Ajax the Invincible¶
"On behalf of the college, I would like to thank Lord Alvaro for his excellent lecture. The whole school owes you a debt for donating your time today. We will now open the floor to questions. Before we do, I would like to remind you that we enjoy a certain amount of informality here at the war college, but when speaking to Lord Alvaro, let not informality topple over into familiarity. We will take the first question now. Francis?"
"Thank you, sir. Lord Alvaro, what we just heard on the topic of Ajax's strategy was pretty chilling. In your opinion, as someone who knew him, how serious is he with his stance on non-humans in Orden? And how should we reconcile this with the treaties he signed with the elves and dwarves of Vasloria? Thank you for your time, my lord."
"Ah, yes," Alvaro said, eyebrows raised theatrically. "Jack's famous 'pro-human' rhetoric." And there was a susurration among the students. For the last hour, Lord Alvaro had only referred to the subject of his lecture as "Ajax." Everyone in the city knew Ajax and Alvaro attended university together, but for the first time, the students in the lecture hall understood—they had been friends.
"The short answer is: no. I don't believe Jack is a raving ah... 'human supremacist,' as the broadsheets put it. That's Mortum. But he does find the idea useful.
"I spoke for the last hour on Jack's tactics. But let's talk about his high-level goals for a moment. Remember everything I just said about Vasloria. The unique problems it presents to someone like Jack. Vasloria is probably as complex a problem as Ajax will ever face. No centralized government, no infrastructure. There's no Vaslorian equivalent of the Heliopolis, or Capital, Kashiato, or Qarat al Ya'tib. So how does one conquer a region with no unified identity and no central command?
"Well, you create that identity. Consider, before the coming of Ajax, most humans in the region only knew the elves and dwarves as a source of trade! Commerce. Large-scale battles were mostly fought between human duchies.
"Ajax systematically defeats those dukes, replacing them with... no one, and he forces the elves and dwarves to sign treaties at swordpoint. Like the dwarves of Kal Kalavar. They pay tribute to Ajax in forced labor. They don't send dwarves, oh no! They capture humans. Those unsuited for labor go into the Body Banks.
"So, what has Jack done? He's chopped the head off the feudal system in Vasloria leaving only far-flung baronies to fend for themselves. The people feel scared, alone. Leaderless. If the people use the roads, they risk capture by the dwarves; if they use the woods for resources, they're cut down by the elves. So they learn to distrust the elves and dwarves.
"I think it's a stroke of genius. Conquering all of Vasloria by force would be a long and bloody affair. Instead, he creates the conditions that will allow him to save Vasloria. He lets this field lie fallow for a few years, and, when he returns, there'll be a whole generation of young people who do not remember a time when the roads or forests were safe. Who hate the dwarves and elves. When Ajax returns, they will welcome him as their protector and he will unite them against these new enemies.
"It's a long plan, but I can't see any way it won't work. Uniting humans by pitting them against everyone else in Orden is a strategy I think he'll rely on more and more. It's working very well for him. Next question."
"Lord Alvaro, according to the broadsheets, there are many new churches in Vasloria dedicated to 'Saint' Ajax. Do you believe this is part of his grand strategy? Thank you, my lord."
"That's Mortum's doing, I'm sure of it. Mortum was a great believer in the power of religion as a tool to manipulate societies. If Jack's given it any thought at all, he'd see it as a sound strategy for his plan to return as, not just the protector, but the savior of the land. I suspect if Mortum hadn't pushed the idea, Jack would have thought of it sooner or later. The Pharoah of Khemhara commands enormous power, more than any political leader in all Orden, because uniquely he is both head of state and the chief religious officer. Even the emperors of Caelila didn't think of that. Next question."
"Thank you. Lord Alvaro, if Ajax is trying to conquer the world... do you think he will succeed?"
"Yes. Unless there's rapid agreement between all the powers of the world to work together and stop him? Yes, he's going to win. It's precisely because he knew such an alliance of powers was practically impossible that he even considered a Caelian-style campaign of conquest in the first place.
"Next question."
On Ajax¶
He bestrides the land like one of history's great conquerors. A combination of ambition, courage, and study created a master tactician in command of a massive army collecting countless priceless treasures—and no one to stand in his way.
By Might and Merit¶
Ajax the Invincible has earned his title. He graduated top of his class at Capital's military academy, and then immediately launched into a campaign across his homeland of Phaedros. At his side was his advisor Mortum, a nefarious wizard who guided Ajax in the footsteps of the Caelian Empire's conquests before them.
Together, Ajax and Mortum went on to subjugate and enlist hamlet after town after city after territory with little standing in their way. When they successfully returned the Chrysopolis—an ancient flying sky-elf city—to the sky, and their accomplishments literally rose above the country—no one could ignore their might any longer.
Treasures Abound¶
Ajax lays claims to many powerful treasures, both gifted to him in exchange for sanctuary and taken by his own hands. The Mantle of the Phoenix Queen, a harness that conjures the wings of a phoenix. Uthgryl, the Negotiator, Blade of the Gol King, a sword so sharp that it could cleave a person's willpower in two. The Hand of Kukai, a gauntlet plated in jade that harbors powerful, forbidden magic.
His arsenal is vast and strategically picked to round out his strength. There are few situations he isn't prepared to handle.
The Iron Saint¶
While some of his forces may refer to Ajax as the Iron Saint, the version of him presented here hasn't taken up that title yet. Ajax the Invincible will continue to amass followers, treasures, and titles until he can ascend to his rightful status as a saint. It's up to the heroes to make sure this will never come to pass.
Ajax's Languages¶
Ajax speaks Caelian, Higaran, Khoursirian, Phaedran, Riojan, Vaniric, and Vaslorian.
Ajax the Leader
Ajax is a master tactician. It would stand to reason that he can enter battle leading an army instead of facing the heroes solo.
Future adventures might feature different iterations and stat blocks for Ajax. For now, you can convert Ajax the Invincible into a level 11 leader with the following adjustments:
- Reduce his encounter value to EV 52.
- Reduce his Stamina to 280.
- Remove his Ajax Turns trait.
- Remove all his maneuvers.
- Add the following maneuver:
Strike Them Down Two allies within 10 squares of Ajax each move up to their speed and can use a signature ability.
- Adjust the I'm Not Done Yet trait so that Ajax dies at −140 Stamina instead of −350.
Ajax the Invincible
- AjaxTrait
- Blade of the Gol KingMain ActionSignature
- Decree by the Jade HandMain Action
- Divine VineManeuver
- Bead of HellManeuver2 Malice
- I'm Not Done Yet.Trait
- Is This What They Taught You?Triggered action
- Shieldbreaker TalismanTriggered action
- Who's Hesitating?Triggered action
- Your Obsession With Me Betrays YouTriggered action
- You Would Flounder Your Assault?Triggered action2 Malice
- Phoenix Wing KingVillain Action 1
- I've Learned Their TricksVillain Action 2
- Awe of the Iron CrownVillain Action 3