Travelax

## Traveylax

Traveylax, the wings of black. A cunning foe.

### Aliases

Travelyax, Master of Dusk, The Bulwurk of Tarster, Wings of Black, The Great Shadow, The Veiled Sorrow, Ruler’s Vigor

## Characteristics

### Places Active

Shadowfell, Tarster, Birchwood Forest, Kobold Caves (Arcadia)

### Family

* Friureth (Mother)
* Grevrog (Father)
* Tykethiss (Sister/Mate)
* Bryssalysst (Half-Sister)

### Connections/Allies

- Travelyan Family, * Arcadian Empire,
* Tarster City Government,
* Ulmrich City Council.

### Enemies

* Tiamat,
* Bryssalysst, Gem Dragons
* Rykdal, The Abyss
* The Hells

### CR/Level

30

**Travelyax, the wings of black** was an influential figure as ruler in The city of Tarster and was a central character in Arcadia.

### Personality

Travelyax is a cautious and vigilant creature. In all his centuries of life, death, and misfortune he has grown cunning and calloused. Through planning and surveillance from his servants the Master of Dusk is ever vigilant for planar incursions or other cosmic threats to his domain, but with far less care to the well-being of his subjects from more 'mundane' struggles. The Dragon takes the view that these are beneath his attention and tend to sort themselves out without direct intervention on his part.

He has a strong (if warped) sense of justice and fairness, and will not deliberately break a vow in word or implication if at all possible. With a long-view born from agelessness comes the ability to balance immediate concerns against the larger picture, and more often than not Travelyax will allow a minor rival to act freely to serve one purpose, only to, eventually, destroy said rival in turn. Patience to act should not be confused with mercy, as the Shadow Dragon NEVER forgets a grudge against those who have wronged him.

### History

#### The great Dragon War

Travelyax was once a red dragon who fought in service to Tiamat in the Great Dragon War. As punishment for attempting to carve out his own lair within her domain, Tiamat banished him to the Prime Material Plane, living and hunting in the area that is now Tarster and the Northern Birchwood Forest. In that time, he learned cunning and patience, arranging a system of tribute with the humanoid farmers, trappers, and fishing communities that dotted his hunting grounds. As his mind and body grew, so too did his horde; the mass of gold coins, gems, magic items, and other valuables filling the natural cave network that would become the Kobold Caves north of Tarstello Landing.

In time, Travelyax found a mate, a sibling from another clutch named “Tykethiss”. Each Red Dragon only encouraged the other to further cruelty and violence, and the people cried out for justice. A party of adventurers was raised to slay or drive off the tyrannical couple, which secretly included the Gem Dragon Bryssalysst, disguised and in hiding. The ensuing battle flooded the cave in ash and molten rock, burying the horde that would later be mined by the Kobold descendants born from the unfertilized eggs of Tykethiss and Bryssalysst. The adventurers slew Tykethiss, her body eventually became the center of the Kobold Caves Civilization. Meanwhile in the air above the caves, Travelyax was cast into the Shadowfell by Bryssalysst after refusing diplomatic options and fighting tooth-and-claw in a desperate struggle. For centuries, Travellyax was trapped in the Shadowfell, no longer ageing but slowly being corrupted and twisted by the natural foulness of that plane, coupled with the vengeance and anger in his heart. In a way not completely known, he broke out of the Shadowfell and into the Prime Material during the height of the Planar War.

In the lead-up to what is known as the ‘14th Battle of the Three Planes', Travelyax gathered a following of humans who would eventually become the Travelyan Noble House, and lead them in sealing the portals to the 7th layer of Hell and to the Abyss on the land upon which Tarster City now resides. His current whereabouts are unknown but presumed deceased. Travelyax’ forces triumphed, but the Shadow Dragon was mortally wounded. This outcome had been prepared for, however, and in a ceremony known only as “The Binding”, Travelyax deposited a piece of his soul in each of his willing followers. Although the body died and is buried in a crypt below the Crimson Hill, the spirit lived on, with the mind concentrated in the head of the Travelyan House generation after generation. Even now, it is believed he lives on in his children. After the Planar War, the Travelyans negotiated acceptance into the recovering Arcadian Empire, and ruled Tarster for a thousand years until the assassination of Alexandar Travelyan and, in the ensuing power vacuum, the invasion of the Titan Eltab.

### Trivia

* The Spirit of the Master of Dusk cannot be slain unless each creature who is bound to him is slain first. These "bound" creatures each hold a potion of the dragon's soul like a vessel.

* Serving as a vessel for Travelyax can grant unnatural powers, but can also rob the host of their humanity as the power takes hold. Travelyax can even fully possess a vessel, though he seems to prefer to let them retain most of their autonomy most of the time.

* In a previous conflict with Eltab, an avatar of Travelyax assisted the armies amassed to stop him by distracting the Titan and weakening his armor, leaving the invader vulnerable to magical banishment/imprisonment.

* Tariel, Lumazure, Filbin, Kestral, and other Adventurers began to uncover the secrets of Travelyax' nature in 5 BE, leading ultimately to a showdown that ended in the death of Alexandar Travelyan, the primary host of the Shadow Dragon and ruler of Tarster at the time.