#ravenshade

[fionajames]

oh ana -> wolfbite and ravenstar

for @fallenclan, i haven't done any art in a while, so i figured i'd do some now

[waspywaspy]

Fanart for @fallenclan

I loved the latest update and really wanted to do fanart of him.

[kitsune-kira]

Some art of some of my fanclan OCs! Echostar, Minnowheart, Oriolewhisper, Tanner, and Wolfstar/Rottingface 

Then a drawing of the current leaders and a size comparison between the clans since they have different builds 

[pine-clan]

Reasons why they are similar

Both Ravenstar

Killed a brown cat

@fallenclan

[anderstrevelyan]

Have you ever wondered exactly what's going on with all the dead bodies in the Wyrm's Rock audience hall, if you leave and come back after Gortash's coronation?

I did some in-game research while working on a fic recently, and in the name of sparing anyone else from having to lay all this out, too—here's a list of the victims, and some notes-based educated guessing on Gortash's motivation here.

(Beyond Iron Counsul Nuff's summary in the screenshot above: "My lord requires a clear path to his magnificent future. We cut away the troublesome bramble.")

Lord Petric Amber

Lord Amber's Bodyguard

Lady Ailis Belt

Lady Haeril Birch

Baron Callem Bormul

Lady Alia Durinbold

Lady Durinbold's Bodyguard

Lady Durinbold's Attendant

Lord Sarken Eomane

Admiral Peil Hullhollyn

Lady Winstra Hullhollyn

Lord Raylen Jannath

Lord Jannath's Bodyguard

Duke Dillard Portyr

Lord Portyr's Attendant

Lord Portyr's Bodyguard

Lady Beatrice Provoss

Lord Myer Ravenshade

Lady Silifrey Sashenstar

Lord Rugger Shattershield

Lord Shattershield's Bodyguard

Lord Shattershield's Attendant

Lord Milton Tillerturn

Lord Randolf Vammas

Lady Madeline Whitburn

9 Unnamed Patriars

First I'll note that not everyone you see lingering after the coronation ends up dead: I could talk to Lady Eshvelt Guthmere, Lady Ruth Linnacker, and Lady Freida Oberon, and their bodies aren't present in the hall later.

It also doesn't seem to be connected to vocalizing support for Gortash or not—you can overhear Portyr and Shattershield challenging him in the ambient dialogue after the coronation, but when you walk around and talk to everyone else the only one who has anything negative to say is Silifrey Sashenstar. Everyone else on the list above sings Gortash's praises.

So, here's what I think it is!

In the corner of the audience hall, you can find this note:

The Parliament of Peers is the body that's responsible for electing new dukes, and they held a formal vote to raise Gortash as Archduke and dissolve their own political body. Note the numbers: there's 23 members.

So who are these members? Up in Gortash's study, you can find this note discussing bribing, blackmailing, and threatening members of the Peers, which gives us the names of eight:

Five of these eight end up dead in the audience hall (Portyr, Jannath, Whitburn, Sashenstar, and Eomane).

As for the three Peers listed who don't end up in dead in the hall—Lady Ruth Linnacker, Lord Hir Rillyn, and Lady Haeril Vanthampur—let's look to this note:

Gortash has leverage against Ruth Linnacker through the abduction of her granddaughter, and I don't think it's unfair to assume Hir Rillyn and Haeril Vanthampur are similarly under Gortash's control, whether tadpoled or blackmailed (this is the one big assumption I had to make—bear with me!).

The other two with non-murderous leverage against them in the note above do end up dead, but I think there's some added context: I imagine Raylen Jannath is the husband of Wisteria Jannath, who Gortash canonically had an affair with (maybe it's personal? Maybe Raylen didn't care enough about the leverage of his own affair, if he knew she'd had one too?). For Portyr, there's the following in Gortash's study, noting he considers him a threat that shouldn't be underestimated, so he may not have wanted to stop at threats:

The inclusion of Portyr on the list of eight Peers could imply that the other three dukes are members of the Parliament of Peers, too. There's a book in Franc Peartree's house about the current state of who the dukes are, which I don't have my own screenshot of, but here's the relevant text from the wiki:

We know Belynne Stelmane is dead as part of the Bhaalist plot. Ulder Ravengard is tadpoled. The fourth duke was Thalamra Vanthampur, who's dead. They were waiting to replace her until Ravengard was found or confirmed gone—and Gortash was given this seat.

So, back to the original list of people murdered after the coronation. I bolded the names of those who aren't seemingly collateral damage (the bodyguards and attendants, and the unnamed patriars): there's 17.

17 killed after the coronation

Plus three Peers controlled through blackmail or other means

Plus Duke Stelmane and Duke Ravengard, dead and tadpoled respectively

That adds up to 22.

Add in Gortash's own vote, which he would have from taking (Thalamra) Vanthampur's seat, and you get 23.

The same number as the members of the Parliament of Peers.

Gortash didn't just orchestrate the Peers naming him the city's first Archduke, and he didn't just influence them to dissolve the political body that could vote another duke in. He made sure the individuals were destroyed, too.

[infiniteanalemma]

Nobility in Baldur's Gate

Edited to add: I never expected my silly, niche post to get as much attention as it has! I'm giving you all forehead smooches! 😚💋 I've gone through to clean up some things up as I've found new information. I also added a list of nobility that I've found in game and other sources to the end of the post. Thanks, y'all! I'm glad I'm not the only one to wonder about this stuff. Good stuff in the reblogs, too!

Baldur's Gate has dug itself deep in my brain, so I apologize to my poor mutuals who didn't follow me for BG3 content getting this onslaught of posts. Please bear with me until my hyperfixation wears off. 🙏

Now, I'll admit up front that I'm no expert in DnD lore*, so if I get things wrong, please feel free to correct me or just add in stuff I may have missed. I'm going off of what I've found in-game and my Google Fu skills.

That said, I do know enough about DnD to remember that Baldur's Gate nobility are called patriars, and that there are only a relative handful of actual patriar families. I was thinking about my "canon" Tav, Velassa, and her background in BG3. She's a modified OC that I plunked in-game during Early Access, so I made her a noble. It was just part of her existing character that I didn't think too deeply about. It was only after I starting playing that it occurred to me to wonder what exactly "a noble" is to a native Baldurian.

That got me digging a little more into the current state of the Baldurian nobility as of BG3. I don't know who--if anyone--needs or wants this, but I put this together for myself and decided to share it for anyone else who might be interested. I realize that this is probably pretty niche and it's rambly and long af, so I'll put it under a cut.

So, for starters, here's a list of all the patriar families, including "fallen" houses that are barely hanging on: Belt, Bormul, Caldwell, Dlusker, Durinbold, Eltan, Eomane, Exeltis, Gist, Guthmere, Hhune, Hlath, Hullhollyn, Irlentree, Jannath, Jhasso, Linnacker, Miyar, Nurthammas, Oathoon, Oberon, Portyr, Provoss, Ravenshade, Rillyn, Sashenstar, Shattershield, Silvershield, Tillerturn, Vammas, Vannath, Vanthampur, and Whitburn

From what I've gathered, Exeltis, Provoss and Ravenshade are all more-or-less destitute. Also, the Szarr family (Cazador's family) were patriars, but were believed to be entirely wiped out. No living descendants makes them a dead house, rather literally. 😏 (No, I'm not sorry.)

Now, we learn that Wyll's father is Ulder Ravengard, the Grand Duke. This brings us to the first point: There are four Dukes, known as the Council of Four, and the Grand Duke's job is to be the tie-breaker.

Traditionally, one of the Dukes is also the highest ranked officer of the Flaming Fist--that's Ravengard, who was a Fist promoted up through the ranks. Wyll tells us that his father was born lower class, and quite a few of the patriars seem to scorn him for that. The other Dukes are Belynne Stelmane, Dillard Portyr (more on him later) and Thalamra Vanthampur (more on her later, too). Of the four, two are patriars: Portyr and Vanthampur. We don't know much about Stelmane's past, except that she was a brilliant businesswoman, politician and--as we find out later--member of the Knights of the Shield. Apparently, you can't buy your way into the patriars, but maybe you can buy your way into being a Duke.

Skipping ahead a bit, when the player shows up to Gortash's coronation, there are a group of mostly patriars sitting in the boxes leading up to the front of the room. I'm listing them by seating arrangement, with box 1 and 2 being the left and right closest to Gortash, and 3 and 4 being farthest. (I don't know what, if anything, the seating arrangements imply. The second box has eight people, compared to four for all the rest.)

Lady Ailis Belt, Baron Callem Bormul, Lord Rugger Shattershield**, and Lady Alia Durinbold**

Lady Ruth Linnacker, Lord Sarken Eomane, Lady Freida Oberon, Lord Raylen Jannath, Lord Myer Ravenshade**, Lady Madeline Whitburn, Lady Beatrice Provoss, and Duke Dillard Portyr

Lady Winstra Hullhollyn, Admiral Peil Hullhollyn, Lord Randolph Vammas, and Lady Eshvelt Guthmere

Lord Milon Tillerturn, Lady Silifrey Sashenstar, Lord Petric Amber**, and Lady Haeril Birch**

Here's some pictures of the nobles sitting together. (Sorry for the terrible quality! I slapped it together for my own reference. 🙈)

The characters marked by ** aren't human, which is interesting because the information I found said all the patriar familes are human except the Shattershields. Myer Ravenshade is listed as human if you examine him, but he has a dwarf model. That might be a mistake, but I'm including him anyway. Alia Durinbold, from a presumably human patriar family, is a wood elf. Again, this could be a mistake, but unless Larian winds up changing it, it could mean that interracial marriages that once may have been looked down on are now becoming more acceptable. Petric Amber is also a wood elf, and Haeril Birch is a high elf.

Those last two are interesting because they are the only ones in the boxes who aren't patriars. If not for them, I'd have assumed the coronation was simply a demonstration for the patriars alone. Their inclusion means this is something else.

Digging around, my conclusion is that all the listed people are members of the Parliament of Peers--a 50 person advisory party to the Council of Four. However, what I found says that it's pretty rare for all 50 to attend meetings, and the usual group is between 20-30. There are exactly 20 named individuals listed, plus a group of unnamed "patriars" standing at the front.

Here they are, for what it's worth:

One thing I noticed here is that most of those listed here are Lord/Lady, but there are three other titles: Duke, Baron and Admiral. I've already talked about the Dukes. Looking into the patriars, the Hullhollyn family are notable for having a fleet of ships, so it makes sense that one of them would be an Admiral. That leaves the Baron.

I couldn't find anything about what it means to be a baron in Baldur's Gate. Going on real-world peerages, a baron/ess is generally the lowest "rank" of nobility. Basically, it's someone who was an official landowner (usually of an "important" bit of land) under the feudal system. Well and good, I suppose, but presumably all the Lords and Ladies of the patriars own land within the city. This particular Baron is also a patriar, but given that one doesn't need to be a patriar to become a Duke (normally a higher peer than a baron), that may not mean anything.

(Apparently, the term "Duke" was originally meant somewhat jokingly. That said, it still carries the weight of a title even if not the conventional one.) We don't see any other titles between Duke and Baron, so what does that mean?

This isn't canon, but my assumption is that it means the Baron owns important land outside of the city. This would make sense for Baron Bormul, given that the Bormul family apparently have investments in silver mines and vineyards. Assuming they own the mines/vineyards, that may make those lands "important" enough to the city for their owner to earn a title. Alternately, the Bormul family also has counterparts in Amn, so maybe baron is an Amnian title that got passed along. That's getting a bit far afield for me, though. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, among the group at the coronation, pretty much everyone supports Gortash becoming Archduke, with the exception of Lady Sashenstar (an old woman who really isn't too impressed with this commoner) and Duke Portyr, who expresses some hesitation at the whole thing.

Duke Portyr is interesting here. Except for Ravengard (who is thralled and conducting the ceremony), Portyr is the only Duke present. Now, Stelmane is already dead, so that explains her absence. Vanthampur is also missing, which is interesting. Portyr first, though: he was Grand Duke before Ravengard. He's the one who re-instituted (Edited: and originally created!) the Parliament of Peers to make the day-to-day decisions of running the city, and ceded the title of Grand Duke to Ravengard. He's described as being conflict-averse, so it makes sense that he'd go along with Gortash's coronation, even though he's clearly unhappy about it. Also, the current leader of the Fists is also a Portyr, likely still Liara Portyr, the Duke's niece and Ravengard's second-in-command.

Thalamra Vanthampur is an interesting character, too. She's the head of the Vanthampur family, and part of the Descent into Avernus story. Apparently, she's the one who got Ravengard to go to Elturel before it sank to the Hells, intending to take his place as Grand Duke. From what I read, she also conspired with the Dead Three's cults to murder people in a bid to discredit the Flaming Fist. (The murdery bits were undoubtedly left to Bhaal's cult.) We never do find out anything about Thalamra Vanthampur in this game (I assume that's probably cut content). (Edited: She is mentioned in one of the in-game texts as having been killed, which was one of the possible outcomes of Descent into Avernus. Larian chose that as their canon, just like the fate of Elturel and Zariel.)

The only Vanthampur we do meet is Carnelia Vanthampur, who is in the Guildhall and describes herself as "a peer of the Parliament". She's willing to work with either the Guild or the Zhentarim. Nervously of course. Also interesting is that, on the Bloodstained Parchment hit list, is a Varri Vanthampur, whose gravestone you can find in Candulhallow's Tombstones shop, reading: "Varri Vanthampur. Unwanted in life, welcomed in death."

Interesting, hm?

Also on that hit list is Fridrik Hhune. The Hhunes apparently have links to the Knights of the Shield, from what I looked up--the same group the Emperor led with Stelmane. The only Hhunes we meet in-game are Blaise and Gheris Hhune, two of the werewolves in Cazador's ballroom who are brothers according to the dev notes. With them is another werewolf of a different patriar family, Duver Rillyn. This suggests Cazador has been going after members of patriar families, which sort of fits with what we know about his plans. We really don't find anything else out about them except that they consider Cazador to be their master and Astarion says they're new.

We also can talk to a Flaming Fist who mentions that Hurlbut Hhune is the father of Henrietta Hhune, who used to be secretly engaged to the Fist in question, only for her father to decide to arrange her to marry fellow patriar Derque Rillyn, who the Fist describes as "a major arsehole."

That conversation is interesting for a few reasons. For one, it tells you that arranged marriages within the patriar are a thing. Also, this Fist is a Manip (essentially a Sergeant) who can't ask the other Fists for help because "the Fists don't mess with wealthy patriars, they've got the Watch to back them up." That's aligned with what Devella can also tell you: "There are patriars on the murder target list. I'm oathbound to secure them first, so I'll be heading to the Upper City next." If you say that the Fist should protect everyone: "Not from around here, are you? We're in Baldur's Gate - this is just how things work."

This brings me back to my original issue: what is a Baldurian noble? The patriars are canonically nobles, of course, and they're undoubtedly seen as the "most important" of the nobility. From there, it's not much of a stretch to say that anyone who has earned the title of Duke is now a noble, even if they aren't patriars. I'd go so far as to say anyone on the Parliament of Peers (and their family by association) is a noble^, given that non-patriars Petric Amber and Haeril Birch are considered Lord and Lady. The information I found about that is that there are approximately twelve non-patriar members. If Amber and Birch are two of them, that leaves another unnamed 10.

^Edited: Looking at the dates, I realized that the Parliament of Peers is a very recent change to Baldurian governance. Duke Portyr originally created it after the three other Dukes on the Council of Four were assassinated. It was clearly meant as a temporary measure, but my guess is that the patriars liked having more official say. Not to mention the non-patriars who managed to get a seat. This has all happened within even the youngest of Tav/Urges' lifetimes.

Personally, I'd also assume that branch families of the patriars probably also count as nobility. By branch family, I mean those that marry out of the main line but whose ancestry stems from a patriar family. From what I've seen by naming conventions, Baldur's Gate seems to use patronmyic lineage--ancestry is generally passed to the sons, and wives take their husband's surname. So, if a daughter marries out of the family, she'd no longer be a part of her father's family lineage, but still would be considered nobility. These branch families likely still maintain powerful influence and connections from marrying into wealth, which would make them a good political/financial choice of marriage alliance, despite no longer having the main branch patriar family name. These families are also probably the ones most likely to find a place on the Parliament, too, but likely have to jockey for position if their "representative" dies (or otherwise leaves) and a new opening in the Parliament is created.

If you've read this far, as a treat you can have some crappy close-up portraits of the nobles at Gortash's coronation, grouped together in their respective boxes. 😚

* For what it's worth, I'd count myself as a casual DnD player. I have some knowledge of DnD--I've played BG1 and 2, Planescape: Torment, along with some general cultural osmosis. I've had friends who played the tabletop version, but for one reason or another, I've never played it myself.

[2plottwist]

The Heir of Ravenshade

Summary: As the young heir to the noble Ravenshade family of Baldur’s Gate, you are destined to inherit your father’s vast gem trade empire. One day, two men arrive at your family's estate, seeking an audience with your father to discuss crucial dealings in the gem trade. In an effort to prepare you for your future role, your father invites you to sit in on the meeting, turning what begins as a routine training exercise into a pivotal moment that could shape your future.

Word Count: 1.9k

Pairing: Early Vampire Astarion x GN!Reader

Warnings: weapons

Author: Kenna:)

The Ravenshade estate is a majestic exhibition of your family’s past and present. Its stone walls are draped in ivy tendrils and encircled by wildflowers, their vibrant petals reflecting the rich hues of the gems your family has traded for centuries. The fortress is a consistent reminder of the Ravenshade family’s status and importance throughout Faerûn history. 

You received an invitation from your father asking for your presence in the Great Hall this evening to attend a meeting with an esteemed nobleman of Baldur’s Gate. As you stride down the marble floors of the estate, you can’t help but think of the future your father is preparing you for. 

You are the sole heir of the Ravenshade empire. Your family’s dealings in the gem and jewelry trade have been documented since the founding of Baldur’s Gate. Your eyes roam to the portraits lining the wall. The faces of your former patriarchs who have upheld the grace and determination to establish one of the wealthiest family businesses in Faerûn. 

Your velvet garments move softly against your skin. Are the goosebumps rising on your flesh from your sapphire fabric or your anxiety? You cannot tell. Now that your father is climbing in age, it is important that you learn all that is required to uphold the dynasty that has controlled the gem trade for centuries. A large amount of pressure weighs on your shoulders as the oak doors of the Great Hall draw closer. 

Your father’s letter stated that you were to arrive well before the guests are expected to come, yet, once you push the creaking doors open, you see three men standing before the window overlooking the estate’s moonlit courtyard. 

A numbing sensation crawls around your torso at your father’s disapproving gaze. You checked your timepiece, seeing that you did arrive at the time the letter requested. Your father’s hearty laugh brought your eyes back to the present. Slipping into your practiced persona, you glide over to  the figures standing at the window. 

“Ah, yes, Lord Szarr and Ancunin, allow me to present my beloved daughter/son and the only heir to the Ravenshade legacy.” My fathers smooth voice floats across the room. Your elegant smile radiates one of wisdom, expertly crafted by your father’s copious amounts of training. 

You nod politely at both lords, noting their stances and making your initial assumptions. The first, Lord Szarr as your father introduced him, wears a tunic of emblazoned gold and dark red and dark trousers to match. His hair is well-trained to smoothly glides across his scalp and shapes around his pointed ears. His shoulders square towards yours, swiftly moving in front of the other man, bringing a sinister looking smile to his face. The second man, one of starlit, white hair that seems to move and curl in its own graceful manner, Lord Ancunin stands back, shoulders relaxed and poised. He’s obviously of past noble descent, knowing when to move and when to stay put according to status. His eyes roam your face taking in every dip and curve of your features. His gaze felt like a cold ray of moonlight upon your skin. 

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Lord Szarr begins, bowing his head to you, “You may call me Cazador.” 

“The pleasure is all mine, Lord Cazador,” Your polite smile never faltering. 

You look up to the silver embedded man, waiting for his remarks, but Lord Cazador’s voice hits your ears again, “And this is my vassal, Astarion.” 

“A privilege,” you nod again, this time towards Astarion. 

Your father claps his hands together, “Now that introductions have been made, let us get down to business.” His noble smile radiates off the golden walls of the Great Hall. One of power and prowess handed down by generations of aristocracy. 

Lord Szarr and my father, the commencers of this meeting, place themselves at the heads of the table, leaving their charges flanking their sides. A representation of hierarchy for both houses. 

Astarion’s incredibly handsome, pale face is a magnet to your eyes. The candles among the room do no justice for the beauty that emanates off his gods-crafted body. You shake your head out of the daze caused by the young lord, bringing your attention back to your studies. 

After small talk of newly discovered gems across the vast lands of Faerûn, your father’s voice slowly died down and his gaze moved to you. “My child, why don’t you show Lord Ancunin our newly developed courtyard. He seemed very interested in our plant life.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He invited you to attend this meeting, why is he excusing you so quickly? His eyes narrow in command, his word becoming gospel in a matter of seconds. 

“Yes, Father.” You reply, bringing your eyes to Lord Ancunin’s, weaving an inviting gaze to his. 

Excusing yourself from Lord Szarr, you lead the younger noble to the low staircase leading to your favorite place in the estate. Quietly hating the fact that you are forced to share your personal escape to a mere stranger, you fold your hands behind your back to keep from clasping them in frustrated fists. 

“You know,” a low, sultry voice emanates from behind you, “your father is too hospitable of a man to allow me time with such a gracious host as yourself.” 

His words send shivers down your spine, like ice envelops the very syllables he pronounced. 

“My father is one for kindness, most certainly.” You state.

“And beautiful, too.” Lord Ancunin adds. 

You look over your shoulder playfully, not thinking about your words before you say them, “I guess you could say my father is beautiful, as well.” 

The lord scoffs, yet a small grin climbs his face, “That is not what I meant.” 

A small laugh escapes your lips at his annoyance and slight embarrassment. You lead him farther into the maze of hedges and flowers adorning the courtyard, audibly noting the plant species and ecosystems that inhabit the land. Lord Ancunin politely nods along to your words, letting a sarcastic or snarky remark slip into the air. 

You finally approach the center of the moonlit stage. A large pool sits cradling dark water adorned with lilies and leaves that fell from the trees. You take a seat on the dark stone edges, weaving your fingers through the small ripples. 

“You do have a breathtaking estate,” Lord Ancunin states looking up through the trees. Your ears perk at his words, bringing your attending to his structured face. “Not as breathtaking as you.” His fingers grab your chin, raking his gaze across your eyes. 

His movements are unexpected, you were not trained for this sort of reaction. “Oh-” was the only sound that came to your voice. 

His smugness is infuriating. You aren’t even supposed to be entertaining the lord. You’re supposed to be at your father’s side, learning of business dealings and further establishing your role in the industry. 

You plaster another polite smile to your face and stand, “Well, thank you, my lord. Now, I believe we should be getting back to our meeting.” 

“Oh, I much prefer this meeting instead.” His body moves in front of yours, blocking the path back to the manor. 

A slight blush dons your cheeks, “You’re very kind, Lord Ancunin -”

“Please,” he purrs, “Call me Astarion.” 

A small sigh leaves your lips, “My apologies, Astarion, but I do believe we should-” 

“Now, now, running away so quickly?” His hands raise to block any further movements, “I was hoping you would grace my presence longer. The night is young and so are we.” 

You would much rather accompany the lord for the rest of the evening instead of listening to your father’s droning voice, however, Astarion leaves you flustered and feigning for his smile. No prestigious noble, especially one trying to close what appears to be an important deal, should act as such. 

He can see the indecision racing through your thoughts, “I insist.” He purrs again. 

Your stomach flips with the sound, and you nod without further thought. Leading him through the winding trails and hallways of the Ravenshade manor, you and Astarion share bouts of riveting conversation ranging from your travels among the shores of Faerûn to his duties as a former magistrate of the city. While his explanations of his life are rather vague, you still enjoy hearing his boisterous laugh and dramatic retellings of his days in court. You find that your interests in history and literature align with his, while he has a more in-depth understanding of the writings, leaving you once again speechless with his words.

“You are a very interesting person, Astarion.” You state after controlling a laugh. 

“As are you, darling.” His voice sounds like an icy breath against your garments. His endearment racing through your body, silently wishing for him to use it again. 

Your heart aches for the end of the evening. You can hear Lord Szarr and your father exchanging farewells, and you know that the young lord will have to follow. Your eyes gaze into his. The crimson nearly bleeds into a gorgeous sunrise like the one you hope never comes, for it means the dawn of a day without Astarion’s voice. A sense of curiosity and sadness fills your chest, knowing you may never be able to see his eyes or pull a smile from him again. 

“Thank you for a wonderful night.” His sultry voice appears in your ears again. 

“Of course, thank you for joining me.” Keep it poise. Keep it polite. 

“Ah!” A boom shakes the walls of the hallway adorned with portraits. “I do expect you two had an eventful night?” 

“Yes, Lord Ravenshade.” The young lord’s smile radiates. “I do so deeply appreciate the time spent with your heir.” 

“Well, we appreciate yours and Lord Szarr’s visit to our esteemed home.” 

The pleasantries are excruciating compared to the words you and Astarion exchanged for the past few hours. 

“I do hope you will consider my proposal, Lord Ravenshade.” Cazador’s sharp words slither across my shoulder and to my ears. 

“I will.” So simply stated, so ingenuine. 

“Then farewell.” Cazador states, extending a hand for Astarion to follow. 

His eyes linger against yours. The same resistance, the same want to stay and speak of literature and life until the sun rises, but alas, our master’s take their leaves. 

—---

The Swordcoast sun is sweltering. How is Shadowheart able to meander amongst the sand in a full set of armor. Your sweat blinds your vision in a simple cotton garment. 

A call for help brings your and Shadowheart’s attention to a clearing off the path. “Hurry, I've got one of those 'brain things' cornered.” 

Your steps are too quick, needing to extinguish the overall anger coursing through your body at the thought of the illithid ship and the nasty bug moving around in your head. Before your senses come back to reality, your back hits the ground and a knife grazes your neck. 

“Shh. Not a sound. Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours.”

“As are you, darling.” 

Your eyes widen. The pale skin of the arm threatening to slice your throat is familiar. The scent wafting off the figure fills your nose and brings you back to a moonlit night of stories and laughter. 

“Astarion,” you whisper, fighting against the figure. 

His movements halt, as if realization washes across him as well. His hold loosens allowing you time to quickly move away. Familiar crimson eyes land on yours. 

“Oh, thank the gods, a breathtakingly familiar face.” The sultry smile growing across his face, “Is your father still as beautiful as I remember?”

[sparkclangen]

Luckily, all of the poisoned cats have managed to recover! Petalstep is very grateful to the medicine cats for their treatment.

Reeddapple feels responsible for Ravenshade getting taken by twolegs. Despite her weak leg acting up, she ventures into Twolegplace to try and find her. Unfortunately Reeddapple gets lost rather quickly, and has to turn back before finding any leads.

Hickorypath has been hearing the voices of StarClan cats, but can't quite make out what they mean over the sounds of Mousekit trying to get Reeddapple to spar with them.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Matikós (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Ringmaster by the people of Olympius

Father by Thespios

Darling by his boyfriend

Age- 45 (immortal)

Location- Mania district, New Olympus

Personality- With a true love & devotion to theatrics and the arts, he has the personality to match- loud, bombastic, & over-the-top! He loves putting on a show, thriving on the applause of the audience. He's gay and is in a relationship.

He has the standard abilities of a god. As the god of performance his other powers/abilities include having an audiographic memory, elasticity, limited pyrokinesis, fire immunity, smoke generation/manipulation, character imitation, performance art mastery, circus mastery, being able to control/manipulate stage lights, & the ability of omnitone (is able to generate sounds in any pitch or tone).

Matikós is a single father. He has one child- a son Thespios (god of acting).

He and his son live on the top floor of The Tauros Building, a luxury high rise apartment building located in the Mania neighborhood of New Olympus. One of his good friends Rhapso (goddess of sewing) helped with the interior design. Inside the color scheme is gold, black, dark violet, & bright carnelian red. On all of the windows hang gold trimmed velvet curtains while most of the flooring is black velvet carpeting. The living room has leather & velvet furniture, Victorian inspired furniture pieces, as well as a crystal and diamond chandelier. The kitchen has an Imperial Gold popcorn machine, a gift from Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning). In Matikós' bedroom there's the latest iCHOR Tech smart flat screen TV, burgundy velvet carpeting, a dark mahogany four poster bed, decorative masquerade masks on the walls, & an Imperial Gold grandfather's clock.

Matikós and his son are dragonriders! Thespios' companion is a she-dragon named Ravenshade while Matikós' companion is a dragon named Anguis. The dragon has a serpentine body with speckled gold & dark red wings, gold horns, claws, and crests, & shimmering black scales. Anguis is often Matikós' primary mode of transportation as well as a featured act in the shows.

He's fluent in Latin, French, & Minoan.

Matikós starts off his mornings with an hour of stretching, meditation, and yoga.

He has a "no screen rule" implemented in the apartment for him, his son, & guests. No TV or phones while eating at the dinner table, giving the opportunity for undistracted conversations.

A typical breakfast for him is a homemade blackberry açaí smoothie bowl topped with fresh blackberries, unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds, & toasted pumpkin seeds. He's also fond of scrambled eggs (added with mushrooms, parsley, & peppers), Golly Grains caramel curls cereal, sliced papaya and mango (garnished with cayenne pepper & lime salt), and pao de queso- spread with butter.

Matikós always knew that he wanted to be a father. He went back and forth with the idea of adoption before finally settling on surrogacy. He came into contact with his son's eventual biological mother- a free-spirited & feisty maenad named Aida when he traveled to Thebes for the Dionysia holiday. They quickly bonded over their mutual love for wine and the performing arts. A few weeks later, the official process began. Matikós was Aida's birthing coach & was present in the delivery room during his son's birth. She even breastfed the baby for a few weeks before returning home. He and Aida remained in touch, mainly through phone calls & she would send breastmilk for the baby. Matikós even sent her photos of Thespios throughout his childhood. There are plans for his son to take a vacation to Thebes- where Thespios will stay with Aida and her girlfriend.

A go-to drink for him is a daiquiri. He also likes champagne, rum punch, p*rn star cocktails, red wine, manhattans, chocolate martinis, New Olympus Iced Teas, cuban almond cigar cocktails, a sex on the beach, red brandy sunsets, and cubatas. Usuals from Tne Roasted Bean includes a large iced tea & an olympian sized double chocolate chip creme frappuccino. He likes to make his own espressos and cappuccinos at home.

Outside his profession, he's very talented in interpretive & ballroom dancing.

Matikós and his son have a close relationship. He thought it was important to nuture and cultivate Thespios' interest in the performing arts. Every week they venture into the city to check out the latest film, play, musical, or opera. They also enjoy riding their dragons together! They really enjoyed traveling to the Underworld for the premier of the film Blooddancer- written & directed by Keres (goddess of violent death).

When he works out, he loves listening to classical music.

In the past he was a recreational user of lotus dust, mushrooms, as well as MDMA. Matikós stopped when it was confirmed that Aida was pregnant.

The peach & burrata caprese salad (topped with candied pecans & extra spicy honey dressing) is his favorite thing to get from The Bread Box.

He loves snacking on gourmet caramel honey popcorn.

Matikós income comes from his businesses- his burlesque lounge (located in the Skyline neighborhood) called Enchanté & his adult -centered circus called Mirage Menagerie. The circus is based in the city too (as he doesn't want to be far from his son)- having the realm's best performers of jugglers, clowns, acrobats, contortionists, knife throwers, tight rope walkers, stuntbeings, & fire eaters! Notable acts include the strength routine performed by conjoined twin cyclopes named Baron and Cosmo, the giantess Fantasia, & the nude painting duo (lotus eaters named Naima and Aster). There has been a MAJOR new development in Matikós' career. He's been offered a year long residency with his performing circus at Acropolis Square Garden. He's still thinking about the offer.

Two of his most guilty pleasures are black olive & green pepper sicilian pizza and steamed lobster tails with lots of garlic butter!

His best friend in the entire pantheon is Felis (Titaness of cats). Matikós loves flying to Arcadia to see her and he made her Thespios' noná. They tell each other stuff that they don't share with anyone else, like Felis' growing feelings towards Koros (god of surfeit & disdain). On a night out, they love scouting the newest & hottest nighclub! Matikós is also good friends with Philotes (goddess of sex, friendship, & affection), Kósmima (goddess of adornment), Apólafsi (god of enjoyment), Sponde (goddess of libations), Záchari (god of confectionery), Anatole (goddess of sunrise), Panigýri (goddess of festivals), Mousika (goddess of studying & music), Kéfi (goddess of mirth), Sardo (one of The Nesoi), Lyrikós (Titaness of voice & song), Epimetheus (Titan god of afterthought), and Priapus (god of fertility, vegetable gardens, livestock, sexuality, & masculinity).

Outside the pantheon he's good friends with one of the burlesque dancers at Enchanté- a siren named Myria.

Matikós officially mentored Melpomene (muse of tragedy).

His favorite frozen treat is pink lotus ice cream. There's an ice cream shop in the Chant du Cygne neighborhood that sells the flavor.

For the past decade, he's been in a committed relationship with a satyr named Silvano. Silvano plays the trumpet in a jazz band called The Gold Note Band. They first met at Yrgó Veloúdo- the smoking room/bar owned by Agathodaemon (Daemon) (god of vineyards, grainfields, & luck). Matikós was there with Felis while the band had a scheduled performance there. Under Felis' teasing & three glasses of red wine, he walked up to the handsome trumpet player, asking him for his number. The attraction was immediate and mutual with their first date being at a jazz club in the Lunar neighborhood of New Olympus. Matikós loves everything about Silvano- his full lips, his adorably chubby belly, his curved brown horns, & his mesmerizing hooded olive green eyes. He equally loves his boyfriend's family- with the two of them visiting Silvano's family in Athens.

He's not a musical snob, listening to a bit of everything. At the apartment, he has an extensive collection of vinyl records.

Matikós was Lyrikós' plus one at the Golden Laurel Awards where she performed with her daughter Aoide (goddess of voice & song).

He likes the jars of pickled peppers and homemade salsa Priapus gifts to him.

Matikós loves hosting dinner parties at the apartment. He and his guests are dedicated charades players!

He was gifted a pair of black velvet jeweled embroidered loafers by Kéfi.

He enjoyed traveling to Rhodes for the state's annual fireworks show along with Anatole, Apólafsi, & his family- his wife Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness) and daughter Paidia (goddess of play & amusement).

Matikós' favorite desserts are the pain au chocolat from Salon du Sucre & the tiramisu from Hollyhock's Bakery.

In his free time Matikós enjoys swimming, aerial yoga, roller skating, reading, tennis, football (soccer), sailing, cooking, surfing, writing, sunbathing, and sketching.

His all time favorite meal is feijoada with steamed yellow rice.

"Life is a circus and we're all performers."

[fallenclan]

of course feathersight is the one who sights the feathers, am I right? (red dot appears on my forehead)

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[fionajames]

Oh Ana for Ravenshade

fanart for @fallenclan of my lovely ravenshade. i love him so much, he was my fav and then he killed a little murder on another love of mine - poppyfeather. he's just so silly. <3

[squirrelchimez]

I can explain…

Ravenshade (crowshade?? Still deciding) and rabbitmilk

[thecampjuicebox]

Pre-game Elbereth story while I plan her fic (hopefully starting it this week) + a bonus photo of her half brother at the end

 Born into nobility, Elbereth was raised amongst riches. Her father married her mother as part of a bargain between the two families, promising lasting wealth and high social standing. The Dusath family owned a string of mines, and the Ravenshade family were dealers in precious gems and fine jewelry. Elbereth was the first (and only) child of her two parents, but her mother, Cellica Ravenshade, passed away in childbirth. Elbereth has never known a true mother. Only the various ladies her father, Nieven Dusath, had courted over the years. Nieven and his first relationship after Cellica passed, a woman named Chamylla of the Silvershield family, bore a son by the name of Elrohir. Elbereth and Elrohir were very close, only differing in age by 5 years. Chamylla fled their home shortly after the birth of Elrohir and disappeared without a trace. 

Often called the “Raven Haired Princess”, Elbereth captivated many men in the city with her charm, beauty, and intelligence, one being the well known Cazador Szarr of the wealthy merchant Szarr family. The last “living” member of his kin. Cazador was extremely close to the Ravenshade-Dusath family, who knew he was a vampire, and would often visit Elbereth, bringing her gifts of jewels and books and expensive wines. His love for the elf grew strong during their time together and he even asked her father for permission to marry her, Nieven hesitating because of his knowledge of Cazador’s affliction. 

Elbereth almost succumbed to a deadly illness that swept through Bauldur’s Gate just after her half brother contracted the same illness and died just days later. In a hasty decision, her father asked Cazador to turn her so that she could live forever, as he didn't want to watch his daughter die. Cazador happily agreed, turning Elbereth while she lay dying in her bed. Nieven agreed to allow Cazador to take Elbereth back to Szarr’s palace where she would live out her days as the vampire’s partner. Unfortunately, Nieven fell ill as well while Elbereth was in Cazador's care. Cazador was fully aware of this, and never told her because the agreement he had with her father was that if she got to stay alive, she was never to see her father again. She was favored by Cazador amongst the other spawn, and was treated as if she were his wife. She’d sleep in his bedchamber with him, and the rest of the spawn would refer to her as “Lady Szarr”, even though the two were not married yet. 

A decade after her turning, Cazador introduced a new spawn to the family. A pale, white haired elf. Astarion Ancunin. He was beautiful, and seemingly around the same age as Elbereth before she was turned. His looks and charm made him the perfect lure for Cazador’s meals, as the vampire was entirely too swept up in other matters to hunt for his own food. He’d often sup of Elbereth’s blood when the desire arised, but otherwise he’d rely on his other spawn to fetch their meals.  However, Elbereth fell in love with Astarion during their time together in the palace. He cared deeply for her, and she for him. She was the only one who treated him as something more than a pretty thing to look at. Cazador became so enraged by this that he began his horrendous torture toward Astarion, and doubled down on Elbereth belonging to him and only him. He would keep her locked away in his boudoir while he went about his days. 

Once Astarion devised the plan to escape Cazador, he asked Elbereth to come with him. They slipped into the night together, hand in hand, with nothing but a dagger at their hip. They were both scooped up by the nautiloid soon after, and thus began the in-game events. The insertion of the tadpole destroyed their memories of each other, so the entire time they’re traveling to find a cure, they’re falling in love all over again. Little bits and pieces of their memories flit back every now and then.

Elbereth's dream guardian shows himself to her in the image of her half brother.

[eeldritchblast]

Would you consider sharing a tiny bit of some Up Against Your Will WIP? ♥️

Since you asked nicely 😉

The Ravenshades of Baldur’s Gate were a patriar family that accumulated their great wealth through the trading of luxuries like precious gems and dyes. As such, Cassius’s fear that he would stand out too much in the outfit Astarion put together for him was misplaced. It seemed everyone had the same idea to wear extravagant clothes and decorate themselves with jewels, in an attempt to win favour of the hosts. As Cassius walked through the main hall’s entryway holding onto Astarion’s arm, he was stunned by the rainbow of colours among the sea of people. They passed a woman with a bright blue and teal dress that fanned out like a mushroom top, a man wearing a corset beaded with tiny rubies, another woman with feathers woven into her thin braids to match the long feathered shawl draped over her shoulders like wings… But Cassius couldn’t help but feel like Astarion still outshined them all. [Insert cool outfit description here that doesn’t sound like Santa Claus] “Everything alright, darling?” Astarion asked, picking up on Cassius having trouble figuring out where to look. Seeing so much after spending ten years in a confined, unchanging room was overwhelming. “It’s just a lot,” Cassius admitted quietly. “I’ve never been to anything like this before.” “I’ll admit, it brings me joy to know that no one before myself has carried you on their arm to such an event. And no one else ever will,” Astarion added. “You look absolutely stunning.” “As do you,” Cassius dipped his head slightly. Then he internally cursed himself for momentarily forgetting what was to come tonight. What did it matter how dashing Astarion looked? He was still going to die.

(*My original outfit description for Astarion was red and white until I realized that made him sound like he was cosplaying Santa aslkdfjsf I haven't decided on a new look for him yet...)

[veritasumbra]

16 yo mor, waking up in the middle of the night to confess she likes a girl to her cousin’s bodyguard standing in the hallway: i like my maid

16 yo az, peeking through the curtain to see who she’s talking to:

14 yo riya (rhys’ sister), sound asleep:

az, confused af: why is that girl talking to…no one?

az:

az: oh shit! she’s talking to me

az: why?

mor, misunderstanding: whatever i didn’t mean it like that, it doesn’t mean i like girls or whatever, i just think my maid is pret—

az, interrupting her gently: no, i— i mean, why tell me of all people?

mor: oh

mor, shrugs: idk i guess i just— that i felt i could trust you with this.

az:

az, smiling, on the other side of the curtain:

mor, smiling too:

*them sitting in this comfortable silence for a few minutes*

az, breaking the silence: i’m not interested in bedding girls like rhys and cass are.

mor, welcoming his confession with kindness and respect: that’s okay, azriel. do you prefer boys then?

az: to me, boys and girls feels the same. i don’t feel attracted to one more than the other. not like that. not like they do.

mor: have you ever—

az: yes, a few times. i just— i was curious, i wanted to know what it felt like. i thought that maybe, maybe, those were just bad experiences at first, you know?

mor nods in silence, still listening but leaving him all the space to express himself.

az: i asked cassian once to make sure i was, you know, doing things properly.

mor: what did he say?

az: that maybe the issue was that the person i did it with wasn’t the right one for me.

mor: or maybe it’s just that sex isn’t your thing.

az, completely baffled: it could be?

mor, shrugging: i mean, we all like and hate different things whilst some others leave us indifferent.

az:

az: i think that might be it.

mor: and it’s okay. you’re azriel nonetheless. and rhys and cassian will love you still. you can tell them when you’re ready.

az: thank you, lady ravenshade. and i’m sorry for taking up some of your time. you should rest.

mor, smiling: no, thank you. i shall carry your truth with me. and, please, azriel, call me mor.

az, giving a quick neck bow: and i shall carry yours.

mor: good night, azriel.

az: good night, mor.

[illithicdreams]

Tav’s talented with the disguise self spell, the moment she realised she could use it she abused it terribly to her advantage, taking the appearance of someone else so she could pickpocket someone or cause a little mayhem. A little harmless fun, after all, she endeavours to not take from people who don’t have much to give. But sometimes, late at night, she’ll change her appearance so she resembles her mother more and not the man that abandoned them, change the shape of her nose so she’s not so obviously Aviel Ravenshade’s bastard daughter, make her ears appear more pointed, look a little taller. Other times, she’ll indulge herself, imagine what she might have looked like if her father legitimized her, didn’t abandon her, a noblewoman in finery, an image of what could have been.

 Then the spell fades and she’s back to wearing the clothes she’s obtained through ill-gotten means, back to looking like her father’s daughter and she hates herself a little for daring to wonder what could have been.