#i'd die for you wyll

[ghastlytofu]

Wyll: I used to believe the beauty of first love was unable to be surpassed. But Gale... you are so much more tolerable now that you've found your second.

Gale: I'll take that comment with the sincerity and goodwill I assume it was intended.

#HE DIDN'T HAVE TO COME FOR HIM LIKE THAT LMFAO 😭 #it's the pause at “but gale” for me he's literally like. 'I MUST emphasize this i cannot emphasize it enough' #'everything is better now that you're getting laid' #WASTED #i'd die for you wyll #gale dekarios #wyll ravengard #baldur’s gate 3

[meownotgood]

you're playing bg3!!!! do you have your sights set on anyone yet... :3

yes!! I just started act 2 but I don't know yet, I can't decide because I like everyone bahaha... I think gale and karlach are my favorites so far, they are both such sweethearts.... 🥹 but wyll and astarion... I have my eyes on them too because they are so handsome... I'll just have to see where the journey takes me lmaoooo

#why can't I marry all of them #right now I am probably leaning towards gale #he's so...... #he got it on with a literal goddess I feel he would certainly treat you right #I WON'T LET HIM DIE!!!!!! #I love karlach too though she's so sweet and funny #and why is she so strong she saved my butt so many times already #let me hug her I don't care if I burn #wyll is so handsome and when he became a devil... (bites fist) #also I wasn't sure if I'd be an astarion fan but he's very cute I get the appeal lol #I absolutely do not understand how to use him in battle though #I swear I try to stealth and I just fail every time #I think I am Bad #anyway I've been playing the game like five hours every day I have an addiction #so I love to talk about it #thank you for asking me anon lolol #ask mags

[atomskdluffy]

I finished Baldur's Gate 3 tonight, and I am almost completely satisfied. It was a spectacular game! A lot of thought and patience goes into it, especially when you play like I do with mods that expand the party and my insatiable need for loot. The story and the characters are all beautifully written, and I can see how there might be thousands of different ways to play it! I think the only addition I could possibly ask for is for something at the very end, one of those sequences where the narrator tells us what each character in the party goes on to do after the credits roll. Other than that, I am quite satisfied with how it turned out! I got the endings I wanted, the mods I used upped the quality of life to the max, and I had so much fun playing! If you have the time for a game as involved as this one, I absolutely 100% recommend it!

#For those who want some spoilers on some of my choices I'll put them down here! #I wanted to romance Karlach at first but missed my chance and romanced Shadowheart instead #I do not regret this decision as she is gorgeous and also as it turns out polyamorous as I romanced Halsin as well! #I saved the Grove and slaughtered all the goblins but missed the solution where you find out the truth about Kahga #I made the mistake of letting Lae'zel into the githyanki machine instead of my main character #Apparently if I'd passed those checks I would've gotten all the mindflayer abilities as bonus actions instead of actions! #I cleared both the Mountain Pass and the Underdark before progressing to Act 2 through the Underdark #I made sure to do everything I needed to in order to break the Shadow Curse and free the land around Moonrise Towers! #I had Wyll break his pact with Mizora but we were still able to save his father #Astarion killed Cazador but did not ascend and we released the victims into the Underdark #Shadowheart broke away from Shar completely and was taken back under Selune's wing after she let her parents pass on #Lae'zel defected from Vlaakith after learning the truth about Orpheus #Gale did not blow himself up and decided to deliver the crown to Mystra as she requested #We freed Orpheus instead of siding with the Emperor after discovering it had been lying to us about its intentions from the start #Even though we fixed Karlach's engine she was still going to die so we avoided that death by having her become a mindflayer at the end #Every time I was feeling iffy about one of these decisions the characters' reactions afterward helped me feel like I made the right choice! #So well written and acted! #Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3

[deer-with-a-stick]

Me, going through the romance options: Lae'zel is hot, I'll try it out. Ooh, Karlach has a great personality I love her. Shadowheart's got some issues but she's grown on me. Wyll is interesting because I feel like I don't see characters like him that often. Astarion's got plenty of angst, I like it. I'm curious as to how Halsin's bear form would work...ugh how do I choose.

Gale, eating my boots and infodumping about his cat: Do you have a good place where I can die so that I won't murder innocents I'd appreciate it

Me: I want that one

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate three #bg3 #gale of waterdeep #gale #lae'zel #karlach #shadowheart #wyll #astarion #halsin #im sorry to minthara stans but im literally never going to goblin route #i've romanced lae'zel shadowheart and astarion so far #being aroace is not going to stop me from romancing my companions #like you mean i get more angst in their character arcs?? #yes please

[vspin]

On Act 3 and the lack of companion reactivity and dialogue.

So, I officially hit 400 hours on BG3 yesterday (no lifing it lmao) and I've been thinking about some things I wish Larian would improve or wish that they had implemented. A big thing that comes to mind is how much companion reactivity and dialogue abruptly stops in Act 3.

Act 1 really shines with companion reactivity. They always have something to say to the MC, to NPCs, or even to each other! I love the interaction after you use your ilithid powers for the first time and it's a 4 way conversation between everyone.

Then we get to Act 3 and there's such huge drop-off. Some big offenses:

Very little reaction to quests and locations. When I killed Raphael I only got comments from Astarion and Gale! Seriously?? We just survived a trip to the Hells! This happens with multiple quests

Blank faces when Durge is killed by Bhaal.

Camp is lifeless. Everyone just stands in front of their bed, There are no interactions.

In my playthrough, the Emporer admitted to my Tav he was manipulating her and didn't really care. It was bummer I couldn't talk to the other tadpole gang about it.

I remember coming across a Druid in the city. He was trying to heal a tree. So I went back and grabbed Halsin because he was complaining no one in the city cared about nature or balance. So I thought surely, he would have an interaction here! Nope, nothing!

As soon as you finish a companion's personal quest that is basically the end of your interactions with them; even if you romance them.

What I'd like to see: (Disclaimer: Just my opinions. I have no expectation of any of this being added to the game)

More camp interaction between companions. Jahiera and Minsc had a great example of this. Let there be a quick cutscene of Minsc and Halsin arm wrestling. Shadowheart, Karlach, and Astarion drinking wine. Anything. DA:I did a great job at this. It seemed like anytime I approached someone for dialogue they were in the middle of an interaction with someone else. Or events like the card game. It brought a lot of life into the party.

More random city encounters. They did a good job with Karlach; she has interactions with the steel watcher and her friend Fitz. Would have been cool to have some of those with Wyll, maybe he meets another noble or a flaming fist and has to deal with their shock of seeing him as a devil. Or with Gale in Sorcerous Sundries (he is a famous wizard after all!). Astarion mentions he needs to keep a low profile in the taverns; what if someone called him out!

More reactions to story events.

Expand on romances a bit more. We don't need it to be a dating sim but if you finish your LI's quest early on get used to just asking for small pecks and that's it. I would like to see more romance-specific dialogue for quest reactions.

And Finally:

We needed all companions at the final battle. Everyone should have been at the main keep before confronting the brain. You should have had your final conversations with them before you all potentially die in battle. DA:O style. A passionate kiss with your LI (not a tiny little peck lmao). This was a huge exclusion.

Anyway, these are my thoughts on the matter. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #astarion #bg3 tav #baldur's gate 3 #astarion romance #shadowheart #lae'zel #wyll ravengard #gale of waterdeep #halsin #bg3 critical #bg3 mine

[y-rhywbeth2]

Been thinking about Durge romances and how much I love the companions. Many people love Astarion's response when Durge gets their "kill your lover in their sleep" scene and, fair, that was the point that I unfortunately began to genuinely love the pointy bastard. I do enjoy watching him sass Bhaal. Plus you being the only one he's not afraid of in the world and also "we can compare notes" because he recognises what's happening, yes, yes.

And additional honourable mentions to Lae'zel and Karlach:

Lae'zel threatening to bite you back and informing you that if you don't beat Bhaal you will be fighting her and that will be much worse, topped with the gem of "Not to be maudlin, but I'm glad I didn't gut you."

Karlach asking you not to bite her because trying to eat her flesh will hurt you. also she growls back at you. and asking what the fuck you're talking about when Durge goes into one of their, uh, poetic moods. And parallels: "It's bad. I won't say it isn't. But... I've done worse. Powers beyond our control picked us to do their dirty work - that isn't our fault." I mean Durge has absolutely done worse, but I concede the gist of your argument.

But my favourite variants are these three (in no particular order):

Shadowheart's "Hells, what I wouldn't give for a boring lover sometimes" shortly before scolding you - "no biting!" Bad hellspawn! Bad! Use your words! - It's the middle of the night, she's tired, and she expected something way more fun that this damnit. (also; "She was starting to trust you. The only one she ever has. Pity it's coming to an end." *screaming*)

Wyll reminds us he's the one with the high charisma stat in this party with his pep talks: "The coast would sooner be swallowed whole by the Sea of Swords [before I'd hate you]." - "Rise up, meet its gaze. Show it no fear, and grant it no mercy." - "You are a champion. If this foe demands blood, then tear off its limbs and let it drink its own!" Never been more revved up to punch Bhaal in the face, thank you. And Sceleritas directly compares himself to Mizora and aAhHHHhhhhh-!

And then there's Gale, who clearly has no idea what's happening or what do about it. Get it out of your system, he says, trying his best to be supportive. "This is not good, if I may state the obvious." - "No, no clotting. I like my blood flowing in my veins, thank you most kindly." He would prefer not to die, thank you. 10/10. Durge is way too distracted by this to listen to Bhaal right now.

#I love them all #/durge #babbling #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

[cocomochicakes]

When I don't feel like working out I remind myself that if I don't and were to suddenly get isekai'd into the Baldur's Gate 3 universe, I'd be completely and utterly useless and probably die in the first 5 minutes.

So yeah, work out or you can't protect Astarion or Gale or Wyll or Halsin or Shadowheart or Lae'zel or Karlach or Scratch or the Owlbear Cub...

#so yeah do your exercise #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 companions #gale of waterdeep #gale #bg3 headcanons #gale dekarios #astarion #karlach #wyll ravenguard #wyll #lae'zel #laezel #halsin #halsin silverbough

[velnna]

What's Staeve's relationship with the other companions? Like Halsin, Wyll and Shadowheart? I adore your art and your Tav!

Okay so I was waiting to doodle something but huhhh the staeve x astarion brainrot keeps me from doodling him with the other companions much (HOWEVER I might later I love them all)

Halsin - comfort lover is how I'd put it? Halsin has his whole "I'm not going to keep you to myself" thing going on and Staeve fucks w that. It's like friends with benefits++. They both know what they have isn't on the same level as the Astarion bond but enjoy spending time together if he allows it + Staeve does appreciate the sort of stability and support Halsin can give as a friend (and a lover?)(Staeve has daddy issues). I definitely headcanon Staeve going to him in camp to ask for advice in how to deal with Astarion when he's being difficult to navigate

Wyll - Staeve would have been fascinated by Wyll at first. Initially he probed a lot and was very upfront teasing him because in his world there aren't a lot of righteous, kind people like Wyll. Staeve would have tried to bring out some hypothetical dark side only to be greeted with a dance (which he played along with as well). He did eventually reject Wyll's advances but secretly challenged himself to keep him as a friend. Might fail

Shadowheart - The sort of friends where he'd tease her because he thinks she secretly likes it (she maybe does?). He pressed the wrong buttons sometimes, but the fact that she reminds him of his estranged sister in some ways made him recoil and show a more understanding side. He can be caring if he stops being an idiot sometimes and she vibes w that (I say this because he's one Astarion Disapproves away from being most loved by Shadowheart lol)

Karlach - UNFORTUNATELY he's. Super awkward about Karlach. It went downhill fast after he (and I lol) realised that she doesn't really fuck with petty/sneaky shit, and though she doesn't show it, he doesn't really feel like he can push his luck with her. He's also probably just scared she'd beat him to a pulp. Didnt dare hug her just awkwardly patted her shoulder. That being said I do think he'd respect and admire her to an extent

Gale - Staeve finds Gale extremely amusing but is 100% playing him for magical perks and entertainment. He sorta maybe felt bad about it after Gale threw the buggy fit, so maaaaybe he'd keep him as one of those friends you keep around because they compliment the group, nothing too deeply personal.

Lae'zel - I honestly think they'd be good friends/allies but like an idiot I let her die in act 1 so I'm waiting for my rerun to see if I can tweak my canon

Also Staeve loves withers he sees him as the token grandpa. All of this subject to changes if my next run goes very differently (which it might because durge)

#yes I retroactively projected meaning into interactions once I decided on his backstory #it works tho #staeve #bg3

[eastern-lights]

Ok so we all know how amazing Baldur's Gate 3 is. I could talk for hours about everything it did perfectly.

But rn, I want to talk about what I think Dragon Age Inquisition did better. And this is not to judge which game is better overall, but what still makes DAI so special to me despite its flaws.

1. Voiced protagonist

Yeah, starting off controversial. I know some people prefer silent protagonists, but I just find myself wishing we could have a fully voiced Tav, even at the cost of fewer dialogue options. I'm sorry, but Tav's silent indifferent face just always breaks the immersion for me, especially when contrasted with the award-worthy acting and animation of the characters they're speaking with. In DAI (and DA2, although to a lesser degree) your character could be heavily customized, but they were always an actual person who fit in with the rest of the universe and flowed seamlessly with the story.

2. Mystery and dread.

BG3 is full of heavy, scary, traumatizing stuff hidden all over the place (or in plain sight). But it can always be explained in some way. There are dreadful things in Faerûn, but we always know what they are (mostly due to most of them having to have precisely given stats as the result of being based on DnD). We know what happens after death and what we can do to bring people back from it. The closest you get to truly dread-inducing mystery in BG3 is "Do Illithids have souls" and "where do illithids come from" and (at least in Act 1) "who is the Absolute".

In Dragon Age, the whole world is made of existential dread. What happens when you die? Dunno. Is God real? No idea and if He does, He hates you. What is the Blight? Are all darkspawn capable of independent thought? What is lyrium singing about? What happened to the titans? What happens when all of the Old Gods die? And this is just the Big Questions. There's a myriad of small things, small mysteries you encounter that just have no answers. Stuff that reminds me of those creepy Goldshire children forming a pentagram in World of Warcraft. While having an explanation for everything makes for deeper worldbuilding, a world full of mysteries without answers makes for a much scarier and, in some ways, exciting experience.

3. Group dynamic and party banter

I enjoyed the party banter in BG3. Hell, it had some of the funniest lines in game. But it didn't do enough to make the group dynamic feel any less Tav/Durge-centric. You hear the companions exchange banter, but you never get beyond stuff like "Karlach and Shadowheart both enjoy wine" and "Gale enjoys Lae'zel telling him about the Astral plane". The protagonist forms amazingly written relationships with each of the companions, but they never seem to have such a bond with one another. The closest we come to what I'd like to see is Karlach and Wyll's friendship, but even that's kind of shallow, I feel. The companions do comment on the others' personal quest, but it's always one sentence reaction, before going right back to being mostly indifferent. DA2 had the same issue, if to a greater extent (srsly, the companions had the same attitude about one another over the span of 10 years)

The banter in DAI was superb. It told a story. It had arcs. You could watch in real time as Solas and Dorian became friends over their shared magical nerd-dom. You could even take part in it, such as when telling Blackwall to stfu about jousting for a moment, or telling Sera that what you and Solas do in private is none of her business. You could see Dorian and Bull fall in love. You could watch Varric slowly chip away at Solas' worldview until he arguably came closer to changing his plans than Lavellan ever did. The relationships grow over the course of the story and by the time of Solas' betrayal, you're not just sad because he betrayed you, you're sad because he betrayed Varric, Dorian, Bull, Cassandra and everyone else. Because you saw how they cared about him, each in their own way.

There is nothing more heartbreaking than Varric's "Chuckles, what have you done?"

In BG3, the relationships are mostly left to your imagination, which has its perks, but still, the group dynamic feels more like a wheel with Tav at the centre rather than a web.

4. Having limits on the romance options

Let me start by stating what I am not saying: I am not saying that bi and pan people shouldn't be represented. Far from it. But I don't think making the whole group pan is the way to go about it. I can't help but feeling it is, in a way, pandering to players, making every single companion interested in them as long as they have a sufficiently high approval.

Making some companions explicitly bi, pan, gay or straight made for a more real experience. Getting rejected by Sera on the grounds of "We have a lot in common - we both like women" felt disappointing, yes, but also real. This also allowed the writers to make the characters' sexual/romantic preferences a part of their, well, character. We got Dorian's personal quest, which I think is great. Limiting Solas' options to just Lavellan allowed the writers to make it about him realizing that his people are not mere shadows. It allowed them to write the Vallaslin scene. None of this could have been done if he were romanceable to all races.

When you have diversity in romantic attraction among the companions, suddenly the pan and bi characters (in Bull and Josie respectively) feel like their orientation is part of who they are, rather than a game mechanic to prevent players from missing out on content.

#baldur's gate 3 #dragon age inquisition #this is all just my opinion #i am still salty that the devs didn't get more time to do DAI properly #imagine DAI made with the love care and time that BG3 had #we could have had another masterpiece

[animentality]

I'm sorry, I can't redeem Gortash ever.

I'll never write a gortash redemption story, I'll never head canon him redeeming himself.

It's not of personal interest to me, in fact I think he's great because of how irredeemable he is, but also narratively, he just doesn't have the same glimmer of rebellion that dark urge or any of the other companions have.

Shadowheart mentions that she made mistakes a lot and was often punished by Shar. Astarion was tortured a lot for misbehaving and has enough morality to feel bad for Sebastian, plus he starts coming around to helping others. Lae'zel was born into a bloodthirsty cult, Karlach was forced into servitude, Wyll is enslaved to a devil for being a hero. None of these people were necessarily bad because they wanted to be.

Even the Dark Urge was implied to have been rebellious before, which is why they always need their butler with them, to guide them the right way, plus their redeemed self is so different from their old self, that it's clear what their true nature actually is. Plus the dark urge is only redeemable because they've lost their memories. They could not have redeemed themselves with their memories intact. They as a person had to die before even vaguely walking the path to redemption.

But Gortash???

That man doesn't have glimmers of goodness. Nowhere in the game is he even vaguely ashamed or have misgivings.

He chose his path. He became a slave sure, but when he freed himself?

He had the choice to do what the others do in good runs. He deliberately chose the wrong path.

And he's a villain whose own redemption story was rejected far before your redemption story even begins.

See, that's why I still think he should die, I just object to the anti climactic nature of him being killed by the netherbrain. He needed a more climactic death, but rest assured he did deserve to die.

There's no hope for him and even if he wanted to atone, which he never would, there's not much he can do.

I've seen people saying he could make up for his mistakes, but I really don't think he could.

He didn't just want to install a dictatorship, he tortured and killed so many people in his experiments with tadpoles.

His torture chambers rival Balthazar's, like.

How can you see the horrors of the mindflayer colony and not see how absolutely terrible Gortash is?

I don't think you can atone for that many murders, or that much torture, or for stripping the free will from hundreds if not thousands, and then planning on killing and enslaving way more without even the tiniest sliver of doubt.

So sorry, guys.

I don't think I'd ever write Gortash as a "good guy."

The best thing I can say about him is that he was devoted to the dark urge.

Obsessive and twisted love was the only vaguely human emotion that man had after he returned from the hell, and that's good enough for me!!!

#enver gortash #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #durgetash

[ravengards-rogue]

✧ gender neutral reader, reader has a fucked up life ksdlkflk

wyll tells you he loves you anticlimactically. he waxes poetically about his feelings for you often that there's not really so much of a need to say it to you. you are the orange of his sunset and every shade of vibrancy tucked into the corners of the world.

love is almost juvenile in comparison to the adoration he experiences.

when he does tell you he loves you - he's hoping for reciprocity. for all the other ways you show him your affection, you keep your attentions rapt and your lips sealed tight. you'll touch him softly, or bring him something to eat. you'll show him you love him, but you never say it.

it makes wyll wonder if there is some reason for it. or if its something you struggle to say.

"i love you," soft and warm like flame licked embers of a campfire going dull. your expression changes microscopically, you smile. but you still don't say anything. "do you feel the same?"

you're surprised by his asking. "of course,"

wyll isn't offended, he tries to assure through his words. "i've never heard you say it before."

you don't take time to consider it.

"im loyal to you. i'd die for you. those things are more apt than love." you say instead.

you sit next to the campfire and sharpen your daggers in silence.

"i'd much prefer if you lived for my sake." wyll offers back, his knees bumping yours. you don't budge. your expression is unchanging. you turn your head to look towards him, dagger against sheath as you admire its reflection.

"if it was for your sake, ravengard - i'd lay my life down. as your comrade or your lover. if it was my life or yours, i'd pick yours."

wyll does not know at first how to weigh sentiment. he then, briefly, remembers you at the start of your journey. concerned with yourself. only yourelf - isolated like a mutt chained to a post and left for dead. an animal that's gnawed through metal to stay alive.

because of that, violence comes to you naturality wyll should abhor. your instinct is to kill. maim and shred and rip apart until there's nothing that should threaten your life that you regard preciously. since no one else ever would

he should abhor it so deeply.

he doesn't though. there's nothing that wyll could condemn you for now - this late in your journey. should your nose shepherd you to violence, wyll won't ask you to heel. only if he think you're at risk of losing control would he take place in placating you.

only for wyll are you docile.

you had to survive for only yourself for many years. it showed in how you carried yourself. potent paranoia. in the beginning you hardly smiled and did the kind things like you were waiting for them to hurt you. you were always surprised when they did not. now you've melded so far into the pack, wyll forgets what you once were.

the words are not light, wyll thinks. no matter which way you pose them. he feels odd trying to internalize such a thing. you would die for him. a rush of euphoria following by a ticklish sensation abut how much he commandeers you, how he guides you.

he would prefer you to live for yourself. but if you'll give your life for his sake, all he can do is cherish it.

"my life is yours, wyll. should you try you try to give yourself up again, i will take your place. should the world turn its back on you, i will turn my back on it."

your voice does not tremble. there is confidence, conviction in the sentiment that traverses beyond just warmth.

is there a word stronger than undying love? wyll should look for it. you smile softly then add. "i love you too. if you must hear it so much."

wyll reaches for your hands as you put your own weapon away. he grips it firm in his hand. his heart murmurs your name when he sees your face flush in embarrassment.

"i won't take it for granted. i promise."

you chuckle and squeeze his hand tighter. "damn right you won't."

#d.rogues love letters #bg3 x reader #wyll x reader #wyll ravengard x reader

[oops-all-concrete]

What would you think of how would each BG3 companions to Tav being secretly a god that has been tagging along with them all this time? Just curious

(SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET TO THIS, MY BRAIN HELD MY MOTIVATION RANSOM MIDWAY THROUGH ME WRITING THIS)

Ooohhhhh this sounds funnyyyy

Context: I'm imagining Tav is a god and has God status, a place in the pantheon and everything, but-! So continuity makes sense and the whole journey is still necessary, I'd assume them a curious God of some miscellaneous small thing so their powers wouldnt be THAT useful anyhow (God of clouds, God of fur, God of bread) but yeah!

BG3 companions react to Tav secretly being a...God???

(MILD SPOILERS FOR ACT 1/2)

Lae'zel -

She's suspicious at first, disbelieving of course. But as she watches Tav just summon (whatever they're the god of) from thin air, she frowns. "Chk. You may be of godly status, but if you're unwise enough to get kidnapped by a ghaik nautaloid, you are no mighty God." She finishes, nose upturned and almost- dissapointed??

Shadowheart -

Once shes been convinced, she frowns. "I don't think I've ever known of such a God...granted, Lady Shar only allowed for us to study her." She admits. She's quite hesitant, but she does ask. "Have you ever...met lady Shar/Seluné? Can you tell her I say hi? Is that appropriate?"

Wyll -

He's also hesitant to believe, but he's so curious once he believes you. "Wait, so, what's it like being a God? Does being a mortal feel weird? Are you immune to anything? What happens if you die? Does someone become the new God of what you're the God of? Are you even allowed to be here? What does the immortal plane smell like?" Just, a million and one questions and he wants ALL the stories.

Karlach -

"Woah! That's so cool, I wish I was a God...I'd be the God of potatoes. Is that already a thing?" Regardless if its true, she let's Tav have their fun. She also refers to every time she's saved by Tav as 'Divine Intervention' which isn't...wrong?

Gale -

"Ah, I got that impression, albeit with doubt." He says, sounding only a little smug. "Your disguise is well crafted, I'll give you that. Definitely something I aspire to learn from" he smiles fondly. Then there's a pause. "...I understand its not quite your field but you wouldn't be someone who could fix the whole...orb in me chest could you? Or would that also put you under Mystras ire?"

Astarion -

He seems immediately intrigued. "Really? I thought you were a little calm for all of this, but I never would have guessed- no offense. I'm sure you're very...powerful in your own way!" He says, somewhat forcing a smile. "So- does prayer work, or does the world have to be ending for everyone in order for you to pick up a summon?" He asks, curious, but seeming somewhat irritated too. He doesn't elaborate on why.

Halsin -

He seems doubtful at first but believes you quicker than you expected. "I hadn't imagined thr gods would send one of their own to come and save me from goblins or...help lift a shadow curse left by Shar of all people." He says, a faint smile on his face. "While I am in your debt, you should my life is already pledged to Silvannus. I hope what I'm already doing is enough"

Jaheira -

She looks Tav up and down, crosses her arms, and then- chuckles? "Sorry, I just- I feel like I finally have evidence I've been here too long. I haven't passed away to some dumb idea yet, so the Gods sent one of their own to get me." She laughs it off but then looks at Tab quite seriously. "...you're not here to get me are you?"

Minsc -

"I know!" He replies happily, not missing a beat. "Boo alerted me of your origins immediately. He's delighted to be joined by another of the pantheon, even if a lesser God" He smiles, mindlessly as ever.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 headcanons #astarion #wyll ravengard #gale dekarios #lae'zel #shadowheart #karlach #gale headcanons #astarion headcanons #karlach headcanon #shadowheart headcanons #wyll headcanons #lae'zel headcanons #bg3 halsin #bg3 jaheira #bg3 minsc #tav #bg3 tav

[noisycroissant]

The Ascendant's Bride

Part 1

Summary: A vampire wedding to consolidate power. The companions see just how wretched an ascendant can be.

Here's part 2

*******

The invitations had reached them just a week ago. It had landed in letterboxes in Waterdeep, a Selúnite post near Candlekeep, it even reached Karlach and Wyll in Avernus via an imp.

The wedding of Astarion Ancunín, Vampire Ascendant...

....with Lady Eirene Maximilian of the esteemed Vampire Court of the city of Greyhawk...

*******

"Tav, what do you make of this?" Gale asked. He'd been the first one to gather his wits and use a sending stone to try and contact the others.

"Always knew he was power hungry. Didn't think he'd go this far," Shadowheart said, rolling her eyes.

Tav was quiet. She knew all eyes would always be on her when it came to talk about Astarion.

He had been so sweet to her. So eager to find freedom and happiness. Till she'd refused to help him finish the Ritual of Profane Ascension. He'd turned his back on them all that night.

"I hope you die screaming."

That was the last thing any of them had heard from him. Of course they knew where he was and what he was upto. His gathering of power was an open secret. Everyone in Baldur's Gate knew that the new lord of Szarr's Palace was three things:

Handsome. Charming. Ruthless.

People who crossed him were few and far. There were never any witnesses or evidence to nail him to the stocks but people knew as they always have.

The lord in the high castle was not of the realm of men.

"Say what you will about Astarion, I know in my bones that this wedding will be something people will talk about for centuries," Karlach adds with a grin, "We should go and add to the story."

And so it was decided.

*******

To the party's surprise, they were the only mortals at the wedding. The grand hall was filled with people adorning the richest fabrics and plushest furs. Rubies and diamonds winked and twinkled off ears and throats. And the hall itself? Polished and decorated with the finest crystal and teakwood furniture this side of Faerûn.

A thousand crimson eyes watch the party as they walk in and make their way to the hall.

And they see Astarion for the first time in ten years.

He looks absolutely the same, down to the curl in his hair. But the aura of power and strength radiating from him was hard to miss. There was a glint in his eye, but it wasn't mischievous anymore. It looked dangerous. Cruel. Unforgiving.

"There you are, my dearest comrades!" He gestures to the rest of the guests, "Everyone to me!! Meet the saviours of Baldur's Gate. In the flesh!"

The same haughty tone in his voice but laced with something evil now.

Tav felt something drop in her belly. She feels Shadowheart grab her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I feel it too. The...evil emanating off him. I think I might shed a tear after all."

"Fan-Astarion! Good to see you too, buddy," says Karlach good-naturedly, "Seems the years have been uh..kind to you."

"Wish I could say the same for you, dear Karlach. The reek of brimstone was evident before you stepped inside the gate. And Wyll Ravengard! How goes your life as a monster hunter in Avernus?" Astarion simpers.

"I'm on the clock, if that matters to you. So watch yourself," Wyll replies meeting Astarion's eye.

"Oh my! Threatening the groom on his big day? Plan to make off with my bride too, Baby Duke?" Astarion mocks.

"Your bride...who is she? Why do this, Astarion?" Tav asks, finally finding her voice.

"Oh my sweet Tav," he says, tone honeyed just like Tav remembers, but this time it scratches her spine with dread, "For power of course. Eirene is a dhampir, born of a fullblood father and an elven mother. Marrying her makes my reach grow. Maybe I'll even be blessed enough to hear the flutter of little bat wings of my own."

"A lamb to a slaughter. For shame, Astarion, I'd assumed you less cowardly than this," Lae'zel spits.

In less than a blink of an eye, Lae'zel had a dagger at her throat. "Spilling blood at a vampire wedding is not unheard of, Lae'zel. I'd advise you to ensure its not yours," he whispers in her ear.

"To your seats, my friends. The ceremony is about to begin."

*******

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 astarion #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate 3 #astarion ancunin #astarion fanfic #astarion fic #ascended astarion #gale dekarios #shadowheart #laezel #wyll ravengard #karlach #bg3 tav #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fic #ascendant astarion #ascendant astarion fic #astarion x oc #ascended astarion x oc #ascended astarion fic #ascended astarion fanfiction

[y-rhywbeth2]

Gale: "Still though, I won't leave. There's a good person in there somewhere."

Karlach: "And I stand beside you now. I know you. You're more than this. More than Bhaal. You're my friend, and I won't leave you."

Lae'zel: "I tried to save you from the Lord of Murder - and still you gave in. Damn you. I cannot turn my back. I will not."

Shadowheart: "I tried to wrest you from Bhaal's grip once already. Seems I failed. But I won't give up on you - not just yet. I'm my own worst enemy in that regard."

*points* You people grow standards and stop trying to fix the villain!

Astarion: "I really hoped we could avoid being pawns for a dark god, but here we are, I suppose. I'm with you, my dear. Wherever this leads."

*points at Astarion* You be less ride or die!

Wyll: "I thought I'd saved you from Bhaal's clutches. Seems I failed, damn it all. I will mourn the person you were. But I will not accept the one you've become."

Thank you for having standards and limits to your ability to support people at your own expense, Mr Ravenguard! Now apply that to the rest of your life!

Love all the different flavours of tragedy here, though. "I can fix them" vs "I'll follow you into hell" vs "having to put down the monster you love"

#Astarion following you - out of love - into what he flat out calls slavery in another conversation is fucking me up #Although I do wonder if he thought this through #<-(Rhetorical statement) #babbling #/durge

[bloodycyrano]

I am extremely mentally fucked right now, so let's see how team tadpole handles their depressive episodes! TW, this will probably be super depressing to read.

Astarion: He thinks he hides it really well, and for the most part, he does. But his motivation for easy, everyday tasks and self care goes absolutely down the drain. You've seen the inside of his tent, you know how it goes. He tries to keep up the image of doing well, keep the smile, keep the jokes coming. He's terrified of people finding out what's underneath, and in hiding it, he feels like he has the upper hand. He doesn't, and he needs therapy. I'd also put money on him hypersexualizing himself for the validation and to feel like he was worth something. After all, Cazador beat it into him that that was all he was good for. Luring in pray with his body. - We also know that Astarion has nightmares, but I'd like to add to this with the reminder that Elves don't sleep. They trance. In the trance, they go over the memories of their past. It's how they keep up with such long lives and how they stay close to past lives as children (For those who dont know, elves don't measure age in maturity, but rather by distance to their past lives- Once an elf can no longer recall memories from their past life, they are considered an adult. They pick their adult name in celebration of the new person and consciousness that they now are). The fact that Astarion can remember nothing of his life prior to being turned by Cazador, nothing of his family, etc., Means that he is so deeply affected by Cazador that those memories are the only things he can see when he goes to rest at night. Every night, in perfect detail, he has to remember all of his worst trauma.

Karlach: Karlach is the sunshine character. She's sweet, and loud and bright with the biggest smile, but you also have to remember that she was a soldier. She was sold off to a literal demon and used as a science experiment essentially for the hell of it. She's not going to open up about what she's feeling immediately, and she's not going to seek help, either. She thinks she has to deal with it quietly and on her own, because since her parents died; that's what she's always had to do. Chin up, no tears, keep fighting. It's going to stress her out to the point where she starts smoking again, but she'll try to hide it or brush it off. Most importantly, she's going to be more focussed on not burdening those around her and trying to take care of you guys and protect you at the expense of her own mental health and physical safety. But her sorrows are noticeable. She can try to hide it, but everyone in camp knows. Everyone in camp is worried. Everyone can see when her eyes stop glimmering, when she stops dancing around in her tent when she can't sleep, when her bright laughter stops, and when she gets quiet. So quiet. She zones out, like she's in another realm entirely. She probably also has post traumatic stress from her time as a soldier, and it's going to weigh on her heavily in battle. Maybe she'll freeze up, have flashbacks, even potentially have small hallucinations now and again. It's going to take a lot of care and reassurance to get her to talk to you about it, but when she finally does, she'll probably have a complete meltdown with all the feelings she's been keeping inside.

Wyll: Wyll self isolates. He gets much quieter, and he probably isn't going to be too open to talking about it unless he's really close to you. He gets a little cold when talking to people, but he's good at resolving things in his head and the most likely to rationalize his feelings to make himself feel better. He also probably writes poetry, or even paints his feelings as a form of expressing his sorrows because he understands he needs some outlet so he isn't bottling everything up. He has the heart of an artist, and this is a hill I am prepared to die on.

Gale: He has a hard time talking when he's sad, and probably has difficulty making eye contact as well. He'd probably be more inclined to seek out comfort and vent than the rest of team tadpole, but that doesn't take away from the complexity of his emotions. He's angry, and sad, and feels so so shitty just about being who he is in general. He's fallen so far from where he once was, and for what? He'll do is best to rationalize, but his anxiety is going to push into paranoia, and rationalizing is going to turn into self loathing. He's going to try his best to be more useful, and show off, and earn the validation he craves because without that, what is he? He was a prodigy child. He used to be so, so great. Even the goddess of magic herself thought so. Now he's rotting away in a camp full of strangers and trying to re-learn level one spells. It's taking a toll on him, and it's noticeable to anyone willing to look.

Shadowheart: She's trying to pray. The goddess she has been devoted to all her life is the lady of loss. There is a great amount of sorrow in the way she worships, and in her suffering, she finds faith. She tells herself it's her next step to becoming a dark justiciar. Delving further into her faith and trusting in the dark depths of her soul, and her pain. All it ever truly does is make her hurt, though.

Lae'zel: Lae’zel is truly a specimen built on stoicism. If you ask her what's wrong, she will tell you but it will also be in such a way that you wonder if she's really processing all of her pain. The thing is, she's thinking about it. She has the emotional intelligence to understand the way she's feeling and how to fix it, but for some reason unknown to her, she can't. And that's what's going to stress her out and hurt her the most. She knows what theoretically should fix the pain, but it's not working the way that it should. She's going to wonder if it's something wrong with her, or the way she's going about it. She might get angry with other people more often, and try to project blame onto someone so that maybe she can find a way to resolve the way that it hurts. But she can't. She'll keep throwing temporary solutions and misplaced anger into the void until she finds something to distract from it. And maybe, after a lot of contemplation and positive outside help from the rest of team tadpole, she may find peace.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion #lae'zel #gale dekarios #karlach #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #team tadpole #angst #depressing shit #menatl health #trauma

[crossdressingdeath]

Thinking about the disappointing ending to Durge's personal quest and how they either go full villain or lose most of what makes them unique as a character and basically just become Tav, and like... since Durge's death and immediate resurrection adds nothing to the plot (and what with things like the companions not responding to it, there being no clear reason why Durge is able to do something that Withers specifically says breaks cosmology and Withers apparently being unable to resurrect Durge if they kill themself to defy Bhaal at the very end of the game for no apparent reason it actually causes a surprising number of problems in the writing), why couldn't the good ending just involve finding a way to stop Bhaal from interfering in their life rather than Bhaal killing them?

Here's one potential solution, just off the top of my head. All the other origins' personal quests have trade-offs, right? Durge is the only one with this perfect "you get everything you want with no downsides" sort of ending. So what if instead of Bhaal killing them and them immediately getting brought back, they had to make a deal with him? He sets them free, and in exchange they do something for him. I can't think of what the exact terms would be, maybe something like... I don't know, "You'll uphold the usual 'murder once a tenday' tenets of the Bhaalists and if you stop you're mine again" that wouldn't really do anything in the game itself but would become an issue afterwards (like Astarion losing the ability to walk in sunlight if he remains a spawn and Wyll losing his warlock powers if he breaks his contract)? But whatever the terms are the upshot is that Bhaal removes the Urge as a show of good faith and the party is allowed to leave freely. Maybe also add in something like Shar still harassing Shadowheart if she spares her parents, like... maybe Bhaal removing the Urge and agreeing not to force Durge into their apocalyptic destiny doesn't mean he can't try to convince them to do it of their own will, so he occasionally pops into their head and tries to push them in a more murdery direction in a less aggressive version of the Urge that can't directly take over them? Or possibly just. hurts them out of spite because as long as he doesn't do anything permanent or force them to harm anyone else he's remaining within the bounds of their agreement. And that way they remain a piece of Bhaal's divine gore with everything that entails, they're just not on Bhaal's leash anymore. And they've also agreed to do something pretty fucked up of their own (coerced) will in exchange for their freedom, so they don't retain the annoyingly spotless moral high ground of the canon end of redemption Durge's story where they selflessly die rather than become Bhaal's apocalypse-triggering Chosen again.

You could even keep that "I'd rather die than serve you" energy without actually pulling the trigger: since Durge is actually a part of Bhaal rather than just his child like other Bhaalspawn, maybe they'd have ammunition for forcing Bhaal to bargain with them that regular Bhaalspawn don't. Like, say... maybe since they're a part of Bhaal them being destroyed utterly would do a fair amount of damage to him (which may have something to do with why they can be resurrected despite that usually being impossible for Bhaalspawn), and—to keep Withers's involvement in the quest, since that's actually really fun and given his distaste for Bhaal makes sense—the death god they're palling around can help make that complete destruction happen. Under those circumstances it would be better for Bhaal to lose them as his Chosen and mess up that particular plan for total victory rather than continue to try to force them and weaken himself permanently! I think if nothing else all that wouldn't make less sense than the canon ending.

#bg3 #durge #and it could come up in the epilogue too #like... maybe durge is investigating the history of bhaalspawn looking for a way to free themself from bhaal entirely #maybe even an option to suggest they're looking for a way to use their connection to him to USURP him? #that could be fun