#wall of the faithless

[kirain]

Wall of the faithless isn't canon in bg3. They changed alot of things actually. So no Gale isn't "scared" he's just an obsessed asshole who doesn't learn from his mistakes.

Oof...

There's really nothing I can say except: you're wrong. The City of Judgement and the Wall of the Faithless are canon to BG3. If you don't like Gale, that's fine, but you don't have to make things up or completely disregard the lore to do it. Larian Studios literally hired people from Wizards of the Coast—the company responsible for all the canon lore, characters, and campaigns in D&D—to help them with the story. It took them five years, I believe, to fully study and understand the lore. They constantly conferred with the team to double, triple, and quadruple check every slice of content they added to the game, and parts of the game are now considered canon to D&D 5E.

As for Gale "not learning" from his mistakes ... when you first meet him, he literally admits he made a mistake with Mystra. Though personally I don't see it as the "power-hungry" move people seem to think it is. Gale simply wanted to be considered an equal to his partner (really his groomer), which is a perfectly healthy and normal desire for anyone in a relationship. Your partner should treat you like an equal, but Mystra very clearly saw Gale as a pet. A trophy. A worshipper. Subservient. Beneath her. A silly mortal with delusions of grandeur (which she cultivated), which is really rich when you learn she was once mortal herself. Mystra is a hypocrite.

Gale tried to prove himself worthy of equality by trying to bring Mystra what he thought was a piece of her missing Weave. For anyone who doesn't know, the current Mystra was torn to pieces by Cyric and Shar, then put back together by her Chosen. Though back to full power by the events of BG3, she's still technically missing pieces of herself, and Gale mistook the Karsite Weave for one of those pieces. Instead of simply telling Gale it was corrupted Weave, she let him go on believing it was hers. Personally I think that's because she was tired of him (maybe he got too old for her 😒) and was hoping he would do something that, in her mind, would justify abandoning him—but I admit that's full conjecture on my part. What is true is that she knew the orb wasn't hers, but for some reason she let Gale think it was. Even after she abandoned him and left him to die, she never told him. Not until she realised she could use him.

In Act 3, while the argument can certainty be made that he's thirsty for power, Gale ultimately becomes fed up with the gods because, as he knows better than anyone, they treat people like commodities. While I have no intention of ever ascending him myself, it looks like he actually makes good on his word. He doesn't threaten or toy with his followers, he inspires people to walk their own path, he only asks for prayers as payment (as without some form of devotion, gods in D&D cease to be), and if you romance him ... he ascends you into godhood as his equal. Mystra could have done this for him, she just didn't want to. And if you don't want him to ascend, it's genuinely so easy. I don't understand what people are complaining about. It takes one conversation with zero checks to convince him to completely abandon his ambitions. One. If he was truly "power hungry", it wouldn't be that easy.

Again, I would argue that Gale's true goal isn't really power, it's freedom, and divinity gives him that freedom. He has many conversations where he makes it clear he doesn't want to live under the gods' thumbs anymore; which, in a world like Faerûn, is extremely understandable. As I said in my Wall of the Faithless post, he's scared. Eternal torment for a simple mistake, one of which could've been avoided if Mystra told him the truth or treated him like an equal? When your partner is a goddess, how can you not feel inadequate? And if you convince him to give up the crown, he's perfectly content with Mystra's forgiveness. Even in the Early Access, that's all he really wanted.

Gale's far from perfect. He's arrogant and overconfident and insecure and he can be prone to emotional outbursts (most of which he apologises for, however), but he's nowhere near the heartless, power-hungry monster the haters seem to think he is. He is, in fact, one of the most compassionate companions in the entire camp, to the point that he accepts everyone, including Minthara. He votes for Astarion to stay when you find out he's a vampire. He gets mad at you if you surrender him to the Gur. He's one of the only companions who will openly marry/stay with you if you become a mindflayer. He's willing to sacrifice himself to save the world, and willing to damn himself to be with you. He loves every act of kindness, while hating every act of cruelty. I understand that the bugs from launch ruined a lot of people's perception of him ... and unfortunately some of those glitches are still present even now, but he is a good man.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #karlach #karlach cliffgate #wall of the faithless #city of Judgement #wizards of the coast #dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #astarion #minthara

[little-red-fool]

I wanna learn about silver tongue I love abyss lore

Heehee I’ll gladly talk about Silvertongue and his backstory. I don’t know as much about Forgotten Realms lore as I would like to so correct me if anything seems inaccurate, also I haven’t fully fleshed out his lore yet but this might still be quite long because I like rambling lol so I’ll try to summarise it a little (also I might have changed some of the Dark Urge lore to fit his backstory too whoops).

*cracks knuckles* Ok so as a bit of an overview of his character, Silvertongue originally started off as a half-elf bard when I made him, he was also chaotic good but I was able to develop his character a lot more when I decided to ship him with Raphael and made him chaotic evil instead because I thought two evil bards would be really funny, which then led me into researching into Forgotten Realms lore; I found out that cambions can also be half demons in some versions of D&D so that’s why he’s like how he is now.

I’ll talk a bit about his backstory now that you have a brief summary of his character. Whilst Silvertongue’s a half-demon cambion, he’s still a half-elf in game so I decided to make his mother a high elf, although like other cambions she died during childbirth, and I like to think that the reason is because like some animals (such as spiders) he ate his way out of her womb rather than being delivered naturally. Although he was born in Blood Tor, he was very quickly transported to Toril where he grew up in an orphanage in human society (possibly in Baldur’s Gate but I haven’t decided), and for the most part his demonic heritage wasn’t prominent and he fit in well with the other children despite the odd outburst and rampage which were few and far between and wouldn’t last long—he was always drawn to music as a child which lead him to learning how to play violin and flute, and that started his career as a bard when he was a teenager. As he grew older though it became harder to hide his heritage and his urges grew stronger and more difficult to manage, he became more malicious and deceitful, as well as more sadistic, which then escalated and led to him attacking and killing a few people. After this happened he was hunted down like an animal when people discovered his heritage so he fled the city. It wasn’t long after this that his father—a demon—managed to track him down and bring him to the Abyss, saying that he would fit in better there and that his talents would be appreciated more.

This was when he came back to Blood Tor, where he spent his mid twenties to his late fifties. Whilst there he was a vassal to Beshaba and served as a manservant in the court, sometimes directly assisting Beshaba. When he was older he was drafted into the Blood War as a soldier and was trained to fight. He was originally sent on raids with other demons to the City of Strife to steal souls from the Wall of the Faithless, but later on he was sent into proper battles in Oinos, and much later he was stationed in Avernus up until recently. Whilst Silvertongue had a few mortal friends on Toril, he didn’t really have any in the Abyss due to the untrusting and malicious nature of most demons, however he was close with a couple of other cambions that also served under Beshaba at the same time as him. They were also drafted into the Blood War alongside Silvertongue, however one was killed during a baatezu attack in Bloor Tor, but he managed to save his other friend from an orthon attack, however this meant that he suffered many injuries and his clothes were tattered—he still wears the coat he wore from the orthon attack as he views it as a symbol of pride and a reminder that he saved his friend. Silvertongue is probably around 300 or so years old (give or take) so he served in the Blood War for over 250 years, and he was a decent soldier. He was often picked on due to his diminutive stature compared to the other demon soldiers, however what he lacked in strength and size he made up in agility and stealth. That isn’t to say he’s weak though he could still easily rip a human in half.

Now that I’ve given you most of his backstory I’ll talk about the events that took place recently to when BG3 starts. This part is also linked to the Dark Urge backstory, which I altered a bit for Silvertongue’s backstory. Although he was still fighting in Avernus, he started going on missions to Toril in order to disrupt devils from gaining souls from mortals, and for this he went to lots of different cities, one of these being Baldur’s Gate. This is when he ran into the cult of Bhaal, and long story short he ended up becoming involved—he didn’t worship Bhaal but he thought that having the Bhaalists on his side would be useful. Not too long after he met Gortash, and he found out about his affiliation with Bane, and learned about the Crown of Karsus and the Elderbrain, which is when Silvertongue forged the plan to use the Elderbrain and the ilithid tadpoles to turn the people into mindflayers as it would completely destroy the devils’ ability to recruit mortal souls as mindflayers were soulless. Him, Gortash and Ketheric carry out the plan etc etc and during these times Silvertongue keeps occasionally returning to Avernus to continue fighting in the Blood War.

This is right before the events of the game, as he was in Avernus when the nautiloid passed through it at the beginning, and due to being half-elf and therefore somewhat mortal he was swept up by the nautiloid and infected by a tadpole. Similar to some of the other companions—such as Wyll and Gale—Silvertongue’s stronger abilities and a lot of his power were sealed due to the tadpole’s influence, and he was trapped in his mortal aspect with very little magic. His current goal, like the other companions, is to get rid of the tadpole in order to regain his demonic aspect and his powers so he can continue to fight in the Blood War, although reluctantly—he recognises that it’s his duty and it gives him the opportunity to maim and kill others, but he’s still quite connected to his mortal lineage and he likes the thought of retiring, or at least living in Toril rather than continuing to fight in the Blood War.

Alright now on to him and Raphael (and a bit of Haarlep). Their first meeting was interesting, Silvertongue immediately clocked Raphael as a devil and tried to attack him, whilst in my interpretation of Raphael he’s never fought in the Blood War himself and has only witnessed it from afar so he can’t easily distinguish a demon when they’re not in an easily recognisable form, so he just thought Silvertongue was a bit jumpy and paranoid. I haven’t gotten Silvertongue past Act 1 yet, so whilst these events haven’t taken place yet I’m still going to refer to them in past tense for ease. Raphael manages to figure out that Silvertongue’s a half-demon at Last Light and that he was a soldier in the Blood War, which is what prompts him to get Silvertongue to kill Yurgir. In Act 3 I think Raphael’s contract would be slightly altered for Silvertongue, instead offering to remove his tadpole rather than giving him the Orphic Hammer. In exchange Raphael still receives the Crown of Karsus. Since Silvertongue has spent most of his life in the Abyss and hasn’t encountered any devils in a peaceful or conversational setting, he doesn’t really know how tricky they are and the weight of their contracts and how binding they are, so he signs Raphael’s contract; Raphael keeps his word and removes his tadpole. Unfortunately, with Silvertongue having grown attached to his companions and hating authority figures, he decides to break into Raphael’s home to nick the Orphic Hammer so he can free Orpheus, but he doesn’t take his contract as he just thinks it’s some old piece of paper, he doesn’t think that it actually holds any power over him or his soul. As you might know if you break into Raphael’s home without stealing your contract he, uh, incinerates you. My interpretation of this is that the player character then becomes one of his debtors trapped in his house, which is exactly what happens to Silvertongue. Fortunately his companions were able to escape with the hammer, however Helsik then closed the portal because let’s be real who wants a rampaging devil chasing after you into Toril, so essentially Silvertongue is stuck there as his soul is bound and his companions currently had no way of breaking him out.

Raphael doesn’t have as much power over Silvertongue as his other debtors due to his Abyssal heritage and not being fully mortal, so Silvertongue still has some freedom and is (mostly) sane (or as sane as he was before becoming a debtor), he’s mostly just bound to the house and unable to harm Raphael. Silvertongue is not happy about his situation and spends the first couple of weeks essentially throwing a huge tantrum and destroying half the furniture. He meets Haarlep during this time and since I headcanon Haarlep as being an enslaved tanar’ri (thanks to this post which completely hey this place isn’t too bad, it’s warm, I get a bed aechanged my outlook) they hit it off well pretty quickly, so they became quite close and shit-talked Raphael. It took a few weeks but Silvertongue realised that hey this place isn’t that bad, it’s warm, I get a bed and free food and I’m not constantly praying for my life and I don’t have to kill devils 24/7 for hundreds of years so he very quickly becomes a lot like a house cat, although he also realises that whilst he might be stuck with Raphael, Raphael is also stuck with him, which gives him the motivation to be an absolute prick but in a petty and mischievous way rather than an overly destructive and murderous way. Raphael absolutely hates this at first but over time they get more comfortable with each other and less antagonistic, which then evolves into a slight fondness (well more of a mild love-hate relationship), and I think that’s all up-to-date.

I’m so sorry that was so long ajdnshdndn but I really enjoyed infodumping about Silvertongue’s backstory, thank you so much for this ask!

#asks #my oc #bg3 #bg3 tav #dark urge #bard #half elf #cambion #demon #silvertongue #bg3 raphael #blood tor #toril #beshaba #city of strife #wall of the faithless #oinos #avernus #baatezu #orthon #bhaal #enver gortash #bane #elder brain #mind flayer #ketheric thorm #wyll ravengard #gale of waterdeep #haarlep #devil

[bethanythebogwitch]

I'm not too fond of the Forgotten Realms as the default D&D setting for a few reason, but one big thing that really keeps me from liking the setting is the wall of the faithless. In the Forgotten Realms, the souls of the dead go to a place called the Fugue Plane where whoever the current god of death is judges them. Most people are taken by whatever god they worshipped but those who worshipped no gods are instead stuck in the wall of the faithless where they will slowly and agonizingly fade away unless a demon or devil comes and rips the soul out to turn them into a new demon/devil. The god who set this up was an evil one named Myrkul but when he was overthrown by a neutral god named Kelemvor, the wall was kept around.

I see this as absolutely pointless cruelty on the part of the writers and it really hit home when I was playing Baldur's Gate 3 in a conversation with Wyll where he says he doesn't really care about the gods. Wyll is a selfless, kind, and genuinely heroic person who will be condemned to a fate worse than death for not actively worshipping a god. Meanwhile some of the most vile and evil people in the Realms will get a perfectly pleasant afterlife because they worship the right god. And nobody doing the writing seems to think the wall is a bad thing because they came up with a pretty pathetic excuse to keep it once Myrkul was overthrown. Kelemvor took down the wall and immediately everyone across the world stopped worshipping the gods and they almost starved to death until Kelemvor put the wall back up. That's simply an absurd excuse to keep singling out nonbelievers as deserving the worst possible afterlife. Notably, Myrkul was not the first god of death and this didn't happen before he put the wall up in the first place. In addition, other D&D settings don't have this problem either, there's no mass starvation of gods due to non-belief and atheists are simply sent to whichever outer plane most fits their alignment. It really reads like someone, I don't know if it was Ed Greenwood or someone else, hates atheists so much that they needed to punish them in their fantasy world so much they'll create ridiculous excuses to keep doing so even when they no longer have a conveniently evil god to do it.

This kind of belief that atheists are the most evil possible people and deserve the worst fates is real and very common in real life. I will note that the Forgotten Realms uses atheist to mean someone who believes in but doesn't worship any gods while in real life an atheist is anyone who doesn't actively believe that at least one god exists (agnosticism is a form of atheism). The real-life definition of atheism doesn't really work in a world like the Forgotten Realms where gods can grant people magic and the goddess of magic has to die every time a new edition rolls around to explain the changes to magic rules. This does bear a lot of resemblance to the common lie about atheists that we believe in God but refuse to worship him. Someone who had that belief would, by definition, not be an atheist. Atheophobia or hatred of atheists is very common in real life. There are places where you can be jailed or killed for being an atheist. Even in places that aren't that extreme, atheism can make you a social pariah or have many other negative outcomes. Just look at the number of people who think atheists aren't trustworthy, wouldn't vote for one, or don't want their kids dating one. Having this kind of hatred infused in what should be a fun escapist fantasy world drags the while setting down for me and even makes me actively dislike it. It's really not that different from having a fun fantasy world where there's this background detail that all people with the wrong skin tone will go to hell no matter how good of a person they are and this is portrayed as something necessary or even good rather than as an evil for the player characters to overcome. Overthrowing the wall of the faithless would be a great story for player characters if the story of the Forgotten Realms hadn't already made it very clear that atheists are so dangerous and wrong that sending them to a fate worse than death no matter what actions or beliefs they hold is necessary and right. I do not want to play a game in a setting that has that kind of hatred baked into it. And before someone says it, yes, I can headcanon the wall of the faithless out in my home games, but that doesn't work for official Forgotten Realms material like BG3. Wyll is going to the wall in canon (unless he has some conversion later in the plot) and I can't just make believe otherwise unless BG3 is decanonized.

#dungeons and dragons #dnd #d&d #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #atheism #athiest #wall of the faithless #atheophobia #bigotry #forgotten realms

[y-rhywbeth2]

Random realmslore I enjoy:

Gunpowder and other explosives exist in the Realms, but the god of innovation, Gond keeps them magically inert because inventors kept blowing themselves up trying to play with it. Gond did however teach the gnomes of Lantan an alternative in the form of smokepowder, and now the gnomes have guns (spelled gunne, in the Realms). -

While trying to win a drinking contest against a dwarf is an obvious way to end up in the morgue, trying it against an elf or gnome will also land you in the ER. Elves drink wine with every meal, and their wine will put humans and halfings on their ass. Gnomes can keep up and Dwarves think elven wine is basically funny tasting water. (Do not get drunk with moon elves, or you will have nobody but yourself to blame for whatever hedonistic chaos ensues. Do not drink with rock gnomes either, for similar - but probably more explosive - reasons.) -

Dwarves used to not like druidry, then they found a bunch of dwarves had become druids and immediately demanded to know what in the hells all this tree-hugging elfy shite was. Turns out it was apiculture, and that honey is great. Dwarves fucking love honey so much they've invented giant bees. Bees the size of small ponies to ride into battle! Anyway, bees and honey are important in the mountain homes. -

How strict a punishment being False or Faithless is varies by writer. According to Ed Greenwood, the only way to get judged Faithless is to actively piss off every single god you're compatible with. Otherwise the god whose portfolio your life best aligned with is the god who picks your soul up. -

Elven music concerts would be familiar affairs to the modern Earthling. They have the big screens and the fancy effects (via magic); elven vocal chords can do weird special effects; their instruments are capable of sustain and they're in the early stages of inventing rock music, they just haven't invented the electric guitar yet.

#lore stuff #No but really the Wall of the Faithless makes no fucking sense

[memray]

there’s something about playing as a tav who has a deity they’re devoted to and romancing gale

they’re going to understand right away that gale’s devotion to mystra isn’t about romance, she’s his goddess in the religious sense as he’s a wizard, and with that in mind i think a wizard tav would understand that connection even more

#my own personal life experiences made me understand gale’s connection to mystra quite easily i won’t lie #because i’ve Been him in a way #also depending on your opinion of the existence of the wall of the faithless that can add another layer of angst or healing if a cleric #i’m wishy washy about the wall of the faithless i won’t lie but it’s an interesting concept #ray speaks #bg3 #bg3 gale #gale of waterdeep #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #bg3 gale dekarios #bg3 gale of waterdeep

[fangsandfeels]

Who killed Isobel Thorm?

Among all the questions plaguing me, this one is the most persistent. I hoped Isobel would give any information about how she died or what the fuck happened, but we get none. And unless I did something wrong, Dame Aylin doesn't shed any light either. I remember there was some cut content in the EA (but it's not relevant anymore), so we only know that Isobel was killed suddenly in her parent's home, and the family dog died defending her.

So, my best guess is:

Isobel was killed by a Sharran. Being a daughter of the paladin of Selune made her a target already. But a lover of Selune's daughter? Oh, her death would be a blow to the morale.

Ketheric, fearing that something like this would happen, probably begged Dame Aylin to appeal to her mother and bring Isobel back, prayed to Selune herself (if his daughter was chosen by her ambassador, it has to mean something? If Selune cares not for his another tragedy, maybe she cares about her own daughter's grief?).

The only response he got from Selune and Dame Aylin is that nothing can be done, and they should rally against the enemy to avenge Isobel, which made him incredibly enraged and bitter - he gave so much, Isobel gave so much to Selune, only for them both to be cast aside, treated like pawns in the endless squabble between gods?! So he renounced his servitude to Selune and went to Shar out of sheer spite (and secret hope that if he served her well, she would give back what she took or at least help him stop feeling). He captured Dame Aylin as an offering to Shar and a "fuck you, I'm taking your daughter then" to Selune (probably feeling disgusted how Moonmaiden hadn't done absolutely anything to help her own child; fuck maybe he even waited for her to start bargaining - Isobel in exchange for Dame Aylin's freedom).

As the paladin of Shar, Thorm led her forces against Harpers and the druids, and the Shadow Curse was unleashed after he fell.

Centuries later, Myrkul plucks him from the afterlife (I wonder whether Ketheric was on his way to the Wall of Faithless because he cursed Shar with his dying breath too, or if Myrkul simply 'borrowed' him from her domain because he and Shar are supposed to be buddies. If it's the latter, it also explains why Isobel just saw dark instead of being taken to Selune's domain - maybe Shar claimed her soul after her death somehow, which made retrieving Isobel a no-issue?).

...somehow, my thoughts ended up going into the "Faerun gods kinda suck" territory yet again. Why does it keep happening?

#baldur's gate 3 #ketheric thorm #isobel thorm #dame aylin #bg3 ketheric thorm #bg3 isobel thorm #bg3 dame aylin #bg3 selune #bg3 shar #really for someone who rely on the faith of mortals to exist #gods are doing a shitty job at motivating mortals #we have the wall of faithless as a stick #and a sliver of carrot

[redjennies]

me: I deeply enjoy the BG3 companions' complex relationships with the gods. it is a very nuanced approach to the different ways Gods Being Objectively Real could alienate mortals from worship, and how the divine is so removed from basic mortal concepts of love and respect and autonomy that even a non-Evil goddess like Mystra is abusing her mortal lovers.

also me: *hears Wyll say he doesn't put much stock in the gods and immediately has a flashback to my hateful bastard of a ranger getting sucked into the scary skeleton wall*

#LOOK i know the Wall of the Faithless isn't really a thing anymore but did you also consider THAT SHIT WAS SCARY? #raise hell praise icewind dale

[pigeonliker420]

whenever i go looking into help or random talk about bg3 i keep seeing people like comparing it to dragon age either in expectations or selling points and bro. ghirl. its not dragon age. its baldurs gate

#gale is not going to be another Betraying Mage because hes not a MAGE hes a WIZARD #COMPLETELY different set of stereotypes there. now go be a sorcerer for funny rivalry dialogue with him #two completely different settings. two completely different systems. theres already an existing continuity. go play the other baldurs gates #theres two Other games and they interconnect with the two neverwinter nights and several other oldass d&d crpgs. not everything is bioware #bioware wasnt even the first game with romanceable companions go play nwn2s and get disappointed as all ur LIs die in incredibly funny ways #i am annoyed by this as much as im sure dragon age fans are annoyed by the idea of it being released after bg3 and therefore drawing the #inevitable comparisons itself #also nwn2's Main Story (the expansion) (dont ask its a funny production story) is one of the most interesting fantasy plots ive ever played #even considering that. the by the numbers base game story for it is also fun and clever since they may have had their hand forced on what #sort of story they could tell there but they did have fun with it. picking at and parodying the tropes #if ur big on 5e lore though it might be just a bit incomprehensible since its 3.5e and includes concepts like #the wall of the faithless as a minor plot point which. i cant remember if thar exists in 5e anymore #and bishop and gann being atheists but still getting spells #probably by some god who thought itd be funny

[astrovagrant]

anastarion from the gods' perspective is literally hand in unloveable hand. gods hate this local couple with one weird trick (unkillable, very stubborn)

#doomed to the wall of the faithless let's go blow it up

[midnight-rain-fics]

Hoax

{Part 2}

{Fandom: Grishaverse}

{Pairing: Kaz Brekker x fem!reader}

Summary: Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason. But this time he had one. He had a reason to want to push Helvar off a cliff because he kept making Y/N smile and blush. Kaz just didn’t want to admit the reason was jealousy.

“Your faithless love's the only hoax

I believe in

Don't want no other shade of blue

But you”

There was something churning in his stomach, something Kaz was becoming quite familiar with lately. It had first started when he had seen Matthias talking with Y/N.

There was a smile on her face, cheeks flushed as she animatedly talked to him about something.

Kaz did not know what they had been talking about because as soon as he saw them, his stomach dropped and his heart twisted painfully in his chest.

The feeling had only gotten worse since then. And so had Matthias' advances. Kaz didn't know what was going on with the fjerdan but he seemed intent on following Y/N around lately.

It was driving Kaz up the wall, but not because he was jealous. Kaz was absolutely not jealous of the blonde-haired beef slab of the man who Y/N granted her smiles and laughs to as if they were free currency.

He was not jealous that Matthias could touch Y/N's bare hand so casually, so easily. Kaz Brekker had no reason or right to be jealous.

He was just...concerned. Yes, he was concerned that Matthias would distract Y/N from her job and he could not have one of his best crows losing focus.

That was all.

Kaz's head snapped towards the kitchen where Y/N's bell-like laughter sounded, his feet carried him towards the sound before he could decide against it.

His lips thinned into a scowl as he noticed just who was making Y/N laugh. Kaz, for the life of him, could not figure out what the dour fjerdan have possibly said that had Y/N bestowing him with such a wide smile.

Something on the left side of his chest hurt at seeing that smile directed at Matthias. And the churning in his stomach was back. Great.

He should have just left Matthias in Hellgate.

"Kaz" Y/N noticed him, and finally, finally, Helvar stepped away from her as she motioned to a bowl of what looked like cookie dough mixed with too many chocolate chips, "we are making cookies"

"Don't burn down the kitchen" Kaz gritted out, earning an eye roll from her but the small smile playing on her lips told him she was far from annoyed. His traitor heart did that unusual thing it did whenever she smiled at him.

"As if, Y/N's the best baker in the barrel" Nina comments as she enters the kitchen, scooping some of the cookie batter with a finger and licking it off.

"Nina!" Y/N chastises the heartrender, even as a blush spreads on the apples of her cheek. There's an unbearable itch in his fingers to just lean forward and put his gloved fingers on those red cheeks, just to see if the colour could spread further.

The thought leaves him as soon as it came, beaten away to that dark corner of his mind he doesn't bother looking at anymore.

Kaz ignores the nausea that follows the thought.

Nina winks at Y/N, leaning across the kitchen counter and planting her lips on those lovely cheeks as she sneaks in another scoop of the batter.

"No more, Nina or you won't get any cookies" Matthias scolds her, taking away the bowl as Y/N swats at Nina's arm, who only offers her a wry grin.

A horrible feeling seeped into his bones as he watched Y/N with Matthias and Nina. He was an outsider to this world, their world where Y/N did not spend her sleepless nights in her boss' office, sitting in an uncomfortable chair but instead in the embrace of two familiar faces.

Wordlessly, he slipped out of the kitchen, the weight of the cane clutched painfully in his hand grounding him to the present as he trudged up the stairs.

"Kaz" Y/N's voice called out from the bottom of the stairs. Kaz released a sharp exhale and turned to face her.

It was never easy. Looking at her, feeling so much and not being able to say anything. She looked at him with concern shining in her eyes, the deep set of her brows furrowed, "you could stay until the cookies are done, it won't take long"

"I have work to do" the thinning of her lips in resignation was a sharper blade than any knife she could have stabbed him with.

"Right" Y/N nodded once, looking down at the ground, Kaz could almost feel her wringing her hands behind her back, a nervous habit she had picked up lately. Before that, she used to fiddle with the sleeves of her coat.

His coat.

The coat she had borrowed from him on a heist because hers had been torn and he had just never asked for it back. He didn't want to.

She still wore it whenever she went out. It suited her. His coat suited her.

Kaz swallowed the lump in his throat.

Y/N opened her mouth, as if to speak and then closed it, deciding against saying whatever was on the tip of her tongue. She looked up at him and turned around, walking away from him.

Kaz ignored the empty space in his chest that she left in her wake.

The scratching of pen on paper was the only sound heard as Y/N knocked on Kaz's door, a plate of cookies in her hand.

"Go away, Jesper"

"It's not Jesper"

A silence followed before Y/N heard him whisper, "come in"

Kaz was sitting at his desk, eyes focused on the paperwork, dark hair styled back with a few pieces falling messily in his face.

Y/N's heart hurt at the sight, a rush of affection overcame her and her lips pursed at the sight.

Damn Brekker, damn him and his devastatingly handsome face. And his thrice-damned heart that was guarded more securely than the Ice Court.

"I brought cookies"

"I don't like cookies"

Y/N raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him as she placed the plate of cookies on his desk, a safe distance away from his paperwork that was sprawled everywhere, "I didn't take you for being a bad liar, Kaz"

"Your baking is aptly edible but I don't trust whatever Helvar put in these" Kaz rasped, finally looking up to meet her eyes.

Y/N rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face, "He didn't bake them, I did. He was just keeping me company"

"He has been been doing that a lot lately, keeping you company” Kaz scowled, unable to help himself, his grip tightened on the pen in his grasp.

"Is there a problem?" Y/N’s lips pursed in agitation, she had a feeling Kaz wanted to say something but he wouldn’t. He never did.

"No, there is no reason yours and Helvar's companionship would be a problem” Even saying the words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But it was the truth.

There was no reason for Kaz Brekker to be jealous of Matthias or Nina or anyone who made her smile and blush. And yet he was.

He was jealous.

The realization made him clench his jaw and look down at the papers on his desk, even as his gaze was unfocused, “close the door on your way out”

It was a clear dismissal. And sharp. Too sharp.

Y/N nodded, biting her cheek to stop herself from saying something that she would regret later. That they would both regret later.

She had a poisonous tongue, a stark contrast from her sunny disposition and she never wanted to say something to purposefully hurt anyone of the crows.

They were her family, even if one of them was being particularly petty today.

She really needed to do something about her stupid crush on him.

“Enjoy your cookies” Y/N gritted out as she turned to walk away, “or choke on them” she added, bitterly.

Sometimes, she really couldn’t help herself.

She had clearly not meant for him to hear the last part but he did. He watched her walk away, forehead creased in frustration at his own shortcomings.

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker #six of crows #six of crows x reader #matthias helvar x reader

[kirain]

For the anon who said the Wall of the Faithless isn’t canon to bg3–I was thinking of that post today when I found a book in the House of Hope’s archive that detailed the wall! So beyond a blanket “all forgotten realms lore is canon to the game” statement, the Wall is for sure there too.

Poor Mr. of Waterdeep 🥲

That's right! This was also pointed out by @superanonymousthethird, who posted a pic of the journal when they reblogged my answer to that ask. The Wall of the Faithless is absolutely canon to BG3, unfortunately.

Karlach also speaks several times about the City of Judgement and how she fears it, because she doesn't revere any gods and isn't sure if any of them would welcome her into their domain. She mentions it in the graveyard and after killing Gortash, if you choose that path.

Karlach is just as terrified of dying as Gale is, because the ending probably won't be a happy one. That said, Karlach at least has a better chance of being welcomed into someone's domain, even if she doesn't know it. Gale has no chance because he's a fallen Chosen, abandoned by his goddess.

Now, I am aware that in 2020 the 5E Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide was edited and re-released with all mention of the Wall removed, which means it's now only mentioned in previous editions of D&D. Therefore, technically, when it comes to people's irl campaigns, the existence of the Wall is up to their discretion, but in the case of BG3, the Wall of the Faithless is provably canon, which would make sense since the story for the game was finished before 2020.

This is why Gale, Karlach, and even Shadowheart are so scared. Shadowheart in particular has a deeply gripping comment about why people cling to the gods, and why she converts to Selûne. I'm an atheist myself, but in the Fogotten Realms, gods are incontestably real ... and sadly so are their punishments. This is why Gale is so desperate to either earn Mystra's forgiveness or break free by becoming a god himself.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #karlach #wall of the faithless #city of Judgement #dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #shadowheart

[jessfromonline]

have you been enjoying absurd Helldivers 2 nonsense?

multiple players have independently called my compared my satirical scifi skirmish storytelling TTPRG 🎲 PLANET FIST to Helldivers—so much as to call it "exactly the tone of Helldivers." the new Faithless Edition of PLANET FIST will be releasing this year, and if you buy it now, you get the new edition for free!

in PLANET FIST, SHOOTOUTS ARE STORIES, and they're goofy and over the top. you're an undying, unsleeping soldier who can get blasted to bits and thrown right back onto the battlefield next round. if you're looking to see how it hits that Helldivers tone, just check out some of the FACTION TRAITS below!

what's PLANET FIST about? what does it play like? read the PRINCIPLES OF PLAY here!

what are people saying about PLANET FIST, besides that it's like Helldivers 2?

"PLANET FIST is a quick-to-learn and quick-to-play system for characters thrown into FPS-style deathmatches on a world that knows nothing but war. It's a game of high-emotion, low-consequence combat, for when you're wondering what the infinite Master Chiefs are thinking during Halo multiplayer. PLANET FIST is 'war never changes' said with the same inflection as 'it's all made up and the points don't matter.'"

- Caleb Zane Huett, designer of Triangle Agency

"An absolute blast—and then another, and then another, and then another, each leaving remains splattered on a wall. Gleeful, and tactical, and winkingly tongue-in-cheek; a masterful game from top to bottom."

- Jeff Stormer, host of the Party of One actual play podcast

or check out some table stories:

#Helldivers #Helldivers 2 #TTPRG #TTRPGs #PLANET FIST #my work #my games #scifi #military scifi #milscifi #Starship Troopers

[tavtime]

do you ever think about how the afterlife situation in Faerûn is utterly without mercy? and that Minthara's soul is probably going straight into the Wall of the Faithless when she eventually dies for being rightfully angry and disabused of the notion that any of her gods cared for her (and how Astarion is probably in the same boat)?

do you ever wonder what will happen to Shadowheart's soul if she can't reconcile her own lifetime of being treated like a pawn into a workable relationship with Selûne?

do you ever get suspicious that Mystra can't be trusted with Gale's afterlife any more than she could be trusted with his life?

#or do you not enjoy tormenting yourself with such things #minthara #astarion #shadowheart #gale #bg3

[y-rhywbeth2]

Something that might've been interesting (though obviously couldn't be implemented, because it's not compatible with all origins) would've been something like the spirit eater curse from Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (which is another game set in the Realms, and also features Dead Three shenanigans. The base game is kinda meh, but MotB is good.)

Basically you're afflicted with a curse that means you must consume spirits/souls to survive, or else the curse will consume your soul, memories and identity and kill you (before moving on to the next host). There's a sort of health metre, which steadily depletes and inflicts penalties on you until you consume a spirit/soul (or kills you, if you won't).

Indulging the hunger unlocks greater soul-eating powers as the game progresses (one of which allows you to consume part of the soul of a god who fucking deserves it), but it also means that the hunger grows stronger and the metre depletes faster.

Also you're a horrific soul-eating monster that spreads its curse like a disease and everybody is quite understandably not happy having you around... except for the guys who worship the potential power you wield and encourage you to let the thing consume you.

There's also the "good" route where you resist the hunger and which unlocks different powers that help you manage it, and honestly while I enjoy that route, I also find it's not "playing with fire" enough but I digress.

I'm not necessarily picturing it functioning the exact same way, and obviously I'm primarily thinking of the Dark Urge here (give Bhaal the blood he demands and get chopping those limbs or have your mind eaten away and go feral-ending) but something like that might've worked for managing Karlach's engine, or Astarion's vampirism. Or even just something to do with the tadpoles - manage the little bastards, or they eat your brain.

#MotB also features becoming a world-ending horror that beats the shit out of the gods #And/Or talking back to the gods #It did get a bit melodramatic about the Wall of the Faithless though - it isn't a universal issue only a local one #And EVIL evil choices #I should replay MotB again... #And Storm of Zehir - I love that somebody wrote a unique line for sacrificing that guy in the swamp to every single evil deity #babbling

[spiriteddreams]

to lie, to lose

—“your faithless love’s the only hoax i believe in” Pairing: Neuvillette x Reader Warnings: self deprecating thoughts, angst, hurt/no comfort (for now) Word Count: ~1k A/N: no thoughts just angst for every character i've ever loved

in which you you watch your relationship with neuvillete fall apart day by day, bit by bit, crumbling to dust and falling through your fingers. words cut just as deep as actions and by the time you realize the extent of both your wounds, there is nothing left to do but mourn. 

you hate that you’ve let these thoughts brew in the depths of your mind for the longest time. it is those cruel whispers that remind you that at the end of the day neuvillette is the hydro dragon, the chief justice of the court of fontaine, one of the most revered men in the country, and archons where do you fit in amongst his immortality, his great achievements, his long-lasting, never-changing life. 

you cherish the memories shared and what still remains, but after years of the same routines with little to change despite your shared attempts to work it out, you feel as though fate was cruel enough to give you the card right person, wrong time, with neuvillette. 

the house you live in is cold when you enter. shaky hands go to shut the door softly, your shoulders tensing when the sound of locking the door seems to echo throughout the room. the conversation is inevitable, but after years upon years of memories, of happiness, of loving neuvillette, you still try to grasp at whatever remains. and all that is there for you to hold onto is the dust that floats around you, settling on the carpet as if trying to preserve these last moments. 

the light from the living room is on, artificial light pooling into the entrance of your home as you swallow the thickness in your throat and take each step towards a conversation you had once hoped to prolong. you search the room, eyes scanning the walls and trinkets delicately placed on shelves that haven’t been touched for archons knows how long. you search with your eyes, looking for a reason to stay. 

“you know this isn’t working anymore,” the words are heavy on your tongue but you force them out nonetheless. he sits while you stand, head low and fingers clenched. you’re not sure what hurts worse: neuvillette’s silence or the feeling of your own nails digging into your palm. both are numbing. “we’ve tried again and again but it doesn’t feel like things are changing.”

neuvillette inhales, then exhales softly. you wonder how long he’s been sitting here in this cold room, waiting for you to return. “darling, i—“ he hesitates. the silence roars.

“i don’t know how else to convince you,” neuvillette admits. 

if feels as if you’re standing on the cliffs, staring out at the endless ocean of life, memories, and restless thoughts that is neuvillette. both of your words rise and fall and you feel as you cry out, “give me a reason! please, lie if you have to, but just give me a reason!”

neuvillette is silent and he looks away, hiding the emotions you’ve learned to read on his face. you wish he’d turn to face you so you can see if his lip is trembling in the same way that yours are. you want to see if his eyes are lined with tears in the same way that yours are. you steal a glance at the darkening sky and for a moment you appreciate that neuvillette is home early for once. that is washed away when you turn back to the man in front of you. he still refuses to look at you, but when he speaks, you hear him loud and clear.

“i have, and always will, love you. and i know i’m not the best at showing it. i can only apologize for how long i have allowed you to feel stifled—“

you inhale sharply.

“—but i too, can acknowledge the distance that has grown between us,” he finally looks at you. there are no tears, no curve to his lips, just the same, empty, expression that you once admired sitting at the top of the opera epiclese. you hate that he’s blaming himself, but you know you’re guilty of the same thing, and as your pride slams at the door, begging to be let out, you turn the knob and allow it to make its exit. then you follow, apologies on your lips, empty promises of seeing one another again, knowing damn well that when you walk into work the next day, you won’t look at neuvillette the same any longer.

and neuvillette takes the fall of your relationship with grace. he sheds his tears in the privacy of his seemingly empty room before donning the facade that the public has grown to be so accustomed to. he sits in the silence and dust of a room devoid of your warmth, festering in the guilt of two people whose pride held them from speaking up. he turns away as you pack your things, ignoring the sound of drawers pulled in and pushed back in, of clothing hangers knocking against one another, and of the sound of your sniffles and choked cries that you can’t quite hold in.

you still love him. the thought plagues you, driving deeper with each personal item that you put into your bags. it's impossible not to love him, but when you've let your own thoughts and guilt drive you to the door, you have no one but yourself to blame. you hate the thought of neuvillette grieving when you pass on. so, better draw the line early, before you are truly torn from his grasp. you can't help but wonder, wallowing in hurt, what makes you worthy to love him?

neuvillette watches the expressions change on your face, the invisible stings that seem to dig deeper and pull you further and further away. you need space, he knows that, but this isn't what he imagined.

he embraces you one last time at the door, holding you tighter than usual until you untangle yourself from his arms. when you finally arrive at a friend’s place, their door clicking shut behind you, storm clouds begin to roll in.

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3 a/n: tbh i'm not the biggest fan of this work despite being so excited to write it :// but that's okay cause i'll just go write angst for another character :D

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette #favoniuslibrary #genshin impact neuvillette #spiriteddreams writing #spiriteddreams

[anonymityisfunwriter]

It's me, hi, I'm surprised you haven't written a fic inspired by "Tolerate It" yet, it's me.

it's me, hi! will you guys ever get tired of my scheming bc i'm honestly so surprised, too! seeing tolerate it live was life changing and i'm not even being dramatic about it. but i think everyone agrees, it needed to be done (okay, i promise i'm done with the anti hero references). it must be exhausting always rooting for this author (okay, now i'm done) thank you for the ask and i hope you enjoy! 💛

tolerate it.

pairing: bucky barnes x reader summary: you tolerate his faithless love as much as he tolerates you.

Inspired By Taylor Swift Masterlist | Anon's 1K Celebration

you sit and watch him. he reads with his head low, you're almost positive he doesn't even realize you're here.

you're a ghost to him.

he sees right through you.

you lift your hand to the flickering chandelier hanging above the table. you half expect to see right through your skin. all you see is his mother's ring, the ring that promised forever and always. it never once occurred to you that forever would look like this.

you look to the mirror behind bucky. you touch your cheek. you feel the warmth of your cheeks. you see the flush of your flesh in the dim light. you're still there. you're not a ghost. so why does it feel like you're haunting him?

you weren't sure when it happened. how it happened. from one day to the next. or a slow trickle as his cup ran over. perhaps a bursting dam.

your forever didn't always look like this. you were sure of it. this wasn't the man you made your mural, your temple, your sky. this wasn't the man you built your life around.

he's perfect for you. he was perfect for you. in a world of boys, he was the gentleman you yearned for.

he took you away from it all. he laid blankets over your barbed wire. he pulled you closer to him even at your worst. he was your fairytale ending. you were so sure of it.

he loved you. he loves you, you correct yourself.

you tried to be as perfect as he was. as he is, you correct yourself again, as perfect as he is.

you polish plates until they shine like his eyes once did. you lay the table with your fanciest plates each and every night. you wait by the door for him every night, you don't mind if he's an hour or three late, you greet him with a battle hero's welcome either way.

you look at his dinner plate, nearly finished with his meal. you look down at yours, you've barely touched any of your meal. he doesn't notice. your untouched meal. the fancy plates. the plate settings. the candles you light for him each and every night. the dinner you spent hours on.

he used to love it. he used to tell you how much he loved the home you built from an empty, withered house.

he used to love you, too.

"what would you do?" you ask in a breathless whisper.

he finally looks up at you, "huh?"

"if i wasn’t here," you calmly muse, swiping your wine off the table. "if i didn’t wait on you hand and foot. if i didn’t lay the table with the fancy shit each and every night. if i set myself free."

"i could do it, you know? i could do it!" you angrily cry, the frustration of a lifetime of being tolerate bursts forth. you stand up, your chair smacking the wall behind you, smashing your wedding china on the ground as your chest heaves with desperation. you trail around the table, lowering yourself to his eye level, "i could leave you and find someone who does more than tolerate me! i bear the weight of you, the weight of us, i could lose it! i can!"

he sits there, gaping at you.

"tell me... tell me it's in my head," your voice softens, your anger melting into desperate pleas to him, "tell me that we can fix this. tell me you love me."

but you don't say any of that.

after all, it's all in your head.

you've got it all wrong. he loves you. he'll love you night after night. and you'll sit and watch him night after night. this is your forever. he is your forever. he is your mural, your temple, your sky.

you'll use your best colors for his portrait for the rest of your life. you'll never allow yourself to see him as anything other than your savior. he'll be nothing less than the man you worship. you'll never be left empty as long as you hold on to your blind faith. your own personal false god.

you clear your throat, smiling in a chagrined, loving manner, "i said, how did you like dinner?"

"it was fine."

and you do. you'll sit before him, wondering how he can't see you breaking before him.

you tolerate it as much as he tolerates you.

that's all you do. it's all you can do.

you sit and watch him.

AnonymityIsFun Masterlist Inspired By Taylor Swift Masterlist Bucky Barnes Masterlist

As always, let me know what you think! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 💛

Taglist: @marianita195 @meli18gonzalez @ludicbouquetfromearth @matchat3a @famousbreadcherryblossomsstuff @valoraxx @blue786sworld @buckyandgeraltsupremacy @geminigengar @ansaturn @ecolle @lexhalstead3 @ybflkmj @mediocre-daydreams @shanye1112 @thegirlnextdoorssister @toomanyfanficsbruh @moonlightreader649 @breathtaking-cynthia @mirikusashes@beans-and-toast @niyahcoca @katiechikin @elxvrr @antiheroxsblog @infamouslyclumsy @krissydclayton93 @buckysbarne @deadheadwbedhead @qualitygiantshoepsychic @whitexwolfxx310 @getosprettyboy @matchat3a

#anonymityisfunwriter #anonymityisfun #anon's 1k celebration #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #reader insert #x reader #marvel fanfiction #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky angst #bucky x female reader #james buchanan barnes #bucky fic #bucky fluff #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes au #bucky x you #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #inspired by taylor swift #bucky barnes x fem!reader #tolerate it