Shadow of the Uncrowned

My Bg3 fanarts and screenshots Durgetash 🖤💛

[regalradiance]

Daily reminder to lick your favourite tyrant

[afilmnoirdetective]

so there's this duergar fist of bane named Aminah who 100% has a crush on Gortash. you can find her chatting with another fist of bane at the steel watch foundry, here's a transcript of their convo:

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

I understand you, sis 🫦🤭

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

The look is *screams in a pillow*

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

Date night

[truly-sincerely]

Even More Comprehensive BG3 Timeline

(Now with citations!) Years in (paren) are confirmed, all other lines are approximations. For my own sanity this timeline is based on available in-game information and not the Forgotten Realms at large.

1450s

Enver Flymm born

Gale Dekarios born (1457)

Enver Flymm sold to Raphael by his parents, renamed Gortash

Gortash learns about Crown of Karsus while a prisoner of Raphael

Karlach Cliffgate born

1460s

Gortash escapes the House of Hope

Gale Dekarios summons Tara the Tressym (1467)

Wyll Ravengard born (1468)

1470s

Lae’zel of K’liir born (1470)

Gortash in his Heapside Reavers period

Gortash rebrands as a black market arms dealer

Orin the Red born to Helena and Sarevok Anchev

Durge begins their serial killing spree in Baldur’s Gate (1477)

The Emperor dominates Duke Belynne Stelmane (1479)

1480s

Elminster resurrects Mystra (1480)

Gortash trades Karlach to Zariel for infernal machines & iron (1482)

Baldur’s Gate’s Beloved Ranger statue goes missing (1482)

Duke Abdel Adrian murdered during Returning Day speech (1482) - Bhaal resurrected - Ulder Ravengard replaces Adrian as Marshall and as Duke

Orin kills her mother Helena in self-defense

Gortash recruits Franc Peartree to distribute infernal iron weapons

Gortash establishes a cult of Bane in Baldur’s Gate

Gortash approaches Durge about an alliance

Gortash moves against the Zhentarim & Knights of the Shield

Ulder Ravengard named Grand Duke

Wyll Ravengard pact with Mizora, leaves Baldur’s Gate (1485)

Dead Three made aware of the Crown of Karsus (most likely informed by Gortash)* - Gortash becomes Bane’s Chosen - Durge becomes Bhaal’s chosen - Gortash & Durge are instructed to recruit Ketheric

Gortash tells Durge about Crown of Karsus (via correspondence)

Hall/House of Wonders test mission* - Durge gets Bhaalist memorabilia - Gortash gets a bunch of Gondian designs - Durge & Gortash get companionship

1490s

The Chosen visit Ketheric at Moonrise, learn about Illithid colony

Gortash & Durge visit the House of Hope (for intel on Mephistar?)

Gortash & Durge raid Mephistar - They get the Crown of Karsus - They get the book on the accelerated grand design

Gortash captures the Emperor

Gortash & Durge return to Moonrise - Their identities are kept secret from Ketheric’s people - Durge impresses the Moonrise Gnolls, but not Steelclaw - Ketheric yells at Durge in the throne room for an unknown reason

Durge proposes their plan to the Elder Brain who accepts

Raid on the illithid colony (1491) - Durge puts the Crown on the Elder Brain - Orin gets Durge alone during the raid & stabs them in the head - Orin tadpoles Durge, making them the first True Soul - Orin declares herself the Chosen of Bhaal

1492

Durge is found by Kressa Bonedaughter

Minsc captured by Absolutists at a recruitment rally in the Undercity

Gortash gets weird and intense with unethical experiments - Some futzing to get the tadpoles to consistently remain in stasis - This is when the name ‘True Souls’ gets coined - Extremely questionable fun with brains - Getting the Absolute’s voice sorted out - Tadpoling his parents - Poorly conceived experiments on children & their parents

Gortash has Iron Throne converted to hold hostages

Gortash presents prototype Steel Watcher to the city council

Jaheira tracks cult to shadow-cursed land, meets Isobel

Minthara Baenre is 'recruited' by Orin and Ketheric

The Descent, Elturel fall into Avernus happens

Duke Vanthampur revealed as a diabolist, killed by adventurers

Guild Bursar Uktar launders money for Gortash’s Campaign funds

Isobel is resurrected by the Dead Three

The Elder Brain sends the Chosen dreams about the Astral Prism

Gortash researches the Prism, finds out that Vlaakith has it

Gortash tasks Ketheric with sending a team to get the Astral Prism - They send a nautiloid piloted by the Emperor and other illithid - The Elder Brain lets the Emperor slip its leash - Magthew Budj arranges for Durge to be on the nautiloid as well

Gortash deploys Steel Watch in Lower/Outer City

At this point Elturel is no longer in Avernus

First Druid Halsin captured by goblins

Nautiloid picks up Shadowheart & the Prism from Astral Plane

Nautiloid picks up Lae’zel

Nautiloid goes to Baldur’s Gate, picks up Gale & Astarion

Nautiloid goes to Avernus, picks up Karlach & Wyll

Nautiloid crashes, (20 Eleasis, 1492)

Some helpful links:

A page from Sarevok’s book: Sarevok - (Murder tribunal)

Accelerated Grand Design: Gortash - (Gortash's Office)

An Offer: Gortash - (Peartree basement)

Aquatic Labor: Gortash - (Flymm’s Cargo Basement)

Baldur’s Gate Temple of Bhaal: Yanthus - (Gortash’s Office)

Balthazar’s Notes: Balthazar - (Necrotic laboratory)

Clasped Book: Balthazar - (Balthazar’s chambers)

Devil’s Fee Observer’s Report**: Himberloo - (Nine-Fingers’ office)

Elder Brain Domination: Ketheric/Yanthus - (Ketheric’s Room)

Enhanced Weapons - Sales Ledger: Peartree - (Peartree basement)

Experiment on Cruor: Orin - (Temple of Bhaal)

How To Build a Watcher: deceased Gondian - (Steel Watch foundry) 

Journal of Enver Gortash: Gortash - (Gortash’s Office)

Magical Histories: Volume 2: The Spellplague: unknown - (Sorcerous Sundries)

Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda: Gortash - (Gortash’s office)

Missive from Gortash: Gortash - (Ketheric’s room)

Missive from Ketheric: Ketheric - (Moonrise, 2nd floor)

Mistress of Souls’ Research Log: Kressa - (Mind flayer barracks)

My Gratitude: Gortash - To Peartree (Peartree basement)

Next Steps: Gortash - (Gortash’s office)

Prayer for Forgiveness: Durge - (Necrotic laboratory)

Scrapbook of Letters: Gortash/Durge - (Flymm’s Cobblers)

Special Operations - Infernal Arms: Uktar - 

Studies of the Elder Brains: Gortash/Yanthus - (Gortash’s Office)

Suspended Ceremorphosis: Gortash/Yanthus - (Tadpoling center)

Test Mission with Gortash: Durge - (Temple of Bhaal)

The Astral Prism Heist: Gortash - (Gortash’s office)

The Dukes of Baldur’s Gate: unknown - (Baldur’s Mouth/Peartree’s house)

The Grand Design: Gortash/Yanthus - (Mind flayer colony)

The True Life of ‘Lord’ Gortash: a skeleton - (Wyrm’s Rock Prison)

The Ultimate State: Gortash - (Gortash’s office/Flymm’s Cobblers)

*an in-game contradiction between Gortash and Durge. See: ‘Test Mission with Gortash’ and ‘Memoir Notes with Recent Addenda’. I’ve placed it after, but there’s also a legitimate argument to be made that Gortash and Durge met and became allies much earlier, possibly around the same time as Gortash’s betrayal of Karlach

Additionally, the House of Wonders (church/workshop) and the Hall of Wonders (museum) are two different buildings in the Upper City. Durge writes that the Hall is their target, while Gortash writes that the House is their target. It is my opinion that they hit both locations.

**no link cuz the bg3.wiki doesn’t have it??

[elriel-li]

OMG thanks so much OP for this

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

Sorry guys, I am busy this Friday.

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

[bonniepferd]

Their first meeting 🥰

/I know that someone has already done a redraw on this, but…why not do this again?/

[northernolddragon]

[tapetum-lucidumb]

durgetash nation rise up

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

That's me 😇✌️

[nath-ryd]

So uhm I made another version... Because Astarion is no more in my head - Only Gortash lmao

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

This has to be my most favorite fanart ever

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

A hero will sacrifice you for the world,

a villain will sacrifice the world for you.

[theannoyingurge]

Gotta love a resist Durge who throws Bhaal away like a dirty rag but still allies with fucking Gortash. Like, I bet Father Dearest really appreciated that slap in the face.

Apparently any dark urge can be resisted except for bouncing on the evil racoon man. That one stays.

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

The truth 🙏🏻 The last one always stays.

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

My memory is so bad, I surprise myself every time I unbox my own orders.

[alittlelevity]

We all know the "They live?" smile here in Durgetash Nation.

But frankly, what happens next should be illegal.

As Orin walks off and the artist has long since fled the room, Gortash is left alone. And when he is alone, he smiles... like this.

It's so out of focus as the cinematic comes to a close, but it has me in a fucking chokehold. Because look at it.

Whoever animated this face, in this moment (Neil Newbon??? Is it YOU???) is both a war criminal and the eternal holder of my heart and soul, thank you.

The first smile is, "They live?"

And this one. This one is, "They live."

[l30nora]

yeah, he is my Roman Empire Pinterest.

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

He is my Roman Empire and I think about him everyday.

[shadowoftheuncrowned]

Today I feel like sharing something very personal but this is what I created this blog for after all. A place where I can share my thoughts, be cringe and be free(long post incoming, feel free to ignore)

I have been attached to other characters I have played with, like in WoW, for the many hours invested in said character, meeting cool people online and so on.

But I cannot express how much I love Durge or more specifically, my Durge, the way things played out for me in my playthroughs. I would often get too emotional because this is the most relatable character I have ever seen. Not literally of course. I am talking about mental health.

Years ago, I was in a very dark place, struggling and suffering. Every night was a nightmare to me, it really felt like I was possessed, I was suffering from insomnia, I was paranoid, anxious, depressed. I don't even want to go into details but what I found especially relatable were the tough nights Durge has to go through and how she has to at least get up and walk all night just to kind of feel sane and be in control.

I wanted to get help, no one would believe me or even listen to me. During that time I saw I could not rely on anyone but myself. My "friends" would laugh at me. Even just recently, when I only wanted to share these traumatic memories of mine, the topic was quickly changed and I was ignored. And talking about this is extremely hard. My parents would call me lazy, they thought I was making all of this up. They were even shaming me for not being productive, not being concentrated, when I could not get any sleep for days. None of my feelings or experiences were ever validated. Then someone would just say "but you look too good for someone not sleeping for days and being as anxious as you say". Thanks, this is not helping. Just like when you are a cursed Durge, your companions do not accept you for who you are. They want you with them only if you are good and if you are perfect.

For a few years I was on therapy and meds and thankfully I finally overcame my struggles. I am "free of my urges" now. During that time no one really cared, I still had to go to work, have my real life responsibilities and gather the strength to live again.

Thankfully, I also came back to the things I love doing as well, mostly art. I really feel like I have "defied Bhaal" now.

Thanks for reading to whoever read it all 🙏🏻