Constantin Ibarra (nee Di Calas) is a merchant of illicit goods and the current leader of the Scarlet Scar in Nostellian.
Constantin served as a minor antagonist during The Search for the Star and The Shadows of an Empire.
Appearance
Constantin is tall and well-muscled, with a finely manicured appearance that suggests he cares much for his personal hygiene and health. His hair is blonde and reaches his shoulders, and his eyes are a notably bright green. His dress tends toward the formal side, often consisting of jackets and sashes with finely embroidered details. He rarely, if ever, wears anything to denote his position or his loyalties to any specific group.
Personality
Constantin is primarily calm and collected, in stark contrast to the cruelty expected of his station. While he is a uniquely talented manipulator, he is also known to have a generous streak toward those who remind him of himself; he can be surprisingly charitable toward those in need, but often finds a way to make his good works lead to some kind of profit for himself.
While he has rejected most of the teachings he grew up with, he still rejects the concept of vice and refuses to take part in many risky or potentially addictive behaviors, despite the fact that this makes his current lifestyle more difficult.
Ivakh
Constantin's quori companion seems to share many of his values and motivations, meaning the two are often difficult to tell apart at a glance. Ivakh carries an air of ethereal wisdom and a more pronounced ambivalence to the world around him. The two have a similar drive, but it is implied that Ivakh is a far less gentle creature and cares little for the outcomes of others.
Background
Early Life
Constantin was born to Calanthite parents who married as part of the Archivists' Initiative. While it was always expected that he would be raised by Inspirationists, his parents' deaths in his infancy meant he would ultimately be raised fully within the walls of the organization, alongside the disadvantaged children they took in as charity.
He grew up with a variety of childhood companions, but spent much of his time receiving private education with other children of advanced bloodlines, who he was encouraged to treat and acknowledge as siblings. However, as the youngest and without much of a support network, he was often ridiculed by the other Di Calas children, particularly Arlessia Di Calas.
Aren Ibba
Constantin left Calanthi as a teenager, rejecting his calling and setting his sights on building an empire as a smuggler. He would build a thriving underground trade network in Noravia before moving on to pursue other personal goals.
Nostellian
While maintaining his business in the north, Constantin successfully usurped the previous leader of the Scarlet Scar and began to reorganize the gang into a sales network for his own experimental substances. He would later recruit Omari Rose into his enterprise and use the youth's expertise to produce Daimon, which would become a lucrative product for his enterprise.
Abilities
Constantin has a variety of psionic abilities and insights, though this is notably not the main focus of his talents. He prefers to stay back and rely on his charisma and understanding of others, but has a wealth of knowledge and techniques at his disposal from a reasonable grasp of various scientific disciplines to history, language, and skills such as lockpicking, social engineering, and leadership.
His combat abilities, while under-used, include stealth, quick deduction, and the use of intangible psionic weaponry, allowing him to travel physically unarmed.
Interactions
The Search for the Star
Constantin served as a minor antagonist during the campaign's early events, despite only acting from the shadows. He featured prominently as a motivating factor in Omari's backstory, having been the catalyst behind the acquisition of his quori spirit and the disappearance of his sister.