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    Synopsis:

    Section of the Astarion's In Party dialog where we discuss the aftermath of the Black Mass Ritual (Astarion became vampire lord or stayed vampire spawn, possible romance/friendship discussions)


  • 7.
    Astarion
    : You are so beautiful... And you will be beautiful forever. Thank you for trusting me.devnoteORI_Astarion_CRD_Conversion, ORI_Astarion_Event_TurnIntoSpawnORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
    • 79. Player: What exactly happened?
      • 73.
        Astarion
        : You were drained dry, and at the height of your delirium, I granted you one drop of my own blood.
        • Link to Node 196
    • 76. Player: Who would turn down eternity?
      • Link to Node 196
    • 35. Player: I'm already a Slayer and a squid - this is minor in comparison.ORI_DarkUrge_State_GivenSlayerForm, PARTIAL_CEREMORPH, REALLY_DARK_URGE
      • 116.
        Astarion
        : Terrifying and brilliant. I knew you'd take it in your stride.
        • Link to Node 196
    • 56. Player: I already turned into a spiny Bhaalbeast, this isn't a big deal.ORI_DarkUrge_State_GivenSlayerForm, PARTIAL_CEREMORPH = False, REALLY_DARK_URGE
      • Link to Node 116
    • 91. Player: I'm already part-squid - this isn't a big deal.ORI_DarkUrge_State_GivenSlayerForm = False, PARTIAL_CEREMORPH, REALLY_DARK_URGE = False
      • Link to Node 116
    • 168. Player: Well, I suppose it cannot be undone now.
      • 61.
        Astarion
        : You are stronger now. Better. You will thank me one day, I am sure.
        • 196.
          Astarion
          : Things will be a touch different for you than they were for me when I was a spawn.
          • 105.
            Astarion
            : I'm imbibed with unfathomable new talents. I am fairly certain I can extend Mephistopheles' blessings unto you.
            • 85. Player: Does that mean I need not fear the sun?
              • 101.
                Astarion
                : You need not fear anything.
                • 159.
                  Astarion
                  : You will be stronger, swifter, sharper, but you won't be different. You were already perfect before. It's hard to improve.
                  • 17.
                    Astarion
                    : As for me, well...
                    • 137.
                      Astarion
                      : You probably expect me to turn into a sea of mist, run wrongside-up on roofs, and to call on legions of wolves in battle.
                      • 77. [Jump] Jump to Node 156 (1)
            • 211. Player: Ironic to become immortal, when we could die any day.
              • 179.
                Astarion
                : I don't intend to die, if you don't. I truly believe we can best the brain, united like this.
                • Link to Node 159
            • 204. Player: The tadpole complicates things.
              • 177.
                Astarion
                : Exactly what symptoms of vampirism are going to manifest in you... well, we'll have to see what hand the tadpole has in suppressing them, when we wrangle it under our command.
                • 42. [Jump] Jump to Node 101 (1)
  • 83.
    Astarion
    : You are so beautiful... And you will be beautiful forever. Thank you for trusting me.devnoteORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp = False, ORI_Astarion_Event_TurnIntoSpawnORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
    • Link to Node 79
    • Link to Node 76
    • Link to Node 35
    • Link to Node 56
    • Link to Node 91
    • Link to Node 168
  • 84.
    Astarion
    : *Sigh.* There's no use in us fighting any longer, is there?devnoteORI_Astarion_CRD_TwoDaysAfterBreakupWithLord
    • 111.
      Astarion
      : You are a person of rare talent. You aided greatly in my conquest, even if you did not end up a part of it.
      • 172.
        Astarion
        : And if we were beholden to one another? Well, how is that too different to being enslaved? It is for the best.
        • 198. Player: You were terrible for me. And I did terrible things for you.
          • 215.
            Astarion
            : The man of your dreams, the hope of him, is your own worst enemy.
            • Link to Node 88
        • 232. Player: Love is very different, but I don't think you'll ever understand.
          • 241.
            Astarion
            : Of course I understand love. All too well.
            • Link to Node 88
        • 152. Player: I don't believe this is sincere.
          • Link to Node 197
        • 34. Player: Say nothing.
          • 197.
            Astarion
            : I was trying, with you, you know. In the only way I can try.
            • 88.
              Astarion
              : The gravest crimes committed in this world are committed for love. A hunger crueller than bloodlust.
              • 199.
                Astarion
                : I know how to play with it, and can't resist playing the hand I know. I would have ruined your love, used your trust until you were nothing.
                • 96.
                  Astarion
                  : So, for what it's worth. In the end I respect you for making the choice you did. I never thought you had it in you.
                  • 143.
                    Astarion
                    : I hope if not partners, we may be partners in crime yet.
                    • 151. Player: Deal.
                      • 58.
                        Astarion
                        : I think this has all worked out for the best, hasn't it?
                        • 14. [Jump] Jump to Node 185 (1)
                    • 140. Player: Only if you apologise. Profusely.
                      • 130.
                        Astarion
                        : Not a skill that has cropped up in my newly-found repertoire. I probably need to read some tome to figure out how.
                        • Link to Node 133
                    • 115. Player: You've tried to trick me too many times. I can't trust you again.
                      • 185.
                        Astarion
                        : At least until the brain is defeated, you have my word I'll stand by you. We share a common cause. There will be no more bites in the night.
                        End
                    • 89. Player: I don't want to see you again, when this is over.
                      • 63.
                        Astarion
                        : So it shall be. Never again.
                        • 133.
                          Astarion
                          : But I will ensure our little mission to defeat the brain succeeds. You can count on me for that.
                          End
  • 107.
    Astarion
    : It feels ridiculous to still be thinking about Cazador. He's gone, I'm here - I won.devnoteORI_Astarion_State_StayedVampireSpawn, ORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp = False, ORI_Astarion_State_Act3RomanceSceneEnded, ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarionORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
    • 114.
      Astarion
      : But I still keep reliving everything that happened. Playing it over and over in my mind.
      • 0. [Jump] Jump to Node 175 (2)
  • 117.
    Astarion
    : This is it. The hopeless dream dreamt by all of my kind. devnoteORI_Astarion_IPRD_BecameVampireLord
    • 218.
      Astarion
      : I am the greatest vampire to ever walk this land. Even the Pale Knight would have knelt before me.
      • 160. Player: You are magnificent.
        • Link to Node 31
      • 154. Player: Has your body changed?
        • 11.
          Astarion
          : Everything has changed...
          • 31.
            Astarion
            : I felt so very little for so long... My edges dulled over the numb years rotting in the boudoir and kennels.
            • 206.
              Astarion
              : Now, I can hear it at last. See it at last. How all the lowly creatures of this plane are begging to serve. How to call upon them.
              • 214.
                Astarion
                : Scurrying footpads in their safe-houses, rats below our feet in their filthy holes, the crows in the night above... They will obey.
                • 221.
                  Astarion
                  : In you, too, I can tell... your heartbeat races... you hold your breath while I speak. You await my command.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                  • 150.
                    Astarion
                    : The world will stir in fear.Astarion_InParty_GotVampireLordFollowupFriendship_DEPRECATED
                    • 38. Player: Yes - embrace it. Show Faerûn your power.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion = False
                      • Link to Node 208
                    • 193. Player: Embrace it. Together this world will be ours.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                      • 28.
                        Astarion
                        : Everything will be ours. Everything.
                        • 208.
                          Astarion
                          : I already hear the world whispering in sweet surrender.
                          • 48.
                            Astarion
                            : And I feel alive.
                            End
                    • 8. Player: Appreciate this power. So many of your kind perished for you.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion = False
                      • 186.
                        Astarion
                        : The spawn? It won't take long to get a new army. I'll make new ones soon.
                        • 223. [Jump] Jump to Node 208 (1)
                    • 60. Player: I'm not afraid of you.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                      • 210.
                        Astarion
                        : You've been very brave, haven't you? You've done so much for me...
                        • 26. [Jump] Jump to Node 28 (1)
                    • 78. Player: You're starting to scare me...
                      • 176.
                        Astarion
                        : Our lives will never be the same again.devnoteORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                        • 125. [Jump] Jump to Node 28 (1)
                      • 121.
                        Astarion
                        : This is but the beginning.
                        • 161. [Jump] Jump to Node 208 (1)
                    • 18. Player: Come on, you're still the same Astarion, just stronger.
                      • 178.
                        Astarion
                        : Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. The very composition of my blood has been altered...
                        • 134. [Jump] Jump to Node 176 (1)
                        • 184. [Jump] Jump to Node 121 (1)
      • 138. Player: You may have power, but your greatness is yet to be proven.
        • 40.
          Astarion
          : Ssh. Hush. Feel what is in the air.
          • Link to Node 31
      • 174. Player: No more Cazador, isn't it a relief?
        • 44.
          Astarion
          : Never again. I will not think about him. I don't want to even say his name.devnote
          • 43. Player: You don't sound too happy.
            • Link to Node 68
          • 16. Player: He can't hurt you anymore.
            • 68. [Jump] Jump to Node 11 (1)
          • 86. Player: I suppose it can be left to the past.
            • Link to Node 68
  • 126.
    Astarion
    : You probably expect me to turn into a sea of mist, run wrongside-up on roofs, and to call on legions of wolves in battle.devnoteORI_Astarion_CRD_LordFriendFollowUp
    • 156.
      Astarion
      : That will all happen in due time. But for now, patience is required. I hear the whispers of the night, but I can't yet speak its language.ORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
      • 239.
        Astarion
        : It's going to take a while to become acquainted with my new self.
        • 167. Player: What is next for you?
          • Link to Node 153
        • 129. Player: You have seemed distant since the ritual.
          • 108.
            Astarion
            : Have I? It's possible. I think my instincts have become so quick that the world around me can't catch up.
            • 33.
              Astarion
              : Everything is moving at a grinding pace. I feel like I will live thousands of hours every day.
              • 153.
                Astarion
                : Everything lies ahead. I can see my path to a waking dream.
                • 112.
                  Astarion
                  : From the crimson palace, I will govern day and night. Create a city of spawn who bow before me, cast a fog over the world for my children.
                  • 27.
                    Astarion
                    : I wish we could retreat into our palace already, and spend a decade in each other's arms. ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                    • 71.
                      Astarion
                      : But first we must manage the trifling matter of the brain. Perhaps it will listen to us. Perhaps it, too, will serve.
                      • 23. Player: We can't trust the brain.
                        • 144.
                          Astarion
                          : We shall see.
                          • Link to Node 147
                      • 50. Player: Isn't it enough to have each other?ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                        • 67.
                          Astarion
                          : Love, look at what's in front of your very eyes. We could have everything.
                          • 147.
                            Astarion
                            : Baldur's Gate is a city of opportunity like no other, and I don't intend to let one like this pass us by.
                            End
                      • 122. Player: I just want my city back.BALDURIAN
                        • 190.
                          Astarion
                          : Of course, so do I. Luxury, sin, all the Baldurian comforts I'm finally free to enjoy.
                          End
                      • 62. Player: If the Chosen could subdue it, so can we. We'll rule together.
                        • 212.
                          Astarion
                          : I'm so lucky I crash-landed next to such an intelligent creature as you. We make a fine team, don't we?
                          End
                      • 213. Player: So one tyrant replaces another.
                        • 127.
                          Astarion
                          : Precisely. I'm not ashamed, dear. I won. We won.
                          End
                      • 163. Player: Was killing Cazador not enough? You already want more?ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion = False
                        • 219.
                          Astarion
                          : Vengeance has been reaped upon Cazador, but not the world that made him. Not the world that makes people like him.devnote
                          • 95. Player: People like you.
                            • 157.
                              Astarion
                              : Shut up. You don't know what it was like. You never will.
                              • 46. [Jump] Jump to Node 147 (1)
                          • 235. Player: Be careful, Astarion.
                            • Link to Node 157
                          • 216. Player: If you're sure that's what you want, I'll fight with you.
                            • 166. [Jump] Jump to Node 147 (1)
        • 59. Player: All those deaths, and you don't even know what they've paid for.
          • 106.
            Astarion
            : Death was better for them. Death is better for many. I will stand by it.
            • Link to Node 153
        • 229. Player: Are you bound to Mephistopheles?
          • 136.
            Astarion
            : Mephistopheles has made a new monster, not bound a creature to his will. The Rite was honoured, the sacrifice is over.
            • 124.
              Astarion
              : As you live with his gift, for better or worse, now so do I.REALLY_MEPHISTOPHELESTIEFLING
              • Link to Node 153
  • 142.
    Astarion
    : Just so you know, I have everything I ever wanted.devnoteORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp = False, ORI_Astarion_State_BrokeUpWithLordORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
    • 227. [Alias]
      • Alias to Node 153
      • 200. [Alias]
        • Alias to Node 112
        • 4. Player: But the palace's halls will be lonely.
          • 69.
            Astarion
            : You'll be lonelier than I.
            • 45.
              Astarion
              : Very soon I will discover how to call my legions of wolves, become a sea of mist, run wrongside-up on roofs. Everything vampires do best.
              • 99.
                Astarion
                : You could have, too. What a waste.
                • 12. Player: Do you mean the ritual didn't give you the powers you hoped for?
                  • 100.
                    Astarion
                    : The language of the night needs learning. All in due time. It won't be long, hear me. It won't be long.
                    • Link to Node 5
                • 70. Player: You don't really have anything at all.
                  • 30.
                    Astarion
                    : I can take anything I want. I should have made you a spawn just to teach you that.
                    • Link to Node 5
                • 236. Player: I thought you were perfect when we first met. What a waste you became this.
                  • 1.
                    Astarion
                    : I - I was pathetic then. What do you mean? Why would you say that?
                    • 5.
                      Astarion
                      : You will regret leaving me. More than anything you live to regret.
                      End
        • 22. Player: And you just wanted me as a piece of furniture.
          • 234.
            Astarion
            : You refused riches beyond belief. The world would have knelt before us united.
            • Link to Node 45
        • 6. Player: What is happening to you? The ritual has changed you so much.
          • 123.
            Astarion
            : So much for the better. My instincts are already so quick, the world seems slow around me.
            • 102. [Alias]
              • Alias to Node 33
              • Link to Node 45
        • 72. Player: There's nothing of the man I loved left in you.
          • 230.
            Astarion
            : I have turned away my former self. And all my former attachments, now, too.
            • 224. [Jump] Jump to Node 45 (1)
  • 165.
    Astarion
    : That's it. He's gone.devnoteORI_Astarion_IPRD_StayedVampireSpawn
    • 9.
      Astarion
      : After all these years - these centuries - it's really over.
      • 131. Player: How does it feel?
        • 80.
          Astarion
          : I'm not sure. I feel a little numb.
          • 29.
            Astarion
            : What I've lost, what I've gained - it's all so much.
            • 104.
              Astarion
              : And gods, all those spawn, free in the Underdark.LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_ReleasedPrisoners
              • 32.
                Astarion
                : I need some time, I think. Just to let it all sink in.
                • 37.
                  Astarion
                  : Let's just go. This place reeks of death and I want to feel alive again.
                  End
            • 119.
              Astarion
              : And gods, all those spawn, dead in their cells. LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_KilledPrisoners
              • Link to Node 32
      • 64. Player: I'm proud of you. You did the right thing.
        • 189.
          Astarion
          : I'm glad you think so, because I'm not so sure. I just feel numb.
          • Link to Node 29
      • 19. Player: You don't regret giving up all that power?
        • 188.
          Astarion
          : No. Well... maybe a little, but I'm not sure.
          • Link to Node 29
  • 192.
    Astarion
    : It's strange, knowing I'll never hear Cazador's voice again. Knowing it'll never command me to bow against my will.devnoteORI_Astarion_CRD_SpawnFriendFollowUp
    • 175.
      Astarion
      : I'm free from him. Forever.
      • 240. Player: And? How does it feel?
        • 97.
          Astarion
          : Invigorating? Terrifying? All of the above? I'm still trying to understand it, really.
          • 110.
            Astarion
            : I came so close to losing everything back there. To losing myself.
            • 171. [Jump] Jump to Node 3 (1)
      • 225. Player: Do you regret turning down all that power?
        • 57.
          Astarion
          : Perhaps. It would have been terrible fun.
          • 226.
            Astarion
            : But then again, I could feel something slipping away. I came so close to losing myself - losing everything I'd learned since meeting you.
            • Link to Node 171
      • 180. Player: In that ritual chamber, you were someone else. Someone unrecognisable.
        • 52.
          Astarion
          : You're not wrong. Cazador left his mark on me in more ways than one - for a moment, I wanted to be just like him.
          • 155. [Jump] Jump to Node 110 (1)
      • 41. Player: I'm sorry we couldn't save the other vampire spawn.LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_KilledPrisoners
        • 65.
          Astarion
          : We could have tried. We could have given them the same chance I had.
          • 182.
            Astarion
            : I was able to go out into the world and make better choices. To go against my nature and become more than a blood-sucking monster. Maybe they would have done the same.
            • 233.
              Astarion
              : Or maybe not - but did we have the right to take that choice away from them?
              • 24. Player: They would've killed thousands of innocent people. You know they would.
                • 75.
                  Astarion
                  : Probably, yes. Destroying them wasn't a good solution, but maybe it was the least bad.
                  • 149.
                    Astarion
                    : I suppose that's the less convenient side of freedom - having to live with the choices you made.
                    • 3.
                      Astarion
                      : Back at the ritual, all I could see was the power on offer and the safety it promised. I was so blinded by it. Just as Cazador was.
                      • 10.
                        Astarion
                        : But you saw something in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.
                        • 194.
                          Astarion
                          : You saved me back there. I may not have appreciated it at the time, but I do now. Thank you.
                          • 187. Player: You saved yourself, I just gave you a push.
                            • 158.
                              Astarion
                              : You did more than that. You believed in me - believed I was enough just the way I am.
                              • 51.
                                Astarion
                                : When I look at my future, anything and everything feels possible now.
                                • 20.
                                  Astarion
                                  : And nice as it would have been to share this with a partner, I'm glad I get to share it with a friend.ORI_State_WasPartneredWithAstarion
                                  • 98.
                                    Astarion
                                    : You saved me from myself and let me walk a new path where I can be free. Truly, honestly free.
                                    • 113.
                                      Astarion
                                      : This is a gift, you know. Thank you - I won't forget it.
                                      End
                                • 103.
                                  Astarion
                                  : And I get to share it with you, as a partner. An equal.ORI_State_PartneredWithAstarion
                                  • Link to Node 98
                          • 13. Player: The ritual would have changed you. I'm glad you resisted it.
                            • 202.
                              Astarion
                              : So am I. Fun as all that power would have been... this feels more 'me'.
                              • Link to Node 51
                          • 39. Player: I wasn't sure if you'd stop the ritual or not, honestly.
                            • 90.
                              Astarion
                              : Neither was I. Not until I sank the dagger into Cazador's chest and the light went out of his eyes.
                              • 181.
                                Astarion
                                : I am - well, not 'happy' with how things turned out. But this does feel right.
                                • Link to Node 51
                          • 205. Player: I'm sorry we couldn't save the other vampire spawn.LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_KilledPrisoners
                            • 25.
                              Astarion
                              : We could have tried. We could have given them the same chance I was given.
                              • 237.
                                Astarion
                                : Then again, how many lives would that have cost? Even in the Underdark, they would have been dangerous.
                                • 15.
                                  Astarion
                                  : I don't know, maybe there just weren't any good options. I only hope we picked the least bad one.
                                  • 217. Player: I'm just glad this worked out for you.
                                    • 148. [Jump] Jump to Node 202 (1)
                                  • 169. Player: What's done is done - it can't be changed now.
                                    • 74.
                                      Astarion
                                      : No, it can't. And I can't say I'm unhappy about it either.
                                      • 170. [Jump] Jump to Node 51 (1)
                                  • 87. Player: I was more worried about you. I didn't know if you'd stop the ritual.
                                    • 21. [Jump] Jump to Node 90 (1)
                          • 66. Player: Do you think we did the right thing, freeing all those vampire spawn?LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_ReleasedPrisoners
                            • 222. [Alias]
                              • Alias to Node 164
                              • 55. [Alias]
                                • Alias to Node 228
                                • 128.
                                  Astarion
                                  : I only hope my siblings are up to the challenge. The Underdark is not a forgiving place.
              • 109. Player: No, but it's the call we made. We need to live with that.
                • Link to Node 149
              • 93. Player: Yes - they were monsters.
                • 231.
                  Astarion
                  : You could have said the same about me when we first met. People can change. But perhaps you're right.
                  • Link to Node 149
      • 135. Player: Do you think we did the right thing, freeing all those vampire spawn?LOW_CazadorsPalace_RitualRoom_State_ReleasedPrisoners
        • 164.
          Astarion
          : I have to hope so. And if not, at least there's only so much damage they can do in the Underdark.
          • 228.
            Astarion
            : But that first rush of freedom can be intoxicating - I didn't always make the best decisions when I first tasted it. They'll need guidance.
            • 238. Player: Are you volunteering for the job?
              • 139.
                Astarion
                : No, much as I'd like to become a lord ruling over the Underdark's vampire spawn, we have unfinished business with the mind flayers.
                • 54.
                  Astarion
                  : After that - who knows? Everything that happened to those spawn is my fault in a way...
                  • Link to Node 53
            • 47. Player: Do you think your brothers and sisters can do it?
              • 2.
                Astarion
                : I hope so, because there'll be consequences if they can't. The Underdark is not a forgiving place.
                • 53. [Jump] Jump to Node 149 (1)
            • 81. Player: I just hope they don't kill anyone.
              • 203.
                Astarion
                : They... might? But there'll be consequences if they do - the Underdark is not a forgiving place.
                • Link to Node 53
  • 220.
    Astarion
    : And what makes you think I have anything to say to you?devnoteCAMP_Astarion_SD_ROM_BlackMassAftermath_TriedBitingKarlach, ORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp = False, REALLY_KARLACHORI_Astarion_Event_RomanceBlackMassFollowUp
    • 207.
      Astarion
      : I tried to give you a gift and you rejected me. Not just you - your whole body!
      • 49. Player: I didn't reject you. You're being totally unfair.
        • 94.
          Astarion
          : Oh when has the world ever given a damn about 'fair'?
          • 173.
            Astarion
            : I thought you were better than this, you know. That you might make a worthy consort. But I was wrong.
            • 201.
              Astarion
              : You're defective. Broken. Doomed.devnote
              • 191.
                Astarion
                : We'll see this mind flayer business through, but once that's done, we're done.
                • 145. Player: Go fuck yourself, you absolute prick.
                  • 146.
                    Astarion
                    : There she is - there's the gutsy devil I fell for.
                    • 120.
                      Astarion
                      : How disappointing that this is what's become of her.
                      • 92.
                        Astarion
                        : Pathetic.
                        End
                • 141. Player: You're so different from the person I thought I loved.
                  • 36.
                    Astarion
                    : No, I'm better than he ever was.
                    • 118.
                      Astarion
                      : I've marched forward into my beautiful new future. It's a pity you couldn't keep up.
                      End
                • 162. Player: Whatever you say, your highness.
                  • 132.
                    Astarion
                    : Good. Then we're done here.
                    End
      • 82. Player: You said you could handle it. I believed you.
        • 195.
          Astarion
          : I handled it perfectly! It's you and your damn engine that ruined it.
          • Link to Node 173
      • 183. Player: Why are you so angry? I... I love you, Astarion - stop this.
        • 209.
          Astarion
          : That's all you have to say? After everything I've done for you.
          • Link to Node 173