Vax'ildan Vessar

Scrawny (by Vex)

Little elf boy (by Taryon)

String Bean (by Pike)

Bitch's prince (by Vecna)

Lord Scanlan of the Shorthalts

Shaun Gilmore (close friend; ex-love interest)

Kynan Leore (fan)

Raven Queen (champion)

Thordak (sworn enemy; killed his mother)

The Clasp (former member; current enemy)

Syldor Vessar (elven father)

Velora Vessar (elven half-sister)

Percival de Rolo (brother-in-law)

Nieces and Nephews (at least five)

Strangled to death by Artagan in the Feywild

Returned to the Raven Queen following the defeat of Vecna

**Vax'ildan**, also known as "**Vax**", was a half-elf rogue/paladin, a member of Vox Machina, and the current Champion of the Raven Queen. Never entirely welcome in the company of elves or men, Vax'ildan learned at a young age to skip past formality, preferring instead to invite himself in your door. An outsider since birth, Vax quickly learned to solve life's challenges in his own particular way, often by sidestepping them entirely. And when his knack for circumventing adversity isn't enough, the way of blades the elves schooled him in more than makes up the difference.

## Biography

### **Background**

Vax, along with Vex, 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 Syngorn, where their father lived. During this time, Vax received training in the ways of the blade from his elven instructors.

After several years of cold reception from the Syngornian elves, the twins set off on their own. They returned to Byroden, only to see their childhood home destroyed and their mother gone. Vax honed his skills of as a rogue, whereas Vex honed her skills as a ranger.

#### **Meeting Vox Machina**

For quite some time, Vax and Vex only truly relied on each other. After becoming capable individuals, the twins would take on jobs as a way to make gold taking them to many places across the world.

On one adventure that took them to the west of Tal'Dorei to Stilben, to lift some sort of curse. When investigating the apparently cursed swamp they were ambushed, this was quickly dealt with by the combination of arrow and dagger but not without Vax taking a deep wound to the stomach.

A squirrel approached, a strangely intelligent squirrel which then revealed itself as a ginger half-elf druid named Keyleth, this equally as strange half-elf healed Vax and then tested the water for poison. With this knowledge the twins returned to their employer with news then continued to an alchemist whom they had suspected to be involved in the poisoning.

Vex entered the alchemist shop and attempted to acquire information but she was slightly blunt and acquired nothing. They then tailed the alchemist as he left the shop and came across a large building that the alchemist entered before six assassins that attempted to take them out. They were unsuccessful and the twins prevailed.

### **Chapter 1**

#### **Arrival at Kraghammer**

Upon arriving in Kraghammer, Vox Machina set about finding lodging for the night. Upon arriving at the Iron Hearth Tavern, Vax personally paid the barkeep, Adra, a sack of gold and bought all the patrons in the tavern a round. After obtaining information from her, the party split up to pursue different goals. Vax and Vex'ahlia themselves choose to scope out Nostoc Greyspine's manor, the rogue suggested that the two of them pose as a married couple. Vex, was grossed out, and shot down the idea immediately. Inquiring with the Carvers, they found out more about the Greyspine manor and then they were escorted away. Vax managed to sneak away, but Vex was not so lucky.

Upon gathering again at the tavern, Vax suggested that they try the diplomatic approach with Greyspine. Suddenly, Adra informed them that Trinket is downstairs about to get into a fight with Balgus. Vax tried to knock him out after Keyleth conjured a *Fog Cloud*, but the elderly dwarf was too tough as he grabbed Vax's arm. The rogue manages to slip out of his grip. As Keyleth entertained Balgus with her bear form and Vex acted as her "trainer", Vax grabbed some ale for him. The crisis was soon after averted, and Vox Machina retired for the evening.

~~The next day, the party heads to the manor and is told that Nostoc is in the Greyspine Quarry. They go there and present the Balgus Brewery wine that was given to them the other day to the guards. They are soon after granted an audience with Nostoc. During the discussion where they agree to take care of Nostoc's problems, Vax tries to steal some of the wine but is caught. He then quickly takes what he stole and refill's the quarry owner's goblet. Soon after, alarm bells are rung and the quarry ends up under attack by goblins, ogres, and a hideously malformed naga. After a tough battle, the party emerges victorious and Nostoc fills them in further about Lady Kima of Vord and the goings-on within the mines. Before turning in for the night, they try and fail to negotiate with Lord Thunderbrand and then purchase additional supplies from the Value of Valor.~~

#### **~~Into the Underdark~~**

~~The next day, as they progress through the quarry, the party finds themselves traversing into the Underdark. After a nasty fight against two umber hulks and a small ambush party comprised of duergar and an intellect devourer, Vax and Vex interrogate the last surviving dwarf. Upon milking her of all the information she could provide, Vex threatens that they will rescue Kima and kill their god and then Vax finishes her off. After managing to save Grog from his loss of intellect, they march on past a goblinoid village where they discover that the population died from puncture wounds on their foreheads followed by their brains having been sucked out.~~

~~Crossing a chasm, Scanlan goes off to scout ahead. When he returns, he informs the party of a warcamp of duergar and a strange being with tentacles coming out of its maw, a being referred to as a "mindflayer" or "illithid". They come up with a plan to draw out as many as possible and have them fall off the edge. Vax offers himself as bait. He manages to get their attention, but as he makes his leave he is stunned by the illithid from earlier. He begins to fall to his death but is saved by Tiberius. After a heated debate. Vex and Keyleth steal the carpet and eventually return with another illithid, who introduces himself as Clarota. After some discussion, they decide to make an alliance with him.~~

~~Soon after, Pike Trickfoot ends up reuniting with the party. As they discuss how to tackle the warcamp, Vax offers the idea of blinding the illithid Scanlan saw with a bucket of goblin refuse. After resting for the evening, the plan is put into action with Vax and Scanlan going invisible and sneaking into the barracks. After several minutes of tense waiting, the attack starts with Scanlan blinding the illithid and Vax managing to slay it. Despite the sudden appearance of a bulette mid-battle, the party emerges victorious as they question the general. After the interrogation, the general is slain by Clarota. However, the warcamp is soon alerted to their presence. After a very rough escape attempt, Vox Machina and Clarota retreat into a tunnel.~~

~~After resting, the party continues on and find themselves in combat with two ogres and a black pudding that ends up being freed from a glass container due to an explosive arrow fired by Vex that was made by Percy. The party survives the battle and, after discovering that they essentially went around in circles, traverse downward into a tunnel they previously disregarded. They soon after make their way to the Emberhold fortress that was mentioned by the duergar general. The party finds their way into the fortress by means of a secret entrance. Making their way downstairs, they find and rescue Lady Kima. Soon after, a tenuous alliance is made between herself and Clarota due to her mutual distrust of illithid after having seen her companions slain by them.~~

#### **~~The Menace Within Yug'Voril~~**

~~Making their way through the fortress, they get into combat with King Murghol and Queen Ulara. The king is slain, but Ulara manages to dominate and capture Grog. The queen even destroys the ceiling of the throne room, with hot magma pouring down. The party scrambles to escape, Vax himself falling unconscious and having his foot briefly submerged in the magma. Fortunately, he is pulled out before he is incinerated and the party retreats into a secluded hideaway. While resting for the evening, due to a heated argument between Keyleth and Kima, the paladin informs the group more about why she is in the Underdark in the first place. She was driven to go due to a vision granted to her by Bahamut, her deity, to find and retrieve one of the two Horns of Orcus that was claimed by K'Varn, the being itself deep within Yug'Voril, Clarota's colony.~~

~~After some trouble dealing with another abomination, the party manages to rescue Grog. K'Varn, speaking through Ulara, taunts the party before killing her. As the party and their allies gather around a campfire, as soon as Kima is drawn away by Scanlan, Keyleth vents about her distrust of the paladin. Vax, noticing something about Keyleth's demeanor, raises an objection towards the druid's suggestion to just leave the Underdark right away. He then tells her that he has noticed the struggles she has been going through, telling her that she is not alone and that she has a family with her. And as they traverse further towards Yug'Voril, Vax himself starts to realize that he may be developing feelings for Keyleth.~~

~~After a few more harrowing encounters, a plan is hatched to assault the temple where K'Varn and the enslaved elder brain resides. The plan is put into action and after a long battle which temporarily claimed the life of Grog, the dastardly beholder is slain and then slain again after he is brought back as an undead, the horn of Orcus ripped from its body by Tiberius. Despite this victory, the party is then betrayed by Clarota as he and the entire colony begin to descend on them. Managing to persevere, the party manages to escape from Yug'Voril alive with the horn in tow.~~

#### **~~Return to Emon~~**

~~After resting up in Greyskull Keep, Vox Machina meets with Allura Vysoren, the woman who hired them to find Kima in the first place. The arcanist and the paladin are joyfully reunited, Tiberius thinking that they are more than just friends. They then meet with the Tal'Dorei Council, which they are also members of, and discuss what to do with the horn. Eventually, a consensus is made for the horn to be transported to The Platinum Sanctuary in Vasselheim. Looking to get resupplied, the party heads to Gilmore's Glorious Goods. It's there that Vax is reunited with the owner, Shaun Gilmore. He offers to take Gilmore out on a "date" while Vex and the others discuss business with Sherri, Gilmore's assistant. During their "date", Vax confides in Gilmore about the recent troubles and brushes with death he's had, and tells him that he wouldn't be alive today if not for Gilmore's assistance. Returning to the shop, they divvy up their new items and spend the next couple of days preparing for the trip to Vasselheim. Vax in particular finds Pike, who manages to repair her fragile connection to Sarenrae, the Everlight. She then heals Vax's foot to perfect health.~~

#### **~~Vasselheim~~**

~~Two days later, Vox Machina sails via skyship to Vasselheim across the Ozmit Sea. Despite a surprise attack by wyvern riders, the skyship *Deera* still manages to arrive at her destination. Kima acts as their guide to the Platinum Sanctuary, and upon arrival the party converses with Highbearer Vord about sealing away the horn. Traveling underneath the Sanctuary, the party eventually succeeds in overcoming the traps beneath and sealing away the dangerous artifact. However, upon returning, they are notified of an ancient temple of the Everlight herself, after which Pike chooses to stay behind and help restore.~~

### **Chapter 5**

#### **Fallen Friends and Found Love**

~~After returning to the Prime Material Plane, and narrowly avoiding a confrontation with Vorugal the Frigid Doom, Vax and Percy have a conversation about Vex within the newly created temple to the Raven Queen. The two agree to bury the hatchet, but Percy requests that he not trust him.~~

~~After a lengthy debate, Vox Machina travels to the continent of Wildemount to the city of Draconia in the hopes of discovering the fate of Tiberius. After an encounter with the Ravenites that nearly resulted in violent conflict, the party sees the remains of their fallen friend impaled on a spike of ice, a symbol of Vorugal's dominion over the dragonborn. Vax prays to his patron to usher Tiberius' soul to the afterlife, and he is given comfort from his patron that he did indeed cross over safely.~~

~~After returning to Whitestone, Vax is greeted by Keyleth outside his door, the druid asking if she could stay with him for the night. As he lets her in, he reflects on the misfortunes that have befallen them all and deeply apologizes to the woman he loves for how he treated her by remaining distant. Keyleth, however, tells him that she is just as guilty of being distant as he is. She then confesses that she had been terrified of losing him to death, the Raven Queen, and even himself. But after some time, she came to realize that those fears were holding her back and that they truly have nothing to lose.~~

~~Happy beyond measure, Vax confesses to her once more and the two spend the night together, the two half-elves finally becoming one.~~

## Description

### **Appearance**

Like his twin sister Vex'ahlia, Vax was a twenty-eight year old half-elf when he started his adventuring with Vox Machina. He is identical to his sister, albeit two inches taller than her, with long dark brown hair. After joining the Slayer's Take, Vax had the brand of the guild on his right arm. He got a pair of tattoos in Vasselheim after completing the Slayer's Take trial. On the inside of his left wrist were the sounds for "V" and "M" written in Elvish script. On the inside of his right wrist was an icosahedron.Vax had a handprint-shaped burn scar on his back from where he asked Keyleth to burn away the Clasp's brand as well as a tattoo of her antlers on his upper right arm after spending the year away with Keyleth in Zephyr.

During his resurrection ritual in Vesrah, a part of his hair was braided with Vex's blue feathers as part of her offering. After his resurrection, Vax'ildan developed a dark, bruise-like mark over his heart as a symbol of the boon he received from the Raven Queen. After being disintegrated by Vecna, the Raven Queen made a deal with Vax to allow him to return to life until Vecna has been destroyed. Once Vax reappeared on the Material Plane, the dark mark on his chest had expanded to resemble a pair of wings.

### **Personality**

Compared to his sister, Vax was far more focused and serious, but he was not without his moments of immaturity as he was quite fond of being a prankster. He could be incredibly deceptive, and often navigated through social situations with ease and occasionally coin.

Vax tended to wear his heart on his sleeve compared to Vex. He also had a habit of self-loathing and tended to brood when undergoing emotional crises. When he felt overwhelmed, he preferred to walk away when it became too much to bear instead of dealing with the problem. At times, he kept his emotions to himself, the only person he ever trusted for a long time being his sister. But he did open up towards those who earn his trust and, sometimes, his love.

For many years, Vax thought of himself as "lost and a wanderer", his goal being to find some purpose in his life. Upon encountering the Raven Queen when he exchanged his life for his dead sister, being fearful at first, he eventually accepted his new role as the goddess's champion. By accepting that role and coming to an understanding, Vax found what he had been lacking and became more at ease.

Vax was a close-ranged combat fighter and often used a deadly combination of sneak attacks, magical weaponry, items, agility, and various abilities when in combat. He was naturally the sneakiest member of Vox Machina and often scouted ahead for the group when in dangerous situations.

Vax occasionally mentioned his instructors in Syngorn, one of whom is named Master Tharindriel.

Vax was the first one out of the group to kill an illithid

Vax'ildan was bisexual. He showed interest in both men and women, specifically Shaun Gilmore, a human sorcerer, and Keyleth, a half-elven druid and fellow member of Vox Machina.