The Dark Urge was the name given to a white dragonborn Bhaalspawn sorcerer—and the chosen of Bhaal―who lived in the Realms during the late 15th century DR. The name referred to the murderous and violent urges he received during many events he encountered in his life.[1]
Abilities[]
As a white dragonborn, the Dark Urge could use a cold breath weapon, and was resistant to cold damage. He was also a storm sorcerer.[1]
Like other Bhaalspawn, the Dark Urge had at least the capability of transforming into a bestial form of the Slayer, one avatar of the Lord of Murder. This could be done at will, but was only gifted by Bhaal at his choosing.[1]
Relationships[]
The goblin-like creature Sceleritas Fel served the Dark Urge and joined him during a series of grisly murders in Baldur's Gate. Sceleritas was deeply devoted to the Dark Urge and found great pride in serving him. He even claimed to share in the Dark Urge's more intimate moments and that the Dark Urge was a necrophiliac. In fact, the simple question of serving another Bhaalspawn like Orin the Red made Sceleritas so queasy that he asked for the "bucket of Bhaal" to vomit in.[1]
The Dark Urge had a turbulent relationship with his divine sister Orin. It was implied by Zethino (in fact, a shapechanged Orin) that the Dark Urge and Orin had a close relationship, with the Dark Urge being impressed by Orin's skill. However, they disagreed on Bhaal's doctrine and the manner of killing.[1]
The Dark Urge commanded respect, admiration, and devotion from the cultists at the Temple of Bhaal in Baldur's Gate, inspiring them with his ruthlessness, many victims, and his cunning plans. Naaber and Sceleritas Fel claimed that Bhaal himself loved the Dark Urge the most of all his children as he had personally created him as the perfect son, compared to past Bhaalspawn.[1]
With a relationship built on mutual respect, the Dark Urge and Enver Gortash were allies in their schemes. The two of them hatched the entire plan for creating the cult of the Absolute. When Orin betrayed the Dark Urge, Gortash was unaware of what happened, only what Orin told him and that she had made a fool of the Dark Urge. When coming face to face with the Dark Urge for the first time since then, he appeared genuinely happy to see him.[1]
The Absolute, an illithid elder brain, had a fairly positive relationship with the Dark Urge, whom it viewed as the kingmaker that crowned it. It also admired the Dark Urge's desires and methodology, even hinting that, had he still been in charge of the conspiracy of, it would have gone along with his plans more readily.[1]
History[]
Unlike previous Bhaalspawn who had been conceived by mortal women, the Dark Urge was created directly by Bhaal from his own divine blood in a form of 'divine parthenogenesis'. Sceleritas Fel dismissed other Bhaalspawn like Orin and Sarevok Anchev as "weeds that sprung from Bhaal's loins". Sarevok also mentioned that the Dark Urge was the "purest" of the Bhaalspawn. The sheer blood-lust that he displayed impressed his father, who declared the Dark Urge to be his favored child. According to the Dark Urge's own thoughts, he was created to be the last being alive, that he would finally kill himself after slaughtering the whole world in Bhaal's name.[1]
However, not being born within a Temple of Bhaal like Orin had been, the Dark Urge was left to make his way in the world alone. As an abandoned child, he was eventually adopted by a Baldurian family and lived a normal childhood until the urge manifested. It's not clear what happened to his foster family, but the Dark Urge believed they were among his first victims. Some time after that, he was drafted into the Temple of Bhaal.[1]
According to Sceleritas, he was first sent by Bhaal to serve the Dark Urge when he reached the age of maturity in order to guide him to his destiny. After their meeting, the two traveled the world, committing many murders and assassinations in the name of Bhaal.[1]
In Flamerule of the Year of the Purloined Statue, 1477 DR, the Dark Urge murdered several people in Baldur's Gate, including Tav, an adventurer who was investigating said murders. The Dark Urge also faked his death by killing another dragonborn and using the corpse as bait to mislead investigators.[2]
In a plot devised by the Dark Urge, he and Enver Gortash went to a raid on Mephistopheles's Vault to steal the Crown of Karsus with helps from diabolist Helsik in Devil's Fee.
Some time during or before the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, the Dark Urge was attacked by Orin the Red, one of Bhaal's other mortal children. Orin split open her sibling's skull and usurped the Dark Urge's role as Bhaal's Chosen and joined forces with two other chosen servants of the Dead Three.[1]
It was unknown if the dragonborn survived the attack. His body may had been left a dead plaything in Orin's bedroom in the Temple of Bhaal. However, if the Dark Urge were to survive, the attack would've left him with nearly no memories of his life. If that were the case, in an attempt to enslave him, Orin could've implanted him with a mind flayer tadpole—making him the first to be implanted by the the Absolute. This infectious would result in the Dark Urge being left alone in the illithid colony underneath Moonrise Towers, until he was found by the Myrkulite necromancer Kressa Bonedaughter. Kressa then would surely have fixed the Dark Urge enough for survival and used him as the experimental subject for tadpole modification. Unlike other victims of the illithids who were completely subdued, the Dark Urge would be half conscious sometimes and attempted to free himself violently while trapped. Eventually, the Dark Urge would be sent away by an illithid nautiloid by Balthazar's command.[1]
Appendix[]
Behind the Scenes[]
The Dark Urge is the sole fully customizable 'origin character' in Baldur's Gate III. However, by default he is a male white dragonborn storm sorcerer, and this is presumed to the canonical original for this wiki. This version also appears in the tie-in browser game Blood in Baldur's Gate. However, despite being shown as a sorcerer as default in the game, as well as in the official website and promotional images, some earlier images from the last "Panel from Hell" depicted him using the armor of the oath of vengeance paladin (as seen in the last picture of the gallery), and there is optional dialogue in the game available only for a Dark Urge paladin.
If the player decides to play with a custom character instead of the Dark Urge, they will find the Dark Urge's corpse (a white dragonborn) in Orin's room during Act 3, labeled as the "Fallen Bhaalspawn".
The Dark Urge was written by Baudelaire Welch, Senior Narrative Designer at Larian Studios.
Appearances[]
Video Games
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
- ↑ Larian Studios (June 2023). Blood in Baldur's Gate. Larian Studios.