#and also jaheira you are such a badass and i love you so much

[blackjackkent]

LMAO. Started the fight off and Minsc immediately shouts out to the doppelganger, "JAHEIRA! You have an evil, much uglier twin sister? Minsc does not like this!"

(Matt Mercer is doing tremendously with this character, which comes as no surprise but is still fun to hear. He was clearly SO excited about getting to play him.)

The biggest challenge in this fight is that all four of the good guys are bunched up in the tiny tunnel we came in by, with Karlach in the back and not able to either jump, move, or shoot past Jaheira and Shadowheart, so she lost her opening turn which was pretty annoying.

This is a pretty large fight with some pretty beefy enemies, but extra shoutout goes to the random hyena also hanging out in the enemy roster with only 12 HP and the name "Snicker".

The end of the fight went on FOREVER because the last remaining enemy was on a high ground platform and kept throwing ice knives, which would down Hector, Shadowheart would healing word him back up, and then the entire team would eat shit on the ice surface trying to move to a position where they could shoot the guy. This happened like four times in a row.

But eventually we got there! And Minsc is not dead because (as our kind anon friend reminded us!) we had non-lethal damage on.

He begins to stir as the fight ends; Hector has a brief moment to be impressed by the man's battering-ram resilience.

Narrator: Against the darkness swarming his senses, a single light glows - rage, flaring brighter every moment.

In spite of his considerable wounds, Minsc struggles onto his knees. His breath is rasping heavily in his chest, his eyes wild with fury. Hector can feel the resonance of the tadpole working in the beserker's mind.

"...Killed... her..." Minsc rasps out between his teeth.

Of course, Hector thinks bleakly. He believes his Jaheira is the real one. And he believes we murdered her.

Jaheira - the real one - is at his side in an instant, the druid wildshape flowing off her like water, urgency in every line of her face. "He won't stay down for long!" she snaps. "Tell your illithid to protect him from the elder brain's influence. Quickly!"

"No..." the Emperor whispers in Hector's mind. "This one will not aid our cause. Get rid of him."

Hector scowls. Yet another reminder that he and the Emperor do not share common purpose. This is not about aiding the cause. This is about a friend who needs his help.

Extend your protection to him.

Minsc is beginning to stagger to his feet, a hoarse roar in his throat.

"Don't be foolish," the Emperor insists. There is just a hint of petulance in its mental tone - or perhaps that is Hector's imagination. "He is too unpredictable. He will only be a hindrance to us."

He's Jaheira's friend. Do it.

"No!"

Hector has never heard the Emperor's communications with him to be so deliberate, so stubborn and harsh. Is this because I rejected you? he can't help but wonder, and the thought makes his blood run cold.

"I will not be coerced into protecting him," the mind flayer snarls in his brain. "You do not see what I do - his thoughts, his mind. Pure chaos."

Hector's face must show something of this inner conflict being battled out; Jaheira is watching him intently.

"The mind flayer pours poison in your ear, I think," she snarls, as fierce as the tiger whose form she took only a few moments ago. "Tell it I will tear the Prism from your grasp and throw it in the deepest lava pit I can find! Long after our bones are dust and ash, the walls of its prison will still be burning!"

"Now HELP MY FRIEND!"

"She bluffs," the Emperor responds at once, icily, although Hector thinks he can sense a fractional hesitation. "Surely she would not risk the fate of all for one simple life."

Hector lifts his head, looks at Jaheira steadily for a long moment, and then a dry smile tugs at his lips.

I don't think you want to find out.

He can feel the Emperor recoil inside his mind, a flash of white-hot fury... and then an empty chill. "Fine," it answers harshly. "Have it your way."

Pain stabs through Hector's temple - a pain he has not felt in some time, the sharp pain that accompanied his first meetings with Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and the others back at the nautiloid crash. The pain of the deeper tadpole connection that binds them all, and binds them to the Emperor's protection.

Narrator: His mind unfolds beneath yours, a still lake pulls you down into its depths. Images flash by - battles fought, and friends fallen. His rage grows colder, burrows deeper, as a familiar face crystallizes before you.

"Jaheira..." Minsc groans. His eyes are fixed on Hector, an arrow locked on its target. "You KILLED HER!" He roars the words out, raises a fist to strike, and Hector becomes briefly and acutely aware of just how much bigger this man is than any of them--

"You are being dramatic," Jaheira says with a grin from beside him.

The effect is instantaneous. Minsc goes still except for his head snapping around to look at her.

Narrator: The instant's hesitation is enough. With a sensation of terrible rending, something vast and nameless falls away from his mind.

"There," the Emperor mutters irritably. "It is done."

The huge warrior staggers, putting a hand to his temple. A groan rolls through him like a rumble of thunder... trails off to a soft noise of confusion.

"Jaheira?" he mumbles unsteadily. "I... do not understand."

"Good," she says. Her tone is lighter than Hector has heard it before; all the muscles in her face have relaxed from a tension that he did not realize it's been holding all the time he's known her. "That means you are back to your old ways." She puts a hand gently on his arm and gestures to Hector. "We have a lot to discuss. But first... you have someone to thank."

Narrator: In the sudden silence, your minds merge once more. More memories, sensations, but passing too quickly for you to track. In the same breath, you share everything that happened to you. The nautiloid. The Absolute. The Chosen of the Dead Three.

(A/N: Once again - love the usage of the tadpole as an exposition skip button. XD )

"You." All the rage has dropped out of Minsc's voice, all sign of the darkness of the Stone Lord is gone. He is looking at Hector with frank, openhearted curiosity mixed with regretful pain. "You saved Minsc, while he danced like a mind flayer's meat-puppet. Why?"

Hector smiles slightly, jerks his head to indicate their mutual friend. "Jaheira insisted," he says gently.

"Suggested," Jaheira corrects with a soft chuckle.

Minsc laughs jovially. With the tadpole's influence quieted, it is clear to Hector that the man's natural state is a good nature as big and vigorous as his body. "You do well to heed her," Minsc says brightly. "Jaheira was very wise even *before* she was very old."

He reaches, with a gesture clearly as natural as breathing, towards his shoulder. "There is someone you must meet," he adds excitedly. "He is--" A pause. He hesitates, looks around unsteadily. "He is..."

He begins to paw frantically at the pockets of his armor, his shoulders, even the top of his head.

"Where is he?!"

With an attitude far more frantic than any he displayed in combat, Minsc turns on his heel and darts away without warning, leaving Hector standing with a bemused expression on his face.

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #minsc #miiiiiiiiiinsc <3 #we must go find boo now #and also jaheira you are such a badass and i love you so much

[forcedhesitation]

I finished act 2 again, but properly this time. and I cannot even begin to put into words how satisfying and beautiful all of that was. I loved act 2 the first time I played, but figuring out how to save the last light this time, properly completing halsin's quest, storming moonrise towers with jaheira and her harpers, seeing aylin reunite with isobel...all of it. I love it even more. and the beginning of act 3 feels all the more rewarding, having fixed my past errors.

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #thoughts about media #that was. incredible. I can't believe I missed so much the first time I played. #but at least having messed up the first time gives me a greater appreciation for the full story. #I did the “lift the shadowcurse” quest SO assbackwards last time I missed like. 90% of halsin's act 2 dialogue. #he IS cute. I am just STUPID. and learned nothing from dunking on gale before- when that was ALSO my own colossal mistake. #jaheira also gets such a badass moment of glory if her harpers as still alive. if you lose last light like I did before... #...god the assault on moonrise feels so...depressing. I felt so fucking bad for her the first time I played. #but I thought that you couldn't save isobel! and that's just what was supposed to happen! fool was I! #oh and if your tav fails the perception check on mizora when she first sends wyll to rescue zariel's asset- HE renegotiates his contract! #which I like better? I like when the companions get to choose their own fate! I like wyll taking a stand for himself! it was awesome! #and well. if corydalis used his outrageous charisma stat to push mizora into giving wyll a funky new sword? that's just friendship <3 #the relationship between aylin and isobel is beautiful. I'm so happy that I replayed to save isobel. I much prefer seeing aylin happy :) #barcus. barcus. barcus. I want to criticise you but I'm in love with astarion so. can I really talk??? #well maybe /I/ can't. but corydalis is Aware and playing mental manipulation chess with astarion. out of pure intent. but still. #join our polycule barcus. please. we will treat you better. I promise <3333 #anyways. not ready for the buggiest part of the game again. but at least I know what's going on this time.

[therealeagal]

Baldur's Gate 3 - companion ranking.

Decide for yourselves whether my list is accurate or not. Whichever you decide, please do @ me, bro. I'm interested to know who your favorite character is!

I switched up my usual intro. What do you think? Anyway. Let's begin. This is a list of the companions in Baldur's Gate 3. I think I got all of them. There's so many. They are enumerated from best to worst.

Wyll Ravenguard, the Blade of the Frontiers. Really got a stick up his ass. I try to romance him and he starts throwing out disapproves whenever I talk to someone else. Motherfucker I'm not the one flirting with them I just want to know what they're up to. Stuck up piece of shit. Also I guess he's a hypocrite that literally sold his soul for power (he says he had a good reason…) But mainly I'm mad about him being a fucking diva when other people flirt with me. Fuckin' Wyll… Wyll stans got pissy at me because they didn't get the joke. Well, his placement at the very bottom of the list was a joke. Don't tell the stans, but my review was completely accurate) What? I didn't say anything. I mean, Wyll Ravenguard is Ao's gift to humanity. There exists no person in this world that is better than Wyll. I could wax loquacious about all the ways in which Wyll is perfection beyond perfection, but I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that no matter what Karlach's entry may suggest, Wyll is truly the greatest of the great.

Scratch the dog. Maybe it's just because I'm a dog person, but there's no way you can convince me that Scratch isn't the best.

The owlbear cub, for much the same reasons as Scratch. Although I can't say I have any strong feelings one way or the other about owls or bears...

Karlach. No question that Karlach would take the top spot if Scratch and the owlbear weren't around. As she is the first companion that is both A: a good person and B: not a prick about it on top of being irrepressibly cheerful and kind, there is no question that Karlach is the best official companion (Scratch and the owlbear are more pets/familiars than companions). I mean, Gale is also a good guy too and he's not an asshole about it, but he's kind of a tool. Karlach is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

Editing this one in, because I FORGOT WITHERS! Rookie mistake. Sorry, Withers!

Jaheira. I never played the first two Baldur's Gate games, but I understand that Jaheira is a returning character. Either way, she's a fuckin' badass. A regular in my final party.

Shadowheart/Lae'zel. It's hard to choose between the two. They've both got excellent storylines, which are actually quite similar in a lot of ways. And they're both badass chicks. What's not to love?

Boo, the miniature giant space hamster and his human familiar, Minsc of Rashemen. Also often a fixture in my party, because he's funny.

Gale Dekarios. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about Gale at first. Kind of pretentious. But he's grown on me. Yes, he is kind of a tool, but at least he generally likes it when I'm nice to people, unlike a certain vampire who shall remain unnamed... also he eats three of my magic items. Not that I was using them but it's the principle of the matter!

(this is Wyll's true rating, but ignore it because obviously he belongs at the top of the list. PLEASE LIKE ME!)

Halsin. Ever wanted to fuck a bear? In every sense of the word? Well, have I got news for you!

Astarion. WHY DO YOU HATE IT WHEN I'M NICE TO PEOPLE, ASTARION??!?!?!?!?!? IT'S SO ANNOYING!!!

The dirt.

The worms inside the dirt.

The stool of the worms inside the dirt.

Minthara. A giant asshole. Which I guess is to be expected. Still better than Solas. Yes, I know they are from two different games. Shut up. Fuckin' Solas...

The Emperor. He of the gaslighting and the tentacles.

The Absolute. Yes, the main bad guy. I'd rather hang out with the main bad guy than...

Oh, lemme edit this in. Just in case. If you, for some reason, get your dander up about the contents of this list, please refrain from reblogging this to just whinge about what a terrible person I am. Not that I am opposed to someone challenging my ideas, but the death spiral does get tedious quite fast. If you really really got an axe to grind, try the PMs. Please and thank you. :)

#spoilers #spoiler warning #fuckin spoilers #but I don't want people whinging at me #baldur's gate 3 #scratch the dog #owlbear cub #jaheira #lae'zel #shadowheart #minsc and boo #minsc #gale dekarios #halsin #astarion #minthara baenre #wyll ravengard #bg3 withers

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - A Baldur’s Gate Fanfiction

Chapter 4

A faint yet loud voice outside the front door can be heard, and I begin to think: there’s no way they’re here already?! The sooner the better I suppose! Gale and I press our ears to the door, wondering if it’s who we think it is. The voice is rather familiar; too familiar, in fact.

“You mean to tell me there’s not a Whizbangs in Waterdeep? COME ON!!” Ah, yes. Karlach. Karlach is our funny, enthusiastic Tiefling friend who had an engine for a heart. She was also on the nautiloid and infected with one of those parasites within the ocular region. Her story is that she was basically sold to Avernus – or, Hell – by someone she once trusted. His name was Gortash and he was one of the bastards we had to kill in Baldur’s Gate. His evil political influence and desire to dominate the world was nauseating and unbearable, so we had to do what we had to do. Plus, Karlach got her revenge. He should not have sold her to Hell to serve for an archdevil. She went back to Avernus with Wyll, the Blade of Avernus, so they can fight together and keep her alive. Her engine would not allow her to live much outside of the Hells.

Gale opens the door and there stands three of our loyal, badass friends on the castle porch: Shadowheart, Karlach, and Wyll. It appears Lae’zel is still in the Astral Planes, and who knows what happened to Astarion, Halsin, and Jaheira? I start to wonder what happened to our other loving friends who started new lives elsewhere.

“Holy shit! It’s Gale! Wait, is that Emmy behind you?! How’d you know we were here?” Karlach says enthusiastically, looking as if she’s ready to punch an object out of pure excitement.

“Well, you do know we’re married, do you not?” Gale asks her with a smirk painted upon his face. I can’t help but laugh at his remark, because she was at our wedding. “Besides, we knew you were here because there’s only one person – er, tiefling – we know that gets this excited about Whizbangs.”

“Damn pal. You got me.”

“Karlach and I found a forge in Avernus to fix her heart. We’re so excited to adventure with you guys again, as long as no ‘Chosen Three’ or ‘elder brain’ gets involved again,” Wyll says, wrapping his arm around Karlach’s waist. I smile, wishing I could jump up and down in ecstasy from this news, though I’m dead set on the idea that I’ll vomit everywhere. I already feel a knot curl up within my stomach.

“Karlach! That’s…amazing news. Can I hug you?” I ask her, trying to maintain my excitement.

“Of course, soldier!” I hug Karlach, feeling her strong arms embrace me in return for over a minute. No flames are rising from her body anymore, nor does she even feel hot. She’s considered my best friend and I’m more than thrilled that she’s going to be okay outside of Avernus, but more relieved she no longer has to suffer. I am more than thankful we saved her life in time when she was about to explode from her old engine. I can’t imagine missing Karlach and begging for her to be alive.

“I have arrived! Oh, it’s so good to see everyone again. Well, most of you. I imagine we’ll bump into Astarion on the road, should he be able to find us in the darkness,” Shadowheart says. I hug her as well, and she immediately begins to feel the heat of my skin from the fever. “You really aren’t feeling great, are you? You are burning up. Let’s leave as quickly as possible.”

“I have dealt with being poisoned, burned, frozen… I really think I’ll be okay,” I say. Now that I think about it, it’s wild. Everyone is so concerned about me, considering I have dealt with much worse in the past, nearly meeting my death bed on multiple occasions. Then again, we just need confirmation this isn’t the tadpole again at least. Gale takes my hand, holding it gently and rubbing my knuckles with his thumb. Judging by the look on his face, it looks like he is praying to some Goddess or God silently.

“I’ve prayed to Sêlune. I bet it’s just a bug, but let’s go just in case,” Shadowheart responds, giving off a fake smile. “You never know what this could turn into.” Her and I grew very close on our adventures, to the point she’s gotten super protective over me. I was with her when her parents passed. She once told me I am the only person she has left, and ever since those words escaped her lips, I’ve considered her family to me. I can’t imagine how it’s been for her, traveling alone and discovering the world without a companion by her side. I’m sure it gets rather lonely.

“Well, we probably should leave now. The quicker we leave, the better,” I say. “Don’t worry, I set out enough food for Tara to indulge in while we’re gone.”

“Good news on that front, Tara knows how to pluck vegetables from the garden, so she’ll be okay regardless,” Gale says. “Off we go.”

I close the door behind us and we head on the road in Waterdeep that leads to Baldur’s Gate, though it will be awhile before we actually get there. The fresh air outside seems to make me feel more refreshed than before somehow. The beautiful petunias growing on the side of the road, the large yet beautiful pieces of architecture in the city, such as museums and the Academy, and of course the cute little markets where people are making a living… It’s all so pleasing to the eye.

“So, how have you guys been?” I ask Karlach. “I see you and Wyll are together at last! I knew it would happen someday.”

“You are correct! We’re engaged, actually. No set date for the wedding. Wyll proposed to me in Avernus right after slaying the head off of a giant. Nothing more romantic than that.”

“I was going to have it be a traditional engagement, but alas this was before we could fix her engine, so I had to do it in Avernus. I didn’t want to wait,” Wyll says with animation in his voice, almost like how Karlach sounds every time she talks. It actually makes me so happy they ended up together. It’s funny how they were once enemies, threatening to murder one another, and now they’re engaged to be married. They grow up so fast.

“Well, congrats you two!”

“Don’t worry, Emmy. You’re definitely invited to the wedding. You too, Gale and Shadowheart.”

“Thank you, Wyll. That’s appreciated,” Shadowheart says. “Ah, I love weddings. I’m so glad I was able to be the maid of honor at Emmy and Gale’s wedding, it was absolutely stunning. I’d relive that day if I could.”

“Oh trust me, so could I,” Gale says, holding my hand within his as we walk the quiet roads of Waterdeep. It feels nice to catch up with my friends that I haven’t seen since the reunion party five – or maybe six – months ago. It feels much longer than that.

Another sudden wave of severe nausea hits me like a freight train, causing me to stop walking for a moment. This time, it’s gut-wrenching and nearly painful, possibly the worst it’s been in awhile.

“Whoa, is everything alright?” Gale asks, rubbing my back as I’m hunched over. “It’s okay. Do what you need to do.”

“Whatever is causing you to feel this way, I’m going to punch it in the fucking head,” Karlach says. “I would expect this if you came across Cloudkill or something atrocious like that. Have you been around any disgusting spells like that recently?”

“Not at all,” I mumble. “I think it’s a stomach bug, but…much worse.”

“I feel like a failure. I’ve failed you. I’m a wizard who has studied the arcane since I was young, yet I can’t heal or cure you whatsoever,” Gale says, sighing as he continues to rub my back. “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s just the thing,” Shadowheart chimes in. “Magic may not be able to help her at all. At least not this time.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to fight off the sickness that’s overwhelming my body. So going by Shadowheart's words, magic can only help in certain conditions? I have so much I still need to understand; I should have studied the arcane growing up. However, my natural desire was to help others, cure those in pain, and bring light into the sinister world of darkness. It seems I can’t help myself unfortunately.

“I’ll be okay. I have waves where I feel totally fine, though most of the time I think I’ll throw up. In fact, I have at least six times today.” In Faerȗn, illnesses are surprisingly rare due to the magic and healing spells that cure just about anything. If there is no spell, there’s surely a potion for it. Either way, magic has not been able to cure whatever this atrocity is.

After my insane episode of sickness, I finally feel a little better after about twenty minutes and we continue forward on our adventure. The scent of spearmint in the wild somewhere relieves me, and I feel somewhat normal again – thank the stars.

“So Shadowheart, how have you been?” Gale asks. “I’m sure it’s been a wild ride exploring the depths of every mountain, city, and forest you can possibly imagine.”

“You know, as much as I enjoy it and find new places to discover… It gets lonely. However, I’m faring quite well. But, good news on that front, I found a place in Waterdeep and moved here a couple days ago. I’ll be slowing down on my adventures for a while,” she says, inhaling the forest air. “I’m glad I will be around some familiar faces.” This just made my entire day, knowing Shadowheart lives close to us and I’ll have someone to hang out with while Gale is teaching at the Academy. Finally, adult interaction!

As we all continue to walk the long and familiar dirt path to Baldur’s Gate, I notice glossy splotches of newly shed blood on some large rocks just a few feet away from us, remembering all the lives I took. Granted, they were well deserved, but nonetheless it affects me sometimes. Just because they were warranted doesn’t mean I’m not affected. Someone or something just got murdered here within the last hour or two. I sigh, trying not to focus too hard on the blood splatters around us. After a moment, I began to smile, realizing how many lives we ended up saving and that we were the heroes of Baldur’s Gate. We still are. All of the violence toward the evil beings was worth it, though I do question myself every now and again.

“Are you alright, baby?” Gale asks. His voice is so soft like a lullaby. If only it were a cure for my unfortunate illness.

“Yes, I’m more than alright.” Part of me is so excited to get to the city. Maybe I’ll see some familiar faces, and hopefully I’ll get the answers I’m looking for.

#Baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #astarion #karlach #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 fanfiction #fanfic #ao3

[venranae]

Rate bg3 companions based on the voted most likely to meme👀

Wait wait wait do you mean like the order of the companions being memeable because oh I've thought about this quite a lot and have the answer ready

1. Gale. No comment on this. I love bullying him (affectionate). Ive played this game several times now and I constantly feel the need to shove him against a locker. He's so unserious

2. Astarion, especially ascended. Don't get me wrong he's my favorite but by god I would be lying if i said he's not perfect meme material. His ugly little grinch face. His entire attitude. I love him sm but oh my god i need to throw him around

3. Karlach!! It's just in her nature. She's so silly and my baby and i would kill for her mwuah she's naturally funny

4. Lae'zel because she's actually soo cute and so mean at the same time. It would be fair to humble her a little bit but also she's hilarious. Her dry delivery of lines adds so much to it.

5. My girl shart. She has a bit too much angsty backstory that i relate to but to loosen it up a little I love making jokes about how emo she is. She also has absolutely 0 chill and i love having her in my party paired with astarion cause they both drag each other thru the dirt and it's the funniest shit ever.

6. Wyll is only so low because he's actually the biggest sweetie and i love joking about him being a bit stuck up and too perf because thats the only weak spot he leaves me to attack. He's perfect in combination with the others that are more chaotic bc he's the opposite. Gives a lot of potential for memes

7. Mins should be higher cause he's braindead and carries a Hamster around come on man he's perfect meme Material. Only so low cause he's often left out of main companion stuff

8. Halsin. He's also a bit too perf and chill for me to make fitting jokes. I like the memes of him being like a hippie uncle or boomer dad. Gets a good chuckle out of me

9. Minthara is so low bc i only recently got her to join my party and i know she's unhinged and hilarious but i haven't used her enough to see the meme potential

10. Jaheira is badass and mother i won't be dragging her thru the dirt she would beat me up sorry

#ven talking

[linka-from-captain-planet]

omgg thanks for your amazing responses!! I absolutely love your take on both Hope/Karlach and Rion/Shadowheart ^.^ I didn't have much more in mind for the first pair other than they both were imprisoned by devils and I always think, why don't the avernus gang go hang out at Hope's house??

but for Rion and Shadowheart, that is brilliant ^.^ I wasn't even thinking about the fact that Rion is desperate for adventure and might idealize Shadowheart's often traumatic "adventures" --and conversely, Shadowheart might idealize Rion's "normal" childhood despite the fact that I imagine Rion spent most of it getting into trouble and trying to take care of all her siblings!! and yah that kind of dynamic only makes them more shippable omg ^.^

I love the transient relationship idea, but I was imagining something a little more settled personally (obviously I ship Shads and Nocturne forever but just pretending that's not an option) ^.^ I think they would both find a lot to admire in the other!! I think Shadowheart would really admire Rion's fierce loyalty and the loving home she built with her siblings, and I think Rion, as someone badass enough to call her own mother out on her bullshit to her face, would totally understand and admire the courage it took for Shads to defy Shar and Viconia ^.^ they could teach other a lot about found family and care and loyalty!! I also think with Rion's intense protectiveness, she would get to know Shads in the city before she headed off on adventures and think, I'm not letting anybody hurt this one without getting a hammer to the face ^.^

I also just think it's so romantic, the idea that they've been neighbors their whole lives but living in totally different worlds!! I imagine them crossing paths as kids, I think Rion would've either bullied Shadowheart or been fiercely protective of her, and that could be such an interesting dynamic for them as adults, especially if Shads doesn't necessarily remember!! anywayy I rambled so much but thanks for inspiring all the unexpected ships, I never woulda thought about this otherwise ^.^

also lmaoo and 100% agree to what you said about Jaheira omg ^.^

This is why multishipping is fun! There's a lot of room in a game like this to find whatever you'd like in a ship, even longshots like Rion/Shadowheart. Pretty much anything is plausible and you can find whatever dynamic you like.

They could be like The Fox and the Hound, met a few times as kids/teens and became good friends, but separated permanently by The Conditions. I don't think the local kids would know anything about the cloister, but it seems the cloister children rarely left unless on a mission or supervised training, so Shadowheart definitely would have had to sneak out to meet Rion, and would have definitely been found out and punished. It could be one of the things that made Viconia punish her more severely than anyone else

#might have to update The Chart because Rion does need to be on it somewhere anyway #asks

[taliaglitch]

hi! pls tell me more about aislinn im very curious :0

hehehe :3

i don't have as much lore for them as the others, nothing super in-depth, but have a bullet list! mostly backstory & general character stuff because i don't know specifically how far along in the game you are. under the cut because it got long!

they're from bloomridge - the wealthiest neighborhood in the lower city. on one of the streets filled more with cafes and boutiques than manors, their parents (4 or 5 in total?) owned a three-story building. the first floor was a communal art studio, art exhibit, and small theatre of sorts, and often hosted artists from around the city, and the other two floors were their home. cramped and expensive, but very cozy!

their surname, summersorrow, is from their biological mother (but they love them all equally). there's a different name for the collective but i haven't thought of it yet

without their pact, they wouldn't have much magical talent at all - they're not incapable of it normally, but it'd take quite a bit more time and effort to learn. just doesn't come naturally, like i can't whistle or snap my fingers. should they ever get out of their pact, they'd have to relearn all those bard spells

speaking of their patron, whoever he is, he's directly responsible for their kidnapping by the mind flayers. he knew the nautiloid was coming, and ensured they'd be in it's path when it did

they'd brushed shoulders with nobility before, in some manner or another, though it was obviously your standard patriars (and wealthy citizens who acted like aristocracy despite not being aristocracy) more than anyone of a grand duke's level. so they're not really offput by the reveal that wyll is ravengard's son - they probably suspected in some way the whole time

they have so much starry-eyed hero worship for jaheira (and minsc too i guess, i've still yet to ever recruit him), like on the same level as karlach does. i'll have more thoughts on how cool they think she is in like several months whenever i've actually played the first two baldurs gate games (because i will. jaheira's character singlehandedly convinced me. i will play a 25 year old game for her)

realizing i didn't write anything about their relationship with lae'zel gale or halsin on their lil character sheet. they really respect lae'zel - they're slightly scared of her also, because she's the biggest badass they've ever known. everything with vlaakith is overwhelming, but they trust her to come out victorious. i have less to say about gale and halsin beyond "they get along well". they were happy to feed gale magic items and help halsin cure the shadow curse but they've never been frequent additions to the party

of any of the non-companion npc cast, alfira is 100% absolutely their bestie. they love her to death (platonically), post-game they regularly meet up to hang out & play music together and exchange letters whenever one of them is out of the city

they grow more or less accustomed to violence by act 3 - mostly, it just exhausts them. they've learned by this point that there's rarely any avoiding it, and it goes by quickly enough that no one really suffers. at least not for long. but it's still something they'd like to leave behind once this chapter of their life is over. though it feels unlikely that they'll ever fully be able to do so. but we'll see what their ending is like! in, hm, 30 hours of gameplay? they just got to rivington...

#thank youuu <3 #oc: aislinn summersorrow

[blackjackkent]

Epilogue!

First of all, the incredibly satisfying end of Amelyssan the Blackhearted, reaping all she sowed as a glutton for power. (Video timestamped.)

And then...Caden's ending, far happier than he ever hoped for:

Your divine essence slowly fades, and for a moment you feel empty, incomplete. It is frightening, but soon yields to a new sensation - one of hope. With your closest companions at your side, you are free to live out your mortal life, no longer a pawn of Bhaal's prophecy.

The adventure draws to a close, but there will be more to come. Even as a mortal, you are to be looked upon in awe, and your power commands attention, both friendly and otherwise. Your life is yours, as are the trials to come.

As years pass, tales of your exploits shall spread far and wide, and bards will sing your name along with heroes and villains of legend. Your life may be mortal, your time now finite, but the mark you have left upon the realms will endure.

And we get some cute followup with the companions as well!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! This is such a cute and good ending for them. After everything they've been through, Caden just wants to rest and love and be loved forever.

Aww. Sounds like Minsc never tired of adventuring, and in truth this is a good end for him as well, drifting into legend with Boo and his butt-kicking ways. I hope he fulfilled his promise to take Rasaad (and probably Caden) to Rashemen and introduce him/them as his brother(s). Because that was such a cute idea. And they truly were brothers in every meaningful way.

:O Yay! Good for you, Imoen. She definitely did live in Caden's shadow a bit (and really the trauma she went through never really got proper support the way Caden's did), so I'm glad she goes on to have a life where she can be a snarky badass. :D I hope she comes back and visits Caden all the time and regales him with stories while he sits comfortably at home.

:(

#jaheiradeservedbetter

Tireless champion of balance definitely describes her, even after all they went through, but I definitely think that Caden opens his home to her all the time and pretty much forces her to stop for a while and rest and find some happiness now and again. She's practically his mom at this point and he's not going to give that up easy.

Uh, what the fuck. Why does Rasaad alone get an incredibly fucked up ending? No sir.

We're going to ignore this and substitute a better headcanon and also indulge myself in my own personal private ship here; perhaps this story of what happened to him spreads as a rumor by the Dark Moon, but in truth, Rasaad traveled for a time to Rashemen with Minsc, then returned to Athkatla where he resumed traveling, spreading the teachings of Selune as he first did to Caden in Nashkel all those years ago. He visits Caden and Aerie regularly, and in time he and Jaheira grow closer, year by year, each of them finding some solace for what they have lost in each other's comfort and understanding.

Because there is no way Rasaad is the only one who just gets completely fucked by the narrative. >:| Grr.

TLDR: Everyone remains friends, everyone is happy. And Caden lives a long life, safe and free from all the powers that once threw his life around like a toy, and happier than he ever imagined he could be.

#bjk plays baldur's gate 2 #caden of candlekeep #<3 #Youtube