#creating a selunite cleric

[oflolth]

think i'll continue to be a bit more low activity until this like. stint in insomnia is like ? over ? lessened ? but i am still slowly working on drafts and the like and things will be up eventually

[tomurakii]

I'm abandoning creed he is irritating to me and also not distinct enough from my other durges I feel. Also too many tieflings

[moghedien]

HONESTLY THO can we talk about the angst of Aylin and Isobel’s separation from Isobel’s side of things

Because the angst from Aylin’s side is there and obvious and very very clearly a huge motivation for her actions and yeah it’s great. But Aylin is the immortal. Aylin was always going to be the one that watched Isobel die. They both always knew this, it just happened way before they expected and caused a whole lot of turmoil. And even with all her angst, Aylin is certain that Isobel is dead and not coming back. She saw her body. She probably saw her buried. She probably saw many of Ketheric’s vile attempts to bring her back before she was imprisoned. Isobel is dead and not coming back. Losing Isobel and then spending a century being tortured and bound as a means of helping Ketheric maintain profane power and immortality is like…so much and it’s driving her passion and anger when you meet her, but it’s also very obvious that’s what’s going on when you have the context. And when you have the context, it’s clear and it’s obvious to see.

But Isobel’s angst is just so subtle and steeped in uncertainty.

Isobel woke up and it seems like she didn’t even realize she had died. She describes it as nothing and then waking up. She doesn’t know how she died. She doesn’t remember dying at all. She just knows she woke up and it was a 100 years later and everything was very, very different.

Her father had been a Selunite when she died, and now he was gone from Selune to Shar to Myrkul. He went from being a seemingly good man and leader to a mass murdering undead necromancer who seemingly began committing atrocity after atrocity as soon as her tomb was shut. He destroyed her home, her community and everyone in it, and defiled everything she has ever held dear. Apparently for her, even.

She has basically no answers for how any of this happened or what is going on, she just flees and hides until she can create a sanctuary for people who seem more or less to stumble in the dark too.

Like all of that has to be terribly confusing and consuming her mind, but that would only be made worse by her learning about Aylin.

Because Aylin isn’t supposed to die.

Isobel is supposed to be the one that would die one day. Aylin is immortal. They both knew this. Everyone that knew about them knew this. But then suddenly she’s waking up 100 years later in a very different world to her very changed father telling her that Aylin is dead.

It’s impossible, but looking at everything else that seemed to happen while she was “sleeping,” maybe it isn’t. Maybe Aylin is dead. Maybe somehow her immortal demigod mate died.

But maybe not

The only thing telling her that Aylin died is Ketheric who is now very clearly an unreliable source. Maybe he’s right. Maybe he isn’t. She literally has no way to know.

So if Ketheric is lying, then where’s Aylin? Did she somehow become corrupted like everything else she used to love? Is she being held prisoner? Did she just leave and move on once Isobel died? Again, she has little to indicate what could have happened. For all she knows, Aylin is off somewhere being the love of some other cleric’s life. It’s been 100 years after all.

And the worst part is that she has two pieces of evidence on Aylin’s fate that seem to contradict each other. She has her father telling her that Aylin is long dead. Then she has Marcus. Someone that she knew and interacted with before you arrive at Last Light, arriving with a newly acquired set of wings. She doesn’t know where those wings came from, of course. But her father sends a goon to kidnap her with a set of wings they didn’t have even days ago? She would suspect the source. She would know that he was being intentional about that. So where would he have gotten a fresh set of wings if the only angel around was long dead?

While Aylin is no doubt like tragic in this situation, she never ever had reason to hope Isobel was alive. She never suspects it. All of her angst around Isobel is mourning and vengeance.

Isobel on the other hand has no idea what happened to Aylin. Aylin isn’t supposed to be able to die, and yet she’s dead. She’s supposed to be dead, yet Ketheric seems to be getting fresh body parts from her. He seems to be doing that, but it could be lies to trick her. Aylin might be alive and well. Aylin might be dead. Aylin might be evil and corrupted. Aylin might be helping Ketheric for all she knows. Isobel has no way of knowing anything and the worst part is, she can’t go try to figure it out.

If she leaves, everyone in the inn will die. Even if she somehow can leave without innocents dying, she can’t put herself anywhere near Ketheric since he clearly seems willing to hurt her emotionally now. He’ll probably do more the next time he has a chance. Who knows what he would do to make her stay if she went looking for answers there. Who knows what damage he could do if she gets the one thing he wanted.

Literally all Isobel can do is sit at the inn and pray to Selune for answers, or better yet for Aylin.

But Selune doesn’t seem to be providing the answers she wants, and if you play as a Selunite, Isobel hints at how much that is angering her.

[synergysilhouette]

BG3 Role Swap AU (Companions' version)

I made a post a little while back about what if certain characters in the BG3 universe swapped roles with the companions. I'll be editing that later for more detail, but I also wanted to make a fun blurb post about what if the heroes just swapped roles, too. They'd still be the same class, just a different circumstance.

Jenevelle: Luck's Protege--Rather than Mystra (since she is taking Gale's spot here), Jenevelle is a cleric of Tymora. A Selunite by heritage, Jenevelle attributed her managing to escape the abduction by Sharrans thanks to a group of Sharrans by the goddess Tymora. While she originally planned to live out her days in a religious capacity, she is eventually abducted and learns on her journey that her parents are alive. This makes her remember that Tymora is favours those who gamble - and set out on adventure - with the utmost skill and daring, and she intends to rise to the challenge. NGL, I just didn't wanna make her a cleric of Selune since Isobel remains unchanged here. Overall, her personality is similar to what it would be if you helped her defy Shar in the OTL. She has a rocky relationship with Astarion due to his people having harmed her family, and has an "I can fix/help him" mentality with Wyll.

Gale: The Absolute's Promise--A promising wizard, he was soon captured and made a part of the Cult of the Absolute. Taking Minthara's role for commanding the siege of the Druid Grove to find the artifact, his personality is much more in line with Gortash, but much more patient and charming. He carries OG Minthara's thirst for revenge if you freed him, but is much less direct and enjoys putting on a nice face before he destroys you; something about being a gracious host. He's much like Raphael, in that regard. He's similar to his OTL self, but less quirky; his large vocabulary is usually used to confound rather than it arising from a natural disposition. Given his status as a former member of the cult and his class as a wizard, most of the camp doesn't really trust him.

Minthara: The Spider's Spite--Rather than having a successful life in Menzoberranzan, Minthara's life is upended by invasions of followers of the Absolute, and she is forced to flee to the surface. In contrast to Shadowheart, she is the one who ends up with the mysterious artifact. In contrast to the OTL, she's much more agreeable and less bloodthirsty, though this is mainly attributed to her being humbled in Menzoberranzan rather than the group's influence over her. She believes her people have lost faith in her, and vows to create a better house (similar to her epilogue). Due to carrying the artifact, she has a rivalry with Halsin similar to Shadowheart and Lae'zel's, as Halsin's first instinct is to destroy the abomination and claims that no good will come of it.

Karlach: The People's Protector--One of the tieflings who arrived at the grove looking for protection from Z'ariel, she ends up joining Aradin's group, only to be kidnapped instead when they realize she used to "belong" to Gortash. Wise and steady, her burning heart has given her perspective on life and protecting others. She hopes to make the world a better place, and doesn't have much hope about repairing her heart. So pretty much the same, just less headstrong and hot-headed.

Halsin: Wild Woodsman--Serving as the Lae'zel of the game, he is fiercely protective of the grove and believes that the tiefling's presence will only bring ire to the community. He believes in maintaining harmony, and is persuaded by Tav to join the group. Having been prisoner to the drow in his younger years and losing Thaniel to the shadows, he doesn't like the idea of exploring or going beyond his comfort zone, but since he believes everything happens for a reason, decides to join the group, though is very condescending to those who would be considered "more civilized."

Lae'zel: Orpheus' Legacy--Pretty much as to be expected, being the Wyll of the game. She is a hero, albeit in the Githyanki way; she broke away from her Creche upon reading the teachings of Orpheus and being influenced by others such as Varrl. Her goal is to bring about a new age of Githyanki culture and society by defeating Vlaakith and ending her reign of terror once and for all. While not exactly keen on joining up with non-Giths, she is eager to get rid of the mindflayer parasite, and believes they will prove necessary allies when the time comes. In fact, you could say that's her downfall, as evident by a deal she made with Raphael.

Wyll: Fang of Frontiers--In this version, Wyll manages to get a group together to defeat the Tiamat cultists, but is gravely injured in the battle, on the brink of death. He is saved by Cazador, who makes him a spawn. While Wyll is originally imprisoned and thought of as dead by his father, Cazador takes advantage of Wyll's virtuous and righteous image, allowing him to return home with a cover story, though in reality his job is to seduce and bring back victims for his master. Given Wyll's natural romantic inclinations, he's very convincing. Rather than becoming selfish and angry like Astarion, Wyll becomes emotionally despondent, sad, and hopeless, worried that he'll hurt others even when the tadpole frees him from Cazador. He joins the group because it felt like the right thing to do, though he isn't sure what the right thing is anymore, especially since his autonomy as a vampire is making itself clear with his bloodlust and growing hedonism.

Not sure if I'd keep Wyll at the same timeline (thus only belonging to Cazador for a few years) or if I'd make him someone farther back in time like Astarion.

Astarion: Son of Shadows--An elf magistrate who became a sharran once the city began cracking down on Sharran-related incidents and Astarion put many followers in jail. Using his family (not sure if I'd say his parents and siblings or spouse and children in this scenario) as a bargaining chip, Viconia convinces Astarion to make decisions in the Sharran's favors, allowing many more to go free in exchange for the lives of those close to him, albeit ruining him and his family's reputation. Eventually, she lures Astarion down to the Cloister of Sombre Embrace, where the Sharrans torture him for centuries and sue the mirror of loss to break his memories and make him a faithful servant of Shar. Similar to Shadowheart, he is tasked with torturing his family, and is eventually disguised to become a magistrate once more for Sharran benefit, though he is captured by the mind flayers before he can get back to work. His personality is similar to his OTL, with the lost benefit of flirtatiousness; while he'll become flirty in time, his default is being callous and secretive due to his time with the Sharrans. (I also considered the idea that he was already a vampire and Shar was the one deity who answered his prayers and helped him, thus why he's Sharran, but I didn't wanna take the vampire storyline from Wyll here.)

Lemme know if you have any questions! I'll probably edit this later. And I should say that these aren't necessarily the default looks I'd imagine them in; I just wanted to use pics of them in different looks to carry the message that this was an AU. Hmm, I have been fixated on this game A LOT. Maybe I should move onto an offspring post; don't have the art skills, though...

[jessiemeows]

Lost & Found

Chapter 2: Companionship and Sunsets

A/N: Hello! I wanted to say the first 2-3 chapters are a little slow and are basically retellings of what happens amongst the Amaya/Astarion universe that I created. The next chapter though is when their story begins to officially start :) Pls go easy on me, I don't have any proofreaders and I tried reading this a thousand times to make sure the grammar and spelling are good lmfao. ALSO! Love and smut won't be introduced till later chapters, right now its going to be painfully obvious that Amaya and Astarion are crushing on one another. So in other words it's a slow burn. OH, one more thing, I haven't posted much but I am pretty much done with the next chapter, I have to add in a few things that I forgot I wanted added in so maybe(hopefully) I'll post it by the end of the week? I plan on reading it and adding in more stuff tomorrow night, and then I have to get over my fears of posting it for a few days by rereading it 500 times lol.

Pairing: F!Durge, OC (Amaya), Tiefling, Selunite Cleric X Spawn Astarion

Rating: 18+!!! mentions of violence, blood, corpses, death, basically durge things if you know how that character is

WC: About 2300

Previous chapters: Prologue | Ch 1

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Story:

The wreckage of the nautiloid stretched behind them as Astarion trailed a few steps behind Amaya. He watched as his new companion led him in what seemed to be an increasingly familiar pattern.

"Any idea where you're going, darling?" He said with his voice filled with amusement. "Because it seems to me we're walking in circles."

Amaya's shoulders tensed. "Yes, I know where I'm going." The words came out clipped, and Astarion suppressed a smile. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so harsh earlier- the knife to her throat, shoving her into the dirt but, what was done was done. And if he was being honest with himself, he didn't particularly care.

"I'm looking for someone," she continued, her voice softening. "She can't be too far from the beach. Unless she's dead, but I..." Her words trailed off into the now cooling evening air.

"And who might this mystery person be?"

Amaya twirled to face him, walking backward with surprising grace. "A half-elf who helped me on the ship. I don't remember her name, but I think she's a cleric, like me."

"Ah, clerics." Astarion clicked his tongue. "I've never much cared for the gods. Rather exhausting business, all that worship and devotion."

Her expression turned thoughtful. "True but, I don't know why I worship Selûne, to be honest. When I woke up on the nautiloid, I had only faint memories of her, but I could feel her presence, feel my magic flowing from her." She turned to walk beside him, their steps falling into sync. "Her presence felt light and hopeful, which was nice compared to..." Her voice faded, and Astarion caught the shadow that passed across her face. He chose not to press.

Instead, he studied her with new interest. "You don't remember anything?"

"Just my name- Amaya Othzál- and fragments that keep surfacing. The details are..." She shrugged, offering a faint smile. "Hazy."

"Must be the tadpole's doing."

"Or I hit my head really hard." Her giggle was soft and musical, and Astarion found himself oddly charmed by the sound.

"Yes, that would certainly explain a few things about you," he scoffed playfully, rolling his eyes but unable to suppress a low chuckle.

Amaya then halted suddenly, causing Astarion to collide with her, nearly losing his footing to almost knock her over. "Do you think by any chance you could not stop so abruptly," he hissed.

"There's a wounded mindflayer," she whispered, pointing ahead.

"Better it than us," he remarked coldly. "But do be careful near that thing."

Amaya then approached slowly, her divine magic radiating a blinding light at her fingertips. Astarion watched as she hesitated to kill the abomination, kneeling before the creature within seconds.

"What in the hells- what are you doing? Get away from that thing!" Astarion then yanked her backward by the arm, breaking the creature's hold.

Reality crashed back, and almost immediately Amaya brought her boot down on the monster with crushing force. "Death is too good for it," she then turned to Astarion with apologetic eyes. "Thank you."

"Just don't do that again," he muttered. Amaya nodded.

The two had walked on for several more minutes completing a full circle back onto the beach when suddenly, Amaya bolted forward. "Wait! I think that's her!" She sprinted toward a prone figure in the sand. "How did I not see her? She was so close." Dropping to her knees, she checked for signs of life. "She's breathing- just unconscious."

The half-elf stirred at Amaya's gentle touch. "Y-you're alive," she mumbled, blinking in confusion. "I'm alive. How is this possible?"

As the women spoke, Astarion hung back, only half-listening until he heard his name mentioned. Amaya was recounting their earlier encounter while the half-elf-Shadowheart, she called herself- cast a healing spell. Shadowy magic knitted Amaya's wound closed, though the skin remained angry and red.

"You kept him around after he tried to kill you?" Shadowheart's green eyes bored into Astarion.

"He's infected, just like us." Amaya glanced at him with those big and round yet unusual eyes of hers- deep red and glowing at the center of her cat-like pupils, but the iris was as if the color itself was wrong somehow. The bridge of her nose had started to burn in the sun, making her constellation of freckles stand out even more. "I would've done the same, I think."

"Well, it's all in the past now, isn't it?" Astarion drawled. "We should be moving forward, shouldn't we..." Astarion awaited for the half-elf to give him her name.

The half-elf's response was as cold as winter. "It’s Shadowheart."

“Shadowheart. Let's go now.”Astarion scoffed at the half-elf giving her an equally challenging stare back. Rolling her eyes at Astarion, Shadowheart then carefully wrapped Amaya's wound.

"Thank you so much," Amaya said.

“Anything for the person who saved my life.” Shadowheart said, smiling at Amaya her eyes lighting up. “Now let's get moving, lead the way.”

After looting a couple of dead goblins, their path led them to roadside cliffs overlooking what appeared to be temple ruins. As the party approached, a strange rune carved into the ancient stones caught her attention. Amaya paused, "There's something unusual about that rune," she murmured, cautiously moving closer to investigate.

“Amaya, do be careful,” Astarion warned. He had no desire to rescue her from another predicament as he had with the mindflayer. Ignoring the warning from him, Amaya reached out and faintly touched the rune with her fingers, causing her to recoil in pain. Amidst the eerie glow of the rune, a hand abruptly materialized, causing the trio to jump.

“A hand? Anyone?” cried a disembodied voice from the sigil.

Astarion's eyes remained fixed on Amaya, whose complexion grew pale as she stared transfixed at the spectral limb before her. Without any warning, she swiftly slapped the hand.

"Ow!" the voice exclaimed. "Perhaps I should have clarified- a helping hand? Anyone?"

Astarion couldn't contain his laughter. In their brief time together, he'd sensed a kindred spirit in Amaya's mischievous nature. After Amaya interrogated the sigil, she managed to use what was left of her divine magic and successfully pulled out a man. The sudden recoil from the conjuration caused the tiefling to stumble and fall, crashing directly into Astarion, he quickly reached out and grabbed ahold of her waist before she could hit the ground. 

“Hello, I’m Gale of Waterdeep!” the strange man said while dusting off his deep purple robes as the trio surrounded him.

In the corner of Astarion's eyes, the setting sun caught his attention. The sky blazed in a brilliant transformation, shifting from molten gold to soft coral to dusky rose- colors he had not truly seen in nearly two centuries. The fading light painted the landscape in an ethereal glow, turning the mundane into something magical. 

Only half-listening to the conversation behind him, Amaya boasted to the wizard, "I took control of the ship, landed it safely, and saved the day." Astarion couldn't help but snort at her words.

"That vast, burning wreckage behind you somewhat contradicts your story, but here you stand, so who am I to argue?"  the wizard responded sarcastically back at her with amusement.

Lost again in the sunset, a gentle touch on his shoulder startled him from his reverie. Amaya stood beside him, her unusual red eyes reflecting the sunset's dying embers. "Are you coming? We're setting up camp here for the night." She studied his face with quiet curiosity. "Do you like the sunset?"

"I'm used to the busy city," he lied smoothly, "so it's rare to see it like this." The truth- that he hadn't properly watched a sunset in two hundred years, caught in his throat.

"It is beautiful," Amaya murmured, her words trailing off as she gazed at the painted sky. "But you should set up your tent before darkness falls, unless you fancy fumbling with poles in the pitch black." She turned away with a small smile, heading toward a flat patch of ground. Astarion sighed and followed, his feet dragging slightly in the dirt.

Gale, who seemed to be the ever the show-off, had his tent erected in minutes through a series of precise magical gestures. With another flourish of his hands, he conjured a blazing fire in the center of their makeshift camp. The flames cast dancing shadows across the clearing as twilight deepened around them.

"I hate to be bossy," Gale announced, though his tone suggested otherwise, "but I'm designating myself camp cook. Our supplies may be limited, but I promise to make something satisfying for us all."

Shadowheart's response was laced with sarcasm. "Fine, Gale."

Amaya chuckled at their bickering as she scanned the campsite, her smile fading when she noticed Astarion's empty tent. "Hm," she murmured, concern creasing her brow before she pushed the thought aside.

Inside her own tent, Amaya carefully arranged her few possessions. One particular possession made her smile, an old stuffed bunny-somehow preserved in her bag of holding took pride of place on her thin mattress. She found herself imagining ways to make the space more homely: perhaps some hanging plants, or a few cozy blankets. 

Changing quickly from her tattered armor, she borrowed a pair of black trousers from Shadowheart, cinching them with rope to fit her smaller frame. Her dark red underclothes would have to suffice as sleeping attire for the night. As she folded her armor, several gold-plated medallions caught her eye. Most were too damaged to read, their engravings worn smooth or broken, but one bore a partial image- half a skull surrounded by droplets. The symbol tugged at her memory, but like so much else, remained frustratingly out of reach.

Night had fully settled when Amaya joined the others by the fire. Crickets sang their evening chorus as torchlight flickered between their four tents. Gale offered her a bowl of dried fruits and meat with a gentle smile, which she returned gratefully.

"Where's your pale friend?" Shadowheart's question cut through the peaceful silence.

Amaya toyed with a piece of dried meat between her fingers. "Oh, he set up his tent and wandered off somewhere."

"I'd be careful with him." Shadowheart's green eyes bore into her with intensity.

"You don't trust Astarion?"

"Trust is a rare currency, Amaya. I'm not sure I would spend it on someone who drew a knife on me moments after we met." The words fell between them like ice.

Gale choked on his food. "He did what?"

"It's fine," Amaya insisted, though her head began to pound. Dark, unsettling thoughts from earlier crept back, visions of severing Gale's hand and slitting Astarion’s throat caused her to shudder. Amaya then pushed the thoughts away, fighting a wave of nausea.

"Fine," Shadowheart conceded, her gaze fixed on the flames. "But I'm watching him."

----

An hour had passed, and there was still no sign of Astarion. Shadowheart had already retreated to her tent while Amaya tried to focus on Gale's lecture about ceremorphosis, but her headache made it difficult to concentrate. His words blurred together as she stared into the fire.

"Now we have tadpoles slithering through our heads like carnivorous foeti. That's not abstract."

"I'm not too worried," Amaya offered weakly. "We'll find someone who can help."

"That's the spirit! Let's be up with the lark- find a healer before the wee one gets hungry. Oh, hello Astarion!"

Amaya turned around to find the elf had changed into simpler attire: a light blue shirt with ruffled collar and low neckline, paired with well-worn brown trousers and ornate shoes. The clothing showed signs of careful mending, a stark contrast to his earlier pristine outfit.

Gale then thrust a bowl at him "Ah, yes. Thank you," Astarion said, his lip curling slightly at its contents. "Sorry for disappearing. I needed a walk."

"Nonsense!" Gale waved off the apology. "It's been a difficult day. But this wizard needs his beauty sleep, or I'll be absolutely insufferable tomorrow. Goodnight to you both. I should check if Shadowheart's still awake..."

As Gale departed, Astarion settled beside Amaya, setting his untouched food aside.

"Not hungry?"

"Not particularly," he replied tersely.

"I only ate half of mine because I felt sick," she offered. "So you're not alone." Despite his prickly exterior, she found conversation with him came naturally. While she felt a connection with Shadowheart too, something about Astarion's presence put her at ease.

They both started speaking at once, then stopped. "Oh, sorry- you go first," Amaya insisted.

Astarion paused, choosing his words carefully. "So, we're resting here? Turning in for the night?"

"It's no feather bed, but it'll do." She hugged her knees to her chest, pushing dark curls from her face.

"I suppose." His crimson eyes darted around the clearing. "I'm not sure what I expected, really. This is all rather new for me. My nights usually involve bustling streets and bursting taverns. Curling up in the dirt is... a little novel."

"I could make you some tea with calming herbs," she offered. "Help you relax."

"Ah, no- tea isn't really my drink." He tapped his temple. "I'll be awake anyway, processing all this. You sleep, I'll keep watch."

"Thank you, that helps. But first- what do you think of our new companions?"

A wicked grin spread across his face. "Ha! Well, we've picked up a wizard who managed to get stuck in his own portal- hardly a promising introduction. And then there's someone whose parents hopefully meant well by naming their child Shadowheart. Rather ominous, don't you think? Unless she chose it herself, which would be even more concerning."

Amaya couldn't help but laugh. "I suppose you’re right but they are all we have currently," She stood, brushing off her borrowed clothes. “You’ll have to excuse me now, I should pray before bed. Have a good night and try to get some rest yourself.”

"The pleasure is all mine. Sweet dreams," he murmured, watching her silhouette move through the moonlight toward her tent.

[ships-n-giggles]

Shar Killed Isobel: (And it’s sadder than you think)

One of the biggest mysteries that prevail in Baldur’s Gate 3 during the Second Act is also one of the main catalysts that turns a noble General with a strong sense of duty and love, to commit acts of unending violence and darkness in order to cope with his loss. Ketheric Thorme’s story is arguably the best villain arc in the game, as it takes a very human (or elf) character and gives him vulnerability….even as he stands as one of the obstacles keeping the land cloaked in darkness and being the main force at the head of the Absolute’s army. And of course, we learn that his primary goal out of all of this is the return of his beloved daughter, the Selunite cleric Isobel.

But why did he lose Isobel in the first place?

In the game, Ketheric’s diaries tell us very little. We only learn from reading these journal entries, as well as discussing things with his loyal undead hound Squire, that Isobel was killed with the said hound under mysterious circumstances. According to the Wiki, datamined sources say (though don’t fully confirm in game) that her death was triggered by Balthazar to frame Isobel’s lover, Dame Aylin. But this seems…..not quite right. Too many puzzle pieces are out of the picture, and the fact it’s not brought up in the game only adds questions. Because we DO have something in the game that lends more credibility to the real killer of Isobel, as well as offering up a hint as to WHY it happened.

This killer, unfortunately, is Halsin.

While this theory was tossed around in early beta, and ultimately scrapped, I still think it’s a strong possibility. As a close friend to Thaniel, Halsin likely would have visited the region of Reithwin regularly to see him, even as he grew older. He was innately aware of Moonrise Towers and the Thorme Family, as well as having dialouge speaking of his familiarity with citizens of Reithwin Town. And the theory I have for why this murder happened may be a stretch, but bear with me.

Using Sorrow, Halsin was likely influenced by Shar to kill Isobel and turn Ketheric to her cause.

While I doubt Halsin would willingly follow Shar, we have to remember that the Lady of Loss is in constant war with her sister Selune. With Moonrise Towers being a literal monument to the Moonmaiden, Shar likely was resentful of the growing tide of Selunite followers and sought a plan. We can infer several acts that happened in the past that suggests Shar making moves to turn the tide, such as a raid on Moonhaven (which is possibly Shadowheart’s childhood home given some clues) and kidnapping Selunite children to lend to her cause. We also know the Lady of Loss is capable of altering memories, erasing them in order to create servants who obediently follow her orders.

And more importantly, we have Sorrow.

This beautiful glaive is described as “giving knots in your stomach” when you touch it. It’s a great weapon early game for those who have proficiency in it, and definitely a good choice as far as weapons go. But in the early beta versions, Sorrow is confirmed to be the glaive that slew Isobel and Squire, and Halsin was the one who held it.

Considering the name, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine Sorrow was made by Shar to be wielded by Halsin.

While Halsin is a powerful archdruid when we meet him, we must remember that he was still an apprentice when Ketheric Thorme turned to Shar, as he describes serving under another archdruid as he joined the fighting. At that age, it’s more than possible he would have been weaker to Shar’s influence, either being controlled or possessed by her in order to slay Isobel. Shar is keenly aware of what loss does to a person, and likely knew that with his loved ones gone, Ketheric would go the way of so many Dark Justiciars before him and seek an end to his grief. And once Halsin did as she commanded, she could easily erase his memory and send him on his way.

But Sorrow remains, forever stained with the act that turned Ketheric’s life to darkness. And even if Halsin couldn’t remember such a despicable act, the weapon retains his guilt and memory for him.

[cylinderarts]

does anyone want a nasty tav/shadowheart fanfic where shadowheart gets railed by my selunite cleric tav in front of that selune statue in the underdark? because my brain is melting out of my skull at this point and the only content i can create is lesbians getting it on

[rosymourning]

The Rough Tempest - a Gale build

"A rough tempest I will raise."

Gale is an Evocation Wizard, bringing down the wrath of the skies on his enemies. This build but has a strong focus on Lightning and Thunder damage, as well as their respective conditions.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

The general gist is trying to build up and make use of Lightning Charges and Reverberation, prioritizing Lightning and Thunder damage to do so. If you have a Druid or Cleric in the party who can cast Create Water, that's even better, since Wet targets are vulnerable to Lightning and will take double damage. Several of the key items in this build are available in Act 1, which makes this one of my most used Gale builds, if only because it’s so convenient.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 12 Evocation School Wizard

Gale’s (default) stats: STR 8 / DEX 13 / CON 15 / INT 17 / WIS 10 / CHA 12

Level 1 - Wizard Level 1

Cantrips: Shocking Grasp, Minor Illusion, Fire Bolt

1st Level Spells [Thunderwave, Witch Bolt, and Chromatic Orb are most on theme]

Level 2 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 2

Sculpt Spells [I am so in LOVE with this passive - like truly madly deeply]

Level 3 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 3

2nd Level Spells [Shatter is great]

Level 4 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 4

Feat: ASI+ DEX>14, INT>18

Cantrips: add Mage Hand

Level 5 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 5

3rd Level Spells [Lighting Bolt! Glyph of Warding!]

Level 6 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 6

Potent Cantrip [this sounds much cooler than it is]

Level 7 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 7

4th Level Spells

Level 8 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 8

Feat: Elemental Adept (Lightning)

Level 9 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 9

5th Level Spells

Level 10 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 10

Cantrips: add Bone Chill [I guess]

Empowered Evocation [more damage is good!]

Level 11 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 11

6th Level Spells [Chain Lightning!!! Glove of Invulnerability is essential too]

Level 12 - Wizard (Evocation School) Level 12

Feat ASI+ INT>20

Items

Armor -

The Protecty Sparkswall (1 Grymforge)

Robe of the Weave (3 Ramazith's Tower)

Melee Weapon -

The Spell Sparkler (1 Waukeen's Rest)

Markoheshkir (3 Ramazith's Tower)

Adamantine Shield (1 Grymforge)

Ketheric’s Shield (2 Mindflayer Colony)

Ranged Weapon - n/a

Amulet -

The Blast Pendant (1 Selunite Outpost)

Spineshudder Amulet (2 Moonrise Towers)

Helmet -

The Lifebringer (1 Myconid Colony)

Hood of the Weave (3 Philgrave’s Mansion)

Ring 1 - The Sparkswall (1 Arcane Tower)

Ring 2 - Ring of Protection (1 Emerald Grove)

Gloves - Gloves of the Belligerent Skies (1 Creche)

Boots - Boots of Stormy Clamour (1 Myconid Colony)

Cloak - Cloak of the Weave (3 Devil’s Fee) [I would also recommend another party member, probably a frontliner, wearing the Thunderskin Cloak (2 Moonrise Towers)]

Lore and Flavor

So, we all know that Gale is a very powerful wizard. For him, perhaps more so than any other companion, it’s clear that he was once a much higher level than he is when we find him in the portal. How else would be have become a wizard of such renown and stature? Well, as he says himself: “Apologies, I’m usually better at this…” I suppose having a brain worm and a hungry magic orb in your chest is a good enough excuse. :)

Anyway, he ends up being a Professor of Illusion in his good ending, and we see time and time again throughout the game that he really really likes illusion magic. Whether you’re romancing him or not, he’ll create the most gorgeous night sky just to sit under for a moment. But his love for Illusion magic doesn’t mean that is his main focus, especially during the trials and tribulations the party faces on the road. Plus, there is a letter from Elminster, received during a God of Ambition ending, where Elminster mentions he cast Fireball as an 8 year old — clearly, he can do Evocation magic as well. [side note - does anyone have a bg3wiki link for that letter? I can only find it on tumblr] Evocation is also his default subclass on leveling up, which feels right to me. It’s clearly the most combat focused of the schools, without diving into something hyper-specific like Necromancy. So, ok, Evocation School it is, basically!

I won’t lie, a big part of the reason I like this Lightning/Thunder damage build for Gale is because it plays well in game, with lots of really fun synergies. I like building Gale with strong themes around elemental damage types, and I’ve found that my favorites for his character are Cold, Lightning, and Thunder. Fire is fun as well, but mostly because of the Hat of Fire Acuity, and I pretty regularly have other spellcasters who would benefit from Arcane Acuity more. (Also, I never feel great about a Poison build unless I’m leaning into Necrotic damage/Necromancy later in game. I don’t really know why those are connected in my head - something about Poison damage just feels evil, I guess.)

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

[rinwellisathing]

Get to know my OCs: faith

Sentry Ojeda:

Despite being born a Bhaalspawn and raised briefly in the church of Ilmater, Sentry only really puts his faith in his loved ones, mostly his adoptive mother and paladin of Ilmater Evagria Ojeda and his first love Enver Gortash. With that being said, both Bhaal and Ilmater have a vested interest in him as a chosen. Ilmater sees Sentry persist through his suffering and pain and despite his nature and often selfish attitude, he does genuinely do a lot of good. Meanwhile, Bhaal created Sentry from his own flesh to bring about his perfect slaughter.

Jaina Thalassia:

The Daughter of a devoted cleric and a stalwart paladin of Umberlee, Jaina has been chosen by the goddess since birth, titled Daughter of Storms or Lady of the Tempest. Her storm sorcery is a gift from her goddess and marks her as Chosen even above the rest of her family who are all clerics and paladins. Jaina is afforded power and protection by her goddess but with the understanding that upon her death once she has grown powerful enough, she will serve her eternally.

Octavia of Creche K'liir:

Despite being Githyanki and growing up with Lae'zel as well as her 'brother' Kroger who is even a cleric, Octavia puts no faith in gods. She dutifully gathers information for her people to store in their grand libraries, but for the sake of knowledge, not Vlaakith. She especially mistrusts gods after meeting and falling in love with Gale and learning what Mystra is truly like.

Kroger of Creche K'liir:

Once a devoted cleric of Vlaakith as well as a Ghustil, Kroger's faith was shattered when he and his sisters were branded h'sharlak and hunted down by their own people. He tenetively has considered becoming a Selunite after meeting and befriending Isobel and Aylin, but with his feelings on gods still raw as they are, he's put his faith more in science.

Jackal Silk:

Raised under Lolth's brutal and oppressive faithful, nothing in the world could make Jackal trust or believe in a God. But with that said, he dreams of serving a master who could one day hold the power of a god.

[illegiblewords]

Made some adjustments to Tavs and guardians, discussing below.

First, a disclaimer: these aren't actually all of my Tavs lol. I have a male human fighter named Murad too, who looks like this:

and I plan to have him romance Minthara/betray all tieflings without being Dark Urge. But I don't remember his guardian and haven't settled on story/psychology beyond having been a soldier. I'm also still mulling over if I want to do a lady bard to pair with Karlach and what she might look like.

Top to bottom, the design ideas are basically as follows.

Anat, a Mephistopheles tiefling Great Old One warlock. Patron is Hadar. Design is cold and wet but carries vitality. Evokes both the sea and the stars. Avoided hyper-saturated colors for cast coherence and because I also wanted to visually mesh with Gale for pairings. Water/wind motifs in that pairing. Guardian meant to evoke heroic figures who have been lost as per backstory. Hot, dry, and barren visually--eyes evoke the sun a bit with yellows and reds. Contrast a living and close sun with distant stars for him versus Anat. Similar use of faded browns in design to create a mirroring effect. Relationship between Anat and the guardian should be two heroic figures who are similar in many ways but are opposites in others. Note that whether the ocean or a desert, not a lot of freshwater for either when that's necessary to survive.

Cassian, half-high elf and cleric of Selune. Wanted to evoke red elves conceptually and lunar eclipses/blood moons. Figured it'd be fun to evoke an impure/ominous aspect of the moon in contrast to what is usually associated with Selunites. Cassian specifically is noble-born and was raised in faith. That strain of worship was fairly sterilized though, mainly used as a tool to claim moral superiority--his elven mother being particularly egregious about it. Cassian was left disillusioned and Selune took note. He began to receive dreams of the Dark Moon heresy. Wanting answers, Cassian left the comforts and privileges of his position behind to learn more. It is years into this mission that he gets abducted by mindflayers. His guardian reflects how he perceives his own goddess. I'm planning to pair him with Shadowheart, with her being mainly black and white motifs versus Cassian leaning more toward red and white.

Uzal, another Mephistopheles tiefling--born a draconic sorcerer (white) but primarily a cleric of Ilmater. This is my Dark Urge run lol. I didn't want to go full white dragonborn but did want to pay homage to that with a more humanoid option. I figure the Bhaal connection also fits with some of the odd blood combinations here. My initial plan was to make the Guardian a white dragonborn with the default design, but this is beyond the game's abilities so I made an ominous red version of Uzal instead. There are probably some self-image issues there lol. I plan to pair Uzal with Astarion but with less focus on the Dark Urge by itself, more on the angle that this Dark Urge has been chosen by Ilmater. Uzal is basically Patrick Bateman from American Psycho but is doing his best to become a man of god now. He's an inverse of Anat too in that she's mainly good aligned with an elder evil patron while Uzal is mainly evil aligned with a good deity supervising. In terms of visual connections for pairings, I originally knew I wanted to make a white draconic sorcerer tiefling Dark Urge and that I wanted to pair Astarion with a cleric of Ilmater--but it was feeling like more alts than necessary even for me. Crossed my mind that for the themes and story stuff I had in-mind it'd be more efficient to just combine two concepts. Works out though--Astarion has white/red visuals against Uzal with white/blue visuals. Overall similarity makes the accent colors stand out more.

Behati, a Zariel tiefling fiend-pact warlock. Patron is either Zariel or a devil in Zariel's service. I've done a lot of fiddling with her in terms of design to visually stand out against Karlach while linking to Wyll and creating visual consistency with the Zariel tiefling subtype in character creator. I also never use orange so it was a step out of my comfort zone there lol. I wanted to set Behati up specifically to pair with Wyll in a way that would challenge him as a character somewhat. Knowing Wyll is selfless perhaps to a fault, I decided Behati would be a very selfish person initially. She's a charlatan and a cheat (embracing what people expect tieflings to be and trying to do it far better than expected) compared to Wyll trying to make himself into the Blade of Frontiers as a heroic figure. She embraces her warlock pact while Wyll wants to escape his own. When Wyll is transformed and feels upset about the changes, Behati has had to embrace her own fiendish features because there was never any getting rid of them. I like the idea that at her core, Behati is actually a better person who does care more about others than she likes to admit. Contrast with Wyll suppressing his own personal needs and justified anger/grief on his own behalf. I don't think Behati would go so far as betraying the tieflings, but do think she makes some morally questionable choices at times. Behati's guardian I think on the one hand reflects Behati having an aspirational concept of fiendish beauty (like a tropical flower here), but also--that purple has mindflayer undertones.

Tarmyr, half-drow necromancer. I haven't worked all the details out about this guy tbh and as a note, I'm trying to explain my intentions for him without spoiling buddies who haven't finished the game. I plan to pair him with the Emperor and am going to shape his choices accordingly. Tarmyr probably has weird complexes about control--over the dead via necromancy and the living with psionics. He probably went through some terrible shit to cause that. His guardian is modeled off of Balduran as best I could manage. I can say with Tarmyr's design, I wanted him to be very desaturated but with vibrant eyes. Mostly blue, a bit of violet at the center.

Kodos, a githyanki monk. Planning to pair him with Lae'zel. I've been trying to sort out what kind of character he is and I think he's specifically a negotiator. If knowing your enemy is a useful tactic, it's his job to evaluate and utilize both githyanki and non-githyanki to the greatest advantage possible through manipulation. He'd be a monk specifically because during negotiations it's sometimes expected for emissaries to disarm. This can be exploited by those approaching in bad faith. As a monk, he'll never have cause for concern. I think Kodos privately has theories about whether eusocial, presocial, subsocial, etc. forms of interaction are the most efficient. He believes Vlaakith is trying to mold githyanki into a kind of hive society, but in such situations an isolated member fares poorly. Moreover, whether such a society could be called free anymore is uncertain. It reminds him a lot of elder brains and mindflayers but to express as much would practically be treason. His guardian is a githyanki with a few features reminiscent of mindflayers, as per his own private concerns but with further subtext regarding how the guardian means to approach him. I wanted Kodos to have features common to Githyanki/not to stand out too much, but to also look visually coherent with Lae'zel. I also didn't want the green body spots to clash honestly lol, since those aren't changeable. Thematically I wanted to make a githyanki character who offers another way of seeing things to Lae'zel while still being firmly rooted in a githyanki background.

[se1unite]

✨✨✨

FULL NAME: Isobel Thorm AGE: Twenty-Nine RACE / CLASS: Half-Elf Cleric PLACE OF RESIDENCE: Verse Dependent, currently at a Selunite camp outside of Baldur's Gate APPEARANCE: Pale skin with short white hair and light blue eyes, highlighted by a disastrous application of eyeliner. On the shorter side of average, consistently seen wearing Selunite robes.

RELATIONSHIPS

AFFILIATIONS: The Harpers, Dame Aylin ENEMIES: The Absolute, Ketheric Thorm, Lorroakan

PERSONALITY

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good. Above all else, Isobel values kindness and fairness. She's not bound by the rules when it comes to achieving her goals, breaking free from the expectations of others. Her priority is alleviating the suffering of those around her and she'll do whatever she feels she must. MYERS BRIGGS: INFJ - The Advocate. She's a deeply empathetic person, driven by a desire to help others. Isobel prioritizes the well being of those around her over her own, quietly carrying the weight of her father's legacy. ENNEAGRAM: Type 1 - The Reformer. Isobel is driven by an incredibly strong moral compass. She holds herself and those around her to a high standard, expecting everyone to do what's right even in the face of difficult decisions. FOUR TEMPERAMENTS: Melancholic. She acts with a measured kind of grace. Each word and action is carefully considered, their moral implications weighed against what Isobel thinks is the safest path forward.

HISTORY

born... loved by her mom and dad...

mom dies... loved now by her dad and squire the dog....

dame aylin comes to town... love at first sight... loved now by her dad, squire the dog, and dame aylin...

conflict... dad hates gf... gf hates dad... squire remains neutral...

died...

blackness...

alive?

resurrected by dad, told gf has died, ran away to last light inn...

created a safe haven for herself and welcomed the harpers and surviving tieflings...

fought to keep her new friends safe from her father's tyranny...

gf reunion...

love wins...

profit...

i'll make this sound good and official later...

i promise...

VERSES

❛ V — A LOVE THAT HAS NO DEATH. Pre-Death Verse! lalalalala ❛ V — THIS DEATH REEKS WITHIN ME. Post-Resurrection Verse! lalalalala. ❛ V — A NIGHTMARE DAWN WOULD UNDO. Act Three Verse! lalalala. ❛ V — WHATEVER LIFE MAY OFFER IS MOST WELCOME. Post BG3 Verse! lalalala surely i'll also add verses for if things go horribly wrong for ms girl but for now i live in a world where there are only good things!!

[i-wear-the-cheese]

finally changed my dp so it's not a years old photo of me doing roller derby (which i don't do anymore). gaze instead upon my current tav: Nix, the Selunite cleric i created as an enemies to lovers for Shadowheart

[emotive-color]

I think it’s pretty fun running through the game with my original TAV, but I’ve also had fun thinking of save files specifically to romance each character and try out each class. They’re all simple but I have them beneath the cut!

Right now I’m playing the dark urge story as a human fighter to romance as Astarion. I was imagining it as “vampire monster with a slowly softening heart, falls for human who is absolutely vile and wretched on the inside” will she overcome the urge or give in ? Haven’t decided yet

I’d love to make a githyanki or a high elf selunite cleric to romance Shadowheart. I think it would create a challenge for gaining approval and make for a sweet slow burn or enemies to lovers

I love the idea of a 💖baby girl💖 half drow half human monk who just wants to protect Karlach and keep her from ever having to run or fight again. I think her drow lineage would be Lolth followers, but she suppressed the spider queen’s pull on her mind.

When I think of Wyll I think of pairing him with a strong, confident, sensual tiefling. She’s not ashamed of who she is and will get him out of his head. I think there’d be a lot of tension but it’d be a “ugh they drive me crazy but why are they so distracting ugh so annoying” kind of vibe

I haven’t entirely convinced myself yet but I think a fellow wizard would be perfect for Gale. But also a dragon born wizard. I could imagine Gale being very overzealous and fascinated by her magic and affinity to channel the weave. She’s definitely smarter than him and better at magic but I’d see it as a friendly competition thing. She’s more interested in learning all about the magic her bloodline holds, but he notices how beautiful her scales are in each kind of light 👀