#i love how supportive she is of you as Durge

[princessmelinoe]

She had me in her clutches once before. Promise that you won't let it happen again.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Been thinking about Durge romances and how much I love the companions. Many people love Astarion's response when Durge gets their "kill your lover in their sleep" scene and, fair, that was the point that I unfortunately began to genuinely love the pointy bastard. I do enjoy watching him sass Bhaal. Plus you being the only one he's not afraid of in the world and also "we can compare notes" because he recognises what's happening, yes, yes.

And additional honourable mentions to Lae'zel and Karlach:

Lae'zel threatening to bite you back and informing you that if you don't beat Bhaal you will be fighting her and that will be much worse, topped with the gem of "Not to be maudlin, but I'm glad I didn't gut you."

Karlach asking you not to bite her because trying to eat her flesh will hurt you. also she growls back at you. and asking what the fuck you're talking about when Durge goes into one of their, uh, poetic moods. And parallels: "It's bad. I won't say it isn't. But... I've done worse. Powers beyond our control picked us to do their dirty work - that isn't our fault." I mean Durge has absolutely done worse, but I concede the gist of your argument.

But my favourite variants are these three (in no particular order):

Shadowheart's "Hells, what I wouldn't give for a boring lover sometimes" shortly before scolding you - "no biting!" Bad hellspawn! Bad! Use your words! - It's the middle of the night, she's tired, and she expected something way more fun that this damnit. (also; "She was starting to trust you. The only one she ever has. Pity it's coming to an end." *screaming*)

Wyll reminds us he's the one with the high charisma stat in this party with his pep talks: "The coast would sooner be swallowed whole by the Sea of Swords [before I'd hate you]." - "Rise up, meet its gaze. Show it no fear, and grant it no mercy." - "You are a champion. If this foe demands blood, then tear off its limbs and let it drink its own!" Never been more revved up to punch Bhaal in the face, thank you. And Sceleritas directly compares himself to Mizora and aAhHHHhhhhh-!

And then there's Gale, who clearly has no idea what's happening or what do about it. Get it out of your system, he says, trying his best to be supportive. "This is not good, if I may state the obvious." - "No, no clotting. I like my blood flowing in my veins, thank you most kindly." He would prefer not to die, thank you. 10/10. Durge is way too distracted by this to listen to Bhaal right now.

[velnna]

What's Staeve's relationship with the other companions? Like Halsin, Wyll and Shadowheart? I adore your art and your Tav!

Okay so I was waiting to doodle something but huhhh the staeve x astarion brainrot keeps me from doodling him with the other companions much (HOWEVER I might later I love them all)

Halsin - comfort lover is how I'd put it? Halsin has his whole "I'm not going to keep you to myself" thing going on and Staeve fucks w that. It's like friends with benefits++. They both know what they have isn't on the same level as the Astarion bond but enjoy spending time together if he allows it + Staeve does appreciate the sort of stability and support Halsin can give as a friend (and a lover?)(Staeve has daddy issues). I definitely headcanon Staeve going to him in camp to ask for advice in how to deal with Astarion when he's being difficult to navigate

Wyll - Staeve would have been fascinated by Wyll at first. Initially he probed a lot and was very upfront teasing him because in his world there aren't a lot of righteous, kind people like Wyll. Staeve would have tried to bring out some hypothetical dark side only to be greeted with a dance (which he played along with as well). He did eventually reject Wyll's advances but secretly challenged himself to keep him as a friend. Might fail

Shadowheart - The sort of friends where he'd tease her because he thinks she secretly likes it (she maybe does?). He pressed the wrong buttons sometimes, but the fact that she reminds him of his estranged sister in some ways made him recoil and show a more understanding side. He can be caring if he stops being an idiot sometimes and she vibes w that (I say this because he's one Astarion Disapproves away from being most loved by Shadowheart lol)

Karlach - UNFORTUNATELY he's. Super awkward about Karlach. It went downhill fast after he (and I lol) realised that she doesn't really fuck with petty/sneaky shit, and though she doesn't show it, he doesn't really feel like he can push his luck with her. He's also probably just scared she'd beat him to a pulp. Didnt dare hug her just awkwardly patted her shoulder. That being said I do think he'd respect and admire her to an extent

Gale - Staeve finds Gale extremely amusing but is 100% playing him for magical perks and entertainment. He sorta maybe felt bad about it after Gale threw the buggy fit, so maaaaybe he'd keep him as one of those friends you keep around because they compliment the group, nothing too deeply personal.

Lae'zel - I honestly think they'd be good friends/allies but like an idiot I let her die in act 1 so I'm waiting for my rerun to see if I can tweak my canon

Also Staeve loves withers he sees him as the token grandpa. All of this subject to changes if my next run goes very differently (which it might because durge)

[crossdressingdeath]

Now that I have everyone's responses to the "Durge was an Absolutist leader" reveal, I have thoughts. I think the whole thing works best if you tell the party about you being Bhaalspawn before going to the inauguration, because if you do that they're all like "It's okay, you don't have to be evil, you can fight your father, you have to fight your father" and while some Durges would probably be upset about the repeated insistence that they Mustn't Be Evil it's definitely well-intentioned and they want to support you. And then you get to the inauguration and they're furious about the Absolutist reveal. Which is mostly fair (Shadowheart getting mad at you specifically for not telling anyone when she knows you have amnesia is just a little unreasonable), but it's also like. all that support goes away the second they learn you weren't a good little non-murdery heroic Bhaalspawn like Gorion's Ward. To be fair, their anger and sense of betrayal are understandable, it's a hell of a thing to learn and I get the sense that the party really doesn't grasp just how strong Bhaal's hold on Durge is (I don't think it's a coincidence that Jaheira and Minsc are two of the calmest about the Bhaalspawn reveal or that Jaheira takes the Bhaal's Chosen reveal better than most of the party, they have more experience and so have a better understanding of what being Bhaalspawn actually means, but even they don't as far as I'm aware know about the "literally crafted from Bhaal's divine essence" situation)! I can definitely see why they for the most part react so overwhelmingly negatively, I would too in their position. But at the same time... poor Durge? I mean, they've just learned that they were a leader of the cult that stuck a tadpole in their and most of their friends' heads and is trying to take over the world. While the response to that would vary depending on the Durge, that's a heavy thing to suddenly have to deal with! And then the closest thing to support they get from the party is Minthara and Jaheira saying "Well, you fucked up big time but you can still sort of make up for it" and a couple party members not responding to it at all. The only person in this situation who seems pleased to have them around right now is Gortash.

...I wonder if that's part of the reason why Gortash chooses to reveal all of this here and now in front of the party rather than trying to find a moment to talk to Durge privately. It wouldn't have been hard for him to say "Well, I want to talk to the leader of your group privately and I won't give you any information until I get to do so," make it into some sort of power play or something and then explain the situation once they were alone. It might even have been smarter, since that way the party wouldn't be suspicious of Durge. But instead he spills the beans in front of everyone, driving a wedge between Durge and the rest of the group. The others love Durge enough to stick by them even after the reveal, but Gortash couldn't have known that would be the case when he told them! It doesn't make sense to deliberately cause problems among the party if he wants them working together as a team to deal with Orin for him, but it does make sense if his ultimate goal is to get rid of the rest of the party so he and Durge can rule together as was the original plan. After all, if the group decided they don't want a (former) Absolutist leader around and chase Durge away, where could Durge go other than straight to Gortash?

[yandere-sins]

Ummm... Not a smutty thought, but I was having a thought and I'd like our resident yandere enthusiast's opinion. You know Raphael (BG3)? Well, a huge chunk of the fandom is obsessed with him and I know many people who want to jump his bones. The only issue with that is... he's only attracted to himself. So, you know, I guess I am asking what you think it would be like if Raphael really did get interested in Tav/Durge? Does he try to change them? Does he mansplain and manipulate his way into making himself sound reasonable? How does the savior of the city even react to their very powerful, very creeping admire?

As someone who is, in fact, obsessed with Raphael (he's probably my favorite character, and yes, my taste is that bad, and I am choosing him over Halsin, I'm so sorry ;;), I can only tell you that even in my daydreams with him, I agree that it's probably not 'love' what he harbors for someone else but merely 'interest'. But people have married for less, so why worry, lol. All he wants his object of interest to be is... interesting. That's what we can give him! xD (And yes, I do believe I can fix him, but if we're talking Yandere!Raphael, even I give up, lol)

Also, I am one chapter into a Yandere!Raphael story, and I had to ask myself these questions, too, so you came to the right place >:3

After establishing my credentials, here is what I was going off on as to how Raphael could even be seen getting a darling:

Raphael isn't above chasing someone. Not necessarily for very long, but he does make quite a few attempts before sending you to hell (hehe). That is if you are interesting enough to chase. So you need to have something that will keep him holding onto wanting to chase you, be it strength, power, or my personal favorite (and yes, my delulu is that this is one of the reasons he is so interested in the Tav), no interest in him. And he has Korilla stalk Tav; let's never forget that. So, he can be interested in someone and make them majorly uncomfortable while at it.

As narcissistic as he is, he likes it when you do what he says. I am sure he's not above wanting to be admired(considering he admires himself so much and what his goals are). He's all about someone raving about how amazing he is, and if they prove to be useful, then their soul is twice as valuable to have. There is value in raising and shaping the object you desire into what you want them to be, even if it takes some effort. (The same could be said about Mizora if I think about it...)

Strictly speaking, Raphael has someone akin to a darling: Hope. And he clearly is amused by and keeps tormenting her. I am not usually one to encourage more than one darling, but I am willing to forgo Hope's darling status and say she'd be an excellent support to a darling because she's so optimistic still? Despite the torture, she seemed pretty courageous. She could influence the darling, which, in turn, makes them more interesting again. The principle is: He did it once, nothing is stopping him from doing it again. And clearly, he can be interested in people other than himself. (Not to say that his darling will always have his full attention all the time only on them, but I do see that he'd have a good reason to come back to the House of Hope to check on them because the thought of them lures him back.)

(There are surely more reasons I came up with, but it's been almost three months since I wrote my story, so I honestly can't remember lol...)

As to what he'd do with them... it depends on what the backstory is like. What he wants from his darling and how his darling reacts depends greatly on the situation. There is always the good ol' "boredom" excuse but in such a big world with so many possibilities there can always be a good reason how he comes into possession of his darling and why he keeps them.

In most cases, I think he'd try to break them, use them for his own means, manipulate them into turning away from what they've known/loved and towards worshipping him, or simply want to see their suffering. It's a matter of what kind of interest he has in the darling.

In some research I did (and sorry, I cannot find the source, and it might be wrong since I'm not really into the DnD lore that much), I read that even if cambions are raised only with the "good" parent, they'd still be evil by nature. So yeah. Maybe he just enjoys watching his darling's dreams and hopes be shattered continuously and watching them slowly crawl back to his feet, asking for forgiveness even if they'll try refusing him again the next day. Or maybe he wants them to make a contract with him by all means necessary.

Overall, it's a big game for him. It's fun. Watching you lose the light in your eyes or cave in and do as he says no matter how degrading it is. Raphael just wants to control you and have his way exactly how he wants it, but he doesn't mind breaking down your resistance piece by piece over a certain amount of time until he has you exactly where he wants you to be and how he wants you to be. It makes things more interesting and you more valuable. And the more you struggle, the better, so do your worst.

Hope I could answer some questions! Many of them depended on the scenario we're working with, but I hope you got the gist! I'm so feral normal about Raphael, but I hope I didn't ramble too much, lol.

[animentality]

Not to send you an essay but do you ever think about how Gortash was the only person in the whole game who didn’t want anything from Durge but Durge. Just them, as a person. Like yes he wanted the netherstone, and wanted the alliance. But what I mean is there were no prereqs for Durge as a person. Every other companion, every other NPC even, wanted Durge to either resist and refuse Bhaal or pursue power and claim their birthright. Everyone had their two cents for what Durge should or shouldn’t do irrespective of how Durge actually felt about it. It made any friendship or love offered to them conditional, even in the case of their companions. It was always “I’ll stand by you, IF”. To be fair, not necessarily unreasonable for the normal person to set boundaries on murder and such lol. But my point is that they all wanted something from Durge first.

But Gortash. OF ALL PEOPLE. Gortash didn’t want anything from them but them. Even for Durge’s biggest supporters in either moral direction - Jaheira, Sceleritas, etc - it was not that simple. Yet Gortash’s friendship with Durge (and to be clear I think they were so in love but I say friendship here to emphasise that even on top of or irrespective of any romance, they were genuinely friends too!) was unconditional. “This changes nothing” is a line I know we all talk about to death but god. That is genuinely unconditional. It is!

(If we want to push the delusion a bit further, that’s a declaration of the unconditional nature of their alliance, which can be chalked up to nothing less than real and honest love as far as I’m concerned. He has no other reason to not care that Durge just said yeah the entire divine commandment part of this mission is in the pot. But Gortash was like I Do Not Care! And he meant it! “Oh yes incomprehensibly powerful beings came to us in our dreams and asked us to do all of this in their names in the first place, and you just pissed on that, but no biggie!” Same short-tempered petty bastard who kicks you hard in the shin with his metal-toe boot if you accidentally hit him. Who straight up attacks you if you show up to his office without any of the netherstones and say you forgot them or whatever. Guy who just kills you if you GIVE HIM THE STONES LOL. But he doesn’t care even slightly that Durge said fuck off to the lord of murder who ordered this whole plot to start? Doesn’t yell, doesn’t ask Durge what were they thinking, just goes oh ok. He makes me insane btw)

I’m also painfully aware that Durge will never find that kind of unconditional support with anyone else, ever. I just feel like this would haunt my resistance Durge for the rest of his days tbh.

(And like. My resistance Durge loves Jaheira, she’s the parent he never had and she means the world to him post-canon, he follows her around like a lost puppy because ultimately he is one but I have to wonder if he would lie awake at night with the niggling thought that maybe what he has with Jaheira would not survive if he acted any other way. Plus the thought that Gortash knew him at his absolute worst, and loved him anyway. And maybe that wasn’t a GOOD thing, morally - a GOOD person shouldn’t have loved him like that, right? - but he loved him anyway. I don’t think my Durge would ever ever get over it. Especially with the fact that he can’t even remember 99% of their relationship. Gortash can’t ACTUALLY haunt Durge cause Bane is busy using his soul as a stress ball but in every metaphorical way. Durge is haunted.)

Tldr Gortash is the guy who says “just be yourself <3” and I think that’s beautiful

You know, you hit the nail on the head.

Of course it's not unreasonable to expect your friends and lovers to stipulate, that they will only love you as long as you don't go on a murderous rampage.

That's totally reasonable, that's normal, I agree with it on principle.

But. But.

As you said.

Gortash loved you even when you went on a murderous rampage.

I am obsessed with him, because he loved the dark urge without reservation, believing in their ability to control their urge, but also admiring their intelligence and their talents.

He knew what they were from the start, and he accepted it!

And he could still love them!

I just don't think anyone else in the entire goddamn game could say that!

And that's why I'm obsessed with Durgetash.

You get me.

It's about loving someone for who they are, and not what they are to you.

They were never just the Chosen of Bhaal, whom he must work with, not to him.

Never.

They were never the Bhaalspawn, the savage dark urge, the scourge of Faerun.

They were themselves. And he liked that.

Guys, he LIKED them.

[josnhoes]

which of the self aware bg3 characters do you think would be the most romantically interested in reader?

As we know all the companions are thirsty Lil gremlins. So the option is all of them. Save Tav and Durge for the simple reason of wanting to keep them as bland as possible so people can put in their Tavs and Durges. But like if you want them to have a mommy kink hit them up too I guess lol.

Some little things on each main companion in order of thirstiest to less thirsty.

Gale is the most thirsty. Simply because you are kind to him. Even when the truth comes out you support him and do your best to see him happy. Even if you can be a little mean about his use of 'fancy' words. He'd say stop calling him your thesaurus but you say it so fondly he can't deny it makes his face heat up a little.

Wyll and Karlach tie.

Karlach loves how different from everyone you are. Given your story that's no surprise but you kept hyping her up. Even as she was on literal fire you were confident that the group would help her. She fell a little harder when she found out from a few people that you'd been looking into fire protectant armor or enchantments so you could hug her with out her fearing for your safety.

Wyll loves how warm you are. When he got changed you sought him out despite the party. You reminded him that not o ly does a pair of horns dictate who he was, but that no matter the form he took human or tiefling that there would always be those who would dislike him. You reminded him that his appearance was not as important as his actions. With a little bonus of now he had a whole new group to inspire and motioned to the tiefling kids. When you speak to him like that how could his heart not open to you?

Astarion takes a long time to fall but not as long as Lae'zel. It's not a single moment that makes him realize it either. It's an accumulation of little things. The playful yet kind behaivor. The way you look after him even after you know what he was. And a little bit the way when he confessed his vampirism that you just were surprised and asked, "That was a secret?" Okay he hated that moment but he gets a good laugh of it now. You treat him not only as a person with his own say in things, but as an equal. He loves it. It was about time *he* got kindness so why shouldn't he indulge.

Shadowheart loves the way you respect her. You never push nor prod for answers to things but leave the door open for her to tell you things when or if she does. Though she can see how badly you want to know her more. It was sweet. Though she has banned you from alcohol after the time you accidently got drunk and proudly called her Shart. Never again.

Halsin would be higher on the list if it weren't for the fact he is scared to act on those feelings far longer. He wants you, he wants you to look at him the way you marvel at nature and cities alike. But he fears a couple of things, at first it's the fact that no one really thinks you're all there in the head himself in the start as well. It would be *wrong* to take advantage of you. Then once the truth is revealed he fears loving you only to loose you if you get sent home. The fear of loss makes him keep a distance. Maybe someday he'll be brave, welcome the chance Silvanus had given him bring you to him.

Lae'zel was completely and utterly disinterested for the longest time. You were like a newborn fawn. Unless, weak, not an ounce of a threat to anyone aside maybe bumping into to someone. You were touched in the head. Then you grew on her. You despite having no clue how fought. You acted fast in battle to protect the others and even sometimes herself. You were surprisingly perceptive of the battlefield. It was that potential that drew her to you. Now she doesn't love you in the traditional sense. There is no plan of a happy ending. But there is a fondness of sorts, and potential for a few intense nights.

[songofsoma]

bound to me

kinktober day 19: bondage

featuring @ladiemars's durge ronin <3

pairing: shadowheart x f!tav words: 1,144 rating: explicit

read it on ao3

Ronin always tried so hard to be good.

She spent every waking moment trying to be better than the horrible urges that overtook her mind. Hells, she was crafted by the Murder God himself like some sort of fucked up puppet. All she wanted in life was to be good.

It was so damn hard when her lover looked this delectable bound and spread open just for her.

Ronin ran her fingers over Shadowheart’s pale inner thighs, lingering on the places where rope bit into the plush skin, basking in the way she trembled with the lightest of touches.

Her legs were tied so they were forced to be bent and spread, wrists bound together and behind her back. The cleric was completely at her mercy.  

At first, Ronin had wanted to use something softer to tie up her partner. The thought of the roughness of the rope rubbing her perfect skin made her cringe. Shadowheart had insisted, shoving the rope from their packs into her hands. She probably would have tied herself up if she could judging by her eagerness.

She was usually so supportive in quenching Ronin’s vicious urges. But when she had described the dream she had where Shadowheart was tied down and used like own personal plaything, green eyes had blown black as she crashed into a kiss that was more teeth and lips. 

“I want to be helpless to your touch.” Shadowheart had murmured into her ear. “I want you to use me, please.”

Ronin’s cunt still ached at the breathiness of her words. 

Her hand must’ve developed a mind of its own as she fantasized about how they even ended up in this situation, for it fell to the apex of Shadowheart’s thighs. 

She stroked the length of her cunt, watching as her fingers parted the dewy folds. Shadowheart was so wet already and all Ronin had done was tie her up.

When their eyes met, Shadowheart’s lips were parted and her gaze hazy with arousal. 

“You like this?” Ronin purred, but to her, it sounded like someone else. It was as if she was outside her body. “You like being bound and helpless? I could lose control at any moment and you could do nothing to stop whatever came about.”

It only prompted a whine and a pathetic attempt at bucking her hips for more. 

Ronin felt herself grin around teeth that suddenly felt sharp in her gums. Like she could bite down and tear the woman below her apart with just her teeth. She wouldn’t go that far, of course, but a little biting never hurt anyone. 

She bent down, hands pulling Shadowheart’s hips into the air so her mouth could connect faster. Ronin’s tongue dragged sloppy lines over creamy thighs. The salt of her sweat danced on her tongue. She loved the taste of her flesh and the scent of her musk penetrating her senses. Ronin bet she could get drunk on it. 

Finally, she bit down. Not hard enough to draw blood, but enough that left the indents of her teeth when she pulled back. Shadowheart gasped and squirmed in her grasp—not to get away, but to get closer.

“You sick freak,” Ronin’s laugh rumbled low.

Shadowheart went to make a smart quip but was cut off as teeth sank into the opposite thigh. 

Her tongue soothed the angry marks left behind. They would fade. Hopefully, they would bruise so Ronin could look at them the next time she went down on her lover. 

While her mouth worked Shadowheart’s thighs, her finger slowly circled her clit. It was just enough pressure that it made her breath turn uneven, though not fast enough to truly build any mounting pleasure. 

“Ronin—” The plea was brief. Ronin knew what she yearned for. “Ronin, please.”

She said nothing, choosing to listen to Shadowheart beg instead. And still, she kept that same maddening pace. 

Shadowheart groaned in frustration. “I’m begging you—”

“Then beg.”

Half-lidded eyes widened a fraction. 

“I can make you come like this…eventually. Or you can beg for me to fuck you.” she snarled, the hand holding a leg squeezed hard. 

“By the gods, Ronin,” she whined.

“You wanted this. You wanted me to tie you up and fuck you however I wanted. If you want something, beg for it.” It was a matter-of-fact statement. There was no wiggle room in her words. 

She huffed and closed her eyes, apparently weighing her options. It wasn’t like there was much she could do. Her hands were, quite literally, tied. 

Ronin chuckled and opted to catch her off-guard by slipping a finger inside her to the knuckle. Shadowheart gasped, eyes flying open. But that was the most she would get besides the slow, drawn-out thrust of her single finger. “It’s a shame too because your pussy looks so pretty around my finger.”

Shadowheart shuddered and tried to arch her back, tried to search for more. She found nothing but the ropes biting into her skin. “Dark Lady forgive me, Ronin please!”

She didn’t respond.

“Please fuck me harder. Please use me like I want you to. Please just fuck me—oh!”

Ronin pressed Shadowheart hard into the cot as she added another finger, giving her no time to adjust to the brutal pace she set. Her arm thrust wildly, fingers crooked inside her as she drew moans from her partner’s lips. 

Ronin fucked her hard, only slowing to push a third finger into her cunt which earned her a strangled cry at feeling so utterly full. She wanted to live inside Shadowheart. She would if it were possible. Truthfully, a life with her hand permanently inside her cunt sounded like a good one. 

She could feel Shadowheart tightening around her. 

Even when her face screwed up in pleasure and her bound body trembled around her, she didn’t stop. Ronin was suddenly ravenous for Shadowheart’s pleasure. She couldn’t bring herself to quit even as she begged for her to slow down.

The noises her fingers thrusting into the wetness of her cunt were delicious. She could hear how much Shadowheart wanted her. 

Soon, the vicious rhythm made Shadowheart cry out wildly as a gush of fluid erupted around Ronin’s hand, soaking her chest and abs. Only then did she stop.

Her eyes floated back and forth to the mess that was Shadowheart and the nectar running over the muscles of her forearm.

“I’ve never,” she gasped and took a large breath, trying to steady herself. “I’ve never done that before.”

Ronin grinned that same wicked grin, wiping her wet hand down the front of Shadowheart’s body as slowly lowered herself down. “Well now, I’m going to have to clean up the mess you made. You know how I hate a mess.” And gods, did she enjoy the moan that echoed through the room when her tongue swept through those soaked folds. 

[sadko101]

unpopular opinion: all bg3 origin ships are great (and as platonic too)

gale x astarion: "enemies" to lovers they have great chemistry and has plenty of room for fluff and angst, plenty has been said about them i dont think i have much else to say.

wyll x gale: theirs plenty of danger in being the blade of fronteirs/avernus and we all know what gale is into. also they are two of the more good leaning characters. + gale is very "being a warlock sounds rough" and wyll is "that man is wayyy to faithful i dont want him to blow himself up". dancer x man with poor knees. (i could yap for ever i love them)

karlach x wyll: PERFECT, their stories intertwine while they have this unyielding care for each other. both platonically and romantically this ship is amazing! i just have no words for how good it is

karlach x shadowheart: karlach calling her shads is adorable and shadowheart is just straight up smitting for karlach the moment they meet. also when you play as origin shadowheart karlach is super sweet about the hairchange i love them.

gale x laezel: good leaning frail human wizard x GITHYANKI WARRIOR. theyre conversations are amazing with a mutual sense of curiosity for each others past and possible future. laezel falling for somone as soft as gale as well. ugh its soo good.

laezel x shadowheart: NOW THIS! its the true enemies to lovers of bg3. kinda "toxic yuri" in the begining but as the story goes on and laezel rebels against vlakith and shart against shar theres a real parrelel to there stories and a sort of understanding that they can find in each other.

gale x shadowheart: an intresting dynamic given them both being incredibly faithful to two gods who arent super fond of each other... as shadowheart strays from shar she encorages gale to relise the power mystra had over him, just a lot of support and love for each other is what im imagining. (definitly a ship thats develoupment focused)

karlach x laezel: now i havent had both of them in my team much, but the dynamic feels close to "grumpy x sunshine" laezel really opening up and being nice over time while karlach is open and happy from the begining.

karlach x gale: wizard x barbarion, (also "idoit" x genuis) is just great, gale and his magic could probably help to cool karlach down temporarly! i hc them both as autistc and i like nd x nd ships. also if you let gale ascend to godhood (loser) and play as karlach he can actually fix her engine heart which adds a sweet motivation to his godhood.

karlach x astarion: now i love these two platonically but i also love them romantically. astarion is enthusastic about recruiting karlach and comments about supporting her. he jokes abouthow strong she is which is cute. if youve ever played karlach origin and romance astarion they have a sweet scene together.

wyll x astarion: monster hunter x monster, wyll loves to tease astarion but he cares about him. he has faith in astarion to be a better person and its just MWAH. astarion is a bit of a simp for wyll (me too) he is very nice about the horns in wylls origin too (i love them)

wyll x shadowheart: they tease each other in a super endearing way. they kinda immideitly clicked and i know that wyll would support shadowheart through her whole crisis and shadowheart will help wyll in his self sacrafising tenancies (these little shits reciting porn together at the docks)

shadowheart x astarion: these two could be evil together, but they also could help each other heal and become better people

laezel x astarion: theyre very differnt views of love and affection. i think laezel would help astarion in his journy of reclaiming his own sexuality. (i need to think about these two more)

durge x anyone is great

i speedran typing this sorry for plethera of spelling erros

[kiivg]

Ketheric redemption lets GOOOOO!! Had the same thoughts because the idea of camp grandpa is so silly to me hehehe

.Ngl, the first conscious BG3 thing I had in my mind was could I kiss him hahaha, then I found out he was evil, and thus unsaveable, and I was just so sad, rip. Genuinely so disappointed, but at least Tristan is heavy proficient in persuasion, so I could see that little soft moment where he surrenders, mwah kisses. Also the bit when he falls into the ugh brine goop pit idk, big feelings for rushing forward to save him and watching him fall anyway. Idk if that happens without his surrender? Since I persuade him as Tristan and intimidated him as a Durge.

.On a technical idea though, you'd save him from Dame Aylin, pass a few checks or something, she'd brand you a traitor, vow to destroy you when you next meet, and she'd fly off with Isobel. Ketheric, with no other option (since you've already pried the netherstone from his chest) accepts your invitation to join, or he gives you the netherstone in surrender, and you recruit him. Pretty much everyone would disapprove, maybe not Astarion (Ketheric gives an advantage on Elder Brain command/knowledge) or Lae'zel (military tactics etc etc.). Dame Aylin and Isobel aren't seen again until maybe she gets kidnapped by Lorroakan? Idk. I haven't got a clue as to an Act 3 quest for him, but I think he'd have a similar affliction to Art Cullagh, and Ketheric would pretty much be on borrowed time.

.I think if you want an angsty Ketheric bound backstory, definitely go for like a Selune cleric who knew him prior to the whole shadow-curse, and watched him slowly descend info grief and be unable to do anything to stop it. Maybe you knew his wife before she died, maybe you helped raise Isobel as a child, was at his side each night as he wept over their deaths. Maybe you loved him and let him grow without you, and begged him in his grief to stop, and maybe he just couldn't turn away from a family who was just as much yours as his. Maybe he resented you for a time, because how could you not support him in this? In his trials to regain what was stolen from him, stolen from you both, how could you not feel the agony that tore him apart night after night, how could you simply sit and watch as he lost everything he had ever loved?.

.Either way, I think Tristan would write him a song or two, and it's a tenday to Baldur's Gate, weather permitting.

[kelandrin]

Hello! I’m Atlas (any pronouns are fine). This is my bg3 blog. It is 18+ so minors DNI. I like pretty much every ship and will reblog most content. I am always interested in how other people interpret characters and parts of the game, even if those interpretations don’t make it into my own head canons. Slowly putting together a list of my Tavs and Durges! I also post daily Tav Questions. All my dividers are by @cafekitsune !

Jan 22-29 Strike for Palestine: I am refraining from participating in the economy for the strike this week. If you cannot stop going to work or school, check out other ways you can strike by checking out this post here. More ways to support the victims here. Animal rescue donations here.

Ask Games

Tav Ask Game and Durge Ask Game. Not-so-nice Ask Game.

You can also send me your favorite pairing and I will say my favorite thing about it (you can also request my least favorite thing) tag: #multiship ask

You can submit your own Tav Questions!

Send me your Tav details and I will tell you how my Tavs would react to them!

Fic Masterlist

BG3 Character Profiles

Atlas - (he/him) Tiefling Paladin who is romancing Wyll. He can be a touch ornery but ultimately a good person. He was raised by a warlock on a farm on the edge of Rivington.

Kelandrin - (he/him) Drow Durge Paladin who is romancing Astarion. He is very evil, obsessive, and has a skewed concept of “love.” The only form of love he knows is religious submission.

Mavrin - (he/they) Half-Elf Durge Sorcerer who is romancing Gale. He is very troubled by his urge and hates feeling out of control of his body and mind.

Kalan - (he/they) Drow/elf ranger who is romancing Halsin. Says he doesn’t have a daddy complex but like…

Xyrra - (she/they/he) Lythari druid in lore but just plain elf druid in game. Romancing Shadowheart but it hard since Xyrra shapeshifts into a wolf.

Natlia - (she/her) Tiefling sorcerer/bard who is romancing Karlach. She starts off with a cynical streak because her fiancée was murdered and the Flaming Fist didn’t do jack to find his killer. She learns to move forwards over the course of the game.

Livna - (she/her) Drow durge monk who is romancing Lae’zel. She is looking for her next physical high all the time.

Vald - (he/him) Drow durge hexblade warlock who is romancing Minthara. He is very loyal by nature and easily molded by more dominant personalities.

Mutuals & Their Tavs

🚧 ⚠️ 🏗️ Sorry in advance if I missed anyone some people show up as following only on one blog etc. just @ me if I messed up or if I have any wrong tav info!

@tavsboots Velric - (he/him) Tiefling Fighter/warlock who is romancing Astarion and has the most beautiful beard. I'm sorry he was a PIRATE??? That is sick as hell.

@koalamatcha Crozier - (he/him) A "jaded" half-elf who romanced Astarion and I am told he is quite handsome!

@the-real-housewives-of-waterdeep Dulcinea Gohar Selemchant - (she/her) A human wizard turned fighter. The world's most beautiful rich girl. She is gorgeous and knows how to work a ballroom.

@desperatewomenenjoyer Durik/Дурик - (she/her) a drow bard who is romancing Minthara. She went from a pretty nice person (if you ignore what she did in the grove) to pretty jaded and manipulative over the course of the story. Love that for her.

@baldurspeen69420 Izra - (she/her) A githyanki monk who super duper promises she isn't questioning her queen.

Sophie - (she/her) If one more person calls her ugly I am letting Gale nuke the city. She is a half-orc and the prettiest girl at the party as far as I'm concerned!

@punk-muffins Daemys Daezorwyn - (she/her) She was raised in a monastery and trained to be a monk, later picking up fighter skills as well. She is romancing Gale.

@ellekhen Church - (he/him) A tiefling warlock who is romancing Astarion. You gotta check out ElleKhen's fanfiction!

@phoenixspencer Arali - (she/her) A tiefling who grew up in Baldur’s gate. She romanced Astarion!

Calryn - (he/him) A lolth sworn bloodhunter durge who is romancing Astarion. Very handsome.

@thecrowandtheraven08 Cassian - (they/them) A lolth sworn cleric who the more I learn about the sadder I get :( Recently learned what happened to their fiance. They are romancing Astarion and Halsin and I hope they get healed and cherished.

@spacebarbarianweird Tyreal - (she/her) is a half-elf barbarian who is romancing Astarion. They have a dhampir daughter together named Alethaine!

@primal-savagery Velvela - (she/her) A drow druid/fighter/cleric who is romancing Astarion. She is super pretty!

@taras-toe-beans Izzrhys - (he/him) A drow oath of devotion paladin. He is kinda messed up from the drow matriarchy which is honestly fair. He is paried with Gale!

Aratris - (they/them) A half-wood elf circle of the moon druid who spends a lot of time as an owlbear.

Leoryn - (they/them) A high elf lore college bard.

Talaak - (she/her) A durge silver dragonborn storm sorcerer.

Aesir - (they/them) A half high elf thief subclass rogue who was a preexisting dnd character!

Tag Guide

Special tags I use that aren’t common

#tavspawn - any posts featuring kids of tavs or canon characters

#bloodpact - wyllstarion ship name

#all the gods we cannot save - my large fic project for the supernatural/urban fantasy au

Dumb Discourse Disclaimer

Anything where anyone says another person’s interpretation of a character is wrong. I just like seeing people be happy. Sometimes someone else’s happiness includes reading a character differently than you do. This includes but isn’t limited to: spawn batstarion, transcharacter readings, autistic character readings, tavxorigin children, straight people, lesbians, asexual astarion, sexual astarion, tavxraphael, top raphael, dad gale, women, things contrary to “canon”, and that ship you find annoying.

[bloodycyrano]

In reference to my previous post, Here's team tadpole and their relationship with Gales kids.

Lae'zel: She will swear she doesn't like kids until she's blue in the face, and even request that they don't call her their Aunt, but if she hears one other little bastard kid is being mean to them? All bets are off. She's teaching these children the art of war- And she's only stopping at that because Gale and Karlach said she's not allowed to hit someone else's kid.- If you keep the Githyanki egg and Lae’zel raises the gith child at the end of your playthrough, the kids will play together.

Astarion: Is 100% teaching these kids bad words and how to pickpocket. He's surprisingly great with kids, even though he pretends not to like them much. He's secretly jealous that the kids call him "Mister Astarion" and not "Uncle Astarion", even though he's heard them refer Wyll, Halsin, Karlach, and even Shadowheart as Aunts and uncles.

Wyll: Wyll fuckin adores these kids. He and Karlach visit Gale regularly to check in on him and the little ones. The only issue is that when Durge and Astarion are visiting at the same time as Wyll, they're much more.. Mischievous. Don't ask for sugar in your tea, because it HAS been swapped with salt.

Karlach: Karlach is so fucking proud of Gale, and she wastes absolutely no time beaming about it, either. She loves the kids, she loves having extra excuses to visit, and she's just all around so happy that things worked out well and now she's got two little kiddos to spoil rotten if Gale lets her.- She cannot be allowed to go shopping with the kids, because she'll get them absolutely anything they ask for.

Durge: Durge has never really liked kids, but they can sympathize with any emotional or sensory issues they might have. Durge isn't particularly maternal/paternal in any way shape or form, but they are begrudgingly good with kids. They're proud of Gale, and as the kids get older, they do get much more protective. They also make sure the kids know the absolute most vulgar insults known to man should they need to use them, and if they ever have problems with their gender identity, durge knows first hand how to help and support them through it. (I headcannon durge to be nonbinary). Durge would kill for these kids, and isn't afraid to answer weird or morbid questions about death or how the world works.- Unfortunately, Gale did have to ban discussions about the decomposition process at the dinner table.

Shadowheart: Wine aunt. Shadowheart is a wine aunt, and apparently has experienced identity crisis hard enough to lift black hair to white overnight. Cool aunt Shadowheart is 100% prepared to take those kids out for some pampering and bring them back home with a new outlook on life. As much as Gale loves the rest of team tadpole, Shadowheart or Durge are the two he calls when his kids are having some big feelings he doesn't know how to help with.

[wufflesvetinari]

finished with dorothea's run 😭😭😭 pictured: space-skyping from the space war (also got a Meaningful Haircut after fighting orin)

stuff and things:

she quickly agreed to give orpheus his honorable death, but the animation showed she took no joy in doing so--i really like that as a symbolic ending for a redeemed durge who hasn't eschewed violence/her talent for violence, but now wields it intentionally and without glee (or at least, like. a manageable amount of glee)

i'm INSANE about lae'zel calling herself the Comet. in our last run she stayed in faerun, which is a super sweet ending for her also and i like them both about equally, but i am just. so proud of her as the Literal Savior Of Her People in this one 😭

also it's really nice that after however many months of lae'zel trying to keep dorothea out of trouble/generally supporting her through her drama, dorothea is now happily playing second fiddle to her king arthur wife. and they made each other better the whole way through

also i feel like the Space War ending really jives with withers' comment that there's no true rest for someone like durge. she's out there mercilessly decapitating evil regimes but it'll be a long time before she is able to just like. Go Home.

which makes shadowheart's ending such a nice contrast!! last time she moted her parents, and i was not prepared for how much more i like her ending with them alive. the cottage! the bazillion animals! the dad jokes. fucking hysterical that she's trying these out on dorothea the bard. it's so cute to imagine her like "oh, i know who likes puns!!! she'll be so proud of me!!!!"

astarion's non-romanced adventurer ending is so good. he told dorothea he was proud of her!! and had a conversation about defining his own future in a way that, as always with him, parallels with resistant durge very well

karlach was maybe a bit bugged here; we left on the dragons so i guess she went to avernus off-screen? didn't step out of the party portal with wyll and they didn’t talk about each other lol. but i went and did the non-space-war ending, just to compare, and holy shit the theme arrangement that plays when she's down there with him is such a banger

i do agree that durge is just...hooked into the plot and themes better than tav is. there's pros and cons there, because it's nice to freeform imagine your own tav (i love lash so much and am glad i started with her) but durge's writing does so much more integration for you

hypothetically, my next effort would be finishing my astarion origin. even more hypothetically, i want to be a tiny evil bastard gnome who romances minthara, and do a lae'zel origin. but there are only so many hours in my life

[enduringmoth]

If it’s not too much to ask and if u weren’t already planning on it, I’d love to hear that secondary post about the consequences of the party’s actions regarding Durge’s reveal 👀👀 the first post rly resonated with me and honestly I’m a little obsessed with the idea of what drastic actions a redeemed!urge might take in the face of rejection,,, it was a rly interesting read nonetheless!

hello there!! i'm happy to talk a little more about it, absolutely! ^^

for those who didn't peep at the tags of my last post, in which i discussed how painful it must be to a seeking-redemption durge to be so heavily rejected by the party, i wrote in the tags:

this might not be exactly what you were looking for but i will do my best!

at the absolute least, i believe the minimum consequences of this interaction involve durge shutting down and withdrawing from most of the group. thinking in particular of my seeking-redemption durge, asha, she carries guilt interwoven with resentment -- she knows she has done wrong and that she deserves to bare the brunt of their rage, but she is also so furious with the idea that these people do not know how much she has done for them since waking up in that pod.

how many urges has she squashed? how many easy kills has she passed up on? does anyone other than gale (her romance interest) even begin to comprehend how painful it was to resist killing isobel, killing gale himself, and yet she did it anyway? because it was the right thing to do?

and yet here, when they all learn the truth -- durge included! they have fucking amnesia! -- it's almost like not a soul left there cares that they've clawed and fought and bled for the entire party at every point.

i think a lot about the dialogue durge has with astarion the morning after realizing they're a bhaalspawn. of all of the companions, he is the only person to realize something is wrong from minute one, and he asks about their sleep and their weights they carry. he then proceeds to empathize with durge, saying they are alike, and that he believes they will succeed.

and yet it seems no one else in the party feels the same, and that has to be agonizingly isolating for durge.

now, onto gortash.

at this point in act 3, the durge has (likely) found the prayer for forgiveness in balthazar's lab in act 2. this scrap of their past lets them know enver gortash was a source of tension in their following of bhaal, enough that they are begging for forgiveness from their father over their admiration and fondness for him.

for us durgetash enjoyers, this is a romantic entanglement. for those who do not see their relationship as romantic, it's still a clear platonic attachment for durge that shook their faith in bhaal's plans.

the people who have traveled with the durge for weeks are (seemingly) regretting that decision, and blaming them for things they cannot recall doing. enver gortash greets them like a friend, offers them a metaphorical and literal hand, reaching out to them when others are pulling away.

at minimum, it creates tension. gortash is "bad" and their party members are "good", right? certainly the durge cannot go on to support gortash in damning the world when that's the "wrong" thing to do -- right?

and yet.

if even those who the durge may have started to believe should be able to understand and accept them, due to having similar-enough struggles in their own past with domineering patrons/gods/masters -- if even they cannot understand, what hope is there for anyone else in the world besides enver gortash offering them that same acceptance?

why save a world that cannot and will not open its arms to you?

thusly, the next step is for the durge to minimum consider what gortash is offering. for me, the durge is most likely to kill orin before gortash anyway, so the first steps here are simple.

depending on how the party continues to respond, the wedge may deepen or back out. depending on how the durge continues to be exposed to enver gortash, they may be more drawn into him or pushed away.

another step up (or down, as it were) would involve who orin kidnaps. we know that she may take gale, halsin or lae'zel, or take the child, yenna.

a particularly bitter durge might let them die. why waste their breath on someone who could not find it in their heart to forgive them?

we proceed apace. i know it's (huge spoilers ahead) canon that gortash is slain by the netherbrain. but if we pretend that that can be avoided one way or another, i believe the second-to-most-nuclear option here is the durge taking over the world with gortash as he originally suggested. in turn, choosing to reject redemption (largely, considering they are still sparing gortash and bhaal wants everyone dead) purely because the party could not see them as redeemable.

(and let's not even get STARTED on how this would involve killing astarion too, the one party member who even got close to seeing her, because the pain drowned out his love too entirely.)

the most nuclear, of course, would be the durge deciding they could not even trust gortash, and instead killing him and embracing bhaal entirely, drowning the entire world in blood as bhaal would have wanted.

now, the bittersweet twist on all of this would be something of a happy ending with a redeemed gortash twist, as so many of us love. perhaps the wedge drives them closer to gortash, but along the way the party is able to prove their willingness to support and accept the durge. but now durge is tangled up in enver, and the only path forward, it seems, is to attempt to free both the chosen of bhaal and the chosen of bane from their masters.

(essentially the consequences of their semi-betrayal being that durge gets in too deep with gortash and they (read: karlach, mostly) have to accept that, but they all live happily ever after because the power of friendship yadda yadda-- my durgetash brain needs a crumb of fluff now and then.)

anyway, this is as disjointed as my sanity but i do hope you got some enjoyment out of it!

[all-pacas]

So I was thinking of writing a sad story where Durge is going to the Temple of Bhaal and knows they will probably not make it back, because even if they kill Orin, they're planning on rejecting Bhaal if possible. And that's just a lose-lose. And they don't want to put their loved ones through that, through that kind of helplessness of seeing them die, probably horribly, with no recourse. How do you avenge someone against a god?

So they decide to sneak off alone. Do the heroic sacrifice thing. Spare their lover, their friends. And at first I thought, maybe they'd ask Jaheira or Minsc for advice. Maybe even moral support. Not because they don't care about Jaheira, but because she's more familiar with Bhaalspawn, with the risks, with what Durge is about to walk into. Surely she can offer some wisom and suport. She understands the need to do hard things. To do hard things alone. A nice idea, I thought.

But then I realized:

There is no way in hell Jaheira would support this plan.

Not when her husband died, alone and tortured and scared. Not when she never got to say goodbye, never got to see him, never knew his last moments: only found his body, mutilated beyond resurrection. Would being with him have saved him? No. But she will never know if he cried out for her, if he wished for her in those moments. As terrible as it would have been to see, she will never know how or when he died, she was never able to offer what comfort or defiance she could. He just died, and she found out in the worst possible way. She found his body. There were no last words. She hadn't even known he'd died. You can't tell me that she wishes that, at the very least, she could have been there. If he had to die in pain and fear, at least he wouldn't have died alone.

Making hard decisions is one thing, but the cruelty of keeping the ones who love you in the dark? Subjecting yourself to this alone, not trusting them with your pain and fear? There's no way Jaheira would support Durge pretending a heroic sacrifice is noble in this way, just because they're afraid of what their loved one thinks. Death isn't just about the one who dies: it's about the ones left behind.

[vibingandsimping]

I see you write for skyrim are you interested in crossovers? If so can I tell you my ideas for TES dragonborn coming ov3r to Baldur's Gate and Gortash being interested in her not only for her power but old strings still attached. Maybe she stood against him and he saw her as an equal. Or what about a daedric prince such as Molag Bal trying to invade BG3 because he failed to cross over from Oblivion to Skyrim. Or what about something like the Dark brotherhood in BG3? What about moral conflicted Tav/DB who joined the DB when she was in Skyrim and Gortash finding out then him trying to encourage the darkness in her especially if she's the listener? So she's already prone to hearing the evil whispers of the Night Mother, commanding her assassinations. Gortash would find her ability to shout and control dragons very useful.

Crossovers are definitely an interesting concept! Would be willing to write for them more.

The idea of Durge and being a listener would be… interesting. You’re already serving the purpose as an assassin pre-tadpole as durge. Durge who becomes the listener when the two worlds collide. The Night Mother taking a shining to their ruthless and sadistic nature. Or perhaps a listener who Bhaal takes a liking to? They end up worshipping Bhaal alongside The Night Mother.

Gortash would definitely take an interest in a dragonborn Tav. Previously, Githyanki are the only ones with an affinity to tame dragons and command them. Someone with the natural born ability to not only command them but imitate them? You are truly a force to be reckoned with. He’d want you by his side, Dark Brotherhood or not, promising you anything to get you there. He’ll find a way to return you home, assure you a seat in luxury… whatever it takes. However if he’s telling the truth at all is up for debate. There may be something in his words besides false lies disguised. The praise he sings with his tongue on your strength and his fascination is true. He’d love to see how you worked as a being from another dimension. How did you get to this realm?

Molag Bal invading with you. You’re unbeknownst to it at first- seemingly caught up in this strange world. He followed suite- perhaps the reason you’re here in the first place. You smell trouble when you sense his presence and you knew this would only complicate things. One of the daedric princes always meant something nasty (even if you sold your soul to one or more). Power came corruption.

I also think Orin and Withers would be quite interested in you. Orin, for reasons similar to Gortash, regarding your power and capabilities. Instead of an alliance she wants to see it first hand. To peel back your layers of skin like an onion and sacrifice a being of another realm to Bhaal. Withers in a more practical sense. How did you get here? He’d love to chat and inspect you. Offering you whatever support he could aid in your journey home (or settling down here if it doesn’t warp or rip reality?)

EDIT: FIRM BELIEVER THAT CICERO AND ASTARION WOULD BE FRIENDS.