#i want to do that q&a post for 'what if your tav was a companion' character but i can't find it and i forgot to save it

[lazylittledragon]

i don't go here but i'm intrigued by your bg3 comics and love your artstyle. i just had one question about them. i'm definitely aware astarion through the internet's love for him, but is dorian also an npc/character who comes with the game/romance option, or is he your playable character? (mad respect if he's yours, you've got heaps of people invested)

either way, loving your work, and have a nice day :)

i am SO flattered by how often i get asked this sfjhdjds

he's my playable character! he was my first tav that i really got invested in (after my first disaster/fuck around run) and he'll probably be my favourite forever so i'm v glad everyone else loves him so much

[traceofexistence]

The Q&A from last night with Sam, put Karlach in a lot of perspective.

age wise, because of what Karlach says about her sex life, Sam prefers to think of her as a young adult during being Gortash bodyguard +10 years in Avernus

so between 28~30+

I have personally estimated a 27~33, but I'm old so I preferred the older options in my headcanons lol

that being said Karlach is played to be a bit immature, especially when it comes to romance. which makes sense, since she was young when she was taken to avernus and there she stayed celibate by choice as she couldn't trust anyone.

we do have lines of her being very sexually frustrated, and burning her tent while masturbating, and getting too excited. Which means she even had to keep her self pleasure toned down, because of the damn engine.

the soul coin analysis is soo damn interesting and well written. it plays on Karlach's morality and character. (consuming soul coins is equal to war crimes, and they are also addictive like crack)

and she has consumed them, even though she knows that she condemns a soul by doing so, and she has a craving for them, and you have to speak her out of it, as tav, and she has to make the choice herself when you play origin.

we know from her back story, in game dialogue etc, she's been around the wrong crowds as a kid(especially after her parents died), and as Sam pointed out, she probably had made some very bad things as Gortash bodyguard, that she justified, as "being loyal" to the person who helped her.

So Karlach as we have seen in the game, she's very loyal, and she despises being tricked and betrayed. but if you show her care she will stay with you forever.

she's not above murdering people as long as she does it to protect herself and those she cares about.

if tav signs the contract with Raphael, she's very angry (understandably so) but she vows to go back to avernus for you, and break the contract for you, because you are worth it, she will go back to the place she hates the most, the place that she choices death over returning to, but she will do it for you, because you have treasured her, kept her as your companion, romanced her, fixed her engine, killed for her, even advocated for her when you barely knew her.

that's why it hurts her so deeply, when you betray her.

I also love how Sam poked on the fact that Karlach has done some very bad things, but when she escapes hell, she is adamant to start anew, and do good by choice

and I think that's the most important aspect of her character, she wants to do good by choice.

I also love Sam's opinion on Lae'zel

she rightfully criticizes the space racism that is going on, but also acknowledges that Lae is very young, and a product of her upbringing, therefore redeemable.

and let's be real here, contrary to some people's believes, Lae, does change dramatically throughout the game, even before she realizes that her whole world was a lie.

I bring up Lae in this Karlach post, because Sam mentioned her, and how Karlach just outright attacked the tieflings (her own kin) to save her, without a second thought, because Lae saved her from the nautiloid.

and back to Karlach

is she best girl?

ABSOLUTELY

nothing will change that

does it means she never done anything wrong in her life?

absolutely not.

sadly in recent years, fandoms suffer from what we call "purity politics"

if a character is not 1000% the purest of pures who has never done a wrong ever, then they are bad and we should be ashamed for liking them.

but purity politics is stupid, and do not belong in my reality.

like every companion, Karlach is beautifully flawed, and she's best girl because she sees the positive first, actively chooses to be good, and she finds the join in life, regardless of what fucked up situation she's in.

she's also fucking adorable so what's your argument really against her being defined best girl I dont understand.

remember friends

DON'T! POKE! THE KARLACH!