#there are nastier things out there than the lord of bloodshed but his mind is just built different to have survived them

[bastardborne]

the war is over. ( the war is never over. ) ... a quick study in cassian's scars.

millennia of battle has left the lord of bloodshed with his fair share of memories worked into his skin. time in the war camps have left him with several marks from the brutality of warlords quite literally whipping their soldiers into shape , punishing both fighting among the younglings and displays of weakness in their ranks. as a young boy striving to survive and a bastard with no namesake , cassian was no stranger to their reprimand , often taking hits for his younger brother as well as the brunt of his own scoldings that have left him with major scarring down his back , arms , and legs. the vitriol wouldn't let up when time came for him to participate in his blood rite , soldiers that were unimpressed with his tenacity in enduring and his success in rising above them in skill itching for their piece. he wears those scars as proudly as any illyrian would , several of the markings found on his chest tattooed permanently into his flesh as a reminder that he has never been an easy mark. other scarring sustained from battle includes several close calls , stabbings , attempts at decapitation and gutting , limbs nearly lost from desperate attempts to incapacitate the lord of bloodshed that have all failed , but have left their impression on him. while his duty namely falls to war , cassian has also had several run - ins with fae beasts and ancient fae creatures that have nearly been the death of him , refusing to go down without taking a piece of the illyrian soldier with them. his legs are covered in gnarled tissue where teeth have ripped their way through the muscle , one particularly harrowing incident immortalized in a huge puckered scar over his right pectoral ; an attempt to eat his heart out. with the extreme wear and tear of his body naturally comes a healthy dose of chronic pain , a side of his hip , shoulder , and both knees aching with changes of weather or prolonged use , though it does little to dampen cassian's capabilities in battle. his vocal chords have also been damaged by a dodged attempt to surprise him with a knife to his throat , leaving him with a voice that cracks like thunder and a new liking to soothing teas and menthol.