Cas Drekbar

Far in the north, the village of Himbruch lay removed from most outside influence. A small farming community, it ran as a mostly self-sufficient community, only rarely needing to barter with traveling merchants for the more durable iron tools that they were unable to craft themselves. This is where Cas was born in the dead of winter, the third of four children to Epo, a local farmer, and his wife, Masa. His older brother and sister, Jan and Kin, were twins born in the spring four years before their parents decided to have another child. Their youngest sister, Ren, was born in the middle of the summer, when Cas was a year and a half old. The family lived simply, growing crops which could be bartered within the small community for any other goods that were necessary.

One cold autumn night when Cas was five years old, as the festival celebrating a bountiful harvest wound to a close, Himbruch was razed. A group of undead, marching under a purple flag adorned with a grinning skull, made their way into town. Cas' mother told him and his siblings to run into the field, but Cas was hit in the leg by a rain of arrows from the invaders. His siblings stopped to drag him along, but the next barrage hit the rest of the children. As his consciousness ebbed, the boy was vaguely aware of a roar of flames, a kiss of heat, and the narrow, gaunt figure of an old man against a blazing backdrop.

Cas awoke, being treated by one of the village mothers. After much frantic questioning, he was informed of the death of the rest of his family. An old wizard, he heard, had came upon their village and defended it from the unholy ravagers. After he recovered, the boy sought out this guest of the village: Igneel Drekbar. Quietly thanking the man, he eventually worked up the courage to make a request. "P-please, teach me how to protect them." A quiet request from a subdued boy, which caused the crinkled old man to raise an eyebrow, a strange expression on his wrinkled visage. After some internal deliberation, the man assented and Cas became his pupil.

For years, they worked together, Cas attempting time and again to conjure the strange effects he had observed on the night Igneel arrived. Occasionally, the boy saw his mentor, standing in the fields on the edge of town. Whenever the boy asked, he was told that he was not ready to understand. Eventually fed up with the non-answer, he decided that his mentor must be serving as a scarecrow over the fields, and the name became his personal address. In private, the venerable sage was a scarecrow, but in public he was Master.

It had always caused a stir when someone with two names came to town: with so little outside contact, the villagers of Himbruch had only ever needed one to keep track of all the important people in their life. Sometimes, young men or women would choose a second name for themselves, but they never lasted, as teasing and mockery quickly brought the offenders ego back to a manageable level. However, on Cas' 16th birthday, he was called into Igneel's study. Looking with weary eyes, the sage told his charge that it was time to take a last name. His last name. Thus, he became the first resident of Himbruch to take, and keep a surname. He was Cas Drekbar from then on. No one noticed the single golden scale on the small of his back.

Eventually, the time allotted in Himbruch was at an end. The village had trained themselves to be able to fight, should the need arise, but against the force that appeared one winter night, there was no defense. Hundreds of undead, underneath the purple flag of Gorgothon, assaulted the village, killing any they encountered. Cas was sent at the start of the attack to find one of his Master's scrolls. As he returned to the front lines, he was greeted by a strange sight. A single man rode into town on the wind. He hovered in front of Igneel and the two locked eyes for a long moment. Cas' own flames missed their target, breaking the silent contest of wills. He quickly found hard eyes promising death turned upon him. In that instant, he felt Igneel's palm in the center of his back, and he lost consciousness with a command from his teacher whispered in his ear. "Take care of the scroll."

Upon waking, Cas found himself in a forest, where he eventually encountered a settlement of elves. He lived among them for several years, upon hearing that his home had been completely destroyed with no survivors.

Resources

 * (Title) in Pontar Valley
 * Farm near Adak
 * Income (30 gp/month)

Researching scroll
Spell for changing the warding to be dependent on aggression is completed. Continuing discussion on whether the spell should be cast, and if and or how it should be modified. Currently in Tinkbonk's possession.