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chaoticbardlady99 · 4 months

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I Triple Dog Dare You (Astarion x F!Reader) (Part 2 to Pinkie Promise)

CW: Angst, mentions of trauma, mentions of sexual trauma, mentions of bullying, mentions of parental death, mentions of domestic violence, mentions of voyeurism

Both titles have been inspired by the song ‘School Nights’ by Chappell Roan

Dedicated to @amica-aenigmata-naboo - thank you for demanding a part two 😂

Part 1: Pinkie Promise?

✨this has been proof read once and I have been awake and working since 3 am. It is not 10:04 pm. Please help✨

You finish your letter by folding it into thirds and then writing ‘Star’ on the back. You take a deep breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth- reminding yourself that you already know he likes you back, you are just taking that last extra little step. You also can’t attempt to write this letter again- this is your 8th draft, the others turning into flames in your hands very quickly.

You want to ask Astarion to be in a serious relationship with you. You have only been seeing each other (as far as you know) and you’ve spent almost everyday sleeping with him in his tent since you had ventured into the Underdark. Most of the time- you don’t even have sex. You stay up talking together and sharing soft kisses- no clothes, just intimacy. You adore those moments immensely.

Life around camp has also been good- everyone is finally beginning to get along. Shadowheart and Lae’zel even silently respect each other now. It feels like one big happy family and you are grateful for them when this whole journey feels far too big and scary.

Recently, you and your crew have been playing an ongoing game of “Triple Dog Dare”. The only rule is you can’t dare someone in the middle of a battle or a serious mission. Otherwise- it’s all fair game and if you decline to do it, you have to take the darers’ guard duty or help them with a chore. The chores were limited to one task and it can’t be taking down a whole tent + equipment- the one time Astarion had to take down Gale’s tent had been disastrous. The dare had been to allow Gale to take you on a date- Astarion shot back with a “I triple dog dare you to swallow my fucking knife wizard.” All parties (minus Astarion) agreed that this dare was not to be followed through on.

The game has had… less than favorable results. Watching Wyll and Karlach streak across the camp while you were piss drunk was awful. Oh and the time Gale almost died because Wyll dared him to spy on the two of you for 20 minutes. You hadn’t heard his thoughts, but Astarion had. His head had shot up from between your legs with a furious look in his eyes. Astarion had covered your naked frame up quickly with his shirt (his trousers still on) and chased after Gale until he pushed the man into the freezing Underdark water.

The group then had to make a few more rules people didn’t realize they had to make. In Gale’s defense- Wyll didn’t specify and Wyll is a real snob about which chore he gives the person. It’s also the worst chore and usually includes de-stinking his boots. You are almost positive Wyll does this on purpose as repayment for all the headaches this groups’ shenanigans has given him-oh and the horns.

Karlach triple dog dared you today to finally confess your feelings to Astarion. You had gawked at her and then dared her to do the same with Dammon. You shook on it and it was done.

Finding out that Astarion’s life is in far more danger than any of them had realized shook you to your core. You are tired of wasting time being afraid to ask him what you already know (or at least hope you know). You are silently grateful that Karlach has given you the push you needed (you doubt she would have actually made you do anything- she wouldn’t put you on blast like that).

It just never felt like the right time in the past. Having your life be in constant danger is kind of a romance killer and you aren’t sure how the hell you are supposed to do this.

Do you court him? Do you ask him to court you?

You ultimately settled on just flat out telling him your feelings- politics be damned. It’s not like you were welcome in High Society anyway.

Now you are in the safety of Last Light Inn and it feels like the right time to bring this up. You worry that waiting any longer will result in him looking for someone more serious or maybe you would always just be a person he slept with during the journey to his freedom.

You hope you are more than that and you are almost positive you are. The way he looks at you, kisses you, and talks to you is so genuine- his eyes are always so soft and so are his lips. He protects you and you protect him. You adore him and you think he adores you too.

So naturally, walking up behind him and Shadowheart talking isn’t a nerve wracking endeavor to you. This is all going to go off without a hitch!

Or so you thought.

Your ears twitch and you barely hear what they say to each other, but you do. Gods you wish you hadn’t.

“You are insufferable, Cleric.” Astarion groans, “I already told you my answer.”

“Oh please- you follow them around like a lovesick puppy. You can’t honestly tell me you have absolutely no feelings for them.”

Shadowheart takes a long sip of her pint and raises an eyebrow at him. You remain in the shadow- your heart thumping out of your chest. Maybe he’ll say a lot of wonderful things about you? Maybe your hopes will be-

“Nope, not a single feeling outside of my carnal desires,” he says nonchalantly, “that’s all it’s been and they know that.”

Oh.

You feel all the air leave your lungs as you crumple your letter and shove it in your pocket. You don’t know why you insist on listening further.

“Then I triple dog dare you to go talk to someone and take them to bed. You will have no problem bedding that Harper who keeps giving you ‘fuck me’ eyes- I’m sure.”

Oh please no.

“You offend me- that’s hardly a challenge,” he says while standing up, sauntering over to the Harper that is eyeing him.

You promptly turn around and hurry out of the building. You can’t breathe. You should have known better.

You had always been Tav the Guillable, the Plain, the Insufferable, etc, etc. You had been thrown at your aunt and uncle when your parents passed. Your aunt and uncle lived in a nice Human only city and you are a ‘filthy half-breed.’

One of the boys in your Archery class found out you had a crush on him so he asked you to meet him by the river. You showed up with wild flowers for him- something your mother told you Wood Elf’s do to show affection. He showed up with your entire class- all of them laughing at you for being stupid enough to believe he liked you and then his future partner beat the shit out of you before throwing you into the rushing water. You wished you hadn’t survived, but a nice family who was tolerant towards Half breeds saved you. Your Aunt and Uncle were pissed. Admittedly, so were you.

They treated you terribly- constantly trying to marry you off to old men who you would turn away with your boorish behavior.

You really thought you had it right this time. Everything felt so natural and right- like you had been made for each other. What did you not pick up on? What did you miss this whole time? How could you have been so blind?

You pick up your bedroll on the way out- you were all going to sleep on the floor of the inn with the rest of the Harpers and Refugees, but you couldn’t pretend you wanted to be near Astarion like he does with you. You aren’t ready to confront him- you aren’t ready for the pretty illusion to be completely shattered and swept under the rug yet. You were just getting used to being someone he loved and now the whole world is crumbling underneath you.

It was barely anything- obviously- so why does it hurt this much?

You find yourself in front of Damon’s metal shop and he’s talking to Karlach. You clear your throat and they both look at you. Karlach suddenly looks concerned when she sees the look on your face.

“Could I sleep above your shop tonight?” You say with a strained voice, “behind the hay? I just… need to be alone.”

“Sure thing- it’s all yours.”

You smile gratefully at him and begin to climb up the ladder.

“Do you want me to tell Fangs, Soldier?”

You can hear the question in her voice. She is your best friend after all.

“No- please don’t,” you smile at her sadly, “I would prefer he doesn’t know where I am.”

Karlach nods in understanding, giving you a sad smile, and you go behind the hay and lay out your bedroll. It smells like him and you don’t know if that’s helping or hurting at this point, but you are mostly too tired to care.

Your heart hurts as you try to find sleep. You throw the crumpled note across the little loft and silently begin to cry.

At least you knew what it felt to give and receive love- even if it was false and unrequited the entire time.

*****************************************

Astarion is barely present for the conversation with the Harper male who is trying to impress him into bed. Astarion is only thinking of you and how much he wants to get this over with so you can find a more secluded spot together. Every morning to every night feels like far too long to wait to have a tender moment with you.

Astarion imagines leaving lingering kisses along your collar bones and your cheeks. He thinks about how he desperately needs to rebraid your hair. It’s been frizzy and unruly from all the fog- the baby hairs sticking out all over the place. He also needs to patch up your armor again- your Meilikki Cleric Armor ripped apart from the events of yesterday.

Mostly though, he wants to spend the off day tomorrow with just you. Astarion wants to find somewhere to hide or even just rent a room so that you can just be in each other’s presence un interrupted by the world. Astarion’s heart glows at the thought of the sexless intimacy you share. He’s so happy it’s not a priority to you- it’s allowed him to do things at his own pace and as he wants to which is very freeing to him.

Astarion had finally admitted to himself that his plan had well and truly failed- he has fallen for you very hard.

He doesn’t know what possessed him to lie to Shadowheart. He mostly just didn’t want to be pressured to leap forward. Astarion isn’t sure if you want to be something real with him and he also doesn’t know if you are hell bent on being a proper noble woman who marries a proper noble man. It would break his heart if you rejected him and Astarion has no desire to feel that way. For now, Astarion will bask in his peaceful ignorance.

The Harper man eventually scowls at Astarion and tells him to fuck off if he isn’t interested. Astarion goes back to Shadowheart with an annoyed look on his face.

“Fine- you win, Cleric,” Astarion scowls, “I have feelings for them. I couldn’t even give that man a moment of my attention because I couldn’t stop thinking about them so if you will excuse me-“

Shadowheart squeals in delight and Astarion rolls his eyes. Astarion walks around the entire inn and property- you are nowhere to be found. Astarion is beginning to become more and more worried. Astarion is pacing out front when Karlach and Dammon come up to the Inn- ready to hit the sack.

“Karlach,” Astarion says, a bit more panicked than he means to, “where is Tav? I’ve been looking for them everywhere and I can’t find them!”

Karlach looks suddenly uncomfortable and like she definitely knows where you are.

“Karlach if you know where Tav is-“

“I do!” She says exasperated, “but they specifically asked that you don’t know and I don’t blame them! You gonna go fuck them and pretend to have feelings for them again for the billionth time?”

Astarion is stock still and horribly confused. What in the hells is she talking about? Karlach shoves a piece of crumpled paper into his hands and shakes her head at him.

“You know- if you are going to fuck with someone’s feelings,” Karlach tries to keep her patience, “maybe don’t pick the nicest person in the room. Honestly Fangs- fuck you. I thought you were better than that.”

Astarion is at a loss for words- which is very rare for him. He slowly unfolds the note- hoping it might put some of the pieces together.

Star,

I have really come to enjoy your company and our time together.

I am quite smitten with you and I’m too nervous to say this out loud, but I would like to be able to call you my partner (in a romantic sense)- if you return my feelings, that is.

If not, no worries. All I want is for you to be happy.

-Tav

The pieces click together like a haunting tune.

You had heard everything that was said between him and Shadowheart. Obviously you didn’t stick around for the important part, but Gods you must be heartbroken.

Astarion has to assume you were hiding somewhere in Damon’s shop if Karlach is the one who knows where you are. He had been avoiding the shop initially so that Karlach could have her privacy with Dammon. Now it’s fair game.

Astarion quickly walks towards the shop and as soon as he enters- his ears pick up your quiet sobbing. Your thoughts are loud and unguarded- his words playing in your head over and over again. You are wondering why you aren’t good enough. Astarion finally sees what you have refused to show him- your parents are long gone, despite the fact that you talk about them as if they are waiting for you to come home. Your Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and an entire society have rejected you, humiliated you, and belittled you. This just happens to be the salt in the wound. You keep looping through the thought of how stupid you are to have missed this of all damn things. How could you even begin to think he would actually want you? Plain, boring, ugly, half-breed Tav.

Oh my Darling, what have I done?

Shadowheart had been teasing him relentlessly ever since you had all arrived back to the safety of Last Light Inn. You had led them all to support Astarion in finding out more about the scars carved into his back. It had been incredibly dangerous and Shadowheart had had to heal him more than usual- he kept putting himself between you and every bomb, warrior, etc. He wanted her to stop- he likes the privacy of his little world with you.

Now he’s demolished that world and your heart in less than an hour. Astarion was actually nervous earlier- realizing how deep his feelings for you are and how much he wants something real with you. He just isn’t close enough with Shadowheart to share those feelings out loud willingly. Astarion is thrilled that you feel the same way, but now he isn’t sure he can convince you that his feelings are genuine and not a giant lie.

Astarion slowly makes his way up the ladder and he hears your sobbing stop- one single sniffle occurring before silence.

“Darling?” he asks quietly.

The air is tense and Astarion feels more nervous than a school boy with a crush. You hiccup.

“Astarion.”

Your voice is strained and cracks- he can hear the effort you put into trying to make your voice sound steady and normal.

You are definitely not happy with him. You usually address him as Star when he first arrives in your orbit.

Astarion takes it as a good sign that you are at least willing to speak with him.

“It’s come to my attention that you may have overheard a conversation without context and without staying until the end,” Astarion says slowly, “I was hoping you might let me explain myself.”

You sit up gingerly, your head bent, and look up at him with puffy, bloodshot eyes. Your bottom lip is swollen- you often worry it between your teeth when you are upset. He doesn’t like when you are upset, but he does love how incredibly delicious it makes your lips look. Your skin is under a veil of tears and your cheeks are stained pink from you rubbing away the sadness from your face. It’s unfair how beautiful a crier you are.

Astarion decides to go against his better judgement and he crawls towards you. You look at him with a guarded expression, but you don’t fight him as he pulls you into his lap- his fingers moving the hair out of your face and wiping the remaining tears from your cheeks.

“Shadowheart was teasing me for being… overly concerned with your safety today,” Astarion begins, “I just didn’t want to- her and I aren’t close enough for me to-“

Astarion huffs in frustration and looks down at the floor momentarily before making direct eye contact with you. He decides to use the tadpole- maybe showing will make more sense than explaining.

Astarion shows you his original intentions of manipulating you- his musings over your beauty, but your aggravating naivety and the annoyance at your persistent kindness. He feels you flinch a little, but your body begins to relax against his as you watch his feelings change. Astarion lets you see all of his jealousy, confusion, fear, and adoration for you. He even lets you see his turmoil during sex. Astarion enjoys himself with you- more than he’s ever enjoyed himself with anyone, but the self-loathing and disgust pose a challenge during intimate moments.

Lastly, Astarion shows you how scared he is to lose you. He lets the feeling consume him and he feels like he’s a rope ready to snap at any moment. His mind wanders to how much he doesn’t ever want to have to miss you- the beautiful moments you have shared together and how much joy you have brought to his life. You make him want to be a better person- well at least in your presence. Astarion would do just about anything for you.

You press your forehead to his and release a relieved sigh. Astarion pulls you in for a deep, tender kiss. The kiss is needy, but not in a sexual way. Astarion needs you to know that he really does adore you- his affections are absolutely not fake.

He finally has to pull back to let you breathe and you wrap your arms around his neck.

“You make me so so happy, Darling,” Astarion whispers tearfully, “I really don’t want to lose you.”

“Star, I adore you for all the sentimental reasons,” your eyes sparkle as you look at him, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Astarion tries not to show how relieved he is, but the way his shoulders slump gives him away.

“We don’t have to have sex, you know,” you say quietly, “I can wait until you are ready. I want you to be happy and feel loved more than anything.”

Astarion is surprised by the choked sob that escapes his lips- pulling you in closer.

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“Yeah well,” you pull back and smile at him, “I triple dog dare you to prioritize your wants and needs first!”

Astarion rolls his eyes at you and tries to hide the grateful tears threatening to spill from his eyes. You are his most favorite person across all the planes. He is so grateful for you, your patience, and how much you try to understand him so that you can support his healing from centuries of abuse.

“Cheeky pup.”

You grin widely, “the cheekiest.”

“Hmmm well,” Astarion slyly smirks, “if we are going to play this childish game…”

You pout, jutting your lower lip out. Astarion places a chaste kiss on your cheek before whispering in your ear.

“I triple dog dare you to be something real with me.”

Astarion’s nerves are going haywire- praying to every God he can think of that you still want to be serious with him.

Your smile could light up the entirety of the Shadow Cursed Lands. You give him a short sweet kiss on the cheek and A kunik*.

“Dare accepted.”

*A kunik means nose kiss in Inuit

#baldurs gate 3 #astarion #astarion x reader #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x you #bg3 spoilers #astarion romance #astarion x tav #karlach #bg3 #astarion acunin

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justporo · 8 months

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My new bestie, I honestly would love to see you write Father!Astarion 🤤🤤

How would he react to the news? Would he want a little girl or boy? How would he react when they are born, and they look just like him, but pre vamp eyes?

(Vampires can sire babies, with the highest chance after they are fully well fed)

Hello my tadpole bestie and thanks for the request! Astarion as a father really seems to be on people's minds, hm?

I get it, I like it too, but let me put this out there (yeah yeah, I know it's all fictional, but let's be real for a second): I would much rather imagine this when Astarion has done some much needed healing. This man hasn't had autonomy in two centuries and really needs to find himself again and work through trauma - with Tav on his side of course. And children are a huge responsibility - mentally, physically, emotionally, financially - I imagine (I wouldn't know, I'm not a parent...). I'd really wish for him to be ready for something like that.

But the thought is incredibly sweet, so let's go:

Headcanons about Astarion being a father

When Tav tells him she's expecting, he's truly speechless for perhaps the first time in his life; and then he can't sit still: swinging from delusionally happy to overthinking and being worried; but Tav takes his hand and reassures him that they'll be in it together

Has he thought about having kids? Yeah sure, but he'd never thought of it being possible until it happened, although when Cazador forced him and the other spawn to behave like a family he'd sometimes thought about what could've been

He's absolutely overprotective when Tav's pregnant: "Oh no, no, darling, you are not carrying that around, think of the baby!" "Astarion, it's A MUG OF WATER!"

Also he adores her body that is creating such a miracle: "You're glowing, my heart. You are truly a goddess!"

If he was handsy before there are now no moments where his hands aren't on Tav's body and on her belly

When he feels the first movements, he cries, and then Tav cries and then there's just a fountain of happy tears and lots of "I love you"s

He's taking such good care of Tav; especially when she doesn't feel well or when she's exhausted - she'll get all the herbal teas and massages

Birth though is scary - for both of them; but I'm sure he'll have some friends by his side (because think about the adventure troupe waiting with him while he's pacing the room like a panther: Karlach's biting her nails off, Gale's just blabbering to distract himself, Shadowheart is praying for everything to go well, Wyll tries to calm Astarion down (unsuccessfully), Lae'zel is unusually silent with crossed arms hoping everything will be okay, Halsin's keeping the group fed and all because "Nature will make it all right")

Boy or girl? Doesn't matter at all, all that's important is that Tav and the baby are healthy and ready to receive all his love

First time holding his child - he can't even cry because it's such a miracle; "This... this is the best thing I've ever had and created!"

The tears come later when you're alone - just the three of you

He's absolutely a very loving father, caring so much about his kid - and also equally taking on responsibilities and care with Tav

When the kid's eyes become their real colour and it sparks a memory Astarion had long forgotten, he's too stunned to acknowledge what he's seeing: the kid has his eyes - the way they were before he was turned

Later, when the child's already a little bigger he loves to show them stuff, teach them, read to them; also inciting them to go and annoy Mom - which makes Tav want to push him off a cliff but also hug him to death - because who'd have thought it would ever be possible?

Alright alright - I've gotten almost off the rails with this one. Because honestly, there's a lot to imagine there. Also maybe I wasn't prepared for the things that would make me feel (and I don't mean baby fever).

Alright, hope you enjoyed this headcanons, time for me to go to bed!

#astarion #astarion x tav #baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion x reader #astarion x mc #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x oc #astarion x you #fanfic #fanfiction #astarion ancunin #bg3 spoilers #daddystarion #poro headcanons

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thechaoticdruid · 2 months

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So I've finished my first run through of the game and did the epilogue which was just so precious! But anyways, it made me think, how would the companions react upon announcing at the reunion you and your partner are expecting!

I actually don't do requests but I like this one. I haven't made it to the epilogue yet in game but I think I can still answer these. They might be short though so please forgive me! 😔

I also tried to keep the reader's sex and gender as ambiguous as possible, but some words are hard to convey in gender neutral terms. Also the reader's partner is not specified.

But if your partner is Astarion (like my Tav's) I feel like everyone would have a similar "Is that even possible!?" reaction, except maybe Gale cause he's well studied.

Shadowheart

If you're the pregnant one she remarks on how she thought you were getting fat.

Like girl has no chill.

But if you're the father I can see her teasing you about not being able to keep your hands to yourself around your partner.

Proceeds to gift you gothic style clothes for the little one when it's closer to the birth.

Wyll

He immediately congratulates you both and wishes you well on your new adventure in parenting.

Assures you that the two of you will make a beautiful baby.

Also he asks to touch the bump if the pregnant person is showing. 🥺

Buys toys for the baby before it's even born.

Karlach

Immediately screams "FUCK YEAH I'M GONNA BE AN AUNT!!!"

Runs around to tell everyone else and buys you both drinks to celebrate for the occasion.

Needs to be reminded that drinking is bad for the baby.

Will plant a big smooch on the baby bump if the pregnant person is showing.

Starts wearing a T-shirt that says "BEST FUCKIN AUNT EVER." Also gets a matching shirt for the little one.

Lae'zel

Unless she has Xan she isn't particularly interested. She'd probably still congratulate you in her own githyanki way I suppose if you're on good terms.

If she does have Xan she suggests they spar together some day. Though she is confident her son will be victorious.

This is probably her own way of having a play date for your children.

Gale

Congratulates you both and wishes the two of you the best.

Offers to teach the child magic when they become old enough to learn.

Buys you lots of parenting books and tries to help by reminding you lots of useful facts, but in the end he kinda just low-key starts to be a bit annoying.

He means well though.

Astarion

Of course he may already be well aware of the pregnant person's bun in the oven depending on how far along they are.

His vampiric senses alert him to the little heartbeat within, you see.

"Enjoy your last few months of freedom and sleep filled nights while you can, darlings!~"

"But really, I am rather happy for the two of you. Especially you, I didn't think you had it in you." He says condescendingly to the father of the child.

Honestly he's just a little bitter he's single and alone.

Pretends not to have any interest in touching the baby bump, says he has no interest in the little creature growing inside.

But if he has a good relationship with either of the two parents he will make the baby eccentric little outfits. Especially goes all out if it's a little girl. Purple and red ruffles all over.

Will get very offended if he doesn't see the baby wearing them.

He put his soul into those outfits godsdamnit!

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion ancunin #astarion bg3 #astarion x reader #astarion #gale x reader #gale dekarios #karlach x reader #karlach cliffgate #lae'zel x reader #lae'zel of k'liir #shadowheart hallowleaf #shadowheart x reader #shadowheart #wyll ravengard #wyll x reader #bg3 headcanons

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moyashidoodles · 3 months

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Tiny doodles of Pidge (my Tav) from act 1 and early act 2. Her hair changed for each act so it’s easy to tell where they are in their journey by how disheveled she looks.

Pidge is a wild magic sorcerer with an affinity for soul magic. She can see the color of others souls (I don’t consider this game breaking, but also it’s my brain baby so idc if that’s possible in the 5e rule set) there are some supplemental fan spells and materials for adding soul magic and flavor and there’s the soul knife subclass rogue which I think was a Critical Roll addition? Ugh, look at me spreading misinformation on the internet.

OC lore below the cut.

Content warning: abusive relationship discussion (parent and child), implied sexual and physical abuse.

Anyway, Pidge grew up Rapunzel like with a very controlling and narcissistic “mother knows best” mom. The only reason her mother even had a child was to be a “spare” body for when her mother succumbed to a fatal illness (and to help her mother transfer souls into soul coins and gems to be bartered in the 9 hells. Lots of devil’s work)

Pidge’s mother is controlling to the extent that Pidge was not allowed to learn anything about her wild magic and spent much of her life warded to keep her from accessing the weave. “For her own safety,” of course. The only magic she was allowed and praised for learning was soul magic, and this was to help her mother with her research into immortality and with business ventures.

Pidge was also used as “entertainment” for her mother’s important guests. Basically anything that her mother could get from Pidge, she would try to use to her benefit.

About 3-5months before the beginning of the game, Pidge escaped and crafted an amulet to protect her body and soul from being hijacked by her mother.

She is the only member of the bg3 origin crew who did not lose skills when she was infected by the tadpole. She didn’t really have skills to begin with. Much to Gale’s dismay, she learns basically on the fly and does a lot of “firebolt first, ask questions later.” To her, practical experience is much more important than book learning. Really she has adhd and can’t rote memorize for the life of her.

She identifies with Karlach early on as they both have had dealings with the hells, although Pidge is just beginning to understand the ramifications of her mother’s hellish business of soul coin forging.

Pidge is also very afraid in act 1 of Gale finding her out as she was told to keep her soul magic affinity secret by her mother. In truth the stigma for soul magic is not so bad, but it was a manipulation technique to keep Pidge from explaining to any magic practitioners what they were working on and how her mother planned to use the research to steal Pidge’s body.

Her mother is still hunting her down, so Pidge needs a permanent solution or soul barrier to keep herself from her mother “living vicariously” through her.

Bodily autonomy is stupid important to her. She rejects the Emperor the moment he tells her to “embrace her ilithid potential” for fear of losing herself. She is self conscious to the extreme and keeps notes on her newfound companions likes and dislikes so she can keep them happy. She had a legitimate panic attack when both Gale and Astarion wanted the necromancy of Thay because, according to her calculations, they would disapprove if the other was the recipient.

She fell for Astarion after rather disliking him for a good ten day or two. He won her over by being actually reliable in scrapes and being really funny. She can’t remember the last time anyone made her laugh, so she loves the feeling. They are the two smooth brained members of the group. Similar brain cell count.

This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be. If you made it to the end, then you will have made it to the end! *salutes in Barcus Wroot*

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alpaca-clouds · 4 months

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Baldur's Gate 3 - Or: Why Endings are hard

The last few days I have seen quite a few posts going around about Act 3 and in general the ending of BG3. Which is understandable, because yes, the ending still kinda feels... off. Some decisions feel forced, some of the character endings feel unsatisfying, and how the game deals with Orin and Gortash also kinda feels off. There is a reason, why I did not write just one, but two fix its for the ending.

But let me talk a bit how this happens and why this is in fact quite a common thing to happen. If I had a dollar for everytime I enjoyed a thing where people were unhappy with the ending of the "thing", I would have enough to cover this month's rent lol

Now, let me talk about the most obvious fact first: Act 3 of BG3 is very long. Mostly because of all the side quests you can do - though you theoretically do not need to do, of course. Though even if you do only do the story-stuff, it is fairly long for one reason: The companion quest most finish up here.

As in my other stuff about the ending: Spoilers under the cut!

Let me quickly make a list of the stuff that is more or less essential to the plot happening in Act 3. Like, quite a bit of this you do not need to do to finish the game, but... For the story to properly finish up this is part of Act 3.

Confront Gortash (Karlach's quest is tied to this)

Confront Orin

Finish off Cazador

Save/Kill Shadowheart's parents

Save Duke Ravengard

Do the Balduran quest

Do the Sorceror's Tower and have Gale talk to Mystra

Deal in either way with the Githyanki revolution

The Counting House

Rescruit Minsc

Deal with Raphael in one way or another

Deal with the Elderbrain

That is a lot, right? And this is all without other sidequests that you can do in Act 3 (like dealing with Ethel and "Build-a-Clown").

The only companion, who does not give you anything to do in Act 3 is Halsin. (I don't know about Minthara, because I never managed to recruit her so far.) Okay, admittedly, also kinda Karlach, because you have to go against Gortash either way and other than that there is nothing that happens in her questline. Which, yes, is one of the reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying.

Now, I absolutely understand why this happens. Because of the thing we actually see with Karlach. It kinda feels off that one character does not really have anything to do towards the end. It feels unsatisfying.

Let me stay with Karlach for a moment. Because she is a good example. One of the main reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying is, that you do not really do a lot for her. Like, in Act 1 you fight Zariel's people sent after Karlach and talk to Dammon. In Act 2 you talk to Dammon. In Act 3 you fight Gortash, which you gotta do either way.

I would argue, that her ending would feel a lot more satisfying, even if it stayed the exact same, if you just were allowed to try and fix her. Maybe do something for the Gondians or Ironhands so they might try and fix her. Or try to get Gortash to fix her (like I wrote about). Or do a more complicated quest for Dammon to get something that might fix her. It does not need to actually work. But just you trying to do something would make the ending feel better.

I have seen people argue that Wyll has the weakest stuff in Act 3, which I very much do not agree with. Like, Wyll and Lae'zel both get a very short end of the stick in Act 2 (there is not really a lot happening for either in Act 2), but Wyll actually has two quests in Act 3, which is in fact more than anyone else. Especially as the Balduran quest ties him directly to the main plot.

Of course, I am still going to argue that Astarion and Shadowheart have the most satisfying ends of their questlines.

But let me get back to the main issue. The main story ending does feel... Hollow. And I think really that this boils down especially to one thing: The main plotline does take away your choices in Act 3. Yes, sure, you can try to become the new Absolute and stuff. But... That's about it.

Sure, you can ally with Gortash. But he dies either way.

You cannot really ally with Orin in any way.

And as I bemoaned so many times: The game forces you to choose whether to ally with the Emperor or Orpheus. Either way does only give minor differences for the ending. And no matter how much you allied yourself with the Emperor so far, he won't listen to you no matter what you say.

In the end the issue with Act 3 - as it is with so many of those endings in stuff that people felt were unsatisfying - is a pacing issues. You want to give all storylines (in this chase the character quests) a proper ending, which all needs to happen in that last Act, because it would feel off, if a main character does not get to do anything in that Act. (Again, like Karlach.)

Yes, I absolutely agree that we actually needed MORE STUFF in Act 3. Especially for Gortash and Orin. But on the other hand the third Act was already SO MUCH.

And that is without going into the problems of development cycles. Like, I don't know how bad it was with Larian working on Act 3, but especially the stuff with the Epilogue feels a lot like they actually did not finish everything. This feeling also gets supported by the fact that Act 3 to this day is more buggy than the first two Acts.

Yes, the problem is the writing - but given this is a game, that writing also needed to be implemented. Maybe they wanted to do more with Gortash and Orin - but they didn't get around to implementing it all.

If this was a non-interactive story, one could have probably tied up several character quests together. But of course that does not work here, because the game cannot know which characters you will have along in Act 3. Like, sure, it would totally make sense to tie up the plots of Karlach and Wyll. But there is a chance either might have died or left the party - or that you have not recruited one of them. Hence... bloating.

And really, the only thing one could do about it would be to add more. But that would make the bloating worse. It is... complicated. Planning stories is complicated.

#baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 act 3 #bg3 act 3 spoilers #astarion #enver gortash #shadowheart #karlach #wyll #gale #gale of waterdeep #lae'zel #writing #game development

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enduringmoth · 6 months

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Imagine, if you will, redeemed Enver Gortash in your camp. Kiss kiss fall in love Gortash. What crimes will he commit?

I like to imagine him and Astarion being catty together. But he’s brilliant so he and Gale can talk book stuff. Etc, etc, etc…

Thoughts?

(i am only including a few party members in this ask simply bc i have the most concrete ideas for them, if someone was left out it was bc i didn't want to make up something poorly written ^^)

oh you are absolutely 100% right about this man and astarion. they are both going to bicker and snipe their way into actual brawls on the ground and you KNOW gortash doesn't have that much brute strength over astarion (sideeyes in 8 str/-1 modifier) so the two of them are really just being complete and utter morons in the dirt until someone pours water on them (read: durge).

honestly i think astarion would grow to begrudgingly like him with time, though he'd most often pretend that wasn't the case, as would gortash. the girls are perpetually fighting but gortash is slipping little combat-related gadgets he thinks astarion might find useful into his belongings (mines, etc) and astarion is robbing shopkeeps of anything that looks like gortash could tinker with it.

gale is absolutely enjoying a good book with this man. however they're also LOUDLY debating plot points and themes. they will stay up until the wee hours of the morning shouting (then whisper-shouting, once lae'zel tears a hole in the fabric of gortash's tent) about metaphor and allegory and authorial intention until they pass out about an hour shy of sunrise.

lae'zel and gortash talk war strategy and tactics. i imagine she's likely to brush him off but he's got a decent head on his shoulders and he's able to prove that to her once in the field, and that's good enough for her. she ultimately trusts her own judgement (and durge's, to an extent) over most anyone else's, but gortash has earned himself her respect enough to be allowed at the table floating ideas.

wyll is wary of him for quite some time (though not longer than karlach is, understandably) but i can imagine the two of them bonding over their tumultuous family situations. while wyll does his best to speak well of his father, he certainly has a bit of a complex about needing his approval. gortash never had the approval of his parents, and perhaps they can commiserate over that.

shadowheart isn't exactly the most social to begin with, but i can imagine gortash making a good sparring partner-- not because he's strong, but because he's agile, dancing away from the strikes of her spear. additionally, the man is sound of reason, and sometimes shadowheart simply craves perspective. i can almost imagine their talks getting a bit philosophical. on the complete opposite side of the dialogue tree, though, imagine the kind of dry humor these two could get up to. they can and WILL undress you with words and it will be hilarious.

truthfully, half of the fandom sleeps on how raunchy halsin can be. gortash makes one little lewd joke, thinking he'll fluster the kind-looking druid, and halsin slaps him in the face with something even filthier. gortash turns purple and promptly walks into the nearest body of water--

and don't get me started on the teasing shit he says about how noisy he and durge are

#enver gortash #durgetash #dark urge #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #moth approves #asks #anonymous #it's durgetash implied enough for the tag ok??

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not-playable-character · 4 months

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Another headcanon post but this time for jobs the party would have in different situations. (It'll make sense in a minute)

Lae’zel (if the gith were nonmilitaristic/ she was literally any other race): a florist/gardener. In game she loves to point out the beauty and majesty of nature (then say something bad cuz girly is the worst at expressing herself) not to say she wouldn't still like fighting but I think had she even able to grow from a child without that stict culture she'd be softer

Gale: a professor. Had he not gotten the orb/ gotten involved with mystra. He's just so passionate about magic and teaching that he'd be perfect as an instructor for both children and adults.

Shadowheart: a rancher. Had Shar not been a dick and kidnapped her. I see her and her parents opening a ranch where they could raise animals and care for abandoned ones. She in canon loves animals and in her good ending wants to live away with tons.

Wyll: as I said in a previous post, a writer/adventurer. Homie is a poet at heart and could spread such positive messages had he not gotten involved with Mizora or the cult of tiamat's shenanigans.

Karlach: tavern owner. Had she not met gortash. I don't remember where I saw it but swear I've seen post that say she in canon wanted to open a pub, but I think it fits her personality well. She so open and personable that she'd be great at it.

Astarion: a politician/duke. Had he not been turned or captured by cazador. I can really see him rising the ranks of politics (either for good or not) he's just so charismatic and suave that you can't not love him. He said he was a magistrate before he was bitten too (but who knows if that's true, I think it is tho)

Halsin: a woodworker/ craftsman. Had he not become a druid and the shadow cursed not happened. I can see him just living in the woods near Reithwin whittling away chatting with Thaniel and nurturing the animals with the money he makes helping the town.

Minthara: Drow Matron. Had the cult not gotten her. She is the one I see changing the least. She's so confident in who she is and her ideals, she'd easily claw her way to the top of Menzoberranzan culture.

#baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 spoilers #bg3 lae'zel #bg3 shadowheart #gale dekarios #wyll ravengard #karlach cliffgate #bg3 karlach #bg3 halsin #bg3 minthara #bg3 astarion #astarion ancunin

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galebrainrot2024 · 3 months

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GalexTav Enemies to Lovers Part 20

Read on Ao3. Shout out to @thelittlepinkwitchblog for helping me source :)

Gale's Perspective. LOT of important plot in this one, dear readers. It's a little heavy. Enjoy!

Ten days. It had been ten days since they entered the accursed lands and it was taking a grave toll on all of them, despite Isobel’s protection and despite the Pixie’s blessing bestowed.

Gale felt fragile, more fragile than he had even with the orb. Now with it unlikely to destabilize, the appetites of man came roaring back to him like a lion stalking its prey. All he could think about was Tav. How he wanted her. How it would feel when their bodies were join together, weaving together in visions of celestial.

It had to be perfect. He had too much to make up for.

He was sat beside Karlach who was on dish duty. She dunked each plate in the stream, gave it a quick swipe with the smallest speck of soap she could manage, before putting it back on the cloth.

“Nothing like washing in the murky waters of the shadowlands to invigorate the spirit.”

“Doing all right, Gale?” Karlach asked, elbow deep in muck. She groaned to herself.

“Oh you know.. still alive and kicking, despite being surrounded on all sides by an endless manifestation of darkness and decay.”

She snorted. “That's one way to put it. MAN!” She threw up her hands in exasperation, “I fucking hate dish duty,” she stared down her hands, disgust contorting her face. “I hate it when my hands get all pruny like this. You’d think all that time in the hells and I would delight in this stuff. But, I always hated dishes. It was the one chore I threw a really big fuss about at home.”

“You’re showing remarkable guile and courage, pushing on through the perilous task of dishwashing!” Gale said teasingly, “That doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Gale chuckled at the image of a smaller Karlach refusing earnestly to comply with dish duty.

“You know,” she paused, thinking and looked up at the sky, “I didn’t throw massive tantrums. Not often, anyway. Certainly didn’t conjure myself up a Tressyum when my parents refused to get me a kitten.” She rose a brow at Gale knowingly, “There wasn’t so much able to rile me up in that way. Mom and pops were always going on about how the glass is half full, even when it seems half empty. Even when shit is really, really bad. There is always a little good you can find in that.” Her voice was hushed and had the slightest tremor. Gale put a hand on her shoulder and noted the mist that collected in her eyes. She turned away, as if to conceal the emotion. “What a mess,” she said to herself, wiping her hands on her pants. “What about you?”

“What about me?” His voice stiffened and his body tensed, concerned for the question to follow.

Karlach, “Come on,” Karlach read his dumb expression and rolled her eyes and smiled. “You know - any chores you hated? Any massive events that rocked your little world? Other than Tav of course.” His cheeks blazed red and she started to laugh harder. “Very iconic of you to tell her you wanted to smash by citing a book. Not really my thing, but good for both of you.” Gale’s stony silence forced her tongue, “I mean, listen, she was obviously into it. You two book-worms are made for each other. What’s holding you back?”

A short puff of air left Gale’s nose and he looked down and ran a hand through his hair. While fingering his earring, he whispered, “Everything.”

“Oh my gods,” Karlach groaned, continuing with the dishes. “Everything? Everything?” Gale didn’t answer. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

Gale weighed the scales carefully. If he told Karlach, the crushing force of his secret might be alleviated, if only just. If he told her, he risked Tav finding out second hand. His voice was barely audible, “I’m not sure I can tell you.”

Karlach’s eyes widened and she rose her brows, “Sounds serious. If you don’t want me to pry-“

“A little late for that,” Gale scoffed, though not with hostility. “Might as well address the holiphant in the room. It might do some good, to tell someone about it after all this time.”

There was a faint rustling in the bushes and Gale snapped his head, scanning the darkness. Nothing. He was just being paranoid. Karlach gave him her rapt attention and he felt his stomach cave in on itself. His throat was sickly hot and viscous saliva filled his mouth. His heart threatened to pulse out of his chest, the thunderous roar drowning out the rest of his senses.

“I did something… unforgivable.” He said at last. Karlach, ever impatient, shook her head a bit and her eye brows rose more as if to say ‘go on, then.’

So then he told her. “It is, without doubt, the most wicked, cruel act I’ve managed. Thinking about it makes me bitter… full of regret.” He sighed heavily and rubbed his cheek. He gave Karlach a brief overview of Blackstaff’s presentations, where students in their final year would demonstrate their research and abilities to the finest Wizard’s in the realms, seeking both Mystra’s favor and a prime apprenticeship. She followed, with few questions. Once he clarified that with her, the words stuck.

“Gale… whatever it is, your secret is safe with me. How bad could it be?”

“Oh,” Gale whispered. “Worse than you could imagine, I’d wager. The amount of time I’ve spent mulling over how I would tell her, what I would say… how I would beg forgiveness…” he closed his eyes, the words taking on a life of their own. “I sabotaged her presentation, a cold fact I have been ashamed of from the day it happened.”

“You… what?” Karlach tilted her head, her mouth falling open.

Gale sighed. “You remember the sussur flowers from the underdark?” She nodded. “Marvelous capabilities. Their magical properties were often a topic of debate in our classes, their existence unconfirmed by many scholars and clerics outside of the underdark. They have the ability to create an anti magic aura, which you saw first hand. I managed to get my hand on one through some rather nefarious channels… and I slipped it into her pack, not before ‘accidentally’ spilling a cup of water on her.”

“Accidentally?” Karlach murmured.

“No.” He whispered, the words choking him. “Unfortunately, it was neither an accident nor water. It was wizard’s bane. A backup plan, in case she didn’t have her pack within close range during her presentation. I was on track to be one of Mystra’s chosen and I was so… terrified that Tav would take my place. She was - and is - remarkable with the Weave. I was blinded by jealousy and… none if it matters, now. It was a cowards choice. And, as it so happened, she was imbued with both.” His face was hot, his palms coating with slick sweat. He wiped them on his robes, unable to look at her. “Her face haunts me. The riotous laughter of our peers… I cannot erase it from my mind, no matter how hard I’ve tried. It is engrained into every cavern, every crevice of my memory. She couldn’t so much as conjure a simple mage hand. She fled the stage, and I….”

He stopped, folding in on himself. It was the first time in quite some time he admitted this out loud, let alone to another person. The pregnant pause drowned them until Karlach broke the suffocation with a lifeline. “Was this the first time you saw her since then?” He nodded. “Holy shit Gale…this is… a lot. A lot to take in. I appreciate you telling me, all the same. I can see the toll it’s taken on you - you were a kid at the time.. weren’t you? You never told her?”

Gale sneered, “Eighteen is hardly a child.”

“As far as I’m concerned, that’s still a child. You made a mistake. A really fucked up mistake, don’t get me wrong, and a mistake all the same. You can’t keep beating yourself up for something you can’t change. I should know that better than anyone.” She sighed and stood, taking his hand to give it a gentle pat. “Gale… you have to tell her.”

“I know,” he sighed, bowing his head. “I know. And I will… I just need time. To get it right. To figure out what to say.”

“You have to be prepared for her -“

“I know.” Gale cut her off. He knew he had to prepare for her to hate him, to want nothing to do with him. Yet, a sliver of him held out the impossible hope she would understand. “Thank you… for listening. I hadn’t told anyone that. Not even Tara.”

“I’m sure if she knew she’d give you an earful.” Karlach sighed and returned to the dishes. Gale was prepared to leave, embarrassed and uncomfortable from sharing his darkest memory. Karlach looked up at the sky, bringing him back to solid ground. “You know, I was just getting used to the sun again.”

“Fear not, Karlach,” Gale said, though his voice was still dejected, “Sun, moon, and stars are still there - waiting for us. Veiled just behind this evanescent darkness. No book or painting could ever do this strange land justice. But perhaps our stories might.”

“You’re not really going to do what Mystra said, are you?”

“There you go, cutting right through the ephemera to the heart of the matter. Your finest quality, I think. Though, there’s no point in debating what I’ve been tasked with,” he murmured, looking at his hands. “I’m sure you’ve seen it - the wall of the faithless.” The sigh she released was laced with crushing somberness. “I cannot concede to such a fate.”

“I know,” she said and squeezed Gale’s shoulder, “You’re the first friend I’ve had in a really, really long time soldier. It would be a damn shame for it to end so soon. Quite the peas in a pod, the two of us - if anyone is going to find a way to survive, it ought to be us.”

Gale ran a hand over his face. “There’s no use conferring about it one way or another. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Stranger things are happening to us… what festers in our minds threatens to impel our bodies. We mustn’t loose focus of that.”

“How does it feel, to have the orb… settled?”

“Well, mother always taught me to be a gracious host.. whether to the parasite, or the orb.” Gale turned to grin at Karlach, staring at him gravely. His smirk erased itself. “It feels rather strange, if I’m being honest. I lived so long with its incessant hunger, to have it quiet… sickness has a nasty habit of making you feel trapped, if only within the confines of your own body.” Gale paused, before continuing. “I once spent weeks convalescing in the Hospice of St. Laupsenn after a nasty bout of ruddy pox. For all their kindness, leaving that place behind felt like freedom to me. Having the orb stilled… it feels very much the same.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Shadowheart’s voice cut through their conversation and Gale tensed. How long had seen been there? Had she heard everything?

Before Gale could respond, Karlach jumped in. “The horrors of doing dishes,” she laughed, waving a soiled plate at Shadowheart. “God’s favorite princess want to give it a try?”

“Oh… no thank you,” she tossed her hair over her shoulder and sat beside them. “Just looking for some company.. and a bit of gossip. So, Karlach, you and Dammon?”

Gale slipped away as the two chatted, feeling both relieved and terrified that someone finally knew the truth. Now all he had to do was figure out how he could possibly tell Tav the same thing.

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voloslobotomyservice · 2 months

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get to know your tav!

tagged by @auspex-author and @lolthslover (thank you!) sorry it took me so long!

meet Divya (she/her), asmodeous tiefling, way of the four elements monk

what is your tav’s…

favorite weapon? her hands (both in unarmed strikes and spells)

style of combat? a mixture of spells from a close-ish distance and throwing punches/kicks. also more defensive? she didn’t learn combat before becoming tadpoled, as she never really wanted to be a fighter.

most prized possession? considering she had no possessions when she lived in the church, she had nothing but the clothes on her back for around eight years.

deepest desire? to become a monk at the temple of ilmater in the city of baldur’s gate.

guilty pleasure? she was not allowed to partake in any guilty pleasures while living in the monastery, but now she can do things like eat a cookie or drink wine or mess around with Wyll without feeling too much religious guilt afterwards.

best-kept secret? before she went to serve in elturel’s church of ilmater, her mother revealed to her that she was not her father’s child. that is why she lacks the tiefling’s signature infernal eyes.

greatest strength? she stays cool, calm, and collected in the face of danger. always thinks before she acts, and tries to limit her damage to others around her.

fatal flaw? she has spent so many years taking on the pain of others, that she doesn’t know how to truly grapple with her own. from elturel’s descent into avernus, being shunned from her church of ilmater, becoming separated from her family, and now being tadpoled, it’s a surprise that she’s about to keep her head on straight. this does eventually boil over, though, and Divya is unable to handle her heavy emotions on her own. (maybe I should write about it? hm yeah that would be fun)

favorite scent? whatever cologne Wyll’s wearing

favorite spell/cantrip? fist of unbroken air. bad guy always go wheee.

pet peeve? when people don’t try to understand the pain some people go through or just dismiss it entirely

bad habit? tends to pick at her nails if she’s anxious/stressed, usually paired with trouble falling asleep

hidden talent? not a talent, but her thumbs are double jointed. gave Shadowheart quite the scare when she first showed them off.

leisure activity? the Forgotten Realms equivalent of tai-chi and yoga, she uses these practices to ground herself and find inner peace

favorite drink? a monk? drinking? you can’t be serious! arabellan red

comfort food? her mother used to make this delicious lamb stew. Gale has tried to replicate it, but hasn’t succeeded yet. mostly because lamb is hard to find.

favorite person(s)?

Wyll: not only is he handsome, but he seems to have a good head on his shoulder and a positive attitude (for the most part). He will also (usually) think before he acts.

Karlach: though they are fairly polar opposite when it comes to their personalities and the way they handle combat, opposites attract, and they work very well together.

Gale: his knowledge intrigues her, she enjoys having long conversations with him about whatever he’s thinking about at that moment in time simply because it’s entertaining.

favored display of affection? quality time, for sure. it’s one of the reasons she and Wyll get as close as they do — he’s always in her party 😉 also physical affection, but preferably behind closed doors or behind big boulders because she gets embarrassed easily

fondest childhood memory? the first time her parents took her to the church of ilmater

anything else you’d like to share?

Divya is a little socially awkward. only speaking to others about their pain and sorrows for around eight years has left her with little to say when her party members come by and have a chat. she is a much better listener than talker.

Her biggest insecurity is her vitiligo. Growing up, the other children in school would call her a cow, which also made her insecure in her body image. She doesn’t eat too much because of it, and up until the events of the game, had most of her body covered to hide her pale spots. If anyone asked about her face, she’d say she was a victim of an acid attack.

She and Darcy, another tiefling tav of mine, were friends when they were children. Darcy is four/five years older than Divya, so she was only eight when Darcy was kidnapped from Elturel. She often wonders if she’ll ever see her friend again.

The Church of Ilmater in Elturel cast her out after the city’s descent into Avernus. They did not want anyone resembling devils in their halls.

Wyll is the first person she has ever been romantically involved with. Here are a few fics about their relationship:

To A Wild Rose - Wyll (successfully) rizzing up Divya

Just A Kiss - Divya and Wyll’s first kiss shared at the camp party

Show Me How - Wyll gives Divya some… pleasure (nsft)

Tagging @rolansrighthorn @dustdeepsea and @my-favourite-zhent give me some tea on your tavs!!! (only if you want to tho uwu )

#get to know your tav #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 tav #bg3 tiefling #tiefling tav #tav: divya #oc: divya

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yulgurr · 2 months

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i doodled.. things.. unorganized thoughts about my tav (her name is Ellana) with typos probably but ignore these i typed it out at 3am

more thoughts under the cut

ok first of all this is what my blonde elf girl.png looks like i think she pretty

OK SO HEAR ME OUT when i was 13 i first started playing fantasy rpgs like this with character creators and the first character i made was a blonde elf in dragon age inquisition and she had a default name (Ellana)

i have so many good memories about dragon age but i never got to finish it because right before the final boss fight the laptop broke down and i was devastated sad and. sad. so i decided that my first Tav would be a reincarnation of og Ellana. a blonde (half) elf with facial paintings.

im not familiar with bg3 world building like, AT ALL but im having some lore packed for her. a bit. she is half elf but both of her parents and 6 siblings are elves (but we don't talk about that). she studied magic and then left the city to live in the forest for a few years (she has wooden elvish ancestry so it wasn't a problem), and then one day she woke up on a ship with a worm in her brain (there's more ofc but im saving it for later so i can draw it)

she is. very stupid. silly even. no thoughts in that brain. the worm is starving. her resting expression is just a deadpan smile. she may appear scheming but there are no thoughts.

somehow i ended up being on very good terms with gale so i guess they'll be great frens :] i also started romancing karlach yippe my beloved lesbians iwant what they have<3

#yulgurr art #oc stuff #?? i guess??#bg3 tav #tav: ellana

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avelera · 6 months

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I finally made a good Dark Urge run that I found narratively convincing instead of just sort of "meh". All my other good Durge attempts have just sort of been hodgepodges of whatever class or story choices I felt I hadn't yet seen in the game.

This time I went full Paladin with a backstory that's sort of Shadowheart/Karlach blend, ie, was raised in the Bhaalist cult and spent most of their life wishing they could get out of it, but being the Chosen meant she had pretty much no choice, no hope of getting out.

(Just a bit of rambling about a BG3 run I'm doing, writing about it mostly for my own sake.)

Also for flavor decided to name her Brienelle after Drizzt and Catti-brie's canonical daughter and decided my Durge convinced herself she actually "is" Drizzt's daughter. Is she actually? Absolutely not, the math does not line up. But it's a fairytale she told herself about how her "real" parents are heroes, that they're out there somewhere and miss her, that Bhaal isn't actually her father, that she was "Chosen" because she's a hero's daughter (much like Shadowheart was chosen for being Selunite). As a result, she aspired to heroism but frankly every pressure in her life, her entire upbringing, was channeled to her being the cult's Chosen so she eventually, reluctantly, fell in line. A bit like Astarion in this respect, Bhaal like Cazador was simply too powerful and too able to destroy her if she tried to escape, never mind being able to literally take her body over with the Urges. But now she's conveniently "lost".

I think what finally worked was having someone who wasn't just "good" but who was wholeheartedly dedicated to doing good after never having the chance before. So every rescued person, every kind word, every grateful companion and new friend is positive reinforcement that it is possible for her to lead the life she chooses, to be a hero. So Paladin fits that very well.

My one regret so far--as I try to balance RP with not just making the same choices in every playthrough-- is romancing Shadowheart at the party. Mostly I chose her because 2/3 of my favorite romances, Karlach and Gale, don't have anything that evening and so I've got multiple playthroughs with Astarion as the Act 1 romance before pivoting to friendship with him or romancing all the way through. Gale is the romance I keep defaulting to, I can't help it, I just love that nerd so much. So I really wanted to at least see Shadowheart's romance for once. (For the record, she was my least favorite character for a long time, I've only grudgingly started to warm to her.)

But then the day after they shared a glass of wine and slept together, Shadowheart started talking about her aspirations to be a Dark Justiciar and Brienelle's stomach just... dropped.

I don't know if I just hadn't exhausted the dialogue options for her yet or what but Brienelle... Brienelle is like the mirror opposite of Shadowheart. She was raised to be special in the Bhaalist cult and has been trying to escape it her whole life. Conversely, Shadowheart thinks she's just one of many Shar cultists and is fighting to be someone special within the cult.

Brienelle would have felt a certain kinship to Shadowheart over both of them having amnesia, but when Shadowheart began to speak so fondly of life in the cult of an evil deity, Brienelle just felt... pity. And sadness. She felt old. She could see Shadowheart working her way towards the realization that what she suffered in Shar's cult was abuse. She knows that someone, anyone outside it extending a hand to help could help pull Shadowheart free. But Shadowheart doesn't even want to be free yet.

So both in and out of game it feels like Brienelle just... regrets sleeping with Shadowheart. The intimacy was nice. And she cares for Shadowheart. But it feels like she doesn't have anyone she can lean on, no one she can be herself with or seek support from, because Shadowheart is so naive and yet had such a similar journey to her. Like she can't be open about her fight to escape Bhaal because Shadowheart just wouldn't understand, Shadowheart wanted the opposite.

Astarion doesn't appeal to Brienelle either. He's unabashedly evil and while she feels for what he went through and identifies with his suffering, she really just isn't in a place where she wants to be mocked as if being good and caring for others is somehow the weak option when it's actually the hardest but most rewarding thing she's ever been lucky enough to do. How can you have freedom, finally, and not want to be free to not have to be a monster anymore? She loves him but their morals are just too diametrically opposed for more than friendship.

Lae'zel obviously doesn't have good-aligned morals either and wouldn't begin to understand what Brienelle went through.

Wyll is the son of a Duke. He might perhaps understand the weight of privilege, but for him doing good was always an option. He's only just begun to see what evil can do. And if he ever hit her with a platitude about the importance of being a hero or how she should have just fought harder to escape Bhaal, she might actually give in to the Urge right there and stab him.

And Karlach and Gale were off the table because of their two different flavors of, "I might explode if you touch me."

Thing is, I think she might pivot to Gale over Karlach. It's repetitive for me, sure, but I think Karlach's tragedy is just too similar to her own and Karlach going through a similar hellish experience and then choosing death is just... too much. It's not something Brienelle is strong enough to bear once Karlach resolves to choose death.

Conversely, Gale is a mature adult. He has his own life. His morals are good, he always encourages heroism. And he wants to live. He can be talked pretty easily out of sacrificing himself at Mystra's command. He wants to come out on the other side of this. He resents being a god's Chosen, something Brienelle can sincerely relate to.

Their stories don't overlap much beyond that, but that's a good thing actually. They can just be two people, two heroes doing the right thing where they can and being their own people after having their younger years fucked over by being the Chosen of a god. And ultimately, that's what Brienelle wants. Not a life entirely without drama but a life where she can be her own person, with other adults, and pursue her own calling without being chained to the past.

#bg3 #the dark urge

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meonlyred · 5 months

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BG3 Epilogue spoilers. A very long post.

Found a work around for the Unique Tav mod problem I was having. The epilogue would not trigger if I took the mod out and when I would put it back in then I got a body texture error giving my Tavs a darken grid skin texture. So I didn't take screen shots just played to see what happens. But I got screen shots now baby!!

Something I love about this game is that it gives dates. The game begins the 20th of Eleasis (August) 1492. For this play through it was the 15th of Uktar (November) when I finished the game. Meaning its around mid Mirtul (May) 1493 when the party takes place. The dialogue tab does not reflect the time skip but easy enough to do the math.

So some highlights.

Bro I straight up cried at Shadowheart's conversation. She has a house she has been fixing up, her parents are both still alive. Her father has been helping her take care of her animals and rebuild her home. Her mother has good days and bad but they did make a pie together and Shadowheart actually remembers it from her childhood.

Lark is not a hugging person but Shadowheart and her were close friends and I feel this was appropriate

I love that you can find some Selûnite slippers that are clearly Shadowheart's since she is walking around bare foot and wading into the river.

A duck from Halsin! This fits in with headcanon/ttrpg campaign things I have for Lark. She has a carved lark and a carved sparrow, for her and her brother that she found in the remains of her childhood home. The duck with go along side those.

Karlach 😳 ma'am.

FINALLY Justice for Karlach! Please I need her to come home! Because THIS SHIP NEEDS TO SAIL PLEASE!!!

Confession: for our Descend into Avernus campaign I almost made a barbarian lady who was married to a smith with like five kids back at home. But my party ended up having two paladins so I thought we had enough melee tanks. So I made a divine soul sorcerer instead. And then I played BG3 and THIS! THIS IS MY SHIP!!!

I had been wondering about this. Because I kind of felt really sad for the original Tadfools at the end. Of the original six (seven if you count Tav) only Shadowheart and Gale remained to celebrate their victory that night because of the choices I made. Lae'zel left with the githyanki, Wyll and Karlach had to leave immediately to go to Avernus to save Karlach. And Astarion had to flee into the shadows and didn't show back until the reunion party. Sure there was Minsc, Jaheira, and Halsin. But for this play through it was just Lark, Gale, and Shadowheart sitting around a table in the Elfsong going "damn, so all that happened to us." I have thought a lot about the moment right after defeating the Elderbrain. As I said above we know the game starts in Eleasis and keeps track of how many days go by. How many long rests you take will determined how long the game takes place. So for me the party had the tadpoles and shared thoughts for exactly 80 days. To suddenly not, to sit a cross from someone who you shared something unique and terrifying and to now have the silence of your own thoughts. I find it very interesting and very sad that several of the party were not present to share and come to terms with that moment together.

This was actually a bit surprising to me. I was wondering what class Wyll would become after losing his Warlock powers. I had thought a Paladin might suit him. A couple of my play throughs I have even muiltclassed him as a Palock. Fighter would have been my second guess. If you do the other story you find out that his ranger pet is a wolf name Lily! (If you have Wyll as a Duke then he names his adopted daughter Lily. Which is the cutest thing.)

(My Wyllmancer play through Psalm is bugged right now. Wyll, Karlach, and she went to Avernus together and right now all the companions think I romanced Karlach instead of Wyll. 😭)

omg I can't believe Lark married a wizard just like her mother. 🙄

Those who might have been reading my posts on Lark will know she was an import from one of my ttrpg campaigns. She is very near and dear to me. I was please that the timeline of our campaign and the timeline of BG3 allowed me to bring her into the game as bit older and more mature woman than she was in our campaign.

Romancing Gale with her was wildly fitting. Lark is the daughter of a Silvermoon trained Wizard and an Wild Magic Sorcerer Uthgardt barbarain (the roman use of the word, not the class.) I won't go too deep into it but its very fitting considering the reason Lark's parents died, it feels like history is righting itself. As Wither might say, balance.

As for Lark's relationship with Gale, she could argue with him passionately about magic. She could make her displeasure in how the gods interfere with morals loud and clear. But most importantly turn him away from the gods influence. What I found really interesting is that for Lark's play through, Gale still has the orb.

Both Lark and Psalm told Gale to not apologize to Mystra and told him not to try and fish the crown out of the Chionthar. Apparently he didn't listen to Psalm. But for Lark the orb apparently has become inert. Which I approve of a lot, especially for Lark's play through. She would never tell him to try to become a god, nor would she tell him to seek Mystra's forgiveness and to become her chosen again.

Lark has Wyll philosophy when it comes to the gods. You can't really be agnostic or atheist in Faerûn. But she is as close as you can get without risking ending up in the Wall of Faithless.

Anyways, I think its very cute that Gale has become a professor. He had made a comment wishing to teach if you say he is an apple during the Dryad's newly wed game.

LMAO she leans in for a kiss and he leans away. Sir, she is a sorceress and kind of a mean one at that. She is going to turn you into a frog and put you in a jar.

I did take the friendly options with Tara because yeah... after talking to her, yeah Gale is right, they are a lot alike. Tara and Lark conspiring, yeah... yeah that is right.

I did reload to see what she said if you were mean with her and smifomsdfioms the fireballs about to be thrown.

Anyways this is far more than I expected. I thought at best we were going to get the same as DoS2, a slide show of nice art and the narrator telling us what happens. Most of the conversations with the companions were much longer than just a handful of lines. Some of them longer than base game conversations. I am kind of floored by this epiloge.

#Baldur's Gate #BG3 #BG3 spoilers #BG3 Epilogue #Lark of the Cold Wood

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pindagreat · 5 months

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I finished Baldur's Gate 3 last night and wow. Really good game! It could get a little overwhelming with the sheer amount of content. I needed guides a lot more than I would have liked, but I loved the story. The entire cast of playable characters is great, but I do find the party size of 4 too restrictive. I just stuck to using the same party of my Paladin Tav, Gale, Shadowheart and Karlach(my wife). I would have appreciated some sort of sidekick system where inactive party members can provide some sort of passive buff to an assigned party member. This way even characters the player doesn't use can have out of combat conversations, which are fantastic, as well as being able to participate in story cutscenes. It would also be nice to swap my party around in a menu instead of talking to party members individually to change around the party.

On the subject of the party, here are some thoughts on the party members (Full game spoilers):

Note that I went for the righteous choice at pretty much every turn

Gale is a fantastic little goober. The thing about him eating magic items in act 1 was hilarious. Tim Downie's performance was perfect for the character at every turn. Gale takes himself seriously to the point of both gripping drama and hilarious blunders. He was a mainstay of my party not just for having a good spell list, but he was a great guy. I love the arc I got for him, where he learns to accept that he doesn't have to keep ascending to greater heights, and becomes a teacher.

I thought when I met Shadowheart that I would hate her. I kept her around in the first few hours of act 1 because she was the first party member you got and also a cleric, which I knew would be useful for the entire game. I found her and Lae'zel bickering annoying at first, but it progressively got more and more entertaining. Then they actually tried to kill eachother, which gave great insight to both characters. Every bit of Shadowheart's quest made me love her more, from facing the gauntlet of Shar and rebelling against her to killing her captors and letting her parents go with their love in her heart. Also spirit guardian + boots of speed is goated holy shit

Karlach is amazing. She's goals and also my wife. From the moment I saw fanart of her, I knew she would be my favorite character. Her narrative of trying to escape from her past and it catching up with her struck a chord with me. Trying to fix her engine was a great conflict, and I love the ending where Karlach and my Tav Nadia go to Avernus to fix her engine once and for all. She's a ray of sunshine, and I love every second of joy in her eyes. I loved finding all the best equipment I could for her, with her getting the Balduran giantslayer for the final battle + amulet of health + being hasted. So much fun

Astarion is such a gremlin. I loved helping him kill his abuser and save all the other vampire spawn. I didn't use him very much, so he was kinda just comic relief to me, but he's still a great character even if you don't wind up going into his deepest depths.

Lae'zel was in a similar boat to Shadowheart, where I was put off by her in the beginning, but she won me over. I love a narrative where a character rejects a supposed truth they were brought up believing, and Lae'zel's crusade to kill Vlaakith was amazing. Gith lore was a corner of dnd lore I was more familiar with going in to the game from listening to Rolling With Difficulty, and that made Lae'zel's arc all the sweeter.

Wyll was the origin character that compelled me the least, but he was still cool. I don't have much to say about him.

Halsin and the quest to heal the shadowcurse are some all time favorite quests in this game. I love the ending he gets where he becomes the guardian of all the refugee children.

Jaehira was kinda just there. She was fun in the few interactions I had with her, but otherwise eh. I'm glad other people get more out of her than I do

The Emporer is a fascinating character. He is extremely set in his ways. He is unwilling to consider the idea that Orpheus won't try to kill the party because he thinks Orpheus would kill him for what he's done. This uncompromising nature is why he killed Ansur, and why he will betray you if you don't give him the netherstones and let him kill Orpheus.

Orpheus himself was a little underwhelming since he came in at the 11th hour, but I liked convincing him to live. I headcanon that if you convince him to live he meets Omeluum and those two learn from eachother.

Also the dead three's chosen were fun antagonists. I loved being jumpscared by JK Simmons when he showed up. I only kinda remembered that he would be in this game.

I love a ton of the changes and additions to the format of dnd 5e. The 1/short rest abilities make martials have a little more depth, which is a great boon. One minor thing I wish they got rid of from 5e is that you can't cast spells while raging. I would have loved to get more use out of Karlach's smites.

Instant short rests is something I love. It makes the game flow well and lets the characters that rely on short rests stay good. I'm honestly planning on adopting that in some form when I start dming.

One gripe I have is that the game pretends as if resurrection magic isn't a thing in the story. Each character starts the game with a couple scrolls of revivify, so I don't understand why you can't be resurrecting NPCs. That would save a lot of hassle.

All in all, I love Baldur's Gate 3. It's the perfect game for someone who loves RPGs and going for most of the sidequests. The story is engaging, and I don't have any gripes that ruin the game. It's mostly just things I would change to fit my own tastes more. 10/10

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #karlach #shadowheart #lae'zel #gale dekarios #wyll ravengard #baldur's gate iii #asterion #the emperor bg3

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tinyjordan · 5 months

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so I actually finally finished my first playthrough of bg3 last night (except it was actually this morning because I beat the final boss at like 3 am) and I just wanted to share my experience. obviously there will be spoilers

so yes. it did take me like 2 months to finish the game, a lot longer than the average player. this was mostly because I was just really busy with school and shit and I've been playing on my parents tv, so I obviously didn't get too much time to myself to binge the game. but honestly, when I did get time to play through the game, I was honestly so overjoyed to just explore the world and do quests with my silly little guys.

imo my favorite act in the game is the first act, which from what I read, many people agree with me on this sentiment. that doesn't mean that I think that the other two acts weren't great, but I just think that act 1 had something special going on there. i loved how huge the first act was and just how much I could do in this act. i thought I finished this act having completed every quest (except those in the mountain pass because I didn't know that I could just go through both paths, which I don't know how I came to that conclusion in hindsight) but when reading and watching videos about bg3, I learned that there was a ton of stuff that I missed. I can't wait for my second playthrough (which will probably be my durge run) to experience more that I missed.

i don't know where to put this point in this essay thing, but the party after defeating the goblin camp. love it! this is where fanfictions are born. although you don't really get much when romancing gale in this party except the fact that he proclaims that he likes your stank in the most socially awkward but well meaning way. i thought this was funny.

oh yeah! also Lae'zel tried to have sex with me. we didn't, but I thought I might as well share that.

speaking of Lae'zel: the most underrated character in the game. i don't care. she is extremely wholesome despite our first introduction to her. in my playthrough, she was the one that got kidnapped by orin in act three. when I rescued her from orin, she was extremely sweet and thankful about it. she said something about the githyanki language not having a word for "thank you", and she tells the player the closest thing to it in her language. but even then she thought that wasn't a good enough way to express gratitude, so she said "thank you, sincerely." she's not my favorite companion, but my heart did swell in this moment

speaking of favorite companions-

astarion

ASTARION

yes I know that everyone reading this probably heard this a million times, but Astarion is such an amazing and well written character. this man is blorbo himself. i want to be his best friend. during my playthrough, my tav and Astarion had a sort of sibling like relationship: being on near opposite sides of the character archetype spectrum and disagreeing on a lot of things, but also being super protective over each other (we dislike Araj in this house). his whole story arc made me want to cry several times. i wish this game had a hug option for every companion so that I could hug everyone, ESPECIALLY Astarion. omg. OMG. when we defeated Cazador and Astarion stabbed him repeatedly, i cheered. i got him to not ascend and I cheered. like Karlach (who i also love and got me the closest to actually crying), i was so fucking proud of Astarion. i could talk about him all day but I think I would just stop there and resort to reblogging post about him for my own sanity.

when thinking of my opinion on Shadowheart, I remember that I didn't like her at all at first. it didn't help that she was racist against the githyanki. but after act 2 and pretty much always having her in my party as the main healer, she REALLY grew on me as a character. imo, I think she has one of the best character arcs and she really meshes well with the other companions. she's not a comic relief character at all, but every joke and sarcastic comment she makes is always a banger. she's my Tav's official best friend. also her act three glow up. that is all

oh also during Shadowheart's quest in act three, I met Viconia DeVir (who i killed) and I laughed my ass off because I ended up naming my Tav Viconia who when playing as her, she was like the EXACT opposite of the evil cult leader. there was definitely a "there can only be one" moment when killing her

I also feel that Wyll is pretty underrated character, which is disappointing since he is actually super interesting as a character. I mean he made a deal with a devil. like. c'mon. now I did sometimes get annoyed with his whole being a hero schtick, but also he's like the most sane character companion imo. i felt bad about him sulking alone at the after goblin killing party and I was tempted to ask him to dance to maybe cheer him up, but I also knew that this would probably lead to a romance with him, which I didn't really want. so I just let him be. i remember the impossible choice we had to make in act three (save Wyll's dad and sacrifice his freedom, or break the contract Wyll made with Mizora and let his dad die). This was actually a really difficult decision to make because like. it's either your dad or your freedom. it's literally an impossible choice to make. i decided to have Wyll be free of his contract with Mizora because I had hope that we could maybe find a loophole to this whole deal. WHICH THERE WAS. I had to undo a 5 whole hours of progress because of a bug with Duke Ravengard not spawning in the iron throne if you progress too much in the lower city before watching Gortash's coronation (which is entirely my fault for being awful at directions and not understanding very obvious instructions), BUT I DID IT. I saved Wyll's dad and had him free from Mizora's servitude! his friendship with Karlach is also extremely sweet. I love just how nice Wyll is. I think he's neat.

KARLACH! My favorite female companion! I was so excited when I was finally able to give her a hug. she's just so sweet and fun and as i said before she got me the closest to crying while playing the game. she almost made me cry not once, not twice, but THREE whole times. first time was of course when she was finally able to touch people. second was when we killed Gortash and she had a crisis about dying soon. third was when I thought she was actually going to die before Wyll offered that she come with him back avernus to kill all the devils (bless Wyll). she's also the number one funniest character in the game which juxtaposes the fact that she almost made ms cry the most amount of times.

speaking of crying, this game made me want to cry three separate times in one day. i made the mistake of playing through Shadowheart's and Astarion's quest on the same day then proceeding to kill Gortash, which you already know what happens after that.

After playing through the game, I agree that camp dad(dy) is the official term to describe Halsin. I'm not attracted to him in any since, so to me he is just dad, but I do agree with this sentiment. also goddamn he tall

Jaheira is the fun aunt of the group and I love her for that. she's a queen.

Minsc is himbo. I also realized that he always has something to say about everything we do, and I didn't realize that until when I talked to him one time and he was speaking of something we did like three quests ago and I had to keep talking to him until he was finally caught up with the current events. it was super hilarious

Also I love Boo! when Minsc introduced me to this space hamster I immediately feel in love with his tiny wittle paw awnd hwis wittle whiskews- also Boo had so much personality and I love him for that.

now. it is time to be down bad. Gale. my beloved. if you have seen the amount of posts and art that I reblog about him, you could probably tell that I am absolutely down bad for this man. I don't know when it started, but holy shit. this man got me kicking my legs and squealing like a little school girl. every romance scene with him got me down bad. he says just the sweetest things and I am on the floor dead from a heart attack. he proposed to me at the end of the game. i was happy :)

other points about Gale: he is super funny. every joke with him is hilarious. Mystra is a bitch. he gives dedicated history professor vibes. his camp outfit looks so comfy. he hates sneaking because his knees hate sneaking. he is best friends with his tressym named Tara, who he summoned NOT because of tressyms being known for being a great familiar, but because he wanted a friend. pleasure domes lol

i guess this is all to say that I love every companion in bg3

i believe I got the best ending (in terms of good or bad endings) in the game, and my hot take is that I actually love the ending of the game! i don't know what other people were talking about when they said it wasn't satisfying. the only critique I can give about the ending is that if you don't romance either Shadowheart or Astarion, you don't really know what happens to them after the events of the game other than they probably have a happy ending. other than that, great ending!

i will say that I do agree with most other people when they say that act 3 is maybe the weakest act in the game. not that it isn't a bad act. i just think it's unnecessary difficult even in explorer difficulty, which I did had to set it to because balanced wasn't cutting it for my smooth brain. i also had difficulty with trying to figure out what to do or where to go for a huge chunk of the act. and if it wasn't for a few helpful guides, I might have accidentally skipped a huge chunk of the quests and gotten a worse ending for a lot of my companions. also yeah. act 3 is extremely buggy. not unplayable buggy, but it did cause a lot of problems with my playthrough including me having to redo 5 hours of progress because of a bug

also fighting the githyanki at any point in the game starting from the end of act 2 is an absolute nightmare. how are a group of githyanki monks a more difficult fight than the literal god of death?

speaking of death, i love the dead three. i think they are amazing antagonists. my favorite with being Thorm. he is just so intimidating and he gave an amazing first impression. it helps that he is voiced by J.K. Simmons.

OH AND RAPHAEL! he is so theatre kid evil and that is amazing! best fight theme in the game. i saved the song on my Spotify before I even got to his fight because I heard it for the first time when I was kind of watching my brother play and I fell in love with the song.

i wish there was more to do in act 2, but in terms of story, it is extremely strong and the act is extremely spooky, which I love. i got scarred for life in the house of healing. though I think the biggest strength with act 2 is Shadowheart. she stole the show in act 2.

also Gale's act 2 romance scene hehe <3

Scratch best boy

Owl bear cub so adorable

oh! also when exploring the szarr palace, I found an owl bear plush and I immediately wanted it to be real. i immediately stole it because it is the best thing ever

i love this game so much! there is so much more I want to speak about, but then this would turn into a novel if I mentioned everything. I might make a post about my Tav later on, but that's for later. i already made a google doc about her profile, but there is so much more that I want to discuss about her outside that doc, so...maybe I can share the doc whenever and maybe let people send asks about the character and I can discuss more in detail stuff that wasn't mentioned

I'm probably gonna take a short break from playing bg3 since I still just want to think about the finale and I spent maybe 80 hours of gameplay on this one run (i say this one run because I have been playing a bit with my brother and friend)

afterwards I want to do a redeemed dark urge run. i might romance Astarion not because I see him in a romantic light, but because I really ship him with the durge thanks to all of the art I have seen

tldr; bg3 is amazing

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captainmortuem · 3 months

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My answers for @paarthursass ' BG3 Tav Companion questionnaire. I thought this was really fun, and I wanted to do it for my main BG3 characters.

Augurous Dovah-Fane

(1/4)

General

• Where can your Tav be recruited? Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region? Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

Augurous would be recruitable in the Nautiloid Crash Region, though not on the beach where Astarion/Shadowheart/Gale are. He would be present for the defense of the Druid's Grove, then make his way further along until you could eventually find him in the Blighted Village where he's waiting in the apothecary.

• Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?

• Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?

Astarion would be met with some initial hesitation, mostly just because his personality/front would be grating.

Gale would be a fun conversation, if for no other reason than Augurous would be interested about Waterdeep.

Wyll would be met with a passing respect, probably a comment about Augurous getting his own storybook hero.

Karlach would be met with pity, more about her situation than anything, and a love for how upbeat she is in spite of the things she had been through.

Shadowheart would pique his interest, but he would tag pretty quick that she's a Shar worshipper. (It's the armor. Seriously she just wears slightly modified justiciar armor.)

Lae'zel would be a welcome addition, somebody who can handle themselves in a fight, but Augurous wouldn't be afraid to fight back if she tries to start talking smack. Or he would meet it with sarcasm, in case she was being hostile for the sake of her superiority thing that she has going in Act 1.

• What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

Helping people who are needy (the Tieflings in the Grove, people of the Grove who dislike Kagha's reign, Volo, the Prisoner in the Goblin Camp), sarcasm, and taking no flak from unjust people in power (Kagha, Gortash) are all good ways to increase his affinity.

• Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions?

Betraying the Grove (and failing a speech check/already having low affinity), Siding with Gortash and dooming the people in the iron throne (skill check if first offense, unavoidable if betrayed the grove), during his companion quest.

• Do they have any secrets that can be revealed? What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?

During his companion quest you can discover that Augurous' parents were both taken when he was very young. What he initially believes was their deaths, turns into (during the trek through Cazador's Palace) finding out that they had been kidnapped and turned by Cazador's Spawn

• Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game? Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?

Augurous' personal quest would follow him trying to figure out whether or not to follow along with his work as a Cleric or trying to take up his father's mantle as a patriar/notable figure in Baldur's Gate's politics.

• What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp? How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?

"You want me to stay? Do i smell bad or something?"

"Let's go. I was just starting to miss the aching feet."

• Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

Astarion, 100%. He would grow to like Astarion as time goes on, but finally learning about his parent's disappearance would cause the conflict to explode. Depending on the player's actions, and whether or not Astarion ascends, Augurous could try to attack him.

• Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?

Likely a few old members of the crew he was running with before starting up his Bahamut worship. They might ask Augurous to help rescue some of the gang's leadership after Gortash kidnapped them.

• Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner)

Helping Alfira with her song would get Augurous to bring up his own experiences as a bard at the Blushing Mermaid. Going to the Blushing Mermaid (specifically when dealing with Ethel) would have Augurous lovingly reminisce about the time the Captain stabbed him for playing a teasing song about her.

Story Specific

• How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor?

Augurous admits that he would love the power it could provide, but advises against taking the Dream Visitor's offer because "Nothing good ever comes from the voices in your head promising you anything."

• How do they advise the player character on Raphael?

Augurous would advise killing Raphael as frequently as possible, and he would get noticeably more excited when stealing from and confronting Raphael in the House of Hope.

• How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character?

"If you're into that, more power to you. Not my business what you do with tall, pale, and ghastly."

• How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them?

[Jokingly] "Do I get a turn?" Or [Flustered (if having flirted with him)] "Oh, that's... Well I've got a lot to think about now."

• How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power?

"You really just did that, huh? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I think I'm good with the 'nothing gained' part of that."

• Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?

He would be in the same vein as Gale, not thrilled about the idea, but willing to hear out the PC. If they admit they betrayed the Grove for the hell of it then he would heavily consider leaving.

• What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?

With the tieflings he would be hanging around Alfira, drinking a little bit, and just enjoying all the happy people.

With the Goblins he would be keeping to his tent, mostly just making sure nobody came and tried to bother him.

• Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with?

Astarion- "So, you and Fangs? To each their own. I may be a glutton for punishment, but my biting usually only goes so far. Good for you, though. Let me know if you need some healing afterwards."

Gale- "I see you, I see you. Just remember to use protection magic. *snort*"

Karlach- "A thrill seeker after my own heart. Let me know if you need help with your burns, 'soldier'."

Lae'zel- "Lae'zel? Better brush up on your hand-to-hand before you start rolling around with her."

Shadowheart- "Shadowheart, hmm? You're one lucky sun, or moon? No, moon probably isn't the best choice. Regardless, enjoy yourself. You've earned it."

Wyll- "Should I avoid any Rose petal pathways and heartfelt ballads coming from the forest? I tease, you and Wyll enjoy yourselves."

• Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander?

"Hey, so I know I'm a semi-devout follower of a god. You'd maybe expect some divine intervention or something in cases like this. It doesn't work like that, for future reference, please don't do that again."

• How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?

[Non-romanced]"I'm not one to fault you for your 'interests' but uh... maybe can we not do that?"

[Romanced]"Please don't ask me to do that next."

• What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

"Hey, have I ever told you I'm generally not fond of clowns? Because I'm generally not fond of clowns."

• Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin? How is Orin's deception revealed? How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?

It is possible for Augurous to be kidnapped by Orin. If he was replaced, it is revealed when the Player returns finds Augurous holding Yenna captive, encouraging the player character to kill her. Augurous's reaction to being rescued changes based on whether or not he's romanced.

[Non-Romanced] "Not for nothing, but I wish I'd gotten to stab her too. Thank you, I appreciate it more than you know."

[Romanced] "You know, in lieu of a joke about chains and whips, thank you. I knew you would come for me."

• How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn?

Considering this is when he finds out about his parents, Augurous would be very against Astarion ascending, but he would also speak out against sparing the spawn as well. He knows how dangerous it would be to let them loose on the Sword Coast, but death and freedom would be better in his eyes than death to raise up a Vampire Ascendant.

• How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer? Can they offer to become one themselves? Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?

Augurous would be unsettled with Tav turning, but not hostile. He would not offer to become one himself, and if he was romanced then he would make a joke about the new appendages.

• How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?

The reactions change based on the way the Durge responds to the killing.

An honest/apologetic Dark Urge would get, "We've got to figure out how to deal with that problem of yours, preferably before we get to the city. Or at least a temporary solution."

An unapologetic Dark Urge would get, "Are you kidding me? You couldn't have gotten more innocent and harmless if you'd killed a baby duckling. I'm travelling with a maniac."

If the Dark Urge lied or covered up the murder, then they'd get' "Something got close enough to kill her without anybody waking up. We should really set a watch every night."

• If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2?

Augurous would be patient, if not firm. All jokes aside, he would ask them very seriously if they want to kill him. Not the urge, or whatever is pushing them to do these things, but them in their truest self. If they don't want to kill him, he promises to work with them to handle this situation. If they want to kill him, he would free them and leave the party.

Romance

• Is your Tav a romanceable character? Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

Augurous is a romanceable character. There are no specific requirements.

• Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough?

If he is approached with a moderately high approval, he will reciprocate the feelings. If his affinity is very high then he will approach Tav first. He will specify up front though, if they want to fuck around then that's fine, but if they want a relationship then it would need to be exclusive.

• Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?

Monogamous, when in a relationship. But if it's a fwb thing like Lae'zel at first, then he'd be open to having multiple partners.

• Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party?

No special romance scene.

• Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take?

Just the one route to take, but the attitudes shift whether or not he's going more towards Patriar or more towards continuing to Adventure.

• How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?

Augurous is upset, but he respects the decision and that not everybody is going to be as compatible. He thanks the Player for their honesty.

• What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test?

"What is his dearest wish?" (To retire and live a peaceful life.)

"What is his greatest fear?" (Being Alone)

"How does he show love?" (Communication)

• How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor? Haarlep?

Any of the encounters, should Augurous be romanced and not still just FWB will lead to him telling Tav that he wouldn't like them to do it. If it is followed through, then he would end the relationship.

• Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no?

No, and a similar situation as with the previous encounters.

• What are Tav’s plans for the future? Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?

Augurous wants to get married, and would propose to Tav. He wants to retire and go live in Reithwin or somewhere in a countryside/Forest where he can enjoy a quiet life. If he was encouraged to become a Patriar/Politician then he would still propose, but instead live in Baldur's Gate.

• Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

I know it would be different from any of the other companions, but Augurous is a talker. If Tav wanted to back out of a conversation, I like to think it would be fun for Augurous to be able to step in and give Tav a break. Any of the Thorms' conversations is the biggest one I can think of.

#OC: Augurous Dovah-Fane #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #my ocs #i thought this was so much fun #i was filling out questions in between work #i still have the other three BG characters to go #but im excited

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