Xander Reveler

Charm is a simple act, but attraction is a wondrous act.
— Xander Reveler
Walking among the people of Glarn few would notice a man like Xander. His young face, light feet and music have taken him everywhere from the capital of Nekuram to its eastern province of Galdurmia and lastly into Marlun to test new grounds. However, his makeup hides his real nature though it is not his true intention. It is only to relax the humans of Glarn and Marlun because to them he might as well be a predator with their stories about his kind. Vampires are demons, or rather demonkind, but drink blood to nurture themselves.
Ever since Xander broke away from his clan and his heritage, however, he wants nothing to do with what being a vampire is. Instead, he has travelled, seen the known world that is open to him and one day he hopes that he can be the first demon to perform in a human court. That is his life now, after all, the life of an artist, the travelling artist.

Born aristocrat...

Alexander Duran Urgel Saléroch was born into the world in The Vampire Duchies to the family and house Saléroch. Oldest of three, he was from an early age formed to become a candidate as the next house head between five cousins. The unfortunate truth to this was that he had already been chosen at birth to be the next house head despite "tradition".
Alexander began to learn the deceitful ways of intrigue and intelligence as soon as he could talk. The way of life in The Vampire Duchies was through being smart, charming and most of all, capable. The influence of Nekuram's court had begun fading a long time ago and allowed for them to turn back to tradition. The generation that Alexander was born in was at the forefront of this. Harsh lessons, however, did not bite into him as easily as his father, mother and the rest of his family tried. Music, art and small talk were all good to have and be able at but it would not win favour nor influence in the Duchies, nor in the Royal Court of Nekuram if he would ever arrive there. Most of these talents seemed to be inclined to play instruments as well, something more directed for servants or his brother and sister.
The age of 26 arrived and Alexander was chosen to be the next leader, had the family hoped. He had other plans it seemed. While Alexander had followed along, he only showed his true will when the time was right. For the last 22 years, he had been taught and learned what he wanted and needed to be able to turn his birthright away. He did not, after all, not want to rule. As his father told him what to do, he remarked that the bland culture and art that his family showed did not fit a vampire of his standing. Continually mocking his family in front of them all for ten minutes, he added that he "could not sit and watch the world from inside the cocoon of the Duchies like they had for the last generations" and left the room.

... Risen Artist

With his display stricken his family to silence and shook, Alexander made his escape to The Vampire Duchies' capital, Fuilcastle. He was already kilometres away when they discovered he had left them nothing but a note that told them how he felt about their choice and his own.
Alexander arrived in Fuilcastle with enough money for a month of living in luxury if he had wanted. He instead began to use his charm to live at the home of merchants in exchange for him entertaining them and telling stories from the south. This arrangement allowed him to instead use his money in need and buy a rebec. Soon he began to perform for money and for pure fun in the local taverns. As he only had presented himself as Xander, he was given the name Reveler for the fun and music ha brought with him.
Even with his family probably at the time looking for him in the very same town, he evaded them by only ever performing for the townsmen and not nobility. His fame had to bring the attention of nobility eventually and by then, he knew he had outstayed his welcome. Xander Reveler was born in The Vampire Duchies but the world would see him, at least the demon one. After five years in his home region, Xander joined a travelling convoy heading to the south for his next adventure.
The following years after Xander travelled south, east, south again and finally westwards to Central Nekuram. It was here he would find a home for a short while and with his rebec, lute or simply his flute. He had spent another five years travelling Nekuram but would spend ten in the capital province of all Nekuram.
 
Xanders travels brought him fame that probably would be of use to his family. He has travelled across all of Nekuram, something few vampires have ever done if they are from The Duchies. Whatsmore is that Xander have contacts everywhere ever since his "tour" and still keeps some regular contact through letters even if they take months to arrive. Some of this he has his family to thank for but his relaxed and happy nature would simply not fit The Duchies.
The capital of Nekuram was Xander's call, while there he could use all his skills for show and earn money. Performing with all of his instruments, the artist that he was created fun lyrics and music that told both old tales and new. The one he was most proud of was "Three men and Three women", a short but fun mockery on everyone's image of attraction. No one suspected the origin behind him and his charm gave him a large following after three years of performing. That was when a noble, who had seen him on the street singing and playing, approached through a servant about Xander playing at his court. It was only for a feast, nothing more.
Current Location
Glarn
Species
Vampire
Ethnicity
Lower Duchy
Year of Birth
2491 V.D. 52 Years old
Birthplace
The Vampire Duchies
Children
Eyes
Dark red/brown, shining
Hair
Medium cut but wild and flowing, black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tanned white (Whitened with makeup)
Height
1,97 meters

Three men and Three women

Three men at the floor of each a feast. Looking for finer things and saw beauty and ease. What can they do to charm that they see?   Three women on the floor, dancing and laughing and celebrating. Across from them, men in need; cute and rude and flashy can't they see?   One man approached, striking a sneer, trotting along like the horse of his son. Asking women, "Dance with this man?" Smiling bright but denied her arm!   Second man approaches, he takes out his pockets. Putting on cloth into the pocket, with a rose and a gem, he asks for the second's hand. She is flattered and kissed only his hand!   Third man was cute, but nothing more. He strode forward and aimed, towards women three. He asked "May I dance with lady oh so fay and free?". She blushed and nodded, dancing with him for the evening and night!   Three men and three women, three dances all different and so true that they can be real. What can charm do better when attraction and love are all there should be?

A career and back

Someday I might return to my family...
Ha, hahaha! Good joke there! "Return" to them would more likely involve me in a bag on a cart somewhere on its way to the closest lake.
— Xander Reveler
This would be the start of his bigger career as he travelled across Central Nekuram and the southwest. His fame might have spun his head for the next three years but life was supposed to be fun. And he did not have to care about the politics that occurred in front of him. The food was also an added bonus. This life of revelry did eventually end when he was at the royal court as a part of a performance and stood right in front of his father and cousins. While not immediately recognized, the evening had quite the tension after he was discovered for who he was. Only thanks to the Regent of Nekuram did his family not do anything, but it had struck him that his strong fondness for feasting did not bring him joy. The fun of spiting his family had perhaps been the cog that drew him onwards. After having confronted them and seen their shock and anger again, he had to think about what else there was.
Soon after that evening in the royal court Xander started over in the taverns and the occasional small feast in a village not far from the capital. He had his high, too high for him, with that confrontation. What he wanted was to play for other than the nobility that already had everything. The joy was to see happy faces, and the occasional lady or maiden perhaps, but mostly the music and song were going to be happiness and meaning.
At the age of 42, five years after the confrontation with his family he decided to move on again. He made a short journey around Nekuram again before finally in 2136 he travelled out of Narzuvim and into Marlun.

Marlun, and one day, beyond

Marlun was a foreign soil, unlike Nekuram's differing territories. Armed with a shortsword for protection, his rebec and flute, Xander met with humans for the first time when he reached the Three Cities of the West. First of all, was the Three Cities a culture crash for him since demons were the lesser kind and minority in all three as such there was a new set of rules he had to learn. The fine cities were also differing cultural centres, opening a new world of dance, music and song that he could not imagine existed. His lyrics and music were also new to the people living in the Three Cities and as such he gained, once again, attention. Humans also found him different since he preferred to use makeup on himself for white skin compared to the otherwise tanned that other demons had. He spent four years in the Three Cities while learning of the region, involved in music and also finding love in the demon Gwenlyn.
I thought that when the inevitable confrontation would happen I would be on the receiving end of a berating. I was but not as much as I had imagined... My cousin seemed really frozen in place, still high red in the face, but... he had something of a hint of envy. Or did I imagine it as I saw my father redder than a red-scaled Salendite?
— Xander Reveler
But settling down in the cities was hard due to the rules and treatment of demons. As such Xander and Gwenlyn travelled east to the town of Glarn, the unofficial capital of Marlun. In this town demons and humans were not the best of friends but no lawmaker had made complicated laws against demons. They settled in Glarn and as it would look Xander had found himself a permanent place. Xander and Gwenlyn lived happily in Glarn for almost a year when a disease outbreak happened. Xander and Gwenlyn both fell ill but only Xander survived. For the two years that he had had with her, they were his happiest.
It was... strange. Before I had laughed at that fact... that I would fall in love the way I did. With my family history and all that... Afterwards I felt empty, but rather than to fall I rewrote those feelings into something. It was better than to lose what I used to find love with.
— Xander Reveler
But Xander did not fall into despair and instead used his newfound sadness to write music and lyrics. He also decided to travel out into Marlun so he could experience it. A fatefull turn came to be when he stood face to face with the King of Telaron Juliren Telarheart of the Kingdom of Telaron during the later's visit to Glarn. Soon enough Xander had a new mission: To be the first demon to perform for a human king's court. But as new desires and new hopes reignite, there is also danger on the horizon. The War for Marlun returned to Glarn, Xander was lucky to not find himself in town but he could see the warfare from a distance.
Xander will for now wait and see what there is to come when the War for Marlun continues.


Cover image: Marlun Expanse Header by A of Worldkeymaster (Artbreeder)
Character Portrait image: Xander Reaveler by A of Worldkeymaster

Comments

Author's Notes

I want to thank for the kind comments and now I have included some of the things that was adviced! If there is anything you think is missing or want to know more about, then don't hesitate to write a comment.


Please Login in order to comment!
Feb 5, 2022 05:13 by Stormbril

Great article! I love a good character who rebels against the plans laid out for them at birth, especially when they take the time to slowly plot, gain some money and knowledge, and then leave at the last minute. The whole thing wrapping around near the end to have Xander meeting his family again while performing was great!   I got a good sense of who Xander was as a person from reading this -- he didn't feel one-dimensional. I think if you really wanted to give some more glimpses into who he is, peppering more quotes from him throughout the article would be a great way of doing it. A quote about what he might say to his family, some private discussions to help him gain lodging in the early days, something like that!   Otherwise, it's great :D

Feb 7, 2022 14:49 by A

Thanks for the kind feedback! I have been thinking about adding quotes, but that probably will be a later addition since I am a bit unsure of the timeline with the challenge.

Worldkeymaster, also known as A of Worldkeymaster.
You are welcome to explore Nimenra, a world in conflict between Humans and Demons.
My summer camp articles and half-finished pledge document: Summer Camp 2022
Feb 8, 2022 16:27

Very nice article! The concept of a vampire renouncing the usual ways and becoming a performer is pretty interesting. I think you did a pretty good job for his personality and he was not one-dimensional :) I think sidebar wise everything looks good. Only thing I would do is perhaps create full on paragraphs with space instead of the indent :)

Feel free to check my new world Terra Occidentalis if you want to see what I am up to!
Feb 20, 2022 00:15 by A

It is a style thing with the paragraphs. I usually prefer the indent most of the time, especially when writing in Word on my books and other things.   Thanks for the comment and I am glad to have fulfilled the goal of a non-one-dimension/multi-dimensional character!

Worldkeymaster, also known as A of Worldkeymaster.
You are welcome to explore Nimenra, a world in conflict between Humans and Demons.
My summer camp articles and half-finished pledge document: Summer Camp 2022
Feb 17, 2022 08:26

I enjoyed the article! Xander is an interesting person for certain - I particularly like his mindset, which favors attraction over charm (what a great idea for a bard!) and his self-reflection after having confronted his family. You can see that he is driven by multiple factors and not just blindly set on a single path, which makes him feel quite natural. I'd loved to have seen more about the difficulties between humans and demons, and Vampire culture in general. Why was Xander chosen to be successor of his family against tradition, I wonder? A very worthwhile read!

If you have some time, I would much appreciate your feedback on my entry for Adventure April: Carbon Copy Paradise
Feb 20, 2022 00:21 by A

More about the vampire culture is needed to be explored! And more culture in general to understand differences. That might be the next big step to explain and show later down the road. As for why he was chosen it is perhaps only known by the family, but that begs the question of who was the, by tradition, real heir? His cousin or somebody else?   Summarizing my thoughts: I don't know yet the answer to your question. Going deeper into culture is something I want to do and fear for creating "a trope culture/one-dimensional one". It is something I have to deal with, especially the Human-demon one so I can continue my book further.   Thanks for the comment and kind words!

Worldkeymaster, also known as A of Worldkeymaster.
You are welcome to explore Nimenra, a world in conflict between Humans and Demons.
My summer camp articles and half-finished pledge document: Summer Camp 2022
Feb 19, 2022 09:30 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Nice character :D Xander is a complex character that started by rebelling against his family but took some time to find his own motivations. That second confrontations with them was nice :D Though I'm wondering about the first one. Was it necessary for him to insult them all and their culture before leaving? Is that not a great part of the reason why they're all so angry against him?

To see what I am up to: my Summer Camp 2024.
Feb 20, 2022 00:13 by A

Well yes, that would be the big reason for their anger. When I expand more on the vampire culture and more of his reasons for what he did maybe we will understand these events in a different perspective and light? I don't know yet, but it is a good thing to point out and I will have to think more about it! Thank you for the kind and observant comment!

Worldkeymaster, also known as A of Worldkeymaster.
You are welcome to explore Nimenra, a world in conflict between Humans and Demons.
My summer camp articles and half-finished pledge document: Summer Camp 2022