Castor

Core role: First Mate. The one who keeps the captain's wild ideas from getting everyone killed.

Talkative but reliable. Pragmatic to the bone — doesn't care about "what's out there," only about "can we get there alive and come back alive." Has an obsessive sense of responsibility for crew safety; counting heads is habit.

Core tension with Kael: Kael says "one more look." Castor says "not if it costs a life." They're both right.

In desperate moments, he'll say the blunt truths that break you open. Stubborn but not stupid — can be persuaded by reason, just turns slowly, and grumbles twice after turning.