Astarion/Romance: Difference between revisions

* Early in the [[Act Three]] the party may visit the [[Circus of the Last Days]] in [[Rivington]]. One of performers there is a dryad by the name of [[Zethino]], who will offer to conduct a love test for the player character for a fee. The player may ask Astarion to take part in it. Zethino will transport both the player character and Astarion to a woodsy area and ask questions about the the spawn. The player may choose to whatever answers they wish, but some of them are considered 'correct', some are not. Choosing two or more incorrect answers will result in Astarion being upset. Note that some answers bring a minor disapproval from Astarion, but for the purposes of the test are still considered correct. The list of correct answers (both that gains approval and disapproval) can be found at [[Astarion/Approval|Approval]] section in correspondent [[Act Three]] subdivisions.

* Later in [[Act Three]], the player will meet Astarion's 'siblings' (other [[Cazador|Cazador's]] spawn) twice. First, the party will encounter two of them in [[Fraygo's Flophouse]], a hostel in the [[Wyrm's Crossing]]. The player may choose to interact with them to find out some additional info about Cazador's plans {{note|As other spawn, unlike Astarion, are not protected from sunlight by a tadpole, approaching them with certain daylight-issuing weapons armed (for, example, the [[Blood of Lathander]]), will result in them gaining [[Sunlight Hypersensitivity]] condition and teleport away before the party can interrogate them. This doesn't have any impact on further quest walkthrough}}.

: Whether they do it or not, after a couple of long rests in the area a scene will trigger where other four spawn assault the party at camp with clear intentions: either to convince Astarion to return or to kidnap him should he refuse. In the subsequent dialogue with the spawn the player is free to choose any responses they want, but certain choices will result in Astarion disapprove of the player character and even break relations if partnered. If the player chooses to take Astarion's side, his siblings will attack the party, but teleport away as soon as they reach 1 HP.

* Once the player confronts and defeats Cazador in his [[Cazador's Dungeon|dungeon]], they may choose what outcome they want. They can convince Astarion to simply kill Cazador and remain a spawn, or help him to perform the Rite and become a Vampire Ascendant. Note that the latter decision will cause not only the death of Cazador and other 'sibling' spawn, but every single captive spawn in the dungeon cells around.  

**  If Astarion becomes a Vampire Ascendant, his behaviour will change considerably immediately after the Rite.{{ref|name=changed1}}{{ref|Player: "Come on, you're still the same Astarion, just stronger." Astarion: "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. The very composition of my blood has been altered..." - post Black Mass dialogue with Astarion.}} Some players may be uncomfortable with his and their character's subsequent romantic dynamic. {{note|Ascendant Astarion is arrogant,{{ref|"Very arrogant Vampire Lord Astarion can't believe you're trying to break up with him" - dialogue node context when breaking up with Ascendant Astarion.}} controlling, and threatening.{{ref|"slightly abusive/threatening" - dialogue node context when breaking up with Ascendant Astarion.}}{{ref|"I can take anything I want. I should have made you a spawn just to teach you that." - post break-up dialogue with Ascendant Astarion.}} The player also has numerous occasions to comment on his changed behaviour; that he is "controlling [and] manipulative",{{ref|Breakup dialogue with Ascendent Astarion.}} that he "scares" them,{{ref|Post Black Mass dialogue with romanced Ascendant Astarion.}} and that he has changed from the person he was.{{ref|"The ritual has changed you so much.", "There's nothing of the man I loved left in you." - Post Black Mass dialogue with Ascended Astarion.|name=changed1}} }} However, Astarion himself feels these changes are right when (and if) he admits them.

====Romance conclusion====

If the player long-rests after the Rite concludes, an additional scene with Astarion will be triggered. The scenes will be different depending on the outcome of the Rite. Both cutscenes include a dialogue and - possibly - a subsequent romance scene.  

* If the player chose to help Astarion become an Ascendant, they will have an option to become a vampire spawn. This suggestion may come straightaway from the player character, but if the player does not use this line, Astarion himself will eventually try to seduce them into becoming a spawn. During the course of conversation, multiple dialogue options can lead to Astarion telling the player character he loves them (with allowance for his new understanding of the 'love' concept).

:* If the player eventually consents to becoming a spawn, they can then choose to sleep with Astarion again or not. However, neither choice here will impact the new-sprung Ascendant's decision to turn the player character, the only difference is whether another scene of sexual intercourse is shown. If Astarion's approval hasn't come up to 100 yet, agreeing to sleep with him will raise it a bit.

:: Regardless, the cutscene proceeds into another background (depending on the location of the player’s camp) and another dialogue with Astarion, where he will ask the player to kneel. At this point the player may roll a [[Wisdom]] check to unearth Astarion's true attitude towards the player character. Successful check will reveal that as Ascendant, he considers even his beloved one belonging to the lower order of creatures and will treat them accordingly. Nevertheless, the player might still kneel, or refuse to do it, or choose to kick Astarion in the balls {{note|Doing this will cause Astarion to permanently leave the party}}.

:: Agreeing to kneel will trigger the process proper of turning the player character. Astarion will thank them for giving him everything (though it's unclear is that everything he wanted or everything the character posessed, including their own life). After awakening, the player will have received the [[Vampire Bite|Bite]] ability which provides the [[Happy (Condition)|Happy]] condition {{note|However, the character's condition infobox will still have Astarion's name in it}}.

:: If the player refuses to kneel twice, Astarion will leave and end the relationship. In his new state, he obviously does not want to continue the relationship with a character he won't be able to control.

:* Players romancing Ascended Astarion as [[Karlach]] will also ultimately break up with Astarion, as he will be unable to turn Karlach into his spawn. If he attempted and failed to turn her, Astarion will blame Karlach and become derisive towards her. {{note|After failing to turn her, Ascended Astarion will call Karlach "pathetic", "broken", and pointedly; "doomed".{{ref|"Savouring "doomed"" - dialogue node context when breaking up with Ascendant Astarion as Karlach.}}}}

 

* If Astarion was convinced not to go through the Rite, he will tell the player he would like to show them something outside the camp. He will take them to the cemetery and show his own grave {{note| In general walkthrough the player cannot find his tombstone at the cemetery, but by other landmarks it seems to be located under the huge willow, next to Karlach's parents' graves}}. After the initial discussion, Astarion will chisel a new 'birth' date on the tombstone and confess his love to player character. Through the dialogue, even ironical and sarcastic lines won't make the spawn to break-up with the player character. After that, the player can consent to sleeping with Astarion or not; again, neither option impacts the further relationship. If the player agrees, the scene will proceed into romance intercourse right on Astarion's grave.

 

If the player does not long-rest and instead goes straight to the end-game fight, the relationship continues between Astarion and a mortal player. In that case, the final partnered cutscene with Astarion the Ascendant will include the option to ask him make the character his spawn {{verify}}.

 

Regardless of the Rite conclusion, on the next morning Astarion will propmt a dialogue with the player character, where he either reveals his truly napoleonic plans of conquering as much influence and power as he can (as an Ascendant, with the spawn character by his side or without them), or will discuss thoughtfully the retrospective of what has happened in the dungeons and thank the player again for keeping him from losing his true identity. At this point the player might again choose the option to break up with him deliberately. Interestingly, Astarion the Ascendant will be outraged about the break-up if he has already turned the player character into a spawn, but still consent to it (probably being sure he might be able to order them to return should he have have such a whim).

 

If the player refused to become a vampire spawn and still kept high enough approval from Astarion, then after several long rests Astarion will prompt another dialogue. Obviously having simmered down, he will tell the player that he may even understand and take in their decision. Still, Astarion will confess that he wanted to turn the player character as a spawn only to acquire a plaything and have some fun but evetually discard them. Nonetheless, he will promise to stay by the player's side until the party will have dealed with the Netherbrain.