#halsin seeing the owlbear cub in camp: I WAS RIGHT

[fics-a-plenty]

Hurtful Words and Bear Hugs

Astarion x gn!reader x Halsin

Word Count: 1,411

TW: Spoilers for Astarion's story in Act 3, mentions Astarion's victims, reader crying

Hi! It's been awhile!

This game literally has me in a choke hold. I am so weak for these two men. I love that you can have a little romance between the three of you. 🥰

As always, I hope you enjoy. Feel free to send any requests for these two as they own my thoughts at the moment!

The days following their victory over his past master, Astarion had struggled with his thoughts and feelings. He felt terrible for how distant he had become, especially as you tried your best to be supportive. Yourself struggling with how to balance giving him his space and wanting to just hold the lost man until his world seemed to piece itself together again.

The one thing stopping him from his full blow guilt was that Halsin was there to distract you at times. The larger man seemed to have a better grasp on his emotions than Astarion did, always seeming to pull you off to some task that needed your attention just at the right times or to lead you back to Astarion's tent with hands and hearts full from their adventures whenever he felt the weight of loneliness creep back in. The pale elf was even sure that at times the druid spoke to Scratch and the owlbear cub to cause small bits of chaos or demand attention from you when he could no longer keep your focus.

Astarion was especially grateful for the times the three of you could spend time together in peaceful silence, either walking around near the camp or just sitting near the fire while he read next to you as you focused on redoing the braids on the side of Halsin's head. While the days seemed to be getting better, and his heart seemed to fill in the empty spots left behind by his revenge and the past that had lead to it, some days seemed to thrust him right back into the deep of it.

He pretended not to see the sad glances you shot him as you racked your brain for some way to help. He knew you meant well and normally he would appreciate it or tease you for how wrapped around his finger you were, but today it just seemed to be to much. He hadn't meant for the groan of annoyance to leave his lips as you came by his tent for the third time today, wanting to check in on him.

"What is it you could possibly want this time?" He snapped as he slammed his book shut, shooting a glare at you from where he sat in his tent. "If you're coming to see how I'm doing, let me save you the breath. I'm the same as I was the other million times you've interrupted me today. Now do you have something to actually contribute to my time or can I read in peace?"

It took a moment for him to realize just what had been said, and by the time the guilt had built up in his chest, your eyes had gone glossy. You turned your face away, not wanting him to see your tears welling up.

"I was just coming to tell you that Halsin and I were going into the city to get a hot meal. I was gonna see if you wanted to come, but I guess I'll let you read."

He could have sworn that he could hear his cold heart crack at the shake in your voice. His lips parted to apologize, but his throat tightened around the words before they could leave. He sat in silence as he watched you turn to walk back to where Halsin was waiting nearby.

His eyes met the druid's before you got to him. The wood elf's eyes seemed to be conflicted, split between knowing Astarion hadn't truly meant to hurt your feelings and the disappointment that the interaction had gone so wrong. Once the two figures were gone from sight, the vampire let out a deep sigh and tried to go back to his book. The words just wouldn't come to him now, and every thought seemed to lead back to the hurt look on your face.

Tossing the book onto the ground next to him, he ran his hands through his hair, partially wishing that he could physically push the thought to the back of his mind or even out of his brain altogether. Deciding to take a walk around camp, the lingering eyes of the other camp inhabitants pushed him to walk further and further away until the camp faded from view.

He wasn't even sure how long he wandered, lost in the downward spiral his mind had fallen into. The tears in your eyes fading into the tears of the past victims as they realized the pain he had lead into. Visions of the lives he had ruined flooded his mind until he couldn't take it. An almost feral scream ripped from his throat as he swung his fist against the trunk of a tree he had wandered to close to, another innocent victim to the control he didn't have over himself.

The pain pulsing in his hand seemed to help ground him as he fell to lean his back against the hard bark. He would have been a sight to anyone wandering by, the pale elf with a bloody hand resting in the ground. His fangs bared in his open mouth, and his chest heaving to try to catch his breath. The now rising moon beginning to reflect off the streaks of wetness down his face.

As his red eyes stared up at the glowing rock, he began to push through the dark thoughts, trying his best to lock them back in the recesses of his mind they belonged in. The sound of your voice began to ring in his mind, helping to fend off the thoughts of self doubt and hatred that lingered. The countless times you had told him that he was good enough, that he was worth being loved and cherished. The times you had kissed his face until these same bad feelings were long forgotten.

As his heart and breath began to settle, the world seemed to know what he needed in that moment, and the wind shifted to blow gently against his face. His lips curled up slightly as the faintest whisp of your scent kissed his skin as if you were there with him. It dawned on him that in the hours he must have been gone that you were probably running yourself wild with worry. A short laugh forced itself from his lips as he imagined Halsin trying to quell your panic, probably saying something about some time in nature doing him good.

The walk back to camp was much quicker that he imagined, his feet pulling him home faster as your scent got stronger. It lead him straight towards Halsin's tent. The deep sound of the man's snore was almost as if he was walking into a real bear hibernating.

He froze for a moment as he saw you curled up against the bear of an elf. Your hand slowly moving back and forth over the hairy chest being the only sign that you were still awake. His feet moved him toward you before he asked them to, before he could even worry about if you would want to see him. He crawled in carefully behind you, not wanting to wake the other. His hand hovered over your side, hesitating at the thought that you may still be hurt.

Your skin against his brought him back to the moment as you pulled his arm over your waist. You thumb began to move side to side on his wrist, your wordless forgiveness warming his chest and releasing tension that he didn't know he was still holding.

"I'm sorry." The words were so quiet as they left his lips that he wasn't even sure he has really said them.

"I know." The quiet response was just as possible to be a fantasy.

"I didn't-" His throat closed again as you turned to look over your shoulder at him.

"I know." Turning your face back forward, you brought his hand to your lips before squeezing it slightly and clutching it to your chest.

The moment of peace was interrupted by the sleeping druid rolling over and throwing his arm over the two. As his thick arm tightened around them, each you and Astarion let out a groan as you were both crushed into the bear hug. The smiles on the three faces and the quiet laughs drifting from the tent seeming to right every wrong in the world for just the moment as the two of you joined Halsin in a well needed night of rest.

[smolgloves]

A Lesson in Nature

Summary: Freya gets in touch with nature with the help of a beefy druid

Tw: mentions of animal abuse and a vore mention I guess?

“I said stay back!” Freya fired a pebble towards the large owlbear cub, causing it to jump back. Yet he still kept his hungry gaze on her, along with Scratch who wagged his tail. Freya cursed herself for deciding to stay away from the camp while that party was going on, the idea of being around all those drunken tieflings and druids while they celebrate victory over the goblin camp made her uneasy, so she opted to sitting just outside of camp despite Tav's reluctance. It seemed more peaceful than being stuffed in someone's tent but Freya didn't think about the wandering beasts that took interest in her. Gods, she took on redcaps, but can't seem to thwart off two stray animals?

Thick fingers quickly wrapped around the borrower, pulling her away from the beasts. The trip may have been disorienting, but Freya was grateful to be manhandled for once. Wanting to properly thank her savior, Freya sat up from the rugged hands that cupped her to meet their gaze. Words immediately fell short when she met the eyes of that older elf they saved from the goblins. She knew very little about him, other than his name was Halsin and he was supposed to be the druid that could have healed everyone of the illithid parasite, but that plan fell through. From what she heard, he had a lead and would be traveling with them. Which is why they were briefly introduced earlier, however Freya fucked up the first impressions by blurting out: “I've never seen an elf so large before!” He seemed to take it well, but after that, Freya avoided him.

“Pardon me for grabbing you without your permission first, but it seemed you needed a hand.” He spoke in a soft tone.

“I… uh, yes.” She stammered out. “Th-thank you.”

“You're Freya, right?”

She gave him a nod.

His lips curled in a soft smile. “I'm surprised to see you further away from the camp, from what I heard, you would have enjoyed this kind of evening.”

Freya raised an eyebrow, someone was tipping off the newest member of her drinking habits and she wasn't fond of that. She'll have to get to the bottom of that later. “I'd rather keep my distance from the gaggle of drunk giants stumbling about tonight.”

That got a chuckle out of Halsin. “I can't say I blame you, some have gotten rather rowdy during this night of celebration.” He glanced over to the owlbear cub to give him a pat on the head. “I'd say your company thought the same.”

“Well I'd prefer it if they wandered back!” She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes peered over the edge of his hand and glared at the beasts. “I warned Tav about the cub.”

The druid only smiled as he scratched the cub's ears, soft chirps rumbled out its beak. For a moment, Freya could say the beast looked cute, but she knew the dangers these animals posed to borrowers. She was not going to let her guard down while these two lurked around camp. “You have every right to be wary of such creatures, they can be quite fierce, especially to borrowers.”

“Glad we're in agreement.”

“But perhaps I could help you connect with nature despite your trepidation.” His eyebrow raised in anticipation.

Pursing her lips, Freya glanced from Halsin to the animals. They were rather docile now that he was nearby. “If you weren't a druid, I'd say no without a second thought.”

His hearty chuckle rumbled through the borrower. “Then I am glad the Oak Father has blessed me enough to help you.”

Adjusting his hold on her, Halsin lowered his hand closer to the ground. The curious eyes of the beasts met Freya's and she felt her skin crawl. Scratch took a step closer, sniffing the edge of Halsin's hand, deep inhales sending small gusts of wind to blow around her blonde locks. Despite how tense she was, Scratch pressed forward, letting his wet nose press into the side of her face, instantly reminding her of how they first met.

“Nope!” Freya squealed out, flailing back in haste attempts to escape; Halsin quickly pulled her away before she could accidentally kick Scratch. “I'm not doing this anymore!”

“I feel I should have prepared you better for how dogs typically try to get to know someone.” His free hand reached out where Scratch took a few hefty sniffs before giving a slobbery lick that made Freya shutter. “Dogs typically sniff as a way of greeting.”

“Can't you tell him to greet some other way?”

His smile softened at the borrower's frustration. “Perhaps, but that would be going against his very nature. I can tell how much he wants to get to know you, maybe you could initiate a greeting and he'll follow your lead?”

Freya took a moment to stare at Scratch, his tail swayed as he waited for her lead. She had seen many dogs in her life, yet few stood as patiently as he did for a borrower. She hesitantly reached forward as far as her arms could reach. It seemed that Scratch understood the gesture as he inched closer, a little more cautiously this time. His nose brushed up against her palm, leaving Freya frozen as he took short yet quick sniffs of her. A smile crept up on her lips, perhaps if she weren't a borrower, Freya would have been a dog lover. Those sweet eyes just begged for pets from the tiny woman and Freya couldn't say no. She leaned a little closer and scratched the top of his nose, feeling the scruffy white fur.

“See?” Halsin's voice beamed with joy from overhead. “Not so terrifying now.”

“I think I get why so many large ones keep them as pets.” Pride swelled up in Freya, how many borrowers could say they learned animal handling from a druid? Her eyes drifted towards the owlbear cub. While bigger than Scratch, he looked more timid. “Let me try with him now!”

Halsin shared in Freya's eagerness, and leveled her to the owlbear. His eyes widened at the sight of her. With a smile, Freya leaned in to pet his beak, but when she got close, the cub thrusted forward to peck her. Like with Scratch, Freya scrambled back as Halsin pulled her away; only this time, she did accidentally kick the owlbear's beak. He let out a shriek and turned away, scampering off into the night.

“Oh no, I didn't mean to do that.”

“It's alright.” Halsin said in a soothing voice. “Being captured by goblins has left the cub more cautious of others. It will take time for him to come around.”

“I suppose you two have more in common than I.” Freya pointed out.

“True.” Halsin lifted Freya up to eye level with her. “Perhaps another day, he will come around to you as well.”

His proud smile was reminiscent of how Freya's father looked at her when he was teaching her how to be a proper borrower. It had been so long since she had that look shot at her, she almost forgot the swelling joy she got from it. “I'd be happy to try again… so long as you're around.” She let out a chuckle. “I don't want to get eaten by the cub, or any other stray Tav picks up.”

Halsin's breathy laugh cut through the air, filling Freya with an ease she didn't think she could have around this mountain of a man. “I would be more than happy to aid you on your animal handling skills in the near future.”

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

Magic Touch

Astarion and Gale get frisky again after weeks of only chaste kisses. The wizard conjures a mage hand for 'assistance'. The vampire spawn approves.

(Trigger warning (18+): graphic description of sex, smut, body worship, cum eating, frottage, hand job, (im)proper use of mage hand)

Notes:

The title's based on Gale's voice line "I have the magic touch".

To avoid confusion: In one of my other fanfics Halsin and Tav had named the owlbear cup Naïlo, which means 'night breeze' in the Elven language.

According to DnD lore, elves don't sleep, but rest in a meditative, trance-like state called reverie. You can see Astarion (and your Elven Tav) do exactly that in camp during a long rest when a sleep-around-the-campfire cutscene plays.

Also: Happy new year, everyone! May your 2024 be prosperous and filled with happiness, good health and good fortune. <3 Here's to a great start ;)

Gale had fallen asleep in his study again, halfway lying on the bed in the corner, surrounded by his students' essays. Astarion smiled at the scene. Carefully and light-footed, he stacked the papers and books, placed them on the desk, lifted Gale's legs up onto the bed, and covered him with a blanket. The wizard sighed in his sleep, but didn't wake. After one last glance, Astarion extinguished all the candles and made his way to the living room where the animals dwelled. Blearily, Scratch and Naïlo blinked at him.

"Hey, boys, would you like to join me on a walk?" Astarion whispered.

The dog yawned and placed his head back on his paws, but the owlbear chirped excitedly. The vampire spawn snickered.

"Well then... come on, my feathery friend."

"Good luck on your hunt, Mister Ancunin," purred Tara sleepily.

"Thanks, my sweet."

Naïlo was fully-grown now, barely fitting through the wide doorframes in Gale's tower house. They'd talked to him multiple times about freedom, but the owlbear refused to leave the place he called home. He had no desire to go out into the wilderness by himself and wished to stay with them. Of course, they allowed it and couldn't deny Naïlo anything. No matter how big, he would always be their little cub.

Astarion had started to go hunting in the woods with him. It was fun to run for hours without stopping and watching the owlbear kill their prey efficiently and quickly. Today was no different. The vampire spawn sprinted through the forest next to a hyped-up owlbear and there was no need for him to slow down. Suddenly, Naïlo came to an abrupt halt, staring to their right. Astarion sniffed the air. A bear. With a wide grin that showed his fangs, he nodded and made a hand gesture towards their prey. The owlbear pounced, slaying the bear with one big swipe of his sharp claws. Roaring, their prey collapsed and died. Astarion heard its heart stop. With a questioning chirp, Naïlo turned around to look at him.

"Well done, pup," the vampire spawn praised.

He slinked closer, kneeled, and drove his fangs into the still warm corpse. Astarion drew back when he felt drunk. As soon as he'd stepped away, Naïlo started to eat with gusto. The vampire spawn watched, pleasantly intoxicated, his vision slightly blurred. Lazily, he licked his mouth and chin clean until the owlbear's belly was full. Then, they slowly made their way back to Waterdeep, content and sated.

At home, Naïlo curled around Scratch and Tara and fell asleep immediately. Astarion, on the other hand, freshened up in the bathroom before checking on everyone. Tav and Shadowheart were sleeping soundly, back to back, and he didn't want to disturb them. He planned to quickly take a look at Gale before making his way downstairs to his basement room, but found the wizard awake with a cup of tea balanced on his knees.

"Thank you for covering me with the blanket," Gale smiled. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, darling. Everything alright?"

"Yes, just..." The wizard sighed, rubbing his strained eyes. "There's so much paperwork and some of the pupils have awful handwriting."

Astarion chuckled, finally fully entering the study, and sat down next to his lover.

"Would you like my help? I don't know much about the Applied Arts, but I'm rather talented at reading ancient languages. I'm sure I can figure out your pupils' messy writing."

Gale smiled at him softly.

"Thank you, dear. I might take you up on your offer tomorrow." He sipped on his teacup. "How was tonight's hunt?"

"Good. I had a bear," Astarion grinned, leaning against the wizard's shoulder. "I went into the woods with Naïlo."

"Aah, I see. Lovely."

"Bears always get me drunk. I don't know why. – I'm sure you could figure it out. You're a genius after all."

Astarion slumped closer, with a drunken giggle. Gale snorted an amused laugh.

"Look at you. You're an intoxicated mess."

"Mhm."

Astarion grinned at him before sitting up straight and smashing their lips together. Gale gasped in surprise.

"Mind the tea!"

"Sure," slurred the vampire spawn, took the teacup from the wizard and placed it on the floor next to a stack of specialist literature. "May I kiss you again?"

"Yes."

They fell into each other's arms, tongue kissing sloppily.

They'd settled into an easy dynamic regarding their relationship. They were rarely sexually intimate, mostly just kissing and snuggling. They were both content and happy with their arrangement and usually didn't need more. Usually. But not tonight.

Astarion slid his hands up the side of Gale's neck hungrily, running his fingers through the long, dark mane.

"I can see even more grey hair than when we first met," he noted. "It suits you. You're beautiful."

"So are you," panted the wizard.

"It's a good thing you're not at risk of spontaneously combusting anymore because of too much excitement. It would be a shame to lose a perfectly good Gale Dekarios, renowned wizard of Waterdeep, and professor at the Blackstaff Academy for Applied Magic Arts."

Gale's laugh was swallowed by Astarion's greedy mouth and the latter humped against the wizard's thigh.

"I need more," the vampire spawn moaned. "Please?"

"Yes."

Frenzied, Astarion doffed his clothes, exposing his pale skin and proudly standing erection. He bored his ruby-red eyes into the wizard, pleading.

"Come here," Gale offered, opening his arms.

Astarion plucked at Gale's shirt.

"Take your clothes off."

"No."

"But I want to –"

"Let me take care of you, Astarion. Come here. Lean your back against my chest."

The addressed complied, placing his head on Gale's shoulder and spreading his legs wide for him to see.

"Beautiful," the wizard whispered into his ear as he watched the plane of Astarion's body from behind him. The vampire spawn moaned lowly and pushed himself closer to the warmth of his lover. Gale kissed his cheek and recited a magic spell, conjuring a mage hand. It finally clicked in Astarion's still slightly intoxicated head.

"Oh," he breathed.

"Yeah." Astarion could literally hear Gale's smug grin in the way he responded. "Now, relax, dear, and let me work my magic."

The vampire spawn gasped when the mage hand wrapped its fingers around his member. There was resistance, almost like a real hand, and it was about the same temperature as his cold, undead body. Gale shushed him quietly and started running his hands over Astarion's chest. The latter moaned at the heat of them. Such a stark contrast to the mage hand and his own body. Gale let his hands wander further down, exploring his lovers abdomen, dipping his thumb into his navel, and brushing fingers over the naturally hairless pubic bone. Astarion's hips bucked up at the touch and he started to pant.

"So lovely for me," Gale praised, whispering right into Astarion's ear. The latter whined, shuddering as the wizard's hot breath ghosted over his neck. Gale kissed his ear, licking along the shell with his hot tongue, and Astarion moaned and started to drool. The conjured hand steadily stripped his cock with a comfortable grip while Gale's hands caressed his chest and abdomen lazily. Astarion shuddered as he felt the wizard's hot breath hit the shell of his ear again and his erection rub up and down his lower back. The vampire spawn tightened his grip on his lover's knees.

"Gale," he moaned, lolling his head against the other man's shoulder. "Gale... please..."

He was so close, but something was missing and he didn't know what. The wizard hummed, licking Astarion's pointy ear, and with a wail, the latter came undone. His seeds shot over the mage hand and his own gaunt belly. Astarion's legs shook, his hips gave little aborted thrusts, and his ruby-red eyes were still screwed shut. Gale tightened his grip on his lover's chest and abdomen, pressing him closer to himself, and rutted against his back until he climaxed. Astarion shivered when Gale's hot breath puffed against his neck and he felt the wizard's seeds wetting his tailbone as they seeped through the underpants. Groaning, the vampire spawn slumped against the hot body behind him.

"Gods...."

He moaned gutturally when Gale dipped his fingers into the sticky mess on his stomach and brought them up to lick it off. The wizard made a face.

"I wager I'll never acquire a taste for the male release. But it could be worse I guess..."

Astarion hummed and sucked Gale's fingers into his mouth. The wizard's breath hitched and the vampire spawn coiled his skilled tongue around the digits.

"You'll be the death of me," muttered Gale and when Astarion finally let go of his fingers, he shifted his lover sideways to kiss him better. Moaning, the vampire spawn tangled his hands in Gale's hair, kissing back as good as he could, still basking in the afterglow of his orgasm. Gale scooped up some more semen and licked it off while staring right at Astarion who make an undignified noise as he watched. Carefully, the latter slid his hand into Gale's underwear, toying with his spent member. The wizard hissed in discomfort, still too sensitive to be touched. Astarion retracted his hand, now sticky with cum, and licked it clean. Gale stared at him, wide-eyed and in disbelief.

"By the Gods," he groaned before pulling the vampire spawn into another kiss.

Astarion sighed into it, utterly content and sated. They finally broke apart and lay down, closely entangled.

"That was amazing, darling," Astarion purred. "I couldn't even return the favour."

"Hmm," muttered Gale, already half-asleep.

The vampire spawn petted his hair and promised: "Next time, I'll be the one wielding around the mage hand."

"Mhm," Gale mumbled smiling.

Astarion watched over him as he fell into an exhausted sleep. The wizard truly needed to be fully rested to survive his cheeky students at the academy. The vampire spawn placed a gentle kiss on Gale's greying hair and slipped into reverie.

[pedros-immaculate-vibes]

More Campy Thots

You’re packing for the journey, leaning over a make-shift table as everyone bustles about, also preparing.

You drop one of your camp shoes and it wedges between two rocks under the table.

Gods, my luck.

You bend down at the waist, trying to pull it free while it’s apparently snagged on something.

Meanwhile, Scratch and the cub are building off of the campy transition energy, as usual, scurrying around and getting in just about everyone’s way.

Halsin, already packed up as soon as the sun rose, is finalizing last minute arrangements, when he sees you in a rather compromising position; clearly it’s because you’ve lost something and could probably use help.

He, being canonically a good dude, trods over to you. Just as he’s about to say something, the owlbear careens by his feet, tripping the elf

right

into

you.

His hands land on either side of you, gripping the table as his legs clap against the back of your thighs. From your current angle, all you can seen are his legs behind yours, and all you can feel is him pressed up against your backside, the outline of his—oh GODS, there’s no possible way

“AHEM, um, apologies,” the elf immediately said, removing himself from such a position, “I merely meant to offer assistance. The cub, um, hindered that, from, uh, occurring,” he cleared his increasingly husky sounding voice again. “Apologies.”

You straightened up and looked him dead in the eyes, thoughts fully transfixed on one, very large, thing.

“I’ll be, um, around if needed,” he bowed, then quickly turned away, the tips of his ears reddening.

You were trying to process it all as quickly as possible as you crouched down, this time, to retrieve the sandal.

[tavshortfortavern]

A Day Out drabble

With how much Halsin struggles being in the city during Act 3 and the aftermath with Orin, I headcanon my Tav feeling bad and set a whole day aside just to take him out.

This got away from me

----------------

It starts early morning in their room in Elfsong Tavern where Tav calls everyone together.

"What's the news boss?" Karlach pipes up.

"Rest day. I think we deserve one after taking down Orin." Tav grabs their money pouch and throws it at Wyll who catches it. "Treat yourselves. Don't spend it all though, I'm trusting you Wyll. I'll be at the park. Scratch and Chubs (Owlbear cub) need some time outside after being hold up in here for so long isn't that right?" they say turning to coo at the two animals who seem excited.

Gale immediately wants to buy some books. Karlach is pumped to get some food and explore the city. Astarion wants to go shopping for clothes. Shadowheart reluctantly agrees she could use more clothes. Laezel was still lowkey frustrated getting badly injured during the fight with the cultists so Wyll offers to spar with her somewhere. They all gather around to discuss plans and divide the gold.

Tav lets them be, happy their plan worked and approaches Halsin.

"Was there something you wanted my heart?"

"Come with me to the park. It's a nice day out and these two could use the outdoors." and you, Tav doesn't say. Everyday he looks like a flower growing in concrete, getting more worn out. It's time to step in.

Now the two of them, plus Scratch and owlbear cub, are at the park. As soon as they took a seat on the grass Tav could see Halsin relax a bit. Tav continues to throw a ball for Scratch until he runs off to play chase with the owlbear.

"Hey look." he felt a tug. He turned to Tav pointing at a pond. "Ducks."

His eyes brightened at the sight of a family of ducks swimming around in a pond. Tav spent a good while watching him interact with the little ducklings, climbing on top of him and playing. It seemed this was a good distraction after all.

Later Halsin seemed to be soaking up the sun and relative peace of the park when he notice Tav returning with something. "Guess what I found." they hand him some honey "There's some in that tree over there. The bees seemed ok letting me take a bunch."

He smiles as he takes the offered food and also grabbing their hand so they could sit close to him, practically on his lap. He remembers mentioning his fondness for ducks and sweet tooth during earlier conversations, it was a surprise Tav remembered. If there was anyone who could find anything it was Tav. He didn't realize how much they could loot and hoard until being in their party. It was like a crow finding shiney objects and storing them in their nests. A trait he quickly grew charmed by while the companions would sigh at how long it would take.

"Is there something more to this outing?"

"I just noticed you seemed... uncomfortable these last few days in the city. Plus after Orin... A nice day out seems overdue."

He was a lot more affected getting kidnapped by Orin than he let on. Some part of him doubted the party would rescue him. And even if they should when the city was at risk. But not long after he was unconsciously placed on that alter did havoc start. He wasn't awake to witness it but from what the companions mentioned, everyone in camp were all eager to jump in and quickly rallied by Tav. Scratch and the cub were left to gaurd the camp.

The others remarked how enraged Tav was. It was a quiet rage though, the scariest kind.

After defeating the Murder Tribunal, they cut off Sarevok's head. The whole journey to rescuing him from Orin was paved in carnage as their usually sneaky and level headed leader who preferred persuasion before violence seemed bereft of any mercy or planning. Tav threw Sarevok's head down in front of her before stomping it to a bloody pulp. Orin screamed and wailed at the sight as Tav revealed the truth of her origins. The things they spoke to her were sharper than any blade she owned.

The battle with Orin was a mess after, explosives and high level scrolls were used, summons and dead were amassed for a small army, and all the companions noticed Tav pulling out all the stops for this battle and followed suit. Its destruction far surpassed their past battles as the lair was in ruins afterward. No cultists were left alive.

The only part untouched by the chaos was the altar where he laid.

What he did remember was waking up to Tav calling out to him, their hands shaking him awake, sounding more desperate as seconds went by.

"I'm thankful you came for me. It must have been hard-"

"Halsin."

He stopped, staring at Tav who had a serious expression on their face. Their hands cupped his face and a wave of affection surged through his body as their peircing eyes bore into his. Their next words were spoken like a vow.

"I will always come for you. Even if the world is falling apart. Even if its a bad idea. Even if its going to cost me. There's not a scenario where I don't come charging in to rescue you. Nobody touches my sweet bear."

Perhaps it was his past history of getting captured and being the one to break himself out. Perhaps it was their first meeting where they slaughtered a camp to free him. Perhaps it was their consistent ability to do good. Perhaps it was the lack of time he spent to process what he went through. Perhaps...

Those words blasted away a large chunk off at a wall he's built up for longer than he could remember. A wall thats been eroding since Tav walked into his life.

He relaxed in their hold, resting his forehead on theirs and basked in this new feeling of being safe and protected by someone. The sun would slowly set as Tav runs a hand through his hair, his head in their lap. Scratch and Chubs curling up beside them to rest. Tav hums a lulling tune, gazing at their dozing partner. Looking more at peace since joining their gang of unfortunate misfits. Their hands sometimes gently rubbing the lines on his face that drew a pleased rumble from him.

Tav didn't tell him the lengths they would go to have rescued him. Things they never would have entertained. Using the tadpole, making a deal with that annoying cambion, turning full illithid, etc. They only didn't because they were blinded by rage and never thought of it. Their companions definitely watered down the things they told him but even they seemed alarmed by the bloodthirst (Astarion was ecstatic though). Tav regarded the blurry memory of fighting Orin. The words they spoke no longer seemed clear to them, they just knew the truth of what Saverok did and his true relation to Orin. So Tav took that truth and used it as a knife to butcher that wretched shapeshifter verbally.

Orin was knife happy and tried to unsettle people by taking on different faces but Tav was a diplomat. They understood people. Looked into their minds. Better than she ever could. Tav knew words. Knew how to persuade. They knew words could do things that no blade could. Not even Orin's madness could shield her from her own demons.

For kidnapping Halsin, Tav made sure to rip and tear her fragile psyche apart, every word had to hurt, her failures to Bhaal, her worthlessness. That her actions would lead to the decimation of Bhaal's cult because they would slaughter every single one and she would have to answer to her god herself. Crushing her father’s skull was a bonus. It didnt matter if she turned into a monstrosity. As she took her last breath, they told her she would die here forgotten. Chucked her aside and ran to make sure Halsin was okay.

Nobody touches their sweet bear.

[whathebeep]

It's 9 am I'm feeling sick so here's my... takes? Headcannons??? on our best bear druid Halsin! Spoiler-ish under the cut!

-Larian where is my man's chub, where is his belly,,, the chance to have Halsin be an actual bear was RIGHT THERE he could still have his muscles just give him the damn belly for me to squish

-He deserved a full romance/we should have been able to add him to the party after saving him from the goblins and he left his position of Archdruid

-SPEAKING OF Halsin coming to camp and staying with Tav and everyone after the goblins??? He 100% was like camp dad- as much as he would relish in the fact that he no longer had the responsibilities of Archdruid and could just focus on his own stuff now he would totally pick up on everyone's routines, helping out with camp maintenance- and as he got to know people more personally he'd help them out too! He'd offer to help clean and bandage wounds, help carry things when moving camp, etc etc

-Halsin absolutely has good conversations with Withers while he's stuck at camp too. You can't tell me he didn't see the undead guy hanging out and that they wouldn't have some great philosophical talks about life, death and the beauty of nature. Halsin, out of everyone, I'd argue is the most likely to know/figure out who Withers is- but he'd never ask or mention it. Why bring up the past?

- You KNOW FOR A FACT he takes such good care of Scratch and the owlbear cub. Since the owlbear cub grows along with the story I have no doubt in my mind that between Halsin early game and Jaheira later, they both help teach the cub how to hunt by shape changing into owlbears- I imagine Scratch comes along too, just to keep an eye on his little brother

- Someone pointed out on Tiktok that there's scratch marks around his tent and for me that means either A) he sleeps as a bear OR B) he shapechanges into a bear in his sleep just naturally or if he's having an unpleasant dream (I imagine these nightmares are worst during act 2, prior to saving thaniel and just being in the shadowlands. They still happen but aren't as frequent in the city)

- We can find his pipe early game, this man 100% smokes tabacco and weed- but like, he hand picks his own stuff. He wouldn't touch anything from the city. He's definitely a before bed stoner

-SPEAKING OF BED I imagine his bedtime routine involves a small walk, saying a prayer to Silvanus and smoking well away from camp so the smell doesn't bother anyone.

-he's great and I love him, thank u Dave and thank u Larian

[lackeyhenchman]

Playing with Halsin is great for trying out druid-ing though, THEIR SELECTION OF SPELLS IS THE MOST FUN I'VE SEEN SO FAR. It's a good variety-- some cute healing and direct damage stuff, but I'm always happiest to see stuff you can lay out and leave, like Moonbeam and Spike Growth. Spike Growth especially is NUTS, I didn't expect it to be so BIG... If I was a magic user I'd have nightmares about misusing my power all the time.

Anyway, I was screwing around with Halsin, trying out his spells on the rest of us. Making Typhus and Wyll take turns standing in the Moonbeam and burning up. Normal dude stuff.

Then I tried out Dominate Beast on the owlbear cub, but that started a whole row on that half of camp. I presume over animal rights. Volo suckerpunched Astarion (!??) and Karlach turned Lae'zel into a sheep? I don't remember giving her the ability to do that, but okay.

Fun night at camp. Finally got to get Volo back for the medical malpractice. Withers wishes we would all die and end this chapter of his undeath.

[unreadpoppy]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag @sky-kiss ! I thought it was funny cause I was halfway through writing this chapter when I saw the notification kkkk

Anyways here's a small snippet of the next chapter of 'Wash My Dreams Away'

...

“Someone so young shouldn’t have to go through such grief.” She had said to Halsin. Since he wasn’t getting close to solving her insomnia problem, he’d offered the next best thing: company. 

“Nature can be quite cruel.” He replied. “But it always balances itself in the end.” The druid looked at Gwen. “She may have lost her parents, but she has found great power within. Besides, Arabella still has the other tieflings to look out for her.” 

“I know but…I wish there was more that we could do for her.” She said. “That I could do for her.”

Halsin placed a hand on her shoulder. “You saved her life, Gwendolyn. And you brought her comfort and shelter when she most needed it.” He told her. 

Gwen looked forwards, watching the girl playing with Scratch and the owlbear cub, laughing around, a bit of her magic sparking. The tiefling nodded and then shook her head. “It’s amazing how always right you are.” She gave Halsin a smirk, the closest thing to a smile she had given to anyone in the past days. 

It may not have been much, but the old elf had to admit how much he had missed seeing her smile, even if it was this. He chuckled. “No one is ever always right. I just happen to be good at observation.” 

Gwen opened her mouth to reply but before she could, Gale and Wyll ran into camp, with the warlock shouting “We found it!”

...

Tagging: @flamemittens @littlemoondarling @cambion-companion (no pressure!) and also anyone else is free to post their wips

[mongoose-bite]

Not a full liveblog; just some things.

This is Sardax, stormblooded sorcerer and charlatan, seen here after completely failing to use his sorcerous charisma to open a book, getting mad and smacking it open despite his -1 strength with a nat 20. Is he reading it? No, he's just gloating about it.

Act 1

He helps people out of mild contempt; his attitude is very much 'aren't you lucky I'm here and decided to help.' Thus he expects rewards and is prepared to turn on a dime. Lies a lot.

I let Asterion kill him when he bit him, but then reloaded because you don't get a long rest if you're dead and I was out of spell slots. I'll save that interaction for Dyce.

He gets on pretty well with Asterion; fellow liars and all that, but did not wish to share his evil book with him so he didn't. It's actually not helping me like Asterion any better; I think they bring out the worst in each other

Between Asterion, Laz'ael, taking up Volo's offer and getting Loviatar's Blessing, I think this guy is a top with a pain kink of the 'I demand you hurt me' variety. I love emergent storytelling.

Asterion pointed out power in exchange for a wretch we don't know is a good deal and Sardax was pretty much 'yeah, you're right,' and he traded Marina away without a backwards glance. And he'll happily murder the hag later if it's in his interest.

I'm taking my time and getting so much more dialogue out of some people, especially Gale for some reason?

I forgot I wasn't a strength-based human and managed to over-encumber myself by taking all the meat from the goblin camp. See him staggering back to camp laden with pig's heads like an idiot.

Watching Laz'ael go from 'ugh gross lizard' to 'let me lick you' pleased him no end, and he batted away Asterion twice to stick with her. He thinks he has no deeper feelings for her.

I got the owlbear cub I love him ;_; I then failed every single skill check when it had a nightmare, so no approval boost for me.

Even using the wiki I struggled to find the Kua-toa. I told them to raise an army for me.

Didn't bother rescuing the gnome slaves. I feel terrible, Sardax is indifferent. Word to the wise, don't pay him in advance.

Handed the lady an owlbear egg; didn't bother looking for a real one.

Sardax doesn't take it personally when people lie to him; he does the same to others, it's just business. But I think he's angry at what Vlaakith did to Laz'ael.

Act 2

Went to the Shadowlands via the Underdark just to see what difference it made and found some guy with a crow. I missed so much the first time through.

It's actually more relaxing to play a character who doesn't care about saving everyone they come across. By this point Faye was overwhelmed and exhausted by all the things she felt she needed to do. Sardax is merely poking his nose in.

He likes Moll a lot. I wouldn't say he's father material, but he's keeping a genial eye on her. Raphael best watch himself.

We got Minthara! She's got a lovely voice. *sighs and starts brainstorming for another run*

She took over Halsin's spot completely! And stole his child. This feels kinda dirty tbh, I might recruit her the evil way next time.

As charlatans, Sardax and Asterion walked out of Moonrise dripping with inspiration. I think they're actually friends. They both know they keep things from each other and egg each other on. Sardax is definitely considering Asterion's 'let's run the cult' plan as a distinct possibility.

Sardax finally turned on Balthazar at the Nightsong, and Karlach killed him eventually by picking up a pile of bones she'd just murdered and throwing them at him; which was both hilarious and poetic justice.

I found Zevlor this time! And I now understand why people like him so much. I just beelined for Mizora the first time I played and didn't even notice him...

Act 3

Met best NPC again. I love Popper. Got extra dialogue for being a dragonborn. Sent Gale up on stage and felt bad about it. Jahira approved.

As one manipulative arsehole to another, Sardax doesn't have a problem with the Emperor, but, dude, his girlfriend's a githyanki. There ain't no way he's messing with tadpoles.

Mamzell was hilariously off-base with Faye, but when she suggested a short lady with a whip to Sardax, I was just, hoo boy, she's got your number, buddy. I'm unsurprised Laz'ael doesn't share though; she's worked too hard for this.

YOU CAN STAY AT THE ELFSONG??!! Faye was too busy to bother with chatting to innkeepers, and it honestly never occurred to me...

Orin took Halsin this time and her decoy was heartbreaking. Faye would have been so upset (weird she stole the other tav's love interest each time though.) Even Sardax was discomforted.

Faye missed like half of the mage's tower? So much good caster loot! Sardax feels appropriately geared.

Sardax couldn't be bothered helping the Gondians, so no Iron Throne. Faye dashed in, dropped the bomb and ran, but Sardax stayed to kill the steel watch titan, which for a storm sorcerer was not a challenge, also Us kept that 6 int robot stunned for half the fight. That lil brain is so useful.

found a house with a cool dead guy in it who had also read the evil book but sardax hadn't bothered to buy the artist off the guild so they had nothing to talk about :(

ascended Asterion. No one (except Asterion) liked that, apparently. The game keeps giving you options to back out, but like, it's not like fucking a bear or anything.

Sardax is also happy to support Wyll in becoming Duke. Like it'll matter which mortal is in  charge once he has the crown, but he supports his friends in their little ambitions.

Sardax wanted to duel Orin so badly, but she didn't give him the option and it was just a normal fight, even though he killed Gortash for it. Disappointing!

Talking to more NPCs in the House of Hope this time. Gortash is still not my favourite, but it feels a little poetic that the grenades you pick up when you go to kill him are so useful against Raphael.

Sardax was more sympathetic to the Emperor than Faye was; she was taken in by the dream vision and felt angry and foolish, Sardax looked at the Emperor and thought he would have done exactly the same thing all along the line. Oh well.

Ascended Asterion's 'creatures of the night' summons for the final battles are kind of hilarious. Where did he get them?

THE OWLBEAR CUB ;_;

Asterion was all 'take over the brain and rule the world' so I *saved* and did so. And two minutes later he was a blank-faced thrall. Congrats, Fang Features, you played yourself. Also that weird pink throne is...eugh. Disconcerting.

Sardax's canon ending is at the last minute he realises he can't do that to Laz'el. And he gets the coolest ending instead

Gale is god of self-help and motivational speakers? Kinda cringe tbh.

Halsin spent most of act 3 in Orin's basement (sorry buddy) so he didn't actually get the chance to make a play for Sardax, but like, talking to him at the party, he clearly liked him regardless. I love him. Sardax only has room in his heart for one person.

[hiddenbysuccubi]

Chapter 6 excerpt: the dance. Changed to 'you' format.

Everyone pitched in to set up and decorate camp for their gathering. A night of music, magic, drink, even debauchery. There were some who insisted on being moody, like Wyll and one of the Tieflings; Ikaron. No matter. You were going to enjoy yourself. You'd even borrowed a modest dress for the occasion from Bex, and were quickly downing a pint of ale as you watched and cheered on Rolan’s magic display. You hadn’t been to a party in… you couldn't remember how long. Damn. You'd been so young the last time, comparatively.

Refilling your mug you started on your second drink as you wandered around. Everyone was there, there were even children running around and playing games in the sand. Scratch, who you'd rescued just earlier, barked happily and wagged his tail as he jumped around the children. It was good that the Owlbear cub hadn’t joined your camp yet, the poor thing would be overwhelmed and run away. Then there was Halsin regaling Shadowheart with old stories while Lae’zel and Karlach compared battle techniques. You smiled, watching them all. Happy, too, to find that Gale was also occupied, entranced in a lyre performance given by Alfira. Volo was with them as well. And Astarion…. Astarion was on his own, getting drunk.

A little tipsy and fueled by alcohol, you decided to sidle up to the broody vampire. “So,” you drawl, “are you tired of being venerated yet?”

Astarian side-eyes you without lowering the bottle he has to his lips. “Yes.” he says as he finishes drinking. “It’s oh thank you Astarion for saving me, I’ll name my baby after you . How good and heroic you are- I can’t stand it! And you, you just keep offering to help! And I’m going along with it because!” at this he throws his hands up. “Because I don’t know why!” anymore, he laughs in a not so hinged way. Wobbling while setting down his bottle of Esmeltar Red, which immediately falls over onto the ground. Ignoring it in favor of wrapping his fingers around your wrist, Astarion leans in close, his gaze darkening. “I’ve had enough of being good, lover. Let’s get out of here~”

You can smell the wine on his breath, pulling yourself away with a cautious giggle. “Having fun?” you ask, nervous all of a sudden.

“I am, surprisingly.” Astarion answers. No deceit in his words. “It’s easy to. When I’m with you.”

“Uh." you squeaked, "huh.” fully turning the color of a ripe plum. “I’ve got to go check on… something.” you lie.

Astarion can hear the lie clear as day but he lets you go. Only stopping you to question, his tone betraying his vulnerability and hope, that “you will come to my bed.”

You nod before bolting. You figure you just need a moment to cool down by the waterfront, away from the crowd. Maybe you're not wrong that Astarion is warming up to you, but you can't afford to be fooled. This was still a man who would throw you to the wolves if it came down to it. This was still an Astarion who was sleeping with you, guarding your health, just to ensure his own skin would be protected. He used you to make you want to save him first, look out for him first. A ploy. An effective one, you could admit to yourself. Knowing that he needn't have bothered. You had just gotten too comfortable in this world, high on having successfully completed the game's first big quest. That was all.

---

You didn’t know how the lute had wound up in your hands. Finding yourself by the fire again, a small crowd amassing out of innate curiosity. Even Wyll had come closer to see what would happen. Suddenly not feeling the liquid courage which prodded you out, you swallowed hard as Alfira gave a confident nod in your direction, Karlach whooping. “Go on then, play it!”

You looked over and caught Astarion watching you. Could feel his suspicious yet amused gaze, hotter than the flames.

You stared right back, not breaking eye contact as you opened your mouth and began to strum. “Blood of my blood, dripping with love. I bring you a thing (that) you need most,” your voice gradually growing stronger, no longer wavering. Moving away from a head voice to your full bellied and more confident countertenor. You squint but can't tell if Astarion’s facial muscles are twitching at your words or if it's your imagination, so you close your eyes, focusing on the sway of the music and the anti gravity lightness fueled by the alcohol in your system. At some point, Alfira had begun to accompany your lute with a steady tapping on a nearby drum.

"You know I live to keep you safe, no better way that I can see, to, spend all the time while you're asleep." you implore Astarion to understand, with your words. "You know I live to be seen through.” Some of your audience begins to pair off, dancing slowly together. You note them and smile, before finding your way towards the elf. “I wanna be here and nowhere else. Rationing off bits of myself, so I can crumble at your side….”

“Lover, ah. Dear.” Astarion hisses awkwardly through his teeth. Keenly aware of every pair of eyes on them. “What are you doing?”

You roll your eyes at his drunken embarrassment, pushing your words mentally though the link you both share. 'They already know about us. I promise we’ll sneak away after, just dance with me?'

“Yes, yes,” he grits out, taking your elbow with one hand and twirling you with his other hand on your back, guiding you as your own hands are occupied with playing the lute. 'I’m going to fucking kill you.' he answers. At least you have a sense to look remorseful, he commiserates to himself as you continue playing and singing. As he holds your eyes, allowing you both to become lost in the moment. Far be it for him to stop a Bard from fucking Performing.

You barely hesitate before singing on, “Here is a heart, here is a heart. I made it for you so take it,” you croon, heartfelt, as you dance gracefully around each other. Your own steps obvious and unrehearsed, Astarion's effortlessly showing in his footwork that he had once been a noble. One who had danced at many balls, possessing a childhood of etiquette training. “Battered and braised, grilled and sautéed, just how you like it.” you breathe, ending the song "...like it". Bending at your waist in a small bow as the echo of the music drifted off. Unexpectedly, Astarion reciprocates. Dropping low into a sweeping bow himself, he takes your right hand from where it rests on the lute’s strings and presses a soft kiss to the back of it. Followed by turning your hand over to place another, more delicate, kiss to the inside of your wrist.

[ash-rik]

Saw this tag game, but I didn't want to bother anyone so it's tagless. Feel free to do this with your bg3 ocs and tag me or not 🙈

Name: Boon

Pronouns: He/They

Orientation: He's a transmasc enby who's demi and loves women. Sometimes attracted to men but rarely.

Nickname(s): 

Wyll humors Boon when he asks to be his sidekick. They're currently workshopping his sidekick name to go with the Blade of Frontiers because Crossbows of the Outback isn't cutting it. 

When Gale cooks, he tries to explain magic theory to Boon, but only some of it sticks. They refer to each other as master and apprentice for fun. 

Karlach will sometimes call him a rascal and ruffle his hair (they sibling bonded on sight). 

Shadowheart calls him the idiot bard or just an idiot when he does something really stupid, which is often enough that it could be considered a nickname (they're besties). 

Boon's heart warms whenever Jaheira calls him cub. 

He gets hit right in the kokoro when Lae'zel starts calling him “my joy”. 

Star sign: I dunno much about star signs but from a quick search maybe Gemini???

Height: 5'11

Race: Tiefling

Romancing: Lae'zel. They're the classic tale of opposites attract. Boon was drawn to her confidence and honesty, even if it's of a rougher variety. She speaks plainly, which is refreshing for someone in his line of work (thief). Her kindness takes a warped form due to her upbringing, but it's there. He sees it and tries to draw it out. He's gonna serenade that heart of stone of hers.

Favorite fruit: Grapes. He loves the crunchy ones and enjoys piercing into them with his fangs

Favorite season: Spring when it's not too hot or cold and he gets to feel the sun on his skin. Boon loves his crop tops and will go out walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach.

Favorite flower: I'm thinking violets. His mother was a follower of Lliira who favored them. She'd have violets all around the house. Boon has fond memories of tending to them with her.

Favorite scent: The smell of fresh bread and pastries always gets his mouth watering. His parents didn't have a lot of money, but the bakery was one place where they'd let him indulge on occasion.

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee and tea. Coffee with a bit of milk and sugar helps him sleep. With tea, he loves that there are so many kinds and likes to try out new blends from different places. 

Average sleep hours: He'll sleep for as long as anyone will let him. So it's more dependent on what's currently going on in his life. Being a thief had him up at odd hours and made him a light sleeper.

Dogs or cats: Both. Every dog he sees, they're a puppy in his eyes. Young or old, big or small, he's happy to shower them in a ton of affection. And he'll spend forever finding the specific way a particular cat would like to be loved and do just that. But if he had to choose between dogs and cats, probably cats. He enjoys figuring them out and being chosen by them. Also, all the purring is very calming. 

Dream trip: Boon hasn't been to any cities outside of Baldur's Gate. He'd find it fun to take a road trip to the major cities along the Sword Coast.

Amount of blankets: Whatever number keeps him snug as a bug in a rug. He enjoys the feeling of being tucked in. Doesn't need as many if he's got someone to cuddle with.

Random fact(s):

Class: Bard/Rogue  

His tail is very flexible and is just as prone to theft as his hands.

He just broke out of prison after getting betrayed by his crew when the nautiloid snatched him up. The crew took him in when he was a kid after his parents were killed, but they didn't think twice to make him a scapegoat. And they didn't really treat him well, which is something he slowly starts to learn and unpack while being with the tadpole crew. Despite being a bunch of weirdos, the tadpole crew treat him far better.

He mistakenly thought Chicken was the name of the owlbear cub because that's what they called him back at the goblin camp. By the time Halsin tells him the truth, the owlbear already responds to the name. Just hoot hoots on over whenever he hears the word chicken. The little guy associates the word with getting loved on.

His dream guardian looked a lot like his mom, which is part of the reason he started munching on tadpoles. The main reason is because he felt incompetent compared to the tadpole crew. You've got a wizard prodigy, a hero of the Sword Coast, a githyanki warrior trained from birth, a vampire spawn, an archdevil's champion, and a Sharran spy/warrior. Then there's him, just some guy with a lute and sticky fingers. He wanted to keep up with the others, be useful to them, and not drag anyone down.

Sometimes when he tries to get out of doing something he doesn't want to do, he refers to himself as “just a little guy”, inferring that he's not up to the task. This ploy works 0.5 percent of the time. 

His parents named him Boon because he's a little boon to their lives given to them by the gods when they asked for a child.

[apocalypse-cowboy]

So I FINALLY made it to Act 3 without wanting to restart and I am romancing Gale and the scenes are just so beautiful *chef's kiss* so imma write about Taurus (my Tav who is a Seldarine sworn Drow) and Gale thing!

TW: this contains slight talk of manipulation and a whole lotta love and comfort ❤️

They had finally done it. They all made it to Baldur's Gate.

It took what felt like forever, but they made it. So many hardships, triumphs and so much love was shared between The Wizard of Waterdeep and Taurus; a Drow Druid who had a nack for anything and everything nature.

The rest of the group thought that there would be tensions between the two men constantly because of their different ways of magic, and Astarion vividly remembers how Taurus wasn't too pleased with Gale when he spoke as if Druid magic wasn't real magic because he wasn't a wizard like him.

But that can be far from the truth.

The stolen glances between the two, when they shared an intimate moment connected to each other through the weave, the way they tried their hardest to make sure that either one didn't got seriously injured while fighting the Goblin's leaders and then the first kiss and a romantic night of passion in the midst of the Shadow Curse that they had managed to repair with Halsin's help.

They were absolutely in love with each other.

When he helped Gale get the book he needed to learn about the crown the Elder Brain was wearing, he started to get worried about Gale. He kept going about how if he gets the crown and repairs it he could share the power between the two of them and become Gods.

When Gale showed him the possibilities of what they could have that night. But he simply told him he only ever wanted him. Not some godhood, not endless power and possibilities. He wanted Gale. The sweet, smart, caring man that he had grown to love through this dangerous life they were unwilling thrusted into.

He convinced him that he loved him for who he is, but Taurus still didn't feel great about everything that had been said. So, after a couple of days of Taurus not acting right, in an attempt to make amends Gale finds his lover and decides it's about time for a long overdue one-on-one talk.

The night was peaceful, everyone in camp was doing their own thing and relaxing. Something they haven't been able to do for a while. But Gale, he was worried. Worried about his lover. Ever since the talk they had, when Taurus managed to bring his head back out of the clouds and back to earth where he could see the drow's pretty, heavily freckled face and body, he wasn't acting the same.

His calm yet talkative personality was switched with one of unease, quietness and sadness. He hated to see the man he loves in such a state. So he finds himself walking around camp looking for him. Though he pretended to not notice the slight judging stare from Astarion, who Taurus had managed to befriend and in return the Vampire Spawn was majorly protective of him, but would never admit it out loud. He didn't want to notice the sympathetic glances from Karlach who was like a sister to Taurus and Wyll who he had formed a strong friendship as well.

It took him a bit, but soon he found the beautiful creature who stole his heart and gave him his own in return. He was sitting on the steps not too far away from the child they had taken in from the streets and her cat who stayed by the fire.

He notices that Scratch and the Owlbear cub were sitting next to him, comforting the man who had graciously took them in. Gale sighed quietly and slowly moved towards his partner. Scratch and the Owlbear, who Taurus had named Collin when he first found him in the goblin camp, noticed him and left to go and play. Even they knew that their 'parents' needed to be alone for a moment.

The Seldarine Drow wasn't paying enough attention and didn't notice that Gale had sat down next to him, giving him space Incase he didn't want to be touched at the moment. Just another thing that Taurus loved about Gale. How he was so considerate about him and how he feels.

He slightly curls in on himself, his breath coming out in shakey waves, he was trying so hard not to break in front of him.

The wizard looks at him, says nothing for the moment and puts a hand on the Druid's shoulder. He softly caresses his skin as if it was the finest silk in the world. As if he was fragile and one wrong touch would break him.

He wasn't wrong in a way.

Taurus looks up at the stars for a moment his purple eyes shining with the star's reflection, contemplating what to say. He takes a breath; "I'm sorry." It's barley a whisper, and it leaves Gale baffled and he shakes his head: "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me my love." The other shakes his head and locks eyes with Gale's warm brown ones, "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you." He whispers "It's just,... I've been conflicted about alot of things." He then slowly leans on Gale's shoulder, head slightly tucked into Gale's warm neck and sighs in contentment.

"I just.." a pause fills the air as he chooses his words "I guess I'm just afraid." Gale wraps his arms around the Drow to comfort him. To encourage him that he can be vulnerable with him as he was just days ago.

"I've never really considered love to be an option for me." He huffs bitterly, the air brushing against Gale's skin "Being born a Drow and raised in the Underdark before breaking to the surface, there really wasn't any chance that I would find anyone who would love me." Tears quietly fall down his face "People only see Drow as a tool for pleasure or a murderous monster, Seldarine sworn or not." He sits up, Gale keeping an arm around him, he scoots closer to him seeking more of his comforting touch. Tears were cascading down faster, like rain during the summer.

"But out of all of the people in Faerûn,.." he locks eyes with Gale again, both of them were glossy eyed though each for different reasons. Taurus then cups Gale's face like he had done so many times before when he kissed him, foreheads resting on one another as they keep eye contact

"Gale, you taught me that I shouldn't be afraid to love someone. That..not everyone is out to use me." His breath hitches and shudders with a light sob "You showed me how to love, not just others but myself as well...and I don't ever want to lose that."

Gale was at a loss for words, yet he was proud that Taurus managed to open up to him even if it was only a little bit. He smiled and gently pulled Taurus into a tender kiss. When the parted the locked eyes once more;

"You won't ever lose me my shining star. That is a promise I am more the happy to keep. Until the ends of every galaxy, I will love you. Even in death we will not part."

[thebawdybaldurian]

BG3FicFeb Day 15

SFW: Halsin misidentifies some mushrooms when preparing tea for he and Tav. After Astarion drinks from her after, the trio go on a hallucinogenic trip.

NSFW: Tav repays Astarion's three climaxes with a long teasing session, edging out an amazing orgasm for him.

SFW: Any character is drunk/high

Background: This is a preview of the next chapter of Tale of the Tadpoles, there will just be a little meat added to either side. Tav, Halsin, and Astarion have just agreed upon an arrangement where Tav and Halsin are together while Astarion begins to deal with his traumatic past.

Content and Warnings: Accidental/unintentional drugging, blood-drinking, hallucinations, kissing, druid bear snuggling.

Halsin carefully wound his way through the dense undergrowth of the cove, looking for the dark, moist areas where mushrooms grew. He’d gathered a decent basket of them and other medicinal plants during his walk, but he hoped he could find a few more sunstalks for his morning tea. They would be entering the Shadow Curse the next day and he would need help to keep his mood up. His burgeoning relationship with Tav would help as well, but they’d yet to be intimate aside from their psionic spore encounter. He wanted to wait for the right place, their close-in camp not ideal for the lengthy love-making session he planned to have with her. He spotted a large cluster of them tucked away under a rock and happily harvested them.

With his basket nearly full, he headed back to the camp they’d made on the outskirts of the Grymforge. Tav was on watch, writing in her journal, half propped up on the sleeping owlbear cub, with Scratch snoozing peacefully under her knees. He wasn’t sure how it was comfortable, but all three looked pleased, and it warmed his heart to see her close connection to the animals. It had been no surprise that he had been so drawn to her from the moment they’d met. “Find everything you wanted?” She glanced up at him with a smile.

“Indeed,” he nodded, holding up his basket. “I just hope it can sustain me through the Shadow Curse.”

“I know you are anxious about it,” she managed to get up without disturbing the animals much. “I’m here to help, whatever you need.” She stood on her tiptoes to give him a soft kiss, scrunching her nose when she caught a whiff of all the mushrooms he’d gathered.

“You found some pungent ones I see,” she teased, both she and Astarion had already voiced their dislike for them. “Though I would not mind a little of that tea or porridge we had, even if it made me a little more frisky.”

“Yes, I remember how frisky it made both you and Astarion,” he smiled, trying to forgot the urgent moan he’d heard echo down when he’d gone to scout the Selunite Outpost. The beast inside him was hungry for both of them, but they would all have to wait.

He set about preparing some tea, slicing up the sunstalks with a few other herbs and then setting them to boil. Distracted by her, he missed the small, tan-colored mushroom that the sunstalk had grown around. He offered her the first cup after it was done steeping. “You know, you might finally change my mind on mushrooms,” she took a long, slow sip. “At least some of them.”

“Most of them are an acquired taste,” he smiled, taking his own sip.

“They say the same thing about me,” she teased.

“I liked your taste right away,” he leaned over for another kiss, this one with a little more ardor.

“Is the tea working already?” She pulled her mouth away, flushed and a little lightheaded. She finished her cup, still feeling a bit lightheaded and drowsy. “Would you mind if I went to the tent to rest a little more?” She asked. “The tea seems to be having the opposite effect this time.”

“Of course,” he smiled, giving her one last long kiss before she got up. It felt like she was floating to the tent, Astarion still resting inside. She plopped down hard on her bedroll, picturing herself falling onto her plush feather bed at home.

The impact woke Astarion and he pulled her close with a groggy moan, finding her giggling softly. “What are you up to?” He asked sleepily, nuzzling her neck.

“I got sleepy writing so I thought I’d come in here,” She continued to giggle slightly as he kissed her. He was still recovering from his illness-imposed fast and asked if he might have a little.

“Sure,” she purred, pulling down her trousers even though he’d planned to drink from her neck.

“Did…did you want me to take it from there?” He asked as she ran her hands down her bare thighs. He was nervous about getting too close to the temptation of her sex, given their new arrangement.

“You can have it from anywhere,” she replied, her words becoming slightly slower. “I just didn’t want to wear pants anymore.”

“You’re sure you’re feeling alright?” He looked down at her, her hands now making small motions in the air, like she was composing a song.

“Never better, please,” she swept her hair away so he had full access to her neck.

“Okay,” he watched her for a moment longer, wondering if she was just being her usual odd self. He nuzzled and kissed her neck, taking a small drink from her and almost instantly feeling that same lightheadedness she had gotten. “You taste…different,” he sunk back on his bed roll, beginning to giggle as well.

“You look different,” she rolled on her side, smushing her fingers into his face playfully. “You look…swirly.”

“Swirly?” He opened his eyes, her face also swirling and vibrating in a whirl of colors. “You’re swirly too,” he grabbed a handful of her hair, seeing it flow and shift around his fingers as if she was in water. “You’re…floating too,” he watched as she appeared to rise from her bedroll, her entire body ebbing and flowing with an invisible tide.

“Tav!” Halsin burst into the tent, a silly grin on his face. He’d always called her by her elven name beforehand. “I think…I might have…the tea…there might have been a…whoa…you two are so…bright!”

He looked down at the pair, both lying on their backs, their hands moving through the air like kittens battling an invisible yarn ball, their bodies radiating an aurora of colors. He fell between them, narrowly missing crushing them as they rolled slightly with the newest hallucination that joined them. “Did you see that?!” Tav exclaimed, Halsin appearing like a bright meteor that landed between them. She rolled back over onto her side, caressing the warm, bear-shaped rock.

“It came from the Heavens,” Astarion pawed him as well, his hands reaching Tav’s. Their fingertips danced against one another, as if inputting some secret code in the air.

“What are you weaving?” Halsin asked, reaching up to touch the thread-like strands of their fingers. “I need a scarf.”

“Here,” Tav grabbed her hair and smoothed it across his neck.

“It’s so soft,” he gently stroked her hair, the warmth of it making him hot all over. “But these clothes…they are going to suffocate me,” he began pulling at his robes.

“We’ll save you!” Astarion and Tav both helped pull off his clothes.

They were eventually all naked, laughing and rolling around the tent together as their hallucinations shifted. They touched and caressed each others’ bodies, but not in a sexual way, just in fascination with the forms that appeared before their eyes. When one of them saw or felt something they disliked, the others attended to them and helped them pull themselves into a different hallucination. They began pulling things from their packs, making odd costumes for themselves. They even managed to find Tav’s phallic gem, running the warm crystal across their bodies as its soft glow fascinated them.

Lae’zel woke up and found no one on watch, just the sound of mumbling and giggling coming from the three elves’ shared tent. She pulled open the flap in irritation, finding them mostly undressed, but with clothing and other things wrapped on their bodies in strange ways. “G’lyck,” she sighed, not quite understanding what they were doing.

“It’s the lizard queen!” Tav exclaimed, throwing a shower of paper confetti that she’d been shredding from her journal.

“What are you three doing?” Lae’zel hissed, pulling paper out of her hair.

“Tav and Halsin drank something, and then I drank from Tav and now I’m a wizard!” Astarion laughed, wearing one of Halsin’s boots on his head like a hat.

She left them after making an annoyed noise in her throat and found the nearly empty teapot that had been pulled off the fire. She dumped the rest out and added more wood to the fire. She ignored the silly noises and laughs that emanated from the tent, though was thankful when they finally quieted down. As the other awoke and wondered where the trio was, she told them they were having some strange, sexless orgy.

As the tea and Tav’s spiked blood began to wear off, they settled against one another, still half nude. Halsin had shifted to his bear wild shape at some point and both Tav and Astarion lay nestled in the fur of his splayed frame. They dozed for most of the afternoon, Tav finally waking up first, finding herself sunk into a heap of thick, musky fur. “Dear Gods, what happened?” She looked around the tent, clothes and shredded paper strewn throughout. The gem that she pleasured herself with lie on the floor beside them. “Oh dear,” she picked it up, giving it a cursory sniff. It still smelled clean, with no hint of bodily fluids on it. She carefully stowed it back in her pack and looked over her two sleeping lovers. Astarion lay on his stomach, stretched across the bear’s lower body. She gently stroked Halsin’s fur, his large paws moving slightly as he dreamed.

Astarion finally stirred, coughing slightly at the face full of fur he’d been sleeping in. Tav leaned back across Halsin and stroked Astarion’s messy curls. “Tav,” he asked, raising his head. “What’s going on? Where am I?”

“I think Halsin and I might have accidentally dosed ourselves with magic mushrooms and then accidentally dosed you…” she blushed with a groggy smile.

“Okay,” he sunk back down onto the bear, still slightly drowsy.

NSFW: Edging

Background: A continuation from yesterday’s prompt. Tav and Astarion have just left after he finally met her parents and told them off for their indifferent and cold attitude with their daughter.

Content and Warnings: Female elf x male elf. Kissing, restraints, oral sex, edging, hand job, cock rubbing, PIV sex, mentions of vampiric sex.

Tav and Astarion returned to the inn after their disastrous dinner meeting her parents. Tav was grateful that he’d told them off and showered him with kisses when they returned to their room. They slowly undressed, Tav’s underpants still soaked from him making her come thrice before dinner. She pushed him gently onto the bed, intending to repay each of those climaxes in kind. “You…are simply amazing,” she began to make a trail of wet, smacking kisses down his torso.

“It needed to be done,” he smiled, his cock already stirring from her touch. “You deserve so much better than them.”

“I have you now,” she skimmed her teeth across his chest, biting one of his nipples. “You take such good care of me.”

“Mmmm, you do too,” he sighed, her every touch tailored to exactly what he liked.

“Would you…mind if we tried something?” she looked up at him, her tongue circling his nipple to soothe the pinch of her teeth.

“What did you, ahhh, have in mind?” He asked as she nipped his other nipple between her teeth.

“A few things, actually…but for right now…I’d like to cuff your hands to the headboard…”

“Oh?” He gasped as her tongue encircled his nipple again. “A little role reversal?”

“Just a little,” she grinned, nuzzling his sternum.

“Okay,” he smiled.

She climbed out of bed, his eyes fixed on her naked frame as she went to her pack and pulled out the leather cuffs they’d had since the tadpoled times. They’d been experimenting a bit more with Astarion being submissive, through Tav usually preferred their dynamic of flexible control. He reined in a bit of her chaos and only occasionally had his way with her entirely. They’d just recently used the cuffs their second to last day in Waterdeep, him leaving her tied in bed and teasing her the entire day, before finally letting her come in an a thunderous climax that had gotten them banned from ever staying at the establishment again. This is precisely what she intended to do to him, though in a shorter time frame.

She cuffed him to the bed, kissing him hungrily, her honey already oozing down her thighs. “Gods, look at you,” he sighed, praying she intended to let him taste her. “You already know exactly what you’re going to do to me…don’t you?”

“Mmmmmhmmm,” she joined his eyes at her thighs, her slick skin glistening in the firelight. “Do you want to taste it?”

“More than anything,” he licked his lips. He’d had just a sample of her when he’d fingered her earlier.

She swung her legs around, straddling him in the opposite direction and moved her hips back into his face. He nuzzled his face into her honey greedily, much like when Halsin got ahold of her or a freshly harvested comb. She pulled away slightly, so his tongue could only skim her, letting her own mouth fall upon his wobbling cock. “Mmmhhhhh,” he hummed into her as she moved further away, a thread of her honey dangling between her cunt and his tongue.

“Not too much,” she sucked on the head of his cock, her hands cupping his balls gently. “I’m keeping you here most of the night.”

“Yeah?” He trembled as her mouth engulfed him, the trail of honey falling down onto his chest.

She sucked him hungrily, teasing her juicy cunt just out of his tongue’s reach. Sometimes she would move back just enough that he could take another lick if he strained his neck a little. She’d been clever to restrain him, he’d have pulled her hips back straight into his mouth if he hadn’t been. He grunted softly as he felt the pressure of his climax grow, a tear drop of arousal swinging from her engorged lips. “Please,” he begged, seeing it threatening to drop down onto his torso.

“What?” She looked back at him with a wet grin, her hand slowing around his cock.

“You’re overflowing,” he eyed the glistening drop. “I need it.”

“Just a little,” she moved her hips back, letting his tongue scoop it up and lick a long trail along her entire slit. “Ah ah,” she tutted and moved her hips away. “Are you thirsty?”

“Mmmm,” he nodded. “Your parents’ wine was as terrible as they were.”

“Let me get you something then,” she climbed out of bed, his cock wiggling without her touch.

She retrieved one of his enchanted blood bottles, pouring the magically unclotted liquid into a chalice for him. She brought it to his lips, letting him drink the contents. “Enough?” She asked when he’d finished, licking the viscous fluid from his lips. He nodded as she set the cup down and straddled his upper thighs. His cock wobbled to her like a divining rod. “I was thinking,” she said, letting a large bead of saliva trail off her tongue, waiting patiently for it to meet the head of his cock. “That if this lead is fruitful,” she continued as she began to stroke him again. “We should do a few final roleplays before you are cured.”

“Hmmm,” he grinned. “Like stumbling across you in a dark alley as strangers?”

“Or,” she pulsed her hands around his slick cock, making him grunt again. “You spider-climbed up to the window of a young virgin, who was sitting innocently in bed.”

She felt a little tremor go up his cock at the prospect of that scenario. “I could use a Shrink spell on my cunt…and be so tight for you.”

He groaned at that, the leather cuffs whining against his straining wrists. “Oh fuck, yes,” he moaned. “I’d be…so gentle, mmmm,” he moved his hips with her hand, nearing climax again.

“Not yet, my love,” she moved her hands away, his legs trembling desperately. “Did you have anything in mind you’d like to try?” She hovered over him, teasing her slick cunt against the head of his cock, pre-cum dribbling out of it.

“Tav…” he could barely think, let alone suss out a better scenario than she’d just described. “I need you.”

“I know, my love,” she pressed her slick warmth onto him, laying his throbbing cock against his stomach. “Tell me what else you want to do with me.”

“I want to…mmm,” he moaned as she slowly slid down his shaft, her lips cupping around him slightly. “Hmmmhh, please Tav.”

“I know you can do it,” she whispered, sliding back up him, letting the head of his cock press ever so slightly into her slit. “It will all be worth it, I promise.”

He closed his eyes, searching for an answer for her, needing to be engulfed by her cunt and erupt inside her. “I want to…emmmmfff…pull you onto the ceiling and…ahhhhhhh….fuck you senseless…..upside down….with a mirror under us…so I can…yes…fuck Gods,” he moaned as she finally welcomed him inside her, settling around him without moving.

“I’ll keep going if you will,” she teased, squeezing her pelvic muscles around him.

“Oh fuck….I want to see your body from every…..ghhhhh…angle…and….mmmm…have you floating in the air and fill you with every….errrrrrm fucking drop of my fuckkkkkkkkk ohhh gooooood…” he exploded inside her as she rode his shaft with every word, his vision going dark for a moment and his restraints making the wood of the headboard groan along with him. He’d enjoyed an incalculable amount of pleasure with her, but this was now the pinnacle.

His mind finally returned from whatever plane his climax had sent him to, feeling her quiver and whimper around him as she squeezed out one last little climax along with him. “Can you…hmmm…untie…I need to hold you,” he could barely catch the breath he didn’t even need to take. She reached up to unfasten his wrists, nipping his ear and letting him take ahold of her body when he embraced her. He rolled them to their sides, nestling her against him as tightly as it was comfortable for her. They breathed against one another, the only sound of their silent repose. She eventually stirred a little, leaving tiny kisses over his heart and moving her head up so she could look at him. “This is going to get us banned from another inn, you know,” he smiled, giving her a grateful kiss.

“I know,” she smiled. “I think I heard the headboard crack.”

“It definitely did,” he laughed. “You are…not made for words sometimes. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she nuzzled his nose. “Whether we ever find a cure or not…I’ll love you…forever.”

He spoke the same to her in elven, promising that their souls would always find one another.

“Sooo…would a Shrink Spell…work Iike that?” He blushed.

“In theory,” she grinned. “You’d need quite a bit of blood to maintain a ceiling crawl on me, right?”

“In theory,” he teased.

“I can’t wait to test these theories then,” she kissed him again, as the innkeeper downstairs was already writing a notice to stick on their door.

[stealthnoodle]

More dispatches from my Dark Urge, who is trying her best not to disappoint her girlfriend (I have just kicked off Act 3)

My Dark Urge run almost went a different direction because I thought Karlach's romance was bugged ("can't wait to bang you like a gong tonight," she insinuates, and five long rests later my gong remains unbanged), but I finally ran through everything else going on in my camp and was at long last rewarded.

Lisa Frank got that life-changing piping hot Karlussy and she is being SO GOOD now. She was already trending that way, but now there are no more secret midnight murder nibbles. She's gone cold turkey and wow is her butler sore about it

The sheer number of times he tried to talk me into murdering Isobel was kind of hilarious. "You really want to kill her! ...Now she's all alone, so she would be super easy to murder! ...It's not too late to murder Isobel! ...She's right there, PLEASE, just one little murder? For me?" Sorry, bud, Lisa Frank likes Karlach more than viscera.

And I was STRESSED during the segment when the butler shows up and is like, you didn't kill Isobel? Fine. You're gonna sleep-kill Karlach. I burned some inspiration to make sure I woke her up instead of strangling her and the subsequent scene was absolutely wild. If Lisa Frank couldn't scare Karlach off with the murder-madness and the snarling and the biting, I guess these girls really are endgame! Peace and love on Planet Camp.

(I continue to worry constantly about Scratch and the owlbear cub.)

I'm also very sure now that I was right about the Bhaal connection. Act 2 has a lot of good Dark Urge content and tasty, tasty hints, and I am absolutely going to have a big damn confrontation with Orin in Act 3, yeah? I am HYPE. Lisa Frank will rock that jutilated jarapace.

Unrelated to Dark Urging, I didn't fuck up recruiting Jaheira this time, but having her in my party was buggy as shit. First I somehow aggroed the Harpers during the tower fight and had to run deep into the wilds to get away from them. She never got the Flee option, but I guess they gave up chasing her after everyone else fled? I then had to give the Harpers gifts to talk to them again, because they were all at -40. I am 99% certain I didn't friendly-fire them during the fight. (Miette absolutely friendly-fired their asses and no one got mad at her, but who can stay mad at a perpetually affronted kitty?)

But this was merely the baffling beginning. Everything got turbo-weird at the top of the tower.

Jaheira took up a party member slot but was still attached to Lisa Frank like a summon after I invited her to join permanently, and idk if that's normal but it didn't seem normal. If I tried to go to camp before jumping down the big hole, she yelled at me and then vanished forever, and if I got in a fight with the Death Shepard, there was no way to end the combat without the game crashing. I thought I was being so clever using Invisibility to grab shit and scamper away without triggering the fight, but then I discovered killing Ketheric Thorm ALSO reliably crashed the game. I had to roll back to a save at the top of the tower, tell her to join me, and then send her ass to camp alone.

What a journey we went through together, and then didn't go through together after all.

Speaking of buggy shit: I recruited Minthara by seeing what would happen if I knocked her out in Act 1 instead of killing her, and the answer is that it counted for goblin leader removal purposes and that she turned up in Moonrise Tower in her underwear because I fully looted her unconscious body. I think the game doesn't really want you to do this, because she's sharing a tent with Halsin in a way that doesn't look comfortable or intentional. Or maybe they've got a thing going on, I sure won't judge. Anyway, I have been delighted by her takes on the other party members, especially her casual dismissal of Gale, hahaha.

I expect Act 3 to be a roller coaster, but my first order of business is getting into the city proper so I can blow all my money on fancy clothes and dyes. For two acts I have done my best with what I've been handed, but it's about to get FASHIONABLE up in here. Let us bid a fond farewell to Lisa Frank's Disney Princess era:

[brialavellan]

BG3 Oc Prompt

(Finally did it! Thank you @heyitsharding​ for the prompt! It’s not as complete as I’d like it to be because I’m still building backstory)

Under a cut b/c it’s long

1. Is their name Tav, or do they have a custom name? Any meaning behind that name?

Her name is Moira. She was named by her father to honor his late sister.

2. What’s their culture? 

She’s a half-elf originally from Athkatla, but she’s been away from her city of origin for decades. She spent a few years in Waterdeep attending the bard college there but the vast majority of her life has been in Baldur’s Gate. 

3. What’s their background?

Well, after she graduated, she found employment with a noble doing basic spycraft and other stuff like that for her patron for a few years. After an intrigue went wrong and she ended up almost dying (and killing a few others in self-defense), she fled Waterdeep, finding employment in Beregost as a court herald for the local town, then moving to Baldur’s Gate to be a court herald there. She’s been doing that for a few decades now (she’s 100) 

4. What’s their class? Subclass?

Bard (well, when they add the bard class - she’s a rogue in this playthrough for now)

5. What do they look like? Do you have a favourite pic of them? Share it!

(not a good pic, but I don’t feel like rolling back the new patch to get a better one)

6. Are they a totally new character for this game or are they ported in from another 5e game you play?

Totally new, highly self indulgent creation related to my BG1 and BG2 protag

7. Do they fit on the traditional DnD alignment? If so where?

I guess they’d be close to neutral good. It poses some problems as a court herald because she is supposed to maintain neutrality in the face of injustice sometimes, and what she witnesses sometimes irks her. She has little respect for the nobility.

8. Who is their deity?

They don’t have one. She doesn’t deny the divinity of the gods, but she hasn’t aligned herself to one in particular. It was a minor sticking point with her father, who was a knight in service of Helm and wished to pass that on to her, but he still supported her nonetheless.

9. What’s their favourite spell or ability?

She doesn’t have a particular “favorite” but she does admit sometimes she’ll use a mage hand cantrip when she’s feeling lazy 

10. Who do they get on best with in the party?

She gets along best with Gale and Wyll

11. Who do they not get on with in the party?

She really tries, but she cannot vibe with Lae’zel being so, as she perceives them to be, cold and brutal for literally no reason. Conversely, Lae’zel thinks she is too soft-hearted, naïve and weak

12. Any blossoming romances in the party?

She definitely has a thing for Gale and spent the night with him. She won’t fret if nothing comes of it, but she would be lying if she didn’t hope something more happens between them.

13. Who do they dream of at night?

If they ever used the tadpole, they would dream of an ex-girlfriend they were with for a few years with while they were in Waterdeep, a tiefling warlock named Aisha

14. Do they hail from Baldur’s Gate? Are they proud of where they come from?

They are not from Baldur’s Gate and have no attachment to Athkatla either. Really, they are a nomad at heart. Places are just...places. She cares far more about the people she has made friends with - and she has made a couple of friends in Baldur’s Gate 

15. Do they have any family back home? If so tell me about them?

Both of her parents are deceased and she has no siblings (and is unaware of any living extended family)

16. Do they have any good friends back home? If so tell me about them?

She has her fellow heralds, but she wouldn’t call them close friends

17. Do they have any lovers back home? If so tell me about them?

They’ve been married to their work for quite a while and as they’ve gotten older (they are, in human terms, advanced middle-aged), they’ve become less interested. Well, at least, they were. Gale is the first time anyone piqued her interest for a while

18. Are they engaging with the illithid? Or avoiding contact?

Avoiding all contact at any cost

19. What do they think of the Absolute?

That she sounds like a crock of shit and she has no interest in anything this Absolute offers besides a cure

20. Goblins or Tieflings?

Tieflings

21. Anders or Karlach?

Karlach. She sensed Anders was lying and turned out to be right

22. Combat or Skill checks? If the latter, what is your character’s go-to method of getting their own way?

Primarily skill checks, usually persuasion or deception. She doesn’t like violence and doesn’t seek it out 

23. Did your character pursue any of the possible… cures?

She did look into Nettie helping her out (which failed, obviously) but refused the goblin priestess and Ethel

24. How did they deal with Kagha?

They successfully convinced her to release Arabella (with no save scumming, amazingly!) and while they disagreed with Halsin letting her stay, they didn’t really feel it was their place to question it

25. How did they deal with Auntie Ethel?

Killed her

26. How did they deal with Nettie?

They convinced her to give her the antidote and promised they would drink the poison if they felt the change, which wasn’t hard. She will definitely off herself if she thinks that will come to pass

27. Did they help Barcus Wroot?

Yep

28. Did they help Alfira?

Of course - she is a singer too. The agony of being a creative, she can absolutely relate

29. Did they help Arabella?

They helped save Arabella from Kagha (if that’s what this is asking - I know you can help steal the idol but she wouldn’t help Arabella do that)

30. What’s your favourite sub-quest?

I really like helping the myconids. I just think they’re neat

31. What’s your favourite location so far?

The Underdark. It’s so eerily beautiful yet alien. The one thing I don’t like is switching to party members w/o darkvision b/c then I can’t see

32. Who is your favourite non-party NPC?

Probably a three way tie between Karlach, Halsin and Mol

33. Does your camp have any pets?

Got both the dog and the owlbear cub :D

34. What do you hope will happen for your character in the next act?

I’d like her to find out what the Absolute is 35. What do you hope will happen for your character over the course of the game?

Good things, hopefully!  

(also @teknon​, I hope you enjoy this)