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galedekarios · 6 months

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Hi!! Hope I am not bothering you (if so please feel free to ignore!) with a Gale lore question, but I figured you're the person on tumblr who would most likely know given all the cool shit you've been posting, but do we have any idea *where* gale was when he got snatched by the mindflayers? I can't seem to find a straight answer about most of the companions, but there seems to be a fairly straight forward answer for most of them except Gale (and Astarion to some extent) I know he had his year of solitude that he seemed to have left willingly and from what Tara says about Waterdeep it doesnt seem like they had a massive nautiloid attack the city a la the opening. I figured he either left Waterdeep in search of more items to sate the orb/protect the city in case of rupturing and was taken there or he was just maybe beaten over the head and abducted in the city by one of the few Absolutists that are in Waterdeep.

thank you for your message! i really appreciate your words.

sadly, there is no indication at all where precisely gale was before the events of the game take place.

i've collected some pieces of the puzzle, however, that i thought are relevant to at least paint a broad picture of what likely happened:

gale is well aware of how unstable the orb is. when he escapes the nautiloid, his first thought is that the illithid tadpole is very likely to have adverse effects on it:

he has lived with the orb for about a year or longer, knowing well what its effect might be. i have wondered often just why gale would know so much about ceremorphosis before the game starts. perhaps the devs just needed another exposition machine, which is likely, too, of course.

but considering the very real and very present danger of the orb, i think it's also likely that in his desperation to find a way to heal himself, reading up as much as he could on everything that even resembled some sort of solution, gale perhaps even read up on ceremorphosis, before deciding that it's just not viable, that it would do more harm to than good.

i think it might be in line with the same reasoning as to why the player can bring up the nightsong to gale as a possible solution to the orb.

2. gale is aware just catastrophic the consequences of the orb being unleashed are. when gale goes to rest in his origin playthrough, sleep will not find him and once more, his thoughts turn towards the orb first:

it's likely that this is why we find him staring into the flames playing a custom protag. these two scenes seem to mirror each other.

3. we also learn from the same dialogue two important things: that gale made tara promise to stay in waterdeep, concerned for her safety. we also learn from his conversation with tara that he is not only concerned about her safety, but his mother's as well and that he left her behind in waterdeep as well:

morena isn't aware of what her son tried to do. he kept it from her. not only had he disappointed her faith in him and his talents, now, with the orb, he was actively putting her in mortal peril. along with everyone else in the city.

from a later dialogue we also learn that gale is afraid of bringing shame to his family name:

player: So, your last name is Dekarios? gale: It is. Courtesy of my mother, the inimitable, dare I say it sometimes unavoidable, Morena Dekarios. It's been so long since I've used it. 'Gale Dekarios' cuts a poor figure next to the wizarding prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep.' player: You're right. Just 'Gale' is better. gale: I agree. And on the plus side, if I get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

we also learn that while news of the absolute seems to have reached waterdeep, tara doesn't seem to think that they have infiltrated waterdeep yet. which in turn means that waterdeep wasn't affected in the same way baldur's gate and other cities and regions were.

4. the next morning, gale can have the following conversation with tara:

"you left the tower in such a hurry you didn't leave an address." is what stands out to me here.

what exactly did make gale leave so suddenly?

was it a particularly bad flare-up of the orb? i think it might be likely because i also found this line in the files:

player: i fail to see why you need me to help you this. you've done fine without me so far. gale: A fair point - however, until recently I was able to rely on a supply of artefacts stored in my tower in Waterdeep. A supply that has now run dry. The reality of the matter is that a lone wizard with a chronic impairment such as my own is not in the most ideal of situations with regards to self-defence. The manner of artefacts I need are not often found waiting patiently on a shop-keep's shelf. One usually has to lift them delicately from trap-filled tombs or prise them from the hands of violent ne'erdowells.

so not only does this validate the fact that gale indeed suffers from chronic pain due to his condition even more, it also clearly states that he had nothing left in his possession to treat his condition anymore.

(as an aside, larian really did the seriousness of his condition a grave disservice here on a multitude at levels and this is another point where the narrative is at odds with the game mechanics of the full release. in ea, it truly required great artefacts (the sword of justice blessed by tyr or even the idol of silvanus) to soothe the orb.)

so to bring all of these points together, this is what i believe:

i think gale left waterdeep in a hurry after he felt the orb destabilising.

having no artefacts great power left, staying was no longer an option, lest he puts his mother (and waterdeep itself even) at great risk. he hurriedly packed what he could.

i assume tara was there and that it was then that he made her promise to stay because he didn't want to put his longest (and now only) friend at risk, too. perhaps he also felt better knowing that tara would be there for morena.

i think he was abducted while on the road, trying to find information about artefacts of great power and perhaps even setting out himself to acquire them.

#gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 meta #ch: gale dekarios #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #meta: mybg3

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brabblesblog · 3 months

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Reek.

As Ban spends a night with Halsin, Astarion discovers a new benefit to being the Ascendant. Set before the events of 'Whither is thy beloved gone?'

Smut, angst, accidental voyeurism.

(Note: Astarion's in-game reaction if you kiss Halsin.)

Beta'd by the ever-amazing @leomonae For my consort coven, @marimosalad and @pursuitseternal

Read on AO3.

He had not talked to Ban directly about Halsin after that conversation, telling himself it was beneath the Ascendant’s concerns; in truth, it would have hurt him too much to hear. He remembers seeing Ban walk back into their room after that night, smelling like arousal and him. How he had barely been able to let himself think about it, much less have talked to her about it. 'Whither is thy beloved gone?' Chapter 16

He watches them leave. He watches her, always, and this moment is no exception; there is nothing new about that.

The pounding in his chest, however, is.

Astarion sits on the bed, picking up Necromancy of Thay . He’s reread it a few times since the ascension, hoping it would provide information about the changes in himself he would be encountering. So far that has proven fruitless, despite him understanding the book more and more with every attempt at divining its secrets, but right now the words swim in his vision much like the first time he opened it. The book’s voices are thankfully silent, but there’s no making sense of this tonight.

Are his hands shaking? Are his eyes wet? Is he breathing too hard?

Gods. I’m meant to be better than this , he thinks.

In any other circumstance Ban asking to sleep with Halsin might have been fine, other than for some jealousy; a little uncomfortable perhaps, back when he couldn’t give her the same pleasure, but he knows he did well enough in the Shadow-Cursed lands: Fingers deep inside her curling into hooks, his crooked touch enough, just enough to bring her to ecstasy. And then later on there were her own hands, her mouth, wrapped around him, sucking every last drop he had to give. There was so much lov-

He shakes his head. He can’t afford to think of that.

The parchment stares back at him, the text seemingly mocking him. Astarion snaps the book shut with an annoyed sigh.

It’s his fault, isn’t it? Like how everything seems to be nowadays - the rite, even though there was barely a word of protest amongst his companions at the time. This.

“It doesn't concern me. You are mine. No one can change that.”

“Go right on with Halsin. Far be it from me to hold your hunger against you.”

Words that were so easy to say at that moment, the absolute certainty that Ban would not dare provoke her sire all the reassurance he’d needed; so effortless to let them slip, his countenance not even the slightest bit perturbed - that is, until she turned away from him and walked in the direction of Halsin’s bed. “Fuck! ” he growls, throwing the book with one hard flick of his wrist; Necromancy of Thay sails farther than he intends it to, the extent of his new strength still unfamiliar to him. He watches it hit the wall with a dull thud , then looks away. That’ll serve the damn book right.

Without the book, there isn’t much else to distract him from his thoughts; he could head out of their room and seek out the company of their other companions; however, they have all been avoiding him since the rite. A drink, then, he figures. Considering his new ability to consume mortal food, it may help dull his mind and take the edge off. Hopefully. Astarion heads for the door of the room, intending to drink himself senseless at the tavern. If that is possible.

His mind, traitorous as it has always been, inevitably begins circling the thought of his consort and Halsin. A bottle of their best vintage later, paid with coin from Cazador’s stash, and he’s back in the room, sitting yet again on their bed; he’d seen Gale and Shadowheart dining in the tavern and had no willingness to be seen drinking alone in a booth.

He figures he could try peering into Ban’s mind; see everything for himself, scratch that itch. No doubt Halsin has her on the grass, much like Astarion himself had her, back in that clearing. No doubt she’s moaning Halsin’s name, cock deep inside her where his own should be instead, hands grasping what is his and no one else’s, except he’d been too weak yet again, too weak to seize what belongs to him and hold onto it -

Is it weaker to ask her to stay? Or weaker to goad her like he did, to test her and thereby drive her into the arms of another man?

He isn’t sure; he thinks the spawn inside him, that pathetic creature, is laughing right now. She wouldn’t have left me, it would have said. I would have been strong enough to ask her to stay, would have been unafraid to trust her with my heart - oh, sorry.

Do you still even have one?

The hammering in his breast seems to indicate yes, but he stamps the thought down before it takes hold. Astarion sincerely hopes the alcohol takes.

The man on top of her is too large, his cock stretching her to what feels like her limits as he pushes in; pleasure and pain intermingle in such a dizzying storm that she’s out of breath, even if she doesn’t need it. As Halsin slowly inches in, the pain ebbs, replaced bit by bit by that feeling of being filled, of her cunt being wholly taken. She can hear Halsin’s heartbeat pick up as he fully buries himself in her. His hips begin to move, a gentle, careful thrusting that still sends tendrils of lust unfurling from her core outwards; the sheer size of his cock ensures that even with such small movements he inevitably still hits all the right spots.

Her eyes fly open, the first time they have in a while. For a second she admires the night sky, then shifts her eyes lower to look at her partner for the evening.

In another life, she thinks she would have fallen for him. He’s honest, sweet; there’s no shortness of physical attraction - a quick jerk of his hips reminds her of this - and kind.

He always smiles at her, as if her mere presence brings him joy. He’s uncomplicated, uncompromising in his beliefs, understanding. There is, she thinks, nothing to dislike.

He begins fucking her harder and she gasps, snapped out of her thoughts by the building pressure between her legs; his cock seems to go on endlessly, filling her channel and stretching it with every pass.

A beautiful man. She wishes she could have loved him instead.

Halsin’s form hovers over her, muscles rippling everywhere and skin smelling of musk and honey; she traces a hand over his chest, feeling the swell of it as it shifts with every thrust. He looks at her, quizzical, slowing the movement of his hips.

“What is it, my heart?”

She frowns at the sound of his voice, considering how much to tell Halsin. A low groan escapes her as he thrusts in again; gods , as much as she is loath to admit it, he’s just as good.

He had alluded to the presence of some romantic feelings for her, feelings she knows she can never return. Not when she’s bound to someone else eternally; blood of her blood, soul of her soul, literally - as her sire she very well knows there would be no escaping him. Not that she’s even sure that’s what she wants at the moment.

All she wishes for is for her beloved to return to her; just that, and she thinks she can ignore everything else. For now. Eventually his refusal to turn her into a full vampire will put them at odds, she’s sure.

“It’s-“ she begins, pushing past the discomfort at the idea of breaking his heart. “This can’t happen again.”

His hips still and she feels a twinge of regret for speaking up mid-fuck. “We can stop whenever you wish.” He looks pensive for a moment, then continues. “Did Astarion not give you his approval?”

“He did. It’s me. I can’t…” She trails off. Astarion had given her approval, and seemed to not care at all. And why would he, when she’s utterly his, when the threat of being compelled is an actual possibility? He’s never done so, Ban thinks, never done more than raise his voice when they argue, but still.

In some ways tonight is a test. How far can she push him, and how far his patience lasts.

How much of him is still him.

Halsin smiles at her, a little wistful, cupping her cheek and making her meet his gaze. That breaks her from her reverie. “He is in your thoughts, the only one in your heart. I can see; your hands run through my hair, expecting curls where there are none. You search for a body that isn’t mine. Your eyes glaze over, seeking crimson ones.”

“Yes,” she chokes out, feeling guilty. “I am sorry, Halsin. I still want this, but it wouldn’t be fair to make this a long-term thing.”

“Then it shall not be.” Halsin’s voice carries no hint of resentment, but his face betrays his pain. His lips move to meet her own, the taste of honey filling her mouth as his tongue pushes in. She fights the urge to nip, to bite, to feed on that blood of his that must be oh-so-delectably sweet .

Another thrust, one that buries his cock to the hilt inside her; she’s still honestly shocked that she’s able to take him so well. Her mind wanders to when she first saw it: large and thick, much like the man himself, not without any veins but far less than Astarion ’s, and oh gods she shouldn’t be thinking of him right now, not when this feels so, so good, Halsin’s cock fully stretching her walls, mercilessly hitting her spot and everywhere else.

She’s here to forget about him, not compare him to Halsin, but it seems like her mind has other ideas. A deep breath and she focuses on the physical instead, on the feeling of Halsin inside her, all around her, comforting, and not what she needs, but enough.

Ban feels her climax begin to build, despite herself. Everything feels wrong - the loud, breathy moans, the large calloused hands gripping her, the weight against her body, and even that cock that arguably might be even better. Because she didn’t want better. She wanted him , and he was gone, taken from her in one foolish move, one moment where her own strength faltered and she failed him. Halsin thrusts in and out of her again, his pace increasingly frantic, whisking that train of thought away; it commands most, if not all of her attention. The sweet pleasure of being filled to the brim with every stroke, of being speared on something so large it almost feels too much - she finds herself keening, asking for more, harder, Halsin, harder, fuck me hard so I forget-

“Ast-”

Her climax takes her by surprise, hand flying to her mouth to muffle the rest of the word. Halsin’s relentless thrusting doesn’t slow; if anything it only intensifies as he chases his own release, the body above hers heavy and hot and beautiful in its own way, caught in his own throes of passion. She feels him start to come, a loud, guttural groan emanating from him as he joins her, spilling his seed where it shouldn’t be, where it should have only been -

“-arion.”

His eyes open, hearing his name, seeing for a second not the darkness of their room in the Elfsong, but a sky filled with stars. He feels pleasure: immense, stretching him to the brink and yet filling him with a deep satisfaction. His hips jerk once in response before he manages to cut off the link, cursing himself as the realization of what he had experienced sinks in.

He had figured he daren’t try peering into her mind. What was the point? She will be back on the morrow, his consort , bound to him for eternity whatever else she chooses to do, whoever else she chooses to fuck; the thought was cold comfort. But having it thrust upon him reminds him exactly why he had thought better of it - because it would hurt. Knowing she’s found bliss with some other man, a bliss that should only come from him, stings, especially when he can feel her slipping away from him with every single day that passes. Damn Halsin. Damn him for asking her, for daring to even try to steal her away. As if he ever had a hope against the Ascendant, as if -

As if he needed any more reminders he’s losing her.

Ban opens the door to see the Ascendant sitting on the bed, a bottle of wine in hand; he’s in his nightclothes, shirt unbuttoned. His nose wrinkles, face contorting into a sneer as she walks in, as if he’s smelled something unpleasant.

“You’re back, pet.” he says, not even looking towards her. Another swig of wine; she notices his hand trembles as it lowers the bottle from his lips.

“Didn’t think you’d stay up waiting for me.” She immediately brings her walls back up, walls that have been in use since the day of his ascension. It’s almost second nature now to let the hatred and indifference shine through when all she really feels is longing.

He scoffs. “I’m drinking, not waiting. Where you went and how long you took are not my concern, as I mentioned.” Astarion finally meets her gaze. To her shock his eyes are glassy - drunk. She’s never seen that before, which made sense: he’d never been able to, before. “I know you wouldn’t wander far, little love. How could you?”

The soft bark of false laughter that follows his words are a challenge she’s tempted to meet. Her gaze hardens.

“I might as well just leave then, no? You’re obviously drunk.”

“No.” Astarion stands, swaying on his feet. “You… will stay here.” A slight slur in his normally smooth timbre, and he takes several steps towards her, each one more unsteady than the one before.

Ban moves, instinct and love winning out, wrapping her arms around him; he seems to melt into her arms, pressing her against his chest; he nuzzles the top of her head, though whether through sheer drunkenness or affection, she doesn’t know. He’s warm, a feeling she still finds unnerving, and his heart races against her ear, a fact she dismisses as irrelevant.

Given the severity of his condition, however, she thinks she should stay.

“Let me get you to bed. You’re - gods.” In one move she sweeps him off his unstable feet, arms lifting him effortlessly. It takes a moment to wrangle the Ascendant to bed, given that he’s making a rather futile attempt to fight back.

“I’m not - you don’t -” He glares, although the effect is lessened by his condition, “-go. You don’t go.”

Please don’t go.

“Fine.” Ban dumps him unceremoniously on the bed, dropping him from a little higher than she probably should’ve; he groans as he lands and fixes the same angry look at her. “Rest. You’ll be your dear old self in the morning. I’m going to bathe.”

Astarion’s scowl deepens, still looking as if he’s smelling something distasteful.

“Thank the gods,” he hisses. “You reek.”

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buttermynoods · 1 month

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Gale x Named Tav (Fem)

Summary: As Feyre and her companions talk amongst themselves one night, she grows uncomfortable from the cold until the rizzard 😏 (Mr. Dekarios Himself) comes to her aid without needing to be asked

Warnings: Some kissing, nothing too crazy tbh

It was good, Feyre knew, to be bonding with each other. It meant that when the inevitable day comes that one of them is on the brink of death, the other are inclined to help, want to help. However, she couldn't help but want to bring the night to an end as the night grew later and the air got crisper.

This particular night, it was freezing. Not only were the temperatures quite chilly, but the wind made it seem much worse. The others had on extra layers, except for Karlach of course, who sat next to her, completely unaffected by the cold. Feyre, however, didn't have such luxury. She sat on her log shivering, her arms wrapped around herself. And she was quite miserable. It's not that she wasn't enjoying herself, but it was hard to keep good conversation when the only thing you could think about was warmth. The fire did help, but she could only get so close to it before she was in it. She slowly scooted herself closer to Karlach so that her left side would feel Karlachs warmth, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Hey soldier, you cold?" Karlach did in fact notice.

"A little. Nothing I can't handle." Feyre admits, smiling cheesily.

Conversations continue and as they do, the night grows colder. The sun is finally down and the moon offers no warmth in its absence, of course. Feyre sits uncomfortably so, but still she remains, wanting to stay and socialize. She's mid conversation with Astarion, talking about her mother, when suddenly she feels this strange sensation travel up her body, starting at her toes. Not only is it strange, but it's also so very warm. Feyre stops talking immediately and glances around frantically, trying to see if anyone else is experiencing what she is. The others don't seem to be effected, and she ignores Astarion as he askes her if she's alright. Whatever it was, it didn't feel menacing. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Like a warm hug, or the sun beating down on skin after rain. As strange as the sudden change in temperature was, she didn't want it to stop, so she stopped looking for an answer.

That was until her eyes landed on Gale's, who had a quite a mischevious look plastered on his face. Curious. Her brows furrow as his own raise slightly and a smirk plays at his lips. She cocks her head ever so slightly and narrows her eyes at him, scanning him for any tell tale sign of his shenanigans. That's when her eyes found his hands, particularly his left one, which was glowing with an aura. The very same one as the one she was engulfed in.

As it dawns on her what's happening, her frown turns into a slow smile and she silently thanks him from across the campfire. He nods, then returns to his conversation with Wyll. He cast warmth on her not only because she needed it, but also because he knew it would earn her affection, and that's all he ever seemed to want these days.

Later that night, as the fire died down and most of the companions have turned in for the night, Feyre finds herself alone. Well, alone with Gale. He's still sitting in the same spot he was earlier, except this time Feyre has his full rapt attention, considering there is nobody else to talk to.

Feyre meets his eyes, "Thank you." She says quietly, still basking in the warmth that is his magic embrace.

"Oh, it's nothing. Couldn't have you uncomfortable under my watchful eyes." He teases, eyes shining.

"Have you always been able to do that?" She asks curiously.

"Yes." Gale nods.

"Well then why didn't you do it sooner?" Feyre teases, but also wanted to know.

"You never asked. I would've been more than happy to oblige if you weren't so stubborn to ask for help when you need it." Gale tsks, shaking his head.

As annoying as his words were, they were true. She didn't ask for help when she needed it. A bad habit that needed breaking.

"Well then." She says, standing from her spot and walking over to him, stopping when she her feet stood right between his own, standing in between his legs.

Feeling brave, she leans down so her lips are right by his ear, nearly grazing the soft skin there,

"Next time, I guess I'll ask." She whispers. Before pulling away, she nips at his lobe gently. A small groan escapes his lips and his hands immediately find her waist, gripping at the plush skin there. "Thank you, again."

"You could uhm..." He breaths nervously, "Thank me in other ways, you know."

Feyre's eyes widen at his bold words and she feels herself smirk before swinging her legs one by one over his lap on either side of his hips, knees rested on the log beneath him. It was a risky move, yes, but one he seemed to welcome almost instantaneously. His grip on her hips tightened and he let's out the quietest of moans, it would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for how close she was to him.

"I was only flirting, I don't want you to feel like you have to-" Gale starts, his cheeks bright red. Feyre quickly puts a finger to his lips and shakes her head,

"I take pride in how grateful I am for everything given to me. Let me show you." She says smoothly, leaning her head down and trailing small kisses on his neck, starting at his collarbone and making her way up to his jaw.

She was so slow, so gentle, it was driving Gale mad. He had to fight himself not to take her right then and there.

"Feyre, please-" He begged, his breath shakey. Begged for what? For her to stop? To keep going? He didn't know. All his thoughts were clouded at this point, completely consumed by her presence.

She pulled away from where her face was buried in his neck and met his brown eyes with her blue ones.

"Yes?" She batted her lashes teasingly.

That simple act was his breaking point. Before he could even think about what he was doing, his lips were on hers, taking the control that Feyre carried mere moments ago. She gasps slightly against his lips but doesn't pull away.

"You looked so beautiful tonight," He mumbles between kisses, "So tempting in that pretty tunic that hugs your breasts so perfectly."

"If you don't stop talking, I might take your clothes off, and I believe that's something that should wait for when we have more privacy." She breaks the kiss and meets his lustful eyes.

He stares at her for what feels like hours before finally speaking,

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I have so much self-discipline." He says coyly and gives her one last peck before patting her thigh, a signal to get up. She listens, and immediately misses the feeling of him between her legs.

"I better get some sleep." Feyre mumbles awkwardly, suddenly feeling very shy.

"Of course. Try not to dream of me," He winks, "Oh and please, next time you find yourself particularly colder or hotter than you would like to be, let me know. I'll make sure to remedy whatever you need." He smiles gently.

Feyre can feel the blush on her cheeks and nods,

"Goodnight, Gale." She smiles.

"Goodnight."

#baldurs gate gale #gale of waterdeep #gale x tav #bg3 fluff #bg3 gale #bg3 fanfiction #gale fanfic #bg3 tav #bg3

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malicedafirenze · 7 months

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I unintentionally skipped a lot of the romance content in Baldur's Gate 3 and I want others to learn from my mistakes:

So: I managed to lock myself out of romance entirely and ended up alone, which was a huge bummer and a serious crack in my motivation to play the game. I finished my playthrough (because I was already close to the end of Act 3 when I realized it), and plan to do another one eventually. I'm making this post in hopes of a) keeping others from making the same mistakes and b) to possibly get some additional insight re. what to watch out for in my next playthrough.

PSA: Pick a Partner before Act 3

The key learning here for me was this explanation from the poly mod

In BG3, romance is divided into 2 steps: dating and relationship(also called partner). Dating is basically where you are at after the 1st romance scene. Relationship is where you are at after the 2nd romance scene (relationship also unlocks the kissing menu). BTW, If you enter A3, all dates will break up with you (partners won't, ofc).

I hadn't realized this until well into Act 3, at a point where going back to a save to properly fix it would have meant replaying large parts of Act 2 as well - I decided to finish my run instead and then start a completely new one later.

Note: lots of spoilers below. (click here to read this post on reddit instead)

My Romance Woes

I read in advance that you couldn't romance multiple people (except for the specific Halsin combos with Shadowheart and Astarion) and therefore turned down Gale and Lae'Zel early in the game (not realizing you could just date/bonk them without fully committing or getting anyone upset)

I didn't take approval all that seriously, thought I'd have more opportunity to fix things later. I was playing pretty good guy, and ended up with high approval for Karlach and Shadowheart, but low for Astarion. Weirdly, I don't recall an option to romance Shadowheart (no clue what I missed?) and the only option I had for Karlach was at the Tiefling party, where I went with Astarion instead. I had a scene or two with him, but then didn't progress further in the relationship, without really realizing what I was missing.

I wanted to romance everyone, sat on the fence for too long, and ended up not romancing anyone at all, by missing a thing or two in act 1 and 2 and being too late to fix it in act 3. Don't be like me, it feels bad man.

Early Act 3, I got Astarion's breakup dialogue ("we haven't spent a night together in some time" --> him explaining it was just transactional and he doesn't see the value in it anymore) and got super worried, but when trying to look up if I'd messed up, I didn't find a clear answer for without more spoilers, so I just continued playing Act 3, including all of the companion quests.

I later learned that I missed out on at least one important Astarion romance interaction by not going to Moonrise Towers until after freeing Nightsong. (when the Towers are already on high alert, i.e. I could only fight and not have a lot of conversations)

After realizing I had messed up companions romance, I instead fucked everyone it was unwise to fuck (Emperor, Mizora, Harleep...) for fun and to see what would happen... but chickened out and reloaded after Emperor and Mizora. Still, got to enjoy some fun content that way!

The ending I got (going to Avernus with Karlach) was really cool and made me cry a lot. I then did try to reload my last save though, to see if I'd get any other epilogue content if I didn't go to the Hells, but... apparently that scene on the docks (Astarion goofily running off, everyone kinda agreeing to go party after this, no other conversations with anyone again.... is just... it?

Idk how much of this is the lack of romance, but I really felt like something was missing there. I at least wanted to talk to everyone again one last time.

This is a post about my romance failures and regrets so I'm not gonna talk about everything else that I loved about the game, but just in case this is getting a bit too negative: I had an absolute blast with the whole game regardless, I'm stoked to give it another go the "proper" way (i.e. with romance). I also generally think it's really fucking cool that this game's romance options depend on how you behave, and that you can't just e.g. give someone the right kind of gift 20 times in a row to make them love you, like it works in games like Stardew Valley.

Next Playthrough Plans

I'll probably wait for another patch or two - considering how much got fixed and tweaked with the first three patches, I suppose it's worth to wait a bit and see what's coming

I'll play with the Poly mod next time and try to romance all of the Origin characters.

I plan to play with the camp notifications mod, as well as the approval ratings in dialogue mod. Both in hopes of being able to game the romance a bit better and get much of the romance in one playthrough

I'll play Dark Urge (haven't seen any of that so far!), but probably still go for a "good" playthrough mostly

I plan on equipping & levelling all Origin companions and switch them out more freely, in order to get approval from everyone and edit my party as makes sense depending on story events (e.g. take Lae'Zel to the Creche, take Gale to the Ketheric fight...)

I want to romance everyone. I already saw some tips for early game Astarion approval and assume the aforementioned mods will help in optimizing this

Am probably not gonna do anything all that differently otherwise because my heart can't take an actually evil playthrough

Aand that's about it. As mentioned, I'm mostly posting in case this helps anyone else.

I was really damn sad when I realized I had locked myself out of all romance, because the romance was a significant part of my motivation to start playing this in the first place. At the same time, I loved so much about the game that I still got a lot out of it in 110+ hours even with minimal romance content.

If you see any red flags about my plans for the next playthrough (or if you have experience with the mentioned mods!), I'd appreciate comments and insights. Other than that, here's hoping others can learn from my mistakes. Thank you for reading <3

#bg3 #baldur‘s gate 3 #baldur's gate #astarion #bg3 romance #karlach #gale #lae'zel #shadowheart #astarion romance #baldur's gate 3 romance

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kmenkea · 6 months

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Bloodlust - Part 4 "A night of passion"

Summary: For the first time in days, Astarion and Leeith have an evening free from any burden; an evening they'll spend in each other's cold embrace, laying on a pretty clearing in the forest.

Content: NSFW chapter. (finally) pretty tame sex and a bit of orgasm denial/teasing (the real kinky stuff will come later, dw, I just think their relationship needs to develop more for that). Blood sucking because, you know, hot.

Please comment and tell me what you think or if you have any critiques.

Word Count: 5.5k

Read on AO3

Leeith was in charge of cooking that evening at camp. A few pans were in front of her, frying fresh water fish with a side of mushrooms and carrots. A few times already, someone had jokingly asked if poison was her people's special spice or if she could serve antidotes instead of wine and beer. She really wanted to throw some broken glass in the dinner, since that could kill everyone without it being technically poison, but she still needed her companions. No mass killings today, unfortunately.

Besides, she wanted to enjoy eating the food she prepared: in the underdark she only had two choices, either go to a tavern where no one had ever heard of her - pretty hard since she led a group of criminals - or learn how to cook. Any other food was probably laced with poisons and it was better to starve and be safe.

After sunset, everyone got round the campfire for dinner. They inspected their dishes and smelt them conspicuously, except for Karlach and Lae’zel, who ate without a fuss. The drow kept smiling at her companions, explaining the properties of different poisonous mushrooms they had in the underdark, but a certain sense of resentment and loneliness flared up her bile, turning into anger. Sure, she did play into the stereotypes of her people sometimes, especially against her enemies, but not once she had laid a finger against her party, except for Gale, who really only got threatened. If this was going to last much longer, filling up the food of whoever crossed her with poison would be the least she was going to do.

She glanced at each and everyone of her companions, studying them as they drank and laughed. Few had done nothing to cross her, but it was probably just a matter of time before they too, would betray her trust in some way. It was better to be ready to act and free herself of dead weight before they’d try to cut her in half or make her head explode… or place a dagger in her throat. Astarion was staring at her from behind the fire with a knowing smirk. He wasn’t eating for obvious reasons, but still partook in conversation.

He wasn’t trustworthy either. His personality would have fit well in the underdark, so sly and agile, the perfect backstabber. Leeith smiled back at him. He was fun though, so he would get a pass for the time being.

The first to leave the gathering was Lae’zel, who wanted to be ready for the morning, then Shadowheart, after finishing a last cup of wine. Gale, Wyll and at last Karlach went away to take care of things in their tents. Leeith remained in front of the fire pit, readying her small alchemy set. Along with her was the vampire, who was lost with his eyes pointed up, stargazing. For a while, she ignored him, getting ingredients ready in different little pots, glancing between the notes and a small scale to weigh the right amount of herbs and oils. Only when everything was put over coals to heat up gently, did she sit beside the vampire. He noticed her presence getting closer and twisted his head to look at her. There wasn't an expression on his face, neither happiness nor rage.

"How are you feeling, Astarion?" She crossed her legs, showing him a gentle smile.

"I'm brooding. Nights like this are made for reliving the best moments of your life." If he was sad or genuine, she couldn't tell.

"Don't you get enough of that in your trance?" She giggled a bit to ease the atmosphere.

"You see, my memories are not what you could call… charming, darling. But they are quite striking." He didn't seem to pay much mind to what he said, waving his hands in the air like a drama actor. Leeith shrugged: telling him to just remember other things while trancing probably wasn't the greatest advice she could give, so she was left with the next best solution after ignoring the problem.

"Want to get drunk again tonight? Properly this time. And then you can try to beat me at a knife throwing competition." She made the knife spin in the air, the blade still stained in green from some alchemy ingredient. Before she could catch it again, Astarion snatched it by the blade, pointing its handle towards her.

"I had something better in mind." He sat up to get closer to her. His voice was lower both in tone and volume.

"And what might that be?" She returned a coy little grin, leaning towards him.

"It's a quiet evening for once. Perfect for two people who want to take some time for themselves, if you catch my meaning." He caressed her jaw with just one finger, lingering for a few seconds on the soft flesh connecting her head and neck. "And I do mean sex, to be clear. We've been waiting long enough." He laughed, letting go of her. Leeith smirked: if it was up to her, she would have already jumped, pin him to the ground and taken her pleasures. A glance around the camp changed her mind.

"Alright, but where will we go?" She held his hand, feeling his cold skin under her thumb.

"Let's find our own little place of nowhere. Somewhere we can lose ourselves and forget all this madness." He motioned at the camp and their heads, trapping her gaze in his. The vampire reached for her shoulder, pulling her closer as if to share a secret. His lips barely grazed on her ear. "There's a secluded place nearby that should do nicely. Wait until the others are asleep, then come find me there."

"I'll see you there." She purred in his ear, tightening her grasp on his hand.

"Indeed you will, my love. I can't wait." They let go of one another, and after one last glance, they both went in different directions. Leeith returned to brew her potions, biting her lips in anticipation and daydreaming about the night to come.

One by one, candles and torches were snuffed out, plunging the little camp they had in darkness; all shades of grey and black for the drow, but all perfectly visible up to the edges of the hill. Even her campfire had mostly died down, but she didn't care to fix it since she would be going away shortly. The drow was thinking of what they would be doing together, but had very little knowledge of what the vampire actually liked or wanted, except her blood. Even though she had many partners in her life, she was never good at reading what they wanted or preferred. Long term relationships were better for that, but those came with a long list of other problems, ones much harder to deal with.

Even whilst laying down, she saw Astarion quietly sneak away, in a flash of white. A burst of energy ran down her spine, telling her to jump up and follow him… but it would have been funnier to let him wait, get a bit desperate and arrive just as he realised this might have all been a fluke. And so she waited, getting herself ready for him, fixing her eye liner in the mirror he used, wearing delicate jewellery and a light perfume. If she wasn't camping out in the forest, she would have worn her best underwear, something lacey and silky. The softest thing she had here was her bare skin.

After making sure everyone was truly asleep, she went for the forest, throwing a long cloak over her shoulders. She didn't really know where this place was, but it couldn't have been too far. The drow paid close attention to any nook and cranny for a silver flash or anything alerting her of the vampire's presence, but even with that knowledge, she was surprised when he appeared right in front of her, wearing only a smile and his trousers. His slim body stood out from the darkness of the trees, almost shining as bright as the moon. He opened his arms, getting closer.

Leeith took a deep breath, letting go of all her worries and grievances for tonight. She wasn't going to let anything spoil her fun: only the gods knew when another moment of respite was going to come and she didn't want to ruin what could have very well been her last one. She bit her lip, feeling a certain tingling sensation build up in her lower abdomen.

"There you are, I've been waiting. Waiting since the moment I set eyes on you." With each word he took one small step closer, filling her vision with his presence. "Waiting to have you." He smelled of citrus and rosemary cologne.

"Mhh, you don't have me yet." She smirked, taking one small step backwards. His words were so inviting for the occasion: picture perfect, as if he knew exactly what everyone wanted to hear. He was going to need a bit more effort than that.

"Don't I? You're here. And, I don't think you want to talk." He lifted his eyebrow in a knowing gaze. "I think you want to be known, to be tasted." His voice turned low and silky, while a hand reached up for her chin, raising it to have a better look.

"And what do you want?" She reached up to intertwine their fingers, feeling the skin of his hand, every little scar and wrinkle. It was cold like the night, but as soft as autumn air.

"What does everyone want? Pleasure. Yours. Mine. Our collective ecstasy." In a rush, he grabbed both of her hands, placing a kiss on each of them, and then on the wrist, running his lips upwards the inner part of the forearm. Leeith was pleasantly surprised by all this fanfare: she was expecting a much more… detached approach to the night: lay on the ground, have fun for some time and be on their way. She wasn't expecting the vampire to still court her.

"Isn't that what you want? To lose yourself in me?" He tensed up as if he was afraid of something, maybe being rejected again, thought the drow. Leeith rolled her eyes at all this cloying sweetness and, with a smirk, unclasped the pin holding her cape. The woollen cloth fell at her feet with a soft thud, revealing her naked body, covered only in a few golden chains.

The vampire raised an eyebrow, looking at her from head to toe and back: he was surprised, but certainly content with how things were going. Without another moment lost to talk, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Leeith shivered when their naked chests met: she expected heat, what any partner had offered her, but this was closer to hugging a soft marble column. Not that it mattered now, as she crossed her arms above his shoulders, pulling him down towards her.

His lips were soft and the drow could feel his fangs pressing on her. She grabbed his face, pushing herself closer, so that he'd open his mouth. The taste of his tongue, of his teeth, it was so metallic, like iron and copper. She liked it, and went ahead to twist their tongues together.

The vampire wasn't going to stand there and take it passively. His hands ran down to her hips, feeling the curve of her bottom, his fingers sank into the soft flesh of her thighs and then swiftly he lifted her high. The drow gasped when she suddenly lost the ground from below her feet, looking down with a smile. The elf pushed her against a tree; The bark was rough against her back, but she had worse in the past; a few scratches weren’t going to intimidate her.

Astarion kissed her again, but it was just a small peck, enough to have all of the attention back to him. “I’ve got more cards up my sleeve.” He caught her gaze and went for her mouth, clinging to her warm body, pushing himself ever closer. Leeith locked her legs tighter, not because she was afraid to slip, but to feel all of him. His hard muscles, tensed from lifting her, the little scars all over his back, from ancient battles or… something worse probably. No reason to think about that now and bring down the mood.

No, what she was concentrating on was much more appealing, firing her mind with images and possibilities. With her legs so tight around his hips, she could feel his hard length pressing on her core. It must have been painful to have it so constricted, but it was even more painful for her to feel it rub against her clit, sparking a faint pleasure that inflamed her, rising so slowly it almost annoyed her. She was greedy and already wanted a lot more than just some kisses and his hands groping her ass.

She planted both her feet on the tree behind her and pushed them. Astarion lost his balance, stumbled back a few steps, and fell down on the cold grass. The drow lunged on top of him like a feral beast, placing her hands at either side of his head. Her short hair cascaded in front of her face, wild like the look on her eyes. She grinned and bit her lip, admiring Astarion below her. His curls were a bit less perfect and his face had a tinge of shock. It disappeared in an instant, as he grabbed her hips and forced her to sit down on him. She tasted iron and copper again, as they both claimed each other’s mouth.

And then the vampire raised his hips, rubbing his length on her and earning a small moan. Leeith felt so turned on: she didn’t know if it was the fact she hadn’t fucked in so long or if she just wanted him that much, but she was sure her pussy had started to throb and claim more. She sat up, panting and licking her lips. If it was any normal man, the drow would have already tied his hands up, slashed his trousers and pants and taken her pleasures. Any male drow would have been more than fine with that and she wouldn’t care about a surface dweller, but the vampire was another problem: whips and ropes or any other fun tool were probably out of the picture. She took one deep breath to calm herself, then grabbed his right hand, gently raising it up.

“Is there anything you don’t like, Astarion? What is it that you don’t want me to do?” Her thumb again went to feel his skin, slowing the pace of their act.

“Darling, if I’m bedding a drow it is because I want it wild and risky. Where’s all the energy from earlier, mh?” He tightened his grip on her hips and tried to push her to the side, but she stood her ground and smiled gently. Leeith broke eye contact to look at her finger following the wrinkles of his palm, caressing them gently.

“I don’t want you to pull out any dagger or weapon - except the ones in your pants and mouth, to be clear - nor cast any spells without asking.” She locked her eyes on his again. His expression had mellowed out, from a cocky and pompous one, to serious and huffed. “Show a blade anywhere near the vicinity of me, and I’ll be the one to blast your body against a tree.” He took a few seconds to answer, his hand following the line of her thigh down to the ground.

“I- I don’t want you to pose as my mistress or owner.” There was pain in his voice, but an instant later his defences were up again and all the sorrow was hidden behind a snarky smirk. “Like asking a fish not to swim, I know. Woe is you, little drow.” He chuckled and, this time with more force, managed to get back up on top of her. Leeith laughed, letting him take control.

Astarion was gently following the curves of her body, avoiding the many little scars that punctuated it. His soft touch made her shiver when he reached the waist, yet his fingers kept creeping downwards, past her navel, threatening to give her pleasure at any moment. She needed that, but she wanted something else before, something that could make the whole night a lot more magical.

The drow raised his head by the chin, and with just a smile, freed her neck from any hair, exposing the puncture scars.

“Why don’t you take something? A little boost of energy for the night.” He stopped dead in his tracks, travelling back up with both his eyes and head, up to her face. He pressed his cock back between her legs, making her just imagine what would await. Without a second thought, Leeith crossed her limbs behind his back, pulling him even closer to grind on him. The faint pleasure made her pussy drool and protest, growing more and more uncomfortable.

“You’re such a delectable little pet.” He huffed, ravaging her neck with kisses and tiny little bites. Astarion lifted her head up to give himself more space and, an instant later, the bite arrived, along the mind twirling, ravishing pain that came with it. The drow loudly moaned, arching her back as her blood flew in his mouth. She grasped at his locks and shoulders, needing something to keep her stable while he sucked on her skin.

God it felt so good! The blood turned him on fire, it seemed like it would give him the energy to do all that he wanted the whole night. He felt his trousers grow way too tight and uncomfortable, so much so that, while still attached to her neck like a tick, he had to kick them off. Their souls were meeting and just as he grew more and more excited, she followed, no doubt feeding on each other's desire. The vampire’s hand cupped one of her breasts, twisting and squeezing her nipple harshly. She whined and moaned, sinking her nails in his back and raising her hips, rubbing her wetness on his now uncovered boner, almost able to catch the tip, slide it deep inside them and finally free them. She already wanted to give in, to pierce her wet cunt and fill her with his cum by the end.

He never had a woman be that needy below him: desperately clinging to him for any amount of pleasure, wetting his cock so much, without it even being inside, and above all, pushing his head on her neck to suck more. For a moment it felt… nice. But it was fleeting.

The connection broke and her body went limp, tired. Dizziness overtook him and he knew he had his fill. It was the time to respect his part of the deal.

His tongue ran up on her neck, still bloodied and red, trying to clean as much as possible. Leeith was more than burning. She needed to get her legs spread and cunt filled instantly. She cupped his cheeks, not caring about the blood running down her shoulders and breasts, and forced their lips together. She had to agree, as their tongues danced together, fresh blood was delicious, but like a savoury broth, not honeyed wine.

His hands were running everywhere on her, sometimes caressing her, giving her shivers, others clenching and twisting, holding her down by the waist or pinching her thighs and ass. His tongue trailed down from her lips back to her neck, following the droplets of blood past her collarbones and on her breasts. The drow bit her lips as he started to play with her nipples, twisting it around his tongue and suckling the blood that had run off. She stared at him half lidded, running her nails on his back, feeling his bumps and scars. Her hands went down to his crotch, feeling the lower part of his abdomen with her thumbs. She tried to get closer to his manhood, but the vampire stopped her, pinning her wrist to the ground.

“Just relax and let me take over, darling.” He whispered in between kisses and soft bites. “My debts are way overdue.”

Astarion’s fingers began caressing her inner thighs, up and down, each time getting closer to her core. They traced the outside of her lips, making Leeith squirm and moan in anticipation. But every time he’d get near, he would remain just shy of her clit, instead biting harder on her nipple, so that she’d feel his fangs leaning on her flesh.

“Stop- teasing me, elf.” She said, annoyed at how long it was taking to get to the main course. The elf lifted his head and stared at her smirking. At once, his fingers went deep, down to the knuckle, and then out, swiping upwards and flicking her clit on the way. She yelped in surprise, melting under his touch. All the displeasure though returned, when he stared at his shining fingers against the moonlight.

“But I enjoy teasing so much. How else would I be able to get you this wet?” He kissed her jaw, then started whispering. “Gods, how can you be so aroused? Is it all because of me, mh, pet?” He fingered her again, this time taking his time to explore all of her folds, putting only the softest of pressures. Her pussy was so slick, as he went up and down it, circling her clit, then inserting just the tip of his fingers, enough to coat the rest of her in juices. Leeith tried to ease her muscles, to relax and drown in the pleasure. She shut her eyes, concentrating on his motions. With every circle he went just a bit deeper, a bit faster, until one of his slender fingers was deep in her, touching the sensitive mound inside of her. She moaned when he added another finger, all the while still taking care of her breasts. His fingers curled and cut, feeding the flames.

“Astarion.” She whimpered. Her hands were shaking, but she grabbed his head all the same, to look in his eyes. “I want more. I want you to- fuck me properly.” She tried to keep her voice steady and assertive, but it was hard while the vampire fingered her so frantically and her skin was covered in goosebumps. Astarion just smiled, and added another finger to the mix. The drow threw her head back and tried clenching her thighs, but Astarion was firmly in the middle.

“You squirm so gorgeously, darling. But I am an understanding man.” He took away all of his fingers, leaving her cunt to clench around nothing. “You just have to say the magic little word.” His hands went back to roam about her skin, while he better positioned himself between her legs. Gods, she could feel his hard cock swipe up and down her slit, barely pressing in her entrance, just to move up again. She couldn’t help but grind her hips a little. She felt her pride torn to shreds for being in this position under not only a man, but a surface elf at that. Lolth would have not looked at her kindly. But he was a vampire, so maybe he had to get a pass.

“Ugh… Please.” She bit her lips and furrowed her brow, but her reddened cheeks still gave away her arousal and loosening conviction.

“Mh? What did you say?” The vampire pushed her hips down to the ground, so that she couldn’t move anymore, removing even the little bit of respite that came from grinding on him.

“Please, I would like to get fucked now, blood sucker.” She huffed, pulling him closer by the waist.

“Tks, still a bit too feisty, but I can work on that.” Astarion spread her legs apart, sliding his cock on her wet folds, stirring small shivers of pleasure in the drow. The tip of his dick tested her entrance. There was some resistance, as the tight walls of her cunt adjusted to him. Leeith whimpered against his ear: She knew he was big and she hadn’t had any fun in a while, but didn’t expect it to feel so… shattering, almost unable to fit. He slowed down, moaning for how tightly his girth was being swallowed.

“You’re not a virgin, are you?” The question puzzled the drow.

“Uh? I mean, I can act as one. I’ve heard virgin blood tastes better.” She chuckled, crossing her legs above his back and arms behind his nape.

He closed the gap between their faces and bit her lower lip, enough to draw blood with his fangs. “You’re already delicious enough” He purred.

With all doubts cast aside, he slammed himself down on her. She saw stars and arched her back, yelping in surprise. That didn’t stop the vampire, who simply bit her lip again, the taste of blood reinvigorating his cock. He pulled out slowly, making her feel every inch of his dick leaving her body. And then she had to endure as he pushed his length back in her, down to the hilt. A few tears left from the side of her eyes, as she bit her hand, the pleasure coursing through her. But he was still toying with her, probably enjoying how her thighs clenched around him and her walls pulsed around his girth. The drow raised her hips to meet him and pushed him inside with her legs. Astarion grinned and pressed his thumb on her clit.

“Alright alright. I’ll quit the games. Just don’t start crying when it gets too much.” His voice dropped to a husky tone, whilst his free hand pinned her wrist on the ground.

“Be glad I’m not the one riding you.” She moaned back, urging him to move. Without a second thought, he began thrusting in and out of her, one hand at the side of her head for support, the other pleasuring her clit in tempo with his motions. She moaned and grappled him closer, raising her hips to give him a better angle. Judging by all the noises her pussy was making, she must have been a wet mess, drooling all over his thick, long cock. It was reaching deep in her, stretching her walls and filling every sensitive crevice. His pace was constant and steady, fast enough to pleasure the both of them without getting overwhelming. The pace of an expert, who had done this again and again. His thumb circled around her clit, never giving it a moment to rest, keeping Leeith's entire body locked in pleasure.

Her voice grew higher and her hands went everywhere on his body, now slightly warm thanks to the fresh blood coursing through. His cock felt the warmest, still pumping relentlessly, pushing further and further, breaking each and every barrier. The drow trebled in pleasure, feeling a weight raising in her core. It was very hard to keep herself from digging her nails into his flesh.

She opened her eyes and playfully bit his neck, wanting to also leave a purple bruise on his perfect ivory skin and hear a moan or groan escape from his closed lips. Astarion didn't react, his eyes lost somewhere deep in his mind. Leeith cupped his cheek, gently caressing his smooth face .

"Are you alright?" She whispered. Maybe he was just concentrating on his thrusts. The vampire looked down, dumbfounded at first, then smirking.

"How could I not be, darling?" He sat up, trailing his hands on her thighs, down to the ankles. "I think we both just need a little bit more excitement." with that he lifted both her legs on his shoulders and tugged her closer, hitting his thighs with her buttocks.

“Gods, I love where this is goin- ahh!” she was interrupted by him plunging his cock back inside of her, thumb back on her clit and ramming in her like nothing had ever happened. Her cunt was quick to fire up again, clenching around his boner even harder than before. The sensation of being full, the pleasure stemming from her insides and coating her brain in a soft, fluffy glaze. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her blood rush through her ears. The vampire’s hands were rough on her, one relentlessly pleasuring her, the other sinking in her flesh, reddening it. Her noises were uncontrollable, no matter how hard she bit her lip or covered her mouth with her hands; she decided not to even care, moaning and calling for gods like her life depended on it.

The pleasure was so deep, always shy of touching her cervix and hurting her, but pounding her sweet spot again and again. With each thrust, some juices left her, drooling down her ass. With each thrust, the weight in her core built up, as if more and more chains were locking it.

She admired Astarion, who was looking down at her legs, preoccupied with his motion. Even him though, no matter how hard he was trying, judging by his furrowed brow, couldn't contain his moans and groans much longer. The more her pussy squeezed his cock, the less thin his lips became, until they finally parted and a moan escaped them, followed by a sigh of relief. His thumb pressed harder on her clit, circling and flicking it vigorously, not a second to rest and let her come down from the high.

Leeith was trying to meet his thrusts, while she held his hands, just gently following them. The closer she got to her orgasm, the harder it was to concentrate and move at the same pace, her hips rolling quicker, in an effort to release sooner. Astarion steadied them, but even he was getting more sensitive. The chains in Leeith’s core grew and grew, but the lock was finally getting undone. Her pussy throbbed and squeezed hard around his cock, wanting to keep him in. It was amazing he still managed to move inside of that clamp.

“Astarion-” She breathed out at last, clenching his forearm. “Keep going… I- I’m about to come.” She loosened her muscles, ready to let herself reach her peak.

“Oh, I don’t fucking think so.” He almost growled. He grabbed both of her wrists, pushing them above her head. He leaned in on her, bringing her legs down with him. “You’re holding on until I am ready.” He spanked her ass before squeezing it. “And then I’ll want to hear you beg.” The drow chuckled and held his head with her free hand.

“Now it’s getting good, blood-sucker!” She forced his mouth open, crashing their faces together. His hips were completely lost, the urge to come making them erratic and brutal. He was ramming her without any care in the world, plunging his cock balls deep. If a few minutes ago he was trying to carefully pick her locks, now his desire was just that of smashing the door down. She was dangerously close to coming, but so was him for how much his cock throbbed.

“Ast-arion… may I?” She whispered directly in his ear, breathy and low. It sent shivers down his spine, his cock hardening and ready to burst.

“Come for me, pet.” He groaned. He glanced at her neck, still crimson with blood. He couldn’t resist.

Leiiths felt his fags sink deep. The pain overwhelmed her just as much as the pleasure did, all in one moment. She shut her eyes, blood rushing to her ears and to her shoulder. Someone called his name right in his ear. An overwhelming pleasure consumed him as the drow tensed and squirmed under him. He could feel her come around his aching length, squeezing the life out of him like a succubus. The blood spilled into his mouth, coating it like a syrup, breathing life into his long dead lungs and heart. For just an instant, he felt his heart flutter alive. An instant later, he moaned: bliss, the most he had ever felt in two hundred years, finally saturated his body, making his muscles shake and tremble. He sank both his fangs and his cock more in her, as he came, filling her with his thick, warm cum, just as he was drinking her scarlet, sanguine liquor. Their brains were fuzzy and inebriated. Their pleasure mixing and multiplying against each other. At the end, his muscles gave in, falling on her, cock still throbbing gently. She was warm and soft.

The drow panted, her fingers caressing Astarion’s back gracefully. It seemed like he didn’t want to move away from her. The drow tapped his shoulder, wanting to shift to the side: now that it was calm, she discovered soreness in her back and the weight wasn't helping. Fortunately the elf rolled to the ground, extending his arms to the sides like a snow angel. Without asking, she rested her head on his forearm, gaining a weird glace from the vampire. In all answer, she extended her own arm, sliding it behind his head.

Her cheeks were still flushed, giving them a purplish hue when mixed with her blue skin.

"It's much better than bare earth, no?" She smiled.

#baldurs gate astarion #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate fanfiction #sketch #astarion romance #character illustration #baldurs gate fanart #baldur's gate oc #astarion x mc #astarion x tav #astarion x reader #astarion smut #astarion fanart #bg3 smut

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panigamermauser · 4 months

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So, finally got myself to download epilogue.

It was an enjoyable experience for what it is. I will discard that it is not what I wanted. I had enough time to accept that Larian cannot stick the landing to save their life, and BG3 was not an exception, no matter how much I wanted it to be.

More details, spoilers, opinions, speculations etc under the cut.

For me it was solid 8/10 experience.

I dropped 1 point because they took away our inventory and did not put a single potion of animal speak in the camp. So I could not talk to Scratch and Owly! What travesty is that?!!!

I was considering going back to before the point of no return to add the spell, but decided it will take too long, and this was my first run anyways, so I missed some things or got suboptimal quest outcomes because it was a blind run.

And another half point off is for assuming Tav would leave Scratch and Owly behind. Wysteria WOULD NEVER abandon her furbabies!

And to get all the grumpynes out of the way - and put them in the last half-point I took off my score, here it is.

I do not get why epilogue removed scene of Wyll and Karlach in Hell. It was such a cool scene, and it would tie-in nicely with epilogue. Why? Put it back!

Also, why I was not allowed to talk more to Astarion? I get that in game he and Tav were together all this time. But me as a player was not there.

The least they could do is give us unlimited hugs and kisses, like with Halsin. And if there narratively no news between Tav and Astarion, we could have talked about Sebastian's letter and Gur's letter. And discussing moving in with Halsin or Gale. Both have invited us, after all. That would have been perfect. But unlimited hugs and kisses should have been a bare minimum!

And I hate Wither's 'this is the end... for now. You might be needed later'. Do not fucking tease new content if you have no plans to do it. Just stop. Give us definitive ending, or announce you plan to add dlc or a sequel at the same time as the tease. Especially if it is for a new game that won't be out for many years and not a dlc.

(And yeah, I read all the hints he has in his room. Dark Sun letter combined with Milil... My guess is that Cyric is the next Big Bad. I get excited by such things, and I do not want to get excited this early. Either announce the thing or do not tease 😤).

Companions do not interact with each other💔

And just some puzzling things.

Why not all companions get unlimited hugs? I love Shadowheart, yes! But I also love Karlach and Wyll! They need unlimited hugs too!

I wonder how Tav knew about 9 wagons of kids with Halsin if it was only mentioned in deleted datamined epilogue slides and was not a player's knowledge in the game itself?

Gale says he gave crown to Mystra. But we left it to rot in the river! Did he go back and went diving anyways?

Now onto good things!

So, Milil cameo is 10/10, Wysteria nearly peed her pants with excitement! He better be romanceable in the next game.

Loved seeing Boo riding on Minsc's shoulder. And hearing Minsc's descriptions of all the companions. Heartwarming! Though Boo is a tease with all the arcane remedies for vampiric condition that he will not say, because love is the strongest!🙃

Guess we'll go to Gale's magic students and quiz them on the topic then😄

Loved newspapers and letters. It was especially sweet of Haarlep to write💖 Please write more and come to visit too😏 My favourite Incubus indeed!

Also, lol @ so many ppl wanting to fuck Raphael now that he is dead🤣

Shadowheart having a million and a half of animals is very sweet! Especially wolf cub! 💖

Karlach and Wyll are officially a couple now? Yes please😍

The egg hatched! Hello gith baby boy!

And Lae actually saying she missed Wysteria? 💖💖💖

I am happy Halsin has finally settled down. I think Wysteria and Astarion will settle down with him when they find the cure. And at least Astarion will have a good home when Wysteria dies of old age. I mean, even if cured, Astarion is still an elf with hundreds of years left to live. And tieflings have human lifespan. So Wysteria will die much earlier that both Halsin and Astarion. Unless Withers does smth about it.

Did Arabella become Elminster's apprentice? Or there's some other 'beard man' she's talking about?🤔

Happy for Alfira and Lakrissa getting a house and a music school💖

Nice tease about Karlach and Wyll finding a hellforge map! I'd love it to be a dlc, but I will take offscreen cure too.

Wyll becoming a ranger now that he's not a Warlock is very cool. I wish we could meet his animal companions

Tara is a treasure💖

I am very glad the game recognized I did not kill Nocturne and just knocked her out😊

Overall it was a very nice small free thing. I'd prefer payed large one where we visit everyone and actually SEE the changes. Oh well. It was good for what it is.

#baldur's gate 3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #tav around and find out #wysteria tav #shadowheart #wyll ravengard #astarion #karlach #minsc #mausertalks #lae'zel #scratch the dog #halsin #withers #milil

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transprincecaspian · 9 months

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Kyr Farwhisper - The Dark Urge

"Everyone has unseemly thoughts. Being able to quieten them is what sets us apart from the beasts."

Sharing some screenshots from my Dark Urge playthrough, which has just about hit 21 hours. BE WARNED. EVERYTHING BELOW THE READ-MORE LINE IS SPOILERS FOR THE DARK URGE PLAYTHROUGH. There is spoiler content, gore, and violence beyond! I tag with "#durge spoilers" if you want to block.

[Narrator: *You have nothing in your skull, besides your name and a headache. But you are in danger.*

Curse whoever did this to you.

Say your name aloud. You have a part of yourself.

Take a deep breath, shake your head, and start anew.]

The Dark Urge, in my opinion, is an origin that is preferable even to the custom ones that a player can make. Like the origins we get from the other PCs, such as Shadowheart or Astarion, there are custom cutscenes, content, and dialogue options specifically tailored to the Haunted past that you bring to the party. The Dark Urge isn't a play-through I would recommend if you want the feeling of a Noble, Righteous Hero. In some ways, it can be very stereotypically "edgelord"; you have little memory of your past, and are prone to violent and grotesque proclivities.

I suppose if you wanted to truly run an evil route and see how many dear companions you could kill along the way, you could play this route as Indulgent, or giving into the Dark Urge. I chose to play Kyr as a hopeless struggle; he is frightened by himself, and does his best to resist his dark temptations and try to do good. Resistance. It's made for a delightfully fulfilling roleplay experience, especially because I have chosen to romance Wyll on this play-through.

Even recruiting Astarion can be a little frightening.

The intro runs about the same, except when you wake up on the Nautiloid, you are bloodied, frightened, and have no memory of how you got there. In fact, there are no real signs that there is anything wrong with you, at least not in the dialogue you get until after the crash. Everyone's a little nervous, on edge, and then you have the chance to recruit Gale from his little portal. If you give into the Urge... it goes poorly. Fantasize about chopping his hand off?

I didn't make this canon for Kyr's run, but I was curious what would happen. I don't know what becomes of Gale, if you can recruit him later--if you can, how strange. You did just remove his hand for seemingly no reason. Astarion, too, has something to say about it immediately after.

This is your first sign that the Dark Urge run is going to be, well.. full of dark urges. Kyr seems to have a strange and compelling urge to commit harmful, violent acts--but doesn't seem to be aware he's doing it. I went back and he recruited Gale normally, resisting the weird desire to fantasize about chopping a man's hand off. Things were quiet--for a little bit.

Lots of dialogue choices specialized for the Dark Urge present in one of two, maybe three ways--commit this horrible act, or be shocked by your perversions and resist. Along with all of the usual options, such as based around your skill checks and your class. You have fewer culture rolls--you don't remember your past, after all (but you can imply to be Baldurian later on in Wyll's conversations, which I did). The lack of backstory and the amnesia is meant to heighten the strange horror of your situation, but I like building on what Kyr could be missing. A father, maybe, and a mother he never knew.

You can even tell Withers that you don't think your life is worth very much--something that he has a sage rebuke for. It's implied that he might know a little bit more about your circumstances than he's letting on, but if he does, he doesn't deem it fit to share with you.

Back at the camp, you do have options to speak with your party members--even so early--about your concerning affliction. Two new choices are available to you: concern about your memory loss, and concern about your violent urges. So early in the game, I decided I would start to bring up the memory loss. They are... quite flippant! And quick to dismiss your concerns on having to do with the mind-flayer tadpole.

It's late, and I'm getting sleepy, so that's all I'll add for this post. More is to come.

Part 1 | Part 2

#cas plays bg3 #oc: kyrran #oc: kyr #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #bg3 dark urge #bg3 durge #durge spoilers #bg3 oc #dark urge spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #fuck it we bhaal

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avelera · 5 months

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I went back to my first truly harrowingly Evil Dark Urge playthrough to grab some screenshots and... got sucked back into playing lol. But the thing is, the most evilest ending has no epilogue and the "reject Bhaal at the last minute instead of at the temple" epilogue is ALSO fascinating and gut-wrenching and harrowing but what I really missed from both runs was getting to see the fruits of her egging everyone on to be their worst possible self, so...

I went back and decided to play it a little differently. I gave Aylin to Ketheric the first time (and then to Larroakan when we defeated him but she was seriously side-eying my evil Durge after, rightfully so, and Durge couldn't leave a powerful threat like that lying around obvs), which sadly loses you Shadowheart so this time I'm going with Dark Justiciar Shadowheart.

I was a little stumped on the RP for it at first, because Zenobia (my Dark Urge) was all about, "Jumping right back into the Dead Three plot from the moment she got even a smidge of memory back," which lent to her siding with Ketheric loyally and basically working with the bad guys at almost every opportunity (except for the very beginning where she was wrong-footed and out of her element so she built up allies by helping the tieflings while she got the lay of the land. She's a big believer in long-term pay off over short-term murderizing. Also, the sadistic pay-off for betrayal is so much greater than that of simply attacking right away.)

But then I decided... heck, let's groundhog day it. Let's go with the time loop or foreknowledge plot, everything I know, my Durge knows now.

Say she had a vision, or was reborn to this moment. She saw all the variations of what's to come. Saw what happens if she sides with her father. Sees what happens if she betrays him at the last moment to destroy the brain, which was a humiliation piled upon humiliation despite her long and faithful years of service.

And she is pissed.

It's starts when she gets chewed out for giving Isobel to Ketheric. She knows she's going to kill the priestess later but for now, this is a valuable tool in showing her trustworthiness to Ketheric, and Bhaal is mad at her?? Because she decided to delay her gratification in pursuit of the larger goal?? And then, then, Bhaal has the audacity to force her to try to kill her friend and former lover, Astarion, as punishment for using her intelligence to pursue the larger goal of the Dead Three plot with some level of cunning and forethought?

She was fucking outraged. Here she's been Bhaal's faithful child, chosen, general, and mortal mastermind for years and her father can't even trust her enough to allow her to exercise the bare minimum of strategy?

And from there, as I see it, Zenobia sees more and more instances of Bhaal just not fucking trusting her with carrying out this plot, which she knows in another lifetime she pulled of spectacularly, but which offered an empty, hollow victory of handing dancing puppets over to Bhaal, ruling in his name instead of her own.

And then, then while confronting Ketheric, Ketheric admits he always planned to betray his allies.

Oh she is seeing red now. Granted, all the Dead Three chosen were planning to betray each other, that's probably a given, except... Gortash wasn't. Gortash was faithful to the end if she was faithful to him. Minthara is faithful to the end. Her companions were.

So it's less that her new chance at life is making her "good" and more that it's showing her the valuable allies she tossed away, the more interesting world she could reside in, in favor of creating a world of mindless murder targets for her equally mindless, idiot father Bhaal. What an imbecile. What an insult that he doesn't give her the barest modicum of trust. What an insult that Ketheric bald-faced tells her that he would throw all of this aside for his own ends, because he's following his own idiot god.

Zenobia is seeing absolute red. Her plan still remains. She will help Gale ascend to godhood and leave the last of his soft-hearted scruples behind. She will help her former lover and friend, perhaps her first true friend, Astarion destroy his master and rise to become a powerful ally. She will deny her lover Minthara the easy win of a kingdom of thralls in favor of the more challenging but satisfying bloody return to the Underdark together. She will aid Shadowheart in becoming a Dark Justiciar. She will tear down each of Lae'zel's gods one by one, from helping to reveal Vlaakith's faithlessness to showing her even Orpheus can become what he despises most, a mindflayer. But now it is not to show them the supremacy of Bhaal but to show them they should cast down all gods. And this time, she will not hold herself separate, no, she will cast Bhaal from her life as well to pursue her own bloody ambitions in a world of true adversaries, not one populated by mindless thralls as he directed her but did not trust her to execute according to her own vision.

#the dark urge #long post #bg3 #rambling my own silly story about my own silly character #i've always had a soft spot for video game fics #where the character is in the time loop that out of game is like when the player starts a new save and knows everyone #and it's the character changing their decisions based on new knowledge #it's a silly conceit but I adore it #it works well for games like BG3 and Mass Effect in particular #like how did you know how this puzzle worked Tav?#don't worry about it guys I got this also don't trust that guy over there #like it's just so satisfying to imagine your character also has seen the other possible lifetimes just as you have #and their companions are watching in fearful confusion and awe

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galedekarios · 4 months

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You don't have to ship it, but they do have their similarities—enough that it really isn’t any two white dudes shoved together (unlike one pale elf and another wood elf are). Their personalities, alignments, and histories make them very different people, but some of their goals, struggles, hobbies, motives, requirements, and unpopular moral opinions align in ways that they don't with other origins. I think what similarities they do have are the reason why they butt heads at first, and why Gale later on softens up to Astarion as he becomes more comfortable with himself. They check a lot of the requirements for mirror characters, and it's a ship that's at its best when people hone in on that rather than using it to write out their yaoi punching bag Gale x perfect pained princess Astarion fantasies.

i was debating not answering this because this isn't really something of a debate for me or something that i will change my opinion on.

they share the same levels of surface similarities with everyone else in the roster, if you truly want to put your mind to it.

my point is not "don't ship" or "ship", my point is these sorts of shallow parallels can be drawn between any and all of them. it doesn't translate to them being "made for each other" or "written for each other" or being "narrative foils" or "mirrors".

some of their goals? which ones exactly? getting rid of the tadpole? regaining agency? learning to live the life they feel they lost? again, that's something all of them share.

what struggles? overcoming an oppressive relationship? again, that's something all of them share.

what hobbies do they share? reading? because they share the same reading animation despite ast*rion never talking about books?

what motives? motives for what?

what requirements? consuming something? karlach needs infernal iron in order to survive.

what unpopular moral opinions? about what? in which respect?

people mistake where gale's "unpopular moral opinions" come from in opposition to ast*rion's: in the beginning, they come from pragmatism and being smart enough to recognise that the group is facing a seemingly unwinnable battle against an unknown entity that is controlling an entire army to later finding out it's a legendary elder brain with a macguffin on its head. it's not about hubris nor is it about being unhinged or selfish. it's pragmatism against insourmantable odds and it's selflessness by act iii that makes him offer his sacrifice even if you have convinced him to live. if we are speaking about the crown, the boat scene beats you over the head with it stemming from gale's loss of faith in m*stra and wanting to be better than her in order to help - themselves and others.

they don't check "requirements for mirror characters" in any way that the others do not. i could take any and all of these "mirrors" and apply them to every other companion in the game if that is the level of "depth" we are using.

if we look past the shallow parallels you can draw for basically all of them, we see gale shooting down ast*rion's manipulation tactics right away ("i do enjoy our walks together. don't you, gale?" "uh sure. in silence."). we see their different approaches to what the journey throws at them. gale enjoys helping people, for no gain at all, and diplomatic solutions (arabella, mirkon, mayrina, zevlor, etc.), he needs someone who is on his side, someone who is willing to accept him for who he is. gale is genuinely good-hearted and kind. that is why they butt heads early on. not because they are similar. in opposition to that, ast*rion delights in cruelty. he is so needlessly and often. towards those in need, towards children, towards animals. he is out for no one but himself. he shows little emphathy to anyone, with the exception of himself always ("the problem with what cazador has done is that he did it to me.").

ast*rion in particular is often downright cruel and degrading to people around him, he's cruel and degrading to gale, to the problems he faces and who he is as a person (just a few examples from the top of my head):

from the moment when gale reveals his backstory ("why isn't this netherese jack in a box a blip on the horizon already?") to the mystra reveal (being more focused on what it means re: controlling the cult than gale's impending death), and his casual dismissal of who gale is as a person at every other turn ("i don't care what's in every mind flayer colony, gale - nobody does. except you.").

are k*rlach and gale foils because they share a bomb in their chest?

are sh*dowheart and gale foils because they share religious trauma?

are w*ll and gale foils because they share having a relationship with an incredible power imbalance with a female entity?

are h*lsin and gale foils because they both have a library?

are w*ll and gale foils because they have their tents set up next to each other in act i?

to wrap it up: they are completely incompatible to me.

they are "mirrors" or "foils" in the same way that karlach and gale are. or gale and wyll. or gale and shadowheart: at the most there are parallels you can draw that are tenuous at best and shallow at worst. the broad same general narrative structure doesn't create narrative foils.

i've tried to engage with this ship to see what people are doing with it and the relationship usually starts in the same way over and over again in a way that gale's character a disservice.

gale isn't someone who cares about physical attractiveness, nor is he someone who is into one night stands or sleeping with someone for the sake of it. ast*rion's entire romance set up hinges on the fact that you are being manipulated by him, sex and attraction as a springboard. gale's entire romance set up hinges on the fact that you accept him as he is. it's a slow burn. mystra's missive forces his hand into confessing early and sharing himself with you in what time is left to him - sex is a component of a greater whole.

gale also isn't someone to just take insults or abuse or dismissal and then still run after said someone to have a relationship.

i'm not even going to touch on the 'dubcon' aspect i've also seen a lot of forcing 'favours' from gale because he needs magical artefacts because that's a whole different can of worms.

again: this is not a don't ship post. you are free to ship what you want. this is solely a this relationship doesn't work for me, much less as narrative foils, post, and i have seen nothing that would convince me otherwise in the game or from the people who do like this ship.

#ch: gale dekarios #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #text: asks #text: personal #meta: mybg3

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momonica05 · 2 months

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Jack Jack - my tav for the "jack of all trades" achievement!

My urge to info dump about an oc won so now please, meet my son: Jack Jack (I don't know how to make a good blog post on tumblr, so I apologize if the images are a little too big)

JJ wasn't born a tiefling. He actually came from a family of humans, but he has no recollection of it outside of his father and grandparents, whom he hates with all his heart

At the age of 6, his father disobeyed his patron (for a good reason, but he doesn't know that, hehe). But instead of punishing his father directly, JJ was the target. He was turned into a Mephistopheles tiefling that day, and his family was horrified. He remembers the look of pure hatred and fear from his grandparents, shouting at him, saying he was now a devil. He doesn't remember his father's face, but he remembers his fingers, pointing at the door, and his husky voice "get out"

Since then, he had to live at the city of Baldur's Gate all by himself. He had some friends, partners, and even a mentor (which the dream visitor had taken form of)... but he never got back what he lost that day: love and identity

He spent a good portion of his life, mainly his adolescence, trying to "fit in". He even cut his horns off, which he regretted later down the road as he's now more confident in who he is. Beeing cursed by a devil at the age of 6, as one might imagine, was no easy feat. And aside from gaining an appearance that everyone deemed as "hellspawn", he also gained powers. Powers in which he can not control very well, but powers nonetheless (sorcerer wild magic)

After a whole life of stealing, performing, trying out magic and needing to run because uh oh you accidentally sumoned a troll in a bar! He... well, his life continued shit, but he never gave up. He had some not so trustworthy friends, but hey, as long as they're not a devil or a warlock, he's a very social guy!

Before he was captured by the mindflayers, he was actually planning on traveling around! He wanted to get all his skills worked on. Maybe study a bit more of his magic, as a wizard.... maybe becoming a bard with his musical talent... hell, maybe he'd finally accept his calling for the rogue life! The opportunities were endless!

That is until, of course, he got a tadpole in his mind... but eh, he was planning on traveling one day anyways, so why not use this as an excuse? (definitely not frightened at all haha what do you mean?)

So far, he's really enjoying his adventure! Here's what he thinks about each companion:

Lae'zel: heh, she wants to kill me! (nervously sweating and trying to do what she says because he's terrified, but also really likes her interrogation methods!)

Shadowheart: she's hiding something. She ain't fooling me...

Astarion: he's also hiding something, never EVER trust the snobs from the upper city.... unless, of course, you want their money/sleep with them. (thinks Astarion is a less hot version of him, with how similar they act. Except JJ actually has a soft spot for children and little rascals, so he'll always help them. He's more chaotic good)

Gale: i really liked him and wanted him to teach me how to do magic safely, but never mind! He just ate my magic spear, which doesn't seem very safe...

Wyll: he makes me angry with how he challenges my morals, okay? you shouldn't be nice! You're a warlock! (has a mental breakdown watching Wyll get transformed like he did and wonders if his father was a good man like Wyll all along)

Karlach: I was deadset on killing her... turns out she's not a devil! just a person like me! i really like her (wants to kill Zariel and enter rage like Karlach one day)

BONUS:

He knew damn well what he was getting into but opened the door anyways and said he was gonna write a smut about it (he's batshit insane)

Anyways... I guess that's it. That's all I have for now, I haven't progressed much into the game... sorry if his information is a little scattered around, I don't have it organized and probably didn't mention somethings (he chose his name, for example)

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thunderwavesolveseverything · 3 months

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If I Knew It, I’d Cast Heroism

[Astarion x Named Tav]

“Darling,” Astarion chuckled, his deep voice filled with amusement. “As much as I love spending time with you, the thought of risking my life by infiltrating a goblin camp doesn’t sound appealing to me. I try to avoid heroics whenever possible, and you’ve already convinced me to do enough heroic acts in the short time I’ve known you to last me two lifetimes.”

“Right, okay, see you later then, I guess,” Phayelynn said, feeling slightly deflated as Astarion departed.

or...

Phayelynn finally bits back her pride and agrees to go with the group to see the healer, Nettie- but of course, they still don't find the cure they seek.

---

So I haven't really updated because I've been having issues with my computer and have no idea what to do about it, and I basically can't run Baldur's Gate anymore, which makes me super frustrated and discouraged to write, BUT I'm going to try and look on the bright side as my friend's dad is going to take a look at my computer and hopefully fingers cross can help me- cause I might die if I can't play any longer 😭😭😭

(word count: 4,771 )

Read on AO3 or below :)

Masterlist for Phayelynn's adventures here

If I Knew It, I’d Cast Heroism

Phayelynn’s feet dragged along the winding path that led back to the heart of the Emerald Grove. Every step felt heavier than the last as she carried the weight of guilt and shame that had been gnawing at her since the gates to the enclave opened.

The moment they arrived, the Tieflings’ hopeful eyes fixated on them, igniting a feeling of responsibility within Phayelynn. But she reminded herself of what she had told Gale last night - that she would stay focused on finding a cure for the parasite in their skulls and not get involved in other people’s business.

As they entered the druids’ quarters, Phayelynn couldn’t help the stern glare cast in Kagha’s direction. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line, her hands balling up into fists as she fought against the urge to turn tail and leave.

Kagha, on the other hand, looked infuriatingly smug. Her posture was relaxed, her arms crossed, and a small, triumphant smile played at the corners of her lips. It was all too clear to Kagha that Phayelynn and her companions made little to no progress in their quest to save the Tieflings.

Phayelynn looked forward, biting her tongue as they crossed the threshold to Nettie’s infirmary.

The room itself was spacious, with high ceilings and vast walls. As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes were drawn towards the numerous trunks, chests, and clutter that filled every nook and cranny- from old books to peculiar trinkets with intricate designs and from a painting of a ginger bard that had to be worth a handful of gold pieces.

She could see that Astarion had also noticed them as he stood there twitching his fingers, his eyes scanning the room with a hint of curiosity. It was almost as if the room asked him to loot it.

Rough stone slab beds were arranged haphazardly around the room, and none appeared comfortable. It was quiet except for the gentle chirping coming from a corner.

As they drew closer, they saw a blue jay lying on a piece of cloth atop one of the slabs, a dwarven woman tending to it, her face etched with concentration. Despite the group’s arrival, she remained focused on her task, entirely devoted to the bird in her care. The woman’s movements were precise and deliberate as she assessed the bird’s injuries.

Gale moved to try to gain the woman’s attention. As he stepped forward and cleared his throat, he spoke, “Hello, I’m Gale of Water-” before the woman interrupted him.

She didn’t look up from her work as she cut him off, “Yes, I see you.” She waved her hand dismissively as a way of telling Gale to be quiet, “Give me a moment.”

Astarion first laughed at Gale’s expense before scowling at the dwarf that was keen to ignore them over some bird. “I think we’re more important than some bird.”

Shadowheart sighed heavily. She knew it was a matter of time before one of her companions said something to ruin yet another chance of healing themselves.

“Don’t be rude,” Shadowheart hissed at him, her nostrils flaring with irritation. “Can’t you exercise some patience? It’s not like we have anywhere else to be.”

“I’m only saying what’s on everyone’s mind,” Astarion defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest. “Honestly, druids and their pets,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

The woman remained focused on the task and stood straight from where she had been hunched over the bird. Muttering a healing spell, once the magic settled, she sighed in relief and smiled at the bird, indicating that she had done all she could to heal it.

Her expression turned serious, almost annoyed, as she approached the party. She gave them a questioning look, putting her hands on her hips expectantly, “Well, what is it you all need?”

“We’re looking for the druid, Nettie.” Shadowheart took a step forward.

The dwarf looked at them curiously and replied, “Well, you found her. But I still don’t know what you need from her.”

“We need healing as soon as possible.” Shadowheart continued, “It’s a matter of great importance.”

Nettie carefully looked at the group, scanning each one with a critical eye. She couldn’t see any visible injuries or illnesses on any of them. After a moment of observation, she pursed her lips and spoke, “From what I can see, you all seem to be healthy enough.”

However, her gaze lingered on Astarion for a moment longer than the others, and a smug smirk crossed her lips as she gave him a once-over. “Although,” she added, “the impatient one seems a little too pale for my liking.”

Astarion scoffed at her.

Nettie smirked, then returned to Shadowheart, studying her face carefully. “All in all, you all seem to be a little tired around the eyes at worst,” she finally concluded, her tone thoughtful as she assessed.

“I’d say more than tired.” Phayelynn snorted in response.

She felt Shadowheart’s warning stare and straightened up.

Phayelynn looked to Shadowheart, clearing her throat nervously before looking to Nettie. “It’s more than just tiredness,” Phayelynn said apprehensively. “Something crawled into our eyes.”

“Crawled in?” Phayelynn’s comment perplexed Nettie as she wondered what kind of bug or creature could have made its way into their eyes.

A sense of somber realization began to dawn on her. She stepped back, her expression turning grave as she asked, “Did it look like a tadpole? But not like any tadpole you’ve ever seen before. Perhaps something out of your worst nightmares? Covered in slime, with razor-sharp teeth and writhing tentacles that seem to writhe and squirm in every direction?”

Astarion appeared visibly irritated by Nettie’s question as he let out an exasperated huff. “What other kind is there?” His tone dripped with sarcasm. “It’s not like a frog jumped into our eyes.”

“Ignore the pale elf,” Shadowheart smiled mockingly. Her face then softened, revealing a hint of desperation and hope. “Can you help us or not?”

“Chk.” Lae’zel, standing silently in the background, rolled her eyes at the exchange.

Phayelynn saw Nettie’s eyes dart anxiously over the group standing before her. She tilted her head, wondering what the druid was thinking.

After a moment, Nettie spoke up, “Come with me,” she said, gesturing towards the back of the room. “I might be able to help. But we need to be quick about it.”

The others followed almost instantly, leaving Phayelynn and Lae’zel lagging. Something nagged in Phayelynn’s head that this was not a good idea.

Don’t follow the druid.

Phayelynn winced at the sudden voice in her head, noting the twitch of the tadpole in her skull. Did it know they were trying to get rid of it? She bit her lip, her eyes darting around, landing on Lae’zel, wondering if she heard the voice too.

Lae’zel, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed. However, her eyes were narrowed in suspicion as she scanned the surroundings, ever-vigilant, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.

Phayelynn felt a cold shiver run down her spine as Lae’zel shot her a disapproving glare. With a tone of frustration, Lae’zel spoke in a low growl, “You know as well as I do that this will all be for naught.” She paused, her piercing gaze locked on Phayelynn, “We are no closer to finding a cure for our infection than we are to transforming into Ghaik. When will you come to your senses and help me find my people?”

Phayelynn’s heart raced as she struggled to come up with a response. “I-I think we should see this through. We’re already here,” she stammered, trying to avoid Lae’zel’s penetrating stare.

The gith’s words had left an indelible mark on her mind, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling of inadequacy.

With a heavy sigh, Lae’zel relented and shoved past Phayleynn.

As soon as everyone entered the room, a loud noise echoed as a massive stone slab rose from the floor, blocking the only entrance and sealing them inside. The suddenness and weight of the stone slamming against the ground startled Phayelynn, causing her to jump in surprise. Her heart raced with the realization that they were now trapped inside.

The silence that followed as Nettie walked over to a table was almost unbearable, with only their collective breathing filling the room.

Nettie could feel the distrust emanating from them when the door clicked shut. She took a moment to compose herself, inhaling deeply and trying to project reassurance, “This is a sensitive matter,” she began, her voice calm. “It requires discretion. I don’t want to panic the Grove.”

Shadowheart carefully watched Nettie’s every move. The way she constantly fidgeted and looked around her table mirrored a wild animal about to pounce. As Shadowheart’s gaze shifted to the right, she noticed a Drow lying motionless on a nearby table, his body still and cold as ice.

Her frown deepened as she turned back to Nettie and asked with a hint of accusation, “Did he not appreciate your discretion?”

Nettie looked at the group with caution, her expression tense. “No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “This one was just like you all.” Her voice was low, and she seemed to be holding something back.

“So, you killed him and laid him out on the table?” he asked, his tone suggesting that he wasn’t sure if he was impressed or threatened by the act. He rolled his eyes, “That’s reassuring.”

Nettie fiddled with the jars on the table as she explained, “We had no choice. He attacked us in the woods with a group of goblins.” She dipped a pointy thorned stick into one of the liquids inside the jar, her hands shaking slightly. “His tadpole crawled out of his head near moments after his death.”

The room fell silent as each tried to process the implications of Nettie’s words. They exchanged worried glances, unsure of what to say or do next.

“We were hoping for a less grave cure,” Gale said. He frowned, looking between his companions and then towards the door.

Another dead end.

“I promise you, I will do my best to remove the tadpoles.” Nettie looked determined as she turned to face the group, gripping the stick rigidly in her hand. “I’m no Master Halsin, mind you- he’d have your tadpoles out like that,” she said, snapping her fingers to emphasize her point. “Still, we have options.” With a nod towards the stick, she looked at each of them calmly and reassuringly, “Now, who’s first?”

Phayelynn stood at the edge of the room, watching her companions with a worried expression. They were all waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Phayelynn gathered her courage and took a step forward. She looked at Nettie, “What’s with the twig?” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her uneasiness was evident. The rest of the group looked at Nettie expectantly, waiting for her to respond.

“It’ll help,” Nettie said a little too quickly for Phayelynn’s liking. It was clear that Nettie had something up her sleeve. “Before we move forward, describe your symptoms to me?” Nettie asked hastily. “Have you noticed anything unusual or strange happening to you since you got infected?” Nettie continued her line of questioning.

Phayelynn’s stomach was churning. She looked back at the others as she felt her tadpole spasm again, letting her into the other’s minds, indicating that they, too, shared her feelings.

She’s up to something.

Don’t trust her.

Nettie quickly picked up on what was happening between them, “Are you speaking to each other in your minds?” she asked, trying to get more information.

Lae’zel was not pleased with Nettie’s questions and took a step forward, clarifying her intentions with a hand to the hilt of her sword. “You ask too many questions,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of threat.

But Nettie was not one to be intimidated. She stood her ground and spoke forcefully, “I’m only asking because there are lives on the line, and not just yours. We need to know what’s going on so we can help everyone affected by this parasite before you all turn, and we have an army of Mind Flayers terrorizing Faerûn!”

As Gale listened to the exchange, his shoulders slumped at the gravity of the situation. Despite his initial doubt, he knew it was better to be honest, “Yes, we’ve been able to merge our minds- communicate telepathically,” he admitted.

Both Lae’zel and Shadowheart made sounds of disapproval.

“Oh my,” Nettie gasped.

As she gazed down at the twig in her hand. The people in front of her posed a significant danger to themselves and everyone in Faerûn. The consequences of allowing them to walk free would be catastrophic.

But there were five of them and only one of her. While she was no stranger to fighting, she knew taking on all of them alone would be unwise. After all, she was more of a healer than a fighter, and her skills were better suited for mending wounds than inflicting them.

As she observed the group, Nettie could see the fear in their eyes, even with their hard exteriors. They weren’t a rag-tag of heartless monsters but individuals desperately seeking a cure.

She muttered a prayer under her breath, “Oh, Oak Father, guide me,” before pocketing the twig. She then turned to face the group as she tried to reason with them. “I need you to understand something- if any of you transform here, we are all in grave danger.” She paused, her features easing. “However, I can see that you all have good souls, and I believe that you deserve a chance to save yourselves.”

She then moved to her desk, shuffling through various vials until she found the one she was looking for. She clasped it firmly in her hand before turning to Phayelynn and offering it to her. But Phayelynn didn’t take it, giving the druid a suspicious look instead.

“Wait a minute,” she said, “what happened to the stick? And what’s in the vial? You said you were going to save us.”

“It was coated in Wyvern Poison, the same in that vial. I didn’t know if I could trust you,” Nettie admitted. “I don’t have a cure. Only a way out. I’m sorry for misleading you.”

The party exchanged glances, unsure of what to do next. Nettie watched the pale one’s fingers move reflexively to hover over the hilt of his daggers while the green-skinned one looked her over with a predatory gaze, seemingly assessing her like she was a potential meal.

“So, let me get this straight,” Phayelynn blinked, “You never had a cure; you were just going to kill us with that stick?” Phayelynn squinted her eyes, trying to think of her logic. She was outnumbered. She pointed a finger at the vial, continuing, “And now, Now, you’re giving us the same poison that you were going to use to kill us. Why should we trust you?”

Nettie sighed solemnly. “Because, like I said, you deserve a chance to free yourselves,” she replied, her voice firm yet gentle. “But I need you to swear to me that you’ll swallow the poison if you start to change.”

Astarion’s expression turned sour as he glared at Nettie, his eyes narrowed. “And you just expect us to do what you ask after trying to trick us?” he spat, his tone laced with outrage.

Nettie sighed. She knew she had made a mistake by trying to deceive them, but she had no choice. “I shouldn’t have tricked you,” she said. “But I’m willing to give you this chance. Please swear to me you’ll take it if you start to change.”

Lae’zel aggressively pushed herself to the front of the group, her sharp eyes fixed on the dwarven woman standing before her. She unsheathed her sword, pointing it at the druid, “Five against one. You’re against the odds.”

Nettie appeared unfazed by Lae’zel’s bravado, her expression stoic and unmoving in the face of the confrontation.

Gale stepped forward to intervene, sensing the escalating tension in the air. “Yes, it may be five against one in here,” he acknowledged, “but if we resort to violence, then it will be five against the entire grove. Let’s not be hasty and consider our options carefully,” he implored, hoping to defuse the situation before it spiraled out of control.

Phayelynn agreed with Gale. Attempting to fight their way through the entire grove was not an option. “Let’s just take the poison and leave,” Phayelynn suggested, hoping to avoid any unnecessary danger.

“No,” Nettie raised her voice, demanding, “You need to swear it.”

Phayelynn suppressed her mounting frustration, putting on her best Three Dragon Ante-face. She took a deep breath and spoke sincerely, “I swear.” It was a lie, of course, but she knew her bluff would be convincing enough.

Nettie handed the vial over to Phayelynn with a sense of gratitude. “I hope it doesn’t come to you needing it.”

Phayelynn carefully slipped the vial into her side bag as Gale turned to Nettie, his voice edged with hope. “Do you really think Master Halsin can cure us? We heard the goblin raiders took him.” His fingers wiggled with anticipation.

“Or was that a trick as well?” Shadowheart interjected, her voice sharp with accusation.

Nettie knew she deserved Shadowheart’s jibe for lying to them. She looked at Gale, hoping to change the subject. “Yes, he went looking for answers after the Mind Flayer ship crashed near here,” she said.

There was a tense pause as Nettie connected the dots. “That’s where you all got your tadpoles, wasn’t it?” she asked, her eyes widening in realization. Her gaze drifted towards the unconscious drow on the table. “Master Halsin and I went to check out the crash. That’s where we met the drow. Master Halsin went with some others to the goblin’s camp. But whatever he found there, he never made it back.”

Gale brought a finger to his chin in thought. “So, he must’ve found something he wasn’t supposed to.” he mused, “But what?”

“Exactly.” Nettie nodded, “And the goblins, they’ve been going on about some new goddess of theirs, the Absolute. It’s as if she possesses them. We captured one of them.”

Shadowheart furrowed her brows, crossing her arms over her chest. “The Absolute? I’ve never heard of her before.”

“All I know is that Halsin believed there was a connection between the recent surge of infected, the airship crash, and the goblin attacks,” Nettie explained. “He seemed to think that whoever this Absolute is was involved somehow.”

Astarion rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He leaned back against a nearby bookshelf and looked amongst the others with a disinterested expression. “Come on now,” he said, “We came here for a cure, and all we got was a bottle of poison. Let’s spare ourselves from another sob story. It’s just the goblins acting out of their own madness. They’re ruthless little creatures. The druid was most likely met with an arrow through the chest the moment he got too close to the camp.”

Phayelynn saw the flash of grief across Nettie’s face from Astarion’s brash words. “Do you think he’s still alive?” she asked.

“I think so. I hope so,” Nettie replied, trying to reassure herself. “But as you can see,” she motioned back to the other room, “all the birds I’ve sent can’t get close enough without being shot down.”

Astarion made a sound of victory, pleased that Nettie’s words worked to prove his point further. Nettie shook her head, saddened, until a sudden realization came over her.

They were infected, just like the drow.

“Wait,” she said, her voice trembling with anticipation. “You lot could get closer than Halsin ever could. You have the tadpoles in your skulls. You can disguise yourselves as one of them. Speak with the goblin we captured. Learn what you can from her to aid your disguise.”

Nettie stood straight, her eyes locked with theirs. “If you could find Halsin and free him, we can discover what he learned. And perhaps he can save your life.”

Astarion’s eyes widened in disbelief as he heard Nettie’s suggestion. “No, we aren’t seriously considering this? Infiltrating a goblin camp- and whatever cult is taking refuge there?” he questioned with trepidation. His red eyes flashed on Phayelynn specifically, “What did we just learn about getting involved in things that don’t involve us.”

Gale seemed amused by Astarion’s irritation, “Astarion, are you afraid of a few goblins?” he teased.

Shadowheart said, “We’re running low on options. The grove was of no use to us. Ethel was no help,” she said, hating to admit that all her ideas of finding a cure were a waste of time. Her gaze shifted towards Lae’zel. “I’m not yet desperate enough to put my fate in a githyanki creche,” she added, her voice firm.

Lae’zel’s eyes dangerously flicked to Shadowheart as she prepared to react to the insult against her people. Phayelynn quickly stepped between them, looking towards Nettie, hoping for a solution. “Are you sure Halsin can help us?”

“I can’t make any promises, but I know Master Halsin is the only one close enough to understanding these things. He’s your best bet. Otherwise, that vial is your only option,” Nettie replied sympathically.

Lae’zel’s grip on her sword tightened as she seethed with anger. “No, it is not our only option. You are all k’chakhi. We must find a true ghustil. This Halsin will be just like the others,” she hissed.

Phayelynn gently placed her hand on Lae’zel’s shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort amid it all. Lae’zel’s reaction was immediate and intense as if Phayelynn’s touch had burned her skin. Phayelynn quickly removed her hand.

“Halsin is the wisest healer you’ll ever find in these parts.” Nettie persisted.

Phayelynn grimaced. Nettie was only making the situation worse, even if it was unintentional.

“Would you please just give us a moment?” Phayelynn turned to Nettie. She urged the others to step away as she turned her back to Nettie.

Astarion couldn’t help but roll his eyes as Phayelynn tried to take charge of the situation, even though she clearly had no idea what she was doing. Meanwhile, Lae’zel was glaring daggers at the spot where Phayelynn had touched her, clearly also unimpressed with her attempts at leadership.

Gale and Shadowheart exchange a brief, uncertain look before quietly turning their backs to Nettie.

Phayelynn stood tall, her gaze shifting between her friends as she spoke. “We all agreed that we’re in this together, so we need to make decisions together.” Her eyes sparkled with determination as she continued, “So, we vote. Who wants to go after Halsin?”

Phayelynn’s hand shot up. Gale’s hand followed, his eyes sharing her conviction. “I’m with you, Phayelynn,” he said, his voice ringing clear. “We need to find Halsin if we’re going to have any chance of getting rid of these damn tadpoles.”

Phayelynn couldn’t help but give Gale a smile as thanks for his support. She looked back at the others. Shadowheart raised her hand next, though not as high as Gale and certainly not as high as Phayelynn held hers.

“I suppose I’m in,” she said, a little more reserved. She blinked a few times, letting her hand drop to her side. “But I must admit, this whole raising our hands thing feels a little...childish.”

Phayelynn felt her cheeks flush as she realized how silly the suggestion must have sounded. She quickly lowered her hand, patting it against her thigh to hide embarrassment.

“Noted,” she said, trying to sound confident. She looked to Lae’zel and Astarion. She knew which plan won but didn’t want to thoroughly brush off Lae’zel and Astarion. She turned to Lae’zel next, “And who wants to go to the creche?”

With a scowl, Lae’zel refused to raise her hand, crossing her arms over her chest. Lae’zel clicked her tongue, turning her nose up at Phayelynn. Phayelynn held back a wince. She turned to Astarion, hoping he would have some input.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said with a smirk. “I’m sure whatever you all decide will be just fine. After all, I have complete faith in your abilities.”

Phayelynn rolled her eyes at how he spoke- at how he chose to accentuate certain words more over others. She wouldn’t engage in his jabs. “Well, those who don’t want to participate can stay at camp,” she said firmly.

With the decision made, Phayelynn turned to Gale and Shadowheart. “Okay, so it’s decided we go find Halsin.”

After gathering all the information they needed from Nettie, the party decided to split up to prepare. Excited at the prospect of going book shopping, Gale mentioned his desire to acquire more scrolls and potions to aid them.

Shadowheart offered to accompany him, using the opportunity to take a dig at Astarion and Lae’zel, “Since it’ll be just us three,” she said with narrowed eyes before giving Phayelynn a firm nod, “We’ll need more supplies if we want to stand a chance of saving Halsin. We’ll meet back at camp tonight and develop a proper plan.” She tilted her head back towards Astarion and Lae’zel. “I’m sure you two will be fine alone.”

Lae’zel scoffed at her comment as Shadowheart headed towards the market with Gale in tow. She didn’t give Phayelynn or Astarion a second glance as she started walking away, “I’ll be at camp waiting for you all to realize the futility of this endeavor.”

Phayelynn sighed deeply. She had been hoping for a much better outcome. She thought after Ethel, they could all work together.

Astarion looked at her slyly and said, “Don’t worry, darling. I’m sure we’ll all come together just fine at the end of this. After all, what’s an adventure without a little drama, right?” Astarion noticed the frown on her face and nudged her with his elbow, motioning towards her side bag. He was hinting about the vial Nettie had given her.

“It was a pretty bottle. But if I were you, I wouldn’t take Wyvern Poison, even if we do begin to turn,” he said with a smirk.

Phayelynn had almost forgotten about the vial. She looked up at Astarion and replied, “I don’t intend to. I didn’t want to start a fight with Nettie if I told her that.”

“Clever girl,” Astarion said with a grin. “Though, I suppose it would be entertaining to see if one of us did take it.”

Phayelynn couldn’t help but smile at how Astarion spoke, even if he was teasing her. She loved the way he always had a witty retort. And his handsome face didn’t hurt either, she thought as she looked over him. Feeling a flutter in her stomach, she quickly averted her eyes, shifting in her place.

“So there’s no convincing you to come with us?” Phayelynn asked, hoping to change Astarion’s mind about joining the group in infiltrating the goblin camp and saving a druid.

Phayelynn rolled her eyes, unable to resist a playful grin. “If I knew it, I’d cast heroism on you.”

“Let’s hope Gale doesn’t find a scroll then.” With a stretch and a yawn, Astarion looked up to the sun. “I think I’ll head back to camp. At least there, I can bask in the sun without you trying to convince me to head off to my death.”

“Right, okay, see you later then, I guess,” Phayelynn said, feeling slightly deflated as Astarion departed.

As Phayelynn made her way up the path toward the marketplace, her ears were suddenly met with a cacophony of notes that seemed to clash against each other. It was the sound of a lute being played, and it quickly became apparent that whoever was playing it was doing so poorly. The notes were jarring, and the rhythm was all over the place, yet it was oddly captivating. It sounded like someone was trying to play a beautiful piece of music but with little knowledge of how to play the instrument. Despite the painful sound, Phayelynn couldn’t help but feel curious about the effort being made. Intrigued, she decided to investigate the source of the sound.

#astarion x tav #tav bg3 #astarion x oc #astarion romance #astarion x mc #astarion x reader

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