X (The Paladin)

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

This villain was a hero in his own story.

X (pronounced Chi) was an Eladrin (and later Elan) warrior from the Feywild, sent down to Quelmar among other elite eladrin to help change the tide of the War of Essence. In the PR era, he refused to use his real name, and was nicknamed "The Paladin" by those who fought against him.

History

X fought in the War of Essence against elemental chaos and used the four tools to bind and sunder the elements into their respective planes. However, X's zeal went further: he wanted to destroy the elemental planes with the tools.

He vowed to find the weapons and use them to get vengeance on the Outer Planes after the travesties of war, he knew in prophecies that another elemental event was due to occur, and that the artifacts would show themselves once again, the way they did during the Great Fissure and the way they did during the Essence War.

During the Essence War, the weapons were used to push back the oncoming elementals and eventually separate that elemental void into stable demiplanes. X was able to do it, but at the time he realized he had the power to destroy the elemental planes all together. His platoons and families had tried to keep him in control, and when he started to decimate the elements themselves, he was attacked by his allies. His Eladrin comrades foiled this attempt and left him for dead.

But 800 years later, as rumors of the tools resurfaced, he had a second chance. He vowed he would find them again and finish what he had started.

Centuries later, X was encountered by members of AFEW in Jewelspar’s Living Library, tipping off the crew that Golkont had the Wand of the Spout. However, in battle the Hawk Mage was attempting to retrieve the Wand from the party. X had tricked both groups into suspecting the other, and he arrived with the Wand to claim victory at the docks of Dardin. In the aftermath, he subdued Golkont and used the arcanaloth’s true name to control the fiend.

X tracked the party to Tenorixion’s lair, traversing great distances quickly with the Wand. The adventurers barely escaped his wrath after plumbing the dragon’s memories for X's origins.

Rather than continue this game of cat and mouse, X would force the adventurers to give up their three artifacts. By activating the wand in a snowflake pattern throughout the realm, he created an unnatural ice age called the Arctic Autumn. He was holding the realm hostage. The foolish crew attempted to steal his Wand while he rested, but he caught them red-handed. In desperation, they teleported him to Tenorixion’s lair using the Sorcyst Blade. The element of surprise was useful for X, and he slayed the dragon. His icy grip on the realm remained unchallenged.

The bumbling buffoons thought they could sneak up on his snowflake pattern location a second time. Expecting the adventurers, X sent his cronies Golkont, Kagutsi, and Shasa ahead of him and tricked the party. In this last Arctic Altercation, X was ultimately beheaded.

Behind the Screen

Only known as "The Paladin", he was the final antagonist of the Ancients Alive campaign, another figure on the hunt for the Tools of the Primordial Ancients. The party, allies, three tools, and a wish were needed to best this formidable foe. Most of X's powers came from the Wand of the Spout he wielded. However, the adventurers that ultimately conquered him never learned how he found the Wand or even his real name. He fooled the party twice and would have escaped had it not been for Andif’s wish.