Kleitos the Black

## Alexander

Kleitos the Black, helmet damaged, prepares to defend against an unseen foe. Image credit to Falinajem on fiverr.

### Aliases

Kleitos the BlackThe Dark Angel (to the Headsmen)

Son of the Forest (to Gorgin)

### Relatives

Nicomedes (father; deceased)Helena (mother; deceased)

Philotas (brother; deceased)

Two stillborn sisters

## Appearances

### Appears in

Ahoy!Mushroom Madness

Dionysus' Arena

Are You Ready to Rhooooogar?

The Festival of Love

Library Heist

Sara-ciya!

A Druid and Her Egg

Wizard's Tower

Return to Rivercrest

May I Have Your Name?

Sweet Dreams

Wolf Island

Spirit Library

Ironface Mystery

Rhogar's Return

Echoing Thunder

In Felurian's Arms

The Wild Hunt

A Cold Reception

Two Betrayals

Dad, I'm Home!

### Debut

Ahoy!

Alexander, known almost universally as Kleitos the Black, is a human warrior, a member of the Headsmen, and part of the group of adventurers known as the Wish's Chosen. He is known for his secretive, brooding nature, his sense of honor, his skill with weapons, and his tactical flexibility. Kleitos debuted in the episode "Ahoy!"

## Biography

Alexander was born to the prominent aristocrats Nicomedes and Helena in the powerful Duvallan city of Makaidon sometime in 1092. His mother had previously given birth to another son, Philotas, but since then the couple had conceived only two daughters, both stillborn. As such, Philotas was a full decade Alexander's senior, and the generational gap meant the two siblings had little in common. By the time Alexander was six years old, Philotas was already serving in the *tagmata* of Makaidon. Their father, meanwhile, was a respected *strategos* known for his strategic acumen, and his mother was one of the priestesses of Mishakal, Makaidon's patron goddess. As a member of such a distinguished family, much was expected of Alexander, and his parents therefore assigned him a *paedagogos,* Kleitos, a captive from the southern city of Herakleia, to instruct their son to the highest possible standards.

Alexander was keenly aware of the expectations he faced. Knowing his future lay with the *tagmata* like his father and brother, he dedicated himself to weapons training from a young age. His teacher, Kleitos, was his primary sparring partner, and the two grew very close. Despite his student's martial predilections, Kleitos ensured that Alexander was educated in everything from mathematics to grammar to philosophy. Alexander excelled in his studies, but found academics far less interesting than more martial subjects. Like his parents and brother, Kleitos held Alexander to high standards, but the two shared a rapport the boy never developed with his father and brother; only Alexander's mother, Helena, understood him as well as Kleitos. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Alexander became determined to emulate his father and brother by distinguishing himself in battle. By the time he was seven, he had already twice petitioned his father to accompany him on campaign, though Nicomedes had denied his request both times.

Alexander's first taste of battle came in the fall of 1099 PS, when forces of the Armiopian Empire came to Makaidon and laid siege to it. The Makaidonians had fought the Armiopians before, but their previous battles had always been mere border clashes. This was a true invasion; Makaidon never had a chance. After a week of siege and a bold defense masterminded by Nicomedes, the city fell to an attack by Armiopian battlemages. Philotas was killed in a magical explosion, and Nicomedes was mortally wounded. Alexander and Kleitos, meanwhile, made their way to the Temple of Mishakal, where Helena was praying with the other priestesses for Makaidon's deliverance. They reached the temple just seconds before Nicomedes was brought there. Alexander was heartbroken at the sight of his burned and dying father, bursting into tears as Nicomedes and Helena bid each other a final farewell. With Nicomedes dead, Helena freed Kleitos, ordering him to look after her last remaining son. She remained in the temple, praying to Mishakal to protect the Makaidonians in the afterlife, while Kleitos dragged Alexander from the temple just as the Armiopians reached it. The battlemages set fire to the building, conjuring daemons to consume those within. The sight of these mages and their otherworldly servants butchering his mother and the other priestesses had a profound effect on Alexander. He never forgot what unchecked magical power could do. And he never, not for a moment, stopped hating daemons and other unnatural creatures.

### Time in the Forest

As Makaidon fell, Kleitos dragged the incoherent Alexander to the forests north of Makaidon. The Armiopians, preoccupied with sacking the rich Duvallan city, did not pursue, and the forest became a temporary refuge for the pair as they tried to get their bearings in the aftermath of the traumatic event. That respite did not last long. In the night, as Kleitos and Alexander slept, dark things began to emerge from the forest around them. They were similar to the daemons they had seen at the temple; tall, gangly shadows that moved as no creature should. Cackling and singing in eldritch tongues, the shades circled the boy and the old man, searching for weakness. Only the silver dagger Helena had given Kleitos when she freed him kept the creatures at bay. For the next few days, Kleitos and Alexander searched desperately for shelter from the shadow beasts, hounded every night by attacks and mocking laughter. Eventually, they found a cave high up a cliff, accessible only by a difficult climb. Having made a door for it, the two settled in the cave and began to prepare for a cold, difficult winter.

The first year was difficult; Alexander had no experience hunting, and Kleitos was forced to spend a great deal of time teaching him to hunt, fish, and make his own clothing. Fortunately, Kleitos had served as a scout for his home city of Herakleia in his younger days, and he was able to support the two of them long enough for Alexander to develop the skills he needed to survive. When he did, he proved remarkably skilled. This was a fortunate development; within two years of their arrival in the forest, the full effects of old age hit Kleitos hard, forcing him to remain in the cave most days while Alexander hunted and fished for both of them. For the next three years, Alexander and Kleitos scraped by in the heart of the forest, surviving off what animals and fish they could and withdrawing to the cave at night to hide from the shades and other nightmarish beasts that emerged at night.

Then tragedy struck. Five years after their initial arrival in the forest, Kleitos was killed by a pack of werewolves who somehow found the entrance to their cave. Driven by rage and grief, Alexander hunted down and ambushed the werewolves in an abandoned temple to a dark, forgotten god, killing two with falling rocks before slaying the injured alpha with the silver dagger he'd taken from Kleitos' body. During their fight, the werewolf managed to wound Alexander, leaving a scar from eyebrow to jawline. After he killed the werewolf alpha, Alexander used the silver dagger to skin it, fashioning a mantle of black fur he would wear for the rest of his life. With Kleitos dead, Alexander, consumed with rage, became ever more reckless. For the next two years, he would hunt during the night as often as during the day, as if daring the nightmare creatures inhabiting the forest to come for him. By a combination of luck and skill, the boy survived two years completely alone, with only the voices of the shades and various other daemons for company. The solitude had lasting consequences on Alexander. Convinced his absence had led to Kleitos' death, Alexander became determined never to let his guard down again. He would rely on himself, and himself alone, for the rest of his life.

Two years after Kleitos' death, a pair of Headsmen named Vadim and Irena arrived at the forest, intent on sealing away the ancient evils therein. They had a brief fight with Alexander, who thought they were daemons disrupting his hunt, but after recognizing the inordinately skilled boy as a human, the two Headsmen offered him a place in their order. After some consideration, Alexander accepted their offer, accompanying them back to their stronghold to be trained as one of the secretive monster hunters.

### Training With the Headsmen

For the next seven years, Alexander was trained at one of the hidden sanctuaries of the Headsmen by Gorgin, an older warrior responsible for training new recruits. The first step of training was to abandon his old name. The Headsmen were dedicated to rooting out fey and daemons wherever they could be found, and it was believed these creatures drew power from knowing the names of their victims. Alexander took the name "Kleitos" to honor his dead *paedagogos,* and the other Headsmen began referring to him as "Kleitos the Black" in reference to the black mantle of werewolf fur he wore at all times. The training itself was a brutal process, including hours of battle practice as well as waterboarding, walking across hot coals, and other, worse ordeals. These trials were intended not only to hone an aspirant's skills and strengthen his resistance to pain, but, more importantly, make him resistant to interrogation techniques. Throughout the process, Gorgin and the other instructors asked Alexander his name again and again. If his response, "Kleitos the Black," was judged unconvincing, training would cease for the day and Alexander would be sent back to his cell to brood over his failure.

This routine continued for a year after his arrival with the Headsmen. Alexander's rage grew with each failure, but he repressed that fury, channeling it into an unyielding determination to succeed. Finally, after a nightmare in which he was visited by shades posing as his family and Kleitos, Alexander understood the importance of casting aside his old name if he was to survive in the hostile world he had found. The next day, when Gorgin asked him his name, Alexander's response left his trainer in no doubt that, at last, the boy had truly become Kleitos the Black.

Six more years passed before Kleitos the Black was judged ready for his "Blooding," his first assignment. He was tasked with hunting down and annihilating a daemon-worshipping cult. The newest member of the Headsmen relished the opportunity to prove his mettle; Kleitos tracked the cult's agents to their sanctuary and, with characteristic efficiency, slaughtered them without mercy. Having blooded himself so effectively, Kleitos was given the order's blessing to operate as a Dark Angel, one of the solo operatives of the Headsmen tasked with hunting down signs of extraplanar activity wherever it could be found. He proved extremely proficient in this; reports began to spread among the Alderan, Armiopian, and Torgian peasantry of a dark avenger who tracked down and slaughtered entire covens of witches or cultists. In his duties as a Dark Angel, Kleitos traveled far and wide across the known world. From the Armiopian Empire to Maclilcan, there are few countries on the eastern continent Kleitos the Black hasn't visited. It was in Saracena, one of the many cities he visited to follow up on leads, that Kleitos encountered Gabrielle Bilberry, though he did not recognize her significance at the time.

Eventually, Kleitos traveled to Maclilcan across the Serpent's Path, following up on rumors of a faerie cult there. Finding nothing, he attempted to return to the mainland, but was attacked by the Akura that guarded the island on his return journey. Kleitos joined forces with Void, Zow, Tharçival, Arlo Bilberry, Felix Summerthorn, and Rowan to escape, narrowly evading the Akura and inadvertently finding himself the first member of the Wish's Chosen not to have been directly chosen by the initial Wish spell.

### Sixth of the Chosen

The alliance between Kleitos the Black and the Wish's Chosen was initially one of convenience. The Dark Angel, unimpressed with the combat skills of any of the group, had no intention to remain with them for long. Three factors caused him to remain with them at first. These were the disappearance of Zow, his accidental seizure of Old Cob's ship, and his inadvertent revelation to Arlo that he had seen his sister, Gabrielle Bilberry, in the library at Saracena. With Zow gone, Kleitos believed the party could not long survive the harsh world around them, and this combined with his pledge to return Old Cob's ship and to guide Arlo to his sister made Kleitos feel honor-bound to remain with the party until he had seen his promises through. Over time, this sense of obligation would evolve into a fierce loyalty, but Kleitos' initial motivation based purely in his sense of honor.

During the fight with the Akura and again in the myconid kingdom, Kleitos proved himself by far the most proficient warrior of the party. Later, when the party agreed to enter Dionysus' arena in exchange for the safety of several myconid children, it was Kleitos who slew the troll who emerged as a challenger, and Kleitos who juiced Dionysus' sacred grape into the challenge goblet. After this second challenge, Dionysus rewarded Kleitos by enchanting his silver greatsword with the power to steal souls, with whom Kleitos could then communicate or use against his enemies. Kleitos renamed the weapon *Mirror's Edge* in reference to its newly-reflective surface.

Seconds later, Dionysus made a deal with Arlo, sending him on an ultimately-futile quest into Lord Loss' realm to find his missing father, Bertram. Felix, Arlo's uncle-turned-ferret, was left behind, and Kleitos placed the grieving ferret in his pack, silently vowing to protect him until his body could be restored. In the third fight of the evening, the party was introduce to Rhogar, a dragonborn paladin who easily defeated his daemonic enemy, much to Dionysus' delight. With nowhere else to go, Rhogar was offered a spot in the party by Void. Kleitos, initially suspicious of the dragonborn, quickly grew to respect his combat prowess as a match for his own, and the two became steadfast friends remarkably quickly.

After leaving Dionysus' realm, the party made their way to Saracena to rest and recuperate after their adventure. They arrived during the Festival of Love, finding the streets choked with kissing booths, flower vendors, and other related services. While Rhogar and Void wandered among the carts and vendors, Kleitos grew increasingly uncomfortable with such large numbers of people, eventually going to the gambling area to avoid the crowds. Later, when the party was kidnapped by Aurelius, a member of the High Council of Saracena, Kleitos surprised the guards by summoning his sword to his hand. Their resulting deal with Aurelius, to enter the secret catacombs beneath the library in exchange for money and information, was supported by Kleitos, who already felt something was afoot in the city. After sneaking past the guards, Kleitos and the other party members fought the librarian, a mind flayer, and several of his guardians in the heart of the library catacombs. Kleitos killed the librarian and absorbed his soul with *Mirror's Edge,* but not before he was able to release a pulse through the enchanted well at the library's heart that deactivated the city's magical wards. The mind flayer's body, possessed by the specter of Death, disappeared in a cloud of shadows.

With the librarian defeated, the party retreated to the surface, stealing several magic items, including the bracers of initiative and the golem armor, along the way. When they reached ground level, Kleitos and the others found Saracena under attack by soldiers of the Aceralian Theocracy, who had teleported into the city after the librarian had deactivated its magical defenses. Kleitos and the rest of the party fought their way through crowds of soldiers until they reached the front gate, where Void and Rhogar were knocked unconscious and Rowan fled the scene. Kleitos, badly wounded, managed to defeat the last of the guards and drag his unconscious companions to a horse, escaping into the surrounding wilderness and standing guard over Rhogar and Void until they regained consciousness, despite his own injuries. With Void recovered, the cleric was able to heal himself, Kleitos, and Rhogar, and the three returned to Saracena to collect their payment from Aurelius. Along the way, they encountered Isla Clearstone, a water genasi druid carrying a strange, metal egg. She joined forces with the party to gain entrance to the city in exchange for help uncovering the egg's true purpose. They found Aurelius gone and the city under the control of the Theocracy, so the party took refuge in the local Headsmen enclave after passing the trials of entry. There, Kleitos discovered that the enclave's grand master had been charmed by a daemon in disguise as an advisor. In a heated confrontation before the gathered Headsmen, Kleitos challenged the daemon to an honor duel. When the monster refused, offering the Grand Master in its place, he attacked it anyway. The daemon used a spell of heating on Kleitos' helmet, forcing him to remove it briefly while he beat it with his sword and his burning helmet at once. The daemon managed to escape, but its hold over the grand master was broken, and the Headsmen allowed the party to leave their sanctuary.

Outside, Kleitos and the others discovered that Saracena had been almost completely overwhelmed by the power of Death, which had reanimated many of the corpses killed in the fighting. They hid in Sturgis' shop, where it was revealed Isla's egg was, in fact, a dormant warforged left behind by his regiment. Rhogar and Isla named the reborn warforged Melthrax, and he joined their party, believing Rhogar and Isla to be his actual, biological parents. Subsequently, the party moved to the tower of the High Council, which was surrounded by zombies and other undead. They fought their way to the council chamber, where the remaining High Councillors were being forced to perform a ritual to open a portal into the daemon realms. The ritual was being overseen by a small, shadowy being, whom Kleitos immediately identified as the primary threat. While the rest of the party fought the daemons that periodically emerged from the portal, Kleitos tracked the strange sorcerer through clouds of magical darkness and winding corridors, eventually cornering the undead halfling on a staircase and engaging him in combat.

### Conflict with Arlo

While Kleitos was busy dealing with the sorcerer, the rest of the party had just pulled Arlo, fresh from his failed quest to find his father, from the portal to the daemon world. Kleitos had already struck the undead puppet down, but it managed to reconstitute itself, muttering insults in a voice that was all too familiar to Felix. The ferret, who had been silent since Arlo's disappearance, emerged from Kleitos' bag as he heard his brother, Bertram, speak. Felix pleaded with Kleitos not to kill his brother, but when Bertram callously used a spell to send his brother sailing into a wall, bringing Felix close to death, Kleitos killed him a second time by severing his head from his body. Arlo, hearing the commotion and Felix's calls of "Bertram!" arrived just in time to see Kleitos strike what looked to be his father down. Kleitos, not knowing who Bertram was, and feeling the effects of the earthquake the possessed body of Arlo's father had conjured before his death, grabbed a sobbing Arlo and a raging Felix and leapt through the tower window, shielding them as best he could as they fell to the ground below. With the death of their puppeteer, the zombies below collapsed, and Kleitos, still unaware of what Arlo and Felix believed he had done, took a moment to relax.

Heavily wounded during his fight with Bertram and the fall from the tower, Kleitos was totally unprepared when Felix attacked him, accusing him of killing someone named Bertram. Despite Felix's spells, he managed to hold the enraged ferret off as Arlo approached him from behind, sword in hand. Only Void's intervention prevented Arlo from attacking, and possibly killing, the badly injured Kleitos. As the rest of the party joined them below the tower and Kleitos' wounds were healed, they made their way to Sturgis' shop to rest and recuperate. By now, Void and Arlo had made the party aware of who Kleitos had killed, but Kleitos himself still believed it had simply been another agent of Death, and knew his actions had likely saved the city. Arlo also told the party he had learned where they needed to go next in order to stop Death's advance, information Kleitos believed could turn the tide of the war. The next morning, when Kleitos left to find horses for the party, Arlo convened the rest of the group and informed them that, if Kleitos remained with the party, he could not. When Kleitos returned, he found the rest of the party discussing that they should do with him. Believing he had done the right thing in killing the dark sorcerer, and hurt and angry at this perceived betrayal, Kleitos had a heated exchange with Arlo. Driven beyond reason by pain and anger, Arlo accused Kleitos of heartlessness, telling him he'd never lost anyone, and didn't know what it was like. Hearing that accusation from the mouth of someone who, Kleitos believed, had lost so much less than he, drove him to a cold fury. He accused Arlo of cowardice, saying he was unwilling to do what needed to be done, and claimed that while Arlo had been chasing his father's ghost, Kleitos had protected the rest of the party, including Arlo's own uncle, Felix. The argument quickly drew in the rest of the party, with Isla, Felix, and Void siding with Arlo, Rhogar quietly supporting Kleitos, and Melthrax and Tharçival, who had reappeared from the Shadowfell sometime earlier, remaining neutral. Kleitos refused to apologize, adamant that what he had killed had not been Bertram, and Arlo announced that, if Kleitos did not, then he would leave the party. Despite his pride, Kleitos knew Arlo's knowledge made him the most important member of the party, and therefore decided to leave so that the rest of the group could follow Arlo to their next destination. Before he left, Kleitos told them his true name, Alexander, so they could find him with a location spell if and when they needed him again, and told Arlo if he allowed his grief to drive him to abandon the mission to stop Death, every sacrifice along the way would mean nothing at all. Before Kleitos left on one of the horses he had found, Rhogar decided to join him, leaving Melthrax and Isla behind as he rode through the gates of Saracena by Kleitos' side.

On the road, Kleitos expressed his intentions to Rhogar. He knew the party was headed for Maclilcan, but he believed they would not be able to make it past the Akura, which had nearly killed them the last time they'd made the journey. Knowing Arlo was the key to any hope of stopping Death, Kleitos decided to act as a distraction, drawing the Akura's attention away from the route he believed the party would take. Despite Kleitos' warnings, Rhogar decided to join him, and the two set out for the Serpent's Path on horseback after a conversation on the beach.

As they rode along the path, the two were attacked by the Akura, whose frightful gaze spooked their horses. Rhogar used his divine powers to compel the Akura to attack them even as Old Cob's ship, carrying the rest of the party, appeared on the horizon. Seeing their friends were in danger, Isla and Void decided to steer the ship towards the Serpent's Path, despite Kleitos' signals to press on. Isla rammed the ship into the Akura, destroying the vessel, but driving the monster onto shore. With the Akura now vulnerable, Kleitos killed it with *Mirror's Edge,* absorbing the serpent's soul in the process.

After their victory over the Akura, the party was welcomed back by the Maclilcans with open arms, and a festival was held in their honor. During the festivities, Kleitos followed Arlo, who had gone off by himself, and apologized for the loss of his father. Arlo, surprised by Kleitos' concession, accepted his apology, admitting his accusations had been wrong, and the two returned to the festivities in time to see Meemaw and the other Maclilcans charging the lodestone the party had repaired using one of the pieces from Sturgis' shop. Kleitos, seeing what looked to be a summoning ritual, prepared to fight, but Isla successfully convinced him it was a harmless ritual. With the portal open, the party entered the Feywild to retrieve some of Meemaw's power, which had been drained by Void when he'd accidentally remained there too long during his last visit. They fought a number of trolls before encountering what appeared to be pixies, but which were in fact will-o-wisps in disguise. Kleitos, naturally distrustful of faerie creatures, suggested attacking them on sight, but the rest of the party attempted to negotiate. Separating the adventurers from each other, the disguised creatures asked them a series of seemingly-random questions. These questions had a devious purpose; those who answered them found they had lost the parts of their identities the answers revealed. Only Kleitos, who was already using a false name as a precaution against such tricks, emerged unscathed, along with Felix, who went unnoticed in Arlo's bag. Arlo forgot his father's name, Rhogar and Isla forgot their love for each other along with their own names, Melthrax forgot he was anything more than a standard warforged, and Void, in addition to losing his identity, forgot the feeling of friendship. Led by Arlo, Kleitos, and Felix, the group fought its way through a number of other fey creatures until they reached the camp of the Dust Mother, an archfey friendly to mortals. The three relatively-unaffected party members asked the Dust Mother to help restore the memories of their friends. In response, she sent them into a dreamworld where they could reclaim their identities. In the dream, Kleitos was once again seven years old, attending a wedding alongside the original Kleitos. Making his way through the festivities, the boy once again encountered the werewolves he'd killed all those years ago, and once again, the first Kleitos was killed by them. While the others regained their identities and escaped the dream changed for the better, Kleitos left with a deepened sense of guilt for his failure to protect Kleitos even in a dream. After successfully escaping the dream world, the party left the Dust Mother and made for the portal to Maclilcan, where they found Balnor waiting for them, having slaughtered an inordinate number of trolls in his search for the party.

### The Chosen's Defender

When they returned to the material plane, Kleitos and the rest of the party were told by the Maclilcans that the island would soon be abandoned, as the Akura that had stopped them from traveling for so long was now gone. That night, as Kleitos stood watch atop a hill, he saw Rhogar and Isla make their way to the beach, where they professed their love for one another. Kleitos, not understanding the significance of the moment at first, quickly retreated once he realized the two had seen him. The next morning, after a brief verbal altercation with Old Cob and his crew over the destruction of their ship, Kleitos and the rest of the Wish's Chosen traveled to Wolf Island, where they encountered a tribe of tieflings who, they discovered, were cursed with lycanthropy. Kleitos' reaction was initially hostile, but hearing that the tieflings were searching for a cure, he relaxed somewhat. The tiefling leader, Rain, told the party that one of the tribe's children, a boy of three, had transformed and gone missing, asking the Wish's Chosen to retrieve him in exchange for information about Void's past. Despite Kleitos' misgivings, he agreed to go along with the rest of the party, and together they ventured into the forest to find and capture the werewolf. After a short but intense fight, the party subdued the werewolf, but Isla Clearstone was bitten while in elk form, spending the night with Kleitos instead of her boyfriend, Rhogar, so he could watch out for the telltale signs of transformation, though none took place.

The next day, the party set out for the city of Krah-TeJah in the Kingdom of Ra'Lush, arriving two weeks later as they followed Arlo's intuition towards the Spirit Library. Along the way, they encountered a dragonborn wizard student named Thagnos, who offered to guide them to the Spirit Library and, when they were initially turned away by the guards, to vouch for them in the governor's palace. There, they encountered Governor Ironface, an abolitionist attempting to end slavery in Krah-TeJah by legal means. After some persuasion, Ironface issued the party a permit, asking them to look out for any news of his daughter, Hannah, who had disappeared three days prior. With Ironface's approval, the party entered the Spirit Library to find the answers they sought.

In the Spirit Library, the Librarian explained to the party that they could look into the memories of the dead through the runes in the center of the room. When Arlo asked to see his father, Bertram, Kleitos became noticeably uncomfortable, but after the party discovered that Bertram's soul had been imprisoned by Death since long before his "death" at Kleitos' hands, he and Arlo alike felt great relief. Kleitos was the only member of the party who did not ask after a relative or someone he knew, knowing almost all his connections were dead. Instead, he asked to see the final memories of Hannah's bodyguard before her disappearance, lending the party valuable insight into her whereabouts and confirming his private suspicions that she had left of her own accord.

After leaving the Spirit Library, Kleitos and the rest of the party went to Bon Pon's Chicken Palace, where they soon discovered a cache of escaped slaves put there by someone named Jahon. Before they could decide what to do, they were interrupted by the arrival of a dark elf who, upon seeing them, tried to flee. Kleitos, Rhogar, Void, and Melthrax pursued him through the streets, but were attacked from the rooftops by a gnome assassin. Kleitos and Rhogar climbed the building to reach her, and Rhogar used his divine powers to force her to attack him rather than flee. The assassin nearly killed Rhogar as Kleitos fought to subdue her, but with Void's help Kleitos and Rhogar captured and interrogated her. They learned she was a member of Jahon's abolitionist group, and Kleitos, already suspicious of Hannah's disappearance, asked her if the governor's daughter was working with the group, which she reluctantly confirmed. While the party debated what to do with her, Rhogar tried to place handcuffs on her as a precaution. The assassin, reminded of her time as a slave by the cuffs, broke free and fled. Kleitos made to follow, but Thagnos placed a wall of fire between him and fleeing slave, arguing that she should be allowed to go free. Kleitos, knowing Jahon's group would misinterpret their intentions and believing they needed a hostage to prevent needless bloodshed, considered this an unforgivable strategic error, and it confirmed for him that Thagnos was even more foolish and naive than he had believed.

Kleitos was taken aback by the extent of the party's anger with Rhogar as a result of his attempt to bind the assassin. He was particularly shaken by Isla's cold treatment of her lover. In Kleitos' view, Rhogar had merely been trying to subdue a dangerous and unpredictable prisoner who had nearly killed him in a few seconds of fighting. His concern for Rhogar only grew when, as the party went their separate ways and he, Rhogar, and Melthrax went to inform Ironface what they had discovered about his daughter, Rhogar's behavior grew more aggressive and threatening. When Rhogar threatened one of the guards for refusing to awaken Ironface in the dead of night, Kleitos asked him what he was doing, to which Rhogar responded "What you couldn't." The uncharacteristic aggression on Rhogar's part alarmed Kleitos, especially when Rhogar left the governor's palace before Ironface had even emerged to speak with them. After speaking with Ironface about his daughter, Kleitos returned to the inn with Melthrax to find Rhogar missing, Void frantic, and Isla in a state of absolute disarray. Stepping into the void of leadership left by Rhogar's absence, Kleitos ordered Void to stay with Isla until she fell asleep, and had Melthrax stand guard in sentry mode outside her door to see if she needed anything. He slept lightly that night, and was quickly awakened by the storm that, unbeknownst to him, signaled Mishakal's grief at Rhogar's renunciation of his oath.

Having been awakened by the storm, Kleitos noticed the arrival of the drow elf from earlier in the inn. Along with Isla, he attempted to infiltrate the elf's meeting with the innkeeper, but his attempt at stealth was foiled when Rhogar arrived, breathless, having destroyed four slaver ships on the open seas and screaming about a water elemental named Xenos. Kleitos, acting quickly, managed to corner the elf, now revealed to be Jahon, in his meeting room. There, after a tense standoff, Rhogar revealed the terms of his new oath to Mishakal and affirmed his commitment to helping the abolitionists overthrow Ironface, despite his abolitionist policies, by violent means. The rest of the party enthusiastically agreed; only Kleitos, fearing the consequences of an armed revolt in a single city of a large and powerful nation, disagreed with the plan, and his concerns were brushed aside. Rhogar also informed the party and Jahon of a hundred and twenty goblin slaves he'd freed who were now milling about on a beach a mile from the city's gates. Knowing the goblins would be recaptured and enslaved if they were found, the party set out with Jahon to find them a safe home. Kleitos, Melthrax, and Rhogar were held up at the gates by the guards as the rest of the party slipped through, but when Rhogar felt Isla come under attack through their connected amulets, he immediately informed Kleitos and Melthrax. The three arrived just in time to see Xenos nearly kill Isla, but the water elemental fled at their approach. In the aftermath, the party was able to get the goblin slaves to the beach.

It was then that a captain of the guard who had spoken with Rhogar earlier approached, asking who those goblins belonged too. Kleitos attempted to reason with the captain, but Rhogar, Melthrax, and Void, who had remained silent during the conversation, suddenly attacked him, nearly killing him and leaving him tied to a tree, wounded and close to death. Kleitos was horrified, knowing they would be branded outlaws for their actions, but reluctantly accepted the group's decision and joined them in becoming an outlaw. The next day, Kleitos and the rest of the party made their way into a system of caves beneath Krah-TeJah, hoping to clear it out as a hiding place for the goblins Rhogar freed before they opened a portal through the Feywild to take the goblins to Maclilcan, where they would be safe. After an ambush by kobolds, Kleitos interrogated one of the surviving kobolds to learn what their intentions were. At the party's insistence, Kleitos refrained from slaughtering the kobolds, instead helping them to open an ancient dragon's vault they regarded as sacred. Kleitos found a necklace of dragon's wings and a pair of clawed gauntlets inside, which he gave to Isla and Melthrax, respectively. Shortly thereafter, the party stumbled upon a culvert filled with water. Kleitos was suspicious, trying to discern what was behind it, but when Isla objected, stating that he might be tampering with the kobold tribe's water source, he relented in his investigation, albeit reluctantly, and went with Rhogar to ask the kobolds what was behind the wooden doors. The kobold tribe's elder looked nervous when they began asking him questions, and Kleitos, after interrogating him harshly, was suddenly interrupted by Rhogar, who, through his connection with her, felt Isla come under attack once more. The two rushed back to the chamber to find Void and Thagnos panicking as they attempted to rescue Isla from the clutches of Xenos, who had emerged from the culvert to attack her. Melthrax was doing his best to fend him off, but being a construct, could only venture so far into the water. Luckily, Xenos once again fled as Kleitos and Rhogar arrived, leaving Isla injured but alive once again. In the aftermath of this attack, Kleitos began developing plans specifically tailored to fighting Xenos, and told Isla she was no longer to venture near water without an escort, ignoring her pleas to the contrary.

With the tunnels clear, the way was open for Arlo, who had been waiting at the entrance on the surface, to open a portal to the Feywild using the power Meemaw had taught him. Before he did, Kleitos, in disguise, entered Krah-TeJah to buy provisions for the journey. He used the fact that no one knew his true appearance to his advantage, walking through the gates and out again without a problem. With that done, the party crossed over into the Feywild and began their trek to Maclilcan.

### Into the Feywild

The journey into the Feywild was taxing and dangerous, but Kleitos, having prepared for this sort of excursion his whole life, felt confident in his ability to survive. After some discussion, the party agreed to take the Dust Mother's advise, relayed through her telepathic link with Rhogar, and cross the Plains of Echoing Thunder to the kingdom of Queen Fel'ri. The party crossed paths with a number of strange fey creatures, including a trio of hags inviting them to tea and a pair of sprites fighting over a hammer of precious metal. In the first case, Kleitos ignored the hags' requests, intimidating the goblins who were traveling with the party into following his example. In the second, he tossed the hammer into the Plains of Echoing Thunder when the sprites refused to move aside, inadvertently losing the protection of the Path. Confident in his own skills, Kleitos did not bregrudge this loss, pushing the party on until they reached the outskirts of Fel'ri's realm at the far end of the plains.

At the moat separating Fel'ri's castle from the Plains of Echoing Thunder, Kleitos and the rest of the party were stopped by a group of scantily-clad elven maidens, who approached Kleitos because of his lack of protection from the Path. He did his best to ignore them, not knowing quite how to handle so much attention from so many women at once. Finally, Fel'ri's representative, Alex, arrived before the party. Seeming to recognize Rhogar, Alex disappeared, returning a few minutes later with his queen, Fel'ri, revealed by Rhogar to be Felurian, his former lover who had interfered in the dreams the Dust Mother had granted him. Felurian allowed them into her realm but demanded concessions. Initially, Felurian requested that one of the party members spend the night in her brothel; though Isla proved willing, both Rhogar and Kleitos were adamant that she not do so. After some negotiations, Felurian agreed to grant the party safe passage, and to give Felix a body for two days, in exchange for their pranking Dionysus, one of her rivals in the Feywild. Fortunately for the party, Felurian, perhaps intentionally, did not specify precisely when this prank was to take place, so the party would be able to continue their mission to bring the goblins to Maclilcan for the present. That evening, both Rhogar and Isla spent several hours, separately, conversing with Felurian. Kleitos was uncomfortable with this, but understood it was probably best not to enrage the fey queen by refusing to speak with her, and therefore did not interfere in the conversation.

During the conversation, Kleitos spent some time wandering the streets of Felurian's capital as he waited for Rhogar and Isla to finish speaking with Felurian. During his walk, he encountered a talking tree spirit, who invited him for a conversation in Felurian's brothel to discuss the ancient plane-splitters. At the entrance to the brothel, Kleitos was asked to remove his armor, an order he flatly refused. After some haggling, the bouncer agreed to let him in in exchange for a gold piece. Kleitos and the tree spirit spent several hours discussing the ancient heroes and their effect on the world, but Kleitos eventually left to find Void, Arlo, and Melthrax without partaking in the brothel's other offerings. He found his friends in a theater at the center of the capital, where they watched a play that seemed to depict their adventures up to that point. Rhogar and Isla eventually arrived, and the play continued uninterrupted until it was revealed that it had been a plot by servants of Death to capture Void. Despite the efforts of the undead creatures, Kleitos, with the help of Rhogar and Arlo's light spells, was able to kill the undead woman leading the attack and rescue Void. As the rest of the party slew the remaining monsters, Kleitos and Rhogar interrogated one of the last shades, discovering that they had come to use Void, whose Voidwalker blood allowed him to open portals to other worlds, in one of their assaults on the material plane. Shortly thereafter, Felurian arrived on the scene. Seeing the damage caused by the attack, Felurian brought the party back to her castle, where she asked Kleitos to accompany her to her chambers for a discussion. Kleitos agreed, and Felurian revealed her discomfort with his knowing her name while she did not know his. In exchange for Kleitos' true name, she would reveal more information on Void's family and roots. After prolonged verbal sparring, Kleitos agreed, ignoring Void's urging not to do as she asked, and revealed to Felurian his name. When he emerged, Void gave him a hug and thanked him, to which Kleitos responded that Void needed to "make it count." True to her word, Felurian revealed herself to be Void's aunt, explaining Void's strange parental situation and confirming that he was a Voidwalker.

The next morning, the party left Felurian's castle. On his way out, Felurian stopped Kleitos, offering him a ring of mind shielding in exchange for a vow always to protect Rhogar. Despite his reservations, Kleitos agreed. The party's guide, one of Felurian's pixies, guided them back across the Plains of Echoing Thunder and towards the rest of the Feywild. There, the group faced a choice: should they turn towards the castle of Titania, queen of the fey, known to be unfriendly to mortals? Should they make for the keep of the archfey of food and drink, whose foods might trap them forever in his court? Or should they go to the forest of the Hunter, a mysterious archfey who inhabited a small, dark forest at the edges of the "civilized" Feywild, who could provide them safe passage but who had a reputation for terrifying violence? Kleitos remained silent during the short debate, eventually siding with Isla when she suggested visiting the Hunter's court. Along the way, the group was accosted by a death knight and his entourage, who had been sent by Death to capture Void. After an initial attack by the knight, Kleitos managed to gain the upper hand in their fight, driving his undead enemy back until the death knight was finally killed by Void.

After the close call, the party entered the Hunter's Realm, where they found a dark, ancient forest, black as night, filled with trees that seemed to move and animals that looked like the night sky given form, with glowing stars for eyes. Eventually, the forest opened a path for them to reach the court of the Hunter, a great tree the size of the largest castle, whose roots shifted aside to open a path for them. They were met by Entry-man, a doddering old forest spirit, and after some confusion directed to the Hunter's audience hall. The Hunter--Orion, as he preferred to be called--welcomed them to his court. He warned them, however, that they would need to leave quickly, before the Wild Hunt began. In exchange for safe passage, Orion required something from them, as Felurian had. Thagnos suggested that Kleitos to fight Orion in single combat as a form of entertainment, but Kleitos, knowing he was outmatched by the Master of the Wild Hunt, politely declined. In the end, Orion ordered the party to retrieve his father, Balnor, whom he revealed to be the legendary hero Murchadh Morganw, and bring him to his court before the year was up. The party, after some dissension from Arlo, eventually agreed, and Orion sent them on their way, warning them to be out of the forest by sundown. Unfortunately, the party was delayed by the tangled roots of the shifting forest, and were caught at the edge of Orion's realm just as night fell. Horns sounded from the depths of the now-silent woods, and Kleitos and the rest of the group heard hounds baying as the Wild Hunt began. Those who looked upon it went mad, falling into a bloodlust unlike any other as they rushed to join the Hunt. Kleitos and the others did what they could to get the goblins to safety, losing only a few to the hunter's frenzy, and they emerged from the forest as portals began to open around them leading directly to the mortal and daemon worlds.

### Return to Maclilcan

After escaping from the Hunter's Realm, Kleitos and the rest of the party led the goblins due west, towards the Dust Mother's kingdom in the Many Isles of the Shallow Sea. The Wild Hunt still dogged their footsteps, forcing the party not to look south for fear of being pulled into a berserker fury. Aurora, the pixie sent along with the party by Felurian, continually attempted to direct them to various different fey kingdoms. Kleitos, enraged by her continuous attempts to manipulate them, ordered her to stop on pain of being forced to look at the Wild Hunt. That done, the party fled to one of the western forests, where gold coins littered the ground and leprechauns cackled in the bushes. Kleitos, exhausted after running so far, didn't notice when his coin pouch was stolen by a leprechaun. Fortunately, Isla and Thagnos were able to retrieve it for him, killing the leprechauns and setting up a camp for the goblins and the party to rest in. The next day, Kleitos and the others finally reached the sea, where they discovered they could fly in order to make the crossing to the Dust Mother's kingdom. When they landed, Arlo accidentally referred to Rhogar by his true name, inadvertently giving it to Aurora. Fortunately, Kleitos was able to shoot her out of the sky with his crossbow as she attempted to flee, allowing Thagnos to kill her. Subsequently, the party approached the Dust Mother and, after allowing some of the goblins to join their court, discovered the location where a portal to Maclilcan could be opened. Kleitos and the others stepped through and arrived at Maclilcan in the midst of a snowstorm. Originally planning to set up a camp for the goblins, Kleitos and the party were interrupted when they discovered an old man sitting by a fire in a lean-to. Though it seemed at first that the stranger, Doran, was simply a daemonhunter, further investigation by Kleitos and Void led the party to suspect there was more to him than met the eye. Kleitos attempted to discover more, but Doran's reticence frustrated him, eventually leading him to withdraw to the forest to search for other signs of hostility. Finding hundreds of snares set all across the island, Kleitos disarmed each of them before setting himself up in a high, thick tree, out of sight of Doran, where he watched the old man's camp for any signs of unusual activity.

.

## Description and Personality

Kleitos the Black is tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. He has the fastest reflexes of any of the Wish's Chosen, able to draw his sword and strike a blow before slower fighters even see it coming. Tireless and athletic, Kleitos is the strongest of the party after Rhogar and Melthrax, and arguably the most skilled warrior in terms of pure technique. He is rarely seen without his helmet and his worn, dark grey lamellar armor, but as briefly seen by Isla, Rhogar, and Void in a poorly-lit underground chamber during "A Druid and Her Egg," Kleitos appears to be a handsome, dark-haired and pale-skinned man beneath his helmet. When he is alone, Kleitos removes more of his armor to refresh himself, but he has yet to willingly remove it in the presence of any other living being. His eyes, just barely visible through his helmet slits, are a mix of blue and grey, considered to be a mark of nobility among the Duvallans of Makaidon.

Kleitos' fearsome appearance in his armor is complemented by his personality. Before the Fall of Makaidon, Alexander was introverted, curious, sensitive, intelligent, and driven to succeed. He was known for his dedication to the gods, his interest in philosophy, and his awkwardness around the many girls he developed crushes on. After the Fall, his subsequent ordeals in the haunted forest, and his training with the Headsmen, many of these traits were exacerbated, while others atrophied or disappeared entirely. Kleitos the Black is taciturn, laconic, and withdrawn. He is a hard man, burying his emotions beneath his unyielding desire to succeed, with little patience for philosophizing and none at all for romance. Though several women he's considered attractive have made advances on him, Kleitos has an immense difficulty with emotional intimacy, a trait stemming directly from the losses he endured in his youth. He views most situations in terms of objectives and obstacles, often constructing imaginary scenarios in his mind to plan out how best to achieve his aims. Thanks to his solitary nature, Kleitos rarely shares these plans with others. Subconsciously, he believes they might hinder him, or worse, put themselves in danger if they try to help him put his ideas into action. This gift for strategy usually sees Kleitos to victory despite sometimes-incredible odds, but occasionally, as occurred in Saracena with the guards at the gate, it creates a barrier between him and his allies that can be difficult to overcome.

In addition to these failings, Kleitos' greatest flaw is likely his pride. His survival in spite of the impossible circumstances of the forest made Kleitos supremely confident in his skill-at-arms. This confidence is certainly justified, but a canny enemy might one day ensnare the Dark Angel by playing on his ego. This may be more difficult than it seems, however; Kleitos is suspicious and a good judge of his enemies' abilities, rarely picking a fight he can't win. He prefers to analyze an opponent for weaknesses before striking a blow, though his keen strategic ability and excellent instincts mean Kleitos can conduct such an analysis far more quickly than most, often giving his actions the appearance of recklessness. Others have occasionally questioned his readiness to fight, but there is a reason for such eagerness. Despite his otherwise-repressed nature, Kleitos is able to release some of his pent-up emotions during battle. His quick, clinical, and efficient blows are fueled as much by his deeply-suppressed anger towards the world as by his bodily strength. Few foes can long survive his blistering assault; Kleitos' fighting style is a release of tension disguised as an economy of motion, making for a truly deadly combination.

Despite his flaws, however, Kleitos possesses a number of virtues as well. He is honorable to a fault, refusing to desecrate the body of a fallen foe or do harm to innocents. He is blunt and to the point, but never lies, believing it to be a waste of time and recognizing his chronic inability to do so effectively. He is brave and unselfish, willing to put his own life in jeopardy to defend the helpless. His harshness stems from his desire to protect those who need his protection, especially his friends and loved ones. Kleitos holds himself personally responsible for the sufferings of those in his vicinity, especially his friends. Their pains are his failures in Kleitos' eyes; to this day, he believes the Fall of Makaidon and the death of the real Kleitos were his fault, directly or indirectly. As a result, Kleitos seeks to perfect his combat skills, believing he'll be better able to protect those around him by becoming the best version of himself. Kleitos is extremely serious about protecting those he views as helpless; as seen in Krah-TeJah, when Xenos attacked Isla for the second time, Kleitos immediately began developing contingency plans for the water assassin's eventual return. Though he often takes a slightly patronizing view towards his allies, believing all of them to be in desperate need of his protection, his protective nature has saved every party member, from Void to Rhogar, more than once.

## Relationships

### Philotas

Alexander and Philotas had a rivalrous relationship. Alexander envied his older brother for his distinguished military career, and Philotas struggled to understand his more intelligent, sensitive sibling. Despite the antagonism, there was a genuine love between the brothers; Alexander was devastated to hear of Philotas' death, and Philotas would, on occasion, suggest that his father allow Alexander to accompany them on campaign as an observer, like he'd so often requested. In the almost daily nightmares Kleitos suffers from, Philotas often features prominently, whether mocking his younger brother or, on occasion, fighting alongside him against some invisible enemy.

### Nicomedes

Alexander was in awe of his father throughout his childhood. Nicomedes was stern, strong, a brilliant warrior and general; everything his son aspired to be. The *strategos* had a distant but loving relationship with his youngest son. Losing two daughters in childbirth made Nicomedes cautious in his affections towards his children, but he occasionally expressed pride in Alexander's progress under his tutor, Kleitos. When Nicomedes lay dying on the floor of the Temple of Mishakal, his tears as he spoke of the death of Philotas rocked Alexander to his core. To see his father, whom he so admired, weeping for his son as he died was too much for the boy to bear. Nicomedes' burned, tear-streaked face features prominently in Kleitos the Black's recurring nightmares.

### Helena

Helena and Alexander had a close and deeply affectionate relationship. She alone of his family saw his more intelligent, philosophical, and sensitive side, and secretly ordered Kleitos to encourage Alexander to share his deeper thoughts with him during their sessions to help him develop it. Helena would occasionally read to her son before bed, often telling him stories of the old heroes he so loved. During the Fall of Makaidon, Helena, knowing she was doomed, pulled herself from her grief for her husband and son long enough to give Kleitos the silver dagger and freedom he would need to protect her last remaining child. Alexander would have stayed to die with his mother, but was prevented from doing so by Kleitos. Though he did not directly witness Helena's death, he often sees it in his dreams, each time slightly different than the last.

### Kleitos

Alexander and Kleitos were always close; the boy appreciated how open the old man was to spending time with him, and loved his academic studies nearly as much as his martial training. Their relationship only grew closer during their time in the forest, when Kleitos taught Alexander how to hunt, fish, and make his own tools and weapons. Kleitos grew fiercely protective of Alexander, encouraging his ward to try and maintain some of his childish innocence despite the harsh conditions they faced. For a time, Kleitos' encouragement pushed Alexander somewhat in that direction, but his death killed whatever innocence remained in the boy. Alexander blamed himself for Kleitos' terrible death at the claws of the werewolves, driving himself to perfection to ensure he would never fail that way again. After he burned Kleitos' body and avenged his death, Alexander became far more aggressive, occasionally actively hunting at night and going after more and more dangerous creatures. He would often visit the cave, now abandoned, where he and Kleitos had lived, staring for minutes or hours at the scorch marks on the floor and walls. After his induction into the Headsmen, Alexander decided to honor his former *paedagogos* by adopting his name as his official alias. Even so, he still sees the wolves that killed Kleitos in his dreams.

### Gorgin

Gorgin was Kleitos' trainer during his time with the Headsmen. Employing the same brutal techniques he'd employed on dozens of recruits before, Gorgin forged a skilled but untrained boy into one of the greatest warriors in the order's history, and Kleitos is deeply cognizant of the debt he owes the old master. Their relationship isn't warm in the way one might expect, but the two have a deep mutual respect and care for each other's wellbeing beyond a superficial level.

### Rhogar

Having fought alongside Rhogar so many times, Kleitos has a deep respect for the dragonborn's abilities. Rhogar is one of the few members of the party Kleitos believes can defend himself without his help, owing to the champion of Mishakal's sheer strength and skill in battle. More than just respect, however, Kleitos genuinely trusts Rhogar and enjoys his company. He rarely shares feelings of any kind, but Kleitos values Rhogar's friendship on a personal level. Their battle against the Akura helped cement the bond of brotherhood between them, and Kleitos is committed to defending Rhogar's happiness with Isla at any cost.

### Isla

Kleitos' feelings towards Isla Clearstone are complicated, but positive. On the one hand, he recognizes her power as a druid and cleric of Mishakal; on the other, he believes she is too empathetic and naive to survive on her own. Of all the party members save Arlo, Kleitos feels most protective of Isla. This is best exhibited in the case of her attack by Xenos. When he learned Isla had been attacked twice by the same enemy, Kleitos immediately began drawing plans to defend her from a third attack. Though he is occasionally frustrated by her willingness to trust others so easily, Kleitos is also deeply intrigued by it, especially on the occasions when Isla's intuition proves correct. Still, he understands his role is first and foremost to protect her, and to that end maintains a certain suspicion despite her efforts to get him to let down his guard. It was for this reason that Kleitos was so badly hurt when Isla decided to leave the party in "Two Betrayals." Having grown close to her, a difficult process for him, Kleitos was astonished and angered when Isla decided to ignore his warnings and depart the Wish's Chosen for Makitau with only Kaltoka and Melthrax for protection. Kleitos sees this loss as a personal failing on his part, and as another indication that he should never let his guard down again. Their reunion, if it happens, may be a tense one.

### Void

Kleitos respects Void's clear intelligence and thoughtfulness, and can't help but find the tiefling's occasionally scatterbrained antics amusing, but wishes he knew more about what Void truly wants. Void is an interesting case to him; he's powerful enough to stand on his own, but lacks the killer instinct Kleitos knows is necessary to survive in the harsh world they inhabit. Especially in the wake of the attempted kidnappings by agents of Death, Kleitos has begun taking Void's safety more seriously. He doesn't particularly care about the Voidwalkers or Void's apparent destiny, but the tiefling's physical wellbeing is of paramount importance to him. In "Two Betrayals," Void asked for Kleitos' help with weapons training. The two spent the whole voyage to Makitau sparring; by the end, Void was able to hold his own against Kleitos in combat for a short while. The time spent together helped Void and Kleitos grow much closer, and Kleitos now considers Void one of his closer friends.

### Melthrax

Kleitos has gradually grown to appreciate Melthrax more. While unsure exactly to what degree the warforged is self-aware, he understands and respects that Melthrax is a terrifyingly powerful warrior utterly without the compunctions that plague some of the other party members. That said, he finds Melthrax's inhumanity somewhat disconcerting, envying him for his seeming-emotionlessness while also pitying him for his unfulfilled desire to be human. Still, Melthrax's combat prowess means Kleitos can't help but respect him; Melthrax, alongside Rhogar, is the only party member Kleitos believes could survive without his protection.

### Thagnos

Kleitos initially found Thagnos Firebrand amusing, but that quickly changed when they entered the Feywild and Thagnos' ignorance of the world beyond his dorm room became evident. Now, despite respecting his commitment to his craft, Kleitos is wary of Thagnos' propensity to throw himself into danger without understanding all relevant factors.

### Arlo

Arlo Bilberry reminds Kleitos in many ways of who he could've been, had he grown up in the same circumstances. He worries for Arlo's safety, given the halfling's general pacifism, but hopes he will maintain some semblance of the innocence he's displayed thus far. Kleitos has also determined that Arlo's understanding of the threat posed by Death makes him the single most important member of the party. He pities Arlo for his burden, wishing he could bear it for him, but is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure Arlo's success, even at the cost of his own life. One day, he hopes to hear Arlo play in his mother's famous orchestra, though he would never openly express such a desire.

### Felix

After Arlo's disappearance in "Dionysus' Arena," Kleitos did his best to care for a severely depressed and listless Felix Summerthorn. Watching the ferret deteriorate before his eyes and unable to stop it, Kleitos made a silent promise to restore Felix to his body however possible. When Kleitos killed the undead Bertram shortly after Arlo's return, Felix immediately developed a deep hatred for the warrior that Kleitos pretended not to notice. The ferret's hatred hurt him deeply, but Kleitos remained resolved to help Felix regain his body, secretly hoping the deed might earn him Felix's forgiveness.

### Tharçival

Though he has no problem with Tharçival himself, Kleitos has difficulty trusting his powers. The shadow sorcerer's abilities remind Kleitos too much of the shades from the forest he once lived in, and despite himself, he was grateful to see Tharçival return to the Shadowfell when he did.

### Rowan

At first glance, the brooding figures of Kleitos and Rowan seem to have a similar outlook on life. Despite appearances however, Kleitos finds Rowan's caution overbearing at times. Though he considers his actions ahead of time, when Kleitos acts, he acts decisively. Rowan's more roundabout approach to problems grates on him somewhat; nevertheless, he respects the elf's prowess as an archer, and saw his disappearance in Saracena as a waste of a good warrior.

### Zow

Kleitos admired Zow's abilities as an archer, but was concerned about his lack of close-quarters prowess. Believing Zow to be an inadequate defender for the less-experienced Arlo and Void, Kleitos stepped in to fill the role of guardian for the party, leading to Zow's eventual withdrawal from the group.

### Felurian

Kleitos disapproves of Felurian's lifestyle; he believes her wantonness and hedonism will lead to a lack of discipline among her subjects. That said, Kleitos was moved to pity when he eventually realized the depths of her feelings for Rhogar, her former husband. During their short conversation, Kleitos got the impression that, like him, Felurian may have suffered during her childhood. Her will to survive has won her a certain amount of respect from him, but it is a respect tempered by wariness and distrust.

## Equipment

* *Mirror's Edge:* an unnaturally-reflective silver greatsword capable of stealing a slain creature's soul and storing it for interrogation or to be used to empower an attack.
* A pair of handaxes, one silver and one iron.
* Helena's silver knife.
* Golem lamellar armor: lamellar armor enchanted to absorb a portion of the damage suffered by its wearer.
* Ring of Mind Shielding: given to him by Felurian to protect against mind-reading.
* Bracers of Initiative: a matched pair of bracers that enhance Kleitos' already impressive reflexes to superhuman levels.
* A light crossbow with silver-tipped quarrels.
* Handmade smokebombs.
* Handmade flares.
* Handmade stinkbombs.
* Assorted other simple, but effective, projectiles.

## Skill and Abilities

* Physical strength, dexterity, and endurance
* High level of skill with a wide array of weapons, particularly swords
* Ability to move stealthily in armor
* Intelligence, especially in the field of tactics
* Strong will
* Tracking and observation
* Craftsmanship, especially of weapons, armor, and tools

## Trivia

* Kleitos the Black is the only member of the party to consistently use a name other than his own.
* Along with Arlo and Felix, Kleitos was the only character to avoid having his name stolen by the will-o-wisps in "May I Have Your Name?"
* Kleitos is the only human member of the party.
* Kleitos is the only member of the party with no known surviving relatives.
* Kleitos has killed more boss monsters than any other member of the party.
* Kleitos and Void are the only party members never to have been involved in a romantic affair.
* Kleitos is generally the least-friendly member of the party, and the most willing to use violence to achieve his ends.
* Kleitos has only ever removed his helmet twice in front of other party members, the first time when it was magically heated by a daemon in disguise as a Headsmen stronghold, and the second when he was unaware Isla and Rhogar were nearby. Both times he did his best to conceal his face; as of yet, he has not removed his helmet without trying to hide his face.
* Only Tharçival, Isla, Arlo, Rhogar, Void, and Felurian know Kleitos' true name is Alexander.
* Kleitos has been a fan favorite character since his debut in "Ahoy!" His laconicism and status as the most martially-oriented of the Wish's Chosen have won him cult hero status among certain elements of the fandom. Many fans take particular pleasure in depicting the friendship between Rhogar and Kleitos. Common "ships" include Kleitos and Void (despite Kleitos' heterosexuality), Kleitos and Isla, and, recently, Kleitos and Felurian.
* With 20 appearances, Kleitos is tied with Felix for the second highest number of appearances of any member of the party, behind Void with 25.
* Kleitos is the only member of the party not connected to any other living characters by either adopted or biological family ties.