#Dammon the Artificer

[csphire]

The mystery that's a part of Dammon's appeal and a solution to preserve it.

From this clip posted by Frazer Blaxland, provided to me by northlandcleric I'm starting to understand where his voice actor is coming from and can even respect it.

But it's also a really brilliant idea for his romance conflict and/or character arc. The thing is, Larian could keep some to most of Dammon's history and motivations a complete mystery. By simply having him struggle, dodge, or even outright refuse to open up about his past and present.

They could drop little ominous clues. Scraps of paper are found during his missions or around his tent in camp with drawn symbols not even Gale can recognize. For his character arc missions, he needs our help to collect a few mysterious items from various sometimes dangerous and highly guarded locations. But the problem is he won't tell you what they are, he refuses to show you them or admit why he needs them. They all just go into this peculiar box of his which he works on out of view of the camera. Much like when he was preparing a fix for Karlach's heart. It could cause the device inside to glow and make some chilling sounds that make us question our decision to keep helping him.

If that wasn't bad enough, there are odd things he mumbles to himself in passing you can't quite make out. We could have a cutscene where we catch him continuing to work on this mysterious device that he quickly hides away.

He could occasionally disappear from the game. As in, he's not available as a companion for a day here and there. He warns you this could happen beforehand and not to worry. Or there is simply a note he's left behind.

I should be back in a day, possibly two. - Dammon

When he comes back, and we ask where he went, he tells us he can't say. Sometimes, he comes back shaken or injured and still won't tell us what has happened or what's wrong.

His story is filled with all kinds of little things that would pique our curiosity and cause us to wonder and yearn for answers.

Perhaps the items he collects look to be transfered into a special locked chest at camp near his tent that he says is private and to not touch. And if the player doesn't listen, picks one surprisingly low roll lock, and opens it regardless, it provides zero answers. It contains just a few mundane, possibly sentimental items. What do these items mean? It doesn't matter, at least not yet, because it was a duplicate box. A temptation. A test to determine if Dammon could trust you, and you just failed it. Upon opening his chest, and violating one of his boundaries, he leaves the party and disappears forever. Or better yet, the game suddenly ends, and the credits roll.

What the hells happened?

We'll never know but we just messed up big time.

Why do I think this idea is perfect for him?

One Frazer wants him to be a man of mystery. Okay, that's valid. Here is your mystery, another paycheck, and more acclaim Frazer.

Two, because it's already set into Dammon's character somewhat. Upon minutes of knowing us, when he speaks of his time in the hells he outright admits, "I hope to forget most of it."

Again, that could be the issue the player character has with him. He simply doesn't want to talk about his past, his trauma, and possible sins. He wants to focus on the present and future with you and/or Karlach. Dammon can be a rather private and guarded character. Why is he like that? It's another mystery.

Being with him as a friend or lover is a complete leap of faith.

Perhaps he actually did, or was made to do, something horrifying and possibly unforgivable. If he confesses, maybe he fears it would destroy our warm view of him and the better person he wishes to be now. Maybe something unspeakable has happened to him, and he doesn't want to be an object of pity. He could be a god, a devil, a Great Old One, or something else in disguise. He could be from the future or an alternate dimension. Or maybe he's entered into an infernal pact of some kind that's bound his tongue on the whole matter. The list of what his secrets are can go on and on.

Then as his love interest or just friend, do we accept that he has a few secrets and respect his boundaries? Do we keep our hands off his metaphorical Pandora's box? Or do we break things off with him for refusing to trust and open up to us? Better yet, he could choose to break it off with us eventually or even leave the party for good if we keep pressing and again, open that chest of his.

This would allow us fanfic writers to go wild with theories. The fandom as a whole will debate over which ones seem more plausible. None of which the developers at Larian will ever confirm.

Parts of his past will never be explained to us the player.

Finally, after he's collected the last thing he needs, and fiddles with it after he places it in the box, it just winks out of existence. Maybe dramatically, it hums, levitates, and glows first then poof! A real "Stand back!" like it's going to blow up moment.

After it's gone, Dammon drops to his knees, shivers, and lets out this huge sigh of relief, maybe even laughs next. Make it a touch maniacal? Sure, that would make us sweat over if we did the right thing in helping him. Make us squirm Larian, please.

The important thing is, that whatever problem Dammon had is over... or is it?

The player character can ask him if he can now explain himself. If a friend, he'll just shake his head and thank us. If we have low approval with him, he'll just shake his head and apologize that he still can't speak of it and ask us to, yet again, drop the matter.

But if he's our love, he'll ask if we are sure we want to know and if we can keep a secret. If we vow to, he will lean in and whisper something into our character's ear. We the audience won't know what he's told our character. But at least now there are no more secrets between him and the one(s) he loves.

We just get to watch on as our character's eyes go wider and bug a little in shock as he whispers away. When he pulls back, we can choose to rush and hug him. So tight with an expression of utter belated fear of all that could have gone wrong on our character's face. Or we could choose to break up with him because whatever our character heard has damaged the relationship beyond repair.

Now that the player character knows everything they can consummate the relationship. Why now? Because full disclosure is sexy, and so is a good slow burn.

Oh, and remember those sentimental items? After telling us about his completed mission to our character, he finally shows us what's in that locked chest that had been a test of trust. The one we decide to respect his wishes and leave alone. He finally opens up about his past a tiny bit and talks about why each item he kept in there was so important to him. But of course, most of his trinkets will not be related to his time in the hells or his mysterious now completed task.

Later on, we can ask, "What in the hells were you thinking, taking all that on?!"

Dammon's response? He gives a sheepish shrug and says, "I think you know why. Everything is in order now. That's all that matters, my love. Thank you for trusting, helping, and believing in me."

To just a friend player character, who tries yet again for an explanation, Dammon will only offer, "Just know everything is in order now. That's all that matters, and you have my deepest thanks."

Again, to be clear, we the players are still kept in the dark. It will be only our romanced player character that will know what happened, and there could be an option to whisper Dammon's secret to others. That temptation could always be there among the dialogue options when speaking to the other companions. But kissing and telling will come with consequences. Anywhere from earning a large chunk of disapproval with Dammon to him outright breaking up with the player's character and leaving the party. Maybe he tells all to Karlach too or maybe not, it could all depend on your and Dammon’s relationship with her.

But no matter what, Dammon keeps a majority of his mystery.

Frazer is hopefully happy. We'll be happy.

Everyone. Can. Be. Happy!

If you agree, please consider sharing this to help bring it to Larian's attention. Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments below too.

Let's get Dammon into a starring role as an origin character and romanceable in a DLC to help feature the Artificer class!

[carolmaclaine]

on the series of 'making NPCs I cannot recruit into the pc', dammon gets to romance karlach now

[wylstarion]

In my Dammon headcanon he's the oldest son of one of the most renowned artificers in Elturel. He spent his whole life watching his mother work the forges, fascinated with how she crafted such beautiful weaponry and armor for the hellriders that protected Elturgard. He was tinkering with hammers and blacksmith tongs basically as soon as he could walk. His mother taught him everything he knows, and it was her knowledge and influence alone that allowed his life to be spared when their city fell into the hells.

Dammon and his mother watched as his father was murdered by fiends, and his four younger siblings conscripted to fight in the blood war. Only his mother and him were spared warfare, conscripted instead into working in the forges because of their knowledge of weaponry. His mother was considered more valuable for her knowledge of infernal machinery, and she was taken to help design new war machines for Zariel's efforts.

He suffered torment at the hands of his infernal captors. Working in infernal forges was brutal. Dammon knew little rest in the time he spent there, he was fed only enough to keep him working, and though he was surrounded by other conscripted workers, they were forbidden to speak to one another. In Avernus, Dammon was tortured, overworked, and isolated.

When Elturel rose again, his mother risked her own life to see his freedom. She knew that she herself was too valuable to Zariel for her to ever allow her escape, but she found a way for Dammon to return, despite all odds. Dammon felt like a monster when he left her behind. The memories of his family haunt him, he feels responsible for their deaths. He feels responsible for his mother still being trapped in Avernus. (he's got MAJOR survivors guilt).

Only days after the city was restored, Dammon was exiled by his own people. He felt anger, shame, betrayal. He had suffered so much already, now being forced to abandon the only home he had ever known. He was to leave his whole life behind, his whole family behind. He could only take what he could carry, and he felt bitter that he would never see his mother's forge again, the very one he had trained with since he was a child. He felt angry that out of everyone he loved, he was the one who survived. He was angry at himself for being unable to do more to help them. He felt alone, weak, and betrayed. He had lost every person he loved, powerless against the forces who took them from him.

[rasah-alune]

Cruz and Ilta Cliffgate (Heartforge Babies)

Okay, after reading that damn letter from Dammon to Karlach at the party I just had to. So here you go. I'm a weak woman, I can only handly so much before I succumb to the imagination of a happy ending for those two.

So let me introduce Cruz and Ilta Cliffgate, my Heartforge babies.

For those interested: Cruz (Zariel Tiefling) I imagined as Battle Smith Artificer with a Guild Artisan background. Ilta (Zariel Tiefling), on the other hand, I think would be a Pyromancy (MTG) Sorcerer with a Courtesan background.

Do with that info what you want.

I'm out. Bye.

(Actually, I must still make the comment that Karlach and Dammon have very satisfying colour palettes to combine. But now I'm truly gone.)

[forgeofthenine]

I also wish to simp over the tieflings😁

So I have a question for you. In your opinion, which would be the fittest class for being each tieflings batchelor partner?

My best friend and I were playing bg3 yesterday (both sipping for Dammon so the conversation was more focused on him) and the question came out.

My bf defended that for our fav blacksmith a paladin would be the best option for going on a date. Cause they're usually loyal to their beliefs, tend to have a kind nature and they're always in need of good armor and weapons. It was paladin for her.

But I differ. I firmly believe that a nice ✨Bard✨ would be the correct answer. And here's why:

1. Dammon is a kind, polite and (probably) organised soul. Most bards have chaotic energy. I believe that a bard partner would be a nice influence on him and vice-versa. He calming his partner when they get too overexcited and them trying to get him out of his comfort zone.

2. They're both artists in a way. I think that a bard would admire and see the beauty in Dammon's job. Maybe even getting curious about it, ask him questions and see him work. He would be so happy. And also Dammon would admire and enjoy the Bard's music, singing, drawing, etc. (whatever bardic gift you got people, it doesn't matter to him. He'll love it)

3. We all know Dammon reads smut and I sincerely cannot picture a more smut reading class than a bard. Like I can perfectly see the scene of the bard discovering "A pleasurable deal" (I think that's the name of it, if not I apologise) and being totally chill about it, read a few pages with all the calm in the world and Dammon finding them out, grabbing the book terribly ashamed of it... Just to see them mock him a little bit to finally say "Hey and if when you finished with it you need any recommendations I have a few that might interest you". (Insert all the fantasy young adult with spice novels here)

And finally but not last:

4. (And this is a more personal one) I have the personal belief that if you play a bard you are personifying the need of a traumatised being who always tries to feel better through music and a charismatic behaviour while being in need of a found family even if you're in denial. I might be wrong, it might be me who plays bards this way but it's just a single theory I have.

But guess what, we're having a Bard here. And what better option to have a family with than Dammon.

I REST MY CASE! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

🤣🤣🤣But really, I would like to hear your opinion on this debate. If you had to choose what would it be and why?

(All classes are equally nice and fitting, no hate here to any of them👌🏻)

I know that this got long ah so thanks for reading it. I love your blog and I hope that everything goes perfectly well on your day-to-day. Byeee!!💛💛💛💛

🎻- Anon

This is actually a very fun question because I've never actually thought about matching people based on classes.

I agree with both of you that either a paladin or a bard would definitely work well with Dammon thematically. However, I raise the option of him being with an artificer. While I love opposites attract tropes, Dammon is a fiercely proud and passionate man, his dedication to his work is enough to scare off almost anyone. So, who would work best with such a wonderful but independent man? Someone who understands his thinking on a fundamental level. An artificer that knows what it is to be an artisan, to dedicate yourself to 'making', to spend late nights working on various blueprints. I just feel like he'd work well with someone that understands him and doesn't fault his dedication to his work.

For Zevlor, I'm a big supporter of the Zevlor x cleric idea. I feel like as a paladin, having him with a cleric just works so well thematically. He's a paladin who believes himself to be disgraced and what's better to help 'bring him back to the light' and support him other than someone else that understands his relationship with his patron god and his intense need to protect everyone. It's easier to accept help from someone that you feel understands your issues, and I feel like being with a cleric just really suits Zevlor.

Rolan with a sorcerer. That's it. Imagine the sass, the cat fights, the endless bickering before they even realise they're attracted to each other. Rolan definitely does the whole 'sorcerors just can't control their magic and tried to make it a thing', specially with a wild magic user. It never quite ends either, even after years of seeing each other Cal and Lia still walk in on their little sarcasm spats. I don't feel like there's a deeper reason to this, other than the fact I feel like Rolan had very little guidance in learning magic (much like a sorcerer might) and is doing a bit of light projection to start with.

So here's my humble opinions, I'd love to hear everyone else's and I hope everyone is having a lovely day <3

[bettsfic]

so i'm doing a playthrough where my tav is dammon and he's romancing karlach. i'm using the artificer mod because that's the closest class to blacksmithing and also it's cool.

his appearance is not a mod! i just spend way too much time playing around in the character creation screen and could clock his face, eyes, and skin tone by sight.

here he is next to the real dammon, feeling inferior. i know there's a recruit npc mod but that seemed too complicated for what i wanted to do, which is to just...play the game as dammon. i considered also playing as dammon's twin brother, uh. ammon? but no, my heart was set.

my suspension of disbelief takes a hit whenever i take karlach to go talk to him or whenever she's like "DAMMON WILL FIX ME" and there's obviously no option for me to say "i am literally right here." anyway my dammon has a robot friend and can make bags of holding and guns.

i'm assuming the ship name is hellsmith?? someone let me know.

but the REAL reason i'm making this post is because, for reasons that definitely have nothing to do with fic, i'm curious what profession you think dammon would have in a modern au.

[bloodyironmask]

I am once again asking bg3 to add the blood hunter class. You have its creator matthew mercer in your cast! Please add them in a dlc or something, maybe even as a new origin. I would also like artificer with dammon added as an origin.

[alexsrandomramblings]

Decided fuck it and got the artificer class mod and clothing mod for my Dammon.

[ottertooferswriting]

BG3 NPC-Oc's

Something I haven't seen much of (if any) yet in the BG3 fandom is Oc's that aren't Tav's. There's so much love for some of the NPC's that we all wish we could romance, (I'm looking at you, Zevlor, Rolan, Dammon ect) and such a wide variety of side quests and little interactions you can do with the existing NPC's that it feels like almost every playthrough you discover one you didn't realize you Could do something with.

The sheer breadth of the game leaves plenty of wiggle room to just...add your own. Romanceable, potential new companion, a flesh out to an area you wished you could have done more with in one particular area of the map?

So....my question is what kind of NPC Oc would you all make?

Disclaimer: There's a healthy dose of indulgent creative liberty with my NPC's quest triggers\backstory think of it as a What If for the game not something meant to fully mesh 100%.

Here's mine:

Name: Micarbryn (Mica to friends\lovers) She\Her pronouns.

Seldarine Lolth Drow: Notable Features: Unusual eye color for Drow, Scarring across left side of face, partial left ear, artificer mobility aid covering left elbow down to fingertips disguised as a gauntlet. Age:300

Class: Artificer: Alchemist\Fighter: Psi Warrior Cross Class.

Romanceable\Companion addition: Yes: Poly Options with Halsin, Astarion, Shadowheart

(more details under cut now with added character pictures!)

Location in game: Underdark

Quest triggers: Freeing suspiciously intelligent runt phase spider from trap who offers to take you to "The Crafter" for a reward.

Stumbling on cache of coded paperwork in locked chest (pass an INT or WIS check to decode) that gives location of a safehouse "The Den".

Siding with the group of masked\disguised raiders that attack a Drow settlement to free a group of slaves.

Stage 2 (addition to camp) quest trigger: Coming back to the Den to trade only to find it raided, speaking with a survivor (or dead body) informs you that Mica was taken to Moonrise.

Freeing\Finding her along with the tiefling's and other captives at Moonrise offers a quest line depending on what kind of run your doing:

"Good" Run: Waking to find that she's snuck off in the middle of the night while still near to critically injured and Halsin has followed her.

Durge Run: Waking to find her hovering over you with her chains wrapped around your neck, (succeed on a STR or CHA check to convince her not to kill you)

Approval actions: Persuasion: using your charms to better your situation, Intimidation: dealing with upstarts or enemies, Deception: protecting your companions\allies, and Kindness choices, Ie: Helping the Mycanoids, Tieflings, Barcus Wroot, the deep Gnomes ect (you can ask for compensation but following through is key)

Disapproval actions: Unnecessary cruelty in dialog or actions, making promises you wont keep, choices that allow others to be exploited or their secrets outed.

Discoverable backstory:

Her family was secretly not affiliated with Lolth, their right of passage for its daughters on their coming of age birthday (100th) they have to find a good act to do to better the life of someone other Drow would deem lesser. Mica was on a trip with her mother to another city and saw a captive Halsin, turned to her mother and answered 'I know what I want for my birthday'. It then became her sole responsibility to make sure he was freed without it tracing back to her family as a test of her skills. 

Family’s fall from grace and her subsequent journey to becoming a sort of Robin Hood meets Powerloader (my hero) meets Captain Amelia (treasure planet) happens roughly fifty years after she freed him (In "Good Run" Durge style run is a different timeline with other...options >:3) next time she sees Halsin is in Moonrise.

Did a quick creation of an approximation of her current age of 300 and what she looked like when she would have first met Halsin at 100. And also have a spotify playlist

That's it for now, I may do some fic snippets of her, maybe look for some art....

[csphire]

Baldur's Gate 3 Romance Woes *Sorry if this has already been done before, has it?

[atastypeach]

Love crushing people on discord by suggesting having Gortash exploit Dammon by forcing him to work at the Steel Foundry as an artificer in exchange for giving him supplies and access to what he needs to replace Karlach's engine.

Plot twist: there are no supplies

Has this led to me to imagining Gortash/Dammon as a hateship.

Yep.

[drudragonrose]

Baldur's Gate 3 Custom Characters

The Heros ~

Sestri ~ Matched to Karlach

Age ~ 35

Race ~ Asmodeus Tiefling

Class ~ Artificer ~ Battle Smith

Life before the tadpole ~

Sestri ran from Avernus along with the other Teifling, She worked with Dammon in the forge but had been there longer. Long enough to lose her legs in an accident. The others in the forge made new legs for her and accommodated her as she learned to use them to get around. She learned then started to improve upon them. Her legs make it so she can go further than most but they will always clank or make the sound of heavy footfalls making it so you can hear Sestri coming before you see her. She learned to work with Infernal Iron which is a passion for her. Transfem.

Personality ~

She’s a hyper orange cat type, always rushing to see what she can study or repurpose. She will always say what she means, even if it hurts someone’s feelings. She’s not trying to be mean but she just doesn’t see the point in sugarcoating. That and she’s a horrible liar, it would be the only time that she stammers and seems unsure of herself. Well, one of the only times. Karlach also brings her to a loss of words.

Lavender ~ Matched to Shadowheart

Age ~ 46

Race ~ Half Elf, Half Drow

Class ~ Paladin of Salune ~ Oath of Devotion

Life before the Tadpole ~

Lavender was doing recondense work for her enclave. Even before she knew what it was, there was a large influx of people that seemed to change faith overnight. She had vowed her sword to Salune and no one can shake her from her belief though she is a bit unique about it. Because of her drow mother, she believes that without Shar there would be no Salune for they are the dark and light side of the moon. It’s what drew her to Shadowheart in the first place. That and the fact that the woman needed more help than she was letting on. She lived with her elven mother, her drow mother having gone back to the Underdark a long time ago. Lavender hopped that she got off easy but she knew that the woman was most likely dead given what she knew of Drow culture.

Personality ~

She can come off as brash at times but with a winning smile and a joke she can play it off. Like the moon that she warships she has a darkside that she works to keep in check. She isn’t foolish about it though, sometimes for peace there must be war. There is a calculating side to her that she used to the benefit of those on her side. She can be pushy when she thinks she’s right and stubborn to a fault like a steamroller when she has set her sights on someone.

Iris ~ Matched to Astarion (Spawn)

Age ~ 150

Race ~ Glasya Tiefling Dhampir

Class ~ Warlock ~ Hexblade

Before the Tadpole~

She was the personal guard to the archdevil Megara, a powerful necromancer and an advisor to Asmodeus.  Her father was a vampire lord who wanted to use her to replace his lost love. She signed the deal with a devil to get away from her father and creator. Megara gave Iris her sword and her new look. She was working on hunting down a devil that stood to go against the tyrant of the Hells. She had almost found his place in Balder’s Gate when she was kidnapped.

Personality ~

Iris has one master and make that abundantly clear. Rebellious by nature with the poise to back it up. She had a talent for causing chaos. As bombastic as she is, Iris doesn’t like to be in the spotlight. She learned something from her days as a lord’s daughter. Intelligence is her game and she is good at it. Iris knows how to talk to others in order to gain secrets from them. With all her skills in manipulation, which only grew with her time in the Nine Hells, she tries to her best to be honest with the people that she’s close to.

Tsubaki ~ Matched to Gale (Human)

Age ~ 40

Race ~ Wood/ Astral Elf

Class ~ Cleric of Mystra Lurue

Before the Tadpole ~

Tsubaki comes from a family touched by the divine. While her grandmother was druid, her mother had turned her talents to healing through The Weive. She said her vows to Mystra and used her blessings to take care of the people in the small town she had lived in outside of Neverwinter. She was on her way to Balder’s Gate on a feeling that she got. There was trouble and her goddess wanted her to look into it it was on her way that she was snatched up.

Personality ~

Tsubaki is endlessly giving both to her benefit and her detriment. She loves to cook and make potions. Anything to sustain those around her. She’s the type to give someone a bigger piece of a sandwich to someone else. The whole of it if she sees their need is greater. She takes people at her word but, even with the short time that she’s been outside her village, knows to keep a wiery eye on them until proven wrong.

Opal ~ Matched to Wyll (Blade of Avernus)

Age ~ 24

Race ~ Styx Tiefling

Class ~ Collage of Spirits Bard

Before the Tadpole ~

Opal comes from a family that lived on the River Styx. Her heritage allows them to be able to map out the chaotic river and be immune to the river’s effects. Even when she’s not on the waters, guiding souls to their hereafter, she can see spirits which happens when the gift is particularly strong in her bloodline. She can also get visions of the past when she touches things or people. She was following a trail set by spirit who could not move on until a great wrong was set right. The tadpole has broken down some of the barriers that she had been able build up, making her powers more erratic for a while.

Personality ~

She gives off the appearance of being quite spacy but she is observant to the point that it can be insulting at times. She loves music and will often hum to herself when nothing is going on. She cultivates a persona of being soft-spoken until she’s cornered or has to perform, She will always give a small song while on a river or ocean as a beacon for those dead while on the water.

Thempeth ~ Matched to Ly’zel

Age ~ 39

Race ~ Amaphyst  Dragonborn

Class ~ Way of the Four Elements Monk

Before the Tadpole ~

The dragonborn came from a high mountain top where the Order of the Jade Dragon. Those who can find it are welcome to train in their ways. Thempeth was allowed to travel after she completed her training and she started her mission to learn from everyone she came across. She experienced the world’s cruelty and its kindness. She chose to try and help as much as possible to keep the scale that seems to be ever tipping towards darkness. Investigating a disappearance is what lead her on the path to Moonrise before she was picked up.

Personality ~

She a chipper soul, just happy to be alive. She does take her physicality and the balance within herself very seriously. Being dragonborn she doesn’t really understand human emotions though she does try and empathise. She lives for coffee and is a rather grumpy dragon without it.

Sunako ~ Matched to Halsin

Age ~175

Race ~ Astral Elf

Class ~ Star Druid

Before the Tadpole ~

The family line is blessed by Lurue, goddess of magic and healing. Sunko was taught to go were the stars guide her which lead her to Moonrise at the moment of the first war against Kethric Thorm. She had been much younger then and much more inexperienced. She vowed to come back when the time was right and finish what was started. She diudn’t expect to run into her granddaughter along the way, more over she didn’t expect to meet up with Helsin again.

Personality ~

The stars rule her, the moon is her guide. Because of how she grew up she’s detached from others but she does care in her own way. Fiercely protective of those she considers her family, she has to be with the dangers in the Astral. While she tries not to show it she’s a bit sensitive about her looks, wrinkles and age having caught up to her all at once when she crossed over to the Material.

[abyssalaerlocke]

Infernal Artificer

Replace Dammon with Enver, an artificer who honed his skills in Hell, and only recently managed to escape, alongside the refugees from Elturel.

Alternatively, something like this, with Enver being the grove's artificer.

Not sure who I'd replace Gortash with in game. Thinking about Enver not taking the name Gortash in this AU, and maybe it has significance to Bane, or some criminal culture, such that Bane's alternate chosen took it instead.

[mosses-gate-3]

tav challenge - (new tav) Ren edition!! This can be their introduction of sorts

They're a half-drow artificer (except I can't play them as an artificer because bg3 HATES FUN /lh) and they're being haunted by the ghost of the legendary pirate captain Juniper Stormaven. They're very pragmatic and don't tend to be very outwardly emotional, preferring to let the things they create speak for them.

favorite weapon: As soon as they find Dammon I think they commission a special sword enchanted to extend into a whip or retract back (if you've seen the Dragon Prince I took a lot of inspiration from a character in that).

style of combat: Ren is very tactical and likes to plan things out thoroughly before they get into a fight, though they try to avoid violence in favor of diplomacy.

most prized possession: A crumpled letter they've sewn inside the lining of their clothes. It's the only thing they have from their birth mother.

deepest desire: To run their own store or maybe even have a ship with all the things they enchant and to create/sell automatons that are both practical and beautiful. They want to use their creations to help people.

guilty pleasure: They have a huge sweet tooth

best-kept secret: Ren can't read. They're very smart and they've tried and tried to learn, it's just never worked, reading is nearly impossible for them. It's the reason they flunked out of wizard school - they were actually supposed to attend at the same time Gale was, but the academy refused to accommodate them (with magic items that could read papers out loud to them, etc), and so they failed all their classes and had to leave. Juniper and their parents are the only ones that know - they've been able to hide it from the companions because Juniper just reads things out loud over their shoulder.

greatest strength: Their ability to make creative and efficient plans and be objective and unbiased.

fatal flaw: They have a hard time communicating what they want and often bottle things up until they explode.

favorite smell: The ocean, I think they find it comforting after being at sea for so long.

favorite spell or cantrip: I'm not actually sure what kinds of spells artificers have but Magic Missile is always a good one.

pet peeve: People who judge other people's eating habits especially but also those who just generally are up in everyone's business. They definitely value privacy.

bad habit: Any piece of machinery they find ends up dissected, and it's really a gamble as to whether it gets put back together again.

hidden talent: They're very good at drawing people, likenesses and whatnot.

leisure activity: They like to tinker with things and build little automatons in their spare time.

favorite drink: Herbal tea, chamomile or peppermint especially

comfort food: Honey buns :)

favorite person: Their adoptive father, he's the one that taught them how to build and animate things. He's always been very supportive of them. Ren's favorite companion is Gale.

favored display of affection (platonic and/or romantic): Making and buying things for people, especially if it'll improve their life somehow.

fondest childhood memory: One day someone sold their dad (who ran a pawnshop) a broken clock. They took it apart together and he built them a little clockwork bug thing, which Ren then accidentally animated - that's how they found out they had a talent for magic. The bug is still wandering around their father's study, as far as they know.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? (feel free to include art or a screenshot of your Tav if available!): They were a low-ranking officer on an exploratory vessel after they dropped out of wizard school, which is where they unfortunately wound up haunted by Juniper. They have a lot of fondness for ships. Also Ren is short for Reneeginald for backstory reasons

[wylstarion]

okay okay so this is the basic outline for the first bit of my Dammon rewrite/descent into avernus au

try to follow me here and god please am i open to suggestions

- Dammon is the second oldest and the oldest son of a tiefling master artificer mother and a human wizard father from Elturel. He has 4 siblings; An older sister who's a hellrider, a pair of boy and girl twins who are a bard duo, and an oops baby sister his parents had a decade later than the rest of them.

- When Elturel sinks, Dammon's mother is a person of interest to Zariel. She's known for her work with infernal metals on the material plane and his father is known as a master of automaton magic. They're both immediately conscripted into her service, Dammon's younger siblings are killed (???) by demons, and his older sister is captured. He is conscripted into the forges, deemed useful by Zariel's assets because he's been trained to work with infernal metals by his mother. His parent's are being forced to serve Zariel and design her war machines.

- Elturel is still in Avernus, the main events of Descent into Avernus happen shortly after the game. Elturel falls about 90 days before the nautiloid crashes.

- The tiefling refugees we meet throughout the game are exiled from cities neighboring Elturel in Eltergard.

- Dammon shows up with the last band of refugees to the grove about a week before Tav/Astarion/Shadowheart/Gale show up. He shows up the day Halsin leaves to explore the goblin camp with Anders, gets him set up at his forge, introduces him to the other tieflings, then dips.

- Zevlor, Tilses and Dammon are the only tieflings from Elturel proper. Zevlor and Tilses were lucky enough to be away from the city proper when it fell. Zevlor is very guilt ridden about this. Dammon (not wanting to explain himself) tells most of the other refugees that he was just out of the city when it fell.

- Karlach is the first person who Dammon tells that he escaped the hells. He isn't generous with details, but he tells her he's familiar with infernal machinery, tells her he spent time working the infernal forges. He really wants to help her. She still smells like Avernus and Dammon saw her fighting while he was there. She's familiar to him in a very bittersweet way. Honestly he feels lucky that he managed to escape without a tadpole, considering the fate of the other adventures surrounding him.

- The main game takes place over about 6 months.

- After the netherbrain attack, Dammon's forge is destroyed and he's living in Rivington with the other tiefling refugees. He feels purposeless, has major survivors guilt, he's really lonely, and he's lowkey pining after Karlach, guilt ridden by the fact that he couldn't fix her engine. He blames himself for her having to return to the hells. He misses her. He feels like she's the only person he's been honest with since he escaped Avernus. Boys got some real bad limerance.

- When he got to Baldur's Gate he found it reeeeaaaal peculiar that Thavius Kreeg managed to escape Elturel before it fell (He never liked that guy)

- Tav and Gale (in love, leaving for waterdeep next week) come to visit the tieflings before they depart. Tav makes a passing comment about Wyll and Karlach in Avernus. Gale makes a comment about Ulder being quite upset at his son for returning to the place he just escaped from. Dammon, who wasn't really paying attention before, shoots up and is like "???? huh??" and they say that yeah, Ravengard was actually in Elturel when it fell. He had just escaped and was on his way back to Baldur's Gate with news of the cities fate when he was captured by the Absolute. Real shit luck that guy has, clearly.

- Dammon, dumbstruck, thinking he was the only one who had escaped at that point, completely unaware that Ravengard had also been in Avernus, is like "oh okay um so there's maybe a few things I haven't been completely honest about" and has to tell them everything about his escape.

- The day the nautiloid crashed through hell, Zariel immediately set all her forces on high alert. All non essential guards were called to hold the line. In the chaos, Dammon's father appeared before him. He had summoned a portal, telling Dammon that this was his only chance. They didn't have long, and Dammon needed to leave now. Dammon had way too many questions. He was in shock, never expecting to see his parents again. His father told him he loved him, kissed him on the forehead, and shoved Dammon through the portal to the material plane. Dammon found himself suddenly in the foothills of the risen road, just outside of the crater where Elturel used to be. It all happened in maybe 30 seconds. One moment he was a slave in hell, the next he was standing beside a massive crater where his hometown used to be.

- Tav and Gale arrange a meeting for him with Ulder because what are the odds they both escaped Avernus on the same day???

- Ulder is shocked to hear about Dammon's escape. He tells him that a tiefling woman with cherry red skin and graying horns appeared before him. She told him that Zariel intended to sink the city of Elturel into the riven Styx. She said that if Ulder did not return to Baldur's Gate, his city would suffer the same fate. She said that Thavius Kreeg was responsible for the cities demise, that someone needed to stop him.

- So that's how Dammon learns that it was definitely also his parents that rescued the duke. They used the nautiloid crashing through Avernus as a diversion, and for some godforsaken reason rescued him and the goddamn grand duke of Baldur's Gate from Zariel's imprisonment at the same time. Dammon does not know why his life would be valued the same as the grand duke?? even by his parents, who he always revered as pragmatists.

- Dammon (developing a hero complex) determines that his rescue must mean something. His parents must have intended for him to find some way to rescue them, to rescue the city, because why else would they save him? He wants (desperately) to understand why they put their lives at such risk to get him out. He understands why they saved Ravengard, but he cannot understand why they would want him to escape if not to save themselves. (He's been through a lot okay)

- So Dammon, foolishly, guilt stricken for leaving his parents to die in Avernus, mourning his siblings, guilt stricken over not being able to save Karlach, desperately lonely and depressed from the last 6 months of strife, every good thing in his life constantly going sour, confused as to why his life was valued the same as the grand duke, decides that is must be for some greater cause. He has to do something because he can't be the only one who escaped, the only one who survived, for no reason. He decides that what his parents must want him to do is save them, save the city, avenge them, do something to stop Zariel's reign of terror.

- Anyways that's how my sweet sweet artificer ends up willingly venturing back into the hells, fantasizing about finally helping Karlach, rescuing his parents, avenging his siblings, making his life worth something. (He's a fool for it, but he has to learn that it isn't his place to save everyone.)

[ex-textura]

well a little later than i expected but NO MATTER hello friend tav info dump you say I'm so sorry for the novel this is about to become

I mean you do already know of Vic, half orc eldritch knight with a martyr complex the size of the city. Grew up in Baldur's Gate, genuinely a really nice childhood he's got two younger siblings and lovely parents and I'm not positive in what way he got his soldier background but the boy is always a soldier of some kind (maybe a Fist? it's hand wavy). He was a whopping 21 when he got scooped up by the nautaloid and decidedly does not want to be a main character but shit keeps happening and Vic is gonna die protecting his friends or Vic is never gonna die

He's always been real into magic but didn't think of himself of the Wizardy Type growing up, and then the local wizard took the time to teach him magic and there was a very good reason he had a very big crush on Gale. It was Gale who pushed him onto the eldritch knight track specifically and Vic might not get the finer points of all the theory and technical jargon but that's fine he has a genuinely very good teacher

and then y'know. Wyll happened. and godsdamnit Wyll you were supposed to be the Unattainable Paragon of Justice and way too good for me but then he was just a guy with a determination to protect people as strong as Vic's own and this way of talking that sounded like he was constantly half a step away from writing an epic and maybe there was a bit too much wine at the grove party that led to a lot more self-confidence than Vic ever has but that kinda. happened. (the psuedo-breakup with Gale after the fact was not fun for anyone involved but ??? was that actually anything Gale there had been absolutely no conversation about it, they do eventually get back to actual good friend and there's the moment of Gale telling him "For the sake of absolute transparency, I may have slept with Astarion" and Vic choking on his dinner but they're friends again)

Karlach is the bestie from the very start. In their first little heart-to-heart by the fire there did have to be the "hey, so you know I'm like. really gay, right?" conversation, but from that point on she is constantly giving him enthusiastic thumbs up over Wyll's shoulder and the teasing is relentless. She clocked his formal training the first time they fought together and the soldier nickname is Incredibly fitting, they fight very well together and are both very physical people which is unfortunate before Dammon manages to cool the engine down. (Wyll has a "secret" scoreboard in the back of one of his books of the number of times Vic has forgotten, punched Karlach's shoulder, and burned himself. An additional category was started for "bad enough that Shadowheart had to heal it") She fully died in Grymforge, like got knocked down and then pushed into lava, and he had to pay Withers to bring her back and that was. not a good day at all, when she was back and mostly focused again Vic just preemptively called Shadowheart over so he could give Karlach a (very very quick) actual hug

he just wanted the tadpole out So Bad, bad enough he ended up with a magical eye for the troubles. Vic never touched the tadpole powers, figuring if he couldn't manage with his own sword and magic it wasn't worth doing anyway. The boy is decidedly in favor of relying on your own abilities, having seen far too many cases of the gods or others granting powers get petty, use them as leverage, strip them away on a whim, etc. fuck the gods, tbh, very glad we stopped Gale from becoming one or making one even more powerful

had to break his little sister out of the Iron Throne along with his future father-in-law and the only mind flayer he respects, because his little brother is unfortunately a very talented artificer and the job at the foundry seemed so good at the time. another No Good Very Bad Day, they got out of that place by the skin of their teeth and Vic is decidedly afraid of deep water now

Freed Orpheus because fuck the emperor that's an entire race enslaved by this litch, and then it is only by the stubbornness of his friends chipping away at that martyr complex this whole time that he realized turning into a mind flayer himself might. not be the immediate best answer (but also no fucking way is Karlach going to do it either)

It was So Much he's just a baby boy, he never wanted to be the protagonist, but now he's gotta go maybe kill the archdevil of Avernus with his two favorite people in what is the weirdest fucking honeymoon ever (it doesn't count wyll insists constantly we are not married yet, he knows it doesn't count)

i'll stop now (with This One......) because god that was in fact a novel but [holds him up like simba] baby boy. baby.

VIC!!!! IT'S VIC!!! MY HALF-ORC LOVE ITS HIM!!! Ugh I'm not even gonna pretend to be normal about him I'm sorry.

He's so goddamn cute with Wyll they're so beautiful together. I want. To see more. Of them. And him. Bleese.

Oh my god I love his dynamic with Karlach. I can just picture them rolling around like siblings and being the absolute best bros. Just. The wholesome-est trio with them and Wyll honestly.

IN THE LAVA OF ALL THINGS?! God that's like. Painfully poetic in a way. I hate it but of all the things to kill Karlach. God. I'm so glad he had Withers. And that he could give her all the hugs and shoulder punches in the world once she got fixed.

HIS LITTLER SISTER WAS ON THE IRON THRONE?! Man, fuck you Gortash. Where is she now? Is she safe? Did they have a big heartfelt reunion? does she love Wyll?

How's he doing in Avernus?? Did he get to come up for the reunion?

WHEN ARE THEY GETTING MARRIED?!