Xyle

[Echo]

Name: Xyle
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Nation/Allegiance: Etruria

Appearance/Description: Xyle's eyes, skin and long hair are pale, and he often dresses to match, in white tunics and other nondescript neutrals that from a distance better resemble a tall, thin wraith than a man. The only sparks of color come from the blue cloak he only wears on special occasions, a few varied pieces of jewelry, and the sapphire inlay on his harp. Even his shortsword and its sheath are bleached to a pale off-white. The effect is strange, ethereal - and carefully maintained to be such.

Whether he's playing for a rich court or covered in dirt from several days' travel, he carries himself with a noble bearing. His movements are careful and deliberate, as though the wrong move might bring the walls down on him. He's quick to smile, and practiced enough at it that it's easy to miss that it seldom reaches his eyes. His sword is for more than display, but he rarely uses it when his best weapons are his voice and his disarmingly calm demeanor. With his homeland in turmoil, he keeps people guessing as much as possible; in these trying times, one never knows who's listening, and who might realize he's anything more significant than a traveling harpist with an odd taste in clothing.

Bio/Backstory: Xyle was raised to be Count Phineas Reglay's own court bard from a young age, since the count's adventurous daughter first heard him singing in a slum. He learned to play a variety of instruments, as well as a bit of magic - and, since he was so often near the count, enough swordplay to defend himself and his lord. He excelled at music above his other skills, the harp in particular.

In time, Lord Phineas recognized another of Xyle's talents: He listened to everything, trusted only the house he owed his life to. He was trained for minor spy work, observing and watching for the slightest signs of unease. He traveled Reglay's territory and reported from the commonfolk; relayed information from the House to where it could be dispersed most quickly; served as a diplomat between houses, and even to the king.

Xyle first brought word of the change in trade routes to his lord. He kept the court informed as the situation turned from bad to worse. He barely saved Phineas when a Lycian invasion turned on suspected renegades in the city. The Count was crippled by his injuries, and the sudden, brutal attack left Xyle asking why. What was wrong with the Emperor? Why had any of this even happened?

The world seemed to change overnight. Mages were killed, the church crushed. Lord Phineas was forced to command magic practice to end and feign neutrality before Lycia turned its attention on the House in particular. But one bard slipped through the chaos, unassuming as he was in his pale, plain clothing. Xyle had orders: To find out what was really happening in Lycia, and do anything possible to stop it before Elibe exploded into another full-scale war.