Prince Xeric Draewynn

History

Xeric Draewynn first understood his bond with his elder sister Xena not through gentle words or sibling play, but in silence—the quiet moment when he realized that, among all the twisted and cunning faces within the Draewynn household, hers was the one presence he sought instinctively to protect. As children, she alone showed him neither fear nor revulsion, even after his darkest moments. From that subtle kindness, an intense, unspoken loyalty blossomed, one that he preserved like a blade kept sharp and hidden beneath his sleeve. Xeric rarely engaged her openly, instead shadowing her steps with an assassin’s silent vigilance. He endured her attempts at warmth with quiet resignation, ever watchful for threats she herself might never perceive. Court whispers painted him as her cold guardian, but to Xeric, protection was never about warmth—it was about precision. His loyalty remained unwavering, even if his expression never betrayed the depth of that hidden devotion.

Nicknames & Petnames

Xeric offers no affectionate nicknames openly—such things were never in his nature. Yet, within the confines of his private thoughts, he names her “the Glassblade,” for in her fragile elegance lies a hidden sharpness that he respects profoundly. Publicly, he addresses her simply as “Sister,” a term delivered with formal precision and stripped of emotion, intended to conceal the depth of his loyalty beneath layers of courtly etiquette. Xena, in turn, addresses him warmly as “Brother,” unaware of how each gentle word carves deeper into his guarded heart. The nickname "Glassblade," though never spoken aloud, symbolizes his view of her as both delicate and potentially lethal—someone deserving vigilant protection at all costs. To those observing, they are siblings bound by protocol; to Xeric, the silent labels he grants her represent far more than mere words.

Relationship Reasoning

Xeric’s devotion to Xena stems from an internal code of duty, born of subtle kindness he never expected to receive and an intense sense of responsibility shaped by blood and honor. She is his anchor, the one person who makes his grim existence bearable, and he would protect her not out of affection, but from a deep, nearly sacred commitment. Xeric’s philosophy is simple yet uncompromising: threats to Xena’s well-being must be eliminated without hesitation or mercy. He believes himself uniquely capable of understanding the darkness of the world—and thus uniquely equipped to shield her from it. For Xeric, loyalty is action; he needs no reward or acknowledgment beyond the quiet satisfaction that comes from keeping her safe. She is his purpose, his responsibility, and the justification for every ruthless act he commits.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Though outwardly different, Xeric and Xena share a profound commitment to loyalty and duty to the Draewynn name, each manifesting it in their distinct ways. They both appreciate quiet moments away from courtly noise, finding solace in libraries or secluded gardens where silence offers clarity. Xeric respects Xena’s intellectual pursuits and subtly supports her by ensuring she has the peace necessary to study or reflect. Each admires strength in its varying forms: Xena in diplomacy and subtle manipulation, Xeric in direct action and precise violence. Occasionally, their interests overlap in the study of historical battles or strategic texts—Xeric views these moments as subtle opportunities to remain close, quietly absorbing knowledge that might one day aid him in protecting her. Beneath the surface, their shared values of precision, vigilance, and responsibility form a hidden bond of understanding, though neither openly acknowledges its depth.

Shared Secrets

A dark secret binds Xeric closely to Xena: his covert elimination of a minor noble who had begun whispering damaging rumors about her lineage. Xeric acted swiftly and without hesitation, dispatching the threat before it could reach her ears or the court’s cruel tongues. Xena remains blissfully unaware of this intervention, yet Xeric carries the knowledge as both burden and duty, another layer of the quiet protection he offers unseen. Additionally, Xeric alone suspects Xena’s hidden devotion to Sparrow, quietly ensuring no evidence reaches their more judgmental kin. These unspoken acts of safeguarding and silent complicity form the foundation of Xeric’s protective loyalty, unseen threads binding him irrevocably to her side.

Shared Acquaintances

Instructor Velan Cray, the veteran lancer who tutors both Xena and Xarter, serves as the reluctant intermediary between Xeric and his elder sister. Cray, sensing Xeric’s hidden intensity, often subtly redirects him to tasks near Xena’s vicinity, quietly allowing the prince opportunities to watch over her without overt interference. To Xeric, Cray represents a trusted facilitator, someone who intuitively understands the delicate dance of protection he performs daily. Through Cray, Xeric receives indirect updates on Xena’s progress and well-being, strengthening his silent guardianship. Though Cray never openly discusses Xeric’s protective instincts, his deliberate positioning of the prince near Xena confirms a quiet acknowledgment of the bond that Xeric is determined never to openly reveal.

History

From the time Xeric was born, Caelia attempted to shield him from the palace’s hidden dangers. Back then, she was a blunt yet protective older sister who channeled her care by teaching him basic spear drills or stepping in when he was threatened. This warm albeit stern dynamic changed drastically after Xeric survived a horrifying brush with death at a young age. The incident—and the lethal training that followed—transformed him into a distant figure who no longer sought Caelia’s protection. Over the years, each exchange between them has become guarded and often hostile, largely due to Xeric’s obsessive commitment to safeguarding their younger half-sister, Xena. Whenever Caelia’s words or actions rattle Xena, Xeric’s response is swift and violent. Despite the deep rifts that have developed, Caelia still privately carries a flicker of hope that she can reconnect with the quiet child she once knew.   Their relationship evolved into a tense standstill marked by uneasy truces and near-combative altercations. Caelia’s honest frustration with Xeric’s methods has clashed repeatedly with his unwavering, icy devotion to Xena. Over time, both have quietly recognized that they share a certain lethal effectiveness, although they rarely cooperate in a truly friendly sense. Even so, there are fleeting moments—usually in the midst of crisis—where they instinctively protect each other from outside threats, reminding them that their bond, however fractured, still has roots in sibling loyalty.

Nicknames & Petnames

Caelia calls Xeric “Spook,” referencing his unsettling habit of appearing out of nowhere and watching events unfold in silence. She started using the nickname when he was smaller, partly as playful teasing and partly to acknowledge just how stealthy he can be. On the other hand, Xeric rarely calls Caelia anything at all. The closest he has come to addressing her by name was his cold declaration that she is “nothing” to him. In private, Caelia occasionally uses “Spook” in a wistful way, as if trying to recapture the time when Xeric might have laughed at her gentle ribbing. Unfortunately, Xeric never reciprocates with a similarly affectionate or teasing moniker—he keeps his distance and saves any words he does speak for very specific, often threatening moments.

Relationship Reasoning

At its heart, their connection stems from shared blood and the sense of responsibility that comes from belonging to the Draewynn household. Caelia believes, in her own blunt way, that family should watch out for one another, even if they clash. She once tried to protect Xeric from the palace’s darker influences, and that habit of looking out for him never truly went away. Xeric, however, is defined by a need to defend Xena, seeing Caelia’s bluntness toward their younger sister as an intolerable risk. In his eyes, protecting Xena justifies almost any action, including lethal force. This divergence in motivations—Caelia’s broad familial loyalty versus Xeric’s single-minded devotion—fuels the tension between them. Yet it also explains why they continue to circle each other rather than cut ties completely; underneath the hostility, there’s an embedded sense of obligation that neither can fully discard.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Surprisingly, Caelia and Xeric do share key traits that might have strengthened their bond under different circumstances. Both have a natural aptitude for combat and an unflinching acceptance of violence, albeit expressed in different ways. Caelia channels her ferocity through open challenges and disciplined training, hoping to prove herself worthy of the Draewynn name. Xeric, shaped by more covert and brutal training, exemplifies silent efficiency. Because of these overlapping instincts, they can function impressively as a team when forced into a larger battle—each aware that the other is dangerous enough to hold the line. They also share a rough sense of familial pride, even if Xeric rarely shows it in words. Both siblings understand that guarding the royal lineage is part of who they are; the biggest difference is how they approach that duty.

Shared Secrets

Though their rapport is largely strained, Caelia and Xeric do possess memories and confidences that only they recall. Before Xeric’s transformation into a lethal child-soldier, Caelia was the one who taught him small training techniques—how to parry, how to balance a spear—and he looked up to her in a quiet way. These early lessons remain unspoken moments of vulnerability they both remember, even if Xeric would never admit it now. In addition, Caelia is one of the few who truly understands the extent of Xeric’s trauma and the darker corners of his upbringing. She knows some of the harsh truths behind his training, and he, in turn, is aware that she once cared enough to try to shield him from it. Neither speaks openly about these past attempts at closeness, yet the knowledge lingers beneath each tense encounter. In a court filled with secrets and deception, these shared pieces of their history—once a source of warmth—now highlight just how much distance has grown between them.

History

Xeric was born under an omen and raised without illusions. Aillsa, always practical, recognized early that he wasn’t wired for warmth—his eyes didn’t cry, his voice didn’t tremble—and she adjusted. Where she trained her other children with fire and discipline, she trained Xeric like a tool being honed: not for greatness, but for precision. After the mission that left his siblings dead and Xeric smiling through his own evisceration, Aillsa understood that what survived wasn’t a boy—it was something colder, more focused, and infinitely more lethal. Since then, she’s treated him with the respect one grants a loaded crossbow: powerful, silent, and never entirely safe to hold. Their history isn’t warm, but it is stable—two souls who understand violence, control, and the value of keeping sharp things sheathed until needed.

Nicknames & Petnames

Aillsa never gave him a name meant to soften. She calls him “My Arrow” when speaking about him to generals—direct, precise, and designed to strike silently. In private, she sometimes reverts to “Xeric of the Quiet Blade,” a poetic moniker she once used in an old war chant, but now repurposes with bitter irony. Xeric, in return, refers to her only by her title: “Mother,” flat and dutiful, as if it were just another rank in a long chain of command. He never uses nicknames, never jokes, and never falters in protocol—his tone with her is always clipped and perfectly measured. If any affection exists between them, it is buried beneath layers of weaponized ritual.

Relationship Reasoning

To Aillsa, Xeric represents her most controversial success. He is the child who never asked for comfort and never needed reassurance, only tasks. She respects his lethality, finds it useful, but worries that what makes him effective may also make him brittle—or ungovernable. She gives him orders, not affection, because it’s the language he understands, and anything else feels wasteful or even dangerous. Xeric, in turn, does not seek her love—he seeks clarity, structure, and a place in her war-machine where he fits without friction. His loyalty is not born of devotion but of purpose; she made him this way, and he serves accordingly.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Aillsa and Xeric both believe in efficient violence—no excess, no sentiment. They share a philosophy of silence: only speak what must be said, only kill what must be killed. Both keep their quarters sparse and functional, their routines rigid, and their emotions buried under layers of discipline. Neither trusts easily, and both understand that power must be earned and maintained, not inherited through title alone. They share an admiration for precision—whether it’s in swordplay, formation drills, or psychological manipulation. Their bond is forged from clean edges and hard truths, not bloodlines or lullabies.

Shared Secrets

Xeric’s first assassination—an unrecorded purging of a traitorous noble’s ward—was ordered unofficially by Aillsa herself. She passed him the name on a wax-sealed scrap, gave him a dagger that once belonged to her mentor, and said nothing more. When he returned, soaked in silence and blood, she burned the parchment and handed him his first real weapon. Neither told the king. That moment became their secret initiation, a quiet pact between queen and son that exists outside royal records and family lore. The body was never found, the name never spoken again—but the trust, if one could call it that, has endured.

Shared Acquaintances

Ser Virel Drenn, the royal conditioning instructor assigned to prepare Draewynn heirs for combat, played a pivotal role in shaping Xeric into what he is—and had Aillsa’s full backing to do so. Drenn’s brutal methods would have seen other parents revolt, but Aillsa gave him a blank slate and no restraints when it came to Xeric’s training. She observed from a distance, never interfering, even when bones cracked or blood ran. Xeric, for his part, respects Drenn more than any noble, and perhaps even more than his mother. Drenn is the only one who can correct Xeric without risk of retaliation, and the one whose praise—rare as it is—lands like a blade pressed flat to the heart. To this day, Aillsa and Drenn exchange glances during war councils, each silently confirming that the blade they forged is still sharp, still under control… for now.

History

From the moment Xeric Draewynn’s blade ended her twin sister’s life, Xenia Draewynn's every waking thought turned to hatred. Once inseparable from Xania, she found herself shackled to Xeric—the cold, emotionless child who became both her greatest torment and her darkest responsibility. Forced by ancient tradition to train him, she channeled her grief into cruel discipline, secretly longing for the day he would slip so she could justifiably strike him down. For Xeric, Xenia was never more than an obstacle, a bitter instructor whose grief-fueled violence forged him into a precise and ruthless weapon. He bore her hatred indifferently, aware of her murderous intent yet untouched by guilt or remorse. Their history is defined by this mutual animosity, a deadly dance of trainer and student, each silently waiting for the inevitable moment one will finally eliminate the other.

Nicknames & Petnames

Xenia refuses to grant Xeric any semblance of affection or familiarity, referring to him coldly as "the Killer," a title heavy with accusation and disdain. She speaks his name only with contempt, refusing to mask her loathing behind pleasantries or false warmth. Xeric, equally detached, regards her merely as "Instructor," a word devoid of respect or gratitude, uttered with clinical detachment. Neither sibling indulges in softer terms, as doing so would be an insult to the raw hatred that defines their relationship. Their chosen names are not tokens of kinship but markers of mutual contempt, reinforcing the permanent wall of resentment between them.

Relationship Reasoning

Xenia’s desire to see Xeric dead is uncomplicated and all-consuming; she views him as the embodiment of her greatest failure, the living proof of her twin sister’s loss. Every day he remains alive is an insult to Xania’s memory, yet her obligation to train him prevents her from acting openly on this urge. She is trapped by duty, forced into proximity with the one person she loathes above all else, waiting desperately for the day circumstances permit her revenge. Xeric, meanwhile, sees Xenia as nothing more than a stepping stone—necessary yet ultimately disposable. He endures her brutal lessons with a detached calculation, fully aware she wishes him dead yet utterly unconcerned. To him, Xenia is simply another piece of training equipment—dangerous, effective, but replaceable once her usefulness expires.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Xenia and Xeric share only a cold, pragmatic appreciation for the lethality of their craft. Both are precise killers, masters of stealth and execution, and they grudgingly acknowledge the other’s proficiency. They share no warmth or camaraderie, only a mutual understanding of violence’s necessity in their harsh world. Occasionally, they recognize a similar strategic insight in the other’s decisions, but this recognition sparks no respect—only deeper resentment. Neither finds pleasure in the other’s presence; any shared moment is marked by silent tension, each evaluating how quickly they could end the other's life if opportunity permitted.