#or an even better comparison is God Gale

[ersatz-eye]

It's so hard engaging with Ascended Astarion content because he's so cool but I can't read anything because people don't understand him 💀💀

[annalyticall]

Not done with bg3 so maybe my opinion will change but right now I think that while bg3 is a great game and has so much to offer in terms of character and story, I also just... vibe with the world of Dragon Age more. Like bg3 is by far the more fun game to play and it has meaningful themes about cycles of abuse and realizations of self-worth. But dragon age. I don't know. It feels more concise about what it wants to say. Bg3 throws everything and the kitchen sink at you which means some things get lost in translation or are so obvious that it beats you over the head with it. But dragon age is, for the most part, about religious authority and oppressive systems stemming from that authority, and it's entire world and story and cast of characters are built from that one premise to explore dozens of different perspectives on the same theme, and I feel like I can connect with that approach to worldbuilding so much more

[dawnbringerjoan]

I am so so obsessed with Gale's romance because God it's so clear he worships your Tav through it and it's absolutely horrifying.

His love through so much of the game is in *spite* of himself. Is in abject hatred of himself. He is holding guilt and shame and self loathing so bad he'd rather unmake himself into something that the Tav never loved in the name of some notion of "deserving" because Gale is *so* broken by Mystra even still that he thinks he must earn Tav's love. That he must make himself *worthy* of all that Tav has to offer.

Do you know how horrifying that is? To realise the person you love would destroy themselves for you, in some desperate attempt to please you, and with it take away everything you loved about them and they ask you to be happy with it?

Gale lays at Tav's feet a love that is built on worship, on looking at the Tav as divine. And it's not until the VERY end and you being really patient and stubborn does he begin to see Tav as a person. And that's horrific. He loves you so much he'd destroy himself.

He has placed you in the same spot as Mystra, but you are no all powerful Goddess, you do not spin magic along with a wave of your hand and seeking to mould him. You are a person. A person who is flawed and human (in the personhood sense of the word). A person who he does not have to prove himself for. Unmake himself for. At that point, he doesn't love Tav, he loves the idea he's made of Tav. And this idea, it's been built at his own expense. He's hurting, he blames himself, so even in the love that requires no proving oneself, no supplication, no means to *earn* it he takes it upon himself to make himself "deserving" and maybe he'll finally be content with himself if he just gets enough power, makes himself better, makes himself someone who is not him.

Because he hates himself.

And that is so heartbreaking to watch, because it's so very clear he has had zero time to heal. You are in love with a deeply suicidal depressed man, who would rather watch himself burn than accept your love for him as it is. Whole and human, with no notion of "deserving". The foundations of the love he has for Tav are so so unhealthy. And I love it. I love him. I want him to get better. It's so sad we don't get to see more Gale Dekarios in the game. He's so interesting in comparison to "Gale of Waterdeep" and I'm glad he has a chance to go back to it.

[veillsar]

WAIT WAIT HANG ON-

Hang. the fuck. on.

Look at this.

Don't mind the poor quality, I literally took a photo of my laptop screen with my phone cuz I needed to post this right now.

This is our camp in Balder's Gate Lower city, do you see what I'm seeing?

They have drying laundry hanging above them.

On Gale's side, look up toward the right corner - we see colorful laundry hanging there to dry, probably some carpet or blankets, those are almost definitely Gale's judging from the aesthetic. Normal, fun detail.

On Astarion's side, there's also things hanging out to dry, except they are rags. Colorless, dirty, disgusting pieces of cloth that might as well have been sitting in a trashpile. They have holes in them, have been torn, damaged beyond a normal person's tolerance for fabric - but Astarion keeps them and washes them like normal laundry....because those rags were probably similar to what he had used for the last 200 years, so he doesn't know any better. What the fuck?

You can't....you can't just silently put details like this, waiting for someone like me to notice it and have my heart shattered all over the floor. I will cry.

FYI, I do know about the visual comparison between the outside of his tent and the inside, it just adds to the sadness I feel for this man even more. Again, Cazador, when I find you, you'll be a dead man walking I swear to the gods-

[vemaro]

let’s not do anything hilarious

A link to the master post

Summary: Astarion Ancunin has two objectives whenever he comes to Baldur’s Gate. One: keep Tav happy. And two: keep Callum happy. As of right now, he is failing quite spectacularly at both. Callum vanished under his watch and his mother is in a state of panic. It’s been years since she’s worn that wrecked expression and he never wishes to see it again. The only way to fix that is to locate the boy and bring him to her as quickly as possible.

Pairing: Astarion x Tav (female Tav)

Word count: ~2200

Notes: I can’t seem to get myself to write the thing I want to write, the thing I keep telling myself I should write, so here we are again with a random tidbit. This time we get a little Gale time, featuring @necromosss’s Tav, Mira, stirring up some trouble. If you haven’t seen her art, go check out her blog. She turned me on to the Gale romance. I just hope I did Mira justice.

Enjoy!

…

This is the single most devastating moment of Tav’s life. Nothing could have prepared her physically or mentally for such an event. Her heart is pounding, her palms are clammy, and her skin is crawling with so much anxiety she could rip it from her body. Even then, that would pale in comparison to pain she feels a in her very soul.

“Oh my gods, where is he?” Her eyes meet Gale’s then Astarion’s respectively. “Where’s Callum?” When neither of the men provide an answer, only stare back with gobsmacked faces, she turns away to start searching. A hand touches her shoulder when she tries to move away and she flinches.

It’s only Gale, who lets go immediately. “Breathe, just breathe, Tav,” he says, keeping a calm and cool head.

She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Callum is missing. My son is missing.” Saying it out loud makes it feel worse. Tav clutches onto the fabric of her shirt above her frantic heart. “I should’ve been paying more attention to him. Or holding his hand. He’s so small, Gale. So small. What if someone took him?”

The wizard swats away the suggestion. “I’m sure he merely wandered off after spotting a sparkly bauble or colorful trinket.”

“But what if—”

He cuts her off. “We’ll find him.”

“But—”

He cuts her off a second time, firmly grabbing onto both of her shoulders. Her mouth snaps shut and she stares wide-eyed at her friend. “We will find him, Tav. But I implore you to take a deep breath.” Tav nods profusely inhaling through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth. Already some tension leaves her. “There. Much better.”

She takes another breath and at least now she can think straight. “Thank you.”

He smiles at her reassuringly. “Of course. I doubt he got very far. Why don’t you search the immediate vicinity? I shall search further up the road, and Astarion, you can—” It’s only now that they’ve both noticed their other companion is nowhere to be found. “Astarion?”

Curse that blasted vampire.

…

Astarion Ancunin has two objectives whenever he comes to Baldur’s Gate. One: keep Tav happy. And two: keep Callum happy. As of right now, he is failing quite spectacularly at both. Callum vanished under his watch and his mother is in a state of panic. It’s been years since she’s worn that wrecked expression and he never wishes to see it again. The only way to fix that is to locate the boy and bring him to her as quickly as possible.

Easier said than done.

He wasn’t at any of the stalls near where they were, nor inside any of the shops. It comes as no shock that no one noticed a small child with blue hair passing them by. If Astarion didn’t have to worry about accidentally exposing himself to the sun or drawing too much attention, this would be so much easier. Wave a dagger here, idle threats there and somebody would’ve seen something useful.

He makes a sharp turn down an alleyway when he spots a woman crouching in front of several stacks of barrels. She doesn’t notice him yet, her focus on something, or someone, hidden from his view. “Hello, little one. Are you lost?”

“Y-yes,” a small voice warbles.

He can’t physically see him, but he recognizes that voice. It’s Callum. Callum is over there, to his immense relief. Astarion’s first instinct is to shove the stranger aside, pick up the boy, and run like the hells, but it’s never that easy. This is Baldur’s Gate, the City of Blood, who knows if this woman has good intentions or bad. Astarion hangs back, sliding back behind the corner from which he came, a dagger at the ready, just in case.

He watches as she scoots a little closer. His hold on the hilt tightens. “Can you tell me your name?” she asks.

“No.”

The woman, a drow upon closer inspection, laughs at the timid yet blunt answer. “Smart boy.” Astarion wholeheartedly agrees. “I’m Mira. I’ll help you find your way home, alright?”

“I miss my Mama.”

She stands up and holds out a hand. “I know. We’ll find her together, promise.”

There’s a long pause as Callum thinks of what to do. “O-okay.” A tiny hand comes out from behind the barrels, latching onto her fingers.

She smiles down at him, hoping to coax him out of his hiding spot. “Okay.”

Astarion has no choice but to step in before they can leave. Thankfully for him, the alley is steeped in shadows, so if things get out of hand, at the very least he can close the umbrella in favor of fighting. Astarion clears his throat and slowly walks their way. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. He’s coming with me.”

The drow jumps, startled by his sudden appearance. “Stay there,” she whispers. She lets go of his hand, guides him back behind the barrels, and turns to face Astarion. She eyes him up and down. “Can I help you, sir?”

He puts on a charming grin and holds up his hand to show he’s not holding a weapon (it’s up his sleeve). “Ah, but you already did. You found my friend for me. Thank you for your services, but they are no longer needed. Good day.” He motions for her to leave.

She takes a defiant step back, closer to Callum. “Are you his father?”

Astarion resists a grimace, because it’s a stupid question and he can’t say yes. “No,” he grinds out. “I’m a family friend.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” she challenges.

They’re maybe five feet apart, staring each other down, silver glaring up at red. “You don’t,” he deadpans. He looks past her, toward those barrels. “Come out, little bird. It’s time to fly home.”

Out pops that head of blue hair, followed by puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “Asty?”

“The one and only.” His eyes flicker back and forth between the boy and the woman every few seconds. He doesn’t want either of them out of sight. “You had us all worried sick disappearing like that, especially your mother. She’s looking for you right now.”

At the mention of Tav, the little comes out of hiding entirely. The drow woman still stands guard, hand shifting towards a rapier sheathed at her hip. “Mama?” he chirps.

Astarion nods. “Yes. I’ll take you to her.”

A few things happen all at once. Callum tries running towards him, only to be prevented by her. Astarion reveals the dagger up his sleeve because it seems he’s going to have to do this the hard way. Next thing he knows, a strong gust of wind blows him back against a brick wall and then there is a sword being pressed to his throat. The mysterious woman knows magic. And he dropped the dagger when he hit the wall. Perfect. Can this get any worse?

Naturally, he has to make light of everything, if not for himself, but for Callum’s sake. “Let’s not do anything hilarious.”

She presses the blade ever closer, making the cool metal touch just below his Adam’s apple. “Shut it,” she hisses. “I’m not going to let you hurt him.”

She thinks he’s going to hurt Callum? The idea is so preposterous, he could laugh. He restrains himself from doing so because something tells him she won't share his sense of humor. “This is just one big misunderstanding, dear. Lower your weapon and I will gladly explain everything away.”

Her eyes narrow dangerously. “Do not take me for a fool.”

And yet she is a fool. “I would never dream of doing such a thing.”

“How about I just run a stake through your heart, vampire?” His smile drops as a crooked, snaggle-toothed smirk spreads across her face. “Better yet, I can toss you out in the sun over there.”

Well, shit. This is worse.

A gasp from the little boy turns both of their heads. He’s running away, running right past them, running as fast as his little legs can take him, with his arms extended out. “Mama!”

At the end of the alley stands Astarion’s beloved druid, looking regal under the light of the sun. And Gale’s there too, he supposes. “Callum!” She meets him halfway, deftly scoops him into her arms and squeezes him like her life depends on it. “I was so scared.” She cranes her neck to look him over. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

His voice waivers. “I saw a cat and I wanted to pet it, but-but it kept running away. Then I lost you.”

She closes her eyes and thinks of his warmth breath on her neck, his weight in her arms, his heart beating in his chest. “It’s okay.” He’s okay. He’s fine. “You’re not lost anymore. You found me.”

“I love you, Mama.”

Tav presses a kiss into his hair. “I love you, too.” She kisses him over and over again.

The tender moment is broken with an aggravated cough. “Ahem! Not to spoil this heartwarming reunion, but can someone please tell this madwoman to release me?”

The druid flushes with embarrassment. “Sorry,” she calls. She approaches the drow woman, though she still keeps a safe distance back. “Let him go. Please.”

She glares at her captee. “He’s a vampire!”

Gale tries to talk her down. “Ah, yes. We are well aware of this fact, Miss …” He trails off, gesturing for her to fill in the blank.

“Mira,” she says.

“Miss Mira.”

“Just Mira,” she corrects.

“Just Mira.” He slowly saunters over, placing a hand on Astarion’s shoulder. “He’s actually a very good friend of ours and we’d prefer it if you didn’t kill him.”

“He was going to drink from your son!”

The vampire scoffs. “No, I wasn’t!” He pauses. “And that’s not his son!” The thought of Gale and Tav, together, makes him physically ill.

“Hush,” they both snap.

Astarion begrudgingly obeys. There is still a fucking sword at his throat and apparently he’s the only one bothered by it.

This is going absolutely nowhere. Tav steps a little closer so she’s behind Gale but next to Astarion. “Miss—” The other woman opens her mouth, so Tav quickly corrects herself. “I mean, Mira. Mira. I appreciate you looking out for my son, I’ll never be able to properly thank you for that, but there’s no one I trust more with him than the man before you.” She grabs Astarion’s wrist. “Please, release him.”

Mira’s eyes start on Tav then Callum, flit over to Gale, and finally land on the vampire. They’re all staring at her, hope shining in their eyes and it’s too much for her to bear. “Fine,” she groans before sheathing the rapier and crossing her arms.

Astarion brushes off some imaginary dust from his shoulders. “Thank you. It was about time.”

“You’re welcome,” she sneers back.

Tav’s hand is touching his face, turning his head by the chin this way and that, checking for injuries. “Are you hurt?”

He shrugs, playing it of. “I’ll live.”

“Asty, I’ll make it all better.” Tav semi-reluctantly hands him over to Astarion, who readily accepts the boy. “I’ll give you a magic kiss like Mama gives me.” And he does, right on the cheek, and then Callum hugs him around the neck.

Astarion catches a glimpse of a beaming Tav over the boy’s shoulder and feels his heart melt with sentimentality. Gods below, he has gone soft over the years and these two are to blame. With a sigh, he pats the boy’s back. “Thank you, little bird. I think it’s working.”

So Callum’s fine. Astarion’s got him. Tav feels secure enough to turn her attention back to Mira. “Thank you for protecting my son. Please, let me give you something for your trouble.” She digs into her satchel and pulls out a small pouch heavy with gold coins. “Here. Take this.”

Mira stares at the pouch for a moment, but takes a step back. “It was no trouble at all. Keep your gold.”

The druid is a persistent one. “Then allow me to buy you a meal. Please. I do insist. Please.”

Mira is not immune to those big, doe eyes. She throws her hands up, resigning herself to her fate. “Sure. Why not?”

Tav’s face lights up. “Yes! Perfect. Thank you. I know this place not too far from here—”

“I’m sorry. You expect me to endure a meal sitting across from someone who just tried to kill me?”

Tav chuckles dryly. “I’ve done it.”

Astarion spins around. “What? When did you—” But then he stops mid sentence to cringe. “Oh … right …” She’s referring to the first time he fed on her. He was one gulp away from going too far. Tav passed out from the blood loss and he stayed up the rest of the night to make sure he hadn’t unintentionally killed her. The next morning she sucker punched him. It was very much warranted. “Have I told you how lovely you look in that color, darling?”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s what I thought.”

Mira leans over and stage whispers to Gale. “Um, so what’s the story behind that?”

He arches an eyebrow at the query. “To what are you referring to?”

She looks back over at the trio. Tav is fussing over both of her boys, repeatedly asking if they’re okay, they’re unharmed, they’re fine. Mira tilts her head in their direction. “Them.”

The wizard follows her gaze then sighs. “One lunch isn’t a sufficient amount of time to explain that … mess.”

“Is that so?” She clasps her hands behind her back and bites her lip. “Sounds like a good excuse to meet up again.”

Gale’s face burns bright red. “O-oh.” He starts fiddling with his coat, the buttons, the cuffs, anything to distract him from openly gaping at the beautiful woman currently speaking to him. “I-I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”

“It’s a date?”

He offers her a shy smile as a confirmation. “It’s a date.”

…

Thanks for reading!

[swordcreature]

hiiii if youre open for requests I've got one I've been bouncing around in my head for a while.

how do you think Rolan and Gale would react to a lower intelligence/wisdom Tav who's self-conscious about it? they try and hide it, but eventually, it comes out; surely their Wizard would want someone who can keep up with what they're talking about, right? Tav is terrified thar one day the wizard is going to get fed up with how 'stupid' they are.

just some good ol hurt/comfort please ♡

okay so anon, this got away from me big time and before i knew it, gale's part was like 1,700 words. so um. yeah. i would also really like to do one for rolan still because it's such a good prompt, do if you'd still be interested, lmk!

i can cut back on length too. this one just felt so much more than like HC's or a small drabble lol

Trepidation

Gods, they never wanted it to happen like this. Never wanted it to happen at all if they were being honest. Tav had worked so hard at building this new version of themself – one that had gone to a proper school, gotten an actual education, knew how to read and write. One that wasn’t so stupid.  

Tags: GN!Tav, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Deprecation

Word Count: 1,718 [AO3]

Tav could somehow still hear Astarion’s laughter in their ears, despite having run away from camp at least an hour ago. Did he follow them here? Surely not, he was doubled over, practically on the ground, when Tav had made their escape. Hot tears stung the corners of their eyes, replaying the way their companions had all stared – full of pity and secondhand embarrassment.  

Especially Gale. 

Gods, they never wanted it to happen like this. Never wanted it to happen at all if they were being honest. Tav had worked so hard at building this new version of themself – one that had gone to a proper school, gotten an actual education, knew how to read and write. One that wasn’t so stupid.  

And with one foul swoop it all came crashing down. Tav wished, half-heartedly at best, that Astarion’s next meal would bleed him dry first. It would serve him right, they thought. If he hadn’t insisted, pushed them, to “read aloud for the rest of the class, dear”, they would have never been in this mess.  

Of course it was bound to happen sooner or later, they knew this. They couldn’t hide their intelligence, or lack thereof, forever. But it didn’t help the embarrassment, the deep-seated shame that crept up their spine at the thought of facing everyone back at camp. At facing Gale. 

How could he even look them in the eye after all this? After everything they’ve shared – the night under his magic sky, the mornings together in his tent, the goddess hell bent on his self-sacrifice – how could he possibly still want them, knowing how little they measure up in comparison – how dull they were where he was bright?  

The decrepit tree line rustled just beyond where Tav sat, knees pulled to chest. Their head jerked upright, fear prickling up their neck. If there was one thing the universe knew, it was how to hit Tav when they’re down. They cast their gaze downward as Gale stepped over the dead underbrush and into the small clearing.  

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” he said, voice tinged with sympathy. Tav grit their teeth but remained quiet. “It’s too dangerous to be out here alone, blessing or not. Surely you’d know better-” 

Tav let out a bitter laugh, more tears spilling down their cheeks. “Know better? Well that was your first mistake, Gale. Haven’t you heard? I’m an imbecile.” A sob was forced from their lips, their body shuddering.  

“A poor choice of words, Tav. I’m sorry.” His voice was soft, almost a whisper. Tav wanted to be held so very badly, wanted Gale to reach out and pull them into his arms. What a cruel world Tav found themself in where the one person they wanted the most was also the one person they wanted to be farthest from.  

“May I?” He motioned to the space next to Tav. They nodded, still avoiding eye contact as Gale took a seat beside them. 

Both sat in an uneasy silence. Tav feared the moment Gale might speak, unsure if they could keep themself together as he ended their budding relationship. They braced themself as he opened his mouth. 

“What Astarion did was abhorrent. You should not have had to endure that,” he began. Tav wrapped their arms around their body as though they might be able to hold their chest together when the shoe finally dropped.  

“And though the more impulsive side of me wished to incinerate him then and there for what he did,” his lips quirked up into the tiniest smile at the thought, “I can assure you that he was given a thorough talking to by not only myself, but also Karlach, Shadowheart, and even Wyll, for how he treated you. You should expect an apology when you return to camp.”  

While the sentiment was sweet, Tav found themself angry at Gale for the cordial way he spoke when they both knew what was to come. Their face twisted as they stared, willing him to speak further – to get out with it already.  

Gale took the hint to keep talking. “Of course, if you desire to be out here longer that is more than alright, though I do ask that you let me accompany you. I know you may want to be alone, but I’d be remiss to leave you here by yourself in such a danger-” 

“Gale,” Tav pleaded. “Please stop.”  

A wrinkle formed between Gale’s brow as it furrowed, one that Tav saw when he was in the heat of battle or concentrating on a spell. They wanted to smooth it over with their thumb, like they had so many times before.  

“Stop? I don’t quite understand?” 

“Stop acting like everything is okay!” Tav wasn’t sure if the tears spilling down their cheeks were new, or if they had just been crying the entire time. “Just... I can’t take this. I know what happened was embarrassing, I know that I'm not what you signed up for, but you can’t coddle me out of pity.” Tav tried to steady the thundering heartbeat in their ears with a deep breath. “Just get it over with and let me be. Please.” The last word came out a whisper, begging for mercy. 

Gale’s eyes flickered back and forth, searching their face as though he would find his next words written somewhere on it. Tav wasn’t sure if he had found what he was looking for, but he did find something; grabbing their face between two large hands, he turned them towards him.  

“Tav,” he started, gently commanding them to meet his gaze. “Do you think I came out here to...to put an end to what we’ve started? To squash the beginnings of our... our love over something so trivial?” 

Tav opened their mouth to speak but words failed them in the moment. Luckily, Gale had always been the one with a talent for the verbose, between the two of them.  

“Do you think me so fickle that my desires for you would be dashed because you can’t parse the written word? After everything we’ve been through?” His eyes were wide, vulnerable. It reminded them of the night he confessed his love, under the sky he made just for them. “How could you think me a man worthy of loving if I only concerned myself with one, singular aspect of your being? Surely you know me better.” 

It took everything Tav had left to find the courage to speak.  

“Gale it’s not- you're not,” words still seemed to elude them though. Their eyes scanned the bleak sky above for an answer. “How could you possibly want an idiot like me? I’ve never been to school, never been able to read a proper book. Sometimes, when you speak, you use words I don’t know and I try. I try so hard to act as your equal but I’m not.” Tav has the distinct urge to run. Or to puke. They aren’t sure which one is stronger. “How could I ever be your equal?” 

Gale’s mouth was, perhaps, more forceful than he intended as he brought their lips to his for a firm kiss. He held them there against his mouth for a long moment, before pulling back just enough to speak. 

“You’re not my equal. You are so much more than that, Tav. Not a word exists in all the languages of all the realms that could describe just how above me you are.” Tav wanted to stop him, to protest, but Gale silenced them with another chaste kiss.  

“Your kindness is without limit, your generosity unparalleled. Your heart is more precious than any jewel known to man, and yet you share a piece of it with every person you meet, and probably least deserving of all, me.” He kissed the corners of their mouth, then their chin. “And for the record, I do not think you are unintelligent, you give yourself so little credit. You may lack a traditional education, but you hold a blade unlike any other I’ve seen. You lead as though you were a general in a past life, none of us would have made it thus far without you. If intelligence is only books and fancy words, then I’m afraid holds no meaning.” Gale leaned his forehead against theirs. “No meaning that I find worth in, at least,” he quickly added.  

Gale was but a smudge of purple and brown in front of Tav as tears clouded their vision. Were they happy? Sad? Relieved? They couldn’t tell. The knot in their chest ached with a mix of emotions as they tried to gulp down air.  

“And what of the future? When you’re bored and tired of a partner who can’t keep up with you? When you want someone who can challenge you, oppose you?” Gale’s smile was bright, as though they just said a joke and not one of their deepest fears.  

“You certainly challenge me enough as is, my love. If I ever seek a partner who contradicts and disputes me more than you do, I fear I may have gone insane.” Gale reached out to grab their shoulders, pulling them to sit in his lap with their head tucked under his chin. “I love you, Tav. Every version of you, the parts you show me, and the parts I’ve yet to learn. I love them all with a ferocity I’ve never known the likes of before. Please, if there is one thing you trust, trust in that fact.” 

Tav could only nod, their chest open and raw, held together by Gale’s sweet words. Some part of them did not believe him: a tiny inkling of fear that said a man of Gale’s intellect could never love someone like them. But Tav shoved down that part, deep inside where they were sure it would stay insignificant and small, and not fester into something more, something dangerous and insidious.  

So, they chose to believe him – trusted in the way he loved them. 

They sat in Gale’s warm embrace until the chill from the shadows surrounding them crept into their bones, urging them back to the safety of camp. Tav decided, with Gale’s hand tucked into their own, that they could live with feeling unintelligent, as long as they always felt this loved.  

[sybaritick]

cal sybaritick's

bloodweave fic recs 🧙🏼🧛🏻

I'm pretty sure that over the past few weeks I've read nearly every single Astarion/Gale fanfic on Ao3, and I have great taste, so I am uniquely qualified to recommend them to you. Here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorites!

Overhear More in Changing by ZiGraves

E / 9.6k words / body swap, blood drinking, handjobs / complete

Astarion has the misfortune to wake up inhabiting a body not his own. It’s alive, breathing, warm. Hairy. Oh gods, no. It’s Gale’s.

not only is the power-issues-tinged porn here extremely hot to me, but this is also the best and most interesting depiction of body swapping that i have ever read, with so much great detail on how it would actually feel to experience

Left to your devices by Experimental

E / 4.2k words / teasing, dubious consent, developing relationship / complete

While camped at the Grymforge, Astarion does a murder, and thinks a gift will magically make it all better. Trouble is, he may be right.

a snapshot-style fic of a clever interaction between the two of them, and I enjoyed how it handles the comparison between Astarion's vampirism and Gale's condition that so many have noted

A Cave Edge, A Black Bowl by an orphaned account

E / 2.2k / extremely dubious consent, sensory deprivation, humiliation/degradation / complete

Gale has this bad habit of shutting himself off after a particularly long day and Astarion hates it. All high and mighty he will saunter off towards his tent and engulf it in Darkness, draping it in Zone of Silence. It infuriates Astarion to no end, and so he sets out to let the wizard reap his due reward. Getting into his tent would be effortless. (The first thing he hears are soft, almost whining pants, followed by a high pitched moan.)

this just pushes all of my buttons SO well. gale as a consummate submissive using magic to be his own dom, so to speak... and his insulting astarion for interrupting this little display, "you're wretched," hating it so and yet still clearly getting off to it... delicious!

That Wounded Animal by wxntr

M / 6.4k / character study, manipulation, angst with a happy ending / technically incomplete, but can easily be read as finished

His foolishness is what made him deserve it. That’s the reason Astarion latched onto when the familiar sickness rose in his throat as he spun his pretty web. When guilt or shame creeped in at Gale’s wide, adoring eyes and smile, Astarion reminded himself that if he wasn't the one to take advantage, someone worse would. He was doing Gale a favor, even. The weak would be taken advantage of, and Astarion refused to be the weak. A progression of scenes following Astarion's manipulation of Gale, and the complicated feelings that accompany it.

a rec like this means a lot coming from me because normally I struggle with sad and soft pieces in fics, but this is extremely well done. I'll just quote what I said in my comment on the fic: "the way you write this so that Gale's very weakness is what makes Astarion weak to him! the fact that Gale has the capacity to believe in Astarion's potential goodness despite everything, hell, to believe in anyone's potential goodness, that Gale continues with earnestness regardless-- that is what breaks Astarion's resolve. The fact that anyone can possibly live like that (like Gale does, wearing his heart on his sleeve)-- it's agonizing to someone like Astarion who has seen it proven time and time again that a relationship can only ever be transactional, that there must be the user and the used. That of course Astarion has seen sincerity and naivety before and has brushed it aside easily, but it's the time spent with Gale, the slowly getting to know him, so much longer than he would have for the victims he was forced to bring back to Cazador-- that's what gradually gets to him. And so gradual too, the way you write it."

Unraveling [series] by chogiwonderful_you

E / 17.3k words / undernegotiated kink, cnc, mental health issues & neurodivergence, discussions of past sexual assault, very unhealthy relationships / technically incomplete, but can easily be read as finished

The book reads you as much as you read it. Gale really should have remembered that.

this recommendation comes with the caveat that, as it was written during early access, the author's interpretations of the characters don't truly line up with how I see them now. However, there was no doubt in my mind I was still going to recommend it just for what it is-- the fandom aspect be damned. Everything, down to Gale's guilt about his behavior to him being like "in some sense the mental aspect of this is more erotic to me than the sex to the point where i almost feel separate from my physical body" is so Very Real in a way I feel fanfiction often isn't. Also, the depiction of what I would describe as Gale's hypomania, and later panic attack, is extremely well done.

En Prise by positivejam

E / 20.5k words / manipulation, D/s, petplay (vibes), humiliation/degradation / incomplete

It’s not often Astarion sees his own hunger reflected in another’s eyes. So yearning for a look in the mirror, he can't help but stare. Gale is downright ravenous. He can smell it on him: like some combination of lust, adrenaline, and desperation. Exactly for what, he isn’t sure. But desperate men make for good companions and better bedfellows, so he sinks down next to the wizard with a smile. “Like recognizes like, little mage. You are starving, and I am feeling uncharacteristically charitable. Perhaps we can help each other out.”

if you know this pairing, you know this fic, but I could not possibly leave it out. It is very well written! It is super hot! It's dripping with nasty D/s vibes! Read it!

first date by revoleotion

M / 1.7k words / sincerity, discussions of past sexual assault, angst with a happy ending / complete

It's not Gale's first time. Part of him wishes it were. It's not Astarion's first time. Perhaps that can be a good thing. Astarion and Gale share a drink together. A drink, and a little more.

like I mentioned above, I am usually not the audience for this genre/style of fic, but this author handles the way they discuss their trauma very well-- that they are still a little guarded and awkward, not perfect communicators, not perfect partners.

[sky-scribbles]

The Karlach/Gideon Nav comparisons have sunk deep into my brain at this point, so I think it's about time I laid out my Locked Tomb AU thoughts. Because there are some very fun necro & cavaliar pairings to find among the tadfools and their supporting cast:

For the Second House, we have an obvious cavalier: Lae'zel, trained for the frontlines since hatching, ready to march to war for her Emperor god-queen even if she doesn't know why. Her necromancer is harder to pin down - it could be Shadowheart for the Harrow and Gideon vibes, but I want to use Shadowheart elsewhere. Ghustil Sturnugoss could work, perhaps - until Lae'zel starts to see through the lies she's been raised on...

The Third House smacks of nobility and charm, so my gut says Wyll is our cavalier - yes, he's a spellcaster, but he's the Blade of Frontiers. He wields a rapier; he's Wyll, the protecor. He's asking to be a cavalier. As for his necromancer, the person he's bound to serve, to die for... well, I guess it has to be Mizora, who has plenty of Third charisma herself. Not all cavaliers serve willingly.

We have a much more stable duo for the Fourth: Isobel and Aylin! Isobel is a cleric, made for warding and guarding just like Isaac, and Aylin has a very Fourth House-esque tendency to, as Gideon put it 'charge in headfirst and get all crazy'.

The Fifth house are tricky. They're spirit-speakers, so Withers is the obvious choice, but who's his cavalier? An aged-up Arabella? But she feels more like a necromancer to me, so I landed on an alternative: put an actual spirit into the necromancer role, and make it Thaniel. And have his protector be Halsin, who could fill Magnus's surrogate dad role quite nicely. (Rumour has it that not only does Halsin the Fifth wield knuckle-knives, he carried two knuckles and has a tendency to chuck his rapier away and just slash at you like a bear.)

Gale 'which way to the nearest library?' Dekarios is just begging to be the necromancer of the Sixth House - he even has a House-esque surname, though we'd have to change it so he doesn't sound like he comes from some nonexistent Tenth House (Hekarios? Sextarios?) And if his cavalier is someone who'll remain at his side through thick and thin, protect him from the world and from himself... I guess I have no choice but to make Tara a tabaxi and give her a sword. She deserves it.

I confess to drawing a blank for a really fitting match for the Seventh, so for lack of a better place to put them, let's make it Jaheira and Minsc, since Minsc pretty much sees himself as her cavalier in canon anyway. I suppose if you spec Jaheira as a Spores druid, she does at least have the 'walking corpse' thing down.

The cavalier of the Eighth House is another forced into service: Astarion, serving his necromancer Cazador. He's been trained to be his necro's resource, not his equal; he exists for Cazador to draw on and suck dry. He owns nothing but his sword (and unlike Colum, he doesn't even have his honour; it was tortured out of him long ago.)

And finally, Shadowheart as the Ninth House necromancer - a young acolyte raised in an underground cloister among those who worship silence, darkness and loss; her own memory betraying her, loving her order despite the fact that it has broken her again and again. With her cavalier, Karlach, who just wants to get out of her indentured service already and to be given back her fucking longsword.

[amethyinst]

god im thinking gale post war. he's got a kafkaesque middling bureaucrat position on government or perhaps something like 'minister for outreach' or some bs job. mostly there to be the attractive young face of the new government.

his friends are all 40yo rebel leaders turned bureaucrats and posy his 6yo little sister who writes him pen pal letters from district 12 where she is going to school (its an assignment where you write to a pen pal from another district and she was like i pick my brother Comrade Gale Hawthorne Of The Rebellion and the teacher is like well i meant another kid from another district but okay then.)

she's only now learning to write so its mostly little kid stick drawings in her new gel pens he bought her with a note from hazelle asking if he's eating enough and that katniss asked about him. and he reads them crying while getting whiskey drunk at 9pm. and he writes back like hello posy what a lovely drawing tell mummy im doing absolutely fine and please dont bother katniss about me but also is she okay does she talk about me is she happy is she mad please and thank you lovely pen colour by the way.

he is engaged to a female rebel about his age maybe a little older. i have named her evjenny a future dystopia spelling of yevgenia russian form of eugenia meaning 'good breeding'. because its funny to me for him to go full bolshevik. she's from district 5 a slightly wealthier district in comparison to the outliers like 10, 11, 12. she's a little uptight, very type-a, respects gale, loves the state, believes in black-and-white justice. thinks katniss is mostly a propaganda creation and that she's a little weepy but good for morale. has a pet bird she is wanting to teach human language to.

vaguely know each other from the little inter-district rebel communications that coin allowed. coin off-handedly mentioned that she respected her so when The Powers That Be were arranging propaganda couples to marry (they didnt call it that ofc) he was like yeah okay she seems fine.

meet each other at panem galas that are about like fostering relations between the districts. TPTB are like ah gale this is evjenny you are attractive young people you should chat. we did not plan this we did not have several meetings planning this. they bond over hating all the former capitol turned rebel folks.

evjenny (evjen for short, she says, because it is efficient) mentions that she enjoyed gale more than katniss in the propos because gale was an 'actual working man' as opposed to katniss (who is the equivalent of a kardashian to her). and gale is like. Eye twitch. thank you. i enjoyed when you organised that power plant to get blown up and she goes thank you it did take a lot of work. she is not joking she's just a very serious person. they go on like five 'dates' (paparazzi outings) and they agree to marry with a handshake three months after meeting. (there is a more official ceremony where evjen pops the question on tv with a sensible steel ring)

their marriage is like an absolute flop cos gale has a drinking problem and evjen is like if a robot was a 15yo girl and that 15yo girl got parentified because the russian revolution happened. she's not even like jealous about katniss at first until it becomes insanely obvious that gale has like deified / villainised katniss in his head not even deliberately she just represents the past/future he can never have. so evjen is like okay but why cant you just repress it better why are you making it my problem? this is not important we are literally rebuilding a government and you are getting winedrunk over your childhood situationship Man Up.

they have a daughter the first year of marriage who plutarch wanted to name peace but he got outvoted and they (evjen and gale but also The Powers That Be) settled on pax. gale calls her sweetpea :) pax hawthorne is kind of a child star from birth which evjen is fine with cos its for The Greater Good but gale is like. This Is What They Did To Katniss. but he cant say that because he banned all mentions of her.

after a few years of fail marriage they choose to get pregnant again to try and save it (BAD IDEA) and they have another daughter. The Naming Committee was a nine month process all the way till the fuckn day of childbirth. they wanted something evocative of olive branch imagery. olivia was considered but they vetoed it cos it sounded too capitol (plutarch was miffed about it and left that committee) then olive but since that's the skin colour they vetoed that too even though gale liked it. eventually went with dove :) because gale has apparently not had enough damn birds in his life

i think they do divorce once an appropriate amount of time has passed where its not bad optics. gale 3Ds (drunk, divorced, dilf) is very important to me. anyway this post is long enough my bad

[sorcerous-caress]

Oooh I made a human Durge priestess of lolth in one of my playthrough ( unhinged I know). Could u do companions reactions to that

I don’t know what why but human priest / priestess of lolth who actually received blessings / favor from her sounds funny as hell

— RED Anon

That concept is so wild anon, bless your Durge.

Like not only they abandoned their father, a whole god of murder, and went to worship Lolth instead. But also them being a human who just subscribed to Lolth's agenda and she found it so hilarious that she granted them a priestess blessings, A PRIESTESS OF LOLTH.

Drow noble women start whole fights just to get this position.

Companions reaction would be something like:

"...why? Just why?" // Gale, Wyll.

They're mostly confused. You were supposed to be a human team and all of that. Gale is especially a hypocrite by mansplaining how Lolth wants humans as slaves for drows as if you're a naive baby who doesn't know better. Wyll is hoping it's a phase, and you'll see the light eventually.

Doesn't care much, you do you // Laezel, Karlach.

Laezel doesn't concern herself with the mythology of Faerun. The only queen she cares about is vlaakith. Karlach has seen much worse in hell, so Lolth seems like a lesser evil in comparison. She knows to judge you on your actions and not who your boss is.

Suspicious of you // Jaheira, Halsin.

They have a very terrible past with Lolth worshippers. Both of them will keep an eye on you and all of that. Maybe even get jumpy or look at you weirdly whenever you're too nice to them. Most elf groves have a strick "kill drow on sight" policy because of the surface raids.

Although since you're a human, they'll mostly think you're just in need of guidance and your misdeeds will be easily forgiven and overlooked because they think you don't know better.

That is so fucking funny but also stay away // Astarion

You know he always thought he'd make such an amazing drow, besides the whole matriarchy and using men as slaves thing. If he looks past it, he really is fascinated by them. Also it's hilarious that you were such a traitor to both your god father and your own race, Ha.

But also don't bite his head off, he knows that Lolth demands high elves as sacrifices for her so don't even think about coming his way.

Fuck you, your goddess is shit // Shadowheart

While Lolth and Shar don't have much beef between each other, their followers definitely do. Their domians overlap a lot, so followers will occasionally migrate from one goddess to the other. Viconia herself used to follow Lolth before and now despises her after Lolth retracted her blessing from Viconia's house and made them fall as a noble house. That's when she found Shar.

I believe she will teach that hatred into Shadowheart.

Minthara

It's complicated. She abandoned Lolth but she is still a paladin who swore and oath to her. And Lolth doesn't seem to have abandoned her just yet.

Lolth sees drows as her property, her toys. She doesn't care for what they personally think or feel. She plays with them and wagers their lives like it's nothing.

Minthara knows the only reason Lolth still grants her power is because she finds it amusing, she is toying with her. Lolth adores chaos and Minthara is a great tool to cause it.

When she meets you, she will think you're another one of Lolth's toys. Either sent to entice her back into the spider queen's embrace and seduce her. Or you're also a victim of her cruelty.

Yet she is curious, you're not a drow, you're a human. That is unheard of. So you fully chose Lolth by your own free will? She honestly doesn't know what to think. She both is annoyed and fascinated by you.

You represent the past life she escaped from, but you also represent the new beginning you granted her by saving her. Deep down she thinks if you stealing her heart is just Lolth stringing you like a puppet.

Also, Lolth can possess any of her priestesses at will, so she can simply come down to have a chat with Minthara through you if she felt like it. And that does put Minthara on edge.

[senualothbrok]

Hi friend!

I'm bored at work too!

Few questions for you (answer whichever ones you want)

What made you start playing BG3?

What is your favourite ever piece of fanfic? (doesn't have to be BG3, mine is a Sherlock one from like a million years ago)

What is your favourite colour?

What are your top 3 favourite films?

MY FRIEND THANK YOU FOR THESE AMAZING QUESTIONS <3 <3 <3 <3

What made you start playing BG3?

My hubby actually played it first and told me that I would love it. I had two start stop attempts to get into it but got flummoxed by the DnD combat mechanics and how to actually play the game (LMAO a true noob). But once I got into it, and realised it was very much in the vein of Dragon Age/Mass Effect/The Witcher 3, I became absolutely obsessed. And now I've lost my life to Gale Dekarios. It's hilarious because I now know a ridiculous amount of minutiae about the game and am on my fourth playthrough, and my husband doesn't even remember Mystra's name.

2. What is your favourite ever piece of fanfic? (doesn't have to be BG3, mine is a Sherlock one from like a million years ago)

I know this is awful for a writer but I don't read much - both because of some fatigue/focus issues but also because for a while I really struggled with toxic comparison. When I read other fics, I found that it made me really self-loathing and would really adversely affect my own creativity. I do feel guilty about this and I know there is some amazing stuff out there - sorry to all my fellow writers, I'm working on it.

An absolutely phenomenal fic I was reading before I stopped is @bludazey's Hellish Rebuke . It's an Ascended Astarion x OC fic, and the writing is exceptional.

I also love all of @tumbleweed-run's smut. She inspired me to start writing smut of my own!

I am also going to give a big shout out to my bestie @practicallydeadinside-blog and her epic God!Gale saga Ambition's Folly. I love her OCs, the relationship dynamics between all the characters, how she writes comfort, and the tragedy of God!Gale generally. Her writing just keeps getting better and better, and I am incredibly proud to call her a friend.

3. What is your favourite colour?

Turquoise.

4. What are your top 3 favourite films?

Arrival, Annihilation and Ex Machina. I watch these films again and again and never get bored of them.

@sorceresssundries I'd be interested in your answers to these questions as well! <3

[korereapers]

Title: Finding God before God finds me

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Ship: Bloodweave, Astarion/Gale

AO3

Astarion has to admit, Gale Dekarios is indeed very good at using his silver tongue.

It’s not that he really misses his endless talks that much, he kind of does, but the topics he usually talks about pale in comparison to what he does between his legs, either be painfully slow caresses or words that feel like they are.

He likes him like this. Mumbling endlessly, his words both full of meaning and devoid of any kind of coherency. Brown eyes that are unfocused even when he looks up at him in the dark, and Astarion wonders about human eyes, about their limitations, knowing how hard Gale is trying to watch him as he pleasures him. It’s kind of endearing, honestly.

It’s… interesting, in a way. The wizard just kneeling in front of him, as if ready for prayer. Astarion doesn’t know if he has done this many times, as gods are less… linked to the material world and both its virtues and vices. Maybe, the intimacy he used to have with Mystra was more about the weave, and less about the flesh and blood that links mortals so much. Maybe, Gale looks like this, messy and ravaged exactly because, not so deep down, he had wanted the comfort of mortality.

Not that Astarion can offer much in that aspect, an elf and also a vampire spawn. Still, his cock is very much corporeal against Gale’s throat when he takes him deeper, making him shudder with his warmth.

Gods, he has missed this warmth.

Many of the people he has laid with found his cold skin enticing, attractive even. Gale says nothing, of course, warming him up with his mouth, equally warm hands on his hips, thumbs that circle his skin, almost reassuring. As if Gale knew that he had to be reassured and exactly why.

It kind of makes him want to stay there, with him, and not think about something else entirely as he usually does. Sex with Gale is different to what he is used to, for better or worse. Less flirting, less going back and forth, in a game of pushing and pulling. There is pushing and pulling, but it is honest, never deceiving. Not on Gale’s side, at least.

The man is good at talking, good at lying, too, Astarion knows that much. He doesn’t lie to him when he asks him if he is okay, when he reassures him that they can stop or not do this at all. He would have to be blind not to know how he looks at him, how hard he was for him even before they started touching each other.

Gale, surprisingly enough for the life he has known before meeting this bunch of misfits, is actually… honest.

Speaking about erections and whatnot… he tries, really tries not to think too hard about the enchanted briefs Gale usually wears. He miserably fails.

Dark eyebrows frown, deep in concentration, as if tracing a powerful spell in the air, when it’s just Astarion’s body and his cold, soft skin. Beautiful, almost hairless. Gale reveres him, and yet treats him with care, because he might not know everything, but he knows just enough to see when and where there is enough damage that he, surprisingly, refuses to explot.

His eyes are inquisitive as he bobs his head, making Astarion hiss in pleasure. He enjoys the attention, alright. He still doesn’t like to be pitied, if that’s what Gale’s stupid feelings are.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry your pretty little head…”

Astarion almost feels the orb inside of Gale’s chest pulsating, and he wonders if it reacts to his inner thoughts, if it becomes hungrier when Gale does, or more unstable when Gale is actually way too deep in thought. He would rather not die in an explosion, thank you very much. Not the best death there is.

“I do… I do not really want you to be okay, Astarion,” Gale manages to say, immediately realizing his poor choice of words, which makes Astarion chuckle, because Gale’s ears are actually red in embarrassment. Damn, how he misses blushing like that. He can barely remember it, his blood flowing, so warm and hot, making the embarrassment even more… well, embarrassing. “I wish you to feel content, relaxed… To feel comfortable, and to want this as much as I do.”

Astarion rolls his eyes, trying not to show how touched he feels at his words. Something that he suspects he is pathetically failing at.

“I do want this. It can be a little bit overwhelming, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”

“You will definitely express your reluctance to me if you change your mind, won’t you?”

Astarion mutters a soft yes, and to his surprise, he is not actually lying. He feels that he can say no, that he can reclaim whatever dignity he has left. That his body is his, that it belongs to him, even after everything. Gale’s smile is almost contagious, it makes his heart ache, so much that he has to speak up, usually dexterous limbs trembling when he does.

“Fuck me, wizard,” he almost demands, and it sounds louder than he intended. It’s safe, a path he has traveled through before. His feet instinctually wander towards it, but this time, a gentle hand guides him towards the opposite way.

Something stirs in Gale’s warm, sweet eyes. A type of hunger he is not used to seeing, not towards him, never towards him. He is a sack of meat to be used, not… not this.

“I will make love to you, Astarion. As long as you want me to, if you want me to.”

His throat is dry, his cock throbbing in Gale’s hand. He outright whimpers when Gale gets up and kisses him, gently making him lie down, closing his eyes when the kisses are everywhere, a slow torture he could get used to. First on his face, then on his neck, gently caressing the eternal bitemark that has adorned it for who knows how long. A chest that doesn’t beat but that still trembles, robbing death from its authority to take his corporeal nature away from him. His stomach, following a silver path downwards.

Oh, fuck.

“Tell me to stop, and I will.”

Astarion doesn’t want him to stop. The wizard’s hands are not exactly dexterous, he doesn’t really have that much experience, groomed by a goddess that wanted his admiration and thoughtless reverence more than she could ever want him as an equal. Gods are like that: prideful and indifferent. Astarion has had enough of that.

Her loss, honestly. Astarion finds that he likes what Gale can do with his body, experienced or not, enough for the whole world, enough for all of the planes of existence. He allows himself to relax, not to do much work, enjoying the care, the worry, the devotion. He cries out when he feels him inside, knuckles deep, and almost smiles in badly concealed glee when Gale stops, checking on him, until he realizes that he is not exactly dissociating. Astarion is just so into it that, even if for a small moment, he has stopped thinking.

He focuses on his warmth, thick and hard inside, moving against him, Astarion’s hand tense on his hair, pulling it without strength, making Gale moan. Lae’zel be damned, she is right, this guy might be vanilla as hell, but he loves it, he loves the tenderness, he loves how hot he is when he looks at him as if the world started and ended with him, at least in that moment.

“If… If you ask me again if I want to stop, I swear… I swear I’ll stab you.”

Gale smiles against his lips, aware that he is lying, aware of his well placed façade, breaking it effortlessly. Taking it down with gentleness, as if Astarion deserved any of it.

This time, after his throat was tired of pleading to the gods… someone finally listened. In the form of the most annoying wizard.

Astarion hates that he loves it. He hates that he loves how he brushes against his prostate, making him shudder. He hates how he doesn’t last, and how Gale doesn’t seem to mind, because he is not looking for any kind of performance, just to watch him reach completion, and to get the approval he has always wanted. The one that makes Astarion almost feel sorry for him, so earnest, so sincere, so transparent about what he wants, not so much about how he feels.

Having to deal with gods, the real ones, kind of tends to have that effect.

Not that the wizard lasts long either, rutting against him after Astarion reassures him that it’s okay, that he wants him, brown eyes that are a little wet closing when Astarion kisses his forehead, almost instinctively.

They don’t say much after that, sadness on Gale’s expression when Astarion moves, probably thinking that he is going to leave, back to his tent, as if nothing had happened. Maybe later, though. Later…

He smiles like a happy puppy when Astarion actually moves closer to him, enjoying his warmth for a little longer. Hairy arms tentatively wrap themselves around him, gently, keeping him close. Astarion fears that Gale is actually going to start crying.

“I wouldn’t think much of it, if I were you. It’s just a very cold night, and I am… well. Undead.”

Gale’s smile doesn’t disappear as he speaks, warm eyes even warmer.

“Whatever you say.”

[somehowmags]

I am so tired of when we try to discuss the racist treatment of Wyll’s character and his content disparity, stans of other characters try and hijack the conversation and it’s not even just the Astarion fans. They will jump in and be like “Yeah! Shadowheart, Lae’zel, and Gale are neglected too bc of Astarion!” Like in WHAT world??? Shadowheart has the same amount of hours of content as Astarion (not to mention Act 2 is basically made for her and she is the only companion the game will push you to recruit if you don’t do it) and Gale and Lae’zel are hardly far behind. It’s not even really an issue of Astarion being favored over all other companions and more so about the (racist) lack of attention Wyll gets in comparison to EVERYONE, not just the vampire. That should be the conversation. And don’t even get me started on the people who start yelling about how Minthara and Halsin (who aren’t origin companions) “have it worse.” Like sorry but this isn’t about ya’ll, get back to me when the character you are talking about is the ONLY origin character with less than 10 hours of content. He has two hours less than Karlsch who was added later than him. It is all so frustrating.

God. Yeah. like id like to take these type of additions in good faith but i feel like a lot of people don't realize or don't want to admit that this is a racism issue. when the only black character (and i think the only prominent character of color in the whole game- forgive me if im wrong but the only other really prominent nonwhite character ive seen is cazador, which, do not get me fucking started on his fu manchu ass concept art) is continually ignored and mistreated, then it becomes an issue of (subconscious or not) racist behavior from larian and the fandom itself. its not that minthara et al don't deserve more, but wyll is a main character, and shouldn't a main character be focused on before optional recruits and npcs? and i understand why people don't want to think of it like that- people like larian and don't want to criticize them when theyre releasing updates and patches for free. but we need to be able to criticize them if anything is going to get any better. otherwise this fandom and gaming spaces in general will continue to be unsafe for people of color. i know i as a person of color do not feel safe in the bg3 fandom, and i cannot imagine how much worse it feels for black fans.

[gaelnotgayle]

Paladin Danse and Gale Dekarios

I dont know if my brainrot is entering a whole new level of delusional but ive been reflecting about the fictional characters ive fallen for in the past and seeing some of their similarities (much to my dismay) but when i compared gale and danse i found that they, surprisingly, have a bit in common?

It started with the galextavxastarion fics ive read which had the same vibes as dansexsolexmaxson fics, which as i described to my friend "theyre so gay for each other they need another person in their relationship to balance it out". Now i didnt take that comparison too seriously, i was just basing it off the vibes that both relationships shared. But i guess thats when the seed was planted in my head.

First, gale and danse would sacrifice their life for forgiveness. Mystra for gale and the brotherhood (or maxson) for danse. Theyre both so selfless and driven by their beliefs that they would go so far as kill themselves in the name of their god/organization.

Second, they hold their identity so close to these entities. Magic to gale and the BOS to danse and this contributed to their almost unshakeable belief of sacrificing themselves for these entities. They wholeheartedly believe that they are nothing without these and that they are nothing more than magic or the brotherhood. They even become lost once you save them, explicitly telling the protagonist (aka the player) they dont know what they will do now that these large aspects of their life is gone.

Thirdly, now this isnt as serious as the first two but they both are very intellectual and have a tendency to hyperfixate on things. I believe that if they had a chance to meet (i think gale would have a heart attack learning of what happens in the fallout universe) they would spend hours discussing a lot of things. Danse would very happily teach gale about power armors and their mechanics and gale would teach danse the complexities of the weave. At first i brushed off the idea of the two ever being similar since danse is closed off and isnt very forthcoming with his emotions while gale isnt hesitant on wearing his heart on his sleeve but that was just the surface.

Fourth, puppy dog eyes. Thats all.

I know i could discuss these better or more in depth. Maybe i will someday? (After i get over the fact that preston garvey and wyll are similar as well) but yeah.... i have a type it seems...

[rederiswrites]

Your post about the poorly designed D&D cosmologies has now got me wondering. If the gods of the Forgotten Realms (and D&D in general) functioned like actual religions, do you think the Cleric class would simply function differently, or would it be so far removed from it's original function that it ceased to be the Cleric class?

The best comparison I can think of in real world history/mythology might be Athena being the "patron goddess of Odysseus and his family" (first quote from Google, so don't know how accurate it is), but I feel like the relationship between Athena and Odysseus was more like the exception rather than the rule, and she didn't actually give him magic powers so much as she "[manifested] through ... divine intervention" (paraphrased from same site) during The Odyssey.

If anything, I feel like Athena and Odysseus are closer to Gale's relationship to Mystra, with some... notable differences (I don't think Athena ever jumped in Odysseus's bed?).

Anyway, just random thoughts I've been chewing on all day that I thought might (or might not) be of interest to you.

The trouble here I think first and foremost is that I'm not really invested in the Forgotten Realms lore, so when I encounter shit like the built-in racism or the "I'm lashing out at religion because I'm mad at Christianity" (and I say this as an ex-Christian agnostic with generally negative feelings towards organized religion myself!) attitude, my first inclination is to bin it all.

A lot of people, though, are much more deeply invested in this lore. And honestly they're better suited to answer the question. But hey, you asked me, and it's interesting. Also, we have a prime example before us in Baldur's Gate--Shadowheart, of course. Her powers flow from Shar--not that different from a warlock's power, now that I think about it. You serve the god/demon, the god/demon gives you power. The difference is in how you frame it in your own head, more than anything. So when she rebels against Shar, Shar cuts her off.

In a book, I think this would be a fabulous time for Shadowheart to lose her powers, go through a profound existential struggle, and ultimately turn to Selune and regain her powers, brighter and better than ever because now they're borne of true love and vocation. In the game, they just have Selune abruptly pick up the slack because uhhhhhhhh I guess Shadowheart and her family were originally dedicated to Selune so Selune claims her. Which is whack.

In a world where religion works in a believable way for a place where gods are very tangibly real, clerical powers should, I think, come from a bond of love and dedicated service with the god in question. Not belief or faith, because in this context I don't think those mainstays of real-world religion make any sense. But even in a world with many real gods, one can still of course feel a strong avocation to serve one. And it makes reasonable sense that that might come with powers.

Of course, I also think that ordinary people should be able to gain some of these powers just by praying real hard/needing it a lot, so that in times of desperation, gods can provide "miracles" to non-clerics. And I think some gods would care a lot more than others about the hierarchy of their religion, so that gaining clerical powers would track pretty closely with climbing the ranks in some cases, and not at all in others. Like, say, druids. Are you dedicated to the Oak Father and the things he cares about? Then maybe he doesn't give a shit if you ever saw a shrine to him. You can still be homies.

Of course, Athena and Odysseus, that's mmmmm...a complicated relationship. But still relevant. Because in both the ancient Greek world and the Forgotten Realms, gods often have hidden agendas and interpersonal games they're playing, and humans are their puppets. Just as Shadowheart was a (remarkably unwilling) puppet of Shar. So it's totally plausible that some clerics would still be venial assholes who don't really adhere to the tenets of their god, and the god would still give them power for their own reasons.

Really, I don't think that the role of cleric has to transform. I think the problem here is the cheap (worthless) storytelling tactic of having Evil gods so you can have Evil people. Why are we fighting them? Because they're evil man. Don't worry about it.

[amnesiacsleepy]

Alright so ive had time to think about it and I believe I finally realize why TotK's Sage system is so much more annoying to use than BotW's champion abilities (spoilers for TotK btw. i mean its been a month+ since release but yeah)

When you get a new champion ability in BotW, it's mapped to an appropriate button, or is the next best thing. Daruk's protection is a forcefield that is passively on the shield button, Revali's Gale is an updraft on the jump button, Urbosa's fury is a charge-attack upgrade in the attack button, and Mipha's Grace is a fully passive heal that functions like a fairy except it's a full heal.

All of these powers are set to their own button, making them intuitive to use. This even applies to the Master Cycle, which is a rune, which is a completely separate button, the L button.

In TotK, however, none of the abilities the sages have are passive. You have to run over to them, press A, and then you can use it (in Yunobo's case you have to press a AGAIN which really disrupts the flow of gameplay). The closest comparison I can make is Persona 4 using awful menuing and scrolling a bunch to Persona 5's use of unique buttons, except they did this backwards.

This doesn't even mention when you want to use one sage's ability, but end up using another one because they all go if fighting enemies even if you dont want them to. I genuinely have not used Riju's lightning strike since finishing the Lightning Temple despite how god damn strong it is.

None of this even touches on how much of a one-man army Link is, especially after grabbing a full set of attack up armor. The sages become borderline irrelevant (minus Tulin, he's AWESOME).

Even when you get a fucking mech that you can fuse thing on to like flamethrowers and rockets its still not worth losing the flurry rush and other faster and straight up better attacks you can do off the mech, which also takes battery power and you can still take damage on. And if you use it to get over gloom/lava then a hoverbike is just more convinient for how cheap and fast you can make them.

Something else I have a problem with is the Sage's Will system which essentially lets you deepen your connection with the sages for four per sage. This is supposed to mirror BotW's Champion's ballad quest, where you go around the map collection emblems for each champion and then getting a faster recharge tike for each, which I have my own problems with, but thats for another time.

Each sage bond you deepen increases their damage. That's it. It doesn't enchance their abilities at all, which is a real disappointment.

They could have made Sidon's water shield last longer/for three hits, to closer mirror Daruk's Protection. Riju's lightning could have become a fusion to your arrows, Tulin's gust could have blown farther, and Yunobo's could have created a bigger explosion or have him roll faster. But then, I guess the Sages would have had to become stronger themselves, which maybe that's future DLC? But we don't know now so I'm not giving the benefit if the doubt.

As for how to fix it, Sidon's could be just a bonus to your shield like Daruk was. Riju's could,as previously mentioned, been an arrow fuse with a cooldown.

As for Yunobo and Tulin, I'm not as sure. But instead if forcing them onto a button, why not just... make the buttons reprogramable like in OoT, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Minish Cap, Wind Waker, the Oracle games, A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, and MORE.

Why Nintendo did away with the reprogrammable buttons system is beyond me, but being able to put a specific rune/weapon/sage ability/throwable material/zonai devine/etc. would make things a lot more manageable.

The kicker is, there's already a SUPER watered-down version of it, with the rune, shield, weapon, and bow buttons. You cant swap what's on there in the sense you cant have multiple weapons or runes, but you CAN choose which one is used when you press the buttons.

But then we need to figure out which buttons would be reprogrammable, and I propose that first we swap the jump button to A like in so maby other games. Does it screw up muscle memory? For sure, but by doing this we can have Y, X, L, R, D-pad Up, D-pad Left, D-pad Right, and D-pad down as reprogrammable (you can manually put in whistle too I guess). This would free up a bunch of space for the player to put things, and allow for a bunch of freedom on what is put onto the reprogrammed buttons. To change them, you coukd just go into your menu and choose from there, whether its a weapon, a sage ability, or anything else mentioned above.

I'm not completely certain this would solve all the problems the game has, but I do think it would be a huge QoL. Maybe too big, they might have to make that system in a whole new Zelda game in like 15 years.