#the bard and the blade

[weaveandwood]

The Bard and the Blade! First attempts at sketching Wyll and my second Tav, Rosalind.

[druizard]

Bladesong: Rosalind & Wyll

Photoshoot for @weaveandwood

[orangekittyenergy]

The Bard and The Blade - art exchange with my lovely friend @weaveandwood

Close ups

[basketobread]

during my first ever campaign, back when lotus was super mean and evil, they intimidated that one paralyzed tiefling in the locked warehouse and looted everything. needless to say, wyll was not pleased when they got back to camp lol

[rotten-dan-art]

I still gotta post a more complete pic of this Toonkind DnD OC but here is a headshot and other relaxing doodles i drew during a break

My precious lonely himbo, Sidkiro Quebranta. If u ever see me reblogging bearded vultures on main, is bcuz of he

on the third pic, from left to right, top to bottom: Switchbones by @mushrooms-and-blooms, Sammy by @steamed-tets, Theadric by Wick (no tumblr) and Blade by @sadisthetic

[naumaxia-art]

There wasn't enough Wyll x Tav art out there so I made some myself. Meet Frerin!

So funny story, when first started playing this game and saw Wyll's dramatic hero pose entrance, the first thing it made me think of that bit in LOTR two towers where Legolas surfs down a staircase, and since then I couldn't stop thinking about it. They're both exceedingly competent adventurers, who always try to do the right thing and like showing off a bit when they can, but you can still tell by watching them long enough that they're both so young (relatively speaking). Not to say Wyll is naive (although legolas definitely is a bit) but more that he puts on this 'worldly' front but is actually just as scared and confused and traumatised as anyone else. they also both have very subtle but completely fantastic senses of humour.

Unfortunately it took me wayyyy too long to realise this, and just realise how cool of a character Wyll is because I found the warlock class so difficult to play (he has like two spell slots and 8 strength ok, I was struggling) But when I started this playthrough I finallys tarted to get to grips with that and I am SO glad because he's quickly becoming my favourite character. I have so many THOUGHTS about this man and his story (Self sacrificing Paragon hero has to learn he deserves to be selfish sometimes is a favourite trope of mine) and basically I think he's about to become a party main in my other runs now.

So long story short I decided to give Wyll a dwarf bard boyfriend to be snarky with and fell in love.

Also his little spin kiss where he DROPS DOWN ONTO ONE KNEE is the most romantic thing ever, please if you haven't romance this man with a short character

LOOK AT THEM

[skyrim-forever]

Alright which table you sitting at?

[ohnoestherestadpoles]

There it is. Finally.. So much going on in this one. Press ''keep reading'' for the full comic.

Lots of little teaser cameos here and there.. And foreshadowing. Some pages took longer than usual because there's a lot going on in them. But I'm happy to be finally here and am very excited to share it online!

If you're new here, this is the 4th comic. Please check the pinned post for chronological order.

[phantaskicks]

Finally finished this, yay! I really wanted to draw all BG3 companions and camp followers & critters + my tav Thalassa (they/them) in this sorta chibi but not really style ghfdhgfh

I'll be busy these next few months but I definitely have more BG3 art up my sleeve! Stay tuned!

[purplecatghostposts]

*Leans into mic* If Wyll never made a deal with Mizora and/or after he breaks his pact with her, I think he would make an excellent Bard and here’s why.

Wyll’s highest stat is Charisma, which Bards use to cast

Bards are full casters which means Wyll still gets to keep his spells AND get plenty of them!

Among the list of weapons a Bard is proficient with, a Rapier is among them

Bards are best known for their Bardic Inspiration and Wyll is the perfect companion to give this to because he’s already very encouraging and giving him a magical means of aiding people with said encouragement would be perfect

Wyll would get healing spells which means Shadowheart wouldn’t be the only Origin Companion with them on the team

Bards are a very supportive class and I just think Wyll would enjoy that, especially if this is after being a Fiend Warlock, a very self serving class. The change of pace would be something to get used to but probably welcomed

The Bard Subclasses Colleges of Valor and Swords would be extremely fitting for Wyll considering both deal with Bards being able to be more physical fighters so he could help out on the frontlines OR stay back and provide help from afar, making them very well rounded. (Personally I think he would make a great Valor Bard but Swords Bard is also great for him)

Wyll would get Vicious Mockery. He would be hilarious with it.

Bards don’t need to play instruments to be a Bard, they can both use their way with words to cast spells OR use other forms of art if they so wish. Not only is Wyll charismatic but he loves to dance. He could cast spells while he dances. It would look amazing

I just think Wyll would make for a good Bard. Look at him. He would enjoy the class immensely

Thank you for your time. All of this came to me after I was trying to figure out an AU in which Wyll never met/made a deal with Mizora and was trying to figure out his class. I know you could argue Paladin but they rely a lot on strength, which Wyll is not known for, and Bards are way better for Charisma and Dex! Plus Paladins are half casters and I think Wyll deserves MORE spells actually.

[ganymedesclock]

Cursed/fallen heroes that are also string instrument players... take a break for a bit!

Kard hanging out with @nonetoon's Florian. It occurred to me they're both musicians who lost their voice and arguably their entire friend group. Hang in there, guys!

[weaveandwood]

The Bard and The Blade Chapter 2: A Small Continent

Wyll/Named Tav | Slow Burn | Read on AO3 | Entire Work

Summary:

Rosalind has a poor showing in battle and the mission is a complete failure. Will Wyll change his mind about accompanying the party now?

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out before taking a large gulp of her wine, which he instantly topped up.  “For what?” He laughed. “For having a bad day? It happens to everyone. I have had a number of days end just like this, returning to camp with my metaphorical tail tucked between my legs, my only solace at the bottom of a glass of wine. Now…I can honestly say I haven’t died in the middle of a fight,” he smiled as he teased her, hoping it would help lift her spirits. He wasn’t ready to admit to her that the sight of her lying lifeless on the ground sent a cold dread through him, even though they had only known each other a little more than a day at that point.

AN: This chapter was born out of the fact that I am playing on Balanced mode (and am Not Good at the game, even though I enjoy it immensely) and a glitch in my Investigate Kagha quest. I'm hoping to update this fic every 2 weeks, alternating with Weave & Woods. Also big thank you to @druizard for the banner!

Dying the second day of their adventure wasn’t part of Rosalind’s plan, but as she woke up gasping for air with her three party companions standing around her, it was clear that was exactly what happened. She groaned as she sat up, her now pounding head in her hands as her elbows were balanced on her knees. 

“What happened?” She asked the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with Gale, Astarion, or especially Wyll out of sheer embarrassment.

“Wood Woads,” said Gale. “Nasty buggers, they got us all pretty good.”

“Speak for yourself, wizard. I am perfectly fine, thank you very much,” said Astarion, a hint of amusement in his voice. Rosalind glanced up. Gale and Wyll looked way more beat up than Astarion. She assumed he used his sneaking abilities to get around the majority of the fight. She had been friends with plenty of rogues growing up in the Lower City, she knew how they operated. 

“As I was about to say,” Gale said as he leveled a look at Astarion who was no longer paying attention, having moved on to look around the small island for chests that may have loot in them. “Luckily, we had taken down most of the mud mephits and the other Wood Woad before you went down. Wyll here got the final blast in right after you…well right after you died.” 

She looked at Wyll, who was staring off into the distance, not making eye contact with her. While she had to admit he looked extremely handsome as the sun shone on his face, this had clearly not been a good first impression on her part. He was probably rethinking their deal right at this moment and was plotting how to leave their camp and capture Karlach on his own, leaving her in the dust. She thought about resurrecting the Wood Woad to take her out again or crawling into a large tree trunk and never coming out. Maybe she could get Gale to cast an invisibility spell on her so she could slink off for good. All three sounded like good and valid options at this point. 

“Weren’t we supposed to find some sort of clue here about Kagha?” Astarion yelled from behind the large tree trunk. The whole reason they came to this area was to see what shady deal Kagha was getting into based on the letter they found in her quarters and hopefully try to talk her out of performing the ritual that would seal the Emerald Grove and set the tiefling refugees out on a road far too dangerous for anyone who wasn’t trained to fight. “There’s nothing here!”

Rosalind took Gale’s now outstretched hand and he smiled at her as he helped her up from the ground. What a good, kind man. She was glad she pulled him out of that rock. She walked stiffly to Astarion, groaning and rubbing her back as she did. “What do you mean, there’s nothing here? There has to be!” She was desperate for something to go right today. 

“Darling, I’ve looked in every chest, under each rock, and in every nook in this tree. There’s nothing. Either someone else got to it first, or we were duped and there never was anything here.”

She sighed. This was not her day at all. “Alright, let’s head back, I guess.”

As they walked the path through the swamp back to the grove, she found herself falling in step with Gale while Wyll and Astarion led the way. Gale was easy to talk to - partially because he loved to talk, and partially because wizards had always been so interesting to her. The way they practiced magic was so studied, so precise. Sometimes watching a wizard cast felt cold, calculated, formulaic - less about artistry, more about precision. Gale was on a different level - the way he moved his hands was faster than any wizard she had ever seen, and the spells he chose had a certain flair to them, either in the type of spell he chose or when he chose to cast them, which resulted in the most dramatic effect. An artist can always spot another artist, and Rosalind felt a kindred spirit in Gale. 

“You know,” he said softly as he slowed down, putting more distance between the two groups, “I think Wyll was angrier when you went down than he was during the goblin fight yesterday. An instant after you fell, the Wood Woad who caused your demise was nothing but ash. He was also the one to revive you. Astarion and I didn’t even have time to attempt to dig our scrolls of revivify out of our packs before he was already chanting the verbal components at your side.” He smiled, a knowing tone in his voice. “Interesting, don’t you think?”

Rosalind stopped in her tracks, her mind racing. Wyll revived her? Instantly, she was giddy as she pictured him pushing everyone away to rescue the downed, fair maiden. She giggled internally at the thought and caught herself starting to blush. On the other, more practical hand, it made complete sense. He’s a hero - of course he’d rush to her rescue out of a sense of duty. Part of the job. Just another day. She knew that. And the anger Gale described? Well, that was definitely because she was a failure and put them all in danger. Any thoughts she had of him potentially fancying her disappeared as quickly as they came, replaced by deep embarrassment again at being unable to hold her own on the battlefield that day. Living in a large tree trunk for the rest of her days now seemed like the most appealing option again. 

Maybe a family of raccoons would take her and her tadpole in. 

******

The mood at camp that evening was subdued. Wyll noticed everyone seemed to take their cues from Rosalind, effectively the party leader at this point, and Rosalind was not in the best of moods. She sat away from the rest of the group, using her fork to stab at the remnants of whatever vegetables remained in her bowl of stew Gale had prepared and muttering to herself.

He recognized that mood.

He grabbed two cups and a bottle of wine and walked over, sitting next to her on the ground. He saw her freeze for a second before looking up at him. She had the biggest blue eyes with flecks of gold. He hadn’t taken the time to appreciate them fully the other day, but he was sure he’d notice their beauty all the time now. He filled one cup and handed it to her before filling his own. 

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out before taking a large gulp of her wine, which he instantly topped up. 

“For what?” He laughed. “For having a bad day? It happens to everyone. I have had a number of days end just like this, returning to camp with my metaphorical tail tucked between my legs, my only solace at the bottom of a glass of wine. Now…I can honestly say I haven’t died in the middle of a fight,” he smiled as he teased her, hoping it would help lift her spirits. He wasn’t ready to admit to her that the sight of her lying lifeless on the ground sent a cold dread through him, even though they had only known each other a little more than a day at that point. 

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Don’t remind me. I have a scroll I can give you to replace the one you wasted on me.”

He placed a hand on her arm, the contact making her look at him. “It wasn’t a waste, Rosalind. It would never be a waste to revive a valued member of a party.” 

She sighed. “I’m not sure exactly how valued I am. I am sure everyone here thinks I’m awful and would leave me on the side of the road in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not Gale. I’m just…new to this. Fighting, traveling, roughing it. All of it. I’ve only been outside of Baldur’s Gate just a few times, and one of those times led to me being kidnapped by mindflayers. Once this is over I don’t think I’ll be venturing outside the city again for a good long while,” she said and laughed nervously, finishing her wine. 

Wyll took a drink, observing the rest of the party. Lae’zel kept to herself mostly, sharpening her blades each night. He had heard her admonish Rosalind for dying, ordering her to train with her during any free time from now on. Gale, Astarion, and Shadowheart sat together, laughing quietly at something. Gale looked over at them a couple of times as Wyll watched. He thought he saw a smile, a nod directed at Rosalind. Wonder what that is about? He turned to look at her and caught her staring at him, her chin resting on her hands. She quickly tried to look away, but he noticed the blush rising up her neck. He smiled to himself. 

“Refill?” he asked, holding up the bottle of wine, now half gone. 

“Please,” she replied, holding out her cup. 

“So you’re from Baldur’s Gate?” He asked, wanting to confirm that his suspicions on her identity were correct. 

“Oh! I guess we didn’t really get a chance to talk much. Eventful day yesterday, what with the kidnapping, the crash, and the battle with the goblins. I think I fell asleep 10 minutes after setting up my tent. Anyway…” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m from Baldur’s Gate, born and raised, in a manner of speaking. You’ve already figured out that I’m a bard. Hmmm, what else? I mainly perform in coffee shops and taverns in the Lower City, sometimes the Upper City - but those are few and far between. I’ve been asked to perform at private events and bigger venues but I turn them down every time. One must keep their reputation intact, you know.” She rotated her cup in her hands as she spoke. “Do…do you ever stop in Baldur’s Gate on any Blade of Frontiers missions?” She asked. 

He shook his head. “I was raised there, but left seven years ago. I was seventeen with an eye for adventure and haven’t been back since. I did enjoy seeing bards perform in the Lower City Plaza when I was a teenager though.”

“I used to perform at that plaza! My first paying gig was there. I was so nervous!” She smiled, her face lighting up as she reminisced. “It was such a big place, and it was the weekend so of course it was busy with people not even pretending to pay attention to me. I remember it so vividly! I wanted it to feel intimate so I cast dancing lights but instead of the cool blue they normally are when I cast, I changed them to be warm yellow, like candlelight. I thought I was so creative,” she laughed. “I think maybe twenty people listened to me that night, but I’ll never forget it.” 

Wyll couldn’t believe it. It was her - The Sunlark. What a small continent it was. 

“I wonder if our paths ever crossed before this. It’s such a huge city, it feels unlikely. But I got that gig when I was seventeen, and if I’m doing the math correctly, that would have been when you were sixteen, so there’s a chance,” she said, looking at him again and catching him smiling at her. “What are you smiling about?” She asked, taking a sip.

“I remember you. I saw that performance.” He finished his wine, the bottle now empty. 

He heard her choke on her wine and had to hold back his own laughter. “You did? And you remember it after all these years? It was either really good or really bad to be that memorable,” she laughed nervously. “Hopefully good, though,” she added.

The fire cast a diffused warm glow onto her, reminding him of that night. “Good enough for a sixteen year old boy to skip drinking with his friends at the Elfsong. And good enough to remember a pretty bard’s beautiful singing after seven years,” he said softly as he looked over and saw her shy smile, the faint blush returning to her cheeks. His gaze traveled over her face, taking in the faded bird tattoos, the scar above her eyebrow, her freckles, the scar cutting through her full lips. They looked soft. He saw her beautiful blue eyes do the same, pausing when they got to his lips. He realized suddenly that he had been leaning toward her, their bodies closer now than they were when he sat next to her. All it would take was him leaning in just a little more…

No, there wasn’t time for that. He cleared his throat and stood up quickly.

“It’s getting late, I should get to my tent. Tomorrow we hunt down Karlach and we’ll need all of our strength to capture that infernal devil. Goodnight, Rosalind, thank you for the conversation.” He bowed to her before turning and walking across camp.

******

Rosalind smiled to herself as she finished the last of her wine. He had seen her perform. He remembered her. He called her pretty . Gone was the embarrassment of the day. Gone was the desire to run away. Gone were the feelings of doubt and insecurity - at least for now. She was positive she’d make more mistakes, most likely tomorrow. But none of that mattered because the Blade of Frontiers complimented her singing voice. She would float on the cloud she was now on as long as possible.

Not quite ready to end the day, she went across the campsite to sit between Gale and Astarion, laughing at jokes they were telling at each other’s expense. Her favorites were the ones about Shadowheart’s permanent scowl - even Shadowheart managed to crack a smile at a couple of them. As the wine flowed between the four of them, however, the attention turned to her. 

“So, Rosalind,” Astarion crooned. “You and Wyll looked rather…cozy over there.” 

Oh, no.

She felt her cheeks get hot, sure they were turning bright red. “We were just talking,” she said, taking a long drink. 

“Please, the two of you looked like you were two seconds away from -”

“Now, Astarion,” Gale interrupted. “Rosalind and Wyll are young. Surely you remember what it was like to be so young after the heat of a battle? I could hardly blame them for their…closeness.” Rosalind choked on her wine again. Somehow it sounded even worse coming from Gale. 

“No, no. He was just cheering me up! It was a hard day, what with dying and the mission being a complete failure. That’s all. We both grew up in Baldur’s Gate, so we were reminiscing.” Gale, Astarion, and Shadowheart all exchanged a look that implied they didn’t believe her for a second. 

She looked up at the sky, squinting at the moon, now high overhead. Does that even mean anything for nighttime? She thought, suddenly wishing she had taken the time to learn just a little about life in the wilds and not focus her entire childhood on just surviving in the city. “Well! Look at the time! We should probably wrap this up - big day tomorrow, capturing a devil and all! I’m just…I’m just going to go to my tent now.” She turned on her heel and raised her hand to give an awkward wave. “Good night! See you in the morning!” She heard the sound of muffled laughter as she entered her tent. 

She took two deep breaths, thinking again about her conversation with Wyll. She smiled as she climbed into her bedroll, grabbing her small notebook she kept for jotting down notes, potential lyrics. She wrote “fire, wine, soft lips, almost kiss” on a page and closed it, holding it to her chest. 

“Sorry family of raccoons, I think my tadpole and I are going to be sticking around here,” she laughed to herself.

[druizard]

Bladesong: a tender moment~

For: @weaveandwood

[oxventurequotes]

bug: one last thing before you go - killing? yes? no? maybe?

kasimir: ideally not

bug: ideally not. i can work with that.

bug: CHARGE!!!!

[masked-fools]

❝ your old buddy sampo is a model citizen these days. y'know the guards on sentry duty in the restricted zone? i deliver their breakfast every day! ❞

— Sampo Koski, ancient relic specialist

Tavern Notice Board

4th of September — 10th of September

(1) From the past, A new beginning [Dan Heng] — @impactedfates

Dan Heng meets Dan Feng's child for the first time

(2) Eternal Regret [Jing Yuan] — @cnnmairoll

Jing Yuan likes you, but he's scared of losing you

(3) Svarog relationship headcanons — @ryker-others

What it would be like to be in a relationship with Svarog

(4) The poet and the general [Jing Yuan] — @cnnmairoll

Jing Yuan finds a love poem you wrote

(5) Reunion [Blade] — @impactedfates

Yingxing's pregnant wife meets Blade years later

(6) No time to waste [Dan Heng] — @eggluverz

Highschool AU Jing Yuan tries to set up his best friends together

(7) And Action! [Jing Yuan, Blade, Luocha, Welt, Dan Heng, Sampo, Gepard, Luka] — @impactedfates

In a moden school AU, you get the lead role in a play with your crush as the love interest...and there's a kiss scene

(8) The general has escaped...again [Jing Yuan] — @generalsmemories

what's more stressful than managing the internal affairs of luofu you ask? making sure that you husband actually stays in one place when he's ordered to.

(9) In your arms (I feel safe) [Dan Heng] — @antimatterz

small spoon dan heng just wants to feel safe in your arms

(10) The general's lunch [Jing Yuan] — @cnnmairoll

Jing Yuan's fem s/o brings him lunch at work

(11) Hidden Kisses [Luocha] — @milksnake-tea

He never kisses you in public, and you're desperate for his kisses

(12) Reverberating ruin [Blade, Seele, Jing Yuan, Yanqing, Dan Heng, Kafka] — @antimatterz

how they react when you praise them after hitting high numbers of damage

(13) Days of future passed [Dan Heng, Dan Feng] — @bladesmuse

time is merciless, especially when it comes to the love between an immortal and a short-life species

(14) Should've been there [Dan Heng] — @eggluverz

you and Dan Heng are exploring the Xianzhou Luofu and you get surrounded by a group of assassins who want to hurt you to get to Dan Heng. you decide to teach them not to mess with your partner

(15) Taking a bath with [Dan Heng] — @pyroxeene

soft moments in the bath with Dan Heng

(16) A letter of words I can't convey [Luka, Dan Heng] — @cnnmairoll

they comfort you after noticing you being distant and feeling left out

(17) Your last memory of me [Jing Yuan] — @elf-osamu

Reflecting on memories with him before they end for good

[dez78]

Taliesin: My mother used to call me her 'little piper'.