Deathwalker's Ward

Fan art of Deathwalker's Ward entombed with Purvan Suul, by David Rodrigues.

**Deathwalker's Ward** is a set of studded leather armor, one of the Vestiges of the Divergence created for the Champion of the Raven Queen. Once it was worn by Purvan Suul, but after his death in the Calamity he rested forever in the tomb to the west of Vasselheim, beneath a lake known as the Marrowglade Loch. On 30 Duscar 810 PD, Vox Machina retrieved the vestige, and Vax'ildan became the new servant of the Raven Queen.

## **History**

Vox Machina obtained Deathwalker's Ward from the corpse of a former Champion once known as Purvan Suul before ritualistically giving his name to the Raven Queen. When Percy attempted to remove the vestige from the Champion's sarcophagus, he triggered a powerful necrotic trap, which killed the already-wounded Vex'ahlia. Kashaw, with the aid of Percy, Zahra, and Vax'ildan, was able to revivify her, but as part of the ritual the Raven Queen accepted Vax'ildan's offer to take him in lieu of his sister. The party then successfully retrieved the Deathwalker's Ward and it was taken by Vex'ahlia.

Although it was first given to Vex'ahlia, she passed the armor to Vax'ildan, who at first was reluctant to accept or wear it. He reluctantly began donning it in order to acquire the allegiance of the Champion's wolf ally, Galdric, but stopped and removed it midway. Later that night, Vax'ildan quietly put on Deathwalker's Ward and wore it thereafter. After a dream given to him by the Raven Queen, he agreed to serve as her champion, later becoming her paladin.

Deathwalker's Ward was the first vestige to reach the *awakened* state, identified as such by Headmaster James Crayon in Ank'Harel and by Gilmore after the party's second fight with Hotis in Whitestone, where its flight powers made their first appearance. It appeared to have *awakened* as a consequence of Vax'ildan agreeing to become the new Champion of the Raven Queen.

### ***The Legend of Vox Machina***

In *The Legend of Vox Machina*, Season Two, the armor appeared on Vax'ildan after he bargained his life to The Raven Queen in exchange for his sister's. During the ensuing battle against a creature released by Zahra Hydris, he received visions of Purvan Suul during The Calamity, during which Purvan attacked and fought him, bringing him close to death. When Vax accepted that the inevitability of death meant it was out of his control and stood quietly, eyes closed, as he was attacked, Purvan's sword passed through him harmlessly. Purvan knelt, hailing the new champion of the Matron of Ravens. The Matron herself appeared, touching Vax'ildan with one finger, and his armor alit with runes and glowing lines. He woke from his vision, back in the tomb, and seeing the dire situation, attacked angrily, moving with astonishing, superhuman speed, singlehandedly battling the creature and eventually killing it. Later that night, Vax realized that he was unable to remove the armor.

## **Description**

Deathwalker's Ward is a set of beautiful jet-black studded leather armor covered in intricate scrollwork, runic engravings, and carvings over almost every square inch of the leather. The edge of its mantle is trimmed with the black feathers of the Matron of Ravens.

The runes are in a forgotten language, dead since before the Divergence. They tell the tale of the creation of the Raven Queen and her ascendance from mortal to immortal. They relate the history of her penance for ascending and taking the throne of another entity that was supplanted, woven in with a very strong enchantment. Within each of the runic sections, there are mentions of elements such as fire, ice, and lightning.

### **Features**

#### **Dormant State**

* The wearer gains a +1 bonus to AC while wearing the armor.
* They have advantage on death saving throws made while wearing the armor.

#### **Awakened State**

* The armor's bonus to AC increases to +2.
* While wearing the attuned armor, the wearer chooses and imbues it with resistance to a damage type of their choice: fire, cold, acid, lightning, necrotic, or poison. This choice can be changed during a short rest.

#### **Exalted State**

* The armor's bonus to AC increases to +3.
* As a bonus action, the wearer can grow large, black raven wings. These last for 1 hour and grant a fly speed of 60 feet. They cannot use this ability again until they finish a long rest.

## **Trivia**

* Liam O'Brien stated that the touchpoint he always had in his mind for the armor was the stillsuit of the *Dune* universe.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*, p. 205.
2. ↑ See "The Sunken Tomb" (1x44) at 0:10:35.
3. ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 1:34:14.
4. ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 1:47:04.
5. ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 1:59:47.
6. ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 2:43:59.
7. ↑ See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 0:55:45.
8. ↑ See "A Traveler's Gamble" (1x66) at 3:26:47.
9. ↑ See "A Cycle of Vengeance" (1x58) at 2:14:40.
10. ↑ Although it was mentioned to have been in its *awakened* state, the *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting* shows that the armor gains the power of flight in its *exalted* state.
11. ↑ See "The Sunken Tomb" (1x44) at 4:20:34.
12. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 113.
13. ↑ See "The Sunken Tomb" (1x44) at 4:38:50.
14. ↑ Vax'ildan rolls his first death saving throw with advantage in the battle with Vorugal.  See "Vorugal" (1x71) at 4:34:24.
15. ↑ Vax'ildan changes the armor's resistance for the first time.  See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 2:14:40.
16. ↑ The Deathwalker's Ward's power of flight activates for the first time.  See "A Cycle of Vengeance" (1x58) at 2:14:40.
17. ↑ *The Legend of Vox Machina, Season 2, Episodes 4-6 Q&A*.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of **Deathwalker's Ward** entombed with Purvan Suul, by David Rodrigues (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Fan art of **Deathwalker's Ward** entombed with Purvan Suul, by Joma Cueto (source). Used with permission.