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justanerdy-gal · 3 months

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An Ascendant’s Love

-> pairing: A!Astarion x Vampire!Tav -> content: fluff, emotional, pro Ascendant Astarion, vampire bride Tav, sfw -> summary: An ascended vampire’s love is obsessive. An ascended vampire’s love is possessive. But it is no less true. In fact, there was perhaps no truer love than that of the Ascendant.

-> notes: My firm belief has always been that Astarion’s love for Tav becomes so intense after his ascension that he does not know how to contain it. That he would go from the heavens to the hells to protect them, cherish them, and keep them by his side. To this end, I wanted to write a fic that briefly expositions how I think (headcanon ofcourse) Astarion feels about his love for Tav after he has ascended. Those who think ascended Astarion is abusive may not like this fic 🙈 But I hope you all enjoy it anyways ❤️

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An ascended vampire’s love is obsessive. An ascended vampire’s love is possessive. But it is no less true. In fact, there was perhaps no truer love than that of the Ascendant.

Astarion ponders as he watches his love staring out the window of the palace, her skin as radiant as a pearl. As radiant as the day he turned her. He leans against the wall across the hall, enamoured by his consort’s beauty. She was wearing a ballgown he had specifically designed for her. He had made sure to spare no expense - much to Tav's hesitation early on. However, upon seeing Astarion's heady stare when she first put the gown on, she had decided that maybe it wasn't so bad.

It was hard for him to explain the feelings that turmoil through him when he stares at his beloved. Everything had changed when he chose to complete the Ascension ritual - for himself, not for his late master. Every sense, every feeling he had, had grown much more intense. It was almost too much for him to absorb at first. His edges had dulled over the past 2 centuries of slavery that he endured - and to just feel so much at one time - it was a feeling quite overwhelming.

And then there was her. His companion. His friend. His lover in a way that no past lover had ever been for… as long as he could remember.

Oh yes, he loved her before the Ascension - the first real connection he'd ever made in his life. The one who broke through all the walls he had built over the past two centuries, as if they were made with nothing but cardboard.

But it was as if his feelings before his Ascension were… minute. Puny.

They could not capture or describe the essence of what his little love truly meant to him. They could not do it justice.

She was the one who had saved him from his slaver - who had gone through thick and thin to ensure his happiness. Who never pushed him - not with intimacy, not with feelings. She let him make his own decisions. For the first time in his life.

When he first ascended, he had wanted to devour her whole. To devote himself to her, and have her devote herself entirely to him. Anyone else would have been terrified - scared off by the show of such intensity, such need for possession, a need to hold them close - in fear that in the blink of an eye, they would fly away, leaving a gaping hole in his undead heart.

But not her. Not the one who had opened her mind to him - allowed him to see himself for the first time. Who was locked by his side as he carved those wretched runes on the bastard’s back. It was an adjustment at first, but even without the tadpole in their brains, it's like they could read eachother's minds. It was not an intensity born out of control - Astarion had many things he could control, he did not need to control her. He did not ... want to control her.

It was a shock to him as well, to be frank. He was unsure how everything would play out after he had ascended - during that brief amount of time between his Ascension and before he had turned her. His mind was a whirlwind - the world moving too slow, his senses moving too fast. The strength of 7000 souls coursed through him, and his need to dominate was palpable. Intense.

But somehow....somehow she had seen through all that. Through the lust for control, for power, for revenge. She grounded him. Brought him back down to earth.

There was no doubt in his mind that he would have turned to the worst without her there. There was so much he was capable of - and the natural urges he had did not point towards good. But when he held her - when she melted into his embrace - he was reminded of that sliver of goodness, that had been the key to unlocking the world. He remembered their good deeds along their travels, the way he would fuss and fight, but would then softly smile as he saw the ones he helped thank Tav with joyous praises. He was enraptured by it. It made him wonder if maybe it wasn't so bad .... if he could make that smile appear on his love's face all the time.

It would take time, he found. As he settled into his new body, his new powers, his urges settled too. He found it easier to make good decisions over bad. His overwhelming desire calmed to an eternal adoration. Whenever he strayed in his natural urge to dominate, just a little nudge from his sweet was all it took to guide him back to the right path. Except for perhaps in their bed. It seems she rather enjoyed him dominating in that respect.

Time would never be enough for him to express his adoration of her. He longed to cherish her every moment of everyday. Hold her close as she blushed while he dragged his hand over her curves. To feel her shivers as he fed upon her blood. To lose himself in her lips, to ravish her with his touch, to feel her against him as she unravelled beneath him every night. To never let her go. He would never let her go.

He wanted to give her everything. He made her his bride. He would not allow her to suffer the torture he did. He would make sure she would want for nothing. Her every desire fulfilled. Her every need met. As long as she stayed by his side, he would give her the entire world.

He was now free to love her without fear - without fear of Cazador, without fear of the Absolute, without fear that he did not have the power to protect her. For the first time… he was without fear.

“What’s the matter, Astarion?” Astarion was taken out of his thoughts to see that Tav had walked over to him, her head quirked to the side as she wondered about what was bouncing through her love's mind at the moment.

“Nothing, my little love,” Astarion said, smiling as he pulled Tav in for a kiss. Tav was caught off guard by the intensity with which his lips met hers, almost set off balance as he crushed her body to him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, another lifting into in her hair, pulling her head in closer as he deepened the kiss for a moment, before he allowed her to breathe again.

“If that’s nothing, then nothing might have to happen more often,” Tav giggled, a blush creeping upon her face. Astarion face lit up with a grin at the twinkling sound of her laugh. He held her tight to him as he stared out into the setting sun.

You have given me everything.... thank you.

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My AO3 and Twitter 🙂

MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@volturisecretary @myaastarionshenanegans @leatherboundriot

#astarion x you #astarion x reader #astarion romance #astarion baldurs gate #baldur’s gate astarion #baldur’s gate 3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic idea #baldur’s gate iii #baldur’s gate 3 #astarion x tav #ascended astarion #astarion ascended #astarion headcanons

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memoiandy · 5 months

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I was asked by @not-so-lost-after-all about some Ascended Astarion fanfics I am currently reading, so here we go. I actually have no strong feeling towards this version of Star. My canon is spawn Astarion but Vamp Lord Astarion is fascinating too (and he's evil and horrible and so so sad story wise). I already stated that he has amazing potential for fanfics for the sadness and angst. And I found three fics that play into this wonderfully!

👉Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by @wetcatspellcaster

This is set 10 years after BG3. Our MC Rosalie decided to leave Ascended Astarion shortly after the end of the game but now one bad, bad event forces her to face Dick Astarion again. This Star is wonderfully evil and scary sometimes but still so very alluring and fun. Perfect villain. Rosalie is a badass wizzard and might just have a plan how to bring her old cuddly Astarion back. I root for her!

👉Unravel by @hmdeath

Hikari left Astarion too when he became too much of a horrible, horrible no good gremlin. She spend five miserable years going nowhere but now Raphael gives her a chance to restore Astarion's soul. As expected, the deal is sketchy, and our heroine also has a time limit before she'd be doomed because she wanted her beloved back. We actually get Astarion's POV so we undestand his motivations. And there's a lot of banter, sexual tension and good smut. Delicious.

👉Hellish Rebuke by @bludazey

Our MC Lillith actually became Astarion's spawn and is currently in abusive hell. Her Ascended Astarion truly is a piece of shit, but still charismatic and incredibly smart. This is a pain train fic, very dark but it doesn't shy away from what kind of creature Astarion became. But it's very hard to tell if the man Lillith loves is still there or if it's just a monster wearing his face. Read the tags of the fic carefully. This is quite different from the other two fics I recommended and I personally am not sure where exactly is this story going. Still, fascinating read.

I hope the authors won't mind my short descriptions. This is how I see their stories. Each of them is different but none of them pretend Ascended Astarion is something he's not.

Unsurprisingly, there are some very dark moments here and there. If I get too sad, I go back to our beloved spawn Star who showed us his grave, told us he loves us and then made sweet love to us in a graveyard.

#ascended astarion #astarion fanfic #astarion

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athanasius-symposium-of-writings · 5 months

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Could you write something with ascended Astarion with a reader who desperately wants to go out and be his evil minion and do stuff for him but he insists on reader stacking locked up in his palace as a consort?

Rated M

Warning: Power Imbalance, Manipulation, minor/brief gore mentioned

He knows you can be cruel, evil, and mischievous if you are feeling in a less threatening mood.

But as of late, you have been stuck in this cramped old ugly gothic castle and you are at your wits end. If you walk past the same thrall the next time you walk through this hallway, you are going to start ripping off paintings from the wall and use the thrall’s inners as paint! Maybe a bit much but you serious are annoyed!

He promised, swear, to let you do as you wished so long as you are by his side. Fateful to him, love only him. And you have! This city is supposed to be ours yet he seems to have forgotten for that to happen both of you must work together to achieve this.

I only want to keep you safe, he would say or, Don’t worry your pretty little head about the details. Suddenly you are a caged bird and you hate it.

So you killed the thrall, not the best way to get your anger out but at least you fed (without him, he hates that) and you finally got to leave the castle! Stupid cramped old castle! You just want to go out and play for a bit.

Too bad that lasted for but a minute before a shadow was cast over you and you felt hands holding you pulling you close to a warm body. His cloak hides you within the shadows of the setting sun, you barely were out the front damn door!

“Naughty little love.”

You freeze then growl, “Astarion.”

He rubs his cheek against yours, “Aw, is that any way to speak to your beloved?” He sniffs your neck then sighs, “Sneaking off. Where was my little love planning to go?”

“Anywhere! I want to do something!” You want to shrug him away, deny him everything that you are just as he has been denying you the right to be equal. Equal and free.

But you can’t. You know you can’t because you gave your freedom to him, your will, your very being to him in return for eternal love.

Astarion pulls you close as he takes you back inside the cage, the gothic ugly castle, with the whispers of promises he won’t keep and with grand tales of his latest plan working to control the city.

Baldur’s Gate will be his… That’s it. You don’t say anything or you might huff when he lets you go to order the other thralls to keep up your ‘artistic’ mess.

“Don’t be like that! I’m just trying to protect you.”

As if you couldn’t do anything without him, the nerve! You sneer at him then turn away.

“My heart, you know if anything were to happen to you…” A pause and sigh, “I cannot stand the idea of losing you.”

“We.” You scowl as you sit on the bed facing away from him, “Instead, it is all you.” When he touches you, crawls across the bed shirtless and beautiful, his lips on your shoulder and neck; you cringe away. “Not in the mood.” Standing up and going towards the vanity and sitting there. Astarion rolls his eyes as he lies on the bed on his side like a gorgeous statue.

“I’ll take you somewhere, okay? No need to be a brat about this. The world isn’t safe for you right now and the city is still working on repairs.” Excuses as always. “Come to bed. I missed you.” And he does, he never will not miss you. Never will he not ache to have you by him or his mind recollect the morning kiss he steals when you barely are awake. He loves you in his twisted vampiric way.

#baldur's gate 3 #anon ask #reader insert #astarion #astarion x you #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #astarion x mc

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nagalias-mindscape · 6 months

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Until otherwise proven incorrect by the creators themselves, I’ve subscribed to the whole “Ascendant Astarion makes Tav a Vampire Bride instead of a Vampire Spawn” theory for his romance route.

The Bride thing is far more enjoyable for the one being turned than when one gets turned into Spawn, and it can be done in way less than 24 hours. It would also explain the whole lack of, you know, vampiric abilities Tav displays afterwards- Brides have to be taught to use their newly acquired talents and instincts, whereas Spawn have them as an instinct from the get-go.

Also, the whole Bride marriage thing can only be broken by both parties mutually agreeing to it, which would explain in part Astarion’s refusal to breakup with Tav after being turned. He doesn’t want to be wed then immediately turned divorcee.

Also, a bit of misdirection involved in Astarion’s part in the aftermath because Vampire Brides have a high rate of losing their minds and going feral and shit if they aren’t prepared before hand and whatnot, which Tav was 100% not informed beforehand. Teach Tav under the illusion of “you are my consort, a most beloved spawn placed far above any other that may come, and I must teach you all these things to know before I pull the wool from your eyes”, and help minimize the risk and potential anger Tav may eventually obtain at said misdirection.

Having Tav go feral and attack their teammates in the middle of the Netherbrain fight would be… hilarious really bad, all things considered.

As for the whole… “Astarion becomes a massive dick after ascending” thing… yeah. Look at an alignment chart. Vampires are just different from humans, and occupy a very different spot on that chart. From a humans perspective, Astarion has gone off the deep end. From a Vampire’s perspective, he’s finally stopped being a whiny little bitch and grown up.

#text #bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 astarion #astarion x tav #vampire ascendant

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autumn-sweet-fae · 14 days

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Because I love the pain and horror of a lover becoming irreversibly changed in a disparate grasp for power:

Astarion ascending without Tav/Durge’s help

Mechanically impossible to do in the game, but story wise?

All you need is our bad bitch Minthara in your party, and Cazador KOing or killing Tav/Durge in front of Astarion during the fight.

Astarion is already overwhelmed and not thinking clearly in the moment with his beloved standing beside him in support. For his love to be taken down in front of him, at Cazador’s hands no less?? He’d be demanding the ritual be done, desperate for the power to protect himself and his lover from ever feeling such pain again.

So, while Shadowheart is distracted trying to resurrect/revive their fallen leader, the Night Warden Minthara would step up and help Astarion finish the ritual. She already encourages him to “take the power that he’s owed, whatever the cost”, so she’d be down to use the tabpoles to help him. Especially with all the past experience she has using them on others.

So, the ritual is completed and Astarion as he once was is no more.

And for my Tav, Nyx, a tragedy is set into motion.

Nyx would awaken in that dark dungeon to find the love of his life eternally changed into his own personal nightmare.

As someone who escaped the control of a fey court, who’s both seen and suffered the cost of multiple warlock contracts, this new Astarion would send Nyx right over the edge. Astarion’s sudden disregard for those 7,000 souls, his over inflated ego and controlling behavior, it would all be major tiggers for Nyx.

I’d give Nyx 48 hours before straight up murdering A.Astarion in a fit of fey grief/rage, before turning on Minthara to murder her in vengeance. Nyx would be shattered after it all, but he’d still lead on.

In the end I could see him traveling to Avernus with Karlach and Wyll, with the personal goal to find and rescue as many of the rituals sacrificed souls as he could.

And if he by chance ever finds what’s left of Astarions soul? His soulcoin would become another treasured keep sake for Nyx.

#Astarion #tav #ascended astarion #Wyll #karlach #Minthara #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 text #baldurs gate 3 #bg3

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thewritetofreespeech · 2 months

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No One's Gonna Harm You, Darling

Ascended!Astarion x Reader

summary: when Astarion turned you into his spawn, he told you that you needn't fear anything. But what about him? Ao3

The night was getting long and you still hadn’t seen Astarion. You were starting to get anxious about it.

Usually, when you woke up in the morning (night) Astarion was right there beside you. Greeting the day with you with that cheeky smile before you both set off on your chores for the day. Today he was nowhere to be found.

You had shrugged it off, though a little disgruntled at not getting your kiss and sweet ‘good morning my treasure’ first thing like normal, as you were not so conceded that you thought all of Astarion’s world revolved around you.

But after breakfast, and several hours of him not making at least an appearance, you were starting to get concerned.

His world may not revolve around you, but Astarion would never leave or disappear without telling you. On the off times during your courtship that he did have things to do, as building and running an underground empire of darkness could be time consuming, he always told you where he was going or left you a note as to not have you worried. You always told him he didn’t have to, but without those assurances this time you were starting to worry.

“Where is Astarion?” You ask one of the servants you had cornered in the hallway. They too had been suspiciously absent today.

The girl looked fretted. Seeming to debate on if she could run, or use some kind of manner of magic to disappear, but would never disrespect their Master’s consort like that. “He…He is busy, most esteemed one.”

“I figured that, but I asked where he was.” There was a furrow in the girl’s brow. A twitch of her lip. So you tell her proactively, “don’t lie to me,” and she flinched as if her hand had been smack for even thinking of the lie.

“He is in the kennels, beloved consort.”

You arch your brow quite high. The kennels?

Despite having all his new insurmountable power and complete run of the palace now, Astarion still avoided the kennels like the plague. Too many bad memories, you assume. Despite his complete renovation of an old prison into his new home, the walls still held secrets and memories unable to be masked over by a fresh coat of paint.

You leave the servant and head for the kennels. Unlike before there are no barriers to you in the palace. The two of you have no secrets.

The stench of blood and the horrors inflicted here still hang in the air. As if etched into the stone. But more than that there is a new scent of blood. Fresh and haunting. The back of your mouth watered at the smell, but you tamper it down as you follow its trail to the back of the kennels. Sounds of grunting, chains, and wet echoing off the stone to your ears until you are just behind Astarion. A knife in his hand. Stabbing repetitively over and over into some blood mass in front of him that sprayed his alabaster skin, as if you were back in the old days.

The stabbing stopped, and Astarion turned to look at you. His face goes a light when he saw you. Smiling with a jovial, “darling!” As if his face wasn’t freckled with blood. “Has it already gotten so late? I’m sorry my pet. I was just tying up some loose ends and got lost in my work.” He turned to show you what he was working on. And you felt your blood run even colder than it was. “Correcting a wrong.”

Though it’s impossible to tell anymore with how mangled his face was now, you could tell that this was the noble man from the party a few weeks ago. The one who insulted you. The one who felt the need to tell the other guests that someone of clearly such meager station & upbringing should not be the companion of someone they’ve now claimed as their own. The one who left with a gracious departure from their host and a curt regard to you as he left, thinking he was safe. Thinking that nobility and riches would keep him safe like any lord. Think the high walls of his own palace would keep anyone out as he likely slept peacefully in his bed.

He hadn’t met anyone like Astarion before.

“Now, I think we’ve established that your crimes are severe and unyielding, my lord.” The mocking sneer his almost like a serpent’s hiss as he coils around the whimpering man. “I know you’ve said many sorry up until now. Pleaded for forgiveness. Begged to your Gods.” His hand gripped the back of the man’s head by his balding hair. Turning it upward so he look at you with gapping sockets. “But it’s not me you need to apologize to. It’s my consort.” The man whimpered and sniveled as Asation leaned in by his ear and whispered, “apologize.”

He choked on the words and blood as he tried desperately to get the words out to you. See, he didn’t have a tongue anymore. You don’t know where it’s gone, but it wasn’t in his mouth. You were too terrified to ask. Astarion, however, seems to take his gargled words as the apology he was looking for and granted him the mercy that he sought by slicing his throat. What’s left of his blood spilled out over his bloated stomach as his body slumped in his manacles.

“There.” Astarion’s voice brought you back to yourself. The shock of the scene in front of you leaving you paralyzed until his words cut through your mind like the knife in his hand. “That’s that.”

He circled around from behind the corpse and came up to you. You fervently ask Astarion why he did this. Demand to know what possessed him to torture & kill a more or less innocent man. “Why?” He replied back curiously. A look of befuddlement on his handsome, blood-stained face. “He insulted you. Said those awful things in front of our guests. In our home. Did you really think I would let someone like that go to spread more of his disgusting words and bad breath about the city? About my consort.”

He took a step closer to you and you felt a subconscious pull to take a step back. It seemed you were still paralyzed in a way, however, as your legs couldn’t move. Astarion cupped his free hand to your cheek. Giving you a soft look despite the murder all around him. “No one is going to harm you, darling. Not while I’m around. Not even your feelings.”

He leaned in to kiss your forehead. So sweet and gentle that you almost forget about the blood and the murder and the smell of death in the air. He then let you go and walked past you. Some comment about needing a bath to get all this blood off, as it was too vile for consumption, and an offer for you to join him came past your ears. But you barely hear it. With Astarion gone the shock was setting back in again. Alone with what he had done on your behalf, you feel just as guilty as if you had wielded the knife.

Astarion said that no one was going to harm you while he was around. But who was going to protect you from him?

#;ask and ye shall receive (request answers)#ascended astarion #astarion #bg3 astarion #bg3 ascended astarion #baldur's gate #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 scenarios #bg3 imagine #bg3 fanfiction #baldur's gate scenarios #baldur's gate imagine #scenarios #imagine #tav #bg3 tav #spawn tav #tw: gore

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wellthebardsdead · 3 months

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Some more on Falûnes bad end 1 “loving home” because I broke my own heart with it-

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Raphael: *tucking Falûne back in after he fell asleep to another story, quietly placing ward after ward around him sensing his fathers presence trying to creep into the house of hope to get ahold of him*

Korrilla: *steps into the nursery and looks around in surprise at how nice he’d made it* hm, it looks out of place compared to the rest of the building. *looks over at the small cambion boy fast asleep against his pillow* how is he?…

Raphael: A happy little boy. And I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way.

Korrilla: well, good news then. Wyll and Karlach are here. They’re waiting in the dining room.

Raphael: *nods and gets up from his chair placing the story book down on it as he walks from the room and out to greet his guests*

Wyll: *looks up seeing him coming* alright we’re here. What do you want?

Karlach: *folds her arms, engine flaring up in her chest* nothing good I bet.

Raphael: *expression serious and riddled with concern* you are correct… I have a deal to offer you that will benefit you both greatly, but first it’s with a heavy heart I must apologise… It was the only thing I could do to help him.

Karlach: *looks at Wyll confused before looking at the devil* help, who?…

Raphael: Falûne… I warn you. It’s going to be a bit of a shock. *gestures for them to follow*

Wyll: *looks at Karlach before nodding and following after him with her, right into the nursery and feeling his world shatter seeing what had become of their friend* he’s-

Karlach: a child?…

Raphael: His mind was broken beyond repair… when I found him he was malnourished and feral with rage. He was laughing through tears as he burned the cloister he was raised in to the ground with the priests inside. All while crushing the father superiors skull beneath his hooves. The cruelty of his life had finally broken him… and it was Astarion who was the catalyst.

Wyll: what?…

Raphael: *produces a handkerchief from his pocket and unfurls it, showing the shattered pottery that was a clay pig figurine, Falûnes best friend, Hen* From what I could gather from his memories, Astarion whittled away at his sanity. His presence drove him from the sanctuary of Selune he’d rebuilt with Shadowheart, then he drove him from moonrise, back to the cloister he was raised in, where the abuse he’d suffered only came back ten fold until finally, he gave up and returned to the ascendants arms hoping to find any sort of kindness or love… only to be met with further cruelty. Their final fight had astarion shattering his most beloved possession. And with it, the last of Falûnes resolve and sanity. He gave into my fathers influence and had begun to unleash his powers… my only two options were to kill him… or give him another chance. Wipe his memories clean and give him a better life.

Wyll: so why are we here then?…

Raphael: Simple. I give Karlach a heart. Back in her chest where it belongs, no more engine, nothing. And in return you both adopt him. Raise him. Have him believe you’re his parents and give him a life filled with love.

Wyll: I find it hard to believe you’re offering this purely out of the goodness of your own heart. What do you really gain from this?

Raphael: *scoffs* I can’t collect souls if he rips apart the very fabric of world. Not to mention the sheer power and influence my father would have from him doing so. But, whether you believe it or not… I have developed a fondness for him, he is my nephew after all… and, it’s rare, for such a good heart to have come from the hells… so, do we have a deal?

Karlach: *now standing by the bed, weeping openly as she tries to reach for him but can’t knowing she’ll burn him if she does* yes! Hurry up and give me my heart so I can hold him already! Let me hold my moonpie!

Raphael: *smiles and nods summoning a contract before them* just sign here and he’s all yours- allowing me to visit occasionally of course.

Karlach: *quickly signs it before handing Wyll the quill*

Wyll: *hesitates for a moment given his history with devil pacts* …

Raphael: I’ll get rid of mizora as a bonus.

Wyll: *signs it* deal.

Raphael: Wonderful~ *makes the contract disappear before simply snapping his fingers, Karlach feeling like her heart skipped a beat as the engine disappears, and is replaced with a beating, healthy heart, the flames across her body fizzling out with little more than a puff of smoke*

Korrilla: *smiling as she lifts Falûne from the bed, the little cambion cuddling onto her with a yawn* here you go, he’s all yours.

Karlach: *smiles wide as she takes him and holds him close* oh Lûne… little Lûne… *kisses between his tiny horns and strokes his hair*

Wyll: *walks to them and smiles tearfully, gently hugging Karlachs waist and rubbing between Falûnes little wings* …we’ll give him a good life.

Karlach: *nods* y-yeah. *sniffles and laughs softly* I’ve always wanted to be a mum… I’m going to murder Astarion…

Wyll: *nods* he won’t get away with this… *looks at her lovingly* … *looks at Raphael* where- did you get her heart by the way?

Raphael: I told you I’d get rid of mizora.

*meanwhile*

Mizora: *screaming in agony as her body writhes and contorts, burning up from the inside as the engine malfunctions in her chest before exploding, splattering her insides across Zariel and her throne*

Zariel: *gritting her teeth and digging her claws into the arm rests, knowing this was Karlachs doing and now she can’t do anything to harm her unless she wants the son of the arch devil of Cania after her too.* that, bitch…

#raphael bg3 #Falûne oc #Falûne Tav #karlach baldurs gate 3 #Wyll baldurs gate 3

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something-pithy · 4 months

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Notes and an Update: The Alignment Issue

pictured above: just a regular Tuesday night at Ancunín Palace

“So with Astarion, his evil ending is actually him...much of what he does is out of fear. And as a player, you can say to him, ‘You're right to be afraid.’ And that sends him to a really horrible place, and that I think is really powerful.” -- Adam Smith, Lead Writer of BG3

I’ve been talking about my notes about alignment in D&D and BG3 and my interpretation of them in the context of an echo, a stain since before I even started with these “Notes and an Update” posts. But every week, something else has come up that I wanted to post more than my alignment notes.

I think this might be a chronology thing. These notes seem old to me because they predate the vast majority of the story. I don’t remember the specific date I decided to write out my thoughts about the nature of “good” and “evil” as DnD 5e describes them / how they manifest in BG3, specifically in Astarion, but I know that I was scribbling notes – or whatever the keyboard version of scribbling notes is – about it since a palmful of stars / an echo a stain was just “the desired constellation.”

This is because DnD has Things to Say about vampires and their morality, who Astarion is as a character in this series is deeply informed by what he’s willing to do to get what he wants.

My decision to finally post these notes now is informed by a couple of main things:

The IGN interview posted this past Friday, December 15th titled “Baldur’s Gate 3 Developers Explain Its Controversial Endings, Beloved Characters, and Making the Best RPG of 2023,” wherein Adam Smith makes the statement I quote at the top of this post and

The description AO3 user fanciful included in their bookmark of the story*:

“There's several things in here I haven't seen in other Astarion/Tav fics, so do read this if you're looking for something unique.”

*(yeah, I’m not gonna pretend I’m so cool and unaffected that I don’t peek at who’s bookmarked the story to see what they might have said about it lol).

When I found fanciful’s blurb, I almost immediately went to bother my phenomenal beta, Komo, (whom I’ve mentioned before and will again, and who is probably a better beta than I deserve but very much the beta this story could not exist as it does without). The gist of my question to her was OMG WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, to which her response, in part, was that she was curious as well, but that she had her own thoughts:

“I think your take on a vampire lord/ascendant's "evilness" is unique. Like, it's not how ascendant fans who explain away his bad behavior, but also not [how] a traditional spawn fan would write him either, recognizing [there’s] nuance to the evilness.”

Which was like, SUCH a great compliment specifically because I’ve thought a lot (I mean a fuckin’ LOT) about how evil works, and how it works in this story. So here are my (abridged and ever-evolving) notes about all this, which are a very important part of the basis of my approach to Astarion’s characterization in aeas.

So first of all, the Adam Smith quote above indicates that Ascendant!Astarion’s alignment is not due to some mystical, transformative, vampire or diabolical force. It’s not the result of Mephistopheles taking his soul as part of the bargain. Any evil behavior / attitudes Ascendant!Astarion demonstrates are purely a result of his own choices, made of sound mind, body, and soul.

The DnD 5e Monster Manual labels vampire lords specifically as lawful evil.

Now I’m going to say here that I think the “good” and “evil” alignment binary is flawed. Yeah, there’s neutral, but that still operates as kind of a middle ground for this axis. I think something more accurate would be something referring to the good of the majority vs. self-interest, but I’m not here to get into all that.

For expediency, I’m going to roll with the definition of evil that seems to fit what DnD 5e is going for. And according to past DnD sourcebooks (this isn’t in 5e, but 5e offers much less detail about alignment than previous editions), evil “implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others.”

So for the purposes of these notes, my interpretation of “evil” in general and specifically in terms of an echo, a stain is that a character with an “evil” alignment is willing to hurt, oppress, or kill others without compunction in order to achieve their goals.

In my mind this doesn’t mean that they necessarily want to do those things, or enjoy them (though there’s evidence that Astarion does both at different points in-game), just that if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes. And they’ll do what it takes.

Now, it’s my inclination to view RPG sourcebooks as somewhat flexible depending on what best serves to the story, but also, in-game, there’s plenty of evidence to indicate Astarion was created and written as a character whose baseline can be read, at best, as chaotic neutral, but more likely as neutral evil if we’re going by the above definition.

So what?

OK well, in an interview with some folks at Collider, Neil Newbon said that the “Ascendant Ending” was the one he’d kind of pictured for Astarion.

“Actually I saw Astarion always going that route [Ascension], whereas other characters might want to [...] help him not only survive, and thrive in a positive way.”*

From a character arc standpoint, I agree with Neil: there’s no doubt in my mind that without a good-aligned Tav, Astarion would be on Ascension like white on rice as a default. I think it’s the baseline trajectory of who he is at the start of the game.

I also believe that it is *possible*, not a guarantee, but *possible,* that being in an environment where he’s surrounded by people who do genuinely care about him and his well-being, and yeah, with the support of a good-aligned Tav with whom he experiences deep mutual caring and connection (whether platonic or romantic), who treats him with respect, love, compassion, and care, who sees the best in him and encourages it in him / demands it of him until he can see it himself, he would not choose to go Murdertown, aka the Ascension route.

I also don’t think a high-approval, good-aligned Tav in his life, whether as a lover as a friend, precludes the possibility of Astarion choosing the Ascension route (clearly). BUT ALSO.

I don’t believe in binaries.

Does Astarion choosing ascension mean that suddenly all the ways in which he may have changed his perspective during the course of his adventures with a good-aligned Tav are nullified?

I don’t think so.

I’m willing to entertain DnD’s canonical assertion that a vampire lord’s emotions are altered by their transformation; however, I also think it’s feasible enough that Astarion’s tendencies toward obsession, paranoia, and possessiveness already existed within him prior to ascension, if to much less pronounced degrees. I think it’s entirely plausible that ascension amplified these qualities in him. but also Astarion’s decision to ascend is indicative of him embracing a worldview that is, as Smith says, deeply rooted in fear.

This fear impacts another important element of Astarion’s character in aeas, which is the way he perceives himself. Astarion as he exists in aeas is an Astarion who as a spawn, believed he was worth nothing. Astarion as he exists in aeas also has put Tav on a very high pedestal. This is not to say he doesn’t know or love Tav for who she is – I think this Astarion knows this Tav very well. But his perceptions about her are also skewed by his perceptions about himself, and a whole bunch of other things -- including fear.

SO when Tav leaves him, a couple of things happen in terms of his character, two of which are:

one of his absolute worst fears is realized (that Tav will leave him, specifically because he is innately a piece of shit and she finally figured it out), and there’s nothing he can do about it.

the realization of this fear prompts the understanding that he is not, in fact, all-powerful, therefore his power and control must be increased at any and all costs.

the monumental scope of his power and, frankly, terrifying disposition ensure that, without Tav in his life, there is literally no one offering a different perspective as a counterweight to this fear-based thinking.

Do I think Tav’s reemergence in Baldur’s Gate and Astarion’s life will change things for him?

Ehhhhh, that’s a complicated question with a variety of complicated answers that all boil down to, “Well, that depends.” loooool

I don’t know if I’ve said everything I could say here, but I’m running out of steam and if I’m getting tired of writing, you must be getting tired of reading, so I’ll leave it here:

tl;dr: aeas has been and will continue to be informed from start to finish by the ideas that

Ascended Astarion is absolutely and 100% Astarion

whether or not alignment is mutable, people/characters can and do still change based on their experiences and environment.

Make of that what you will. LOOOOOL

#ascendant astarion #bg3 #character analysis #astarion x tav #astarion fic #bg3 fic #slow burn #banter #bard!tav #manipulative astarion #tav's insight proficiency tho #headcanon #meta #character study #analysis #never forget HE EVIL

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moramaisis · 2 months

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Characters: Ascended Astarion, my tav Arsenia (tiefling)

Pairing: m/f

Keywords and warnings: villain couple, lip biting, kissing, lip bite play, dom tav, romantic, dark romance, mentions of torture at the beginning.

May be minor spoilers to Cazador's scene.

Ao3

Edit: I reworked it some more. Hopefully it's better.

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It has been a long night down at the underground levels of Cazador's palace. A long and difficult night, but i endured. I enjoyed setting all those hulking beasts on fire, hearing their whimpers as their scorched fur filled the air with nauseating stench.

Ever since my lover told me about his life in the Szarr palace, the torture and humiliation he endured, i have been seething. Silently and keeping my heart a locked stronghold. Spending time with our adventure party and cracking jokes with them made me forget. Just for a short while. Sometimes i even cracked some risky ones to my beloved, i enjoy teasing him, but made sure to never go too far.

Tonight, however, when all of us were covered in blood and gore, the master of the night hid in his coffin like a true coward. I was expecting more, something grand, but all i wanted was to see Astarion ripping him apart.

There he was, my lover, tearing open the coffin and throwing the man- who will soon cease to be - on the floor.

Cazador mumbled his threats, as expected, and then Astartion asked for my help. The look in his eyes is something i'll never forget.

I didn't even hesitate, he was already cursed and once you're barely human you start looking at things differently.

This ritual could make him a sun-walker end make his life come full circle. From the bottom to the top. I, Arsenia, grew up in the wilderness, learned to hunt as a tiny girl with nubs on my forehead. Learned to trap monsters, cook, make clothing, defend myself and my family. I know the laws of nature well, they're often unmerciful and unfair, best you can hope is a quick death.

I linked our tadpoles and let him see the scars. Standing in the background, i inched closer to enjoy the scene. Astarion ripped Cazador's clothing off and exposed a pale lean muscular body, adorned with bruises and cuts. When Astarion stabbed his dagger into Cazador's back, he uttered a bleak cry of pain. That very second a wave of arousal caressed my loins. Throbbing after each delightful scream. It was joyful hearing the screams of the man who was going to kill my lover and gods know how many more people after that. I never expected to get such a physical reaction, but it wasn't unwelcome.

Shadowheart yelled something in the back, how dangerous the ritual was or that we should stop. Honestly, i was fully in the moment, feasting my eyes on every cut and turn of the blade. On every scream... and yelp and tremor.

I've seen Astarion's scar so many times that i can see it with my eyes closed. There's something beautiful in it. Then again, the skin of your lover makes everything beautiful.

Once the ritual was over, he seemed different, slightly distracted. I asked him if all was well and he said that the world seems to move at a faster speed. He said that he felt how all the lowly creatures wanted to serve. I had an odd feeling then, down in my chest. He looked at me with those eyes that could coax me into anything and said he could hear that in me too. My quickened pulse. How i'm waiting for a command. That clever little bastard knows what he's doing, i felt the urge to grab his waist and squeeze it tightly against my body. I wanted to crush him in my arms. Rip his lips off his face with a single lustful kiss.

I'm a tiefling with draconic ancestry, my blood is fire and my instincts murmur inside my veins like songbirds, i'm a good head taller than Astarion, life in the wild has made me muscular and strong. Astarion never called me a monster, unlike some people in the cities and villages i have travelled through. I accepted him as he was. Sure, he was a great companion, silver tongue, not bad-looking either, but his skills with the blade and bloodthirst conquered me. Out in the wild i was forced to use my blade more than once, use my magic to both hunt and burn faces of thieves.

I knew ascension would change some part of him, but i hoped, blindly like all lovers, that no great harm would be done. I wanted my lover to meet his full potential - he seemed to hunger for the ritual too – so i gladly lent a helping hand. So, the circle was complete, the predator ate the weakling creature, what's next?

Astarion stepped closer and asked me about immortal life. He said he wants me in his future, as his consort, and i said yes. I'm growing weary of hiking from town to village to town, always the same, hunting, working as a blade for hire, moving again. My parents were killed in the outlands. Their graves are growing moss and lichen. The more i see in my travels, the less i want to settle down. Humans are such evil bastards. So many unspeakable things have my eyes gazed upon.

This adventure gave me a family… a lover. Astario, he's speaking of taking over Baldur's Gate and it might just be the piss of 7000 souls in his head…but…if he's serious, i can't say that i want to stop him. Ever since we entered the city all i saw was prejudice, cruelty, rudeness, corruption. I bet my left horn we would to a better job as rulers. Me and Astarion.

"Can i kiss you?" i asked and he smiled, pointing to the ground. He expected me to kneel, but i'm not into that kind of play. At least when not in the right mood.

I straightened my shoulders and snatched Astarion into my arms, holding him like some groom would hold his shy wife. He looked so beautiful in my arms, in his new fancy silks, and that little expression of surprise suited him very well. That tiny surprise morphed into a heavy-lidded grin.

"I forgot, you never liked taking orders."

"That's what you get for making the most stubborn tiefling your spawn."

I press my lips against his and our kiss is passionate and sloppy. Our tongues are engaged in a dominance battle. Then i feel a sting in my lip and notice a crimson fluid smearing on Astarion's cheek. I stare at him quietly, as he gazes back, eyes half-closed and inquisitive.

I run the tip of my tongue across my lower lip and find a spot where the salty taste intensifies. I lick the wound slowly, under Astarion's unmoving stare. The crimson tastes intoxicatingly sweet, i lick the wound once more, spread the crimson nectar onto my upper lip and go into another deep, yet needy kiss. Astarion grabs my face and sucks on my wound greedily. I enjoy his animalistic passion, it's not too different from my own. I give him a minute and then his soft gorgeous upper lip is between my teeth, and i bite. I take over his mouth and relish every salt-flavored kiss he gives me. He mumbles in delight and his hand on my neck clenches, pulling me closer. Lust is written all over our grimy little bloodstained faces.

#bg3 astarion #astarion fanfic #astarion #astarion x tiefling #astarion x tav #astarion romance #ascended astarion #tav x astarion #ascended astarion x tav #ascended astarion fic #astarion fanfiction #astarion smut #ascended astarion smut #this story has a part 2 now #it is more bloody and smutty too #dark romance

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mournmeal · 1 month

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Good evening my mourning doves! I’m in the market for some longterm roleplay partners / friends for Baldur’s Gate 3! Please read it all to avoid confusion BEFORE reaching out. If this all sounds good to you then feel free to message me! I won’t bite. …. I’ll bite you if you ask. THE VOICES. Sorry it was my demons.

Also wanted to add just in case this may apply to someone’s interest, if you are seeking for a Tav ( or Durge ) to write with, are fine with them being a woman and you are wanting to write Astarion ( Spawn or Ascended ), Raphael, Haarlep, any of them you can also reach out to me!

( And for anyone who finds this and recognizes me, I promise to work on your reply early tomorrow or at some point tonight. )

ABOUT MYSELF :

• I’m 24 and you can call me Asta. Any pronouns are fine by me.

• I will only write with adults who are 20 and will gladly accept older. Please do respect this boundary.

• I’d say my style is Multiple Paragraph Novella. A sucker for details and tend to get carried away when enjoying the roleplay. No need to match length, but do give me something to work with. I write in third person.

• Currently unable to work, but have intentions to work from home. Though this means I will be very active. And at ungodly hours …

• I have decided to no longer be ghost friendly. This goes for myself and others. So, to avoid wasting handing out my discord I’d prefer we feel each other out before that exchange. If I get busy with anything I will properly give a heads up. Should I be away for a long period of time.

• I am comfortable writing mature content ( whether that be dark themes. containing violence, blood, dead dove, to smut. ) However I do not want mainly smut focused roleplays. And I do not want to be thrown in head first into smut. Rich Plot with smut my beloved. THOUGH we can still make nsfw headcanons whenever we please.

WHAT I OFFER :

• A longer term writing partner and friend. I’d love to vibe with you ! Match each other’s energy. I don’t want the connection to be transactional. Let’s bond over our silly little game with our silly little characters.

• Love writing OC x CC. And would love to hype up the ship of your Tav / Durge with the character you want.

• Currently accepting double ups! I am more than happy to play any origin character you desire. Or any other characters. Examples being Rolan, Raphael, Haarlep, you get the idea.

• Parings can be MxM. FxF. FxM. NBxF. NBxM. Whatever! This is a safe space. Trans Tavs/Durges are always welcome!

• Me being absolutely down bad for your Tav / Durge. I will hype that babe up like my life depends on it. If you can’t tell, I adore when people create their own characters and give them lore. Flood me with pictures of them, with your headcanons, ALL OF IT. I crave sustenance. Me having to resist the urge of saying our Tav’s should kiss.

• We can have our own little discord server to send moodboards, headcanons, music, videos edits, and the list goes on. Let’s gush over our characters and ships like insane friends do. Literally. Go crazy. I will chime right in any hour. … As long as I’m not napping.

• I enjoy sprinkling other characters into my writings to really help set the scene or add some more depth / detail to our storyline. So if we end up in a situation where they are needed or if we just want them there from time to time for plot - I can do that.

• Also? If you have BG3 on computer WE SHOULD PLAY IT TOGETHER SOMETIME. Let’s go create mass chaos. But be warned I do encourage trying to fight everything.

WHAT I’D LIKE :

• Honestly damn near everything I already stated above. LMFAO.

• Longterm writing partners / friends only. Consistency will be important. As I’m also going to try and be that way too. So if you know you ghost don’t bother.

• I’d like to write as my Tav / Durge who is a female. ( I plan to make more with various gender identities for other runs! And sexualities. This one is pansexual.)

• For her love interest in think maybe Astarion? ( Spawn or Ascended. ) Raphael? Haarlep? My answer may change depending on my muse at the moment so who knows. ( You can still want for me to write as them for you! )

• Would love for our Tav’s / Durge’s to interact! Love making headcanons for them. Creating a dynamic for them.

• Anyone who wants to write dark themes here and there! Dead dove is allowed! We just need to discuss it of course for each other’s comfort. Eat up whatever drama we want going on.

• Speaking of drama. Should you want some where some other character seems to have eyes for your Tav / Durge to get some jealous action … I will fuel that fire. As I’ve said before. We can go crazy. It’s roleplay, let’s have fun!

• Let’s make moodboards, throw / bounce headcanons, share music, create au’s even, whatever we want.

• If anything else comes to mind I’ll throw it here or in our messages. But yes. Message me if interested!! Look forward to meeting you!

#baldurs gate roleplay #baldurs gate rp #bg3 rp #baldurs gate 3 rp #baldurs gate 3 roleplay #Baldur’s Gate 3 RP #Baldur’s Gate 3 Roleplay #SHUT UP I DONT KNOW IF THIS SHIT IS CASE SENSATIVE OR ANYTHING

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