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Duplicity App
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Name: Nights Age: 29 Contact: PM Timezone: CST Other Character(s): N/A |
Name: Astarion Door: Live for another Canon: Baldur's Gate 3 Canon Point: Sometime between the Nautiloid crash and the attack on the Goblin camp early in game. Age: Appearance: x • x • x History: Astarion's Wiki Cazador Dialogue Prior to becoming a Vampire Spawn Astarion was a noble and part of the Magistrate responsible for passing down laws and sentences. After a ruling that was particularly unpopular, he was attacked by a pack of Gur (nomadic humans) and left for dead. Instead of dying Astarion was discovered, oh so conveniently, by a Vampire Lord named Cazador Szarr who gave him the choice to either live or die. Astarion chose life, preferring to live an eternity over certain death, unfortunately for Astarion eternity is a long time. Instead of finding himself in the embrace of a merciful and generous Lord Astarion finds himself in the clutches of a sadistic puppet master. For 200 years Astarion was under the thumb of the Szarr family and subject to Cazador's thrall as a Vampire Spawn. Unable to resist and compelled to do whatever was asked of him whether he wanted to or not. Needless to say, he was tortured, traumatized, and humiliated under Cazador's attentions. One fateful evening Astarion was sent into the city to seduce another attractive noble into Cazador's orbit in order to expand his master's influence and consolidate his power. Instead of succeeding in his mission he was captured by Mind Flayers and imprisoned in a holding pod within the Nautiloid and infected with an illithid tadpole. As fate would have it the Nautiloid is intercepted by red-dragon riding Githyanki that track it across the universe of Baldur's Gate before taking it down over Faerûn. By some miracle Astarion and the rest of the cast survive the crash and are stranded just off of the River Chionthar. CR AU (Optional): N/A Personality: Honesty/Vulnerability: For all of his bluster and caginess Astarion does show the ability to be open and vulnerable with anyone who has earned the privilege of it, showing sensitivity to his past, not prodding him and allowing him to talk about it on his own, offering him the shallow praise he requires to thrive. Astarion has a surprising amount of candor, more willing than most of the companions to open up about his past, especially the painful parts. Once he trusts enough, he's also willing to open up about the scars on his back, unwilling to share them at first given their connection to his trauma. In dialogue with Astarion he lets the protagonist comment on one of his greatest insecurities, his appearance, in spite of his vanity he needs to be assured of his own beauty in order to feel secure. Allowing someone else to reassure him in this way is allowing himself to be vulnerable because it opens him up to scrutiny. He's also open about the aspects of his nature that are less than stellar as well. Power-hungry: Astarion is very obviously power-hungry and when his past is taken into consideration it's easy to see why this is the case. He was a magistrate brought low to be a puppet for a vampire whose whims he couldn't deny even if he wished it and he had no means of escaping Cazador as he was under the thrall of his vampire sire, he could only return to him. We see in game that Astarion admires power, he enjoys it in all of its multifariousness whether he is exhibiting it or if someone else is. As such he will actively gravitate towards those who will afford him the ability to accumulate and consolidate power, he's even willing to use and abuse the tadpole if it means he can use its power. Granted he's not terribly thrilled at transforming into a mind flayer, but that's why he's eager to find someone who can help him control it (as opposed to getting rid of it). It also makes him very ambitious he wants power in order to overpower those who have oppressed him, and he is willing to be cruel, if necessary, even though he's not opposed to niceties: "I have no objection to being nice, of course. Once I have the power to bend others to my will." Having the power to rid himself of the vulnerability that comes with being controlled is his overarching priority, bettering himself comes after. Hedonist: If all I want is shallow praise? Hardly, there is also gold, sex, revenge, quite the list, really. But failing any of those, I will always settle for shallow praise. Astarion is absolutely hedonistic, he enjoys the finer things, filthy talk, dirty secrets, morally grey choices, and for the most part he eenjoys things that provide him with pleasure and are likely to end up with him (and preferably others) having a good time. It also lends a great deal to his charm and the way he is so willing to be playful with others and to talk about things that might make an ordinary person uncomfortable or at least think twice. He is also fond of twisting people off balance and making them squirm just a bit. Survivalist: Astarion is a first-class survivalist and much of his approval is centered around surviving rather than helping or anything that doesn't benefit the outcome of his survival. He approves of anything that grantees his freedom and the acceptance of his vampire spawn nature and will align himself with the powerful or those who appreciate power because those are people he views as having the means and drive for surviving. He also believes in the unconventional and he is willing to step outside of the box and into areas of ambiguity to find solutions to problems, specifically the tadpole. Rather than seek out a healer why not make a deal with a devil or tell an old woman about it because she looks absolutely crazy. That's not to say Astarion doesn't have a soft spot for helping people in situations similar to his own if they have the strength to survive it otherwise it's just a waste of time. He seeks comfort and safety above all things. Powers and Abilities: Vampire spawn abilities: - Regeneration - Able to climb difficult surfaces - Dark vision - Enhanced physical abilities and senses High-Elf abilities: - Trancing. He doesn't need sleep. - Agility - Intelligence - Fey step. Teleportation basically. Rogue abilities: - As a rogue Astarion has an aptitude for sneaking, hiding, acrobatics, and theft. - He also has skill with a knife, short sword, and a bow. Tadpole: (This ability I fully intend to omit) - Can perceive the thoughts of others Weaknesses: - Running water burns like acid - Sunlight hypersensitivity - Most food and beverages taste awful - Requires blood to maintain strength - Weaker than a normal vampire - No reflection (For the sake of flexibility Astarion will not need blood to sustain himself, but it will give him an edge. Food will not taste awful, but it might taste bland.) Inventory: - Bow - Quiver of arrows - Dagger |
