#my Durge has a type…

[m-art77]

Cleric!Durge is so good. Like imagine a young Durge who starts worshipping Selune (or any other god) as a way to stave off their urges, thinking they can be “cured” if they try hard enough. But obviously that fails (thanks dad) and their faith becomes more and more of a facade. Before they know it, they’re just going through the motions but their faith is practically nonexistent. And of course, none of this is helped once their Butler comes on scene and leads them to papa dearest’s cult.

But then, once their memories are lost, Durge holds onto the fleeting vestiges of their forgotten faith. They think they’re a loyal cleric, but still feel uneasy for some reason. But they continue to try being the “good cleric” people want, even at the expense of their own health (by resisting the urges).

And of course, this is all made better if Durge is a cleric of Selune and romances Selunite!Shadowheart. I mean…two people who lost their memories, serve a corrupt god who is using them, AND are starcrossed due to their goddesses’ hatred for one another. Sign me up. And then, they find one another in the darkest moments of their lives, help each other overcome their traumas, and go on together to find their true faith in Selune after all. Also!! going to help Shadowheart build a house for her parents in the end? They are in love, your honor🥺😳

[what-is-it-to-be-pk-esque]

Ok I know I'm heavily biased here but like I kinda love that Astarion's romance is one of the few in this type of video game where you basically end up canonically unmarried and childfree in his "good" ending? Just travelling the world??

Like it's honestly the millennial dream lmfaoo cannot believe i chose what would undoubtedly be my favorite option, first try

[lunian]

phewwww actually made my first Durge (Deya, War Cleric of Tempus)

SURE NOTHING HORRIBLE WILL HAPPEN ON THE WAY

:D !!!

[forcedhesitation]

stop fucking flirting with me, you rancid little man

[bhaalsdeepbat]

i think astarion is going to always have a natural lust for power. like i think his vampiric nature will just forever cause certain desires, but spawn ending kinda reasserts that he has the power to resist AND shows he has people he can rely on to talk him down if he needs it.

[meatcrimes]

you: level 1 human fighter with no spell slots

me: lvl 2 bronze draconic + lvl 3 undead sorlock with a scroll of Forcecage gifted to me by my patron in case any non-caster (ie, you) was mean to me

[thats-a-lot-of-cortisol]

So you remember this guy?

I fucked up his save file so I had to make a new honor run. I'd decided before I started Luka's that each new honor tav would be a reincarnation of him (he's a high elf), and that every time I had to start over I would roll a d20 to see if they would be a durge. This time around I had to get a nat 1 and. Well.

So meet Aconitum! He's a resisting durge. His guardian is his best friend who was killed by Orin during the Lobotomy Incident :)

[fereldensheroes]

How many times can I watch the LOTR trilogy in a row without adding LOTR verses?

[prismatic-dreaming]

tav backstory ask game! 1, 2, 11, 15 👀

Is your Tav Baldurian? If yes, did they grow up in Baldur’s Gate? If no, where are they from?

She looks to you with a smile. "Ah, yes, I am - I wasn't born here, but it's been my home since childhood. My mum and I moved here when I was around 12, so we've been here for about half my life at this point. It's an interesting place to call home, that's for sure. We live in the Lower City, though I've spent time outside the city at the Selûnite enclave as well."

Does your Tav have any siblings? Are they close?

"Two, actually! Both adopted and notably younger, but I care for them dearly. Faeryl's ten, she's the kid of one of our neighbors who was killed when she was a baby. Thankfully I was watching Fae at the time. We'd thought someone had gone after her for being a drow or she'd gotten into some trouble, but now I think I know what actually happened... and I'd say I've gotten what justice I could for her. She's a good kid, curious about magic and helps me make potions sometimes. I'd be happy to help her on her journey if she learns magic sometime." There's also Kaelis, my little brother, he's twelve. Little troublemaker, but he's a good kid. Hopefully he'll stay out of trouble. There's some kids I ran into on my journey that reminded me of him.

Did your Tav know or know of any of the other characters?

"I had heard of Gale before, actually. I'm no wizard, nor the biggest fan of many, honestly - it's the magical elitism and the common audacity. But I keep in the loop on and have done some research on magic and mages. I never would have expected that an archmage would be someone I could sympathize with on having volatile magic inside of you. Though mine isn't threatening to kill me - anymore at least - nor is it explosive. I think. He'll get on my nerves at times, but we get along fairly well. Not the closest, but we are friends.

And of course I'd heard of the Blade of Frontiers, though I didn't know much about Wyll beyond the stories before we met. I always respected him, but didn't expect to meet him or end up as one of my dearest friends. Same goes with Jaheira and Minsc - and Boo, of course - strange circumstances to end up with revered heroes as friends. Though I suppose I ended up becoming one too. Still feels a bit odd."

Do they have any sentimental items?

this is the one that took me awhile to come up with (alongside siblings)

"Yeah. My mum's an artisan, makes jewelry, trinkets, various metal things. When I was little, and I had a pretty rough time when my powers were coming in, and she'd tell me I was as strong as a dragon, and that I'd make it through. I didn't get to see her as often as either of us would have liked when I was recovering. It couldn't be helped, since she had to get a new job and find a place we could live in the city. But one day when she came to visit she'd made me a little dragon and put it on a cord as a pendant. It meant a lot to me, reminded me of her encouragement. And I did get better." She's been holding onto the pendant, which she holds up to show. "I still wear it, and it was a good reminder during some of my tough times finally getting a real hand on my powers along my journey - though I learned to rely on the people around me too."

"During my adventures, I also found an owlbear plushie somewhere along the road that I ended up attached to. Named 'em Feathers, and they're little buddies with Clive." She chuckles. "I leave 'em next to him when we head out for the day." (note: clive is karlach's teddy bear and sera is dating karlach they are in love <3 added just in case for the few non bg3 playing friends who might read)

[tragedybunny]

My gosh, this is has been a fun blog to find!

If you are still taking requests for Astarion, what about him exploring non-sexual but romantic touch? It seems like he enjoys kissing, even after asserting his boundaries around sex in game so I've been wondering what he would do if Tav or Durge kissed wrist or the tip of his ears or fingers l, etc. Basically gentle, exploring love.

(G/n reader if you could!)

Hi, hi, thanks for being patient with me. I hope you like.

Soft as Starlight - Astarion x GN!Reader

Reader and Astarion share a moment of intimacy that explores what love without sex is like.

"Can I kiss you?" You ask, cuddled up to Astarion in the tent you share. 

For a second, his eyes widen, and you worry it was maybe too much, too soon. "I'd like that very much, my Love."  He seems giddy and shy about it, like the two of you have never done such a thing. 

You plant your lips on his and he returns it, arm looping around your waist to bring you closer. There's a hunger there for your touch that you can sense. Not the type of amorous passion he'd once claimed to enjoy, but the physical show of your love, the kind affection of your touch. Gently, you pull your fingers through his hair, glorying in the silken texture beneath your fingers. In response he hums happily. 

"Hmm." You hesitate voicing your next thought until he pulls back to look at you expectantly. "Can I keep going? Not like that," you add when he tenses beneath your fingers. 

"You may," he says, not yet relaxing completely. 

"Stop me if you're uncomfortable," you reassure, kissing him lightly on the tip of the nose. He nods and you kiss his forehead, leaving him immediately sighing. 

Lips find his temple, his cheek, and finally the tip of his ear. A short giggle escapes him. "Watch it," he warns playfully. 

"Ticklish, good to know," you tease, but leave it be. You can always come back to that when he's more comfortable. 

Fingers have been gently tracing their way down his back and you turn to his arm, caressing it until you come to his hand. Grasping it with both of yours, you rub it gently, and bring his wrist to your lips. Then his palm, his fingers, and the back of his hand, lavishing your love on him.

"Darling," he breathes and his other hand covers his face, lost for words. 

"Do I need to stop?" You release his hand, giving him space to make a boundary.

"No, maybe, I don’t know. I'm not used to this." 

"It's alright Astarion, I don't want you to be uncomfortable." You settle back down next to him and he takes your hand, taking a turn to squeeze it softly. 

"Can I kiss you?" He asks and your heart soars.

"Absolutely," you say instead of shouting giddily like you want. 

He surprises you by starting with your cheek, your temple, and then hesitantly grazing your neck. A hand rests gently on your waist, playing with the fabric of your shirt. He nuzzles against the spot on your neck where he kissed. "You're wonderful." 

"You're pretty wonderful yourself, Love." You loop your arms around his shoulders and shift so he's laying on your chest. "Can I keep touching you?"

Silently he nods, eyes closed, seeming lost in the moment. With the lightest touches, you rub his back, working your way to his neck and hair. Then you start your way back down. "Never stop," you hear him breathe like a prayer against your skin. 

"Never," you promise, kissing his forehead once more bringing, a soft smile to his lips. 

[alijuan]

Ascended Astarion is true unlike Spawn Astarion who pretends to be good for Tav

If i see that opinion again i will explode🫠

It's funny because Astarion will only approves if you persuade him not to perform the ritual.

A lot of people don't understand the concept of grey morality and it shows. Many people justify him but this type of AA fan thinks worse of him than he really is. He needs the ritual not because he's a power-hungry villain, but because he needs safety for himself and his lover. Depending on Tav/Durge's actions, he either stays with the feeling of fear (AA is still afraid deep inside, the game files confirm this) or he fights against it and becomes truly free of Cazador and fear (spawn ending). The dialogue with Durge about not being afraid is wonderful and shows difference between SA and AA.

Astarion: This little adventure of ours has taught me that we can't let our lives be ruled by fear. Or else we never really live. Astarion: I'm not afraid. Not of you, not of your darkness, and not of our future.

The point of the spawn ending is that Tav/Durge saw him as more than just an outward image of a power-hungry killer incapable of becoming a better person. But if you can't see beyond that image, he will think that he has no choice but to continue living in the world that Cazador has built for him. If you think that AA is his best ending because he is evil then you have failed to understand his whole personality.

I feel safe with you. Seen.

Despite of his love of killing (he is a vampire after all), he repeatedly showed compassion and guilt for luring people. Before the ritual, he literally convinced himself that he should kill spawn for power. Astarion rationalises this to protect his psyche, because he’s clearly not the type of guy who can sacrifice thousands of people to the devil and not feel anything about it.

Durge/Tav: This isn’t you, Astarion. Not really. Astarion: It should be.

I really like that the player technically makes the insight check and that there’s an advantage when they're romancing Astarion. Tav/Durge could see through the image Astarion was trying to create. They saw an elf whose fear prevented him from seeing all the possibilities.

Astarion: When I look at my future, anything and everything feels possible now.

Just as Astarion saw Durge not just as serial killer, but as someone who could defeat Urge and become a better person.

Durge: I am myself at last. You don't need to fear anything from me ever again. Astarion: I knew you had that sweat heart all along. I was alarmed by you sometimes, scandalised even, but somehow by your side, I still only ever saw you.

AA fans also often ignore the fact that the game has good and bad endings in the companion stories. And it's not about morality. All companion quests are literally about how the desired and obvious path leads to a bad ending. And Astarion is no exception. In a good ending, he gets the chance to heal and finally acceptes himself and his vampire nature, in a bad ending, he gives up and regresses as a person.

Spawn Astarion knows what he wants and says it. SA is ready for a relationship and sex. Ascended Astarion can’t answer the question of what he wants, so he acts as a vampire lord should. AA is literally back to the state of the first act and has started manipulating Tav/Durge through sex again (even repeating the same phrases). This is why he doesn’t really want sex (he approves if you choose the no sex option and he definitely dissociated during the sex scene) unlike Spawn Astarion who initiated it.

Spawn Astarion is the same Astarion who enjoys “murder and terror” and you can see that clearly in his “hero” ending (more like “antihero”). And this is the ending without romance, he chose it himself. And the whole idea of him pretending to be good for Tav is actually meaningless without romance.

Ascended Astarion is the same Astarion, but stuck in a black and white world of fear and domination.

SA scene ends with hope music (instrumental version of I want to live) AA scene ends with chains.

And there’s so much more. Larian specifically showed the difference between good and bad endings in the dialogues, scenes after ritual, recent updates and even the interview so people would definitely understand, but they didn't🙃 Some AA fans (especially on youtube and larian forum) are on a new level of delusion.

[meanbossart]

Did Astarion kill DU Drow or did DU Drow pass the checks? (Or did that interaction not happen?)

Cause you’ve basically described DU Drow’s type as THAT Bitch™️ which I respect. But if THAT Bitch™️ killed him too?

Of course this could be me projecting, cause my Durge failed the checks and he came before he went 🫡.

Pretty face, legs for days, a mean streak, AND held a knife to his throat within five minutes of meeting, Astarion had already grabbed his attention, top that off with the fact Astarion actually killed him? My murder man was munted, the Bhaal boy was barking, slaughter son was salivating…

You get the idea

God damn it you're right, his type is just the conceptual archetype of That Bitch isn't it LOL

THAT BEING SAID you are actually mistaken! He may not like suck-ups, but he likes strangers putting knives to his throat even less.

Not to mention: Astarion's immediate order of business after that is to try and desperately get on your good side. In other words, doing the very thing that puts DU drow off. He didn't care for Astarion or his attempts at seduction at all, held him at arms' length, and was just a dismissive asshole to him throughout the majority of Act 1 (he was an asshole to everyone at that stage though, to be fair.)

It was only at the tiefling party when Astarion, completely unprompted, implied that the very idea of having sex with him disgusted him that DU drow became interested and started pursuing him. In the narrative I made up for this course of events, I like to think Astarion realized that his usual strategy wouldn't work here and that he was dealing with a man who only wants what he can't have. DU drow is a contrarian at heart, and for as long as Astarion was throwing himself at him he was going to be turned down.

Astarion only bit him after they started having sex, and at that point he had already told DU drow about his vampirism through normal dialogue ("Well, Obviously."). This is sincerely the only way he got away without being staked when that scene triggers (and it was honestly really cool to experience it in that order because it felt a lot more strategic from my POV as the player).

The bite was definitely a turning point in the relationship (DU drow enjoys being hurt by people he values under a controlled environment, but isn't fully aware of it due to his missing memory -> now his object of carnal desire puts that very concept on the table on a habitual basis, making it pretty much a pillar of the relationship -> DU drow begins to see Astarion as someone who actually has something to offer him, instead of just being a pretty conquest that he can show off.) However he still attempted and passed the first check to break free from it. They weren't close enough for DU drow to completely let go of his sense of self-preservation, nor did he come to trust Astarion entirely for a long time even after that. At that stage, if Astarion had sucked him dry (and then revived him, I guess) DU would have most definitely killed him.

(And If you're wondering how this translates to my actual gameplay - I wasn't taking the game seriously because I don't usually like fantasy as a genre, so I made a guy, named him Drow, and proceeded to be a huge dick to everyone until they all ultimately wormed their way into my heart while I kicked and screamed.)

[alicelufenia]

All Dark Urge Barks

Patch 7 expanded on the point-and-click voice lines for Dark Urge (and also added them for voices that were lacking them, like Voice 8. Had to use a mod prior to patch 7 to hear those). From what I've seen they seem to also trigger more frequently than in the past? Not sure, but it feels more frequent.

Voice 1 - Joshua Wichard

Voice 2 - Lynsey Murrell

Voice 3 - Ken Nwosu

Voice 4 - Emerald O'Hanrahan

Voice 5 - Neil Roberts (not that Neil)

Voice 6 - Muki Zubis

Voice 7 - Pieter Lawman

Voice 8 - Tina Barnes (my personal favorite)

1 and 4 - I like the contrasts with these two; quiet and mostly whispering to themselves out of combat, screaming psychopaths in combat.

2 and 7 - at first I wasn't a fan as they're both very downplayed, but given Dark Urge's assassin background, there honestly should be choices for a more reserved and sneaky, less vocally homicidal maniac type of durge. It's the difference between "I'M COMING FOR YOU (threat)" and "im coming for you (promise)". Both their "Kill, kill, kill again." have that Luke Skywalker Smiling "oh boy here I go killing again" energy, and yeah we need examples of that in the voices.

3 and 6 - Nothing in particular stands out for me with these two. Not necessarily a bad thing, they could work with basically any kind of durge.

5 and 8 - Neil Roberts the voice of default Dark Urge, and Tina Barnes the voice of Alice. Okay not literally, as Alice is my oc, but I mean, voice 8 IS her as far as I'm concerned, so I was very excited to hear her Dark Urge lines, and wasn't disappointed. In my opinion these two are the best, hands down. I know they're not necessarily the most popular, but in my experience everyone who uses these voices, it's their favorite.

I especially love the contrast Tina makes between Tav and Dark Urge, it really helps creating the impression she's both Going Through It, and that Something occasionally just speaks for her. I'm loving it as resist durge, but it could be fantastic for embrace durge as well. And Neil's Hannibal Lector-like delivery is both entertaining and kinda sexy imo, plus if you haven't seen his bg3 streams, he has a TON of fun with reading every durge line with that strained unhinged tone.

[alpaca-clouds]

Trying to figure out Gortash's backstory

As I said before, I am right now very much inspired to write a redemption story for Gortash. Like post-canon, Gortash lives AU (because I still hate that he dies), and he actually gets a chance to redeem himself. Not only like: He turns good, but he actually does something good enough to be considered a redemption. And he does so without dying.

But... Yeah, that story is going to be from Gortash's POV, which means that I very much need to come up with some fillings for the big ass holes that the game leaves in terms of his backstory.

We don't know how old he is, but I would estimate him to be around his late 30s or early 40s. Which means we kinda have like 20 years to fill up.

While the entire timeline of Raphael "buying" him from his parents and him escaping the hell is very vague, he was probably somewhere between 18 and 20 when he got out of the hells. And the exact stuff what happened in between is vague. Even how he escaped the hells is not quite clear. I mean, was Helsink responsible for that? Or how did he get out?

And then he starts to do illegal weapons trading once he is back in Baldur's Gate. Which is fair. I am going to assume that he is actually going to throw some stuff in there that is of his own making, given that he clearly is a tinkerer.

Given Karlach is 30, I do not think he hired her before she was 15, so at max she has worked for him just a couple of years.

I mean, technically those details don't matter. What does matter however is: How does he become a Chosen of Bane, and how does he get into contact with the Dark Urge?

As quite a few people have pointed out: Technically the Dark Urge existing is very confusing given that they have been created by Bhaal and Bhaal was dead for about a hundred years until ten years ago. So unless Durge is ten years old, this does not fully make sense. Sure, technically speaking Durge could be immortal, I guess, but... Well.

See, the issue I see with Gortash is, that I just do not pick him as the religious type. I do not see him going to the Banite church and actually give enough fucks to make himself a name in the church and after some great show of faith getting the status of chosen. I mean, if you talk to him, he just... Ketheric is devoted to Myrkul, sure. And Orin was indoctrinated into the Bhaalist cult from her birth onward. But Gortash? He would follow nearly every god if that god gave him powers. At least that is my reading of him. Sure, the entire tyrant thing plays well with his pompous and kinda narcissistic personality (and I mean this in a neutral way - given how he grew up narcissism in a medical sense is to be expected), but... Like, had Oghma thrown him a boon, he would have served Oghma, right?

So, why is he a chosen?

Usually chosen are either one of two: Either, they are very dedicated to the god and have proofen themselves to them over and over again, or they have something (power, knowledge, influence) that the god is interested in. As I don't see Gortash falling underneath the first umbrella, the second one could be it. Was Bane interested in Gortash maybe, because Gortash had a lot of knowledge about the hells maybe? Was Bane originally interested in the crown or something else that Gortash knew about? That would be one possibility.

Though, there is another one. Because it just so happens that in the lore of Faerûn something happened just 8 years ago, that could have given him chosen status without him doing shit for it. Even though it would also mean, that him being a chosen is almost random. Because 8 years ago the second sundering happened. And during the second sundering for a variety of reasons the gods picked quite a lot of chosen. And yes, that included the Dead Three as well. And a lot of those chosen were in fact not people super dedicated to the gods or anything, but just people who generally aligned with the domain and alignment of the god in question. And I cannot help but wonder: Was Gortash just one of the chosen Bane got from that event?

It would work out fine. Because there is one thing that keeps bothering me: Sure, Gortash kept secrets from Karlach. But she still was his personal bodyguard. And she had no idea that he was aligned with Bane. Which makes me think that indeed he was not a Banite when he sold her off to Zariel.

And yeah, I cannot help myself. The timeline would work out rather well: Gortash becomes a chosen closely prior the events of the second sundering, but after he sold of Karlach. After a bit the Dark Urge (who somehow very much is an adult, because I guess he time travelled or something) finds him. The two hit it off (whether romantically or platonically) and come up with their grand evil scheme. At some point Ketheric joins.

Of course, there is one big hole in that explaination, though: Who are the other people working for Gortash while he just is a black market weapons trader? If he was a Banite it would be easily explainable (other Banites), but like this it leaves open the question: Who are they and what happened to them?

I don't know. I am rambling. But yeah. I like this asshole. And his story is fun to think about.

[lucklessrat]

Posting this here early since I don’t need to worry about fighting the algorithm on tumblr.

Lethean, my drow moon druid weretiger durge (all words that mean things)

Some details about Leth:

Pronounce “Lee-thee-in,” he’s named for the river Lethe, one of the 5 rivers of Hades in greek mythology.

Lethean is very old, probably close to 400yo. But even before he lost his memory, he wasn’t sure how old he was. He spent a large chunk of his life living as a tiger, and he didn’t keep track of time during this period.

He’s a miserable bastard, but he’s also kind of a dad. Typical rude jackass who will do anything for you type personality. He is also just barely resisting the urge mainly by recklessly directing it at whoever is a threat to “one of his.” This is not always received well.

He gets along best with lae and shart (they’re all ruthless, rude, and impossible to hold a polite conversation with) and it takes him the longest to warm up to asta and gale (he finds them insufferable). Wyll and Karlach he just instantly puts in the “im your dad now” category (most of them end up in that category eventually anyway). He has a huge issue with Halsin for being 1. Taller than him and 2. An archdruid (he’s jealous), but he gets over it.

If he likes you, his default term of endearment is “kid,” which literally everyone hates. Only Jaheira and Halsin are exempt from this—he addresses Halsin as a peer, and Jaheira as if she were older than him.

Aaaand yes, he romanced astarion lol. (“You know, i didnt care for you when i first met you.”)

[moonselune]

Wait, the Ansur quest is Wylls side quest? Damn. I thought it was just a fetch/kill with a little dungeon crawl so I skipped it in favor of other things bc I was on a time crunch. They really didn’t lean on its importance as much as anyone else’s side quests. Either that or Im dense…. 🤷‍♂️

Honeslty I didn't realise it to begin with either and as I've mentioned previously on my first run I completelty missed it.

And I think the reason is, it is all based in act 3 and you don't hear about the wyrm until act 3. Whereas for Astarion for example, its cazador this cazador that, I still stand by the fact that if Astarion gets downed in combat he should go "ugh this is cazadors fault".

Whereas the dialogue lines we get with Wyll are, how was it growing up as a duke's son? Pretty shit about all that mizora stuff huh?

Like it's all small talk really like yes the reveal about the exile and the reasons behind it is interesting, but its like and what?

Like he comes back to baldur's gate, and obviously you could argue that Wyll has changes and people wouldn't have recognised him, but you would expect some pushback. Florrick only gets mad when Mizora meddles with things, apart from that its like yay wyll!

Could you imagine the salacious gossip that would be going round regardless of the absolute, like I'm thinking bridgerton lady whistledown type shit. Like it would make wayyyy more sense that the baldurs mouth gazette quest to have something to do with Wyll. Just everyone gossiping about the Duke's son returning and he's got horns!

He would have suitors flocking him, trying to marry up, trying to get in with the Duke and he's got horns so he's tangled with Devils and survived - even better.

Honeslty just imagine a quest where you enter the lower city and Wyll just gets swamped by adorning suitors and you have to knock them out, or even you have to survive a turn based chase through the city. The possibilites

ALSO - (you have unlocked a Seluney rant, congratulations/comiserations)

They could have developed a Wyll/Gortash storyline, because if Gortash was slutting his way up to the top he must have encountered Wyll at some point, even if Wyll was just a teenager and it was at a ball.

Could you imagine the banter between them at the coronation, sans all the sad stuff about his dad etc.

"Finally managed to grow in that stubble Wyll?"

"At lesat I have changed, unlike your taste for fashion."

"To be knighted Archduke by your father - must have been a shock for you Wyll."

"You on your knees for a noble? Not really."

Like he is the only one not surprised that Gortash and Durge hooked up.

You could even further that by him knowing Karlach as Gortash's bodyguard which why when Mizora is like you need to hunt down this devil and he recognises her and is like yea sure. Crook on the surface, crook in avernus, it would make sense to him. Which would then make his realisation that Karlach is good, so much more intense.

But yea Larian really missed a trick here.