...In Main Characters, The Garden Workers

Hemlock Novak

The town witch, specializes in botany and toxicology, loves spider, has a familiar Grammostola Pulchra named Mandrake. He has very little memory of his life before death, and considers himself to be a completely different person. He often says he would never have agreed to be brought back, but can't be upset that he was, because the person he used to be might have, he just doesn't remember enough to know for sure. Despite his opinion on having been revived being complicated at best, Hemlock genuinely appreciates his second shot at life for what it is, and is determined to enjoy his new life to the fullest, as anything short of it would be a direct disrespect to life itself, and all living beings.

Biography

Previous Life

Hemlock's memory of his past life is extremely spotty and fragmented. He doesn't remember anything of his childhood at all, or if he had any family. Most of the memories he has are associated with Manchineel in some way.

From what he remembers, Him and Manchineel were a couple. They were engaged, living and working together from their home in a small rural town, as the town witches. Hemlock was a skilled apothecary and healer, despite his interest in poisons, and was even considering getting a pharmacology degree.

He was a very cheerful person. He was full of energy and was just so excited to be alive. He was very active and couldn't stand to be stuck at home for more than a day or two at a time.

The last thing he remembers was he plague. It came out of nowhere, and struck the town almost overnight. He tried to help as best he could, but was just an apothecary, even with magic, he was not a doctor. He was just a witch.

However he insisted on trying, he couldn't simply stand by and watch it happen, despite Manchineel's protests. He kept begging him to stop, to stay home, to stay safe, but Hemlock didn't listen.

In the end, it was Manchineel who took care of him when he inevitable got sick, but they both knew it was hopeless. It was a very agressive illness even with treatment, and Hemlock's allergies made it so he couldn't take any of it. He didn't last a full month.

Post-Death

Upon waking up, Hemlock had no idea who he was, or where, or why. He didn't recognize Manchineel at all, and was extremely confused.

It took him several days to recover the little memory that he did. But he was...different. He didn't feel like the same person from those memories. To him, it was like seeing someone else's life through their eyes.

Manchineel refused to explain how he brought him back, or what he even was. What he had been turned into.

They didn't have to explore what this meant for them, for their life and relationship, as the concequences of Manchineel's actions came for them. Hemlock never asked Manchineel what he had to do to bring him back, but he understood Necromancy came with a price. Whatever that price was, it was paid by the townspeople, and they were infuriated.

In the end, they were both ran out of town, their old home burned down with all their belongings in them. Hemlock considered this the proper end to his previous life. He didn't want ot force himself to fit into the mould of the person he was told he used to be. He was decided to be his own person, regardless of what anyone thought about it. So he and Manchineel parted ways, and Hemlock was left alone to figure out his own path in life. It was complete chance that said path happened to lead him right to Oleander's doorstep.

Notes

• While he's undead, he's as alive as someone can be. His body works regularly, it requires food and sleep like any other person, he can get sick or tired, and even has alleries.
• He's allergic to penicillin and almonds.
• Manchineel had to change several organs before reviving him as the old ones were too damaged, most notoriously, his eyes.
• He has no idea where Manchineel got those organs from, and at this point is too afraid to ask
• His eyes used to be amber.

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