#wyll still talking to mizora and needing her and having a relationship with her no one else can even fathom

[limpfisted]

This is random but wyll really is an important character to me bc my weird grooming/disability trauma is "not that bad" compared to the astarions of the world who objectively have it worse and "i chose it willingly" and I was also 17... the girls and gays who think they "convinced" adults to get into "equal" relationships with them when they were a child Get It.

[meanbossart]

I've been loving the DU Drow as a companio asks, so I've got my own. I was wondering what kind of interactions he would have with the other companions.

More specifically, we know Astarion flirts with almost anyone (for his own reasons) and even sleeps with Bae'zel at the tiefling party if you turn him down as a player. So, since the Drow is in the group now, what would his interaction with Astarion be? Would Astarion assume him to be the strongest and best chance of survival if manipulated? Would Astarion try to sleep with the Drow the same way he would with Lae'zel?

(Regarding the companions in general) Oh I can easily see him and Shadowheart having some cute party banter, they'd poke light fun at each other and have a similarly "darkly dramatic" reaction to things. He'd easily be the most talkative with her, often initiating mundane conversations about stuff you find. I can see some dialogue between them triggering upon finding one of the many drink-stashes you come across where they discuss what they like best when it comes to wine - or what they think they like, at least, considering the state of their memories.

Gale would be eager to inquire him about drow and the underdark, and where he got his fighting prowess from, which would visibly annoy DU drow since he can't fucking remember anything LOL he'd comment about how he always thought male drow were supposed to be a little… Flimsier, prompting a response along the lines of "I suppose my mother must have fed me well. I do have quite the appetite for loud-mouths."

Gale's like :U my goodness. Point taken.

He might talk to Karlach about Avernus, being fond of the savage nature of it. He'd also ask her if "something's bothering her" and when she asks why he's asking, he comments on how she can never seem to be still for long LOL

If Jaheira joins the party later she takes an interest in him (I WONDER WHY) and they could also share a little friendly banter. DU drow ends up asking her things about Baldur's Gate and herself to fill the gaps in his memory, as well as her children. He expresses how, if he thought himself more fit for a father, he'd have some of his own. Jaheira tells him it's probably better this way.

The banter with Astarion would be pretty par for the course - a mix between being flirtatious in nature and a little passive-aggressive all at once. At some point he says he can't keep quiet about how he stinks of carrion - DU calmly tells him that it can't be helped, due to their circunstances, and that he has a pretty cadaveric perfume himself. Astarion gets offended and tells him he knows for a fact that he smells lovely - DU drow tells him those statements need not be mutually exclusive.

He'd also ask Wyll about Mizora and what it's like to be in her servitute, claiming that he "wouldn't mind doing her a few favors himself" and Wyll tries his darn best to brush that off.

Lae'zel picks on him about his, erm, unreliable state of mind and accuses DU drow of basically being a ticking-time-bomb. DU responds that he feels less like a bomb and more like a vent releasing a steady flow of noxious fumes - if that helps her sleep better at night.

He also snorts at Minthara's "jokes".

(Onto the second part of this already far-too-long reply:)

And I THINK SO, I think Astarion would take him for being more easily manipulated than Lae'zel and try his luck there instead.

Small detour: you know, I always thought it'd be neat if some of the companions formed relationships with each other if you didn't pursue them. We see friendships form but romances would be fun too - like Karlach and Shadowheart could get together if you didn't pair with either of them, and Ascended Astarion and Minthara if you happened to have that party configuration in act 3. I don't really see many of the others having that kind of chemistry, but I wouldn't want the whole camp to be in love with each other anyway lol just 1 or 2 other couples would make the party feel more autonomous.

So, in a world where that's a part of the game, I obviously would say they get together if you don't romance either (from a mechanic standpoint player still gets first dibs LOL) and that unlocks unique party banter and dialogue where you can ask them about it once per act and reveal the "status" of the relationship. In act 2 you get to comment about how they seem to "steal away" together often. Astarion implies they're obviously having sex, and that he's always wanted to "try a little drow - but a big one is even better". If you ask DU drow about it he keeps details and motivations to himself, but acknowledges that they have something going on. You can then tell him that you believe he's being used, and DU drow very nonchalantly says that "he's well aware", but that he isn't worried about it.

In Act 3, when you ask again, Astarion somewhat bashfully reveals that the drow grew on him, and if you press on about the topic he reveals that they haven't even had sex since act 1, they just do a lot of talking, as he sheepishly puts it. If you ask DU drow about it he's much more upfront in saying that they've become an item, and that he's very happy in Astarion's company.

[viina-art]

Need to rant about Mizora again. She's such a goddamn strange character, written with SO little care for how important she technically is (or should be!) to one of the main companions' stories.

She might have more screen time than any of the other companion quests' villains / any of their abusers, but she has much less presence, is much less threatening than, say, Cazador - we learn so much about him from how Astarion talks about him, and I think the same applies to Shar, Vlaakith, honestly even Mystra to an extent. Mizora is just like. there. I honestly like what we get to see of her personality in her introductory scene, she could make a fun villain, but that's not enough. It's definitely not what I need from a character with her role in the story. Like, hell, she hangs around in camp all throughout the third act, and Wyll barely brings it up! People have talked about how goddamm insane that is before. We know basically nothing about how Wyll feels about her and her presence besides some generic lines! What could be a fascinating, if fucked up relationship is barely there, because once upon a time it was meant to be a little more romantic, but then they rewrote it (carelessly), and now she groomed him, but it's not treated with the gravitas it deserves. Or any gravitas at all if we're being honest. I'm not even inherently opposed to Wyll being kinda attracted to her - make her a Makima-like figure! A mother and an object of desire and an exploitative groomer and a terrifying powerful presence all in one! The foundations are literally there, but it's like they refused to make her more interesting.

And fucking somehow people still treat Wyll like he's attached at Mizora's hip? When she's not only his abuser, but also just such a goddamn nothing character, I genuinely don't understand it. But I guess she's hot or something, so let's include her in all the Wyll merch, let's make light of her grooming! Also I've said this before, but I kinda have to wonder why she exists at all. She genuinely just should've been combined with Raphael (Wyll's care for Mol's wellbeing would hit even harder that way! And don't even get me started on the Gortash parallels my god)

[spicyraeman]

96, 28 and 43? Tav questions for Virranan

and i'm pretty curious about 11, 37 and 40 for Emra

OH! And if its not too much trouble,

Could i ask about Treble with 99

Thank you for the ask! These were really fun ones to think about!

[Tav Ask Game]

Virranan

28. What does your Tav think of Auntie Ethel? What do they tell Mayrina?

The first time Vir meets Ethel in the Grove he can tell somethings a little… off about her, but they’ve got more pressing matters to attend to at the time so they don’t look into it too much.

The second time they meet Vir has a full ‘I knew it!’ moment as she shows her true colors after he doesn’t side with her. He convinces the brothers not to go looking for her and with some nudging from Wyll and seeing her effect on the swamp, decides it’s for the best to dispose of the hag.

Although Vir is annoyed by Mayrina’s attitude after they rescue her, he understands that sad and desperate people often lash out and they still retrieve the wand for her. He does think briefly about breaking the wand himself so she can finally grieve normally but in the end, he brings him back and gives her the wand so she can make the choice herself.

43. What does your Tav think of Jaheira and the Harpers?

Vir loves Jaheria, she fits right into their little group of misfits, and her insightfulness and sense of humor are something that he can relate to. Her calm and levelheaded nature is also something that Vir appreciates, especially as things get more hectic and they need someone to knock some sense into them.

96. Does Lae'Zel remain loyal to Vlaakith, or does she follow Orpheus? Or neither?

In Vir’s canon, Lae’zel renounces Vlaakith and leaves to join the revolution with Voss and Orpheus.

After the first meeting with Voss, it's something that looms over their relationship - Lae’zel is leaving (whether she truly wants to or not) and there is a very real possibility she might not come back, but it's far safer for everyone if she does, no matter how much it hurts.

Emra

11. What goes through your Tav's head when they wake up on the Nautiloid? Are they scared or do they push those feelings aside to focus on escaping?

He’s not particularly scared, maybe more annoyed than anything. This isn't the first time Emra’s woken up in a (very) sticky situation like this and it probably won't be the last. He’s quick to push through and try to get the fuck off the ship and preferably out of literal hell.

37. Did your Tav go to Creche Y'llek? Did they know something was up with the healer?

He did. He didn’t want to, he left his people behind decades ago and had no intention of ever returning to them, but he knew there was no other way to shake Lae’zel’s unwavering loyalty to her people.

The moment they enter the Ghustil’s office Emra already knows how this is going to end. He’s been around long enough to know that the Githyanki’s only cure for a ghaik parasite is death, and if they did have another cure it sure as hell wouldn’t be at some backwater creche. He still lets Lae’zel get into the zaith'isk though, her faith is far too strong for her to get the reality of the situation without some direct consequences.

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

Emra had no intention to kill the Guardian, but getting a direct order from Vlaakith herself pretty well guaranteed the Guardian's life out of spite alone.

Treble

99. Did Wyll get freed from Mizora? Did he save his father?

Getting Wyll out from under Mizora’s thumb was Treble’s top priority as soon she learned about his contract. Freedom is incredibly important to her so there wasn't a chance in the hells that she was gonna let a good man like Wyll be stuck doing a fiend's bidding.

As for Ulder Ravengard, Treble’s opinion of him is… less than favorable, but keeping him alive is clearly important to Wyll so when they find him in The Iron Throne she makes sure he gets out safely.

[kalcat-sketches]

Feel a little late to the party, but here's my submission for @tav-dex

This is my first bg3 character I made and finished the game with, Qistana. (More about her under the cut)

About

Qistana was born and raised in Menzoberranzan, but ran to the surface around 70 years ago. She doesn't like to talk about that time of her life

She's not a devout worshiper of Ellistraee, but does consider herself a member of her faith and will pray to her when feeling stressed or overwhelmed

Carries a huge chip on her shoulder and holds a heavy grudge against Lolth and any who follow her. This anger is part of the foundation of her Oath.

The markings on her face are symbol of her paladin order. It's been awhile since she's checked in with anyone, having split from them temporarily to pursue "personal goals".

Her Dream Guardian took the appearance of a once close friend from her paladin order. While it was a face she trusted subconsciously, seeing it in person took her completely off guard and left her wary about the guardians true intentions.

Relationships

Best friends with Wyll, doesn't like his dad but respects Wyll enough to stay civil in interactions with the Grand Duke. Would have killed Mizora if it wouldn't have also killed Wyll, still took swings at the bitch when she stayed in camp uninvited.

Romanced Shadowheart, didn't think anything of Shar until they reached the Shadow Cursed Lands, and then became increasingly concerned about what becoming a Dark Justicier really meant. Incredibly relieved when Shadowheart made her choice to turn from Shar, and was more than happy to start a relationship and help find her parents.

Astarion and Qistana barely tolerated each other for Act 1 and part of Act 2, but the two gradually gained mutual respect and considered themselves friends by Act 3. Despite the animosity between them, Qistana immediately put Cazador on her list of "Assholes that need to be killed" when she heard about him.

Meta Stuff

Originally made for a co-op run with my best friend, remade for a solo game when I started coming up with backstory and she began living rent free in my brain (we still haven't finished Act 1 in that co-op game RIP)

Never broke her paladin oath in all 3 Acts, though looking into oathbreaking I think it should have happened after/during the seance with He Who Was in Act 2. I think I got very lucky with my dialogue choices.

I'd like to play another run with her again (prob at a higher difficulty) but I need to finish my Durge run first

(Thanks to @bareee for the template, it finally gave me the motivation to draw my girl!)

[shimmerbeasts]

Ever since I made the decision to unfollow quite a few blogs because of the excessive amount of smut on my dash, I am plagued by this feeling of having made a mistake. Of course, on one side, I do not wanna tell anybody what they can or cannot write. On the other side, I also should have the right to exercise my boundaries as I see fit.

It is just that I have the feeling that I am still not really a part of this fandom, even now. I have not talked about this because I am worried that it might come off as pretentious or arrogant. I had a time when I was not the best person, partly because of my own hubris and partly because of someone else's influence. I used to try to dictate how people were supposed to write antagonists because I thought I knew what good writing looked like. I was a pretty shitty and arrogant person back then and the fear of that bastard coming back is a big reason why I am not keen on venting here.

I want to write with more people than just my oldest friends and two people, whom I am becoming close to. But that is easier said than done. I often feel like there is a difference between the people who genuinely like and are interested in Mizora as a character and those, who are mostly here for Wyll. I know Mizora is not the most liked character in the fandom.

Hell, most posts on Tumblr hate her and want her dead. Most people are mad that, unlike with Astarion, we cannot fight Wyll's abuser, even though if we are honest, Astarion is the exception, not the norm. You cannot beat up Shar or Mystra. And we only get to beat Raphael up because we are on his turf. Plus so many people seem to have a problem with the fact that the game gives us the option to sleep with Mizora, even though the player can always turn her down.

I am not gonna dwell on this much further because let's be real: I do that and I will be here all night. And of course, I know that nobody owes me any interaction. It is just ... I cannot help but notice the painfully drastic difference in treatment between Mizora and Raphael, even in the rpc. Namely that anyone playing Raphael gets interactions without even having to try. Whereas with Mizora, I feel like I have to go out of my way.

I am aware that my writing style and the stuff I like to write go against the grain of what the Tumblr rpc normally writes. It is usually not very ship-heavy, even if it is still deeply engrained in relationship dynamics. It is darker, but also a lot more slow-burny somehow. I feel like I don't have a place here sometimes, and this feeling can weigh heavily. I am not trying to fish for sympathy and I am not gonna pretend I have a solution to this problem. I just felt like I needed to air it out somehow.

[bharv]

oh hey! actually i was very curious - i never played bg3 in early access, and i heard wyll changed a lot? i have many thoughts about him, but also he ended up with... the least cutscenes and dialogue of any companion by far, despite theoretically having a huge connection to the main plot. it's hard to figure out whether there was an actual issue with the original writing, or if it was just racism that made people dislike the early version so strongly, RIP. what was he like in there?

- the gale thoughts anon <]:)

Hello anon. I was going to answer this with links etc but I have no idea when I’m going to be on desktop. So, with apologies that this is a bit scatty and off the hoof.

Starting with the obvious (or maybe the thing I need to make obvious!) that I’m not a Black fan, I don’t speak from that experience and you should seek out the writings of fans who really know what they’re talking about around fandom racism, which is a real fucking problem.

And! With the caveat that I cannot be totally objective about this because I LOVED early access Wyll in an EMOTIONAL way. I loved Lanre’s performance, I was bewitched body and soul by this silly man. I still think of him. I loved that boy! But!

I kind of think it’s a bit of both. Which I know will sound like a cop out.

I was disappointed in the fan reaction that Wyll was boring. It felt very off to me as his story was rich with potential. He was a charming, swashbuckling folk hero who wanted to be the hero SO BAD. A guy who wants to be a hero so much, but is also so bad at it! When you went to the fire, everybody was like oh fucking hell, not this idiot. Not Nepo-baby Wyll who flunked out of the Fist despite being a descendant of Eltan himself (I loved this moment, it was a real reveal of ohhh, he’s not what he thinks his is or says he is.) Who is humiliated by goblins as a young man and in a moment of weakness, signs a pact that changes his life? Who uses it to do good things, but is still a little immature, a little too passionate, and can still have that shade of a man who cares a little too much about heroics, instead of what it truly means to be good? It was JUICY! Not to even mention his malapropisms, his attempts to be seductive and being so silly. Man, he was so soft and fun but with this real core of anger that he didn’t know what to do with, a man of passions who made a mistake he didn’t know how to deal with.

So yeah. I do think that it was influenced by the fact he was a Black character and they didn’t bother to try to play with him.

However, I also see why they rewrote him. In the original drafts, Wyll’s relationship with Mizora was coded a bit more personally than what we got if that makes sense. It felt like they were almost in a toxic situationship. She was constantly communicating via his sending stone, and was very much a part of his day to day life. And that, with how things would pan out if it ends in the same kind of way would have been. Eesh. Not good, especially with her human design being a white woman. Also, and I’m not saying this is a good thing… but it’s what I personally saw, there was some overlap in themes with Gale. The romantic patron storyline, the hubris. And early access Gale was a bit more serious, and it was probably a bit of a waste of having comedy actor like Downie in the role (which is quite a bit of casting, he’s very well respected in audio work so it seems silly not to use all his talents.) so a lot of the silly puns and lightness sat naturally in a Gale rewrite, or development.

I just wish there had been more time. I think Theo’s performance is lovely and I love the Wyll we got. He absolutely smashed it and I was SO worried when I heard about the recast as a huge Lanre Malaolu fan. I love that he’s a romantic, I love that he’s so self sacrificing and strong and GOOD. The earliest days of early access, everybody was either evil or VERY morally dubious. It needed at least one good character, and Wyll was a great choice for that character. I just hope against hope that we do get some more act 3 upper city content for him. It feels like that is where he would really shine.

Also if you ever get a chance, as an aside, to see Lanre Malaolu dance? Run, don’t walk. He is an incredible choreographer, actor, director. One of the most thrilling people working in theatre today. I am a mega fan. I think he has some work on YouTube, so get acquainted as he is truly something special.

[timothylawrence]

it saddens me so much to see shity posts abt will being supposedly out of pocket when talking abt his new appearance in front of tieflings when. first of all knowing his story this is never about tieflings and not meant in a mean spirited way to anyone but himself. and secondly this is a person whos sense of self worth is literally little to none because of everything that happened with ulder and mizora when he was a kid. wyll feels so much guilt over existing just as "wyll" that he doesnt really see anything worthwhile about just being "wyll ravengard" and thus is always trying to overcompensate for (in his head) not being the "perfect son" or the "perfect hero" and puts himself in danger disregarding his own well being and safety by playing the part of the Blade of the Frontiers, this larger than life hero of legend persona that he's created, both to do something about the guilt he feels ovr being only human. like theres a reason why hes always so charming and proper apart from being a genuinely nice person but i guess some ppl dont gaf abt nuance. like girl how would you react if the person whose job is to love, accept and nurture you, and who has been your personal referent your entire life REJECTED YOU AND KICKED YOU OUT AT SEVENTEEN. like girlies did we even play the same game. ulders opinion meant the world to wyll. so much so that he took on this perfect blades of the frontier persona and hid the real, human, wyll persona because he thinks that to be accepted by uldred he can be nothing short of perfect. and then mizora changes his appearance so that the proof of his pact is visible to anyone knowing how much having to look and be perfect weighs on wyll. its so unfair and sad like. wyll will be genuinely kind and accepting towards people who have more faults than him bc he recognizes the person behind the faults, but he will never give that same treatment to himself. he beats on himself so much over natural human responses bc of what ulder said to him.. girl i cant do this. his first response to not looking """proper""" as the blade of avernus is to hide from the other people at the party, even if those other people share most of the same physical traits he now posesses. he can accept and understand "weakness" and "imperfection" from other, just as long as it doesnt come from himself.. AND STILL HE IS SO SO KIND AND LOVING AND SMART AND TALENTED AND TENDER AND PRETTY AND DREAMY JUST THE WAY HE IS ok im normal now. sorry for writing this so shittily im in a rush but anyways wyll supremacy

LOL anon you got it down to a T. People chalking up Wyll being ‘angry’ about being a tiefling now like, missed the point entirely. He’s not a tiefling. He is a devil- he’s been touched by the hells and people NOTICE. Especially when you get to act three, multiple guards call Wyll out on not being a ravengard- one even calls him a devil boy!! Not to mention, his own father literally calls him a monster. He was manipulated and preyed on by a devil- his life was RUINED by a devil. Why would he be okay with being one? With being the very creature that preyed on him?

A lot of people seem to skip over Wylls relationship with his dad- he loves his father more than anything. There is no anger over Ulder kicking him out, there’s no anger over not being listened to. One of my favorite quotes in the whole franchise is from their scenes together— “everything I did, I did for Baldur’s Gate. I did for you.”

Wyll gave away his life to a devil to save Baldur’s Gate. He did this for his people but most importantly, in his own eyes, to make his father proud. And Ulder cast him out. If making a pact with a devil earned this response, why would Wyll not be scared about LOOKING like one??

Not to mention, if you play his origin, mizora states to his face that the blade of frontiers is just a persona- she taunts him abt his need to be good - to have this perfect image, to manipulate him to do her bidding (killing Karlach). She knows just as much as he does that without the blade of frontiers, he’s nothing but that scared, exiled boy.

Wylls biggest fear is not being needed, because if he’s not needed, if he’s truly alone, then there’s no use for the Blade of Frontiers.

There’s just Wyll.

[thenugking]

For whichever bg3 oc you're feeling:

Which canon character respects your OC most? What gained that respect?

Which canon character doesn’t respect your OC whatsoever?

Which canon character does your OC respect a lot?

Which canon character does your OC not respect at all? Why?

Lee feels most fun for these!

Which canon character respects your OC most? What gained that respect?

I meann probably a couple of the Bhaalists cultists who I decided were 100% behind Lee, the Greatest Bhaalspawn Ever, on everything. She's still their god, and if she tells them they need to stop murdering random people and hanging out in the sewers and think for themselves for once, they're going to do that! Lee told them to!

Other than that, probably Naaber, who respects Lee for actually seeming enthusiastic about talking to him and encouraging him in what kind of adventurer to be.

Which canon character doesn’t respect your OC whatsoever?

Ketheric. He fucking loathed them pre-game, and having her turn up again claiming they know fuckall about anything does little to revise his opinion on her. (Lee is not allowed to make any persuade checks on Ketheric, because not even a natural 20 could make him value her opinion.)

Which canon character does your OC respect a lot?

Jaheira! Definitely the person Lee looks up to the most and starts going to for advice after she reveals she knows they're a bhaalspawn and is able to provide support through all that.

Which canon character does your OC not respect at all? Why?

Ig the easy answer is the "villains who abused my friends" gang. (Mizora, Cazador, Viconia etc.) On a more personal level, they've never respected Gortash in the slighest (even aside from the Karlach abusing) due to his Bane worship, being a New Money upstart, and willingness to be in a relationship with them when they are nothing but a walking pile of red flags. Post-amnesia, they're justifying it with his assholery and Gortash being the kind of person they're trying very hard not to be. That's definitely a part of it, but the original stuff is all still unconsciously there.

The non-villain they respect the least is probably Ulder. They try very hard to get along with him for Wyll's sake, but they do not like the way Ulder treats him.

[je-suis-problematique]

Stuff from Mikhail's canon (id est playthrough) that just make sense, in no particular order:

He is a licensed therapist working for the Society of Brilliance, first of his kind, so you can imagine how appalled he was upon learning that the Society wants to essentially kidnap a Githyanki child and just program it different. He refused to cooperate (and some strongly worded letters were definitely written and sent).

Him, Omeluum, and Blurg are in a polycule and Mikhail himself is very polyamorous, not opposing to casual sex either. He has his partners' permission. Nevertheless he is romancing Gale and had to have a very long talk with him about the openness of their relationship. In this canon Gale was willing to work on somewhat loosening his grip on Mikhail, albeit with some reluctance at first.

Mikhail fucked the Emperor but turned Mizora down because he simply dislikes her that much.

Mikhail's opinion on Illithids is very accepting and he is not at all deterred by the powers harvesting other people's tadpoles gives him. In fact he makes full use of them and even though he tried to resist evolution when prompted by the Emperor to do so, he eventually grew to accept his new physiology as a comfortable middle ground between no powers and complete ceremorphosis.

He's a pacifist until he isn't. He is generally nice but takes no shit. He has been known to resort to violence and he can and will rip you a new one if you fuck with him enough. Lying also – It is not beneath him to lie his way in and out of situations, he's got high enough Charisma for that.

For a Sorcerer he is incredibly humble.

Insists on bringing Gale along everywhere and calls it bonding.

HATES injustice.

Chose to ally with Orin simply because she had Halsin and saving his friend was more important to him than saving face in front of Gortash. He was 100% willing and ready to fight Orin to the death if it meant Halsin will be left unharmed.

Told Wyll to sacrifice his dad to be freed of Mizora's pact while also 100% planning to rescue Wyll's dad anyway because like I said before, Mikhail fucking hates Mizora.

Speaking of Halsin, the two almost got together as well but if it weren't for Sengo (another OC from this canon) and Gale's disapproval of the idea they would've fucked.

Has a sense of humor when he feels like it.

Lae'zel had the hots for him very early on in the game but Mikhail gently rejected her because she just isn't his type.

Determined to help everyone work through their fucking problems.

It takes a lot to make him reach a point where he acts merciless but when he does just know he's either putting up an act or is MAD pissed.

He'd rather chew off his right arm than trust Raphael in any situation.

Did I mention he also hates racism?

Would rather help other people reach important conclusions on their own instead of swaying them every which way unless they explicitly asked for his counsel.

Both him AND Gale know how to cast Fireball. You can imagine the chaos.

Will and has hit allies with his spells in order to reach enemies. He apologizes profusely but does it anyway.

Exceptionally good at reading people.

Religion is fake, there is only the Weave. Mystra can go fuck herself and so can Vlaakith and Shar (and the Absolute, of course). Your life is your own and if you want something done you need to do it yourself.

Lightning-type draconic bloodline. Loves using lightning/electricity spells. His scales however are black.

Isn't ashamed of his Infernal heritage.

Big and burly but is actually a gentle giant.

Genuinely believed Ketheric Thorm could be redeemed and that all he needed was some help processing his grief. Didn't feel bad about killing him though when Thorm left him no choice but to fight. Minthara carried that whole fight on her back, LMAO.

Super proud of Shadowheart for rejecting Shar and reclaiming her life.

Licked the dead spider for science.

Made Yurgir kill himself but STILL went out of his way to find out about Lyrthindor. Added it to the list of reasons why he doesn't fucking trust Raphael.

Got drunk and spent an obscene amount of money at the Circus of the Last Days INCLUDING buying a huge statue of himself but not to worry, Astarion refilled their coffers by robbing the Counting House a while later.

Can talk to animals! And the dead.

Probably helps Gale cook for the camp.

Bought everyone nicer casual clothes to wear around camp. Fancy shit, with embroidery and stuff. Shadowheart got a flowy white dress/gown.

Can't read maps to save his life.

Gets sidetracked easier than a dog.

INSANE pain tolerance.

More to come I guess???? We didn't complete his playthrough yet, so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[nightmarist]

been thinking a lot about the potential for wyll's and karlach's backstories, lamenting the haste of their writing

with wyll i was thinking about how wonderfully it could be juxtaposed along the other character stories, where (though being relatively reductive so apologies in advance) astarion with the complexities of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of someone in power, shadowheart about abusive family structures and cult tactics, lae'zel about abusive authority and the people you look up to, gale about abusive relationships and abusive power dynamics in them, and karlach (who should also be deep dived in) with abusive friendships and betrayal

i like the potential for wyll being about the potential for self harm. self-sacrifice to the point of harm, always putting others first, as well as the depth of loneliness it is to be The Hero and always take on that responsibility especially since he was a teenager.

what did he even take with him? some clothes and a pouch of gold? maybe weapons? yes he had the pact with mizora, but that hardly grants expertise without practice. mizora's predatory nature, as well, using his compassion and dangling it over him to trap him in a contract and the impossible situations she puts him through.

i think everyone's stories neatly frame each other, compliment each other by being about the various ways people can be harmed.

wyll's potential for being about a common yet often ignored way we harm ourselves could be so important in addition to the layers of loneliness as a very young man (24! he left at 17!) and being kicked out of his home by his father, forced to survive a tumultuous world with the aid of someone he can't/isn't allowed to talk about who holds literal power over him, isolating him from his family. the literal NDA he has to sign with mizora as an abuse of power mirroring the difficulties it is to talk about the people who abuse you and the power they hold over you when you have little to nowhere to escape to.

i also think about the fact that he takes on this visage of the chivalrous hero, where often in fantasy and fairytales is supposed to end a big quest by settling down romantically, and how wyll is a hopeless romantic but instead of a happily ever after he gets scars both literal and emotional to carry. he loves to help people, but who is helping him?

there's so much that can be explored for him.

karlach, also, where both her and wyll got the sad short end of the stick for being reworked/added so late in the game, her story about the toxicity of friendship and betrayal could highlight the harms people ignore because they believe abusive friendships aren't "as harmful/important" as other abusive relationships. she trusted gortash, who was also a deeply hurt boy.

gortash is extremely manipulative but i would have loved to see more backstory with the ways in which he manipulated karlach for us to see, the language he used to keep her by his side, in addition to the fact she's a tiefling, society already being weary of "devilkin" he could easily take advantage of that to keep her in line, or even use the kinship of "people hate people like us"

the fact she was used as an object of war, her body literally sold for a war that doesn't care about her and just needed a body for numbers, the fact that in one society she could be depersonized as "devilkin" for being a tiefling and in another she is depersonized as an object of war to be tinkered and adjusted via the engine.

there are so many integrated layers of family, friends, societal pressures, authority figures, lovers, and much more that intersect all the main origin characters that i love. i think everyone's stories being about the different ways we are harmed as well as can overcome that harm are great, but i still wish we got more of wyll and karlach and i hold out a twinkling hope that we can get a little more of them in a Definitive Edition or the like I keep hearing about.

[fangsandfeels]

These are not EA answers.

From my memory, the EA answers had even more jerkish options to reply to Wyll's confession and actually call him a fraud - which still was uncalled for since in the EA he chose to tell the truth, without Mizora appearing and turning him into the devil. Yeah, BTW, the EA Mizora got tadpoled too, and then was captured and tortured by goblins. Freaking goblins caught a cambion with supposedly devilish powers. To be fair, Mizora wasn't mentioned as Zariel's lapdog back then and her relationship with Wyll was...kinda odd. But this is where my memory gets muddy.

Speaking about Wyll's EA hero status, Wyll was known as the Blade of Frontiers (at least, goblins recognized him instantly) and it was implied that he was famous already. But the way interactions were built with him, there was that inexperienced beginner hero vibe: if you told him you hadn't heard of the Blade of Frontiers at all, he'd scowl at it, but then reply with something like "Well, I'll have to try harder then". And when he was training the kids he was very interested in inspiring them and being a good image (while in the final version, he was invested in teaching them self-defense, first and foremost, not how to play hero, but how to fight back and find an opportunity to run away.

As a result, I found the EA version kinda weird because Wyll still mentioned fighting minotaurs and other monsters, and his replies about how he would kill a vampire haven't been changed since the EA -- so he wasn't supposed to feel like a beginning folk hero. He was supposed to be experienced and knowledgeable, whereas in the EA there were several situations where Wyll felt unconfident as if he hadn't dealt with a complex situation before. Mostly, I'm talking about the EA scene with Spike (the goblin torturer) who demanded Wyll torture the prisoner in exchange for the information about Mizora. Without the intervention from Tav, Wyll would agree to it, despite his great reluctance, which, once again painted him as inexperienced and new to being a hero.

Also, IIRC, Mizora found Wyll after he actually lost his battle (and his eye) to the goblins and hid the fact she was a cambion, promising to make him a hero. When she revealed her deception, Wyll was angry with her (and blamed her for tricking him), but also was forced to look for her and save her because he wanted out of the pact. So, it felt like the EA version of him intended to struggle with maintaining the perfect hero image as well as question his self-worth without Mizora's gifts. There was also more unresolved bitterness about him (he had a lot of violent interactions with goblins and his relationship with his father was described as more rebellious) and he avoided talking about the pact because he was ashamed of it, not because there was any specific restriction that would have killed him on the spot.

In general, I like the final version for amplifying Wyll's badassery. He went from having a vendetta against goblins to fighting Tiamat cultists at age 17. He casually went to Avernus to hunt devils. The Flaming Fists treated him with respect despite the horns. Also, he went from being a rather awkward liar in EA to a smooth and effortless word-weaver.

I also love how he was more connected with his experienced hero image -- he is a romantic and an idealist, but he had obviously been in tough situations, he knows how to handle them and he willingly, knowingly denies Mizora the satisfaction of being miserable by not regretting his choice in the first place, taking responsibilities and pushing for the better tomorrow.

My only pet peeves about his content are a) why the fuck we just let Mizora hang around in Act 3 and not let her know how unwelcome she is, b) why the fuck we can't get proper closure with her or fucking kill her, c) lack of Ulder and Wyll interactions because his relationship with his father means to him so much and it needed more content - or at least more involvement and earlier hints at Wyll's option to become the next Duke.

why do all of the options for talking to wyll after mizora's punishment feel so mean? the poor guy just got sent through the tortures of the nine hells and had his body permanently changed, and it's clear that all of this is because mizora was deceiving him, and you're telling me i can't just...check in on him? like what's even the point of having five different options if all of them are just different flavors of "you had it coming"? i think he's been beaten down enough by the devil who just showed up to fuck him over and treat him like something less than human while doing it, let me just be nice to him!!!!!

[sunflowerwizard]

I've had more time to stew on these thoughts and I hope y'all are ready for an essay.

You Can Still Love Someone and be Angry About What They Did to You:

"Sometimes your dad is a stoic, traumatized dude who hasn't gone to therapy. And he loves his kids, but isn't Very Good At It. That doesn't excuse the way he's hurt them or make him a horrible irredeemable person. It just makes him A Person. You can love someone and still be angry and hurt at them for what they did to you."

To start, these are the questions I'm going to answer

Did Ulder really love Wyll?

Does Wyll need to be saved from himself?

Is Ulder kicking Wyll out an allegory for homophobic parents?

Does racism factor into the ways BG3 fandom views Ulder? (spoiler: yes. yes it does.)

Part One: Did Ulder Really Love Wyll?

Yes. There is literal, canon evidence pointing towards Ulder having a good relationship with his son. Unfortunately, it's locked behind the Ravengard family vault in the Counting House and very missable, but this journal entry (link) points to their relationship being very loving. It very specifically describes Wyll as a beloved son. The location itself also offers some character insights.

It's locked away in a high-security vault. Not buried in a closet at the family estate, or destroyed. I don't think it's a stretch to say this is emblematic of Ulder's feelings about his son, and by extension exiling him. The love is there, but locked away. The phrase "treasured memories" taken incredibly literally.

Part Two: Does Wyll Need to be Saved From Himself?

Guys. I know we talk about how black kids and teens both in the real world and in fiction are adultified. This extends to the way that Wyll is treated regarding the warlock pact he made as a teenager. But swinging the other way and treating an adult man as incapable of managing his own interpersonal relationships is also Not Good. Wyll is an extremely giving person. The devil transformation outcome to his conflict with Karlach is proof of that. We talk about wishing Wyll had the option to make his own decisions, but hem and haw when he makes the decision to forgive his father.

I say all this with the caveat that yes, Wyll shouldn't have to set himself on fire to keep others warm. I wish the game cared enough about his character to explore how constantly putting yourself last is unsustainable.

But total absolution and telling someone to fuck off aren't the binary outcomes of reconciliation. Ultimately, we catch Wyll and Ulder at the start of repairing their relationship. Speaking from experience, this is not a linear process. I think the player absolutely should be able to stick up for him more, or even tell Wyll he has the right to feel hurt. There's a difference between "you have every right to be angry" and "you should be angry"

Part Three: Is Ulder Kicking Wyll Out an Allegory for Homophobic Parents?

I'm gonna be honest. I hate this take on principle. Especially considering I've seen it echoed by fellow queer people. Can we not equate the morally ambiguous process of entering a contract with a powerful being beyond human comprehension with being queer. Like, one of the main political strategies of powerful homophobes is presenting queerness as something dangerous, when in reality it's not. Warlocks, by their very nature are a wild card. They can be sympathetic, sure. Good-aligned, even. Whether their patron is outright evil or not, they're still doing the bidding of something who doesn't possess human morality. That's what makes people wary or even fearful of Warlocks. Its why if we set aside Mizora magically forcing Wyll to keep her a secret, he'd probably hold off on revealing that part of himself.

(Also as a quick side tangent: "Why does Wyll eldritch blast if he doesn't want people finding out he's a Warlock?" We know what an eldritch blast is because we're the player and thus have access to menus and tooltips. In-universe I'm not sure the average townies the Blade of Frontiers is saving from direwolf attacks would know the difference between Eldritch Blast and Magic Missile.)

And if we take this line of thinking to its conclusion, what does that say of Wyll breaking his pact? What does it say about his relationship with Mizora?

Part Four: Does Racism Factor Into the Way the Fandom Views Ulder?

Yes.

Like, come on. We can acknowledge Kethric Thorm, a father who does considerably more tangible harm than Ulder as a tragic, even sympathetic figure. People fawn over Corrupt Politician Enver Gortash and even question whether or not he's really a villain.

But yeah, sure, Ulder is the worse. Talk about how much you hate and want to kill him in the notes on my joke text post. Just like how people talk about want to kill/sideline Wyll because he poked fun at Astarion once.

Are we sensing that there may be a common denominator? That perhaps people aren't willing to extend benefit of the doubt to black characters the same way they would white characters? Nevermind that aside from Wyll and Ulder, most other black characters we seen in BG3 are pretty inconsequential.

Conclusion

Questioning your own internalized antiblackness doesn't just apply to characters and people you want to fuck.

Obviously I can't address every single reason a person would dislike Ulder Ravengard as a character. I'm not sure I'm the right person to unpack the whole Flaming Fist can of worms/the concept of Fantasy Cops. I'm not here to police whether you can or can't like a character. Just consider this an invitation to consider why.

I wish there were more meaningful insights into Wyll's relationship with his father that didn't turn into "lol daddy kink amirite" or "this is why we should kill Ulder"

[lelianasbong]

Literally just reblogged this (bc this is that Good Shit and you are Correct) but I'VE BEEN CHEWING on your comment near the end here about Origin Wyll and how if you're playing as him, few of the romances play out his "ideal" way at least at first (taking it slow, no sex until there's attachment and commitment, monogamous of heart and body, etc). I say 'at first' because they're all devoted and heartwarming and soft by the end.

Since his rewrite, Wyll's pretty firm about this boundary if you're romancing him but I've been thinking about how he might justify (to himself) getting physical a bit earlier on if you're playing as him since that's THE ONLY WAY 😭 to progress (or in some cases, start) the other romances.

Assuming everybody's got high approval...

Lae'zel and Astarion want to hook up asap for different reasons. Wyll's clearly attracted to them both but when Lae'zel tries to hook up they just have a coffee date talk all night and when Astarion implies Wyll snuck off to have sex at the party he's adamant that's not the case..... lol they're literally my two fave characters to pair Wyll with but I can only see him hooking up with them this early on if it's, um. Bit of a pity fuck?? But still genuine attraction??? That's a horrible way to describe it lmao let me try to clarify: Lae'zel's INTO his martial prowess and after the Grove just wants to fuck for the sake of fucking, but outside of sex it's clear she's feeling isolated and out of her element. I could see him picking up on that and wanting to provide comfort and relief in a way she'll understand.

And I honestly don't think it would take him very long to see through Astarion's pretense at all. Not even in an outraged "do you think you can use me?" way but a "why does he feel like his only option is to use me?" way. I've gone on at length about the comparisons between their respective situations with Cazador and Mizora so I won't do that here, but again... comfort and reassurance.

Gale, Shadowheart, Karlach - physical relationships with these guys progress slower than the previous two, but still faster than Wyll's. Gale's a huge sappy romantic so I feel like he and Wyll are on the same page even if Gale's 2% quicker. Shadowheart's motivation for going slow has more to do with not knowing herself than wanting a courtly romance for its own sake, but by the time she's ready for swimming lessons I feel like Wyll would be ready too. Karlach's dtf immediately and for good reason - I think Wyll would absolutely sympathize with her pent-upness after ten years and be willing to compromise with her on that but her intimate life is forestalled by the engine ofc.

Halsin - as much as he wants to climb that thick hunk of an elf I think this one's a non-starter because of the monogamy thing. He draws a line in the sand if you suggest opening your relationship whether it's with Halsin, the drow twins, etc.

In short, I think Origin Wyll could prooobably justify sleeping with his love interest earlier even if it's not his Totally Ideal Preference, IF he felt like they needed physical/emotional comfort in the form of sex, because he has a habit of putting others' needs and wants before his own (which, ya know. Not the healthiest mindset ever but it tracks).

Lae'zel's homesick, Gale's sopping wet sad, Karlach's been deprived of intimacy, Astarion's desperate for autonomy, they ALL feel like they're about to die - I can absolutely see Wyll caving a bit if he knows or senses there's something deeper going on (even if he's not 100% certain what it is) that he can possibly assuage with his body, even if he has to work for their hearts.

being wyll ravengqrd is suffering bc he is DANGEROUSLY bisexual but also SO romantic and SO repressed at the same time

he wants his monster/monster hunter romance with the cute vampie elf man. probs had his awakening to monster erotica. and he immediately checks astarion off as a handsome vampire. he literally says “hes mire bite than bark” the very fiest time u see him, if wyll is recruited first. (and he will not stop flirting in a “im a monster hunter, im lawful good, u wanna roleplay sexual tension” way. even tho he never lays a hand on astarion, ever.) and astarion is so pretty he wont stop fuckinnnn talking about it

he wants his romance with the githyanki warrior. he loves the stars and dragons as much as she does, hes dreamed of what was out there his whole life. he makes comments on this when he interacrs with the telescope. literally since he was a little boy. and he genuinely finds her so so beautiful and FUNNY.

he probably flirts with halsin, probably, who is only into polyamarous open sex.

he flirts with shadowheart, who he GENUINELY LIKES AND GETS ALONG WITH? and does not jusge for he religion. hr just tells her matter of factly what he believes instead. and does also not jusge her or comdeacend to her when she silently kinda goes “damn thats right.” theres never an i told you so.

then theres karlach. who he calls a “beautiful, impossible woman.” a whole can of worms

gale. who wyll likes so much hes like “haha dont kys ur soooo funny and cool and powerful” and who he tries to give titles to,

but all these people. these hot hot hot people. want vastly different sexual and romantic experinces at least in his own eyes, than he is willing to give!

he is so attracted to each and every one of them, and yet, he wants a real romance, and he must stay true to himself!!! if u play his origin, that locks u out of every single romance being “canon”!!! just bc he doesnt want to have sex!!!

hes so horny. and so attractive. but his heart is the horniest of all. and if he cant take your heart…. he cant take ur body…..

rip laezel, my queen

[crossdressingdeath]

#yes yes you get what im saying for sure#youre so right to compare to astarion tho#one of the most compelling questions that can come up in fiction re: redemption for me#is that question of 'who decides' that youre talking about#who decides what the point of no return is#and it is Supremely Disappointing to me the ways that BG3 juuuust kisses the borders of that question#and then pulls back at the eleventh hour and doesnt quite engage with it (tags via @veilkeeper)

One moment that really gets me regarding this is... after talking to the Flymms you can talk to Karlach about it, and she's basically like "I feel bad for him I guess but it doesn't change what he did". And from her perspective that's totally fine, extremely reasonable, but from a wider narrative perspective the fact that you can't say anything in response to that... kind of sucks? I mean, all the origin characters except Gale (whose only "crime" was making a mistake due to not having all the information, as far as we see the only one he's directly harmed in any major way is himself) and arguably Wyll (it's unclear whether or not Karlach was the first innocent Mizora sent him after) have innocent victims, at least potentially! Astarion obviously has the seven thousand spawn, Lae'zel killed plenty of her own kin growing up in K'liir, Shadowheart tortured and killed people for the Sharrans, Karlach can essentially devour people's souls to feed her engine (the soul coins are so fucked up, actually), Durge only stopped acting as Bhaal's Chosen because they had their memory stolen from them, but we're supposed to sympathize with all of them. What makes their pain more valuable than the Chosen's? Or their victims', for that matter? Sebastian is just as furious at and unwilling to forgive Astarion as Karlach is Gortash and every bit as rightfully, but we're supposed to look past that because Astarion's our friend. At times it feels almost like Larian's making a judgement call as to who "counts" as a "real victim" and who can be brushed aside as unimportant, and it really bothers me.

Especially as an avid Durge player! Whatever a given player's thoughts on the details of Durge and Gortash's relationship, there's no denying that Gortash was super important to them; important enough that they ended up begging Bhaal for forgiveness for caring about him too much! I'd kill for the option to point out to Karlach that she might hate Gortash for what he did to her, but he was as far as the evidence shows us Durge's only friend in the world and depending on player choice they can admit that they're still aware of the affection they held for him; why does her desire for revenge outweigh their (potential) desire to keep this person who meant so much to them that their admiration for him angered their father? Why does she get to make that call? And while Orin's situation isn't as personal for anyone in the party (at least if you don't recruit Minthara, I haven't kept her alive in a run yet so I don't know what happens if she's there) I'd love the option to look at the party as they're calling her a mad dog and deciding she has to be put down and say "Hey, that's my sister, I know what it's like to be trapped under Bhaal's thumb and I want to give her a chance". Or even just a more general "Why do they deserve death and I don't, what makes me so special?" question, because like... yeah, what does make Durge deserving of redemption beyond the fact that they don't remember what they did? The pain they caused is still there! The people they killed are still dead and their loved ones are still mourning them! Just, there are so many moments where it feels like you should be able to get into the fact that the Chosen really aren't that different from the party aside from not getting the help they needed to pull themselves out of the pits they ended up in and then the game just... doesn't let you. I'd be able to understand there not being any way to save the Chosen, but not being able to even try with Gortash and Orin feels less like "they've gone too far to turn back no matter what you do" and more like "these people don't deserve a second chance unlike everyone else in this game, because reasons". It's incredibly disappointing!

Dame Aylin: Rise, you dog! Retribution has come, and her sword is my sword! Kyvir: Wait - Ketheric has surrendered. Dame Aylin: Ha! Ketheric Thorm would sooner die than lay down his rank cause. Isn't that right, General? Ketheric Thorm: I was a fool to hesitate. Power like mine cannot be hidden, cannot be cowed. But power like mine has a price. A price I am destined to pay. You have one last chance to bow. Once it's gone, I'll have no choice but to destroy you both. Do you hear?! BOW!

There's something in how you can almost, almost get through to Ketheric only for Aylin (a very real reminder of his past misdeeds) to come in to fight him and him to decide that hesitation was futile because he has to pay the price for his power that really gets me. It feels like there's something in there that's almost in conversation with the general themes of redemption and second chances that show up in most of the origin companions' stories; Ketheric has hurt a lot of people, so does that mean he doesn't deserve another chance? If he doesn't deserve a second chance, what makes the companions deserving? There's something so good in there that the game almost touches on but doesn't quite, because BG3 sets up this very fun theme of how the Chosen really aren't so different from the companions with the main difference being that the Chosen weren't lucky enough to have someone or something pull them out of their spiral before they hit rock bottom but never really seems to want to engage with it? That's most notable with Durge (you never get the chance to say "Hey, the only thing making me different from these people is that I don't remember what I did, why do I deserve a chance to be good and they don't" and that will bother me forever), but you can see it a bit here too.