⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Tara
Contact: stormwaltzing@gmail.com / gaignun / Tara#1768 on Discord
Age: Beyond 21+
Current Characters: N/A


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Dio Eraclea
Age: 19
Canon: Last Exile
Canon Point: End of Fam, The Silver Wing

Background:
Long ago, Earth got pretty wrecked, so humanity (some genetically altered) built some artificial worlds in space and flew to live on them in migratory spaceships called Exiles, with the hope to one day return to their mother planet. Centuries later, history turned to myths and we set our focus on a single world named Prester, where people take to the skies in small steampunk flying machines known as vanships. This is where the story of Last Exile takes place. On Prester, the Guild (aforementioned genetically enhanced humans) makes and upholds the rules, but unfortunately for everyone the leader of the Guild is Maestro Delphine Eraclea, a sociopathic tyrant who enjoys seeing those below her struggle and suffer and ensures the state of the world continues to give her that entertainment. Dio is Delphine's younger brother, though to her he's one of her cute possessions, and like the rest of Prester, he's unable to escape her clutches.

Dio grew up both spoiled with the privilege of doing what he pleased (so long as it didn't upset Delphine) while being completely terrified of his sister, knowing full well that once his seventeenth birthday arrived, his freedom and his sense of self were to be forcefully taken away. Not that anybody is truly "free" on Prester in the first place. So Dio spent much of his life before the series carefully maneuvering around his sister to avoid her anger and doing a lot of flying - something he's always loved to do and had always been talented at. And then one day in the midst of a war between Prester's two countries, a skilled pilot named Claus catches Dio's interest. On a whim he follows Claus onto a battleship with its goal set on something other than the war: taking down Delphine and the Guild. Dio doesn't particularly care about those plans as he obviously has no love for his sister or the Guild, and he simply hangs around on the ship for his own amusement and whimsy. He wants to spend what little time he has doing what he feels like, after all. Eventually, he integrates with the crew and becomes part of their little happy family, learning about the wonders of what a real birthday party is and wishing he could stay with them for good, instead of having to return home to a life he never wanted and a controlling sister he always feared.

His sister eventually seeks him out, because nothing that belongs to Delphine can stray far for long or hide from her in her world. Dio is dragged back home and forced into his "ritual to adulthood" - his sense of self erased, his personality reprogrammed. Thankfully, Dio eventually escapes thanks to the help of his friends, though at the sacrifice of the person most important to him, Lucciola. He regains his memories and sense of self again too, but not until some time after the mystery of Exile is solved and Delphine and the Guild are finally taken down, freeing Prester from her wrath and granting its people the long-forgotten means to return to their home planet of Earth. The perfect scenario for a two year time skip! Which is where the events of Fam, The Silver Wing take place.

Situated on a still not-entirely-healed (oops) Earth two years later, a new battle breaks out between the domineering Ades Federation and the countries surrounding it, Dio's home of Anatoray-Disith included. Having regained his sense of self and being free of his sister, Dio aids the people he now considers real family. Dio aids in Dio ways--in the background, on the fringe--but the help he provides is invaluable. He flies off by himself to join a group of rogue sky pirates, displaced from their countries by Ades. And while any casual observer would assume Dio is just lollygagging around, in reality he's waiting for the right time to ensure the right circumstances for the sky pirates to meet Anatoray ... and ally with them to strengthen their numbers in the fight against Ades.

One of Ades' goals is to seize control over other Exiles, due to the fact that they can be used as weapons. They target Alvis Hamilton, the biological key to Anatoray's Exile, but unfortunately for them Alvis is basically Dio's adopted little sister, being one of the aforementioned people who welcomed him into their family and added a cake to his first real birthday experience (cake is important). That topped with a promise to Claus, now injured and unable to fight and protect Alvis himself, Dio spends a good deal of time on the run with Alvis during the war, taking down any Ades assassins that pursue them. While he sits out the last leg of the war (due to injury from said promise-keeping), Dio is back in full force after those in Ades who began these conflicts are taken out and a hopeful peace is made by those who remain on a weakened planet, because they celebrate the peace with Dio's favorite thing in the world - vanship racing.

Personality:
While Dio in Fam, The Silver Wing is much different than the boy you meet in the first half of Last Exile, it's important to talk about him in the first series. Dio in a nutshell can be described as a Good Boy who ... had some special circumstances growing up. Having a possessive, cruel megalomaniac of a sister as your only influence does rub off on a person no matter who it is, and Dio is originally introduced giving the audience a slightly more antagonistic vibe. He's from the Guild who are said to be The Bad Guys, he's the brother of the woman ruining everyone's lives, and he does no favors in giving anyone another impression at first. Dismissive (and arguably just ignorant) of social cues of discomfort in others when he first comes across them, he pretty much annoys everybody around him. "What a weirdo," is the common opinion among the protagonists. Nosy and without any real regard for the boundaries of physical contact, Dio drapes and creeps all over the people who interest him most. This behavior is reinforced by the fact that his two biggest targets are boys who don't do much to push him away or give him a firm "no," but the truth is it probably wouldn't deter him either way.

As time goes on and Dio interacts with other humans who aren't crazy siblings or (mostly) emotionless servants, you start to see pieces of who he really is shine through. It's a learning experience for him for sure, and he picks up on and mimics many things he sees others doing and saying. You start to realize why he is the way he is. Spoiled and sheltered is a strange combination when mixed in with Dio's natural curiosity for any and everything, considering the boy at one point goes to poke around in some mud because hey, that stuff looks like chocolate. "Annoying and creepy" is an easy place to land where first impressions are concerned. Especially when you remember his actions and personality do occasionally mirror his own sister's, as he starts off as a really sore loser who has no problems causing someone else to crash in mid-air. But in reality, Dio fears the loss of his free will, and it's not a reach to say he grew up fearing dying, considering he chance witnessed his sister murdering their parents during her coup. Delphine only wants to be surrounded by cute and/or useful things, and an disobedient little Dio isn't either one of those, so Dio had to smarten up fast. At an early age he was considered a prodigy in the Guild, talented at everything from maneuvering Guild flying machines to maneuvering his sister to avoid upsetting her while doing as he pleased. It's ironic that a boy who fears a master manipulator has to manipulate his way around her, and has her to thank for his talent of it. It's a talent that he uses for better things later, after he sheds the creepier persona he lets on. He does orchestrate alliances between groups later on without one side being any the wiser about it, after all.

The most important anchor Dio had to humanity as well as any healthy, positive emotions at all growing up was Lucciola, a servant of the Guild gifted to him as a possession. Guild servants exist only to serve and are taught absolute obedience, but even the most emotionless don't stand a chance against Dio. To Dio, Lucciola wasn't a servant, but a friend, and Dio treated him like one. In private, of course, because it didn't take Dio long to realize that Delphine would not have any of that. Trying to get Lucciola to smile or express himself in any way was a constant endeavor, and his attempts to teach him how to feel feelings probably helped Dio keep his own better qualities intact. When denied food for punishment by Delphine, Dio would sneak Lucciola leftovers after dinner. Empathy is definitely a core trait of his, as it bloomed on its own at an early age despite his surroundings due to his connection to Lucciola and his instant attachment to something that wasn't something terrifying and evil. To Dio, Lucciola was always basically a light for him in an otherwise dark life - fitting, considering Dio named Lucciola, which means 'firefly'. Even after Lucciola's death, Dio prefers to fly alone rather than let anybody else take his place, honoring him by leaving his seat in his vanship empty and disallowing anybody to touch his controls.

Dio in Fam, The Silver Wing is a much more better adjusted person. He's the person he always was and should have been, without the weird funky mar of all of the creepiness of the Guild and his sister's rubbing off on him. This isn't saying he's a completely different character. He still has quite a few spoiled traits to him, that never-ending curiosity, and a penchant to get up in your space, only the draping is less creepy and more just overbearingly interested. The sky pirates he stays with think he's weird, too, so "weird" seems to be a Dio staple. But Dio sometimes prefers it to be that way when he's working an angle or trying to throw suspicion off of himself, so he has fun with it and enjoys the occasional trolling of his friends to get a reaction out of them. While Dio is a genius, skilled pilot and great fighter, unless something is actually interesting or important to him, he'll spend his time slacking off and hanging out in high places like a cat, enjoying the breeze until he feels the urge to show off his flying talent to somebody.

In short, Dio at face value is flighty, cheerfully childish and somewhat eccentric. Much like a bird, he soars through the skies with an air of wonder and freedom around him. Both of these traits stem from the same thing: his upbringing in the Guild and by his sister. As a result, his tendencies, as well-meaning as they are, can occasionally show signs of a long, somewhat spoiled life, and he comes off as very self-assured about things. But more importantly than that - and more importantly than anything, really, is how that life affected his views and yearning for true freedom. Because of that life, Dio easily latches onto good people and good, joyful and fun things now that he has the freedom to. Despite the facepalm that he invokes with his overly carefree, childish actions, Dio's actually a skilled pilot and practiced in the ways of war. But as he says himself, he doesn't really care about all that, and prefers to sing birthday songs to himself, hang around (and on) his friends, and fly freely in a peaceful sky with both his head and his hands in the clouds.

The flip side to that smiling, laughing young man is one considered a prodigy by his peers. Dio holds a vast knowledge on an array of subjects: strategy, mechanics, flying and air battle being a few prime examples. This leaves Dio with a thirst to constantly be active, engaged in some activity, be it something simple and fun or something complex and mind-exercising (of course, if an activity pops ups that bores him, Dio isn't averse to slack off and play hooky until something more interesting comes up), and he loves a challenge, especially if he comes out as the winner. He possesses many leader-like qualities, but has no interest in being an actual leader as he works best getting the important stuff done on the downlow on his own terms. When the situation gets somber or grows hazardous is when you see that bright smile of his fade, and it's then you see Dio's serious, sometimes more dangerous side. Though he much prefers the freedom and the laughter and the birthday songs to the fighting and the killing, he will do both without hesitation for his found family. Even when they call him a weirdo, Dio is a trusted friend and ally to those he views in the same light. For they know that much like the old saying, you can't judge a book by its cover - and Dio's is bright and colorful and odd, but conceals a story of many chapters, emotions and talents, as well as a fierce dedication to the people he holds most dear.

Abilities:
- Enhanced speed/strength/senses. Dio is part of the Guild who are genetically enhanced and are shown to have a leg up on your Average Human. He can take out multiple assassins who move pretty quickly, and can leap to and from high places with little problem, even with two girls in tow. Guilders have also been shown to grab a flare gun and crunch it single-handedly. Part of the "take out assassin" package means Dio can probably hear something coming a bit better than a normal human, too.

- Intelligence. Related to the above, the ability to pick up things is easier for a Guilder as well, but in Dio's case he's got to be interested in it first. He was considered a prodigy in the Guild, and knows his way around strategizing. This is why his favorite pasttime when not in the air is playing chess.

- Swordfighting & martial arts. Dio carries around a little keychain that extends into a lightsabery thing that can extend further and serve as a sort of grapple of sorts (aka, stab into the side of something so he can pull himself up), and he's pretty well trained in how to use it. Dio also pirouettes into drapes onto his friends, so has the grace Guilders use as their martial arts, which basically look like pretty fighting ballet.

- Flying/piloting. Dio is one of if not arguably the best pilot in the series. He can fly a two-man vanship on his own with no issues, and can cover both pilot and navigator positions.

- Mechanics. Part of having a vanship is taking care of it, so Dio knows the ins and outs of the machinery of his world, from vanships to engines of battleships. He built his own vanship out of junk parts using technology he was familiar with mixed with new stuff and it's the fastest vanship in the series.

That's it! I wanted to be thorough so hopefully that doesn't sound ridiculous. But he's basically your genetically advanced human.

Alignment: Daimonia!
Why I'm choosing to go with Daimonia has to do with the canonpoint I'm taking Dio from. End-series Dio has no more war to worry about and is ready to sing birthday songs and fly together with his friends in a free sky, the epitome of joy. But while he's happy in the present and for the most part, well-adjusted enough to continue on, he still possesses a pretty hefty level of grief due to his past, the fact that he's partially responsible for one of his friends being wheelchair-bound and unable to fly, and particularly over his loss of Lucciola.

Other: Aside from his clothes, he usually carries a concealed sword - the one mentioned in his abilities section! So he would have that on him as well coming in.


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉
Original Sample (note: have read the rules so am aware he will not have his vanship in game!)

Finally!

[ He sounds proud of himself as he rubs the side of his face with the back of his hand - which only serves to smudge some of the bit of dirt on it rather than wipe it clean. Wrench in hand, he looks over the result of his hard work: his vanship, looking no different than it usually does ... on the outside, at least. It didn't take Dio long to realize that his flying options were going to be very limited unless he took matters into his own hands and got creative. Empatheias did not provide the unique means of fuel required to power his vanship, so he ended up spending the last couple of weeks figuring out just how useful elemental cores would be to help get him skybound on steam power. With one of each of the three elemental cores now strategically set inside his vanship to work together with the already present electric power the vehicle possesses, he's ready to give his first attempted flight here a whirl.

He tosses the wrench back into the toolbox nearby and then, with a fluid, graceful motion much like a cat, he hops up onto the vanship and drops down into his seat. ]

Now, let's see if we're going to be able to have some fun here...

[ A mumble, seemingly to himself, but it's almost as if he's also addressing the vacant seat behind him. He grins, full of self-assurance that his careful study and modifications are going to pay off. A trait that proves to be useful for his vanship's new inner workings when he starts the engines and runs through the machine's checks before slowly lifting off the ground. ]

Ah-- ah!

[ Any normal person with a sense of self preservation would take it slow for a little longer to make sure everything was working okay, but Dio Eraclea is not a normal person with a sense of self preservation. Or he's just that confident in his abilities. Once he realizes he can take to the skies with his new system, he skips the step of easing into how it feels and floors it. The surge of accomplishment and pure elation are more than enough for the crystals and all too easy for Dio to feel when he flies.

It worked!

A cloud forms a few yards above him, and he zips through it with a hand extended out of his ship as if to physically feel it. When he breaks out of the other end of it, it follows him up, swirling around him as the fluffy looking whiteness turns a vibrant shade of gold and leaves a trail behind it, giving anybody who'd glance up in the next few minutes a pretty sight, as it the sky itself is being painted.

He darts quickly, straight up into the sky, as far as he knows he can reach safely. He turns, careens a couple of times on his way up to make sure his ship still moves like he's used to it moving, and once he's high above the city he slows just a bit to take in the view of the island and enjoy the gentle breeze against his skin. For a few moments, he's completely content.

And then he looks back down below toward the Residential Quarter, lips curling into a mischievous smile. He had a lot of friends down there, didn't he? CLEARLY, it was time to show them the fruits of his labor in the most Dio way possible. He angles his vanship downward, and dives, straight into the streets between the buildings, flying past windows (the residents able to hear the vroom as he zips by) and people walking by, laughing loudly. Lights both inside and outside of houses flicker sharply, suddenly so much brighter as Dio passes by. Maybe not everybody would be fine with a large, heavy piece of metal flying so close to their person with no warning, but Dio is so very obviously a professional, like, come on guys, so he's not focused on that part at all. ]

Heyyyyyy! Look, look, I can fly, now! Watch this... [ He waves down to those whose attention he's caught, making sure they're still watching before he takes off again, right out of the edge of the Quarter and to an open enough space to maneuver. ] Immelmann ... tuuuuuuuurn! [ The vanship starts to half-loop, ending with a half-turn that leaves him flying right back toward those watching. He slows the vanship, touching down and scanning faces to absorb everybody's reactions. Some are confused, some are impressed, some of those who knows him seem happy for him. And his offer to every single one of them is the same, as he points a thumb over his shoulder to the back seat, a pronounced yet soft gust of wind wafting through the area. ]

So~! Who wants to take a ride first?