Talos McGregor

High Inquisitor

The Inquisition Axis

Havenford

Roaring Dawn

The United City States of Cormyr

**Talos McGregor** serves as  Malack Rathmore's Lord General of the armies of the Atherian Empire. He is a powerful and terrifying paladin who served as the primary antagonist for Auroura Ferre's early level adventures.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

Talos McGregor is a tall and gruff bright armored warrior. He towers over all others and has never been seen without his mask. He wears a large shield wearing the crest of the Atherian Empire on his back and wields a dark metal battle-axe named Fane-Eater. After the events during the attack on Roaring Dawn, he lost his left hand which was eventually replaced with an arcane prosthetic formed of shadow magic gifted by Malack Rathmore.

### **Personality**

Talos is wholly loyal to the Atherian Empire and devout to the Order of the Chosen, and would gladly lay down his life for his king. He is ruthless and brutal in his tactics and leaves no room for mercy. he deems anyone that does not agree with his methods as a traitor and has them executed. While this has led him to be feared and respected throughout the land, it has left him with very little in terms of friends.

## **Biography**

### **Backstory**

Many years ago Talos was born under a different name and social class, living in poverty in the city of Havenford. Even in their economic state, his parents were loyal followers of the order of the chosen and embedded their beliefs within Talos from a young age. Upon reaching adulthood, Talos joined the Atherian Army. His skills got him promoted to the captain of his own regimen and with this new position his first job was to investigate reports of a dragon in the small town of Hillford. The small town had fallen under the rule of Talziram, a tyrannical blue dragon. after a brutal fight, bathed in his soldier's blood, Talos finally slew the beast.

This act gained him great recognition within the empire and was eventually called to the capital of Atherea itself to be trained under the empire's strongest paladins and priests. It was also around this time though that Talos learned of his parents deaths due to a plague that had swept Havenford. Talos entered into the tutelage of Quintus Norwood who at the time was a grand archbishop within the Order of the Chosen.

After many other victories against rebel forces and exterior threats to the empire, Talos was eventually given the title of Lord Commander of the Emperor's Armies and was given the task of leading the Inquisition Axis, a section of the king's forces dedicated to apprehending magic users within the empire's borders to be delivered to the king himself. In addition he was given full control over the Thunder Legion, a collection of powerful arcane siege weaponry that could fell entire armies with a single blast. He would go onto to returning to his hometown, taking the name Talos McGregor, and turning the city into a powerful military stronghold for the empire.

#### **Introductions and Kobold Cults**

Talos McGregor in his younger years had been responsible for slaying the Adult Blue Dragon Talziram. After hearing about the revolt in Hillford, he re-routed his forces along with two cannons from the Thunder Legion and to serve as an example to the Empire, laid waste to the city. His first appearance to the party was single-handily slaying a large group of commoner revolutionaries with ease.

#### **New Allies and Cultish Enemies**

The players caught a quick glimpse of Talos of a letter sent from Talos to Paige Rahal at the Cathedral condemning her for her failures in Millstone.

#### **Masquerade Murderers in Blackwell Keep**

Talos personally assigned Paige Rahal to a team to acquire and extract the source of the magical disturbance at Blackwell Keep and instructed her to bring it to him.

#### **The "Big Job" in Havenford**

Talos and his forces were blindsided by the arrival of Roaring Dawn at Havenford. He entered into combat with Aurora Ferre after catching them in the act of disabling and destroying the cannons of the Thunder Legion, failing to kill them as Zimlourn Runewood helped to extradite them from his facility.

#### **Attack on the Guildhall**

During Roaring Dawn's infiltration of Talos's military compound Merdu Wyrmtongue was captured by the Inquisition Axis. He was brought to Talos who managed to strike a deal with Merdu. In return for a pardon and lordship over Westray, Merdu gave up the location of the Roaring Dawn guildhall and all other relevant information he could give to Talos. As he prepared his forces he was contacted by his old mentor Quintus Norwood who connected him to Estelle Sakura who represented a faction of Devil's who similarly wished to see the guild fall. Even though he was hesitant to let a magic user join in his attack, he ultimately put the guild's destruction above his duties. He would lead an exterior attack with two cannons from the Thunder Legion while she led an attack from the interior.

The attack was a success but during a fight with Aurora Ferre he lost a hand. After the disappearance of the party the King himself Malack Rathmore gifted him with a hand made of pure shadow which granted him great unholy abilities.

#### **Friends in High Places**

Talos personally is assisting in bolstering the  crusader forces growing in southern Cormyr and even directed a section of the Inquisition Axis to join them.

#### **The Battle of Stoneshore**

Talos personally led a force of his own men into the Battle of Stoneshore but had to retreat after the capture of Hakar Winthrope.

#### **Ueses Traitors and Diplomats**

Talos arrived with the rest of the Atherian Forces after Atheria began their attack on the city of Ember Heaven.

## **Character Information**

### **Notable Items**

* Fane-Eater
* Animated Shield
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## **Fun Facts**

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