#still working some things out for my tav's backstory

[miramelindamusings]

Every touch, a temptation / And for every sense, a sensation (x)

I was listening to "Garden of Everything" by Maaya Sakamoto and Steve Conte, and it made me think about Gale and my Tav. I was just thinking about all the things God Gale would lose -- to be able to touch and be touched as well as the softness that comes with being mortal. Turning into a god would turn you into stone. So I wanted to sketch those tender mortal moments as well as the God of Ambition as various statues. I've also been thinking about how different Layla's childhood would have been to Gale's, and how maybe young Gale had a nose he hadn't grown into yet and always missing a tooth from the various magical shenanigans he got into :)

[drabblesbyjubs]

Just Need Time

Astarion x gn! Tav Reader, Astarion is pent up but also wants to please the reader, he makes himself want to have sex with reader but reader stops him and helps him figure out what he really wants. Fluff, smut, a little bit of angst. Minors DNI

Tws// mentions of sexual trauma, Astarion’s backstory stuff, mild disassociation for a few minutes, trauma, mild spoilers for non ascended Astarion’s ending, sexual content and smut

.

I want everyone to know that I got stuck working an 8 hour shift as a cashier on my last day of work so I wrote this between customers, enjoy and here’s to my new job

Time with Astarion is sacred.

After nearly losing him multiple times throughout your journey to rid yourselves of the mind flayer parasite, you’d come to appreciate every second you spent with him. Every moment during the day, snuggling and spending time with one another, and spending the nights running through Faerûn and enjoying the adrenaline of exploration, it was all beyond precious to you both.

But especially to Astarion. For the first time in two centuries, he belonged to himself; he could go where he wanted, do what he wanted, be what he wanted. He was free.

That didn’t mean he was alright, though.

Being with you had helped. You’d shown him freedom, devotion, and everything he’d ever wished he could have had in a partner. But part of his mind was still stuck in that dark, dank crypt, the smell of mildew festering in his lungs, the fear at the sound of every footstep lurking in his heart. The nights he was let out, but not to be free, only to use his body to gain some innocent soul’s trust and bring them back for him to take out his most wretched fantasies on.

Astarion was usually the victim of these fantasies, but if Cazador truly did what he wished with Astarion, well, there would be no more Astarion to take out those fantasies on.

Those memories plagued his mind nearly every night. He often woke from the nightmares feeling utterly emotionless, numb to the world. Fear aches low in his heart, and he would roll over and scoot up to you. You took him in to your arms with no question; you already knew.

Sometimes he would jolt out of bed, too enveloped by the memories to realize it was you next to him. He would become defensive, either scared of you or insisting you leave before he came back. When he snapped back to reality, he was utterly humiliated, but you never shamed him, always made him feel like everything would be okay, and he would forget about the terrors of the night before by the time you two set out for adventure after sunset.

He wanted more than anything to be like a normal person; completely comfortable in his relationship, never a fear that things would go awry, blindly trusting and accepting of everything you did. You understood why he couldn’t be like that, and did your best to make him feel as close to normal as he ever could. And gods, did he love you for that. You were utterly hypnotizing, he would tear out his heart with a stake if you asked him; hell, he would carve the stake himself. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for you.

And even if you assured him he owed you nothing at all, not even a passing glance, he wanted to give you something to make you happy.

He often gave you wildflowers, knowing you always liked the bright colors and soft petals, or smooth, shiny rocks he found down by the creek, or little rings and necklaces he bought with his dwindling gold supply when the two of you went in to town. But he still often felt like the only thing he could do right enough to truly make others happy was sex.

It was practiced, it was routine. Use his body to make someone feel good, make a few pretty faces, and it was done. There was something safe in the familiarity of it, though the sheer gut wrenching disgust that followed after never sit right with him.

You hadn’t hesitated to agree when Astarion had asked if you two could stop having sex for a while. Your sexual activity had dwindled anyways; you’d often told him you were just tired, or wanted to make sure you had plenty of energy for the coming day. Part of him knew you could tell he didn’t really want it, but he chose to believe you just wanted a break, and it was relieving to not have to perform. It was a weight off of his shoulders.

But more recently, he’d been pent up. He found himself craving release; of course he thought of coming to you for help, but the thought of having to perform, to make you feel good and owe you that pleasure after he takes his own, it sent a writhing sensation under his skin. As much as he liked the thought of seeing your eyes filled with arousal, he didn’t want that feeling of perform. Continue. No choice. Earn your life, bring him someone.

But he wanted to make you happy. He had done this so many times before; why not once more, just to see you satisfied? You must be pent up as well after so long of dealing with his unwillingness to give you something so simple. It was the least he could do. He would achieve the release he’d began to crave, you would be happy, and he would know you would stay with him and know he cared for you.

..

Astarion rolled above you, that mischievous smirk on his face as he looked down at you. You laughed softly, rolling your eyes. “Someone’s in a playful mood tonight,” you teased, to which Astarion hummed.

“Whoever could that be?” He muttered, leaning down and capturing you in a kiss. You felt his tongue swipe across your lower lip, but before you could grant him entrance, he pulled away, before moving to mouth softly at your neck. You hummed, your chest fluttering as you inhaled. You could feel his lips move against you, his tongue swiping over the scars of old bites, his canines brush dangerously over the delicate skin of your neck.

You put your hands on his chest and muttered, “Mmh, Astarion, what’s going on?”

“Hmm?” He hummed in a questioning tone.

“You don’t normally act like this,” you breathed. “Is everything okay?”

“So sweet for asking,” he murmured. “Just pent up. I want you, if you’ll have me.”

You scanned over his face; nothing seemed off. He seemed genuine. You weren’t sure why he was offering though; this wasn’t like him. Maybe he was actually just pent up?

“You promise you’ll tell me to stop if it’s too much?”

“Of course, love,” he breathed against your neck, softly nipping at the skin there, threatening to break skin.

You nod, hands running up his sides. “Okay. As long as you promise.”

Astarion gave a pleased sound, his hands snaking under your shirt. Calloused fingertips brushed against your skin, before pulling your shirt up above your head and leaning down to kiss at your shoulders, mouth at your collarbones, and nip at your chest.

You gave a shaky sigh, your hand running over his back, savoring the way he arched against the touch. He was good at this, no doubt, but it always hurt you to think of *why.*

Astarion leaned back, staring down at you almost hungrily. He pulled his own shirt over his head, and you leaned up to run your hands over his chest and his stomach, before leaning in to kiss at the little dimple between his collarbones. He was always finicky about kissing his neck, especially on the side Cazador bit him on, and you didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable, so you stuck to his shoulders and chest for now.

His hands found your waist, and as you pulled away from him, you saw the slightest flicker of hesitation in his eyes before he pushed you down to the bedroll and pulled your hips up against his, softly grinding against the curve of your ass.

You weren’t worried about that, though; you saw the way his eyes had slowly grown foggy and distant, the loss of expression, and the way his touches became almost rhythmic, nearly robotic; practiced and routine.

“Stop,” you said.

Astarion snapped out of it in an instant, present here and now once more. “Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“Hun,” you leaned up, scooting your hips apart from his and gently cupping his cheek. “You don’t want this. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I do!” Astarion insisted, “Gods, I want this, please, I’m sorry, just let me-“ he hurriedly began grabbing at your hips, trying to pull you closer,

“Darling, stop.” You said, more assertively this time. His shoulders slumped and the look in his eyes broke your heart; he looked desperate, but not for sex. He looked so disappointed in himself.

“Come here,” you whispered, pulling him in for a hug. “Do you remember when I told you you don’t owe me anything?” He didn’t hug you back, but his forehead rested against your shoulder, and he gave a brisk little nod.

“But I do want it,” he said. “I just… I don’t want to have to give back, or be touched, or just… I don’t know, but I want something, and I-“

You hushed him, sensing his growing stress, running your fingers through his hair. You turned to kiss his temple, and he gave a happy little sound.

“I think I get it. You want to keep your control of your body, but don’t want to have to feel like you owe me pleasure either?” You questioned. He gave a brisk little nod.

“That’s alright. Astarion, we don’t have to do anything like this, I never want your to feel pressured, and-“

“But I do want… something like this.” He rebutted. “I just… want a little. I don’t know. I really am pent up. I’ve tried handling it myself, time and time again… I’ll sneak off into the woods and… and try and rid myself of these desires. But it… just… never works. I cant… I just cant. Not alone.”

You furrowed your brow, feeling just how embarrassed he was with the way he shuffled and squirmed against you, clutching at your sides.

“You mean… you can’t touch yourself, or..?”

“I can’t finish,” he corrected, his words rushed and jumbled.

“Oh,” you said. You kept running your fingers through his hair, taking a moment to think. You could tell how much this embarrassed him, just by how he was acting. “That’s alright, Astarion. What do you want me to do to help?”

“I… don’t know,” he breathed. “I just… I’m frustrated, i need something..”

“Would it be too much for me to touch you like that right now?” You asked him.

He nodded his head, and you pulled back, looking at him as you gently cupped his cheek in your hand. “Use your words, baby boy.”

Red eyes looked up to meet your own, and you couldn’t help but smile at him, if only to comfort him. “Yes, i think that would be too much right now. Maybe… maybe I could… i could touch myself and you can just… be here?”

You flushed a little with his words, but you nodded and kissed the tip of his nose, savoring the way he smiled.

“That sounds wonderful,” you said. “Here,” you began shifting him and yourself.

You moved so he was laying on his side, you laying behind him. Your chest was pressed to his, and you felt the full body shudder that went through him. “This okay?” You asked, and he nodded. You cuddled up to his back, and hummed to him, “Then go ahead, my love. Do what you want.”

Astarion shuddered and you could feel him moving to slip a hand under the hem of his pants. You gently rested a hand on his hip, not sensing anything saying he disliked the touch. His breathing slowly started to pick up, and you could feel him palming himself softly before slipping his cock from his trousers. You hummed your approval, whispering to him, “That’s a good boy.” He whined low in his throat, and you felt his arm start to move as he began stroking himself. You couldn’t see at this angle, but you felt the way his body would slowly start tensing, his chest rising, could see the way he tried to bury his face in the pillow, knowing you were right behind him as he touched himself.

You muttered soft coos of approval to him as he chased his pleasure, each of your words making his breath hitch just a little more.

You hummed, “So good for me, my love, making yourself feel good. Love watching you like this.”

You could so easily ignore your own arousal if it meant you got to witness his. He was beautiful.

Astarion gasped, “D-darling, gods… the way you talk to me, hah, makes me… fuck, I need it…” he trembled and began stroking himself faster, throwing his head back against your shoulder. You smiled against his neck and kissed the pale skin softly, feeling the way it made his entire body shudder. His breathing slowly turned in to whines, desperate and strained.

Your hand ran up to his chest, brushing over the soft skin, savoring the little twitch he gave when your hand ran over his nipples, moving to feel over his rib cage as you whispered how beautiful he was, making himself feel good like this.

You kissed his temple, the saltiness of his sweat clinging to your lips. You caught a glimpse of that beautiful face when he tilted it back to arch himself; brow furrowed, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. “Gods,” you breathed, his red eyes fluttering open. You leaned up to kiss him, not even attempting to look down and see him desperately chasing his release, knowing that catching a glimpse may be too much for him.

You buried your face back in his neck, and he gave a high pitched whine, gasping, “C-can’t… fuck, love, ah, please, I can’t do it, please, help me,” the last words came out as a mere whisper, and you could feel how frantically he was moving in attempting to chase his release. Worried he would hurt himself, you whispered to him, your hand slowly trailing down his hips to rest on his upper thigh.

“May I touch you?” You asked.

“Please,” he nearly sobbed, letting himself go and grabbing your wrist to guide you to his cock. You wrapped your hand around him, heavy and hot in your palm. He was so hard, gods it must have hurt.

You stroked him softly, your thumb swiping over his tip and smearing his precum over himself. He whimpered, still holding your wrist, and you could feel the way his entire body trembled. “Please,” he whispered.

You kissed the back of his neck, mouthing at the flesh there softly as you set your pace, stroking him and smearing his pre over the head, making your hand much slicker to give him a feeling that, if his whimpers and trembles said anything, must be quite lovely.

He jolted and whined, his cock twitching in your hand. You could tell he was close, losing himself to the pleasure, one hand having a death grip on your wrist and the other tangled in the furs of the bedroll. You’d never seen him so lost to himself.

He gasped, “I’m gonna-!” Not even able to get out his warning before your felt his release coating your hand. You stroked him through his orgasm, savoring his gasps, catching the slightest glimpse of a furrowed brow and open mouth, eyes squeezed shut, tears threatening to spill from the corners.

“That’s it, hun,” you breathed to him. “That’s a good boy. Let go for me.”

You kept stroking him until he gave a particularly harsh jolt, with which you withdrew your hand and wiped it on some miscellaneous clothing tossed near your bedroll. You kissed the back of his neck, savoring the silence for a moment.

Astarion was the first to speak. “Thank you,” he said.

“I hope it was to your liking. It wasn’t too much?”

“No, it was wonderful. I… needed that. Do… you want me to take care of you?” He rolled over to face you, glancing down to your trousers. You could see the unease stirring in his eyes at the thought alone

You shook your head. “Tonight was about you. I’m just happy I got to see that pretty face when you came,” you teased, fighting a laugh at Astarion’s shocked and embarrassed expression.

“Gods, you’re truly insufferable sometimes.”

“Same to you, my love,” you teased, kissing the tip of his nose and pulling him in close. You pulled a blanket up over his waist to give him some cover, to which he hummed his appreciation and nuzzled in to your chest, sleep catching the both of you and luring you into its embrace.

[bg-brainrot]

"When He’s all but Forgotten How to Love Again" - Astarion x GN!Reader - Series Masterlist

Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader (Elf!Tav for plot reasons)

Genre: Reincarnation, Angst, Mystery, Slow burn

Rating: Explicit, 18+

Tags: Gender-Neutral Pronouns, POV Second Person, Canon-Typical Violence, cw: blood, cw: Astarion's entire backstory, cw: sex, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Eventual Fluff, Grief, Mourning, Developing Relationship

Series WC: 113k words and ongoing, 21/?? chapters

Summary: An Elf-Tav reincarnation story where Reincarnated!Tav dreams about Astarion in their nightly reveries and eventually seeks him out once they reach maturity. Things definitely totally go well.

Author’s Notes: I'm bringing over some of my multi-chapter fics from AO3, so if you've already read this, ty!! I love you and appreciate you so much! I will continue to add chapters as I format them, but the full fic is available on AO3 here if you're feeling like a binge.

Heads up-- while there will be explicit moments, this is first and foremost focused on romantic tension and yearning, asking the question: 'Would you still love me if I was someone completely different?’ Explicit scenes will be few and far between and very much focused on their feelings. It’s essentially an established relationship slow burn?

This has unascended Astarion, “good” choices are made in the original timeline, Tav needs to be an elf for this to work, but otherwise no specifics on past Tav. Present day Tav is a magic-user.

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Knifes and Nightmares

At 12 years old, you first dream of the Pale Elf. The encounter scares you and sets you on your path forward.

Chapter 2: The Second Encounter with the Pale Elf

Nearly 19, you think you have a handle of your past lives. However, not all of your past lives are created equal.

Chapter 3: What it Means to Love

Now 29, you're still trying to piece together parts of your past. In particular, what exactly was your relationship with Astarion?

Chapter 4: In this Lifetime

Now 99-years-old, you've managed to ignore your worst impulses to run off to Baldur's Gate. One night's reverie finally breaks you.

Chapter 5: Guidance from a Druid

After finally setting off to find Astarion, you receive a confounding memory from your past life. Ignoring what it might mean, you focus on your task and visiting Halsin, one of your past-self's friends.

Chapter 6: The Man of your Dreams

You make your way toward Astarion, trying your best to prepare for the encounter to come.

Chapter 7: Just One Night

You plead your case to the vampire.

Chapter 8: Who You Have Become

You try to learn more of who Astarion's become, while also trying to convince him of who you were.

Chapter 9: Ghosts of You

After he storms off, you try to track Astarion down only to find yourself on a trip down memory lane. Once you do catch his trail, you’re surprised to see where he’s gone.

Chapter 10: Overheard in the Underdark

You traverse a new landscape, looking for Astarion. What you find might be more than you bargain for, and what you hear might be too much to handle.

Chapter 11: An Interrogation

You spend the night in vampire prison and have a difficult conversation.

Chapter 12: The Source of his Pain

As you aim to leave and never look back, Astarion realizes that perhaps *he's* the one that made the mistake.

Chapter 13: And They Were Roommates

You and Astarion try to find a common ground between you. Things are awkward and tentative, and progress is anything but linear.

Chapter 14: A Blossoming Friendship

Now in your second week of living together, you and Astarion have to get past some of the hurdles your first week introduced, all while getting a bit closer along the way.

Chapter 15: More than Friends Pt. 1

Push finally comes to shove. As fun as living in the present is, Astarion forgets that present dangers are still very, very real. Afterward, emotions run high, and you find yourself in a familiar predicament.

Chapter 16: More than Friends Pt. 2

After talking through the previous night's tryst, emotions are confused, pasts are divulged, and everything comes to a head when your heart and soul want different things.

Chapter 17: What We are Now

When you’re left to your own devices, you find yourself knee-deep in mystery. Despite all of this, Astarion never leaves your mind. And perhaps you never leave his.

Chapter 18: Traveling with a Friend

You and Astarion travel together to Waterdeep. Emotions run high as you reconnect and reestablish your boundaries.

Chapter 19: The Wizard’s Tower

After traveling through Waterdeep, you and Astarion finally arrive at Gale's tower. Introductions are made, tours are had, and the relationship between yourself and Astarion continues to remain complicated.

Chapter 20: Sweets and Shopping

After receiving some advice from Gale, you and Astarion spend the day shopping and talking through your friendship.

Chapter 21: Dansarra’s Delights

Your wizard friend gives you a nigh impossible task, and you spend the day trying to find your opening to complete it.

Chapter 22 - TBA

...

[cinnamontails-ff]

October Fic Recs

Another round of fic recs, inspired by @shewhowas39' format! Sorry they're not particularly seasonal, but I'm a coward and don't deal well with horror, soooo :D

1) Death and Taxes by @pyrekite

For everyone who loved seeing Astarion embrace the power of taxes in Accountant's Guide, look no further than this! Absolutely incredible concept of post-canon Astarion returning to his magistrate roots and coming to Rolan's aid as he's struggling to pay all the taxes Lorroakan & Ramazith have been dodging for centuries. The idea is a 10/10, but really, it's Astarion who makes it as fun as it is. He's so competent when it comes to the bureaucracy of Baldur's Gate, yet every bit as sassy as we know him, and it makes for such a fun read. Only 1 chapter so far, but boy, do I hope for more.

2) The Scientific Method by @obsessedwhyyes

I am convinced that this was written for me and me alone (but I want everyone to see it, so I will gush). It has all my personal favorites: 1) A main character who is a scientist as well as a chronic overthinker, 2) Astarion realizing the target of his nice simple plan is a virgin and going "Hell yes!", 3) the two of them exploring intimacy in a way that's soft and caring, but also really, really hot. Seriously, the smut in this is absolute god tier, and the way it's woven into the MC's worldviews and the way she struggles with opening up and letting herself feel is just absolutely superb. Two parts are out so far and a third is on the way! We have been blessed!

3) Don't forget you love me by @canon-in-too-deep

This is not just any old Gortash fic. No, this is the Gortash fic. The one that finally makes you understand what the heck people find so charming about the raccoon man. He's an absolute delight in this as the exasperated, yet patient and loving husband to a post-canon Tav who suffers from selective amnesia, causing her to nearly fireball her husband to death when she wakes up to him one morning, thinking he's still her sworn enemy. The writing is incredible, so fun and light, with beautiful parallels between their initial courtship and married life now. Honestly, if you've ever been curious about the whole Gortash thing or if you're just looking for a sweet, incredibly well-executed rom-com, this is it.

4) Invisible Strings by @slothquisitor

A gorgeous modern AU where Astarion is a failing social media influencer who doesn't know that the girl he's talking to/falling in love with on a dating app is actually his geeky roommate. I'm not completely caught up with it yet, but the character writing is stunning, the prose so effortlessly cute. Astarion's struggles have been translated into a modern context beautifully and his love interest is set up to be a complex, well-rounded character with her own backstory and issues to work through. I cannot wait for the two of them to get closer as the story unfolds!

5) Say yes but only if you want to by @amoremagnificentbastard

Fascinating take on a rather shy, inexperienced OC wanting to take care of Astarion with some good old-fashioned oral love, and how the offer affects him and his trauma. The dynamic between these two is lovely and I'm always stoked to see stories that seamlessly combine mature, honest conversations and intense horniness. And once we do finally get to that blowjob, I am sure it'll be well worth the wait :3

[themadlu]

Astarion's Star Elf Background Headcanons

In collaboration with the lovely @spacebarbarianweird!

A bit of a less popular take on Astarion’s background headcanons—I know it is generally accepted that he is originally a moon elf from the Faerunian upper class, but, between in-game trivia and developing my own stories, a different idea came up. 

I’ll outline why I think the Star Elf headcanon fits the sassy elf, and how it plays into his storyline.

Obviously, this is all done for the shits and giggles, so every headcanon is valid, and I’d love to hear about different takes on Astarion’s origins!

Race: Star Elves

Star Elves, or Ruar-tel-quessir, have only recently returned to Faerun due to repeated attacks by an extra-planar entity on their home-realm of Sildëyuir. 

Because of their prolonged absence and reclusive communities, Star Elves are not familiar with most of Toril’s customs and history. In Sildëyuir, they had no contact with most other species (such as humans, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, etc.), and they prefer to keep to themselves once in Faerun too. 

They are particularly wary of humans, as their misuse of magic and warmongering tendencies were what caused Star Elves to flee Toril in the first place. 

They consider themselves better than most other races, only getting along with other elves. They fear for Moon Elves and half-elves who mix with other species, and they consider them overly-generous and too naive. 

As such, Star Elves tend to come across as aloof and cautious. (I know this may not sound like Astarion at all, but bear with me).

Their moral alignment is purely chaotic, with a majority of them being in the chaotic good or neutral categories. 

Physically, Star Elves share some traits with their fellow Moon Elves: light skin (check) and gold, red or silver (check) hair. 

However, Star Elves have grey or violet-coloured eyes with gold flecks in them (imagine an Astarion with violet eyes!).

Star Elves are also taller than other elves, standing between 5½ to 6 ft tall, with a slender build.

They are also considered extremely beautiful by human standards, much more so than any other type of elf. 

Astarion’s Background as a Star Elf:

Right, let’s talk about objective things first: physicality. 

Astarion fits the Star Elf type quite well: 

He has silver hair, light skin (given he is still the palest of the bunch even after he is well fed).

He fits the height range at 5 ft 9.

He has a slender body (a bit too built for an elf, but that is likely Larian knowing what sells),

Most importantly, he is strikingly handsome. Exceedingly so, more than most other elves in the game. 

As there is no confirmation about pre-vampirism eye colour, in my head he used to have violet eyes. I think that would have made him stand out in Baldurian society even more. 

Which gets me to the more subjective part of personality and backstory. 

Aloof and cautious may not be the first qualities that come to mind thinking of Mr Sass, but work with me. 

Someone aloof is not overly friendly, being cool and distant instead. Is Astarion friendly? I mean, genuinely friendly to people, and not forcing himself to look eager because he is forced to do so by Cazador or by circumstances? 

He threatens Tav as soon as they meet, is snarky with everyone else for a good portion of Act 1 (and with some even during Act 2 and 3), and at the end of game party he keeps mostly to himself.

Ultimately, Tav is the only one he seems comfortable enough to be open and friendly with, and that requires a lot of trust, care and work (especially for good-aligned Tavs). 

As for the cautious side, he is a bloodthirsty little shit who loves a good fight, but he doesn’t strike me as someone who would throw himself into desperate situations (without proper compensation at least). 

He disapproves of Tav doing things for free or forcing him into situations where the risks are too great, often stating that ignoring those needing help is the easiest thing, they just need to ‘look away and keep walking’. 

His inherent racism towards other races (ehem, gnomes) can be a result of spending his early years in a very secluded environment.

He presents himself as someone loving life luxuries, but I think that's his Baldur's Gate, more constructed persona. He seems just as happy to fondle about in the dirt TWICE, despite claiming he is not used to it. Maybe he's not as upper class as he wants to appear.

Granted, these traits may be a result of him being a glorified sex slave subject to unimaginable torture for 200 years, but I think his need to be have the upper hand in power dynamics existed before his undeath too.

The chaotic nature is evident, and I headcanon he starts off as chaotic neutral, starts leaning into the evil side as he gets corrupted by power first and by abuse after, then he can either get back to chaotic neutral with a good-aligned companion or become fully chaotic evil as the Ascendant. 

And this leads me to the actual backstory.

Astarion’s Backstory:

Larian originally set Astarion out to be a noble, then changed his background to charlatan and, in some lost character sheet, courtesan (fancy type of prostitute). I’ll stick with the final charlatan/courtesan version. 

Astarion was born somewhere in Faerun in a community of Star Elves. 

His family was of poor background, having fallen out with the leaders of the enclave.

That, paired with the isolation of the community, prompted Astarion to leave his home in his early 20s, slightly earlier than usual for elves. 

He wanted more from life than being stuck in a reclusive society and being looked down upon from others. He wanted to live a comfortable existence, be wealthy, be admired, and to achieve that he needed one thing: power. 

He headed to Baldur’s Gate (convincing fellow travellers to let him on their carts, horses, etc.) with nothing more than the clothes on his person, attracted by its reputation as a multicultural hub brimming with opportunities. He did forge some documents proving he already had some basic qualification to enter law school (not sure reclusive elves issue any), completed his studies and started a career as magistrate. 

During this time, he quickly realised how his looks were one of his biggest strengths in forging alliances. He had been complimented before, but most Star Elves are beautiful, so he was not as universally admired as he was in Baldur’s Gate. He used and abused this knowledge, flirting with individuals from many other races (gnomes aside, he has standards) and genders, enjoying the perks his smooth persona got him (money, status, promotions) and revelling in the adulation of his admirers.

He became even more power hungry, signing laws because they would benefit him or his upper class acquaintances rather than the general population. He was ready to do anything to achieve his goals. 

It was in one of the many soirees he attended that he came across Cazador (or rather, Cazador noticed him). The Vampire Lord saw an astonishingly handsome, young and inexperienced elf who could work most people around his manicured slim fingers and immediately singled him out. Studied him. I don’t think he introduced himself before turning him; rather, he gathered information about him via his connections and learned he was an up and coming magistrate, an outsider, conveniently with no family or stable relationships who would miss him or go look for him should he disappear. 

We know Cazador is a machiavellian villain, so he probably found a way to convince Astarion (through a bribe and pulling at his dislike of lower class vagrants) into signing a law forcibly evicting the Gur from the land they settled on, on the basis of it belonging to some patriar or noble and therefore their permanence being illegal. Cazador knew retaliation would be swift, and I bet he probably even had someone tell the Gur which magistrate had them kicked out. 

Cazador waited nearby while Astarion was being brutally assaulted, chasing off the Gur thugs to claim his prized future spawn. He didn’t need permission to bite Astarion and turn him, but he asked likely because he knew he would never turn down a chance at eternal life and because it would be another way to torment him later (‘Remember boy, I gave you the grace of my gift, you begged for it!’). Probably, Astarion’s last words as a living elf were, ‘Do…any…thing…please’. 

After becoming a spawn and suffering centuries of abuse, Astarion forgot about his past, himself and his family. He doesn’t even remember what type of elf he is (Moon or Star). His parents may still be alive, but with their life being secluded from the outside world, it is unlikely he will come across them in their lifetime.

[stolasdearest]

Can I request dating headcanons for Gale, Wyll, Dammon, Rolan, Zevlor, Halsin, and Astarion with gn s/o?

say less!! It's been awhile since I've written headcanons or prompts with multiple people but LETS TRY

Bg3 chars x gn!Tav

warnings: (maybe) Ooc Zevlor,Rolan (I think I have a pretty good grasp on Dammon) not proofread!! Mentions of traumatic backstories

Zevlor definitely has some self worth issues due to Fall of Elturel and what happened with the Grove he cares deeply for his fellow kin and that care flows into you aswell. He is absolutely infatuated with you and has absolutely no shame showing it or others.

I feel like he's very big on PDA for an odd reason he isn't afraid to tell anyone off and he has a backbone that's for sure, that doesn't mean he's not vulnerable he absolutely is and he feels safest with you as his beloved. He shows his love with physical affection and acts of service in my opinion— cooks you breakfast,lunch and dinner. Plans nice evenings, takes you nice places, whole nine yards— he's also surprisingly big on literature and he writes you poems and tells you the nicest most sweetest things ever. He's a very stubborn man though, so if you're also stubborn it can turn into bickering but never an argument, at the end of the day he just wants to see you smile.

EXTREMELY cocky, He's like a cat that'll keep eye contact with you when knocking a class off the counter. He does love big nonetheless! A heart of gold and an ego of steel but you love that about him

I think he'd enjoy quality time. Cooking or cleaning together, reading in silence or just holding each other in the morning juicing up for the day.

I also think he's also just absolutely obsessed with his Partner but in a more discreet way, Glances at you after he voices an opinion or telling a joke. Seeing what you'll do and think. Expanding on that he definitely takes what you think to heart at all times and always ask your opinion on anything— food,clothes, decoration how to style his hair so on and so forth

Also a HUGE cuddle bug. Cooking dinner? Hugs you from behind, Sitting on the sofa reading a book? Lays his head in your lap and looks at your gorgeous face, Walking in public? Hand on your lower back.

He's a little cutie patootie

OUR FAVORITE BLACKSMITH!!

He's actually so adorable and hes definitely into gift giving and physical touch.

He'll make you little trinkets and do-dads from scraps he has left over, You know those metal roses some people make for their partners?? He does that with you and they look absolutely amazing everytime (he buys you normal flowers aswell do not worry)

He's also no stranger to being the small spoon so just hold him sometimes, He's gone through some things with the Grove and the Shadow lands and he has nightmares on occasion when he will wake you up and you of course sit with him until he can rest easy again

He's no surprise to anyone very strong he's a black smith for crying out loud, he's 90% sure he can pick you effortlessly no matter how tall or big you are he will do it. No negotiating about that

He has the cutest puppy dog eyes I mean can you blame him? I'd use those gorgeous eyes to my advantage aswell— he knows you love it and him so whenever he wants something from you he gives you a look anyone could coo at you fall for it everytime

In the city (or in general) he basically drags you around by your hand, he's also 10 steps ahead of you mentally and sometimes physically..at this point get a leash for him

He's still very emotionally intelligent and talking with him about something that bothers you is met with understandment and reassurance while he works on the issue and he expects it vice versa aswell where you happily oblige

He's sweet but he's not a pushover under any circumstances

The most gentlemen-y of Gentlemen.

Outside of Baldurs gate he will do his best to spoil you with food, flowers and protection— you swear to him you can take care of yourself but he doesn't listen to you

After you enter Baldurs gate however he's going full ex-Noble mode, Fancy dinners, Bouquets and whatever you'd like he's ready to get it for you at the basic snap of your fingers.

Gift giving is his love language, ontop of quality time. You tell him you do not need all of the nice things he gives you but he insists some Noble roots run deep, he often confides in you over his Father and Mizora and the guilt of what he would've potentially done to Karlach still lies in his head despite Karlachs constant reassurance ontop of your own

His favorite thing is honestly to look at you especially your eyes, The glimmer in them after a fight? Or the reflection of the fire from the campfire in your eyes? Absolutely breathtaking in his eyes.

To him you are everything, You're one of the only people he has left and he isn't planning on losing you, has your back if you ever need it. Physical cover in a fight? He's right behind you, someone's giving you shit? He'll defend you with every ounce of his being

Also a man that insists on carrying you anytime you even show an ounce of exhaustion, He might also be one hill away from collapsing but he's your knight in shining armor and you know it

Sometimes he wonders if you love Tara more than him honestly—

Please give this man some REAL love, pamper him, smother him and reassure him. The roots on Mystras abuse runs DEEP but he doesn't know that but you do.

Despite his very obvious love for you and the care he holds deep in his heart but he cannot help but feel like he's holding you back with the literal ticking bomb he is, everyday he fears it might be his last along with yours unfortunately. He's aware you'd insist on staying with him if his time ever came but he simply can't bring himself to think of you being gone even after he's passed

If you're out alone he asks Tara to keep an eye on you if you're out long that is

He's not insecure but afraid, anxious despite the fact he's one of the men with the least baggage he's worried you think you can do better

his biggest love language I think is physical touch, He wants to feel you, to know you're real and you're his.

If you're useless in the kitchen he does not mind doing all of the cooking and baking as neither do you. He's a powerful and talented culinary wizard, He also just prefers to spend his nights and mornings in your arms just taking a breather and loving you

Our most beloved spawn :)

Obviously very touchy and handsy but hes also big on words of affirmation and gift giving

He once brought you a head rat as a joke saying it was a gift

He needs someone to match his energy, either by being matching chaotic or laughing at his not so violent antics (or also at his violent antics that's up to you honestly)

He's not all sunshine and rainbows however, the wounds of Cazador will always be part of him and he wants you to know that.

He talks big but he knows he's alot with everything he's gone through and what that made him at the end of everything

He also knows you won't be around forever unlike him and he dreads the day he's alone again

You are his sunshine and he doesn't know where he'd go or who he'd be if you didn't stick with him and he loves you endlessly for your patience and understanding with him.

Halsin the big bear

Have a fear of bears or dont like em in general?

Ultimate deal breaker, he needs someone to love him for all of him, bear form included

He's a big sweetheart but like Dammon also not gullible or Naive

Definitely big on Marriage with you because he genuinely thinks you are the one and he wishes to never spend a day without you ever again

He becomes less subtle with his advances and flirting the more you date him, and it makes him laugh everytime you give him a knowing look and laugh at him

No matter how not pick up-able you think you are Halsin will throw you over his shoulder

HUGE cuddler anytime you guys aren't actively moving around? BOOM hands on you everywhere. Another man who loves giving loving words

A nightmare? He will whisper sweet nothings into your ear and hold you closely to his chest listening to his steady heart beat

He's also a great cook which he uses to make you some very nice meals

I can also imagine you can ride him in his bear form especially if you're tiny, Cuddling him in his bear form is also not rare between you both

Overall very big nice bear husband

OMG KILL ME I ACCIDENTALLY PUBLISHED THIS BEFORE I WAS DONE THATS SO EMBARRASSING

again I apologize for ooc npcs 😭 hope you enjoyed nonetheless

[megs-98]

Megs BG3 Masterlist

Please feel free to check out my works or my AO3! :3 Everything is listed by character <3 If you want added to a taglist at all, DM me and let me know!

My AO3 Account

Dammon

It's Always Been You

Summary: Tav left Baldur's Gate after the final battle but years later something... or someone, drew her back and she had to find out why

Pairing: Dammon x f!reader (Tav)

Tags: Fluff, light make out scene at the end, mostly just Dammon being the sweetest boy

word count: 3.4k

Gale

No Extra Excitement

Summary: Tav comes back with the party after a long day exhausted but thankfully everyone's favorite wizard stayed behind to prepare a couple of surprises for her and they both have a lot of thoughts about each other

Pairings: gale x f!reader (Tav)

Tags: Explicit, fingering, vaginal sex, fluff, mutual pining

wordcount: 2k

Like You Mean It

Pairing: Gale x f!reader (Tav)

Summary: After a long, dreary day spent in Gale's tower, barely seeing him at all, you decide that you're going to get the attention that you crave. Even if it means Gale has to tame his brat with the help of a mage hand.

Tags: Explicit!, bit of a dom!Gale, use of mage hand, clothed nipple play, some voyeurism, male masturbation, riding, lots of praise, mutual orgasm (Please let me know if I missed any!)

Word count: 3.8k

A Gentle Touch Under A Canopy of Wonder and Beauty

Pairing: Gale x f!reader (Tav)

Summary: (This turned into a different take on Gale's love confession) Tav and Gale share a night together, saying, and doing things, that they need to get off their chest before they reach Moonrise Towers.

Tags: Explicit!, little bit of angst? (if you squint), expressing feelings, Mystra hate, female receiving oral, vaginal sex, sweet Gale, soft fucking, mutual orgasm, some religious themes during the smut (it's my favorite) idk I just have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this pixelated man.

Word count: 4.6k

Petals and Poems

Pairings: Gale x f!reader

Summary: Gale is off to work after making you breakfast, so you decided to go shopping and leave some gifts for him to find once he arrives home. Also Tara is peak mom in this.

Tags: None, just two idiots in love :')

Word count: 1.9k

Mesmeric Revelation Chapter 1

This will be a multiple chapters - it's a modern au (still set within Faerun but no magic or anything), slow burn, enemies to lovers fic between Gale and my tav Mara

Pairings: Gale x f!namedTav (Mara) & Astarion xf!named Tav (Fox)

Other characters: Hoping to get all the companions in even if it's a small scene, Gortash, Orin, mentions of Thorm

Summary: It's the start of a new school year at Chiontar High and there's been talk amongst the teachers about how the esteemed Professor Dekarios from Blackstaff Academy has joined the school's faculty. After a chance encounter between Gale and Mara, leaving her less than impressed with the professor, will the two be able to start a friendship and maybe something more?

Tags: Gale is a dickhead, eventual smut, slow burn, enemies to lovers, Astarion being incredibly sassy, just a good ol time

Happily Decorated; Galemas days 1 & 2

Winter had officially engulfed Waterdeep; business at the docks had slowed down due to icy winds and choppy waves. The street lamps were wrapped in garland and festival colored bows. The market stalls had begun selling mulled wine and hot cocoa as the yuletide markets stayed open into the dark evenings. All the residents within the city of splendors had donned their heaviest coats and cloaks to keep them warm as the frigid sea air settled over the city

AN: i combined days 1 and 2 in this since i forgot it started on the 16th lmao, will probably have to continue combining days but this all gave me so much inspiration. this also slightly delves into mara's backstory

Pairing: Gale x f!named Tav/ Mara, Astarion (mentioned in one line), Tara

Tags: Kissing, fade to black at the end before anything spicy happens and tooth rotting fluff, set post game

Word count: 2.4k

Merry Midwinter; Galemas days 4 - 7

Tara nuzzled her face against the woman with a purr, “Now you know that’s not true, dear. And he is absolutely beside himself over your admission.” Mara grimaced when she heard Tara’s words. “I believe you both know it would be more beneficial for the two of you to be together rather than apart right now. Off you go, back to bed. In your actual bed.” She said as she headbutted Mara’s shoulder. Mara gave the tressym a pet before she got up. She caught a glimpse of Tara as she kneaded Mara’s pillow and laid down on top of her blanket.

A/N: liked stated above, this is galemas days 4-7 all wrapped up together, also my first gale smut in almost a year. i honestly forgot how much fun these are to write. also, i didn't skip day 3, i did a little sketch for it. it's on sky if you want to see

Pairing: Gale x f!named Tav/ Mara

Characters: Tara, mention of Morena Dekarios

Tags: mild hurt/comfort, explicit, MDNI, m and f oral receiving, kissing, vaginal fingering, make up sex, mating press, praise kink, nothing better than having sex all night and into christmas morning

Word count: 3.9k

Halsin

There's A First for Everything

Pairing: Halsin x f!OC (Elyra)

Summary: (Taking place post game and featuring bloodlessbhaalbabe 's OC Elyra) After celebrating Love Day in Thaniel's Realm with the refugees and his love, Elyra, Halsin sets up a romantic evening for the two. He has something important to tell her before the fun starts.

Tags: Explicit!, mutual pining, fluff, love confession, f! receiving oral, inappropriate actually quite appropriate use of entanglement spell, vaginal sex, lots of praise. I think that's it

Word count: 2.7k

I'm Aching for You

"My mind has been haunted by your visage. Everywhere I looked, there you were; smiling that sweet smile, putting others before yourself, fiercely protecting your friends. During the nights that I could not get you out of my mind, I would turn into a bear and run halfway through the forest, yet your smell still lingered in my nose. Everything about you has beckoned me to you yet I could not."

back with another halsin x oc fic! this one for @stinadrawsthings 's beautiful tav, gia! hope yall like it! :) also trying a slightly different way of formatting these posts

Pairings: Halsin x oc!f tav (Gia)

Summary: As the shadow curse has finally been lifted, and your party ready to start towards Baldur's Gate, Halsin has asked you to meet him at his room in The Last Light Inn for a much needed conversation.

Tags: Mutual pining, making out, lots of praise, m & f receiving oral, fingering, light fem dom, vaginal sex. Really these two just finally fully confessing their feelings and fuckin like the oak father intended

Word count: 5.4k words

An Understanding

"You have a good heart, little one. One that I admire very much. It takes a special person to do everything that you have done, please don’t forget that.”

A/N: LOL i was big in my emotions the other day and i guess i just needed to hear a pep talk from halsin so i wrote a drabble. i think i'm gonna keep doing one shots of halsin and my tav mara and seeing how their relationship evolves

Characters: Halsin, f!named Tav (Mara)

Tags: Thoughts and talk of low self confidence, depiction of smoking, the slightest mention of death, halsin being a reassuring sweetheart

Word count: 1.6k

[leaves-and-inks]

Quinn Cyprus has a warm attitude and a reassuring charm, but hidden behind his easy smile is a past he’s never stopped running from….

Character sheet for my bg3 tav, Quinn (and one of his animal companions)!! I really wanted to practice rendering things like fabric and skin, esp. in different lighting situations, and also refine my style (I went too long not drawing lips lol). I had fun working on this and learned a lot! It was good to try and figure out his design too, especially in color. It’s different than how I dyed his cape/armor in-game but I don't have mod support yet and there's only so much you can do with the regular dyes 😅 He did also end up with Volo’s blue eye, for Reasons. (maybe I’ll make a comic on it, but tbh I’m still figuring out that part of his backstory lol).

[ID: Several Illustrations of a man, as well as a Cara Cara, on a textured tan background with a cream border. In the bottom left is the text: “Quinn Cyprus” handwritten in multicolored bubble letters. The man has tan skin with freckles and a partial beard, and two different colored eyes. His left is his natural brown eye and his right is a blue eye. He has several facial scars; a wide one across the bridge of his nose, a small one at the bottom of his lip, and two slash-like scars in his left eyebrow. He has a dagger tattoo wrapped in a vine on his neck, directly in the center. He also has a short mullet, with dark brown hair and white sideburns. In the main illustration, a bust, Quinn is on the bottom left of the page wearing a green and white shirt. He has a calm smile. To the left is a close-up on the downturned dagger tattoo. The vine that wraps around it ends in a wilted flower blooming at the tip, and it also has roots up at the end of the handle. Above is another close up of a tattoo drawn to be flat on the page; branches of a cypress tree. The second Quinn drawing is above that. He lays down in a field, resting against a western saddle and saddlebags. He's wearing the same green and white shirt, as well as green pants, and brown cowboy boots with a white toe tip. He looks up wistfully at the sky, with one hand over his stomach and one leg bent up. On the right of the page is Quinn standing in front of an explosion, reaching for a handheld crossbow at his hip. He’s wearing a woolen poncho/shawl, which dramatically flies over the opposite shoulder, chaps with some fringe, and leather armor over his torso. He also wears a wide brimmed hat that casts a shadow over his surprised face. His right hand reaches behind his back, holding a dagger, which only the blade and half of the hilt can be seen. Below him is the drawing of the cara cara, its wings partially unfurled, and its head turning right. It looks at the first drawing of Quinn, a green dotted line cutting across the canvas from its eye to his eyebrow scars. Four pointed stars are scattered across the page./end ID]

[deletarius-draws]

Solus (Tav) & Lae’zel when they’re finally alone. lol the second piece a meme I made of the original for fun, based off another meme I saw.

I meant to post earlier this weekend but got a little busy. I’m still trying to stay consistent. Also, an upcoming post of Solus’ backstory is in the works, I’ll try to post it sometime in the middle or end of the week.

You all have my thanks & hope you all the best and a wonderful week. I’ll be figuring some things out in the meantime lol…

[amethysts-tavern]

A tender moment between reader and Astarion early in a potential relationship.

Gender neutral, no class or identifying features mentioned. Some backstory for Tav.

Also, I apologize for any bad grammar. COVID booster is kicking my ass today.

————

“Storms never last.”

It had been raining for hours. You had set up camp under the canopy of tall trees. The thought was that the full branches would protect you from some of the storm. And that worked until the lightning started. Electricity crackled through the sky making the hair on your arms stand on end. Loud thunder claps reverberated off the ground and surrounding hills. It was enough to shake your tents.

You had never been fond of storms. When you were little, a bolt of lightning had struck your family’s house, setting the roof on fire. Thankfully everyone inside got out safely; but you had feared storms ever since. The sheer power of the one coursing through the sky now was enough to instill fear in every fiber of your being. You sat alone in your tent, huddled with your arms around your knees, hugging them to your chest and wondering how you were going to get through the night.

After the fire, your mother had taught you to count the seconds between lightning and thunder to assess how far away the brunt of the storm was. You wait for a flash of electricity and begin your count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… BOOM! Five miles. The worst of the storm was still five miles away.

Another loud BOOM, this time followed by a CRACK. You cautiously peel away the canvas flap of your tent, to see what caused that cracking sound. A large branch from a nearby tree, leaves wet and swaying with the wind, lay not far from the entrance to your tent. The edge where it was severed from the trunk singed with scorch marks. Lightning strike. Too close for me.

You take a quick look around camp. Most of your companions are all tucked in for the night, their tents dark. Everyone except Astarion - you see that his tent is still illuminated from the inside. At that point, another loud clap of thunder shakes you to your core. You know you aren’t going to sleep at all tonight if you have to weather it alone.

After waiting for the next thunder clap to sound, you dart from your tent over to Astarion’s, rain stinging your face as you run. Without announcing yourself, you pull back the flap of his tent and enter. By the time you step inside, you’re completely soaking wet. Astarion looks up from his book, surprised to see you. “Tav, what the hell? Is this a thing for you? Bursting into other people’s tents unannounced?” Astarion says with annoyance.

“Sorry. Sorry,” you start apologizing, clearly flustered by his response to your presence.

Astarion’s demeanor softens, as he stands up from his bedroll. “Well, come in, then. You’re soaking wet.”

“Yes. It’s raining,” you reply, not sure what else to say.

Astarion looks around his tent and grabs a dry tunic. He hands it over to you. “Here, put this on and stop dripping all over the place.” He turns his back to you so you can change.

“Thank you,” you say meekly, taking the tunic. You strip off your wet clothes and pull his tunic over your head. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I… don’t like storms.” You pause a beat before continuing, “Can I stay here tonight? I always feel safer with you around.”

Astarion turns back around to assess the situation, you standing there in his tunic looking chilled to the bone, not just from being wet, but from being clearly terrified of the storm outside. He sighs and smiles softly, “Of course,” Astarion says, flattered that you picked him to join tonight. He crawls back into his bedroll and motions for you to join him, “Come on, you must be absolutely frozen.”

Suddenly there is a flash of light outside immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder. That’s enough for you - you practically jump into his awaiting arms. You do your best to snuggle in for the night, even though you’re still quaking, still frightened of the storm raging outside.

Astarion feels your fear and pulls you closer to him, stroking your hair, “Hush now, Tav. Storms never last. This will be all over tomorrow,” he offers some quiet, comforting words. Your body relaxes in his embrace and you are finally able to drift off to sleep.

[khywren]

✨Let's talk about OCs!✨How would you describe your OC's personality/aesthetic? What's your favourite thing about them? Tell us a fun fact(s) about your OC or their creation!

❤️Send this to at least 3 people to spread some OC appreciation!❤️

eee, thanks for this! i was curious when i saw your other post!

in terms of personality, the three main words i would use to describe ysera are impulsive, awkward, and resilient. she's not very bright, so she usually acts on instinct without taking the time to actually think thinks through. girl runs purely on vibes, and as a chronic overthinker i applaud her for that. she's also spent a good chunk of her life living on her own and purposely avoiding contact with other people, so she's not always great at social interaction, hence the awkwardness. i think this definitely bleeds into her impulsiveness because she'll just say whatever stupid thing is on her mind.

she's also pretty resilient; she's had a rough life and has felt the sting of betrayal on more than one occasion, but she isolates herself out of fear of causing others more harm than anything else. she desperately wants to form genuine connections with people if and where she can and still tries to see the good in people despite what she's been through.

out of curiosity, i took the MBTI personality test for her and ended up with ISFP-T: the mediator. this little bit stuck out to me as a good representation of who she is:

Your spontaneous nature leads you to embrace life’s adventures with open arms. You’re not one for rigid plans or structures; instead, you prefer to go with the flow, adapting to situations as they arise. This flexibility allows you to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. Beneath your easy-going exterior lies a heart of gold. Your empathy runs deep, and you have a genuine desire to understand and support those around you. However, you’re not one to wear your heart on your sleeve – your feelings often run deeper than others realize.

i don't know if i have a single favorite thing about her, but one of them is just her design. she's fairly basic, but i like that simplistic design and haven't seen a lot of tavs who look like her, which makes me happy. her scars are one of my favorite design elements; originally i just thought they would look cool, but eventually i came up with more of a backstory for why she has them and i think it added more to her overall character!

and, let's see… a fun fact about her creation… oh, okay! so, i've mentioned it briefly before, but ysera was originally supposed to be multiclassed as both a sorcerer and bard. her unstable magic was one of the foundational aspects of her character when i was concepting her, and the thought was that she would use music as an outlet for her emotions to keep herself from accidentally hurting other people (since her magic becomes more unstable when she's worked up). i ended up cutting that from her because it didn't really fit in with everything else i wanted to do with her, but i still think it was an interesting concept~

[underdark-dreams]

Can you please talk about your writing! how you write and revise and where you get your inspiration you are just so amazing! I could use some tips to get my writing to the next level. maybe some fic recs you find inspiring as well? only if you want too.

I sat on this ask for a while to mull it over, so thanks for your patience! I can definitely talk about my general process and link some fics that have inspired me.

I've also answered some other asks about writing process and technique. You can read those here if you like:

Emotional and feelings-focused writing

Writing descriptively

Fic writing: general process

First, it's good to have your opening and your ending in mind before you start. Even if it's just:

OC walks into Sorcerous Sundries

Rolan and OC fall asleep together

If you have the bookends, it's a lot easier to find the story's beats in the middle. (Or decide that you can't find the path from A to B after all & need to change one of them around)

Once I have those two down, I usually write out the main beats of the story next. These will be the parts that excite you most as a writer!! Like, they make you giddy to write about! Getting these down on paper has ALWAYS given me a burst of momentum to get through the drier/connecting bits.

So I encourage you to write out the story events/scenes that make you most excited first. Exposition will come later! Don't worry about 'setting things up' right now, unless you really want to start there. Remember that your first draft only has to make sense to you.

Inspiration

Damn if I could bottle the answer to this one, I'd be set for life! lmao

A lot of people start writing first and find the inspiration along the way. It's a valid and effective method!

I usually wait for ideas to come to me first, and they usually come when I'm totally disconnected from my writing computer. I swear, my strongest ideas for a fic setup or interesting scene always come when I'm at work or vacuuming or some crap

Best advice I can give is to keep a notes app on your phone or something similar. Rotate your characters around in your mind while you're doing other random life things, and good ideas will usually come to you. Jot down the framework or some dialogue or whatever strikes you before you forget it, then revisit it when you have more time.

Revising and editing

I'm one of those writers who edits a ton as they go, instead of drafting out a story and revising in one go. So this part is kind of difficult for me to answer...the two processes are unfortunately so interconnected in my head!

The main thing is to make sure you give yourself a few days between writing and doing your final edit. Even if you've been revising along the way, taking some time away from your fic lets you gain a fresh perspective.

I will admit, I also keep thesaurus.com open in a tab at all times. Like. I am addicted to finding just the right word

As with all of the above, your mileage may vary! The right technique is the one that gets you writing and creating. 💯

Fic Recs

Here's a list from back in December! Still in love with all of these!

Also:

Deeply and Immovably So by Cometra / @dutifullylazybread - Absolutely required reading for any Rolan x Tav fans! Tav is AFAB/she/her. Darcy's worldbuilding and imagery is incredible, very deep and meaningful. Just all-around excellence!

verso by aes3plex - Zevlor x m!Tav oneshot. This story like...made me understand who Zevlor was as a character. I don't know how else to describe it. Really wonderful backstory threaded through a present-day encounter with some of the best prose ever. Love!

But I will admit, I grew up reading Trek fics, and those stories and writers have stayed with me longer than anything else. I think old fandom + huge universe + writers with sheer decades of experience in fanon have a lot to do with the quality of writing there. Not relevant to BG3 but has definitely shaped how I write today!

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

Blorbo of the Year 2024

as tagged by @little-paperboat , you’re right, this is a very fun idea! I tag @redroomroaving @darkurgetrash @dutifullylazybread and @kimberbohwrites to hand out some character awards. Now let’s do this!

Blorbo of the Year: Rolan BG3

…there can only be one. I love this arrogant ass with a secret soft side even more in 2024 than I did in 2023, and that is saying something. He’d have won 2023 as well.

There’s just so many contradictory depths to mine in him; fiercely independent and yet desperately lost without his siblings, determined not to care and yet ending up doing it anyway. Arrogant and yet deeply self-doubting. I’ve explored him from act 1 to post-game, good ending and bad, fleshed out my take on his backstory and yet still feel there’s more to say… and so very many more ways I want him to get spanked.

And yet… it’s not just that, is it? Obsessed as I am, one of the reasons I’m still here, typing out my 80,000th* paragraph about him is because of you, wonderful followers, readers, commenters and fandom friends. Thank you for being here, and for helping to perpetuate the madness. Special shout out to the countless amazing Rolan artists who fill my brain with visions, especially the filthy ones. You’re all treasures.

*may be an exaggeration but only just. you don’t want to know the number of orgasms I’ve had about him, you’d be truly concerned for my health.

Villain of the Year: Auntie Ethel

Since I don’t even have a runner up for “blorbo of the year”, have my villain of the year. Auntie Ethel was one of my favourites in BG3, and is now the main antagonist of my longfic. She’s such an unremittingly evil delight, manipulative and cruel with a spellbindingly nasty sense of humour and takes great pleasure in playing with her food. In a completely unrelated note, @barbwillbrb wrote a completely bonkers and yet compelling fic about her for Volo’s Erotic Library, and… well, I’m still not a fan of eye kissing, but I understand the Ethel appeal now. (and @barbwillbrb , consider yourself tagged in this game too!)

I’ll leave it up to you to guess if we’ve seen the last of Ethel in Planar Tears ;) Hags always have one last trick up their sleeve…

New OCs this Year

I’m just making shit up now but I wanted to spotlight Catrin, Phaere and Lennie, my new named Rolanmancers. I love them all for such different reasons… but if they’ve got one thing in common, it’s that they all absolutely wreck Rolan in the bedroom. Honestly, these women are reason no3 why I’m still so obsessed with Rolan; I’ve poured so much love into each and every one of their stories, and I want to see them through to their happy endings beside Steel Weave Tav.

In order:

Catrin (Planar Tears)

A smart, burned-out doctor with trust-issue-related fuckboy tendencies (that she’s beginning to recover from, with Rolan’s help), she’s busy learning all she can about Faerûn and magic whilst she’s got the chance. Not so that she can stay, of course; she needs to get back to her old life, and the job she worked so hard to qualify for. Unless…?

Phaere (In Service of Magic)

The Eilistraeen half-Drow Queen of Firgenstrame, both a wise and efficient ruler and a rather idealistic romantic. Hobbies include: groping Rolan (every fifteen minutes if possible), reading, archery and hunting.

Lennie (Short Shorts (And Cold Beer))

Half-orc Waterdhavian college student and summer camp counsellor, who takes her duties very seriously. She’s on the gentler side, and has her own streak of insecurity about her half-orc heritage but… even her patience can be tested by fellow counsellor Rolan, and when it is, she takes him very firmly in hand. I really want to write another short story or two for her in 2025 <3

Thank you again for the tag, little-paperboat, and happy Christmas and new year everyone! I hope your 2024 in fandom brought you as much joy as mine did <3

[optiwashere]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Aww, thank you, mormo! What a fun lil game 💜

My favorite of my Asheera (Tav)/Shadowheart stories:

I have to start with the first fic of my Shadowheart/Asheera series, of course. It Is the Wound She Gave Me is a rather dark place to start off this story, but I think it makes the sweetness later taste all the better. Note: heed the tags!

The follow-up (with a breather between now!) to that first fic in the series, Like I Am Safe Again, is one of my favorite things I've written for the fandom, for sure! Using lost time and dissociation to explore some of Shadowheart's memory issues combined with what happens in Wound was just so... fun is not the right word, but as a writer I enjoyed digging deep into Shadowheart's brain here. Also, having the fic before this from Asheera's POV makes Shadowheart's misunderstanding of her own recent memories that much more tragic.

OK, so there's a theme here. Quelle surprise. After focusing mostly on Shadowheart and her memories, To Sever the Thread is a fic that I adored writing to more deeply explore Asheera's POV this early on. The Gauntlet is an event in canon that is super important in my interpretations of both the relationship between Asheera and Shadowheart as well as the way that Asheera's oath permeates so much of her life. One day I'll write that alternate ending...

I do have to recommend my currently ongoing multichapter fic for Asheera/Shadowheart, Blades in the Night. It's one of the more action-heavy things I've written for the fandom. Honestly, it's basically a full fantasy novel written as a sorta road trip that gets interrupted by Sharran assassins. It's also quite smutty, extremely introspective—my favorite!—and stitches together what post-canon life is like for these two. Even after the Netherbrain is defeated, there's still a few hanging threads (more Asheera backstory stuff throughout, as well)

My completed modern/band AU, Nightsongs. What if Shar was Shadowheart's abusive ex, and what if they were in a metal band together? What if their van breaks down in some shitty little town outside of a big city, and what if Shadowheart finds more than what she expected in some random mechanic working on their van?

I wanna cheat a little bit, so here's my favorite non-Asheera/Shadowheart stories under the break...

The Wind Blows So Light is an epistolary between Aylin and Isobel while they both assume the other one is dead. A sort of call-and-response letter exchange where neither writer ever expects a response. There is a happy ending.

I don't think I've written a Karlach/Shadowheart fic as good as Burning Hands. Writing Karlach's POV is not my usual, and couching it in T4T smut that explores bodies in an affirming, loving way was a completely unique thing that I'll likely never replicate.

I have a habit of being mean to Nocturne in my Nocturne/Shadowheart fics, but I really love how Fragrant is My Many Flower'd Crown turned out! Unrequited love and pining, my beloathed and beloved in equal miseries.

That Minthara/Karlach smut fic I wrote after seeing some amazing fanart is one of my favorites! I was really happy to see that so many people enjoyed the candle imagery in it as well. Link to fic here (fanart link inside!)

Writing a Minthara/Lae'zel fic for Kinktober on a whim turned me into a fiend for that rarepair. Honestly, they might be my canon/canon OTP, and that's a crying shame considering how few fics there are of the two of them. Link to the fic (heed the tags!)

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Tav Origins

So, I'm curious. What origins have ya'll made up for your Tav's in BG3? Cause if you're anything like me you constructed elaborate fucking backstories for those bitches.

I'd really like to know 'em! Reblog this post with yours!

And, as a show of good faith, here's mine.

First off, my Tav's name is Invi. He's a Tiefling Paladin, Oath of the Ancients, and how he came to be a member of that order is a bit of a story!

So, Invi was once an urchin living on the streets of Baldur's Gate. His family had been displaced by a greedy slumlord and his parents had died of the plague, leaving Invi all alone. Invi turned to thieving to avoid starving, but by all accounts he wasn't very good at it, escaping by luck more than skill.

But one day, Invi's luck ran out. He pickpocketed what looked like a wealthy man and was caught by the watch, who dragged him back tot he man for judgement. Turns out the man in question was a Paladin of Tyr, Sworn to the Oath of the Ancients.

Desperate, Invi lied, saying the man had given him the money. The guards didn't believe him, but when they asked, the Paladin looked at Invi for a good long while and said: "Of course! But, my young friend, you left so quickly! Did you forget I gave you this as well?"

And the Paladin gave him the Golden Ring on his finger, carved with the symbol of his order. The Paladin, named Cirion, bid the gards leave, and walked Invi to a safer place. There, Cirion said, "Now you be careful now boy. And if you're ever in need, let that ring guide you. And it may do far more than that."

Invi went on his way. He used the money, but he never dared part with the ring. He puzzled and puzzled over Cirion's words. Eventually it became too much for Invi, and he sought Cirion again, seeking answers for his strange behavior.

Invi tracked down the Temple of Tyr and showed the ring to the Paladin guarding it he was let in with a smile. Unfortunately, Cirion was away, but the Paladins were more than happy to allow him to stay.

So, Invi stayed, waiting for Cirion to return. But as the days turned to weeks, the Paladins offered him things other than food and board. They offered to show him sword work. How to sew and cook and other things. Before long, Inni felt at home there, terrified it would end when Cirion returned.

And return Cirion did. His cloak dusty from the road, his sword well-used from hunting demons, Invi was brought before him, and Invi asked his question.

"Why did you give me this ring?"

"You were a child in need, I believed you needed it more than me."

"I could not sell it. And it... it brought me here."

"Just as it brought me here, all those years ago."

And so Invi became Cirion's apprentice. He trained and grew and learned. He laughed freely. He brought aid to his fellow urchins, the ones he'd grown up with, providing them aid and succor and pulling them out of the streets when he could. The order was more than happy to provide. Gold, after all, is useless when hoarded like a dragon.

And on the day Invi took his Oaths and became a Paladin in full, he embraced the now old and worn Cirion and called him father, and never had either man felt more love and pride than they did in that moment.

And, years later, a Mind Flayer Tadpole in his brain and the gaze of a False God upon him, Invi is in The Grove, trying desperately to save the refugees there. When, in the midst of it, he's robbed by a pack of young tieflings.

Invi catches them, of course, he still remembers the old tricks. Some are annoyed, others are unrepentant, but the girl, Silfy, crying in shame and fear, that he sees something... familiar in.

Invi smiles, consoles her, and presses a familiar ring into her hand.

[tealfling]

A/N: I was insipired by a post commenting on how obvious it would probably be that Astarion is a vampire to the characters. This went perfectly with my Tav and how salty she would be about being called naive by Astarion.

Astarion x FemaleTav, Named Tav, Amaranth- purple tiefling cleric

Summery: Astarion tried to convince Amaranth it would wasteful to not take the power of the Absoulte for themselves. Which is fine, he's always trying to get her to reach for more power, but he called her naive. As if her good nature made her stupid or blind. Him. His pale-assed, red-eyed, pointy toothed-self. The nerve.

Act2-ish, kinda proof read

Mentions: his scars, alludes to his backstory, and peppered in innendoes. PG-13-ish

Reflect

"You've been in the bath a long time, Darling. What's taking you so long?" Astarion drawled, walking around the divider.

Amaranth sunk deeper into the tub, her furrowed crystal gaze remaining out of the steamy water, but not turned toward the voice she recognized.

Astarion reguareded her, tilting his head. "tch. Oh, are we brooding? Moping?" he jested, "Your tail tells all my Sweet." Noding toward the slapping thud rippling at the corner of the tub. He thought for a moment. She'd been quite since they last spoke- about taking the power of the Absoult- so he carefully considered what he might have said to offend her. "Are you still upset that I called you naive?" he probed. Her eyes darted to him. Seemed so. "Don't be like that my dear, we all have our flaws-not me of course-but the others obviously," he teased grabbing a towel. "Now come out of there my Treat, there's no way that water's warm enough for you and I don't want supper getting cold." He tried to keep his air light and up beat. Whatever it was that they had going on was working, he liked his favorite traveling companion, maybe more than he cared to admit. The last thing he wanted was for her to cast him aside, especially now. They'd come so far.

Lifting her mouth out of the water, Amranth bit, "I just can't believe you of all people would think I'm the naive one."

Astarion's red eyes narrowed as he paused. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he hissed ready to take offense.

The purple tiefling turned to face him, gripping the side of the tub. "Well, since you don't know, let me paint you a picture," she said. "There I found myself on a beach, where I could hear the calls of a man for help," she said pushing herself up from the water. "When I found the man, I noticed how anemically pale he was, paler than any elf I'd seen-- and remember, Darling, I work with people preparing to be corpses," Amaranth stepped one foot over the tub. "True to form my bleeding heart fell for your siren song for help and pleading eyes, an unusual red color, by the way, but who's to say what's in one's ancestry?" She straightened, taking out the other foot and planting it to the ground, and standing tall. "Of course, this came to bite me on my sorry ass when I found myself thrown to the ground with the business of a dagger to my throat. There those red sullen eyes really bore into me, but what really caught my attention was the pretty mouth with fangs bigger than mine." She said, stepping forward to punctuate each sentence. Astarion, though unsure, held his ground as she approached. His eyes locked on hers.

Amaranth continued. "Now those, I couldn't think of an excuse for being in an elf's mouth. And all of these little things together might look a little suspicious to someone only half paying attention, but probably not anyone sauced out their mind in some tavern back-alley past mid-night. For me though, as someone that choose Deathcare as a career path, what really sells it for me are these. " Amaranth reached her hand and placed two fingers on his neck, one on each fang scar, ignoring the way Astarion flinched. "These aren't the small, tender bites you pepper across my flesh, no these are jagged and wild, made worse by these." she ghosts her fingertips between the holes, her eyes saddening. Astarion sntached her wrist preventing her from touching further. His jaw clenched, his eyes were furrowed and locked to her's, but he didn't interrupt her.

"This texture? Scars from his incisors. That son of a bitch bit you so hard he almost ripped your throat out," her voice cracked where she didn't mean and her eyes began to sting. Amaranth pulled her fingers from his neck, wanting instead to caress his check. Her wrist still trapped in his hand, she gently grazed her knuckle across his jawbone. "Sorry," she whispered smally. Astarion loosened his grip at her apologetic touch.

Trying to save herself, she joked, "You were also terribly conspicuous about the boar, Darling. Even before we even added a half-baked monster hunter to our group. So I don't see how I'm the naive one." Blinking away the wet in her eyes, Amaranth said softly, "No, I took one look at your cover and knew what kind of book you were, but I'm the one who decided to read you." She peeked at him through her lashes, "And I'm glad I did, I'm surprised by what I've found in your pages."

For a long silent moment, Astarion stared at her. Reading her or collecting his thoughts before scoffing, "I didn't realize I was so easy to read, I'll have to double my efforts for the future."

"As if you could, I'm your mirror remember? Now, hand me that stupid towel, dinner's getting cold," Amaranth said playfully reaching for the towel Astarion still held, but she failed.

With deft hands, the elf flicked the towel around her shoulders earning himself one of those darling smiles of her's he'd grown so fond of. She'd known all along. No wonder she reacted cooly, but it still didn't explain why she'd agreed to any of it. Always full of surprises. More so than him apparently. His eyes softened. She always saw him with those big, beautiful shining eyes of hers. He supposed he chose the perfect mirror. He pushed a wet strand of hair from her forehead. Her eyebrows pinched.

"You're giving me that look," she said.

"What look?" Astarion asked with the lift of an eyebrow confused.

Amaranth playfully narrowed her eyes, " That soft look. You know it makes me want to indulge you. Perhaps Gale is right, maybe I do cater to you too much."

At the mention of Gale, a switch went off in Astarion. "Gale's just jealous," he dismissed. "Here you are lecturing me naked, why I'm sure Gale just wishes he could indulge in the whole, Dinner and a Show package, you cater to me," he purred, closing in on her.

With a small eyeroll, Amaranth hummed, "You're incorrigible." She muttered an easy encantantion matching signs in her hand and instantly dried off. "All right, let's go. I think I've hogged the bathroom long enough," she said, ducking around him to grab her dressing robe.

"Lovely," Astarion said, straighting out her robe, "Now with all this talk of Gale-can we do it in my tent tonight? I want Gale to hear you indulge me." He asked through a devilish grin extending his hand.

Amaranth returned a cheeky smile, "If that's what you want. But I'm not going to be intentionally loud." She grabbed his hand to be led out the room.

"I'll see about that."

"You know I can cast Silence right?"

"Oh, you're no fun."

"I thought your whole point was that I am a lot of fun?"