#straj

[rakkikuroba]

Minthara is so vulgar: iblith this straj that calm down girl you’re being too much like me

[baldursyourgate]

Girl help she sounds so mad

All companions' reaction to being trapped inside Djinni Lamp under the cut.

[haemosexuality]

i LOOOOVE the little drow language phrases minthara says while in battle

[noamuth]

me saying short phrases with an accent and I'm like "yeah that's it" and then i realize i'm just talking like Dracula

which is incredibly on-brand for Dal, but, uh, not really what I think I'm going for? i dont know

[mintharastherapist]

You can’t tell me that Minthara isn’t complaining all the time because she’s uncomfortable sleeping at camp. “In Menzoberranzan I slept in the most comfortable of mattresses”, “Straj! My back is killing me today”, “Couldn’t we at least get a blanket or something?”, “This is unsuitable for a woman of my status… and age”. She was the happiest one when they finally got to Elfsong Tavern

[ceremorph0sis]

We've Made It, My Dear

Pairing: Gale x Drow!Dark Urge (Named)

WC: 1.9k words

Tags+Warnings: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Post-Canon, Happily Ever After, Hurt+Comfort, Nightmares, Mentions Of Gore, References To Death, Dark Urge Storyline Spoilers, Epilogue Spoilers

Author's Note: First time in a WHILEEEEE I've actually written something, and I'm pretty proud of it! Even while on the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hype train, I'm still enamored with BG3 and the Forgotten Realms haha. Didn't edit this brute, but I did look at it and nod approvingly before finally posting. Please let me know if I missed any tags or warnings. Enjoy!

It wasn’t the weight of the tressym on his chest nor the gentle breeze whispering through the open window that awoke Gale. It was the absence of a warm, familiar body by his side.

The milky moonlight spilling into the bedroom framed his belongings -their belongings- a cool silver hue, sharply contrasting the blots of darkness Gale’s eyes hadn’t yet attuned to. A deep sleeper, Gale wasn’t prone to waking in the night, but when he did, it always amused him to see how Nobody passed her time while waiting for him to stir. Some nights, she would read by his side, her pitch-black gaze flitting across every word with more ease than it would in daylight. Other times, she’d patter about the room as stealthily as a drow could manage, inspecting the manner of trinkets and artefacts he had collected over the years. Tonight, she was nowhere to be seen.

Gale carefully shifted Tara off his front and pushed back his blanket, affording himself a quiet congratulations for managing not to wake his fussy companion. Carefully setting his feet on the cold hardwood floor, he navigated the cluttered pathway from his bed to the door, each footfall as silent as the last. He reached for his housecoat, which typically hung from the doorknob, only to find it missing.

He frowned slightly as he turned the knob and made his quiet exit. Down the hallway and to the right, the glow of a gratuitous amount of candles emanated from downstairs. A somewhat concerning sight, knowing that Nobody was as at home in the darkness as she was in light.

The journey to the first floor was a mite more hurried than his escape from the bedroom had been. As he descended the last few steps of stairs, Gale examined the living room. Fully lit. Not a soul to be seen.

“Straj… Sorry, love. Get back to bed. I won’t be far behind you.”

Gale whipped his head towards the kitchen entrance. His startled heart calmed slightly when he saw that it was only Nobody, her grayish-white hair still mussed from sleep, as his must have been. She leaned against the doorway with a guilty smile and his own housecoat wrapped snugly around her frame, yet her eyes told a different story than what her casual demeanor sought to imply.

Nonetheless, Gale sighed in fond annoyance, crossing his arms. “Well, bully for my students, I suppose. They’ll ask me tomorrow, ‘Professor Dekarios, did you get even a wink of sleep last night? You look positively dreadful!’ And I’ll have no choice but to tell them the truth.”

“Oh?” Nobody purred, amused. “What would that truth be, sweetmeat?”

Wandering carelessly to the sofa before the hearth, Gale sat himself down, leaning back on its arm and lifting his legs onto the cushions, spreading them just enough for a lithe drow to slither between and rest her head on his waiting chest.

“That Mrs. Professor Dekarios cruelly abandoned her husband in the cold,” Gale answered simply, eliciting a snort from Nobody. “Don’t you try and tell me that Tara would gladly be my blanket on your behalf. We both know that she’s only a cuddling type at the most inconvenient of times.”

Just as expected, Nobody quickly caught onto her opportunity. She sauntered over with eagerness and slid into her rightful place, a territory she often playfully bickered with Tara over. Her eyelids fluttered shut as she basked in his warmth, the harried expression she worked to hide beginning to melt.

With one hand, Gale lavished her back with slow, languid strokes, the curves and dips of her body flowing familiarly beneath his touch. His other cradled her head with the tender care of a man who had seen her at her worst; who had seen her slick with the blood of innocents, watched as she writhed and thrashed against the bindings he himself tied to keep her from slaughtering him where he stood and cried wordlessly at her corpse after her last stand against her unholy father, the God of Murder. He held her as if after everything she did in the past, in another life, she still deserved comfort. Care. Love.

To Gale Dekarios, formerly known as Gale of Waterdeep among his peers, she truly did. The Dark Urge and Chosen of Bhaal, in his humble opinion, had died at the hands of Orin the Red years ago, back before their adventure had even brought them together. The woman he had met who lay in his arms was his wife, Nobody Dekarios, who had yet to come up with a proper name for herself, always promising him with a cheeky grin that she’d ‘get to it eventually.’

And he’d be damned to the Nine Hells before he let any matter trouble his incorrigibly mischievous, indescribably wonderful wife, no matter how inconsequential.

Or how early in the morning. Or late in the night. Gale hadn’t a single clue what time it was, and frankly, he was hesitant to find out.

“My love,” he said delicately.

“Mhm?”

“Is something bothering you?”

Nobody’s eyes flicked open, her steady breathing hitching. The slight furrow in her brows from earlier returned to her face. The smile on her lips became that much more strained and her eyes refused to meet his, as far as he could tell.

“I’d rather not keep you from your beauty sleep, sweetmeat,” she chuckled uncomfortably.

“Hm… I see. If it’s something we can’t solve with a fireball, you can tell me,” he chided her, gentle yet clear. Nobody rarely took her own issues seriously. Gale learned early on that she often needed a little time to come to terms with what she faced before talking her emotions out.

The corners of Nobody’s eyes crinkled as she exhaled a little laugh at his joke. “Gods, now that I’m awake, it seems rather stupid.”

“My love, the stupidity of your troubles matters not to me.” Gale gave her hair a gentle tug, prompting her to look at him. “I’m here. You’re here. If it’s something we can solve right here and now, we’ll do it together.”

Nobody went silent for a while. She absentmindedly rested her cheek back to his chest, her brow knitting together in a different manner, thinking on how to word her problems out. All the while, Gale held her close, still stroking her back and toying with her hair as patient as could be. Her breathing grew even and her eyes closed, and Gale had almost thought that she had fallen asleep when she finally spoke.

“I- ugh. I had a nightmare.”

Gale’s hand paused its leisurely stroll down the planes of her back. Nobody seldom fell into true slumber, instead opting to go into reverie. As a drow, however, the sleep of ordinary folk was not unknown to her. It seemed that one of her off nights wasn’t as restful as she needed.

“It was… uncanny,” she continued quietly, looking to him once again. “Remember the first party Withers threw for us? We were there. Everyone was the same as they were at the time, happy and smiling and drinking. Except you.”

Gale tilted his head with curiosity. “Is this where the dream goes south?”

“I was- you were- it was sad,” though she laughed through her words, she was distant, trying to talk without thinking about what she was saying. “We did it- we finished off the Absolute, the Chosen, everything. But the crown… you wanted the crown. You wanted to challenge Mystra, so you did. You failed.”

“Your mirror image told me everything in your place: how you got the Crown of Karsus, how you fought Mystra for her domain and how she obliterated you. You gave me a letter I couldn’t bring myself to read. I tried to kiss you, and… nothing. I guess I forgot that it wasn’t you- just a projection. It told me before it disappeared, ‘I can see why I loved you.’ And then it was gone. You were gone.”

Nobody’s voice cracked on the last of her words. Despite his best efforts, Gale recalled the day that Nobody died. His heart shattered on the floor of that wretched temple when Nobody fell to the ground. He felt as if he was drowning, overwhelmed by everything in that moment. The smell of blood permeating his senses. The blank stares of the surrounding cultists, witness to the fall of two leaders in one day. The thoughts in his head, asking over and over why? Why now? Why, when we’ve finally come this far? Why so soon after I’ve only just found her?

“No Waterdeep, no Mrs. Professor Dekarios, no homemade hundur sauce,” Nobody laughed humorlessly. “And look at me, on the verge of tears because of a bad dream. You’re a patient one, sweets.”

“I love you.”

The words came out of Gale’s mouth without a single thought, as they tended to. Loving her was as easy as breathing and to say it was as natural as any spell. Still, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

With a soothing smile on his lips, he pulled Nobody into a kiss, taking in every facet of her being. From the way her long hair tickled his cheeks to the natural scent of her, all petrichor and night-blooming flowers, and even the small noise of surprise she made at his affection, she was breathtaking. Resilient, but most importantly, she was here. Home, in his arms.

They’d made it. The worst of their days were over. Perhaps not forever, but they could breathe easy and live and love each other while they waited for life to take them on their next adventure, whether it be the next Dekarios family reunion or another cult to battle against for the fate of the world.

Gale Dekarios was nothing if not profusely verbose. Even if his kiss had told her all she needed to hear and feel, he refused to let a single doubt plague Nobody’s mind. When she pulled away, he cupped her cheek, reveling in the sweet smile she spared just for him.

“Whatever the Gale in your dreams said and did, give him a good clip ‘round the ear for me next time you see him,” he said firmly, making her giggle. “If he starts sulking on about ambition and godhood again, let him sulk. If he believes that the mere chance of godhood is worth more than the most wonderful woman in this plane and beyond, then I consider that excellent news- more of that aforementioned woman for me to enjoy, I’d say. If I give you even a fraction of a fraction of the happiness you give me every day, then I can confidently say that we don’t need to worry about either what happened before or what could’ve been. Safe to say, the less you think about that prat, the better.”

“You’re not getting jealous of Dream-Gale, are you, sweets?” Nobody teased.

“Jealous? Hah! Hardly,” Gale sniffed. “Disappointed? Definitely. Furious at him for making you distraught? Absolutely, if you’ll pardon my pun. But I refuse to be jealous of a man who’s already fallen after flying too close to the sun. Who needs the sun, when I’m already able to hold the world in my arms?”

Nobody buried her face in his chest, hiding her expression. His love was always too modest for her own good.

“You… ugh. I love you too, but stop that.”

Gale grinned, kissing the crown of her head.

He didn’t plan to.

~Fin <3~

[dirtybg3confessions]

Confession: straj, I want Minthara to pull my hair as I eat her out on Ketheric's throne, both of us soaked in his blood post-battle. I'd get off on her boot all the while. Power does suit her ♡♡♡

[unreadpoppy]

Death and Resurrection (part 1)

Minthara x Galatea

Read on AO3

A/N: So this is going to be two short fics, about Galatea and Minthara reacting to the other's death and revivification.

Galatea wasn’t one to cry easily. In fact, during their whole journey so far, Minthara had not seen the tiefling shed a single tear out of sadness. 

Today’s events changed that. 

In combat, Minthara could handle herself. Her strength and battle strategy, alongside her healing powers made it quite difficult for enemies to down her. But this time, she was being bested. 

Her enemies were proving too strong for her. She could see the rest of her companions also struggling - everyone had been cornered by enemies, making it near impossible for one of them to come help her without taking a serious hit first. 

But Minthara Baenre would not go down without a fight. As if imbued by a god-like strength, the drow delivered hit after hit, killing three out of her four attackers. But just as she was close to ending the last one, he got the best of her. 

It happened quick - the enemy shoved Minthara away, and entangled her with a spell. As she tried to squirm away, she could only watch as her enemy marched closer, kicking her sword away from her hand, and raising his own above his head. 

“Straj.” Minthara cursed as the steel pierced her chest and the world went dark, hoping that the damned skeleton would soon bring her back. 

.

Galatea had not seen where Minthara, Karlach or Shadowheart had been during the battle. It was only after all their enemies had been dealt with that she found the others.

“Where is Minthara?” She asked the other two, who just shook their head. The place was badly lit, and too many bodies scattered the ground. The three looked at each other as they began to scavange around for their drow companion. With both Scratch and Shovel having been killed and sent back to camp during the battle, the task was even harder. 

Galatea worried. She kept thinking ‘Minthara is strong, she is probably hiding somewhere to regain her health. She is fine’ to try and ease her mind, but she still worried. Even if her lover was marvelous in combat, she was not immortal. 

Could Minthara have been downed? Or worse - 

‘No’ She thought, the moment that the idea of Minthara’s death crossed her mind. ‘Don’t think that.’ 

After a good ten minutes, she heard Karlach scream “Come! I found her and it’s not good.” 

Galatea ran faster than she ever did to where the other tiefling was kneeling, Shadowheart following close. There were vines wrapped around the drow’s body and her body was badly bruised. Nearby, a sword was coated in Minthara’s blood - a sword Karlach had quickly hidden so as to not panic Gal even further. 

“No, no, no, no, no” The sorcerer said, as she and Karlach broke the vines. She held Minthara’s face, wiping away some blood. “Please, wake up.” She begged, but as the seconds passed, the realization began to dawn on her. 

Minthara was dead. 

Now, a companion dying was not something new to Galatea. Astarion had died various times in their journey, and he was still kicking. 

However, this time, it felt different. It was as if all rational thought evaporated from Galatea’s head as she held Minthara close and cried. She cried as she had never before, as if part of her soul had been ripped from her body. 

And because of that overwhelming storm of emotions she was feeling, she had even forgotten that before the battle, Galatea told Shadowheart to prepare Revivify. 

The cleric looked to Karlach, speaking with her via the tadpole. ‘If you make her release Minthara, I can bring her back.’ 

She nodded and held Galatea’s bicep, trying to pry her away from the drow. “Hey, soldier, hey, look at me.” She said softly. “We’re going to bring her back, but you need to give her some space first.” 

The sorcerer looked between her companions before gently releasing Minthara, and holding onto Karlach’s bicep. She held her breath as Shadowheart began praying, a warm glow emanating from her hands. She touched Minthara and they all waited to see if she would wake up. 

.

The first thing Minthara felt as she came to was that there was something dripping on her, which was strange, since there was no water nearby. 

Opening her eyes, she quickly saw what it was: Galatea was hunched over her, crying with her eyes closed. 

That was the first time that Minthara had seen the tiefling crying. She reached out a hand, and placed it on her cheek. Before she could say anything, Galatea gasped and threw herself on her, hugging Minthara close. Karlach and Shadowheart, though glad that their companion was back, decided to give the two some privacy, and walked away for a bit, looting the corpses around them. 

The drow awkwardly moved the two to sit, so that she could better look at the tiefling, who continued crying. The sight made her feel strange: she was not used to Galatea crying, and hated seeing it, but it gave her a weird comfort to know it was because of how much she loved Minthara that had caused it. She didn’t remember anyone ever being this upset at the possibility of her death. 

Shaking her head, Minthara held Galatea’s biceps and then tucked a stray hair behind her ear and wiped her tears. “Enough of this, I’m here now.” She said softly. 

“You scared me.” Galatea sniffed. “For a moment, I thought I lost you.” 

Minthara smirked. “I wouldn't dare.” 

 “You better” She put a hand on Minthara’s cheek. “Because if you do this again, I’ll drag your soul back from the Fugue Plane myself.” 

The drow raised an eyebrow. “I did not expect you to go that far.” 

“For you? Always.” Galatea leaned forwards and rested her forehead on Minthara’s. 

[mithraeris]

Karlach and Minthara party banter

Which almost no one will see since it's somewhat hard to have them in the party together:

If the player is in a relationship with Minthara Karlach: It's funny seeing you so smitten, Minthara. Didn't think you were able. Minthara: I took my first lover before you were a spark in your father's eye, child. She was a high priestess of House Vandree. Beautiful, elegant, ruthless. I adored her, and had been sharing her bed for some time when the order came that she must die. I stayed with her while the poison did its work, and whispered words of comfort as she slipped away. Karlach (quiet, shocked, just heard a very sad story): Oh no.

====== Karlach: Hey, so, what's romance like in the Underdark, Minthara? Minthara: In Menzoberranzan, romance is commonly a luxury enjoyed between women. Men are mostly present for propagation. Here on the surface, gender does not define one's role so strictly. There are weaklings of every sort. =====

Minthara and Karlach explore the sewers beneath Baldur's Gate Minthara: This place is foul. Drow would not tolerate rivers of waste flowing so close to their residences. Karlach: You've got slaves to manage your sanitation. Baldur's Gate doesn't. Though we do rely quite heavily on kobolds. Minthara: But surely the kobolds are slaves?

Karlach: Hell no.

Minthara (disappointed to learn ANOTHER miserable fact about Baldur's Gate - which is FAR inferior in her mind to great drow cities): Straj. Yet one more reason to despair for the fate of this city.

=====

Minthara: You allowed that smith to meddle with your heart, Karlach, simply so you can be touched? Better to shut off the carnal desires than indulge them. They are distractions.

Karlach: Yes, because every function comes with a handy switch. Next time I'm injured, don't heal, just turn me off and on again.

[archivestarlyht]

banter dialogue if my oc was a playable companion in baldur’s gate 3: sol'rys edition.

selected

sun in my damned eyes. ready as always. command me. lolth's will. i obey. as i am needed.

selected (combat)

new orders? i await. at last. i have awaited this all day. may the strongest survive. some poison on my blades ....

selected (sneaking)

subtle. silent. swift. like a shadow. perfect for an ambush.

selection spam

ssussun! [light upon you!] straj! what now? silence is a virtue.

selection spam (combat)

ssussun! [light upon you!] if the objective is to piss me off, it is working. silence! why do you distract me, and not them?

selection spam (sneaking)

let me work! when i find you ... do you wish to discover what happened to last person who distracted me? what part of 'stealth' do you not understand?

moving

onward. in lolth's name. always alert. sun out of my eyes. eyes up, always. a good place to ambush. what would they all do without me?

moving (in combat)

you're fucked. olot dos! [darkness take you] victory now, a tavern later. may your goddess be more merciful than mine. in lolth's name. take the high ground, always. do i ever not strike first?

moving (sneaking)

silent as death. *chuckles softly* venorik. [silent] finally, what i do best.

hiding

lil alurl velve zhah lil velkyn uss. [the best knife is the unseen one] darkness is my friend. one with shadows. the perfect place to strike.

hiding (in combat)

lil alurl velve zhah lil velkyn uss. [the best knife is the unseen one] *laughs softly* and the hunter is hunted. silent as a shadow, thrice as deadly. *laughs softly* poor bastards. yes ... closer. into my web. *chuckles softly* i see you, you cannot see me.

low health

i am not strong enough. lolth shall deal with me as i deserve. surely i have survived worse? better than becoming illithid .... perhaps ... i am as weak as they say.

attacked by party member

cease this or you bleed next!

can’t fit in a small hole

you are mocking me, aren't you?

can’t fit in a tiny hole

sod off. i am not in the habit of putting my hands where i cannot see. mostly. *chuckles* as much as i .... no, never mind.

can’t use an item

later. wasting my time.

can’t use an item in combat

can you not see my hands are occupied? not now! can you not see this is useless to me? do not distract me!

finding a locked item.

locked tight. try something else. some things even i cannot open.

picking a lock

nice and easy. not to boast, but i am very good with my hands.

looking at a globe

*scoffs*

looking at an astrolabe

more wretched suns. unthinkable to me, not even half a century ago ....

looking into a mirror

fuck. seen better days. sun not doing me any favors. not too bad ... from a certain angle.

looking into a telescope

a surface above the surface?

succeeded perception roll (trap)

a trap, as expected. now what are you protecting, i wonder? step quietl ---- actually, why don't you wait here, and i'll take care of it?

succeeded investigation roll

eyes as sharp as ever. something useful, i hope.

succeeded investigation roll (trap)

clever, but not clever enough. a trap. do you want me to take care of it? nothing can hide from me.

identified a mimic

*laughs softly* the perfect predator, are they not? unfortunately, i am better.

surprised by a mimic

i could learn much from its methods! straj --- that stings.

after a short rest.

no more time to waste. a good soldier knows his limits. enough. we are wasting, uh, daylight.

On character death

player:

one dies, the rest are sure to follow!

player (romanced):

back on your feet. i will protect you.

player (dark urge):

you are better than this!

lae'zel:

lae'zel? impossible!

shadowheart:

i still need you to heal me, cleric!

karlach:

not karlach! you'll not die, not while i draw breath!

jaheira:

a fine reminder, even the mighty fall.

gale:

*scoffs* up close, still just a man.

minsc:

hells, minsc ---- can't he train the damned hamster to feed him a potion?

wyll:

even the blade of frontiers bleeds like any other.

minthara:

minthara .... ? who is worthless, now?

astarion:

just a spawn, after all.

halsin:

dust to dust, or whatever they say, right, druid?

[baldursyourgate]

@minthara There's very little info on her online. She seems to turn hostile immediately after being released from petrification. Does have a few voiced in-battle lines.

Both she and Dhourn (another petrified drow) are introduced by their birth order, house and other title(s).

[y-rhywbeth2]

Party opinions on mimics (excluding those that were just objective generic "mimics hide as furniture and ambush you" type stuff)

Astarion bullies them:

"Yes, yes. I'd hide my true form if I looked like you, too."

Karlach is adorable and thinks they're adorable:

"A mimic! Aww, baby!" "Another mimic! Aw, look at all those teeth."

Minthara thinks they're basically dogs:

"I have a way with mimics. Hold, creature! Hold! Why does it not listen?" "Down, Mimic. Heel! Straj - why do they not obey me?"

[arach-tinilith]

My tav said /straj/ also😭 shocked me a lil

[swordmaid]

wishing drow tavs had more opportunities to speak drowic. the only interactions that I remember seeing is in the nautiloid when you transform that lady to a mindflayer (they say straj) and when you’re talking to that terrified elf in ethel’s domain (you can call them darthiir)

[nottherealskittles]

Straj! Is this to be our fate?

I counted all my save files and unsurprisingly, the race most represented amongst my tavs and durges are drow and half drow. What can I say? I love them purple I guess

I’d love to gush about these guys so don’t hesitate to tell me who you’d like to know more about! I definitely spent way too much time thinking out their backstories and character arcs and wow yeah I should probably just write a book instead of trying to write a story mentally using a video game 🥲 oh well

After drow, the list goes: tieflings (7) and full/half high elves (7), full/half wood elves (6), gith (4) and lastly human (3). I definitely want to make some short races but I want to think of a concrete story for them first

[rakkikuroba]

I don’t know what Straj means but Minthara says it a lot and with the context, im pretty sure she is just cursing in undercommon.