Just Remembered The Girl I'm Gonna Be Talking About Doesn't Have Tumblr So Allow Me To Be Gay For A Minute

I just wanted to make a quick post laying out some basic details for each of my Tav/Durge runs so I can look back on it and not redo certain things. So enjoy if you want a rundown of each character

Note that many of these are still in progress, only Yurena and Echo have actually completed playthroughs because I keep having new ideas then starting then getting all the way to act 3 before having a new idea and repeating the cycle. Echo and Orion are siblings, their runs are alternate universes of each other. Carys is my first time multiclassing which has been fun. Also all characters have some sort of more in depth story because I'm incapable of simply leaving them as what the game says they are, but those will be posted on their own

Anyways characters under the cut

Yurena (D)

Eldridge Knight fighter

Mephistopheles tiefling

Lawful evil . Give in Durge, reject Bhaal

No romance, shipped with Gortash

Echo (T)

Death Domain cleric of Mystra

Seldarine drow

Neutral good

Gale romance, professor/live together ending

Orion (T)

College of Swords bard

Seldarine drow

Lawful good

Karlach romance (unfinished)

Venera (D)

Eldridge Knight fighter

Seldarine drow

Chaotic good . Resist Durge, reject Bhaal

Wyll romance (unfinished)

Mori (D)

Battle Master fighter

Mephistopheles tiefling

Neutral evil . Give in Durge, accept Bhaal(?)

Shadowheart romance, Dark Justicar (unfinished)

Carys (T)

Pact of the Fiend warlock + assassin rogue

High elf

Lawful neutral

Astarion + Wyll romance (unfinished)

Tis (T)

Wild Magic sorcerer

Wood elf

Neutral good

Halsin romance (unfinished)

"are you sure you're autistic" my mom asks as I'm in my Pokémon pajamas with 5 of my Pokémon plushies by me as I play Pokémon New Snap on my Pokémon decorated Switch while listening to Pokémon YouTube videos and waiting to open more digital Pokémon cards

You guys will never guess what my special interest is

Oh no this isn't writer's block, I have an entire detailed alternate ending story with detailed dialogue and plot points that have been edited into being cohesive. However this is my bedtime story in which I mentally act it out until I inevitably fall asleep, acting as though I'm falling asleep in my MC's love interest's arms. I exclusively think of this story between the hours of midnight and 4am

Another thing about Yurena's horns decorations/jewelry, since it's all from Gortash. For a long time she just had the two rings, then eventually a chain around one of them too. But in the current day she also has little studs in her horns, which are also from Gortash, naturally. It took a long time for Gortash to even suggest such a thing, and even longer for Yurena to agree to it, because I imagine tiefling horns are like goat horns and therefore have nerves and shit (read; putting something like those studs in would hurt). And like Yurena has no problems with pain, both having a high pain tolerance and generally not finding pain as a bad feeling, but to trust someone to potentially hurt her like that? It took a while, not to mention Gortash insisted on spending plenty of time so close to make sure each stud was perfectly placed, perfectly symmetrical

Gortash: I'm not hurting you, am I?

Yurena: You'd be bleeding by now if I cared

Gortash: I didn't ask if you care, just if it hurts

Yurena: I'm not the first tiefling you've met

Gortash: You're the first one whose horns I've touched. It's never come up before

Yurena: If you must know, fine. Yes, there's pain each time the jewelry is put in. Be careful closer to the base of them if you care about it so much

Gortash was in fact extremely careful. At the end of it all, Yurena has more horn decorations to treasure and Gortash is left admiring his art - and Yurena

"My favorite trope is enemies to lovers!" "Mine is opposites attract!" Okay well mine is their love invokes religious guilt. If the ship can't be visualized to Take Me to Church, I don't want it. Give me the "pure saviour" falling in love with a sinner, worshipping said sinner's every move and accepting their damnation. I want to see the favorite of one god being entirely enamoured by their god's enemy's favorite. I want Character A to pray for forgiveness over their love, I want them to be tortured by their feelings that go against their beliefs

Okay so I've posted about my main Tav, now to post about my main Durge who I've done 2 playthroughs with the same character and will probably do more, and any time I post about my Durgetash stories/AUs she's the Durge in question unless I state otherwise. Due to being Durge I don't have much for her backstory since.. it's kinda right there, but I currently have two AUs for her and a third I'm working on. Without further ado, here's her "canon" storyline (in which I do say fuck actual canon 🫶)

Yurena

The one difference to the canon Durge backstory is that she did love Gortash, truly and while knowing her god - her father - disapproved. She never meant to fall for Gortash, but after meeting a few times and having written several letters back and forth, it was hard not to. The two of them began having visits outside of work, getting to know each other better than they knew themselves. Yurena admired Gortash for his brain above all else, for his ability to invent and plan and even his artistic side - something she eventually began to pick up on. They grew to trust each other completely, to genuinely want to rule together - Yurena would comment on how Gortash's death could be so beautiful but she preferred him alive, and Gortash was more than willing to share his bed throne with her

But then Orin came along, and everything fell apart. Yurena woke up on a mind flayer ship, having no memories yet her emotions remembered something. So she made her way along the Sword Coast, traveling alongside Astarion, Shadowheart, and Wyll. While at camp at one point, majority of the companions (Wyll, Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart) convinced Yurena to help the grove (Astarion didn't want to, Lae'zel was focused on the crèche and didn't care). After helping the tieflings, while at the party, Astarion approached Yurena. The two ended up talking, during which Yurena said she believed she'd had a lover before and she wanted to figure out who it was

Fast forward to the party chasing Ketheric into the illithid colony, watching as the Chosen Three talk, and Yurena can't stop staring at Gortash. Can't shake the feeling that she knew him, that he was important. She doesn't say anything about it until they're in Baldur's Gate, and she's standing face to face with someone unafraid to call her "nearest and dearest". At this point Yurena has to explain to Gortash her amnesia, and has to pretend like she can't see behind the unbothered mask of his, like the light in his eyes doesn't seem to dim as he hears that. Still he offers to work together, to rule together, and Yurena accepts the offer more than willingly. There's just one person left in the way; Orin. Yurena is able to deal with her easily, only to be greeted by her father. Yet when Bhaal says she will be his Slayer, that she must kill every living thing, Yurena can't imagine it. There are some people she's too fond of to kill, and she rejects her fate

After this there are two main routes Yurena's story can take. The first one and the one I talk about a bit more often follows canon for a bit longer, until the Netherbrain is defeated. After the story is said and done, Yurena has nowhere to go and stays in her Lower City camp with Withers. She finds as much about her past as possible, including countless letters between herself and Gortash. Knowing he's an important piece of her past, knowing she had once loved him, she works on convincing Withers to bring him back - saying that if he were to come back he'd have no reason to worship Bane anymore, that the two of them could live out their lives as nobodies. Just travelers, seeing the sights of Faerûn, maybe even doing some good. And it works, Gortash is brought back free of his Chosen title. He's hesitant at first, since he wasn't exactly consulted about this, but sees his second chance with Yurena and decides to accept it. This post ending AU is the two of them learning to live free of the influence of Bhaal or Bane, finding out who they can be when they can be anyone, and loving themselves and each other.

The second and actually original storyline begins with Yurena convincing Bhaal that total global murder isn't the way to go, as it means in the future there can be no murder. She remains his Chosen and the leader of the Bhaalists. After this things continue essentially the same until it diverts from canon during the Netherbrain encounter - Gortash tries to interrupt, but Yurena doesn't let him take the Netherstones, telling him she's made progress and will finish this. Once the Netherbrain is destroyed, Yurena ensures Gortash is able to remain the Archduke. She becomes known as his blade, a guard that is never more than a few feet away from him. The companions all go their separate ways, and Yurena stays living with Gortash in Baldur's Gate. They rule the city together, and though it's nothing like the grand plan they once had, they're alive and together - and plotting new plans to rule the whole of Faerûn, but more cautious now

When it comes to the companions, Yurena struggled connecting with most of them. Astarion was the only one she really got along with, sometimes Shadowheart could be included, but that was about it. Lae'zel thought her needlessly violent, Wyll and Karlach saw there was a barely contained evil that Yurena seemed all too ready to accept, and Gale really did try to be friendly but even he was put off by Yurena at times. Yurena mostly traveled with Astarion, Shadowheart and Wyll, and in her universe(s) Wyll was the one encouraging Shadowheart to be better while Yurena and Astarion made each other worse in many ways. In the universe where Yurena is killed by her father then revived, none of the companions hear from her after the celebration at the end of everything - it's after that reunion that Gortash is brought back and the two slip away. In the other universe, where Yurena and Gortash rule Baldur's Gate, well to be honest I'm still writing this one and haven't decided yet lol. We'll see where the story takes itself!

"You're supposed to be dead" was all that came out, but there were many more thoughts racing through Durge's head

How was he alive? How long had he been alive? And, oh no, why did he almost feel relieved.

Gortash was decomposed, nothing like his usual self as he rushed to explain. Durge stood still, arms crossed as he stared at Gortash

In truth, the words weren't processing in their mind. They were too preoccupied by the internal conflict, knowing this man was a threat but being glad his death had only been temporary

At some point Gortash stopped talking. Durge said nothing, they couldn't when none of the explanation had stuck

The two stared at each other, unspoken emotions dancing behind each of their eyes

"Durge?"

Finally, Durge spoke again, tone light; "I'm glad I can kill you myself"

Imagine this:

Gortash is back, no one knows just yet, with the the exception of withers.

Withers thinks it's best for gortash lays low for a while.

The companions have no clue about his resurrection.

Gortash is aware that he is now an enemy of the people in baldur's gate.

Going back there isn't an option right now.

He is at the wilderness campsite, that's where he stays.

Every now and then, the companions would visit withers, gortash must remain unseen at all cost.

So he hides, until they leave.

Eventually, it all gets a little tiresome for gortash.

Wondering when he'll be able to get out of hiding.

This time, durge pays a visit to withers.

Gortash hesitates, he hadn't seen durge since their confrontation with the elder brain.

Realisation hits him, he must hide, quickly.

With a quick sigh of relief, gortash wonders, if durge would be glad to see him. Maybe not.

Durge has changed, no reason to be around a miserable failure like himself.

Durge has moved on, with no memories of their times together.

To durge, he is the past. The forgotten past.

Gortash's thoughts were cut off when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Lo and behold, standing there, in his hiding place, was none other than the one he was thinking about.

Durge saw him.

Durge knows nows.

He should be disappointed he failed withers.

But he's happy, happy to be seen by his durge.

"You're supposed to be dead" were the words durge spoke.

Time to explain everything.

4am thoughts, I love Pokémon ship names. Like okay you can have your AfterDeath and your Chiluc (I'm in both fandoms too) but my absolute favorite is called AppraisalShipping. Wdym there's one called GreatGatsbyShipping. I love telling ppl these names

Currently writing a sort of continuation Durgetash AU where my Durge character (Yurena, because she's my main Durge character so why not) convinces Withers to bring Gortash back after everything that happens, and the two of them (now both having been given new life) are free from their gods and decide to simply travel Faerûn. In it I lean into them putting old skills to new use, and that leads to Gortash inventing a camera for Yurena. This is essentially how him showing her it goes

Gortash: I made this, you can look through this lens and then click this button and it will take a picture of whatever you see through the lens. I'm working on a device that connects to it to see all the pictures you take but for now you can see them on this too Yurena: *staring at him through the camera* This is so sweet of you, what made you do this? Gortash: Well a while back you said something about wanting to capture a moment forever, and I wanted to make that happen for you. Plus I always have admired that creative spark of yours, now you can make the beauty you see last forever. Anyway I started thinking about what I could- Yurena: *click* Gortash: ...what was that Yurena: You said I can make anything beautiful last forever Gortash: My dear, I'm honored, may I see the picture Yurena: Sure Gortash: *staring at the picture of him mid sentence, not at all posed for a picture*

And that is how Yurena gets Gortash to be speechless for a solid minute because he can't decide if he hates the picture because of how unflattering it is or if he loves it because he knows she's seeing the beauty of his mind at work and it's such a wonderful feeling to be loved

I should post about Yurena soon like I did for Echo

My biggest head canon for my Durge and Gortash is that Gortash was the one that decorated her horns. Yurena wears chains and rings and stuff on her horns and I fully believe Gortash started that with the rings, he probably was given some silver rings but he likes gold so he just.. put them on Yurena's horns. Something like this;

Gortash: I have no need for these, and silver would look good on you. Would you like them?

Yurena: Your fingers are much larger than mine

Gortash: Ah, right. Hm. Here, I have an idea *puts a ring on each of her horns* see? They look lovely like that

Yurena:

Yurena: Do you have more

Picture of Yurena below to show off her horn jewelry