Unapologetic Gortash Redeemer

Tagged by @perpetualmaladaptivedaydream and @fireflyeyes for OC Zodiac and by @bladesingerlily for "Your OCs Astrological Sign/Birth Chart palette". Thank you!!! 🫶

If you've given your OC a birthdate (or even an approximation), look up their astrology and tell me how alike or different they are from their sign. If you haven't given them a birthdate, tell me what zodiac sign you think they'd be and why! And heck, if you feel like it, throw in some fanfic, VP, or art.

I know little or nothing at all about astrology, but this looked fun to do, so I indulged in some birth charts/astrology websites exploration for my OC Suna.

VP by @optimisticgrey :3

In my original plans Suna was born (or, to be more precise, created from daddy Bhaal's gore) between Kythorn 25 (June) and Midsummer (Flamerule 30 - Eleasis 1, July-August), so she would be, technically speaking, a Cancer or a Leo.

But the more I explored her character, the more she looked like a Scorpio to me (she has most of the main Scorpios' traits), so in the end I chose a different (presumed) birth date for her, and went for Uktar 10 or 11 (November) 1456 or 1457, thus making her a Scorpio Sun with Leo Rising, Gemini Moon and Capricorn Venus.

The reasons? Well, according to my research, Scorpios are usually secretive and mysterious people, who love to embrace their dark side and are excellent at keeping secrets. Here are a few additional infos:

SCORPIO

RULING PLANET: Pluto (& Mars)

ELEMENT: water

RULING HOUSE: 8th - Sex, Death, Loss

MODE: fixed

COLORS: shades of red, and black

LUCKY STONES: coral, ruby, carnelian

Scorpios also are:

known for their intensity (appropriate for both her versions, before and after tadpole/lobotomy)

their primary motivation is not prestige or authority but real power instead

they have plenty of willpower

the darker side of life intrigues them, and they are not afraid of getting their hands (but also bodies and minds) dirty

they're not in the slightest intimidated by anybody or anything (especially appropriate for her before lobotomy)

trauma seems to follow them wherever they go

they possess amazing regenerative powers, and also the power to heal, create and transform (these last two points are 100% her after memory loss/lobotomy)

can be described as passionate, perceptive, determined and sacrificing, while the most negative keywords associated to them are: vindictive, paranoid, destructive and possessive, and their ruling house is the 8th, which seems to be the house associated with sex, death and loss (all very durge-y things imo).

Scorpio seems to be the zodiac sign of extremes and intensity. Self-reliant, stubborn and unpredictable, the natives of this sign are usually very deep and intense people, who tend to dominate and control anyone that lets them, or anyone they find weak (100% Suna in her durge years before lobotomy).

Last but not least, this sign is associated with colors like red, crimson and burgundy, and also with sexual activity and the transformative cycles of death and rebirth, which makes Scorpio an almost 100% accurate sign for Suna.

Here are also the infos I got from the website realmshelps.net and her birth chart palette (link here pantonecolors.net ). Pls note I've not yet decided if she's 36 in 1492 (instead of 35 yo), so the year of her birth might end up changing from 1457 to 1456 for fanfic purposes).

While a few infos sound a lil incorrect for her, the birth chart palette colors match her fiery nature (and draconic bloodline) perfectly, just like her ascendant sign (Leo Rising, a fire sign).

Here are the main traits for Scorpio Sun, Leo Rising natives:

they are a powerful mix between a warm, fiery exterior and and mysterious and deep core

they have a striking apperance and a magnetic personality

they tend to hide parts of their life from others

they are very independent in love, but at the same time also deeply devoted

they experience lots of conflicts between their inward and outward selves

This took me a little because I had to do some research first, but it was really fun and I think most of the infos I found match Suna's character beautifully 😁

Ship Tournament, Round 2 — Match 15 / 15

Astarion/Gale

"They’re both so performative, but in opposite directions. Astarion performs confidence and seduction because it kept him alive. Gale performs competence and charm because he is terrified of being useless, dangerous, or unwanted. They’d annoy each other SO much at first because each one can see the other doing the act and thinks, gods, is that what I look like? But underneath all the vanity and sarcasm, there’s such a good emotional match. Gale is patient and romantic and wants to give love in tangible ways - food, words, magic, comfort. Astarion is wary as hell, but he also craves luxury and safety and attention so badly. Gale would make him feel cherished. Astarion would make Gale feel desired without worship involved, which is probably exactly what Gale needs after Mystra."

"gale choosing humanity over the crown, astarion choosing freedom over ascension, both of them stepping away from the huge tempting power-up that would make them “safe” by making them worse. there’s something really lovely in them building a smaller life after all that. and it would still be funny, obviously. astarion in waterdeep being dramatic about the weather, gale trying to introduce him to respectable wizard society, astarion immediately insulting three academics and charming the fourth. gale apologises with his mouth and looks proud with his whole face"

vs. Karlach/Wyll

"I mean, those two are almost implied in the Blade of Avernus, Karlach and Wyll traversing hells together ending. Karlach's dialogue about doing this with someone she loves is both in romanced Karlach ending, and if she's just with Wyll! Karlach was my first romance, and when I saw a non-romanced Karlach and Wyll epilogue for the first time, I just felt such a "it should've been me! Not him!" feeling that it's hard to say there's nothing there. Also, Karlach has been through tough times. She deserves a fairytale prince to sweep her off her feet - what companion doesn't, really, but still. Also, Karlach will stand up for Wyll when he gets too self-sacrificing, I'm sure of that, and he deserves that, too. They're dear to each other, is all I know, and they'd be good together. After they get out of Avernus, I'm sure they could have a good, comfortable life in Baldur's Gate, adventuring, and when needing a break, having a nice house in the upper city to belong to."

Part 4: The Three Dragon Ante (or The Hug)

I saved the best for last. This one is my favorite.

A slow, sweet kiss followed by an embrace. Her inability to NOT bury her face in his hair and kiss his neck. The way, for a moment, they seem so ready to just never part from one another. How he pulls back, and how she looks like it hurts to stop touching him.

They're both just aching at the end.

Part 3: The Lunge

This is my second favorite one.

The passion... The urgency... The kiss noises...

The way he just yoinks her into his arms 🫠

His poor knees!

Part 2: The Chin-Lift

I love how they're both smiling at the end, enjoying this moment of sweetness in the midst of terrible, world-ending danger.

All with my gnome Durge.

Short character kisses are SO good!

Part 1: The Peck

The kiss itself is fairly quick, thus this video is the only one in which I've included the intro and outro.

[These are random and repeatable, from the Morphic Pool until we ascend the brainstem, with only a brief period in the Astral Prism with repeated dialogue and no kiss options. I think what's in the background sometimes influences which one you get, as a few couldn't trigger in narrower spaces despite multiple attempts.]

You are missing OUT!!

If you use Disguise Self and kiss Gale as a body type 3 or 4 tall character and as a short character, you'll understand.

Especially as a short character.

The animations are sweeter and more intimate than bt1 & bt2.

Morphing into Default Durge or Karlach (or any bt3 or bt4 disguise) gets a camera angle change and their hand caressing Gale's cheek in one of the kisses. The hug has contact instead of several inches of empty air between them.

My gnome gets real hugs. And gives him neck kisses.

When she touches his face, he puts his hand over hers instead of craw-gripping her forearm in a way that looks almost like he doesn't want it to be there.

She grabs the back of Gale's neck in the "don't tease me" kiss, not his bicep all awkwardly.

These are not modded poses, they are just how Gale kisses shorties.

What I'm saying is:

Get the best possible Galemance experience.

The queen herself, from my fic Anamnesis Red

ty for the tags @faeriiefire @archduchessgortash @dynamicducks and @fireflyeyes !

I don't have any VP wips so writing will have to do! though admittedly, I have very little of that available too at the moment, cos I just started the next chapter of DLMKY. And this scene is still VERY much being worked into what it needs to be (there's like...3 ways I want it to go and I haven't landed on which one yet).

But how about a scenario where we go to talk to Minthara in the goblin camp...and she recognizes you? How interesting that must be to a durge who doesn't remember their past 👀

The whirr of the scrying eye fades away. The wooden planks of the bridge creak under their weight. The woman on the other side—Nightwarden Minthara—is currently berating a goblin for some abysmal failure. Failure to find the grove, she realizes. Just as she starts to listen in, however, the tadpole connects with hers. Just like with Gut—the chill of ice brushes across her mind as the phantom of memory darkens the room in her thoughts, reality unaffected. It hovers around Minthara, like a distorted vision in paralyzed sleep—pale skin, paler eyes…and red. One of the Chosen of the Absolute. Quick as it shudders into existence, it shudders back out. The hair on the back of Tav’s neck stands on end. The scar on her face aches. The tadpole behind her eye throbs. She’s more than just a Chosen…whoever she is. There’s no time to dwell on it. The goblin scrambles past them as they approach, and Minthara’s focus shifts to her. Tavrin catches a glimpse of a tattoo on the woman’s neck: a pentagonal emblem, divided with hooks at each corner. She knows that symbol from somewhere, but can’t quite place it. The Nightwarden’s eyes land on Tav, and widen. Curiosity swirls in the red pools of her iris as they dart around Tav’s features: her hair, her eyes, her neck. Her voice is deep and distinctive, but the authority from her orders to the goblin has shifted into something akin to cautious fascination. “L’Renor,” she greets with both intrigue and respect. “The Absolute’s blessing reaches deep indeed. Praise be, sister.” Tav blinks once—the only outward indication of her inner shock that quakes her very core. “You know me?” “Hm.” Minthara huffs, gaze narrowing ever so slightly. “I know of you, though we have never crossed paths. You were quite elusive in Menzoberranzan…but it seems even a heretic such as yourself recognizes the Absolute’s glory.” Tav files away every hint in those few short sentences. L’Renor is a moniker, not a name. Elusive. Heretic…to be heard of even when not known. Clearly she had a reputation in Lolth’s city. But why?