[cazador Voice] Now We Can Only Complete My Kickass Immortality Ritual If Astarion Makes It To The Ritual

Astarion, do you really have to stand quite so close?

Going to be a slight delay on the next chapter, I'm afraid- I'd had something of a light headache the past few days that's made it difficult to focus on things, and I haven't been sleeping too well, so I'm aiming for the 30th of this month instead- hopefully, I should feel better by then.

And, hopefully, there shouldn't be egregious delays moving forward- after the next chapter we will be moving firmly out of the set-up period and into the proper meat, which should, fingers crossed, excite me enough to write to power through any body pain distractions.

My favorite tav bonk (monk bard) for everyone

okay but Wyll is like. a prodigy, actually. and I want to talk about that more

like he is a folk hero for a reason. it's not just because he's so nice to people. he is also an incredible adventurer.

when you meet him in the Grove, he is on a level with you—but dialogue makes it clear that's because the tadpole fucked with his capabilities. if you have him around and hear his little interparty exchanges and reactive lines, he talks about things he's done as the Blade of Frontiers, and they include wrestling a giant one-on-one, and fighting a dragon. by himself.

he fought a dragon by himself!!

like (spoilers for end of game), even when you fight a dragon in the finale, you're not doing it ALONE. you have 3 other party members and as many allies as you care to summon. WYLL WAS ALONE IN THE WOODS WITH WHATEVER SUPPLIES HE COULD SCRAPE TOGETHER AS A SOLO ADVENTURER. AND HE FOUGHT A DRAGON.

by all accounts, I think it's reasonable to guess that before the tadpole, he was more powerful than the level 12 cap that's built into the game. and sure, he's a warlock drawing power from a bond, but most D&D lore I've encountered build in the idea that warlocks need a certain amount of skill and prowess to handle the power offered to them by their patron—there's a reason warlocks and clerics still level up, rather than just shooting to the top of the ladder. PLUS, he had to know how to use that power effectively.

and then!! (spoilers for epilogue) if he does the Avernus version of his ending, he's become a ranger within the 6 months since you've last seen him. and not like, he took a level or two in ranger and he's working his way up to it. he tells you about devils he's killed that are on par with the dangers y'all faced in your adventures—and he's doing this either with only Karlach for company, or possibly even by himself (??? I've only ever had him go with Karlach, I can't stand it). so. he is ALSO now one of the most powerful RANGERS in the realms. IN 6 MONTHS.

which makes sense! he wouldn't lose all his adventuring knowledge and skills just because the pact is ended! but to master an entirely new discipline, magic and all, in such a short time??

WYLL RAVENGARD HERO OF THE REALMS. WYLL RAVENGARD GENIUS OF ADVENTURE. WYLL RAVENGARD CAN DO ANYTHING HE SETS HIS MIND TO

you can pry starting sentences with 'and' or 'but' out of my cold, dead hands

Chapter 16!!!! - The Bloodbath

Here I go getting into a writing frenzy for the exciting climatic boss fight chapter - and AO3 starts lagging just as I go to post it!

Teaches me for thinking I could get a chapter out so early and have everything go smoothly, I suppose. Ah well, I hope everyone enjoys it at least - when they get the chance to read it, that is!

And we’re off! Next story is up on AO3, and updates should come at least once every ten days as with previous (I just realised I’m working off a tenday-based schedule, this was not intentional), and I will try to post here in case of a delay.

I'm going to *remembers suicide is often not a desire for death itself but rather an attempt to radically change one's life because the current state of being has become unbearable but the person can't think of any way to change it other than death* kill myself

he’s got a reputation to maintain

Back with more Wyll thirsting bc scruffy beat-up dilf Wyll was revealed to me in a dream

what fucking hell dimension are y’all blogging from