Rez

Rez (full name **Rez Carmash**) is a younger (early 20s - he himself is not really sure) half-orc druid. He's generally introverted and reluctant to assert himself. Most people are content to allow him to keep to himself due to his intimidating form, but if they were to really reach out and try they'd find he has warm-hearted and wants to help the people and creatures he cares about.

They might also find that Rez can be quick to anger and rage if pushed.

**Backstory**

If asked, Rez would say he doesn't remember anything earlier than when he was "adopted" around the age of 5. His Elven parents would tell of finding the young half-orc boy following them back to their forest dwelling after a trip to Neverwinter. He appeared dirty and hungry, with rags for clothes. They tried to persuade him to go back to his parents but found that his knowledge of common tongue rather lacking and their knowledge of Orcish abundantly absent. Being a little more open-minded than some Elves, they brought Rez home while they decided what to do, feeding him and cleaning him up. The very next day, and indeed every week thereafter, the man who would ultimately become Rez's adoptive father would look for signs of Rez's parents, but to no avail.

Rez eventually became the couple's first child through adoption. And while he was in their woodland home, with no neighbors other than the creature of the forest, all was well.

Every few years, Rez's parent would return to the small village that came from. Initially, his parents attempted to bring him along. Rez's grandfather would have nothing of the lesser creature and publicly denounced his parents for caring for him. The man who he hoped would be his grandfather proclaimed nothing good would come from the adoption. The next time he was left with a kindly, yet quickly annoyed older hermit inreturn for a previous favor his father had provided the old man. And soon, this was was the new pattern.

Then one time Rez's adopted parent didn't return. The need to find out what happened drove the hermit and teenage Rez first to Rez's empty woodland home and then on to the Elven village. Only cinders remained of the once bustling little community. The only clues of what might have happened where various broken Orcish weapons and shields laying among the ashes. Rez cursed his mixed heritage and cursed his grandfather's lack of acceptance that prevented the young Rez from coming with his parents (both believing he could have helped heroically defend his parents or even more outlandishly believing he could have reasoned with what was surely a band of Orc marauders and saving the village and winning their acceptance).

The elderly hermit saw Rez's mixed emotion and not knowing what to do, set Rez's feet on the path of being a hermit himself.

Rez was a horrible hermit and proved it almost daily as he would sneak down to see if any traveler coming down the nearby paths might be his parents or provide him clues. And every night he would be tormented mentally with what ifs. He was angry at everyone and everything—angry with his parents for subjecting him to his grandfather's reject, angry at his grandfather for rejecting him and indirectly causing what he saw as his parents' deaths, angry at the hermit that took care of him for not looking for his parent sooner, but mostly angry at himself for being part orc, and for being unable to save his family.

The hermit knew Rez was miserable but the young half-orc refused to talk about it or anything else. The old hermit thought it ironic that now he would not talk, when he needed to most. It was clear that Rez needed something else.

And so it was one day that Rez was spying on paths, that an Arch Druid happened to travel down the path Rez watched. He was curious but even more curiously, he found that he was being herded by a collection of animals closer to the Druid. The Druid found his calm acceptance of his minions curious and struck up a conversation with the young man. It soon became clear that Rez was much more comfortable with animals than people. As the Arch Druid spoke of what a druid is and believes, Rez knew that he could find his solace in nature and with Arch Druid. His eyes gleamed as he walked with the Arch Druid.

From his vantage point, the elderly hermit breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the odd pair walk away from his hermitage. He hoped this new interest might help the young half-orc. And hopefully, he would never need to learn the truth of who he really was. And what happened to his parents.