the-red-drow

[the-red-drow]

Thanks again to @juneiper-art. Go look at her work!

Pay what you can piece for @erin-unknown of BG3 character Deet! Love this character design, thank you for trusting me with your character!

[the-red-drow]

well, it's working on me

if you follow me just know im shooting brain waves at you to make you into a gale’zel truther

[the-red-drow]

If you think about it the relationship between Bhaal and a resist!Durge is basically that Hollywood trope where the dad is like "But son! Football is your dream!" and Durge is like "No, dad. Football is YOUR dream." Except instead of football, it's genocide.

[the-red-drow]

The Very Hungry Rust Monster is a mini-comic I made a few years back. I’ve seen it floating around Tumblr without attribution recently, so I’ve uploaded a higher-resolution version, properly credited.

[the-red-drow]

and what if I give astarion long hair so I can add him to shri’iia’s artfight page.

[the-red-drow]

~ GENTLE LOVE ~ PROMPTS

Feel free to use and reblog!

acknowledging them as soon as they enter the room

soft looks across a long table

getting lost in their eyes during a conversation

brushing a strand of hair behind their ear

grinning when they're being adorable

mutual but enjoyable silence

kisses on the cheek in passing

breathing in their sweet scent

innocent touches when they're close

brushing knuckles softly over their cheek

being distracted by thoughts about them

terms of endearment

holding their hand when they're stressed

good morning kiss when they're still half-asleep

tucking head into the crook of their neck when they're hugging

kisses the crown of their head

exchanging looks in a crowded room

simple shared nightly routines

humming or whistling in their presence

playing with their hair right before falling asleep

pulling them closer when they're cold

communication without words

letting them ramble when they need to let off steam

tea time for just the both of them

being reminded of them by random things around them

scalp massages when they have a headache

defending them in front of others

actions to make them proud

actions to make them happy

actions to make them laugh

developing a new sense of attention to certain things

regular checks on their well-being

caressing their hand during conversation

brushing thumb over their skin while holding hands without noticing it

endless giggles

eyes brimming with adoration

attentive listening

cupping their cheeks with both hands

featherlight kisses over their entire face

bringing them small gifts when having been away

not letting them go when hugging

sweet dreams about them

smiling to lift their spirits

kisses on the tip of their nose

mirroring their actions without noticing it

taking care of them when it's hard for them to do it themself

hugs of comfort

hugs of delight

jokes to lighten the mood

marvelling at their skills

[the-red-drow]

Hugs are the Swiss army knife of personal contact tbh. They can be romantic, platonic, consoling, celebratory, just because, they can be tight and close or loose and comradely, they're just the absolute best

[the-red-drow]

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

[the-red-drow]

siren'zel doodles!! she's my favorite crechur rn 😖😖😖

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u would think that the bg3 fandom would have an incredibly varied fandom ecosystem on tumblr. this is the monsterfucker site. this is the old man fucker site. this is the villain fucker site. cazador ketheric voss orpheus emperor yurgir sarevok ragzlin balthazar lump theres so many so so so MANY...but its not. its not.

[the-red-drow]

commission for @cailleachan, their drow phantom rogue/ranger Miz'ri! thank you for commissioning me 💜

commission info 🎨

[the-red-drow]

Astarion Vampire Ascendant and Tenebrae Vampire Ascendant's spawn

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for the record, i will throw down over Mol

she's a little gremlin who makes bad and selfish decisions but, like, of course she does? she's a child? and in a situation no child should ever have to endure.

let's stop pretending you need to be a saint to be worthy of empathy and care~

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Can't keep having this conversation w bg3 players outside of the Zevlover community 😭

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I forgot I did this lol

i've just been in this piccrew all evening help!

I tend to play variations on the same few characters whenever I play rpgs—most of them based on Deet, my beloved half-drow thief.

He's fun to play because he goes out of his way to talk to every animal present, makes kind of poor decisions regarding his personal safety, and I get to indulge in that "cinnamon roll who could actually kill you" sort of character.

from top down, left to right: Deet, Dalgar Thorne (Dragon Age: The Veilguard), Sidestep (Fallen Hero, @fallenhero-rebirth), Zeke (The Fernweh Saga, @lacunafiction), and Elias (Infamous, @infamous-if) and you know, everyone should really go give these IF games a try. I love them dearly.

I also will play variations on Deet's uncle and father whenever I can (because they let me be little less disastrously curious and a lot angrier, respectively). Hlarzith/Oscar has no time for your nonsense and Kalandorl/Alexander will fuck you up with no more than a gentle nudge. They are both secretly very squishy.

[the-red-drow]

What is Deet petty about? What uncharitable take would he have about you? And which physical traits are he insecure about?

Anon, how did you manage to toss me the hardest questions for Deet all at once? Good job. 😆

What is Deet petty about?

Deet doesn't like digs or little comments about how he spends his time and he'll quietly double down on doing something if one of his friends makes a comment about it.

What uncharitable take would he have about moi?

Genuinely hard question: I could come up with some uncharitable takes about him but I've constructed his character to be so non-judgmental and laid back, lol.

But, hm, I think he would hate how critical I can be. When I was a manager, my team would come to me with project ideas and my instinct is always going to be finding as many weak spots as possible before moving forward. I don't think I was ever a jerk about it, just clear and direct (we had a job to do).

I don't think Deet could handle that, though. I think he'd take it as nothing ever being good enough for me and get all mopey like he does when he's upset.

Is that uncharitable towards me or reasonable? I don't know.

What physical traits is he insecure about?

This one I knew the answer right away, lol.

Deet can't grow a full beard; he doesn't much like having one anyway, so it's no great loss for him to keep it shaved, but I suppose it's a sort of... retroactive embarrassment(?) from running around with a wispy, patchy moustache and later beard until he was like 20.

He got teased for it every now and then, but shaving always seemed daunting and he was always too embarrassed to ask anyone for help directly. Deet just sort of... pretended he had a beard on purpose for a little while.

[the-red-drow]

Netherese Orb + Physical Impacts.

I want to talk more on the subject of the specific physical impact of the orb on Gale, because I think it’s very glossed over in canon (and because I like this wizard a normal and socially acceptable amount).

When you see the night of “Gale’s Folly” through his memories, the narrator describes it as “…blackest Weave that pounces. Its teeth, its claws, its unstoppable as it digs through and becomes part of you. And gods, is it ever-hungry…”

Netherese Weave is not just dangerous - it is the kind of dangerous that even deities like Mystra refuse to touch because of the threat it poses to the very nature of reality and magic. Karsus’s attempt to ascend to godhood not only brought his civilization to ruin but destabilized the entire Weave.

In Forgotten Realms lore: “[The Weave] is an essential element of the universe. It runs through everything in unseen threads. It is what makes magic possible.“ (Excerpt from Magic of the Weave - An Introduction)

If we view the Weave as a constant source of underlying energy, like electrical currents, then absorbing even a fragment of Netherese Weave into a biological system would be like plugging an entire unstable power grid directly into your nervous system.

It seems unlikely, almost unreasonable, that such an unstable, predatory force would plant itself neatly in his sternum and neck and leave the rest of his body untouched.

Gale himself speaks about the orb like a chronic illness (“affliction”, “condition”, “remedy”, “stabilization”) and describes biological symptoms that track incredibly closely with neuropathy (nerve damage) if he does not feed the orb: “It begins with a biological deterioration. muscle spasms, disorientation, a slight ringing in the ears. and if left for too long… catastrophe.”

Based on what we know about Netherese Weave and the descriptions if his condition isn’t managed, the original incident likely was devastatingly medically and magically traumatic to his body - regardless of the subsequent status of the orb. Nerve damage to that severity would leave permanent consequences.

Think:

- Hands that shake when he’s tired or magically spent

- A slight limp, barely noticeable, after a long day of walking

- Rising just a bit slower, or leaning on his staff too heavily to disguise muscle weakness

These would be consequences that last regardless of the orb’s status, and likely are irreparable due to the nature of their origin.

While magic in the Forgotten Realms can heal and restore functionality, there is a limit to what it can do. Healing spells fix “recent injuries,” but can’t undo deep trauma or structural damage beyond what the body can naturally mend and even spells like Restoration have limits. Additionally, the narrator says the Netherese Weave “becomes part of [him]”. That doesn’t suggest just damage - it suggests fundamental magical and biological rewriting.

It’s also directly shown that the orb causes him pain/discomfort when he gets the Arcane Hunger status effect - but it doesn’t seem to be a surprise to him. He doubles over and clutches his chest (indicating the severity) but doesn’t cry out and speaks to you with in pained, but calm tones. This is not the behavior of someone with sudden, unexpected pain - this is the behavior of someone with constant chronic pain noticing the point where it becomes unsustainable. (Sidenote: This is a pretty common headcanon, I’m just mentioning it for context - other people have explored the idea of Gale & chronic pain supported by canon much more deeply. I’m looking more at consequences of nerve damage more specifically in this post)

So I present:

Gale with chronic pain and neuropathy. Gale with hands that shake when he’s exhausted. Gale who knows how to work around the reminders of his body’s limitations. Gale who can still cast and is a force to behold in battle, but who adjusts subtly afterwards to hide the way he’s favoring one leg - because the other is giving out on him. Gale who overuses Mage Hand because he doesn’t trust his own. Gale who sits by the fire a few minutes too long after a stressful day because the world feels like it’s spinning. Gale who is still himself, but who bears physical consequences of his ambition.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk.