#they're desperately trying to free themselves from being in service of gods/powers who treat them like pawns | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bhaalsdeepbat · 8 months

Text

Astarion: Finally, we're catching up on our puppet master. And the hunt ends at Moonrise Towers.

screaming crying throwing up over this line with durge and romanced astarion on my duo run. they both start as puppets, then are free enough of their former masters to make their own choices, then they both have a choice: chain themself to their master or be free.

with durge that's either resist or become bhaal's chosen. If they resist, they're marking to certain death. To be free of Bhaal is to die, and I think they're acutely aware of that. To become his Chosen is to extend the amount of time they live, but they know it won't truly be living, if they live their life in service to another.

with astarion it's to break the cycle of abuse and be more than what nearly 200 years of empathy-breaking hell - Sisyphus pushing up the boulder but make it seducing people, eating rats and insects, night after night, knowing everyone you touch is doomed to die - made him OR unchain himself to everything Cazador did by killing Cazador without ascending, allowing him the safety of his abuser being gone so he can finally start feeling and healing without the ever-present threat of becoming a slave to Cazador again.

Their romanced "bad" endings all require someone to become the other's puppet. If Durge becomes Bhaal's Chosen, they force Astarion back into servitude and make him no more than a puppet after taking over the Absolute to start slaughtering the world in Bhaal's name. If Astarion Ascends, Durge either agrees to the loss of their independence and personhood by becoming a spawn OR the relationship falls apart.

I don't have anything else to say I'm just screaming about this lmao

#bat plays bg3 #there is one single way to keep astarion and NOT become his spawn #but you have to go from Cazador directly to end-game #like you ascended astarion then went to the morphic pool instead of doing a long rest #but at that point he has no option but to play along bc he still wants to keep tav/durge near him #he's obsessed with them AND he covets their power #and he knows without the tadpole OR having them as his spawn #he can't really do anything except keep playing a role until he convinces player to become his spawn #iirc in the ending he discusses turning them and #the implication is it's just a matter of time #he also clearly isn't afraid to forcefully change companions at a future time #the thought is there in his origin ascended ending #also the other companions too have the interplay of #they're desperately trying to free themselves from being in service of gods/powers who treat them like pawns #but i'm struggling with words rn #just know karlach and astarion literally are foils #astarion #bg3 #durge

12 notes · View notes