A blog dedicated to rare characters and pairings in the Baldur's Gate 3
18+ Only. Mind the Tags On Fanfic Reviews
Please Send Asks With Fic Review Requests, Headcanons, and Fanart
Note: All reviews are positive. We do not score fics here.
This is an appreciation blog for the less popular pairings and characters in Baldur's Gate 3. Please note we appreciate both romantic (character/character) and platonic (character & character) pairings here.
Below you'll find a link to a collection of bookmarks for rare pairs/chars on AO3. We appreciated both romantic and platonic ships.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Also don't forget about the sister femslash collection
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Please send us your fic and fanart recs. Feel free to bookmark or add your own items to these collections provided they follow guidelines.
Join Our Discord Server:
Check out the Tolna's Vault community on Discord - hang out with 28 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
Fic Review: I would love you if you let me, but love you gotta let me
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: May 5 2024
Fic Data
Rating: T
Status: Complete
Word Count: 1889
Main Ship(s): Jaheira/Nine-Fingers Keene
Side Ship(s): None
Other Side Character(s): Various Guild members.
Summary:
Her breath caught in her throat. Died in the shadowlands. Died in the shadowlands. Died in the- Something cold and sharp dug into her lungs. She pressed her lips into a firm line and forced her face to go blank.
--
Jaheira 'dies' in the shadowlands then reappears in Baldur's Gate. Nine-Fingers almost tells her how she feels. Almost.
Ao3 Stats (As of May 5 2024)
Jaheira/Nine-Fingers Keene works on Ao3: 9
Jaheira works on Ao3: 1203
Nine-Fingers Keene works on Ao3: 39
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Implied Character Death
Favorite Quote:
"Nine-Fingers wasn’t much for praying. Too much ritual and too little result. But she bit her tongue and asked Kelemvor just this once, to forgive her sharp words, accept this offering, guide Jaheira home. Tell her Astele had said goodbye."
Main POV: Nine-Fingers Keene
Thoughts:
Jaheira is delightfully punchable isn't she? I say this as an ardent Jaheira fan. That Harper needs to be punched. And oh does this fic make you feel it. The author made a choice to make Nine-fingers find out about Jaheira's "death" from listening in on her kids complaining about her 7 word "goodbye" sending. And it was a good one.
Because it wraps up all those "really Jaheira?" feelings from discovering her home life and ties them into Nine-finger's unrequited love. It transforms Jaheira from "the wise grandmother" to "that cocky idiot nine-finger's isnt sure if she wants to kiss or slap". And it really pulls you into the feelings and frustrations of this wonderful ship that has so much potential.
This fic made me a Jaheira/Nine-fingers shipper.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Jaheira fans, Nine-fingers fans. Fellow members of the lovingly frustrated with Jaheira club.
The Society of Brilliance presents: Dress an Illithid!
(Inspired by this post)
I've been having fun dressing Omeluum in silly outfits in the Tolna's Vault discord, so I decided to open suggestions to you all! Send in an outfit and I'll put Omeluum in it lol
Outfits from the server under the cut
(Outfit suggestions are not limited to in-game clothing, to be clear, this is just what started it all)
Was that your Zanner and Barcus fanart on twitter? It was so cute. They're such a rare pair, but I adore them. I've been working on a fanfic for them for ages, and was inspired to do more writing when I saw your art.
IT MOST LIKELY WAS MINE YES! I love them so very much and I’m happy to discover other ppl do 2, rare pairs will forever hold a place in my hearttttt🙏
Now,,, I Must know if ur the one who published the one and only (atm) Barcus and Zanner fic on AO3, because if that is you, I LOVE YOUUUU I THINK ABOUT IT EVERY DAY🗣️🗣️🗣️
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: May 2 2024
Fic Data
Rating: M
Status: Incomplete
Publish Date: 2024-03-18
Last Update: 2024-04-04
Chapters: 3
Word Count: 11,187
Main Ship(s): Barcus Wroot/Zanner Toobin
Side Ship(s): Barcus Wroot/Wulbren Bongle
Other Side Character(s): Wyll, Obelia Toobin
Summary:
At the end of it all, outside the Steel Watch foundry, when they stood before each other for the final time, the hardest part for Barcus was not the physical cleaving of himself from Wulbren, as he was already so used to being pushed away. It was not that Wulbren would not see reason, or even that when passion finally flared in his eyes as he looked at Barcus, it was clear, virulent hatred.
No, the hardest part of all was turning away, only to be left with the simple fact of his loneliness. Without Wulbren, who was Barcus, after all? What life was left for him to live?
He did not know.
***
Nearly a year out from the fall of the Absolute, Barcus Wroot finds he has the strength in him for one more go at love, after all.
"Barcus gave Wyll a look of sheer exhaustion. “…They sincerely want to meet at half eight in the morning? I hope they plan to come bearing breakfast.”
He was only halfway serious, of course, but serious nonetheless. Even surface-dwelling deep gnomes — more used to the sun though they were — remained naturally averse to pre-noon activities, especially when deprived of much needed breakfast and tea."
Main POV: Barcus
Thoughts:
Barcus Wroot really shows off his Steampunk Bilbo Baggins side in this fic. To the pleasure of everyone but himself. His social anxiety in this fic is very real, and very relatable. There's a lot of secondhand stress to be had watching him get caught in the endless loop of anxiety and avoidance. He wants to do right by the Ironhands but he's struggling in his new leadership role.
Someone who's not struggling with their leadership role (or at least not obviously) Duke Wyll Ravengard! Who responds to Barcus' avoidance with delightfully cheery passive aggressiveness. I cannot emphasize how iconic he is in this fic. The patience with which he calls out Barcus' bad behavior while acting absolutely charming and accommodating the whole time. It was such a delight to read. And had me grinning from ear to ear even as Barcus shriveled in embarrassment. This is the Wyll and Barcus friendship I've been wanting.
As for this fic's primary ship. Zanner is so sweet in this fic. He's clearly very into Barcus from the get go. And poor Barcus is very overwhelmed by this fact. It's such a brilliant way to build up romantic and personal tension. It feels so bad when Barcus' anxiety and history with Wulbren gets in the way, but it also feels very understandable. Zanner is giving Barcus everything he ever wanted from Wulbren and after so many years of rejection, getting what he wants is absolutely terrifying for Barcus.
This fic so far was an absolute page turner, I couldn't put it down. The political and social tension in Barcus' life makes me want to keep reading. I cannot wait for the next chapter.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Barcus Wroot fans, if you wanted more follow up on the Gondian-Ironhand relationship after Barcus took over, this is the fic for you.
How Unsatisfied Would I Be If This Never Updated Again?: I'll be honest here, this fic is on the hurt part of the hurt/comfort at the moment. The hurt is delicious, it's so true to the character and realistic. But it's currently left at the "awwww I'm disappointed in the character's actions, I want to see them do better" stage. It would be rough not knowing where this story goes, not gonna lie. But the set up so far is absolutely brilliant.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
The Red Harp (victorian/penny dreadful style AU - He Who Was x Shadowheart, Rolan x Geraldus, more)
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.
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.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Reviewed: April 30 2024
Fic Data
Rating: G
Status: Complete
Word Count: 3652
Main Ship(s): Derryth Bonecloak & Figaro Pennygood & Victoria Onufrio
Side Ship(s): Derryth Bonecloak/Glumbo
Other Side Character(s): Astarion, Cazador, Violet, Leon
Summary:
Figaro Pennygood has made good on his promise to Leon and helped Victoria escape the Crimson Palace before the Ascension Ritual.
Now, he has a thirteen year old girl on his hands and he urgently needs to find her a home.
Derryth Bonecloak is still missing her husband Baelen, in spite of everything he did to her. She has a cat now, but she is still lonely, if only she would admit it.
Ao3 Stats (As of April 30 2024)
Victoria Onufrio works on Ao3: 3
Derryth Bonecloak works on Ao3: 2
Figaro Pennygood works on Ao3: 3
Review (Mild Spoilers Only)
Warnings: Domestic Violence (past tense)
Favorite Quote:
"Is that who you are now, Derryth Bonecloak? An old hag who frightens children."
Main POV: Derryth Bonecloak
Thoughts:
Ghibli. Everything about this fic just feels Ghibli. It has Ghibli themes, a Ghibli pacing, even a Ghibli aesthetic if one could call it that.
Victoria feels very much like a Ghibli protagonist in this fic. A young girl with a fraught relationship to magic. Who delights in simplicity, nature, and honest work.
Derryth is exactly the sort of character Victoria would charm in a Ghibli movie. An older woman, embittered by abuse and isolation, who certainly has her problems, but is ultimately a caring guardian despite herself.
Bigger things are happening in this fic, we're well aware of a larger narrative, but like a Ghibli movie it doesn't dwell on those parts. It dwells on the quieter moments, the simple moments of running a shop, getting a new dress, or petting a cat. The emotions and day to day are the important part, not the big world changing events.
An absolutely beautiful fic, I hope this will inspire more for all three characters.
Who I'd recommend this fic to: Fellow Baldur's Gate npc buffs and letter snoopers. There really are so many stories to dig up if you poke around in the right places, and this author uncovered a story waiting to be told in some very obscure letters.
Who Are These Characters? These characters are obscure and easily missable in Baldur's Gate 3. I will link to their wiki's here so you don't have to.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
