Xarxus Bloodfang (szar-sksus sahk-juht-tar-reyst)
Lord Xarxus Sakjutarést (a.k.a. Zar, Szar)
Xarxus is a very warm individual, both courageous and kind. He is exceptionally polite, to the point where no matter how far he is pushed, his phrasing is rarely aggressive and never crude. Xarxus forms friendships and close bonds easily, quite willing to go out of his way to assist those in need, even if he doesn't know them. He cares deeply for those around him, is exceptionally loyal (though not blind about it), and has a good sense for when to or not step in when someone he cares about is dealing with a difficult person or situation.
A war veteran and scholar, Xarxus is both very studious (favouring history and alkos) and very athletic. He has adjusted to civilian life, and taken on the job of a merchant of enchanted items as a means of keeping the coin flowing - he generously funds quality-of-life and other improvements for the town he lives near, his doors always open even to the peasantry if they wish for his aid or just a chat.
Though it is easy to forget because of his warm and easygoing nature, Xarxus does have a prideful streak in him, perhaps most apparent in his refusal to act as subservient as those of higher social standing may think he should. He can be exceptionally stubborn and willful when it suits him, and his supernatural nature has allowed his determination to drive his body well beyond any natural mortal limits time and again. Though Xarxus does not enjoy death, he will do what he feels is necessary, primarily to protect those who rely on him and to keep to his word.
He is very honourable, and while he can and will lie if it will save innocent lives, he loathes doing so - Xarxus hates necessary evils with a passion, wishing that they were never necessary to begin with. Still, he acknowledges practicality and pragmatism above all else when lives are on the line, and refuses to allow personal hangups to lead to harm to others.
Xarxus also deals with a constant internal war with his own instincts, for as a tiefling, literal evil runs in his veins, and his very genetic code is quasi-sapient. He has chosen to be far better than his heritage would have him be, and he holds fast to the person he desires to be. Because of his diabolic heritage, he also has an intuitive grasp of law, and readily learns of foreign legal systems far more easily than most.
He also has moments of being an absolute dork, and whenever certain sensitive subjects come up (primarily sex-related), he uses some interesting verbal gymnastics to avoid having to talk about any of it. If one catches him off-guard with lewd commentary regarding him specifically, he has been known to practically choke on air as one of his main reactions.
Xarxus loves warmth, companionship, exercise (including friendly spars), and reading. He greatly dislikes the cold, though it does not much affect him, and finds discrimination to be exasperating at best.
(This article is a WIP.)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Generally fairly healthy, temporary injuries aside. Very athletic and quite agile for his bulk.
Body Features
Nut brown skintone, has a 5' (12.7 cm.) long tail which ends in an asymmetrical, arrow-shaped bladed tip. His horns are ebony in colour, cover his forehead and flow around his skull in a manner similar to a crown, then flow upwards to end in sharp tips.
Xarxus' body temperature is 103*F (39*C), which is one degree short of what would be a potentially lethal fever in humans.
Identifying Characteristics
Scars:
Raking scars down the upper left arm and chest. Usually concealed by clothing.
Long scar down his right breast from collar bone to stomach. Usually concealed by clothing.
Circular scar on his lower belly, with a similar scar in the same location on his lower back. Usually concealed by clothing.
Short horizontal scar right in the centre of his gut. Usually concealed by clothing.
Long, knotted scar running down his back from shoulder blade to pelvis on the right side, close to his spine. Usually concealed by clothing.
Thin, four-inch-long scar down the back of his upper right arm. Usually concealed by clothing.
Wide burn scar on his right calf. Usually concealed by clothing.
Tattoos:
There is a tattoo around his eye, mimicking a stylized sun (Amaera gave it to him - it is a psionic tattoo).
A bloody fang inside a pentagram with a stylized star right next to it, on the right inside wrist – his family's insignia.
A sword and bow crossed over a shield and quiver of arrows on his left inside wrist - the sign of his kingdom's military.
And a quarterstaff striking a white, multi-faceted diamond on his left forearm, just below the military tattoo – this one is the sign for a mage, particularly one who specializes in force ñóvité.
Physical quirks
Right-handed, left hand is his casting hand.
He smells of blood, hellfire, and metal.
Special abilities
Intuitive casting of the alkos that resides in his blood (which makes him a sorceror), highly detailed supernatural infrared vision, darksight (black-and-white view of areas in absolute darkness), hellfire in his blood, immunity to natural heat and flame, resistance to cold and electricity.
Skilled swordsman and a decent mage in a time where alkos has been becoming rarer and rarer (specializing in force alkos). He can also use a bow, but only to the extent that he has decent accuracy. He can ride well enough to manage mounted combat, but it is not his speciality.
Apparel & Accessories
Cotton shirt on top of a shirt made of finely wrought nathlésín chain, leather padding under the chain shirt, wool pants, worn leather travelling boots, double-banded sturdy leather swordsbelt, and a voluminous cloak with a very deep hood.
Specialized Equipment
He owns a broken vanamitín longsword (later named Vanadius), which he wields as a symbolic reminder of the day his life fell apart. It functions mostly akin to a short sword now. He also has a nathlésín dagger, and a yew composite longbow.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Pre-Against All Odds
Xarxus was given over to his kingdom's military at the age of five, born to a family of nobility with many children - he is the middle child of a total family of thirteen children, two parents, and a great many aunts and uncles. Because of how crude the military can be, his family insisted that proper decorum be drilled into him at a young age. This, combined with the internal need for some manner of structure that his heritage gave him, provided part of Xarxus' internal code and foundation for later life.
As a child, he'd shown great interest in learning alkos, but had no aptitude for the wizardly arts - no matter how much he studied and memorized, the spells did not quite click in his head. Xarxus was often teased for being 'spelless,' and told by the other kids that one couldn't possibly be both soldier and scholar - he strove to prove them wrong. It was at early pubescence that his sorcery announced itself, and one half-melted mirror later, his alkos education switched to the more intuition-based focus that sorcerors were inclined towards - and there he proved himself quite capable, though nothing too special in the power department.
Not too much of significant note occurred until his mid-adolescence, which is when the War of Sorrows - back then known as the War of Betrayal - began. (Here my brain's choosing to fritz out, but it was basically two years of alkos- and otherworld-flavoured WWII without Nazis and instead some nigh intangible foe. Kind of. I really need to sit down one of these days and write out a proper article for the War of Sorrows - it's meant to be a war worthy of having shocked a war-accustomed planet.)
Xarxus and his team were initially held away from the frontlines, but the casualties became so high, that his team was actually sent to the front despite still being so young - they had been trained all their lives, and there were severe manpower issues. After he proved more capable at commanding, and had shown himself able to handle being behind enemy lines, he and his team were recalled for retraining into his kingdom's special forces, and then sent back out - this time with the mission to find the source of the enemy. Two famines happened during this period, as did several other things (hi, brain blank, how are you), and during it all, Xarxus lost his mentor, trained several apprentices (most died), and fell in love with his squadmate (and eventual girlfriend/wife) Amaera.
When the war finally ended in Xarxus' very early adulthood, many were left not really sure what to do. Shakia (Xarxus' home kingdom) decided the best way to handle traumatized veterans was to honourably discharge them, perhaps with some calming potions (which were effectively a very temporary band-aid that did little to address anything). Amaera had to leave the kingdom entirely (for reasons I need to rewrite because the old ones no longer apply), and so Xarxus was left with little idea of what to do or where to even go.
One of Xarxus' aunts soon contacted him, however, and gave him an estate and the lordship over a town called Azeráme. In but two years, Xarxus went from picking back up the pieces of his life, to learning about the people of the town and assisting with the community's welfare and endeavours, to studying on and becoming an enchanted item merchant so as to have the funds to assist the community and eventually fund the creation of a local college.
It was not to remain, however, and at the age of 22, the life Xarxus had build for himself was shattered.
A covert organization infiltrated the town and dominated the minds of the entire tiefling population - including Xarxus himself - in an attempt to create two energy Spheres of Power. The attempt went awry near the end, resulting in several massive explosions throughout the town - one through each portal that had been used to channel power - and spellsearing Xarxus himself, along with shattering half the blade of his ancestral adamantine longsword. When Xarxus came to, the organization had left Azeráme behind, and he was left to try figuring out what had happened (having next to no memory of his time under their control), and dealing with incredible pain.
There was little time for recovery, for as he learned of what had happened from Azeráme's non-nobility mayor (who he'd been good friends with), the denizens of the town were already looking for someone, in their pain, grief, and anger, to blame and punish for the tragedy. With the tiefling population having all been noted as acting strangely in the prior week, and their current states making for easy victims, the blame looked to be about to fall squarely on them. Xarxus decided that, in order to buy time to find the true culprits, he would take the full blame and responsibility for what happened - an act that gave him exile from his entire kingdom, and a bounty on his head, though the mayor of Azeráme knew the truth.
For two years Xarxus survived on the road and on the run, rarely staying in one place long, and doing his best to track down those responsible for the tragedy in Azeráme. He learned of what they called themselves (the Zhásionisté Réniarérová), and that they organized themselves deliberately to confuse and hinder those who might try to locate anyone of importance. The ZR operated in cells, which often had no knowledge of each other, and he had little success in even trapping the few superiors he was able to locate.
During Against All Odds
(Heavily abbreviated and WIP)
On one fateful midsummer day, Xarxus was assisting a town with thwarting an - unrelated - demonic invasion, when he got blasted through a collapsing Gate spell. This sent him through dimensions to the planet known as Terra, where he met a man called Sholto and assisted him with getting an assassin militant organization off his back.
(There is a lot more, here is just where I died writing it all.)
Sexuality
Heterosexual.
Education
Fairly knowledgeable about blood alkos, arcane alkos, fiends, Alluanian history, and combat.
While he was not at the top of his classes, he did his best so as to make his family proud. He mainly attended a military school, where he was taught the art of war.
Failures & Embarrassments
He regrets that he was not able to resist the control of the Zhásionisté Réniarérová that ruined his life, and that his actions have caused suffering to others. Amongst other regrets (as the story continues, there'll likely be a fair number).
Mental Trauma
PTSD, insecure over how much food he needs.
Taboos
Gets very uncomfortable around nudity, his own or others'.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Xarxus is not the sort to stand idly by while others suffer, and will do all he can to assist the innocent or those who otherwise do not deserve harm. If he can do something to save a village or protect those who need it, he will. He is also very honourable, and will go out of his way to repay his debts, even if someone tells him not to worry about it.
He also has a vengeful streak when wronged, and will go to great lengths to uncover and expose those who harm those close to him - he is more forgiving of injury to himself, if he is the only one harmed. Xarxus is relentless, but also able to be very patient, willing to take the time needed to be sure he has the right people before he strikes.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Warmth, good food, comfort, sparring, exercise, reading, research.
His favourite foods include pretty much anything spicy. Additionally, he enjoys venison, bananas, and bread.
Favourite books are pretty much anything by Quewyas "Midnight" Tre'Dhaundeln, a drow archmage.
Xarxus' favourite places to be include libraries, inns, and taverns. Libraries because books, inns and taverns because they are good places to hear a tale.
His hobbies are research, training, and reading. Despite not being a wizard of any sort, he's a bookworm. He also enjoys sparring, when he has a partner with which to do so.
Dislikes: Mind control, blood magic, cold, pointless cruelty, necessary evils.
His pet peeves are: people just taking things without asking, forcing people to do things against their will, any use of mind control, whether or not it's necessary.
Vices & Personality flaws
Has a bad habit of ignoring a bleeding injury until the blood loss takes its toll.
Personality Quirks
Xarxus can mask his reactions if he has to, but when nervous or embarrassed, his tail stops moving and is held close to the ground, he stares to the lower right of the person he's facing, and may or may not clear his throat - in addition, his words may become somewhat halting, and his sentences have a much higher chance of beginning and being interjected with 'ah.'
Social
Family Ties
He was a middle child, but hardly saw his siblings growing up.
Religious Views
Mildly religious. He prays to and worships Revrádez, god of valour, but does not strictly observe dogma. Recently has taken to occasionally praying to Vezcena, god of secrets, to keep his secrets hidden and to learn more of his new enemies.
Social Aptitude
Warm and friendly, easily interacts with others and always polite. Never swears.
Relationships
Relationship Reasoning
While Auranae calls Xarxus a secret advisor, often times he also sees him as a kind of therapist as well, able to help him sort out his own mind.
Nicknames & Petnames
Maitherki calls Xarxus 'princeling.'
Wealth & Financial state
Upper class, born minor nobility. Became an alkosir item merchant after being honourably released from the Shakian army, and as such has a significant stock of enchanted items.
Divine Classification
Prince of Hell
Alignment
Neutral Good
Current Status
Alive
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Realm
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Lieutenant, The Broken Blade, Blood Prince.
Age
24
Date of Birth
Cáléaum 39th, Mage Year 13,404
Circumstances of Birth
Born on the final day of spring, as the sun reached its zenith.
Spouses
Amaera Woodsman
(Girlfriend)
Siblings
Lavan Bloodfang
(Older Brother)
Children
Pronouns
He/him
Sex
Male
Gender
Male
Presentation
Masculine
Eyes
Red
Hair
Braided, dark auburn
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Brown
Height
5'09'' (176 cm)
Weight
240 lbs.
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Nothing can be done about the past. All you can do is learn from it, live in the present, and prepare for the future."
Belief/Deity
Revrádez
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
