Zevan’s parents Ureb (father) and Newo (mother) originated in the village of Roslar’s Coffer which stood on the southernmost border of Lastwall. Roslar’s Coffer was one of the last outposts near the Belkzen border and would often house many a retired soldier who could no longer fight with the Lastwall armies, but who was too stubborn to give up the good fight.
Ureb and Newo took their role as farmers within the community seriously, but not as seriously as they took protecting the town. Often, small orcish raids would attack the outskirts of town, but none like the one that befell the town almost 17 years ago.
The attack was swift, and with orcs in the numbers that Ureb had never seen since his time with the military. During the attack, Ureb and Newo were captured, as was Zevan’s older sister Dimira (9). Unfortunately, Zevan’s eldest brother Kaleb (12) died attempting to save his mother. As the human villagers were rounded up, Ureb was indentured to work in the orcs sole iron ore mine whilst Newo, who was heavily pregnant with Zevan, and his sister, became slaves to the head orcish priestess.
Many villagers from Roslar’s Coffer, were captured over the coming months, one of whom was a beautiful young woman named Kalece. The poor girl, who later became a close friend and confidant of Newo, was brutally raped, often whilst in captivity by the savage orcs, and it was not long before the young woman realised that she was pregnant with a bastard child.
Ureb, who was once a Lieutenant in the Lastwall Military (only being forced to retire after a particularly nasty encounter with an orc years earlier which cost him his left eye), and as a result, knew how to watch for weaknesses in the orc’s defences. Luckily for him, that day came sooner than expected.
Ureb watched as the orcs became greedy, taking more slaves than they could handle. The orcs, who only kept their slaves in check through brutality, fear and a reluctance to provide them with food, became complacent, and did not see the uprising before it was too late. Ureb was cunning, and so through meticulous planning, initiated the surprise attack.
The attacks were precise, and for a time, the slaves had the upper hand. The orcs however, had other ideas.
Realising too late what they had created, the orcs set about murdering all of their slaves. It was a barbaric move, but the orc tribal leaders knew that there was no other way. As the uprising continued, both sides took substantial losses. Eventually, Ureb managed to flee the orc village in the company of his family, a few hardened workers, and the pregnant Kalece.
The road back to Roslar’s Coffer was long, with many of the band falling victim to further orc attacks, as the beasts pursued them relentlessly through the night. By the time the group reached Roslar’s Coffer, their numbers were few. Matters became worse as soon as they reached their beloved town they found that it had been raised, but not by the orcs, but by something else entirely.
With no supplies, and little else other than the clothes on their back, Ureb led the group into the forest, hoping to avoid further orc pursuits by heading towards the Nirmathas border.
The days and nights were long, and the orcs continued their feverish pursuit. As they fled, Kalece fell into labour, with the birth of the bastard child soon after taking her life. Newo was ready to murder the child, but as she looked into the half-orc child’s eyes, the dagger held at the child’s throat, something stirred within her; something that she could not explain. Instead, she embraced the child, and informed Ureb that it was imperative that the half-orc child be saved. Dimira took care of the Zevan, whilst Newo took care of the child, and the group, now numbering only seven, fled towards the river.
As they arrived at the river, Ureb knew that the orcs were not far behind. It was almost as though the gods had seen their plight, when a river barge rounded a bend towards them. It was here, that the orcs sprung their attack. However, the orcs underestimated the old River Barge Captain, a dwarf named Walren, who loved a good fight. The captain and his men helped rescue the group, however as the half-orc child was being handed over onto the barge, an arrow from an orcish bow slammed into Newo’s back. Both Zevan, his sister Dimira, and his father watched helplessly as Newo fell into the water, and disappeared below the waves. Eventually the orcs were forced back, and the barge was able to continue on its journey down stream towards the city of Tamran. Their first stop however was the logging town of Kassen.
Kassen was a fresh start for the remains of this family who had fled their homelands, but Ureb always had an eye to his back; always wondering when the orcs would return to finish him and his family off. It consumed him. It was probably this however that caused Ureb to move further away from the main town of Kassen after establishing a small farm, in a similar fashion to what he had done in Roslar’s Coffer.
Zevan grew up without the love of a mother, and the discipline of his brutish father who had become bitter at the world to the point of often turning to the dreaded ale. Often Zevan would receive a beating for not completing chores, or for not completing a seemingly impossible task. It was these beatings though that made Zevan quicker than others of his age. Perhaps it was so he could avoid the blows of his drunken father, or perhaps it was a fear of being captured in the same way his parents had been.
Dimira, Zevan’s sister, was also sick of the treatment she and her brother faced. It was at this time that she received a calling from Erastil, and took a position as an Acolyte at the local chapel. Dimira was a diligent student, but never progressed very far, causing many, including Zevan, to suspect that she was using the church as a hideaway in order to escape her Father’s ways.
Zevan grew to despise his father, and eventually fell in with a bad group of youths in town, becoming close friends with a half-orc bully named Grimscar. It was one evening though, that Zevan and Grimscar took on more than they could chew. On this occasion, they decided to make some easy pickings, and attempted to steal the coins of a young boy who was finishing on the outskirts of town. It was here though that a young girl named Nell Vargidian came to the child’s rescue. Grimscar thought nothing of backhanding the woman. Zevan found himself smiling at this, which was perhaps a realisation of sorts. Zevan was becoming his father. What the gang did not except was when Nell released a wave of magical fire at Grimscar. This fire burned the young half-orc, and both Zevan and Grimscar fled into the nearby forest. In the flurry, Zevan became separated from Grimscar and eventually lost. Zevan, in his wanderings, happened upon a clearing, but soon received a taste of reality when a large bear picked up his scent, and began barrelling toward the young ruffian.
As the bear slashed out at the youngster, one claw connected with his arm, and flung him to the ground. Suddenly two arrows whisked past him, and landed with a thud in the bear’s chest. The beast quickly fell, and a humanoid figure emerged from the brush. As Zevan lost consciousness, he caught a glimpse of a woman, clearly a hunter of sorts, reaching down and picking him up.
Soon after, Zevan awoke in a cabin and was confronted by a woman who identified herself as Arnama Lastrida, a Chernasardo Ranger. As the evening wore on, Arnama saw promise in the child and soon after took Zevan under her wing. Arnama taught young Zevan all there was to foraging and hunting, and the ways of the Chernasardo Rangers.
For a time, Arnama took Zevan away from his father, mainly because he became a disruptive influence to her student. At one point, Zevan and Arnama spent a year with a group of Chernasardo Ranger in the distant South-western Fangwood. When Zevan returned, he was changed. Something had happened whilst he was away. Even now, Arnama believes that Zevan is a loose cannon, and something that she still keeps an eye on.
Over the last few months, Zevan has become closer with his adopted brother Kal. Zevan had lost contact with Kal for many years, after the boy was sent to the local church to live with _Zevan_’s sister Dimira, after he stood up to his adopted father.
Recently though, Zevan has become romantically involved with Asina Silvers, the daughter of the local Inn Keeper Trelvar Silvers. This is at odds with Zevan as he knows that Kal also has feelings for her. It is something that Zevan is excited about, but ashamed of as he knows that he does not want to hurt his closest friend.