#orgoll

Dalamus has a handful of nicknames he has been called over the years.

Obviously, the most frequently used is "Dal". Several people in camp call him Dal. At first, he was frustrated by the assumption of familiarity, but quickly became tired of fighting it. A few camp members, like Gale and Wyll, still say his full name.

His older brother, Nilaufein, occasionally called him "lothinlu'thi", a Drowic word meaning "grub." It is considered a term of endearment and affection towards children--mostly said in private (if at all) in Menzoberranzan.

Karlach initially would occasionally call him "soldier" as she does others, having been part of an army, herself. It is a way she shows camaraderie. Dalamus, however, vehemently disallowed this. He was not a soldier, and would not be compared to the same sort of brute as his brother, Orgoll.

So, she came up with the nickname "Sunshine". Mostly for the irony. He begrudgingly allows this, not wanting to find out what the next name might be if he refused.

Lae'zel sometimes refers to him as "Drow" to his face, or "the drow" when referring to him with others.

Minthara, if recruited, prefers not to refer to him at all. Male. Silversmith. Anything but his name, because that would be acknowledging him a bit too much.

Nedvyllanna's nicknames for him were things like "Xi'hum" (zee-hoom, pet/plaything), "Seriso" (seh-rees-oh, lover), "Ste'kol" (steh-kohl, toy), "Ussta ssinjin" (ooh-stah sin-jihn, my sweet), etc. Any number of other names that, on the Surface, might be perfectly affectionate, but in cultural context of Menzoberranzan, labeled Dalamus as weak and subservient.

As for what Dalamus calls others, he tends to be.. condescending at first. Before learning names, he will substitute their race or class or some other trait for a name, such as "human". He might call someone "kivvil," meaning "surfacer". "Kivvin" is the plural form. "Mage" for Gale. "Old Man" for Belthan. "Vlos'dritalur" (vlose-drit-uh-lure) meaning "blood drinker/vampire" for Astarion. Etc etc.

Soft and affectionate nicknames are rare from him, considering how he grew up. He can very, very rarely be caught referring to Haleth as "lothinlu'thi" (lohth-in-loo-thee) or "grub", an affectionate nickname for children. Also rarely, if one is able to catch him talking to his cat, Alantha, they might catch him calling her "kutt'chud" (koot-chood), meaning "mold spore." This is affectionate, too.

When he realizes he loves Gloria, he still prefers to use her name over most sorts of nicknames. He might think of some affectionate names over time, though.

6. How easily could your OC be convinced to do something that goes against their moral compass?

Considering the abysmal state of his moral compass currently, it can be complicated, but possible with the right angle and phrasing. It is not wholly difficult as long as one remembers that he is self-centered, but the consequences of convincing him to go along might be undesirable to a good-aligned party.

For example, he does not go out of his way to help people, and certainly not for free or out of the ~kindness of his heart~. But, if he can be convinced it is in his best interest, he is more likely to concede. This can be anything from the promise of a physical reward or favor done in return, to being able to dedicate kills to Lolth or otherwise having a chance to please his Goddess (which is incredibly non-specific, but this usually means letting him do less-than-savory things, like murder, thievery, or betrayal). One can also appeal to his ego for a better outcome. ("We need you" "You're the only one who can do this" etc).

A bit like Astarion, he can enjoy bloodshed. Unlike Astarion, Dalamus dedicates such bloodshed to Lolth, but his desire for sacrificial bloodshed is usually tempered by his sense of self-preservation.

14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

He wants to be seen in a similar way that he saw Orgoll: ruthless, frightening, wholly dedicated to Lolth, intimidating to deal with, a prime specimen of Lolthite.

And while he does match some Lolthite stereotypes, he is frankly not as strong or as brutal or as hellbent on causing suffering as Orgoll was.

He wants to be seen as someone strong, confident, and intelligent in a sort of conniving, willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals sort of way.

Basically, he wants to appear like someone others would not mess with. He never wants to be seen as weak or vulnerable or frightened or confused, things that would have made him a target for elimination or manipulation in Menzoberranzan.

Orgoll is dead so I'll answer for him!

He wouldn't consider himself mean, just strong. His mindset was very firmly rooted in the belief that "might makes right." Being the biggest, loudest, strongest drow in the room was important to him. He answered only to those of a higher station (military generals who ranked above him and, of course, Priestesses).

His meanness assured others that he was stronger, and intimidated everyone else out of testing whether it was actually true. He was mean because being mean worked and was rewarded (until it wasn't, and he was killed by Dalamus himself).

All is quiet in the house this night, save for one bedroom. Dalamus, a drow child young enough for his age to be counted on two hands, muffles his wet coughs with his bed sheets. This coughing illness has wracked his little body for the better half of a week. He dared not complain. Being discovered at all is what led to his quarantine. He is not allowed to leave his room until he either improves or succumbs. His parents are nowhere to be seen, likely sleeping in their own beds at this hour. It is for the best, really. They show little care for their sons.

I'll detail something other than his Blooding involving the Displacer Beast. It was scary, but by that time he had some self-taught combat skills, and honestly did not have time to be frightened.

Dalamus once got into a physical altercation with Orgoll at a young age, not quite 20. All three brothers and their parents were seated at the table during a family dinner for one of Orgoll's visits, celebrating Orgoll's recent accomplishments in the military. At the time, Orgoll was the only brother over 100 years old, the only one considered an adult. Nilaufein had his job at the bazaar raising and training riding lizards and pack lizards. By comparison, Dalamus had only just begun his job of gemcutting.

Orgoll made some off-handed remarks about Nilaufein and his job, about his "gentleness".

Without thinking, Dalamus casually retorted back, comparing Orgoll to a Quaggoth, citing his brutish nature and implying a lack of intelligence or grace of any kind.

Unfortunately, Dalamus was right about his violent tendencies.

Orgoll struck him from across the table with a closed fist before Dalamus could even see it coming, knocking him out of his chair and onto the ground. It broke his nose and bleeding began immediately. Orgoll then stood from his chair and shoved Dalamus onto his back with a kick, dropped the head of his warhammer on Dalamus' neck and held it there, and placed his boot firmly on Dalamus' chest, preventing him from getting up and putting pressure on his throat.

Dalamus was nowhere near strong enough to budge his hulk of an older brother, and absolutely believed Orgoll would have killed him that day if Nilaufein had not stepped in to stop it with their parents' hesitant support.

Right now, Dalamus feels lonely because he's separated from his people and his culture. That loneliness leaves him feeling vulnerable, and he tends to deal with it by, ironically, distancing himself from others until the feeling passes. He does not want anyone to see him as anything but a proud, resilient, strong drow.

In the future, when he has people he actually trusts and feels safe being vulnerable around, he will silently seek them out if feeling lonely, if only for their nearby company. If they are not available, he will keep himself busy until they are.

The exception is when he loses someone close to him later in life, he returns to his tendency to isolate when faced with strong loneliness or sadness.

He felt some loneliness after Nilaufein's death, but there was no time to process it with Orgoll around. He just kept himself distracted with his work. His customers, some regulars that he grew to know somewhat well, kept him from being truly alone, even if he would never admit so.

In the future, when he accepts that returning to Menzoberranzan is not an option, he really feels alone. His goal of going back home is no longer viable, and it is what he's been working towards all this time, and despite the companions he has around him, it suddenly feels like a huge void has opened up inside him. Caught between worlds, stuck in a place he doesn't know hardly at all; people, places and customs that are completely foreign to him, and, frankly, most people are not fond of drow. Not wanted in Menzoberranzan, not wanted on the Surface. He finds it difficult to cry, but this overwhelming bout of loneliness pushes him close.

Poorly.

Nilaufein did his best to be a good brother to Dalamus without letting either getting too attached--an affectionate attachment is easily exploited--but it only partially worked. How could they not become attached? They were brothers who cared about each other, even if the society they lived in dictated that they show it in very subdued ways.

So when Nilaufein did not return from the surface raid, a part of Dalamus went cold. He suddenly had a lack of energy, and his gemcutting suffered from his loss of motivation. He decided it was true, that getting attached to others only resulted in pain. It was inconvenient. And Orgoll's teasing only solidified the thought. He never got a chance to process any grief that he had, because he shoved it away.

~

And then we fast forward to the future, where his first love, his first significant other, a human, passes, and it all but destroys him. Used to living amongst other drow for most of his life, his human partner passing so "soon" leaves him bereft. There are centuries left of love still in him to give, and where is he supposed to put it now? How is he supposed to ever love again, knowing this will be the result? What is the point? It was a lot simpler when he just expected pain everywhere, but it is not a switch he can simply flip when convenient.

He wants to shut himself away. He would love to just.. wither. But his family, his new family, will not let him wallow. They will allow time and space for grieving, but will not let him shut himself away or neglect himself.

"You presume I liked any of them enough to have a preference."

He pauses thoughtfully.