BASIC INFO
| NAME: | Belus yn Phlegon |
| A.K.A.: | "Bel"
The Dark Urge |
| CANON: | Baldur's Gate 3 |
| HOMEWORLD: | Toril |
| AGE: | Adult.
late 30s/40s |
| GENDER: | Male |
| SPECIES: | Bhaalspawn
(white dragonborn) |
| CLASS: | Storm Sorcerer |
FIRST GLANCE
| APPEARANCE: | Link |
| HEIGHT: | 6'8" |
| BUILD: | Muscular |
| EYES: | Red |
| DRESS: | Simple robes, dusty and travelworn |
| SCENT: | Astringent soap, ozone, faintly metallic |
| VOICE: | Soft-spoken, eloquent |
| DEMEANOR: | Reserved |
PERMISSIONS
|
| BACKTAGGING: | ✔ |
| 4TH-WALLING: | ✘ |
| THREADJACKING: | ✘ |
| MIND-READING: | ✔ |
| FIGHTING: | ✔ |
| ROMANCE: | ✔ |
| INJURY: | ✔ |
| KILLING: | ✔ |
|
the blood in your head thrums and pounds
you have nothing in your skull besides your name
PERSONALITY
tl;dr: an aloof hodgepodge of violent impulses and self-preservation instincts masquerading as a person following impromptu brain surgery with the business end of his own knife. sucks to suck.
A slate smudged and shattered rather than wiped meticulously clean. Whoever, whatever, Belus had been prior to his rude awakening aboard the nautiloid as it plummeted through the Hells had been obliterated almost entirely. What was left was grains of sand to either be grasped or allowed to fall away - vague impressions of an unending thirst for cruelty, violence, and death, and a deep, roiling fury at whoever what the source of his present misery.
Fortunately, the impetus of the illithid tadpole planted in his skull is enough that Belus intentionally puts aside this recurrent instinctive drive for bloodshed. This gives him a somewhat severe, standoffish disposition in both manner and speech as every thought and word must be carefully considered lest the horrors haunting his own mind be loosed unwilling or unwittingly. A few incidents around the druid’s grove with the local wildlife and the mangling of some poor sod trapped in a magic sigil quickly drove home the fact that Belus cannot permit his ruined mind to wander or allow his perverse imagination to wallow in images of bloody grotesque violence or else his body carries out aforementioned depravities without his conscious effort.
With his continuous efforts to his predilections at bay, Belus easily comes across as distracted or absentminded and he often intentionally ignores social queues or attempts at casual conversation. The inattention is only somewhat true as there is some part of him that is always alert – predatory – even if he is focused inward to either repress his murderous instincts or sifting through the detritus his own mind to stitch together whatever remains of his person. Nevertheless, whenever drawn from his reticent shell, Belus will generally offer at least a pretense of cordiality in conversation and possesses a rather dry, if occasionally morbid, sense of humor.
While far from a good or altruistic person, he keeps his opinions regarding others to a minimum and offers his own aid only when something is guaranteed in return. If others wish to be more charitable than he and solve every problem along the way that’s their business – he won’t judge so long as he isn’t expected to participate or waste his time for nothing other than a warm fuzzy feeling. Still, although Belus cares little and less for the plight of those around him, he isn’t particularly keen on worsening a bad situation without cause.
With the gaps in his memory and the Urge seeking to steep into his every waking moment, the easiest way to engage with him in conversation or otherwise is with the distraction of something novel or immediately pertinent (talk nerdy to him, he appreciates it even if the topic is far beyond his field of expertise).
HISTORY
sparknotes version: nepobaby avatar gets shanked by his own niece/grandniece/sister whatever bhaal's family tree is a fucking christmas wreath and goes on a redemption arc with a few capricious murders and a splash of straight up goblin genocide along the way.
• Crafted solely from Bhaal's spilled gore into form of the god's choosing and thus had no actual infancy or birth beyond use of a murdered corpse as a vessel for his manifestation upon the mortal plane.
• Fostered by human (Calishite) and half-elf (high) immigrants to Baldur's Gate from early childhood. Several half-elven siblings. No actual surname or clanname; foster father granted use of yn Phlegon (son of Phlegon) after living with the family for a number of years.
• No ties to any dragonborn clan which makes encountering others an awkward, uncomfortable affair. Tends to avoid if possible.
• A sweet, if rather morbid child. Fascinated by death. Responsible for killing a fair number of vermin and collecting their corpses to the dismay of his foster parents. A hobby that would become more refined as he grew older and capable of preying upon creatures of far more interest than rats, cats, and feral dogs.
• Innate storm sorcery, but his gift for the arts went undeveloped throughout his childhood and into early adolescence. It wouldn't be until after reaching the age of majority (13) and the Urge awoke within him, prompting him to slay his foster family while sleepwalking, that there was any effort poured into him to become something other than a restless child of impoverished merchants likely follow their path in life.
• Taken to the Bhaal Temple beneath the city by Sceleritas Fel a few tendays following the deaths of his family after encouraging the distraught and newly awakened Urge into hunting down any remaining ties to the life he previously lived - friends, acquaintances, anyone and everyone tangentially related to either his foster family or had immediate knowledge of the oddly hued dragonborn.
• Belus would then pour decades into resurrecting the Bhaal cult in the heart of Baldur's Gate under the tutelage of Sarevok Anchev, refining both his inborn sorcery (preferring lightning/frost based magics) and skill with knives. He attained rank of Unholy Assassin relatively young by offering the hands of members of both the City Watch and Flaming Fist to the Tribunal.
• He would learn to both read and write courtesy of the Bhaal temple, possibly side-by-side with Orin, a Temple-raised Bhaalspawn whose inheritance he unintentionally usurped. This, coupled with his own inborn curiosity would in turn inspire a fascination with history: that of the cult of his Father, the generations of prior Bhaalspawn that had lived and perished and the city that had shaped them, the wider realm in general.
• The somewhat studious nature of his interests would reap benefit later in how he came to harness the Urge rather than fall victim to slumbering stupor while his body committed unspeakable atrocities. Ultimately he would become capable of redirecting its incessant need for violence toward ends that would best serve the expansion of Bhaal's influence.
• At some point, the Dark Urge would come in contact with the Chosen of Bane and they would forge an alliance with the intent of furthering the goals of their respective faiths. Despite the enmity of their gods, whose relationship with one another waxed and waned over the centuries, the unlikely friendship between the Dark Urge and Enver Gortash that would see them rob the temple of the Gondian's in Baldur's Gate and later break into the Hells itself to steal Crown of Karsus and set forth the Absolute plot.
•
CHOICES - RESISTING
ACT 1.
• Shadowheart, Astarion, Lae'zel, Wyll, and Karlach recruited.
• Sorry Gale.
• Sorry squirrel.
• Scratch & owlbear cub found and permitted to stay in camp
• Did not intervene in the conflict between Zevlor and the adventurers, the argument between Rolan and his siblings, nor with the tiefling posed to murder the captured goblin.
• Let Aunty Ethel fuss over him.
• Did not interfere with Lae'zel's interrogation of the tiefling.
• Caught Silfy trying to pick his pocket but elected not to pursue her. The attempted theft and obvious con from the other child amused more than offended.
• Resisted the urge to watch the tiefling girl die with some effort. Argued with Kagha regarding her fate; made no promises to evict the tieflings afterward.
• Ripped the wings off the blue jay after Nettie healed it. Sorry birb.
• Begrudgingly vowed to drink poison after Nettie admitted to not having a cure for ceremorphosis.
• Declined to search for Halsin, but kept the information as to his efforts regarding the sudden surge in those infected with mindflayer larvae in the back of his mind should other options fail to bear fruit. (The gith seemed the best choice.)
• Intimidated the goblins into letting the party into the blighted village. Fought and killed the ogres, along with a few of the goblins that decided to join the fray. Intimidated the group that had captured Barcus into leaving without further conflict.
• Summoned Shovel. Rather endeared by the foul-mouthed little nuisance. Less endeared when her advice resulted in a fiery orb burning his scales, but what's a little attempted homicide between friends?
• Creepy book given to Astarion.
• Murdered Alfira. Concealed her body.
• Accepted the inheritance offered by his Butler but refused to linger upon or glorify her death. Repulsed enough by both the Bulter and his own euphoric reaction to violence and death to intentionally start trying to repress / resist the Urge.
• Gnolls slain after stumbling across them on the road, an encounter that spread after a hynea alerted more. Unwittingly saved the Zhent mercenaries and was given the passphrase for their drinking hole.
• Paladins of Tyr slain.
• Wyll rescued Florrick from the burning inn. The man trapped in the upper floors burned alive (whoops).
• Did not free the painter.
• Sided with the brothers against Ethel. Revealed their deaths to Mayrina and fought the hag in her home. Fought her again in the bottom of her lair, ultimately killed her despite being offered power. (It was briefly considered, but given the state of the others that had taken help from Ethel, accepting a boon from her even in exchange for her life was likely to be a poor choice.)
• Stumbled across the goblin camp. Intimidated the guards into allowing the party entry into the celebrations.
• Ate a toe.
• ...ate a roasted thigh.
• Poisoned the goblin's tub of booze and then slaughtered the few that survived.
• Called upon the tadpole to gain entrance to the inner part of the ruined cathedral. Allowed himself to be branded by Priestess Gut and promised to follow after her to see if there was anything she could do about the "dark shadows swimming in his head".
• Poisoned by Gut (turnabout is fair play) and shackled like a beast within her chambers to be tortured for information and/or suffer the process of ceremorphosis. Escaped the bindings and murdered her with extreme prejudice.
• Adventurer tortured for funsies. And wow Belus you're really good at that, you fucking creep.
• Received the blessing of Loviatar. A pitiful sort of bloodletting.
• Rest of the goblin camp slain after meeting Minthara. Given that none of the Absolute cultists seem aware of their tadpole and that Gut has already tried killing him, trying to ingratiate the party with them seems a worthless cause.
• Halsin freed.
• Drank a cup of wine with Shadowheart at the tiefling celebration but did not pursue anything further.
• Declined to have his brain scrambled further by Volo.
• Found the githyanki patrol and Lae'zel was encouraged to reveal the truth of their mission. Slaughtered the gith left behind to kill them.
• Proceeded to the creche despite misgivings.
• Spoke with the Society of Brilliance member regarding the creche and was offered the job of stealing a gith egg. Declined, and instead gave the woman an owlbear egg.
• Lied to the doctor regarding being infected himself, and allowed Lae'zel to take the first crack at being able to be cleansed. Succeeded in the wisdom saves to see that she was being mined for her memories and that the device would kill her. Lae'zel was saved by the Dream Guardian after a failed arcane roll to steal power from the zaith'isk.
• Lied again to the doctor afterward regarding the zaith'isk being destroyed - the tadpole was dead as was any chance to study the power it had possessed.
• Did not interfere in gith training exercises.
• Watched the confrontation between Kith'rak Therezzyn and Ch'r'ai W'wargaz. Astarion pick-pocketed the gem needed to break the barrier to allow the party to follow after W'wargaz. The theft was noticed but the Ch'r'ai demanded that they come to him rather than be killed outright by the Kith'rak.
• Complied with Vlaakith's demand to enter the Astral Prism, but despite misgivings and mistrust of the Dream Visitor declined to kill him.
• Slaughtered the creche on the way out after obtaining the Blood of Lathander.
• Elected to turn back from the mountain pass to proceed through the Underdark to reach Moonrise.
• Killed the spectator and the drow both those freed from its petrification and those trapped in the wayward magic still. Fuck them.
• Stumbled across the duergar and butchered the camp alongside the lake.
• Saved Baelen and the noblestalk. Both returned to Derryth.
• Declined to drink the tonic offered by Omeluum.
• Pitted the duergar against the Absolute cultists after Nere was freed from the rubble using the satchel of smokepowder the party had gotten from Barcus Wroot's pack.
• Further explored the ruins at Shadowheart's behest in hopes of finding either supplies or Sharrans to assist in finding a means to enter Moonrise.
• Entered the Shadowcursed Lands using the lift from Grymforge
ACT 2.
• Thus thou walkest alone. Withers you're a right cunt, you know that?
ACT 3.
COMPANIONS - NONE ROMANCED
Please note that I am open to any type of thread, AU, or CR type - positive, negative, platonic, or romantic. What follows is simply a gist of the relationships/storybeats in the playthrough for Belus. That said, I am happy to default to the preferences of any origin character, NPC, or fellow Tav/Durge. I also prefer that Belus *not* be treated as defacto party-lead or face character but rather as another possible companion.
Preferred ships for memes/AUs/whatnot are Gortash, Shadowheart, Gale, and Minthara. (despite some of the choices made below)
Astarion:
Refused to help him immediately after the crash and was nearly knifed for it. Ultimately, the hostilities ceased without violence and the elf was invited to travel with the other tadpoled survivors, there was never much in the way of friendship or interest that developed from either party. The revelation of vampirism was met with initial wariness and a singular invitation to drink from the dragonborn, thereafter the matter was left to be handled by others as they so chose.
The same non-interference / general disinterest from Belus continued regarding the monster-hunter found in Ethel's swamp and Astarion's past with Cazador (the scars from which weren't revealed until an encounter with Raphael at Last Light). His obvious and unrelenting interest in both the tadpoles and dream visitor were somewhat offputting, but not enough that Belus didn't turn over the majority of tadpoles found upon slain True Souls to him. If he wants to eat worms, by all means.
In the Shadow-cursed Lands with no reason not to indulge the payment demanded by Raphael other than the outright danger of facing an orthon, the party was able to unravel some of the mystery behind the markings.
Upon reaching Baldur's Gate and being assaulted at the Elfsong Tavern by some of the other spawn, the group would also track and kill the vampire lord, discouraging Astarion from ascension in the process with considerable difficulty. The remaining spawn were slain rather than be released, mad and starving, back into civilization.
Gale:
Murdered by the Urge. (I will forever be disappointed that Gale doesn't turn up sans a hand and salty as fuck.)
Halsin:
Rescued from the goblin camp and invited to travel with the group after attempting to be cleansed by the Githyanki didn't pan out as hoped. Conversation was minimal, but cordial. Aided in his quest to lift the curse from the area surrounding Reithwin incidentally after stumbling across Malus Thorm. The party chose to assist in the ritual to save Thaniel and to keep his mind from continuously circling back to Isobel, Belus aided in the effort.
Karlach:
yapyapyap. Acquired infernal metal x2 to fix rusty. Laid a hand on her. Respected her choice to die rather than go back to Avernus. Things were pretty tense after meeting with Gortash hahahaa. Despite initial reluctance to go against her wishes regarding death, encouraged her to live and flee back to Avernus with Wyll. Maybe with time Dammon would find a means of fixing her heart.
Lae'zel:
yapyapyap. Probably genuinely likes Lae'zel the most out of all the companions despite her initial inflexibility and brusque, occasionally disdainful demeanor. Her straightforward attitude and unyielding will earned his respect almost immediately.
Minthara:
Slain in the goblin camp. The decision to refuse to either ingratiate himself with the cult or obey her demands to raid the grove came about only after the betrayal by Priestess Gut. Her offer may have been considered in greater earnest otherwise.
Shadowheart:
yapyapyap Amnesia bros. She's sweet beneath all the snark and sour expressions.
Wyll:
yapyapyap. Hypocritical do-gooder. But that's his burden to bear, not Belus's. Encouraged to spare Karlach as she was clearly not a devil as reveal by deux ex machina (el tadpole). Councilor Florrick saved by Wyll from the fire at Waukeen's Rest after which he vowed to hunt the drow that had kidnapped his father.
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