Xander Duvarian
Profile
Basic Information
Name:
Xander Duvarian
Nickname(s):
Xan, X, Xanny Boy
Age:
28
Birth Date:
13th Sun, 8266 (Caetus, Year of Coins)
Height:
5'7" (170 cm)
Gender:
Male
Race:
Human
Class:
Thief
Occupation:
Smuggler, Palace Stablehand
Guild(s):
Enhancement(s):
Likes
Children | Lullabies | The sea | Small spaces | Navigating by the stars | Sunrises | Fog | Thick fabric | Coffee | Privacy
Dislikes
Large insects | Strange noises at night | Alcohol | Slave drivers | Frogs | Explaining himself | Sand between his toes | Splinters | Iced drinks
Personality
Determined | Gruff | Bitter | Hopeful | Socially Awkward | Skeptical | Stubborn | Tired | Diligent | Superstitious
Xander is a typically private sort, keeping to himself and ignoring small talk with strangers. Not exactly the best conversationalist, though he's grown better lately. He has a hard exterior, but inside is unsure of himself and mournful over his past. His sense of what is right encompasses a broad spectrum, though he knows no good deed goes unpunished. The years have , but he can still be a dunce and even a child in his thinking sometimes. That inner child might be at the root of his stubborn determination to reunite with his siblings.
There are few in the world he trusts, and even fewer he'd tell so, but those few are more precious than gems. That said, he makes an effort around children, and has a soft spot for those down on their luck. In them, he sees himself, his family, and hopes they might have better luck than him.
Once, it could've been said that he didn't care for his life. That he was reckless. That he took the risks that would save a better life than his. Now, however, his mindset has shifted. His efforts are powered by a radiant hope from being so close to victory. It is a mindset that takes daily work to maintain, but on the other side of it is a long, long overdue reward, so Xander makes sure to put in the effort.
History
On the outskirts of Tusa, a small boy often helped his mother and older sister with work. When he had time to play, it was always with a stick turned sword, or a rag turned cloak. More often, though, he was helping his mother and older sister in their work. Problems were simple, and easily solved. One night, when he couldn't be older than 5, Xander had a recurring nightmare that lasted a week. With some string, twigs, and stray feathers, his mother taught him to make a ward to scare off the nightmare- a dream catcher, all his own. More filled the house as Xander learned to be deft with his hands.
Not all problems are easily fixed. Xander's father was all the tropes- incompetent, drunk, and often away. What scraps Xander's mother earned were swiftly squandared on booze and gambling. He was an awful player which, of course, made the man very popular. As the habit dragged on, he began running out of items to gamble with. Money turned into precious heirlooms, treasured keepsakes. When even his wedding ring was swept into another players hands, and he protested that there was nothing left to play with, his opponent thought otherwise. A family is worth an awful lot, especially to men who knew what they could go for. Xander's father accepted the deal.
A friendly neighbor and frequenter of the gambling den warned the family, and they fled before there was time to think. They took only necessities and memories, aiming to get as far as they could. The slaver, unlike Xander's father, wasn't one to simply let his winnings vanish without a fight. It wasn't long before Evelisk, the eldest, spotted their pursuers in the distance. Xander's mother, short on time, ran behind a sand dune with her kids. There was a small ridge just beyond it- she told Xander to take some supplies, go down the ridge, and see if there was a cave he could hide in. She could trust him to be strong alone, and to squeeze into smaller spaces than most. For his sisters, she sent them in opposite directions of the ridge with supplies of their own. As for her, she began to run.
Xander had done a good job, finding a cave so small he wondered if even he could fit in it. He managed and was surprised to find a slightly roomy cave beyond the tiny crack of an entrance. The perfect place to hide and wait. As the time crept past in the cave, his mind raced to piece together what might be happening outside. His mother was found. His sisters, found. He waited as he heard men shout out outside. He waited even when it was silent. He waited in the cave until hunger outweighed fear. To his despair, or to his relief, or maybe to both, when he emerged he was alone. With no thought where to go, Xander began to trudge slowly away from Tusa.
In the desert, after mental eons of walking and supplies began dwindling, a trader appeared. Xander's attempt to run landed him on his knees instead, mind blank as the man asked questions he could barely hear.
With nowhere else he could go, the man took him under his wing, and brought him on his travels. He taught him the skills of the trade, including basic sword skills, how to make business, and, more importantly, how to cover your trail. In this time, Xander's memories grew fuzzy. His time in the desert seemed more dream than truth. Eventually, he split off from his mentor, ready to start his life free from whatever had found him in the desert.
He was nearing young adulthood when things changed. Xander had been smuggling jewels when a man began beating two slaves as they were tied to each other, unable to get up. Memories shattered from their chrysalis in Xander's mind. That night, fueled and haunted by the vision, he gained entry into the house by promising the man jewels if he could stay the night. By morning, he and the slaves were gone.
A new hope spread through his mind. He only had to find slaves, and he would have chances of finding his family. What was once a simple trading operation with a hint of backalley business became more in depth. Funds from his smuggling runs were redirected as he created supply packs for rescuees, given as he freed them to run and start anew.
Years passed. The thrill of the operation, the hope, grew dully into routine. He began keeping a small apartment on the edge of the city, and switched from bouncing between different odd jobs to working on the docks when he wasn't moving contraband. That goal he once set his sights on now flickers as a distant star, guiding him and yet... always out of reach.
Current Story
Xander soon came to find a roommate in Jin, a brash and blunt worker who never let him rest in despair for long, whether he liked it or not. Their similar goals led to a strong bond as winds of fate began to blow.
A Tale of Two Courts
Lucrezia, a military force and business woman who he'd run smuggling operations for before, managed to wrangle him into a deal bringing him to Koben, and the palace's gala. He gets, predictably, into trouble and needs to make a quick exit, but not before spotting an unexpected familiar face- one he'd recognize anywhere. His youngest sister, Aya, was a hand in the palace... but how? Why? And how could he hope to rescue her from there?
World's Wrath
The rising Citadel is the perfect excuse to run away from himself, but he can't run from his troubled thoughts.
Special Item: Thunderblade
On return from the Citadel on suspicious mark heavier, Xander finds himself the recipient of a gift: a thank you from a grateful mother, for saving her child. It had taken a lot of effort to find him, and the gift- a magical dagger- sends tingles down his spine. Something in him is reinvigorated.
Fantastic Bazaar
With the help of some other misfits, Xander manages to sneak out a beaten boy that he's sure the syndicate won't miss. While he's right they won't miss him, they'll still find the guilty party. He delivers the boy to Boloma, trusting her to take care of him after learning the truth of his mother's end. On his way home from dropping off the boy, his days of getting away with everything scott free come to an end. He is grabbed and whisked away to the back room of a gambling den, where the consequences fall on his shoulders alone.
He's left beaten, bloodied, and missing pieces of himself as he finds his way home. His days of being affiliated even on the lowest level with the Syndicate have come to a close, and his marks from the beating will betray him if he tries to establish contact again.
Journey to Koben
With his black market days over, Xander has little choice but to find something new. The dock work had always been a cover for his smuggling, and it doesn’t pay nearly enough on its own. With the Syndicate pushing him out of the market, he finally tells Jin his plan. They leave Linhythe together for Koben, though she moves onwards to her goal once there.
In Koben, Xander trips on his new work by accident-- saving a young noble from a mugger. Daelan offers him work with the fellowship as a manual laborer. It's not long after that he manages to secure a job on palace grounds as a stablehand. He catches glimpses of Aya in windows, and while he hasn't found a way to contact her yet, surely he will soon.
Sin and Sacrifice: Devil's Dare
Soon doesn't come quickly enough. The prince's death sends the palace reeling, and Xander is no exception, worrying for his sister's safety and wellbeing at a distance. That worry quickly turns to determination, however, as his eyes catch on a very clean street rat, with similar stature and build to the prince...
Determined to get the prince back for his sister's happiness, and to keep the poor bastard safe, he follows the roads back near Linhythe, and embarks in the Devil's Gate expedition. The prince slips from his hands again, and Xander sets course to follow... assuming the world, and a contract for a general, don't implode on him first.
Sin and Sacrifice: Tempest and the Final Hour
There is little to be done about the titan fight other than... fight titans.
Xander journeys unexpectedly into Ursus with Seth and Ilham, forging stronger bonds with both of them as the general tests their very selves on the way out. In the fight against the big lad, Xander adds a new scar to his repetoire- lightning.
Of course, nothing is so easy as just killing off titans. Xander joins the others thrown back into the six circles and all the chaos therein- finding Lothian, Iryneia, and their upside down-'d friends as the worlds cave in around them.
While there, he is blessed by Aexe and gains a newfound appreciation for letting people know him on a deeper level. (note to self: find a woman who will respect you, just once.)
And, while he does hate ghosts, as their thrown to escape the circles there's a pain in his chest as the godlings disappear from view. He sings an old song for them, one he's found comfort in during his own journey. It's been a long road. The boundless expanse awaits.
Additional Info
He has a comforting singing voice, if you're lucky enough to hear it.
Aside from his dagger, he has a short sword is from the trader he traveled with, a gift when he turned fifteen.
He used to make trips to Tusa, to pray to Mareus and search for familiar faces in the crowds. He hasn't been since the formation of the Southern Federation.
Xander is a textbook insomniac, but even while sleep eludes him, he enjoys getting up early to see the sun rise while most of the world sleeps.
Prefers small places to open spaces.
He keeps a few thin pieces of soft rope around his wrists- never know when you'll need it.
He rarely, if ever, drinks. There are very few situations that would see him willingly have a swig of any alcoholic beverage.
His citadel mark is on his arm. He used to hide it with a bandanna, but now has bigger things to worry about.
Family
Retikwer Duvarian - Mother, a hardworker who cared for all of her children, especially Xander. After meeting and working with Boloma, he learned that, while Bo had managed to smuggle Retikwer out of slavery, the sudden stimulus of escaping combined with her years of labor had been too much for her. She died on Bo's boat in transit to freedom, murmuring about being with her son again soon. According to Bo's records, this was around 10 years ago.
Turnier Duvarian - Father, a smear in history.
Evelisk Duvarian - Eldest Sister, kind and compassionate. She always kept an eye out for him and Aya's wellbeing. Current location and health status is unknown to him.
Aya Duvarian - Younger Sister, a smart and carefree girl. After being dragged to a ball by Lucrezia and entering a fistfight, he passed by her for a brief moment as he fled the scene. He doesn't know how, why, or what she is entirely, but he knows she's in the palace, working, and seemingly didn't recognize him.
Relations
Lucrezia Heltant
A noble and semi-employer of his smuggling skills.