#rel. shadowheart

[dicethrow]

For Gale dekarios~

What is one thing you like the most about each of us companions? (Astarion, Karlach, Lae'zel, Wyll, myself) 🍷

@askshadowheart | thank you 💜

"The most about each of you? Oh, well, I’ve certainly been put on the spot here, but let me think." Gale rubbed his beard in thought before gesturing toward Shadowheart.

"For you, it’s rather easy. I admire your care, your skill as a cleric, your devotion to your cause—and, of course, your impeccable taste in wine." He flashed her a warm smile before turning his attention to the rest.

"Wyll—now, there’s a man of unwavering principle. Even in the face of torment, he chose the right path, sparing Karlach when lesser men would have caved. He stood strong, valiant in the face of a devil, and that, I believe, speaks to the very heart of who he is."

He glanced over his shoulder, making sure there were no ears to overhear. "Ah, Lae’zel. I have never met anyone with a stronger will—or a stronger fighting stance, for that matter. But what I admire most? Beneath all the training, despite years of being told that anyone not Githyanki is nothing more than an insect to be crushed, she doesn’t truly see us that way. She questions. She learns. She adapts. That, I think, is the greatest source of her strength."

"Now, Karlach—an easy one! She’s got a fiery spirit, pun fully intended," he chuckled at his own joke. "But what truly sets her apart is how, despite the awful burden she carries, she still finds joy in the world. She smiles, she laughs, she sees beauty even in the bleakest places. That’s something to admire—I ought to follow her lead more often."

Finally, he turned his thoughts to Astarion, tilting his head in contemplation. "And then... Astarion. Hmm." A pause before nodding to himself. "His mental fortitude. He was a vampire spawn for what—two centuries? I have never read of a vampire lord who was kind, least of all to their spawn. I do not know the full extent of what he endured under his master, but the fact that he is still here, still himself, tells me everything I need to know. That takes a strength unlike any other."

[galefcrce-archived]

@bloodedhearts | continued from here

Brows furrowed, then slowly eased as he processed Shadowheart’s response, absorbing the tone and sincerity within it. He supposed she would understand pain—her strange flare-up in the hand was evidence enough—even if her suffering was of a different measure. Pain was pain, and very few deserved to experience it to such degrees as they, and others within their group, did.

Accepting the glass with a nod of gratitude, Gale decanted a generous portion of wine into hers before doing the same for his own, a mage hand assisting with the task. The ethereal hand floated her glass over to her while Gale allowed his own to air out for a moment, swirling the crimson liquid thoughtfully.

"I promise you, Shadowheart," he began, his voice steady, "if I sense even the slightest inkling that I can no longer control the orb, I will depart. I will venture to a remote region—perhaps somewhere isolated in the Underdark…" His voice dropped, tinged with the reluctance of such a grim prospect. "And there, I shall, hopefully, hurt no one in the process of my demise."

[galefcrce-archived]

✏️ for both astarion and shadowheart hgfdgd 👀😂

@bloodedhearts Send in ✏️ and I’ll use this (improved) incorrect quote generator featuring both our muses!

Gale & Astarion

Astarion: I have an idea. Gale: A good idea? Astarion: Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Gale & Shadowheart

Gale: If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're impressed. Shadowheart: But you do know better.

[galefcrce-archived]

“I don’t want to pry, but.. I want you to know I also want to listen, if you want someone to talk to.”  (from Shadowheart)

@championsofthegate

Gale was perched on a ledge of a short cliff, legs dangling over the precipice as he spent the evening digesting his meal while still chewing on his thoughts. A bottle and glass of wine rested by the wizard, almost forgotten as he gazed out across the forest, wondering how long it would take him to return home to Waterdeep, if he would return home to Waterdeep.

He felt guilty, his thoughts meandering to his mother. Their last conversation brimmed with her endless concerns for his well-being, and then he just disappeared, leaving for the nearby city of Yartar to learn more of his condition and gain some magical artifacts on the way. He knew not to doubt her intelligence; word of the attack of a Mindflayer vessel in the city would be enough for her to connect the dots. Yet, he wished to reach out and let her know that he still lived, for the moment.

The sudden company of another surfaced Gale from the depths of his thoughts as he glanced up to Shadowheart and shook his head with a dry chuckle.

"Am I so transparent these days?" he mused. "I have the feeling we all contain plenty in our minds right now, and not all those visitors are welcome." He turned his gaze to the dipping sun. "In truth, I was just thinking of my mother back home. She's ought to be worried about me, I disappeared rather suddenly." Her thoughtfulness warmed his heart regardless; he could be considerably rude to dismiss her after she offered him a brush of kindness. With that, he lifted the bottle of wine to her while simultaneously gesturing to the vacant spot beside him.

"I may not be in the mood to divulge all of my complex thoughts, but I'm more than happy to share a good glass, or more accurately, a bottle of wine—Arabellan Dry. Most certainly, a valuable commodity in these parts."

[galefcrce-archived]

“  do you want me to go?  ”

@nocturness ¦ morning after starters

"Go? Of course not. Please, stay," Gale insisted warmly, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes at Shadowheart's unexpected visit to his tent. He quickly fumbled to clear a stool for her to join him, wishing he had tidied up more and perhaps grabbed a bottle of wine if he had known he would have company.

"I was merely preoccupied with a new book I stumbled across," he explained, gesturing towards the tome that had just recently left his hands. "A part of the collection of beginner's guide to alchemy that I struggled to find whilst in Waterdeep. An excellent read if you ever wish to dabble in the arts of alchemy."

[galefcrce-archived]

i don't know what we're gonna find in there, but i'm not going to lie to you. it's not going to be easy.

@darkschosen ¦ as said by commander shepard (accepting)

"When has any part of this adventure been easy?" Gale mused, tapping the surface of the pooled water at the base of the cave floor with his foot and sighing deeply. "I had finally dried off my boots, you know. Baldurian leather is well known for its hardiness on dry land, and less so in humid environments. But alas, this is clearly important to you, so I shall save my reservations for another time."

With a wave of his hand, almost lazily, he cast the spell of light to illuminate their way before taking the plunge and stepping forward into the flooded floor before them.

"Remind me to avoid the use of any electrical or ice spells while we stand here," he added with an observant glance to their surroundings.

[galefcrce-archived]

we can do this the easy way… or the hard way.

@darkschosen

"Shadowheart, I insist I am fine. It is merely a scratch. Conserve your energy, as we've not yet found our way out of this network."

Gale was not one to swiftly turn down medical aid, but if he could feel the weariness of the day seeping in, then surely his cleric friend ought to feel somewhat similar.

In addition, the refusal was met with a hint of embarrassment. One simple misstep, and he found himself tumbling off a ledge. A short one, thankfully. It would have been a rather mortifying end for the great Gale of Waterdeep, his demise due to improper footwork on undulating terrain.

"Besides, the fall was of my own doing, best not to waste what we have due to my own fatuity."