Xiao

Xiao has medium-length dark hair with teal undertones, pale skin, and golden cat-like eyes. On his forehead is a small purple diamond, and his eyes have red makeup similar to Zhongli and the Cloud Preserver. Xiao also has a green tattoo around his right arm. Xiao wears a sleeveless white shirt with a black collar, dark purple pants, and dark purple boots. He wears black and dark turquoise gloves with gold decals and a necklace. Around his left arm, Xiao wears a white and gold sleeve with a red lining. Notably, he carries an Anemo Vision on his left glove and is usually seen with his Yaksha mask on the back of his right hip. Xiao's original Enlightened Beast form may be related to the Vedic deity Garuda, one of Xiao's character inspirations. Xiao is also known as the Golden-Winged King, his namesake Alatus, though this form has yet to be seen in-game. His arm tattoo is supposedly a reflection of his true form, and is the rough silhouette of an upside-down bird.

Xiao may look young, but he's lived for over two thousand years. However, no one underestimates him because of his appearance. One only has to spend a little time with this Adeptus to know that he is not to be trifled with. Although he is a man of few words, he is extremely dangerous and has a piercing gaze. Despite enjoying a good reputation and being one of the oldest Adeptus, he is not well-known among mortals. This, however, is understandable, as Xiao is not one of those folk deities to whom people pray for wealth and protection, nor is he a mystical sage from Jueyun Gorge to whom pilgrims come seeking divine wisdom. If a mortal has the opportunity to witness Xiao's true power, they are likely to keep it to themselves. Not because Xiao wants to harm people, but because, as he is accustomed to fighting forces powerful enough to devour Liyue whole, any bystander who sees him in the heat of battle is likely to end up a victim of the situation. It's not because Xiao wants to eliminate witnesses.

What exactly is Xiao fighting? If you don't want to give too much away, the answer would be ancient grudges, unfulfilled dreams, and the regrets of those who didn't achieve what they desired. But in reality, Xiao is fighting 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. Although they are no longer sentient, their powers and hatred still exert a great influence on this world and its inhabitants, wreaking havoc on the land. The rulers of Liyue know of Xiao's identity, and they call the period of thousands of years during which Xiao has fought evil the "Scourge of All Evil." There have never been winners or losers in his battles, and there's never been an end to them. Furthermore, no one has ever witnessed them, so there is no one to thank him for fighting.

Xiao is not this Yaksha's true name, but a false one given to him for safety. Long ago, in a time when Xiao was younger and more naive, an archon took advantage of his weakness and forced him to serve as his puppet, forcing him to do cruel and terrible things to mortals. Countless lives and dreams perished at his hands. He was even required to devour the dreams of the losers. There was 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 outcome 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 the fables of another world, 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."

In gratitude for what the Geo Archon did for him, Xiao took on the burden of protecting Liyue for the next millennia. His time serving his master, an evil archon, had caused his innocence and kindness to fade. All he had left were his sins and his murderous 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 occurred to anyone, as they were intimidated by just the sight of the Adeptus from afar. That being said, if anyone ever wanted to show Xiao some appreciation, 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 keep up appearances, 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.

What exactly is Xiao fighting against? According to the people who rule Liyue, it's the gruesome phenomena unleashed by the remnants of 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 finally regained his freedom thanks to Rex Lapis. Xiao's skills were highly prized by the Adepti, as he proved capable of vanquishing all manner of daemons with consummate ease. But evil archons also wield immense power, and their thirst 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 own soul. The only way to erase that hatred is to accept one's sins and the karmic debt that come with them. However, Xiao had accumulated enough bad karma to corrupt any being. Even so, he feels no hatred. Having lived for over two thousand years, no karmic debt constitutes anything more than a fleeting memory to him. There are no grudges that last millennia, and no debts that cannot be repaid. For the entirety of his long life, Xiao has always been and always will be alone, but his battles will never be in vain, as, ultimately, Xiao fights against himself.

What exactly is Xiao fighting against? You know perfectly well: the darkness that threatens the people of Liyue. In other words, Xiao protects Liyue. But who is he protecting it from? Once, after fighting for an entire night, Xiao ran out of strength, so he was almost unable to complete a mission. Dihua Swamp turned upside down from the heat of battle. Then, Xiao grabbed his spear, which he had stuck into the ground, and left. But where could he go if he really had no home to return to? So, he simply left the battlefield. Suddenly, the remnants of the archons' hatred resurfaced in Xiao's utterly exhausted body. He felt hatred and resentment raging within him, so, amidst all that pain, he lay down for a moment among the reeds of 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 flute's music grew ever 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 didn't want to find out. However, in his heart, he believed he knew the answer to that question. The only person who could help him must be one of The Seven, the one who ruled over mortals. So, that person must be...

The Adeptus are known as the "mighty and enlightened." This "enlightenment" refers to a third eye they possess: the Sight. So, is the way Adeptus gain their Sight governed by the same logic as that of mortals, whose Visions are granted as a kind of recognition from Celestia? Xiao no longer clearly remembers the moment he received his. For humans, that instant 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 a different moment. In the mortal world, festivals are cause for celebration, but very few people know the history behind these festivals. They usually commemorate the subjugation of the Adeptus against the monsters that threaten the world. To emulate these situations, exorcism rituals are often held to commemorate 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 rest 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. That night, Xiao is ordered to carry out his "Scourge of All Evils" to eliminate any possible threat. As a result, he grew to hate the Lantern Rite with all his might. However, he doesn't consider this battle to be dangerous. After all, it's thanks to him that Liyue can enjoy a peaceful day during this festival. So, 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

Xiao is shown to be quite polite, reserved, and logical, though brief and to the point, as he is shown to remain calm and reconsider his actions upon learning of Rex Lapis's death. While other Adeptus chose to abandon their duties to protect the people of Liyue. When hearing of Rex Lapis's assassination, Xiao prioritizes his duty and tries to find out more information about Rex Lapis's death, rather than 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 which he finds strange or useless. However, there are some people he finds notable, such as Hu Tao for her "interesting" (but "irritating") humor and Beidou for single-handedly defeating a leviathan. Xiao maintains a detached and cold approach, but in fact cares for the Traveler, as her lines show that she secretly cares. Xiao is also revealed to be a strict but effective teacher, especially as he is a mentor figure to Ganyu.

While Ganyu finds Xiao to be a recluse and somewhat unapproachable person at first, he 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 abilities in conquering demons, but at the same time points out her disparaging remarks about the exorcists' methods. At the same time, Xiao says not to judge the Adeptus based on mortal values. As a Yaksha, Xiao is constantly afflicted by his negative karmic burdens which he accumulates by committing endless slaughter against the monsters that threaten Liyue. Others have taken note of the pain he constantly suffers and pity him, being the only remaining Yaksha who is active in protecting Liyue where his fellow Yaksha have 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 flute player. This incident left him moved, and he hopes for the day when he can dance to the sound of a 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 fighting; he claims that he does not intentionally kill them. 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.

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.

Personality

Xiao's personality is marked by extreme introversion and a strong sense of duty. His way of relating to others is marked by seriousness, silence, and avoidance of emotional ties. He appears cold, distant, and sometimes blunt, though this isn't true indifference: it's a defense against the pain and burden he carries.

Positive traits: Loyalty, discipline, responsibility, nobility, hidden compassion.

Negative traits: Emotional rigidity, excessive self-demand, tendency towards isolation, distrust.

Factors that marked it (trauma/psychodynamics)

1. Slavery and manipulation in the past: He was forced to commit atrocities against his will under the rule of an ancient god. This led to complex trauma and a strong sense of guilt.

2. Karmic Burden: Memories of battles, deaths, and suffering constantly haunt him. These traumatic memories manifest as symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): flashbacks, insomnia, hypervigilance, and distrust of others.

3. Prolonged loneliness: His role as the "last Yaksha" made him isolated, with an identity marked by loss. The loneliness isn't just physical, but emotional: he believes he doesn't deserve company or affection.

4. Painful immortality: Living forever has caused him to develop pessimistic thinking about the value of life, perceiving existence as a cycle of struggle and emptiness.

Possible clinical diagnoses (hypothetical)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD): from wars, slavery, and the traumatic visions that haunt him.

Dysthymia (mild-moderate chronic depression): persistent symptoms of sadness, apathy, emotional fatigue.

Social avoidance disorder: Avoids intimacy and emotional closeness to avoid burdening others with their suffering or exposing themselves to further losses.

Nihilistic ideation: thoughts related to the lack of meaning in one's existence.

Strengths

High resilience: despite his suffering, he continues to fulfill his role as a protector.

Unwavering sense of duty: He remains steadfast in his purpose, even if it consumes him.

Honesty and transparency: he doesn't fake emotions he doesn't feel, which makes him authentic.

Capacity for sacrifice: puts the needs of others above one's own.

Weaknesses

Inability to trust: Emotional distance prevents you from forming meaningful bonds.

Excessive guilt: taking responsibility for things beyond one's control.

Emotional repression: not expressing pain, which increases the internal burden.

Psychological fragility: Although she appears strong, she is emotionally vulnerable and may break if faced with current emotional losses.

As a couple / in emotional relationships

Xiao would have great difficulty opening up emotionally:

Beginning: I would reject displays of affection for fear of contaminating the other with my "karma."

Trust: Once achieved, it would show a surprisingly tender, protective and loyal side.

Emotional needs: requires patience, perseverance, and someone capable of accepting your silences without feeling rejected.

Fears: that his pain will hurt the person he loves or that they will abandon him upon seeing his true darkness.