#and that gale purposely hurt mystra

[waambles]

We love Gale memes, we don’t stand real Gale slander.

#gale #baldurs gate gale #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 #baldurs gate #all the homies hate Mystra #Gale is a VICTIM #meme #shitpost #but also real post #tap the sign #baldurs gate 3 #I’ve genuinely seen people saying that gale was the abuser #and that gale purposely hurt mystra #my brother in Christ this is a human wizard who got into a relationship with his TEACHER who is also a GOD #talk about mother of all power dynamics #dude was groomed #Gale is a victim of grooming #don’t forget that.

[madwomansapologist]

Please share your headcanon about gale's kinks!!!!

gale's kinks/turn ons

Navigation | More Wizard of Waterdeep | AO3

synopsis: A deep dive into what the smart wizard man think it's hot. Yes, the brain rot is that serious.

warnings: i'm sick so if this isn't good i will blame the pills. testing a new format. this is about sex, don't interact if you're a minor. remember: if you kink shame me i will get horny just to spite you.

PRAISE KINK

That's a man willing to write poetry about your body, mind and soul. His tongue has only two purposes on life, and both of them involve making you see stars. If his mouth isn't in use, he will be praising you.

And when Gale feels so good he can't even speak, isn't that a praise on itself?

But that we all know. His reaction to receiving praise is what makes me want to bite my fingers off.

Gale Dekarios knows his value as a wizard, but not as a man. His ambition isn't a consequence of his desire to pursue more, but to be more. To deserve love, he must prove his worth. As we all know, it often doesn't end in a good way.

I don't think Mystra ever wasted her precious time to assure Gale of the contrary. And when she did, it wasn't about Gale Dekarious: it was about Gale of Waterdeep, her chosen. How his control of the weave was impressive, how he could conjure any sort of images, how his illusions could fool everyone.

So when he receives praise for any other part of his life that isn't his academic pursues, a part of his brain burns. Be as intricate as his poetry or as lascive as one can be, Gale can feel his knees getting weak. Weaker.

FOOD PLAY

Not only Gale loves to cook and bake, but he loves the whole idea of being responsible for making someone stronger and healthier. Hunger is a hurtful thing, that he knows, and he don't want anyone else to deal with it.

It comes hand to hand with his praise kink. When you eat something good, you don't need to use words: your whole body shows it. He would apreciate the compliments, nonetheless.

To spoon feed you would be such a turn on. It's so intimate, such a show of trust and care, nothing but human. The way your mouth opened for the spoon, how your tongue licked it clean. Can you blame him?

After helping you eat, it would be his turn to end his hunger. You don't mind being his plate, do you? Gale promises to lick you clean. You always taste so sweet for him, what's a bit of honey to add to that?

OLFACTOPHILIA

Your scent can turn him into a fucking mess. There is something so human about it. So natural and real about it. Is just you.

After a fight, when you are covered in sweat and blood, he can't help himself. To be around you can make him drool. You fresh from your shower, smelling just as you and not as any perfume. When you spend the day laying around and is too lazy to get clean.

The amount of times his cheeks burned red because he breathed in when you walked past and a companion noticed can't be numbered.

Gale prefers to undress you rather you doing it yourself. That means he will be able to breath deep against your undies before getting them off of you.

Wanna get him as hard as a rock in mere seconds? Give him a underwear you used for a long time. Just threw it at his face and go on with your day. He will be quick to follow.

Gale loves how he can still smell you on his upper lip after going down on you. If you squirt, he will cum on his trousers. I don't make the rules.

FACE-SITTING/FACE FUCKING

Again: his mouth has only two uses. Is almost therapeutic for him. Just get on top of him, use his mouth however you want. The place in between your legs seen perfect for him to die on.

Gale Dekarios is a service top looking for a pillow princess/prince. I VOLUNTEER!

FINGERS IN MOUTH

You know that feeling of not knowing what to do next? Where to put your hands, what to do with your mouth? Since he prefers to be the one doing things, this can be a problem. A problem that can be easily solved by your pretty fingers.

It can hit even harder if he's in the process of casting something and you stop him by just putting your fingers into his mouth. Gale won't even know hot to react. Actually, he might suck them.

Ok, he might have a oral obsession. What are you, Freud?

BONDAGE

Hand to hand with that sort of anxiety about what he must do next. Make sure Gale stays put in place and use him. Remember guys, your service tops also deserve to be fucked around a bit.

Magic restrains or ropes, and make sure to do some beautiful knots. He could break free from them, but Gale won't desobey. Not after you spend so long getting him ready for you.

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR’S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

#i am like that and haven't even romanced him yet #also 35??? that man is 42 your honor #madwomansapologist #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 gale #bg3 x reader #bg3 x tav #bg3 #baldur's gate #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios x reader #gale dekarios x tav #gale x reader #gale x tav #gale of waterdeep x tav #gale of waterdeep x reader #gale

[luxlightly]

Another thing that,as you progess the game, really recontextualizes Gale's relationship with Mystra is realizing what it means for him to have been her Chosen. Or, what it SHOULD mean, what it seems to mean for other gods and what it didn't seem to mean for Gale.

The Chosen of the Dead Three are granted immense power by their gods and are expected to be the conduit of their power and their will on the moral planes. They're the one person a god is supposed to directly empower and work through and they are expected to do world changing, enormous things for their gods. That's why they're Chosen.

But, despite Gale trying and trying to get Mystra to be clear with him about her expectations for him and about how to connect to her power on a level that is, as we learn as the game goes on, not only not unreasonable, but normally the expected level of a god's Chosen, she was instead always coy and aloof with him. Always keeping him in the dark so that he was always falling short or stumbling, having to beg forgiveness. Never clearly setting boundaries so that he was constantly unwittingly pushing past them, letting her claim the role of the wounded party despite, by nature of being a god, always having immensely more power in the relationship and never actually at risk of being hurt by him.

She made him Chosen because she was briefly amused by him. It's like if the CEO of your company made you VP just because they wanted to sleep with you, then refused to tell you what they wanted you to do in the company, just that you were constantly falling short of expectation. So then you try to make a decision worthy of the position you are supposed to have and it backfires for reasons that would have been 100% avoidable if they'd ever just told you their expectations. Because the truth is their expectation was only ever for you to be briefly amusing to them. And then they fire you and literally leave you to die.

Gale comes across, at first, as extremely presumptuous and even himself clearly believes he was rightfully punished for "overstepping a boundary" and not being satisfied. But as we learn what the expectation of being a god's Chosen is, and how much Mystra seemed to purposely keep her expectations hidden from him, it becomes so much more understandable why Gale felt he needed to do something immense to prove himself and why her sudden and complete rejection because of it blindsided him so much.

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #spoilers #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios

[messiahzzz]

i’d briefly like to talk about the “it was fine” dialogue option that happens the morning after gale’s Last Night Alive scene in act ii and about the fandom's general reaction to it.

gale is a character who evidently enjoys the occasional teasing. taking the piss out of your partner every once in a while can certainly be a way of showing affection. however, it is important to consider the context of the situation: what is at stake for him and his current emotional state, as well as what exactly had transpired between the two of them prior to said conversation.

gale: forgive me. these were already trying times before elminster delivered his missive. now, for me at least, they are potentially end times.

after he and tav had spent the night together and confessed their love to each other, gale is once again showing himself utterly vulnerable and is carefully asking them for reassurance.

gale: [..] i hope that night meant as much to you as it did to me.

gale: but you - you led me away from the edge.

gale: without your words, your touch... i fear i would have sought purpose and solace in that void. you reminded me what living can feel like.

he wants to check in with them, after both of them have shared something tender and very intimate, something he might even consider life-altering.

gale: we didn't just make love. we bonded, body and soul. i got lost in you.

it’s not even about gale “not being able to read social cues” and “not recognizing the fact that it was meant in jest.” in fact, i’d argue it is a rather tone-deaf, inconsiderate response and just genuinely a REALLY BAD TIME to joke at your partner's expense when they are actively baring their feelings to you and are asking you for reassurance.

i have seen people write off his reaction as “unwarranted” or “overtly dramatic” but in my humble opinion, it is pretty understandable given the nature of their conversation and what he is asking of them. it's also sad how there seems to be a general pattern of gale's emotions and boundaries getting played off as a joke, while other companions get shown the courtesy of thorough analysis/understanding. he is proud of his skill as a lover and the fact that he was able to bring them pleasure, yet his inquiry is less about him wanting tav to stroke his ego and more about him, once again, asking if you indeed share the same feelings for each other… after the emotional high has now passed.

gale has an ever-present need for clarity in his relationships, very likely due to the fact that this was something he couldn’t request of mystra. he might appear more sensitive in that regard compared to the other companions. he doesn’t want to take himself too seriously, but this still often clashes with his general feeling of inadequacy. where he is able to take criticism as long as it isn’t related to his performance, overall prowess and usefulness.

yes, his response is passive-aggressive and yes, he IS obviously hurt by what tav said. yet merely repeating “it was fine” in response to a heartfelt, genuine question could’ve as well been interpreted in that manner. if tav does clarify that they have only been joking, he apologizes to them instead. otherwise his dialogue remains the same, albeit said in a more embarrassed & awkward tone.

gale is a character who is dealing with deep-rooted self-worth issues and yet that doesn’t mean that he wants to be handled with kid gloves, far from it. he craves a relationship in which his emotional needs are recognized, respected and cared for, where he can be unabashedly open and vulnerable without facing ridicule nor pity for it. and he is more than willing to give the same in return.

also y’know — there is a time and a place.

#“briefly” they said (sorry can't shut up once i've started. you'll have to bear with me) #this has been bothering me for a while now #by all means roast your wizard to your hearts content #but maybe opt for his shortcomings that aren’t genuinely hurtful/rooted in his self-hatred #that only serve to further reinforce his belief that he is not worthy enough #when he is still very much dealing with the inevitability of his own untimely death and sacrifice #today’s lesson in empathy lmao #aka me once again getting emotionally invested in tragic pixel men #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 meta #bg3 spoilers #datamined dialogue

[galedekarios]

elminster & gale

more datamined dialogue, this time idle banter between elminster and gale. as the dev notes indicate, these were supposed to take place at the beginning of act ii when elminster reveals the charge given to him by mystra for gale:

elminster: it took some doing, finding you. gale: well now you've found me, perhaps you can share your purpose. (node context: some impatience) elminster: have mercy on these old bones, m'boy. a short respite will not harm us.

elminster: i am glad to talk to you again, m'boy. even under such circumstances. (node context: sincere) gale: as am i. (node context: sincere) elminster: it is important to cherish everyone conversation as if it were the last - for it could very well be the last. (node context: considering that this may be the last time he ever sees gale)

elminster: it comes with age. along with some less-desirable traits... gale: please. i do not need to hear of your joint aches and privy sorties again. (node context: 'not this again') elminster: very well. not everyone finds such matters as fascinating as i do... (node context: slightly displeased grumble)

gale: you may be proven incorrect - time is not on my side, i fear. (node context: a little grim) elminster: i know what you mean. trust me - for the moment, all is well. or at least acceptable. (node context: reassuring) gale: oh to have but a thimbleful of your confidence at my disposal. (node context: wry)

once again, i find this (very, very sadly) seemingly cut content fascinating. it's very sad it wasn't included in the release version of the game because it shows the deeper bond that elminster and gale share despite gale's impatience and, as it's phrased here, not-this-again attitude. it speaks of knowing each other well, and of the affection between them from both sides.

we get to see this, too, in the gale origin. elminster's visit remains much the same as it is an origin tav playthrough, yet there are slight variation in how elminster treats gale (a softer voice, calling him 'dear boy', etc.).

and that affection he has for gale, gale holds for him, too:

"his disappointment cuts deeper even than mystra's." is so significant considering just who mystra is for gale. gale is hurt by having had elminster witness him as he is now. a shadow of who he used to be. he has disappointed him. he once more wasn't good enough.

elminster, who not only saw potential within him, but "plucked" him from obscurity and offered his guidance, who had become a mentor to him, and a figure to look to for guidance.

as a side note, i can't help but wonder if elminster was perhaps responsible-or at least helped-to have gale attend blackstaff academy:

Blackstaff Academy was a loosely organized group of elite apprentices and students who studied under the Blackstaff at Blackstaff Tower in the 14th and 15th centuries DR. The school was made up of an everchanging roster of about fifty apprentices and students to the Blackstaff, with new arrivals always ready to replenish the ranks as graduates moved on.[2] Acceptance to the Academy was predicated on either demonstrating extraordinary magical aptitude (those who could not cast arcane spells were very rarely admitted) or having a particularly compelling personal history. Joining the Academy was free, however monthly dues were required to continue attendance. These fees started at 10 gp per month and increased as a student gained seniority and required more advanced tutelage. In addition, it was a requirement that any new spell that was discovered or researched by an apprentice had to be added to Blackstaff Tower's library. [source]

anyhow. this bond between the two is also reflected in the aftermath of the visit. elminster sneakily breaks mystra's order, by having tara deliver a letter written by him to gale, trying to reassure gale and make him see that there is another way out of his predicament than the one mystra commands him to follow:

i cannot stress enough that elminster is ready to defy direct orders from mystra for gale. he obviously cares about him and his regreat at having not said more when he was there is palpable in his letter. gale acknowledges this as well:

to a lesser extent, the same is shown in a custom protag playthrough:

gale knows this isn't something elminster wanted to do and elminster himself admits as much, too. yet he is forced to, obligated to, by his status as chosen and the mission he was given by his goddess.

we can later ask gale about this once more:

and here we can also infer just why mystra sent elminster and not anyone else: "for mystra to have sent him... the severity of her bidding could not be clearer. or weigh more heavily on me."

it shows that this was a very much calculated choice-mystra must have been aware of the bond two of her chosen shared-and so it helps to achieve exactly what she intended it to: gale accepts the charge that he is given.

i think all in all, even though the situation is bad enough already as it is, this makes what was asked of elminster by mystra even worse.

#gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #elminster aumar #tara the tressym #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #ch: gale dekarios #ch: elminster aumar #ch: mystra #ch: tara the tressym #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #meta: mybg3

[bhaalble]

Weeks of very repetitive Gale jokes have made me a very aggro defender but I do still very much think they needed a different way to handle his response to the player having developing relationships with other party members.

Here's my thing. Its not a writing flaw that he's monogamous, or at least set on a monogamous relationship after his experience with Mystra. Its not a writing flaw that his romance flags develop pretty rapidly; after years with a very emotionally unavailable goddess and with the high stress scenario they're in I think it is very understandable that he would latch onto someone who not only shows him positive attention but is helping him manage an extremely frightening condition. Its also not necessarily a writing flaw that he's kind of a manipulative dickhead if your relationship is progressing further with someone else.

It just needed to be more confidently engaged with as a flaw.

Because here's the thing the passive aggressive sadboy act is certainly not BENEATH Gale. He tends not to handle losing very well. He doesn't have much experience managing feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. He also just got out of an incredibly lopsided and uneven relationship where one of the things that continued to trouble him was feeling like a lower priority, like this person who was the center of his world saw him as just a nice accessory to hers. In light of all that I think its very understandable that he would lash out if he felt like the object of his affections was showing more preferential treatment to someone else, even if they were't properly in a relationshp yet. Its a self-defensive measure, not unlike Shadowheart writing you off for most of your early interactions or Astarion fully manipulating you with seduction during the first stages of your romance. Every companion is wrestling (and usually wrestling poorly) with the baggage of their previous situation and it will come heavily to bear on their relationship with Tav.

My primary issue is that outside of ending the relationship or an offhand comment about how you didn't know he felt this way (which leads to more of a pity party about how he just isnt enough for Tav) you aren't really able to push back on Gale's reasoning. You can sever the relationship, terminate the flirting stage, or you can just affirm him by choosing him. You can't really communicate hey. I care about you. Why are you speaking to me like I did this to hurt you on purpose. Even if he storms off in that conversation I think there very much was potential there to have some genuinely compelling character growth for Gale, with him confronting how many foundational issues there were in his dynamic with Mystra that he's unthinkingly putting on Tav. Tav would be given the opportunity to recognize where their partner is at and either draw a hard boundary, or extend a bit of grace depending on the feelings of that character and the player.

Again none of this required Gale to have a less shitty reaction to the scenario the point wouldn't be to scrub away conflict. Just to provide some additional opportunities to challenge your friend/LI and use it to develop both them and your PC

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios

[clericofgale]

Seeing so many people miss and then dismiss the amount of trauma Gale holds is honestly a little triggering for me. It feels like if your pain isn't sad or relatable enough nobody cares. Which is sadly very true to life in how some people react to hearing about more subtle types of emotional abuse or neglect. "But you lived in a nice house and was never hungry or beaten!" Well sorry my sob story isn't fucked up enough and a puddle drowned me /s.

Watching how Gale talks about Mystra in Act 1 is exactly how I would've talked about the person who hurt me before I realized they did. How could someone who's given you so much hurt you? It took me a long time to have it even click in my head and then admit to myself that yes they hurt me even if they didn't mean to.

People who don't have trauma don't react to someone telling them to unalive themselves with "at least it'll have purpose".

People who don't have trauma don't think the world is better off if they're dead.

People who don't have trauma aren't shocked to be valued for who they are.

Gale has flaws, but an imperfect victim is still a victim. All pain is valid even if you can't see it.

#gale of waterdeep #bg3 spoilers #fuck mystra #trauma dump sorry #gale dekarios #baldur's gate 3 #gale thoughts

[thecampjuicebox]

What if Gale and Tav (romantically involved or interested in each other) got into an argument over if or not he should use the orb to destroy the elder brain and it leads to this exchange:

Gale: If I must use the orb to keep this world safe, then so be it; I'll die to keep you safe.

Tav: *no longer able to keep their tears hidden* I don't want someone who will die for me! *clutches Gale to themself as if afraid that he'll disappear if they let go* I want someone who will live for me. Please...

I've been itching for some more Mr. Dekarios content eeeeeeee this is gonna hurt so GOOD

Someone To Live For

Pairing: Gale x Tav(gn)

Rating: 18+, Minors DNI

POV: 3rd Person

Warnings: Angst, talk of death, lots of crying, fluff, game spoilers

Dinner around the fire was awfully quiet that night. The only sounds that broke the somber silence being the crackle of flames against wood, soft chewing, and silverware clinking against dented silver plates. The troubling news thrust upon the group just a few hours prior weighed heavy on each companion's heart, especially Gale's. His mentor and trusted friend, Elminster, paid an unexpected visit to camp. Told Gale of an opportunity to earn Mystra's forgiveness. His words were soft, almost a whisper. "I'm here on behalf of Mystra. The message and the charge I bring you are hers." Tav could feel the guilt bubble up in Elminster's voice in that moment. A sadness they'd never felt before. This had to be bad. "You know where you went wrong, Gale. I trust you've told your fellow traveler here the nature of your ills." Gale shifted in an uneasy manner, tossing his weight from one foot to the other nervously. "I.. Can't say that so far I've volunteered the entire truth."

Tav's stomach sank. Little beads of sweat bubbled up on their forehead and in their eyebrows, threatening to drip into their already burning eyes. "What's going on here?" Tav questioned meekly, their fingers and bottom lip trembling. "Gale?" No response. Just a lowering of Elminster's eyes. "You two have much to discuss after I have taken my leave." He paused his words with a heavy sigh before continuing on. "In short, Gale - through his own doing - has become a living explosive that could wipe from this world this very gathering, and much more besides. For his folly, Mystra forsook him, but now she has decreed he is to be given a chance of redemption." Another small sigh. Tav's eyes shifted from the ancient wizard to Gale, curiosity sizzling in the back of their throat. Gale had briefly explained his dealings with Mystra. Talked of the Netherese orb nestled in his chest, just beside his ever beating heart, and how it needed to consume magic to remain sated. Gale's eyes locked onto Elminster with surprise.

"Mystra would consider.. Forgiveness?" His tone wavered as he leaned toward Elminster, eyebrows raising. The wizard closed his eyes for a moment and spoke softly "She would consider what she considers to be forgiveness. Mystra is aware of the misadventures that have befallen you both. She knows of your strife with the Absolute." Tav couldn't hold back any longer. So many questions buzzed around in their skull like an angry bee's nest. "If the goddess is aware of our situation, why are we facing these threats alone?" The ancient wizard nodded at Tav's question and placed a kind hand on their shoulder. "The very purpose of my presence - in a roundabout sort of way. You must know that the Absolute is more dangerous than you can possibly conceive." An irritated Tav crossed their arms over their chest and huffed. "Yeah, no shit." Gale reaches out to slap their shoulder with the back of his hand and they shot him a look sharp as daggers. It's his fault they were in this mess in the first place. It's his fault Tav feels like they, themselves, could explode at any moment.

Elminster continued, his voice lowering once more. "That is why I have come here to charge you, Gale, with its destruction. it is Mystra's belief that only you can." More questions filled the space behind Tav's eyes. The tadpole wriggled in irritation at mention of the Absolute and Tav winced. "Gale alone? How so?" A question Tav would grow to regret. Gale's lids lowered and his gaze dropped to the ground for a moment, lifting back up to meet Elminster. "The orb.." he muttered. "Precisely." Elminster turned to Tav, eyebrows knitting together at their obvious disdain for the current conversation. One hand lifted to stroke the end of his wiry beard before turning back to Gale. "Mystra has granted me the power to stop the clock, as it were, on the orb's rush to overpower you. Instead, you will be able to unleash it's lethal combustion at will." Fear rose in Tav's chest, their heart thumping at what felt like a dangerous pace. A hand flew out to find Gale's.

"You must find the Heart of the Absolute, whatever that may be, and use yourself as the catalyst that will burn it from this world." Tears stung in Tav's eyes and they wiped them with the back of their right hand, the other still clutching Gale's tightly. In a burst of confidence, Tav raised their voice at the ancient wizard, spittle spraying involuntarily from their lips. "That's monstrous! You're tasking him to kill himself!" Gale sighed quietly and gave Tav's hand a gentle squeeze. "He's not.. But it seems that Mystra is." His face twisted into a scowl, jaw clenching and unclenching between breaths. Tav wanted to cry in that very instant. To scream, grab Elminster by the shoulders and shake the gold from his pockets and the brain in his skull. How could he say such words so plainly? Surely it pained him as much as it pained Tav. Not to mention Gale.. Poor, sweet Gale.

Elminster's eyes fell to the ground and his arms came up to embrace his own torso, holding that position for a moment before reaching for Gale's free hand. He took it in his, squeezing it in a way a father would squeeze the hand of his son with reassurance. "It brings me no pleasure saying this, my friend, but such is Mystra's will. Yours must be the sacrifice that will undo the Absolute. And for your sacrifice, you will be redeemed - such is Mystra's promise." He shakes his head slowly. "With that, I have said my sorry piece, and need only to bestow unto thee the charm I was bid." Tav took a step back from the two wizards, fingers fumbling with each other to keep themselves busy as they watched. Elminster's hand raised into the air, a flurry of purple weave fluttering from his fingertips as he spoke the words "My'Nahastra Mystra'Ryl. E'Deelion Thras'Anas'Tthra." Gale winced as the orb marking on his chest glowed and sizzled, his head turning to the side and eyes squeezing shut at the strange sensations.

"It is done. Both charge and charm have been committed into your care." The ancient wizard's words directed at Tav now, his finger pointing toward Gale as he spoke. "To you, I commit into care Gale himself. I count on you to shepherd him well on this strangest of journeys." Through tears, Tav simply nodded. They wiped their eyes with their sleeve and turned to leave the scene before they lost their composure completely, boots shuffling against the dirt and stone of the campsite. Still, Elminster spoke. His words a bit louder to make sure Tav could still hear him, even though they were almost out of sight now. "Like moons make swell and wane the nescient seas, so too the sky-strewn gods obtain the tidal fates of mortal days. And yet - a notion born in lonely hours - come ebb, come flow, come all that is beyond the breadth of our dominion: be a moon unto yourself. Even the waves of fate can break upon the shores of will. Farewell, my friend." With a puff of dark smoke, Elminster disappeared into the afternoon air as quickly as he had arrived. Gale sighed and palmed his eyes for a moment to clear the threat of tears, mumbling quietly to himself. "Farewell, Elminster. I'm glad she chose you."

Tav sat themselves on a nearby rock, hands covering their now wet eyes. They sobbed and cursed into the air, tears hot like lava streaming down their warm cheeks. How could Gale agree to such a disastrous fate? They despised Mystra for such a request. Why Gale even sought forgiveness from the baneful goddess in the first place, Tav couldn't understand. Why beg for any attention from the wretch, especially after all she'd put him through? Cast him out, stripped him of his position of her chosen, and now had the audacity to preposition him to blow himself up for her forgiveness. Bile burned in the back of their throat at the mere thought. There must be another way. A gentle hand rested on Tav's shoulder and they gasped in surprise, quickly wiping the remaining tears from their cheeks before looking up at the figure in front of them. Gale stood there, lips curved into a frown. "I'm sorry.."

...

Weeks passed now, Tav and Gale growing closer and closer each day they traveled together. The immanent threat of the orb still lingers in the back of Tav's mind. How they'll stop Gale from needing to use it in any circumstance. The shadow curse poses a new threat to their wellbeing now, and with each step closer to Moonrise, Tav can feel the impending doom grow near. With a deep sigh, they settle into their newly acquired spot in Gale's tent, legs outstretched and crossed in a relaxed position after such a long day. Gale sits to their right, nose deep in a tome he'd picked up at the Last Light Inn. An interesting read about the history and making of honey mead. Tav rests their tired head against his shoulder, eyelids fluttering as a toe-curling yawn forces its way in and out of their lungs. Gentle fingers tap a random rhythm against Tav's thigh and Gale sets his book down to encircle his lover in his arms tightly, his nose buried into the soft locks of hair. He inhales deeply. Their scent invades his nose and he exhales happily.

"Has your plan.. Changed at all?" Tav mumbles, eyes opening now to watch as Gale shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Their question perplexes him. "My plan?" he asks, adjusting their position so Tav is sat on his lap now. Sweet fingers brush a strand of deep brown hair from Gale's eyes. "To use the Orb, my love." Tav sighs. A twisting feeling in their gut tells them they may already have their answer as Gale scrunches his nose and tightens his grip on Tav's hips. Near bruising fingers knead at the flesh there and Tav places their hands on his stubbly cheeks, forcing him to look them in the eyes. "Gale.. Answer me." The wizard blinks at his lover for a moment, catching his bottom lip between his teeth. He can't speak. Can't muster the courage to tell them the truth that he does, in fact, intend to continue with the plan to use the orb. With a frown, Tav presses their forehead to Gale's, bottom lip quivering. "Please tell me it isn't true.. Please.." their voice cracks as tears threaten their eyes.

"I can't lie to you." Gale finally speaks. Large hands rub soothing circles at the small of Tav's back. A hint of anger bites at Tav's thoughts, evolving into pure rage in a matter of seconds. They yank away from Gale, standing and quickly storming out of the tent and into the cold night air. Gale blinks slowly at the sudden change of attitude and shuffles to his own feet. "Tav, come back. Let's talk about this." he calls, shoving the tent flaps open and squinting his eyes into the darkness. The air is bitterly cold. A heavy shiver rattles Gale's spine as he steps out and toward their trembling partner. Tav stands in front of the pile of smoldering wood in the middle of the circle of tents, arms crossed, head resting against their own shoulder as they mull over their words. They roll their tongue behind their teeth and turn to the wizard, face red. "Talk about what, Gale? Talk about your willingness to just.. To just.. Explode?!" Gale is taken aback by the venom in their voice and he raises an eyebrow, throwing his hands up into the air in frustration.

"You wanna talk about your willingness to leave me?" Tav's voice breaks and Gale's heart goes along with it. The metaphorical steam billowing from his ears and nostrils settles and he reaches for Tav's body, Tav swatting reluctantly as his hands as the take short steps away from him. "Tav, please.." he begs. His own resolve falters as Tav continues to back away from him into the dark. The heavy scent of burning wood and smoke assaults his nostrils as he feels around in the dark for Tav's figure, stumbling over a log and toppling into a rigid body with a thud. The air falls still as they stand for a moment, waiting for each other to speak. Finally Gale breaks and he reaches for Tav's cold fingers, intertwining them with his. He gives them a gentle tug toward his warm body, encircling them in the tightest embrace he can muster. "Speak to me..". he mumbles into their pointed ear, breath steaming in the frigid air.

"You're going to do it, aren't you?" Tav asks again as they nuzzle their face into Gale's chest, the velvet of his robe comforting and soft against their cheeks. A hand reaches up to smooth down Tav's messy hair as Gale ponders his next words carefully. Sure his true intentions would fall on deaf ears right now. He's in love with Tav. He'd do anything to keep them safe. To make sure they make it out of this alive. His heart thumps in his chest, blood near boiling with anxiety as he places his hands on Tav's shoulders and tugs them away from him, forcing eye contact. "You know that.. I love you, right?' Tav's stomach drops. They nod slowly, eyebrows knitting together tightly as their bottom lip quivers. "Of course I do.." Oh gods, here it comes. Heat rises in their throat and they swallow the lump harshly. Gale inhales deeply through his nose as he prepares his words, tugging Tav close to him again to avoid having to look them in the eye. He can't bear to watch them cry.

"If I must use the orb to keep this world safe, then so be it; I'll die to protect you." The damn breaks, tears cascading down Tav's cheeks in an uncontrollable stream of salty waterfalls. Their grip on Gale tightens now, fingers grasping at the back of his robes as if he'd vanish in their arms in that very instant. Their voice cracks and trembles through their sobs, heart skipping in their chest. "I don't want someone who will die for me!" their voice raises to a strained yell. Fists raise from around Gale's waist and to his chest, pounding weakly against it with saddened rage. Gale's eyes fall closed, a tear of his own trickling down his cheek and into his beard. His hands snap up to grasp at Tav's wrists swiftly stopping their, albeit weak, assault on his ribs. Their eyes meet his and they finally fall apart, knees buckling beneath them as they force out their next words. "I want someone who will live for me.."

Gale kneels down, face nuzzling lovingly into Tav's stomach, his hands resting on either side of their thighs. With a heavy sigh, Tav tangles their fingers in the wizard's hair, sniffling and blinking tears away from their long lashes. Gentle fingers rub soothing circles into where they lie and Gale speaks softly, voice partially muffled by the way his forehead rests on Tav's pelvis now.

"I'd die and live a thousand times if it meant eternity by your side."

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale x tav #fic request

[underprivilegedcactus]

It's totally fine if you don't think God!Gale and Ascended!Astarion endings are necessarily bad endings. I agree there's definitely some ambiguity when it comes to these outcomes, but there's something that people should consider: When writing a character, one of the things a writer can choose to focus on to build them out is to consider What They Want vs. What They Need.

Gale WANTS to become a god (eventually) to both show up Mystra and to help mortals the way he feels that gods should. What Gale NEEDS is to realise that he is enough as is, that he is more than just his power and any more strength he could aqcuire. Gale needs to have more confidence in his own self worth.

Astarion WANTS ultimate power so that no can ever hurt him or those he loves ever again. He wants to be so strong that no one would even try to harm him, and if they do he can effortlessly squash them. For him, it's only through power that he can ever be truly and forever free. What Astarion NEEDS is healing from centuries of cruelty through true friendship or even romantic love and to be seen as an equal, to take back control of his bodily autonomy and choices, and to become actually free from not only Cazador, but from becoming a slave to his darkest impulses that his rough life has exacerbated.

Sure, both Gale and Astarion are happy when they get what they want, but there's lots of hints that it's not what they really needed.

Gale becomes the god of ambition, which is never satisfied with its lot and will likely cause trouble for the pantheon down the line. It's also very clear that he lost a vital part of himself, and I don't think it's his connection with his mother or Tara, which are still important facets but are ultimately not the core of what he lost. It's the fact that he no longer cares about doing actual good for people, a key component of his former personality. One of the things I love about his character is that no matter how high he rose, mortal Gale still cared about helping people in positive ways. Ambition doesn't give a damn where its drive takes people, for better or for worse. Mortal Gale would be horrified if he knew that he influenced evil people to do worse things in the name of ambition. Mortal Gale would also be horrified that his god version openly admits to not offering ANYTHING to his followers, which is anathema to what Gale originally wanted godhood for. But hey, he got what he wants and he's happy, so that MUST be good, right?

Ascended Astarion has entirely lost any shred of his humanity, and is now a complete slave to his darkest desires. He no longer views his romantic partner as a person. They're just his most prized object, whether they want to be or not. He enslaves other people, inflicting on them the exact kind of bondage he had to deal with for two centuries, including the person he used to love. On top of all that, he loses his capacity to even recognize the wrongness of his actions. For all intents and purposes, Ascended Astarion becomes a megalomaniacal homicidal psychopath who's hunger knows no bounds. Worse, he has no way to ever recognise if this is a problem anymore or something he doesn't like. But again, he got what he wants and he's happy, so it MUST be a good thing, right?

There's nothing wrong if you still see these outcomes as good endings, or even just better endings than an outright "bad" ending. I see what you mean, and also, it's a video game and these are fictional characters, not people who can actually get hurt. Like so much media and art, it's really more of a thought experiment than any kind of moral indicator.

I do however implore you to consider why so many people, Larian included, don't see these outcomes as good, and in some ways perhaps even worse than other "bad" endings. A very common but very relevant trope in storytelling is "be careful what you wish for because you might just get it", and it's usually to remind us that getting what we want isn't always what's best for us in the long run.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 gale #bg3 spoilers #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #astarion #bg3 astarion #storytelling

[themindarchive]

Lost Son of Mystra Au

What if, in order to prevent Karsus's folly from happening again, Mystra created a failsafe?

What if that failsafe was to craft a daughter, built from her essence, that acted as a weave energy generator so that magic will never be lost again?

But, what if, in a similar manner to what Gale did, she asked for a way to prove she wasnt just some battery but could be useful in other ways on the material plane?

What if, unlike with Gale, she relented and used a piece of the karnite weave to make a regulator so her magic wouldnt go out of control with no way to purge the acess magic she would generate on the material plane?

What if that regulator, was the orb?

And What if, her task was to bring her young talented wizards to make her chosen?

What if during this task she foudn that there were many areas that didn't take a woman seriously or were downright dangerous for a woman alone and so she used her magic to disguise herself as a man?

What if, after she began traveling as a man, she found she never wanted to go back?And in his first act of rebellion, he made it so he would never have to again?

What if this was what began the rift between mother and child that would grow wider and wider as he see's what she does to the boys he brings to her?

What if, the last boy he brings her is Elminster, whom he trains to be able to resist her influence so he can keep from getting used up and destroyed like the others before him?

Of course, when she finds out, she gets angry and demands that her daughter to do as she is told.

And He tells her to go fuck herself.

So, she violently removes the orb form his body and casts him away as punishment, effectivly making him for all intents and purposes a energy generator with nowhere for the energy to go until it bursts out of him. In sometimes brutal and devastating ways. (Wild Magic Sorceror on steroids)

So, in retaliation and guilt, he conspires and to some extent suceeds in warning others about what happens to the young wizards his mother casts her eyes on. (Think mincs story from his homeland.)

And then, one day, while working in Waterdeep as a traveling enchanter, he meets a young boy who talks his ear off about magic and all the spells he has been able to cast and comauns that his parents wouldnt let him have a kitten as a familiar.

So, feeling the strong connectuon the kid has with the weave already, he teached him how to summon one, culminating in him meeting his new tressym the very next day.

Then, as he is talking to him and his new friend, he feels his mothers eyes fall on the boy and not a few days later see's Elminster arrive in the city and leave with the boy.

So, he follows them, in an attempt to keep the boy from his mother and gets into a heated fight with Elminster while they belive the boy is asleep in his tent.

However part way through the fight, he is forced to flee because he could feel the magic burst coming, having to get as far away as possible to keep from hurting them.

He ends up having a burst so bad it renders him unconcious in the Astral for several years.

But, what if, unbenownst to the two men, the boy hadn't been asleep at all and saw the whole thing, always wondering why the kind street enchanter that always listned to his stories was trying to keep him from what everyone seemed so happy about?

What if, even after the boy eventually became Gale the Wizard of Waterdeep, that that night still popped into his mind on occasion and made him wonder...whatever happened to that man and why was he so adamant about him not serving Mystra?

Then, what if, in a similar way to Mystra's lost son, Gale wanted to prove himself worthy of being her equal and learned of a piece of the weave sealed away?

And what if, only too late, he now understood why that man was trying had tried to keep him away from her?

After he is cast out however, Elminster, against Mystra's orders, told her son about what happened to the orb, causing him to seek out the human man who was now cursed with it.

Only, just before they would have met, the illithid ship shows up and they both get taken.

When they join together, only he recognizes the boy, now a very attractive man named Gale of Waterdeep, as the one he tried to save and knows exactly what his mother did to him. So to make up for it he does everyhting he can to help him with the orb now bound in his chest.

Luckily, despite the often deep seated rivalry that happens between wizards and sorcerors, the two get along very well making it all the easier to help him and for both men to start to fall for each other.

But, after the orb starts to show signs of the magic items no longer working, Mystra's son finds he isn't able to discharge the extra magic in his system like usual and finds himself on the verge of a very bad burst that wraps him in a violent shield of volitile magic that is about to explode.

As this happens the orb responds tapping into Gale on an instinctual level traching him exactly what he needs to do.

With knowledge in hand he charges forward, through the field, dropping to his knees in front of him, grabs his hand a presses it against the orb in his chest, then pulls him inti a tight embrace.

Immedietly the magic begins to be sucked in causing both men to cling to eachother for dear life.

Unfortunately though, the tadpole takes the oppurtunity to snitch on him and reveals who he is to Gale, much to his frustration.

The orb's hunger rapidly dissipates and for the first time in a long while, it feels completly sated. Where the pressure that seems to always be under Mystra's son's skin recedes completly, causing him to weep for several minutes.

Afterward They have a long talk and arrange a system to keep both of them stable.

But due to the often close quarters nature of it, there feelings for eachother only grow stronger and harder to ignore. Culmminating in a very spicy makeout session at the celebration party that gets interuppted by a pair of drunken tieflings.

However, later on when Elminster appears to tell Gale what Mystra wants from him, he also tells Mystra's son, in cryptic language and facial expressions, the reason she is taking drastic measures.

He also brings with him an amulet that will channel the extra weave energy back into the weavw itself so he doesnt ha e to worrt about having another bad burst again.

Now stable, both men take advantage of what time they have left, but come morning post nut clarity kicks in and he wakes up the entire camp shouting: "It's the fucking Crown!"

Now knowing what his mother is up to he spends the rest of the game loving the shit out of his wizard and planning to use the crown as leverage to free both of them from thier conditions.

A deal that culminates in him giving the crown back to his mother in exchange for the orb to be removed from Gale and placed back in him, but at the cost of him becoming completly mortal.

And so, the two men live out the rest of thier lives together, perishing side by side as the orb destructs far away from.any known civilization.

#gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 tav #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate 3 #gale x tav

[galesdevoteewife]

i mean, maybe the mystra hate is disproportional, but from tav's pov, she did ask tav's wizard to kill himself? to take himself away from tav and remove any future they could possibly have together? to discard their connection? can one stay objective about the non-humanness of gods, when the gods are asking for your soul, your home, your love? gale, experienced with mystra as he is, maybe could, but a tav?

First, thanks for the ask!! How I love questions that let me dive into fantasy and imagine how things feel <3 I will answer in both my Tav's and player's POV. It’s going to be purely personal since every person/Tav has a different background and a huge variety of personalities.

Short answer: Mystra ASKED, but she didn’t TAKE. so my Tav was fine with her.

[Act3 spoiler and datamine ahead]

Still, I can certainly see how Mystra's martyrdom request could deeply hurt Gale. He was unsure if they might still be in a relationship, and ordering him to kill himself was definitely a shocking, heartbreaking, world-shaking breakup for him...Mystra was not only his lover, also his guidance: 'teacher and muse', the exact wording.

Astarion: So, do you have loves waiting for you once this is all over? Gale: You know what - that is not the easiest of questions for me to answer. In my opinion, Gale only really made moves in romance after he was certain that his relationship with Mystra was over, which happened after meeting Elminster.

| My Tav's POV A bit of background: My canon tav is a Lolth-sworn drow spider baby, named Zilvera. Where she comes from, humanoid sacrifice happens all the time and no good reason needed. I couldn't imagine she made too much fuss about Elminster saying some words. (even came with an orb stabilizing spell, that's nice) She would, however, be furious if Elminster was sent to snatch her wizard. 1) Zilvera had fallen for the wizard much earlier. She saw it as an opportunity: "They officially broke up, and he feels cold towards her now? Great, that’s my chance! I will treat you so much better, be with me instead!" 2) She didn't plan to let Mystra take the wizard from her, she wanted to find the wiggle room in Mystra’s words —"Use the bomb to destroy the heart of the Absolute." She wouldn't mind playing Mystra's riddle game, but she wanted to win. Overconfident and arrogant as it might seem, yet that's her.

"So, she didn't specifically ask for his life. Good." "Is it possible to trigger the orb another way?" "We need to find out what the heart of the Absolute is." "Would Raphael be able to do something about it?" "Can I resurrect him afterwards?"

3) She sees Mystra as 'useful.' My Tav is the worst cleric material. Deities are nothing but a source of power and favor to her. She was impressed by the stabilization spell, and she wondered what else Mystra's favor could provide for her purpose: the well-being of her wizard. As far as she's concerned, the orb needs to be cured; it’s making her crush unwell and sad. Later on in Act 3, she even grew to like Mystra because the goddess offered an actual cure. What's even better was that what Mystra wanted already aligned with her agenda: kill the Netherbrain. It's two birds with one stone. Mystra seems to be a high-ranked goddess who takes bargain and gives practical boons. Zilvera likes her for those. | My POV, as a player

I, who obviously lost my mind for the fictional wizard, wasn't annoyed much because Mystra wasn't being pressing. Meaning:

Mystra didn't send Elminster to kidnap/mind-control my wizard from camp and use him as if he was just a piece of tool. Elminster is very powerful and likely capable for such task.

There's no threat. She didn't sneak a hidden feature into her spell, and trigger the orb without Gale's consent when he was convinced to live in the colony. She didn't say anything implying that defying her orders would result in harsh punishment. Unless Gale is up for challenging her, that would be a different story.

There's no debuff, ability, or item lost when you defy her/simply being rude. Some conversation options were really rough! xD But she seems chill.

She didn't insult my wizard. In fact, she held him in high regard, trusted the future of magic/world in his hands and wisdom. Certainly much kinder than Gale's university assessment.

In my gameplay, the in-game actions Mystra has ever taken include (1) ghosting Gale for a year, (2) sending Elminster twice, (3) chatting, and (4) providing buffs if you burned the shadow weave in the cursed land. It's not even difficult to convince her at the shrine meeting. She was like, "You don't want to die, fine. But the Netherbrain and the crown must be removed. I will help you as long as those are taken care of." — and that was when the goddess wasn't exactly in a good mood.

"...the 'orb' sleeps is because I have allowed it to feed on the true Weave..." She is the weave, aka she is feeding the orb with HERSELF, and she didn't like that. It's the piece of information hinting she didn't just wave her hand and make all the problems go away — it cost her too.

Hope I am not missing anything. Please feel free to ask me anything if I do!

I tried to approach the subject with a more general term without sidetracking too much with my own Tav's setting, but I find that really hard since everyone reacts differently to things. I mean, I could totally see a Mystra cleric being shocked, or a warlock mocking how little differences there are between a god and a devil. All narrative is valid in my opinion. So here I am, indulging myself to unleash my overly invested Tav story xD Do keep in mind I am just chipping in my iteration though <3

#bg3 #gale x tav #gale romance #bg3 spoilers #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 mystra #bg3 datamine

[goodluckdetective]

FIC: KISS ME, SON OF GOD

Ship: Gale/Durge, past Durge/Gortash and Gale/Mystra. This is a fic mainly about Gale and Gortash though.

Fandom: BG3

Warnings: Everything about Gale's backstory

Rating: PG-13

AO3

Summary: 

Lord Gortash and Gale of Waterdeep have more in common than their mutual associate.

Far more in common than Gale would like.

Based on my own post found here

Notes:

Slaps Gortash Hey, is this a Gale character foil? While there is a Durge here, I’ve used the default name as Tav and not provided much about them, simply because this is a fic about two ambitious men, not Durge.  The fic title comes from the They Might be Giants song of the same name. 

Fic is below the cut

Gale couldn’t remember the last time he cast the spell Dream.

It had to be sometime during his upper level schooling years, before he became Mystra’s chosen, but not by much. There was a classmate he fancied, a tiefling in his upper level illusion magic seminars who had a snort for a laugh and did the Waterdeep crossword each morning. In an attempt to impress them, he’d offered to cast dream on them, and when they’d agreed, he’d practically begged Tara to help him acquire a feather from a sleeping pigeon. 

For the dream, he’d conjured them a dream about the city of Neverwinter, a place he had only visited once but he knew they missed terribly. He could remember walking with them that night through the image of the sprawling gardens he’d made, speaking a mile a minute so he couldn’t think about his racing pulse. When they’d reached down to cup a red flower that bloomed even in the darkest of winters, Gale had turned a similar shade of crimson. 

They’d thanked him for the gesture the next day, but nothing further came from it. They were both quickly drowned in more classwork and Gale suspected he came on a tad too strong. But it was a nice memory all the same.

He wasn’t sure if he’d cast dream since, he’d seen it employed both as a means of sending messages and for darker purposes. Early in his tenure as Mystra’s chosen, he’d tracked down a hired killer who used the spells nightmarish aspects to kill from a distance, his victims falling asleep one night only to never wake up. They’d tried killing him with it, and Gale had woken up the next morning with the worst headache of his life and a terrible nosebleed. The experience had ruined the spell for him somewhat, knowing how easy it was to twist something potentially beautiful into something deadly. 

Maybe that was how he knew what was going on, when he found himself standing in a grand hall despite no memory of arriving there. There was something about how being in a Dream spell felt like moving through rapid water, where every movement took a little more effort than usual. He reached down and pinched the back of his palm and when it didn’t hurt, he looked up to take in the setting around him.

It was Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, he realized. He’d been there the previous day to watch a madman be crowned Duke and crow in their faces. It wasn’t an exact replica; the ceilings were lower to give a more congested feel, and the brick walls were not as smooth as their counterparts, jagged edges pointing out of the walls. But it was recognizable.

“I can’t say I wanted to be back here anytime soon,” Gale said, walking up to the still figure of a Flaming Fist. He waved his hand in front of their face and watched as they didn’t respond. “But I suppose I don’t exactly have a choice, do I?”

No one replied to him. Gale looked down and took in his outfit; he was wearing the same thing he’d worn during the mockery of a coronation. That narrowed down who he suspected of casting this, though there was an off chance he could be wrong. But given that one would either need to be an accomplished caster to complete this spell, or have the funds to purchase a scroll instead, he had a good feeling his hunch was right. 

“Are you going to show yourself or are you just going to skip to the chase and try to kill me? Because frankly, I don’t see the reason for subterfuge, Lord Gortash.”

It was a gamble to say his name out loud when he wasn’t certain, but Gale felt confident on this one. There was the sound of someone clapping with metal clad hands and Gale turned to find the man in question now standing at the front of the room, back where he’d stood that day. He too, looked the same as he had during his coronation, though Gale would have sworn the gold embroidery on his outfit was far flashier than it was in real life. Gortash gave him an unkind smile, one that reminded Gale of hungry knolls, and held his hands out.

“So you are as clever as you appear. Good; it would be disappointing if otherwise. Gale of Waterdeep, I assume? Our mutual friend never introduced us properly.” 

The term mutual friend made Gale’s stomach churn. That had been the worst part of the coronation at Wyrm’s Rock, where Gortash had looked at their leader, the person Gale had fallen in love with and greeted them with a familiar grin. Gale had watched as Gortash told Tav of a master plan crafted by hands Gale knew the callouses of. He had watched as the person he now shared a bed with become unrecognizable in just a single conversation. 

He still hadn’t talked to them about it, other than mentioning it was a lot and while he still loved them, he needed some time. Guilt and rage fought against one another in his mind, guilt for abandoning them when they were so clearly hurting, rage at someone who no longer existed but shared a face with someone he so adored. They instead both talked around the issue, racing around the city to accomplish a variety of tasks. And while he sometimes forgot the terrible news in the rush of fights and new discoveries, it always came right back to him when he looked at Tav and saw them looking at him like he was about to vanish. 

He gone to sleep alone in his own tent both the night before and tonight, though not before ensuring someone was watching out for Tav. Gale knew what having one’s world flipped on its head could do to a person and while he felt currently incapable of addressing Tav with the care needed for the situation, he did not want them to stumble alone until he found his own footing. Thankfully, Astarion and Wyll had seemed up to the task, and Gale thanked them both before he’d gone to his own bedroll. 

He hated himself for keeping his distance, but he also knew that if he forced himself to speak on the matter too soon, he might say something he would later regret. And while it absolutely hurt Tav now for him to keep them at arm’s length, he feared he’d hurt them worse should he misstep.

He loved them, fiercely, even in light of the darkness of their past. He despised who they used to be. He wanted them to answer his questions. He knew they couldn’t given their lack of memories. A small part of him was terrified of them. A much larger part was terrified for them. 

“I’m Gale of Waterdeep, yes,” Gale said, snapping back to the present. Self reflection could wait until he wasn’t staring down a chosen of the Dead Three. “Sorry to belabor the point, but is this an attempt to kill me?”

“No, no, nothing like that. I am trying to encourage an alliance between our respective parties; assassination would risk spoiling that diplomacy. And if I wanted you dead, I would use methods better suited to handling a wizard of your caliber.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Gale said, voice dry. 

“It was intended as one. I’ve managed to learn quite a bit about you in the last half day and I must say, I’m rather impressed. Top of your class, prodigy, Mystra’s chosen. A fine reputation. Far more suited for Tav’s company than the rest of your little band.”

The praise soured with the last sentence. Karlach and Wyll were also present at that mockery of a coronation. Gale remembered feeling the heat pouring off of Karlach in waves as she took in the man who ruined her life, he’d heard the sharp intake of breath as Wyll saw the puppet Gortash had made of his father. Gale had not missed how Gortash spoke to them both as if they were no more than accessories to Tav’s presence. And while Gortash hadn’t paid Gale any mind either, Gale doubted the Lord would be visiting either of the twos dreams with honeyed words of praise.

Once, in the Shadowed Lands, after Elminster’s message was delivered, Karlach had pulled Gale aside as they walked towards Moonrise. Tav was at the front of the group, twitchier than usual and Wyll lingered behind Gale and Karlach, looking tortured at every sign of a life cut short. Karlach’s hand on Gale’s shoulder was smoothing, the heat a balm to the pain of the orb. Gale had barely turned her way when she’d looked him straight in the eye and said “I won’t accept you blowing yourself up until you can look me in the eye and tell me that I should just burn myself out taking down Gortash.” Before Gale could reply , she’d sprang ahead, a skip in her step, asking Tav about extra coin and leftover whisky. Gale watched her with his jaw agape and when Wyll walked past him, the man shrugged.

“You heard her,” the warlock said, a lazy stride in his step. “Gotta say, she’s got a good argument.” He spun on his heel, a movement that reminded Gale of Wyll’s boasts about dancing to look at Gale properly. “A word of wisdom: it’s easier to be cruel to ourselves than to our friends.”

Gale decided everyone he traveled with was officially insane. “I’m not being cruel to myself. I’m being practical.” And wasn’t he? The orb would solve the problem of the Absolute and win him Mystra’s forgiveness in one action. He knew the others didn’t agree, they’d told him that plenty, but what was the alternative? Hoping the stopgap measure lasted as long as possible while he looked for a cure? Waste their time and resources trying to fix something of his own making? 

Gale of Waterdeep, Chosen of Mystra, had died when Gale found the orb. Gale was just his shade. Why not set his tale to rest properly?

Wyll had reached forward and grabbed the shoulder Karlach hadn’t touched. His grasp was different from Karlach’s, his hands smaller but no less firm. His voice was kind when he spoke, but serious.

“The fact you keep telling yourself that is partly what makes it so cruel.”

Gale ended up not taking the path Mystra set for him, something he was thankful for to this day. A good portion of the reason why was Tav, but his other traveling companions had all played their part in convincing him to stay his hand. These were the people Lord Gortash looked on in contempt: those who’d heard the opinion of a God and cast it aside in favor of the life of a mortal wizard. 

“I think Tav’s choice in company is quite excellent, actually,” Gale said, raising his chin. “Far superior than the company they used to keep, at any rate.”

Gortash grinned at the barb. “You don’t say? I will admit, I find it interesting you attracted their affections.”

Gale tried not to react to the observation. He knew their relationship wasn’t much of a secret, but something about this man mentioning it so casually felt wrong. He had no right to information on Tav’s new life, one they’d forged out of nothing but what they’d woke up on the nautiloid with. 

Something in Gale’s face must have given him away, because Gortash chuckled. He walked over, his footsteps echoing louder against the floor than they would in real life, and then strolled behind Gale. He circled Gale casually, like Tara did when she caught a mouse and was deciding just how she wanted to play with her food. 

“Interesting, isn’t it? They went from the Chosen of Bane, to the Chosen of Mystra. Well, former chosen,” Gortash added. Gale didn’t flinch, continuing to watch him, chin held high. He’d suspected as much about Tav and Gortash’s previous relationship, though it was unpleasant to have it confirmed. 

“As I said, their taste in company has clearly improved,” Gale said, voice dry. He didn’t miss how Gortash’s right hand curled into a fist at the statement. Good to know the Chosen of Bane could be ruffled about his personal life. That was a weakness one could exploit.  

“Or maybe yours has lessened. I don’t know of your previous conquests, but you don’t seem the type to bed Bhallspawn.”

“They aren’t a conquest,” Gale hissed, even though he knew his reaction would be used against him. To use such a term for a relationship with someone; it disgusted him. Of course an acolyte of Bane would see it that way, used to viewing the world as something to mold and control. Tav was many things to Gale at this point, and despite the recent revelations about their past, none of those things had changed. 

Tav was a friend who saved up extra coin so he could copy down new spell scrolls, even when they wouldn’t be tactically useful. Tav was a teammate, who made sure to stand between him and the enemy so he could cast without disturbance. Tav was a hero who fought against their nature every hour, and suffered for it greatly with little sleep and terrible headaches.

Tav was someone Gale fell in love with as soon as they grabbed both his shoulders after Elminster’s visit and said “your life is more than a tool for some God.”

Tav’s past was a lot, Gale hadn’t been lying about that, but regardless of who Tav used to be, he was proud to stand next to them today. 

He should tell them that, when he woke up, he thought. 

“Forgive my language,” Gortash said, then turned so he was shoulder to shoulder with Gale. “I suppose it makes sense,” he continued. He was far too close, merely inches away. If they were not in a dream, Gale could probably smell his breath. “Them having a taste for the Chosen. After all, that kind of power is enticing. Tell me Gale of Waterdeep; do you think we could have been friends?” 

Gale mentally scrambled to make sense of the inquiry. “What kind of question is that?”

“An honest one. I know you care little for my ideals, but it’s important to find ground with one’s potential allies.”

Gale could see the game Gortash was playing. He saw how disgusted Wyll and Karlach were at his proposed alliance. If he wanted to convince Tav to join forces, it would help if someone else was in his corner. As Tav’s lover who had no history with the man outside of the tadpoles, Gale was likely his best option to convince.

Something about that bothered Gale. The fact Lord Gortash looked upon him and saw a potential ally implied that the Archduke was either ignorant about Gale’s character or that he saw something in Gale that the wizard refused to recognize. 

Gale wanted to believe it was the former, but Gortash was a politician. That was not a job one kept by reading people poorly.

No, that couldn’t be it. Gale had his faults, yes, but they were not the kind that murdered people in their beds and made puppets of innocents. Gortash had made a miscalculation. 

“So that’s what this is about; convince me to convince Tav. Or is this some kind of power play.” 

Gortash laughed, low and hearty. He was actually amused, which Gale found deeply unsettling. “I’m the Chosen of Bane, everything I do is a power play, but no. Your first theory was correct; I want to establish an alliance. I thought you may be more receptive.”

“What makes you say that?”

Gortash stopped pacing, stopping in front of Gale. He eyed him from the toes of his boots, up his body and then lingered on his face. “You’re a smart man; if Orin gets all three stones, this city will go to the Hells. She’s all impulse, no brains; a rabid dog more than anything else. Not exactly the person you want to lead.” 

That wasn’t untrue. From what little Gale knew of Tav’s sister, the Gate in her hands would be a bloody massacre. But claiming to be a better leader than Orin wasn’t worth much confidence. “And you’ll be such a fine and generous sovereign.”

“I’m not going to insult your intelligence and pretend that’s the case. But I can promise you that in my hands, we won’t all turn into mind flayers or corpses.” Gortash gestured to his gauntlets, the claws sharp and tipped. On the back of the palm was engraved the symbol of Bane, something that Gale was sure wasn’t on them in the real world. A gauntlet hand gripped in a tight fist; this was one of the many symbols Bane’s faithful prayed to. “Bane is a God of Order.”

“And the God of Tyrants.”

“Tyrant is such a dirty word for someone who simply wants things to go smoothly. I might be harsher than you might like, but I crave stability as much as any other man. Convince Tav to work with me and you’ll be able to do as you please once the Stones are mine.”

“All with the worm in my head to make sure I follow orders.”

“Only if they interfere against my own. It’s not so hard a life; you’ve lived it before. Being the Chosen of a God.”

“You’re no God. You’re just a man.”

Gortash looked at Gale like he was deeply stupid. Almost pitying. Like Gale was overlooking something so clearly obvious. “For now. The Stones will change that. Anyways, why would I be a man, when I could be a God?”

And Gale’s breath caught in his chest. 

A memory came to him, one from earlier that day. They’d managed to break into the vault to gather The Annals of Karsus, and Gale hadn’t hesitated to start reading as soon as he left the vault. He couldn’t help himself from flipping through the pages as he walked back to camp, mind spinning off into countless of possibilities. 

With the crown he could cure himself of the orb. The agony in his chest would be nothing more than a memory, the scar a reminder of his greatest victory instead of his worst failure. He wouldn’t have to go rely on Mystra to fix him, he wouldn’t have to go back like a starved dog and hope to garner enough affection to cure his plight. Hells, he could meet her as an equal, no more than an equal, and that presented even more possibilities. 

How many things had Gale wished to change as Chosen only to find the power out of his grasp. Even with the approval of Mystra behind him, he couldn’t stop a city from being wiped out from a flood, or feed all the starving people in Waterdeep. He’d been incapable of addressing problems that weren’t Mystra’s concern, all the power at his fingertips dependent on her approval. If she were to fix him, if she were to take him back, he’d still have those limitations.

Would Mystra lend him the power to repair Karlach’s engine, or would that be considered extraneous? Would she aid him in fixing Astarion's vampirism, or would she claim that kind of magic was too powerful to touch. Would she help him fight against Bhaal himself for Tav’s freedom, or would she decline, telling him an empathetic but unchanging conviction, that she was not to mess in the affairs of other Gods. 

If Gale kept the crown, he would not need to convince her. He could just do it himself. He could turn his friends’ biggest problems into nothing more than a bad memory. He could-

“With the crown, I could surpass Mystra. I could be more than Gale of Waterdeep,” he’d told Tav back in camp, almost bouncing on his heels with excitement. He wasn’t sure of the specifics yet, there was far more to read, far more to study, but he was sure the potential was there. When Tav bit their lower lip, he felt his enthusiasm wane slightly. 

“But I like Gale of Waterdeep,” Tav said. Gale shook his head and showed them the pages of the crown, his finger pointing to the most pertinent bits. Usually Tav delighted in his lectures about magic. To see them instead so nervous was an uncomfortable change.  

"I’d still be Gale of Waterdeep, just more,” Gale said, taking their hand in his while holding the book with the other. “I could be a God with a mortal’s heart. Think about all the people I could save, all the lives I could improve. No more would people pray to uncaring ears; I’d hear them instead. The hurt, the needy, the frightened; with that kind of power at my fingertips, I relieve their burdens. I’d have the power to save them all. I’d be able to-Why are you looking at me like that?”

Tav was staring at him, face blank, eyes wide. It was a look they got on rare occasions when they remembered something. When they spoke, their voice wavered. 

“I just….I think I’ve heard this before. That’s all. I’m sorry.”

And then they’d walked off, leaving Gale alone with his book and the ambitions tucked within their pages. 

Gortash didn’t seem to notice Gale was lost in his own recollections. Instead, he walked up to the wizard and patted his shoulder. Like he’d patted Tav’s earlier that day. 

“Think about it, that’s all I ask. And send Tav my fondest regardless.”

Gale woke up, a yell caught in his throat. The agony the orb sometimes provided flared through his chest and he bent over, clutching his arms across his chest. It took a minute for the pain to subside and when it did, he breathed in heavy breaths, trying desperately to stop his mind from racing. With a trembling hand, he reached up to wipe under his nose.

There was no nosebleed. Gortash was not lying; he was not trying to kill him. As far as Gale could tell, the man’s proposal had been entirely sincere. 

He tried to sit up and faltered as his hand landed on a book instead of his bedroll. Under his palm was The Annals of Karsus. Gale had been pouring through the pages before he went to bed, studying the diagrams for the crown, thinking of the possibilities should he manage to reforge it. He’d even left his notebook out next to it, his excitement clear in how frantic his scribbled notes were. 

Gale felt like he might be sick. With shaking hands, he pushed the book under a blanket, and laid back on his bedroll. Closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He wasn't anything like Gortash. He wanted to help people. He wanted to save others. He wanted control of his own life-

His breath hitched. 

“I just….I think I’ve heard this before. That’s all. I’m sorry.”

The memory of Tav's expression haunted him until he fell back asleep. 

#iz writes #enver gortash #gortash x durge #dark urge #durge #gale x durge #gale dekarios #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

[commander-rahrah]

Only for him - Gale x GN!Reader

Pairing: Gale x GN!Reader Word Count: ~ 530 Warnings/Tags: act 2 spoilers, angst, hurt, talk of death and blood, eventually happyish?, no use of y/n, some in game dialogue Setting: Act 2, Ilithid Colony under Moonrise Towers

archiveofourown: here

masterlist: here

I've been flipping back in forth between my fics, while also finishing up my most recent playthrough of my fighter Tav x Gale romance save. And I couldn't help but want to make more of an angsty/hurt version of the conversation you have with him when you convince Gale to not blow himself the eff up in Moonrise Towers.

For the purposes of this tiny little ficlit, Tav/Reader is a melee tank (fighter, paladin, etc.) Folk Hero who has been through the ringer, lost many people and is just very... very tired. And has been waiting to get their own happy ending for so long that they thought it would never happen.

Anyways, I have enough on my plate with my two fics so I'm not committing to anything but I really enjoyed fleshing out this little headcannon dream I had while playing my newest playthrough. And I think Gale deserves all the love too! Thank you for reading, and if you liked it let a girl know!

`✵•.¸,✵°✵.｡.✰ ✰.｡.✵°✵,¸.•✵´`✵•.¸,✵°✵.｡.✰ ✰.｡.✵°✵,¸.•✵´

"This is it. I must do as Mystra commands." Gale took a steadying breath, his brown eyes looking anywhere but you. He had them focused ahead, on the monstrosity that was the so-called Absolute.

His leather boot took one step forward, but his movement halted as you stepped in front of him. Your heart was aching, a real physical pain cracking through it. "Gale, you cannot do this. Please, don't do this." You begged, your armored hand wrapped around his bound forearm.

You watched his throat bob as he swallowed thickly, "What choice do I have? More than just a goddess counts on my courage: whole worlds hang in the balance." His dark eyes looked at you sadly, anguish etching the features of his face as his wrist turned so he could hold back onto you. His fingers trembling like it would be his last touch.

Your lips quivered as you stepped closer to him. Even in this dank, evil abyss under the Tower you breathed in his familiar, warm scent. "I have spent my entire life fighting and bleeding. All I have known is death. I have stared it down on my knees, shattered and broken - even if it never came to take me, it took everyone else. And I was… so tired, so ready to give up." Tears were welling in your eyes, emotion crawling up your throat until your words choked out of you. "But then I met you. And all of it, every screaming muscle as I swung my blade, every aching bone as I took another hit, every drop of blood, every scream and tear shed... all of it was worth it. Because it led to you."

Tears were streaming down both of your cheeks now, leaving lines of clean skin as it cut through the dust and dirt and blood that stained your face. "Please, Gale - my love. Don't do this. We have time. We can have time." You grabbed either side of his face, his brown eyes softening as you tipped your forehead onto his. Your voice was a whisper, "I choose you, Gale. Not the wizard, not the sacrifice or Goddess' pawn. The man I love. Choose me back. The one who loves you. We can find another way together. I love you."

"I love you too. Much more than myself. More even than Mystra. Whether I condemn this world or not: I choose you." He nodded, his forehead still pressed tightly to yours as he pressed his lips softly to yours.

It was not the time nor place for such gentle acts of love. Not with an abomination around the corner, not with an undying man waiting to unleash his evil machinations on the world so close by. But you could not help yourself, not when it came to Gale. You pressed your lips harder to his for just a moment longer, memorizing the feeling and taste of him before you pulled away.

The pair of you nodded at each other breathlessly, eyes shifting with determination.

You would draw your sword and hold up your shield again. You would fight another day. Fight for another lifetime. You would stare down and ward off death once again. If only for him. Only for him.

#bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #bg3 gale #gale dekarios #gale x tav #gale x reader #gale/tav #gale/reader #gale x gn!reader

[trashcatsnark]

Just rambling because I really wanna be feral about my bg3 tav and dont have a place to really do so lmao but my little rotted brain wanted to play with the whole- tadpole fucks with previous conditions/characters shit. Ala making Astarion able to walk in sunlight and and seemingly making Gale's orb hungrier/less stable (judging off the first artefact helping him as usual but then the second one doesnt)

And I don't do fantasy often but since arcana Ive always wanted to play with a character with a enchantment/spell on them that makes people forget them shortly after meeting them. Unable to form lasting connections and living a life thats almost entirely in isolation (i love lonely transient bitches)

So, my tav, Petra (half wood elf, rogue/ranger) ran away from a shitass abusive life with her now dead partner who casted the enchantment on them both, so only they could remember one another. Being each other's entire world. Shit happens, her lover dies, but the enchantment is binded to their instrument (lover was a bard)

Which is all build up to say, she had and only wanted a cozy insignificant existence, because significance just means giving people the power to hurt her/being known means vulnerability and yet now thanks to the tadpole, she is being perceived and thats horrifying enough- i also really love the extent that Petra contradicts with many of the companions in terms of the idea of ambition and desire.

For so many of the companions (except Karlach really) insignificance is their like nightmare. Gale has both an innate hunger f for power because he derives his sense of self-worth from being a powerful, significant, and impressive wizard. Gale of Waterdeep, chosen of Mystra, deep down he does want a more simple life of relaxing in his tower and idly reading, and cooking for someone he loves but he can't ever seem to fully shake this feeling that when he sees power or opportunity he must grasp it because without talent, power, significance, magic, utility- he thinks he has no worth at all. Astarion craves power, once you start to enter act 2, he starts to talk about how he thinks the player has ambition and that maybe heyyy you can use that ambition for me? Because to him ambition and power, his own or using someone elses is how he'll find a way to permanently escape his abuse. He says he's not content to sculk in the shadows, what good is freedom if he doesn't have the power to make sure he'll never lose it. Wyll, the blade of frontiers, wanting desperately to help everyone- be a hero, make the sword coast proud in a way he never could make his father. He wants to matter, he wants to be important, he is forever burdened by the weight of his mistakes- the pact that binds him, never able to feel free of it and just wants the world to look at him and see something good.

Lae'zel fears insignificance, this is stated plain as day in the scene where she threatens the player, if you choose to probe her thoughts. She's doesn't care if she dies, if her skull splits, and tentacles writhe through her flesh- she's terrified it will happen before her queen ever knows her name, that she'll never be more than a failed soldier, that she'll never wield the silver sword or ride a red dragon. That she'll die before she feels she ever mattered.

Shadowheart wants to be a dark justiciar, she wants to be of value to her god, she wants to matter- similarly to Lae'zel, ironic given their hostility, but it is the same ultimate goal. She doesn't want to be no one, she doesn't just want to be another follower who's struck with pain, mind wiped tirelessly, and nothing to show for it- she wants her pain to have purpose, meaning, even if it's just serving the god causing it. Karlach is already a bit of an oddity in terms of, she never really seems to be scrounging for power and signficance and in fact- her power, her strength, her ability is what led to Zariel choosing her as her attack dog. So, while she's a bit more similar in not having a heavy desire for power, ambition, and a goal beyond- not wanting to be hurt, the desire for freedom and life on her terms. They still differ so greatly in terms of- Karlach lost out on getting to be a part of life for so long, she misses people, connection, and she doesn't want to avoid life because it hurt her, she wants to take back the parts stolen from her- she wants to live and be apart of the world finally again on her terms. Even if it kills her.

And my brain just kind of buzzing and feral for this idea of how she somehow finds herself thrusted into not only being perceived, being surrounded by people who are learning who she is, knowing parts of her she hasn't shared, and also being asked to... lead. When it's never truly been something she craves and even overwhelms her, but it finds her regardless and how she helps ground for many of them their grappling for power/ambition while for her they help her find that... she deserves to be a part of the world around her, that she can touch the world around her and make a difference. And she's no less guilty of wanting something that's bad for her, that she's been alive but not truly living and returning to that loneliness once the tadpole is plucked out won't be peace, won't be contentment, isn't freedom, because it was never that to begin with- she was just languishing in isolation and grief as a living ghost.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #astarion #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #laezel #karlach cliffgate #karlach #bg3 tav #petra of nowhere in particular #something something the balance between being desperate to prove you matter and resigning yourself to the idea you never can #something something the fight of needing to be seen to feel like you matter but the horrifying ordeal of being known #will you forever languish for more knowing you'll never be sated or do you starve yourself so you may learn to live with hunger

[awellboiledicicle]

In the au Gale's going to have two built in reasons to not follow Mystra's command to blow himself to hell, plus a friendly neighborhood Justice going "That would be unwise."

Which is good, because he canonically only needs one.

The fun part is going to be him processing Mystra telling him the path to redemption is death. By which i mean Hawke rolls up his sleeves and goes "here we go again" while Anders just waits for Hawke to be done. Because if there's one thing Hawke's been doing since Kirkwall its been convincing Anders that he doesn't need to die to make up for doing what he thought was the right thing.

Is starting a riot to force a revolution comparable to trying to measure up to impossible standards set by a literal goddess when you're grasping for a way to stay relevant? No, in no way really.

But the fact remains they are both repentant about the aftermath, if nothing else. And they both convinced themselves they didn't deserve to live and that death would somehow fix things.

This all manifests in the three of them sitting somewhere and talking about how maybe she fucked him up a bit. Maybe having a literal goddess go from your childhood mentor to sleeping with you might screw with your head a bit.

Because Gale's problem is he's still in the 'hurt but has not contextualized what happened to him' stage. Like he got the break up thing, he got that part. But he hasn't conceptualized the similarity to say, a powerful elven mage having done a similar trajectory would be obviously fucked up. Exploiting his love and enjoyment of magic itself to apply it to herself, and bestowing the title of chosen on him to really cement the hold she has. Exploiting the learned childhood pattern of wanting to please her and get her approval. Holding the fact she IS the weave over him as an unacknowledged threat if he ever displeased her. He hasn't processed that he was groomed from a young age to be hers, to be used by her. Hes not putting his own actions into context in that way, because he doesn't even seem to have reached the moment of going "huh that was fucked up" yet. All he's running on is how everything effects Mystra, because she was his whole life for so long.

So sitting and talking about it very much is going to feel raw and upsetting for Gale. He very much views himself as the villain and the idea that--while he absolutely did fuck up with the book/orb--Mystra fucked up bigger and worse. And worse still, she did it on purpose. Because she absolutely did not NEED to sleep with him to make him a chosen or teach him magic. That was all her. Which means he'll need to admit that he was a victim and Mystra was an aggressor. Which would be a 'very good thing the orb is stabilized because he is about to be very emotionally distraught' conversation. Even if he didn't eventually agree with their assessment, the fact he'd have to concede is that killing himself wouldn't solve anything. Sure, lets say it destroys the main powerbase of the Absolute-- there's still infected people out there. What happens to them? There's still uninfected cultists you now can't track down because all clues you COULD have gotten out of the stronghold are now smithereens. And the world would be one Gale shorter, which is bad. And probably the whole party, because there'd be no way in the hells he gets in there on his own and they manage to get clear at the same time. He doesn't even know the range of it; for all they know it could level the coast and everyone's fucked regardless.

I can see Gale most definitely leaving the conversation convinced that the other two were misreading the situation with Mystra, as much as he's bolstered by their care for him. And then the night comes and he's alone with his thoughts about it. And things start popping to the surface of his memory that--were it anyone but Mystra doing them--would seem suspect. Which is going to be rough. Gale's going to be going through it for like a solid day before starting to come to terms. Largely that fast because there's not a lot of time between wandering the shadowcursed lands and resting after shades kick their asses. The final scene with the starry sky probably happens as they near the towers and he realizes that--complicated feelings about Mystra aside for now--they're right. He wants to live and if they say he deserves to, then he just might at that.

I just. nnn emotions.

#handers gate au

[messiahzzz]

So I came across your post for Wyll. And even though you did an update it really did shake me to see the silencing black voices and how they come off as “hostile.” As a black gamer myself and black character is treated (usually) like a subhuman. On pages where people calm them slurs and other vile things. And we’re told to essentially “get over it.” And in this regard when it comes to Wyll, we see that he has less content than the other 5 origin characters. Which is odd since he’s been around from the very beginning. Yes, he did have a rewrite due to white people saying “he’s not trustworthy/he’s to mean” like black people as a whole are supposed to fit into a nice little mold that suits them. Do I think Larian should have stood on business and kept EA Wyll as he was? Absolutely. Do I enjoy the Wyll we got at release? Absolutely. But hearing takes like yours when you, in the past, said that Wyll needs more content. It’s like you’re backpedaling to fit a narrative or be more palatable for a certain audience.

I don’t know man. It was just hurtful to read really.

“But hearing takes like yours when you, in the past, said that Wyll needs more content. It’s like you’re backpedaling to fit a narrative or be more palatable for a certain audience.”

this is going to be a long reply, but let me start it off by saying: i have always said so and i’ve never claimed anything different, even on the exact post you are currently referring to. i fully and wholeheartedly believe that wyll deserves more content until he has the exact same amount of scenes like everyone else. this includes the quality and any other aspect of his story that is in thorough need of improvement. this is something that won’t ever change.

for the sake of full transparency, these are all of the posts i’ve written that vaguely address this entire topic. [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

the original post is — like i’ve said many, many times by now — a mere scene tally. meant to compare the amount of content (not the quality or substance thereof) wyll currently has in the game, taken in strict comparison to the other companions. not addressing the racial stereotypes and tropes present in wyll’s story in this specific post was a conscious choice i made.

i didn’t want this specific post to turn into a discussion about racism in media/fandom in the first place, because i fully believe that it is a complex and crucial topic that deserves to be addressed separately and with just as much consideration, respect, and care. as well as with actual, coherent references to back it up. however, i also recognize that these topics are inherently and inevitably interlinked. which is why i felt it unfair to refuse dialogue. i considered it my responsibility to explain my approach and also reiterate what the original purpose of said post was. …until it got out of hand.

i do think we’ve reached a point where a certain (loud minority) of the fandom is vehemently insistent on misunderstanding and misinterpreting anything i will say henceforth, no matter how many times i will repeat myself and explain my intentions. this is unfortunate, but ultimately how fandom as a whole works. branding a single person as “the problem”, while goading and egging each other on, on their respective discord servers until the next discourse pops up. and before anyone even goes in that direction: no, this is not me playing the victim, but merely an observation.

people that have been following my blog for a while now likely know that my posts are almost always accompanied by strict data & examples. i rarely derail from the topic at hand and prefer to make separate posts for each issue i want to address — not a justification, but an explanation. another example, to further illustrate what i’m referring to: if i made a post about the number of scenes gale has in comparison to the other characters and someone else asked me: why "i am not addressing the grooming and abuse he suffered through mystra as well?”. i would also tell them that: yes, while this is a crucial theme that stretches throughout his entire story and ultimately shaped his character, this is not the purpose of this specific post.

i genuinely love wyll as a character, he is one of my favorite companions in the entire game and it saddens me that there is so very little fan content of him. however, i do feel like that by effectively shutting down every discussion around him that isn’t centered on his personality and/or his romance it will inevitably leave fans burned out and even more discouraged from creating more content with him than they were in the first place. policing others on the topics that are acceptable/unacceptable to talk about (and in which manner they should be addressed) is only putting further restrictions on the little content wyll already has within fandom. it is counterproductive.

i can assure you that it was never my intention to be hurtful. neither to make poc players feel like i am silencing them nor urging them to “be quiet and get over it.” quite the contrary, in fact. i believe correction is necessary to ensure that the data (we give larian for review) is detailed, comprehensive, and factually correct. so it will be taken seriously and consistent, elaborate changes will be made. instead of merely receiving a few measly bug fixes to appease the masses.

i do hope you’ll respect my decision to remove myself from this discussion entirely and not send me any more asks regarding said topic in the future, nor reply to this post. respectful and civil dialogue is something i will never reject, but i’d also really like to let it rest and have us all focus on the aspects of fandom that genuinely bring us joy & allow for the pleasant kind of escapism.

now, since this was a lot of text, allow me to sum it up once more:

i fully believe that wyll deserves more content. until the quality, as well as the amount of his scene are exactly on par with the rest of the companions.

i have never urged anyone towards inaction or claimed that the fandom should simply “shut up and be content” with what they’re given.

what i have criticized is the methods of action that were taken by a small amount of fandom (i.e. petitions and demands directed at larian) my personal opinion being that it is not a long-term effective approach that will bring about the desired results (said petitions not even entering larian’s peripheral vision or being consciously ignored entirely). as well as being rather disrespectful to the developers and the people that continuously work on the game.

i have never claimed that you shouldn’t critique larian. in fact, i do this often myself. there are maaaaanyyyyy aspects to be critical of.

i personally believe that it is a much more efficacious approach to provide larian with direct feedback via their form. i have provided instructions, as well as examples of reports you could write on my posts (upon specific request) and also repeatedly linked to their website.

last but not least: please let it rest ✨

#asks #it speaks #racism mention #fandom discourse