#dirgecore

Dirge is a Great Old One Warlock pacted to the eldritch star Caiphon, a being driven by endless pursuits of hidden knowledge, for the eventual freedom from his bond to Bhaal, his Father and God. In return, Caiphon has housed a fragment of itself within his mind, its violet light scorching his left eye and imbuing it with eldritch light. From this eye can Caiphon choose to gaze out into the world, seeing, learning, and knowing all that Dirge acquires. Until such time as the Pact can be fulfilled, Dirge can draw upon whatever power of Caiphon's he can master. This served him well in his time as Bhaal's Chosen, as Dirge's most intimate desire, freedom, was shrouded by Caiphon's aberrant nature, and despite being bonded to the star, Dirge refused to acknowledge his own desires even to himself. With his former self slain and awakening bereft of memory, Dirge relies upon his Pact to survive the illithid tadpole buried in the meat of his skull

A Bhaalspawn by heritage, but a quasi deity himself in truth, Dirge is the result of Bhaal severing his left hand in death, and from the gore and viscera crafting a Titan, a spawn He intended to serve Him eternally and loyally. Crafted within the realm of Gehenna, within Bhaal's Throne of Blood, Dirge's body and form were designed with careful cruel intent, Bhaal's Blade in the mortal guise, meant to seamlessly integrate and mimic the world of men, a Wolf among sheep. But once loosed from His grasp, not even Bhaal could control entirely the way his spawn would develop. What Bhaal could not control, he could coerce, and through innate connection, ensured that Dirge was ever aware that all he was, he owed to his Father. He was not meant to live distinct. He was a mere shard of a greater will. And yet, despite Bhaal's efforts, Life finds a way. Humanity and desire was kindled, nurtured, within his artificial soul nonetheless.

Dirge is possessed of a steely will, honed keenly from years of Resisting his Father's maddening Urge, to ensure His Will was enacted carefully, cleanly, and without flaw. The Promise of Murder boiled and writhed within his blood, carefully vented in controlled bursts, for if it consumed him, the Urge would leave Dirge naught but a feral ravening beast. And what glory would that bring to his father then? Dirge was made with purpose, glorious divine purpose, and he must restrain his instincts to ensure his destiny was seen through to the end. The Deaths of all things. The Murder of the world. When his mind is ruined by Orin's blade, when he cobbles together a new self from the ashes and gore, his will remains, powerful and potent, still bent to the task of Resisting the Urge's call upon his nature. Its this will, focused into a weapon through the lens of Caiphon's aberrant psionics, that brought low the Absolute to be crowned, and which poses the best chance of shattering it once more.

A creature of violence incarnate, drawn to blood and slaughter, beckoned by promises of power, one could be forgiven in assuming Dirge to be a cold, callous man. Instead, years of repression and ascetism hides a heart deeply moved by passion. Dirge is a true romantic, a wholehearted believer in Love, at first sight and every glance after. He yearns for hands both tender yet firm, to press between the threat of his teeth and know they will not bite, to take his violence in hand and leash it, restrain it. That he fell head over heels for Minthara should not be surprising in the least.

Dirge's first moments of existence came part and parcel with the tadpole, and the deeply peculair nature of their circumstances inextricably tied their lives together. Surviving by the strength of the Astral tadpole past the death of the Absolute, when the illithid tadpole recovers enough from its injuries, it realizes it has formed an identity for itself, distinct from the mind flayer hive mind. It names itself Melpomene, the muse of tragedy, daughter of Mmenosyne, because it's life has consisted of nothing but hardship out of its control. Its only ally in this world is its host, Dirge.

In summary, Dirge is a Neutral Evil Resist!Durge, a Mintharamancer 💜, who is haunted by the echoes of his past like a specter chained to his ankles. An accomplished Warlock, well acquainted with psionic might, the powers strengthened by the tadpole came easily and naturally, and he indulges often, but resists the instinct to ceremorph. Orin's injury permanently disabled him, inflicting him with chronic migraines, and while the tadpole mitigated the worst of his TBI symptoms, he has to recover after the Absolute's defeat. After the events of BG3, with extensive support from Minthara, Dirge finally realizes a truth he's repressed for most of his life, pre and post lobotomy; he's bigender, and had been surpressing his desire to live as also a woman for years.