<div class="dioctionary-ribbon">THE BASICS</div> - **Page Link:** [[Dio Eldwynair]] - Former Oathsworn Paladin of Tymora, of the [[Order of the Lucky Blades]]. - Human male, physically 27 years old. - Has actually lived a combined 143 years through repeated deaths and rebirths. - Friendly, self-sacrificing, and deeply burdened by guilt. - Carries the hat and sword of his deceased mentor, [[Olivia Halcrest]]. <div class="dioctionary-ribbon">THE TRAGEDY</div> - At age 20, Dio's mentor and the woman he loved, [[Olivia Halcrest]], was targeted during a crisis at the [[Cathedral of Lathander]]. - A sect of [[Beshaba]] worshippers believed Olivia was destined to become Beshaba's Chosen. - During the battle, Beshaba possessed Olivia. - Once inside Olivia, Beshaba realized Olivia was never the true candidate. - The person she wanted was Dio. - Beshaba used Olivia as a weapon against Dio. - The fight was effectively a test to determine whether Dio would be worthy of becoming her Chosen. - Dio refused to fight her seriously and spent most of the battle trying to survive rather than win. - During the battle he was temporarily blinded. - Unable to see and fighting almost entirely on instinct, he continued defending himself against Olivia's attacks. - In the chaos of the fight, he landed a strike that proved fatal. - By the time his sight returned, Olivia was dying from a wound he never intended to inflict. - Olivia died by Dio's hand, but not by his choice. <div class="dioctionary-ribbon">THE FALLOUT</div> - Following Olivia's death, Dio remained with the Order of the Lucky Blades for nearly a year. - During this period many viewed him as a knight who had failed his mentor rather than a victim of the tragedy. - Some pitied him, others questioned him, and many simply saw a once-promising paladin who had broken under pressure. - The burden of those expectations only deepened his guilt. - Eventually his faith collapsed and he abandoned his oath to Tymora. - Dio's grief and anger ultimately shattered his faith. - He renounced his oath to Tymora. - The moment he abandoned his oath, his black hair turned silver-white. - Instead of finding freedom, he became trapped between Tymora and Beshaba. - His punishment became far worse than death. - Dio is cursed to relive his greatest failure. - Whenever he dies, he returns to the Cathedral of Lathander at age 20 shortly after Olivia's death. - If he survives too long, the curse kills him before or around age 30. - He cannot simply live out a normal life. - Every cycle eventually ends in death. - His current life is the 18th known cycle. <div class="dioctionary-ribbon">THE PARTY</div> ### [[Marcel Voltaire]] - Dio understands what Marcel is trying to do better than she realizes; if Marcel is determined to save her princess, then Dio is determined to help her succeed, because he failed to save his own so many years ago. ### [[Kalis Mikhailson]] - Dio trusts Kalis far more than he admits, but the fact that almost nobody truly knows where Kalis came from or what he wants leaves him constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. ### [[Constantine]] - Dio sees a younger version of himself in Constantine and quietly hopes he can spare him from making the mistakes he did. ### [[Drougma Tarak]] - Dio values Drougma's honesty, loyalty, and straightforward nature in a world that often feels far too complicated. <div class="dioctionary-ribbon"> Q&A </div> - **If Dio could remove the curse tomorrow at no cost, would he?** - Without question - **What part of the curse would be hardest for him to lose?** - Never seeing Olivia again - **What part of the curse would he erase immediately?** - Randomly and faintly hearing [[Beshaba]] laughing in his mind at every misstep he makes - **Does Dio consider himself a good person?** - No - **Does Dio consider himself a hero?** - No - **What is Dio's greatest strength?** - His willingness to keep going despite stacked odds - **What is Dio's greatest flaw?** - Ultimate-move, self-sacrifice for the greater good - **What trait would Olivia say is his greatest strength?** - His persistence, he initially wasn't assigned under the wing she commanded within the order, but purposefully flubbed work within the other wings he was assigned to get moved into hers - **What trait would Olivia say is his greatest flaw?** - His persistence, while it would help get him where he wanted to go- it wasn't the least bit helpful in forging bonds with other knights outside of Kaelen, Lira, and Olivia - **What is Dio's happiest memory?** - 18 years old, a night during the eve of the summer solstice; relaxing in a booth with Kaelen, Olivia, and Lira at [[The Silver Flagon]] enjoying a slice of normalcy without battle or burden - **What is Dio's most painful memory?** - the feel of his hand gripping the blade that pierced Olivia at the Cathedral - **What memory of Olivia does he revisit most often?** - On a trek back with a company of knights from the [[Thunder Peaks]], they silently held hands while walking without saying a word- simply exchanging glances at one another with each step - **What memory of Olivia is he terrified of forgetting?** - The first time she casually called him "Dio" and the face she made, she formally for most of his life called him Diomeades until that point - **What is one thing Olivia was genuinely bad at?** - Navigating large cities, on Dio's first trip to [[Baldur’s Gate]] she got them lost in the city - **What is one thing Olivia never understood about Dio?** - Why he kept insisting that she teach him elvish - **What is one thing Dio never understood about Olivia?** - Why she left [[Candlekeep]] so many years ago, what calling did she find in [[Tymora]] truly - **If Olivia returned today, what would Dio say first?** - A heartfelt apology - **What question would he ask her?** - How much time do we have? - **What truth would he hide from her?** - The misery he felt over the past century - **Would Olivia be proud of the man Dio became?** - He doesn't think so - **Before the cathedral, who was Dio closest to?** - [[Olivia Halcrest]] - **Who understood him best?** - [[Lira Morningvale]], she was the one that nudged Dio seeing that he probably had feelings for Olivia - **Who challenged him most?** - [[Cassian Blackfen]], the same age as Dio and as his cousin, he constantly was a foil to Dio, measuring against him as if on trial, that he did not hold a candle to the legacy of [[House Blackfen]] - **Who made him laugh the most?** - [[Kaelen Droswynn]], their spars were legendary, as well was their friendship, they came up with a number of "finishing moves" that [[Lira Morningvale]] would name as they performed them - **Who made him angry the most?** - [[Cassian Blackfen]], a thorn in his side, constantly fought with Dio growing up, both physically and verbally - **Who would be most disappointed in him today?** - [[Quincy Blackfen II]], he was always disappointed with [[Dio Eldwynair]] - **Who would be most proud of him today?** - [[Rowan Eldwynair]], in what lives he knew Dio lived, he never gave up on him - **What would have happened if Olivia had lived?** - He doesn't know - **Would Dio have stayed with the Order?** - Probably - **Would Dio have married?** - Certainly - **Does Dio still pray to Tymora?** - Only in times of extreme stress does he call on her - **What is the last prayer he remembers making?** - "...Tymora if you can still hear me, please grant this humble pilgrim enough luck to let this punch land true" - **Does he blame Tymora for what happened?** - He initially did... - **Does he forgive Tymora?** - No, as he still does not forgive himself - **What would Tymora have to say for Dio to trust her again?** - He doesn't know - **Does Dio hate Beshaba?** - Without question - **Does Dio fear Beshaba?** - No - **Does Dio respect Beshaba?** - No, but understands that his power as of today comes from her, and not Tymora - **Has Beshaba ever told him something true that he didn't want to hear?** - That Olivia never heard him say that he loved her, and she died never giving hers either - **What does Beshaba understand about Dio better than anyone else?** - He is only just a few cracks away from shattering and becoming hers - **If Beshaba offered him Olivia back, would he accept?** - Provisionally - **What price would be too high?** - His memories of her - **If Tymora offered him peace, would he believe her?** - Likely - **What would Dio sacrifice to break the curse?** - Nearly anything - **What would he refuse to sacrifice?** - Innocents - **Which death affected Dio the most?** - [[05 - The Festival of the Moon]], the lack of justice against evil and then being executed for stopping it drove him mad for a bit - **Which death affected him the least?** - [[08 - Dancing in the Dark]], getting squished was a fast death - **Which death was the most unfair?** - [[04 - The Howls]], nothing he could do about it - **Which death was the most peaceful?** - [[12 - A Brief Respite]], simple- like falling asleep - **Which death was the most embarrassing?** - [[09 - The Peel of Destiny]], considering how long the trek to get to [[Candlekeep]] was, it had stormed what felt like an entire season - **Which death changed him the most?** - [[17 - The Hollow Cloister]], when he realized Dio had to "stay dead" to prevent "his world" from remembering him. Lira didn't search for a missing brother and Kaelen didn't hunt his former friend. - **Has Dio ever wanted to stay dead?** - There are times... early on that he felt that way, now he feels nothing - **Has Dio ever intentionally sought death?** - Yes - **Which lifetime was his favorite?** - His late 60s and early 70s, where he spent his time modestly outside [[Silvercross]] under an assumed name during [[10 - Happy Birthday to me]] - **Which lifetime was his least favorite?** - The years immediately following his death in [[Baldur’s Gate]]. He spent time in [[Icewind Dale]] hunting a rumor, and never cared for the extreme cold. - **Which lifetime came closest to happiness?** - [[10 - Happy Birthday to me]], [[Beshaba]] was quiet mostly for that decade - **Which lifetime came closest to breaking him?** - The return to life from [[01 - The Alleyway]] to [[02 - Gravity]] and that no one believed him. - **What lesson took Dio the longest to learn?** - You can still make all the right moves and lose the game - **What lesson has he still failed to learn?** - Control is often an illusion - **What mistake does he keep repeating?** - Dismissing expertise, he feels at times that because he's lived longer he knows more and or is better at things in one way or another - **What is the smartest thing Dio has ever done?** - Picking up the letter from [[Yang Pahlavan]] that [[Durnan]] gave him - **What is the dumbest thing Dio has ever done?** - [[09 - The Peel of Destiny]], no question about it - **What is Dio's greatest regret unrelated to Olivia?** - Not living up to his mother's expectations, and purposefully self-sabotaging the wing he was initially assigned to (Luckwardens, [[Therona Eldwynair]]'s wing) to be closer to Olivia - **What is one achievement he is secretly proud of?** - The secret brawling moves he, kalen and lira came up with - **What accomplishment would surprise people the most?** - That somehow, despite all odds, he's actually alive - **What kind of person earns Dio's trust fastest?** - Similar grounded individuals like himself coming from a strong sense of order and structure - **What kind of person immediately puts him on guard?** - Not secretive people, but those that are incredibly forthcoming with detailed and specific unwarranted information - **What personality trait annoys him most?** - Those that are lazy at any hour - **What personality trait does he secretly admire?** - Those that can find forgiveness, even when he cant himself - **What kind of leader does Dio respect?** - One that leads by example - **What kind of leader does Dio despise?** - One that hides behind bodies - **What is Dio most insecure about?** - His attachment to the past - **What compliment affects him the most?** - His eyes, the color is a genetic marker of [[House Blackfen]]. His extended family is anything but kind- although, Olivia once said his eyes were the kindest thing hers had laid upon. - **What insult affects him the most?** - Anything negative aimed toward his hat, sword, or elven kind - **What scares Dio more than death?** - Becoming Beshaba's pawn - **What scares Dio more than Beshaba?** - Forgetting his memories of Olivia in becoming Beshaba's chosen - **What truth about himself is he most afraid to admit?** - Olivia would still be alive if he let her kill him the first time around, he should have let her kill him, but at what cost? Would someone else have killed her, or what would she have become if she were led to become Beshaba's chosen? - **What would completely break him emotionally?** - To hear Olivia's voice, even for a moment - **What dream has he given up on?** - Falling back into Tymora's good graces - **What dream is he still secretly holding onto?** - Breaking the hold Beshaba has on his neck - **Could Dio ever fall in love again?** - He doesn't know, Olivia and his freedom has been his obsession for over a century - **What would that person need to understand about him?** - He has wounds he believes will never heal - **Would Dio want children?** - Perhaps? - **Does Dio think he deserves happiness?** - No - **Does Dio think he deserves forgiveness?** - No - **What does Dio actually want right now?** - Freedom - **What does he tell people he wants?** - Another drink - **Which answer is more honest?** - He doesn't know, beyond that he's seen the bottom of a glass more often than the floor of the [[Cathedral of Lathander]] - **If the curse ended tomorrow, what would he do first?** - Head back to [[Silvercross]], and let those that thought he was dead for the past seven years know the truth. - **What would he do in the first month?** - Travel back to [[Cormyr]] - **What would he do in the first year?** - He's not certain - **What unfinished business bothers him most?** - The unknown, how did [[Yang Pahlavan]] know his name through cycles of reality where he had never once met anyone by that name. No one should know him as its always been a clean reset he thought. Beyond the gods and their games. - **Who does he owe the biggest apology to?** - Olivia - **Who owes him an apology he'll never receive?** - Tymora - **If Dio could ask a god one question and receive a truthful answer, what would he ask?** - Why her of all people, and why use her to get to me? - **Which god would he ask?** - Beshaba - **What answer is he hoping for?** - The Truth - **What answer is he afraid of?** - Laughter - **How does Dio want his story to end?** - Peacefully - **How do I want Dio's story to end?** - I don't know - **If Dio knew the curse could never be broken, how would he spend the rest of his life?** - Faking his death early, and riding out each decade into ambiguity - **If Dio knew tomorrow was his final day, who would he spend it with?** - Good friends - **If history remembered Dio in a single sentence, what would he want that sentence to be?** - He remained kind long after the world gave him every reason not to