#misc: reference

gale dekarios + cosplay guide

the forgotten realms wiki released an interactive map of waterdeep, which includes over 1000 pinned locations, including 370 streets and 509 buildings:

[link to the interactive map]

clicking on locations will give you a little overview & the link to their wiki article:

an updated list of my favourite mods for gale specifically, containing general mods, as well as friendship & romance specific mods.

general mods

1 - gale beard fix (obtainable by installing it with the in-game mod manager)

this mod fixes a bug with gale's beard that causes extensive clipping issues, especially when he speaks.

2 - gale earring physics (obtainable by installing it with the in-game mod manager)

adds physics to gale's earrings. it's a small qol mod, but it really makes a difference in cutscenes.

3 - tara joins the camp (obtainable by installing it with the in-game mod manager)

this mod doesn't only allow tara to actually join camp early on, but she also has dialogue with the protag. the mod adds greetings to her, and uses gale's and tara's act 3 dialogue for a more immersive experience.

4 - gale's wizardly updo (obtainable by installing it with the in-game mod manager)

slightly alters gale's existing hairstyle and makes it (imo) make more sense. a longer version is also available from the same author.

5 - re-designed tent for gale (available on nexus)

Gale's attempt to reorganize his tent in a way that reminded him of his comfortable room in Waterdeep.

this mod adds warm lights, potted plants and much more to gale's tent to make it more reminiscent of his home in waterdeep.

another bonus of this mod is that many of gale's scene aren't too dark anymore with the added light sources, especially in act 1 this makes a huge difference. i highly recommend it.

6 - delfinition's armors (available on nexus)

adds a really nice armour variant to gale.

friendship & romance mods

1 - hug your companions - in-dialogue hug interactions (available on nexus)

this mod allows you to hug gale (as well as all other companions). it's available for all body types and is triggered by in-game dialogue. gale has a voiceline after you request a hug and after the hug itself.

2 - kisses mod (available on nexus)

allows you to use various kiss animations for gale.

some more drow lore tidbits from ed greenwood & a sort of continuation of how drow feel about surface foods (x)

if you are like me and want to enjoy having the armour you want for your rook right from the start, you can do so via this new cheat table by user zachillios.

follow these steps:

download cheat engine

download the datv cheat table

select the transmog code

open the datv cheat table, select everything and copy paste the transmog code

override/save

open cheat engine

load the cheat table

select file + open process

select datv while the game it's running

make sure to check the 'unlock all transmog options' in the cheat table

open the wardrobe

it works on armours, helmets, casual outfits, weapons, as well as those of companions:

for reference, your cheat table should look like this:

Gale: I hail from Waterdeep, the City of Splendours.

we've all heard gale introduce himself and there's a certain pride that colours his voice. but what exactly are waterdeep's splendours?

1. general noteworthy things about waterdeep

i) waterdeep is one of the cleanest cities in the realms

this is not only achieved by having many of waterdeep's buildings and facilities connected to a sewer system, but also through waterdeep's dungsweeper's guild. the members of the guild make their rounds through the city, sweeping streets, collecting trash, litter and refuse.

this service is paid for by taxes.

ii) waterdeep's water system

waterdeep boasts an extensive water system that enables the city to have free access to clean water. this free access comes in many forms: fountains, wells and bath houses. some establishment even have their own access to fresh water in form of tap water "with the turn of a knob", as volo puts it in his chapbook about the city.

iii) waterdeep, city of light

waterdeep possesses many signs and street lamps that are lit with continual flame spells:

hundreds of driftglobes also illuminate the city each night:

A driftglobe was a small glass orb that magically floated in the air and emitted light.

in addition to these magical means, so called lamplighters keep the streets lit - with the exception of the field ward and more dangerous areas of the dock ward.

iv) waterdeep and literacy

waterdeep is one of the most literate cities in the realms.

the font of knowledge is a temple to oghma, god of the domain of knowledge, in waterdeep. priests of oghma "valued, preserved, shared, sought, created, or uncovered knowledge and learning. [x]" the priests there offer free instructions and lessons in reading to everyone. the temple has a library, known as "the great library".

the city has many publishing houses and printing presses. books and chapbooks (short books containing various topics from memoirs to romances, politics, etc.) are popular, as are small and large paper advertisements that dot the streets and alleys. broadsheets are popular too in the city:

A broadsheet, also known as a short scroll, was a short, printed document which usually contained tabloid-style news or political rants. They were common in Waterdeep, where they were sold by broadcriers on the main streets.

some of these broadsheets popular in waterdeep are [x]:

The Vigilant Citizen, which was one of the most reputable broadsheets in the city.

The Blue Unicorn, which reported paranormal events such as haunted mansions or undead hiding among the nobility.

The Daily Luck, a sheet aimed at gamblers.

Horkle's Gossip Cauldron, whose style of writing was said to be profane and blunt to the point of rudeness.

The Mocking Minstrel, one of the most read broadsheets in the city, known for its caustic and sarcastic tone.

The North Wind, which focused on nobility gossip and fashion.

The Merchant's Friend

Halivar's Broadsheet

restaurants and other establishments in waterdeep often have printed menus that are placed outside, as well as handed out to those who choose to eat there.

2. the griffon cavalry

"Waterdeep doesn’t have the fabled flying ships of Halruaa, but it does deploy an aerial defense force. Brave warriors of the City Guard light out from the Peaktop Aerie atop Mount Waterdeep, riding fearsome griffons that have been bred and trained for that purpose. Each of the riders is equipped with a ring of feather falling — not merely to prevent death from mishap, but to allow them to perform stunning feats of aerial acrobatics. In both martial displays and in real battles against flying threats such as manticores, harpies, and outlaw wizards, the griffon riders actually leap off their mounts into the open air! For a breath-stealing moment, they fall like stones, closing in on their targets at incredible speed. Their opponents rarely see the griffon riders. When they are past the danger, the free-falling riders then suddenly halt in the air, drifting like feathers until their griffon companions swoop in and they regain their saddles. Working in concert with one another in this fashion, members of the Griffon Cavalry can rapidly eliminate any threat to the city — and even catch the body of the offender before it hits the rooftops below. Riders of the Griffon Cavalry are trained to stay above the rooftops, not because they fear crashing into towers and weather vanes, but because the smell of so much horseflesh in the streets below can sometimes drive their griffons into a frenzy."

[from: volo's waterdeep enchiridion]

3. the walking statues

"Over a century ago, just one of these eight behemoth statues stood visible at the northern foot of Mount Waterdeep, on a bluff called Gull Leap. Ninety feet tall, it resembled a bald human staring out to sea. Later events (discussed below) caused it to be transformed into the statue known today as the Sahuagin Humbled. When the Spellplague gripped Waterdeep in 1385 DR, six more walking statues suddenly appeared in the city, wandering to wreak havoc even as the Sahuagin Humbled remained motionless. The authorities and citizens of Waterdeep succeeded in stopping three of these new statues, breaking the Swordmaiden and the Hawk Man, and sinking the God Catcher into the street up to its waist. Then all the statues mysteriously stopped their rampage just as quickly as they had begun it. Tsarra Chaadren, the Blackstaff at the time, couldn’t command them to return to their former hiding places on the Ethereal Plane. Consequently, the city repaired itself and built up around them. Much later, in 1479 DR, the eighth statue — the Griffon — merged from the Ethereal Plane to defend Ahghairon’s Tower against intrusion. It roosted there for a time before flying to its current position near Peaktop Aerie on Mount Waterdeep. Once more, this activity seemed to be outside the Blackstaff’s control. Thankfully, all the walking statues have been dormant for well over a decade now, serving only as beautiful, cyclopean reminders of Waterdeep’s might."

[from: volo's waterdeep enchiridion]

the walking statues are:

the god catcher

the griffon

the sahuagin humbled

the great drunkard

the lady dreaming

the honorable knight

the hawk man

the sword maiden

below you'll find more lore and backstory about these walking statues of waterdeep:

[from: volo's waterdeep enchiridion]

edited to improve format and added text descriptions of the statues for easier reading: