One of my favorite things about Astarionās story is that there is absolutely no push for Astarion to forgive or understand his abuser.Ā
Itās true that we get a small glimpse into Cazadorās past, where we learn that he was once a victim in the centuries-old cycle of vampirism and abuse, but thatās all. It serves its purpose as showing that vampirism is a trap and warning of what can happen to Astarion if he goes through with the ritual, but does not excuse Cazadorās actions or go out of the way to make us feel sorry for him. The player may feel some sympathy for Cazador or they may not. None of the companions express any sympathy for him, Astarion doesnāt waver in his resolve to destroy Cazador despite learning of his past, and there are no options from the player to push any understanding or forgiveness on him.
Honestly, I find this refreshing. Getting a little personal here, but experiencing generational trauma both in my family and with my partnerās own horribly abusive dad, weāve been told āoh, they didnāt know any betterā, āthey were abused tooā, āyou have to forgive themā, etc., more times than I can count, but the fact remains that even though our āCazadorsā were victims, theyāve moved on to causing pain themselves and have shown no genuine remorse. The game accurately shows that there is a point where a victim becomes a perpetrator and can become beyond redemption. I love that Astarionās end of breaking the cycle does not include him forgiving or feeling sorry for Cazador, but with catharsis and closure that many survivors donāt get in real life.
Iāll end this little ramble with a screenshot from an interview with Neil in which I appreciate his take on this topic. Link to full interview here (try to overlook the typos in Astarion's name, lol).Ā And with a GIF of one of my favorite moments in any media, ever.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Ravenloft is a gothic horror setting in Dungeons & Dragons centered around the vampire Strahd von Zarovich and set in the land of Barovia. The setting takes its name from Castle Ravenloft, Strahd's castle overlooking the valley.
All of this exists within the Plane of Shadow, also known as the Shadowfell, created by the goddess Shar.
The Shadowfell contains its own demiplanes.
Barovia is one such demiplane - a Domain of Dread, created by the Dark Powers.
People from Faerƻn can be drawn into this place if the Mists will it.
The first mention of Barovia in BG3 is right in the character editor.
Piercing Style: Barovia Fangs
This article covers every reference to the Ravenloft setting in Baldur's Gate 3 that I could find.
Contents:
ā The Way to Barovia
ā Who Has Been to Barovia?
ā References in Baldur's Gate 3
- Character Dialogue
- Books
- Vistani Ā· Gur people
- Weapons
The second part examines a likely Ravenloft Easter egg. Identifying it requires comparing the transformation of a mortal into a vampire in Forgotten Realms lore, Baldur's Gate 3, and Ravenloft.
This will be a detailed analysis, including an overview of how vampire lore has evolved throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons.
The Way to Barovia
The Mists - and the few who know their hidden paths - are what connect the Forgotten Realms to Barovia. This passage can appear anywhere.
Once, the Mists revealed a way to Barovia near the Misty Forest, close to Daggerford.
Werewolves began appearing in the surrounding villages, leaving destruction in their wake.
This serves as one of the official adventure hooks in Curse of Strahd, released on March 15, 2016.
Following the werewolves' trail, the characters enter the Misty Forest, where the Mists envelop them and carry them into Barovia.
This location lies approximately 420 km (260 miles) from Baldurās Gate.
For comparison, the distance from London to Edinburgh is about 530 km. A closer equivalent would be the distance from central London to Dublin - around 460 km.
Who Has Been to Barovia?
Once, some of the heroes we meet in BG3 have visited Barovia
The Heroes of Baldur's Gate - adventuring company, including Minsc, were trapped in the Demiplane of Dread.
Their adventure is told in Shadows of the Vampire a series of Dungeons & Dragons comic book.
MINSC AND BOO ARE BACK and things have never looked more dire, as mysterious forces draw the legendary ranger and his crew of adventurers to RAVENLOFT, the Realm of Terrorā¦ where they find themselves face to face with undead horrors in the land of eternal night!
Released: May 2016 - October 2016
Travel Talk: Ravenloft
A visit to Barovia by Volothamp Geddarm (as told to, and set down by, long-suffering scribe Ed Greenwood).
Elminster Aumar is also mentioned, having prepared Volo for the journeyand gave him a way back to Faerƻn.
Dragon+Ā issue 6
Released: February 18, 2016
Review of Contents
Dragon+ - an official digital magazine featuring lore, interviews, and short articles. Was published from 2015 to 2022
References in Baldur's Gate 3
Astarion mentions Strahd von Zarovich
As far as we know, Astarion never visited Barovia, yet he certainly knows of Strahd von Zarovich.
He casually drops Strahd's name if the player clicks on his portrait too many times. Strahd would hardly tolerate such incessant poking, so be grateful for Astarion's patience.
The second mention of Strahd was probably in the book:
"The True and Impossible Adventures of Tenebrux Morrow, Vol. 3"
The adventures of Tenebrux Morrow, who visited Barovia and met a man, who appeared as a shadow, whose teeth did not prevent him from being an excellent storyteller.
The Vistani are the ones who know the paths leading to Barovia best.
The Gur people are considered the Faerƻnian equivalent of the Vistani.
DDAL4-01 Suits of the Mists (5e)
The Darklord D&D Adventurers League by Greg Marks, July 5 2016
There was some information like that in an earlier adventure:
DDAL04-04 The Marionette (5e)
The Marionette D&D Adventurers League by Robert Alaniz, April 5 2016
The Gur may consider themselves distinct from the Vistani.
But in the adventure "The Darklord", they are referred to as equivalents, and Sybil is already called Vistani.
There are differences between them. But apparently, they aren't that significant for the canon, considering that she's called by both names.
The Vistani have an innate, supernatural connection to the Mists. This manifests as their ability to travel freely between domains, as well as their affinity for prophecy and curse-based magic.
The Gur, as a people of Faerƻn, do not share this innate bond. Their mystical practices are cultural in nature, and the presence of magical ability depends entirely on the individual.
Sibyl possessed second sight, which became significantly stronger after she entered Barovia. Canonically, it is not definitively known whether this is connected to her being Gur.
She also has a tougher time finding her path through the mist.
Once, the Vistani were spotted near Daggerford, located close to the Misty Forest.
Curse Of Strahd, p. 19
Released: March 15, 2016
Mentions of Vistani in BG3
"A Modest Guide to Sword Coast Wine"
A sommelier's guide to wines found along the Sword Coast. It extols the virtues of Berduskan Dark and Arabellan Dry, the sinuous fruity flavours of ruby-red Elverquisst, the throat-slamming notes of Red Dragon Crush snatched from the hands of charming Vistani tradesfolk, Thayan vintages as richly hued as the robes of their Red Wizards, pale Saerloonian Glowfire, and it praises these with the same vigour that it declaims the inferior mulled wines such as Zzar and Daggerford Clarry, which the author claims are as suitably for consumption as 'bugbear taint.'
Red Dragon Crush is a wine from Barovia.
The wine was rated as superior and mentioned several times as a fine wine.
Curse Of Strahd p. 173
Notes on the Gur people in BG3
"The Approachable East, Vol. 3" and "Chronicles of the Gur People"
Ravenloft is referenced through weapons
Hellrider Longbow
This longbow was forged from the remnants of Stanislav the Silver's shield, found near the wreckage ofĀ āÆCastle RavenloftĀ some years ago.
The Impaler
The Spear wasn't in the final release. It can only be added via a mod or Script Extender.
This impaling pole of enchanted steel was commissioned as part of a set by Strahd von Zarovich, who presented the weapons to his honour guard one cold morning.
A reference to vampire rituals
The player character's unique in-game vampiric transformation, rather than the standard creation of a vampire spawn, prompted a search for deeper vampire lore in D&D.
The most intriguing reference is the popular explanation of this transformation known as the Bride Theory.
The Astarion fandom recognized these parallels long ago. Here is one of the earliest shorts, posted in October 2023, if you'd like to take a quick look.
Identifying this reference requires a closer look at where the story deviates from DnD5 lore and where it instead mirrors older vampire lore.
Unlike the references above, this is not a direct mention of a name or place, but a difference in how events unfold, requiring a more detailed analysis.
I'll refer to the player character as PC and Tav, this also applies to Dark Urge.
The total length of the article, including numerous citations, is 35 pages. And that's the biggest part. This is a huge collection of vampire lore. You have been warned.
This theory rests on two main pillars.
First, the character's transformation differs markedly from both D&D 5e Forgotten Realms lore and the internal canon of BG3 - the lore of Vampires in Toril.
This will be analyzed in Part 1.
This part includes a section on Astarion, whose behavior and dialogue provide information about player's character vampirism.
Second, it shares notable similarities with the process of creating a vampire bride or groom in older FR and Ravenloft lore - the lore of vampires linked to Domain of Dread.
This will be analyzed in Part 2.
Part 1.
Forgotten Realms DnD5 and BG3: Turning a Mortal into a Vampire
The vampire is one of the earliest monsters in D&D. Its first mention dates back to 1974 in the Dungeons & Dragons "White Box" set.
The first in-depth vampire rules, including the process of transformation, debuted in the Monster Manual (1977, 1st edition, p. 99)
Any human or humanoid drained of all life energy by a vampire becomes on appropriately sirengthed vampire under control of its slayer. This transformation lakes place I day after the creature is buried, but if and only if the creature is buried.
Like the vampires themselves, the part about burial is a classic step in the transformation into a vampire, taken from real-world folklore.
The process of turning a mortal into a vampire spawn, and a spawn into a true vampire, is described in the D&D 5th Edition rules upon which Baldur's Gate 3 was built.
The official D&D Beyond article "Playing As a Vampire in D&D" describes this in great detail.
Monster Manual 5e, 2014
Sep 30, 2014
Vampires p. 295-298
Strahd von Zarovich and his backstory are referenced in the MM.
Monster Manual 5.5e
18 Feb, 2025
Vampires p.314-318
In this MM there is a quote from Astarion.
Several core elements of the transformation process remain consistent across the various editions.
Each step will be examined separately and compared with Baldur's Gate 3:
The vampire kills the mortal.
The body is buried in a grave or beneath the earth.
The newly created vampire spawn awakens at the following sunset.
The vampire spawn is completely under the control of its creator.
The creator's blood transforms the spawn into a true vampire.
Burying underground and remain in the grave until the following sunset
How buried do you have to be? Six feet deep? What about one foot deep? Does mud count? Do you need a coffin?
TL;DR,Ā the next step to vamping out is getting buried under at least one foot of soil and left to marinate for 24 hours.
DnD Beyond article
This step has been consistently described in every new edition of the MM.
Astarion describes his own transformation into a vampire few times, mentioning being buried.
We'll find out where his grave is and go take a look, and then we have other important things to do with Astarion.
Astarion:Ā Nearly two hundred years and I never came back. Not since the night I woke up down there.
Astarion:Ā I had to punch a hole in the coffin and claw my way through six feet of dirt.
\CAMP_Astarion_SD_ROM_BlackMassAftermath
Romance scene Ascended Astarion
The Beginning of Tav's Transformation
Scene occurs entirely indoors. It concludes with Astarion drinking from Tav, followed by a fade to black. The next shot shows Tav waking up in camp during daylight.
Tavās transformation began at night, but the game does not specify the exact time they woke up.
There is no mention of burial at all.
Tav never comments on having been buried.
The burial is absent.
The character does not rise from a grave or from the ground.
Under standard D&D rules, this step is required for a creature to become a vampire spawn.
What can be done about this inconsistency with the rules?
Here are three possible approaches:
1 - Future canon clarification - It will be stated that the burial did occur off-screen. In this version, Astarion dug them up shortly before they woke up. Tav has no memory of the burial process itself (or doesn't really care). Astarion carefully removed any traces of dirt, wiped Tav down with a damp cloth if needed, and placed them in a clean bed.
The time of their awakening will also be clarified as sunset.
2 - Rewrite the scene - Tav remembers the entire process and can comment on it. The time will also be specified.
3 - Official explanation - It will be confirmed and explained why burial was not necessary for Tavās specific transformation.
The exact time of their rising will also be treated as unimportant.
Transformation of body and mind - Dark Desires
The vampire completely takes the personās life - both their body and their mind. Upon awakening as undead, the victimās body and consciousness are transformed, along with their entire perception of the world.
A vampireās consciousness is reborn with new Dark Desires. These Dark Desires are common to all vampires, as they are an inherent part of the vampiric curse.
The fact that vampirism may affect vampire spawn to a lesser degree is not specified in the lore.
This is described in the general "Vampires" chapter of the 5E Monster Manual, which covers the traits of both vampire spawn and true vampires together.
Dark Desires are not exclusive to true vampires.
Looking at past lore, vampire spawn have always embodied these Dark Desires - they are arrogant, power-hungry, and corrupt. Their evil alignment is intrinsic, unlike drow, whose alignment now depends entirely on the individual.
Evil is the very nature of anyone with vampirism.
Only Slight Pain Mentioned - Pleasure is Emphasized
The process of becoming a vampire is inherently painful, as it involves the vampire depriving the victim of their life force or draining their blood, and killing them with a fatal bite.
In BG3, Astarion describes his own as painful.
The player learns this if they talk to him about accepting an astral tadpole.
Astarion: I remember how it hurt when I turned to a vampire. My body writhed and warped while I was utterly helpless, the grip of death owned my heart as it beat its last.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartialCeremorph
The wording and context of the conversation make it clear that Astarion is referring to the transformation process itself. While being bitten and killed by Cazador was undoubtedly agonizing, the line - "My body writhed and warped" directly refers to the changes of becoming a vampire, not just the act of being murdered.
Astarion remembers the event clearly, and it was very painful.
In contrast, Astarion describes Tavās transformation as a mix of pleasure and delirium. He states that it begins with a bit of pain, it is soon overtaken by pleasure far greater than the pain.
Astarion:Ā Tonight, I shall drink every drop of your blood.
Own your body, kill your mind. It will only hurt a bit, the pleasure will be far greater than the pain.
\CAMP_Astarion_SD_ROM_BlackMassAftermath
Player:Ā What exactlyĀ happened?
Astarion:Ā You were drained dry, and at the height of your delirium, I granted youĀ one dropĀ of my own blood.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_BlackMassFollowUp
Astarion is in a particularly florid mood here, choosing an unusually elaborate word.
Delirium can be used as a medical term describing a specific state of acute confusion. The term was introduced into medical literature by the 1st-century Roman encyclopedist and today refers to an altered mental state associated with trauma, intoxication, withdrawal, or neurocognitive disorders.
Outside of its medical meaning, the word takes on more free meanings.
Delirium
Dictionaries define it as violent excitement, a state of wildly excited activity or emotion, aĀ stateĀ ofĀ extremeĀ excitementĀ orĀ happiness
"ā¦ he would stride about his room in aĀ deliriumĀ of joy". - Thomas Wolfe
āThe thrill, the madĀ deliriumĀ of being free is beyond description.ā
In the case of Astarion, the general definition applies
Astarion previously described the process as a great pleasure.
Among the synonyms of delirium in its ordinary sense are passion, ecstasy, and euphoria.
Looking at Tavās question, it can be assumed that they do not remember the pleasure - or the pain.
If the pain had been intense and clearly remembered, the question would likely not have carried such an uncertain tone.
The way the question is phrased also suggests that Tav doesnāt remember the event very well, which is why Astarion decides to describe the process.
However, Tav may remember, but they still want to know exact details of what happened while still retaining their memory of the event.
Astarionās response appears to confirm that what he describes matches what Tav experienced, leaving no further questions.
This aspect of the pain and pleasure of the turning is not fully explored in D&D.
D&D rules do not specify whether the mortal experiences pain during the act of becoming a vampire spawn itself. Or while the person lies in the grave.
What is mentioned is the pain and agony of hunger that the newly risen immortal feels upon awakening.
While older vampire lore may provide some answers, D&D 5.5 has not explored these aspects in depth. In contrast to the clearly defined part of the burial.
The fact: in lore is no mention at all of pleasure in the ordinary process of transformation.
These unique aspects of Tavās transformation are immediately noticeable. It is worth remembering, as these points will serve as an addition to a broader topic, further confirming how unusual the events in question are.
The more noteworthy element is blood, which holds huge significance for vampires - especially the blood of a creator in relation to their creation.
The rule allowing a vampire spawn to become a true vampire by drinking its creator's blood was first introduced in the 2014 Monster Manual (5e).
IfĀ aĀ trueĀ vampireĀ allowsĀ aĀ spawnĀ toĀ drawĀ bloodĀ fromĀ itsĀ ownĀ body,Ā theĀ spawnĀ transformsĀ intoĀ aĀ trueĀ vampireĀ noĀ longerĀ underĀ itsĀ master'sĀ control. FewĀ vampiresĀ are willing to relinquish theirĀ controlĀ in this manner.
True vampires do not give their blood to vampire spawn. Astarion mentions this in Act 1.
Player:Ā How does someone become a vampire, exactly?
Astarion:Ā It's simple. Just find a vampire that will drink your blood and turn you into a vampire spawn: their obedient puppet.
Astarion:Ā In theory, the next step is to drink their blood. Once you've done that, you're free and a true vampire.
.
Player:Ā So they bite you, you bite them?
Astarion:Ā Yes and no. The problem is once you're a vampire spawn, they completely control you. They have toĀ allowĀ you to bite them.
Astarion:Ā And why would they do that? Vampires are power-hungry creatures. They won't lose a servant to create a competitor.
Astarion:Ā Trust me. It doesn't happen.
.
Player:Ā You'd have to drink Cazador's blood to be free?
Astarion:Ā Free and a true vampire, capable of creating my own coven? Yes.
Astarion:Ā Although I'd settle for just killing the bastard. I wouldn't be a 'true' vampire, but I'd be free of him.
\Astarion_InParty2
Notice the way he emphasizes it and clarification:
Will you be free? -> Free and a true vampire with his own coven.
The problem is that true vampires control their vampire spawn. Astarion was unable not only to harm Cazador, but also to drink the blood of thinking creatures. Only if Cazador had allowed it could Astarion have drunk his blood and become a true vampire.
With the tadpole, however, the master's control over his vampire spawn was broken - an unprecedented situation for vampires.
Astarion can now drink the blood of thinking creatures. He can harm Cazador. He can drink Cazador's blood.
He no longer needs his master's permission.
Drink Cazador's blood ā Become free and a true vampire.
The developers use italics for emphasis - one drop. Italics serve multiple purposes: emotional focus, highlighting key words, drawing attention to narrative emphasis, and signaling elements the player is meant to notice.
In the PC's line, the word "happened" is also italicized. So there are two words in italics: happened ā one drop
In Patch 8, when the line "my own blood" is spoken, the camera zooms in for a close-up of the face, which also emphasizes the moment.
Player:Ā What exactlyĀ happened?
Astarion:Ā You were drained dry, and at the height of your delirium, I granted youĀ one dropĀ of my own blood.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_BlackMassFollowUp
Why did Astarion give Tav a drop of his own blood? It isnāt necessary to create a vampire spawn.
The following line offers explanation - that this was a way to pass on Mephistophelesā blessing.
Astarion:Ā Things will be a touch different for you than they were for me when I was a spawn.
Astarion:Ā I'm imbibed with unfathomable new talents. I am fairly certain I can extend Mephistopheles' blessings unto you.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_BlackMassFollowUp
The effect of the blood on the character is unambiguous: there is no sun burning after the tadpole is removed.
Tav still eats normal food, does not recall sanguine hunger, and reflects in mirrors - things that Astarion, as a vampire spawn, still experiences despite the tadpole.
Among the manifestations of vampirism, the character gains a vampire bite. Companions note changes in appearance. Certain hazards that do not affect undead creatures have no effect on the Tav.
Another point regarding blood:
Player:Ā Will you still drink my blood?
Astarion:Ā Of course I will, and you'll drink mine. I can't wait to taste your lips after you've tasted me.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartneredWithAstarion
Astarion casually says that they will drink each otherās blood.
There is an interpretation/homebrew reading of this rule.
A vampire spawn may drink the blood of the creator vampire while remaining a spawn. In this case, the vampire allows the vampire spawn to drink their blood, while their will prevents the vampire spawn from turning into a true vampire. This becomes an act of feeding and enjoyment.
There is no confirmation of this interpretation in canon.
There is no information that vampire spawn can drink offered blood from their creator while remaining spawn, either during the transformation or afterward.
In lore, drinking the vampire creatorās blood by their creation is possible in limited cases.
First, in the Forgotten Realms DnD5e, is the transformation of a vampire spawn into a true vampire.
The amount of blood is not specified.
This is the only new confirmed lore DnD5 at the moment.
The Rule of Blood is explained in greater detail in this article.
Vampires have different reasons for refusing to grant true vampirism.
Likewise, lore offers various reasons for sharing their blood: as a reward or out of remembrance of a loved one from mortal life.
They are individuals with their own distinct personalities.
As the older lore put it, what is acceptable to one vampire may be completely unacceptable to another. That perspective remains true in D&D 5e as well.
All vampires begin their journey under the control of the vampire who sired them. However, if a vampire lets their progeny drink blood from their own body, their spawn will be given free will. Very few vampires choose to give up control of their spawn like this, and for good reason. Most vampires are control freaks, and see their spawn as mere extensions of their will. But other, more ethical vampires may exert this control to reign in their fledgling spawnās blood lust, choosing to free their spawn once they understand the subtle and dangerous line they must walk between the living and the dead.
Note the wording here is very specific; the true vampire mustĀ allowĀ their spawn to draw and drink their blood in order toĀ relinquishĀ their control over them in that manner.
The only other way a vampire spawn can achieve free will is if their master dies. So if youāre playing a vampire spawn, and you want out from under the thumb of your master, you need to either find a way to kill them (good luck, considering they have total control over you) or somehow convince them to give up their control over you. This is no easy feat.
If you are playing a vampire that has agency, you and/or your DM should have a clear reason as to why you were granted such a gift by your creator. Maybe you reminded them of a loved one from their mortal life, or perhaps you carried out a deed for them and were granted this as a reward.
By agreeing to give their blood, the vampire is already agreeing to the transformation, blood is the key to becoming a true vampire.
To do that, he would have needed permission to approach and take the key. Astarion, with the tadpole, doesn't need that permission.
This is why he talks about becoming a true vampire in Act 1.
Later, his focus shifts.
There's also no mention that anything went wrong with true vampirism. Unfortunately, the topic is never brought up again.
Moreover, Astarion never talks about becoming human again at all.
It's a pity that the subject of true vampirism is never explored further game content.
It is possible that the true vampirism in Astarion's story will be explored in greater detail in future canon - whether in prequels, sequels, or other supplementary content.
If any future material provides information significant enough to warrant inclusion, a link to it will be added here.
Additionally, Ed Greenwood shared information about blood and how one can become a true vampire during one of his BG3 streams - 1:37:02
A vampire spawn can become a true vampire if their master dies. It is a difficult task that requires magic and luck, but it is possible.
They can only turn into true vampires if their master allows them to drink their blood - normally.
There are many other ways they can become a true vampire, particularly if the master dies. They'll have to use those other ways, but they're not easy. They have to go do stuff and find people and get magic. It's not easy.
This would be the kind of adventure that would be interesting to see with Astarion if he never became an ascended vampire.
To sum up:
Under the rules, only and specifically blood is already stated as the trigger for transformation.
Permission to drink the blood - not permission to become a true vampire.
And the blood that a vampire spawn normally cannot obtain without permission.
If the vampire-creatorās intent regarding the outcome of blood drinking were required for turning a vampire spawn into a true vampire, it would have been explicitly stated in the rules as an important part of the lore.
With this clarification, the focus of the rule shifted from blood to intent regarding the outcome - so without intent, blood means nothing to true vampirism.
At present, no such clarification exists.
Even the smallest drop - from the little finger, taken with the finest needle in Baldurās Gate, given by the creator to their vampire spawn - would turn them into a true vampire.
Astarion allows the player character to drink his blood.
According to these rules, the player character is a true vampire
As you can see, blood is quite a topic when it comes to vampires. The developers of Baldurās Gate 3 further emphasize this.
So what is happening in the canon of Baldurās Gate 3?
If this transformation was Larianās homebrew, it should have been explained more clearly - through notes or in a conversation with Gale.
Since Astarion is now an official D&D Forgotten Realms character, the unusual way he turns Tav could be addressed in future canon. It may be explained, reworked, or expanded to better fit established D&D rules.
In the game Tav is repeatedly called vampire spawn by Astarion and other characters.
Astarionās behavior in certain situations can serve as indirect hints about the true nature of Tavās vampirism.
This section is intended to illustrate how strongly motivated Astarion may be to withhold true vampirism from Tav and to keep certain aspects of it hidden from them.
Astarion is a character who frequently lies and manipulates, his reactions and behavior can vary significantly depending on the circumstances. Tavās own responses, questions, and the overall context of the conversation also have considerable variability.
This section is quite variable-dependent and contains many branching details, which does not perfectly align with the style of an article focused on core lore comparisons and references. Therefore, only the main conclusions will be presented here.
ā Astarion refers to Tavās transformation as becoming his vampire spawn.
ā Astarion views Tavās vampirism primarily as a way for them to be together forever. Tav was his forever, and with him, together.
Astarion:Ā That's what you want, isn't it? To be mine? Forever?
.
Astarion:Ā We could be together for eternity, ruling this world side by side. We could have it all.
.
Player:Ā What if I don't want forever?
Astarion:Ā What's not to want? We could be together for all time.
Player:Ā I don't want this after all.
Astarion:Ā It seems I misjudged you. I thought we might have a future together - even an eternity - but perhaps you're not worthy.
Astarion:Ā So. What's it to be, darling? Is this it?
Player:Ā I hope we can work things out and stay together.
Astarion:Ā Of course we can. You're the one that I want - the one that I love.
Astarion:Ā And you could be so much more, if you want it. One little bite and you could be mine forever.
\CAMP_Astarion_SD_ROM_BlackMassAftermath
Astarion:Ā Aeterna amantes.Ā Lovers forever, until the world falls down.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartneredWithAstarion
Astarion:Ā You can't want to go already. Enjoy tonight, celebrate with our sweet friends.
Astarion:Ā And when you're done, we can get back to enjoying forever together.
\EPI_Epilogue_Astarion_Lord
Astarion:Ā Then we'll do it tonight. And come the morning, we will be together forever.
\END_GameFinale_ROM_RomanceFates_Astarion
ā Astarion consistently states that becoming a true vampire will only happen with time.
Player:Ā Spawn? I want to be a true vampire.
Astarion:Ā And you will! All in good time.
Astarion:Ā But we mustn't rush these things. You may need time to adjust.
\CAMP_Astarion_SD_ROM_BlackMassAftermath
When the transformation scene is skipped, the final devnote indicates that Astarion has no plans to turn Tav into a true vampire in the near future.
Player:Ā I want to live forever. Make me a vampire.
Astarion:Ā My sweet, I thought you'd never ask.
Astarion:Ā Of course, you will be a spawn before you can become a true vampire, but that's a small detail.
Player:Ā And you promise you'll make me a full vampire soon?
Astarion:Ā My darling, of course! I want nothing more. devnote [NodeContext: overly sincere - he doesn't really mean it]
\END_GameFinale_ROM_RomanceFates_Astarion
ā In-game tags
ORI_Astarion_Event_TurnIntoSpawn
The tag first appears during the transformation scene, right before the screen fades to black, on the narratorās line:
"As he drinks more and more, you feel yourself fading from consciousness. When you wake again, you will be his forever more".
The tag later appears in the following situations:
During Karlach's conversation, when she bluntly suggests that Astarion might need to be killed. The tag is attached to a line where the player character responds protectively toward Astarion.
In the ending, where Astarion describes himself and his lover as the most powerful people in the world.
If the turning scene was skipped and the PC chooses to become a vampire in the ending.
Astarion_InParty_Asked_BecameConsort
Its description also states that the PC has become a vampire spawn
ā Astarion's vampiric control over Tav is never shown in the game.
Only his emotional influence and persuasion.
Even if Tav chooses to become an illithid, Astarion never attempts to control them. Astarion strongly asks them listen to him and abandon this decision. I have a separate analysis for this part, including his body language.
Cazador actively attempts to control Astarion despite the tadpole in his head. He stops Astarion's raised fist, reminding him that he is his creator. While there are reasons to believe this could simply be magic, the context of the conversation strongly suggests that it is vampiric control.
ā Devnote in Karlach Origin during the transformation scene:
Player:Ā Be careful, Astarion. My engine is runningĀ soĀ hot. I won't be able to control it.
Astarion:Ā Hush love, it's all right. You don't have to worry.
Astarion:Ā Forget about your engine. Forget about control. I'll take care ofĀ everything. devnote [NodeContext: trying to reassure Karlach, while thinking of how he's going to have control of her soon]
This line appears only in Karlach's Origin.
When the transformation fails, it reminds Astarion that he is still powerless in this regard, even now. The failure triggers his anger in a way that close to his reaction to Karlach in Act 1, when he didn't know what to do with her and lashed out by blaming her instead.
If the this scene is skipped, Astarion goes to Avernus with Karlach in the ending to help her repair her engine.
This route also has its own unique epilogue while their romance remains intact.
This ending path is fairly difficult to access, I believe.
It was planned for Karlach's Origin from Realese and was fully implemented in Patch 5.
Astarion:Ā And? Enjoying our little break from the Hells?
Player:Ā Somewhat, but I'm itching to get back.
Astarion:Ā An understandable urge. This place is dull by comparison, but...
Astarion:Ā I admit, I do miss the luxuries of this plane. What I wouldn't give for a silk bed...
Astarion:Ā But don't fear, we'll have that engine of yours fixed before you know it. And then we can return in all our glory.
\EPI_Epilogue_Astarion_Lord
The next point directly undermines the interpretation that Astarion performs the transformation in order to gain control over Karlach\Tav.
No one who is obsessed with controlling someone would actively help them obtain the most powerful weapon imaginable - and then celebrate when they succeed.
No one, and not Astarian either.
Given this, "have control of her" here likely leans closer to "I'll finally be able to hold her, touch her, without fear", help relieve the affliction she herself can't control - control in the sense of physically handling her body, not control in the sense of power over her decisions or personhood.
ā Vampiric control over Tav is not what Astarion is interested in
Any supposed desire for vampiric control over Tav would become irrelevant the moment Tav takes the power of the Absolute for themselves - something Astarion actively encourages.
He is confident that they are on the same side and that they will remain together. Control over Tav is not the primary cause why Astarion delays, or has no intention of granting Tav true vampirism.
Astarion brings up control of the Absolute during discussions about Tav's vampirism because that is what he envisions for their future. It reflects his intentions for the life he plans to share with Tav, one in which controlling them holds no significance for him.
Player:Ā The tadpole complicates things.
Astarion:Ā Exactly what symptoms of vampirism are going to manifest in you... well, we'll have to see what hand the tadpole has in suppressing them, when we wrangle it under our command.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_BlackMassFollowUp
This has been present since release. The Absolute ending was later expanded, and the script describing Lord Astarion's thoughts can also be found here.
"VOContext" [Vampire Lord Astarion]
"logicalname" "ASTARION EVIL ROMANCE"
[Vampire Lord Astarion] The avatar just kissed you. You're marvelling at the big, evil future you two have ahead of you.
ā Hierarchy
Another possible motivation is Astarion's desire to keep Tav/Durge as a vampire spawn in order to remain above them in the hierarchy.
Astarion clearly enjoys being the one in charge, and the Ascended ending makes that aspect of his personality especially apparent.
At the same time, the player's possession of the Absolute's power blurs any traditional vampire hierarchy to a significant degree. Not that Astarion seems particularly concerned about that.
ā A breakup is a painful for Astarion in every ending
Spawn Astarion, who has been waiting for confirmation of the relationship, breaks down, devaluing his path of redemption as a sacrifice made for Tav.
If seven thousand vampire spawns are free, he threatens Tav with their hungry mouths if Tav decides to approach him.
If the relationship is confirmed, Astarion admits that he does not want to let go of the love he has found. Tthis is clearly shown in another ending where he has the option to do so.
For Spawn Astarion, the ending's breakup branch is ignored despite the romance and the important graveyard scene with Tav.
Astarion in the Ascension path has already received consent for an eternal future together. There is no uncertainty for him about what they are to each other or their shared future, he thinks only about how they will spend their time.
If Tav, now a vampire, attempts to break up with him, they remain with Astarion. When that future falls apart, Astarion reacts with rage, clinging to Tav.
In a continuation of the branch where Tav wants to breakup, Astarion sulks in the epilogue.
Astarion's desire to avoid losing someone is understandable, as is his emotional breakdown. He only truly displays it during the breakup and in the ending, after Tav/Du has already agreed to spend eternity with him.
His breakdown in both endings has understandable motivations, but at the same time it reveals some of his most selfish and dangerous traits as a vampire.
In a playthrough where the goal of Tav not to breakup, but to remain together, the dynamic becomes much more beneficial for their vampire pair.
This applies to Tav's decision to break up in both endings. If it happens after the final romance scenes, it essentially breaks the narrative and becomes an "What ifā¦?" scenario. Even so, Astarion's reaction is hardly surprising.
The central narrative of Astarion's romance, as written in its concluding scene, is consent and mutual vampire love.
The breakup, along with Astarion's perception of Tav's vampirism as a "forever together" bond and the painful way he reacts to its rejection, is the only truly significant point that can be used to infer what kind of vampirism Tav has.
There are several branches in which Tav - mortal or vampire - can still leave Astarion:
Breaking up before the ending at any point remains a breakup.
PC can leave for Avernus to help Karlach.
PC can join the githyanki war.
Player:Ā I'm sorry I kind of disappeared. I didn't mean to leave you like that.
Astarion:Ā Oh my dear, you didn't leave me - I let you go.
Astarion:Ā If I'd wanted you to stay I only had to say the word and you would have been back by my side. But I'm not some controlling monster.
Astarion:Ā I wanted to give you space to see what else is out there, make your own mistakes, and return to me ready to fully appreciate our life together.
Astarion:Ā Anyway, I have had more than enough to keep me busy while you were off gallivanting in another plane.
\EPI_Epilogue_Astarion_Lord
Astarion does not show the same painful reaction in these branches.
In other words, Tav can still leave.
This changes only in the ending-breakup branch.
There are several reasons for this.
1. Astarion's character
Exercising control over Tav is the last thing Astarion wants.
His active encouragement for Tav to claim the Absolute's power, along with many other moments, demonstrates this.
Essentially giving up whatever influence he has over them.
He places complete trust in Tav, believing they will walk this path together.
For Astarion, this represents enormous character growth. For years, he trusted no one. "Trust no one" is a general Astarion line in the game.
His wound around trust is immense. Yet he entrusts Tav with unimaginable power and chooses to stand beside them.
Astarion wants Tav to choose him and come to him of their own free will. Tav already did so on the night of the turning, when they agreed to be together forever.
Astarion speaks of granting Tav true vampirism as something that will happen in the future. Likely once he is convinced that Tav genuinely intends to share eternity with him.
One possible reason for this decision is that they still know very little about each other. By that point, they have probably only been together for around three months.
I don't think we know Astarion, his personality. This is especially true now that he has gone from a life defined by constant limitations to one of complete freedom.
We have never really seen what Astarion is like without restrictions and vulnerabilities. The closest glimpse we have of that is his life as a magistrate - and o, my.
Astarion said that he expected Tav to leave him rather than burden themselves with his problems. He believed he had nothing to offer them.
Player:Ā Whatever is between us, we need to end it.
Astarion:Ā I - I can hardly blame you. I don't exactly have much to offer right now, beyond new burdens to carry.
Player:Ā You aren't really ready to have a partner.
Astarion:Ā Would I were. It's true, you don't deserve this facade any longer.
Player:Ā This just isn't what I wanted, when we first slept together.
Astarion:Ā I was beginning to believe someone truly wanted me. But I shouldn't have deluded myself.
Astarion:Ā From the start, I was rather counting the hours until it was going to end. Midnight chimes, eh?
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartneredWithAstarion
Another reason for his anger during the breakup is that Tav is not only overturning a deeply important bond they had both willingly agreed to, but also returning him to the insecurity he lived with as a spawn - constantly counting the hours until the relationship would end and losing the comfort and love it had given him. It's something he never wants to experience again.
This dialogue shows why Astarion is so focused on being "together forever" - he wanted something deeply meaningful and truly special, something he had never even allowed himself to dream of before.
As a Lord he can offer them much more, and that gives him a measure of reassurance. Even so, his tendency to doubt himself may still play a role here.
Astarion may worry that Tav will leave him once they get to know him better.
However, Astarion is still confident that Tav will not leave.
Choosing to become a vampire he personally turned is such a life-defining decision.
In the ending where Tav claims the power of the Absolute, he assumes they will remain together and is shocked if they betray him.
Absolute ending is also possible if Tav is mortal and this confidence that they will be together remains.
It is also important, during the ending conversation, Tav refusing to become a vampire does not make Astarion want to end the relationship.
Player:Ā I want to live forever. Make me a vampire.
Astarion:Ā My sweet, I thought you'd never ask.
Astarion:Ā Of course, you will be a spawn before you can become a true vampire, but that's a small detail.
Player:Ā Actually, no. This isn't what I want.
Astarion:Ā This isn't what you wantĀ yet. I'm sure you'll come around in your own good time.
Astarion:Ā But until the moment's right, we can still be together. We can still taste all the delights of this world.
\END_GameFinale_ROM_RomanceFates_Astarion
If the subject of vampirism is never brought up, Astarion does not raise it himself, although it is clear that he intends to do so eventually.
In the Avenus or githyanki end, PC does not abruptly reject Astarion or imply that they no longer love him, that their "forever together" has been destroyed.
The six months that pass also give Astarion time to reflect on a long-distance relationship, even if he was unhappy with it at first.
A breakup before the ending gives him time to calm down. By then, he chooses not to cling to Tav anymore and is too proud to ask them to come back. As described in the release epilogues.
Only this breakup was fully developed into an epilogue. Every other ending portrayed Astarion and Tav continuing their mutual romance as an evil vampire couple - the direction that was ultimately preserved in the Patch 5 epilogue.
2 - This, however, does not change the first point: Astarion has no actual vampiric control over player character.
By pretending that he could control Tav but simply chooses not to, Astarion conceals the truth - that he cannot control them at all.
The PC has already become a true vampire under D&D 5e rules after drinking Astarion's blood.
If that is the case, then by sharing his blood so that Tav would receive Mephistopheles' blessing, Astarion turned them into a true vampire.
This would have been necessary to enjoy both pleasure and sunlight alongside him without ever suffering from blood hunger.
At the same time, true vampirism could become a threat if Tav rejected an eternity together and left him alone.
After centuries of loneliness, the prospect of losing the love he finally found is profoundly painful for Astarion. That is why he keeps the truth from Tav.
ā In every possible branch, Tav, believing themselves to be a vampire spawn, likely assumes that all of their powers, matching those of a true vampire, come from the blood of their creator - the Ascended Vampire.
In the epilogue, the Tav themselves believes they are a vampire spawn. God-Gale does not dispute this, though he might simply be staying neutral and waiting for the Tav to reach their own conclusions.
Gale:Ā Proof their hopes are not barren wastes, but the loamy soil in which their future achievements will flourish. Proof that with ambition,Ā anythingĀ is possible.
Player:Ā And what might your story prove for a vampire spawn like me? That I too might be able to ascend...
\EPI_Epilogue_GodGale
Why can't Tav ask about blood and its connection to true vampirism, something they discussed back in Act 1? A conversation about it?
For the same reason Astarion never even mentions true vampirism before or after the battle with his creator.
Many of the unusual aspects of Tav's vampirism remain unexplained:
The absence of being buried in the ground
Mild pain, in contrast to Astarion's intense pain
Pleasure mentioned
Voluntary blood transfer
The ability to continue drinking their creator's blood
Is it possible that the player character is not a true vampire despite undergoing a voluntary blood transfer?
And despite bypassing the mandatory stages of a vampire spawn's transformation?
Part 2. The Old lore
The early vampire lore and its evolution are important for context.
In Ravenloft lore, as well as in Forgotten Realms lore throughout the 1990s and earlier, the term "vampire spawn" did not exist.
There was only the inexperienced controlled young vampire
The term was used for this: Fledgling
It was not until around 2002ā2003 that the term "vampire spawn" began to replace the earlier descriptions of a young vampire (fledgling) in both the Monster Manual and Ravenloft books.
In the 2000s, after the terms "vampire spawn" and "fledgling" began to appear alongside one another, a clear distinction between them started to emerge.
From that point on, fledglings were redefined closer to true vampires, while vampire spawn became the most dependent form of vampiric servant, completely bound to their creator.
This analysis focuses on the sourcebooks of the 1990s, which contain the most comprehensive descriptions of the transformation process, as well as vampire culture and interpersonal relationships among vampires.
In the book, there is a gradation of vampires by age:
Fledgling: 0-99 years
Mature: 100-199 years
Old: 200-299 years
Very Old: 300-399 years
Ancient: 400-499 years
Eminent: 500-999 years
Patriarch: 1000+ years
Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, p. 13 (1992)
Astarion uses this in relation to Cazador.
Astarion: Cazador Szarrā¦ ancient vampireā¦ bastardā¦
\Astarion_Dead
Van Richten describes several possible methods of becoming a vampire:
Traditional method, saliva, and the Dark Kiss, to which he devotes a separate chapter.
The traditional method more closely resembles Forgotten Realms vampire spawn. The other methods are more similar to what we see in BG3 with Tav.
Let us take a look at the traditional method in older lore.
The victim is killed by draining either their life force or all of their blood, followed by burial.
According to most related tales, a vampire can create another simply by killing a mortal either with its life-energy draining power (draining all the character's experience leveIs) or by exhausting the mortal of his or her blood supply. If the vietĆÆm's body is not proper ly destroyed, it arises as a va m pi re, under the control of the creature who killed it, on the second night following the burial.
As an aside, I pose the question: What exactly does ĆÆt mean when the victim "arises" as a vampire'? When the sun sinks fully beiow the horizon on the second night after the burial, the victim in the grave "awakens." The occupant of the grave is now a Fledgling vampire with al) the characteristĆÆes, powers, and weaknesses which accompany that condition. Most vampires remember the instant of their death and the nature of their killer, and understand immediately their new nature. Certainly their new hunger gives them a good idea of what they have become.
Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, p. 32 (1992)
Fledgling vampires have an inborn propensity to obey their creator.
This make fledglings resemble vampire spawn (DnD5).
The following is the main difference between the concept of a vampire under a master's control in the old and new lore:
Over time, the creatorās influence weakens. Their strength and independence depend solely on the length of their unlife and their will. The older they become, the more independent and powerful they are. They are usually killed before this can happen.
The "blood rule" is part of the DnD5-2014-lore for vampire spawn.
How, then, do vampires keep their slaves under their control beyond this period? They do so in much the same way that mortals dominate others: through intimidation. The fledgling is new to the vampiric world, and at least partially ignorant of its own abilities. Its creator can, if it is careful, create the perception in its offspring that the master is immensely more powerful and knowledgeable than the newly-created vampire, which it may in fact be. Through simple intimidation and by playing on the offspring's natural doubts and fears, the master can create a situation enabling it to "rule" for decades.
The reader may realize that this situation is totally different and much more unstable than the "traditional" picture of the master and its unquestioning slaves. Offspring vampires may have considerable free will from the moment of their creation, although they do have an "inborn" propensity to bow to the will of their creator. After several years have passed, however, this propensity wears off.
Van Richten describes the relationship between fledglings and their creators.
Creators who care for their "children" are ultimately destroyed by them.
However, he recalls hearing of a fledgling who avenged the destruction of their master. Something Van Richten finds difficult to believe, as a vampire hunter who does not believe they are capable of emotions akin to human ones, such as love and loyalty.
Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, p. 69-70 (1992)
In a later Ravenloft book, the concept of "siblings" is recorded.
Both terms are also present: "vampire spawn" and "fledgling".
Vampire spawn are subject to the same rules on feeding and sleeping as vampires, but they do not gain any enhanced abilities or salient powers as they age.
When a vampire spawn's creator is destroyed, one of several things happen to the spawn. Which event takes place is not predictable; as with many facets of vampirism, consequences vary from vampire to vampire.
In most cases, the vampire spawn are unchanged except for their newfound freedom of will. The spawn usually begin a solitary, predatory existence, although some may seek out social interaction with the living or with others of their kind. Newly freed vampire spawn have even been known to form hunting packs with their "siblings," though such packs usually fall apart due to competition and infighting.
(...)
The worst ofthe known possibilities is that the vampire spawn may suddenly mature into vampires themselves. The vampire spawn, in effect, start over as Fledgling vampires, with the vampire template being applied to the statistics the creatures had in life.
Ravenloft Players Handbook, 3e, 2003, p.200
Both the early lore (90s) and the newer lore (2000s), despite using terms such as vampire spawn and fledgling, also mention another type of vampire: the vampire bride.
Vampire Companions
A unique aspect of vampire culture, involving a ritual through which a mortal is transformed into a vampire's eternal companion.
They are called a "vampire bride" or "vampire groom".
Van Richten uses the term "bride", so let's follow his terminology.
The vampire bride has been part of the D&D vampire canon for many years.
Ravenloft: Realm of Terror
AD&D 2e
Jun, 1990
p. 28
Van Richten's Guide to Vampires
AD&D 2e
Jan 1, 1992
p. 70-75
Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness
AD&D 2e
1994
p. 116-117
Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium. Volume 1
AD&D 2e
Feb 1999
p. 75-80
(same text as 1992, re-release for the 25th anniversary of D&D)
Denizens of Darkness
DnD 3e
Apr 2002
p. 169
Denizens Of Dread
DnD 3.5eĀ
Jan 2004
p. 220
Novels:
"Vampire of the Mists"
Author: Christie Golden
First published: 1991
"I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire"
Author: P. N. Elrod (Patricia Nead Elrod)
First published: 1993
In the first book, the description states that, in essence, the vampire creator and their vampire mate exist in a form of mutual enslavement.
The vampire places themselves in a state of danger and vulnerability - if the bride chooses to harm them, she is capable of doing so. The vampire senses her pain even involuntarily.
The bride, in turn, due to her inexperience as a young vampire. This emotion bond between them, is also placed both in a vulnerable position.
In the first book mentioning this concept of a vampire couple the entire process was still presented without a detailed description of the relationship itself or a specific name for this process.
A slave vampire is not a mate, however.
Love, lust, or obsession may drive a master vampire to create a special bond with a particular victim - a bond that surpasses ordinary enslavement. To create this union, the master samples his victim's blood-once, twice, or several times.
Just before the victim has been drained to death, the master replenishes her with blood of his own. Only a few master vampires are capable of this act. The victim is still the master's slave, but in a way, the master becomes her slave, too (assuming the victim is female). She often can sense his thoughts. In this way, she has the power to protect him in times of need, but could also harm him. Despite the pronouns used here, gender is not a limiting factor. Master vampires may be male or female, and so may their mates.
Ravenloft: Realm of Terror, p. 28
This is reminiscent of Astarion's view of relationships.
Astarion sees deep emotional attachment and lifelong bonds as a state of being mutually beholden to one another, enslavement. On the Ascended path, he builds a relationship in the only way he knows - through the eternal bond, the way vampires express love.
Astarion sometimes expresses or hints at this.
After Tav refuses to spend eternity with him or in a banter with Wyll
Astarion:Ā You are a person of rare talent. You aided greatly in my conquest, even if you did not end up a part of it.
Astarion:Ā And if we were beholden to one another? Well, how is that too different to being enslaved? It is for the best.
Player:Ā Say nothing.
Astarion:Ā IĀ wasĀ trying, with you, you know. In the only way IĀ canĀ try.
Astarion:Ā The gravest crimes committed in this world are committed for love. A hunger crueller than bloodlust.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_BlackMassFollowUp
Astarion:Ā Marriage, Wyll? I thought you'd have learned not to get trapped by devious contracts.
Wyll:Ā I was planning to invite you to the ceremony, but I'm having second thoughts.
Astarion:Ā I'd love to come! As long as I can sit with someone fun. Mizora, perhaps?
\PB_Astarion_Wyll_ROM_Act3
In Astarion's own romance story his perspective changes in the sense that he's willing to accept the bonds of love.
Astarion begins to understand the value of love so deeply that he clings to it, comparing it to a thirst for blood. It is a new kind of hunger that he has come to feel.
In the 1992 Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, a full and detailed description of the entire process is recorded.
The book does not use the term "vampire spawn".
As mentioned above, it did not exist in the canon at that time.
A bride, as a young vampire, is considered a "fledgling".
(...) she arises as a Fledgling vampire - and her creator's bride.
By the 3e-3.5e, the vampire bride had become a distinct category in the lore, separate from both fledglings and vampire spawn.
Denizens of Darkness. DnD 3e p. 169
Denizens Of Dread. DnD 3.5eĀ p. 220
The distinction begins at the transformation stage itself, a process that was given the name the Dark Kiss in Van Richten's guides.
Every aspect of this union is both significant and unique to the two involved:
- method of transformation
- bride's unique form of vampirism
- magical as well as emotional bond they share
Each of these aspects will be examined below and compared with their portrayal in BG3.
The Dark Kiss
To actually create the bride, the vampire bestows what is known as the "Dark Kiss"
For your convenience, I suggest comparing this to the stages of a mortalās transformation from Part 1.
ā The vampire creator must drain a mortal almost to death, sampling their blood in three separate feedings.
It samples the blood of its mortal paramour - once, twice, thrice -draining her almost to the point of death.
In the traditional transformation, the process may begin with draining life force (health), followed by a final lethal bite.
In Dark Kiss, however, only blood-drinking is present.
Astarion bites Tav in the neck at the end of the scene.
I tend to think the other two bites may happen off-screen.
There is also the possibility of interpreting these moments as three bites: one to the neck at the beginning of the intimate scene - which may be kissing, but could also be interpreted as a bite, a bite to the arm (the gentle option), a bite to the neck
In the 1990 novel, the ritual is described as the vampire taking its mortal's blood "once, twice, or several times"
In the 1992, as "once, twice, three".
Neither book states that these must occur on separate nights, nor do they specify how much time must pass for them to count as separate feedings.
In the novel I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (1993), the "once, twice, thrice" is interpreted as taking place over multiple nights. The vampire gradually transforms person by visiting them repeatedly. During the middle of the process, the young woman becomes ill in the presence of holy symbols and incense.
In the novel Vampire of the Mists (1991), the process does not require multiple nights to begin.
These novels will be analyzed later, after examining the vampiric transformation process in its entirety.
This is a major homage to Dracula.
There are quite a few elements inspired by it, including drinking a vampire creator's blood during the transformation. In essence, the whole thing.
The vampire genre experienced a major boom in 1992.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend watching Dracula (1992), starring Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, and Winona Ryder.
ā No Burial
A bride awakens from her death-like coma after a few minutes or hours.
Fledglings\vampire spawn typically rise the following night.
Once the subject has stopped feeding, she falls into a coma that lasts minutes or hours (2d12 turns), at the end of which time she dies. Several (1d3) hours later, she arises as a Fledgling vampireāand her creator's bride.
Given that the text mentions minutes, no grave is actually required. The process is not described as requiring "quick burial underground" as an essential part of the transformation.
This remains important for fledglings and vampire spawn only.
The amount of blood in this case is more than a drop, as the vampire cuts themselves and lets the bride drink.
However, this is not a complete draining of blood as described in the 5e rules.
Just as the subject is about to slip into the terminal coma from which there is no awakening, the vampire opens a gash in its own flesh-often in its throat-and holds the subject's mouth to the wound. As the burning draught that is the vampire's blood gushes into the subject's mouth, the primitive feeding instinct is triggered, and she sucks hungrily at the wound, enraptured.
The amount of blood consumed by the bride is described as small.
The actual process of creating a bride inflicts some limited damage on the vampire. Even the small amount of blood the bride drinks weakens it for some time.
It also doesn't say how much blood is required for the process to be successful.
A vampire bride is the only type of vampire, besides a true vampire, that can drink the creatorās blood.
This is the second instance in D&D lore.
If Tav is not a true vampire after drinking the creatorās blood, then Tav is a vampire bride, which in older lore is referred to as a "fledgling".
There are no other rules or exceptions to the lore in 2026.
ā The process is not painful. On the contrary, it brings euphoria
This process causes the subject no pain; in fact, it has been described as the most euphoric, ecstatic experience, in comparison to which all other pleasures fade into insignificance.
Also, the mention of pain can be interpreted to mean that the usual process of becoming a vampire as a transformation is painful in itself.
For the vampire creator, it is also experienced as pleasure.
The vampire must interrupt the blood-drinking, otherwise the transformation process is disrupted. Too much blood will drive the bride into madness and lead to death within 24 hours.
It is at this point that the creator-vampire's strength is most sorely tested. He is weakenedĀ byĀ hisĀ ownĀ blood andĀ alsoĀ byĀ hisĀ ownĀ raptureĀ asĀ the "victim" of a dark kiss. Overcoming the sudden loss of strength and the inclinations of lust, the vampire must pull her away from its own throat.
ā A vampire is expected to be powerfuli
Its strength in Ravenloft depends on age.
(...) she is a Fledgling and her creator is at least an Ancient.
Astarion became one of the most powerful vampires ever seen in the Realms as a result of the ritual.
All of his vampiric abilities were significantly enhanced.
Raphael:Ā The Rite of Profane Ascension.
Raphael:Ā It promises to be a marvellous ceremony. Very elaborate, incredibly ancient, and entirely diabolical.
Raphael:Ā If he completes the rite, he will become a new kind of being - the Vampire Ascendant.
Raphael:Ā All the strengths of his vampiric form will be amplified, and alongside them he will enjoy the luxuries of the living.
Raphael:Ā The arousals and appetites of man will return to him, and unlike Astarion, he will have no need of a parasite to protect him from the sun.
\CAMP_Astarion_RaphaelsRevelation_CFM
Although Astarion is still learning to control his new abilities and notes that his power grows gradually, he is technically already infused with power exceeding that of an ancient vampire.
The Failed Dark Kiss
If the vampire who was creating a potential bride was destroyed during the transformation, she could instead become a Vorlog.
Tormented by their loss, they find no peace; their lives are filled with grief over their lost love.
One of a vampireās most vulnerable moments is when the evil creature is attempting to complete its dark kiss, its bonding with a new vampire companion, creating a vampiric "bride" or "groom". As elaborated upon by Doctor Rudolph van Richten in his great treatise on vampires, the process of creating a vampire bride or groom is quite elaborate, involving a great expenditure of both passion and blood on the part of the monster. For approximately one hour after the monster has poured all of its energy into the erstwhile companion, the vampire lies helpless beside the brideās or groomās transforming body. If the vampire is slain during this time period, its victim does not complete the transformation, but becomes a creature caught between the world of the living and that of the dead - a sorry being known as a vorlog.
(...)
The focus of the vorlogās entire existence centers on its utter anguish and bereavement at the death of its vampire lover. The creature had already given itself over to the vampire, body and mind, when the newly wrought bonds were ripped away by the creatureās sudden demise. The shattering combination of psychic and physical blows is so devastating that the creature can never truly recover. Instead, it spends its eternal existence attempting to recreate its lost companion.
Monstrous Compendium III Creatures Of Darkness p. 116-117
As you can see, the process is described exactly like this: to give yourself - body and mind.
Astarion describes the transformation in the same words.
When a vampire chooses a new companion, it must pour its blood and passion into its beloved's transformation, then lie helpless beside its transforming chosen (see sidebar below). If the vampire is slain during this period, the companion instead becomes a pitiable thing trapped between the worlds of the living and undead. The vorlog looks like a normal humanoid to most observers, with only its budding fangs and pale and doleful expression indicating any change. A vorlog does cast a shadow, but it throws an eerily translucent reflection in mirrors.
Many adventurers have killed a vampire in the midst of the Dark Kiss and congratulated themselves on "saving" its victim, thereby damning the vorlog to a tortuous existence, yearning constantly for his lost love.
Denizens Of Dread p. 219
The nature of a vampire bride
After transformation, the vampire brideās nature and the relationship within a vampire pair are also unique.
ā A vampire can only have one Bride at a time. It takes a ritual to break the bond.
Any vampire can have only one bride or groom at a time. A vampire is physically incapable of creating another bride or groom while it has a companion already bound to it in this relationship. If the vampire wishes to create another bride or groom, it must either destroy its current bride or groom or follow the ritual described later to dissolve the bond between them.
ā The bond between a vampire and their bride is eternal.
Unlike ordinary fledglings, who gradually lose their connection to their creator over time.
This continuous bond makes the bride more similar to the vampire spawn from DnD5e, where the bond between spawn and creator remains until death.
ā The magical aspects of this bond are extensive, including mutual telepathy and a metaphysical sense of each other.
One vampire cannot read another's thoughts against their will. With one exception, strong emotions - such as pain, fear, or intense surprise - are shared between them.
One of the reasons "married vampires" are so difficult to defeat is that a vampire and its bride share a telepathic communication that has a range measured in miles.
One vampire cannot read the other's mind against the subject's will, so the bride cannot pilfer secrets from the mind of her creator. As the sole exception to this statement, one member of the pair can sense incredibly strong emotion in the other's mind. (This could be equated to hearing a vocalized gasp of surprise or fear.) Only extreme fear, pain, surprise, sadness or exaltation can be sensed in this manner.
ā Destroying one inflicts massive damage on the other
While the bond is in existence, there is a strong metaphysical link between the two vampiresā unlife forces. (No doubt this link explains the telepathic communication the creatures share.) So close is this link that the destruction of one member of the bond inflicts grave damage to the other member.
ā From the moment of creation, the bride possesses free will.
Any control exerted by the creator is entirely non-magical.
Although there are some folk tales that describe the bride of a vampire as its slave, in much the same way that offspring are slaves, a bride is free-willed from the moment of her creation. The creator vampire does have great influence over the bride, however, although this control is totally nonmagical.
(...)
By lying to her or bending the truth, he can convince her that she must obey his every order or suffer horrible consequences. With time, and through experimentation, the bride might find out the true level of control her creator has over her - that is, none. She is still in a very inferior position, of course, because she is a Fledgling and her creator is at least an Ancient.
All this made the vampire bride look like the true vampire we know from DnD5 - it was the bride who drank blood and gained independence - not from time, but from certain actions.
In the most escalated breakup branch, Astarion insists that Tav cannot leave him.
It may suggest that, under Astarion's non-magical influence, Tav doesn't even attempt to leave.
In the less confrontational breakup branches, however, Tav simply walks away without any discussion. This could depend on how Tav chooses to end the relationship.
ā Unlike traditional fledglings, the bride has a poor understanding of her own condition, remaining unaware of her abilities and weaknesses.
When a vampire is created in the traditional manner - that is, when a victim's life energy is completely drained away - the new fledgling instinctively understands much about the vampiric way of unlife, and about its own strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Not so the bride.
ā Control is instead based on emotional attachment and the brideās inexperience with her new nature.
Newly-created brides are generally ignorant of their own capabilities. If in life they heard folk tales and myths about vampires, they might have some vague conception, but often these tales are totally wrong. The bride is effectively dependent - totally dependent - on her creator, to learn how to survive as a vampire. This obviously gives the creator great power over the bride.
ā The bond between a vampire and their bride is unique to vampire culture.
The book is written from the perspective of a vampire hunter who questions whether vampires are capable of experiencing the same range of emotions as mortals.
The passage compares this to what Strahd von Zarovich feels - his obsession with a woman who rejected him. In such cases, vampires are portrayed as pursuing the fulfillment of their own desires.
Whether vampires are capable of love - or of genuine emotion in general - is a question that mortals repeatedly raise. Vampires, by their very nature, inspire disgust and a desire to destroy them.
To the mortal world, they are monsters.
For example, in BG3, Karlach voices similar doubts, to which Astarion responds while speaking as a vampire himself, fully subject to the effects of the vampiric curse.
Karlach:Ā Sorry if this is rude, but... can vampires fall in love?
Astarion:Ā What a preposterous question. Vampires can do anything you can do, and a damn sight better.
Karlach:Ā Sunbathe? Swim?
Astarion:Ā All right, there are a few limited exceptions.
Karlach:Ā Good to know love is on the table though.
Astarion:Ā It is. Though if the table is laden with good wine and meat, love is often left to rot with the salad leaves.
\PB_Karlach_Astarion_ROM_Act2_001
At the same time, in other instances, even the vampire hunter describes the relationship between a vampire and their bride as something closely resembling the love experienced by mortals.
Sometimes, however, the emotion may be close to what mortals classify as love.
The happiness of the vampire becomes tied up with the prospective bride, and its well-being depends on hers. In these cases, the vampire might actually believe it is bestowing a gift when it turns the mortal into its bride - the gift of freedom from aging and death.
Minthara refers to their immortality as a gift.
Minthara notes that their bond is truly unique and belongs to them alone.
Nightwarden Minthara:Ā Would you ever consider sharing the gift of immortality with me, Astarion?
Astarion:Ā I think not. That is for me and my darling to share.
Nightwarden Minthara:Ā If they have prevented your eyes and fangs from wandering to other necks, it must be a special bond indeed.
\PB_Minthara_Astarion_ROM_Act3_001
The ritual itself is extremely complex and physically draining for the vampire.
By creating a bride, a vampire places themselves at risk, as the two become capable of feeling each other's pain. The death of either partner is experienced by the survivor as profound agony on every level - a vulnerability that vampire hunters can exploit.
This is something unique to vampires. They willingly accept this vulnerability, knowing the risks, because they long to find someone with whom they can share eternity.
For a more visual comparison with the Dark Kiss in BG3, I recommend the following videos on the vampire bride, available here, here and here
Kin-Nectar Ā· A Vampire Drinking Another Vampire
As far as I have been able to find, the term kin-nectar appears exclusively in Van Richten's books - 1992 and its 1999 edition. It belongs to the early vampire lore that predates the introduction of the Rule of Blood in later editions of D&D.
1992 - Chapter 11, Relationships Between Vampires, p. 68
1999 - Chapter 10, Relationships Between Vampires, p. 74
Here are a few key takeaways from the book:
Kin-nectar is more nourishing than mortal blood.
Most vampires still prefer the taste of living blood.
Feeding creates a telepathic link lasting several hours.
<<If one vampire drinks the blood of another, the creatures enter into a close relationship: for several (1d3) hours following the feeding, the two creaturesā minds are so intimately linked that they can communicate telepathically as easily as by speaking. This telepathy persists regardless of distance or intervening matter as long as both vampires are on the same plane. One vampire cannot āoverhearā thoughts not intended as communication, however>>
The vampire who drinks the blood gains limited control over the donor.
<<In addition, the vampire who drank the blood has a significant level of control over the vampire who provided the blood for as long as the telepathic link exists. The creature who fed can issue orders telepathically and the second creature must obey them, within reason>>
Because of the vulnerability created by this link, vampires rarely share their blood.
Vampires share their blood only if they totally trust each other or have no other choice.
<<Most vampires will find this interconnection distasteful and, in the case of the creature who was fed upon, downright dangerous, so the monsters usually shun kin-nectar. Most will only participate in this kind of feeding on either side if they totally trust the other participant (which is very rare) or if they simply have no choice in the matter>>
As of 2026, I haven't found this lore to have been updated or directly rewritten in D&D 5e/5.5e, with the exception of Baldur's Gate 3.
Astarion:Ā Of course I will, and you'll drink mine. I can't wait to taste your lips after you've tasted me.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartneredWithAstarion
Old and New Vampire Lore
Novels
In addition to rule books, there are also the Novels.
"Vampire of the Mists"
Author: Christie Golden
First published: 1991
"One Last Drink"Ā
is a short story prequel to the novel Vampire of the Mists.
Author:Ā Christie GoldenĀ
First published: 1993 anthologyĀ Realms of Valor.
"I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire"
Author: P. N. Elrod (Patricia Nead Elrod)
First published: 1993
Vampire of the Mists and One Last DrinkĀ
The novel was written at a time when the earliest depiction of a vampire mate's transformation already existed, though such a vampire was not yet referred to as a "vampire bride."
Ravenloft: Realm of Terror AD&D 2e Jun, 1990 p. 28
Vampire of the Mists is the first big novel in Ravenloft setting, making it unique for several reasons.
Jander Sunstar is a vampire from Toril who travels across Faerƻn.
Thus, it is also set in the Forgotten Realms.
Jander is the first elven vampire in Dungeons & Dragons.
Jander is a vampire who resists his own dark nature.
Jander despises his own kind and dedicates himself to hunting and killing them
Jander Sunstar was the first elven vampire ever described in Forgotten Realms lore. Astarion is an elven vampire who calls himself Princess of House Nightstar. Just a funny coincidence (?)
Player:Ā Don't keep anything like this from me again.
Astarion:Ā Well - if you must know...
Astarion:Ā I'm actually a princess of House Nightstar.
Astarion:Ā And I'm married to a tarrasque named Johnathan. Anything else you'd like to know?
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_RaphaelRevealedScars
This brief summary of the story provides an example of a vampire coven, demonstrates how mental control functioned over a fledgling, and illustrates different types of vampiric transformation.
One Last Drink, prequel
Jander was turned into a vampire by his master, Cassiar, a young man with red hair.
Cassiar was a master who allowed his vampires to drink human blood immediately after they awoke. His coven obeyed him and his commands: they searched for settlements, cleaned up the aftermath of massacres, and hunted and reveled as vampires alongside him.
Jander hated all of it. Life as a vampire was unbearable to him.
Jander persuaded Cassiar to give him one of the intended victims, Rhynn, whom he wanted to save from the other vampires' fangs. He then ruined Cassiar's hunt by releasing all of the captives from their trap. Jander directly threatens to kill him.
Cassiar merely remarked that it was a mistake and that Jander would be punished for it. Cassiar punished Jander by drinking his blood, which greatly weakens vampires.
Cassiar likely used kin-nectar to dominate Jander even better. Although the telepathic bond lasts only a few hours, it likely still affected Jander's spirit and, of course, his strength.
What Astarion endured after similar confrontations and acts of defiance would hardly compare to this. Furthermore, a coven like Cassiar's would likely have been Astarion's decent life. His objection to serving Cassiar would most likely have stemmed from his desire to be the one in charge and to enjoy complete freedom, rather than from any moral objection to the coven's brutality or the fact that they hunted and killed humans.
Cassiar' only flew into a rage after discovering that several vampires from his own coven had been killed.
Cassiar has now decided to kill his vampire elf.
A fight broke out between them.
The novel describes how Cassiar's mental control affects Jander.
This is early D&D lore - before the concept of vampire spawn existed, when vampires instead created young vampires under their control, which fades with time - Jander, who had already been a vampire for about a century, was able to resist that control.
Jander ultimately killed Cassiar, gaining his freedom.
This is where the prequel ends.
Vampire of the Mists
The novel begins with a quote from Bram Stoker's "Dracula".
Jander's wanderings in search of a cure for vampirism eventually brought him to Waterdeep, where he met a woman confined to an asylum. She called herself Anna.
Jander sincerely fell in love with a quiet, kind-hearted young woman who, for magical reasons, neither aged nor remembered what had happened to her. She was haunted by terrifying nightmares that would send her fleeing in panic, screaming.
When Jander asked what had happened to her - who had done this to her - she answered with a single word: "Barovia."
This continued for thirty years. Then the Spellplague swept across Faerƻn, and the young woman began to die.
As she lay on the verge of death, Jander drank her blood. When he pulled away, he opened a wound on himself. Had she drunk his blood, she would have lived, and they could have remained together forever.
Jander drank eagerly, the warm, coppery-tasting fluid flowing easily down his throat. The life force it carried began to seep through him, renewing his power and rekindling his senses. It had been a long time since he had permitted himself such a banquet; he had almost forgotten the elation and heat a true feeding engendered. He felt himself surrendering to the pleasure. Dimly he noticed the change as the flavor began to turn ashy and empty.
Abruptly he stopped. He had almost gone too far; he had almost drained her dry in his hunger.
Quickly, still cradling her limp form in one powerful arm, he slashed a deep gash in his own throat with a clawlike nail. New blood - Anna's blood - pumped from the incision. Jander moved her like a doll, placing her mouth to his throat. "Drink, my love," he said hoarsely, "drink, and be one with me!"
There was no movement. Suddenly afraid, he shoved her face into the wound. "Anna, drink." She tried feebly to push him away, and he cast a frantic glance down at her
Anna refused. Her consciousness began to fade.
p. 19-22
The moment he regained his senses, he found himself surrounded by the aftermath of a massacre. Enraged by her loss, Jander slaughtered everyone around him without even realizing it.
Jander approached Anna's cold body. Since he drank her blood, it hastened her inevitable death. It seems Jander still had a chance to bring her back by burying her, butā¦
Having refused his blood, she could not become a vampire mate and was doomed to become a servile vampire.
Anna's true individuality would remain locked away as long as he exists.
Jander had tried to make Anna his mate, but she would not drink his blood. When she rose a few nights from now as an undead, she would be only a weak, servile vampire: his slave. That was all she would ever be, for all eternity, for slaves could never become true individuals while their maker existed. "Oh, Anna, I never wanted that for you," he said brokenly. "Death would have been better."
After driving out the remaining people, he burned everything behind him. And in this way, he gave Anna the eternal peace she had wanted.
The Mists came for Jander, carrying him to the very place she had named - to Barovia. In the hope of learning about Anna's past and avenging her.
The lore surrounding the vampire bride - or, in this case (1991), the vampire mate - is not exclusive to Ravenloft or to Strahd specifically.
This method of vampiric transformation is also used by a vampire from Toril, from Faerƻn, the setting of the Forgotten Realms.
In Toril, Jander Sunstar is the only vampire ever described in the lore as beginning the Dark Kiss with his beloved.
Astarion may be the second - and, in his case, the first to successfully complete it.
(so I had to change the wording a bit, it's not just the Revenloft setting as it was discovered)
In the transformation method Jander begins with Anna, everything takes place over the course of a single night. Here, the phrase "once, twice, or several times" is likely interpreted as referring to separate bites rather than separate nights. Jander had never drunk Anna's blood prior to that night.
The book then goes on to describe Jander's own transformation into a vampire.
Jander encountered an old companion with whom he had once hunted monsters. But his former friend had become a monster himself. He seized Jander by the throat and bit into his neck.
When Jander awoke, buried beneath the earth, he learned that his former companion was a servile vampire serving Cassiar. He also realized that he himself was dead, and that Cassiar had become his master as well.
Awareness returned some time later. Something cool and moist and filled with the rich loam fragrance of earth covered the elf, pressing damply against his face. He shifted and tried to wipe the dirt away, but found that soil covered the rest of his body, as well. Panic gripped him, and he flailed frantically, scraping at the dirt on his face and clawing his way out of what he now realized was a shallow grave.
Pleased with his new servant, Cassiar immediately forced Jander to feed on a defenseless, most innocent person.
"No!" he cried, covering his face with his arms. "You can't make me do that to a child!"
Cassiar frowned, his boyish mouth puckering in annoyance. "You have no say in the matter. You will obey me, and I say drink!"
Jander was too young, too weak a vampire then to resist the command his master had given.
(...)
Afterward he looked up at Cassiar, and his silver eyes were filled with hatred. Though it would take him nearly a century, he eventually slew his evil master. That act of rebellion allowed him to forge his own future, but it did little to free his soul from the curse his traitorous friend had inflicted upon him.
p. 232-234
It would take Jander a hundred years before he finally managed to break free from his master's control.
---
In D&D 5e, Jander Sunstar's backstory was rewritten. His beloved was turned into an adventurer who fled after learning he was a vampire, with the help of her companions. Jander then slaughtered everyone he held responsible for taking her away from him.
In other words, his mutual love, his main motivation were completely twisted.
She died tragically in his arms, never having recovered from her curse and pain.
How on earth did you rewrite this?
Bad, Wizards of the Coast, not good. Rewrite it back.
I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (1993)
This novel already follows the more detailed vampire lore established in Van Richten's Guide. Here, the vampire mate is referred to as a vampire bride.
The novel describes the process by which Strahd turns Marina, one of Tatyana's reincarnations. The entire process clearly follows the rules of the Dark Kiss. Apart from the fact that the rules do not specify how long the interval between the three bites should be.
Marina drinks Strahd's blood, he calls her his bride, and throughout the turning Strahd experiences overwhelming ecstasy (the novel is written from his perspective).
When Marina is killed, he hears her calling to him and feels her pain as though it were happening to himself.
Her eyelids fluttered as she fought to stay conscious. I hurriedly tore open the front of my shirt and, with a diamond-hard talon, dug into the flesh over my heart. Our mingled blood slowly welled from the wound. When I pulled her up and pressed her lips to it, she began to drink.
(...)
I know not what pleasure she may have taken; my own was beyond any that I'd ever experienced before.
(...)
Here and now, I had nothing left to give but my own life's blood, but it was hers to take, and I murmured to myself, pleading to the dark magics that had made me to grant me this one boon - that she would at last be my bride.
(...)
Finally, I had to place the palm of my hand against her forehead and push with all my might, lest we both die.
(...)
Overcome by the same weariness, I dropped to the floor, shaking from fatigue and sudden hunger.
(...)
I sensed her strongly on the other side. She was only just now stirring.
Waking late and languorousā¦
(...)
The sudden rush of terror and agony crashed upon me like a physical blow. I thought it must be a blow, for I staggered and fell like a tree into the mud of the yard, helpless. My chest, my heartā¦ Fireā¦ Worse than fireā¦ my hands scrabbled and encountered nothing, yet the pain was paralyzingly real. I was no stranger to a sword thrust, and that was what it felt like, only a thousand times worse.
Tatyana was screaming.
Shrieking.
And desperately calling on that silent link between us.
Calling on me.
Thenā¦
Nothing.
The similarities between Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dark Kiss ritual, as well as the overall tone of vampire romance, are clear. Beyond that, another recurring element can also be observed.
We Ā· Ours
Vampires appear to regard the act of sharing blood with one another and transforming the one they love into a being like themselves as the ultimate expression of union. Jander, Strahd, and Astarion all speak about transforming their beloved using language - "we," "us," and "our." This is a classic vampire romance trope - unity in eternity.
ā Jander offering to turn Anna:
"Drink, my love," he said hoarsely, "drink, and be one with me!"
ā Strahd on the blood of the murdered newly turned Marina:
"Her blood - our blood - had splashed all down the front of his clothes".
ā Astarion does this nonstop.
This is also incredibly important to him because he never had anyone he could trust or consider close to him.
Astarion:Ā I'm free. I'm finally free! Oh it feelsĀ delicious.
Player:Ā You did it! I can't believe you did it!
Astarion:Ā I did.Ā WeĀ did.
\LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_PostCombat_OM_Astarion_AOM_COM_OOM
Right after the ritual is completed, Tav can says: you did it. Astarion echoes them, then says: "We did." The word "we" is italicized.
This dialogue works on friendship path too.
On both paths, Astarion tends to use this "we" language, because he values this relationship being unique for him - someone caring for him and supporting him.
Astarion also has this as a personal trait. But it could also be connected to vampirism in the story, in line with the tropes
I like you, you mean a lot to me - and now it's not just "you and me" - it's "us".
On the mortal Tav path in the romance, Astarion also continues to see them as very close, together. Astarion also suggests - if the romance ends - that Tav become his partner in crime.
In other words, no matter what, Astarion is eager to keep it "us".
In the romance on the Ascended path, vampire theme is revealed, when Tav becomes like him and shares many things and eternity with him.
This further highlights the "We" part.
I covered Astarion's vampirism and vampirism in his romance in a separate big post here.
Astarion:Ā Aeterna amantes.Ā Lovers forever, until the world falls down.
\Astarion_InParty2_Nested_PartneredWithAstarion
Astarion:Ā You know, now that our enemies have fallen, I might be the most powerful person in the world.
Astarion:Ā And as you're my consort, that makes us the most powerful people in the world
Player:Ā I wouldn't want it any other way.
Astarion:Ā And neither would I. Together, we can do anything.
Astarion:Ā The world is ours for the taking. So, what would you like?
\END_GameFinale_ROM_RomanceFates_Astarion
Astarion:Ā Still, it is good to see them. And good for them to see us, side by side,Ā flourishing.
Player:Ā It is wonderful. I'm glad I get to share this with you.
Astarion:Ā And I am blessed to share it with you, my love.
Astarion:Ā I may have power, but it would be nothing without you. You complete me.
Astarion:Ā And together, we are unstoppable. So Heavens help the fool that tries to get in our way.
\EPI_Epilogue_Astarion_Lord
Astarion:Ā Well, my love, we did it. This world is ours, as it should be.
Astarion:Ā I always knew you could do it. I always knew that together, we could do anything.
\Absolute End
\END_BrainBattle_FinalDecision_Nested_EvilAvatar
Curse of Strahd (2016)
In this book Strahd von Zarovich having multiple brides simultaneously first appears in 5th Edition.
Since becoming a vampire, he has taken several consorts - none as beloved as Tatyana, but each a person of beauty. All of them he turned into vampire spawn.
p.10
In the description of Strahd's Tomb, his three consorts are explicitly described as vampire spawn brides.
Lying under the earth near the east wall of theĀ tomb are three vampire spawn brides dressed in soiled gowns and wearing dirt-encrusted jewelry (see "Treasure" below). They rise to attack anyone who approaches Strahd's coffin.
p.93-94
Rahadin's description also states that Strahd found brides and turned them into vampire spawn.
Rahadin's loyalty didn't waver after Tatyana died and Strahd became a vampire. Rahadin continued to do his master's bidding. Eager to put Tatyana out of his mind, Strahd lured more women to the castle, taking several of them as brides before draining their lives and turning them into vampire spawn. Rahadin would see to it that these women were lavished with jewels and fine clothes, and made comfortable during their stay in Ravenloft.
p.237
Like Dracula, Strahd now has three brides: Ludmilla Vilisevic, Anastrasya Karelova, Volenta Popofsky.
All three are officially referred to as vampire spawn, consorts, and brides.
At the beginning of the adventure (page 10), another reincarnation of Tatyana - Ireena Kolyana - is introduced. Strahd intends to turn her into his vampire spawn consort.
Ireena looked exactly like Tatyana! Strahd now believes that Ireena is the latest reincarnation of Tatyana, and thus he seeks to claim her.
Strahd's evil courtship has led him to visit Ireena twice. On both occasions, he charmed his way into her home - the house of her adopted father, the burgomaster of the village of Barovia - and drank her blood. He intends to kill Ireena during their next meeting and turn her into his vampire spawn consort.
p.10
The text also states that Strahd has already visited Ireena twice, which is presented as two bites.
Following the Dark Kiss, only the third remains.
Ireena, a striking young woman with auburn hair, has been bitten twice by Strahd.
On page 161, the adventure also mentions Marina, Tatyana's previous reincarnation, who was turned into a vampire according to the Dark Kiss.
In his rage after her death, Strahd flooded the entire village, transforming it into a swamp from which its inhabitants never returned.
He seduced her in the dead of night and feasted on her blood, but before she could be turned into a vampire, the burgomaster of Berez, Lazlo Ulrich, with the aid of a local priest named Brother Grigor, killed Marina to save her soul from damnation.
p.161
Thus, the canon does not discard the events of the novel by explicitly referencing Marina and, by extension, her turning. Likewise, Ireena's transformation is portrayed as a gradual process that occurs without being buried in the ground.
Ireena and Marina - both reincarnations of Tatyana - are turned by Strahd through the Dark Kiss, a ritual that traditionally implies the unique nature of this form of vampirism.
Because Curse of Strahd directly references Marina - and therefore the events of I, Strahd - the older Ravenloft lore surrounding the Dark Kiss can reasonably still be considered applicable.
As the meaning of the term fledgling evolved, so did the concept of the vampire bride.
In the 1990s, a Fledgling was a young, controlled vampire, naturally inclined to obey its creator.
A vampire bride was always an unique kind of Fledgling.
Bride possessed free will from the moment of her creation and was not subject to innate control. Instead, she shared a unique bond with her creator. Only a vampire bride drank her creator's blood.
The lore of vampires and Dark Kiss is related to Forgotten Realms through the novel Vampire of the Mists (1991). This is not exclusive to Revenloft. This is a thing of all vampires.
By the 2000s, the term Fledgling had come to refer to young, inexperienced vampires much closer to true vampires. The place of the most subordinate vampire in the hierarchy was taken by the vampire spawn.
Although the concept of the vampire bride remained part of the lore, it continued to be distinct from both Fledglings and vampire spawn.
In 2016, Curse of Strahd was released with numerous references to old Ravenloft lore.
It also places the term consort alongside vampire spawn and bride.
Since Strahd is the lord and ruler of Barovia, the title consort naturally fits his spouses. The term itself is not unique to Ravenloft - in Baldur's Gate 3, for example, both Wyll and Minthara also use the word consort in the sense of a ruler's spouse.
Wyll:Ā And one day, I might even call you consort to Grand Duke Wyll Ravengard of Baldur's Gate. My pride, my joy.
\Wyll_InParty2_Nested_KissBranch
___
Nightwarden Minthara:Ā I take no pleasure in what I must do. In another life, I would have taken you as my consort in Menzoberranzan.
\CAMP_GoblinHuntCelebration_SCO_DrowBetrayal
The word bride, however, is a much more direct reference to the older Dark Kiss and demonstrates continuity with earlier lore.
This partial revision of the lore raises important questions about which aspects have actually changed and which have remained the same.
If Strahd's three brides are simply vampire spawn created through the ordinary method of vampiric turning, then the fact that there are three of them presents no contradiction. Or their bonds have been severed.
If that is not the case, then it is likely that only the old restriction allowing a vampire to have only one bride at a time has been rewritten.
Unlike the Ravenloft books of early 2000s, the vampire bride is now explicitly identified as a vampire spawn in D&D5e.
The concept of the vampire bride likely returned to something closer to the Fledgling of the 1990s lore, which itself was the early concept that would later become the vampire spawn.
Thus, Baldur's Gate 3 does not contradict the vampire bride theory by referring to the bride as a vampire spawn.
The remaining question is whether the other distinctive aspects of a vampire bride's unique form of vampirism have also been rewritten.
Based on the reference to Marina in Curse of Strahd and the beginning of Ireena's transformation, it appears that the process of turning itself has not changed and remains distinct from the ordinary method of creating a fledgling\vampire spawn.
When Astarion turns the PC into a vampire, the transformation itself differs from the traditional process: several elements are unique, while others are either absent or never mentioned. At the same time, the blood he gives them allows the resulting vampire to be interpreted as either a true vampire or a vampire bride.
Unless future material explicitly states otherwise.
In the 2016 DnD5 book - Curse of Strahd, the vampire bride is identified as a vampire spawn, yet the references to the 1992 Ravenloft rules and the 1993 novel preserve all of the unique characteristics established there.
Unless future material explicitly states otherwise.
Relationships Within a Vampire Pair
Astarion's romance and relationship with Tav can also be seen as drawing inspiration from older vampire lore, where relationships are explored in considerable detail.
Life within a vampire pair depends on the personalities of both vampires and on how they approach their bond.
Romance ending - game release:
It all depends on how bloodstained your consort's path has been - you choose to travel, take up the sword, or weave your web of power within the palace walls.
Withers:Ā The Vampire Ascendant. He chose to leave Baldur's Gate with his consort and travel the world, indulging in every delight it offered.
Withers:Ā Rumours of their debauchery abound, but all agree - a night revelling with them will be the greatest or most horrifying night of your life.
/END_GodsAndMonsters_WithersChronicles
Withers:Ā His former master destroyed, thousands of souls sacrificed, and his place as the Vampire Ascendant secured. His parties alone are worthy of ballads and legends.
Withers:Ā Though no ballads are ever writ, such is the fear that doth swirl about Astarion and his bloody consort.
Withers:Ā Though no ballads are ever writ. His guests he welcometh to his home, his consort locketh the door.
/END_GodsAndMonsters_WithersChronicles
Romance ending - patch 8:
A vampire and bride who truly love and trust each other make a team that is exceptionally difficult to defeat!
Van Richten's Guide to Vampires
Given the differences between D&D 5e vampire rules in the Forgotten Realms setting and the similarities to Ravenloft and older FR, what happens to the player character - the nature of their vampirism and the bond they share with Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3 - can be interpreted as an Easter egg, inspiration drawn from the Dark Kiss, the ritual that binds two vampires to one another for eternity.
The richness and legacy of Dungeons & Dragons' vampire lore is truly fascinating. There is an entire fantasy world surrounding Astarion, and through him, exploring the Realms, Barovia, and vampire lore becomes an incredibly engaging experience.
This is only the beginning. Across Toril, vampires have shaped history for centuries. From ancient covens hidden within great cities like Baldur's Gate to infernalist vampires, forgotten relics, secret traditions, and powerful bloodlines, there is an entire world still waiting to be explored. The history of vampires stretches across the Sword Coast and far beyond, with countless stories yet to be uncovered.
Random thoughts I have about Ascended Astarion because he is an interesting creature.
This is so long I'm so sorry.
On his love for romanced Tav:
Sooo I'm straight up not an AA fan (as far as like, choosing that ending for myself because to me it's sad yk) but I don't think just because it's a tragic ending for Astarion that that means he doesn't in SOME way love Tav - and I honestly don't see him being anywhere near as awful to them as Cazador was to him. (Other spawn, idk, after a few hundred years anything could happen)
Cazador may not have been as bad to his spawn as Vellioth was to his either. Just from what we know, Cazador was impaled for 11 years just for asking for help from a friend, but when Astarion disobeyed Cazador and tried to save a random "darling boy" from being Cazador's next victim he "only" locked him in a tomb for a single year.
In his fucked up vampire brain, maybe Cazador considered that merciful.
Personal example lol:
My parents weren't as bad to me as theirs were to them, but that doesn't mean they didn't fuck me up real good in their own ways. I've also never doubted my dear ole dad loves me, it's just that he sucks at it and he has a really fucked up way of looking at the world that makes his love unhealthy and painful.
So I imagine Astarion's love for Tav becoming obsessive the way it's typically depicted for vampires. (Very Strahd of him)
I imagine if they break it off with him it's only a matter of time before he starts stalking them and setting up situations to make himself look good in front of them without having to be the one to admit he misses them first... and I think that last bit kinda gets to the main flaw I see in Ascended Astarion's love for Tav which is that it is DEEPLY insecure.
On AA's insecurity:
I'm sure most people who read this (ty btw this is already long as shit and I'm not even close to done) have known someone at some point that seems wildly arrogant at first glance only for it to become incredibly obvious the longer you look at them that all of their arrogance comes from a deep place of insecurity and need for validation.
I'm not saying Spawn Astarion isn't insecure as well, he IS, but by the end I think he's coming around and showing a forward momentum for growth that's inspiring. AA on the other hand just fully sinks into the misbelief that he's only worth anything if he is the most powerful person in the room. Only to his horror, actually BEING the most powerful person in the room doesn't soothe all his fear and self doubt - which is weakness, of course. So he needs to remind everyone all the time how big and strong he is and that he doesn't care about anyone or anything as much as they care about him.
He's toxic masculinity the guy and it blows.
He gets PISSED if you mention Cazador to him because it still makes him feel scared/upset and that makes him livid. That he can be so powerful and Cazador can be dead and still hold that much power over him.
Speaking of power:
Obviously there's physical strength and the ability to defend himself bodily against most threats. I think AA is pretty satisfied with his power in this aspect which is why it's what he chooses to focus on.
But there's also the power he said Cazador enjoyed most: "power over people."
This is what he's most afraid of now because in my opinion, I don't think the ascension "fixed" this issue for him the way he wanted it to.
He saw Cazador as all powerful for so long, and whether or not it was true, Astarion saw him as untouchable not only physically but emotionally as well.
That's the thing that hurt most.
That Cazador could make Astarion feel such a depth of turmoil grief and anger all the while looking completely unaffected himself.
We see it when we walk into the room. Cazador calmly insults Astarion and acts like his presence here to kill him is childish and Astarion can't stop himself from taking the bait and getting emotional, because that's just who he is and I'm very willing to bet that Cazador and maybe even the other spawn told him endlessly that this was something to be punished for/wiped out.
(Personal divergence feel free to skip lmao.)
I understand this too. Maybe it's projecting based on my own experience but what else are long ass posts like this for? My dad had a very similar opinion on feelings. The only emotion acceptable to express was anger, and when my youngest brother couldn't understand that, when he was a "crybaby" and acted soft or scared, it wasn't just my dad who would punish him for it. It was us, his siblings, too. I thought I was helping him grow tougher so he wouldn't get targeted so much by my dad.
When I fucked up and couldn't keep my emotions in check I felt like I was too weak to manage them and even though I never thought my dad was right for how he punished us, I didn't realize that I was implicitly accepting that being emotional was in some way deserving of punishment, or at least derision. I had an unexamined value placed on stoicism and intellectualizing rather than feeling and assumed that that value was in some way universally applicable.
Astarion's emotional. He just is. He doesn't think things through all the way and he acts on emotion whether it makes sense or not. š¤·āāļø He can't help but react. He can't help but scream when he's in pain or yell when he's angry or cry when he's sad even if he tries so hard to do it, and he was punished for it EVERY time... Until the nautiloid when Tav has the opportunity to REWARD every tiny morsel of vulnerability he expresses.
But saying yes to the ascension is accepting that he needs to be more like Cazador to be safe, and that means whatever vulnerability he might have started to allow himself needs to go away and never see the light of day again, even if he can.
Nobody can ever have that kind of power over him, the power to make him feel and act on emotion in that way that made him so weak before.
Except romanced Tav already has a power over him: his feelings for them.
And that is his NIGHTMARE.
Which is why the only way he can be at all comfortable maintaining the relationship is by lowering their status in his mind and dominating them, or making them believe that he isn't as invested in their relationship as they are/were.
Ex:
You can go mingle at the party because I LET you, but I'm still watching. You will always be on my leash.
You can sleep with Mizora and I won't be angry because I don't CARE enough to be jealous or upset.
Haha it's a good thing you broke up with me because I would've ruined your pathetic love with my super powerful evil mastermind manipulation. If you thought I actually loved you it's just because of how good at manipulating I am and I'm definitely not devastated because that would mean that you could hurt me and no one can hurt me.
I'm a good owner, but I'm still your owner and you should remember that I could choose to be less good to you if I wanted because I am more powerful than you and you can't hurt me if you're beneath me.
You can have my affection but only if you earn it because I don't want you to have the opportunity to know you could break my heart if you wanted to because that would ruin my image which is the most important thing to me now.
On AA's fear:
Astarion's #1 fear has always been other people having power over him again and despite how powerful the ascension makes him, it doesn't make that fear go away, it makes it WORSE.
Vampire traits are your traits magnified and twisted. That doesn't just apply to things that were once positive. Just like his love becomes obsession, I believe his fear also becomes obsession.
Obsessed with maintaining the appearance of invulnerability. Obsessed with making himself feel confident and powerful 200% of the time and getting rid of anything that keeps him from feeling that way.
Hiding anything that could be perceived as weakness from absolutely everyone at all times.
Spawn Astarion cries when he finally kills Cazador as centuries of catharsis wash over him and overwhelm him. Do I think Ascended Astarion isn't also overcome with relief and emotion at finally being free? I don't actually. I think he is, and won't allow himself to feel it or to cry or to display anything but the facade of what he thinks he SHOULD be feeling in a triumphant moment like this.
He's confused if Dame Aylin kills that stupid fucking wizard why she isn't celebratory and cheerful. So he clearly expects that to be his reaction to killing Cazador.
When he's a spawn, regardless of whatever he expected, he just lets himself feel all the shit he feels and expresses it without worrying about what anyone else in the room will think because that doesn't matter to him right now.
But AA isn't allowed that moment of vulnerability or relief because he is and always will be first and foremost concerned with what other people think of him. He'd rather be seen as evil and cruel but completely untouchable than risk being seen as weak.
The tragedy isn't about Tav, it's about Astarion:
I don't think his ascended ending is his bad ending because he will inevitably be a monster like Cazador or treat Tav horribly. That's what could potentially happen to other people maybe, but that's honestly not even what makes this ending so tragic.
It's tragic for him to spend the rest of his immortal life not being able to let go of his performance. To be trapped forever playing the part of the all powerful, untouchable ascendant. To lose out on the opportunity to grow past the toxic idea that being soft is being weak. To let someone else take care of him when he needs it.
That's why I don't like it (again, for my playthroughs, because I enjoy giving everyone a happy ending if I can. AA ending is fascinating to me as an option to be given though. I think about it a lot, and that's good writing right there.)
Spawn Astarion isn't a perfect good boy with the heart of a saint but I don't want or expect him to be. He is however, finally comfortable in his skin and unlearning all the terrible lessons Cazador gave him. He's accepting himself for better AND for worse. He's just being himself, unapologetically, for everyone to see and I think that's his perfect version of a happy ending.
Itās no secret Astarion hates himself. Like he deals with a lot of insecurities and self loathing. He just puts on an act of self confidence and narcissism to properly play the role of sexy vampire.
But I think a lot of people miss when he Ascends this gets so much worse. Not only does he still think heās only good for sex and has nothing to offer beyond that. Now heās a monster, not by force but by choice. He choose to become a monster. Now heās expanded his act from sexy vampire to evil sexy vampire. Heās playing the villain because thatās what he thinks he is. And as we know heās really not that great at acting.
I think itās interesting everyone always talks about seeing through Astarionās facade but when it comes to him ascending theyāre so quick to fall for his act all over again.
Thereās the line āif you stay with him he will always see you as degrading yourselfā in his post ascension romance scene. A lot of people interpret it at face value as he hates and looks down on Tav. But I think itās miss understood because he could never hate Tav as much as he hates himself. Infact Iād say he has Tav put up on the highest pedestal. He sees them as the kindest most caring person in the whole world. He adores them and holds them in the highest regard. Thatās why them wanting to be with him so much they would even put themselves beneath him is the ultimate degradation. Itās also why he feels he has to turn them because he doesnāt believe thereās any reason theyād choose to stay with him of their own free will while at the same time he canāt bare to loose them. He canāt wrap his head around the idea that you could actually love a monster like him.
If you say you want freedom in the reunion party he panics. Why would you want freedom? To leave him? You want to leave him? Why? When heās given you the only things heās good for; luxury and sex. Thatās the only reason you choose him in the first place. Heās desperate to make Tav happy. With out Tav he has nothing. He is nothing.
He hides his hurt and insecurities behind that mask of the villain, behind his facade of power and dominance. Under it all heās still the frightened spawn cowering in the kennels. And thereās no one heās more desperate to hide this from than Tav lest they realize their mistake of caring for him and leave.
"Astarion, I just want to say, I judged you wrongly. I'm sorry."
"Really? And how - specifically- have you misjudged my fine character?"
"You aren't actually insufferably randy, you're just insufferable."
I find this compelling banter for a few reasons and I wanna talk about one thing in particular.
This dialogue is triggered after you and Astarion make things "official". You've discussed his little plan, how he feels now, and that you two are continuing into a relationship without sex for the time being.
Theoretically, nothing has changed, at least outwardly in a way we as the player can see.
You two were probably sharing a tent occasionally (or frequently) before the confession. Which is known, since everyone comments. Wyll specifically takes it upon himself to tell you to watch your heart in front of Astarion. So they already know that's a thing.
The other companions weren't privy to the confession, or wouldn't be, seeing as it was probably discussed rather privately.
So why is Wyll recognizing Astarion has changed??
After Cazador, Astarion has proven he can make the right choice and stick by his lover, when he recognizes how badly he's misjudged him then it makes sense. But why here?
If it were just the pair acting romantically or flirty towards eachother he wouldn't have anything to add. What's to add? He already told you to watch yourself and not get hurt and the two have presumably been doing those things anyway.
Why does he suddenly recognize that Astarion isn't motivated by sex any longer?
Why is he now recognizing that Astarion isn't secretly a fiendish letch intrested in banging anything with a pulse? Who thus far he'd seen as some jerk playing with his friends heart who could not be trusted cause sex was obviously all he wanted.
What occurred that shifted that for him?
If it was them ceasing to share a tent wouldn't that make him think things were ending instead of advancing?
If they start sharing a tent more or to the same degree he would have no idea a thing had changed. Wouldn't know they are cuddling and enjoying eachothers company instead of just fucking.
And only two other companions make statements that would indicate they've also noticed a shift.
Karlach and Gale both make mention of the fact they can see something different, that they see the genuine affection that is now being displayed as obviously different from the prior displays. That they see a change in Astarion specifically.
What is it they are seeing that is making this a profound enough realization that they feel the need to both offer compliment and apologize to Astarion?
For the specific three who comment on your relationship change, I really want to know HOW they know. (I'm aware it's all HC but I love when you guys take off on your rants about your theories!)
So Gale is the one who comes closest to the same level of acknowledgement as Wyll. He says:
Gale: "I fear I've been rather hasty to judge you, Astarion."
Gale: "One heartbreak was quite enough for me, but to experience it as many times as you have must change a person."
Astarion: "Thank you, Gale. Let us both hope that broken hearts are a thing of the past."
And it's more just acknowledging that he does see the closeness developing, and is impressed enough that he feels the need to openly relate and offer that he misjudged Astarion's intentions towards you.
Karlach simply asks a question, and Astarion plays it off more than anything. But it's clear she's seeing something change between you two and she's curious if it's even possible that he could have real feelings.
Karlach: "Sorry if this is rude, but... can vampires fall in love?"
Astarion: "What a preposterous question. Vampires can do anything you can do, and a damn sight better."
Karlach: "Sunbathe? Swim?"
Astarion: "All right, there are a few limited exceptions."
Karlach: "Good to know love is on the table though."
Astarion: "It is. Though if the table is laden with good wine and meat, love is often left to rot with the salad leaves."
Shadowheart and Lae'zel hardly care. In fact Lae'zel is just bugged that you two are apparently always acting romantic and how it's a bane on the purpose of the adventure. (Tho Lae'zels is pretty funny)
Lae'zel: "The more I learn of this plane, Astarion, the more I believe 'love' is its greatest disease."
Astarion: "Oh, I don't know. The screaming fever is pretty bad."
Plus she does essentially acknowledge that you're relationship is obnoxious and probably obvious.
So is that it? Is it just more obvious?
Immediately after the man states he needs to figure out how to be intimate and do any of the things being sweet on someone entails, does he turn around and start doing the opposite?
Yes he does.
And I think he flaunts it outloud.
Proud to have you as his in a way he can't keep to himself. Safe in a way he's never felt. Dropping his walls and showing his sillier, softer, less polished and perfect him, his real him, openly for all to see, not just privately for you.
So much so that it hits the guy who has thus far been the most openly suspicious towards Astarion with such impact that he feels the need to apologize. Even if he does still admit he doesn't much like him personally at the end, he admits he was wrong, and his sorry sounds entirely sincere.
Wyll is straight up mean to the man in Act 1 and the very first sign he is changing his mind comes from a conversation being had about a very pesronal and private decision he would know nothing about.
Unless he can see so clearly what is happening that even his bias can't deny that he judged Astarion poorly.
Which honestly... he didn't. He read the situation right on the surface, since then it had been a plan, and he called it out honestly. Then it changed and he accepted and stated that. It suits his character and opens the door for him to start trusting Astarion himself, which thus far he doesn't seem to.
And I love the idea that this shift in safety for Astarion becomes the first small shift for the two from leery campmates to more like a friend.
That what he's found gives him the foundation and security to substantially shift into himself and away from the mask with EVERYONE. Not just you.
It shows for the first time how integral that support is for him to start changing his life into something he wants it to be and how eager he is to make it so.
He doesn't take his time or come to it slowly.
Astarion throws himself into who he wants to try and be the moment he feels even the barest hint of safe and it's obvious even to his worst critic and I absolutely adore that.
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A Needlessly Thorough Examination of Raphaelās Diary Entries
A close reading by āØmeāØ
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Raphaelās diary entries are, without a doubt, some of, if not my favourite piece of video game flavour text, ever. They provide far more depth to our encounters with him in the game, an insight into his horrible little brain, and detail his downfall in three acts.
This close reading seeks to pick apart the entries, and see what they allow us to glean about this evil doom-seeking-missile of a man, starting withā¦
ENTRY 1
ā[A chapter from a diary penned in Raphael's sybaritic hand].ā
So right off the bat, this one line does a lot. His handwriting being described as āsybariticā is delightful: itās not just neat, itās not just nice, itās luxuriousāthis is no utilitarian affair. Raphael consistently surrounds himself with fine things, so itās unsurprising his hand reflects this, he probably wrote all these entries with a silver-nibbed, peacock feather quill or something.
Itās also notable that itās not āa sybaratic handā itās Raphaelās: his handwriting is distinctive. As someone who wants to be king of the Hells, and then the entire multiverse, itās unsurprising that he wouldnāt want his handwriting to get mixed up with anyone elseās.
Lastly, this sets up a clear precedent for what Raphaelās handwriting normally looks like.
āØāWhile I have (over many a sumptuous season) cast the net of my contractual predilections both far and wide, never have I been so attracted to mortals as I am to those infested by the tadpole.ā
First of all, and most obviously, his choice of words really is something: āsumptuousā, ācontractual predilectionsā, as with his dialogue Raphael writes like he swallowed a thesaurus. Notable, however, is that this is a diary: this is private, he isnāt speaking like this to impress someone.
Whilst I do think Raphael likes to think of himself as a bit of an intellectual, it also alludes to his love of words. Heās constantly reciting poetry (his, perhaps?), Yurgirās contract takes the form of a song, he has a giant fully stocked library. Itās showy, obviously, but I do think it displays an earnest passion for language.
This is furthered by the consideration for how his writing sounds. The sibilance (I got my Nat 5 English!) in āsumptuous seasonā especially displays obvious intention in regards to sound, perhaps shared by the repeated āckā sound in ācontractual predilectionsā. This all serves to reinforce that Raphaelās love for poetry and music is more than just for appearances.
This is firmly headcanon territory, but I do wonder if Raphās preference for poetry, music, and plays (see his frequent references to theatre), which are usually spoken aloud, are an attempt to distance himself from his father, Mephistopheles, who is basically Hellās No 1 Wizard, and therefor almost certainly a book-guy.
Second of all, in terms of the actual things that heās saying, Raphael essentially conveys that he finds those infected by mind flayer tadpoles unusually interesting, which I think is indicative of Raphaelās love of struggle.
He finds Hope fascinating because sheāll never bend to his will; he outright says Act 1 āI like it when my clients out up a fight, only to realise victory was never an optionā; he picks up Mol and rejects Voss in Act 2, yes, because Mol is desperate and Voss has little to offer, but I suspect itās in part because he respects Molās struggle, and objects to Vossā pursuit of what he sees as an easy answer. He wonāt even let you make a contract with him following his offer in Act 1! Dude this is literally your job!!!
So yes, undoubtedly the reason he finds the victims of ceremorphosis so interesting is because they are struggling against the inevitable. I also, and this is purely headcanon, wonder if this reflects the belief that he has set himself apart from his father and forged his own path, rather than accepting his nepo-baby status. Who knows!
This section also sets up the fishing metaphor he uses consistently through his diary entries, because of course he has an allegorical through-line in his own private diary.
āØāThese particular fish find themselves splashing towards their doom, towards a steel hook unblemished by bait. How they resist the current! How inexorable its whelm, its tug, its dark undertow! At the other end of the fishing pole, the illithid. How their tentacles must quiver like cooled jelly at the prospect of more catches: more and more each day along the troubled riverbank. This process has a name I sample now aloud, to saver its taste: Ceremorphosis.ā
Minor notes: the alliteration in āunblemished by baitā, and Raphaelās remark that āI sample now aloud, to saver its tasteā do continue to emphasise his love of performed language.
āThese particular fish find themselves splashing towards their doom, towards a steel hook unblemished by bait.ā I would assume this is a reference to the fact that in order to take/corrupt mortalās souls and take them to the Hells so they can become Devils themselves, Devils must make deals. This isnāt something illithids must do.
āHow they resist the current! How inexorable its whelm, its tug, its dark undertow!ā Continues Raphaelās delight in struggle.
āAt the other end of the fishing pole, the illithid. How their tentacles must quiver like cooled jelly at the prospect of more catches: more and more each day along the troubled riverbank.ā I feel that Raphaelās choice of ācooled jellyā, a slightly gross sounding comparison, does betray some level of disgust, disdain, or even just plain weirding-out at the notion of illithids. Remember, this the same man who brought us āsumptuous seasonsā, he could have gone with something more appealing.
I personally just think he finds them icky, but maybe heās trying to place them beneath himself: āyes, you kind of do the same thing I do, and maybe you do it in a more efficient manner, but Iām a lot cooler about itā. Who knows?
āI shall make crafty use of this development.ā
Not much to say besides ācraftyā definitely fitting with his perception of himself as a fox*: a cunning, resourceful creature. Raphael in general has an extremely high view of himself (sometimes to slightly deluded extremes) so this reinforces it, and I think itās kind of funny.
*when Raphael meets the player, he recites the poem
āThe mouse smiled brightly, it outfoxed the cat
Then down came the claw, and that, love, was that.ā
If asked whether heās the cat or the mouse, Raphael will answer āthe foxā.
āØāFor with the hook glinting, and death so close, what could loom larger in the stricken fish's mind than the prospect of rescue?ā
So, amongst Raphaelās fixations, another which stands out maybe a little less but once you see it you canāt unsee it, is his love of perceiving himself as a saviour. He describes himself as āhelper of the hopeless and despairingā, even here he picks ārescueā over say āhelpā, which I (subjectively) feel has less knight in shining armour connotations. And of course let us not forget the ever-iconic "Am I a friend? Potentially. An adversary? Conceivably. A saviour? Now that's for certain".
To be absolutely clear, this is not a benevolent interest, getting people out of doomed situations is generally implied to be how he makes most of his contracts (including how he tries to, or does, make a contract with Tav). He is a saviour who takes complete and total advantage of those he āāāsavesāāā. That said, idk, itās an interesting thing for him to mention so frequently, and I wonder to what extent he believes it.
Still, for his possible misgivings regarding mindflayers, his final line confirms he finds ceremorphosis fascinating. āThis process has a name I sample now aloud, to saver its taste: Ceremorphosis.ā Perhaps because itās very different to what do Devils, undoubtedly a little because he enjoys the struggle against the inevitable, and because, to dip wayyyy back into headcanon territory, I think itās an erasure of the self that he finds morbidly fascinating.
Ceremorphosis, an assimilation into a hive-mind, stands starkly against the sort of prideful individualism that Raphael revels in. He wants to be King of the Hells! He wants to be the saviour! He wants to be the specialist little boy that ever lived! But becoming a mindflayer wipes out who you were, links you up to a collective consciousness, and makes you identical, cookie-cutter, incapable of going against the grain. You cannot be Hellās specialist little boy if everyone else is just as special as you.
I think the idea of becoming a mindflayer scares him, but becaus itās not happening to him, he finds it morbidly fascinating. Itās a bit like body horror having a tendency to appeal to those with negative/complicatef relationship with their own bodies, itās seeing your worst fears played out whilst youāre totally safe. That said, where they did not actually turn Demi Moore into a horrible two-faced abomination for The Substance (as far as Iām aware) this is a real thing happening to real people, so itās a little more fucked up that Raphael takes pleasure in it.
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The only closing note I have on Entry 1, is that fishing as a choice of metaphor is important because itās a very tranquil, very methodical form of hunting. You are not stalking your prey through the undergrowth, prey which has the chance to flee if they hear you, or you miss your shot; you are sitting back and luring your prey, and once it has bitten down on your hook it can thrash and thrash but is unlikely to get free. Fishing is even often regarded as a way to relax. This reflects the mindflayersā and Raphaelās remove from their prey, and their relative positions of safety.
Uh, RIP king you would have loved Shakespeare.
āāā
ENTRY 2
Entry 2 is by far the weirdest, but itās also probably my favourite. I will say that this whole entry, to my mind, is not supposed to tell a clear narrative (i.e. the fire represents Mephistopheles, the hooks represent his plans, etc. and when you slot those in you get a coherent story). I think itās more representative of Raphaelās subconscious fears, and the forces he feels are acting upon him.
ā[A chapter from a diary penned in Raphael's steady, imperious scrawl]ā
Right in with entry 2, even before youāve got the actual content, thereās an obvious tone difference from the previous entry. āSteady and imperiousā implies a lot less enjoyment than āsybariticā. Itās a little more practical, thereās less flair, maybe even implying tension in the usually flamboyant cambion. āScrawlā is perhaps also a little less grandiose than āhandā in terms of word choice. Still, it is collected: Raphael hasnāt gone off the deep end - yet.
āØāLast night I dreamt of a river. Waist-deep I waded it. Rusted hooks curled up from the water like the snaggled teeth of something ancient and diseased and submerged. The moon over the water cracked and fire flew out on the stubby wings of gormless insanely chirping chicks. They transformed into wriggling oblongs like sperm, yet by the time they hit the water they were fish with scales of orange and gold. There came a rushing sound, the dark water ablaze as if the fish were matches and the river a snake of oil. Approaching me out of the flames came the tadpole-infested. There was one among them who spoke for the rest. They gestured to the melting hooks, suddenly glanced my way, and in their face I saw they had the best of me.ā
Because this paragraph is quite big, Iām going to go through it section by section for ease of reading. I would also like to point out the paragraphās size as a possible indicator of Raphaelās descent. This is a man who delights in language, and takes pride in the way his diary is written: a structureless unburdening this not. Entry 1 has several, mostly even, short-ish paragraphs. This block of text evokes an unbroken stream of consciousness.
āLast night I dreamt of a river. Waist-deep I waded it.ā These two sentences immediately place Raphael in the previous domain of the infected. Where before Raphael was the fisherman, casting his net, now heās right in there with the fish. āWaist-deepā is also pretty deep, if youāre waist deep in a river, especially a fast moving one, you are very much at the mercy of the water. Does this represent that he feels heās losing control over his situation? Mayhaps.
āRusted hooks curled up from the water like the snaggled teeth of something ancient and diseased and submerged.ā There are, I think, two main ways of interpreting this, but regardless this furthers Raphael being placed in the position of the fish (the en-tadpoled), no longer the hunter but the prey. Where before Raphael was either the fisherman, or a safe and removed observer, he is now in the shit with Tav and the gang. He is now in danger of being caught.
The first way of interpreting this line is that he has grown tangled in his own (and othersā) metaphorical nets. He suspects (perhaps unconsciously, and almost certainly correctly if youāre rifling through his pockets) that Tav and Co, the increasingly powerful gaggle of oddballs, are going to turn against him.
Heās also battling with the Emperor, who has its own goals, and Most Certainly Does Not want Tav and Co making deals with Raphael, and is also actively subduing the threat of ceremorphosis, which was Raphaelās former point of leverage.
This also to say nothing of the rogue elements, like Gorthash and Helsik, whom Korilla accuses of spreading the word that Raphael has the Orphic hammer.
Raph may be beginning to wonder if heās bitten off more than he can chew.
Speaking of chewing, based off Raphaelās allusion to āsnaggeled teethā, the other main interpretation I see is Raphaelās subconscious fear of being eaten. If you look in a crystal ball in the second floor of the Devilās fee after you murder Raphael in his home, the Narrator informs you ā*Within the ball you see Raphael, broken and bloody, dangling above the maw of the archdevil Mephistopheles, who is preparing to devour him.*ā
Raphaelās mention of teeth could indicate this is a fate he already suspects will befall him if he fails, whether because itās something Mephistopheles has threatened him with in the past, or because heās seen the same fate befall others who incur his fatherās wrath. It is notable that Mephistopheles is well known for killing those Devils in his court who threaten to exceed him, and itās possible Larian feels that consumption is an appropriate execution method for a Devil as hungry for power as Mephistopheles.
I should clarify that I donāt think the hooks represent his father, rather that his choice to compare them to āsnaggled teethā indicates being eaten is one his mind (and not in a fun, sexy way!).
I think both these interpretations are valid. This whole entry is probably the most up to interpretation of all of them, and if you disagree with both these readings and/or have your own, please put it in the notes, I would love to hear.
āThe moon over the water cracked and fire flew out on the stubby wings of gormless insanely chirping chicks. They transformed into wriggling oblongs like sperm, yet by the time they hit the water they were fish with scales of orange and gold. There came a rushing sound, the dark water ablaze as if the fish were matches and the river a snake of oil.ā
This is a passage I am a little hard pushed to interpret, and I am certain other people are going to have different readings.
The chicks turned sperm, turned fish are almost certainly supposed to represent the tadpole infected, as indicated by the reference to fish (something Raphael previously compared the tadpole infected to in Entry 1) and sperm, something that the tadpoles do kind of resemble. The transformation from āgormless chicksā, a freshly hatched - flightless animal of little danger - to fish - something adapted to their marine environment- could perhaps represent Raphaelās fear that Tav and Co are growing more competent than heād like.
I think that here fire implies Raphaelās own fears about his father. Mephistopheles is literally called the Lord of Hellfire, both for his fiery temper but also because one of the lates in Mephistophelesā long line of arcane interests is hellfire. Mephista, the main city in Cania and where Mephistopheles resides is also often remarked upon for its warm, blazing hearths. Tldr, Mephistopheles is closely tied to fire, and it seems unlikely that Larianās writers would have included such a prominent reference to fire without this in mind.
This doesnāt literally means that Raphael thinks Tav and Co are being aided by daddy-dearest, though Haarlep (gifted to Raphael by Mephistopheles) can end up a great ally to you in the House of Hope, rather that his fatherās possible influence, or just his father in general, are on his mind.
Finally, the burning of the river is the transformation of his previously tranquil hunting grounds into something dangerous and volatile. Comparing the river to burning oil brings to mind a loss of control, something Raphael is averse to (before he fights Tav in the House of Hope he complains about their bringing chaos into his house). Raphael likes method, order, a fishing rod and bait, he doesnāt hunt his prey with oil and flame. His river no longer serves him.
āApproaching me out of the flames came the tadpole-infested. There was one among them who spoke for the rest. They gestured to the melting hooks, suddenly glanced my way, and in their face I saw they had the best of me.ā
This section outright states Raphaelās fears of being bested. Out of the burning wreck of Raphaelās domain comes Tav and Co. The hooks (Raphaelās schemes and traps) are melting in the heat of the burning river. The leader, presumably Tav themself, has defeated him. This is Raphaelās worst-case scenario.
āØāIn waking, my courage has firmed. I progress my plans for the tadpoled even now.
I am Raphael. I am not easily bested.ā
For all the tomfoolery of the rest of the entry, these might be my favourite lines. Raphael dreams all of that, goes ānope! Not listening!ā and shoves it back down into the depths of his subconscious. No doubts to see here, folks! Because of course he is Raphael, and Raphael doesnāt hesitate, doesnāt fear, āretreat begets regretā as he once said to Mol, and he is not about to have his ambition checked.
āI am Raphael. I am not easily bestedā is such a brazen display of arrogance, but paired with the entry we just read it feels more like heās painting over the cracks. I donāt think that Raphael can admit the possibility of failing to himself, at least not consciously, but heās kind of increasingly - though subconsciously - aware that it is a distinct possibility.
But also, he writes all of this down! For all his pomp at the end, he does not write āI had this really weird dream about a burning river but it probably means nothing lol. Anyway, hereās how my dastardly and most ingeniously constructed schemes are coming along.ā Raphael, is, in his own way beginning to doubt himself, which is fantastic because when you see him in the game he never comes across as anything less than 100% confident. He is bluffing, regardless of how much he would like to admit that to himself, and it adds a lot more depth to your encounters with him.
And so, this brings us finally onto Entry 3, and though I think Entry 2 is my favourite because I like my men pathetic and suffering, Entry 3 100% ends things with a bang.
ā[The final chapter from a diary penned in Raphael's hand. Here and there his composed hand stiffens and moves erratically, as if he were by times seized by emotion both powerful and unexpected]ā
This is it, folks! The culmination of our Raphael handwriting arc. Immediately, his hand is no longer āsybariticā, not even āsteady and imperiousā it is just his handwriting.
Furthermore, there is one thing Raphael seldom is (outside of brief bursts of quickly concealed anger) it is āerraticā. The handwriting and language in the first entry displays a level of care that goes into his diary, care which he has obviously been unable to maintain. Call this man officially ruffled. We have been told that Raphael is not his usual self.
āThe plot thickens goes the aphorism - entirely inadequate. The plot mutates. It fluctuates. I have conceived no less than thirteen variations by which I might seize the Crown of Karsus. Yet in the tumult of this eternally flowing river of schemes, I, the most careful of fishermen, finds his catch elusive and difficult to wrangle. Even in cooperation such ambiguity and delicious surprise! But the hook has snagged, the doom of ceremorphosis has abated, yet they could not predict (could they? could they?) that in leaving behind the river they have in fact welcomed the fishbowl? I am master here. A prince of bargains cloaked like scarlet satin. All that hidden under sublimely obvious truths that cannot be discounted.ā
Here again we get another large text block. Again, this diary is becoming less and less a leisure activity and more a confidante.
āØāThe plot thickens goes the aphorism - entirely inadequate. The plot mutates. It fluctuates.ā āMutatesā, āfluctuatesā, these are not the words chosen by a man who is in control. āMutatesā stands out especially because of its more organic connotations, the plot is alive and sick, something that undoubtedly does not appeal to the control-loving Raphael.
Also note the short sentences: these increase the tempo of the writing, like a quickening beat in music, as well as standing out as odd from the usually verbose Raphael. The staccato sentences convey a feeling of intensity, stress.
āI have conceived no less than thirteen variations by which I might seize the Crown of Karsus.ā So we donāt know what Raphaelās typical number of contingencies is, but his use of āno less thanā would seem to imply this is a lot for him. It could imply he is worried, and it could also be a form of self-reassurance - āI have devised so many ways by which I might gain the crown, surely I must succeedā - I suspect it is a bit of both.
āYet in the tumult of this eternally flowing river of schemes, I, the most careful of fishermen, finds his catch elusive and difficult to wrangle. Even in cooperation such ambiguity and delicious surprise!ā Heās having difficulties, obviously, but Raphael of course delights in struggle, as he always does. I do think that Raphael found his battle for the Crown exciting, at least on a surface level, but I also suspect that this stroking of his own ego, describing himself as āthe most careful of fishermen,ā is similar to when he says heās ānot easily bestedā at the end of Entry 2. Yes, he believes it, heās so far up his own arse he can probably see daylight again, but heās also trying to reassure himself.
āBut the hook has snagged, the doom of ceremorphosis has abated, yet they could not predict (could they? could they?) that in leaving behind the river they have in fact welcomed the fishbowl?ā Raphael, at this point, sounds manic. ā(could they? could they?)ā marks the return of the short sentences, and also clearly expresses doubt: Raphael fears that heās met his match. Iām also fairly certain the second ācouldā should be capitalised, and if so, I feel that Raphael would have to be in a fairly dire state of mind to let slide poor punctuation.
His metaphors are also growing more strained. āin leaving behind the river they have in fact welcomed the fishbowl?ā It gets his point across, but itās not elegant, heās stretching. Are you wanting Tav and Co as pets now, Raph? I thought you were hunting them.
This is also Raphael acknowledging that he has lost his original bargaining chip - the offer of saving Tav and Co from ceremorphosis - but he tries to reassure himself that theyāre out of the frying pan and into the fire.
āI am master here. A prince of bargains cloaked like scarlet satin. All that hidden under sublimely obvious truths that cannot be discounted.ā
See here the further boasting. This is Raphael at his most nervous, and itās also when heās the most self-aggrandising. He wouldnāt feel the need to clarify that heās the āmasterā, that heās in control, if he didnāt feel that control slipping. If you heard someone describe themself as āA prince of bargains cloaked like scarlet satin.ā you would laugh, because it is a fundamentally ridiculous thing to say about yourself, and yet here he is, committing it to paper.
Having āAll that hidden under sublimely obvious truths that cannot be discounted.ā as a separate sentence is possibly for rhythmic reasons, but given the subject hasnāt changed, it should grammatically speaking definitely just be the same sentence as āscarlet satinā. Raphaelās punctuation has taken a wee bit of a nose-dive, which is absolutely deliberate. It is also a second, fundamentally ridiculous thing to say about oneself. On all levels possibly including physical, Raphael is white-knuckle gripping the bathroom sink as he goes through the worldās most absurd list of daily affirmations.
āØāSo the fisherman reels! The tadpoled are my catch. Struggle as they might, writhe as they wish, flop and squirm and thresh with every ounce of strength, no matter.ā
Return of the fishing metaphor, but Raphael has presumably dropped his previous āfishbowlā comparison, unless we are to believe heās casting his line into a fish-tank. There are two short sentences, followed by one very broken up one, which serves to ratchet up the tempo and tension before the final line. Raphael continues to try and convince himself of the inevitability of his victory, because surely he canāt fail.
āØāBy all the reeking flames of Hell I will not be denied.ā
What a closing line. Were I more trite, I might be tempted to call this bratty: to be clear, I do not believe he was spoilt by Mephistopheles, but his initial station as son of the Lord of the Eighth must have earned Raphael a certain level of entitlement, and the sheer magnitude of his ambition undoubtedly would have done the rest. Raphael will not allow himself to entertain the idea of failure, not least of all because he probably suspects that defeat would cost him more than the centuries of sunk time and energy.
-
My closing notes on Raphaelās final entry, is to point out how starkly it contrast with the first. Entry 1ās closing remark, āThis process has a name I sample now aloud, to saver its taste: Ceremorphosis.ā is an especially poignant comparison: he is savouring, he is taking his time. Compare this to Entry 3, which is rushed, impassioned, manic, and dare I say just a little bit scared.
The last entry also casts a whole new light on your final encounter with him in the game if you decide to kill him. Thatās the first time you see him properly angry in the game (he quickly recovers himself if you accuse him of being scared of Yurgir in Act 2), and almost unprompted compares Tav to ādoomed Karsusā: projecting much?
This entry shows us what was roiling beneath the surface to cause his agitation, and definitely gives an edge of desperation to Raphaelās final act. Perhaps thatās even why calls on Yurgir to aid him in his fight, someone you can make your ally instead, for a - granted, quite challenging - persuasion check, another of Raphaelās schemes you can turn against him.
āāā
Overall, Raphaelās diary entries serve to both reinforce and subvert what he see of him during encounters, and allow us a glimpse beneath the mask of a character who is always performing. Where Raphael wants Tav to see a cunning negotiator and saviour, one later catch seemingly completely off-guard, the diary entries paint the picture of a man driven to mania by his own ambition, and subsequently caught on the hook of his own line, then devoured.
Anyway, I do have more things I could say about Raphaelās fucked up little brain, but I think Iāll save that for another post, because this one is already pretty long.
Please, please share your own thoughts about this examination. The diary has been rattling about the echo-chamber of my own brain for weeks, so undoubtedly I have missed/misinterpreted things.
Alright, I'm alive and ready to dive into this topic. Be prepared, it's going to take some time to read.
So that happens that both of these fictional creatures are one of my favourites. And with recent published DnD roolbook we've got bits of expanded lore of how those two kinds of creatures can interact with each other. With that, I think I will try my best for dissipating one really popular myth surrounding both Cazador Szarr and Astarion Ancunin, and it is:
Does the Ascension ritual means losing the soul of the future-to-be Vampire Ascendant? Does Astarion specifically loses his soul through the ritual?
Shortest answer possible as TL;DR - No, he does not and his soul remains fine, as it only could for a vampire being.
But we aren't here for the short answers, yes?
Before delving further, I think it will be helpful to refresh memory a bit about the very nature of vampire souls in DnD (yes, Ravenloft related to Forgotten Realms setting, we can freely take info from there) about which I also wrote a post of sum-up.
With that, we move on the new information we've got recently.
First of all, I didn't even know this was quite a common belief, but vampires of all kinds, spawns, brides, lords, true etc, do possess a soul. It does not becomes "lost", it does become cursed and separated into two material planes, yes, but it is very much intact in every vampire.
To prove it further from Astarion's Book of Hungers it is heavily implemented that Cazador Szarr himself was a Vampire Infernalist - a vampire worshipping the devil, in this case it was Archdevil Mephistopheles worshipped. Devils bargain in souls - if vampires had none, they would have nothing to offer (unless just a servitude for the Archdevil).
What does it means to us? Very simple point - we can safely say for sure it was Cazador who had the misfortune to be Archdevil's main target.
While mortal wizards tend to hesitate before bartering their souls to devils for magical power, vampire wizards often believe their immortality will exempt them from any infernal claim to their souls. The archdevil Mephistopheles happily exploits such hubris and proves that even undead arenāt immune to the laws of the Nine Hells.
The greatest hell-bound vampires are masters of hellfire called infernalists, who prey on mages. Vampire infernalists are usually too arrogant to work together; even a large city isnāt likely to harbor more than one vampire infernalist. Vampire infernalists are dormant during the day, retreating to resting places hidden from the sunās searing rays before emerging at night to commit unsavory deeds.
I want to emphasize on line The archdevil Mephistopheles happily exploits such hubris and proves that even undead arenāt immune to the laws of the Nine Hells. Take that into the nature of Cazador's deal and realize that Mephistopheles most likely was awaiting the Cazador's failure from the very start of this deal.
We know from the BG3 directly that Cazador made a deal.
Raphael: In full, the contract states that Cazador will be granted knowledge of an infernal ritual so vile it has never been performed.
The deal initially wasn't about Ascending ritual, but the knowledge about it. We can assume that for worshipping the archdevil Cazador got that Black Mass Scroll with various rituals described in it.
[Unfurling the scroll reveals a list of foul rites and rituals, detailing all the ways death can be turned to one's advantage (or simply made more interesting).
The Rite of Perfect Slaughter, the Liturgy of the Dead, the Sacrament of the Damned, and many more strange, accursed rituals cover the parchment. The final entry, however, is familiar.]
The Rite of Profane Ascension
Oh, piteous dead! Oh, ravenous dead!
Immortality is your gift, but darkness is your prison and hunger its gaoler.
The Rite of Profane Ascension will release you. Walk in the sun. Suffer not from hunger. Grow your power beyond anything you imagined.
A pact has been made with theĀ Lord of Hellfire. Deliver unto him seven thousand souls, each bearing an Infernal mark, and you shall be free of your chains. You shall know true power.
Deliver the souls.
Speak the words.
Ecce dominus,
Has animas offero in sacrificio,
Nunc volo potestatem quam pollicitus es mihi.
This initially is a pact that absolutely looks like a one-time bargain. You make a sacrifice of thousands souls - you get the power, simple as that. As much as it's tempting to assume it couldn't be so simple just do keep in mind that initially the Ascending Ritual was never supposed to be for Astarion but solely for Cazador. Cazador would have more consequences of performing the ritual and becoming even stronger archdevil worshipper, as for him it would mean more power from his patron - more work. Astarion wasn't the worshipper of Mephistopheles and after performing the Ascendind ritual for himself owes nothing for Archdevil. The one who made a pact, a deal, a contract with Archdevil and failed himself in that outcome was Cazador, after all.
Moving on, I think it would also be helpful to see what exactly are those pacts and deals with devils, what are their kinds.
From book Baldur's Gate: Descend into Avernus we can get this information:
WHAT DEVILS WANT
A devil wants souls, as every soul that it acquires brings
the devil one step closer to its next promotion. If a character wants something from a devil but isnĀ·t willing to trade their soul, the devil might ask the character to perform a service for it instead. Archdevils are also fond of making mortals swear fealty to them.
SOULS
When characters give up their souls to devils, they are promising to serve in the Nine Hells as devils themselves after death. Once promised to a devil, a character's soul can't be claimed by another creature.
SERVICES
A devil that can't claim a character's soul might demand a service by way of compensation. Such services drive the character toward committing evil or morally questionable acts designed to make the character more amenable to darker deals in the future. Here are a
few examples:
1. Without using magical coercion, the character must
convince another mortal to enter into an infernal contract with the devil.
2. The character is told about a plague, an invasion. or
other calamity that the devil has orchestrated, but
must do nothing to affect the outcome.
3. The character must steal a holy relic from a goodaligned temple and deliver it to the devil or one of its
subordinates.
Worth to give more attention to line: When characters give up their souls to devils, they are promising to serve in the Nine Hells as devils themselves after death. Once promised to a devil, a character's soul can't be claimed by another creature.
So basically speaking even if one does sell their soul, the soul remains kind of intact within the seller until they die.
By reading this I came up to a bit different conclusion than I had before. You see, it turns out it's not necessary for you to sell your soul in order to serve devils and get some stuff from them. And that made me think that the most logical way the whole thing with Cazador and Astarion and Ascending Rite could work is that:
If Cazador's soul was already sold to Mephistopheles and at his possession, Astarion wouldn't be able to swap his own position as ritual's "sacrifice" with Cazador as "ritual performer" - you cannot sell the same soul twice to the Archdevil.
Therefore, Cazador hasn't initially sold his soul, but rather swore to serve Mephistopheles to get the Black Mess scrolls about powerful rituals.
Alright, but what if by performing the Ascending Ritual Astarion creates a new contract and now is obligued to serve?
That wouldn't be possible for a simple reason: devils aren't sloppy like that, especially Archdevils. You see, devilish creatures love to be extra, love to be official - they all are Lawful Evil for a reason. They love rules and love to follow them - and love it so much they can easily fool anyone who wasn't careful enough to read the whole contract and point out certain loopholes in it to save themselves in the future.
So, literally no contract or a deal go without a paper, a contract written in devil's tongue and the sign with name. We can see the example of such official process going on with Wyll breaching his contract. Mizora not only makes it too all official, but also calls for the additional devil witnesses. Every contract is highly business level. Every contract is a separate paper - you can even steal one from Raphael's house for example.
Just performing the ritual does not create the contract. Astarion literally signed nothing, there were no devils present, maybe only Mephisto enjoying the show and aquiring all the sacrifices, but that's all. If devils were actually creating contracts and deals just by simplest deed related to them, well... they would soon run out of any budget, trust me. (believe me i'm from the family of lawyers it's in my blood lmao it's a joke buuut)
Source: Baldur's Gate: Descend into Avernus
Also worth to take a look at the forms of contracts:
To even further prove this point that after Ascended Astarion owes nothing to Mephistopheles, we have this curious dialogue between him and the tiefling of Mephisto:
>Are you bound to Mephistopheles?
Astarion: Mephistopheles has created a new monster, not bound a creature to his will. The Rite was honored, the sacrifice is over.
[exclusive for Mephistopheles tiefling]Astarion: As you live with his gift, for better or worse, now so do I.
Yet another thing I want to point out is the part of Breaching the contract I listed above. You might then think that alright, even if it was Cazador's contract, doesn't it mean that his spawns are also obligated to follow it? And I think that no. We can look both at the Ascended Astarion and Unascended Astarion and see that those both paths do not suffer from any consequences of performing/not performing the ritual of promised to Mephistopheles sacrifice. And while I personally is way more concerned for Unascended Astarion and other spawns, as they have all chances to bring down upon themselves Mephistophele's wrath, half a year after the end of main events they seem to be fine without archdevils attention of why they weren't all yet sacrifised to him.
After all, Mephistopheles is described as Archdevil with kind of terrible attention spanš¤ He loves to experiment and often forgets about his own projects if he finds something new to catch his attention, leaving lots of stuff unfinished (relatable, isn't it?)
All of that means that nor Astarion nor any other of thousands vampire spawns were ever obligued by a contract made specifically by Cazador and for Cazador himself.
I see in the fandom this discource about "losing the soul" kind of not delves into the actual nature of losing one's soul, but somehow is presented more like a metaphor for "losing one's personality, the feeling of self", to say that "Ascended Astarion isn't Astarion anymore". And to me that couldn't be more ridiculous, as we have Wyll in the game (did all those people forget about his existence?). The man literally sold his soul to Mizora. He can even become a devil himself, losing his human nature. He is bound by a contract to a devil. Does that ever mean he loses his own self, his personality, Wyll losing Wyll? Nope, doesn't seem to be the case. Despite everything, it still seems to be the Wyll we know - the hero of the Frontiers, and he never loses his morals too. Why would that be any different to any other character performing the same actions related to devils?
Maybe people should less stick to our world's perception of souls and losing it and more look at the canon lore we can all read and understand.
P.S.1 With everything I tried to convey, I do highly recommend you all to read the sources yourself, to analyze it yourself, to think for yourself and maybe come down to your own conclusions. Anyone can absolutely try to prove me wrong and success. But this whole big-ass post is my own take. You are absolutely free to agree or disagree.
With all love to Ascended Astarion and to the community who helped me a lot to write this postš¦š¤ā¤ļøš¦
(c) Myers, the Astarion's devilish advocateš
If you are interested, you can check my Master Post with collection of everything I wrote so far on topic of AA and quite a bit of fandom drama, nothing to hide.
P.S.2 From Astarion's Book of Hungers I do love his commentary on Harvester Devils:
Unfortunately, finding these dandyish devilsā contractual loopholes is not nearly as much fun as I had hoped.
It's not my idea, but I wanted to repeat it too that with Astarion's magistrate background perhaps Cazador chose him as servant to precisely look for the loopholes in devil's contracts for him, proving further that Cazador might not be the most loyal devil worshipper and basically asked for being punished for such games. Just another curious thought.
P.S.3 And also, finishing line: Raphael is most likely rivals with his own dad, but don't you think it's kind of smells funny that Raphael sold us the information about Ascending Ritual for a ridiculously cheap price? No soul selling, no oath given, just one orthon returend, while Cazador had to swore to worship to get the same stuff. Cazador's failure and doom was planned from start, it seems.
~ Astarion's Vampire "Family" Dynamics Pt. 2 ~
Why was Astarion the "family" scapegoat?
TW/CW: discussion of abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, scapegoating
This is the second half of my examination of Astarion's vampire "family" through the lens of dysfunctional family dynamics. If you didn't read the first part, I would recommend starting there as it will provide context for what I'm talking about in this part. You can access it here.
In Part 1, I talked about how Astarion appears to fill the dysfunctional family role of the scapegoat. In this section, I'm going to explain my personal theories based on what we see in the game as to why Cazador placed him in that role. Just for clarification, I do not mean to imply that the scapegoat ever does anything to deserve this role - they do not. However, abusers will often find reasons to justify their treatment of the scapegoat, and looking with a psychological perspective at the information we have in game, I believe there are four main reasons Cazador chose Astarion.Ā
(Side note: I know there is a popular headcanon that Astarion looked like Cazador's former master, Vellioth, and that lead to Cazador's unique treatment of him. Although that would add another layer to their relationship, it's not my headcanon and is not part of my analysis.)
Astarion is strong-willed
Abusers feel extremely threatened by anyone who has a will of their own. Although Astarion mentions that he eventually stopped outwardly fighting against Cazador, it is clear that Cazador still sees him as defiant.Ā In his journal Cazador says the following about Astarion:Ā
āI ought not to be surprised - the boy has always been troublesome.Ā But to disappear now, when we are all but ready?Ā It is unconscionable, even for him.ā (My emphasis)
āAstarion, standing in the sunās light?Ā Willing and able to disobey me?ā - That is Cazadorās emphasis, not mine. Heās less surprised by the fact that Astarion is willing to disobey him and more surprised by the fact that he is actually able to.
We only know of one big instance where Astarion outwardly defied Cazador, when he refused to bring him the ādarling boyā and tried to run away.Ā That was a pretty big one, as he managed to break multiple rules in one go.Ā Astarion also mentions refusing to ādineā with Cazador when invited, which Cazador could view as defiant, and Astarion would get flayed as a result.Ā Since Astarion was one of the first spawn, he may have been the first to disobey like that, which may have sealed his fate as the scapegoat no matter who came after.Ā I think thereās still more to it, though. Ā
For one, abusers expect complete obedience to the point that they want willing obedience. Thereās plenty of proof that even though Astarion was forced to follow orders, he did not do so eagerly:
When first talking about Cazador, Astarion says: āI was never able to resist [his] commands.āĀ He says this with a very sad, ashamed tone.Ā Itās not something he wanted or was proud of.Ā The fact that he says ānever ableā to resist also implies that he did try, at least at some point. Ā Ā
A couple of Astarionās siblings also have lines that imply he did not eagerly follow orders:
Petras: āYou never liked following orders, brother.Ā Thatās why you wonāt ascend with the rest of us.ā
Aurelia: āYou always were pigheaded, brother.ā
Astarion also maintained other aspects of his strong personality.Ā Although it probably comes out more once heās free, both Cazador and the spawn have comments about Astarion talking a lot, being haughty, and being a smart ass. Cazador undoubtedly influenced his personality, but never managed to completely erase it, another sign that Astarion wasnāt fully broken. Ā
Astarion still has a lot of fighting spirit.Ā Just because he physically was unable to exercise it, and ādid what [he] had toā in order to survive, doesnāt mean there wasnāt a spark lurking under the surface.Ā I think Cazador sensed that although Astarion was complying, his heart was not in it and knew that if he gave Astarion an inch he would fight back. And heās right - it doesnāt take Astarion long after heās free to start talking about how heās going to kill Cazador. I think Astarion says it best himself if you tell him that Cazador broke him:
āNo, he didnāt.Ā I am still here.Ā And I will fight him until I fight my last.āĀ
That type of attitude is extremely threatening to Cazador and a threat must be beaten down.Ā
Astarion sees through Cazador's BS
Scapegoats get the worst of the worst so they have no delusions about who the abuser really is. Astarion despises Cazador on a level that we donāt quite see with the other spawn. He spits his name out each time he says it and calls him āmonsterā, ābastardā, āinsaneā, etc. He has no loyalty towards him and no hesitation in spilling his dirtiest secrets to people heās just met. He also enjoys mocking him - especially in the āexalted vampiric masterā line - and makes it clear that while he fears Cazador and sometimes envies his power and freedom, he does not respect him.
You better believe Astarion was flipping off Cazador in his head at all times.
This is the exact opposite of how Cazador wants Astarion to see him. In Cazadorās world, Astarion should see him as his savior and benefactor and be grateful that Cazador āsufferedā putting up with his imperfect self for so long.
Astarion also has enough awareness to recognize what Cazador is doing and why he does it. He knows that Cazador is obsessed with power and control and has no real justification beyond that for what he does. He even knows to some degree that Cazador never needed a reason to abuse him, which heāll tell you if you ask him what he did to deserve eating bugs and rats:
āI existed. That was enough for him. He reveled in having power over me.āĀ
Astarion wasnāt drinking the Cazador Kool-Aid and whether he outwardly displayed that or not, an abuser like Cazador could sense it bubbling under the surface, another sign that Astarion is a threat to his total control.
We can also see this if we compare Astarion with his siblings. While he always uses the terms ābrotherā, āsisterā and āfamilyā sarcastically and with disdain, his āsiblings" use them more seriously. Astarion sees the whole āfamilyā narrative as the farce it is. The other spawn also believe that Cazador intends to set them free with the ritual, something that I canāt see Astarion buying even if he stayed with Cazador. And of course, thereās the most extreme case of Petras who thinks Cazadorās abuse was good for them.
Astarion is expressive
Even when Astarion is trying to hide his feelings, you can see moments where the mask drops and his true emotions show on his face. During his nightmare in his origin, heāll attempt to force himself to smile when he thinks Cazador is coming, but his smile is more of a grimace and almost immediately reverts to a frown:
Not a very happy smile
His true feelings when the mask drops.
Cazador would undoubtedly see any moments of emotion Astarion failed to hide and consider them another sign of defiance if Astarion was showing the āwrongā emotion at any given time. Cazador even references Astarionās āfits of temperā during their confrontation, implying that Astarion would sometimes lash out with emotion, perhaps even if it was just through showing an angry expression.Ā
As awful as it is, Cazadorās sadism could also play a role in why he particularly enjoys abusing Astarion. Since Astarion is so expressive, it could be āfunā for Cazador to rile him up because he knows heāll get a reaction (with the added bonus of punishing him for said reaction after). We actually see him do that in the ritual chamber. Additionally, Cazador, Godey, and the spawn all mention that Astarion would react strongly to torture and that may have fed Cazadorās sadistic pleasure as well. Ugh.
Astarion is better than Cazador in many ways
Astarion has a lot of strengths. He is charming, witty, beautiful, and, as I already mentioned, has inner strength. Cazador canāt have that. He canāt have Astarion or the other spawn recognizing or capitalizing on these strengths without giving up even a sliver of his complete control. So, Cazador turns those strengths into weaknesses. Astarionās humor and charm are turned into ātired jokesā and āendless prattleā. His confidence is turned to arrogance. Heās constantly called weak to detract from his strength. His beauty is weaponized against him, forcing him to use his body against his will and reducing it to the only quality he has.Ā
Cazador does acknowledge one other āstrengthā that Astarion has - āone of his few redeeming qualities is that he never trusts anyone.ā Why would Cazador call that a strength? Because that quality is one that Cazador created in him and it keeps Astarion isolated and afraid, which allows Cazador to keep his control.
There is also another crucial trait that Astarion has over Cazador. After all he has been through, he is still capable of empathy and forming connections with others. Iām not saying Astarion is a paragon of empathy. He is perfectly capable of being selfish and even cruel. But the environment and conditioning Cazador forced on him was intended to crush every ounce of empathy out of him, and it still didnāt fully succeed. Astarionās earliest ācrimeā when he saved the ādarling boyā was because of that empathy and the ability to form connections with others. I think itās significant that the first time he tried to run was to help someone else, not himself. Cazador knows this about Astarion as well. If you speak with him without Astarion present, Cazador will acknowledge Astarionās relationship with his partner, call him a āsweet idiotā and mention using Tav/Durge as bait to lure Astarion to the palace because he knows Astarion will come looking for them. Cazador has completely lost his empathy and ability to connect with others. Even his āfamilyā relationships are maintained through the threat of torture and literally forcing people to be with him. The fact that Astarion still hasnāt completely lost that ability is threatening, as with others on his side, Astarion may be able to gain some power. And ultimately it is Astarionās ability to connect with the player as a friend or partner and his ability to still feel sympathy for Cazadorās other victims that leads him to be better than Cazador and break the cycle of abuse.
"I can be better than him."
In sum, Cazador targeted Astarion not because he was weak, but because he was strong.
Iāll end by mentioning how much I LOVE that Astarion, the black sheep, is ultimately the one to kill Cazador. Turns out Cazador was right to feel threatened by him after all! Ironically, in his endless efforts to break Astarionās spirit, Cazador ended up just giving Astarion even more reasons to hate him, bringing about his own downfall, in a way. You love to see it.Ā
Thank you for reading and giving me a place to share my ramblings! I would love to hear your thoughts and appreciate every comment!Ā
