Synopsis
An inventive Imperial soldier
Description
Though he has the build and coloring of a Nord, Cassius is clearly a stranger in the north. Heavy armor masks unsure footing. A clean-shaven face and cropped hair betrays his military upbringing. His soft, searching gaze is that of a dreamer more than of a fighter. But his strength is great, his blade is true, and he is a soldier first and foremost.
He has a broad, husky build, but posture conceals his true strength beneath his armor and winter clothing. Though few think about it, he's half a head taller than most of the men in his division. He never throws his strength around, and rarely uses it against others, which is why he is so often stationed at guard posts where he is more often dealing with citizens than with combat conditions.
Blue eyes are deep-set in a long face with a strong, jutting jaw, split by a long beak of a nose. His face is more often given to mild contemplation when in service, or false bravado when off-duty. There is a clear division for him between service and leisure, which takes some of his fellows off guard when they attempt to rile up the clown in him while on-duty. Enough to be off-putting to all those who don't understand.
Personality
A critical thinker, Cassius follows a deliberate train of thought, and has a tendency to get very focused when thinking, to the point of exclusion. The conclusions he draws from these trains are sometimes erroneous, but he values his own logical thinking process, even if it takes him a little longer to reach some conclusions others draw intuitively and much more quickly.
More often than not, his critical examination of the world is often directed at the tools of his trade; specifically geared towards armor, though other tools of warfare interest him as well. Devices possessing of more advanced mechanisms - crossbows, catapults, and the like - fascinate him. Granting advantages to anyone without the gift of magic or natural strength go a long way towards keeping people - and particular those he cares about - safe.
Cassius took up his sword and shield at a young age, and his youthful declaration has lasted him all his years as a soldier - that he would only fight in the defense of the defenseless. More recently that declaration has been stretched somewhat - fighting and killing rebels to protect the future people who live in peace under the White-Gold Concordat - but he still believes in the Imperial cause.
On a more personal note, he has a weakness for protecting women. Having been raised with sisters, he knows that women are capable creatures, but his instincts to look out for them, to keep them from any harm, have been long-lasting.
Humor has always been one of Cassius' most charming traits. He spent much of his youth making his sisters and friends laugh, and it gives him a sense of fulfillment he can't get at the end of a sword - though he continues to seek that as well. Often placed in smaller, out-of-the-way posts, the lax atmosphere of Cassius' environment has lead to a bit of bleeding between the lines of duty, and making his fellow soldiers and officers laugh takes away the sting of past teasing that he's been too direct and literal in his duties, or taken his job a bit too seriously.
Equipment / Abilities
Cassius is equipped with a standard soldier's gear:
- Imperial Armor
- Imperial Helmet
- Imperial Gauntlets
- Imperial Boots
- Imperial Shield
- Imperial Sword
He also possesses standard travel equipment and two sets of casual clothing, complete with winter garb and the legionnaire's fur-lined cloak.
His abilities are mostly a soldier's set. He can care for his weapons and armor, and wield them effectively. His strength stands behind his sword arm and his shield, though he is happier spending it gathering the harvest, hefting bales, and pressing apples for cider. His stamina is geared towards day-long marches and long guards at post. He can read maps, advise on military counsel, and possesses the customary manners of one at least somewhat accustomed to addressing nobility.
History
Cassius was raised on the outskirts of the Imperial City, on an estate which controlled many acres of farmland. Cassius saw less of the noble court than he did of the fields in which his family worked, farming apples and keeping horses. He and his sisters - one elder and two younger - lead happy, simple lives raised by happy, simple parents.
Like every young lad, Cassius felt the call to leave home and see more of the world. Believing in the nobility of his home, he elected to join the Legion. Training was rigorous, and Cassius considered many times returning home to the peaceful fields of his home, but he embraced more fiercely the idea that, by joining the Legion, he was becoming part of the effort to keep his home safe from forces that would destroy that happy place - and other homes like it. And so he stayed.
It is hard to believe in your cause, though, when dire enemies suddenly become allies over a piece of paper signed by nobles in a high tower, remote from the anguished cries of a city's people. Cassius did his best to understand how his rulers signed the White-Gold Concordat for the good of the people of Tamriel, and sometimes he can believe that their reasons were just. But whenever he hears a story of the ill tempers of the High Elves, he cannot help but feel a little doubt. In all the encounters he's had with the so-called Thalmor, none of them have been pleasant.
When the war moved north into Skyrim, Cassius went with it. He was given a remote station, he suspects because of his family connections, guarding an Imperial post in predominantly Imperial-controlled lands in western Skyrim. It gives him plenty of time to work on his personal projects, tinkering with mechanical weaponry and attempting to drudge up some measure of creativity, but he's more limited in that capacity. Doesn't stop him from trying. He thinks of his sisters as he attempts to reduce the weight of a crossbow, or the strength needed to quickly reload a bolt. His father used to encourage his inventiveness, and had most of the technical know-how to put Cassius' idea into practice. Without a replacement for his teacher and guardian, Cassius often grows frustrated at his own ineptitude, and so sets the ideas aside for when he can find that partner again.
Extra
Cupid's Curse: Falls in love at the drop of a hat.
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