#they all do that with durge in their own unique ways
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This is a rather high-risk romance we've embarked upon, isn't it? Brings new meaning to the term 'strange bedfellows'.
#baldur's gate#baldur's gate 3#bg3#gale dekarios#gale of waterdeep#the dark urge#gale x durge#durge x gale#bg3edit#gamingedit#*#vex#he doesn't exactly say it out loud because he's not 100% sure what's going on but raahghh the 'i know this isn't really you'#type of thing..... 'something in you tried to kill me last night and thats awful but it wasnt You and i love You.' yknow.... it's so :')#they all do that with durge in their own unique ways#gale's way is making little jokes while trying to be as calm and open minded about whats happening to this person he cares so much for#also. 'let's not throw the murderous baby out with the bathwater' is such a funny line to me
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i just need to take a second to gush about how much i love durge drow and astarion, they feel so fleshed out and perfectly written together in their fucked up wretched ways. They really inspire me to write more for my own tavs, hopefully one day ill be able to say im as happy with my own work as i get when seeing yours. I have to ask though, do you have any tips on drawing head shapes and faces? or maybe about wrinkles? i find i really struggle with that stuff when drawing and i adore how expressive and grungey all your art looks!
First of all thank you so much, I love hearing what people think of the two of them together 😭
Honestly you've hit on something that's quite near and dear to my heart, I love developing and figuring how to draw and stylize different faces to get the most unique, interesting looking results - everything about the details is highly rewarding to me. What does x type of nose look like from this angle? In this style? How can this eyeshape best translate to my art? How different does a face look when its making this expression? What does that MOUTH DO? etc etc.
In fact you kind of inspired me to put a little tutorial/guide together the last hour lmao and what a blessing it is that the two current subjects of this blog serve as great models here, being that their faces are basically polar opposites!
When it comes to heads, you've probably heard it a dozen times before that you want to think of them in terms of geometry and facets; my process to drawing them is pretty conventional so I won't spend too much time on it, but it goes something like this:
Obviously I don't do every single one of these steps most of the time, which is just something that comes from practice/developing muscle memory, but it is helpful to start off this way for two main reasons:
By making these guide lines and splitting a head into pieces like this, you'll have an easier time seeing and understanding it as a multidimensional object, and in turn, facilitate It for you when you venture out into doing wacky angles and lighting.
Making different headshapes starts HERE. notice how Astarion's "face" slate is narrower and longer, how my durge's jaw pieces sit lower on the head, how all of the same pieces came together in the same way but we ended up with one real pointy elf and a real brick of a drow - making characters look different successfully begins very early in the sketching process.
The next thing you want to do branches out into every day life: start noticing yours and other people's facial features. How does an upturned nose look from a high angle? How does the size of someone's cheekbones affect what they look like when they smile? How about when the light hits them a certain way? Does someone's lip shape changes when they pout? When they laugh? How does a person's hairline change the shape of their face? You do NOT need to creepily sketch every stranger you see on the bus, but get into the habit of actually noticing what people look like when you talk to them - when you look at pictures, when you watch movies - make a mental list of interesting ways mouths, noses, and eyes can come together in a variety of different proportions to make completely distinct looking mugs, and how they change depending on how you are looking at them.
Light and shadow play a HUGE role in how faces look, too, basically as crucial as actual bone structure does. As you see up there I tried to rough out how natural, head on, and underhead light would look on these two very different looking guys, and while we can see definite patterns, there are small differences that come to be because of the sizes and shapes of their features.
Here is a very, very basic look at how some of these features come to look the way they do, how they interact with one another, and how they compare between a blocky, rather conventionally "masculine" head and one that's much softer and slimmer.
Note please that it is not one or two characteristics that give a chaarcter their "look"; you can reduce a face to eyes, mouth, and nose through stylization and still have them be recognizable, but if you want to do more than that, you have to consider the whole package! Chin, cheeks, brows, direction of the jaw, slope and size of the forehead, depth of eyes, ridge of the nose, etc - I know this is probably far more than you bargained for, but if you start making note of a FEW of these things now and slowly add on, this will eventually become second nature to you.
Similarly, understanding how these characteristics come together will help you with rendering light and shadow in a realistic way, and predicting what their facial expressions may look like - if no two people are alike, neither are their smiles. :)
Lastly, remember that I'm no expert - I have developed my own methods and semiotics and yours may look slightly (or vastly) different, and that's fine! I hope only that by sharing this it has given you a base to work off of.
Anyways, I HOPE this has been helpful and not just the unsolicited ramblings of a face pervert.
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Alright BG3 fandom, it’s time we sat down and had a chat.
I doubt this is going to influence anything, or anyone, but I have to say my piece.
.
I am so, so sick and tired of people being attacked, insulted, and berated for the way they enjoy characters, or play the game. People are ALLOWED to ascend Astarion, they are allowed to indulge in and enjoy playing with that side of him, romance that side of him. I, personally, do prefer spawn Astarion – however, I thoroughly enjoyed my ascended Astarion playthrough, as I was romancing him with ‘ascended’ Durge. How somebody else decides to play THEIR campaign should not effect you. This belligerent defending of the fandoms perception of Astarion has got to relax. I understand that he is a very important character to a lot of people, myself included, but everyone’s perception, interpretation, etc. is singular. It is unique to you, and people do not have to agree with it.
Secondly, for all that is HOLY, stop attacking people for liking Gortash too. People are entitled to have villains as their favourite characters. Gortash is an extremely well-written, and complex, character. That is why I love him. I’m not excusing what he did to Karlach, not that it really, entirely matters – considering both of them are fictional. But, people can love, and find villainous/morally corrupt characters attractive without coincidently supporting their actions or morals. That is what fiction is for.
This fandom is honestly becoming unbearable on certain platforms. The community I’ve built here, of course, feels safe. We’re all here for durgetash, and you’re all so incredibly wonderful and supportive. But, it breaks my heart to see my friends and mutual being torn to shreds for their own personal enjoyment of the game, it’s narrative and it’s characters.
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Redemption theroy
Durge only survived Orin's attack because of being a Bhaalspawn...or was it Bhaal implementing a system reboot. Maybe Orin attacking Durge was more Bhaal than whatever little but of her own will she has. She doesn't block the urges or can't like Durge could/can, and they can be very directed from Bhaal.
Withers says Bhaal only knows parts of Durge, the Urge part. So, was Bhaal was hoping to only bring back the Urge part because he has a backup copy in a way? What if that sort of worked. He can give you back memories where they hate Kethric and Orin, because he knows that part, because that's the part of him, the Bhaalspawn blood. BUT earlier memories before as a child come back only with a heal spell, he can't give those parts back, they have to be resorted from another source than him. He doesn't know those parts.
But you don't really have any memories of Gortash, because those are the ones Bhaal wanted you to loose. Maybe not because he could keep them from Durge in the reboot. But because he couldn't give them back because they were never from the Urge/Bhaalspawn side of Durge. Bhaal is just hate and destruction why would be able to know any legitimate loving part of Durge that wasn't based in malice. (Whatever his feeling for Durge I don't think it's real love, Durge is a vessel of his will, and Sceleritas Fel is a gaslighter or I think imprinting some his own feelings for his charge).
He wouldn't understand Durge's sadness in seeing what a truely loving father, Ketheric, would do for his child. He would only be able to give the sibling rivalry between Durge and Orin no softer moments between family that may have occurred. (You know the way you'd hang with your neice who is also your grand niece and might be the same age as you and somehow also your sister if Bhaal is the father of all Bhaalspawn, honestly blood kin in such a nice easy name for that family wreath of tree). And Gortash who was likely at the very least a true best friend (as historians might put it) doesn't have any hateful moments? Even running around doing probably very terrible things together besides the few BnEs and heists we know of, Durge liked Gortash back. But those feelings are from the regular part of Durge.
And that is why I think redemption or reject Bhaal is great. Bhaal sucks.
I don't think I said anything unique but it's 2am and I can't sleep...so this has happened...
#worst dad.award goes to Bhaal#enver gortash#durgetash#bg3#baldur's gate 3#deadthree#don't makes posts so late at night that it turns into morning
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I feel the reason why we don’t see a lot of people in the fandom who loudly hate durgetash or durgetash shippers (compared to the very loud backlash against people who, for example, headcanon Asterian as a doting father family man or etc) is that I think the Durgetash delusion is just kind of. Easy to understand? In general. Even for people who dont like or ship it. Like even though it’s very much a delusion built out of random scraps of game lore and notes and character animations, I feel like those scraps are so generically Compelling that it’s easy can see how people actually got here, way more than other obviously delusional ships in other fandoms. Or even in this one. Like you can’t really explain from anything in game why you think Asterian would make a good father (no offense to anyone on that grind 😭). But you can point to the prayer for forgiveness and Gortash’s unique animations when talking to Durge specifically, and recognise at LEAST what got people started, if not the fanon that followed.
Ironically this could ALSO be delusional on my part lol like maybe I’m just not seeing it somehow, but genuinely I have not noticed anywhere near the amount of discourse over Durgetash as I would expect from a similar ship in literally any other fandom. So I have just been trying to think about why! Is the delusion ultimately that sympathetic or are we just so in our own bubble that people don’t even know?
(Especially when Gortash himself is so very hated by most normal players for VERY correct reasons. Like he is SO hate-able. And I do see tons of posts of people saying they don’t get why people like him, but never to the level of what I would consider discourse. My Karlach-loving ass sure hated him until I played Durge and paid more attention to him and learned to enjoy him more from that funny gay villain angle, while still maintaining that Karlach and the Gondians and every refugee in the outer city deserve to beat him into a pulp ultimately - but I feel thats a common origin story for durgetashers lol)
You missed the outcry over the Franc letter being edited, huh?
We had a good couple of days of "Gortash isn't bisexual" discourse.
It's the most rowdy I've ever seen the fandom.
But you're correct in that Astarion fans will always be louder.
Gortash is evil and he's harder to woobify.
Doesn't mean we won't do it, though.
As for the general reason for Durgetash not being as intense as other ships, well.
How many people really play the Dark Urge?
Not many, I'd warrant. How many people care about Gortash at all?
Not many.
Now how many ship those two together....a good number, but it's still a small population, compared to the Astarion, Gale, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Karlach fans out there.
So it's just smaller, is all.
We try not to elbow each other too much, or we'll crowd crush in the broom closet of the hospital we're all crammed in, as Astarion fans are brought into Emergency Care after a night down in the discourse mines.
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Narrator: *For the first time in over a century, silence falls over the Bhaal Temple. No chants, no screams, no prayers.*
Narrator: *In the end, your own death brought you more joy than any you wrought on this land. You are slipping into peaceful oblivion.*
Narrator: *But your journey is not over.*
Withers: Thou hast defied Bhaal, thy liege and father, and in doing so hast earned a place among champions and heroes.
Withers: But, alas, thy courage was in opposition to the divine cosmology that bound thee to the Lord of Murder.
Withers: Thou art now faithless - godless - and doomed to wander the Fugue Plane for eternity.
Withers: I will not permit that, though all the powers of life and death dictate that it should be so.
Withers: I, too, still hold some power, and I invest a portion of it in thee, who hath challenged the gods and now liveth to tell of it.
Withers: Thy fight is not over, and it is thy fight, for one who can look upon Bhaal and oppose him can survive any crisis.
Withers: So rise, Challenger of Gods, and prepare for battle once more. Death will not claim thee whilst I endure.
Not gonna lie: this sounds like whether or not Durge was immortal before, they sure as hell are now. I mean, "Death will not claim thee whilst I endure"? Sounds to me like they aren't going to be dying any time soon. Durge's relationship with death has been upgraded from "I'll have to ask my dad (he says no)" to "I'll have to ask my granddad (he says absolutely not under any circumstances)." Benefits (or curse) of coming from a family of death gods, I guess.
I love the imagery of a hush falling over the temple as all of this is happening. Like... based on Withers's dialogue this shouldn't be happening. Durge shouldn't be defying their father and Withers definitely shouldn't be bringing them back afterwards. From the moment Durge says no everything's gone off-script. It's also interesting that Withers says Durge defying Bhaal is in opposition to divine cosmology; keeping in mind I haven't played the first two games, I get the sense that while Bhaalspawn defying Bhaal isn't the norm it's not all that unheard of. There are two whole games about Bhaalspawn doing exactly that, actually. Then again Durge's situation is unique; possibly it's something like... as they were made from Bhaal's own gore Durge literally shouldn't be able to refuse him like that, which raises some fun questions about their life pre-amnesia. The suggestion that Durge kind of broke cosmology in defying Bhaal is very good and I'd love more details on that.
The suggestion that Durge is now entirely without a god to claim their soul on their death and will wander the Fugue Plane for eternity now that Bhaal doesn't want them is very interesting, considering that you can be a cleric and so bound to a god other than Bhaal (unless the dialogue is different under those circumstances). I guess Bhaal took priority as their father and maybe since Durge died as a direct result of him abandoning them no one else had the chance to stake a claim? But if this is just the way of things for them now and their soul can't be claimed by a god that's. not good. But then again I guess technically Jergal has it. It's fine! I really like him walking into this situation and saying "No, they don't deserve this and they're too important to this fight, I'm not letting them die like this (or at all)."
Based on what Bhaal says prior to this Durge dies less because he directly killed them and more because his divine essence was their life force, so when he ripped it out of them they had nothing to keep them going? So then what Withers is doing seems to be replacing that portion of Bhaal's divine essence with his own, giving Durge a new life force in the process (hence why they'll now endure as long as he does, since presumably if he dies that new life force will die with him). Durge may or may not thank him for that (that bit about Durge's death bringing them more joy than any they've caused hits hard, and even harder when you consider that the deaths they've caused include Ketheric and Orin and potentially include people who hurt their companions like Cazador, Gortash, Viconia...), but it seems like the divine equivalent of a heart transplant or something similar.
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Hi can you write a HC with Astarion and Blood Hunter Tav/Durge? I love your HC and look forward to it every time I read a new one
Blood Hunters are the monster to fight monsters. They use the profane blood magic to fight the most unspeakable creatures of the dark. Basically, the chance to play the edgiest character possible to freak out other D&D players.
Far from the judging eyes of society, blood hunters have mastered the secretive techniques of hemocraft, finding blood magic’s esoteric nature effective against evils that resist divine rebuke or arcane bindings. Through careful study and practice, blood hunters hone the rites of hemocraft into unique combat techniques, forfeiting a portion of their own health to call blood curses down upon their enemies or summon the elements to aid their strikes. Willing to suffer whatever it takes to achieve victory, these adept warriors have forged themselves into a potent force dedicated to protecting the innocent.
MORE INFO
Blood Hunter isn't an official D&D class and was created by Matt Mercer for Critical Role
TW: very angsty
Astarion x Blood Hunter!Tav
Masterlist
Headcanons
It's not like you aren't fond of the undead.
You hate them.
Ghosts, monsters, demons, name it yourself.
You are edgy as fuck and people usually assume you need psychological intervention because you cut your wrists to perform the rites.
You love being in pain and inflicting pain on others.
Many years ago you were sold to your Brothers and put through the Hunter's Bane.
Few survive the ritual, but you were one of them.
It changed you forever - your facial features, your eyes, your hair color, your body.
You don't admit it but you still mourn the life you could have lived if only your own parents hadn't given you to the brotherhood.
You draw your own blood to create curses. You cut your hands to create a Blood Dagger and kill your enemies with it.
To be able to use your cursed magic, you have to drink the most disgusting potions that ever existed.
And you hate monsters.
Period.
And let's say you aren't really fond of someone drinking your blood.
Besides, vampires are monsters, and everyone knows what to do with them.
But you are a practical person. You better have a vampire of your own.
Together you form a deadly couple. Your blood gives Astarion unique abilities.
But with time your alliance becomes something else.
You see him as a victim. A monster against his will.
There is a thought in your mind but you don't give it too much attention.
You ask Astarion to kill the spawns and let the siblings live.
You are the Blood Hunter. You know too well what it means to release 7000 deranged souls into the wild.
And you warn the siblings to keep a low profile. Or you will come after them.
Cruel? Yes. But who said Blood Hunters are good people?
You definitely aren't good.
Post-game, you know you have to return home. There are too many monsters to fight.
But there is one more thing you need to take care of.
Blood is always the answer. Blood is what makes this world exist.
You can ressurect Astarion. You can make him mortal.
You find the way but there is a price.
If Astarion becomes mortal, he has to join the brotherhood.
It means getting through the Hunter's Bane, which can kill him.
And which will change his appearance - not anything awful but he will look a bit different.
It's not a price you would like him to pay but it's up for Astarion to decide.
He refuses.
"I don't want to become anything else" He says.
You try to persuade him. You beg him. You use all the arguments.
Including the most painful one - if he refuses, you won't stay together.
But you know he won't change his mind.
Astarion cherishes his freedom. He won't lose it again. And he doesn't want to be in debt.
Maybe it's you who should forsake the hemocrafting? And abandon the Brotherhood?
And change your views on the world.
No, it won't work. You are too different.
Astarion leaves once the sun sets.
Now you have one more thing to mourn.
The love you could have got.
--
Tag list
@tugoslovenka @marcynomercy @wintersire @vixstarria @not-so-lost-after-all @ashiro20 @theearthsfinalconfession @herstxrgirl @starlight-ipomoea @micropoe10 @astarion-imagine-archive @veillsar @elora-the-slutty-songstress @fayeriess @lumienyx @tallymonster @caitlincat-95 @tragedybunny @valeprati @lynnlovesthestars @marina-and-the-memes @waking-electric @ayselluna @connorsui @asterordinary @darkarchangel96
#astarion#baldur's gate 3#bg3 astarion#astarion romance#bg3#astarion bg3#astarion headcanon#baldurs gate 3#astarion headcanons#astarion x tav#astarion x f!tav#tav x astarion#spacebarbarian headcanon#astarion x reader#dnd#baldurs gate astarion#astarion ancunin#astarion baldurs gate#astarion brainrot#astarion fanfic#astarion fanfiction#astarion fluff#astarion imagine#astarion x female reader#baldur's gate tav#dnd bloodhunter#critical role#blood hunter tav
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hey!! Could you share your favourite tav's of others? I'd love to connect with other people who posts their tav's! Also thank you for your tutorial's, they helped me so much <3
Hello! I got a similar ask but about male tav’s as well, so I figured I’d post it all in one.
I don’t really follow that many Tav-centred blogs, mostly Astarion/Halsin/Gale, BUT a lot of my lovely mutuals have some BEAUTIFUL Tavs and I’ve even had the privilege of being able to photograph and edit some sets of them! <3
My lovely mutuals with their beautiful Tavs/Durges/OCS:
@vspin (I love her drow baby she is so beautiful I wanna give her a little smoochie smooch)
@cheekylittlepupp (BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS GODDESS ANGELIC OC I am going to be doing some edits of her soon hehe)
@anderwelt (their OCs are so beautiful and unique, I had the pleasure of editing Ceres, but working my way towards editing Tae who is equally as cool and awesome and amazing)
@tadpole-apocalypse (so much beautiful artwork of their oc I luv Morgan sm)
@honeysulani (ALSO MAKES BEAUTIFUL SIMS IF U LIKE SIMS AS WELL)
@stinkrascal (pls pls look at their ocs i beg u they are all so beautiful and handsome)
@mercymaker (beautiful beautiful ocs AND incredible edits, just u have to see for urself ok??)
@asykriel (really hot and sexy male tav but I didn’t wanna say it out loud)
@narrayya (they make their own self-sculpted heads and they are absolutely gorgeous and ethereal and SO SOOOO UNIQUE)
@tugoslovenka (a gorgeous DRACONIC BLOODLINE drow lady and a new pretty pretty elf gal-also most badass names I’ve ever seen-I just steal mine from other video games 😭 )
@bhaalbaaby (many beautiful tavs, but I must say Penelope is my absolute favourite she is just so so soooo cute)
@julietvoid (NOW HER OCS ARE SO BABYGIRL I LOVE THEM THEY ARE AO BEAUTIFUL I JUST WANNA GIVE THEM SMOOCHES AND TWLL THEM HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM OK???)
@korcariiwitch (super fucking cool drow oc I love love LOVE)
@haarleps (i forgot to add but then remembered, VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL TAVS/OCS, especially Freyr also bc i am biased since that is freyja's-the goddess my tav's name was yoinked from-twin brother's name in norse mythology so i rlly like)
@malewife-mansplain-magus (this one is for the male oc anon- u just need to look like their ocs are just 👌👌chefs kiss ALSO INCREDIBLE AMAZING BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK I WAS LIKE WTF WHERE DID THAT MASTERPIECE OF GALE COME FROM ITS ONE OF MY FAV GALE FANARTS)
So there are probably so many more of my beloved mutuals that have incredible tavs/durges/ocs, I’m just really bad with my memory but I also tried to focus on those who (I think) post their ocs consistently 😭 so if I didn’t mention you and you are mainly a Tav/Durge/OC blog, PLEAAASE comment like I wanna see it and I also would love to share it for others to see <;3
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His Dearest Companion
Oneshot
Durge x Gortash
Young Enver Flymm was just sold by his parents to pay off their debts. The warlock grabbed his hands and bid farewell, Enver glanced one last time at his parents, his mother looking sorrowful but had no choice, their house that he may not ever see again, and the place, Baldur’s Gate, where people thrive.
They travelled into the hells where fires and brimstones are around.
The warlock transformed into a skeleton, still wearing the same robes. From there, he met a man, with eyes as a brown as his hair, Devishly handsome and voice so alluring and poetic.
“Young man, do you have a name?”
“Enver — Gortash. Enver Gortash sir.”
“You will now work for me here, in the House of Hope, where the souls come in search of Hope. “
As Enver navigated the challenges of Hells, he met a young Tiefling, with hair as white as the moon, paired with piercing red eyes.
“Are you new here?” She asked. “We can play together after work.”
Seeing the first person of his age approach him, this may be the normal person he could have met.
“My name is Durge, you can tell me stories when you were in the mortal plane, we can also play hide and seek in this house.”
Durge became a steadfast ally, offering companionship when he feels alone, encouragement and advice in moments of doubt. Their connection was an invisible thread woven through the fabric of Enver’s daily life, a bond that transcended the boundaries of the tangible world.
One day, as Enver stood on the brink of a major decision, doubts and insecurities crept into his mind. Durge, with her gentle glow, appeared by his side, encouraging him to embrace the uniqueness of his ideas. Inspired, Enver continued to plan his escape in the Hells, dodging Nubaldin and not leaving any trace.
He was able to escape Hells, a feat for someone mortal that not everyone can accomplish, he has his friend with him, together they are inseparable. Enver Gortash worked his way out to become a public servant, he climbed the ladder atop and realized he wanted more power and together with his friend, they can accomplish everything they desire. As years passed their connection deepened. Durge, with her presence and wisdom it became part of Enver’s daily life. Their laughter echoes through the waking streets as they discuss their missions and other potential allies.
However, one day, as Enver stood on the precipice of power, a subtle shift occurred. Durge’s presence began to fade, and Enver started to question the reality of his companion. Doubt crept into his thoughts like shadows stretching across the meadows.
“Deliver this message and package to Durge, make sure she gets ready by sundown, we can’t miss the ball tonight.” Enver gave his message to his butler.
“Who sir?”
“Durge, come on now I don’t have time for these games.”
Enver looks at the face of his butler clueless as ever.
In a moment of introspection, Enver realized that Durge, despite the joy and comfort she provided, might be a creation of his own longing for friendship and adventure. The vibrant tales they had woven together felt like whispers of a distant dream. A sense of melancholy washed over Enver as he acknowledged the truth – Durge was a figment of his imagination. The games they played, the secrets they shared, all confined to the realms of make-believe. It was a tender farewell to a friend who had been a reflection of Enver’s innocent yearning for companionship.
As Enver embraced the reality, the memories of Durge lingered, leaving an indelible mark on his heart. He learned to navigate the complexities of growing up with newfound resilience, drawing strength from the lessons he believed Durge had imparted...
#fanfic attempt#try#feel free to bash critic#baldurs gate 3#bg3#enver gortash#lord gortash#bg3 gortash#gortash x durge#baldurs gate gortash#dark urge x gortash#durgetash#raphael
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Okay, I'm going to try and write this out because I can't stop thinking about this. Spoiler warnings for Act 3 Dark Urge content, Post Orin fight, as well as a general warning for every companion character. Not all will be listed, but take this as a big, general warning: this is a very spoiler heavy post. If you have not defeated Orin as a Dark Urge, or are worried about a companion's story being spoiled, I suggest looking away.
TL;DR: Dark Urge puts you in the place of a companion character, but not merely in the fact that it's an Origin, and in doing it creates one of the most unique and interesting experiences I have ever played in a game.
So what do I mean by that? Essentially, due to the fact that the Dark Urge (which shall henceforce be referred to as the Durge, mainly to make my life easier) is an Origin character, the story was written with them in mind, including a lot of story beats. As the rest of the cast, the Durge has a story revolving around freedom and escaping chains placed upon them. Much like Astarion seeks freedom from his master, and Shadowheart learns to find purpose without Shar, the Durge is plagued by a piece of themselves that they seek freedom from.
Much like the other Origin characters, as well, the Durge can embrace these aspects--Just like how Astarion can ascend through Cazador's ritual, or how Shadowheart can become a Dark Justiciar. The way that Larian has done this feels so spectacular that I simply had to call attention to it. The game places a big aspect on companions acting in a logical and expected way, with their own wishes and goals. Lower approval on characters means they will act however they wish, whereas higher approval characters may follow your nudging a bit more. Ultimately storyline changing decisions may be altered based on the approval of your character--for example, using one that everybody will have witnessed by act 3, the Nightsong and Shadowheart. With Shadowheart in your party, the decision appears to be "Convince Shadowheart to stand down," "Force Shadowheart to stand down," or "kill the Nightsong." But there's also the option to simply... Stand back. Allow Shadowheart to act how she sees fit.
And with a high enough approval, you need not convince her--she can spare Aylin of her own accord, all through your hidden nudging behind the scenes. Similarly, Lae'zel can forsake Vlaakith of her own free will, and Wyll can choose to wander the lands as the Blade of Avernus. These are decisions you can ultimately step back and allow companions to take, and how you change them. Now, circling back to what I said earlier: The Durge lets you be a companion.
Thinking about what I stated prior, the Durge is influenced by people around you. With your overarching story of freedom and fighting the urge that comes with being a Bhaalspawn, you are just like the other companions: You seek freedom from the Tadpole, and also from something else. And the companions have thoughts. People like Shadowheart and Lae'zel believe in you shirking your heritage and standing stronger, while others such as Minthara (who I had as a companion during my Dark Urge playthrough) encourage you to embrace your heritage. The companions have unique opinions, and ultimately they sway you.
When the choice comes to either embrace Bhaal or reject him, become his Chosen or stand on your own path, you are standing at the same decision all your other companions have stood at or will stand at. When Astarion is deciding whether or not to ascend via Cazador's ritual, where Shadowheart is deciding where to forsake Shar or become a Dark Justiciar, where Lae'zel is deciding whether she curses Vlaakith or stands at her side, they are all standing in the same position that you are standing at. You influenced them, and now they have influenced you.
Do you believe you can walk your own path, or do you covet the power that Bhaal offers you? The words of your companions may very well shape you--I know they did for me. I know that hearing them speak about how brave I was when I turned my back to Bhaal made me feel I made the right decision for my character, and that's when I realized, "Ah, this is what I do to all of them."
Now, this may just be a me thing, and I can totally stand by that! But all in all, the Durge feels like one of those experiences that truly elevates the game, by making you stand on the same footing as your companions. You are all motivated by a desire for freedom, both from the tadpole and from something else entirely, and now it's not in mere headcanons and roleplay moments. Now, your freedom is integral to the game and the narrative itself. You are one of them. While they fight for their personal freedom and turn to you for advice and aid, you do the same to them--You look to them for guidance and wisdom, and they give it to you, and in the end the choice is yours.
Brilliant.
#bg3 spoilers#i am so so so tired writing this but I HAD to get it out. i hope it makes sense.#i am very very passionate about this lol#been thinking about it for the past 2 days. maybe i am totally making stuff up but. i feel this.#i dunno! i wanna say it though
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astarion/durge/halsin & hanwenzhou: a manifesto
For @sugarbabywenkexing and @realitycheckbounced, because you asked, and I am more than happy to deliver.
Starting notes: I do not at all like reducing characters to simple archetypes/tropes, so trust that the complexities of the characters and their interactions are implicitly maintained, and this is of course not anything like a 1:1 connection (how could it possibly be), just core themes that stood out to me from both relationship dynamics.
Also, the Durge connection is going to be affected by how you personally conceptualize/play Durge, but I am writing this with a Neutral Resist!Durge in mind, so that's what we're going with for the sake of this meta.
Spoilers for both canons, but especially the Dark Urge backstory.
Durge & Zhou Zishu
[Using my own Durge, Kelis, for the image - incredible art by @somespareserotonin-please]
A cult leader of a murderous organization, with an ocean's worth of blood and evil on their hands, who has broken away from that past but doesn't expect or even pursue anything like forgiveness or true redemption.
These characters are so unique to me because they hold regret for their actions, but not in the traditional "past evil seeks redemption" way that is familiar. They're so much more complex in their motivations, desires, and conceptions of the world than that.
Astarion & Wen Kexing
Steeped in blood and spending the majority of their lives being taught that power is all that matters, and those who have power will only ever use it against those who do not. The only way to get out from under the heel of those above you is to overthrow them, take their position, become worse than they could ever be.
When free from the oppressive darkness they were "raised" in, even for a brief period, they grasp onto it with a bloodthirsty glee.
Halsin & Han Ying
Loyalty and devotion are the very core of these characters, deep-rooted. They feel the weight of responsibility upon their shoulders and they wear it like a mantle. When they make a promise, especially to one they are devoted to, they will see it through, no matter how long it takes, or how much it requires of them.
Relationship Dynamics
Astarion and Durge are to each other, in so many ways, what Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing are in another universe. They find each other at a time when their fates are at a point of divergence, and they find a kindred spirit - a kindred monster - within each other. They make each other better, but they do not make each other morally good.
Durge and Halsin have the capacity for a very similar relationship dynamic to Zhou Zishu and Han Ying. In an ideal situation, Durge is the one who makes it possible for Halsin to make good on his century-old vow to see the Shadow Curse broken. He showcases a great deal of respect for Durge as a leader, and a significant amount of loyalty and adoration for them as well.
Finally, Halsin and Astarion have the potential for a relationship with similarly disparate and flexible conceptions as Wen Kexing and Han Ying. They can be equal partners in truth, bonded first over their shared devotion to Durge, if provided enough time and narrative support to build such a relationship. They can be comrades with a bond of devotion only, not engaged romantically with one another but appreciating the other for their importance to Durge. They can be neutral parties, without true care for one another, but still cordial for the sake of their shared love. These are just three examples of a truly infinite number of variations.
Thank you for coming to my TedxTalk. All six of these idiots are so absurdly important to me. I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have!
#voidling speaks#my meta#meta#hanwenzhou#astarion/durge/halsin#astarion/durge#halsin/durge#halsin#astarion#durge#kelis#bg3#word of honor#zhou zishu#wen kexing#han ying#halsin/astarion#wenzhou
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BG3 Backstory Bash by Kelandrin
Introducing Volyrr - a.k.a, my Dark Urge!
Thank you to @charmedcleric and @auspex-author for this tag!! I'm a bit late to it because I wanted to do it for my durge character Volyrr (he/they) but my computer deleted all my screenshots of him & his save file off my memory stick (laptop went for repairs) because it hates him. 😔
Now that I've healed from that annoyance and have restarted his save file... on with the tag! I tag @thisisagift-youknow, @savriea, and @thegoblinwitchqueen ~ no pressure!
AN: I have ideas to eventually write a prequel Durgetash fanfic using Volyrr. If you think that's something you might be interested in, (it won't be for a while) you might not want to read the following as there will be heavy spoilers!
Baby:
Birth/Parents:
Volyrr's father is Bhaal who, of course, poofed him into the world. He was created to be a Lolth-sworn drow to put fear into the heart of his enemies, however, before he could be found by Drow in the Underdark, he was discovered by a Myconid colony who took him in and raised him as their own.
First word / tantrum / walk / sickness:
He communicated with Myconid's through telepathy, so his technical first word wasn't actually until he was six, when he said 'thank you' in common to a travelling merchant who'd gifted him an apple from the surface.
Childhood:
Friends:
Volyrr had friendships within the Myconid colony and was wary of any outsiders. He never met another child throughout his whole childhood as Myconid's are created, not born, and children don't tend to explore the Underdark. Because of this, his main friendships outside of family came from animals of the Underdark - especially the rothe.
Siblings:
He did not have siblings in a typical manner - the whole Myconid colony were his caregivers without any distinctive roles.
Getting into trouble:
He rarely got into trouble as there wasn't much potential to; he was well disciplined by the colony and taught that peace was the ultimate way of life.
Birthday:
The concept of 'birthday' was foreign to him during his childhood. Later in life, he decided to just tell people it was the same day as Winter Solstice because it was easy to remember.
Games / Learning something new:
Because of his unique upbringing, he developed druidic powers (Circles of Spores, for obvious reasons) very early. His favourite game was to transform into a rothe and race against his animal friends. He was a very athletic kid.
Trauma:
He was a happy child, content living the Myconid way of life because he didn't know there was any other alternative. He, of course, experienced deaths within the colony - but was taught that death was a beautiful inevitability. He didn't fear it.
Teenager:
Rebellion / Running away:
I moved this label to the top of this section as it's important for clarifying the rest. When he started puberty (age 20) he also started developing the Dark Urges™ from papa Bhaal. It wasn't long until he was cast out of his colony as they revered peace even above family and could sense his urges through their telepathic bond. The urges became worse after leaving the colony and lead him to the surface, where he spent the majority of his time in wild form, hunting down prey to satisfy his urges.
Reckless behaviour:
Volyrr was reckless in murdering adventurers, not knowing the laws of the land. He was caught in the act many times but his druidic magic was powerful and witnesses didn't stand a chance. He only got seriously hurt a handful of times and was able to escape and heal himself with medicine proficiency.
First love:
After some decades of living mostly in wild form, Volyrr had learnt a lot about surface society by watching passing adventurers and had picked up a good amount of common - though was a selective-mute who rarely spoke. He travelled to Baldur's Gate and there met a fellow run-away - Enver Gortash, who was of the same proportional age (late-teen). Volyrr's quiet disposition and Enver's chatty, outgoing personality made for a compatible dynamic, and so they became fast friends. Volyrr quickly developed a crush on Enver; the first person to ever bother getting to know him as people were always put off by his drow birth and mutism.
Peer pressure:
Some years later, Gortash was recruited by the cult of Bane and pressured Volyrr into joining him. After doing so, Volyrr started receiving direct communication from his father in the form of Sceleritas Fel and decided to join the cult of Bhaal instead. This caused a rift in his and Enver's relationship and they fell out as a result.
Taking responsibility:
Volyrr was never forced to take responsibility for his crimes as there were never any surviving witnesses to them and he was encouraged by the cult of Bhaal to continue his murdering ways.
Adulthood:
Aging:
Again, I moved this to the top just for consistency's sake! Volyrr ages as a normal drow - reaching adolescence at age 20 and adulthood at 80. At the start of Baldur's Gate 3, he is in his mid-nineties.
Their "first time":
His first time was with Enver after they reunited over a decade after falling out, now both the chosen of their gods. It had happened spontaneously after they'd gotten drunk celebrating having stolen the Crown of Karsus.
Serious relationships:
After his first time with Enver, the two started acting more as a couple than just friends/partners in crime. The two never labelled their relationship and weren't exclusive, but Enver was his first love and first relationship.
After losing his memories during the events of Baldur's Gate 3, he entered into a serious relationship with Astarion and later Halsin as a polycule. When he re-met Enver in Baldur's Gate, he had no recollection of the relationship they once had and was convinced by Halsin to kill him rather than partner with him; ending the archduke's reign of terror.
Work:
Before BG3, he was the chosen of Bhaal and ran the cult of Bhaal. After the events of BG3, he returns to the Underdark with Astarion and the other vampire spawn, helping to source food for them.
Finding your place:
When Volyrr had woken up on the Nautiloid, the only memories he had were of his childhood before the urges began - this meant that he had advanced knowledge of the Underdark and still largely considered it his home. This is one of the reasons he chose to join Astarion in the Underdark rather than stay with Halsin on the surface - the other reason being that he knew Astarion would need him more. Halsin didn’t join the two, not able to leave nature behind, and so they departed amicably as friends.
Starting a family/ Found family:
Volyrr had travelled only with Astarion and Halsin, loving them both with his whole heart. After moving to the Underdark with Astarion, he considered the vampire spawn to be his new family, thinking it reminiscent of the Myconid colony he grew up in... also, he adopts a Bulette as his pet, names it Meatball, and uses it to ride around like a horse. 🫡
Thanks for reading this essay of a character background!😆 I hope it all makes sense and has minimal typos because I just proper smashed it out. I just love my guy so much and I hope that you do too now.🥺❤️ It'll be fun to eventually write fanfic for him. I might do another one of these posts for Tavlyn after finishing LMTTD, but I with hold off for now because spoilers. 😉 xo
#tag#volyrr#volyrr x astarion#the dark urge x astarion#durgetash#durge x astarion#durge x astarion x halsin#bg3 backstory bash#kelandrin
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Love how you mentioned it would make sense if Durge was given the form of CHARNAME, cause my silly little head canon for my Durge play through was precisely that:
My (evil) CHARNAME ended up squishing all the other Bhaalspawn and taking the essence of Bhaal, then I suppose in a fun and tragic way they lost all their own autonomy and soul as Bhaal reclaimed them, wiping CHARNAME's essence from existence so he could claim his divinity back, but later Dad was like "what if I made another little fucker sculpted after CHARNAME (he did do me a solid after all) but just a bit more FUCKED UP", and BOOM, Durge is born. And Durge has no idea that nothing about him is unique: his physical form is taken from a guy who already lived and died his own mortal life, and his flesh and blood is directly from Bhaal. TRAGIC.
It's nice Larian leaves the form/birth of Durge open so this kind of roleplaying is possible, even if it makes the Bhaal/Bhaalspawn lore even muddier than it was before.
Accessory question: seeing as Durge is a 'construct' of Bhaal in many ways, does Durge have a soul? and if they do, where does it come from?
Bhaal trying to literally "recreate" Charname, and Durge getting additional layers to their identity crisis is always a fun idea.
Hopefully they leave the exact details on Durge vague and open, because the ability to fill in the blanks is what makes me love them so.
As for their soul; Withers describes it as something new that grew over the course of the game. Durge had their own individuality before that though. I'm assuming that technically, their little sliver of soul is actually just a bit of Bhaal's divine soul/essence given independence, and being cut off from the whole and then managing to further develop that sense of identity outside of Bhaal that they've sort of made it theirs? And Jergal sort of freed it from Bhaal and made it a fully independent entity in the rejection ending?
Of course that doesn't explain why Jergal thinks you're going to get judged as a mortal soul (except he might actually be making that up to talk you out of suicide, because in the actual post-death epilogue he says that actually even he has no idea what'll happen to Durge in the afterlife, so who knows!)
And if you fail the duel or accept Bhaal then this new soul is overwhelmed or once again merged back into Bhaal (the "wedding" between Durge and the Urge, as I recall Sceleritas calling it)
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For companion!tav asks; General 7, Story 9 and 15?
7. 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?
Hahaha, so in my fanfic, I've just put my selfish hands all over House of Hope - I think that Rosalie would see a woman called Hope trapped in a house, and the agoraphobic in her Would Take That Personally and insist on her being saved. So I guess her personal quest is sort of... Halsin levels of involvement (a mission that already exists becoming outcome relevant to her).
Her branching pathway across the game would be a conflict of emotion vs. reason - in a good playthrough, I think she would take the role of mum friend, and approve of good choices. The end of her quest is just her hosting a fun night for everyone in the Elfsong a la Varric in Inquisition, just bc I think the game sorely needs that kind of social scene, and it would culminate in her admitting her illness! In an evil playthrough, you can get her to stay with your party by continually appealing to her to be logical and ruthless as a means of survival through persuasion checks - this would result in her volunteering to become the mindflayer for the final battle, as she will believe this will be the only way to self-medicate after the tadpoles are gone, and she doesn't mind the sacrifice.
9. Do they have a unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander?
Lmao, is it bad that I think the unique dialogue is if the Player Character lets Astarion die? "You really should apologise to Astarion, you know. That's like... the one thing he's sensitive about!!!"
15. How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?
I genuinely think (as a companion using the tadpole to medicate their mental illness) that they would be The Most Sympathetic Companion. Like I say that with my full chest. She would be heartbroken that someone is suffering while she is thriving, and would explicitly ask if the tadpole helps at all and be even more sad when she hears that is not the case.
At the end of the conversation, she would say, "if you ever need anything, or want to talk through any of these thoughts, please come to me. I'm not an expert, but I... understand. And a burden shared, is a burden halved." (she also just... isn't scared lmao. Obviously. So if the Durge does fucked up shit she'd still be their ride-or-die.)
Companion!Tav ask list
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🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 (Also any advice for someone who's trying to start writing, for themselves primarily but still like. looking at my text and man :/ how do I start getting better? and yea it's a durge fanfic lmao)
“Well… you’re one of Lathander’s soldiers, right? That’s why you were in there. Lord of the Dawn and all. I know! I’ll call you ‘sunshine’. That’s much easier to remember.” Karlach beamed, evidently proud of her work. Bedivere couldn’t help but smile back. “So, sunshine. It’s a bit of a long story and probably one best told over dinner. You’re welcome to come back with us."
Ah! I've never been really asked something like that before, but I'm happy to give you some of my best advice. I'm a little scatterbrained with COVID atm, so if you need any clarification or have follow-up questions, please feel free to reach out.
Writing is a skill that's best honed through practice! And, truly, the best practice is to read. Start by reading authors whose work you admire. Why do you admire them? Is it the way they structure sentences, or tie together the plot, or handle character interactions? Dig into that! How do they do that? Don't just 'read', take notes. I am constantly highlighting and writing in the margins of books I love, especially when I see an excellent use of an author 'showing' and not 'telling' emotion; I struggle with that a lot!
And read and take notes on authors you wouldn't normally pick! Expanding your horizons is the best way to learn new things about yourself and new tools to pack your author's toolkit. I detest sci-fi, personally, but I do try to make an effort to read something in the genre now and then (maybe I'll like it this time! Or, maybe I'll just learn something new about how an author can build worlds)!
In a more technical sense, the best way to strengthen your writing is editing. This website has a lot of useful and practical PDFs explaining how to effectively proofread your work and strengthen your writing. This PDF of writing exercises may seem juvenile, but I refer back to it because it truly is the basics that can set you up for success. In my opinion and experience, proper grammar and sentence structure are the basic building blocks to get your writing to really take off.
"But how do I make it sound eloquent? And pretty? How do I make it sound the way it appears in my mind?" Practice! Your first draft is probably gonna suck. But every draft ever will get better and better! For my fanfics, I usually go through about three or four drafts before I let my beta readers take a look at it. And after they look I draft again! So usually five drafts before anything goes up on Ao3. (For Tumblr, I usually just throw up my second pass after my basic grammar has been fixed).
The more you practice, the more you will find yourself growing into your own voice, and that's something that can't be easily replicated. The way everyone tells a story is unique! And, personally, I would love if you would send me your durge fic once you've posted it! I would even be happy to take a look at it if you'd like some fresh eyes after a few rounds in the drafts--I'm full of free time, with COVID and all.
Send me a 🌹 and i'll post a line from my current wip!
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pssst - useful Durge information here youtube
/watch?v=V5LHGZBoilQ&t=289s
Ayyyyyyyyyyy it's my good good hat man! So sad he dies if you reject Bhaal, it makes sense but still. But he's so proud of Durge for being a good little murderer, I love it.
Obsessed with him calling Durge a demiurge, by the way. Sceleritas a demiurge's job is the exact opposite of what Durge is supposed to do. I guess the creator of a dead world has still technically created a world...?
Interesting that Sceleritas was apparently sent to guide Durge when they reached their "age of majority", given we hear his voice in the pre-Orin Heal cutscene. Is that just him connecting to Durge in the present, or does he consider their age of majority being their first killing spree? Also, one thing I find very interesting is that apparently despite fully committing themselves to Bhaal they still need Sceleritas, which with the way he talks about it suggests that even at this juncture, having taken back the mantle of Bhaal's Chosen and agreed to their given task of ending the world, they still aren't totally loyal. There's still reason for Bhaal to think they need to be managed. (Also "I shall be sick, fetch the Bucket of Bhaal" continues to be an absolutely golden line.)
Sceleritas insisting that Durge's memory loss is purely brain damage makes sense, but it does contradict Omeluum saying that you don't remember because someone doesn't want you to if you ask him about it back in act 1. Possibly he was wrong. Possibly Sceleritas is wrong. I have some suspicions, but I'll get to that in another post. Him assuring Durge he still thinks they're very clever is precious, though. It doesn't seem like Orin's digging around damaged anything aside from Durge's memory, but it's still cute that Sceleritas feels the need to assure them. Sceleritas saying the worst thing Durge ever did was giving a beggar some coin without kicking or spitting on him is very sad, although given it happened while they were en route to the Devil's Fee I do have to wonder if Gortash was there. I bet he'd tease them about going soft. I also like that one of the things making Durge better than Orin is the fact that they experienced life outside the Temple; it's unclear when exactly they showed up, but given you can be any number of classes that require certain experiences that you wouldn't be able to get in the Temple (a cleric or paladin Durge can serve gods other than Bhaal and bard Durge must have gone to a bardic college at some point) they were presumably an adult by the time they arrived. Also once again we hear about Durge being sculpted from Bhaal's own gore, which is just all sorts of concerning. And confirmation that the Urge is unique to Durge! Which is fun. Also interesting that Orin's bloodline is so far below Durge's in terms of connection to Bhaal's; she really never stood a chance at gaining Bhaal's favour as long as Durge lived.
I assume if you ask Sceleritas about if you'll be able to spare your lover his answer changes depending on the lover in question. I'll have to keep an eye out for that when I do my evil run, since Kyvir is Gay As Fuck and so has zero lovers he could create more Bhaalspawn with. Although given Bhaal in general seems to give approximately zero shits about his kid or their comfort that has some very uncomfortable implications... And it sounds like the Urge is at least sort of gone if you take on the mantle of Bhaal's Chosen? Which kind of makes sense, if Bhaal assumes he's got your leash wrapped so tight around your neck you won't step out of line again. Also, very interesting that Sceleritas refers to the tadpoling as a rebirth for Durge; he's sort of right, but it's still interesting.
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