Dingo (The Colorless One, Ssila'meshnik)

## Dingo (Deity / Mythic Patron)

"Plan? There is no plan. I prefer to leave everything up to chance. Plans are boring, dull, predictable...but to gamble...to leave every decision to a roll of the dice...that is the essence of chaos."

## Character Information

### Alignment

CN

Dingo is the name given to a kitsune who appeared on Etera in year 44 IA. His primary adversaries were the Time Knights and the adventurers they employed, and his focus was on the manipulation of time itself. Though he initially appeared to be an ordinary kitsune who had begun to lead the band of thieves known as the Fox Council, it was eventually discovered that his true identity was that of the Protean Lord Ssila’meshnik, the Colorless Lord. It is unclear that what his true goals were. Petty revenge against a former adversary? The destruction of the timeline itself? Ssila'meshnik claimed that he had no plan at all, and made all of his decisions based on random chance. Regardless, he was defeated at the Time Tower. However, the kitsune body he used was little more than a mortal vessel, and he was not destroyed.

## Stealing Time Itself

Dingo and his Fox Council were initially found as a threat when they invaded the base of the Time Knights in order to kidnap a Time Dragon who worked with them. Though they were ousted from the base, Dingo was sent back in time during a battle, which allowed him to meet his goal through other means. By going back in time, Dingo was able to manipulate events to grant him and his followers a loyal army of Warforged soldiers.

Due to Dingo's manipulation of time, several creatures that were once difficult to find became commonplace, including rare dinosaurs. He was also able to launch an attack on the Behemoth with the goal of mind-controlling the beast. In time, both of these plans were thwarted.

Eventually, Dingo's movements were tracked to a dystopian future, where he and his army of Warforged had essentially accomplished all of their goals. The world was conquered, its nations crumbled, and he held absolute power. To prevent this future from becoming reality, Dingo was eventually tracked to the Time Tower, and his presence began to disrupt the flow of time itself, leading to odd occurrences within the Babel Triangle and other areas. Dingo was eventually tracked to the control room for the tower itself and defeated, though not without considerable difficulty, and being forced to reveal his true form. It was also revealed through the powers of the Tower itself that Dingo had used mind control to secure the Fox Council's loyalty. The Time Tower revealed that, in addition to being a structure, it was also a construct, and the adventurers inside used its power to defeat Ssila'meshnik. However, given his powers, it is doubtful that he has truly fallen, but has likely moved onto other...projects of his.

## An Old Grudge

Though the details are sparse, Dingo did reveal to the adventurers in the Time Tower that part of the reason he came to Etera in the first place was for revenge against the wizard Ronda the Merfolk. Though details are sparse, it is known that Ronda has associated frequently with Proteans and their kind. However, to prevent her old world from becoming an extension of the Maelstrom, she intervened in Dingo's plans and helped lead adventurers into the Maelstrom to fight him. Since then, Dingo has held a grudge against her.

But rather than targeting her, Dingo has instead decided to focus on her daughter. Dingo claims responsibility for when Rhea was pulled from the demi-plane where she was raised and brought to Etera. However, Ronda would soon rejoin her daughter, using her magic and the wild energies of the Maelstrom to follow her in pursuit. It is speculated that Dingo sought to control time purely as a way to target Rhea, who had since joined the Time Knights, but this could not be verified.

## Domains

Chaos (Protean), Luck (Fate), and Madness (Insanity).

## Favored Weapon

The Revolver is Dingo's favored weapon, as demonstrated by his kitsune vessel's use of the weapon.

## Followers and Worship

Though followers of the Colorless One are rare, they are generally thieves, scoundrels, and other outlaws. They hold little regard for rules and regulations and embrace anarchy. Though not evil, these individuals are generally quite dangerous and are generally low on morals. Among his worshipers, Ssila'meshnik also includes gamblers who, much like Dingo, prefer to leave things to chance.

## Powers

In his kitsune form, Dingo is a skilled and swift gunslinger whose fast hands allow him to aim with his pistols and relieve his adversaries of any useful tools they might have. Dingo relies primarily on speed and prefers to avoid fair fights even if he is confident he can win them. Due to prolonged exposure to Time Magic, Dingo also became skilled at speeding up or slowing down his body and the environment around him as needed. The exact capabilities of Ssila'meshnik in his true form are unknown, but he is presumed to be exceptionally powerful, specializing in chaotic and unpredictable wild magic.

## Short Story - Anarchy Arrives

One would think that entering a new world would be more exciting. However, for one recent arrival, they were already beginning to feel incredibly bored from what they were seeing. For someone capable of traveling across planes with ease, it's always discouraging when the grass smells the same, the trees look the same, and birds sound the same. It was all so...dull. Having tried to remain at least somewhat inconspicuous upon their arrival, this newcomer to Etera slowly walked out of the forest. In this form, he resembled a kitsune, his ears twitching in the breeze as he stepped away from the trees. He dressed like a cowboy, and outside of the firearm holstered to his side, seemed relatively harmless and ordinary.

However, anyone who knew him and his history would know that this was certainly not the case.

The kitsune reached into his pocket and retrieved a pair of dice. Unaccustomed to making his own decisions, this kitsune preferred to let chance dictate his movements. And so, as he began to look around, wondering which way he would proceed, he tossed the dice into the air, watching as they bounced off of a rock and landed...to the North East. The kitsune peered into the distance, spotting what appeared to be smoke on the horizon, and smirked. Soon he would be done with the wilderness and find himself in civilization.

He also spotted something else. It was difficult to see from this distance, but it appeared to be a being flying straight towards him. As though they had been warned, or knew something he didn’t, the birds that had seconds ago been singing were flying away, trying to put as much distance between them and him as possible. The kitsune did not even have a chance to respond before, suddenly, the ground around him began to explode and erupt all around.

Magic exists in this world, and any experienced warrior has grown accustomed to the sight of fireballs and other spells on the battlefield. However, seeing a master in action...it is still truly awe inspiring. Crystalized ice, perfectly crafted to cut apart and freeze their target, began to chase after him. Massive stones, the likes of which had lay dormant on the forest floor for centuries, were suddenly ripped in two due to the sheer volume of magical energy striking him. Most people would never have been fast enough to dodge this kind of attack. However, this kitsune was just quick enough to live...for the time being. He seemed to move so quickly that he left an afterimage in his wake, as he hopped into the air, landing on a nearby branch. Below him, the patch of open air he had just been standing had been completely destroyed. Whoever had attacked him wanted to ensure that he was annihilated.

“Well, that’s a mighty fine way to greet a new arrival to your world.” The kitsune said with a sneer. Anyone who would attack him like that clearly knew who he was. No sense in trying to hide it any longer. “And to whom do I owe the pleasure?”

A woman, whose legs seemed to have been replaced by a small tornado, slowly lowered to the ground. She had black and white skin, red hair, and was wearing what most would call a swimsuit. As the smoke cleared, the kitsune found that he recognized her immediately, and he knew that things were going to get more interesting. Yes, he knew Ronda the Merfolk very well.
“The next attack won’t miss Dingo.” She said. Despite her efforts to remain calm, it was clear that she was furious. Her eyes were glowing, and her hair was standing on end, her palms still surging with magical energy as she stood on one of the crystals she had created. “What are you doing here?”

And she remembered him as well. Dingo couldn’t help but feel a little pride. “Same reason that you have for coming here I assume. To make a mockery of the laws of the universe and discover an entirely new world.” Dingo explained, his hand hovering to his gun in its holster. “You just tried to eviscerate a tourist.”

“Don’t play coy with me. Whatever it is you have in mind for this world...I won’t let you.” As Ronda spoke, Dingo felt the branch he was perched on shake. Turning around, he spotted the face of a massive, crab-like creature staring back at him. Anyone who knew Ronda also knew that she was a summoner, and she never worked alone. As a massive tower shield was suddenly sent flying towards him, Dingo hopped to the ground. For him, time seemed to move more slowly than for everyone else around him.

He was greeted there by a quick snake-like woman, whose lower half was that of an eel, who tried to slash at him with a spear. Dingo had to give Ronda credit. Her companions were certainly well trained, and even the most experienced of warriors without Dingo’s distinct advantages, would have been killed by such a coordinated attack. Dingo, however, managed to catch the eel woman’s spear with his hand, slamming his elbow into her face and driving her back into the tree behind her.

Dingo tried to recall the companions that Ronda had at her disposal. He knew about the crab and the eel. That should be-

He found himself caught off guard as a greatsword slashed into his back. It nearly cut his entire body in two, and most likely would have if it were not for the fact that Dingo’s movements made him hard to see. That was new. He didn’t recall any of Ronda’s companions wielding a sword. That was new. Diving through the air, Dingo twisted his body to get a look at his attacker, and saw a squid girl wielding the sword. The sword seemed to be about the size of her body, but she wielded it well nonetheless. She seemed nervous, but nonetheless flung a dart at him. Dingo felt it strike his arm, and momentarily, his body slowed down as the magic left his body. It felt like he was standing in an antimagic field.

“What the hell…” He said as he pulled the dart from his skin. Already his wounds were beginning to heal as his body regenerated. As the squid girl began to charge towards him, he pulled his revolver and fired, only for the same tower shield he had spotted before to be planted in front of his target, blocking every one of his shots. A gargantuan shadow fell over him.

Dingo was forced to admit, now might be the time for a...tactical retreat. As much as he hated to admit it, he was on unfamiliar ground, and outnumbered. Not unusual when fighting a summoner, but Ronda was in a league of her own when it came to calling upon the aid of her outsiders. And if the coordinated attack of her companions was not enough, he knew that Ronda was watching him, waiting for an opening. If he wanted to survive this encounter, he needed to retreat. With a snap of his fingers, reality seemed to warp around him. The trees shifted into misshapen shadows of their former selves, the ground seemed to melt into a mass of colors that were indescribable, and the visions of all the nearby outsiders seemed to blur. It was illusion magic, but far more potent, as Dingo’s powers would actually have a lasting impact on the world around him. As Ronda began to fly towards them, Dingo found the eel woman reaching for her spear. He kicked it out of the way and wrapped his arm around her throat, placing the barrel of his revolver next to her temple as he stared down the wizard.

“You know that she will come back even if you pull the trigger.” Ronda said. “She is an outsider. You can’t hurt her.” The wizard said, seemingly preparing for another attack as her outstretched palm began to glow. Dingo, however, did not flinch.

“Correction...I can’t kill her. But this will sure as hell hurt. And the memory of what it feels like to get shot in the head...that will stay forever.” Dingo said. Behind the wizard, her other companions gathered around her, weapons ready, but not attacking. “And for most summoners, they wouldn’t even hesitate. Outsiders like this one are easy to replace. But that’s now how you work, is it Ronda? You care too much.”

“Please master Ronda, take him down! You have a clean shot!” The eel girl shouted. Admittedly, she was hard to keep hold of. That being said...Dingo would not need her for much longer. “Destroy him now while you have the chance?”

“She’s right you know. Use another one of those crystal blasts. You can take us both down with ease.” For a moment, it seemed as though the wizard would do just that...and then her palm slowly lowered. He had called her bluff and won. “That’s a good girl. Finally, we can handle this more like adults.”

“What is it you want Dingo?” Ronda asked. Her eel companion continued to struggle, but Dingo held her throat a bit more tightly so she could not speak.
“Come on Ronda, you know myself and my kind well enough to understand it isn’t about what I want. It's about what I’m gonna do. Plans...plans are for mortals. Our kind thrive on chaos and anarchy.” Dingo stepped back, and a portal began to open behind him. All he had to do was step inside. “Maybe I haven’t even decided yet? You’ll never know. You missed your one shot.”

Dingo looked around, and noticed that one companion he had expected to see was missing from Ronda’s squad. “Say...where is my little soul sister? Didn’t think you could trust Izzy to fight me?” Dingo said as he peered back at the wizard.
“No...I did. She wouldn’t betray me.” Ronda said firmly, her fists clenched. “But she didn’t trust herself and didn’t want to be a liability.”
“Wow...either you are the first woman to tame a protean...or you’re lying to yourself. Our kind aren’t exactly trustworthy. There was a time when you understood that.” Dingo said. “In truth, I’m a bit surprised to see you here Ronda. What exactly brings you to this dimension? At least you didn’t forget your own pal Dingo.”

Ronda didn’t respond. Perhaps there was something to that, Dingo thought. Something...or someone she did not want him to know about. “Fine, keep your secrets.This was a fun little reunion. You almost got me a couple of times there. Still...you and I both know I didn’t go all out. Guess we’ll have to wait for our rematch huh?”

“This world already bores me. Time to spice things up. Until next time…” With a salute, Dingo kicked the eel woman forward and launched himself back into the portal. Ronda unleashed her magic the instant she had an opening, but Dingo had used time stop to ensure that nothing prevented him from entering the portal. As the tear in reality closed behind him, Dingo smirked, looking at his new surroundings. He had not even teleported that far, but it was enough. Now that he knew someone was actually looking for him, even here, he cast a few new spells to block anyone from looking for him as he made his next move.

Exiting the alley he had teleported into, he found people milling about, barely noticing him. Perfect. They had no idea what was coming, just as it should be. Picking up another pair of dice from his pocket, Dingo rolled them in his hand, walking towards the nearest tavern and his next move.