#the TRUE hero of BG3

[flymmsy]

Where would we, as a society, be without her

[wheretheresawyll]

Character parallels: Wyll Ravengard (Baldur's Gate 3) | Anora Mac Tir (Dragon Age: Origins)

[regalpotato]

The fact you have to do something pretty evil (kill the tieflings) to have the chance to recruit Minthara, when Minthara herself even asks you why the hell you killed them (after you finish Act 2) is incredibly upsetting. She's not evil, she is probably somewhere between early game Lae'zel and early game Astarion in terms of morality. And they work fine in a good playthrough.

I'm just so salty after talking to Minthara in Act 3 and seeing how wonderful she is. So many people who (understandably) won't do an evil playthrough are going to miss out on a wonderful character. And I hope Larian change it.

Minthara deserves the love the rest of the companions are getting.

[lilunebriumplays]

i have been living inside of the character creator My Tavs and their Daisies

[sillylilcowboyhat]

Lae'zel and Wyll flirting while I'm trying to get my party to the cre'che

[vampcaprisun]

a collection of random headcanons about wyll and zeph (my durge who’s romancing him):

wyll is the main party’s resident guidance-giver (thank you pact of the tome). when zeph wants to ask for it, he just reaches a hand over for wyll to take and wyll casts the spell as he takes it. zeph always makes sure to wyll’s hand a little thank you squeeze when he feels the magic hit. once they’re in a relationship, zeph reaching for wyll’s hand just to hold it often leads to wyll casting an unnecessary guidance out of habit, and the little bursts of accidental magic inevitably make both of them blush.

the two of them are very protective of each other in battle. if they’re both in melee, they almost always fight back to back. even if they’re not next to each other, they always watch each other’s backs with a crossbow bolt or eldritch blast ready for the second they notice that the other might be getting overwhelmed by enemies. zeph tends to be more obviously self-sacrificing about it, and wyll gives him a fair number of stern talks about it, but he’s noticed the darker sides of wyll’s hero act too and will gladly prove when necessary that he can give an earful just as well as wyll can.

zeph is much bigger than wyll and takes every possible opportunity to pick him up. it’s not uncommon to see wyll sitting up on zeph’s shoulders while both of them cheer after a successful fight. astarion declares this formation “the blade of frontiers and his noble steed”, and seeing the two of them approaching like that is often the first way everyone back at camp knows the day went well. karlach never complains about carrying wyll’s things so he isn’t too heavy for zeph to carry that far.

after wyll is transformed, zeph and karlach team up to teach wyll horns 101 — how to take care of them, comfortably sleep with them, and so on. (zeph happily gives him lessons on how to cuddle without them getting in the way.) they also like to take turns decorating them for him, usually with flowers they find growing wherever they are at the time and any makeup or paints they can get their hands on. they’re determined to show him that he doesn’t need to be ashamed of his new form.

in waukeen’s rest, the second wyll says that the person they’re trying to save is his dad, zeph breaks through the door and races in alongside the flaming fist. that’s when wyll first starts to realize he’s falling for zeph — when he watches zeph run straight into a burning building without a second thought, blowing right past a door that four other people working together hadn’t been able to budge, just because he heard someone inside was important to wyll.

late into the night of the tiefling party, when things are winding down, zeph realizes that wyll still hasn’t come back to his tent so he goes to check on him and finds him asleep by the water. instead of waking him up, zeph just picks him up, carries him over to his bedroll, and basically tucks him in. wyll does wake up enough from the motion to notice what’s happening, but he pretends to be asleep still because it’s cute and he doesn’t want zeph to stop. he would never admit that he enjoyed something like that, but when no one knows he’s aware of it and he can pretend he had no idea it was even happening (and he’s half-asleep enough to not care so much about that anyway)? he’s not above indulging in that comfort for a little while.

[bozhenkamoya]

the closer i am to the end of the game (at least i think i'm close at this point), the more i want to start my second playthrough. i want to play durge so bad.

[invinciblerodent]

brb, i have to go and. make strangled noises at nothing real quick; it just hit me over the head how Wyll's use of the metaphor of dancing as a stand-in for romance and intimacy really just. accompanies him all throughout his story, and how perfect it is

I guess I should have expected a character like him, that's both deeply poetic in his speech and courtly in his upbringing, would come to idealize a chivalric romance a bit, and translate his feelings on/of love to an element of courting that's as ritualistic and processional as ballroom dancing, but sometimes just realizing the obvious can really knock you off your feet for a second

like. just like how there is almost a blueprint to a perfect storybook romance in both stories and -consequently- in his head (I think romance might even be one of the literary genres with the highest number of unwritten rules that need to be fulfilled for a work to count as a romance), there is also a fairly strict method to a court dance. There is a series of well-known and practiced steps that was laid out in advance, and one is to perform them in succession, and in sync with one's partner. If one of the parties doesn't know or doesn't want to follow the rules/steps, it gets... tangled, messy, and you both stumble. The dance and the relationship both fall apart. The happy ending of a tale is not reached without all the steps in-between being followed, and he so dearly wants his fairytale ending, his happy, fulfilled love, I just---

it's such a perfect metaphor, and what makes it even more perfect is that Wyll is ostensibly aware of it, and he chose it, purposefully, and i don't want to watch the Act 3 commitment scene because I've not yet done it myself and don't want to spoil it, but I would be so surprised if he a.) made no mention of storybook romances, or b.) didn't just straight up propose y'know

i'm (metaphorically) crying, if it were possible to play this game on six different characters simultaneously without getting bored or confused I fucking would

[the-faultofdaedalus]

god. what i wouldn’t do to see wtf ecologists get up to in fantasy worlds like bg3.

[i-made-a-bg3-blog]

It actually makes perfect sense that Astarion has visible abs, now that I think about it. You really think he's getting his 8 glasses a day? Hell no, that man is dehydrated as fuck.

[drizztdonturden]

Wyll's Act 3 questline could have involved political scheming to threaten Gortash's hold on the city--instead of having Gortash just sit around twiddling his thumbs, his version of the Sarevok quest could have been to take out his political allies. It was right there. It would have given Wyll more involvement in Act 3, it would have made Gortash feel less lazy, and with the removal of the Upper City, they placed Lady Jannath in the Lower City anyway, where she's in the middle of a party. We were so close to having something like that.

everyone talks abt wanting an undercover high society/party mission in bg3... that should've been part of Wyll's questlines.

[butrememberthesong]

actually on a similar note

[kossithmercar]

The thing about bards in DnD settings, specially those from the College of Lore, is that they know they are in a narrative, because life is a story for them. They are in a narrative and for the most part they are the narrator or the watcher, because that is a bard's job: to record history and sing it so it is remembered. That is why Era decided to become a bard, despite being a guild member. She wanted to witness the world and ensure the good, the bad and the inbetween would be remembered.

Except.

Except now she has become part of the narrative, nearly doomed by it, and she cannot escape. She can see the narrative beats, know that something bigger than she can believe is brewing from the clues she gathers: a duke captured, an unknown god raising, parasites that do not act as they should. They are the pieces for an epic any bard would die to witness, but she is not witnessing it: she is living it. She can't even explain her concerns to her companions, because what will she tell them? That it is likely that they will become heroes of legend? That the pieces do not fit and she believes that soon the tadpole will be the least of her problems? They wouldn't believe her, not really. She has already established herself as someone who sees all life to have value, as someone worried about helping others to the point she forgets to help herself, as a bard with her head stuck on the clouds, a former guild member that marvels about the world she is now exploring and all it's wonders. She is a little dense with flirting, a little hesitant to cut of her companions, willing to defer to them more than she probably should.

She knows that they look at her and see someone naive, so how can she talk about her suspicions? They won't believe her, think that is just another of her little oddities as a bard, and in a way, she hopes they are.

But every night before sleeping, she remembers that Lae'zel told her that the symptoms of their change should have begun already and she wonders.

[rolanpilled]

BG3 Patch 5 Spoilers

WARNING: BG3 SPOILERS AHEAD!

New content from the ending scene of BG3. This is all from the perspective of a redeemed Dark Urge who romanced Shadowheart and Halsin, and recruited every "good" ally possible.

people at the party: all your companions, scratch, owlbear, volo, and a bard in the middle playing a song (his name is milil)

lae'zel is the only one who isn't here physically, she sent an astral projection instead because she's been busy fighting vlaakith

astarion explains why he ran away (ashamed) when the sunlight hit him, he's become a "hero" who adventures and has accepted himself

(romanced halsin) you can hug halsin, he's missed his friends and you. you can do both the hug and the kiss, it's really sweet. he's turned the shadowlands into a community, repursing reithwin and moonrise towers into homes for people

jaheira's daughter rejoined the flaming fist, she's been working on rebuilding the harper network. the upper city was entirely destroyed by the battle but has been mostly rebuilt. she jokes that you might be a parent soon

wyll gives you a choice between three stories, a stegosaur/dinosaur battle, an impossible lich, or a young dragon. he lost his warlock powers but has been managing the best he can, and has become a RANGER ("a true hunter of monsters"). duke ravengard is commanding the flaming fist and help rebuilding the city, and he's very proud of his son

minsc and boo guard the streets while jaheira is "occupied with harperish manners". they "went to give a tickle" to the zhentarim, then got locked up in a zhentish cell, awaiting execution? idk if i'm reading incorrectly but he seems to be implying that he actually GOT executed but withers brought him back just in time lmfao

gale has become "professor gale dekarios of blackstaff academy, educator of the esteemed school of illusion". tara is with him. he surrended the crown of karsus to mystra, who cured him of the orb in exchange (his tattoo is gone), though his students still think he's explosive (he implies that he uses it as a threat to keep his class under control). he tells his students about your adventures together. he also implies you're welcome to visit his tower

shadowheart (main romance) - the game told me that we settled down together to live a happy, peaceful life on a farm in the countryside. shar still hurts her (if parents are saved), especially when she can sense that SH is enjoying herself, but it's been getting less frequent because she's been "losing interest". there's a new hug and kiss scene for her too, so i'm assuming this is for ALL companions and not just halsin/SH/whoever

withers will speak to you about karlach, explaining that she won't be able to come back. he jokes about her, which is rare for him, and you're given to opportunity to grieve her loss. in "a dozen tendays" (assumedly how long bg3 is), "an entire life was lived, she lived several centuries" (not exact quote).

milil, the bard playing in the center, does NOT want to be there. he's pissed that no one recognizes him (he's pissed specifically that i'm a bard and don't recognize him), i had to pass a deception check to recognize him and he cheered up and offered to change the song he's playing

there's a chest called "Chest of Grateful Words" filled with letters from your allies!

"Official Guild Letter"

"Letter from Barcus"

"Letter from Art"

"Letter from Valeria"

"Letter from Ravengard"

"Letter from Sebastian"

"Letter from Florrick"

"Letter from the Gur" (unascended Astarion)

"Letter from Alfira" (durge, killed quil grootslang)

"Letter from Dammon"

"Letter from Elminster"

"Letter from Nocturne"

"Letter from Voss"

"Letter from Hope"

"Letter from Mayrina"

"Letter from Nine-Fingers"

"Letter from Zevlor"

"Harp-stamped Letter"

Baldur's Mouth Gazette

If you find anything interesting I missed, please let me know.

[necrodette]

TomeWeave art by the absolutely incredible @nikoadmeliora! Go check out their art!

While I'm currently working on the fanfiction of Odette's story pre-BG3 (which leads into the game's events), I had some brainworms that I wanted to sprinkle to my fellow Galemancers out there.

Brace thyselves for a very long, very random assortment of lore and romance between my Tav, Odette Tavelyen, and Gale Dekarios (lovingly referred to as TomeWeave).

Spoilers & personal headcanons for BG3 romance with Gale below!

◇ While Odette was attracted to Gale initially, she misunderstood his attempts to prove his worth/value to the party as him being another pompous wizard, and worried that he may be too fond of his own voice without the true mastery of the Weave to validate his claims (since his magic was a bit unpredictable at times with the orb acting up).

◇ Due to this ignorant misconception, Odette was sometimes annoyed by Gale's remarks (like when he's publicly describing his previous relationship with Mystra or when he's unintentionally, overly thorough in explaining his magical prowess). She was never mean or cruel because that isn't in her nature, but she would certainly be on edge around him or would reply with a witty retort or two.

◇This changes during the Act 1 romance scene. In my headcanon, it happens the night that the party frees the Emerald Grove, and there is a celebration in camp all night. After Odette gives an awkward speech to the group (she's a librarian, not accustomed to being the motivational hero of the day) and makes her rounds through the party, Gale gives her a gift: one of a pair of identical blue journals (picked up from the vendor in the Grove). Gale and Odette bespell the journals to communicate with one another, channeling their magics together and connecting through the Weave. It is intimate, honest, unsuspecting. She feels the warmth of his affections for her and she realizes that she had been misjudging his actions.

And yes, the other party members will write in the journals from time to time, and yesssss I spent too much time picking handwriting style fonts for every party member

◇ Before Gale reveals his surname in Act 3, Odette makes a game out of trying to guess it. She'll think of some random noble family or one she'd guessed based on historical names in the region and ask him - sometimes in the most inopportune of times, such as mid-combat or when they're trying to go to sleep.

◇ Odette actually met Tara well before Act 3. She didn't understand the connection to Gale at the time and wouldn't for a while, but...this requires context, so bear with me:

◇ As an Avowed Adjutant in Candlekeep Library (pre-BG3 game events), Odette was often working with Seekers of knowledge who came to the library offering their price of admission: an original work that doesn't already exist within Candlekeep's walls. If their submitted work was not accepted, they could not gain entry within the library and would be turned away.

◇ For years, Gale had requested entry to Candlekeep through submissions of his own poetry and journals, thinking that his experiences as Mystra's Chosen would elevate his works and would certainly be accepted. But they weren't, because works of Elminster's personal accounts already existed in the library that were too similar to Gale's, and so Gale was turned away multiple times (mostly via letters, since it is quite the long trip from Waterdeep to Candlekeep).

◇ But after he was cast out of Mystra's favor and corrupted by the Netherese Orb, Tara took matters into her own paws. She was determined to find a solution to Gale's predicament with the orb, so she took a collection of the recent works he'd made in his grief and regret - mournful musings of a man utterly abandoned by his former lover, his goddess, and the knowledge of his impending doom as penalty for his hubris. Finally, his (unknowing) acceptance to the library (through Tara) was obtained.

◇ It's a temporary acceptance into the library (five days instead of the normal tenday) by offering Gale's journals anonymously and also with the condition that the original work could not be submitted: the Scribes of Candlekeep would need to copy the journals contents while she was there, but had to take it back with her. This condition was accepted!

◇ Odette was elected to assist Tara with her research, which included many sleepless nights of intense research and several early morning teas together. During the five days that Tara was allowed entry, Tara only ever referred to Gale as her esteemed friend or dearest colleague, so Odette never knew who Gale was before meeting him post-tadpoling.

◇ And it was during Tara's last day that she discovered how to temporarily appease the orb via intermittent Weave consumption. She hurriedly said her goodbyes and left the library to tend to personal matters. Odette was a little sad to see her go as Tara's company was quite comfortable and very entertaining.

◇ In Act 1, when Gale (gets on one knee like a gentlemen omg??) opens his mind to Odette to show her truth about the Netherese Orb in his chest, she realizes that the "cat" he's mistakenly mentioned (he's also said 'tressym' before, too, so Odette actually spends a while thinking he had both) before must have been Tara.

◇ Odette doesn't tell him that she knew out of fear that he would be upset that Tara had taken his most personal thoughts and feelings (in the journals she used to gain entry to the library) without his consent (plus, it helped him in the end anyway, right?) And, as a follower of Deneir, once she's confided in, she is sworn to uphold the secrecy to avoid her God's wrath.

◇ So in Act 3, when the party happens upon Tara on the roof of the Temple of Ilmater, not only does Tara already know and has a warm relationship with her, but she also makes Odette lose "the game" of guessing Gale's surname!

[haunted-armour-shell]

SPOILERS FOR WYLL'S QUESTLINE IN ACT THREE AND THE ULDER RAVENGARD STORYLINE

Playing BG3 again and

If you talk to Ulder ravengard at Gortash's coronation - when he is completely enthralled, not at all the man who raised Wyll, the puppet of the Absolute - he says

My Dearest boy. The Hells have touched you. But you've come to me -- just as Gortash said you would. A True Soul no less.

Father and son, unstoppable generals. You and your allies will usher in a new dawn.

And this is the first time Wyll has seen his dad since he was banished. The first time, and his father calls him his 'dearest boy' but he is enthralled.

His father - who is not his father but looks and sounds just like him - looks at Wyll who has been changed irrevocably, touched by the Hells, and says so fondly, so warmly, 'my Dearest boy. You have come to me.'

And it's not his Dad.

When ulder ravengard is free from the tadpole he looks at Wyll and he recoils. I don't know the exact dialogue, but he looks at his son - the Blade of Frontiers, who has risked life and limb to save him because above all else Wyll Ravengard is a hero, and he loves his dad - and he denounces him.

You have to show him memories to prove that his son is a good man. He looks at his boy and its not "What have they done to you" It's "What did you do to deserve this".

And even watching that hurts. Because even after everything Wyll has done, and a whole campaign full of memories, Ulder Ravengard does not call him his Dearest boy.

Wyll only gets that when it's not his father.