Reid Iobel

Male he/him

Major side character

16

Lanky

5'7"

Bythsan

Dark tan

Brown

Very curly and thick hair, brushes against his shoulders

None

Simple and practical clothing made to last a while and to survive travel. Usually wears hand-me-downs from his older siblings, so they don't fit him perfectly. Often wears a scarf

Broad bumped nose, wide brown eyes, long face

Has some acne. Easily recognizable for his scarf and poofy hair

Reid has a slightly high pitched voice. He tends to speak very fast and stumble over his words. He also has a habit of mumbling.

Reid is very curious, wanting to learn as much as he can about the world. He is often asking questions about anything that interests him and loves exploring as much of the world as he can. Although he acts awkward at first, if a person is receptive to him he quickly warms up to them. He can be very chatty around those he likes, loving to talk about the things he's passionate about. However, he also balances that out by being a good listener and being attentive when other people are talking, able to easily remember things he's heard. He's easily embarrassed and feels uncomfortable when put in the spotlight. He tries to be as helpful and kind as he possibly can to other people. It doesn't take a lot to impress him because he grew up quite sheltered. He gets bored quickly and has trouble focusing on something for a long time, his attention often jumping around. Many think Reid is dull because of his inexperience but he is actually quite clever and a fast learner. He can also act naively, still young and not having much experience with danger.

Reid has huge issues with dependency. He hasn't spent much time alone and immediately gets nervous when he's on his own. He oftentimes talks too much and can get on people's nerves, immediately getting embarrassed when somebody points it out. If a person is mean to him, even a small offhanded comment, he will completely shut down to them and it will be hard to make him open up again. His curiosity can make him nosy, sometimes overstepping boundaries with his questions. Because of his inexperience, he often acts clumsy or incompetent and panics in situations where stress is put on him. He often feels insecure in himself, and although he wants more respect he often feels uncertain if he deserves it.

Currently, rescue his sibling, Emyl, and their friends from the Coven of Life. In the further future he wants to learn more magic and become a stronger mage.

Reid hasn't had much need to think about morality. He generally agrees with his society's views on what is right and wrong and tries his best to be a good person by those standards.

Reid has an immediate distrust of anyone who is part of the Coven of Life after they stole Emyl from him. He is also quick to admire any mage that is more powerful than him.

Reid spends a lot of time researching and training, trying to become a better mage. He has a fondness for reading, especially if it's about a topic he's interested in. He loves learning about all kinds of things, trying to gather as much information as he can. Although his journal is foremost for note taking, he also writes about his life and sometimes doodles too. He also enjoys being in the outdoors, loving to run around in the fresh air and look at wildlife.

Although Reid can't hold much eliki, magical energy, and is therefore a weak mage, he is creative and knows how to use what little power he uses for clever purposes. He didn't inherit the green thumb most of his family did and has trouble looking over the farm, but he is still good and identifying crops and plants. He has a sharp memory and good eyesight. He is also very agile and quick, and is very good at climbing and balancing.

When nervous, Reid wrings out his scarf. He does this so frequently that his scarf has become permanently twisted up. His eyes get really big and he goes silent when he's surprised. He has trouble being confident in front of strangers, frequently stumbling over his words and avoiding eye contact. When excited he speaks fast. He has trouble sitting still for long periods of time and often fidgets by bouncing his leg and tapping his fingers. When upset he balls up his fist or crosses his arms and bites down on his lip. He's usually quick on his feet and has trouble slowing down, almost always excitedly looking around his surroundings.

Reid works on his family's farm in the small town of Izoran. He is also beginning his training to become a mage, hoping that it will become his main pursuit later in life.

The circle of life and death are integral aspects to raising a farm, and so Reid and his family are mainly worshipers of the goddess of life, Arymia, and the god of death, Bryelan. Bryelan's worship was outlawed several decades ago when the king began his search for immortality but many people are still steadfast in their belief of Bryelan. In smaller communities like Izoran, the illegal worship goes mostly unnoticed. Reid cares deeply about his faith and frequently prays to Arymia and Bryelan. He is not threatened by the idea of death, thinking that it is natural and has to happen for there to be balance.

Reid used to support the current King Albyr, believing that he was a good and strong king. But as he realizes that the king is supporting the Coven of Life, not seeming to care if it endangers the lives of his people, he is beginning to question his faith in the king.

Reid always keeps a small leather notebook gifted from his older sibling, Emyl. In it, he writes down everything he learns about magic that he doesn't already know, hoping that it will help him in his further studies. He also frequently writes journal entries about his own life and doodles in it.

Reid looks up to Kydrei. He admires her skill in magic and her kindness, and is excited to be able to learn from her. He trusts her and often looks to her for guidance and advice and is often trying to make her proud of him. He feels a bit more awkward around Yllmadaya, who he feels slightly threatened by. He doesn't like how she treats others but feels too scared to speak up about it. Still, he thinks she's a talented mage and often begs her to teach him about magic, which she usually refuses. Often, he feels overshadowed by the both of them, the two being immortal and very powerful mages.

Born 1228

Reid has had minimal education, although he desperately wishes to learn more. He has learned a bit of magic but is not very strong. He tries to read up as much as he can to improve, but since he didn't have many resources growing up in a small mostly secluded farming town, he often feels inferior to other mages who have had better education.

Reid is the youngest child of four. He grew up with his family in Izoran and helped them with their small farm. They were poor but had enough to survive and were happy. Reid spent almost every second surrounded by his siblings, playing with them and exploring as much of the farm and nearby villages as he could. Reid never had the same skill for watching over the farm that some of his other siblings possessed. He never felt like he'd be able to take over the farm for himself, a quality that he shared with his second eldest sibing, Emyl. Emyl didn't want to live such a simple life and started researching magic with some of their friends. Reid's fathers were a bit confused by magic but were supportive of their child. As Emyl became more skilled they would show off tricks to the other Iobel siblings. Reid was thirteen when he found himself drawn to magic too and began begging Emyl to teach him. It took a bit of persistence, but eventually Emyl relented and started teaching Reid what they knew. Emyl and Reid quickly bonded over practicing magic, becoming closer than they had before.

When Reid was fifteen, Emyl came across the Coven of Life. The Coven of Life saw opportunity in Emyl and some of their friends who were also practicing magic, Oewri Baros and Wesdin Keerel, and suggested they all join. The three wanted to continue to strengthen their magic and took the offer. Emyl gave their goodbyes to their family and promised to keep in touch before leaving for the Coven's halls in the Oropal Mountains. A few months passed and Emyl and the Iobel family frequently exchanged letters. Reid was especially interested in the updates, hoping to join a coven someday himself. However, one day the Iobels received an ominous letter where Emyl explained they were beginning to feel uncertain about joining the Coven of Life. After that, there were no more letters from Emyl. The family was upset and tried to speak with the coven to ask about Emyl but got no reply. They then talked with the families of Oewri and Wesdin and found out that their contact had been cut off too. It didn't help that rumors were spreading to Izoran that the Coven of Life was kidnapping vulnerable people from small villages for experimentation in their pursuit of immortality. The people of Izoran couldn't stand a chance against the powerful Coven of Life, so after months of searching they came to the conclusion that there was no way to get Emyl back and gave up.

Reid still hadn't given up hope, and desperate to find Emyl and their friends, ran away from home. He had trouble for the first month, not knowing how to be on his own or how he would be able to face the Coven. Eventually, someone came across him and told him to look for the Wandering Mage, a powerful mage who was working against the Coven of Life. Luckily for Reid, she wasn't far and he was able to find her. She introduced herself as Kydrei and agreed to help Reid once he explained his situation. As they arrived in Bythse, she asked him to split up for a bit to a town called Varloe and deliver a letter to an enchantress by the name of Yllmadaya Aalsyur. Reid followed through, and hoped that with the help of the Kydrei, and possibly Yllmadaya, he would be able to rescue Emyl.

Reid grew up with his fathers, Alitian and Merriel, and his three older siblings, Dira, Emyl, and Orra. None of them are biologically Alitian's and Merriel's children, but were adopted. Dira, Emyl, and Reid are biologically all siblings while Orra is the only one who is not blood related to the other three. Reid has no memory of his biological parents, having abandoned him when he was young and being taken in by his fathers.

Reid has a close and loving relationship with both of his fathers. They're both a bit disappointed that he has no interest in the family farm but they're proud of his skill in magic and are extremely supportive. Although he has a good relationship with all of his siblings, since he's the youngest they often gang up to pick on him. As the baby of the family, Reid gets more coddling and attention than the others. Oftentimes, he wishes he was treated more like an adult but it's difficult as he is uncertain if he can function on his own, having always been supervised by an older figure.

Emyl Iobel is Reid's older sibling and the second eldest of the four. Reid looks up to them, viewing them as a cool, but sometimes annoying, older sibling figure. The two probably have one of the closest sibling relationships in the Iobel family, Emyl often acting as a mentor figure to their little brother. Emyl was the one who got Reid into magic and started teaching him how to use it.

Reid was first created for the book he is currently in, the Undying Mages. Unlike some of my other characters who were based on previous characters or who have changed drastically over time, he has greatly stayed the same. Except for a bit he was named Wren. It didn't last very long though.