#(yes i had “me and my husband” and “labour” on loop when i created Solveig)

[witch-from-a-block-of-flats]

UMM have you ever written about/can you talk about Solveig's backstory?? I am SO intrigued by what you mentioned in the tags of that post about what she might see if the phantasmal killer spell is cast on her!

There is something everyone with OC dreams of receiving one day and it's a question about their backstory. My life is kinda crazy right now (that's why your previous ask is still in my inbox, I'll answer it soon I swear 😭) but I can't resist writing about my beloved Solveig.

It's going to be a longer post and English it's not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes in advance.

Buckle up!

TW: Domestic violence

Solveig comes from a wealthy family. Not patriar level of wealth but money wasn't much of a problem for them. Her mother, Vibekke, is a retired adventurer and treasures she gathered in her youth were more than enough for a good life. Solveig had a happy childhood despite growing up without a father (that's a story for another time). She spend her time mostly playing with other kids and her twin sister Linn who unfortunately lost genetic lottery and didn't inherit sorcerer magic. The girls were given a proper education. Solveig discovered her artistic talents and Linn was on the right path to one day study in Waterdeep to become a wizard. Everything was lovely.

Until it wasn't.

When Solveig was 15 her mother's health got worse. Her condition was treatable but the cost of medications and proper care have quickly consumed most of the family fortune. Sisters were trying to earn some money but who is going to employ two teenagers and pay them well enough? Two years later when her family was on a verge of poverty, Solveig started to pray at Stormshore Tabernacle regularly. And that's where she had met lord Ruadhan Heffernan, who offered her solution to all her problems.

To say Heffernan was rich would be an understatement. His family's wealth was impressive even among the nobility of Baldur's Gate, he had everything - title, money, respect, authority. But nobody is perfect in eyes of high society and people have found something on Ruadhan - he wasn't married. People started to gossip, calling him a miser or an impotent (sometimes both, depends on who you would ask).

He presented himself to Solveig as a man who needed to save his reputation and honor but who also was such a kind soul that wanted to help a poor girl in need. He was reliable, calm, sensible - everything Solveig needed at the time. She needed money to save her mother, he need a wife to save himself from judging eyes of patriars. And he wasn't even much older than her, and was quite a gentlemen... And she agreed.

Couple months later, the day Solveig turned 18, they got married. Solveig suddenly had to remember all those strangers who attended her wedding because they were important and know the complex etiquette. Maybe it wasn't the happiest day of her life but now she had enough money to provide a good care for her mother and she could even put her sister in a good academy in Waterdeep. Her own happiness didn't matter, the family had to come first.

For the first couple of months things were fine. Solveig didn't notice small signs that something was off - her letters would go missing, she couldn't leave her new house alone and she didn't really know where her money was. Before she knew, she became a prisoner and Raudhan's mask started to fall. He wasn't a mere noble. He was a cleric of Tiamat and had a high position in an enclave of Cult of the Dragon in Baldur's Gate (Tiamat is an evil dragon goddess, her cult tries to bring her to the material plane every now and then to take over the world basically).

But he wasn't satisfied with a high position. He wanted to be a leader and even more - a chosen of Tiamat. Solveig had a missing piece of his puzzle - direct connection to draconic bloodline. He blackmailed her into cooperation, saying her mother and sister were at his mercy now. So Solvieg gritted her teeth and agreed.

He was showing her to other followers as his trophy - daughter of metalic dragons, now corrupted in the name of their Queen. He was using her and her blood in rituals for Tiamat. Solveig still remembers how it felt to be a part of it. Stench of dark magic. Sensation of something being taken from her. Overwhelming presence of something far greater than her, ever watching, ever waiting and never fully satisfied.

Solveig tried to find an excuse why she couldn't be a part of Cult's activity. In the first few months when she still had some sort of contact to outside world, she was using meetings with important people (sometimes meetings that didn't even exists). "It will greatly benefit you as well the whole church, my lord. I will expand our connections and gather new allies" - she said that so often only to get out of the mansion for few hours (even if it was under constant surveillance). She tried to subtly get help and inform someone that the cult of chaotic evil goddess had it's temple under her house. Everytime Heffernan's servant interrupted and inform his master about Solveig's little treason.

Sometimes Raudhan mocked her for even trying to do something against him. He often tried to make her feel bad for betraying him. "I've given you everything a woman can dream of. You were destined to rot on the streets when we met and look at you now - a lady of a noble house. You could also try be a noble wife, you know? But you've chosen to hurt me and everything I've worked on for years. Is this your way of saying thank you? Don't you think I deserve more than a dagger in the back? What would your poor mother said about this?".

But one time she made him furious.

Someone from the Flaming Fist had sensed that something was wrong with the Heffernans and one day an elf showed up at the door, young investigator named Kalar. Solveig wanted to tell him everything and beg him to free her but Raudhan was watching and he knew that the Fist was here because of her. That day ended in tears, screams and Solveig getting locked in the room with a silence spell casted on it. She still doesn't know how long she's stayed there or what exactly happened to her during this time. All she remembers is a nearly empty room, bathed in total silence and a window too small to even jump through. Solveig was ready to die there until one day a crow tapped on her window. The bird had a short message: "I can help you".

Kalar got suspended after he visited their house but he didn't give up on his investigation. He wanted to help her. Solveig was suspicious and careful at first but she quickly started to plan her escape with him. Before she could start thinking about anything else, she needed to get out of this bloody mansion. They figured out almost everything - how to get out and the shortest way to the temple of Ilmater where someone offered to hide her - from there she could try to get Raudhan arrested/killed or at least get a divorce. There was one little problem - she couldn't leave the room she was locked in.

So she decided to wait.

One day Solved had finally heard a sound for the first time in gods know how long, as the door to her prison opened. Raudhan was standing there with a wide smile on his face. He told her in the most gentle and sweet tone she'd ever heard that the previous leader of the Cult was dead. Killed by some warlock who caught him by surprise during a failed attempt of summoning Tiamat. "This could be our moment. That is, if you finally understood your mistakes". Solveig nodded and played her part. She will give Raudhan what he wants for now. She will let him think he broke her spirit, wait for him to let his guard down and then she will have her freedom.

She started to participate in the rituals again. Eventually she started to fell sick. Magic the cultists were using drained her and effects of it started to show. She's became paler, weaker, lost weight. She had to escape and quickly before the rituals kill her. Luckily for her Raudhan gave her a bit of freedom around the house. Most doors where still locked for her but she wasn't watched all the time.

On one rainy night she finally got an impulse to escape. She had overheard Raudhan's conversation with another cleric of Tiamat. They were discussing interpretations of some sort of prophecy: "... you need to combine her bloodline with yours, Heffernan. You've waited long enough. You may not earn our Queen's blessing but your heir... think of the power they will wield".

An heir? Over her dead body.

She rushed to Raudhan's rooms, she had to find something she could use in court. Or to blackmail him. And then she found it - unsended letters that contained information about the Cult of Dragon and it's activity in Baldur's Gate. Perfect. Now all she had to do was to follow the plan and...

"Lady Heffernan, what are you doing?"

A servant saw her. Panic and will to survive overtook her body. She will either escape today or die trying. For the first time in years she used her magic for herself. Blood of her ancestors was singing in her veins when she covered the room in flames. After that she jumped through the window and while the adrenaline was keeping her going, she run. She left the burning mansion behind her, not looking back until she was in Rivington.

She was free. She had the letters.

For the first few days, she stayed hidden in the temple disguised as one of the monks. Kalar came to her a week later to discuss their next moves. Solveig was almost free at this point, she just needed a piece of paper with a court seal to prove it. She also had to reach out to her family, throughout the years she totally lost contact with them.

Linn was in Waterdeep - far enough from Baldur's Gate and Raudhan Heffernan- or at least that's what claimed an old sailor who was at the same ship as her. Vibekke was at her own house with a healer taking care of her. She was still weak but definitely felt better than all those years ago. It only took a few coins to bring them safely to Rivington. Solveig was finally reunited with her mother. You can only imagine happiness and tears of joy shed by a woman who wasn't allowed to see her family for, as it turned of, a whole decade.

Once she had her family back, Raudhan could no longer use them against her. With the help of Kalar, gold, connections she had made and a little blackmail Solveig was finally able to get a divorce papers signed. She had a feeling the power-hungry cleric of Tiamat won't be stopped so easily by a piece of paper but she could wait a couple more days before putting the rest of the plan in motion, right? Simply enjoy life and catch up on important matters with her mother, contact Linn and maybe try reaching out to her grandparents before going to war with the church of Tiamat.

She had time, right?

And that's when mind flayers attacked...

#quick note: this is a short version #i have many scenes from Solveig's past in my head including the ones in which she meets some origin characters from the game #it's also... let's call it lighter version? less horrifying? #I don't think I could write original version of her backstory. My bestie reads this blog #(yes i had “me and my husband” and “labour” on loop when i created Solveig) #once again thank you for the ask you made my week better #bg3 #my tav #tav backstory