#OC: Tannivh

[haldenlith]

One last picture before 2023 ends.

I wanted to do a picture with Tannivh's tattoos in view, so... I did. Also I think I've finally nailed how much Tannivh has guns. He got them biceps. Archers, man.

Which makes sense given that, you know, he's pullin at least 120lbs every time he fires an arrow. People clown so much on Dex-builds, but like... you need some serious muscle for some of the stuff they do.

I will also again bow at the altar of Vegalia's braid brushes. I would've lost my fucking mind drawing those braids.

[lilduu]

doctors hate her! local gnome stays chubby even while living alone in the forest for 20 years

[raccoonamyarta]

The Thief and the Merchant

These two are from my Elder Scrolls tabletop campaign. Iromar is a bit too friendly with the wood elf who has a habit of pick pocketing his merchandise. 

 My character is the Bosmer, Tannivh. The Dunmer, Iromar, belongs to @nyanko--sensei

[thepeacharts]

My OC painting process. I introduce you Tannivh Baelwyn, Music Guardian.

He's a florest elf. He uses an elven flute in the battles cos' it's easier to pick up in the middle of the fight and he uses an elven harp when he needs more complexes enchantments.

He has 120 years (mmm let's say it's equivalent to 19)

His birthday is 2/9.

I guess this is it. For now :)

[haldenlith]

for Tannivh from 30 Tav asks: 12, 21 and 26! :)

Oh my goodness, you're so fast. Though, that does mean the post with the questions is easy to find. 😄

12. Does your Tav have any tattoos or scars? Why?

Yes! I even have pictures since I've been working on a ref sheet for him. As far as ink goes, he only has the sleeve that covers his right arm, and it's of honeysuckle and a snake. Tattoos have some degree of significance back in his home village, so some of the imagery ties into that. The snake, for example, is specifically a water moccasin to represent the giant snake he fought when he "came of age", and represent both his cunning and tenacity, but also adaptability (since snakes shed their skin). The honeysuckle (coral honeysuckle, specifically, because that's what grew in the swamp he grew up in) is more something he came up with. It's partly aesthetic (he's very fond of honeysuckle), but also because of how hardy the plant is while also being very beneficial to its environment.

When his giant spider companion isn't "out" and summoned, she appears as a tattoo version of herself amongst the honeysuckle on his forearm, though that's not pictured here.

As far as scars go: he's got a decent few, though they're mostly small. The majority of the little ones are on his hands and arms, largely via his recklessness with sharp objects in his youth, though some are from battle or unfortunate encounters. The most notable scar is on his shoulder/collarbone area on the right, the two large puncture wound scars that are then surrounded by a discolored scar tissue. That's from the aforementioned giant snake he fought. The discolored tissue (though not very noticeable in b/w) is due to the poison having spread from the bite and ate away at his skin in the immediate vicinity. Fun fact: that's why Tannivh holds his bow with his right hand and draws with his left -- his right arm is a tiny bit weaker than his left because of the damage.

Thinking about it, he probably now has a little bit of light scarring on his neck from Astarion now, too...

21. Describe a defining moment from their past, which makes them who they are today!

Oh, a tough question. Tannivh's very much more defined by lots of little moments than a big one, so it's hard to pick one big moment. Such as things like having witnessed the endgame results of political machinations while dealing with merchants and nobles in his travels having made him distrusting of cities and city-folk ("The machinations of nobles in stone towers are more deadly than any beast's fangs"). Or like how his interactions with travellers through his home swamp made him realize that maybe his mother's sort of xenophobic view of outsiders wasn't quite correct, and that people contain facets, which honestly informed a lot of his willingness to at least initially try with people and see the good and value in them (much to Astarion and Shadowheart's benefit).

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets!

Less of a tough question and more of a tricky question on the technicality that Tannivh doesn't outright try to keep secrets so much as learning things about him requires asking the right questions at the right time. If someone says "I didn't know xyz about you", he will often reply "you didn't ask". That said, there are two things he will often dodge questions on or simply never bring up:

Tannivh originally started training to be a druid like his mother, but failed somewhere along the way in his tutelage, particularly in his inability to wild shape. His elder brother (who had mostly completed his own druid training) tried to help to no real avail, so their father gently guided Tannivh along the track of becoming a huntsman (ie a ranger). He's still a little ashamed of his failings on that. It did instill him with a lot of his values with regard to nature and animals, though, and is largely why he immediately jumped to rescue Halsin and aid The Grove.

Tannivh is actually a dad -- he has two half-elf sons. He's met the elder of the two, but only when the kid was, well, a kid. The situation is that he was hired in a weird turn of events by a noble family to, well, impregnate the wife, since they'd been trying to conceive and figured that it must be the husband who is sterile. This whole bizarre situation started from him being on payroll as a guide on hunting trips for the husband. The husband took a shine to him, as did the man's wife, so they felt comfortable asking such a thing of him. This... led to other events (Tannivh also learned he was into kinky shit via this couple, too). He eventually left, travelled a bit, and then years later found himself in the area again, and being propositioned again by the couple so that they could have a second child. (Which is how he met his first son.) He agrees to do it (even though he did have a feeling it was a bad idea). Cut to the couple, after the deed, confessing both of their love to him and wanting him to stay and co-parent the children and be the third in their relationship. Seeing as how he neither wanted kids and a family nor felt romantically inclined to the couple (they were nice people, if a little odd from time to time -- he didn't mind being friends just not... romantically pseudo-married), he gently but swiftly extricated himself from the situation and has never been back. He bears no ill will towards the family, he just... doesn't want to deal with that whole extremely awkward situation. This is very much one of those situations where he followed his dick and got himself into a sticky situation -- a situation he'd rather not talk about, given that even conversation about it feels awkward to him, given that he knows some people would side-eye him for siring children and then choosing to be completely absent from their lives.

So, yeah, the second one is more something that qualifies as a "secret" than the first, though he generally tries to keep both to himself.

For the record, his sons are doing fine and are adults now. They're basically merchant nobles and are most active in Esmeltaran (a city in Amn).

[haldenlith]

Rotating in my head the idea of a far-ahead timeskip fic set in a more Victorian/Edwardian styled Baldur's Gate, dealing with the whole reincarnation business elves potentially have now (thanks to one of the Mordenkainen books that have been released (look I don't remember the full name, and I'm too lazy to look it up)).

I just love the idea of now much older vampire spawn Astarion dealing with running across the reincarnation of his lover (my Tav-OC Tannivh) and just dealing with that and all the pitfalls that come with it. He'd remember the centuries they shared before Tannivh inevitably passed (elves may be long-lived, but they do die of old age eventually), but this new incarnation of Tannivh would only remember pieces -- whatever he's seen in his meditations.

It'd be fun to mess with existential dramas (is this new person still Tannivh but with amnesia or a Tannivh-shaped person with bits of his memories?) but also just fuck around with the concept of an Astarion who has matured a little but is still a fucking gremlin, and now is more established in his life-after-Cazador.

Would be a fun self-indulgence if I ever get around to it.

[haldenlith]

I continue to struggle with the concept of backgrounds.

Something in between a sketch and... something else. Has comic panel vibes, in my opinion. Pretty happy with how it turned out, though Tannivh ended up looking even harder than usual (his resting bitch face goes hard).

Though, to be fair, I did want a little cat-and-mouse vibes between him and Astarion. Astarion might like to think he's the cat, with Tannivh around his finger, but heavens, is he wrong... That said, I imagine he's great at making Tannivh flustered for a few moments.

[haldenlith]

Pausing working on my endless slew of college work to be reminded about Astarion's quip about flowers being "bright, gaudy, and almost never making decent poisons."

And, considering Tannivh is the woodsy ranger that he is, living almost exclusively amongst nature... Well, he would've done a double take at Astarion at that comment. I can just picture them arguing over the matter.

"I'm sorry, you seem to be blissfully unaware of just how many plants can kill or severely debilitate a person."

"Darling, I said flowers, not plants."

"Most plants have flowers. In fact, often the most desired are frequently the most deadly. Lily of the Valley, for example, is incredibly efficient at wrecking havoc on the body if consumed, yet many a noble seems to adore it. ... Though I will admit, it is quite pretty."

"I, well, yes, but-"

"Or foxglove, another example. Very beautiful, very effective at doing very interesting things to a person's heart, frequently resulting in death. There's also oleander. Just one leaf is enough to kill a child."

"I said almost! Alright! I am perfectly aware that there are plenty of things out there that make lovely little concoctions, just most of those stupid flowers are useless."

"You still have it backwards. It's easier to point out what isn't toxic than what is."

"Oh by the... forget that I said anything!"

(Meanwhile, I imagine Karlach is looking for popcorn to watch them argue, again.)

This is one of those moments that I wish I was better at drawing comics. Oh Astarion, this is the man you fell for. A wood elf weirdo with a hyperfixation on nature.

[haldenlith]

I lost track of the post I meant to reblog with the tag "Astarion", but it was mentioning the idea of the following:

fandom: *sees character as daddy dom or something* you: *sees them as a fuckin' clown*

This especially applies to Ascended Astarion. More power does not equal more wrinkles in that smooth ass brain. In fact, I see Ascendstarion as the clowniest-honk-honk of evil clowns.

And I say this in spite of writing Dom-Astarion in my kink shit, but I just want to add on a disclaimer of bits not pictured include, but are not limited to:

Astarion trying to whip Tannivh, missing, breaking something in the room.

Astarion hitting himself on the back swing with either a whip or a flogger.

Astarion initially tying the absolute shittiest shibari knots in the history of Faerun. (He gets better with time.)

And general cases of the poor man just failing at being an even mediocre dom initially. I like to imagine in their relationship, Tannivh finds that Astarion is familiar with various kinky things, but familiar in the sense of hearing or reading about them. I don't think he'd be familiar in the actual practice/doing of them, simply because getting into BDSM stuff would require a lot more time than the usual pick-up-and-fuck gig would allow with his victims.

They get there eventually, but it's definitely a case of Tannivh having to coax and guide Astarion. To be fair to our favorite vampire (spawn), I do imagine that he's got the dirty talk/roleplaying bit nailed. That he can do.

[haldenlith]

I have Witcher-verse Astarion/Nivh on the brain, so have a sketch and a ficlet.

Yes, this is basically a redraw/copy of the Jaskier/Geralt bath scene from the Witcher show.

Nivh washed away the viscera of a successful hunt as Astarion circled the tub.

"Would it kill you to say 'thank you' every once in a while? You know, without me, we'd be both roughing it out there in the wilderness. And now we have a pouch full of crowns, and you get to... stop smelling like onions. Ugh, I could smell you from a kilometer away." Nivh scoffed softly and splashed his face.

"You're a vampire. Your elevated olfactory would let you smell me 'from a kilometer away' regardless of my bathing situation."

Astarion paused, pursing his lips. He wasn't sure if it was because Nivh was a Witcher, and thus was a little... cold on the emotions front, or if it was because he was generally a stick-in-the-mud, but either way, sometimes his inability to "go with the flow" of conversation was a little exhausting. Regardless, he waved a clawed hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, whatever. And darling, not so loud. We have a good thing going, no need to rile up the peasants."

"Oh, right, your little sob story about being cursed." Nivh rolled his yellow eyes. He was largely unimpressed when he first heard Astarion recount the lie to a group of merchants and peasants, inquiring about his red eyes and silver hair. Cursed by a witch to resemble a vampire. It was why he was traveling with a Witcher, to either track her down or break the curse.

Astarion grinned, sharp teeth catching the firelight. "You'd be surprised how many doors a good "sob story" opens. Besides, it's worked so far, why change it? Given how clueless humans are, it provides the perfect cover. Speaking of clueless humans..." He squatted down beside the tub, dipping his fingers into the now red tinted water. "I have another opportunity lined up for us."

Nivh paused and glowered suspiciously at Astarion.

"Now, that face right there is the reason why I'm the one that does the negotiating around here." He flicked a bit of water at Nivh with a smile before continuing, "I have it on good authority that the lord or whatever of this particular duchy is having curse problems of his own. There's a little party going on that I think we should show up for. Don't worry about getting in, I'll take care of that."

Nivh continued to scowl. "This sounds less like one of your 'opportunities' and more like an excuse for you to feed on nobles and string me along for the ride."

"Darling, please, do you really think I'd be that stupid? Two strangers show up to a party and people start disappearing, they'll immediately blame us. Even I know better. Though, I won't lie, the thought is tempting. One can only dine on unwashed bandits for so long before you desire something a bit more elevated for the palate. Still, the only thing that will be gracing my lips will be the wine."

The witcher grunted. "I'm still not interested."

"Tsk, think of the coin that could be had! A well-placed word with nobles could loosen up some coin purses. Even if this curse is a rumor, I'm sure there's work to be found. And when you get work, we get to reap the benefits of the coin. And coin means beds with linens and fine wine, among other things."

Nivh groaned softly and resumed washing up. He couldn't entirely deny Astarion's logic, and that was what was infuriating. He needed the coin, and sadly not all work managed to make it onto bounty boards. The best paying work was often what Astarion found via chatting people up. Astarion leaned forward a bit, splashing his fingers in the water.

"I'm sorry, what was that? Was that a "yes, Astarion, I'll gladly go along with you?" Or was it an "oh Astarion, whatever would I do without you?" Please do speak up, darling. Use your words." Nivh looked up to Astarion, scowling once more.

"Fine, I'll go," he replied softly.

"Splendid. That's what I thought."

[haldenlith]

I finally did some more fic’ing with Astarion/Tannivh. Just some soft chit-chatting. Nothing exciting, honestly.

Spoilers, I guess, if you haven’t done Astarion’s quest. Not really much past that, though.

[haldenlith]

Originally intended to be more mucking about with the ink brushes, but somewhere along the way I got kinda "meh" about doing that route, so just threw some light pencil-brush shading on and some flats.

Probably going to draw more Tannivh (ie my Tav) as we get closer to BG3 release, since my brain will be going brrrrr.

Also, the braids are a brush. Vegalia's braid brushes are a godsend for this guy.

[haldenlith]

Now THIS is more like it. Gave another shot at the rough inky portraits I've been doing, this time for Tannivh. Went maybe a little too ham, honestly (which is why there's my watermark).

I think I've mostly gotten the hang of this brush set, now. The main brush I use for lining is still a little fiddly, but I've managed to adjust my pressure accordingly (for the most part).

(And yes, I know, spiders are usually Lolth's thing, but I'm taking the nature spin with this, since Tannivh's Beast Companion is a giant spider. So the splotchy fellow is a nod to that.)

[haldenlith]

I was fond of my Riato picture and how it turned out, so I decided to try and reuse a lot of what I did with it, only this time with an updated look for Tannivh. For the record, I hate how Hide armor looks in game, so this is my own take on it. (In my opinion, a lot of the leather armors look like ass, honestly, outside of the Drow armor. Only plate and cloth folk get to look cool, it seems...)

Also, even with a brush, braids are a pain in the butt.

Why did I choose to have a character with full on box braids? At least he has an undercut, so there's fewer of them...

[haldenlith]

“Is that the best you’ve got, Master?” The taunt made him bristle, but being called “master”... Well, Astarion had been called a lot of things over the years, so many things falling from the lips of fools he’d seduced, but “master” wasn’t really one of them, not in this context, at least, and coming from Tannivh’s lips, even attached to a taunt… He quite liked that.

A more kink-forward smutty fic, though there's very little sex-stuff in it, really, and a lot more just good ol' punishment and potential catharsis. Set more as a "first time"-ish sort of ordeal.

TW: blood, beating/violence? Whatever you'd call flogging and spanking.

[haldenlith]

Was sketching while watching the vods of Neil Newbon's (Astarion's VA) playthrough of BG3. Only appropriate that I sketch Tannivh, my Tav.

I think I'm finally getting better at muscle, and at getting Nivh to the, um, "appropriate" level of toning that I imagine with him and that tracks with what he handles on a day to day. Turns out, war longbows (built for fighting, not hunting -- though I suppose you can hunt with them too) have some very high draw weights. I headcanon his bow hits like... 120lb draw weight, given just how much damage he puts out in my game.