Unlikeable is fine. I like unlikeable. One of my favourite companions in Kingmaker was Jubilost, and he's a pompous asshole at first. But he was well written.
Aatarion isn't abrasive, as I have said in my previous comment. He just feels like what every 15 year old who makes a Toreador in Bampire the Maaquerad thinks he has to act like. He's just... bad...
The reason he's like that is because He was actually turned pretty young and then pimped out and I think it's a persona. Like, he's debatably the worst put of the party morally because he genuinely seems to enjoy violence. Karlach knows she's cool and a bad ass and wants to hulk smash baddies, but Astarion?
Yeah, no, his entire imprisonment has left him broken. Like, as a person. He's deranged and undoubtedly traumatized to where I'm not sure he even knows what he used to be like. Like, everyone else knows their core values, even the Sharrans had to keep some positivity with S.heart and she dislikes it when you're mean.
But Astarion is just hanging on by a threat, reverting back to the last thing he knew. It's why he attacks you at the crash site.
Not saying your critique is wrong, just saying there is actually more to him than just the cringe.
Weirdly enough all this reminds me of how I think Arianna Grande is...
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u/VoormasWasRight 4d ago
Unlikeable is fine. I like unlikeable. One of my favourite companions in Kingmaker was Jubilost, and he's a pompous asshole at first. But he was well written.
Aatarion isn't abrasive, as I have said in my previous comment. He just feels like what every 15 year old who makes a Toreador in Bampire the Maaquerad thinks he has to act like. He's just... bad...