Eusebios

Eusebios is a former slave, first-year student at Wir Academy, and Level 2 male Lizardfolk Wizard belonging to the Order of the Scribes, a domain of the magical arts. What Eusebios lacks in experience and nuance he makes up for in sheer courage, heart, and the desire to see the downtrodden and oppressed peoples of Eastlux freed from their chains, a desire forged in the crucible of his 12 years as a slave in the lumber camps of Southeastern Eastlux. He seeks the means of exacting revenge on those who cast him in chains, freeing others like him, and reuniting with the siblings who were taken from him.

## Background

### Birth and Upbringing

Eusebios was born in Martinak, a small Lizardfolk village in Southern Eastlux, 18 years prior to the beginning of the Eastlux Campaign. His father, Marcos, was a priest for the Cult of Exis, a religious association local to Martinak. In summer, Macros would lead Eusebios, his family, and other citizens of Martinak on pilgrimages to the Tree of Exis to perform the Sacred Rite of Being, a ritual of great importance to the village cult. Eusebios' mother, Lelliana, was a Lizardfolk woman of high renown in Martinak. As the wife of a prominent priest, she enjoyed considerable influence over village affairs. Eusebios was the youngest of four children--himself, two older brothers, and an older sister.

### Enslavement

In the summer of Eusebios' 6th year, Eusebios and his family set out on a pilgrimage in early summer. They journeyed northwest from Martinak to the Tree of Exis along a route known as the Pilgrim's Way. Two days into what was normally a five day excursion, the pilgrims were ambushed by roving band of barbarians. Many of the Martinakians, including the elderly and Eusebios' parents, were slain in the attack. Those who remained were kidnapped and trafficked to Dror, the fortress city of King Yazar, and from there sold to various local warlords and industries.

Eusebios remained at Dror for 5 months before being sold to a forrestry operation in the Vyr Rainforest (though its official designation is unknown, the group responsible is often called the "King's Axes"). During that time, Eusebios was kept in a stone prison beneath the Dror Keep, isolated entirely from the outside world and not allowed to see his siblings. As of the present time, Eusebios still hasn't seen his siblings since the day they arrived at Dror and were separated and imprisoned.

Over the next 12 years, Eusebios was shuttled throughout the Vyr Rainforest from lumber camp to lumber camp, hauling cuts, running gang saws, and bearing witness to numerous atrocities and abuses of power. Slaves were routinely beaten if they failed to meet their quotas, sometimes to the death. Injuries went largely untended and ignored. Infections and disease ran rampant throughout the camps, killing workers by the hundreds. Eusebios, thanks to being blessed with a hearty constitution, emerged from these ordeals largely unscathed. But bearing witness to the cruelty of his masters and the sickness and deaths of his fellow workers took a psychological toll. Around his 14th year, Eusebios hit a breaking point. Unable to cope with the suffering any longer, Eusebios began to detach himself from the world, numbing himself to the reality of his daily experience. "Whereas my body was covered in scales," Eusebios wrote upon arriving at Wir Academy several years later, "my mind had not yet furnished protections for itself. And so I learned to shield my soul, just as my body was already shielded."

### The Liberation of Eusebios

In his 15th year at the lumber camps, Eusebios made the acquaintance of Brennus Thatchell, a scribe and human wizard hailing from Hollos, a city just south of the Mountains of Sari. Per Eusebios' recollection, Brennus had been captured during a barbarian raid of Hollos in which the city was sacked, its inhabitants massacred, and many of the city's goods and materials stolen. Brennus was separated from his wife, Denora, and taken to Dror, whereupon his arrival he was quickly sold to the King's Axes. Due to Brennus' training as a scholar and scribe, the King's Axes put him to work as an organizer and logistician. Brennus was responsible for improving the efficiency of the Axes' forrestry operation, increasing yield, and keeping books of record, although he was not always spared from physical labor.

Through a chance meeting, Eusebios and Brennus became fast friends. Brennus saw in Eusebios a dimmed fire, nearly snuffed out by the travails of his life and the depersonalizing conditions of the lumber camps. Under the pretext of needing an "assistant" for his recordkeeping work, Brennus took Eusebios under his wing and attempted to reignite the young Lizardfolk's passion and desire to be free and survive. He taught him what he knew of the ways of wizardry, of history, of the state of the world's affairs and politics, and of philosophy. In the limited time at their disposal, and without alerting the Axes of his intentions, Brennus attempted to free Eusebios from his learned helplessness, showing him the possibility of liberation and a way toward a brighter future.

It became clear to Brennus, as the years went by, that the only way Eusebios could survive was if he escaped from the lumber camps and sought refuge in United Eastlux, a country where he could be safe and obtain a good education. In these conditions, Brennus reasoned, Eusebios was not likely to live much longer. If his body didn't give out first, his mind would. And so, on the first night of summer in Eusebios' 18th year, Brennus awoke him in the main sleeping area of the lumber camp, beckoned him to follow, and led him through the trees to the camp's perimeter. They went unresisted for much of the way until, shortly before escaping the sight of the Axes' nightly patrol, they were spotted by a nearby guard and pursued.

Though hearty, Eusebios was sluggish, and Brennus knew the Axes would catch him before long. Before turning to face the guards in what he knew would be his last stand, Brennus took Eusebios by the shoulders and spoke to him firmly. To this day, Eusebios remembers every word.

> "I've taught you everything I know, Eusebios, but you can't stop here. You have much farther to go. There is a world out there, Eusebios--a beautiful world, a bright world, a free world. You can make a life for yourself. You can be free of this place. Do not follow me--go to United Eastlux. Follow the river to the sea, follow the coast north, and take the ships bound for the country. Do not follow me." - Brennus Thatchell's last words to Eusebios
>
>

Torn between his love for Brennus and his desire to obey him, Eusebios at last made the gut decision to run for it. He sprinted through the trees and down the hill to the river nearby. Once or twice, he peeked over his shoulder to see Brennus dueling with the Axes. Flames, sparks, and bursts of energy leapt from Brennus' fingers, dousing the rainforest with a kaleidoscope of shifting hues and dancing lights. His last living memory of Brennus was his silhouetted form, stark against the dazzling light of his magic, surrounded by a dozen black shadows closing in on him. An arrow pierced him, then two; and just as the axes began to fall upon his inert body, Eusebios plunged into the river, and everything was dark and warm.

### Journey to United Eastlux

Several miles from the lumber camp, Eusebios emerged at last from the river and followed it the rest of the way to the sea. After following the coast for several days, surviving on raw crab, clams, and whatever herbs, roots, and vegetables he could scrounge up, he came upon the port city of Lalaen, where he laid in hiding for some time to gather (steal) supplies and regain his strength. After learning of the upcoming disembarkment of a trading vessel bound for Dirio Port in United Eastlux, Eusebios smuggled himself onboard and concealed himself in the cargo hold for the duration of the week-long journey. It was for Eusebios the most challenging part of the journey. He had little food except for what he had manage to pull together in Lalaen, and it was not enough to last him the whole way. When he arrived at Dirio Port, he was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and weak. Nonetheless, remembering his master's wishes and refusing to let him die in vain, he managed to escape from the ship's hold undetected and acquire sustenance.

In the intervening year, Eusebios journeyed from town to town throughout United Eastlux, working odd jobs and learning as much as he could about its peoples and cultures. He kept an eye out for education possibilities, remembering Brennus' injunction to him that he "needed to educate [himself]" if he wanted to achieve the "sort of liberation the world desperately [needed]." Quite unexpectedly, while staying at an inn in Vyr Settlement, Eusebios came across an advertisement for Wir Academy and its WAP Program which promised to make education affordable and accessible to United Eastlux's minorities and those less fortunate.

### Present Day

Eusebios is now a first-year wizarding student at Wir Academy, living with Bats, Micas, and Theytuk Minaim. Although adjusting to academy life has been difficult (and often disappointing as he is confronted with the reality of higher education), he looks forward to acquiring the tools and knowledge he needs to fulfill Brennus' wishes, make a life for himself, and free the people of Eastlux down to the very last slave.