I Already Dread The Moment My Hyperfixation Runs Out And I Start Loving Astarion A Normal Amount.

I like this armor design but that silly branch keeps getting in the way 🙈🥲

Still I love these ☺️

Astarion's Shirt

(8/? part of “Astarion: In Search of True Self” — [masterpost here])

This part is short, and probably has been talked about before, but I just wanted to share how much I love that the game gives us character insight through small, indirect details. For example, the description of Astarion’s shirt.

“A once-fine shirt that’s seen years of cuts, tears, and careful repairs. Clearly someone cares about looking good.”

At first glance, it’s a nod to his vanity - Astarion knows how gorgeous he is, and he clearly enjoys small luxuries when he can. But I think there’s more to it than that.

Yes, his appearance was Astarion’s tool to do his job - luring people for Cazador. But maybe this careful mending of that shirt feels like something else, something “human.”

I can't help but imagine Astarion’s frame bending over his shirt and fixing it up once again, working so carefully on the stitches… And there is something deeply sad about it - but also resilient. Him, in that cold castle, maybe after another torture or another night with someone he didn’t want to be with. So here he is, just sitting there in his little corner - a bed in a room he shares with other spawns - working on his clothes quietly.

Maybe telling himself that he can still look like this life as a slave doesn’t make him any less, like he still can carry himself with pride. It is something he still can control. And it is not about vanity, but dignity - another small act of defiance in its own quiet way. His insistence that he still matters, that he is still someone. Even if no one else cares. Even if it is just him, needle in hand, patching fabric like he wished he could patch up the holes inside his heart, too.

<previous post>

<next post>

<back to masterpost>

Shen Qiao with literally everyone:

When Yan Wushi is nearby:

🌿 Meet my Tav 🌿

First step into my BG3 journey: meet Roanael!

half-elf druid | sage background | neutral good

Wild shape enthusiast, book lover, wise leader with a fierce heart 🦊✨

Stats:

Strength 10

Dexterity 14

Constitution 14

Intelligence 8

Wisdom 17

Charisma 15

Personality:

Cautious, observant, strong-willed, caring, witty, gentle presence, independent, weakness for children and animals

Values:

Kindness, patience, freedom of choice, protecting others, survival, trust, intuition, loyalty

👥 Born in Baldur’s Gate to a human druid and a wood elf mother, Roanael has always lived between two worlds - the restless energy of the city and the quiet pull of the wilds. She never fully belonged to either, but maybe that’s why she learned to stand steady on her own. This duality became her strength: thoughtful, patient and observant, she learned to find her own path, blending curiosity with an unwavering spirit!

📚 Never taught by any circle, she learned her way from books and nature, making her quite an open-minded druid who trusts her heart more than any teachings. Growing up in a multicultural place like Baldur’s Gate only supported her non-intrusive character as in letting everyone choose their way as long as it doesn’t cross boundaries.

🍃 Roanael is the kind of person who listens first, speaks second. She's cautious but never cold, brave but not reckless. Her journey began simply: survive, protect her companions, find a cure for the tadpole threatening them all. She wasn’t searching for anything more, be it glory or love.

🌙 But fate had other plans when she met a certain pale elf with a sharp tongue, a wounded soul and a spark of something she couldn’t turn away from.

🧡 When you meet her, she might seem reserved. But if you stay long enough, you'll see it: the fierce loyalty, the witty humor, the warmth she keeps tucked away under the guarded exterior.

About her name: I was completely unfamiliar with the world and had no idea what to expect, so without thinking much about it, I simply chose a name I usually use in all games for my female characters - Roanne. While it isn’t unusual for a half-elf to have a human sounding name it felt a bit weird as it didn’t properly separate her from my other game characters and I decided to give her a different name: after giving it a lot of thought I settled down on Roanael - which is basically the original one with some elven twist added to it.

(P.S. If you’re curious about Roanael’s family I have shared a little more about them here!)

I was just thinking how interesting it is that, as someone who’s very likely demi, I didn’t find Astarion attractive at all at first.

But once I started getting to know him, I thought - well, he’s actually kind of cute.

And now I look at him and wonder: where were my eyes before? It’s as if the gods made him just to ruin me.

He’d be so confused.

oooh! good luck then ;)) I actually almost said it out loud but missed the moment

*studying at Japanese language school*

*after a weekend of watching Pokémon*

*spacing out*

Sensei: nandaka...

Me: !

Inner voice + bg music + lights:

Nanda kanda iwaretara

Kotaete ageru ga yo no nasake

I don’t think I’ve ever drawn a bat before 🤔 but here is a quick Batstarion doodle 🦇✨

Our cute puppy 🥰

Haha yes that’s what I’m trying to do now:

I made sure to check everything with my 2nd Tav, the drow sorcerer Thalyn. We finished Act 1 & 2 and found the Gur camp and she agreed to help. Astarion is not in her party, so he wasn’t very thrilled to hear that she signed them up to something very risky yet again - and what’s worse, the deal was with monster hunters! She is not very close to him, so the conversation didn't go very well.

After reaching Wyrm’s Crossing, I really missed my first team badly, so I just impulsively started replaying my first campaign from the very beginning. That's why I still haven't experienced these events in the game.

And, yes, even after finishing Act 1 for the third time, I was still able to find something new. I clearly underestimated BG3!

It is very interesting, indeed! I want to reach Act 3 again with my first team and see how they will handle this.

But you reminded me of this interaction between Astarion and Gandrel. Fortunately, I took the screenshots:

Astarion: You're a monster hunter? I'm surprised - I thought all Gur were vagrant cut-throats. Roanael's face: "here we go again…" xD

Gandrel: And more! We steal chickens, curse your crops, seduce your daughters - the list goes on.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see any hatred in him. On the contrary, Astarion seems quite pleased.

What I saw here: yes, Astarion expresses some kind of passive aggression, or at least demonstrates he is not quite fond of Gurs. But keeps the tone lighthearted.

Gandrel generously takes the joke and answers in the same key, but at the same time saying: "Yes, there are many rumors and stereotypes, but it doesn't necessarily make them true."

I think, Gandrel won approval here and some respect. Astarion even seems pleased with this interaction. Maybe it's my wishful thinking, but he is too intelligent to seriously hold all Gurs responsible for what happened to him - yes, they will always be associated with his death for him, and I think it's fair. But it doesn't mean he will hate every Gur he meets from now on.

The other thing is how Gandren responded to his humor: for Astarion, I'd say, it's quite a big deal and there are several places in the game when you can trigger his approval or disapproval depending on how you react to his jokes, sometimes quite sarcastic, or how you make jokes yourself. So when someone can take a joke and react positively, he certainly feels pleased with the exchange.

Softie Underneath

(9/? part of “Astarion: In Search of True Self” — [masterpost here])

Maybe it’s just my headcanon, but I like to think there’s another side to Astarion, one he tries to hide: the part of him that genuinely likes children.

Of course, I haven't played his Origin run yet, so this is just the feeling I had during my first playthrough.

Take Arabella, the tiefling girl who stole the idol from the druids to stop the ritual. Astarion was all grumpy about getting involved, but there was something like admiration in his tone, even then. And later, when we ran into her again in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, he actually sounded excited to see her: “Oh, you’re that little idol thief!” - he said it almost with a kind of fond recognition. When we found her again in the Baldur’s Gate sewers, surrounded by corpses, listening to the Weave, Astarion whispered her name so quietly, like he was truly worried.

Then there was Yenna, the girl in Rivington whose mother disappeared. When we gave her some gold to buy food, Astarion didn’t say anything, but quietly approved along with the other companions. Later, when she turned up at camp asking to stay, he teased her, but it sounded more playful than mean. And when Orin kidnapped her, he was visibly shaken. He insisted we go after her and grew defensive about it, muttering that too many children had gone missing lately, and it had to stop.

For me, it’s one of those signs that no matter how much he tries to appear cold or indifferent, that’s not who he really is. There’s always been a warm heart under all that cruelty he was forced to learn.

<previous post>

<next post> - to be continued

<back to masterpost>

Finding good angles is so difficult there but it’s still so fun~