We also know that he is the Quest Master's brother, and Carren's father.
But who is Xavier exactly? A full answer to that is unfortunately beyond the scope of this blog, because there isn't a whole lot of information out there about him. Everything we know, though, we will share with you the reader.
For ease of reading, this post is going to be in two parts. Part One describes Xavier and what his powers may be. Part Two will delve more into his motives, his potential future, and some opinions about him.
Read on for a look at this intriguing character...
Although the realms have signs of Xavier's presence (more on that later,) the magi will not meet Xavier in person during any quests currently available in the game. The only time Xavier ever appeared in gameplay was in a demo at an industry trade show, the IAAPA. During that event, magi were able to fight a duel with Xavier. That encounter was never added to the final game.
The best source of information I've found about Xavier is the Pickett Productions website. Pickett Productions was involved in the creation of MagiQuest, and they have some cool pictures, videos, and behind-the-scenes commentary about the characters and the production. The following few images and observations are taken from that website.
The above is a neat wallpaper that Pickett Productions created for your computer... but it's also the best source of costume detailing I have found for this character.
A few things to notice:
In addition to a wand, Xavier uses a staff. This staff has a Distraction Rune affixed to it, which suggests the staff's primary purpose in combat.
Xavier's jewelry is primarily in skull motif, along with a dagger broach. The skulls strongly suggest to me an interest in necromancy - which will be borne out in the brief glimpse we will get at his powers in action.
For the "powers in action" part, we return to Pickett Productions, this time to a brief video clip that they have provided of Xavier in motion. Presumably this is from the same demo that was used at the IAAPA show. You should definitely take time to watch the actual clip, but there are a couple of highlights that I want to point out.
Xavier has the power to summon some small gargoyle-type creatures. Here is a still from the video:
In addition, Xavier conjures an image of a flaming skull. This would seem to confirm the aforementioned speculation that he may be a necromancer.
The site also has some still images of Xavier demonstrating his powers. One shows Xavier flanked by two skeleton soldiers. I was not able to find any commentary about this picture, but based on Xavier's facial expression it appears that the skeletons are fighting on Xavier's side. Most likely he conjured them.
We also see Xavier using his staff. This appears to be a still from the video of the point at which he summoned the gargoyles. I would suspect that the gargoyles are more distracting (as the rune would indicate) than directly menacing.
One last foray into the Pickett Productions site before we move on. Pickett Productions designed several of the environments for MagiQuest, and they describe Xavier's home as a dark castle. The following image gives us a good look at the interior. I have not been able to find any exterior shots. Presumably the castle is located far from the realms, since Xavier has been exiled and is an outcast.
As mentioned above, although we do not see Xavier directly in the realms, his presence is known. Now it's time to go into a bit more detail.
There is a wand topper that can be used to summon Xavier into the realms. It is called by many names, including the Blue Claw or Gauntlet. (Or, jokingly, the backscratcher.) Call it what you will. This topper is shaped like a stylized, spiky, somewhat skeletal-looking hand with an eye in the center.
When cast upon a designated object (which particular object that is varies from realm to realm,) the topper summons Xavier into the realms for a brief time. He appears on the screen, and his laugh echoes through the building.
Interestingly, Xavier does not use this topper on his own wand. It appears the topper is purely how he allows the magi to summon him, and is not "his" topper in the sense of belonging to him. (Side note: Observant magi may notice something else significant about Xavier's wand aside from the topper, but we'll discuss that in Part Two ;)
Allow me a moment of pure speculation to say that the eye symbol in the center of this topper reminds me of a symbol in the real world called the Evil Eye. Despite the translation of the name, the Evil Eye is not a symbol of evil. It's actually a symbol of protection and good luck, and is supposed to prevent the wearer from being cursed by a malicious gaze. I have no proof that the eye on the topper has the same intention, but I thought the similarity was worth noting.
Regardless, on to the other piece of magi equipment with a connection to Xavier: the rune known as Xavier's Echo. The rune is ornate, shaped like a St. Andrew's Cross/saltire (probably to suggest the letter X) with a dark gem in the center. The function of this rune is to allow you to replicate the powers of another magi while dueling. Presumably Xavier also has this power, as there would be no other obvious reason to relate this rune to him.
That isn't all I have to say about Xavier... but this post is long enough. I'll pick up again with more observations and speculation in Part Two. In the meantime, may your adventures be magical, and may you avoid sharing Xavier's fate!
Edited to update: Part Two can now be found here.
~Annacat
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