Caden Law

Caden Law came about in the Fall of 2007. The character was the end result of his creator, then an administrator for a Zoids RPG, repeatedly mumbling, "I want to play a Wizard." The rest is, more or less, history. What began as a knock-off Rincewind has become one of Althanas' most formidable, influential, and story-driven magic users, singlehandedly responsible for altering the geography in three regions and exploring more of the surface world of Althanas than any other active character. Caden is also at the heart of a whole roster of player characters known as Fireside Company, which includes (but may not ultimately be limited to) Aeraul Smythe, Savas Tigh, and Rowan Stormwind, as well as a whole host of NPCs. The character's adventures have also codified several kinds of spellcasters, aspects of Raiaeran society, the Forgotten Ones of Althanas, and the entire continent of Kebiras.

Among other things.

The Barebones Description

Name: Caden Law

Sorcerous Name: Blueraven

Age: 26

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 205 lbs.

Hair Color: Pale blond

Eye Color: Generally blue

Occupation: Adventurer, Wizard, Sorcerer

Aspects: The Wizard That Did It, Restless Wanderer, I Might Not Like It But I'll Do What I Have To, Veteran of the Corpse War, Self-Made Sorcerer, There Won't Be Any Apocalypse, Wormaxe's Master, Prospective Archwizard of the College Arcana, The Chronal Monkeywrench, Hatbutton Issues, I Only Slightly Hate Elves, Marked by Powers Beyond Hope or Reason, You Can't Go Home Again, As Good As My Word, Brigadier's Folly

Explanations and a more detailed description are available in Caden's character bio, currently updated to Level 9.

Trivia

Caden is a problematic character to write a bio for because his abilities are almost wholly governed by plot rather than hard stats or numbers. He's been likened to everything from a Dresden Files Wizard to a low-end Eclipse or Twilight Solar or even a Sidereal from White Wolf's Exalted line of games. At present, he could be considered a multi-classed character -- one part Wizard, one part Warrior or Rogue, and one part Sorcerer. His original powerset was limited to Geomancy, Gravity, and Thermal magic; he was an Earthbender who could fling a black hole or perform elemental magic that bypassed then-common elemental immunities. He was partially created to take down several characters who are no longer present on Althanas, but has since grown beyond that, with each of his original abilities helping to justify new ones.

It doesn't help that Caden was originally a character in a likely never-to-be-written novel. He was only a side-character, and a sacrificial one at that. Novel!Caden's character arc was meant to be that of a major hero who saved the main cast several times, steered a Spelljammeresque spaceship, and cultivated a romance of sorts with the main female sidekick before falling spectacularly in battle with a traitorous former ally -- the main heroine's former love interest. Certain aspects of all these things are still present, including Caden's potentially lethal relationship with his apprentice, Savas Tigh, as well as his relationship with a woman named Veshua (although the outcome on Althanas was much more of a downer for Caden). Until recently, novel!Caden was much more powerful than Althanas!Caden, who is only just now approaching his true potential as a mage. He still has a long way to go.

The writer is set on the notion of Caden being miserably single. In addition to having psycho-sexual dysfunctions courtesy of Salvic Wizard traditions, the universe itself has a nasty habit of blocking Caden from romantic or even casual sexual entanglements. His lack of luck with elven women is particularly noteworthy, although he has managed to end up adopting a half-elven daughter during the course of his time in Anebrilith-Beinost. At present, it seems like the only way Caden will be able to find romantic contentment is to stop being a player character.

In real world terms, Caden speaks with a slightly British accent. His voice and mannerisms were initially based on the Tenth Doctor as portrayed by David Tennant. His native tongue is vaguely Russian. He has, on occasion, used mangled Spanish in his spells. He was initially based on a combination of the Tenth Doctor, Rincewind the Wizzard, and Earthbending from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Over time, influences have included Simon R. Green's The Nightside and Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, among others. As the writer's education has gone up over the years, Caden's sophistication as a character and credibility as a "scrawny academic know-it-all" have both increased, particularly regarding politics and the physics of magic.

Caden is arguably among the most metafictional characters on Althanas, particularly for those characters who haven't yet broken the fourth wall. He experiences Liquid Time as an observable in-game effect, something that makes him virtually immune to any kind of time-based attacks, retroactive continuities, so on and so forth. He actually remembers several threads that never ended, often experiencing them as strikingly realistic dreams. For a while, he was also so unhinged in Time that there were multiple Caden Laws running around Althanas, each one being reabsorbed with a bright golden flash as Caden gained a new level. This plot was never directly addressed, but has been hinted at from time to time.

Another plot not yet fully addressed is Caden's ongoing enmity with Anton Wyrmtongue, a Warlock from N'Thayn'sal who's survived more run-ins with the Wizard than any villain to date. Anton is, in game terms, a level sixteen character. It'll be a while before Caden can vie with him on even terms, even accounting for the hit to Anton's abilities that time travel caused. Another unresolved plot relates to the Skinwalker of Lindequalme, who now knows Caden and is only held back by the concept of barriers surrounding the forest.