Cassius

The Danae clan is a large and influential noble family known for their summoner powers; unfortunately, by some quirk of genetics, Cass did not inherit them. To keep himself from getting disowned, he's currently engaged in a scheme where he passes Meleo's research off as his own to maintain the illusion that he's a genius mage. Surely this will have no long-term consequences.

He's the kind of person who would invest in a custom-tailored battery-powered magitech hat, which really says everything you need to know about him.

To Strangers:

People like Cass, even if they find him a little obnoxious. He's charming, endlessly complimentary, and always willing to help - and of course the wealth of the Danae clan doesn't hurt either. He's a little melodramatic and his jokes a touch too self-aggrandizing, but he keeps conversations short enough that it doesn't usually annoy people in earnest.

To Himself:

Cass is defined by his desperate need for people to like him. When they politely deflect his compliments or roll their eyes at his whole schtick, he feels awful - and, more importantly, he feels like he's failed and starts brainstorming ways to do a better job next time. Of course, this off-kilter attitude on human interaction has only made it harder for him to make genuine connections...

The Danae Clan

Cass was born into an inescapable background atmosphere of family drama. The Danae clan is vast, and its leader has a great deal of influence over summoners across the whole continent of Milluria. Cass's parents had long since lost their chances to be elected, so they pinned their remaining hopes on installing a child as clan head instead. So, as Cass grew up and his complete lack of summoner abilities became clear, the distance between him and his parents grew proportionally wider to match.

To keep from being forgotten entirely, he wedged himself into a support role. He kept up with his lessons, he entertained, he made connections; in certain circles he's practically the face of the Danae clan. Still, living in the west wing of the family mansion with a handful of school-aged cousins and a dozen empty guest rooms, he doesn't quite feel like part of the family.

The Arrangement

Cass got his mage certification at the academy in Kimaris - it was the school all his cousins went to, and although he couldn't join the summoner track, he figured tradition would count for something. In practice, it didn't do much for him, and when he decided to keep living at home while he explored his postgraduate options he received more than a few polite hints that he really ought to be moving on.

He met Meleo at the academy; her unpublished research caught his attention, since her analysis of monster seeds held valuable information for the Danae summoners. They got to talking, and eventually came to an arrangement: Cass would handle the funding and publishing process for her, and in exchange he gets sole authorship credit.

His family was a little surprised to hear he'd suddenly started publishing research, but they were happy to take advantage. Time will tell if that changes later down the line.

Ness • younger sister

Ness was basically born to replace Cass, so their friendship was doomed from the start. Cass tries to not acknowledge their complicated family circumstances, for the most part, and just treat her with the same generic politeness as he does everyone else. It's clearly not working, what with all the shin kicking, but what other option does he have?

Meleo • partner in academic dishonesty

Even after a year of regular meetings, Meleo still seems to be completely apathetic about Cass's whole schtick, and it drives him crazy. Even Ness's insults at least provide clear feedback for improvement, while Meleo just seems determined to ignore all his jokes and gifts and questions. Cass is engaged in an ongoing campaign to endear himself to her, and absolutely does not realize he's sabotaging himself in the process.

Kerri • ???

seriously, what's wrong with this guy

Physical

• 170cm-ish; beanpole
• butterfly ears can flap / are expressive, but he usually keeps them perked up.

Demeanor

• conspicuously good posture that's been drilled into him since he was a kid.
• kind of melodramatic; loves to make big swishy gestures.
• has a terrible habit of leaning forward when talking to people shorter than him.

Style

• he's a rich guy & wants everyone to know it; in Empyria, this means rich dark fabrics, colourful embroidered accents, and tight-fitted clothes.
• favours cool colours, especially iridescent blue-greens.
• really leans into the butterfly theme & loves flower or butterfly-wing patterns and accessories.

• wow I made him sound way too sympathetic in this bio. he's a little bitch and it's objectively correct to kick him in the shin.
• I designed him with the Madagascan sunset moth in mind but then ended up naming him after a completely different butterfly. it's fine.