#and lae'zel is also really growing on me i want to hold her

[freakshowcowboy]

i said my next playthrough i would romance karlach but the further i get in this game the more i want to romance everyone idk how im gonna chooooooooose

[zwolfgames]

Idk, but I think bg3 reader would try to leave the group, if they know about their yandere personalities, lol. Please, your bg3 works are so good. I expect the new one

(So, not a continuation of the last drabble. This is hypothetical for now. Also it deleted my answer the first time :( so this is try two, it may seem a bit rushed. And I got a bit off track, woops.)

Warnings: mentions of yandere stuff I suppose.

Y/N in this au (aka teen tav) really isn't stupid, sure they grew up in a village with just their mother and pulled random spells out of their ass like a true sorcerer, but they're not stupid.

The party started with variable reactions to a minor in the group. Act 1 doesn't showcase a lot of Yan tendencies due to everything still going kind of fine and everyone getting to know each other.

The yandere part really starts in act 2 when they enter the Shadow cursed lands. Unlike the normal region of act 1 are the Shadowlands riddled with danger.

The party quickly gets their wake-up call after things like Kar'niss (who gets his little momemt) and the other bosses and dangers. Katherine Thorm, being a threat, also doesn't help ease the party's feelings.

The group would go from silly to way more protective in act 2. But Y/N can't do anything about that yet. The shadows would eat them alive, or someone else could get them. Better left with unease rather than dead, right?

I've purposefully mentioned Y/N's mother in the drabbles to show the main goal of the reader, which is to return to their mother. This goal is being held back by a party of people who no longer seem intent to part ways with you once this is over.

Sure, Y/N wanted their cool adventure with heroes like Wyll Ravenguard, but staying with them permanently? Haha... no.

So after the wake-up call of act 2, Y/N would take their chances at escape in Baldur Gate. The thing is, though, Y/N isn't from Baldurs Gate. They don't know the alleys like the back of their hand in the same manner that Astarion does. They didn't grow up playing in the secret passageways like Karlach...

This is a dangerous game you're playing. The more you wiggle, the tighter their hold. It's just how it goes with people who have faced enough to lose it.

They handle you in different ways, of course.

Wyll, Gale, and Halsin strike me as the type to have wanted to protect this poor kid from the start, so their resolve just strengthens to unnecessary levels. You wouldn't mind just being carried to bed by a bear man, would you? He knows some good elvish lullabies.

Lae'zel is her own separate category, she's a githyanki, they have very diffrent ways then most folk on faerun. I'm basing her motherly ability on the prologue where she raises the gith egg. She may not be affectionate, but she does not want you out of sight. Expect training.

Karlach and Astarion surprisingly go together here. They don't seem like the parental type. More of an aunt/uncle. Would try and stay your friend. Guiltripping from Karlach that she may or not be aware of herself, and straight up manipulation from Astarion. They both had a bad past. You can stay, right? As a little gift from the gods?

Shadowheart didn't like you from the start, not a fan of kids. Her yandere strikes a lot later. First, she had only been worried about your health as a cleric. After her arc at the end of the shadow cursed lands (freeing Dame Aylin etc) she gets a bit of that parental feeling nonsense too. Though I'd say she shows it the least. You'd be tricked easily into thinking she's the only normal one in the party.

Minthara, I'm unsure if I can find a good way to let her join, but she'd be similar to Lae'zel, just crueler and definitely bot secretive about her want for your stay. If you ask her directly, she'd just plain out and say that if she catches you, you're getting bound.

Jaheira, natural mom, she's got kids, protected the kids. Don't expect her to be sweet, but you're definitely not going out of sight.

Minsc joins in Act 3, so really, he doesn't have the time to get to know you, he's funny, you're funny. Friends. Not that the rest appreciates the time you spent with him. They're scared you're gonna make up a talking animal next.

All in all, Y/N would try and escape. It just isn't very likely to succeed. If you get far... well, there are other beings out there still after you, you know?

Just forget your mom. Aren't they better family now? Your mom didn't teach you spells, did she? Or swordplay? Maybe how to make balms?

Cmon, they're the best option. Stay.

Just an answer lol, hope i didn't make anyone too OOC with just this. Xd.

[kirbles]

thinking about lae'zel approaching wyll during the party with the tieflings.

she's feeling that post battle high, body full of adrenaline, that she would usually expel with her fellow githyanki through carnal pleasure.

so she considers her options, and ultimately settles on wyll. she approaches him with the intention to bed him, but he's at the water, somber after his experience.

lae'zel in game states how she plans to sleep with wyll, and then the next morning tells you all he wanted to do was talk.

however, she didn't seem all that bothered when she said it. which gives me the impression that she really did just spend the whole night with wyll, talking about everything and nothing.

how sweet if it was lae'zel who eased his somber mood and convinced him back to the party. lae'zel who directed him to her tent with the sole intention of sucking and fucking only to be stopped and asked by wyll if they could just... enjoy each others company in another way.

and she relents, because sex isn't fun if you're both not super into it. but also because wyll is well travelled, and faerun is so new to her. she wants to know more about this plane and the culture. lae'zel is well read about her kind, she would relish in regaling tales to wyll, who would listen with rapt attention.

and while her opinion on the blade of frontiers isn't necessarily a high one, she still enjoys the stories of him slicing down foes that deserve it, and that before the tadpole he was very accomplished at doing so. it's there and then that the two agree to regularly train together, to keep their blades and wits sharp, and maybe even swap tips.

they also swap stories about their childhood, and how their upbringing was so vastly different but also held some similarities.

they're only a few years apart in age, so despite the stark contrast between them, they do feel a sense of kinship; that they are so young, and yet so accomplished and learned, but also so very naive about how the world really works...

after that night of intense emotional connection, i feel like the dynamic would shift slightly. especially if they were to spend more time together outside of their usual battle training.

wyll is no doubt smitten from the start, finding githyanki novel despite their savage history, and being a bit concerned due to being a monster hunter. but the more time he spends with lae'zel (especially after being propositioned almost immediately after meeting) the more he sees beyond just what she was brought up to believe.

he would want to court her in the traditional faerun way, but would have no idea if that's something she could fathom or even want.

however in my mind lae'zel absolutely falls first. because she is so driven by the physical, it's so strange for her to grow so attached to wyll without having ever slept with him. that even a kiss is something he holds out on until wyll is ready, despite her being very forthcoming about the many nasty things she wants to do to him beyond a mere peck.

but it's the strongest emotional connection she has ever had. it dizzies her how he is always on her mind, she wants to monopolise his attention, find any excuse to put her hands on him unrelated to sexual intimacy. she always looks out for him in battle, and swells with pride when he utilises ancient githyanki teachings to win.

she wants him so damn bad!!! but she knows it has to be long term, which contests with the idea of freeing orpheus and her kin.

uggghhhh. i just think they're neat!!!!!!

[blackjackkent]

43. Bloody kiss. Either Wyll/Rahka or shadowzel. Which ever one speaks to you more friend!

Ooooh. Intrrrrrriguing. This actually ties in nicely with a thought I had for another of the prompts from @astreamofstars from this ask, so I am gonna combine the two. >:) This is a mild retcon of a scene from my liveblog, but I do what I want, muahaha. XD

Wyll/Rakha - Bloody kiss (kiss roulette meme) - Holding hands and that's all they can think of (“What Are We” moment prompts)

----

She is soaked in Kressa Bonedaughter’s blood. It stings in her eyes, it covers her cheeks and her mouth. The Myrkulite lies dead before her, a final vengeance for a torment Rakha doesn’t even remember. 

It felt so good to kill her. And the beast in her mind is awake again and hungry for more, scenting that blood on the air. 

They cut you into pieces, it whispers, a hiss like a serpent in her ear. They sliced out your mind. They made you into meat. Will you not return the favor? 

She feels suddenly aware of every breathing creature around her, every life waiting to be snuffed out. Lae'zel and Minthara looting the belongings of the dead cultists. Absolutist thralls and mind flayers moving down the slimy corridors beneath Moonrise. The very walls of this place, fleshy with a sort of half-life that would give so sweetly under her ripping, tearing claws… 

And Wyll, of course - sitting at her side, watching her. 

Yes, whispers the beast. Start with him, just as I told you; tear that soft thing from your life and begin your reign of death… 

She kisses him. It’s a sharp motion like a blow, wrenching him by the collar until their lips crash together. A vein pulses in her temple with the concentration and effort it takes. Against all the howling evil within her, she kisses him rather than killing him, and the blood on her face mixes with the kiss and makes him taste of iron.

She feels him respond, can almost hear his heartbeat stutter to a faster pace with the muted need strung taut between them. It is not just passion - though that is part of it, certainly, as she channels all the beast’s rage into the softer feeling she has for him. But more than that, it is a feral, demanding, clinging thing, a reaching-out for the safety only he can provide. 

He knows her well, by now. He knows the monstrous thing that lives inside her, and the signs that it is trying to take control. But he also knows that this isn’t her, not really - not who she wants to be. He is the Blade of Frontiers, and he has seen monsters driven by true darkness.

“Stay with me, Rakha,” he whispers against her mouth. He takes her hand and squeezes it fiercely. His palm is warm, sweat-slick from the colony’s oppressive humidity, and his grip grounds her, drawing her back to herself, bit by bit shutting out everything else. “Stay with me. Show me the light.”

He is the only one who has ever thought there is light in her.

She draws a slow, unsteady breath. The roaring darkness in her head starts to fade, and as it recedes, the kiss softens. It loses its hungry, conquering edge, grows gentler; Wyll takes control of it now, his free hand cupping the back of her head, steadying her against him. A strange sound escapes her, a sort of whimpering groan, and he answers it with a sigh against her lips.

His touches have done their work. The beast settles back into restless sleep and she is conscious only of him - and of the grief that remains from Kressa’s revelations now that the rage has cooled. His touch soothes that too, but it cannot drive it away entirely. 

She wishes, sometimes, she could simply have this softness, without all the broken edges in her soul. “Thank you,” she mutters. The kiss breaks and she leans her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

His grip on her hand loosens but doesn't let go. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. "About what she said?"

"No," she says. She doesn't have the strength for her usual curtness; the word emerges wistful and exhausted. A pause, then-- "Later."

"Later it is," he agrees. "I'll be ready."

[iamaweretoad]

Can you tell me more about Ariel pretty please? Does he have a favourite food? Has he been able to grow closer to any of the companions or is he distancing himself?

Does he want a hug?

Thank you so much for asking! :D

(hiding my rambling under the cut)

I don't think he has a favorite food YET. Between the constant headaches and nausea, and the increasingly sense of disconnectedness from his own body, I think eating is more of a chore for him at the moment, and one that he frequently neglects. What he DOES enjoy -- on the rare occasions that they have the down time for it -- is the communal nature of sharing a meal together. His stomach may not allow him to appreciate the taste of Gale's stew, but he appreciates the time and care that his friend took to prepare it; he appreciates the fellowship, he appreciates being allowed to participate in the normalcy of it. He also just likes the feel of holding a warm bowl or cup in his hands, he finds it comforting, and I think for this reason the one thing he has figured out that he kind of likes is tea and coffee (really any warm beverage, but tea and coffee have the added benefit of keeping him awake).

The person he is closest to is probably my Tav, Salvage (because I am cringe and am headcanoning that they are in the same party XD). Sal stood up for him in the aftermath of what happened with Alfira, and Ariel looked after Sal when he had a breakdown on the night of the party, and they've had each others' backs ever since.

I think Ariel did start to distance himself from the others after Alfira. But over time he'd begun to earn back their trust and form genuine friendships, especially with the other front line fighters (Lae'zel and Karlach) and Shadowheart (even if he doesn't remember his past, I feel like traumatized church cult kids are gonna bond no matter what -- plus he's fascinated by her healing magic and how it intersects with his knowledge of anatomy/physiology). And then Act 2 happened and everything went to shit, so he's started to distance himself again (though not because they've lost faith in him this time, he's just lost faith in himself).

And oh my god, yes, he desperately needs a hug. 😭

[bloodrevel]

20 TAV/OC QUESTIONS

I saw saw @galesdevoteewife's post about her Tav & decided I wanted to do it too :) I'm tagging everyone who wants to do this & pls tag me if you do, I love seeing people's Tavs! <3

Senna, my scrunkly half wood elf ranger/druid/favoured of mielikki blorbo who was quite literally raised by wolves :) <3

I. what do they smell like at their freshest? (and/or after a tenday. your choice)

She generally smells like wolf fur, fresh earth, herbs and Felsul flower oil when she can make or buy it (Felsul are common in the Cloakwood where she grew up but she can't always find them while on the road).

II. what would their blood taste like to vampires?

Crisp, a little sweet, and a little tart, like an apple.

III. how would they kiss their LI?

Sen doesn't do anything by halves; she kisses passionately, fiercely, with wild abandon. She doesn't hold anything back and gives all of herself when she loves someone.

IV. how do they sleep with their LI (what position, does one steal the blankets, is one too hot/cold, etc)?

She loves being warm and cosy and cuddling. Without Gale she always sleeps snuggled up with her wolf, Fey, but when she sleeps with Gale it's with her face nuzzled into the crook of his shoulder, his arms wrapped around her and their legs tangled together, or they switch between being the big spoon or little spoon depending on the night/what they feel like.

And Fey is still included of course! If she's sleeping facing Gale, her wolf sleeps at her back. If she's sleeping with her back against Gale, she's cuddling Fey and her face is snuggled into her fur <3

V. what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

Her tent is a simple muted green, made to blend in with the forest. Inside she has a raggedy patchwork blanket, a bedroll, an old velvet pillow for Fey, a small wooden box of needle and thread for patching up her clothes, some ink pots, quills and a stack of journals. Outside she has a few small plant pots where she grows herbs and tea leaves and whatever weed she smokes in her dad's old pipe lol

VI. if they had a set of dnd dice, what would they look like?

These Feywild dice I found on the nexus (they're what I use in game)

VII. do they collect anything (gems, bottles, keys, etc)?

She collects random things that catch her eye like rocks, gems and feathers, as well as herbs, and she's also very sentimental so if anyone gives her anything, she keeps it (like the story Mirkon wrote her after she saved him, for example). When she gets into a relationship with Gale she starts collecting recipes to cook with him, plus all the poetry he writes for her, as well as poetry she comes across that she thinks he'll like (she doesn't write poetry herself).

VIII. if either, are they part of the astarion/gale book club (magic & literature) or the wyll/shadowheart book club (trashy romance novels)?

She's part of the Astarion/Gale book club. She loves books on flora and fauna, and she's curating her own florilegium with descriptions and illustrations of all the herbs, plants, flowers and animals she comes across on her travels.

IX. if they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Oh it'd be Lae'zel for sure. They're both very headstrong and confident and think their way is the right way, so in the beginning they butt heads and challenge each other a lot. Each grows to respect the other for their determination and strength over time, and they end up forming a strong bond because of it.

Woe be upon ye who tries to shove them into that shirt though, you'll end up on the wrong end of a Gith sword AND stuck with a hide full of arrows.

X. do they prefer speak with dead or speak with animals?

She only uses speak with animals, Gale uses speak with dead.

XI. what are their thoughts on clowns?

She's never seen one until the Circus of the Last Days, and she's not at all interested in them/doesn't really get it. She just does one of her little head tilts and looks at them like... hmm...what odd people...and then gets distracted by the dryad, who she absolutely moons over.

XII. their companions are gossiping about them behind their back! who is it and what are they saying?

It's probably Astarion and Shadowheart, and they're probably either complaining about how much of an annoyingly cheery, energetic morning person she is, or mocking her obvious lovesickness over Gale.

XIII. what makes them laugh? what does their laugh sound like?

Wolf antics, Gale's complaints whenever they have to sneak, Gale's comments while on the battlefield, Gale in general (their senses of humour are well aligned), Astarion's histrionics, Astarion and Shadowheart's snarky conversations, Karlach's jokes, Wyll's utter intolerance for poorly performed music, Lae'zel's mispronunciation of common words.

She laughs heartily, warmly, and without restraint - pretty much the way she does everything.

XIV. do they have any inside jokes among their companions?

She's not much of a "hey wanna hear this joke" kind of person, but she undoubtedly has things that are uniquely funny to her and her companions based on the experiences they had together, as you do when you spend a lot of time / go through a lot with people. Like, "Hey, remember that time..."

XV. what’s the description of their camp clothes in the inventory menu?

Her dress: a lovely dress made of a soft, well-worn green cloth, with flowers stitched into the bodice and an intricate woven belt around the waist (it doesn't have a description so I wrote this one).

Her boots: made of intertwining branches that wrap around the foot like nature's embrace.

XVI. what’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

Again it doesn't have a description, but I imagine it'd say something like "Plain, simple cotton undergarments".

XVII. how do they celebrate their birthday?

She doesn't know when it is, so she celebrates the day her dad adopted her instead, which was Ches 3. She spends the day gathering berries and baking a pie with them, as that's what her dad used to do for her every year.

XVIII. what modern day tv show would they binge over a weekend? do they get their LI to watch with them?

She probably wouldn't watch TV much, but I think she'd enjoy nature documentaries, and she'd get Gale to watch with her and then blab random facts at him the whole time.

XIX. do you have a playlist for your tav? if so, what’s the title + description?

I'm in the middle of working on one, the title of and first song on it is Raised by Wolves by The Interrupters, and sums Senna up perfectly: My teeth got sharper, my skin got tough So I forgive you for your giving up For your giving up It doesn't matter, my life was shattered And my heart's got holes You left a child out in the wild And I was raised by wolves I was raised by wolves, ah-ooh I was raised by wolves, ah-ooh

Yeah, when you left and said goodbye Under the moonlight, we had to learn to stay alive In the wild

XX. if you were to try pickpocketing them, what would they be carrying?

In her pockets she just carries some coins and hair ties, and in her backpack she carries her current leatherbound journal, a pot of ink, a couple quills, a folded piece of parchment that has been read many times (it's her favourite poem Gale wrote for her), maps, some healing potions, a satchel of herbs and other alchemy ingredients, trap disarming tools, travel rations (including a wedge of cheese with a big bite taken out of it), a waterskin, and a mess kit.

[riddlerosehearts]

getting very very close to the end of baldur's gate 3! of course, i plan on doing many more playthroughs of this game, but--not counting the things i finish up in this post--i only have a handful of things left to do in my first playthrough and it feels so weird. i'm excited to be done with it but at the same time i don't want it to be over for some reason akfjsgsdf

went to go fight orin, completing the dribbles quest on the way and getting some gloves that apparently used to give a really OP bonus to magic missile but don't anymore?? well, the description makes it sound like they should not work with magic missile, so i guess that was a bug which was patched... but in that case i don't know if i want to bother with finding dribbles in the future lol, doesn't feel worth it for all the trouble you have to go through. anyway, i have not fought gortash, but that's okay because it was extremely easy for my tav to just straight up lie to orin about it!

god i missed lae'zel so bad, she's honestly become one of my favorite characters over the course of this playthrough. in my next playthrough i need to make sure someone else gets taken so i'll get to hear her reactions to all of the things she was gone for during this one. also, minsc did have a lot to say about her and about githyanki in general! i still wish i could've gotten him to talk about shadowheart, not sure why he wouldn't comment on her.

i'd say i can't believe raphael wrote an entire 100-chapter novel that’s nothing but descriptions of different scenarios of him being crowned and coronated as archdevil of the hells, but i can absolutely believe it. i mean, this guy literally has an incubus that's basically a clone of himself--and not only does haarlep tell you raphael is a bottom, but i've also heard it's possible to get him to tell you raphael is bad in bed LMAO?!?! he is so over-the-top arrogant and vain and for what? his own incubus to roast him and reveal his secrets?

anyway, i have loved exploring the house of hope, but now it's time to go kick raphael's ass!

...okay i was super surprised when not only did yurgir show back up, but my tav was able to persuade him to join them in the fight?! i meeean not that i'm complaining but they kind of persuaded him to kill his minions and himself before, so. i guess maybe he respects their cunning and/or feels like their hand was forced by raphael, or maybe he just doesn't give a shit since defeating raphael is more important now. and it was a DC 30 roll to persuade him. but that is still pretty wild lmao, i kind of wish someone had mentioned it.

raphael's final act goes so hard that it almost feels like a waste of talent to kill him. and at the same time it is hilarious that this overdramatic fucker who has 666 HP is also singing his own battle theme. i keep imagining my bard tav clapping back with their own song about what a loser he is, with gale and wyll forming a backing chorus and lae'zel making some snarky comment before very reluctantly joining in.

makes me so sad that otto's irresistible dance incapacitates him but doesn't make him actually dance :( i'm a little confused though because i'm unsure whether i'm encountering a bug or i'm misunderstanding the game mechancics... raphael has a buff called inevitable resolve which says it makes anything that incapacitates him only last one turn, which holds true when i have gale cast hold monster--he breaks out of it on his next turn. but otto's irresistible dance didn't trigger that for some reason and he stayed in it for several turns before my concentration got broken. well, not that i'm complaining!

i found mol's contract in the house of hope, and went and told her we killed raphael. not surprised that she was all mad about it--she's a kid, and kids love to think they can do anything they want without consequences lol. we can only hope she'll grow up and be grateful later.

the order of events during act 3 has honestly been a bit confusing for me and i'm not sure which is the "best" or most logical way to do the whole steel watch/iron throne/killing gortash set of quests in, or if it even matters, but... i stumbled upon the way to get to the iron throne while doing the avenge the drowned quest, so i guess that is where i'll be going next!

[flowersdaggersviolasandblood]

Assassin with a Heart of Gold

Name: Admaer Daeneiros (He/Him)

Race: High Elf

Class: Rogue (Assassin)

Background: Criminal

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD

While it was fun playing the Dark Urge, we're gonna put Torments' story on hold and focus on our other worthy heroes. Starting with Admaer. To catch everyone up since the last time I spoke of my bombastic side-eye Rogue, Admaer was in Baldur's Gate looking to assassinate Lord Enver Gortash, one of the few individuals who enslaved him in his past. He got snatched up by the mindflayers, had a parasite placed in his skull, and now we're here.

His main party, thus far, seems to be Shadowheart, Astarion, and Lae'zel. Wyll is at camp and Gale was completely ignored (maybe we'll meet him again in the future). He and the gang went to Emerald Grove in search for healing. They were able to interrogate the Tiefling, Zorru, about where the Githyanki Creche is, which Admear allowed Lae'zel to do her thang. This is where I was so much on Lae'zel's good side that she got hot and bothered. Admaer politely refused (this is a Astarion romance run).

With the Creche revealed, Admaer is most likely going to go in the direction of that quest than anything else. Until then, Admaer is still willing to take Shadowhearts advice and at least see if there's anyone within the Grove that can help.

Admaer entered the inner grove, really looking to talk with Nettie and not involve himself in the tension between the Tieflings and the Druids. But he would happen upon a scene of Kagha threatening to imprison a Tiefling child for stealing the holy idol of Silvanus. Initially, Admaer mostly stood and watch, but he decided to peer within Kagha's mind, learning that she's power hungry and exerting that power upon the weak. Now, this doesn't make Admaer do a 180 and decide to save the Tieflings, but seeing the poor kid frightened, and being reminded of his own troubled past, he extends an olive branch and asks that Kagha let the girl go.

He does talk with Kagha for a brief minute, but he goes straight to Nettie. Being a Rogue (and a Criminal/Spy one at that), I was putting heavy emphasis on sneaking around and touching things I shouldn't, so Admear was able to get his hands on the antidote book you can find before going deeper into Halsin's study room.

Admaer saw that Nettie was holding a poisonous branch of Kelemvor's Kiss (didn't know what it was initially) and saw that Nettie was being shifty, so he wasn't completely honest with her. This resulted in him getting nearly poisoned and locked in the room with her. Admaer was able to steal away the antidote and he "promised" to take the wyvern poison should he turn. To Admaer, this was a near waste of time and only pushed his resolve to reach the Gith Creche.

However, Nettie did provide another alternative. Halsin, the original First Druid of Emerald Grove, has been studying up on the infected people who got the parasite and he knows more about this than anyone else within 100 miles from here. Admaer still isn't hopeful about this, especially since he's currently either imprisoned or dead, but if push comes to shove; Admear will consider looking for the First Druid.

Before leaving the Grove, Admaer noticed that Shadowheart made a pained noise and her hand started to make a strange glow. Admaer didn't really "ask" about it, I more like to see it that Shadowheart just decided to come forth about it, because after she explained what that supposedly was, Admaer left it alone. Did a few side quests and events at the grove and we're on our way to the Gith Creche! (Here's a alive Afira for those traumatized by the last post involving her and Torment ;A;)

Also I finally learned how to dye my characters clothes. The original color of the +1 padded armor didn't really fit Admaer, and this new color still doesn't (he's a Rogue goddamn it, he needs dark and edgy clothing!), but this look is slowly growing on me. Now I want to buy or craft all the dyes!

You may have noticed in the previous pic that Raphael is in that scene. Yep, same place, same time too! To be honest, I prefer finding him while trying to sleep in for the night, the lighting does not do him wonders in this scene. Regardless, homie snatches Admaer and the game into the House of Hope, offering a easy fix to remove the parasite.

Although Admaer refused the offer, that doesn't mean he completely disregarded it in his heart. Admaer will most likely keep this in the furthest backburner of his mind, but it will sit there if there truly is no other way. All the more reason to hope that the Lae'zel is right or Halsin is alive.

While traveling, Admaer and the gang ran into Edowin, Andrick, and Brynna. This would be the first time Admaer decides to fully call upon his Illithid and enforce his will upon the two apprentices and gain information about the Absolute.

After learning what he needed from this, he told them to leave. Seeing how this power could be useful in case they need a bit of mind probing influence, Admaer agrees with Astarion that they should utilize this power. Though, he does also agree that there should be some caution on using this power too much.

As Admaer was searching the dead Edowin, he has a moment

Admaer had this strange compulsion to remove Edowin's parasite from within. Try as he might to block out this influence, he would obtain a tadpole in a jar. Now, I know that you could eat this to gain more powers from your tadpole, but I was refused this offer, told that my Guardian will give more insight on this later.

[blackjackkent]

Hector:

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Rakha:

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character

(Weirdly Specific But Helpful Character Building Questions)

Wheee so many questions! c:

Hector!

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

Oh, man, there's probably a lot of these. :P Hector grew up in a super insular environment and the social norms in the monastery were almost certainly very different from the "real world".

One of my favorite random little Hector headcanons that I came up with a while back was that despite being very reserved in other regards, he probably views communal bathing as a natural thing and has zero embarrassment about it and consequently shocks some people accidentally by just stripping down for the purpose without thinking about whether anyone else is around.

Just in general, really, I don't think the concept of privacy was really heavily emphasized in the monastery - but he's also not stupid, so he doesn't do anything really egregious. But this is one area where it doesn't occur to him until it's caused a bit of havoc.

I think Lae'zel and Karlach aren't thrown by it although they do enjoy the view, but Shadowheart and Gale get somewhat flustered, Wyll gets VERY flustered, and Astarion makes snarky comments, and all of this combined makes Hector much more careful in future because he would feel very bad about accidentally making anyone uncomfortable.

Who would / do they believe without question?

It's occurred to me on more than one occasion that it's a REALLY good thing that Karlach is a very good, kind person, because she can smile at Hector and tell him absolutely anything and he will a) believe her and b) do whatever she says. XD

So Karlach is at the top of this list. He also pretty much implicitly believes Jaheira and Wyll. (And Gale for factual things, but maybe not always for advice. :P )

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

I have talked a bunch already about how Hector is really hard on himself for moments when he lets himself get emotionally overwhelmed and not properly #stoic and #disciplined.

One particular speculation I had a bit back really intrigued me, though, which is that I think he is actually way harder on himself than the senior monks actually demanded of him. He's definitely aware that his father was also a monk - and a very bad one, who was super lax and ill-disciplined, got Hector's mom (whoever she was) pregnant, and then bailed on them both and disappeared entirely. I suspect that Hector's heavy emphasis on his own self-control, and disappointment with himself when it's not up to snuff, comes a lot from him wanting to be NOT like his deadbeat dad.

With this in mind, I suspect there were a lot of moments when he was a kid/teenager where he really felt like he was failing his teachers (such as his breakdown flashback in The Center Cannot Hold), and his teachers basically saw it as completely minor growing pains and part of the learning process and not actually a failure at all.

Rakha!

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Answered here.

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

This one's kind of funny bc I had to sit and think for a while on what qualifies as "professional gain" for Rakha. XD

I think it would be fair to say that she originally only stayed with her companions at all out of a sense of self-interest. They had a shared struggle with her, so they might be useful to keeping her alive long enough for revenge and to figure out what had happened to her.

It was only after she started to get to know them (and herself, really) that she started to think of them as people beyond their utility to her in a practical sense.

Even in those early moments, though, I'm not sure her attitude would have qualified as malicious. She's just incredibly, intensely, ruthlessly practical and was even more so at that point. She didn't actively want harm to come to them - or to anyone, really, except the people who put the worm in her head.

The beast, of course, had other plans.

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Once again... there's probably a lot of these. Literally everything that Rakha experiences is completely new to her. (And of course in trying to actually think of one my brain goes completely blank. XD )

Off the top of my head... I just pictured a scenario where the group would have to travel by horseback for a longer distance, and realistically... horses are SCARY up close if you're not familiar with them, or at least have the potential to be.

(I've always wanted to properly learn horseback riding, but I've taken a handful of lessons and am always surprised realizing just how big a horse actually is when you get up close to it in real life.)

And horses are also (as I understand it) jumpy creatures when faced with something threatening, which Rakha kind of is whether she wants to be or not.

So I could see a situation where everyone else is mounted up and ready to go and Rakha and her horse are just having an intense staring contest with both of them freaked the hell out by each other. XD