Paolo

Paolo is a villain in the 2016 video game Dishonored 2. He is encountered in the sixth mission, The Dust District.

Paolo is the leader of the Howlers gang and is in the middle of a gang war against the fanatic Overseers of the Order of the Everyman, led by Karnaca's Vice Overseer Liam Byrne. Both are attempting to conquer the Dust District. Although both men claim to be acting in the name of the people, the citizens of the Dust District suffer most from their dispute. Paolo is met when the protagonist is on his or her way to Aramis Stilton's manor. Paolo is an optional target and meeting him is not neccessary to complete the game.

He is voiced by Pedro Pascal.

Past
Paolo is the leader of the Howlers gang, a gang in Karnaca mainly located in the Dust District. Although he wanted the best for the people of Karnaca, his ways of achieving this goals were brutal. He also exploited the poor citizens of Karnaca, demanding money in return for protection. Under Paolo, the Howlers also waged war against the Overseers, both fractions battling for dominance of the Dust District. Paolo's reasoning for the gang war was that if Paolo controlled the district, he would be able to shut down the district's silver mines, intending to make the Duke realize that the conditions he put onto the mines were inhumane and that while humane conditions would produce less silver, it would still be better than no silver at all. Both leaders also set a price on the head of their enemies, Paolo because Byrne is in his way and Byrne because he considers Paolo a heretic.

Through means unknown, Paolo acquired the severed hand of the corpse of Vera Moray. Some of Vera's powers remained in the hand which functioned as a talisman for Paolo. The hand gave him a critical advantage to his enemies, if Paolo had been killed he would turn into a swarm of rats and resurrect at the shrine in his headquarter moments later. The power would recharge every day, making it neccessary to kill him twice before sundown to successfully eliminate him.

At one point, traitors in the Howlers gang lured Paolo into an ambush, hacking him into pieces. However, due to his talisman Paolo resurrected and returned with more of his Howlers, slaughtering most of the traitors and forcing the rest to flee.

After Duke Luca Abele and other conspirators perform a séance at the house of Aramis Stilton, returning Delilah from the Void, Stilton turns mad after witnessing the otherworldly power. The Duke confines Stilton to his manor and employs Paolo and the Howlers to deliver food and water to the mansion so that Stilton won't starve.

Aventa District
When either Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano arrive at Karnaca's Aventa District on their way to Kirin Jindosh's Clockwork Mansion, they can enter the district's black market shop. When the protagonist speaks to the owner, the owner will be worried as Paolo is scheduled to arrive any moment. The protagonist is asked to hide as there is no more time to escape. After the protagonist has hidden in the shop, Paolo arrives with two henchmen, approaching the shopkeeper. Paolo reveals that the knifes he bought from the shopkeeper were made from cheap steel and shattered when the Howlers fought Overseer's with it. Paolo intimidates the shopkeeper, threatening her until she apologizes and promizes Paolo new knifes and a thirty per cent discount.

Paolo and his guards then leave the shop and head to a nearby area. If the protagonist approaches them there, Paolo - although intrigued at first - will grow irritated and will tell the protagonist to leave. Should the protagonist stay in the alley, Paolo and his men will attack. Should Paolo be killed in combat, his talisman will turn him into a swarm of rats which then attack the protagonist. Paolo resurrects at the Dust District and continues his war against the Overseers.

Dust District
When the protagonist later attempts to enter the mansion of Aramis Stilton, they stumble into the Dust District and into the conflict between the Howlers and the Overseers. To get the combination to enter Stilton's manor, the protagonist can either employ Paolo or Byrne to give him the combination. However, in order to get one of the leaders to help the protagonist, the protagonist must deliver the body of the other gang leader to him. Additionally, the protagonist can ignore the gang war entirely and simply solve the riddle which is used as a lock to the main door.To eliminate Paolo, the protagonist must enter the Crone's Hand Pub which has been taken over by the Howlers. Paolo is located in an inner backyard, listening to two singing Howlers and talking to an inhabitant of the Dust District, promising her that he will help the miners once the district is safely in his hands. Paolo will then head into a nearby basement to interrogate a captured Overseer.

Lethal elimination
Paolo can be killed by every weapon or power at the protagonist's disposal. However, after his first death he will turn into a swarm of rats and resurrect in his rooms in the pub moments later. He will then be alerted and will wander the pub, searching for the attacker.

If Paolo is killed with a sword, a special animation plays. The protagonist will hit him with such ferocity that Paolo is knocked around. The protagonist will then use his sword to slice Paolo's back horizontally, causing him to drop on his knees, and then grab him from behind and slice his throat.

Non-lethal elimination
If the player wishes to eliminate Paolo non-lethally, Paolo must be knocked out. Both he and the unconscious Overseer Byrne must then be delivered to a silvergraph studio in the Dust District. There, the two fraction leaders will be stored in crates and will be sent to the silver mines for five years, in exchange for the release of two prisoners from there.

Aftermath
After Paolo is eliminated, the protagonist will find the talisman on his body which will then start moving. The protagonist will then throw the talisman to the floor and will stamp on it, destroying the hand and its powers.

If Paolo is spared, he is seen in the ending of the game. Depending on the choices made by the protagonist, Paolo can either rule Karnaca, can be the sole advisor to the new Duke or can be part of the Grand Council created by the new Duke.