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Been thinking of an older Helia lately and felt like drawing it. Hopefully he will be able to reach this age but with how things are going in our campaign I don't know if any of the party will.

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Desna

ref (I believe this is the photographer but I couldn't find the exact ref on site)

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A chance lost.

SO my boy Helia has messed up the last few sessions. One big way is that a lantern he had received at the beginning of the campaign that was obviously blessed by his deity (Desna) is no longer with him.

He traded the lantern to a lich in order for the lich to make an item that could help a town that has been over taken by the evil cult church (they've given everyone this plague that basically locks them into their bodies and they have to obey commands given to them, like living puppets). He had been able to save about 200 people there with a miracle who the party did safely get out of the town.

This town and a lot of the people in it worshiped Sarenrae. With the relationship between his goddess and Sarenrae (and just people deserve free will) he felt like he had to try and help the rest. And so when the party found a chance he gave up his lantern. At the moment he felt it was the right choice.

Cut back to current days and after finding out why their village is continuing to be attacked he goes to the dilapidated temple in their village. A place he has worked to restore and is like a second home to him. Here he is shown a vision from Desna.

He knew that his goddess needed help within a dangerous forest, a crumbling statue of her holding a lantern and the howling of wolves his biggest hints. It's made clear to him that without his lantern he can't save the werewolves, his fellow followers of Desna.

Helia is incredibly upset and broke down at the temple. He already struggles with feeling enough and worthy so knowing he has disappointed his goddess hits hard.

And he's about to get another blow when he realizes that the one person he took in as family (a child) has ran away because Helia couldn't stay strong enough in front of them.

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Some Koren drawings I had lying around that I figured I would throw together for a ref.

I don't have everything of his backstory but the main beats:

Koren pushed himself to be seen as worthy to his father. Despite being created from Bhaal's flesh he grew to be a small, delicate appearing man. Not the image one conjures when imagining Bhaal's chosen.

At an early age Koren turned to magic and found himself devouring whatever text he could come across to further improve his wizarding skills. So what if he couldn't overcome others in a fist fight? A few words and he'd have them begging on the floor.

He didn't neglect his physical training though. Koren even enjoyed physical combat from time to time. He does not hold back and will take any opportunity in a fight to be the victor.

Koren enjoys soft things. Soft beds, sheets, clothing - it's a luxury he would indulge in when possible.

Was more expressive when young, the last decade or so before the events of BG3 he had become more neutral, seemingly bored. (And in truth he was, he was growing tired of his day to day life, something Orin did take notice of)

The only time he found himself showing his true self was in high adrenaline moments. (Gortash did like to try and rile him up to see these reactions)

After the nautiloid with his memories gone he is able to rediscover the more expressive side of himself; laughing, bickering - letting himself feel things again after so long.

Annnddd some screenshots under the cut of him for fun!

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When your younger sibling grows to be taller than you.

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Tried grayscale painting and then I went in with colors and gradient maps. Not sure if it's a method I'll do often ^^;

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I upgraded to ver 4 csp when it was on sale and the drawing on 3D model is really nice. Made making a better reference for Helia's skin.

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My first play through as Helia I ended up with the ascended!Gale ending. I knew it was the "bad" ending (it's not my fav but I don't hate it, gives me some angsty/bittersweet feels) and I wanted to get it out of the way before I get the other.

Under the cut I ramble about it and the two ways it could go with Helia.

Also I haven't looked into bg3 lore for ascending or godhood so playing loose with it

Helia didn't like the idea of Gale ascending but he saw how happy it made the wizard. He was not silent though and did try to show Gale how amazing of a person he already was, that he didn't need the crown to prove that. Helia hoped that his love and support would be enough to change Gale's mind.

After the fall of the netherbrain Helia tries to get Gale to stay, at least long enough to rest and celebrate with their friends. With a kiss and a promise to come back for him from Gale is gone.

Helia stays in Baldurs Gate to help rebuild and heal any injured. After a few weeks Halsin is the last of their group to leave and asks Helia if he wants to join him in the shadowlands to help with the rebuilding there.

Helia declines knowing that the Gate is where Gale would know to look for him. So he stays and waits. And waits. The months go by slowly, with the only company Helia has is Jaheira when she's around and on a few occasions Astarion. Jaheira is a strong shoulder to lean on, a rough maternal figure that Helia appreciates. Astarion being a concerning but welcomed distraction. His own ascension has Helia worried and he does his best to keep his friend grounded but most of the time finds its a futile effort.

6 months go by and it's the night of the party. While everyone looks lively and in good health Helia enters tired and thin, the heartbreak of feeling abandoned seen clearly. And then he sees him, all silver and smile. Nothing else matters as he enters Gale's line of vision. Tears flow and Helia embraces the god.

It hurts to know that his excuse is the flow of time differing between planes. To know Gale didn't come straight for him after reforging the crown. And it makes his heart ache to see the changes that have happened. Not just the physical, no, something else was different and it didn't sit well with Helia. But it's still Gale, right? No matter what, it's still the man he loves.

The party ends after many hugs and laughter and stories told. Gale leads him to the river and offers him the eternity he had promised all those months ago. And this is where it could go 2 different ways:

(1) Helia accepts. He doesn't want to spend another day from Gale and if that means following him into godhood, then so be it. Ascending doesn't change much for Helia. He still sends prayers to his goddess, something Gale doesn't understands but won't press. It makes Helia happy and keeps him from getting that distance look in his eyes Gale sometimes finds. He'd bring the sky down to chase that look away.

Helia refuses to let his ascension keep him from the few mortals he knows and cares for. Through dreams or going to the mortal plane himself he checks in on them. He finds himself even visiting Morena Dekarios and Tara, something he had looked forward to before Gale or him had ascended.

There is a sadness between Gale and Helia in this life. Helia pulls Gale to do mundane things, asks to be shown his mortal appearance, to go to Waterdeep and show him the best spots. It's a facade of the life he had dreamed of having with Gale but they are together until the end and for that Helia will forever be grateful for.

(2) Helia declines. He asks for Gale to stay with him. Gale can have his godhood, he can have his followers and temples - he didn't even have to stay in Faerun with Helia all the time. Just most of the time. They can still have that date in Waterdeep, he can still introduce Helia to his mother and try his famous hundur sauce.

Gale, a part of him still wishing for all that, states he can't. He is a fledgling god, he can't be absent to that extent if he wants to grow a following. He asks again for Helia to come with him.

Heartbroken Helia stays firm and only asking for one promise. A promise to come for him when he closes his eyes for the last time. Let him experience his full mortal life and then he will gladly stay by his side for eternity.

A bittersweet kiss seals the promise and Helia gives a small smile, reassuring Gale they will be together soon. What is a few decades to a god?

Helia goes back to Baldurs Gate, heart heaving but ready to live his life to the fullest. He lingers there for a few years, checking in on Astarion and assisting Jaheira, healing injured harpers.

He finds himself being called to travel and help somewhere else. It leads him to the shadowlands, looking completely different from his last time there. A lot still needs to be done and with a warm welcome from Halsin Helia finds a place there, healing and connecting with the new people finding a home there.

He visits the Gate often. He is there to welcome Shadowheart when she comes to visit. He is there when Wyll and Karlach return for the final time from Avernus, her heart stable enough to finally stay.

Despite the fulfilling work and caring people he is surrounded with Helia still finds himself missing warm brown eyes and gentle smile. He finds himself praying to Gale along with Selune. Not just for the sliver of connection it gives him to his love but as a reminder. I'm here, I miss you, I love you. Please remember our promise.

The years do not wear on Helia as they would a human but they do wear. He is weak towards the end, spending most of his time in bed or sat near a sunny window, helping those around who have decided to follow the path of a healer.

And one night Helia feels the warm embrace of magic, different to the cooling touch his own had, and he smiles. His hand is held. He is not alone as he takes his last breath.

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EDIT: Added a better reference to his magic. Didn't have a certain spell in mind that he's casting.

Updated ref of my dnd character! Our campaign has been on hiatus for like 1.5 months and I miss him T_T

I'll be adding more outfits too but this is his main traveling one. It's also what I imagine him wearing when I'm playing BG3 as him.

Below comparing this one to the last one I did. I think I've been able to define his face a lot better which makes me happy!

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Happy last day of mermay!

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A quiet night reading together.

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Attempted a redesign for Helia's mimic sword. Wanted to give nod to his air genasi heritage with the cloud motif and also Desna, his deity, with the butterfly.

The sword's name is Astral ~

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continuing to figure out an outfit for him.

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My durge, Koren.

ref under the cut!

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I overestimated my ability and this will never be finished but I like the 3/5 pages I finished so I'll at least post it here.

More context and talk about it under the cut.

Helia is an air genasi cleric (Selune in game but in the dnd campaign he's in it's Desna from pathfinder). His hair has a unique property about it that at the ends it gradients into a see through mist like form and flows like caught in a gentle breeze.

Genasi not being as common as other races and Gale being an academic™ I figure he would want to ask questions and that leads to him getting a hands on experience of how it feels.

Helia already had a crush and I imagine this is where Gale would stop denying any feelings but still be struggling with the orb and self confidence.

The last two pages were just Gale awkwardly leaving and Helia staying there, touching the side of his face that was just cradled and thinking how warm and gentle Gale's hands were.

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Made my air genasi cleric in bg3 and wooed the wizard man <3

Screenshots under the cut cause they have my heart.