Daud

"I know a great deal, bodyguard. I recognize those marks on your hand. A gift from your friend, the one who talks to you in the dark. Talks to you when you visit his shrines. I've visited those shrines too."

- Daud to a captured Corvo

"And now we fight the duel that no two others could fight!"

- Daud should Corvo decide to fight him

Daud, also known as "The Knife of Dunwall", is one of the primary antagonists of the 2012 video game Dishonored and the protagonist of the second and third DLC of the same game.

He is the leader of the assasin group "The Whalers" and responsible for the death of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. By killing her, he set in motion the events of the game. Like the game's protagonist, Daud is one of the Outsider's chosen and possesses magical powers.

He is voiced by Michael Madsen, who is known for his portrayal of Budd and Grouch Douglas.

Dishonored
Daud is hired by the Royal Spymaster, Hiram Burrows, to assassinate Empress Jessamine Kaldwin and to kidnap her daughter Emily. Successfully infiltrating the palace, he sends two of his Whalers to attack the Empress, who is accompanied by the game's protagonist and Royal Protector Corvo Attano. Corvo manages to fend off the assassins, but after they retreat Daud intervenes personally. One of his assassins immobilizes Corvo and Daud stabs Empress Jessamine into the stomach, killing her. The other assassin then grabs Emily and both flee from the scene, leaving Corvo behind with the Empresses corpse. Moments later, Burrows, Overseer Campbell and Royal guards arrive and, using the oppurtunity, Burrows has Corvo arrested for the murder and Emily's disappearance.

However, Corvo breaks out and, now determined to avenge the Empress, sets out to kill Burrows and his associates. To this end, he allies himself with Admiral Havelock, who leads the rebels opposing Burrows who has been named Lord Regent. He manages to take down each and every one of them (either lethal or non-lethal) but is then betrayed by Havelock. By help of his loyal shipper Samuel, Corvo survives and is marooned in the Flooded District, where he is captured by Daud's assassins.

He is brought before Daud, who takes Corvo's weapons from him and then knocks him out, intending to sell him to Havelock for a large bounty. Corvo eventually regains consciousness in Daud's headquarters, where he manages to escape from his cell. Soon after, one of Daud's men appears to inform him of the break-out. Daud correctly surmises that Corvo is bound for the Commerce Building to confront him, and waits for the man's arrival, recording an audiograph castigating Hiram Burrows and lamenting his own part in the murder of the Empress.

The player can now decide whether to face Daud or to simply sneak past him. If he choses to engage Daud, Daud's reaction depends on the player's chaos level. On high chaos, Daud's assassins join the fight, on low chaos he forbids them from interfering and fights Corvo in a fair duel. Eventually, Daud is defeated. Wounded, he asks Corvo to spare his life. Again, the player can decide whether to execute Daud for his crime of to let Daud go. If he is spared, Daud leaves the city as he has enough of killing.

Knife of Dunwall
Set after his assassination of the empress and before his showdown with Corvo, The Outsider appears to Daud and gives him one last mystery to solve, telling him that it starts with a name: "Delilah".