Xainan Esch

Art by Crowesn

Xainan Esch (*he/him*) is a scarred gunslinging Agent of T.R.A.N.S.. As an PC, Xainan is played by Cai K in The Chaos Protocol.

After losing his homeworld of Kesseki, Xainan Esch became a field agent of T.R.A.N.S. where he has served dutifully for almost a decade. Without ever truly facing the loss, especially of his daughter, he became the poster child of the Lone Survivor Support Group (L.S.S.G.) and was content to subsist serving Fate's will. That all suited him until he was assigned to Strike Team Nova to mentor Sing, The Chosen One, and the Mayday Missions began.

## *Description*

### Appearance

Xainan is a man with pocked and hard-working lavender skin and naturally deep amaranth-colored hair streaked in white. His eyes glow an otherworldly green with slitted irises that sit over freckled cheeks. He wears green markings from the bridge of his nose at a sharp, downturned "V" shape towards his jaw that dusts over his berry-toned stubble that is ever-present on his cheeks. Though he has what should be a pair of pointed ears, the right one is blunted. His whole face is scarred and marked with time, but he wears it well.

He's not particularly slight or broad of build, but he looks sturdy.

### Personality

Dry and steadfast, Xainan is prone to keeping himself to himself most of the time, but once you get past the hardened exterior, he is capable of great love and loyalty. Before losing Kesseki, he was a humble and sweet farm boy with a wicked side. As an agent of T.R.A.N.S., he plays it all very close to the vest, letting very few past his defenses.

## *Biography*

### Backstory

Xainan was born on Kesseki in Haruna Valley to two loving parents; Ijah (they/she - also called his "Ima") and Sourna (she/her). He grew up quickly under the tutelage of his Ima, who taught him how to care for herds of raptors and keep predators from Loadstar Steading with a gun.

Eventually, he would come to know and love three mysterious folk: Piera, Dom, and Azalïs Rade. The four of them made a lovely little family on Xainan's farm with Daxa, their kid - before Oblivion came (or so Xainan would learn later).

The water levels of The Haruna dropped. Dust storms overtook Haruna Valley. Crops failed, raptors died, predators died, *everything* died - except Xainan Esch.

He was pulled from the dust by Hand Artemis of T.R.A.N.S. and given a new purpose in the Will of Fate.

Throughout his time as an agent, Xainan has served on many strike teams moving crates three feet to the right or bumping once into someone in a crowd as a mysterious stranger, but has only ever been a Field Agent under Hand Artemis- never as a Nourisher as he has so often been asked to become and never under a different Hand of Fate.

### Arc 1: Mission #02-1648 - The Wildsea

##### Planar Appearance

On The Wildsea, Xainan's T.R.A.N.S. uniform faded to sun-bleached greys and browns. The edges of his finely-finished garments shifted to be more weather-worn and lovingly hand-repaired with sail mending type stitching. Bright gold buckles and straps became tarred and aged rope and cord.

His rifle became a blackpowder rifle with what looked like a lightning-scarred stock and his hooked boot knife emanated a dusting of salt.

##### Events

Xainan took on mentoring The Chosen One, Sing, at Hand Artemis' direction, which he never questions, despite his misgivings. After a few quick, traditional missions to Al-Amura, Earth, Zhīguāng, and one other, the Syndicate changes forever thanks to the decree of Fate.

The Mayday Protocols are a complete change from the way T.R.A.N.S. has operated up to this point and it is a hard learning curve for Xainan as Nova is assigned to it's first Mayday Mission: The Wildsea.

On the plane, Xainan is shown dusty visions of his parent, Ijah after facing down the Soul Shank Vines in the reach of Sirens' Song.

*And more to come...*

## Trivia

* Xainan's green markings in Arc One are called "wearing your tears" on Kesseki
* Xainan never carries his rifle in T.R.A.N.S. except to train or to leave on a mission, but he does have it in his private quarters.