"Why be a thorn in someone's side when you can be a knife?"

Ivo was the runt of the family, and the Designated Family Disappointment. As expected of drow society, his upbringing was rough, and he constantly lived in fear of getting sacrificed to Lolth. He took up wizardry in order to stay useful, but his capabilities didn’t even come close to that of his siblings. It didn’t help that he was often tempted to behave or dress in a way that went against drow customs. The Underdark was no place for him to express himself.

While he was studying, he covertly dabbled in teleportation magic. He popped up on the Surface (disguised, of course) and found that it wasn’t as bad as he expected. What drew most of his attention was the occasional night market; it was here that he found his sunglasses, rare spell books, and trinkets, as well as his enchanted twin sickles. He discovered his own personal style, and learned how to play the double bass.

Eventually Ivo’s superiors found out about his escapades, and he was sent to the Surface for a mission, an assault against a moon elf community. His hopes of finally being able to prove himself were shattered when he realized that it was a suicide mission. He survived the assault out of sheer spite.

It was during these attacks that Ivo found his nemesis: the moon elf Varnon, son of the renowned soldier Turion. He joined succeeding assaults against the same fortified community for the sole purpose of facing Varnon repeatedly in combat. The elf never once considered the drow as his nemesis, and hardly considered him an equal. Ivo, however, was adamant about leaving an impression (he literally did, by being responsible for one of Varnon’s facial scars).

After a handful of skirmishes, Ivo eventually learned and exploited his weaknesses. Ivo broke Varnon’s glaive in two, and was poised to murder the elf with the blade of his own weapon.

But then he didn’t.

(You can’t fight your nemesis when he’s dead, obviously.)

Ivo’s hesitation came with a cost. He was immediately flanked by Varnon’s companions and was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself imprisoned, and face to face with Varnon. The elf refused to elaborate, but he told Ivo that he was to be imprisoned instead of executed. Ivo was disappointed that Varnon still wouldn’t consider him as his nemesis, but he was thankful that he was allowed to live. He held onto the hope that he would fight Varnon again once he busted out of prison.

Two years passed, and Ivo was unable to make a successful escape. Each attempt put him in a cell deeper and deeper into the prison. Eventually he was relocated to a cell underground, with a mad wizard claiming time travel was possible. A magical mishap involving one of the wizard’s crudely drawn circles finally granted Ivo his freedom.

Four centuries into the future, that is.