| Count Drax | |
| Fictional Character | |
| Videssos Fantasy | |
| Appearance(s): | The Misplaced Legion; An Emperor for the Legion; The Legion of Videssos |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct (POV for one scene) |
| Nationality: | Namdalen |
| Religion: | Gambler theology |
| Occupation: | Mercenary, "Imperial aide", nobleman |
The Great Count Drax was a Namdalener general who the ruler of Namdalen, Duke Tomond, sent to answer the Videssian emperor's request for troops against the Yezda. After the battle of Maragha, the suave and very shrewd nobleman was hired by the Sphrantzai when they tried to supplant the Gavras from the throne.
At some point prior to the arrival of the Roman Legion, Drax and Utprand besieged the castle of a rival noble. The noble surrendered to Drax alone, and Drax denied Utprand his share of the plunder. From the on, Drax and Utprand shared a mutual loathing and rivalry.
After the civil war, Drax, who had fought ably for the the Sphrantzai, was hired to fight for Avtokrator Thorisin Gavras. He was very impressed by the professionalism the Romans tribe displayed, initially taking them for peasant levies who would easily be broken by his horsemen. His strategic skills endeared him to the Avtokrator and placed him high in the trust of the imperials, against the warnings of Marcus Scaurus. This trust led Thorisin Gavras to place him in command of the army that would defeat the rebel Baanes Onomagoulos.
That trust was broken when Drax rebelled and claimed control of the westlands. He defeated the first force sent to subdue him when most of its Namdalener contingent turned traitor and joined his side (with the exception of Utprand's forces, who were killed fighting their countrymen). Drax captured Mertikes Zigabenos and forced him into pretending to be the Avtokrator, creating doubt and intrigue amongst the Videssians. The victory at the Skamandros allowed many more Namdaleners to land in Videssos. Drax was, however, eventually defeated by the very Yezda he was supposed to have been fighting for Videssos and captured. He was freed by the treachery of Helvis after Marcus Scaurus paid the Yezda for his release, and escaped back to the Duchy along with the other high-ranking Namdalener prisoners.
Drax's seal was a green pair of dice in a wine cup--"loaded dice".
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