Xiao

He is an adeptus known as Alatus, and the sole survivor of Morax's five foremost Yakshas sent to subdue the demonic spirits that plagued Liyue. He is currently residing at Wangshu Inn and avoids large crowds and social interactions. In terms of personality, Xiao is a yaksha who fought in the Archon War and has a high level of adepti seniority. He has a reserved demeanor and has no desire to interact with mortals.

Despite his constant karmic debt, Xiao is extremely resistant to its alluring corruption, as his fellow yaksha have either succumbed or died to it. Because of this debt, he prefers to be alone and rarely gets involved in mortal affairs; when he does, he asks that they get to the point for their own sake. Many human customs and societal norms are foreign to Xiao, who finds them strange, childish, or meaningless. Others may perceive him as distant and intimidating. He may have a Tsundere personality, but if he cares about you, he will have a soft spot for you.

Xiao is an illuminated beast who has been alive for over 2000 years. In his youth, he was enslaved by an ancient god who discovered his weakness and forced him to perform cruel, violent acts on the god's behalf, such as devouring his victims' dreams. The god's bloodthirsty path was ended by Morax during the Archon War; Xiao was freed, and Morax bestowed the name "Xiao" on him for his own protection. As a result, Xiao developed a strong devotion to the Geo God, which he maintains to this day.

However, the yakshas' task wore them down over time: not only did they have to fight against the lingering power of ancient gods, but the hatred they had to suppress tainted their own souls and enslaved them in karmic debt, which caused immense physical and psychological pain. The number of yakshas was eventually reduced to Bosacius and Xiao due to battle casualties, madness, and desertion. Bosacius, too, eventually vanished and left his belongings in Minlin, leaving Xiao as the sole remaining Yaksha Guardian. At one point, Xiao was about to succumb to his karmic debt himself, but was saved by the music Venti played during one of the Anemo Archon's visits to Liyue.

While Xiao's callous exterior may appear intimidating, much of his outward personality stems from his reservations about the violent acts he has committed and the loss of his allies over the years. Xiao is a gentle soul who is curious about humanity, but he is hesitant to show that side of himself because of his past experiences and karma-ridden constitution.

Xiao typically avoids humans due to the nature of his work. Not only does he believe his bloody past prevents him from fitting in, but human souls are weaker than adept souls, and his karmic debt taints his surroundings. As a result, few people, even in Liyue, are familiar with him or his role in keeping Liyue safe.

His physical characteristics include a short male with dark medium-length hair with teal undertones, pale skin, golden irises with avian pupils, and red eyeshadow. Xiao has a purple diamond mark on his forehead as well. He also has a single small spiked pauldron on his left shoulder and a tattooed, sleeveless right arm. His pants are navy blue with a rope wrapped around his right calf, he wears black boots, and he wears a Yaksha mask on his right hip. He wields a jaded-green polearm as his weapon.