Casimir Vurst - Variant Human Warlock Courtier, Undead Patron

[B3zerker]

https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/107974447

Character Sheet: Dndbeyond

Character Concept:

A quiet and charming noble searching for a way to resurrect a loved one amidst the grim domain of Falkovnia, populated by the undead and perhaps worse, otherpeople.

Description:

Wandering through forests aimlessly, scrounging for food wherever he can and latching onto groups of travellers, Casimir prefers to use charm and whispers to achieve his goals. Standing at six feet, with pale white skin, jet black hair, trimmed beard and a black shirt with leather coat, he strikes an intimidating figure. Most of it is completely intentional, when a fight arrives, he's often first to run and the first to lose.

He wears a golden locket around his neck at all times and remains as the only piece of jewelry he refuses to doff, whilst his clothes remain as clean as he can keep them. There is a mixture of shame and pride in Casimir's soul, often brought to the fore when asked about his home or childhood. To most of these questions, Casimir simply responds that he was a forgotten sixth son of a noble in Waterdeep and to a few, that he is the last living member of his house.

Casimir loves gossip, rumours, lies and stories, delighting in sharing or altering them as he sees fit. Drama is his calling and passion, though he laments Falkovnia demands few painters to immortalise his visage.

Plothook:

Casimir seeks to find allies and a necromancer to assist him with restoring his mother to life, whether or not she is what he believes her to be. Moreover, unbenownst to him is the desire to find human connection and true friends, though his pride is often an obstacle. Casimir will help those in need and uphold his word, though he can be slippery.

Backstory:

"Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost. His talents were cruder than an ogre's and his tongue as skilled as a flopping fish. The boy's mother cradled him, sharing stories and tales of heroes, dastardly villains, ancient magicks. The boy's father showed him a hatch, a belt and fear worthy of a god. Time whittled away as did the mother and as she felt the embrace of Kelemvor, the boy wept, pleaded and cursed. Until finally... the mother came back, offering gifts from the dead and finally the boy died. As did the father."

Casimir was born into a estate in Waterdeep, largely ignored by his siblings and father, Victor, for his failings as a noble. Weak in body and lacking in confidence, he struggled to make friends and became ever so attached to his mother, Johanna. He spent much of his time reading fiction and religious texts, learning to stay still and quiet around others. As the Vurst family to have had several of it's members join the Blackstaff Tower and their prestigious school for wizardry, Casimir's father relentlessly trained his children in the hopes they could maintain their reputation. None received more attention than Casimir, who continually failed his expectations and repeatedly received due 'motivation'.

As the years dragged on, Johanna grew ill and though spent much of her time with Casimir, eventually passed away, leaving him with nothing but his father's rage and perpetual loneliness. He prayed to every god he knew, descrated the ancestral tombs of his family and stole from libraries, yet found no salvation to his grief. Until, whilst in the dreaded basement of his home, Casimir heard the voice of Johanna, pleading that he allow her to join him with the living. Perhaps he knew it was a trap or trick but the smallest chance offering salvation was enough for him to agree.

What happened next is a secret only Casimir knows for his home shortly burnt to the ground, his family inside, as he made to escape Waterdeep. Yet his escape was cut short as guards soon found him at the edge of a cliff. Left between the choice of a cell, noose or a fall, Casimir chose the latter, into swirling mists below.

Death did not await him, though misery certainly did in this new forsaken land of Falkovnia, whilst his mother whispered words of encouragement in his ear to find a way for them to be together again.

Fears and Failures:

Fears:

Aphenphosmphobia - Casimir is terrified of being touched by another, often wearing gloves if necessary. This is doubly so for strangers, to the point he would rather chance death.

Atelophobia - Afraid to fail, Casimir adheres to performing every task he can perfectly or not doing it all if he is an amateur at the art.

Failures:

• Casimir blames himself for the death of his family, especially his siblings.
• He is ashamed of having little to no skill of surviving on his own, instead relying on others.
• Casimir believes that he has no power himself, that it is all granted by his patron.

Deity: Myrkul

At his mother's behest, Casimir has begun praying to Myrkul to gain salvation from death itself, though he continues to have his own doubts.

Is Might Right?

Violence is Casimir's last resort and he despises it. To overcome an obstacle, persuasion and trust are his tools, though he might be awkward at times with lower classes as a result of upbringing. Wielding the power to end someone else's life, in his opinion, should be done through the viewpoint of the one you're about to slay.

Rumours

Grave Robber- A risky business indeed in times of the dead walking yet more than a single cemetery has been defiled in recent times. Perhaps Casimir's bad luck has placed him at the wrong place at the wrong time.....

Fiendish Ally- Perhaps due to his attire, accent and looks, the courtier is often labeled as a practitioner of dark magic, pacts and bargains.

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by B3zerker
Rumours (see edit history)

[B3zerker]

Ready for review

 

[Pittance]

Approved! Look good; I was wondering when we'd get an undead patron warlock!