Casimir Ricktaren

Background:
Casimir Ricktaren was born in the 25th of Maershoon, 1269 in the western Moarvik village known to his tribe as Ankadin, a small transient settlement just northwest of the town of Silverdeep. He was born the son of Velamir Ricktaren, a prominent Yeoman of the Nenad, a well-known western Moarvik Tribe and his wife, Jovana Maja, who some claimed was the granddaughter of a wise seeress.

Casimir’s childhood was an interesting one; like most Nenad children he was trained to ride horses at a very young age, and took well to his training due to his natural abilities, catlike nimbleness, and great strength. He rapidly became a great horseman and archer; but more importantly for the direction his life would take (and thanks to the influence of his mother Jovana) he developed a truly keen intellect and soon found a strong desire to be as learned a man as he could become.

By the age of twelve, Casimir’s father recognized his son’s great intellect and spirit, as this combination was fairly unusual for a member of the Nenad horsemen to possess. Velamir, proud of his son and at the behest of his wife, soon set out to make great efforts to encourage Casimir’s intellectual interests and thirst for seeing the world. Velamir, from his days supporting the armies of King Loch Moarlinder, knew many scholars, statesmen, and nobles, and one day an opportunity came for Velamir to send Casimir to be the personal groom for the horses of Lord Wayland, an erudite and wealthy nobleman from Tharthinn. Wayland quickly developed a liking for Casimir’s thirst for adventure and knowledge of the world outside the sacred lands of the Nenad, and became a mentor as such for the young squire. Wayland’s journeys took him all over the lands of Verosia and many other lands in the former Kingdom of Rona, and young Casimir with him, who eagerly met diverse peoples across many, many lands.

It was not long into Casimir’s apprenticeship when Wayland offered his services to the High Lord of the Holy Crown of Thamor to travel with a strong Moarin contingent of Knights of Thamor to see to their logistical and financial needs as they made their way across the sea to the realm of Sora to do battle with the vile Barukar. Casimir for one was thrilled at the chance to travel to Sora, a realm that he had heard much of, but never known of any who had personally been to the lands of King Sorik.

This journey to Sora would come to have a profound impact on Casimir’s life, as it quickly became an odyssey unto itself before Lord Wayland’s party even arrived. The ships of these Moarvik knights became separated during a storm while en route to Authbrig, beginning a whirlwind of events that eventually saw Casimir spending many years in Sora; coming into adulthood in a foreign land filled with high adventure, epic deeds, and (to Casimir’s excitement) many exotic travels.

After nearly a decade of being blown across all of Naeja by the winds of fate, Casimir was now a man nearing 30. His service to Lord Wayland had seen him rise from squire to that of a warrior and stable master, as he had honed his skills to defend his patron as well as see to the needs of the stable. Now, however, his mentor was growing old and his body had begun betraying him with frailness. Wayland parted ways with Casimir to return to Tharthinn, and soon, with the wars with the Barukar coming to an end, Casimir sought out what he would do with his life and the stories he so greatly enjoyed speaking of.

Considering how much Wayland had meant to him as both a friend and mentor, Casimir became energized with the thought of bringing a bit of the world he had seen back to his people, to become a mentor to others like him who might have a thirst for knowledge and adventure, but had not been given the chance to pursue them.

Now, Casimir is in a period of rest, cooling his heels for a while before setting out once more for the open road. He has put his stable mastery and trade skills to use in the village of Silverdeep, and takes occasional sojourns through the countryside on his faithful horse, Domino.

When (not if) Casimir’s feet get too heavy in Silverdeep, he eagerly looks forward to once more chasing the stars of his dreams to any corner of Naeja that he can find himself in. This time, however, he wants to be the mentor to others as Wayland was to him; and he knows that it is only a matter of time before the winds of fate once more whisk him away to who knows where; for who knows why….and he would have it no other way.

Relevant Statistics:
Race: Duneimen (Verosian-Moarvik)
Alignment: Good
Approximate Level: Ranger (Mid)
Apparent Age: Early 30's
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 200 lbs

Image:
Casimir is a well-weathered man, especially for someone of his age. He is of a noble bearing, tall in stature (but not unusually so) with an impressive warrior’s build. He has perpetual sun-tanned skin with dark features, and smoky black hair. Unlike many in his tribe, he has deep gray eyes, most often carrying an ever-present sense of optimism and experience, despite his youthfulness. He is proud and muscular, yet lithe and well suited to his trade of being a formidable horseman and warrior. While traveling, he is always in the company of his prized horse Domino and his beloved falcon Pirate.

Casimir is always well groomed and clean, despite the fact that he is a tribesman by trade. He commonly wears facial hair, be it a small mustache or goatee, but he alternates it on occasion. He does have a fondness for keeping a long mustache and thin strip beard over his chin, but regardless of his chosen look, it is always trimmed and well groomed. He is attractive, especially considering his charming and adventurous spirit, but these days prefers the more substantive company of women who possess more than just casual beauty.

He usually wears a grayish-green cloak over his preferred armor, studded leather augmented with bits of hides and pelts, with thick, well-crafted brown boots; although he does enjoy dressing for different occasions, and needs little excuse to don fine clothing, regardless of regional style. Even so, though, he prefers earth tones, and is low-key so as not to draw too much attention to himself. Casimir commonly carries a saber and his favored composite short bow while adventuring, usually with several quivers of arrows of his own fashion. He always wears a silver amulet beneath his armor or shirt, even when sleeping, which is adorned with a jade-green gemstone. It was given to him by his mother.

Roleplaying Hints:
Casimir has a sunny disposition, and is quite friendly to most everyone, especially with those whom he has actually fought alongside. He would like to be seen as having the demeanor of someone who is calm and quiet, speaking only words of wisdom and greatness, but all too often his eagerness to do so causes his extroversion to take over. Casimir has no real interest in being a great leader per se, but what he would be keenly interested in would be mentoring to a great leader. Perhaps the most interesting thing about him is the irony that he is a loner in so many ways, yet craves both interaction with and the respect of others.

Casimir loves being seen as being well traveled, and greatly enjoys sharing his knowledge of other lands and peoples with those who have not gotten the ‘opportunities’ that he has had. This eagerness occasionally leads him to do his share of exaggeration regarding his experiences. This tendency, interestingly enough, does not come from a need to brag per se, although he does enjoy feeling more revered by others for sharing his knowledge of exciting travels and exotic places. Oddly enough, the tendency mainly comes from a desire to encourage others to stoke their sense of adventure.

Casimir himself is actually quite honest and is fiercely loyal to those that he considers to be his friends and allies. He strives to be dignified in all of his dealings, and greatly enjoys working with those younger than himself, out of a love of sharing his experiences with those who have had less. Casimir has a strong desire to inspire and motivate the young, a passion matched only with his eagerness to defend those weaker than himself.

Religion:
Casimir is a man of strong values, but is fairly open-minded regarding beliefs and customs. Thamor is greatly revered in the lands of Moar, and Casimir has developed a fondness for the stories and tales told of Bartal the Dreadnought, mainly due to his perception of the paladin’s diversity of thought while maintaining a strong moral compass, as well as his legendary prowess as the patron saint of horsemasters. He reveres the Ronan Pantheon in general, however, and is firm in a view holding diversity of thought and belief.

Haven:
The simple fact that Casimir has a spirit of wanderlust precludes the notion that he would be content with a single home. At this period in his life, however, he is looking forward to a few years of rest and ‘calming down’ after the past decade of wandering. He does content himself in being able to take his home with him, and has purchased many quality items to enable him to continuously operate in the wilderness. His primary home is among his people in western Moar, where his father is a chieftain of great reputation. When visiting the town of Silverdeep, however, he contents himself to stay with the Lady Jenavieve, a local landowner and widow with whom Casimir shares mutual affection.

Secrets and Flaws:
Casimir bears what is known in some areas of Moar as the ‘Mark of Sejimain’, meaning that he has six fingers on his left hand. While most Moarin tribesfolk don’t think anything of this ‘mark’, ancient legends in the Tharthin region depict stories of a cruel warlord of old named Sejimain who also had the same trait. Legend had it that one who bears the Mark of Sejimain, especially one of Moaran descent, also shares the warlord’s lust for conquest. Casimir himself finds the ancient legend amusing, but in certain circumstances it has served to cause issues with those he had hoped to get to know in friendship.

Casimir also has a thin peppering of arrogance, truth be told. It is very subtle, and is the result of his desire to impart his ‘wisdom’ and experiences to others. He certainly isn’t afraid to be shown up in front of others, so long as he learns something in the process (and this is evident). He isn’t afraid to be wrong, but the truth of the matter is that more than one person has called him on his ‘tall tales’, and he can become frustrated when his experiences are dismissed. After all, in his eyes, he is completely honest about them…

Influence:
Because of his unusual past, Casimir has made dozens of acquaintances over the years in numerous cities and towns all across the breadth of Naeja. While his list of ‘true friends’ is fairly short, no matter where he goes, there is always a chance of him running across someone he’s met on one of his travels. Despite the large degree of ‘life experience’ Casimir enjoys, he has little actual ‘battle experience’ to go along with it, and hence he is not regarded as a great warrior as others in his tribe of similar age.

Summarized in One Quote:

“Take Heart, young one, the World is a wondrous place, filled with chances for greatness and adventure.
If you are content with staying home, make sure you love it more than your dreams…”

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