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| “ | Never put your trust in a con man. | „ |
| ~ Forge Fitzwilliam. |
| “ | See that, Kira? Your father knows me. He knows I'm prepared to do terrible things to get what I want. Even to those I care about most. | „ |
| ~ Forge holding Kira at knifepoint. |
Forge Fitzwilliam is the secondary antagonist of the 2023 fantasy film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
An opportunistic and self-serving rogue turned into the lord of the city of Neverwinter, he was once a former companion of the heroes Edgin Darvis the bard, Holga Kilgore the barbarian and Simon Aumar the sorcerer before betraying them to aid the sadistic red wizard Sofina in usurping the lordship of Neverwinter - henceforth becoming Edgin's archenemy in the process when he takes his daughter Kira hostage.
He was portrayed by Hugh Grant, who also portrayed Jonathan Fraser in The Undoing, Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 and Mr. Reed in Heretic. As a child, he was played by Rylee Neilly-Large.
Personality[]
Even as an older man, Forge was handsome and had a bright smile. In his former days as a thief and confidence trickster, he made do with well-worn and unremarkable clothing. But as Lord of Neverwinter, he favored finer and elegant and flamboyant attire.
A fundamentally petty and selfish man, he used a jovial smile, flattery, and lies to deceive people, and backstab them given the opportunity. Even when his unscrupulous nature became noticed to the point of being caught out for the extent of his deception, he would carry on lying to disorient and divide people for his own ends. As such he had a taste for wealth and its trappings, especially that which he'd won himself, and would complain extravagantly if things were not just how he preferred them - such as if his tea was too hot. He soon prove to be rather audacious in his schemes and was never completely satisfied with his original success, instead growing ever more ambitious and conniving to the very end of his lordship.
History[]
During one night whilst Forge, Edgin, Holga and Simon were celebrating a successful heist at the Trip and Shuffle tavern in Targos, a mysterious hooded figure calling herself "Lady Sofina" met the party. She wanted to hire them to help her steal the treasures of Korinn's Keep, a Harper storehouse that only a Harper could enter—Edgin. He refused, however, still having some standards. But Forge promised they would find there a Tablet of Reawakening, a magical relic capable of resurrecting one deceased soul. Against his better judgement but with hopes of restoring his wife Zia to life, Edgin relented and acquiesced to Forge's and Sofina's scheme.
Donning his old Harper uniform, Edgin led the team to Korinn's Keep and gained admittance. While the thieves helped themselves to the treasures of the vault, and Sofina claimed a strange red horn, Edgin went for the Tablet of Reawakening. But the poor thief triggered an alarm, summoning Harper guards, whom Sofina struck with chain lightning, to Edgin's dismay. She then cast time stop, trapping the guards, Holga, and Edgin while she, Forge, and Simon made their escape. Edgin's last act was to throw the Tablet to Forge and beg him to take care of Kira. Forge gave his word, for what that was worth. In fact, he'd always planned to double-cross them, having thrown his lot in with Sofina. As Forge watched, Sofina tried to kill Simon, as they'd never intended for him to escape Korinn's Keep, and the sorcerer only just got away with his life.
Lord of Neverwinter[]
Afterward, Forge collected Edgin's daughter Kira from Targos and together they moved to Neverwinter. For two years, dear 'Uncle Forge' lied to the girl and turned her against her father, until Kira thought he'd just abandoned her to seek more riches, that is, the so-called "Tablet of Riches". Forge kept the real Tablet of Reawakening hidden and never shared Edgin's true reasons. He presented himself as a having turned over a new leaf.
When Lord Dagult Neverember suddenly took ill and fell into a vegetative state, a magical condition that was rumored to be the work of Sofina, and in fact was, Forge seized the opportunity. He waged a political campaign for lordship of Neverwinter financed with his ill-gotten gains, in which he described Neverwinter's leaders as "corrupt and inept". Successful, he became Lord of Neverwinter with Sofina as his chief advisor. They all moved into Castle Never.
But Forge and Sofina's real scheme was far larger and more terrible in scope. One of the Forge's main acts was to revive the High Sun Games, a monster-filled bloodsport that had been banned by Lord Neverember as he considered them too brutal. Forge also ordered the construction of the Neverwinter arena to host the Games. The first Games were to be held, allegedly, as a way of bringing the city together. It also brought many visitors from outside Neverwinter, including rich, powerful, and unscrupulous people, people like Din Caldwell and Porb Piiradost, two of the wealthiest men of the big cities of Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep of the day, who wanted to bet big on the Games and brought their riches with them. Sofina planned to cast the Beckoning Death spell on the arena, turning them into an army of undead, while Forge escapes on a ship with the riches and Kira.
Meanwhile, after two years imprisoned in Revel's End in the frozen region of Icewind Dale, Edgin and Holga escaped and came to Castle Never to retrieve Kira and the Tablet of Reawakening, but they had a less-than-warm reception. Lord Forge kept them waiting and Kira was now eleven years old and estranged from her father. Kira didn't believe him when he gave his real reason, to resurrect her mother. Finally, Forge revealed a wanted poster with a bounty for Edgin and Holga, causing Kira to run away in tears. Forge refused to return Kira and threatened to sell the Tablet of Reawakening in Skullport, and when Holga and Edgin got angry and went to grab him, Sofina cast a spell to trap them in the floor. After taunting and mocking them, Forge ordered his guard Blackwood to take them back to Revel's End. But Sofina told Blackwood to kill them in secret, though they would escape. Afterward, Forge met with Kira, pretending to console her, but lied to her still, cruelly claiming he'd given Edgin and Holga the 'Tablet of Riches' and they simply left without her.
Defeat[]
| “ | No, no! I’m terribly sorry. I don’t know what came over me, I’m sorry. I’m sorry! | „ |
| ~ Forge Fitzwilliam's last words. |
Finally, Forge opened the High Sun Games at the arena from atop one of the moveable pillars, though he did not like the height of it. He had even raised a hot-air balloon over the arena with his own grinning face on it. Addressing the crowd, he asked that no one leave the arena until the very end, promising "a wonderful gift" to each of the spectators. Edgin, Holga, Simon and a new party member named Doric attempt to raid the castle for the tablet, Kira and the other treasures, but are all caught. Cornering him with Sofina, Forge prepares to execute Edgin, but Edgin pleads to be put into the Games, a request Forge refuses but Sofina agrees to out of both sadism and a twisted sense of fair play.
Later, as Sofina casts her Beckoning Death spell on the arena, Forge prepares to escape the city on his ship, but not before telling Sofina how it was a pleasure doing business with her, only for Sofina to casually dismiss him. He then tells Kira that they are going on a trip. However, the party of heroes escape the Games and hijack the ship. Edgin convinces Kira to join him. Forge holds a dagger to his foster daughter's throat, ordering the group off his ship, but Holga stuns him with a thrown potato. The heroes escape on the ship, but soon return in order to stop Sofina from massacring the city.
Forge approaches a fisherman and attempts to assume control of his trawler to pursue Edgin and escape the Beckoning Death, but sees the ship crash back at the dock. Simon casts a Hither Thither spell on the ship's hull and again on a floating balloon, spilling riches over the city and luring the arenagoers out. Forge himself is horrified to see his treasure being lost. Shortly after, Sofina is depowered by Kira and mauled to death by Doric. Forge tried to escape the city on foot with a chalice but was caught and arrested by the paladin Xenk Yendar and imprisoned in Revel's End.
Some time later, Forge appealed for a pardon and was granted a hearing. Presenting his case to the council, Forge tried to convince the judges to pardon him by telling them of his "sad backstory" of his domineering mother. Alas, they rejected his appeal. In a desperate attempt to escape, Forge attacked councilman Jarnathan and attempted to throw him out the hearing room window so he can fly away on him (the same way Edgin and Holga escaped in the beginning), but realised too late that the window had been walled over. Forge and Jarnathan slam into the wall and collapse, with Forge apologizing as guards drag him back to his cell.
Gallery[]
TBA
Trivia[]
- In an interview, Hugh Grant stated that of all his villain roles, Forge Fitzwilliam is "the best one."