Zirilante

## Bio

Born and raised in the secretive city of Alashtara staked in *Celestia*. Zirilante enrolled in a selective program for an order called the Protectors at age 15. He failed many times throughout his adolscence however, but succeeded in the trials of the program at age 23 and became one of them. Zirilante trained for 10 years to becoming a *Blade Dancer*and learn the ways of the Protectors. Upon completion of his training, he spent a few years performing routine work until his responsibilities began increasing in the order. Once Zirilante reached the age of 57, the Protectors caught wind of the events with *Elder Dragon Kaiden Armov* and how *Elder Dragon Zinnath* was plotting to fuse the *Material Plane* and the *Fade*. The Protectors were deployed to assist Kaiden in their own ways, but they eventually perished due to *Elder Dragon Tharos'* wrath after the events.

## Adventures

Zirilante's spirit awoke once more as a *Phoenixborn* after *Thalnik Ulmrus* met his end. He was greeted by Kaiden himself, which took Zirilante for a surprise. Zirilante suffered from a lapse of time where he found himself suddenly plunged further into the future from his original life. Kaiden armed Zirilante with armaments suitable for a Blade Dancer and introduced him to the other Phoenixborn before quickly leaving. Alkil, Lanu Tengo and Zirilante agreed that their immediate objective was to become divine and set off to do so. Zirilante took a small detour to *Durgrax* where he met *Kahl-El* after hearing he was also an Aasimar. Afterwards, the group set off to *Valibor* where they battled fiercely with the inhabitants for a period of time.

The group learned much of Valibor's origins through the warriors that were there and found themselves in the middle of a battlefield upon arriving. Their visit was short, but informative especially for Zirilante. On their way back to the *Material Plane*, the group was snatched into *Shadowheim* by *Lolth* during their travels in the *Paragon's March* after leaving Valibor. The three were lured into their own individual lairs of despair which once they overcame, they found themselves in the nightmarish place that is Shadowheim. The group stumbled upon some famished Drow lead by *Nadal Do'ndar* who lead them across the plane in search of his kin and a way to leave the plane. After a time, Nadal shared that there was only one path: defeat Lolth's champion through a ritual. The group managed to secure the reagents for the champion's ritual, summoned it and managed to defeat it. Upon doing so brought out Lolth who jostled the party for a brief period before *Elemiah*came forth to rescue them. Her appearance blinded the entire party before they were teleported to *Celestia*. The party suffered hallucinations for their prolonged time in Shadowheim, but were safeguarded by the *Seraphim*. Shortly after, Elemiah returned them to the Material Plane which they found themselves outside of *Canthrall*. Alkil became enthralled by the friendly gnomes and vowed to protect them in return for their hospitality before the group returned to Calnlian. The group bid farewell to Nadal and quickly discovered a brewers festival commencing in the city which they partook in its games.

Kaiden hailed for Alkil and the Phoenixborn which lead them to finally assist the Dragonscale efforts in *Therinox* against Tiamat. Their first assignment was to prod *Pilfanx* military to intervene with a traveling army of Tiamat's clergy coming down from the north. The group was small enough to avoid Pilfanx patrols, but an assumed threat to the Dragonscale operations there. With Alkil leading the mission, he lead the group who were also accompanied by *Daelinglorf* and *Augustin* into Pilfanx to find *Yuvari*. During their time in Pilfanx, Alkil had been captured twice by an underground group named the *Gallowmen* which required a rescue from Alkil and Lanu. Additionally, the group encountered Alexander Anderson by chance who was at the theater they expected to meet Yuvari. The group learned that Alexander Anderson's clergy has stock in the battle for Tiamat and decided that he should join the party. The group searched Pilfanx for over a day until they eventually found Yuvari's troupe on a quest to ask for her aid in dealing with a clergy of Tiamat. They asked her to pull some strings among the nobility to goad a military force which she obliged in exchange for a small favor of clearing out the ghouls in Pilfanx's countryside. She insisted the ghouls were attacking her favorite clients which is of the upmost important to her. The party succeeded at performing the favor which she obliged with an elaborate plan to attend a military gala. She explained she needed either Alexander Anderson or Zirilante to be her date, which the group decided on Alexander. The two attended the gala together as a farce where they would dupe a lowly lord into sending his army to the north and intervene with the clergy of Tiamat. They were successful and later ensured the forces arrived. Before leaving Pilfanx and saying their farewell to Yuvari, Zirilante accepted Yuvari's offer of a night of personal companionship. Over the next couple of days, the party went to the area that the army was supposed to march and confirmed its presence. Zirilante encountered the surprising coming of *Skolg* while in this village who forced his desires of training Zirilante into becoming a god of war.

Upon returning to Kaiden Armov to report their success on prodding the Pilfanx military, Kaiden requested that the group prod Pilfanx once more to deal with a *Skull Lord* threatening the Dragonscale operations to the south. The group made their way to a nearby village where they suspected the Skull Lord to be and managed to confirm the Skull Lord's forces with the help of some villagers. The party managed to convince the villagers to flee to Pilfanx and tell them the Skull Lord intends to despoil their village which yielded a military response. On the army's heels and with the squired assistance of *Hexphael* and *Yulzhook*, the group managed to find the Skull Lord's lair and infiltrate it. The group had to slay many undead and most notable a zombie *Umber Hulk* summoned by the Skull Lord, Strahdul, himself. After dispatching the Skull Lord, the party quickly looted a portion of Strahdul's horde. Hexphael and Yulzhook came into a moral disagreement about a certain magical item which became confrontational. The conflict lead to Zirilante actively protecting Yulzhook while he destroyed the item and ended with the death of Hexphael and abandonment of Alkil. Yulzhook teleported the remaining party back to the dragonscale encampment and left quickly before Kaiden rallied everyone else regarding the situation.

Kaiden offered well earned respite for the group by instructing them to deliver a payment of gold to Yuvari as thanks for her continued support towards the Dragonscales. The group quickly left for Pilfanx, but were interrupted in their mission upon arrival based on an eerie omen from *Bhelumzar*. The transmutation anomaly came forth and caused massive devastation to Pilfanx which the party was in the middle of. The barely managed to survive the cataclysm before rushing to a vantage point to observe the events. They witnessed the destruction of Pilfanx in tow, but were surprised by the appearance of *Fade Knights*. The group engaged them in combat for a brief period before a small lull occurred where for the first time, the Fade Knights seemed diplomatic but they spoke in Sylvan. They spoke specifically to Bhelumzar which eventually restored him to his true material form: a *Chaordic* Tyrant; leader of the Fade Knights. *Azuri* and *Kiosudha* came forth from a call of the *Aegis* to combat Bhelumzar. Additionally, Kaiden suddenly teleported to the scene as well. A climactic battle ensued which resulted in Alexander Anderson and Alkil to become swayed by Bhelumzar through his Chaordic influence. The two immediately turned hostile to their allies. Anderson became knocked out by Zirilante and eventually the building began to collapse due to the cataclysm. Kaiden then teleported the group back to a dragonscale outpost for safety.

## Player-Written Backstory

In the secretive city of Alashtara there is a group of Aasimar known as the Protectors. The Protectors job is to travel the planes and help those whose lives are in immense danger. Starting at the age of 15 an Aasimar becomes of age for the “selection program”. All of age or older in the city of Alashtara commune once a year for the “selection program” run by the Protectors. This selection program consists of multiple tests that only 5 people are able to move on from while the rest try again year after year until they have been chosen. The selection program consists of test against every “attribute” a person has. Zirilante started the selection program at the earliest age optionable and was not chosen until he was the age of 23. Once he was chosen as one of the 5 he was offered multiple options in what kind of Protector he would become. From the option of becoming a Blade Dancer, Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, or Wizard, Zirilante chose to become a Blade Dancer. For the next 10 years Zirilante spent all of his time training to become a Blade Dancer, learning the stances and maneuvers that would give him the greatest advantages in any combat situation.

After Zirilante had finished his training to become a Blade Dancer he spent his first few years as a Protector traveling the more “unwelcoming” planes of existence and assisting planar travelers in time of need that were either trapped or in way over their heads. After his first few years his responsibilities became greater and he started receiving tasks that he felt were more impactful such as, assisting the Elemental Dominion is keeping the voidken at bay, keeping armies of demons from laying waste to the material plane, even a few jobs that had him working directly with the leaders of the Protectors ( Vurlemun (head of the protectors), Ealveysa (first in command), and Blithram (second in command) ) to stop mass destruction in the celestial plane, the fey wild, and the scar.

The Protectors try their best to not take credit in any situation they have helped in or even have it known that they were there. They try to keep their order and city as secretive as possible and only a few of the people in leader position in places they have assisted know who they are and only in cases where it is needed so they are known allies.

Once Zirilante reached the age of 93, Vurlemun called for him to meet with him and the other 2 leaders of the order. When he went to meet with the leaders of the group there were 4 other Aasimar there as well. After he arrived, Vurlemun started to speak and give these 5 Aasimar a great task that could possibly end up killing them all and informed them that unfortunately they were unable to send more than 5 of them due to other issues throughout the planes but that he would not replace the 5 of them with anyone else for this task.

The task at hand was to help Kaiden during the Dark Age in making sure that Zinnath did not bind together the Material plane and the Fade. The 5 Protectors did all they could to help Kaiden in his plans but in the end they all died trying to stop Theros from laying destruction across the material plane.