- Character Biography
- Click Here
Callisto Bluemoon
| Age | 43 |
| Species | Wolverine |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
| Size (Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large) | Extra Large (Avg. 7') |
| Build | Broad |
| Rank | Minister of Commerce, Jarl |
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Thick shaggy fur in an array of browns spills over his clothing at every opportunity, the many and varied outfits he owns combining the best of modern fashion with elements of his Northlands heritage in ways which are either pleasantly harmonious or baffling depending on the day. Long nape fur often displays braids, sometimes with decorations of precious stones, coral or bone.
Belted at his waist Callisto will usually keep a fashionable dress sword to denote his rank and office, though rarely does it see use over the more practical short and longsword he owns. Failing these his claws and fangs do just fine.
PERSONALITY:
Callisto strives to combat this uncertainty by being straight-talking and rather upfront about his misdeeds for the most part, though he can be prone to petty grudges and the odd manipulation. Likewise he takes great pains to suppress his temper, for a raging wolverine is both poor impression and stereotype. Working with money he is thick-skinned and used to making unpopular decisions. Few would have the guts to complain to his face anyway, but where possible he would much rather aim for other beasts’ approval and tries, for the most part, to do right by his work.
Forward-thinking, he is interested in the advances of the ever-changing face of the world but likes to consider himself foremost a patron of the arts, with a proclivity for theatre and bias towards Niceties for their involvement in such projects. Though he is not one himself to stand on ceremony he has taken pains to familiarise himself with the pursuits and conversational styles of the Empress’ court.
However, to see Callisto simply as a friendly soul would be to ignore the machinations and ambition beneath. Hard-edged with his deals and decidedly frank when it comes to matters of money, the wolverine expects everything upheld to the letter and does not tolerate incompetence or excuses. He can be a generous boss to work for, but the expectations are high. He collects information like one might interesting shells and has no compunction about wielding such knowledge if it furthers his cause. The ends justify the means, and whilst he considers money the biggest power in the city he is content to sell his services to any Ministry willing to pay. Kindness is a currency, and he spends it intentionally.
STRENGTHS:
A natural negotiator and relentless in the pursuit of his goals, Callisto can be a patient individual or decisively cunning, ever-willing to leverage his insights to broker deals and achieve the best possible outcome on a deal. A meticulous soul, his talents broadly span between matters such as economics and trade logistics. This is all underpinned by the art of communication, considering himself a people (beast?) person at heart.
His skills with beasts are aided by lived experience through multiple echelons of society, providing insight into the lives and experiences of a broad swathe of the population. Years of networking have created a wide pool of resources at his disposal: if there’s anything needed, Callisto knows a beast who knows a beast.
A physically imposing creature, there is little denying the sheer raw power of a wolverine and all that entails, though Callisto rarely feels the need to employ such strength in his line of work. The threat, after all, often proves more than enough.
WEAKNESSES:
His intimidating size can sit at odds with the desire to portray himself as an affable fellow – often Callisto wishes that he were a mouse or weasel to engender more trust in his colleagues and finds his jokes can fall flat. Relationships are generally positive but rarely deep, nursing a lonely soul always wrestling with the fear of losing personal agency. He also suffers from the terrible curse of believing himself the smartest beast in any given room, leading to overconfidence and tunnel-vision when he pursues projects. As a stickler for seeing a deal through, he can be obstinate in seeing a debt fulfilled.
The title of Jarl, once a paw on the rungs of society’s ladder, seems to mean very little on Imperium shores, and his life has not been one lived amongst high society. Callisto is acutely aware of, and insecure about, this fact amidst his noble-born peers and constantly strives to keep up appearances. This complicates feelings held about his homeland and all he feels he has abandoned, particularly in the absence of many of his species. For this reason he has never considered reclaiming his birth name.
BIOGRAPHY:
The youngster watched as, driven by the need for a competitive edge, his father began taking an increased interest in trading with travelling merchants, striking deals for resources with which to assert dominance in the coming conflicts. He listened in on the discussions with growing interest, though understood little of the mechanisms taking place, and witnessed over the years his father become tamed by trade and money.
By the age of 12 his father had racked up considerable debt and constant combat had left them with little trade to offer. Kaspar was at this point essentially kitnapped, taken as collateral and, to earn his keep, apprenticed to one of the merchant Captains who renamed him to Callisto instead of Kaspar. It was to prove a harsh and difficult learning curve: he does not speak about these times.
His father proved in no great hurry to secure his safety. Over the course of his time as little more than a glorified cabin boy and attendant, Callisto observed deals being cut and trades being made. With his interest already piqued since kithood, he began voicing his interest to the Captain, who had in his own twisted way come to see him as more of a son. He decided that Callisto was to become more than mere insurance: he would become an investment.
The wolverine was formally taught more advanced reading, writing and arithmetic (for which he showed a particular talent), and the balancing of account books. Eventually he was trusted with handling deals of his own. He also came to learn the importance of building solid working relationships with creatures to do good business, but also of steadfastness and staying true to one’s word, whether that be honouring a debt or a threat. Unwittingly this began a lifelong relationship with money akin to his father’s – though Callisto would rage to hear it. Money was power and freedom.
Hearing news that his father the Jarl had died, Callisto re-negotiated his situation with the Captain, who, though offended that his charge should wish anything else, agreed that for a lump sum he could buy his freedom. Not long after reaching adulthood, he had managed to save and scrounge the exact fee that his mentor had requested. The same night that he paid the old beast, he strangled him to death and left him in his cabin before disembarking the vessel, chartering another bound for home shores.
On return to his old homeland he found his village all but in sole control of the area, having maintained its edge despite living beneath the paw of debt. Flooded with youthful rage and independence he paid off debts where he could to maintain links with reputable beasts and encouraged violent reprisals for dishonest merchants, spearheading a drive for self-sufficiency. It worked, the growing population stirred to action as they began focusing on their own exports. With less competition from opposing Jarls they soon found their place as skilled craftsbeasts with valuable exports.
By rights Callisto was to pick up the title of Jarl and continue to work with his people, but youth and a drive for independence meant that such responsibility felt shackling. Instead he agreed to give power to a council of trusted elders to maintain what had been built, keeping the title of Jarl to leverage some reputation overseas. He had one goal in mind when he set sail: south for the Vulpine Imperium, a rich nation he had long been fascinated with on his travels.
Asserting his title and remaining funds to secure the perception of higher status, Callisto focused his energies on continued education to try and narrow the gap and bring himself to the same levels as nobles. Using funds secured from working in the Ministry of Commerce as an accountant, he hired private tutors and began to expand both knowledge and social circles, strengthening ties with tradesbeasts and companies from his youth. It was around this time that he met Nicholas “The Lion” and began an intense relationship which ended poorly for both parties. He continued to work for the Ministry of Commerce, albeit with growing concern over dwindling funds and a collapsing system.
Around the 1740’s Callisto was recalled to his homeland at the insistence of the elders in the wake of the crop failures sweeping the globe. With revolution just around the corner and little interest in being caught in the crossfire, the wolverine was only too happy to answer the call. Back in the Northlands, where winter food was already scarce, he spent some time providing what aid and counsel he could, using those relationships from seasons past to broker trades and preferential delivery of goods which kept the communities alive – if barely.
This work would go unnoticed for several seasons after his return due to the chaos of the revolutions, but once news reached the ears of those in power he was invited to undertake a more respectable position within Commerce. With his feelings ambivalent towards the power shift, he saw little reason to refuse the post, though his reflections on the Empress remained guarded.
Ambitious plans of climbing the ladder at speed continued to be put on hold for the harsh reality of a country recovering from the expense of civil war. Talk of money and taxation would hardly be received with glee by a population already ravaged by disaster. In the end he took the post in Maquistry Cape overseeing import and export, continuing to make a name for himself as reliable and, at times, brutally efficient.
Over the years Callisto has been working in Maquistry Cape and Amerone when summoned, his aptitude for financial decisions and trade putting him in perfect stead for the post of Vice-Minister, all the better to oversee his continued ambition to rebuild the economy in the wake of Minister Vito Furotazzi. His successes thus far have been met with a generally positive air, though some critics are less than impressed by Callisto’s favouring of the arts and wonder if it is down to personal taste or merely a ploy to placate the masses. The art of diversion would be nothing new amongst those in power, after all.
Most recently Callisto has been working and convalescing in Amerone as he recovers from a recent illness.
POSSESSIONS/REAL ESTATE:
- Ornamental dress sword, blued longsword and shortsword, the latter more commonly seen on his belt and the former taken only when anticipating trouble.
- An array of outfits for every occasion. He regularly hires seamstresses and tailors to make varying pieces to match his ever-changing styles and needs (and to keep up with repairs when his heavy-pawed treatment of clothing causes rips and tears).
- Accessories are likewise varied, from braid beads to rings and bracelets.
- Often he keeps about himself a pocketwatch, parchment and charcoal. A small ledger is always kept about his person.
- A considerable property in Zann’s Backyard and a flat in the Insanely Rich Area.
- Undocumented in any paperwork is a beautiful cruck-framed barn well outside the city limits.
- It is difficult to know the true ins and outs of everything Callisto has his claws in across the city with all the various businesses and industries, and likely he has many more secrets.
SKILLS:
| Physical | Mental | Social |
|---|---|---|
| Paw-to-Paw Combat (Strength) [Seasoned] (4) | Economics / Trade Logistics [Veteran] (7) | Negotiation [Seasoned] (4) |
| Sword (Short/Long) [Proficient] (2) | Northlands Translation & Interpretation [Trained] (1) | Intimidation [Proficient] (2) |
| Canoeing [Novice] (0) | Literature (History) [Novice] (0) | Beetle-Keeping [Novice] (0) |
| Skill [Rank] (Points) | Skill [Rank] (Points) | Performing Arts [Novice] (0) |
| Total Points in Category: 6 | Total Points in Category: 8 | Total Points in Category: 6 |
