Gea'Xaroxani Xorax Takar
Though still a teenager, Xorax carries himself with an air of authority that many grown men would envy. Some of this comes from his attitude, and some comes from the fact that he usually wears a faded, old military uniform jacket. It's from the
Great Civil War era, but he wears it as if he's earned it. In fact, the uniform jacket belonged to his grandfather,
Xarax, who casts a long shadow over Xorax's life, despite having passed away long before Xorax was born.
Xarax's widow,
Brialla, swore to avenge her husband's death, leading her family down a dark path that ultimately left only herself and her two grandchildren alive. She raised Xorax and his cousin,
Zola, from a young age to be soldiers in her personal war.
For as long as he can remember, Xorax has been told that his only mission in life is to help his grandmother wipe out all descendants of the man who killed his grandfather. Nothing else matters. Now that he's well into his teens, he comes to understand that Brialla is fully prepared to sacrifice his life if it means an end to her decades-spanning vendetta. While that wouldn't be his first choice, even this realization isn't enough to make him shirk his duty to his ancestors. He didn't choose this path, but he's going to see it through no matter what it takes.
Physical Description
Xorax tries to replicate his grandfather's military training with the limited resources available to him. When he isn't practicing
hapak he keeps in shape with his own routine of running, urban parkour, push-ups, etc. He is lean, not muscled, but his mental fervor fuels a manic strength that belies his wiry frame.
Brialla saw to it that Xorax began training in the martial art of
hapak as soon as he was old enough to join the nearest academy at age five. His grandfather had been a top ranked practitioner, and she insisted he keep the tradition going. Xorax has attained rank three, which is a rank higher than most of his peers. He sometimes feels the money could be better spent on other things (like winter boots without leaks), but overall he enjoys the weekly classes as an opportunity to get away from his grandmother for awhile and have an outlet for his aggression and frustration.
Awaiting the day he would be old enough to inherit his grandfather's military pistol, Brialla made sure Xorax learned to shoot a gun. He's not allowed to carry one, but does usually have throwing knives on him, which he can fling with great accuracy.
He dresses mostly in black and gray, except for his grandfather's red uniform jacket and medallion.
Mental characteristics
Xorax's mother,
Onasria, abandoned the family when he was still a toddler due to the abuse she received at the hands of her husband,
Xarox. At age six, Xorax's father and uncle were killed in a riot. Afterward his grandmother,
Brialla, raised him and his cousin,
Zola.
by Katie Sullivan
Onasria, Xarox, and baby Xorax
Xorax is heterosexual--not that his grandmother allows him to date.
sporadic public schools, tutoring by his grandmother
Between living in poverty, not being allowed to have hobbies, being repeatedly told that his reason for existing is to avenge the death of a man he never met, dealing with racism, losing his parents at a very young age, being led to exclusively worship the god of war/chaos/discord/vengeance, and being raised and brainwashed by a mentally unstable woman who carries on full conversations with a portrait of her dead husband...it's no wonder Xorax is a bit messed up in the head.
Personality Characteristics
Xorax has been groomed since birth to continue his family's vendetta. His grandmother has told him that not only must he wipe out their enemies to restore his grandfather's honor, but until that mission is complete none of them will be free to move on to the afterlife. Xorax believes his grandfather, father, uncle, and someday his grandmother, his cousin, and himself will be trapped between the world of the living and the spirit world unless he kills every last descendant of Delzon.
Show spoiler
This is a complete lie that Brialla made up to keep her grandchildren on task. That's not how Vincaran beliefs about the afterlife work.
Brialla will not allow Xorax to consider a job, romance, hobbies, or a career until their goal is completed. The desire to finally chart his own destiny drives him almost as much as vengeance--not that he would dare admit that to his grandmother.
Xorax's dry, sardonic sense of humor very rarely makes an appearance.
Social
Following the cue of his grandmother, Xorax is fiercely devoted to the god of war and vengeance,
Telik. He was brought to Telik's temple as an infant to receive His blessing, and Brialla tells him he is the god's chosen warrior. He is intrigued by
Irokori--or at least by the pretty acolyte at the goddess' temple--but Brialla doesn't allow him to even visit other shrines.
Xorax's intense, volatile, humorless aura makes him unapproachable so it's just as well that Brialla forbids him to have friends. His lackeys,
Elzar and
Ryshan, stick around because they can bring in more ill-gotten profit working as a team, and Brialla tolerates them because they also help search for
Delzeena.
He enjoyed growing a plant for a school project when he was a small child. His grandmother stamped out that interest quickly, reminding him that her vendetta was the only thing he should be spending time and effort on.
by Katie Sullivan
History
Brialla can be verbally abusive to Xorax one moment, then praising him as Telik's chosen warrior the next. As long as he is obedient and dedicated to her vendetta, he stays on her good side. If he balks too much at her instructions, she is not beyond slapping him.
History
Zola and Xorax were both raised by their grandmother since they were small children, and as such are more like siblings than cousins. They are the only people in the world who can really understand what they've both been through.
History
Sicara sees the kind of person Xorax could be, if he wasn't wrapped up in his family's vendetta, and likes that hypothetical version of him more than the current one. She urges him to leave his burdens in the past, as her patron goddess advocates, instead of pursuing the dark path of Telik, god of war and vengeance.
While Xorax has feelings for Sicara, he bristles at her suggestion that he turn his back on Telik and what he sees as his life's purpose. Besides, his grandmother has forbidden him to indulge in anything frivolous like hobbies or romance until their mission is complete. If that day ever comes, he likes to think he has a chance with Sicara...if his actions in the name of vengeance don't drive her away completely.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Sicara lost her home and her mother in the same riots that killed Xorax's father and uncle. Her choice to seek healing and move past her trauma while he chose to let it fuel his hatred is the main source of conflict between them.
History
His grandmother doesn't allow Xorax to have friends, per se, but she tolerates Elzar hanging around because he's a useful henchman in their quest. Xorax treats Elzar as a dumb lackey most of the time, but secretly treasures the opportunity to socialize like a normal(ish) teenager.
Xorax was raised in a tiny, poorly-maintained apartment in the poorest part of the Vincaran Quarter in
Shalanera. The furniture was held together with duct tape, the wallpaper was peeling in long strips, and they could never afford to heat it very well in the winter time. There was rarely adequate food available, and going to a doctor wasn't an option. His winter coat and some other clothes were inherited from his late father and uncle.
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