A Weakness for Wizards

I write BG3 fanfiction, focusing on Gale Dekarios and my OCs. All links go to AO3. 📖 Ongoing Works

To Err Divine

Pairing: Gale x Wren (Female Tav, Cleric of Mystra/Storm Sorceror - secretly spying on Gale)

Rating: Mature

Read if you want: God Gale, Mystra being a jerk, Mutual pining

Summary: He was only ever supposed to be a target, she became his savior. Together, they'll defy the gods, save the world, and claim their own seats in the pantheon.

"There is a situation in Waterdeep. A wizard named Gale Dekarios. He has ... acquired something that poses a significant threat to the city." "What are my orders?" "Surveillance. Watch him. Monitor the situation. Report any changes in his condition or behavior. If the orb becomes too unstable, you are to enact this protocol." "I understand the parameters of the mission, Father. I will not fail." "May Mystra guide your steps."

Status: Updating whenever I can - 1-2x/month] | [Read on AO3]

Further Research Required

Pairing: Gale x Alyss (Female OC, Bard, Chosen of Milil)

Rating: Mature

Read if you want: A married couple being cute and fluffy and having little adventures on their honeymoon in Candlekeep.

Summary: It has taken three years, but Gale Dekarios has convinced his beloved bard Alyss to settle down with him for good. Newly married, they set off for their honeymoon in Candlekeep with a long list of research topics and an inability to keep their hands off of each other for long. These two can't help but attract adventure wherever they go, so it doesn't take long for their studies to get derailed by the many mysteries that hide within the walls of the fortress. (Inspired by Candlekeep Mysteries)

"Though I should warn you, eternity is a long time to share a library with someone. You may find yourself revising the terms." He glanced meaningfully at the bookshelves across the room, then back at her. "My opinions about shelving organization have been reviewed as ‘madness-inducing’ and ‘utterly repellent’ by some of the finest minds in Waterdeep." "Gale." She fixed him with a look of pure, fond suffering. "I have lived with your library for three years. I once found a manuscript titled “How to Create A Personal Sigil” filed under C for 'Curses' rather than under the author's name, the title, or any organizational principle recognized by any institution in Faerûn." "That was a special case. I know very well how to create a sigil, but I wanted the book for its information about the three-fold curse of Mystra, so you see—" "I see how that helps you." "Exactly! I have always been able to find it perfectly well when I need it." She stared at him.  "You married me anyway," he pointed out.

Status: Updating whenever I can - 1-2x/month] | [Read on AO3]

📚 Completed Longfics

The Price of a Sunset (Part 1 of Songs of the Chosen)

Pairing: Gale x Alyss (Female OC, Bard, Chosen of Milil)

Rating: Mature

Length: 17 Chapters/68,211 words

Read if you want: Post-canon, Waterdeep setting, Fluffy romance

Summary: It has been just over a year since Gale returned from Baldur's Gate. He did the right thing and returned the Crown of Karsus to Mystra, so why doesn't it feel like a happy ending? He's lonelier than ever and restless. He's fallen into old habits and his studies and experiments have begun to wander into dangerous territory. Then, one night while he's drowning his sorrows at The Yawning Portal, a bard takes the stage ...

[Read on AO3]

The Worldweaver (Part 2 of Songs of the Chosen)

Pairing: Gale x Alyss (Female OC, Bard, Chosen of Milil)

Rating: Mature

Length: 24 Chapters/82,815 words

Read if you want: Fantasy adventure, established couple. happy ending

Summary: Gale Dekarios has reunited with the love he thought he lost, although it took a divine intervention. But gifts from the gods come with a hefty price. Instead of a happy ever after, Gale and Alyss are tasked with a deadly mission to retrieve an ancient artifact from one of the most dangerous liches in Faerûn.

[Read on AO3]

✨ One-Shots

A Fey Day Night's Dream (Part 3 of Songs of the Chosen)

Pairing: Gale x Alyss (Female OC, Bard, Chosen of Milil)

Rating: Mature

Summary: Gale has been planning the perfect Fey Day surprise for weeks: an elaborate costume, a flawless glamour, and a secret invitation to the grandest masquerade in Waterdeep where his lady love will perform as Titania. Surely she'll never recognize him as Oberon, Lord of Beasts. Surely this will go exactly as planned.

[Read on AO3]

Going With the Grain (Gift Fic)

Pairing: Halsin/OC (half-elf, trainee cleric)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: In the oppressive darkness of the Shadowlands, Kestrel finds Halsin carving by firelight to manage the emotions that being back here stirs up. When he offers to teach her, what begins as a simple lesson becomes an intimate moment of connection, trust, and almost-confessions. As wood shavings curl away and their hands meet, both must decide whether to acknowledge the feelings growing between them.

Thanks @thesanguinesonnet for the tag!

The Price of a Sunset: The first-born. I wasn't sure if I was going to be a good parent (aka writer of fics), but I jumped in anyway to assuage the pain of losing a job I loved and to ensure I continued to practice and hone my craft well away from AI and its little tendrils creeping their way into everything. I made a lot of mistakes and there are many things I'd do differently, but I'm still proud of how it turned out, and I can never seem to fully quit Alyss and Gale - they are my OTP. The Worldweaver: My middle child. It's not the type of fic most want to read, but it was important to me to let Alyss and Gale start their true story and earn their ending as legends, adventurers, and true loves. It was also important to me to give Gale closure from Mystra without forcing him to give up the status he had fairly earned and would likely need to survive a life with Alyss. Also, I just wanted to write it and I had fun doing it.

To Err Divine: My rebellious child. The one that I didn't exactly choose to bear, so much as it insisted on being born. Much more high-maintenance than its older siblings and raising it to maturity is going to take much longer than I anticipated. I can't help but love it, even when it's giving me a great deal of trouble, and especially when it's bringing me down with its high level of angst and an extremely long stretch of darkness in the middle. Further Research Required: My youngest child and the one that brings me joy when life with its older sibling grows emotional and dark. If To Err Divine is my emo adolescent, this one is my sunny little toddler that's always up for a little bit of fun, and maybe a tiny bit of mischief.

Thank you for the tag @thesanguinesonnet! I uh ... am working on something quite silly at the moment. I was inspired by a particular prompt and have this one shot that I'm fiddling with.

Gale and Alyss got married and they're spending their honeymoon in Candlekeep. I felt in the mood for something fluffy and cozy with plenty of banter, so here we go. It's a sequel to The Price of a Sunset and The Worldweaver, but it can be read as a standalone.

The Details:

Pairing: Gale Dekarios x Alyss (Bard / Chosen of Milil)

Rating: Mature

Status: Ongoing (Updating 1-2x a month)

Read if you want: A married couple being cute and fluffy, domestic Gale, nerds nerding out, and a honeymoon that keeps getting derailed by little adventures. Inspired by Candlekeep Mysteries.

The Summary:

Alyss

Half-elf lore bard, Chosen of Milil. Not actually a Tav (post-canon OC). Her color is midnight blue. She's always out at parties, on the stage, and on adventures, but her happy place is at home in front of the fire with a book and her wizard. She lives and breathes her violin and her compositions come to life inside your mind when you hear them. She is moonlight, magic, and nightblooming flowers. At the end of the day, she loves a glass of Cormyrian red on a balcony overlooking the sea.

Wren

High-elf storm sorceress. Tempest cleric of Mystra (until she's not). Black leather and lightning. A woman of few words - you'll know how she feels when the weather changes around you. Or when she hands you a drawing, perfectly rendered, of a moment you didn't know she saw. Likes a dark, smooth whiskey to help her cope with a life she never asked for and being surrounded by fools.

You are most fortunate, Rolan. Few catch my interest, but your letters demonstrate potential. I am willing to give you a chance. However, a warning - you must be willing to do whatever is necessary. Power is not cheap. And I'll not suffer weakness in my own student.

Wren and Gale go to Sorcerous Sundries and discover that the information Gale seeks won't be so easy to acquire. They also meet Rolan again and discover that Lorroakan seeks the Nightsong.

Almost done with the next chapter of To Err Divine, so a snippet before it's posted:

Wren kept her voice even. "You look a bit worse for wear. What happened to your face?" "Nothing for you to worry about," Rolan retorted defensively. The words came out too quickly. Rolan's hand moved as if to touch the bruise, then dropped back to his side. His voice caught on the last word, and Wren heard the tremor he was trying to suppress. She'd heard it before, after missions that had gone sideways. She’d heard it in her colleagues' voices, and her own as they tried desperately to convince themselves everything was fine when it very clearly wasn't. He's afraid, she sent to Gale. She lowered her voice. “We are worried about it, though. Is your master the one doing this to you?” “If he is,” Gale interjected, “That’s not normal for a wizard apprenticeship, and it’s not right, either. You don’t deserve to be treated this way.” Rolan seemed to deflate slightly, his shoulders sagging. "You're right. This is my 'apprenticeship.'" The bitterness in his voice made the word sound like a curse. "It has … not been what I expected. Master Lorroakan is… a difficult man." He paused, his jaw working as if he was going to say one thing, then decided to say something else instead. "He's consumed by his pursuit of the Nightsong. I haven't learnt a thing and I fear it'll stay that way." "A lucky escape, if this is what it looks like when Lorroakan barely pays attention to you," Gale said gravely, touching his own face where Rolan's bruises were. "Whatever he's told you about his reputation, I'll tell you I've never heard of the man. In any case 'greatest wizard in Baldur's Gate' is… well, it's a low bar, let's leave it at that. I could help you find a better master," Gale offered. Rolan scowled at Gale, but his frown quickly turned into a sigh. "Lia suspected it might be this way. She's a pain, but she's always right. But never mind that. It’s fine. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I always have." He shook his head, straightening and doing his best to put his professional face back on. "What can I do for you?" He asked it in a haughty tone, as if he hadn't nearly broken down just a few moments before.

He did the right thing and returned the Crown of Karsus to Mystra, so why doesn't it feel like a happy ending?

Story Stats:

Pairing: Gale Dekarios x Alyss (OC Lore Bard)

Setting: Post-Canon Waterdeep

Tags: Fluff & Humor, but also a dollop of Angst, Hopeless Romantic Gale

Status: Complete! (Part 1 of a series)

Excerpt:

“I am suddenly inspired. I would like to capture that in a song if you are willing.” She leaned forward, caught by an excitement that cracked her practiced composure. “There’s something in the story of a man who loved a goddess and lost her that I’d love to tell. If you’d allow it.” … After months of loneliness, the prospect of having regular conversations with another person about things other than work was most welcome. He tried to control the grin that threatened to take over his face, and the effort caused him to totally lose control of his verbal response. "Spend time with a beautiful woman? I think I could find some time in my schedule for that." He paused, the words hanging in the air as he realized what he'd just said. "I mean… from a purely professional standpoint, of course. For the song. My academic schedule is quite malleable. Very accommodating, really. I'm sure we could work out something mutually satisfying…" His eyes widened in horror as he heard his own words. "That is to say! The arrangement for the song would be satisfying! In terms of … of artistic fulfillment! Aesthetically satisfying only!" Alyss was looking at him with amusement. “I think I am looking forward to this. We will start at the surface level. I will observe you at work. That should tell me something about you without too much disturbance of your own life. We can go deeper from there. Gradually. I will make sure to check in with you at every step of the way to make sure it is always … mutually satisfying.” Gale's face went through several shades of red before settling on something approaching burgundy. "I… you… that's…" He cleared his throat, trying desperately to regain some semblance of dignity. "Yes. Quite. Mutual satisfaction in… in artistic endeavors is… is naturally the goal of any serious collaboration." He tugged at his collar, which suddenly felt rather tight. "And I do appreciate your methodical approach. Very thorough. Very professional." He paused, realizing he had been staring at her lips since she had said 'mutually satisfying' and quickly looked away. "I should probably mention that I am a professor now, so you will be observing lectures with students present. So the, ah, observation process will be entirely supervised. Appropriately chaperoned, as it were." He immediately realized how that sounded. "Not that we need chaperoning! I simply meant … in case you were worried … though I suppose there's nothing improper about… oh, gods, I'm making this worse, aren't I?"