The Dark Urge

Special Origin
The Dark Urge
Stats
Level 1
STR 8 (-1) DEX 13 (+1) CON 15 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 10 CHA 17 (+3)
Race	[[Any,  White Dragonborn (default)|Any,  White Dragonborn (default)]]
Type	Humanoid
HP	8
AC	11
Movement Speed	9 m / 30 ft
Size	Medium
Proficiency Bonus	+2
Initiative	+1
Character information
Class	[[ Any,  Sorcerer (default) | Any,  Sorcerer (default) ]] [[Category:Any,  Sorcerer (default)s]]
Background	Haunted One
Allies	Sceleritas Fel (dependant), Bhaal (dependant), Enver Gortash (dependant)
Enemies	Orin the Red
Promotional Art

The Dark Urge is a special Origin in Baldur's Gate 3. The Dark Urge gives a custom character a special origin background and adds many new interactions, obstacles, and story elements for that character.

Unlike the other Origin Characters, The Dark Urge can be played using any race, class, and gender, and will not be part of the player's party if they are playing any other Origin Character, although The Dark Urge may be encountered as an NPC in the world.

“	My rancid blood whispers to me: kill, kill, and kill again. My ruined body yearns to reap death in this world, and when this foul Urge calls, it possesses my whole being. Injured beyond repair, I know nothing besides this; I must resist this Dark Urge, lest it consume my mind. I must discover what happened to me, and who I was. Before my twitching knife-hand writes a tragedy in blood.	„
	— The Dark Urge, fearing their dark desires in their Introduction cinematic.

Background

You remember nothing of your past besides that you walked a path paved with blood. As you venture on, you find yourself inescapably drawn towards unimaginable cruelties. Where do these thoughts come from?

Gameplay

A character with The Dark Urge Origin remembers nothing of their past and are plagued with sick, dark urges of violence and cruelty. Like the other Origin Characters, The Dark Urge adds a unique storyline that surfaces over time as the true nature of The Dark Urge is revealed.

While playing as The Dark Urge, players will be forced to resist or succumb to the temptation of the darkness inside them. Resisting may not always be easy to do, and characters trying to follow a path of morality and good will have to overcome their inner struggle in order to remain true to their ideals. It is possible to play this Origin as both an evil villain, a good hero, or anything in-between.

Guiding the Dark Urge in their time of need is Sceleritas Fel. A vile and loyal servant, Fel lives only to see the Dark Urge return to their rightful, bloodstained path and urges them to commit some of the most lurid acts of violence.

Spoiler warning! This section reveals details about the story of Baldur's Gate 3.

The Urge

This is the Dark Urge's Personal Quest. The Dark Urge, no matter your choice of race or class, will have unique choices exclusive to the Dark Urge, many of which are disturbed and violent. Many of these choices can be avoided, either by simply not selecting them at all, or by passing Saving Throws to resist the Urge in situations it can not be avoided.

During the story, and your interactions with Sceleritas Fel, whether you indulge in your urges or not, you slowly learn more of your past, and why you feel the need to kill others.

Act One

During Act One, the Dark Urge will eventually have a long rest event where they murder a camp follower. If she is available, this will always be Alfira. Soon after, in a separate long rest event, their butler will introduce himself, and gift the player the Deathstalker Cloak.

Act Two

During a long rest event, The Dark Urge will be given the task of killing Isobel at the Last Light Inn. Should the player forego killing Isobel, at a later long rest they will be informed that they will kill their closest companion, usually their lover. The player can choose to wake their companion up, if they pass a Wisdom check. If they fail the check, choose to go back to sleep, or choose to kill their companion, they must pass a separate check, or the camp will turn hostile.

If the player kills either Isobel or their companion, they are they are granted the Slayer form, a gift from their father.

Act Three

If the player refused to kill either Isobel or their companion, after arriving at Wyrm's Crossing, it is revealed that the Dark Urge is a Bhaalspawn, and was once the leader of the Cult of Bhaal, before being betrayed and murdered by their sister. Further conversation with Gortash reveals they were one of the original members of the Chosen of the Dead Three, and alongside Gortash, had originally schemed to use the Crown of Karsus on the Elder Brain to falsify the religion of the Absolute. In this sense, the Dark Urge is very well the catalyst for the main story's events.

The only reason the Dark Urge is not within this position is because Orin the Red, envious of the Dark Urge's power and control over the cult, betrayed them, inflicted amnesia upon them, and took control of the cult herself.

After this revelation, the Dark Urge may follow the story just as a normal character may. They can attempt to restore their original partnership with Gortash, which is still available to other Origins under a different context, but the important choice the Dark Urge makes is whether they restore themselves as Bhaal's Chosen, or simply fight Orin with no intention to retake the mantle.

Should they refuse to become Bhaal's chosen, the Dark Urge will be drained of every divine aspect of the god, and be reborn by Withers, free from the Urge.

History

Childhood

Unlike other Bhaalspawn, The Dark Urge wasn't born, but instead created from the dead flesh of Bhaal himself.

They were at some point taken in by a couple, and had a relatively peaceful childhood for a time, before succumbing to the urge and murdering their loved ones and foster parents.

The Cult of Bhaal

Eventually, the Dark Urge became the leader of the Cult of Bhaal, and pledged to end all life in existence for their father. They recruited Gortash and later Ketheric, to enact their plan to use the Crown of Karsus on the Elder Brain to falsify the religion of the Absolute, so that they may build an army of soulless Mind Flayers to exterminate all life — Including, as the last being alive, their own.

Betrayal

For a time, the Dark Urge was worshipped as a god at Moonrise Towers, but was eventually betrayed by their sister Orin the Red, who was jealous of Bhaal's favouritism. The Dark Urge was gutted and had much of their brain destroyed, and was infected with a Tadpole, resulting in their amnesia.

They were sent to Moonrise Towers, where they were put together, unable to speak or do anything but inflict violence on themselves or others, and was eventually sent off on the Nautiloid Ship.

Uncovering the Dark Urge's Past

Numerous details from the Dark Urge's past can be uncovered in the game.

• Eating the Noblestalk mushroom as Dark Urge will unlock one of two memories:
  • If eaten before meeting Sceleritas Fel. they remember acts of cannibalism.
  • If eaten after meeting Sceleritas Fel, they remember the torture and murder of one of their victims.
• If Heal is cast on the Dark Urge, they unlock one of two memories:
  • If cast prior to killing Orin, they remember that they killed their foster parents.
  • If cast after killing Orin, they remember playing with friends in childhood, after being taken in by their foster parents.
• According to Sceleritas Fel, the Dark Urge is a necrophiliac.
• Dialogue with Orin disguised as Zethino implies that she and Dark Urge may have had an incestuous relationship, but it is left ambiguous.
• The journal entry for Uncover your Scars suggests the that the Dark Urge may have had a sexual relationship with the Elder Brain.
• Walking by the graves of the Last Hope Inn will reveal that it was once the Dark Urge's hunting grounds.

Indulging the Urge

There are many instances of cruelty and violence the Dark Urge can commit;

Act 1

• Tearing off Gale's arm when first meeting him. This prevents you from recruiting him.
• On meeting Timber the Squirrel at the Druid Grove, the Dark Urge will punt the squirrel with no input. The player can only control this choice if they have Speak with Animals active.
• Encourage Arabella to leave by flicking your eyes towards the exit, leading to her death.
• Killing Alfira while she is visiting the camp (Or a Dragonborn bard named Quil if Alfira is unavailable for any reason), leading to the first meeting of Sceleritas Fel. The player can not control this choice.
• Killing Minthara after sleeping with her if the Dark Urge sided with the Goblin Camp against the Grove.

Act 2

• Killing Isobel. The player can choose whether or not to do this, but will lead to a different event. Killing Isobel rewards the Dark Urge with the Slayer form.
• Killing your lover or closest companion. The player can choose to warn their companion of this, or choose to simply kill them. Doing this rewards the Dark Urge with the Slayer form.

Notes

• The final origin character was revealed through Blood in Baldur's Gate ARG. The players controlled a detective investigating a chain of murders. On the final day of the ARG The Dark Urge along with Sceleritas Fel were revealed in the where the white-scaled dragonborn kills the detective.
• Due to similarities the Dark Urge shares with previous Baldur's Gate protagonists, it is theorised that they are the canon protagonist of Baldur's Gate 3. This has not been confirmed or denied as of the time of writing.
• In a campaign where the Dark Urge isn't chosen as an Origin Character, the player can find the corpse of an NPC with the defaults appearance of the Dark Urge Origin, simply called 'Fallen Bhaalspawn', tortured and murdered by Orin.

Gallery

• 

  The origin's default appearance

• 

  Sceleritas Fel, The Dark Urge's guide

References

Spoiler warning! This section reveals details about the story of Baldur's Gate 3.