Vax'ildan

Champion of Ravens

Deathwalker

Death comes for all things in their time. It is the will of the Matron of Ravens that no being, no matter how heroic or powerful, shall escape their rightful place in the hereafter. Yet when his sister Vex'ahlia died in a sunken Issylran tomb, Vax'ildan demanded that the goddess of death release her claim on Vex'ahlia's soul—and claim his instead.
Inscrutably, the Matron of Ravens acquiesced to Vax'ildan's demand. He donned the Deathwalker's Ward, a Vestige of the Divergence imbued with the Raven Queen's power and the legendary armor of her previous mortal champion. In time, Vax'ildan too came to be called her champion, and has returned to life from death more than once—even enduring utter annihilation by the Whispered One and strangulation by an Archfey. All these deaths were permissible for the Matron of Ravens' champion, since the threads of fate that bound Vax'ildan to her service had not yet run their full course. But they inevitably did.
Vax'ildan bade farewell to all the people he held most dear in the wake of the Whispered One's defeat, and vanished into the eternal embrace of his goddess. In the years since, his returns to the world he once knew have been rare and fleeting. The Champion of Ravens is not Vax'ildan, though Vax resides within him. He appears at times as a wrathful angel, masked and surrounded by a storm of raven feathers, bringing an end to those who would pervert the sanctity of oblivion out of greed or fear of the unknown.
All fear the end, in their own way. Some fight it, delving into magic that delays the inevitable by making a mockery of both life and death. Others lash out, hurting people around them in smaller ways. But those whose fears are greatest are met by the Champion of Ravens, whose kind soul soothes and shepherds the fearful beyond the veil of the mortal world.

Background

Vax and his sister Vex were born in the humble village of Byroden after the union of a human woman named Elaina and an elven man named Syldor Vessar. The twins lived with Elaina for the first ten years of their lives before they were sent to live in Syngorn, where their father lived. During this time, Vax had received training in the ways of the blade from his elven instructors, one of whom is named Master Tharendril.
After several years of cold reception from the Syngornian elves, the twins set off on their own. They returned to Byroden, only to see their childhood home destroyed and their mother gone, killed by a dragon.
The twins wandered the continent together for some time as they honed their respective skills. At one point, Vax'ildan discovered a plot to kidnap Vex'ahlia, and he agreed to join the Westruun sect of the Clasp in exchange for her freedom.

After the Epilogue

Twenty years after Vox Machina heroically defeated Vecna, Vax'ildan continued to serve the Raven Queen by slaying monsters in the Shadowfell and shepherding the souls of the dead to their appropriate afterlives. Although he has given up his name and much of his identity in becoming the Champion of Ravens, the church of the Raven Queen in Wildemount also reverently referred to him as the Deathwalker. He became a minor religious figure and was recognized for faithfully aiding the Matron's work.

Physical Description

Identifying Characteristics

During his resurrection ritual in Vesrah, a part of his hair was braided with Vex's blue feathers as part of her offering. He maintains this decoration to this day to remind him of his sister.
Vaxi'dan's right shoulder has a bony, antler-like growth coming from the area of his tattoo of Keyleth's antlers.

Physical quirks

After joining the Slayer's Take, Vax'ildan has the brand of the guild on his right arm. He got a pair of tattoos in Vasselheim after completing the Slayer's Take trial: on the inside of his left wrist are the sounds for "V" and "M" written in Elvish script, and on the inside of his right wrist is an icosahedron. While spending a year with Keyleth in Zephrah, he also got a tattoo of her antlers on his upper right arm. Additionally, Vax'ildan used to have the Clasp's brand tattooed on his back, but it has since been covered by a handprint-shaped scar on his back after he asked Keyleth to burn it away.
After his resurrection, Vax'ildan developed a dark, bruise-like mark over his heart as a symbol of the boon he received from the Raven Queen. After he was disintegrated by Vecna, the Raven Queen made a deal with Vax to allow him to return to life until Vecna had been destroyed. Once Vax reappeared on the Material Plane, the dark mark on his chest had expanded to resemble a pair of wings.

Apparel & Accessories

Vax'ildan wears an elegant black leather raven mask reminiscent of the one belonging to his friend Percival de Rolo. He also wears the Deathwalker's Ward, a set of black studded leather armor trimmed with black feathers. When he activates the armor's ability to fly, a pair of large black raven wings sprouts from his back.

Specialized Equipment

• Blinkback Belt
• Brooch of Living Essence
• Clarota's Helmet
• Dagger of Lifestealing
• Dagger of Venom
• Deathwalker's Ward
• Earring of Whisper
• Flametongue Dagger
• Symbol of Sarenrae embedded in his glove (ruined but still present after he submitted himself to the Raven Queen)
• Whisper

Mental characteristics

Sexuality

Vax'ildan is bisexual. In life, he showed interest in both men and women, most notably Shaun Gilmore and Keyleth of the Air Ashari. As a half elven archdruid, Keyleth expects to live nearly two thousand years. Vax'ildan patiently awaits her passing so that he may see her one last time before the end.

Social

Speech

Since his death, Vax'ildan speaks slowly, showing little emotion in his voice or on his face. However, he clearly still feels emotion, even if it is slightly dulled by death and difficult to express.

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Current Location

Shadowfell

Circumstances of Death

After his death at Thar Amphala, Vax'ildan struck a deal with the Raven Queen to return as a revenant so he could help kill or seal away Vecna. When that task was complete, he willingly returned to the Matron to forever serve her in death.

Gender

Male

Eyes

Hazel

Hair

Long, dark brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Dagger dagger dagger."

Aligned Organization

Vox Machina

Other Affiliations

• Ashari

Known Languages

• Elvish
• Common
• Abyssal
• Thieves' Cant
• Druidic