Unveiling the Epic Saga of Baldur's Gate 3's Dark Urge: A Compelling Journey Unraveled

Baldur's Gate 3: Giving In or Resisting the Urge

The opening of Baldur's Gate 3 presents players with significant choices. They can opt for a fully customized character or explore one of the Origin characters such as Astarion, Karlach, and others. Additionally, a fascinating option is The Dark Urge, an Origin character with a distinctive storyline that allows for complete customization. In this path, the player's character is stripped of their memories but plagued by an insatiable thirst for murder, as the name implies.

Baldur's Gate 3: The Truth Behind the Dark Urge

The insatiable desire to kill never ceases, with even the creative minds of Baldur's Gate 3 players falling victim to its grip. Take, for instance, the initial encounter with Gale, where players entertain the notion of putting an end to his existence. In this twisted fantasy, the player's consciousness fades away, only to awaken to the macabre sight of Gale's lifeless body and his severed hand now occupying their inventory. As the journey through Baldur's Gate 3 unfolds, these sinister impulses grow stronger, revealing a slowly unraveling truth.

In Baldur's Gate 3, there are two main paths regarding the Dark Urge: Give In or Resist. While one leads to players embracing their murderous instincts, the other offers an equally captivating alternative. Throughout the game, players encounter various choices tied to their Dark Urge, constantly tempted and faced with difficult decisions. Even those who resist the urge will inevitably take lives. One significant event involves a Tiefling Bard who appears to join the player's party, only to meet a tragic fate at the hands of the player, while they sleep. As the game progresses, players can decide how much they disclose about their urges. Eventually, they will encounter Scleritas Fel, a mysterious figure.

From this content, players will gain insight into their inner demons and the constant surveillance from their "father". Scleritas will present players with another target, and depending on their choices, will also attempt to manipulate the player into eliminating their loved ones. The player's interactions with Scleritas will greatly influence and reinforce their relationship, with the romantic storyline involving Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3 being particularly heartwarming. Additionally, upon reaching Moonrise Towers, it becomes evident that the inhabitants are familiar with the player character's past, and one of the game's main antagonists, Ketheric Thorm, takes pleasure in exploiting the player's amnesia. While partial truths may be discovered here, the ultimate answers lie in Baldur's Gate.

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The players will discover that they are Bhaalspawn, the offspring of Bhaal, the Lord of Murder. This revelation may not come as a surprise, considering the significant role played by the Dead Three in Baldur's Gate 3, coupled with the unexpected involvement of the Illithids. The story can become quite complex, but in essence, the player assumes the role of Orin the Red's sibling, who was the leader of the Bhaalist Cult before Orin attempted to kill them. Orin's actions resulted in the player losing all their memories and being captured by the Illithids. However, it goes even deeper than that; players gradually uncover that it was actually them who orchestrated the entire plot. During their time at Moonrise Towers, under the influence of the Dark Urge, the player adorned the Crown on the Elder Brain and sought to gain control over, or even destroy, the world through the Absolute. With this newfound knowledge, players have the ability to defeat Orin, reclaim their rightful place, and fulfill their own plans for their father. Alternatively, players can choose to defeat Orin the Red to obtain her stone and wholeheartedly reject their connection to their father.

Provoking the anger of a deity rarely leads to positive outcomes in Baldur's Gate 3, and this particular case is no exception. Any individual attempting to resist the powerful Dark Urge and seek redemption will be swiftly struck down by Bhaal as punishment for their defiance. While initially appearing as a Game Over scenario, a surprising turn of events occurs when Withers intervenes. Withers, who holds an undisclosed, deep connection to the enigmatic Dead Three, resurrects the player character. He reveals that Bhaal has only eradicated their previous self, freeing them from the clutches of the Dark Urge. However, the person who emerged afterward must continue their existence. In a captivating line of dialogue, Withers recognizes that "the heart of a savior has triumphed over the mind of a murderer," a statement that truly resonates.

With this newfound lease on life, players can choose to depart, tie up loose ends in other storylines, and approach the culmination of their journey in Baldur's Gate 3 as either a Redeemed Savior endeavoring to rectify the harm they have caused or a fully-realized Bhaalspawn.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC. A PS5 version releases on September 6.