Burn (Ascended Astarion animatic)
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- Опубліковано 23 січ 2025
- It's been centuries since Astarion ascended. Tav cannot take this anymore.
Just an idea about the events after ascension, may diverge from canon events.
Edit: I finished a couple of frames as illustrations, if you are interested, you can find them at my tumblr (themoonatmingitaw)
Thank you everyone for your comments! As much as I would like to reply them all it is becoming a little overwhelming, so I am leaving this here :) thanks for appreciating this headcanon of mine, I am glad you liked it! :))
Also, this may not align with canon events, I missed a couple of things but oh well, Its just an idea I wanted to give form to.
Thanks again!
You deserve every one of them 🖤
Did you read Hellish Rebuke on AO3 for inspiration on this? Cause it's freakishly similar to that plot!
@@onions831 I haven't! will have to give it a look :)
@@onions831oh God it's gonna be devastating isn't it
I don't care this might not perfectly align with canon. This is canon for me now!
I’ve spent a while imagining what Tav would look like after Astarion ascended. I always figured it would be haunting, but this was just something else. It’s heartbreaking. While Astarion is clearly a monster here, you can empathize with and Tab and believe why she stayed. Even in captivity, Astarion made sure Tav looks like royalty, in a massive room all to herself and chains that dance around her like ribbons. He loves his possession as a thing to control, but never as a person. It’s truly beautiful and depicts the spawn/ascended Astarion romance better than anything I could’ve dreamt up
Couldn’t agree more I also love that the ending is what I did in my own headcannon for my tav I also love how burn fits this perfectly as she ends it with her burning
Thanks a lot! I am glad the 'bird in a gilded cage' aspect translates since I didn't really added too much detail :) It would have become too much work for what I intended to do. Glad you liked it!
This comment made me think of chant (reprise) from hadestown, I can see it sung by ascended astarian as well
Creator this is a beautiful depiction of how I imagine Tav would be if she was neutral or even chaotic good because she devotes everything to a man who can't see past his lost for power. The song choice and everything is just fantastic!
Actually astarion is still nice after he Ascends unless you wanna break up!
The use of hair length, while a small detail, lets us know just how long Tav has been dealing with this. All of the scenes from before the Ascension have shorter, shoulder length hair. Now Tav's hair reaches down to the ground and swallows them. It tells us they have been with Astarion for a very long time. This was not a hasty decision.
Holy shit this hits even harder after Patch 5. Spoilers, but the epilogue dialogue basially confirms that this can happen to Tav. If you romance Ascended Astarion, you can say youre unhappy with your lack of freedom and he gets pissed. He basically says he will make you live a life of luxury with him whether you "appreciate it or not"
Glad somebody's said this, this video now resonates even more perfectly with the new epilogue dialogue with ascended Astarion!
*you're
@@RebekkaJones?
@@RebekkaJonesno one needs that… Don’t be so anally retentive.
That people still don’t see despite lines like this, Tav’s dialogue indicating being upset with everything, and more or less writer confirmation, it’s insane to me. “He’s the same person.” Break up with Ascended Astarion and non-Ascended Astarion and tell me that’s the same person lol
God just. The slow reveal of what Tav is doing. How she hesitates before opening the curtain, but then its night outside. How she pulls on the chains but you wonder if she can’t break them. But then the sun starts to rise. And every step is careful and planned. She sets the fire before she breaks her chains because she knows exactly how long it will take Astarion to get to her once he knows what she’s done. Smashing the glass and climbing through the window so Astarion can’t just close the curtains on her again. For all the emotion every act carries, it’s all thought through and calculated. Not brash decision but thorough and passionate. The exact kind of person Astarion would’ve fallen for when he met Tav in the first place.
And then he does manage to get to Tav before she burns, gets to grab her hand. And she looks at him. But his appearance isn’t enough to command her anymore. She doesn’t falter and she doesn’t pull away. She lets him know that he has no more control. And that he is why this is happening. And he wasn’t too late to stop it, he never could stop it.
Not me reading into this and doing Analysis the artist maybe never even intended because Astarion makes my brain do that.
I love your analysis
i absolutely love the way you think thnk you so much for this comment
I got chilllllls
The further insult to injury, she refuses to be what he was; Another link in a cycle of power seeking born from hatred.
"THE EXACT KIND OF PERSON ASTARION WOULD'VE FALLEN FOR WHEN HE MET TAV IN THE FIRST PLACE" OH MY LORRDDDDD GOOD GODS
One of the saddest things is that ascended Astarion would only see it as a betrayal and not understand it was his own monstrous actions that caused it :')
Truth. And I feel if pre-ascended Astarion could see this he'd be horrified.
I just read a fantastic fanfic abt Ascended Astarion and what his “old self” thinks of it and my heart was BROKEN
@@baileybrucker6932 could you share the name of the fic?
@baileybrucker6932 how dare you not share the good stuff with us 👀👀👀
@@bibliophilee719 it’s called “A Gift, A Curse” on ao3
It’s heartbreaking to consider Tav actually saying “I hope that you burn” to ascended Astarion, especially as she herself burns away, knowing it’s one of the few things he can’t do. One of the many things ascension took away from him. I read it as her almost wishing he would join her, could join her, in passing on, yet fully knowing he wouldn’t even if he could at this point, and the sheer bitterness in the delivery of that line highlights the realization perfectly. As angry at him as she is, as much as she lets that show, she still loves him, and the pain that puts her through shows too.
Anyways, sorry for my rambling. I tend to over-analyze. Hope someone read this and enjoyed it though. I always enjoy reading comments like this myself.
I was thinking this too! It honestly makes me wonder what expression would be on Astarion's face after Tav's decision to let themselves burn.
@@NicolePerozziello I’d imagine shock, hurt, probably masked by anger. He’d probably pitch a fit and then get even more paranoid.
I for one love your analysis
@@regabrielexv Thank you
It's really interesting too because it shifts vampires burning in the sunlight into the natural norm, in order to highlight the fact that Astarion lost his humanity when he cast that aside.
I’ve watched this on repeat so many times.
I love the fact that tav submitted to the sun; at some point during the ascension romance tav asks if they have to fear the sun and Astarion implies he will extend the ascension powers to them to protect them from the sun. This means that astarion has revoked that protection as a means of caging tav, only for it to be their means of escape. Love it
Also love that Astarion greets tavs betrayal not with panic or concern, but anger; he’s not terrified watching tav die, he’s angry that his prized possession is running away
I just realized something about the protection from the sun. Tav is in shackles at the beginning and while there are blinds to cover the window, she can freely open them without issue and Astarion be none the wiser. It's only once she breaks the shackles that Astarion realizes something is wrong, which would imply the shackles might have been a twisted form of protection.
She can never leave, but she can look out her window without fear of death. That's why she breaks the shackles (asides from symbolism and emotional freedom), because with them on, she can never escape in any way.
There's also the possibility he promised, but never actually extended that power to them.
That also has to add an extra sting, the last thing he could count on to force her to stay with him, the sun, was what ended up killing her/allowing her escape.
Astarion could certainly say he would extend the Ascension powers to Tav, but I don’t know how if that’s even possible. He could raise her to be a proper vampire like Cazador, but we don’t know if the Ascension powers will also transfer. Tav might, at best, only be as powerful as a regular vampire, stronger than a spawn, but not as powerful as an Ascended vampire lord.
The abuse starts out subtle, small, but his charm draws you in and you don’t even realize he’s turning into Cazador. He’s so charming that even many of the fans were mad and questioning why Tav was acting negatively towards him in the epilogue, not realizing that the moment Astarion ascended, he became the same monster he hated and that the cycle of abuse would continue. That he was no longer capable of loving Tav in the way he once did.
I love this animation. I keep replaying the parts where she remembers her friends and Astarion as he once was. The thing that gets me to tear up is Tav remembering Shadowheart and Karlach, because by this time they'd be long gone. Even if Karlach didn't die from her infernal engine and even though Shadowheart herself probably has another century left, what's the lifespans of a tiefling and a half-elf compared to the eternity of a vampire?
Tav's friends who genuinely care about her wellbeing and who love her as a person are dead and gone and all she's left with is whatever shadow of a sentiment is left that Astarion has for her after he did the ritual and willingly continued the cycle of abuse. When Tav lets herself burn in the sun at the end, I like to imagine that she's finally choosing to go where Shadowheart and Karlach, the people who truly love her, have gone rather than continue to live as a caged bird.
I know this is supposed to be about a tragic romance with Astarion and I like it for that too (Astarion's realization when Tav breaks her chains is *chef's kiss*) but I'm a sucker for deep platonic love as well and the thought of Karlach and Shadowheart being heartbroken from beyond the grave by their dear friend Tav's situation hurts me good. Thank you Vesper ❤
Do you want a bit more angst? Elves have immortal souls and get reborn all the time, I think it means they never actually go to either heaven or hell unless their gods turned from them and elves have a separate afterlife, so this Tav won't meet any of her old friends ever again anyway :,)
Yesssss, it definitely resonates like that to me, especially since the visual effect of Shadowheart and Karlach fading echoes that of Tav herself burning in the sun.
lifespan of tieflings is complicated, it can depend on why they are a tiefling and what other parentage they have. a quick search suggests 150 is average and potentially about 800 years if they have elven parentage, but that can probably shift wildly based on other factors
half elf is supposedly about 120-180 but im pretty sure in canon theri are caes of much older ones, especially among powerful adentures and magic users.
honestly, its fair to assume that shadowheart and karlach, given their experiences, blood lines, and power they will likely accumulate over their lives, could live several centuries
Repeat after me: DON'T - LET - HIM - ASCEND!
People like him need love, not power!
YES!!!
I haven’t gotten the game yet, but I will definitely not give him the powers 🫡
I think it’s good if let him ascend for the comedy 🙏 (it’s comedy for me, not the character I’m shipping him with nor himself☺️ )
@limitedowos4112
I find the relief and joy I get from encouraging him heal to be much more valuable and fulfilling than allowing him to become a controlling, overly-ambitious, narcissistic, chaotic-evil monster. But each to their own, I suppose. 🤷♀️🙂
I like that the ending shot is only his back. So you never know what he is thinking or feeling after.
Also side note: in her memories, her hair is shoulder length and now it touches the ground. Makes me wonder how long she held out and how often she had tried to get her autonomy back from him. Because they aren't in the same room meaning even if it was good in the beginning it sure wasn't now.
It says in the creator comments centuries so definitely a long time.
"in claiming your reign, you have ruined our love" THIS WORDING OMFG. I honestly was fooled by his sweetness when he ascended and had no idea this was the worst version of him im not gonna lie, but after it was shown to be his "bad ending" these animatics r hitting way different
right? I had to rewatch it 3 times just to make sure I caught all the words. I would love a song cover with these words. I love this take on the bad ending.
I think a lot of people forget the reality of what Ascending+romance means for Astarion. He is the master and Tav is his slave. Tav only has a say in the matter so long as Astarion allows it (this can even be seen in some of his dialogue). The fact that Astarion breaks up with you if you do not become a spawn indicates that he has lost respect for Tav's autonomy and choice. And don't forget, becoming a spawn is permanant - Tav can never back out. And Astarion just made himself into a powerful vampire ascendant, the only vampire in history to not have to suffer hunger or sunlight, who "lives thousands of hours in a single day" or whatever. It will not take long for him to lose whatever humanity he has left, to see himself as above it all. And he wants Tav all to himself (which can again be seen in his dialogue). There is DEFINITELY still love for Tav, but it is not the love between two equals. Its the love someone feels for a pet
Add in the fact that people who suffered abuse are more likely to hecome abusive, and... I think its very possible that Astarion will project his own years of captivity onto his, quote, "favorite spawn" (which i just realize is exactly how Cazador described Astarion - his "favorite") (edit, I think Astarion actually says "most beloved spawn" but even so)
Ofc, its a game, and everyone can interpret it in whatever way makes the game enjoyable for them. A lot of people won't want to interpret it in such a depressing way, and thats fine (and many will certainly argue that making Tav a spawn is about immortality and not slavery, but I'd argue that both are technically true at the same time so it doesn't really matter which one Astarion intended). But personally, i can't see a romance with Ascended Astarion as anything more than a disaster waiting to happen, exactly as this (amazing) video depicted
And if you disagree, thats fine. Its a game and idc enough to argue with pro-ascension fans who (mostly) just want the sexy dialogue with him
EDIT So Larian has basically confirmed that Spawn Tav is a slave. The newest patch adds an epilogue where Tav can express discontent for their lack of freedom as a spawn. And Astarion basically says "Not this again" (implying Tav has complained about this before) and calls Tav ungrateful for not appreciating everything Astarion gave them. Then Astarion basically implies he will never set Tav free and that he'll make Tav live in luxury "whether they appreciate it or not."
@@aquamarinerain@aquamarinerain oh, the murder bhaal baby would 100% try to kill Astarion. Except, Astarion could control Tav the same way Cazador did to Astarion. He could prevent Tav from trying to fight back the same way Cazador stopped his spawn from doing the same. Which just adds to why Ascended Astarion x Spawn Tav/Durge is incredibly sad. Even if Tav wasn't the Durge, they would still be powerless to leave unless Astarion allowed it. And even then, Tav would still be HIS spawn. They would never be free
@@hannahw7023technically if Durge goes all in on pleasing Bhaal, they take control of the brain. And no matter what route they took for Astarion, controlling the brain makes him Durge's puppet.
@@hannahw7023 who knows what magic is stronger - Bhaals urge or spawn's bond? Astarion himself is a proof bond can be broken. But yeah, no matter how you spin it, they are disaster in slow motion.
@@aquamarinerain unless you defy Bhaal at the last second, yes. But if you do, Bhaal strips every bit of personality from you and makes you nothing more than a feral beast as punishment.
@@emmasilver2332shoutout to the Patch 5 update that shows exactly what happens if Durge defies Bhaal at the last second and loses their sanity as a result
The end, when Astarion grabs her arm, it kills me a bit inside - he so obviously wants to keep her, but at this point, after keeping her for so long, it seems like she's become more a possession he feels entitled to rather than someone he wants to keep because he loves her - he just looks so angry, not even hurt that she's willing to submit herself to the sun just to get away from him, he's just angry that she's getting away. The scene where he realises she's broken the chains also makes me feel something I'm not able to articulate - it almost creates this image of him desperately running to try and catch her before she goes, and (in my mind) he's emotional about it, so seeing him just so plainly angry creates this pain, a pain she clearly feels.
I love how when we finally see his face when he grabs her, there is NO love or concern at all. Just anger. It's really well done.
"He will do what it takes to survive" really hits. Beautiful animation. I was breathless at the final sequence.
at first I thought her chains were strings of jewelry. It wasn't until she spun that I realized what they were. Tav is the shadow of who she was (although she carries herself like a queen) the strength and love that made her herself is gone and heartbreak is all she has left. She is in a gilded cage, beautiful but still caged. The hero, the savoir who scarified so much waited a very long time for her lover to come back to her. But he never did. She even hesitated before opening the curtains and looked back at the memories that they had making sure that there was nothing else she could do. And then she hugged his past and he faded the look in her eyes was when she really and truly felt like the person she fell in love with was gone forever. I feel like the tears that she shed weren't for herself but for what could have been.
i often wonder how spawn astarion would react to ascended astarion. i'd like to think he'd be horrified of the monster he becomes, the abuser he will be. i'd like to imagine spawn astarion loves tav enough to not want to ascend the moment he realises what he would do to them.
@@atbkhaveiturway do you remember what the fanfics were called and where I can find them??
@no.va000 A gift, A curse AO3 based on other threads here lol. I'll also be reading that one!
The implication at the beginning that he just struck her across the face is heart wrenching. Combined with her tired expression it makes me wonder how often he's done it before.
Amazing job, this perfectly captures how the ascendant/Tav relationship would end up.
Oh my god I haven't realized it before. I mean I obviously saw the blood on her cheek but I can't believe I never questioned it 😭
Shot me too
Was wondering about that
And now with new '' kissing '' positions you see how he literally smacks Tav.
2:40 Tav burnt her side of the portrait first, then struck the candle holder right through Astarion’s chest, showing his heart ultimately causer her death. She wanted to die a long time ago. 2:46 when she rips off the chains Astarion’s eyes glows as if he’s alerted *or maybe his chains were ripped off too.* Fuck this mv is killing me.
I thought that might have been the case too, but looking back, the alert is around his eyes, not his neck, and he only looks angry. Like he was just monitoring it to make sure she didn't get away. What's more telling to me is the room is almost barren besides the candles and painting. It makes me think she's tried before to end it, and he's taken everything he thought she could use away, thinking she either couldn't break the chains to get out the window, or the horror of burning alive would keep her from doing so.
Also at 2:40 the fire makes it look like there’s light in Tav’s portrait’s eyes, like they’re open wide.
Tav’s eyes are open now! Open to the abuse and the horrors and this makes me Very emotional.
I love the bindings seeming like soft bracelets and a necklace, it gives hadestown vibes of "Shackle her from wrist to wrist with sterling silver bracelets" and its just so fitting,
This feels even more relevant now with the recent updates to animations and interactions with him. 😭
Love the subtle or maybe not so subtle detail of tav using shocking grasp on the chains. Goes to show that its possible she could have done that at any time but she also became wounded on both wrists and neck. That was probably there as a deterrent as the wounds are probably severe. That isn't a problem since the goal was not to escape but to commit suicide. Well done.
When you didn't reveal Astarion's face at the end, that was chef's kiss. It gives a feeling of resign love it!
I think the thing that's always confused me about people who romance Ascended Astarion is how the game is painfully direct about how *THIS* is the only way your story ends if you do.
I’ve only done the spawn route but I get the appeal. People like angst endings and it’s fine exploring the themes of ascended Astarion since it’s not real. I’d say it only becomes an issue if people are denying how controlling/abusive it ends up
i'm yet to try the spawn route, but in my first playthrough ascended astarion + evil dark urge is quite a powerhouse pair :)) they totally use each other and it's not clear who controls whom more to be honest, so in that power-hungry-mad-obsessive dynamic it works great. the video is rather if you played a nice Tav (I assume), not Durge and let him ascend - then indeed, a fitting tragic ending to a story.
Because Ascended Astarion is a Dom, and that isn’t an option we often get. (And massive points to BioWare for actually offering a healthy D/s relationship in old Inquisition - it can be done!)
@@alakurielleI'm just curious, how is ascended astarion a dom ? Especially even a healthy one ? Are you talking about him with the durge or tav ? Because I disagree. Ascended astarion is abusive and doms should never be abusive that is a toxic D/S relationship but I'm sure that you know that :]
@@liliflwrs oh, Astarion's abusive as all get out, but it can still scratch an itch in fiction at least, especially when lacking in other options (Dragon Age is literally the only healthy example I know of in a video game). Those rough camp kisses though? The kneeling? **swoon**
I just got done with the epilogue party with ascendant Astarion and it's just so sad, seeing all your former companions and friends, hearing stories of what they've been up to for the last six months while the pc has most likely been captive at Astarion's side the entire time. And when the party is over you know the pc has no choice but to go back to an eternity of that hell. There's no illithid savior coming for you, none of your friends can save you and any plans you discussed having together (Karlach looking you up once she's out of Avernus/Gale and Tara inviting you to come to Waterdeep, etc.) will likely never happen. That night is likely the last you see of those friends and they'll all die long before you'd even get the chance of tasting freedom, if you ever do.
I JUST replayed bg3 for the new epilogue content and let me tell you, after successfully getting all romance scenes for spawn Astarion & his epilogue-it HURT replaying ascending him. I wanted to see the contrast and even hoped the durge background would somehow make it less brutal but oh my god. They wrote his character SO well, and the voice acting just sold it even harder.
“I love you… that’s what you wanted to hear, isn’t it?” RIP my heart
I love this, and thought about it for ages today and then suddenly had the thought "Damn what if he just goes to Withers and rez'ed you after this incredible exit?" Like damn, let's hope Withers just straight up says no thank you sir and blasts him through a portal.
Well, there is a case in a Dark Urge run where Withers will refuse to resurrect a certain character, saying that after what they’ve gone through, bringing them back to risk it happening again would be cruel. So yeah, Withers would absolutely tell Astarion to fuck off.
In DnD, a soul can only be resurrected if they want to return. (I believe).
After seeing the patch 5 epilouge convo with ascended astarion this REALLY IS SPOT ON
I had to come back to this video after watching all the videos of his dialog cause how could I not
Not really, as Tav spawn is immune to burn as Astarion gives them his blood.
WHO ARE YOU?? Just coming out here and dropping the BEST animatic of the entire year out of absolutely no where. This is literally so beautiful and well done!
hahaha ok this one made me laugh! Thank you, I am happy that you like it! To tell you the truth, I don't know where this attention comes from either, I mostly keep a low profile and just post whatever I make, mostly on tumblr. This is my first animatic tho, so I am really surprised and very overwhelmed xddd
Wow this is so tragic. It makes sense that this is where it would lead to, Astarion would never learn and only continue the cycle of abuse he's been subjected to. And this song continues to kill it! Awesome work!!
to be honest the song is powerful enough to carry the whole thing, it's so good! thanks!
@@themoonatmingitaw course!
Changing the lyric from "Paranoid in every paragraph how they perceive you." to "Paranoid in every paragraph that I would leave you." fuck.. That I think highlights the focus around what the ascension does to Astarion, It brings out his worst aspects. His insecurities. He has all the self confidence of Tav's love, but still very little for himself. In a way letting him ascend undoes all the work he does for and on himself. It's BRUTAL.
so
this has actually made me fucking cry. I'm not a person who cries easily at fictional scenes. like yeah, I'll get emotional but there's not really any tears
but holy *shit* this video...the moment I realized how it was going to end I started to cry because everything was just so *heartbreaking*
Tav genuinely loves Astarion. They wanted to make him happy, to help him feel safe. and then Astarion ascended and he wasn't the same person anymore. the ascension ending is really heartbreaking when you actually stop to think about it...
I'm not really a crier too but it is really sad that she'd rather die than be his prisoner. His little grab at her wrist got me really good. (I'm only Ascending him if I plan to make my Durge evil too.)
Astarion, was back to the very start of their Adventure.
Isolated, frightened, and alone beneath the sun.
Only this time no-one is coming to help.
And this time, he doesn't deserve help.
Are you *trying* to hurt me more?!…. But you’re right.
The way that despite everything he’s put them through they still don’t hesitate to run to hold and comfort the image of Astarion before his ascension
"they don't get to know why I stayed".... ouch my heart hurts
Yup, that’s exactly how this tragic story would end if Tav doesn’t stop him from ascension….absolutely beautiful animation, make more, you’re extremely talented!!!!!❤❤❤❤
This animatic was beautiful but impossible. Astarion tells you because you have his blood you are immune to sunlight. He also resents you for making/allowing him to ascend.. so Tav did it to themselves.
Honestly, it could also be that Tav keeps Astarion grounded in some ways so her presence would actually prevent him from becoming a monster.
Look, I know there's a large chunk of people who are on the "Ascended Astarion is evil" bandwagon, but relationships require two or more people. There are couples in which one partner is an absolute jackass to the world but they're kind and gentle to their counterpart. There is potential for this relationship to be okay. He would probably treat her like a treasure and keep her locked away from everyone if he could, but will Tav let him? As a character, Tav is extremely high spirited so I doubt he could compel her to behave 100%.
I also doubt he would want to truly harm her and if compelling did do that, he probably wouldn't do it again.
Not to mention the fact that Astarion was already a power hungry little bugger, even in Act 1. Tav kept him grounded then, or encouraged him to seek more power, depending on the play style. Ascending gave him that power, true, but at least on my games he has still been a lovable rogue despite that.
Unless they change the game, at this point, I don't think Astarion has a truly good or bad ending.....unless you count times you piss him off and he attacks you and you kill him.
@@Ectava 100%!!
I’m firmly on the ascended Astarion route because the fandom toxicity has ruined his spawn plot line for me, however, I still try to be open minded on how other people might see the relationship in the future.
For me, this video would never happen and it’s not canon, but I also appreciate the style and work that went into it.
@@Ectava Ascended Astarion _is_ evil and the writers intended for him to be evil. The "he was always like this tho" only works when the player enables him right from the start. Players who push against his understandable but nonetheless somewhat twisted view of the world see ascending as a complete backpedal to the progress he can make throughout the entire game.
@@aquamarinerain it’s like people forget about the 7000 (plus the 6 “siblings”?) souls that were sent to the hells for him to gain this power. I don’t think one life “saved” is worth the 7000 lost. Plus power corrupts - he will become abusive just like Cazador, just as Cazador became abusive like his master before him - by not letting Astarion ascend you break that cycle of abuse.
Withers even asks you about souls value at the start of the game when you first meet him, he asks “what is the worth of a soul” and there were several options, but anyone who is playing a “good” character would probably chose one of the options that were “good” (something like “all souls are equal” or “souls should be evaluated on how they treat others”)
The coloring is so perfect in this. Like Tav trapped in darkness compared to Astarion talking about seeing the world in color in game. This style worked so well with only grey scale, white, and red. The contraction of Tav’s eyes in the sunlight, perfection. Stunning work. This has haunted me for days.
I’m not crying I just got some vampire dust in my eyes 😭 The art is so beautiful and expressive and the utilization of the song was incredible especially when taking into consideration of the negative aspects of Ascended Astarion
Im obsessed. The framing and pacing of this is stunning oh my gosh. Everything flows from one moment to the next perfectly. The window acting like a chekov’s gun, continuously coming back until you finally understand why in the end. The lines “He will do what it takes to survive.” And “Flown too close to the sun.” Are so accurate to ascended astarion it hurts. The way tav hugs the memory of astarion, just wanting to comfort his pain. The way astarion stands in the window as the sun rises framed by the shattered glass with all of the shards pointing toward HIM showing this is indeed the consequences of his actions. He gets to stand in the sun now, but it doesn’t fix the brokenness he still holds and inflicts and he lost his love because of it.
Oh my god AGHHH
Oh shit, you animated my feelings and reaction in the aftermath of when I stood aside and let Astarion ascend, perfectly.
As soon as the ritual was complete i immediately realised my mistake, i tried to ignore it for awhile, and pretend that Ascending was what he truly wanted, that it was what was best for him, perhaps i got far too invested in his romance storyline, perhaps i managed to properly miss a section where its obvious that ascending would be awful for him, that it wasnt what he wanted.
It was only when i refused to let him turn me into his spawn, when i refused him treat me how he was treated by Cazador, that i saw that this isnt what he wanted, that in his battle to be free, that he became who he feared, the person who he despised.
he willingly killed so many people, he treated them as lesser then him, he treated them as if they were vermin, saying it didnt matter because they were already undead, people he knew.
He didn't even mourn them.
He didnt even try to pretend he wasnt manipulating me and playing with my emotions when I refused to be turned into a vampire.
I was so unreasonably angry when he outright admitted that if i agreed to be turned, to stay by his side, he wouldnt see me as an equal.
(Well, it isnt necessarily unreasonable, in real life i have to demand and fight so im seen as an equal to other people, and not broken or inhuman, so it kinda hit a nerve)
I wasnt even entirely angry at him, i was also angry at myself, in hindsight it was made quite obvious that helping him ascend would continue the cycle of abuse he was forced into.
The fact that i didnt do more to end the cycle.
To be fair you need multiple playthroughs to get the whole picture about the ritual (or save and load a lot). It's easy to miss on a first playthrough, that this is not just an evil decision, but one that is also *bad for him*. Ironically you get the biggest hint that the ritual is a bad idea if Astarion is not with you when you kill Cazador.
[SPOILER] You can read Cazadors mind when he is resting in his coffin. Turns out he is just a shell of a person - sees himself as a monster - and wants to die. Velioths skull also tells you that he once was just a normal person, but Velioth tortured every bit of kindness out of him. If you let him ascend Astarion will take over Cazadors mansion, including the servants, his plans to ursurp the city, his rules for his spawn and at the very end of the game he will roll his r's just like he did. A!Astarion idolizes him, wants to be like him, without knowing that Cazador was miserable. It's wonderfully tragic and I can appreciate it for that, even if I prefer to see him develop into his own person with a future.
This is the perfect comment.
I mean, he quite litterally doomed 7000 souls to be slaves to a archdevil for all eternity. He does not just "kill them". Of course he becomes a monster. That act alone makes him a monster.
I’m sorry you have to fight to exist and be seen. Long term we will win. There are more of us that understand you every day. Hang in there friend, things will get better
Your analysis is amazing and I wish you to be free from other's judgement
Ahh, it makes you feel for tav if she is in this situation, talking about Shadowheart and Karlach centuries later. They both most likely died many many years ago, how alone she must feel at that point with Astarion the rest of her companions long gone and she's still here with him.
THIS WAS SO GOOD????
As an artist, I am,,, your style, the framing, the smooth feeling to it all, perspective, THE EXPRESSIONS, poses, ohhhh my goddddd. Tav's memories of Astarion before he ascended, that one part where she hugs him as he's on the ground UEAHGHGGHJ. It all fit so well with the song too!! Man this must've taken so long to make and you did an amazing job.
thank you! the hug part is one of my favorites too :))
I actually HAVE NO WORDS for how excellent this is. I LOVE Astarion and I LOVE him with Tav... but Ascended Astarion just could not end well imo, and my gosh, the horror and reality of what would happen to them if he ascends is so poignant and incredible here. The images of the man she loved, the friends who warned her, the way it could be good, sometimes, if only he wasn't keeping her basically enslaved...
This should win all the awards though, for the way the images match up the music. The way she pulls her restraints and we see Astarion in real time for the first time, knowing immediately what happened. Tav setting the room on fire and awating the sun and he tries to grab her but she hopes that he burns...
Again, Astarion and Tav gives me all the feels and squees and is the best part of Baldur's Gate 3 for me. But I LOVE to see the angsty, horrible truth of the Ascended Astarion route.
You should be so incredibly proud of this piece, it's so, so good.
As much as I want Astarion to walk in the sunlight and see Baldur's Gate in colour, I can't bring myself to ascend him knowing he never actually heals from the abuse he went through. As vampire lord, he's still afraid of Cazador (you can't even mention his name really), he would use his power to subjugate others to the same abuse he endured, and even Tav just becomes another one of his subjects if not a little more favoured. You perfectly captured what I always imagined would happen if Tav didn't break up with Ascended Astarion before the final fight.😢😢😭😭 Excuse me while I go and get a new heart😭😭💔💔
The only way I'd let Astarion ascend is if my DUrge Tav accepts Bhaal's blessing. In that case, they're both lost causes.😂
Edit: So I was watching Astarion shorts about ascending him and choosing to become his spawn and came across a lovely little clip from Nyloth where we aren't technically his spawn, but rather some variation of a vampire bride. Watch over here - ua-cam.com/users/shortsI4CfTJj64JE?si=GgJ9Iklsf55a1gRO.
It actually eases the blow of submitting yourself to him.
To be honest I can't ascend him either! It makes me too sad. But I do love a tragedy, and it surely gives me a setting to tell one xd Thanks a lot!
Yeah, but even in that situation Astarion would still be the one in control, as you would be his “mad dog”.
I like the fact that you can offer Spawn Astarion the option to go on an adventure together to find a cure for his vampirism, or at least make it so he can walk in the sun again
@@CabinetofThorns Not unless you take over in the end as the Absolute with him in your team.😉 Haha, loophole😂
Funnily enough ascended Astarion doesn't even care about walking in sunlight all that much. "(something something world domination, etc etc) ... and then we'll give ourselves to the night."
@@CabinetofThorns Actually Bhaal would be the one in control, not A!Astarion. If Durge doesn't claim the crown after accepting Bhaal's blessing he will take over their body like a meat puppet and 'create' new Bhaalspawn. It's a very tragic and messed up ending, loved it for my evil Durge.
IM OBSESSED WHAT my past self (obsessed with hamilton) and current self (obsessed with astarion) are FREAKING OUTTTTT THIS IS SO GOOD
This is amazing!!! The expressions the lighting god the EMOTIONAL DAMAGE
Thanks a lot! Expressions are something i want to keep working on :) the emotional damage is a pastime of mine.
@@themoonatmingitaw teach meeeeee
I've spent countless days daydreaming about what Tav would like after the Ascension. The "Metaphor" of the chains and Tav being in captivity was something I tough about, but never let myself think he would litterally do it. After re-watching some of my playtrough and some video, realised how scary Astarion was when, once you ascend him, he says "As much as I would love to lock you in a room in my palace and keep you for myself" And that video, that masterpiece, just represent how true that sentence is. I think i'll start soon a Fanfic on wattpad with an ending like that, because even weeks after finishing the game and stopped playing it, I can't bring myself to stop thinking about all the possibilities and THAT MAN. Wonderful job, thank you for your work :)
Please link me when you write it I would love to read
Me too plz
I just want to say thank you for this animation. I only finished Astarions Quest line yesterday and it made be feel so many emotions. I didn´t romance Astarion but this Animaton depicted exactly how Tav would probably feel after Astarion acended and they stayed with him and let him turn them. Thank you for combining two things that i really grew to love, Hamilton and Bg3
Thank you for your comment! those are two things I really enjoy myself :)
This broke me in so many ways. Absolutely beautiful, but also heartbreaking. When Tav was reliving Shadowheart and Karlach's warnings i absolutely lost it :(
This is heart-wrenchingly beautiful!! You did an amazing job!
Thanks a lot! Glad you liked it :)
The perfect use of the dawn to solidify Tav's decision to "erase herself from the narrative". So subtley done and BEYOOTIFUL 💔
Great job. You get the bad relationship the protagonist is in. I love the compositions and your artstyle😍💫
Thank you! I am glad you liked it :)
Can we talk about how she runs to the memory of the old him. She was so in love and now she no longer can. She’s choosing death, and the way he seems angry and panicked when she breaks the chains the anger he shows right before and then she’s gone. This is insane and I love it!
I have never ascended him but this shit made me HURT. Oh my god you are so unbelievably talented everything about this is perfection.
HOLY SHIT I ALMOST CRIED WATCHING THIS.
I love the detail that we don’t *get* to see Astarion’s reaction to the actual fire, nor the burning of the sun. What he reacts to is the breaking of the bond. It gives the impression that he reacted the most strongly to that loss of connection or ownership. It’s essentially a master losing a slave. We don’t see his reaction to Tav *dying*. We don’t see the grief, and it’s dehumanizing.
We focus on Tav’s pain, Tav’s own grief. And it’s heartbreaking, but we don’t *get* to see *if* this breaks *Ascended Astarion*’s heart. In usual movie editing, we usually expect a cut to the other person’s reaction to everything. A closeup, a tear, *something!* ..but we don’t get that. Tav doesn’t recognize him anymore.
Fucking hells man, I loved watching this.
Welp, the emotional damage is FUCKING strong with this one-maybe they’ll be reborn into happier people
One can only hope so, they deserved better
@@themoonatmingitaw rlly!! Tav wanted what she thought best for him and Astarion wanted to become stronger to protect them-it’s heart breaking, wish em’ better!!
@@yasiegonlastie5483This. I think a lot of people think the Ascended Astarion storyline is just an evil playthrough option, but it’s not. It makes sense for Tav to pick the option they thought would make Astarion feel safest, which could have been either option, especially if you didn’t fully understand the lore. But yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow when you realize what has actually been lost.😢
@@ks9759 yesss!! its not even what they thought like!! They just wanted him to be the happiest after being deprived of it, and Astarion realized he now has someone important to protect and wanted to get stronger for them-NZMKSKSKSM my heart is ripped
This is just perfection!
After watching the new scenes from the epilogue when romancing Ascended Astarion, this is *exactly* how I can see their story ending. (I can never do the Ascended romance for this reason - you basically become his pet, he sees you as inferior, and you're trapped for eternity. Whereas he just becomes everything he tried to escape...)
I would never have thought to put this song to the story of Tav and Ascended Astarion, but my god it is so perfect. The raw anger and betrayal in the song, the red chains snapping at the height of her reeling indignation... This is insanely good and such a well laid narrative. Absolutely gut wrenching, seriously well done.
this is so beautiful, i love that tav is chained and that when she breaks them Ascended Astarion feels it and his body reacts cause he made Tav his vampire consort. Your work is amazing
I didn't like making Ascended Astarion in the first place but this, this is too much. I'll never ascend him again
I love this because you can appreciate the dark beauty of this video even if you know nothing about BG3. Just knowing it's a tragic love story between vampires is all you need to know. It really is beautiful. Once he ascends, it's haunting how different he becomes. Just a ruthless, cold-blooded manipulator with nothing else to give you but pretty words and half-hearted promises.
The ending shots so GOOOOD how you Astarion holding her arm trying to grasp on the little bit left of her as Tav dies away freeing hersellf and the memories and centuries of her being locked up representing in her hair as it burns up first and she speaks her last few words to him. And the last being back to her and Astarions past where her hair was to her shoulders left with those memories torturing him goodness this is good Tearsss and Chills
Damn, that's gorgeous. Absolutely magnificent. The chains look so thin as if even Astarion knew that she was choosing to stay, yet still put chains on her to remind her that she is tied to him, that she is his to own. Like a pretty doll in a box, she is dressed elegantly in her chains in a large room. And a large portrait of them as another reminder of why she stays, the many memories long gone now held in a single frame.
All the details and emotional impact of each, and the absolute perfection of the sentiment in the song with the chosen word selection, even the choice in color palette... ALL of it astounds me. I hope somewhere, somehow a production lead designer for either film or games sees this and realizes the brilliance. This sort of subtle but incredibly deep story-telling is lacking in many studios, many productions. I hope you are seen and have every opportunity to shine.
Thank you so much! you are very kind, this is just a hobby but I am glad the feelings translate, it is one of my favourite things to do :)
Honestly subscribed to you because of how beautiful this is. Im not sure how long ive been crying now (ive probably watched this 6 times now on repeat) but i can honestly say the emotion and thought put behind this is phenomenal.
I will NEVER let Astarion ascend no matter how many times i play through the game. I dont think my heart could handle seeing him become the very thing he hated and spent centuries trying to escape.
At the end when she burns and all we see is Astarion's back, part of me wishes i could see his face and see regret. Realisation. ANYTHING to show that a little part of himself is still there and now even further broken with the realisation HE'S the reason he's all alone again. HE is the one who ruined his love.
The fact that you didn't show his face at the end though? Beautiful. It gives me the opportunity to create my own idea of what he might be thinking and feeling in that moment which just makes me cry even more (i like crying to sad things, im basically an emotional masochist 😅).
This is absolute art and you've just given me another reason to love this man to bits just the way he is and never let him ascend. Not to mention the emotional breakdown you just gave me repeatedly one after the other but we don't talk about that 😁
I love how Astarion's emotion stays unreveled to us and left to our on imagination
Oh my good, my heart, i'm crying. I'm never ever ever Ascending Astarion. Its a disservice to him, to us and to the world. We are going to be happy in every playthrough as lovers or as friends. Im dreading the day I do an evil playthrough. The animation is so beautiful and evocative. I love that she has the appearance of a royal consort yet she is nothing but a prisoner and slave with no freedom.
Just a suggestion but if you do an evil playthrough and decide to romance Astarion and have him ascend, I’d say to completely lean into the evil and play a DUrge loyal to Bhaal and control the brain. You don’t get an epilogue but it is a good twist because he thinks he has enslaved DUrge to him and wants DUrge to control the brain so he amasses more power and has Bhaal’s army as his dowry, and then DUrge uses the brain and controls him and everyone else, turning the whole game around.
@anamoreira5194 if I go full evil definitely taking the world in Bhaals name. Evil Astarion is gonna wish I was good :P
Gods, this was SO GOOD. The way her chains has the same infernal bindings?! And breaking it alerted him??? GENIUS!! This was so powerful. Lowkey wanna cry lmao
The way she still runs to comfort the ghost of who he was, but it doesn't derail her thoughts at all- she still loves who he used to be, but knows it's a ghost- she's been isolated and hallucinating for a long while if I had to guess
This is even more beautiful after knowing how Ascended Astarion acts in the epilogue.
I swear this animation basically predicted his line “I will see you living the very best life even if you don’t appreciate it.”
From all that we hear in the game added with the new end chapter on how he makes sure you have everything you could ever want from money to items, etc and you have the option to ask him for your freedom and he says "oh not this again" meaning youve asked for it for the whole 6 months after the elder brain. I love how you showed a side of what it could look like while he has you. Yes he gave you everything you couldve wanted and showed that he is afraid you will leave his side forever if he gave you your freedom so you burn his palace and jump into the growing sun to get away. I love that you showed memories of them dancing or cuddling and enjoying themselves. It is beautiful and it made me cry. Excellent job.
Can we make like a petition to have this be one of the endings PLEASE? my gods you drew this amazingly, it hurts but so well??? The emotions in their eyes alone speaks paragraphs 😭❤️
This song never fails to shatter my feels- and this animatic reminds me once more why the Ascended ending is NOT a good one.
I was surprised that the chains broke so easily ( love the idea that the chains are connected in more ways than one to Astarion)- until I realized that she definitely did so before- only to be punished (hence the mark on her face in the beginning).
Love how she made everything burn with her- and as much as one hopes Astarion realizes his loss, I doubt it.
He might mourn her...but he'll simply fashion another consort- preferably someone more easy to thrall.
I stumbled upon this randomly, and now I can't stop watching it. It's so well made and so hauntingly beautiful.
God, this is wonderful. I can't stop watching this work of art, it's beautifully drawn and the story itself as it is shown, touches the heart. At the very end, I really wanted to see the wedding ring in his hand, the only thing left as a reminder of TAV ...
I don't say this lightly, but you have truly captured the peak emotion of playing through the story with a self insert. Wonderful job at picking just the most dramatic frames and visual storytelling elements, just kudos all around
This broke me , especially seeing Shadowheart and Karlach. Two companions I run in my party along with Astarion. Felt very personal
no this is acc making me sob. i feel so bad for what he had to go through and when he ascends he turns into what he hates and is afraid of most, completely losing himself. tavs pain and the way astarion stands in the window at the end breaks my heart, whether hes realising what he's done or processing the 'betrayal' he must feel; actually makes my heart break.
This was AMAZING!! It definitely captured the hard truth and reality that comes with the ascended Astarion. He slowly loses his humanity and begins yet another cycle of abuse. Tav is tired of it as in the end they've rid themselves from their monsters (the Ilithids and parasites) but in turn created a new one. The conflicted emotion of supporting the one you love and wanting them to be happy but at a cost of their own humanity is definitely a tough choice :( but illustrated wonderfully in this animation! The music and references to their former friends as well is touching. Keep up the great work! You've just earned yourself a new subscriber!
This is truly incredible! It’s hauntingly beautiful. You can really feel each emotion captured so perfectly, and the animation is so dynamic and amazing. You did a wonderful job with this animatic, it really pulls the heartstrings and captures such a dark and almost poetic depiction of Ascended Astarion and Tav.
Ascended Astarion is so disgustingly tragic. The story of a man so desperate to not be alone, to not be abandoned, that he repeats the same cycle of abuse and exploitation that broke him. The story of a man who got exactly what he always wanted, and lost everything to gain it.
I can never have him Ascend. If only because he seems so legitimately happy and content after you kill Cazador and he's just...free. Free from his enslavement and free from the cycle he chose to break.
🙄
damn this was gut wrenching. Burn has always been such a powerful song, and somehow you did it justice with this animatic. I immediately broke up with astarion when i ascended him during my evil run because i hated what he turned into, and you really captures that. great work! this made me legit tear up lol.
Anyone else notice how short Tav's hair was in her memories? How long has she been locked in that room...
IM GONNA SCREAM
Even though I hate to face it and keep telling myself "He was abused and never completely recovered. He suffered too much it's not his fault that he ended up the way he did", this is not actually true.
I want to believe he actually cares about Tav (and he does to a certain level), he's mostly just looking for something or someone that can make him feel somewhat strong, because he was weak and vulnerable for way too long. But it obviously doesn't justify the way he treats Tav.
Regardless of everything he might have endured, he should be aware that he has no right to make anyone feel the same way he felt, and make them suffer from the same thing he himself suffered from.
Note to... Well, everyone who plays bg3
Do NOT ascend Astarion.
I repeat: Do NOT ascend him.
I can officially confirm that I'm literally so freaking obsessed with this now. It's been almost 24 hours since I commented that and I can't stop thinking about this video 😭 SEND HELP
I had the same for a couple of days haha and every now and then i come back to see more and more people experiencing the same 🥹
@@MelRay373 I'M OBSESSED I downloaded the video and I can't stop watching it 😭 Someone pls shoot me in the head if I EVER ascend him
This is amazing, and a perfect depiction of the feelings that will likely develop when you're stuck for centuries with Ascended Astarion. Hauntingly beautiful.
"You don't get to force me to stay" hurt so much to read omg
i cannot stop watching this- this animatic so stunning, especially the lyric changes
"...burning the lover that might have redeemed redeemed you"
HOLY SHIT
anyway side note I would never gatekeep a character, but I absolutely cannot get over how people keep ascending astarion for the "ooo dominant ascended stari sexy" NO PLEASE HE NEVER GETS OVER HIS TRAUMA AND HE TREATS YOU NOT AS A PERSON BUT AS AN OBJECT PLEASE DONT
signed, a mystic messenger player
This is absolutely beautiful. Also story makes sense as astarion gives in to his insecurities about someone always being out there to get him so not surprising he’ll stop trusting Tav after ascension. And he literally stops thinking they’re equals too so 🤷🏻♀️
But amazing job with the video, can’t stop watching it 😍😍
Oh my gods, that was gorgeous! I absolutely love how heartbreaking it was and yet beautiful all the same. Staying because you hope that the love you once had would come back, and yet when met with endless disappointment, you are finally drawn to the conclusion that it will never appear once again. So you are left with the only option left, leave...even if it is something that is even more painful. Tav, you will be missed❤
I can't stop replaying this, unashamedly made me cry and will continue to cry when I watch this. The gut punches of the memories dancing around only to vanish, the imagined spirits of Shadowheart and Karlach who if they aren't dead, Astarion probably forbids her from seeing is heartbreaking.
i first watched this many months ago when it was first posted but i always come back to rewatch. beautiful piece of art
Oh my god this is so good!! Absolutely impeccable. The song choice the portrayal of it the lyrics alterations I'm obsessed. Not only your brain for thinking of this but also the skill and determination to draw a whole animatic.... Incredible. Thank you so so much for making this and sharing it!!
Am I the only one crying from this!? Holy crap dude. I never thought of an outcome like this, Ive never SEEN an outcome like this. Its always been happy endings with Astarion. The expressions, the rewritten lyrics. It hurts my heart so much. This gives a "Where is the man I fell in love with" vibe. The memories shown, where Tav hugs him on the ground. Perfection. I hope to see more of your Tav's backstory.
I love this! This is what I imagined what my Tav would have done if she ascended him and became his. Oh man I teared up I won’t lie! Love this song too!!!
Please. Whoever did this… make more!!! I love this. I listen to it on repeat and I can feel Tav’s pain so vividly. 🥲
thank you! I am working on a new one! it is a little different and I am finding it hard to get time to sit down and finish it, so it's taking a while, but we are getting there xd
Damn! That was a good choice for an animatic with Ascendent Astarion. All the love ^^
I just wanna say I watched this a few days ago and it’s been all I can think about.
The art is amazing, and storytelling and composition are genuinely so thought out and well done. Every action Tav takes is so methodical and planned showing the time they’ve put into thinking about this moment.
I genuinely feel like this is the direction Astarion will unfortunately end up after he ascends. He doesn’t fully heal if he ascends and becomes even more paranoid of losing the power be gained. He is never truly free, just shackled to his need for power and control instead of a master.
Chains of gold are still chains.
I lo e this so much, holy crap-this exactly what I picture happening if Astarion ascends and you continue to be with him as a spawn. He just becomes your abuser, and you his slave. Super emotional, and honestly you picked such a good song to convey this concept. Well done, I hope the algorithm picks it up and shows it to a lot more people
omg this song already makes me weepy on a good day but this animation is AMAZING and i am CRYING! it fits so well! i recently went thru my own ascended astarion run and the way he treats tav afterwards is so heartbreaking. love this so much!!!