#GisFR is the Tav Gisèle tag btw if anyone wants to know more abt her there or my Realmslore in general

#GisFR 🧵Gisèle’s birthdate: sunrise on 20th of Nightal, 1372 DR. Irl, that’s Dec., the Winter Solstice. With Paris (bc Menzo isn’t real):

☀️: ♐️ | 🌙: ♋️ | ⬆️ : ♐️

Sag in 1st house is a Natural Leader, w ego! Cancer moon in 7th is high emotional & psychic sensitivity, danger of losing oneself in ships

#GisFR flirting outrageously with her does the trick for Gisèle. But also showing kindness and compassion—offering food and shelter to strangers for ex, as you’d expect an Eilistraean priestess. Projecting confidence in situations, too, when it’s backed up; she loves competence porn.

#GisFR Gisèle is a drow grappling w identity in the face of the powerful forces shaping her life. Who is she apart from her insular noble family? From Quenthel Baenre, who put her in a gilded cage? What does it mean to be Chosen of 2 seemingly contradictory goddesses? BG1/2 CHARNAME reincarnate?

#GisFR need to rly emphasize the last bit bc he’s scared shitless of it in a way even Wyll isn’t. like Wyll rationalizes it like “even if I don’t understand this it’s an important part of who she is so I’ll support her and protect her, from herself if need be” but Gale is just. Tails meme abt it

#GisFR feeding ppl is one of Gisèle’s duties as an Eilistraean priestess and she’s received extensive culinary training. So, just like magic, she cooks better than him and no one has any complaints about her food. Gale sulks about it for hours afterwards.

#GisFR it’s funny, the One time she ever hesitated was w Minthara. Gisèle is fond of sophistry to justify giving into her desires when she really shouldn’t and taking Min as a battle captive instead of killing her when she had her dead to rights at the grove is Exhibit A. “She’s no longer a threat”

#GisFR Gisèle is Eilistraee’s Chosen. “Repay violence with swift violence, that a threat be purged and the fewest come to harm” is a point of dogma she lives as a creed. She was absolutely prepared to stake Astarion if she hadn’t been able to talk him down from the Rite of Ascension, for example.

#GisFR Gisèle-Marie Surana, as a drow noble—even if self-exiled—carries the name of her house by right as daughter of the reigning Matron Mother of House Surana, Second House of Menzoberranzan. She’s had that surname ever since her first incarnation in DA: Origins years and years and years ago.

His Shadow is Our Shield:
On House Surana, Second House of Menzoberranzan

www.tumblr.com/elfyourmothe...

[ #GisFR | #aurorawrites ]

#GisFR tbh the only permanent spot is Astarion; Gisèle places outsized value on stealth tactics as a devotee of Vhaeraun. Everyone else is situational, tho she leans heavy on Karlach for muscle.

I don’t adhere to the game limitations on party size in her story though. It makes little sense to me.

#GisFR Despite making other elven subraces much taller in my Realms, I have always followed TSR lore for avg drow height bc of adaptations to life underground and faerzress.

So Gisèle is short compared to other races, but she’s v tall for a drow and much curvier due to her 2 draconic bloodlines.

#GisFR i’m crying laughing you can definitely tell this was right before i was like “nah” and got some mods bc neither of the 2 vanilla Black Lady Faces for drow were at all Gisèle

#GisFR Then, as now, Gisèle had a few lovers. Her first ever was Shalnazar, the pride of his elite courtesan house, whom she met at her coming of age fete. House Surana took him in for his arcane skill, and he followed her to Sorcere, drawing her to Eilistraee. But Quenthel Baenre came b/w them. 1/5

#gisfr tbh I kept most of this talk on priv because *vague hand gestures* but one thing that makes me so insane abt gistarion is the way they’re inherently dangerous to each other bc of their respective natures (her draconic bloodlines makes her blood uniquely potent to him) and it colors everything

I posted a snip from the coronation fic already but there’s also the House Surana lore doc for Tav!Gisèle. this bit is to explain why she still has a fantasy French name and accent even as a Faerûnian drow from Menzoberranzan

#GisFR

#GisFR tbh i really love that gisèle’s defection subverts a lot of the usual drizzt clone cliches abt disaffected drow fleeing to the surface in that her house also despised lolth, she loved her fam and still does, and dearly misses them. she also never rejected the god she was raised to worship

sorry to everyone who followed me for xiv things in the last few days but I do have “multifandom” in my bio and specifically bg3 and FR so.

anyway feel free to mute #GisFR if you don’t want to see it for whatever reason, I plan on finishing a bunch of lore and fic wips.

#GisFR Gisèle is a drow bae’qeshel (bard)/draconic sorceress (deep/silver)/Sword Dancer of Eilistraee. Born to Menzo’s Second House, secretly devoted to Vhaeraun, and defected to the surface to escape Quenthel Baenre. She finds out in Act 3 she is the reincarnation of Ravenna, aka CHARNAME of bg1+2.

#GisFR Gisèle finally completes the mission she was on her way to when she was abducted by the nautiloid: reclaiming the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, Eilistraee’s lost temple near Skullport under Waterdeep. Everyone helps. After that there is no “settling” tbh.Not even Halsin, I threw that shit out

#GisFR Gisèle doesn’t even wear socks when she isn’t fuckin if I’m real. She’s either going barefoot like the hippie she is or wearing stockings.

(Is this where I talk about Gort liking foot jobs)

#GisFR Faerûnian drow are canonically Black so Gisèle is. House Surana, in my Realms the 2nd House of Menzoberranzan, is directly descended from the last Queen of Miyeritar and still keeps ancient ways. I borrow heavily from West African cultures in my lore; bae’qeshel are similar to griots for ex.

#GisFR Gisèle’s syncretism once she begins to worship Loviatar involves things like combining the candle rite w her evensong, drawing her fingers through the flame of a candle while she sings.

(art is by @/orzaika.bsky.social!)

#GisFR sorry for the mugshot fjfjfjfj but shoutout to miss Ravenna Harshaw, Harper and og Heroine of Baldur’s Gate, aka CHARNAME, aka Lady of Merciful Death. First vg Blorbo. 💜

as portrayed in the bg3 chargen, bc we had fuck all for decent BW portraits in the Jurassic era of the og BG trilogy

#GisFR Ravenna is a Fighter/Wizard/Thief, and a sort of stealthy take on the traditional elven Bladesinger. Light armor and weaponry, spell swords. Gorion trained her in magic. She fights akin to a Riskbreaker from Vagrant Story in that she’s a jack of all trades and is a combat pragmatist.

#GisFR

(CW: rape)

Ravenna’s mother was not a Bhaal zealot, but a guileless young wood/aquatic elf maiden, Zeja, from a small seaside village who was abducted by them. The cultists believed defiling the innocent would result in stronger Bhaalspawn, so conducted raids on such rural villages.

#GisFR Ravenna ascended to godhood as Lady of Merciful Death in accordance with her compassionate nature. Her closest divine allies were Eilistraee, whom she worshipped in life, and, oddly, Loviatar (who is a neutral, Kushiel-like deity in my Realms). Solaufein and Haer’Dalis were her first priests.

#GisFR Masks are deeply meaningful to Gisèle, as a sacred symbol of both Vhaeraun and Eilistraee in her aspect as the Masked Lady. She would wear a Black velvet Colombina style w delicate silver filigree. Black for Vhaeraun, silver for Eilistraee, and a thorned blood rose upon the crest for Loviatar

#GisFR Gisèle was the youngest of Matron Lilithane Surana’s five surviving children, but killed her older sister when she defected. She has two brothers: Isidore is the House Weapon Master, and Baudoin is a Master at Melee-Magthere. She also a nonbinary sibling, Narcisse, who is a Master at Sorcere.

#GisFR Gisèle is a Bae’qeshel(bard)/Draconic Sorceress/Sword Dancer of Eilistraee(cleric). Her religious calling is most impactful; in my Realms Eilistraee is explicitly a love goddess, and Gisèle’s polyamory and ethical hedonism stem from her faith. “All acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals.”