The third son of a Nemedian Count, of a mixed bloodline of conquering Nemedian and Acheronian traitors, Dionysos was sent to fight in the Nemedian army in Aquilonia. Having heard portents of doom regarding the campaign of Tarascus and Xaltotun, Count Ba’al-Mekhet of Thauria decided to send his least favoured son as a token gesture to serve his new liege-lord as a knight, while keeping his personal retinue and heirs safe. The bookish and effete Dionysos served as an assistant interrogator in the general headquarters, saving him from certain doom in the ranks of the heavy cavalry. When the final confrontation between King Conan and Xaltotun ended in defeat, the young nobleman took his leave of the battlefield and joined a small band of fellow deserters. travelling as far as Stygia before finally reaching home after more than a year of nearly incessant travel interspersed with exceptional dangers and violence.

Resentful of the abuse he recieved from his father and older brothers and his lack of prospects, the hedonistic character of Dionysos made the clergy an unsuitable option, though he was tutored by the learned men of Belverus, and ended in the ranks of the Nemedian Skeptic school of philosphy. While minimally proficient in the use of military equipment and horsemanship, knighthood was an equally poor choice for the bookish and effeminate youth. During his studies, Dionysos discovered in himself a talent for the black arts, perhaps due the influence of the Acheronian blood in his veins. He was tutored in the forbidden ways of sorcery by his deranged Aunt, who still remembers the old ways which the Acheronians used to subdue a half of the known World. Ultimately, Dionysos hopes to ascend to prominence in his family once his might has reached its potential. He is aware of the fact that he must eventually face his kin, as his marriage, while the result of forces beyond his control, will lead to a confrontation with his elder brothers, who hold primogeniture, as well as his father.

During his travels, young Dionysos, though not even twenty years of age, has already become the pawn of forces he has barely begun to comprehend. He has served The Lords of the Black Ring, both voluntarily and involuntarily, and has recently sworn allegiance to a more ancient evil in order to gain some aid in his campaign against a demonic cult venerating forces of corruption and decay, threatening all of Hyboria, thereby imperilling any political ambitions Dionysos may hold. He has taken to trading narcotics derived from the Black Lotus in order to maintain a noble lifestyle.

“Clearly the least decent of the lot, but what can I say? Bad apples from a tainted tree. Surprisingly trustworthy, but perhaps only because we share many goals.” -Tyrus the First

“Who?” -Alcemides