Unpacking The Dark Urge - A Baldur's Gate 3 Deep Dive

[@justsomeferalminor]

There are two wolves inside me. One wants to watch this entire video, right now. The other wants to finish my Durge run with no spoilers. I am torn. I am suffering. I am the hero of a Greek tragedy. I am a shaking pile of rags. I am

[@PocketLeaves]

Ooh yeah there's a lot of spoilers in this, especially for things towards the end. But that's ultimately up to you!

[@francisco646]

Woof woof. That’s my wolf telling your wolf to do both: play the game and listen as you go.

[@keelinmacken9552]

Don’t spoil yourself, watch the video after. I managed to avoid spoilers during my entire dark urge run and it was so worth it once you get to the end and learn everything

[@Omrikai6594]

My wolves are too distracted with making out right now... what were we talking about?

[@benbroocks5831]

You should see a doctor. The recommended number of wolves inside a person is 0

[@chat-arina]

3 things regarding Durge that’s been on my mind. 1) When in the brothel and saving the druid/nymph lady we get the chance to imagine what we truly want. And the Durge specific option to choose is to be Sane. 2) When remembering killing a baby. I think it was through the memory plant from the underdark. Durge is thinking, and I’m paraphrasing, that killing the baby was a mercy because living in a world with a monster like you in it would be worse. And that stuck with me. Maybe that’s how Durge is viewing ending the world. As a mercy. 3) It’s mentioned in the Myrkul lady’s notes that Durge was not passive in their resisting. At one point trying to strangle the Myrkul lady with Durges own innards during one of her “experiments”.

[@placeholder2586]

The second one is interesting because in the prayer for forgiveness Durge specifically calls the world "filthy" which always read to me as them despising the world for all it put them through. Very misanthropic

[@braxtonwalden8365]

@@placeholder2586 I almost argue that they believe the world is “filthy” because of Durge. In the memory he sees death as a mercy instead of living in a world where the Durge exists. They’re a survivor, but not blind to how cruel and bloodthirsty they are.

[@sev1120]

​@@braxtonwalden8365 Plus, we know that in the brief moments when they do recall their past, the most common dialogue options indicate the Durge is disgusted by their past. They may very well view themselves as the "filthy" one in this scenario, like how Lady Macbeth washes her hands until they're raw because of a "damned spot" caused by the metaphorical blood on her hands

[@doobles9253]

That last one is fucking hardcore. Imagine grabbing your own intestines to try and strangle someone, his hands weren’t good enough? He couldn’t finish the job because he probably passed out from GRABBING HIS OWN INTESTINES

[@gana511]

My favorite reformed Durge ending is when they didn't romance anyone, and in the epilogue, Jaheira offered for Durge to become a harper. My durge accepted, and Jaheira gave them a harper pin, with tears of happiness in her eyes. It felt right for a redemption, no offspring epilogue.

[@Constant_Boredum]

I’ve always found it interesting that the Dark Urge is default a Dragonborn. Dragonborn are essentially alien to Toril as a whole, having been transported from their home world of Abeir during the Spellplague. It kinda goes with how unique the Durge is compared to the other Bhaalspawn, as the only one not naturally born as well as being the only one with the form of a non Toril native species. Perhaps Bhaal wanted them to be as foreign a creature as to not have any existing ties that bind them to the land, as connections with others is always what defeats Bhaal’s plans for his Bhaalspawn

[@quinntrbl]

I think the emphasis on them being independent from gods and others in Toril is essentially why Bhaal chose to create Durge as a Dragonborn. After all, it's much easier to abandon one god in favour of another than it is to just leave outright.

[@ravensflockmate]

that's more 4e lore

[@voryndagothDL]

@@ravensflockmate DnD has yet to offer any other origins for the Dragonborn, so it's safe to assume this still holds up

[@wafflingmean4477]

My headcanon is that Durge is also a changeling but lost the ability due to the brain damage and got stuck in the form they were currently using.

[@andersvaldemarcornelius1224]

I think canonically Bhaal thought a white Dragonborn with red eyes would look sick af so that’s what he went for

[@Dani_77709]

*Spoiler-ish, proceed with caution* Two dialogues for Durge that made me laugh out loud (there's probably more) were: 1) In the moonrise towers you can talk to a hairless cat. She claims Durge kicked her or something and if you try to recall the memory then obviously it doesn't end well And one of the dialogue options is (paraphrased) "What the fuck is actually wrong with me?!" It read that way to me 2) In Act 3 when you meet a diabolist she gives you Sceleritas hat and starts talking like she knows Durge and one of the dialogue options is (paraphrased) "Shit, not this again."

[@thecheck968]

THAT CAT ENCOUNTER WAS DOWNRIGHT TRAUMATIC FOR ME. This was back in my first Dark Urge playthrough and I was so distressed trying to figure out what was happening to my poor Durge that I didn't even think twice when I saw the "remember" dialogue option was in italics. I was deeply distressed. Then I saw Araj and that whole encounter is obviously awful. Then I told Karlach not to take the soul coins, which she got all pissed over. Then I walked into the throne room and was recognized by everyone, including the dog. Then Ketheric called *my girl* a dog and ordered her to kill the goblins. So obviously, out of spite, I didn't TO WHICH ASTARION DISAPPROVED. AND WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP THE FUCKING DEPRESSED WIZARD WAS MISSING. Anyways, it was very emotionally chaotic and I spent 30 minutes flipping off every single character on screen while also hysterically laughing from the stress. 10/10 experience. One of the most memorable moments in my 400 hours with the game.

[@vee1267]

@@thecheck968Durge sparing the goblins out of pure spite is hilarious 😂

[@thecheck968]

@@vee1267 Durge: Oh, I should kill those goblins Ketheric: Durge, kill those goblins. Durge: Well now I don’t want to do it >:(

[@HeadDetectiveLassie]

My favorite Dark Urge ending will always be Resist Durge being recruited by Jaheira to become a Harper. It feels like the greatest defiance. (Plus, it's one step closer to being adopted by Jaheira.)

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

When I told one of my BFFs about the Dark Urge, she said that the urges reminded her of OCD's intrusive thoughts. My first Dark Urge was a half-drow dude named Jaeger and I made him the embodiment of my inner emo kid who has to learn how to empathize with others after spending most of his life being nihilistic.

[@katerynasirko1832]

Cool! My Durge is a half-drow, too, but I made her an arrogant sassy bitch. her first encounter with Astarion was priceless)

[@emris2697]

As another person with OCD I second this!

[@cydude5856]

The prayer for forgiveness, found in the illithid colony beneath moonrise seemed to indiacte that Durge had lost his mind from being Bhall's puppet. Gortash refers to Durge with more respect than Orin, so he definitely had a more commanding and noble presence in the view of others. But the prayer is just so desperate. In the prayer, Durge is begging Bhaal forgiveness for respecting Gortash's intellect. He claims this to be a failure on his own part, and insists that him fulfilling the Absolute plot will all be for Bhaal. He ends the prayer by telling Bhaal he wants nothing else than to make his father proud. Bhaal strikes me in bg3 as an abusive parent. He made his son kill his foster parents, made him join the cult, made him bring about the apocalypse, and based on the note, Bhaal has never once been proud of his son. Durge is very respected by Sceleritas, but Bhaal only sees his son as a means to an end. Bhaal's ultimate goal is to fulfil his own rebirth through the death of all his children, including Durge. He never had any chance of making his father proud. The Bhaalspawn are all regarded as filth, belitled for the fact that they are what keeps Bhaal from returning. He doesn't care about them, despite all his promises. He's just an awful dad that can never be impressed because he never wanted kids in the first place.

[@nobody4248]

I think Bhaal already returned, but otherwise you are correct

[@cydude5856]

@nobody4248 you're right. In actual forgotten realms canon, right before the second sundering completed, Bhaal succeeded in killing the last Bhaalspawn, coming back as the slayer. But the existence of the Bhaalspawn in bg3 kinda messes with that, so I assume that he hasn't come back in bg3 canon.

[@NoahofWill]

@@cydude5856 He's returned in BG3 canon as well. IMO, he just seems to like operating through Bhaalspawn agents, as they naturally have a pull towards his domain and a natural motive to follow his wishes as his children. I think he specifically created the Dark Urge the way he did because he wanted an agent under his control that had a direct link to his domain, and thus, couldn't truly disobey, no matter how much they tried. If they gave into their nature and failed, then Bhaal would just have the Dark Urge breed new Bhaalspawn pawns. If they tried to fight their nature, then Bhaal would have a much easier time tormenting them to fall back in line. He wants complete control over an agent to fulfill his desires of death and slaughter on a mass scale, and in that way, he's actually very micromanagey lol

[@cydude5856]

@NoahofWill Bhaal being back does actually make sense, since he wouldn't reasonably be able to create Durge if he was still dead. So you've convinced me. In bg3 canon we don't exactly have a true bhaalspawn other than Durge anyways. Besides the resurrected corpse of Sarevok. So it is perfectly reasonable that the Bhaalspawn aside from Durge have all been wiped out.

[@sev1120]

​@@NoahofWill Bhaal also, in order to better maintain influence on the mortal plane, willingly demoted himself to Demigod in order to influence.the material plane more, but has since began climbing the divine ranks again. It's similar to what Bane did, but he's taking a "tithe" of power from all the gods allied with him in his fortress/plane of Banehold, and Myrkul is very hands-off, sending avatars to handle mortal affairs as he didn't accept the demotion. So it makes sense that Bhaal would sire even more Bhaalspawn in a bid for more power. Sire Bhaalspawn, "bless" a few people with his progeny and resurrect a small selection, then return to the divine realms with renewed vigour and power.

[@Louves192]

Durge is just such a tragic figure. Their entire life they longed for the love of a father who created them as a meat puppet to ultimately die so Bhaal can be reborn. Gortash was most likely the first person who ever showed them respect, not fear, and also can relate to abusive parents who can't do anything but criticise. But Durge knows they will have to kill him as well as Orin, who they call sister, to "make Bhaal proud". That must be a terrible feeling. This all gets even worse on the evil Durge route, when they accept Bhaal's legacy. They are now doomed to kill everyone they ever loved. Durge at this point stops existing as a person and becomes just a thrall. Making dad proud is all Durge ever wanted but as Sarevok says: "Bhaal never feels pride. He bore the disgrace of creating life in his spawn. We can only atone for the shame of birth." Bhaal has some parallels to Shar in that regard. When you play Shadowhearts origin Shar presents herself as Shadowheart's "real mother" and just like Bhaal she demands her child to kill their parents to show their loyalty. Neither Shar nor Bhaal actually care for anyone, not mortals or even their own allies. They just want to see the world burn. The quest log is chilling. Just full caps "YOU ARE THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS, blah blah, etc." and noticeably in 2nd person, while other origin quest logs are in 1st person (written by Sceleritas I assume). If Durge resists the last entry will also be in 1st person. I just love that little detail so much. There is a cut ending for Durge, that is still buried in the dialogue files where Durge wakes up next to a gnoll, naked and exhausted with no recollection what happened since they defeated the Netherbrain. A voice then tells them because they failed to do their duty they are now tasked with creating more Bhaalspawn. I assume that ending was a bit too horrifying to include 🥲

[@zancudoescape]

The durge actually wasn’t raised in the temple of bhaal they had foster parents and grew up in a regular childhood situation but then their tainted bloodline took them over while the durge is tragic a evil durge doesn’t strive for anything aside bloodshed the only reason the durge has the option to go good in bg3 is the memory loss

[@captainholliday3873]

​@@zancudoescapeTo be fair. The Dark Urge had moments of being good even before the memory loss. Sceleritis Fel or however you spell his name, actually mentioned how he gave a homeless person gold when they were walking on the street once. Also if you're an Oathbreaker paladin and once you find out what your origin is, Oathbreaker reveals to you that he had met with you many times before because you kept going back and reclaiming your oath then breaking it. So at one point he DID keep going back to being good but his blood inevitably went back to doing evil.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

@@captainholliday3873 Plus Durge even went to college, years after he slipped and killed the adoptive family.

[@fortello7219]

I love to play a Durge who loves murder, but hates Bhaal. "Just let me murder who I want, DAD!" They say, rebelling despite the similarities.

[@victoriasterling.]

This was so well done! Durge runs so deep it had to be difficult. Some random Durge thoughts: 1. While resist Durge & Astarion have a lot of parallels, one of my favorites is their relationship to "sweetness". In dialogue options, Astarion may tell Durge/Tav "isnt that....sweet". He doesnt say it with admiration or disgust, moreso like he doesnt know what to do with it. While faced with Sebastian, Astarion recalls him with horror. He finally lands on "sweet" to describe Sebastian and is horrified at the fate that sweetness led to. With Durge, if they talk to Alfira in the Grove and help with the song, they look pleased. Then the narrator comes in suddenly, calling that sweetness revolting and must be punished. And of course, the famous "Was I sweet once?" line. 2. I wonder what mindset Durge was in when they began the Absolute plot. While Durge understood the quantity vs quality requirement in being a Bhaal spawn, memories of their acts seem VERY personal. Up close with corpses, hands deep in their victims, completely engulfed in their victims. The Absolute plot doesnt seem to fit with this - calculated and ultimately distant with the many many victims. Add to the prayer letter regarding Gortash. Was Durge cognizant and in control at the time, willingly fulfilling the role they grew into? Or was the Absolute plot strictly Bhaal's influence?

[@PocketLeaves]

In regards to your second point, it's hard to say since we don't really have a timeline of the memory crumbs we do get. But I think Bhaal's influence probably played a big part in the absolute plot. I think it's also a fair read to see Durge as someone who may have grown away from the more personal killings, and started to see the merit and "joy" in mass destruction for Bhaal. I do think that Durge was cognizant, mostly because when we see them be controlled by the urges, it appears more primal and with little thought. And I think a lot of thought went into the absolute plot, not only on Goratsh's end, but everyone involved, including Durge.

[@thecheck968]

I do love the small detail with the two of them longing for sweetness. It's cute and tragic in seeing the niavete they were stripped of. As for what the Dark Urge was thinking when concocting the absolute plot, I always imagined it as a rock bottom, last ditch effort to make something worthwhile of the life they've been forced into. By now, they would've seen their efforts to be good thwarted and tainted countless times. They were never going to have the life they wanted, so they committed to the life they were forced into. The Dark Urge would have a use for their darkest machinations and talents of leadership. They could cement themselves as a steadfast leader of the cult. And now, as a newly committed Bhaalspawn, strive to make their father proud. I also wonder what role Gortash would've played in this, if he could've been a catalyst to encourage the Dark Urge's worst desires. It would fit, seeing that Gortash would've been their first true companion, their first equal they could share affection with. And it even add another layer of tragedy to the Dark Urge's story. The Dark Urge gave up the last scrap of themselves to be the person Gortash wanted to see in them, only for him to abandon them when they were in Orin's clutch.

[@ThyFloorestFloor]

Made my first full playthrough with a durge Seldarine Drow Bard named Fleur. He was someone who since childhood had a desire for freedom, and had a deep rooted hatred for Lolth and an unwavering pity towards Lolth-Sworn Drow feeling like a God that strips away their followers freedom to reject them is the worst kind there is, only for him to end up discovering that he was a bhaalspawn and had little choice in their life. Giving up completely as the urge grew stronger, and all bonds he formed were ripped away by his own hands, he resigned to follow his father, bidding his time until a chance to rid himself of his divine blood. I played the path of redemption and I cried when Withers brought him back as I genuinely thought he would permanently die.

[@quinntrbl]

As a certified lover of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, playing Durge was such a blast. The first two games you play as a different Bhaalspawn, the one Jaheira references. I played Tav first because I didn't see I could customize Durge, and i was kind of disappointed at how I was essentially disconnected to the plot, much like Astarion but even worse. Playing Durge on my second run was like a return to form. Being a Bhaalspawn was always intergal to the plot of Baldur's Gate so to say i felt the lack of that while playing Tav is an understatement.

[@PocketLeaves]

I've heard that about the previous games, and that being the reason a lot of players consider Durge as the main character/canon player character. Tav is literally just a blank slate for the players to make up whatever character they want, so I don't mind Tav being just some guy totally unconnected. But I'm also lacking the experience with the older Baldur's Gate games, so maybe I'd feel differently if I'd played those in the past.

[@HyenasMeow]

In pocket leaves we trust for banger bg3 unpacking videos.

[@hipsterbrigadier9428]

I’m tempted to try a killing Isobel but saving Aylin playthrough, like essentially using shadowhearts decision as a turning point towards “wait….I can defy my god?!?”

[@PocketLeaves]

Oooh, that's such a fun way to connect your story with the others!

[@CyanideBagel]

Okay so I actually did this! Aylin ends up not knowing you killed Isobel if you release her and then go to last light in when it’s isobel there alone 😂

[@DevilKiller-lx1xw]

Don’t forget to do karlach’s heart thing with Damon beforehand if you somehow keep her when being evil

[@ryanchurn7737]

My first Durge run was my first playthrough that reached Act 2. I sided with the goblins and slaughtered the tieflings. Finally she reached Isobel, having been approached to kill her in advance. She had already been to Moonrise and was obsessed with the idea of getting revenge on the Absolute. Marcus had reduced Isobel to 1 HP and I realized that I wouldn't be able to save her, so I used a well placed magic missile to finish her off and deny my enemy what they wanted. The Fall of Moonrise was a turning point for that character, realizing how much devastation and horror the actions she had been taking rather mindlessly could actually cause. It was from there she decided that she would never give Sceleritas Fel what he wanted again. She wasn't a good guy after that point, but she started thinking about her actions rather than lashing out at every opportunity. She learned enlightened self interest.

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Durge is so fascinating, especially if you play them as a stereotypically "good" class like a Paladin

[@namelessechos5380]

Yea, my first durge was a selidrine drow cleric of selune who romances shadowheart and resists the urge.

[@sev1120]

My first Durge character was a Monk. A class about inner peace and control, twisted into a force of hatred and destructionby their own blood

[@chrisdiokno5600]

@@sev1120 Interesting

[@wafflingmean4477]

I RP my Durge as someone who prior to Orin causing his amnesia, did recognise that Bhaal was an abusive father, and was essentially playing along, planning to use the Crown of Karsus to find a way to set himself free, and seek revenge against Bhaal himself for his abuse. But the amnesia left him the just the Dark Urge and the desire to be free. It cut out the memory of the compassion his parents ingrained in him. So my Durge is still working against Bhaal but for personal gain instead of righteous vengance. I became the Absolute, and in my headcanon, I used my control over Astartion to force him to turn me into a true vampire (the Netherbrain is shown to follow its last command even if the Netherstones aren't actively being used, so it could force him to turn me completely and override the control he'd have over me as a spawn), and if I managed it before the Gith arrived, I'd replicate his ritual to become a Vampire Ascendant. All the while I'd have Gale (still dominated) working to replicate Karsus' ritual. I planned to steal the mantle of God of Ambition or go down in a blaze of glory, possibly cutting my losses and becoming a powerful vampire lord in the Underdark, leaving the Netherbrain to the Gith and letting Gale and Mystra fight over the Crown.

[@emmasilver2332]

Also if Durge loses the fight with Orin, they will lose themself to their urge at the end of the game, just like it does if they wait until the last second to defy Bhaal. Either way, they can either choose to kill themself, or they will end up a soulless husk of who they once were.

[@alicelufenia3648]

You might not say it but I'LL say it, I love ALL Dark Urges! Redeemed Durges, Chosen of Bhaal Durges, Evil Resisting Durges, Self-sacrificing Embraced Durges, they are all precious babies to me! Yes, even those who romance *sigh* Astarion. I'll forgive it, so long as you killed the grove. Stupid druids. Seriously though, while I've only gotten around to my second full playthrough of the game (ie., this one I'm playing is only the second to reach act 2), I'm so happy I made this one a Dark Urge. It's basically been a do over of my first playthrough Tav, doing a lot of similar decisions as before, with one major difference; rather than raiding the grove outright, I teamed up with Minthara to get revenge on the druids who slaughtered the tieflings while we were genuinely trying to help them. Sorry Halsin, they didn't leave us much choice - or maybe Durge!Alice isn't making the best choices at the beginning. Don't worry, she'll get better! Maybe! Either way, Karlach and Wyll are still around (thanks to the hinted at exploit which, to my knowledge, doesn't work if you actually have a grove battle against the surviving tieflings. It's got to be the situation where Minthara shows up to an empty (but not closed off) grove, in which it implies an off screen battle where she and the goblins took out those remaining. How you interpret that is up to you, imo.) The point is, I'm loving playing as the Dark Urge, to the point where I'll have to think long and hard about whether to make any future characters a Tav, or another Durge. Honestly it could go either way for most characters I create, since you really do have the freedom to insert your own background, and in my experience, the Dark Urge canon details served to fill out the holes I had in my character's backstory, so it was a natural union. Plus the way you're tied into the over-arching plot feels more satisfying, even if there aren't that many differing story beats throughout. You can really tell they intended Dark Urge to be the go-to custom character, and added Tav as an appeal to those who wanted to make their own character completely unconnected to the in-game plot. The downside being, it can be hard to immerse your original character in what is happening in the story, unless you headcanon something (like they have a connection to one of the other companions). And even then, it's hard to write anything that embodies the same themes of bg3 origins of escaping or embracing cycles of abuse, not that that should stop anyone ofc. Thank you for all your videos, and congratulations on completing all Origins/Companions!

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Considering how much of a terrible "father" Bhaal is, if you can even call him that, I like to believe that in the most pure form of irony, Good Durge ends up being a very attached father. Durge would be kinda similar to how a mother cat refuses to sleep unless the kitten is in her embrace first. The group can't decide if it's wholesome or disturbing to see the former harbinger of doom just hugging and laughing with his infant Dragonborn.

[@Leonshadow111]

Can confirm that the only person in the cast I'd romance is Dragonborn Durge. Alas, I can't be given what I want. So I just use mods to turn companions into my characters to give me a small sip instead. Other than that, I'm glad you did point out the inherent goodness Durge is capable and has shown. His inner child still lives, and that little, sweet dragonborn shows himself in those moments. Will never forget what he can say at the blighted village upon seeing the remnants of children's games like hopscotch. "Did I play games like this in my youth? Was I sweet once?" Yes, dear. Yes, you were. It's all the more cathartic to reclaim that what was taken from you by your "father." Friends and family to hold dear and just be happy. It's a fun mirror overall based on alignment. Just which life is Durge going to reclaim? His life before the Urge awakened as a child? Or his life as a tool?

[@Leonshadow111]

Also I think it's easy to read into what Durge does have for a personality. He's very theatrical and over the top. That hammy nature inclines me to believe he is extremely silly sometimes (he totally waves at Vlakkith to Lae'zel's chagrin. I don't care). A bit of a dry, dark sense of humor. (To romanced Selune Shadowheart after she's worried about sounding boring at the epilogue party, roughly: "Nonsense! I shall return to my own ways if any dare to be bored hearing of a Bhaalspawn and his lover's life together!" Very silly, definitely a joke, but a bit too dark for others to laugh showing his lack of social tact perhaps.) But, of course, he can be darkly serious and very much over things pretty quick, possibly having a short fuse even if resistant. I love this giant lizard.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

@@Leonshadow111 Durge would definitely pull the "I can be a Harbinger of Doom right now" towards people making certain jokes towards him, lol.

[@samiyarossini]

Shout out to Neily Roberts for default Durge voice (aka: Tav 5). And embrace (lol) the evil runs, they take so~ much less time than the good ones. :) My favorite embrace durge was a NB wood elf sorc/bard/rogue... because I love making stupid builds. lol Favorite resist durge was a tiefling Cleric/Paladin of Kelemvor... but then my mods broke so I never finished their run. D:

[@angelicaeagles9627]

I play my Durge very much like Raven from Teen Titans, born from a great evil and trying to do what good she can hoping to counteract the evil "prophecy" of her father.

[@PrivatePikachu1]

Something I found fascinating is that if you play Paladin Durge, when you inevidably have to break your oath, the Oathbreaker Knight is there and is offering you comfort.. And if you talk to him in Act 3, once the truth is revealed, the Spirit reveals that this is not the first time Durge has broken and re-taken their oath. They've met before, likely had a similar conversation and yet the Knight declares that no matter what, he will be there to help Durge with their urges and encourages Durge to keep to their oath no matter how often it may be broken. If the player is doing a redemption arc, it really speaks volumes. The Oathbreaker Knight is there to help Durge re-take the oath again and again, wanting to help the poor soul who was given the absolute worst lot in life.. because despite _everything_ they still try to uphold to their oath as a paladin. The Knight helps a redemption Durge because Durge is a true Paladin in every sense of the word and he's happy to help them continue that path.

[@PocketLeaves]

Ooh, I didn't know about the conversation in act 3! I've got to do a paladin Durge run!!

[@mctatertot2258]

Thank you for this, I’ve been terribly hungry for more dark urge content online 😩😍

[@thecheck968]

Right? It's such a neat part of the fandom where so many of us love this fairly defined character, but still have our own drastic variations. Like neat little AUs.

[@OakandIV]

This is such a fun, good take. Really enjoying it. The Slayer Form was always just a bit disappointing even in BG 2: TOB. You spend all that time learning just how to be really effective with your player character, optimizing your tactics and picking all the best gear. And then the Slayer comes and you have to learn a completely different fighting style. It's a bit like being a Wildshaping druid. You end up having to balance your spell-casting weapon-using tactics against the best time to switch to teeth and claws. I much prefer the Redeemption Durge path, even if I'm not really sure Durge can redeem themselves given the things they have done eagerly over the course of their life. Hoping you keep finding things to explore in BG3. Your deep dives are always a good listen.

[@kikiscoven]

I’ve been listening to / reading a lot of Durge lore for an upcoming video and have to say, I absolutely *love* the thoughtfulness you put into your BG3 deep dives! You really stand out with your exploration of these characters and IM SO HERE FOR IT

[@voryndagothDL]

Delighted to have found this channel. Bg3 deserves deep dives like this and you did Durge justice

[@OverlordMalarkey]

as a Dark Urge main, Im proud to be part of that 13%

[@joshbell1335]

To get the slayer versus slayer fight, you need to have spoken to saravok about Orin and her conception, or you can take the back way into the chosen chambers ( there’s a hole in the wall) and use speak to dead on Orin’s mother and find out that she was a child of incest and was intended to be sacrificed. Letting Orin know this will send her off the deep end and she freaks out screaming” I did all this for him” Only for bhaal to speak to her and say no, or you did this for me and he laughs , and says if you will not fight for my blessing, then I will force you into something crueller and more suitable for my child’s ascension And turns her into the slayer. She appears to be bigger than your slayer as well.

[@chrisdiokno5600]

It is interesting how you can save Alfira, but in return a Dragonborn bard pays the price

[@blakcharazard213]

YEEEEESS NEW POCKET LEAVES UNPACKING VIDEO. I. HAVE. BEEN. WAITING. FOR. THIS. FOR. SO. LONG!!!!!

[@Madeleinewith3Es]

Playing a Shadar-kai resist Durge now and my first Durge run and with a sorcerer who just slams flame strike down on enemies. (The Gortash thing absolutely is romantic for Bhallists if you find the bodies in the temple with notes about their wedding. Guess you could say Durge was caught in a Bhaal romance)

[@SideCharacter12303]

Caught in a Bhaal romance you stop that right now 😂😂😂😂😂👌🏻

[@curostitykilledcat]

I love Durge so much, with my anxiety sometimes I feel so outta control and Durge reminds me all I gotta do is keep trying and doing my best and it’ll work out. That my head being anxious and outta control feeling doesn’t make me wrong or bad. Durge gives me hope. I also can’t wait for you to unpack Jaherria and Raphael. Jaherria to me is such a mother figure to Durge. She feels safe in a way you described halsin to be safe. As for Raphael I need to know your thoughts and also your laugh is lovely ❤

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Jaheria saying she doesn't want Durge's kids to call her auntie, when she definitely would like it, lol.

[@SeaSpartan118]

my favorite part of playing a Durge are the voicelines when making actions; starting cautious and regretful and remaining that way until you start choosing evil options causing Durge to reminess about blood and wanting thrones of bones

[@molliethomas2585]

Excellent work, as usual. Out of my 8 playthroughs only one of them was a Durge run, and it was resist playthrough every step of the way. And while I did enjoy the different things that a Durge run can bring, I think just one playthrough is all I need. As for your next BG3 video, Drow Twins!

[@korgclips868]

Yeah the Slayer Vs Slayer fight is nuts & it’s even more crazy of how it’s set up, You have to sneak into orin’s room before you fight with her and cast speak with dead on the impaled corpse in her room, It turns out that the corpse was actually Orin’s mother whom she killed because her mother attacked orin when she was younger at the behest of her father Serevok; Of course Orin doesn’t know this and if you tell her she’ll start to breakdown. Long story short if you persuade her that her father actually ordered her mother to kill her she’ll break down & second guess her entire life, To which Bhaal himself Speaks to Orin stating that if she’s unwilling to Duel that he’ll make her into a Worthy offering for his favoured Child; then Orin will scream out in pain having her being forcefully transformed into a Slayer. What’s even more messed up although I haven’t triggered the dialogue but have seen videos for it, Speaking to Serevok he’ll reveal to you that Orin’s Mother was his own daughter and he had a child with her whom is Orin herself; It’s extremely messed up but your Durge can comeback with a pretty twisted but funny statement “I Guess Bhaal’s Bloodline is more of a wreath” or something to that degree

[@TheOwlQueen]

You can get that version of the fight without sneaking into her room before the fight. You can also just very simply pick up a note written by Sarevok about Orins parentage beforehand. He doesn't reveal it to you in dialogue.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Sarevok can also remark that he's angry Durge killed Orin instead of impregnating her.

[@AlexBaldivino96]

@@willfanofmanyii3751 He’s not technically mad at Durge for not doing the incest with Orin, more like he kinda wished they would’ve done the deed. To continue their “family tradition”.

[@corvigae]

Fun fact, as Durge you don't have to go to the Murder Tribunal or interact with Sarevok in any way, bc Scaleritas will just let you into the temple anyways bc he's a homie. This is specifically one of the reasons I decided to play Durge in my Honor Mode run, bc I did NOT wanna fight Sarevok in HM if I could avoid it lmao

[@AURELIAN-restitutororbis]

I'm stuck in the city for 2 weeks for midterms. can't wait for friday so I can go home and finally start playing bg3 on my dad's computer!!! your vids have gotten me soooo eager to play this game I can hardly wait

[@Majoranza]

Woooo! It’s here! I love your character dissections!

[@wannabebunni]

God, that squirrel scene actually horrified me. The bard was rough, but they never showed her murder so it felt more intriguing and sad. But Durge losing it for a half second and going for the goal with the squirrel as a ball made me physically flinch. It really sealed in how troubled the character was for me.

[@tasquato9633]

I found your channel through baldurs gate but i will stick around to see your thoughts on other media cause you're well spoken and easy to listen to and it tickles my brain in a nice way. So thank you for the content so far, and i look forward to a mutually beneficial creator/consumer relationship

[@entertheunknown3554]

The evil route doesn't add Minthara, just beat her unconscious

[@thecoconutjuice]

i dont know if you will see this, i just wanted to leave a comment and say how much i love this series, along with the other characters you've covered from BG3!! you talk at the perfect pace and the way you put your words together is literally perfect

[@jodieg6318]

Ah the Dark Urge, the full mission statement of BG3 in PC form: The journey and decision to either break or continue a cycle of abuse. Or in game terms you can either have a character arch or you can be a murder hobo. How well they know the tabletop crowd. But BG3 and its Dark Urge I think are really an idea whose time has come because one thing rings true through all the companion stories and the main plot of the game: we are not what someone else tried to make us. Karlach is not a loyal and loving barbarian because of Gortash. La'zel is not a champion because of Vla'kith. Gale is not an enchanter of the Weave and of hearts because of Mystra. Astarion is not a charming libertine because of Cazador Shadowheart is not our favorite princess because of Shar. Wyll is not a hero with a heart of gold and eye of stone because of Misora

[@carrotcake1418]

Found this channel today! Easy to listen to while on campus of college, great job on the content!

[@IsChaosGolden]

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Urge storyline, although I've played a loyal Bhaalist Durge to see how the story plays out since I always enjoy checking out all the content a game offers. Why I've put hundreds of hours into BG3. A redeemed DU was my favorite, and I believe this is how the game was meant to be played, for me at least. Another aspect that made me like the DU even more was how much they reminded me of Revan. Both characters share many similarities, and Revan is still one of my favorite Star Wars characters. But good analysis of the character and describing all aspects.

[@cervidae3291]

i have OCD, which manifests is a hell of a lotta different ways, but the main thing about it that i want to mention is that for me, living with OCD means that i also live with incredibly scary, incredibly violent intrusive thoughts. actual intrusive thoughts are honestly pretty similar to hallucinations or delusions, or for an even better example they're like the worst night terror you've ever had while being awake and trying to go about your day. they're subconcious, compulsive thoughts that are scary *because* they go against who you are, what you believe in, what you actually want to put out into the world, or what you want to do with yourself. my first ever bg3 run was a resist dark urge campaign, and oh my god i have never felt more seen in my LIFE. full stop. there is so much stigma against even *mentioning* having intrusive thoughts (even sometimes in therapy!!) that i've lived my entire life just not bringing up the fear or anxiety, even while theyre actively sending me into panic attacks in conversation. this comment isnt meant to be my sob story though- this comment is me trying to reinforce that the durge plotline is THE BEST ive EVER come across that deals with anything close to 'resisting' intrusive thoughts. bc what durge goes through is incredibly similar to living with intrusive thoughts! not the indulging in them, holy shit no, but being scared of them, and being horrified at your own mind for conjuring up such graphically violent images, and being horrified about what that potentinally ''means'' about your ''true self''. quite literally feeling like you're resisting a dark urge, feeling like you're containing something rotten, or hiding something disgusting from your loved ones. feeling like youre tricking them somehow, and even like youve tricked yourself. but if you play your durge in a specific way, your loved ones still love you! there is still good in you simply because its in your nature to be good! the dark urge is FOREIGN to the durge themselves, just like how intrusive thoughts are foreign to people living with OCD. im tryin my best but words really cant describe how important this game is to me. i love my durge, hes become one of my favourite D&D characters ive ever made insanely quickly

[@Ethan_theatheist]

Im doing a full run of every main character with Durge being my last. Thankfully this will take me a long time so I can safely watch this video and forget about it in a few months *inner success*

[@derekneese9497]

Knowing that Durge had a childhood without the urge honestly helps me a lot when it comes to creating certain backstories. I’ve seen some people say classes like cleric or warlock wouldn't make much sense for a Bhaalspawn, but it totally does for Durge. My current Durge is a Great Old One Warlock who made her pact after she killed her foster family but before joining the Bhaalists. She was emotionally vulnerable and thought she didn’t have anything to lose when making the pact. Her patron is from the same realm as the Mindflayers, later giving her the idea to use them in her plot with Gortash. I'm thinking about doing a Selunite cleric Durge (for the extra Shadowheart romance dialogue lol) but I had trouble justifying how that backstory would work till now. Durge and their foster family were Selunites prior to the awakening of the urge. And when they lose their memories after being attacked by Orin, Durge subconsciously defaults back to their childhood worship of Selune. This also adds extra layers to Bhaal demanding you kill Isobel and creates some obvious parallels with Shadowheart.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Also canon that Durge went to college before falling to the Urge, lol.

[@tylersutton3224]

I've been going full "have fun with violence" in my durge run. Camellia from WOTR is a favorite character of mine, and I'm taking inspiration from her.

[@heatran1919]

My first and favorite playthrough was a Githyanki Durge Necromancer Wizard, and that particular combo felt so narratively satisfying for an evil resist-durge run. Ascended Astarion is the perfect toxic murder husband to rule the world with

[@Ziphmiester]

we got more awesomesauce content!!!! your channel is actually really good and its nice to sit down and have it play while playing/eating so im excited to see what else you make. also the jewelry on the ear looks pretty!

[@sofiapuccio9757]

absolutely love watching all of you videos! originally started with the BG3 videos but then when i saw you did black butler videos i was SO EXCITED. It was one of my first animes that I loved. Also since watching your channel Ive binge watched dungen meshi too! Thank you so much for being an amazing creator :) so excited to see whats next!

[@bluranerd]

omg i was just watching all of ur other bg3 deep dives the other day, so excited for this one! i’m too much of a softie to play as durge myself lol

[@zezenono6205]

The confrontation at gortashs' coronation is so heartbreaking but i cant stop visiting it. Wish they elaborated morebon that

[@keelinmacken9552]

I absolutely loved this video! My first ever play through was as a Tav but then my next was a dark urge run, I played as seladrine drow wild magic sorcerer who was resisting the urge. I personally believe that the dark urge origin was meant to be the main character just because it fits in so well with the story. I managed to avoid spoilers while playing and so when I got to the twist that we started the plan for the absolute I was so shocked lol. Also super funny that you’re starting dragon age. I just started Dragon Age Origins a few days ago and was thinking that it was similar to baldurs gate. Definitely would recommend it though! Fair warning if you do the city elf the beginning for that has some really serious SA themes.

[@laurelleaves]

A fandom thing I've seen and find very interesting as well is the idea of Durge being trans. Something about a god making you in the "perfect image" for their needs and said image going "actually, no" is very punk rock

[@drago3036]

They can be, If we make them to. That's a pretty cool reading of it

[@kiilgore806]

One thing that I like about durge interactions is the ability to confide with your party members about the urges. And all of them except for one from what I remember basically say the same vibe of things ' oh we all have thoughts like that' Except for Karlach, which says 'hey the first step is admitting the problem!' so for my first durge run, a resist durge, I romanced Karlach that run. My second durge run was a more.... betray evil embrace run. SO essentially, the long-con evil cuz I wanted to be as evil as I could. (Plus it was honor mode, AND wanted to go for the save the teifling achievements so getting that portent robe for wyll was too much to pass up on.... double agonizing blasts go brrrrrrrrrrr!!! so alfira has a case of minor concussions.... until quill took her place in camp) So my goal that playthrough was to be good, but an asshole in a way, until act 3. Unfortunately, I couldn't do my 'full evil' plan because Jaheria fell in the tower raid. But my plan basically was - Romance Karlach. safe the tieflings. This also meant that I went for Selunite Shadow Heart. In the end, I made astarion ascend only to be the durge puppet (until the patch 7 evil endings have him die anyways essentially) And turn shadowheart in to viconia.... then have Karlach become the mindflayer. Then dominate the brain. If Jaheria would have survived, then I would mind control minsc to eliminate her from behind after embracing. Fun fact... for me at the ending when I played through the final fight again to see the durge patch 7 ending for them, Karlach was still alive for the scene where you send everyone off the brain... no dialogue with her though. Now I'm doing an evil durge that will resist. for the evil tav endings. I have a tav at that point, but... it's a Gith tav, and I don't exactly see him doing it. (Plus I found a tiefling horns for everyone mod thanks to a twitter thread of clerics for all the deities in bg3, with glowing cracked tiefling horns and... wanted that asthetic for an evil playthrough lol)

[@PocketLeaves]

It's honestly funny how little the companions seem to care/react to the Durge stuff. I wish it was done better, but also if someone you just met is telling you about these dark urges, how are you even supposed to respond? So the companions are kind of real for that, especially if you're having these conversation in early on in the game.

[@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..]

Avoiding spoilers but wanna watch so bad AAAAA. Just gnna like and flee

[@iyozero]

So, Dragon Age: Origins was my favorite game in the world before Baldur's Gate 3. If you did dragon age videos, I'd eat em up. The lore is so rich, and I love seeing other people's reactions to the mage plight and the subject of Tranquility. anyway, looking forward to it

[@goofygoob420]

One cool thing I found while playing durge was that you actually get a lot of inspiration but only by giving into your urges, so if you're doing a redeemed durge like I was you have to choose to miss out on a lot of rerolls, potentially making your game harder for the sake of yourself and your companions

[@PocketLeaves]

Oh yeah that is true! I feel like it can be pretty easy to get a lot of inspiration with the other companions though, so I didn't really find myself missing the potential inspiration. (although this heavily depends on how you're playing, who's in your party, and how often the dice just decide to hate you)

[@goofygoob420]

​@@PocketLeaves I just think it's interesting how the devs like Bhaal in game really try to temp you by rewarding you with things like inspiration and the slayer form, and how you like durge have to consciously choose to reject these things that might be really helpful for you, that is of course if you didn't just reject Bhaal last minute

[@goofygoob420]

In this way I feel like durge can be seen as a really good allegory for addiction, which makes it only all the more poignant that it is only through friends and loved ones that you are able to resist and overcome the urges

[@brittanysleepy8617]

Great Durge deepdive! I loved ur analysis

[@funnyblog100]

I went with gloomstalker assassin keeping the Dragonborn race because it’s iconic. It also fits the dark urges profile. When you encounter Arabella in the Druid grove you recognize the snake Kagha uses as a death viper and the narrator comments how you have used that poison before. The dark urge is also a skilled surgeon with proficiency in medicine.

[@miklosz4162]

I have my own headcanon that Durge making bad choices had his brain less damaged by Orin, allowing his old (evil and depraved) habits to still stick with him and lead him down the path of damnation again, while Durge making good choices offended Orin much more, causing her to destroy her uncle-brother's brain with much greater zeal, leaving Durge with a more ravaged brain but allowing him to rediscover himself as the person he was before he took over the Bhaal cult.

[@JFN2760]

My first playthrough was actually a purely evil durge, and it's one of my favorites. I know you miss a lot of content, but it was still really fun.

[@6la6ni6]

I've run multiple durge playthroughs, it's just so much fun!

[@josephstrassfield7921]

On one hand the crazy attack the party dark urge is a horrible ending on the other hand it’s the only one that lets you piss yourself

[@ryliewinters456]

I don’t want to seem weird when I say this. But your laugh is the CUTEST thing

[@SniffanyBlues]

Been patiently waiting in the bushes for this 🔪

[@DrGaslight187]

Being evil is kind of fun

[@emris2697]

This video has inspired me to do the most evil act ever. Romance Karlach as attempted redeemed durge, who is eventually consumed by their urges. Then Karlach becomes a mind flayer, and in the final moments durge betrays her.

[@jeremyleonjonas7657]

Having played a Sorcadin multiclass, I think its hilarious that you can ask the Oathbreaker Knight "How tf did I became a Paladin??" (not literal quote).

[@eddyangstman]

My favorite headcanon for durge is that if you play a gith durge you just slaughter your entire creche when the urge awakens

[@ravensflockmate]

i made my durge a lady murder lizard vengeance paladin just trying her best to be nice and feeling really sad about it

[@emma2884]

So I have a durge that's done all their urges until the last moment. They cling onto every word about ambition from astarion and ascend him. She's a tiefling named Deir. But she's not evil because she wants to be. She's evil because she's lost and feels powerless she clings to astarion as her source of guidance because he kind of gets her (terrible idea lmfao). My other durge, Morgan, is on a path of self discovery and after slaughtering the teiflings is like "never again". After alfira she believed it wasn't her fault but when she decides to slaughter the grove, she feels sick Morgan and realizes that she deluded herself into thinking it was a pragmatic decision to get closer to the cult and understanding what's going on but really she just wanted to see the slaughter of all the innocents. Even after saving Arabella and mirkon. She CARED about the teiflings and still killed them. But after that she tries to always do what she thinks is right and supress the urges. Gale calls her out and she realizes he's right. She was headed down the wrong path.

[@coltsfan354]

I was surprised that Durge defaults to Sorcerer and not Paladin. Its the only change I make to their default character, and I personally feel like throwing in Oath of Vengeance (or Oathbreaker if you go evil) makes the class mechanics intertwine more with the story. But thats just me.

[@goofygoob420]

@@coltsfan354 I have an interesting interpretation for paladin durge, my idea is that a paladin durge used religion as a way to calm the urge, similar to how people in real life might use religion and God as a way to handle their addictions

[@namelessechos5380]

Personally I think that barbarian makes a lot of sense for a dark urge character. Barbarians don't have to be dumb, "haha axe go smash" characters after all, and the rage mechanic ties in really nicely with Durge's accidental murder sprees. Rogue would also make a lot of sense narratively though considering they were, ya know, an assassin. Rogue is just my least favorite class so far. But rogue might make the most sense actually for durge. But to argue for sorcerer durge, I think that perhaps it makes sense because they have power they were born with, and that power comes from having a god as a father? Maybe they just don't have a "god is my father" subclass so they used storm sorcerer.

[@coltsfan354]

@@namelessechos5380 I could see the part of sorcerer where you get your power by directly channeling your deity, but just from a playability perspective, a ranged spellcaster getting the slayer form is honestly just kind of hilariously wonky.

[@mindblower76]

If you look into his concept arts, he used to have paladin outfits! So that theory kinda makes sense

[@KellySmith-lx2zr]

I like the Sorcadin Multiclass for Durge a *lot,* inborn magic from being the spawn of a diety + a backstory of trying to resist previously (swearing an oath) and failing (becoming an oathbreaker). I have read Sarevok has dialogue relating to Durge being a Paladin and coming to the temple covered in their order's blood (if you are playing a Paladin), and I think the original intent *was* to make Durge a Paladin.

[@theroyalgamer1343]

AAYYYYYY WE FINALLY GOT THE UNPACKING DURGE VID

[@0744401]

I thought the strange ox was also a Dark Urge, and shapeshifted into an ox semi-permanently to flee the malevolent influence.

[@michaelpitter9193]

You can get a character named Quil Grotsong as replacement/failsafe for Alfira if she is knocked-out or killed before your next long rest after interacting with her.

[@jackbaccarat4084]

Will you be unpacking the sinisterly seductive chambion of contracts, the petty patron of the blade of frontiers. Zariel's assist, Mizora.

[@threadbearr8866]

Minthara is ride or die. Love her

[@Tusken]

Another day, another banger

[@FemStolas9748]

My first run was a Tiefling Fighter/Monk named Leki. Was more good aligned, doing her best to assist those around which I now use as a base for a DG. Currently going through an embrace Durge run, this one being a Theif(Rogue)/Monk build. Doing the absolute worst to everyone she meets (basically just slaughtering whoever is in her way, outside of the goblins at the goblin camp cause I forgor). Next run I make is prolly gonna be a resist Durge

[@evanpetrolle2596]

Bhalldur’s Durge 3: The Slayening

[@whatisausername7679]

the first time i finished a playthrough was an evil durge run, that was a few months ago and i haven't stopped being obsessed about her (my custom durge) since

[@LeanneKnoll]

If you start a multiplayer run with one of them as dark urge and the other person doesn’t come back, you can have a dark urge companion you just won’t have the same amount of dialogue as the other characters

[@Vegeta241]

How about an Unpacking of the new evil endings? It could serve as a “tying up loose ends” kind of thing for your old videos. Honestly after watching them all, excluding the three (or four?) Tav endings, it’s crazy to see how, well, *in character* each of those endings feels.

[@HunterMoyler]

I love your videos

[@BunnsAndGlory]

Redemption Durge still best Durge FOR ME. I'd rather be a free man or in durge's case, a dead man than be a slave to my father and be a mindless beast for the rest of my life.

[@DevilKiller-lx1xw]

Clicks on durge video: “This contains spoilers for the new patch 7 endings…” Me, a console player: 😢

[@tammarah6354]

*feral growling noises* hell yeah!

[@christopherjustice6411]

I named my Durge “Constantine” that’s the name his adopted family gave him in my game.

[@willie4982]

I'm so happy to be 1 out of the 4 people to like both bg3 and black butler

[@revelreads]

another GREAT video!!!! here's some engagement

[@tomtcb6141]

Truly the Garrus Vakarian that never was

[@bernderbernder3087]

My husband and I went a route in a multiplayer-- even though we can't BOTH play the durge-- our characters are dragonborn twin brothers--Bards-- both of them. When Bhaal was crafting the durge from his flesh a piece fell off and became the other. The two of them are inherently tied, they have the same dreams and they are essentially two halves of what was supposed to be a whole person. Their personalities strong in some ways but weak in others which mirror each other. Koki for instance is logical minded while Mika is HIGHLY emotional-- one is a complete Bhaal suck up and a daddy's boy while the other is highly independent and prefers killing on his own terms-- but has become complacent. They bear the same soul and if one dies the other will along with them automatically. They're not the "good and evil twin" trope though. They're both TERRIBLE and complex weirdos.

[@pickybusiness8549]

Spoilers ahead Speaking of the Durge, i kinda wanted to talk about a romance you can have, and thats gale. See, generally people dont want to let gale get his "bad" ending, but the cool thing about romancing G!gale is that you can ascend as well. I like to headcanon that as a Durge that resists is that they become a god of redemption, showing that no matter who you are, you can seek redemption, even the lowliest can seek redemption, even bhaalspawn, people basically doomed to help fulfill their dark fathers will I also think its fitting that a god of ambition is together with a god of redemption, for how can you get redeption without the ambition to seek it out?

[@derekneese9497]

I declare this specific scenario be called "Red Dead Ambition"

[@jeremygilbert7989]

I'm currently playing my embrace Durge a bit different. I honestly just can't bring myself to do a pure evil run, both due to my own moral standards and my ingrained fomo so she spared the tieflings as she's one herself and has little tolerance for those who don't acknowledge the inherent superiority of their infernal lineage but she also absolutely massacred the druids because fuck those racist bastards for even daring to drive them out. She indulges in causal acts of cruelty and malice when there's nothing to be lost but she saved Last Light from Marcus as she wasn't about to give up a useful refuge and it's resources at the behest of some peon who had to rely on The Absolute for power, at least for now. That said she'll almost certainly be convincing Shart to kill Aylin, Astarion to ascend, etc. I'm basically playing her as a neutral evil utilitarian who believes the right decision is the one that benefits you the most and impresses that selfish motivation on those around her as well.

[@zimattack9994]

My first dark urge run was a life domain cleric redemption run

[@crylec6534]

I’d like to share a story of one of my Dark Urges. Drail was a male drow. He was inspired by Ramsay from Game of Thrones in many ways of his behavior. Thoughout the game he has two things in his mind: 1: Kill and maim 2: Seek out powers by whatever means and by whatever way. Examples is the Loviatar’s blessing and forcing Astarion to bite that drow woman. In Act 1: He had no concept of dignity for others, he took pleasure in humiliating others and alienated himself from his companions at times. My little headcanon almost all of them feared him enough that they didn’t oppose him. As a male drow he was particularly nastier towards his kind especially Female drow and liked the idea of destroying Minthara especially since she comes from royalty. But I had another character knock her out and robbed him of his fantasies. I basically wanted to make a murder hobo incel who egomaniacal and a megalomaniac. Act 2: Drail was in his element and was constantly annoyed with the cult shenanigans as they knew more of his past than he did. He hated Ketheric on start as something in him reminded of an annoying man in his past (Ketheric). He hated the Harpies and thought Jaheira was self righteous. For some reason has no idea was he holds such contempt for her (she help kill Saravok and end Bhaal’s plans). He begins to learn more of himself and learn a lot from his companions particularly Gale, Lae’Zel, and Shadowheart. Each having a god that looms over them. Minthara though he took pleasure in seeing her tortured even he grew to tolerate her as for some reason being an obedient servant touched him for some reason and has no idea why it’s relatable. The party would go on to save Dame Aylin and kill Ketheric For the majority of Act 2 I was having Wyll take the lead as I felt he the defacto leader after Drail and def the moral center. So it wouldn’t make sense for Drail to do it himself. He’d likely take Aylin’s immortality for himself if he could. Act 3: Drail goes on to have more of a transformation, learning bits and pieces of himself. Meeting people like the refugees again, Karlach’s old friend, Sharrans, and Gortash and Lorroaken. Each case showing an aspect of his past or what he secretly desires. Karlach’s friend is expecting a baby, she’s happy. Drail thinks how little anyone would feel if he was gone and how he takes from the world but brings nothing but sadness. He sees the Refugees, though struggling are happy to be around each other as community which he lacks too. Then those Shar worshippers make him think how hollow and empty cultish life is with people so blinded for a God who doesn’t care if they live or die. Especially when he learns of his sister Orin and how hollow her life is without Bhaal. Lorroaken hits his part about being some power hungry loser like Gortash these men are self interested and when gone no one will care. As Act 3 continued and he learns more about his past and how he is responsible for his troubles and his companions, Drail thinks a lot about his life, and at times thinks being dead is a better thing even good thing for all his sins. He slowly turns from this hateful incel murderer to a selfless and honest man. With his companions the only one who he would’ve called a friend was Astarion since they both enabled each other’s evil habits with Wyll being this “nagging wife” beside him. He tolerated him and Karlach as he needed their strength, he had little time to care about Lae’Zel’s culture or the Gith and employed to wipe them when given the chance. Shart’s religion to him was just plain stupid since it justifies cruelty when to him he doesn’t want or need to a reason to be evil. These people to him were instruments and nothing more and had little thought for their well being, Astarion blasted off in the gith sanctuary, denying Gale artifacts if he could help it, tossing an idol of Shar into the magma cuz he wouldn’t want to be nice to Shart. But I guess misery and the experiencing more near death moments had him think this is the closest he has to a family. During the Grove Party he sat alone and knew why none of the companions wanted to bed him or talk with him. He just didn’t know why he cared and why he should care. Drail’s whole arc to was stop pretending to be this cruel and genius villain who was too cool for feelings and admit he was a loser and disgusting loathful man. He could have daddy’s approval and a cult of sycophants but even then he knew he wasn’t happy. He thought that and love it was an illusion that sheeple made up. Even then that love he got from Bhaal was conditional and even his sister Orin would betray him. His journey was when he was the most happy. In the end of the game I chose two endings and some parts I like both. Ending A: He defeats the Elder Brain and saves Baldur’s Gate, has the party and a happy ending where he chooses his fate from now on. Ending B: He defeats the Elder Brain but afterwards kills himself. Believing he deserves to answer for his sins and finally be at peace and away from the world. With him in that dreamscape with Withers awaiting what great task would befall him. If he means to become a God. He’d be a just one. He also had heterochromia. Both red eyes but his right eye with black sclera. But at the end of the game he loses his urges he loses that blacken eye. Symbolizing Bhaal finally removed of him.