#trappedinafantasy37

[majorasnightmare]

Lemme see, how about 6, 14, and 22

TRADE OFFER:

You receive: Dirge lore

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you wanna accept sooo bad u wanna post ALL the cool daedra deets 😈💜

Ask game from here !!

6: what is the thing your oc likes the least about themselves?

His Urge. Its erratic, aggressive, vindictive, spiteful, and just stupidly petty at times. Dirge has an intuitive sense for what can trigger it, but that doesn't stop it from acting on its own half the time and throwing temper tantrums. All the work he puts in to keep the damn thing fed doesn't seem to matter at all when it decides to rampage. He has a lifetime of practice resisting and controlling it, but its frequently frustrating and outright terrifying besides.

Beyond his family heritage, there isn't much about himself he actively dislikes. Despite his internal self perception being closer to something like a tool, or an input-output machine, he doesn't have any malice towards that part of himself. This was frequently confused by Sarevok (and thus by extension Orin as he poisoned her opinion) as arrogance. In reality Dirge is just pragmatic and tries to keep a measured opinion of his abilities. He just happens to be inordinately skilled.

He has religious OCD, fixating on cycles of perceived sin and making atonement for it, and thats frequently when he feels the most flawed and prone to the most extreme self loathing. When he ISNT having a spiral, he mostly detests his own lack of knowledge on things he feels he should already know perfectly (like how to exist within a life that isnt constantly fighting for survival. basic care tasks and life skills).

14: An embarrassing secret about your OC?

Dirge is one of those people that feels an argument has to end definitively. This means he frequently gets into zero stakes arguments with Literal Children, and loses. Its usually with Mattis, who doesn't win, but doesn't lose either.

It isn't cringe but this IS a secret he IS embarassed by: Dirge sings to himself when hes relaxed and occupied and if you point it out he'll want to crawl into a hole and die. *I* think its cute, but Dirge thinks hes silly for it. Its how he got his name, though he doesn't fully remember that.

22: what is holding your OC back to achieve their goals?

I answered this one earlier here, but let me try and find a follow up!!

Besides the MAJOR hold ups listed there, a minor one is his knowledge gap. Dirge is hyper specialized for some VERY niche and extreme circumstances, leading a murder cult and/or leading an adventuring band on a guerilla mission to destroy an abberation of immense world threatening power. Between an isolated upbringing and the total amnesia he only barely recovers information from, Dirge has next to no idea the proper expected methods for interacting with society on a day to day basis beyond the barest necessities. This makes engaging with local aristocratic politics REALLY frustrating and constantly puts Dirge on edge. He doesn't enjoy feeling stupid and your average noble get together typically involves large crowds (bad for kill instincts) AND feeling stupid (zero fucking idea what etiquette is expected or traditional). He hasn't ruined any schemes YET, but it does contribute to a preference for being a weird eccentric hermit who doesn't go outside.

[trappedinafantasy37]

Master Fic Post

I figured that since I've written a lot, I'd create a bit of a master post to create easy access links to the things that I've written for those interested. These things will be scattered both on Tumblr and AO3. A mass majority of these will involve Minthara, but not all of them. A mass majority of them will also include my OC, Daedra. But, not all of them. This post will be frequently updated as I write new stuff, and I currently have a few ideas bouncing around my head right now.

Height Difference

Minthara Kiss Appreciation Day!

FICS

To Be Free From the Gods (AO3) - Complete

One Shots and Side Stories (AO3) - supplementary to To Be Free From the Gods, Complete

I Want This One (AO3) - in progress

Guilty Parties (AO3) - in progress

SHADOWHEART ORIGIN PLAYTHROUGH

The Story so Far (Tumblr) - complete -> Act 1, Act 2, Act 3

Playthrough Updates (Tumblr) - complete

The Grove Raid

The Shadow Curse Lands and rescuing Minthara

The Creche and Act 1 Shenaninanigans

Act 2 Shenaninanigans

The Gauntlet of Shar

Moonrise and End of Act 2

Beginning of Act 3

Rivington

More Rivington Shenaninanigans

Bhaal Stuff

The Wizard

Speedrun

The Foundry and Gortash

Orin

Doomsday

SIDE STORIES

The Knock Out Exploit (AO3)

Masters of Chaos (AO3)

Night Orchids (Tumblr)

NSFW

Heat of the Moon (AO3) - Shadowheart x Minthara

Rekindling (AO3) - Shadowheart x Minthara

[mintharabaenrelore]

I'm working on a Minthara fanfic on Archive of Our Own, "Dead Men's Thrones" by LiveLaughLolth.

It's not perfect, but I'm having fun with it. For me, it's a way to intimately explore the customs and culture of Menzoberranzan, the members of House Baenre, and most of all, Minthara as a person.

It's intended to be close to Minthara's life. I referenced the timeline I made a lot, but it's still mostly guesswork.

I thought some of you might enjoy it, but please, feel absolutely no pressure to check it out. If you're here for the research and the essays, that's just fine! 💜

Which reminds me, with stories and theories alike, you all have given me so many new perspectives and ideas! People like @w-low, @lutethebodies, @spiderwarden, @trappedinafantasy37, @majorasnightmare and @arach-tinilith especially. Big shout-out to @lunastrophe for answering so many of my questions and inspiring me to make a lore-centric blog in the first place!

I'm looking forward to spend 2025 pondering Minthara with everyone. 🕷️

[arach-tinilith]

OC deep dive tag

Tagged by @foxboyclit tysm!! Also i realized our ocs had very similar answers lol

Tagging @majorasnightmare @hootshooligan @the-weeping-dawn @trappedinafantasy37

Answering for Naadja 🫶

Phobias and other fears

Canonically krakens. She has a fear of large bodies of water as well because of it. She of course fears Lolth, death, loss of autonomy as well as being unimportant

Pet peeves

Any shrill noises. She has really sensitive ears so it bothers her to hear anything painful. This goes for poorly tuned instruments or off-key singing as well. She also dislikes public displays of affection.

3 items you can find in their bedroom

Industrial size lube tank, torture devices, bad dragon devil dildos

First thing they notice in a person

She catalogs pretty much every detail she can about someone to build a mental dossier. Mostly she's looking for subconscious quirks (speaking with hands, shifty eyes, nervous laughter) just how they carry themselves

On a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Im gonna put her at a soft 8. She can go through a significant amount of pain before blacking out thanks to that high con and her exposure to torture

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Definitely flight. Her first instincts are usually to run if she's in danger or completely shut down when she can't talk her way out of something distressing

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

Not the largest immediate family but she has a huge extended family. And unless you count her chosen family, no she is not a family person

What animal represents them best?

Moths! She's been compared to a black widow but she resonates with moths the most as she feels she's drawn to light in darkness. (Also bunnies. For no reason)

What is a smell that they dislike?

Well she hated the way Baldur’s Gate smelled. All sewage and fish guts. yuck. She wears pretty heavy perfume to combat her own stink but it was rough there

Have they broken any bones?

She certainly has! Numerous times! Like, all of them

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Beautiful. She makes an effort to appear as such. Anything else, they'd have to get closer to see, but she's strikingly beautiful.

Are they a night owl or morning bird?

DEFINITELY NIGHT. With the tadpole she doesn't suffer sunlight sensitivity or anything but she hates the sun regardless. It was worse with the Aevendrow because the sun reflected off the snow and ice but luckily most of the year was spent in darkness and caverns

What is a flavour they hate and a flavour they love?

Naadja mostly prefers bland foods. Tubers, mushrooms, squash etc.

She hates any surface foods but forces herself to eat it because it makes her feel important (someone had to smuggle it just for her to get a tummyache)

Do they have any hobbies?

Embroidery, weaving, alchemy, fencing

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

“Wow! All for me? You shouldn't have!” (Gritting her teeth because she hates surprises but would be pissed if she didn't get a party)

Do they like to wear jewellery?

LOVES IT! She's usually decked out in jewels and platinum. Bg3 era she couldn't really wear much until act 3 but she loves being adorned

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Extremely neat. She had a formal education and is a perfectionist

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Fear and lust. Two sides of the same coin for her

Do they have a favourite fabric?

Crushed velvet. She finds it luxurious

What kind of accent do they have?

An extremely posh Menzoberranzan accent. Her voice is naturally deep and rich but she pitches it higher to sound cuter

[lutethebodies]

Last Lines

Tagged by @trappedinafantasy37 here (thank you!).

I know I said I would be starting my first fic this year, but while I've been outlining it and unloading a few scenes here and there, I don't have anything I'm happy enough with to share (yet). As for my own tagging: I'll open it up for anyone to do after me.

So if it's cool I'm gonna fall back on song lyrics (like I did once before), with a caveat: one aspect of my Tav/Minthara fic is about how they're both performers post-BG3, a hearts-and-minds ploy as part of their long game to take over the city.

My Tav is the bard, so the songs began with him, but that doesn't mean Minthara can't sing and play on them, and so she's chosen a few instances to take center stage during their lute/lyre duo gigs. One of those instances is for "Exile's End."

Another of my Tavs, the cleric, wrote more about this song here, but its genesis in-world is less relevant to Minthara than what's in it that she can relate to herself—the parts of it she can inhabit and made hers that fuel her performance. To me that's often how it works with a piece of music.

It's also good practice for her to use contractions and loosen up her Common Speech a bit; it's probably her third or fourth language at this point, and while she can use contractions (Emma Gregory said so), she still doesn't do it much.

I should also probably note that none of this is meant to say that she can't compose/perform her own songs. She certainly can! She just took to this one is all. She also might swipe Cannor's lute to play it.

Meta: I tend to write song lyrics (or at least get ideas for them) in batches rather than one at a time. However, there's usually one catalyzing lyric or idea that re-unlocks the process and opens the floodgates. Two years ago, this song was that catalyst.

Anyway, lyrics and a link to music below the cut.

Exile's End

I cannot wait, I cannot wait I cannot wait for exile’s end

I used to be somebody Now I’m just somebody else I could handle a crowd, I could dream out loud And I could not get over myself

I dined on melodrama And now I’m mellow defined I can stay off stage, I can stay disengaged And I’m only reckless in my mind

Cause I’m in no hurry and I won’t pretend That I cannot wait for exile’s end

I used to love to see it And now I just hate to be seen I thought I could be free of my history Yet memory’s still evergreen

So I’m in no hurry and I won’t pretend That I cannot wait for exile’s end

I used to have ambitions And now I just have my doubts My only addiction, fostering fiction, Is always gonna rat me out

A comeback’s a good look, and I’d wear it well, But if anyone’s asking, I can’t tell

Cause I’m in no hurry and I won’t pretend That I cannot wait, I cannot wait I cannot wait for exile’s end

Music here. Thanks for the indulgence.

[scuttlingcrab]

To the Hells and Back

Night Terrors

Summary: Defeating the Elder Brain was supposed to be triumphant, but it was the day Minthara’s world spun out of control. After watching Karlach burn before her eyes, Minthara swore an oath of vengeance against the Archdevil Zariel. She would not rest until she personally smited that vile infernal creature into oblivion. However, navigating the Hells is by no means an easy task, and Minthara is soon forced to make an unexpected alliance if she is to get there in one piece.

Link to my other work in the Devil's Archive.

Chapter 01 on AO3 as well.

(Image via trappedinafantasy37)

The sky was ablaze as nautiloid ships fell in clusters, coasting towards the earth like meteors. Mortal screams echoed throughout the neighbouring landscape, their cries becoming a symphony of despair. 

Minthara never thought the end of the world would be so magnificent. More ships groaned as they pushed past the orange-coloured clouds, her lips pulling into a tight smirk. She stood on a dock overlooking the River Chionthar, shielding her eyes from the sun as she tracked the nautiloids’ descent. The cursed sunlight blinded her still, despite all her time living on the surface. Minthara shut her eyes, attempting to rub away the brightness and the stinging that came with it. She wouldn’t dare miss even one ship crashing. She basked in the Mind Flayer’s demise, each wreckage signifying the bittersweet obliteration of the Absolute. 

Silence suddenly enveloped her, as if all the sounds in the vicinity had been sucked up into an abyss. Her temples throbbed, a sharp ringing radiating through her skull. Her eyelids remained heavy, no matter how hard she tried to open them. The atmosphere shifted instantly, her chest tightening. Her breaths came in short and erratic bursts, as if she was about to run out of air at any second.

She eventually managed to peel her eyes open, squinting through her fingers. As the world came back into focus, Minthara’s mouth dropped. 

The nautiloids weren’t moving as fast as they should have. In fact, as Minthara stared up at the sky, she soon realised they were frozen, floating oddly above her.

Peculiar. 

“Soldier…” A whisper came from behind, shattering the stillness. The cadence was familiar, tickling her memory.

Minthara spun around, coming face-to-face with Karlach. Her Karlach . The most remarkable, ruthless, and passionate mortal being she had ever known - ever dared to love so fervently. 

Karlach smiled softly, locking Minthara’s gaze. She was stunning, her fiery eyes piercing through every layer of Minthara’s armour, stripping away all senses of composure as it reached the depths of her very soul. 

What was she… 

Karlach reached towards Minthara, cupping her face delicately in calloused hands. The touch radiated warmth into Minthara’s skin and she allowed herself to melt into her palms.  

“You a…” Minthara began, wanting nothing more than to proclaim her undying devotion to Karlach a thousand times over but she was cut short, words dissolving from her lips. 

Karlach winced, her entire form bursting into a rush of flames. She howled in agony, her chest glowing brighter, angrier, pulsating rapidly, the fire around her matching its intensity. 

The engine…

The air twisted and warped, burning along with Karlach. Minthara clutched her, trying to sooth her, calm her. Save her. Within seconds Karlach’s body dissolved into ash, leaving this plane in nothing more than a whimper. Her remains, her entire existence, floated away with the first hint of a breeze. She was gone, like she had never existed to begin with. Minthara screamed, a haunting guttural cry that would have reached the very pits of the Hells. She followed the ashes, sprinting towards the River Chionthar. She jumped, attempting to grab what was left of Karlach, but the smallest speck evaded her.

She found herself falling. Deeper and deeper. Falling and shrieking, clutching at nothing. There was only darkness and displair, an intense pressure crushing her body from every possible direction. She was alone. Again . Deeper and deeper, longer and longer she fell… and fell… 

Minthara woke up screaming, twisting out of her bed roll. She drew a dagger from her pants out of instinct, slashing at the air in front of her. Sweat rolled down her back, her hair matted against her forehead. Her cheeks were warm and wet. From the perspiration or from her tears? She could no longer tell. 

She was met with the gentle rays of a sunrise as it filtered in between thick trees. A dense layer of mist clung to the damp ground around Minthara, swirling with her movements. The remains of last night’s campfire sat beside her, the embers glowing faintly, losing the rest of its light the more she stared at it.

Minthara let out a weary sigh, her heartbeat settling back into a regular rhythm. She sheathed her dagger and focused her attention on her palms. Thick scars covered nearly every surface of her hands, her skin pruned and discoloured where severe burns had been. 

She ran her fingers over the old wounds, lightly massaging them as her mind swam through memories of Karlach. These scars still ached, prickling sensations running up her wrist and to her elbows. The dull pain gave her ease, a lasting reminder of Karlach and the fleeting moments they had shared together. 

Minthara had suffered a slew of injuries throughout her years in the Underdark as she played the game of Houses, navigating the complexities of Drow culture and escaping one assassination attempt after another. She had even gathered a few notable scars from her life on the surface, raiding in the name of the Absolute and in turn, fighting against them to free herself of its influence. Nothing compared however, to the injuries she had encountered cradling Karlach as flames devoured her body, comforting her until the final moments.

Minthara had tried to fight away the rest of the companions as they rushed to her aid, to heal her burned limbs, but she collapsed, succumbing to the crippling weight of her grief. She would’ve kept every single burn in testament to Karlach’s sacrifice, but they quickly vanished in a sea of healing spells, save for the wounds on her hands. 

Her dreams had known no quietude since that day. Night terrors plagued her subconscious, the same scene playing on a never-ending loop. She woke up just the same, doused in sweat and wanting nothing more than to feel Karlach’s warm embrace once again.

The nightmares would never cease, nor in truth, did she want them to. Vengeance coursed through Minthara’s veins, fuelling her heart's desire. She would smite whatever obstacle appeared on her road to revenge, be it friend or foe. She would not allow herself to rest until she hunted down that vile Archdevil Zariel. The pathetic fallen angel who was responsible for Karlach’s affliction and doomed fate. Minthara would rip out her infernal heart and squish it with her boots, like the worthless insect she was. For months she calculated numerous ways to exact her retribution, what she would do to make Zariel cower. Would she rip out her wings? Crush her talons? Or perhaps flay her skin? All she knew was that Zariel would suffer up until her last moment.  

Minthara rose to her knees, reaching for her backpack. She pulled out a new set of clothes, laying them in front of her in preparation for the day's travel.

She was so close now, her stomach fluttering in anticipation as she began to recognise the roads she travelled previously. One more night and she would be back in Wyrm's Crossing. She had unfinished business there, someone she needed to speak with if she was ever going to make it to Avernus unscathed. 

If she was ever going to avenge her beloved. 

---

Wyrm's Crossing was barely identifiable as Minthara moved through the streets. It had been months since the Elder Brain’s assault on Baldur’s Gate but it looked like the attack occurred only yesterday. Chaos still lined the roads; buildings remained unrepaired, rubble littered every corner, creating bottlenecks in the flow of mortals crossing in and out of the Lower City. The paths themselves were stuffed with refugees, most holding their hands out begging for gold and the others huddled in the corners, sleeping or crying; the lot of them merely trying to survive another day. It was noisier and dirtier than Minthara remembered. She covered her nose, attempting to shield herself from the rancid smells that drifted up from the pavements. It was an assault on her senses as she pushed through the throng, edging closer to Sharess’ Caress. 

Holes were scattered throughout the foundations of the brothel, red velvet curtains covering openings where more intimate matters were attended to. The front doors had been destroyed too, leaving the foyer exposed to the passersby. Minthara slipped through with a crowd of patrons, managing to slither past Mamzell Amira’s all seeing gaze at her perch behind the counter. She was worse than a scrying eye. The last time Minthara stepped through those doors, Amira attempted to recruit her to the house of pleasure almost immediately.  

“There’s a high demand for Drow,” Amira had said with a seductive wink, “you would be a nice addition…”

Karlach found that quite amusing, teasing Minthara later that evening in the privacy of their tent. 

“I’ll poison them all,” Minthara whispered.

“No you won’t,” Karlach responded, nuzzling against Minthara’s chest. 

“Oh, and you’re so sure, Karlach? What makes you think I haven’t done so already?” Minthara spoke, through a grin.

Minthara walked up the carpeted steps, shaking away the memory before it served as another distraction. But she could not escape them, the interior of Sharess’ Caress was riddled with echoes of the past. No matter where Minthara looked she saw Karlach at every corner, her voice rattling around her brain. Karlach's idiotic sense of humour, childish at best, somehow always made Minthara laugh. She would risk anything to make Minthara smile, from making bets on the types of fetishes the brothel's clientele had, to nearly drinking Hoots' Hooch dry with that incredible tolerance to alcohol; these memories might’ve been trivial to most mortals, but to Minthara they were precious.

Before Minthara knew it, she was on the upper level, standing in front of an all too familiar room. The Devil’s Den.  

She clenched her jaw as she stared at the intricate designs on the door, debating whether or not to knock or kick it down. 

Minthara inhaled deeply and begrudgingly tapped her knuckles on the entranceway. 

“You may enter.” A deep voice rumbled from the inside, “But be expeditious, I have another engagement in sho–”

Minthara did not wait for what the voice had to say, the evil that hid behind these lavish facades did not deserve her respect. She slammed the door open, barging inside. 

“Devil.” She interjected, standing on the threshold with her hands on her hips.

There was a long pause as Minthara watched the Devil named Raphael rise from his rosewood desk at the far end of his suite, turning to face her. His mortal form was deceivingly handsome, silk brown hair resting above his shoulders. Those dark eyes of his were the worst of all, they could lure almost anyone into one of his infernal traps if they stared long enough. He wore an expensive looking doublet, embellished with decorative slits, befitting his higher status amongst the mortals.

A flicker of surprise crossed Raphael's eyebrows as he stared at her, tilting his head curiously. A contract floated by his side but he waved his wrist, causing it to vanish in a burst of sparks.

“Nightwarden Minthara.” Raphael began, his inflection rising. “An unexpected surprise... To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

Before Minthara could respond, an unseen force pulled her inside and the door shut behind her.

To be continued...

[majorasnightmare]

Gimme the Dirgelore! 💤🌈😊

YOU GOT IT its been a minute since we played tuoys on the dash!!! i love daedra so much all the time

💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits?

Dirge is NOTTT fuckin sleeping LMAO he has HORRIBLE insomnia that keeps him up even without the Urge nightmares. Because of that, when he DOES sleep hes out p quickly, but only for a short time and hes easy to rouse. He rarely sleeps long enough to go into REM but if he does, hes dead to the world. So hes a light sleeper normally, but if he actually stays asleep, hes a VERY heavy sleeper. I think he'd only rly sleep that heavy if he was sick though

🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use?

Dirge is bigender and bisexual! Before his egg cracks, so most of in game, he uses they/he pronouns, but afterwards he uses he/him on masc days and she/her on fem days!

😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life?

Dirge's general life desire is to spend the rest of his days at Minthara's side, no matter what that looks like. After the Absolute's defeat, he's a little short on "long term schemes", so he settles for a series of shorter term plans, like establishing Minthara's base of power in Baldur's Gate, and devising a cure for Karlach's engine, and to both ends he's poring over the Necromancy of Thay and how it trespasses over the veil between life and death. At some point its going to hit that while Dirge will live forever, Minthara will not, and THAT is going to occupy priority number one for him.

[majorasnightmare]

Now I got some for you! 1, 11, and 13. I know next to nothing about your Durge and I need to know them!

ITS REAL DURGEPOSTIN HOURS TONIGHT!! YEAAAAAAAAAA (or. dirgeposting if you will. hehehehe)

btw i love reading about daedra 💜💜💜 ive been having a blast reading all of those!!

1. What circumstances led to your Dark Urge becoming their Class/Subclass?

Dirge is a Great Old One Warlock, specifically pacted with the eldritch entity Caiphon. The catalyst was ironically Gortash, as dealing with Enver forced Dirge out of the temple more regularly and for longer periods. Dirge had a very isolating childhood, and once he was out more regularly, his own general lack of knowledge disgusted him. Seeking to "better himself" to "better fulfill his Father's goals", Dirge began obsessively pursuing knowledge of all kinds (and post tadpoling is a bit of a trivia freak because of it. ask him a question and wait two minutes and theres at least a 75% chance he'll know the answer as the information bubbles into his mind); in reality Dirge was pursuing his own autonomy with frantic zeal. Through Gortash he had glimpsed a different world than one bent in service to his Father, and though he rationalized it away, he yearned for it with a worldshaking intensity.

Going strictly into fanon territory here, as a warlock main through and through, im of the opinion that warlocks are born, not made. Theres some intrinsic quirk of the soul that, in the endless sweeps of human misery, catches the eye of a patron. Mechanically, its the warlocks Charisma stat, their strength of personality, but flavorwise its an undefinable something about them that draws a patron near. And most often than not, it is a want so visceral and heartrending as to have its own siren call. Such was it with Dirge. No matter how much knowledge he acquired, or how often he applied it, it was never enough. There was a deep seated need that refused to be fulfilled, a hunger never satisfied. And it called out beyond the bloodied depths of his souls out beyond the pale horizon, to a kindred spirit. The Violet Star of Knowledge. Caiphon.

I always tend to frame this aspect of Dirge's story as something like a fairytale, because it almost plays out like one. Drawn to the horizon by the call of Dirge's endless desire, Caiphon's invisible weight upon the fabric of fate draws knowledge of it into Dirge's lap, who then follows the obsessive trail right to the knowing of Caiphon's summoning. One moonless night, witness only by Gortash, Dirge pursues Caiphons power under the reasoning that the strength he gains will allow him to finally fulfill Bhaal's wish of killing the world. Speaking Caiphon's true eldritch name aloud rends his mouth asunder and claws at his throat and face, but Dirge persists despite the agony. Summoned by both Rite and Yearning, Caiphon crosses over from There to Here, its body an indescribable being of burning light (its form as the Violet Star revealed to be the color its light is perceived as once its cooled and stretched over the vast distance between Toril and The Far Realms), to grant Dirge's Wish Upon A Star. A being so beyond mortal preconception burns and blisters ones very mind to Know of It, but it nonetheless reaches into the bottomless depths of Dirge's soul to unearth the fervent Desire that had bridged the gap between them. There in the privacy of an eldritch embrace, free from Bhaal's gaze for the first time in his life, Dirge gives voice to the true wish held within for his entire life. Freedom.

The price for Dirge's pact is simple: Caiphon will claim his eye, and Dirge will house a fragment of the being within his own mind. From such a perch, Caiphon will observe whatever it wishes from Dirge's experiences, and communicate as it pleases within Dirge's mind. And until the circumstances are right for the conditions of pact to be fulfilled, Dirge will have access to whatever power he can claim mastery of. Dirge agrees, and Caiphons light scorches his eye, blackening his scelera and infusing his iris with its strange luminescence.

The two of them get on amicably, and both of them feel like theyre kind of ripping off the other. Caiphon got front row seats to the entirety of the Absolute plot and its subsequent destruction, and the contents of the Necromancy of Thay besides, and all it gave Dirge for the most part was some measly eldritch blasts. On Dirge's end he got a handheld eldritch shotgun that turns people into paste even at pointblank, and a plethora of broken magic bullshit besides, all in return for 14 consecutive mental breakdowns and a really messy situationship he never QUITE resolved. Theyre both inclined to be more generous to the other because of this. Caiphons ritual required a Witness to be conducted, but dont ask Gortash because hes spent the subsequent years trying to bleach it out of his memories

11. What motivates your Dark Urge to either embrace or resist the Urge?

and after THAT novel, this one is a LOT shorter LMAO

Dirge hates acting erratically, and LOATHES feeling like he isnt in control of himself. Pre Tadpole he Resisted the Urge so he didnt accidentally compromise his schemes to fulfill Bhaal's goals, and Post Tadpoling he doesnt like not being in control of when and who he kills, and after Act 2 the very idea just FEELS violating. Resisting the Urge is just how his particular paranoias about Being Himself will inevitably play out, over and over

13. How does your Dark Urge feel about killing?

LOVES it, its the only thing that gets him up in the morning (hes stopped being a morning person since acquiring a disabling brain injury 💔). Pre tadpoling he viewed it as a holy calling he took religious fervor in, an affirmation of faith and a reward for it all in one, and a divine responsibility besides. Post Tadpoling, its just his favorite activity. Hes good at it, it feels nice, and he isnt morally opposed to it so why not? He never properly develops empathy sympathy or compassion for other people, so they remain the same talking meatbags as in his bhaaltist days. He only ever really abstains out of convenience or for the sake of people he DOES care about, or to resist the influence of the Urge. He delights in every aspect of it, the mess and the effort and the gore, and he can be a bit of a sadist about it.

He stops trying to be normal about anything when it becomes abundantly clear that the killing urges wont Get Better, so anytime around or after the exploration of the Underdark, Dirge just kind of openly indulges his love of viscera, burying his face in carcasses, licking blood off daggers and other weapons (and sometimes people), and delighting in particularly messy kills. He very obviously is only restrained from being Worse by the influence of Karlach and Wyll lmao

👇 he accidentally killed a githyanki teenager here LMAO

[majorasnightmare]

mental image of minthara coming home and clicking on the light and in the middle of the (trashed) room is a giant blanket fortress where dirge, daedra, naadja and zafyna are all bundled up together like oh. your home early. uh. hi?

[majorasnightmare]

...thats not evena headcanon thats just straight up textual. its happened multiple times even. damn. thats what we in the business call a "hard read" LMAO

throwing even MORE tags onto this: @trappedinafantasy37 @theannoyingurge @w-low MOST OF THE GANGS ALREADY SUMMONED but take this as blanket permission to do this for urself if u see this and havent been tagged 🫶 (just @ me so i can see and reblog 👀)

Character Headcanon Generator

Insert your OC and find out what their headcanon could be. This is Ayz:

Tagging: @serenaoffaerun @senualothbrok @lemonsrosesandlavender @waterdeepwife and anyone who would like to play

[majorasnightmare]

DIRGE LORE DIRGE LORE

Which canon character is pissed off by the general presence of OC?

Who would your OC say is their best friend?

Is there someone your OC didn’t like at first, but then got along with later?

DIRGE LORE DIRGE LORE!!! THANK YOUUUUUUUU now i have something to type while making dinner!!

Which canon character is pissed off by the general presence of OC?

Its a long ass list. Orin (semi-valid), Ketheric (pity-coping), The Warden (completely cope), Raphael (EXTREME cope and seethe), Auntie Ethel (on-sight mutual petty rivalry), Vlaakith (petty cope and seething), Shar (petty bs reasons), Bhaal (extremely petty and stupid reasons), Sarevok (stupid bs reasons), and honestly probably a fair few more that arent immediately coming to mind. Dirge has a habit of pissing off people he doesn't respect

Who would your OC say is their best friend?

KARLACH 💜💜💜💜 and also Astarion, in equal measure but for different reasons. Astarion is the friend Dirge can be deeply vulnerable and open with, primarily after Act 2, and vice versa, whereas Karlach is the bestie he gets silly with. If he isn't occupied with something and someone else is doing the talking, Dirge checks tf out of the situation to do stupid dumb shit with Karlach. They have synchronized dance emotes.

Is there someone your OC didn't like at first, but then got along with later?

Bex and Danis from the tiefling refugees. He makes a token effort to talk with them because Karlach was worried for them, and then rescued Danis at Moonrise primarily to spite the Warden but also so Last Light had more warm bodies defending it, but Bex going out of her way to scavenge enough supplies to bake him homemade cookies as thanks genuinely hit him harder than he expected. It was honestly one of the only times someone was genuinely grateful he was alive and present, and Dirge hadn't had anything homemade like that since he before his adopted parents died. He'd be hard pressed to admit it but the gesture really endeared him to them and he makes a point of checking on them in Baldur's Gate.

[majorasnightmare]

I’m gonna neeeedddd uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh a number 2, a number 9, a number 22, with a side order of 25

*dirge customer service voice* will that be all for you today? :) your total is going to be 42.96

2. What would break your OC beyond repair? Has it happened?

any mindbreak slash ego death scenario, which most of the Embrace endings qualify for. giving up all possibility of ever breaking free from Bhaal and having his personality subsumed into the Urge would ruin him. Anything resembling the person who formerly went by "Dirge" would get passed through the Urge funhouse mirror to come out distorted on the other end as his old bhaalist mindset snaps back into place, this time more permanently, and without the dissomance he used to experience. No suffering, no doubt, no Dirge, just Murder Incarnate. The "lose to Orin" endings would also thoroughly break him, because he wouldn't kill himself on the promise that he wouldn't abandon Minthara, in the vain hope something could be done to save him from the affliction. In that go around he'd end up locked in her basement eating her political enemies that she disposes of down there to keep the Urge satiated enough to stop a serious attempt at breaking out. If they ever managed to pull Bhaal's essence out of him after that, he'd be a shell of a person, more or less permanently housebound because of how much of his soul he just had ripped out, and that coupled with a less than healthy lifestyle of Exclusively Cannibalism would exacerbate his disabilities. In that hypothetical specifically, he wouldn't get better (and WOULD eventually die of a shortened mortal lifespan), but it'd be a life he was happy to live, however short and difficult it was, with Minthara. especially since it comes on the heels of a living unlife of madness and incoherence.

Some other AU hypotheticals come CLOSE, like one where the absolute pulls out a final Ace up her sleeve and snags Dirge out of prism range, but he WOULD technically get better. after a while. and after a LOT of damage was done

The only thing that could possibly meet the definition of "pre existing Break Beyond Repair" would be Orin's lobotomy resulting in Dirge's amnesia and soft personality reset, which more or less symbolically killed the person dirge used to be beyond any possibility of resurrection. and honestly, bhaalist!dirge was more than happy to go.

9. What is the greatest sacrifice your OC could ever make? Under what circumstance would they make it?

Dirge is a deeply selfish person, and simultaneously incredibly pragmatic. He regularly trades his flesh as tokens for prizes he deems more worthy, letting Volo jab his eye out because his patron alerts him to the presence of the prosthetic one that Volo would be unlikely to trade away on a whim except out of guilt. Not only does he avoid martyrdom as a rule, he also makes a point of making OTHERS avoid martyrdom, partially because he thinks living is worth it, but not insignificantly because HE wants them around. He is, generally, opposed to sacrifice on what amounts to the closest thing to moral grounds a bhaalspawn like him CAN have. He never picks fights he thinks he can lose, he never gives up what he finds value in keeping, anything he surrenders he makes sure he gets back in equal or greater value, because this dudes just straight up a bargain hunting deal making pact negotiating warlock, through and through. a GOOD warlock, a skilled one, does not sacrifice, as a rule. that wyll is prone to sacrificing himself and also so miserable in his pact is no coincidence in dirges mind

With all that being said. He'd do it for Minthara. He doesnt WANT to, mind you, because what he WANTS is to spend the rest of their lives together (ideally forever once he finds a way to get immortality where the consequences are worth it), but he'll give up anything, everything, for her wellbeing if push comes to shove. When the Sword of Damocles falls and hes there in the temple holding Orin's corpse, when Bhaal comes to him and demands he take up the mantle of chosen again or he'll kill Dirge, when Minthara is begging him to agree and theyll find a way out afterwards together, Dirge knows that letting Bhaal have such a strong presence in his soul, to take on the form of Slayer, to claim the Absolute in Bhaal's name, would be to reduce Minthara to nothing better than an agreeable broodmare in Bhaal's eyes, that Dirge would be driven to sire spawn regardless if he wants to or not, that those spawn would in turn be driven to killing their mother, and that even if he resisted, the only other option would be to kill her, to deprive her of her dream of ruling side by side. It would be another link in the long chain of abuse, set in motion long ago by a man who wanted to become divine, no matter what it cost him, and the idea of subjecting Minthara to hypothetical years of debasement, servitude, abuse, and suffering repulses Dirge to his very core. in that moment he weighs his death and the suffering itd cause against that far flung future, and the choice is overwhelmingly clear. Its that moment that makes him realize more than anything else that he WANTS to live, and thats why he has to choose to die, sacrifice everything he wanted with her, sacrifice everything he wanted FOR her, sacrifice every last second he was going to spend at her side, because her life is worth more to him than that. even as he bleeds out he never doubts for a single moment that theyre going to face the Absolute and come out victorious. and even as he hates the position hes in, hed make the same choice there, every single time

22. What is your OC the most guilty about?

Not being more involved in Orin's life. Being the first domino that resulted in Minthara's torture at Moonrise. Killing his parents. Killing Alfira. Constrained by circumstance, swept up by the inertia of passing time, things spiral away from his control and he cant stop it or fix it. Couldn't manage to break out of his role enough to keep from swallowing Orin in his shadow, didn't know Minthara yet and thus couldn't love her enough to spare her before she ever left the Underdark, trapped and feral and useless screaming madly on Kressa's work table while in the same prison Orin forces a tadpole into Minthara, waking up in the dead of night with no awareness or control covered in the gore of someone he couldn't stop himself from killing.

Living through all of it when the people who gave him the second life he lives (that he didn't earn, that he doesn't deserve) both end up crushed under his boot.

25. What does your OC love most, and what would they do to keep it?

Dirge, ironically enough for a death cult nihilist, is a real loverboy. Beneath every horror and every atrocity and every sacrilege and blasphemy, is love. He loved Bhaal as his Father, and wanted to be a good dutiful son. He loved Orin, and wanted to keep her from being broken by expectation. He loved Gortash, enough that it started to untwist the suicidal desire for slaughter that he had carried for most of his life, loved him enough to think about wanting to live. He loves his friends, Astarion and Gale and Lae'zel and Wyll and Shadowheart and Karlach, loves Jaheira and Minsc, loves Isobel and Aylin. He loves Minthara, loved her at first sight, loves her just as an intrinsic facet of his soul. When Dirge loves, it is deep and sincere and genuine and thorough, the scales of his affection balanced against the vast disdain and apathy for the world by the sheer world-cracking love he feels for this small handful of people. Power and wealth and material goods can be obtained as often as needed, but these people? It is only here, and it is only now.

To keep them? To have them and to hold them and to be around them? He would do anything. But honestly whats more insightful is what he doesn't do. Killing is cheap for Dirge. The inflicting of pain, the enactment of atrocities, plumbing new depths of suffering. Rote and habitual. That he would storm all nine Hells and spear Zariel's head on a pike is a given. No, what matters is that to keep those he loves, he will stay his hand.

He doesn't kill Ulder Ravenguard. Wyll wants his father to live, so it doesn't matter to Dirge that he hates the man for his treatment of Wyll, hates that all the affection and tenderness didn't spare Wyll from seven years of exile, hates that even now he doesn't feel Ulder gives Wyll his due. For this he'd happily flay the man alive until the screams rang out a perfect melody in his ears. But Wyll wants Ulder alive. Wants his father back, wants to have him and to talk to him. So Dirge stays his hand, goes out of his way to break Wyll's pact but rescue Ulder anyways. Wyll asks for so little, that Dirge will always give him what he wants.

He doesn't tell Jaheira to keep the ritual that would allow her to extend her life, to live and guide and fight as long as shes needed. Jaheira has lovers, family, friends, all dearly missed, and more than that she is running herself ragged fighting the good fight. It doesn't matter if Dirge thinks the Harpers are fools, if Dirge personally wants Jaheira to live so he can stay with her, what matters is Jaheira needs to rest. Needs to see the people she's left behind, needs to see Khalid again one day. Regardless of what he wants, Dirge wouldn't put her through that

To keep what he loves, Dirge will force himself to stillness for their sakes

[majorasnightmare]

"Bhaalspawn Domestication". I need to know about this.

minthara gives a shelter dog his forever home :)

more explicitly its a Porn With Plot wip about how specifically dirge and minthara kick off their relationship in act 2. dirge has been making the rounds sleeping with half the party, but hasnt committed to a relationship with anyone, and when minthara inquires why, dirge elaborates on exactly the kind of high intensity 24/7 power dynamic he craves that no ones been willing or capable of providing. After some explicit flirting moves into a mutually genuine discussion of their desires, Minthara contends with the biggest kicker in any relationship with Dirge, and makes a point of putting the Urges in their place ☺️🕸️

also making use of the only bed in the shadow cursed lands camp, the one thats up the hill in the back that halsin hangs around once minthy moves in LMAO

[majorasnightmare]

What would your TAVagotchi look like?

Using this picrew!

thanks @arach-tinilith and @mogruith for posting these on the dash I had a blast 🥺💜

u gotta put him in ur pocket and feed him snacks 🥺 he needs to beep loudly in the grocery store on your keychain with your car keys, because u forgot to feed him and hes going to starve to death, so now you have to awkardly fiddle with your keys until you can hit the mute button while the cashier waits for your card and the guy behind you starts loading his groceries onto the conveyer

pease 🥺 hes literally small 🥺

tagging: @hootshooch ; @alicelufenia ; @the-weeping-dawn ; @trappedinafantasy37 ; @theannoyingurge

i wanna see ur tavs+durges and keep them in my pocket for rainy days 🥺

[mintharabaenrelore]

Paladin VS Cleric

To clear up any confusion, I'm not comparing the two DnD classes, but rather discussing them in relation to Minthara. I want to explore why she is a paladin rather than a cleric (@trappedinafantasy37 made a brilliant post on that!) and the nature of her Oath.

Also, thank you all for 101 followers. I'm overjoyed to see people are enjoying my posts, and I adore the fun comments, the questions, the helpful advice, all of it. Lolth kyorl dos!

Why is Minthara a paladin, not a cleric?

Of course, there are two practical reasons for this. One, Minthara does not worship a god after Lolth and the Absolute. On the DnD wiki, the Godless Cleric subclass states, "As a Godless Cleric, your power was not bestowed upon you by a deity, but rather you siphon it from a divine source. [...] Regardless, you bypass the affinity of a deity yet tap into divine power."

Furthermore, the Dungeon Master's Guide says, "In rules terms, clerics choose domains, not deities, so your world can associate domains with deities in any way you choose." So would Minthara, as a cleric, have to worship a god? Not necessarily, but there is not a Godless subclass in BG3.

And two, Shadowheart is a cleric. Since you meet her first and by Act 2 many players are accustomed to her, to avoid the predicament of having not one but two clerics in the party, Minthara would end up sitting around camp in many people's playthroughs if she were a cleric, too.

Lore-wise, it seems as if Minthara should be a cleric. She canonically attended Arach-Tinilith, as she mentions her Ceremony of Graduation as well as having seen "the black academies of Tier-Breche." Only males could Melee-Magthere and Sorcere; exceptions such as Noori Baenre did exist, but Minthara's comments about her religion, her profession, and her worldviews are- in my opinion- solid proof that her school was Arach-Tinilith.

A priestess or cleric is the default profession for all noble female drow, particularly a Baenre, as many Baenre females go on to become High Priestesses.

My theory is that she was a cleric originally and became a paladin later on in her life. She was trained by her House as "a soldier in Lolth's service", not to mention she led the expedition to Moonrise Towers; she spent time raiding and pillaging the surface; she performed interrogations; she punished "heretics" and anyone who defied Lolth. Minthara, in Menzoberranzan, was powerful, not just due to her heritage but- I believe- due to her unique role. Her mother believed she was "special" since birth, and considering Minthara's draa velve fighting style, she likely had some considerable combat skills since youth; the paladin class combines the religious fervor of the cleric with the impressive battle prowess of a fighter. It must have seemed like the obvious choice. (It makes even more sense if her mother is Zel'Tharra Baenre.)

I also think she, quite literally, began as a cleric, as her Magic: The Gathering card portrays her as one, and when you first meet her, she fights with maces- the classic clerical weapons.

What is the nature of Minthara's oath, and why isn't it broken?

"I took up my oath long ago, when I swore bloody vengeance against any who defied Lolth. Now, I myself have sinned against the Spider Queen." This statement from Minthara reinforces my theory that she became a cleric/priestess of Lolth and took up her Oath soon after.

As we all know, Minthara's oath is the Oath of Vengeance.

Minthara's focus, and the point of her Oath, is to punish her enemies. The identity of her enemies has changed with her- first, Lolth's enemies, when she was loyal to the Spider Queen; now, the Absolute, particularly Orin the Red and Ketheric Thorm, for obvious reasons.

Now, let's discuss how her Oath remains unbroken, as I have seen many people questioning that. The tenets, according to the Player's Handbook, are as follows:

"Fight the Greater Evil. Faced with a choice of fighting my sworn foes or combating a lesser evil, I choose the greater evil.

No Mercy for the Wicked. Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not.

By Any Means Necessary. My qualms can't get in the way of exterminating my foes.

Restitution. If my foes wreak ruin on the world, it is because I failed to stop them. I must help those harmed by their misdeeds."

It is possible to break Minthara's oath in the game, by doing something that will break the PC's. But if you are not playing as her, she won't do those things of her own accord.

Minthara advises you to do things that may break an Oath of Vengeance- such as accepting Gortash's proposal or letting Astarion become the Vampire Ascendant. But does she do those things herself? No.

Take a closer look at those tenets- Minthara has not broken any of them, not exactly.

When she worshipped Lolth: She fought what she believed to be the greater evil, namely heretics. She showed no mercy to her sworn enemies (Lolth's enemies) and did not let her qualms interfere. She did not allow such dangerous beliefs to 'harm' her people or her goddess.

And now, after the Absolute: She fights the Absolute- the greater evil than just about anything else. She does not show mercy to her enemies; although she does feel "sympathy" for Ketheric Thorm, she counteracts that by wishing pain upon him soon after and ultimately celebrating his death. No matter how much she may dislike a companion or the PC, or disapprove of the PC's actions, she continues on. (This is significant, as people sometimes wonder why she tolerates unnecessary actions of kindness or what she interprets as foolish choices. She has to.) And Minthara does follow the tenet of Restitution by helping the party in their quest.

I believe everything she did under the Absolute's control is irrelevant to her oath, as she couldn't help her actions, and genuinely believed she was acting justly in her god's name.

Minthara herself is unsure whether her oath will hold after the cult is defeated when you ask her about it, but she doesn't mention it having broken at the epilogue party.

If Minthara's Oath is broken, she says, "My Oath is broken. I still hold to the tenets of vengeance, but I am no longer bound by any word of vow." She seems happier when it is broken.

So, what did she do in her society?

As I said, Minthara held considerable power in Menzoberranzan. Raiding and pillaging the surface, performing interrogations, functioning as a "soldier" in Lolth's service. She also states "I have hosted gatherings of House Matrons and High Priestesses who wanted nothing more than to murder each other before the night was done. I have negotiated the handover of hostages and smiled politely while sensing a dagger at my back," so she clearly also has some experience with diplomacy.

Aside from such things, she spent time reading "history books", and Emma Gregory suggests that she was something of a loner. Perhaps she felt isolated, despite Lolth's favor and the power at her fingertips.

One final note- Elaine Cunningham's "Daughter of the Drow" mentions how Liriel feels "affection" for Lolth, in a way, when sourcing her magic from the goddess. With the strength of Minthara's beliefs and her oath, it's plausible to suggest Minthara felt similarly, perhaps more so- and that is part of why she was so crushed when her goddess abandoned her to her fate in the Moonrise Towers prison.

[arach-tinilith]

Your OC's Personality

Ty @trappedinafantasy37 for tagging me again!! This time, Zafyna 😈

No pressure tags for @hootshooch (perhaps for Muldred👀) and @vspin 💜

-

How would you describe their personality?

Zafyna's personality is largely based around desperation. The things she's desperate for usually manifest in different ways such as a need for security, for accomplishment, for power. She comes from nothing and any foothold she's ever gotten just disintegrates and leaves her worse off (Naadja's attention, her sister's presence, the Duskryn's support) it all fills her with a hope that is quickly lost and all that's left is the space it used to occupy. So she desperately grabs at whatever she can to fill it again.

What brings your character joy?

I'd say academia but on a larger scale she likes to have purpose and importance. It's why she was such an adept soldier in the Mizzrym ranks that she earned her name. It's also why she committed herself to being an assassin.

What does your character strongly dislike?

Any type of self pitying behaviour. Zafyna definitely has a “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality. Because she managed to crawl her way out of misery once she expects that anyone can. And of course this hinders her because she's constantly berating herself for not being able to do it again lol. 

Is your OC scared of anything?

Abandonment. Zafyna hates relying on others because they always seem to leave. But she's not confident enough in herself to be completely self-sufficient. It puts her in a difficult position of always needing others but never trusting them

What is their alignment?

Lawful Evil. She doesn't take any joy in causing harm to others, it's just necessary work. She does get satisfaction from being praised for the work she does but she aligns herself with an evil Goddess and society