Caius

**Caius** (Royal: *Kayës Biuri*) is a playable character in Struggle for Gera. Though Caius Biuri was once High Lord of Vos, he became the most widely recognized successor to King Fyuri's position as ruler of the Snow Empire.

## History

### Early Life

Despite being born to then High Lord of Vos Caius Talwan, Caius lived a luxurious but otherwise unremarkable childhood. He was largely raised by his noble mother Mira, as his father's time was almost entirely occupied with official business or wild hedonism. Though Caius had little aptitude for magic or his studies, early on it was noted that he had a knack for organization. He reportedly took charge of coordinating the schedules and activities of his family's servants when he was only 17, and this skill combined with his father's position allowed him to climb the government ranks at record pace.

In 1784, Caius Talwan retired as High Lord of Vos. Within a few weeks, it was announced that King Fyuri had chosen his son, Caius Biuri, to take over the lordship at the tender age of 20. Though his government rank of 3-I was enough to merit Lordship, the Geran public was largely outraged. Most High Lords, including Talwan himself, earned their Lordship through deeds of valor, especially in battle. The younger Caius had never held any kind of military post, and this inexperience combined with his youth ensured that the Geran public cried nepotism as soon as he was appointed.

### Battle with Ignea

In 1785, Caius heard Kenedi's plee to back an official compromise with Jasper. Though Caius did not entirely believe Kenedi, his father, who was shadowing him as per tradition, suggested he take Kenedi's warning seriously. Caius relented, and used his position as High Lord to send Klein—the royal ambassador—as an envoy to the Dark Canopy. When Klein returned and claimed that Jasper is willing to discuss a possible peaceful resolution, Caius agreed to meet the mage. When the day of the meeting arrives, Caius is present along with his father, Kenedi, and Darfler. Before Jasper arrived, Caius was informed that several villages along the southeastern coast of Gera had been ransacked. Although Caius voiced concern, Kenedi informed those present at the meeting that a transparent tarp interlaced with particulates made of Mage's Bane had been draped over the meeting hall, meaning that Jasper will not be able to perform any magic inside the building. The diplomatic party soon arrives, but those present are struck dumb when a subdued Jasper follows Ignea into the center of the hall. Caius Talwan lashes out verbally at Ignea before further proceedings can begin, which causes her to leap at Talwan and slit his throat before the guards could even react. She then fled with Jasper, leaving the younger Caius without guidance from his father.

Caius's demeanor changed following his father's death. He became obsessed with avenging his father and nipping the threat of the Dark Canopy in the bud. Despite the fact that Caius usually attempted to attain a peaceful solution, he immediately enlisted the help of his main officer, as well as Kenedi, Darfler, and Klein, to draft battle plans. Caius also reveals that he owns a family heirloom, the corrosive blade, a weapon coated in a mixture that permanently inhibits any kind of healing in what it strikes. Caius claimed he originally saw it as an antiquated relic he would never use, but he decided to take up the sword in the battle against Ignea's forces. Darfler and Klein were able to work together to provide Caius with a prototype version of the Efsisi Elixir, a potion which has a variety of effects including enhanced reaction time. Klein also recruited his recently acquired allies, the Panthiors, to assist Caius in the battle with Ignea. The day of the battle fell, and Caius's troops clashed with Ignea's horde. While Ignea and Caius's armies fought, Caius approached Ignea. He consumed the Efsisi Elixir, and as such was able to match her in single combat. Caius managed to wound Ignea with the corrosive sword, permanently wounding her eyes and destroying her physical eyesight. Jasper, however, managed to catch Caius off guard before he struck the final blow, and Ignea escaped.

Though the powerful Habuero was dispatched and Ignea was blinded, the battle was largely seen as a rash action on Caius's part by everyone involved, motivated by bloodlust and vengeance rather than Geran valor. Because it was decided that no such controversy should mar Caius's already contentious reign so early in his career, both Caius and Kenedi worked to cover up the battle and ensure that no one who had participated in it would reveal what had occurred.

### The Goon Experiments

The goon experiments were proposed by Kenedi as a direct result of the battle with Ignea. The four High Lords were invited to vote on whether the experiments should proceed, and Caius was the only High Lord who voted against. As such, the experiments proceeded despite his misgivings about the concept. In addition, the majority of criminals to be turned into goons were drawn from Vos's prisons, much to Caius's ire. During the early stages of testing, a rogue experiment simply known Squawk Goon escaped its lab in Efsisi and eventually rampaged through parts of Vos, killing dozens and causing severe property damage. It was eventually captured by Caius's forces, but this caused Caius to treat goons with even more contempt.

In 1795, almost ten years since the goon experiments began, the goons managed to revolt and migrated en masse to a region on the border of Vos and Zeminar. Because more than half of the goons had come from Vos, many of them wanted to take up residence there and live relatively normal lives. The others, however, wanted to attempt to form a semi-autonomous region where they had settled in which the Goons could live in peace, which they christened Goontown. Caius decided to take pity on the goons and took the dispute to the provincial court. In court, however, it is decided that the Goons should inhabit in Vos and integrate into Caius's army as soldiers. While many of the goons did as they were told, a smaller but more persistent number continued to inhabit Goontown. As the years went on, many of the human soldiers deserted Caius's army to transfer to the King's, due to their resentment of the goons.

In 1799, Caius learned through a spy who defected from Efsisi that his unknown, illegitimate half-brother, Ghi Grumney, had been arrested and turned into a goon years prior. Caius was hit hard by the news, as another connection to his late father was corrupted by an outside influence. Caius elected not to tell his brother the truth.

### The Struggle for Gera

Upon King Fyuri's death, Caius sprang into action. With no obvious heirs in place, Caius felt that his proximity to the Royal Dominion would ensure that he could have a shot at the throne. As the years had gone on, his reputation among his people had improved, despite how he handled the goons. Though he was not as revered as Baranov, Rinwald, or Lorewell in their respective dominions, he was still able to mobilize enough of an army to take most of the Royal Dominion. He was able to kill or capture any of King Fyuri's distant relatives who attempted to mobilize their own mob and take the throne. The Royal City, however, was out of his grasp, defended by a group of elite warriors and mages who claimed to be allied with one of the late King's third cousins twice removed. Kenedi fled from the Royal City as Caius's forces were held at the gates, deciding to ally with Caius, on the condition that he would be made a part of Caius's cabinet and compensated financially. Caius, valuing Kenedi's potential wisdom, accepted.

## Characteristics

Caius is normally prudent, conscientious, and reserved. Throughout his life, he was witness to his father's lifestyle of raucous partying and indulgence. Caius strives to be everything his father wasn't for his people. However, he is a man who works better with managing crop yields than making battle decisions. Despite the fact that Caius Talwan did little actual legislating over the course of his life, he was far more respected than his son is today, because he was a firm and battle-hardened man and an excellent tactician. Compared to that, Caius is seen as weak and sheltered. Caius sees Lorewell's vision of a religiously pure world and Baranov's technological utopia as flights of fancy that will lead to the destruction of society in the long run. Though he is often perceived too removed from the plights of the common farmer, the crop rotation laws he instituted have led to a modest increase in yields. He promises nothing more than small steps towards progress such as these, and so his promises are often overshadowed by those of the other High Lords. Caius ultimately believes that if he were to take the throne and rule all of Gera, he could slowly and sensibly improve society for all.