Vax'ildan

**Warning: Spoilers for Critical Role: Season One Within**

## Appearance

Vax'ildan, or Vax, is a half-elf with dark brown hair, brown eyes, pointed ears and a brooding look. Though he may once have been a revenant, a vengeful mockery of the living, he has been brought back to life through the power of a Wish and the trickery of an arch-fey. Even still, he continues to cling to the fashion of dark colors and leather. In fact, if he is out at night, in an uncertain situation, or hunting, he continues to wear a suit of black studded leather armor bedecked with a mantle of raven feathers known as the Deathwalker's Ward; a vestige unique to the goddess he still reveres, even should he no longer serve her directly. Vax also wears a couple of other magical items, including two belts, one of which is stylized as a snake, and a pair of black leather boots. Upon arriving, he had nothing on his person but the armor on his back, a stylized mask, and four magical daggers, each stylized in a different way.

His body is also marked with several tattoos and brands, including a pair of wings over his heart, a hand-shaped burn scar on his back, and an antler tattoo on his right upper-arm. On the inside of his left-hand wrist are the letters V and M in elvish script, and on the inside of his right wrist is an icosahedron. Finally, he has a star-like symbol that indicates him as a member of the Slayer's Take on his right arm.

Vax speaks in low tones, with a light accent reminiscent of a fantasy British accent, with less emotion and humanity than one might expect, at least upon his immediate arrival.

## Powers

Vax is the Champion of the Raven Queen; a paladin to the Exandrian goddess of death, winter, and blood. The extent of Vax's powers are unknown, as just before he arrived in Wall, he was Wished back onto the mortal plane, then was spirited away by a powerful trickster. While Vax'ildan was quite powerful as a mortal human, as the Raven Queen's Champion he was a force unto his own. Therefore, returning him to life likely has a few consequences. It is not unlike stripping an angel of its wings. Still, he is capable of many of the abilities of a paladin, including the healing and protection of others. In addition, he is protected by several magical items and pieces of armor that he wears, one of which even allows him to manifest wings and fly for a short time. As well, his belt also allows him to throw a dagger and have it return to its holster once it hits its mark. He can cast a few spells and is resistant to certain types of magic through his elven heritage.

### Spells

* Bane
* Bless
* Cure Wounds
* Faerie Fire
* Fog Cloud
* Hold Person
* Hunter's Mark
* Lesser Restoration
* Locate Object
* Misty Step
* Remove Curse
* Shield of Faith

## Talents

Acrobatics, stealth, infiltration, horseback riding, drinking, killing monsters and druidcraft

## Interests

He has no idea. Having spent the last few years of his life either fighting for the survival of the world or living as a revenant in a death realm, he's not sure what it is to have interests anymore... but perhaps it's time to start figuring that out.

## History

Vax'ildan, along with his twin sister **Vex’ahlia**, was born in the humble village of Byroden due to the union of a human woman named Elaina and an elven man named Syldor Vessar. The twins lived with Elaina for the first ten years of their life before they were sent to live in the elven capital of Syngorn, where their father lived. Over the next couple of years, Vax received training in the way of the blade from the Syngornian elves, as well as skill in the art of stealthiness.

But living as half-breeds with true-blood elves was not an easy life. The entire city seemed to turn away from Vax and his sister, and to make matters worse, their father did too. After a few years of this treatment, the twins set out on their own. They returned to Byroden, only to discover that their childhood home was destroyed, and their mother gone. They were told that it was a dragon attack, though locals had little more information than that. With nothing left to do, the twins began to make their own way in the world, with Vax honing his skills as a rogue, and Vex honing hers as a ranger. They watched out for one another, whether that was in the wilderness, or in the seedy back streets of the human crown city of Emon. They took odd jobs where they could, and even acquired a traveling companion in the way of a bear cub, but eventually, their small party began to grow.

Bit by bit, Vox Machina formed - what would one day be an adventuring group of legend.

The stories in between don't matter so much as the relationships that grew between all of them amidst the hard fought battles. Vax'ildan discovered that he not only cared for women, but also for men, and found that he cared for a boisterous shop-keeper, Shaun Gilmore, as much as he did the party's druid, Keyleth. In the meantime, he began to form a solid friendship with the gunslinger known as **Percy de Rolo**... that is until a terrible, unfortunate mistake.

Deep in a crypt in the cold lands surrounding Vasselheim, Vax'ildan lost his sister for the first time. They were there to retrieve the mantle of a champion - a magical item that might hopefully help them in their fight against a conclave of evil dragons. In a moment of carelessness, Percival tripped a magical trap on the tomb, only to have Vex get caught in the crossfire. She fell where she stood, and as the party's cleric attempted to bring her back to life, Vax begged for his sister's life. He begged of the goddess who watched over the tomb, and when she asked that he take up the mantle of her champion, he readily agreed. Vex was brought back, and Vax was forever changed - as was his relationship with Percy.

Over the next year, Vax'ildan became closer to his new goddess, respected by her priestesses and gaining new power - power not unlike those wielded by paladins. He lost the humor that he once used to hold in his heart, and less and less would partake in the pranks and antics of the rest of the group. But, at the same time, he grew closer to Keyleth, and thought it love, promising to protect her with his new abilities. Eventually, he even managed to repair his friendship with Percy...just before he lost his life in a battle with a lich seeking godhood.

Unwilling to lose her champion, the Raven Queen sent Vax back, telling him that he could remain in the mortal realm until he had rid the world of the lich forever. And so he did, returned as a revenant, with no need for food or water or sleep, living only for the vengeance of his queen. In the end, he and the rest of Vox Machina prevailed, and true to her word, she took him back, even as the rest of the party pleaded for his life.

That is...until one year later, when Scanlan Shortholt made a Wish.

Standing on cliffs overlooking an azure sea, Vex'ahlia and Percival were wed, and as a gift to them, Scanlan used a Wish to bring Vax back to say a few words to his sister and her new husband. It was the only loophole that a mischievous fey like Artagan needed. Seeing injustice in the Raven Queen's pact with Vax, he stole Vax away before the goddess could, whisking him into another dimension, through a door, into a city called Wall, out of reach, for the moment, of the goddess of death.

## Within Wall

Vax'ildan was greeted by **Crowley** upon arriving at the town, treated to lunch upon discovering that he was suddenly starving. He stayed at the Wayfarer's Respite for a few days before reuniting with **Shaun Gilmore**.

For months, he stayed with Shaun, regaining bits of himself piece by piece until one day when the circus came to town. He happened to discover that his sister had arrived in Wall at the very same time, and his reunion with his twin was an emotional one, especially given the fact that she'd come from two years in his past.

Not but a week later, Percy arrived as well, and the emotions and memories evoked from their two arrivals pushed Vax into a confession of feelings toward Shaun. Soon after, they found themselves in bed together.

Now, the four share a home above Gilmore's Glorious Goods, magically enhanced by a miracle from Crowley and **Aziraphale**. Vax spends his days either on errands for the wizard, **Essek Thelyss**, adventuring with his sister, or helping in Gilmore's shop. From time to time, he can also be found lingering in the city's temple, tending to the shrine to the Raven Queen or healing those that need his touch.

## Magic Items

* **Deathwalker's Ward** - Protects its wearer from certain types of damage, and allows its wearer to sprout black wings and fly for a short time
* **Belt of Returning** - Allow any melee weapon held in the sheathes on the belt to return to the sheathe once thrown
* **Boots of Haste** - Make their wearer faster and more graceful
* **Serpent Belt** - Has the ability to turn into a snake
* **Whisper** - Dagger that when thrown can transform into shadow and teleport to its target
* **Dagger of Venom** - Poisoned dagger
* **Flame Tongue Dagger** - Provides glowing light when unsheathed
* **Life Stealing Dagger** - Can heal its wielder on a hit

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