Adaxus was a fire giant present in Xen'drik during the Age of Giants who became known as the "Fire Prince".[2]
History[]
Adaxus's first known actions were around the end of the Age of Demons, when the giants were first beginning their rise to power. At this time, Adaxus struck a deal with a powerful demon, offering to hide him until after the couatl bound the other fiends to the depths of Khyber. The demon, seeing his impending fate, agreed to the deal but was tricked—Adaxus bound the demon into his crown, the crown of winter flame, hiding him from the couatl but trapping the demon within a different prison instead. Adaxus used the knowledge that this demon provided him to gain tremendous power and even managed to attain immortality. He dreamt of conquest and total dominance from his hidden fortress located deep within a jungle valley in Xen'drik.[1]
Several centuries passed, with Adaxus eventually drawing the notice of the other giants, who recognized him as a threat and rallied against the might of Adaxus. Many terrific battles were fought to bring Adaxus down, with new magics being taught to the giants by the dragons for the effort. In the end, the combined might of the burgeoning giant kingdom proved too much for Adaxus and they brought an end to his rule. However, once they defeated Adaxus, they discovered that it was impossible to destroy the crown of winter flame without releasing the fiend from within it. Thus, they rebuilt Adaxus's Black Fortress into a terrible dungeon and summoned a glacier around it, sealing it and keeping it hidden for tens of thousands of years within the jungle valley that would come to be known as the Valley of Ice.[1]
By the end of the Last War, Adaxus's legend had been lost to history, leaving only the knowledge that he had twisted his bloodline by making an alliance with fiends, gaining terrible powers in doing so, and of his defeat at the hands of the giants. The Sul'at League, a group of powerful fire giant magic-users, hope to follow in Adaxus's footsteps, and indeed many of the fire giants still revere their ancient "hero" and believe he had crowned himself the "Fire Prince". One such group, the Battalion of the Basalt Towers, are even willing to make alliances with fiends in order to dominate Xen'drik.[2][3]
Some time after the Last War, a lone explorer came across Adaxus's hidden valley, with Adaxus seemingly reaching into his mind and whispering that there was a grand treasure waiting for those who would "crack the ice". This explorer was able to locate a statue of Adaxus, which he brought back to Stormreach to sell to an antiquities dealer, though not before the taint of it infected his body, slowly killing him. This statue passed through several hands before finding its way into the hands of a cleric of a Cult of the Dragon Below who, sensing the residual power of the demon-tainted place on it, sent it to the Demon Wastes and ultimately into the hands of the Lords of Dust. These Lords, learning of Adaxus's resting place within Xen'drik, sent a group, led by the rakshasa Sarssaka, to free the giant prince and bring him back to Khorvaire along with the crown of winter flame.[1]
At the same time, unaware of the group sent by the Lords of Dust, a group of adventurers were hired by Durvan, a servant of the dragons operating out of Stormreach, to also locate Adaxus's fortress. Both groups would ultimately be successful in finding the fortress, with Sarssaka and his minions arriving a day before the adventurers. Sarssaka's group dispelled the magic entombing Adaxus, freeing the giant just before being defeated by the adventurers.[1]
Upon awakening as an undead, Adaxus, who had been sealed within a magma grave, caused an earthquake to erupt as he burst forth, claiming that he had returned to the world that was his. Magmin leaped from the pools of magma around him, while Adaxus sought any living being present in the hopes of destroying them, a wreath of flame emanating from his armor, which both shielded him and damaged those around him. Adaxus planned to use both the powers of his crown and the magic he had learned, such as circle of death, in order to deal with the intruders to his fortress. But he was ultimately defeated by them, his body crumbling to ash and his precious crown rolling from his body and landing at the feet of the group who defeated him.[1]
Possessions[]
Adaxus possessed the crown of winter flame which, though it is sentient and capable of acting independently, obeys only Adaxus, as well as a +2 unholy large greatsword and +1 half-plate of flame aura.[1]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Jason Bulmahn (August 2005). Crown of Winter Flame. (Wizards of the Coast).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn, & Amber Scott (2006). Secrets of Xen'drik. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3916-8.
- ↑ Glenn McDonald (2006-08-14). Dispatch 5: Droaam Redstone. Expeditionary Dispatch. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2006-11-11. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.