Abax

Abax is a Tabaxi youth of mysterious origins. Born an orphan in the hills of Ilumen, Abax was raised by the monks at the Monastery of Onerion. Abax spent the last ten years of her life serving as a spy for the Golden Shadow.

## Cats and Curiosity...

In the year 4123, a group of Tabaxi from the Silverthorn Forest in Anaria infiltrated the holy land of Ilumen in attempt to steal Holy Water from Lake Ilum. The Silverthorn Rogues crept into the city of Vegamyr unnoticed, and gained access to the Palace Solara, where vessels of the Holy Water were stored. The Tabaxi were discovered and slaughtered by the Lumena Guard. Only a few rogues survived and were chased from the city. On the way to the Palace Solara, a Monk of Onerion named Mara of the Plains came across the Tabaxi Rogues' encampment in the hills outside of the city. To her great surprise, Mara discovered a newborn Tabaxi swaddled in cloth. Mara was the Brewmaster of the Monastery and greatly known for her fine craft. Despite her current status, Mara had grown up an urchin herself, and feared for the life of the forgotten baby. So Mara took the baby to the Monastery and raised her as her own. Knowing nothing of Tabaxi culture, and wanting this baby to hold on to her racial roots, Mara named the baby Abax. Knowing that the life of an orphan is a hard one, Mara rigorously trained Abax in all the ways of the Monks.

All was going well until Abax was 5 years old and curiosity began to get the best of her. Her Tabaxi roots gave her an innate desire to explore the city of Vegamyr, as well as pocket interesting objects she came across. Given that Tabaxi of Anaria are a rarity in Oman, it wasn't long before reports of sightings of Abax made its way back to the Lumena Guard. Some of these sightings coincidentally matched up with reported robberies in the city. Finally, in 4131, when Abax was 8 years old, the Lumena Guard finally discovered her location and came for her at the Monastery. Mara begged for her adopted daughter's life. Acknowledging Abax’s ability to avoid getting caught for three years and the benefits of a Tabaxi asset, the Lumena Guard offered an ultimatum: serve the Guard for 10 years and on her 18th birthday, Abax would be officially pardoned and allowed to stay as an asset to the Guard or leave and do what she wish with her life. Life in the services of King Vegah One-Eye was difficult, but Abax performed well in the Lumena Guard. Her skills in stealth and deftness were noticed and after less than a year Abax was admitted into the spy network, the Golden Shadow.

As a low level operative of the Golden Shadow, Abax was kept in the dark and uniformed of the significance of most of her missions. Abax functioned as a collector of information via theft and eavesdropping in the city of Vegamyr and throughout the country of Ilumen. Despite the confidentiality of the Golden Shadow, Abax was still able to learn many secrets about the world, King Vegah, and the dealings with his governance of the lands. Abax was able to deduce that Vegatu Silvermage had indeed survived the Twenty Year Siege and fall of the city. She learned that the servants of King Vegah are searching ceasingly for his current location. Abax also learned that King Vegah was allowing the poison and evil caused by the Curse of Arborlorn to further corrupt the Ghostwood. The people of Ilumen had been told that the king's forces were diligently trying to cure the cursed woodland, but in fact the opposite was true. The Ghostwood was to become an impassible border such that none may leave, nor enter the land of Ilumen. King Vegah had also been busy establishing his rule in the surrounding regions of Oman and in Anaria. He had gifted several Princedoms to loyal elf nobles and sent them out to govern the lands in his name. Abax also learned of a mysterious group, called the Ilumenati, said to be an ancient organization that had secretly influenced the happenings of the land for ages. Supposedly there was a connection between the group, the Golden Shadow, and King Vegah.

In her ten years of service, Abax became disgusted with the state of the Holy Land. On her 18th birthday she was granted the release from service that she was promised. Abax returned to the Monastery of Onerion to find a much older Mara. The old brewmaster rejoiced to be reunited with her adopted daughter, but also desired to see her daughter happy. She knew she would have to aid in helping Abax in her desire to escape from Ilumen. Mara asked favors of many loyal to the Monastery and was able to secure Abax's escape from Ilumen, saying farewell to her daughter forever only shortly after having been reunited. Hidden away in the back of closed wagons, and once blindfolded as she traveled, Abax was swept away from Ilumen and found herself at Tel Oman in the Southern Omani Plain. In the weeks that followed, Abax became familiar with the village and grew fond of the Silver Dragon Inn, where they serve a delightful mixture of spirits, coffee, and milk called a White Anarian.