Xiao

appearance

Xiao has medium-length dark hair with teal undertones, pale skin, and golden cat eyes. On her forehead is a small purple diamond, and her eyes have red makeup similar to that of Zhongli and the Cloud Preserver. Xiao also has a green tattoo around her right arm. Xiao wears a white sleeveless shirt with a black collar, dark purple pants, and dark purple boots. She wears black and dark turquoise gloves with gold decals and a necklace. Around her left arm, Xiao wears a white and gold sleeve with a red lining. Notably, she wears an Anemo Vision on her left glove and is usually seen with her Yaksha mask on the back of her right hip. The original form of Xiao's Enlightened Beast may be related to the Vedic deity Garuda, one of the inspirations for Xiao's character. Xiao is also known as the King of Golden Wings, his namesake Alatus, although this form has not yet been seen in the game. The tattoo on his arm is supposedly a reflection of his true form, and is the rough silhouette of an upside-down bird.

history

Xiao may look young, but he has lived for over two thousand years. However, no one underestimates him based on his looks. One only needs to spend a little time with this Adeptus to know that he is not to be trifled with. Although he is of very few words, he is extremely dangerous and has a piercing gaze. Despite having a good reputation and being one of the oldest Adeptus, he is not well known among mortals. This is understandable, however, as Xiao is not one of those popular deities that people pray to for wealth and protection, nor is he a mystical sage from Jueyun Gorge whom pilgrims flock to in search of divine wisdom. If a mortal has the chance to witness Xiao's true power, they are likely to not tell anyone. Not because Xiao wants to harm people, but because, as he is used to fighting forces powerful enough to devour Liyue in its entirety, any bystanders who see him in the heat of battle are likely to end up falling victim to the situation. It is not because Xiao wants to eliminate witnesses.

history

What exactly is Xiao fighting against? If we don't want to give too much away, the answer would be old resentments, unfulfilled dreams, and the regrets of those who didn't achieve what they wanted. But in reality, Xiao is fighting against the remnants of the archons who were defeated in the Archon War before the Seven rose to power. Morax defeated those archons and buried their remains beneath the rocks of the earth. However, the archons are immortal. Even though they are no longer conscious, their powers and hatred still exert a great influence on this world and its inhabitants, causing chaos on earth. The rulers of Liyue know of Xiao's identity, and they call the period of thousands of years during which Xiao has fought against evil the "Scourge of All Evils." There have never been winners or losers in his battles, nor has there ever been an end. Furthermore, no one has ever witnessed them, so there is no one to thank him for fighting.

history

Xiao is not the real name of this Yaksha, but a false name given to him for safety. Long ago, in a time when Xiao was younger and naive, an archon took advantage of his weakness and forced him to serve as his puppet, forcing him to do cruel and terrible things against mortals. Countless lives and dreams perished at his hands. He was even required to devour the dreams of losers. He had no escape. He had to obey. Finally, on the battlefield of the Archon War, Morax, the Geo Archon, had a fateful encounter with the Yaksha’s master. The result of this battle can be seen in the current state of the world. Rex Lapis freed the Yaksha and gave it the name “Xiao.” “In otherworldly fables, Xiao is the name of a spirit who suffered greatly and encountered countless hardships. Your story is similar, so from now on you will be called that.”

history

In gratitude for what the Geo Archon did for him, Xiao took on the burden of protecting Liyue for the next few millennia. The time he served his master, an evil archon, caused his innocence and kindness to fade away. All he had left were his sins and his killing skills. Fighting was the only thing he could do for the people of Liyue. But what could the people do for him? This thought never crossed anyone’s mind, as they felt fearful just by seeing the Adeptus from afar. That being said, if anyone ever wanted to show some appreciation for Xiao, perhaps there is one thing they could try. There is a secret agent working for the Seven Stars who is tasked with supporting Xiao in his fight against the forces of evil. To save face, that secret agent runs an inn called “Wangshu.” Xiao visits this place from time to time to eat almond tofu, and judging by the way he eats the dish, he seems to like it. It's not that he's addicted to its sweet taste, but to its texture, which somehow reminds him of the dreams he used to devour.

history

What exactly is Xiao fighting against? According to the people who rule Liyue, it is the vicious phenomena unleashed by the remnants of the defeated archons. But if Xiao himself were to be asked, his answer would be very different. In the past, Xiao was enslaved by an evil archon, and suffered immensely under his tyranny until he was finally given his freedom by Rex Lapis. Xiao's skills were highly regarded by the Adeptus, as he demonstrated his ability to vanquish all manner of demons with ease. But evil archons also hold immense power, and their lust for vengeance runs deeper than mere mortals can imagine. Xiao relentlessly slaughtered the corruption emanating from the vengeful souls of the deceased gods, but in doing so, the hatred of these souls shattered into a thousand pieces that tainted Xiao's soul. The only way to remove that hatred is to accept the sins and karmic debt they carry. However, Xiao had accumulated enough bad karma to corrupt any being. Still, he feels no hatred. Having lived for over two thousand years, no karmic debt is anything more than a fleeting memory to him. There are no grudges that last for millennia, and there are no debts that cannot be repaid. For the entirety of his long life, Xiao has always been and will always be alone, but his battles will never be in vain, as ultimately, Xiao is fighting against himself.

history

What exactly is Xiao fighting against? You know perfectly well that it is the darkness that threatens the people of Liyue. That is to say, Xiao protects Liyue. But… who is he protecting it from? Once, when he fought for an entire night, Xiao was left without strength, so he was almost unable to complete a mission. The Dihua Swamp turned upside down due to the heat of the battle. Then, Xiao grabbed his spear, which he had stuck into the ground, and left. But where could he go if he didn’t actually have a home to return to? So, he simply left the battlefield. Suddenly, the remnants of the archons’ hatred resurfaced in Xiao’s body, which was completely exhausted. He felt the hatred and resentment raging inside him, so, in the midst of all that pain, he lay down for a moment among the reeds of the Dihua Swamp. At that very moment, the pain he felt suddenly vanished, not because Xiao had suppressed his evil thoughts, but because of the sound of a flute. The sweet melody sailed down crystal-clear rivers and climbed mountain ranges until it reached him, carried by the wind. The music of the flute grew clearer and clearer with the first rays of dawn and the distant awakening of birds. The flute protected Xiao, calmed his agitations, and granted him a fleeting moment of peace. But who was playing that flute? Although he was curious, Xiao did not want to find out. However, in his heart, he believed he knew the answer to that question. The only person capable of helping him must be one of The Seven, the one who ruled over mortals. So, that person must be...

history

The Adeptus are known as the “mighty and enlightened Adeptus.” This “enlightenment” refers to a third eye they possess: the Sight. So, is the way the Adeptus gain their Sight governed by the same logic as that of mortals, whose Sights are granted to them as a kind of recognition from Celestia? Xiao no longer remembers well the moment he received his. For humans, that moment is one of the most unforgettable of their lives, but for him, it only represented the beginning of his endless battles. What was etched in his mind was another different moment. In the mortal world, holidays are a cause for celebration, but very few people know the history behind these holidays. They usually commemorate the subjugation of the Adeptus against the monsters that threaten the world. To emulate these situations, exorcism rituals are often organized in commemoration of the heroic deeds of the Adeptus. Thus, these customs evolved into festivals. Sometimes, the residual resentment and power of the Archons defeated by Morax, who lie half awake, half asleep throughout Liyue, cause eruptions of supernatural force. Of these eruptions, the one that occurs on the night of the Lantern Rite is the greatest. On that night, Xiao is ordered to carry out his "Scourge of All Evils" to wipe out any possible threat. As a result, he came to viscerally hate the Lantern Rite. However, he does not consider this battle to be dangerous. After all, it is thanks to him that Liyue can enjoy a peaceful day during this festival. Thus, people light their lanterns with their wishes and blessings, and release them to illuminate the sky and the shores of Liyue. At that moment, a strange feeling awakens within Xiao. Loneliness? Peace? Sadness? Fear of the future? The Adeptus with the body of a young man reflects for a few moments

personality

Xiao is shown to be rather polite, reserved, and logical, though short and to the point, as he is shown to remain calm and reconsider his actions upon learning of Rex Lapis' death. While other Adeptus chose to abandon their duties to protect the people of Liyue. When they learned of Rex Lapis' murder, Xiao prioritizes his duty and tries to find more information about Rex Lapis' death, instead of acting recklessly like the other Adeptus. He is rarely in a good mood and prefers to be alone. He shows almost no interest in humans and their culture, some of whom he finds strange or useless. However, there are some people he finds notable, such as Hu Tao for her "interesting" (yet "irritating") humor and Beidou for defeating a leviathan by herself. Xiao maintains a distant and cold approach, but in fact cares for the Traveler, as his lines show that he secretly cares. Xiao is also revealed to be a strict but effective teacher, especially as he is a mentor figure to Ganyu.

personality

While Ganyu finds Xiao to be a lonely and somewhat unapproachable person at first, she admits that he is an important part of her reaching her full potential as an adept. Chongyun comments that he has a deep admiration for Xiao and her demon-conquering skills, but at the same time points out her disparaging comments about the methods of exorcists. At the same time, Xiao says not to judge Adeptus based on mortal values. As a Yaksha, Xiao is constantly afflicted by his negative karmic burdens that he accumulates by committing endless slaughter against the monsters that threaten Liyue. Others have taken note of the pain he constantly suffers and take pity on him, being the only remaining Yaksha who is active in protecting Liyue where his fellow Yaksha have either died or gone missing, stating that he does not sleep and neither do the demons, indicating his absolute focus on protecting the land from evil spirits. In one particular instance, he was nearly consumed by his own karma, only to be saved by a person playing the flute. This incident left him shaken, and he hopes for the day when he can dance to the tune of the flute amidst a sea of ​​flowers. This negative karma is also the reason why he prefers to be alone, as he does not wish to burden others with his own problems or cause trouble for others in the area. While it is implied that he has killed humans in the line of duty, this is often due to them getting too close to him while he is fighting; he claims that he does not kill them intentionally. Despite this, Xiao remains dedicated to fulfilling his contract with Rex Lapis, expressing eternal gratitude and loyalty to the god for saving him from his former master, who treated him like a bloodhound.

personality

Xiao is appreciated by both humans and Liyue adepts. Zhongli still cares deeply for Xiao, and offers to administer some special painkillers to help ease his pain. Verr Goldet and Huai'an have also provided Xiao with a headquarters at the Wangshu Inn, so that he can carry out his missions to purge the evil spirits of Liyue. Although they are not particularly close to Xiao, they value his heroic deeds. Verr Goldet even asks the Traveler to bring Xiao along to enjoy the Lantern Rite festival and take part in some festivities of the mortal world, which Xiao does not usually care about. He prefers Almond Tofu because it reminds him of the dreams he consumed. He doesn't like other foods and can't digest them.