So...we found a bottle.
Let me back up... we fought a crap ton of Gnolls and staggered back to camp, where Scratch gave me a bone, because he's a good dog (really, not even kidding).
My bestie and I had been having a long adventure with Star (my Teifling Ranger), Sage (his elven mage), along with Lae'zel and Shadow. Wynn, Asterion and Gale had been waiting at camp.
Long story short we ... found ... yea that's right we found a bottle. With a message...or at least a carved face.
And Sage, being the curious mage she is...opened it.
All Heck Broke Loose - a monster jumped out - of course a monster jumped out
but the important part is that the peeps that had NOT been adventuring with us were designated as "yellow" (not enemy red or ally white, but yellow...no idea why).
Wynn yelled threats.
Gale ran back and forth and eventually did one spell....annoying bastard
Scratch ran up barking and promptly got taken out of the fight for his trouble by the baddie (incapacitated and paralyzed); and this was REALLY angering Star - threatening Scratch is totally on her "to die" list.
What is the FIRST thing Astarion does?
He kills Scratch.
Now, if you look closer, you will see that it must have been by clubbing the poor good dog to death, because he's not even holding his weapon correctly:
And my takeaway is nothing to do with bottles or monsters or how much trouble you can get with a curious mage in your party.
My takeaway is that my initial assessment of Astarion was right. He is an utter jerk with no redeeming qualities and at some point I will kill the little summbitch