THE UNMISTAKABLE RHYME:

Dex’s triplet siblings are named Rex, Bex, and Lex Dizznee. Yes, the rhyme was intentional. Evidently, it was Kesler’s idea, because he finds it “hilarious.” It’s unclear how he convinced his wife to agree, since Juline seems to have a more reserved sense of humor—but she does also embrace the way her husband likes to challenge convention, so perhaps that was her motivation. Dex, meanwhile, appears to be less than thrilled that his name matches his brothers’ and sister’s—but he’s quick to defend the decision if anyone attempts to mock him for it. Rex, Bex, and Lex clearly enjoy the attention.

THE FAMILY BUSINESS:

Anyone in the Lost Cities who’s taken elixirs to alter their appearance or remedy some ailment (or countless other reasons) likely purchased those elixirs from the Dizznees. Just as anyone who’s been to Mysterium has likely seen the Dizznees’ store. It’s the only unique building on the isle, painted twenty different colors with topsy-turvy architecture and a sign that reads SLURPS AND BURPS: YOUR MERRY APOTHECARY. The door also belches when people enter or exit. And the inside of the store is a veritable maze of shelves filled with colorful vials in all different shapes and sizes, labeled with names like Fuzzy Fizz and Hush Slush. It also tends to smell of burning hair or dirty feet or some other strange byproduct of Kesler’s constant experiments—and all of this “quirkiness” is intentional. Kesler has made it abundantly clear that he designed the store specifically to make “the stuffy nobles” uncomfortable. He finds it absurd that so many can rely on his alchemy creations and still turn up their noses at him for not having a special ability—particularly since he’s arguably the best alchemist in all of the Lost Cities. He has the perfect blend of creativity, ingenuity, and carefully honed skill. And he’s working to pass his methods and experience onto his children—or to Dex, at least, who works in the store as often as his schedule allows. The triplets are a bit too rambunctious—and loud—for regular Slurps and Burps shifts at the moment. And many people are a bit terrified of what bizarre elixirs Rex, Bex, and Lex might invent. Dex has already become notorious for crafting numerous “prank” elixirs, some of which are sold in Slurps and Burps and some of which he makes only for himself (or his friends).

INSTANT BEST FRIENDS:

To look at Dex now is to see a young elf with a tight circle of powerful friends who trust and rely on him every bit as much as he trusts and relies on them. But all of that is a relatively new development. A few years ago, Dex had zero friends and more than a few enemies. Then Sophie Foster walked into Slurps and Burps with her new guardian (Edaline Ruewen) and changed everything. Sophie was a girl with an even stranger upbringing than Dex had experienced, who saw him without any of the biases or prejudices he’d had to deal with from everyone else. A girl who’d also never felt like she belonged. A girl who was going to need a friend to help her navigate her strange new world—and Dex was more than happy to volunteer for the job. (Many also suspect that Sophie’s striking looks played a role in Dex’s motivation, but that cannot be confirmed.) Dex helped Sophie navigate her first day at Foxfire, and they’ve been best friends ever since—and through Sophie, Dex has come to befriend numerous others. Admittedly, he did resist certain friendships at first (particularly when it came to Fitz and Biana Vacker), but he has since set whatever hard feelings he had toward the Vackers aside. Fitz and Biana have reportedly apologized for ignoring Dex before Sophie introduced them, and Dex has apologized for the time one of his gadgets accidentally almost killed Fitz.

COUSINS—BUT NOT:

Dex’s mom, Juline, is Edaline Ruewen’s sister. And Edaline is now Sophie Foster’s adoptive mother. So technically, on paper, Sophie and Dex are cousins. But there’s no biological relation between them. Well… there’s presumably no biological relation between them. Given the mystery surrounding Sophie’s genetic parentage, Sophie could technically be related to anybody. Still, it seems doubtful that the Black Swan would let her spend so much time with anyone connected to Project Moonlark, since it would arouse too much suspicion. So it seems safe to assume that Sophie and Dex are cousins by law only.

EXPLOSIVE TUTORING LESSONS:

Sophie’s struggles with alchemy have become somewhat legendary, and Dex bravely accepted the job of “Personal Alchemy Tutor.” But even with his careful guidance, fires, explosions, and other disasters were common elements of every tutoring session, which is why Dex opted to have them practice in a cave at the base of the cliffs near Sophie’s house, where there was little kindling and plenty of nearby water. It’s suspected that those lessons could’ve been the reason the Neverseen staged Sophie’s abduction in that same cave—not that Dex should feel responsible for the unfortunate events that followed. The cave was nothing more than a secluded spot where Sophie could reliably be found, and the Neverseen simply took advantage of the situation.

SHARED NIGHTMARES:

Dex went to Havenfield to check on Sophie after she left Foxfire in tears, and when he found her in their cave, he accidentally interrupted her kidnapping. The Neverseen opted to abduct Dex as well, presumably to prevent him from telling anyone what was happening, and the details are a bit vague after that. Dex doesn’t like to discuss what he endured while he was held captive (though his medical records indicate that he has a scar on his side from a serious burn). And since his registry pendant was found at the bottom of the ocean (along with Sophie’s), he—like Sophie—was declared deceased, given a planting, and now has a Wanderling. But also like Sophie, he was able to return to the Lost Cities and make a full recovery. And Sophie and Dex have grown even closer after their escape, understanding each other in ways no one else can.

SPREADING COLORFUL CHEER:

In what is surely one of the more unusual uses for his alchemy abilities, Dex has developed a habit of changing the fur color of Sophie’s pet imp. He started doing this to cheer Sophie up after a hard day, and it has since turned into a regular occurrence. In fact, it’s possible the tiny creature may never be his natural fur color again. And while it feels strange including a section on multicolored imp fur in a registry file, the habit does also speak to Dex’s character. He’s creative, caring, and clever, and always looking for new ways to make people smile.

A CRUSH, A KISS, AND CRUSHING HEARTACHE:

[ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME??? THIS HAS SOOOOOO BEEN REDACTED. AND AS SOON AS I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO EDIT THE SUBHEADINGS ON THESE FILES, THAT’S GETTING REDACTED TOO! BE GLAD I’M NOT PULLING A KEEFE AND EDITING MY ENTIRE FILE. AND SERIOUSLY, STAY OUT OF MY PERSONAL LIFE! GAH—WHY WOULD THE REGISTRY BE TRACKING THIS???????]

A SECRET TALENT:

Manifesting a special ability is generally a cause for triumph and celebration. But for Dex, it happened very quietly. In fact, reports suggest he may not have even noticed when he manifested, since he’d always been “good with gadgets.” And once he realized he was a Technopath, he chose not to report it, because he’d apparently been hoping to manifest a different ability (it’s unclear which one) and wanted to remain in his ability detecting session at Foxfire in the hope of triggering something else. Sophie’s bodyguard (Sandor) eventually informed the Council of Dex’s ability, because he felt the Council should be using their Technopaths to prepare their world for an attack from the ogres. And Dex discovered his secret was “out” when Foxfire’s principal at the time (Dame Alina) announced that he’d manifested during the morning orientation. At first Dex blamed Sophie and Keefe for the betrayal, but Dame Alina set the record straight for him. Sandor also confessed and apologized—and Dex has now grown to appreciate his talent. Particularly since the Council has turned to him numerous times for assistance with different assignments. His parents were also incredibly proud—and likely a little relieved, given Kesler’s Talentless status. And Dex’s ability has proven to be an invaluable resource to the Black Swan.