One child unloved and raised by servants, one abandoned in the Underdark and left for dead; loneliness was familiar to both Cazador and Vellioth until a chance meeting made the young elves find a home in each other.
But Cazador's attempt to break away from the Szarr legacy to forge a new life for himself goes awry as his past begins to catch up with him, and his aunt Donnela refuses to be ignored.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
A shadow fell over him. A cold, familiar horror seized his muscles, turning them to stone. Vellioth approached soundlessly, like a ghost, the embodiment of Cazador's nightmare.
“My child,”— the words were spoken softly, but Cazador heard the hiss of a serpent within them. Vellioth’s voice was a sweet poison, slowly and surely paralyzing his will.
The Master’s fingers touched Cazador’s face. The touch was deceptively gentle, but behind it lurked a power, a mere fraction of which would be enough to snap a bone with a light press. Cazador froze. He had gone too long without blood. Healing even the slightest injury would drain the last of his strength, which he needed now more than ever.
Vellioth lifted his chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"I look at you, my dear Cazador, and I see wicked thoughts behind those eyes. Plotting something again?"
Vellioth's voice grew more insinuating, darker. The vampire leaned closer. Cazador remained silent. Any word, any excuse, could be used against him. He merely stared into those crimson eyes of Vellioth's, trying not to betray a single emotion, not to allow a single crack in his icy calm. He would not give Vellioth a reason to truly suspect anything. After all, everything was almost ready. Soon he would be free of this bastard...
Vellioth straightened up, and his voice regained its biting cheerfulness:
"It seems I am merciful today. I will give you a chance to atone for your failings. To correct yourself."
His gaze slid from Cazador's face down to his chest. The look was full of hunger. Cazador didn't flinch; he would survive this, too. Aloud, he only said, quiet and impassive, "As you command, Master."
Now that Gale is no longer threatened by old age and freed from the need to spend time on trivial matters—sleep, three meals a day, and other concerns inherent to mortals—he dedicates his days and nights to magical research.
Yet, whenever Astarion appears nearby, Gale’s focus shifts to a more pleasant direction.
I love asking friends, without context, "what are you really into this week?" I'll go first. this week I'm really into mouthwash and sudoku. Last week I was into peaches.
How many Health & Safety violations did you find in the Crimson Manor?
I'm talking shit like carpets being trip hazards, the amount of naked flames next to flammable materials, the biohazard that are the rat AND bat infestations (someone seriously call an exterminator, dear LORD!)
Ah! That's the kind of question I like 😁 [Obviously, I'm no expert in health and safety violations, this is just a silly exercise]
The most obvious problem would indeed be the fire hazards. Look at THAT!
The fabric is hanging right above the flames! And here:
Candles, curtains... Really Cazador? Please give that man an fire extinguisher! I could also find a few bottles of hard liquor next to the candles...
When you think about it, it should be quite easy for Astarion to burn down this place...
Speaking of bottles. You can find bottles of wine and bottles full of blood standing side by side. No problem if you're a vampire, but what if a living being comes here and mistakes them?!
The risk of infection and disease is real. And sorry but, you cannot let those rusty bottles on the floor when there's a living child in the palace!
And who knows for how long this blood has been here? Even a vampire would get sick with that old stuff.
Also, should we talk about that?
An open coffin. How many rusty nails are still pointing from it? What if someone prick themselves with them? I'm not sure there's tetanus vaccine available in Baldur's Gate...
Likewise... pliers, a saw, knives. That's a serious risk of domestic accident.
And there's no antibacterial solution with that surgery kit! That's not how you safely operate someone!
And those chains hanging there:
What if someone hits their head against them, hm?
Should I also mention the state of those mattresses? The bedbugs must be legion.
And the bedsheets omg. Mushrooms and bacteria must be proliferating in this.
Speaking of mushrooms and bacteria: Many rooms have no window! It's not just the absence of light (which can cause depression), but also of fresh air. The absence of aeration is a fertile soil for all kind of mould and mushrooms. And with the candles and fireplaces, the lack of fresh air can lead to several kinds of intoxications!
Oh! And all those things on the ground... loose carpets, cushions, the cubes...
Clearly someone might trip and hurt themselves! Including in those stairs!
It's so dark in here, you could easily miss a step, trip on the carpet and tumble down the stairs. That's terribly dangerous.
Oh! And don't let me start on that elevator!
No handrail, nothing to hold onto. Anyone could fall from that platform.
But there's worse.
The attic, where you can easily see that this palace is poorly maintained!
It's like Cazador tries to keep the appearances but doesn't want to fund the works that really need to be done in here.
Tsk... What a mess.
Look a the state of the roof! Overall, the framework needs to be heavily repaired.
No, really... you cannot organise parties in a place where the roof might collapse at any moment. And what if it rains?!
And only Cazador is supposed to be able to open the huge ballroom door! if anything happens in there, a fire or any other accident, everybody would be trapped inside! There's no emergency exit!
You're perfectly right @just-s0me-stranger. This place should be sealed off, and Cazador forced to repair the structure, buy fire extinguishers, install air vents in the bedrooms and put away his toys (and Godey's).
As for the rats, he could just call a druid or a ranger to lure them away.
