35. How would Dirge greet a player character if they were a companion at low, neutral, high, or romanced approval?
37. How would Dirge respond to a player character prompting them with, "Tell me about yourself"?
playing touys with mutuals on the internet 🎉🎉🎉🎉
35. Dirge Greetings (camp animation is looking up from a book hes reading to greet you, goes back to it when conversation is exited):
Low:
"Do you require something of me?"
"You need to ask something of me, specifically?"
"I'll spare a moment for you, but I'd prefer to keep this quick."
Neutral:
"Hm? Something I can help you with?"
"Oh? A question for me, perhaps?"
"Mm? Oh, you have need of me? Any time."
High:
"A pleasure to be graced by your presence."
"Oh, I was just thinking of you actually."
"I don't suppose your here for a quick moment, ah, to ourselves, are you?"
Romanced:
(if Minthara) "Alurlssrin, my second heart, tell me your wish and it is yours."
(if Karlach) "Ah my resident Firestarter. Do we need to burn another tent down?"
(if Astarion) "Mm, if your here for a nibble, either find us a closet or wait until nightfall, at the very least."
(if Gale) "Did you find another passage you need, ah, peer reviewed? You know I'm more than willing to show my work."
(if Tav/other Origin) "Ah my carotid artery, seeing you never fails to make me dizzy" [note: said with humor; making a pun. affectionately calling the player the artery that runs from the heart to supply oxygen to the brain; morbid joke that a visible artery would cause lightheadedness from bloodloss, double entendre because of his own fainting spells]
(if Tav/other Origin) "Say the word, my love, and together we will away to test exactly the limits of restraint on Evard's Black Tentacles"
(if Tav/other Origin) "Beloved dearest, a thrill to see you. Any mountains need moving?"
37. "Tell me about yourself."
[note: available after recruitment dialogue, where he reveals he has amnesia] "Ah, there-uh, isn't quite anything to say, I don't think? I, um. Can't seem to recall anything of note. Iiiiii think I enjoy books? Mm. And blood. But. That doesn't quite sound normal when I say it out loud, does it."
I think you've kind of talked about it before but what would it have taken for Dirge to not fall down the path he has in canon? What would have "saved" him (for lack of a better term)?
What would his foster parents had done if they lived? Would they have tried to help him through The Urge or sent him off to someone else who was more equiped to deal with it? Is there a scenario where Dirge's parents still die and he somehow doesn't end up in the temple? Where would he go otherwise?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS A GOODUN
its gonna be a LONG one too so. readmore HA
all it would take for dirge to not go down the path he ended up on is a change of circumstance. hes extremely social, so his immediate circle determines a LOT of what he considers acceptable, and what he mimics behaviorally. hes hand crafted out of bhaals gore, so his first moments being distinct from bhaal himself are wandering baldurs gate, naked alone and covered in viscera. his default mental defense mechanism is social mimicry, because he isnt a person, hes a murderous cuckoo trying to assimilate into the nest. hes essentially building a brand new OS for himself out of linux while everyone around him got windows 7 just for booting up. change what he has access to and the end person looks totally different, even using the same building blocks
so dirge is adopted by a lolth sworn drow couple who fled menzoberranzan (i havent pinned down why) and ended up living in baldurs gate as lower income refugees. (two bedroom cottage. relative squalor. poor part of the city)
the two of them had been having trouble properly acclimating to life in the city before they encountered dirge, freshly created out of bhaals gore and set to wander the alleys of baldurs gate. theyre no strangers to the Gates darker side, and a blood stained naked tiefling toddler wandering the bad side of town in the middle of the night leads one to draw some conclusions. having already been thinking about starting a family, they take dirge in and raise him as their own.
dirge is adored by his parents. hes a sweet child, affectionate and shy and curious, and raising him is exactly the push their lives needed to move forward. notably they are both still Evil aligned. their reasons for fleeing the underdark were specific and individual, rather than systemic or moral. while i doubt they still worship Lolth, its not like theyre opposed to the murders Lolth so often asks her followere to commit.
the urge awakens young in dirge, and its first manifestation is to drag his child body out of bed, to grab a knife, and stab both of his sleeping parents in the throat.
this situation isnt particularly hard to avoid, and dirge is successfully isolated almost entirely due to the element of surprise. all it would take is his mom working late, or opting to trance instead, and hearing him pad into the room with a weapon. hes not even 8 when this happens, so is very easily overpowered by even his slighter built mother, even with the Urge unnaturally strengthening his tiny body. itd be a long, upsetting night, and thered be wounds to treat in the morning, but at the end of it dirge would come to and immediately start bawling, overwhelmingly guilty at having attacked them.
theyd take it in stride. they wouldnt know exactly what was wrong with dirge, but theyd very quickly figure out it was something happening TO him and not something he knowingly or willingly engaged in. hailing from menzoberranzan, theyd be familiar with all the ways the will of a god can influence the day to day lives of mortals, but wouldnt know enough about surface gods to have any suspects. but theyd simply adjust their lives around this new complication. only one parent sleeps at a time, and they use trance. the other one stays awake and keeps an eye on dirge in case of nighttime episodes. theyd adjust their work schedules around it so that he was never left alone and unguarded. if dirge has another nighttime Urge episode, he just ends up restrained until it passes and no one sleeps that night. after a few years of this, bhaal starts sending assassins from the temple to reclaim his heir. but if anyones prepared for visitations in the night by politically motivated assassins, its two people who grew up in Backstab City
so dirge here grows up loved, and valued, and protected, and most importantly with a support system whos priorities are about controlling and managing his Urge, not overcoming or repressing it. hes still surrounded by death and blood, the difference here is that his autonomy is preserved and encouraged. his parents wont let him be subsumed into the will of a defiant god, but they dont shy away from confronting the realities of what he is. dirge will always be driven to kill, but whats important is killing pragmatically, safely, in a way that doesnt risk the family's stability. dirge still ends up Evil, but its a quieter and more restrained evil, one that simply understands the nature of what he is (even if he doesnt know the exact circumstances) and refuses to deny it. there is no death cult nihilism or a burning need to prove himself through atonement and worthiness trials, and while hes ambitious still, its an ambitiousness that is focused more on whats feasibly within reach more than grand overarching goals. dirge here keeps his nature as a bhaalspawn tightly under wraps, because its less relevant for other people to know, and is loathe to leave his comfort zone of his family, as theyre the only ones proven to reliably handle his compulsions in a way that minimizes risk.
the alternate scenario, one where dirge kills his parents but manages to NOT become the absolute making serial killer we know and love, actually focuses more on his siblings!
so some context and setup. dirge is the last of four spawn, all crafted in the same manner. bhaal carved away chunks of his body to craft spawn to carry out his will upon the material plane, each found unworthy and unfit in some fashion. the first of these is zherimon, a tiefling paladin driven by pride. zherimon inherited rule of the temple from sarevok, who retires to the tribunal and focuses all his effort on the training of unholy assassins and deathbringers. however, zherimon feels that a being made from the flesh of a god is meant for so much more than lowly service, and has been seeking a way to leave the temple for some time. after zherimon was deemed unfit, owing to his pride making him uncooperative and ambitious, bhaal tried again. the second attempt was the drow paladin ornaryn, driven by a sense of duty. ornaryn came into his paladin oath after leaving menzoberanzan, and swore an oath of vengeance against all who would prey upon the innocent and weak. morally opposed to the acts bhaal would call him to commit, ornaryn is utterly against the actions of the temple, but is drawn there nonetheless. unfit to take zherimons place as head of the temple, the two are utterly opposed to each other on every level. ornaryn considers zherimon to have the potential to become one of the greatest threats to peace on faerun, and zherimon finds the drow irritating and aggravating for his constant efforts to foil his attempts to leave the temple and realize his ambitions. ornaryn stays within the temple of bhaal to maintain a watchful presence on zherimon, and to try and diminish and undermine the cult however he can. his actions to drive the cult to ruin benefit zherimon (who only makes token efforts of appeasement to bhaal) and thus his death has not been ordered... yet. Deeming Ornaryn a total failure, Bhaal instead uses the Urge to force uncontrollable acts of slaughter on Ornaryn, typically by forcing him to choose between two victims that would break his oath. Ornaryn uses the Cult to limit these incidents as best he can, and satiate his Urges with the blood of villains.
The third attempt, after Zherimon and Ornaryns back and forth made it obvious neither would make a point of slaughtering the other (both unwilling to bring Bhaal satisfaction on this matter), was a goliath barbarian, Haflidi. Haflidis Urge typically manifested as an all consuming rage that would not be quenched by aught less than a sea of blood, and the awakening of his Urge resulted in the deaths of every last person within his village, all before he had even become a man proper. However, while Hafldi was neither driven by ambitious pride, or regretful duty, he still proved himself utterly unworthy. Halfidi was completely unable to be motivated by anything beyond his self interest, and attempts to force him would instead result in him proving his divine heritage by digging his heels in and refusing to do anything at all. Lazy and slothful, Haflidi made his way to the temple solely because it would support his occasional need for blood, and near immediately proved that another heir would be needed.
That last spawn was Dirge. Coming on the heels of 3 failures, Dirge was crafted with the intent of forcing him into the role of Chosen, regardless of how much he would need to be broken for it. His Urges awoke earlier than any other, killing his parents, and driving him into the waiting arms of the temple, guided by a dedicated butler in the form of Sceleritas. When Dirge usually arrives at the temple, he then spends the next several years isolated within the temple, groomed and indoctrinated for the role of cult leader and chosen, alongside Orin. But the night he arrives is what provides the oppurtunity for events to turn out differently.
Orin has already slain her mother, and been used as Bhaal's Mouthpiece for the killing. While still young, Sarevok intends for her to replace Zherimon. Dirge arrives as the so called Purest Essence of Bhaal, and provides a second option. Zherimon, through Dirge and Orin, sees a means of escaping the Temple at long last. If one of them ascends as Leader, Bhaal's vindictive gaze would at long last stray to focus on them, instead of him, and he would finally have enough freedom to begin enacting his schemes without fear of divine sabotage. Ornaryn sees Dirge enter the temple, and understands EXACTLY what Zherimon is going to do. Predicting this, both Zherimon and Bhaal have forced Ornaryn into a new quandry: Follow the call of the Urge to slay the foes of Bhaal across the continent, or stay and be driven by it to try and kill two children and be slain in the attempt. Ornaryn typically forces himself to go that night, reasoning that if he manages to finish this dark deed with enough haste, he can return and free Orin and Dirge both, that Zherimon would kill him in his Urge maddened state if he remained, and he would be no help to them if he died. But Ornaryn was not intended to return, and he is kept from the temple for many many long years. When he does manage to return, Dirge has ascended into Zherimons position as leader, and has been utterly subsumed by his role as The Dark Urge. Zherimon instead forces Ornaryn and Haflidi both into supporting roles for Dirge's rule of the temple, and then retreats from power to continue pulling away from Bhaal entirely.
However. When Ornaryn instead chooses not to leave in the night, but stay.
Ornaryn waits, waits until the sun slips below the horizon, and the temple begins to empty out. All that remains are those who live within the temple itself, the bhaalspawn and the twisted and wicked too zealous to integrate into society even as a mask, so monstrous are they in their faith. The Urge will be sated tonight. But not by innocent blood.
Ornaryn kills every last zealot in the temple proper. Zherimon is sleeping within his chambers, and Sarevok resides within the tribunal. Ornaryns spear looses rivers of blood, and the temple runs red with it. When the deed is done, Ornaryn hurries to wake Haflidi and tells him they are leaving the temple, before rushing to grab Dirge and Orin, who were sharing a room to ease Dirge's first night in the temple. Sceleritas is slain before he gets the chance to wake them, and Ornaryn gathers the sleepy confused children into his arms to make a hasty escape.
Awoken by the commotion, Zherimon emerges from his room to a scene of carnage. Instantly understanding whats happening, he immediately rushes out to confront Ornaryn from stealing away his chance at escape. Zherimon catches up as they're making their way out of the Undercity, and Ornaryn shoves the children into Haflidis arms and tells him to run, run fast, and to never slow for anything. Confused and disoriented by the rushes series of events, Haflidi complies and sprints holding onto Dirge and Orin. Haflidi runs out of the undercity, out of the sewers, and into the Lower City, where he breaks into an abandoned house to try and wait for Ornaryns return. Hes there for hours, as his younger siblings fully awaken and begin to fuss and cry at having been dragged away for the temple, Orin throwing tantrums at being so far from her grandfather and Dirge utterly miserable at all the events of the day. Haflidi is on the brink of a rage, when Ornaryn returns stumbling, missing an arm and one of his eyes. Having managed to fight Zherimon to a standstill, he starts trying to recover and make a new plan of action to ensure their safety.
The events of the night have been tumultuous, and most importantly, loud. The conflict between the two eldest divine spawn was an arduous drawn out affair, and the battle has all the makings of a brewing incident. Attempting to get a handle on the situation before it escalates, Jaheira investigates the commotion, and follows the blood trail to a house in the Lower City containing not one, not two, but four Bhaalspawn, one of whom is the source of the gore and clumsily attempting to point a spear in her direction to protect the other three.
The end result of that chain of events, is that the four of them end up integrated into Jaheira's household close to the Upper City, to both provide the children with a chance for a better life, and to maintain vigilance over the movements of Bhaal's Cult, now severely weakened. Dirge grows up with a large family, but is constantly plagued by the Urge, as Bhaal is unwilling to surrender his goals for the youngest of his hand sculpted spawn. Dirge ends up something of a shut in, because of it, viewing himself as a constant potential danger to his family, and unreliable because of it. Jaheira tries to help satiate his Urges with hunting, but animal deaths barely satisfy it at all.
Hes mostly an introverted weirdo, who adores and loves his family but rarely leaves his room, or the shed outside where he practices his hobbies. The hunting may not help the Urges, but its fantastic for leatherworking and taxidermy, and Dirge supplies Orin with whatever materials she asks for as she pursues her art. Whole skinned raccoons, preserved deer heads, skeletons cleaned and then conjoined unnaturally. Orin maintains her independence and ambition, now supported by a whole adopted family, but spends a good chunk of her time worrying about her reclusive listless brother who doesn't seem to desire much beyond isolating himself. Despite having multiple siblings in his life, Dirge stays closest with Orin, the two of them as close as twins (Orin also maintains her habit of shapeshifting into him semi regularly).
Dirge here is closer to True Neutral, rather than his usual Neutral Evil, too anxious of himself and his nature to meaningfully commit to anything, but too supported and loved to develop his usual callousness towards life. Dirge mostly wishes to avoid causing pain for his family, and doesnt trust that he wont risk their lives and wellbeings in some manner. Hes nervous, antisocial, deeply loyal and affectionate, and very eccentric with his hobbies and passions. Different circumstances tend to emphasize different aspects of canon!Dirge and this one really highlights the ways hes just kind of. Odd. even without the murder
sorry this took SOOO long but hopefully the two for one au special makes up for it!!
50. what's one moral/belief that Dirge stands by that you personally don't agree with?
bonus points if it has nothing to do with being a Bhaalspawn or the Urge and it's something really mundane
HOOO BOY. GONNA BE HERE A MINUTE
Dirge is. COMICALLY evil. Its part and parcel with being a canon compliant Dark Urge. The biggest one is his complete devaluing of human life and the people who live them. Hes a deeply selfish individual whos moral beliefs are entirely self serving, who doesn't really see any point in political ideology aside from how it can be leveraged to benefit him, and he'll gladly pay lip service to whatever tenets or belief systems will pay the most dividends. He doesn't actually have any greater ideology now that hes free of Bhaal, and is more or less entirely impulse and task driven, which contributes to his problems with long term goal setting. While you can convince him to adjust his behavior, he doesn't see a point in changing his underlying beliefs.
I care REALLY deeply about human lives because I live in a world that arbitrarily devalues them. My family is disabled, Im disabled, my whole family is fat, and I'm a closeted queer in a southern state. I have to fight really hard for the right to stay alive and I find strength and community in that shared struggle with my fellow comrades. I feel that a coherent system of politics and ideological beliefs creates the structures and impetus to enact change and helps build the foundation of a better world, and that those politics must change in response to material conditions and for intended end results.
Dirge being an entirely checked out apolitical agent of self interest is quite literally the furthest thing from the kind of person I want to be and that isnt even touching on how hes an unrepentant serial killer LMAO
for mundane things, I believe really strongly in the act of making and consuming food as a means of connection making, both through cultural barriers and forward and back through history, that every best part of humanity starts and is exemplified through a good meal, and meanwhile Dirge just does nooootttt give a single fuck. He eats food cuz being hungry sucks, and he has an iron stomach so he really doesnt give a fuck what he puts in it. It pisses me off so much, he barely has taste preferences or favorite foods like man. come the fuck ONNNNNNNN
I'm surprised that Dirge's pact with Caiphon (seemingly) hasn't backfired on him yet, considering Caiphon is known to betray people who rely on him so heavily. Especially since a part of Caiphon is literally inside his brain at any given moment. I don't know if he thought all of that through as well as he believes he did (remembering you said he doesn't understand how warlocks like Wyll aren't more thorough when making their pacts)
Have you thought about what the "right circumstances" are for their pact to be fufilled? What will happen to Dirge when they are?
honestly my only source for caiphon was a dragon article poorly photocopied YEARS ago that primarily focused on the fact it existed, and the various unique spells it offers. so most of my experience with caiphon was a single little blurb about how it entreated knowledge seekers! the fact its so betrayal prone doesnt surprise me in the slightest, but it IS new information! so most of this characterization is me looking at dnd content they didn't bring into 5e (regular 5e, havent checked out 2024) and saying My City Now. i am. significantly less canon compliant with a setting last published in 3.5 with a semi reliable wiki (at least. in 2017. its probably better now) and i more or less just expand on the little i have access to. basically, if you cant find it in bg3, im adding "source: it came to me in a dream" onto everything else i do sjdksjdmshfj
There IS a sizable language barrier there (caiphon being. a sentient star mass that only kiiiiinda can take a perceivable form and even then its a faulty approximation) so they had to negotiate in extremely loose terms as they werent mutually understandable. More or less a mutual fulfillment of desires. Caiphon would grant Dirge's desire, if Dirge would grant Caiphon's. Caiphon craves new and novel information, and Dirge desired freedom, so from the get go Caiphon is set up to get what it wants more or less immediately. Dirge is in a very unique position, set up by extenuating circumstances to do a LOT of interesting things, because up until Dirge and his brothers, Bhaal made spawn the Classic Way. So with Dirge being denied death, and heavily radicalized, there was NO way that WASN'T going to blow up spectacularly. Caiphon wanted front row seats to whatever historical event Dirge enacted that would scar Faerun forever. And it got that, and more! The inner workings of the cult, the relationships Dirge has with the other bhaalspawn, the intimate goings on with the cult of Bane through Gortash, the creation of the Steel Watch, the creation of the Absolute, the heist for the Crown of Karsus. Damn thing made out like a bandit. To say its satisfied would be an understatement, especially because it VERY much has the impression its exploiting Dirge, because of how little its (from its perspective) offering in return. The GOO lock options in game aren't really antagonistic, and I like to interpret that as Caiphon and Dirge unironically getting along fairly amicably.
Dirge meanwhile desired freedom, which, given his circumstances, was very much a One Big Event and then Done kinda deal. So his warlock powers are more or less confirmation they're still in a partnership together, which is part of why on the first night post nautiloid, Dirge can't actually recollect anything about the pact but feels Caiphon's power anyways. Its really kind of hands off for both of them. Caiphon's content to let Dirge use whatever he can figure out and master, because it isn't really doing much besides eavesdropping. Dirge's pact is fulfilled in the temple of Bhaal, when he rejects his father. Caiphon is able to transgress upon the material plane thanks to reality bowing to the terms of the pact, because as Dirge has fulfilled his end, he MUST be fully and totally freed of Bhaal. Thus his pact manifests physically and begins to utterly destroy the Temple, to break the foundation of power Bhaal has in the city, desecrating its holy ground, and snapping the tether to the Throne of Blood now that Dirge is fully disinherited, and Caiphon animates Dirge just enough to let him limp his way out of the city to camp, carrying Orin's gore streaked corpse, before completely collapsing. Caiphon didn't possess the capability to break Bhaal's bond to Dirge but it COULD ensure Bhaal couldn't ensnare him again. This does mean Dirge has to negotiate a new pact when Withers revives him, and getting a Witness for the ritual is a haaaard sell given. All That. (gortash will NOT do that shit again).
Dirge's second pact is similar to the first, having built up a solid amount of good will from the first pact. With Withers maintaining his life, Dirge more or less just desires power to enact his goals like he has been, and Caiphon still craves new novel information. So Caiphon shacks back up in his brain, and still uses Dirge's eye, and Dirge keeps all his warlock levels.
After the Absolute crisis is handled, Dirge feeds his pact by using Caiphon's power with the Necromancy of Thay to begin pioneering a new form of necromantic magic that gestates new soulless life out of dead raw material.
Fun fact! Because your GOOlock patron can chime in when getting the Blood of Lathander, I personally like to characterize Caiphon as finding pleasure in acts of blasphemy, and in sharing Dirge's fondness for magic artifact goodies. So because of that, Caiphon actually points out the Ersatz Eye in Volo's possession before Volo brings it up, but insinuates Volo won't give it up except out of guilt, so Dirge white knuckles it through the Volo lobotomy. They're both under the impression they're exploiting the other, because neither of them really has to lift a finger for their pact, but its mutually satisfying so they have a good relationship with each other. Caiphon is not immune to charismatic tiefling spawn. They chat occasionally in Dirge's mind, and Caiphon has a decent grasp on common, but it'd still be a profoundly uncomfortable experience for literally anyone that isn't Dirge.
not sure if you've already explained it or gotten this question before, but does "Dirge" mean anything? or is it just a play on "Durge"?
did Dirge just shorten "The Dark Urge" because it was too weird/concerning or was he always called that? did he ever have a different name beforehand?
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS QUESTION FOR SOOOOOOOO LONG U DONT EVEN KNOW
its hands down one of my FAVORITE trivia pieces for him!!!
Out of character, I rly struggle with naming player characters, so i wanted to make a durge named dirge because thats funny. but now its a whole THING
So! When Dirge was a freshly sculpted gore baby, he gets adopted by a refugee drow couple who had fled Menzoberranzan. They do give him a name, but seeing as how he killed them when he was VERY young (think 6-8), hes long since forgotten that name. And ever since entering the temple of Bhaal, he almost exclusively was referred to by a series of titles, or familial nicknames like bloodkin, slaughterkin, etc. He never renamed himself, and upon taking leadership of the cult, purposefully chose not to so as to better subsume himself into his role as living vessel of Bhaal's will made flesh.
HOWEVER! Despite attempting to completely deperson himself, he still had a few identifying habits. Gortash was the only person Dirge had regular interaction with outside the cult interested in viewing the man beneath the titles, and made a point of trying to uncover that individual as often as possible. In part it was because it gave Gortash a personal little thrill, to have that kind of power over Bhaal's Chosen by Knowing Him, and because he sensed a core truth Dirge himself refused to acknowledge: like is attracted to like, and Gortash knows an angry powerless traumatized child hungry for the world when he sees one.
So Gortash ended up being privy to a LOT of Dirge's private moments, and shamelessly encouraged them, and always strove to try and pull Dirge-the-Person out from the shell of The Religious Idol. Which meant that he was actually the only person before Dirge's lobotomy to notice a particular quirk he has: when Dirge is by himself, and comfortable, when his mind is at rest and calm, and when his attention is occupied by something engaging, he sings. Quietly, and to himself, but he sings nonetheless. (hes a tenor btw)
Gortash just so happened to be present when Dirge was thus engaged, cleaning up after a particularly satisfying kill, and affectionately joked that the man was "his personal funeral dirge", which of course IMMEDIATELY made Dirge stop and threaten to slaughter Gortash right then and there.
A lifetime later, on the beach waking up Shadowheart, when she properly introduces herself to him and asks for his name in turn, there is absolutely nothing in his skull that serves to identify him, to himself or to others, he catches a single fragment of an interaction, the barest fraction of a memory, of someone calling him Dirge. So that's how he introduces himself, and it sticks.
actually ignore my last ask PLEASE do the character bingo for all the Dead Three's Chosen (Gortash, Orin, Ketheric)
DONE 🎉🎉🎉 MY FAVORITE TRIO OF MESSY BITCHES
unsurprisingly orin is the only one who gets a bingo. i do adore her SO much
i really do like gortash but he just doesnt compel me the way orin or ketheric do. i DO think hes a really well implemented villain and honestly i dont think any other character hits "abused child gets revenge by being Mega Evil" outta the park the way gortash does, with a frankly comical amount of Ws. durgetash is also just a blast to play with
THE BADDEST MF ON THE SWORDS COAST. HIS INTRO STILL GETS ME HYPE.
part of the reason i love act 2 so much is THIS FUCKING GUY!!!!! hes a part of soooo many interesting dynamics like AUGHHHHH dont even get me started on the ketheric+isobel+durge dynamic like god DAMN. out here we LOVE one evil homophobic grandpa 😤😤😤
youre hitting him with hammers. i hope you know this.
PLEASE continue 💜
ask game from here!
good god this ended up LONG. enjoy the dirge deepcuts!!!
5: what was your character's dream job as a kid? is it different than what their career ended up being?
Dirge definitely didn't dream of being a cult leader as a kid, until he was indoctrinated by a cult and told to desire that. When he lived with his parents, he was young enough to have NO idea what they did for a living, only that they weren't always there at the same time because of "work". He spent most of his days being doted on and playing so he wasn't really exposed to a lot of different career ideas beforehand. If you asked baby Dirge what he'd want to do when he grew up he'd probably tell you that he wants to hang around animals all day, since he really liked them.
In no time period did he ever expect to be a trophy husband with helpful hobbies. You maybe could have convinced him on the circumstantial adventurer bit, teenage Dirge would have been confused but understanding of the cult leader thing, but arm candy for an exiled drow paladin was just too out there for him.
His mom could've predicted it though.
15: who is your OC’s best friend?
I'm so proud of my antisocial introverted little freak cuz he has FOUR. This one ended up SO long im intervening and slapping a readmore on it. Have fun!
Karlach is the first one he thinks of because they are silly4silly and had a brief FWB situation. She means the world to him and was a major influence in Dirge moving out of his survival mindset/nihilism+death cult habit into genuinely appreciating being alive.
Astarion is also one of his best friends. They matched each others energies very early on and Dirge consistely refused to entertain Astarion's suave manipulator persona in the slightest, instead treating it as an over the top dramatic role they were both playing. His blunt, nonjudgemental, casual approach cut through a lot of Astarion's pomp and circumstance and build the foundations for a genuine appreciation and fondness (that eventually shifted away from sexual into purely platonic), and in return Astarion is one of the few people who consistently notices and points out Dirge's heavily concealed emotional issues and poorly repressed traumas. Theres a lot of broad overlap in their experiences, the loss of autonomy and the sexual trauma it carried with it, and Astarion is almost always the first to clock it. Because of that, Dirge will be open with Astarion about fears and vulnerabilities he keeps even from Minthara (not out of a purposeful desire to keep her out of the loop; Dirge needs a lot of pressing to open up about his Urge related vulnerabilities. Astarion knows how and when to press because Dirge employs similar avoidance tactics he does. Astarion also clocks what Dirge needs to be pressed on and what to let lie. With Minthara, Dirge wants to emphasize his independence and autonomy, instead of coming off as helpless or weak in the face of dangers that could threaten Minthara's life, and make a point of specifically targeting her.) Beyond just a mutual acknowledgement of trauma, they're both messy GNC bi/pan gossip fiends with weird eccentric ideas of hedonism. I'm sure there was talk of the viability of orgies in a heated blood jacuzi at least once with them.
His third bestie is Shadowheart! Dirge rescues her twice over, first the Nautiloid and then the beach, and they rely on each other for survival next to immediately. Their relationship is a lot closer to familial, and Dirge is very teasing with her and vice versa. There was a brief hint of romance extremely early on, but it died fairly quick in favor of their current dynamic. Dirge was INCREDIBLY nosy about Shadowheart and her life, but never really pushed it, so despite her fondness for secrets she ended up indulging him anyways about it. Similar to Astarion, shes also a gossip fiend, but not nearly as weird. She almost definitely clocks that Dirge isn't nearly as cisgender as he avoids thinking he is, and they spend a lot of time chatting while Dirge braids her hair or Shadowheart helps reapply his eyeshadow+mascara.
His fourth bestie is Isobel. They hit it off p well in Last Light Inn, successfully fending off Marcus. Theres a brief bit (all headcanon ofc) where Jaheira checks on the other Harpers, while the party assesses the damage, and Dirge is left alone with Isobel. Alone in an isolated room without any witnesses, everyone too far away to stop him, its almost too much, and as is his habit by now, Dirge confesses his near overwhelming Urge to murder her so she can safeguard herself from him. But instead, Isobel is the first person to distinguish the Urge as something that is not indicative of Dirge himself. Even as it makes the Urge roil and seethe, she reassures him that this isn't what he wants. Its just the push he needs to fully repress it, and just like that the Urge is as meek and tamed as a beaten dog. And Isobel notices, and notices immediately. "There you are. The real you." Its more acknowledgement than Dirge ever recalls getting before. And he immediately decides he likes her for it.
Even though he isn't aware of it at the time, Dirge IS a godspawn, and personally I just believe Isobel has a habit of unintentionally drawing them to her, owing to her deep connection to divinity through her identity as a cleric. Not to say Isobel is built different but she kind of is. So Dirge is just unconsciously drawn to her presence, and Isobel has a soothing effect on him. Beyond that, the two of them just fall into an easy affection, as natural as breathing. I dont think Isobel is nearly as cut and dry Sunshine and Roses as she seems to be, and I think Dirge is the only person shes comfortable expressing a dry, morbid sense of humor around. Theres a selfish desire for friendship there, also. Dirge is Evil, and he never stops being evil, he just adjusts his behavior. But despite knowing this, Isobel selfishly wants to stay around him anyways. Shes lost so much and has so little now, she WANTS someone besides Aylin to be around, to talk to, especially because there are parts of her she cant express around Aylin, out of respect for her trauma. But theres a rot inside her that wont leave, a patchwork plethora of scars that wont fade, and a burning rotten world lit only by the faint light of the moon, and sometimes its all so ridiculous she cant help but want to laugh. But who else would laugh with her? The bhaalspawn scion of murder who once sought to kill the world, thats who. And shes loathe to give that up.
Beyond the initial connection and selfish desire to maintain it, they just have a very easy casual vulnerability with each other. Isobel can read Dirge like an open book, and quickly clocks that he isn't nearly as complicated as he seems to be. She's never once scared of him, teasing him easily and freely and enjoying a casual level of physical affection, and even when he postures and threatens in response, he doesn't mean it or he wouldn't say it. Theres a mix of sillyness, vulnerability, and casual platonic love, owing both to the lengths Dirge goes through to finish Ketheric and reunite her with Aylin, and a shared trauma of violated autonomy. Dirge is the one who pulled Isobel from her tomb, and Dirge is the one who prepared her body for resurrection. The memory comes suddenly upon seeing Isobel's autopsy scars (a headcanon i live and breathe by), hot on the heels of learning the origins of his own autopsy scars, and Isobel doesn't have to push very hard to make him haltingly explain the memory he just recollected.
Ever since she awoke, Isobel has been haunted by the knowledge that someone fished her out of death and stuffed her back into her own corpse. She imagines her father, trying to resurrect a parody of his daughter, one who didnt need the other half of her soul locked away in the Shadowfell. She imagines Balthazar, his cold cynical objectifying hands, clammy and cruel and devoid of care. It sickens her. She avoids thinking of it. But she needs to know, to stop imagining and try to move past it. Dirge emphasizes his responsibility. Doesnt make excuses or minimizes. The guilt is palpable. But nonetheless, a scene crystallizes perfectly in her mind. The Scion of Bhaal, driven to kill and murder, delicately peeling away the skin deep mask to see the person underneath. Mournful and full of regret already. He knows the violation hes enabling. He hates it even now. He cant ask her consent, or explain the necessity he feels. He can only cut away the rot to make way for something new. Seeing her. Thinking of her. Not as a symbol, or as a tool. A person. Someone with thoughts and feelings, who will wake up and breathe and bleed and live. Someone who is looking at Isobel Thorm, not the lost daughter or the tool to end the world, but her. This whole time, the person who gave her a second life, was thinking about her and what shed do with it and how he sacrificed everything he believed in for her, and how badly he wished he could tell her, talk to her, explain to her. He gave her back Aylin. He ended the legacy of her father, the wight he became and the curse he spewed forth. He gave Isobel back her life and then gave her a reason to live it. Hearing him talk, thinking even now of the person behind the cleric, thinking even still of her and what shed want, the rot finally starts to loosen. He thinks its only fair he tells her about Kressa, even as she protests, but its not like she got to choose for him to know this about her. Its the least he can do for her. Autonomy violated, bodies desecrated, Isobel and Dirge always, always, see the person behind the god. They can't help but love each other for it.
Best friends indeed.
24: how does your OC handle death of someone they know?
Badly. Despite being a harbinger of death, Dirge isn't actually equipped for grief. He's never had to grieve before, and no ones ever shown him how or how to get through it. He was indoctrinated out of grieving his parents, and had no loved ones outside the temple until meeting Gortash. He doesn't know how it works or what to do about it, and is forced to try and make do.
Hes going to live forever. He knows this. Its hard to fully grok though, because hes always danced on the knifes edge. But the edge is dulled and stable now, and his feet no longer threaten to slip. Theres a home with a garden, the evenings are quiet, and no screams fill the night air. He is going to live forever. And so few others will. Its part of why Isobel insists on keeping in contact with him. In much the same way Aylin is adjusting to life as a person, and not a holy sword, Dirge needs the guidance and experience Aylin can give him on what eternity looks like. Astarion also. But the others? They will wither and fade. Theres no engine that will make Karlach eternal.
He wont force it onto anyone. If its their desire to grow old and die, Dirge will respect it, and fight like hell to ensure it comes to pass. But the thought of it is sad, and lonely. Minthara, at least, seeks to stand beside him until eternity takes them both. The others arent so keen. He hasn't quite figured out how to mourn yet. His grief for Orin is clumsy and awkward, full of regret. It feels like even in her passing, hes still overshadowing her with his own feelings of loss. Despite knowing where shes gone to. What awaits her. He avoids thinking of Gortash. What Bane is subjecting him to. Tries to ignore the parts of him that want to snatch him away from it all. Tries not to be selfish. Its hard, because grief is a starving, selfish thing, and there is so much to mourn, so much to bury. The person he used to be. The people that man loved. The life he wanted for himself. Grief is always looking inward, and eating itself just for a sensation that isnt numb.
It never gets easier, even with practice. The world gets a little smaller, a little dimmer. He never quite knows what to say, what to do. Its just this awkward lump he cant figure out how to carry. He wouldnt put it down for the world. He loves too much for that. It just weighs him down, more and more. Thats just how he loves someone who cant feel it anymore.
3. How often does Dirge show his genuine emotions?
11. If someone was impersonating Dirge, what would his companions ask or do to tell the difference (curious because of the whole doppleganger subplot in Act 3)
46. Is Dirge a listener or a talker? If he's a listener, what makes him talk? If he's a talker, what makes him listen?
ANOTHER ONE 🥂
im not gonna reblog the source post and put two asks memes on the dash back to back im just gonna link it here smfnsmfnsnf
3. How often does Dirge show his genuine emotions?
You'd think someone with expertise in deception who makes a habit of putting on a persona of amicable NPC would make a point of never showing his hand at any point, but in reality hes an open and shut book constantly wearing his heart on his sleeve. He almost never hides his feelings around people hes invested in interacting with (read: the companions), and the only feelings he makes a point of hiding are his anxities relating to the Urge, and the occasional embarrasment+indignation+shame at not having the knowledge or skills to perform a basic domestic task.
The one exception to this is when Minthara joined the party and he tried (poorly) to hide his overwhelmingly blatant crush on her. She had just gotten out of a horrifying situation that violated her autonomy and trust and now is forced to ally with a bunch of strangers she had once been in conflict with who she knows don't fully trust her because of it, and he doesn't want to burden her with attending to his own feelings and affections when it shouldn't be her responsibility. He wants to give her the space to come to her own conclusions and feelings, especially because she's been denied that freedom for so long, and he doesn't want Minthara to feel like she has to cater to his affection just to stay safe and secure in camp. Thankfully she doesn't know him well enough to pick up all his tells, but everyone else in camp immediately sees hes head over heels trailing behind her like a lovesick puppy. He isn't subtle LMAO
tldr if he is Experiencing Emotion. youll know. and if hes hiding it, you can bully him to find out LOL
11. If someone was impersonating Dirge, what would his compaions ask or do to tell the difference?
A generic doppleganger would really struggle with Dirge's particular brand of body language (slightly unnerving in a way difficult to pin down or isolate, a combination of a tendency to loom, slip inside personal bubbles, and a general bhaalspawn aura of unease), so really itd take about as long as someone finally noticing they don't have a general underlying anxiety.
Orin however grew up with Dirge and is a deadringer for his body language, where she in particular slips up is his personality. The person he is now doesn't make logical consistent sense with the person Orin knew him as and the end result is always someone harsher and crueler than how he actually is. She just can't square that circle because she relies on the image of Dirge in her mind to cope with the things shes done and the person she is now. So that'd be a tip off.
In the hypothetical of something somehow managing to otherwise perfectly replicate Dirge, all someone would have to do is leave something ajar or off center. Dirge compulsively and fastidiously organizes things and is constantly adjusting things to be on center and facing forward, and its just one of his minor OCD symptoms that helps him with feeling in control, so unless a doppelganger snagged his mental illnesses to boot, just watching him walk by an off center mug would be a massive red flag.
Besides that, Dirge is so unhinged and weird there isn't really much you could get him to talk about or say that'd tip anyone off. Hes JUST a freak skfjsmfhsjfn
46. Is Dirge a listener or a talker? If he's a listener, what makes him talk? If he's a talker, what makes him listen?
Dirge goes back and forth between them because the only time he's invested in a conversation enough to be either, is when he's talking to a companion. And then he just flips back and forth because he LOOOOVES social interaction with them, he is going to get such a good grade in Conversation. He loves listening to his friends talk and he loves talking to them, and he enjoys being a chatterbox with them (yay! autonomy and opinions yippee!!) and he loves when THEY'RE being chatterboxes because at the end of the day he is a shelter dog watching his favorite person come home from work. He just enjoys interacting with them and will flipflop to whatever makes it go on longer+more enjoyable. I think he does tend to come OFF as a talker tho because of how often he has to go prying to make people open up, but getting him to be quiet really is just as simple as opening up your own mouth to talk over him.
