Cassandra Sunray

The Great bard of the Court of Isadore

Bard of the Court Cassandra Limaire

Cassandra Sunray was a highly respected bard, who spent most of her entertaining career in Neklian, though originally born and raised in Bredtkiping. Cassandra is remembered for many great lyrics and epic party evenings at court. But she is also a part of the legend often known as the vanishing of a Leader, for she was one of those who disappeared along with the last Refined Servant of Neklian.

The Life of a Musically Gifted Legend

Many have asked Cassandra through her life about her past. They expected it to be as grand of a story as the one she was living at the given time, but many legends have humble beginnings.

Childhood in the North

Though she lived in luxury later in life, she wasn't well off growing up. She was born to a Neklian father and a Bredtean mother, who had settled down together in Edelind, a small town in Bredtkiping. They lived in a small one-room house, and although they weren't dirt poor, they couldn't afford much more than having their basic needs met.
From an early age, Cassandra proved to have a talent for the musical arts. She was always singing and humming everywhere singing in tune without even trying.

When she was 6, she quickly taught herself how to play the flute that their neighbour let her test out. When she turned 10, her parents had saved up all they could and gifted her a cheap lute so she could explore her passion for music even further.
Cassandra was known in the area for being a loud-mouthed and smart young girl, she was well-liked by many as she was kind and helpful and she got along great with most of the other kids in the neighbourhood. Though some did dislike her as they found her too sharp-tongued and outspoken for a child.

Oh Cass? Yeah, she was as witty as they come, I still remember back when she talked back to our village elder with a witty remark and how his face became beet red!
She didn't even get in trouble, because her parents agreed with her, though I think she did get a scolding for almost giving the old man a heart attack with her brash way of talking

— Selas, Cassandra's childhood friend

New adventures and opportunities

Cassandra grew up and became a confident and intelligent young woman with clear goals for herself. She knew what she wanted and knew exactly where she was headed to reach her goals. Her parents knew that she wasn't going to stay in their small farming community forever. Together, they had looked for opportunities for Cassandra to foster her talents.

Venkiping, Bredtkiping

When she turned 14, she went to study language and music in Venkiping.
Here, she studied under a former musician and well-known lyricist who taught her much both about writing songs and playing instruments.
While there, she mastered both the lute and the lyre, bringing her mastery up to three instruments.

Trip goes to Neklian

Afterwards, she travelled to Hanatoft in Hanalund, where she met a diplomat and was hired by him and his family. This was her first hire that lasted more than a few gigs.
He asked her to come with him and his family to a diplomatic meeting hosted in Neklian. She gladly agreed, as she had heard of the wondrous place from her father and wished to see it for herself.

Meeting Isadore

Cassandra and the diplomat had planned to stay in Neklian for a month. In reality, they only needed to be there for around a week for the diplomatic meetings that they were expected to attend, but Cassandra was adamant about staying a bit longer. She wasn't expected to sit in at the actual meetings and she instead spent a lot of time wandering the streets of Neklian and spending time in the different gardens around the city.

I remember it as if it happened yesterday! It was a warm summers day, and I was playing my lyre for a flock of birds that had settled down in a tree not far away.
I was humming along to my own tune, and the only other sounds around was that of the little water stream nearby and the wind rustling through the tree branches.
Well, at least it was until some clumsy oaf came along and snapped a branch so loudly that all of my birds flew away! That someone turned out to be Isadore, though I wasn't fully aware of who he was.
We became friends that day, and I decided to stay when he offered me a position as a bard in his court.

— Cassandra

A legendary bard

From this moment on, Cassandra made an even bigger name for herself as the wonderful bard who entertained the most high-standing guests at the most luxurious parties in all of Dysvoll. She's been credited with helping many lords, kings and other nobility get past their differences, by making them party together and quite literally party through their differences.
She is officially known to have stopped a potential trading war between the nations of Kanden, which would've impacted her own parents very badly.

The Vanishing Act

Cassandra is remembered for her own achievements, as she was a powerhouse of a bard. But she's also remembered alongside Isadore and the rest of the court for disappearing from one night to the other, never to be seen again. This event is what led to the downfall of Neklian.

Species

Human

Ethnicity

Neklians

Other Ethnicities/Cultures

• Bredteans

Age

29

Eyes

Deep Brown

Hair

Golden Blonde

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Fair, freckled

Aligned Organization

Neklian

Other Affiliations

• Court of Isadore

Well Known Tunes

Cassandra has written many songs that have gone down in history, some of her most notable songs include:

• When the Morning Sets and the Night Rises
• The ballad of Isadore
• When in Neklian

These songs are still sung in parts of Dysvoll today, many years after Cassandra no longer performed.

In legends and times to follow,
they'll tell tales of our grace and might!
They'll sing to our honour and benevolent core,
Our Isadore will live on forevermore!

— Cassandra Sunray, belting out less expertly written lyrics while very drunk at a banquet