Anderson Jeremiah "Anders" Liegh

Anders Leigh wasn't the first child to be born in Newton. He wasn't the second or the third, either, but he was one of the children of the town's first generation, born when Newton was still little more than a wood and steel palisade full of corrugated metal buildings, a train depot, and a half-mile stretch of road between the two. In his twenty-six years he's never left the town, and he's seen that dusty gravel line blossom into a real community, a city (well, an actual town, at least) unto itself, a city he's proud to have been born in.

When it was first decided that Newton had grown large enough to require a sheriff separate from the militia, Anders was the first to get in line for the job, even though he was only nine years old at the time. When he turned eighteen, he worked hard to be deputized, succeeding two years later after bringing a would-be assassin of Mr. Newton down before he could even fire a shot. In addition to securing him the position of his choice in the town's government, Anders' rescue of Mr. Newton began something of a kinship between Anders and the Newtons, or at least their patriarch. William Newton has more than once referred to Anders as his 'adopted son,' and while the children of Mr. Newton have been somewhat disgruntled about it, he's been involved in several 'family decisions.' Quite without Anders' knowledge, Mr. Newton has made a sizable bequest for him in his will, making him one of the more wealthy individuals in Newton.

A year ago, when Newton's first sheriff died in a raider attack on a caravan coming in the gates, Anders was the natural choice to replace him. While he isn't universally loved in his position, it has to be said that he has gained the respect of the majority of the community. Some call him an idealist, and some call him a crony for the Newton line; both are reasonable conclusions, but neither is exactly accurate. Anders loves this town, his town, and by extension the man that created it. He wants to see Newton continue to grow, both in power and size, and to become a real city-state. He's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the town on that path, and to keep it safe, even if that means opposing the Newton Family, should it come to that.