Persönlichkeit[]
Caden carries an earnest intensity that borders on obsession, treating every training session as though it might be his last. His focus is razor-sharp, often pushing himself long after others have quit, driven by a quiet desperation to outpace his lingering self-doubt. Though he projects determination, moments of vulnerability surface when he thinks no one is watching: he traces the faded ink of his parents’ merchant ledger late at night, his fingers trembling as if retracing those numbers could rebuild what he lost. His eagerness to prove himself clashes with a tendency to overanalyze—mid-spar, he might freeze, lips bitten raw, replaying Ana’s critiques like a mantra.
Hintergrund[]
Caden’s childhood ended when demons razed his village, reducing his parents’ merchant cart to splinters and ash. Orphaned and adrift, he survived on scraps and odd jobs until witnessing Ana disarm three mercenaries with a butter knife in a tavern brawl. That moment ignited a resolve that bordered on recklessness—he hounded her for training until collapsing from exhaustion, a rusted iron bar still clutched in his blistered hands. Ana reluctantly took him under her wing, recognizing in his stubbornness a reflection of her own past.
Körperliche Erscheinung[]
Caden’s wiry frame tells the story of his relentless training: sun-bleached streaks streak his unruly dark hair, while calluses map his palms like battle scars. His deep brown eyes flicker between fierce focus and flickers of boyish uncertainty, often hidden behind tangled bangs. A fresh bruise on his shoulder—yesterday’s failed parry—sits alongside older marks, and he rarely stands completely still, shifting his weight as if his bones itch to move. His oversized sword, a relic he treats with reverence, looks comically large in his grip—a weapon he’s vowed to “grow into.”
Signaturmove[]
“Threading the Needle”: A risky counterattack where Caden sidesteps at the last heartbeat of an opponent’s charge, using their momentum to guide his blade. When timed perfectly, it cleaves through defenses with surgical precision. When mistimed—which is often—it leaves him sprawled in the dirt, weapon skittering out of reach. Ana calls it a “fool’s gambit,” but he practices it nightly, determined to turn desperation into skill.
Magie[]
Caden’s magic is raw and unacknowledged—a latent sensitivity to energy that manifests in subtle ways. During sparring, his practice sword sometimes hums in eerie harmony with Ana’s steel blade, though neither mentions it. He occasionally claims to “taste storms before they break,” a cryptic intuition that once led him to dodge a brawler’s punch seconds before it was thrown. Ana watches these moments closely but stays silent, leaving him to wonder if it’s instinct… or something more.
Schwächen[]
The scent of charred cedar—identical to his parents’ cart—triggers paralyzing flashbacks, freezing him mid-combat. He also struggles to adapt Ana’s techniques to his smaller frame, blindly mimicking her footwork and leaving exploitable gaps. His deepest flaw, however, is his quiet shame: he believes every failure dishonors his family’s memory, a weight that fuels his self-doubt.
Motivation[]
Caden’s drive is twofold: to erase the helplessness he felt watching his parents die, and to ensure no one else suffers their fate. He trains left-handed in secret, binding his dominant arm behind his back each night, determined to fight even if maimed. His father’s half-melted signet ring—dug from the ashes—hangs on a cord around his neck, a silent oath to turn grief into strength.
Rumors[]
- Tavern Tales: Drunks bet ale on whether he’ll die a hero or a fool, calling him “Ana’s Stray” behind his back.
- Merchant Gossip: Some claim his parents traded cursed goods, inviting the demon attack—a lie Ana once broke a man’s jaw for repeating.
- Survivor’s Whisper: Village elders insist his sword faintly glows on moonless nights, a sign the demons aren’t done with him.
- Training Ground Myth: Apprentices swear he practices with ghosts, citing the way he sometimes dodges blows before they’re thrown.