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→Story Involvement: Wrote in Astarion's story involvement section
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== Story Involvement == | == Story Involvement == | ||
{{Spoiler warning}} | {{Spoiler warning}} | ||
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==== Act One ==== | ==== Act One ==== | ||
Astarion begins the story in Act One on the ravaged beach by the crashed nautiloid, where he beckons the player character over to assist him in fighting an [[Intellect Devourer]] that is in the bushes. It however becomes apparent that there is no intellect devourer, just a [[Boar]]. And depending on the player character's perception, Astarion will either pull a knife on the player or tackle them down to the ground with the knife at their throat while they are distracted, believing that the player character was in league with the mind flayers on the ship as he saw them walking freely and speaking with the mind flayers while he was tadpoled and trapped in a pod. Astarion will demand answers about what happened on the ship from the player character, who can explain the reality of the situation to him, and Astarion will then back off, apologize for the interaction, and introduce himself. It is after this where he can be recruited as a party member and his companion quest, {{Quest|The Pale Elf}}, is added to the journal. | |||
A few nights into adventuring, the player character will wake up in the middle of the night to see Astarion hunched over them, preparing to bite their neck. Astarion will stop and try and explain himself, but the player character successfully deduces that he is a vampire. If the player allows Astarion to live after this reveal instead of killing him, he will then ask the player character if they are willing to let him drink some blood to gain his full strength. If the player character refuses, he stalks off into the night to hunt for animals. But if the player character accepts, Astarion will then lay the player character down and begin to drink blood from their neck. The player character must either persuade or shove him off to end the feeding. If unsuccessful, the player character will die and must be revived. But if the player character succeeds, Astarion will stop feeding and thank the player profusely for helping him. | |||
The morning following either the attempted or successful feeding, the player character can talk to Astarion about a variety of topics. He will divulge his past, revealing that he is a [[Vampire spawn]] sired by the vampire lord {{CharLink|Cazador Szarr}} over 200 years prior in [[Baldur's Gate]]. It was then that he had handed down a ruling as a magistrate that a group of local [[Gur]] people took issue with. They attacked him, beating him until he was near death in the street. Cazador Szarr approached him, offering him a second chance at life, which Astarion took in a moment of desperation. Cazador then turned Astarion into his vampire spawn and slave. Astarion will also explain how vampire spawn work, including how they are subservient to the vampires who created them, and how they have all of the weaknesses of a full vampire but few of their powers. One of these weaknesses includes the hypersensitivity to the sun, which Astarion no longer has since the nautiloid crash. He will speculate to the player that the tadpole has given him immunity to the sunlight and to Cazador's compulsion. It is also during this conversation that the player character can discuss how Astarion will feed in the future. They can either agree to let him feed on the player character, let him feed on humanoid enemies, or relegate him to feeding on animals. | |||
In the [[Sunlit Wetlands]] (or [[Putrid Bog]],) the party can encounter a Gur monster hunter named {{CharLink|Gandrel}}. If it has been revealed that Astarion is a vampire already, Gandrel will explain that he is looking for a vampire spawn named Astarion on behalf of his tribe, which will make Astarion visibly paranoid. He will argue with Gandrel and insult him, and will want to kill him in an act of self-preservation. The player can either let Astarion reveal himself and attack Gandrel or encourage Astarion to let it go, leaving Gandrel alive. If it has not been revealed to the party that Astarion is a vampire, Gandrel will not mention Astarion by name and will instead simply say he is looking for a vampire spawn. Astarion may kill Gandrel unprompted in this scenario if he is not talked down while agitated. The player character can also turn Astarion in to Gandrel, which will result in him leaving the party permanently. | |||
==== Act Two ==== | ==== Act Two ==== | ||
In Act Two, Astarion will begin to ponder the meaning of the markings carved into his back by Cazador long ago. If his approval with the player character is high enough or if he is romanced, he will reveal the scars to them and the player character can possibly identify them as Infernal markings. If the player character does not identify them, Astarion will eventually come to the conclusion on his own that the scars are written in Infernal by feeling them. Either way, he will say that he wants to discuss the subject with {{CharLink|Raphael}}, as he believes he would be able to explain the scars to him. | |||
When talking to Raphael at the [[Last Light Inn]], Raphael will point out Astarion and say that he senses he has something to talk to him about. Astarion will then speak up and confirm this fact. If Astarion has not revealed his scars, Raphael will strip him in front of the party and force him to show his scars before continuing the conversation about Astarion's ask. If Astarion has already revealed his scars to the player character, Raphael will not strip Astarion of his clothes and instead goes right to thinking about Astarion's request. Raphael says he believes that he can help translate and explain his scars, but will need to think of something that Astarion can do for him first. He then departs, leaving Astarion to wait until they meet again. | |||
Astarion will encounter Raphael again in front of the [[Grand Mausoleum]], where Raphael will state that he has thought of a way for Astarion to pay him for his services. Raphael requests that Astarion and the party kill an old enemy of his, the orthon {{CharLink|Yurgir}}, and if they do this, he will interpret Astarion's Infernal scars. | |||
After Yurgir is slayed as per Raphael's request, Raphael will come to the [[Campsite]] and interpret Astarion's scars for him. He reveals that his scars are a part of a legal contract that Cazador Szarr made with [[Mephistopheles]], and the scars bind him to the Rite of Profane Ascension. It is through this ritual where Cazador must sacrifice the souls of all of his vampiric spawn, including Astarion to ascend to an existence where he will become a new type of being, the Vampire Ascendant. The Vampire Ascendant will gain a new set of powers and lose all vampiric weaknesses, including the sensitivity to sunlight. However, the rite cannot be performed if any of the carriers of the scars are missing, and so Cazador cannot complete it while Astarion is gone. Astarion knows that Cazador will now never stop hunting him, and will ask the player character to join him in taking the fight to Cazador in Baldur's Gate. | |||
On the road to Baldur's Gate, Astarion will ponder his options that he has after arriving in the city. He will tell the player character that if they are to find Cazador, they should try and find his "siblings, aka Cazador's other vampiric spawn. He states that they will likely be found in the taverns and flophouses of the city, looking for prey for Cazador as per their orders. Astarion will also speculate about his ability to possibly usurp the rite of profane ascension, so that he may gain the power from the ritual instead of Cazador. | |||
==== Act Three ==== | ==== Act Three ==== | ||
In [[Rivington]], Astarion and the party may encounter {{CharLink|Ulma}} and the other members of the local Gur tribe. Ulma will recognize Astarion and reveal him as one of the vampire spawn who stole their children away in the night under Cazador's orders. She will offer Astarion a chance at redemption, asking him to help save their children from Cazador's clutches and bring them back home. If Astarion and the party agree to help, this will open the quest {{Quest|Investigate Cazador's Palace}}. If Astarion and the party refuse to help, Ulma and the other members of the Gur tribe will become hostile. | |||
Later on, in [[Fraygo's Flophouse]], Astarion will encounter two of his "siblings, {{CharLink|Dalyria}} and {{CharLink|Petras}}. Both of them are discussing Cazador's ritual, believing it to be a ritual that will set all of them free. Astarion will interrupt them and call them foolish for believing Cazador's lies, and he will demand to know where the ritual is occurring. Dalyria and Petras will then reveal that the ritual is happening in a secret defiled chapel underneath Cazador's Palace in the [[Upper City]] before returning back to Cazador. Astarion will then continue to ponder if he can usurp the ritual for himself. | |||
Upon reaching the [[Lower City]], some of Astarion's other "siblings," {{CharLink|Leon}}, {{CharLink|Aurelia}}, {{CharLink|Violet}}, and {{CharLink|Yousen}}, will come to the party's camp in the night to try and capture Astarion. Astarion will attempt to sway them to his side, lying to them and saying that if he controls the ritual, they can all name him their new master and they will be set free. The player character can intervene and reveal the truth, but either way, Cazador's compulsion takes control of the spawn and they will become hostile. If Astarion is downed in combat, he will be taken to Cazador's Palace and will need to be rescued. But if the spawn are defeated, Astarion will remain with the party and will emphasize the need to find Cazador. | |||
After finding and entering Cazador's Palace through a side entrance protected by charmed guards, Astarion finds out that the ritual is already underway, and he presumes that the way to the ritual will be through the ballroom. However, the ballroom is sealed by an [[Arcane Lock (Condition)]] spell that will only open if a key is inserted and a set of words are spoken to it. Astarion then concludes that {{CharLink|Godey}}, one of Cazador's servants, has the key, and he suggests that the party finds him along with something that will help the party discover the passphrase. After obtaining the {{MdRarityItem|Szarr Family Ring}} from Godey and the {{MdRarityItem|Kozakuran Dictionary}} from one of Cazador's guest rooms, Astarion and the party can proceed into the ballroom where they encounter a multitude of [[Werewolf|lycanthropes]], [[Wolf|wolves]], [[Bat|bats]], and [[Rat|rats]]. The creatures wish to turn Astarion into Cazador to gain favor with him and will become hostile. After defeating them, Astarion and the party can proceed to Cazador's study, where nearby they will find a lift. | |||
Once Astarion and the party take the lift, it will descend into [[Cazador's Dungeon]], which was kept secret from all in the palace, including Astarion. It is in the dungeon that Astarion and the party will encounter a large number of people being held in prison cells. One of the prisoners, a man named {{CharLink|Sebastian}}, will recognize Astarion and speak up. He will say that he remembers Astarion luring him back to the palace, where he was then turned into a vampire spawn by Cazador alongside many others in the cells. In another cell, {{CharLink|Chessa}}, one of the Gur children, will also recognize Astarion and speak of how Astarion and the other spawn kidnapped them from their camp and brought them to the palace where Cazador turned them to spawn. Astarion will then recall that the people in the cells are his previous victims that he brought to Cazador, either through lure or capture, but he thought they were long dead as Cazador told them he was feeding on those they brought back. It is after meeting the people in the cells and seeing how they are marked with the same Infernal runes as himself that Astarion realizes that Cazador intends to sacrifice not just him and his siblings, but the 7,000 souls they brought back to him under his command. Astarion starts to understand the true scope of the Rite of Profane Ascension and begins to struggle with his previous plans of trying to usurp the ritual. | |||
After leaving the main part of the dungeon, Astarion and the party will confront Cazador in his lair where the ritual is being prepared. Cazador will gain control of Astarion through blood magic during the confrontation and force him into the ritual, and combat will begin. If Astarion is not rescued, Cazador will ascend and Astarion will be killed. But if Astarion is saved from the ritual, he will join combat. | |||
When Cazador is eventually defeated and attempts to retreat to his sarcophagus to regenerate, Astarion will rip him away from it and confront him once and for all. It is here that the player character must either choose to talk Astarion down from usurping the Rite of Profane Ascension or choose to assist him in completing the Rite of Profane Ascension for himself. Either choice and its outcome will complete {{Quest|The Pale Elf}}. | |||
=== Endings === | === Endings === | ||
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'''Life as a spawn vigilante''' | '''Life as a spawn vigilante''' | ||
If the party stopped the ritual peacefully by persuading him to be better than Cazador or euthanizing a different spawn during the battle, Astarion's sunlight vulnerability spontaneously returns to him a few minutes after defeating the Netherbrain, ending the hope that his immunity from the tadpole might be permanent. After quickly saying goodbye he is forced to run away and find shade, but the narrator or another companion reassures the player character that he will be safe. Back to a normal vampire spawn, Astarion continues adventuring on his own as a nighttime assassin, but a heroic one who only kills "the right people" that deserve it. Instead of grieving over his inability to be in the sun, he develops a renewed sense of self, accepting the dark as a part of him and being driven by his newfound inspiration of hope rather than fear. If he is romanced, the player character can join him in these adventures. | If the party stopped the ritual peacefully by persuading him to be better than Cazador or by euthanizing a different spawn during the battle, Astarion's sunlight vulnerability spontaneously returns to him a few minutes after defeating the Netherbrain, ending the hope that his immunity from the tadpole might be permanent. After quickly saying goodbye he is forced to run away and find shade, but the narrator or another companion reassures the player character that he will be safe. Back to a normal vampire spawn, Astarion continues adventuring on his own as a nighttime assassin, but a heroic one who only kills "the right people" that deserve it. Instead of grieving over his inability to be in the sun, he develops a renewed sense of self, accepting the dark as a part of him and being driven by his newfound inspiration of hope rather than fear. If he is romanced, the player character can join him in these adventures and explore [[Faerûn]] with him. | ||
If an origin {{CharLink|Karlach}} romanced Astarion, he instead offers to join her in [[Avernus]]. If a spawn origin Astarion romanced Karlach, however, he cannot convince her to go to Avernus because he's forced to run away from the sunlight before her ending cutscene, and she dies while Astarion adventures alone. | If an origin {{CharLink|Karlach}} romanced Astarion, he instead offers to join her in [[Avernus]]. If a spawn origin Astarion romanced Karlach, however, he cannot convince her to go to Avernus because he's forced to run away from the sunlight before her ending cutscene, and she dies while Astarion adventures alone. | ||
'''Life as a vampire | ==== Life as a vampire spawn leader ==== | ||
If Astarion is romanced and the vampire spawn in the dungeon were released to the [[Underdark]], Astarion and the player character can choose to go find the spawn and help them adjust to their new lives. Both of them will act as leaders alongside Astarion's "siblings." | |||
Astarion can also become a vampire spawn leader alone and without the player character. This requires the player character to suggest that they find the spawn in the Underdark, but then break up shortly after. Astarion will then go to the Underdark alone and act as a leader for the vampire spawn. | |||
'''Life as a vampire lord''' | |||
If the party | If the party allowed Astarion to complete the ritual, Astarion takes over the [[Szarr Palace]] as his own and becomes an ascended vampire lord, rising in status and power in Baldur's Gate. When spoken to at the Reunion Party, Astarion brags about his rising status as the city's "puppet-master" and generally looks down upon the player character. He can be challenged on his new behavior and compared to Cazador, but Astarion brushes off these callouts. | ||
If romanced and turned into a vampire spawn, Astarion asks the player character to talk with the other companions at the Reunion Party, gather information, and share it with him later while he stays behind and drinks wine. He is surprised to hear that the others are somehow succeeding in life without his supervision, but he is uninterested to engage in conversation with them himself. If romanced as a [[Mind flayers|mind flayer]], the player character is simply an ally to Astarion, as they can't be turned into a spawn, but his Reunion Party dialogue remains the same as if they were one. If an origin Karlach romanced Astarion, she is unable to be turned into a vampire spawn because of her engine running hot, so he breaks up with her during their next Long Rest. | If romanced and turned into a vampire spawn, Astarion asks the player character to talk with the other companions at the Reunion Party, gather information, and share it with him later while he stays behind and drinks wine. He is surprised to hear that the others are somehow succeeding in life without his supervision, but he is uninterested to engage in conversation with them himself. If romanced as a [[Mind flayers|mind flayer]], the player character is simply an ally to Astarion, as they can't be turned into a spawn, but his Reunion Party dialogue remains the same as if they were one. If an origin Karlach romanced Astarion, she is unable to be turned into a vampire spawn because of her engine running hot, so he breaks up with her during their next Long Rest. | ||