Cadmus Clay
From Changeling Venue
| Seeming | Wizened Gremlin |
|---|---|
| Court | Summer Court • |
| Freehold | The Freehold of Unturned Stones |
| Player | David Beever |
Contents |
Overview
 Drawing by Nathan Emery |
Real Name: Cameron Clay
Age: 25 (maybe)
Concept: Grease Monkey/ Transporter
Entitlement: None
Physical description:
Cadmus looks like just what he is: a Gremlin. His skin is a mottled, slightly scaly, putrescent green. He has no hair, pointed ears, and sharp, uneven teeth. The only human thing about his face is his eyes, which are hard to see since he usually wears a cap pulled down low over them. Unlike most Wizened, Cadmus didn't lose height, he lost mass. He appears painfully thin, and wears bulky clothes to hide the fact. His mien is much the same, albeit without the scaly skin and ears. He is always seen in greasy clothes with tools and duct tape hanging from various loops. He wears a broken necklace that he never talks about, though no one has ever asked.
Character Information
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With Raok to act as his moral compass, Cadmus has softened somewhat. He is still caustic, crude, and abrasive, but for the most part he has found a place to belong. His burning hatred at everything has been reduced to a simmering gruffness, and watching over the simple-witted Raok has taught him care and compassion. Destruction remains in his nature, however, and he can't resist the chance to lash out at those he deems worthy of humiliation.
Cadmus's prized possession is his car, a 1970 Chevelle SS 454. Other than Raok, it seems to be the only thing he cares about. He loves to drive, and usually gets an easy fill of glamour by taking it to the drag strip and crushing all comers. During his free time, Cadmus can usually be found somewhere inside the car doing who knows what. Despite what the other Changelings may think, it doesn't have any mystical or contractual powers built into it, which is a matter of pride for Cadmus. He isn't stupid, though, and that pair of ratty pink dice on the rearview might just be an "insurance policy" in case he ever has to run from someone who comes from over the Hedge.
Known History
Basic Timeline:
1966 - Born Cameron Clay.
1984 - Graduates high school and begins working as a mechanic while attending college. Finds himself enthralled by fast cars and fast money.
1985 - Taken to his keeper after being tricked into a disastrous "deal".
2001 - Exits the hedge with Raok Sab and becomes a member of the Onyx Court.
2006 - Swears to the Freehold of Unturned Stones as a knight following the death of the Freehold's regnant Baron Solomon.
2008 - Joins the Crimson Court on the urging of Jakob Early, realizing that hiding had lost its attraction.
Background:
Cameron hunched, white-knuckled over the wheel as the car started to chug and lurch. This was not happening! Not now! He stomped the clutch and slapped the shifter down to third but nothing helped. This damned car was determined not to go any farther.
“No!” He shook the wheel like a crazy man, like he intended to tear it off the column. “No, you dumb piece of shit! Just a little bit farther.” The transmission continued to grind as he checked over his shoulder; the cops couldn’t be that far behind. He finally rolled the protesting car to a stop and slid out to look under the hood. The latch was jammed, but terror gave him strength and soon he was leaned over the engine. It was baffling, the car looked cherry! Better than cherry, even; everything about it gleamed. He eyed the new parts he’d put in at the shop last week. He knew Mr. Lorenzo didn’t take the car anywhere else and most of this was his work. So what the hell could suddenly be wrong with it?
There was an ominous creak, and Cam jerked upright just as the prop rod pinwheeled past him and the hood slammed down. The lip of the plate caught his shirt button and jerked him face down into the hood.
It seemed like hours later he heard the voice beckoning, but as he stood up Cameron realized it could only have been a few seconds. He could hear sirens coming over the next hill, and panic brought a fresh surge of pain in his shattered cheek. He swayed a little, realizing that his right eye was blurry as well.
“Hssst!” came the voice again, making him jump and spin. It was that creepy little guy from the bowling alley. What the hell was he doing here? The guy beckoned from the woods at the side of the road, making the buckles and zippers on his jacket jingle. Cameron stumbled toward him. “Come on,” the little guy said, waving again. “We gotta get outta here.” Cameron didn’t feel like arguing, so he followed the little guy back into the woods.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he managed to force past his numb lips. “You were suppoza be waitin at the bowling alley.” The little guy smiled.
“I got bored waiting, thought I’d meet you halfway. I figured you wouldn’t be able to keep your end of the deal.” Cameron shook his head.
“No, I stole it just like I said I would. You’re the one who fucked things up by leaving the alley.”
“I don’t think so,” said the little guy with a laugh. “The deal was steal and deliver, but I knew you’d wuss out and ditch it if things got tough. That’s why I came lookin for you. I had you pegged as a deal-breaker from the start.”
That was too much! Cameron monemtarily forgot the pain in his face as adrenaline surged through him. He caught the little guy by the back of the jacket and spun him around, then pick him up by a couple of buckles.
“Look you little cunt,” he hissed when they were eye to eye, “you don’t know shit about me! When I say I’ll steal and deliver, I fuckin steal and deliver. I would’ve gotten that heap to you if I had to push it through the goddamn woods! You’re the one that fucked up, so don’t give me any of this deal-breaker bullshit!”
“What about the cops?” The little guy asked. “I know you’re good enough to pull the deal without getting caught, so why let ‘em see you?” Cameron shook his head, and the little guy continued. “You were gonna stay just ahead and let ‘em catch up just after you delivered. You’re a lying scumbag.” Cam angrily threw the little guy to the dirt and looked around.
“Where the fuck are we, anyway?” The little guy stood up and brushed some dirt off his jacket.
“It’s just a little farther, a little place I know just over the hill. C’mon, they won’t find us there.”
Sure enough, another few minutes of walking brought them over the hill and down into a small clearing. There was no shack in the middle, though, like Cameron had expected. Instead, he saw a perfectly circular pool reflecting the fading daylight. He turned to look at the little creep.
“You look like shit,” the guy said, jerking his chin toward the pool. Agony came back full force and Cameron stumbled down to kneel at the edge of the pool. What he saw in the water made his stomach churn. He really did look like shit, swollen and cut. As he stared at his oozing face in the still water his head began to swim. He heard the little guy come up behind him and felt a hand on his back, but he was too woozy to resist. As the gloaming claimed him he was pushed headfirst into the water.
Current Activities: Cadmus is currently sharing a hollow with his motley-mate, Raok Sab. The two run a small auto-repair business and spend their time manufacturing items for the freehold. Recently, Raok built a car for general use by all the freehold members and Cadmus has spent a significant amount of time mounting the engine and tuning it to his exacting specifications.
Allies
Raok Sab - Motley mate and best friend. Raok is Cadmus' moral compass and constant companion. He is a gentle giant who delights in creating things.
Jakob Early - Soon to be the Summer King. Jakob is the changeling responsible for convincing Cadmus that his rightful place was in the Crimson Court.
Iris Nevaeh - Current Spring Queen and unknown object of Cadmus' affection. He is too shy to tell her how he feels, and will continue to be so for a long time to come.
Face - Darkling investigator. Face, Cadmus, and Raok always seem to be the three who end up going out and getting into trouble. Cadmus is almost convinced that Face isn't a privateer, but usually follows him just to make sure he isn't meeting up with the Fae.
Penny Kohl - Gorgeous, vapid mannequin whose plastic shell hides more than she seems.
Enemies
Character Inspirations
Those Bugs Bunny Cartoons with the gremlin that always broke things [1]
Old legends of why things around the house don't work[2]
Quotes
"All right, we can go check it out; but I'm driving." - Cadmus
"I have a gremlin protector!" - Iris Nevaeh
"Actually, those two are never apart; so you have a gr-ogre protector." - Nathan Emery
"Cadmus go into dark, scary places alone. Cadmus take rope. Raok keep safe." - Raok Sab
"Look, we're all strong. We have to be. You don't go through what we've been through and come out of it a lightweight. It's just finding how to use those strengths." - Cadmus
Rumors
Generally, Cadmus is pretty straightforward. If there are any rumors about him, he's oblivious to them.
It's a strong possibility that Cadmus will be the Summer King when the seasons turn.
