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its-jaytothemee · 6 months

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Until I Met You - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Cure

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 4,915

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

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Summary: The party decides what path they want to take to rid themselves of the tadpole. Introducing Withers too because I might have forgotten him earlier...... Part 5 of the slow burn fic. Halsin and Tav POVs

Tags: Slow burn, hurt/comfort, fluff, love confessions, eventual smut, light angst, implied past rape/non-con, graphic description of injuries.

A/N: The tadfools learn about the share bear. I struggled with this chapter at first, but now I'm kinda in love with how it ends.

Someone take these idiots away from me...I can't stop writing about them.

With her wounds healed, Tav could easily change back into her normal casual outfit. It took multiple passes with a comb, but she was finally able to tame her long hair back into a sleek braid. She grabbed Clive and the shirt Wyll had given her before she joined the rest of the group. When she arrived, there was already a heated argument in process.

“Our priority should be purification. We cannot afford further distractions and detours.” Lae’zel’s gruff voice cut through the air.

“Our priority should be finding the cult and ridding Faerûn of this evil for good.” Wyll countered.

“The Creche will have the means of ridding us of this tadpole. Even if we defeat this Absolute, there’s no guarantee that we will be cured.” Lae’zel had been insisting they find the Creche from the moment they met.

“And the cult has my father!” Wyll yelled back.

“You guys want to fill me in on what you found today?” Tav walked up into the center of their small camp.

All their heads turned to face her, they looked flustered and exhausted.

“Nice to see you back on your feet.” Wyll smiled lightly. She tossed the shirt she had been wearing to him.

“So…what did I miss?” Tav asked.

Everyone immediately started talking over one another, trying to explain their version of the events of the day. Out of all the yelling, she was able to piece together that a Duke from Baldur’s Gate had been captured, they killed an entire enclave of Zhentarim, and they had potentially found the location of the Creche that Lae’zel had been searching for after taking out a githyanki patrol. The recap of their activities quickly devolved into fighting about their next steps. Tav pinched the bridge of her nose trying to ward off the headache that was already forming.

“Everybody shut up!” Tav shouted to be heard over everyone. Her sudden outburst seemed to at least startle everyone into giving her their attention. “If you want to sit here and fight like children, I’ll treat you like children. Here…” Tav held Clive up for everyone to see.

“New rule – unless you’re holding Clive, you don’t get to talk.” She received plenty of glares and pursed lips, but they did remain quiet. Halsin was off to the side, fighting to hide a smile.

“I do not understand this ritual. Is this customary for your planning of battle strategies?” Lae’zel asked, obviously confused.

“It is now.” Tav decided.

Wyll held up his hand, and she tossed the stuffed bear to him.

“The path forward is clear. We must head to Moonrise towers and chase after this Absolute. Not only is there a chance we can be cured, but we can strike at the heart of the cult and rescue my father.” So, the Duke who was taken was Wyll’s father, interesting. Lae’zel snatched Clive out of Wyll’s hands.

“Our path should lead to purification. Moonrise Towers does not offer a certain cure for our affliction, the Creche does. We cannot help anyone if we turn into mind flayers ourselves.” Lae’zel countered. Tav was surprised to hear her say ‘we’ in her statement, does that mean she would want to chase down the cult even if they were cured?

Shadowheart was the next to request the bear, Lae’zel begrudgingly handed him over.

“With all due respect Lae’zel, what assurance do we have that this purification would be extended to us as well? We are not githyanki.” An understandable question. One that Tav had wondered about since Lae’zel mentioned the Creche. Shadowheart handed Clive back to Lae’zel.

“This is a very inefficient form of communication.” Lae’zel grumbled. “You will be granted purification for aiding me. It is Vlaakith’s will that her faithful be purified. I can plead your case to the Ghustil, you have proven worthy in battle against these abominations and they will not want to waste your skills.” She made a convincing argument, but Tav wasn’t sure how much they could trust the hospitality of a githyanki creche. Lae’zel had proven to be a valuable ally, but her people were not known for their generosity.

Karlach held her arms out and Lae’zel flung Clive over to her. She hugged the bear close to her chest as they all looked at her expectantly.

“What?” She looked up at all of them.

“You requested the stuffed creature. It is your turn to talk if I am not mistaken.” Lae’zel said, taking this process very seriously.

“Oh, I don’t have anything to add. I just wanted Clive back.” She tucked him under her arm, apparently not wanting to share any longer.

I’m surrounded by toddlers.

“Look…” Tav started, looking between all her companions. “Whatever we do next, we have to do it together. We don’t stand a chance if we split up or fight each other the entire way. The Underdark has already proven perilous. I will not force us to continue on down here if we cannot agree to do so.” She spared a look at Halsin, who averted his gaze towards the ground.

“We set out together to find a cure for the tadpoles. If Lae’zel can give us her word that the Creche will remove them I’m not opposed to following that lead. But we must have a majority in favor of doing so.”

They all exchanged uncertain glances, each person scared to cast the first vote.

“I vote that we take the Mountain Pass and search for this Creche. I have enough unwanted guests lurking in my body.” Gale was the first to speak up.

Lae’zel and Karlach quickly agreed with him.

“I still think we should continue searching for the path to Moonrise. We have a duty to the people of Faerûn to purge this cult.” Wyll held his ground.

“I’m inclined to agree with Wyll.” Halsin spoke up.

“Ah yes, let’s listen to the one person here not hosting a wriggly little parasite.” Astarion snipped. Tav shot him a glare.

“He’s agreed to travel with us, Astarion. He gets a say too.” She said.

“Ugh, fine. I agree with Wyll as well. I think we have a better chance of infiltrating Moonrise if we can pose as one of their own.” He conceded.

“I want this tadpole out of my head. I have a mission of my own to complete. As much as it pains me to admit, I think Lae’zel may be right.” Shadowheart finally chimed in.

Tav would be the deciding vote. She had no idea what to do if they were evenly split. All eyes were on her, waiting for her choice to be made.

“Then it sounds like we should head to the Mountain Pass.” She decided. There were a few grumbles, but otherwise everyone simply split up to go pack up their things. Tav was about to walk away as well when a strange voice called out to her.

“Ah, thou art moving again? I had much difficulty in finding you.”

Every member of the camp whipped around at the sound, weapons drawn.

“There is no need for such measures.” The strange undead figure waved his hand nonchalantly.

“Wait…we’ve met before.” Tav slowly lowered the rock she had picked up to throw.

“And now we meet again, as predicted. I shall remain in thy camp, for whenever thou hast need of my services.” The skeletal figure, who she now remembered was introduced as Withers, said this as a statement rather than a request.

“Just when I think our little adventuring party can’t get any more bizarre.” Gale muttered.

The rest of the party seemed content to let her deal with their new visitor. Even Lunari didn’t seem concerned by him. She sat next to Tav, tail wagging lazily.

“And what services are those?” Tav stepped closer to him.

Withers launched into a long-winded explanation of his strange talents. His ability to call souls forth from the dead, allowing them to fight at their side, for a price. The low, deliberate sound of his voice started to make Tav a little tired. Blinking her eyes rapidly to stay awake, she tried to give him her full attention.

“Should thou or any of thy compatriots perish, I will cleave soul to body once more.” Useful. He seemed to be finished talking now.

“Not to be rude, but what are you?” Tav couldn’t help but ask.

“There are many answers to that question. None are important.” His tone was still calm.

“Okay, then.” The past week had been such a rush of strange revelations, why not add an undead necromancer to their camp? Withers walked away from her without another word.

“It seems your little group is growing each day.” Halsin had come to stand next to her.

“At this rate we should have an army to rival the cult’s by the time we do reach Moonrise.” She turned to smile at him, but his expression seemed sad.

“Will you still come with us to the Creche?” She asked, suddenly anxious.

“Of course. I promised you my aid and counsel, and you shall have it.” He smiled, but it looked forced.

“I’m sorry that we aren’t heading directly to Moonrise Towers. It seemed important to you that we make it there soon.” She was trying to judge his reaction and intentions.

“Do not apologize, my friend. You made a swift decision after taking careful considerations from your companions. I could scarcely ask more of a leader in your position.” Regardless of his personal feelings, Halsin seemed supportive enough of her decision.

“In fact, I should thank you. I shall have to remember that little trick with the stuffed bear for the future.” His smile shifted, becoming genuine.

“What can I say? I’m an inspiration to all.” She winked and clicked her tongue before heading off to find her things, ready to pack up and move their camp again.

***

Halsin walked towards the back of the group as they marched their way across the wilderness, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his skin again. He took the time to observe his new travelling party some more. Even after the argument this morning, everyone seemed in high enough spirits. Perhaps it was the newfound hope that they could be rid of their tadpoles sooner than they thought. As he kept pace with the adventurers, his gaze kept wandering back to Tav. He watched as she laughed along with Karlach and Gale, the three of them practically skipping along the trail together. Her new armor suited her well, it looked to be drow craft armor of some kind. The others had brought it back for her this morning after they cut her last set to pieces. Lost in his thoughts about Tav that were growing increasingly indelicate, he failed to notice that Astarion had snuck up to his side.

“Enjoying the view, druid?” He always seemed to have a sultry undertone to his voice.

“Of course, I’d be a poor druid indeed if I couldn’t enjoy a long walk on such a lovely day as this.” He smiled at the pale elf, his bouncy white curls blowing softly in the breeze. Astarion giggled softly in response.

“Oh Halsin, I’m not talking about that view.” His eyes followed Halsin’s gaze back to Tav. “Don’t get me wrong, I love your disastrous flirting with one another. I’d just hate if you did anything to lead her on though, she’s such a kind and trusting soul.” He examined his fingernails, picking at imaginary dirt there. Halsin felt a slight blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Believe me, Astarion, I have no such intentions of toying with her. Can you say the same?” He thought back to all their flirty quips.

“Ha, you’re good. Believe me when I say all our banter is perfectly harmless. Beautiful people like us can’t help but be delightful and charming together. Well, speaking for myself at least.” He patted Halsin on the arm and pranced up to Tav’s side.

He leaned into her a bit and said something in her ear that Halsin couldn’t quite make out. Whatever it was though, it caused Tav to throw her hips into his – knocking him into a nearby bush. She and Karlach doubled over laughing as she helped him back up out of the thicket, a pout now clouding his face. Their other companions stopped to see the cause of the noise causing them to laugh as well. He was unable to hide a smile at the interaction, amazed at the happiness exuding from a group of people who constantly stood on the precipice of a horrifying death.

They came across a small collection of buildings, which he believed was Waukeen’s Rest. But it was burnt almost completely to the ground. This must have been where Duke Ravengard was captured. A short walk away from Waukeen’s Rest, they found another scorched sight. Burned bodies and a collapsed bridge told him that this is where their friends had found the githyanki dragon rider.

By the time sunset had come, they were making their way towards a beautiful cliffside. The warm dusk light danced on layers of rock and trees, an incredible display of nature’s gifts. To think this was so close to him all these years, and he had never seen it.

“Now that’s not a bad view for the evening, eh soldier?” Karlach yelled at Tav.

“Seems as good a place as any to rest up. We’ll head for the Creche first thing in the morning.” Tav announced, setting her pack on the ground.

They all worked together to set up tents and build a camp. There were plenty of logs and large rocks that they could roll over to sit around the fire. Lae’zel had found a map on one of the githyanki soldiers they had fought earlier in the day, and they had determined that the Creche had likely taken up in the nearby abandoned monastery. The strange undead, Withers, had appeared once they settled in camp again.

Tonight, Halsin was able to actually share a campfire with everyone. Their first night together, he was still recovering from his time with the goblins and his decision to resign his position as Archdruid. Last night, he opted to stay with Tav, making sure she recovered from her injuries. Just as it was during the day, the mood of his new companions seemed to stay joyful. He had been surprised to find out that they had known each other for such a short time. Sitting here with them tonight he would have guessed they were old friends.

I suppose being in their predicament would speed up their friendships a bit.

One by one, everyone retired for the night eventually leaving him alone by the fire. It was hard to explain to them that he was content without a tent, even though they kept insisting that they could find more materials for one. They were kind to offer of course, but for the first time in decades, he was able to freely enjoy all that nature had to offer. Resting by a fire in the open air was his ideal night. The cool evening air helped to focus his mind after the events of the past few days, allowing him to drift easily into his nightly meditation.

When he opened his eyes a few hours later, he was surprised to see that he wasn’t alone. Tav had wandered back out to the fire.

“Hopefully I didn’t disturb you.” She said quietly, adding a few sticks to the dying fire.

“Not at all. How long have you been up?” He sat up a little straighter, stretching his arms out.

“Just a few minutes. I’m not used to having someone else up at this time in the morning. Even Astarion stays hidden away in his tent until the sun is up.” She smiled lightly, the growing flames casting playful shadows across her face.

“The curse of most elves, I suppose.” He continued stretching, shaking off the past few hours of rest.

They sat and watched the flames in silence for a while. Tav had leaned back against one of the logs, staring at the stars that still dotted the sky.

“So, you’ve had a couple of nights with our group.” She started, still stargazing. “How are you faring out here at our little camp?”

“With such stimulating company?” He chuckled to himself. “Never better.”

“I suppose stimulating is one word for it.” She laughed quietly.

“Truly, I’m just glad to be out here amidst the Oak Father’s creations.” He breathed in the scent of his surroundings, leaning his head back to look up at the stars as well.

“I never got a chance to ask you once you joined us…” She trailed off. “How will the grove fare without you? You said your absence had a greater impact than you had expected.”

“Hopefully. I chose a replacement and sent word to her in the High Forest before I left the grove. A wise druid named Francesca.” He tensed slightly, suddenly worried what Tav would think of him for this decision. Why did he care so much about what she thought? She had no knowledge of the needs of the grove outside of what little she saw before coming to his rescue.

“Who?” She asked, leaning up slightly to look at him.

“Exactly…the grove needs to move on from the mistakes of the past.” He turned his head slightly towards her. “Having a fresh set of eyes can help accomplish that. Or so I hope.”

“Very shrewd of you.” She grabbed another nearby stick and lazily poked at the fire with it.

“Contrary to popular belief, we druids can play politics when necessary.” He smiled as he leaned back to look at the night sky again.

“So, is Francesca a temporary replacement? Will you return to the grove once we’ve cured these tadpoles and saved the world?”

It was a question that had plagued his mind since he joined her. Given the harsh division that occurred under his leadership, he wasn’t sure it would be wise for him to return. Even if he was no longer Archdruid.

“I…I’m not sure.” He said quietly, not wanting to look her in the eyes. “I can’t help but feel that I failed them. To return after leaving them twice would seem a disservice to the druids there.”

Tav didn’t say anything in response, she just continued lightly prodding at the fire. He went to sit up, but his hair had gotten caught on a chunk of bark on the log behind him.

“Ow!” He hissed as his head was pulled back down by the force of it. His hands fumbled in the dark, trying to find the grooves holding him in place. Tav snickered a little and walked over to release him. Her fingers made quick work of the tangle, freeing him from the log’s grasp.

“Thank you.” He said as he reached up to fix the piece of hair that had been pulled free. The tie he had holding half of his hair had gotten twisted into a knot from the snag. Once again, his hands fumbled behind him, trying to relieve the pulling on his scalp from the tangled mess.

“Here, let me.” She laughed again as she moved to sit behind him. Carefully, she pulled pieces of his hair free from the small tie. Her fingers ran through his hair each time she pulled a new piece free, loosening any remaining snags in the strands and sending shivers down his neck. Each time her fingers would brush against his scalp, he would relax just a little more. Eventually he realized that he had leaned back against her legs.

“Could I ask you something?” He asked quietly, watching the flames dance in front of him.

“Is the question ‘can I borrow your comb?’ Because the answer is yes. I mean gods above, Halsin when was the last time you brushed this? There are actual leaves stuck in your hair my friend.” She laughed as she continued to pull small chunks of hair free from the knot on the back of his head. To prove her point, she dropped the leaves she found over his shoulder and into his lap.

“Ah yes, what was I thinking? I should have asked my goblin captors if they would provide that for me during my visit.” He teased back, causing her to laugh more. “As for the leaves, I happen to think they add another layer of authenticity to my druidic charm.” What he wouldn’t do to keep hearing that laugh.

“But no, I had something different in mind.”

“Go ahead.” She said as she smoothed another few strands on his head.

“Who is Tev?” It was a name that Halsin had heard her mutter over and over while she was unconscious.

Tav froze, her hands still tangled in his hair.

“Where did you hear that name?” She asked quietly.

“You said it a lot while you slept yesterday.” He explained.

“Tev’aron...my older brother.” Her voice was quiet.

“I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about him.” Halsin suddenly felt guilty for prying.

“It’s okay. He uh…he’s been gone for quite a while.” She resumed her work on his hair.

“What happened?” As he asked the question, he realized he already knew the answer from their past conversations.

“The shadow curse. I was there that day too, Halsin.” She whispered.

Hearing her mention it again brought his own grief bubbling to the surface, threatening to boil over. Faces of those he fought with all those years ago flashed before him. From what she had said before, he had gathered that she had at least experienced the curse. It didn't occur to him that she could have been there, fighting as an ally. His mind wandered momentarily, wondering if they had somehow crossed paths before.

“I am so sorry. I know all too well what it’s like to lose those you love to that wretched curse.” He looked down at his hands in his lap.

“It’s not something one soon forgets.”

Her voice had grown distant. He slowly turned to face her, half of his hair still knotted in an impossible pile on his head. The pull in his chest returned, he wanted so badly to tell her of his plan, to let her know there was still a chance to make things right. She gave him a puzzled look, waiting for him to say something.

Careful, Halsin. You still don’t know if that is possible. Do not give her false hope…

Astarion’s earlier words rang in his ears. He truly didn’t have any intention of toying with her emotions. It had just been so long since he had someone who understood the horror that was unleashed that day.

“I’m sorry, Tav. I didn’t mean to dampen your spirits.” He turned back around to let her continue working on his hair.

“Don’t apologize. It’s…nice to have someone else who understands.” She sighed. That was a sentiment he understood well.

“So, what will you do if you are able to seek a cure at the Creche in the morning?” Halsin tried to change the subject.

“What do you mean?” She ran her fingers through his hair again, his eyelids fluttered slightly at the touch.

“Will you all go your separate ways?”

“Huh. I suppose I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” She paused for a moment. “I can’t speak for everyone else, but even if we are able to get a cure tomorrow, I’m not sure that I can just turn my back on what we’ve learned.”

“Oh?” Halsin asked, his heart skipped a beat.

“I mean, it’s like Wyll said. We have a responsibility to help if we can, don’t we?” She was able to work a large chunk of hair out of the tangled mess, it fell over his eyes. “If you’d like, I could still accompany you to Moonrise. It wouldn’t seem right to abandon you after you left your life at the grove to help us. I’m sure at least a couple of the others will want to see this through as well.”

The combination of her words and gentle touches brought tears to his eyes. For years, the thought of facing the shadow curse alone had been a daunting and a near impossible goal. But now, the thought of Tav joining him filled him with hope.

“I’d be honored to have you.” He said before quickly adding, “Happy to have you with me, I mean.”

She giggled as she pulled the tie that had been holding his hair free.

“Here, this is broken. Give me just a moment and I’ll be back.” She handed the mangled string to him and patted his head before getting up to walk away.

Despite the fire burning in front of him, he suddenly felt cold after she left. He could feel phantom touches of her fingertips smoothing his hair down his head and neck. Not a minute later he heard her soft footsteps bringing her back to join him.

She sat back down, and he felt a comb run across his scalp. The feeling was soothing, something he couldn’t remember anyone ever doing for him. At least not since he was a child.

“I can take it from here, if you’d like.” He immediately regretted the words as soon as he said them. Truth be told, he could sit here with her hands in his hair for hours.

“Oh, of course. Sorry…force of habit.” Tav handed the comb to him over his shoulder, sounding uncomfortable. He was sure that her face was turning a deep red. She started to move out from behind him.

Damn it.

“I only meant I don’t want you to feel obligated.” The words rushed out of his mouth. “I don’t mind it at all, it’s…comforting. Especially after the week I’ve had. Plus, you’ve made short work of those knots so far…” He was starting to ramble. His heart was pounding in his chest, worried that he’d upset her.

She sat still for a moment; he couldn’t see her face to judge her reaction. He looked down, slightly embarrassed. Her hand appeared next to his head, open and waiting for him to hand her the comb. Releasing his held breath, he handed it back to her.

They sat there the rest of the time in silence. Tav quietly and carefully working the comb through the tangled web on his head. Elves don’t often sleep, but he really thought at one point he could have entered a deep slumber from how relaxed he felt under her touch. Halsin felt as an eternity had passed and yet he felt he could take another eternity more when she finally spoke again.

“Okay.” She said quietly. “All done, I think.” Her fingers ran through his hair one last time, checking for any straggling knots.

“Thank you.” He kept his voice as quiet as hers, already missing her touch.

He opened his eyes to see Tav moving back down to the ground, her hand held out next to him. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and held it for a moment. She gave him a puzzled look and he could now feel that she had a small tie in the palm of her hand she had been offering him.

He immediately dropped her hand and felt all the blood in his body rush to his face and chest. Tav burst out laughing, covering her face to muffle the sound. The sky was just now starting to lighten, and the others in camp probably wouldn’t be awake for a couple more hours. Halsin buried his head into his hands, trying to hide the wave of embarrassment washing over him. His freshly combed hair hung down helping to cover his blushing cheeks.

“Halsin, it’s okay.” She was still laughing a little bit. “At least now we’re even.”

He thought back to when they first met a few days ago and she had done the same thing with the small flute they had used to resurrect Gale. He peeked out between the strands of hair covering his face to see her smiling fondly at him. She looked away quickly when she met his gaze.

“I uh…I think I’ll go get us some more wood for the fire. I’m sure everyone will want to eat before you head out.” He stood up slowly, his legs now feeling a little wobbly after being so relaxed. She held the small tie for his hair up in her fingers, which he gladly accepted.

“No matter what happens at the Creche, we’ll make our way back to Moonrise, Halsin.” She assured him with a smile.

He nodded his thanks and pushed the hair from his eyes as he made his way into the tree line. His heart was still racing from their time together, he couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. It had been so long since someone had taken care of him in any way, let alone something as gentle as this. He took a few deep breaths, reminding himself that they still had a long way to go until Moonrise Towers. There was still much for him to do to prepare. Despite his years of waiting though, his mind lingered on Tav, already trying to figure out how he could steal more moments like this in the future.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 halsin #halsin x tav #halsin fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fluff #bg3 fic

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august-anon · 11 months

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No one is sending me bg3 tk headcanons so i will speak a few of my own. please send me bg3 asks lol. these little gremlin people in my computer are all i can think about

Wyll is definitely more of a ler than a lee in my mind, BUT i see that man in a crop top every single night, you cannot tell me he is not also crazy ticklish. And he definitely doesn't mind it -- he just doesn't want it too much. He much prefers making his romantic interest smile and blush and laugh, and waxing poetic in that wonderfully romantic way of his to make them blush even more. I ask what we are and he compares me to the sun at different times of day in a way that makes me swoon?? Imagine how he'd describe your tav's smile and laughter and flushed cheeks. My god I am so in love with this fictional man.

I have not gotten to a point in the game yet where my bestie Karlach is all fixed up (i only just started Act 2 about 10 hours of gameplay ago -- i expect to be here for another 30-40 hours at least before we finally reach Act 3 lol), I can only assume it happens for her, and i think that when she is fixed up she would go WILD with the tickle fights. She would find it so, so much fun. She probably loves tickling, on all sides, and given how bold she is when she comes onto you the first time (I am so sorry i had to turn you down girlie ✌️😔 i already had my eyes on Wyll), I think she would definitely have 0 problems asking to be tickled or to tickle someone else

i think if i tried to tickle Lae'zel she would kill me. But also we have like, medium approval because I am too nice for her and so i don't know a lot about her lol. Y'all who have had better relationships with Lae'zel or who have romanced her should tell me your thoughts, y'all probably have much better understandings of her character than I do, I would love to know what you think about Lae'zel and tickles

Gale insists he is not ticklish. He tries to distract you with fancy words and long sentences until you forget what you were talking about in the first place, because all of a sudden you're like. Talking about the history of Waterdeep or smth. Anyways, he does this because he is wicked ticklish. And I don't think he necessarily minds being tickled, but I definitely think he's the kind of guy to wanna keep up appearances for as long as he can lol. Gale lovers please correct me if I am wrong, but I always get distracted by his long-winded explanations and fanciful way of speaking (is this how people feel when they talk to me??? i am also extremely long-winded -- as you can see from this post -- and people think i speak funny and in an abnormal manner also lol). That long-windedness comes in handy with teasing though, I'm sure.

Shadowheart is another one I can't get a read on. I have had really good approval with her from the beginning, we are somehow besties, and yet i know so little about her. She is very hard to read. I have no idea what her thoughts and opinions are here lol. I think she would regard me with great disdain if I tried to tickle her

Astarion,,,,, i don't think he'd vibe with most people tickling him, OR tickling most people. Purely from existing in fandom, despite not romancing him (yet -- he is next on my list. I can fix him), i know a lot of spoilers for his general arc in a romance. I don't think he would let anyone but his lover touch him like that (or touch anyone but his lover like that), and only after a lot of healing. It's a very vulnerable situation to put oneself in!!! I feel like for the first long while he'd be far more interesting in ler-ing, he would have to be pretty comfortable and secure to feel comfortable in a lee situation.

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neontokyoo · 2 months

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Tav comes off as an ordinary human. They do have prophetic dreams or visions sometimes and (accidentally) reveal that they have darkvision, but those could be just human traits from being particularly lucky in the magical department, couldn't they? They have large birthmarks on their back that are shaped like angel wings, but that's just how genetics rolled the dice, it doesn't mean anything, right? Right??? Well, in a particularly heated battle, Tav and another companion, your choice of who, are on different sides of a big river/canyon/something wide enough that jumping across would be difficult if not foolish to try. The companion gets hit pretty bad and Tav, being the protective heroic type with little sense of not taking risks when saving their friends, runs and jumps to get to the other side, danger be damned. When they, somehow, manage to get over without ramming into the shore/wall on the other side, they quickly push the companion out of harm's way and kill the enemy. Only…Tav seems to have grown a few inches? Oh, wait, no, they're just floating a few inches off the ground due to the two massive incorporeal wings coming from their back. They look horrified at the information that everyone in their party now Knows who they really are. Turns out that Tav is actually a Protector Aasimar that just turned level 3 and got their wings. When asked why they didn't tell anyone about this, they basically say that they were so deep in denial that they just hoped it would be proven false. Being an aasimar would mean that they are not just a normal, kind, and quirky human. They are Different, a plane-touched being that the gods decided to bring into the world, a person that would become very interesting to anyone evil who wanted to harm someone specific on the side of good, an object to be revered and possibly be used for magical materials or hounded by those that wanted blessings from such a celestial being. They have had to deal with all of that shit before and just got sick of it, so they did what they could to hide their heritage, denying it to others, but especially to themselves. And now, here they are, surrounded by their party, unable to deny the truth anymore. Tav is terrified, not only of the reactions from their companions, but of how denial was ripped away from them and they now have to confront the reality of their heritage.

Could you give headcanons for the companions reactions to all of this? It doesn't matter how many or which ones you do. This is a platonic scenario, Tav hasn't romanced anyone at this point, but they have gotten close enough with everyone to be considered more than just acquaintances. They are also a paladin, but class doesn't really matter in this scenario.

(sorry for the length, haha)

That was a lot to take in, but I’ll try my best to get all (if not, most) of it 😂

Pairing: Tav x party

Genre: fluff

Summary: ⬆️

Warnings: I need to do my research on certain topics when it comes to the D&D universe, so bear with me. Your girl barely knows her deities 😭😭 (I didn’t do Halsin or Wyll because I’m lazy today. Bear with me. I can add them later 😭)

Shadowheart:

Shadowheart was very confused when it happened. She had no idea what was going on or what just happened.

She didn’t say anything though because she knows what it feels like to keep secrets. *cough* *cough* the relic…..

It was a huge shocker, and it did haunt Shadowheart, but she wasn’t going to force Tav to talk. She figured that if they wanted to talk, they’d go to her.

She wasn’t too upset about it though. If anything, she thought it was cool. It’s not every day your friend grows wings like that.

She wasn’t obsessed with it though. She felt a little bit of understanding with why Tav was hiding this from their companions. She didn’t know the reason, but she did know that they were uncomfortable about other people knowing.

Gale:

Gale was patient, but he definitely wasn’t happy with Tav for keeping such a huge secret from him.

He confronted them, but he did so in the most polite way possible.

He had a little understanding after being able to feel the power radiating from his friend when it happened, but he still felt disappointed.

If they were such good friends why didn’t they tell him earlier???

But he eventually learned to let it go. He learned to respect Tav and their decisions.

Astarion:

Astarion definitely wasn’t happy with Tav at all. They practically knew everything about him, from the Cazador to the scars that were carved into his back.

So why didn’t they tell him? Astarion could feel the power. He knew that it could be used to the party’s advantage. But with how far they’ve come, why in the nine hells would they keep such a huge secret from him?

He most definitely confronted them about it. But he wasn’t as nice as the other companions. He went straight to the point and called them out on it.

This started a huge argument, but he eventually learned to let it go and move on before he ruined your relationship any further.

Lae’zel:

Lae’zel was pissed.

This caused a huge fight that would have been a repeat of what happened with Lae’zel and Shadowheart have the other party members not intervened.

Karlach:

Karlach thought that was the coolest thing ever.

She tried to persuade Tav to do it again and show her more.

Tav refused, but she wasn’t pushy about it at all.

She knew they’d come to her when they’re ready.

#karlach #gale #astarion #bg3 #shadowheart #lae'zel #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 tav

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hexblooddruid · 2 months

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@thedragonagelesbian

The fight with Ethel was the first combat post death and Ethel's tricky but not a hard hitter (at least, not on normal) so Bryn didn't have to heal anyone in that fight but when she uses Bitter Divorce to bring back Connor and he comes back as a zombie, even though it's illogical (Bryn's trained in Arcana, she knows how wands work) she thinks it's her fault. That this curse that killed her and won't leave her ruined the thing she values most about herself, being a healer. The first time she uses magic to heal someone is the next day in the Whispering Depths, casting Healing Word on Wyll. She's relived that it works and when they rest afterwards she does ask him how it felt, if it felt any different. He reassures her, saying it felt like summer morning mist, and she is so relieved. That's where she is at the moment, just relieved that it hasn't ruined everything.

She will eventually get to a point where she accepts it and will remember what she was taught and knows to be true (that decay is an important part of the natural life cycle, and this is truly just an extension of what's already insider of her, but for now she's glad that she can compartmentalize.

As for the how do the companions react...

It's very interesting because Karlach, Shadowheart, and Wyll first hear about it from Ethel which makes them (well mainly Shadowheart and Wyll) very suspicious at first. In that moment in the Ethel fight where she tries to bargain with the group, Ethel mentions that she already gave Bryn a little gift. After Wyll gets the last blow on Ethel and they finish talking to Mayrina, Shadowheart immediately questions Bryn, accusing her of making some sort of pact with the hag. After hearing the explanation from Bryn, Shadowheart accepts it but remains suspicious and insists on nightly examinations to "keep an eye on it."

Wyll, though initially suspicious, reassures Bryn after hearing her explanation, and lets go of any lingering suspicions (though of course, he's still concerned).

Karlach doesn't say anything immediately, only approaching Bryn once the other two step away. And you're exactly right, Karlach immediately recognizes the similarity in their situations. And the thing about Karlach is that her heart is so open. She came out of the hells so ready to live her life finally and to love that she just wants to be the what she always needed for Bryn. Someone to just be there, to listen, to understand. So as soon as she can she expresses this to her.

“Listen Bryn, I’m just-I’m so sorry. Hags, devils…they’re all the same. Love to play with people when they’re at their lowest. You’re like the only one of us that hadn’t been touched by something dark…and I’m so sorry that it’s happened to you.”

Bryn smiles softly, sadly. “Thank you. And..I’m sorry that it’s happened to you too.”

Karlach lets out a short huff, almost a laugh. “Well if I can get my engine fixed, I’m sure you’ll end up okay too. In fact I know it.” Karlach reaches down as if she’s going to touch the golden ivy creeping up Bryn’s neck but stops just short. Bryn can feel the heat roaring off her, nearly unbearable even though they aren’t touching. “I can still see your light.”

It's not surprising that two nights later Karlach wakes Bryn up to confess her feeling to her.

As for the others...

-> Astarion at this point encourages any bit of darkness he sees in Bryn, especially if it comes with new power, and hopes that her experience with death will give her stronger self preservation instincts.

->Gale also sees a similarity to his own situation and is immediately concerned with Bryn' health at this point. Bryn goes straight to her tent when they get back to camp, so he ends up interrogating Shadowheart about Bryn's condition. The next day, though, when he sees her new Fey Touched spells in action, he's very curious and will ask her about it when they get back to camp.

-> Lae'zel sees it as another reason why Bryn shouldn't be the leader. She's soft, she's weak (died because she didn't want to fight!), and now she's tainted by a hag.

Thanks for asking!! I know you've written Cyrus comforting Bryn afterwards but how would he immediately (and I guess, internally?) react to it?

#bryn acevedo #you're saving me #the mod that gave me the fey touched feat also gave me eldritch adept #so i did give gale that to bump his int and give him armor of shadows #so maybe after talking with bryn he figures out a way to redirect from some of the arcane energy from the orb

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barbwillbrb · 4 months

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Finally finished my full playthrough of BG3. Here be my thoughts:

For context, I had been sitting on my first playthrough for a month, as I had 4 huge fights left that I was putting off and little else left (Orin, Ansur, House of Hope, and the last battle). I did start a second playthrough in the interim, getting that character to the Gauntlet of Shar, then decided to go back to finish my OG character. I finally finished the game a couple days ago and have been collecting my thoughts. Here are some resolutions from my playthrough and thoughts on the game/characters:

1. First, here is my first Tav— Quil, a nonbinary tiefling Bard with very high charisma. I adore the character creator, but have one gripe— why can’t we yeet the titties in the vanilla creator (I know there are mods)? I want no titties please.

2. I did not get the Volo eye during my first run; Quil knew a bad idea when they saw one (my second Tav, Rackal, not so much). Quil also didn’t fuck with the Necromancy of Thay.

3. Scratch and owlbear cub made it all the way to the end!

4. Fucked up Auntie Ethel’s quest and got Mayrina killed.

5. Minthara was killed (I only recently fully learned how non-lethal attacks work).

6. It was really hard for me to pick a romance; I spent a good hour loading/reloading the tiefling party to go through my options (everyone but Gale and Wyll were interested, as I was specifically playing a character who wasn’t openly flirting with anyone; I wanted to see what characters came to me first. That said, I had to keep pushing Lae’zel back because girl wanted me within moments of meeting). Karlach ended up stealing my heart; I adore her.

7. I also had Halsin join us. I don’t see a lot of talk about KarlachxTavxHalsin on here, and it kinda bums me out; I was sold on the polycule when KarlachxHalsin started flirting with each other.

8. As a high-charisma character, Act 2 was my favorite, especially when it came to Yurgir. I did not know you could talk your way out of that fight completely; I think I was as shocked as Astarion when it worked. I’ve never seen a game where you could just… talk people to death. It was amazing.

9. Speaking of Act 2, Ketheric Thorm’s introduction is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. It was perfect at conveying the magnanimity of the situation.

10. I got everyone’s happy endings I think. Wyll, Karlach and I went to Avernus and are kicking ass, Gale is a professor/crown destroyed, and Astarion did not ascend/spawn were spared (the Gur letter at the epilogue is AMAZING). Shadowheart turned away from Shar, but her parents died so she could be free; she has the owlbear cub though, so I think she’ll be okay.

11. I don’t understand the whole “Wyll can’t make a decision” discourse. I get the issue with the pact scene (I can’t remember if I had the option to let him choose, but we worked with Mizora), but people make it out like he doesn’t make any decisions about his future at all in the game. I was able to leave the Blade of Avernus/Duke decision to him, and he chose the Blade. He had some cool dialog about the decision as well.

12. The goddamn Orpheus vs. Emperor choice is about the dumbest thing ever. I feel like if you maintained an overall positive relationship with the Emperor and managed to pull Lae’zel away from Vlaakith, I think there should be an opportunity to break Orpheus free and convince him to join you WITHOUT the Emperor turning tail to the Netherbrain. You should be able to free Orpheus and then have another high persuasion check to get him to stand down/join you. I feel that given the severity of the current situation, Orpheus would accept joining forces if it meant no additional mindflayers be made. Just the fact the Emperor goes by, Orpheus gets freed, and someone has to become a mindflayer is just…. Frustrating at best.

13. I think that regardless if romanced or not, a Lae’zel with high/exceptional approval who turned from Vlaakith is in love with Tav. The emotion in her goodbye at the docks is so powerful.

14. Similarly, I think the same can be said for Shadowheart (if turned away from Shar/had high approval).

15. The Dribbles quest sucked, but worth it just to make Lucretious happy/have her say nice things to me.

16. The character that grew on me the most was Astarion. I honestly didn’t like him too much, but his growth over Acts 2 and 3 really changed my mind. Plus, when I met Yenna, he actually gave approval towards any means of helping her— I was SHOOK.

17. I think the Orin kidnapping would be more impactful if your love interest was taken instead (the angst/race against the clock would be amazing). I also think that if one of the tadpole crew gets taken, the fact that Orin doesn’t have one should tell someone something’s up.

18. My favorite companion is tied between Karlach and Lae’zel. Karlach is so optimistic/stands true to herself despite the bullshit she goes through, and Lae’zel character growth is spectacular.

19. My least favorite companion is Shadowheart, although she’s beginning to grow on me. It’s just that some of her offhand comments are so off-putting in a real hypocritical way. For example, the “I didn’t expect to feel empathy towards refugees” thing is really hard to ignore.

20. My favorite NPCs are, in no particular order, Ketheric Thorm, Rolan, Yurgir, Omeluum, Blurg, Lucretious, Barcus Wroot, Auntie Ethel and Mol.

21. My least favorite NPCs are Gortash (I think he is a great villain, but he’s the kind of manipulative, opportunistic evil that makes my skin crawl), Wulburn Bongle and honestly most of the creche. Also that lady who’s mean to the dogs, but I nuked her with fireball and don’t see her as much if an NPC.

22. WHY CAN’T I ADOPT THE FUCKING CATS?

#bg3 #bg3 playthrough #bg3 thoughts #bg3 karlach #bg3 halsin #bg3 wyll #bg3 rambles #tav x karlach #tav x halsin #my tav

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snoelledarts · 10 months

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POV: Ripping Your Beloved's Heart Out | A Dark Urge Playlist BG3

I present to thee, a Dark Urge playlist (feat. metal music)! I got tired of listening to the same 10 songs in all the villain arc playlists, and then this ran away from me creatively... and I decided to write in-game-esque dialogue to go with each song as an explanation.

Narrative description/explanation for each song of the playlist is below the cut <3 LISTEN IN ORDER! (If you want to, I'm not your mom)

(Trigger Warning below the cut for cannon-typical graphic description of murder, body horror, and death. This is a Durge playlist, after all.)

(Note: The below narrative is not canon.)

List of songs/narration:

Krwling (Mike Shinoda Reanimation) - Linkin Park, Aaron Lewis

Narrator: *That thing deep inside you stirs. You want it. You want to prove yourself. You want to see their insides strewn across the camp and smeared on the cavern walls.*

> And only then will your beloved be perfect. > Run as far as you can from the camp as fast as you can. You can't kill your love tonight if you can't make it back to camp before the sun rises again. > I can't - what would I do without them?

God Complex - VIOLENT VIRA

Narrator: *You approach their sleeping body. How peaceful and sweet. How perfect a chance to immortalize them, just like this, forever. It's almost a shame that they'll never know it was you who committed the perfect crime.*

> Wake them first, then go in for the kill. Let the gods hear them scream your name. > A kill while the victim is asleep isn't a mercy, it's an art. And you, the artist.

Yandere - Jazmin Bean

Narrator: *Blood sinks into the bedroll as you slit their throat. Wouldn't want to wake the others...*

> Pretty, pretty... > Resist the urge to continue to mutilate the body.

Stabbed Her to Death - Zheani, Cameron Azi

Narrator: *The sound of your weapon hitting flesh over and over rings through the otherwise silent night.*

Want It All - Ashnikko

Narrator: *When you finally come to, their body is naught but remains, each piece eagerly and lovingly carved away from the others.*

> Laugh. Sceleritas Fel was right. Only now are you truly free. > Weep. What have you done?

Saccharine - Jazmin Bean

Narrator: *There's one small problem... this masterpiece is incomplete. Where is the artistry in a dead lover without a matching pair? How will anyone understand the weight of what you've done?*

> Carve a matching piece of yourself to lie next to them. > You cannot leave this world before you've seen to it that everyone else has left it first. > Have you gone mad? Hide the body, or the whole camp will surely know.

GASLIGHT! - Maggie Lindemann, Siiickbrain

Narrator: *You half expect Sceleritas Fel to reappear and congratulate you on such a fantastic job well done. But no matter how long you stare at the corpse, he doesn't show himself. Which begs the question, now what? Alfira was one thing to explain to the others... but this?*

> All those living and dead should bear witness to your craft. They should be honored. > Weigh your options. Which ones of them could be convinced to stay on your side? And those who can't... could you take them down in a fight? > Shake yourself out of it. Hide the body, burn the note.

Don't Fucking Touch Me - Banshee

Shadowheart [alt: Wyll]: What - what have you done?!

> Isn't it beautiful? > [Intimidation] I told you it would keep happening. I warned all of you, and you let me stay. You tried to convince me I could change. This is your fault. > [Deception] They tried to kill me. It was self-defense.

You Make Me Sick! - Ashnikko

Narrator: *You're not sure who, but someone behind you vomits. Whether at the sight of the state of the once body, or at the visage of cold drying blood against every inch of your skin, you aren't sure.*

> Wipe dirty hands against equally vile clothing. > Turn around to see who.

No Mercy - DeathbyRomy

Narrator: *The whole camp erupts into noise. They are debating if you are safe to keep around.*

> Drown out the noise in favor of admiring the corpse some more. > [Persuasion] You need me. Without me, you'd all be long dead. > [Intimidation] Any abandoners or insurrectioners will meet the same fate. I expect no disruptions to our goal.

*Success*

Whore of Babylon - Zheani

Narrator: *Peace and quiet. It seems as though you've finally earned your rightful spot as the leader of this group.*

> Now, leave us. > Rejoin the camp.

DAYWALKER! - Machine Gun Kelly, CORPSE

Narrator: *You settle in to spend your night on the cold stone floor of your camp, picturing every other way you could have honored or desecrated your beloved's corpse.*

Monster Truck - Jazmin Bean, Zheani

Narrator: *Vision swimming with blood and unidentifiable fluids, you spot their heart, neatly placed in the center of it all.*

> Reach for it. It was yours, and it still is now. > Close your eyes and pretend it was just a fleeting thought.

BIRTH OF VENUS - Banshee

Narrator: *It is only as the sun peaks through the mouth of the cavern that you wall asleep, your head cradled, comfortable in the still-warm viscera of what could have been.*

Requiem - Avenged Sevenfold

Sceleritas Fel: Wake up, Milord! I should have had more faith in your most vile self...

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barilleon · 1 year

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On Baldur's Gate, and Incorporating Backstories into Campaigns

One thing that completely blew me away about the quest design in Baldur's Gate 3 is how for the most part the core companions all have backstories that tie directly into the main story. It makes everything seem super tight, and gives every companion a very real reason to want to see the fight through. My frame of comparison here is something like a Bioware companion loyalty mission, which is still grounded very much in the world but isn't typically directly invested in the main quest line. I like these missions! But they're created by many writers over the course of years. I'm one guy running a d&d campaign and we're meeting next Tuesday. So I'm gonna take a look at some of the BG3 stories and how I can learn from them for my home games.

Spoilers for all companion-related quests under the cut!

Lae'zel was literally born to play the role of illithid killer, but the stage is not set how she expected it to be. Karlach is both the prototype for a major enemy type in Act III AND the victim of one of the three secondary antagonists. As a cleric of Shar, Shadowheart's destiny was to complete her training in the very temple that houses the means of killing the Act II final boss, and she must choose whether to embrace that destiny or find a new one. Wyll's allegiance to the city you must now protect is written in infernal and signed in blood, but both the circumstances of the game and the pact he's gotten himself in test his limitations.

Gale and Astarion are also very interesting. While their quests don't exactly line up in an explicit way, they're still connected. One informs the quest and the other is informed by it. The shard in Gale's heart is a byproduct of the same event that created the means by which the cult is holding their power. He understands the context and gravity of the situation better than anyone, and is uniquely tempted by the power those means hold.

For Astarion, the events of the beginning of the game are a major catalyst that shoots him from 200 years of servitude and complacency to an independent life in the sun. While his backstory feels very disconnected from everything else, what connects it is just how important that tadpole is to his character. He is the only one of the core companions who sees the tadpole as a boon, a means by which he can obtain his freedom permanently. And that taste of freedom, too, tempts him during his personal quest.

What I'm saying is that there's a lot of different ways of incorporating backstory on display in the main quest line, whether that's a more overt vengeance moment like Karlach's "let me kill Gortash" request to characters' contextual knowledge being unique, like Gale's and Lae'zel's.

Now, this is a video game, and I'm almost positive that the way this was written these backstory elements were informed by the main plot. But sometimes when you're planning a campaign, you already *have* the plot written (by yourself or a team of designers), and players will come to you with character concepts that don't really mesh well with that plot. This is what a session zero is for, you say, and I agree! But sometimes knowing what questions to ask or what information to communicate to your players is super important.

If I were to run the plot of Baldur's Gate 3 like a regular D&D campaign, these are the key points I would give to my players to keep in mind while they were building their characters:

This game takes place in and around Baldur's Gate. Are you from this area? What are your ties to it?

You'll primarily be fighting mind flayers, githyanki, and undead.

This story will focus on themes of vengeance vs justice, cycles of abuse, and trust.

Whom does your character trust the most right now, before meeting the rest of the party? Are they right to?

Is there someone in your past who has wronged you? What do you want from them? (Alternatively: Have you wronged someone, and what do they want from you?)

You will all begin this campaign abducted by mind flayers and infected with an illithid parasite. This parasite can grant you special abilities, such as seeing into the minds of others with this parasite.

I'm open to discussing what abilities and allowances we can give your characters on account of the parasite (e.g. removing drow sunlight sensitivity).

I think with this information, we could very easily see how players would craft characters like the BG3 companions: "What if I was a vampire who could walk in the sun thanks to the parasite?" "What if the one I wronged was the goddess of magic herself, Mystra." "My character puts her faith in her religious order, but that might be misplaced."

And then, my favorite part as a DM: nudging them more towards the plot, where you can grasp their concepts with a tighter connection to the plot you have: "Shadowheart, Shar or Selune actually would be pretty good gods to pick for this campaign. What if you were a cleric of Shar sent on an important mission so secret your memories were wiped?" "Gale, could you be infected somehow with an artifact of Karsus - Mystra's ultimate nemesis?" "Astarion, lean into that: who are you now, after 200 years of living in the dark?"

The planning phase of a campaign is the most crucial part for me. I really want to make sure everyone feels like their character is a part of the story, and their ideas are going to get used. Sometimes that can be a lot of work, but when you get it right it rules so hard. The more you can tie these things to the main campaign, the less work you have to do writing bespoke Bioware sidequest encounters. And the tighter the campaign will feel overall!

#dnd5e #ttrpgs #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #my blogs

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blackjackkent · 6 months

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How about 2, 4, and 6 for Rakha from the Tav as a Companion ask meme? I'd like to know #6 for research purposes. 😏

(30 questions for your Tav!) or Durge in this case XD

2. Describe their tent setup! What’s on the outside? The inside?

Rakha has a VERY spare tent setup at first. Black cloth, bedroll, and for a while absolutely nothing else. She does slowly start accumulating items as they travel but it's a super random collection - anything that the group encounters that she wants to take a closer look at and understand, particularly random magic items once Gale has stopped needing to eat them. It looks like a very random collection to anyone else but to her it's like those light shows you can buy to project on the ceiling - watching the Weave swirl and undulate around all the items.

Scratch sleeps in her tent a lot too as time goes on; he seems to realize through some animal instinct that his presence has a calming effect on her. (When, eventually, Wyll starts coming there too, Scratch definitely is a bit jealous at first. XD )

4. What would your Tav’s romance scenes look like? How many would they have?

I'm kind of guessing at this bc I haven't seen how Rakha's relationship with Wyll is going to play out, but I am guessing her romance arc would be similar to Lae'zel's and would start with very no-strings-attached sex. Unlike Lae'zel's though, it would start at a higher approval level - most of her approval would come from you answering her repeated questions about everything factually and without judgment, and from encouraging her to control the Urge rather than submit to it.

Turning point would presumably surround whatever happens in Act 2 where you learn that [REDACTED] and would involve being there for her in experiencing the knowledge of actually having a past for the first time. Kind of like Astarion's romance, I think the sex would actually decrease in importance in the later acts compared to getting close to her emotionally.

IDK though. I would be curious to answer this question again later in the game lol.

6. How would the player go about meeting them in Act 1? What is their introduction?

Meeting Rakha almost certainly involves finding her in the middle of throttling someone to death. Probably one of the surviving mind flayers in the wreckage of the Nautiloid. She's blood mad and exhausted and very much under the control of the beast. You have the option to stop her from killing the mind flayer (which starts you with negative approval), helping her (positive approval), or watching it happen (neutral). Afterwards, she's much calmer and asks a lot of flat questions about what's going on. Unlike Shadowheart she reveals her memory loss immediately. And you have the final option to either recruit her or decide she's too dangerous to have around and kill her.

The worm connection:

Narrator: As before, a spasm of pain, and you brace yourself for another flood of memories, another past life revealed. But instead... there is nothing, a yawning gulf of blackness, tinged red with the iron smell of blood, and blood, and blood. You are hungry for it, starving. Everything else is a blank, a mystery even to yourself.

#bjk talks #ask meme #Rakha the dark urge #morganaseren #ahhh this was fun ty! :D #I always love playing around with companion AUs and what that would look like

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bloodiedrogue · 1 year

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for the caompanion!tav ask:

general - 3 and 9

romance - 1, 3, 9 and 10

3. does your tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?

yes! she definitely does. considering she has connections with a few of the other companions before the kidnapping, she has quite a bit to say about them!

on wyll: "ah, the old blade of frontiers. you know, he and i go way back, yeah? good guy. a bit too good sometimes but definitely someone you want at your side. you're lucky to have him."

on shadowheart: "oh gods, a shar worshipper? hope you're ready for doom and gloom galore! they're awfully depressing people and that's saying something coming from me."

on gale: "gale of waterdeep, huh? never heard of him, have you? because if you have you have to tell me. i don't want to look stupid in front of him if he's famous."

on astarion: "what do i think of astarion? ha! i trust him just about as far as i can throw him... and i'm pretty shit at throwing, so, uh... yeah."

on karlach: "i can't believe karlach's the one wyll's been chasing down all this time. i mean, have you seen her? there's no way he'd be able to kill her. she's too hot —i mean... strong."

on lae'zel: "i've met a few githyanki's in my time. none as bloodthirsty as lae'zel though. she's on a whole other level that honestly, i can't help but admire."

9. does your tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like lae'zel and shadowheart's knife fight?

i wouldn't say there are any particular arguments necessarily. given the nature of zayis and astarion's relationship though, i'd say there's a lot more interactions specific to the two of them that the player can receive if they're both in the party at the same time.

with the pale elf quest specifically, zayis will often weigh in on a lot of the cazador talk, and if the player takes a long rest inside of cazador's manor, zayis will come talk to the player in the middle of the night, expressing concern for astarion's desire to ascend over cazador.

(i realize this doesn’t really answer the question but… i’m tired)

1. is your tav a romanceable character? are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

i definitely see zayis as a romanceable character but it'd definitely be difficult. similar to astarion, she's quite the liar when it comes to her true feelings, so it'd take a lot to get her to properly warm up to you. to do this, you'd definitely have to be honest with her at all times to show her that it's okay to open up.

3. are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?

zayis is polyamorous with the (sort of) exception astarion. due to the nature of their past, zayis doesn't trust him in the slightest and thus can't accept a shared relationship.

(that is, unless the player has a very high approval rating with both characters and can trigger the appropriate dialogue to convince them to "get back together".)

9. how do they react if the pc has sex with mizora? the emperor? harleep?

considering zayis is poly she's fine with pretty much everyone but the emperor because she finds mind flayer's to be absolutely repulsive and cannot understand why anyone would want to fuck that.

10. will they join in with the pc and the drow twins, or no?

zayis will always join in but if the player has managed to enter a poly relationship with both her and astarion she will always disapprove, knowing astarion isn't really into it.

#zayis #asks

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theladypirate · 7 months

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I’m living for your million mile tag ramblings about your bg3 kids. They all sound so messy and I love them. Can I maybe get more info dumps, or the thing where you pic a gif that matches their personality? 🥺😘

Wake

Wake is just so far out of her depth and refuses to let anyone know bc she desperately wants to seem like she knows what she's doing. She met Karlach and was immediately ready to fight Wyll for her. She's very speedy (current speed with all bonuses before dashing: 80ft) and does dope monk shit. She wants to help her friends but man can they stay like... Good? For like 5 minutes? She wants to marry Karlach and adopt 5 dogs. She thinks Lae'zal and Shadowheart are secretly fucking. She thinks Astarion needs a hug and Gale needs a rebound. She and Wyll are besties. She wants Halsin teach her how to whittle. She thinks Withers is a funny little guy. Someone help her, but don't make it obvious.

Tu'an

Tu'an's name is literally trouble and she lives up to it. She's actually a DND character I've got and translated into BG3, and her backstory is pretty dark, which is fine bc she's so beyond caring. There's so much wrong with her, she has an ungodly pain tolerance bc she doesn't really feel it anymore. She can't get drunk bc repeated infusions of very high level healing magic have artificially sped up her metabolism and she processes alcohol without getting any of the good woobly feelings. She finds the fact that Shadowheart could kill her SO sexy. Would absolutely destroy anyone who disparaged Scratch or the owlbear cub.

Moss

If you mixed Parker with Nathan and then further traumatized that resulting person you'd get Moss. Moss is an angry little cutthroat bitch who would sell you for a corn chip. Except not all the time bc if she likes you she would stab the person trying to get her to sell you out. With prejudice. And never tell you about it bc it's none of your business. Her main way of expressing affection is to bitch at you to do self care while pointedly ignoring that she is also not sleeping or eating properly. She and Gale do NOT get along at first, he finds her abrasive and clinical, she finds him annoyingly positive AND he eats magic items. After the Grove he realizes she's more than she lets on and makes an effort to understand her, which throws her for a loop bc nobody has ever bothered to try before. She has no clue what to do with her feelings. Truly a mess.

Vyn

Truly a proper bard. She thinks very highly of herself and doesn't think about anyone else. She has committed plagiarism and will do so again. She wants the glory but absolutely does not want to work. She would have committed cryptocurrency scams if it existed in BG3, and she's so charming she'd have gotten away with it too. The most likely to be tricked by The Emperor, since he's flattering her and she loves to hear nice things about herself. Has never had to deal with the consequences of her actions and is now having just so many rude awakenings. This adventure is going to drag her kicking and screaming into being an alright-ish kind of person and she isn't having it. Wyll isn't even her normally type but she zeroed in oh his hero complex and wanted to exploit it so she would have a bodyguard, but she got in too deep and now she actually wants to be the person he thinks she is and she's never going to live this down.

Ocelia

Besties with Jahiera. Does not care about being nice or polite unless you give her the respect she has earned. Has a strict moral code to protect her from the Wizard Hubris, which often leads her to denying herself things she wants, or making her do things the hard way. Thinks Gale is an idiot and one step removed from a warlock. Unflinchingly honest when prompted, if you don't want her to tell you what she thinks you should not ask her. Has backup plans for her backup plans and always has her head on a swivel. Technically a Duchess although she leaves the running of her estate and lands to her younger brother, who is a much better people person. Can see that Astarion has the potential to be Better capital B and refuses to let him wiggle out of doing the right thing. In return he won't let her pretend she doesn't want something. They bring out the most ragged parts of each other and somehow it... Just works. Neither of them will address the elephant in the room aka their feelings. Shadowheart has a bet going with half the camp over whether or not they'll fuck or murder each other. Ocelia has placed a bet and won't tell Astarion what it is.

#thanks for the ask! theyre all so dumb i love my bg3 kids so much #someday i might even finish a playthrough

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a-transparent-elegy · 8 months

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kasumi: a baldur's gate exploration

me sat here very drunk on a tuesday just thinking about bg3 kasumi. tldr of kasumi in most rp verses: she's of a more higher class line. anywhere to noble feudal families, to her being a princess, to her being the inherited ceo of her grandfather's company in modern.

baldur's gate tav edition though. it gets tastier, esp with the figuring i've come to figure out (w help ofc, thank you my loves, you know who you are)

also this is also partially me and my gale brainrot helping on this. but let it be known she never likes shadowheart or lae'zel, she thinks halsin is quite soft but a good man, and astarion annoys the shit out of her. (except the au where she replaces him, because vampire!sumi is full of delicious things). wyll she's neutral on and karlach she would defend to the death.

the wizard: the girl who was meant to inherit everything. she studies to death. maybe doesn't have as much a talent compared to so many, but the fact that she studies so aggressively, to the point that she's worked herself to the bone. what happens? her brother takes over by pure value of him just being a man. she's pissed. she leaves. tadpole happens. she meets gale and holy shit she wants to kick him. probably has to be restrained from fighting him constantly.

the astarion replacement: so vampire spawn!kasumi // astarion!kasumi is something i love exploring. you take a girl who knew riches and life to the highest degree, only to die or to be attacked in the streets and reborn as a vampire spawn. kasumi has never been one to lay down and take it, never be one to go down fighting. she's very much like astarion on the trust factor, the sheer lack of... "empathy" insofar no she would absolutely throw a spawn "sibling" of hers into the sun because it means they're free in ways she can't be. but she'll never allow herself death. too spiteful. too willing to fight, too willing to live. she'd rather rip throats out. she finds love and trust in places she never expected because she expects so little of people as a baseline. healing and understanding. a knowledge she doesn't want them to be taken from her.

the wild magic sorcerer: my favourite! my god. naturally talented noble kasumi nearly kills someone because her magic is strong enough to proc wild magic. means she has to go on "a journey" leading to the tadpole. hates her wild magic. she does. hates gale on sight but she's not naturally violent enough to just murder him so she puts up with his bullshit. don't talk to her if the magic procs in a disadvantageous way. her obsession with not making mistakes and fucking up means she's more likely to have wild magic proc and mess them all up. the worry she's going to be abandoned. the lack of need to care because it's not like anyone cares about her. dealing with the "wizards had to study" and battling with the knowledge she had the talent but that hadn't been good enough for her background. by the time she comes into her strongest in act three she's learned to cope with the "Mistakes" because it's hers, and the magic is hers, and she has so much power at her fingertips.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate #bg3 tav #kasumi minamoto

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maedaeme · 1 year

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(kicks down the door) magni-as-a-recruitable-bg3-companion notes because I have no self control whatsoever. this is so long but (pats a cushion) play in the sandbox with me.

Recruitable in Act 1. Also has a brain tadpole. Joins you because you are his best bet at not becoming a mindflayer, and because he heard at the gate of the grove that a wizard is paying big money to find some sort of weapon, and he is now very interested in finding it. The grind never stops.

General Vibe: local man clearly an assassin and cheerful in a way that makes it explicitly clear he is only faking being friendly. Cunning, but blunt about his opinions to companions the way Lae’zel is, with an extra layer of dry sarcasm. Gives an impression of being eternally up to something that immediately rubs both Wyll and Shadowheart the wrong way. Shockingly persuasive despite this. Or maybe because of this. Who knows. Considers his words carefully. Has connections to Nine Fingers.

Prioritizes personal freedom above all else, including (eventually) yours.

Approves of:

Extorting people for money/reward (‘will you help us?’ ‘not for free’ ‘okay :(’)

Asserting your authority

Taking Overconfident People Down A Peg TM (though if you choose to intimidate them, he’ll offhandedly tell you he'll teach you to be sneakier and meaner)

Shit-talking gods, except Lolth

Consuming tadpoles – explicitly states he doesn’t want any himself (doesn't want to risk being influenced by a Big Brain), but thinks it’s very interesting watching you do it

Lying for personal gain, or, rarely, to protect someone’s feelings

This would 100% include an early chance to lie directly to him, if he catches you – as far as he’s concerned, not trusting him outright is the smartest option. He’s neutral if you keep doing it, but he starts disapproving after a certain Personal Story Milestone because now it hurts his feelings.

Disapproves of:

Rejecting compensation/rewards (‘oh no, helping you was enough.’ Annoyed in the background: ‘I need you to know it’s not.’)

Acquiescing to humiliating demands (ex. licking the goblin’s boot)

Making or considering deals with devils

Making or considering deals with the Guardian

Expressing devotion to gods. Neutral/no disapproval if it’s Lolth. Doesn't approve either, though, so hmm, sir, hmm

Being honest when he feels you shouldn’t (telling nearly anyone about the artifact, being truthful during the ~love quiz~, etc.)

Being touched without Explicit Permission

His personal quest kicks off when you either a) discover a way to the Underdark, or b) find out the Underdark will lead to the Nightsong. He’s intentionally not returned for like. Over a century. Despite this, he’s insistent that you take him with because he has ‘unfinished business’ to tend to.

Shortly after arriving, he will casually disclose the ‘business’ is getting ritually eaten by a giant spider.

Continuing the quest is pretty dependent on convincing him not to do that, considering you will run into Talfae—the priestess (now High Priestess) who banished him to the surface in the first place, and she will be begrudgingly happy to oblige after strongarming him (and the party) into a sort of trial to prove his worth.

Assuming he doesn’t get eaten by spiders, he can either kill Talfae, or drag her kicking and screaming to the surface, a fate she deems worse. He also comes out with a perk he didn’t have before: the ability to converse with spiders.

Making the assumption he’s regained Lolth’s favor, he’ll disclose that he used to be a priestess of Lolth—one of three favored to be a high priestess. They were constantly trying to kill or unseat each other with the understanding that the last one standing would ascend to the title as Lolth’s favored.

Talfae preferred humiliation to killing, exposing a secret and banishing him to the surface instead of giving him the ritual sacrifice he thought he was owed. Per the spiders, he’s found out that she did the same to the second priestess, Xullbaste. In his head, since he regained favor with Lolth after murdering/banishing Talfae, if he can find Xullbaste in Baldur’s Gate and determine what Lolth wants done with her, he can do what he long assumed impossible: become a high priest of Lolth.

Which leaves you with the fairly obvious options: help him do that, or convince him it’s not worth it.

There’s a lot of Additional Trauma tangled in there that he has to come to terms with, including the realization that he does, in fact, want to live, that he does in fact feel fairly terrible and awful in hindsight about a lot of what he did For Lolth TM, that he kind of likes you people and wants to mean something to y’all, and that despite all of it he is Allowed to feel furious and hurt about being lied to and abandoned by the people he trusted and his god. This man needs so much therapy.

THAT SAID, you can soften him up a bit over time. He’s shockingly loyal and fiercely protective of you at high approvals, and is vocally supportive of getting companions out of bad deals and situations—including Wyll, who he (unfortunately) never really gets along with. Underdark/Creche onward, he will express concern bluntly and immediately if he thinks something is about to go terribly wrong for someone in the party.

Absolutely cutting this off here before I get unhinged about his romance and companion interactions but. I HAVE THOUGHTS, MAN. PLANS.

#also want to mention companion magni is more abrasive than tav/durge magni lmao #partially because he would need tav/durge's help to come to some Realizations that he otherwise came around to himself #over the course of like. actually playing him. he was kind of a chill guy by act 3 #not really the group dad. the group uncle trying to get his shit together ig. trying to make the right choices.#mae plays bg3 #honestly i should just return to writing fics to get this out but it seems TOO SELF INDULGENT #also tav magni fun fact: talfae is who his guardian looks like lmao #his feelings towards her are EXTREMELY complicated #POINTLESS POST

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