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"I recognize the marks on your hand. The one given to you by your friend, the one that talks to you in the dark. I've visited his shrines, too."
—Daud, to a captured Corvo

Daud is the leader of a group of assassins known as "the Whalers" that operate in Dunwall, and is responsible for the death of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin and the kidnapping of her daughter, Emily. Daud is one of the main antagonists and targets in Dishonored, and the protagonist of the game's second DLC, The Knife of Dunwall.

Biography

Little is known about Daud's early life. Though his mother is rumored to have come from the Pandyssian Continent, Daud, like Corvo, hails from Serkonos. The Heart reveals that in his childhood, Daud's natural abilities caught the attention of a mysterious actor, which eventually led to his abduction.

The book Rumors and Sighting: Daud suggests that at some point between this period and the events of Dishonored, Daud came to Dunwall and began to make a name for himself, "moving among the shop keepers and City Watch Officers of Dunwall like a reaper through wheat." The book suggests that Daud subsequently traveled the Isles seeking Outsider Shrines, which Daud himself confirms. It is rumored that during this time, he spent a winter at the Academy of Natural Philosophy, though there is no additional information to support this assertion.

Marked by the Outsider

After visiting various shrines around the Isles, Daud became infamous as an assassin, feared not only for his skill, but also for his magic powers. One of the eight individuals gifted with the Outsider's Mark, his known powers are Blink (referred to as "transversals"), Bend Time, resistance to poisons (including Corvo's sleep darts), and a skill called Tethering that pulls targets toward the user. Another power gives him the ability to grant lesser versions of his magic to others, which he utilizes in regard to his assassin followers. Daud used these powers to establish himself and the Whalers as assassins for hire to the elite of Dunwall. (During this period, he met his eventual second-in-command Billie Lurk, then a street urchin with an affinity for the trade.) Eventually, their renown in the underworld of Dunwall caught the attention of Hiram Burrows, who hired them to assassinate the Empress and kidnap her daughter.

Despite the Outsider's initial favor toward Daud, a schism developed between the two sometime before the events of Dishonored. The Outsider himself notes that he lost interest in Daud prior to the assassination of the Empress (an act which drew his ire), and interacts with Daud in a hostile and derisive manner throughout The Knife of Dunwall.

The Knife of Dunwall

"Daud, my old friend. It's been a while, but you've got my interest again...I'm here because you're right, the Empress was different."
—The Outsider

After carrying out the assassination of the Empress and delivering Emily to Burrows' agents, Daud becomes wracked with guilt over the act, a feeling which the Outsider reinforces. Appearing to Daud after the assassination, the Outsider provides him with "one last gift" so that he may alter coming events: the name Delilah. Unable to abide a mystery by his own admittance[1], Daud begins to investigate the significance of the name. In doing so, the conclusion of the DLC arc is affected by the chaos Daud inflicts over the course of his search, similar to how Corvo's actions affect the conclusion of Dishonored.

With the help of Billie Lurk, Daud discovers the whaling trawler Delilah at the Rothwild Slaughterhouse; his subsequent hunt eventually directs him to Delilah Copperspoon, a painter and member of the Brigmore Witches. As Daud begins to realize that Delilah took an interest in him long before he heard of her (learning, for instance, that Arnold and Thalia Timsh saw Delilah painting his name across a canvas during a seance), the assassins' hideout in the Flooded District is overtaken by Overseers.

After pushing back the Overseers' forces, Daud learns that he was betrayed by Billie, who saw his regret over the Empress' assassination as weakness and plotted to take his place. Working in conjunction with Delilah, they brought the Overseers to the Flooded District and arranged for Billie to kill Daud herself. Billie, however, chooses not to go through with the act, leaving Daud the choice to either kill or spare her. Daud's decision will affect the Outsider's final opinion and narration as the story closes.

Dishonored's final DLC, The Brigmore Witches, is set to complete Daud's story arc, specifically covering his confrontation with the titular coven.

Trivia

  • Daud is voiced by Michael Madsen.
    • Daud's personality and outlook are strikingly similar to Michael Madsen's character in the Kill Bill films, Budd.
  • According to the official guidebook "Ego homini Lupus" ("I am a Wolf to man") is his motto.
  • As with all other assassination targets, if Corvo decides to murder Daud with his sword, a special animation plays. In it, Corvo grabs Daud, slits his throat, then throws him to the right as he dies.
  • Daud cannot be possessed. If Corvo attempts to possess him, Daud's vision will be briefly entered, but no movements can be made. All the while, Daud will mock Corvo saying it was a "nice try", and that his mind is the last place Corvo should be.
  • Daud can move in real time during Corvo's Bend Time ability. He will say "Nice try, Corvo," if assassination is attempted during Bend Time.
  • Wanted posters for Daud feature a picture of a regular assassin rather than Daud.

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