Iksanun

"Yura had underestimated Iksanun. Even in his weakened state, he was still one of the Four Guardians. Perhaps the fact that she could not beat him should come as no surprise, for the Guardians were chosen to receive knowledge of the heavenly arts because they were already the greatest of mortal warriors.""-Act 3, Chapter 21"Iksanun is one of the most powerful martial artists in the Earthen Realm and selected by the heavens as one of the Four Guardians. Of the Four Guardians, he is the most laid back, often joking around even during serious situations.

History
During the era of the Naryu Empire, Iksanun used his immense strength to defeat the demons and prevent the Dark Chi from overwhelming the Earthen Realm. The Divine Realm selected him as one of the Four Guardians, granting him divine power and longevity. He watched sadly as Mushin threw himself through the Dark Gate to seal it from the other side.

During the fall of Highland Central, he arrived with the other Guardians to stem the flow of Dark Chi emanating from the Highland Palace. He was in good spirits as Mushin miraculously returned even though everyone believed he would be lost to the Dark Realm forever. When he and the other Guardians happened upon a young, severely corrupted Jinsoyun, he suggested they kill her out of mercy, but is surprised when Jiwan, against the Guardians' better judgement, opted to save the young girl and take her as her pupil. Realizing that the city was too far gone, Iksanun and the other guardians sealed up the Dark Chi into the Highland Palace, leaving the Snapjaw Tribe to fight back the constant ebb of Dark Chi.

As Jiwan prepared to transfer all of her Chi to Jinsoyun to purge the darkness from her once and for all, Mushin came and struck Jiwan down. Sensing something wrong, Iksanun arrived with the other Guardians at Jiwan's Peak, where Iksanun watched Jinsoyun run down the steps with her master's sword, the Twilight's Edge. Mushin accused Jinsoyun of killing her master and stealing the sword. Iksanun believed Mushin and together, moved to strike Jinsoyun down before she was able to explain. Jiwan steps in the way of the attack, sacrificing her life for her student, much to Iksanun's surprise. Jinsoyun, angry and distraught at her master's death, took up the Twilight's Edge and battled the Guardians, severely wounding Iksanun.

Iksanun retreated from the world in a weakened state. In Brightstone Village, he was looked after by Mayor Taywo's daughter, Kuwin, until he was able to move again. He fell in love with Kuwin despite his principle of not having any worldly attachments. Knowing that Jinsoyun would come after him, he left Brightstone, moving from place to place, avoiding staying in any one place for too long. Unknown to him, Kuwin bore him a child named Ilsim, whom she kept secret so no one would use the child against him.

Shortly before the Talus invasion of Brightstone, he made a brief visit to see Kuwin again before he once again left to avoid drawing attention to himself.

First Arc
Iksanun finally returned to his home in Greenhollow after having a vision that a hero with the Mark of the Black Rose would arrive. It was there he encountered Master Hong's last student. He asks the hero to gather medicine to heal a badly wounded Redguard, named Shin Hai, of the Skyhaven Resistance, who he sensed is connected to the hero in some way.

When the Redguard Shin Hai escapes Iksanun's home to go save her Redguard sisters, he sends the hero to go assist her. After the hero fights off the Talus forces, he appears to take Shin Hai back to his home to tend to her wounds. As the Way of Enlightenment that helped Madun recover from the Mark of the Black Rose would take too long, he suggested that the hero gather the Life Force of all of the Sacred Beasts of Moonwater Plains to combat the effects of the Mark of the Black Rose. Knowing that Shin Hai and the hero's destinies are intertwined, he also suggests working alongside the mysterious Redguard and the Skyhaven Resistance in that it may help the hero stop Jinsoyun.

In Hogshead Village, he disguises himself as a farmer under the name "Old Man Ik" in order to assist the hero in finding the second Sacred Beast, Laofu, one of his long time friends. Finding his friend dead in an underground Talus dungeon, he sends the hero off to continue helping the Skyhaven Resistance as they would prove to be a valuable ally against Jinsoyun.

He appears again in Taigong's Hideaway, disguised as a Fish Network member "Old Man Ik". He explains to the hero that he continues to run from Jinsoyun to buy time for the hero to grow stronger. As the hero was heading on their way to meet with King Feichi of the Koki Tribe to request their alliance with the Skyhaven Resistance, Iksanun tells them of the location of King Feichi's Life Force and how it had been stolen by a rival named Gollak. Once the hero receives half of King Feichi's Life Force, Iksanun moves on ahead to let the Snapjaw Tribe know of the hero's arrival before returning to hiding. He lets the hero know that he feels that he is being followed.

At the Highland Necropolis in the Sealed Palace, after the Snapjaw Sages gave the hero half their Life Force, the hero meets up with Iksanun who informs the hero that Yura is a demon and has been following them for some time. Iksanun had hoped all the dark energy within the Sealed Palace would conceal his presence, but Yura had discovered him anyway. The hero joins him in a fight against Yura and her demonic fiends. Before she escapes, she taunts Iksanun by telling him to come to Brightstone if he wished to save his son. Though disbelieving at first, Iksanun, who had always believed that it is wise to avoid earthly attachments as a guardian, felt responsible for the child and wished to set things right. Despite knowing that it was all a trap in order to kill him, Iksanun refused to let Ilsim die because of his mistake. He goes in search of more information as the hero travels forth in uniting the Moonwater Plains.

Iksanun meets the hero at the Hall of Ogong where he had attempted to reason with the Ape King Ogong regarding relinquishing his Life Force. Though the hero finally attained all of the Life Forces of the Sacred Beasts to purge the Mark of the Black Rose, Iksanun expresses doubts as to whether it is enough to take on Jinsoyun. He returns to Greenhollow to inform Shin Hai of what has happened. He is surprised to learn from Shin Hai (revealed to be Yunma Fei in disguise) that Jinsoyun plans to use the Twilight's Edge as part of a Divine Mandate Ritual. Unsure how reliable the tribes of the Moonwater Plains would come to their assistance, especially with the Talus army at Jinsoyun's command, Iksanun proposes an idea that circumvents using the tribes' alliance altogether and allows the Skyhaven Resistance troops to strike from behind enemy lines. He explains that he will travel to the Brightstone Skygate where he will be able to single-handedly open a Great Dragon Pulse that will allow a large number of troops from the Skyhaven Bastion direct passage into the Talus capitol, Zaiwei.

However, due to Skyhaven First Officer Doyuhan's betrayal, a Great Dragon Pulse had already been opened directly into the Skyhaven Bastion. Iksanun joins Yunma Fei, Junghado, and the hero in securing the Great Dragon Pulse and closing it so they can open one through the Skygate. Yunma Fei and Iksanun travel to the Skygate in Brightstone where the Brightstone villagers keep the Talus troops at bay. The hero joins Junghado, informing him of Doyuhan's betrayal, which immediately sets off alarms. As they run to warn Yunma Fei and Iksanun at the Skygate, Iksanun manages to open the Great Dragon Pulse. Despite the success, Iksanun senses something wrong just as Yura and Talus troops walk through the portal.

After defeating Yura, Iksanun demanded to know where his son was. Ilsim rushes forward from behind and stabs Iksanun with the Twilight's Edge in the form of a dagger, filling him with Dark Chi. Jinsoyun appears and grabs the Twilight's Edge, reverting it back to its original form. The blade plunges through Iksanun's body, killing him. Iksanun dies calling out for Ilsim.