Rowan Tallow

Appearance

Rowan is a rugged, gaunt man in his late twenties, but years of isolation and hardship have aged him beyond his years. His once dark hair has streaks of premature gray, and a constant shadow of stubble covers his sharp jaw. His eyes are always darting around as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows, and his hands are calloused from years of working the land and hunting. Rowan wears simple, practical clothing: a long, worn leather coat, a wide-brimmed hat that hides his eyes in shadow, and a patchwork cloak that blends him into the wilderness. His crossbow and quiver are always within arm’s reach, and his boots are caked in mud and dirt from his endless wandering.

Personality

Rowan is quiet, brooding, and cautious, with an aura of melancholy that never quite leaves him. He is a man haunted by his family’s curse, the weight of his ancestors' sins pressing down on him. He speaks little unless prompted and tends to avoid unnecessary confrontation, preferring to blend into the background like a shadow. Yet beneath his stoic exterior lies a deep well of pain, guilt, and shame. Despite his reticence, Rowan is fiercely protective of those he cares about, especially if they are tied to the land or the struggle against the curse.   He is driven by a desperate need to atone for the sins of his family and rid himself of the curse that has plagued the Tallows for generations, even if it means his own doom. His humor, when it surfaces, is dry and grim, and he seems resigned to the idea that the curse will eventually consume him, body and soul.

Backstory

Rowan Tallow is the last known descendant of the Tallow family, once prosperous landowners who lived in the Fertile Prairie. Generations ago, his ancestors made a pact with dark, ancient forces to protect their land and crops, but the pact came with a terrible price: the land withered, their family became cursed, and the spirits of the ancestors were bound to wander as vengeful wraiths.   Rowan grew up on the cursed farmstead, where the crops never grew, and the winds howled with the voices of his ancestors. His father, burdened by the same curse, passed down an ancient scroll containing the ritual to break the curse, written in the secret Wildsong language. As a child, Rowan witnessed his father’s slow descent into madness before his eventual death, leaving Rowan alone to tend to the dying land and live in fear of the spirits that haunted his every step.   Unable to read the scroll himself and having no one to trust, Rowan became a drifter, leaving the Withered Croft behind in search of someone who could help him read the Wildsong and finally end the curse. His travels have taken him deep into the forests, and he’s become a skilled ranger and hunter, but no matter how far he goes, the curse never truly leaves him. He’s always pulled back toward the druidic circle and the ritual that could free his family’s spirits — or doom him to share their fate.

Quirks

• Rowan constantly checks over his shoulder as if expecting to see one of his cursed ancestors following him. He has an almost subconscious habit of muttering the names of his ancestors under his breath, as if warding off their presence.
• Despite his skills as a hunter, Rowan is unnervingly silent, often moving through the woods without a sound. His presence can go unnoticed for long periods, which unnerves those around him.
• Rowan has an obsession with drawing detailed maps of the places he visits. His maps always include strange notes about the land's "energy" or the presence of supernatural forces.
• Rowan carries a pouch of small charms made from bones, feathers, and herbs. He believes these talismans keep the spirits at bay and will become visibly uncomfortable if he loses or damages one.