Archmage Tarixus

Overview

Archmage Tarixus is a City of Villains contact located in the Potter's Field neighborhood of Sharkhead Isle. His coordinates are (793, 16, 1,780).

Introductions

Contact Introduced By

• None, Archmage Tarixus is an Unlockable Contact. To unlock Tarixus, you must earn the Lorekeeper Badge and be between level 25 and 29.

New Contact(s)

• None

Information

Ancient Sorcerer

Archmage Tarixus is an ancient sorcerer who has always existed on what is now known as Potter's Field. His mortal body has long since passed on, leaving only his ghostly spirit. It's said that the Circle of Thorns tried acquiring power over him at one time, but Tarixus quickly put them in their place.

Initial Contact

I am Tarixus, and I am an old soul. You come to me not by chance, but by fate. There are grand designs at work, machinations beyond your wildest dreams. You seek power. I can provide you with that power - if you do my bidding. Submit to my will and you have much to gain. Refuse, and you can wallow in your shallow existence from here until time's end. The choice is yours.

Story Arc

Souvenir: Strong Soul

It all started when the ancient sorcerer Tarixus spoke to you of a ritual that would give his ghostly form more power over the world of the living. In order to enact this ritual, he needed to create a magical artifact called the Blackwand. The construction of such a device was detailed in a book called the Abyssal Tome, an ancient book you acquired from the Legacy Chain.

Tarixus began gathering the components necessary for the Blackwand by sending you to gather primordial essence—coral shards gathered from the Slag Golems on Sharkhead Isle.

Next you tracked down a Scrapyarder leader who was an unwitting descendant of the ancient Mu civilization and gathered some of his blood.

You then invaded a gathering of Freakshow in an attempt to reacquire ancient Mu relics. The Freakshow were unsuccessfully trying to unlock the secrets of the relics when you arrived, and you quickly overcame them.

The final item needed for the Blackwand was the soul essence of a defeated hero. Tarixus sent you to a Longbow base where you took down the hero known as Agent X and stole his soul essence.

Store

Archmage Tarixus sells the following to villains:

• Inspirations
• All level 25 dual-origin natural/magic enhancements
• All level 25 single-origin magic enhancements
• All level 30 single-origin magic enhancements

Archmage Tarixus does not buy enhancements or inspirations.

Missions

Harvest coral shards from Slag Golems

Briefing

The Slag Golems that rampage across Sharkhead Isle are not mere monsters created by random chance. They are animated by primordial magic originating from coral shards at their core. I seek to study this primordial essence. Go forth and harvest coral shards from the Slag Golems.

Mission Acceptance

Do be careful with the coral shards. They are a precious commodity.

Mission Objective(s)

• Defeat 20 Slag Golems

Debriefing

These coral shards will allow me to explore what the capabilities of this primordial essence. (sic)

Deliver puzzle box to Hardcase

Briefing

There is an enterprising mortal on St. Martial named Hardcase. He and I have come to an understanding, and often exchange favors. I would like to deliver an item to him, and would like you to act as my emissary. Go to St. Martial and deliver this puzzle box to Hardcase.

Mission Acceptance

St. Martial is a dangerous place to the uninitiated. While I can't guarantee your safety, I have concocted a Spirit Potion which will allow you to pass as an intangible entity through the more treacherous areas of St. Martial, unable to touch or be touched.

Mission Objective(s)

• Deliver puzzle box to Hardcase.

Debriefing

Hardcase: Tarixus sent you? Damn, this puzzle box is an evil little thing. More evil than you can handle.

You think you're bad? You don't know from bad (sic). There are things of a more primal evil than you can ever imagine. Look me up next time you're in St. Martial and maybe I'll show you a few of them.

Tarixus: the puzzle box is delivered? Excellent. I am glad to rid of the vile artifact. (sic)

Temporary Power

Spirit Potion

Retrieve talisman from Tsoo

Briefing

While few things tie me to this mortal plane, there are certain objects to which I am inextricably bonded. One such object was looted from Potter's Field by a grave-robber, taken from the Rogue Islands to Paragon City. There it has fallen into the hands of sorcerers from the Tsoo, who seek to unlock its secrets.

This cannot be allowed to happen. Go to Paragon City and retrieve my talisman from the Tsoo!

Mission Acceptance

The Tsoo sorcerers are a bunch of upstarts, but can prove dangerous if they tap into the wrong powers.

Mission Objective(s)

• Retrieve talisman from Tsoo

Debriefing

Ah, my talisman! I shall not let it fall into the wrong hands again!

Offer soul of Akarist

Briefing

Over the centuries I have made pacts with various entities, bartering for secrets. Now payment is due on one of my pacts, and I have a plan that will satisfy the bargain while eliminating one of my old rivals. There is a rogue mage among the Circle of Thorns known as Akarist, currently under protection by Longbow. I wish to offer his soul in place of my own!

Capture the soul of Akarist and offer it upon a Circle of Thorns altar!

These things happen all the time. Checks and balances is all it is.

Mission Acceptance

Take this soul crystal to capture the soul of Akarist.

I have ensorcelled the crew of a sub in Port Oakes. Go there to travel to the Longbow underwater base.

Mission Objective(s)

• Capture soul of Akarist
• Offer soul of Akarist

Clue: Soul Crystal

This crystal contains the soul of the rogue Circle of Thorns mage known as Akarist. You have retrieved it for Archmage Tarixus to fulfill the terms of a pact.

Badge

Completion of this mission earns a villain the Soul Taker badge.

Debriefing

That Akarist is a tricky one - he managed to broker a deal with the entity I made my pact with! Still, I am free of my debt, so all is well.

Temporary Power

Soul Essence

Retrieve Abyssal Tome from Legacy Chain

Briefing

Time passes and Tarixus remains, as constant as the rising sun or the flow of tides. My existence is ephemeral, but does not need to be. Through rituals and ancient magics, I can be granted more power over the world of the living. Such is my desire, and through my will this shall come to pass.

There was once an artifact known as the Blackwand. It channelled dark magics in ways that broke barriers between live and death.This artifact is required for the ritual I wish to perform, but it has long since passed from this world, destroyed by those that feared its malevolent power. But there are other ways to achieve my goal. There exists ancient lore that details how the Blackwand was forged. Through manipulations that reached across the centuries, that lore has been brought to my doorstep, here on the Rogue Isles. The fools that possess it do not realize what this lore is capable of, their feeble minds puzzling to unlock the most trivial of secrets. I bid you now: go forth and retrieve the Abyssal Tome from the Legacy Chain vaults.

Mission Acceptance

The Legacy Chain rightly fears what the Abyssal Tome can unleash, and will guard it fiercely. Remove the obstacles and acquire the tome.

Mission Objective(s)

• 3 bookcases to search

Debriefing

Ah, the Abbyssal Tome. It preserves many nearly forgotten rituals, preventing them from passing into oblivion. The Legacy Chain must have thought they could harness its power. They are fools - I am glad I let it fall into their possession.

Harvest coral from Slag Golems

Briefing

I have consulted the Abyssal Tome you acquired from the Legacy Chain, and found there the components necessary to forge the Blackwand. Once the Blackwand is created, we shall gain much power.

First, we must harvest the primordial essence contained within the manifestations known as Slag Golems. Defeat 20 Slag Golems and return to me with the coral shard fragments they possess.

Mission Acceptance

The creatures you hunt are animated by the power of the coral shards, mere automatons. Be swift and merciless.

Mission Objective(s)

• Defeat 20 Slag Golems

Debriefing

And to think that these mere shards were once part of an entity so great... 'tis no matter.

Acquire Blood of Mu

Briefing

The plans for building the Blackwand continue. The book you acquired from the Legacy Chain details what we require for the task. The coral shards you harvested from the Slag Golems provided us with primordial essence. Now we require someone possessing the blood of the Mu.

The Mu were an ancient race that possessed strong mystical talents - their legacy lives on in their descendants. Most do not realize the power in their blood, but with my magic I can discern the truth. I have found one close by, a Scrapyarder leader known as Steeltoe Joe. Go to the Scrapyarder hideout and bring me an extraction of his blood.

Mission Acceptance

I care not for the man, only for his blood. The blood, you see, is compulsory.

Mission Objective(s)

• Defeat Steeltoe Joe

Debriefing

Excellent. Yes, I can sense the power of the Mu within the blood. It will do nicely.

Retrieve Mu relics from Freakshow

Briefing

The pieces are falling into place. You have retrieved the Abyssal Tome, the Coral Shards, and the Blood of Mu, all essential for the creation of the Blackwand. Next we need certain relics from the ancient Mu civilization, technology that works in ways that you cannot comprehend. Sharkhead Isle housed some of these relics, but the scavengers known as the Freakshow have stolen it for themselves, hoping to unlock the secrets so that they can use it for themselves! Retrieve the Mu relics from the Freakshow.

Mission Acceptance

These fools dabble with technology they don't understand. Retrieve the relics before they break something.

Mission Objective(s)

• Retrieve Mu relics from Freakshow

Debriefing

These Mu relics are the remnants of a once great civilization - how the mighty have fallen. No matter.

Gather soul essence of defeated hero

Briefing

The components for the Blackwand are now almost complete! The Abyssal Tome, Coral Shards, Blood of Mu and Mu Relics have been gathered by you, and it comes time for one last task. The soul of a hero is full of potential, capable of achieving great things and changing the course of the world. A soul like this has great power... power we can harness for ourselves!

Mission Acceptance

Once the hero is defeated, reciting an incantation of a soul crystal will gather his essence.

Mission Objective(s)

• Gather the hero's essence

Debriefing

It is always best when soul essence is fresh. It is most potent then.

Forge the Blackwand

Briefing

You have gathered the Abyssal Tome, the Coral Shards, the Blood of Mu, the ancient Mu relics, and the Soul Essence of a defeated hero. The time has come to forge the Blackwand!

You must go to a place of power, an ancient temple deep beneath Potter's Field. Few know of this place, but once you cross the threshold the wards will be broken and the energies of the temple will call out to those sensitive to mystic vibrations. You will be beset by the Circle of Thorns and their demonic allies, but you must win through to the ritual chamber containing the Obelisk of Yendor. Enacting the charm of making will take great concentration, but when it is complete the power of the Blackwand will be ours! I will then use the Blackwand as a conduit to transfer the energies of the Mu temple to me!

Go now to forge the Blackwand. I have prepared the components for the charm of making, but they will only retain potency for so long. You have 90 minutes to complete this mission.

It will be worth your efforts. Do not doubt me.

Mission Objective(s)

• Forge the Blackwand (Timed, 1:30)

Temporary Power

Blackwand Ranged, High Damage (Negative)
This is the Blackwand, a foul magical artifact created by the Archmage Tarixus. This black metal wand feels cold in your hand, and glows with dark arcane energies. The Blackwand may be used 10 times before it is exhausted.

Debriefing

As you completed the ritual, I channeled the power of the Mu temple to me! My strength grows!

You have proven yourself to be a powerful ally. Keep the Blackwand, and use it to break your enemies.