The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash

Pairing
Pairing:	The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash
Alternative name(s):	Durge/Enver Gortash, Durgetash
Gender category:	Varies with Durge character creation, Slash with default Durge
Fandom:	Baldur's Gate III
Canonical?:	Not explicitly, but possible
Prevalence:	Popular for Durge, most popular for Enver Gortash
Archives:
Other:	Just a whisper by faithcontinue (2023)
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The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash, also known as Durgetash, is the pairing of The Dark Urge and Enver Gortash from the Baldur's Gate III fandom.

The ship rose to prominence within a few months of the game's release in August 2023, after fans began to encounter Enver Gortash in their Durge playthroughs. Fans noted the chemistry between the two and the familiarity Gortash displayed with Durge, and began making fanart, fics, and ship manifestos. Durgetash soon became the most popular Enver Gortash ship, and the second most popular Durge ship behind Astarion/The Dark Urge.

Fandom

Pairing name and representation

Shippers struggled to settle on a ship name for The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash. Portmanteaus tended to use the Dark Urge's abbreviation "Durge" to make the naming easier: "DurgeBane" was used for a while, a reference to Enver Gortash's god, but the predominant name for the pair eventually became "DurgeTash." However, non-portmanteau names remain popular, particularly Durge/Gortash or TDU/Gortash.

Due to the fact that Durge's appearance is customizable, there are two types of content made around this pair, the content using Custom Durge, and those focused around "Default" Durge, a male white dragonborn. The latter appears to be mostly favoured by east-asian fandom for the moment, with big content creators on twitter being Chinese and Korean speakers, but it appears to be slowly gaining more traction in western spaces.

The pair is sometimes considered a toxic pair, with Gortash manipulating The Dark Urge. However, the largest part of the fandom seems to consider that the relationship is simply a romantic relationship between two evil characters who found an equal in the other. Gortash appears to be considered the dominant partner of the pair on twitter, but the opposite has been observed on Tumblr, especially with Default Durge, where the dragonborn is the one depicted as the dominant one with his physical size and strength.

Some fans are drawn to how The Dark Urge and Enver Gortash are both awful people, but love and respect each other anyway.

I've been reading Gortash/the Dark Urge, because something about mutual respect between two complete assholes grabs me by the id. Especially when it's bloody, and one of them isn't that into all the gore himself, but sees the beauty in the way they do it.

I like the Dark Urge to be given a name, but it could be anything really. Full edgy encouraged!

I didn't expect to ship this as hard as I do, but you're right about the mutual respect! The fact that Gortash genuinely wouldn't betray the Dark Urge, and expects that loyalty to be reciprocated! The letter where the Dark Urge admits to admiring Gortash! 'One of my nearest and dearest'! 'I liked you'! They pulled off a heist in hell together!

I'd have loved a bit more content for them in game. The hints we see about their prior relationship are so interesting (seriously, the HEIST). As you say, it's fascinating that Gortash isn't all about the blood and murder except as a means to an end (power for him), but he appreciates how the Dark Urge approaches it.

Interpretation of in game content

Many fans of the pair consider the relationship to be hinted at in the game. the most obvious reason being Gortash's attitude during the ceremony changes depending on whether he's talking to The Dark Urge or Tav. With The Dark Urge, a few video show that he has a warmer attitude and smiles more, on top of using terms of endearment such as "My Nearest and Dearest" "My favourite assassin!" or openly expressing that he likes The Dark Urge "I liked you."

Another valued "proof" of the fandom is the prayer written by The Dark Urge, which states "Forgive me Father, for I cannot help but admire the Chosen of your sworn foe."

Some fans appear to think that a romance might have been planned by Larian but cut off from the game, because of Larian's newsletter when they revealed Gortash's character, which stated that they knew the fans wanted to know if he was romanceable. However, this has not been confirmed.

Fannish Tropes

Some popular story tropes for Durgetash fanfiction include:

• Dominant/Submissive relationship: Due to Gortash and The Dark Urge being the leaders of the churches of gods of violence and tyranny, the relationship between the two often revolves around BDSM, even when no romantic feelings are involved.
• Forbidden relationship: Because of their clashing religious beliefs, the relationship is often seen as a forbidden, hidden love and/or a doomed one.
• Violence: Both characters are violent without much love and affection in their lives, with many fanworks depicting then being violent to others or each other to attempt to control each other or show affection.
• The Exception: Gortash is a servant of the God of Tyranny, who sees himself as the only one worthy to rule—for that reason, his relationship with The Dark Urge is often depicted as being an exception. Gortash sees The Dark Urge as his only equal.
• Childhood friends: Both Gortash and The Dark Urge have had a troubled childhood, having spent a part of their lives on the streets. For that reason, imagining them supporting each other and rising to power together appeals to many fans.
• Pre-Canon: Gortash and The Dark Urge plotted together before canon, and a lot of what exactly happened is not described, including the romantic nature of their relationship. Many fics focus on their romance before the start of canon and The Dark Urge losing their memories.

Notable Fanworks

Fanfiction

• Welcome home by boringKK, the first Durgetash fic published to AO3 on Aug 19 2023.
• Remember Me by Tinyshot, the first English-language Durgetash fic published to AO3 on Aug 20 2023.
• A memory of your blood by TimonTomato, one of the first Durgetash longfics.
• young rivers in your hands by m4rkab, an early fic set after the pre-canon heist Durge and Enver Gortash pulled off.

Fanart

• This is what I imagine they do when they were young., ^{Archived version} by faithcontinue
• #BaldursGate3 #EnverGortash, ^{Archived version} by @Chitujiang
• casual weekend date night, ^{Archived version} by soottea
• there's just something about mutually assured destruction, you know?, ^{Archived version} by amaranthsynthesis

Fan Comics

• This Hark! A Vagrant strip is immediately what I thought of when I found those letters., ^{Archived version} by amaranthsynthesis
• Untitled comic, description: Did I create this whole thing because of one throw away line in a letter?, ^{Archived version} by Haunted.dot
• Just a joke based on the implication made about the dark urge's hobbies and this scene in brooklyn99., ^{Archived version} by Haunted.dot
• wanted to make a little thing about my durge's backstory pre-tadpole, ^{Archived version} by soottea

Meta

• Overcome with thoughts of dark urge and Gortash once more., ^{Archived version} by lusticiars
• Trying to figure out who developed feelings first., ^{Archived version}, essay about who fell in love first by animentality
• Untitled essay about why they fell in love, ^{Archived version} by yoakesan
• Untitled essay about "we can be good for each other", ^{Archived version} by yoakesan
• TLDR: Gortash should have had an optional redemption route exclusive to a Durge run, ^{Archived version} by broiamjustalilguy
• Everything about the Dark Urge is working for me., ^{Archived version}, ship manifesto by a Nonny on FFA
• Nonnies last post who were talking about the Dark Urge/Gortash, ^{Archived version}, a mini ship manifesto by Nonnies on FFA

External Links

• The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash works at AO3
• #Durgetash on Tumblr
• #Durgetash on Twitter