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♚ OOC
Name: Ben
Age: 26
Contact: basedbase on Plurk
Character In-game: N/A
♛ IC
Name: Xander
Canon: Fire Emblem: Fates; Revelation
Canon Point: Directly before Chapter 17.
Age: 28 (Not confirmed in canon; a rough estimate.)
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Appearance: Here
History/Background: Here
Personality:
Besides perhaps his will-something that will be expanded on shortly-Xander's most defining trait is his care for his family. In Revelation, the route I draw his canon point from, he remains loyal to Garon, his father, despite the king's clear madness until it is made completely clear that the man has been at the best possessed and at the worst killed and replaced by an imposter. As for his siblings, during his supports with Camilla she attempts to prove that while he does so much as Prince for them, he must have to sacrifice some amount of detailed knowledge about them, little details about their younger siblings that she, as the 'caring' older sister, would know-and proves her wrong when she challenges him to answer such details.
The relationship Xander shares with the avatar, Corrin, is particularly strong, and can drastically affect his behavior between the routes. In Revelations, specifically, Xander is initially inclined to attack Corrin despite how dearly he holds them-but it takes Conquest to shine a light on just how closely he cares for them, as they are not his enemy in that route. Despite Garon's repated orders that will harm Corrin-from killing them outright, to simply not assisting them when they are in need-Xander finds a way to be of assistance to Corrin. Even though he, like his other siblings, know Corrin to not be their 'true' sibling, they gladly treat Corrin as just such. Except, if it comes to it, in romance-should the two end up in an s-support, Xander's care for Corrin will go beyond the familial into that of husband and wife.
Xander's more direct familial relationships-with his father and his son-are also important. Garon is a man that-until he realizes it is no longer truly Garon he's been dealing with-Xander follows all but unerringly (the notable exceptions being, as mentioned above, when his orders are for Xander to in some way harm his siblings.) Even when the orders would make him furious (as mentioned in the supports with Corrin,) Xander would follow through on them. This faith in his father stems from a time when Garon was a much more caring man; Xander even seems to believe that a victory over Hoshido would bring about this change. This, along with the belief that it is for the good of Nohr (which was initially, the given reason for the invasion of Hoshido-the need for resources) are the reasons Xander is willing to fight the war despite his distaste for the bloodshed involved. As for Siegbert, we unfortunately see little of their relationship-only what can be shown in Siegbert's paralogue and their shared support chain-but in that chain we see Xander as a caring father, perhaps one in the image of the way he fondly remembers Garon once being. Indeed, he specifically compares Siegbert's viewing him as a hero to the way he once held Garon-but goes on to say that his son must also see him as another warrior in the army, as a learning tool but not a hero to simply follow.
The softness with which he treats his family, somewhat surprisingly, extends to others around him. Despite a reputation as a fierce and almost feelingless fighter, Xander shows no real love for harming others. Exhibited in his supports with Nyx, they bond over the fact that neither cares for the killing they've done in the past, and see this war as among other things a way to atone for their past deeds. The trope of the crown weighing heavily would certainly apply to Xander, doing what's for the good of Nohr even if it's not what's for his own personal good, and lamenting the deaths caused both personally and in his name. He almost didn't take on Laslow as a retainer, due to the deaths of his most recent pair despite their own seriousness and carefulness, still grieving over the fact he was too weak to prevent them from having to give their lives for his.
Part of the source of his reputation is a complete lack of humor. Xander isn't the sort to laugh at jokes, and is even less so the sort to make them-to the degree that that is, likely, a factor in his intimidating demeanor. Selena goes so far as to spending her supports with him making an effort to teach him to make a joke, to make at least some effort to open up a crack in his seriousness. The end result of her efforts were only causing worry, it was so uncharacteristic for him to joke in a war meeting they were both attending.
Perhaps the source of his seriousness, as well as certainly the source of his skills, is an ironclad will and determination. Xander was not born particularly physically able, or as a great leader-but as the crown prince, he worked at it as much as he could. Shy as a child, he made himself more outgoing and less frightened by repeatedly speaking with his father, the King, despite the terror the man inspired in him in such situations. And in many of his supports, his constant training is a focus-always striving to better himself, be it as future king, or a fighter, ensuring that he remains a vital part of the army his younger sibling leads.
While his physical strengths are made obvious by a combination of game mechanics and the repeated mentions of his constant training, examples of his leadership abilities are more nuanced. While it is in part an informed attribute-we are told about the missions he goes on, and he clearly commands troops that respect him, cases of him explicitly taking up a leadership position are rare-there are examples in his dealing with individual characters that exhibit strong leadership capabilities. His dealings with Charlotte and her flirtations with other troops, for example, show him both having concern for any dissension it might cause in the ranks (and the fact that her behavior might reflect poorly on Nohr, as an officer) and a fairness when dealing with her personally by offering a warning in place of immediate punishment. The concern shown for the safety of his retainers, both present and past, is also an attribute of a strong leader, placing concernt for their wellbeing as his utmost priority when they might otherwise be sacrificed in battle for his, or Nohr's, good. This is showcased both in his supports with the two of them (Peri and Laslow, that is,) and the ending of Birthright when he is distraught and their unwillingness to save themselves.
Skills/Abilities: First and foremost, Xander is a talented fighter. Arguably the best in his entire country-or at least certainly the best with any sort of recognition-he fights primarily with a sword, but is also more than competent with a lance. He prefers to fight on horseback, when possible, but can certainly do so while unmounted if need be. Along with this skill is the prerequisite physical attributes for it-he is strong, and quite tough, though for a fighter he could certainly be on the faster and more agile side.
Beyond combat capabilities, Xander is an experienced leader, as well, having led troops for, as far as the player can tell, likely at least a few years now. Corrin-the main character-is given missions from his father in which he must lead forces while considerably younger than Xander, so it seems quite likely that Xander had been leading them for a fair while as well.
Magic Weapon: Pacem-a bastard sword made primarily of plain iron, though with a core of wood running from the handle all the way through the blade. When activated, the sword can be thrust into the ground, and upon doing it so it saps at the will of enemy combatants to do battle. This effect is reduced if they are aggressed upon directly, but it can be used to temporarily keep some enemies from being involved in a fight-or, more ideally, keep a fight from happening at all when other options are available.
Carrier: (Randomized by mods) Grim Golem- A small purple golem with a permanent grin etched on its stone face. It has the odd ability to disassemble itself and put itself back together, and uses this property principally to pull off pranks. The gems in its limbs and mouth are what allow it to move; should it lose them, it would be a very sad lump of (sentient) rock.
Sample: Here
Name: Ben
Age: 26
Contact: basedbase on Plurk
Character In-game: N/A
♛ IC
Name: Xander
Canon: Fire Emblem: Fates; Revelation
Canon Point: Directly before Chapter 17.
Age: 28 (Not confirmed in canon; a rough estimate.)
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Appearance: Here
History/Background: Here
Personality:
Besides perhaps his will-something that will be expanded on shortly-Xander's most defining trait is his care for his family. In Revelation, the route I draw his canon point from, he remains loyal to Garon, his father, despite the king's clear madness until it is made completely clear that the man has been at the best possessed and at the worst killed and replaced by an imposter. As for his siblings, during his supports with Camilla she attempts to prove that while he does so much as Prince for them, he must have to sacrifice some amount of detailed knowledge about them, little details about their younger siblings that she, as the 'caring' older sister, would know-and proves her wrong when she challenges him to answer such details.
The relationship Xander shares with the avatar, Corrin, is particularly strong, and can drastically affect his behavior between the routes. In Revelations, specifically, Xander is initially inclined to attack Corrin despite how dearly he holds them-but it takes Conquest to shine a light on just how closely he cares for them, as they are not his enemy in that route. Despite Garon's repated orders that will harm Corrin-from killing them outright, to simply not assisting them when they are in need-Xander finds a way to be of assistance to Corrin. Even though he, like his other siblings, know Corrin to not be their 'true' sibling, they gladly treat Corrin as just such. Except, if it comes to it, in romance-should the two end up in an s-support, Xander's care for Corrin will go beyond the familial into that of husband and wife.
Xander's more direct familial relationships-with his father and his son-are also important. Garon is a man that-until he realizes it is no longer truly Garon he's been dealing with-Xander follows all but unerringly (the notable exceptions being, as mentioned above, when his orders are for Xander to in some way harm his siblings.) Even when the orders would make him furious (as mentioned in the supports with Corrin,) Xander would follow through on them. This faith in his father stems from a time when Garon was a much more caring man; Xander even seems to believe that a victory over Hoshido would bring about this change. This, along with the belief that it is for the good of Nohr (which was initially, the given reason for the invasion of Hoshido-the need for resources) are the reasons Xander is willing to fight the war despite his distaste for the bloodshed involved. As for Siegbert, we unfortunately see little of their relationship-only what can be shown in Siegbert's paralogue and their shared support chain-but in that chain we see Xander as a caring father, perhaps one in the image of the way he fondly remembers Garon once being. Indeed, he specifically compares Siegbert's viewing him as a hero to the way he once held Garon-but goes on to say that his son must also see him as another warrior in the army, as a learning tool but not a hero to simply follow.
The softness with which he treats his family, somewhat surprisingly, extends to others around him. Despite a reputation as a fierce and almost feelingless fighter, Xander shows no real love for harming others. Exhibited in his supports with Nyx, they bond over the fact that neither cares for the killing they've done in the past, and see this war as among other things a way to atone for their past deeds. The trope of the crown weighing heavily would certainly apply to Xander, doing what's for the good of Nohr even if it's not what's for his own personal good, and lamenting the deaths caused both personally and in his name. He almost didn't take on Laslow as a retainer, due to the deaths of his most recent pair despite their own seriousness and carefulness, still grieving over the fact he was too weak to prevent them from having to give their lives for his.
Part of the source of his reputation is a complete lack of humor. Xander isn't the sort to laugh at jokes, and is even less so the sort to make them-to the degree that that is, likely, a factor in his intimidating demeanor. Selena goes so far as to spending her supports with him making an effort to teach him to make a joke, to make at least some effort to open up a crack in his seriousness. The end result of her efforts were only causing worry, it was so uncharacteristic for him to joke in a war meeting they were both attending.
Perhaps the source of his seriousness, as well as certainly the source of his skills, is an ironclad will and determination. Xander was not born particularly physically able, or as a great leader-but as the crown prince, he worked at it as much as he could. Shy as a child, he made himself more outgoing and less frightened by repeatedly speaking with his father, the King, despite the terror the man inspired in him in such situations. And in many of his supports, his constant training is a focus-always striving to better himself, be it as future king, or a fighter, ensuring that he remains a vital part of the army his younger sibling leads.
While his physical strengths are made obvious by a combination of game mechanics and the repeated mentions of his constant training, examples of his leadership abilities are more nuanced. While it is in part an informed attribute-we are told about the missions he goes on, and he clearly commands troops that respect him, cases of him explicitly taking up a leadership position are rare-there are examples in his dealing with individual characters that exhibit strong leadership capabilities. His dealings with Charlotte and her flirtations with other troops, for example, show him both having concern for any dissension it might cause in the ranks (and the fact that her behavior might reflect poorly on Nohr, as an officer) and a fairness when dealing with her personally by offering a warning in place of immediate punishment. The concern shown for the safety of his retainers, both present and past, is also an attribute of a strong leader, placing concernt for their wellbeing as his utmost priority when they might otherwise be sacrificed in battle for his, or Nohr's, good. This is showcased both in his supports with the two of them (Peri and Laslow, that is,) and the ending of Birthright when he is distraught and their unwillingness to save themselves.
Skills/Abilities: First and foremost, Xander is a talented fighter. Arguably the best in his entire country-or at least certainly the best with any sort of recognition-he fights primarily with a sword, but is also more than competent with a lance. He prefers to fight on horseback, when possible, but can certainly do so while unmounted if need be. Along with this skill is the prerequisite physical attributes for it-he is strong, and quite tough, though for a fighter he could certainly be on the faster and more agile side.
Beyond combat capabilities, Xander is an experienced leader, as well, having led troops for, as far as the player can tell, likely at least a few years now. Corrin-the main character-is given missions from his father in which he must lead forces while considerably younger than Xander, so it seems quite likely that Xander had been leading them for a fair while as well.
Magic Weapon: Pacem-a bastard sword made primarily of plain iron, though with a core of wood running from the handle all the way through the blade. When activated, the sword can be thrust into the ground, and upon doing it so it saps at the will of enemy combatants to do battle. This effect is reduced if they are aggressed upon directly, but it can be used to temporarily keep some enemies from being involved in a fight-or, more ideally, keep a fight from happening at all when other options are available.
Carrier: (Randomized by mods) Grim Golem- A small purple golem with a permanent grin etched on its stone face. It has the odd ability to disassemble itself and put itself back together, and uses this property principally to pull off pranks. The gems in its limbs and mouth are what allow it to move; should it lose them, it would be a very sad lump of (sentient) rock.
Sample: Here
