An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 18 2024
Fic Data
Rating: E
Status: Complete
Word Count: 5840
Main Ship(s): Halsin/Zevlor
Side Ship(s): None
Other Side Character(s): None
Summary:
Zevlor opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He wanted to object that he hadn’t gotten much sleep lately and he was doing just fine. But he sensed something in the druid’s words. He was likely not that concerned with his circadian rhythm, actually.
Was he… flirting?
The possibility threw him for a loop. No, it was a silly notion. Make advances to someone like him? A broken paladin, a man who was still together only because he wasn’t allowed to fall to pieces, not at that time. No. Must have been his imagination.
-
Halsin helps Zevlor relax a little during the celebration. He has a few ways to do so in mind
Ao3 Stats (As of April 18 2024)
Halsin/Zevlor on Ao3: 22
Halsin: 3853
Zevlor: 398
Review (Mild Spoilers Only, 18+ Only Under Cut)
Warnings: Drug use (Fantasy Pot), Shotgunning, Anal Sex
Favorite Quote:
"He wanted to object that he hadn’t gotten much sleep lately and he was doing just fine. But he sensed something in the druid’s words. He was likely not that concerned with his circadian rhythm, actually."
Main POV: Zevlor
Thoughts:
One props to this fic for a more subtle representation of someone's first time with pot.
Two I very much enjoyed Zevlor's perspective in this fic. The tension felt very really, and very relatable. You can see the build up to the man who would stumble in the Shadowlands.
Three I always love a fic that gets that exact balance of Halsin patiently asking for consent, while being very very excited to couple with his partner. I feel as though this gets to the overall appeal of Halsin, sex positive in a way that never feels like pressure.
A very hot read with some great character work on Zevlor's end.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Fan of, what are the kids calling it nowadays? Old man yaoi? I also think this is a great fic for fans of Zevlor, particularly those who relate to his struggles. And those who wish Halsin would help them relax too.
Check out the Tolna's Vault community on Discord - hang out with 28 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
Sign up on the Tolna's Vault Discord Server.
Show Your Love For Barcus Wroot By Participating In This Collaborative Fanfiction Series of Barcus Wroot Ships.
The Premise
The idea is that Barcus is going to go through the game timeline and meet a lot of different people. Some of these encounters will cause some canon divergence, but the game timeline will be mostly kept. There will be smut, fluff, friendship - whatever you want to write! Each chapter will focus on a single partnering, with a title relating to it in the format “The Wroot of _____” in which the blank relates to the partner or the relationship between them. Writers signing up can volunteer for a listed character or add a new character to the list that they want to write about, and after the sign up period we will check the assignments and decide an order together.
How To Sign Up
Join the Tolna's Vault Discord Server (invite link above) and follow the link to the sign up spreadsheet featured in the Wroot of Romance event description, and pinned in the #the-wroot-of-romance-collab channel.
You will also need to have an AO3 account and share your username with us - there is a second tab in the spreadsheet with a table to add your aliases!
The table should be pretty simple to use. If there’s a character not on the list that you’d like to add, put them in a new row! You can also add title suggestions if you think of something fun, and we’ll all agree on the final titles that fit best when the event starts.
There’s a column to volunteer to write a character, and you’re welcome to add your name here as long as you don’t remove anyone else’s without their permission - for now keep it to your Discord username from Tolna’s so we know who you are! We will add a column for AO3 names and other aliases later.
Each character will get one chapter written by one writer (unless two or more agree to collab on a single chapter together), and if several people have interest in the same character we can work it out in the server together.
Event Timeline
Sign ups will end on the 1st May to allow us a day or so to ensure we have the writers set up with their pairing(s). Then we will work together on an order/structure together so we know the chronological story - and release - order of everyone’s works!
The next deadline is the 10th May - by this date you will need a bullet point summary of your fic plan. That way, you can coordinate with the writers before and after you to ensure we have a cohesive story structure. We might also be able to reference - or even add foreshadowing! - from each others ideas so we can even have some real character development for Barcus as he goes on a very sexy adventure across the sword coast.
The first batches of submissions will be due in by the end of May, and the release schedule will be one chapter every few days through June/maybe July to stagger them for readers but also keep a nice steady flow until we reach the end.
It’s best to publish these as a Series on AO3 with each chapter as a new work (so your “chapter” can have multiple chapters if you need to, particularly if it runs long or you feel it needs a split in the middle to be more reader-friendly). This also means each person’s submission will have its own tags on it, and will be easier to find for those just looking for each individual pairing they like.
The Concept So Far
A chance encounter with Abdirak in act 1 will kickstart this fic series, as this crack ship sparked the idea. Abdirak (in his own unique way) will encourage Barcus to open himself up to new possibilities. And thus we begin Barcus' journey of self discovery and relationship building. Some of his encounters will be romantic, some platonic, some simply smutty. You get to write what you feel is best for the ship you choose.
The Rules
The main thing is to follow all the rules listed in Tolna’s server, make sure your works are tagged appropriately, but otherwise follow your hearts and dreams! Want to go full Dead Dove? Do it! As long as it fits the event, it’s fine. You can also go pure SFW fluff if you want, you don’t have to make it smutty at all unless you want to.
Do be mindful of the people following you directly in the series. You should be able to summarize the "important events" in your fic with as few triggers as possible so people can follow up from your story even if your content isn't to their taste. If you can summarize all your Dead Dove elements with "they had a wild night." you are free to write anything you'd like happening that night in the fic proper.
Please try to stick close to the deadlines, but if you are struggling let someone know ASAP and we can work something out!
Otherwise? Have fun!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 16 2024
Fic Data
Rating: T
Status: Complete
Word Count: 7829
Main Ship(s): Dame Aylin/Shadowheart/Isobel Thorm
Side Ship(s): None
Other Side Character(s): Shadowheart's Parents (Arnell and Emmeline)
Summary:
For the first time in half a century, Shadowheart feels as if she truly tastes clean air.
There is pain. There is loss. There is guilt that will gnaw away at her all the rest of her days.
But so too is there hope.
Hope, reconciliation, and a chance at great love if only she has the tender strength to clasp this most fragile of states closer.
Ao3 Stats (As of April 16 2024)
Dame Aylin/Shadowheart/Isobel Thorm on Ao3: 30
Dame Aylin/Shadowheart works on Ao3: 7
Shadowheart/Isobel Thorm works on Ao3: 4
Dame Aylin/Isobel Thorm works on Ao3: 145
Dame Aylin: 336
Shadowheart works on Ao3: 5969
Isobel Thorm works on Ao3: 332
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Deliberate scaring, mental breakdowns, some sexual humor.
Favorite Quote:
"Are you so eager to escape the consequences of your choices, little warrior, so afeared of the pain a life lived brings, that you would accuse mine and me of a murder never committed?"
Main POV: Shadowheart
Thoughts:
As demonstrated by the quote above, Dame Aylin is on point in this fic. But so are all the other characters. The author captures each character's voice perfectly.
This fic definitely explore's Shadowheart's more bitter, bratty side. Which I appreciate, it's one of my favorite parts about Shadowheart. But that doesn't mean I don't equally enjoy Isobel calling her out on it. And the way she just is so perfect. It shows a side to Isobel the game doesn't explore nearly enough. This woman is truly Ketheric Thorm's daughter.
I also appreciate how Scratch and Owlbear are developed in this screen. It's very in the background but I think it says a lot about the family unit that's starting to form.
Overall a great Shadowheart character piece with some great moments from both Isobel and Aylin.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Shadowheart fans will of course love the introspection. But I think those who love the Moon Lesbians will appreciate the way their relationship, personalities, and dynamic are fleshed out in this fic.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 19 2024
Fic Data
Rating: G
Status: Complete
Word Count: 1959
Main Ship(s): Rolan & Cal & Lia
Side Ship(s): None
Other Side Character(s): None
Summary:
A short backstory fic about how Rolan found Cal and Lia. I have a lot of feelings about them.
Ao3 Stats (As of April 18 2024)
Rolan & Cal & Lia on Ao3: 35
Rolan: 576
Cal: 203
Lia: 208
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Child neglect.
Favorite Quote:
"The tiny little bed in the tiny little room in the tiny little shack was as uncomfortable as it had been every day of every year since he’d been brought here — but, today, it was even more ill-suited to reading than usual. "
Main POV: Rolan
Thoughts:
A very sweet little fic about how Rolan, Cal, and Lia first met and became a family. I just adore these three as a found family. Even with the short word count each of their characters really shines through. You can see Rolan's ambition and ill temper, Lia's stumborness, and Cal's good nature. I just adore these three and this fic was such a perfect background for them.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Anyone who wishes there were more sibling and family dynamics in BG3. This trio is truly one of the best.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 17 2024
Fic Data
Rating: G
Status: Complete
Word Count: 3186
Main Ship(s): Gale/Wyll
Side Ship(s): None
Other Side Character(s): None
Summary:
‘Care for some company? Though of course, since you have sequestered yourself here, you probably wish to be alone at present.’
When Wyll turns to face Gale, he notes a slight nervousness in the other man’s expression, in the way he can’t quite hold his gaze, and for a bitter moment Wyll wonders if it’s because of the devil horns atop his head, or perhaps the warped ridges of the planes of his face. Or maybe it’s because his gaze is no longer his own, now that Mizora has claimed both of his eyes. Besides, if he cannot bear to look upon himself in a mirror, how can he begrudge when others feel the same revulsion?
**
During the tieflings' party, Wyll and Gale take a moment to reflect over the trauma of their pasts, and to find hope for their futures.
Ao3 Stats (As of April 17 2024)
Gale/Wyll on Ao3: 36
Gale works on Ao3: 336
Wyll works on Ao3: 4726
Gale works on Ao3: 8311
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Wyll post-transformation body dysmorphia.
Favorite Quote:
"Your magic is so different to my own. Mine feels so… destructive. A weapon to be wielded in battle. But yours - it can create, as well as destroy."
Main POV: Wyll
Thoughts:
I too saw Wyll the dancing man himself moping at the party and thought "Oh if only someone could cast disguise-self on him."
This is exactly the sort of chat I've always wanted to see out of Gale and Wyll too. Something philosophical that delves into power, and one's reasoning for pursuing it. They're both so sweet, and wholesome. But both have made dark choices for the sake of "betterment".
Also this is one of the most beautiful descriptions of Wyll coming to terms with his transformation. It really gets to the heart of how he ties it to his own identity.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Bladeweave fans of course. But also Wyll fans who particularly relate to his struggle with body image and identity.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 14 2024
Series Data
Fics: 2
Minimum Rating: G
Maximum Rating: T
Complete Fics: 2
Incomplete Fics: 0
Word Count: 13,953
Main Ship(s): Blurg/Omeluum
Side Ship(s): Wyll/Tav
Other Side Character(s): Society of Brilliance
A Fruitful Meeting Summary:
The first time that Blurg met the illithid who would become his research partner, friend, and companion.
Set pre-game and prior to the formation of the Society of Brilliance.
All I Know (I Love You) Summary:
It took an illithid invasion and an abduction for Blurg to realise his feelings for his research partner. Now they are all he can think about.
(An Omelurg getting-together fic, set during Act 3 and immediately post-game as Baldur's Gate recovers from the invasion).
Ao3 Stats (As of April 14 2024)
Blurg/Omeluum works on Ao3: 55
Omeluum works on Ao3: 97
Blurg works on Ao3: 77
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Tentacle Intimacy (not sex), mind-melding, mild concern over consent given mind flayer nature.
Favorite Quote:
"And huddled in their shared room in the Society of Brilliance, squeezing Omeluum’s hand as it urged him to leave and seek safety away from it, terrified that its mental defenses would be overpowered, Blurg had confessed the words he was scared he would die still holding onto.
Then the sky had screamed."
Main POV: Blurg
Thoughts:
The first fic in this series, A Fruitful Meeting, does something I think a lot of stories, let alone fanfictions, fail to do when telling stories about scientists. It actually captures the scientific process, and the value of paired research. Blurg's research into his latest mushroom specimen sounds absolutely plausible as an experiment. And his exchange with Omeluum concerning his experiment sounds like a very realistic exchange between two scientific minds. It really pulls you into the relationship, and shows you how well they match as research partners.
The second fic in this series, it's all the wonderful fluff, pinning, and romantic realization you could want from this pair. Blurg has several "Oh" moments in this fic, each one absolutely worthy of a ridiculously sappy smile from the reader. The fic addresses Omeluum's unique anatomy without fetishising it. And also thoughtfully addresses the unique issues an illithid might face when seeking a romantic relationship.
All around a brilliant, and very sweet series.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Anyone who loves Blurg/Omeluum as a concept, but isn't quite ready for anything hardcore involving tentacles. This is truly an excellent introduction to the Omelurg ship.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: May 1 2024
Fic Data
Rating: E
Status: Incomplete
Publish Date: 2024-04-23
Last Update: 2024-04-24
Chapters: 2
Word Count: 10,639
Main Ship(s): Shadowheart/He Who Was
Side Ship(s): Geraldus/Rolan
Other Side Character(s): Jaheira, Aradin, Rugan, Minsc, Rion
Summary:
This city is filled with demons; and as the constables track down those mortal evils, those murderers and thieves, behind the unassuming door of The Red Harp they hunt those evils existing in the space beyond.
The High Harper's daughter has been taken. The medium and the thief stand at the docks, growing cold as they await the arrival of their newest recruit, the exorcist, ready to begin the work.
(Victorian/Penny Dreadful style AU)
Ao3 Stats (As of May 1 2024)
Shadowheart/He Who Was works on Ao3: 2
He Who Was works on Ao3: 35
Shadowheart works on Ao3: 6219
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Gore, body horror, parasites, ghosts.
Favorite Quote:
"Shadowheart’s eyes traced down, now, to the floor - where the girls purple gown was gathered about her, the crumpled material of her skirts forming pools all around her, which, now that she was looking at it from somewhere so close, she could see, were shifting slightly. The material almost looking as if it were … boiling?"
Main POV: Shadowheart and Geraldus
Thoughts:
Oh this is a lovely gothic horror. Shadowheart and He Who Was slot perfectly into the rolls of medium and priest in this AU. And it's one of those AUs that weave the canon lore and AU lore together perfectly. Tieflings are still a thing, the Harpers and the Zhent are still a thing, but the technology and magic system have been adjusted for the setting.
The first two chapters offer a thrilling introduction to the world and this version of the characters. He Who Was, in all his creepy glory, gets a proper introduction from Shadowheart's pov, and we're then immediately flung into the action. And without spoiling what happens the action is absolutely amazing in this story. See the quote above for how evocative and uncanny the entities of this setting are, and how they're revealed to the audience through the dawning horror of the characters. I had chills during the first action scene.
And the action scenes also do an excellent job of character building. Each character's reaction to the monster of the scene reveals something about their character, and shows the author understands the NPCs they're working with.
And the author is also good at mixing up the horror as well. There's a solid combination of high intensity action, and unnerving suspense in just the first two chapters. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: This is the perfect fic for people people enjoy the goth aspects of both He Who Was and Shadowheart, and want to see the characters in a more classic horror setting, while not straying too far from the world of BG3.
How Unsatisfied Would I Be If This Never Updated Again?: Not too terribly. The first two chapters of this fic served as an excellent "pilot" episode for the premise. Which meant they of course set up the character relationships, mysteries, and plot threads that one would expect to be addressed over the course of the "season". But they were also their own self-contained story with a proper beginning, middle and end. A very classic "this is how the team gets together" pilot episode. Satisfying on its own, but leaving you wanting more.
"You're being far too hard on yourself, Mr. Dekarios. I can survive if I don't get a home-cooked meal every night. I can more than survive, really – it was delightful to watch that little creature squirm."
Main POV: Gale
Thoughts:
As demonstrated in the above quote, Tara is very much a cat in this fic. She deals with a depressed Gale in a very catlike way, which would be thoroughly hilarious/heartwarming if Gale's depression weren't so heartbreaking. As it is her actions serve to provide a bittersweet smile amidst the fog of Gale's depression.
This is a very realistic depiction of depression, particularly how it can impact sleep, dreams, and appetite. It's also an excellent depiction of where Gale's depression would lead him, as a man who very much defines himself by what he can do for others.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Anyone who strongly relates to Gale's post-orb, pre-tadpole isolation and needs some hurt/comfort and/or whump.
