Cassian Volyra was born the eldest son of Julius and Christine Volyra outside of Solland in the Commonwealth of Petra. He had two younger brothers, Cadus 3 years younger and Cellus 5 years, both known more for talking than for getting actions done. In their small farmstead on the River Petra, the Volyra family lived exceptionally modestly and did all they could in order to survive. Julius, who was a member of the scatted Adunian diaspora, in an effort to support the family, often spent long stints of time working as a Caravan Guard or Mercenary, especially during the time of the War of the Badlands, following the capture of Sir Dietrich of Petra. Due to his absences however, Cassian’s mother quietly began to hate Julius, and Cassian as well for his growing resemblance to his father. Although the two had been wed as an aspect of circumstance, Christine had always dreamed of life in a larger castle, living as though she were a lady being waited upon by servants.
When Julius would return home, Cassian would always be ecstatic. The tales told by Julius after weathering the long trips away, inspired ideas in Cassian of forgotten civilizations and empires, ancient histories, and peoples lost to time. It was because of his father Julius, that Cassian came to believe that acquiring knowledge was one of life’s most important goals. It was possibly the only thing that was capable of withstanding the cycle of kings and kingdoms. Other than his love of history, Cassian also adopted his father’s philosophies around discipline, knowledge, and preservation, in contrast to his mother, a Heartlander who valued stability, reputation, and control as the tenets of life.
Cassian’s brothers were molded more by their mother’s aspirations, falling into the role of a young landowner for Cellus upon turning 17, with Cassian having wanted to set up a haberdashery somewhere within another Canton in Petra. The two younger brothers were never close with Cassian, always held at an arm’s distance by Christine.
Following the return of a successful expedition, Julius had amassed a small fortune, which he had intended to use to buy Cassian tools to begin his magical studies. Although tensions were worsening in the family, everything seemed to be going uphill, until Julius fell ill shortly before Cassian’s coming of age. Over several weeks, Julius began to rapidly become emaciated and weak, before succumbing in his sleep, leaving an unusually cold and rigid body that suggested a hint of foul play was in order, an underlying suspicion in Cassian’s mind, assisted by his mother Christine’s increasingly hostile treatment of Cassian and culminating in his expulsion from the family, following an argument with his mother.
Cassian set out with only a chipped bastard sword taken from atop the family mantle. He said goodbye to his brothers and with a look, left and took the wilds of the Heartlands to find a life for himself. That bastard sword being the final piece of his family life he would cling to.
Cassian grew to find out he was quite capable of surviving. He assisted fletchers, merchants, caravans, and took any job available to him to survive, while not being afraid to take a few weeks in the wilderness. He changed from a happy and reserved boy, into a unique man, often seen as cold or distant, but in reality, preferring to keep others at a distance. As he continued to age, Cassian also fell in love with ancient relics, artifacts, and remnants that he came across.
Through his studies, he discovered a resonating buzz whenever in proximity of Water and Ice magic, with his goal being to the mastery of its study. Now 25, Cassian seeks to finish his time in the Heartlands, making do while working as a merchant, antiquarian, self-proclaimed archaeologist, and a soon-to-be hopeful scholar of magic. Having recently amassed a small sum, he seeks where to find the Guild known as the Enchantry, feeling their ideas resonate with his own. A desire to discover more of the world growing day by day, and learn skills to protect himself with the growing instability of the Heartlands, have led Cassian to forge his own destiny in fire... or water.
Roleplay Scenario:
The traveller has just arrived in a small town. As they look around, their gaze is met with run down houses and shops. They duck into one of the shacks, illuminated by a series of candles suspended in the air. At the back of the small room, an old hag raises her head, “What brings you to this dingy town?" She begins, then pauses to study their face—”Ah, it’s you. I’ve been expecting you. Sit,” she gestures at a chair, “Where do you come from? What do you hope to make of yourself?”
((How does your character respond? Please ensure your response is at least six sentences long, and uses at least two actions.))
Example:
Cassian doesn't even turn, staring forward in his usually cold and calculating manner. To the hag, it looked as nothing had changed at all, but she knew those words had had an effect on Cassian. "If you know who I am, then you know the reason I'm here." Cassian states, glaring at the hag, dead-eyed, unblinking. It was as though a tense aura coated the shop, not dark or bad, but an uncertainty as to what would happen next. This was always the part of the deal when things went well, or everything went the worst route possible.
Locals had followed Cassian on his way through the town, now peering into the shack in wonder. It's rare for the village to get visitors, and as far as the villagers are aware, there's no reason for anyone to visit. "It's so rare for the village to receive visitors, especially from so far as you..." Children had begun peering around the edges of the wall facing into the shop.
The audience was clearly making Cassian nervous. The less people who knew what he was carrying, the better.
"They're like vultures waiting for a meal." Cassian stated, grumbling. In an instant, as soon as Cassian peered at the door, the hag rushed and closed the drapes.
"Don't mind the riffraff." She states slyly, clasping her hands together while giving a smile showcasing all of her three rotten teeth. "I have the artifact you seek..."
With that, Cassian finally smirked. Three days of travel, and he couldn't even afford an inn. But with this, it was finally all worth it. "How much?" Cassian asked, and he saw those three rotten teeth one more time...
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