HOTEL CAELUM APP.

Applicant Info

Name: Jen
Contact: aurajen or discord: aurajen
Invited By: Cal
Current Character(s): None!

Character Info

Character's Name: Astarion Ancunín
Character's Canon: Baldur's Gate 3
Character's Age: 260+
Canon Point: Act III, sometime after defeating Orin and receiving her Netherstone.
Background/History: Link!

Since the wiki link doesn't go over anything late game, I wrote out my own summary of some of Act III and the choice made at the end of Astarion's personal questline. Hidden under a details cut for spoilers!

Throughout the narrative, the party uncovers a plot centered around the ambitions of the Chosen of the Dead Three to rule the Sword Coast in the name of their gods, in which they hope to utilize an elder brain—enslaved with a powerful relic called the Crown of Karsus—and many Mindflayer tadpoles to make these goals a reality. Astarion works with his traveling party to undo this plan, and will be taken from a point in Act III after which he has slain one of the aforementioned Chosen to work towards gaining control over the crown.

In regards to his own personal character quest, he’s finally confronted his master, Cazador, after reaching Baldur’s Gate again, and put a stop to his Ritual of Ascension, for the sake of which he and thousands of other vampire spawn were going to be sacrificed. Though compelled to overtake this (highly corrupting) power for himself, Astarion ultimately decides to simply kill Cazador and free the imprisoned spawn. With his newfound freedom, he finally has the ability to decide for himself what kind of person he wishes to be and what sort of life he’ll wish to lead… after they deal with the little issue threatening Baldur’s Gate first.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

CHARMING — Charismatic and silver-tongued, Astarion oozes a sort of wry charm and artful cheekiness, making it easy for him to get along with others on a surface level. He doles out flattery and pet names like it’s second nature when he’s trying to get on someone’s good side, and he has centuries’ worth of experience in the art of reading people just enough to know what they want to hear.

ADAPTABLE — Astarion is a survivalist at heart. He will do what he needs to to survive, even if that includes adapting himself to strange and sudden shifts in circumstances, and often keenly and cleverly. He isn’t the sort to give up easily, either.

LOYAL — Though he greatly values personal loyalty directed toward himself throughout the course of the narrative, this eventually extends far enough to loop itself back around to the opposite: Astarion is loyal to those who prove the same to him. Though he might not say as much outright, he’ll go out of his way to do things he wouldn’t generally for someone who’s proven themselves a true ally (or more), circumventing his usual priorities of self-preservation and self-interest.

EGOCENTRIC — Astarion often places his own well-being above that of others. He notoriously scoffs at those who are self-sacrificing and who go out of their way to help people at no benefit to themselves, concepts that run opposite of his own jaded outlook, though this has gotten slightly better by around endgame. To add to this, he’s also a bit vain, too.

MANIPULATIVE — Not above seeing the people around him as tools to achieve a goal, Astarion uses his charm to manipulate others into doing what he wants. Sometimes it can be innocuous, and sometimes it can be less so — but it’s safe to assume that not every passing, pleasant conversation had with this vampire, though not fully a farce, is 100% sincere, either. The reality is that he's slow to trust and not at all eager to show vulnerability.

A WEE BIT SADISTIC — One of the writers for the game describes Astarion as always being “violent, but in a fun way”, which succinctly sums up his character. His past experiences have made him desperate to feel like the one in control and on the “stronger” end of a power dynamic, even if that manifests in callous (and sometimes even plain mean/cruel) ways for the opposing party. He also enjoys indulging in baser, darker impulses, in equal parts because it’s a Vampire Thing and simply because he’s grown numb to the moral high ground after centuries of trauma.

Powers & Abilities: His info post has information on his abilities in the bottom half of the post itself!

Sample: TDM toplevel!