#Thank god Durge has amnesia

[y-rhywbeth2]

Dropping by to update the filter list/tags again:

I'm thinking of tags for separating minor lore bits by type (vampires, Faerûn, elves, Bhaalspawn, religion, etc) Most importantly, in light of discussing the horror themes inherent in the Chosen, particularly the Bhaalspawn whose lives are sort of the result of an ill advised affair between cosmic horror and gothic horror, I think I need more ways to put distance onto those heavier topics.

(Still busy rn, but if I drop that off now it gives you time to jump ship or add me or the tags to your block lists.)

Edgelord hours remains the "reader discretion advised" tag

Villainous nonsense- is going to be the firmer dead dove tag from now on. Stuff on the level of Gortash's "let's play psychological death trap games using small children" and Durge's cannibalism and necrophilia, and Orin's "art displays". Not necessarily just about the Chosen though.

The Family Circle - is for filtering out the nightmare that is Bhaal's cult and his children: including the game's themes/subtext of reproductive horror and sexual abuse on top of the indoctrination, emotional abuse, shit parenting and etc. Also a stand in if I ever mention other characters and backstories with those (potential) elements (the vampire spawn aside, there's also other deities, and I am side eyeing the House of Hope)

[crossdressingdeath]

Narrator: *For the first time in over a century, silence falls over the Bhaal Temple. No chants, no screams, no prayers.* Narrator: *In the end, your own death brought you more joy than any you wrought on this land. You are slipping into peaceful oblivion.* Narrator: *But your journey is not over.* Withers: Thou hast defied Bhaal, thy liege and father, and in doing so hast earned a place among champions and heroes. Withers: But, alas, thy courage was in opposition to the divine cosmology that bound thee to the Lord of Murder. Withers: Thou art now faithless - godless - and doomed to wander the Fugue Plane for eternity. Withers: I will not permit that, though all the powers of life and death dictate that it should be so. Withers: I, too, still hold some power, and I invest a portion of it in thee, who hath challenged the gods and now liveth to tell of it. Withers: Thy fight is not over, and it is thy fight, for one who can look upon Bhaal and oppose him can survive any crisis. Withers: So rise, Challenger of Gods, and prepare for battle once more. Death will not claim thee whilst I endure.

Not gonna lie: this sounds like whether or not Durge was immortal before, they sure as hell are now. I mean, "Death will not claim thee whilst I endure"? Sounds to me like they aren't going to be dying any time soon. Durge's relationship with death has been upgraded from "I'll have to ask my dad (he says no)" to "I'll have to ask my granddad (he says absolutely not under any circumstances)." Benefits (or curse) of coming from a family of death gods, I guess.

I love the imagery of a hush falling over the temple as all of this is happening. Like... based on Withers's dialogue this shouldn't be happening. Durge shouldn't be defying their father and Withers definitely shouldn't be bringing them back afterwards. From the moment Durge says no everything's gone off-script. It's also interesting that Withers says Durge defying Bhaal is in opposition to divine cosmology; keeping in mind I haven't played the first two games, I get the sense that while Bhaalspawn defying Bhaal isn't the norm it's not all that unheard of. There are two whole games about Bhaalspawn doing exactly that, actually. Then again Durge's situation is unique; possibly it's something like... as they were made from Bhaal's own gore Durge literally shouldn't be able to refuse him like that, which raises some fun questions about their life pre-amnesia. The suggestion that Durge kind of broke cosmology in defying Bhaal is very good and I'd love more details on that.

The suggestion that Durge is now entirely without a god to claim their soul on their death and will wander the Fugue Plane for eternity now that Bhaal doesn't want them is very interesting, considering that you can be a cleric and so bound to a god other than Bhaal (unless the dialogue is different under those circumstances). I guess Bhaal took priority as their father and maybe since Durge died as a direct result of him abandoning them no one else had the chance to stake a claim? But if this is just the way of things for them now and their soul can't be claimed by a god that's. not good. But then again I guess technically Jergal has it. It's fine! I really like him walking into this situation and saying "No, they don't deserve this and they're too important to this fight, I'm not letting them die like this (or at all)."

Based on what Bhaal says prior to this Durge dies less because he directly killed them and more because his divine essence was their life force, so when he ripped it out of them they had nothing to keep them going? So then what Withers is doing seems to be replacing that portion of Bhaal's divine essence with his own, giving Durge a new life force in the process (hence why they'll now endure as long as he does, since presumably if he dies that new life force will die with him). Durge may or may not thank him for that (that bit about Durge's death bringing them more joy than any they've caused hits hard, and even harder when you consider that the deaths they've caused include Ketheric and Orin and potentially include people who hurt their companions like Cazador, Gortash, Viconia...), but it seems like the divine equivalent of a heart transplant or something similar.

[tadbitfooled]

ship bias

Send ‘Ship Bias’ and I will share up to 5 Ships I have a bias for for my muse!

I shall give for all 4 of my mains with either a detailed explanation or a really vague shallow reason, in no particular order

Durante Faust

Lae'zel - because he needs a tough lady to top him I mean. Uh. I just think the whole opposite things with him being a silly avoiding responsibilities kind of guy and her super serious, very responsible-ness would be a fun balance.

Rolan just because Durante flustering him sounds fun

now for a type of character, he would need someone with a firm hand but not a tight grip, someone forward and sure of themself, but also able to have fun and play around a little bit.

Wyll - just because Durante seems to be the type to play romance but be keen to avoid it, but I think Wyll could break that because he's so damn charming

Karlach - Could be cute. They would have fun together and once again, lady to top him. But I think it could be an interesting dynamic to say the least.

Gwenifar van Hol

Oh, someone who's super flirty and charming because she does not ever get the hint that someone's flirting with her because she just...Doesn't register the idea someone could find her attractive. And they just keep trying and she just thinks they're being nice it'd be hilarious.

Halsin - I feel like Halsin would appreciate how she does so much to help others. And Gwenifar would appreciate his wisdom and his whittling. She likes to paint so it'd be cute if he whittled figurines and she painted them.

Gale because sage4sage nerd bullshit. But also I think they'd just be super soft and cute, and the sheer irony of cleric healer with a god who values all life x wizard with a chronic pain condition whose goddess told him to blow himself up is great.

Shadowheart - I have no exact reason but they vibe really well in the game and I think Shadowheart having someone who's supportive but also able to say 'hey you need to think this through' is really good for her.

Um for spice reasons because of Ilmater vs Loviatar stuff...Someone involved in Loviatar like Abdirak...idk like. spice.

Talilah Bluethorn

A drow would be fucking hilarious her father would have an aneurism but don't be like. An overly cruel drow or something. A little nerd drow would be fantastic.

Alfira and her girlfriend, Lakrissa because they'd all be adorable and make a really nice cuddle pile thanks

An arranged set up would be hilarious due to her father's bloodline. She would not be interested in it at all and it'd be funny if they weren't too and both tried to sneak out of the event, helped each other, and then one of the elders is like 'oh so great you two met' and they're like 'what.'

Wyll because folk hero and Talilah has that heroic background with what her entertaining troupe would do (steal from the rich, give to the poor) and just they would have such a fun dynamic with his charm and romantic attitude and how she could match that with some playfulness.

Astarion because I really enjoy the thought of them finding each other annoying when they first meet because he held a knife to her throat and she headbutted him, but then they like each other's humor and find each other attractive and eventually go 'uh feelings have been caught.'

Tavinkas

Shadowheart - amnesia buddies. They're both struggling with abusive gods and trying to figure themselves out so it would be a mutual situation, with being able to give each other the push they need to get on the path they need to be on.

Wyll - look. He's charming, heroic, but also needs support but is fully capable of giving support back. Sure, he needs a few wake up calls to his situation but he would be so gentle with Tavinkas and gods know that's what he so desperately needs.

Someone just able to be gentle and supportive. He desperately wants to have gentleness in his life, as it was never something he was allowed to have.

I want the angst of Gortash and Durge thanks. They've both been dealt bad hands and Gortash just went with it but Tavinkas decides to find a new path and leave him behind. Just drive that dagger in.

Gale because Tavinkas does like intelligent conversation and learning things and I think Gale would be very good for that. Tavinkas is skilled in magic but I think he'd like to learn the finer points of it and Gale would be delighted to discuss it.

[omgkalyppso]

How about 5 and 17 for those OC ship asks!! Any ship you want to talk about

Thank you for the ask! I'll answer for my bg3 durge oc Meabh (they/she) and the villain Enver Gortash.

5. Where was their first kiss? What kinds of emotions were tied up in the moment or aftermath?

I headcanon Meabh and Enver knew each other since childhood, separated for a time, but reunited two years into Enver returning to Baldur's Gate. She was out on the streets with ill intent but rather than pursuing their own goal single-mindedly, they allow themself to be enticed and distracted by the sight of this short man being crowded into an alley. She sees some of Enver's inventions and hidden weapons, and doesn't quite step in, but kills one attacker who sought to run and another he'd simply knocked out, a strange and unexpected addition to his predicament.

He was surprised to be both recognized and remembered. I imagine them exchanging dialogue that foreshadows Meabh's eventual amnesia. They don't kiss then, but Enver's fascinated with discovering how Meabh has survived, and they're not unattractive, so he invites them to dinner, with a few days preparation - and enough time for Meabh to perform work enough to please her father.

But it is after this dinner that they share their first kiss. Under a bridge in the Lower City. Meabh's more curious than emotional, delighted by the sensations and the way Enver looks at her — different than reverent cultists, fearful victims, moronic souls who'd seek to direct their violence, or even those who would leer on the street if they deigned to let others see them. Enver would have expected Meabh to have burnt out if he'd deigned to think of them at all since his return to Baldur's Gate — he had thought of them occasionally during his time away, when he'd been fed and when he'd been tempted to kill the devils in his company or die trying. But now, Meabh's presence feels significant, an omen of the best kind, and with the potential of being a resource and inspiration. He wants to know everything of the dark machinations of their mind, how they evade the so-called justice of Gods and men, and what other ways they might be good for each other.

17. Do these partners ever live together? If so, do they both / all give up their previous living spaces or does one move in with another / do some move in with another? Are there disagreements about decorating / aesthetics / furniture? If so, what compromises can be found?

I have to see how The Ending plays out for them to decide what happens with them post-canon.

Pre-canon they do not live together. As children the whole of their time was spent outdoors. As adults, for various reasons at different stages of their plots and their relationship, Meabh doesn't risk making a home of anywhere but the temple, and Enver doesn't dare ask — though he makes their welcome obvious. Once Enver has his own estate in the Upper City, a factory / workshop by the docks, and the Iron Throne is under construction, he no longer has the need to seduce the nobility for their money when coercing and blackmailing them for their loyalty is far more fitting for a man of his station. His influence extends, but he is no longer running across the planes, and so, at home, he allows himself to feel at home, and to have expectations, he keeps a wardrobe for Meabh, implements to care and style their hair, tools and toys for their sexual intimacy, a room for them to draw in, and another that they might use to kill in, if not in ritual to Bhaal at least in a fit of passion, as well as access into a basement where he keeps a workshop for each of them.

I think if Meabh ever moved in, that while the foyer might have more than an incidental amount of iconography to Bane, especially an overhead window and an eight foot wide mask immediately across and above from the entrance door, above staircases and a balcony leading inwards; that a grand mosaic or comparable depiction of Bhaal is installed in the floor so the two deities can stare each other down, feeling superior in the execution of their own portrayal - Bhaal, in the foundation, inescapable, whole, vs Bane's glorious, imposing oversight, not underfoot, fractioned like the facets of a jewel.