#silfy

featuring Mayhew, my gnome Tav who was a hit with the tiefling kids (perhaps because they don't have to look up to him heheheh)

I learned this run that the kids will SPRINT ACROSS THE GROVE to admire your bird familiar if you summon it there, which was cuter than words could describe

I decided to make adult designs and "where are they now" stories for all the child tieflings who are confirmed to survive to Act 3.

Unbeknownst to her, Arabella was a latent sorcerer with a natural connection to the Weave. Her powers likely would've manifested at puberty, but touching the idol of Silvanus imbued her with wild druid magic, multiclassing her prematurely. This caused an internal struggle between the two powers, which threatened to rip her and anyone around her apart. Fortunately, with Withers' guidance, she set out to follow the Weave and found balance in her new, strange abilities. For years she traveled Faerûn alone, honing her skills and making peace with her past. Eventually, she became known as the "Wondering Storm", so attuned to nature some would mistake her for Silvanus' Chosen. Those who crossed her, however, would swear she was Jergal's Chosen; able to end a life with a single stare. Though not unkind, Arabella became feared by many for her stoic personality, mysterious presence, and peculiar command of the Weave. It seemed that wherever she was needed, she would inexplicably be.

Round 2 — Match 22 / 38 — Silfy vs. Enver Gortash

Silfy is a tiefling child in Act One. She assists her brother Mattis in his scams for Mol's gang of tiefling refugee children through pickpocketing passersby.

"the thing with silfy is she’s SO bad at it. like mattis is doing his coin flip spiel, mol is running operations, and silfy is out here going “uhhh… can i have your money please?” with tears in her eyes. and if you’re nice to her she softens instantly, like she’s been waiting for literally one adult to not yell. it’s such a small interaction but it makes the tiefling kids feel real, because yeah, of course they’re doing petty theft, of course they’re trying to be “street,” they’re displaced and hungry and everyone keeps telling them they’re a problem."

vs.

Lord Enver Gortash, often just referred to as Gortash, is the Chosen of ⁠Bane, and one of the leaders of the enigmatic Cult of the Absolute. He serves as one of the main antagonists. Despite his humble beginnings, Gortash quickly rose through the ranks of society in Baldur's Gate with unbridled ambition and great cunning. Now, an influential figure and poised to become the Archduke of the city, he seeks to consolidate his power and become the ruler of the city and beyond, through whatever means are necessary.

"when you’re juggling Orin’s chaos on one side and Gortash’s “order” on the other, it’s such a good Act 3 pressure cooker because he’s basically saying “you can end this fast, if you stop caring about ethics for five minutes.”"

"The Durge/Gortash history is SO juicy because it’s not “random villain offers alliance,” it’s “we already did this once.” He talks to you like you’re the only person in the room who understands the blueprint, and it’s awful and intimate in the creepiest way."

"gortash is fascinating to me because he’s clearly got the mind of a scientist, like not “wizard genius,” but actual experiment-brain, the kind of guy who looks at a city and sees systems, inputs, outputs, pressure points, and then goes “cool, i can optimize that.”"

"the Durge connection makes him even better because you get this sense that Durge was the one person he treated like an equal on the drawing board intellectually. He talks like “you remember how we planned this,” like there were late nights, drafts, contingency plans, the whole gross little think-tank vibe. and it’s so telling that when he sees Durge again he doesn’t go “how dare you,” he goes “this changes the variables,” and immediately starts trying to slot you back into the design. also i’m sorry but any villain who can look at the world ending and still pitch you a merger deal is automatically compelling. He’s smart in the most dangerous way: not just clever, but structured. he makes evil feel efficient, which is scarier than theatrics. anyway. i love to hate him. and i love that he hates Orin’s chaos because it’s bad for the plan. same, king. same."

"finding gortash’s parents selling camp shoes like normal civilians while you’re holding the knowledge they SOLD HIM and that he was FORCED INTO SLAVERY in the HOUSE OF HOPE OF ALL PLACES is actually insane."

Tieflings, thieflings and teethlings. Those are pieces from ~2020 when bg3 was in early access so some of the characters don't look like they are now. (the kids...) (I thought Silfy was a boy, oops, sorry :))

Excerpt from a short heist fic...

Silfy's Puppy Snmuggling Ring

by Silfy (and writesoftheratt)

Coming December 13 in the Baldur's Gate Love & Marriage zine! Check them out: @lovemarriagebg3!

“Team, meet Yenna,” Silfy said to the thieflings gathered at the Rivington refugee camp. “She needs our help.”

Yenna squeezed her cat, Grub, and said, “There’s a refugee couple, really nice, and they have a dog named Biscotti, and Mar’hyah—the mean lady who runs the courier post—stole him!”

“We’re gonna steal him back.”

“Us?” Ide said. “Haven’t stolen anything in a while.”

“That’s alright. I got it all planned out: a smuggling ring. I got this scroll, and we’ll use disguises. Ide does the fur, Mirkon will dye them, and Umi—”

“I don’t wanna,” Umi said. “Not with you in charge. Mol’s supposed to be in charge.”

“Mol’s busy.”

“What about Mattis?”

“Not really leadership material,” Mattis said. “C’mon, Silfy’s been doing this as long as me. She’s a sneak, best pick we got, and her plan is pretty good. Silfy, tell 'em. Tell them plan A.”