#zephyr flymm

[thenugking]

1 5 19 for any/all ocs you want to answer them for!

Here's Percy and Zephyr, since I'm sleepy and it's long enough as is without adding More Guys!

1. What was the original thought that led to the creation of this character?

Percy: I wanted to explore some of BG3’s evil decisions, but I struggle with creating villains I’m interested enough in to play a whole game as. I ended up looking at the major villainous decisions in BG3 and realising several of them could come about just from enabling your companions, and ohhh what I need is a character who’s Sweet and Nice and Supportive and accidentally a total monster. And I had this character in the back of my mind and then wanted to work through some Suffering is Holy Christian Trauma and all the pieces started coming together.

Zephyr: I was talking to @charamei who I think was the person to go, “Hey does Gortash have any siblings?” My initial answer was no, none are ever mentioned. But then, Sally does keep talking about making the best decision for “all of us” and sure, none are around, but would you want to keep in contact with parents you knew were willing to sell their kids into slavery? …Holy shit can you imagine the psychological damage of being a defenceless child and watching your parents sell your sibling away into slavery? Oh fuck I can’t not explore this character.

5. How did you choose their name and why? Was it simply based on vibes or is there any specific meaning behind the name? Are the reasons behind their name different in- and out of universe?

Percy: I was wondering what species to play my Horrible Little Christian as and remembered Tiefling Virtue Names and immediately realised I had to give them one of the most virtuous names I could find. I looked through a few lists and before even formulating the entirety of “Ooh what about Perseverance for continuing to Help Others even when she’s too exhausted to be effective at it, and for encouraging her companions not to give up on their (shitty awful) dreams?” she’d already told me she went by Percy for short.

Zephyr: I spent so fucking long working on it (naming non-binary characters before you get to know them is hard, because a lot of the time you need to know them well enough to know what they choose to call themselves). I spent a lot of time trying to find names that had meanings to do with the sea, since they’re a pirate, before realising Zephyr thought choosing a name based on some stupid Meaning was cringe and they’d just grab something that sounded nice. But Zephyr means West Wind, and I like the meaning and think it works for a piratey character, even if it’s not on the nose enough that they’d reject naming themself that.

19. What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

Percy: Favourite thing…. Uhhhh. I feel I made an interesting kind of villain here. She’s sweet, and supportive, and the Mum Friend, and kind of a doormat. She’s an ordinary middle aged woman who works in a church and then goes home to cook her kids and husband a meal every evening. And she tore thousands of people’s lives apart.

And there’s a lot to dislike here. My least favourite is probably the uncomfortable knowledge that I could have ended up in a similar place if I’d kept going to church instead of therapy. (Probably not quite that bad, but the whole point of Percy is that you shouldn’t just mentally separate yourself from Bad People because you care about people and have morals. Everyone is capable of evil--especially when we forget that.)

Zephyr: My favourite thing is probably how soft they got. I made them grumpy and cynical and an overall bastard who’s out for themself, and sure I expected some character development, but they really blew me away with the strength with which they began to care for people, once they realised that didn’t make them weak. I was expecting more of a “asshole who only cares about their found family” thing, but noo Zephyr loves half the NPCs they meet so fucking deeply.

For least favourite, the fact that they’re human, the Boring Race, in a game with so many other options. I didn’t really have a lot of choice, having them be Gortash’s sibling though. (I did briefly consider the fun of Half-Orc and Enver is still the least favourite child even next to the Incredibly Obvious Affair Baby, but Val already has an Obvious Affair Baby plot. Instead, Zephyr’s just thirsting after every half-orc lady they meet in the game.)

[thenugking]

So, I was replaying the first Auntie Ethel fight, and it occurred to me to ask - if your Tavs got individualised Vicious Mockery lines from Ethel the way the companions do, what would those lines be?

Oooh fun question! Hmm.

Val: Asking if they’re that desperate not to outlive their family. It’s no wonder Marcon had enough of them. Also just yelling that they've got mud on their shirt tbh.

Lee: I mean it’s a pretty generic Durge answer, but something about how this won’t make up for them being a nasty, unloveable little monster. They fight Ethel a day or so after the Alfira Incident, so playing hard on that.

Percy: She left it a little late to get into adventuring, an almost 40 year old mother acting like she belongs here is a joke. Very domestic little insults about how she’s a bad cook or doesn’t know how to style her hair. (This is going for things that would actually rattle the gang--Percy’s not going to get “you’re not as good a person as you think you are” or “the temple will never truly value you” because tbh, she’d take the Evil Monster trying to put down her morals as Validation.)

Zephyr: Given their strong Fight Response to every flight or fight situation (and several that don’t require that whatsoever), I’m struggling to find something that would have the same psychological response as the others. But luckily, Vicious Mockery doesn’t even need to be understood, so if Ethel’s just being a dick… She’s definitely going to play on the family trauma, and all the failed relationships (both platonic and romantic). A lot of shit about how they can never hold onto anyone very long. Shame they never put the effort they’re going to for Mayrina into saving their own brother.

[thenugking]

more Zephyr - sorry, this idea is FASCINATING to me, but - 3, 7, 11, 26, 27?

3. What would their character quest be titled? Why?

Oh man I fucking hate thinking up titles ahgghjkl. Something with Pirate (their job) or Ranger (their class) in it maybe.

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

I don’t think Zephyr has a path where they become More Evil, I think their bad ending is just that they don’t change at all. They continue to not really trust people, to lash out whenever there’s a problem, to look out for themself above all others. They dump a player they’re romancing because hey, this was fun, but it’s time to move on now. They might not even turn up to the reunion, and just send an impersonal letter saying it was nice working with you.

To get their good ending, I think you have to challenge them to do better, to look out for people, to let people look out for them. Most importantly, you have to show them love and support and maybe even forgiveness when that’s pretty difficult to do. Early game Zephyr is abrasive, being suspicious of other companions for keeping secrets while being unwilling to share much about their own life. 

I don’t think it comes out until Act 3, when you meet Gortash at his coronation, that the two of them are siblings, that he tadpoled Zephyr a week or so before the others and sent them off with the Emperor (appearing to them in the form of their Dream Visitor) to retrieve the astral prism. So you discover Zephyr knew all along that Gortash was involved, that the tadpoles weren’t transforming people but instead forcing them to hear and obey the Absolute, and that the cult wanted the astral prism. And I mean, this isn’t as bad as some of the other things your companions are keeping from you, but Zephyr lets it continue for way too long, refuses to apologise, and starts attacking you for blaming them for their family’s bullshit. And if you try to show sympathy, doubles down harder to try to push you away. To pull them onto a lighter path, you have to… not be okay with them doing this, and probably point out that they’re being cruel right now, but that you understand why, and you’re willing to put this behind you if they’ll try better in future. They’d shrug you off at the time, but during the next long rest, pull you into a cutscene to apologise, thank you for sticking by them and admit that they’re not good at dealing with kindness, and promise to try better in future.

…I don’t know how the Gortash plot resolves with Zephyr there (I’m still not sure how it does in their own game yet). Maybe you get an extra option to spare Gortash, but where that goes, I’m really not sure. I don’t think killing or allying with him effects Zephyr’s personality/arc a great deal, but they’re going to be Uneasy and somewhat guilty if you ally with him. I think if you kill him while on their good arc, they lash out before apologising and telling you they don’t blame you and stumbling through a request for emotional support. On the bad arc, they're more likely to just withdraw.

11. What is your Tav’s go-to comfort food?

Zephyr’s been scavenging a whole lot more food than I usually do--I enjoy buying my party little treats, but Zephyr thinks it’s a waste of money to get anything from a trader when there’s so many barrels of potatoes we could be looting. Until one of the traders had salmon pie, which they immediately grabbed up. Sooo I think that’s the answer.

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets! 

I don’t know if it’s as much a secret as a thing they refuse to acknowledge about themself, but they want to be treated kindly and gently, and not have to be the Tough, Independent One all the time. (They’re totally Better and Happier as the Tough, Independent One than the scared kid trying their best to appease their parents so clearly they don’t need to change that!!)

27. What is the worst thing they’ve ever done/said to someone they love?

As a kid, there was a lot of ratting out their brothers/throwing them under the bus to their parents, culminating in betraying their oldest brother while he was escaping so… maybe that. Though in fairness, they were an abused kid at the time, and they’ve also done plenty of shit to people as an adult who refuses to admit they need to fix themself.

The major shitty thing they’re doing in the game that I’m rotating round in my head is romancing Karlach without telling her hey, the guy who sold you into slavery is my brother. I hope they’ll feel guilty enough to tell her before they actually have sex, but it’s not impossible we’re going to be reaching the coronation before it comes up.

Anyway, Karlach reacts badly to the fact that Zephyr’s been keeping this from her, and Zephyr tells her that, whatever, you’re actually just like him for blaming them for something shitty their family did. So. That was a pretty horrible thing to say.

(And here’s where we get Zephyr’s in-game “being pulled to a lighter arc”. Once she’s processed things a bit, Karlach comes to find them and tell them that, hey, what you said was Deeply Shitty and wasn’t okay but look--I’m dying, and I want to make the most of my time left, I don’t have the time to hold grudges against people I care about, and who I know care about me and aren’t actually like their shitty evil bastard of a brother. I’m willing to forget it if you are. Zephyr… is aware they don’t necessarily deserve forgiveness for all that. But if Karlach still actually wants to be with them… They don’t want to hurt her further by pulling back again, even if they don’t quite know what to do with forgiveness.)

[thenugking]

FLYMM? Oh boy I am excited for this one - 21, 22, 24?

21. Describe a defining moment from their past, which makes them who they are today! 

I mean I was thinking of going with the time their brother disappeared out of their life and their parents were suddenly a lot happier and they suddenly had a lot more money for a while. But I don’t know if that was defining as much as a few days of happiness over proper meals and not having to deal with Enver being a dickhead today, turning into an increasing feeling of unease the longer he was gone.

The biggest defining moment for Zephyr came several years later, when their other brother woke them up in the night and told them he was taking some money he’d hidden away and leaving, because he wasn’t sticking around to let their parents sell him like they did Enver. Here’s all the places he hides money and food that their parents don’t know about, and he suggests Zephyr use them too and get out as soon as they’re old enough, and he promises to write to check up on them but they can’t tell their parents where he is. Zephyr, who was 12 at the time, freaked out about losing their favourite brother too, and yelled for their parents to wake up and stop him. Their brother told them being a snitch wasn’t going to make their parents love them any more when there was no one else to get at, and booked it out of the house. He didn’t write any letters back after that.

It’s the biggest regret of Zephyr’s life, and also the moment that they finally stopped repressing all their concerns about their parents and suspicions of what happened to Enver, and realised that no, there isn’t anything they can do to be good enough for these people. That if there’s another debt, they’re not going to make themself helpful enough or kind enough or smart enough or quiet enough that their parents will value them as much as their own safety and comfort. It’s the moment they decided to stop trying to appease other people, while also unfortunately cementing for them that fucking up out of fear will lose you the people you care about forever.

22. How is your Tav’s relationship with their family? Their parents? 

NOT GOOD. Zephyr was the baby of the family, and growing up was the favourite, as much as Sally and Dravo had one (causing resentment from both their brothers). Once they were the only kid left, all the abuse was focused on them. They left home when they were 14, signing on to work on a ship and get the fuck out of Baldur’s Gate. They’ve come back to the city several times since, but always avoided going anywhere near the family home.

They had a bad relationship with Gortash growing up (he was… never a nice person, but certainly made worse by Sally and Dravo treating every sign of neurodivergence or normal kid fuckups as a sign that he was a monster, and took out his problems on the smaller, younger kid). Zephyr’s relationship with their oldest brother was better, though still pretty volatile, since a bunch of kids in an abusive home are never going to have great coping strategies or conflict resolution skills. By present day, Zephyr is repressing their past as much as they can (that’s the same as Letting Go and Moving On, right?) but misses both their brothers and desperately hopes they’re both safe.

Then their old associate Nine Fingers gives them the heads up that she’s been looking into the local arms dealer who’s suddenly causing the Guild a whole lot of trouble and she’s pretty sure he’s Enver Flymm, and it would benefit both of them if Zephyr would go and have a talk with him and find out what’s up. Zephyr had a whole complex mix of emotions on finding one of their brothers again. But they were pretty sure the reunion was going well, up until the moment Gortash had a steel watcher grab them while he rammed a tadpole in their eye and told them it was far too late to try and make amends (for, yknow, not stopping their parents being abusive monsters when Zephyr was an eight year old).

24. What does your Tav consider to be their own biggest character flaw?

Zephyr acknowledges that they’re selfish. If asked, they would immediately go on the attack about it (that part is totally Not a character flaw!!) because fuck you, what’s wrong with keeping themself safe and happy when no one else cares enough to?? But they’d admit, to themself at least, that it’s deeply selfish of them to, say, not tell Karlach some things that she really deserves to know, just because they’re deeply enjoying spending time with her and they don’t want her to learn the truth and immediately start hating them. Zephyr’s had a lot of experience with allies turning on them on hearing about past fuck ups/things that were not in fact their fault, which is definitely down to the fact that they fundamentally can’t be good enough for people, and not because of the “immediately going on the attack whenever they get scared” thing.

[thenugking]

the list of Marsh OCs

Updated rarely and badly

Baldur’s Gate

Val Rosebrook (they/them | Half-Drow | Warlock | Noble) - Selfish bastard keeps accidentally caring about people. Intro Post

Lee Ravengard (she/they | Halfling | Rogue | Dark Urge) - Reformed serial killer trying their best, still incredibly weird. Intro Post

Percy Ashton (she/her | Tiefling | Cleric of Ilmater | Acolyte) - Self proclaimed Good Person enables her friends to become their worst possible selves. Intro Post

Zephyr Flymm (they/them | Human | Ranger | Criminal)

Grand Academy For Future Villains

Three (they/them) - My favourite blorbo who is A Tool And A Weapon and not a traumatised person at all.

Scorpius Sanderson (also Mutants & Masterminds | ze/zir) - Zir name is Scorpius and ze comes from Gotham so what choice did ze have but to become a scorpion themed supervillain?

Cazenar Vampyroteuthida (he/him) - The gaffv version of Cazenar Skyrim! Now with 50% extra lounging around being stylish and hedonistic!

Gina Chandler (she/her) - Trying very hard to be a stereotypical straight Alpha Bitch, despite being a dorky lesbian.

Soggolp Clobbs (she/her) - Socially anxious horrible squid monster who used to be a disney princess.

Morgan Galaxium (ey/em) - Maedryn’s latest clone baby who Three adopts. Decides to become Doctor Who.

Outer Worlds

Jazz Davenport (she/her) - Jerk with a heart of gold. Cares about a total of six people. Still saves the Colony.

Sammie Cortez (she/her) - Doing her best in a horrible bullshit world where her best isn’t very good.

Oblivion

Khim (Cathay | they/them) - Main quest and Dark Brotherhood doer. Professional assassin who hates the weird death cult and saves the world to get out of it.

Andi (Altmer | she/her) - Thieves Guild doer. Poor Waterfront resident who steals for money and gives most of it to her community.

Cassia Vintus (Imperial | she/her) - Arena and Fighter’s Guild doer. Poor Waterfront resident who joins the Arena for money and ends up being an arrogant asshole about it.

Taern Marcel (Breton | she/her) - Healer and Priest of Stendarr unfortunately from Kvatch. Doing Knights of the Nine and will eventually help form the Vigilants.

Skyrim

Melrani Daynul (Dunmer | zie/zir mostly) - Ordinary Windhelm Blacksmith who doesn’t know how to fight but discovers ze’s the Dragonborn and has to save the world now.

Shanira (Cathay-Raht | she/her) - Heroic adventurer who Melrani thinks would make a much better Dragonborn than zie does

Radah At-Shavaan (Redguard | she/her) - Dawnguard protagonist. Vampire hunter with a Chronic Hero Syndrome.

Cazenar At-Shavaan (Redguard/Vampire | he/him) - Dawnguard antagonist. Asshole vampire who thinks he’s incapable of being good, sp might as well be as evil as possible.

Vagna Titus (Imperial | she/her) - A vigilant who gets very, very abused by Molag Bal.

Evera (Breton(/Bosmer/Altmer) | she/her) - Former Honorhall orphan who joins the Dark Brotherhood.

Erilwen (Bosmer | she/her) - Thieves Guild protagonist. Former noble who got bored and ran off to be an asshole thief.

Sharalin (Altmer | she/her) - Thalmor spy at the Blue Palace who figures she’d much rather be working for Elisif. Civil war protagonist.

Knows-Dark-Secrets (Argonian | she/her) - Very powerful, very dodgy mage, trying to collect all the Daedric artefacts.

Frida Snow-Slayer (Nord | she/her) - Civil War antagonist, who’s very bitter about elves stealing all the good Nord jobs, like Being The Dragonborn.

Nimu Aldari (Dunmer | he/him) - Took a job as Neloth’s apprentice, quit because Neloth was himself, is now regrettably still on Solstheim and having to do quests there.

Fjora the Hunter (Nord | she/her/they/them) - Autistic hunter ignoring all actual plots to play with Hunterborn and Campfire immersion.

Dragon Age

Therlia Surana (Warden | Mage | she/her ) - Warden Number One! Faced all the Trauma of Dragon Age before I knew what to expect and how to make the best choices, rip therlia.

Kas Surana (Inquisitor | Rogue | she/her) - Non-verbal anxiety ball who mostly communicates through Cole.

Veena (Mage | she/her) - She never meant to be a villain, she just thinks elves are better than everyone, Solas is right about everything and the Fade is great is all

Vari Tabris (Warden | Rogue | she/her) - Everyone: Vari no. Vari: Vari yES!

A. Hawke (Champion | Rogue | zie/zir) - Friendly Green Hawke who becomes Done With This Shit Red Hawke

Estella Trevelyan (Inquisitor | Mage | she/her) - Former Tranquil, now has approximately 200 emotions happening all at once

Lucille Caron (Awakening Warden | Rogue | she/her) - Cold, emotionless Warden has seen too many Wardens die and then accidentally gets attached to some

Isaline Amell (Warden | Mage | she/her) - Abused, self-loathing mage learns to love herself

Dragon Hawke (Champion | Mage | she/her) - A mess made out of bad life choices, mental illnesses and crushes on hot women who practice slightly dodgy magic

Mahariel (Warden | Mage | he/him) - Loser nerd only manages to take half a level in badass before saving the world

Rose Amell (Champion | Warrior | she/her) - Gamlen’s kid who grew up in Kirkwall and is going to fight Aveline over it

Tama (Inquisitor | Warrior | they/them) - Tamassran who lived their whole life following the Qun, then rescued a mage kid and ran away

Lacha Brosca (Warden | Warrior | she/her) - Stale cinnamon roll, been in this world too long, too cynical

Millie Hawke (Champion | Mage | she/her) - Thirteen year old Hawke discovers Kirkwall is the worst place to grow up

Halsker Lady-Touched (Inquisitor | Mage/Rogue | he/him) - Herald of the Lady of the Skies, actually, thanks

Lorrel Tabris (Warden | Rogue | she/her) - Former Night Elf Grandma

Rynessa (Awakening Warden/Inquisitor | Mage | she/her) - Immortal and a massive dick about it

Adventure (Spirit/Bird | she/her) - A spirit of adventure, and also of being an asshole

Corinne Hawke/Vael/Amell/Montilyet (Champion | Mage | she/her) - Actual Disney Princess Hawke

Amity Hawke (Champion | Rogue | she/her) -  aka, Amity “Total Monster” Hawke, aka, the actual literal worst person in the world

Forest Hawke (Champion | Mage | they/them) - Gets Circled as a kid, escapes during the Blight and joins Isabela’s crew, ends up stranded in fucking Kirkwall.

Mihren Ghilain (Warden | Mage | she/her) - Dalish mage kidnapped by templars and forcibly assimilated is perhaps slightly bitter about it

Thosk Aeducan (Warden | Rogue | he/him) - Basically that story of how Julius Caesar got captured for ransom and then got offended because he didn’t think the ransom wasn’t high enough and made his kidnappers raise it.

Mags Ainsley (Warden | Rogue | she/her) - My “power fantasy” OC of, “What if the main character was always having anxiety attacks and couldn’t make any important decisions by themself and cried a lot about the stress they were under, and that doesn’t make them any less valid?”

Issella Ainsley (Mage | she/her) - So what if Morrigan doesn’t bang anyone and the Warden is pregnant when they fight the Archdemon instead?

Palorn Kader (Awakening Warden | Warrior | she/her) - Warden-Constable here to deal with the Old God baby the Hero of Ferelden’s having.

Veni Arainai (Rogue | ze/zir/they/them) - The original Three OC. Definitely Not Traumatised Antivan Crow antagonist.

Orlena Amell (Warden | Mage | she/her) - Her parents tried to abuse the magic out of her so now she’s an Isolationist

Ivy Amell (Mage | she/her) - Didn’t get the parental abuse, but did get sent to the Gallows and had to deal with Cullen.

Everard Amell (Mage | he/him) - Saw his three older siblings develop magic and suffer so grabbed his baby sister and got the fuck out

Tarynn Amell (Inquisitor | Mage/Warrior | she/her) - Apostate kid dreams of finding her siblings and reuniting them all

Harleigh Amell (Mage | he/him) - The murdered third Amell sibling

Sophia Cousland (Warden | Mage | she/her) - Has been waiting to rule a country for Years and isn’t about to let being a mage stop her

Dragon Age RPG

Adelisa de Launcet (Rogue | she/her) - Starts off as a #OrlesianNoble, ends up deciding murder’s wrong and she can solve all problems with her ridiculously high charisma modifier.

Valentina de Launcet (Rogue | she/her) - terrible trash baby, always down for fucking, fighting and performative activism.

Rowan (Warrior | she/her) - One time she started a bar brawl because someone said there was no proof Andraste actually had a mabari

Henriette Bettencourt (Rogue | she/her) - Adelisa’s incredibly petty abusive bard master.

Dragon Age Other

Arnauld de Serault (The Last Court pc | Mage/Warrior | he/him) - Disaster mage trying his best to make Serault respectable, while having Dignity as a dump stat.

Roselle de Serault (The Last Court pc | Mage/Rogue | she/her) - Rebellious Princess Syndrome kid grows up and gets really into the Game

Adara (Dragon Age Journeys/Legends pc | Mage | she/her) - Ravi’s court mage, who’s tired of his shit, but still too scared to become an apostate.

RPG Characters

Sabrina Peri (Monster of the Week | Hex | she/her)

Gita Peri (Monster of the Week | she/her)

Oakley (Monster of the Week | Expert | they/them)

Lyric (Monster of the Week | Construct | they/them)

Wolf McRinehart (Apocalypse World | Chopper | xi/xir)

Tara Yokel/Namira (D&D | Human | Bard | she/her)

Hennie Geluk (D&D | Orc | Warlock | he/they)

Corric (D&D) | Halfling | Warlock | they/them)

Liza Charlton (Mutants & Masterminds | she/her)

Morven (Mutants & Masterminds | they/them)

The Owl House

Annalise Blight (she/her)

Gideon (he/him)

Gallifrey/Doctor Who

Elora Whiteriver (she/her) - Punchy CIA asshole who isn’t actually the worst

Marella Whiteriver (she/her) - Too nice to tell her family they fucking suck

Davigon Whiteriver (he/him, at least for this regeneration) - Asshole genius made out of ambition

Alrax (she/her) - Shadow House prisoner who escapes and joins Faction Paradox because Fuck Time Lord