Cass Flamespitter

Cassandra De Groot grew up in the Barbary capital city of Grondstad, learning how to make jewelry and carry on the family business. She lived up to her family name, her orcish body growing tall early and earning her share of teasing from the other children in her neighborhood. She always met teasing head-on, giving as good as she got. When her magical abilities started manifesting, she learned to cause pain with her words through vicious mockery. Her favorite prestidigitation trick involved setting her tongue on fire, just to intimidate her bullies into silence. Soon everyone called her Cass Flamespitter.

She had a talent for words from a young age, employing colorful and complex insults in both Brak'val and Common. She's starting to branch out into Occam, Steinrede, and Gladlam, though fluency still eludes her. Cass found jewelry making tedious, preferring to talk with people and boost their confidence. She found a Bratach merchant from Dunhill selling cosmetics, and she never looked back. She left her parents at age 15, after they gave her the ultimatum to join the business or get out.

She wandered south into Dunhill, learning or figuring out new methods of beautification, several new styles of braiding hair, and even creating her own cosmetics. She earned a reputation as a makeover artist, and quickly ramped up her prices as she worked with every princess at court in Aldunleigh. She studied at the College of Eloquence, but she never stopped helping everyone she met feel their best and most confident. She eventually found her way further south into Fellport, and she fell in love with the city's vibe.

When the old Temple to Venus on level 12 became available in the decade-long real estate selloff after the Godstorm, Cass snapped it up in a heartbeat. She settled on a permanent home to build her chosen craft into a beauty empire. The location gave her easy access to the mansions of Topside, the rich kids from the College had a short walk, and the pillar-supported ceilings let her cater to the few giants left in town. She reworked the interior, gathered her friends, decorated the pillars out front, and put up a sign. Eighteen years ago now, Eye Candy arrived on the scene.

Cass spends most of her days in her workroom, making her clients feel their best with her signature Inspirational Makeovers, concocting cosmetics, and even fashioning the occasional custom artistic pendant or ring. She goes out a few evenings a week to meet people at one of the many shows around town, but not quite as often as in years past. She feels the weight of her 47 years deeply, knowing the end of her life approaches with astonishing speed. She's learned to heal her clients however she can, recently learning the greater restoration and mass cure wounds spells. She wants Eye Candy to continue after her death, but she has yet to find an apprentice she can teach her Inspirational Makeover secrets to, which troubles her greatly.

She joined the Garden Manor Society 15 years ago, fairly soon after Eye Candy opened, and rumor says elevation to its Board will happen later this year. She doesn't overtly meddle in politics, but her highly-placed clientele share their troubles with her, so she has a very clear picture of the political climate in Fellport. She doesn't kiss and tell, though she has been known to spin hypothetical situations on occasion to point people in a constructive direction. Her clients remain devoted to her, showering her with gifts and favors, and she's asked each to keep an eye out for a budding bard looking for a purpose that she can mentor.

Cass has a deep, almost baritone voice and calls everyone "girlfriend" and "honeychild". She stands almost seven feet tall, with a very proportional Venusian body type. Cosmetics even out the tone of her swamp-green skin, and the style of her obsidian hair changes constantly, sometimes multiple times per day. She has extremely symmetrical lower tusks, glittering eyes of the darkest brown that they're almost black, and her makeup elevates her facial features to the realm of the divine or demonic depending on her mood that day. She shines beyond the traditional ideals of beauty, and she never lets her confidence wane in the face of ignorance or cruelty. She exudes insight and empathy, picking up on the most subtle social cue, and everyone finds her easy to talk to. She genuinely wants everyone around her to be their most confident selves, and she famously never tolerates negative bullshit.

Cass Flamespitter
Orc (Barbary) Eloquence Bard (Level 10) (She/Her)
(Guild Artisan Background;  Observant, Skill Expert Feats)
Str 10  Dex 10  Con 12  Int 12  Wis 16  Cha 16
Deception +7, History +5, Insight* +11, Intimidation* +11, Medicine +7, Perception* +11, Performance* +11, Persuasion* +11

Part of T.W.Wombat's Lore 24 project, detailing the world around Fellport.
For all city posts, see the Fellport Index. For posts about the wider world, see the Beneterra Index.