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Antarctica means no bears!

@australwind.bsky.social

269 followers 629 following 993 posts

Physics graduate with a passion for exploring the universe, both through books and learning new languages. Always curious and eager to expand horizons!

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

When the player reaches cazador's dungeon, he will meet several victims of #Astarion, the one who most call the attention are the Gur children, which were kidnapped in a very short time (WEEKS/MONTHS) before the events of the game. Now take a look on what's going on with their memories

Player: Are you the kids from the Gur camp?
Chessa: The Gur camp, the Gur camp... Maybe? Yes, I think so.
Dev notes: The Gur camp is precisely where they'ree from, but they've half-forgotten now that they're vampire spawn. She's thinking about it, and it's stirs a memory, but it's foggy.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

A good example of how bad it is can be seen in "Vampires of the Mists". Jander, despairing at the imminent death of his "loved one", tries to force her into the vampire bride process, he drinks her dry and she refuses to drink Jander's blood afterwards, failing the process (he destroys her body)

Jander had tried to make Anna his mate, but she would not drink his blood. When she rose in a few nights as an undead, she would be only a weak, servile vampire: his slave. That was all she would ever be, for all eternity, for slaves could never become true individuals while their maker existed.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Again from Libri Mortis - one of the most complete source for DnD undead IMO - we can get even more about imprinting.

Plaintly, the choice to be compassionate is not something most intelligent undead consider. In many cases, the event that animated a particular undead is such a transformative experience that it imprints the new undead its image. And in almost every case, that event is generated from an evil impulse of action.

Unlike with most of other undead creatures, every vampire spawn is the creation of a true vampire. In some cases, entire societies or cultures of vampire spawn exist in the shadows of normal civilization, hewing to their own arcane rules or behavior, often set down by one or more original "procreators" of the culture.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

During BG3 it's clear to the player that Astarion's compulsion is sex. After being free from Cazador influence due the presence of the parasite, he is able to rationalize what was going on and he tells the player the following

Astarion: The entire reason for my existence was to seduce anything with a pulse. And every instinct I have tells me that nothing's changed. That I'm still just a means to an end. You made me see I never stopped thinking like I was still his slave, even in freedom.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

this imprinting will result in COMPULSION (Pay attention to that in #Astarion book ;) )

Some undead that retain corporeal bodes and can create spawn (most notably vampires) retain strong tie to the associations of their life. As such, they might continue to nurture real affection for individuals still living. Tortured by the thought of losing contact with a friend or loved one, the undead may seek out that individual, out of love, may attempt to turn its beloved into a spawn. If the attempt is succesfull, the loved one joins the ranks of the undead, but the bond between the two of them is not artificially enforced by the nature of the creation. The "loved one" now exist in a horrible position of compulsory affection.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Leon

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Petras (I will consider later if it's worth put Leon, because it's long and he is not in the book)

Petras: Where is he? What have you done?
(end)
Petras: You did it. You destroyed him.
Petras: What - what happens now?
Petras: Are you going to kill us like you killed the others?
Player (opt 1.1): No, you're free to go.
Petras: Easy to say, but it's not like we can just march out into the city
Petras: We're creatures of the shadows. I'm sure you know that feeling well (if player is from Underdark race - if not the last part changes to) Nothing can change that.
Player ( If from underdark race): Why not embrace the dark? You could make a true home in the Underdark.
Petras: True, we'd never have to fear the sun. Never have to fear vampire hunters.
Petras: We could to worse, we could do well, even.
Petras: Thank you for this chance. For our freedom
(end)
Player: Do what you like, you're not my problem.
Petras: We're not, but thank you all the same. You didn't have to do any of this.
Petras; we'll find somewhere quiet and consider out options. Good luck up there.
(end)
Player: Maybe I should kill you after all..
Petras: You said I was free! You said I could go!
(end)

Player (opt 1.2): That depends. Are you going to start feeding on people?
Petras: I'm sure I can resist. I've survived this long on vermin, after all.
Petras: We can't stay here, though. Baldur's Gate will always have Cazador's shadow hanging over it.
Player can ask about going to underdark which repeats the (underdark) node
(end)
Player (opt 2): You're free, so... what do you want to happen?
Petras: I... I dont know. We can't stay here, but we can't just march out into city either
(repeats)
(end)

Petras: I've never seen him bleed before. I didn't know it was possible.

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

So let's start with the reaction of every vampire spawn soon after they be freed from Cazador's influence, it gives you the magnitude of how deep and cruel is the influence of a vampire master over his spawns (and readers of the book will be pretty shocked with one spawn in particular ;)).

Violet: Cazador is dust, and Violet blooms! I shall live as a permanent rebuke to all that monster stood for!
Violet: Praise Kelemvor! I died thousand times, yet somehow, I live!
Violet: Cazador dead, and I live! I'm giddy, I'm giddy with glee!

Yousen: Am I alive? I'm alive! Hahahaha! But oh, oh oh, for how long:
Yousen: Cazador dead. I was his slave for only 60 years, but it seems like an eternity.
Yousen: Agh! I feel like I gargled a straight razor. But to feel anything is wonderful - wonderful!

Dalyria: I cannot believe it's over. I cannot believe we're free
Dalyria: We are free aren't we? We will not bother you at the surface, you have my word on that
Dalyria: We will find a place in the Underdark. We will find a new way to live, new creatures do feed on, and you will never see us again.
Player (opt 1) - Of course you're free. Good luck down there.
Dalyria: My thanks. For everything.

Player (opt 2) - I can't let you go - you're too dangerous
Dalyria: Perhaps you're right. Perhaps we're dangerous.
(end)

Dalyria: Is he resting? Will the master raise again:

Dalyria: What's happening: Where's the master?

Aurelia: He.. he is destroyed. Cazador. Gone! How were you able to do this?
Aurelia: Look at us - we are no treat. Let us go, we'll vanish into the Undercity, you'll never see us again. I beg you!

Player opt 1 - You're a victims. You may go;
Aurelia: You won't regret this! I swear it.

Player opt 2 - Beg for your freedom, lowly spawn.
Aurelia: Please... master? May I call you master? All, any of us who survive, we'll disappear now. You'll never see us again.
Player opt 3 - attack
(end interaction with player)

New interaction:
Aurelia: My head... Do I know you: Why are you features a smear across your face?

Aurelia: The master is dead. I can't come to grips with it. Now what/ What now?

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

E colocaram de novo na mesa esse projeto de lei maravilhoso, que permite a classificação de IA como profissional elegível para prescrever medicamentos. Mais um momento patrocinado por "vai dar certo, sim! Pode confiar!".

To amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to clarify that machine learning technologies can qualify as a practitioner eligible to prescribe drugs is authorised by the state involved and approved, cleared or authorised by the Food and Drug Administration, and for other purposes

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Totally offtopic but at this point, as a PhD Eel Historian you're my last hope... do you know which show this lovely eel come from?

image of a cute green eel puppet preparing to throw away a coffe cup with its tail

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Must have been such a horrifying experience, better live in the periphery of capitalism... Oh wait...

Graphic showing life expectancy of Estonia compared to Americas, world, Africa, Bolivia and Haiti, in a period of 1940 to 1991. Estonia is 65 years to 70. Americas is 58 years to 70. Bolivia, Haïti and Africa it starts at 40 in 1940 and ends with 55 in 1991

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Antarctica means no bears! @australwind.bsky.social · 17/09/2024

Na rabeira dos 10 milhões!

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