Baron Drax
The Chainlord of Avalosh
Overview
- Race: Human
- Title: Baron (recognized in select jurisdictions)
- Occupation: Slaver, Warlord, Industrialist
- Affiliation: Gnoll Slaver Companies
- Region: Interior Osweg
- Stronghold: Mines of Avalosh
- Reputation: Efficient, ruthless, patient
Baron Drax is not a bandit who rose too far. He is a man who believes the world functions best when it is owned, categorized, and extracted from—whether that world is land, labor, or legacy.
He does not shout.
He does not threaten.
He assumes compliance.
Description
Baron Drax is a tall man clad in black plate armor, its surface polished but unadorned. He carries himself with the certainty of someone accustomed to command and never wastes motion. His voice is calm, measured, and utterly devoid of humor.
When observed at the mines, he tore flowers from the ground as he walked—not in anger, but as if the land itself offended him by growing without permission.
Authority & Control
Drax commands:
- Approximately one hundred gnoll enforcers
- A fortified dragonglass mining operation
- Slaving caravans operating throughout interior Osweg
- A network of intermediaries and smugglers tied to Zhellin
He rules through delegation and fear, allowing his subordinates brutality while maintaining personal distance from it.
Philosophy
Drax does not see himself as cruel.
He believes:
- Labor unused is waste
- Strength unused is theft
- Freedom is a luxury of the victorious
In his view, enslavement is not punishment—it is repurposing.
Those who resist are inefficient.
The Mines of Avalosh
Drax oversees the forced excavation of Dragonglass from the ancient dragon-era ruins beneath Avalosh. The mine operates continuously, regardless of casualties.
Slaves are:
- Worked until exhaustion
- Replaced without ceremony
- Prevented from organizing through terror and spectacle
Drax shows no interest in the origin of the ruins beyond their yield.
Relationship with the Party
Baron Drax has not yet formally confronted the Sea Spray Survivors.
However:
- They disrupted his supply chain
- They liberated slaves
- They stole a restored dragon-era skyship
He noticed.
Drax is not known to forgive losses—or forget faces.
Known Associates
- Gnoll slaver captains (names vary; survival rates low)
- Smuggling factions operating through Warmhearth
- Indirect ties to Zhellin
He prefers intermediaries until force is required.
Weaknesses
Drax’s greatest flaw is certainty.
He underestimates:
- Moral resistance
- Unpredictable alliances
- Those who do not value survival over principle
He believes all people can be broken.
This belief may yet cost him everything.
Current Status
Baron Drax remains in control of his territory, though his operations have been compromised.
The theft of the skyship Dragonsworn represents a personal affront.
Retaliation is expected.
Themes
Baron Drax represents:
- Industrialized cruelty
- Order without mercy
- Exploitation justified as efficiency
- The banality of evil