Name: Dio of Tel Oloth
Age:27
Race: Redguard
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: Dio is a large man standing well over 6 feet tall. His body is densely muscled from years of hard labor and training. His body type is more akin of that of an orc than a redguard, his back and shoulders being quite broad and wide. His skin is brown as is typical for a redguard. He has scars all over his body and face from a near deadly encounter with a clannfeer. His head is bald, and from his chin sprouts a long ash colored beard.
Personality: Dio is an eccentric man, often seeming to make decisions on a whim. But this is simply how he is at the surface, as he is quite calculated in how he navigates the world. He has a dark sense of humor and can be rather grim in his outlook on life. He is aloof and apathetic to most things, reserving his deeper passions for the handful of things he holds dear in this life. Dio also holds little regard for racial/cultural origin, only concerning himself with what each individual has to offer, rather than making judgements based off generalities.
Class: Dark Crusader (Similar to the Crusader, but rather than specifically for a good cause Dark Crusaders fight to fulfill their own desires.
Birthsign: The Mage
Faction: House Telvani
Major Skills: Blade, Block, Restoration, Alteration, Heavy Armor
Minor Skills: Alchemy, Destruction, Armorer
History: Dio's existence is the result of the machinations of an eccentric Telvanni mage named Lord Dracoloth. Like most other Telvanni the pursuit of wisdom and power was of foremost importance to the wizard lord. His eccentricities led him to take a great interest in the concept of using magic and alchemy to assist in the development of living things. He spent many years applying such concepts to the cultivation of plants. Through selective breeding and alchemy Dracoloth was able to raise robust and vibrant variations of many different varieties of fauna. His interest then turned to the cultivation of mer and men. He would endeavor to use his research to create a cadre of elite warriors culled from all the races of Tameriel, each individual being pinnacle examples of their race, and all of them loyal to him unto the pain of death.
Thus Dio was born in the remote settlement of Tel Oloth, third generation to come to being within Dracoloth's grand experiment. Dio's parents were two of the strongest redguards from the second generation of "test subjects". Both had an affinity for magic unlike most that of most other redguards. Dio would never come to know his parents, as such was against the design of Lord Dracoloth's experiment. He would be raised alongside the other children, a collective of assortment of all the known races of Tameriel. Early on, he would be subjected various regimens of alchemical potions and compounds, as well as a basic education in combat and the use of magic, in preparation of the trials he would face in later years. Dracoloth's regimens would ring true, and Dio and his cohorts found themselves developing far faster, and prominently than normal children their age.
When Dio and the others reached the age of twelve, their collective group was split into several smaller groups. This split was based on the expected proclivities of each individual. Dio being of redguard heritage was separated into a group who would ultimately become fighters, alongside a Dunmer named Saramen, and an orc named Stryke. Their training would consist of hard labor in the mines beneath Tel Oloth, weapons training with a Mazken named Vonshala, and instruction in the magic arts by Lord Dracoloth himself. They were also given clothing imbued with an encumbrance enchantment, to further push their bodies to grow in strength. Over the next six years Dio's body would be molded by the hard labor of the mines, his skill cultivated by the careful instruction of Vonshala, and his mind expanded by the eccentric guidance of Dracoloth. Life in the mines was harsh, but such tough conditions fostered a deep bond, between Dio, Saramen, and Stryke. Together they forged a brotherhood in the darkness of the mines, the clanging sound of pickaxes driving through rock and ore the anthem in which they passed the time.
Weapons training served as a welcome respite from the repetitive drudgery of the mines. Dio took well to the use of the blade, and reveled in the practice of the art swordplay. Vonshala was a patient teacher, taking great care and diligence in the instruction of the trio. She would be the closets thing to a mother the three would ever know.While Dio found the art of combat with a blade to be as simple as breathing, he found the use of magic in the same sense to be strange. While he did have aptitude with magic in and of itself, he found the application of it in combat to be more difficult. Why bother hurling a ball of fire at an enemy when one could simply cut them down? As such Dio would eschew the use of destruction magic in favor of schools which would enhance his already formidable close combat skills, such as alteration and restoration. In addition to training int the magic arts Dracoloth also passed on to them his philosophies, as well as the mindset and culture of House Telvanni. He told them of how he had shielded Tel Oloth from the destruction that befell much of House Telvanni. He also told them of how he had designed the circumstances of their birth, to the very day of their conception, thus making them his offspring, not through birth, but by design. A place within the House of Telvanni was theirs, if they could prove themselves worthy
As the years passed Dio and his "brothers" grew in skill and power, and soon they their training would be complete, and they would be free to find ways in which to serve Tel Oloth in their own way. It would take little time for the three of them to rise to prominence above their peers, achieving much in Lord Dracoloth's name. Whether it be recovering an artifact from an ancient tomb, slaying monsters encroaching upon Tel Oloth, or dealing with those who would see House Telvanni destroyed completely, Dio, Saramen, and Stryke were never found lacking always succeeding in tasks given to them by their master. Dio found great pleasure in engaging in combat, in defeating enemies, and in enjoying the spoils thereafter. He cared not for the conflict between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, or the battle raging between the other Great Dunmer Houses and the invading Argonians. For he was a crusader, a warrior with the ablity to wield magic, fighting for a good cause. "And what cause could be better than the fulfillment of one's own desires?" Tel Oloth was his fatherland, and Lord Dracoloth his Emperor. His only desire was to see Tel Oloth prosper from the plunder of it's enemies. He would relish in the spoils wrought by his own might. His brothers shared his sentiment, and together they all were adopted into House Telvanni, each attaining the rank of Lawman.
Though it would seem that there existed no entity other than death that could break the bond between the Trio, there came a day when a rift was torn between them. There was a nord woman named Alayna, she like Dio and the others was also a subject of Dracoloth's alchemical experiments. Dio and the others had not seen her since they were young children, she having been separated into a group who would become powerful magic users, and kept sequestered at the very top of the mushroom tower of Tel Oloth. Alayna had grown into a powerful sorceress, she had also grown to be exceptionally beautiful. It could be said that her beauty was uncanny, unnatural even, as if the result of some type of enchantment. She captivated both men and mer alike. Many sought her favor, including Dio and Saramen. Alayna saw an within the two an opportunity to fulfill a dream she had dreamed since childhood. To be free from Tel Oloth and the watchful eye of Lord Dracoloth. She was quite powerful on her own, but with a formidable ally success was much more likely. She needed someone who was willing to betray Tel Oloth for her sake. Both brothers were formidable more so than the others, but they both seemed to be utterly loyal to the Mage Lord. But it would be a small task to seduce one of them to her side. She would attempt to pit the brothers against each other, in true Telvanni fashion. Might makes right, to the mighty goes the spoils. She proposed that they fight to the death, the Victor being the only man worthy of her love. Telvanni often fight amongst themselves in order to gain power, and riches but Dio was reluctant to go along with this arrangment. While yes Alayana was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, or imagined he would see in his lifetime, he was not so certain she was worth killing Saramen over. He and Saramen had fought many a battle together, had climbed from the very dust of the mines together. Saramen had been a powerful ally to him, and would likely continue to be a powerful ally into the future. Powerful allies who could also be trusted were hard to find amongst the Telvanni. To Dio, it appeared that the most beneficial option was to simply opt out of the contest. There are other women in the world, but a True friend and brother would be hard to replace.
News of Dio's decision seemed to be a great comfort to Saramen, being reluctant to enter into such a duel as well. Or so it would seem, but the next day, Dio awoke to find himself naked and unarmed, lying deep within the mines face to face with a clannfear. Saramen had poisoned his food the night prior, and was planning on leaving him to die at the hands of the clannfear. Though his body was weakened by the poison, he was able to mitigate the effects with a strength spell. He engaged in combat with the clanfear with a stray pickax that he found on the ground. It took his entire being to fell the clannfear in his poisoned state. The clannfear had ravaged hims with it's claws, and he was losing blood fast. He managed to crawl far enough out of the tunnel to be found by some workers before it was too late.
As he lay in bed, recovering from his wounds, he pondered why Saramen would have betrayed in him such a way. He had already conceded, why then go so far as to attempt to take his life. It was not until news that some artifacts of power had been stolen from the tower, and that Saramen and Alayna had been seen fleeing from the scene that it all started to make sense. Dio surmised that Alayna had pressed Saramen into killing him as an show of loyalty, and that the two had plotted together to plunder the treasure trove of the tower. An impressive act of treachery, that Dio could not permit not to be punished. For the next two years Dio tracked the pair across Morrowind, before hearing that they had took up arms with the Dragonborn in his quest. For weeks Dio and Stryke trailed the Dragonborn's party, bearing witness to their deeds and achievements as they awaited and opportunity to repay Saramen and Alayna for their betrayal of Lord Dracoloth and the brotherhood they once shared. Dio found himself relating to the Dragonborn. Like him, he to crusaded to fulfill his desire, the desire to see Skyrim safe and whole. Dio and his party were biding their time in the Tavern the day the Dragonborn was killed. When the sound of Dragons attacking the great hall, Dio and Stryke rushed to the scene. By the time they got there, the Dragonborn was already dead, the hall devastated and chaotic. As they picked through the debris, they came upon Saramen. His torso had been crushed by a large wooden beam. He was still alive, but he would surely die within the next few movements. A few feet away laid Alayna, she too had been struck by debris, a small pool of blood accumulated around her head. Dio leaned down, cradling Saramen's head. The injured the Dunmer looked up at his estranged brother with a haggard smile. "I had hoped that you lived. That you had defeated the clanfear with the pickax I left there" Saramen's words were labored, and interrupted by short bouts of bloody coughs. "I am sorry, but I could not deny her. She would not have me if I did not somehow end your life. She thought that you would have been a thorn in our side...in our effort to claim some of the Masters wealth for ourselves" The strain of attempting to speak was taking it's toll on the dying Dunmer. "There is no need to speak anymore. Your plan was quite treacherous, which is to be congratulated. I forgive you, brother". As Dio spoke, Saramen breathed his last breath and died. Dio saw movement out of the corner of his eye, he looked up to see Alayna quite alive, leaning on an ornate staff, Dracoloth's staff. Too wounded to fight Alayna began to flee, throwing the staff at Dio as she turned to run. Dio decided not to give chase, as even in the chaos it would not bode well for him to bee seen fighting against one of the Dragonborn's allies.
Dio and Stryke retreated from Whiterun with the recovered artifacts and the body of their brother. Stryke would return the artifacts as well Saramen's body back to Tel Oloth. Dio decided he would stay in Skyrim. Treachery had been the downfall of the Dragonborn, as well as the death of his brother. Starkad had taken something from him, and Dio would see him die for it. He would see the so called Dovhahsken delivered unto death's door with his own two eyes, or hands if it comes down to it.
(Include how they banded together with the others. Did they know the Dragonborn?)
Extra:
Dio wears a suit of Black Bone mold Pauldron Armor. The black color derives from mixing the hardening resin with various minerals during the forging of the armor. The symbol of House Telvanni is emblazoned in bright red on the left and right pauldrons.
Dio wields a silver scimitar. He also wields an enchanted black Bonemold shield called "Spelljammer" which is able to reflect a portion of a spells effects back in the direction it was cast.
