Cassandra "Cass" The Bard

Cassandra [kəsǽndrə] “Cass” Jonasson The Bard.

Parents

The people of Weaver’s Touch were in a jubilant mood. Marion Demartes was close to giving birth, and a new addition to the community was something to be celebrated. The first cries of a new-born drifting through the open window caused a cheer to rise up from the crowd. However, the excitement was quickly cut off by the new father, Naharai, storming out of the house while cursing and shouting, his face the very picture of rage. As the crowd dispersed a whisper was carried over the wind, ‘what happened?’ As the days passed, the villagers were witness to many a row between the new parents. New whispers started up. ‘The child is dying.’ ‘Marion had an affair, it’s not his.’ ‘The babe is malformed.’ Nobody knew exactly what was going on as the child had not been presented yet. According to custom, the parents were to present their child to the village’s spiritual leader within two weeks after the birth. The druid, Molkor the Threadbare, waited at the entrance to his residence for Marion and Naharai, the entire village gathered around him. Finally, their curiosity would be sated. The new parents approached, but the child had been swaddled too tightly to see anything noteworthy. Naharai passed it to Molkor and whispered something to the druid, who nodded and took the child with him into his abode. For an hour, the parents and the people waited in tense silence to see what would happen next. When he reappeared, he was grinning broadly. In his arms lay the child, now bared for the world to see. Shock rippled to the crowd, for where Naharai and Marion were both as brown eyed and dark haired as their predecessors had been for generations, the babe’s colouring was completely different! Molkor held the infant up slightly higher and spoke in a clear voice: ''“Congratulations, the girl is 100% yours Naharai. You should be proud, for she is quite special. The both of you have managed to pass on strong celestial blood and produced an Aaisimar!”'' Faithful words that would have filled many a parent with pride. However, like most people in Weaver’s Touch, Naharai and Marion were proud purists and they had just been told that their child was not human but an Angel! Marion pulled her hair in despair and Naharai looked disgusted while the crowd collectively stepped back, revulsion thick in the air. Thus, marked the early beginnings of the girl who would become known as Cassandra the Bard.

Beginnings

Five years passed by and the Demartes girl grew as any child would. She was driven to learn and hungry for knowledge, pushing her to develop slightly faster than most other children her age did. The girl was a remarkable sight, unkempt and just this side of starved. Her hair matted and dirty, but still showing its beautiful white. Like all of those with celestial blood, she could be regarded as flawless. But, her eyes always searched for her parents’ approval, her hands always reaching for their love. They refused her at every turn. Naharai and Marion’s disgust with anything non-human was so great that they had even refused to grant their daughter a name, calling her simply ‘Girl.’ Fortunately, for them, Marion gave birth to a ‘regular’ human boy no more than a year later and a set of ‘normal’ twins came along not long before Girl’s fifth birthday. All their love and attention was focussed on their human children, leaving Girl to her own devices. The result was that Girl often roamed the village, observing, learning. Only one person in the village gave her the time of day, Molkor took pity on the girl and decided to teach her what her parents would not. He was pleased at the speed with which she learned. Eventually Girl spend most of her waking moments at his house while he taught her to read, write, count, and the beginning of druidic teachings. Molkor would take her into forest surrounding Weaver’s Touch and would encourage her to make a connection with the nature around her. She thrived in those moments, but a sadness kept hanging about her. Though he tried to shield her from the cruelty of her parents and the villagers, he could not prevent her eyes from growing duller by the day. He noticed that she began to shy away from people, withdrawing within herself more and more. This could not continue, so Molkor devised a plan to get her out of Weaver’s Touch… with a little help from a friend.

Leaving Weaver’s Touch

Alden Jonasson, half elf, Great Sage and traveling companion of Eladrin ranger Ping, arrived in Weaver’s Touch after receiving a letter from his old friend Molkor. He had reached out to him regarding a matter of utmost importance, had not specified what this matter was. Their first encounter in the village was that of a small form colliding with Alden’s leg. His reflexes allowed him to stabilise it and he was shocked to find a small child flinching away from him. Its body shook and the blue eyes that suddenly gazed up at him regarded him with fear. He snatched his hands back, as if he had been burned, and the child immediately scrambled off to who knew where. Ping and Alden shared an uncomfortable look. They had both noticed the terrible state of the child and unease settled heavily in Alden’s stomach as he and his companion continued their path to the druid’s house. Along the way, they were treated to glares and disgusted mutterings. ‘Friendly place,’ Ping remarked and Alden shook his head, he disliked purists, regardless of race. Finally, what seemed like an eternity, they reached Molkor, who had been waiting for them. He quickly ushered them inside and, after setting them up with some food and drinks, explained that he hoped the sage could help him with something. Molkor left the room for a minute, and when he returned he had the small hand of a child grasped in his. Ping and Alden were shocked to recognise them, and they were appalled when Molkor introduced her as ‘Girl.’ They assumed she was an orphan, feeling even worse when Molkor explained that she had two perfectly healthy parents and three siblings who were treated like they were the Gods’ gift to Oricalla. Molkor indicated to them to just watch while he bent down to the child, whispering something in her ear. She looked startled and shook her head, backing away. To the men in the room, she resembled a wild animal. However, Molkor simply stretched out a hand to her and assured her that it was safe. A moment’s hesitation, a distrustful glance at Alden and Ping and a small twitch of the tiny body led to a small nod. The sage and ranger had leaned forwards in curiosity, only to be blown back by the sheer brilliance of her wings when the young Aaisimar revealed her true form to them. Alden understood immediately what the problem here was and why Molkor had asked for him specifically. His knowledge on Aaisimar would be invaluable in training this girl. He noticed her growing discomfort and he quickly offered her a warm smile and kind words to show his appreciation of what she had shown him. She graced him with a surprised but blinding smile, lighting up her face, before she retracted her wings and practically skipped off to go back home. The three men watched her go, after which Molkor explained her situation in more detail to them. Alden decided that this would not stand and he left the druid’s home to visit Girl’s parents. After their initial disgust at having a half-elf show up, they were overjoyed when he explained that he intended to take the girl off their hands. To his horror, they even offered to pay him to take her! He had the distinct feeling that, if it weren’t for Molkor’s influence they would’ve abandoned her in the forest a long time ago. Reassured that they would not come for the child, he and Ping took her far away from Weaver’s Touch and its judgemental purist people.

Growing up and sage training

It took Alden and Ping quite a bit of coaxing to get the five-year-old to come out of her shell. She was so deeply scarred by what her former caretakers had done to her that she had severe trust issues. After a year of hard work, she began to open up to them. From that point on she blossomed into a bright, kind and cheerful child, though she remained warry of others and frequently shied away from them. Ping took to teaching her how to use weapons and essential survival skills while Alden would have her practice her Aaisimar powers. He noticed quickly that she was very reluctant to transform and show herself though. Unless absolutely necessary, she preferred to present herself to the world as any ordinary human would. He reckoned this was a remnant of being shunned for what she was and that she would most likely remain reluctant to transform around others for years to come. So instead of training her as an Aaisimar, he decided to teach her to become a sage. She took to his teachings like a fish to water, to his great joy. Other than that, he noticed that strange and intricate dreams sometimes plagued her. Alden deduced that these were the instances where her guide would “speak” to her. However, there were dreams that seemed different all together. Dreams that seemed to find their resonance in the waking world far too often to be a coincidence. Sadly, more often than not, he and Ping wouldn’t realise this until well after her words came to pass. Finally, after two years of her presence in his life, he felt that he knew her well enough to gift her a name of her own. He called her to him and the child came bounding up to him, hugging him for all she was worth. He was fond of her to the point where he felt he loved her as if she was his own. Alden sat her down and he looked her straight in the eye before speaking, '''“I hereby bestow on you the name of Cassandra, meaning the unheeded prophetess, and I would like to adopt you as my daughter. Granting you the use of my last name as your own. Would you agree to become Cassandra Jonasson from this day forth?”''' Her enthusiasm convinced him that he made the right decision. Cassandra grew up and eagerly absorbed everything Ping and Alden would teach her. She was well set on her way to become a Great Sage in her own right until one faithful encounter changed the course of her life, again.

Becoming a Bard

When visiting the town of Fessal, one should always visit its artists’ quarter at the west side of the town. 16-year-old Cassandra Jonasson was no different. She had arrived there together with her “father” and “uncle” on official sage business. Truthfully, she had escaped from her guardians’ watchful gaze. She loved them, really, but she felt stifled from time to time. Cassandra fondly remembered day she received her name, and how proud she was when Alden had granted her the use of his last name. However, the name Jonasson sometimes seemed more of a curse than a blessing. Wherever she went, she encountered people who thought she should be more like her father. They expected her to live up to his name and they always seemed disappointed when she couldn’t. So sometimes she simply needed some time to herself. As she wandered, admiring the works around her, delicate music reached her ears. Curious, Cassandra decided to follow the music. Eventually it brought her to a flutist playing their heart out, the music seemed to twist and turn, creating shimmering images in the air. With a start, she realised that she was looking at a magical instrument being played expertly. She witnessed the awe on the faces of the people around her. They were all captivated by the flutist and Cassandra felt a click in the back of her mind, as if this was what she had been missing in her life. After the show, she decided to approach the artist, who introduced herself as the bard Vara Marquin. Vara, intrigued by Cassandra’s interest in her profession invited the younger girl for lunch. The two bonded over some stew and Cassandra felt warmth welling up inside her, her instincts telling her that this was the path meant for her. With a jolt, she realised why she had been collecting stories and songs on her travels. After parting from Vara, Cassandra hurried back to her family and enthusiastically told them about her revelation. They were less thrilled than she was, Alden even being downright disappointed that she would not follow his footsteps. However, they agreed to find her teachers so she could follow her path. From that day, onwards, she had many different teachers to show her the ropes of being a bard. They taught her how to play the lute and the violin, how to sing and tell stories. She learned how to use magic and the more she learned about magical music, the more she loved it. At age 21 she was inducted into the College of Lore, under the proud gaze of Alden and Ping. That was the day she decided to set off on her own, to find her own magical instrument and to learn all she could about magic, music, stories, and the combination thereof. She was determined to become the best bard she could be. Before she left, Alden handed her a note and told her to ponder it from time to time. The note read “All is One and One is All.”

Rose Halls and meeting the party

Cassandra’s travels as a bard brought her all over Hearth, and gathered many a story to tell. However, she could not have predicted the story that would become her own. That her name would one day regarded as that of a hero. At 25, she had become a relatively well known bard, using just her first name. People were generally quite happy to see her, such was the case when she arrived in a town called Rose Halls. She had been performing during her stay there and stayed at the local inn during the night. One night, she went downstairs for a drink at the bar. Behind her, several interesting individuals had entered. The owner of the inn approached them all and asked them to help him out with a rat problem. Cassandra, having nothing better to do, consented and joined forces with a rag-tag bunch of would be heroes: a paladin of Alupin named Theresa Avo, the dwarf Banar Stonehand, a mage called Habbuk McWater, Jerricho Griffonbane the eldricht knight, Jon Xi, the fat monk, and one strange tiefling named Cindarr Darkstorm. All-in-all, she reckoned that this would make for an interesting story. After dealing with the rat infestation, the council asked them to deal with some other problems around the town. Seeing the opportunity to gain more stories, she decided to tag along with the group to deal with goblins, flail snails and a beholder. Not long after they set out on their first great adventure together, she discovered the presence of another Aaisimar in the party. Theresa openly used her power, much to her shock. It made Cassandra feel very uncomfortable and she fought against the urge to shy away from the other Aaisimar to avoid drawing attention to her own less than human status. Regardless of the minor internal conflict regarding Theresa, Cassandra quickly grew to respect her fellow adventurers. She would even go as far as to say that she had grown fond of the group of weird people around her. They were interesting, and they provided her with quite a lot of stories. She realised that she would go far to keep her new friends alive, though she would not realise how far until much later. In between the adventures, they would rest at Rose Halls and Cassandra would venture out to do odd jobs. Most of the time she would run around, causing a bit of mischief, and entertaining the children of the town.

Leaving Rose Halls

After their success on a mission involving a stormgiant prince, two merchants hired the group, minus the eldritch knight, to escort them back to their home town. Bored and in need of a bit of action, they agreed to the job. It seemed to be a clear-cut, standard, protection job right up to the textbook ambush by bandits. Granted, their ambush was of the slightly cleverer variety since they used a young boy to try and lure the group into a false sense of security. The group was swiftly dealt with, including the young son of the bandit leader. Cassandra had been stunned by Jon punching the child’s lights out but she swiftly recovered and composed a song called “the ballad of Jon the Childpuncher” to kill some more time on the road.

The finding of Fuzzy and other eight-legged monstrosities

The group travelled through a dense forest and were promptly led into a trap set by spiders and Chitines. Though they were swiftly dealt with, the party still found themselves within a spider invested forest. Cassandra went up into the trees and, using the animal handling skills taught to her as a child by Molkor, managed to befriend a giant purple spider. She named the spider "Fuzzy,"  and she grew fond of it over the short time they were together. Soon after they escaped the trap, the group found themselves within a village made of web and they were confronted by a Choldrith. Theresa panicked and Cassandra watched in stunned silence as her fellow Aaisimar fled the scene, leaving everything behind. An attempt at negotiation seemed successful until Banar decided that throwing an axe to someone’s face counted as a good negation technique. They were put to sleep and Cassandra found herself devoid of gear, hanging upside down from the ceiling and sharing the room with Jon and Cindarr. Escaping was child’s play, but now they had to find their gear, their friends, and the way out. During their search, they stumbled upon a Choldrith mother laying eggs. Since none of them wanted to deal with her coming up behind them, they slaid her, her underlings, and her eggs. Cassandra lit up the webs around her like the sun to blind the creatures, and discovered that the sword she found in one of the rooms was highly effective against arachnids. Venturing on, they found Habbuk, Banar and two unfamiliar people in cocoons like the ones they had found themselves in. One of them was near death and Cassandra took pity on him, healing him as much as possible and deciding to take responsibility for him. The other figure promised to help them if they would get payed for it. After finding their gear, they still needed to find their employers. In the end, they had to rescue their employers from being sacrificed to Lolth and the priestess who went about killing the sacrifices turned into a cheese like demon. Cassandra and Jon set out to safe the elementals trapped in circles to disrupt the ritual and enlist their help in the fight. Habbuk had a brilliant and hilarious idea involving a tree and a Choldrith and Banar, after his success with the axe-to-the-face negotiation style, decided on trying the dive-in-headfirst technique to try and defeat her. Cassandra’s Aaisimar self was furious and the urge to destroy the demon was strong, but it was only when she saw the life being drained out of Banar that she forgot her reservations about people finding out what she was and she transformed. Together with Cindarr, she destroyed the demon and managed to save Banar just in time. After the battle was over, there remained a large hole in the ground trough which they noticed a few thousand Drow marching up to them. Immediately, Cassandra asked an earth element that had been used in the ritual to help them by closing the hole, which it did. Outside, they discovered that their horse had been eaten but Fuzzy was willing to pull the cart for them. The strange rouge was invited to join their party on to Woodfolk Holdings to receive their cut or the payment and the now childlike man that had been near death was safely tucked away in the cart.

Woodfolk Holdings and beyond

In Woodfolk Holdings they received their payments, and Cassandra left the childlike victim of the spiders in the capable care of the healers. After settling their payment and getting a room at their employers’ house, they all went out for a drink. In a celebration gone wrong, Jon woke up the next day with a penis come to life on his forehead. Cassandra decided to join him to find some druids, she had decided to grant Fuzzy sentience so it could become a true party member. They received a mission from the druids as payment for their services and another from a hermit that Cindarr had been talking to. Before leaving, Cassandra pulled a prank on an Elf Lady who had looked down on their group for being something other than elves. Considering her background, Cassandra’s blood started to boil from this purist nonsense. The group set out from Woodfolk Holdings and Cassandra noticed that Cindarr had developed a strange interest in her, though she had no idea what that was about or what to do with that. Deciding to ignore it for now, they simply travelled on to the mountain where their next quest lay. Along the way, they stumbled across a field full of workers that gave off a strange vibe. They arrived at a grand mansion and they were granted permission to stay the night in one of the barns near the house by another Elf Lady. Their host seemed to share the purist views of the Lady in Woodfolk Holdings and Cassandra felt ill at ease, staying in her general vicinity. When they found out that this lady had some very dark secrets, she decided that it would serve the greater good of the servant and the slaves out in the field to incapacitate the lady of the house. With the help of their newest party member, that Cassandra had taken to calling Rouge, she donned the character of an Elf Noble coming to visit. While Cassandra and Rouge poisoned the lady of the house, Jon and Banar thwarted the summoning of a minor demon. Cindarr punished the lady for her practices by properly decimating her.

After looting the house and discovering that ladies in the village and the house were sisters, the group finally arrived at the mountains for their next great adventure….