Cassair Vhessar Aelstaad-Calland

Aasimar / Shadow Sorcerer/ Great Old One Warlock

Submitted character story

In his dreams, he finds a sea of stars dotted across an endless inky dark that threatens to swallow him. The flickers of light begin to spin and twist, causing vibrant colors to radiate from their celestial waltz. The colors wash over his skin like ocean waves. Cold and warm, light and dark, everything and nothing, peace and violence. A painting of dappled color and endless night stretch millions of miles away and yet, just at the touch of his fingertips. Constellation calls...

x

On a fateful day, he watches as the elvish people of his home begin to riot against their human overseers- the royal appointments sent by the King to beat them down into just another village of the Kingdom. Just as this sacred forest of cedar and evergreens stand taller than any other, the elves of Bysaes Tyl refuse to give up another of their customs, another day of their peace, another human noble and their guard stomping through earth they do not own. At the last flicker of their independence, the elven people here refuse to be put out, to be trampled, to be claimed.

Cassair watches from an ancient branch above as his people begin to bark back at their human oppressors. Their time comes, but they don't know what their elders plot to save them peacefully, safely. There was a time when Cassair would throw all caution to the wind, join them all on the ground and fire off spells in their aid, but not now, not yet... just a little longer, please...

Sending a hope for his patron to aid him in this moment, Cassair opens up his mind and pushes his thoughts out to his brethren, "The Ring is with you. The Ring Readies to strike. But not yet..." 

His pulse pounds against his ribs beneath his hooded cloak, knuckles white from pressure as he holds his position in the trees.

Everything stops. Soft freckles of snow float down towards the crowd below. Cass sees his breath before him as he exhales slowly. 

He blinks as the elves below drop their weapons, their hands, their spell books, and turn back towards their daily activities as if nothing had just happened. As if not a single punch had already been thrown, those marked with fresh wounds from the beginnings of the showdown now move silently and stoically back to their homes and businesses. 

To his amazement, or perhaps his horror, they had heard him. They all heard him. 

The humans appear just as perplexed as he feels, searching the faces of their own for any expression of clarity, but only find more confusion. Slowly, their weapons lower as well as they regain themselves and deciding, it seemed, to return to their winter-weathered barracks on the outskirts of town. 

Whatever power that allowed him this precious gift must wait; Cass collected themself and began to head back towards his home in the trees. His party was waiting there before leaving town, but he wasn't sure if he should keep what he seemed to have just done to himself or not. They were already suspicious of his magic as things stood, and how could he expect them to trust something he barely understood himself? There was no pact he could recall - much less name - no deity he could claim to worship that would ever convince them... just a sea of stars and an endless expanse of shadow from his dreams. 

As he trudges up the steps of his home, he plasters on his typical smirk before reaching for the handle to enter. No one seems to notice as he is greeted by his friends of the hurricane of thoughts and questions that plagued him as he settled into the conversation of the morning. The muscles in his shoulders relax after a few minutes, settling into the comfort of his party and grabbing his pack as they ready to head out.

His mother descended the stairs to offer her goodbyes to the group, Cass thought, looking up towards her as she came into view. She was High Elf, lightly tanned skin and long, blonde hair pulled back into a practical bun, her clothes were simple, yet made of fine materials, her ethereal presence making it obvious to any that she held authority. Her hands held a piece of parchment and her eyes moved across Cass' friends as she bid her goodbyes to them before turning to him with a knowing look. 

She knew what had transpired below the branches. He could tell without her having to say a word. Her eyes searched his as if something in them might reveal her son's involvement, and he reflexively smiled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously before a meager attempt at quelling her concerns.

"Don't worry, mother, I'll be back before you know it. No need to start missing me before I've gone!" His tone doesn't falter from his normal confident self, but her brow only arches slightly higher. Their unspoken words sparring with one another as the rest of the room obliviously continues their chatter as they make their way to the door to leave. Their final goodbyes toward Cassair's mother and the rest of his family pull the mother and son from their wordless eye contact; Cass happily taking this opportunity to scamper away from her knowing gaze. 

"Stay safe, Cassair." She says simply, though he knows this to be a raincheck, and not a conversation avoided.

"Goodbye mother, I love you," he doubles back and hugs her tightly before she can object, and she relaxes as he adds in a whisper, "Once I know, you'll know. And I always stay safe." 

"I love you too, Cassair. I'll send word if I need you back here," she exhales calmly as Cass gives her a quick peck on her cheek before reaching for the handle of the front door. 

He will have to explain everything at some point, but not today.