Xelvor

^{The Second Chance}

After Rauvik’s questions and his profound rejection of his own existence, far greater care is taken with the age of the body when creating another undead. After several weeks of waiting, the animal golems bring the corpse of a man who must have been around thirty‑five years old when he died. Yet even though Elynn and Nexara proceed exactly as they did with Rauvik, the body does not awaken and remains dead.

Elynn and Nexara decide to conduct several experiments on the failed specimen, altering the way the runes are connected. Then the unexpected happens: in the middle of their experiments, the man opens his eyes and smiles at them. Both women are utterly shocked at first and step back from the table where the former corpse lies. The man, however, continues to smile gently, showing no sign of aggression.

They name him Xelvor. And unlike Rauvik, who despises his body and his existence, Xelvor does not see himself as a failure or a mistake. He recognizes his own existence as something that was not planned, yet happened nonetheless — and from this grows his conviction: fate. Purpose. The world follows a path no one can fully comprehend.

But sometimes, when he is alone, a doubtful thought slips into his otherwise steady certainty: what if he is wrong? What if what he believes in was nothing more than chance? He drives this thought away again and again. He pulls himself up by the fact of his own existence, convincing himself of the inevitability of his purpose. He was not planned, but he is here. That must mean something. It must.

His abilities and personality:

Because a great amount of magic flowed into his creation, he possesses the ability to perceive emotionally charged thoughts — not precisely, but as a kind of intuitive awareness. He is exceptionally skilled at reading expressions and gestures, and can often anticipate how someone will react next. He is philosophical and calm; he sees his existence as a second chance and believes that everything happens because it is meant to happen. He enjoys discussing this belief with others.

A conversation between Elynn and Xelvor


“It is strange,” Elynn murmured. “Your creation was a failure, and yet… here you are.”
Xelvor smiled softly, his gaze drifting into the distance. “Perhaps I was never meant to be what you imagined. But I was meant to awaken.”
Elynn looked at him, searching for the depth behind his words. “You say that as if it were a certainty. As if it were… predetermined.”
“Because it is. You may think chance created me. But chance is only a name for something we do not understand.”
She smirked. “So you truly believe in fate.”
“I know that it exists.”
She wanted to object, but before she could speak, Xelvor continued. “You’re pleased about it.”
Elynn blinked. “What?”
“You’re pleased that I say this. That I see meaning in my existence. You don’t like to admit it, but it reassures you.”
She frowned.
“You smiled before you spoke.”
“You observe me closely,” she noted.
He met her gaze calmly. “I see more than I can say.”
The silence between them deepened.

Some of Xelvor’s “clones”:
Xelron the Punster, raider at the outpost Gjaskar’s Arsch
Liovor the Flatterer, technician on one of the fleet’s escort ships
Xelvor, during the resettlement of the old homeland