Anlabban (pronounced ahn-LAHB-bahn) is an impossibly old arboreal and the guardian of the city-state of Xelas. In his grove in the center of the city, Anlabban guards tears to the Abyss, ever watchful for any extraplanar invaders. The arboreal is aided in his endless task by the people of the city. In the last few centuries Anlabban has begun to increasingly lose his memory, sometimes forgetting for brief moments even those whom he interacts with frequently. He has continued his vigil nevertheless lest an extraplanar menace escape.
Anlabban's early history is unknown, even to him - he has lived long enough that he can no longer remember his early days. He was already quite old by the time the elves of Eita made their first forays out of the Cradle, and he had already been keeping watch over his grove for millennia by the time Xelas began to establish itself around him. Anlabban can recall speaking to Targhizizi and Tharumagi when they were still smaller than himself, but it is a matter of conjecture as to when this could have been.
For the last eight thousand years at least, Anlabban has remained in his grove, rarely leaving for even brief periods. The arboreal monitors the planar tears amongst the trees, ever vigilant for any extraplanar arrivals. For the last two millennia he has been aided in his efforts by the people of Xelas. The city's Rootguard, led by the elected Speaker for the Roots, is specifically tasked with ensuring Anlabban can continue to fight back any menace from the Abyss. Though he initially disliked such efforts when the city began to grow, seeing the soldiers as ineffectual nuisances, over the centuries he has gradually come to tolerate their presence - Anlabban has even formed attachments with some Speakers that could almost be considered friendship. Though the Xelans view him as their protector, Anlabban continues to see the defense of the grove itself as his primary aim.
In recent centuries Anlabban's memory has begun to falter as his age catches up with him. He often momentarily forgets the Speakers or other Xelans he knows, their short lives already difficult enough for him to follow. Anlabban's older memories remain intact, at least for now, though he often seems to confuse them with more recent events. Regardless of other difficulties, he never forgets his self-appointed purpose in the grove.