Antioch the Apologist

One of the more controversial members of the First Stand and the former Sorcerer-King of the Hakan city-state, and one of the few who survived her crusade that did not go on to become a part of the nascent Alexandrian Church.

Antioch's origins are completely unknown, although his half-elven heritage makes it likely he was born somewhere in the mainland north. What is known of his life begins in the Hakan City-State as a rising talent in the region's thieves' guild, which he rose to lead somewhere in the 160s BI. He may or may not have been the leader, or at least a leader, in that organization in 164 BI when the Hakani royal line was extinguished and the Long Campaign began, but he was certainly the most prominent figure by 150 BI, when he used the resources of the group - and his own substantial talent with magical devices - to unlock one of the eight great obelisks. As a conduit for its power, he was able to wipe out the sieging armies of Gildenhome and force the Peace of Hakan, declaring himself Sorcerer-King in the process.

His first actions as leader were to bring his staunchest allies from the guild in as members of his secret police, who were then tasked with destroying utterly the organization's power. By 147 BI, whatever purges and proscriptions Antioch enacted had run their course, and he was able to begin conversion of the unlocked obelisk into the Andileigh Spire, as well as begin construction on the Palace of Wisdom. The latter, when completed in 145 BI, would become the center of the University of Hakan, dedicated to studying the magical arts, with the secondary (and secretive) goal of collecting all possible information about the Prophecies of Tremaline. It is unknown how Antioch himself came to learn of the all-but-lost prophecies, but it is almost certain he was aware of them by this point in his life, and very likely that he already considered himself the one of which they spoke.

It was for this reason, over a century later, that Alexandria and her Stand came to serve Antioch; first as special agents, and later as full blown advisers and administrators. From this period on, the murkiness of Antioch's story disappears entirely, as he figures prominently in all of the Testimonials, including those of the Petaran Heresy (which identify Antioch as the betrayer of Alexandria, rather than Sayid, whom they revere). With their help, he was able to forge the star-iron bastard sword Nightbane, which he would carry on his insane one-man mission into the Shadow Realms to confront the Dark Lord.

What happened during that fool's errand is unknown, but somehow he was able to survive and even escape, although left forever disfigured and corrupted by the experience, at which point he and the Stand parted ways until Alexandria Omnity approached him after her return from the West to join her crusade, which he eagerly did. Alexandria's unlocking of the White Obelisk had left Antioch bereft of all of his sorcerous powers, excepting those inherent to the ego-weapon Nightbane, which Alexandria immediately claimed as her own and reforged into Entropy's End. Alexandria then declared an end to the Hakan kingdom and the repatriation of the Gnomes.

Historical evidence indicates that Antioch survived the crusades, as well, and returned to the Mainland. However, with no kingdom and no fearsome secret police, without the powers granted by his intelligent sword or the unlocked obelisk, Antioch faded from the historical record.

The Commentaries of Antioch and the canonical but controversial Apologies of Antioch are attributed to his authorship.