Dynios

Dynios
Official art of Dynios, by Hannah Friederichs.
Type	NPC
Actor	Matthew Mercer
Character Information
Pronouns	he/him
Also known as	Dad or Daddy (by Deni$e in relation to Prism)
Creature type	Sentient book
Class	Wizard
Place	Obleris, Shadowfell (originally)
Connections	Prism Grimpoppy
Profession	Awakened spellbook
Appearances
First seen	"Somewhere Out There" (3x59)
Last seen	"Reunited" (3x64)
Stream	Campaign Three (6 episodes)

“

Be more sassy! Be more confident! Be more assertive! Tell people what you think! Take what you want! Tell them what you need! If they won’t give it to you, remove it from them and make it your own.

”

– 

Dynios to Prism

[!h]

Dynios is a mage whose soul is permanently trapped in Prism Grimpoppy's wizard spellbook, which now serves as his body. As an NPC, Dynios is played by Matthew Mercer.

Description

Official art of Dynios (floating before Prism and Mother), by Hannah Friederichs.

Appearance

Dynios is now a beautiful brown and black leather spellbook inscribed with silver runes. On its front is a "scrunched" face with only slits for eyes.

Personality

Dynios is conceited and proud, and even when sealed in a book he has an air of superiority, having a very good opinion of himself.

Biography

Background

Dynios is a mage from the Shadowfell that was trapped in a spellbook during a rivalry. It fell into the hands of the Cobalt Soul, and was sent out with Prism to act as her chaperone while she went on her first fact-gathering assignment for the Soul.

"Somewhere Out There" (3x59)

Dynios was transported to Issylra along with Prism during the apogee solstice of 843 PD, and was with her when she met Laudna, Orym, Ashton, Bor'Dor and Deni$e in the middle of the forest. When three plant monsters attacked the group, the wizard sent used Dynios to cast spells through him. Although reluctant about it, he allowed her to cast Steel Wind Strike and Dimension Door, defeating a shambling mound with the former and rescuing Orym with the latter. This later led to a brief argument between the wizard and the spellbook, since both wanted to take credit for the successful performance of those spells in battle.

"Faith or Famine" (3x60)

Dynios offered his knowledge to Bells Hells about the geography of Issylra while following the Outerwalk Road. Later, when the group was in Hearthdell, he talked to Elder Joan Abaddina to assure the half-giant that the adventurers were who they claimed to be. That same night, while the party were helping the villagers attack the Sunrise Sanctuary and the oppressive followers of the Dawnfather, the sentient spellbook prepared to assist Prism.

"Crisis of Faith" (3x61)

At the start of the battle, Prism sent Dynios with Orym but soon called him back to her; he showed his displeasure when the wizard, encouraged by Deni$e's jokes on the subject, called him "Daddy". The sentient spellbook witnessed Prism successfully cast Summon Greater Demon, and showed his appreciation for this achievement. Later, when a Dawnborn Angel was summoned by Flameguide's Kiro's dying prayer, Dynios attacked him by channeling Prism's Steel Wind Strike spell.

"A Long Walk of Reflection" (3x62)

In the Serratus Wilderness Prism sent Dynios to help Mother and Pâté looking for a good place to spend the night. The following day, he became annoyed when the wizard asked him about a ring that had been found in a crater, which caused her to retort angrily and refuse to know more about her sentient spellbook's past; however, at nightfall, when Prism tried to apologize for her attitude, Dynios encouraged her to be more confident in the future. When Orym asked if the pages of the spellbook were legible, the sealed mage made it clear that the halfling was not allowed to read them, which caused Orym to try to press a flower into the book. Dynios spat it out, indignant. When the adventurers reached the Irriam Canyon and found a waterfall, Prism sent Dynios's spectral form to check behind it and he returned very wet and annoyed, confirming there was nothing there.

"A Haunted Past" (3x63)

Fan art of Prism moving the body, by Elaine Tipping.

When Bells Hells starting fighting Evithorir the Taker in the Verdant Tomb Dynios helped Prism, and when they managed to free Hevestro from the dark fey's shadowy form, his body was sent to Ashton via Dimension Door, and Dynios (who didn't know what was the plan) demanded that the barbarian protect the druid. The sentient spellbook admitted he liked the Taker's style, but that didn't interfere with his part in the battle.

The following day, while the team (minus Bor'Dor) were preparing to be sent to their next destinations, Prism expressed her desire to keep adventuring, and when she told Dynios he accepted, preferring that to going back to the Cobalt Soul library; he made comments about different destinations, such as Whitestone and Kymal (expressing interest in lack of morality of the latter), and he and his assigned wizard ended up crossing a portal to Jrusar, in Marquet.

"Reunited" (3x64)

When Team Issylra was already in Marquet the members of Bells Hells talked to Prism about the other member of the other Cobalt Soul they had met, describing her to the wizard and Dynios, who declared he didn't know who she was.

Later, when they reunited with the other half of Bells Hells, Prism called her sentient spellbook at some point to ask a question about amplified magic, and the other adventurers, not being familiar with the sealed mage, threw stuff at him; Imogen Temult even contacted his mind with her powers, asking about Prism and him, to which Dynios declared himself as a good book, and very interested in his wizard's future. Soon after he retired to his book-prison, being uncomfortable around so many new people; however Dynios would answer Prism's questions again when she asked about the githzerai, talking about them and the githyanki as well.

Relationships

Prism Grimpoppy

Dynios patronizes Prism and tries to take credit for the spells he helps her cast. Although they don't always agree, they seem to have shared some personal information with each other, and even if reluctantly, Dynios obeys her commands in battle. Given his appreciation for the arcane arts he appeared genuinely impressed whenever Prism cast a powerful spell successfully.

He later admitted that he appreciated whenever the shadow elf was sassy, since he thought she should be more confident and defiant, for the opposite was frustrating for the mage. When she suggested that they could continue adventuring together instead of returning to the Cobalt Soul he seemed happy with the idea of becoming a book that never returns to its library. He is currently very interested in how will the shadow elf traverse new uncertain paths.

Character information

Abilities

• Speech

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign Three: Bells Hells
  • "Somewhere Out There" (3x59) (first appearance)
  • "Faith or Famine" (3x60)
  • "Crisis of Faith" (3x61)
  • "A Long Walk of Reflection" (3x62)
  • "A Haunted Past" (3x63)
  • "Reunited" (3x64)

Quotations

• (to Prism) "[So] Be more sassy! Be more confident! Be more assertive! Tell people what you think! Take what you want! Tell them what you need! If they won't give it to you, remove it from them and make it your own."
• "Sometimes, books that are checked out just don't get returned to the repository. A shame."
• Imogen: Are you a good book or a bad book?
  Dynios: I'm a good book with a bad attitude.

Trivia

• In Not Another D&D Podcast Emily Axford played a chronurgist called Fia Boginya, who had an animated spellbook, Bukvar, that acted as her familiar. It is possible that Bukvar served as an inspiration for Dynios, although the former was more cowardly around Fia, while the latter is more arrogant in relation to Prism.
• According to Deni$e Bembachula, Dynios acts in a certain way like Prism's father figure.
• Dynios' situation as a mage sealed in an object is somewhat similar to that of Halas Lutagran.
• According to Dynios, he was originally from the Shadow Realm, from the same town that Prism came from, Obleris. While it is unknown under what circumstances he was sealed, it is possible that the Cobalt Soul assigned him to act as the elf's chaperone because both of them shared a background.
  • Prism was invited to join the Cobalt Soul when one of their mages visited the Shadow Realm. It is possible this mage either sealed Dynios or found his book-prison.
• When Dynios expressed he liked Evithorir's style he excused himself by saying that, as a mage from the Shadowfell, he could appreciate such entities.

References

Art: