If you did not exist in BG3
Most of the time, our OCs finish the game with someone specific — the person they then arrive arm in arm with at the epilogue party. But imagine your LI simply didn’t exist in the game. Where would the “road of adventures” lead you then? Who would you end up with — as a replacement, perhaps? As a friend? Or would you remain proudly alone?
Thank you @alstromeri-a 💕 for tagging me in this post.
This is quite a complex and extensive question. I will try to answer it briefly.
So, what would have happened if Gale hadn't existed during the events of BG3?
A bit of history. Ember is not only a sorceress. She is a priestess. A former priestess who left her god and became an outcast.
Ember had a good childhood. When she was just a child, she was sent to study at the temple of Corellon Larethian. The fact is that when she was born, there was a prophecy that her life would be closely connected with God. Corellon was chosen as the most promising option for her. Ember became the youngest priestess of the temple, taking her vows at the age of 20.
In those days, drow raids were not uncommon in the forests of Ardip. But most often they ended in looting. The priests of the temple considered the presence of the drow in Ardip an insult to Corellon and sent a squad of elves to drive the drow out of the surrounding forests. Obviously, few returned. Hardened by constant battles, the drow were very strong opponents. Ember blamed herself for this. After all, she was also a priestess. On that day, the ambition and religious dogma of the priests cost the lives of many of the tribe, including someone very dear to her.
So, she did a lot of stupid things, ran away, lost almost all of her abilities, and lived in isolation for a long time. And it was then that she first met her goddess, the one she was destined for — Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden. But despite her help, Ember had no trust left in the gods.
She managed to change her life so that her feelings could never control her again. Ember's love became as light as a moth's wings, and there was no longer any room for serious relationships in her life.
Now let's move on to the events of BG3. Who could she have stayed with if Gale hadn't been in the story? Most likely no one. Since there would be no trigger to help her relive the events of the past and reevaluate them. And the trigger was the fact that her friend (as she perceived Gale at that moment) was forced to sacrifice himself because his goddess wanted it.
As a person with a keen sense of justice, Ember, despite her neutral alignment, could not ignore this situation and did not notice how she got involved in a relationship that was undesirable for her. And which, in the end, brought her back to real life.
Who could she stay with as friends? Absolutely everyone. She is not inclined to moralize. She accepts everyone as they are. She generally finds common ground with many creatures very quickly.
Another thing is that it is unlikely that many friends would be willing to support her lifestyle. As a researcher, she spends quite a lot of time traveling.
So, in the future, Ember may continue her travels alone, and perhaps her brother would join her (yes, she has a brother, the only one left of her entire family. They went through the adventures of BG3 together).
Stop.
Although, I know who she would definitely stay with. It's Nessa!
I had no intention of adding this character to the story. She just came and added herself. And I can't ignore that anymore. Yes, it is Nessa who would keep my curious and restless elf company. After all, Ember has already promised her a “glorious hunt.”
Tagging without any pressure @bladesingerlily, @llysaan, @twilight-sanctuary ✨
