PLAYED BY: Cody Jackson
CHARACTER NAME: Casimir
GENDER: Male
CLASS: Rogue
AGE: 37
RACE: Syndar
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown
OCCUPATION: Captain of the PSS Renaissance
KNOWN SKILLS: Casimir is a skilled sailor. Once on Fire Isle, he spent as much of his time as he could on boats on the water.
BIRTHPLACE: May’Kar Dominion (Phoenix Commune)
APPEARANCE: Dresses to emulate the Captain that carried the Phoenix from Faedrun with a notable Phoenix influence on colour choices
RELATIONSHIPS: Merchant Sailor for the Phoenix Syndar and Captain of the Phoenix Merchant Skiff the PSS Renaissance
RUMORS: Some have heard whispers that he doesn’t actually like pickles…
BIO / BACKGROUND HISTORY:
Casimir was young when Solara brought the vision to move the Phoenix out of Faedrun. He was too young to comprehend the true danger of the journey across the hostile continent, all he knew was that things were changing and not everyone was excited. Little did Casimir know, he would meet one man on the journey to Fire Isle that would influence the course of his entire life.
Once on the boat, Casimir spent his time above deck as much as possible, watching sailors tie knots and hoist sails. It was all so new and different from anything he had seen in the desert. This ship alone contained wood from more trees than he had seen in his entire life and he felt a sense of awe and breathing contentment anytime he was on the deck of the ship. It was almost as though he could feel life still pulsing through the planks and masts. Gentle waves brought the ship up and down in a rhythmic breathing pattern as she glided effortlessly over the sea, while storms brought violent, deep breaths as the ship trudged forward through dangerous waters. While the other Syndar feared the storms, Casimir would whisper praise and encouragement into the planks of the ship. Through it all she protected them the best she could, and Casimir loved her for it.
As is known, the journey by boat across the sea was tough and deadly and the Captain beyond drunk. Who knows if his strong-headed ability to steer the ship through the storms was due to his skill as a sailor, or due to his blind-drunkenness distracting him from the danger. None of that mattered to Casimir who saw a ship where everyone was scared and withering, except for one man. To his young Syndar eyes, this man was a hero.
From the moment his feet stepped onto the solid shores of Fire Isle, Casimir removed all doubts from his mind and knew that he belonged to the water. While many Syndar took to the trees to build nests like birds, Casimir would lay his head close to the gently lapping waters of the nearby lake. When talks came of building small boats to fish the ocean, Casimir was among the first to volunteer for the job. When the Captain finally did depart back to Faedrun, Casimir stood on the shores of Fire Isle and watched the sea well after the ship’s tallest mast disappeared over the horizon. His heart was both heavy with sorrow to see his hero leave and full of joy knowing that surely he would be greeted at home as the hero he was.
Casimir spent many years on the small fishing boats around Fire Isle and when the Phoenix came into possession of a Merchant ship, Casimir put himself forward to secure a position on the ship’s crew. His experience as a sailor alongside his excitable, pleasant personality made him an easy fit as a merchant sailor.
As the ship took it’s first trip away from Fire Isle, Casimir ran to the edge of the boat, took a fast hold of some rigging, and leaned deeply out over the ocean. The water sprayed a fine mist over his body and his nose filled with the scent of kelp and salt. Casimir took in a deep breath, smiled, and thanked the ship for her gift. For the first time since arriving at Fire Isle, he was home.
UPDATE:
The salted air kissed his cheek and tossed his hair. The sails on the PSS Renaissance billowed out as they pulled the ship across the surface of the sea. He’d made the trip to Aylin’s Reach many times, but he never tired of it, never tired of being on the sea. A rogue gust blew over the bow, but the helmsperson held fast to the wheel and though the wind was enough to knock Casimir from his daze, the steady hand kept the ship on course.
Casimir looked back to give a nod of approval to the helmsperson, but was shocked to see that there was no person at all. Instead there stood an enormous green toad in the most gallant hat Casimir had ever seen.
“Oh! Sir Admiral Reginald Bugswallow III, DDS, Esquire, I didn’t know you were aboard with us!” Casimir shouted in genuine surprise.
“Well I apologize for catching you off guard,” croaked the toad, “But you should know that it’s no longer Sir Admiral Reginald Bugswallow III, DDS, Esquire.”
Casimir stood in stunned silence while he put his thoughts together, “You mean you took Dirgina’s last name?”The toad let out a hearty rounded laugh. “Why no,” he began, “I am now Sir Grand-Admiral, Reginald Bugswallow III, DDS, Esquire.”
Casimir smiled wide. He was happy for his friend and Admiral for his promotion, but before he could voice his congratulations, Reggie continued, “And a Grand-Admiral needs an Admiral. I would like you to be promoted from Captain to Admiral, Casimir. It is time.”
Casimir shook with excited energy and again opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the toad. “Now that would mean an end to your days of adventuring on dry land. You will need to maintain a much closer connection to our fleet. There will be no more trips to the Swamp for you and as this will be such a significant change to your responsibilities, I believe you should take some time to think on it.”
Casimir opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. The mighty toad crouched down, all his muscles stretched and ready to explode with upward force. “I said think on it!” called the toad as his muscles released their tension and rocketed him up and into the sky in a single mighty hop. Casimir watched in stunned silence as his Grand-Admiral disappeared up and into the clouds.
While his back was turned from the sea, a rogue wave snuck up on the young Syndar and splashed up and over the deck of the ship, showering him with salty water. Before he could process what had happened Casimir’s eyes snapped open and he found himself lying in his bed on Fire Isle, drenched in sweat. The Captain knew that it had been a dream, but dreams such as these are nothing to throw aside lightly. Dreams such as these are what brought his people from the May’Kar Deserts of Faedrun to Fire Isle, but this was still a big decision.
Casimir left his home and wandered the isle for some time, deep in thought. This was an odd behavior for the normally outspoken Syndar and it must have been noteworthy as many people stopped to ask him if he was okay. Each and every one of them was dismissed with a smile that did not reach his eyes and a noncommittal, “Oh yes, just thinking.”
It should have been an easy decision. To be on the sea, at the command of the Phoenix Fleet, had always been Casimir’s dream, but over the last few years he’d taken the time to make occasional sojourns on dry land, accompanying his friends and allies on their adventures. Though they were not nearly as much fun as being on The Renaissance, Casimir was not sure he was ready to fully give up on the chance to join his friends on their outings. It was a conundrum. On one hand he would achieve his dream, but on the other that dream would come with its own form of shackles.
Days passed while Casimir thought over his decision until eventually he was called down to the docks to captain The Renaissance on a routine voyage around Fire Isle. The shipwrights had replaced some riggings and patched the sails and wanted to be sure that everything was up to snuff before the ship was needed to carry cargo again. Without hesitation Casimir bounded down to the docks and bored his beloved ship.
The moment the sails unfurled and pulled the ship out to sea all of Casimir’s doubts and worries drifted away. For the first time in the past several days he knew who he was and where he belonged. Casimir knew in that moment that this was never a choice for him to make, but a responsibility for him to accept. As soon as the ship returned to dock Casimir returned to his home. He removed his captain’s hat and placed it on a shelf and from under his bed he retrieved a plain, round box. Casimir brushed the dust from the lid and opened it gently to reveal an incredibly gaudy, ornate Admiral’s hat that he’d commissioned on the day he was made Captain of The Renaissance. Casimir placed the hat upon his head and marched back out toward the docks.
Many people looked oddly at Casimir as he paraded through town. Some people even began to follow him, but none said a word until he reached the docks where eventually someone asked him why he was wearing the new hat. With joy and confidence, Casimir turned to his people and announced, “Well that’s because Grand Admiral Reggie promoted me to Admiral. He told me so himself.”