Reuben Evergarden

Statistics

 * Age: 28
 * Birthdate: October 8th
 * Height: 2'7"
 * Weight: 60lbs
 * Gender: Male
 * Race: Halfling
 * Hair: Golden Brown
 * Eyes: Emerald Green
 * Alignment: Lawful Neutral
 * Orientation: Asexual
 * Deity: None
 * Primary Weapon(s): Magic
 * Other Weapons: Claws, tentacles, mandibles
 * Outlook: Workaholic
 * Family: Glunmar Evergarden (father), Janice Evergarden (mother), Petunia (dire bat), several siblings?

Backstory
Two centuries prior to the events of the main series, a cult started by the Alhoon lich, Bel'barthoth, came to power in a small town of a neighboring continent. In a bid to master soul transfusion to achieve immortality, the people of the town were subjugated to the mindflayer lich's influence. He kidnapped select individuals to embed his soul into them with those failing the process driven to madness. Among those that succeeded while maintaining their mind and form was the town baker and halfling, Leanne Evergarden. Eventually, a group of visiting adventurers caught on to the town's dark secrets and challenged the cult and Bel'barthoth, destroying him and his phylactery. The lich congratulated the heroes and with his dying breath, wondered whether he would successfully be reborn one day.

The townspeople were freed from Bel'barthoth's thrall, but fearing his return, reluctantly exiled those that survived the lich's transfusion. As the exiles left, Leanne gathered them and insisted that they remain together. Rather than finding a new town or city to live in, fearing the same fate as before or worse, the exiles after much traveling through the lands and harsh climates found a glade to settle in. Awakening to the voice of nature, Leanne became a druid and hoped her connection with it would weaken Bel'barthoth's grip over her consciousness.

Generations after, Glunmar Evergarden took up control of the community. In response to the growing number of hunters and poachers entering the forest, rather than simply living one with nature, he acted more as a guardian and drove all of them back. A completely wild, somewhat reckless man, his idea of living alongside nature meant either wrestling or having sex with it. Courting a young ranger and persuading her to give up her city life, they gave birth to Reuben Evergarden.

At a young age, his mother told him stories from the city and gave him books to read. His father pushed him to become like him, a man of the wild, even sending him out to fend all by himself in nature at the age of six. Janice rescued him before he mauled by badgers, scolding Glunmar for his questionble parenting. In between the wild life that his father tried exposing him to and the bits and pieces of civilization that his mother introduced to him, Reuben grew more curious about city life.

Compared to a life where everyone did as they pleased, living in nature like the animals, the structure and uniformity established in urban grounds felt more like "nature" to him. Reaching the age of twenty, Reuben was ready to sneak away from home, aware of the one and only rule that Evergardens are not allowed to leave the glade. His father found out. Reuben challenged him and expressed his wish to see the cities of the world, but Glunmar wouldn't have it. Though a considerably more reckless man than his ancestors, Glunmar abided by the rules and traditions of the Evergardens. The only way he would allow Reuben to do as he sees fit is if he fights him.

And so, Reuben finally took a swing at his old man. Though beaten bad, he pulled himself back up to take another swing, feeling nothing but anger and hate for the man that always stood in his way. As Glunmar beat Reuben within the inch of his life, surprisingly, he allowed his son to leave the forest, disowning him in the process. As things are, staying in the forest may stir up the dark inside of him.

Reuben crawls his way out, passing out the moment he left. Mending himself, the halfling left his home to journey to parts unknown, not entirely sure exactly where it was that he needed to be going. Visiting a port town, he heard talks of trade and activity booming in Core's Pass. Some even talked, or complained, about the diverse characters you see over there: gnomes, half-bloods, drow. Doing what work he could, Reuben scrimped and saved enough to travel to the big city, a civilization on the mountaintop that exceeded all of his expectations.

Unfortunately, the same day he entered the city and toured around Lowtown was the day he was dragged into a murder case, seeing a dire bat claw out and bite through a man's innards. Reuben was called in for questioning and there, he was given a first-hand experience at the processes of the Guard. The Justice system. The antibodies that kept the city clean, functioning, and rooted out disturbances.

Reuben gave his testimony and offered his aid, searching for the bat. Once Reuben found it, it was when her mercenary owner caught on and sicced it against him. As the bat swooped down to kill him, he reached out to it. The mercenary beat and chained her, using her as little more than a weapon rather than a hunter. Reuben turned the dire bat against the mercenary and used his magic to apprehend him.

He named the bat Petunia and took her in before the Guard went ahead and put her to sleep. Called in as a witness during the mercenaries' trial, he spoke with the city prosecutors and saw the attorneys in action. The back and forth process of the court system impressed him and before long, he found himself living in the city hospices, studying to become an attorney himself. Years later, he passed the bar exam and entered the Protectorate as an attorney, a guardian and interpreter of the city's laws.

In time, Reuben developed a reputation for himself by taking on a series of pro bono cases, defending people that normally can't pay the legal fees. His magic and abilities as a druid evolved to suit the environment of the city and likewise, so did his responsibilities. The citizens are the voices of the city and their welfare determines the city's health. Rather than working for personal gain, he seemed altruistic, caring deeply for the common good. The city is the natural environment that he must protect at all costs, and the place that captured his heart with its organized chaos.

Over the years, his name and office gained greater prestige and for a man who entered the city having nothing at all, he lived a success story. That is, until a case he took on to defend a Mage's Guild wizard studying necromancy ended with him being trapped by a portal to the Abyssal Plane.

He landed there in the middle of Turstynist. The moment he spoke "devil", the demons around him were more than prepared to lynch him, until he was rescued by Ch'ama Castan who, seeing his unnatural abilities as an urban druid, took a liking to him immediately. For the next year, Reuben took on the guise of Ch'ama's slave to avoid being taken in by the actual slavers. They made up a two-man con while researching on the side a way to return to the Material Plane. Should they find a means, Reuben promised Ch'ama that he would take him.

However, the influence of the Abyssal Plane began tapping into the core of Reuben's soul. A dormant presence starts to wake, manifesting quietly through the Halfling's magic.

Psychology
A calm man of logic, Reuben thrives in his position as an attorney. The organized chaos of the city and the courtroom soothes him in a way where he always felt uneasy in the chaotic order of nature. He approaches problems in a reasonable way, but at times, he can be too rational. He was more than prepared to risk the life of Ch'ama, a close friend, to save the rest of the Order. He's willing to side with Thariol, a drow-vampire whose behavior, in spite of what he is against the cultists because he's a lesser evil. He takes grotesque, but pragmatic courses of action like keeping the decapitated head of a blackguard as a spell component. He sees people as moving pieces on the grand game board and himself as the master planner, making sure that everything is placed where it should be.

This order being disrupted sends Reuben into a fury. Thieves and murderers are part of the order, revolting within acceptable parameters, but he goes into a rage against people that seek to knock the whole board down. This behavior has put him at odds with the rest of the party as he was more than willing without a second thought to play judge, jury, and executioner toward even helpless people. The more he's allowed to stay in this mindset, the more unhinged he becomes.

Obsessed with protecting the city that he fell in love with, Reuben walks the fine line of becoming a monster and a tyrant. He's appreciative of the friends around him and tries to be as pleasant of a person as possible, but he's a creature of the law, unable to easily give or find empathy. He has, of course, dropped to his knees in tears when faced with the consequences of his own actions, like having hurt Ch'ama as badly as he did. With Ch'ama having followed him to the surface and the Following threatening his city, he feels more lost than ever.

Relationships
Ch'ama Castan-

Agmundr Sigmarr-

Eoghan-

Tor'rinth-

Anisa-

Donovan Drakesblood-

Thariol-