In honor of lesbian visibility week, i present Archbutchess Gortash and her femme fatale gf as the new evillest women in Faerun

(Ngl they look pretty much the same but ykno boobs)

"omg my favourite assassin i've missed yo--"

I love gold digger Gortash. Can imagine him amassing so much wealth by courting various patriars, and after sneaking into their will and testament he even gets Durge in on it; if they take them out for him (in a manner that absconds him of course) then he gives them a cut of the money. Then they go bang in the victims mansion or on a pile of gold, idk.

I'm sorry, but it's such a waste, that scene where Ketheric goes to punch Gortash, but Orin stops him with the Bhaal dagger.

Like can you imagine if Ketheric was spiteful enough to say, you know the Dark Urge is still alive?

If he'd dropped that bombshell on him right then and there, to sow some discord between the two people who just tag teamed him?

Like oh, you're best buddies with Orin, huh, how cute, you're just the best of friends, aren't you? Well try and remember: she killed your wife. BUT ALSO, that wife is still alive, and they're mad as fucking hell. And they're fucking coming for me.

and then you.

so pick your fucking side now, Chosen of Bane.

that would've been priceless. it would've been such an interesting scene, setting the two of them against each other and yes, sure, revealing that you knew Gortash and Orin earlier. but so fucking what?

the Chosen of Bhaal reveal is boring anyway and feels plopped in there randomly.

at least hint that Gortash and Orin know you too, and that you're far more important than you even imagined.

and in hindsight, it's cool because it shows you already that these two are not the united front that they originally seemed to be, and their alliance was based on necessity, not genuine desire for partnership.

throwing the dark urge into that conversation would've been so awesome, and hinted at the two of them being like factions you have to choose between.

BUT ALAS.

no one is as smart as me.

Durge came to his dearest and nearest to help dealing with his episode. Gortash was happy to give a hand, not for free though.

also known as 7 stages of grief

I commissioned @lwiann for my Dark Urge, Helene and Enver Gortash piece and I'm still over the moon 😔🫶

Lwiann, I adore you and you're one of the best, genuinely 🥺

In the quiet of his office, Gortash's melody weaves a spell of its own—each note a whisper of memory, every chord a glimpse into the heart of a tyrant. Where words fail, music speaks.

Found this is ye’ ol draft box

putting a tyrant in his place

Sleeping headcanon!!!

Yeah so Strike can't sleep alone. Like, at all.

He is able to sleep despite being a 'drow' because of Bhaal's design, but when he's asleep and his mind is weakened, he's far more likely to submit to Bhaal's influence (why he kills the bard in his sleep).

He did that before the tadpoles, too; if he falls asleep without anyone to hold onto, he usually wakes up screaming in a matter of minutes because of horrible nightmares he no doubt suffers. Back at the temple, he would solve that issue by sleeping with Bhaalists and letting them share his bed for the night, or by simply keeping corpses in his bed to cuddle up to, and later by simply going to Gortash's; but it gets complicated when he's at the camp post-tadpoles. Lae'zel help and Astarion eventually help.

Me Durge and tash

I like the 'good '''healthy''' relationship' for durgetash. So i like the equally devoted lovers, adding on to why Gortash would be so subtly upfront with his feelings when talking to him alone wt his coronation. Im trying to actually write out a story for them without it making it super cringe. Also like the idea that Gortash is a good sketcher/artist

Durge: *is just chilling, drawing in their sketchbook (which may or may not be filled with gruesome imagery).*

Gortash: *strolls in and drops himself onto the loveseat in front of Durge, disrobes and stretches out nude*

Durge: Excuse me?

Gortash: Draw me like one of your dead girls.

when the dark urge thinks Gortash's name is "sickeningly familiar"

what was so sickening about it?

resentment, that Gortash never came looking for them? residual rivalry?

or is that prickle in their throat a pavlovian response and the sickening feeling is like a phantom memory of choking on his dick until they were nauseous

that's his littol meowmeow murder kitten your honour

(original post is on my twitter<3)

of course I know Gortash logically cannot be redeemed. He doesn't WANT to be redeemed- Spawn Astarion and redeemed/resist Durge at least realize the errors of their ways at some point during their arcs and are able to become better people through, quite literally, the power of friendship, but Gortash? Gortash doesn't give a shit at all, he will make the entire burn world with him if it is necessary. I haven't finished the game but I am 99% sure you can't fully side with him without him still trying to kill Tav/Durge at the very end. He doesn't want to be redeemed and canonically he is egotistical enough to turn on Durge, his "nearest and dearest", as well. *

But parts of me WANT him to be... Not redeemable, per se. I know full well there is no logical way that he would suddenly become an charity donor or an active member in bettering the wellfair in Baldur's Gate, he probably will always want a Orphan Crushing Machine somewhere in the basement, but I want him to have someone he loves enough- that loves HIM enough- that makes him at least decide to try to take over the world slightly more fair and square. Through diplomacy and conquests and the whole shebang. Someone mentioned Gortash recognising that Durge, his loved one, is simply tired, and wants a normal life, without Bhaal and without the Absolute and without ANY obligations, just their own life, and I simply want for Gortash to decide that yes, he is still a terrible human being, but at least with the Absolute gone, he could have Durge and still be in control of the people simply as Archduke, especially when given partial credit for the destruction of the Absolute. He could give Durge a life of their own and also have parts of the life he wants, if he in any universe decided that Durge was worth it.

At the same time, I love @ cats-obsessions' "If Durge could recruit Gortash" post, where she suggests that if Durge failed the duel with Orin, it would lock out any option except Gortash and Durge controlling the brain together, as Gortash would see it as the only way to protect Durge. Perhaps I just want an actual Durgetash ending where Durge could either make Gortash slightly better or where they still could be together, as gods. I just really wish Gortash actually did care about Durge, genuinely, where he genuinely WOULD want to share the world together with them. Where he in any way shape or form would decide that, perhaps he could go against his god and be a ruler of an enslaved mankind with another, or where he would decide on the more extreme and abandon his god for someone else. Just. AUGH.

*probably very wrong about this but oh well