#only astarion and minthara are encouraging violence

[esterigermaine]

Okay, but Halsin, Jaheira, Minthara, and Astarion all taking one look at an Elf dark urge and immediately going "I can influence that"

So all 4 of the older Elves in the party end up being like a divorced couple that can't agree on how to raise their kid.

[mightymizora]

Manva/Karlach!! That sounds fascinating. What would some of their pivotal moments have been had Karlach lived?

You know I think it's less about the big pivotal stuff and more just about what Karlach brings to the table.

For the majority of the game, Manva is surrounded by Astarion, Lae'zel, and Minthara. I love them all a lot, but Astarion really needs encouraging to give up the easy route to revenge. Minthara really can't be swayed from it. Lae'zel is a different case, she really is pushing towards the good, but I think because of how the relationship starts it's easy for a non-redeem or more ambiguous path Dark Urge like Manva to not naturally follow her into her redemption path.

There's something so interesting in the way Karlach sees the world. She's still angry, she still loves violence and fighting like Lae'zel does, but from the start she is just so overwhelmed and grateful to be in the world again. She wants to connect, she wants to live so much and with an earnestness that sets her apart from the others (except Wyll, of course, but I think Wyll tips over into too earnest for a person like Manva. God I LOVE redemption Durge and Wyll though...)

Anyway! The point is that it's more the little moments that build up. Manva asks questions of and listens to all of her companions, as she tries to find where she sits in relation to them, but she's also not going to push people if they don't want to talk. This means the majority of people don't share the depth of their thoughts on things, but Karlach is such an open book about her history, her emotions, her fear and anger and passion. I don't know that Manva has ever met somebody like her before. Somebody who would raise her up without any agendas. Make her laugh. Revel in fighting, and not shy away from the weight of it either. Then you add in the Gortash revelations! Karlach was a weapon to be used and traded, just like Manva thinks she was in his eyes.

I love the Karlach line in the Dark Urge scene. "I've killed people too. Innocence is for the lucky." and that one is so key. Manva wasn't afforded innocence, only the shouldering of suffering, and there's something transformative in meeting somebody who wants to reach for freedom, even if it's only short lived.

[thistle-spores]

OwO can u answer 9 and 11 for tavender, milfred, and standev. 5 for tavender, and 16 for milfred.

Hehe, thank you these kept me very entertained at work!

5. What does their tent area look like? Where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

Tavender: Her tent area is a decadent mess. This is the first time she's ever been separated from her servants and she has no maintenance/cleaning skills whatsoever. She tends to hoard books and there's barely any space for her to sleep in the tent (with her high quality silks that she keeps having to replace due to the dirt...) In terms of where she likes to camp, she honestly doesn't know. This is also the first time she remembers being outside and she is not used to the muck and wet and heat. So she keeps moving it around.

9. If they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Milfred: Easy answer Wyll. Milfred is very selfish and a scammer and she stole from his dad. They do not get along. Funny answer Auntie Ethel. They keep trying to bind and kill each other (affectionate) and Minthara is the one who put them in the shirt.

Standev: This is a hard question to answer because Standev strives for balance and neutrality and compassion towards everyone, but if I had to pick it would be Astarion. Standev finds his lack of consideration for the potential consequences frustrating and he's constantly trying to encourage their violence in a non-productive way. Astarion also finds their general urge to be calm and understanding annoying, but he comes to appreciate it in the later game.

Tavender: God, who doesn't belong in the shirt with Tavender ghjkdfhgkjsdh.

Before the raid on the Grove it's definitely Wyll. Tavender is quite jealous of him, because she's always dreamed of being a great hero and bard and sees that in Wyll. But she also has no desire to change herself whatsoever in order to achieve that. Wyll finds Tavender's lack of care towards anyone other then herself and her interests sickening. It's really no surprise when Wyll eventually leaves.

After the creche it's Lae'zel because the two of them are going through a divorce and custody battle, and Tavender's general physical weakness starts bothering her again. Also the Illithid stuff.

But the real, true person she needs to be in that shirt with is Gale. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a generous view of their relationship. Tavender is cruel to Gale over his wizardry, his relationship with Mystra (who is kind of Tavender's abusive step mom) and just... everything about him. She only starts becoming marginally friendly to him after meeting Elminster, but that's mostly just because she hates Mystra and doesn't want to do what the Goddess asks. There's also maybe the fact that she and Astarion are trying to figure out how to extract the orb for their own purposes (unsuccessfully). As Gale gets more powerful through the Necromancer's Tome and his general ascension to godhood (which is where I'm thinking this is going) he also starts deeply resenting Tavender and plotting her demise once the whole Absolute thing is dealt with. Very toxic.

11. What are their thoughts on clowns?

Milfred: Milfred fucking loves clowns. Thinks they're a riot. You ever tried to extort a mime? Very entertaining.

Standev: They don't recall clowns, and once introduced to the concept is mostly neutral. They like how clowns can bring levity into a chaotic and scary world, but doesn't always appreciate the humour. Also their girlfriends don't like them.

Tavender: She HATES clowns. Thinks they're basic entertainers with no appreciation for true performance art. Tavender loves the dramatic and epic over comedy. That being said she absolutely dresses like one.

16. What’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

Thank you for this one I spent many a minute debating over the exact wording

Milfred: "There's a small pocket. Is that... a lucky coin? Best find a healer before rubbing it gives you the pox."

[brother-genitivi]

4, 5, 9 from general!

What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

Answered here <3

Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions?

A few. Massacring the Tieflings would be one. If the Shadow Curse is not resolved, she will also leave. Another would be encouraging Astarion to ascend, or Shadowheart to kill Aylin.

Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

Not really. The only companion she would butt heads with to the point of violence would be Minthara, but their paths would never cross.

[karlastarion]

I'm playing a Dark Urge PC right now, and I intended it to be my Designated Evil Run. And Aidonea HAS been doing evil shit, no doubt about it; she sided with the goblins and is generally just making selfish choices here.

But because she's turning out to just be socially maladjusted and troubled, mostly interested in clinging to people who are nice to her, the Urge stuff and her class (Draconic bloodline sorcerer) is less an excuse for her violence and more the thing that's actively haunting her. Everyone in the party is yoked to something that steals their autonomy and compels them to do things they wouldn't otherwise, and Aidonea has that in spades; her magic is a mysterious force that she has to work unfairly hard to control, and the Urge seems to conspire to take everything away, from the people she actually cares about to her ability to simply make rational or self-interested decisions.

She has a much smaller group because Karlach and Wyll wouldn't join her or stay with her (and she sort of a little bit murdered Halsin). Gale and Shadowheart are clearly getting attached to her on some level despite finding her actions pretty unacceptable. I expect that from Shadowheart, raised by a shadow cult and all that, but it's interesting to watch Gale force himself to tolerate her and look on the "bright" side for the sake of managing the orb and saving the world. Lae'zel thinks she's fine, if a little overly enthusiastic about violence, and Minthara... actually I think Minthara thinks Aidonea is an idiot and a child, but owes her too much to ditch her entirely. And Addie will do whatever Minthara wants because sometimes Minthara gives her a compliment.

But the Astarion relationship is really clinching this character for me. Addie got super attached to him early on when she did some horrible things and he told her he didn't judge and encouraged her to play the hand she's dealt. Knowing Astarion as I do from a completed game, he seemed to have an "oh dear this woman is off her gourd" appeasement thing going on, and she definitely fell for his seduction routine. But he was there for her when the Urge came, even when it wanted to kill him, and he's always pretty gentle with her.

And then I got the romance lock-in scene where Astarion talks about his sexuality and his trauma. They talked things out, agreed to stop having sex for as long as he needs, and that little handhold at the end... it's so good, for both of them. Neither of them have much experience with positive relationships or physical gentleness.

At this point, Aidonea knows she can't stop her violence and is too bitter and resentful of others to really step out of her "people only matter if I like them" mindset. She's only "good for" people she's decided she enjoys getting validation from, like her party members, but sometimes that just means she pushes them to destructive ends in the name of making them stronger, not realizing it distances them from her, like letting Shadowheart become a Dark Justiciar or helping Astarion usurp Cazador. She doesn't know how to care about people in any way other than to overindulge them so they'll keep telling her she's doing a good job.

I'll have to do an evil/bad person run with someone who's a run of the mill asshole instead of the Dark Urge. It's just too difficult as a player for me to watch Aidonea be clearly disturbed by what's happening to her and not want her to push back against it.