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csphire · 5 months

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Updated Dammon Build Guide!

Sad because you need more Dammon? Here is an updated guide on how to make him into your player character or dream guardian.

First, let's discuss the mods you'll need if you want to get your player character as close as possible to Dammon's long-lost twin or evil clone. Are you on a console or don't want to mod? No worries, alternative suggestions will be provided in this guide too.

Clothing:

This is only needed if you wish for him to wear the same outfit and for it to be the right color. If you want to keep the number of mods on the low side, you can use Basket Full of Equipment instead. It does have a blacksmith outfit, scarf and his boots too. (The boots are called: Black Leather Footwear D, just dye them brown. The scarf dye Swamp Green.)

Just know as of posting this, there is no dye in the game to match Dammon's existing choice of colors on his blacksmithing outfit perfectly. I would recommend when using Basket Full of Equipment to go with the scarf-free version and dye it Faewild Green and Dun Dye. Then you'll find his scarf in the cloak bag and dye that Swamp Green. If you can't get your hands on that rare dye Swamp Green works great too.

Eyes (and a jump start with the dream guardian):

What do I mean by jumpstart? Well... the modder here made a great start of what Dammon looks like. But I suspect the way the mod and/or game functions, some of Dammon's coloring is a little off. His horns are nearly white, and his eyes are brown, that is if you're trying to make the dream guardian look like him. This might be corrected in the future.

What's important about this mod is that it unlocks Dammon's unique eye color for not only the Guardian but also the Player Character. It's the only one I've found so far that does this. If there are other mods that come along that just unlock his eyes, I'll be happy to include them here too.

Don't want to install mods or can't? Try the Blue 3 or Sapphire 4 eyes. Or if you want them to glow more then have central heterochromia Elf Blue 1 and 2 are nice options as well.

Fun fact: Dammon's eyes are blue with central heterochromia.

Oh, and there is also the option to go with his Early-Access eye color Elf-Gold 3 if you're feeling particularly nostalgic.

The Quick and Easy Way:

Want to make the player character and every companion in your party look like Dammon? Well, this is the mod for you. There is however a caveat. He's stuck in that blacksmith outfit. As in not even for love scenes will he get naked. Alas, the real Dammon model doesn't have a nude character model option-at least not yet. Any who...

Onwards to the rest of character creation!

But first, a few quick side-by-side final comparisons to confirm the appearance you should get when following this guide.

Head, Skintone, and Horn Color:

Head 4

Blush Tone 5

Malbolge Spires with Dusty 6 for both base and tip color.

Hair:

Style - Arabel Ribbon Hair Color - Blonde 3 Highlight - Red 6 Intensity 70.

Makeup (optional):

Eye Makeup - Butterscotch (Intensity 40, Metallic Tint 10, and Glossy 10) Limp Tint - Red 1 (Intensity 10, Metallic Tint 10, and Glossy 10) For makeup, I'm unsure if Dammon wears any but in all the images here I did add a subtle amount to try to make his eyes stand out a little. This might be helpful if you're stuck using Blue 3 or Sapphire 4. I thought to also add a tiny bit of gloss to his lips since he's not hanging out by his forge so much. This is just a personal preference.

In fact, Makeup 12 comes in handy for guys or gals in general at a 10 to 50 tint level to make their eyes look a little deeper set, tired even and um... more broody? Play around with this and other make-ups and have fun.

Scar (optional):

Dammon does have a scar over the bridge of his nose, under his right eye, and on his lower left lip. But on him, as seen below, it's faded. Scar 3 comes sorta close but it's rather distracting. Until we can get a scar depth or age slidder from Larian (or a mod) I would skip it entirely for now.

Class, Race, Voice, and Stats (optional):

According to the Wiki Dammon is an Asmodeus Tiefling but you could subrace him into Mephistopheles or Zariel as head 4 is available to all subraces. Changing his subrace might prove advantageous depending upon what class you wish to play.

For voice, nothing can replace Frazer Blaxland's, but... I found Voice 3, out of all of them, is similar in depth and warmth.

If playing as Dammon and you want to get as close to his abilities, and fighting style as possible, it's all an educated guess. This is only mine on one class example: Druid.

To start, I made sure that all his stats were at least 10 in everything just like his original. For the extra points left over, I put them into upping his Dexterity as it helps with dodging damage. After all, you don't need a lot of hp if you can dodge damage. I also put a few extra points into the main stat for his class and a bit in Charisma just to make conversation rolls easier. For background, I went with Guild Artisan to further help him with persuasion, give him some insight, and for roleplaying purposes since he was a blacksmith. For cantrips, I would highly recommend picking Guidance if available to further aid all conversation rolls.

I went with Druid because it lets him wield a scimitar right at the start. On the Nautolid you can usually find two of these weapons. "Who uses wooden tools!" Dammon shouts as he throws that ugly staff overboard into the fires of Avernus. The second reason is perhaps while he was in the grove he learned a thing or two. He did after all pick up a few skills while in Avernus, why not at the Druid Grove too? It's just one level and you could multi-class him into anything later on.

The third reason I went with Druid for class is your doppelganger gets a discount from Arron, the other merchant to be found there.

But of course, you can make him any other class you wish or multi-class him. I did so myself by adding dragon sorcerer and bard to him later on. This is just an idea, but one could use his playthrough to try and get the Jack-of-all-Trades achievement.

If I had to go with an official class for him, my money would be on Artificer with a subclass of a Battle Smith, to be precise. The video down below explains what they are, and as early as Act II Dammon can literally craft us some bombs and free armor if you bring him the right things. He would be the perfect Artificer companion if we in the future get that class in a DLC. (And romance option-yes while keeping most of his mystery too, Frazer. This will explain just one example of how it's possible.)

youtube

Sadly, no official Artificer class yet but there are a few mods you can try out by just searching the term Artificer on the Nexus. But this mod looks so far the most polished and fleshed out called:

Hope all this info helps you have some fun. Please feel free to tag and share with me your Dammon creations! Need any help feel free to reach out, I'd be happy to help. Looking for my old guide? It's here.

*Full Disclosure: In the previous versions of my guide, I was mistaken about his skin tone being Blush 4. After a near-unhealthy amount of scrutiny of Dammon's model, I apologize for this mistake. It's Blush 5, and the majority of the screenshots, ones that focus on his appearance, have been corrected accordingly. I apologize for this mistake and any inconvenience it has caused.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #dammon build guide #dammon guide #build guide #dammon #bg3 dammon #make player character into Dammon #make guardian into Dammon #suggested mods #tieflings #bg3 tiefling #have fun #Youtube #Tammon #Dummon #feel free to tag me to show me your dammons!

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alpaca-clouds · 3 months

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How redeeming Gortash would improve Karlach's story

I will admit, that the title is a bit overstated, because by the time you actually get to interact with Gortash, the plot just does not have enough time left to redeem him. Because other than what some folks in Hollywood think: No, giving a character one last minute "heel-face-turn" with one big symbolic act does not in fact redeem a character. Redemption is a process that takes time.

BG3 actually understands this, because Astarion's arc basically ends with: "You took the first steps towards redemption." Which is really good.

However: You could end the game at least in a way to set Gortash up for a possible redemption arc - and more importantly just... not have him die. Because actually that would improve Karlach's character arc.

I will get one thing out of the way first: The entire "Gortash redemption" idea is always contentious on the fact that he is a really bad guy. Like, he is bad. He brutally killed and tortured, he enslaved people, all of that.

I am an anarchist though. Hence, I do not really believe that punishment is in any way just. And to put it differently: Killing Gortash does not undo any of the harm he has caused. Not a single dead person will live through it, not a single tortured person will become untortured through it, and no slave is freed through it either (you kinda gotta say that as the player in a different mission).

And yes, I will say at this point that in general I was iffed by the fact that in many fights of the game I was not given a choice really. It was "either join the bad guys or kill them", and my "all charisma bard", who does not believe in killing for revenge, was like: "But... But..."

Like, my Tav was on board with killing Cazador (because literally in the situation it is "kill Cazador or have 7000 people die") and killing Ketheric (because he needed to die to end the curse), but he is already iffy on Orin (as she never had a choice but to be a killer) and definitely is not on board with killing Gortash (because there is no good reason to do it).

But let me talk about Karlach. Because the thing is... I have seen a lot of commentary on how Wyll is underwritten. And he is. But not as underwritten as Karlach. Like, her entire companion quest basically goes: "Kill some fake paladins, find Dammon, find two pieces of Infernal Iron, kill Gortash (which you have to do for plot reasons either way)". She doesn't really have a dungeon connected to her quest. Nor really an exclusive boss fight, because again: Gortash you kinda gotta fight for the story either way. Nothing really.

Every other character, too, also has to make one hard decision. Where they want one thing - but what is actually the good thing is something else. I wrote about this before, the "become what you hate" decision, basically.

Karlach doesn't. Sure, you could argue that the "die or go back to Avernus" decision is her big decision. But it feels very different than the decisions of the others.

Which brings me to Gortash and saving him.

Here is the thing: Logically speaking Gortash should probably be able to fix Karlach's engine. He understands infernal engines, as he built the Steel Watch around them. You can easily argue that yeah, he should be able to fix Karlach. And that... would actually make for a great decision for Karlach's story.

If I would get to fix Karlach's companion quest, I would probably do it like this: Put in some sort of dungeon where Dammon sends you in the hope that you can find some plans there, that might give him an understanding on how to fix the engine. Heck, if you do not wanna do a whole new dungeon, you could also just put some plans or whatever into the Steel Foundry.

The point is that it will then turn out that, yeah, even with those plans for some reason Gortash is the only one who could fix it. Putting Karlach into the spot to make this decision: Does she value her life more than her revenge on Gortash?

Because here is the thing: Gortash is supposed to be 1) the intelligent one of the dead three chosen, and 2) also clearly is the one who acts first and foremost in some sense for his own self-preservation. Which made me go like: "Nah, this does not make sense," when he decides to fight against me after his Steel Watch was disabled and I already killed the other two chosen.

So, yeah... You should get at least a chance to persuade him to just give up - or, going back to what I was talking about before - to save Karlach.

And again, I actually think that even for the Gortash part of the story it would make for more interesting storytelling. Killing him is not really that interesting.

Especially as, once again, killing him does not undo any of the harm he has caused. But given that he is this big egghead he could actually do something good if he got to live. And yeah, also there is the fact that... You know... Given what we know about his backstory, his actions are about as understandable as those of some of the companions.

Some of you might already know, I have written some fics dealing with the way how I would imagine something like this to go. Mainly Hurt begets Hurt (which is basically my Tav convincing Gortash to give up), An Impossible Future (Karlach inner turmoil after her engine is fixed) and Cheesy Noodles (Gortash being a big meany towards Tav, who is unphased by this).

I am right now writing a story featuring Astarion dealing with a very, very depressed Gortash.

#baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #enver gortash #gortash #gortash redemption #redemption #karlach #karlach cliffgate

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bhaalble · 4 months

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While I'm on my script doctor shit: I want to talk about Karlach.

Karlach's not dealing with the same level of narrative neglect/hasty rewrite fingerprints that Wyll is. As a standalone entity, her arc works. I Am Not Immune To Weeping at the Post-Gortash Fight Scene etc etc. But it does feel oddly discordant with the other companion quests. Karlach doesn't really experience any moral evolution or make meaningful decisions. When we meet her she's a kindhearted friendly hero, and she will be that regardless of whether she dies in Faerun or goes back to Avernus. She's incredibly likeable while she does that, and I also don't want to come across like I think her writing is shallow. But in a game where all the companion quests follow a pretty intentional pattern regarding the cycle of abuse, it sticks out like a sore thumb to me that the resolution of the Gortash plot doesn't really impact her character arc one way or the other.

As always I feel compelled to point out that this isn't me going "actually she's secretly a bad person and the game won't admit it". This is more me attempting to mine some more in-depth conflict, using the existing arc as a template. With that in mind, these are the changes I would make:

-Make the use of Soul Coins MUCH MORE of a character point. With how much attention is drawn to acquiring these things for the first time and a special dialogue choice for whether or not you'll have her use them, it feels very much like a dropped thread that it doesn't really go anywhere storywise. Leveraged correctly I think this could've been the chance to show a crack in Karlach's persona. She's your big loveable attack dog who's been having the worst decade, yeah. But she's also a survivor, who's not only been deployed into an endless conflict but who also hasn't had a single person she can trust other than herself. I think you could make more of a thing about how the conditions she lived in in Avernus forced her to make her peace with occasionally stepping on other people, even some innocents, so she could live to fight another day. There's shades of this in some of her conversations with the tiefling refugees already, she mentions to Dammon that she felt like she couldn't really do anything for Elturel. Push into that guilt, and with it, that denial. Have ten years spent with devils maybe just maybe given her a slightly more removed view of the value of a life that isn't her own?

-Whether the player feeds her Soul Coins or not I think it should be specified by Dammon that her routine use of them during her time in Avernus has sped up her engine breakdown by putting it into almost permanent overdrive. Its a damnation of Zariel (who probably knew what the coins were doing, but didn't care) and a startling moment for Karlach, that there are consequences for being cavalier with the souls of others. High Approval Karlach either asks to stop taking them (if the player has been giving them) or thanks the player for encouraging her to hold off. Low Approval Karlach will ask to keep taking them on the grounds of "in for a penny in for a pound", arguing that they can't afford to lose the advantages the player has seen it gives them (if they have been giving them) or becoming frustrated that the player is judging her and what she's had to do to survive (if they haven't).

-Make the reveal that the Steel Watch run off infernal iron MUCH MORE emotional for Karlach, as she realizes she was an experimental run for Gortash to do this. Double down on this when the player discovers that they have corpses inside them (also, put this reveal before the Steel Watch foundry quest can be completed). Its both horrifying on a gut level to find out the stupid evil reason for all her suffering...but also she can't help but feel culpable for LIVING. If she hadn't been strong enough to survive it the experiment might've ended there. Its not true but it is one of the worst thoughts you can have when you've just found out you're going to die anyways.

-I would make the relationship between Karlach and Gortash much more mutual and much more (initially) positive relationship. Have him be genuinely glad to see her, genuinely impressed that she survived the hells. Its what he always liked about her, her grit, her ability to face down impossible odds and come out the victor. Compliments that would've made her happy back in the day and now feel like a punch to the gut. Its all build-up, though, to the Choice which will define Karlach's route.

-By virtue of his experiments Gortash has gotten very good at working with Infernal Iron. And he believes he can fix Karlach's heart, in exchange for her basically taking up a more elevated version of her old job. He could use a bodyguard powered by hellfire and with a strong understanding of devils. Its also, just good optics for his man of the people image to have his right hand be some outer city kid elevated to greatness. He makes a lot of promises in that moment: she won't die. She'll get a chance to have a LIFE back, but now a life with all the power and security she could ask for. More than that, they could change things in this city. Give its residents better lives, improve things for all the little Karlachs out there. And after that...who knows? The Hells might be ripe for some conquest back. Gods know they've both got old scores to settle

-She takes time to think about it, and talk with the player. In addition to all the other hang-ups she might have this is where the Steel Watch comes up again, with her feeling like she's poisoned by that knowledge. A player trying to persuade her into taking the deal can point out, in the end its not so different from soul coins. Why draw the line now. If this Persuasion check is passed she can note that at least they could afford to be choosier with their victims, putting the worst baddies to use for the protection of everyone. That wouldn't be so bad....would it?

-You meet Gortash for a final time. If persuaded by the player to not take the deal (or if left to choose for herself with High Approval) Karlach will kill him where he stands. His soul rises in the form of Bane's Chosen and you have a proper boss fight. If persuaded to take it (or left to her own devices on Low Approval) Karlach will take the deal. This will mean losing Karlach from the party (with the exception of the House of Hope mission where she will appear Jaheira style) as she will be busy protecting Gortash. The player gains custom armor from Gortash and an assembly of Steel Watchers they can summon in the Final Battle.

-If she doesn't take the deal her endings play out pretty similarly to how they do in canon, either dying or returning to Avernus. This time, however, its with a new lease on life (or death). She's gotten to choose to be better than the things that dropped her here. She's still scared, still angry. But she's also proven something to herself. That Zariel and Gortash and them were wrong about her, and that she is much more than the mindless weapon they wanted to turn her into.

-If she takes the deal it unlocks a new ending for Gortash. Rather than come to the Elder Brain himself he will instead give you his Netherstone as a show of good faith, trusting you to take the chance to subdue the Elder Brain for your mutual rule.

-If the Player subdues the Elder Brain you and Gortash move it back underground, pretending to have defeated it and using the fear created by the mind flayer outbreak to rule the populace. Karlach in the Epilogue talks to you about how the two of you are making massive moves in the city. She seems to be trying very hard to convince herself at least most of the changes are positive....from a certain point of view.

-If the Player destroys the Elder Brain, Gortash skips town and takes Karlach with him rather than face his disgrace. In the Epilogue Karlach says he's starting to rebuild in another city state, "not tellin you where, though. Don't really think I want to have to fight you if you decide to come smash this one too....even though I'd definitely win." She seems extremely worn down in this ending and trying to cover it up. Gortash lost a LOT of favor with Bane having his plans blow up in his face like that and its made him. Snippy. Still, "its a living. And it probably wouldn't even be that if it weren't for him." The player can hint that it may be time for her to start moving on to a better environment, and she says only if she can find someone to do a more permanent fix for Ol' Rusty. Gortash still has to do check-ups almost monthly to keep her stable.

-She still keeps in touch with Dammon, though....who knows. He might have some new thoughts after seeing all the blueprints Gortash has drawn up....

#sorry that this is six miles long but i have so many thoughts #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #karlach #enver gortash #script doctor tag #baldurs gate critical #long post

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crescentdragon · 5 months

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Enver Gortash Request

The Gortash brainrot compelled me to tweet this. Honestly it would be great if we could romance him in the game as both Tav and The Dark Urge. Here’s hoping 🖤

His character was so interesting and it felt as though it could have been explored through his past with Raphael. It would have been great to see an interaction between the two. The note after you defeat him confirms he wanted to make another trip into the hells. Ideas/Speculation-

In a what if scenario perhaps Tav/Durge if they chose to have an alliance with Gortash, and have found out about his past through the secrets and his ‘parents’. Leads to an optional confrontation to aid him in the house of hope quest against Raphael.

I’ve seen a lot of fans requesting a masquerade ball taking place in the upper city. Honestly I thought in the scene with Gortash and Orin where he says “Let’s be sure to give them a Baldurian Welcome’ hinted that there may be a ball event (hoping). Perhaps it could take place after Orin has been defeated? In fear of her crashing it, although it would be interesting/terrifying. Does anyone get the feeling she would shapeshift into our love interest just to troll with us?

If your Tav/Durge is already in a romantic relationship then maybe Gortash cuts in while you are dancing, and if your character is not in a relationship he asks you? With the Dark Urge you already have history as he puts it. And with Tav if having helped him defeat Raphael offers them a political marriage alliance option. Either way triggering his optional romance route.

Needles to say our companions may not be happy about this. Maybe some of them would see it as a necessary measure in form of an alliance. With Gortash’s steel watch army, and political connections.

Gortash is a tyrant willing to do anything for power. As the chosen of Bane he can’t show weakness, and uses everything to his advantage. Personally I do believe he will always be a tyrant, but he is capable of having feelings for someone. Especially if they prove themselves worthy or an equal in his eyes.

A good aligned Tav/Redeemed Urge could be the tyrants voice of reason. Not afraid to stand up to him to get their point across. Leading to a neutral ending where he does not get killed off by the elder brain.

Evil aligned play through they can only make each other worse. Two power hungry rulers that let nothing stand in their way. Possibly leading to one turning on the other when the power takes them over.

-Benefits of an alliance:

-Gortash has infernal engine schematics in his steel watch foundry. A possible chance to fix Karalach’s engine. (Player would have to give the plans to Dammon, can’t see Karlach letting Gortash anywhere near her without burning him to a crisp). Also KarlachXDammon.

-Possible outcomes:

-Certain companions may leave your party.

Karlach’s engine could be fixed but she may not forgive the player for allying with Gortash. A bittersweet ending where she leaves but she will live.

Depending if you can convince Gortash to abandon the absolute after not being able to control the elder brain. Dice role persuasion 🎲

Gortash says it himself. ‘We could be good for each other’.

#bg3 gortash #enver gortash #gortash x tav #durge x gortash #lord gortash #baldur's gate 3 #gortash bg3 #lord enver gortash #enver gortash x reader #gortash x durge #bg3 #baldurs gate #gortash x reader

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etoilehistoire · 5 months

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When talking about Astarion’s choice to ascend or not, we tend to act like it's our choice. The player decides if he ascends or not. But... there IS a roll involved. Yes, as players if it doesn't go the way we want we can always reload and try again, but... in-game, the characters don't have that option. What would happen, then, if a Tav desperately tried to talk him out of ascending... and failed? Rolled a one? What might they do? What might happen next?

This story takes place after the end of the game.

The little farmhouse was in the middle of nowhere – no other homes in sight, miles from the nearest town.

Not that Wyll was surprised. In her shoes, he’d surely value his solitude too.

It was pretty, he noticed as he rode up the path. A dark brown roof over white walls, almost completely hidden behind trellises of morning glories, climbing roses, and other flowers. A spray of sunflowers nearly hid the door. Berry bushes sprawled across the front yard in glorious disorder, many of them sporting ripe fruit that filled the morning air with a sweet scent. And there, filling a bowl with blueberries, her dark hair pulled back in a scarf, was Xia.

She turned when she heard his horse's hooves, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I’ll be damned. How long has it been? Ten years?”

“At least,” he agreed with a grin. Hopping down, he clasped her arm in greeting, and wasn’t the least bit surprised when she pulled him into a full-bodied hug instead. “Oof! You’re strong as ever. Country life suits you.”

She looked well too, he mused a moment later, stepping back to look her over. Her hair had a little grey at the temples, and crow's feet were beginning to form at the corner of her unscarred eye, but she seemed more at ease with herself and the world than he remembered her being before.

She laughed at the comment. “I suppose it does. But what about you? I didn’t expect to see you out here in the middle of nowhere! How’s the war going? How’s Karlach? How’s her heart?”

He threw up his hands in mock surrender, laughing. “So many questions! And the answers are all related. The war never ends, of course – it will outlive all of us. But sometimes you have to step away from battle for a moment, to focus on more important things.” He smiled, a softness entering his voice. “Karlach's new heart is treating her well. It’s stable. So stable, in fact, that… well, that’s part of what I came to tell you.” His dark skin flushed even darker. “We’re expecting.”

She gasped. “No.”

“Yes! Dammon's with her now; she’s already complaining about us coddling her.”

Xia laughed, the sound open and free. “Oh, I’ll bet. Tell her you’ll knock her down and sit on her if she doesn’t behave.” Looping her arm through his, she continues. “You have to tell me everything! Let me show you around while you do; I’ve got a little orchard started – the trees won’t bear fruit for another year or two, but it’s pretty. And oh, do you like tomatoes? Please say at least one of you does, I have so many tomatoes and I don’t know what to do with them all…”

She’s freer with her words now too, he noted, holding back a smile as he let her ramble on. She gave him a quick tour; he dutifully admired the gardens, and smiled at the chickens and the cantankerous goat.

Finally she gave him a sideways glance. “But happy as your news is, it could have been delivered in a letter. And you didn’t come all the way out here to see my flowers and be loaded up with spare vegetables. What’s up?”

He gave her a gentle smile. “Actually? I wanted to check on you. I was surprised to hear you’d hung up your sword.”

She smiled, but it seemed more reserved now. “I got out of the game, Wyll. It happens.”

“Doesn’t usually happen to someone who makes the kind of name for themselves as you did.”

She was silent at this. After a long moment he added, gently, “They’re singing songs about you, you know. About what you did.”

Now her shoulders sagged. “Ah.”

“Is it true?”

She looked away, dark eyes staring off into the blue morning sky. “They would hardly sing songs about it if it wasn’t.”

He touched her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What is there to say?” She still didn’t look at him. This, this was the Xia he remembered, careful and closed-off. It made him sad to see. “The ascended vampire lord has been destroyed and his budding empire torn down. I dealt the death-blow myself.”

His heart hurt for her. He, too, had grieved what Astarion had become, but he’d never been as close with the vampire as she was. Xia had always been driven to do the right thing, but he couldn’t imagine how it must have felt, having to kill her former lover. “Is that why…?”

“Why I stopped?” She shrugged. “I made a mess, Wyll. It was on me to clean it up. Once I did, that life didn’t have much appeal for me anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, and meant it. “We should have been there with you. You shouldn’t have had to do it alone.”

“I did have an army with me,” she replied mildly. “I was hardly ‘alone.’” Glancing over at him, she gave him a small smile. “I’m glad you weren’t, honestly. It makes me happy that you and the others are living your lives. You deserve some peace.”

He returned the smile. “Well. So do you.”

“And I’ve found it.” She leaned into him, wrapping an arm around him in a half-hug. “Listen, I do want to catch up, and I have missed you, but I’m afraid I have to be a bad host. The house is a mess – turns out I’m a much better gardener than I am a housekeeper – and I never get company out here so I don’t have a guest room set up. Maybe we could-"

Just then the door banged open and someone strolled out of the house. Lanky build. White, curling hair. Skin tanned pale gold from the sun. Pointed ears. Clutching a mug of coffee in his hand.

“Darling,” he drawled, “did a blight destroy our berry bushes overnight? Did you have to plant entirely new ones before you could pick the blueberries? I don’t mean to be impatient, but you promised me muffins, not abandonment-"

“Astarion??”

He froze. She froze. Wyll stared between them, his eyes growing wide as he tried to process what he was seeing.

Then Xia turned toward him, slowly, with the absolute strangest expression he had ever seen on her face: a guilty, sheepish smile.

“Explain.”

~15-20 Years Earlier~

Astarion sat on Cazador’s- no. His throne, now. His, all his, and he should be happy about it, damn it. Instead he drummed his fingers, their last conversation playing in his head.

“You will regret leaving me. More than anything else you live to regret.”

She’d simply looked at him with her quiet eyes. “No, Star. The only thing I regret is that I couldn’t stop you from doing this to yourself.”

He scowled. What did she know? He hadn’t ‘done anything to himself’ except seize the power he deserved, the power that always should have been rightfully his. After 200 years of pain, of fear, of being weak, now finally he was the one who was strong. He would never be afraid again. He could have kept her safe too, could have given her everything she ever wanted. Instead she rejected it. Said she liked him better when he was weak. When he was pathetic.

She didn’t deserve him. Didn’t deserve the gifts his power would have bestowed. So be it. She could grow old and suffer and die, while he was beautiful and strong forever, and he wouldn’t care. He was better off without an ingrate like her anyway. He would put her entirely out of his mind and never think of her again.

It didn’t go as well as he’d hoped.

The first thing to do, of course, was make new spawns. He was powerful, of course, but he was only one man. An army of offspring, all loyal to him, all able to be controlled by him, would increase his power exponentially, allow him to effectively be everywhere at once.

So he started.

His first spawn was less than pleased by his new fate. That was fine. Astarion hadn’t suffered under Cazador all those years without learning a few tricks to break the will of a rebellious slave. If the boy couldn’t see the advantages of serving the most powerful vampire lord to ever exist, he would instead learn the folly of resistance. He’d come around in time. Astarion would make sure of it.

The second, by contrast, took to it like a duck to water. She had a streak of cruelty that delighted him, and she was a sensible girl, able to understand the quid-pro-quo of “serve me loyally, and I’ll be good to you.” Yes, she would work out nicely.

It was when he was out hunting his third spawn that he hit a snag.

A tall girl. Well-muscled from hard work. Dark hair, dark eyes – a round face with a serious expression. Not Xia, of course, but similar enough to her that they could have been sisters.

He brought her back, of course, fully intending to turn her. As he should have turned Xia, nevermind that she said she didn’t want it. Once it was done she would have seen the benefits, and even if she hadn’t, she couldn’t have left him then anyway. He should have done it.

Her face came back to him, the way he’d seen it last. Cold. Sad. Judgmental, as if she had any right to judge him. He snarled, the rage filling his mind, and lunged.

When he drew back she was dead, her glassy eyes staring at the ceiling as the tattered remains of her throat slowly dripped onto his second-best couch. Ugh. Such a waste.

He made his first spawn clean up the mess – it would do the boy good to get used to such things. His second spawn (he should learn their names eventually, or perhaps give them new ones) he sent out to hunt a replacement. “And,” he added, glancing back to the cooling corpse. “If you can… find someone who looks like her.”

He could control himself better the next time. Of course he could.

He saw her again, a year or so later.

By that point his influence had grown enough that he was making alliances with other power players, but he wasn’t quite high enough – yet – to force them to come to him. So he was traveling, visiting a strange town to seal a deal.

He hadn’t had to hunt himself for months – his pets brought him all the fresh blood he could want. Still, there was nothing quite like the thrill of the chase, and he was in a new place where his face wasn’t widely known… so why not? Why not, for old time's sake? He donned a cloak, headed to a nearby tavern, and watched the crowd.

And there she was. Singing, for the gods' sake, like she was some common wench and not a paladin. His lip twisted in pity and disgust. If she’d only listened to him, she could be living in luxury right now, her every whim seen to, instead of debasing herself like this. Singing for her supper. She might as well whore herself out.

He stayed and listened, his fury growing as he did so. The song was sad, and told the story of a woman who had loved a powerful man, but her love wasn’t enough to keep him with her and so he had abandoned her.

How dare she. As if she hadn’t left him! As if he hadn’t offered her the world, if only she’d stayed! How dare she paint him as the unfaithful one, how dare she mourn their love! She had no right!

His hunt forgotten, he waited for her until she left the lights of the tavern. Stepping out of the dark night, he grabbed her by the throat and forced her back against the wall. “You know, darling, if you miss me that much you could always come home.” He bared his fangs, moving in closer. “Your place as my consort is still open. In fact, I’ve half a mind to put you there anyway – there are others who would kill to be my most beloved spawn, you’d learn to appreciate it in time.”

A blade pressed against his throat – gods, he’d forgotten how fast she was. Cold eyes stared into his. “If.”

He considered his odds. Her throat was right there – but lunging for it would mean the dagger slicing into his own neck. Possibly he could incapacitate her before it cut all the way through… but possibly not. “Beg pardon?” he asked, playing for time.

“If.” Her gaze grew, if anything, even harder. “I told you that it was a big ‘if.’ That I didn’t see it happening. But it’s getting closer.”

He stilled. He remembered now – a conversation long ago, around a fire. How pathetic he’d been then, cringing and sniveling, as if he needed her approval or affection. “Oh, pretty paladin, please tell me you aren’t threatening me.”

“Not a threat. A warning.” Now she leaned into him, bringing their faces close. “I know that ethics won’t move you, nor morality. Not love, not mercy, not kindness. You’ve seen to that.” Her words were quiet and emotionless, fired at him with a dreadful matter-of-factness. “So I’m appealing to enlightened self-interest. Keep your predations to a reasonable level, vampire. For your sake and mine: don’t become something I’m honor-bound to kill.”

He snarled, hate twisting his features. The blade biting into his neck was becoming uncomfortable; he took a few steps back, pretending it was his own idea, glaring all the while. “The arrogance. You really believe you could do anything to me? To me?”

She sighed. “Oh, Star. You know I was never afraid of you, right? Not once. Not even with your teeth in my neck. That hasn’t changed.” Her knife disappeared, vanishing into whatever hidden pocket she’d drawn it from. “Perhaps you should have been more afraid of me.”

And with that, she turned her back on him – deliberately – and walked away.

And Astarion, for reasons he absolutely did not understand, let her.

It wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t safe enough.

He wasn’t strong enough.

He had an entire horde of spawn bound to him, yes, but they could only operate at night. That was a limitation, and limitations were weakness.

He’d had the idea, once, to cover the city in fog and clouds, blocking out the sun, making it safe for his little pets. So he did. It took a while, of course, but he figured it out in the end.

Of course, then the people in the city were angry. There were rumblings of discontent. That wouldn’t do. The city should be his – he deserved that much, didn’t he? And anyone who disagreed, well. He always needed food. And he always needed entertainment. Those who spoke against him could provide both – quietly at first, then as publicly as possible – until no one else dared to speak.

So the city became his. But then it occurred to him – it was only one city. A single city could be destroyed, could it not? No, it wasn’t enough. To be truly safe, to be truly powerful, he needed multiple cities.

He needed an empire.

And, after all, why shouldn’t he have one? Why shouldn’t he rule this land? Who could stand against him?

Some years into this, the rumors first reached his ears. Whispers of tales told in taverns and common rooms, songs sung in secrecy. The story of a paladin who had been betrayed by a vampire lord, who would ease her heartbreak by taking revenge on her evil ex-lover.

He was furious. He sent out an entire squadron of spawn, with instructions: tear out the tongues of anyone heard repeating this rumor. He nailed the tongues to a board in the square, scores of them, a grisly display for all to see.

But the stories kept being spread.

Soon it was more than whispers. An army was amassing to the west, led by a scarred paladin, sworn to bring him down. Xia's name seemed to be on every pair of lips – a beacon of hope, they called her. A hero, come to free them from the scourge of – well, of him.

He hated her. Gods, he hated her. How could he have ever thought he loved her? It wasn’t enough to abandon him, to throw away everything he’d tried to give her. She had to try to destroy everything he was working so hard to build, too? Everything that would finally, finally make him secure, safe, happy?

They moved slowly. First a tiny border town, one he had only barely secured. The spawn he’d left in charge was killed, the fog dispersed. The people were free.

He sneered when he heard it. ‘Free.’ Free to live their miserable, pathetic lives, perhaps. To die meaningless deaths. Instead of being led by someone with vision, someone who would have protected them, who would only have taken a few lives here and there – and even then, those who died would have known they were sacrificing to further a glorious cause! But no. They wanted to live and die like animals? Fine. He didn’t need that town anyway. He had others.

But her army didn’t stop there. They moved forward, inexorably, whittling apart his budding empire and growing stronger all the while as people flocked to her banners.

He screamed as the reports came in, as he heard of each new city lost. Sometimes he took it out on the messenger. Sometimes he took it out on the townsfolk. So what if he did? It was her fault anyway, for angering him like this.

Then they were there, in his home city, moving closer, fighting pitched battles in the street. It should have been impossible for them to fight him here, in his own territory, but here they were, growing closer by the day. Until the city was theirs. Until they reached his walls.

And stopped.

They didn’t move on the castle.

Maybe they were recovering from the battle, licking their metaphorical wounds. Maybe they didn’t think they were strong enough. Maybe they were doing reconnaissance, or building a powerful weapon, or waiting for the stars to align. Whatever the reason, they stopped, and for months there was a stalemate. Astarion took advantage of it, building up his defenses and training his pets. If they were going to give him breathing room, he’d make them regret it.

Then, after several months, something changed. He wasn’t sure what – he shuddered, as if someone had walked over his grave, and afterwards he knew something was different. Something had fundamentally changed, and he hated that he didn’t know what.

A week after that, the attack came.

The fighting in the lower levels wasn’t going well, he could tell by the sound. His spawn were fighting for their own lives and his, he’d summoned wolves and bats and everything else he could think of, and yet the army kept coming, kept slicing his forces apart.

And then she was there.

In his private rooms. Alone.

He grinned when he saw her. “The years are catching up to you, Xia. Is that grey I see in your hair?” He clucked. “Should have let me turn you when you were still young and – well, as pretty as you’d ever be.”

She regarded him quietly, naked sword in hand. “I didn’t come here to talk, Astarion. I came here to kill you.”

“You still think you can?” He sneered. “Your little soldiers down there might be able to defeat my spawns, pretty paladin. But I am the ascended vampire. You cannot bring me down.”

“I can,” she said – calmly. Steadily. “And I will. I promised to make it quick, Astarion. And it will be.”

With that, they flew at each other.

She was every bit as fast and strong as he remembered – more so, even, after the decade or more she’d had to improve. But he was stronger too. Faster. And he had more tricks up his sleeve.

He drew first blood – the fingernails he’d allowed to grow long, had sharpened into talons, missed her neck but scraped against the melted flesh of her scar. He paused, grinning, and licked a drop of blood off of one of them.

Hells below, it was sweet. He’d forgotten how good she tasted.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy draining you dry,” he purred, and lunged again.

He relished the look of surprise on her face the first time he turned into mist, her sword passing harmlessly through him. He danced around her, waiting for her to grow tired and out of breath, something he no longer needed to worry about.

She stabbed. He misted. He laughed inwardly at the confusion in her eyes as she looked around, trying to figure out where he was this time. Silently, he materialized behind her, moving in for the kill.

Too late, he realized it had been a feint, as she whirled to face him, knowing exactly where he’d be.

Too late, he saw the blade swinging for his neck.

Too late.

In his cold dead heart, he hadn’t actually thought she could kill him, any more than he could kill her. Oh, he could consider it. Fantasize about it, even. But actually do it? No. They were bound together. He would disarm her. Render her helpless. Then turn her, as he always should have, and they would be together. Forever. As it always should have been.

He was wrong.

There was the excruciating pain of the sword through his neck. The sickening spin of the world as his head left his shoulders and tumbled down. The darkness taking over his vision.

Then nothing.

The first thing he was aware of was… warmth.

He was warm.

That was new.

He opened his eyes to see Xia bending over him, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down her cheeks. That was wrong. Xia never cried. Not once, in all the time he’d known her.

“Oh gods,” she gasped out, as soon as she saw his eyes open. Then, standing, she stumbled away, turning her back to him as her shoulders shook.

Carefully, he sat up. His body felt… weird. Something was on him, littering his lap and the floor near him. Little stones, or gems maybe, but hollow and blackened as if they’d been burnt from the inside. He touched one and it crumbled to dust.

Something was wrong. Something felt wrong, familiar and alien at once. He stilled, trying to feel it, to understand what was happening to his body.

It was a heartbeat. It was his heartbeat. For the first time in over 200 years.

He stared at the paladin’s back. “Xia… what did you do?”

The answer was slow in coming. When it did, it was in a voice that was dull and despairing. “I undid the most important choice you ever made for yourself. I ignored your wishes and turned you into what I wanted you to be, without your consent. That’s what I did.”

His breath (he had breath!) caught. He stared at the crumbling gems again. Diamonds, he realized. Or they had been, before.

He remembered… oh, he remembered the ritual. He remembered Xia trying to talk him out of it. He’d ignored her, so sure he knew what he was doing, so sure it was the only way.

He remembered everything he’d done after.

His stomach heaved and he doubled over, retching, unable to bring anything up except strings of yellow bile. Still the horror and disgust washed over him in waves.

He'd become his own worst nightmare. He was as bad as Cazador.

No. He was worse.

When he finally regained the ability to speak, he croaked, “Why?”

She shrugged – one-shouldered, listless. “Because I’m selfish? Because I knew I needed to kill you, but I wasn’t ready to live in a world without you in it? Because I would rather have you alive to hate me dead.”

He shook his head, not understanding. “No. Not – what? Why would I hate you?”

She hesitated. “Star. You made a choice. You chose power. That was your choice; my choice was to fight you. And that choice was mine to make… but I didn’t have the right to take your choice away. You’ve been treated like a thing for too long, you deserve to make your own choices about your own life. And I knew that, and I did it to you anyway. Knowing it was wrong.”

He felt sick. “No. I didn’t – I didn’t know. Xia, please, I – I chose to do the ritual, yes. But I didn’t know it would be like this.” He swallowed. “I didn’t know I would be like this.”

She did turn then, tears streaming from her eyes, turned and knelt with him. Shaking, her hands reached out to cup his face. Hope, wild and fierce, blazed in her watery eyes. “You didn’t? Star. Please. Swear it. Tell me you didn’t want… this.”

He shuddered, shaking his head fiercely. “I swear it. Xia, the things I wanted to do to you – I would never.” He covered his face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Strong arms wrapped around him then, holding him close; he let himself lean into her embrace, feeling like he didn’t deserve it. “You should have killed me,” he whispered. “You should have let me stay dead. The things I did… Xia, you don’t know the things I did.”

“You can tell me,” she murmured back, “if you want. But it wasn’t you. If you didn’t know what the ritual would do… then you didn’t choose what you’d turn into. The person who did those things, it’s not you, and it’s not anyone you would choose to be.”

“It was still my hands,” he whispered. “Still my voice that gave the orders. You tried to warn me.”

“I did,” she replied, rubbing his back. “With things I guessed. Suspected. Not things I knew. You were scared. You wanted something to make you strong. I wouldn’t have believed my warnings either.”

He had nothing to say to that, unable to believe in the easy forgiveness but unwilling to reject it either. He clung to her in silence, until the shaking stopped.

Finally he asked, “…What happens now?”

“Mmm. My army is pretty gung-ho on ‘kill the vampire,’” she mused. “Probably you’ll want to lay low for a while. I’ll tell them you’re dead, and after things calm down I can smuggle you out of the castle.”

He nodded, sitting back and wiping his face. “I’ll… I don’t know where I’ll go,” he admitted, “but I’ll figure something out. I won’t make trouble for you, I promise.”

She frowned. “…Oh,” she said after a moment. “I mean… yes, of course you can go off on your own, if that’s what you want.” She hesitated. “I just… can I give you anything? Money, supplies?”

He shook his head, not looking her in the eyes. “You’ve given me the greatest gift I could ask for. I’m… Xia, I’m alive.” A laugh escaped him, soft and disbelieving. “I never thought, never even dared to hope… it’s freedom. True freedom. A second chance, despite everything I’ve done. I… I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve done enough to your life as it is.”

Silence. Then slowly, tentatively, gentle fingers reached out to push hair away from his face. “I mean,” she said, hesitant. “You could do more.”

He looked up then, meeting her eyes with a look of utter confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I delayed my attack for months – over the loud objections of my generals – until I could get my hands on the magics that could bring you back,” she said. “Because I didn’t want to risk killing you for real. I mean that even knowing that I had the magic to fix it, it still hurt more than I can say to see you dead by my hand. I mean that I didn’t do all of that because I never wanted to see you again afterwards.”

Now his eyes filled with tears. “Xia. You can’t mean that.”

“Can’t I?” She met his stare unflinching, and there – in her dark eyes, there she was, his quiet, pretty paladin. “Astarion. My Star. I love you. I’ve always loved you. Nothing has changed that. Nothing could.”

He shook his head. “I’ve killed people. Enslaved people. Tortured people, mutilated people. For bad reasons, when there was a reason at all. I don’t-" He ducked his head. “I don’t deserve you. I never did.”

“Oh, Star.” She reached out, her fingers soft in his hair – and then, suddenly, she was gripping his hair, gently forcing his his head up like she did the first time he fed on her, when he lost control. She raised his head until she could meet his gaze. “I already cut your head off once.”

He stared at her. “I. What?”

“I already cut your head off once.” Her mouth twisted. “It almost killed me to do so, but I did it. Was that not enough punishment? I can do it again, if you need me to; bringing you back should be much easier now. Or I can just yell at you a lot, if that’s easier. Tell you what a horrible awful person you are and why you should feel bad.”

His heart lightened even as he scowled. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Little bit.” Her grip on his hair loosened and she sat back, ruffling the curls once before letting her hand drop entirely. “I could tell you again that I don’t blame you for what you did, but you didn’t believe me the first time, so. Let’s do this instead. You say you don’t deserve me. But what do I deserve?” She leaned in. “Do I, or do I not, deserve to finally be with the man I love? After fighting for him all this time?”

Gods, she was going to be the death of him. Again. He swallowed hard. “Can you blame me for thinking you could do better?”

“Better than the love of my life?” She smiled. “Can you blame me for not believing that that’s possible?” He melted. How, how could she still believe such things about him?

She touched his cheek again, her thumb running lightly over his cheekbone. “Beloved. My night has been empty for over ten years.” She leaned in. “Please. Give me back the stars?”

He felt himself sag forward. Felt his lips meet hers.

It felt like giving in. It felt like giving up.

It felt like deciding to live again.

~Present Day~

As the story wound down, Wyll reached for another blueberry muffin – they were really very good. “So… a combination of Wish and True Resurrection? Clever.”

Xia nodded. “I cast Wish ahead of time, to undo the time limit on my next use of True Resurrection.”

“Which I felt,” Astarion chimed in. “It was itchy, feeling someone mess with my fate.”

“I’m not sorry. Anyway, I took a week to recover from the effects, and then the rest is history.”

He nodded. “How did you know it would work?”

“She didn’t.” Astarion arched an eyebrow, smearing butter on a muffin. “Which I remind her of all the time, that if her theory had been wrong I would be dead for good.”

“Yes, you do, love, and it’s not traumatizing at all,” Xia deadpanned, poking him. “But, Wyll, you can see why we keep it a secret?” Her eyes met his, pleading. “You and I, we knew him before, and we understand the circumstances. But someone who lived through the Dark Times… whose son or daughter or sister or husband was taken to the castle and never returned… they wouldn’t forgive. They’d come looking for him.” She glanced at the elf by her side. “Maybe they’d even have a right to. But gods help me, I don’t care.”

He nodded slowly. “No, I… I understand the predicament. But… well, you understand I’m not the only one who cares about you two?” He leaned in across the breakfast table. “Astarion, I’ve talked to some of the others from back then. We all grieved, when we thought you were dead.” He glanced at Xia. “And for you, when we thought you’d had to kill him.”

Astarion blinked, but recovered quickly. “Hmm. I would have thought I’d burned those bridges long ago. Surely a decade or so of terror matters more than a few weeks of sharing a common enemy?”

Wyll reached out, laying a hand across his pale wrist. “You were our friend. We didn’t forget that, even after you changed. We never stopped caring about you.”

Astarion blinked again, then looked down; there was a rustle under the table, like the sound of one person kicking another. “I told you,” Xia murmured, then turned to Wyll. “Every new person who learns a secret increases the chances that it will get out,” she said seriously. “That’s why I was trying to get rid of you before. Nothing personal, just. That’s how the numbers work.” She sighed. “But… we do trust you. If you’re in contact with the others, if you think they can keep this secret… we’ll trust your judgment.”

He felt a rush of warmth within him at the words, at the two cagiest members of his old party choosing to trust him with something so monumental. “It’s been about fifteen years,” he remarked. “Maybe twenty. Might be high time for a reunion. We could have a party and everything.”

Xia and Astarion glanced at each other, a whole conversation seeming to pass between them. Finally Xia sighed, turning back to him with an expression of resignation that didn’t actually hide the joy beneath the surface. “You’re really going to make me set up that guest room, huh?”

He grinned. “I am. I really, really am.”

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #baldurs gate astarion #xia!tav #astarion x tav #bg3 #etoilewrites #astarion bg3 #non-canon #wyll ravengard #bg3 wyll

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lolliputian · 6 months

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Some ramblings on the Tieflings' appearances...

Weirdly enough, this is inspired upon by a comment on a DNDBeyond Facebook post.

There's a book in a few places in the game (most notably Zevlor's area of the Grove) that reference the ritual that Asmodeus and his warlocks did after the Spellplague, which cursed all Tieflings to appear more in his image. Prior to that, my understanding is that Tieflings more closely resembled humans. (Doric from the D&D movie is a good example.)

Many, but not all, of WotC's official artwork in the books show Tieflings with their horns beginning at the brow line, extra growth on the chin to mimic a beard, bumps around their eyes or cheek bones, etc. Many players choose to omit those features in their Tieflings' appearances in their home D&D games. Which leads me to what spurned this ramble: the post I reference showed an old Tiefling woman with obvious protrusions on her brow line and cheeks. The commenter on the post hinted that this was what "old Tieflings used to look like" before everyone decided to make them hot. (To which I say: lulz okay nerd, let people make hot Tieflings.)

Who is the ONLY Tiefling in BG3 who has obvious extra definition to the brow and cheekbones? This handsome fella...

...who is the "old one." Which, admittedly, cracked me up. I'd personally argue that the ridges make him look older than the wrinkles would suggest, but that's neither here nor there.

Now, granted, the fact that the Tieflings aren't more varied in their appearances in the game makes complete sense. Larian could only use so many different facial models when they're giving a set amount to the player, and it's not worth their time to give every NPC a unique face when they could add a lot of variation using the character selection presets.

But we CAN look at the other two unique NPC Tiefling models, Rolan and Dammon:

Dammon's got the more pronounced brow area, which at the very least the face model that Danis and Damays use also share. Both of them also have more pronounced cheekbones that could hint at their infernal ancestry. For me, it's been less obvious on Dammon than it is Rolan; in certain lights in the game, it VERY much looks like his protrude more than normal. I notice it less often with Dammon. Granted, in both their cases, maybe they just have really excellent bone structure, and I'm reading too much into their character models. (Reading too much into things? On TUMBLR? Nah, never happens.) Regardless, two male characters younger than Zevlor don't have as many obvious infernal features, which is an undoubtedly unintentional but still funny call back to "old Tieflings" versus "new Tieflings."

Also consider that Karlach does not share these facial protrusions that the male characters have/seem to have. (I don't think any of the female Tieflings do, and there's some commentary to be had with that, but I digress.)

But who DOES get some extra infernal features in addition to the horns? Wyll. Who is not a Tiefling, but go with it.

For shits and giggles, Mizora and Raphael also have smoother facial features:

Again, I completely understand why most of the NPCs were generic face models for practical reasons. But it is interesting they only gave Zevlor the "traditional" 4e/5e Tiefling look.

What are your thoughts? Or theories, even? Let me hear them!

#bg3 tiefling #lolli rambles #mild spoilers i guess #that being said i adore zevlor's character model #as well as the others #i just find this stuff interesting okay

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forgeofthenine · 4 months

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Baldurs gate 3 characters and their 500 playstyle

For anyone that doesn't know, 500 is a card game often played with four players set up as two pairs of partners that have to call for the trump suit before trying to win the amount of 'tricks' (rounds) they've called. My family plays it all the time so I got inspired by all the cards played over Christmas lol. I also really like this format, let me know if you guys like it too :)

The table talker

The table is never quiet with these guys around. Whether it's joking about bad hands or chatting about the last trick, it's impossible to shut them up. Whenever they're around the table it's going to be a certified chatter fest, anyone that's against table talk will be wishing their partner was anyone else

GALE, Halsin, Wyll, Isobel, Geraldus, CAL

The high caller

Maybe they're confident in their hand, or maybe just excited. Sometimes, they just want to end the game faster. Either way you already know that if they're sitting at the table there's going to be at least one 9 call, most probably more. It'll be a quick game either way, either ending in success or with the both of you going out the backdoor.

Dammon, Lae'zel, KARLACH, Rugan, Aylin

The off suit leader

It doesn't matter what they call or how good of a run they have, you'll almost never see them lead with one of their trumps. Whether or not it's a laughing matter depends entirely on where the tricks fall. This is one of the players you'll hardly ever see call no trumps, despite it seeming perfect for their playstyle.

Alfira, LIA, Haarlep, Oskar

The bluffer

The one person who's happy to force you into upping your no trumps call by calling diamonds, despite only having a single diamond in their hand. As their partner they can be hard to read, but watching them up calls only to realise what's actually in their hand makes for great table talk afterwards.

Minthara, ASTARION, Shadowheart, VOLO, RAPHAEL

The card counter

These guys have an uncanny memory for exactly what cards have been played and readily use it to their advantage. They're the ones that spend extra time to double check a trick that's just been played, and most likely they're also the one keeping score.

MOL, Zevlor, ROLAN, Jaheira, The Emperor, MATTIS

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mumms-the-word · 2 days

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For your 100 followers, would you want to an epilogue scene for one of your OCs where all the little side characters you saved along the way have their own happy endings and they thank your OC and their romanced companion for making their lives better?

Oh gosh I’ve only had epilogues with Dani and Ardynn and they were both good beans who saved everyone they could. They’d have to set up a line and stand there shaking hands for 2 hours 😂

I do have headcanons about where a lot of people ended up, particularly in Dani’s game. Especially the tieflings. She helps the tieflings establish their own little neighborhood in Baldur’s Gate and makes sure all their businesses/schools get off the ground, like Bex’s bakery/tea shop and Alfira’s music school and so on.

Gale and Dani visit Rolan and his siblings regularly in Ramazith for magic discussions and tea and to mess with Rolan a little (well, Gale is there to be helpful, Dani is there to tease, she loves Rolan like a brother).

Dani is the number one most frequent customer of Bex’s tea house because she’s obsessed with her cookies and Gale loves Danis’s tea. Gale and Dani are among the very first people that Bex and Danis break the news about their pregnancy to, and Dani is elated for them.

Dani also regularly visits Alfira’s music school. She helps tutor the violin players on their music but she’s not suited to teaching all that much, since her advice is basically “you got it! Keep trying!” while trying not to wince. Gale offers to teach them spells until he realizes that bards have a fundamentally different understanding of casting magic than wizards do (I headcanon that bards don’t even use the same melodies for spells, like there isn’t a system like “Play A C F A to cast healing word” bards just sort of guess at magic and use their own music to convey the spell and whatever works for them is whatever they repeat; but this was absolutely frustrates Gale as a wizard because it makes replication and study wibbly wobbly)

Dani is a bit better at teaching them spells and Gale is interested in watching, at the very least, and trying to make sense of it all

I could keep going tbh. They find Zevlor a quiet place to retire, close to where the thieflings operate with Mol as their leader (Dani respects Mol’s ambition to take over the Guild but she’s also like “I need you to be in a house not a tent in the Guild headquarters” and the other Thieflings appreciate having a home to go back to after they’re done selling papers and stuff). I’m sure Cerys and Zorru join the flaming fist or something. Or get merc work. Idk as much about them.

I do think they Cerys, Zorru, Cal, Lia, and Zevlor form an unofficial militia on behalf of their neighborhood to deal with internal conflicts that they don’t want the flaming fist poking their noses in. Most of these conflicts end up roping in Dani too. Thankfully, conflicts are rare in the first couple of years, aside from some racist bozos Dani is only too happy to yeet from the neighborhood

And Dammon, of course, still has his forge. Dani and Gale regularly check up on him and they’re working constantly with him to find a way to upgrade or repair or even replace Karlach’s heart. The progress is slow but Dani refuses to give up. She sends Karlach little notes from Dammon all the time, usually as sending spells.

Meanwhile in Ardynn’s world she kind of loses touch with anyone not in the Reclaimed Lands with her and Halsin lol that’s a whole separate post tho, I have tons of headcanons for how Ardynn and Halsin shape the reclaimed lands as Aldermen of the commune

#asks #bg3 #bg3 headcanons

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omgkalyppso · 6 months

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Tav Étoile as a Companion Part 3 of 4

Questions from here. You can press J to skip this post on desktop.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

Story Specific

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

They advise against making hasty decisions. They don't trust the dream visitor because of their beauty and sincerity. Étoile believes the Dream Visitor is exactly the sort of temptation that a force of ill-intent would manifest for themself.

2. How do they advise the player character on Raphael?

In Act 1 they advise against selling their soul for anything. They believe Wyll is right and that Raphael is bound by his nature to overreach any deal you concoct and leave you empty.

In Act 3 they believe Raphael would be a strong ally and would be more grateful than Mystra. They're tired of being pulled around by the Emperor. If Raphael is promising being free of the tadpoles, he's the only one doing so, and we've seen what Mystra's favor has earned Gale. Additionally, they would make the deal with Raphael on Lae'zel's behalf if it was their decision; what do they care if the wars in the Hells shift in his favor?

3. How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character?

Amused.

Astarion: I was worried people might show up with torches and pitchforks. Although there's still time.

Étoile: With full apologies — I thought your fangs were broken teeth. I've never met a vampire.

[Player Character and Astarion dialogue]

Étoile: No arguments from me. I think the same previously unspoken rule of 'no killing anyone' applies to everyone in the party?

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

Amused, incredulous.

Étoile: Does it feel like divinity? Or something else?

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

Worried. What if this means the illithid parasite has replaced part of their brain? How will you ever recognize what you've lost if you're only focused on these abilities?

6. 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?

I feel bad since so many companions already leave if you side with the Goblins, but I think Étoile would also.

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

Extremely conditional. If Alfira is alive, then Étoile is playing their flute to accompany a performance of hers.

If Alfira is not alive, then Étoile is heavily flirting with [a character] who walks away if the player character approaches Étoile for conversation. If Astarion was not going to proposition the player character, then it's him. If Astarion was going to proposition the player character then it's one of the following in order depending on their survival: Zevlor, Halsin, Asharak, Komira & Locke, or Dammon.

If somehow they're all deceased, then Étoile is drinking sadly near Karlach.

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

I think this question also refers to the night of the party? Where I think you can't spend the night with Wyll or Karlach? But I haven't tried romancing either of them yet, and especially not tried romancing Wyll without recruited Karlach? But we're going to Pretend.

Étoile, about Shadowheart: Shadowheart has an uncertainty about her ... If she's expressed an interest in you — well, that's very sweet.

Étoile, about Astarion: Astarion lacks for subtlety, doesn't he? But he's pretty and seems the type to — heh — play with his food. Good for you.

Étoile, about Gale: The wizard's spirits improved tenfold since you spoke with him. Be careful he doesn't finish in a deluge of fireworks.

Étoile, about Lae'zel: You've a lot of nerve — the pair of you. I'd be buzzing as I walked around if I had the attention of a woman with Lae'zel's temperament.

Étoile, about Wyll: For all the tales of the Blade of Frontiers, none referred to his lovers, and you know the bards love that shit. I'll distract Volo / act as a distraction when you sneak away.

Étoile, about Karlach: Karlach's excitement is going to act as a beacon out here. Luckily, I think everyone's reserved enough to shy away. You're gorgeous though, her enthusiasm's warranted — not mention part of her charm.

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

This is so fun. Étoile would rub their forehead and then double face-palm.

1. You okay?

2. You're okay.

3. Walk away.

Étoile: That was my life you threw away. My life. I know we've done a lot of killing to get here, but— Did you never see anyone die before our adventure? Have you forgotten that there's meaning in life? In death? You owe me a funeral.

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

Disappointed. Irritated.

Étoile: ... Have you been licking things this whole time and this is the first I've noticed? What compelled you to— Mm. No, I don't want to— No. I'm getting us something bracingly sterile to drink. Separate bottles.

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

Étoile: You know, you could have directed him to a child. You're lucky I'm a good sport.

Their expression doesn't align with this, tainted with obvious disgust as they make their way to the stage.

12. 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?

Disclaimer that I've only seen Halsin's kidnapping content so far, and only as Tav not a durge.

Yes, they can be kidnapped.

Maybe Orin's deception can be revealed during a long rest at camp, where "Étoile" is hovering over someone (the player character's love interest?) with a knife or their usual weapon and if you're a durge you can let "Étoile" strike your partner once and otherwise you have a few shout-out dialogue options so they roll away, and Orin transforms and complains that meditating is so bloody boring! Before she fucks off to wherever.

Rescuing?

Étoile: You? No. It's you. Say it's you.

Be calm. It's me.

We've slain Orin. Her shapeshifters will have gone into hiding.

Étoile, if 1: (holding back tears) Orin took many guises in my time with her. You. Our companions. My-my mother. But she was never so kind as to answer my pleas for kindness. It's— I shouldn't be surprised to see you, but I appreciate you coming for me all the same.

Étoile, if 2: Please, I've failed this test twice already. Just take the flesh.

[Dark Urge only] Put the elf out of their misery. [Étoile dies / permanently leaves the party]

[Dark Urge only] Snap out of it. Stab them out of their stupor. [knife in the shoulder, shorter races knife in the leg]

What's she done to you?

I might, if you don't smarten up. This is a rescue, Étoile.

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

When I first played through the scene of allowing Astarion to ascend, Wyll and Lae'zel each shouted objections. The second time I played through it, they both remained silent. I don't know what influenced either outcome. But Étoile would shout, "Can't you see how much influence the archdevil has over the ritual? You have to stop this!"

Étoile, after ascension: I ... I would've sacrificed Astarion's siblings, but ... All those poor souls. If it never weighs on either of you, it will weigh on me.

Étoile, after forgoing ascension: Astarion made the ultimate decision, but you helped him there. Thank you. There was no need for him to feel such fear, nor shame, in his nature. I truly think this portends good things, ultimately.

14. 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?

Poorly.

Sorry to have an obvious fave, but Étoile will only offer to become one themself if the player character is Astarion, romance isn't a requirement, they just feel comfortable suppressing the rest of their personal objections for the sake of letting him keep control of his body that he's fought so long for; and if he's ascended, then they know it's a lost cause but otherwise would hope that through this action that he would regain a little faith in "humanity." Like Orpheus, Étoile would ask for a warriors death when the deed is done.

Otherwise, Étoile does not want to lose their body, their soul (as per Withers), or risk losing their autonomy. They will not do this thing.

Depending on the circumstance, Étoile might think the player character is more honorable than they are by being able to sacrifice of themself to ensure the safety of the plane. Or else they are disgusted at the lack of consideration or lust for power that has led to this decision. Either way, if asked, they caution against it.

Their reaction isn't different if they're romanced.

They will kiss the cheek of an illithid-transformed partner.

I haven't played through if you tranform into an illithid. Can the player character ask for death after the journey? If so, a romanced Étoile needs a Charisma Persuasion check DC20 or a Wisdom Illithid Powers check DC5 (to indicate to the player character how they've changed / how weak people are) to convince them to hold the knife after they beg not to.

Endgame Étoile will indicate that they need to mourn who the player character was as part of being able to come to terms with the change.

15. How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?

Étoile would indicate that perhaps the healer they're seeking for the illithid parasites might be able to determine whether their amnesia is magical or medical, and further steps can be taken from there. At least the player character remembers how to fight? That'll help for now.

As for murderous thoughts, Étoile would worry that with their amnesia that the player character has forgotten any techniques they may have been using to manage them. Like Lae'zel, they'd suggest keeping it to their enemies until a more optimal solution presents itself.

16. How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?

Étoile goes numb for a while. Offers to bury Alfira, asks if anyone knows to which deity the tieflings held a candle, prays to their own god in the end. They won't tolerate the durge being left alone on watch and if they're an elf, offers to meditate at their back in the future.

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

I haven't played a durge into Act 2 yet so I don't know what this looks like, but.

They would try to talk them down. They would try to hold them close enough to restrain them. Given the opportunity, they would lace their fingers with the durge's around a hilt of a knife and call on Frost until the durge's hand burned from the cold, while asking them if they wanted it to hurt, because if so then they will love them in kind, and if not then they will restrain the durge by whatever means until the violence passes, like a cloud over the moon. If it's a soft interaction, then Étoile would cradle their face and cast Lay on Hands; and if it's an angry one ... then they scuffle in the dirt.

#long post #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #oc tag: étoile #blood tw #gore #ask to tag

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astrovagrant · 8 months

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Oh please give us your bg3 review IGN style

69/420 not enough gates

more genuinely (trying to keep this mostly spoiler free but there are a few for act 3 characters and brief discussion of the end of the game):

pros -

before you even see any of my petty complaints: bg3 GOTY no contest. i just have an opinion about everything on earth. okay let's keep going.

extremely well crafted characters and, in most cases, character arcs. fleshed out, feel real, feel lovable even though they are all so distinct. quality of character design and voice acting goes without saying. really powerful reflections on power and those who abuse it and the myriad of ways that power can be inflicted on others - on their bodies, on their minds, how it shapes them, how they can recover and heal from that.

wonderful attention to detail in almost every sense - storytelling, beautiful world, wonderful combat variety and interest save for a few standout "you just want this to be Hard so you put More Enemies In" exceptions, cool items, adventuring feels fun, there's plenty of secret things to discover.

just so fun to play and explore and exist in the world. if one beat isn't landing, there will be five more elsewhere that will. there is something to love for everyone in this game.

i was raised on forgotten realms rpgs and (obviously personal bias here) this scratched an itch so deep inside me that i hadn't realized was basically unfulfilled except for by a few rare exceptions. i loooooove a good fantasy rpg. baldur's gate 3 is a Really Good fantasy rpg.

i love you jaheira. if there's an old lady in a video game with a positive relationship to my pc that i can get emotionally attached to I Fucking Will.

dammon i also love you please call me, vesper, the real person. anathema the in-game player character can go do whatever she's gonna do but me and dammon should meet up. i wanted to be a blacksmith when i was 14 is that doing anything for you.

larian took the opportunity to play with some underlying assumptions that have been built into the world of d&d since it was created, most specifically "is there such a thing as inherent good or inherent evil". this is a very strong through-line, but it leads me into our next sectionnnn [drumroll]

cons -

no fat people. this is frankly just kind of embarrassing in a way that will make me incandescently angry if i think about it too long <3

pacing between acts is not the best. they wrote and built themselves into a corner with act 1 being the early access phase and i kind of wish they had been willing to Alter act 1 in a meaningful way to correct the rest of the game. this is probably my Biggest Core Complaint that has the largest leg to stand on. i'm not going to go into further detail because it requires extreme spoilers.

simplistic interaction with the concept of religion in a game world dominated by gods and their machinations.

unfortunately subject to many of the frustrating facets of the d&d multiverse. druid's relationship with nature vs. civilization. paladins in their entire. i could go on but this isn't really larian's fault, and they already were playing with...

the concept of intrinsic good/evil mentioned above AND the discussion of abuse/power/etc. - this was very interesting and powerful to me. the act structure pacing was kind of fucked up from inception. this all combined into what i felt like was a... Perfectly Fine but Honestly Weirdly Flat ending. it's serviceable. i will probably never think about it again until i replay the game. when i compare it to some other rpg game endings, it feels almost as though it's an afterthought, a thing to be checked off a list to say 'i'm done' - not a meaningful resolution to these questions and concepts they spent so much time and effort setting up. this is obviously my personal opinion and it probably landed differently to others, but i found myself feeling like the game had already ended with the resolution of actual core character dramas earlier in act 3, rather than the Actual ending. it didn't say anything important to me in a game that had already gone well out of its way to say MANY important things to me, and thus it felt very odd.

vesper's feeling petty category (ACTUAL WRITTEN-OUT SPOILERS) -

orin was my favorite of the chosen and i wanted her to be scarier and more of a genuine menace. the bhaal cult stuff was some of my favorite in the game but i wanted it to take a genuine detour into being a horror game for just a lil bitt

love the emperor specifically his extremely divorced energy with the pc. however. he spends the entire game constantly saying how much he hates the elder brain, how much he hated serving it. you can go out of your way to be kind to him, connect with him. he IS a bastard and i don't want to diminish that in any way, but i feel like the orpheus/emperor decision was nearly arbitrary in how it got resolved - binary switch, none of your repore-generation with yon emperor means Anything; he's spent all game manipulating you (in a nearly player-like fashion, might i add, which i thought was fun) and yet also is clearly attached in some fashion; you could argue that his apparent vulnerability and attachment was also just a manipulation tactic but i would have liked to be able to influence him for just a moment. a little reverse osmosis. we've been doing everything your way, babe, let's do it my way for once. AT THE VERY LEAST: why did he join the netherbrain. that just feels silly for his character. him throwing a fit and saying "FINE you can't fire me I QUIT" and fucking off would've still been better than going over to the netherbrain. imhco.

i liked durge soooo much but the reveal was a TAD too "oooooooh YOU'RE revan" for me.

i know i already wrote about this in the cons section but GOD the jumbled act pacing. this could be a full essay on that alone.

^^^ sorry one more sentiment about that. it kind of ruined the building of atmosphere in this game and that's so sad to me because i love Atmosphere more than almost any other game trait and when games pull it off? they become immortal inside of me.

there are clearly so many spots where something got cut and nothing filled the gap. in most cases it's tolerable; your brain can glide over it. in SOME cases it's so obvious that it becomes distracting and frustrating - the missing niece vampire in cazador's mansion, karlach and gale's companion quests Writ Large, yetcetra.

what the fuck is going on with halsin's writing. he's a delightful hunk of a man who doesn't seem to realize he's the stupidest druid alive who can't decide his actual philosophy one way or the other. not his fault. i just want to know what the hell happened there.

MISSING OWLBEAR CONTENT I WANT TO SEE MY BOY GROW UP BIG AND STRONG BUT HE JUST ARRIVED TO THE FINAL FIGHT ALREADY BIG???? I FEEL LIKE I MISSED MY BABY'S FIRST STEPS AND FIRST WORDS I FEEL LIKE THE WORST PARENT ON EARTH.

#bg3 tag #long post #genuinely love this game and also this is a safe space for kvetching #baldur's gate 3

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