#or why vlaakith i betrayed her

[gothyanki]

thinking about her (Gith the Liberator)

Thinking about how much I wish she were the deliciously messy, morally complex, and believably motivated protagonist of a Space Lesbians vs. Empire trilogy instead of a flat villain/historical footnote in the Fiend Folio. Unfortunately, DnD.

#mother gith apologia #but SERIOUSLY #they really created this leader of a successful uprising that freed a people who'd been enslaved so long their original name had been lost #and made her a one-dimensional villain with no real personality/motivation #not only does she not get to be the centre of her own story #she barely even has a story #it's all just grist for the “eeeevil-aligned species” mill #we don't really know why she decided conquering the planes would be a great idea #or why vlaakith i betrayed her #because the big assumption underpinning those plot points is “this is what happens when oppressed peoples become Too Liberated” #where's my chonky book series about her + vlaakith i + zerthimon fomenting rebellion together and developing irreconcilable differences? #in the right author's hands it could be so good #let Gith be an actual character 2k23 #githcourse #slavery cw #oh dnd lore #as with all their historically “evil” species: there's a lot to unpack here #and I completely understand why some people would rather throw away the whole backpack #sorry about the giant tag essay rant. it will happen again. #I started essaying in someone else's tags and then realised it would be more polite to just make my own post #githyanki

[eeldritchblast]

Ethel's Vicious Mockery Analysis

(Major thanks to Aloija for the Dialog Parser and Roksik for doing the parsing, from the Down by the River Discord Server!)

I love when Ethel uses vicious mockery in the game, because I feel like it gives insight into the character’s insecurities, you know? So let’s further dissect that mockery.

WYLL

“Oh, look! It's daddy's regret.”

“Fraud of the Frontiers!”

“Do you think losing that eye made you a hero?”

Wyll wants to be seen as a hero so badly… and I’m starting to think that has a little something to do with daddy issues. This “daddy’s regret” line from Ethel, matched with one of Wyll’s desires when confronted by the secret laboratory mirror being his father’s forgiveness, certainly says there is something unresolved there…

GALE

“I can smell what's under those bandages, wizard. You're all rot and ruin.”

“Come to greet death early? You'll be a lovely spectacle.”

“Who would be jealous of you, apprentice?”

The first two aren’t anything new—we’re already aware of Gale’s condition after all. But why would Ethel call him an apprentice? Is he lying about how great a wizard he once was? Or maybe it’s just because he’s lost all his powers, and she’s teasing him about that.

SHADOWHEART

“You're so far up Shar's cake you can't see straight.”

“Why would Shar love you when no one else does?”

“You're no complex puzzle. Just a sad little girl.”

These to me, at least, speak of an undiscussed bubbling crisis of faith Shadowheart may be undergoing. And I am very interested in the second line above. Shadowheart is the type of person to keep everyone at arm’s length, and yet at the same time, it seems from this, desperately wants to be loved? That matches up with her “she took me in when no one else would” answer when asked why she became a worshipper of Shar in the first place. So it seems to me, like Shadowheart experiencing compassion from another person, possibly for the first time in her memory, is leading her to question her faith in Shar.

LAE’ZEL

“A toad with a tadpole! How fitting.”

“Your people will never take you back - illithid scum.”

“Do you miss kissing Vlaakith's feet, gith?”

Lae’zel’s biggest desire is to become kith’rak – we know this. But more to that, I think her biggest desire is to be accepted and revered by her people. Ethel saying that she will never achieve this is probably Lae’zel’s greatest fear.

ASTARION

“Is there still rat stuck in your teeth, slave?”

“Deep down, you like being leashed, don't you?”

“You're one thirsty night away from betraying everyone.”

Okay, okay, okay… the first two? Ethel just being a top tier bitch. But the last one… The last one suggests that Astarion actually does have some care for his travelling companions, if he’s concerned about hurting them. I think that brings a lot out of his character, because it confirms he’s not just a one-dimensional jerk. The glimpses of his nice side are just as genuine.

KARLACH

“Let's pull your strings, infernal puppet.”

“Happy to sell everyone's soul but your own, aren't you?”

“When I'm done, even the Hells won't want you.”

We don’t know a lot about Karlach, because she isn’t available as a companion in Early Access. But what little we do know, adds up with what Ethel says here. We know she was caught up in the Blood War as essentially a slave to Zariel. And judging from this mockery, it seems that’s left her with questioning self-worth.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #wyll #gale #shadowheart #lae'zel #astarion #karlach #meta

[justcallmefox89]

Inferior Part IV

X'aa'nath and Lae'zel have an audience with their queen, and X'aa'nath's loyalty is questioned.

“Do you really think this Inquisitor will help us?” Astarion whispers to Gale.

“It’s never been that easy before.  I don’t see why it would be now,” the wizard mutters despondently, his eyes never leaving X’aa’nath’s back.

“Do as I do,” Lae’zel orders, overhearing them.  “The Inquisitor shall only tolerate the utmost respect.”

Only X’aa’nath bothers to reply, whispering a soft “yes, kin” without stopping his forward stride.

The Inquisitor warmly welcomes Lae’zel into the inner sanctum of the creche.  “My ardents spoke of one of our kin that escaped a crashing ghaik slave-vessel.”

Gale bristles at the man’s intentional snub of X’aa’nath and Astarion’s hand on his shoulder is the only thing that stops him from speaking out.

“Ch’r’rai.  Vlaakith’s justice in the flesh.”  Lae’zel inclines her head in a show of respect, X’aa’nath quickly following her lead.

“You have accomplished much, child.  I am pleased to finally meet you.  I’ve heard there is so much goblin blood on your hands that it soaks their children’s nightmares.”  Ch’r’rai W’wargaz’s eyes slide from Lae’zel to X’aa’nath.  “You’ve done well to not let Khou’zal’s runt impede your progress.”

X’aa’nath remains entirely still, only the faintest twitching of the fingers on his left hand betraying his distress at the elder’s words.

“I suspect you plucked something precious from the ghaik ship,” W’wargaz continues.  “Something our queen has been looking for.  The weapon.  Give it to me.”

Alarm spreads from the artefact, making Gale faintly nauseous.  Astarion doesn’t seem to be completely unaffected either, and it’s strong enough to make X’aa’nath hesitate.

“The ch’r’rai speaks.  You must obey,” Lae’zel orders. 

Her voice seems to knock X’aa’nath out of his stupor and he reflexively pulls the artefact from his robes and places it in the Inquisitor’s hands.  The planecaster in the center of the room begins to glow, and soon a projection of the githyanki queen towers over those assembled.  The githyanki in the room immediately fall to their knees, their heads bowed in reverence.  Gale catches hold of Astarion’s arm, tugging him further away and out of sight of the imposing queen.

“Vlaakith gha’g shkath zai!” W’wargaz cries worshipfully.   

Lae’zel manages to raises her head long enough to gaze upon Vlaakith in admiration.  “My Queen – shkath zai!”

X’aa’nath remains silent, respectfully keeping his gaze low.

Vlaakith leans closer to Lae’zel and softens her voice.  “These attendants you keep – you taught them well.  My child.  My Lae’zel.”

Gale’s heart twists as he watches X’aa’nath’s shoulders sag at his Queen’s clear indifference to his presence and devotion.  The wizard knows too well the feeling of having the one you worship turn their back to you, but to have the obvious disdain from all of his kin as well?  Gale cannot even fathom the depths X’aa’nath’s distress.

“Ch’mar, zal’a Vlaakith,” Lae’zel murmurs rapturously.  “You know me.”

“Urion of K’liir speaks most highly.  As did Al’chaia before him.”  Vlaakith stands, her tone once again forceful.  “You seek purity.  I may yet grant it.”

The lich queen turns her attention to X’aa’nath.  “Do not think I do not recognize you X’aa’nath, he who never should have been.  Khou’zal prolonged his return to the Astral Place, to my service, in order to train you.  And now he is dead.  Your existence robbed me of one of my greatest warriors.  And now you carry what is mine.  So what do I call you child of Gith?  A loyal servant or a thief?” 

“I am at your command, my Queen.  The artefact is yours,” X’aa’nath murmurs, keeping his gaze low.

The artefact screams in fear; Gale and Astarion exchange a worried glance.

Vlaakith gifts X’aa’nath with a benevolent smile.  “Your will is strong.  Perhaps you are not as worthless as I initially feared.  Prove your fealty now, and you will be recognized among all githyanki as one of my chosen.  That ‘weapon’ you carry – the Astral Prism – it is corrupted.”

“I will cleanse it for you, my Queen,” Lae’zel blurts out.  “Tell me how.”

X’aa’nath scowls at her, the only time Gale has seen him express any sort of negative emotion towards his kin.

“There is someone inside,” Vlaakith continues.  “Their mind is warped, broken – a blight.  They are an agent of the Grand Design.  Sent to sabotage the Astral Prism – our last defense against the return of the Illithid Empire.  As long as they live, the Prism is compromised.  Kill them.  Do this, and I will cleanse you and your allies.  Do this and ascend.”

Lae’zel gasps.  “Ascension?  My queen.  An honor gained, a burden borne.”

“Cleanse the Prism, ardent of Khou’zal,” Vlaakith says, returning her attention to X’aa’nath.  “Eliminate this danger to the githyanki and finally claim your place among your people.”

Gale’s heart drops into his stomach at the hopeful look on the sorcerer’s face, and fear shoots through him at X’aa’nath’s next words.

“It is my greatest honor to obey.”

Vlaakith smiles, something about the expression deeply unsettling to Gale.  “Use the planecaster’s power to enter the artefact.  Be wary of the creature’s lying tongue.  Cut it out if you must.  W’wargaz.  They are not to leave until it is done.”

The Inquisitor bows his head.  “As you say, my Queen.”

“Ch’mar zal’a Vlaakith.  We will not waste a second,” Lae’zel vows.

Vlaakith’s image fades away, the silence left in her wake is broken only by the sounds of X’aa’nath’s boots against the stone floor as he strides towards the planecaster.

“Hold on a moment, don’t you thin-”

Astarion’s protest is cut off as X’aa’nath steps into the portal and the group is swept away.  They’re spat out on floating bit of rock, and the four crash together, each trying to stay upright.  Once he regains his footing Gale gazes around in awe, taking in the asteroids and gigantic bones of fallen gods that languid drift around them, perfectly preserved in this small pocket of the Astral Plane.

“Boundless, timeless – like every dream that ever was, stitched together,” Lae’zel murmurs.

“My home,” X’aa’nath mournfully whispers, his expression momentarily twisted into something Gale can’t quite interpret.

The four move towards a second portal, coming to a standstill as the voice of their dream visitor echoes in their minds.  “So you came.  Despite all my warnings.  Disappointing.  Come.  We will talk in private, just X’aa’nath and I.”

“No!” Lae’zel snarls.  “I will accompany you, we will cleanse - ”

X’aa’nath places his hands on her shoulders, cutting her off.  “I can do this, kin.  Trust in me, as I trust in you.  I will do this, for both of us.”

Her brows draw together as she frowns, but she finally nods.  “Go, kin.  We will be waiting.”

X’aa’nath’s eyes flit over to Gale, and the wizard gives what he hopes is an encouraging smile.  He takes in the determined expression on the sorcerer’s face, the proud tilt of his chin, the flashing silver of his eyes… and he says a small prayer to whichever god may still be listening that X’aa’nath will return to him.

One final deep breath and X’aa’nath steps through the portal.  Now all that’s left to do is wait.

#gale x oc #gale fanfic #gale #baldurs gate gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #gale x tav #baldurs gate astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion #astarion ancunin #lae'zael bg3 #lae'zel #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate #baldurs gate tav #gale baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate fanfiction #baldurs gate fic #bg3 #bg3 tav #gale bg3 #bg3 spoilers #gale bg3 fanfic #bg3 fandom critical

[bitchesgate3]

I will never be a fan of Larian's soft reimagining of the lore behind Gith.

It was Gith's undying anger that made her stand up against mindflayers. What inspired a disempowered populace of shriveled bodies and dominated minds to rise up against entities that were controlling every aspect of their mind, body, and personhood.

Every squick aspect of mindflayers that we encounter in game, where mindflayers can warp your understanding of reality, gith ancestors experienced for millennia - irreparably changing them into what they are now. Vessels of anger. Even the Githzerai possess this inherited anger, going to great lengths to control this inner "chaos" through monasticism and mind mastery.

In the heart of every Githyanki, however, is an echo of Gith's creed "To never be made a slave again." The promise was so intense, it consumed her.

She was no angel with a messiah son. She brought Hell.

The Githyanki have red dragon mounts because she was willing to go to Hell for it.

The allegory is that she lost her soul in doing so. Unbound Rage corrupting into Soullessness. Betrayed by Vlaakith and Tiamat. Soullessness corrupting into Greed. Vlaakith, high necromancer and potential lich through all the reigns, makes a deal with the Goddess of Deception, Greed, and Envy. Some lore speculated that the deal made all gith souls go to Tiamat when they died. And Vlaakith's cleverness and desire for godhood made her seek to consume these souls before Tiamat could get them. So in the end, Gith damned not only her soul but the souls of all gith because of the extreme lengths her rage went.

Gith being fury and anger is so important to what I like about Githyanki lore. Imagine a mother figure who gets mad on your behalf and is willing to fight about it. That is the root of Githyanki arrogance. Why they venerate "Mother Gith".

You were worthy enough for Mother to start a war.

And this theme trickles down to every female Githyanki. They are bitches and hotheaded and fiery because of this motif. Aren't you jealous of how passionate they can get. Don't you envy to have that passion placed on you? Don't you seek to be worthy of that fire?

They themselves are an army. They will not settle for less than they feel they deserve. They are not afraid to fight you. Not afraid to start a war.

And that is very important to me.

#githyanki #dnd lore #Lae'zel #Mother Gith

[thewingedbaron]

BG 3 Fic Feb Day Seven!

Finally caught up!! Day Seven's prompt was a really fun one, so I don't mind the double feature.

Minor warning for self-harm. Just be aware.

This prompt pulls from an in game arguement I had with Lae'zel about half-way through the Underdark on my first playthrough. Enjoy!

(Ao3 Link for the people that prefer it over there :) )

Day Seven: A Heated Argument With A Companion

“Ishtik, you’re leading us in the wrong direction.” 

Alyss glanced up from the shoulder pauldron in her hands. She wished she was surprised by the figure standing over her, sword clutched at one side.

“Lae’zel, now really isn’t a good time.” 

“Why? Does your injury affect your ability to reason?” She asked. “We are going the wrong way. The druid Halsin may think that salvation lies in the Absolute’s tower, but I have told you many times that we must make for the Creche. My people are the only ones who can save us from the worms that writhe inside of our heads.” 

At its mention, the tadpole behind her own eye squirmed, adding to the piercing pain already nestled inside of her head. Alyss sighed, fighting her own tired mind for reason while Lae’zel glared down at her.

“The tower is our best shot, Lae’zel. If we can learn more about these tadpoles, we have a better chance against them. You, yourself, admitted that it was strange that we had not turned yet. Halsin believes that there is other magic involved. We have no idea if the Githyanki can help us at all.” 

“Our opinions do not matter, ishtik! We are to follow protocol, which dictates that we go directly to my people to be cleansed.” 

“Kithrack Voss tried to kill us!” Alyss shot back. “How are we supposed to know that we don’t have a target on our backs now? Your Creche might try to slaughter us the moment we show our faces there.” 

“They will not!” Lae’zel shouted. “They are honor bound to help me. They would not betray my trust.” 

“They already have!” Alyss shouted back. “They tried to kill us simply because they thought you had stepped out of line. How can you trust them after that?” 

“Vlaakith was testing me, and I survived.” The gith warrior hissed. “This is another test, and not one that I intend to fail.” 

“No.” Alyss shook her head. “I will not put everyone here at risk under the implied promise that we will not be attacked. You included.” 

“You are putting them at risk by refusing to take them to safety!” By now their argument could be heard all over camp. Alyss was increasingly aware of the number of eyes on their fight. Her skin itched as she focused her gaze on her friend before her.

“It’s too big a risk for now. Let us put some distance between ourselves and Voss, and we’ll approach your people from the Shadow-Cursed Lands. There will be fewer patrols looking for us if we come from behind.” 

Lae’zel huffed. “First you take the side of the dark haired one and let her keep an artifact of great importance. Now you deny me the safety of the creche?” In one swish, the gith drew the blade from her side, placing its point at Alyss’ throat. “I will not be denied a second time, ishtik. You will point this group toward the creche, or I will challenge you for your leadership, and kill you now.” 

Alyss looked down at the blade, heart hammering in her chest. Then, slowly, she stood, the point following her throat as she stood eye to eye with her companion. 

“You put me in charge because I know my way around the wild places of the world.” She said quietly. “You’ve trusted me up until this point, even when you disagreed with my leadership. Trust me now Lae’zel. We will see your people. But only after we know more about the thing inside of our heads. I promise.” 

“That is not satisfactory.” 

“Then do it.” Alyss replied evenly. She pressed forward just enough to feel a drop of warmth on her skin. “Use the blade and see how far it gets you.” 

Lae’zel’s eyes tracked the dark colored blood as it painted the tip of her blade. Her eyes widened, and suddenly the sharp point withdrew. 

“Chk.” The gith warrior slammed the sword back into its sheath and stormed away, throwing the flap of her tent closed behind her. 

“That was either very brave, or very foolish.” Wyll said softly, stepping up beside her. 

“She’s afraid. Perhaps more so than the rest of us since she knows exactly what we’re risking.” Alyss replied, her gaze softening. “I wish I knew how to help her.” 

“She’ll tell us, in time.” The Blade of Frontiers eased his own sword back into its sheath. Alyss nodded. 

“I hope so.”

#bg3ficfeb #thewingedbaron #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate oc #bg3 spoilers #lae'zel #laezel #writers on tumblr #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fic

[munmomuu]

I am full on copium on believing that BG3 should/would have a DLC based on a follow up for the Crown of Karsus. Full game and epilogue spoilers ahead.

First as a disclaimer - I'm fully aware this is at best, wishful thinking and isn't based on anything else than what we have in the game already and has a lot of problems due how large the game is. But I'm hopeful!

As anyone could probably tell, marketing standpoint, it would be really profitable for Larian to make story DLC's in the game. The game has sold a lot, has got expectionally great reviews, people crave more, yada yada. No surprises there.

Bah - why are you assuming there's a DLC coming?

In the epilogues, Withers does hint a lot on possible future DLC's. The first one is from the final toast you get after you advance the party by talking to Withers, and the second one is when your character dies during the last cutscene in the docks. The dev notes only describe the cinematics for the toast, so there's no additional notes on if it's foreshadowing or not.

Also, of course we can't ignore Raphael's oh-so-subtle hints. Screenshots are taken from video by Rhikitty

Obviously, it could be just Larian teasing us, it could be that they have plans now, but they sour later on. We can't really tell at this point. But, enough on that, I wanted to make this more on what it could be about - the Crown of Karsus.

Why the Crown?

The game has quite the emphasis on the Crown in Act 3 - the Netherstones control the crown and this way also the Elder Brain (which becomes the Netherbrain). In the end, the Crown drops in the Chionthar, where there's several options what will happen to it:

The Crown ends up to Gale - he will use it to claim godhood

Mystra gets hold of the Crown - Gale will return the Crown to her

Raphael will have the Crown - either the player surrenders the Crown to him, or (I'm not sure about this) he retrieves it himself from Chionthar

As far as I know and correct me if I'm wrong - someone will always have the Crown in the end. This already is a really good base for a story - Raphael is seeking out world domination himself after he has conquered Avernus, so we would have to stop him to get the hold of the Crown. It is pretty clear he hasn't given up on the crown.

Mystra's and Gale's motivations are still unknown what will they do with it. Raphael does allude that they would be corrupted as well and use it for their own selfish reasons, but at this point, could we really trust Raphael as the source on this?

Who would be the villain?

If we assume what Raphael says is true - this could also mean we would need to be against Mystra or Gale. Or, if the player ascends with Gale, maybe be against our old friends and companions, defending the crown and preventing them shattering their godhood. There's also the possibility that origin Gale would become Mystra's Chosen again, so origin Gale would have to fight beside her.

Personally, thinking about these options, I would wager the main antagonist would be Raphael, and Gale and Mystra would be your allies at the start of the DLC, with the eventual option to betray them in the end. Raphael is a very compelling antagonist, with amazing performance and brilliant writing, which would be very fascinating to see more of. Not to mention, it would bring opportunities to show off Mephistopheles, and also possible stir things with Zariel, Karlach, Wyll and Mizora.

There's also Shar and Vlaakith who showed interested in the artefact. I have to admit, I kind of missed the point why Shar would have been interested in the artefact. I know Vlaakith's main concern was to secure her place in godhood and avoid Orpheus getting free. So while they showed more interest in the artefact rather than Crown, it could be possible they would show more interest in it too.

Back to reality....

It could certainly be possible that this could happen, I'm bit of sceptical for getting any DLC that would set after the game events. While Larian's writing for very diverse, branching narrative is really cool, it requires a lot of mental work from the writers to keep the characters consistent for the player's actions and consider all the outcomes with companions and origin characters, not to speak actually making them in the game with full acting, getting approval from licensing standpoint, etc. It's not impossible, given how well the game has done and everyone working on the game are more experienced with it.

But this is just me theorycrafting and just getting some of the brainrot out of my system.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 epilogue spoilers #bg3 spoilers #bg3 patch 5 #gale of waterdeep #raphael

[piipaw]

betrayal and hate

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

Gums whole thing is feeling betrayal from his kin/Vlaakith, so with his new life he tries sooo hard not to let anyone else he knows feel that way. I don't know how deep/extreme 'betrayal' is being used here, but he does kinda 'betray' lae'zel act 1 for her protection by not letting her go to the crèche.

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

I don't know that Gum /hates/ anything or anyone so deeply. Like even his kin and past culture, he tries to separate himself but even still he brings some of that with him.

Thinking about this a little more Gum truly hated Lorroakan and I feel like he felt really good about killing him specifically. Hearing him talk down at Gale, the bruises left on Rolan, how he wanted to hurt Alyin. Like Lorroakan is such a coward, there was no honor, so maybe it's like.... living a cowardly life that gets under his skin he can't stand.

#gumposting #dude I didnt think much about Lorroakan my first two characters #but gum hated him so deeply #I can think of a few characters he didn't like but #lorroakan really got under his skin #you know he prayed for days after that confrontation for forgiveness

[aboxofcereales]

I won’t be able to play the game until august 8, so here’s a list of things I’d like to see and theories that I believe will be proven right at the full launch of Baldur’s Gate III.

warning: contains spoiler based on last panel from hell of July 7 and datamining + bunch of misspellings

Think it’s pretty obvious but the three chosen of the Absolute are in one way or another connected to the Dead Three: Ketheric Thorm - Myrkul, Enver Gortash - Bane, Orin the Red - Bhaal

(might be wrong but) Larian did confirm some time ago - the Mindflayers won’t be the Big Bad. To my mind undoubtedly the Dead Three will play a significant role, but I also think that Shar, Vlaakith and someone from Avernus will be involved (Zariel maybe?)

To add the last, somehow Astarion’s scar, Mizora, Rafael and Karlach are tied together

Withers’ question and our answer is some foreshadowing and is gonna bite us on the neck later on

Withers is Jergal

Seluna might be the reason why his helping us

Daisy is not what we think they are, not just personification of the parasite

* I’m not sure how much of seduction narrative has been left, but I think it would be fun to see Daisy to take a form of our LI or vise verse at some point

Raphael’s interest in the brainworms is due to netheres magic

Lorroakan, the wizard of Ramazith's tower, is Edwin Odesseiron

There’s something very dark about Gale, not in the way “don’t trust the wizards”, but in way we’ll learn that he way more sinister than he makes himself seem. But I doubt that he’ll betray (if we play our cards right) though. Let me make him my bff

To add to that, when we first meet him, he says that he’s in need of a archemage, later we learn that he also need to consume the weave… can he consume it from the living creatures?

Gale’s relationship with Halaster Blackcloak. WHY THE FUCK DID HE LEFT TARA IN HIS CARE?!

And the heartbreaking ending Crystal was talking about? That’s Gale’s one. Mark my words

Shadowheart is not her real name, duh, hope we get to know the real one

I don’t think Shadowheart is brainwashed cleric of Selune, most likely she chose freely to join the Night Church due to loss at young age, previously worshiping Selune

Her strange magic is Selune-ish, I think

Would really like to see Viconia in the Shadowheart’s hideout in the city

The Temple of Shar, Ketheric and those Shar worshipers will be key in making Shadowheart rethink her devotion (and our previous decision ofc)

Astarion was a nasty person before he become a vampire spawn, pretty sure that his abuse of his position is what got him in Cazador’s grip

There’s got to be one ending where he turns Tav into his own vampire spawn

Not sure how much the changes in Wyll character will affect this, but… even though it’s seems that Mizora is no longer captured by goblins, I hope there some specific interactions with her if we follow Wyll romance

Wyll is part of the Eltan family

WHATS WITH HIS EYE BEING A QUEST OBJECT??

Really wish we’ll learn about companies families: I want to meet Wyll’s father, to learn about Gale’s parents, to help Shadowheart remember her family, to learn about Astarion’s past, to know their last names and etc. Let me know theirs ages, Larian!

Also, Larian, my dear, give Wyll and Gale their unique armor

The artifact will cure us

I really wish there’s some reference to Honor Among Thieves, as they both take place around late 15th century

If Zevlor is Absolute’s servant, I really hope there’ll be a horrible way to make him pay

Auntie Ethel loot is cursed

#bg3 #baldur’s gate iii #baldur’s gate 3 #had a few more but I either forgot or they had to do with wyll pre-rewrite #might edit later #and add smt

[elminster-big-naturals]

I'm really curious about why you don't like freeing Orpheus, actually. Most people I see talking about this choice always does it

from a meta pov, pretty much anything that's good for the githyanki is going to be absolutely terrible for every other sapient species in the realms. they're (mostly) space faring fascists, raiders, and slavers with little to no regard for any life but their own. vlaakith is an evil tyrant, but her biggest pre-occupation is her own power and immortality, which means she culls her own strongest warriors - orpheus would see those warriors put to better use. after all, mother gith intended to conquer all planes of existence after defeating the illithid empire. with that in mind, i personally don't see an incentive to free orpheus at all unless i was playing gith or romancing lae'zel. i think i would have found the choice more compelling/difficult if perhaps the emperor did somehow betray you or turn out to be much shadier than he was, or if we saw a different (non-lae'zel) side to the githyanki that was anything but "it's slaughterin' time" and industrial strength racism. i found the writing a tiny bit lacking in terms of making it a tough or interesting choice.

from my main tav's pov, who may or may not be *ahem* easily swayed by the emperor, it's a nonsensical choice from every conceivable angle. firstly, every single gith bar maybe lae'zel and to a less extent voss has been wildly antagonist, from slaughtering refugees/fists/civilians indiscriminately, to hunting the relic, to the purification fuckery - all of it just awful, terrible, etc. there is absolutely no way on god's green earth he'd even think for a second to was a good idea to betray the person who has demonstrably been 1) protecting the gang and 2) working with the gang towards a mutual goal, just to free some fuckin random dude you've heard nothing but vague propaganda about (from both sides). a free orpheus might help, or he might just kill everyone like his kin have been doing the whole game. he might help, and we all get squidded anyway because something happens to him. like, the emperor is right there and has been "trustworthy" thus far, so why take the risk? evil insane space frogs oppressing each other is NOT his business, no matter how much he loves lae'zel. that's my main tav's thinking, anyway.

of course none of this is to say it's wrong or bad to free orpheus or to favour that choice, it's really just a matter of preference in the end.

#baldur's gate 3 spoilers #the new tav i just made may or may not romance baezel so i'll probably do a free orphy run for them #i got to the orpheus plot point in the story in my first PT and was like free him? why would i do that? and kept trucking lmao #still stole the hammer tho. got to get that disney villain showdown with raphybaby

[traceofexistence]

since I always play the creche before going to act 2, I have come to understand Lae'zel a bit more.

when we first meet lae when she points a sword at us and calling us thrall, the tadpole shows us her dreams red dragons, and silver swords

when playing Lae origin, if you go to camp right after the crash and take a long rest, she again laments about how her only goal in life is to be kithrak ride a red dragon, and wield a silver sword.

when tav feels sick, and she comes with a blade to take our lives along with the rest and hers because we are changing, you can read her thoughts and her desperation that she never had the chance to prove herself worthy of a red dragon and a silver sword.

all those early on when she's still have not been betrayed by her queen.

now if you talk to the kids and teens in the creche, they are all laser focus on that same goal, be the queen's silver blade and ride a red dragon. this is so ingrained in the githyanki, there simply nothing else for them, the indoctrination is off the roof.

the kids also are brats, taught to be brats

and then you have one teen, who found a book, and even though he didn't think of it as real, he was so inspired by it, he just rejected the gith teachings.

and the difference here is that it is not a religion, that's why Lae'zel can break free so easily once she's betrayed.

it shows how young Lae is, of course we know she's still considered a child by her peers, we know she's like 22years old, so she still maintains her childish dream to ride a dragon and wield a silver sword. after Vlaakith's betrayal her goals change, but she's sad for what she lost. but that kid is no more, when she says "Vlaakith can not harm her who does not exist" meaning she's not the same anymore. she's a different person, with her eyes opened, and a new goal. and while it seems that she leaves one goddess for another god, I dont think that is the case with her, she leaves a tyrant, a usurper, to join the resistance that will bring the githyanki liberation.

the gith society has every red flag a cult has, and then some more.

all gith need is a different leadership and they can see the world differently.

that's why Orpheus is so important

even Voss the first time we meet him he tells the other gith who just slaughtered some humans, that they are not here to play with the locals, even if it sounds brutal, he still scold in his way the gith there.

#lae'zel #githyanki

[cleric4vampire]

19 & 24

okay so heads up — I had most of the answers prewritten for these as a character building exercise, and you just so happened to choose the two questions with the LONGEST responses 😂 I will try and cut them down but... well, I have never been known for my brevity

Has your Dark Urge become particularly close to anyone romantically and/or platonically in their journey? If so, who, and what is the relationship like? If no, why not?

Gale

Gale is the first person Aune grows close to. She stuck close to him upon meeting partly because she thought his kindness would be easy to take advantage of, and partly because she was scared out of her mind in regards to the tadpoles + the urge + the memory loss, and figured a wizard might be a good source of knowledge in that regard. She considers him her first real friend, and is the first person she begins to care for. Their relationship might have turned out differently had they not practiced channeling the Weave that one night. Aune envisioned kissing Gale, which was intensely startling for her; she had yet to remember that kissing was even a thing. (Durge!Aune is pretty touch-averse.) From that point forward, despite the two growing closer together, she always questioned the validity of her feelings (mostly platonic, sometimes romantic) for him; she could never be sure if they were natural or some fabrication of the Weave. After the Grove massacre, on the night of the goblin party, Aune and Gale have a nasty argument, and afterwards keep their distance from each other for the next couple of weeks. When Elminster eventually shows up and breaks the big news, the pair end their quasi- silent treatment phase. Aune becomes intensely concerned about Gale as he flip-flops between a suicidal, defeatist attitude and one of painful optimism. Gale confesses his feelings. Aune is startled, again, but ultimately decides to sleep with him, mostly because she is afraid he will be dead soon and also just wants to make him happy. She does end up enjoying herself in the moment, but comes crashing down afterwards, realizing it was a big mistake; realizing she would never stop questioning if her feelings were real. (And, less consciously, she realizes that Gale would never truly accept her, scars and darkness all. The argument they had back at the goblin party revealed as much.) They talk the following morning. They're both heartbroken. Gale is cold towards her, and whatever is left of their relationship is on the crux of falling apart.

Lae'zel

The second person Aune befriends is Lae'zel; their relationship starts out with such incredible ease - they are so in tune with each other that they never argue. They have a lot of similarities in regards to their worldviews, which makes them work well together as they navigate their crisis. It becomes a bit harried after the run-in with the gith patrol as Aune feels as though Lae'zel betrayed her trust (Aune made the party prioritize getting to the creche above most all else). But eventually she gets over it and they continue to grow closer. Things change at the creche - Aune convinces Lae'zel to consume a tadpole after the zaith'isk caused near-irreparable damage to her mind. In retrospect, it shames her deeply, but she doesn't regret it. In the moment, she decided that ultimately her own survival was most important, and she needed Lae'zel to be physically & mentally okay. She decided for Lae'zel that the practicality of the solution was more important than Lae'zel's ideals. Later on, Lae'zel doesn't dwell on this, but it haunts Aune forever. After what happens with Vlaakith at the creche, Aune vows to support Lae'zel through the ordeal in whatever way she can - to do as she wishes no matter what. (She is greatly motivated by her guilt.) Lae'zel helps Aune through a lot of the difficult moments that come up in regards to the Urge, particularly with the insomnia. They get into the habit of spending at least a part of the night with each other, with Aune usually resting her head in Lae'zel's lap while Lae'zel tells her of githyanki legend or culture. Lae'zel pets Aune's hair until she falls asleep. They never spend the entire night together; after a couple hours Lae'zel will shoo her away.

I'm not even going to bother going into Astarion because that will turn this into more of a novel than it already is 💀

Does your Dark Urge have a treasured item with them? If yes, what is it and why is it special? If no, how do they feel about item sentimentality in general?

Yes! Aune has very few belongings with her when she wakes on the ravaged beach, but one item of note is an old and worn herb sickle. Despite coming across better alternatives later, she continues to use it for harvesting as it's one of the only physical things she owns that ties her to her past. She starts making a habit of collecting (stealing) little things from her companions that she figures won't be missed or noticed. She does it out of fear that she will lose her memories again and forget about the people she has come to love and care for. I'm in the process of writing a drabble about it & maybe making an accompanying art thing, so I'll leave it there! OH BUT WAIT ALSO I've been poking around Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft for information regarding the Haunted One background recently, and learned that those with this background get to choose or roll for a trinket on the Horror Trinkets table. I cheated and rolled for one — a little black book that records your dreams, and yours alone, when you sleep; and chose a second — a clockwork device that beats like a heart. I'm very excited to think of what implications and consequences the journal will have on Aune's journey (what if one of the companions, unaware of her Urge, flips through it without her knowing? I doubt she would forget her terrible nightmares, but if she does, could she resist the temptation of flipping through the journal to read about it later on?) and OF COURSEEE I have decided that the clockwork heart was a gift from Gortash, though Aune doesn't remember him or the item's significance. (because I'm still in Act 2 lol)

#oh my GOD do I ever shut up asdflkdjf #if you read all of this THANK YOU??? what a treasure you are #oc: durge!aune

[dracolichbitch]

Dragons of a Feather

Many people liked to think Jura Rhapsodos was a savior, and perhaps, for many she was. She spent her time saving the lives of the dying and the souls of the damned. It’s what she was good at, so why not spend her waking hours helping people. Tormenting the weak didn’t interest her after all. Whether she was in Toril or Tamriel, that didn’t change. If anything, it was inconvenient to be in Toril now though. None here understood how she came by her divine powers, and the simple answer of being Dragonborn seemed to mean something different here. She quickly proved that answers didn’t matter, not as much as actions at least. She’d spent the last few years doing exactly that. Saving people and killing those that would harm them, and while she’d garnered plenty of followers who did the same in her name, she’d made just as many enemies, and it seemed today, she’d made another in the Githyanki’s lich-queen, Vlaakith.

It was with pity in her eyes and a distant sorrow in her heart that she put the creche to the sword. She offered them every chance for mercy. Too blinded by their loyalty to their queen, none would take it.

The sun had begun its slow descent towards the horizon by the time they finished burning the last body. Lae’zel was silent and surly the whole while, and offered no answer when asked about Githyanki last rites, so Jura performed her own for the dead. It was the least she could do after slaughtering them all. She knew she should feel more guilt than she did, but no child of Sithis ever felt guilt at the taking of lives, even if the Dread Father could claim her soul no longer. No, it belonged to herself now, and no one else.

She could feel the heat from the flames on her face, but it did little to warm her core. She had never been like her sister, or her parents. She took no pleasure in death. It was domination, not death, that her dragon soul craved, and if she felt anything now, it was sheer annoyance. That the Githyanki refused to lower their weapons and submit peeved her, and even still, she felt it licking at the back of her mind.

“A fine show you put on. A pity I’ve arrived too late to watch it.” A familiar voice, deep, dark, and more arrogant than any she’d ever encountered before sounded from behind her, but Jura didn’t turn to face him. In fact, it wasn’t until a strong, armored arm snaked around her waist and pulled her flush to an equally armored and sturdy chest that she addressed him.

“Dare I ask why you are here, if not to witness the slaughter?” She asked, keeping her voice clipped and monotone, daring not to betray any of the new emotions sparking to life in her chest. Surprise. Delight. Suspicion. She hadn’t known who he was the last time she saw him, when he came to her aid against the Sharrans in Waterdeep four years ago, but she knew who he was now. Lathander had told her. Even if she’d only caught glimpses of him since then, each time he always disappeared before she could reach him, before she could talk to him, demand answers as to why, she knew that it wasn’t a mere coincidence that he was here now, when they were so close to Moonrise, and the seat of the Absolute.

“Why, I’m here to see you, of course.” He chuckled against her ear, the sound dark and devilish, even as his arm around her waist tightened. She could feel his stubble scratch her neck as he brushed his lips against her sensitive skin, and she couldn’t help the shiver that went down her spine at the feeling, or the heat beginning to pool in her stomach, despite her definitely knowing better this time. “How long has it been, Jura?”

I suppose that’s more of an answer than any he gave me back then. He’s either in a giving mood, or he wants something himself. If what I’ve read of him is of any indication at least.

“A few years, but if you wanted to speak to me sooner, you could’ve. As you well know, I’m not a hard person to find.” There was no denying the hint of accusation in her voice as she turned in his grip to face him, which he surprisingly allowed, loosening his arm around her enough for her to move only to tighten it and bring her even closer to his chest afterwards. She stumbled against him at the sudden yank, her hands flying up to rest against his chest, as if to push herself away, but she made no effort to do so as of yet. Instead she looked up at his face and studied him with a scowl.

He took the form of a younger human man, around his thirties, with raven black hair cut shaggy and short to frame his face. His facial hair was kept short and trimmed, barely longer than stubble, and just seeing it brought back memories of how it felt against her thighs. His facial features were sharp and pointed, almost gaunt like his skin was stretched to its limits across his skull, but he was undeniably handsome. But most catching of all were his eyes, his irises an iridescent emerald green that seemed nearly unnatural, drowning in a sea of black sclera.

At the time of their first meeting, she didn’t have any idea who he was. Now that she knew and researched him herself, it couldn’t possibly have been more obvious.

He grinned, showing off dazzling white, unnaturally pointed teeth.

“Oh of course. One needs only follow the ashes to find you, more often than not.”

Jura shook her head with a soft scoff, though she didn’t deny it. Almost as soon as she did so, with his free hand, he gripped her chin and tilted her face up to look at him again.

“Now Jura, don’t be like that. Just because I’ve been busy with my own work doesn’t mean I didn’t miss you.”

“Missed me so much that every time I tried to speak to you, you vanished on me.” Jura didn’t hesitate to point out.

He chuckled, almost coyly. “Well pardon me for not indulging your every whim. Just because I came by to check on you every now and then doesn’t mean I had time to stay and chat.”

“But you do now?”

“I do now indeed.” He offered what was most likely an attempt at a charming smile. “Shall we go talk in private? Somewhere away from your newest… What do you call them?”

“We happen to be her friends, which is more than you can say, I’m sure.” Gale spoke up now, glaring over the cooking fire at him. He’d been chopping up vegetables before he arrived, and didn’t seem overly pleased to see him again, though Jura knew he wasn’t aware of his identity like she was. If he knew, he’d be brandishing magic and not a cooking knife. “I find it highly suspicious for you to turn up now, after such a hard battle. Seems to me like you’re here to try and finish us off.”

Jura let out a quiet sigh. Gale was defensive, and he had every right to be, considering who their guest was, but he didn’t even know that, so instead of endearing, his jealousy was annoying. Even if he wasn’t here, it wasn’t like she had much interest in sleeping with him instead.

“Relax, Gale. It’s fine. Believe it or not, I can handle one man by myself.” She told him, immediately brushing off his concerns, even if calling him a man was the understatement of the century.

“Yes, Gale. Why don’t you relax and continue cooking like a good little-”

Jura cut him off with a quick press of her lips to his. As soon as their lips made contact, his tongue was already prodding at the crease between hers, an entrance she was swift to deny him as she pulled away.

“You: hush and follow me.”

Her guest grinned devilishly. “Yes ma’am.”

He released his grip on her waist and her chin before gesturing for her to lead the way. Jura pulled away from him and took a moment to straighten the front of her clothes, rumpled as they were from both the fight and moving the bodies to be burned, before leading the way out of the creche’s kitchen. She paused midstep when she realized that Shadowheart and Astarion were both following them.

“Stay. I can handle him myself.” She told them without looking back towards either of them.

“Are you sure about that? He seems…” Shadowheart cut herself off, though there was no denying the apprehension in her voice. She sounded almost afraid.

“I’ll be fine.” Jura turned now to give her a reassuring smile. “Don’t forget, I’m a god. He can’t kill me in a way that matters.”

He chuckled at her words before turning to the two himself. “Yes, she’s a god, and I’m her most devout and fervent worshipper. She’s in no danger from me.” He told them, though there was nothing reassuring or sincere in his mocking tone.

Jura rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to grab him by the ear and drag him out. Instead she settled for grabbing the collar of his black velvet cloak and tugged on that instead.

“You two. Stay. You, keep moving.”

He only chuckled more at her command, but did as she obeyed, just not before taking the hand clenching his cloak in his grasp and bringing her knuckles to his lips, bowing his head ever so slightly as he did so. He looked down at her past her knuckles, and even though she couldn’t see the smirk on his lips, she could see it in his eyes.

“As you wish, milady.”

Despite everything, the tinges of a blush crept across her cheeks and Jura was quick to huff and try to pull her hand out of his, only for him to intertwine his fingers with hers and tighten his grip. She frowned at him, but he merely returned the look with a smile as he gestured with his free hand for her to continue. Silently admitting defeat this time, she continued to walk with him.

She kept an eye out to make sure the others weren’t following them at first, before leading him to the temple’s altar room, mainly because it was the deepest point of the temple and where they were least likely to be disturbed. It was only once they were there and she approached the altar that he relinquished his grip on her hand.

“You don’t seem nearly as happy to see me now as I expected you to be, considering how disappointed you were when I left your side those years ago in Waterdeep.” He noted, but unlike before, that smugness that colored his voice almost every word spoken prior wasn’t to be found here. Instead there was a hint of curiosity, but he was otherwise monotone.

“I didn’t know who you were back then.”

“Oh?” He chuckled. “But you do now?”

“Yes.” She kept her back to him now, unable to face him. She remembered those weeks they spent together in Waterdeep, hunting down the Sharrans and thwarting their plot to overtake the Weave once again. The nights she spent in his bed because she was tired and lonely and it was nice to be wanted again after who knew how many years spent studying in Apocrypha and even more sequestered alone in her tower out in Eastmarch’s farthest recesses away from the rest of the world who didn’t need her any more. It had confused her when AO told her that she’d been brought to Toril to be their God of Salvation for why would they need her if her own world didn’t, and while she’d come to discover there was no end to the amount of work for her to do here, she also discovered from others that it was his idea. He wanted her here, but she couldn’t even begin to guess why. Well, she could. She wondered if he felt in her the same that she felt in him, the aching longing in her chest that only abated when he was near. She was Dragonborn. The need to dominate was interwoven into her very being. Did that, perhaps, resonate with him?

“I want to hear you say it.” He came closer to her now and rested his hands on her hips, pulling her back against his chest again. She could feel his breath against her neck as he nuzzled her pulse, nipping at the delicate skin ever so lightly. “Say my name.”

“Bane.” She breathed his name in a whisper. “God of Tyranny.”

He nuzzled at her neck more before nipping the skin between his sharp teeth, his voice hot and heavy against her ear. “Good.”

Jura bit back the moan that threatened to escape her at the sharp pain that accompanied his teeth, instead turning to face him in his arms.

Bane made no attempt to stop her, instead, smirking down at her. He took one hand from her waist and cupped her cheek instead, running his gauntleted fingers through her hair slowly before trailing them down her neck. A flicker of fear rose in her chest as his thumb traced the center of her throat, but she was quick to shove it down as she stared into his eyes, forcing the same fearlessness that she felt when she slew dragons and toppled empires into her own.

“What do you want, Bane?” She managed to make herself ask without her voice trembling, but the heady look in his eyes as he stared down at her like something to be desired was starting to make her legs as weak as her sense of morals always had been. She’d once served Sithis like the rest of her family, and thus she didn’t care enough about what others considered to be right or wrong to resist crawling back into bed with another god of ill repute. Literally or figuratively this time.

Bane stroked her throat with his thumb, running it up and down her windpipe as he leaned in close. His lips were almost brushing hers when he spoke, in a soft, breathless whisper. “You. I want you. On top of me, under me, by my side. It is a spot that has remained empty for time immemorial, waiting for someone like you. There can be no others.”

Jura struggled to keep her breathing easy and steady with him so close, and yet as his armor sapped the warmth from her body, her eyes drifted half shut as she stared into his.

“Is that so?” She murmured, her hand almost trembling as she wrapped her arm around his neck. She didn’t believe him. He was the God of Tyranny, so how could she trust anything he said? And yet, there was a part of her heart, withered black and twisted with loneliness that desperately wanted to. She wasn’t unaccustomed to being desired but there was something very different about the feverishly deranged masses worshipping her wanting her, and someone like him. One didn’t deserve to so much as lick her boots, but the other…? He was a man who became a god through sheer strength of will and tenacity, and that she deeply respected, even if his domain was less than wholesome. In fact, it was his domain of Tyranny that caught her interest. The possibility that he was anything like her, that he could possibly understand her own struggles with her Dragonborn soul. It called her to him. She could feel the same power inside of him, just as Miraak once felt it in her. As he once said, like calls to like.

Bane’s fingers crept up the back of her neck, threading into her tied back hair, but even as they wrapped around the crimson strands, he made no attempt to pull it. Not yet, at least.

“I won’t lie to you, Jura.” He stared straight into her eyes, seemingly unbothered by gazing into the ruby settle deep within her otherwise empty eye socket. “I have no need to. I know you can feel the call, same as I do. You can’t escape the bond between our souls, and even if you could, why would you want to?”

Jura swallowed hard at his words, or she tried to, at least, but her mouth was drier than bone as she stared into his eyes. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face. His skin was warm under her touch, his hair fluffy and soft in her grip.

“Am I supposed to think I might make you a better man?”

“You could try.” His voice was as smug as ever as he brushed his lips against hers, gently for the moment. “But I doubt you’d succeed.”

“You���re right. If anything, you would just make me a monster.” She murmured, closing her eyes. She loosened her own grip on his hair.

“And how much further down must your standards fall before they reach the breaking point?” Bane chuckled, even as his own grip on her hair tightened in response. He leaned his head down, tucking his face into the crook of her neck and sighed deeply against her skin.

The scratch of his stubble against her neck sent a shiver down her spine.

“I know you, Child of Sithis. Child of Akatosh. I know what you’ve done, and what you’re capable of. You can lie to those pets of yours outside, but not to me. We both know you don’t really care about those people, or anyone in fact. You only care about one thing. It’s what your soul sings for. Power. Control. Forcing the people around you to bend to your whims and grovel at your feet like the dogs they are.” With a sharp tug, Bane yanked her head back, further exposing her neck.

A sharp hiss left her lips, but she didn’t fight him on it. Neither the gesture or the words. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. To deny it would be to lie, and to lie was pointless when they both knew that’s what the words were. A quiet gasp escaped her throat at the sharp pain of his teeth sinking into her neck, hard and deep enough to draw blood, and she couldn’t help the shudder going through her at the feeling of his hot, wet tongue lapping up the blood against her skin. She dug her nails into the back of his neck in warning, but he only chuckled against her in response before pulling away from her neck and grinning down at her.

She frowned up at him, mustering as much displeasure into her expression as she could, if only to not give away the growing heat between her legs.

“You’re a brat.”

Bane released his grip on her hair in favor of moving both hands to her hips instead, and before she could protest, he picked her up, and her arms tightened around his neck, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist in response. He grinned as he laid her back on the altar, hovering over her now.

“I have yet to hear you tell me to stop or to leave.” He leaned down, planting his hands on either side of her head against the altar and kissed her again, more fervently this time, and this time, when his tongue prodded at her lips, she parted them to let him in.

Jura could taste her own blood on his tongue as he ran it against hers, the taste hot and acrid, like swallowing an ember.

Abruptly, Bane pulled away from the kiss and stared down at her with half lidded eyes.

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking just from his expression, but she knew he’d probably tell her if she asked. She didn’t ask though. Instead, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him back down for another kiss.

#tes ldb #bg3 tav #bg3 bane #banetav #in which my tes dragonborn ends up in faerun thanks to some plotting by bane #also yes i'm absolutely going with the idea that bane is dragonborn himself. no one @ me with complaints of how that wouldn't work in bg. #his canon backstory is that he was a slave to a god before killing it with the other dead three whose to say that said god didn't pluck him #from tamriel like bane did jura #idc you can fight me on this #also if you squint real hard you can pick up on the fact that they absolutely fuck on lathanders altar i just didn't get around to writing #it

[amysgiantbees]

Reading through the IGN interview with the BG3 developers https://www.ign.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-final-interview-game-of-the-year-2023-characters-endings and I have some questions.

I'm reading this part about what the decision of whether to side with the Emperor or who becomes a squid means. "One of the basic questions of the game was whether you would become a monster if it would save the world. So that's where you get that in that moment. And then the interesting bit was, well, if you're not going to do it, are you going to ask someone else to do it, or you just going to say, "F*ck everybody?" That's essentially what that moment was.

AS: There was no way to save the city, save the world without giving up your own identity, and whether you did or not was an interesting question. We talked a healthy amount about whether becoming a Mind Flayer meant a loss of identity. What did it mean? What was that?"

I think this idea is muddied however by the question of whether or not you loose your abilities if you become a mind flayer. Because Orpheus if he becomes a mind flayer cannot use any of his monk abilities. He can still use his mental shielding power though otherwise you would have been transformed as you're battling your way to the brain. But you or Karlach can use your abilities. Which might just be a game mechanic so you don't have the double disappointment of turning into a monster and loosing all your cool abilities. From the wiki on them it sounds like they just have their psionic abilities inherent to them. But it doesn't say that they are incapable of casting spells if their host used to know them so I don't know.

So if you do loose all your abilities you are dooming the Gith (and maybe the world if the mind flayers try to rise up again) if you don't betray the emperor and become Illithid or ask Karlach to. Thus, becoming the monster that they say.

However, if you keep your abilities after turning into a mindflayer, or at the very least if Orphesus keeps his special magic which he seems to do, then that complicates it.

The Gith are xenophobic as seen in the game and according to the wiki. As the wiki says "Their ultimate goal, under Vlaakith, was to treat all worlds of the Material Plane as the githyanki's gardens, which they could loot at will and bring the spoils to their home in the Astral Plane". They don't want to conquer the Material Plane, that's just a subset known as gul'othran but they are a danger to the material plane as is.

We don't know much about Orpheus but I would argue that it's not a great sign that you can't ride off with Lae'zel and him to fight Vlaakith unless you're romancing her as a Gith. It kind of implies that the Gith on Orpheus' side won't treat you any better. That Orpheus either doesn't have enough influence to prevent your harassment or he's xenophobic too. You could say that it's more dangerous for a non-Gith that's why you can't come but you're literally going to fight a war with them. Of course it's dangerous. So no matter what it seems all Gith are a bit xenophobic.

Which I think kind of undermines the DEV's statement a bit because couldn't it be a good thing if Lae'zel, probably now one of the least xenophobic gith, leads her people. And you don't even have to kill Orpheus he can just stay as a mind flayer.

Like the issue with mind flayers is that they turn into hive minded evil slaves with an elder brain, reproduce by infecting people like zombies and, eat brains. None of that is great obviously. But Omeluum is trying to work on the brains, doesn't want to reproduce and seems fine since he's away from any elder brains. Like I don't know I don't want all of the mind flayers to be wiped out. Karlach seems cool as a mind flayer. Maybe the Gith would hesitate wiping out all the mind flayers and being so xenophobic if their own prince is now a mind flayer. Idk

#bg3 #balders gate 3 #baldurs gate #myanalysis

[covenscribe]

multiples of 10 for amour & the latest tav asks

10. What was your Tav like as a child?

They were routinely kicked out of their parents house when they didn’t feel like being parents anymore so Amour grew as a self reliant  kid who hated all adults and stole anything they thought they could get away with. They also bit people a lot, very feral child.

20. Finally, what does your Tav feel as the Nautiloid crashes? Are they scared? Are they thinking of a way to survive?

Amour really thought they were going to die on impact and is thrilled when they wake up alive. Though quickly they try to think of ways to survive, they have never been away from Baldurs Gate further than Rivington and any knowledge about the outside world from the limited amount of books the brothel would get. Admittedly most of them were just inaccurate naughty books.

30. Who does your Tav think of when they go to sleep at the goblin/tiefling party? Or are they lucky and do they get to spend the night with the person they want? 

Amour drinks too much at the tiefling party, flirts with everyone but after Astarion’s “I love you” line, laughs really hard and basically says “Ha I know you’re lying because no one actually loves me.” Walks away and takes their bedroll to sleep against a tree away from the party alone.

40. Did your Tav agree to kill the Guardian or did they go talk to them instead?

Is very tempted to kill the Guardian but decides against it because they trust Vlaakith less and the Guardian does seem to be the only thing keep the mind flayer infection at bay

50. Does your Tav save the tieflings & gnomes? 

Yes! It was their first priority to rescue them

60. Did you clear Moonrise Towers of the shadow curse?

They found the House of Healing on the way to Moonrise Towers and were able to clear the shadow curse after rescuing everyone during the first trip to moonrise

70. Does your Tav make a deal with Raphael? 

Nope, would never trust him.

80. Does your Tav free the slaves from Steel Watch Foundry? Do they side with the Gondians or with Wulbren? 

Frees the slaves and sides with Barcus

90. Do they betray the Emperor/Orpheus/their companions for the Absolute?

No, destroying the absolute and protecting their friends was their goal

100. Did Karlach get upgraded? Did she turn Illithid? Did she return to Avernus? If so, did Tav join her, or Wyll, or both?

 Karlach was fully upgraded but turned Illthid for the final showdown with the absolute.

#oc: Amour #tav asks #bg3 tav #bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 spoilers

[bitchesgate3]

I don't knock peeps who became fans of Lae only at the end of her arch. But I do think I like Lae'zel for different reasons.

Lae has arguably the most touching and vulnerable romances of the game, but back in EA - most discussions about her character made you feel like a fool for being a fan. There was a reason why she was niche...

In EA, it was said that Githyanki aren't monogamous - hence it was speculated that Lae'zel would never commit (source).

In EA, all we saw was a Vlaakith devout, and many speculated that if she had to choose - she would betray you and NEVER let go of her queen.

In EA, many dialogues pointed to Lae'zel only using you as a means to an end. Implying that showing her devotion was a fool's errand.

In EA, people would argue that she was too mean, but also in the same breath say they didn't want her to be softened because it would "weaken the character".

I've always saw and projected my headcanon on Lae that she's a complex character. Where she is a bitch but not for no reason. But trying to figure out if that was Larian's vision with her back in EA took up much of my speculation time. I combed every corner of the game for Lae'zel scenes, searching for something deeper.

Read every piece of Githyanki lore I could find, and speculated what evidence there was in the game to point one way or another. How someone raised as a child soldier could find that emotional journey to be ally or even lover.

In the end, Larian gave me what I wanted. But I do wonder (with confirmation that they toned down the companions premises) if all the hints given in EA were true and her romance was intended to be far more superficial than it ended up being. Additionally, the character I wanted to see in Lae, that I spent so much time trying to find, doesn't actually exist in the launch version. Namely because she is too young and inexperienced. I saw someone who told things like it is, but was extremely wise.

But I do find myself more attached to fans of Lae from EA, even if they never wanted to romance her, only liked her as domineering, or was a-ok with everything speculated at that time - it was always fun debating where her character might logically go. Whereas fans who are pleasantly surprised where it did, often don't have the context for the journey.

#Lae'zel #bg3 early access #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #Youtube

[authorchase]

How Dare You, Illithid Scum

Very much of a rough draft because I just wrote this. I failed the Wisdom saving throw with that special tadpole, so the power was forced upon my Durge. Very spoiler heavy for Act 3 Durge with some of my own ideas in the mix.

Valdon opens his eyes to find himself back in the Astral Plane with the Emperor sitting in front of him. The sorcerer cannot help but to feel pure rage towards the illithid, as he has manipulated him so harshly. Disguising as Valdon’ very first kill, one of his foster mothers, angers and scares him to his core. Valdon feels like he wants to scream, but the Emperor looks back at him with surprise.

“Oh, I must have let my guard down. You were able to slip into this plane effortlessly it seems” Emperor sighs. The Emperor faces the trapped form of Orpheus once again. Valdon remembers Lae’zel’s abandonment of Vlaakith this very night, and feels he should help her fulfill her dreams, but how?

“Come, sit. Your company is surprising, but not unwelcome” Emperor beckons. Valdon feels anger surge through him again and feels he wants to surrender to his urges to tear the illithid apart. He can’t now however, with his life on the line to keep the Emperor alive.

“No, I will not you….you damn bastard” Valdon growls. The Emperor stands to look at Valdon in surprise, not seeming to know how to read the sorcerer. Valdon begins to shed tears as he thinks of the depiction of his foster mother the illithid conjured. The mangled scars on her face matched the wounds Valdon inflicted upon her. He will forever remember what he had done to her, and he regrets it immensely, he loved her as she loved him as her own son.

“Why? Why did you disguise yourself as my first killing so flawlessly? Why did you bring me this pain and force this unwanted power into me when I am so afraid of myself that I want to die? I’m already afraid of killing the one I love and now I am more powerful than ever!” Valdon wonders to the Emperor, finally admitting to himself that he loves Astarion, deeply. The Emperor has the audacity to look guilty as Valdon lets out his anger through his words. “I-” Emperor tries, but Valdon interrupts him.

“Is it because I helped Enver Gortash enslave you again? Is this some kind of twisted vengeance you wanted to enact upon me? That woman loved me like I was her own son, and I cannot stand thinking of her face after I killed her. How dare you, you illithid scum! How dare you do this to me after everything!” Valdon begins to shout. Suddenly, Valdon feels his eyes grow heavy as he falls to the rocky ground. The Emperor is above him as Valdon’s vision blurs.

“Be careful what you say, Valdon. I am your only way to salvation after all” Emperor warns as Valdon’s vision turns black. The sorcerer wakes in Astarion’s arms with the vampire carding his fingers through his hair. Valdon buries his head against Astarion’s chest as he feels betrayed by the illithid in the artifact who has been helping them all this time.

“It’s alright my dear. You have had a hard few days, I will wake you when dawn comes” Astarion comforts as he continues to play with Valdon’s hair. Valdon closes his eyes as he feels Astarion’s ministrations. He is able to sleep through the rest of the night without nightmares for once.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion x dark urge #bg3 durge #the dark urge