#underdark dreams

[underdark-dreams]

I got too excited and finished the second chapter 👀 [ch1]

A Strand to Climb - Ch.2

Tav finally catches up with her wizard at Sorcerous Sundries; Rolan has some complicated feelings about seeing her again.

Tags: Reunions, Mutual Pining | Word Count: 3,042 [Read on AO3]

The next day dawned just as gloomy and gray as Rolan’s mood. 

He hadn't slept well in his chilly room at the Tower; the flesh beside his brow was bruised deeper than he’d realized. His fretful dreams of shadow curses and illithid monstrosities had been laced through with the dull ache in his skull.

As a result he’d been short with the customers this morning. It didn’t really matter—no one cared about the boy behind the counter. People tended to look through him, if they looked at him at all. 

No doubt his bruised and beaten appearance made people uncomfortable. Rolan knew Lorroakan didn’t care a jot for his wellbeing, but he did wonder why the man wouldn’t avoid damaging the first face people saw when they walked in. It couldn’t be good for business. 

These days Rolan found himself more of a shopkeeper than a student, after all. 

With that thought in mind, he pulled the large book of figures up onto the counter. At least there was plenty of work there to occupy him—Lorroakan had been an atrocious bookkeeper.

By the time midday dragged along, Sorcerous Sundries had cleared out almost completely. The sky outside the wide front entry had darkened further from the approaching storm. Periodically a humid breeze would gust through the doorway. Each time, Rolan had to grab hold of the pages of his ledger before he lost his place.

Eventually he shoved the thing aside in impatience, thunking a heavy potion bottle down on top to weigh down the page. 

From its hiding place among the scroll shelves, Rolan instead pulled out a stained and dogeared volume: Suspended Ceremorphosis. He'd swiped it from the tower while Lorroakan was engaged with yet another so-called Nightsong hunter. 

Lorroakan certainly wouldn’t miss the text. He hadn't maintained the protective spells on the reference section of his library the way he had the sections on spellcraft and the Weave. Evidently he thought everyone must have the single-minded and incurious lust for power that he did himself.

Rolan had never thought of himself as having a weak stomach, yet he found he had to take the text in small doses. The only thing that kept him reading it was a promise he’d made to Tav many moons ago, on a night when hope was easier to come by.

Whoever had authored it must have been a surgeon—more likely a necromancer. Each gruesome detail was described thoroughly, almost lovingly in some passages. 

Rolan forced his way through as many pages as he could manage. Combined with the painstaking diagrams of each stage of the infection and transformation, he found it painful reading. Especially when it directly concerned one of the people he cared about most in all the Realms. 

Who knew if Tav still even needed his help after all this time? She’d proven herself far more resourceful than him on many occasions. Maybe she was already on the trail for a proper cure by now. Maybe he was just wasting his time.

Rolan abruptly pushed this book aside too, turning back to his ledger again for the reprieve of sordid coin. 

All things considered, Sorcerous Sundries was thriving. The citizens of Baldur’s Gate were shaken, borderline terrified by the recent march of the Absolute's forces…and frightened people spent gold on anything they thought might keep their families safe. Rolan summed last week's numbers a second and a third time, convinced he must have added a figure somewhere.

A brash voice outside pierced his concentration. Rolan glanced up sharply to the open doors, quill poised on the page. 

Suffering hells. Aradin again? Whether or not he’d actually been involved in this week’s clumsy burglary attempt, he should have the common sense not to show his face.

The mercenary had been no rosy presence back at the Grove, and he was a constant bane at the magic shop ever since Rolan had been placed on front desk duties. He was always appearing to insist on a private audience with Lorroakan, or some great sum owed to him, or some other equally improbable outcome depending on the day. 

Just as Lorroakan had accused him of last night—ungratefully—Rolan had finally taken it upon himself to charm the metal construct at the door to turn him away on sight.

As he watched, Aradin jabbed a threatening finger into the construct's face, as if it might be intimidated into compliance. 

Thick fucking idiot, Rolan thought viciously. He had no patience for this today. Right as he set down his pen, someone else caught Aradin's attention from behind.

If not for her change in attire, he would have recognized Tav’s figure at first glance. But then Aradin shifted slightly as he spoke, and Rolan caught sight of her face.

The city seemed to be treating her well; he was relieved to see it. Her features were bright and well-rested for once, despite the scowling line of her brows as she squared her shoulders toward Aradin. 

For the first time in days, Rolan managed a faint smile. She never did like bullies. 

She'd commissioned fine new armor—perhaps from Dammon's forge up the street. Tav shone like an aasimar despite the overcast day behind her. The thought occurred with not near enough force to distract him from gaping at her lovely face.

His face. Zurgan—

Rolan’s spine straightened with a jerk. Why hadn’t he prepared for how she might react? How he might explain his pathetic appearance? He’d forgotten to anticipate any of it properly, and found himself blinded by panic.

There was no time to unfreeze his boots from the floor—Tav and her companions were already sweeping past Aradin and into the shop. 

Her gaze landed on Rolan before any of the rest even noticed him. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched her expressions play out in quick succession: dismay, then concern, then indignation. 

The way her eyes traveled over his face made Rolan wish he could melt into an invisible puddle. But such powers were beyond him—all he could do was stand mute as Tav drew up to the counter in front of him.

“Welcome to Sorcerous Sundries.” Rolan spoke the usual lines, and hated the falseness of his voice as he did so.

Tav only blinked at him for a moment. “Hi,” she replied softly. 

The two of them looked at each other for what felt like an age. It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, in truth. Her eyes were wide and wholly inescapable. Rolan found his mind full of many words, all of which refused to exit his mouth.

“Oh shit, Rolan? What happened to your face, mate?” 

The towering Tiefling hellfighter spoke up before either of them could. She was peering at him from behind Tav’s shoulder with an expression of guileless concern.

“Karlach—” Tav wheeled on her with a soft admonition. 

She was trying to spare his pride. For some reason, that made Rolan feel lower than ever. As Tav turned back to him with a tight smile, he hoped the patchwork of bruises on his face hid its flush of abject humiliation.

Tav opened her mouth, but Rolan rushed to speak first. “I expect you’re here to see Master Lorroakan.”

Something flickered behind her eyes. “We are,” was all she answered.

“Then you’ll find the portals to the Tower upstairs. Do be careful to choose correctly the first time, it’s a great deal of trouble getting back in here if you don’t—Lorroakan has little patience for anyone who might waste his time—” 

Rolan was fussing with his ledger and rifling through the pages as if it contained much important work he had to get back to. Anything to avoid looking at her anymore.

“Right…thanks, Rolan.” Tav’s voice was uncertain. He clenched his jaw against a sudden pang of remorse. “See you later, then?” 

Rolan nodded tersely down at his work. He made no other answer.

She lingered for just a moment as the rest of her friends departed for the staircase. Then Rolan heard the metallic clinking of her plate armor as she too moved away. 

He kept his head bent doggedly over his book as she did. Rolan’s eyes pretended to move over the page, seeing none of it. His ears were trained behind him to track Tav’s footfalls on the stairs. 

When he heard the rushing whirl of a portal activating above, he stayed frozen for a few seconds to be sure. Then he shut the ledger with a snap.

And like a shameful coward, he ran to hide.

At least Rolan had enough sense to summon his master’s projection before he turned on his heel. Not a familiar incantation, but he glimpsed the Weave successfully materializing from over his shoulder as he swept toward the concealed door under the great staircase. 

His fingers fumbled for a key at his belt—the one Tolna had lent him his first day. Once the door latched behind him, he stumbled down the dark stairs into the ancillary storeroom.

The place was full of more dust than anything else. Rolan coughed and sneezed several times before he managed a simple cantrip to light one of the torches along the wall. 

Then he sank down onto an empty crate, slumped against the bookshelf behind him, and leaned the tips of his horns back against its dusty volumes.

What in the hells was he doing?

Living the life he’d chosen, Rolan answered himself. Tend the shop, ascend for lessons—sleep and repeat. 

For how many years? One, two? Five? 

Five years as a wizard’s apprentice was rare, but not unheard of. And Lorroakan didn't strike him as a man who readily dismissed his apprentices from service. 

What exactly did he expect Tav to do for the next five years? Surely not wait around for a pathetic wizard-in-training who didn't have the strength to fight back against his own worthless master.

Sitting in this damp basement, surrounded by cobwebs, Rolan couldn't think of a single good reason why someone like her might still want someone like him. 

An old, familiar feeling slithered through his gut. Unwanted.

It was true that Lorroakan had proved more of a disappointment than he could possibly have imagined. But the man had one advantage over every other archwizard Rolan had written to over the years, pleading for a chance to prove himself. 

Lorroakan was the only one who had accepted him in.

Whatever the archwizard’s many deficiencies, they did nothing to change the other advantages this apprenticeship could grant him. Notoriety, privilege, access. The wizarding circles of Faerûn didn’t open for just anyone, especially not a bastard Tiefling. Not unless you had connections.

So what if he had feelings for Tav. Strong ones. Ones he sometimes wished he could make disappear…despite the way she continually visited his dreams. This apprenticeship was something Rolan had dreamed of for far longer.

And what about her feelings?  

She'd told him she loved him many times during their last brief nights together at Last Light Inn. On one particularly memorable occasion, she'd been naked on top of him. 

Rolan had replayed the moment in his head too many times to count, yet it never failed to set his heart racing.

But those were moments when blood ran hot from freshly escaped peril—moments suspended in forgiving shadow. Under the harsh light of day, perhaps Tav could finally see him clearly.

Rolan’s hands rose to his face. He prodded and felt along its planes with his fingers, gritting his teeth as he rediscovered each fleshy bruise and scrape on its surface. He was a mess of a man.

Abruptly, Rolan shook his head to clear away all this self-pitying nonsense. His thoughts turned back to Tav’s current audience with Lorroakan. 

He wondered what they spoke of. Perhaps the Nightsong; perhaps her parasite. 

If Lorroakan knew anything about Illithids or ceremorphosis—an idea that seemed more laughable by the day—Rolan prayed to all the gods that he’d have the decency to share his knowledge with her. 

Whatever the subject, their conversation was brief. 

Rolan’s ear caught the muffled hum of the portal once again and knew Tav and her companions had descended from the Tower. He waited a few more minutes to be sure, then rose to trudge back up to the main floor. When stepped back into the light, she and her companions were gone. 

Rolan had no right to feel as disappointed as he did. He was the one who’d hidden from her like a child, after all.

As his feet dragged him back behind the counter, Rolan realized that in his haste he’d left out the stolen book on ceremorphosis—turned open to a particularly gruesome illustration. 

He thanked his stars that it had been Tav and her friends paying a visit. Another customer might have been put off by the sight, enough so that a complaint made its way back to Lorroakan. The archwizard was jealous as a dragon when it came to guarding his hoard, however little personal interest he took in its riches.

As he picked up the tome to hide it away again, a small slip of parchment fluttered from between its pages to land on the counter in front of him. Rolan turned it over, then felt his heart repeat the motion.

Had he truly never seen her handwriting before? The letters were small and even, yet clearly written in haste:

Let’s talk alone. I love you

ps  thank you for the research

Whatever information Lorroakan had provided her, if she was thanking him for reading a dusty book, it must not have been worth much. 

Despite every weight pulling on his heart, Rolan reread each word several more times. Then he slipped the note gently into the pocket of his robes. 

—

“Hey! You coming?”

“One second,” Tav called over her shoulder. 

She hastily fit a postscript onto the small scrap of parchment. Then she slipped it like a page marker into Rolan’s book and laid his quill back on the counter.

It was obvious that Rolan wanted to avoid running into her a second time. A sad pang ran through her at the thought, but she couldn’t really blame him. She’d never seen him looking so miserable—not even that night after his siblings had been taken to Moonrise. 

Lia’s words from yesterday rang in her ears. I don’t think he’s treating Rolan well. Whatever dark things Tav had imagined, they hadn’t prepared her for the sight of Rolan’s face—plainly dappled with weeks of brutal mistreatment.

Her fingers clenched hard at her sides. Tav glanced up at the shimmering projection of Lorroakan behind the counter and quelled the furious urge to put a fist right through its vapid smile.

As she jogged back out through the atrium of Sorcerous Sundries, Karlach turned to fall into stride beside her. The other two had walked ahead, clearly unaware that they’d left anyone behind. Gale was gesticulating animatedly about something; Wyll listened politely at his shoulder.

“So that Lorroakan’s a real prick,” Karlach remarked with characteristic bluntness as they walked. 

Tav gave a harsh laugh. “Read my mind.”

“How d’you think he knows about the Nightsong?”

She had been asking herself the same question. Her mind’s eye conjured up the circle of runes in his study, the one he’d indiscreetly shown off to them on this very first meeting. 

It had Balthazar’s fingerprints all over it.

“Probably has a background in necromancy,” Tav guessed aloud. “No way to know for sure.”

Karlach’s palm rang against plate metal as she clapped it between Tav’s shoulder blades. “Until we kick his arse and charm it out of him, you mean.”

Tav only smiled weakly in response. Inside, she could scarcely wait for the day when Lorroakan would get what was coming to him.

Beside her, a mischievous chuckle was rising from Karlach’s chest. “Hells, imagine when we tell Aylin. She’s going to tear that man apart.”

“Let’s not tell her just yet,” Tav said in a rush.

She felt Karlach’s eyes search her face. “Why not?”

Tav looked down at the cobblestones as they continued. “Rolan and I need to talk, Karlach. Whether or not he wants to, I owe it to him. He should know everything before all the Nightsong’s righteous vengeance comes down on his archwizard’s head.”

There was a pause. “You don’t think he knows?” 

“No way.” She looked up at Karlach then, her face steely-certain. “Rolan would never do something like that.”

“Yeah…you’re right. Forget I said anything,” Karlach added, her tone apologetic. Before she knew it, Tav felt a warm arm jostle around the pauldrons on her shoulders. 

“Listen, Tav, it’s gonna be okay. You and Rolan will talk it through, or maybe you’ll just fuck his stubborn wizard brains out again—”

“Karlach!”

“Oh come on, like everyone doesn’t already know?” Karlach was cracking up loud enough that Wyll glanced back from in front to see the commotion. Tav couldn’t help an embarrassed laugh, but she hid half her face behind a hand.

Before long, the dark stormclouds gathering above put a pause on the rest of their errands in the Lower City. It seemed wise to just wait out the weather at their rented room in the Elfsong.

Karlach did make some excuse or other to swing by Dammon’s forge instead—despite the fact that they’d been just yesterday.

Tav said nothing, but she wasn’t fooled. To borrow Karlach’s words, if anyone needed to fuck anyone else’s brains out, those two were obvious candidates.

With thunder rumbling on the horizon, everyone else settled into their private corners of their quarters for the rest of the afternoon. Shadowheart and Lae’zel turned to meditation; Gale to the large stack of books that he always mysteriously managed to fit in his pack. Astarion was curled in front of the fire, his lips moving silently as he pored over a book on Infernal.

For a few hours, Tav found herself with no plans and no responsibilities.

Though her new armor from Dammon was exquisite, she exchanged it for some more inconspicuous clothes, then pinned her heavy hooded cloak around her shoulders for the inevitable rain. 

And with everyone else occupied, she slipped unnoticed out of their rooms and back down to the streets.

[catsharky]

It's been a while! I know I said I'd have more Ember/Rolan stuff for you guys soon, and while it's already been longer than I expected (or wanted), it's going to be a liiiittle bit longer. While my normal lines/tones style isn't too taxing, rendering/painting takes a hell of a lot more out of my wrist and I've had to chip away at this a bit at a time rather than powering through it like I'd normally be able to with my comics.

So in the meantime here's some little WIP sneak peeks of what's coming!

(Also if you have sent me an ask and are waiting on a reply, I promise I'm not ignoring you! I'll be answering a bunch once I've got these done, I've just been trying to not let myself get sidetracked)

[dark-and-kawaii]

I revisit your big dick Zevy content weekly at this point 😩 Thank you so much for all you write! Especially for those of us who want to horizontal tango with that old Hellrider!! It's all so delicious!! You're doing God's work!!! 💗

♡ Stoooop oh my god this is going to make me cry (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)!!!

Big dick Zevy is LIFE!!! That old hellrider deserves to be ridden as if your life depended on it!!! Ugh and that stretch from his cock would be unlike anything you’ve ever felt. He’d make sure you were comfortable as your hungry cunt takes him all. Make sure he holds you tightly and keeps his eyes trained on you. His tail would rub up and down against your thigh, coaxing you to relax.

Ugh you have me daydreaming now and I’m at the grocery store!! You beautiful person<33!!

Like imagine his thighs shaking as your nails drag down his back, his cock stretching you open in a way that made it impossible for you to keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut. The sounds of his ragged groans, those beautiful groans of his, music to your ears. Your whines and the slapping of his skin against yours as the wet noises your soaked cunt made around him filled the cave within the grove. You couldn't stop moaning his name, begging him for more, faster, harder, even as he fucked you through your first orgasm. Zevlor kept you pinned beneath him with that handsome body of his, your leg hooked over his shoulder as his tail held it there keeping you steady while his hips snapped into yours.

- 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒦𝒾𝓌𝒾 𝓍𝑜𝓍𝑜

[xdraonarts]

they're watching ael commit heinous acts of violence on another drow in the underdark

[ofj-art]

playing bg3 vicariously through other peoples playthroughs 🫡

i want to spend hours in the character creator

[intheinkpot]

The weapon you sought - I have it. It blocks Her influence. Open your mind to her. Reveal all that you know about the artefact.

[hamartia-grander]

2nd Bg3 dream in three days idk how I'm doing this

[dutifullylazybread]

TUMBLR MADE ME ACCIDENTALLY BLOCK YOU FOR LIKE 2 MINUTES AND I CRIED 😭😭😭 I love you and I'm so sorry, never let me leave you again baby!! 🖤

DARLING, YOU'RE HOME!!! 😭🫂💕😭🫂💕😭🫂💕

I love you too, and all is forgiven!! The tumblr overlords shan't part us again. You have my oath!!!

[des-no9]

"I remember the Underdark now. Why I hated it, why I loved it." Vanquish had said, scratching a deep trench of her burned skin. "I want to trample it under my feet with you." Had took his hand, the hum of the susser flower made her mind blank, bliss, the closer she stepped. "Desecrate it." Voss' cold armour collided with her skin. "Love it, a different way."

[landlordevil]

And how terrible would it be to be an awesome gothic bitch and blood scientist who dreams of being bitten by a vampire and then you meet a vampire and you get told your blood smells rancid. Like araj is 1 of the best characters in the whole game for just going "oh well. Your loss. Does anyone want to see if i can make blood explode"

[underdark-dreams]

Hi!!

I'm really sorry I've been so quiet recently! Work exploded this month & sadly will suck up most of my time for the rest of July at least. I really really miss being on here talking to folks and going off over Rolan with y'all 😭 gods willing, I will be back in the thick of things soon 🖤

[catsharky]

Hello Sharky! First off: eternal, endless thanks for entering the fuck-me-tail into Tiefling canon. You have done your fellow tief lovers a service we can never repay 😳

I have a cheeky question…would you ever accept an x Rolan fic for your Tiefling Tav? I cannot stop thinking about the two of them together.  Feel free to answer this privately or decline, please just know regardless that I adore your comics for them & revisit them daily! Thank you for creating something so wonderful!! 🥺💞

Holy shit, yes absolutely!! I've read everything you've written and it's all incredible, you're my favourite BG3 author and I also revisit your fics frequently 😭❤ If you want to know anything about my Tav let me know! (in fact if anyone wants to know more about my Tav, please feel free to ask because I love her and could talk about her and her backstory for hours) But either way you have my blessing to have fun with her.

Also, I can't say I was expecting the fuck-me-tail thing to take off but I can't say I'm not pleased! It's been really fun to see so many people immediately latch onto and get inspired by it. I rub my hands together and gleefully go "yes, YESS" every time someone comments that they've accepted it into their headcanon.

Part 3 of the comic will also be coming soon-ish! It unfortunately doesn't have Rolan in it (we're getting some more of the aftermath on Tav's side of things ft. Astarion) but part 4 is finally going to force them to interact again and I already have it entirely planned out so I'm practically vibrating out of my skin waiting to get to it

[solvicrafts]

Potentially weird fact about me: I simply CANNOT decorate my living space like a normal fucking person. My walls are always covered with backdrops and murals to make it seem like I live in a fantasy world, my bed is framed with a curtain and ivy strands and fairy lights and realistic flower and leaf pillows, and walking into my room from any other part of the house is like jumping into a forest from The Legend of Zelda.

It kind of brings to mind that tour of Guillermo Del Toro's house -- from the outside you'd see a normal apartment or house, but walk in and you'd swear you've been teleported into another world.

So as I'm gearing up for my move in a few months, I've been thinking about how I'm going to redecorate my new space, and I fully intend to drow it up as much as possible. I'm thinking underdark/cave murals that I will custom-paint luminous mushroom forests onto, oversized spider webs (yay for Halloween being almost around the corner), and all sorts of weird solar lights for my little private garden.

And as I'm talking about this it gets pointed out to me by a friend of mine, 'are you sure making your room look like the Underdark is a good idea? Like... how comfortable are you going to be falling asleep in a cave with glowing mushrooms and huge spiders?'

Very. The answer is very comfortable.

[eldrichthingy]

playing bg3 with bloodborne epic osts on background is the best thing I've ever done btw it feels so right??

[intheinkpot]

The weapon you sought - I have it. It blocks Her influence. Not a lie, a test. Your orders are to kill those who have the weapon. Would you kill me?

Other version here.

[scumpatrol]

gen 4, 5, 9 and story 3, 4, 10 :3

General: 4) What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval? > be weird, take chances and talk back. that's probably the best way to gain her approval because she has a devious way about her 5) Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions? > please don't take her outside without her giant hat and cloak, if you do she will be pissed and leave your party, she's a vampire idiot 9) Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight? > hmm I can't really think of a person she would really dislike getting along with, she's amicable but just very blunt I think if anything people might complain about having now TWO vampires in the camp. She assures them that she's a vampire with self-control and is a "ethical + free range" type of gal, and they have nothing to worry about.

Story: 3) How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character? > "Awh, you let him bite you but not me? What a pity, you look like you'd taste absolutely divine." 4) How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them? > that meme of matthew mcconaughey smoking wishing it was her 10) How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar? > "Was that... good for you? That thing reeks, but if that's what tickles your fancy then.. let them eat.. rotten meat?"

i love u thank you you made me use my brain