Profile & Permissions

[good_taste]

BASIC INFO

Name: Astarion
Canon: Baldur's Gate 3
Canon Point: Several days into the events of Early Access, as of Patch 19. Astarion hadn't bitten anybody and hadn't been revealed as a vampire yet. The party was preparing to go to the goblin camp.
Species: High Elf (vampire spawn)
Occupation: Fop, D&D party member, traumatic backstory haver
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Eyes: Red
Hair: Light gray
Age: At least 300, actual age unknown.

OOC

Name: Spider
Plurk: PaleAntiquarian
Discord: CellarSpider#9984

PERMISSIONS

Backtagging? Absolutely!
Fourth wall breaking? Negotiable! Let's discuss that before it happens, though.
Hurt him? Yes, with discussion beforehand.
Kill him? With permission!
Touch him? Certainly! But give me a heads up--this guy has some PTSD triggers, and I want to make sure things don't swing in an unintended direction.
Naughty things? Absolutely. He's down for most things. Let's talk it out first though, again, PTSD.

ABOUT

Astarion is a high elf and citizen of Baldur's Gate, from a noble family. He worked as a magistrate in the city government. One night, a group of men assaulted him over a ruling he'd made that day, viciously beating him and leaving him to die. He was found by the vampire patriarch Cazador Szarr, and offered the choice to be bitten and become one of his vampire spawn. Astarion accepted rather than face death. This brought him under Cazador's complete mental control.

Unable to resist the vampire's will, Astarion was kept as a slave for two hundred years, until one day he was stolen away by illithids. They placed one of their tadpole-like young in his skull, a process that usually ends with the host agonizingly transforming into a mind flayer within days. This fate was seemingly forestalled when the illithid's ship took an unscheduled detour through literal hell before crash-landing on the coast a few day's journey from Baldur's Gate, killing the mind flayer crew. This tossed Astarion out onto a bright sunny day, which should have burnt him to a crisp within seconds.

But for some reason, it didn't. Huh.

Now freed from Cazador's control for the first time in centuries, Astarion is absolutely focused on keeping things that way, and also finding some means to control the illithid tadpole. Preferably before it eats any of his brain. Astarion joins up with a group of fellow tadpole-infested misfits, each with their own secrets. Over the next few weeks, the group searches for a cure, and begins to learn about a mysterious deity called the Absolute, worshiped by a cult headed by fellow infected.

Over the course of their journey, Astarion's true nature is revealed to the others, he learns more about how the tadpole has changed the rules of his vampirism, and he gets the first warning that his master isn't going to let him go so easily. His ultimate goal: kill Cazador Szarr, and drink his blood to become a full vampire. Supremely powerful, feared, and, most importantly, free.

APPEARANCE

...Need I say more?

ABILITIES

Astarion is a vampire spawn, meaning he has few vampiric powers. However, the illithid tadpole in his skull has removed some of his weaknesses: Sunlight doesn't burn him, and he can enter homes without permission. He's also resistant to mind control.

As an elf, Astarion needs less rest than humans, requiring only four hours of meditation per day, rather than sleep. In fact, he can't be magically compelled to sleep by pretty much anything short of the tadpole in his head.

In D&D terms, Astarion is an Arcane Trickster with a small handful of spells to his name. Three are cantrips which he can cast at any time...
Dancing Lights
Mage Hand
Minor Illusion

...and four level 1 spells, from which he can cast three times per day:

Sleep
Disguise Self
Thunderwave
Charm Person