It all started with a crash, a Nautiloid ship torn from the sky, and a handful of survivors with worms in their heads now...
Welcome to an AU where the one's who'll stop the Absolute's plot are the familiar faces of Twisted Wonderland, re-imagined as natives of the Forgotten Realms.
Our story is of course seen through the eyes of 'Yuu', a survivor with no memory of their past, only an unexplainable Urge to kill... They must not only find a cure for the writhing parasite in their head, but also attempt to wrangle Faerûn's most dysfunctional adventuring party in history.
A retelling of Baldur's Gate 3, the stakes are the same (somewhat), but the cast is far more... volatile (definitely)
Gameplay/mod related:
mod list: part 1, part 2, part 3
Origin 'replacements'
Ramshackle
My rancid blood whispers to me: kill, kill, and kill again. My ruined body yearns to reap death in this world, and when this foul Urge calls, it possesses my whole being...
Introduction of 'Yuu' and Grim
The Amnesiac 'Sacrifice' - 'Yuu' first look
The 'Great' Pyromaniac - Grim first look
The Ramshackle adventuring party
Heartslabyul
Spirit of Strictness is not found in a deck of cards, but in the unyielding belief that order must be imposed upon a chaotic world. It is the creed of mages who master arcane law and knights who enforce it without question. But how can one enforce order on the world when a parasite in their head brings chaos to their own mind?
introduction of Heartslabyul
The Red Rose Tyrant - Riddle first look
The ace of hearts and the two of spades - Ace and Deuce first look
The three of clubs and the four of diamonds - Trey and Cater first look
Heartslabyul group together
Savanaclaw
Spirit of Persistence is the law of the wilds and the creed not forgotten, the strong survive and the clever thrive. In the harsh lands of Faerûn, this philosophy build powerful warriors and cunning mercenaries. But the tadpole is a different kind of predator, one that doesn't care for physical strength and one that turns the hunter into the hunted from within
Introduction of Savanaclaw
The Usurper From The Wilds - Leona first look
The laughing hyena and the lone wolf - Ruggie and Jack first look
Savanaclaw group together
Octavinelle
Spirit of Benevolence, the power of the unbreakable contract and the well-placed favour. It is the philosophy of those who understand that true control comes not from brute force, but from giving other exactly what they think they want. For a master of bargains, the worm is the ultimate insult, a deal he was forced into. A power offered with a price he cannot negotiate.
Introduction of Octavinelle
Another introduction of Octavinelle...
The Merchant From The Depths - Azul first look
The calm and the storm - Jade and Floyd first look
Octavinelle group together
Scarabia
Spirit of Mindfulness comes from a belief in destiny and the careful consideration of one's path. It is the quiet wisdom to discern the truth of one's own heart amidst the noise of the world. But the tadpole is a liar, weaving doubt, making self-reflection a trap. For a soul that has always trusted the world, it breeds paranoia. For a mind that has always harboured secrets, it blurs the line between cautious ambition and a monstrous hunger for power.
Introduction of Scarabia
Schemer Of The Scalding Sands - Jamil first look
The foolish sultan - Kalim first look
Scarabia group together
Pomefiore
Spirit of Tenacity is a relentless pursuit of perfection. It is the belief that one's magic, one's influence, and one's self must be honed into something flawless and unyielding. The tadpole, however, is a grotesque flaw. An ugly, writhing imperfection that promises a monstrous transformation, the ultimate poison.
Introduction of Pomefiore
A Beautiful Tyrant - Vil first look
The poison apple and the queen's huntsman - Epel and Rook first look
Pomefiore group together
Ignihyde
Spirit of Diligence, the tireless pursuit of one's passion within a carefully constructed sanctuary. It is the philosophy of those who prefer the predictable logic of their chosen world, be it of ancient lore, complex games, or forbidden magic. The parasite shatters that sanctuary from within. It is a forced connection that cannot be severed. For a mind that prizes solitude above all, it is the ultimate horror.
Introduction of Ignihyde
The Watchman Of The Underworld - Idia first look
The ghost in the machine - Ortho first look
Ignihyde group together
Diasomnia
Spirit of Nobility found in immense power of the ancient and arcane. It is the quiet confidence of those whose magic is a force of nature, setting them apart from the fleeting concerns of mortals. The worm in their head is a usurper, a foreign will attempting to seize the throne of the mind.
Introduction of Diasomnia
The Lord Of Malevolence - Malleus first look
The dreaming knight and the lightning guard - Silver and Sebek first look
And here is the first video on my blog! I wanted to show off some gameplay and of course the companions. It might be weird because yk, the voices, but I do like that it works.
Game wise I'm playing like I always do (as in the order of where and what I do), which means I'm getting Withers and then resting and then getting Lae'zel (Riddle).
Now that we have a visual of everyone, time to put the party leaders together (at least those we find in the beginning).
To start with our two overseers of everyone. Grim likes to think he's the one in charge, but of course everyone only tends to listen to Yuu.
Now in act 1, we have a few important companions joining us early on.
Here are the current members we meet right after the crash! There's a bit of hostility and suspicion but we'll all get to know each other more during the (hopefully not too long) journey... (if only they knew just how deep this worm conspiracy goes)
So with everyone of the main story ready, it's time to continue!
In order to make sure I also do the companion questlines, I will make (or at least try to make) some/most companions in the game into twst characters in my Yuu save file. To make it easy, here's a list:
Shadowheart -> Jamil (Shar stuff)
Lae'zel -> Riddle (Vlaakith stuff)
Astarion -> Vil? (knowing you're beautiful, but also suffering and wanting to be more than what others think/say you are)
Gale -> Azul? (because the whole 'ambition' thing)
Will -> ?
Karlach -> Idia? (mechanic heart! doomed from the beginning!)
Minthara -> Leona (In Menzobarranzan...)
I'm mostly trying to match up (sub)races because it's something you can't change if you pick an origin character. The masc and fem also match up with the origin characters. There are some that just don't match up easily, but I'm trying some ideas... I think only Will will stay the same, it's that or maybe Malleus...
He's the Great Grim! He's gonna be the one to take down the absolute and go down as the best wizard in history! You should be honoured to be able to travel with him (as his henchmen, of course)! Just look at his first henchman? henchwoman? henchthing? Doesn't matter to the great and powerful Grim what they are, as long as they show him the respect he deserves!
We make a good pair, don't we?
You do what you can do.
Anythin' you can't, leave it to me!
'Kay? Me and you are in this for the long haul!
AAAAH IT'S TIME FOR THE GREAT GRIM!
As you can see, I went through a lot of hair options and two face options. ALSO cat ears :3
I tried to give him the most 'scruffy' hair? And while short hair isn't bad... I think the longer options are just some much better! (they also hide the normal ears better)
And here he is with his bright fiery robe! I also had multiple tail options... There are two 'cat' options and one (technically) tiefling (because Grim's tail is pronged? Is that the right word?)
Having no memories of what you went through before waking up in a flaming mindflayer ship is less than ideal. But Yuu'll manage (ha). Still, there is this... weird? annoying? vaguely murderous? voice in Yuu's head that won't stop, until blood is spilled, enemies are ripped to shreds and the hunger is stated... Knowing 'who' or maybe even 'what' you are might somehow be more of a priority than the worm in your head. Especially when every reflection seen reminds you of someone... Who was so important, that you get a headache thinking about it?
Blood and bones, bones and blood...
And now for my variations!
Here are the Orin face and a changeling face next to each other. For all other variations I used the Orin face (Mostly for obvious story reasons).
And of course some different outfits too, including the flesh armour. I had a hard time with the armour because of the modded race (a lot of the armours had the same (other) appearance instead of the one they should have)
Here's another design, where I also encountered another difficult problem with the head (shape). The hair doesn't sit right like with the normal heads, so bangs are really needed, but I couldn't find many I liked... So here is a micro bang! I also do Love this hairstyle (and colour).
And another one, I really love the rose gold? pastel pink? And here is the Orin braid with silver accessories too. I also want to add that with this mod, the eyes always look like this (no normal pupils). I usually made them red, but the white ones are nice too...
Bonus: Guardian Crowley
I used the make up to create the 'mask' since I can't add accessories like with the other (normal) characters. I do think he looks pretty good tbh.
As the eldest party member, Lilia has seen more than his fair share of monsters and distant lands. He usually knows how to handle most situations, laughing them off with ease. But this worm problem is different, and even this experienced fighter might have to take things a bit more seriously this time...
"Everything is like the days that have passed. Wherever is gone to, it is in the blink of an eye. Far Cry Cradle."
And here is the last one (from the main cast at least)! Again with the darker dye option first, Not really my favourite buuuuut it does remind me of his old general armour.
Now for his face, I couldn't opt out of scales but I actually don't mind (I always add modded scales to any character I make anyway). I think the hardest was finding a good hairstyle... A long ponytail could also work of course...
And here's the fem version. I'm not sure about the dye, but I do love the bright green... The shape of the armour is already better at least, and it's a rogue armour (so more stealth based) but Don't Care about that.
I do have more hair options for her, so there's the messy option but there's also the straight bob, which I tested with 2 bang options...
Now here's them together. And for once in all characters: matching hairstyles!
The first two 'guards' are still young, still training to protect their future ruler, yet it seems they might have failed already with this pesky worm in everyone's heads. Silver, the sleepy one, and Sebek, the loud one, are both loyal paladins of the crown, doing their best to hold things together while everything around them starts to come undone...
"To those who have been met, and to those who will be met someday… Meet in a Dream."
Let's start with the fun fact that I had two armour options that I tested on Silver and Sebek (Kethric Thorm's armour and Dame Aylin's armour). I also tested the dye options on both.
And here's a close up of his face, I love the matching eyebrow and eyelashes! And Silver has the prettiest eye colour too. I also tried some matching stuff with the Diasomnia party trough the sword neck tattoo (both in black and in green). It's something small but nice :)
Now for our lovely lady, here you can see the other armour.
and here are various hair options I found nice during character creation. I landed on just wearing her hair down, but I imagine her putting it up before training and stuff. Also started adding small scars.
And here they are, lying down in nature, ready to take a nap...
"Break through the heavens, lightning. Living Bolt!"
Ah and now for Sebek, the same armours only in different colours.
For hair options, I was just laughing with the man-bun ;) But yeah I chose a pretty accurate one if I do say so myself. I also, again, really liked giving scars because duh.
And here is the last armour combo.
She probably has the most hair options of all characters... There were just so many fun options: from long to short and tied up or loose. I find that she also has one of my fav faces too, it just fits amazingly!
And here they are side by side (too seriously thinking about Malleus of course).
The last (sub-)party joining the ranks is quite peculiar as wel. A half-dragon noble and warlock, used to being feared and admired. But now, swept up in the chaos of the Absolute's plot... Malleus might look calm from the outside, but with this worm in the head, even he isn't sure how long that calm will last.
"Spinning wheel of fate, spin the thread of calamity. I, the king of the abyss, shall bestow this. Fae of Maleficence."
And we're on to the final 4! Starting with our lovely half-dragon prince, I gave him this armour set (Pugilist armour) and old man's walking stick all from the treasure trove mod. When it came to dyes I had two options: one more dark, like this one, and one with more vibrant green, which I used with the fem version.
And now his face, I found the half-dragon mod fun but it's frustrating to not be able to change the scales (like the placement, it's tied to the colour). Since Malleus has horns in canon, I tried to find similar ones, but I had to pick at least one broken variant of course.
Now for my glorious princess! I especially got the draconic armour mod for her, and it looks Amazing. here you can also see the bright green dye option. That and the scales on the body!!!
Now for a closer look of her face. Her horns are also the closest to canon I could find. She's just so pretty with her bright green eyes <3
And here they are together, I love them both <3 Here you can also see the tails (mod). They just feel so fancy
At first glance, Ortho hardly seems threatening: an energetic tiefling bounding through the world with wide-eyed curiosity, far too cheerful for someone who made a deal with a fiend. Where Idia hides behind automatons and spells, Ortho is the one who laughs, asks questions, and walks up to people first. But every now and then there’s this odd silence, like a piece doesn’t quite fit. Idia doesn’t want to talk about it. The worm might not give them a choice...
"I'm my brother's masterpiece. That alone should speak to the extent of my capabilities, right?"
(Since Ortho doesn't have a unique magic, I picked out one of his voice lines, this one is from his Ignihyde Gear)
And here he is! I'm kinda out of cool armours, but maybe I can find something fun in the future. So the standard warlock armour it is (for now).
What makes it all better tho, I adore these 'horns' because they look like a mask (matching the Cerberus gear most, I just like Ortho gears that cover his eyes and show his smile :D). As a fun bonus I added the tear markings, and I really like how it looks.
Now our lovely fem!Ortho also wearing the warlock armour.
The fun part was finding a hairstyle that fit with the horns, But I really like this one and how the colours turned out! I also used other tear markings, but both are just so good.
And here they are side by side, such cuties. They are ready for a 'big 'fun' adventure with their big brother/sister!
Descended from the Hells and bound to forces beyond mortal understanding, our next (sub-)party leader would much rather be left alone in the dark with his creations. A tiefling warlock and wizard, Idia has struck a pact with a Great Old One and delved into necromancy, weaving death and data together into his own strange comfort zone. Social interaction? Terrifying. Eldritch powers and soul‑siphoning tech? Easy.
Though there was a time... when even his magic wasn’t enough to save what mattered most. Something happened to his brother, and ever since he’s been clinging to the last scraps of sanity he has left… and the worm knows this.
"Game, Set, Match... Gate to the Underworld."
Finally time for my boy! I Loved making his outfit and looks, the hair, the horns, the scars, the gloves! And colouring the outfit was also a fun challenge (since the electric blue of Ignihyde isn't really in my dyes), but I like the darker looks, especially with golden accents.
Now close-up of the face: peep the horns! I love decorated horns (as you will see later in this post). Also love the pale and blue skin combined with the bright yellow eyes. The facial scar is also so interesting.
Now for my beautiful girl, as you can see, another colouring for the outfit (now with more golden details!). Also some love for the spear (and gloves) from the Weapons of Olympus mod: Varatha, the Eternal and Polymetis, the crafty.
I made her scar more healed instead of fresh, but I love both options. Another difference is the eye shadow colours. But now onto the best part: the horns.
There were so many options! I do love the ones with the inscriptions, they look the most interesting for lore. The bull horns are nice to for Greek myth reasons and lastly the ones with chains and caps are cool because of the accessories...
Now to put these two together! Both thinking about what they're gonna invent next... You can also see his braid better here (i chose it based on the Applepom card, of of my faves)
Now the people working under Vil can only be the best of the best, right? Some might need some more polishing than others, but there is potential. The young halfling cleric is promising... a bit barbaric at times maybe, but with discipline and training anything is possible. The elf ranger is a strange one, waxing poetry about beauty all the time and seemingly being able to track anything. However, Vil vouches that this great archer can stand at his side... more so because Rook insists on staying there.
Epel was an easy one, sort of, but Rook? I might need to brush up again on my knowledge of all the characters to be sure...
"Close your eyes, still your breath… Sleep Kiss."
The pictures of the full body are finally of a higher quality because Epel is so short (as a halfling). HA
But seriously, it's fun to have another short race. As for his armour, I picked from the selunite cleric and sharran cleric sets. I specifically chose ones that were 'simple' as in not fully metal (I link it to his countryside upbringing, it's all he has/had).
I chose the 'softest' face I could find, but there aren't many options for shorter races sadly. I do think this one look really nice. For hair I have a short option that has more curl, or a long option (i don't necessarily hate it, but I don't think it looks that good)
i added scars and freckles as extras!
Now just like in the masc version, the armour is simple. I kinda like these gloves more since they aren't poking out. I also added a cape!
A close up of her face, I chose a different scar here. I also adore this short hair, it's a little messy but still nice. Perfect for Epel!
And here are they together, with some very manly poses.
"Come, see if you can flee from me. I see you."
Now for rook I also had two outfits, the first one is Jaheira's High Harper set (opening the door for Rook also being or having been a high harper maybe?). The set itself looks amazing recoloured!
Of course I gave him a longbow buuuut I also gave him Jaheira's two scimitars (Seedling and Sapling) from the Treasure Trove mod.
I also Love the Bob™. It grew on me after a bit, I tried a lot of other bobs but I had some troubles with textures? When I tried to change the colour/highlights, the hair would appear 'staticy'. So that's why I stuck with this one. I should have a recording of me making Rook, so I can show that (but I'm still working out how I'm going to do it, I'm not sure how well video's work here on Tumblr or if there is really any interest in my recordings...)
Anyway! i added some nature themed markings on both versions (both different). I think they add some nice details!
The other armour option as you can see is the normal ranger set found in the Treasure Trove mod. It's not bad, but I do like Jaheira's armour a bit more... (at least in looks, the stats and effects are also important to me of course)
i gave her a Bob™ too, duh, but a bit longer. I also tried some different hair styles but I like this one a lot. As for her markings, they're a little less obvious 'nature' themed, but still pretty.
Now for the dramatic reveal! I even added a big dramatic hat because it finishes the look perfectly!
As something fun for later maybe: there was also a cowboy hat and more shaggy hair soooo... I might make a Savanaclaw!Rook once I'm done with all the rest?
The next leader of the fifth (sub-)party might seem like one very strict perfectionist. Even his party members must always be at their best, in combat and outside too. Vil is an elf who has spent decades perfecting himself, from sorcery to physical talent. But he seemingly can't seem to pass one person... But maybe this worm can give him what he needs to finally surpass anyone he desires... Just maybe?
Yeah even here Vil can't escape Neige. Ha
"Nothing is lost, nothing is feared. The shining crown is for me. Fairest one of all."
Alrighty to start, I varied the masc and fem armour... you'll see when you get there. But I chose this robe for: Poison! It is one of the things Vil is associated with after all. When it came to dyeing, I know this isn't The Best option, but there weren't immediately any better options. I might try to browse trough more blueish purple shades (if I find any)
Now onto the fun part: face and hair! I had some fun trying different styles and seeing how highlights looked. It was mostly to see if it shows more one the bottom (where the purple in Vil's hair is) or in strands throughout (ok this word sucks, I am glad the internet exists).
The right hair option was chosen before face and eyes so don't pay attention to that. What sucks about the male face models is that bangs don't really work well (clip trough forehead) so that's why I stuck to just hair and no extra's.
I made it right by adding a crown! (see the comparison pic)
Now for the storm sorcerer woman, what other armour could I pick than the stormweaver one? It might be a bit mature but damn does it look great. I'm not sure what to feel of the sandals though...
Now her face and hair were definitely fun. I mostly tried some updos/braided buns. These two options really stood out! The one one the right has the most accurate purple highlights imo. I imagine her hair to be like this for practicality (fighting with hair loose? no thanks) and appearing dignified and put together.
And here are the 'divas' side by side. As you can see, the crown really finishes the look (and does look really similar to the dorm leader crown).
