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this is pure genious

Ah yes. Me. My girlfriend. And her five cat sized spiders, she found in a hole.
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Dark Romance and Astarion BG3
Recently, there have been a few people stepping forward to defend Dark Romance in the context of Baldur’s Gate 3. There has been a lot of emphasis on how healing it can be, and certainly in the case of Astarion, a lot of people have stated that his story helped them heal from past trauma and abuse.
That is a completely valid reason for enjoying Dark Romance, but it is not the only reason for creating or consuming such content.
Dark Romance has been around since the 18th century, and it has been a consistently popular genre.
It has also consistently provoked a degree of moral panic, undoubtedly due to the genre being mostly popular with women.
I have enjoyed Dark Romance since I was a teenager, but I am not going to use things that have happened to me in real life to justify that, because we all have stuff that we have to deal with.
I am not romancing Ascended Astarion and writing Dark fiction to process past trauma. I am doing those things simply because I enjoy them. End of. No apologies.
Why go to the bother saying that? Because I don’t want to perpetuate the situation we had on Larian’s forums recently where Ascended Astarion fans were outing themselves as having experienced abuse in real life in the vain hope of having their arguments taken seriously by other users.
I am really happy for people who have found Astarion’s story helpful in healing their trauma, but I don’t like the way certain elements in the fandom have almost demanded that Ascended Astarion fans show their ‘credentials’. It is as if they are saying you can enjoy the ascended route, just as long as you admit you are broken and need help. As for the people who responded to Ascended Astarion fans stories of real life abuse by saying they must have secretly liked it or, even worse, deserved it, all I can say is, people never fail to disappoint.
Ascending Astarion is commonly regarded as his ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ ending, and many regard his unascended or ‘good’ ending as a redemption path. However, since vampires and vampire spawn are both evil aligned in DnD, it doesn’t necessarily follow that Astarion is saved or redeemed by remaining a spawn.
He still lives by preying on people, but now he is being paid to do so, by the forces of law and order apparently, since he seems to be acting with impunity.
In one ending we see unascended Astarion smiling as he advances on a bound and terrified victim, hardly the action of someone who is wholly good or redeemed. Even if we accept that Astarion is redeemed by remaining a spawn, I find it hard to believe that Stephen Rooney created the ascended path for Astarion in the hope that we would all collectively clutch our pearls and shun him. Like his unascended self, Ascended Astarion is there for us to have fun with.
Baudelaire Welch, who also worked on the BG3 romances, has muddied the waters somewhat by publicly saying video games have a part to play in teaching people about relationships, something I strongly disagree with (just look how well that has worked out with Veilguard), but a lot of what they said has been taken out of context. In the talk that is quoted most often, Mx Welch spoke at length about how the player had the option to abuse their romance partner and to then see the consequences of those actions in the game. It was their hope that players might learn something from this. In other words, they were not saying the player character would experience abuse, but rather that the player is free to role-play as an abuser, if they wish. eg. In Astarion’s case, by such actions as forcing him to have sex, betraying him to Cazador or enslaving him at the end of the game.
<<<<<>>>>>
So, just for fun, let’s look at some of the most common reasons put forward for why romancing Ascended Astarion in BG3 is an unequivocally bad idea.
“Ascended Astarion becomes an abuser, so you’re excusing abuse.”
First you would have to convince me the first part of that statement is true and so far, I have not been convinced. The Patch 6 kisses were put forward as proof (look Tav’s scared!), but
a) They were a late addition to the game
and
b) Larian altered them. And no, I don’t believe any game company spends money changing things after release because a tiny minority complains. I would assume there were either a huge amount of complaints or, more likely, the implied non-consent put the game’s rating into question and Larian did not want to raise it and potentially lose a large chunk of their market. Nothing in the actual game dialogue backs the abuse theory up. Yes, Astarion is unpleasant if you try to break up with him, but even then, his reaction is very mild. No attempted murder, no attacks on either Tav or their friends. He just says a few things that aren’t very nice. He does imply that Tav can’t leave him and vampire lore for both spawn and bride would back that up, but he only threatens you with living ‘your best life’ (Ooh! How terrible!). “By portraying it as a romance rather than abuse, you might lead vulnerable and impressionable young girls to make unfortunate choices in real life.”
I was shocked that anyone would think like that in the 21st century, but that argument has been put forward on several social media platforms. Blatant misogyny presented as care and concern for women, with their fluffy little brains and inability to make rational decisions.
Well, it is not like you see young women holding down responsible jobs or in positions of authority, is it? /s
Most interesting to me is that the concern expressed is purely for young women. Not one person has suggested that playing as Ascended Astarion might encourage young male players to abuse their partners in real life. That would be totally ridiculous of course, but then, so is the argument that young women might romance Ascended Astarion and end up in an abusive relationship as a direct consequence.
I am definitely sensing a good dose of misogyny and to a lesser extent homophobia in these arguments. Consider also that Minthara and Dark Justiciar Shadowheart are both morally reprehensible characters, but nobody seems to feel that players who romance them, need to be protected from their evil influence.
“If you think Astarion makes Tav a ‘bride’ when he turns them, you are delusional.” (usually written as ‘delulu’ but I refuse to go down to that level. Use your words properly, people!)
I think Tav’s turning was left deliberately vague, with the intention of leaving a nice little Easter egg for those people who know their 2nd edition DnD lore (it keeps changing with every edition).
You can interpret it either way. Tav might be a spawn or they might be a bride. It’s up to the player to decide.
Astarion never says Tav is a spawn. He deflects by saying spawn is ‘such an ugly word’. Instead he calls them his consort, which just to be clear means the spouse of a ruler, not a slave or a concubine. Like Astarion’s original eye colour I feel this is something Larian have left open on purpose so that players can play the relationship however they choose.
The idea of Tav as a ‘vampire bride’ provokes ire from people who like the Astarion as abuser/Cazador II narrative, because a bride has autonomy, though the bride frequently does not realise it. More importantly, the bond between the master vampire and the bride means any extreme emotion felt by the bride is felt by the master, too.
So, while it is not unknown for a master vampire to destroy their bride, being habitually cruel or abusive towards them seems very unlikely. (source: Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires).
<<<<<>>>>>
So, what about writing Dark Fiction/Dark Romance. If I’m not doing it to heal from some awful trauma, why do I do it?
To let my mind wander down the roads not taken
To explore myths and the darker side of human nature
To make sense of the world and other people
And first and foremost, to entertain myself and hopefully my readers. I put a lot of effort into my work and I want the reader to have an emotional response. I want them to care about the characters I create and to be invested in what happens to them. When I write a dark scene featuring say, non-con, betrayal or torture I always do it for a reason and I don’t want it to be a comfortable experience; it is not comfortable to write it, but then, I do not believe that art should always be comfortable. I do hope that the people who choose to read those scenes enjoy them though, not in a gratuitous fashion, but more in the sense of being taken somewhere you would not normally choose to go, and doing it in a way that is safe and controllable.
Sometimes you want fiction to give you a hug and a mug of hot chocolate, and sometimes you want it to leave you alone in a dark forest knowing something is out there, it definitely means you harm, and it is getting closer. The nice thing about fiction is, you can walk away from that forest any time you like and nobody gets hurt. You don’t even have to go in.
<<<<>>>>
Well that’s my ten cents worth, hopefully nobody feels the need to block me over my views, because I’m a reasonable person and I’m not planning on going into anyone’s space and telling them their take on Astarion is wrong. If anyone wants to come into my space and tell me I’m wrong, I probably won’t bite because I’m getting a bit long in the tooth for internet spats. That said, I’m always up for polite debate and discussion.
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Winter snoozies That little bat won't leave my brain.... every time i finish a pic I feel something new forming ...help
#astarion#astarion ancunin#baldurs gate 3#baldurs gate astarion#bg3#drow tav#batstarion#bg3 art#bg3 fanart#fanart#baldurs gate fanart#ascended astarion
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Fantasy OC Maker - Create Your Tav/Durge! Thank you @dramatiquechipmunk for the tag. And of course it's her favourite outfit .... nothing! Of course, I had to try it and I tag @sawickibalisong @finnamin @nocryptographer here's the link try it :D
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This is the most precious gale comic EVER !
A young Wizard’s best friend.
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A night of depraved debauchery
The Crimson Palace was finally rebuilt in accordance with Astarion's vision. To celebrate its completion, he threw another of his infamous parties.
No one dared to speak openly about Lord Ancunin's little get-togethers, but almost everyone with influence over Baldur's Gate wanted to be there.
These licentious soirées were not only exclusive, but they were also carefully planned. Every detail was taken care of, so that those on the guest list knew that for one night, they could escape the paradigms of society and indulge in a fervent dream. It was a safe space; no one dared to challenge another, and no one knew what would happen, but they assumed that their host would not be kind to someone who went against the unspoken rules of his house.
The gatherings followed a pattern, they were held every full moon, the Lord of the Crimson Palace set the theme. From the invitation to the last drink of the night, everything had to be perfect. To begin with, the letter of invitation gave off the intoxicating scent of incense that all gatherings had, the letter itself was enchanted, a little illusion that sparked as soon as the invitee opened it to reveal the time and date, only to vanish into thin air afterwards.
Preparations began the days before. Only the finest foods were to be served. The sommelier had to study the menus and go through each wine with his lordship.
Not only were Astarion and his consort dressed to match the theme, but every visible member of the staff had small adornments to match the theme.
The minstrels also had to dress accordingly. Every room and hall visible to the guests was draped in the finest fabrics and adorned with thousands of pearls or crystals. Everything the eye could see was a magnificent dream.
Irrae used all her knowledge of alchemy to create the incense that would enchant her guests, helping them to forget themselves for the moment and give themselves over to the carnal pleasures of the night.
Potions of the same quality were also woven into the refreshments to enhance the effect, so that every mortal creature would bask in the sensations to come.
Her creations may have been a little addictive, but it was such a small price to pay for the good times these mortals were about to experience.
The gates opened as the full moon was at its peak. The carriages were already lined up, and one by one the guests were ushered into the palace, where they removed their cloaks and capes to reveal their attire for the night’s theme: 'A Starry Night'.
--------- If you like the snippet, head over to AO3 and read the full smut fest.
A night of depraved debauchery - Schuldigkun - Baldur's Gate (Video Games) [Archive of Our Own]
Kudos and comments are highly appreciated <3 Please check out these super talented writers as well @fartasticdurge @andauril @strixamans @vakariansyndrome @sawickibalisong @dramatiquechipmunk
#snippet#baldurs gate 3#baldurs gate astarion#baldur's gate iii#baldurs gate tav#baldur's gate 3#ascended astarion#astarion#astarion ancunin#bg3 astarion#fanfiction#ao3 fanfic#ao3 link#ao3fic#ao3 writer#fanfics#smut#one shot
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A little drawing I made for the super sweet and creative people of AO3 ❤️ Astarion OnlyFangs | Archive of Our Own
#bg3#bg3 fanart#bg3 astarion#baldurs gate 3#baldurs gate astarion#astarion ancunin#astarion#bg3 art#batstarion#ascended astarion
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WIP Monday
Thank you for @strixamans for nominating me! I nominate @finnamin @andauril and @fartasticdurge
Snippet for my "A Winter Wonderland" Christmas Story!
Did I watch over 6 hours of documentaries about ice wines and vineyards for this one shot? Yes, yes I did. Do I regret it? No.
Premise: Snowed in at their country estate after having sent away all their servants beforehand Tav and Astarion are left to their own devices. Sharing of old memories that have resurfaced after the defeat of the brain are shared, new bonds are made.
I'll post the link once it's out :)
****
This clearly isn't how Astarion imagined having an estate in the countryside is going to go. He's trudging through snow in search for his husband because he got bored with the servants in the main house. Sure it was nice and comfortable to be pampered by people, but he definitely expected some pampering from his husband too.
But ever since they got to the vineyard, Tav's been busy helping with the harvest of their grapes. Apparently if the grapes aren't all brought in until the next snowfall they'll lose part of the harvest or something.
Astarion doesn't get it. The grapes are already overripe and frozen but for some reason that's exactly how they need to be harvested and shoved into the wine press. The temperatures of the past few days have been freezing day and night and the workers have been going at it nonstop. Tav too had been out here more often than not but promised him to return when the sun went down.
This is the third night in a row that Tav has been late to return to him and so, Astarion - being the stupid supportive husband he decided to be - is out here with Octavian's scarf in his hand and a cup of piping hot tea which he can only carry because of the thick gloves he's wearing.
He's grumbling and cursing to himself for marrying a maniac like Tav.
"Why can't he just delegate everything to his little worker bees? Why must he be out here and doing manual labor and shit", he mutters, "As if he's not the boss of all of those people here."
As he makes his way uphill he only curses harder. "Why do vineyards have to be uphill?!", he growls, "As if treading through snow isn't enough of a horror already!"
Once he reaches the top of the hill, he finally sees his husband, talking to one of their employees, while two more work on getting the horses going with a cart loaded up with frozen grapes.
When Tav spots him he smiles and waves. "Astarion! What are you doing all the way out here?"
"You said you'd come back to the main house when night fell", the Vampire grumbles, nearly pouting, "Yet, you didn't."
"I'm sorry about that", his husband frowns, hugging his waist and kissing his lips, taking the cup of tea from him with a grateful smile, "But the good news is, we're finally done with the harvest so from now on I'm allll yours."
"Really?", Astarion smiles, his mood instantly lifting.
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WIP Monday
Thanks for the tag @strixamans this is a Snipped from Darthiir lueth Dhaerow Her hackles rose. "How chivalrous of you," she sneered. "What are you now expecting of me? My gratitude?"
His smile dipped a bit. "Well, no ..." He shifted slightly, his smile ramping up once more. "Maybe. Don't you think I deserve some thanks?"
Her irritation with him skyrocketed at the lousy attempt of deflecting her ire. Throwing her dagger at a nearby tree, the blade sinking into the bark with a heavy 'thwonk,' she whirled, grabbing up her scimitars, facing him and brandishing them.
"You asked me to trust you," she hissed, placing one careful foot down in front of her. "You repaid my trust by nearly killing me! And you think I should be grateful to you?" She took another predatory step toward him, glad to see him suddenly wary. Flourishing her swords, she feinted, before twisting and lunging back toward him, swearing in her mother language as he dodged her easily.
"Easy, darling, you lost a lot of blood yesterday. You may want to reconsider and have a little nap instead." He continued dodging her swings, always just out of range. How could he move so fluidly? It had to be his vampiric nature!
"Rest is for the weak!" she spat. "Draw your weapons!" He let out a high laugh at her demand.
"That wouldn't be wise, dear. Thanks to you, I'm feeling quite ... satiated. Strong. In fact, I think I could keep this up for hours," he dodged another blow. "You, on the other hand ... won't last another five minutes."
His words needled at her, making her even more determined to have him pick up his weapons and fight her! "Draw your weapons!" she barked at him, losing control of her emotions. Not good, and she could only blame the blood loss. "Where's this famous 'fighting better' you boasted about? All I've seen so far is a coward who refuses to battle me!"
Finally, at last, her words seemed to wipe the smirk from his lips. He lunged to the side, dropping & rolling to snatch up his daggers, coming up & twirling them in his hands as he faced her.
She didn't allow him time to get his balance before rushing in, the sound of metal on metal echoing loudly in the clearing.
His eyes met hers over the crossed blades, and they regarded each other solemnly, briefly, before both shoved away from the other, and they started the dance of blades in earnest.
But it seemed he may have been right. Within minutes, she was lagging badly, a bit too slow to lift her blade in time to ward off a blow effectively, overbalancing when thrusting at him.
Elementary, stupid mistakes that would have had her severely punished in training. Her lips lifted in a rictus. "Fight me!" she snarled. ---------- Tagging @alwaysmauria @fartasticdurge @andauril
#drow oc#drow tav#moralygray#baldurs gate 3#baldurs gate astarion#baldurs gate tav#bg3#astarion#astarion ancunin#fanfiction#ao3 fanfic#ao3 writer
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WIP Monday
Snippet from the chapter of Hunting Creatures I hope to finish writing today. Thanks for the tag @nocryptographer!
****
We don’t put our clothes back on, after. We don’t get up—just lie there facing each other, entwining our fingers, adrift on Bliss Spores, until Astarion thinks of something. He pushes himself up to a seat and twists around, reaching for his pack.
“Help me choose one,” he says, turning back to me with his divination cards. A single card. Give me your hands.
So I sit up, too, facing him. He holds the deck between us in his palm, placing one of my hands on top and covering it with his. “Put your other underneath,” he instructs. Close your eyes, and concentrate.
He shares his question with me; I hold it in my heart, and in my hands.
Then, Astarion transfers the deck to my palm. “Now, cut them.” And so, following along in his improvised ritual, I let my fingers choose a place to split the deck in two before returning the cards to Astarion. “And give me a kiss,” he says with a cheeky smile. I do, of course; and as our lips meet, he cuts the cards a second time himself, moving the upper portion to the bottom of the deck. Are you ready?
Yes! I nod eagerly against his lips, and he reveals the deck’s top card. We pull away to look at it. “The Star…” He looks ecstatic. Oh, my love…
****
tagging @schuldigkun @sawickibalisong @shandoratheexplorer
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