#the dark urge and Shadowheart are like a good mix yes?

[ranger-crisis]

Restart my entire Kane play through because I want to romance Shadowheart and not Astarion? I mean…

[moonselune]

Oh funny idea! Aasimar tav letting asterion drink from them because they want to be helpful and also to hopefully keep him well behaved.

Just ends up hurting him because aasimar blood is holy.

As an Aasimar, you always felt a profound urge to help those around you, a divine calling to use your celestial gifts for the greater good. So, when Astarion came to you with a peculiar request, you didn’t hesitate to agree, even if the nature of the request was rather… unconventional.

It all began one evening as the camp settled down for the night. Astarion, ever the opportunist, had been eyeing you curiously for days. He approached you, his steps graceful and confident, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Darling," he purred, his voice dripping with charm, "I've been pondering something quite intriguing. Your blood, being of celestial origin, might just give me a little… boost. Imagine the power I could wield with Aasimar blood coursing through my veins."

You blinked, slightly taken aback by his request. "You want to drink my blood?"

He nodded, flashing you a charming, albeit predatory, smile. "Indeed. It would be most enlightening."

Though the request was unusual, you couldn’t deny Astarion’s curiosity or your own willingness to assist. "Alright, Astarion. If you think it will help."

Astarion’s eyes lit up with anticipation. He guided you to a secluded spot in the camp, away from prying eyes. The moonlight bathed the area in a serene glow, casting long shadows that danced with the flickering flames of the campfire. As he prepared to sink his fangs into your neck, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. But your trust in him outweighed any doubts.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice soft and almost caring, a rare tenderness flickering in his eyes.

You nodded, and he gently bit down, his fangs piercing your skin with a sharp, sudden pain that quickly turned into a strange, almost soothing sensation. For a moment, everything seemed to be going smoothly. But then, Astarion’s eyes widened in horror.

He pulled back abruptly, clutching his throat and doubling over in agony. "What… what is this?" he gasped, his voice strangled and hoarse.

You looked at him in alarm. "Astarion? What's wrong?"

"It burns!" he managed to choke out, falling to his knees. "Your blood… it's like drinking liquid sunlight!"

You tried to stifle a laugh, realizing what had happened. "Astarion, my blood is holy. It’s infused with divine energy."

But Astarion was too busy writhing on the ground, groaning dramatically. "You didn’t think to mention that before?"

He rolled around, making quite the scene. You couldn’t help but find the situation absurdly comical.

"I'm an Aasimar, what did you think my blood was infused with?!" you said, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "I mean, I did glow when we first met. Astarion, I thought you knew what you were doing!"

"Obviously not!" Astarion glared at you, his pain subsiding but his pride clearly wounded, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

By now, the commotion had attracted the attention of the other companions. Shadowheart approached, eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What on earth is going on here?"

You glanced at Astarion, who was still on the ground, now more embarrassed than hurt. "Astarion thought drinking my blood would give him a power boost. Turns out, holy blood and vampires don’t mix well."

Shadowheart chuckled, shaking her head. "I could have told you that, Astarion."

Lae'zel smirked, crossing her arms with a satisfied gleam in her eyes. "This is what you get for being so ambitious, pale one."

Even Karlach couldn’t suppress a laugh. "Looks like you bit off more than you could chew, Astarion."

Astarion shot them all a withering look but couldn't help but laugh himself. "Yes, yes, laugh it up. Lesson learned."

As the camp settled back into its nightly routine, Astarion approached you, still rubbing his throat. The stars above sparkled like diamonds in the dark sky, and the crackling of the campfire provided a comforting background noise. "Despite the… discomfort, I appreciate your willingness to help."

You smiled warmly, the celestial glow around you seeming to brighten the night. "Anytime, Astarion."

[galesdevoteewife]

Wedding ask!! I would love to know the answer to 26 and 31!

💜

It'ssssss WEEKEND!!! Thanks for the ask!!! YEEYAYY let's goooo!!!

24. The Night Before -

It was almost dawn… The sky was beginning to lighten, and birds were chirping sporadically. Gale paced anxiously back and forth in the tower's grand hall. Tomorrow—today is his wedding day, and his bride is still somewhere in the hells, fate unknown. His finger once again found the sending stone ear cuff, trying to contact Zilvera. Nothing came back, just like his other attempts that night. Suddenly— Zoom, a portal behind him! Sulfur, heat! A pair of delicate arms threw themselves around his chest and spun him around. They had just fallen to the ground when an axe slammed heavily into the floor, only a few inches away from the tip of his shoes— "Get the hell out of my way, fuckers!!! I'm going to their wedding and you can't stop me!!" A loud, fiery voice pierced the early morning serenity. It was Karlach, they had arrived! One by one, friends emerged from the portal: Wyll, Astarion, Shadowheart dragging a still-swinging Lae’zel— "Told you I'd make it," Zilvera said with a smile.

Zilvera was jailbreaking Karlach and Wyll the night before! Gale, on the other hand, had a different adventure. He had to help settle the arriving guests, take them sightseeing, and ensure their accommodations were comfortable. My HC Gale has a huge family, and he had been busy as a bee socializing and trying to be a good host ever since the wedding day was marked on the calendar. It wasn't easy nor much fun for him. Oh, how he wished to lock himself in the tower, with Zilvera in one arm and an old, intriguing ancient tome in the other hand…!

[Note] My Zilvera and Gale have a pair of unlimited sending stone ear cuffs, basically cellphones. Gale's is on his left ear (the side with Mystra's earring. He still wears it in my postgame as a reminder of his lesson), and Zilvera's is on her right ear. As a drow and a human, the couple has fairly different concepts of time (and many other things, too). Zil, being a free spirit, often disappears for weeks at a time. This mixed with other factors once made things a bit difficult. Nonetheless, they decided to work it out together and the ear cuffs were part of their attempt.

31. First Night, Morning After - The wedding, or rather the marriage itself, was something Gale wanted. He wanted to give her a safe haven, to be her home, and she his; despite her never showing interest in any of those. He had his worries in the back of his mind that he was imposing his ideals on Zilvera. He had been trying to sell the idea to her, showing her the best he knew to convince her. Even after the wedding, it didn’t quite feel real. It was done. They were now husband and wife—spouses, family, partners, bound by vows, witnessed and blessed by their friends and family. They didn’t get a chance to be alone until the middle of the night the next day —

Even though Morena insisted it wasn’t necessary, Gale was determined to walk her home until Tara promised to take care of it for the third time, and the tressym was losing her patience. He closed the entrance door and felt the urge to say something to fill the sudden silence. "Wow, we danced a lot. Do you remember Aunt Leia’s graceful dance moves? I am not a bad dancer myself, but she's always been the best in our family, until you—" "Gale." "Y-Yes?" "I love you." Gale’s eyes widened in shock. She had never said it before— Zilvera knew well the weight of the phrase for him, so she had been hesitated to say it. She felt it would be deceitful if she didn't truly understand what it means. That had changed, Zilvera thought to herself. She looked into his dark brown eyes, noting how the moonlight and lamplight outlined the features of her new husband. I love you, she whispered again, as if she was warming up to the feeling of how the words rolled off her tongue.

Nothing spicy happened that night. They bathed together, exchanged thousands of kisses. Zilvera then sang exhausted Gale to sleep. She spent the rest of the night humming, combing fingers through his hair, writing the day into a song to keep the memory for them forever.

🧡

Me, the entire time picturing all these. Thanks you again for sending the ask, it was so much flufffff!!! ♡ Wedding Prompts ♡01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

[veilkeeper]

For the companion!Tav asks for Serenity (unless that doesn't really work) how about General 1 and 9, Story specific 1, 10, and 11, and Romance 1 and 12?

questions from here

(Serenity uses he/him pronouns. He is a Dark Urge character.)

General

1. Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

Lingering outside the druid grove. He doesn't correct you if the player assumes he's a tiefling refugee, but it very quickly becomes apparent that he isn't one. "I... could be?" He says when questioned. "Honestly, I don't remember anything before waking up down by the beach. But I've got these terrible headaches. From the tadpole? Maybe mine is laying sideways or something. Would be my luck." (*has definitely already murdered someone and is trying to sound sweet and innocent on purpose*)

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

He might have beef with one of the more "good" companions that he feels like he has to watch his back around. Oh, maybe Jaheira? She's probably eyeing him suspiciously. The undercurrent of this being that he feels a lot like a caged animal, especially in a good-aligned PC's game. Like if he slips and gives into the urge, he'll be killed or driven off (which, given their impending ceremorphosis, is as good as being killed). I don't think it would escalate to blows, but if he ever confesses to his urges (see below), there might be a confrontation.

(more below!!!)

Story Specific

1. How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor?

Considering his dream visitor is offering a lot of answers he can't verify (mixed with a heavy dose of temptation), he advises caution. He would never tell the player to outright turn down power, but he would certainly caution them against going too far. Power is useless if you aren't the one using it, and too many of these tadpoles risks making it so it isn't you anymore.

10. How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?

"I suppose there are worse things to find exciting." If the player goes in again they get a deep, long-suffering sigh. "Care to pack some away? To enjoy back at camp? In private?"

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

He'd be furious, especially since he's probably barely holding back from gutting Dribbles as it is. Just on stage shaking like a dog trying not to cause a scene.

Romance

1. Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

Yes, with the heavy asterisk that he'd eventually break up with the player if he's ever left wondering about their loyalty to him, especially once the urge/bhaalspawn stuff starts coming out. He'd do anything for the player, and he expects that intensity in return - and that includes them being okay with him being okay with a lot of fucked up stuff.

12. Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

At a certain point of approval (probably high), he'd tell the player about his urges, and trying to script that conversation would be crazy because it would go SO differently depending on the situation. Is the player generally a good person who helps people selflessly? He's visibly nervous, about to bolt. Full plans to just take off if this goes poorly and risk dealing with the tadpole alone. Uses a lot of flowery language to try to pass off the urge as something that's possessing him, rather than something that is him. He's telling the player some version of the truth, but he's not dropping the charade entirely. Has the player done something "evil" like side with the goblins? He is much more relaxed and honest about the urge. He would tell them what actually bothers him about his urges: not that he has them, and not that he desires doing terrible, violent things, but that he has vicious headaches and a compulsion to do such things. "We both know it can be fun to cause some wanton destruction. I just want to pick who, and when." Romanced? He's terrified, but in the way a cornered animal is. He tries to get the truth out and if there isn't immediate understanding he lashes out. He would respond especially badly to any sort of implication that "it's okay, I know the real you, just resist the Bad Thoughts!" because "The fact that you have touched me and you are still alive is proof that I have been resisting." This would be a conversation that either secures his loyalty forever or results in a decisive break up.

[blackjackkent]

Time for more Durge adventures! We've got Gale and Lae'zel so time to head straight for the grove and pick up Wyll to complete Rakha's starting party. (This might adjust over time; realistically Jaheira might be taking Gale's place at some point bc I love Jaheira and also [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS], and it's entirely possible Rakha will surprise me with who else she decides to get along with. But this is the starting plan at least. XD )

This of course means we kick off by spilling some goblin guts, which should make the beast in Rakha's head happy. o.o;

Before that, though, we get the same extra dialogue options with Lae'zel and Gale that we got with Shadowheart, so might as well start getting a gauge on what they think about their new traveling companion.

"My past is a mystery to me. Could the parasite have caused that?"

I find Rakha's relationship with Lae'zel already quite interesting, because Lae'zel's tremendous assertiveness and decisiveness allows her to get shit done while Rakha is going off the rails - but also serves as focus and direction, an anchor point for Rakha's instincts towards rage and violence. If asked who of her current three companions would provide her the most trustworthy advice, Rakha would likely - at least at this moment - answer Lae'zel.

This is partly interesting because, as we know, Lae'zel is actually young as fuck and perhaps has more confidence and training than actual wisdom of experience.

She doesn't really have any good answers regarding Rakha's past, though.

"Ceremorphosis takes all of you - mind, body, soul. An ordinary tadpole would eat at your memories until they were lost to the void. But our tadpoles are far from ordinary. I wonder if another factor's in play."

(A side note: Lae'zel was not present when Gale popped the word ceremorphosis, which means that she knows this word in Common, which is actually pretty impressive. I love that there is more than one subtle hint in the way she is written indicating that Lae'zel is actually pretty fucking smart despite her 10INT on paper. This was one of the things Hector liked about her too.)

"I've had these urges. I want to kill. I want blood." Just as she was with Shadowheart, Rakha is matter-of-fact here. Little point in hiding the matter.

Lae'zel seemed unbothered by Rakha's burst of chaotic violence against the tieflings, and is no more phased by this admission either. "Many a good warrior savors the scent of blood in the air. There's no shame in a capricious murder now and again. Too many, though, and you waste energy and dull your weapon. My suggestion: attack with purpose and savor your kills. And if the urge proves too much... well, I'm sure we can find you a goblin or two to carve up."

This is not, strictly speaking, healthy advice from an outside perspective; however, Rakha listens with surprisingly rapt attention.

Attack with purpose. She carves the words on the inside of her own skull. Yes. This is what troubles her about what she has come to term "the beast" - the blinding gleeful destruction that takes over and relishes death for its own sake. Her own rage has its place; it will keep her alive, and those who seek to stand in her way will do her world no harm by leaving it. But the beast silences what little is left of her own mind. It controls her and uses her and seeks only blood, and blood, and blood, and blood, and blood...

Lae'zel's words carry the first truth she has been certain of since she woke up. Attack with purpose, and savor your kills.

Yes.

-----

Her similar conversation with Gale is a bit more of a mixed bag.

"My memories before the nautiloid are shrouded in darkness."

"Memory loss isn't usually a symptom of ceremorphosis. If it is, they've forgotten to write it down in any text I've read on the subject. Then again, our case isn't exactly usual. Perhaps whatever's causing our tadpoles to remain in stasis has also affected your mind. If ceremorphosis takes place, all trace of your former self will be subsumed into the mind flayer's hive. So to still be here, if a mite forgetful? Still a win in my book."

An optimistic outlook, under the circumstances. On some level, Rakha was hoping that Gale might have a more specific answer to what happened to her, and that he doesn't is disappointing. But as she doesn't have any other better explanation, she still assumes this whole mess is the tadpole's fault until she figures something else out.

"I have violent thoughts. Depraved thoughts. Ones that refuse to go away..."

"We all have those from time to time! I once wished a most impure demise on a colleague of mine who bought the last remaining copy of Etheril's Enchiridion of Enchanting Easements. First edition, too. As regards your own morbid little fantasies, I'm sure they're nothing to worry about - so long as they remain fantasies."

Rakha lost track of everything he was saying somewhere in the middle of this paragraph, but she picks it up again near the end, and frowns. She remembers the intellect devourer, newborn, crunching between her fingertips. That was no fantasy, whatever Gale might think she meant.

[jellymellydraws]

Masterlist ~ <<Previous Chapter ~ Next Chapter >>

Astarion x Dark Urge Chapter 08 Rating: E Tags: Angst, Fluff, hurt/comfort, slow burn, two guarded people fall in love so hard it makes them stupid

Chapter Summary:

The assassination plot against Kagha goes according to plan-- until Wyll has a moral dilemma about said plans. Something clicks for Rose and she feels a core part of herself bubble to the surface. The next day, one of the tieflings, inspired by their heroics, wants to join the party as they begin their travel to the goblin camp.

The dark embrace of night finally settled over the grove. Only the light from the ritual illuminated the stone walls that protected them. What good would those walls do when the prey was trapped with their predators? 

Only two exits from the inner sanctum were identified. Lae’zel would watch the main entrance. Gale would monitor the exit leading to the shore, prepared to grease the path or put to sleep any runners. If everything was done right, no one would have the chance to run. But contingencies were necessary.

Two silhouettes of patrolling guards circled atop the perimeter of the sanctum.

One silhouette.

None.

“Shadowheart and Wyll are in place,” Astarion whispered next to Rose.

“Let’s move.”

Soft steps crept around the archway, approaching the ritual circle. The droning of druids got louder as they approached, but still they hadn’t been noticed. Astarion held his arm out, stopping Rose from moving ahead. Cautious amber eyes scanned the area, looking for a threat. There didn’t seem to be any, but the elf stopped her for something . He was listening, intensely. After a few moments, he began to move his arm in a cross-motion. Like a conductor, orchestrating the weave to his will. The sound of another voice joined the druids, a new chanter, but no source so to speak.

“My magic will maintain the sound of ritual casting while we work,” he explained quietly, “but we need to move fast.”

Rose nodded and pulled her blade, going straight for her first target.

Like a fish swimming in the Chionthar, her movements were fluid. Natural. A druid was grabbed, her blade slit his throat, not a sound could be made. Her work had only begun. With each slice, each neck, another druid fell. The light dimmed gradually, until the glow stopped with the falling of the last caster. Her and Astarion met in the middle. She couldn’t see him, but she hoped he was returning the grin that was plastered on her face.

“Having fun?” he purred.

“Can’t a lady mix business and pleasure?” She joked.

“I suppose she can, well if that’s what we’re doing, I’ll be back.”

She heard his steps depart briefly, but not too far. He returned after a few moments, draping his arm around her shoulders casually.

“A trophy to commemorate our night together,” he declared, placing a wood carved item in her hands.

Long smoothed planes of wood, culminating at one end of the structure before splitting off at the top— or bottom? She couldn’t tell immediately, not until she felt her thumb rub over the clear protrusion of a nose. A face. Pair of antlers—

“You took the idol,” she realized.

“Yes, what else? They’re not going to be needing it anymore, are they?”

Before she could protest, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her through the darkness. Fine, they’ll keep this silly trophy. She handed the idol back to him to stow in his bag. 

Without the glow from the ritual, Astarion’s job was to act as her eyes. Not a position she wanted to be in, but necessary if she had any hope of getting to Kagha. They stopped by the stone door leading to the private sanctum. Additional footsteps approached them, but the arm around her remained relaxed. Not enemies, allies.

“The guards are out cold,” Shadowheart whispered, “we’re moving in?”

“We are. There are only two inside who keep their lives: the healer Nettie, and Rath. The animals pose no threat so long as they stay out of our way, otherwise do what is necessary.”

The party slowly opened the stone door, and crept down the steps. The private sanctum was illuminated by the dull glows of magical runes etched into stone statues. The area was empty, for the most part. The doorway they used to find Nettie was wide open. The other doorway was closed. The only creature that could be seen in the atrium was the white wolf, who was curled in the center of the room.

The group clung to the wall, quietly stepping past the wolf. Except Shadowheart, who stood by the steps with her eyes locked on the beast. She couldn’t tell if the cleric was deliberately guarding the exit and monitoring the wolf, or if there was something else that stopped her steps. Doubling back to check on her would be too risky. Rose continued to the open doorway and peered inside. Several druids were lying in the beds that circled the room. Only one other was sitting upright, an elf in trance.

“We don’t have to do this,” Wyll whispered, “we only need to deal with Kagha.”

“Now’s not the time for discussion,” Rose hissed, gripping the handle of her blade, “I’m trusting you to handle it.”

Wyll slipped past her, leaving Astarion to stand guard. Maybe this part of the job was a bit much for the Blade, she considered switching him for Astarion. No, if he was going to travel with them, then she needed to get a better idea of what he was and wasn’t willing to do. Worst case, she’ll finish the job for him.

Rose slipped into the small private chamber, where she found Kagha sitting on a pile of comfortable pillows, eyes closed as she tranced. Unaware of the assassin creeping up in front of her. Assassin…yes. 

Another piece clicked into place.

Keeping to the shadows, following her prey. Studying their movements, their habits. Slipping into their most private dwellings, invading their most intimate moments. Dagger in hand, target sighted. But this was the best part. The wait.

Wait for what…? The druid’s eyes fluttered open, connecting with hers. 

This.

The slice was quick, clean. Blood poured from her throat, killing any last words she would have. Rose watched as the sparkle of life darkened from her eyes. Gently, she lowered the body to the ground. Pillows became stained with the growing puddle of life force that seeped into the cracks of tiles. She watched, quietly. 

There was another piece desperate to fit, but she couldn’t figure out how. Words tingled the tip of her tongue, but she knew not what to say. Fingers twitched towards the puddle of blood, but unsure for what. She resisted, uncertainty growing as she let herself feel these phantom habits calling to her. Whether they were going to be good habits or bad, she didn’t want to find out now.

Rose emerged from the room quietly. Astarion was sitting at the table, flourishing his dagger. Shadowheart was standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest, avoiding direct eye contact. No wolf in sight.

Something was wrong.

Wyll stepped out from the druids’ quarters, looking uneasy. A figure approached the Blade, clasping a hand on his shoulder.

“What the hells are you doing?” Rath hissed, looking between the party and back into the sleeping quarters. The white wolf snarled at them.

‘Damn it, Wyll.’

He took in the scene, lit by dimly glowing runes. The whites of his eyes became more visible, as a realization dawned on him. Rose stepped aside when he strode towards Kagha’s chamber, then followed after him. Her blade remained in her hand, though not pointed towards him. Not yet. She stood at the end of a bookcase as Rath stared at the body.

What was going on in his head? There was no relief on his face, but there wasn’t rage. Concern? Fear? Yeah, that seemed about right.

“How did you get past our guards?” He asked, still glaring at Kagha’s corpse.

“Knocked them out,” she responded quickly.

“The druids outside, casting the ritual?”

“Killed them.”

“…what was the Blade of Frontieres doing in the sleeping quarters?”

He hesitated to ask, she sensed it. He refused to look at her with his questions. Ah, she understood now. Fear. She inhaled slowly.

“You and Nettie would’ve been spared,” she assured him, “the others would have made things difficult in the morning— considering their allegiance to Kagha.”

“Why?” Rath faced her, a modicum of courage tried to peak through his shaky gaze.

She couldn’t answer immediately. He would be one of the few who’d understand avenging Arabella’s death— even if he didn’t know her personal motives. No. Admitting to her reason was dangerous. She hadn’t been able to keep her composure when she told Astarion, no way in the hells would she risk that mistake in front of Rath. No, she’d need another answer. She took slow calculated steps towards him, letting her steps hit the ground audibly as she approached. Deliberate. Calm.

“Tensions were going to get worse between Kagha and the refugees,” she started, “you knew it was dangerously close to boiling over. You asked me to bring Halsin back.” She stopped in front of him, “if you didn’t care about the refugees, your request wouldn’t have sounded so urgent .” She leaned close, then lowered her voice, “I did you a favor.”

Rath glared down at her. Neither broke eye contact. Neither flinched.

“I don’t like that it’s come to this,” he gritted his teeth. “ Damns!”

“Glad we agree on that.”

“How am I going to explain this to the rest of the circle?”

“We were going to frame the goblin for it,” Rose turned on her heel and began walking to the exit, but she stopped abruptly and looked over her shoulder to him, “Wyll was supposed to handle two more, did he?”

“No,” he glared at her, “and you won’t, either.”

“They’re a liability, you know that, right?”

“We don’t need to shed more blood. Kagha is dead, I’ll take it from here.”

“Very well.” She paused for a moment before softening her tone, for a personal request, “Rath, what happened with Arabella’s body?”

“Buried her by the shore,” he dragged a hand down his face, “I’ll…I’ll let the parents grieve in the morning.”

Rose nodded and left the room. Wyll and Astarion were seated around the table. The Blade lifted his head from between his hands. Astarion had a grin on his face, which grew when he saw their leader’s hardened stare.

“We’re done here,” she announced to the room.

“Oh good! I was getting terribly bored,” Astarion hopped up from his seat.

Shadowheart was fixated on one of the murals in the room as they began to file out. Rose looked over the imagery. Two factions standing over a dark helmet. She tapped the cleric on the shoulder, pulling her out of her admiration.

“Admiring the art?” Rose smirked.

“You could say that,” Shadowheart turned and left the private sanctum with the rest of the party.

Outside the sanctum, Gale and Lae’zel had made their way to the stone door and waited for them. Rose’s eyes had to adjust to the darkness after being in a space with dim-colored lighting. Astarion appeared beside her, draping his arm over her shoulders as he did earlier in the night when he guided her.

“Are we still dealing with the goblin?” Shadowheart asked, “I heard you and Rath talking.”

“It gives him an easy scapegoat,” Rose answered, “Shadowheart, Lae’zel, and Wyll, get her out and keep an eye on her throughout the night. We’ll meet outside the gates in the morning.”

Wyll should be grateful that she couldn’t see him, or she’d point a look in his direction. After the stunt he pulled back there, she had half a mind to question if he could handle babysitting a goblin or if his morals would compel him to kill her. A conversation for another day, one she was certain he’d want to have if they’re going to venture forth together.

Astarion draped his other arm around Gale’s shoulders.

“Alright you blind babes, I’ll guide you back to camp,” he teased.

“If I wasn’t worried about staying hidden, I would light a torch,” Gale muttered.

When they got back to camp, Gale immediately departed for his tent, likely passing out almost immediately.

“We should do this again,” Astarion teased, “you’re a lot more fun to be around than I thought.”

“I was pleasantly surprised by you. What else can you do?” she smirked.

“Oh darling, I can show you,” he leaned in, hands wandering down to her waist.

A shiver ran through her, and she bit her lip with a smirk. She let herself get pulled closer, nose brushing against nose. All at once, the thrill of a successful mission crashed through her. A need to pull him close, to throw him to the ground, to become one fused mound of flesh. She sensed it deep within her. This need.

“I think we’ve got something to celebrate, don't you?” She whispered, hands running up his chest hungrily.

“A delicious thought,” he leaned closer, lips a whisper from hers. As she moved to meet him, he pulled away, “buuuut.”

“But what?” Her hands curled around his collar, “what are you waiting for?”

“The right moment,” he purred, gently pulling out of her desperate grasp, “sweet dreams.”

Fuck.

“Good night, Art-starian,” she tried to regain a semblance of control.

She heard his triumphant chuckle as she retreated to her tent for the night. This sudden rush took her by surprise. For all her professionalism and control, this felt entirely out of character. 

Maybe she used to celebrate after every mission? Did it matter who she celebrated with? Would she have thrown herself at the others, had they been around? The questions she pondered began to calm her down. Too many pieces couldn't find purchase tonight, but she took comfort in the ones that did.

Bit by bit, she felt less like a stranger to herself.

When morning came, Rose was waiting outside the gates. Lae’zel and Shadowheart met her there to report on their assignment. Wyll remained with the goblin, who seemed cooperative in exchange for her release. There was a tension between the two that Rose couldn’t quite pin. How much disagreement could one party have within a day?

The three walked back into the grove and back to camp to help dismantle everything. Gale had breakfast prepared, although not quite as filling as the night before. A quick breakfast of cheese and bread. Between the late night, the light breakfast, and the travel— it was going to be a long day.

“Shadowheart, what happened in the sanctum last night?” Rose asked as they trekked towards camp, “it looked like you froze.”

Lae’zel looked over to the both of them, eyeing Shadowheart closely. Shadowheart, understandably, bristled at being put on the spot.

“I’m not terribly fond of wolves...” she began, cautiously choosing her words as if disarming a trap.

“Chk.”

“They’re ravenous predators with fangs like daggers!” the cleric’s voice raised, defensively, “it’s hardly an irrational fear to harbor!”

“I won’t judge you for it,” Rose interjected.

“Really?” Shadowheart stopped walking, “some might think this makes me a liability. We’re in the middle of the woods for gods sake.”

Rose and Lae’zel both stopped to look back at her. She approached the cleric with a soft expression.

“I’m sure all of us have our own...” Rose paused, opening and closing her fists with a slight wince, “ quirks , that we’re dealing with. I’ll be mindful if we’re dealing with wolves in the future.”

“Hm...You’re different.” She began to smile softly, “maybe that’s what I like about you.”

“Pathetic,” Lae’zel hissed, arms crossed over her chest.

Rose beckoned for Shadowheart to join back on the trek to camp. Once caught up to their stubborn gith, she flashed a smirk her way.

“Come on, there’s something you’ve got to be afraid of,” she insisted.

“Hmmm yes, you’re right. I’m afraid of wasting what precious time we have left, before our skulls split into tentacles.”

That’s not what she was going for, but she’ll take that answer over a dismissive ‘chk.’

Rose could see Rath leading a service for the assassinated druids within the sanctum. She wondered if he cared that their precious idol had gone missing. Perhaps not, all things considered. Well, it wasn’t like she was going to stick around this place for much longer— and any alliance she’d have with this grove was better brokered by Master Halsin if he was still alive. Other than that, the tadpole remained the priority.

Several tieflings met them at the gate as they departed. Zevlor, Arabella’s parents, some guards, and other refugees who wanted to offer thanks.

“Rath and I spoke this morning,” Zevlor announced, “we wish you luck finding Master Halsin.”

“Worst case, we might need to clear out the horde before our journey can continue,” Rose commented, “either way, your people should be able to rest easy until you can travel.”

They shook hands in farewell, and Zevlor signaled for the gates to be opened. Rose allowed herself a passing glance at the parents, who clung to each other and stared as she walked by. The mother’s lip quivered, but she tried to smile in thanks to the assassin. The pang of guilt didn’t entirely vanish, but this helped. A little.

“Wait!”

“Alfira, what are you doing?”

Two voices followed after them before the gates could close. Two tieflings: a guard and a civilian.

“My name is Alfira, I’m a bard,” a blue tiefling jogged up to them, a lute strapped to her back and a sparkle in her eye.

“Alfira the bard,” Rose looked her up and down, “Rose. Did you need something?”

“Yes! I want to travel with you!”

A familiar presence slunk beside her. Astarion hung his arm over her shoulder and leaned towards the bard.

“Sorry darling, we’ve already got a musician,” he smirked, showing off his violin.

“Oh, but she’s a bard ,” Rose teased, “isn’t that exactly what you proclaim not to be, Art-starion, the Artiste ?”

“We should talk about how you come up with pet names, darling, you’re skills are abysmal at best.”

She looked back to the bard, ignoring their resident artiste’s protests.

“You don’t look like a guard, and we’re about to dive deep into the pit of a goblin horde, are you sure you can handle that?”

“It’s too dangerous,” the guard interjected. Worry all over her face, and a gentle hand tugging at the bard’s shoulder.

“I want to stand on my own two feet,” Alfira answered, firmly, “I heard how you fought yesterday, and you’re still helping us. It’s inspiring! I want to fight by your side, to help people!” she turned to her partner, taking her hands and squeezing them, “please, Lakrissa. I need to do this.”

Rose looked back at the rest of her group, who waited a few paces ahead. She nodded for them to go ahead. That included Astarion, but he was content where he was.

“I’ve been running since Elturel,” Alfira pleaded, “and when we finally got to this grove, we found danger here too. Unless I hide away from the world, I can’t avoid it. So I’d rather face it head-on. Please .”

“You can’t seriously be considering this?” the elf whispered in her ear.

Oh, but she was.

The passion in the girl’s eyes burned like a small flame. Even if rejected here, nothing was stopping her from going off on her own. A few days of travel meant a few days of training— maybe she isn’t quite as bad as she looked in a fight. Even Astarion had his uses when all he could do was cast cantrips from the back.

“You can join us,” Rose answered.

“Really?!”

“The Blade of Frontiers is already equipped to train you, but you need to learn fast. We don’t have the luxury of time on our side.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you! I won’t let you down!”

Rose smiled softly, seeing her excitedly hug her partner and a few other tieflings who gathered around to see her off.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were replacing me,” Astarion pouted.

“You don’t think you’re easily disposable, do you?” She smirked back at him, “having her on board better fills out the backline of casters, which would come in handy to support those in the front. Worst case scenario, she can babysit the camp while we deal with the dangerous stuff.”

Alfira rejoined the two of them after her goodbyes were exchanged, a bright smile on her face. She walked on the other side of Rose up the path. When the rounded the corner, she could see the rest of her group further up.

“I should warn you, Alfira,” Rose began, “you’re coming into the middle of a well-thought plan. If you have questions, I suggest you ask them later and follow my lead.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll understand.”

Rose waved to her companions as they approached. The whole of them eyes Alfira with mixed reactions. Some surprise, some frustration, and of course concern. Especially when Wyll pulled the goblin woman out of the bushes. Alfira gasped, almost screamed. Something in that pretty head of hers must’ve realized what was happening because the scream was muffled by her own hand. Eyes wide with confusion, shock, and everything in between.

Good, she understood. 

Well, she understood enough .

Next Chapter >>

[mumms-the-word]

As requested my durge boy Amnon. Purple asmodeus tiefling, oath of devotion paladin. He hasn't started a romance yet and the options are all so tempting to me. He's trans and the memory loss seems to only be affecting the last 20 or so years of his life. He's in his forties. Remembers being a kid, running away, taking his oath. He doesn't remember that his oath was broken ages ago and many times over. Or exactly what happened to his parents, all he can remember about that night is blood and fear and rage. So far he's a very helpful nice guy. He wants to help people and stomp out evil and suffering. He's gonna have a breakdown when we hit act 3

Perfect we love a paladin

Dani is happy to have another tiefling around, even a buttoned-up (but also slightly unhinged??) paladin type. As long as he doesn't chide her for doing dubious things like picking rich people's pockets, they'd probably get along. She gets along with everyone, really. If he's stuck on who to flirt with or romance, she would be the one to go to. To flirt with, yes, but also to ask advice. She'd love sitting down with him and playing matchmaker, but all in good fun. Dani's recommendation? Astarion if he's into sharing/trading trauma experiences, Karlach if he wants a healing relationship and a good time, or Shadowheart because cleric + paladin sounds like a pairing from the most romantic of ballads. I wonder if Amnon would remind Shadowheart of Nocturne? Who knows. Dani would tell him to follow his heart and ignore her recommendations if they don't vibe with him.

Ardynn would like him a lot...as long as he can keep control of his urges for the most part. The minute she sees him kick a squirrel, though, she's avoiding him for DAYS. She would be so upset. But she would be sympathetic to his memory loss and want to help. Ardynn will also have a breakdown when they get to act 3, but only because the city is hella overwhelming. They can break down together!!

Freyr would have mixed feelings about Amnon. On the one hand, dark thoughts paladin type. On the other, Amnon seems like the type to resist the dark thoughts, while Freyr is more of an embracer of dark thoughts. And Freyr already has a paladin he'd trust with his life and her name is Minthara and she is the coolest. If Freyr is the lead Durge in the party, he'd probably ignore Amnon until Amnon's better nature leads him to leave the party or until Amnon caves to pressure and becomes dark like everyone else. It's nothing personal. Freyr just doesn't have time for do-gooders. He's got a world to conquer with/for his wifey, Minthy. If Freyr is the companion, he'd just sullenly cross his arms and silently disapprove every time Amnon made a good decision.

Invi and Amnon would get along great. His integrity as a paladin of devotion despite his dark thoughts would impress her. She doesn't have as good a handle on her dark thoughts, so I think the two of them would get pretty close, since they both understand how hard it is to resist. He certainly remembers more than she does. In truth, she'd probably befriend him faster than she befriended any of the other companions in camp. They'd have lots of long discussions about the dark urge stuff, everything they can't say to their fellow companions because they'd look at them weird.

Thanks for the second ask! I hope Amnon has fun! Playing a Durge is such a wild time for anyone who hasn't played it yet.

[ryttu3k]

Have you thought about an AU with both a Dark Urge and a Tav?

Ooh yes, that's a pretty easy one to work with! The Nautiloid grabs so many people it's honestly just sheer dumb luck that the ones that end up in the party end up a) together and b) in the vicinity of the Prism. It would have been just as likely for, say, Astarion to end up one of the True Souls running the Goblin Camp, or Z'rell to end up finding Shadowheart on the beach and travelling with her, y'know?

So, a situation where both someone with Durge's background, and a random other individual (Tav) ends up encountering the others and joining the group? Easily could happen!

For my own characters, I think Tae and Tavias would get on fine. They're both generally good characters, Tavias just... struggles a little with it, haha. They could bond over being different flavours of magic user (Tae is a druid, Tavias is a draconic bloodline sorcerer), Tae would appreciate how hard Tavias is fighting the Urge, and Tavias would benefit from Tae's general calmness. Ending-wise, Tavias would be happy to know Karlach has both Wyll and Tae to accompany her to Avernus, and Tae would be extremely relieved to know that Astarion and Halsin wouldn't be left on their own.

(I did actually think of a way they can both enter the narrative! Tavias starts off as the player character. Tae is a Grove druid instead of being from further out, met with Wyll on the Nautiloid, and they both went back to the Grove together. Wyll is easily recruited as per the game, Tae is the one who requests that they look for Halsin, and joins the party if they promise to do so. Since wow that's a lot of druids, the player can basically choose between largely wildshape-user (Halsin), mixed user (Jaheira), or largely spellcaster (Tae), so they don't overlap too much!)

Anyway tl;dr, yeah, a scenario with both a Tav and a Durge would work easily! Doesn't that happen with a lot of multiplayer options, anyway?