Ajax the Invincible

Ironically originating from deep beneath the ocean, Ajax, or Vaisva, as he was originally known, served under the Lords of the Abyss as an advisor and vizier, advising his lord Demogorgon on how to subvert his rival demons as well as the various other factions of underwater denizens. Ever a schemer, he chafed under his master's rule, believing himself to be the most worthy of power.   Eventually, one of his schemes backfired, and he was forced to flee the Abyss for his own safety. His travels took him to the surface, where he wandered in disguise for a time, learning all he could about the politics of the world and its history. He learnt of the destructive power of the Ancient Kingdom, and in particular, was fascinated by a weapon that was stated to be capable of turning the very world upside down. He sought this weapon for many years, using his demonic abilities to acquire forbidden knowledge before finally discovering Palanquin, with its major remaining structure hosting the weapon he needed.     Seeing his chance, he made his way into Palanquin Major alongside a small force of summoned demons, mercilessly attacking and destroying the settlements that lived inside it, casting the survivors out onto the minor islands outside. Once he reached the weapon however, he was filled with despair. The weapon required an immense amount of energy in order to power it, and it was broken beyond almost all repair, requiring a small army's work to rebuild it. Who knew how many pieces were still on the thousands of tiny scattered floating bits of land, tucked away in forgotten nooks and crannies undisturbed for hundreds of years?   Luckily for Vaisva, he was able to come to a conclusion. He would simply force the natives to repair the weapon, then send them out to retrieve the Cells he needed. Subjugation would be easy, after all that fool Demogorgon was able to manage it.   He greatly underestimated the fighting spirit of the aarakocra, genasi and warforged tribes. Rebellions were near constant, with any demons summoned being nearly wiped out entirely. Any torture or imprisonment of rebel leaders only inspired more rebellion. To make matters worse, Vaisva discovered texts in the basement of Palanquin Major that contained detailed descriptions of various demons and how best to combat them. To his horror, these frescos also described the one weakness of a rakshasa such as himself - being pierced with a magic blade by a pure-hearted being. Although the tribes couldn't read the language, it is possible that they may gleam a hint based on the illustrations. Vaisva needed a new approach. The iron-fisted dictator wasn't going to work anymore. He needed the populace to believe he was a great leader.     He adopted an angelic form and killed another demon disguised as his true self. He referred to himself as Ajax, a figure depicted as a deity throughout Palanquin Major, and claimed that he was a messenger sent from heaven to deliver them from terror, earning their adoration. He then used the poor conditions of living on the Minor Palanquins to his advantage. He claimed that he can ease their pain and provide for them, but that Palanquin Major was limited in supplies. To that end, he would only be able to provide for the tribe that is able to pay the most tribute to the gods - that is, to whichever tribe brought him the most Cells - kicking off many years of bloody and devastating warfare for the meagre resources he saw fit to give out.   After many years, completion of the weapon neared. Ajax now needs only a few more cells to complete the weapon, and now that he's learned how to operate many of Palanquin Majors defences and golems, once he gets the last cells he needs, he'll need to get rid of the annoying tribes once and for all once they're of no further use to them. So therefore, he will announce that at long last he will be taking one tribe alone and giving them Palanquin Major. He'll then just allow the villagers to slaughter one another for his amusement, kill whoever survives, and rule the skies forevermore.