Jaxon Forge was never meant to follow in his father’s footsteps. While his skills with a blacksmith's hammer came naturally, it never really felt right to him. From an early age he showed a passion for exploration and understanding the world around him, his courage often getting him into trouble. As a teen he would sneak off to explore local caves. One night, as he tried to explore deeper than he ever had, long after his friends had abandoned him, he stumbled upon a strange metallic object. As he brought his torch closer to inspect it, he let out an audible gasp, echoing throughout the caverns. It could only be one of two things: a giant diamond, or a white dragon egg.
For years, Jaxon led a double life. He spent the day sweating over hot steel, bending metals to his will. But when he looked at his reflection in a new blade, all he saw….was a dragon. At night he would sneak back to the cave, where he set up a ramshackle campsite. He wouldn’t sleep, he just lay there, staring at the object, waiting…. Over time his red hair and beard grew long and tangled, his words jumbled from lack of sleep. His friends would no longer adventure with him to the caves, thinking he had lost his mind. But still he hammered on….still he returned to the cave.
Until one night, a night like any other, Jaxon turned the last bend in the caves and stopped in his tracks. On this night, the campsite lay torn to shreds and burned to a crisp. The object was gone. Someone had found and stolen his treasure. Jaxon fell to his knees, weeping, was he crazy? Was it just a diamond that he sat on for years, and had now lost forever? He crawled to a nearby precipice, planning to end it all.
Then he saw it, the shimmer reflecting his torchlight. A small shard of the object, like a piece of eggshell, had fallen into the pit. It was real! Shaking visibly, Jaxon donned his climbing gear and repelled into the pit to claim his prize. No other signs were anywhere, but he knew he was right all along. He had a renewed vigor. That night he returned to his home and packed his belongings, leaving a farewell note to his family before leaving, never to return again.
Jaxon set off on his mission to find this mysterious dragon. He was no longer Jaxon Forge. He began to introduce himself as Jaxon Drake, the Dragon Hunter, traveling from hamlet to village to town, following rumors of strange flying lizards. Over time, his name and story spread and young adventurers were inspired to follow in his footsteps.
Jaxon’s tale soon caught the attention of a minor Count by the name of Vestan Krieger, who bestowed upon him the title of Chief Justice. Jaxon and the Count's daughter Erzabet fell in love, married and settled down in her estate. The couple would go on to have many sons and eventually succeed her father as Count and Countess.
Count Jaxon Drake could no longer risk adventuring on his own and began to send younger, more capable explorers to follow up on draconic rumors. This led to the formation of the Adventurer’s Guild.
After spending years as an adventurer himself, the eldest son Vestan took up leadership of the guild and sent his brothers off to explore the far regions of the duchy. Years later, they returned, bringing with them grand stories, massive treasures, and deeds to all the lands in the region. Together those lands came to be known by the family that brought them all together: Drake.
