QUICK SPECS:
Current Assignment: Landing (guarding scion of Boll)
Home: Southern Boll Hold (guard)
Origin: Crom Hold (gardener's son)
Age: Early twenties.
Politics: Traditionalist
Strength: Fighting hand-to-hand and with a staff
Weakness: Bugs with lots of legs, and his temper.
Father: Kiam (NPC)
Mother: Anaska (NPC)
Older brother: Kelley (NPC)
Three younger sisters: Anna, Aneeke, Ami (NPC)
BACKGROUND
Crom Hold. A focal point for northern power and society. Within it's walls Kaskan grew up in a happy household with loving parents, idolizing his handsome and successful older brother and playfully annoying his three younger sisters. Idealistic. Creative. Positive. Excited about the future. With a knack for growing things, and a keen interest in cross-breeding plants to produce those with new uses and beauty, Kaskan hoped to someday join the Farmcraft and specialize in Horticulture.
Then he met a beautiful girl named Rocio who came to foster at the Hold and was instantly head over heels for her. With advice from his big brother to help his efforts he played it cool and won her over through friendship first but was quick to fall wantonly down the path of romance as soon as she developed feelings in return. He even told Rocio he would someday breed the most beautiful flower ever seen and name it after her.
Despite the fact that Rocio was being groomed to someday be a proper holder’s wife, the pair made subtle plans of their own and Kaskan had high hopes of securing a well-enough position that he could be a suitable prospect for his love, eventually to settle their own cothold and live happily-ever-after.
However, such a fairy-tale ending was not to be theirs. In fact, things took a tragic turn when Will, one of the Holder's sons, took an interest in Rocio and her family was pressured to approve the union. Blackmailed, Rocio agreed, but she and Kaskan plotted an escape so that they might start a life of their own, together, in the south. Things went from bad to worse as Kaskan was forced to watch events unfold, helpless to intercede. Rocio was forced to marry Will, then brutally abused by her new spouse on their wedding night and she responded by stabbing him to death before they even left the bridal chamber. Imprisoned and tried in short order, she was kept in seclusion for nine months until she gave birth to the resulting child then viciously branded and sent away forbidden to return home.
Kaskan was devastated. Heart-broken and lost, he moved through the days in a black cloud. Despite desperate pleas from his family to hide his feelings he could not do it, only growing more despondent once Rocio disappeared and cruelly misleading implications were made to make it appear she was dead. It wasn’t long before others made the connection between gardener's son and murderer and the brunt of the remaining anger over Rocio’s actions was directed at Kaskan.
At first he didn’t care. Life didn’t seem worth fighting for anymore. Bruised, battered, and several broken bones later he barely seem to function. But as the repercussions extended to include his family he reacted with bitterness and anger, the gentle thoughtful boy he had been shattered to unrecognizable pieces. Stripped of pride, potential and his beloved occupation, he finally came to the conclusion that his only option was to leave and hope that his family could somehow overcome the stigma of his existence if he wasn’t around to provoke it.
With the political clout of Crom blocking any further hopes of a future in the FarmCraft, Kaskan wandered without care for direction or purpose, his only goal to get as far away from Crom as possible. Several months passed in a dark haze wherein Kaskan fell in with a group of traveling thugs and learned quickly to fight or be beaten. Emotional wounds never healed but ugly scars allowed him to survive on the run. His husky build filled out as he grew more muscular and the constant fights gave him an outlet for his endless anger. As fate would have it, he took passage on a ship that happened to be ferrying a group of guards to Southern Boll Hold and he struck up a friendship with the young man in charge of them, Deran.
By time the trip was over, Deran had convinced Kaskan to put his fighting skills to better use and give life at the tropical southern Hold a try. Though reluctant to live at a major hold again, Kaskan agreed and with Deran's support prospered in the lush, more relaxed setting of Boll honing his energy into finer skills under the tutelage of the southern guard ranks and a regimented lifestyle. Though a steely outer skin kept him from growing too close to anyone he acquired a trustworthy reputation and when a guard was needed to accompany one of the younger scions of the Hold for training at the AIVAS complex and the new Eastern Weyr, Kaskan was given the assignment.
So now he bides his time, playing spy for wary Neutralists back home at Southern Boll while assisting occasionally around Landing and the Weyr and keeping watch over young Jhorn, suffering the Bollian teen's blissful enthusiasm while touting Traditionalist beliefs to hide his own growing interest in the discoveries wrought from the AIVAS.
RELATIONSHIPS
Jhorn (NPC): Southern Boll scion sent to train at Landing with Kaskan as his guard. Jhorn is hyper and cheerful in a way that reminds Kaskan of the way he used to be, which often makes him scornful and snappish. Jhorn, however, is as oblivious as a glassy-eyed little puppy and thinks Kaskan is the epitomy of worldly-wise adventure.
Rio: Kaskan is under the impression that his first and only love is dead. He is torn between bitterness for the events that ripped them apart and guilt for blaming her. Update: Discovering who Rio was took its toll but the pair have made progress in rediscovering each other.
Jaya: Sexy minx! Persistant, and too damn curious. Kaskan is leery of her questions but can't resist the temptation she presents. Ironically, his evasions may very well make her suspicious of something far worse than he's actually hiding. Update: Having come to terms with their relationship, Jaya has become a close friend and confidant - in other words, a good swift kick in the ass when he needs it.
Max: Likely comrade. After discovering Max can spar better than a straw dummy, Kaskan agreed to consider his proposal of fighting in an offiical circuit. Update: From kicking the crap out of each other to bonding over whiskey, training Jhorn to saving Kaskan's life, Max has become one of the few people Kaskan trusts.
Nenienne: Wary crafter. Befriended enough that Kaskan thought to ask her help with a personal issue, but when it back-fired and put her life in danger the heavy guilt drove Kaskan to a rare apology and feeling honor-bound to the young woman.
Lenia: Strange but amusing. Although she has some crazy ideas about pictures in the sky and gushes like a typical female about babies, Kaskan thinks she's alright.
Bowen: Buddy rating. He's good in a barfight and has good taste in whiskey. Though Kaskan maintains that the former was strictly Bowen's fault he'll admit he did indulge in the latter. Update: Fallout. These two are currently at odds after Kaskan teased Bowen and Cheusia in public about their relationship. Bowen took offense. The two fought. Nothing was resolved.
Cheusia: Expertly skilled, for which Kaskan is endlessly thankful. He's already had to avail himself of her healing touch on multiple occasions for multiple injuries. She wants his bod. Or, at least he enjoys teasing her that she does.
Paerin: Love/hate relationship. Not quite hitting it off at first they agreed to keep each other's secrets and things continued to progress oddly from there. Kaskan agreed to teach her how to act like a boy, but obviously failed when she ended up kissing him.
NPCs OF INTEREST
Jhorn
*
*
*
*
CURRENT HISTORY
1. Arrived at Eastern Weyr with Jhorn, who's Landing training expanded to include activities at the weyr.
2. Got in a random barfight with Bowen and bonded over whiskey.
3. Visited Healer Cheusia several times due to injuries. Teased her for having him take his shirt off.
4. Hooked up with barkeep Jaya… several times.
5. Teased Bowen and Cheusia about their relationship in public and ticked everyone off.
6. Got in a fight with Bowen. Refused to apologize.
7. Met Rio a couple times but didn't recognize her as Rocio.
8. Met Max while working out and sparred. Max made an offer for Kaskan to fight in official matches. Offer being considered.
9. Met Indira in the hallway and flirted but didn't get her name.
10. Mistook Bhedri for her twin sister Jaya and gave her an aggressively sexy welcome.
11. Discovered that Rio is his long, lost love Rocio whom he thought was dead.
12. Broke down in the gardens where Jaya found him. She consoled and gave advice.
13. Frustrated that he couldn't reach Rio, got drunk and ran into Max. Made strong innuendo's about Indira, not knowing she is Max's mother. Massive fight, broke a fence, and bonded over whiskey.
14. Finally tracked down Rio at the baths and confronted their past. Left with mutual outward decision to remain apart but inwardly heartbroken.
15. Ran outside the weyr to be alone and fell asleep in the jungle. Awoken the next morning by a toe-jab from Paerin. Made a deal with the young girl not to tell her brother (Bowen, who was never identified) she was out alone so early in the morning instead of doing chores if she doesn't tell anyone he was sleeping in the jungle.
17. Random encounter with Rio and a group of diners at dinner time doesn't go well. The tension is obvious to everyone even though Rio sits at a neighboring table.
16. Distanced himself from everyone, including Jhorn. His troubled charge sought Jaya for advice and learned about Kaskan's history with Rio.
18. Grumpily hung out in the bar with some shifty card players. Exchanged cautious greetings with Bowen and met his newly arrived brother, Harson.
19. Helped fix the fence he broke fighting with Max and went to the bar dirty and grouchy. Sparred with Jonavan, who ran out on paying the tab and stuck Kaskan with it.
20. Seething privately on the beach one night when Jaya came along. Vented. Got called a fool. Learned more about Jaya's past. She suggested a camping trip with Jhorn to clear his head.
21. Encountered Rio while packing runners for the camping trip. Struggled with telling her the truth but finally gave way to his feelings and exhanged a heated kiss. Broken up by the arrival of her furious gold, who drew Rio away and left the situation unresolved.
22. Running into each other the next morning, Kaskan and Rio find themselves just as torn as ever so Rio suggests a secret, late night meeting later.
23. The meeting with Rio leads to admissions, explanations, romance and eventually hope.
24. Kaskan cons Jonavan into going on the camping trip.
25. Kaskan has an interesting chat with Paerin and things get ugly when her older brother Haskin shows up catching them at an awkward moment.
26. Jhorn bumps into Max in the baths while trying to hide from Kaskan. Max helps when Kaskan shows up and a deal is made for Max to train Jhorn.
27. A random chat with Nenienne gives Kaskan the idea to show her the carving he stole.
28. Kaskan confides in Jaya about his history with the ill-gotten carving and who might come after it.
29. Jhorn starts fight training with Max.
30. Two thugs show up at Landing, dubbed Stud and Crud by Kaskan, and start asking questions about Kaskan and Jhorn.
31. Kaskan confides in Nenienne and gives her the stolen carving to critique for him, asking her to keep it a secret.
32. Max confronts Kaskan about the thugs he's been getting reports about at Landing and Kaskan tells him who they are. The two strike a deal and make a plan to go after the thugs the next day.
33. Two of Jhorn's friends show up at Max's office that night to report that the three of them had snuck off to Landing for a party and Jhorn disappeared. Max discovers a note in Kaskan's empty quarters that reveals Jhorn has been captured by Stud & Crud and Kaskan went after him alone.
34. Stud & Crud use Jhorn to lure Kaskan into a trap, beat the crap out of him and trick him into revealing that Nenienne has the carving they want before dropping him down a deep hole to die.
35. Max races to Landing and stops Stud & Crud from man-handling Nenienne. Max fights Stud and kills him. Crud escapes, vowing revenge.
36. Max uses the thugs abandoned runners to track down Kaskan and rescue him.
37. After re-grouping at Landing, Max, Kaskan, L'han and others make a mad dash to save Jhorn at an abandoned mill near Landing. Crud beats them there and drops Jhorn over a waterfall when they approach. Kaskan dives after Jhorn while Max and Durgill fight Crud and kill him.
38. Long stay in infirmary while severe injuries heal.
39. Released from infirmary only after Rio vouches for him and offers to let him stay in her weyr.
40. Tracked down Nenienne for a long over-due apology - heavy guilt over having accidently given her away to thugs Stud & Crud. Ended well.
41. Met renegade riders after a thwarted workout on the beach. Mutual respect for P'sec. Hit on by D'lan.