#wish I had Halsin on my team | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

parvulous-writings · 9 months ago

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Miasma // Halsin x Reader

Summary: Halsin's rescue of Thaniel goes drastically wrong. Gender Neutral reader (they/them pronouns where they had to be used)

Warnings: Angst, character death, no resolution/comfort. Depictions of grief, anger. Violence. Wonky pacing, maybe? Unresolved ending, also - sorry for the hurt in advance!

Words: 3.7K

Notes: My requests are currently open! My pinned post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist! Original character list - please request for these too!

"The magic is delicate." Halsin had warned - the words now rang in your mind like a knell. "I will need your help if I am to survive- the portal will sap my strength." You had vowed to aid him - to defend the portal that Silvanus had helped him to create. And you had tried. You'd thrown almost every spell that you knew into the shrouded, cursed dark that surrounded your party and the portal, done near everything you could think of to keep the danger at bay. But, somehow, it wasn't enough. Something had gotten through your defenses, though you could barely recall what exactly it was. An arrow? A crow, touched and warped by shadow? The more you dwelled upon the thought, the more your chest began to tighten. What did it matter, what it was that ruptured the portal and caused it's premature collapse? No matter the form of the assailant, it did nothing to change the chain of events that had since then transpired. A gentle voice breaks you from your spiralling thoughts; "At least he is with Lady Shar, if nothing else..." You feel your face contort into a scowl at Shadowheart's words - Halsin was not a worshipper of Shar, why would he be happy that he is with the lady of sorrow? If anything, you thought, it would enrage him that the one who's shadows had laid claim to him, was the one he would be 'with'. But you say nothing to Shadowheart, you know for a fact that the only things that would pass your lips would be words of venomous spite. Not that you didn't like Shadowheart - you were actually quite fond of her, she usually would say things how they were, without sugar-coating them. But in this instance, using the name of Lady Shar to try and bring you some false comfort only made you feel worse.

The trek back to camp was coated in a stony silence. The rest of the party were waiting for you to say something, some words of wisdom or hope, but you said nothing. You did not wish to speak. All you wanted to do was ignore the grief that had settled into your heart. To shove it down, and ignore it. But you couldn't. You and Halsin had become close after you and your rag-tag team of friends had saved the Emerald Grove from the goblins. He had given you advice on how to get to Moonrise Towers, and had offered his aid on the journey. Of course, you had said yes - initially because you knew you'd need all the help that you could get, but as time wore on, and you spent night after night talking with him, you couldn't deny the fact that it was starting to feel like something more was blooming between the pair of you - and Halsin refused to deny it either. Though nothing between you and the druid had been made official to the others, he had told you time and time again; 'When I have righted what has been wronged, and the Shadow curse lifted... Then, we can focus on one another, my heart.' You had thought about those words often - they had spurred you on when you had first entered the shadow cursed lands, knowing that this, this was the place where you could finally end Halsin's century of distress, and fretting.

And yet it had all gone wrong in an instant.

The silence had followed your group into camp, and settled itself amongst you all as if it were a friend, and not some unwanted and unwelcome state. Even Astarion had stopped his quipping and teasing upon seeing your dour expression. He had never seen you in such a state - not even when he had accidentally woken you when he had gone to feed on you one night, almost three months ago at this point. That night you had been mildly disgusted initially, but you were definitely willing to let him feed from you if it was going to help his prowess in battle. You had been optimistic, in truth, despite the dangers. That was something about you that was always apparent, and always had been. Though some of your travelling companions had thought you... Not all there, at first, you had managed to prove quite a few times that you were persistent enough to almost always pull through.

You had made a direct line for your tent, ignoring the attempts of Karlach to approach you, and hopefully comfort you a little bit. The fabric flaps drew together behind you as you retired to your one place of isolation. The tiefling was confused, and a mite hurt, at the fact that you had just completely blanked her. You had never done that before - the worst you had ever done was tell her to stay in camp for a while, and more often than not, you had good reason to do so. Her gaze fell upon Wyll and Shadowheart, two of the companions who had set off with you that morning, before she began to march over, determined to know who or what caused you to become so withdrawn. "What the hells happened out there?!" Karlach could hardly contain the irritation that bubbled in her chest, spilling into her voice. Wyll was the first to speak, his face a mask of self-reproach. "Halsin was trying to retrieve Thaniel - the spirit of these lands..." He began to explain, glancing briefly to Shadowheart, who's lips were fixed in a clear frown. "Right..." Karlach said slowly, "... I'm assuming something went wrong, by the look on everyone's faces..." "... We weren't able to defend the portal he had entered entirely... It collapsed, and... He's gone." Karlach's face fell as it all clicked into place in her mind. That's why you were acting so strange. "... Oh." Was all she could manage. She couldn't even muster up any rage at the circumstance, she was just stunned. She hadn't had a chance to get really close to Halsin, but he was a nice guy, there was no denying it. He had been courteous to all of them - a kind hearted soul, who always lent an ear to anyone who needed it. To Karlach, he had been a good laugh. Most evenings, on the short walk back to their tents, she and him would share a good few jokes with one another before retiring to rest. The loss of the druid would weigh heavily on her, though not as heavily as it would do you. Wyll cleared his throat, glancing towards your tent. "I think I may try and speak with them..." Shadowheart scoffed at this, causing Wyll's head to turn. "Good luck," Were the only words that the half-elf offered him, her voice dripping with sarcasm, before she turned away, marching herself right back to her tent to isolate herself for a while. Karlach followed suit, with nothing of meaning left to say. She meandered back to her own tent, seeking to settle herself down in the mountain of various pillows she had stored in there, to have a good cry.

Wyll did not return to his tent, however. Like he had said, he was going to try and talk with you. Try being the operative word. There had been a handful of times that you hadn't exactly been open to talking with anyone, and Wyll fully expected to be one of those times. He tried to peer through the tiny gap left between the flaps that marked the entrance to your tent, but to no avail. He cleared his throat quietly to announce his presence - but there was no answer from him. He carefully parted the fabric before him, crouching down a bit to get closer to you. Your tent was the smallest out of the whole group's, purely for the reason that, before the adventure began, you didn't have a lot to bring with you. Even now, with so much more to your name, you are more likely to leave some of your belongings with your fellow party members. "Go away." Your voice was low, not quite a threat, but close. "I don't want to talk to anyone, about anything. Leave me be." "You know," Wyll began to speak, completely ignoring your request, "I don't think Halsin would want you to spend any time moping after him..." You started to push yourself up into a seated position. Even in the dark, Wyll could imagine the look on your face; a deep set scowl, eyes narrowed and glaring daggers at the perpetrator who dared disturbed your 'peace'. In this case, of course, that was him. "You have no right to-" "Yes, I do." Wyll's voice was calm, despite your ire. "I'm your friend - one of your closest by your own admission, if I remember rightly..." He said as he crawled into the tent to join you - in the hopes of making you feel a little bit less alone. "I know you and Halsin were close..." Close wasn't exactly the word that the warlock had in mind, but he didn't want to rub salt in the wound. You had lost a man that you loved, and Wyll knew that grief wasn't an easy thing to deal with. "But, we did what we could - defended him and that portal as much as we were able to... He didn't ask for anything more..." "But he did - he asked us for his help to heal the-" "I know... But that was before we got overwhelmed by shadow-cursed harpers, and Gods know what else..." Wyll interrupted. "We did what we could, and he'd be happy with that... Even if we didn't manage to heal the curse..." His voice was tinged with a hint of sadness, despite trying to ease your pain. "He wouldn't want you to sit here, isolating yourself as punishment... But I understand you need time to mourn.. So, how about, tomorrow morning, you and I go for a walk around the outskirts of camp? We can talk all things Halsin.." You consider it for a moment, before nodding quietly. "Good.." Wyll smiled in response to your acceptance - there were times when you could be extraordinarily stubborn. He'd seen it himself at various points on your adventure together, and he was quite glad that he didn't have to be on the receiving end of it. "I'll bring your dinner to you, if you'd prefer not to join the rest of us..." You nod again, and Wyll begins to shuffle out of your tent, leaving you be for the evening.

You didn't join the others for food that evening - not that there was much to join. The group sat mostly in silence as they ate, all starting to feel the absence of their druidic friend. Lae'zel did try to make conversation, having found that her ideals didn't exactly align with Halsin's, she didn't get as close to him as some of the other had done in the same time. However, no one could find it in them to respond, besides Astarion, who snapped at her to stop talking for a moment. Even he was feeling down about the loss of Halsin - even if he had only grown 'fond' of the wood elf because he found him amusing. But the time night had fallen - or at least, what the group had all assumed to be night, as both night and day looked eerily the same under the shadowcurse - everyone had returned to their tents to rest.

The night - like so many before that you had all spent in the shadow-cursed lands - was cold, and very very quiet. The dead branches of various trees clashing against one another were the only sounds to be heard. No birdsong could be heard for miles. That was unless you counted the raspy sounds from the undead birds that sometimes came close to camp. They'd scurry away before they got too close, though. But there was something, off in the distance, that was slowly making it's way closer and closer to camp. Of course, no one was really aware of it until it was right on your doorstep. You had initially thought that the heavy footfall approaching your tent in the middle of your rest was Karlach - she'd often come over to you after a long, hard day. "Karlach," You spoke, your voice slightly muffled against the rough material of your makeshift pillow. "Now really isn't a good time.. Go back to your own tent." You expected to hear the footsteps retreating after this. Karlach was never one to try and encroach your personal space, especially after such a blunt request. However, this wasn't the case with this now unknown intruder. Something twigged in your mind that this might not be someone who meant well. Either that, or Karlach really wanted to have some company. You started to push yourself up onto your elbows, and when your eyes finally managed to focus on the figure slowly starting to crawl it's way into your tent, you could have sworn you heart stopped.

Halsin.

Immediately you were alert - were you still dreaming? No, you couldn't be, it didn't feel... Fuzzy enough, to be a dream. But it never feels like a dream when you're in the middle of it. You hurriedly push yourself into a more upright position, trying to kick the raggedy blankets off of your legs for more freedom of movement. "Halsin-" Your voice caught in your throat, leaving it as little more than a mousey squeak. Your chest felt tight, heavy. For a brief moment, there was a flicker of hope - he was alive! But as your eyes began to focus on the massive form of your once lover, you began to notice that some things were amiss. There were clusters and clumps of some dark mass, something not quite natural. Some of the clumps glowed and flickered with an eerie and dim bluish light, casting a foreboding shadow over your beloved's stoic - and entirely too-still - features. You recognised those growths - the telltale calling card of the shadows when they had wrenched their claws so deep into a living thing that nothing but a husk remained. You had seen it earlier that day; the hundreds of undead harpers, githyanki, dogs and birds that had assaulted you, your party, and the portal that had undone everything for you. The last stage before the host of the growths was devoured, and became nothing more than a shadow doomed to roam the desolated town, caught entirely in their own pain and grief. Though, the thought of that final form was pushed to the very back of your mind just at the moment it had popped in. Surely, though, if Halsin had managed to find your camp, there must be something of him left in there? As soon as the thought crosses your mind, you've moved to rest on your knees, bringing your face closer to his. "Halsin, you're alright..." There's something screaming at you in the back of your mind, telling you that this isn't right, that something is dreadfully, dreadfully wrong, but you elect to ignore it. For once, you just wanted to try and focus on the positive side. "You..." You couldn't quite place what it was about Halsin's voice that felt off to you - was it too deep? Too scratchy? Who cares, he's here, he's home. You didn't have to bear with that godsawful weight in your chest anymore, you could just move on, and think of this whole affair as nothing more than a blip on your adventure. You open your mouth to speak, but Halsin beats you to it. "Failed." His voice was so low it almost sounded like the chords in his throat were rupturing as the words left his lips - or perhaps they already had. It hits you like a stone to the head, and you freeze in place, paralysed by the realisation you should have had much earlier. This was not a dream, and Halsin was in front of you, but, he had been corrupted. Whatever drive he had to get back to you - whether it had originally been love, lust or something else - had now been twisted into something sick, something that longed to make you suffer as it was.

Before you could even open your mouth to respond, a thick hand was wrapping around your throat - squeezing, constricting, cutting off your air and your ability to cry out for help. Your hands dart to his wrist to try and alleviate some of the pressure, but you know that there's almost no point. With Halsin's great size, came great strength - you wouldn't be able to easily escape from this, he had the upper hand. You try anyway, clawing at his hand and forearm like a wild animal, trying to break skin and hurt him enough to have him flinch away from you. But that moment never comes. In fact, you could swear that he's applying more pressure to your throat. "Don't. Struggle." The grating voice of Halsin growls at you. You try to tell yourself that it's not him, but of course... the face looming above you would convince yourself otherwise. With the corners of your vision starting to blur and fade, you grow desperate. You begin to thrash and kick at him - and you manage to land a few good blows to the undead elf's ribs and stomach, not that it made much difference to the beast of a druid. You think at one point one of your feet dislodges a pole keeping your tent upright. At least, that seems to be the reasonable explanation for the structure collapsing on the both of you, obscuring your view even more. Your kicks start to weaken as Halsin applies even more pressure to your windpipe, obviously intent on robbing you entirely of your ability to breathe. You stop moving - in part to try and conserve what little oxygen you have left, but also because... What's the point in struggling against Halsin? Not only was he much stronger than you, but he was also... Right. You had failed him, despite the fact that you had tried your damndest to complete the task he had set you. Though it broke your hear to admit it to yourself, there was little you could do to deny it, even with the discussion you had had with Wyll earlier that night.

You had just about given in to the inevitable fate set before you, when the weight pressing down on your neck was just... Gone. You immediately sat up, spluttering as air finally reached your lungs, making you feel light-headed, but promising your survival. "Get the fuck away from them!" Karlach's roar was unmistakable as your scurried to pull the fabric of your tent off of your head to see what was going on; Karlach, greatsword in hand, was moving to swing at the corrupted Halsin - whilst Lae'zel, a determined look on her face, was mere moments away from doing the same, marching over from her own tent to join the fray. Gale was by your side in an instant, grabbing your hand and pulling you to your feet. "Come, quickly," He ushered you over to his tent as he spoke. "Inside, Shadowheart will check you over in a moment," His gaze turned back to Karlach, Lae'zel and Halsin for a moment, watching as the Tiefling and Githyanki lay blow after blow into the flesh of the thing that had tried to kill you. They were only just able to keep him on his knees, and it looked like his skin was shredding where he had been hit. His only sounds acknowledging that he was being attacked were grunts of effort as he tried to through off their hits and get back to his feet - which did not work. He wasn't even bleeding; a greenish-blue liquid dripped languidly from his newly-formed wounds.

"Stop looking, you don't need to see this." Gale told you firmly, taking your shoulder and guiding you more forcibly into the tent. "That's not him, anymore... You know that, yes?" He tries to soothe you. "That wasn't Halsin - just an... Echo of him, if that." Despite his kind words, tears begin to streak down your cheeks. You feel Gale's arms wrap around you, and your legs give out for a moment. You can't do this. It's too much. How is one person meant to handle all of this - the mindflayer tadpoles, the fate and wellbeing of their companions, helping as many people as they can on the way through the environs they must travel - and still walk tall? It is too much of a weight, a burden you can no longer carry. This overwhelming grief is just the straw that breaks the Rothe's back. You don't remember much of what happens after that - besides the sobs that start to wrack your body, making you heave with each breath. Gale lowers you to the floor, and you can vaguely hear him saying something to you, though you can't quite make out the words. You don't try to figure out what they are, though. You just want this to stop - for the emotions that feel too big for your body to just cease, and leave you in peace.

Your companions come and go throughout the night, each taking a turn to sit with you, to try and soothe your sorrows. Nothing really works. After many hours - though it feels like days to you - the tears finally stop falling. You're exhausted, and can't bring yourself to move off of Gale's bedroll; and no one dares to try anyway. It's Wyll who's with you as you finally drift off into an exhausted sleep. He doesn't move to tell the others, though, in case you should wake and need his company. A frown is etched into his features as he watches you - he knows all too well how much this grief can tear someone apart from the inside. He makes sure that you've got a blanket over your shoulders to keep you warm. "Don't you worry... You'll still have us," He whispers, not even caring if you can't hear him. "No matter what, we'll stick by you... And we'll get you through this. For Halsin's sake, not just for yours..."

The druid would have wanted that much for his lover, at least.

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moltensmusings · 9 months ago

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If there were 2 companions I would wish more proper content from it would be Wyll and Halsin.

Wyll is a core companion. He's important to the entire story, a hero of baldurs gate that people know from title alone. He should be known and recognized throughout the city. I want a quest for him that is about him and not just him pushing the main plot. He has an abysmal amount of content and deserves so much better. I entirely missed his act 1 quest because I had no idea how to complete it without killing people, and even then I had no clue those people were important because I wasn't with him the first time I ran through. In act 2 he has almost no content, sure we save Mizora but unless you manage to save florence we miss content for him. How are none of the enemies going to react to the literal son of the Duke being brainwormed and present when their plan heavily involves Duke Ravengard.

This is also coming after the recent patch made his act 3 quest of finding the dragon A SUBQUEST. Updated kisses for him are nice, but not only does he have 1 maybe 2 greetings, but he's also lacking so much content that most companions already have.

Why couldn't we get content of meeting people wyll knew as a teenager who he was maybe friends with? I'm guessing we couldn't visit his estate because they removed the uppercity (which also removed Karlach's fully happy ending). I'm holding out hope that one day we get an upper city release and more content for my boy that gives us people we can ask about his childhood.

Now for Halsin, I love him, he's my favorite, but I'm aware he comes second to Wyll as a character who needs more integration. He's a possible companion you get if you side with the Grove and im fine with that, but please can he get more content. Maybe some dialogue, maybe a not exactly romantic scene after his act 2 quest. Just something more. I've also heart that prerelease he was the one who actually killed Isobel and part of his need to fix the shadowcursed land was due to his guilt about that and knowledge that he's largely to blame for Ketheric. That's so incredibly interesting.

We already know Halsin can be angry from how he acts once we reach the city, I'd love to explore what led up to Isobel's death and the connection between him and Ketheric. Can you imagine an act 2 confrontation if they kept that in? Imagine if having him on the team made it impossible to convince Ketheric to stand down. Meeting isobel again and him knowing who she is but being unwilling to speak because he's already guilty enough. A lot of people's biggest issue with Halsin is they find him boring, removing such an interesting part of the lore was such a bad call. Let him be complex.

Give my boys some proper lore Larian, I'm begging you to give them content.

#molten rambles #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #halsin #wyll ravengard

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visenyaism · 9 months ago

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bg3 companions ranking?

10. Halsin. I have no principles and can fully admit if it was a relentlessly horny grizzled older butch WOMAN bear druid i would be like this is the greatest video game character of all time but as it stands he just doesn’t compel me much

9. Minsc. he’s so fun but the whole thing is one singular bit no variety.

8. Karlach. Listen on paper “literally gideon nav but a tiefling” should do more for me i don’t know why it doesn’t. that being said if we were real life coworkers i WOULD want to be besties with her.

7. Shadowheart. yeah she’s alright.

6. Minthara. minthyyyyy everything she says is profoundly arrogant and ludicrously fascist she is so so funny. i love her absolute unwavering commitment to cognitive dissonance and being wrong all the time. my close friend minthara is the funniest person i know.

5. Wyll. he may be a terrible monster hunter because he just keeps forgiving and befriending and maybe falling in love with them but that’s just because he’s got a good heart. i wish the dev team liked him as much as i do. also mr. of frontiers we have got to do something about your father

4. Gale. D1 yapper just like me for real. can’t believe i ever found him annoying and disliked him simply for being a corny ass nerd because i have come all the way around on that. also i like that he has a fun earring even if it IS mystra merch.

3. Astarion. i too am an annoying homosexual shit-starter who is constantly just doing a bit. they put the most effort into his writing and character so he is really by default one of the strongest. also there’s just too damn many locks in this game to not need him nearby

2. Jaheira. love her terrible luck and gravitational force of a personality and slight weirdo mannerisms and fondness for clowns and deadbeat milf ways. wish she had been a companion earlier but she is so fun to take into baldur’s gate.

1. Lae’zel. she’s BEEN my favorite she’s in every single party i have i love her complete and total seriousness i love that she’s a weirdo and i love how much she grows and changes and develops optimism and hope. what can i say. real lae’zelheads know

#bg3 #shadowheart has grown on me but her intro is literally bad bangs AND racist pick a struggle

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letsgofoletsgo · 10 months ago

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To Rekindle a Soul

This fic was inspired by the Vox Machina episode Those Who Walk Away. It was one of my favorite episodes, of season two, and I wanted to write something similar with BG3. Hope you enjoy!

TW: Death/revival, angst ~

“Karlach! Get up here now!”

The urgency of Gale’s voice made Karlach’s stomach sink. She could hardly remember ever hearing his voice with such a tone, let alone directed at her. Immediately she bounded to the rope secured at the entrance of the pit, climbing out so swiftly it was as if she was narrowly avoiding her death. Instinct left no time for her imagination to fill the gaps, pressing onward with haste. Her claws sunk into the stone of the temple as she pushed herself upward.

“Gale, what’s happened, I-”

For the first time, Karlach felt her engine threaten to stop.

A few feet away lay Rivera. Cradled in Halsin’s arms, the rest of the team gathered around him. He lay unmoving, limp, lifeless. Frightened shouts, pleads, and demands echoed within the chasm, panic and severity overwhelming the air as time seemed to warp. Shadowheart trying any spell she could, desperately asking the druid what could be done. Astarion, in a rare moment of concern, yelling at Gale to do something, Gale snapping back fervently that he doesn’t know what he could do.

It all fell silent to Karlach as she bounded over to him, leaving a singed trail in her wake.

“RIVERA!!!”

She bellowed as she fell to the ground, snatching his body from Halsin’s grasp, stray embers landing and fading against his body. Her gaze, blurred with tears and horror, flicked over Rivera’s face, feeling utterly sick to her stomach as his glassy eyes stared into nothingness. Her engine clacked violently, steam pouring from her vents, fueling the wildfire that leapt from her back.

“No! No no no! Rivera, please! You can’t- not like this-!” A disfigured string of pleads and cries fell from Karlach’s mouth, desperately wrapping her body around Rivera’s, clutching him into her chest.

In a moment, a fun-loving, curious, vibrant life was gone. The fellow tiefling that ended up becoming Karlach’s everything. The first hug she received in a decade. The best thing that had ever happened to her, her best friend, her lover, her twin flame- ripped from her embrace just like everything else in her life.

Gone.

“Wait-” Halsin said suddenly, “A revival rite!”

Everyone looked at him. A glimmer of hope had emerged, but there was little time.

“Wh- A resurrection ritual? I’ve never done one of those before.” Shadowheart admitted.

“Yes, it’s complicated, but it's his only chance.” Taking his staff, Halsin began to dig runes into the ground, precise even in his hurried motions.

As Shadowheart went to help him, Gale approached Karlach’s side, kneeling as close as her searing heat would allow.

“Karlach, look at me.” He said, voice stern with necessity.

She moved her head just slightly, tears burning away from her lashes as she barely locked eyes with the wizard.

“We’re going to try a resurrection ritual, but we’re going to need him in the spell circle.”

Gale knew he’d need to be gentle in order to pry Rivera from Karalch’s arms. He seemed to get through to her, grip loosening as Halsin tenderly collected him. However, instinct and emotion tore through as she reached for him once again, almost growling at Halsin. Lae’zel swiftly positioned herself between them, bracing against Karlach’s burning skin.

“If you want your mate alive, listen to him.” She snarled, laden with solemn concern.

Karlach remained still. Flames barely contained, shuddering breaths fighting against her roaring engine. She sat in a daze as the ritual commenced, magic flowing from Halsin and Shadowheart’s palms to create a golden capsule. The group’s voices became indistinguishable as Karlach stared forward, hardly able to think, wishing this was a horrible nightmare she could wake up from.

And then, Karlach noticed. She couldn’t hear their voices anymore. It appeared as if the group in front of her had been frozen.

She could hardly process it before something caught the corner of her eye. Her attention being torn from Rivera after what felt like hours, now witnessing something otherworldly taking form across the room. It looked like a tree growing before her eyes, green and black magic seeping from its skin as it took shape. Its roots melded into legs, its branches wove into arms. A wooden crest emerged where the canopy would be, curling around a glowing energy. The being now appeared humanoid, donning armor made of bark. Its skin was a vibrant green, casting a warm glow that alleviated the darkness around it.

Karlach remembered.

Rivera’s patron. Lord Oberon.

The ruler of the Fae that he spoke of with such reverence. The king of beasts he had sworn loyalty to, that he had vowed to protect. The being he worshiped like a cleric does their god, he viewed him as salvation, meaning, purpose. It was something Karlach never quite understood, but respected.

Now, the Green Lord was among the mortals. The death of his champion rippled across realities, beckoning his presence to the Material Plane. He approached Rivera slowly, moving like a great oak swaying in the wind. Oberon towered over his corpse, eyes masking an emotion that Karlach couldn’t place. He brought his hand forward, lowering an outstretched finger to the capsule. As if it were a brittle husk, the capsule broke from a single touch. Oberon then turned his hand, lifting it upwards. Beckoning the body.

From his chest, it began to emerge. The culmination of Rivera’s soul, blue and ethereal and so fragile compared to the Fey’s near godly aura. Oberon lifted him slowly, standing as an otherworldly reaper ready to escort a soul to the next life.

Karlach, however, was not ready to watch her life be taken from her once more.

“Take me instead you Fey bastard!”

Oberon turned to her. The words flew hastily from her mouth, but she showed no remorse as she glared up at him. Karlach felt like her own soul was out in the open, like she was begging for her own life. At that moment, she saw no difference. Broken, burning, crying before the king of the Fey, all she wanted was for him to understand, to give Rivera another chance like he had given her.

The lord raised his other hand, focusing on the tip of his finger. From it, an orange energy began to glow. It took the form of a small butterfly, marigold wings standing stark against the dark brown of Oberon’s armor. He watched as it flew from his hand, a candlelit beacon through the murky chasm. It approached Karlach, unphased by her radiating heat, and landed on her forehead. She could feel her skin buzzing from its touch, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The butterfly’s warmth felt different from her own, it felt safe, comforting.

The sensation then began to spread down her face, down her neck, and into her body as the butterfly seemed to melt into her. It was electric, mesmerizing. The energy collected into her engine, calming the metallic clang that Karlach could barely hear. She felt some kind of tug from her chest, something weaving itself within her non-living core.

The next thing she knew, the glow had faded into the usual red combustion of her engine. Its scorching intensity returned, but it felt… shifted, somehow. Like someone had just slightly realigned the device within her chest. She looked to Oberon, hoping for some answer, some meaning to what had happened. His expression remained unreadable as he remained for a moment. Words failed Karlach as the Lord began his retreat to his own realm, the same green light pouring from his bark as the ground engulfed him. His eyes remained on her, a weighing sense of divine promise as he disappeared. She expected the same light to overwhelm her senses, to drag her to the Feywilds along with him as payment for her lover’s life.

If that’s what it took, she was ready.

And yet, Karlach opened her eyes. Still sat in the chasm. Still breathing.

Her mind was a blur. Her body felt disconnected from her mind, images and sensations flashing across her memory with no rhyme or reason. She tried to remember. To remember a dream, a prophecy, a message delivered in the thick fog of a sunrise. The stifling dread, green and blue, the feeling of electric warmth on her skin…

Then, a sound caught her ear. Karlach focused forward, recognizing her companions huddled around each other. Shaky smiles and soft, relieved voices now filled the room.

In Halsin’s arms, there was Rivera. Alive.

Karlach felt the euphoria of her escape from Avernus a thousand times over as her body moved on its own accord. Rivera’s wonderful blue eyes finally met hers as he came to, groggy and disoriented, but living all the same. He could hardly ask what happened before Karlach wrapped him in a powerful embrace, nearly knocking Halsin backwards in the process. He simply smiled at them, eyes heavy with happiness and relief as he muttered his thanks to Silvanus.

“... Karlach?” Rivera managed from her crushing arms.

Karlach loosened her grip just slightly, face glowing as his voice graced her senses. “Hey, ‘sokay, you’re alright now, it's all okay.” Her voice wavered in her gentle whispers.

“Where… What happened?”

“Doesn't-” she fought back a hiccup, “Doesn’t matter. You’re safe, you're okay, it's gonna be okay.”

Karlach kept on, reassuring her own nerves as well as Rivera’s. In the whirlwind she had just endured, she had finally found the eye of the storm. Safe in her arms, alive and well. To her, in that moment, that’s all that mattered.

And she would do whatever it took to keep it that way.

Taglist: @ramblyships @ava-ships @gay-selfships @candyheartedchy @fritzyships @self-shippy @hellfirenacht @blorbosfrommyhead @little-miss-selfships @skipper-self-shipper

(DM me if you want to me added or removed)

#baldur's gate 3 #karlach #tav #BG3 #baldur's gate #Karlach x Tav #baldur's gate fanfiction #baldur's gate fic #the river flows in you

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vagabondfandoms · 6 months ago

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More Than A Moment

Falls On Me Part Two

Day Nine: Rosymorn Pilgrimage Route

Rating: Teen

Previous Parts: Falls On Me

Tags/Warning: Gale POV, Gale x Female Tav. Gale needs reminders to eat, a brief mention of Gale's past sexual escapades, and light-hearted teasing from the group. Approx: 1300 words

Sorry for the delay in uploading the second part of Falls on Me. I was fighting with the second half of this chapter. So I decided to expand the more playful part so I could release it as its own. The next chapter will contain more serious story points aka Githyanki Creche.

---

The Tadpole Troupe has been on the road a couple of days since they left the sanctuary of the Druid’s Grove. They encountered gnolls and a Zhentarim hideout on the road to Baldur’s Gate but nothing proves too perilous for the group of now eight.

Halsin decided to join their team, having both knowledge of the Shadowlands surrounding Moonrise Towers and a personal vendetta to see that area free of the darkness plaguing it. Gale doesn’t mind having the druid on the team, the wood elf brings a certain level-headedness to the group that only a man who lived as long as Halsin could provide.

Knowing the area the best, Halsin recommended two routes to Moonrise. The first was through the Underdark and the second was through the mountains. Lae’zel was still keen on visiting the Githyanki Creche, claiming the zaith’isk could purify their minds of the mind-flayer tadpoles. Since the tadpoles were still a huge concern for the majority of the group, they headed to the mountain pass with only mild grumbling about “not trusting the gith” from Shadowheart.

The Mountain Path proved treacherous with the road not being maintained for several years. The locals living at an inn claimed it was once a popular pilgrimage route for the followers of Lathander but ever since the Githyanki took over the area, nobody travels to the monastery anymore.

Even with the road being rough, Gale can see why the area was once a popular destination. The scenery was breathtaking with its spectacular mountain vistas, waterfalls, and views of the vast landscape below. The trees are lush and just starting to turn their autumn colors. Gale wishes it was a few weeks later into the year so he could see the valley in its full colorful splendor.

On more than one occasion Gale finds himself stopping to enjoy his surroundings while giving his legs a well-needed break. During these rests either Copper or himself will wander to each other and share a snack between them. It was nice getting reminders to eat and drink because Gale was extremely bad at remembering on his own. His mind was always too occupied with his research and education, to think about caring for his body.

The wizard often wished he had a spell that could take care of all the menial everyday tasks, such as eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom without him having to stop what he was doing. But once he eats a delicious meal he remembers why he loves food so much and feels a little guilty (in a voice that sounds awfully like his mother) for denying his body such nourishment. Being on the road, however, is making Gale miss any type of food that wasn't dried, salted, or half rotten.

“I wish we were back at my tower in Waterdeep,” Gale grumbles sourly to Copper as he takes a bite of dried fish. “I have an excellent kitchen and a wine cellar to rival Ondal himself. I could make us a sumptuous home-cooked meal of quipper fish topped with my mother’s famous hundur sauce.” He waves the half-eaten fish in the air wanting to throw it away but takes a bite to finish it instead. “A far *munch* better meal than this pathetic thing.”

“You would want me there? At your home?” Copper asks with a slight blush on her cheeks. Gale always likes when Copper blushes but instead of getting distracted this time by the adorable redness of her cheeks, he notices the surprise in her voice.

“Of course!” Gale encourages, placing one of his hands on hers. “You can meet my mother and Tara as well. But I might not invite them to dinner… they can be awfully nosey and I want our first real meal together as pleasant as possible.”

“What else are we going to do?” Copper says happily, playing along with the fantasy. She even laces their fingers together and slightly swings their hands back and forth as they start walking.

“Well, after keeping up our appearances with my mothers. Tara likes to think I’m her kitten even though I outweigh her 10 times over.” Gale adds quickly. “We can take a walk down near the waters. There’s a lovely stretch of beach between Watching Tower and Habor Watch. If we are adventurous we could even travel up to the beaches near West Gate. But to be honest, I would like to stay close to home. It makes for a quicker getaway if the mood takes us on more romantic routes.”

“Gale!” Copper shoves him playfully in the shoulder, stifling a laugh. “Are you telling me in a roundabout way that you made love in the sand before?”

“Well it wasn’t my most proud moment,” Gale confesses, a playful glint in his eye. “I had sand up my arsecheeks for a good day or two after the encounter. Not even a spell could fix it. But I expect no wizard ever fully committed themselves to try to develop a sand-in-the-bahoochie removal charm.”

Copper starts laughing and Gale can feel the vibrations through their cusped hands. He’s on the verge of laughing too when Copper gives him a heated stare. “Soooo, since we established the beach isn’t your favorite spot to make love. Where is Mister Waterdeep’s preferred locat….”

Before Copper could finish her sentence, Astarion comes barging between the flirting couple, breaking their hold on each other’s hands. “Urgh, enough of all this sweet talk! It’s making me feel sick,” the pale elf complains.

“HEY!” Karlach and Shadowheart shout in unison.

“It was just getting to the good part,” Karlach whines as Astarion sticks his tongue out to taunt her.

Scratch and Owlbert Dark Feathers sensing the playful energy, start to run in circles, jumping up at their human companions wanting to join in on the fun. Their joyful antics just upped the chaotic energy that erupted around the befuddled couple.

“I was looking forward to hearing more.” Shadowheart sighs as she leisurely passes Gale and Copper as Karlach, Scratch, and the Owlbear Cub barrel past them after the teasing vampire.

Gale quickly catches sight of a mischievous gleam in the tieflings eyes and sees within seconds that she captures Astarion and gives his head a noogie before quickly letting go so he doesn’t catch on fire.

The cleric smirks as Astarion lets out a big yowl and fixes his hair. Shadowheart continues talking, ignoring the chaos around her, directing her next words back towards Gale. “Walking gets awfully dull and a good fantasy story makes the time go by faster. But next time, avoid yapping about sand in your bum and get right to the good stuff.”

“Rude!” Gale calls out after Shadowheart. “They were listening in to our conversation.”

He huffs in annoyance, looking at Copper for agreement but noticing she was shifting her feet, looking flustered. “Well, we shouldn’t expect anything to stay private with this group.” She mumbles, chewing on her lip. “Not with how close we have to travel and the tadpoles connecting our minds.”

“That dampens the mood a little.” Gale sighs at the reminder of their current tadpole situation but perks back up when he reclaims Copper’s hand, giving her a flirty smile. “I liked where this conversation was going. Should we continue anyway?”

“Gale. Not in front of the others.” Copper cautions, her eyes shifting around, giving Wyll an awkward little wave as he passes. Both sensed the young man was trying to suppress his laughter since he witnessed the whole silly event from the rear guard.

“I can only stand one embarrassing incident per day.”

Gale chuckles at the woman’s nervous antics, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry dear. I’ll keep your modesty intact for another day.” He pulls her close for a quick side hug for extra reassurance as they join the group up the mountain path.

---

Author's Note: A small heads up. This story might update slower than Part One since it's summer and I need to enjoy the warm weather while it lasts. *lives in a cold northern climate.*

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale x tav #oc: copper #karlach #astarion #shadowheart #wyll #bg3 scratch #bg3 owlbear

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its-jaytothemee · 7 months ago

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Until I Met You - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: A Grym Task

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 4,450

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

Read on AO3

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Summary: The team starts the daunting task of infiltrating Grymforge. Part 15 of the slow burn fic. Tav and Halsin POVs.

Tags: Slow burn, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual love confessions, eventual smut, angst, implied past rape/non-con and abuse, graphic description of injuries, brief suicidal thoughts.

A/N: Have some more comforting conversation between Halsin and Tav. Getting close to the end of act 1! Thanks for continuing to read :)

Halsin woke up covered in fur and feathers. Scratch was lying on his side with his head in his lap while Sniff was curled up on the other side nestled in the crook of his arm. On the other side of Scratch was…Lunari?

Odd…

He gave each of them a few light pets on their heads before sitting up to stretch his stiff arms. Tav didn’t seem to be awake yet.

He glanced at her tent and noticed the clasps on the entrance were undone. As he looked around camp, a trail of footprints caught his eye. He followed them out of camp to find Tav sitting at the edge of the pond they had visited together. Her eyes were fixed on the dark water in front of her.

“Tav?”

No response.

“Tav, are you alright?” She kept her eyes forward seeming to not notice his approach.

He picked up a small rock and tossed it into the water, lighting it up with the tiny glowing creatures. Tav jumped at the change in scenery and whipped around to face him, tears streaming down her face.

“Oh shit, you startled me.” She grasped at her chest with one hand.

“I’m sorry, I tried to call out to you, but you didn’t respond.” A pang of guilt stabbed his gut.

“It’s…it’s okay.” She took a couple of breaths to compose herself before quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“Would you like to be alone? I didn’t mean to–”

“No. I don’t want to be alone,” She cut him off as she pulled her knees close to her chest. “I just…I found myself walking here. It’s comforting.”

Halsin walked up to the edge of the pond and sat next to her.

“I know what you mean. Between the dancing lights and the ripples coming out from the rocks, this is as good a place as any to contemplate your thoughts.” He thought back to all the nights he spent by the water’s edge at the grove. Watching the waves alternate between pulling away from the shore and crashing back onto the sand. Skipping rocks when the water was calmer so he could watch the ripples disappear into smooth water again.

“Yes, of course.” She smiled weakly before turning her attention back to the water.

“What’s on your mind, friend?”

“Tev.” She sighed. “He’s been on my mind often since I was abducted. Every time I’m stuck or frustrated, I wish he was here. He always had the answer, he always knew the next step.”

“Where did you get abducted?” Halsin had been curious about everyone’s whereabouts when they were taken.

“Candlekeep. I had only just arrived when the nautiloid appeared in the sky.” She looked away from him.

“What were you doing in Candlekeep?”

She tossed a small rock in the water as the lights started to fade.

“I travelled there seeking knowledge of Shar and her curses.” A few more tears escaped down her cheeks.

Halsin eyed her curiously.

“Have you also been looking for a way to get rid of the curse?”

“Not exactly.” She sniffled and hugged her arms tighter around her legs. “I know I told you that I lost Tev’aron to the curse. But the truth is I don’t know what happened to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“We had been separated for weeks during the fighting. Being part of different squads took us away from each other more often than I liked. When I was finally able to meet up with others who made it out, no one could tell me what happened. I kept tabs on Harper safe houses for months hoping he would show up somewhere. I even sent a letter to the High Harper herself; she didn’t know either. After a couple of years passed with no trace of him, I just assumed…” She paused to take a deep breath. “I assumed he succumbed to the curse.”

“Unfortunately, that is a very rational assumption to make.”

“That’s what I told myself. I told myself I had to move on, that if he had survived, he would have found me. So, I left the Harpers and set off to make my own way in the world. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the hope that maybe he was alive. I thought that maybe he could have lived and found a way to survive even amidst the curse and maybe he was just trapped there.”

Halsin nodded along with her story.

“That hope came and went over the years. But at some point, I decided I needed to know for sure if it was a possibility, so I started the journey to Candlekeep. They have the largest collection of knowledge in Faerûn, so I figured it was my best bet. The mind flayers arrived shortly after I did. Then I was whisked away to the nautiloid, got eye-fucked by an illithid tadpole, and crashed on that beach.”

The lights in the pond had faded but Tav made no move to disturb the water again.

“Then I met you.” She turned to face him. Even in the dark, he could see the tears shining in her eyes. “Ever since I’ve realized I would have to go to Moonrise again, I’ve been absolutely terrified. Not just of the curse, but what I might find when we get there.

“You’re the first person I’ve met who will willingly go into that curse. I know you can’t say why yet, and I’m not going to press you. But you seem to know more about those shadows than anyone else I know. So, I have to ask you, Halsin…”

His heart was racing, his chest tightened as he waited for her to finish.

“Is there any chance Tev survived?” Her brother’s name caused a crack in her voice, breaking the dam that had been holding the rest of her tears.

Halsin considered her question carefully before answering. Giving his honest opinion would likely crush her, even though he suspected she already knew it. They both saw what happened to those around them who were caught too long in the shadows. As much as he wanted to give her comfort, he didn’t dare to fan the flames of hope, not this time.

“Tav, I would like more than anything to tell you there’s a chance of finding him, of finding anyone still alive after all these years. But that would be a horrible disservice to you. You know as well as I do the darkness that chokes the land.” Each word felt like a dagger being driven further into his stomach. She clenched her jaw as a few additional tears rolled from her eyes.

“I know. Gods, you must think I’m so stupid.” Tav turned her gaze forward as she hurled another rock into the water. His heart ached watching her lip tremble as the lights returned once again.

“Never.” He slid across the dirt to sit a little closer to her. “I dealt with the aftermath of the curse by retreating into myself. The only way I could cope was to assume everyone left behind was lost. I had to, Tav.” He took a deep breath as tears gathered in his eyes.

If he had allowed himself to believe that anyone had been left alive, he couldn’t have taken over as Archdruid. He would have lost himself scouring the lands to find any survivors.

“You, on the other hand, have held onto a small sliver of hope that Tev could be alive. And I think that hope helped keep you going. We chose different paths, but they were ultimately the right ones for what we needed. I cannot assure you either way whether your brother is alive or not. I would not dare to hope, but that does not mean you have to lose yours.”

“And what happens when we get to Moonrise?” She looked at him with frightened, pleading eyes. “What happens when we get there, and I have my answer? What happens if I finally lose that hope?” Her voice quieted with each word, until it was but a shattered whisper when she finished.

Halsin didn’t have an answer, so he just pulled her into a hug at his side. She kept her arms wrapped tight around her chest as she leaned on his shoulder. He hadn’t been entirely truthful with her of course. The hope he had wasn’t for any of his fallen allies, but for Thaniel. He prayed every night that his old friend was still alive somewhere among that curse.

Hope for Thaniel surviving was much different from any mortal surviving the curse, but what comfort would that be to Tav right now?

What would happen to him if that hope was lost? What would happen if the last one hundred years were for nothing?

A hundred questions raced through his mind, causing him to hug Tav tighter.

“No matter what happens,” Halsin took a shaky breath as she cried against him, “I’m very glad to have met you, Tav. And I’m very grateful to not be facing this alone anymore. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone to truly call a friend.”

“Me too.” Tav brought one arm around his waist and pulled herself even closer to him.

Not another word was said between them, the only sounds were those of rocks hitting the water and their breathing. They sat and watched the glowing pond for a couple of hours before going back to camp. Tav gave him one more quick hug before walking off to her tent to gather her things for the day. Despite standing by the fire and once again surrounded by furry friends, he couldn’t help but feel a shiver flow across his body, already missing the warmth of her company.

***

The others were just starting to stir as Tav left her tent again. They were all preparing for the journey across the lake to the ruins, to face another True Soul and deliver his head to the Sovereign.

“Morning, soldier.” Karlach stretched as she skipped up to Tav’s tent, a big yawn stifling her words.

“Morning, love.”

“What’s wrong? You look…upset.” She tilted her head to the side as she gave Tav a concerned look.

“Just had some bad dreams is all.” Tav waved her hand trying to project indifference. Karlach moved like she was going to say something more, but Halsin came to join them.

“Here.” He held out a couple of small potion vials to the two of them. “I made some extras for you to take along with you today.”

“Thanks!” Karlach beamed at him as she took one of the bottles.

“This stronghold…you must know more about what we can expect there.” Tav hoped more than assumed.

“Precious little.” He admitted. “But the fortress mentioned by Sovereign Spaw is promising. I’m sure that you’re on the right path.”

“We’ll report back tonight with what we find.” She secured her quiver of arrows across her back. “Keep an eye on Lunari until I get back? I have no idea what we’ll be facing there and…” She gave a loving look to her furry friend. Lunari had been through so much with her, but their journey became more dangerous with each passing day. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her.

“Of course. I can hardly think of a better way to spend the day than surrounded by these lovely companions.” Scratch was already leaning against his legs.

“Thanks love.” She smiled as she turned to follow Karlach, but Halsin caught her hand.

“Tav…” He looked down at her palm embraced in his hands. “Good luck, and please…be careful.”

“Aren’t we always?” She winked as she gently tugged her hand free.

After a short walk, they arrived at the lake shore again, staring over the waters black as the abyss. The musty smell wafted over them as they approached the dock. A combination of damp Underdark air, mushrooms, and a sweet smell she couldn’t quite identify.

An unfamiliar vessel bobbed in time with the waves, waiting for a captain. Looking over the design, it seemed easy enough to sail without much trouble.

“So, what kind of monsters like to prowl the waters of the Underdark?” Karlach looked over the lake in front of them.

“Nothing friendly if our previous experiences have been any indication.” Gale tightened the strap of his bag around his shoulder.

Tav beckoned everyone to follow her onto the boat. She climbed the steps to the top platform where a steering mechanism sat locked in place. Wyll found the lift for the small anchor that kept it in place and brought it back onto the deck, allowing the raft to drift away from the dock.

They rode in silence, wary of drawing attention to themselves on the silent lake. The glowing mushrooms lining the stone walls around them and the small lantern on the boat were their sole sources of light along the winding waterway.

Behind them, the sound of another craft gliding through the water startled them out of their silent ride. A boat sailed up next to them, identical to the one they rode. Her companions all stood up, the air between them growing more tense with each passing moment.

“Elf! What are you doing on Gekh’s raft?” The duergar jumped over to their boat. “Where’s Gekh? Who are you?” He glared at her before his eyes darted around to her companions.

More slavers…

Tav didn’t say a word, she simply drove her shoulder into the man, shoving him into the murky water beneath them. Lae’zel gave a snarl of approval.

The other duergar jumped into action without hesitation. One jumped onto their boat while two of the others began a barrage of arrows. Another one on the lower deck of the other boat pulled a bomb out of his pocket.

“Bomb!” Tav screamed to her companions as she took her aim at the one who stood poised and ready to throw the small bomb onto their boat. She fired just a moment too late. The bomb soared from his hand just before her arrow pierced his neck, sending him stumbling backwards into the water.

The explosion rocked the craft. It had landed next to Lae’zel, and she was thrown from the deck.

“Lae’zel!” Wyll yelled as he released a crackling Eldritch Blast from his fingertips toward the archers on the other boat. One was launched into the water and left behind as they continued to sail away.

Astarion and Wyll dashed over to the edge of their raft to find Lae’zel holding on to one of the spikes for dear life. They quickly heaved her back onto the deck. Her head was bleeding, and she was taking deep, ragged breaths.

Karlach sunk her axe into the stomach of the duergar who had jumped onto their raft. He fell with a loud splash into their wake. Tav fired more arrows back at the other two duergar. A pained grunt from Gale startled her and caused an arrow to go whizzing past the archer across the way.

“Take that one out!” He yelled as he pointed to the duergar woman on the top deck of the other boat. “She’s trying to charm us!”

Tav whipped around and shifted her focus to the spellcaster. She grabbed one of the new arrows they picked up from the hobgoblin trader at the myconid colony. The arrow flew from her bow to strike the duergar woman in the chest. As it hit, the tip exploded in a bang of thunderous energy, sending her flying off the deck.

Karlach leaped over the small gap between the two rafts to cut down the last archer just after it took a final shot, sinking its arrow into Tav’s shoulder.

“Tav!” Gale called out to her as she dropped to one knee.

“I’m okay.” She drew in a sharp breath. “At least that’s the last of them.”

Shadowheart came over to inspect her wound.

“It’s okay, Shadowheart. Go check on Lae’zel. She looked to be in pretty bad shape.” Tav nodded toward their battered githyanki friend.

“Gale, help me get this arrow out so I can heal myself.” Tav sat down on the deck with a grunt.

“Alright my friend, on three. One, two…” Gale yanked the arrow from her shoulder causing a yelp of pain from Tav.

“What happened to three, you ass?!” She blinked the involuntary tears away from her eyes.

“I didn’t want to give you a chance to tense up.” He tossed the bloodied arrow aside and helped her grab her pack. She fished out the small potion vial Halsin had handed her before they left, grateful that he had taken the time to make them a few extra.

The crimson liquid filled her mouth, the taste reminded her of wine that had gone sour. A warm feeling from the potion spread from her throat to her chest, slowly making its way to her wound. She winced as she felt the skin pull back together, like invisible stitches working to close the gap.

Shadowheart seemed to have Lae’zel back on her feet, and the others seemed to have gotten out of the fight with only minor scratches. Tav waved Karlach back over to their raft as she walked back over to the rudder controls.

“Onward?” Tav asked, still out of breath.

“Let’s go harvest ourselves a drow head, darling.” Astarion plopped down beside her.

Not long after, their raft sailed into the mouth of a cave that gave way to an imposing fortress. A giant statue of Shar greeted them as intricate iron doors on metal gears embedded into the stone walls lifted to allow them passage. One thing that could be said about the goddess, she had style.

Now that she had arrived, a feeling of dread washed over Tav as she recalled the fortress. Embarrassed that she didn’t realize earlier that this was the place they had been searching for.

Grymforge.

She had always sort of thought it was just a legend – a scary story they told each other around the campfire to make their enemy into an abstract fairy tale villain rather than a flawed, mortal man who fell too far into Shar’s embrace. But no, this is where Ketheric Thorm and his Dark Justiciars gathered their numbers during the fighting at Moonrise. The Sharran structure, proximity to Moonrise Towers…it had to be.

Shadowheart gasped audibly as they passed through the entrance. Tears glimmered at the edge of her eyes. She started to mutter under her breath, Tav assumed it was a prayer of some kind to her dark lady.

“Hey, look alive. We’ve got a welcoming party.” Tav nodded toward the small inlet where other rafts like the one they sailed on were docked. She heard the familiar stirring of her companions as they put themselves on guard. They only had a short time to rest since their fight on the water, but everyone had recovered well enough.

“What do we got here, dead hoon walking, seems like.” A bald duergar woman offered them a cold greeting when they disembarked from the craft. “Got any reason I shouldn’t sever your head and toss it to the Rothé?”

Tav was in no mood to banter with slavers today. She jumped off the raft to glare down at the duergar.

“I’ll be severing yours if it’s all the same.” She sneered.

“We’ll see about th–” The duergar grunted as she winced away from them. Tav felt the familiar squirming of her tadpole in her brain.

“I’ll be…you’re one of them cult-freaks. Felt the tingle.” She shook her head lightly. “Let’s talk business then. Your Twat-soul friend Nere caused a rockfall. Trapped himself like the tight wad he is.”

“So, we have to free Nere before we cut off his head? Sounds like a lot of wasted effort.” Astarion whined.

“Forgive me if I’m not in much of a hurry to rescue him.” Wyll folded his arms over his chest.

The other bearded duergar with her spoke up next.

“Couple gnome slaves stuck with him too, little bastards.” He scowled.

“You have the gnome slaves here?” Tav’s angry whisper didn’t even phase the two duergar in front of her. They simply laughed at her outburst.

“Deep gnomes, mostly. Easy to feed, fat thumbs for digging. A few were caught on the other side of the cave-in with Nere. I’m sure they’re getting quite the thrashing from him, that drow’s got a temper, he does.” He laughed at the thought, the sound threatening to release the rage pooling in Tav’s chest.

Fragments of memories flashed in her mind. Noravi. Her father. Bruises barely covered by makeup. Whispered threats smelling of wyvern whiskey. A torn dress billowing behind her as she sprinted through the streets of Baldur’s Gate.

A black hand on a gold cufflink.

“My father has an uncanny aptitude for procuring…reluctant workers.”

Noravi’s words were seared in her mind even a century later. Her focus snapped back to the present. The stonework making up the Sharran fortress surrounding them boasted stunning purple, blue, and gold hues.

But Tav only saw red.

She drew her bow with frightening speed and shot an arrow directly into the eye of the duergar woman in front of her. She barely had time to breathe or even blink before she hit the ground. The man next to her gawked at them in stunned silence. Astarion seized the opportunity to drive one of his daggers into his throat before he could call for help.

“Maybe a bit of warning next time you want to murder someone in a crowded fortress, Tav?” Astarion wiped the blade of his dagger clean on the fallen duergar.

“Slavers only understand one language. And they only deserve one fate.” Tav spat the words as she clenched and unclenched her hand at her side.

“Yes, very heroic, darling. But in all seriousness, we should probably have a plan to go along with that righteous fury.”

Lae’zel and Karlach quickly disposed of the bodies into the water, taking care not to let them splash too much.

“Hey, soldier, what the fuck was that?” Karlach tried to keep her voice down, but the concern was obvious in her tone.

“They’re keeping slaves here, Karlach.” Her blood boiled just beneath the surface of her skin. The heat clouding all rational thought.

“Don’t get me wrong, I hate slavers as much as the next decent person, but you scared me a bit there, Tav. You had a manic look in your eyes that wasn’t…you.”

The tears that ran down her face were as hot as the skin they dampened. She chewed on the inside of her cheek until the taste of copper covered her tongue. What if these slaves were tied to her family? What if they were tied to the Sylvyres? What if today was the day her new friends found out about her past? What if today was the day she was forced to introduce them to Lady Tav’ahria Mendelre?

“Fine. Let’s make a plan then.” She said through gritted teeth. Right now, the only plan rattling around in her brain was to kill any slaver on sight.

“Is there no chance we can talk our way out of this? Have a civilized conversation?” Gale, ever the optimist, suggested.

“Gale, my friend, we’re here to kill a bunch of cultists, cut off the head of a drow, and deliver said head back to a colony of living mushrooms. I don’t think we can get much more uncivilized.” Astarion rolled his eyes as he leaned on a nearby crate.

“Technically, all mushrooms are living. I believe the word you were looking for is sentient.” Gale pulled a mocking face at Astarion.

“Trust me, Gale. There’s no talking with people like this.” Tav interrupted their banter. “They have no regard for anything than their profits. All they want is to feel power over others.”

“Then we need to be smart about this, approach it with careful consideration before we go in with our weapons drawn.” Wyll stepped up next to her.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

“Before we do anything, we need to find out where this cave-in happened. Once we know where we’ll find Nere, then we’ll be able to find out more about what we’re up against.” Her temper had cooled, and her breathing was back to normal.

“Good plan. Maybe we should have a little signal when shit’s ready to go down. You know, so we don’t have another…” Karlach looked at the water where they dumped the bodies. “…incident.”

“What like a safe word?” Astarion giggled.

“That’s not a bad idea. Anyone says the safe word, we know to prepare for battle.” Gale agreed. “Could come in handy later on as well.”

“Karlach? Any suggestions?” Tav looked to her friend.

“Um…Whizbangs.”

“Whizbangs?” Astarion made a face.

“Whizbangs.” Karlach gave a decisive nod of her head.

“Okay then, anyone says ‘whizbangs,’ get ready for a fight.” Tav put her bow away as they started their way up the stairs.

She took careful note of the location of the docks just in case they needed a quick escape. Taking slow, careful steps, Tav led her party through the ruins. She tried to project an aura of confidence and belonging, the impression of a True Soul.

“Fascinating architecture. Doesn’t match the style of any Underdark civilization that I know of.” Gale’s eyes darted around them as he spun in place, taking everything in.

“That’s because it doesn’t belong to an Underdark civilization.” She grumbled.

“She’s right. This is a fortress dedicated to Lady Shar.” Shadowheart’s voice was full of admiration of her surroundings.

Tav kept her hands balled up at her side, thankful that her gloves kept her nails from digging into her palms. At least now they knew that this was most definitely the stronghold that Halsin had been searching for.

Light clinking sounds started to drift into their ears the further in they wandered.

“Sounds like mining tools.” Tav muttered to the others.

“Must be our cave-in.” Wyll suggested. “If we follow that sound, I’ll bet my good eye that we find the gnomes and Nere.”

“Stay close together, keep your eyes sharp.” Tav grabbed her bow and held it at her hip, ready for anything.

“Play along, try leaning into the True Soul role to get us as close as you can.” Astarion whispered.

“And remember, the safe word is whizbangs.” Karlach whispered. Tav took a deep breath and led them into the large chamber at the top of the stairs.

#bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 halsin #halsin silverbough #halsin x tav #halsin fanfic #bg3 fluff #halsin fluff

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riddlerosehearts · 7 months ago

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all right so, some more thoughts on act 2 of baldur's gate 3 now that i finally replaced my hard drive and have been able to play again! this is basically all about like the very end of act 2 because i enjoyed it but just didn't really write things down for most of it.

so first of all i actually kind of love ketheric thorm and the tragedy of his character. i love villains who are willing to destroy themselves and the world for the sake of their family 💖

however i wish that if you talked to him about his wife and passed the checks to try persuading him to repent you could actually change the outcome of things. like what if you could save him and recruit him.... i honestly really think my tav would've felt a bit of empathy toward his situation and wanted to save him if they could, and also personally i just find him more interesting than halsin or even jaheira asdkjfghsdf

i'm sure jaheira is a lot cooler to people who know her from previous baldur's gate games but having 2 druids feels a bit redundant when there are so many other classes and she and halsin both become recruitable a little too late imo, especially given that halsin kind of has nothing to do after he finally joins you. ketheric would be an even later addition but sorry i just think he's so cool and that making one of the villains redeemable + recruitable would've been neat!

ANYWAY i also love the fact that even though i was spoiled on a lot of random bits and pieces about the different companions' personal stories before i started, i was not really spoiled at all on the actual main plot of this game lol. it just makes it that much more exciting getting to see how it all unfolds.

i also wasn't spoiled on the details of wyll's pact and now that he's finally talked about it, i love his character even more!! he's literally like if a disney prince loved his home and its people so much that he sold his soul to save them. i wish we could've had a full flashback when he agreed to show us what happened like the ones we get when we see into shadowheart's past.

i also wish he got more appreciation from fans and had a more complete romance but we all know why he doesn't 😔

i think this is literally the first "stereotypical horny bard" dialogue i've come across omg 😭 didn't actually pick this because it would've been ooc for elenion to say but i will say i think it would've been really funny if there was like. romance-specific dialogue here because you have such insane first meetings with every companion. i'm just imagining elenion going "love at first sight? i suppose so, although for me it was more like love at first hand" and leaving isobel wondering wtf that's supposed to mean

all of this confusion and going back and forth about whether to trust the dream guardian... and they were a mind flayer the whole time!! tbh that actually does not make elenion automatically stop trusting them because we've met omeluum and he didn't seem bad, but what does kind of make them lose trust in the emperor is the whole "encouraging you to turn into a mind flayer" thing... yeah, not doing that.

actually though i found out a while ago that something was up with the dream guardian but like. i was expecting them to turn out to just be fully evil and wanting to try and manipulate us more directly after the reveal, not for them to be acting like a nice friendly heroic mind flayer, so that does come as a surprise!

i wish i had thought to take lae'zel with me to the astral plane in case she would've had anything to say about orpheus while we were there... but oh well, i didn't really have her on my team during act 2 and she wasn't relevant to basically any of its story so i missed her a lot and i am so proud of her now for how she told off vlaakith.

??? halsin just tried to confess his love to elenion and said he thinks they feel the same way and i mean... at least he was very kind and understanding when they rejected him but i am baffled because i haven't really had him in the party at all and. like. when he asked them to tell him a secret they even said they didn't feel like there was anything to tell because they didn't wanna open up to him too deeply (well, and also because for some reason the only other option is to say you're afraid of krakens), but now he thinks they're in love with him? 😭 i've heard that it used to be extremely easy to accidentally romance gale but i do not understand how this happened with halsin. oh well.

oh yeah also i got this dialogue from wyll and i wish there was an option to say that you're anxious about being back or something. because elenion has been sort of avoiding visiting home and only going back very infrequently for a very long time and he and wyll are close so i imagine that wyll knows why that is. but i ended up just picking the first option and imagining that wyll is too polite to question it.

anyway, i've stepped into rivington and am ready to start exploring it but i'm going to end this post here for now!

#star plays bg3

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sweetlywingedcreation · 5 months ago

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for the character ask: shadowheart baldursgate3 . idek anything about her I just think she's pretty🙂‍↕️

Hell yes!!! Shadowheart!!!

How I feel about this character

Okay, so I love Shadowheart so freaking much!!! She was the first companion I romanced in BG3 and has claimed a special place in my heart. (thank you to my bestie who convinced me to choose her instead of Astarion for my first playthrough. Changed my life)

She's like one of the very few women I'm genuinely attracted to and she makes me question my sexuality a little lmao.

Once you get her to trust you she stops being cold for the most part and starts being sweet and a little dorky and OUGH I just love her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I ship a decent amount with her but my mains are:

Karius my Tav (I have so much shit written and in my brain for these two! That's his fucking wife your honor!!! In my brain I've labeled them HeartBeat)

Halsin (the other half of my CanonXOc OT3 They are in a very happy poly relationship I have dubbed UrsineHeartBeat)

Karlach (Any time I'm not playing Kairius I always think of these two since they're almost always on my main team and their banter is always so fun. Also 'she looks like she could throw me over her shoulder' Is a god-tier line from SH. These bitches gay! Good for them... Good for them.)

Laezel (I'm not the biggest shipper of them but I think they're neat! Love a good enemies to lovers speedrun)

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Astarion!! I've seen some good romantic stuff for them but honest to god I just think they'd be besties drinking wine and gossiping.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don't think I really have any???

Like I like her character arc of learning to trust you and opening up slowly. I know some people thought she was bitchy in the beginning but in her defence, she was literally brainwashed by a cult not to trust people, it's kind of understandable she'd be cold and distant.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

More romance options in Act 2.

I know she was occupied with all of the Shar stuff happening but both Astarion AND Gale (and probably others but I only really know these 2) have a second romance scene in Act 2. I genuinely thought I fucked her and Kairius' relationship up when I didn't get anything until LITERALLY the end of it (right before the boss).

IIRC all you get from her is a brief 'Hey we had somethin' going, didn't we? Sorry, I was too busy!' moment. Like Gale gets a whole scene under the stars, Astarion gets an entire moment where you can hug him and tell him you care for him.

Where's Shadowheart's version!? Let me tell her how I care for her and that I'm glad she's okay after everything that happened in the gauntlet! Let me give her a night orchid and hold her hand under the stars! Let me heal her sliced palm from the blood sacrifices and tell her how strong she is for betraying Shar!

Yes, I know they're technically story beats and not EXPLICITLY romance scenes but cmon man.

Hells, I even wrote an entire thing about Kairius dying her hair (despite that happening in Act 3) because I just wanted MORE for her.

Maybe she gets a second thing in Act 3 idk, I never finished the game lmao but still. Let me love this woman more dammit!

Anyways

Thank you for asking!!!! I love Shadowheart ^~^ <3

#ask game #bg3 #shadowheart #shadowheart bg3 #bg3 spoilers #act 2 spoilers #jas rambles #cyberexorcism

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thenameswinter99 · 3 months ago

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Halsin, Gale, or Astarion

Oh man, I forgot I still have these kind of asks to answer... 😂 Before answering to the ones I had left in my inbox because of my hiatus-

Kick them out of bed:

Let's be honest: I started playing BG3 for him. All the Insta posts, TikToks, Youtube and Twitch videos of any kind of romance you could do with him convinced me to buy this game and play (and then I ended up romancing Gale first, but details 🤡).

Despite everything, Astarion would be kicked out of my bed like... IMMEDIATELY. I don't mind traveling with a vampire, but please I wish not to wake up with a sharp pain running through the side of my neck only to find out that he's sucking my blood because he's hungry.

I love you, Astarion... But no.

2. Let them stay to cuddle:

Who better to receive a good, healthy dose of pampering? Phisically, on an astral plane, in the middle of the forest created by magic? Every place is perfect for Gale to receive cuddles.

And let's be honest: he totally deserve them. After being dumped by that bitch of Mystra he deserves someone who takes him in his arms and accept every weird aspect of him, loving his eloquent speeches and pompous way to express himself (and also how he shows how proud he is to his infinite knowledge towards wizarding and so on... and even forgiving him for eating magical items that could be useful to you and your team).

Plus, there's Tara too! So cuddles with furs, what a magical combination.

3. Introduce them to friends & family:

Please... PLEASE. I CANNOT CHOOSE HIM IN THIS IF HE'S THE QUINTESSENCE OF DADDY MATERIAL.

But jokes apart, Halsin is the perfect partner/husband that would fit in your family/group of friends extremely well. He's the living definition of "God created men and then created him as an apology", and his quite and gentle nature certainly plays a point in his favour.

Just be careful how you treat the world around you: as the nature lover that he is, he might take it personally if you leave litter on the ground, trample small plants under your feet or treat animals badly. He is the kind of person who would spend the whole day safeguarding nature from the rubbish you leave lying around. But your friends will get over it.

Rank three fictional characters ask game

#my eyes hurt so I'll only answer to this #I'll continue tomorrow #tumblr asks #moots asks #ask game #three fictional characters ask #my beloved moots #my beloved ali 💜

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magicjesuscup · 8 months ago

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The funniest thing happened in bg3

Act 3 spoilers below:

I'm in act 3 and I just finished Astarion's kill Cazador quest. I went back to camp for a long rest. I went around to talk to everybody; they're all doing fine. I have Karlach, Jaheira, Wyll, Astarion, Gale, and Halsin as companions although there are a few others hanging around. Shadowheart rage quit (a fun story for another time) and Lae'zel was kidnapped.

Long story short, my Tav fucked the mindflayer. I know Halsin doesn't have a tadpole, but I wish he could've been there with Astarion cheering her on and giving her a thumbs up. Instead, Gale, Jaheira, and Karlach were judging her really hard. Emperor basically said, "I got distracted; my bad. I'll erase their memories." Cool.

Except the next morning, I tried to get Gale in my party (so they could go to the temple to talk to Mystra), but he was walking around the camp kind of aimlessly and didn't stop to talk when I tried to click on him. His relationship with my Tav is exceptional, and he tried to show her some magic at the tiefling party (which she declined). So I'm sitting there thinking, "Oh shit, Gale remembers what he saw last night." I had my Tav following him and he just disappeared. For a minute, I thought he rage quit like Shadowheart (because Tav turned out to be a freak and now he needs to bleach his eyes), so I had her walk around a bit to look for him. Couldn't find him. So, I grabbed Karlach and Halsin and figured I'd look for Gale at the temple.

He was there. Instead of waiting five seconds so I could add him to the team, he decided to go to the temple by himself. What a drama queen.

#Gale #bg3 #NOT FATE RELATED

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micklio · 11 months ago

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rambling about the BG3 ending (spoilers ahead), just getting some thoughts out

I finished BG3 yesterday and overall i loved the game but my god that ending was rushed and didn't really give any closure. I didn't free orpheus despite wanting to because my tav Crowe thought that staying with the emperor would be the most consistent choice to guarantee getting rid of the Netherbrain -- and that after Crowe would help Lae'zael and Voss with getting rid of Vlaakith cause if they're all mindflayers or dominated by the Netherbrain they wouldn't be able to do anything (i looked up what the Orpheus ending looked like after though and it's kind of a shame it doesn't seem to have much of an impact the Emperor is just like bye. Which i guess is in line with his character but it didn't have any oomf to it)

The epilogue helped a little bit with closure but this didn't exist until a month ago and definitely didn't make it a super satisfying ending it felt like a bandaid. W/o the epilogue the ending was

-Lae'zael says a couple quick lines to you and fucks off which is my bad for not taking the Orpheus ending, but it feels out of character that you can't offer to help or or at least talk to her so she can understand where you were coming from, that it felt like the bond you guys built up over the adventure meant nothing. She trusts the group to use her Silver sword?? Why won't she stay for a few words I feel like this isn't in character for her idk

-I was unable to finish Shadowheart's quest because the Shar Temple fight in Act 3 was insanely buggy for me and was crashing constantly. Shadowheart was not mentioned at all at the docks which is likely because I couldn't finish the quest but that's still weird they didn't account for people not doing companion quests. Like not even just one line about what Shart is going to do next. Ok.

-Halsin is not mentioned AT ALL and Crowe was partnered with him in addition to Astarion. In the epilogue you learn he's trying to help rebuild the Shadowlands area -- if Tav gets a scene at the end with Astarion why can't he have a quick scene with Halsin discussing he wants to go back to the Shadowlands

-You talk with Gale about what to do with the crown but you don't learn the consequences of that at all he just goes okay and walks away from the doc

-Astarion just runs away. He was Crowe's partner so they got a follow up scene but if this wasn't the case I imagine there isn't anything else. Even with a follow up scene wish there was more about what Astarion wanted to do with his life now that it's his.

-Wyll and Karlach insta leave to Avernus. I'm devastated by Karlach's ending and really wish there was a "better" ending for her in line with other companions BUT!!! This was oddly one of the endings I felt like had some closure/was in line with the story. Karlach got to have her moment at the docks that was heart wrenching and sad and didn't ignore the journey she went on and her friendship with Crowe

-Wyll deserved more than two lines before him and Karlach ran off to Avernus, like with the Ansurr quest/following up with him after we knew he was going to end up with Avernus, how he felt about that and why he was going to become the Blade of Avernus is great BUT LET HIM SAY GOODBYE TO HIS FRIENDS AND HIS CITY!!! >:(

I love that Wyll and Karlach get to be a devil slaying team in Avernus and just how much they've changed from the beginning of the game, you meet because Wyll is trying to find Karlach. And im here for a happy ending for Karlach but the epilogue feels like such whiplash LOL like she has this heart wrenching scene at the docks then the writers went "um oopsie. Actually her and Wyll found a way to fix her engine. Yay!" writers you need to COMMIT

The epilogue did help a little bit. It's nice to know what the companions are up to but it didn't fix the ending at all lol. BG3's characters are the strongest points in a game, it's such a whiplash to see the ending just tacked on. I still don't know what Astarion wants to do post game. Crowe wanted to help him find a way to walk in the sun and but what does Astarion want to do with his life now that he doesn't have Cazador or a tadpole in his head!!!!!

To me the game is obviously not finished and that's a shame because it's still such a good game but it could be BETTER. Act 3 lacks a lot of polish that Act 1 pulls you in with. Characters at camp don't have much to say in Act 3, you barely talk to them about anything, Halsin basically doesn't exist. The constant crashing after a certain point in Act 2 is just unacceptable, at one point i had to stop playing for a couple months because I literally couldn't progress through the crashing, and these technical issues dampened my enjoyment of the game a lot.

I also wish they made Tav's character choices matter more, like even stuff popping up in your dialogue more, or actually getting to meet your patron -- the "we're just leaving it up to your imagination" doesn't really work when all the Origins characters in your party have a huge backstory that matters throughout the game and Tav just doesn't. There wasn't a lot of moments where I was like YES Crowe feels so cool right now!! I know Durge apparently addresses some of this but that doesn't fix that Tav just feels like they're There. They def could've done more. Why doesn't Crowe ever get to talk to his patron as a Warlock. Why can't the game explore what kind of relationship they have. Crowe is a soldier from Baldur's Gate. Why can't he have connections to the Flaming Fists? Why can't he see his family? Why can't Crowe have religious connections and have that affect the story without being a cleric? He worships Illmater and returning home to the murder at the temple devastated him. Why can't there be a few dialogue options with him being familiar with someone at the temple. Like there's ways to improve on making Tav feel like they matter more even with just smaller stuff.

That's it for now but I might return with more thought dumping later

#mids text #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers

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thedragonagelesbian · 1 year ago

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Baldur's Gate 3 Tav Ask List also multiples of 10 for Cyrus <3

:DDD (answering for Pallybarb Cyrus since he's the one I've finished the game with)

BG3 Tav ask list

10. What was your Tav like as a child?

Cyrus was the joy of his parents' lives as they struggled to raise him on the run from Malcolm's archfey warlock patron. He never fussed or complained even as they were constantly on the move up and down the Sword Coast. At 16 (still very much a child by elf standards), he even took his father's death in stride, steeling himself against his grief so he could provide for himself and his mother.

20. Finally, what does your Tav feel as the Nautiloid crashes? Are they scared? Are they thinking of a way to survive?

In Fantasy High, there's a wizard with a frog familiar described as having exactly two moods: 'happy to be here gang' and 'mm i'm not sure about this'. Those aren't Cyrus' only two moods, but he's pretty unflappable so long as no one else's life is on the line, so even as he's like. ostensibly hurtling to his death, his attitude is one of 'well this isn't ideal...'

30. Who does your Tav think of when they go to sleep at the goblin/tiefling party? Or are they lucky and do they get to spend the night with the person they want?

He breaks up with Astarion, flirts with Gale, and chats with Karlach about how desperately they want to fuck each others' brains out. Cyrus maybe has enough wine in him to try touching her anyway & gives himself some third degree burns just to hold her hand for a heartbeat.

(He would've flirted with Wyll too, but Karlach's scene wasn't triggering if I didn't keep the Wyll interaction strictly platonic)

40. Did your Tav agree to kill the Guardian or did they go talk to them instead?

This version of Cyrus had absolute unwavering faith in the Guardian up until the negotiation with Raphael in Sharess' Caress and the Emperor forcing the truth of their agreement from his mind afterward.

50. Does your Tav save the tieflings & gnomes?

Yep! I savescummed so hard to get them all out but yes.

60. Did you clear Moonrise Towers of the shadow curse?

Yes!! I've mentioned this briefly before, but rescuing Thaniel and Oliver is the very first thing Cyrus does after breaking his oath. The scene I have in my head is Halsin feeling like Cyrus losing his oath is yet another casualty of the shadow curse, another good thing lost to his mistakes. But Cyrus promises him that they're going to fix it right now together, and in the portal fight, he debuts his new oathbreaker channel divinity where you can make an undead creature your ally. For him, it's a moment of realizing that he hasn't lost as much as he thought and that these new powers can still be used for good, despite knowing he'll carry a shard of this shadow in his soul for the rest of his life. For Halsin, it's a moment of profound hope and potential. The mists parting for the first time.

I wish they could kiss about it right then and there but they get around to it eventually.

70. Does your Tav make a deal with Raphael?

Yes. 8 wisdom strikes again, Karlach was understandably very pissed with him when she found out.

80. Does your Tav free the slaves from Steel Watch Foundry? Do they side with the Gondians or with Wulbren?

Cyrus was really on team 'blow everything up' until meeting Zanner, at which point the plan became 'save the Gondians and THEN blow everything up'. Sorry, Wulbren, the Ironhands are Barcus' now.

90. Do they betray the Emperor/Orpheus/their companions for the Absolute?

Nope, and like I get why that option is there but it does feel a little silly how many times the game presents you with the thought during what is more or less a strictly lawful good run sdfoijapfsd

100. Did Karlach get upgraded? Did she turn Illithid? Did she return to Avernus? If so, did Tav join her, or Wyll, or both?

Yes, Karlach got upgraded, no Cyrus never sold or let go of a single piece of infernal iron after meeting her (DID sell a scrap of it to Volo for some health potions before recruiting her and felt absolutely awful about not realizing how important it was).

After all is said and done with the Netherbrain, on the docks of the harbor of their hometown, Cyrus is 100% ready to let Karlach go. It's hard and it hurts, but if there's anything that breaking his oath taught him, it's that you have to let go sometimes, and he can't bear to ask her to return to Avernus just to spare his feelings, and he's prepared to rage and hold her through the whole thing.

...And then Wyll makes one last plea for her to come to Avernus with him.

Cyrus hesitates. Assures Karlach that he would follow her no matter where she goes, and Karlach chooses to go to Avernus.

In my head, there's a quick & passionate goodbye to Halsin before Cyrus, Karlach, and Wyll all rush off to the House of Hope as Karlach realizes that what scared her most about returning to Avernus might have been the possibility of being alone again-- and that her husband and her best friend aren't going to let that happen.

...That being said.

There's a lot else that's scary about Avernus. And I have a /real/ axe to grind with in-game (and, to a minor and very petty extent, fandom) presentation of this ending.

Like. There's a Zariel statblock in Descent into Avernus. We know exactly how powerful she is-- and it's powerful enough to grind three unprepared level 12 adventurers beneath her flaming fallen angel heel. The way the Avernus ending is presented, especially now with the epilogue, Karlach's fear of being forced back into the Blood War seems unfounded, because the worst thing that happens to her, Wyll, and her LI is they have to spend like a year fighting fiends nonstop. Which still sucks as a way to live, but the game is much more interested in it being BadassTM and CoolTM than lingering even on this milder form of sucking. In my opinion, it completely rips all the stakes out of the choice itself, because Karlach dying is less of a legitimate narrative choice if the alternative is just... Yeah you have to kill a bunch of fiends, but you literally find the magic solution to everything in fucking six months anyway, so??????

Hells, I was kind of hoping for Halsin to have some negative and unresolved feelings about Cyrus ditching him, just so there would be some sense of consequence for the decision.

And I realize that the narrative complexity I'm seeking won't fit into the minuscule square hole labeled 'ending cutscene & epilogue dialogue' but maybe Larian should've kept working on the game long enough to make fixing Karlach's heart part of it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So. I'm making my own consequences. In my version of things, Karlach, Cyrus, and Wyll have the House of Hope as a safe haven, but only to the extent that it can be protected, defended, and kept hidden from Zariel, which is further complicated by Wyll still being in a pact with Mizora. I need to keep marinating on the details, but some broad ideas are (a) Cyrus getting exposed to demon ichor and dealing with the consequence of that (growing a tail); (b) rescue mission after Karlach gets kidnapped to be taken back to Zariel; (c) I want Dammon to give SOMEONE an infernal iron prosthetic limb... probably Cyrus. Infernal heart + infernal hand??? I think it's cute at least; (d) trying to get Wyll out of his pact (again) (given our average of 11 int and 10 wis, this can ONLY go well)

#cyrus bg3 #cyrusXkarlach #cyrusXhalsin #thank you!!!!!!!!! sorry it took so fucking long to answer #two down five other asks still in my drafts

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