Dragonwilds:Cathan

Template:Infobox NPC Cathan was a rookie adventurer who travelled to Dragonwilds:Ashenfall with Dragonwilds:Zanik, Dragonwilds:Vannaka, Dragonwilds:Doric and the Dragonwilds:Wise Old Man, and survived the initial expedition to the continent. Before his journey to Ashenfall, he was trained by Vannaka after losing a leg in a childhood misadventure.

History

Journey and Death

Cathan came from a privileged background, with wealthy parents who provided him with everything he needed. Despite this upbringing, he yearned for adventure and exploration from a young age. During one of his childhood expeditions in search of monsters to slay, he found "more than he bargained for" and lost a leg as a consequence of his hubris.

Following this injury, Cathan fell into depression as he could barely walk. His parents hired tutors to help reignite his passion for adventure. Vannaka became his primary mentor, teaching him combat skills and pushing him beyond his melancholy. Other notable figures also contributed to his training Zanik taught him wilderness survival, Doric instructed him in crafting weapons and armor and the Wise Old Man introduced him to basic magic

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Cathan (depicted in the middle) departing to Ashenfall with the rest of the group.

When the opportunity arose to explore Ashenfall, Cathan was recruited by his mentor, the Wise Old Man. He stood at the bow of the ship as they sailed to the new continent, excited about the adventures ahead. However, he would soon learn the meaning of "be careful what you wish for" as chaos unfolded in this strange land.

During his time on Ashenfall, Cathan discovered a potential method to defeat the dragon Dragonwilds:Velgar. His personal journals revealed that he formed an alliance with some of the local goblins, convincing them to help him overthrow their draconic overlord. He specifically mentioned a goblin named Dragonwilds:Spitfoot who was supposed to bring him keys, and referenced a "blue-flamed door in the swamps" that he believed held the secret to Velgar's destruction.

Cathan's plans involved reaching a tower that rises in the heart of the Fractured Plains, where Velgar was said to rest. He also mentioned the need to craft a "Challenge Horn" using dragon materials and dragonkin sigils as a means to confront the dragon. But before he could gather the materials to craft the horn, Cathan was captured by some Dragonwilds:Garou and sacrificed in front of Velgar. His ghost appears to adventurer(s), instructing them on how to craft the Challenge Horn and fulfill his mission to defeat Velgar.

Fellhollow's adventure

Although Cathan was ready to move on, Death had tasked him with an important job, sending Cathan to Dragonwilds:Fellhollow and investigate the region for means to confronting Dragonwilds:Imaru. The adventurer(s) would meet with him, where he informs them how to enter Imaru's lair.

File:Cathan.png

Cathan next to his corpse

Journal Entries

The following text is transcribed from the Journal.

Cathan is the first to tell you that he was raised in privilege. Wealthy family. Loving parents. Everything a growing boy could need. Yet, like for so many of us, it wasn't enough. He craved excitement, exploration and adventure, yearning more than anything to discover the wonders of the world.

As a child he slipped away from his family, in search of adventure and monsters to slay. He found more than he bargained for, and the lesson for his hubris cost him a leg.

In the months that followed, the boy fell into a deep darkness. Life offered little meaning when he could barely walk a few steps. His parents, in response, hired him a tutor, so that he might rekindle that spark of adventure that had once burned so brightly.

It worked. In Dragonwilds:Vannaka he found someone that could push him out of his melancholy. Who taught him how to wield a blade and target the weaknesses of his foes.

Vannaka brought in others, who helped train him further. In Dragonwilds:Zanik, young Cathan, learned how to survive in the wilds. In Dragonwilds:Doric he learned to craft weapons and armour to take down his foes. Finally, the Dragonwilds:Wise Old Man taught him a little bit of magic, and young Cathan's curious excitement burned brightly once more.

When the opportunity came to explore a new land, Cathan was the first to sign up and convinced his mentors to join him. As they sailed to Dragonwilds:Ashenfall he stood at the bow of the ship smiling at the adventures ahead.

In the chaos that followed, he's keenly aware of that age old phrase "be careful what you wish for".

Lore Scraps

The following text is transcribed from the Journal.

Just waiting for Spitfoot to bring me the keys, then next stop is the blue-flamed door in the swamps. It holds the secret to Velgar's destruction, I just know it. For now I'll bide my time, enjoying the spectacle of goblin hospitality.

I enjoy being a goblin's prisoner, there's a kind of dance to the whole thing. They threaten, they shout, they exclaim all the horrible things they intend to do to you, and then they never go through with it.

Goblin culture is like that. The strong hold power, but it's mostly performative -- because if you make yourself too much of a threat, someone's gonna challenge you to make you prove you deserve it.

The dragon hasn't learned that lesson about goblin faith.

Bandos was a nutjob, Zanik will tell you, but he got his people to behave exactly how he wanted. Conflict for conflict's sake, everyone just itching to beat up their boss.

Which is how I've got a few of them wrapped round my finger --- because I've let it slip that I'm gunning for their god.

Velgar isn't a god, he's just a dragon, but he's the toughest guy around and so they treat him as such. But I've worked out that path to taking him down and enough of these guys are thinking that I can do what I say. So they're coming with me, we're making a coup, and big old green-and-scaley's getting an axe to the face.

Just as soon as Spitfoot gets here, we'll make for that blue-flamed swamp door, where there's a piece of the puzzle that'll set my plan in motion.

The following text is transcribed from the Journal.

The goblins warn me about Ghornfell and the creatures within it. They call them the Garou, and they shiver when they say it. I've heard them mention them before, in the stories, myths and legends of this place - beastial warriors, that Bandos came here to destroy. He failed.

The god of war, failed to destroy the Garou and their goddess. That should tell you something.

I'll be careful. I'll sneak past their fortifications, I need to get through to the tower that rises in the heart of these Fractured Plains. That's where Velgar rests.

That's where I'll destroy him.

The following text is transcribed from the Journal.

Old Vannaka's an odd chap. Loyal to a fault, but not one to show affection. I still remember how he trained me, instilling me with a hatred for him that pushed me right past the pain. He was merciless, he was relentless, his training made me ache every day. So I took months of resentment and I balled them into a fist and with all of my loathing rammed it right into his face.

He was so proud. So proud that I punched him. So pleased with me for bruising his jaw. Because that was the first time I had walked on my new leg, without having to think through every painful motion.

He had given me something else to turn my loathing on, that wasn't myself.

That lummox took a broken kid, ready to give up on the world, and turned him into a warrior.

He's a good man, Vannaka, even if he won't always admit it. So of course, I said I'd join him on this new adventure.

I feel like there's more than just a curiosity here for him. Something deeper. Something hidden. A pain behind the eyes. So, yeah, I'll help him find what he's looking for. It's what a good friend does.

See Also

• Dragonwilds:Velgar
• Garou
• Dragonwilds:Ghornfell
• Dragonwilds:Vannaka
• The Dragonwilds:Fractured Plains
• Dragonwilds:Challenge Horn
• Dragonwilds:Fellhollow

Trivia

• His ghost is the only one outside of Dragonwilds:Fellhollow visible regardless of time of day, unlike others spirits that may only appear at certain times.
  • He is the only ghosts in-game that does not require the Dragonwilds:Ghostspeak Amulet.