#durge!relationship

[durgetavoc]

I know this won’t be the first or last time someone says it, but what I love about playing as Dark Urge and rolling insight on Gortash’s body language is the iconic "He's teasing you" and "He did miss this." Like— Babygirl, omg??? Did you miss teasing your favorite Bhaalspawn? Your one and only beloved assassin? Were you bored without Durge during those months because they were the only one who could match your energy??? Just like kicking the fucking shin?? Someone give him back Durge smh And let’s not forget the whole "no Bhaalspawn as incredible as you would ever bow to him" line GORTASH, I SWEAR TO— get a room eww I think, deep down, my Durge missed that connection—a connection she feels is already ingrained in her. I headcanon that even though she’s forgotten him, she naturally falls back into talking to him as if she was never amnesiac. Like, she quickly regains her mannerisms and behaviors around him. This means she goes from a bit nervous to completely confident when interacting with him. She easily slips into his "rules" and plays along, just like old times. I love picturing them sometimes just sitting there, mind-gaming each other purely for the fun of it, like they’re trying to make up for lost time. And then you’ve got the others in the room, sighing and saying, “It’s been two hours. Should we separate them already?”

[durgetavoc]

I like to imagine that sometimes, in the dead of night, Gortash wakes up suddenly, sweating after a nightmare, convinced for a fleeting moment that he’s still trapped in the House of Hope. Slowly, reality seeps back in—he’s just at home, far away from the Hells.

And Durge notices the restlessness; she’s grown used to this human having nightmares—just like her. But she feels protective because it’s unusual to see his typically calm and composed ally so troubled. She doesn’t say a word, though. Instead, she scoots closer and wraps her arms around him as if nothing’s wrong, holding him tight. It’s one of those rare moments where the two of them act like normal people toward one another.

And, in a way, it soothes Gortash. He’s never been held after waking from a nightmare before. Even as a child, his parents wouldn’t have cared—they’d probably think, “Why is this kid being so difficult?”

So, just this once, Gortash allows himself to be vulnerable. He lets himself melt into the embrace of the one person he’s managed to call a friend—and a lover. Even though their relationship is wildly chaotic, it feels good to savor this moment of peace, where neither of them are champions of their gods, but simply two people who care about each other.

[durgetavoc]

The crisis is awakened.

[durgetavoc]

The name. To put a name to a face is to hold power, according to Gortash. Ironically, despite Dark Urge being a close ally, he never managed to learn her name. Dark Urge is intensely secretive, living through nicknames and titles. Gortash had to make do with those.

But in his writings, he never calls her Dark Urge.

"Dear," "dearest," "the Bhaalspawn," "High Primistress," "Bhaal’s leader," and so on.

But never The Dark Urge. Because he respects her. He respects that the nickname, the one that makes Baldurians tremble, should not be linked to any letters or documents that could ever trace back to her. Even in their coded correspondence, he never uses it, despite them having designed the cipher together.

Did he ever learn his ally’s true name?

Of course. After years of patience, when their alliance had become something more official. It happened in an entirely unexpected moment because, by then, Gortash had stopped thinking about it. He had proposed an oath to strengthen their partnership further. She would swear as The Dark Urge, and that would be that.

Then, he heard her:

"I, __, swear that[...]"

She gave her name with so much confidence. Without hesitation. Taking their alliance with the utmost seriousness.

Gortash felt a bit foolish in that moment, caught entirely off guard. He looked at her and thought, “This—oh, this—is the kind of ally I’ve always hoped for. She is promising.”

And without even realizing it, already fascinated by her and her prowess, Gortash admires Dark Urge.

[durgetavoc]

Grieving her love

[durgetavoc]

Also, I finally got the infamous Morphic Pool Angst™ scene.

And damn.

Durge is just… broken. She feels like she missed something, like she failed somehow. "Maybe I should have told him to stay back," she thinks, but it felt so symbolic for him to come with her to stop the Netherbrain—to finish what they started. And then, to try to start over. Thanks to her companions and her own journey, she believes in second chances. She believed in him.

But when the Netherbrain began speaking, saying it respected Durge once but never respected Gortash, Durge’s heart sank. Anxiety churned inside her, a terrible premonition taking root. She wanted to tell him to run, just to get away, but—1) She was frozen. 2) She had to keep up her role as leader, focused on her target. 3) There wasn’t time, because the moment that thought crossed her mind, he was already gone. Dead. Instantly. At her feet.

The world had never felt so silent after that. A void tore open inside her, but she kept going, kept pushing forward. She had no choice. Even when the Emperor finally saved her and the group, she wasn’t really there.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw his lifeless body, carried into the Astral Plane. She followed, and it was impossible to pull her away. As she knelt there, fragments of memories began flooding back.

And then it hit her— The breakdown.

For the first time, after the shock settled in, she truly sobbed for his death and said "I think I liked you too sorry". Overwhelmed by grief, regret, and memories. Even when her friends tried to reach her, pleading with her to come back to camp to rest, she refused to move. She stayed there, who knows how long, in that dimension. Staring into the abyss, as her butler might have put it.

Then came the anger. The rage.

She turned it into her new purpose. She took Gortash’s mantle, letting it become a physical reminder of her determination.

She would save the world, as promised, symbolically with him by her side. She would repair the mistakes of her past.

And maybe. Maybe she'll be in peace.

[durgetavoc]

Durgetash facts (pre-tadpole)

-Their relationship was a slowburn chaotic mess, especially since Durge acted cold and distant at the beginning.

-For the anniversary of their partnership, Gortash gave Durge a ring adorned with a verdelite, claiming it would grant power and was meant to honor their alliance. However, it also carried the symbolism of a "promise." It took Durge several months to respond to the gesture, eventually gifting him a ring set with a ruby.

-"It's THE Dark Urge, not Dark Urge."

-Durge loves gnolls. Gortash? Not so much—and he doesn’t hesitate to make that known.

-In fact, it was Durge who came up with the idea to train worgs alongside Gortash, later gifting them to him so they could serve as "guard dogs" for Flymm Cargo.

-Their first real kiss happened at Moonrise Towers, when they finally acted on their feelings—just before Orin betrayed Durge, leading to her amnesia.

-Durge often visits him after midnight through the window to avoid disturbing his Banite rituals.

-“Watch out, you’re messing up the floor.”

-In some way, Gortash represents a symbol of “freedom” for Durge.

-Gortash prepared a room in his old house just for her, in case she ever wanted to retreat to a more comfortable place. It’s probably where most of her belongings are, unlike the temple.

-Threatening as a form of flirting? +100 approval.

-The trip to Mephistar was a very significant (and unsettling) emotional moment for Durge—not to mention the brief visit to the House of Hope.

-Gortash crafted Stillmaker for her so she’d have a dagger to match his crossbow.

-He taught her how to play the piano. Sometimes, they play together on the same piano, with Durge deliberately hitting wrong notes just to mess with him.

-Sometimes, they just like to try to poison each other—for fun. Well, mostly Durge, since Gortash quickly realized she’s immune.

-Incidentally, she’s partly to blame for him losing a good number of his henchmen. While he finds it amusing, he occasionally scolds her, explaining how hard it is to find competent people under his rule. If she destroys everything, it’s a problem…

-Durge HATES high-society gatherings among the Patriars but follows Gortash anyway, even though improvising as a noble isn’t her strong suit.

-Gortash keeps a journal where he’s drawn sketches of Dark Urge —including notes about her scales and the vibes—for a project that will never be completed, as she disappeared. He wanted to create an outfit for her.

-Despite her darker nature, Durge occasionally has moments of pure tenderness… times when she feels like an ordinary young woman. These are moments she cherishes deeply and wishes could last longer.

[durgetavoc]

Peindre l'amour Peindre la vie Pleurer en couleur Sur la toile notre vie s'écrit Adieu Adieu.