Pope Xoniface I was the leader of the largest faction of Kragnux followers known as The Friends of Kragnux and inheritor of the religion from Thwack, who he bested in combat and imprisoned.
About
A high elf born in 621 PR, Xoniface was a devout follower of Corellon living in Isonhound for nearly a century when The Razing of Isonhound led to him to look to other gods.
History
Finding Kragnux
Xoniface moved to Zobeck in Levinkan in the year 700 PR, seeking to get as far away from the still burning forests of Isonhound. It was there he was introduced to a small faction of Kragnux followers who helped him through his rage and fear, showing him that there was a new god who's entire goal was to put down the dragons and return peace to the realm.
By 705 PR, Xoniface had risen through the ranks of the local church to lead those in Zobeck on an expedition north to the Temple of Harmony in Diimgard, where the mortal Kragnux was buried. After tense talks with the marilith Toi'Viral, Xoniface and his followers were allowed to exhume the body of Kragnux, and found that it had mostly composed, with the exception of several artifacts, left behind with divine power.
When Xoniface returned to Zobeck with Kragnux's remains and the artifacts, followers flocked to see the reliquaries in Zobeck, and soon Xoniface found himself on equal footing with Thwack, the founder of the religion.
Rise to Power
In 707 PR, Thwack paid Xoniface a visit at the church in Zobeck to discuss potentially moving the artifacts back to the Fang Fu Monastery, where Thwack's own chapter was residing. Feeling imposed on, Xoniface argued that the artifacts had created a boom in followers, and that their rightful spot was in Zobeck. In the ensuing debate, Xoniface and Thwack broke out into a lethal battle, which ended when Xoniface knocked Thwack out and secretly paid to have him magically imprisoned.
Following the conflict, Xoniface made an announcement that Thwack had entered a religious recluse state, and that Kragnux was now delivering his commands through the Zobeck chapter.
Now the head of the entire religion, Xoniface made several controversial commands, falsely speaking as if Kragnux himself had delivered the commands. He created the Fingers of Kragnux, and spearheaded a campaign to extend the ongoing draconic crusades to also eliminate the dragonborn of the realm. When long time followers of Kragnux reminded Xoniface that Kragnux as a mortal was a dragonborn, he made another controversial announcement that Kragnux was not a dragonborn, and that he was born and died a human.
Civil War
Xonifaces various commands caused fracturing within the church over time, and by 719 PR, the Zobeck chapter had come to be known as The Friends of Kragnux, while other chapters separated themselves from the church by calling themselves The Heritage and The Draconic Redeemers.
Seeking to end the blasphemous splinter cells of the church, Xoniface turned his crusaders into a war force, seeking out the nonconforming and either forcing them to forgo their blasphemous beliefs or die by the hand fist of the Friends.
Marriage and Death
In 720 PR, Xoniface finally found the chance to settle down with another high elf named Skelya. Skelya had previously been a member of the Draconic Redeemers, and when the church attempted to disband and absorb the faction, Skelya had seduced Xoniface by making him believe he inspired her, and shifted sides to help the Friends of Kragnux stop the Draconic Redeemers.
The truth, however, was that Skelya was a polymorphed dragon, seeking to destroy the whole dragon slaying religion from the inside. Once she was pregnant with Xoniface's child, she brutally murdered him.
To the followers of Kragnux, Skelya announced that Xoniface had became a religious recluse just as Thwack had before him. She announced that Xoniface's final religious command was that his newborn son Felix would be the next pope of The Friends of Kragnux.
See Also
- Kragnux Timeline of WorshipThe Draconic Redeemers
