Last of the Desert People

Xander Eldridge is a very likable fellow who seems to fall under a cloud when questioned about his past. Normally amiable and friendly, his face drops and pales and his voice falters. He deflects questions with a simple response like "It's not for me to talk about" and walks away. For varying amounts of time afterwards, he seems to vanish, not to be seen by any of his friends. This seclusion can last anywhere from an hour to several days. His natural charm and charisma make him a natural leader and younger students seem to flock to him for just this reason.

He does well in his classes and has the potential to become very powerful. He seems to be holding something back though, something perhaps locked within his past. He dislikes conflict and his choice of runes matches this, being mostly along the lines of defense, evasion, and healing, though he has also shown quite a fascination with air runes as well. His teachers, while very supportive and understanding, sometimes get frustrated him. He has the potential to be a true leader and defender but his distaste for conflict prevents him from learning things that would be assets to a successful leader. He has only the most basic of combat skills and appears to have no intention of learning any more.

A steadfast and truly caring person, Xander, despite his distaste for conflict, will always stand beside a friend in need. More often though, he is a mediator, solving disputes between students through reasoning and compromise. Though generally well liked, there are those that would try to lead but lack his personal skills or just find him as a nuisance or a waste of talent.

Xander is just over 6ft tall and weighs probably around 170 lbs. It's hard to be sure. The clothes he wears are quite loose and baggy. Normally this includes a thin, white, loose tunic and a tan vest. His pants are generally baggy and loose just like his tunic, and they usually range from light brown to a yellowish color and tuck into brown boots. From time to time, glimpses of him are caught in his room early on where he wears what appears to be full desert garb. His black hair spikes forward except for a little tuft in the back that he keeps tied up with a red cord, forming a short and kind of scruffy ponytail. His eyes are a bright, shining blue and his face is clean cut and his smile is welcoming and kind.

The truth about his origins are something Xander wishes to keep secret. He views it as his own personal failure. He was born in a town called Ankala, a small town in the center of the Great Jhantoo Desert, completely cut off from the rest of the world. At least, it was. Before the Rune Knights came. They destroyed the entire town, killing everyone. Well, almost everyone. Xander was only a child, barely 6 years old. But he still feels responsible. He could have saved his sister, Kara. She was younger than he was. He tried to protect her, but he wasn't strong enough. He tried to, but they were so strong. He tried to run away with her, but they were seen. That's when the bolt struck them. It hit Kara square in the back and she was killed instantly. All that was left of her was a charred husk. He was almost dead from the aftershock. But he survived somehow. When he came to a day later, he crawled back to his town, only to find everything in ashes. And he wept. When he stopped, he gathered up what provisions he could and started north. He doesn't know how long he traveled, but it wasn't too long before he was out of the desert. And so he continued to roam. For the next two decades or so, he roamed, never settling down in one place, performing odd jobs and staying in towns for perhaps months at a time. Until he heard of the Rune Knights. He heard the stories of how they were headed by a demon but were now reformed. He heard that they were taking students on in order to strengthen their ranks. And so he headed for Shin'oray. Never again would he be helpless. Never again would he be so defenseless. Never again would he fail to protect those he cares about.