Cassandra Adler

Cassandra Adler
The Widow of Shadows
Race	Drow (Dark Elf)
Gender	Female
Family	House Cormrael (rumored)
Occupation	Information Broker
Residence	Castlemere
Affiliation	Adler Trading & Imports

Overview

Cassandra Adler is a mysterious and elusive Drow gunslinger whose name carries weight throughout the shadow-laced alleys of Castlemere. Her arrival is heralded by the clatter of skeletal hooves—her blacked-out carriage, drawn by undead steeds with hollow, glowing eyes, weaving silently through the city's mist-shrouded streets. Few have ever seen her step beyond its darkened interior, yet her presence is well known among those who deal in secrets, rare goods, and dangerous endeavors.

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Background

Little is known for certain about Cassandra’s origins, but the rumors surrounding her past are as persistent as they are provocative. Some say she once served as an Underdark assassin or relic hunter. Others claim she is the disavowed heir of a noble Drow house, buried by scandal and secrecy.

The most compelling theory—whispered in noble salons and criminal dens alike—is that Cassandra Adler is the lost sister of the Cormrael bloodline. Some believe she was exiled in her youth following an internal betrayal, or hidden deliberately by the matriarchs of House Cormrael due to her forbidden talents or birth. While the house officially denies any connection, scholars and servants alike have noted her resemblance to the Cormrael daughters—particularly in her bearing, arcane precision, and tactical ruthlessness.

Whether true or not, this rumor only heightens her mystique—and solidifies her reputation as a player of dangerous games.

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Adler Trading & Imports

As the founder and sole proprietor of Adler Trading & Imports, Cassandra controls one of Castlemere’s most secretive and far-reaching trade networks. Her organization specializes in the acquisition and transport of rare and often forbidden items: cursed relics, enchanted artifacts, smuggled tomes, and exotic wares banned in most civilized cities.

Behind its public face, the company also operates as a vast intelligence network, dealing in whispered truths, blackmail material, and carefully brokered silence. Cassandra's agents are embedded in markets, courts, and cabals from the Underdark to the Imperial coasts.

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Presence in Castlemere

Though she rarely appears in public, Cassandra’s name is spoken with a mix of fear and respect. Her fog-shrouded estate lies hidden within the lower districts of Castlemere, heavily warded and fiercely protected. Invitations to private audiences are rare and often life-changing—whether for better or worse.

She is known to enforce her will through a blend of diplomacy, blackmail, and sudden violence. Her network touches nearly every corner of the city, from noble houses to black market docks, and even into the arcane academies.

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Notable Traits

• Master Gunslinger – Wields twin arcane pistols engraved with glyphs of a forgotten language. Her speed is nearly unmatched.
• Undead Carriage – Her infamous carriage is pulled by two skeletal horses bound through necromantic rites.
• Whisper Broker – She trades not only in goods but in secrets, scandals, and forbidden knowledge.
• Unseen Matron – Cassandra rarely acts directly. She prefers to work through proxies, illusions, and simulacra.