Cassiopeia, The Serpent's Embrace

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Special thanks to Kırmızı at MutantDesigns for allowing me to use this image.    
See more of this amazing artist's work Here

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Name:  Cassiopeia Du Couteau

Alias:  The Serpent's Embrace

Race:   Do you have any idea just how disturbing that question is these days?

Age:  For shame! You ought to know better than to ask a lady her age.

Occupation:  Me, work? You must be joking right?

Residence:  Noxus

Alignment:  The grey area between True Neutral and Chaotic Neutral

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Deadly Cadence

Passive:  Casting a spell causes any subsequent spell casts within 5 seconds to cost 10% less mana, stacking up to 5 times.Deadly Cadence

Noxious Blast

ACTIVE: Cassiopeia hurls poison at the cursor's location, which strikes after a 0.6 second delay. All enemies within the 75-radius area are poisoned, taking magic damage over 3 seconds.
Cassiopeia gains a movement speed boost for 3 seconds if Noxious Blast damages a champion.

Miasma
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ACTIVE: Cassiopeia throws a growing cloud of poison to a target location, granting sight of the area and growing from a radius of 125 to 250 over 7 seconds. Enemies in the area are poisoned, becoming slowed and taking magic damage per second for 2 seconds. Continual exposure renews the poison.

Twin Fang

ACTIVE: Cassiopeia fires fangs at an enemy, dealing magic damage. If her target is poisoned, Twin Fang's cool-down is reduced to 0.5 seconds.

Petrifying Gaze

ACTIVE: After a brief delay, Cassiopeia blasts all enemies in a 80º cone in front of her with her gaze, dealing magic damage to them. Enemies facing her when damaged are stunned for 2 seconds, while enemies facing away are slowed by 60% for 2 seconds instead.

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List all champions or lore figures about whom your portrayal has a strong opinion--and define that opinion.


Katarina, the Sinister Blade: "Though she may have appeared the innocent flower, she was the serpent under it."
The words spoken by her older sister cut deep.   Far deeper than she would ever show the world but for her it was the final wedge in the growing rift that separated the two of them.  Still, no matter how wide the divide, the ties that bind them together are greater still.

Talon, the Blades Shadow: There has never been any love lost between the two of them. Like Katarina, he has made it plain that he has little respect for her contributions to Noxus.   However his loyalty to her father has always been unflinching and it seems the same loyalty extends to Katarina, so by the same token she does trust him to a degree.  Although... she would not put it past him to feed her to the wolves if she ever gave him reason enough.

LeBlanc, the Deceiver: At one time she may have studied The Deceiver's methods out of professional curiosity alone. Her interest in the woman now is of a far more personal nature. Renown for her ability to manipulate on a number of levels, there is no limit to how cautious she must be in their dealings.

Swain, the Master Tactician; Like his female cohort LeBlanc, she respects his abilities. Alone he was a force to be reckoned with but with the deceiver at his side, he has become a deadly political powerhouse.  Not someone she would trifle with if it can be at all avoided.

 Singed, the Mad Chemist: Romantically linked
This unexpected courtship may have started as a means to an end but it did not take long for her to realize there was something far more substantial in the Mad Chemist. His mental prowess peaks her interest on a far different level than any of her past endeavors but if the past has taught her anything, it is that trust can be quite hazardous to ones health. Despite these concerns, she remains cautiously optimistic.

Riven, the Exile:   Cassiopeia has to respect the woman's resolve and although their goals differ greatly, that resolve seems to be something she can count on in future endeavors.

 Darius, the Hand of Noxus:  Impressive strength and bright enough to know which way the wind is blowing.

Sivir, the Battle Mistress:  There have been rumors about some incident in the desert.  For her sake, I do hope she is not the one who has been spreading them. We must have a discussion about this sometime very soon.

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Now I know my opinion could be biased, a father's opinion usually is but if you ask me, she was a diamond my little one was.
Cass has always been the spitting image of her mother you know, walking around with that sunshine hair and those big blue eyes that could melt your heart.  It was just perfect for hiding that cunning little mind of hers.   Courtly camouflage we called it. Used to make her laugh.

She was the perfect predator my baby girl.   Able to enchant a room in the blink of an eye and have them so busy eating out of her hand that they never noticed how much she was learning in the process.

I would love to get my hands on the bastard who took it all away from her!   Frozen little coward of a man took her legs and he took her smile.

Yes, she still has her mothers features, same full lips and high cheekbones, many of the same assets that used to drive the young men to distraction.
However, I don't think that I can possibly describe how difficult is on a father to watch your youngest child learn to move for a second time, learn to slither around on that snakes tail he left her with, watch her hold back tears when she picks up a brush she can't use or don clothes that no longer fit!

There is hope though.   You see, I saw the predator in her come out, saw it made real when she changed.  
I saw what my little one was capable of when she took after those servants. Claws and fangs to rip, shred and poison while that wretched tail crushed anything left alive.   Yes she is strong, ruthless and cunning. I only hope she remembers it before its too late.

                                                                            ~General Marcus Du Couteau

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While her sister  Katarina has always been the most celebrated member of the household, the Du Couteau family has a long history of service to Noxus. It has often been said that no soldier has ever been as fortunate as General Du Couteau to have been graced with daughters.

His youngest, Cassiopeia - despite lacking her sister's killer instincts - was equally renowned in at court for her stately character and elegance. Cunning as she was beautiful, the temptress could never be found far from the arm of any foreign dignitary, her wiles prying secrets from the lips of even the most wary attaché.

With the Noxian barbarian pacification campaign having ground to a standstill, Cassiopeia had set her sights on a diplomat from a tribe of the Freljord region. Thinking him an easy mark, the scheming seductress set about beguiling him. He refused to confide in her, however, until she swore an oath of secrecy upon his sword - a strange weapon with a serpentine curve to the blade.

Once her tryst was over, Cassiopeia provisioned her father with information regarding the barbarian resistance. As she divulged this intelligence, a wave of revulsion washed over her. She screamed in agony as her silky skin hardened to scales, her lustrous hair thickened to leather, and her manicured fingernails sharpened to claws.

Dazed, she fell upon a group of horrified servants, rending them limb from limb in a heartbeat. When it was over the blood soaked figure was no longer the ravishing jewel of the Noxian court, but a horror trapped somewhere between woman and serpent. Unable to serve in her traditional capacity, Cassiopeia departed for the League, continuing her service to Noxus on the Field of Justice.



OBSERVATION

Cassiopeia glides along the marvelous hallway with unnerving grace, the scrape of scale on marble announcing her passing to the empty corridor. Her elegant curves and stately posture combine to form an appalling juxtaposition to her serpentine body. The exquisite features of her face, wreathed in a cobra's hood, bears a look of chilling determination, while a serpent's tail conveys her expediently onward towards her destination.

She pauses for a moment before a pair of grand double doors, the relief of a panther marking each one. Above the doors, carved on the stone archway, is an inscription: "The truest opponent lies within." Her eyes narrow as she reads the engraving.

Cassiopeia stretches a taloned finger towards the door. It parts effortlessly at her touch, swinging open into blackness.

She peers hesitantly into the black for a moment before composing herself and gliding inside.


REFLECTION

She found herself in her chambers in the Noxian estate she called home. An elegant curtain ran across the center of the room; a shroud against prying eyes. There, through the lace, stood the unmistakable figure of her father, General Marcus Du Couteau. She stared at him longingly, admiring everything about him, from his stately military garb to his perfect soldier's posture.

He stepped forward, extending a hand towards the partition. There was moment of panic. No matter how many times she allowed her closest family to see her, she was always overwhelmed with anxiety and revulsion.

"Don't look at me!" Cassiopeia lamented.

The General froze for a moment. Then his voice took on a sterner character. "You are my daughter, Cassiopeia. And you are beautiful."
"Liar!" she hissed, turning away. She could hear the rustling of curtains as he approached.

"Daughter, look at me", he implored. Reluctantly, she complied, wiping away her tears with a viciously clawed hand. She did not speak.

"Cassiopeia", he went on, taking a step forward, "I have been summoned. It is a grave matter, but one that I cannot refuse."

"Take sister with you. She can keep you safe", she sobbed.

Marcus shook his head, "Katarina cannot return. The matter with Ionia has not yet been settled, and her duty to the League compels her to stay."

"Father, if you do not return, I will be alone", she stated.

The General reached out to touch his daughter's face and she recoiled, turning her back again. His voice turned colder than iron. "You are a Du Couteau, Cassiopeia. You have served Noxus, and she cares for her children. You will never be alone." He paused. "One day, you will remember your duty."

General Du Couteau took her hand and pressed a sealed letter into her palm, crumpling it slightly. "Should I not return, Cassiopeia, this will guide you and Katarina."

Hearing her father turn to leave, Cassiopeia panicked. She spun about, but found herself alone. She examined the letter in her hand. It was marked in a wax signet that she did not recognize, but the seal was already broken. She unfolded the page.

In blood red ink, someone had penned: "Transcendence Way, the Ivory Ward, 5:00 PM." Below it was a stamped image of a black rose.

The peals of a clock tower caught her attention, followed by the sounds of bedlam. All around her the household abruptly became chaos. Each passing footfall and gossiping whisper filled her with ire. There came a hesitant knock at the door. She already knew who to expect.

"Enter!" she commanded, her rage overcoming her revulsion at the thought of being seen. The door swung open, revealing one of her father's bodyguards. He entered slowly, staring intently at her silhouette on the other side of the curtains, his face a mixture of fear and shame.
"Mistress Cassiopeia," he began, "Your father has..."

She cut him off, "Spare me your excuses, fool! How did it happen!"

"We were in the market," he stammered, "Your father slipped away."

"And I ordered you to shadow him, did I not?" sneered Cassiopeia. She drew closer to the partition. The soldier looked away in shame. He did not answer. Cassiopeia sunk her talons into the hanging fabric, ripping it from its moorings in one swift motion and laying bare her monstrous body. "Speak, coward!" she commanded.
The bodyguard backed away in horror, blanching white in shock.

"What's wrong?" Cassiopeia teased, drawing one of her wicked hands to her face in feigned surprise. "Don’t you find me beautiful?"

She advanced, fastening her claws securely around his neck. She lifted his worthless body and suddenly, a shattered pocket watch fell out of his pocket. The watch's hands stopped dead at a quarter past five. "This was all we found," he croaked.

She caught her quarry's gaze in hers, his body shaking as she choked the life from him. His face was white as snow, but for some reason there was no fear in his eyes. Realization washed down the length of her serpentine body. Cassiopeia sneered. "Charlatan," she muttered, venom dripping from the words. "You force me to relive the moment I lost my father for your own sick pleasure?"

The bodyguard's face turned as implacable as his eyes. "Why do you want to join the League, Cassiopeia?" he inquired.

"My father is dead," she spat, "One of you knows something. And I will have justice."

The soldier nodded. "How does it feel, exposing your mind?"

Cassiopeia's looked him dead in the eye. "Curse you," she muttered emotionlessly. The figure dissolved in her grip, leaving only the darkness.

The doors to the League swung open.

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20 CLE
Cassiopeia, youngest daughter of General DuCouteau and the jewel of the Noxian court, falls grievously ill after a short-lived romance with an envoy from Freljord. She subsequently shuts herself up in her chambers.

5 December, 20 CLE
General DuCoteau of the Noxian High Command vanishes under mysterious circumstances during a visit to the famed marketplace of the Ivory Ward, the oldest and most opulent of Noxus' historic districts. While his daughters mourn, Grand General Boram Darkwill falls under pressure from his cabinet to select Du Coteau's successor on the Noxian High Command.

6 December, 20 CLE
In a private ceremony held deep within his inner sanctum at Darkbourne Hold, General Boram Darkwill surprises no one when he selects Jericho Swain, one of his Lieutenant Generals, to succeed the late General Du Couteau. On Swain's arm all night is none other than the infamous (and notoriously reclusive) LeBlanc.

10 December, 20 CLE—
Seeking answers to her father's disappearance, Cassiopeia DuCouteau is accepted into the League.

7 January, 23 CLE
Cassiopeia mistakenly attacks Talon when she finds him lurking outside Katrina's room.
It is the last known time all three siblings were seen in the same place.

13 February, 23 CLE
The Serpents Embrace takes her leave of the Institute of War, but in an effort to gather information, forges a hesitant alliance with Riven, the Exile.

1 March, 23 CLE
Once again, Cassiopeia shuts herself away, this time inside her father's war room. She spends two days refusing to see anyone but the serving staff.

4 April, 23 CLE
Cassiopeia forges a deal with Leblanc, the Deceiver. An extremely risky move but a necessary one.

3 May , 23 CLE
The lamia receives her first gift in years from none other than the Mad Chemist, Singed! It marks the beginning of their unusual courtship.

8 May, 23 CLE
On the arm of Singed, the Mad Chemist, Cassiopeia attends a dinner held in honor of newly appointed General, Dr. Valeria Van Mordenheim .