Can Vanadiyin

Headhunter Can Sinievich Vanadiyin of the Blackreyne Brotherhood was one of the adopted children of Bolt Siniy Vanadiyin of the Lunar Collective. As an adopted noble, he instead chose to join the Blackreyne Brotherhood, where rose to become one of the leaders of the organization alongside his childhood friends Viera Blackreyne and Otto Albiker. After the events of The Light of Lunaria, he retired and spent his remaining 13 years as a diplomat.

He was first seen as a child during the Curse of the Blood Sea, and later as a Blackreyne Exorcist in both Der Geist von Kolstermold and the Tale of the Sunless Dunes. As Headhunter, he was also present in the The Light of Lunaria.

Biography

Blood Sea

Can was born in Gravesbry to a pirate orc father and an unknown human mother, who died not long after he was born due to health complications. Not long after that, his father moved the two of them to a small isle near the city called Isla Tumba to hide from the law. Building a small shack there, they lived off the land as fishermen.

Can grew up with a 'can-do!' attitude, exploring the island and helping his father fish. When he was 6, one day his father was away a pirate ship called the The Phoenix Nebula showed up at the island. The party followed a treasure map to Isla Tumba, and Can realized that it led to a small ruin he found in the jungle.

He led them there, getting to know the party. After they solved the puzzle of the tomb and got the treasure, they met his apprehensive father on their way out. Somehow, possibly due to the Phoenix Nebula itself, the Crimsons discover his father's location at Isla Tumba and showed up one day to arrest him. In the ensuing fight, his father was wounded terribly as they tried to escape on their small boat. His boat iwas blown up, leading to the death of Can's father and causing Can to black out. The wreckage would drift across the sea borders into Lunar territory, where by luck or destiny Can was rescued by a Lunar warship that was hosting none other than Bolt Siniy Vanadiyin. He helped the boy come to his senses and recover, and after some deliberation, chose to adopt him and take him back home to Vanadiski.

Lunar Lordling

While much younger than both of his new siblings, Can adjusted fairly well to life in Vanadiski. His older adoptive sister, Strela, was already far too important as basically the leader of Lunaria. Meanwhile, Siniy's biological son was weak and under constant life support, leaving Can to be raised more-so like an only child for the aging Bolt. Can loved Siniy dearly, not only for rescuing and uplifting him to this status, but as a new father.

While he was not particularly accepted by many of the others in Vanadiski both due to his nature as an adopted noble as well as being a half-orc, he made the most of it and kept his positive attitude up throughout his life there.

Blackreyne Rookie

When he was 14, Siniy decided to distance Can from the politics of Sergorod and Vanadia. He sent him to join the Blackreyne Brotherhood, and would alternate living at Vanadia and Night's End a lot. There, he became childhood friends with Viera Blackreyne, Otto Albiker, and Shun Kenzo. He was by far the most extroverted and positive of the four kids.

The next year, Siniy passed away from old age not long after his trueborn son, Vjeko, finally regained consciousness. Can helped his older brother come into his new role as the Bolt of House Vanadiyin even as a 15 year old, but breathed a sigh of relief that the responsibility of the house would not be put solely onto him as he had taken to life in the brotherhood by then.

After Viera got exiled from the Brotherhood after the death of Ethera, Can had a hard time accepting the 'truth' of her betrayal. The new leader, Zmeya Merkuriyev, became somewhat of a third paternal figure for Can especially after the death of Siniy.

Der Geist von Kolstermold

Check the main one-shot page for the detailed plot summary.

The town of Kolstermold came under threat in 3E465 when beings of night took over the mansion of the Kolstermold family who governed over the town. Can was sent as a Blackreyne Hunter to resolve this situation and teamed up with others there. They entered the mansion and faced off againt many deadly traps and creatures, managing to rescue almost all the townspeople. They finally faced off against the source of the darkness - Tristan Kolster - the adopted son of the family who became susceptible to possession by a malevolent spirit referred to as The Geist due to his own warped perception of events. After everyone managed to talk to him and helped him fight off the influence, finally the geist was brought to an end and sealed away. The party then returned to the town to some celebration and revelry where Can told of his own story of adoption hitting home for him. He chose not to take any money from the town for having done this job.

Tale of the Sunless Dunes

In 3E467 during the Kasaaqi Artisan's Fair, Can was present at a ball in Kasaaq alongside the Lunar delegation. There, he reunited with Viera Blackreyne, and she learned about the current state of the Blackreyne Brotherhood under Zmeya. He wished her luck, and would not meet her again for some time.

Finally, in 3E468, he met her again. Can, Otto, Viera, and Snarl teamed up together alongside the Chimera and finally took back Night's End from Zmeya. Viera then became the new Archhuntress of the Brotherhood.

Blackreyne Revival

Can was elected as the new Headhunter of the Brotherhood in the following years. In 3E470, one of Viera's first actions as Archhuntress was to call a senior vote in which she proposed to end the Brighthunt for good. The de-facto leader of the Brighthunt, Viktor, objected to the dissolution, but was outvoted 7-6 in the vote. Much later, she called another full council vote to lessen the gold fees that the Blackreyne hunters took from people, aiming to have a more charitable organisation not unlike the DoD. This vote she ended up losing, however, Viktor and the others outvoting her. Her third full council vote was to realign the Blackreynes to political neutrality instead of favoring the Lunar Collective, something that did end up passing. Can supported her in all of these votes.

The Light of Lunaria

In 3E498 at age 54, Can met the Darklight Crusaders when they made their way to Night's End for the first time hunting down a Koshmorha named Alisa. He aided in their mission and helped them alongside Otto. He also connected to a fellow blood hunter Ilya, warning him of the lifestyle's cons. He then gave him a syringe that was helpful to their abiltiies.

Later that same year, when Viera Blackreyne went missing, Viktor and his supporters plotted a takeover of Night's End. Mash and the Darklight Crusaders met Can, a wounded Otto, Naigha as well as Silas Darkgraves. Can explained the situation and how Victor and his followers are trying to make Victor the next and final archhunter. The party and the hunters on their side headed back to the main hall, where they fought through all the hunters on Viktor's side. They fought and defeated Zhalimov, but as he regenerated, Can and Anya stayed behind to deal with him as the party made it into the Archhunter's Hall where Viktor was. After the Crusaders defeated Viktor for good, Can commanded the fighting to stop, and forced the ex-Brighthunt members into surrendering and breaking their Brighthunt amulets. He promised that Night's End was going to be a friendly base of operations for the Darklight Crusaders.

“Viera is not dead. Viktor is. End of story!"
- Can commanding the fighting to stop, after throwing down Viktor's gears into the main hall of Night's End.

After that, Can organized a meeting with the Darklight Crusaders, Otto, Zhalimov, Zurikov, as well as a new diplomat- Raziel of Alsiorion, the Keeper of Secrets. As they told them mostly everything, Raziel asked the crusaders about their plans and their convictions, before revealing that the oracles of Alsorion have determined that the Dark Hunt would attack two years from now, on the Varkosi Arcanos of 3E500. He then revealed to them the location of Markal Zuriel as well as his history, and told them that he awaits them in the heavenly plane of Qaydar. The Crusaders then disappeared into the heavens for two years, leaving Can as the de-facto leader of the brotherhood for that duration. In 3E500, he defended Night's End from the invaison of the The Dark Hunt. Afterward, he retired from the organization, and named Mash as his successor Headhunter. He spent his remaining 13 years as a simple diplomat between the countries.

Timeline

3E444 - Can is born to a human mother and an orc father in Gravesbry.
3E446 - His father takes the infant Can to Isla Tumba near Gravesbry where they make a small home for themselves.
3E450 - A 6 year old Can meets the The Phoenix Nebula during Curse of the Blood Sea when they come to his island seeking treasure. His father isn't there, but he leads them to a ruin he found on the isle regardless, helping them get their treasure. His father meets the party as they leave. Not long after, the Crimsons discover the two, and seek to arrest his pirate father who is hunted down and killed, but not before Can escapes the island on their boat and is found by a Lunar military vessel where he's adopted by Siniy Vanadiyin.
3E458 - He joins the Blackreyne Brotherhood as a rookie when he is 14, and meets his childhood friends there.
3E465 - He is sent to Kolstermold on a mission, and the events of Der Geist von Kolstermold take place.
3E467 - He meets Viera Blackreyne again at a ball held in Kasaaq, and the events of Tale of the Sunless Dunes take place.
3E468 - Viera, Can, and the others retake Night's End from Zmeya and seek to restore the brotherhood to its former glory.
3E498 - Headhunter Can meets the Darklight Crusaders when they show up at Night's End during the events of The Light of Lunaria. He then helps them defeat Viktor and end the Brightunt for good.
3E500 - After the events of the The Light of Lunaria, he retires from his position to live out the rest of his years in peace. He names Mash as his successor.
4E013 - Can passed away at the age of 69.

Gallery

Six year old Can in 3E450 (Credit: Aaron)

Can in Baldur's Gate 3 (Credit: BG3)

Young Blackreyne Exorcist Can in his 20s (Credit: Aaron)