Valaan Blackblade

The Sojourner, Lord Wolfsgaze; Ascendant God of Surfacer Drow, Travel, Diplomacy and Swordsmanship

Valaan Blackblade is the ascendant hero and a divine patron of surface drow, travel, diplomacy and swordsmanship. He is a regional demigod of the plane of Waking Materia.

The most well-known member of the drow pantheon amongst surface races, Blackblade was a traveling warrior in the First Age who was instrumental in uniting the Grandchildren of Ahm—children of Morningtide, Eventide and Nyxfall—against the necrocratic empire of New Rozsa. Though he's not good-aligned, drow followers of the Sojourner are more tolerant of other races than their xenophobic kin. It's said his greatsword was forged by Nyxfall itself.

The Sojourner's alignment is Lawful Neutral.

Appearance & Heraldry

See also: Valaan Blackblade Imagery (External)

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First Age records of Valaan Blackblade remain in the possession of his church and a few other libraries, describing a tall, well-build but otherwise unexceptional-looking drow male. As his name implies, he would often be seen with his iconic black greatsword. He is often theologically connected to the wolf, and as such the animal appears frequently in his divine heraldry.

Worship

Blackblade has overseen a small but stable church since his ascension. Though there are a few holy sites where his followers have created permanent churches the vast majority of his clerics and mortal swords live on the road, seeking their destinies with hearts unclouded by the pride and avarice that tends to plague drow society. Places of worship usually take the form of roadside shrines. He is even occasionally worshipped by non-drow as an exemplar of justice and interspecies diplomacy.

Though not explicitly good-aligned himself, the Blackblade fought agents of evil frequently and so occasionally attracts paladins, but the majority of his mortal swords are greyguards in a similar vein to Umbraasian inquisitors.

The Battle of Silent Sound

Of the Sojourner's brick-and-mortar churches, perhaps the most famous is the Temple of Bladefall in the Kettite town of Silent Sound, where he, Laila By-the-Sea, Galadnock mac-Kenzie and a few suviving soldiers held off an attack by Lichlord Chelicerax's scorpionine armies for a gruelling eight hours, long enough for Vierix Clymenikari and the Hecath Queen Raggedy Azra to summon the help of her Sisters, thus turning the tide of the battle and defeating the chelicerans.

Domains

Valaan Blackblade's primary Domain is Duty. His secondary domains are Travel, Freedom, Might, Protection and Sorrow.

Favoured Weapon

The Sojourner's favoured weapon is the greatsword. His Relic greatsword is the Black Blade of Night's Reach.