#arcanus fisticuffus

Overall:

Necromancer with a streak of fanaticism. She's called "Krustine, Mistress of Souls" in the mined dialogue, which... Ebony Dark'ness, eat your heart out.

Lots of references to decay and death. Definitely has a theme. Some religious terms during the blessing.

Not even the worms will want your carcass once I'm done with you!

I stitched you up just enough to keep you alive, then placed you within your crib - note the use of "crib" for pod

"that interrupts this consecration of the undying"

You are on sanctified ground.

It is not my blessing - I am merely a vessel for our Lord Myrkul's will.

Combos statements and orders with em dashes

I have no need for a thrall - you would merely get in the way

Go find Balthazar - he always has use for another body

Return to Balthazar - he may be able to correct your defects

Come - I will make better use of your bones than you do

Answer me - who are you?

Phrases

Tsk

Halt

And yet-

-, though?

By the Bone Lord/Bone Lord

How precious

This [statement], though [opposing statement], anyway

Surely

Why bother

I don't suppose

Let's ferry them

Swanning about

Beaten black and blue

It pains me

His shadow falls across you. Go forth and reap." - this is specifically used for the blessing, but Go forth and reap is too good to leave unmentioned

I did miss it - instead of "I missed it"

Cannot - doesn't seem to use any contractions

Insults:

Defective/defects

Poor, stupid thing

Compliments:

Arresting

Special one

Dear one - also says "dear General" in regards to Ketheric

Sweet one - a lot of "[compliment] one" in regards to Durge

Sweeter than

Curses: None

Placeholders: None

Misc:

Refers to thralls/corpses as "it", except once, when she uses "them"

Speaks much warmer to Durge than anyone else (most of the compliments are in response to Durge)

Recognizes Astarion as undead and calls him "pretty dead thing"

"Trying to pull rank? And yet not a word of concern for our dear General."

Lists observations and then the conclusion: General Thorm was attacked, the order to evacuate given. You should not be here. I conclude you are one of the attackers.

Durge Interactions (spoilers for Durge playthrough)

Excerpt:

"Hello!" Sal blurted. "Um, hello!"

Gale frowned at him. "Oh, you're Sal. The Zhentarim."

"What? Nooo, me? I'm not a—"

"The evidence implies the contrary. You're wearing their colors and your companions have winged serpent tattoos."

So did Sal, done by Vol like everyone else's, but he pissed her off the morning of so his looked less like a wyrm and more like a fuzzy worm. Worse, it piled on the back of his thigh and gave the impression he'd shat himself. Even worse, that wasn't Vol's doing, he just picked the worst design and placement possible.

Overall:

Zhentarim wizard found booby-trapping the surface entrance to a Zhentarim hideout in Waukeen's Rest. He is initially intimidated by the player character (he thinks they're a Fist) and tries to sneak up on them, but warms up quickly.

Sal is the demolitions expert, according to dev notes. Presumably he is the one who masterminds the oil and smokepowder around the Zhent hideout, and the one who is meant to detonate it (he readies firebolt if threatened)

The dev notes also describe him as starting off panicked, frantic, nervous, etc, the (once you're friends) as chummy, sheepish.

Also, there's cut/bugged content around him. If you save Rugan and do not take the shipment, Rugan was supposed to show up in act 3 and tell you the rest of the group was framed and hung for the kidnapping of Duke Ulder.

Doesn't want to fight/die:

'Little serpent, long shadow.' Don't want to die. 'Little serpent, long shadow.' Just say it! - says this if you read his mind before giving the passcode. Dev notes say, "Frantically repeating this over and over in his mind - it's a pass phrase he is repeating in his head, willing us to say it so he doesn't have to fight"

B-burn, bastard! Zarys! / ZARYS, HELP! - says if a fight breaks out. Dev notes here say, "Now he's panicking and setting off a detonation" and "Calling to his boss for protection like a child"

If the player character tells him to wait, he freezes and waits

According to the BG3 wiki, he doesn't become hostile if you fight the Zhents in the basement

Dev note: "Frightened and pretending not to be, hearing us out. He doesn't want to fight really."

Compartmentalizes:

Apologies for, er, trying to kill you before. (Dev notes say, "Sheepish - he tried to blow you up a minute before, but knows you're a friend now and is glad you survived")

You're a friend of the family now. Just as well I didn't blow you up, eh? (Dev notes say, "Chummy - he was ready to kill you just a few moments before but knows you're an ally now")

Gah, Helm's orbs. Thought you were Flaming Fist. (Dev notes say, "He goes from jumpy to relieved - we know the pass phrase so he won't have to get in a fight")

Still a criminal (noting because I'm so tempted to write him as secretly uwu good, haha)

The player character can show him a rouge hand-sign for "profit" and he recognizes it and trusts you

Dev notes: "Realising we're from a similar criminal organisation - trusting us slightly more, but only about as much as one thief ever trusts another"

Better to the fire than the Fist - dev notes say, "He's sad to be leaving valuables behind, but he knows he's going to burn them rather than give them over to a rival faction"

If you free Rugan from Zarys, Sal will say, "He's legging it! After him!"

Misc:

If you convince him to let you in to trade, he say, "I'm sure Zarys won't turn down a deal." He's wrong, she will turn it down if you don't persuade her.

Phrases:

ain't - "That ain't the pass phrase!" "Your timing ain't the best"

--, then

Right, look --

be about it

Let's say --

All right, --

--, didn't I?

--, I hope

Stupid thing to do sober.

Insults: None

Compliments:

Friends

Curses/Exclamations:

Bugger

Helm's orbs

Ilmater's broken bones - "What in Ilmater's broken bones are you doing here?"

Bloody

Placeholders:

Gah

er

Thank you for the requests!

23 - fic I wanted to write but didn't

Going Fezzerk :( the challenge it was for got put in hiatus literally the day the first section was to be released (Fezzerk is in the third section) and has yet to start up again. Sometimes I think about just finishing it up for myself but at the same time I love doing these shared things. I had a bunch of jokes and a bit of it written. I don't know what I'll do with it.

I also have a fic planned that I might get to next year, set post game. Basically, Zevlor and Tilses get roped into solving a series of murders tied together by one thing: all the victims are previous members of the Absolute's cult. It might finally wrap up a huge plot line from I Will Bury You In Diamonds, which was which tieflings got the other dolls that helped Guex get through the Shadow Cursed Lands? It might not, though, because the more I think about the murder mystery the harder it is to tie it to that plot, haha.

14 - fic I didn't expect to write

A Honeypot; A Thirst Trap (NSFW). I did it solely on a whim because I thought some people on a server were funny and wanted to make them laugh. I barely knew the characters, I hadn't written a ton of smut, it was big "senpai notice me" energy....and now the fic has several chapters!

12 - Fav character

Arg don't make me choose. Currently it's probably Lakrissa or Salazon. They're both kind of "fail" characters, Lakrissa because she's all talk no action and happy riding Alfira's coattails, Salazon because he's the most underfunded, unlucky criminal wizard to exist. While Lakrissa is actively trying to slack off, though, Sal is trying to get some respect.

Earlier this year, definitely Pandirna, Ikaron and Guex. I loved how the three played off each other (Pandirna as a hurt but healing character, Guex as a cheerfully proactive character, and Ikaron as a stoic and overwhelmed character. All three were principled and I loved exploring that.

And I really liked my OC, Thiamarz, who was a challenge to write but with who I got to explore some really fun smut.

Link to the list questions if people want to join in:

Overall:

Zhentarim rouge found inside of the hideout at Waukeen's rest.

Should Rugan and Olly survive the cave but the player character takes the cargo, Bellar tortures Olly to death, then tortures Rugan to send a message. The punishment is at Zarys's order (and she obviously doesn't interfere with him) but the dev notes say this about Olly's death: "Bellar is referring to a friend he 'had' to torture to death." I think this implies that Zarys was more about sending a message, but Bellar took it too far.

Also, there's cut/bugged content around him. If you save Rugan and do not take the shipment, Rugan was supposed to show up in act 3 and tell you the rest of the group was framed and hung for the kidnapping of Duke Ulder.

He doesn't have a lot of lines, so it was harder to establish speech patterns, but here's what I got:

Described as common, cheerfully violent, a "bit of a sociopath" and happy.

When he meets the player character, dev notes say he's "sizing you up"

If Zarys dies, he is described as dismayed and angry.

Uses knives (to torture Olly) and can coat his own weapon in Basic Poison during battle. He also wields a bow. He is ARMED.

Carries a lot of knives: "Belt-knife, check. Boot-knife, check. Jock-kni - argh!"

Jarg says he's going to "take Bellar for all he's worth. Soon as I win my dice back from him..." so presumably they gamble with each other and Bellar is pretty good at it

If you free Rugan from Zarys, Bellar will say, "He's legging it! After him!"

Unique githyanki line: "You look like a bad enemy to have - glad I won't have to find out."

Tends to drop leading words:

Pained me to cut on him like that

Don't know which I like less.

But it pays to be thorough.

Reckon I might actually miss this place.

See my handiwork? (note that he doesn't always drop the leading "You")

Phrases:

Swordhar - means leader, refers to Zarys as this 

"I've been wanting" - instead of "I have been" or "I wanted"

might actually

don't just 

cut on - when describing torture. Not "cut up" or "cut"

Insults: None

Compliments:

"Decent lad" - note that when Rugan uses lad, he also uses lass and one, so that could be used to build out this compliment

Nice sort

Curses:

Bloody

Helm's hanging orbs

Placeholders: None

Bellar doesn't have a lot of lines, so all of them are below the cut

In which the team continues to rag on Olly and Sal.

Olly said, "Well, I got her believing that you didn't shine the light in her eyes! Told her about how you're all, you know, shy and—"

"Thanks, Olly," said Sal.

"—sort of cowardly, honestly—"

"Thanks. Olly."

"—no bollocks to speak of—"

"Oh, thinking about my bollocks, are you?" Sal snapped.

Brem whipped around right as Vol and Jarg looked up. Brem said, "Olly, quit thinking about bollocks all the time!"

"I didn't!"

"Bad enough we can't leave you alone with the dogs," Vol growled.

"But I—"

"A right fucking pervert. Have to tell Zarys about this."

"I'll have to write to Darkhold," Brem said, his "see owt, say owt" status the worst kept secret.

"Sal's bollocks?" Jarg shook his head sadly. "Have some self respect, mate."

"No, Sal—" Olly tried again.

"Now, now," Karad said. "Don't be cruel to the lad."

Olly grinned in relief. "Thank you, Ka—"

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able to and see if there are any patterns!

I was tagged by @bloobluebloo! I'm going to tag @captainsigge, @redroomroaving and @lolliputian

Goblin Roundhouse Chell! (And Kavil) : "Hi, Chell," Kavil said, not even looking up from her picture novel.

When Life Gives you Lemons, Throw a Party! (NSFW) : The bouncer held up a magical glass, peering through it to examine Astarion.

A Honeypot; A Thirst Trap, chapter All for One; One for Oll (NSFW) : In the back of a canvas covered caravan, three men huddled together, doing their makeup. The first line for the entire fic: Her dress was torn, her bustier laced far too tight, and the heels of her shoes were too tall, and that was really the first clue, wasn't it?

Sweeter than Vengeance : "Is that—"

Arcanus Fisticuffus, chapter Philomeen : As people had done since they first started peopling, several traditions were established by the end of round two. First line for the entire fic: Sal awoke to Rugan sitting by his bed, wrapping his hand in bandages.

Gnomish Cumming (NSFW) : "Mystra, the goddess of magic, seeking single male, age 20-2000, bottom."

Three of a Four Course Meal : The denizens of Baldur's Gate were used to late nights, but at this point even the moons were heading to their beds over the horizon.

The Princess and the Frog : A bruise bloomed on Lae'zel's cheek, dark as the circles under Shadowheart's eyes.

Embers that Never Go Out : Around the time Elminster poured her a glass of wine and offered her a lip's worth of tabbaco-cud, Arabella got the feeling he hadn't really been around kids in a while.

The Circus Came to Town (NSFW) : Wyll slammed the clown against the tent wall so hard he nearly brought it down.

Analysis:

If it's smut, I definitely like to get RIGHT TO IT. No set up, Wyll is already slamming people against walls, Mystra is propositioning strangers, Rugan's noting a heaving bosom. I forgot how funny the opening to Gnomish Cumming was. "Bottom." I love the opening for Embers the Never Go Out, it perfect captures Arabella and Elminster's relationship. I also love the opening for Honeypot, it just captures the energy of the fic really well. Sweeter than Vengeance works better in context, same with The Princess and the Frog.