Cas'alear Rizah

“

Do we still have hope for peace and glory, sibling? Or do the stars burn, too?”

– Cas’alear, The Grand Premiere

Cas'alear Rizah is the leader of the Swordbreakers, an elite Apostolosian Hallow unit. Cas has a reputation with cas' allies as being beautiful and brave, and as unflinching and unpredictable by cas' foes. Pilots the notorious Hallow Ataraxia.

Appearance

Cas has Mediterranean brown skin, dark green/teal hair, and similarly-coloured scales on their jawline, neck, and back. They wear their hair up in a bun with a few strands hanging down in front of their face and have simple, iconographic or vector graphic broken sword tattoos under their emerald eyes.^{^[1]} They have a similar face and build to Karen Joshua from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, but are far more proper-looking.

They wear a blue-grey military jacket (coatee) with long tails and a high waist, bronze buttons, black straps, and additional fringe work and detailing. They also wear light khaki uniform pants with black and gold boots. They have a sawed-off sniper rifle they wear in an under arm holster, which they make work.^{^[2]}

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 34: Guests, Invited and Otherwise.
Click here to reveal.

After Cas’alear’s injury from fighting Laurel and subsequent healing from the Witch in Glass, cas' skin is mosaiced with sea glass that is visible on close inspection, and cas walks with a cane.^[3]

Personality

They are very noble, both in the aristocratic sense, as they are a child of the former Apokine and raised to that level of privilege, and in the sense of having a strong sense of honor. They have used their station "to become as competent as possible in matters of war".^[4] However, they have begun to doubt that Apostolos wants anything more than war for war's sake.

Cas'alear's Eidolon is Cassander Timaeus Berenice, but not the propagandistic version of Cassander as a "great war hero" that has been appropriated by Apostolos. As the Apokine's sibling, Cas'alear has access to much more complete records regarding historical figures than most people in the Principality, and it means a lot to them that Cassander was not only a war hero, but also a doctor, thoughtful leader, and friend.^[5]

History and Involvement

Cas'alear and the Swordbreakers are present in Obelle prior to the crash of the Divine Past and is saved, alongside their unit, by a timely warning from SBBR.^[6] After the crash, the Swordbreakers secure the bodies of Past and their elect Cymbidium. When the Rapid Evening arrives to reclaim the remains, Cas'alear gives up Cymbidium without any qualms, but only gives up the parts of Past when Clementine Kesh threatens to move troops into Obelle. Cas'alear does recognize Sovereign Immunity among the Rapid Evening, however, and expresses that they are glad to see someone who “carries justice in his heart” alongside Clementine.^[7]

Millennium Break

As war begins to break out between Stels Kesh and Apostolos on Partizan Cas'alear is unnerved by the lack of pushback from Apostolos about Kesh's claims, since cas believes most of them to be fabricated. This leads to the uncomfortable realization that many of cas' colleagues are just eager to wield the might of their military in a conflict against another Stel.^[8] On their own, Cas'alear begins to investigate the truth behind the acts that lead to the war, discovering the involvement of the Curtain of Divinity and Crysanth Kesh. Cas'alear takes this information to Clementine Kesh, as they believe it is imperative to work with someone on the other side of the war to reveal the crimes of the Curtain.^[9]

Cas'alear continues to have a close relationship with Millennium Break, offering to sponsor them in the Summer Passage of Arms,^[10] and has a growing dissatisfaction for how the military leaders of Apostolos are handling the conflict. Cas'alear brings these concerns to Dahlia, and requests to head a new strategy on Partizan.^[11] Cas reaches out to Millennium Break and asks for their assistance in a plan to leak information to Stel Kesh regarding an upcoming Apostolisian attack that will push the two armies to engage and leave the jewel of Kesh's holdings on Partizan, Cruciat, undefended for Millenium Break to capture. Cas offers that if they assist with operation cas, alongside the Swordbreakers, will join Millennium Break in earnest. After following through with this plan, cas defects from Stel Apostolos and formally joins Millenium Break as an attaché and envoy of the Apokine of Apostolos.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 33: A Single Shot.
Click here to reveal.

A month into their new role in Millennium Break, Cas’alear begins to grow disheartened as the organization starts to lose ground.^[12] They are deployed to assist with a mission guarding Auspice with members of SBBR, though they are eager to join the fight against Motion taking place to the north. During the mission the team is attacked by GLORY, and fighting breaks out as the team is divided. Kleos and Cas’alear engage in one-on-one combat, and while cas initially has the upper hand, Kleos’s taunting gets under cas’ skin; it is only thanks to Phrygian’s timely intervention that cas is able to rejoin the main battle.^[13] Cas’alear moves to engage with Laurel and Apothesa, and when Broun releases the remains of Asepsis into the fight, Laurel pins Cas’alear down and attempts to impale cas’ cockpit with the spear of the Demiurgos. Broun is able to save cas by forcing an ejection of Cas’alear’s cockpit, but cas is still heavily injured, and is picked up by A.O. Rooke to be rushed back to Oxbridge for urgent medical attention.^[14]

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 34: Guests, Invited and Otherwise.
Click here to reveal.

Cas’alear’s condition is still critical a few weeks later when The Witch in Glass offers to heal them as a part of her bargain with Millennium Break. While cas is recovering, A.O. Rook takes up a role training and working with the Swordbreakers. Cas undergoes extensive physical therapy, and has some trepidation about returning to the battlefield.^[15] After their recovery Cas’alear regains enough of their mobility to pilot a mech, but does continue to walk with a cane. In addition, cas' skin has been mosaiced by irregular pieces of sea glass.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 46: Operation Shackled Sun: Act 2: The Gate.
Click here to reveal.

Cas’alear is a part of the Millennium Break mission to stop Operation Shackled Sun, and returns to the front lines alongside the Swordbreakers.^[16]

PALISADE

Spoiler warning!
This section contains major spoilers for PALISADE 29: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2. Tread carefully!

By the time of PALISADE, Cas'alear has seemingly returned to working with Dahlia, who claims that although cas helped train the Swordbreaker wing of Jade Kill, cas was not trusted and made to leave after war broke out in earnest.^[17] Dahlia offers to send them to Palisade along with additional Pact military aid for the Cause, although this offer is refused.

With Dahlia's death, Cas'alear is the next in line to the position of Apokine.^[17] As the heir apparent to their late sibling's throne, Cas'alear takes on three personal bodyguards: STEREOMA members Cor'rina Corrine and Misericorde, and former Pact prisoner Routine Rennari. These bodyguards' "quick thinking" (and the "sudden stutter" of the Perennial Wave) saves Cas'alear from assassination during a meeting with Rye and Gallica.^[18] However, they are left betrayed, ousted and on the run, eventually seeking asylum on Palisade with the aid of Exeter Leap.

Their attempt, upon leaving Palisade, to use their connections and title to officially declare the end of the Perfect Millennium falls "on deaf ears":^[19] they do not have the institutional power for their words to have any material effect.

At some point, they and their crew take over the Stolen Cameo, using it as a kind of "blockade runner"^[19] and bringing the ship to bear during the "Above the Earth" arc.

Relationships

Dahlia

Dahlia is Cas'alear's adopted sibling to whom cas is very loyal. The two grew up together, with cas recalling a trip they took with their family to the Isles of Logos when they were younger.^[20] Cas seeks out Dahlia to express cas' frustrations with the military leadership of Stel Apostolos, and is given Dahlia's blessing to join Millennium Break as an envoy and attache from the Apokine. Cas remains in contact with them, and their letter to Dahlia forms the intro to "The Grand Premiere", in which they express trepidation about the future of the Divine Principality.

Laurel

In large part due their differing outlooks on the war on Partizan, Laurel and Cas'alear have an adversarial relationship. This is further exacerbated by Cas'alear's distaste for the GLORY program as a whole,^[21] and Laurel's nature as a clone of Cassander, Cas'alear's chosen Eidolon. Cas'alear is upset by Laurel as a misremembered representation of Cassander.^[5]

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 33: A Single Shot.
Click here to reveal.

Laurel attempts to kill Cas'alear during their confrontation in High Altar, with the latter only saved by the timely intervention of Broun and A. O. Rooke.

Appears in

PARTIZAN

PALISADE

* PALISADE 42: A Mechanical Whine Pt. 4

References

[1] The Seaside Town of Obelle, dossier

[2] SHORESIDE RECOVERY - DINNERDATE, 1:11:19

[3] PARTIZAN 42: The Unbreakable Quarry

[4] PARTIZAN 20: On the Eve of Revolution

[:0-5] 5.0 ^5.1 PARTIZAN 33: A Single Shot

[6] PARTIZAN 02: Obelle, On Fire

[7] PARTIZAN 03: SHORESIDE RECOVERY - DINNERDATE

[8] PARTIZAN 16: BITTER AIR - BEHEST

[9] PARTIZAN 20: On the Eve of Revolution

[10] PARTIZAN 27: Millennium Break: She said, "To Win We Must Play!"

[11] PARTIZAN 28: Millennium Break: The Storm Over Cruciat

[12] PARTIZAN 31: The Grand Premiere

[13] PARTIZAN 32: GLORY Arrives

[14] PARTIZAN 33: A Single Shot

[15] PARTIZAN 42: The Unbreakable Quarry

[16] PARTIZAN 46: Operation Shackled Sun: Act 2: The Gate

[pal29-17] 17.0 ^17.1 PALISADE 29: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2

[pal42-18] PALISADE 42: A Mechanical Whine Pt. 4

[pal56-19] 19.0 ^19.1 PALISADE 56: Some New Thing Found in the Light, Or: A Year in Nine Parts

[20] PARTIZAN 20: On the Eve of Revolution

[21] PARTIZAN 27: Millennium Break: She said, "To Win We Must Play!"

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