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'"For what it's worth," he rasped, thanking Lady Luck that his voice was holding out, "I promise that barely any of this was intentional."'
-Maelstrom, Chapter 2.
Dante (formerly Aaron) Wilder is one of the Gem-Wielders, and the founder - and leader - of Pandemonium's Bane. After recieving the powers of a supervillain from Raelyn, the sentient Isfet Gem, he does his best to be a superhero anyway. An idealistic troublemaker, Dante spent much of his youth butting heads with people, and the fact that he now holds the fate of the Erde System in his hands may not inspire confidence in all of them. Oh, well - it's too late now!
Dante is a Gem-Wielder with fair skin and dark blue eyes. He has auburn hair, which he gets to stand up with copious amounts of gel. He's about 1.8 meters tall - just shy of 6 feet. His fashion sense has been described as 'experimental' by generous people, and 'bad' by less generous people. He will, in essence, wear anything as long as it matches his own eclectic tastes. While barely visible in light, and often covered by clothes, a white light shines out of his chest, from behind his ribs - courtesy of his powers. He has several notable scars on his body, mostly on account of how often he leaps before he looks. The most notable of these, however - visible lightning scars on his left forearm - aren't actually his fault. It is, as is so often the case with Dante, a long story.
Dante is a quintissential main-character type. Certainly, his charisma and affability make it clear why Pandemonium's Bane looks to him to lead them not just en-mission, but also in the day-to-day. He possesses a deep-rooted desire to help people - founded on a tragic backstory, as many of the best are - and a propensity towards direct action instead of sitting on the sidelines. He is, in effect, a paragon, inspring those around him to take action. (Or, at least, to not stand in his way.) Despite these obvious leadership qualities, Dante doesn't think of himself as a leader; more as a guy who just stepped up to the plate.
Indeed, this apparent humilitiy belies a deeper faucet of Dante's character. He regards the things that he does as utterly important, and yet regards himself as barely worth consideration. What he can do matters; who he is doesn't. As such, Dante's behaviour often borders on the self-destructive, and often flies well-past that border, given the lines of work that he has chosen for himself. More than that, it's had consequences not only for him, but for the people around him. If he hadn't been so recklessly determined to force himself, and his strange, barely-workable powers out into the world - for instance - certain people may not have been displaced or killed. The fact that these past consequences have apparently done nothing to stay his hand are, depending on who you ask, either inspiring or utterly terrifying.
Dante also has a very keen sense of duty of care - possibly too keen. As his masked alter-ego, 'Maelstrom', he sacrifices large chunks of his time and life for the sake of assisting the citizens of Invictus however he can. As Leader of Pandemonium's Bane, he will throw himself into the fire for any member of the team. As the secret partner of the Supreme Commander of the Bulwark, he routinely sneaks back and forth, past her security details, just to steal precious nights with her. And, as an older brother, there is nothing he will balk at if it's for the sake of his beloved sister, Ana - nothing, perhaps, except simply being a present and relaxed presence in her life. That, even for him, might just be too much to ask.
The most important thing to understand about Dante's abilities is that they are unprecedented. Throughout all of recorded history, there has never been anyone - anything - like him. No human has ever had bled oil and mist before, and no gem-wielder has ever manipulated what is, essentially, the power of creation before. This connection to the isfet - and to the Prime Mover - is as daunting as it is inspiring, and Dante's triceratopsian stubbornness in his conviction to do good is the only reason why he hasn't come under much more scrutiny for it.
The second most important thing to understand about Dante's abilities is that they are conditional. His body is a conduit for them, but the gem of isfet - Raelyn - remains their source. The only reason that he can use them is because of her, and the only way that he can use them as he wishes is because she enables him, letting him tap into her wellspring of power. In fact, the only reason that he can still control his own body is because she lets him.
With those qualifiers established, if there is any one regular person in the Power of Ages series who can be said to have unlimited power, it is Dante. Isfet flows through his veins like blood, and beats in his chest like a heart. Tapping into this core of raw power lets him create and manipulate isfet - and isfet, by nature, can be anything. As such, Dante can essentially make anything. The states of matter are tools at his fingertips. His only limitations, aside from the whims of Raelyn, are those of his own body and reflexes. He can only react so fast, and he only has so much imagination. But that's not saying much, given what he can do when he sets his mind to it.
In practice, Dante puts effort into making sure that his creations are palatable. He uses non-lethal force whenever possible, he prioritises preserving lives over going on the offensive wherever necessary, and he ensures that his constructs don't take on the eerie appearance of isfet however he can. He mostly creates bright, solid shapes, or fashions the isfet into blasts of energy and power with strong offensive capability. Using his constructs, he can move himself, and other people and objects, around, controlling the flow of a battle or crisis. Also, everything that he makes is purple - he would have preferred orange, but purple is Raelyn's colour, and it's one thing that she absolutely won't budge on. So, purple it is. For his part, Dante's just glad that it's not isfet-white.
Of course, the vast majority of Dante's power, he only uses under the guise of his superhero alter ego, Maelstrom. As Dante Wilder, Denizen of Theia, he hides most of his powers away. Officially, he has the ability to create green blade constructs on his arms - something that he fashioned in tribute to his friend, Will Adalwin - and it is this sole ability that he uses in the public sphere/as the official leader of Pandemonium's Bane. (Though, of course, he will sometimes find ways to subtly use more versatile abilities.)
Dante posesses other skills and talents outside of the superpowers that Raelyn lets him use, though. A graduate of the Bulwark Training Academy (BTA), he is a trained soldier. Though he was never top of the class in any combat discipline, he was never bottom, either. He can run, he can shoot, he can duel, and he doesn't freeze up in the thick of danger - all of which consistently comes in handy. Additionally, his leadership skills enable him to quickly take command of any situation that arises, be it through giving orders to his team or guiding civilians to safety during a disaster. His self-confidence translates to authority, and his lack of hesitation means that he can stop others from hesitating. For all that his mind and spirit struggle to handle idleness, they are right at home in the chaos of an unfolding situation.
Of Encounters and Trysts
Dante - as Aaron - is one of the two main characters featured in Of Encounters and Trysts. After a not-so-cute meet-cute with Plue, the two navigate a fledgling friendship that quickly transforms into a fledgling romance.
Hit and Run
Dante - as Aaron - plays a prominent supporting role in Hit and Run. He is one of Kraken's dorm-mates. Kraken finds him intensely irritating, on account of his high-energy interactions and seeming lack of understanding that Kraken wants to be left alone. For his part, Aaron finds that his biggest opponents are the instructors of the BTA; bristling against authority wherever it's emphasised, he quickly comes into conflict with his superiors.
Maelstrom
Dante - as Aaron - is the protagonist of Maelstrom. While working a stint in security for Bulwark facilities in Invictus, Aaron makes contact with a mysterious gem that's emitting a strange energy. The next thing he knows, he's waking up in a hospital, and the head of the Bulwark's Artisan Guild, Doctor Aedifo, is explaining to him that the gem he touched is now inert, and the strange energy is coming from him instead. After returning home, Aaron makes a chilling discovery - he can now create and - to an extent - control isfet.
[insert spoiler-ific summary here]
Savants
Dante is a prominent character in Savants. (Even if a lot of his appearances are technically Raelyn piloting his body.)
It is in this story that Dante gets his lightning scars. Insisting on retaining control of his body throughout most of the story, Raelyn fights recklessly against the Ten of Infinite Sight, and one of their members - [whatever her name be icr] - manages to hurt her with her lightning abilities. While Raelyn, and the team, ultimately win the day, the scars are left behind, prompting Raelyn to consider what it means to be responsible for her host's wellbeing.
'Take care of her... my little man. Take care of... your sister...
One of these days, thinking about needing to take care of his sister wasn't gonna be accompanied by an immersive flashback of his mother's dying words. One day. But - Aaron observed, glumly, that he'd stepped in a puddle and soaked one of his legs right up the ankle - that day just wasn't today.'
-Dante (Aaron) has a flashback. (Of Encounters and Trysts, Chapter 2)
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