Pre Game

(Taken from Discord convos)

Zinna grew up being taken care by her grandparents. He dad left before she was born and her mom was mentally ill and she killed herself when Zinna was only a few months old. Her grandparents lived in Baldur’s Gate so she has lived there her whole life. But her grandparents were poor. They couldn’t keep many jobs cuz of their advanced age and eventually sickness.

Zinna started to steal food and such at a very young age and it didn’t take her grandparents long to find out. They didn’t approve of it but..they were so hungry. They couldn’t deny the food she brought home.

When Zinna was around 20, her grandma got sick and they couldn’t afford to see a doctor or treatment. Zinna tried so hard to find medicine that she could still but failed. Her grandma eventually passed away and she blames it on herself so hardcore, even tho her grandpa told her time and time again that it wasn’t her fault. Her grandpa slowly began to develop Alzheimer's some time after her grandma’s death. It was slow at first but it eventually rapidly grew to where he had no idea who Zinna was most of the time. He grew frail and aggressive fast and it was really hard on her. Around this time, Zinna managed to start working but where they live, it wasn’t much. She couldn’t work a whole lot cuz of her grandpa. No one was around to help him so she had to take care of him and sacrifice time that she could be getting money for them. One day, she got up to go to work and saw her grandpa sitting in his usual chair, quiet and staring at the fire. He was alive but just wasn’t responsive. She told him she will be back soon and then left for work. A couple hours later when she returned from work, she found him dead in his chair.

Zinna has a hard time with grief and feeling abandoned. She then began to build up a poorly built wall in order to keep her from getting hurt. But she has such a kind heart that she got from her grandparents (esp her grandma) that it’s hard for her to be aloof at times. Especially when it came to kids.

She didn’t work much cuz she got into stealing again cuz she was really good at being stealthy. But when she got food, she gives it to the homeless and poor kids that lived around her neighborhood. She is very selfless. In her home though, she is so poor that when winter comes, she has to sacrifice the little furniture she already has and burn it in the fireplace so she can keep warm. She also brings in homeless kids if they need somewhere to stay for the night.

By the time the game timeline starts, she has no furniture in the home. Including her grandparents chairs. She had to burn them all in order to stay alive.

(Based off of my experience with my grandparents and such. Not all of it is true ofc.)

Baldur's Gate

...

Post Game

(Taken from Discord Convos. Also still a WIP)

So basically this all starts off like, maybe after the reunion party. So six months after the game “ends”.

Zinna and Astarion still lives in Baldur’s Gate only because Zinna did promise to help rebuild the city. She also made it her own goal that she could help out the homeless during those times. At the same time, she and Astarion are looking for a way for him to walk in the sun again. Reading every book and scroll they can find that would possibly give them some sort of a clue or lead.

So before I go further, I should mention that Zinna never met her dad cuz he ran off before she was born. Her mother died when Zinna was really young. She suffered from mental illness and basically offs herself.

During these times, Zinna’s dad comes back into the picture. He had heard about the “Saviors of Baldur’s Gate” and heard of Zinna’s name and race. He knew it was his daughter and when she and Astarion questioned it, he revealed that her mother did write to him a long time ago and gave him Zinna’s name. He also knew Zinna’s mothers name which kinda seals the deal that this man is her father cuz Zinna has never told anyone her mothers name before.

For like maybe a month or two? They start to learn about each other and develop a bond. Zinna was really happy to have her actual blood family in her life. But Astarion was really sus about it. He was really happy for Zinna but something about her dad just..rubbed him the wrong way. He tried to tell Zinna this but she was really too blind to see it and said he was just being paranoid. Well eventually Astarion does find out what her dad is up to. He basically uses Zinna to grab fame and wealth from civilians since his daughter is one of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate. Astarion goes to warn Zinna but again, she’s just too blind to see it and refuses to believe it.

However, when Astarion goes to question her father about the whole thing, he tries to kill Astarion with sunlight. Though he didn’t see that Zinna came into the room at the same time. Her dad tried to play it off but she threatened his ass and told him to leave and never show his face again. Zinna was really upset by the whole thing but mostly about how she didn’t believe Astarion and he almost died cuz of her. He assured her that it wasn’t her fault or anything. But at the same time, Astarion was feeling really guilty.

So this is where I’m coming up with things. Both of them have been having some issues for a while but it’s not like, major. It’s more about Astarion’s trauma and feeling tainted and shit when they try to have sex. Zinna is super fucking patient so she understands he needs time and such. But Astarion is a stubborn asshole and feels like he’s holding her back from a lot of things. She could be doing better things in her life than being patient with him and searching for a way for him to walk in the sun again.

And now he took something away from her again. Her dad. Despite him being an asshole, Zinna was really happy to have her dad in her life those few months. And he's gone and Astarion feels like it’s all his fault.

So after a week or so after Zinna’s dad left. After many conversations and shit. Astarion decides to leave her. Leaving in the middle of night and just leaving a letter to Zinna behind.

When Zinna found the letter and ran out of her home, screaming his name and searching for him. She was so devastated.

She searched for him nonstop. She went everywhere in Baldur’s Gate and then eventually adventures out to surrounding areas. What used to be the shadowlands to Shadowhearts new home. She even went to the underdark where Astarion’s siblings and 7000 spawns lived in hope he went underground to be with his family and away from the sunlight. Sadly, he was not there. She spent years and years and years going in circles across Faerun. She checked places she already checked in hopes that she would run into him there or find signs that he was there and still living.

But after a while, she grew tired and bitter towards him.

It wasn’t until that 6-7 year, she finally stopped looking for him. She didn’t want to go back to Baldur’s Gate to her old home. Too many memories of them together there. So she went to Waterdeep where Gale lives. As much as she was done with Astarion, she actually still cared for him but she wouldn’t say that out loud. But she never gave up on her search of finding a way for vampires to walk in the sun. Zinna always disliked magic and never really bothered with learning it. But living with Gale now and still keeping up with her research, she decided to learn magic in hopes maybe it can help her boost towards her goal of finding (maybe making) a way for vampires to walk in the sun.

But not long after she settled in Waterdeep, a bunch of murders began to pop up around town. It got so bad that Zinna and Gale had to step in and call reinforcements. Which brings Shadowheart and Jaheira to Waterdeep. As well as Jaheria’s Harpers.

A year has passed and it’s almost been 8 years since Astarion left.

Well he finally does come backs.

Zinna basically ran into some thugs (maybe the murderers) one night and they were threatening her and shit. Astarion, who has been stalking her for a week or so, tried to play hero and legit swoops down and puts himself between Zinna and the thugs. Before he could lay a finger on them tho, Zinna casts a fireball and scares the thugs off. Astarion was surprised she knows magic now and tries to joke about it but HOOOO BOI. Zinna wasn’t having it.

Zinna fucking pins him to the wall and screams at him. How dare he show his face after all these years. After what he did to her. To them. She was so pissed off at him and all he could do was stand there in shock. He knew she was gonna be mad but this mad? To the point he expected her to tie him up to a post and leave him there for the sun to scorch him to death. Astarion tries to explain himself but Zinna wasn’t having it. She begins to storm off but Astarion quickly tells her he’s staying at an inn nearby. If she ever wanted to talk.

She had nothing to say to him after that as she stormed back to Gale’s home.

This is where I don’t have many ideas for this story. Like filler shit and what not.

There will be a point that they find out that the ones behind the murders are Baahlists. Astarion does talk to Gale, Shadowheart and Jaheria. Leading to him staying at Gale’s home so he can help with planning and shit for dealing with the murders. Also protect him from the sun and people around town cuz they were getting sus with his nightly activities lol

But when he talks to Zinna again. It’s..rough.

Astarion explains why he left but he regretted it after a while and went to look for Zinna. They basically circled each other all those years and since Zinna stayed in one place for a year, that’s how he found her.

Zinna, however, wasn’t having it.

She basically said that she gave up on him. How she wishes he stayed where he was and never showed his face again. How she was better off without him. How he broke her heart that day and she has now become an empty shell of her former self. Because of him. She has nothing to do with him and nothing will change her mind. If he wants to help solve these murders then that’s fine cuz they need all the help they can get. But he better not get in her way.

But she actually expects him to leave again like before.

When she said all that, it broke Astarion’s undead heart. He knew he fucked up but now seeing that there is probably no way to be with Zinna again.. it tore him apart. But he refuses to leave again. He will stay by her side and protect and help her. Pretending that he’s fine with it all. But ofc, he’s not.

(WIP)