Casimir Elias Karkaroff

Casimir (better known as Cas) Karkaroff is a Czech wizard and deputy leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He currently owns Borgin and Burkes and is a skilled occlumens.

## Personality

“Karkaroff? Aye, that fellow’s a slippery one…all these years later, and all I can truly call him is an acquaintance. I’m not sure he’s ever shown anyone what’s really inside, or if there’s anything actually inside him at all…he’s a natural salesman, you see. When we were still at school, he knew exactly how to read you, how to look into your eyes and show you what you were looking for. I’ve visited him at his store, too, those social calls that are necessary at times – the way he can charm all sorts of folks, weaving the exact types of stories he needs to sell his wares – I’ve really never seen anything like it. And I’ve never seen him love a person the way he loves his things. That man has never met a piece of history he didn’t like. It’s hard to pin down Karkaroff…saying he lives a double life isn’t the right way to put it. A triple life, more like.”

“A triple life? Is that how he put it…oh, that little friend of his from school, I never could remember his name, even with all those stories I’ve heard. It’s true, I knew little Casimir when he was young, before he went to school. But it’s hard to say when he started acting, many apologies. He has many little acts, see. First for his family, his whole community in truth. The whole lot of them constantly have their masks on, spines rigid, and eyes constantly on alert for any imperfection. Even as a little boy, bless him, he knew what to say to all the adults. He never liked sitting with the other children. I’ll admit, he scared me at times. He had an affinity for finding and befriending those lesser types out there – the no-good wizards and witches that operate in the shadows of the world. He knew how to talk them down, see, make them agree with his perspective. The part that scares me, personally, is that he’s not a Legilimens – he just sees your face, and it’s like his whole personality can change to fit you. I worry for that boy, truly…that home environment was not good for children. When I first met him, at just two wee years old, he really was very quiet, but sweet. He would find his mother crying sometimes, and crawl into her lap to stroke her hair. I don’t know if that boy is still there…I can't be sure there's anything left of him at all but a mask.”

“Ha! Of course I know my own cousin. He’s a funny sort, though – he’d always get angry at us, his siblings and mine, for being ‘too shortsighted.’ It could be a small little thing, like eating dessert before dinner, or when we’d talk politics on vacation. He’d tell us we were too focused on our own little bubbles that we couldn’t see the world as it really was – an ‘arena for progress,’ he’d say. All of us are being tested, and the weak and old ways would die to let new things grow. He's inflexible, that's sure enough...I don't think he's ever changed his mind about anything. But I don’t really think he hates us, or being pureblood. It’s true, personal connections don’t mean the same thing to him as they do for most people, but you could tell he loved his family. Even at school, he’d send letters to the household staff every week with instructions for the family…groceries, parties, how to handle his little sister’s tantrums or his brothers when they fight. You don’t do that for someone if you don’t love them. But my uncle’s arrest forced him to grow up in a way they didn’t have to. He’s different – loyalty means something else to him, and he won’t give it for free…he needs to know you’re the winner, see, before he’ll bet on you. Honestly, I don't know who he shares his thoughts and secrets with -- everybody needs somebody to confide in, but I don't think Cas has ever been close enough with anyone. But let me tell you a story to make you understand the type of person he is. Our family never needed to think about money, so Cas started to think about payments in a different way. Before he’d give us anything, he’d ask for favors, or information, or things of that sort. But you could be sure he'd always ask for payment -- nothing is ever free. He doesn’t see life in galleons the way most purebloods do. He doesn’t see life the way most purebloods do. I hope it doesn’t get him into trouble.”

“Have you really been speaking to the people in my life about me? How odd…it’s difficult to describe myself, of course, for the most deadly lies we tell are to ourselves. Sometimes I feel I’ve lost myself, if honesty is a must here. To history, to the reconstruction of ancient times and the search for the artifacts of past cultures. But also…to other people. My family needed somebody strong after my father left, and my classmates needed to see somebody else, and my clients look for something too…so it can be difficult, but freeing, to fill the necessary roles that they’ve left empty for me. I feel so far away from everything, though. I collect the old because I focus on the new – seeking out artifacts to reinforce that they are obsolete now, sequestered to private collections and dusty old shops. And I don’t see myself like my family, either. They’re stuck in a time that no longer exists, and I’ve learned that the world has moved on from us…but they’re not there yet. I’ll show them what they want to see from me until they can accept it.

“I suppose I am odd, yes. The dedication of my life to the preservation of the past, but for the purpose of understanding that the present is a new beast of opportunity and danger. I pride myself on staying ahead of the trends, because my expertise is in using history to learn where society is going. I promise you, you’ll never find anybody else like me.”

## History

Cas Karkaroff, on the surface, is exactly what he seems. Hailing from a well-established family, one of the best known in Central Europe, following the expected progression of schooling and education, and seeking employment in two illustrious fields for purebloods. In reality, however, his life story has shaped quite a different man from the one his family might have expected.

His parents were unusual in that they waited to marry and have children, unlike many other pureblood couples. In every other respect, however, they lived up to the Karkaroff name – hot-blooded, temperamental, but ultimately weak in their slave-like devotion to their way of life. Papa Karkaroff was very absent from his children’s upbringing, far too busy with the illustrious work of the Dark Lord (and the ill-fated consequences of such an affiliation) to bother himself with such a trivial task. Mama, in turn, taught the children several key lessons from early on: straight posture, to listen instead of speak, and most importantly, to never reveal one’s true thoughts to the world.

This last lesson came in handy for the children during the highly public arrest and trial of Oskar Karkaroff. As a Death Eater, the end of the Second Wizarding War boded poorly for the family, and much like his brother several years earlier, the man had fled the consequences of his actions. Unlike Uncle Igor, who had been found dead as payment for ignoring the Dark Lord’s call, Papa was found by the Czech magical authorities and shipped off to Azkaban for great crimes committed in Britain. For young Cas, barely old enough to understand what he was watching (but still the oldest of all his baby siblings), this might have been the exact right time for radicalization. For the young boy to be seized by anger, and resentment, and for him to be irrevocably turned towards the same affiliations that his family subscribed to. The very ones that his father now suffered for.

This is not what happened. Although young, Cas had already begun to develop his little theory about how the world worked (you know, that whole thing about the new and better things replacing the old and defeated). His father’s arrest and imprisonment seemed the natural progression of life, where an inferior man (for Papa was certainly that) had been punished for an old and outdated point of view. Cas probably wouldn’t have called himself a rebel, nor would he have said he was rejecting his family. But no tears escaped the boy as his mother, his young siblings, and himself watched his father carted away to Azkaban. Still, in the face of public humiliation, the boy would have to fight hard to keep the family name clean, the family assets in order, and the family functioning - he was the man of the house now.

If Cas were ever to dissect the course of his life – those defining moments that influenced who he became and his world view – his father’s arrest would certainly be the first chronological event of importance (not that he’d ever be likely to visit a therapist, lay on their couch, and recall all his daddy issues). This was the very first moment that he began to put his mother’s lessons to use, and from this tender young age as well as his later departure to Durmstrang, Cas began to practice what it truly meant to think one thing and say another. His mother, a volatile but ultimately fragile woman, seemed unable to determine the proper course for the family. Between the public outbursts, the simmering anger towards the Ministry, and her natural reclusive nature, she was unfit to lead the family. Even at a young age, this role would fall to her children.

When it was time to begin his schooling at Durmstrang, young Cas began to understand the balance of the world. Enough pureblood families and…darker-oriented sympathizers sent their children to Durmstrang that the young boy would nod along in their little talks and observe all the proper behaviors. But there was also a new order emerging, those who believed in magical equality and who viewed with scorn all the old families whose patriarchs had been implicated in the trials following the war. Although a much more difficult lesson, Cas learned how to erase his family name around these types, to keep his nose clean and record spotless. It became a game to Cas, flitting between these two worlds and being invisible in both. Some people crave the center of attention, and despise never being seen – Cas has never subscribed to that world view.

All this might sound rather typical, yes? How did such a well-behaved and proper boy stray so far off the path? At 17, Cas washed his hands clean of his family. Now, do not misunderstand, he did not cut all ties, renounce their way of life, and never again lay eyes on them. Rather, he’d learned from observation and experience that his star would not rise by staying connected to his father’s network or believing in his values. Those had their advantages, and they opened doors that remained closed to lower classes, but other skills were needed to truly be influential. Even from afar, Cas had begun to play with this balance, keeping the family’s reputation afloat among the pureblood communities, maintaining a clean and orderly record with the Ministry, and watching over his younger siblings as they began their own schooling. But he just couldn’t stay shackled to one place, one family, one responsibility – Cas wasn’t seeking popularity, but rather influence. So he handed things off to his younger brother (leading to the beginning of a complicated and tense relationship) and set off.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, his love for artifacts and magical history did not begin at a very young age. To be sure, his family owned an extensive private collection (of primarily Dark artifacts), but Cas had never been particularly captivated by the subject. He started on the career track to become a Curse-Breaker because he wanted the excitement and prestige of the position. Nothing more. He spent two years in training, and eventually launched his own career.This is what ignited his interest and ultimately obsession with collecting dusty artifacts rich in culture and history. He traveled the world as a Curse-Breaker, exploring exotic areas and learning a vast amount about how the world used to be. It was exciting, solitary, and educational. He could have spent years longer traveling around the globe, building his understanding of how the world used to work in order to learn how it will in the future.

But life has a rather funny way of messing with our plans. On one of his rare visits to his family home, Cas finally picked up a copy of the paper. You see, as a Curse-Breaker, one really does not have much access to news from home, and it’s easy to forget that most people’s lives aren’t like an Indiana Jones film (while Cas would not be inclined to use Muggle references, the point is made well enough). The magical community in Prague was fairly quiet, but in the international section…well. The UK, as per the norm, seemed completely chaotic and turned upside down. Most wizards might see danger as perfect reason to stay far away, but Cas saw an opportunity here. Not for personal glory, but for influence (a much more valuable commodity). Cas promptly moved to London and sought employment at Borgin and Burke’s, the type of locale that was precisely up his alley (so to speak). His knowledge of artifacts increased exponentially, and the man quickly became known for a rare talent in the identification and collection of ancient artifacts. The owner of the store seemed interested enough in his new employee, a respectable young man from an established family and of a keen mind, so the old man adopted Cas as a sort of protégé. This led to the beginning of the creation of a stronghold in Knockturn Alley -- a web of information, artifacts, and favors with Cas at the center.

It’s difficult to pinpoint a precise date that he became active in the struggle against the Purifiers and their ilk. In fact, his recruitment came as a surprise for himself as well, primarily because he had not been aware of the threat for so long. He supposed, in hindsight, that such a recruitment would be inevitable, for he truly was in the perfect position to go unnoticed and yet trusted by dark wizards. All it took was a surprise run-in at a seedy pub, a long and drawn-out conversation in an alley for hours after, and a mission. It’s hard to say exactly what fuels this young man in pursuing this new affiliation. Certainly, he wants to advance his own standing. And, to that end, it seems that these fellows have the right way of going about it – the Purifiers are truly a danger to society, and they represent an outdated mode of belief that has already been defeated and dismissed. The future beckons, and he has heard its call.

Now, after years of preparation, his net has been cast. After years as a shopkeeper and acquisitions expert at Borgin and Burke’s, Cas has kept a close eye on the inventory of the store and the (mostly Dark) artifacts that pass through. He has begun a ledger on the most dangerous, their origins, and their uses. As one of the emerging leading experts on magical artifacts, and thanks in no small part to his prestigious lineage, the man has gained access to networks and sources that may have otherwise been impossible. When the old man finally retired and withdrew from public life, his protégé seemed the natural choice to replace him – he had no children and few trusted confidants. Ownership of the store transferred to Cas, and this new position offers interesting opportunities for advancement. Cas doesn’t spend so much time in the field anymore, seeking new and interesting objects, as he is far too busy running the shop and keeping an eye on all its different components (although naturally, he will always offer private consultations and home visits). He’s created a stronghold for himself in Knockturn Alley, his own castle of history and artifacts. He watches, remembers and records what is most important, and closely guards his secrets.

After terminating his career as a Curse-Breaker, Cas sees Britain’s new reality (new battlefield, really) as a realm of possibilities. He doesn’t know exactly where his destiny lies yet, but he moved from Czechia because he wants to be more involved. As his affiliation is with Ouroboros, he views the Purifier ideology as dangerous in its toxicity and its antiquity. Still, he doesn’t approve of the rashness of Heliopath because, quite honestly, reckless behavior can only create more enemies than friends.

Above all, he believes that his expertise has been vastly underutilized. The events of the past few years – culminating in the mysterious circumstances surrounding Azkaban’s collapse – have been a tragedy and a shame. But, perhaps they could have been more limited if his talents had been put to use sooner. He rarely actively pursues leads if there is no clear benefit – he will wait to be called on, wait for a Purifier to mess up, and wait to see what falls in his lap.Still, he won’t deny that Azkaban’s breakout has made him nervous – his father may be old, and likely weak, but he has always been the stuff of Cas’s nightmares and a door that Cas does not want open again – especially if he has thoughts on how Cas has run the family in his absence. For this reason, he will activelyassist in any efforts to investigate or mitigate the consequences of this disastrous event.