Xhengko Lev the Sword Swallower
Xhengko Lev is an odd figure, completely different on and off stage. An Ironian man in his mid-twenties, he shares the typical pale skin as others from his homeland. He has pitch black hair, but no tattoos (which is usual in the Iron Banks). As such, he sometimes gets compared to a porcelain doll by the other members of the Carnaval. The only thing disrupting the illusion, is the dark burn scar he bears over the right side of his face.
On stage Xhengko is a serious and focused performer. Donning a gilded mask, covering half his face, he paints his lips a dark red. A deep drum truly sets the tone as he steps into the middle of the crowd, surrounded by swords. No words pass on this space, just bated breaths from the audience as they see him pick up one sword after the other.
Off stage he could not make a more jarring switch. Xhengko is lively, fast-spoken and sometimes even bothersome. An insane well of energy seems to dwell inside him. While he is unmistakably Ironian, he is quite skilled at accents and impression, and loves to entertain the other circus members (especially the younger ones) with imitations. His fastest companion in the circus is easily Midri the Flame Weaver, the two long attempting to figure out a dual performance. Unfortunately, their perfectionist tendencies never find the routines they come up with satisfactory.
Xhengko used to be an entertainer within the noble courts of the Iron Banks. He saw first hand the gross wealth they wield, and the distance between social classes in the Mountain. With the years Xhengko has lost his taste for nobility, even those of other nations. A couple times the tale of his scar has been lured out of him around the evening campfire. A noble of the Iron Banks court was dissatisfied with his performance. "Grown weary of it he'd said". As such, he'd seen it fit to splash Xhengko with his beverage (which is not uncommon there), somehow forgetting it was scalding. Xhengko does not hide the scar unless he's performing.
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