Steve

Steve was a Half-Elf Druid who played a part in the pivotal rise of the Lich in the Year 258 of the Third Era.

## Biography

### Early Life

Born in Tim Hollow to hermit parents, Steve spent most of his time exploring with his younger brother, Ethan. Steve developed a love for the swampy forest and the life thriving within it. He and his brother would eventually devote themselves to studying and protecting their sacred environment. Steve and Ethan soon became adept druids at the ages of 18 and 15 respectfully.

One day while meditating in the forest alone, Steve received a terrifying vision in which he witnessed the destruction of Alcua. He saw the entire mortal plane engulfed in flames of blue. These visions would continue to haunt him, driving Steve to mental breaks at times. He confided this secret in Ethan, who helped him meditate in the forest for relief.

Meanwhile, Steve and Ethan often worked as vigilantes and protected the local fauna from poachers. Many of these encounters ended with a single disgruntled hunter leaving the woods, but others ended in deadly skirmishes. A local black market group, the Ivory Syndicate, frequently sent agents to hunt the exotic animals Steve and Ethan protected. These agents were ruthless and not above killing to make their profit.

The Ivory Syndicate and the two brothers often went head to head. However, the resources the Syndicate had allowed them to think of the druid pair more as a nuisance than a legitimate threat. But the druids, now 21 and 18 had an idea to gain an edge.

They made a plan to infiltrate the Ivory Syndicate and take them down from the inside. They eventually managed to gain entry into the Syndicate and began to turn members against each other. They spent years subtly sabotaging the Syndicate's plans by leaving anonymous tips for local law enforcement. During this time, their motives went completely unnoticed.

One day, the Syndicate's overseer of exotic animal goods, Derrick Theromak, launched a campaign to locate a rare mahogany treant. Theromak wanted to destroy the wise and ancient master of the forest and use the wood to fashion a hilt for an ornate dagger. The druid brothers learned of this plot too late and raced against time to stop the Syndicate, no longer caring to keep their cover.

The journeyed after the Syndicate's agents, hoping to stop them. That night, while traveling through the forest, Steve and Ethan were visited by the spirit of the forest, a Dryad. The spirit thanked the two for their protection of the forest and urged them to stop the Syndicate for good. Honored and in high spirits, the druids journeyed on to stop the evil Ivory Syndicate. When they finally managed to locate them, the deed had already been done. Theromak stood over the decaying body of the treant, the newly made dagger in hand. The whole of the forest stood silent in mourning.

Angered, Ethan rushed to take down Derrick, but the poacher's experience brought him out on top. In less than a second, Steve saw his brother leave his side and lay dead on the ground, the dagger in his chest. His attack quickly calculated, Steve launched into action against the agents before him. He took down the 5 men gathered around Theromak before their leader could react. Steve disarmed Theromak, but was stopped from executing him by the return of the Dryad. Derrick took this opportunity to retreat. The Dryad spoke with Steve about his future, how he must take down the Syndicate and leave Theromak as an example of the forest's wrath. She used the treant's wood to create a staff for Steve, his arcane focus. At 25, he was anointed by the Dryad as the protector of the forest. Steve took the mahogany dagger and left the forest.

Under the alias "Ethan," Steve began infiltrating and destroying Ivory Syndicate cells. The Syndicate's power began to wane over the next 10 years as Theromak slowly climbed the ranks of the clan, eventually becoming the lead enforcer. Once Derrick reached this position, the Syndicate's influence and the hunt for Steve increased.

When he was 37, Steve discovered a Syndicate plan to expand into Fudwin. Desperate to stop them before they could gain anymore influence, Steve decided to start a last ditch campaign to stop Theromak. He traveled to Zendia and allowed himself to be captured. In his hubris, Derrick brought his captive to dine. Through a blessing from the Dryad, the rope binding Steve withered away, freeing him. He jumped and plunged the mahogany dagger into Derrick's throat. Leaving the guards alive as witness, he escaped the manor owned by the now deceased Syndicate enforcer.

The Ivory Syndicate now suffered a power vacuum as other enforcers fought to take Theromak's place. The Syndicate overlord was failing to keep them in check. In an attempt to stifle the infighting, he offered a reward to whoever could bring him Steve's head. This attracted the attention of some other black market groups as well, and Steve was soon on the run.

For 3 years, Steve drifted about, being careful to never stay in one place too long. Making his way to Kashaa, he was tailed by a bounty hunter. Following him into the sewers, he hunter managed to drug Steve in order to deliver him alive to the Syndicate. However, before the bounty hunter could bind Steve, a hag living in the sewers chased him off. The hag took Steve's unconscious body and caged him...