Trying to get all the companions to develop into the best possible version of themselves truly feels like herding a bunch of stubborn goats I'll be there shouting NO you're not fucking killing yourself OR becoming a god NO you're not ascending and NEITHER ARE YOU put that spear DOWN you're not becoming the ultimate Shar simp NO you're not becoming a mindsquid we're gonna FIX YOU and YOU aren't taking over anything you have the leadership skills and self awareness of an opossum NO your father isn't nice he's an ASSHOLE you need to prioritize yourself more YOU need a bloody vacation preferably with your kids before you give them absent mother trauma and.... you're doing great Minsc keep at it

Bonus points for when you're Durge and trying to be the designated group therapist while Bhaal is zapping what remains of your brain with murder fantasies

Sceleritas: Oh Master, consider the tiny mishap with the bard you had the last time we met.

Sceleritas: Your unconscious, clever mind hungers for extreme violence.

Sceleritas: Who knows you might kill next if you do not satisfy your Urge?

This bit of dialogue from Sceleritas fucks me up so bad. As Durge (unless you're metagaming for a particular outcome instead of going full roleplay) you're being placed before an impossible choice. Do you kill dozens of people by taking out Isobel or risk taking the blade to one of your companions again?

You know you can't control yourself fully so the threat is not empty. And you definitely care about your companions more than you do about a bunch of Harpers you've just met. But there may also be the tieflings involved, mostly children. Sparse in numbers now, but still people you've once saved. Was all that for nothing because now you might need to sacrifice them all? Do they tip the scale? How much is too much? What price are you willing to pay for your friends' safety and your own peace of mind?

"What is the worth of a single mortal's life?"

You and your companions are fighters, you have a mission. Fate of legions more people depends on you taking out the Absolute. Can you truly afford the risk? Whose survival is more important? Yes the Harpers may be valuable allies, but you are the ones with the prism. Without the party they don't stand a chance.

I hate how that's not ever touched upon properly in the game.

Killing or sparing Isobel is the only path-defining choice for Durge until the end of their personal quest and is treated as reference for their entire attitude towards being a bhaalspawn in act 3 no matter what other dialogue choices you make. Kill her and you more than embrace your heritage, you revel in what you are. Any other choices made up to that point are immediately voided.

But what if you did it out of fear? What if the "prize" you were awarded for it in the form of the Slayer terrifies you even more than the Urge itself? Which is a feeling you are able to express, but it holds exactly zero value because there's only two paths for you to take and nuance is not allowed. Why are you not able to express regret and have that matter? Not to mention that if Isobel dies due to unforeseeable consequences of other actions, it's still treated as if you went up the stairs and dug a knife in her back when nobody was looking because you simply felt like it.

Yes sacrificing Last Light is not the choice of a perfectly good aligned hero, but it is also not something only a villain would do. People make terrible choices when there's an axe raised over the nape of their neck and where the Urge is concerned Durge has absolutely no close confidants or support system who could help them make a better one.

The foundations of a complex character are there and every time I notice the game fumbling like this, railroading into an evil/good binary despite that, it ruins my fucking day.

7, 19, 21, and 25

Did your Dark Urge recall any childhood memories? If yes, how do they feel about the revelations? If no, was it by choice or lack of options?

Ithaca does get memories of her childhood back, including her time in the Feywild. Infact those are some of the easiest memories she recalls. They feel like a dream almost --- a time and person that's so different. But she holds those memories dear. The ones involving the Feywild makes her want to return there; she misses the plane and all it's absurdity and how everything there just made more sense (in the same way serving Bhaal made sense).

Has your Dark Urge become particularly close to anyone romantically and/or platonically in their journey? If so, who, and what is the relationship like? If no, why not?

So Ithaca can be personable, civil and even friendly in some way to everyone in camp even if they disagree with her. It's just part of being a bardic cult leader. For the most part she genuinely likes the main OG party. Beyond surface level, simple friendship then it gets muddier. I would say typically for sure Minthara and/or Astarion are always in her party because out of all the companions they are the ones she's most comfortable with especially if she's in a situation in regards to moral choices. She feels a bit more on eggshells with others.

What are 2-3 songs that your Dark Urge would relate to?

The Past (Be Me Again) by Precious Child Rotting child Corrupted inside

Fineshrine by Purity Ring You make a fine shrine in me You build a fine shrine to me

Pixie Hollow and Purgatory by Alexis Monroe You try, but can't fix me I'll take you away To where I was made You won't last a day inside of my mind I'm lost, you can't find me So don't try to save me

How does your Dark Urge feel about Sceleritas Fel?

Honestly? Pre-tadpole she didn't mind him; dare I even say liked having him around to encourage her and do her bidding. His nagging could be a little annoying but honestly, she likes the attention and the ego boost she gets from his doting. I mean, he's her lil murder hypeman and she appreciates it. When she's tadpoled, he grates a bit more on her nerves but at the same time, he's familiar even if she doesn't fully remember. And like a lot of things, that bit of nostalgic familiarity is comforting. I imagine as a child in the Feywild, she always got excited to see him. Because sadly, I do think even then Bhaal gave her more attention than her mother even did. Can you imagine the number of blood filled tea parties a tiny Ithaca made Sceleritas particepate in? He's her most beloved nanny if anything. But like people she's close to in general, he's hers. And she would absolutely lose it if he was something else Orin took from her.