Arundel Family/Caspius

Caspius posing with his sword in hand

His Childhood, and Beginning

As the first legitimate son of William and Sophia Arundel, Caspius was raised in a harsh and strict fashion. Honor and glory had been drilled into him, told to serve realm and kingdom, but most importantly, one's honor. He'd pride himself in dueling and sword-fighting, learning to use the two handed claymore with great finesse. A strong influence in his life was his younger sister Katerina, who inflicted upon him the grandeur of tales and legends. Upon hearing them, Caspius immediately knew his destiny, wanting to become a hero who lead his men into battle; having no fear or hesitation. Knowing Dwilight wasn't the land of frequent battles, besides the occasional monster incursion, Caspius decided to take sail on approach to the Far East - leaving his beloved sister behind in pursuit of selfish desires. After his long journey, he landed in Cathay, a realm rooted in justice and honor, but more importantly, dead center of all conflicts. He became a knight of Isular, a border region, hoping for battle.

A New Realm

Eventually, conflict occurred, though not in the fashion the knight hoped for. C'thonia, a realm battered by Kindara, became primary target for Cathayan incursions, and without declaration of war, there was little room for glory. Doubts arose, questions asked, and dissent generated throughout the realm. When Duke Optimus succeeded the ill King Brian, General Anatole, who was runner-up, seceded Colassan, and formed the realm of Toupellon (with the collaboration of many foreign dukes.) Caspius was immediately drawn into its ranks, and became the vice-marshal of the offensive army, tasked with holding the southern border.

Rise to Power

Still concerned of his realm's ever-growing reaches, King Anatole rapidly created the Rearguard of Toupellon to improve stability and wealth in the north. After long debates within the War Council, Caspius was named marshal of the new army, and sought to immediately exercise his newly acquired authority. With haste, orders were sent out to effectively increase production in the duchy of Akanos, and to further his mission, Caspius offered oath to Duchess Taylin Indirik - providing much needed support to the city.

As time elapsed, King Anatole became increasingly absent, until he eventually absconded. With his sudden absence came his abdication, and Toupellon's lords were hauled into elections as a total of eight candidates ran for the throne. When the votes came to fruition, it was evident that Duke Claude had won, becoming the second King of Toupellon. With the fresh King's victory came the forfeit of his previous lordship, leaving Ozrat without a duke. After much deliberation, he bestowed the title unto Caspius, as a show of trust and confidence in the young noble's abilities.

The Creation of Sorraine - Sartan's third Domain - and Caspius' Subsequent Fall Months Later

Sure, Caspius was deserving in merit, but he wouldn't have acquired his position without first joining the Church of Sartan. As days turned into weeks, and weeks into seasons, Caspius became increasingly intrigued by the dogma of his new faith. Passages describing heroes of old and their glorious deaths on the battlefield, odes venerating the one mortal man who became a god as a result of his actions. These stories became fantasies that festered deep in Caspius, and over time they created a zealot out of him. The first and rather dramatic display of his zealotry was during one of Toupellon's harshest winters. Food shortage was common: men and women alike starved in the hundreds. Ozrat, at the time, had a significant population of Adgharhin believers nestled behind its walls. Caspius despised them more than his own Church, and he long sought to remove them as if they were leeches on his city. He hatched a plan, one day, to accomplish said desire and rid himself of the heathens he ruled over, once and for all. To put the plan in motion, he first staged a peasant riot between Sartanists and Adgharhins, incurring a few deaths. He then proceeded to fabricate evidence purporting that there was a large ring of revolutionaries in the Adgharhin district that sought to overthrow him who were also responsible for staging the previous riots. Without a moment's contemplation, he ordered the entire city's Sartanist militia to occupy and raze the entire district to the ground, for precautionary measure. Men, women, and children were slaughtered mercilessly, while their homes were set on fire, torn down, and destroyed in what was later called the Ozrat Fires. Seeing as it was impossible to cover up the death of thousands simultaneously, Caspius released tampered regional reports that indicated a dramatic rise in deaths due to starvation, ranging from 600 to 800 people daily, when in fact he received food shipments the day prior. This lasted for several days, and no one proved the wiser.

Similar occurrences happened over time. A more notable one was where Caspius staged another riot between the two religious groups, just as the Sartanian High Priestess decided to come preach in his city. He handed over judicial rights to her, allowing her to execute dozens of heathens - to his satisfaction. He went as far as to close the temples of peaceful religious opponents, like the Magnans, sparking continental outcry against him. But these effects would not deter his mission. He progressively began falling out of favor with the king, but the feeling was indeed mutual. King Franz and his council sought to create a truly balanced and religious tolerant realm, forcing subsequent tolerant behavior on his vassals. Caspius was not at all pleased, and when the turn of winter (along with its starvation) came along, he lashed out. This point in history is explained in the chapter of genesis found within Sorraine's history, whereby Caspius creates the third theocratic realm belonging to Sartan.

Most of what remains can also be explained by the chapter of empowerment. However, it was during the first great war that Caspius would take matters of religion a step too far, and subsequently pay the ultimate price for his actions: death. The account of his death is told in the following collection of letters and events witnessed by the nobles of Sorraine.

The End of Caspius (Letters and RPs)

In the writing of this biography, it is acknowledged that Caspius Arundel shall forever be known as House Arundel's most glorious and well known scion. Long may he live at the side of his god, for he has achieved godhood in his own right as well.