The party found Dax in Session 2, wounded amid five dead orcs on a parallel contract to Gnomengarde. He joined cautiously — unsure at first whether the group was the fastest way to finish his quest — and stayed because the jobs keep paying.

With his original trade contract discharged (the Guildmaster’s contract delivered to King Korboz, the King’s sealed envelope delivered back to Guildmaster Thornton), Dax works wherever the coin is: Harbin’s contracts, and Thornton’s standing offer of payment for dragon intelligence. He’s the party’s contractual link to the Zhentarim guildmaster — though he sat out Bean’s unauthorized visit to Harbin’s house, and doesn’t know what her notes say.

Background

Dax grew up poor in a mid-sized town — the kind of place where opportunity was scarce and survival took precedence over ambition. With his family struggling to get by, he discovered early that he had a natural talent for fighting and put it to use in the local fighting rings. Not for glory; for coin. It worked. For years he fought, and for years his family got by.

When they passed, there was nothing left tying him to that town, so he left. With little else to his name and a knack for fighting, he enlisted in the military. It wasn’t a calling — it was the next logical step. The military took his raw ability and sharpened it: proper swordwork, discipline, how to fight as part of a unit and how to survive alone. He did his time, did his job well, and when his service was up he walked away without looking back.

Civilian life meant finding his own work, and sellsword suited him — no fixed employer, no fixed home, just the next job. His military background meant people hired him with confidence, and he built a quiet reputation for being reliable and straightforward. Clients hire someone they trust, and they hire them again.

He’d been working the roads around Phandalin when the Guildmaster took notice and offered him a one-time contract: travel to Gnomengarde and establish trade relations with the gnomes on behalf of the guild. Simple enough on paper. The roving orc bands in the area made it anything but.

Fighting through those bands, something caught his attention. The orcs weren’t just aggressive — they were unsettled, agitated in a way that went beyond territory disputes. In the chaos of skirmishes he picked up enough to piece together that something had them scared. Something they called a dragon. He doesn’t know what to make of it. But orcs don’t scare easily, and that’s enough to take seriously.

Appearance

Human, 25, 5’11“ and 175 lb. Short brown hair, slightly longer on top and intentionally shaped; blue eyes, fair skin, light scruff along the jaw. Small scattered scars mark his knuckles and forearms from years of fighting in the ring — nothing dramatic, just lived-in. He carries himself with quiet, understated confidence.

Personality

He faces problems head-on: a simple, direct solution is the best path to success. Always polite and respectful with it. He fights for those who cannot fight for themselves, but holds that ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for — live and let live. His one confessed flaw: he’d rather eat his armor than admit when he’s wrong (see: “Wasn’t in the military very long anyway”).

Notable deeds

• Tied up Facktoré after Thom put her to sleep (Session 2).
• Delivered the Guildmaster’s contract to King Korboz and carried the King’s sealed envelope back to Phandalin (Sessions 3–4).
• Burned an Action Surge in the manticore fight at Umbrage Hill; Barnaby shielded him with a reaction (Session 4).
• Tossed Adabra’s free healing potion to a still-bleeding Thom (Session 5).
• Attempted a strategic read of the orc movements from his military days and came up with nothing (“Wasn’t in the military very long anyway”) (Session 5).
• Earned the dwarf prospectors’ goodwill with a formal introduction in Dwarvish (Session 5).
• Discovered the hidden coffer of gemstones in a pillar base — the dwarves don’t know (Session 5).
• Carries the Clockwork Amulet.

Tactical note: against ochre jellies, thrown handaxes and bludgeoning work; slashing just makes more jellies. His longsword follow-up after a jelly-splitting handaxe proved this the hard way. Lead with thrown weapons.