A woman's outlet for her latest obsessions

𝕄𝕪 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘

Imrae, the Mad Drow

In chronological order of events:

Your Are Beautiful The moment Imrae decides to flee from his guardian's home.

First Sight Imrae and Shadowheart explore the ravaged beach after the crash of the nautiloid and find a certain pale elf.

Whatever It Is After meeting and disappointing Araj Oblodra, Imrae takes some time to himself to overthink what happened. Luckily, Astarion comes to save him from himself. [Angst with Happy Ending, Asexuality, Astarion x Tav]

Oddity A short time after getting together, Astarion has a question for his new beau. [Slice of Life, Astarion POV, Asexuality, Astarion x Tav] Takes place a few days after "Whatever It Is"

One Night At A Time (The Graveyard) [Hurt/Comfort, Changing POV (Imrae/Astarion), Astarion x Tav] Written for Week Four of SpawNovember 2025

Old Fool Halsin confesses his feelings to Imrae. Shadowheart eavesdrops and thus makes it her own problem when the situation goes awry. [Hurt/Comfort, Shadowheart POV, Astarion x Tav]

The Hero and Me A young drow asks his teacher about his adventures during the Absolute crisis. [Slice of Life, Astarion x Tav]

Alternate Universes

The Barrister's Bargain Chapter One, Two, Three and Four. My entry for the #bridgersgate event. Lord Imyaraen Auvryervs, son of the Marchioness Lledrith Auvryervs, has come to Baldur's Gate for the social season in search of a bride, accompanied by his loyal friend Captain Lae'zel. One night, he meets the charming Mr. Ancunín, a former barrister, and they form a fast friendship. Meanwhile, Lord Wyll Ravengard, son of Duke Ulder Ravengard, is doing his best to keep his city safe while braving the marriage market himself. [Regency AU, Changing POV, Astarion x Tav, Wyll x Lae'zel]

Llar Darthiir [Read on Lotta's AO3] Chapter One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four. A crossover between Imrae and @lottavilja's Tav/Lymune. Among other survivors, Tav and Astarion are in search of a cure for their tadpole problem when they stumble upon a lone drow. As infected as they are, Imrae becomes part of the group. Two drow and a vampire, the three of them band together rather quickly, exploring Faerûn as well as each other in pursuit of answers. [Adventure, Changing POV, Astarion x Tavs (Polyamory)]

Just For A Little While [Read on Lotta's AO3] What if Imrae's parents were alive? What if Lymune's mother Vhaidra Uoswiir seeks shelter at the Auvryervs palace? [What If? AU, Changing POV]

Silk and Blood [Read on Lotta's AO3] Prologue, Chapter One A crossover between Imrae and @lottavilja's Tav/Lymune. Drow Tav and her companions make their way down into the Underdark to reach Moonrise Towers. On their way, they stumble upon a strange couple. A drow and a drider. What could have easily ended in bloodshed turns out to be something pleasant when the two drow recognize each other from when they were kids. Determined to help his friend, Imrae and his partner Zhah join the group. A drider and a vampire, however, seem not the best combination, and so Tav and Imrae have to find a way to ensure the two 'monsters' get along with each other. A delicate matter because Tav and Astarion's romance is hanging on by a thread. [Adventure, Changing POV, Astarion x Tav, Imrae x Zhah]

The Drow Wanderer

Imrae as a companion.

Act One, Part One Meeting Imrae, Waukeen's Rest, Camp Scenes and the other companions' reactions to recruiting him

Act One, Part Two Goblin Camp, Celebration and Romance

Act One, Part Three Mountain Pass and Underdark

Act One - Imrae's reactions to recruiting the other companions

Act One Miscellany Camp Idles and Banters

Act Two, Part One Enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands

Act Two Hero's Romance (Leader saved the tieflings)

Act Two Pragmatist's Romance (Leader helped Minthara) Coming soon

Companion Greetings (Non-Romanced/Romanced)

Zethino's Love Test

Dragomir, the Dark Urge

His Astral Intro

TEA'S DARK URGE RUN [A Gale x Durge Tale] Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six Impressions from a night with a wizard Part Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve Part Thirteen, Fourteen

Plants of Baldur's Gate 3

Act One Edition and Rivington Edition

“Well. Today was not at all terrible.” Astarion hung his hat and cloak by the door, then did the same with Imrae's outer wear before he pulled him close. “How about you, my sweet? What's your verdict for your first Solstice celebration?” “I could have done without all that blasted ice and snow.” Astarion laughed. “There's just no pleasing you, is there?” “You know that is not true.” Imrae reached up to tug a few of Astarion's curls back into place after the hat had flattened them, a helpful gesture if oneself could only check by touch. When their eyes met again, there was that special sort of suspicious innocence in the drow's gaze that promised mischief. “Would you like for the night to be over?” “Now now, I didn't say that.” “That's fortunate, because I have another gift for you.” Imrae dissolved their embrace, not without planting a gentle kiss on Astarion's lips, and sauntered into the middle of their parlour while undoing the clasps of his festive robe, revealing the layer underneath. Dark, figure-hugging, and exposing much of his glyph-inscribed skin, the traditional drow garment he had kept hidden left little to the imagination. Not that Astarion needed to imagine anything after all the time they'd spent together. “Too much?” His drow's question and the touch of diffidence that entered his voice and posture made Astarion realize that he had gone still to stare in fascination without blinking or breathing, and sweet Imrae had taken it for discomfort or overwhelm. Perhaps he was partially correct. “This can be for viewing purposes only,” Imrae stated, his right hand grasping the left to prevent himself from fidgeting, a habit as ingrained as Astarion's reflexive smile and laughter. “I know.” Still, it was always nice to hear it out loud.

Imrae, the drow wizard, who only wants his freedom back after being captured by the Cult of the Absolute. His personal villain is his cousin, True Soul Phyra. COMPANION QUEST: The Mad Drow

Ajith, the human druid, who was helping Master Halsin research the cult and the illithid tadpoles. His personal villain is his brother, a former Tiamat cultist now working for Raphael. COMPANION QUEST: The Wounded Healer

Dragomir, the gold dragon sorcerer, who has no memories of who he is and suffers from strange violent and pyromaniac urges. His personal villain is Orin. COMPANION QUEST: Ash and Meat

D'nahra, the githyanki monk, who was raised in a crèche run by Voss and has to figure out her purpose and the world beyond her home. Her personal villains are Vlaakith and Raphael. COMPANION QUEST: The Way of the Open Hand

Periel Frock, the half-elf rogue, who was investigating the Steelwatch Foundry in Baldur's Gate, but lacks a tenday of memories. His personal villains are Gortash, as well as an old friend of his who now works for the Zhentarim. COMPANION QUEST: The Cormorant of Grey Harbour

The Erlprince, a half-fey warlock beholden to the court of his fey father, who is supposed to kill Gortash for destroying forests for lumber and for the pollution his factories cause. His personal villain is either his own father or Gortash, depending on his choice. COMPANION QUEST: The Prince of Autumn

They would still recruit the non-origins Halsin, Jaheira and Minsc, but most of them have a reason to want Minthara dead.

Team Dynamics:

The Leaders: Imrae, Frock and Dragomir would constantly be butting heads. These three are headstrong people with their own morals and methods. Imrae favours pragmatism, Periel favours goodness and guile, Dragomir favours goodness and honesty.

The Exhausted Peacekeepers: D'nahra and Ajith

The Jester: The Erlprince

Character Beats:

Frock knows there's something familiar about Dragomir, but has no idea what at first. He later recognizes that it's his voice. Frock was the Tav investigating a murder and almost got killed by the shapeshifted Dark Urge.

The Erlprince knew Thaniel and is thus personally invested in Halsin's quest to break the Shadowcurse.

Imrae immediately clocks the relationship between the Erlprince and his father as abusive, though the warlock denies it for the longest time and calls the orphaned drow envious.

Frock practically begs Jaheira to let him become a Harper. She has little choice during the Absolute Crisis.

Affairs and Romances?

The Erlprince would come onto every single one of his new friends. It's how he deals with stress. Ajith, Dragomir and D'nahra would each take him up on the offer of a night of passion and relaxation.

Periel Frock would start flirting with Halsin immediately. The druid is exactly the rogue's type.

Imrae would be fast friends with D'nahra. They bond over being fishes out of water on Faerûn's surface and would go from best friends to lovers.

Imrae (demiromantic ace) He is a very reserved man. He only tells this to whom it concerns, so among the tadfools, this is between Astarion and him (or Astarion, Tav and him in Llar Darthiir).

Imrhys (bi) He is/was not open about the fact that he had male lovers before his relationship with Lledrith. He is old-fashioned and does adhere to drow custom that his main objective is to serve a woman.

Lledrith (demiromantic demisexual) She is/was very open about the fact that she is obsessed with her husband, but she does not consider herself queer.

Drovic (pan) He is very open about loving freely and flirts with everyone. His guardians Imrae and Astarion made sure that he has a nuanced and informed perspective on love and consent.

Zhah (gay, after the curse gay ace) He kept his preference a secret in Menzoberranzan, but after being cursed, he opens up to his companion Imrae very quickly, both about preferring the company of men and about being robbed of anything related to procreation.

Dragomir (bi) He preferred heterosexual trysts and relationships as a Bhaalist to follow his father's command of making more Bhaalspawn, but he did not keep male lovers secret. His affair with Gortash was not shameful because they were men, but because he was sleeping with a Banite.

After his memory loss, he figured out that he liked both pretty quickly.

Periel Frock (bi) With him, it depends on the setting. Despite being an extrovert, he is reserved about his own person, but he will shamelessly flirt with the muscular paladin lady at the bar or that hunk of a sea dog over there.

D'nahra (female-leaning bisexual) She shows her orientation through actions more than words. She prefers women and effeminate/androgynous people (often elves) over manly men.

The Erlprince (pan) He will flirt with anything that moves and he will mean it. The word "subtlety" does not exist in this man's dictionary.

Ajith (bi) He is casually open about loving all of nature's creations.

13. Would your oc be open to a poly relationship? Why or why not?

Imrae (demiromantic ace) He is not a jealous man and open to a poly relationship, though he might get worried about not actually being compatible with his partner if the sexual component is strong between them and the third.

Imrhys (bi) He would have accepted it if Lledrith took other lovers, but I don't think it would have been enthusiastic.

Lledrith (demiromantic demisexual) She is disinterested in anyone but Imrhys and she does not take it well if someone desires her husband.

Drovic (pan) He is very open to "the more, the merrier". I have not figured out all the details yet, but he does get two love interests, and he will operate with the credo of "I have two hands".

Zhah (gay ace) He would be open to a poly relationship, as long as he is assured that it is not about him being lacking in any way, but about growing a found family.

Dragomir (bi) He prefers monogamy, once a relationship has been established and declared. He turns out to be quite the romantic despite his roots.

Periel Frock (bi) He can be a very jealous man, but if a poly relationship came about because two people wanted to be with him, it might work.

D'nahra (female-leaning bisexual) She prefers the security of monogamy.

The Erlprince (pan) I think he would feel trapped and stifled in monogamy, so either an open or poly relationship would be his preference.

Ajith (bi) He is fine with monogamy as well as polyamory. His druidic education made him very open-minded.

20. Have your ocs helped you in self discovery? How?

Less with discovery and more with acceptance, I'd say. Writing about it, spreading awareness and normalizing was pretty helpful feeling better about myself.

She retrieved the next tray from Alan, who seemed equally tired of today already as he pointed to the tables the drinks would go to. More mulled wine and some spiced kaeth.

And one lone cup of tea with candied lemon, for a sun elf who was reading today's broadsheet at a dark corner table.

Lakrissa passed out the other drinks before she approached the sharp-featured man clad in a nice green jacket. “What's your poison, stranger? Wyvern, taggit-” she lilted, seeking the elf's golden gaze as she leaned down, “-drow?”

He smirked. “Hello, Lakrissa,” said a familiar voice out of a vaguely familiar face.

She returned the smirk. “Alfira's at home, if you-”

“Actually, I was looking for you.”

Lakrissa raised an eyebrow. “I don't owe you money, right?” she joked as she took a seat.

“Word has it that you are the one 'keeping tabs' on the former refugees of Elturel.” Imrae took a sip of his tea and hummed in delight. “Keeping in touch, looking out for them, such things.”

“Well, yeah. We've spread out a bit, with Dammon in his forge, and Alfira's school close to here, Bex and Danis with their bakery, and then Rolan and his siblings in the Upper City. Many of the scouts now work for Sword Coast Couriers and settled in Rivington. Don't get me started on Mol and the kids.”

“How about we do something nice for all of them?”

Lakrissa chuckled. “Are you bored, or what's going on?”

The disguised drow shrugged. “I have been away for while and I wish to make up for it.”

Feeling Alan trying to light her on fire with his stare, Lakrissa dropped her inquisition. “I have to run, but I will get off in half an hour. Drink your tea, then we can talk more. If you want to do something nice for me, give me a decent tip and buy me a drink.”

Imrae laughed. “Alright. We have a deal.”

It had started to snow by the time Lakrissa left the Elfsong Tavern in the company of the drow mage, the falling flakes covering their warm cloaks with a white pattern.

While they walked, she thought back to their first meeting a the druids' grove. She had kept her distance from the dark elf and his group, observing him rather than talking to him directly.

Stories painted his kind as cruel and underhanded, but first impressions told her otherwise. Better than devils in any case.

He had earned Zevlor's respect by giving them a hand in fending off the goblins and by calming Aradin down with words rather than blades. But, him and his alien friend also had needlessly bullied Zorru, then had ignored most of them as he looked for the healer Nettie, only to later save Arabella and Mirkon from certain death.

The druids had immediately been hostile to him, just like some of them had acted towards her fellow tieflings and her, but it had been his meeting with her sweet, sweet Alfira that had spurred the drow to promise Zevlor to help them with the goblin problem.

Oh, how jealous Lakrissa had been when Imrae had paid special attention to her fellow queen at the party that followed his triumph over his foes, and how relieved had she been when he had focused his efforts on the elven vampire in his group instead.

Their care for one another had not been obvious from the way the two men jabbed at one another, but when she saw them again at Last Light Inn and in Baldur's Gate, their bond was something she would have envied if she had not found the very same with Alfira on this taxing journey.

Lakrissa chuckled when she thought back to her prison stay at Moonrise Towers. When speaking to her in the cell, the drow posing as a True Soul had made her day by letting her cuss him out and even spit at him as a cover for their conversation.

Despite his previous successes, Alfira and her had been relieved when the drow had waltzed into the Elfsong Tavern with his group. Many a night afterwards had been spent on the rooftop by the brazier, sipping drinks, laughing and singing songs with any of him and his crew who were interested.

The Blade of Frontiers and Karlach had often requested music to dance to. Minsc of Rashemen in turn had requested songs for his hamster, tunes Alfira had never heard about. The wizard from Waterdeep had talked about his favourite tunes on the piano. Others, like Jaheira and Shadowheart, had sipped their drinks and listened as they rested. As for Astarion, Lakrissa suspected he had only ever come for the wine and for the drow's singing.

During their first stop, she almost made herself sick with suppressed laughter at the look of abject terror Imrae tried to hide when faced with the social expectation of holding Bex and Danis' infant daughter.

Lakrissa took pity on the man after a few awkward moments so he could hand the couple a collection of knitwear and a bundle of Underdark spices like fire lichen and funguswood.

Ramazith's Tower was next. Watching Rolan and Imrae bluster and squabble was fun for a while, and it gave her time to catch up with Cal and Lia. When the tiefling wizard received a box of arcane crystals, he had to fight hard to keep up his grumpy facade.

At Dammon's forge, the smith was more openly delighted with his present, some old manuscripts about metallurgy from some gnome inventor from Grymforge. Him and Imrae spent almost an hour discussing that man while Lakrissa nodded along with a polite smile.

Later, he spent another hour inspecting the stability, as well as repairing damages in the walls of the tiefling kids' hideout while Lakrissa handed them Bex's box of baked goods, then amused herself by playing betting games with the youngins. As usual, the kids were cheating even more than her.

The longer their tour through the city lasted, the more she found herself asking on why he needed her there. Not that she minded his company, but would he not rather take Alfira or his partner on this walk?

Speaking of Alfira, her sweetheart was last on their list.

The sun had already set by the time they approached the music school, and it did not help one bit with the chill already settling in Lakrissa's bones. While she fiddled with her key, she caught the drow's embarrassed look when he spotted his name next to Lihala's on the plaque by the door.

He was a strange one. Other wizards wanted their names on everything, Rolan already was hard at work publishing books with his variants of spells, with each and every one having his name slotted in front. But not the drow.

When Lakrissa opened the door towards their little living space on the upper floor and spotted flower petals on the stairway, everything clicked in her mind.

“You were distracting me for her, weren't you?” she asked her companion.

Imrae's face was guiltless. “I never claimed otherwise.”

“Treacherous drow.” Lakrissa chuckled. “Want to come upstairs for a warm drink?”

“Thank you, but since I was away for most of the day, I have promised my own beloved I'd be his for the night. I wish you a pleasant evening,” Imrae said with a small bow, then waved her goodbye before he left.

Once the door had snapped shut, Lakrissa fixed her ponytail and hurried up the petalled stairs, her tail curling with excitement.

She found their living space decorated, something they had not managed to get done during the stressful holiday season, and Alfira waiting on their sofa in a beautiful new silk dressing gown that clung to curves and the ridges of her body in the most alluring way possible.

If she had to guess, then she would have said that the gown was Alfira's Solstice present from their drow friend, and if it had been from anybody but him, she would have been wildly jealous.

“There she is, proud that her plan succeeded,” Lakrissa said as she joined her girlfriend on the couch, planting a kiss on her nose. “Hey, you.”

Alfira giggled. “Did you have a nice day?”

“Was good to catch up with everybody.” Lakrissa put her arm around her songstress, their tails intertwining as they always did. “Why make a whole plot out of this?”

Her expression turning serious, Alfira cuddled up against her. “I wanted to surprise you and do something nice. You've been working so hard all year, just so I could focus on my music and so that I could have this school. You put my dream first.”

“Our dream.” Lakrissa grinned.

Alfira looked up at her.

“After Elturel fell, my biggest wish was that we'd make it to safety, and we did. I'm not much one for the gods, but maybe at least one was paying attention.” Lakrissa shrugged and chuckled. “Afterwards, I just wanted us to be a community again, and we are. People come into your school and see that we're also people, just like them. Not this divide between good refugees, bad refugees and citizens.”

“That does make me feel better.... I never looked at it that way.”

“Music connects, you said it yourself.”

Alfira giggled again. “I did?”

“Yep. You sweet thing charmed that drow into doing whatever your want. You're powerful.“ Lakrissa leaned in for a kiss, which Alfira deepened, and soon after, they followed the trail of petals to their shared bedchamber.

“How does one know that they are in love?”

Zhah tightened his grasp on the arrow he was working on, taking a few even breaths before he turned to look at Imrae, his mage companion, while he wondered if his own cursed mind had fabricated the question.

“In your experience, I mean,” the drow clarified. “I do not demand a universal answer, especially since it is not a common sentiment in Menzoberranzan.”

What had brought this about? Had Imrae met somebody who had caught his eye? Where? At the market?

No. They kept no secrets between them. They told one another almost everything. Imrae was no liar, he was different from the scheming high-born drow of Zhah’s birthplace.

“I don’t know if there’s one telltale sign. I think there are many smaller ones which weave into a full tapestry.” Zhah rolled the arrow around between his fingers to calm himself.

The drider thought back to before the curse, to the secret relationships with likeminded men in Menzoberranzan. He had truly loved a select few of them, even when that was not done, even when that was foolish. It could never last.

Maybe he had always been an aberration.

Over in his spot, Imrae provided him with all the time he needed to put his answer into words.

This patience was one of the many, many things Zhah loved about this beautiful man. 

“You think about the person you love first thing when rousing and before you close your eyes to rest. You cannot imagine a future without them. You feel truly at ease in their presence.”

He had never said anything about his feelings. What would it change? They already had promised each other they would never be parted again. What more did he want?

“You want them to know the real you. You want them to be happy, even if it costs you.”

The mage nodded along, taking in the information. 

Zhah meant it.

Imrae deserved a lover who could give him everything, who could kiss and caress that fine face safely, not someone whose spittle and mind had been turned into poison.

Maybe it was just a question born from curiosity. Maybe it did not mean anything. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Maybe-

“I think I am in love with you.”

“I love you, too,” Zhah blurted out without further thought and much too loud, judging by the echo in their cavern.

Neither said a word for a few heartbeats as they stared at one another.

Imrae smiled after he, too, had assured himself that he had heard right.

It was Zhah who broke the silence with a choked chuckle, the feeling of relief driving tears to his eyes. “This changes everything and nothing at all, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, dearest,” Imrae responded as he walked over. “Are you alright?”

“I was frightened you were asking because of someone else.”

Imrae reached for Zhah’s hand, a slow, gentle motion. "Oh. Oh, no. My apologies for causing you distress. I wished to be certain before making any sort of declaration.”

Extending a leg, Zhah dropped the arrow still in his grasp and pulled his companion closer to feel the drow’s breath and heartbeat against his stomach. “It’s fine. We’re fine now. Can you say it again, please?”

“I love you, Zhah.”

A rush of pure joy surged through him. “I love you, too.”

“May I kiss you?”

The rush of joy ebbed. “Im…”

“I have an Elixir of Poison Resistance. We have antidote potions, just in case.” Imrae pulled a small bottle from the depths of his robes and looked up at him, that fearless curiosity which Zhah also loved shining in his eyes.

The mage had prepared for this, hadn’t he? He would use up an expensive elixir just to kiss him. Foolish. A foolish gesture that meant everything.

“But I will not push you,” Imrae said, mistaking Zhah’s silence for hesitance and discomfort.

The drider shook his head, another choked chuckle escaping him. “No. I want to try. I wanted to for a long time.”

Imrae nodded and swallowed the elixir without complaint. First, he planted a kiss on Zhah’s clawed hand, then his wrist, then he reached up to cup his face before he joined their lips together, gentle and undemanding.

Evil, ignorant tongues would call the mage chaste, shy, or prudish, would damn his lack of experience, call it a personal failing.

Zhah did not mind. Not one bit. He preferred someone lacking experience to someone lacking care any day.

Slowly opening his mouth, minding his deadly fangs, he deepened the kiss, his hands caressing Imrae’s shoulders. He, too, had to learn despite having been quite the expert once, and yet the effort felt like reclaiming a part of himself that he had thought lost for good.

When they separated, coming up for air, Zhah chuckled, this time without the heavy tightness in his throat. “This was perhaps the most expensive kiss I ever had.”

Imrae snorted in amusement. “But worth it?”