Cassair was very shy and quiet as a child, rarely venturing beyond the borders of his home estate in Iadlain. His mother, who had never been satisfied with her arranged marriage, ran away from the city soon after he was born, and his father, the previous Count of Iadlain, was always the subject of silent ridicule not only for this, but because he had no magical talent of his own. Consequently, when he realised that his son had an aptitude for magic, he immediately and vengefully threw Cassair into a life of intense magical training.

Cassair's natural ability, however, lay in healing magic and so he struggled to make any progress as a mage, which frustrated his father no end. He would not relent, however, and Cassair himself did not have the courage or will to refuse, so he spent most of his childhood and adolescence attempting – and failing – to learn skills he had no capacity for. While many onlookers did think this was rather pitiable, none made any real move to help. Left to fend for himself, Cassair grew into an even more silent and withdrawn person.

At eighteen, still without progress, Cassair was sent by his father to Reluir to learn magic. Although his political position did allow him to enter the dark elvish state, it was an unusual move and there was quiet speculation that Cassair's father had found some forbidden method there for beating magecraft into his son. It was no one else's business, however, so it was simply left to run its course. One month later, Cassair returned from the northern forests a completely different person – smiling, raving and, much to his father's delight, possessing vast magical power. Six days after this, his father spilled an oil lamp, set himself on fire and, while trying to douse the flames, threw himself into a cauldron of boiling water. He died from his injuries a day later and Cassair abruptly became the new Count of Iadlain.

Though the death was officially listed as an accident, it was obvious that it had been Cassair's doing. He was volatile now, and violent – his father's death became only the first of many over the next year. Anyone who had wronged him before, from petty childhood bullies to abusive tutors, saw vengeance visited upon them in some form, and those who challenged him were met without mercy. For a time, there were many who doubted Cassair's inexplicable change and an older cousin duelled him for Iadlain's leadership. Cassair returned from the fight with half his cousin's head and the mangled torso of his niece, who had tried to aid the cousin. The doubts dried up and Cassair's old image dissipated. While he was still not liked any more than before, he was finally respected. To make up for the mystery, the rumour mill simply agreed that he had either sold his sanity for power or been possessed by some eldritch creature while in Reluir.

He was, at least, far more competent and charismatic a leader now than his previous self or father had ever been. Despite his instability, he settled surprisingly well into his role as Count thanks to his canniness with the woods and unashamed boldness in wringing favours from others. The pace of his violence slowed as people stopped opposing him and learned to avoid him instead, and over time he became more accepted – never quite normal or comprehensible, but a familiar oddity.