Baldur's Gate Gift Exchange '23

[seikasoter]

 Dear Author,

The Exchange continues, and I'm glad to rejoin it once more. If you're new, welcome; if you're returning, I'm glad to see you again. I've been playing these games since pretty much release year, when I was five, so they're near and dear to my heart, and I'm delighted that our fandom continues to march its way ever onward.


Some general preferences

Yes, please:

• extra/missing scenes which fit the gaps of canon;
• unbreakable friendships;
• teamwork;
• standing battered but triumphant;
• character introspection;
• a touch of the bittersweet.

No, thank you:

• In general, a lot of the common plug-and-play AUs which significantly alter the background of the setting (e.g. ABO, D/s, vampires/werewolves, Hogwarts/school, daemons, total de-powering rather than just backgrounding supernatural elements) – I like a lot of these series not just for their characters but also for their worlds and the effect those worlds then have on their characters. If you’re hit really hard by a generic modern AU, that’s something I can take though.
• Character bashing: a villainous story role is fine; it’s when the author is clearly frustrated with a character and taking it out on them that I tune out.
• What I understand specifically by 'futa' or 'G!P' - that is, sticking a penis on a cis woman for the sake of making sure there's dick involved in sex - is not my kink, though actual trans women are fine.

Rating – from General to Explicit, it's fine. Whatever feels right for your inspiration and story. Serious gore or fetishes (vore, scat, et al.) are a turn off, but I can handle most of what you’re throwing at me. My prompts generally don't stray too far toward the sexy side of things but, if you’re going unprompted or just feel like it fits your story, I can definitively say I have no objection to smut.


Specific no-thank-yous for this exchange
I haven't played the BGEEs beyond the first one's truly awful release state, so characters and situations from them (including SoD) will pass me by. Heroes of Baldur's Gate/Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villainy were not to my taste, and I'd rather their takes on the characters/history were not included. I'm also reserving judgement on BG3 (which vague word of mouth is telling me is still quite unfinished anyway) while holding something of a grudge for it co-opting the Bhaalspawn Saga's name, so I won't twig to anything from that either. I haven't prompted for anything from them, but just in case.


I'm Seika on AO3, and I have my works, my previous gifts, and some of my bookmarks public, often with notes on them, so you can glance through those if you're inclined to keep researching my bad taste.

Obviously, by the terms of the exchange, everything here is optional. I'm very happy for you to remember that, and to take advantage of it: please don't strain anything trying to fit your writing into my ideas. I'm trying to help spark off some thoughts if you aren't immediately seized by one, not to confine you. That's why my prompts often throw out a scattershot of questions and instances at you, even contradictory ones - you're free to pick up as many or as few threads as you'd like. If a single phrase inspires you, I'll be content.


Character Prompts


Dynaheir
"I am Dynaheir, a witch of Rasheman. I and my comrade Minsc have been sent by the Wychalarn to determine if the prophecies of Alaundo are true. We search for the spawn of Bhaal."

Dynaheir's charmed dialogue, well, says a lot about her character you wouldn't really get another way. (And can rather give the game away if you try it early). I'd be interested in some exploration of this.

• Generally, Dynaheir observing Charname as the target of her mission, and Charname's development. Her changing feelings, astonishment at Charname rising above their blood, or despair as they sink into it.


• How, or when, does she realise Charname is actually a Bhaalspawn? Does it take until Gorion's letter? Does she see it straight away, somehow? (There are some certain ways, it seems, to identify a Bhaalspawn - Sarevok twigged to you in Candlekeep on his early visit there). Is it maybe the dreams that she sees as a clue? (Good time for some hurt/comfort).


• How does Charname find out Dynaheir? Is there a confession of sorts once she's worked it out, and found she trusts Charname? Does it happen, as in vanilla, through a spell? What reaction does Dynaheir have to that?


• So ... is this a dajemma, to which the Wychlaren have attached a secondary special mission? Or is that entirely a cover, and Dynaheir's already been out? Does the same go for Minsc? In either case, Dynaheir is presumably pretty young. It'd be interesting to factor that in, and her relatively close age to the similarly youthful Charname.


• On the same note, the dajemma in modern Rashemen is ... not really a noble quest for adulthood, so much as a gap year: an excuse to go around outside Rashemen, see new places, get drunk, and hook up with strangers. (See Spellbound: Campaign Guide p71). Again, whether Dynaheir and Minsc are on dajemma or not, do they play up to this? Do they take their mission very seriously, but kind of long for a more usual and carefree journey?

I would be happy with either platonic or romantic relationship between Dynaheir and Charname.


Anomen
I believe this is kind of a minority opinion, but I really quite like "failed"/CN Anomen. The way he finally reacts to freedom from a strict life of duty that he's clearly struggled with and resented is fascinating and often joyous. "I long to laugh and do as I like...and, by Helm, I shall!" His changed lovetalks also seem so much more unrestrained and genuine. "My...my life is full of chaos, now, and I wish for there to be one thing that is permanent. So I offer my heart to you, along with my service and my companionship;" "You are a beautiful woman, <CHARNAME>...full of a life that I have always desired. I wish to experience new things, now that I am free...and I wish to be closer to you."

So:

• Anomen just exploring his new freedom outside the order, indulging in luxuries (food, wine, fighting not for duty but because he wants to, women) that he hasn't been able to before. If you're feeling raunchy, a casually romanced - or not romanced at all - Charname accompanying him as he discovers some carnal pleasures (with a grateful rescuee before Charname joins in? bawdy tavern wench? courtesan?) might be fun.


• Or, a more contemplative exploration of the way a chaotic Anomen sees Charname (romanced or otherwise) as his example and guide in a new life that he revels in but still doesn't quite yet understand. Meanwhile, Charname's chaotic dialogue options lightly suggest she leads by example where she bothers to lead him at all, just doing what she wants and hoping he'll see that he's now able to do the same. It fascinates me.


• Or, well, Anomen says it himself. Helm never rejected him, not after failing his Test, not after bypassing the law to kill the wrong man. Why? What's the deeper secret here? What in Anomen is still worthy of his god? (This might be the one for those less directly enamoured of CN Anomen).

(A note, if you're like me and tend to use dialogue tools to look up scenes for writing the characters: there's a lot of inconsistency in the triggers that control LN/CN dialogue. Some use AnomenIsNotKnight, others !Alignment("Anomen",MASK_GOOD) or Alignment("Anomen",CHAOTIC_NEUTRAL) or the like. Alignment("Anomen" catches most of the purely alignment-based triggers, whatever they're trying to key off).


Viconia
Interested in looking at her faith for this go around.

• Menzoberranzan is essentially monotheistic - how much of a shock was it to go from there to the very polytheistic surface Realms, where everyone except dedicated priests will call on a whole pantheon according to the needs of the moment? Did she have expectations of inquisitions and calls of heresy as soon as someone called on two gods? How did she come to grips with this entirely new paradigm?
• How did she end up learning about and deciding to worship Shar in particular?
• Likewise in respect of her chosen surface goddess: if she changes from NE to TN, what does that do to her relationship with Shar? It's notable that Shar offers relief from the pain of loss, not by restitution of any kind, but by numbness. It is forbidden to seek to better one's lot, even if one came to Shar through abject misery. If the relationship with CHARNAME gives her a measure of hope and healing ...
• Or, if she becomes CHARNAME's first priestess upon their ascension as she once promises, what is that like for her? (And, indeed, what's it like for CHARNAME?)

Relationship Prompts

Aerie/Haer'Dalis
If you take your time with this one in the game, it will always explode, one way or another. But the difference in the way it blows up is what I'd like to look at here.

If you take your time in SoA, Aerie will decide - after seeing everything Irenicus has wrought - that she needs to step up and be more proactive about fighting evil. Haer'Dalis rejoices over the fading of her innocence and her closer relationship with destruction, which causes her to snap at him that she's not an object lesson in his philosophy and he's clearly not a good match for her new course. Haer'Dalis is sanguine about the matter, seeing it as more or less just another ending, and another proof of the Doomguard's truth. (This conversation makes Aerie "hardened", and it gives her a new voiceset when you transition to ToB).

Conversely, if you don't trigger this argument, you have to wait for Aerie to harden until after the sack of Saradush and the destruction there. It does always happen, regardless of Haer'Dalis being in the party or not, and regardless of their romance status - but if she is romancing him, it again leads to their breakup. He considers the sack of Saradush a wonderful thing, and hearing that is what prompts Aerie to realise that they're fundamentally incompatible, that she wants to go out and stop this, where he adores it. This time, Haer'Dalis is more upset, trying to win her back and calling her his "love". He still is glad to see her hardened, but it's much more resigned than in the SoA version.

 

So ... I'd like to see something about the development between, towards, and around, and after these two points, whichever you decide to use. 

• Haer'Dalis as he observes Aerie's gradual progress in self-esteem and initiative and will to fight;
• him slowly finding her more lovely and more entropic as this continues, and also knowing that this makes the eventual loss all the more inevitable, and beginning to actively mourn its loss in a way he wouldn't have before;
• Aerie on her side as she makes these gains in confidence and conviction both thanks to Haer'Dalis and opposite him, and similarly perhaps starting to twig to their differences.
• The way people see Aerie, differently, perhaps, and especially if she finds this determination in herself in SoA, rather than clinging on to a gentler character until the fall of Saradush.
• The sharp point as the relationship finally disintegrates, from one or both sides, actually in their heads rather than just getting their dialogue.
• The aftermath, with all the jagged edges and relief and regret and near-backtracking that break-ups can bring.