Astarion morning after Ascension when you became his spawn different answers

ACT 3: The Dialogue happens after the night, when Astarion made you his spawn. Different answers. I cut out the double lines for making this video not too long. Detailed Information below.
(As of today 19.01.2024)
1: All 3 answers will lead to „Things will be a touch different for you than they were for me when I was a spawn. I’m imbibed with (...)" // („Who would turn down eternity?“ doesn’t have something extra)
2: All 3 answers will lead to: „You need not fear anything. You will be stronger, swifter, sharper (…)“
3: All 4 answers will lead to: „Everything lies ahead. I can see my path to a waking dream. From the crimson palace (…)“ // („What is next for you?“ doesn’t have something extra so far)
4: „We can’t trust the brain.“[First answer] This will also lead to: „Baldur’s Gate is a city of opportunity like no other, and I don’t intend to let one like this pass us by.“
| #baldursgate3 #astarion #astarionromance #bg3 |

[@luvondarox]

"I don't intend to die, if you don't." Well. That's an interesting line.

[@larrylapin2009]

I was thinking the same thing the other day. I think it plays off the dark kiss. When the spouse of a vampire dies, the living one takes critical damage or loses their life as well.

[@ManubibiWalsh]

Ok fine. I convinced him to not ascend and free the spawn in my first playthrough. I’ll ascend him in my second. You convinced me.

[@samf.s.7731]

Damn this really is his color Your Tav looks fantastic btw

[@ElisaSternberg]

Thank you! 💕

[@jadesola_artist4041]

The tyrant lie fucking killed me he knows he’s bad

[@Marielle685]

The prize for the most superficial understanding of the plot! Congratulations! 👋

[@jadesola_artist4041]

@@Marielle685 it’s pretty obvious that ascended Astarion is much more toxic than spawn astarion if you like ascended astarion more or think he’s more moral or just as moral great for you

[@Offmymeds]

I don't get why people think ascended astarion is Mean lol. He's honestly just more confident and I do think he isn't being manipulative to TAV just for changing. Everyone's kinda being harsh to judge ascended because his whole demeanor changes quickly. Doesn't make him Mena or worse . He's just more decisive and blunt

[@eiwhaz-tina6528]

No it's not that. In Larian's words, this is his bad ending in a subtle way. He literally says that he is a Tyrant, and that he doesn't care. He becomes powerful and in consequence This acquirement just deletes any positive quality of personality he was slowly learning to understand. If u don't ascend him you literally get a dialogue of him next morning where he states "I could feel something slipping away", meaning that even tho the ritual didn't take his soul, it probably took something else that was precious. His capacity for potential empathy and compassion, or maybe what little "humanity" was left in his heart. All he cares about now it's ambition. His love for Tav has become an apathetic obsession. What I DO like tho, it's the subtlety of what he has given Tav. He didn't turn them into a typical spawn. The Vampire Groom in lore has interesting characteristics that the fandom forgets. And the most important one is: That he cannot control one with commands. He turned Tav into an independent more powerful being that he won't have control over, which is interesting. What's a pity tho, it's that he only has his negative personality traits now. The ones he had before being turned into a vampire. You see, as it happens with Gale (Who has a similar character arc to astarion) His arc starts before the game. When you go to the artbook, you get to see Astarion's background. He was never good before. He was a corrupt elite magistrate, that enforced a corrupted justice in the city and was surrounded mostly by the upper echelon of Baldur's gate. He, ironically, was looking for power and immortality, only for fate to give it to him in a twisted manner. Him meeting cazador and being turned into a slave, was a sort of punishment that the irony of fate provided and put him in a position of forced vulnerability. So now he would understand what it feels to be below in the food chain. Thing is, as expertly portrayed by Larian, a victim of abuse can have in this case two possible outcomes: They go beyond what their abuser made of them, or They become a different kind of perpetrator. This is also portrayed in Rule of rose, a game I recommend to see another good example of cycles of abuse. So in this case, if u ascend him and get Mephistopheles "blessings" he goes backwards in his character arc. Instead of learning he just goes back to what he was before being Cazador's victim. It's as if he didn't learn anything about the journey with Tav. On the other hand if you don't ascend him he literally thanks you for saving him from himself. He literally says "I can become better than him" referring to his abuser. "You saw something else in me. Someone different I could be". These lines just emphasize the point of giving him the choice and helping him not get carried away by ambition. In my opinion, I consider both Astarion versions to be incredibly fun. If u wanna go for vampire lord daddy brrrrr go for ascendant. But don't be blind to the signals. He has changed, he has reverted and has lost something. We cannot know for sure what exactly that is, that's all. If u wanna go fluffy and wholesome go for Spawn ending. U get a sweet vampire boyfriend for eternity. So yeah, that's what I think. I love astarion. Bless my babygirl

[@veronicashields4405]

Mmm, confidant he is very much not to me. He puts on the air of being powerful and self-assured, but he feels like a boy playing emperor to me. It’s all drama to cover fear. He can never relax now. The performance of power is forever.

[@elfrida_nim4402]

@@eiwhaz-tina6528 LOVED you analysis, but I don't agree on one thing: Astarion CAN control Tav in some way, and we can see it in the epilogue (before Withers' party). If Tav tries to leave him after the tadpole is removed, Tav can't because Astarion won't allow them to. So yes, Tav is not a "normal" spawn, but still Astarion can control them and not let them leave him.

[@RandomGamefriends]

He's really not truly more confident. The script files even say hes "afraid, deep down". He's basically a scared little boy trying to run away from all that's happened to him and trying to keep securing his "safety" through power. His life now revolves around fear, trusting no one, avoiding vulnerability and power hierarchies. Granted, he is drunk as shit on power and acts arrogant because this is who he's convinced he has to be, but he hates who he is deep down, evident when you say he used to be perfect and he's confused and apalled saying that "he used to be pathetic". To me he's still himself so this "pathetic Astarion" he hates just means he hates his vulnerable, human side. It's nicely mirrored with Cazador when you kill him without Astarion and use detect thoughts on him: Cazador hates what he's become, laments the boy and man he used to be and the emptiness/meaninglessness of his power pursuits as a vampire.

[@RandomGamefriends]

@@eiwhaz-tina6528 Mostly agree with most of what you wrote but the "Vampire bride" thing is purely headcanon, half of its basis is incorrect (he doesn't always bite you 3 times and the sex scene where he bites you for the first time wasn't even in the script as stated by writers, the animators surprised them with that) then the other half just seems like for the sake of game mechanics (it'd be a pain in the ass to have a whole day pass and make Tav come out of a grave), but also the script is clear that Tav is just a Spawn. Even if you think Astarion could be lying about it, the devnotes say that he laughs because you truly can't escape him, not even if you wanted to. It even sets a flag that calls you a spawn, with its description being "Astarion turned the PC into a vampire spawn" That being said AFAIK the romance writer likes Strahd so I wouldn't be surprised if some inspiration was taken, but the game seems pretty straightforward in Tav just being a spawn. It's also what psychologically makes sense for Ascended Astarion: he wants someone who can never, ever betray him, someone who's less powerful than he is. A bride/groom can't be compelled so they're not that. He can never truly trust anyone again, so an obedient puppet is the closest thing he can get to intimacy.

[@NWard1210]

Ascended Astarion is the best, I love him ❤

[@Marielle685]

Ascension of Astarion is for those who truly love Astarion! ❤ It's not just about "strength and power", he is finally becoming truly free and can have all the pleasures of life - the sun (remember the scene from Act 1, how important that is to him), he is no longer hungry, and just take him to the mirror and see how happy he is with his reflection! And he is beautiful in his newfound confidence.

[@lilmoonbbyy]

literally.. stopping him from ascending after just telling him in act 2 he gets to make his own choices now literally makes no sense?? even if it was bad its HIS choice to make, not yours. ascended Astarion is best Astarion❤️

[@jademcl4727]

Didn't someone on the writing team say that his ascension is perpetuating the abuse cycle ? He says he didn't feel like himself before you stopped him 🤷

[@lilmoonbbyy]

@@jademcl4727 that’s what ONE writer said when giving their opinion on what Astarion’s ACTUAL writer wrote. also i don’t think you understand how this game works lol whichever choice you make it’s going to be validated to you in game so of course he would say that. it’s a role playing game not a book

[@jademcl4727]

@@lilmoonbbyy Clearly neither do you bc letting him ascend isn’t ‘his choice’ it’s yours 😂 Idk how people can get high and mighty about choosing this ending when it’s literal an rpg. It’s matter of taste. To be more accurate though, it’s not just one writer either. The majority of them agree it’s his bad ending, his confidence is fake and he’s still afraid, etc, etc. 🤷‍♀️ Idm that other people like this better but some people get so weird about it.

[@Marielle685]

@@jademcl4727 Who are the writers? The writer whose opinion of Astarion has real meaning is Stephen Rooney (is the creator & main writer of Astarion). And here's what Astarion has to say: SA: (right after killing Cazador) I want to feel alive again. (during the graveyard date) It's time to try living again. AA: (right after ascending) I feel alive, hahaha! There's a big difference between wanting or trying or feeling alive. To be honest, I don't care at all about any "cycles of abuse" and stuff, I only care about how Astarion himself feels. And the real bad ending is that violent ending where he burns, runs away, and his former friends make fun of it.