#ghaik thoughts

[baldursghaik]

thinkin a lot about how mind flayers most likely have a base biological need to thrall people/creatures

which can obviously be overcome (see: the number of rogue illithids who do not have thralls), but I think there's a degree of innate dissatisfaction/lack of fulfillment that would be present in most, if not all, that don't

specifically regarding the Emperor, I think a lot about how it recalls its time with Stelmane in the Shield, when it states that its needs were met and it was happy

The Emperor is pretty transparent about perceiving itself as NOT being like other mind flayers, but I think it's interesting that it's clearly still self aware of what fulfills it and brings it joy. On the other hand, if it had no reason to the lie, and if you asked it if Stelmane was its thrall, I'd be surprised if it could give a straight answer

[dorindameddler]

great hilarious interaction between lae'zel and the emperor

[emshatesphysics]

trying to study for finals but im thinking abt laezel so i will now write a billion paragraphs

I know people typically think that Laezel staying in Faerun is kind of a sad ending for her like even though she finds love and friendship she gives up on helping liberate the githyanki which is true bc there is no ending that isn't bittersweet. But having done Laezel's origin story I think depending on you shape her character arc her staying in Faerun can make a lot of sense.

She starts off incredibly loyal to Vlaakith and touting lines of gith superiority, as always. At the beginning, she looks down on Faerun as a lesser planet of lesser beings. Her goal is to eradicate the ghaik and eventually, as is the gith goal, to dominate the universe as a soldier of Vlaakith.

However, once you go to the creche, and even if you do exactly as Vlaakith says, you end up being declared a traitor and forced to fight your own for your survival.

So Laezel at this point is completely disillusioned. The thing she thought would be her cure almost killed her. The queen she was ready to live and die for discarded her after she followed her orders. What does she have left of her identity? If she would still do her queen's will, she would submit herself and die. But Laezel does not want to die. She does not want to be ended. Laezel is not stupid. Although she was raised with Vlaakith's dogma, she is clearly capable of critical thinking, as the events of her creche make her ready to swear off her queen.

Laezel obviously has to do some serious self reflection here. And at this point, particularly playing as her origin, I think you can decide whether her arc becomes more about finding a new cause or learning to live for herself. Having been raised as a soldier, of course it would be more natural to find a new cause to fight for. But in some sense, the harder thing to do would also be the more "selfish" thing of figuring out how to live for herself.

Yes, Laezel's character is focused on efficiency, pragmaticism, and being a well-oiled machine. That doesn't have to change completely. But in terms of the game's themes, I think it would be more interesting for Laezel to question literally everything she knows. And by extension, what she wants from her life.

Happiness was irrelevant to serving Vlaakith's will. But when Vlaakith betrayed her, can she really trust such teachings? Is all kindness truly a weakness? I don't think Laezel woild ever reach Wyll levels of altruism. But perhaps she could learn some more patience and train herself to expand her empathy.

We see her doing diplomacy in the Orpheus ending-- she learns these traits regardless. However, what I think would justify staying on Faerun is a complete questioning of her ideals.

Is the gith race truly superior? Yes, of course, because what could she find pride in if not? But Vlaakith lied to her about ascension. So perhaps that was a lie too? No, such thoughts would make her a traitor to her people. But isn't she already declared as such?

Her skill with a blade is unmatched. She does not want to die. She does not want to become ghaik. She does enjoy sex. And that... is all she knows for certain.

What more can she trust? She will keep doing as she has with intimidation because that has worked so far. But perhaps she will experiment a bit more. She will allow an extra second for targets to explain themselves. Perhaps she will be a little less hasty to judge people's worth. After all, she initially thought Gale pathetic and useless. But being a wizard has its uses. She thought Shadowheart's lies and deceit were signs of weakness (which they still very well could be because she still would not trust the Sharran) but after her time in Faerun, it is clear that the society is different and such tactics have their uses to avoid conflicts that make reaching her goals harder.

It is strange witnessing the gentleness and softness that the tiefling families have for each other. Initially she thought to end their pitiful existence for weakness must be culled. Indeed she repeated as such. However, recently her chest has felt some strange warmth when she sees the children playing or that useless tiefling bard and her mate smiling at each other. How pathetic. Or is it?

When Kithrak Voss tells her of Orpheus, of course she must fight. Of course, she must free her people. Loyalty to her race is expected. And it is her birthright, her purpose. But after Vlaakith... is she so ready to pledge herself to another cause? She tells her companions if Voss is lying she will have his head and she will deserve the end that she gets. Really, she is not so sure.

On Faerun, most races hardly have any sworn loyalty within them. Beings of all kinds betray and change allegiance all the time. This is obviously a sign of inherent weakness and fragility of society. Except for the fact that the conflicts between Vlaakith and Orpheus indicate that gith society is also fragile.

Of course Faerun is nothing compared to what the Astral Plane will be. But as she explores the Underdark and the horrors of the Shadow-Cursed Lands, she realizes she can find worthy opponents here. Perhaps worthier ones than she ever anticipated.

And some part of it, she loathes to admit, is also beautiful. And then a horrifying thought strikes her. What if the Astral Plane is also a lie?

That thought is clearly untrue because Voss and countless gith have found their home there. But somehow along her journey, she has learned much of Faerun. And blast it all, she has come to enjoy it.

Laezel likes to stick to what she knows. She likes what she is certain of. And right now, she is terrified because she is certain of very little. But she has come to be certain of the fact that she likes Faerun a lot more than she did at first.

What does she want? She does not know. And every experience on Faerun is helping her learn.

Of course she frees Orpheus because she will do that before ever trusting a ghaik. But when someone has to turn into ghaik to defeat the brain, she will not become ghaik herself. She does not know Orpheus well. She should be willing to make the sacrifice. But again, she finds her desire for her own life take precedence over whatever leader she might follow. And truly? She is not ready to trust so blindly again.

When Orpheus turns, when the brain is defeated, when she is offered to go up to the Astral Plane and claim her birthright almost all of her is ready to jump on the red dragon and fight as the soldier she was raised to be. But she then thinks that her birthright, her dream, was born from a source of which she is now uncertain.

She is no longer sure if this is her dream. Since her youth, it has been. But perhaps she does not need to persist based upon Vlaakith's teachings. Perhaps her blind loyalty should not be so blind. She wants to fight Vlaakith and get her revenge. But even more, she wants to live in the place she has learned to love and not the one she is told that she will love.

She declines. It hurts to see Orpheus so disappointed and Voss so angry. The uncertainty of her hand in their victory against Vlaakith stings.

But it comes with a sense of freedom. A freedom she doesn't completely understand, but one she will try her best to. Who is Laezel of Creche Kllir? A fearsome warrior who is intimidating and strong. A lithe githyanki who has saved countless lives on Faerun. A woman who no longer makes decisions from false promises.

She bids Voss farewell and tells him that she will destroy Vlaakith's bases here and recruit others to Orpheus's legacy. She will spread his legend. She will be the warrior she has always been. But she will not be beholden to whatever Vlaakith has told her. She will find her happiness in the places she knows and stay with the gentleness she used to perceive as weak.

Her loyalty to race will not be the determining factor of her pride. She will find pride in herself.'

Oh also i think she should romance shadowheart and they should go on their own adventures and make out all the time but thats neither here nor there.

[blackjackkent]

Annoyingly, not a single companion has any commentary in their individual dialogue trees on Karlach becoming a squid. This seems, if you'll pardon my French, fucked up.

Karlach herself does have a bit of dialogue though, and to be honest, she's not completely dissimilar from her previous personality, although the differences are definitely there. (Personally, I think my headcanon is that her personality continues to get more and more subsumed the longer she remains an illithid, so for right now there are more traces of Karlach than there will be in a year, or a decade.)

"This is wild. I'm myself but... but *more*."

"More? How do you mean?"

"It's like I'm... beyond myself. I can sense things I never knew were there." Her voice is the same, but the tone is very different, not quite the Emperor's monotone but far more subdued than the energy with which Karlach has always been infused. She sounds more thoughtful, and very curious - and, for the moment at least, content.

"And my engine," she goes on. "It's... it's... silent. No heat. No gears. Still there, but no longer threatening to explode." Those strange black eyes lift to Rakha's, glittering. "Soldier..."

"Are you certain?" Rakha asks warily. "Maybe your new form has just cooled it down for the moment."

But Karlach shakes her head. "This is... something else," she murmurs. "Something far deeper. Whatever ceremorphosis did to me, it... it fixed me. That means... I won't burn out."

It's very odd to listen to. It's like all of her usual energy and exuberance is in there somewhere, but stretched, elongated, muffled, muted. Each word comes slow upon the heels of the last.

"Shit. I'm gonna be all right," she says, in that strange slow warm rumble. "I get to be alive. I get to stay." She tilts her head, and makes an unexpected whistling exhalation like an attempt at a laugh. "As a hideous monster, sure. But one that can feel. Think. Live."

She lifts her head, peers at Rakha intently. "But I'm still myself," she says firmly. "And I know what our mission is. I'm glad I get to do the honors."

-----

Ahhhh, and now the other characters can chime in! Well, one other character; in-game it was Minsc, but all of these lines are pretty good so I'm gonna write them all out here.

Unless otherwise noted, all of these lines have the rather charming devnote: (devnote: Karlach will live! Yay! But she is a mind flayer.)

GALE: I can imagine no finer ceremorph for the job. HALSIN: A hard-earned chance at life. You deserve it, Karlach. JAHEIRA: Already at home in your new skin. They never took your heart, girl - they never even touched it. (devnote: Shaking head quietly, amused wonder / pride at Karlach's resilience.) LAE'ZEL: I never thought I'd be happy to hear a ghaik will live. Yet my heart is very glad, Karlach. MINSC: Do you hear that, Boo!? Karlach lives! And this new form will make her all the slippier to grasp in our berserker bouts - a battle for another day. (devnote: Excited, then thoughtful, then getting back to excitement.) MINTHARA: I feel your mind evolving, Karlach... it is beautiful. You are more alive than ever. SHADOWHEART (Selunite): I'm glad for you, Karlach. It's hardly the life anyone dreams of, but, well... it's a life. SHADOWHEART (Sharran): You'll have to face oblivion another time, it seems. I'm glad for you, if it's what you want. WYLL: Oh, Karlach. No news could have made me happier in this house of horrors. (bonus even though he isn't here) ASTARION (Spawn): You are indomitable, aren't you? I'm so happy for you, Karlach. (devnote: Genuinely impressed and very pleased for her) ASTARION (Ascended): I'm so pleased your mind survived the transformation intact. As for the rest of you... well, your mind survived and that's what matters. (devnote: Astarion's pleased Karlach's surviving, although she has turned into a gross mind flayer, so…)

-----

Rakha listens to the others chime in excitedly about Karlach's fate. For her own part... she doesn't really know what to say. This is such a monumental change to the person she knew and trusted - even though Karlach seems content with the outcome, Rakha is in no way blind to the sacrifice that was made here.

She has to keep fighting. They have to make this worth the cost.

"We've got a brain to defeat," she says gruffly.

"Hell yes we do," Karlach says gravely in return. "Let's finish this thing, Soldier. It's time. And I'm ready if you are."

[viridescentelf]

!tw: body image! how the bg3 companions react to TAV having body image issues

astarion: thinks you’re joking at first. after noticing you‘re serious and not being cheeky back, his tone changes quickly to kind: „oh, oh dear. darling who the hell convinced you of this shit? look at you! who do i have to kill? who said something?“ as he presses further, he notices that‘s not exactly what you want. „darling, i cannot imagine a more perfect being. i wish you wouldn’t think so little of yourself, when i think the world of you. come here“ and pulls you in

karlach: „WHAT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SOLDIER? DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD?“ as you shake your head, she grabs you and hugs you extremely hard. she lets you cry and let out your frustrations. you can tell she‘s getting warmer as you speak. „I cannot believe you think about yourself, MY BABY, like this“ there‘s a pause and she hugs you tightly again. „Taters, you‘re lovely. I adore every inch of you. Don‘t you ever think I don‘t“ then she kisses you all over until you giggle.

minthara: slaps you. „Shut up, moron.“ then grabs your butt

lae‘zel: „the ghaik have infected your vision. obviously you’re blind and cannot see the wild intoxicating warrior I have before me. but if you truly see something that isn‘t there, i can hit your head a few times until you see true again“ she grins, turns away to sharpen her blade and mumbles „beautiful idiot“

halsin: eyebrows go / \ and true worry grows over his face. „my heart, come here.“ you climb into his giant lap as he holds you close, rocking gently back and forth. „i see your pain. i feel it. let it out, if you need to. shall i tell you what i see when i gaze at your divine face?“ you nod after a while, face buried in his chest. „i see starlight in your eyes. every time you bless me with your presence, i get lost in those vistas. i could stare at them forever. your body is oak father‘s gift. and what a gift he‘s blessed you with!“ he pulls you even closer, if that‘s possible. „don‘t let those evil thoughts win, my love. i adore you, just as you are“

shadowheart: looks at you confused. „is this a test? are you trying to make me shower you in compliments and embarrass me with them later?“ looks at you further. „in any case, i don‘t understand why you think that way. but i know all too well what it‘s like to believe something untrue.“ she places a hand on your cheek. „the love i have for you is true. and it is unconditional“ she kisses you gently.

gale: misunderstands what you said. „what? like your armor? yes maybe a new one will make you feel better. we can go find something for you!“ once you explain to him again, he finally understands. „oh, wow. i just stepped into a big puddle of shit didn‘t i?“ takes your hands and holds them tightly. „i love you, with every fibre of my being. i see none of what you see, i only see love within your eyes, the warmth of your wonderous and strong hands, that fascinating brain… i am in awe of you. don‘t ever forget it“ he kisses you sweetly and whispers in your ear „i wouldn‘t change a single thing about you“

wyll: immediately pulls you into a big hug. „don‘t ever think like that. i won‘t let you“ he holds your face in his hands. „have i said something or done anything that made you think this way?“ as you explain, that it isn‘t him, his thumb caresses your cheek. „love, you are exquisite. i will do anything i can to help you through this. what can i do to help?“ as you talk about the issues, he holds you in an embrace, lets you speak and listens intently.

[slayerdurge]

ten first lines tag game

tagged by @merge-conflict and @luvwich (thank you so much guys!! this is a very intriguing premise!)

Rules: Post the beginning lines of your 10 most recently published fanfics, then attempt to tag 10 people!

1. Secure Your Soul (Cyberpunk 2077, AU where Corpo!V never leaves Arasaka)

V’s eyes were glued to her leftmost monitor, incessantly rereading the international regulations on lunar base licenses.

2. Warpath (Baldur's Gate 3, retelling of the main plot ft. my evil resist Durge with the caveat that even though she is the main character, she never narrates and the narration instead swaps between her various companions)

When she woke up amid the alien grotesquery of a Nautiloid, with the fires of the Hells burning through the hole in its hull and a ghaik tadpole wriggling in her brain, Lae’zel’s first thought was that she was in a nightmare.

3. Meetings with Meredith (Dragon Age 2, a sequence of meetings between Meredith Stannard and my diplomatic templar-supporting Andrastian apostate Marian Hawke)

When Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard had caught her using magic in the main square of Hightown, Marian Hawke had thought her days of freedom were over.

4. Sacrifice (Dragon Age 2, post-templar supporting ending fic ft. the same Marian Hawke mentioned previously)

It’s odd, she thought, all these templars kneeling in front of a mage. 

5. Ruthless Remainders (Mass Effect, post-destroy ending fic ft. Renegade!Shepard finally having time to deal with the fallout of her actions, told from the POV of Garrus Vakarian)

Commander Shepard shouldn't be on Tuchanka.

Since that's about it for my currently published fics, I decided to dip into my unpublished WIPs... and therefore we have...

6. Beyond the Event Horizon (Cyberpunk 2077, planned sequel to Secure Your Soul ft. V being brought back to life by Arasaka as an android and used to fight a war against rogue AIs led by Alt, post-Devil Ending obviously)

When she awoke, the first thing she felt was a surge of power.

7. Crawling (Cyberpunk 2077, alternate story for the same Corpo!V featured in the other two fics, except this time she picks Tower Ending instead of Devil Ending, and she goes to work for the FIA)

They’d taken away all her cyberware, but she’d never felt more like an automaton.

8. A Space Could of Us (Star Wars: The Old Republic, love story about a female light sided Sith Inquisitor & Ashara Zavros)

“I've been thinking more about what Master Cyman said,” Ashara began, abruptly breaking the peaceful silence that had hung over the room for the last few hours. “And I think he was wrong.”

9. A Deal With God (Baldur's Gate 3, planned sequel to Warpath, post-ending, resist Durge takes over the Netherbrain and makes a deal with Bane that includes negotiating for Enver's resurrection and she becomes Bane's Chosen)

The Dark Urge had always liked the Astral Plane.

10. Hounds of Hell (Mass Effect, AU where Renegade!Shepard stays with Cerberus and winds up indoctrinated)

“Shepard,” a familiar voice from behind her said. “I was hoping it would be you.”

Okay... tag ten people... that's a lot... let's see who I can think of...

@owlgirl18, @illusivesoul, @ghostoffuturespast, @fereldanwench, @streetkid-named-desire, @archduchessgortash, @andrewknightley, @shadows-aflame, @mirandaputsherbestbuttforward, @milkywayes

Hey-oh! That's 10! No pressure ofc!

[not-a-space-alien]

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Chapter 1

Story Masterpost

My writing hiatus is OVER!!! I'm super excited to come back and share this Baldur's Gate 3 fanfiction I've been working on. It will have 6-7 chapters. The main focus is on Astarion. Karlach is also here a lot, and Wyll and Gale are supporting characters. It will also have elements of giant/tiny for the middle chapters!

You can probably figure out from context clues, but the setting for this fic is a playthrough universe where the party does NOT do Astarion's personal quest in act 3.

If you'd like to be tagged when new chapters come out, leave a comment or message me to say so and I'll put you on the taglist :) Or Subscribe over on AO3 （＾∀＾) 👉 AO3

Chapter 1 doesn't have any warnings besides typical Astarion-levels of angst.

***

“We'll do it after all this, Fangs. I promise.”

They wouldn't, of course. Astarion knew better than that.  They weren’t going to help him kill Cazador to be finally free once and for all “after all this crazy shit with Netherbrains and mind flayers and tadpoles and the world-destroying cult is over.”  They were just telling him whatever it took to get what they wanted out of him, which was his help in defeating said cult.  Astarion was very familiar with it because it was how he operated basically all the time, just telling people what they wanted to hear.

If they were all still alive and standing after all this, Astarion very much doubted any of them would want to keep him around, let alone help him with his goals.  All of them had turned down his offering his body to them, and once they no longer had use of his skills with a blade, there would be nothing to keep them around.  Certainly nothing to motivate them to help him.

Everyone had helped Gale with what he wanted because understanding the Netherese magic might help them destroy the brain.  Everyone helped Wyll with what he wanted because his father was a powerful lord and needed to be saved to stop the Absolute.  Everyone helped Shadowheart with what she wanted because she had that whole thing going on with Aylin and Selûne, which they’d needed to do to defeat Ketheric anyway.  Everyone helped Lae’zel with what she wanted because she was a gith warrior and an expert in slaying ghaik and knew about the relic and everything.  Everyone helped Karlach with what she wanted to do because, well, Gortash was one of the chosen three and they needed to kill him anyway.  Everyone had helped Jahira and Halsin and Minsc and Minthara and basically everyone Astarion could count until he ran out of fingers to count on.

But then when it came his turn to ask for help?  The way they kept assuring him it was okay to do?

Apparently defeating Cazador wouldn’t help.  It wasn’t necessary.  Because Cazador wasn’t affiliated with the cult, or the hells, or the mind flayers or the tadpoles or the undead or the Sharrans or the anyone that needed to be dealt with to prevent the sky from falling on them.

No, he was only affiliated with Astarion, and of course nobody would die if Astarion kept living in paralyzing fear.

Gale, Lae’zel, Shadowheart, Karlach–they all seemed to agree it could be put off until after the more pressing matters were dealt with.  Astarion maybe thought he hadn’t communicated well enough how pressing this was for him, personally, but he wouldn’t humiliate himself by getting down on his knees to beg.  He stopped asking after that–he couldn’t bear to be told no anymore than he already had.

“My be-fanged friend, I think we have matters a touch more urgent to attend to first.  Your vampiric sire will be top of the list as soon as getting distracted might not have such disastrous consequences.”

“This vampire lord is chraith, for sure, but our most urgent enemy is far more of a task.”

“You helped me with Viconia, so it’s only fair I help you with Cazador–but after the detour to the Sharran temple, I think everyone feels we’ve wasted enough time on things that can wait right now.”

“We'll do it after all this, Fangs. I promise.”

They wouldn’t, of course.  All this momentum that had built up to stop the cult would dissipate as soon as the Netherbrain was destroyed, and then suddenly nobody would have the interest in staying together.  They’d been talking about going their separate ways after this.  Nobody would want to keep going for yet more high-risk hijinks, especially not to help some random vampire spawn who, all things considered, wasn’t even of much value to the group.

He’d managed to get into a group of people who seemed to care about him, who told him it was okay to ask for help, and then he’d found it to be still another lie.

Astarion found the one member of the camp who wouldn’t judge him for it, Scratch, curled up with the dog in his arms, and wept as quietly as he could.

“I’ve had an infinite parade of lovers.  But a friend? I can’t think of a single one.”  He still couldn’t, not anymore. 

***

They did it.  They actually did it.

They’d managed to somehow beat down the cult of the Absolute, face the Absolute itself, and win.  They’d destroyed a netherbrain.  Astarion could hardly believe it.  He was, somehow, a hero who’d saved the world.

He was riding the high and the tidal wave of mixed emotions so much that he’d almost managed to forget about his problem.  He was only forcefully reminded as they stood there on the docks, in the sunlight, and the sunlight, well.

He’d managed to forget that the sunlight was his enemy, waiting with hungry, pricking fingers for him to let his guard down.

He started slapping at his own skin like he was on fire and had to put it out, while his companions stood by in horror and urged him to find cover.

He ran blindly.  It was a miracle he didn't fall off the dock into the water.  Ha managed to find shadows under a pile of crates.

He curled up and rocked himself, trying not to let himself fall back into despair.  His life in the sun was gone, burned up just like the sun had burned his skin.

He could very faintly hear Karlach yelling–apparently she also was getting her reward for all her hard work, which was also burning alive.

What a world.

Astarion managed to use his cloak to shield himself from the sun to move away from his hiding spot and go deeper into the ravaged city.  He wanted to get away from his… companions.  He knew no help was coming, and he wouldn't subject himself to the humiliation of being refused help while also having to hide from the sun.

He had enough gold in his pockets to buy passage on a boat when the sun went down.  He had to just get as far away from Baldur’s Gate as possible.  Get somewhere Cazador wouldn’t be able to reach him. 

It was madness that Astarion hadn’t done that in the first place.  He should have just put as much distance between himself and Cazador the second he was free from his command, consequences and mind flayers be damned.

He skulked about in the darkness of the under-city until it was night, then went up to the docks. His companions were gone, which was good. He couldn't face them.

Now he just needed to find a boat leaving Baldur's Gate, any boat whose crew he could talk to here after hours, maybe talk them into letting him below deck now so he wouldn't have to board later in the sun.

He was so busy frantically stretching his neck to find such a target that he didn't notice the presence at his elbow.  But damn if he didn't recognize the voice.  It was the voice driving his nightmares.

“Where exactly do you think you're going, boy?  I've been looking for you everywhere. We've got places to be."

[astarioffsimpmain]

Cozy Up with: Lae'zel

[Autumn Photography by: cozyoctober]

[Lae'zel Photography by: @banal-nadas (original screenshot) and @seluneclerics (original screenshot)]

Author's Note:

Forgive me for the extra short one! This is my first time ever writing Lae'zel, and I'm still getting her characterization down, so it's a bit quick. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

“It is strange,” she said quietly, her head tilted upwards to the blazing orange sky as leaves from the surrounding trees flitted towards the grass. “to realize that appreciation for things such as this was not something I possessed for the longest time. Appreciation was saved only for those who saved your life in battle, and even then, a debt must be repaid.” You watched her quietly, the sharp lines around her eyes softening as she followed a leaf down with her gaze. It landed in her lap and she grasped the stem with her forefinger and thumb, bringing it to her face to inspect. “When you told me you possessed a season of the year in Faerun that you favored, I thought you a k'chakhi - an idiot; a fool with no more reason to draw breath than a ghaik itself. However, I believe I understand now. There is a vibrancy here unlike in other seasons. It is one last burst of life before The Rotting and the Drawing Down begin.”

“I’m glad to hear you’ve warmed to it,” you say cheekily, leaning down to rest your head against her shoulder. 

“I have warmed to you; your enjoyment of it sparks my own,” she replied simply, easing into your touch in return. 

There was a chill in the air, raising gooseflesh along your skin as it swirled around the both of you. You turned to press a chaste kiss to your lover’s leather-like skin and she chuckled. “Your partiality towards affection still surprises me; however, it is no longer unwelcome. I have acted as your sa’varsh - your teacher - in many ways of the flesh, therefore it is only right that you act as mine regarding ways of the heart.” 

Lae’zel turned and pulled you closer, laying the both of you down on your sides. Gently, she brushed a fleck of dirt from your face, and you smiled at her. She looked so young without the pitch black war paint decorating her green skin. You knew that the fight with the Elderbrain was still looming, and that tomorrow she would be your warrior again; but for now, she was your zhak vo'n'fynh duj, the source of your joy, and you were hers. You wrapped your arms around her and felt her arms tighten around you. “We rest now,” she said quietly, her lips a mere breath from your own. “Our fight for freedom continues tomorrow. Let us sleep under this crimson sky and taste victory come the morn.” With this, she pressed her lips to yours, savoring your taste before pulling back to look into your eyes. “Victory will taste similar.” She smirked at you and you laughed quietly, pulling her close as the sun slipped into its own rest around you.

~

fin

[fangsandfeels]

I was today years old when I realized that if you take over the interrogation of Zorru and calm him down, promising that you won't let Lae'zel hurt him, you actually get a juicy +5 approval from her. Because even though she hates your interference and treating the locals with kiddy gloves, she sees results -- Zorru is now actually willing to help and answer questions. So, she gives you credit where it's due - and if you don't push the issue trying to lecture her on being kinder, you are pretty much golden.

That brought me back to the thoughts about how awesome Lae'zel is. She doesn't just cooperate with you to survive: she treats you as an equal, i.e. giving you an opportunity to assert yourself and stand your ground.

She doesn't hold it against you -- even though you are supposedly a lower creature from an inferior world, softened up by the privilege of not dealing with the ghaik threat.

From the githyanki POV, you owe them everything - a) because you're weak and wouldn't last a hypothetical hour in the Astral Plane b) because they are the only reason mindflayers haven't consumed your world yet and they need whatever resources you have more than you do.

So, technically the right thing for her to do would be to resort to violence in order to remind you the order of things. Any other githyanki would have done so immediately. Even Kith'rak Voss, despite his rebellion against Vlaakith, has no issues with taking you out on the spot. I don't think he was just pretending to avoid attracting suspicion from Vlaakith -- caring for githyanki people and wanting to remove the pretender doesn't necessarily include being nicer to outsiders.

But Lae'zel? Lae'zel respects you when you don't back down not to her, not to anyone else.

She respects you to the point she relies on you in her worst moments: like during the ceremorphosis scare, when she can't trust her own mind, torn between clear instructions and mad hope.

Action, not reaction.

[baldursghaik]

Do you have tips on how you draw mind flayers? I cannottttt get a handle on that anatomy (especially the head) and your art is so impressive! 😁❤️

of course! I threw this together pretty quickly, so it's not exactly comprehensive, but I hope it helps (and please, feel free to ask if you need clarification on anything)

I take a fair amount of creative leeway with how I draw illithids (and god knows that has been a process, please know I'm honored that anyone would ask this lmao), but also keep in mind that no two are the same. For example, I draw Thyneron and the Emperor broadly similarly, but some key differences that I keep in mind are that Thyneron is both shorter and more slender than the Emperor, and in turn, I prefer to draw the Emperor slightly more built (larger biceps, broader shoulders, etc).

However--I do also have a ripped model from the game that I use for reference. It's a fully configured fbx file (shoutout to @arcandoria for both supplying me the model, and helping me figure out how to get it to work in clip studio!), so below I've included some basic head angles, as well as a few trickier ones

As always, reference reference reference, and never be afraid to trace things for practice. I spent a lot of time just tracing the Emperor's head shape to get my hand and arm used to the motions of drawing something so alien. I rarely need to do so today, but if I'm drawing the Emperor's head from a particularly weird angle, you bet I'm loading the model in and grabbing exactly what I need. Thank you so much for asking this (and for the compliment <3), I hope this is useful!

[des-no9]

DOLL PARTS

SPOT ART SPOTLIGHT

I'm going to highlight a piece of spot art for each chapter done by my wonderful friend @unaarista, with an accompanying passage each week ! The art deserves to be shown off, it's so beautiful.

CH 1 - FALSE, FLESH, AND THE FUCKING RAIN (excerpt)

Restless hooves click on the floor; restless tail bats behind her. “They been around?” Vanquish asks.

“Who?” says Dror, sitting on the arm of his makeshift throne, leaning over an open crate. “Gotta narrow it down, Dolly.”

She sneers at the nickname, but no matter how much shouting in one ear about it she tries, it just goes right out the other. “The pawns.” The name had stuck more than rebel, than outcast. That any other self proclaimed title either.

Dror sits back on the arm. A nod. “Bunch of them the other night looking for help. One of them going crazy. Just like them Absolute times.” Sniffs. Scratches his brand. “Cut himself all up. Needed seds and meds.”

Vanquish half rises from her seat on the crate, tail snapping as she speaks. “And why the fuck didn’t you call me?”

“Way past your ‘elp. Needed actual medical not half-way.”

She swears again in that language Voss is so sure is Deep Speech. Heard it off the tongues and minds of ghaik. Of creatures back in the Astral Plane he’ll never again see.

stares at her sometimes like she’s from it, part of it dropped in here for him to find to feel at home

Her leg shakes, hoof scraping over the uneven floor as she listens, thinks. She could have done something. Anything-

“Saw his chip myself. Fried. Dead now anyway. Way past your help.”

Voss watches the crease in her brow. The unsettling, strange gem that looked like an eye on her wrist move. He’d read Dolls didn’t have a heart. That whatever kept them alive beat somewhere else, usually placed in a different place on their bodies. A rule to keep them othered. Not all Warlocks stuck to the rule. Some Patrons forced them to. And the more he thought, the more he wondered if that was Vanquish’s heart instead.

“Where’s my battery, Dror,” she snaps.

When did he last feel it beat under her chest?

Had he ever.

[perahn]

How the Tadfools Stole Christmas

Most people in Faerûn liked freedom a lot, The Dead Three and their Chosen, the bards say, did not. They wanted to murder, creative and cruel: They wanted the dead and the undead, like ghouls: They wanted confusion, the town upside down, So they’d seize command with a fierce tyrant’s crown. This, you might say, could rightly be treason, But they didn’t care. No one quite knows the reason. Old General Thorm, who stood for the dead, Was hating and frowning at Orin the Red: While Gortash clicked his gauntleted hand And “Enough!” he cried. “Do you understand? “We MUST plot and scheme! We MUST think – and quick! “We have to come up with some clever trick! “The people need ruling, and killing, and such – “Any more of this freedom is simply too much.” Then he got an idea! An awful idea! GORTASH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! “I know just what to do!” he snarled with a sneer: “We’ll make a new god, and we’ll fill them with fear! “We’ll get a big brain, all squishy and wet, “We’ll put worms in their heads, and just watch them fret “As the brain in the hat gives commands, they obey: “And then I’ll ride in to rescue the day!” There was more of the plan for Orin and Thorm, A false army to lead, and sly changes of form – But Gortash, the hero, had the best role to play, And grew bolder and gloatier each passing day. But down by the river, which he didn’t guess, Adventuring people had got in a mess. They had swords, they had spells, they had hidden chains, They had hard-won friendship, they had worms in their brains. They had a withered old man on their side, And a ghaik in a prism who served them as guide. They came to the Towers, all shadow-cursed dark, And they killed off old Thorm, midst panic and snark. “That’s bad,” Gortash thought, “Though I’ve never liked him, “Our chance of success just got slightly more slim- “Orin, my dear, you’d best kidnap one.” “Oh goody,” she said. “This will be fun!” But her temple was pillaged and her victim freed And Chosen or not, it was her turn to bleed. The adventurers turned their steps towards the place Which Gortash had made into his fortified base. “He’s crowned himself Archduke, so he must be rich “We’ve emptied our invent’ries, let’s loot this bitch.” They grinned and they smirked with sinister pleasure They slunk ‘round the fortress and they stole all the treasure! They took the cheese wedges, they took the clam chowder, They stole eighteen potions and all the rune powder! The pears, grapes and apples went into their sacks, Along with two shields and an enchanted axe. They grabbed up the gems, and what’s even colder, They took the roast rothé, the boiled beholder! They gathered the beer, the ale, and the wine, When they heard a small sound, like the grunting of swine. They turned around fast, and saw in the door Gortash was leaning, with five guards or more. “Hello,” that Gortash most charmingly said, “You’ve got pretty far, but soon you’ll be dead.” But despite all the traps, the guards, spells and fire, The gallant adventurers quick made him a liar. As he lay on the flagstones, bleeding, out-fought, He was hazily thinking a vague final thought: “Maybe my plan went somewhat astray, “And freedom’s the friends we made on the way?” And what happened then? Well, the adventurers say Gortash’s small heart stopped completely that day, Then they gathered his clothes, his weapons and glove, And into the chimney he went with a shove! Then back at their camp, as soon as it suited, They laid out a table with the good things they’d looted! They toasted each other and the good cheer they’d found, A merry and jolly and earth-shaking sound! Tomorrow would come, and it might well bring pain: They still had the worms and the ghaik and the brain, But tonight they’d rejoice and forget all that bother, And the withered old bone man carved the roast rothé!

[oops-all-concrete]

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

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

Ooohhhhh this sounds funnyyyy

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

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

(MILD SPOILERS FOR ACT 1/2)

Lae'zel -

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

Shadowheart -

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

Wyll -

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

Karlach -

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

Gale -

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

Astarion -

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

Halsin -

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

Jaheira -

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

Minsc -

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

[oryndoll]

i was looking thru my phone while traveling and i thought i would compile all of my meme art from my first bg3 playthrough with this guy. i hope you enjoy these masterpieces

before and after the emperor reveal

my favorite of the bunch. my post-house of hope breakup comic. knife always thinks he can have his ghaik and eat it too. he is sorely mistaken

trying to come up with knife's dragonborn last name. this needs no further explanation i trust

final one. cave paintings of my otp

[slayerdurge]

WIP WHENEVER

Tagged by @merge-conflict and @luvwich. Tbh I lost track of whether I already responded to both of you, but I never pass up an opportunity to share a WIP so! Here we go!

This is from the next chapter of Warpath, which is a Shadowheart POV chapter. The working title of the chapter is "Phantom Thread."

Lae’zel spoke silently to the entire group, her thoughts delivered directly into each of their minds courtesy of their illithid stowaways. “We should look for this Zorru,” she insisted.  Shadowheart was unnerved by Lae’zel casual use of the tadpoles. The phantom thread that linked their minds together was constantly at the edge of her awareness. She knew damn well that the others could use it to spy on her, and she hated it. Secrecy was a Sharran’s armor, and these invasive little tadpoles left her feeling stark naked and entirely unprotected. But the tadpoles were there, like it or not. May as well turn them to their benefit. “We don't even know where Zorru is,” Shadowheart pointed out, via the same psychic channel. “Are you planning to question everyone we meet?” “I say we talk to the druids first,” Durge suggested. “If anyone can help us, it's the Grove’s leadership. And I've already found us a way into their inner circle.” “What you've found us is a distraction,” Lae’zel grumbled. “The protocol regarding ghaik infection is unambiguous—report immediately to the nearest crèche for decontamination.” Lae’zel's single-mindedness was becoming worrisome. Gith had a well-earned reputation for ruthlessness. For all Shadowheart knew, this zaith’isk of theirs was more likely to kill them than to cure them. “The rest of us aren't gith, Lae'zel,” Shadowheart reminded her. “We’re not bound by your protocols.”  “The druid leaders can probably help us find a specific refugee,” Durge said. “If I ran this Grove, I'd be keeping tabs on all of them.” “That makes sense,” Shadowheart admitted. She didn't like it, but it was true. “They're outsiders. Best to know who everyone is in case someone tries to stir up trouble.” “Exactly!” Durge exclaimed. Shadowheart noted a silent, self-satisfied happiness emanating from her mind, but her face remained remarkably neutral.  As did Lae’zel’s, Shadowheart realized. As did her own, of course. No matter how heated their mental argument had become, not one of them had shown any visible signs of irritation. She was surrounded by fellow liars.

God, it's pretty obvious from this whole damn fic how much I love the dynamic of an evil party. Hits so good. Durge corrupts others just by existing around them tbh.

Okay! Now for my tags...

@ghostoffuturespast, @mirandaputsherbestbuttforward, @illusivesoul, @ratsstick, @andrewknightley, and @halliserres. no pressure as always and ofc it doesn't have to be specifically writing!

[ibuprofinator]

I wrote this a while back and put it on AO3, but a bitch loves to crosspost.

Heart of stone

Lae'zel of Crèche K'liir doesn't cry. She is her queen's most loyal blade in a sea of swords and blood. Her life hinges on her strength, her resolve. The sharpness of her eyes and body demanded respect with every step she took; the praise of her mentors powering the walk from her crèche to the ghaik circling the underdark.

It was careless, getting captured. It was a mistake she should never have made. The pod and her nightmares were the only thing she knew for far too long. When the thing she has sworn to take the head of finally opened her pod it was with worm in clawed hand. There was nothing she could do. Lae'zel, daughter of Gith, pride of Crèche K'liir could do no more than writhe fruitlessly against her bindings as the thing that enslaved her people made sure she would one day soon become just like them.

She breaks free. Strength sapped. Hellfire blazing around her. She knows what she must do in an instant. Without a second thought she stands up and marches forward through the ship.

She finds allies to supplement her temporary weakness, then she loses them, then they save her from yet another trap she carelessly stumbled into while adjusting to the blinding sun and fumes of the crash. In exchange she offers the cure of her people. She knows it to be the best way, the only way. After everything and all the wrongness of this world she just wants to see her people and attain the purity she knows they have perfected.

Lae'zel is ignored, and the tadpole is silent. One more day of waiting can't hurt, they say, one more week, one more month, one more year as long as the half elf holds onto an artifact stolen from the bloody clutches of her people. She hates the smell of grass, the weakness of the children, the joy of their music. It's all wrong. How can their lives be so easy that this is the first time they've touched a weapon? She finds a small piece of herself envying it before pushing it down with her steeled determination.

She will save herself, save them all, and she will bring the head of twelve dozen ghaik to her Queen for doing this to her.

When they finally heed her and seek out a crèche, it's just as alien as the rest of the world. The way they carry themselves is so vastly different from her home. The walls are crumbling with disrepair, the teachers waste their time, and the thing she had sought since the parasite worked its way behind her eye nearly kills her.

She convinces herself it was tampered with. The allies who have slowly begun to call her friend look at her with worry, then exasperation when she insists they need to report the ghustil. They tell her that the zaith'isk was designed to kill her and it always would. She knew. She knew deep within the pit of her stomach that they were right. But they couldn't be. She was Lae'zel of Crèche K'liir, her Queen's most loyal blade, and if she knew purification to be true, then it must be.

She marches them through the crèche to the Inquisitor and every piece of her lights up when Vlaakith looks upon her and says her name.

Lae'zel. 

It did sound regal coming from the lips of her Queen.

When they fail to complete the one task they were given, she's met with a sea of swords and leaves behind a river of blood. Her stomach churns and the tadpole squirms at the thought that the person, the Goddess, she dedicated her life and soul to would condemn her to this. 

Lae'zel listens to Voss when he intrudes on their camp, but she doesn't quite believe him. She doesn't quite believe anyone. She doesn't quite believe herself when she says that Vlaakith has sinned against her.

Her companions soften around her. She'd never admit it, but she softens too. The tadpole scares her less, but she's more determined than ever to undo it for herself and for them.

It's not until after the darkness of the shadow cursed lands is defeated, after Ketheric is dead, after she's seen the brain pulsating with power, after her people come for her throat again that she feels like she has a moment to breathe.

They step away from the lands cursed by darkness and see the sun again. It's warm and kind on her skin. She can smell the trees and morning dew covering each blade of grass and newly budded petal. She is no longer her Queen's sword. She didn't know what she was anymore. Her soul felt empty and her heart was constantly contorting in her chest.

Lae'zel of Crèche K'liir doesn't cry. But she let a tear fall down her cheek and onto the grass to hide amidst the dew.