Brian Evers

Born on Devali, Brian Evers is a sector-renowned floral artist with macabre tastes. He's also a telepath of some skill but doesn't use those abilities unless necessary. He's the brother of Syndicate scientist Loren Codac.

Appearance

Tall and light-skinned, his eyes have retained their darkness while his hair has greyed with age. His work helps keep him in good shape, though his combat skills are now only used against bags.

Military Service

Brian grew up with his family on the vineyard his parents owned and operated. He enlisted in the Abraian military as soon as he turned 18, hoping to help with the ongoing Monhalian War of Independence. His telepathic abilities earned him a transfer to special forces, where over the next few years he was trained as an infiltrator.

Once trained, Brian would use his telepathic abilities to integrate into Monhalian squads and elicit key information to pass on to his own command. He would often remain within a squad for months, provided he wasn't discovered. In some cases, particularly later in his military career, he would be ordered to take out key squad leaders. His focus on unarmed combat allowed him to do so quietly.

After accomplishing his goals, he would leave the squad and retreat to an extraction zone or find his own way back from behind enemy lines. Some missions went smoother than others, and his history has a fair number of close calls and narrow escapes.

Guerilla Gardening

Between his undercover work and telepathy, he got to know the soldiers on the other side far better than they may have known each other. He no longer saw them as enemies or himself as the daring hero saving his home country. Instead, he saw himself and all other soldiers as pawns being used by politicians. Accepting the end of his military career, he left with an honorable discharge.
Brian returned home, but suffered greatly from PTSD. He couldn't adjust to the idyllic life on his family's vineyard and his agitation and mistrust damaged his relationships with friends and family. Nightmares plagued his nights and flashbacks interrupted his days. Loren learned to recognize his symptoms, and when he'd lash out telepathically, would flood his mind with better thoughts to help him cope.
To distance himself from his military life, he opted to change his name entirely, becoming knows as the Brian Evers he's seen as today. He then chose to devote his pent-up energy to a practice known as guerilla gardening - a type of vandalism involving planting specific plants in certain locations to send a message. His message was always anti-war. The day the peace treaty was signed in 3199, he planted flowers the shape and color of the flag of the Monhalian Union, directly outside the Abraian senate buildings.

Post-War

Just as there is beauty in the world, there is ugliness and death. We can hide from it, but it will always find us. If we accept it, we can be prepared when it comes to meet us.

— Brian Evers

Soon after the war, his father passed away from a neurodegenerative disease commonly associated with too much direct exposure to Devalian soil. Running the vineyard became more difficult, and the family ultimately chose to sell it. Brian turned to tending his own plants as path to recovery. He chose ones that looked how he felt, and he grew grotesque, ugly plants with thorns, spikes, and poisons. Tending to these forced him to focus on a more calming, meditative practice.

To support himself, he turned his new hobby into a business, and began selling small potted plants at weekend markets. His stall rarely attracted crowds, but the allure of the dark, deadly, and dangerous drew enough quiet purchases to sustain himself. Before long, some dared to hire him to construct larger gardens, and his work eventually became notorious.

Unchained Armada

Unchained Armada insignia by Rin Garnett

In 3208, his sister fell into legal trouble protesting Vantas Company's planned trade deal with the Unchained Armada. Having lost their father to exposure to the compounds within Mirasoil, Loren fought against selling the product to a mercenary group without having a cure for the disease. She took the research data she created on behalf of the company and destroyed all other copies.
To resolve this conflict, the trio known as the Night Knights was sent to Devali, at the time under the Armada's employ. The solution they devised was for the Armada to hire Loren as part of the trade deal, so she could oversee safe handling and continue her research into preventing the disease. Brian volunteered his services to the mercenary group in order to support his sister.
While on Talmar, Loren and several other non-combat members of the Armada were captured by an extremist cell of rival milita group, the Yellow Jackets. Brian tried to protect Loren and the others, but was overwhelmed and captured along with them. Though he was eventually able to break himself free, he couldn't free the others without help.
The Night Knights again came to his aid - they infiltrated the Yellow Jackets cell holding the hostages, and together the four of them were able to release everyone with no casualties.

Return to Devali

After the Battle for Talmar, he and Loren parted ways with the Armada and Brian returned to his work on Devali. To this day, he's a well-respected name on both sides of the border in Devali, and is sometimes hired off-planet for various work, such as on Nisora for Cordelia Isoto. Whether on Devali or elsewhere, he works with plants native to that region, and will include architecture, sculptures, and other unliving decorations to make his statements.
In a recent interview, he confirmed rumors that he recently married his long-term boyfriend in a private ceremony. He expressed, in no uncertain terms, the desire for continued privacy regarding his personal life. Even the most determined paparazzi values their life enough to respect such a request.

Relationships

It's claimed Brian would only date a man who could beat him at arm wrestling.

Timeline

3167	Born in Abraia
3185	Enlisted in Abraian military
3194	Discharged from Abraian military
3208	Joined the Unchained Armada
3209	Returned to Devali

Information

Year of Birth

3162 66 Years old

Birthplace

Abraia

Spouses

Siblings

Current Residence

Abraia

As Seen In...

Haunting Work of Brian Evers

How Two Abraians Coped on Talmar

The Year's End Festival

Author Commentary

Names shnames

I decided Brian was Loren's brother after I'd introduced them, so the post-military name change was a way to give reason to their mismatched family. I ended up loving the character arc it gave him - from hopeful enlisted to anti-war vet.

Alpha Brian

One of my players decided his character - Jareth - had an unrequited crush on Brian. Jareth bought one of Brian's spiky plants and named it Brian 2 (and later used it as a weapon). Giving potential love interests Brian-adjacent names became a running joke, including a Brian 3 on Torm and a Brianna on Talmar. In the end, this is how Bry got his name.