#i love my drow son a lot

[galedekarios]

Oh wait now I’m curious what the backstory reasons behind Alton’s physical design are! He’s very handsome and I crave the oc lore.

thank you so much for asking about altonaufein. i really truly do appreciate it a lot! 🖤he's the favourite of my bg3 ocs.

his development and growth as a character is mostly tied to his hair and how he presents himself, so this is what i focused on for my choices throughout the game:

altonaufein was born as the third child but first son to matron ithrana of house hlarahel, a younger brother to his eldest sister nadriina and the second-born iraeae.

house hlarahel of ust natha has produced a long line of powerful clerics in service to lolth so altonaufein, with his natural talent and inlination for both the divine and the art of combat, was trained as a cleric to aid drow scouting and raiding parties:

this is how his hair would have looked then--perhaps even longer as the cc allows us--white hair worn long and open, symbolising lolth's demon webs, her reach and control on her drow, despite altonaufein's dreams of a bright moon hanging in a dark sky he has never seen.

i will put the rest under a cut because a) it's very, very long so sorry in advance and b) because it deals with some very heavy themes so if you aren't comfortable reading, you absolutely do not have to!

(cw assault/rape, cw mind manipulation, cw enslavement, cw drow society in general tbh)

drow society is a matriarchal society, where male drow are considered lesser, and it functions under a particular set of rules:

"The cruelty and injustice of Drow society are utterly familiar because they are constants, from the womb onward. Drow mothers punish and manipulate from the start, and Drow women rule each household. Typically, nobles are divided up into houses which jockey for position in the city, and each noble house is headed by a cleric of great skill. A wise matron mother will have several cleric daughters to ensure that her line and influence continues, but she will watch them carefully. Inheritance is passed through daughters, with children ranked in importance by gender, and then by age. A matron will guard against her eldest daughters and pit all of her children against each other to ensure her own survival." "Drow children are not coddled. They are raised together and sent to schools with high standards of conduct. Drow children are trained to compete with one another and to show no mercy. Some children do not survive the intense childhood games." "The Drow are infamous for their torture practices, as well they should be. Among the elves of the beginning times, they were the first to experiment with the sensation of pain. They have honed torture into science and psychological treatment. Drow parents will punish their children with pain and humiliation in very tactical ways. Drow students are publicly punished in front of their fellow students and class clowns are rare (although pranks for which no one was apprehended are remembered by Drow students as legends of a sort). Drow adults are not all masters of torture, but they have seen enough pain to know how to make others hurt. Not all Drow use physical pain as their modus operandi. A good many are adept at humiliation and terrible mind games. Some slaves are so broken mentally that all they can do is concentrate on the task at hand. Some Drow actually do not like to put forth the effort that torture requires and would rather kill someone than waste their energy. The worst punishments are said to come from those closest to Lolth - the yochlol and the clerics. They are whispered to be divinely inspired."

these are the circumstances that shaped altonaufein as much as it did nadriina and iraeae, who, in the tradition of house hlarahel, are both striving to become powerful priestesses of lolth in their own right, seeking to inherit control of the house from matron mother.

drow house politics are insane and it's all encouraged by lolth. lolth wants to determine who of her followers are worthy enough to be supported by her, so all drow have to pass a test of faith, a trial of lolth.

after altonaufein foolishly (he truly did love--in a way that drow are capable of--his sister iraeae and confided in her visions that spoke not of lolth or a great spider swallowing the world, but of a moon, shining bright silver.

iraeae felt conflicted. she, too, loved her brother in her own way. of course that weakness was what made her realise what she had to do: weed it out. so she told not only nadriina, but her her mother. it was then decided that altonaufein was not simply to die.

they would not further shame their own house like that. instead he would be put through his trial of lolth, to weed out that weakness and corruption within their own ranks. should he die, he'd be a sacrifice to lolth, should he live, he would prove lolth's favour to their house and advance them further in ust natha's society.

altonaufein with that was sentenced to undergo the test of strength. power and resourcefulness, whether or not the subject is strong and clever enough to defeat a powerful foe. the test is only fulfilled by a battle to the death between the test subject and another, stronger person, sometimes a creature.

the fight is usually difficult, and the test subject often has to expend all their resources to survive and vanquish their foe, who must be slain: the more brutal, the longer drawn out the fight, the more you've suffered and the more your foe has suffered, the more it will satisfy lolth.

altonaufein earned his first brutal kill like that. he had just reached maturity.

nadriina had hoped he would die. winning the trial had garnered favour and attention. a strong male could be just as dangerous as a scheming female. she devised a plan with iraeae to ensure that they would not be threatened and, with that, iraeae passed her own trial of lolth: chwidevbrii, or the test of betrayal.

it's a punishment that strikes particularly deep. trust is a distasteful concept to drow, though they understand that sometimes it does happen and is even necessary. to rid themselves of this, to succeed at this test, the drow must betray someone who has garnered her trust or in whom she has placed her trust.

mentors, teachers, leaders, friends, family members. as long as there has been a solid connection of dependence made in the past. the relationship between master and slave or servant does not count; the goddess knows that no betrayal can happen in such a relationship. it is simply a slave. the drow must utterly destroy the other drow in a way that allows her to advance in some manner. the method is not important: blackmail, slander, torture... magic. in the end, the victim must die or be thoroughly disgraced and dominated. usually, the victim is murdered by the drow herself, commits suicide, or is killed as a result of the drow's action.

so what better way to show to her goddess that she is a true drow, that she is worthy, what better way than to serve the house than humiliating and dominating someone who was once a little brother.

drow females are able to take over the mind of a male drow just like that, with a spell, akin to a thrall. all thoughts are gone, all will is gone. your mind is not your own anymore.

iraeae did just that: after he was beaten, whipped, mental and physical defences exhausted, the spell on altonaufein took hold and, as perhaps a final "kindness" in her utter triumph, altonaufein was discarded in ust natha's dark underbelly.

ust natha has a tavern. to entertain both those lusting for blood, for sport, and for more carnal pursuits. altonaufein still remembers szordrin and sondal, the keepers of the tavern. their taunting faces. mind gone, he and others were kept in a cage. he served there for a while. to fight. to please. to be of use. to those who asked. to those who had power or gold. for battle. for pleasure.

he was there, under that spell, until it broke: iraeae dead by her sister's hand. betrayed just like altonaufein had been by her. altonaufein doesn't remember how long it lasted, remembers only parts of it: the many hands, more than hands, the pain. he remembers fighting. other drow. other prisoners. the surface. running. the moon. fever. then nothing for a long time again.

and finally, karl:

karl is an ilmater cleric, a part of a small settlement built around a modest church of ilmater that, unknowingly, is very close to an entrance to the underdark.

during one of his patrols with another of the settlement, karl found altonaufein: delirious with fever, malnourished, ravaged by old wounds that never truly healed, hair tangled.

any other man might have killed the defenseless drow, thinking it to be a ruse, or perhaps to put him out of his misery, but karl is an ilmateri through and through, for better and for worse, and so he shouldered this suffering and brought altonaufein to the temple. he was tasked with caring for him. and watching him.

so karl came to care for the drow: he cleaned and dressed his wounds, sat by him. tried to talk to him, engage him in moments of clarity and despite the obvious language barrier. karl, an ex-soldier and deserter, was forced to fight for his homeland cormyr against sembia. he saw a lot of cruelty during that war. a lot of violence, both in battle and outside of it. in the villages and cities that were torched and conquered and pillaged. he saw a lot then and sees a lot of it now in altonaufein, who survived a different kind of war.

as for altonaufein himself, he tries to settle into that new life, tries to come to terms with what he remembers of his old one... it was incredibly violating. he remembers only snippets. moments. sudden movements and motions, that send his heart racing.

the clearest memory is a hand gripping his hair so tightly, pulling and guiding. it's not anymore, but he still feels it.

he hasn't brushed it or touched it since his rescue, it's a tangled, matted–and it’s also something that hasn’t escaped karl’s notice.

altonaufein goes to cut it with the only blade he could find (stolen and kept on his person from one of the meals karl had shared with him).

(ilmater clerics and priests are good and nice, but they are also no fools who would give a drow access to sharp weaponry. kindness goes only so far, even here, no matter how much karl vouches for altonaufein.)

so altonaufein begins to cut it with a dulled blade and it goes about as badly as you'd imagine: it's hard to do, it hurts, and the strands that he manages to cut are choppy (which is the least of his worries). he still manages to hurt himself simply by the virtue of hard he is trying and how badly his hands are shaking with it.

karl would find him, take one look at him and leave, coming back with honeyed tea to soothe frazzled nerves and a sharper blade, one of his own. he drinks the tea first from the little teapot, pouring himself one cup and another for altonaufein, to show him it's not poisoned or meddled with. he had noticed how skittish altonaufein was with things he hadn't seen being prepared.

they sit there for a while before altonaufein, too, calms enough to drink his cup, and it is only then that karl begins to speak, voice soft but clear.

he takes up the sharp blade, lets it rest on his hands just so, where altonaufein could reach out and take it at any time, and tells him of what could happen: he could leave the blade with altonaufein and he can try again, but karl would prefer it if he could help, clean the cuts and nicks and heal them, and help altonaufein cut his hair.

altonaufein looks at him for a long time, searching his eyes, still holding onto that dull blade as a last defense, but there is no deception in karl, none at all. only that strange kindness that he has come to associate with the human.

it was one of many, many small gestures, things, that karl did for altonaufein that made him trust karl. trust him enough to at first take food and drink from him, later to help fix injuries like this one--and finally, to let him cut his hair.

he turns his back on karl--even though the human might not realise fully how meaningful that truly is--so he can do as he had said he would. and karl does. he keeps his word.

time passes and altonaufein settles into his new life, bit by bit. he helps with that he can at the temple and the settlement: repairing fences, caring for the animals, the harvest, building and repairing things.

he still wears his hair short, but here and there, he allows it to grow just that bit longer than it had been for a long while now:

and it's this way when the settlement is attacked and he is captured on the nautiloid.

on his journey to find a cure, and to find karl, he meets another human, just as kind as the ilmateri. one who knows the goddess behind the light and moon he had dreamed of, prayed to, albeit not knowing just how to, and gives her a name that altonaufein had not known until then: eilistraee, lady silverhair--and a close friend to the man's own goddess, mystra.

this bond between them, beginning with a moment of connection, grows ever closer and brighter.

through them, karl and gale, with them and alongside them, altonaufein begins to heal and helps them heal in return, begins to find his purpose and helps them find theirs:

he is a cleric of eilistraee. he can be more than a tool for bloodshed and violence.

he's not kulg llarzoran ithrana qualla hlarahel (his designation as a male of his house). he's not auflaque (dog) as he was called during his captivity. he is simply altonaufein and that's what he is to gale, to karl and the friends he has made.

settling in waterdeep with them, altonaufein joins the promenade and its leader trelasarra zuind. to help others as he had been helped.

🖤

#i am SO SORRY this got so long #idk where it came from but #there you have it #the alton lore drop #i love my drow son a lot #and why it lowkey hurt me when people made disparaging comments about the hair i picked for him #ch: altonaufein #ch: gale dekarios #ch: karl eifers #otp: a soul that steels my own #otp: battered and wrecked i come to you first #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #meta: mybg3 #bg3 spoilers

[baldursyourgate]

honestly the frequency in which Minthara talks about her mother is... a lot, all things considered. Which is quite interesting.

I don't think I've come across any other drow character that mentions their mother that much. Sure, when you've just left your birth place where you've lived your entire life up to that point, it's normal to talk about your former place of resident and the culture, which also comes with the people but... mommy dearest?

no one:

minthara every 2 seconds: "In menzoberranzan-", "my mother-"

In game, we've seen her mention that her mother taught her how to survive the perils of drow society, how to "guard her heart from those who cannot be trusted", even going as far as attempting to kill Minthara to really drill the lesson deep in: even the one who once nearly died to save her from an assassin attempt could one day turn against her. There's no true trust nor unselfish love in Menzoberranzan.

And then in that same interaction, her mother gained new scars to heal from, courtesy of her daughter. It's definitely not wise to try and attack someone who was trained to be a Baenre soldier (insert navy seal copypasta here), but perhaps that one lesson is too important for Minthara's mother to not teach her child. Even if it means she'd be harmed in the process.

Love is making sure your beloved survives. Makes sure that they're tough enough and understands the treachery, the "drow way" of living.

Reminds me a lot of Zak and Drizzt's fight in Homeland. Only that the ending was different. Drow familiar love is fucked up lmao.

I haven't really seen drow mothers investing this much effort into grooming/training one of their daughter (they just get sent to school when of age or raised by their sibling when young, if they have an older one?)... unless the daughter is either A. the first born (see: the relationship between former Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre and her first daughter Myrineyl) or B. divinely blessed chosen or talented (like Yvonnel 2.0, or Liriel and Gromph Baenre) or C. genuinely emotionally invested in their child (like Zak and Drizzt - he thinks the only way his son could've survived is to know of the brutal "way things are" out there, even if it means he has to demonstrate it himself).

Makes me wonder what is the case with Minthara.

#minthara #she did mention she's “special” since birth hence the assassin attempt while still an infant but nothing much other than that #lore

[zefny4]

THE DND PARTY!!! unfortunately we're only playing once every few months now, but I love them :) they are all very silly hehehe

Chisomiso - tiefling + warlock - basically has a Cthulhu-esque sugar daddy deity - pretty and not afraid to use her looks - kinda had a thing going on with Biggie - has little money but often charms people into paying for her (no magic, only natural beauty)

Biggie Smalls - human + fighter - basically just Notorious B.I.G. in a fantasy setting - very noble, comes from a wealthy family - The Main Character of this life (self-proclaimed, he gets unbelievably lucky) - literally the best tank ever  - kinda had a thing going on with Chiso but is now flirting with a cool merchant :)

Modest Mouse - elf + wizard - just a silly and goofy little guy - the femboy of the party - has scars on both sides of his palms from unsuccesful cast attempts (dumbass) - casts with a book - nobody knows if he needs glasses to see or if they're just for looks

Webley - halfling + rogue - short even for a halfling - so smol - he often gets thrown by other party members during fights - ...or launches himself from higher allies - hold Webley gently like hamborger - formed a family-esque relationship with an owlbear the party found

Helja Loderr - dwarf + cleric - my OC!!! :) - has a found goblin son that she picked up after a fight  - used to be a sergeant - she loves shiny things and minerals!! - very stubborn but tries to be more respectful

Archie - goblin son - used to follow the party around a lot - is very bad at playing cards - ...literally lost to an unconscious Modest - now works at a tavern and has better clothes - I think the tavern owners kinda consider him their found son too so I've lost him..? :( - the party still visits him though, he seems happy

Mr. Carbanana - half-elf + a bit of dragon heritage + sorcerer - just a nice dilf middle-aged man - hunts and fishes a lot - sometimes leaves at unexpected times - very in touch with nature - the cool uncle we need but don't deserve

Angl Vseros - drow elf + wizard - aspiring necromancer - vertical scars all over his left arm and belly - ...from the time his brother tried to sacrifice him to Lloth (religious trauma yippee) - tries to become friends with a Nothic the party met - very agile but not so strong (8 max hp (previously 6))

#artists on tumblr #artwork #illustration #my art #original art #digital art #silly #art tag #silly little guy #so silly #dnd #dnd art #dnd character #dnd oc #dungeons and dragons #cleric #dnd5e #dungeons and dragons art #rogue #dnd drow #drow #drow oc #tiefling #drow elf #half elf #elf #dark elf #elf art #fantasy art #mage

[neb-art-zeke]

hiiiiii! Please tell us more about Relonoth if you don't mind 👀

How old is he?

What is his DnD alignment?

What's his tent in the camp like?

Does he have a partner(s)?

Hey @razrogue! Thanks for your interest in my TAV!

So fore warning, I'm not as knowledgeable about the larger DnD/Forgotten Realms lore and I've never played the previous Baldur's Gates so a lot of my knowledge comes from just playing Baldur's Gate 3. Also like many of my OCs, he goes through constant change as my knowledge of the lore expands and new ideas in my mind surface. With that being said:

Background: Relonoth is the son of a Seldarine Drow father and a Human Druid Mother. Relonoth lived with his mother and father in his mother's tribe for the first 12 years of his life where he learned the basics of living in the wild before she was killed fighting alongside his father during an attempt of his father’s life by Lolth's Drow. Not wanting to endanger the tribe further, Relonoth's father would take him far away from the tribe where they traveled aimlessly for several months. One day, they managed to stumble upon some helpful monks who were on their way back to their monastery. Sensing the torment inside both Relonoth and his father, the monks invited the two to journey with them back to the monastery to find inner peace. Relonoth and his father spent 7 years learning the ways of the monks and spent one more year traveling with each other after before deciding to continue on separate journeys. Before departing, they promised each other they would reunite for a single week at the place they left every 7 years to share with each other their monastic journeys. BG3 takes place 2 years before another reunion. Some of Relonoth’s experiences and adventures include finding his mother's old tribe, fighting in an underground martial arts tournament, mentoring other young monks, learning the way of the four elements from ancient beings, and putting stops to deadly conspiracies, but his greatest adventure takes place during BG3.

Name Origin: I found a Drow etymology naming convention sheet online and the name roughly translates to "Wind's Path" which I thought sounded cool. The in-lore reason I developed after was that his father named him that name because he wanted his son to have the freedom to become anyone he wanted in his life (Free like the Wind).

Age: 67 (as of BG3 - looks about 33 because of half elf aging)

DnD Aligment: Neutral Good (as a nomadic monk, he'll find himself helping the less fortunate and oppressed and generally respects the rules of the lands he comes across but still has his principles of freedom and choice which sometimes clash with more strict rules of some kingdoms. His nature of helping people and quickly disappearing in a gust of wind after earned him the title of The Wind Walker.)

Tent: His tent is very simple. Being nomadic, he likes to carry light but he's known to collect a few things from his travels and keeps them in his tent space (i.e. small gifts from his friends, rocks and feathers of birds from the different lands he visits and small things he thinks his father would like to see during their next reunion)

Romance: Karlach (I like to imagine that after finding a solution to her infernal engine problem, the two escape Avernus and continue traveling the world with Karlach wanting to experience the grander world after spending years in Avernus and Relonoth wanting to continue his monastic journey with one he loves. She even gets to meet Relonoth's father during the reunion. Really want to get a comic commission of this lol.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 monk #relonoth #half drow #bg3 tav

[unreadpoppy]

Party Banter #4

Read on AO3

Part 3 here

Series summary: A bunch of short scenarios involving Minthara and Galatea, based on some of the party's in-game banter.

A/N: This is longer than I intended. Also, some Halstarion on the side.

Astarion and Minthara’s relationship had always been a turbulent one. The fact that the vampire used to bed Galatea only made matters worse, and each time the two interacted, there was a vague sense of hostility in the air. 

Galatea felt that Astarion was still upset that the drow came in between them, and that Minthara was jealous over her being shared with someone else. Regardless, the tiefling tried to keep things civil between the two, although as their journey progressed, that was looking even more difficult than defeating the elder brain. 

One such time was during their journey to Baldur’s Gate, after fighting Ketheric Thorm. Galatea and Minthara had just recently become an item, and the snide remarks coming from Astarion would not end. 

He had approached the drow silently, as she watched Galatea walking a few paces ahead. Astarion likened her to a guard dog, but kept the thought to himself. Instead, he said “So…what’s it like caring for someone other than yourself, Minthara”

She was aware of his previous history with their leader, and how…less than stellar things had ended between the two. Usually, when the elf tried to get on her nerves, Minthara would simply ignore his presence. This time, she gave in. 

“You have never tried it, I assume.” She said, not looking at him. 

He laughed, sarcastically. “Gods, no. It is a lot of work and last time I tried,” He looked directly at Galatea and then turned to Minthara “It did not end well for me.” 

“You say that but It takes less work than you devote to maintaining your foppish facade.” She began. Then, turning to him, she whispered. “It would not phase me if that was one of the reasons your past relations have not ended well.” Speaking loudly once again, she finished with “And, besides, it is far more rewarding.”

Astarion’s nostrils flared and he bitterly replied. “Well, at least I was a better man, for the brief period in which I was loved.” He looked Minthara up and down. “Can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that for you though, dear.” 

He began to laugh but was soon interrupted when a fist made contact with his nose. “What the hells!” He groaned, holding his nose, while Galatea looked at him angrily. 

“I cannot stand you and the constant snide remarks about us anymore.” She held the lapels of his shirt, shaking him as she said “If you talk about Minthara like this again, I swear by all gods-OW” She screamed as Astarion bit into her hand, freeing himself. 

“What’s going on here?” Karlach said, as she approached. The others too had come to see the commotion. 

The vampires wiped his mouth and said “Say, are you going to leave the drow too, when you grow tired of her as you did me?” 

“Son of a bitch!” Galatea ran and jumped on him, as the two began fighting each other like cats. Minthara looked at Karlach and nodded, each woman grabbing one of them, to separate the two. 

Minthara held Galatea, as she struggled to free herself from the drow’s grip. Astarion did the same. 

“Enough.” Minthara said. “We have an elder brain to fight and this is how you’ll spend your energy? I expect better from both of you.” 

With a huff, Astarion freed himself from Karlach’s grip, and marched off without a word. The others followed, leaving Minthara and Galatea by themselves. 

“You can let go now, you know.” The tiefling said and the drow relented. She clutched her wounded hand.

Minthara crossed her arms. “Care to explain yourself.” 

“I’m irritated.” Galatea sighed. “I heard the whole conversation. I know why he keeps throwing jabs at you and I both and I just-” she shook her head “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” 

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have.” She said, sternly. “I can fight my own battles.” 

“I’m well aware, but I’m also not going to stand idly while someone speaks like that to you.” Galatea looked down. 

Minthara’s gaze softened, as she uncrossed her arms and took a step closer. She held the tiefling’s wounded hand, covering it in between her both. A glow of warm, blue-ish light spread from Minthara’s hands to Galatea, and soon, her wounds were closed. 

“You’re sweet. Sometimes, I believe it is a detriment to your person.” She brought the now healed hand to her mouth, and gently kissed the palm. “I do not want to keep curing you because you decided to defend my honor.” 

Galatea nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.” 

“Good.” 

Not far from where they were, Halsin worked on Astarion’s nose, while the vampire didn’t stop complaining for a single moment. 

“I just hate how they keep throwing those love sick puppy eyes at each other. It is irritating.” He said. “Gods, Minthara looks more like a guard dog than a lover with how possessive she is.” 

“And why does that bother you so much?” Halsin asked, wiping blood from Astarion’s forehead. “Weren’t you saying the other day that you didn’t care about them anymore?” 

The vampire huffed. “Not funny.” 

“I am asking sincerely.” 

He crossed his arms. “Well, it’s just…it’s annoying, don’t you think? Being surrounded by so much love.” Astarion said that last word as if it was something sour. 

“I, particularly, do not mind. However, I think you and Galatea were acting exactly like that before.” 

“Excuse me, it was completely different.” Halsin lifted one brow and Astarion turned his head. “You wouldn’t understand, and quite frankly, I am done with this conversation.” He began to move away, prompting Halsin to say one last thing. 

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m all ears.” Astarion nodded and marched off. 

….

After that situation, things seemed to get slightly easier. Astarion began to spend more and more time around Halsin, which means that his constant yapping near Minthara had gone down. 

That didn’t mean that the provocations were fully gone. 

It was after a long day’s battle, everyone had settled in around a table in the Elfsong tavern, drinking and making casual conversation. As always, Galatea was sitting next to Minthara, as the drow complained about surface food. Astarion sat on the other side, circling his wine cup in hand, looking at the two of them. 

It was after the tiefling laughed at one of Minthara’s scowls that he stood up straighter and said “So…how does Lolth feel about romance?” The drow turned her attention to him, a murderous look on her face.

“I mean, I know things can get quite…brutal in the Underdark. Are you expected to bit your mate’s head off afterwards?” He finished his sentence with a smirk on his face, one the drow was too happy to get rid off. 

“Be grateful I no longer follow the Spider Queen’s teachings, daarthir.” She looked deep into his eyes. “If I did, you would be the first to fall into my web.” 

The elf’s jaw almost dropped to the floor, as his expression soured. “I can’t tell if you’re joking-” He turned to Halsin, asking nervously “She is joking, right?” 

The druid looked between the two of them, then to Galatea, and once again to Astarion before replying “Well, during my time in the Underdark, I never saw what you described happen, though the…metaphors of spiderwebs were constant.”

That seemed to distract Astarion, as he urged Halsin to talk more of his previous experiences. Meanwhile, Galatea turned to Minthara, brushing a strand of white hair from her face, and placing it behind the drow’s ear. 

“I am a bit jealous that I wouldn’t be the first to fall in your web.” She whispered in her ear. 

“There is no need for that.” Minthara turned towards her, a half smirk on her face. “If that were the case, you’d enjoy a much more privileged position.” 

Galatea raised a brow. “Oh? And where would that be?” 

Minthara didn’t reply, only moving out of the table and motioning for the tiefling to follow along. She quickly excused herself before holding the drow’s hands, the two moving upstairs to their room. 

But the two wouldn’t be the only ones sharing a night of passion, as after all had gone to sleep, Astarion and Halsin, having spent the rest of the time there sharing their thoughts of one another, would sneak off, only returning when daylight came. 

#minthara bg3 #minthara x tav #minthara x oc #mint tea #minthara #minthara baenre #oc: galatea #minthara x galatea #baldur's gate 3 #astarion bg3 #halsin bg3 #SOME MINOR HALSTARION OK #BUT THEY AIN'T THE MAIN THING #my writing #bg3 fanfiction

[envergortitwindow]

My headcanons about Enver in my Rhyleth/Enver fic include how Enver is chubby with burly arms, and that he wears a corset to make his waist appear to me more snatched. His tits had Rhyleth hypnotized from the first time that they'd met. It was hard for him to keep eye contact, to be honest.

Technically my body headcanon is that he is a mixture of muscular and chubby, much like how the fat and muscle combination of the character Iron Bull in Dragon Age. He's got this brilliant man-tits, luscious chest hair, a bit of pudge on his waist but he's strong and well-muscled.

He ends up using Enver's hairy, pillowy man bussoms as a pillow. Enver gets used to the Drow assassin planting his face on his chest when he crashes into his bed at night, even when covered with blood or some kind of viscera no matter how well he thought he'd washed it off.

Enver grows attached to the 'mad but in a controlled way' of Rhyleth. I like the term "gracefully insane" to describe him pre-tadpole. He's got this dark impulse that colors every other aspect of his nature, but he is able to wield it as a weapon as opposed to permitting it to wield him.

Rhyleth, being the first person to fully be attracted to him from head to toe, combined with Enver being the first person who Rhyleth had been with and hadn't killed right before, during or after sex, it impresses the aspiring tyrant. Enver still likes the risk of sleeping with a man with such a reputation.

Enver doesn't even mind that the Drow decided to flirt with him by telling him in elaborate detail about how he'd eat his cock because it looks so delicious. Instead, Enver gets the best blow job of his entire life so far and thinks about writing vows before post-nut clarity hits.

Enver accepts that any love between him and Rhyleth is bound to draw blood either metaphorically or physically. During one sex scene that I plan to write in the fic, Rhyleth threatens to cut Enver's throat, but Enver learns that he is into knifeplay -- that is all I will say about that until I publish it.

Rhyleth eats his ass out like a champion competitive eater, and he enjoys burying his face into Enver's ass and balls. Enver, on that same hand, he likes to sit on Rhyleth's face a lot. Post-game, when Enver is pregnant though, he produces a lot of milk, more than what his son would need.

He asks Rhyleth to help to drink the excess milk and it turns out that he has some kind of lactation fetish going on. Enver was into nipple-play before, because Rhyleth liked to play with his nipple-piercings with his tongue, but this awakens something inside of him that is totally not related to his mommy issues.

#baldur's gate 3 #enver gortash #the dark urge #durgetash #du: rhyleth arkenmtor #the dark urge x enver gortash #enver gortash x the dark urge #otp: the tyrant of gold and black and his mad dog #otp: enver x rhyleth #otp: rhyleth x enver #cw dark urge content #cw the dark urge is its own warning #cw mpreg #cw lactation #cw cannibalism #cw knifeplay #cw sex

[blackjackkent]

Quick camp chats before heading out on the road again. (I'm thinking about making straight for the creche actually, since Rakha definitely thinks it's the most important thing to do right now, and then circling back for final nautiloid map stuff on the way to the Underdark.)

Rakha questioned Gale much more thoroughly about Karsus and the fall of Netheril; even though it happened a long time ago, she's still hungry for any new knowledge, more pieces in her picture of the world. I think this is probably not the last time that he ends up just discoursing to her on some random subject or another; if there's one thing Gale can't resist, it's an attentive student, even if it's one fully capable of ripping his throat out in the wrong moment. He also explained, much to her disappointment, that there's no way she would be strong enough on her own to channel the Weave as they did together - that it requires intense study even for someone with a natural magical gift like her. She's quietly bummed about this; she was taken with the idea of showing it to Wyll.

Having talked to Dammon, we have the option to ask Karlach directly about the engine in camp. She's not willing to give the full story until the Paladins are dead, but does explain that it prevents her from touching anyone and how upset that makes her, that she can't have a hug. Rakha spends a lot of time thinking about this afterwards. She has had sex with Lae'zel and she has had Astarion's weight on her as he sucked the blood at her neck, but beyond this, her experience with physical contact of any sort is... limited. But Karlach's longing for it is obvious. It must be comforting, she decides. Like the blanket of the Weave around her. Like Wyll's hand on her arm was, last night.

Astarion is indignant about Gale's orb: "To think, Gale's had this devastating orb within himself the entire time, and only just mentioned it? Who'd keep a secret like that from his friends? You can't trust anyone these days." It takes Rakha a little while to work out that he is being ironic. His response to the question "What do you think we'll find at Moonrise Towers?" amuses me, because his phrasing feels deliberately calibrated for Rakha specifically: "Who knows? Drow? Mind flayers? Death? Hopefully not ours. But maybe answers, if we can convince the right people to talk." Death and answers are Rakha's two favorite things in the whole world.

Wyll is super cute and kinda shy. "Since the party, I've had a spring in my step, and I've got you to thank." Sadly none of the (positive) dialogue options quite fall in Rakha's blunt conversational wheelhouse, but we'll go with, "It was a lovely evening. I hope we can share even more." Because it's true - talking to him was the best part of the party for her by far. She doesn't fully understand her own feelings, but she is realizing she feels better near him than otherwise. He smiles. "I'm sure we will. And when the time comes... I've got something in mind." He raises a hand to forestall her as she opens her mouth to ask questions. "Now, now - no prodding. You don't want to spoil the surprise. But I'll say this... it'll be worth the wait." The odd sense of pleasant anticipation with which Rakha receives this information is a rather new concept for her. She isn't sure what he means... but she is curious to find out.

He also tells her a little bit about growing up as a Duke's son in Baldur's Gate. Most of his descriptions of court and nobility are somewhat lost on her-- more interesting is his description of the transition into becoming Blade of Frontiers. She asks if it was much of a change. "Yes and no," he answers. "Father taught me the four pillars of power - courage, insight, strategy, justice. He reckoned I'd follow in his footsteps, first as a Fist Marshal, then as a Duke. Vanquish evil, maintain order, save the world. But a duke makes bedfellows with more monsters than he slays. Father called it 'diplomacy'. I called it 'hypocrisy.' In the frontiers, there is no posturing, no diplomacy. I slay monsters; I don't consort with them, even if I might look like one." As usual, Rakha tucks away these foundational tenets of his philosophy to consider for herself. Courage, insight, strategy, justice. None of them mean as much to her as violence, hunger, survival, death. And yet they are, perhaps, something to aspire to, if she should ever learn to control the beast... She wonders about that last statement, though. Wyll claims not to consort with monsters - but he travels with Astarion. He travels with her. He travels with Gale and that bomb in his chest. There are many in their group who could be called monsters. What does he see when he looks at them? Does he see his presence here as just another sort of hypocrisy, deep down?

#bjk plays bg3 durge #rakha the dark urge

[katnaxel]

Hey so idk ur ocs so just go off about your fave. Talk about em. Gas em up. Talk about them like a parent talks about their child. Embarass them!

I can't pick my favorite because I love them all, but I will talk about Vasyrrin as he's recently finished his campaign!

Vas is the second son of a lesser family to the lesser court of his drow home in our homebrew campaign. His home life was quiet in the sense that any sudden movement might cause an eruption of conflict, but he had no qualms keeping his head down alongside his older brother and just doing what needed to be done within the family mines. Unfortunately for him, his mother had plans of grandeur for both of her sons, and the two were quickly sent to be soldiers due to their large builds. Vas' brother, Vynlar, fell upward and became a crowd favorite in the Pit (or a gladiatorial arena) and was later dubbed Champion of their court. This put a lot of pressure on Vas to preform just as well, if not better. Unfortunately for him, he was never as good as his brother, and this lead him down a road of grueling punishments, isolation, and constant fights in the Pits. He became a brute, armed with a hammer rather than a sword, and grew cold and calloused to those around him.

Fortunately, he found himself on the surface after a mission gone wrong, after he was sent to exterminate an escaped enemy during a clash of the Courts. He and a drow named Valjasna (played by @anna-yells-stuff) were now free of the madness of their home. They were quickly scooped up by slavers, and sold off as exotic goods. A long boat ride later and they found themselves as farmhands in the human nation. This is where the campaign began - they were randomly selected and voluntold to go deal with The Corruption, a 30yr blight that was slowly swallowing the land. He would do what he was told, as that's all he's ever done, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

The early days were rough. Vas was explosive, determined to be respected as a person, not a lesser being. He also hated mages, and the fact that our assigned leader was a High Elf Wizard only created more tension. But, over time, the gang realized that Vas' real problem wasn't the need to feel powerful, but it was the fear of being disposable. The party assured him he wasn't something to be beaten and thrown away if he failed, but that they also needed him to protect them instead of turn on them whenever he was scared. And slowly, over time, he got better. Underneath all that snarling violence was a pretty chill dude that just wanted some peace and quiet as he tried to unlearn years of toxic behavior.

However, that all changed when Vas, and the party, learned about the secret weapon his mother had turned him into. The BBEG arrived, and said "Looking Glass." Vasyrrin was now mind controlled, and a puppet of the enemy for the months that followed (as IRL I had to move across the country tehe)

He was put on the throne of the very kingdom he was once a slave in, a pawn in the game of Arch Mages and Royalty looking to establish their view on world order with the Corruption looming overhead. His party was captured and prisoned, but eventually broke out and managed to help Vas break free of his spell. One crazy fight with a mad mage later, and the party escaped the castle.

At this point though, the party was at a breakneck speed to end the Corruption, and Vas was left with a paranoia of questioning which reality he was in at any given time. The party ranger, Briar (played by @shahenor ) took the time to check on Vas, and the two grew very very close at the end days neared.

And we did it! We fought the Corruption, The Undead Dragon, and the BBEG - which turned out to be the Human King Augustus himself, who was feeding an endless supply of adventurers to the Corruption in the name of immortality. We even met the God of Gods, and made a wish to cleanse the world. The Corruption was gone, and Vas was officially free of his bond with the party, some of which he never really liked. With it confirmed that their mission was complete, he simply turned and walked off. No longer would he be a pawn in someone else's schemes, he was to live his own life by his own rules and finally be left alone. ...Well, alone after one last night with Briar of course...

And that's it! That's the story of Vasyrrin Khalazza!

#katnaxel #Vasyrrin Khalazza #campaign: the graveyard shift #dnd character #dnd art #dnd #dnd 5e #dnd artist #dnd drow

[themindarchive]

The Wolf and the Spider. (My Tav's Parents Headcannon)

As i got into my 30's i grew tired of the two big tropes that happen a lot with adventuring heroes in stories: either they die or are toxic/abusive in some way or another.

So instead i have begun to give my Protags loving and supportive families that are often just as badass and mighty as the protag themselves.

So after hearing the song below:

I now head cannon my Tav's parent's relationship like Stoic and Valka's and the above is their song.

Rhu is a physically vast and very talkative Lythari elven druid with a heart just as big as his size and wisdom even greater. He is the Chieftain and pack Alpha of a caravan made up of people who have no where else to go, caring for and nurturing those under his care.

Andromeda is a small but just as mighty stoic drow woman who is an intense protector and a force of nature only calmed by Rhu's embrace and calm demeanor. She is often in charge of those that protect the caravan from the dangers of living a mobile life.

Rhu and Andromeda met while she was still living in Menzoberanzan as part of a noble house that all but ignored her in favor of her elder sisters. Luckily for her, she was a woman who valued her solitude and often took to the dangers of the Underdark than engage in the violent politics of the city. She quickly became an intensely skilled ranger that was "gifted" Rhu as an animal companion as a joke by one of her elder sisters.

Joke was on them when the large pale Dire wolf turned into a very ruggedly handsome and large Lythari elven man.

Rhu noticed immediately how different she was compared to her people, especially in the ways she treated him as an equal.

So when her eldest sister began a murderous campaign to take solo control of the house, he offered to teach her how to become a wolf like him so they could escape to the surface.

Surprised by the large man's kindness, despite how he had been treated by her people, she agreed and just as her sister's blades began to turn in her direction, the two of them escaped to the surface in the form of wolves making it near impossible for her sister to track them.

Over the years, Rhu's intentional nature, honesty, kindness and compassion drew her in, and the day she realized she craved his presence more than her solitude...

She knew she had fallen.

Their marriage occurred shortly after and she became with child not long after that.

The pregnancy was a complete surprise to her since she had been made to believe that a child hood illness had sterilized her but she was no less excited at the news.

However, as her belly began to grow, her mind couldn't help but wander back to her birthplace and the horrific treatment her birth father had endured that ultimately killed him.

She began to become anxious and fearful, terrified that if she had a son, he would suffer the same fate.

Luckily, Rhu understood and took the time to remind her where they were and how they lived. He showed her the other male children of his home caravan and how they lived and played without fear, just as equal in the eyes of his people as the woman and girls.

So when the time came she was ready.

That day was a day that nearly took both mother and if it wasn't for their chief healers skill and did end up rendering her unable to have any more but the moment they handed her son to her it ceased to matter.

Once she held her son for the first time, seeing his pale grey skin and the dark violet eyes her father once had, it hit her like a giant's club.

She had a son who would live free and safe, far away from the horrors that she watched her father endure.

And she broke down, crying tears of relief and joy.

The early years of motherhood were a struggle for her, the nurturing and caring nature her husband had in abundance wasn't something that came naturally to her.

But as Razzikel got older, she recognized her own solitary and autonomous nature in her son and began training him in the ways of rangers, something that bonded the two of them.

The day Razzikel reached adulthood, according to most short lived races, was a day of pride and celebration.

Their stoic son with the size and heart as big as his father and the might and protective nature of his mother, hugged them both before he took his first long journey from them, called by Mielikki herself to the hunt.

They watched as he disappeared into the tree's, waving one last time before the forest devoured his form in it's depths.

A few month's later he would return with stories and new supplies, staying with them as the caravan traveled until he was called again, over and over.

But eventually, despite their best effort, her sister would find her again. And send her on a 15 year search for her son, forcing her to leave Rhu behind until she finds him, singing her and Rhu's song to a young druid who had saved him and shared the same big heart that had made her fall in love with his father.

The apple not falling far form the tree.

#baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 #tav #halsin x tav #protag has living parents #headcannons #mother and son have the same taste in men #fanfic #Spotify

[noamuth]

Smothered

All is quiet in the house this night, save for one bedroom. Dalamus, a drow child young enough for his age to be counted on two hands, muffles his wet coughs with his bed sheets. This coughing illness has wracked his little body for the better half of a week. He dared not complain. Being discovered at all is what led to his quarantine. He is not allowed to leave his room until he either improves or succumbs. His parents are nowhere to be seen, likely sleeping in their own beds at this hour. It is for the best, really. They show little care for their sons.

Suddenly, he hears footsteps, and covers his mouth with his hand. Who is it? Mother? Father? ...Orgoll?

His door cracks open slowly, and Dalamus ducks under his covers. He holds his tiny hands over his mouth and nose, holding his breath, willing himself not to cough. Not until the person has decided he is asleep and leaves. Unfortunately, he can only hold his breath so long, and the involuntary gasp causes a series of hard coughs to betray him.

His door shuts, but the footsteps begin towards his bed, and Dalamus feels his chest squeeze. “Sorry. I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet, I promise,” he pleads in Drowic from under his covers.

Nilaufein pauses. He had not meant to cause alarm, although in hindsight he understands why it happened. “Dal, it’s alright,” he whispers, “It’s me.”

His little brother pokes his head out from under the sheets. Even in the dark of the room, Nilaufein can see the glistening of tears hanging at the corners of Dalamus’ eyes. Nilaufein’s ears droop with guilt but quickly right themselves as he sits on the edge of Dalamus’ bed. “I brought you some tea. This will help your throat.”

Little Dalamus fully emerges from the blankets, little pointed ears perked up with interest as he wipes at his eyes. Finally, a smile alights on the boy’s face, and he reaches up with small hands to carefully take the tea. He brings it to his face and sniffs. A good habit to have here in Menzoberranzan, even when dealing with family. Nilaufein takes no offense.

Dalamus blows on the tea and takes small sips, making small hums of enjoyment, and Nilaufein cannot help but smile. He reaches out to pet Dalamus’ hair, but stops himself. He cannot be too soft. He cannot coddle the boy, as much as he wants to. As much as he wants to just take him away from here, out of the city, and raise him like his own son if he must. If that is what it takes for Dalamus to grow up happy and healthy. Away from a city which hates. But his hand falls to his side again.

Dalamus finishes his tea and smiles up at his brother before cheerfully whispering, “Thank you, Nil. Love you.”

One might expect Nilaufein’s heart to soar at hearing such a thing, but instead it drops. “Where.. did you learn that phrase?”

Dalamus’ smile falls, sensing the tension. “Some Surfacers at the bazaar. They said it to each other and it made them happy. ..Is it bad?”

Nilaufein sighs. “It…” How does he even begin to explain? “It’s not.. bad. It means you care about someone a lot. But you must not say it to anyone, alright?”

“Why? If it’s not bad...?”

Nilaufein gathers the empty teacup and the accompanying saucer from his little brother. “People around here just don’t understand it very well. And they don’t like things they don’t understand. They get angry, and mean.”

“Oh… Like Orgoll, when he messes up my bracelets.”

“Exactly. So, from now on, don’t talk about or say you love anyone, okay?”

Tiny pointed ears droop as Dalamus’ brotherly affection is smothered under the weight of Menzoberranzan’s expectations. “Not even you?”

The face. Dalamus’ little face. Nilaufein’s heart hurts knowing what this boy is going to grow up into, and that he cannot do anything about it. He tries to keep his distance, to keep Dalamus from getting too attached, but it is so, so difficult. Especially when Dalamus looks at him like that.

Another sigh from the elder brother. “You can say it to me, but only quietly while we’re in private, okay? Like when we hug.”

As if to thank him, Dalamus emerges from his blankets and wraps his little arms around his brother, squeezing him, face squished against his shoulder. Nilaufein smiles and gives him a one-armed hug back, his cheek resting upon his little brother’s head.

“Love you, Nil,” Dalamus whispers.

“I love you, too,” Nilaufein answers quietly. “Now get some sleep, hm?”

“’Kay.”

The young drow gets under his covers again, lays his head back on his pillow, and Nilaufein stands to tuck him in before leaving the room and shutting the door quietly.

He takes the teacup to the wash basin and begins rinsing, but stops as a lump lodges in his throat. The teacup is set aside. His vision blurs and a hand comes up to over his eyes and hide the tears threatening to fall. Running water hides his quiet sniffles. Dalamus does not deserve this, he thinks. He is a good kid.

And this city is going to crush him.

#missy writing #strighym backstory #nilaufein #orgoll #HAVE SOME ANGST......

[galedekarios]

Hello, you may have already talked about it but I love drows and Altonaufein is such an interesting character. Fun fact, I got the game a little bit later than everybody and for, like, a day or two, I thought he was an actual NPC or maybe a companion lol. Anyway, I'd love to read your thoughts about him! (or maybe I just feel some kind of kindship since my OC is also a drow with a lot of issues and an ongoing crush on Gale.

thank you so much for your lovely message and your kind words about altonaufein! i was really blown away when i saw your message. (((': i'm also super happy to find another drow player. i'd be super interested to hear more about your oc as well, if you feel comfortable sharing!

i'm very it took so long to answer, i just always draw a blank when i'm asked about my ocs, even though i love them and lot and probably have an entire library of lore inside of head about them.

i did manage to write up a bit about altonaufein, though! i've had his character for a very long time. he was originally intended for icewind dale 2, but then baldur's gate 3 was announced and i decided to try and translate his character into the game and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked!

born in ust-natha, altonaufein is the third child--but the first son--of a small but prestigious house of a long line of clerics and devoted worshippers of lolth.

at a young age, altonaufein had a very cautious and gentle nature to him, showing signs of great magical and spellcasting talent. these talents were decided to be nurtured in the service of lolth--even if altonaufein was only a male, it stood to reason that he might still become a passable asset and tool for his house, if little else.

his life took a turn for the worse when he began to see a bright silver moon in his trances, heard the sweet melody of a lyre, saw a dark dancer in a sky he'd never seen. foolishly, naively, altonaufein told another of his house--his sister iraeae, who he had once been close to--about his strange dreams, his visions. his trust was misplaced and he was severely punished in hopes of correcting him, driving those visions from his mind, to not bring shame to his house any further. after this, altonaufein began to ignore his dreams and, consequently, unknowingly, eilistraee’s call.

he was initiated to become part of the clergy to lolth by the trial of strength: if he failed, he would become a sacrifice. if he succeeded, it would bring lolth's favour to his family--either way, he would not be a waste to his house.

altonaufein survived the trial, barely. though, with what was to come, he sometimes wishes he hadn't.

iraeae, at the same time as him, undertook her own trial of lolth:

chwidevbrii, or the test of betrayal. it's a punishment that strikes particularly deep. trust is a distasteful concept to drow, though they understand that sometimes it does happen and is even necessary to survive. to rid themselves of this, to succeed this test, the drow must betray someone who has garnered her trust or in whom she has placed her trust. mentors, teachers, leaders, friends, family. as long as there has been a solid connection of dependence made in the past.

the drow must utterly destroy her victim in a way that allows her to advance in some manner. the method is not important: blackmail, slander, torture... magic. in the end, the victim must die or be thoroughly disgraced and dominated. usually, the victim is murdered by the drow herself, commits suicide, or is killed as a result of the drow's action. so what better way to show to her goddess that she is a true drow, that she is worthy, what better way than to serve the house, than humiliating and dominating someone who was once a little brother.

drow females are able to dominate the mind of any chosen male with but a spell and one such spell was cast on altonaufein, and iraeae triumphed in her trial. a victim of inter-house politics as so many others before him, he was left as little but a thrall, serving in a many different ways.

he was there, under that spell, until it broke: iraeae dead by her older sister nadriina's hand--betrayed just like altonaufein had been by her. altonaufein doesn't remember how long it lasted, remembers only parts of it. the many hands. the pain. he remembers fighting. other drow. other prisoners. the surface. running. the moon. fever.

altonaufein escaped to the surface in a haze, he wandering aimlessly before all the strength went out of him and he collapsed. yet eilistraee must have guided, must have protected him, once more, as she tried to, so long ago: he had collapsed near a small settlement around a small church of ilmater, the god of compassion and healing, of mercy and atonement. they took altonaufein in because they deny no one in need of their help, not even a drow.

he was taken in and nursed back to health over the course of many months by a follower, living at the temple: an ex-soldier, a deserter, by the name of karl. they formed a deep bond, despite their differences--or perhaps because of them-- and despite altonaufein's initial distrust.

once recovered, altonaufein hacked off his long hair, so many issues, so many bad memories, tied to it.

still, he came to see what happened as a chance he doesn't think he deserves: to start anew, to help, to learn how he could be more than simply a honed weapon made for killing. he offered his services to the small settlement and the temple, even if ilmater is not the god he prays to.

he helped everywhere he could in any way he could, ignoring the whispers that followed him, his own intrusive thoughts, his episodes, triggered by too sudden movements, unexpected brushes his body or mind.

altonaufein helped to tend to the crops, helped with the harvest, repaired walls and fences, treated wounds and healed. he would earn their trust, prove himself.

the one person who stood by his side through it was karl.

karl, who, after his abduction on the nautiloid remains his guardian as he been so many moons before, swearing to protect him once more:

🖤

it's bit by bit that he learns to accept himself for who he is, what he is. his heritage, his past, his future, his new faith.

he gets to heal on this journey and find peace.

i'm sorry this got so long and ramble-y, but he's my special boy. (((': thanks again so much for asking about him!!!

#picniclightnings #ch: altonaufein #ch: karl eifers #otp: battered and wrecked i come to you first #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #text: asks #text: personal #meta: mybg3

[theladysherlock]

talk shop tuesday! you get to talk about music a lot on your blog (and i can't help but to admire how diverse it is!). does music play a part in your artistic process? if so, is it inspired more by lyrics or the tune itself?

Haha, once again thwarted by my inability to shut up. haveyouheardthisband has been a boon to my blog, truly. The trick to having a diverse music taste is to have a friend who knows more about music than you do and will give you recommendations. This has never failed me before.

In general, I usually prefer lyrics to the melody when I'm listening to music, or at the very least I find that interesting lyrics are what turn a good song into a great song. So when I get inspired by a song to make an art piece (which is often) it's because there have been some lyrics rattling around in my head like stones in a rock tumblr.

I have lots of ideas for lyric-based drawings but I haven't quite figured out how I want to set them up, so they're on the back burner for now. I also do NOT have the patience for animatics, so I won't be making any of those anytime soon (but I have edited them before and that was a lot of fun! if anyone has any animatics ideas they want to draw but they don't want to edit them feel free to hit me up)

The two most notable song-based drawings are pieces I used to experiment with some lighting techniques. And I still really like them, so I'm going to brag a little bit. Under the cut!

[ID: A drawing of Alek from Leviathan in casual wear, looking up, shielding his eyes from the sun, and grinning at something off camera. He's in the middle of a sunny quad with a Neoclassical Building in the background]

Starting off with this drawing of Alek! This is an older piece ("older" meaning early 2021) that I still like. It was my blog banner for a loooong time and I stand by that. This drawing was the first time I used multiply and overlay layers for shading, and I wanted to play with colored highlights and shadows, and mixing hard and soft shadows. I think it worked pretty well, especially for my first attempt.

The song associated with this one was Heirloom by Sleeping At Last, which is about generational trauma and escaping cycles. I got really really emotional about the thought of Alek being truly, legitimately happy after the end of the books, which was only possible because he rejected his claim to the throne. "You are so much more than your father's son / you are so much more than the wars you've won" just rattled around nonstop in my brain, and I'm pretty sure I hid the line somewhere in the grass and then blurred it beyond all legibility.

Now that I think about it I should do a redraw of this one

[ID: a nighttime drawing of Mina, a brown-skinned Aasimar woman cuddling with Halia, a drow elf woman. Both are in their nightclothes and Halia is asleep. Mina has a concerned look on her face.]

This piece is from only a few months ago. Unlike the drawing of Alek, I didnt originally intend for it to be a lighting experiment. This was fully inspired by the song The Crow by Dessa, which is such a Mina song that I couldn't escape it. Specifically, it was inspired by the line "I can't ask you to show love / but would it kill you if you did?" I just really wanted to draw my girl visibly struggling with the mortifying ordeal of being known.

Once the main part of the drawing was done, I started playing around with the night lighting, and I got excited about the idea of showing a street light shining through and casting some shadows on the two. If I had planned it out that way originally I think I would have done some more work to make the shadows follow contours, but for a spur of the moment decision I'm really happy with it.

#talk shop Tuesday #I think I lost the thread a little bit. as is the way with these I think

[maegalkarven]

Out of curiosity what happens to all of your dark urges post-game?

This is going to be LONG, so i'm putting it under the "read more".

Thanks so much for asking and giving me an opportunity to rant about my boys! (they're all masc, yeah. All kind of trans. I am not projecting anything. Also I lied just now)

As of now I have 3 (4 counting Morgan) developed till post-game Durges.

Morgan is my first playthrough and maybe shouldn't be counted, but he and Astarion leave for Underdark. Morgan is a drow bard btw and his story is the messiest bullshit ever bc at that point I was still figuring BG3 out.

Now to the fun part! (June, Levi and Nemo). Mind what all 3 of them are romantically involved with Gortash and it plays its part.

So let's start with my favorite druid asshole Levi. He visually appears to be a tiefling. 6 ft tall handsome young man with one blazing green eye, one eye pitch-black (later an implant of the eye of the devil he took for himself), wavy ginger hair, freckles EVERYWHERE and a very arrogant attitude. His horns have been broken by Sarevok when he was around adolescence.

Levi has 2 versions of how his live goes after the end credits. Basically his good (canon) ending and his bad ending.

Bad ending is where Gortash dies, Levi goes the whole "I am god" way, takes the Crown of Karsus for himself and erases Bhaal from the existence of the universe, successfully taking his domain, his aspect and his place. It's a lonely life of godhood for him and the one where he loses himself.

His good ending branches depending if Noah (his son) exists.

If Noah indeed exists, Levi has a whole ass husband and a son waiting for him at home (in Baldur's Gate) and a whole new playground of the city. He transforms part of the city into the garden and creates the new circle of druids with Kagha as the achdruid. But inevitably fuck off to hells to fight not his battle bc he can and he loves fighting.

Levi is set on a long ass quest conquering Hells bc: 1) it's fun. 2) His homie needs Mizora dead. 3) His other homie needs Zariel dead.

If Noah wasn't born, his path goes almost the same way (considering Hells), but it's the main focus of his, and the main goal. In that version he wants all of Mephisto's wonders for himself and operates from the House of Hope what he and Gortash live in (while planning evil things for evil reasons, yeah. "If heavens are out of reach, we will make Hells ours" kind of an attitude.)

Basically for Levi it's either godhood but the path of loneliness or a lot of shenanigans in hells with his two best friends (Wyll and Karlach) and the wicked partnership with Gortash. Watch him successfully balance out THAT dynamic mix.

Then there's Nemo. Nemo is non-amnesiac Durge who got very weak after his sister's attack. Looks like a half-drow (ppl keep calling him half-breed and he hates it. He is a pureblood bhaalspawn, damn it!) Looks like a golden child with sun-warmed skin, golden eyes and hair and A LONG ASS SCAR ORIN LEFT OVER HIS PERFECT FACE. THANKS FOR NOTHING, SISTER. Short (5 ft). The only 'off' thing about him is what his sclera is black.

He is also the mastermind behind the successful creation and management of the current cult of Bhaal in BG as it is. Nemo's misadventures are featured in the series of oneshots called "Empty Prayers".

He has only a good ending because I said so, and this is where he kills Orin and himself in a double suicide act, robbing Bhaal of the chosen and a child. Bhaal throws a fit, Withers plays a savior.

EVERYONE is angry at Nemo, Orin is left with no memory of who she is or what the fuck is going on.

No one is happy 2.0.

His post-game ending is where he is a shadow over the BG, a leader of the newly established assassins' guild into which he drags his lover and partner in crime Astarion.

Nemo is a man who transfers the cult of Bhaal into something else and earns money for it. It is easy, because most of the cultists only knew him as a leader and several of them were raised by him.

He basically lowers his expectations and chills, having joint-custody over the city underground with Ninefingers.

Gortash manages to stay arcduke in that one, but ba-a-a-arely. No one is happy, even Gortash, because it's such a mediocre win it's embarrassing. He will manage to pull Nemo into some heist-like bullshit very soon, that with him and his very useful guild of trained cutthroats who are loyal to Nemo and Nemo alone.

The last one - June. My least fav child bc I am v conflicted with how he just branched into 2 separate entities. @ June come on. He has either grey hair and silver eyes (selunite!June) or black-blue hair and light-blue eyes (cambion!June). Either way his skin is greyish-blue with freckles, his horns are grey as some ash can be. He is 5 ft 5.

June is either tiefling priest of Selune or cambion grandchild of Mephisto. I consider both of the versions like alt. of the same person.

In his good (canon) ending June leaves for Underdark with Gortash and Astarion to conquer it and seek all the netherise artifacts left there.

Ex priest of Selûne June does it in some quest of "salvation", cambion June does it because he's the forbidden knowledge seeking bastard (Mephisto raised him, ok). Both versions of June defy Bhaal, though for different reasons.

Now, there is a bad ending for June too, which is highly tied to how he treats the situation with Gortash and how much has the tadparty affected him. If he has failed to develop enough ties with the team, June agrees with everything the man says - Gortash dies at the Netherbrain Blast - June becomes the new Chosen of Bane.

Which strangely fits both versions of June, because selunite!June DID pray to Bane, he just never answered.

And cambion!June is a little too alike Bane's own son (a hybrid of a god and fiend who Bhaal probably was going to use the same way Bane used his son) and in a dire need of a plan to out-do Mephisto.

If June does have close ties with his team and they affect his decision-making, then he's a little more smart about it, tadpoles Gortash, and that derails everything to Gortash joining the team and all hells breaking loose (to the good end. I promise)

There's also Callisto, but Callisto didn't live further than the escape from the nautiloid. I will play them after I break my pc's mind and re-merge it gently, after which BG3 (hopefully) will run on my pc without any third parties involved. But Callisto is a half-drow priest of Tiamat. My baby said FUCK toxic father, I want to be adopted by a toxic mother instead. Their main long goal is freeing Tiamat from her prison in Hell.

#dark urge: levi #dark urge: nemo #dark urge: june #dark urge: morgan #dark urge: callisto #srsly thank you SO MUCH for asking. You have no idea how much fun i had writing all of this #if you see them all defying bhaal you're not imagining it #they all defy bhaal for different reasons bc i said so #maybe callisto won't...but that would make their evil mum angry...so they probably will #callisto will unleash tiamat on the world and will be PROUD of that #bane is going to get an evil wife and that's a THREAT

[heinrix]

uhh so i’ve seen a couple other people do this and i rlly wanted to lay out oz’s lore/backstory in a post so that it’s clearer lol, especially considering i allude to it in my fics a lot

general info:

Ozadius Devries (He/They), 27 years old. Levistus Tiefling, formerly Dispater Tiefling. Gay boything, he’s trans but likes to be funky with his gender sometimes Class: Oath of Conquest Paladin lvl. 12, Champion to the Lord of the Hells Stats: STR 20. DEX 8. CON 16. INT 14. WIS 10. CHA 18 Alignment & Background: Neutral good with neutral evil tendencies. Charlatan Proficiencies: Athletics (+9), Insight (+4), Deception (+8), Intimidation (+8), Persuasion (+8) Notable Features: Legacy of The Ash King (Resistance to both fire and cold damage), Boon of The Abyss (In place of radiant damage, your Divine Smites now do force damage) Weapons used: • Act One - Maul of Brutal Justice (Invoke Duel. Whispering a target’s name into the mace, if the target comes within 30 feet of you, you and the target are stuck within 30 feet of each other. You may not stray 30 feet from one another until one of you is dead. You gain advantage on attack rolls.) • Act Two - Halberd of Vigilance (Sentinel Weapon. Gain a +1 bonus to initiative rolls and Advantage on Perception Ability Checks. Adroit Reflexes. When you make an Attack Roll as a reaction, you make it with Advantage.) • Act Three - Obsidian Sword (Devour Soul. Whenever you use it to reduce a creature to 0 hit points, the sword slays the creature and devours its soul, sending it directly to the Lord of the Hells, unless it is a construct or an undead. A creature whose soul has been devoured by the Obsidian Sword can be restored to life only by a Wish spell.)

Background

Ozadius Devries grew up on the Amber Peninsula of the Exhalian Empire in a large port city, Vetalonia. He was born to a pair of tieflings, Lev (his mother) and Carrion (his father) Devries, however his parents were not eager to abandon their lives as pirates and gave Oz away to the first couple that wanted him at the ripe age of 5. Luckily for Oz, his adoptive parents, a firbolg by the name of Beric (father) and a seldarine drow, Triss (mother) truly wanted him as their son and cherished and loved him.

Growing up as a tiefling in a densely human populated city was difficult for him as the children around him would tease and bully him for his appearance.

Needless to say, Oz did not have many friends when he was a child, except for one other boy, a half-orc the same age as Oz named Astolfo. Whenever Oz was in trouble Astolfo seemed to always be there, defending Oz and beating up the older kids who picked on him until their late teens. Oz had feelings for Astolfo but never had the courage to vocalize them, though the two boys had kissed they never mentioned it as anything other than fun. But when they turned 18, Astolfo had told Oz he was leaving Vetalonia to study the arcane, chasing after this one specific warlock pact Oz knew he had been obsessed with for the past year; Oz took this as abandonment and a personal slight.

For the next four years, Oz worked at the local brothel, honing his abilities in understanding people and their wants and needs; this led to Oz becoming quite adept in manipulating people and robbing rich nobles blind with little effort. In those years of Oz trying to forget Astolfo, trying to move on, he simply couldn’t and dropped everything in his life to go find his best friend; this took Oz on an arduous journey, retracing Astolfo’s footsteps into finding access to the patron he became a part of. Through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, Oz found out that Astolfo had died but not truly, he was in some sort of timeless pocket dimension where the warlock “patron” existed but it was not a singular patron but thousands of minds of previous warlocks who had usurped the original patrons power and now shares it with those who desire to dole out the will of the warlocks within the pocket dimension.

Oz joined this pact of innumerable minds in order to speak with Astolfo and convince him that resurrection and living a normal life with Oz was worth more than his obsession with this convoluted warlock patron.

In his travels, Oz came across a group of adventurer’s: Penny, a monster hunter in debt to local lords, Zuul, a goliath barbarian dedicated to the god of war, Akla, an orc barbarian whose sole purpose for adventuring was to gather items for a girl she had a crush on, and Sippa, a kobold tinkerer who wanted nothing but to explore the surface for the first time in his life. Oz threw his lot in with this band, seeing as his chances of survival with a group were higher than on his own. He grew, over a few weeks, to appreciate all of the weirdos that surrounded him but one thing led to another and several bad decisions were made that led to the entire group becoming wanted by the Exhalian Empire for treason; Akla had gotten physical with guards that were trying to arrest them for suspicions that they had stolen military property (to which they had), a domino effect occurred, Oz nearly died if it were not for the demon contract scroll he had swiped off of Penny the night before and so Ozadius Devries, warlock to The Legion was now oathbound to a sloth demon vying for the Throne of the Hells. A misfortunate side effect of Oz’s newfound allegiance was that Astolfo was now alive, entirely against his will, and Oz wanted nothing more than to right his wrong, to make up for what he had done to Astolfo.

After several weeks, nearly a month, of travel the group had not realized they were being followed by a vengeful group of guards from the previous city, hellbent on killing the treasonous adventurers. In the dead of night, while both Oz and Sippa were on watch, a volley of gunfire sprang upon them from the treeline, waking the rest of the camp with a start. A paladin, in his holy wroth, went after Penny, to which Oz tried his best to protect her but as a paladin himself he knew the strength of which his and this other man’s swings of the sword held. She was struck down in front of him, mercury armor of little use to her as radiant energy slashed right through it and he turned to Oz next. He fought, bloody and trading equal blows but with the help of the paladin’s friends, their whole camp was slain on that moonlit night in the wilderness. Monacco was the only reason Oz survived as he was bleeding out in the dirt, the demon stitched his wounds together, alongside the help of Sippa who had hid within the brush the entire fight. Both the tiefling and the terrified kobold ran, leaving behind their friends mangled corpses.

A day or two after their escape, Zuul was resurrected by his god and Akla was resurrected by the Fey heart she had been carrying. Penny was less fortunate but they did gain a new companion, one they had known since meeting Penny, her sentient mercury armor had consumed her corpse and grown to be able to shift into a human visage with most if not all of Penny’s memories; they called themselves Merc. Oz and Merc would go on to become quite good friends, while the rest of the group still treated Merc as if they were a tool to be used rather than someone sentient and living.

The general attitude of the group toward Merc culminated one day as they visited Sippa’s home city in hopes of resurrecting Penny via the manmade god that Sippa’s home worshiped. Once there, things went downhill, fast as Merc had run off into the city while the rest of the group went to visit the tower containing the god, Deus. Upon talking to Deus, it offered Oz the chance to ask it a question alongside the resurrection of their friend and he had been wondering something for some time at that point. “Am I Oz?” So much had changed about him: his appearance, his attitude, his morality, his goals. Was he who he had always been or was that Oz truly dead and gone. Deus answered him honestly, telling him that it is natural for people to have changed through traumatic experiences. However, Oz did not contain a soul but rather it was in the hells and he was merely puppetting his own body. This was, obviously, incredibly disconcerting to Oz and he sort of shut down, thinking of himself as a puppet all this time and that he was just the embodiment of his contract with Monacco; he didn’t possess his body, it wasn’t his nor had it been since he took that icy hand in the darkness.

In the time that Oz was having an existential crisis, Penny was resurrected and Merc had broken into the tower and attempted to consume Deus, having grown larger than the companions had ever seen them; they had been wandering all over the city eating every magic item they could find. All of the companions except for Oz began attacking Merc and Oz touched Merc - the only way to communicate with them now - and begged Merc to not consume Deus but Merc just asked Oz “why?” he had been selfish in the past many times, why couldn’t Merc, who had done so much to help the group, be selfish this one time. Oz was dumbfounded and abstained in the fight, simply holding his hand onto his friend's mercury ooze body. But hearing his friends cries of help as Merc fought back, acid and bile from their own body burning and singing his companions as they continued to consume a god, Oz stood, ripping his hand away from Merc and bringing up his maul and whispering to the magic within the weapon, “I’m sorry, Merc.” Swinging down with his hellish-backed fury, he fought a monster he called friend.

They were losing, as Merc had grown stronger and was draining Deus of its magical divinity; Oz saw this and prodded at Monacco within his mind, begging to teleport just him and Merc to the nearest portal to the hells that had been popping up since a war was waging between the surrounding empires. His patron granted this wish and soon it was just Oz and Merc, surrounded by the heat of Avernus as Oz, running low on energy continued to pummel the ooze as Merc began to consume the nearest magical artifact, Oz. He felt mercury begin to enter every orifice of his face, sliding down his throat as he gripped onto his maul, hoping against hope that each blow would be the last. The heat and brimstone stink of Avernus overwhelmed Oz as the ooze began to sink into the corners of his eyes, into his ears, and up his nose; he began to cry, welling tears pushing past wet metal as he thought of all his wrongs, all the people he had hurt. Perhaps this was deserved, this death on the edge of the material plane and the hells, alone, with only a friend to guide him back to his soul.

But the aching jaws of death had never been for Oz as he was yanked away from Merc’s grasp and shunted somewhere, somewhere foreign and sticky and smelling of thick iron.

#his backstory is so long cause sm happened in the campaign😭im sorry a lot of its just word vomit #anyway *points at him* my boy! #ozadius

[frenchish-water]

hello i'm here to infodump about MY Tav now

Armos Auvrylyl (he/him) is a drow bard/paladin of Eilistraee. very polite, good with a sword, has some unaddressed anger issues but that is okay. he is my large son and i love him. 🙏🙏

he is giving me a lot of himbo energy, and we do love that about a character

#i cant wait to see what you do when you accidentely or on perpous break your outh #asks

[taras-toe-beans]

Finally wrote up my backstory bash stuff! Some of these were definitely a real challenge for my tav, given that he grew up in the Underdark and is over a century old, but I gave it my best shot. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Izzrhys Illith'vir | 103 | Drow

Oath of Devotion Paladin of Ilmater

Baby

Parents:

Izzrhys is the child of a mother from a merchant family and a father from a family of weaponsmiths. Their union was mostly a practical one, rather than one born from love. They were commoners, but fairly well-off, especially following the decision to join families.

Birth:

Izzrhys was the second child, and the first son in his family in Menzoberranzan. As such, he was a bit of a disappointment from birth, but he was fortunate enough to be healthy enough to not become a sacrifice to Lolth.

First word:

No. Izzrhys was a very fussy baby, and easily upset by new situations. He quickly learned words to tell people to stop, to stand his ground. As he grew older, he learned quickly that this wouldn’t be enough to protect himself.

When they first walked:

Izzrhys learned to walk younger than average. He showed a lot of strength and physical control from a very young age, and it was much to his advantage, since his older sister, Malanna, literally tried to kill him in the crib. He had one more younger sibling- his little brother, Valdaer at this point.

Tantrum:

Again, Izzrhys was a very fussy baby, but he quickly outgrew it after the punishments he faced. Lashings, berating, having scalding water thrown on him when he expressed disinterest in doing what he was told. He didn’t throw a lot of tantrums, per se, but he cried a lot in private.

First sickness:

The first illness Izzrhys can remember having is a case of Scaleflake, which he and a few other drow children caught from playing in contaminated water. None of them experienced particularly detrimental symptoms, but he experienced a lot of pain and discomfort, and was ridiculed fiercely by Malanna.

Thunderstorm:

Izzrhys never saw thunderstorms as a kid, as he lived in the Underdark. The closest he experienced were heavy fogs that obscured most of Menzoberranzan. He was afraid of the fogs, especially since crime seemed to spike when visibility was low.

Childhood

Friends:

Izzrhys did not have a lot of real “friends” growing up. Everything was cutthroat, and he felt like he constantly had to watch his back. His only real friend was Valdaer.

Siblings:

Izzrhys had several siblings. By the time he was sent off to the military academy, he had an older sister (Malanna), a younger brother (Valdaer), and three younger sisters (Elthara, Alyxyra, Ilpheyl). He also had another younger brother who was born and immediately sacrificed to Lolth.

Getting into trouble:

Izzrhys never got in trouble for doing “bad” things. He was punished for showing empathy and emotion from a young age, and showing softness in the face of drow society. He was berated, told he would never live past ten years old, and beaten and tortured, even by his own family members. The conditions at school were even harsher.

Birthday:

Izzrhys was born on the 26th of Kythorn, and his equivalent zodiac sign would be Cancer. His birthday was never celebrated growing up.

Games:

Izzrhys usually shied away from games that other drow children played, but he did take some interest in watching Sava matches- that is, basically the drow equivalent of chess.

Learning something new :

Izzrhys was a very quick learner when it came to languages. He spoke mostly Drowic in his home growing up, but picked up Undercommon quickly and drow sign long before he ever needed to put them to practical use. He also picked up some words of Dwarven language simply by being near Duergar slaves. Izzrhys was sent to the military academy in Menzoberranzan pretty young, and there, he finally learned how to at least pretend to be cold, cruel and calculating. He also was quick to pick up different combat arts.

Trauma:

The better question would be, what didn’t traumatize Izzrhys as a child? He faced all the typical drow neglect and abuse of their children, was disconnected from his peers, and lived his whole life in constant terror. He developed pretty severe arachnophobia, which finally reared its head a bit after he came to the surface.

Teenager

First love:

Izzrhys was in his early 20s the first time he felt like he really loved someone. Vlondril, a drow hunter, and Izzrhys were in a completely secret relationship for several months. While their relationship was not super deep and very short-lived, they were both able to open up to each other in a way they felt they couldn’t do with anyone else. Vlondril always brought back small trophies from his hunts (think the teeth of an animal, a unique stone, an old piece of jewelry). He was killed by a hook horror while out in the wilds with his band.

Rebellion:

Izzrhys never rebelled outwardly because the consequence was literally death. The closest he got to rebellion was seeking romance and sex outside of his forced relationships.

Running away:

Izzrhys tried to run from his military academy once, after they tried to have him kill another student. He was beaten within an inch of his life and still forced to carry through with the killing.

Reckless behavior:

Izzrhys was a little older when this happened, but he had a lot of relationships with people he shouldn't, as he could've been killed if he was caught.

Peer pressure:

Izzrhys killed a lot of people because of peer/societal pressure. This was mostly during rites/to defend his partners/during patrols. He is not proud of the things he did, but it's beyond peer pressure. He did what he did so he could live another day.

Growing pains:

Trying to transition from academy to actually being a soldier was tough. He found himself hypervigilant around his peers, even though he knew they were to fight together- not be in literally cutthroat competition. With this transition, he was also forced into a family, paired with a woman from a prominent house. He didn't even know how to start pretending to adore her.

Taking responsibility:

Izzrhys didn't have much in terms of responsibilities, other than having to feign loyalty and protect those that he patrolled with. He did a good enough job at both, and by the time he was in his 20s, he didn't catch much negative attention anymore.

Adulthood

Their “first time”:

Izzrhys' first consensual time (obviously excluding the women he was a consort to) was with someone else who was a soldier for the house he worked for. He was about 20, and this was before his relationship with Vlondril. He had quite a few casual hookups before entering his first real relationship.

Serious relationships:

Izzrhys didn't have his first truly serious relationship until he reached the surface. He was in his late 80s when he started dating Alcraes, a cleric who worked at St. Laupsenn. He thought that they might have a future together, but when he had to leave Waterdeep for everyone’s safety, he broke up with Alcraes. He couldn't bear to put his beloved in any more danger, and things were already starting to get tough due to some unresolved trauma. At the Rivington/Baldur’s Gate area, Izzrhys formed other relationships over time. He had about three or four that could be considered serious, but a lot more flings and first dates.

Work:

In Menzoberranzan, Izzrhys was a soldier for different drow houses and traded to whoever he became a consort for. He spent his days patrolling and his nights doing whatever pleased his partner at the time. During this time, he sired several children.

After he left, he never got the chance to look around and find work. He recovered from severe injuries from his journey to the surface in St. Laupsenn and never left the Ilmatari church. He went from learning how to heal minor ailments to help at the hospital to wielding a sword in Ilmater’s name. After his move to the Open Hand Temple, he spent a lot of time aiding adventurers who needed a shield and helping the poor in and around Baldur's Gate. About five years into his time there, he decided to pursue joining the Order of the Golden Cup.

Leaving home:

Izzrhys left Menzoberranzan in his late 80s. He spent weeks struggling through the wilds of the Underdark, but knew he could never go back. Following the death of his brother and only confidant, Valdaer, he learned that the other drow had been planning to escape. He found some of his plans, made changes accordingly, and fled. He came to the surface near Waterdeep, where he was immediately met with hostility by a merchant caravan. He was beaten almost to death and thrown off the side of the road to be left for dead. Izzrhys was rescued by some clergy of Ilmater.

Aging:

Drow age slowly, and Izzrhys still feels incredibly young, especially having just started his life on the surface within the past couple of decades. He's never been able to imagine himself growing old. After all, Menzoberranzan drow rarely became elderly. Even after his escape, he always figured he would fall in battle somewhere, not die peacefully. He also knows that he's going to outlive Gale, and probably by a lot, but he's decided he'll just have to make peace with it one day.

Finding your place:

Despite the strangeness of having a drow as part of Ilmater’s clergy, most of the people he's been with at the Open Hand Temple have grown to love him. He has been able to freely be himself because he falls so in line with most of Ilmater's tenants, and he can do what he loves, which is helping others, alongside other like-minded people. He has watched many of the clergy who are humans and other faster-aging races grow up, grow older, and as such, he feels like he's firmly rooted in the order.

Starting a family/found family:

Marrying Gale is a big decision, given that Izzrhys belongs to the Order of the Golden Cup. If he marries, he realizes that he won't be able to advance all the way in the order. Yet, he understands that he can still do pretty much everything he wants to do without being higher-ranked. Actually moving to Waterdeep with Gale was an easy decision, since he's familiar with the city and has a place to continue his work. He absolutely loves Gale's family once he meets them, feeling like they fulfill a need that he never had met before.

#bg3backstorybash #baldurs gate #bg3 #about my tav #my tav: Izzrhys