#tadpole orin au

[randomfanner]

Tadpoled!Orin would make friendship bracelets for everyone. They are made out of the bones and body parts of their enemies. She genuinely makes them look extremely nice and pretty. She remembers how to make blood jewelry. Shadowheart, Gale and Wyll are kinda horrified but at least she is having fun and found an old hobby well Karlach and Astarion bring her things to make more.

Lae’zel refuses the friendship bracelet till Orin threatens to kill her, Lae’zel liked that and now wears it with pride.

she also keeps trying to make an engagement ring for Shadowheart but none of them are good enough yet. It has to be perfect

[visenyaism]

what party member would orin romance in her dark urge tadpole au situation?

so the answer with the most dramatic oomph to me is wyll. like both would-be heirs to baldur’s gate (but the upper city vs the undercity!), cast out by their own family, used as expendable pawns by evil higher beings, father issues, forced to find their own way, etc etc. but most importantly they both like to show off and perform a little bit and orin does love to dance. i’m feeling it

[maegalkarven]

Thinking of Ravengard Ward AU where things proceed to the point of the events of the game with several results:

Levi, convinced by Gortash fighting off Bhaal is only possible with the Crown of Karsus and growing desperate with every day (as Bhaal pushes to control him with growing force), ventures into Mephistar to steal it from Mephistopheles.

While he is gone Ravengard goes to Elturel and, as Elturel falls to Avernus, descends there too. Duke's second son Wyll, an aspiring ranger, ventures into Hells alongside with counselor Florrick in a quest to find Ulder Ravengard. Levi returns from Mephistar to find all of his family gone. He wants to rush after them to Avernus, but Bhaal's hold on him is getting worse with everyday, and he's running out of time. He hopes his brother and Florrick know what they're doing.

With Ravengard missing and Florrick out of the city, Enver Gortash conspires to have proclaim the duke dead, making Leviathan Ravengard his heir and successor.

The Absolute Plan is set into motion, with only one god (Myrkul) involved. Levi and Gortash are forced to work with Ketheric bc the illithid colony is literally Under His House. Levi plans to betray the man and clean the shadow-cursed lands because this is what Jaheira and the harpers would have wanted. He when plans to use the newly gained with Absolute power to destroy Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul in one go. Gortash plans to obtain the power alike gods without any restrictions gods are forced under.

The first illithid-infected people start to appear. Jaheira and Minsc go to investigate, Minsc gets infected. Levi plans to use him as a leverage against Jaheira and Wyll if (then) they will disagree with his plans.

The incoming wedding of Duke Leviathan Ravengard and Lord Enver Gortash is announced. Lord Gortash is then going to be proclaimed the first Archduke of Baldur's Gate, with his husband's full support.

Wyll and Florrick meet Karlach and team up with her. Wyll is horrified to find out the guy who is dating his older brother sold Karlach to the deviless. Together they find Duke Ravengard and hijack the nautiloid.

The following (with all the in-game steps) events are:

Wyll and the team (Wyll is the leader) reach BG just in time to be informed of the passed wedding and the incoming inauguration of Lord Gortash.

They are horrified what has happened to the city in their absence. Ravengard, Wyll and Jaheira try to talk sense into Levi, Levi argues back what none of them know what it's like to have the God of Murder in their head all the time. What Bhaal was showing him more things these days, what he knows his destiny - he is a pureblood bhaalspawn, made out of Bhaal's dead flesh, he is destined to destroy the world. He is trying to convince them this is the only way he can do it, what this way he can destroy all gods for good, his Father included. What with the power the stones and Absolute gives them, he and Gortash can become new gods, can change the very rules of the universe - and wouldn't it be great?

The huge argument follows and Levi storms out, angry.

The next time they see him is at the inauguration, when, instead of proclaiming Gorash the new Archduke, Levi murders everyone but Gortash (who by this point is used to his husband's murder sprees and is successfully defended by Steel Watch) in the Hall.

Wyll and co walk into the Hall, expecting confrontation, but finding Levi in a pool of blood as Gortash tries to make him come out of the stupor.

Levi raises a desperate gaze at his brother and says: "Don't you see? It's getting worse. Bhaal is so angry. This is the only way. Why can't you see? Why no one but Enver can see it?!"

[shewolfofvilnius]

I feel sorry for Orin

repurposed from an old Reddit post of mine

Edit: Wrote an epilogue fic where my Durge, Sofija, seeks redemption for her sister with the Gods

Raised from birth in the Bhaal cult and has never known ANYTHING else. Literally the result of incest between her mom and Sarevok (her father AND grandfather) - and for her entire life is actively manipulated and groomed to worship her "Grandfather" second only to Bhaal (leaving a disgusting implication that Sarevok might eventually try again). Literally every single day of her life spent in a murder cult, never knowing anything else.

Her mother is actively manipulated when Orin is seven to try to kill her daughter, only for Orin to reflexively kill her first, at which point Orin was briefly possessed by Bhaal himself (per some Sarevok dialogue). AT AGE SEVEN. And even from a young age, Orin's true gift is her artistry, a talent that outside the Bhaal cult probably could have been nurtured into something phenominal, but inside the cult is twisted into a sinisterness in the kill that, when she's out of earshot is decried as wasteful.

She eventually rises through the ranks (never have had any choice), having never felt a meaningful moment of compassion or kindness and, desperate to be cared about, sees the power and fear and respect her bloodkin (The Dark Urge) has gained and uses their hubris to take them out.

Ironically, in the timeline where Durge lives, they get a gift Orin couldn't even dream of - a 2nd chance. With their brain scrambled and the tadpole present but being interfered with, the Dark Urge got a chance to be someone new. (Whether they accept or reject that 2nd chance, they at least got a choice this time).

What did Orin get for her troubles? Her (grand)father openly coveted to either take her out, or worse, take her out - when the time was right, her own allies both detested her (Gortash openly revels at the idea of working with the Dark Urge again)

and most brutally, if you manage to confront her with the truth, any of it? About Sarevok, about her mother, etc? She immediately believes you. And for one (1) moment, maybe there's hope for her.

Hope that Bhaal immediately rips away; an Orin confronted with the truth and showing even the slightest hesitation is immediately forcibly transformed into the Slayer by Bhaal himself, with a strong implication that the core of the old Orin is gone forever win, lose, or draw. "No more doubts, no more fears, no more Orin. Become murder.". Seeing what Bhaal's reaction was the moment Orin had one (1) instant of hesitation also confirms that she'd likely have never had the chance to choose differently, either Bhaal would always step in or else she'd eventually meet her end.

Imagine the AU where Orin takes her CLEAR flair and artistic talent to become a truly great artist. Where she gets the same second chance that Durge got - If she'd been able to use her talent for impersonation and desire to great to do something powerful instead of being forced by her family from childhood into the family business of murder.

She literally never had a chance. Even Bane and Myrkul and their respective cults were never so unfathomably cruel, and she never knew anything else.

At least for my own first game, though, my Durge recognized that without her "sister," she'd have never gotten the chance to save the world, never met Shadowheart, never stopped a century worth of Ketheric's torture on Dame Aylin, never set in motion the liberation of the Githyanki...In the right world states, Orin unwittingly saved the world, but it's a world she'll never get to see or know, and probably never could have.

That's tragic as hell.

[meanbossart]

When you described the fashion that Drow dislikes it made me think about Bhaalist AU. Becasue Astarion on that one piece (the one with a mirror) looks exactly like your description. It's a bit ironic and I love it. Drow appreciates practicality. But Bhaalist Drow doesn't think Astarion needs to dress practical, Astarion is there to look pretty and Bhaalist Drow is there to make sure he is safe :) Do you have any more thoughts on how their (Drow vs Bhaalist Drow) perspective differ when it comes to clothing?

VERY WELL OBSERVED!

I would say, though, that it's more of a mixture of the things DU drow genuinely and consistently finds "tasteful" and the ostentatious garishness that he appalls in his redeemed path - and that is very much the character in a nutshell, a slightly more honed version of the person he used to be pre-tadpole, but who still requires that status and approval. He's more in control now - both of himself and of the world around him - but he's by no means "better".

By dressing Astarion up in a way that could be understated but then loading him with gold, silver and gems, he's making him a symbol of status as well. Astarion isn't supposed to look impressive, he's supposed to make him look impressive. And of course the fact that he's bound and weighted down in riches speaks for itself.

What's funny about Bhaalist DU drow AND "canon" drow, is that they both believe to be a new and improved person when compared to who they were prior to losing their memories. They would both mock him for his obsession with Orin, his weaknesses, his obnoxiousness, his appearance, his obsession with gold and jewels and intricate outfits - and they're both hypocritical for it in their own ways.

A Bhaal-Embracing DU drow would forego of a lot of the glitz and the murder-glamor that his past-self valued so much, especially in fashion, and treat his body itself far more like the statement piece it's supposed to be. Astarion, on the other hand would be showered with those kinds of gifts - because as mentioned earlier, he gets to be the expensive purse that DU drow carries around with him everywhere. He can care about looking nice and pretty, because he doesn't have much more of a purpose than that.

Canon DU drow, on the other hand, values things much more based on comfort, both in the practical and emotional sense. He doesn't value the individual rings he loots around, but having them on makes him feel nice even if they're cheap, scuffed, or just out of place with the rest of his look. Stealing pretty valuables is more of a fun past-time with his significant-other than a genuine lust for gold. Nice clothes are a treat, but not necessary, and regardless of his personal preferences he doesn't truly care about what his partner has on at all, as long as they seem happy about it. This is the biggest difference between the two versions of this character - they both want to make their better-halves happy, but only one of them cares whether or not it's a genuine kind of happiness.

[hellothisisangle]

RAAAH YOUR LAST ART/COMIC 🔥🔥❤️💕👁👄👁✨️💖‼️‼️ i'm sorry but i immediately need context for it, it's too delicious and i cannot rest without knowing the full scene they were doing

So 90% of the comic panels I’ve been putting out recently have been one-offs based on a tiny idea or illustration that evolved into a scene. The last one in particular was a modern AU in which he hired someone for role play, but I don’t have much more than that, sorry!

Actual lore:

Cae’s used self inflicted pain as an escape ever since the urges started manifesting more frequently/more strongly, which was around his teens. It was a decent distraction, but even early on he found the pain enjoyable. A combination of feeling like he deserves it and a comfort that it grounds him from inflicting pain on others

But eventually he couldn’t push away the want to hurt other people any longer and gave in to Scelaritas’s callings

After embracing Bhaal’s inheritance he finally had an outlet. However, he had been self harming for so long and it’s not something he gave up. But Bhaalist Cae’s pride wouldn’t allow him to let others know about it. He didn’t want to be seen as weak and he knew he wasn’t supposed to be spilling his own blood in father’s name, so he’d play up being confidentially dominant while holding onto this secret of his

Gortash and Orin were the only ones wise to it- Gortie dancing around giving Cae what he wanted, pretending and keeping up the ruse. Orin, thinking that her brother was indeed less suited to the title than she was, but also having pity for him

On the other side, tadpoled-resist-durge Cae was only ashamed of his tendencies in the beginning. He’s pretty comfortable with being open about his likes/dislikes and gets a little made fun of because of them by the party (he doesn’t mind, it’s all in good fun)

[moonselune]

⋆.˚✰ Minthara⋆.˚✰:

Fics:

✧˖°.Teacher Minthara AU ✧˖°.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

By The Silk That Binds Us Masterlist

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Drabbles:

⟢ Minthy x werewolf gf ⟢

⟢Minthara x Paranoid!reader⟢

⟢Minthara x f!reader x Karlach⟢

⟢Compromising position⟢

⟢Minthara x Pregnant!reader⟢

⟢ Reacting to You Having a Child ⟢

⟢Shapeshifter !⟢

⟢Scratch me up⟢

⟢Godmother! Minthara⟢

⟢Soft Moments ⟢

⟢Surprise kiss!⟢

⟢No more revivify for you⟢

⟢Jealousy, Jealousy ⟢

⟢Beach⟢

⟢Sibling Reunion ⟢

⟢Kidnapped by Orin⟢

⟢Waking up after living the nightmare⟢

⟢All you feel is RAGE⟢

⟢Ass handed to you⟢

⟢Mommy Matron Minthara⟢

⟢Silly Sacrifice ⟢

⟢You Spin Me Right Round⟢

⟢Don't threaten the pregnant lady⟢

⟢Now it makes sense⟢

⟢Sadness creeps in⟢

⟢Plus!reader NSFW⟢

⟢Squirt NSFW⟢

⟢Bigger brood than expected⟢

⟢Broken Oath⟢

⟢Strapped and Racked (M!reader NSFW)⟢

⟢Fireball⟢

⟢Fireball pt 2⟢

⟢Here for you⟢

⟢As an auntie/mother⟢

⟢Got you!⟢

⟢Inexperienced⟢

⟢Just a Dance⟢

⟢Overstimulation NSFW⟢

⟢Opened my Heart⟢

⟢All too much⟢

⟢The Orin Dilemma⟢

⟢Gentle Giant⟢

⟢Not your tent⟢

⟢Fainting ⟢

⟢Calming Kisses⟢

⟢Druid tattoos⟢

⟢Durge episode⟢

⟢Your blood on my hands⟢

⟢Sing for me⟢

⟢My Oath⟢

⟢Can't walk after a night of passion⟢

⟢Lost horn⟢

⟢What she did to you⟢

⟢Family Rejection⟢

⟢Touching Foreheads⟢

⟢Tiny Tav⟢

⟢Revived⟢

⟢Lean on me⟢

⟢Ersatz eye⟢

⟢I'm Mother?⟢

⟢Life left behind⟢

⟢Turn ons⟢

⟢What a voice⟢

⟢I went too far⟢

⟢Your kid's father makes an appearance⟢

⟢I'm pregnant⟢

⟢Adopted by The In-laws ⟢

⟢Jealous of a plushie⟢

⟢Power of Friendship⟢

⟢Crybaby⟢

⟢Marks of Tragedy⟢

⟢Red-eyed friend⟢

⟢Hand in Hand⟢

⟢A Poetic Attempt⟢

⟢Big Tatas⟢

⟢The Greatest Beast⟢

⟢Favourite Beast⟢

⟢Dhampiric Revelations⟢

⟢Proposal⟢

⟢Thinking the BG3 Ladies are Cheating on You⟢

⟢Family Life (Stepchild series)⟢

⟢Kaleidoscope Eyes⟢

⟢Druidic Tendencies ⟢

⟢Admiration (M!reader)⟢

⟢No More (Durge)⟢

⟢Astral-Touched Tadpole⟢

⟢Changes (Plus!Tav)⟢

⟢Fierce Protector⟢

⟢Who You Are (Transfem!Tav)⟢

⟢Halloween⟢

✦. ── Dark BG3 Masterlist ── .✦

.𖥔 ݁ ˖BG3 Ships Masterlist𖥔 ݁ ˖

[diredeliverance]

We as a society should talk more about the AU where Orin and DUrge's places are reversed. She fucks up her assassination of DUrge and gets the tadpole in cruel retaliation and it's the crowning failure in a lifetime of humiliation and ALSO it is the key to finally escaping the cycle. My kicked dog baby daughter Orin. A lifetime of being denied love and acknowledgement and for the first time she gets to know people who could appreciate her, who could support her, love her. I think there are companions who could get with her macabre painting idk. I want to see her get to do her art :) I want to see her interactions with Lae'zel and Shadowheart who are also grappling with these entrapping ideologies they were raised in, I want to see her interactions with Wyll who has also been rejected by his father and can't tear himself away, I want to see her interactions with Astarion who is at a crossroads between becoming the monster that tormented him or getting out. And. Also. She's just such a perfect underdog. Think about the power to the DUrge endings but with Orin. Going back to the cult and finally having everything she ever wanted, finally getting to be special and prove herself worthy and LIVE. It's a pyrrhic victory but it's one she's clawed for herself so desperately. Faltering and losing herself completely, completing the downward spiral of decay of her life. Or finally!!! Getting!!! To escape!!! To see the evil of that lifetime of abuse for what it is!!! To know what she was made for and reject it by living anyway, by turning her back on all destinies that have ever been laid at her feet!!! She is not the lamb and she need not be the wolf she can be something New. Do you see my vision do you understand. Are you also thinking about this

[tanoraqui]

thinking about my tags on this post, I'm pretty sure the best way to do an au in which Team Tadpole forms without tadpoles, pre-tadpoles, because Wyll keeps heroically saving the day partly by befriending at least one key henchperson per major enemy...is if Ulder disowned him rather than exiling him, so Wyll became the Batman Blade of the Gate. Living in the shadows, stubbornly alone, helping the people who even the Flaming Fists can't, or won't... He has a firm principle of only killing "monsters", so for pettier criminals, he usually sends them walking up to the nearest officer of the peace with a friendly Suggestion that they turn themselves in for their crimes. This makes Ulder's teeth grind like coffee beans. Their dynamic isn't so much Batman & Gordon as Spiderman & J. Jonah Jameson.

All that really needs to happen for him to pick up Shadowheart as a sidekick is for one person to ask the Blade for help because the Sharrans stole their child/are aggressively cult-recruiting their friend/other typical dubious Sharran thing; and then he unravels that whole temple like a ball of yarn - or at least, enough that Shadowheart leaves and becomes local secondary superhero...the Pale Priestess? the White Wolf? (In this house we stan werewolf!Shadowheart!)

Then the Blade notices a barely-noticeable pattern of disappearances that's been going on for over 200 years, and the bloody trail leads right to Szarr Mansion...

(Wyll does not deal with the slightly-under-7,000 vampire spawn in the basement. The Blade leaves a note for the Flaming Fists and their ducal commander, along with a pile of evidence of Cazadar Szarr's crimes, and a pile of dust that was once a vampire lord.)

(Possibly this attracts Raphael's attention, because it was a loss for Mephistopheles? Raphael would be almost as good a comic books-esque recurring villain as Bhaal cultists.)

Gale somehow becomes their Guy in the Chair - still living in Waterdeep, mind you; he communicates mostly via Scrying, Sending, etc. Typical archwizard aloofness. Until The Incident, in response to which maybe he asks the others to get him books from Sorcerous Sundries, which leads to Lorroakan turning himself over to the Fists :) on charges of Apprentice Abuse [I'm sure Rolan wasn't the first] and general Being The Worst.

All throughout this Wyll is angstily - while acting the confident, ever-optimistic hero - refusing to talk about how he has devilish magic or why he Needs to leave the city to go kill a random specific devil/demon/other monster once a month. His friends know he made a pact and that's it. They offer to help. Wyll refuses lest Mizora make his life and theirs a living hell.

They start looking into Enver Gortash and his numerous sketchy dealings. In this AU, too, the Blade tracks Karlach down through the battlefields of Avernus...to ask her some questions about her former employer. He doesn't have much hope for answers from a notorious battle-devil, but it's their only lead...

But then she's Karlach, so he offers to help her escape instead. They're nearly out - or they are out? - when Mizora appears and orders Wyll to stand down. Wyll does not stand down. Karlach tries to behead her, so Mizora leaves him alone...for a little while. She catches him alone later, back at his base, and drags his soul through the fires of hell and turns him into a devil.

They ally with Orin, possibly unknowingly, to attack the Bhaalspawn leader of the Cult of Bhaal! She betrays them, right after murdering her kin!

[insert something here that's like speedrunning the whole plot but backwards]

Lae'zel shows up at some point, bleeding and halfway through her own character arc which she's been doing solo, having been snatched and tadpoled, killed a Sharran to regain the Prism, nearly killed by her own people for being tadpoled, regained the Prism via a lot of murder... She's now on the run from pretty much everyone but she's determined to re-prove herself to...somebody...by singlehandedly killing the Netherbrain.

(She tries to kill our heroes because she assumes they've been tadpoled.)

Wyll breaks his pact for good and is willing to go down fighting for his city even without any powers; then Ansur with his final-for-real-this-time dying breath gives Wyll draconic magic, so he can be the sorcerous Dragon of the Gate.

Epilogue: the Heroes of Baldur's Gate answer a call for help from their neighbors in the Reclaimed Lands to deal with all the ex-cultist goblins who've still been running around kidnapping and, idk, eating people since the Netherbrain was destroyed. They arrive to find that the goblins are already being bloodily Dealt With...by an amnesiac Dark Urge, who isn't actually being very bloody about it at all by their typical standards, and who has no memory of anything before like a month ago.

Everyone points weapons at them except Wyll, who insists that if they've truly reverted to ignorant innocence, then they should have a second chance, to mend their ways and help fix what they broke in the world. This is, fundamentally, a group wherein a bunch of morally dubious assholes (except Karlach, who's an angel and we're delighted she's here) outsource their moral compasses to Wyll; and honestly it's not like this is surprising behavior from him, so...welcome to the team!

[majorasnightmare]

so! the general AU timeline is something like this

dirge gets betrayed and tadpoled by orin

his bhaalspawn biology kicks in and tries to recover from a wound that didnt instakill him, but isnt successful because of the tadpole and kressas experiments

the absolute uses the tadpole to get a foothold in dirges mind but a combination of his willpower, being reduced to base feral instincts and The Urge, and injuries to the brain resulting in inflammation and oedema, means that Dirge isnt enough of a person to be meaningfully influenced beyond being prevented from outright killing Kressa. he has brain swelling in wenickes AND brocas area which has resulted in dirge completely losing language capabilities

kressas husband is weirded out by his wife having some cooing obsession with a feral brainwormed tiefling who keeps trying to bite anyone who gets close and gets dirge transferred to the nautiloid mission to hopefully serve as a suicide berserker and die offscreen

finally free of kressas prodding and sealed in a pod, dirge's unique physiology kicks in and forcibly drags him into unconsciousness to actually meaningfully rest. dirges restful sleep finally settles his mind enough for the absolute to interact with it

dirge spends most of the nautiloid mission unconscious in the stasis pod, as his body repairs itself and the absolute starts repairing his mind (returning language capability, repairing short term memory storage and attempting repairs on the short term to long term memory systems)

main timeline divergence! after retadpoling dirge and discovering orpheus in the prism, when the emperor goes to choose who in the nautiloid has the best capabilities of combatting the absolute, it instead chooses to pass over the murderous semi-sapient brain damaged cult leader, judging dirge to either be too injured to meaningfully help or too unpredictable and potentially dangerous to risk letting loose, and leaves him in the pod

dirge stays in stasis through the nautiloid prologue, and doesnt awaken throughout

the nautiloid crashes with dirges pod still in it, the mind flayer pod absorbing the impact like it does for the other companions when you dont play as them (like how you can find karlach and astarions pods). his pod is around the same area youd fight the intellect devourers later, suspended by arterial mesh and powerlines. the pod pops open in the wreckage during the middle of the night, around the same time of night you see yourself rescued from the fall

while the player character is unconscious until morning, dirge hits the ground and is up and awake from the get go

unprotected by the prism, having survived the crash, but also having his first moments of genuine consciousness and awareness since being stabbed, dirges mind is still reeling from its sheer abyssal emptiness and pain, and the absolute seizes the oppurtunity to dominate him immediately. dirge struggles but cant meaningfully fight it off in his state, and the absolute converts him into a proper True Soul

after dirge is True Souled, the absolute pushes him into stumbling out of the crash site to make his way to the goblin camp immediately. being single mindedly driven, he manages to limp and clumsily stealth his way to the camp, managing to avoid any patrolling scouts, and primarily acting on thoughtless obedience, his head too badly scrambled to organize itself

dirge manages to get to the camp sometime in the afternoon of the first day, while the party is still gathering survivors and making way towards withers tomb

this means that dirges first interactions with people dont occur until hes in goblin territory! so his social standard compass gets oriented in an entirely different direction, identifying guts, dror ragzlin, and minthara as the primary people he needs to make an effort to get along with

the camp three spend a good chunk of the day interrogating the newest true soul and his amnesia, and why exactly he came from the crash site that was supposed to hold the weapon theyre hunting for. unable to recall what happened, but definitely a True Soul meant to aid the absolutes plan, they conclude that dirge infiltrated the nautiloid on a mission to claim the weapon before being compromised by the injury and the crash. the absolute doesnt explicitly CONFIRM this interpretation of events, but more or less encourages its because it helps her fallen star get along with everyone

true soul!dirge actually doesnt recall anything to use as his name here! guts and dror ragzlin use any number of nicknames for him based on him being a tiefling, and minthara more or less exclusively calls him True Soul

the absolute surpresses most of the fragments of memory circumstance makes dirge recall, and also surpresses more of The Urge so he acts less erratically, so he tends to rely more on interactions with Minthara to ground him with his memory loss

dirge proves his worth shortly after his arrival by participating in the waukeens rest raid and helping to capture ulder ravenguard, and then later that night when aradins party tries to infiltrate the camp while the goblins are canonically shitfaced drunk and slackin. dirge catches their scent and is the first to lunge into action when liam charges, taking down the dwarf cleric brian and incapacitating halsin in bear form, while liam gets captured. minthara doesnt send him on the raiding party following aradin, and having demonstrated keen killer instinct, takes up the informal role as mintharas second in command, who intends to use him as a guard dog and a skilled second opinion, having sent most of her drow retinue to safeguard ulders transport to moonrise.

minthara gives him drow drip™️ and he sticks with his habitual dual dagger build from his bhaalist days. at the camp hes positioned almost like a bouncer outside mintharas desk

despite guts getting killed immediately when dirge normally interacts with her, they get along decently well when hes a true soul. hes generally amenable to being fussed over and guts is the resident healer, and now hes one of her boys, so theyre amicable with each other. dror fucking hates him tho cuz hes a greenie and already showing him up a little, and is already getting close to minthara when dror has been trying for a WHILE now

the absolute correctly predicts that minthara compliments dirges skillset and has the kind of personality that would be useful towards directing him to working in achieve its goals, so it subtly encourages them to be around each other. despite the brainworms, dirge in this state isnt a particularly devout absolutist, more treating it as a factual reality than as a devout believer, so mintharas faith is useful here as well since it establishes a clear unquestioned chain of command. the absolute commands minthara, who then instructs dirge, who then carries it out more reliably than the absolute directly commanding dirge

[randomfanner]

So, some more thoughts for the Orin gets Tadpoled AU, notably her relations with the other party.

General Headcanons - uses the fact she is a shapeshifter to hide she is a doppelgänger because Shadowheart pointed out the fact she looks just a tad bit suspicious, however when she is around the party she doesn't bother. She does use these abilities to get around pretty effectively (such as transforming into a Drow to get past the goblins and other good skips like that) and will transform to fit in(she changes into a tiefling around the tiefling, human around the druids, etc)

Violence is an answer however other people in the party teach her there are other ways.... and when people like Gale and Shadowheart begin to give her praise for being more crafty and cunning with her way of dealing with problems, well, why wouldn't she do what they like?

Whenever the urge pops pop she is very loud about it. "I SHALL TRIM THAT MEAT STUB FOR YOU" "WAIT STOP HER P L E A S E" and someone(notably Shadowheart) is able to stop her from doing something stupid. She gets better control and has to deal with the urge in general less than the Durge. (Astarion pouts whenever she is stopped)

She uses nicknames for everyone.

Lae'zel (Wondrous Blood-soaked Warrior) - Other than the fact Orin is pretty openly unhinged they get along pretty damn well. Lae'zel admires how good Orin is at killing, Orin admires how good Lae'zel is at killing. Plus Orin very much enjoys when Lae'zel gives her praise. When they get to the Creche though, Orin is not having a good time and begins to have some flashbacks to the temple of Bhaal especially during the trainee scene and may be pretty reactive which does cause some problems for the two of them, but after things are finished there Orin does her best to comfort Lae'zel for losing her anchor.

Shadowheart (Beloved Cleric) - Shadowheart and Orin are amnesia buddies. I also feel Orin freed Shadowheart from the nautiloid because the more allies the less lonely the better! Shadowheart isn't sure what to make of this gremlin who borders on almost murder, and ends up being Orin's voice of reason most of the time. Now this is just for me, but Shadowheart x Orin romance. Goth GFs who have family issues (that family just being a fucking cult) and need to find a place to belong and sense of being, so why not do that together? Plus we see Orin's hair, she does it herself probably, Shadowheart and Orin braid train.

Gale (Wizard) - Orin nearly cuts Gale's hand off and is barely stopped by Shadowheart, so it is uh, a bit of a rocky relationship at first. However Gale is willing to forgive and keep an eye on their new unhinged doppelgänger friend. I do think Gale wants to study Orin because how often are you traveling with such an adept shapeshifter? Orin of course adores the attention and answers any questions she can and they end up bonding over that. Orin has no problem parting with magical trinkets for the wizard and wishes to fight Mystra herself. Orin also finds herself very much enjoying his cooking considering she can't remember ever having suck well made food in her entire life.

Astarion (Bloodsucker) - Orin ends up doing good things to get approval from the two people she met and bonded with first, thus Astarion being a bitch about it gets him a look of distain from Orin. Besides, Orin being a rogue he is not needed in the party. However Orin has no qualms about his wish for blood and he is free to fill his thirst whenever he wishes.... Plus Astarion does enjoy the fucking wild things Orin tends to say.

Wyll (Fiery Blade) - You know Wyll is a bit freaked out at first with Orin for well, obvious reasons however when it is clear she is going to cause... notably less problems then one might expect, they end up getting along pretty well. Orin I think would enjoy his dramatics and listening to stories and begins to take cues from him when weaving her own tales. When he teaches her how to dance it is quite fun and she may get a bit too into it, however I can only see them being bros mostly because Orin is still yelling about draining people dry.

Karlach (Heated Axe that cuts enemies like butter) - I think these two loons get along so fucking well, Orin will use Karlach as a spring board once her engine is fixed to dive bomb enemies well Karlach will slaughter them from the front. When Orin hears of this 'Gortash' she makes note that they shall split him and wear his enthralls as a wondrous scarf, which Karlach is totally behind. Orin also keeps bringing Karlach hearts because "if the issue is someone took yours, surely it can be replaced. I will find as many hearts as needed to fix your problem" (Orin is not ready for the fact Karlach is dying because the two of them are besties)

@bhaalstemple I think you need this.

[visenyaism]

anyways in the roleswap au that exists in my mind where orin gets memory wiped and tadpoled while the dark urge runs the cult i think she’d end up some weird amalgamation of illusion wizard + assassination rogue plus one level of glamour bard or something because while her hands remember how to kill the thing that really sticks with her is her compulsion to Make Pretty Things. she thinks maybe she was an artist back in the Gate :)

[maegalkarven]

Don't trust his big wet puppy eyes, this is the Durge who doesn't have amnesia. His memories are a little dizzy and details are hard to grasp, but he is well aware who he is and what his silly little sister has done.

The issue is, he doesn't seem to care. Just what part of his brain his idiot of a kin butchered?

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

Entertaining an AU where Tav finds the Dark Urge very alive but under magical sleep in the Colony so Kressa can play with them. They wake up very angry but also pretty confused and join you to claim their vengeance against Ketheric (Kind of like how you can convince Jaheira to join you as an extra in the Tower portion). They're a bit brutal but effective, and they're dead set on ripping Ketheric apart piece by piece, uncaring if he's protected by Aylin being trapped or not.

From there they are just very unsettling to the party, hanging around for lack of a better option. They regularly wake the party at night with horrible screams from their nightmares, leading to Jaheira (and later Minsc) confronting them as she does in a Durge playthrough and you have to talk them both down from murdering each other like you do in Act 1 with Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Wyll and Karlach's stories.

With the realization you've been traveling with a Bhaalspawn the decision would come to support them in their bid to regain being Chosen (Dark/Evil route) or help them take revenge on those who betrayed them and convince them to reject Bhaal (afterall, didnt he let them get murdered and tadpoled by Orin?)

Maybe I'll flesh this out later into a WIP.

[meanbossart]

Having absolutely tragic feelings over villain DU Drow because I'm thinking of how my Tav finished off Orin [divine intervention], which i went to interpret as him summoning an Avatar of his goddess to literally swallow her whole leading to her utter annihilation along with the shard of Bhaal she carried in her blood. So now I'm imagining Drow in her place and leads me to the question. Would he find the concept of utter oblivion comforting or scary?

Oh man, I mean... That's probably a better end than whatever Bhaal has planned for her so I guess that's a win 😬

In Bhaalist DU drow's case, he would be terrified of it. Not necessarily because of the concept itself, but rather because he sees himself as deserving of the punishment Bhaal has reserved once he dies - in this "canon villain Drow AU" he realizes he's gone completely off script and betrayed his father's wishes, and longs to be chastised. To be cast into oblivion and sidestep it entirely (even if not by choice) would be cowardly, and he doesn't want to be seen as a coward.

Post tadpole DU Drow would be comforted by it. He doesn't know what the afterlife holds in his case, with all the horrible things he's done and the big interrogation point of his heritage (does he still belong to Bhaal? Is he at his mercy when he perishes? Is he just going straight to the hells? No idea.)

He doesn't want to die above all else, ever, if possible. But if he must then oblivion sounds like a pretty safe option.

[autistichalsin]

Some fics I have planned

Some are just vague ideas, some are full out being drafted.

1. Various Burdens-verse fics; a prequel showing how Halsin and Kiaran met during the game timeline, a sequel about them visiting Halsin's family's graves, a sequel about how they both deal with the loss of their families while they await the arrival of their new baby, with lots of flashbacks to their childhoods, a sequel showing some of their continued sexual adventures. etc.

2. A few different takes on Halsin's abduction by Orin, some shippy, and some not (it just makes a really good scenario).

3. A fix-it fic for the 'disappointed Bhaal' Dark Urge ending where Halsin vows to cure Kiaran somehow.

4. An AU about how tadpoled/Origin Halsin would play out.

5. A tadpolycule fic where everyone at camp realizes they have feelings for Halsin and each decide to bring him on a date/otherwise court him.

6. A Halsin/Wyll/Karlach fic where Karlach and Wyll have broken off from an evil-aligned party, and rescue Halsin- but not in time to stop the Grove raid, causing a lot of hurt/comfort.

7. A Kiaran/Halsin omegaverse story where Halsin, who has a hormonal disorder, has his first heat ever at or shortly after the epilogue party.

8. A whump fic about evil, Lolth-sworn Drow Tav making good on that threat to sell Halsin back into the Underdark.

9. A T4T Halsin/Karlach fic.

10. A Halsin/Tav/Ascended Astarion fic where Astarion turns abusive and Halsin has to decide exactly how much he'll take before he leaves, even if it means leaving Tav (who doesn't want to leave) alone with Astarion.

11. A Kiaran/Halsin fic where Kiaran decides his foster family deserves a second chance at life, manages to make it happen, and a lot of VERY painful and complicated conversations happen as they all try to heal.

12. An AU (can't decide if I want it shippy or gen, or what ship) where a fight going wrong results in Halsin being disabled, and the fallout from that.

13. Another Kiaran/Halsin fic, this one an AU where Halsin dies during/after the final battle, and Kiaran absolutely loses it.

14. A hurt/comfort fic where Halsin gets persuaded to stay in camp while Minthara is there, and Minthara proceeds to trigger Halsin's trauma very badly.

15. An angsty Halstarion fic where Astarion tries, but finds he really isn't as good at being there for Halsin as Halsin is for him, and Halsin keeps insisting he's okay with it, but Astarion grows frustrated.