Alton Elenaur

Astelaryn 'Alton' Elenaur was a Drow fighter and wizard, considered one of the first to explore the frontiers of Eskarya. The founder of the Midnight's Edge mercenary company, Alton was also a skilled alchemist and famed inventor of firearms.

Despite his initial misgivings, he eventually took to studying the arcane and developed a natural affinity for magic. He was the first in Eskarya to attune to a Lachla Shard, and thus wielded great psionic power.

Following the dismissal of Zesoldi, he was named to the council of Arcadia to serve as the militant arm of the group.

Spared from an untimely death at the hand of Valentius Neidir by the wishful intervention of Estelar, it was revealed to Alton that he was in fact Forfin Azurewish - a chosen of Dystava. Tasked with restoring the Lachla Shards and bringing balance to the fractured timeline of the multiverse before the Chained Oblivion could escape captivity in a different timeline and consume all of time.

Alton, now Forfin, would eventually succeed in his sacred duty and repair the fractured timeline. But, in doing so, he forever bound his soul to the Temporal Clocktower and trapped himself within the temporal plane. After tearfully bidding goodbye to his dear comrades and allies, his last act upon the plane of Elysia being to return his weapon, the Augursycthe, to its original owner.

Appearance


With skin the colour of darkest grey, silver-grey hair, and pointy ears, it is quickly apparent that Alton is a native of the Underdark. His eyes are heterochromatic, an oddity even amongst his own people, with one iris silver and the other gold. Alton’s face is sharp and youthful, as he is yet to reach his primacy as an elf, and he keeps his hair at a medium length, running just to his shoulders. He is smaller and scrawnier than many of his Drow peers, standing a little under 5’, with a sinewy build that suits his fondness for ranged combat.

Background
Alton was always peculiar as a Drow child, he had been born with an inherently different nature to his generally wicked peers, though he quickly learned to hide his quirks and unnatural inquisitiveness behind a mask of arrogance. He dreamed of joining the military, for he spent many of his formative years honing his talents with weapons and warfare, but instead ended up as an apprentice to his father in an alchemical workshop. Not to say that he didn't enjoy his father's work, and he took to it in his own special way. After a few colourful incidents culminating in a mishap that caused notable damage to an entire portion of the city, Alton was cast out by his family and fled the Underdark entirely.

Despite being unaccustomed to life on the surface, he found a new way in life as a sword-for-hire whilst also continuing his alchemical studies. This path led him, along with those he travelled with, into the employ of Aldwin Thorne and the Lord's Alliance.

The Second Chapel Expedition
Setting out into the Eskaryan wilderness for the first time, Alton and his comrades - including his dear friend Manyn Runda - were first set upon by a pack of gnolls carrying the iconography of a black wolf's head surrounded by gold claws. After a close-fought series of engagements, the beasts were defeated and no further trouble would find the party on the road.

At the chapel, what had first appeared to be an abandoned vine-covered ruin soon came alive with fey creatures. Manyn, deciding that the creatures were hostile and desiring to prevent them from resisting, hastily attacked and the party followed his lead. The decision would ultimately prove fatal as, when a treant restrained Alton and several other adventurers, Manyn set the creature aflame and was quickly slain in retribution. Grieving for his fallen friend, Alton later attempted to speak with the entity that spoke for the woodland beings and learned some of the chapel's history. Respectfully, desiring not to irritate the fey any further, Alton offered Manyn's broken body to the earth and the party left peacefully.

The Return to the Kobold Lair
Alone now, following the demise of Manyn, it was several weeks before Alton returned to the wilderness. Joining the company of Vyodros and several newer adventurers, they headed off in search of a cave of Kobolds that had only been partially explored by a previous party. With Vyodros' exceptional navigational skills, the group were soon set upon by an Ettin. Killing the poor creature after a short but bloody battle, Alton led them into the Ettin Cave that now lacked its namesake. The cave was not yet empty though; as a roper, a giant spider, and a warg would all take turns to try turn group into a free meal; but all three would be felled in time. Electing to spend the night, Alton scoured a large pile of bones whilst hunting for trinkets and found himself a new magical cloak. Come morning, the garment - now attuned to the Drow - had changed to a midnight blue hue and was identified as a Cloak of Elvenkind.

The rest of the journey to the Kobold Lair was not without incident, as the party were assaulted by a pair of foul creatures as they made camp in the forest during the next night. Strange beasts, with a tangible grasp of magic, it was Perven's Faerie Fire that proved their downfall and enabled Alton to land a killing shot at a distance of over two hundred feet with his heavy crossbow.

Finally arriving at the Kobold lair, the party was split by a river that proved too challenging for half the party to cross. Alton, Vyodoros, and the half-orc warrior Mogur engaged a Kobold wizard in battle whilst the rest of the party dealt with a foul beast at the bottom of the lake and then the rest of the Kobolds dwelling in the depths. Mogur was charmed by the Kobold before they were able to slay him, leading to an awkward exchange as Alton and Vyodros tried to break the spell. Eventually, they succeeded by briefly knocking out Mogur with maces after various command spells failed.

Capturing the Manor of Queen Nua
Local beasts

Xvarts

Monsters in the night - Rairaku

Assault on the manor

Titanfall

Returning to the Gnoll Mine
Second meeting with Rairaku

Clearing out the gnolls

Disgruntled at being unable to clear the mines fully before being reassigned to the new frontier at Fort Kroideyn, Alton placed a bounty promising to match Lord Thorne's payment to the party that successfully claimed the mines for the Eskaryan Expedition. After several months, a party successfully completed the task and were paid in full by the Drow.

The Tower of Varal
Discrimination

Death and return

Dealing with traps downstairs

Varal the Mage and failed diplomacy

The Clash at Vester Keep
Meeting Jinjam

Further monstrosities

The Siege of Vester Keep

Dealing with Rairaku again

A Second Meeting with Varal
Upon arrival at the Tower of Varal, Alton used his Drow charm and current but limited knowledge of the Lachla Shards and his aberration Flumph companion, Lumio, to convince Varal to give him the opportunity to speak with him. Feeling in a patient mood, he accepted his arrival at the tower and invited the Drow for tea. It had been a long time since Varal had spoken with anyone other than his Deep Gnome friend.

Asking of the Lachla Shards, Varal admitted that he was in the possession of the Blue Shard of Lachla. It was the reason his towers burnt with blue arcane energy and he was able to harness this as a conduit of the weave that enhanced his ability to manipulate magic further than any mage before him. It allowed him to create the Silver Void to banish the demon Lords and their horde, and ultimately hide his entire tower within pocket dimensions as quickly as the Illithid could planeshift, whenever the mindflayers attempted to siege his castle.

He explains that he currently lives with centuries of guilt and sorrow for watching the world around him become consumed by the Mindflayer's unending drive to find the shards but knew that Elysia would only be the first of many worlds to fall if they were to find the Lachla Shards. He took the decision himself to sacrifice Elysia for all of the worlds that he did not know of, nor would ever see. He explains that before the mass genocide of Elysia, he had formed a council that he would call Arcadia, that would seek to stop all evil in the multiverse. They would be the final stand against the Illithid. The Last Frontier.

He and the council of four other powerful entities would seek out one of the Lachla Shards each and do everything in their power to hide them from the Illithid. The price of their deed was Elysia and lands surrounding and its population of near 8,000,000 people.

When asked of the fate of the other members of Arcadia, Varal stated that he had not heard of them since they parted ways but was equally unable to use his Lachla Shard to locate their own and thus drew the conclusion that they had at least partially succeeded. He provided a physical description of each but had little more to add, so Alton departed on better terms than their first meeting.

End of the Oni Menace
Operation Rolling Thunder

Lightning strikes twice, and thrice more too

Death of Velenthe, turning tides

Rairaku enters the fight

Stalling the inevitable

Rairaku's final flight, a Kobold avenger

Loot from the battle, along with the bounty placed by Lord Thorne, did make the party considerably richer. Alton took up a permanent residence within Fort Eskarya, paid for by the expedition as a reward for his services, and began excavating under his house to create the first fighting pit. The Underarena would serve as both a scouting grounds for Midnight's Edge and a source of income to the Nightlord.

Chance Encounters
A poorly planned ambush

Fighting the orcish horde

Viakane returns and joins the fight

Ending the monster, but not so fast

The hobgoblin-shrine incident and the hungry-griffons incident

Meeting with Dralvar

A cunning ruse

With both the profits from the Underarena and the loot from the orcs, Alton expanded his home into a proper base of operations for Midnight's Edge. The Starfall Lodge would now house the other members of Midnight's Edge that had previously been encamped around the town, and also remain a workshop for Alton's projects alongside those of his guildmates.

Return to Vester Keep
A better ambush

Delving into the depths

Strange voices and striders

Melusvi and the portal, Vyodros' mental fortitude prevails

Giant Ape vs Ghasts

Water Elemental ambush, waking the beholder

Fleeing, then looting, then fleeing again

Negotiations were short, Melusvi dusted by Slink Giantsbane

Beholder returns, everything goes to shit

Alton and Vyodros petrified, Lost Flame killed, Slink disintegrated

Alton, Vyodros, and Lost Flame were eventually carried back to Fort Kroideyn by Perven - thanks to his wild shape. A priest was summoned from Eskarya to free Vyodros, who in turn restored Alton and revived Lost Flame - putting him in debt to the tempest cleric again. Alton was also deeply saddened to learn of Slink's final fate. A small memorial would sit on the mantlepiece of the Starfall Lodge, alongside those for Manyn and Velenthe, in honour of the bravest Kobold Alton had ever known.

The Hunt for a Dragon Lair
Meeting Kit and Tin

Strange happenings

Entering the lair, Sip negotiates

Once again, negotiations were short

Kit's true form revealed, parting as friends, kinda?

Continued exploration, a party of fey creatures

Becoming Froghemoth chow, rescuing Sip and the gem.

Barundir revealed, in more ways than one

A Demonic Incursion
The portal opened, hell emptied

Rallying the troops

Gnolls and demons, a strategy is formed

Jamaal begins the hunt, things don't go well

Darkness divides, the first storm is weathered

Greater demons, Lost Flame is extinguished

The cat returns, Barundir makes a gambit

The gnolls fall, the portal fails

Recovering a Demon Lord Prison
With the Abyssal Orb temporarily in Alton's possession, he musters a small force of his fellow adventurers to head into the depths beneath Vester Keep and recover the Demon Lord Prison supposedly hidden away behind powerful wards. Accompanied by Midnight's Edge's resident Arcanist, Merric Ashwhisper, the group descends into the catacombs under the Keep and are greeted by a familiar ominous doorway that blocks their path.

Most of the party takes damage as they enter within finding the chamber largely unchanged from previous reports. A spectral bone naga moves to greet them, speaking with Vyodros telepathically to discern their intentions. Seemingly satisfied, it allows them to continue to investigate. The cleric casts Commune, learning there are layers of protection, and the prison contained within is moveable by mundane means.

As he dispels the magic, elemental spirits of water surge forth, the one at their centre clad in plate. Alton destroys a pair of them with Stormsong, garnering the attention of the Myrmidon that tries to freeze him in place with his strikes. Both Merric and the Bone Naga fire off bolts of lightning, and when Vyodros is grappled into the water he calls upon his powers to part the arcane-filled liquid to create a dry path to the chest. Jamaal and Zook continue to attack from range, while Alton's pistols fire away. Vyodros, drowning by means of water elemental walks free thanks to Freedom of Movement, and with the felling of the Myrmidon by Jamaal, the other elementals do not spring back into life after their destruction. Alton leaps into the pit, seeing abyssal runes around the chest.

The bone naga tries to charm Vyodros, but fails - prompting a thunderwave from the cleric and incurring the party's wrath. Alton shrugs off a charm by the voice within the chest and starts hauling it free from the pit. Barandir reads the text upon the chest, declaring it so:"'Here lies the banished soul of embodiment of Kuri'xan, the Demon Lord of the Oni. Place your hands upon this prison at your peril, and forgive the failings of your wisdom.'"With the chest recovered - but its defences somewhat compromised - Merric hastily casts a teleportation circle that takes himself, Alton, Vyodros, and the prison to Varal's Tower.

Into the Woods
Followers of Zitus on the road

Assault on the hut, Barandir's plan

Wisps and Crocodiles

The hag retreats, only to return

Vyodros in peril, Zook and Barandir fall

The Hag flees, Alton narrowly avoids a caustic end

Exploring the Western Coast
Dealing with Bulettes

A ship is sighted, demons attack

Assault on the Gnoll encampment

The Damned Drake
Sunny days and demons

Mystery at the beach, a sudden disappearance

Teleportation, tentacles, and terror

Vyodros clears a path, Slink in peril

The creature is slain

Fenrir's Folly
The arrest of Luwin Blackbarrel

Wyverns in the night

A cunning ruse, the bait is taken

A trap sprung, the tables soon turn

Demons arrive, Demons depart

Fenrir fails, the fortress falls silent

' Enter Nel Kuldohr'
A fey giant and a pesky roc

Entering the mine, all in not well

A warning, a shadow most strange

Delving deeper, a dwarf king's crown

Into the depths, darkness dispelled

Nel Kuldohr and the Umgor Azkhron

Hearts of steel, mountains of stone

The darkest hour, Vyodros stands triumphant - if only for a moment

The Unbroken Chain
The descent begins anew

A door of brass, a coin for a key

Duergar reveal themselves

 'Ready the worm.'

A bargain is struck

A dwarven lich, Sip hears the word of death

The Chain revealed, an understanding reached

The Gray Dwarves' Bane
Negotiations were short

The onslaught begins

Spiritual guardians and the flame golem

The King falls, but so do Zook and Nira

The golem is destroyed

Reinforcements arrive too late

The Other Brother
Jinjam's fate revealed

Zesoldi's followers are uncovered

Arrival at the fishing village

Uhemis unveiled, a story disjointed

An unwelcome interruption

The demons are destroyed, all fall to Heartsbane

Valmoth and Melusvi flee, though Alton leaves them with a parting gift

The Fault in Arcadia
Arrival at the Institute

A pleasant welcome

An unpleasant welcome

The Magis are disposed of

Shale and Estelar

An uneasy pact is formed

The tower is looted

Shifting Perspective
It had been a long day at the Elysian Institute, especially for the Nightlord - addled as he was, but Alton had eventually been able to steel his nerves and calm himself. He turned the Dunamantic staff in his hands, spinning it over and over again as he contemplated all that had been said. His private study was not an extravagant room, dominated by a large desk and the chairs that surrounded it, and he found himself sat in one such chair that was turned to face directly into the wall. No room for escape, he was trapped here with his thoughts.

Shale had not been wrong to hate Arcadia for what they did, he could not deny her that, but the bigger picture had always been what was truly at stake and the Genasi had proven rather resolute in her naivety. He envied her for that, that her willpower was so formidable that even the passing of centuries had not eroded it, but her plans were so one-dimensional. A small army of 'Magen' would not stop the Illithids, nor would taking petty revenge upon the members of Arcadia avenge the millions that had died for their sins. Yet, in another way, they were similar. They had both placed their trust in Varal and he had abandoned them.

He could feel the Red Lady judging him from across the great lanceboard in the sky, his poor strategy had let the Demon Lords roam freer than ever and he had placed all his trust in a piece that he did not control. Near a hundred years old and yet he had been as foolish as a newborn babe. Her eyes pierced into his own, a starry void that dragged Alton deeper and deeper into its depths of his own conscious until all he could see was the stars and their reflections. And then they became reflections of himself. They spanned as far as he could see and, upon closer inspection, no two reflections were in fact identical. Each had a unique difference to it, some subtle whilst others obvious, so perhaps they were a different versions of himself - ones who had made different choices and yet still ended up here.

Even as he walked upon a sea of his own likeness, Alton felt the gaze of the Red Lady still falling upon him. It was neither warm nor cold, it was just there. She had always been watching, looking over his shoulder and straightening his aim from time-to-time, but this was the first time the Drow felt like she was truly paying him attention. He was, after all, not a zealous man. He kept his beliefs quiet and made no secret his resentment for many that were corrupted by their blind faith and mindless conviction.

It felt like an eternity had passed as he wandered through this unending space, celestial eyes boring into the back of his head, until finally he saw something different. It was a lanceboard, the pieces arranged in a manner to suggest that a game was already underway, but there was no opponent. He stood before it and analysed the position, unable to shake the feeling of being under intense scrutiny, until he arrived at the only natural conclusion. It was untenable, sacrifice would delay the inevitable but all roads eventually led to defeat. Around him, Alton watched as the infinite copies of himself took to their own lanceboards. Making moves, contemplating alternatives, wasting time.

He reached out his hand and laboriously toppled the white king, setting it down upon the board as a means to surrender.

In an instant the other versions of himself vanished, the space vanished, until all that remained was the lanceboard. The pieces had returned to their starting positions, a new game had begun though the players were the same. Alton pondered for a moment more what this meant, was it a prophetic vision or another mirage, then suddenly he felt the sudden shaking of a hand upon his shoulder.

Awakening from his trance with a stir, he shook his head from side to side as he readjusted to his surroundings. His hands were clenched around the staff tightly, an attunement he had not intended to gain and yet felt so natural, as he turned to look at the figure who had awoken him so hurriedly. He felt no more pressure upon his shoulder though, and as he turned he saw that he sat in his study alone. No sign of another having entered or left.

He stood, pushing the chair back to it's original station, and turned for the door when Corin abruptly burst into the room. The pale human's gaze flashed with surprise as he saw Alton stood ready to greet him, and he spoke hurriedly with a voice that exuded concern.

"An urgent summons from the Hall of the Tempest, Nightlord. It appears the Institute is under attack."

The Dark One's Folly
Shale's summons are answered

The welcoming party

Advancing inside

A mist of shadows

Banishment tips the scales

Gruveir is thwarted

Agnes flees, the shadows return

Second banishment

The Dark One flees

Watching the end of the Institute

A Step Toward Divinity
The records of Alton's experiences during his attunement to the Lachla Shard recovered from the Elysian Institute of Arcana.

The Defence of Nel Kuldohr
The line is drawn in the sand

Like shooting fish in a barrel

A bigger beast approaches

Melusvi opens the way, a strike force infiltrates the keep

Hearts makes her first move, a surprising one

Viakane and Fenrir force the front gate

Psychic screams, psychic scythes

Barandir's maze, Valmoth realises his mistake

The change of Hearts

Valmoth's end, one more soul devoured

The fragment is captured

The Black Lotus
The matter of Hearts

A new age for Arcadia

Hobgoblins and a key

A land within the mind, a trap is sprung

Zal'moxon makes an entrance

Divine Words expel Melusvi and Fenrir

Counterspells and chronurgy save the seal

Barandir arrives, Zal'moxon falls

Tenebrous breaks free and the seal is broken

Yolgoruth is freed and devoured

Barandir falls, but Vyodros' cunning knows no bounds

Research

 * Discovery of Bang-Bang powder
 * Creation of the bullet
 * The first firearm
 * Firearm repair
 * Elemental Infusion
 * The Lachla Shards
 * The Alien Egg
 * The Obsidian Cube
 * The Greater Khyber Crystal
 * The Libram and Legacies of the Wyrms
 * The Musket and the Pepperbox
 * The Bad News Project
 * The Champion of Zitus
 * The Esoterics of Potentiality
 * Genesis Arcana
 * The Curse of Foresight
 * The Clairvoyant Esoterica
 * The Ardent Paths of Elysia
 * Master Brytta's Atlas of Stories

Current Items

 *  Cloak of the Chronurgist - A masterwork item, gifted to Alton for his services to the Empire of Eskarya shortly before he was declared an enemy of the state and forced into exile
 *  Bag of Holding - A magical container that allowed Alton to carry much more equipment than his strength would allow
 * Buckle of Cat Catching - Purchased from the general store, magical properties dubious at best

Former Items

 * Lachla Shard (Turquoise-Amethyst) - A legendary artifact of unbridled psionic power, once guarded by Ferzar before it passed to Shale and eventually into Alton's care. Fused into the Temporal Gardens to preserve the correct timeline
 *  Phoenician Fury - A magical pistol crafted by Alton, thought to be the first of its kind by the Drow during its creation. Given to Merric Ashwhisper before Alton departed Elysia
 * Stormsong - A magical pistol crafted by Alton and infused with elemental lightning provided by Vyodros. Given to Sip before Alton departed Elysia
 * Curtain Call - A magical precision rifle crafted by Alton, a long-range death dealer to be used sparingly. Given to Merric Ashwhisper before Alton departed Elysia
 * Augurscythe - A magical double-bladed scimitar found in the village of Vester, allowing its wielder to cast powerful divination spells. Returned to Estelar by means of Alton's first and only wish
 * Deathbringer, Bane of the Violet Kings - A magical greatsword gifted to Alton by the Eskaryan Expedition in honour of his many storied triumphs over the many dangers of Elysia. Loaned to Mirinus during the heat of battle, and bonded to by the minotaur, though the weapon has since returned to Alton's care. Given to Merric Ashwhisper before Alton departed Elysia
 * The Obsidian Cube - A powerful magical artifact that Alton researched, allowing him to cast some divination spells. Given to the Aasimar mage Lysander as a gift, for his own arcane abilities had far surpassed it
 * The Pallid Aegis - A magically infused set of leather armour crafted from the hide of a howler demon, providing resistance to an assortment of elements. Given to Jamaal al'Hesan before the battle upon the Ariser and left in his care
 * Headband of Intellect - A magical headpiece that enhances the wearer's intellect to the peak of mortal ability, crafted by Alton after breaking his attunement with the Lachla Shard. Given to Jamaal al'Hesan before the battle upon the Ariser and left in his care
 * Robe of Useful Items - A magical robe that Alton wears on top of his leather armour, taken from the hoard of a green dragon in Tornka Forest. Many patches were consumed during his duel against Alekas and Valentius, buying valuable time for Alton's allies to escape before the Drow was eventually captured
 * Cloak of Elvenkind - A magical item that enhanced Alton's stealth capabilities, found deep within an Ettin's cave. Sold to the Kobold rogue Slink when he agreed to join Midnight's Edge, and lost at Vester Keep following Slink's untimely demise
 * Belt of Hill Giant Strength - An enchanted belt that gives Alton the might of a giant, claimed during the recapture of Camp Thorne from the forces of Rairaku. Given to the Tabaxi monk Zook Za-Rah upon discovery of the Fire Giant belt in Nel Kuldohr
 * Cloak of Protection - An enchanted cloak that helps shields Alton from harm, found in a beholder's horde beneath Vester Keep. Traded to Perven for the Augerscythe
 * Belt of Fire Giant Strength - An enchanted belt that gives Alton the might of a fire giant, pulled from the remains of the Duergar King Bhelnir Darkheart during the reclamation of Nel Kuldohr. Gifted to Mirinus before the defence of Nel Kuldohr for Valmoth's army
 * Staff of Dunamancy - Imbued with the magic of potentiality, the staff was found in the chambers of Varal at the Elysian Institute of Arcana. Returned to Varal as its rightful owner
 * Luxon Beacon - A dodecahedron of faintly glowing crystal that is heavier than it appears, it grants a fragment of possibility to those that study it that allows them to twist the strands of fate. Returned to Varal as its rightful owner