Cadmus Durand ⚔️
the charming assassin on the run
Introducing...
Full name: Comte Cadmus Orion François Durand
Meaning: the title Comte is the same as a count or an earl (Cadmus is specifically an earl) his first name comes from Greek mythology:
In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece. He also famously slayed a dragon.
source 1 source 2
Cadmus also translates to “one who excels”
Gender: male, he/ him
Birthday: April 10th
Age (start of story): 29
Orientation: bisexual
Magic: illusions, light
Occupation: assassin
Familiar: Agatha the black mamba snake, named after Agathodaemon, a mythological personal companion spirit often pictured as a snake
Love interest: Julian Devorak, no canon route
Shippable?: very!
Theme song: Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand
(the perfect song for him, lyrically and because the band is named after the famously assassinated Archduke)
full playlist
— ALIGNMENTS —
Zodiac signs:
Sun: aries
Moon: aquarius
Rising: capricorn
MBTI: entj
Element: fire
Major Arcana: The Chariot
UPRIGHT: Control, willpower, success, action, determination
REVERSED: Self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction
Minor Arcana: 9 of Wands
UPRIGHT: Resilience, courage, persistence, test of faith, boundaries
REVERSED: Inner resources, struggle, overwhelm, defensive, paranoia
Magic:
— Illusions: Can create minor illusions such as fake walls to hide behind or temporarily changing his appearance (hair color, facial features etc)
— Light: Can create a ball of golden light, for flashlight or distraction purposes usually
Other abilities: espionage, speaks multiple languages, skilled in various types of weapons including swords of all kinds and archery, skilled dancer
— PERSONALITY & PREFERENCES —
Personality: Cadmus is direct, confident, and decisive. He’s quick thinking and resourceful and always has a plan. He’s outwardly very charming, though he uses the information he learns from others to figure out the best way to take them down. Always vigilant and observant, Cadmus tends to see people in terms of how they can be of use to him.
He’s got a talent for making people feel like they know him, even though they don’t. He makes friends easily, though whether he would consider them friends is another matter. He also makes enemies easily, both through his job and family affiliation and through his boastful attitude. He has a bad temper and his pride is easily hurt. He likes to be the best at everything he does, and he usually is. Cadmus will rise to any challenge and has to hold himself back from fighting every battle.
When he does genuinely care for someone he is loyal, protective, and can be kind. The only people to earn this treatment so far are his younger sister Daphne, and occasionally his best friend and Captain of the Guard, Alexander Garreau.
Mental health: Cadmus is very emotionally closed off, he deals with PTSD from his childhood and vocation but generally does a great job of never letting anyone know he’s upset. His attention ranges from hyperfocus to being completely unfocused with little in between. He also has very bad coping mechanisms and tends to be self destructive in his relationships
Likes: dancing, sunny days, playing games (of any kind), sleeping in
Dislikes: indecision, lack of control, travelling by boat
Fears: small spaces (he’s claustrophobic), losing his sister
Quirks: walks with a bit of a limp from previous injuries
Favorite food: crème brûlée
Favorite drink: gin
Favorite flower: larkspur
Favorite color: black and gold
Most likely to: consider sword fighting first base
— APPEARANCE —
Height: 6’, 183 cm
Eyes: blue grey
Hair: honey blonde, curly, he often lets it grow to his shoulders
Other: has freckles everywhere, and a multitude of battle scars ranging from tiny ones on his arms to a large one on his torso, his left shoulder has a tattoo of a dragon that stretches onto his arm, he also has pierced ears
Color theme: black, gold, silver, royal blue
Fashion sense: described as “fancy goth prince / part time pirate”, his clothing is expensive, detailed, and always impeccably tailored, he comes from money and his wardrobe shows it. Cadmus wears mostly black, especially on missions, but at special events will branch into colors, usually blue or gold. He’s a fan of a classic puffy sleeve and tight pants combo.
— FAMILY & BACKGROUND —
Family:
The Durand Family Motto is “ex gladio vita” from the sword, life
Augustin Durand - father- alive | relationship: bad
Helene Durand - mother - alive | relationship: nearly nonexistent
Alastor Durand - younger brother - alive | relationship: bad, pretty much mortal enemies
Daphne Durand - younger sister - alive | relationship: best friends, slightly paternal
History:
Born and raised in the city of Avronne, Cadmus was trained as an assassin from a young age to protect his family’s political and business ventures. He’s used as a weapon, a pawn to his father the Comte d'Avronne, and sent across the world on missions to take out anyone who could threaten the family. Cadmus never questioned the things he was asked to do, simply doing as he was told to protect his life and out of a sense of duty and loyalty to his family and city.
He grew up in the luxury of the castle, going on missions as commanded until he was forced to reconsider his morals and family loyalty. He’s sent to assassinate the princess of a neighboring city to allow his family to control the line of succession in their favor. When he arrives, he finds that the princess is only 16 years old and reminds him too much of his own younger sister Daphne. When the time comes to kill, he chooses to spare her instead and faces his family’s wrath.
On the run from his family and their army of trained assassins (some of them Cadmus’ own friends and relatives) he flees to Vesuvia, a city big enough to hide in. He plans to stay for a few weeks at most, but plans change when he meets an old friend (or enemy depending on who you ask) His stay in Vesuvia is cut short when he receives word that his sister is in terrible danger.
Now Cadmus must choose whether to walk into his father’s trap to save his sister, perhaps at the cost of his own life. With the help of a certain red haired doctor he might just be able to pull it off- but sacrifices must be made.
Five facts:
he’s allergic to nuts which has nearly killed him on at least 2 occasions
he loves his horse, he’s the male equivalent of a horse girl but he’d never admit to it
he has a chipped front tooth and it gives him a slightly crooked looking smile
his familiar Agatha has deadly venom and has assisted him with taking down targets before
he fights with a sword left handed for the tactical advantage, even though he’s right handed
note: Hi hello here is my newest child, I’m very excited to share him! Special thanks to @leila-of-ravens because I stole her oc bio template lol, and thank you to all of my lovely mutuals who have listened to me gush about him 💗
