Xavier van Axxen, Lord of Flushavs
Xavier van Axxen was a nobleman and known tournament knight from Eversted. Being a perfect example of a chevalier he offered to join the army gathering at Omarim in 436 Y.o.U. marching east to fight the goblinoids. The Council of the Realm quickly appointed him to lead this expedition force.
While he never lead an army before he gained reknown traveling the lands as a knight errant and fighting at competitions. The expectations for him were high as many younger knights looked up to him as a rolemodel, but also many other noblemen were willing to support him, as they knew that he had never shown any political ambitions.
At the end of 436 YoU he lead the army to support the Far Lands against the occuring goblinoid invasions. His forces broke through the mountains and secured the imperial road against the goblins and bugbears that infested the region before joining up with Vladusz van Kjonstantin's troops in Pjotrsdorv. From there he marched the expedition force to cut of the hobgoblin army from re-enforcing the siege at Laangstep. The army under his command though was met by an hobgoblin force coming towards them. In the ensuing battle Xavier realised how badly the odds where stacked against them and how little they knew about the enemy, their capabilities and tactics. Xavier and his bodyguard were hit by several fireballs from an hobgoblin mage before being ambushed by bugbears. Badly injured and heavily mutilated the general was rescued by Bran Sparkhammer and Vorak Grimblade. The young ranger brought him back to Pjotrsdorv where his wounds were treated. Xavier lost his swordarm and left eye in that battle which later became known as the 'Battle of Crushed Hope' effectively ending his military carrier and breaking his spirit. Still Vladusz and him decided that he should return to Eversted and report about the events and how much the western part of the Realm was underestimating the threat from the hobgoblin. Both men hoped that his reputation would carry enough weight to finally get the attention the Far Lands needed. Escorted by Bran and the half-orc Vorak he return to the capital arguing for the support in the eastern campaign. While Xavier's plight didn't achieve the effect he and lord Kjonstantin desired it still sparked more interest in the situation going on in the Far Lands. Arch mage Porcia van Bulderbach, whose student attached to lord Kjonstantin's court was still reporting to her that the war was going well, and arch mage Jonnasz van Elmander decided to travel east to investigate the matter. Xavier on the onter hand was promoted to Lord of Flushavs as the van Housz family who previously ruled the town died out. Nanamir van Housz was killed in 437 YoU by cultists in the town itself and his two sons, both friends of Xavier fell during the campaign in the east against the goblin invasion. Heavy hearted the young nobleman took up his knew role. He even tried to recruit Bran Sparkhammer to join his retinue, yet without success. In Flushavs he had to deal with a town shaken by the events of the Haradim cultists that had taken hold of it for merly a week or two yet marking it for the foreseeable future. Xavier's court and attached noblemen were decimated by the elven cultists, but also by losses in the war as many had joined the small army he lead east. Distrustful of the family that initially harboured those elven cultists he tried to re-organised the town. The Inquisition sent him a priestess of the Lady - an asimar by the name Katryn - to ensure that no demonic activity was left. Yet this was all the help he would be offered. The Vestergaard family, who consisted of humans but also elves and had a prominent vineyard in the town, were those who invited the elven performaners that would turn out to be cultists to stay at their estate. Xavier was slow to trust the claims the Vestergaards presented about not knowning who the elves were, just themselves being told they were refugies from Rykthaven escaping the violence and elven purging that happened there after the Day of Demons in 436 YoU. Alvery Vestergaard, the daughter of the owner of the vineyard, explained the story of what had happened, while she and her brother were in Eversted. On their return they then lead a fight against the cultists and cleared the town. While the story fit what Xavier was told previously he still was suspicous about the family like many humans in town. It didn't help that Alvery stood before him cursed by something with a blue skin. Over the next year the situation in town would not improve and if Xavier was expected to be a beacon of hope for it, he wasn't able to carry this burden on his broken body. Supported by Katryn he remaint vigilant of the Vestergaard and their activities, who seemed to reduce their contacts with the town, while previously being known to be nearily in as high esteam as lord Nanamir van Housz. With mistrust rising between the local humans and the elves from the vineyard the economy of the town didn't recover properly from the cultists raid. Things got worse when Robben Vestergaard sold his estate in 438 YoU and the family surprsingly left the town, even though Alvery in a previous visit ensured Xavier that they would help rebuild it. Xavier's mood further would degrade with news from the war against the Hobgoblins and the failed arrest of Demian the Prince in the Arena in Eversted. As per reports Katryn got from the capital people were celebrating another cult right in the heart of the Realm, praising a show fighter even after he killed a high priestess and several paladins. At the same time they ignore the plights of his former companions in the east, even claiming that his good friend and right hand during the war Bastian van Waertens had joined a cult himself and murded innocents in the streets of Laangstep. In 442 YoU he would join the Realm's council meeting angry about the situation within the realm blaiming the decadance.
While he never lead an army before he gained reknown traveling the lands as a knight errant and fighting at competitions. The expectations for him were high as many younger knights looked up to him as a rolemodel, but also many other noblemen were willing to support him, as they knew that he had never shown any political ambitions.
At the end of 436 YoU he lead the army to support the Far Lands against the occuring goblinoid invasions. His forces broke through the mountains and secured the imperial road against the goblins and bugbears that infested the region before joining up with Vladusz van Kjonstantin's troops in Pjotrsdorv. From there he marched the expedition force to cut of the hobgoblin army from re-enforcing the siege at Laangstep. The army under his command though was met by an hobgoblin force coming towards them. In the ensuing battle Xavier realised how badly the odds where stacked against them and how little they knew about the enemy, their capabilities and tactics. Xavier and his bodyguard were hit by several fireballs from an hobgoblin mage before being ambushed by bugbears. Badly injured and heavily mutilated the general was rescued by Bran Sparkhammer and Vorak Grimblade. The young ranger brought him back to Pjotrsdorv where his wounds were treated. Xavier lost his swordarm and left eye in that battle which later became known as the 'Battle of Crushed Hope' effectively ending his military carrier and breaking his spirit. Still Vladusz and him decided that he should return to Eversted and report about the events and how much the western part of the Realm was underestimating the threat from the hobgoblin. Both men hoped that his reputation would carry enough weight to finally get the attention the Far Lands needed. Escorted by Bran and the half-orc Vorak he return to the capital arguing for the support in the eastern campaign. While Xavier's plight didn't achieve the effect he and lord Kjonstantin desired it still sparked more interest in the situation going on in the Far Lands. Arch mage Porcia van Bulderbach, whose student attached to lord Kjonstantin's court was still reporting to her that the war was going well, and arch mage Jonnasz van Elmander decided to travel east to investigate the matter. Xavier on the onter hand was promoted to Lord of Flushavs as the van Housz family who previously ruled the town died out. Nanamir van Housz was killed in 437 YoU by cultists in the town itself and his two sons, both friends of Xavier fell during the campaign in the east against the goblin invasion. Heavy hearted the young nobleman took up his knew role. He even tried to recruit Bran Sparkhammer to join his retinue, yet without success. In Flushavs he had to deal with a town shaken by the events of the Haradim cultists that had taken hold of it for merly a week or two yet marking it for the foreseeable future. Xavier's court and attached noblemen were decimated by the elven cultists, but also by losses in the war as many had joined the small army he lead east. Distrustful of the family that initially harboured those elven cultists he tried to re-organised the town. The Inquisition sent him a priestess of the Lady - an asimar by the name Katryn - to ensure that no demonic activity was left. Yet this was all the help he would be offered. The Vestergaard family, who consisted of humans but also elves and had a prominent vineyard in the town, were those who invited the elven performaners that would turn out to be cultists to stay at their estate. Xavier was slow to trust the claims the Vestergaards presented about not knowning who the elves were, just themselves being told they were refugies from Rykthaven escaping the violence and elven purging that happened there after the Day of Demons in 436 YoU. Alvery Vestergaard, the daughter of the owner of the vineyard, explained the story of what had happened, while she and her brother were in Eversted. On their return they then lead a fight against the cultists and cleared the town. While the story fit what Xavier was told previously he still was suspicous about the family like many humans in town. It didn't help that Alvery stood before him cursed by something with a blue skin. Over the next year the situation in town would not improve and if Xavier was expected to be a beacon of hope for it, he wasn't able to carry this burden on his broken body. Supported by Katryn he remaint vigilant of the Vestergaard and their activities, who seemed to reduce their contacts with the town, while previously being known to be nearily in as high esteam as lord Nanamir van Housz. With mistrust rising between the local humans and the elves from the vineyard the economy of the town didn't recover properly from the cultists raid. Things got worse when Robben Vestergaard sold his estate in 438 YoU and the family surprsingly left the town, even though Alvery in a previous visit ensured Xavier that they would help rebuild it. Xavier's mood further would degrade with news from the war against the Hobgoblins and the failed arrest of Demian the Prince in the Arena in Eversted. As per reports Katryn got from the capital people were celebrating another cult right in the heart of the Realm, praising a show fighter even after he killed a high priestess and several paladins. At the same time they ignore the plights of his former companions in the east, even claiming that his good friend and right hand during the war Bastian van Waertens had joined a cult himself and murded innocents in the streets of Laangstep. In 442 YoU he would join the Realm's council meeting angry about the situation within the realm blaiming the decadance.
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