Zexe was a fighter and a formal Royal Guard of Mirith, regarded, to this day, as one of the city's major heroes. His story is tightly connected to the history of Mirith and Andris up to the time of the Lancaster Wars.
Presumed Murderer of Senator Winston - Friend of the Hauksens - Lover of Zara Falvo[]
The earlier records of Zexe’s political activity tell of the presumed assassination of an Andrisian Senator. In fact, the fighter will be accused of the murder of two Andrisian representatives: Winston and Waltham.
The motives for any of those crimes were never made clear. Rumour had it, at the time, that Zexe would have hired the Hauksen family to kill Winston, a family he knew through Willow, his childhood friend.
To make things more complicated, the Maralian rogue Zara Falvo had been promised in marriage to the Senator. As it happens, Zexe was, by then, the secret lover of the Maralian rogue, who may have not been too pleased to learn of the assassination of her future spouse, as unconvinced as she might have been of the arranged union. Zara’s raged subsequently led a well-known vendetta against the mercenary family.
The truth on the assassination has never been found and, these days, Winston's death is attributed to Lancaster’s first wave of crimes against the Senate. The same applies to Senator Waltham, whose case will be addressed below.
The Fight against the Black Hand - Zexe wounded - Birek McCalla in Mirith[]
Two years later, in 425, the Mirithian Duchess Tirana was kidnapped by Yadeth, then leader of the first iteration of the Black Hand and responsible for the poisoning of the seas with this Poison Forges. Zexe lead the chase that would eventually end with the death of the villain.
Shortly after, to put an end ot Yadeth’s work, Zexe led a small task force to lure the Twins, already members of the criminal organisation, away from the Forges. To do that, the records tell us without much detail, the Royal Guard used the Ring of Thievery as a bait. Thanks to this diversion, the Mirithian forces were able to destroy the Forges, but at great cost. During the fight, Zexe was badly wounded by the Twins.
What exactly did the Twins do to the fighter is unknown, but some information can be gathered from a letter to King Galandir, written by Nafets, the Royal Cleric of Mitith. Or, at least, one can learn from this document why was it so hard for the healing crew of Mirith to cure the Royal Guard. In the letter, Nafets wonders why the injury had never been reported, and laments how it is hard for him to find a cure, without knowing the cause of the illness. At lost as to what to do, the Royal Cleric enlisted the healer of Marali, Altaira Mei, to help him treat his patient, but they were not successful.
In his letter to the King, however, Nafets also suggests that another Royal Guard is appointed until Zexe's full recovery - a recovery that he was not expecting to happen at any time soon. The position is eventually filled through the negotiations of Amalphus Vei, and the temporary nomination of the Maralian Birek McCalla.
But it was only two and a half years later that the cause of the illness became clearer, when Sieglinde returned to Oberin. Sieglinde had always been close to Zexe, and was a part of his task force on the day of the injury. In the words of Sieglinde, the Twins "had used horrible magic to cause his skin to crack and bleed at the slightest movement, and for the simplest strain to cause his inner muscle tissues to tear".
The Centaur’s Cave - Elefin Gets Closer[]
In the same letter mentioned above, Nafets begs to the King for permission to seek the Centaurs, famous for their knowledge in the healing arts. Zexe, the cleric tells, would have insisted that he had seen a Centaur not long before, and Nafets, out of despair, agreed that it would be worth trying to pay a visit to the elusive race. In the missive, he tells of how Elefin had been visiting Zexe, more worried about what the Royal Guard had to say than with his health condition.
A few days after Nafets' letter, a group of adventurers, including Asliendor and Elefin, a couple at the time, run into a Centaur and requested that his elders would accept to see the wounded warrior.
Meanwhile, Zexe’s condition doesn’t improve and, elsewhere in Oberin, other forces move against him.
The First Blue Moon Festival - Waltham’s Death - Andris and Mirith on the Verge of War[]
In Andris, things looked more joyful. The Senator Gordon Lancaster was preparing the first Blue Moon Festival, expected to be a large festivity gathering people from all corners of Oberin. The festival is a success, except for one significant and tragic event: the body of Senator Waltham is found dead near a fountain, inside the walls of the city.
With a collection of clues strategically placed, Lancaster manages to incriminate Zexe for a second crime against Andris. Even though the fighter was out of combat, people are lead to believe that he was, in fact, the murderer of Waltham. The final proof was produced by Araine, daughter of Beleth, in a letter sent to Lancaster. There, she reveals that she had been cleaning Zexe's room, and found his boots covered in mud, and the insignia from his robe ripped in half. As it happens, one of the few evidences in Waltham's body had been a fragment of Mirith insignia attached to a bit of grey cloth. When put together, the two halves matched perfectly.
After Waltham's death, Lancaster takes over his position of Speaker for the Senate of Andris. In a public announcement, he declares that the murdering of the Blue Moon had been probably connected with the murdering of Winston, attributing both to Mirith.
Andris and Mirith are on the verge of war. To make things worse, Mirith refuses to have Zexe tried in Andris, as requested by Senator Morgans in a formal visit to Mirith. After the meeting, Lancaster announces that Morgans had vanished, and her escort back to Andris found dead.
A few weeks later, Amalphus Vei, still as negotiator of the Crown, is sent to Andris to arrange the conditions of the trial. The most pervasive opinion is that accepting that Zexe is to be tried at all, also means accepting he will be found guilty. Around that time, Darkstar appears to Sieglinde announcing that the Black Hand is plotting to murder Zexe that night. Thanks to her warning, the attack is caught in time, Zexe escapes.
Morgans Eyes Opened - Senators Exiled in Mirith[]
Shortly after, Morgans makes a timely appearance. She tells Nafets and Birek that her escort had been attacked by mercenaries under orders to take her life. She had been saved by the intervention of Zara Falvo. From Zara, Morgans had learned of Lancaster's betrayal, and that he had been the mastermind of Waltham's assassination and the war between the cities. Morgans, and later Anderson as well, ask for the protection of Mirith and leave Andris.
At the Centaur’s Cave - Elefin’s Bloodbath - Zexe’s Funeral - The Blood Dagger[]
In the meanwhile, Nafets had not given up from trying to heal Zexe, and organises an expedition to the
Centaurs' cave. The patient who had been kept still under the sedative effects of a Silver Dragon Claw, is made to stand up to be escorted to the Cave. The catastrophic results of that expedition are well known, with Elefin revealing herself the new leader of the Black Hand, killing dozens of Centaurs, and killing also Zexe, with the Blood Dagger.
Some days later, Mirith held the funerals of her former Royal Guard. Many people were present, and eulogies were proffered. Suddenly, the ghost of Zexe appears, screaming in pain, and shouting the word "dagger". The funeral is interrupted, and Beleth is sent to investigate.
The Royal Mage finds a book with the information that the Blood Dagger keeps the souls of those it wounds, and that the destruction of the dagger means the destruction of the souls imprisoned in it. That information leads Galandir on a determined search for the dagger. In order to destroy the object, Mirith would need a Golden Box found in Aborek on the fatal day when Elefin acquired the dagger, while she was still regarded as an ally of Mirith.
Serene kidnaped - Tirana’s betrayal - Elefin betrayed[]
But it was not the end of the unpleasant surprises in Mirith. Some days later, Elefin and the Twins attack the city in order to kidnap Serene, heir of Elara. During the attack, Tirana declares her alliance with the Black Hand, and flees with the offenders. It is also made clear that Elefin's association is now working for Lancaster in Andris.
Fortunately, the two main agents of the Black Hand, Rasha and Varsha, were discontent with their leader. Eventually, they propose a deal with Mirith: they will lure Elefin to the city to be killed, and Marali is to be left alone for their planned siege in the North. The first part of the deal goes according to the plan.
Once Elefin arrives, the dagger is snatched by Darkstar. However, the blade turns against the rogue. Eventually Nafets manages to remove it from the girl's chest and passes it to Seth, who had been asked to help Mirith with the task of destroying the dagger with the Golden Box. As predicted, with the destruction of the dagger, the souls in it are destroyed as well. Except one. Zexe's soul refuses to leave.
Recovering Zexe’s Soul - The Liberation of Andris - Yet Another Murdered Senator[]
Joining efforts, Nafets and Seth manage to bring the former Royal Guard back to life. His resurrection is welcomed by Zara, and the two reassume their former relationship.
Back to his strength, Zexe joins Birek in the fight against Lancaster and the liberation of Andris. The success is partial. Andris is freed, but Lancaster escapes with the city's third of the Curio. Some time later, both will be leading the expedition that finally kills the former Senator in his newly built hideout, the Ice Dungeon.
It was not the end of bad news to Andris nor of Zexe's involvement with the death of senators. During the days when Andris was being rebuilt, Birek and Zexe visit Senator Morgans after a class. A book had been found, proving the connection between Lancaster and the Black Hand, as well as how he would send to Marali parts of the Andrisian treasury. Worse than that, Senator Robertson had been his accomplice in the process. However, the purpose of the visit was also to announce that Zexe's men had killed Robertson that morning, while he escorted prisoners from Andris to Port Gast, with the help of a group of brigands. At first, they are not believed, but Morgans herself produces the final piece of evidence against Robertson. A letter addressed to him by a certain "M", asking to go to Port Gast to learn of the whereabouts of the Curio.
Not much is recorded about Zexe in the following years. Attention was then turned to Marali under siege. It is only in the Bleeding Moon of 428 that Zexe's name appears in the surviving documents dealing with historical events. This time, to tell of his final death, fighting valiantly in the last battle against the Eye. Never to come back for a third time.