I actually see it differently. The narrator talks about his fear, which we know is his motivator from the start of the game - nothing new there. She also mentions the smell of blood and the promise of power being close as intoxicating to him. These are things he loves, and having them makes him feel good. While he may be a bit fixated on them in that moment, ultimately it doesn't change the fact that this is what he's been going for all along. Even if there was no blood around, he'd still want to ascend. He's plotted and waited for that moment to happen, so of course he's feeling elated when he can finally enact it. To me it just makes him more determined and aggressive in that instance. He can perfectly articulate counterarguments to Tav's objections and suggestions. If you fail a persuasion check he will also say how he doesn't want to live a crappy half-life. He knows exactly what is at stake. He sees the power of the ritual and the freedom it will grant him. He's coherent, rational and pragmatic, therefore he can think clearly.
It's interesting how much can be said including the failure of a test. And how much nonsense it can turn out to be if you try to do everything "right". When I was floundering, not knowing what to do with the ritual, I regularly came across opinions like "If you love Astarion, don't ascend him or you'll lose him" or "Astarion needs someone to take care of him and keep him safe, including from himself". This superficial view confused me, preventing me from rationally analyzing the plot and truly understanding Astarion. Astarion knows exactly what he wants. And how wonderful it is to eventually get into his true story and walk the path of his destiny with him. I am looking forward to a new playthrough with Dark Urge, the opportunity to take a closer look at all the key plot points you mentioned (maybe I'll discover something else) and choosing worthy answers to them in order to put together a coherent and beautiful story that is really worth videotaping and keeping as a memory.
Originally Posted by Ametris
Instead of being helped by the gods, he is helped by the devils - first Raphael and then he receives Mephistopheles' blessing. Even when he is in hell he mentions he feels at home in there. Sometimes it makes me wonder if his ascension was some diabolical plan all along.
It is quite possible that devils (especially serious types like Mephistopheles) like to "play the long game". Hell certainly benefits from having a new Ascendent in the world. Raphael has his own benefit - he gets an Orton Jugrir on a platter. Veliot is also interesting - why did he show Astarion and I his history with Kasador and teach us lessons? Afterwards his spirit leaves his skull, perhaps this is how he laughed at Kasador and got the last laugh, or perhaps something else...
Originally Posted by Ametris
It's pretty much this: Spawn = Astarion lite for more sensitive people, and Ascendant = full Astarion experience for the daring ones.
It seems to me that Astarion - Spawn - on the contrary, is a powerful blow to the psyche of sensitive people (though it depends on what they are sensitive? To Astarion, or to some ideas of "goodness", what "right" relationships should be, and so on). And the Ascended did make me braver.
Originally Posted by Ametris
No ritual is a perfectly valid path of course, but I think Larian did both Astarion and the players dirty in that scenario (there's also a whole thread about it), and I wish they made it better.
To be honest, I don't want to berate Larian at all for this plot anymore, because a new experience, albeit one that I wasn't initially prepared for or even wanted, ended up being even more exciting than what I had originally dreamed of.
