Cassius Crown

Cassius Crown defending a ritual, circa Sowing 650MR.

A tall, flowing presence on the battlefield, Cassius Crown has been present in Guardian Vale since late 647MR. Seen by some to be a skulking nuisance, and by others as a respected diplomat and scientist, his polarized reception is owed to the strange circumstances of his undeath. Despite his dark appearance and grim skillset, he displays an especially strong willpower, (and perhaps some stubbornness,) and has used this to prevent the mental tolls of undeath from affecting him. He has fiercely preserved his empathy, and strives to help others and create peace in the Vale.

He is inquisitive and seeks knowledge above all else, which has lead him to spend his unsleeping hours studying the physiology of undeath, and other magical affections of the body and mind. His writings have lead the Travelling University to grant him the title of Doctor of Philosophy. His scientific skills involve surgery, arcane alchemy, and medicinal alchemy. His less-than-scientific skills involve skulduggery, skulking, and diplomacy, though he does not like to discuss the first two.

He is cautious and thoughtful, and his undeath often causes him to appear cold and stony, his brow almost always furrowed in thought or disapproval. However, this cold exterior is only due to the hostile nature of The Weft. When given a rare chance to be comfortable, he has shown to be friendly, mischievous, and unexpectedly flamboyant. His outer appearance, coupled with his virtuous actions, often causes difficulty in others identifying whether he aligns himself with good or evil.

He has been seen using magic to manipulate Ink, which he calls Atramancy. He uses this for many purposes, both in and outside of battle, but he as never been seen performing any other conventional type of magic, unlike most other mages, who can perform a wide variety of feats.

He often forgets that the living have needs such as food and sleep.

## Appearance

Due to his undeath, Cassius is thin and spindly, with a pallid complexion and darkened eyes. A patch of his hair shimmers purple, likely due to the magical influence of his physiology. His propensity to wear dark clothes, coupled with the fact that dressing brightly literally hurts him, is suspected to be a mental compulsion caused by his undeath. On his left cheek, a runed handprint has been burnt into his face. Particularly insightful mages may notice that it emanates a magical aura, but so far nobody has asked him what it does...

## Background

Cassius has stated that he hails from Arkhos, quite the strange place for an undead to be from. He has implied that his death was an effort to "silence" him for knowing too much about his family's political affiliations. He as not elaborated on this information, nor has he elaborated on the circumstances of his resurrection. He has been seen to be very close with Laelynn, and often calls her his sister. She has not agreed with this statement... out loud.

Cassius sharing information with Laelynn.Cassius can be flamboyant and mischievous, when given the chance.Cassius cracking a rare smile, while performing in a historical play.Cassius lost in thought, a common sight.Cassius posing alongside Laelynn.