Zeno Reiburn's page

About Zeno Reiburn

Description
Of average height and toned build, what is most striking about Zeno is his piercing grey eyes that always seem to stare through whatever they look at. His hair is black, long, and tied into a ponytail with a few stray bangs. His skin is pale but burnt from the sun, and his features are sharp but pleasant. He has two industrial piercings in his right ear. His clothes are practical and well-worn yet he wears them with a strange dignity. Zeno is ready for anything and carries more weapons and equipment than any one man should need.

Personality
Zeno is well versed in combat, history, and culture, and as such can be quite charismatic with virtually anyone. He has a superstitious side and enjoys fortune telling, especially from a harrow deck. His jovial personality makes his knack for intimidation all the more surprising, calling upon the spirits and his piercing stare to supplement his expansive knowledge of what people are afraid of. He enjoys life on the open road and few things excite him like making a historical discovery or meeting new people.

On the battlefield Zeno's outlook differs depending on his bound spirit. With the Champion he becomes brave and even foolhardy, swinging massive weapons with devastating effect. The Guardian makes him ever vigilant and protective of his friends. The Trickster causes him to become difficult to work with but very resourceful. The Marshal grants him a tactical acumen few can match and puts his force of personality to the fore. The Archmage makes him cautious and clever, always waiting for the right opportunity. And finally, the Heirophant grants him wisdom and power from the gods themselves. Regardless of his spirit, Zeno always displays a zest for life and adventure that have become his trademark.

Background
Born of Chelish blood in the frontier city of Sandpoint, Zeno found himself with little to do for most of his childhood but chop wood and read books. He was good at the former, but he had a head for neither arcane theory nor holy scriptures. It was legends of great heroes that always fascinated him. He would struggle through difficult history books with a stubborn kind of tenacity just to find a glimmer of the adventurers who shaped the present and made Varisia what it is today, losing himself in stories and myths until his parents harsh scoldings returned him to his chores.

Some years after he had come of age, a travelling caravan of Varisians stopped at Sandpoint to replenish their supplies. Unable to stay his curiosity, Zeno approached them and asked about their strange clothes and wagon. The caravan head laughed and introduced herself as Myrth. She told the young Chelish man much about Varisian traditions, and what struck Zeno most was the myriad ways her people told stories, from symbolic tattoos to their rich oral tradition to the Harrow deck. Myrth asked Zeno to share a story, and he began to ramble about what he had learned of the history of Varisia. To his surprise, many of the caravan members showed genuine interest in his oration, especially about Thassilonian theory, and over the next few days he got to know the members well. This small community felt more like family to him than his own and before the caravan departed, Zeno joined them as a caravan guard.

Myrth's caravan travelled all around Varisia, and in every settlement, no matter how small, was another story. Zeno took the time to learn about each and every culture, from their legends to their greatest fears. They also made frequent stops at ancient sites, piecing together the history of lost Thassilon. Such sites were often dangerous, and Zeno's sword arm protected the group from monsters and highwaymen alike.

After five years, Zeno had learned much from his travels. Once, when Myrth had become injured during one of their expeditions, Zeno desperately called for a cleric. He felt a response to his plea for help from somewhere beyond the physical world. Wary but unwilling to let this strange opportunity slip by, he allowed the entity to come alive through him. Suddenly, he knew exactly what to do, and before long Myrth made a full recovery. He realized right then and there that he had channeled the spirit from a legend he had recently heard of St. Euthymios, a holy man who had been known as Death's Bane.

Excited beyond measure, Zeno realized he could ask the greatest heroes of ancient times what life had really been like using his newfound powers, but the answers were always larger than life. He began to suspect that it wasn't the dead themselves he was channeling but the legends they had left behind, yet each was more than eager to live once more through him in exchange for a fraction of their legendary abilities. As the caravan continued, a spirit by the name of Zdravko, who had tried to unite the world through conquest, became a favourite of his as he continued his work as caravan guard.

On one expedition, Zeno encountered a group of Scarab Sages researching the same ruins he Myrth's caravan were. Working together, they found a valuable artifact, and Zeno was recommended to join the Sages. With a heavy heart, Zeno says goodbye to his Varisian family but looks forward to the future he has been offered