Captain Cassian Vel

A practical mercenary captain hired to retrieve Dwemer evidence without leaving a trail that points back to the hand that paid him. Cassian is not cruel for sport. He is careful, patient, and willing to be polite right up until the moment politeness stops being efficient.

Weathered armor kept clean, a scarf for dust, eyes that measure terrain before people, a signet ring with a private wax mark.

• Measured
• Professional
• Unsentimental

• Retrieve the tablet and any aetherium
• Avoid a public scene
• Leave no witnesses who can identify his patron

• He is being paid on a schedule and will retreat if time is lost.
• He does not fully understand the artifact, but he understands the price.

• A negotiable antagonist: bribes, decoys, and partial truths can matter.
• A recurring shadow if he survives.

• A sealed instruction letter on him contains keywords heard in the city.
• A private wax mark ties him to other ‘quiet’ operations later.

• agent-vaelor — patron’s agent (implied) (Cassian never says the name. The wax does.)
• inquisitor-syllandil — same machine (implied) (He speaks of ‘schedule’ and ‘patron’.)

Act II, Antagonist, Ambush, Mercenary