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Item of Origin: Nutcracker Prince
Current Stage: Anhelo
Name: Cadfael Valerius, as he no longer wishes to use his Grimm's last name, but considers it necessary for himself to have a last name. His last name is the latin origin of the rather rare name Valeriya. In the the Aunsbyrn family it is considered to be Vethel's middle name.

Personality:

Easy-going and irresponsible, Fael tries his best to avoid unpleasant tasks and emotions, as he believes there's no point to life if he's not enjoying it. He is well aware that this isn't a valid strategy of getting through life, and that, sooner or later, he will be forced to do something he does not want to, but he's content with putting this off for as long as humanely possible. His motto is simple - out of sight, out of mind, and he follows in the most literal way possible - by physically avoiding anything that will bring him distress. Fael rarely, if ever, visits poverty-stricken areas, and is, quite frankly, a bit alarmed and mistrustful when evidence that people do die from starvation and poverty is brought before him. It's not that the prince is intentionally elitist - far from it, as he is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who asks for it - he simply has a hard time relating to anything and anyone that is not in his range of sight, so to speak. Fael can only believe and fight for what he feels and sees, and, ultimately and unconscionably, always puts himself before all others.

Fael's pastimes are many - dancing, painting, writing, fencing, to name a few - and he achieves a degree of success in most all of them. To say they are his hobbies would be a gross overstatement, however - Fael switches them like gloves, learning the minimal amount he can without putting in too much effort, and then dropping it to move on to the next skill that catches his eye. Some he comes back to from time to time - fencing, in particular, is a favorite - but even then he rarely practices with any sort of regularity, though if he did he probably would have excelled long ago. This wide range of knowledge that lacks depth makes him a perfect socialite, who knows just enough about practically everything to uphold a conversation, and knows nothing in great detail, which prevents him from being boring.

A social butterfly, Fael loves nothing more than being in a small crowd or at a party and mingling with a wide array of people. Naturally charismatic, with a tendency to talk with his hands and body as well as his mouth, the princely Plague is an expert at directing the flow of conversation into whatever channel he wishes, or leaving a long-lasting impression in the mind of a fellow guest with his tactile nature. Due to his many charms and handsome features, Fael easily makes friends, but has a hard time keeping them. It's due to no fault of theirs, though - due to his off the cuff nature, Fael just tends to be somewhat forgetful, and will probably stop contact with them if it requires more than a minimal amount of effort on his part. Due to this, most of his closest friends are either those that he meets every day or are actually just that interesting to him. Fael has a good memory for faces, though, and will probably recognize and greet his many acquaintances on the street, still considering them his friends and ready to assist them if they ask.

Fael is surprisingly self-critical and aware of his own faults, though he is altogether unwilling to put in more than a token effort in changing himself most of the time, as he simply does not want to spend the time and effort on such an unpleasant undertaking. Instead, should he decide that a task is necessary for him to complete, the Plague will immediately seek out those who posses qualities that he lacks and are required for the completion of the goal in mind. He will, on these rare occasions, put in as much effort and time as is required for the job, and will spare no resources should they become necessary. Cadfael truly cares about very little, but to those things he is willing to devote any amount of time and energy, and will submit to any discomforts, from the little, such as lack of sleep, to extreme, such as bodily harm or deep emotional discomfort.

For the longest time Cadfael considered only one thing more important than his personal comfort - Vethel, his Grimm. His earliest memories and impressions that come from before his transformations are ones of Vel - her laugh, her smile, the look on intense concentration on her face as she practiced drills in her room or was knitting him another sweater by the fire - and he can't help but feel an instinctual need to aid and protect her, to make sure she smiles and spare her tears. When they lived in Gadu, it was a simple task - by his nature Cadfael was content enough to listen to her orders and avoid confrontation when he was on the base. Most of the time Vethel allowed him to wander alone around the bright city of Gadu, where he could go where he pleased, see what he wanted to see, and talk to anyone that caught his interest, whether human or Plague, often under the guise of a stunted Plague to avoid questions about his seemingly missing Grimm.

On the rare occasions the Grimm and her Plague did argue (mostly over Vel's insistence that the Plague needed to become more responsible, like the man he was created in the image of), Fael would simply leave without a word before the tense discussion could become truly heated, and run off to find Peter, Vethel's older brother. Peter was very fond of Cadfael and would willingly explain what he was learning in the University, and sometimes even sneak the excito into his lectures. The scholar's studies were of great interest to Fael, and he would often spend days at a time looking through Peter's notes and books, asking questions about the material, and soaking in knowledge about the art of debate and Panymisian law. Of special interest to the prince were discussions about the equality of rights for humans and Plagues, and he would often ask Peter to take him to the meetings of his debate club when their topic of discussion was relevant to the topic at hand. When Cadfael finally grew tired or bored with his studies, he would quietly return to his Grimm, and both would continue on as if nothing had happened, neither wanting to address the issue and face the ensuing conflict.

But after moving back to Helios, faced with the obvious distrust and dislike from the majority of the people he meets in the Aunsbyrn estate and the suddenly cruel treatment from his Grimm, as well as the confirmation of the worrying rumors of the Emperor's fierce opposition of Plague rights and his disgust towards Plagues in general, Cadfael's trust in Vethel had been seriously shaken. After the confrontation in which Vethel confirms she would harm or even kill Cadfael if was ordered to by her superiors, regardless of whether or not Fael was guilty of any crime, the bond between Grimm and Plague was completely destroyed. Now Cadfael is trying to deal with the loss of his home, his bond with his Grimm, and the sudden realization that he needs to start acting to protect himself, because, for now, the law does not.

History:

1397 - One day a respected doll-maker receives two urgent orders at once. Both from wealthy nobles as gifts for their children, both due in a month's time; one oddly specific, the other infuriatingly vague. But, alas, the doll-maker is rather old, and prone to forgetfulness, though still a master of his craft! While the orders were of a nutcracker in the shape of a soldier and a doll with a master's best guess of the Emperor's face in young adulthood, the doll-maker instead made a doll in the form of a solider and a magnificently made nutcracker with the face of the Emperor! Though the soldier was well-made and sturdy, perfect for a young child, it was with the nutcracker that the master truly out-did himself. The finest wood made up his body, the most delicate of features were drawn upon his face, he was dressed in the richest silk and, indeed, only one who had seen the toy in action would even guess it was a nutcracker at all!

Upon being presented with the completed orders, the noble parents at first stood silently, dumb with shock, until the noble lady who requested the soldier burst out laughing. The doll-maker was bewildered, but even William Aunsbyrn, notable for his control over his emotions, chuckled softly. Both of them reassured the old master everything was in order, payed the required amount, and, in a cheerful mood set off in opposite directions to deliver the toys off to their new owners.

The nutcracker was gifted to a beautiful little girl, all of five years old, by the name of Vethel Aunsbyrn. A cheerful little thing, eager to play knight all day, as she was recently allowed, Vethel cherished and loved the gift her father ordered for her, and she could spend hours playing with the prince, telling him stories that she had imagined of the battles she had fought and the enemies she had defeated. Though her childhood quickly passed by, with training and study filling up her hours instead of play, the prince still stayed by her side, her most trustworthy confidant and the only friend she could always count on being there.

1410 - Edgar is infected by a dead crow that he stumbled on while on one of his rare walks in the fields. The family's personal physician quickly diagnosed him with the most feared of illnesses. His father, sick with worry and frantically searching for an available Locos, hires a young council mage to teleport to Gadu to deliver the unfortunate news and a letter to his older children. Both Peter and Vethel are stricken with worry, and convince the mage to bring back gifts, with their best wishes and luck, for their brother. The young man, being a long-time friend and classmate of Peter, easily agrees, and the stricken Edgar receives a bowl of exotic fruits and sweet-smelling incense from his brother and a cherished nutcracker from his sister that stands faithfully, watching over the young man's fitful rest.

In a stroke of luck, a Locos who was willing to be persuaded was quickly found, and the youngest child of the Aunsbyrn family was saved. In the commotion and celebrations surrounding Edgar's successful recovery the nutcracker was almost forgotten, and only a single servant, who was assigned to package and send the toy back to Vethel, along with a letter containing the good news, noticed that the nutcracker now smelled rather odd and oozed a strange black liquid. She quickly dismissed it, however, as she was eager to get back to the celebrations and sent the package off to it's rightful owner.

In three weeks, the package arrived, and from it the plagued prince emerges to the shocked face of one Vethel Aunsbyrn. In a panic, she rushes to her brother with the tainted toy in tow. Peter is also caught by surprise, but reacts a lot more calmly, as he has several Grimm friends and acquaintances, and is, due to his free-thinking surroundings and the lack of his parent's conservative influence, very much a liberal. He convinces his sister not to throw out or gift away the plagued item, assuring her that being a Grimm will not affect her military service in a negative way, and that she is certainly not betraying the Emperor by becoming a Grimm. Knowing his family's rather negative view on Plagues, Peter starts to persuade Vethel that her Plague, literally made in the form of the Emperor himself and her most beloved possession, deserves to be treated like a living creature when it achieves Excito stage, at the very least. Vethel is hesitant at first, but slowly accepts the idea, though her acceptance is very much based on her loyal nature - her Plague will be deserving of respect and courtesy - and not any other.

1411 - The Excito arrives. Thankfully the seeds of trust that Peter had planted in Vethel grew, and the Plague and Grimm, after a few first awkward encounters and conversations, get along splendidly, though their bond seems, well, rather odd. It grows strong, no doubt about that, but it is oddly impersonal, as though both are hesitant to open up to the other. The Plague and Grimm seem to operate on the "Well, since we belong together, of course we need to get along!" basis. While they grow to know each other more and more as time goes by, their fondness is a mild and gentle one - there is no place for fiery loyalty, no need for excessive declarations of fondness, as both are unsuited to them - one has already devoted herself to another cause, and the other by his nature finds the idea to center his actions around the other incomprehensible. They are two strangers stuck in the same boat, and while Cadfael, as he is now called, now finds he is fine with listening to Vethel's orders and would even be willing to sacrifice himself for her in the most extreme of situations, they are both content with living as they are - mostly separate, and only coming together in the late evening.

autumn of 1413 - Due to to Vethel's rise in ranks and her subsequent transfer back home, Fael's life takes a striking dive for the worse. Everyone, from Vethel's parents to the kitchen servants, treats him with contempt, his Grimm becomes hurtfully frigid towards him, and the Guards with whom Vethel resides in the barracks loudly discuss how, if there's one thing the Emperor got right, it's his staunch opposition of equal rights for those "damned Plague animals". Suddenly, his home is not a safe haven to return to for the night, but instead a place of outright hostility in which he must tread carefully, as if in an enemy's camp.

The only place in the whole estate Fael feels safe is Edgar's, the youngest Aunsbyrn sibling's, room. In the sickly young man he finds an unexpected friend and ally, as Edgar is a lot more accepting of Plagues than the rest of his family, due to both an inborn liberal nature and his miraculous recovery from the Black Death due to the powers of a Locos. Edgar allows the small excito to sleep in his room, hidden safely under the bed, and the two often talk long into the night, exchanging stories about their experiences and desires. Edgar confesses to being glad for his sickly constitution, for the thought of having to serve as well as his sister does now alarms and scares him. Cadfael, on his side, reveals his worries over the Emperor's views and the feeling of betrayal that he can't seem to shake when he thinks of his Grimm.

Nevertheless, one good friend in a house full of enemies is not enough to allow the Plague comfortable living in the Aunsbyrn residence. Cadfael spends even less time in the estate then he did in the barracks of Gadu - he prefers to spend his days in Aureola, striking up conversations with everyone he meets and enjoying the sights the capital has to offer. He also starts visiting the library to secretly peruse tomes on Panymese law. He starts putting together what he had learned in Trisca with the help of Peter and what he reads, as well as what he hears out in the street, pubs, and barracks.

What he confirms is true strengthens his resolve. He can no longer put up with his position as Vethel's possession, legally allowing him only as much freedom as he had while a toy. But, like always, he is reluctant to out-right confront his Grimm just yet, and decides to wait. Maybe Vethel will finally stop treating him with brusque disinterest. Maybe her parent's dislike of him will lessen. Maybe things will get better.

winter of 1413 - Edgar, already an adult at eighteen years old, sets off for Trisca University. Though he is not as avid a scholar as his older brother, he is eager to learn and to finally break out of the constraining influence of his family. He offers to take Cadfael with him back to Gadu, but Fael, though thankful to the young man for offering, refuses. Even in his current circumstances, he can not leave his Grimm in such a way.

Not yet.

It becomes apparent that, with the only supporter he had within the house gone, his situation is going to get even more precarious. The servants stop fearing him, and do not hesitate to chase him out of any nook or cranny he attempts to hide himself in to rest. William becomes outright hostile, and even Vethel becomes snide and snaps at him when they meet. Cadfael's trust in her is now a thin thread, but still it keeps him from just leaving and never coming back. But when he confronts her, that thread snaps. She confirms his worst nightmare: his trust and loyalty to her were completely one-sided, and she never even considering changing or going against her views, even if his life were in danger. Enraged and impossibly hurt, the Nutcracker slams his fist against the wall in a futile attempt to release his emotions. Instead, starting from his fist, he starts cracking, the shell of his old self falling away, revealing a blinding golden light within.

The frightened and confused Vethel watches Cadfael become an Anhelo.

The light slowly fades, allowing the young woman to fully see the emerged Plague. Cadfael is resplendent in his finely-clad and golden glory, and, most shockingly, his impossibly familiar face with golden, glowing eyes. Speechless, she can only watch as Cadfael bids her farewell and leaves the Aunsbyrn estate. He has very little idea of where he's going. He just needs to get away.

The Plague Doctor and all related concepts belong to Rookeries, as does all of Cadfael's official art.
Some concepts, such as Cor Caedwyn, belong to their respective writers.
Any kind of graphic and/or art - all credit belongs to it's respective artist.
Characters not played by me belong to their respective players.
Cadfael, Vethel, the Aunsbyrn family, and most characters mentioned herein belong to me.