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nightmarist · 6 months

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Some Zevlor Things —

EDIT 12/2/23: Added a few more things

A fellow Tiefling Hellrider, Tilses, is with him in the caves acting as his bodyguard. He sometimes calls her Tilly.

There is one bedroll in the caves shoved off in the far corner with a book titled "The Devil You Know: An Autobiography" - not sure if it's his personal writing or if he's reading it, either way it adds to the flavor of his of his tiefling pride (and/or anguish).

It reads:

Have you ever had a god change your blood? It is a horrifying thing, even for those who may desire it. Yet few tieflings wished for Asmodeus to claim their bodies, only be given no choice in the matter. It is not as if we were well-loved before the archdevil's gambit. Our people have always struggled against the notion of 'devilkin', as if a single drop of infernal ichor inescapably corrupts. How amusing, when so many others willingly sell their souls to fiends, yet their culture as a whole escapes the blame. By what method can we redeem ourselves, when the crime is not ours? I would drive a blade into every warlock that aided Asmodeus' damned ritual, but personal vengeance cannot undo the will of a god, much less one as slippery as the Lord of Lies. When every passerby thinks you a thief and heretic, it is deeply tempting to become one. (cut off) The only thing that has stopped me is knowing Asmodeus wants nothing more than for all of us to fall from grace.

Around the his table are Invasion Plans for Elturgard, Traveler's Guide to Baldur's Gate, Traveler's Guide to the Sword Coast Vol IV: The Risen Road (which aligns when he tells you earlier there are gnolls on the road), and "Front and Center: a Thespian's Memoir" that reads:

"... in fact, the greatest joy of my life hasn't been acting, but becoming. When you choose a character to play, you don't just wear a mask - you take a little bit of their soul for your own. Whoever you are in your heart of hearts, if only by the faintest note."

Zevlor aside I think this is a sweet quote for the player and player character relationship <3

Dialogue in the Caves:

Zevlor: I Hardly need a bodyguard, Tilses. This isn't Avernus. Tilses: No sir. At least the monsters there looked like monsters.

—

Tilses: Commander— Zevlor: Just Zevlor, Tilly. We're civilians now, remember? Tilses: With respect, sir — being a Hellrider is for life. They can't take — Zevlor: They can, and did. Avernus changed things — best we get used to that. Tilses: ... Yes, Zevlor

—

Tilses: The Watch or the Flaming Fist? Zevlor: Pardon? Tilses: When we get to Baldur's Gate. Where are we enlisting? Zevlor: I'm done soldiering, Tilly. I'd like a clean start. But go with the Watch. You're too honest to be a mercenary.

—

Zevlor: No word from the scouts, yet? Tilses: No sir. But if there's a clear path past the goblins, they'll find it. Zevlor: Yes, of course.

ITEMS —

in the Chest there is a bronze goblet, 46 gold, and a battle-worn blade. On his person he has his gloves (Hellrider's Pride), an apple, a camp supply pack, and the key to his chest.

The blade says:

A fine by well-used sword. It seemed to have once belonged to a holy order, but the indication of rank and patron deity at the hilt have recently been filed down.

The gloves' flavor text says:

A waft of sulphur emanates from this proudly-kept piece.

Celebration at the Camp:

"I should be out there, talking with them. In... Just a moment, maybe." "Is this everyone? Our numbers have grown so few..." "No more. I can't afford to lose any more of them." "No. Let them have fun. I'll be ruining it come morning anyway."

Mindfayer Colony:

Things he mumbles in the Pod:

The pod will show you his memories of Elturel:

After saving Zevlor, I forced myself to pick the "mean" options just to see how it goes.

If you tell him its his fault tieflings were imprisoned in moonrise, he says:

If you tell him "Do yo have a right to ask?" when he asks about the tieflings:

He doesn't argue with any of your remarks except one, when he says "For a moment I welcomed it" and you tell him "For a moment until you realized your reward would be a tadpole" he corrects you:

If you tell him if he wanted power he should live up to his own ideal:

If you tell him to get out of your sight:

When you tell him it's not his fault he was enthralled:

If you tell him "Fine. Good luck, Zevlor."

If you say you could use another blade in the fight to come:

At the Netherbrain:

(smiling <3)

"The journey has been brutal, but I stand here a Hellrider once more, and I would die a proud man if I died this day."

I know it's a Soldier thing to be proud to die for a cause but it still makes me worry for him given his background so far <:]

If you click on him, he has two unvoiced lines:

if you pickpocket him at this point, he'll have the same items on him as before (in this save he has a carrot instead of an apple for me).

His stats at this time: (Steeped in Bliss is from one of my items)

Post Game (Patch 5)

I don't know if there are other permutations of this letter, yet, but this is what I received:

I hope my penmanship has improved somewhat in the past months. When I first stumbled into this city, I shook so badly that I could scarcely hold the soup the priests pressed into my hands - let alone write and thank you as you deserve. It is only when the city itself began to shake that I felt my hands grow still. Along with the other veterans sheltering at the temple - discards of Elturel's 'unworthy' legions - I watched that monstrosity rise over the city. We felt no fear. Only anger. Disgust. Purpose - and with it, power. I do not know what oath we cling to now, or how long it will last - but we shall use it to ensure that this city will not suffer as Elturel did. Whether it wants us or not. It is more than thanks alone I owe. No words can make amends for what I did to my people, but that is as it should be. More come to the temple every day to aid in the relief efforts, and if I am permitted to work alongside them, then I am content. Come and see us, when you can. Zevlor

It's interesting — if not bitterswet, tragic, and inspiring — to hear that Zevlor and other Paladins regained their Oaths via pure, stubborn devotion to saving people when it began to look as bad as Elturel.

#zevlor #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #act 1 spoilers #act 2 spoilers #bg3 spoilers #this man reeks of self loathing i want to bathe him in love and comfort #i also want him carnally #act 3 spoilers #bg3 meta

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walk-the-fade · 3 months

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Coming from DAi, Ive seen so many ppl write their inky as a kid or at youngest 18 bc it changes the dynamic between them and the party...

Has anyone done that/ considered how it would change the relationship with Tav?

Lae'zel being frustrated and terrified that her survival is dependent on a teenager. She's taking orders from someone barely old enough to know their way around life on a good day, but now finding her people and being purified fully hinges on this kid's survival and she will be damned if she doesn't die to protect them.

Wyll sees himself in them, wide eyed and terrified at 17 when he bound himself to a devil and his father cast him out. The gods are cruel for giving children their toughest battles. He's going to give them every piece of advice he has and pledge his blade to their cause.

Gale being even more hesistant to open about The Orb and Mystra and his condition because he thinks it's too much for them. They should be tucked away in a library, they should be walking through Baldur's Gate worried about trinkets and sweets and being home on time so they don't worry their mother... not tasked with saving Faerûn from a cult.

Astarion thinks its annoying at first. "Free" for the first time in 200 years. Illithid tadpole squirming in his head and he's stuck following a literal fetus in hopes of survival. Its laughable. He almost –almost– feels bad about having to feed from them, but young blood is always sweeter. And when they earn his approval he's bitter on their behalf. Forced to be a hero, some beacon of light before you've even explored life and it's simple pleasures? Appalling.

Karlach... oh boy Karlach burns hot when they tell her exactly how old they are. Its stupid- its unfair- ITS BULLSHIT quite honestly. The nickname Soldier becomes so much more. This kid doesn't give up. They can't, Mama K will do everything in her power to stop it. They need a friend in these tough times and shes more than willing to be that person. Gods....

Shadowheart is a little surprised, but she's the one that underestimates them the least, for sure. They're not that much older than when she was taken in by The Dark Lady and her followers. She knows that you become strong when you need to be. It may be unfair but that doesn't make them any less capable as long as they understand the task at hand. She will see to it that they stay on the right path. And when her faith shifts she realizes neither of them deserve to struggle.

As for Halsin, it makes his heart ACHE in his chest when someone so young comes to his rescue. His knee jerk reaction is that they need training, gudiance... protection. But he quickly realizes that's only half true. They are young sure, but they are not helpless. He will help them in anyway that he can whether it be in battle against The Absolute or by carving them little wooden animals while they sleep and leaving them in their tent. They deserve a little happiness amongst the chaos.

Minthara (assuming she has been recruited at Moonrise) is surprised more by the fact that they chose to show her mercy than by their age. Given her upbringing, survival and violence go hand in hand and if this kid has survived this long, faced power of absolute and survived? Than they are worthy of her respect, hands down. She may not always agree with their methods but she will certainly not hesistate to stand beside them.

#i would include jaheira and minsc but i dont know if i have much to say for minsc just bc i havent recruited him yet #teenage tav definitely makes Jaheira feel her fucking age though LMAO #shes been dealing with bhaal for way too fucking long its certainly not a childs job to clean up something shes been trying to fight for #several hundred years #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #tav #tav headcanons #teenage!tav #shadowheart #lae'zel #astarion #astarion ancunin #gale of waterdeep #minthara baenre #the druid halsin #halsin #karlach #wyll ravengard

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luniidae · 2 months

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~ A BIT OF ~

KINDNESS

Chapter IV

Note: Yay young Gortash !

Hi everyone! Here is a... Kind of a chill chapter ? To be honest, I wrote it to join two chapters together 🫣

____________________________________

Raphael didn't seem to be mad at Luvia. Anyways, he continued to treat her just the way he used to. He kept teaching her a whole bunch of things, from the history of the Hells to that of her disappeared people, and even poetry. Korilla (who was in charge of teaching her the practice of magic) sometimes took pleasure in teasing Raphael about it.

"Is everything alright with Luvia ?", the dwarf asked.

"Assuredly. She's very perceptive and attentive. I must admit that I look forward to see how things will be going", the devil replied, his voice slightly filled with satisfaction and excitement.

Korilla chuckled and the cambion raised an eyebrow, looking at her.

"What is so funny, Korilla ?", he asked.

"It seems like you've grown attached to her over time."

His eyes widened, as if he didn't want to admit it.

"Don't be ridiculous....", then he paused for a few seconds before adding, "How did you make this conclusion though ?"

He was staring at her, a hand leaning on a piece of his desk, the other on his hip, waiting for her explanation.

"I didn't know poetry was useful to conquer the Hells", she said with a grin.

Raphael was keeping his eyes on her, expressionless, as if he was looking for a proper answer he eventually didn't find. He took a deep breath and turned on his heels without saying a word, vexed.

Korilla chuckled.

"You'd be surprised by the power of the words...", he finally said.

"Oh I have no doubt"

Meanwhile, in the corridors....

For his part, Enver had recovered from his lynching session, as he always did.... But it wasn't that bad thanks to Luvia. That wouldn't stop Nubaldin from beating him again, but at least this time she maybe had avoided him the worst.

Luvia didn't approach him anymore, but he could briefly see her from the corner of his eyes from time to time, observing him from a distance. She may thought he didn't notice her... He missed their little interactions though. The food she used to bring him was always more than welcome, but most of all, he eventually got used to her presence.

He wondered why she was there though, in this so-called "House of Hope". Was she really Raphael's daughter ? It was strange to him as the cambion seemed to love no one but himself.

But he didn't plan to stay long enough to find out. Enver was smart; "too" smart according to his parents, those very same who had not hesitated to sell him to the devil. He would pay them a visit someday.... All he had to do was to find a way out.

The young boy already had the occasion to see the mirrors room. He had observed them and had seen the worlds through them.

Waterdeep, Neverwinter, Luskan..... And of course.... Baldur's Gate. This is where he once lived, and he was determined to get back there. He would prove to the entire city, and the world, that you wouldn't get rid of him that easily.

Enver smirked at this thought, thinking about his escape, imagining his parent's face when he'd come back. All of this sounded fabulous.

But he had not the time to think any further about it since he noticed someone 3 meters away from him: Luvia. She was standing there, facing him without a word or expression, but her scarlet eyes looked friendly, almost compassionate.

Enver didn't know how long she's been there, but he said nothing. It's been about two weeks since what happened in the prison..

But something had changed since their last encounter. She looked confident, or resigned.

After a few seconds, Enver decided to break the silence.

"You're supposed to stay away from me"

She seemed about to say something, but instead, she assuredly headed towards him and took him in her arms. The young girl couldn't believe she was doing that, but she didn't have the occasion to apologize for what happened to him because of her. And maybe she would never have the opportunity to do it.

Enver's breath got cutted by surprise. He didn't give the hug back, but it didn't stop her from holding him tight against her.

"I am sorry", she finally whispered in his ear.

That was the first time he heard her voice. It was soft and calm, and so different from what he used to hear. Enver was usually surrounded by the Eternal debtors and his jailor. Between the cries of despair or madness from ones and the barks from the other, there was no place for kindness and yet....

It was also pleasant to feel another kind of "grip" for once, he thought.

Luvia could sense his bones through his clothes, and he could feel her little heart beating against him. That sounded weird to him.... He wasn't used to that kind of proximity with anyone. Even with his parents.

Suddenly, she took a step back when she heard Nubaldin in the distance. She didn't want Enver to be punished because of her again... She was scared of the gnome, but she hated him more. She hadn't forgotten his expression while he was beating the young boy before her, how he seemed to have enjoyed it more than he should have. She was hoping to make him pay someday...

The jailor arrived in Enver's back, barking as always.

"Hey shithead, you...", the gnome stopped himself and talked in a softer tone, which surprised his prisoner as it was very unusual from him, "Oh, Milady", he made a little bow, "My apologies, I hope you haven't been bothered by this...", he was looking for the right words but didn't find anything correct to say,".... Anyway, it won't happen again"

"You're the only one who's bothering me right now", she cutted him sharply.

Enver and Nubaldin both looked at her with astonishment. None of them was expecting her to say that... And to be honest, Luvia didn't either.

She happened to hear Raphael talking like this sometimes, and she had noticed the effect it had on people. She wanted to try it too.

Nubaldin went pale, "Of course Milady, I beg your pardon"

The young girl restreinted herself from smiling whereas she felt a pleasant feeling. She could almost understand Raphael, it gave her a sensation of.... Power ? Authority. That was a somewhat vague subject to her but it seemed to work somehow.

But.... What was next ? What was she supposed to say after that ? Her brief moment of glory quickly vanished at this question.

Luvia did her best to keep her calm and started to look for something to say.

"Aren't you able to speak to him without yelling ?", she asked rethorically.

"I.... Well, yes, I suppose...", he answered, frustrated and looking at Enver from the corner of his eyes, "But, you know... I'm not but a servent to my Lord and Raphael gave me specifical instructions for.."

"Does it imploy to be as noisy as possible ?", she continued.

Nubaldin looked annoyed. He didn't like Luvia. Not only because she was another child to handle, but mostly because of her sufficient look. He didn't understand why she was so important to his master. To him, she was nothing but another arrogant little brat.

"Should I report to Raphael that his beloved daughter disobeyed him again ?"

"What do you mean ? I was on my way to my chamber", she said, frowning.

"Maybe....", he said shrugging his shoulders, "Or maybe not. After all, I just arrived and you two were here.... Together. And if I remember well, Raphael wasn't really happy about it the last time".

Nubaldin knew that Luvia admired his boss as much as she was scared of his wrath.

Enver could sense her frustration. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her eyes even began to glow for a moment, but she remained inflexible.

"That's what I thought", he added with a satisfied grin, then he looked at the boy, "You, with me. I'm not done with you yet, you bastard".

Enver wanted to fight back, he couldn't bear to be treated like that by this idiot. But he needed to keep a low profil if he wanted to have a chance to escape. He couldn't risk having his surveillance reinforced because of a misstep, so he followed the gnome without any protest.

Luvia wanted to smile at him, to make him know he wasn't alone, that she cared. She really did. But her anger towards Nubaldin was so strong she couldn't feel anything else at this very moment.

She looked at him go without a word and ended up losing sight of them.

She stayed in the corridors for a few seconds, thinking about what just happened, and what could happen to the young boy.

Anyways, she looked forward to grow up to show Nubaldin who he was dealing with...

To be continued....

Bonus:

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #fantasy #video games #art #artists on tumblr #digital art #bg3 raphael #bg3 oc #bg3 fanart #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 spoilers #bg3 enver gortash #lord gortash #young gortash #bg3 house of hope

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animentality · 2 months

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You can ignore this if you want, as it’s not necessarily of your interest. I just had to complain somewhere outside the echo chamber of my mutuals and you’re a reasonable person.

The change they made for Gale devalues his entire companion quest. It is a roleplaying game, and sometimes you have to make decisions and sacrifices in an epic story to get something you want.

And if you want Gale in your party, you have to “put up with” giving him like a maximum of 3 magical items for the first arc. Are you truly bothered by it, you can pick him up a little later and then just go and meet Elminster. And then he is out of your hair for the rest of the game. There is an abundance of magical items in the Baldur’s Gate 3 universe. Not to mention that most magical gear you find in arc 1 will be out-levelled quickly as hell anyway. But having to be Oh So Kind and give him the scraps of your loot is too much?

Then get someone else in your party ig. You can literally respec anyone into a wizard if you need that so desperately for arc 1. Sell the useless magic crap that doesnt fit any of your builds and you have the money.

But it was so annoying that Larian had to make it optional.

(And i admit that either my game bugged a lot, or there was/is a need to gently alter his programmed behaviour as to not run away the second you ask him to wait once (happened twice for me, but i suspect its a bug from what ive seen) and that can be annoying. But giving him a reasonable condition for staying is not bad. And idk how he acts outside of the party, but I would guess you have to deal even less with that if he’s just at camp for the first arc.)

No, I fully agree.

And I say this as someone who didn't like Gale initially. Not so much for the magical items thing, but more because every time he died, he'd leak necrotic all over me.

But Larian making the companions nicer in general, like...let them be toxic?

It makes them more interesting.

More real. Of course Lae'zel is going to be rude, she's been trained to be a cold and heartless warrior. Of course Gale is going to be rude, he will die without magical items, and he has a chronic condition that leaves him in pain most of the time?

Like don't change these things, short of fixing weird bugs, of course, just because you think the players don't like certain characterizations.

Stick to your guns!!

Also feel free to whine about anything in my inbox! I love a good whine. I love when people actually engage critically with media they like.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #dark urge #enver gortash #durgetash

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wachtelspinat · 4 months

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Ok this is personal you don't have to answer this publicly unless you really want to... (Long time fan of your work, you basically got me on tumblr because I saw your work featured on the Rockstar fanwire thing they had back in the day and ive been hooked ever since. Your art got me into the Junkers in a big big way as wel...) Might I suggest peeking at Astarion from Baldur's Gate if you haven't already? I know... I know... On the surface I was very dubious because he is such a prettyboy elf (the opposite of my taste) and he is so stuck up besides... but the more you learn about him, the more you find out what a miserable little rat of a man he is and always has been... Gremlin man. His beauty and misplaced sense of arrogance is basically all he has going for him. I just honestly think you would find him amusing considering your past tastes. Also he is incredibly well written and is canonically pansexul. Anyway, thanks even just for reading! ILU NO MATTER WHAT!!!

hey there ! ohh god the rockstar fanwire... that was so wild... being exposed to gamers with your fanart is kinda... well. but glad that you stayed, really appreciate it ! and ah yes yes, astarion... i'm really digging the fanart i've been seeing, he seems like a fun, well-written character. i'm kind of very jealous of everyone who's able to play bg3... i have neither the equipment nor the time to venture into sth that huge rn.

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astarionenthusiast · 2 months

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vaguely baldur’s gate related meal planning

hi guys

something to know about vienna is that i am a poor college student with a money spending problem, and something that i do to try and be better at that is meal planning

this week i was feeling very uninspired because i was kind of sick of cycling through the same things every week. i’m just getting out of what i think was my first super major depressive episode- i didn’t attend class for almost three weeks, i’ve been oversleeping AND undersleeping depending on the day, ive been late to work- it has been rough.

fortunately my teachers have all been very forgiving, and since i was feeling like that was getting back on track i decided next i had to start eating like a normal person again. i decided to take inspiration from the one thing that kept me talking to people through this episode: baldur’s gate.

i picked six characters, a different one every day (i eat at my parents’ on sundays) and picked dinners based on their vibes. i have no basis for these other than my own thoughts. shoutout to @marstarion for helping me pick some of these out- i’ll be updating every day :)

most of what i bought is from trader joe’s, that’s my favorite grocery store because they’re so good at single-serve meals. a couple things are from walmart but i can specify what is if it’s needed!

monday: halsin - steak pie and salad

sorry this isn’t the most clear picture- it was taken from a video hehe. anyways, when thinking of what to have for halsin’s i was immediately drawn to something cozy and hearty. he’s a big softie while simultaneously being a fierce fighter, and for some reason the vibe landed me at these steak and stout pies from tj’s. something about them just feels so quintessentially halsin to me. they were super yummy and a 10/10 in my book.

if there was anyone to include a salad with it was OBVIOUSLY going to be our favorite archdruid! there weren’t any flavors that jumped out as distinctly halsin to me so i went with avocado ranch. i normally like any salad but i didn’t super enjoy this one- the dressing tasted too earthy which is i guess in character for halsin but i didn’t really enjoy it. this one is like a 3/10 because it ended up clogging our sink too.

#vienna speaks #halsin <3 #vienna sillies #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldur’s gate

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kyndaris · 8 months

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Blessed Mother

The Diablo series has always had a soft spot in my heart ever since I played the second game back when I was 12 at the behest of a few school friends. Yes, it was MA15+ and I probably shouldn’t have been playing it at that age but I managed to convince my father to buy me it, one of a thousand cherished memories that I had with him, because I was already hooked on Blizzard’s other games: Warcraft and Starcraft. So began my descent into the terrifying world of Sanctuary and humanity’s quest to purge the evils that stalk its land.

Unlike its other major franchises, Diablo is an action role-playing game. Or, ARPG for short. But for many, it’s known as the one game that helps most people develop repetitive strain injury (RSI) because of the constant clicking that goes throughout the gameplay.

Diablo IV continues in this vein as very little of the core gameplay has changed. The playable character moves around by clicking the mouse to a specific spot on the map. The playable character attacks by clicking on enemies. Occasionally, one can mix it up with a variety of other skills by pressing something on the number pad.

That is, of course, if you play Diablo IV on the computer. The controls might be a little different on consoles but I’ve always found that the best way to play isometric click-heavy ARPGs on computer.

Besides, I didn’t get a heavy-duty PC just to write my stories. I mean, yes, that is the primary purpose but not the sole reason. I do use it occasionally to play video games that seem best suited for the PC. Why, just recently, I even bought an external SSD to possibly install Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield because these games require an SSD. And while my PC does have an SSD installed, since I bought my PC about five years ago, the storage on it is only about 256GB with quite a bit of it taken up by...well...normal PC function.

How was I supposed to know that game development would go towards SSD? I’m not a TECH expert with a pulse on the ground when it comes to new technology although my work colleagues think differently.

Anyways, back to the game at hand: Diablo IV.

While I was excited to re-enter the world of Sanctuary following the events of Diablo III and the interesting premise promised by the trailers regarding Lilith, it is my personal opinion that opening up the world only served to damage the game. While some might enjoy having an open world to explore, I personally found the countless cellars and dungeons repetitive. With level scaling and how quickly I managed to level up to 50, much of Diablo IV felt much the same. Especially when I’d unlocked all the skills that could fill my skill hotbar.

True, I could have respecced my character but there wasn’t much need for it with my storm wolf druid. It was an effective DPS machine and with the added ability to fortify at the end, I was essentially unkillable in the lower world tiers. Especially when I began to be level past the recommend threshold.

Open worlds, it must be said, used to be one of my favourite game builds. However, as worlds have become larger with needless collectibles to fill out the world, they have also become some of my most hated elements because I’m a compulsive explorer - always desperate to check out the next nook or cranny in case of side quests or something interesting. Diablo IV proved infuriating in this respect as it had so many side quests but no way to track the ones you’d completed except with a ?/45 on the world map. This made knowing which side quests I’d completed difficult to keep track of and figure out which ones I was still missing.

For a completionist such as myself, it was a nightmare.

Even as I attempted to get most of the blue exclamation marks that I could find. It doesn’t help that they also only appear if you’re in that particular segment of the map, which makes it even harder to mop out unless I decided to hop between fast travel portals.

Despite this, I can see why the developers decided to go for an open world. After all, Diablo end-game (at least from 3 onwards) has always been about collecting the best gear and becoming stronger than you were before. Slap on live-service with battlepass and it’s a winning formula to become an endless grind quest.

A part of me almost wanted to shake the developers and have them turn the franchise into a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) for it appears to be the direction that the franchise is going. Should it go down this route, I’d also be happy for it to ditch the isometric focus on the ground.

Alternatively, Activision Blizzard, you could also scale it back down. At least for the story segments and have it opened up afterwards. I much prefer the more compact nature of Diablo II, where I was free to explore the map of the immediate area, kill all the enemies it contained and be awed by the majesty of how large the world COULD be rather than be faced with all the open space and respawning enemies. Which, also, only seem to attack the playable character rather than have any real conflict amongst themselves.

Are you honestly telling me that the demons and the snake cultists wouldn’t fight each other or the hellspawn-esque willdlife?

Honestly, I pity the people still alive on Sanctuary. It’s clear that they can get nothing done without being mobbed by an endless amount of bandits, goatmen, cultists and demons.

Yes, it works from a gameplay perspective but it SUCKS from a world-building perspective. The people of Sanctuary might as well give up and succumb to the end if all they have to look forward to is being eaten alive by cannibals that are just outside their gates.

Now, most of my readers, and friends, would know that I love myself a good story. And Diablo IV delivered it, especially at the start. Lilith’s arrival in Sanctuary was suitably chilling and the prologue with the people at Nevesk laid the ground work for what I had hoped would be an interesting throughline of the greyness that encompasses real-life morality and perhaps have the playable character struggle with the implications of ingesting Lilith’s blood.

But did we get any of that?

No. No, we didn’t.

The playable character serves as a patsy to link up the other main characters: Lorath, Donan and Nyrelle. It is never explained why the playable character is so strong, tearing through demons left, right and centre as they traipse through Estuar (the eastern continent of Sanctuary). Or how they seem able to resist the influence of Lilith’s blood in their veins. Even Lorath is amazed at their mental fortitude but it’s never truly explored. I never see my character waver in their convictions although there is a scene where they confess to Nyrelle that they have flaws.

WHERE ARE THESE FLAWS? All that the playable character does is help out those that need it and shout defiance at the demons of Hell.

I would have preferred a story with more player choice and to see us grapple with the consequences of our actions. Instead, most of the major decisions were made by other characters and the player character was simply along for the ride as the hired muscle.

It would have been far more interesting to me if we could have chosen to follow Lilith rather than stop her and allow Mephisto to do what he will upon Sanctuary. I mean, with that ending, there is little doubt in my mind that the world will be drenched in Hatred. A rather frightening prospect although it’s no different to the world we live in today. And while we fight amongst ourselves, the world as we know it steps ever closer to the edge with climate change wreaking havoc.

Let it be known that our current civilisation was laid low by our own hubris and the fact that we had grown fat and indolent on greed that thinking to change our ways to ensure our own survival came second to materialistic objects.

But enough of the doom and gloom! Diablo IV!

Personally, while I am fascinated with the lore of the Diablo franchise, this recent game left me wanting. I would have much preferred a more engaging story where the playable character didn’t sit on the sidelines as the other characters decided the fate of the world. In fact, I’d have rather a slow-burn corruption story where we step off the path of the lawful good and accept the lesser-evil to save Sanctuary.

Or perhaps have us turn away from the Light entirely and fight against the Heavens for their callous disregard of humans.

At this point, I probably have a corruption kink.

Wait. What are you doing?

No. Don’t look at that!

...

Okay, yes. Voldemort x Hermione Granger and Voldermort x Harry Potter are a few of the things that I like to peruse on the odd occasion. No, I won’t explain myself.

All right. Where were we? Ah, right. BALANCE!

For all its talk of balance, Diablo IV very much likes to paint things in black and white. Lilith, the Mother of Sanctuary, has an evil plan to cull the weak. As such, we must stop her even if it would open us up to the Greater Evils. Elias, because he brought the Mother back, is also evil despite his intention to save Sanctuary because of the ongoing threat.

As for the Angels, well, they’ve all apparently abandoned humanity. They might not have voted to destroy Sanctuary but they are doing nothing to combat the threat of the Greater Evils in the world.

Tyrael, a mainstay of the last two games, is absent in Diablo IV and its difficult to understand why.

In any case, if Activision Blizzard ever saw fit to paint out a little more of the world, I would have liked to play a game where the playable character deals with the corruption of the Zakarum by Mephisto.

Or maybe if we finally saw a few demons turn to the light.

Why is it that angels can fall but demons remain forever in the depths of Hell?

Despite quite a few gripes regarding Diablo IV, I still enjoyed the majority of the game. My only wish was that it was more concise without so many open-world shenanigans thrown in to elongate the longevity of the game. Yes, there will be a large group of people that will enjoy the end-game portion of it, but for those that thrive on story, the open world proves to be detrimental to one’s enjoyment. Especially when the world is so utterly grim.

And I think the wider question that needs to be asked is if Sanctuary ought to be saved or not.

#video games #diablo iv #lilith #mephisto #should the franchise be renamed mephisto?#nyrelle #lorath #donan #the cycle of war

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bookwyrminspiration · 4 months

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You are like a book character thats just. Yeah what did i expect from a name like that bnfjfjfjf

Yo on the reading tho!?? I feel the revitalized pjo interest im staring at my pjo books like. Soon soon i will get to u (THO IM MISSING A FEW OF THEM AND I DONT KNOW WHERE THEYVE GONE. THEYVE BEEN STOLEN I SWEAR) i actually have been trying to read actual books again and!!! I finished one finally!!! Only took me like a month bmgkfkfk i finished call down the hawk and my local library is ab to murder me for how long ive had it-

Dude okay so i work at a movie theater right and ive wanted to see boy and the heron so badly ive just been so busy im staring at it and like ten other movies like pls i need free time. Other than that i got baldurs gate 3 and have been wandering through a world download for a minecraft series i like. And im once again cursed by my inability to finish fics so my solution is write all of it then post and now i have like two 15k wips just sitting in my notes app ive been trying to finish for like two years T-T

I've read so many books I've started to become them, and honestly? There are worst fates. I think I'd make a good like...wise character. Like the one the main character goes to when they have a question and I pull on information I don't explain how I got and set them on their quest or something. Or they discover a cursed magic item and they're like, well Quil probably knows something useful. And then I do.

Anyway! Congrats on the reading! I actually did so much reading, writing, and drawing the past week that I gave myself a headache three days in a row. Like I legit had to just sit for an hour yesterday doing nothing. I've been meaning to read Call Down the Hawk since it came out--I actually started it back then, but for some reason I only got to the part right after the crabs(?) in the dorm where Ronan gets kicked out, and then cries(?) in the garden(?). But I fully intend to return to it, I love the world of trc. And Ronan's my favorite. so.

and the pjo thing!! i've been blasting through them at the rate of about one a day just like oh my god I forgot how much I loved these. the writing style is just so fun. currently half-way through mark of athena, but I had to stop because I do this thing every year where the first book I read is a twilight book for shits and giggles, so I gotta finish life and death before I go back to it (i'm already about 3/4ths of the way done so not a huge detour).

Oh right the boy and the heron! I forgot I mentioned that--I saw it yesterday! I'll admit it did contribute to my headache, because big bright screen in a dark room is...not great. my laptop gives me headaches sometimes, but anyway. I don't think it's my favorite ghibli film, but it had a draw to it. it's quite beautiful, and it's thought provoking in its way. very ghibli-esque.

bg3!! I haven't played myself (doesn't seem my kind of game), but I will admit I did have a few moments of just being enraptured by astarion. which is so cliche of me, but what can I say? his dialogue was funny.

good luck with all of your fics though--I've got a handful that are just waiting to be edited before I post them. but the wings au and then gift exchanges took precedent, so they've been sitting a while. but! those are over now! so I plan to edit and finally post them soon. I've also got this kotlc book 1 but from fitz's pov project in the works I'm very excited to return to :)

anyway, it is very nice to hear from you tater!! giving you the biggest high five rn o7 spicy gatorade or something

#quil's queries #a-lonely-tatertot #long post #fun fact life and death is like the only twiIight book I haven't fully read before #i've read the ending but that's it #it's nearly identical (except for the ending). it's just a genderbend #and it is. wow it's an experience #though it did affirm my gender a little out of nowhere???#one of the minor characters is named quil. and this new she/her quil is the only one who's name stayed identical #everyone else their pronouns and name changed to something else starting with the same letter #but not quil #so. name so gender neutral even smeyer acknowledges it #although there are fewer q names in the first place. but there are others. like quinn #anyway

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gamingdotcom · 6 months

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the tag guide

tags made for you! #bg3 / #astarion posting - for baldur's gate 3 and posts about astarion, respectively #the durgening - for my bg3 dark urge playthrough liveblogging experience #tboi - binding of isaac #gamerdome - anything gaming related at all #long post - i assume this has largely been made unnecessary but just in case #SI - anything with suicidal ideation

tags made equally for me and you #on the docket tonight - bit i do where i post ~2-3 songs a day, usually whatever ive been focused on that day. #recipes - from my personal stash and found #art - literally any art. if i forget to tag art as art its because i didnt think about it not bc i dont consider it art #poems - poetry, made and found

tags made for me that you might get something out of anyway #feelings / #locket - posts that make me feel very strong emotions, locket is specifically something i want to keep close to my heart and meditate on #tick tock - stuff that makes me think/want to think more about #click - posts of all time. to me. its like a photo album you see #ref / #art ref / #web ref / #practical ref - for references of various types.

anddd i think that's everything! if you want me to tag other stuff please please let me know! happy browsing :>

#save

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the-girl-in-the-box · 3 years

Text

Can You Imagine? IV

A/N: Oof. This chapter was really fun to write, especially beginning to explore Freydis's abilities more, and whereas I wasn't too sold on the last chapter, I REALLY feel good about this one! Ivar didn't have to face up to much of what he'd done in Kattegat during Season 6, and as much as I love him... He's facing up to it now. It's not too easy to earn the forgiveness of someone you killed, after all, is it? I hope you enjoy :) Skål!

Summary: Freydis was dead. At least, when she’d lost consciousness, she’d been sure she was. But now she has woken up in a cold, sterile environment, one she is certain is not Valhalla, and the world as she once knew it has changed. People now have strange abilities, some of them, and people they call ‘scientists’ are trying to give them to her. The bigger issue, though, is the fact they have also woken the very man who killed her. Ivar the Boneless lives again as well, in the same way Freydis does, and if they want to survive… she may have to learn to trust him again.

Masterlist

The Moment of Adrenaline

What followed was not at all something the spectators had expected to see. They had expected a joyful reunion, husband and wife reunited when her life had been cut short. Of course, had the story of Freydis’s death been truthful, had she really died in the Siege of Kattegat as a casualty of war, then this would have been true.

Those watching this hadn’t known that Ivar was the one who killed her. They were found in the same tomb, buried as husband and wife, and the truth died with Hvitserk. All that was known was that Freydis had sacrificed her life for Kattegat. It made sense that, instead of this, Freydis and Ivar should have been thrilled to be together once more.

However, now she was facing the door again, instead of running to him, and pounding on it, begging to be released. It seemed she had even forgotten what she could do, that if she wanted to, she could pull the door from its hinges with a flick of her wrist.

When the door didn't open, Freydis felt her heart sinking into her stomach. She was well and truly stuck in here with him. Finally, she turned, looking at him with wide eyes. From the way her chest rose and fell, he could see she was panicking. So, he lifted his hands and began to approach her as one approached a wounded animal.

"Freydis, I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "I swear, I won't hurt you again."

"Liar!" Freydis shouted back. "You killed me, Ivar! How am I supposed to believe you now? You killed me, and you killed our baby!"

The two spoke in Old Norse, and those watching behind the mirrors began to look to each other confusedly. Only Professor Andersen understood a word of what they said, and his eyes widened at the revelation. They'd just proven about a million history books wrong.

"I know, I know," Ivar said. Every step he took, her breathing became faster and harder. So, he paused, and watched her movements instead. He needed her to calm down before something went wrong.

The truth was, though he knew what powers were given to him, he couldn't be sure what they had given to her. It was very likely that she had something different. After all, he'd been told he could see her if she survived her experiments and tests. They'd had next to no doubt that he would survive.

And, try as he might, they wouldn't hear of him trading experiments with her. He had begged to see her before they did anything to her, in case she didn't survive, and he had begged to take what they were giving her, begged for them to give to her what they wanted to give to him. After all, after what he'd done to her, he knew she was the one who deserved to survive this. He was the one who should sacrifice himself for her.

It didn't seem Freydis knew any of this, though- not that it would make up for what he had done, not in either of their minds. He'd killed her, and even sacrificing his life now to save hers wouldn't undo that. He doubted if anything could undo that betrayal of her love and her trust.

That didn't mean he wouldn't try to earn it back, if he could. Even if he had to fight tooth and nail to earn it back, he would.

But what Ivar didn't know, was that Freydis hadn't loved him when she betrayed him. Far from it, she had come to hate him. Even now, she hated him. The betrayal that turned her against him was his decision concerning Baldur. That hadn't been his decision to make alone, and it wouldn't have been one she'd have ever agreed to anyway. Then again, perhaps that was exactly why he made it alone. Perhaps he preferred to beg her forgiveness, rather than to ask for her permission.

Whatever it was, he knew that gaining her trust would not be easy, not now, and he might never have her love again. The part of his mind that rarely let him rest whispered that he didn't deserve to, and he knew it was right. No man who would kill his wife deserved her forgiveness.

Clearly, she was having the same thoughts, as she had finally seemed to realize he didn't mean to hurt her, regardless of what he did mean to do. The fear in her eyes slowly turned to that of confusion, as she looked over him from head to toe, and then her eyes slowly returned to his eyes.

"How are you standing here?" she asked him. "Your legs, they should be breaking."

"It is whatever..." He waved his hand about, not having a word for it in their tongue. "Serum they gave me. It healed my body, Freydis."

She held up a hand, and closed her eyes, almost looking as though he'd just slapped her. "Do not speak to me as if you know me," she hissed out. "You have lost that right."

"I do know you, though," he said. "I'm the only one here who does."

Freydis laughed bitterly, looking at him and crossing her arms. "Is that true?" she questioned. He knew that tone in her voice, the sort that warned him he was treading on thin ice. "What do I prefer to drink with my evening meals?"

Ivar blinked a few times. "Ale," he said, as if it were obvious.

"Mead," she corrected. "You preferred ale. What was my favorite color, before?"

"Red."

"It was blue. You favored red."

He swallowed thickly, feeling no small amount of nerves coursing through him. "Freydis," he said quietly.

"Don't."

As her eyes connected with his, he saw that strength returning to her. The very strength that he'd seen in her eyes when she looked at him, and confessed to letting Björn, Hvitserk, and their army into Kattegat. He shifted on his feet.

"You never knew me, Ivar. I knew you, but you did not know me. I did everything for you, and what did you give me in return? You gave me a throne, but you made it miserable to sit in."

"I loved you," he replied. "That was all I could give."

The once Queen laughed, and shook her head. "You say you loved me, but I am not sure you did. I think you believed you did, but you loved how I loved you. Can you truly kill someone you love?"

Flashes of blonde hair, a bloody battlefield, axes and swords, slipped quickly through Ivar's mind. Two brothers, lying on the ground, gone. He had killed Sigurd, he had killed Björn, and he had killed Freydis.

His eyes refused to meet hers, proving- if nothing else- that he felt a deep shame for what he had done. That was three he had killed, three of the people he had loved most dearly. And he'd even asked her once if he should kill Hvitserk, who he may have loved most of his brothers, in the end. Hvitserk, who returned to his side, and stayed by his side, after all he had done. He'd been the only one.

"I did love you," Ivar said, nodding a little as if reminding himself of that. "I still do."

Now, it was Freydis who swallowed. "Part of me wants to believe you," she said. "Part of me does. You even told me, before you killed me, that a part of you would always love me. So perhaps that is why I believe you do love me now. Or that a part of you does. But you must know I have lost my love for you."

Finally, his eyes did return to hers, and he almost wished they'd still been as cold as they'd been only a few moments ago. Instead, he found that they were sorrowful, and she was approaching him. He could almost picture that dress she'd been wearing when he killed her, her hair pulled back in that braid, as she walked.

He blinked again, and he realized he actually did see that, that he saw them in Kattegat once more. She cupped his cheek, and he blinked a few times as he looked into her eyes. “You left my heart in that forest with Baldur,” she whispered.

Ivar's eyes widened a little as he looked into hers, and he began to pant softly. "Freydis," he breathed, looking away from her and back to Kattegat. "How did you- how are we...?"

"How are we what?" she questioned, watching Ivar curiously. He looked up at her with a confused expression, and she only mirrored it.

"How are we in Kattegat?" he asked her.

She gave a slight chuckle, and answered, "We have always been in Kattegat, Ivar. But you cannot stay."

Ivar looked around, and when she chuckled darkly, he looked back to her again. "Freydis..." he began warningly, and her chuckles turned into laughter as the doors burst open.

Björn and Hvitserk entered the room, which he knew to be the Great Hall of the longhouse he'd grown up in, and he stepped back.

"Thank you, Freydis," Hvitserk said, and smirked as he approached and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his hand resting on her back.

"You've delivered him to us as you said," Björn commented with a smirk. "And now, we will deliver him to you."

Freydis smirked as well, a dark look in her eye, as she turned and wrapped her arms around Hvitserk's waist. "Thank you," she said. "I look forward to seeing him burn. Or perhaps we should tie him up, leave him to starve in the forest as he did Baldur."

Hvitserk chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Whatever you wish, sweet Freydis," he said.

Ivar was backing away from Björn , who was steadily encroaching on him as Freydis began to laugh, until pain shot through his body from one kick from his brother. His leg broke, and as he fell to the ground, Björn made sure to break his other leg as well. "No escape for you, Boneless," he growled. "Not this time." He could barely see Freydis looking up at Hvitserk, could barely see his brother kissing her, his wife, before his eyes were drawn to the sword Björn pointed at him. The sword slid into his chest and made Ivar gasp, which drew the attention of Hvitserk and Freydis, the latter of whom finally pulled away from the former to approach him. Björn moved away, sheathing his sword, as Freydis got to her knees and cupped his cheek.

When he reached up to cup hers, she caught his wrist, and twisted his arm so that he cried out, unable to stop her as he grew weaker. "I look forward to seeing your body hang from a tree," she hissed out, and the world went black.

Things suddenly shifted, and Freydis was standing right in front of him, looking up at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. She seemed angry, and perhaps a little amused, though the look in his eyes could only be described as confusion and fear.

"How?" he managed, looking back around the small room he'd been allowed into so he could see her. "How did you-?"

"I showed you your worst fear," she said, and smirked. "Admittedly, I doubt Hvitserk would have killed me. He wasn't the one who killed Thora after all, was he?"

Ivar blinked a few times as he looked at her, shaking his head. "Freydis..." he said once more. "Why would you show me this?"

She gave a small shrug before answering, "Because I wanted to know. And, if I am entirely honest, because you deserved it."

"I-?" he managed, shaking his head. "I am not sure that is my worst fear. Not now. Now, that is a nightmare, but it is not my worst fear."

Freydis looked at him with a slightly curious expression, and she lifted her hand. "Shall we see what is your worst fear, then?" she asked. "I would be happy to do so..."

Red smoke began to slip out of her fingers, and he watched as her eyes turned red. Whatever power they had given her struck terror into his heart, and he was almost entirely sure his worst fear was already playing out before him. The one woman who had every reason to hate him now had powers beyond that of any Völva, and could possibly kill him with a flick of her wrist. He was entirely reliant on her mercy.

"Freydis," he said, again lifting his hands in a show of surrender. "You do not want to do this, hm? You don't want to kill me."

Rage overtook her, and she screamed out, "You do not know what I want!" A flick of the wrist and he flew back into the wall, a harsh thud sounding throughout the room as he hit it, and fell to the ground. "You are the last person who knows! You took everything from me, Ivar! You took my son, my love, my people! Do you want to know what I want?"

She crouched down in front of him, looking him in the eye as the red faded from hers, and the smoke retreated into her hand once more. "I want it all back." Her voice cracked as she spoke, and her eyes began to water. "I want our son, I want our lives, I want our love back," she whispered. "But you destroyed it all." Her finger jabbed him in the chest, right where Björn’s sword had driven through his heart in the vision she had shown him. "I cannot have any of those things now, Ivar. You killed our son, our love, and you killed me. I can never trust you after what you did. Just as you knew you would never again trust me."

She had claimed just a few moments ago that he didn't know her, but Ivar knew that wasn't quite true. Perhaps he hadn't known her favorite drink, or her favorite color, and perhaps he should have, but he did know the look on her face, the sound in her voice, when her heart was breaking. Or, more accurately, when her heart was broken.

His hand came up to cup her cheek, wanting to comfort her, but she pulled away before he could touch her. "Don't do that," she said quietly, her voice strained. "Don't."

With that, she stood, and walked to the door. He watched as she now opened it, with what he could only describe as her magic. One thought was constantly echoing through his mind as he watched her go, his heart pounding, blood rushing in his ears.

He was lucky to be alive.

Taglist: @youbloodymadgenius, @katfett, @zuzus-sun, @heavenly1927, @punkrocknpearls, @pomegranates-and-blood

If you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to reach out either by commenting, reblogging, DMing me, or sending an ask, and I’ll be more than happy to add you!

#ivar the boneless #vikings #ivar ragnarsson #alex hogh andersen #history channel vikings #ivar's heathen army #vikings history #can you imagine?#chapter four #ivar x freydis #freydis #queen freydis #ivar #freyvar

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