Deadox

"*I think that this world needs men that are willing to make the hard call.*"
—Deadox

**Deadox** was a mystic warrior, vigilante and a member of the Eternal Companions. His reputation proceeds him as a man who employs violence and death onto those who have committed sin. His true identity remains anonymous. In Aranoch, he is known as the **Vigilante of the Dahmaru**.

## History

Nothing is known about the invidual known as Deadox, as he has never shared his history. However, many have taken notice to his peculiar presence and out of touch demeanor. Those who wander the desert wasteland often fear contact with him and refuse to linger around regions that are easily preyed. The denizens of Aranoch speculate he is a phantom of a man and that his spirit is cursed, while others claim he is not a man at all but rather a vengeful deity in flesh. The earliest recorded sightings of Deadox are dated at 1227.

Deadox's first public incident occurred in the Far Oasis, a realm he dwells the most, in the summer of 1259. He defended a trading post from being attacked by group of Lacuni and the next day tracked down their village and slaughtered the remaining. He also slayed several highwaymen that lurked upon the trade routes. As rumors of his killings began to spread, the Fighters Guild sought to make contact and recruit him, but Deadox remained evasive at all times with their organization.

### ***Prevalent Enigmas***

Deadox first crossed paths with Alec Kylar, an enigmatic dark templar, during the latter's travels in the Aranoch desert. In 1267, Alec Kylar was intially hesitant to instigate an alliance with Deadox as he feared the vigilante was too mentally unstable. However, after the Culver Massacre, Alec recruited Deadox to join the coalition force lead by Executor Ikeda Cao, leading Deadox to participate in his first battle, the Liberation of Culver; the vigilante became a seasoned warrior after helping retake the city by force alongside the Eternal Companions. In return for helping him end the conflict, Deadox requested that Alec personally aid him in watching over the Aranoch desert.

During the summer of 1268, Alec joined Deadox on several raids and assassinations, and in doing so Deadox was able to utilize the Rune Rogues under Alec's command. It was during this period in which Deadox became the face of the liquidation process of the criminal organizations within the Aranoch desert. When Alec departed ways he continued to support Deadox in cleaning up the regions of desert that festered with crime; a secret headquarters was established in the Far Oasis by Alec and his Rune Rogues, leaving Deadox as its caretaker for future endeavors and giving the vigilante runes to enhance his combat prowess.

In late 1268, Alec and Deadox teamed up once again to eliminate a vastly growing organized crime group, The Atlas, known known for dealing in human trafficking and diamond mining. Hogar, known by his personal sobriquet, "The Atlas King" for his large size and his clan's title, began a conquest to claim Ghanhu, a trade city, for its central location of mining diamonds and overlooking several surrounding regions. Having infiltrated and killed Hogar's judicature, The Atlas sent out their enforcers to hunt for Deadox.

Upon rendezvousing with Deadox on the night of October 20th, Alec and his Rune Rogues eliminated the enforcers that were tracking the vigilante. On October 24th, Deadox lead his allies to Ghanhu to scout and watch over the whereabouts of the Atlas King and his minions. Alec managed to sneak into the city under disguise and met face-to-face with Hogar during what he believed to be a business meeting. However, Alec used this opportunity to learn all he could about The Atlas, including their import and export dealings with slaves. When Alec later reported back to Deadox and his allies, the party then proceeded to plan out a liberation for Ghanhu and its people who were enslaved.

"*We are almost the same, you and I; prevalent enigmas. I am afraid Alec Kylar that you are just one bad day from becoming me.*"
—Deadox to Alec.
Before proceeding with the liberation, Alec recruited members of the Eternal Companions into the mission by acting as their quest giver, tasking them in capturing the traffickers and aiding the slaves in the surrounding regions controlled by Hogar's reach. After much planning, Alec coordinated a simultaneous attack on nine different outposts that surrounded Ghanhu on the night of October 28th. Among those who lead the timing attack was Joel Gabriel. Impressed with Alec's ability to lead others and ensure justice, Deadox became enthralled to Alec's commands and began opening up to the dark templar and sharing his common interests with him. That same night Deadox shared a quiet celebration with Alec and the Rune Rogues.

The next morning, on October 29th, Alec spoke once more with Hogar, alluding to the fact that The Atlas King would soon rule over nothing. Later that night, Deadox commenced the liberation by infiltrating the city barracks, which had been occupied by The Atlas and city guards payed by Hogar, and began a massacre while the minions slept. Meanwhile, Sir Willem and the Rune Rogues assaulted the town hall and massacred the belligerent minions inside. Elsewhere, Alec made it his personal task at freeing all the slaves who were located in the mines below the city whilst slaying any on Hogar's minions that attempted to hinder him.

   Later, after the barracks was secured and the minions free, Alec waltzed into town hall while Willem and his forces finished slaying Hogar's remaining guards. When Alec confronted the Atlas King and revealed his identifty, The Atlas King ensured that his clan would kill Alec, Willem, Deadox and all the others who partook. However, Alec revealed the true extent of the liberation when he forced Hogar outside and made him drag all the bodies of his fallen minions into the courtyard. By dawn, Joel Gabriel and other members of the Eternal Companions rendezvoused at Ghanhu and presented the liberated slaves and the fallen minions within separated caravans, thus sending Hogar into deeper despair.

After the Liberation of Ghanhu, the Atlas King was released and remained at large due to Alec's desire to let him wander the Aranoch in loneliness, much to Deadox's anger since he wished to kill him instead of letting him live. For several weeks, Deadox stalked and preyed on Hogar as he traveled from town to town seeking to start a new life, but at any given opportunity Deadox would intercept him from doing so. Finally, on December 16th, after a night of preying in a tavern bar, Deadox stalked Hogar upstairs to confront him; the vigilante found him hanging by a rope in a dark room from committing suicide.

### ***The Last Dawn of Ghanhu***

During the winter of 1271, Deadox became under scrutiny when his bounty hunting and vigilantism began taking on a noticeable body count. One man in particular, Constable Noller of Ghanhu, sought to detain Deadox from further killings. On November 12th, the constable tortured a known affiliate of Deadox for information about his whereabouts, eventually leading to a skirmish several days later between Deadox and several militia men under the constable's orders. Deadox slayed several enforcers before being injured and captured.

Before long, several scouts of the Eternal Companions learned of the imprisonment of Deadox and sent word to Alec Kylar. In response, Alec gathered with him all members and affiliates of the Rune Rogues, excluding Sir Willem who was in combat hiatus. Alec and company traveled to Ghanhu and arrived shortly before Deadox's trial. Alec was unsuccessful at persuading the city council from condemning him, thus invoked a trial by combat. Laddy was chosen to fight on behalf of Deadox, while the constable's brother was chosen on behalf of the city council; though a close fight, Laddy came out victorious by beheading his opponent. Alec immediately freed Deadox and convinced him to abandon the Aranoch desert.

Meanwhile, Deadox and his affiliates met light resistance against the city denizens whilst they threw stones and vegetables to shun him. Upon attempting to leave upon their carriage, Deadox and Alec were surrounded by the constables men who threatened to kill squire Arnold Vanko; Constable Noller demended that Alec surrender over Deadox else he and his company would face off. Alec instead openly suggested to trade Ecbert over instead of Deadox, a ploy that he deemed justified due to Ecbert's history with cold-blooded killings, alcoholism and a failed rape attempt. The constable reluctantly agreed and aloud Deadox to join the Rune Rogues back home to Entsteig.

Several months later, Deadox traveled to Ghanhu once again alongside Alec and the Rune Rogues in an attempt to liberate Ecbert in the midst of a civil conflict. In order to avoid detection from the denizens of the town, Deadox scouted the outskirts of Ghandu whilst Alec coordinated a prison break of Ecbert as well as the eccentric Krea who coincidentally possessed knowledge of runestones. Whilst observing the civil conflict, Deadox witnessed Alec instigate a battle on the outside of town between both belligerents of Ghanhu as well as the death of Noller. Before the depature, Deadox made sure pursue and execute Noller's entourage in the midst of battle.

## Character and Appearance

Although Deadox's attitude is clearly defined by his strictly violent nature, his radical behavior and ambiguous motives are a mystery. To him, the world has very black and white terms, and he solves his problems with utter finality. He has no friends or loved ones, nor does he have any desire to have any; those who have worked as situational allies with him, such as Alec Kylar, have noted his bold desire to distinguish evil in Sanctuary.