal but not ageless, someone who has been through a lot but is still here. I really like that

leave him alone!!!!!

[meonlyred]

BG3 Epilogue spoilers. A very long post.

Found a work around for the Unique Tav mod problem I was having. The epilogue would not trigger if I took the mod out and when I would put it back in then I got a body texture error giving my Tavs a darken grid skin texture. So I didn't take screen shots just played to see what happens. But I got screen shots now baby!!

Something I love about this game is that it gives dates. The game begins the 20th of Eleasis (August) 1492. For this play through it was the 15th of Uktar (November) when I finished the game. Meaning its around mid Mirtul (May) 1493 when the party takes place. The dialogue tab does not reflect the time skip but easy enough to do the math.

So some highlights.

Bro I straight up cried at Shadowheart's conversation. She has a house she has been fixing up, her parents are both still alive. Her father has been helping her take care of her animals and rebuild her home. Her mother has good days and bad but they did make a pie together and Shadowheart actually remembers it from her childhood.

Lark is not a hugging person but Shadowheart and her were close friends and I feel this was appropriate

I love that you can find some Selûnite slippers that are clearly Shadowheart's since she is walking around bare foot and wading into the river.

A duck from Halsin! This fits in with headcanon/ttrpg campaign things I have for Lark. She has a carved lark and a carved sparrow, for her and her brother that she found in the remains of her childhood home. The duck with go along side those.

Karlach 😳 ma'am.

FINALLY Justice for Karlach! Please I need her to come home! Because THIS SHIP NEEDS TO SAIL PLEASE!!!

Confession: for our Descend into Avernus campaign I almost made a barbarian lady who was married to a smith with like five kids back at home. But my party ended up having two paladins so I thought we had enough melee tanks. So I made a divine soul sorcerer instead. And then I played BG3 and THIS! THIS IS MY SHIP!!!

I had been wondering about this. Because I kind of felt really sad for the original Tadfools at the end. Of the original six (seven if you count Tav) only Shadowheart and Gale remained to celebrate their victory that night because of the choices I made. Lae'zel left with the githyanki, Wyll and Karlach had to leave immediately to go to Avernus to save Karlach. And Astarion had to flee into the shadows and didn't show back until the reunion party. Sure there was Minsc, Jaheira, and Halsin. But for this play through it was just Lark, Gale, and Shadowheart sitting around a table in the Elfsong going "damn, so all that happened to us." I have thought a lot about the moment right after defeating the Elderbrain. As I said above we know the game starts in Eleasis and keeps track of how many days go by. How many long rests you take will determined how long the game takes place. So for me the party had the tadpoles and shared thoughts for exactly 80 days. To suddenly not, to sit a cross from someone who you shared something unique and terrifying and to now have the silence of your own thoughts. I find it very interesting and very sad that several of the party were not present to share and come to terms with that moment together.

This was actually a bit surprising to me. I was wondering what class Wyll would become after losing his Warlock powers. I had thought a Paladin might suit him. A couple of my play throughs I have even muiltclassed him as a Palock. Fighter would have been my second guess. If you do the other story you find out that his ranger pet is a wolf name Lily! (If you have Wyll as a Duke then he names his adopted daughter Lily. Which is the cutest thing.)

(My Wyllmancer play through Psalm is bugged right now. Wyll, Karlach, and she went to Avernus together and right now all the companions think I romanced Karlach instead of Wyll. 😭)

omg I can't believe Lark married a wizard just like her mother. 🙄

Those who might have been reading my posts on Lark will know she was an import from one of my ttrpg campaigns. She is very near and dear to me. I was please that the timeline of our campaign and the timeline of BG3 allowed me to bring her into the game as bit older and more mature woman than she was in our campaign.

Romancing Gale with her was wildly fitting. Lark is the daughter of a Silvermoon trained Wizard and an Wild Magic Sorcerer Uthgardt barbarain (the roman use of the word, not the class.) I won't go too deep into it but its very fitting considering the reason Lark's parents died, it feels like history is righting itself. As Wither might say, balance.

As for Lark's relationship with Gale, she could argue with him passionately about magic. She could make her displeasure in how the gods interfere with morals loud and clear. But most importantly turn him away from the gods influence. What I found really interesting is that for Lark's play through, Gale still has the orb.

Both Lark and Psalm told Gale to not apologize to Mystra and told him not to try and fish the crown out of the Chionthar. Apparently he didn't listen to Psalm. But for Lark the orb apparently has become inert. Which I approve of a lot, especially for Lark's play through. She would never tell him to try to become a god, nor would she tell him to seek Mystra's forgiveness and to become her chosen again.

Lark has Wyll philosophy when it comes to the gods. You can't really be agnostic or atheist in Faerûn. But she is as close as you can get without risking ending up in the Wall of Faithless.

Anyways, I think its very cute that Gale has become a professor. He had made a comment wishing to teach if you say he is an apple during the Dryad's newly wed game.

LMAO she leans in for a kiss and he leans away. Sir, she is a sorceress and kind of a mean one at that. She is going to turn you into a frog and put you in a jar.

I did take the friendly options with Tara because yeah... after talking to her, yeah Gale is right, they are a lot alike. Tara and Lark conspiring, yeah... yeah that is right.

I did reload to see what she said if you were mean with her and smifomsdfioms the fireballs about to be thrown.

Anyways this is far more than I expected. I thought at best we were going to get the same as DoS2, a slide show of nice art and the narrator telling us what happens. Most of the conversations with the companions were much longer than just a handful of lines. Some of them longer than base game conversations. I am kind of floored by this epiloge.

[ryttu3k]

A full day in Rivington! In retrospect this is somewhat a lot of stuff to occur in one day.

Into town, and straight away, an encounter with a hungry kiddo who hasn't seen her Mum since the tenday before. Tae conjures some food for her (getting approval from Astarion and Lae'zel), and the grateful girl runs off.

A fascinating moment with a creep who wants some refugee squatters out of his place. I fumbled the first encounter and it got kinda awkward, so I restarted and sent everyone off to the side while I worked out how to handle it, only to notice that not everyone was in the group. Namely, Jaheira was in a conversation... with the guy I was trying to avoid having a conversation with, having apparently taken it upon herself to confront the guy??

(Accompanied by Karlach, who definitely has a lowkey crush.)

She's so cool *heart-eyes*

Anyway. Finding out there's explosives tucked in toys intended for refugees. Nice guy. We'll be finding those later.

Talked to a blacksmith, turned out he was a shapeshifted Chosen of Bhaal. As you do. Go away Orin you're creepy!!

Astarion has a new outfit :)

Met Exxvikyap. Would die for Exxvikyap.

Shadowheart gets a new hairstyle! Love the new colour. May have downloaded a mod for the style~ You'll see that next time!

Discussion on Orin. The generally accepted view is that she wants us paranoid and off-balance.

A sweet conversation with Wyll. He really loves Baldur's Gate ;_; "We're nearing the city. Are you excited to return? Reluctant? A little of both?" "Baldur's Gate is where I first raised a glass in toast at the tender age of fourteen - and got so tipsy from wine, I puked in Dillard Portyr's bushes. It's where the Flaming Fist chased me after I'd stolen a peach from a cart in the Wide. I got a good chewing out over it too. It's where my father taught me to hold a rapier, to read the books of law... to know right from wrong... It's been seven years since I left. It's no paradise - but it's home, and it's worth saving."

(Also confirms he's currently 24, since he was exiled when he was seventeen. That is a baby. That 'tender age of fourteen' was only ten years earlier.)

Halsin reveals he's been in contact with Thaniel and Oliver in his dreams. Sometimes they're one person, sometimes two. Better for playing :)

A new mission - work out what foul fiend has been killing courier pigeons. Must be a truly evil creature. Pensive emoji.

Investigated the Open Hand Temple, the one dedicated to Ilmater (promptly got a plotbunny for it, but never mind). There's been two murders, with the priest's death blamed on the other victim, a refugee. Okay, that takes a bit of precedence over some missing pigeons. We investigate, kill some zombies, then find these hidden tunnels... lots of corpses... some murderous doppelgangers... a clown torso... a murder weapon... a letter from Orin... thanks Orin.

On the roof, a much more pleasant mystery solved! It's Tara!!

Astarion is like, "I support Tara's rights and especially support Tara's wrongs."

Apparently Gale wants to take Tae home for some home cooking and maybe to meet his mother. Platonically, right? ...Platonically, right??

Met a ghoul who said our brain smells like "PISS and IRON. NO. LIKE." Rude :( No circus for us, and Karlach was so excited too...

Found an extremely mean lady being mean to both her apprentice and the courier place's dogs. Apparently this is where Scratch is from? Yeah, he is not going back. I'm sorry I scared you, Scratch ;_;

Anyway we Intimidate her away, leaving a relieved kiddo, a reassured Scratch, and some happy dogs. ngl I would have been 100% down for killing her if I had botched any of those rolls.

Had an encounter with a Sharran.

Of course it's called the House of Grief, of course it is.

Ventured into a refugee camp. There was an interesting background exchange between Karlach and Astarion, here:

Karlach: "Nice to be in a crowd of normal people for once." Astarion: "Really? I prefer my company extraordinary." Karlach: "Aww, thanks." Astarion: "Don't thank me, thank Gortash." Karlach: "Excuse you. I didn't need that prick to make me who I am." Astarion: "You're right, of course. Forgive me." Karlach: "All good, fangs."

First, 'fangs' is cute. Second, I suspect he may have genuinely realised she was hurt and his apology was a real one? Hmm.

Meeting with the tieflings. Bex and Danis' reunion was very cute <3

Found a barn with stuff for the refugees. Being honest (and passing a persuasion check) works to convince Manip Nestor that, yeah, there's something dangerous in there, and we're able to find teddy bears packed with explosives. Time to go confront Arfur!

We get some information, and a pass to Gortash's coronation. Very useful! On the other hand, he tried to murder refugee children, so...

(You only get 1 exp for killing him. OTOH it's more a moral thing, isn't it?)

Another group of refugees? Nope. Gur, actually!

It actually goes amicably. The Gur want Astarion to enter Cazador's palace, where we're going anyway, and find their kids. Astarion wearily points out that Cazador is ruthless, and the kids are likely dead. But revenge? He can manage that.

Nearby, we find a newly-transformed newborn mind flayer. The Emperor encourages us to kill it and harvest its brain, and Tae does - not for its tasty brainmeats, but because an Absolute-controlled mind flayer desperate for brains in a town full of desperate refugees is not a good idea.

And with that little murder committed, it's time for the circus!

Tae gets volunteered by the clown. This is their "wtfFUCKINGHELP" look.

Jaheira pls.

Anyway clown turns out to be a doppelganger, there are other Absolutists in the crew, they set a couple of other beasts on us, all turns into a fight. Only one audience member dies, at least.

Audience member: "I always knew I'd die at a circus."

We meet Lucretious, the circus's ringmaster (and necromancer), who asks us to work out what happened to the actual Dribbles. You know, that probably explains the severed clown torso we found earlier...

Time to check out other circus shenanigans! A mummy selling makeup kits... a djinn who is pretty relieved Dribbles is dead... a dryad offering a romance test.

Heck yeah we're in.

I do like the height difference.

Of course, the dryad isn't quite who she says she is, either. Dangit, Orin!!

It's been a long day. Back to camp, only to find letters from Arabella and Volo, saying they've set out, but will absolutely see us later. Looking forward to it!

Spending time with Best Boy <3

Arabella might have left, but another kiddo has arrived - Yenna, the hungry girl from earlier! She can't find her Mum, and asks if she can stay for a little while. Of course!

<3

Of course, what's a long rest without some screaming horror, this time in the form of an apparition of Vlaakith? She cajoles Lae'zel into joining her, returning to the Astral Prism to slay Orpheus, and, in turn, becoming her right hand - a position not held since the very first Vlaakith. Lae'zel... decides actually, no, she would rather see the githyanki free from the tyrant queen. She'll cower at Vlaakith's feet no more.

Lots of positivity from the others!

Jaheira: "We just played host to an undying queen - and us without our fine silverware. Lae'zel has courage, turning her back on a lifetime's belief. As for us - best we stay out of interplanar politics, I think. Orpheus is on his own. But - should great Vlaakith come to settle a score with Lae'zel, well. I might be convinced to kill her. Undying or not, she was very loud."

Karlach: "Damn. It can't have been easy for Le'zel to stand up to Vlaakith like that. But there's nothing that woman can't do."

Astarion: "So, Lae'zel's finally seen the light and turned on her mistress. It took a little time, but she got there. Though it's not over yet. Masters rarely let their slaves go without a fight."

Halsin: "So, it seems that Vlaakith is Lae'zel's queen no longer. That took no small amount of backbone."

Gale: "Glad to see I'm not the only one on the wrong side of an omnipotent authority figure. Lae'zel did well to break free of Vlaakith's manipulations. Though I doubt Vlaakith will let such insubordination go unpunished."

Shadowheart: "I didn't think I'd live to see the day when Lae'zel turned her back on Vlaakith, but all things considered… good for her."

Wyll: "Vlaakith's a fearsome one. The sort it's hard to say 'no' to. But Lae'zel said it anyway, to her immense credit. She's choosing truth, she's choosing freedom - for her, for Orpheus, for the githyanki people. I wish I knew a good githyanki cheer to celebrate the occasion, but the only gith phrases I've picked up are the sweary sort."

Tae and Lae'zel have a heart-to-heart. Lae'zel is sure she's done the right thing - so why does she feel so bitter? Tae uses their insight, and recognises that her bitterness is born from grief - the grief of throwing away your entire culture, history, and intended future. She feels adrift, not knowing where to go next. She can stand with Orpheus, but that kind of future is... so uncertain. She feels lost, but also relieved that there are people who still see her.

"But in truth, she didn't take everything. I have what I have gathered for myself. I'm moored to a new regent, a new land, and new allies. Vlaakith cannot unmake she who no longer exists."

Good for her :)

Next time - a dream, and onwards to northern Rivington!