Baldur’s Gate 3 has been one of the most surprising hits of 2023, and keeping up with its lore-filled world is quite a chore. That being said, players starting their journey through Faerûn must have come across The Dark Urge, a playable Origin Character with an intriguing and mysterious description.

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Like most RPGs, Baldur’s Gate 3 allows players to customize their appearance, race, class, and background. They also have the option to play through the campaign as one of seven pre-designed characters that are weaved into the game’s story. While these Origin Characters offer different choices, opportunities, and missions specific to their lore, most of them can join the player’s party as in-game companions.

Players new to Baldur’s Gate 3 have noticed that while six of the Origin Characters appear as in-game companions, The Dark Urge can only be selected at the beginning of the game. It is also the only customizable Origin character, although changing The Dark Urge’s background is impossible. On top of it, this mysterious being also comes with a curious introduction that hints at possible amnesia and talks about a disturbing past. Well, with players now eager to learn more, here’s everything we could dig up about this enigmatic entity, but do be warned about potential Baldur’s Gate 3 Spoilers.

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The story behind The Dark Urge

When selecting The Dark Urge in the character selection screen,  the game reveals that this entity does not remember anything about their past other than a path filled with bloodshed and cruelty. Subsequently, specific in-game actions and objects reveal snippets about their past, and a strange character named Scleritas Fel often visits the player, informing them that their father is keeping an eye on their actions. On top of it, things get even more bizarre once the player reaches the Moonrise Towers location since many of the enemies here, including the boss, Ketheric Thorm, appear familiar with The Dark Urge.

The game eventually discloses that The Dark Urge is an offspring of Bhaal, the God of death. This means that the character is related by blood to Orin the Red, a shapeshifter who has long been teased as one of the main antagonists of Baldur’s Gate 3. However, Orin was never an ally, as she was responsible for removing The Dark Urge as the leader of the Bhaalist Cult and even allowed the Mind Flayers to capture them. The torture that followed wiped their memory clean, but the whole plot was a ruse, as the game soon reveals how The Dark Urge wanted to crown the Elder Brain and use the Absolute to exercise complete control over the world.

Events players will experience when playing with The Dark Urge

The most important decision a player will face while playing as The Dark Urge is whether to resist or give in to the evil that is contained within. Although fighting the urge might seem quite fascinating at first, there are times when the character will be forced to give in to their savage desires. Furthermore, playing as The Dark Urge gives players access to specific actions and their consequences. For example, The Dark Urge will kill Timber the Squirrel automatically upon meeting him, and players will also get the option to cut Gale’s hand off when the magician reaches out of the portal to ask for help.

However, the most crucial decision in The Dark Urge’s playthrough comes after they have defeated Orin the Red. Once the antagonist falls, Bhaal himself speaks to the player, asking them to accept his gift and become his chosen. If the player ends up accepting, they gain a powerful action as well as a spell, but companions Jaheira and Minsc leave the group immediately. On the other hand, declining Bhaal’s offer angers the God, and he strikes the player down without hesitation. This is where the game delivers a Harry Potter-esque twist as Withers arrives to claim that the player is still alive, but Bhaal’s strike destroyed the Dark Urge within.

Naturally, such interesting lore makes The Dark Urge one of the most exciting Origin Characters in Baldur’s Gate 3. In the meantime, you can click here to learn about the best mods available for the game.

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