Paulo Omaren

—Paulo[src]

Paulo Omaren is a Storm Lord of Stormreach. She took Beric on as a student, and when Stormreach was taken by the Riedrans, she fled with them on *Borrowed Time*, where she and Beric developed a relationship. They didn't have an easy time of it, and eventually broke it off. Paulo then concentrated on retaking Stormreach, and was eventually able to do it with the help of Boranel and Oargev.

## History

### Lassite's Gala

While at Varen Lassite's gala, Paulo is intrigued by Beric and approaches him flirtatiously. She questions what the son of a general is doing kidnapping the ward of a king, and Beric admits those reports have been exaggerated. She tells him to get her a drink and explain his side of the story.

Beric mentions her ornate rapier and she tells him it's a famiy heirloom, but notes that he doesn't have a sword of his own. He tells her he wasn't sure if it was appropriate attire, and she laughs and says this is Stormreach - everyone is armed. If he needs protecting, though, she's here for him. He comments that he's capable of handling himself. She starts sauntering off but comments over her shoulder, *"I bet you are."*

### Training Beric

Paulo takes Beric as a student in Stormreach, teaching him the art of the sword. They slowly build trust with one another. That trust wavers when Paulo seems happy that her rival is gone after Beric helps kill Yorrick Amanatu, but is strengthened when she confides in him that she has Boranel stashed away, and wants Beric's help in hiding him.

### Death

Paulo accompanies Beric and the rest of the party to confront Lucan, the ancient vampire who has been collecting pacts. He's defeated in their fight, but not without great loss: Paulo is struck down. Booyah tries to heal her, but she's surrounded by a necrotic energy. Beric is horrified when he goes to her and she's reanimated as a zombie under Lucan's control. Seeing no way to bring her back, he puts his sword through her heart.

### Retaking Stormreach

After she's brought back from Dolurrh by Urik, the trust between her and Beric is broken and they decide it's best to split up. She goes to Wroat and spends her time with Boranel, planning on how to take back Stormreach from the Riedrans. Months after the invasion of the quori, Paulo has succeeded in her mission—presumably with the help of Oargev, who now claims that though the capital remains hers, the rest is New Cyre.

### Epilogue

Paulo attends the wake for Beric, Booyah, Dex, and Therudak. She spends most of the time telling Cassian stories about his father, but is given a note from Oriana: a note Beric asked her to deliver. In the note Beric tries to sort his feelings for Paulo and says goodbye for the final time.

## Resurrection

Several hours after Paulo is killed, Beric takes her to Gram to attempt a resurrection spell. It fails, even though Gram is sure she had the correct components and did the ritual perfectly.

In Dolurrh, Melysse Miron had decided to not let Paulo return to the living. With her new power her attitude towards resurrection had changed, and she was keeping souls that normally would be free to be returned. Urik took issue with this and ripped open a portal to Eberron for Paulo to cross through.

## Relationships

### Beric Rowan

Paulo and Beric first meet at Varen Lassite's estate. While Dex and Therudak skulk around the edges of the gala, Beric makes polite conversation with the other guests, and is approached by a beautiful woman who asks him for a drink. Beric, of course, obliges. They make small talk for a bit, and she saunters off. Later when the White Raven barges in and demands everyone's valuables, Paulo makes eye contact with Beric and grabs her sword. Beric, being weak to painful beauty, takes the opportunity to show off his fighting skills. After the White Raven is easily defeated, Paulo tells him that though she's not impressed with his erratic fighting style, she likes it nonetheless.

They don't see each other again until after Beric's adventure in the jungle. He's looking to sharpen his fighting skills, and Paulo is the one who teaches him. They grow closer after spending so much time with each other, but he's still cautious of her, especially when she's very okay with them assassinating another Storm Lord.

When Stormreach falls, Paulo flees with them on *Borrowed Time*. She and Beric become significantly closer, until they finally share their first awkward kiss, followed by a slap from Paulo. Beric realizes his mistake and makes up with her.

## Items

* Ornate rapier that she got from her great-grandfather, who had it crafted for himself.
* Speaking Stone create by Booyah.

## Trivia

* She also showed up in Eric and Philip's 3-year-long campaign, also as a love interest for one of Philip's characters. That was in text form and didn't require the face-to-face flirting that happened on the podcast, though.

## Appearances

* Ep. 25 Trials and Tribulations Chapter 1
* Ep. 53 Whispers of a Reckoning Chapter Four
* Ep. 56 The Dawn of Mourning Chapter Two
* Ep. 57 The Dawn of Mourning Chapter Three
* Ep. 59 The Dawn of Mourning Chapter Five
* Ep. 61 The Raven’s Toll Chapter One
* Ep. 63 The Raven’s Toll Chapter Three
* Ep. 64 The Raven’s Toll Chapter Four
* Ep. 69 The Brelish Job Chapter Two
* Ep. 73 The Brelish Job Chapter Six
* Ep. 77 The Brelish Job Chapter Ten
* Ep. 83 The Five Runes Chapter Two
* Ep. 84 The Five Runes Chapter Three
* Ep. 85 The Five Runes Chapter Four
* Ep. 93 The Road Below Chapter Seven
* Ep. 100 Recovered Kingdom Chapter Two
* Ep 109 Rising Tides Chapter Two *(Through a Sending spell)*
* Ep. 147 The Nightmare’s Dusking Chapter Three

*Please note, list is not up to date.*

## Quotes

"I will not lie to you and say that I will miss Yorrick Amanatu. My eyes will shed no tears for the man that caused my family such heartache for generations. You ask if this is about getting rid of a rival. I say it's about a higher calling. It's about protecting Stormreach from outside influence. From invasion. But where your upbringing shows, Beric, where your binary morality confuses you is that those two things can be exclusive, or should be exclusive. I got rid of a danger to the city. Was he my rival? Yes. Was it wholly about that? No. Is it an added benefit? Absolutely."
—*Ep. 53 Whispers of a Reckoning Chapter Four*

"Sometimes you do seem like a baby horse trying to stand for the first time."
"I would really like that analogy to not become a common part of our conversations."
—Paulo and Beric, *Ep. 64 The Raven’s Toll Chapter Four*

## References and Footnotes

1. ↑ Ep. 25 Trials and Tribulations Chapter 1
2. ↑ Ep. 56 The Dawn of Mourning Chapter Two
3. ↑ Ep 109 Rising Tides Chapter Two
4. ↑ Ep. 147 The Nightmare’s Dusking Chapter Three
5. ↑ On the bright side, Paulo is pretty sure Beric's mom likes her.
6. ↑ He was "the sort of adventurer who loved gold."