The explanation of Caedus' personality change:
between the game and before, the similarities and why?
My Durge Caedus changes a lot between their Bhaalist years and the game.
The difference
Bhaalist Caedus is an evil and a manipulative person, a self confidence person so devoted to their father and their cult and also killer,
And Caedus during the game and after is totally the opposite: a sweet and a kind person and they suffer of a lack of self confidence but before to free of Bhaal they just keep their urges.
You can see for exemple the important difference with the OC toxic trait tag.
Caedus is not totally different, game Caedus keeps some traits:
Even if pregame and game/after game are so different, they have some similarities: Caedus loves jewels and make-up, they love paint and draw, they love collect things (Bhaalist Caedus is objects/weapons of their victims and game Caedus is documents found during their missions.), they also are overprotective, they love the red and black colors, and they love to style their hair with slicked back hair.
The brain damages caused by Orin and the months of torture and emprisonment in the Moonrise towers totally erase old Caedus’ personality. I explain more here the emprisonment in the Moonrise Towers, but careful there are a lot of TW.
In addition to the amnesia, to their troubles (like headaches, short therm memories loss and also a bad gesture coordination) caused by brain damages and traumas. A new Caedus emerges with totally a new personality, a kind personality.
Why this change of personality
TW: depression
My first Caedus run it was a redemption run but it was very hard to play an evil character at the beginning. So I decided to create a new run with a kind character who discovers who they were an evil person during their past. I wanted to show effects of that, the depression and the lack of self confidence caused by this. Try to support their past and to live with it. But also the theme to find themself despite the horror of the past. The theme of depression and lack of self confidence has an echo with my life, it was so important for me to create a character with that and a Durge can be perfect to explore these themes.
And one day, I saw a case that a person with brain damages is became aggressive why a person can not be became totally the opposite.
Caedus is haunted in their nightmare by their self past in the beginning of the act 3, that they discovered who were a Bhaalspwan. They see their self past as a monster who haunts them, Caedus is afraid of their past. I love to explore the horror and psychological sides of that.
Caedus is haunted by their self past during a nightmare.
With pregame Caedus, I want to show that a tormentor can be also a victim with their horrible father and Sarevok. I also want to explore the rise of the cult of Bhaal and the relationship with Gortash and also Orin who she’s a rebel of the traditional side of the cult, that’s why I love to create around Bhaalist Caedus.
I love so so much my Durge and their completely change of personality. I love this contrast.
And if you need to understand the differences between the lost mage and the red sorcerer: here. (TW: also depression)
