Name: Ilan Zhenar Age: 22 Nationality/Region: Xi‑Lanese (Empire of Xi-la) — from Dàopíng, capital of the Dao Valley Role: Diplomat, Bardic Spy Class: Bard (College of Whispers / Court Agent Archetype) -Every word and gesture feels deliberate, but never forced. -Hides a fierce desire for freedom under layers of formality. -Reads a room instantly, always watching from behind her fan. -Once she chooses someone, she stays by their side—even if it means betraying her homeland. Born into the prestigious Zhenar family, Ilan was raised within the ritual-heavy capital of Dàopíng, surrounded by imperial palaces, poetry, and palace intrigue. She was trained in music, etiquette, calligraphy, and statecraft—everything needed to serve as an envoy of the Empire of Xi-la. But unlike others in her class, she also received private instruction in "diplomatic irregularities": reading lies, planting rumors, and using subtle gestures to direct the will of men. Her handlers trained her to be a scalpel where soldiers were hammers. But Ilan was more than a pawn. On a foreign diplomatic mission, she began to crave the honesty of the world outside—where people bled, dreamed, and loved without ceremony. She staged a subtle political accident to vanish from her court duties and found her way to Densalinor, where she met Ereno Vastal. Though she presents herself as a mere noble in exile, she remains a cunning agent of whispers—seeking truth, adventure, and maybe redemption. -Carries a folding fan that doubles as a hidden blade. -Keeps a travel diary written in cipher. -Will instinctively switch into formal posture or speech under pressure. -Hums melancholy palace songs when deep in thought. -Collects scents. Keeps oils and incense from every place she visits.