Difference between revisions of "Waxillium Ladrian"

|image=Waxillium Ladrian.jpg

|family=[[House Ladrian]]

|relatives=[[Edwarn Ladrian|Edwarn]], [[Hinston]]

|siblings=[[Telsin Ladrian|Telsin]]

|abilities={{tag+|Skimmer}} & {{tag+|Coinshot}} {{tag|twinborn}} (Crasher)

|profession={{cat tag|Law enforcement|Lawman}}, High Lord

|residence=Elendel

|world=Scadrial

|books=[[Mistborn Era 2]]

}}

|Wax{{book ref|mb6|29}}

}}

 

== Appearance and Personality ==

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Wax is tall{{book ref|mb6|21}} with an intense face and eyes that are sometimes described to be as cold as icicles.{{book ref|mb6|21}} Though the twenty years he spent living in the Roughs have taken their toll on his appearance{{book ref|mb6|21}}, leaving his hands calloused{{book ref|mb6|31}} and his dark hair streaked with gray, he still maintains the lean, muscular body of his youth.{{book ref|mb4|13}} Accustomed to regularly sitting for a shave {{book ref|mb6|1}}, Wax still believes he could use a nice scar on his face, in good Roughs fashion.{{book ref|mb4|13}}

 

In addition to his metalminds, a pair of [[iron]] bracers he wears on his upper arms typically hidden by the cuffs of his sleeves{{book ref|mb4|2}}, Wax favors wearing an [[aluminum]]-lined, Roughs-style hat, as well as a long, mistcloak duster over his fine city suit, vest, and cravat.{{book ref|mb5|5}} Wax tends to be unnaturally light on his feet, due to his habit of nearly constantly filling his metalminds with a small percentage of his weight.{{book ref|mb2|prologue}}

 

When on patrol, Wax adds a shotgun to the pocket of his tasseled mistcloak and straps on a gunbelt fully stocked with spent bullet casings and whiskey-filled metal vials, to compliment the dual pistols holstered on his hips.{{book ref|mb4|1}}

Wax is temperamental{{book ref|mb6|21}}, rough around the edges and distrustful of modern noble society, disliking the "games" of the big city. He admires the simplicity of the Roughs, where trouble is solved quickly and one man with a gun can make a difference, contrasting the politics of Elendel, where the great houses hide their true intentions behind fake smiles and outright lies.

 

Wax also has a habitual routine of warily checking for possible attacks or any form of danger. This is seen through his constant tendency to take the safest seat in a room, or scan an area for the most defensible location.

 

 

 

=== The Village ===

 

=== The Roughs ===

 

During a bounty claim on Granite Joe, he would encountered [[Lessie]]--a woman he would fall in love with and eventually marry.{{book ref|mb5|prologue}}

=== Return to Elendel ===

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In his early months in Elendel, Wax earned a reputation for frequently disappearing early from social functions, preferring to steel-push through the mists, in patrol of the city. On one such night, Waxillium paused his patrol and intervened in a shootout. Believing he heard a woman's whimper, which reminded him of Lessie, Wax froze during the gunfight. Coming to the conclusion that he was no longer capable of being a lawman, and with the effectiveness of the city constabulary forcing him to face the irrelevance of vigilante justice in general, Wax hung up his guns for good.{{book ref|mb4|1}}

 

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After the wedding was interrupted by the arrival of bandits from the Vanishers gang, who proceeded to rob the lords and ladies in attendance at gunpoint, Wax initially refused Wayne's insistence that he take up a pistol--having convinced himself that the Elendel constabulary would be able to handle the disturbance with far less bloodshed. When the gang went too far, killing a man and taking Steris as a hostage, Wax admitted that he could not stand idly by, and attacked the gang with his backup pistols and the full fury of his Steelpushing.{{book ref|mb4|5}} In the ensuing gunfight, Wax, Wayne, and Steris' cousin [[Marasi]] worked together to subdue the majority of the attackers, while successfully minimizing civilian casualties. When Marasi was suddenly held at gunpoint by one of the gang, in the same fashion as Lessie a year ago, Wax nearly froze up again. Marasi struggled, successfully stunning the Vanisher holding her, momentarily opening up the shot for Wax--forcing him to make a choice to overcome his fear to pull the trigger and save her. As the robbers retreated, Waxillium was surprised to discover the identity of the Vanishers' leader, [[Miles Dagouter|Miles "Hundredlives" Dagouter]]--another former lawman from the Roughs.{{book ref|mb4|6}}

Eventually discovering the location of the Vanishers' hideout and confirming Hundredlives' involvement, Wax began forming a plan to take down the unbeatable, former lawman.{{book ref|mb4|10}} Focusing his attention on puzzling out the Vanishers' peculiar robbery methods, Wax was taken by surprise when the Vanishers attacked his train en route back to Elendel.{{book ref|mb4|12}} Wounded in the attack and shaken by Hundredlives' claim that the real evil in the world is the corruption of Elendel itself{{book ref|mb4|13}}, Waxillium escaped to [[Ranette]]'s house, where he obtained [[Hazekiller]] bullets and a new prototype revolver, [[Vindication]].{{book ref|mb4|14}}

 

 

Correctly deducing the Vanishers' next target, Wax set Wayne and Marasi to work, zeroing in on the protection of Lord [[Augustin Tekiel|Tekiel]]'s next shipment train, which included the new, [[Breaknaught]] cargo car. Infiltrating the car just before the predicted robbery took place, Wax allowed himself to be taken to the Vanishers' lair.{{book ref|mb4|16}} Making use of a large amount of dynamite smuggled alongside him in the Breaknaught, Waxillium fought his way through the Vanishers' hideout, unfortunately losing Vindication in the fray. Successfully springing a trap made specially to capture Hundredlives, Wax was then forced to flee when the outlaw opted to blow himself up with a personal explosive, rather than be captured. Escaping into the mists, Waxillium briefly experienced a conversation with [[Harmony]], which culminated in the realization that Harmony had worked behind the scenes to orchestrate the delivery of Wax's old, lost weapons to the Vanishers' hideout, just in time to help.{{book ref|mb4|18}}

 

Due to his invaluable contributions toward the resolution of the Vanishers case, Wax was granted a citywide deputized forbearance by the [[Elendel#Government|Elendel Senate]] as well as certain allowances to practice his Roughs-style justice in the city.{{book ref|mb4|20}}

 

====Tormented by the Past====

 

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Needing time to think, Wax rode alone in his carriage, driven by [[Hoid]]. Casually musing upon whether his [[Pathian]] earring may have once been a Hermalurgic spike, Wax placed it into his ear. Immediately, Harmony spoke to Wax directly--careful to reassure him that he had not gone insane. Harmony admitted that the earring was a spike, which was the reason they were able to converse. Additionally, Harmony explained that Wax's earlier sightings of Bloody Tan were real and not imagined, though the murderer Wax had been chasing all this time was not a man, but actually a [[Faceless Immortal]] using Tan's bones, named [[Bleeder]].{{book ref|mb5|7}}

 

====Pursuit of a Mad Woman====

 

His pursuit of Bleeder waylaid by a dozen armed men, Wax was convinced that she must be aligned with the Set. Wax listened closely as Bleeder spoke in his mind of her plans to kill the governor and free the city from Harmony's influence, but first she claimed she would need to murder Wax's father. Guessing that she must have been threatening Lord Harms' life, Wax raced across the city, spiriting the old man and Steris to separate, secret locations. Finally believing he had moved one step ahead of Bleeder, Wax reported to Governor Innate to warn him of the dire threat to his life, only to discover that during his absence Bleeder had brutally killed [[Father Bin]], the [[Survivorist]] priest who was to perform his marriage ceremony to Steris.{{book ref|mb5|12}}

 

 

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Seeking more information on Bleeder, Wax entered the museum in the [[Field of Rebirth]]. Locating the secret path through the historical [[atium]] mines, Wax entered the cavern leading to the Homeland, and encountered [[TenSoon]], legendary wolfhound of the [[Ascendant Warrior]]. TenSoon told Wax much of Bleeder's history and showed him a torn up and desecrated copy of the [[Words of Founding]]--the product of one of her last acts before leaving the Homeland and evidence of her descent into madness.{{book ref|mb5|20}} Wax and TenSoon found themselves chased from the Homeland by the sudden appearance of [[Hemalurgic chimera]]s--deformed humans under Bleeder's control--but not before Wax came to realize the full scope of her plan. She didn't want to simply kill the governor; she wanted to incite a city-wide riot.{{book ref|mb5|21}} Wax immediately returned to Innate's mansion, intent on saving his life once and for all. After entering the governor's study, Wax noticed a carefully placed gumball, which he recognized to be a sign of trouble, left for him by Wayne. Immediately realizing the truth--that Bleeder had been secretly impersonating the governor the entire time--Wax pulled out his gun. Bleeder opened fire first, killing Innate's guards as she escaped out the window.{{book ref|mb5|22}}

 

====Confronting a Memory====

Steelpushing through the night after Bleeder, Wax easily found her, changing bodies again just before she moved to escape. Finally confronting her on the [[Eastbridge]], Wax saw that Bleeder had pointed her gun at him, but she did not fire. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded with Wax to forsake Harmony and be free. Wax ignored the pain he felt, seeing that Bleeder was now wearing the face of his dead wife, Lessie. He did his best not to listen to how well Bleeder could mimic Lessie's voice and mannerisms. Wax levelled Vindication and shot her in the head with the bullet from the gun's special chamber. The bullet had been made to his request by Ranette, molded from his Pathian earring. It was designed to give Bleeder a second spike, allowing Harmony to reassert Hemalurgic control over the mad kandra.{{book ref|mb5|25}}

 

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Six months later, spurred on by a slowly growing bond with Steris and determined not to remain in the same well of despair that had tried to claim him when he lost Lessie the first time, Wax had returned to the pursuit of his constabulary duties with Wayne.{{book ref|mb6|1}} When the day of his wedding with Steris arrived, Wax found himself pursued once again by a member of Harmony's kandra; this one claiming to have a matter of great importance to discuss. Rebuffing him, Wax continued on to the Survivorist church where he walked down the aisle with Steris, whose genuine tears moved him in a way he did not expect. Realizing he was still not ready to let go of Lessie's memory, Wax was blessedly spared the need for any further heartbreak when a water tower outside suddenly tipped onto the roof of the church, bathing all those in attendance and postponing the ceremony once again, much to Wax's relief.{{book ref|mb6|2}}

 

 

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With real proof that his sister was alive for the first time in years, Wax knew he was being manipulated into doing Harmony's bidding again; though this time, he endeavored to step in with his eyes wide open. Wax categorically rejected VenDell's extended gifting of another Pathian earring. He would do this on his own, without Harmony's voice in his ear.{{book ref|mb6|4}}

 

 

Eventually arriving in New Seran, Wax and Steris agreed that the best way to begin their investigation was to attend a ball at the home of Lady [[Kelesina Shores]], where they would be sure to scrape as much information as possible from the city's upper crust. As they approached the mansion, Wax gave a bank note to a well spoken [[Hoid|beggar]]{{book ref|mb6|11}}, who insisted he take in exchange a strange coin, made of two different metals, branded with the face of a man spiked through one eye, and covered in symbols that Wax could not read. Separating, the two mingled among the elite and gathered what rumors they could, including some regarding a hushed building project that may have involved Allomancers, north east of the city. Gruff around the edges as ever, and surrounded by as practiced liars and thieves as he had ever faced before, Wax knew he still had a lot to learn about politics. Still, he gained more information than he expected, even detecting that there was more going on with Lady Kelesina than she let on. Interrupted just as he was about to extend an invitation to Lady [[Felise Demoux]], Wax instead shared a dance with [[Khriss]], who was excited to question Wax extensively about his particular pairing of Feruchemical and Allomantic abilities. Pushing for more information than seemed proper, and displaying an uncomfortably high level of knowledge of his powers, Khriss increased Wax's already heavy suspicions, as he returned to asking other guests of the party questions of his own.{{book ref|mb6|12}}

 

Sensing that Lady Kelesina was making a quick escape from the party, Wax scrambled to find a way to exit in pursuit, without alerting anyone that he was following. Ever prepared, Steris armed Wax with a pistol she had snuck into the dance and then produced the requisite distraction, from the bottom of a vial of ipecac.{{book ref|mb6|13}} Following as carefully as possible, Wax caught up to Kelesina deep in her mansion, where he overheard the unmistakable voice of his uncle through the door to her bedroom. Wax listened as Edwarn detailed his involvement in both the train robbery from the day before as well as further plans to stymie Wax and keep him off his trail.{{book ref|mb6|15}} Bursting through the door without any hesitation, Wax was immediately disarmed by Kelesina's [[pewter]]-burning steward. Beckoned by Edwarn, whose words were actually emitted from an odd voice projector sitting in the room, the steward turned and murdered Kelesina with Wax's gun, tidily implicating him, a visiting noble from Elendel, in the assassination of one of New Seran's political elite.

Splitting from Marasi and MeLaan, who went in search of ReLuur's stolen spike, Wax and Wayne entered the warship, determined to locate Edwarn himself. Using a spyglass borrowed from MeLaan, Wax immediately changed their plan when he located the chamber where Telsin was being held. Easily bypassing the workmen and engineers blocking his path, Wax quietly entered the room dead set on saving his sister. Finally reunited, Wax was surprised when Telsin immediately took brutal retribution on one of her captors. The years had really changed her just as, he supposed, they had changed him.{{book ref|mb6|18}} Fighting their way out, accompanied by a generous helping of speed bubble assistance from Wayne, Wax joined in a grand escape after [[Allik]], a masked man that Marasi had rescued, revealed the existence of a second, smaller ship which could detach from the main vessel and lift into the sky.{{book ref|mb6|20}}

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Halted by a door which was inscribed with writing that none of them could decipher, Wax returned to the entrance of the temple, where Steris, Marasi, and Wayne held Edwarn at gunpoint; his expedition had arrived at the temple just before Wax's return. Edwarn claimed to know the secret to opening the temple's final door and threatened Wax that he had an overwhelming force of Allomancers and goons surrounding the temple who would not hesitate to kill every member of Wax's pitiful group, unless he was allowed to join them in collecting the Bands.{{book ref|mb6|25}} When the temple's last chamber proved to be missing the Bands, Wax suddenly found himself in an armed standoff with Telsin, who he had rightly suspected to be a mole for the Set. Both siblings fired at once; Wax's bullet went wild and missed, but Telsin's shot hit Wax just below the neck. A number of bullets later, Wax fell into a pit below the Bands' supposed resting chamber.{{book ref|mb6|26}} Trailing blood and weakening by the moment, Wax was soon tracked down by Edwarn, now fully revealed as an Allomancer, by way Hemalurgic spikes. Edwarn cruelly triggered another of the temple's traps, which collapsed the roof and crushed Wax's already wounded body under a punishing avalanche of rubble. In a daze, Wax was forced to watch helplessly as his uncle approached, unholstering his pistol and intent on finishing him off. When Wayne arrived to attempt his rescue and broke down at the sight of him, Wax used his remaining breath to tell his friend to go on living and keep fighting. No longer able to hold on, Waxillium Ladrian died.{{book ref|mb6|27}}

 

====Return====

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Immediately, Wax found himself in the presence of Harmony. Face to face with the god he had shunned for so long, Wax did not shirk away; instead, Wax laid into Harmony for his inaction that had led to so many people suffering. He chastised him for using Wax all these years with what appeared to be so little regard. He demanded an explanation for what happened to Lessie. Together, the two of them philosophized on the nature of cause and effect. Harmony patiently explained that his workings were larger in scope than Wax could currently understand. He expanded Wax's worldview-- showing him a representation of the planet and allowing him a small glimpse of the greater conflict in which he was currently embroiled. Allowing Wax to choose, Harmony offered him a chance at "another adventure," which Wax accepted. Wax opened his eyes and screamed, throwing the rubble from his body with the pure strength of steel itself. His body instantaneously healed, Wax focused his view on Marasi who had placed something like an oversized spearhead in his hand: the real Bands of Mourning, an unkeyed metalmind of nearly limitless power.{{book ref|mb6|28}}

 

Tapping the enormously potent metalmind inside the spearhead, Wax burst through the confines of the temple and out into the open air, trailing mist in his wake. Able to sense and call upon what seemed to be endless trace metals in the surrounding area, Wax knew that he could crush Edwarn and Telsin's fleeing ship with little effort. Bringing himself under control, Wax confronted his uncle for the final time, choosing to subdue him without the use of the spearhead's dangerous power.{{book ref|mb6|29}}

 

 

== Relationships ==

 

 

After returning to Elendel, Wax reluctantly enters into a marriage contract with [[Steris Harms]], in order to benefit both their houses. It is here that Wax meets [[Marasi]], Steris' illegitimate half-sister. It seemed like Wax and Marasi would develop a romantic relationship, however, this does not come to pass. Eventually, he becomes fascinated by the idiosyncrasies of [[Steris]], leading them to fall in love and marry for emotional reasons.

 

 

== Trivia ==

* Wax is one of only three Crashers ever born.{{book ref|mb6|12}}

* Wax prefers [[Stagin]]'s whiskey in his Allomantic vials. Steris prefers to use cod-liver oil in the vials that she prepares for Wax.

 

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== Notes ==

|prev=[[Edwarn Ladrian|Edwarn]]

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<references />

{{Mistborn|Era 2}}

[[category: viewpoint characters]]