Dorn Il - Khan Dorn Il - Khan was a half - orc blackguard and a companion of the Bhaalspawn known as Gorion ' s Ward , in the late 1300s DR . Hailing from the Spine of the World , Dorn spent many years operating as a bandit in Luskan , before being double crossed by his colleagues and left for dead . His anger at this betrayal attracted the attention of the demon Ur - Gothoz , who restored and empowered Dorn with demonic abilities , in return for his service . Dorn encountered Gorion ' s Ward whilst pursuing revenge , and together they were able to kill Dorn ' s betrayers . Personality . For Dorn , strength and self - reliance were the highest virtues . He was intensely distrustful of others , even before Simmeon ' s band betrayed him . History . Early years . Dorn Il - Khan was born in the Spine of the World , into the Il - Khan tribe of orc s . His father was an orc warrior , and his mother was a human slave . When their tribe was destroyed by a rival group of ogre s , mother and son escaped to Luskan . As he matured , his enormous strength and reputation for violence drew the interest of a band of mercenary adventurers led by a human named Simmeon . Other members of the band included Senjak , Dorotea , and the necromancer Kryll , with whom Dorn had a love affair . The group was fairly successful , raiding ancient temples and overcoming all obstacles they encountered . Such was their success that rival outfits began spreading false rumors about Dorn and his companions , claiming them to be grave robbers and simple thieves . Local noblemen began sending soldiers to thwart Dorn and his companions . Hoping to stop these efforts through a show of force , Simmeon decided to raid the town of Barrow . The town ' s inhabitants proved feeble resistance to the mercenaries , and they were all put to the sword , women and children included . With the slaughter complete , the other members of his band turned their weapons on Dorn . They intended for him to take the blame for the massacre at Barrow , diverting suspicion away from the rest of them . The hope was that , if the local nobility believed they had captured the group ' s ringleader , the other members of the mercenary band would no longer be pursued . The plan worked , and Dorn was left behind defeated to assume the title of " the Butcher of Barrow " on his own . Imprisoned in a Luskan jail cell and awaiting execution , Dorn was enraged at his colleagues ' betrayal . So great was his rage that it drew the attention of Ur - Gothoz , a powerful demon . Ur - Gothoz offered Dorn a bargain : in return for Dorn ' s service , the demon would imbue him with a portion of its own power , and aid in Dorn ' s revenge . Dorn accepted , becoming Ur - Gothoz ' s blackguard champion . He broke free from his cell , killing the guards and the people who had tormented him during his month - long stay . Vengeance . After nearly a full year of searching for his betrayers along the Sword Coast , Dorn encountered Gorion ' s Ward at the Friendly Arm Inn . Dorn rudely dismissed the Ward after mistaking them for a servant . Shortly after , Dorn and the Ward crossed paths once more . The Ward had been ambushed by Senjak and Dorotea , which Dorn simultaneously had finally tracked down . Dorotea tried to bargain with the half - orc , but Dorn held no interest beyond revenge . Together , Dorn and the Ward killed Senjak and Dorotea . Sensing the Ward ' s power , and at the urging of Ur - Gothoz , Dorn chose to accompany them , in return for aid in his own personal vendetta . A while later , Dorn came across a lead on another of his duplicitous colleagues , the necromancer Kryll . Taris , a woman from Nashkel , knew of Kryll ' s whereabouts , but found Dorn too frightening to talk to . Dorn asked for the Ward ' s help , thinking a softer touch would get Taris talking . Gorion ' s Ward proved up to the challenge , and learned that Taris ' s husband had disappeared east of the Nashkel mines , in the tow of a mystery woman . Dorn recognized this as Kryll ' s modus operandi : luring men away to use in necromantic spells . With Taris ' s information , Dorn tracked Kryll down . Kryll was not pleased to be found , using her abilities to raise a group of skeleton s to attack Dorn and the Ward . Dorn ended the life of his former lover , and on her corpse he found a letter from Simmeon revealing his location outside the city gates of Baldur ' s Gate . Dorn found Simmeon precisely where the letter had placed him . Simmeon was well prepared for their meeting , having used a fortune on diviner s to gain information about Dorn , including the source of his demonic powers . Simmeon , too , had become a blackguard , serving one of Ur - Gothoz ' s rivals . In the ensuing fight , however , Dorn emerged victorious . With Simmeon dead , his revenge was complete . Dorn elected to stay in the company of Gorion ' s Ward , as both he and his demonic patron relished the violent nature of the Ward ' s quest . The Crusade . After helping Gorion ' s Ward kill the Bhaalspawn Sarevok Anchev , and destroying Anchev ' s last lieutenants , Dorn struck out on his own once more . The lands north of Baldur ' s Gate and south of Waterdeep were being pillaged by the Shining Crusade , an army led by Caelar Argent , a powerful aasimar warlord . Ur - Gothoz ordered Dorn to slay Hormorn , a priest devoted to Caelar , in the midst of an enormous religious gathering of crusaders . Dorn dared not question his patron , and predictably failed at killing the priest . He was captured by another of Caelar ' s followers , the half - orc known as the Barghest , and found himself imprisoned yet again in a crusader camp outside of Bridgefort . Gorion ' s Ward , on a quest to end the Crusade , came across the caged Dorn and freed him . They joined forces once more to spill crusader blood . Following the Bhaalspawn . Dorn attempted to stay close to Gorion ' s Ward as their star shone ever brighter . During this time , the marilith Azothet offered Dorn the chance to be free of his patron Ur - Gothoz if he would instead serve her and trap Ur - Gothoz in the sword known as the " Abyssal Blade " . Dorn could betray his longtime master , switching alliegance to Azothet ; remain loyal to Ur - Gothoz and instead bind Azothet into the sword and be rewarded for his loyalty or decide that he didn ' t want to be beholden to either entity and betray them both , losing his blackguard powers in the process . Dorn ' s actions however , had earned his name a place in the heavenly " Book of Retribution " . To prevent constant attacks by celestial servants , Dorn and Gorion ' s Ward led an attack on Lunia to erase their names from the book . Possessions . Dorn owned a magical greatsword named " Rancor " , which grew more powerful for a time after slaying an enemy . Entirely black , and covered in inscriptions , " Rancor " emitted a faint humming noise in Dorn ' s presence . Dorn later came into the possession of the " Abyssal Blade " which he used to trap a powerful fiend , whose fury empowered the sword ' s magic . If Dorn remained loyal to Ur - Gothoz , he was rewarded with a magical silver mask called " The Visage " . Relationships . Dorn was very enthusiastic about Gorion ' s Ward ' s status as a Bhaalspawn . He saw himself as the right hand of the next Lord of Murder , and enjoyed the fame and glory that came with the association . His relationship with his mother was difficult for him . She had tried to protect Dorn from the beatings he ' d received from the other orc children , but was prevented from doing so by his father . This taught him the self - reliance that he believed had served him so well as he matured . He was frequently disgusted at his mother ' s weakness and the way that she offered herself to the men they met on the way to and inside Luskan ( thereby choosing to remain a slave instead of exercising her newfound freedom ) . After murdering those men , he resolved to abandon his mother , reasoning that he ' d be all the stronger for doing so .