Xenus Blackcharger
After his training, he returned to the Shadow Forest. On the way home, he found a band of poachers who slayed a pride of Sabertooth Cats. Xenus attacked the poachers and was almost slain, but was rescued in the last second by Tenar Oakshaker, the hierophant druid. As Tenar mended Xenus's wounds, something could be seen under the dead tigers. A newborn cub was still alive. Tenar gave the cub to Xenus who named him Felix.
They tested him and found that he possessed the ability to become a shapeshifter (Kit in the Complete Druids Handbook by David Pulver p. 37), a very rare talent. The great druid, an aasamar with long hair and beard named Angelous accepted him into the circle and sent him to be trained in the art by Lupus, the swanmay master shapeshifter .
Xenus also has a strong hatred for the church of Mangus- Gawd of Disease. In the time of Xenus's Grandfather, a sect of Mangus came to the area and attempted to have a sect to their gawd in the Hedge Ogre city of Ogtal. The hedge ogres attacked the sect and the worshipers of Mangus retaliated with a plague which killed Xenus's grandfather and much of his clan.
Xenus's family has lived in the Forest of Shadow for generations.
His father is very good friends with the Village Druid of Cora, a half
satyr (detailed in Dragon Magazine #109 Article "Hooves and Greenhair" by Bennet Marks May 1986) named Crymlin. Crymlin noticed Xenus’s naturalistic abilities and at the age of eighteen, took the young centaur to his circles quad-yearly moot.
Xenus (or "Z" to his family and close friends) has a notable hatred for gnomes. When he was young, his family struck a deal for a large quantity of his fathers mead, with a gnomish merchant from Tomar. His father was paid in gold pieces, only to have the gold turn into copper pieces a few days later. He and his father traveled to Tomar to search for the merchant, but he was never found.
When Xenus finally returned to his village he found trouble. His family told of undead animals coming from the heart of the forest. First it was a squirrel, then months later a badger. A few days later, Xenus was asked by Crymlin to accompany him to investigate. They were joined by a wandering human adventurer named John Redtunic, who was in the area and offered his services.
It was decided that Xenus would have to tell the inner circle in the sacred grove in the far off Haven Forest about the darkness in the Shadow Forest. Crymiln would have to stay behind to protect Cora.
Xenus raced past the decayed forest back to the unaffected, healthy part of the forest and noticed the darkness reseeding. On the way back, they were attacked by some undead animals coming from the direction of the darkness, but they managed to hold their own and eventually made it back to Cora.
The three hiked deeper and deeper into the forest. As they did, it got darker and darker. They noticed the leaves on the trees appeared sickly and many were turning jet black. The darkness of the forest was deepening and even seemed to be approaching upon them. The trio began to take steps backward when a large wooden hand appeared from the darkness and grabbed John Redtunic.
John screamed as an enormous undead Trent stepped out of the darkness. With its other hand, the trent grabbed John Redtunic legs and pulled the human into two pieces, spraying the nearby trees with blood and entrails. Crymiln quickly jumped upon Xenus’s back and the centaur bolted away from the gruesome scene. Behind them they heard the rustling of many feet and when Crymlin looked back he only saw the darkness racing behind them.