Mortalborn Story in the spoiler below:
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It was not so much Xander's parents that drew the attention of Qylios but instead the land they were in charge of. However, not just the Barony his parents had jurisdiction over but also the entirety of Krome and arguably Rynmere as a whole. Krome had been in decline for some arcs and as the classes had split the people had suffered. While that happened some of the nobles had grown greedy and selfish keeping their riches, allowing their lands to grow impoverished while remaining wealthy themselves.
During her travels the immortal noticed this and a similar trend across a fair amount of the kingdom as the people suffered and the nobility grew in power and wealth. They seemed to have forgotten it was their duty to care for the common folk, something they had done well in the early days of Rynmere but a view watered down or forgotten in the modern age. Seeing this place that lacked good leadership, that suffered without the strength and light a good ruler could bring Qylios decided there was a need to do something.
At first she sought to persuade the nobility to change and see the error in their ways before the country fell into disarray, a very real threat that would in fact go on to befall Rynmere in the not too distant future. She spent seasons attempting to get the different important figures in the houses to see the light, coming to them in disguises and gaining their trust but failing to truly bring any change to the people.
She would talk to the nobles and show them the suffering of the poor and the hard work that many did for only a tiny percentage of the wealth they themselves possessed. It was amazing to see how well they could ignore it and pretend it did not fall to them to fix the issues or help the people. The ignorance and selfishness knew no bounds but some had the small amount of good in them just not enough to return to their roots as great leaders of men.
Eventually Qylios came across arguably the worst examples of them all, the newly wed couple Jersey and Sophia Krome. Selfish and ignorant these two were the worst possible thing for the people they found themselves leaders of. She tried harder than ever with these two and yet she was unable to make them see the better path. They were blinded by greed and self indulgence, forgetting about the harsh lives of those in their charge.
It was around this time that Jersey and Sophia were trying for their first child, the Baron obsessed with siring an heir to carry on their family line. Strange how he was so desperate to have a child and then when one came he would cared so little for them. Still Qylios was unable to show the Krome's a better way and instead something else came to her mind, another way to bring a light into this harsh noble world.
On her final day with the couple Qylios went about her plan, preparing to spread her own power into the womb of Sophia Krome and bring a child into the world. Alas, not just a child but a slither of hope too, a light to enact change upon Rynmere from the inside out. A pure seed to grow had been planted and the hope for a better future in place.
So she did, finding a moment in which she was able to place her hand upon the stomach of Sophia and wish her the best with their attempts to have a child she implanted her power. It intermingled with the human ovum and so Xander was conceived the plan enacted and her work done.
Qylios left then, telling no one of what she had done and remaining at a distance allowing her son to be born and grow to develop and bring about what she had hoped. She would watch from afar but ultimately not guide him, not unless he one day asked for it.
Xander had a complex childhood, one that has shaped him to the man he is today. From the day he was born his parents seemed to pay little attention to him. The great Baroness and her husband were always too busy to see their son. The only times his mother ever held him in her arms was when they had a state visit and wanted to show off their wonderful new heir. Due to this he never bonded with them as a baby and later on he never felt the love or loyalty to them he should have. Instead he was raised by the butler, Badon, a firm handed but kind and caring man. Badon had strong morals and beliefs, mostly geared towards revolution and freedom of Krome. Before being a slave to House krome and working in the Northern House, he had been a normal man of Krome who had been part of plotting a failed revolution. Following this failed attempt instead of death he was put to work as a slave. That is how he ended up rasiing Xander in the house.
Although he was too young at first to understand the things that Badon was teaching him, it was clear that the man was off loading his radical and extreme views onto the child. Xander did not really take to these crazy idea and theories of an overthrow until he was around 7 arcs old. From as soon as he could walk and speak Xander had tried to impress his parents and get their approval and interest. It took him until the age of 7 until he gave up on this fruitless task and instead settles with Badon. At this time he began to learn about all the horrors that occurred across Krome. He was told of starving children and families unable to pay the taxes being forced out of their homes. Some things were jsut rumours and some parts were true, but Badon taught the child to hate the royals and the house of Andaris. He was lead to believe that Krome gave up much of what should be its own for the king to go about spending it on things that had no use for their people. This indoctrination was the fuel to Xander's revolutionary soul, he began to formulate ideas of overthrow and establishing a fair state of Krome. By the age of 17 he was already coming up with better and more radical ideas than Badon, all in secret of course.
The day (18 Ymiden, Arc 699) Xander's sister, Zara, was born was one of the best in his life. He himself was only 6 arcs old at the time, but he acted twice his age at that point, he felt filled with the responsibilities of a big brother. He held her before even his Father did, and when he looked into her innocent eyes, for a moment he forgot about everything else. But as always it could not be perfect, he loved her but at the same time he envied her. She had the attention of his mother, she pampered the baby in a way she had never cared for him. It was something he would never understand, why they had loved her more than him. But even in his envy he couldn't help loving her. He would play with her everyday, it was about the only time he was like an normal child. Around her he forgot about all his troubles and instead enjoyed every second of it.
They spent a lot of time playing together and talking about the future as she got older. She wanted to marry a rich lord and live in Venora, something he himself would have hated, but he loved her and so he ignored his feelings and would play along. They would talk of happiness in marriage so much that she managed to convince him that a woman would not be so bad. She would be the only reason he would choose to marry and without her he was almost certain he would remain single. She was his connection to his softer and more loving side, and she was his connection to the opposite sex, he needed her to guide him and take him through that, she would have been the only one who could keep him from his goals that Badon had been helping him develop. He loved her dearly so much that at times he considered just stopping listening to Badon and living like an aristocrat purely for enjoyment not ulterior motives.
Up until she was 10 was Xander able to enjoy her company, 10 years of time spent together. She had been his breath of fresh air and comfort through the hard neglectful years. But now it would come to be that he would kill the one thing he had ever truly loved. He got sick one day, very sick, he still to this day does not know what the disease was. What it was, does not matter, what does was what it caused. He got sick and Zara refused to leave his side. This would be her downfall, unable to make her leave in his weak and sick state she stayed and too contracted the disease. He being 16 and strong managed to resist and fight of the disease, but his sister could not. Her young and weak body was not strong enough and two nights after contracting the disease she passed on.
The loss of his sister was devastating for Xander, so much so that he nearly killed a boy a few weeks later. Clearly he had not heard the news about his sisters death and he had said something he believed to be funny, teasing the boy about how much he had loved his baby sister. Xander was still filled with grief and unable to control his emotions this soon after her death he beat the boy. He was a year younger than him, just 15, but he pummeled his face until it could not be recognised. It took two of the servants to break his grip from the boy. This loss of his sister almost broke him, for weeks he would stay in his room, weeping, blaming himself for getting her sick. These weeks gave him time to think and in these weeks he could not take thinking about her anymore, so he slowly began to fight off the memories of her with one aim, to free Krome. This was his focus for the next two years as he regained his composure and reentered into the society. The pain and deep suffering he felt mingled with guilt remained. Just now they were buried under a seemingly impossible goal.
But then, much to Xander's surprise as he came of age, he believed they would never forgive him for her death but yet it appeared they had, his parents suddenly started paying attention to him. He knew why it was, now he was an adult and they didn't have their precious Zara to distract them and raise to marry a rich noble needed him to do so. They could also make him do their work. At first he did not see the advantages of this, not until Badon pointed them out to him. It was revealed to him that acting as a Lord and doing Lord like things would lead to a strong position in which he could gather support for his cause and learn vital information about the goings on around the Kingdom. So Xander was named Steward of the house, put in charge of all the slaves and maintaining order and a suitable state for guests. He took to the job well, he was a natural born Leader, and having been raised by one of the members of the household he had good relationships with most of them. Although at first this caused some problems with respect, but by showing a firm hand and fair punishment he quickly gained the respect necessary to be the Steward.
Now it was clear that he could handle responsibility as such his parents started to give him more tasks, like hosting parties and gatherings of the nobles. These parties were where he really perfected his facade, here he could practice his appearance to the outside world and making sure there was nothing suspicious about him. These parties were what he also used to build connections with the other houses and search for support in his future aspirations. His parents were happy with Xanders skill and so they left him in charge as Steward, but still neglected him. They would only ever take time to be with him if they wanted something. This neglect from a very young age has put him in a difficult position with his parents, he does not care for them, and they are really in the way of his goals but he does still have that child feeling he can't help. No matter how they have treated him or neglected him, they are still his parents.
After being given position as Steward Xander began to grow more independent. Now earning a wage and being free to do as he wanted with his spare time as an adult, he quickly took to learning how to fight. The long sword was his weapon of choice, one which with some practice and good tutelage he could become very skilled with. He has already learnt most of the basics like, how to stand, how to grip and how to parry. He could probably fight with a low foot soldier now and stand a chance. Yet much more work needs to be done before he can be seen as any kind of skilled person. He is quite content with his life currently, as he is working towards his goal and everything appears to be on track. He has only a few worries these days, a few things that could mess up his plans. The first is his parents arranging him a marriage. One thing that would throw a huge spanner in the works would be him being connected to another noble family. A wife would also be a distraction he would rather not have. If he was to marry for political reasons that would be his choice for his own gains, but to be forced by his parents to marry for their gains would be nothing but frustrating.
Badon still remains butler in the house, and is the only person Xander can speak too about his thoughts. Besides him he has to keep them to himself, he does not keep a journal or diary as any written evidence would be too compelling. Instead he has weekly secret meetings with the old butler in order to discuss ideas and methods in which he could gain the necessary power or noble support within Krome to overthrow the Duke. Coming into Arc 717 Xander is at his most stable, building up his ideas and theories as well as securing his position and preparing physically and mentally for the trials to come. His goals clear in mind and his heart in the right place, some may call him evil or a bad man, but he believes he is working towards a justice for all. Xander's past has shaped him, but now his choices are his own and whatever comes next can be blamed on nobody but himself.
