Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion All the things we want to chatter about Astarion & other stuff, without hijacking another thread :)

You have a very beautiful couple! And with a unique backstory... (I love dressing characters alike too, there's a special beauty in emphasizing the unity of the couple). About the endings - it's a pain to literally “slaughter” (as the DU their LI) the possibility of choice, reducing the character's roleplay to only one-single option, in which the DU decides to reject his father one way or another. With the Emperor, by the way, we got a very interesting and in its own way beautifully tragic ending (when Tav looks at the Emperor taking on the guise of the Guardian at the end). It can certainly be beautiful for a story in which Tav has some sort of feelings for the Guardian that don't go away, even when they learn of his true appearance. That said, the real romances with Astarion and Minthara and the evil DU have been “put under the knife”, which is very sad.


Now that's certainly very funny. I didn't even think it was possible to bring the game to this kind of thing. It's a shame that the night with Astarion turned out to be buggy, though it could also have been buggy further on anyway, since both Halsin and Minthara thought you had completed their quest. Halsin, of course, was clearly in way over his head on this one, and there's no telling how that would have affected further progression.


Yes, you hit the mark with your description of the emotional feeling of that scene when it first happens in the game. It really has the power to be taken by surprise, and what initially seemed like just one random scene, overnight leads to such a heartbreaking confession. Only the very vulnerable look on Astarion's face in the frame while talking to Oblodra can sort of hint at something. But the first time, I wrote it off simply to Oblodra's offensive behavior and her attitude towards Astarion, and was angry that I didn't have the opportunity to behave with her in any way harsher than the overly polite rejection the game provides. Astarion didn't even tell me why he didn't want to bite her, because I didn't ask that question, I was immediately angry and only wanted a reason to fight with the drow, and when everything ended with a simple walk away, I somewhat forgot about the incident, because a lot of other things happened that day before the long rest. And my surprise when he suddenly began to thank me in such a tone, completely uncharacteristic for him, was no less than my character's, and my first rejoinder - asking what he was thanking me for - was more than appropriate. And then, of course, that scene just turns my soul upside down. In general, the romance with Astarion is characterized by the suddenness of the scenes, which strongly hooks and gives a special feeling during the first playthrough. The invitation to a date and the following scene of the First night becomes very sudden when playing a good character (well, or that's what I thought, that I had a good character, Gandrel was killed after all, of course, and I gave the “evil” book to Astarion without questions, but with joy that “My God, at least I can give you something, maybe you'll grumble less...”), but nevertheless when the flood of disapproval and unhappy muttering only after the bite scene turns into a more or less normal attitude, and then he suddenly... And the act 2 scene is of course a very special sentiment. You can also get a confession after killing Orton Jugrir, if you skip the blood merchant before that, the confession will be different.


Haha, now that's an interesting point...


*Under the table... Yes, this is a particularly wonderful shot...




That's a beautiful shot! <3





Oh, awesome!


What beautiful handwriting...

I played my evil DU, organically rejecting Bhaal for herself and taking the power of the Absolute. From the beginning, her NE alignment was not based on Bhaal's influence, but on her lack of values. Values of the world around her as such, contempt for all gods, a penchant for black humor (it's always funnier to tell kids they're all going to die, especially since that's the only thing that's true, they're going to die someday, all of them, anyway). There's definitely some expressiveness passed down from Bhaal, though, and the occasional flaring desire to kill. Sudden acts of kindness, especially to animals ( petting Scratch and the baby owlbear), were combined with a cynical sneering approach to all moralists (like Wyll and Karlach), Minsc was took in purely to the point of trolling him (generally good companions had a hard time), and a cold calculating nature (doing quests based on the calculation of possible gain).

The taste for life was accidentally awakened the moment the white-haired elf with ruby eyes put a dagger to her throat and felled her to the ground. This was... Unexpectedly interesting. It was necessary to fake at least a somewhat worried expression on her face, and an imitation of a struggle, so as not to frighten the stranger with a smile out of place. Astarion, with his liveliness, emotionality and pouty expression (when he hides his fangs, he has such a pouty expression), became a nice decoration of this strange story with tadpoles. His nocturnal forays, his red eyes, the boar, drank to the last drop of blood, it will be fun to catch him red-handed someday, he is so skillful at hiding something, just adorable... When she opened her eyes and saw the mouth with the cute little fangs above her, she would have liked to make a joke in response to his “Shit...” remark, like, you shouldn't be so negative about something you haven't even tasted yet, but... There was a vulnerable, confused expression on his face that she hadn't expected from a guy who was always so sharp-tongued. The bite had been the first moment of intimacy, the first time she'd wanted to share blood with him, because it was so important to him, to give him her blood, and relax... Relax until she woke up with the help from Wither. And almost immediately, the first night, and the bite again, her fingers fingering the scars on his back. And the dawn when she saw the scars for herself, and the way that Astarion had put his face to the sunlight, the way his slender fingers trembled. The companions dreaming of getting rid of the tadpole would be very sad if they knew her thoughts at that moment, because from now on she would sabotage any suggestions to get rid of the tadpole until she killed Cazador and found another way, other than the tadpole, to give Astarion back everything that had been taken from him. She attempted to awkwardly care and show affection only to Astarion, and regularly slipped fruit and cookies into his backpack while he couldn't see. She envisioned in advance how she would slowly skin the Cazador (maybe start with a thin strip under his lower eyelid, and make the bastard cry bloody tears?). After the confession, she wished she could take any power she could just to cover Astarion with it like a cloak from the whole world. But it soon became clear that he himself could take the power, he spoke of it with such eagerness, and wanted to be her protector himself. Her hatred for Bhaal came from the moment Daddy almost made her kill her beloved, and she really wanted to kill Daddy himself after that, and was determined to find a way to get rid of any 'parental influence' at all costs. Thoughts of it being rather fun to be a possible instrument for the destruction of the world (after all, a front row seat with a chance to watch it all burn down) were replaced by an aggressive reluctance to be a tool for any brazen deity, no matter how evil. Ascension was truly a beautiful moment, watching Astarion be born again, watching him blossom with life and true power. And she could forget everything and be a little girl in his arms, “my treasure” and “my little love”. And when the time came to decide, she hesitated, because she wanted so much to stop the war, to continue her life with the one she loved, to live in the castle, falling asleep and waking up in each other's arms, walking through the sunny city, holding hands and intertwining fingers... But... The world is not so good, the world contains many dormant threats. She remembered the words of Wyll, Karlach, Jaheira... Not how much their words specifically, it's not hard to kill some, but others will come. There are many. They see him as a monster. They will come. It must be prevented, they must die. Astarion must become even stronger. So she kills Karlach-illithid and becomes the Absolute. To gather armies, as the The Dead Three wanted, and do with that army what she wants. To kill a god, and take their orb, and give that orb to her beloved. So that no one else can harm him. And the passionate kiss of two lovers, and a city destroyed and subdued to their will. “For I will take whatever power I can get to cover you with it, like a cloak, against the whole world...”

Overall, I liked it, if you add some fantasy and a pinch of headcanons, you can play a dark romance with gusto, despite the fact that you can't have both romance and Bhaal on the same plate.

Please, @Marielle, it has been highlighted a number of times that walls of text like this are poor practice and have a negative impact on other forum users. Do not let this thread become a new flashpoint for frustration by flooding it with more such posts.

Apparently I took a path in the game that wasn't intended. I knew it was buggy but I was interested in how the game reacted when I took seemingly completely chaotic paths. I still had a lot of fun and had a lot of laughs, especially the fact that Raphy didn't want to appear led to the wildest theories and a lot of laughter in my circle of friends. "Sini broke the AI".


Thank you, I found it quite fitting for him too, I was looking for a handwriting from the 18th century. If you would like to use it, it is the font "Zapfino Extra LT Two"


It's no secret that I'm an avowed evil player and I've already completed a few games with Dark Urge and Astarion and it never gets boring for me. Well, I play risky and my Durge is a little Loki and always has the worst ideas. Maybe we can work it out across time zones and do a "Chaos Consort Honor Mode Playthrough." That will definitely be interesting and very funny, we just have to agree on the time. If there are more than 4 we can also do more groups.

Thank you! Very interesting suggestion, if I can make it (I've been a bit swamped with work lately) I'd love to join. Or I'll watch your videos with pleasure.

@Crimsomrider

You have a talent for taking amazing shots!

Oh, I love it, bite me darling. Thanks to Moxi for letting us see this scene. This greatly expands my idea of ​​what is possible. I can already see the fog in the distance that will cover the world

After my last game was totally bugged after someone got caught stealing in the Druid Grove... he still doesn't want to be named and still claims that it wasn't his fault. At least it ended with Halsin standing at the goblin party in my camp and acting like nothing had happened.

In my new game, however, things don't run completely smoothly and Astarion surprises me with texts in unexpected places in the game ...


On the first night I expressed my distrust of him and I found his reaction funny...


After that night he actually would have told my Dark Urge that she looked sick etc., but he didn't and I thought "Ok, probably because I told him my distrust of him".


Then nights later... at the goblin camp... my Dark Urge had an intense conversation with Liam...

Astarion has an exclamation mark over his head? ... Here? ... Why?



Have you had the same problem since patch 7 that the texts are often mixed up or missing?


Where do you come from now? It's not your turn yet.

A little Christmas greeting from our favorite villian family. Of course there is chaos among them, Sceleritas is offended because Astarion threw his interpretation of a Christmas tree out the window. That doesn't take him into a good mood, especially after the disaster with the broken glass full of bugs that he could have inherited from his grandmother, if he had had a grandmother.

Astarion Jr. is so excited about meeting Santa Claws. Will he bring him candy ?

Meanwhile, Bhaal tries out different white beards and swears that anyone who laughs will be skinned...

With that in mind, I wish you a wonderful Christmas time.

Haha, I'm imagining Sceleritas' interpretation of the Christmas tree! I guess Astarion threw it away for a reason... Santa Claws - I hope he doesn't spare any candy for the little cutie!

Beautiful card, thank you! The little guy's handwriting is charming, and Sceleritas has such exquisitely gothic handwriting... He should write them poems or lyrics for heavy metal bands!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Did someone say candies?

Thank you Marielle. Sceleritas will be talking about this topic for a long time. When Grandpa Bhaal comes to visit for the holidays, Sceleritas will explain to him what a good choice Gortash would have been for Bhaal's little princess.

The best choice for Bhaal's little princess is whoever brings her presents on Christmas night:

What a charming scene you've painted—Astarion and his consort, basking in the quiet of the night with only the stars and the new rose bush for company. I love the detail of the quiet intimacy between them as they share the moment, Astarion casually inspecting his nails before turning his attention to theirs. It's sweet and slightly humorous, reflecting both his elegance and his playful side.

The dialogue about the mysterious sound is also a great little touch! The way you’ve set it up feels very true to their personalities—Astarion with his curiosity and perhaps just a hint of suspicion, and the consort’s laid-back, rational reply, keeping the atmosphere calm.

Are there more parts to this series, or is this just a little snippet of their life together? 😊

Haha, imagining Sceleritas' take on a Christmas tree is too good! The scene would definitely have a darker, more twisted charm, especially if Astarion decided to "dispose" of it in a rather dramatic way. As for Santa Claws, I think you're right—he probably wouldn't spare any candy for the little cutie! 😆

I'm glad you enjoyed the card and Sceleritas' handwriting! His gothic touch would indeed make him a perfect poet for a heavy metal band—those dark, brooding lyrics would be incredible. Wishing you a Merry Christmas too! Hope it's full of festive fun and maybe a few gothic surprises! 🎄🎅🖤

I have removed a post from this thread.

As a reminder, the following forum rule still applies:

“ For the time being, the Moderator Team have been asked to close any new discussions or debates involving Astarion's character ending (Ascension vs. Non-Ascension). This measure will be re-evaluated at a later date. Discussing the character and the general narratives surrounding him is acceptable as long as the discussion remains civil and respectful of all forum members.”

Please keep things light and friendly and avoid discussion as specified per the above rule anywhere on these forums, but even had the topic been acceptable it still would have been inappropriate to introduce it here, where it was likely to derail a thread.

@Sini That's such a beautiful rendering you made of Astarion and the fam. <3 It looks like it must have taken a lot of work and love. I really admire it

The way you made all of their signatures unique to match their personalities is just perfect!

This is so gorgeous. I love how elegant Astarion looks here. And he seems happy and content^^

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all! <33

You know how Sceleritas thinks ... he gives Astarion packed suitcases for Christmas and he bought a divorce contract from Raphael ... he thinks it's a gift that my Durgie will be happy about.

*whisper* Even though Astarion would never admit it, he gave the order, to catch the biggest and nastiest bugs in the sewers. He will simply write on the card "Merry Christmas you scumbag. Astarion Jr."

Have a nice holiday, we'll read each other.


Thank you for reading our/my little stories and for having fun with them. They're just short, funny stories that come to mind.

You are also invited to tell little funny stories from their live or to encourage us to come up with new ideas.

I like the idea of ​​jealousy that Sceleritas and Astarion feel when it comes to the Durge. Astarion himself has enough characteristics to exaggerate and Sceleritas has enough area to give him character traits. Yes, they are all evil, which makes the idea of ​​a normal family life even funnier to me.

When I look for Sceleritas' handwriting, I thought of Jack the Ripper. Dark, a little edgy, inconsistent. Appropriately, the font is called "a theme for murder", if anyone wants to use it.

Thank you and have also a Merry Christmas.


Thank you my sweet. As always, I actually have no idea what I'm doing and it was my first render that I ever made (beside Sceleritas & Astarion Jr.), it is inspired by the Addams Family. Thank you for putting up with my ideas.

Merry Christmas to you and hope we have also so much fun next year .

I would like to thank Volno for his wonderful blender shader tool for texturing meshes and for his explanation of how it works with lipstick. Why didn't anyone tell me that there was a tab called Settings?

Sceleritas has a detailed sequence of the shameless act.

Love the details, a really well done christmas card!

Have a happy holiday everyone! <3