Caden

[Caden]

Theme Song Race: Human Gender: Male Age: 23 Birthday: 7, Spring, 492 AV Birthplace: The Mithryn Outpost near Syliras Appearance: Caden stands about six feet even with an athletic build of about one hundred and forty five pounds with toned muscles but not much. His hair is a light brown, though during the winter period it tends to go darker. Caden's hair is kept at medium length and is usually left alone, combed and cleaned when he has access to the water to do so, though he doesn't mind leaving it alone after washing it. Styling it has typically been something Caden has thought only City people do or the wealthier class. With hair to the base of his neck and slight curls that come naturally, Caden's sky blue eyes seem to be framed perfectly by his brown hair and light complexion. The crystal clear color seems to pierce the very air and making contact with Caden's gaze has in the past made some people admit they get lost in them. For Caden, his eyes are his favorite area of his body. Due to Caden's adventurous attitude and thorough exploration of the woods near the Mithryn Outpost, he has several scars on his body, though most are small appearing mainly on his legs or lower arms, he has three deep scars that is nearly four inches in length that is on his back from where he was sliced by a wolf, which became over time a good friend of his. The rest of his body is free of imperfections. During the Spring and Winter season Caden's skin takes on a lighter color from the clouds and the general pleasant atmosphere. The Summer and Autumn seasons his skin is tanned and a light brown-gold in color. Personality: Caden can be shy at times, though that has to do mainly with being in new places. When he was young his father kept him in the Mithryn Outpost not letting him travel to the city to sell things, this meant that Caden only grew up around the people of the Outpost and the Syliran Knights who were stationed in the Outpost (the Grey Wing) and those that guarded the fields and the nearby forest (the Green Wing). However he was by no means a shy child with those that he knew. Caden loves to be around people but doesn't mind running off and exploring a secluded place and being alone for hours on end. Caden prefers to enjoy what he does, and for that working in the fields like his father, grandfather and other members of his family didn't suit him. Instead he would journey out with his father to the forest and learn how to hunt. It was there that Caden felt most at home, among the trees, the plants and the animals of the forest. For his appreciation of the arboreal side of nature, Caden has a deep reverence for the Goddess Caiyha and her daughter Bala. He worships them duly and devotes the taking of the gifts of the forest to the Goddesses, making sure to not take more than necessary and repaying it in kindness. Ethics: Caden is a loyal person, following the loyalty that wolves show their own. He is also a compassionate soul who wishes no harm upon others and only wants to help those he can. However on the flip side of this, should someone actually wrong Caden or bring harm to those he cares about he will go out of his way to avenge what had been lost. He does not take kindly to those that are considered evil by his own definition and as such he stands very clearly against them should such an issue arise. Caden much prefers to help others than to harm, though he has learned from his time spent observing animals in the forest that there are times where doing harm may prevent such things from befalling more people (and creatures) than necessary. Likes: Caden absolutely loves to journey out and go adventuring in the lands surrounding the Mithryn Outpost and further out still deep into the forests. Being in nature breathes live into him, or so Caden feels and thus being close to nature and away from towns and cities give him a peace of mind not found elsewhere. Hunting is more entertaining than most other things, though he truly prefers the thrill of the hunt rather than the killing. Caden much prefers to intentionally miss (should it be a non-threatening animal) or kill as swiftly as possible (if it is a threatening animal) as he loves to Observe them and learn from them rather than killing the creatures of the forest. He appreciates the time he spends with his best friend Kya, whom he has bonded with. The pair both feel more at home in nature and it is having the company of a like-minded person that really allows Caden to come into his own. Dislikes: Waste, Caden absolutely hates wasting something and goes to great lengths to avoid doing so. If he has food scraps he will either bury them to allow them to decompose or he will give them to animals that might actually like them. If it's material he will attempt to re-purpose it, should he fail to do so he will burn it sprinkling the ash at the base of plants. The unchecked destruction of nature is another thing that Caden finds absolutely abhorrent, and people he associates with such behavior will be despised by him until they can repay what they took from Caiyha. Childhood: Born in the Mithryn Outpost, Caden was raised by his mother and father, grandmother and grandfather and several aunts and uncles who all lived in the Outpost as well. His entire family worked either in the fields or making various things for the people of the Outpost. His grandfather was a hunter, while his father was a hunter but also mainly a farmer. The women of the Aenaarian family have traditionally taken up some form of craft, Caden's grandmothers both were seamstresses, while Caden's mother was a worker at the local inn. One of Caden's uncles is a blacksmith while his two cousins are apprentices to his uncle. Caden's childhood was filled with the joys of living in a simple community. He played with his cousins and would raise hell given a chance, though usually it did little to no harm to anyone as it was purely just for comedic relief. A relatively easy life, Caden began going on his father's trips into the forest around age eight though it was rarely anything arduous. Usually his father would just show him a few of the plants and giving a general idea of their uses. In addition to that, Caden's father helped to begin teaching him how to use a bow and how to hunt animals in the forest and in a few other places as well. On occasion they took trips a few days away and would camp for a time before returning to the Outpost. Caden's childhood was pleasant and set him up for the path that was ahead. Teen Years: Nothing could have prepared Caden for his teen years. From the age of thirteen to fifteen he continued to journey with his father into the forest and hunt animals, learn more botany and some herbalism. It was at fifteen that his father was injured one day hunting and the healer in the Outpost said there was little help as a natural toxin had infected the wound and would take several days to kill his father. Not giving up Caden departed the Outpost and made haste for Syliras, the city overwhelmed the young man though he did eventually find a healer who had something that would heal his father. The price was too steep and Caden had to return to the Outpost without the necessary medical goods. One of the Knights Caden had befriended in his earlier youth greeted him at the gates and told him that his father had passed away the night before with the family beside him and in peace. He would be told later that he had been lucky not to be at home with his father as he died, as the man had raved about past wrongs and various matters that brought the family to tears more so than they already were. He ran for a couple hours, hid and waited. Rain moved in and Caden hid in a cave that he had never seen before, it a was good distance from the edge of the forest and some brush covered the entrance and hid it for the most part. He made a small fire, just large enough to warm him but not draw attention to him. Days passed and he survived on some small game that he cooked on the fires he made. He wasn't a good cook and knew very little about it, so the meat tended to be charred on the edges and very thoroughly cooked. He stayed out there for some time, a couple knights looked for him for a bit but his father's training and his small figure helped him stay hidden. A week or so of subsistence living and hiding in that cave, Caden returned home to a depressed set of grandparents who informed him his mother had drowned in a river not too far away. The remainder of his teenage years seemed to be a drifting period for Caden. He was distant from his family, more so from his friends. He continued to spend more and more time in the forest until that was where he spent as many hours a day as he could. Caden would hunt and then return home in the evenings as the sun sank beyond the horizon, and he would provide for his mother when he could. He would sell meat from the forest to the butcher for some spare coins, and some herbs to the alchemist and healer as well. Life seemed mellow and without much purpose for these years. That would change in time, one day soon. Last Couple Years: The last couple years have been... different for Caden. In the Spring of 513 AV, Caden was out hunting in the Bronze Woods when he heard a noise. He turned and watched in horror as a rather large wolf darted past him, the beast's eyes were full of pain and looked scared. Usually wolves went about in packs, some yelling could be heard in the distance as well and Caden took cover behind some bushes. A pair of men passed holding a net and some short swords, hot on the trail of the wolf. Swords... to hunt a wolf, it didn't make sense to Caden so he followed them at a distance as best he could until he realized they had cornered the wolf in a cave, the cave. Caution spoke volumes to him but a nagging feeling in his heart told him to help the creature and figure this out. Since Caden was little he had been instilled with a deep appreciation of the creatures of the Goddess Caiyha, the Goddess of Nature. Any time he took something from the forest he asked for forgiveness from the Goddess for taking one of her creations. If he killed a beast he prayed for forgiveness and made sure that no part of said beast went to waste. So his devotion to the Goddess urged him on to follow this wounded beast. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered that difficult time in his life, and he vowed to himself and to the Goddess Caiyha that if it be her will he would help this beast and repay for all that he had taken over the years in the forest. Hiding not too far away from the entrance he noticed the two men debating on going in or just waiting for the wolf to come out. People died out here all the time so it wasn't too difficult and if he said they attacked him so be it. He let loose his first arrow but it smacked into the cave wall and got the attention of both me. Their whisked around and glared at Caden, one laughed at him for his seemingly pathetic attempt. He let loose another arrow this time missing his target's chest and hitting his leg by mistake. Worked well enough to piss them both off and the other ran at him with his sword, Caden let loose another arrow but it missed and thunked into a tree nearby. Finally he drew what would likely be his last arrow and let it fly and it struck home, square in the man's throat. The man seemed about as surprised as Caden was that he had hit the man. Some loud screaming and some cracking drew Caden's attention from the man he had killed to the other one, the wolf had taken the distraction to attack and had the man down. Caden left without getting the arrows and without bothering the wolf at all. He needed to get out of the forest before dark and before this wolf decided he was no better.He went home that night and gathered a some left over meat that his mother had cooked and placed it in his backpack. Early the following morning he departed and went hunting, after several miserably failed attempts to kill a stag he settled on sticking to some rabbits which he was only able to get after a couple more humiliating failures which resulted on Caden lying flat on his back staring up at the leaves and through them the blue sky. Eventually the poor lad was able to score a couple rabbits, and that coupled with the meat he had, he took off to the cave from the night before. At the cave he was met was fierce growling to which he couldn't help but look down submissively as his father had taught him, getting low to the ground and mimicking the behavior of some wolves he had seen fighting in the woods he showed his neck to the wounded creature knowing full well that he might die. He pulled the meat and the dead rabbits out of the backpack and placed them on the ground at the entrance to the cave before backing away slowly and leaving rather quickly through the woods and going back home. This carried on for nearly a week, each time the beast seemed to growl and gnarl at him less as it seemed to realize that he meant no harm and that he truly just wanted to help. In his mind he wondered if the beast was just playing nice and letting him get closer each time until he eventually got close enough to kill. The thought gave Caden shudders and he prayed each night before bed, each day when he awoke and each journey to the forest and during his hunts that this was the will of Caiyha, that he was supposed to help this beast. Around five days passed and it had become more or less of a ritual for Caden to wake up, hunt in the woods only bagging a rabbit or maybe a fish if he got adventurous and then heading to the cave to give it to the wolf. Finally she stopped growling at him and let him approach. Following what his father had done for some light injuries Caden got hunting when he was little, Caden observed the wolf and realized it was injured and the wounds appeared to be decent but not bad and her constant licking had kept them relatively clean. He thought back to how his father's wounds had been infected and wondered if he again would see something wither. Fear gripped Caden as he was shaken to the core, vowing that he would not let that happen again. He departed that day and returned to the Outpost and asked the local healer what to do about some cuts from the forest that seemed tender to the touch. The old woman explained that he needed a specific set of herbs which were also found in the forest and he promised to repay her for her help. He set out and it took three days between the hunting, giving the food and his exhaustion for him to find the right herbs and to make a very basic salve that was supposed to alleviate soreness from wounds. It wasn't great and it caused pain but did help wounds, or so he was told. He mixed up some and took them to the wolf in addition to a blanket, a rabbit and some meat from his night's meal which he had skipped. He gave the wolf the meat first and then made a fire so that he could stay warm as he decided against leaving that night in case the wolf worsened. He approached low to the ground showing his neck, though when he was allowed to reach her, he noticed they had scabbed over. However he moved suddenly and she lashed out. Her claws cut through his shirt and scratched his skin. He let out a pained scream before backing off. He reached back and winced as he felt how bad it was. He departed for a bit to clean the wounds in a stream and he was then grateful he had brought the salve as he applied it to his own wound before very basically bandaging it. He would have to have his mother look at it later. As he nursed his own wounds the wolf seemed to pass out and he surmised it might be exhaustion considering the wounds weren't bad, but to be fair Caden's exhaustion caused him to curl up under the blanket close to the entrance to the cave where he promptly nodded off to sleep. The next morning he was in for one hell of a surprise as the wolf was only half what he thought. A girl, a very pretty girl was laying on the cold ground and was fast asleep. The salve was still present, and Caden's own injuries burned. he laid the blanket on the girl and departed swiftly, his mind racing as he wondered what to do, he partially cursed himself for not having seen this coming. She was Kelvic, he hadn't met any, least not that he knew of, but his father had told him of them. Mainly stories and legends that he assumed weren't necessarily all true. Regardless, Kelvics he recalled were sometimes really feral and far less human. He wasn't sure what to do. A couple days went by and he continued to hunt just saying that if she was Kelvic and wounded she would need to be looked after. He had idly chatted with the wolf telling it his name and that he wasn't going to hurt her. In the back of his mind the dots connected finally as to why the beast hadn't struck him down. He was convenient for it. For her. He was bringing food and helped bandage the somewhat light scattering of wounds she had, provided some semblance of warmth with the fires. Things the wolf hadn't been able to do on its own at the time, and what about when it was better? Would it kill him and move on? The thought danced about and again he just prayed to Caiyha wondering what her plan was for him. He worshiped Caiyha above all others because he felt it was her domain, nature itself, where he was at home. For that he served her in what little ways he could. Mainly just making sure he was kind to the forest and it's creatures, taking what he needed and being sure to thank her for it. Now though everything was called into question. Was it Caiyha who had brought this wounded wo- Kelvic to him? Was it her plan? He didn't assume to know the plan of a Divine. How could he? He was but a mortal and didn't have one of the marks his father spoke of... a gnosis he believed they were called. Finally he worked up the courage to go to the cave and actually stay. Caden brought meat from his home, along with a half loaf of bread, and some vegetables. He had told his mother he would be in the forest for several days and being the kind of person she was, she sent extra food with him if he was unable to catch anything. He brought it to the Kelvic and approached like normal, even though she appeared in her human form. He wanted to make it more than abundantly clear he meant no harm to her, for he didn't know if she spoke common or not, if she spoke at all. He told her his name again and was surprised to learn hers was Saskya. He offered her the meat first quickly followed by the bread and vegetables. He smiled as she ate, picking at a little slice of bread he had along with a small piece of meat. He had decided to catch something later and cook it in the cave for the pair, likely going to be burnt or crispy like normal and he wasn't skilled enough for seasoning so the natural flavor and that of the charred sections was all he had. Time progressed and he learned she was a run away slave that had traveled some distance. They grew close between his helping her and their mutual love of the forest coupled with all things nature. They grew to be friends fairly quickly and within the turning of the seasons from Spring to Summer they bonded. The feelings hit him all at once, and he assumed from what she had told him about it, that she had been just as surprised. He hadn't know about bonding and Kelvics but his deep concern for her and wanting to be her friend must have been considered a willingness to bond. It was deep and slightly overwhelming at first, before a feeling of contentment took over. He loved her. She gave him purpose, and it was something he hadn't felt since before his father's death. Saskya was his love, his and he was hers. He learned that bonds were one way for Kelvics in the sense they couldn't bond with more than one at a time, but that a bond mate could be bonded to several. Caden likely loyalty and so as to seal him to her he prayed to Caiyha to guide them on this. He talked to his mother saying he had been seeing a girl for some time and that he wished to marry her. His mom being as marvelous as she was helped the two get acquainted with the process of gaining Cheva's blessing in marriage. Time passed and the slave owner came looking, he was directed on a false path by the guard Caden was friends with and while the wedding needed to be delayed for a while the pair were bonded and it was clear to Caden that he would marry Saskya when the opportunity arose. Caden's mother passed nearly a year ago and her small cottage in the Outpost passed to him. In order to pay for some things he sold off everything of value and was only left with a few items of furniture, his heirloom, some food and that was pretty much it. The payment of his mother and father's debt had been what caused him to sell things off. Now he had Saskya and some of her stuff with him, and the pair were happy and to Caden that was what really mattered. Who knows what the future holds for Caden, well possibly Tanroa or Lhex but then again they were Gods and that was their domains. Caden now goes day to day with his bonded Kelvic, with his bow and his devotion to the Goddess Caiyha. Fluent Language: Common Basic Language: Vani (Learned from a Vantha that lived in Mithryn) Skill EXP Total Proficiency Botany 5 SP 5 Novice Fletching/Bowing 5 SP 5 Novice Herbalism 5 SP 5 Novice Riding: Horse 5 SP 5 Novice Teaching 5 SP 5 Novice Tracking 5 SP 5 Novice Weapon: Bow, Shortbow 9 SP 9 Novice Hunting 15 RB, 11 SP 26 Competent Lore of the Bronzewoods: Helpful Herbs Lore of Mithryn Outpost: Layout of the Outpost 1 Set of Clothing -Simple Shirt -Simple Pants -Simple Undergarments -Simple Cloak -Simple Boots 1 Waterskin 1 Backpack which contains: -Comb (Wood) -Brush (Wood) -Soap -Razor -Balanced Rations (1 Week's worth) -1 eating knife -Flint & Steel -Heirloom: Grandfather's Shortbow -40 Game Arrows -1 Quiver -1 Large Leash -1 Silver Collar -1 Medium sized leather pouch -1 Hunting Knife -Thin Trap Rope -Hand full of vials of scents (deer, rabbit, etc.) -Preserving Kit -2 Animal Snare: Small -10ft Camouflage Hunting Tarp -Toolkit, Bower/Fletcher 50 Gold Mizas Heirloom: Grandfather's Short bow (Basic Short bow) Location: Mithryn Outpost House: 20x20 Cottage (Standard Home Package) Purchase Date Purchased Cost Total Starting Starting Amount +100 GM 100 GM Arrow, Game (40) 1st Winter, 515 AV -8 GM 92 GM Leash, Large 1st Winter, 515 AV -2 GM 90 GM Silver Collar, Kelvic 1st Winter, 515 AV -20 GM 70 GM Quiver 1st Winter, 515 AV -20 GM 50 GM Toolkit: Hunter 1st Winter, 515 AV -25 GM 25 GM Toolkit: Bower/Fletcher 1st Winter, 515 AV -20 GM 5 GM Winter 515 AV 1st Winter - The Hunt Begins (Solo) ((Needs Grading)) 3rd Winter - Gazing Through the Shadows (with Saskya) ((In-Progress))