Cassiopeia [Ready]

[Dubstep]

Name: Cassiopeia

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Changeling (Default Disguise: Unicorn)

Eye Colour: Dark Rose (AC512D)
(Default Disguise: Sky Blue (87CEEB))

Coat: Dark Grey (242424) with a backplate that fades from Pale Cerise (EBAFD1) to white.
(Default Disguise: Chocolate and kept immaculately clean.)

Mane/Tail: Dark Gold (E2B227) mane kept long and wavy that fades to Pale Gold (FFF1B4) towards the tips, though looks as fragile as silk or gossamer. The same can be said for her tail.
(Default Disguise: Medium length, Black mane and tail kept in tight curls.)

Physique: Both in and out of her disguise, Cassiopeia has a tall and voluptuous build. Her unicorn disguise has a bit more weight to its looks. Her changeling wings are similar in colour and translucency to her mane and tail. Her horn in changeling form is curved and speckled with holes with the tip being flat.

Residence: Forests Near The Knightheads.

Occupation: 'Queen', Ruler of a Rogue Hive.

Cutie Mark: N/A (Default Disguise: A beautiful lozenge shaped sapphire set in a pendant with gold and silver filigree surrounding it like ivy.)

History: 'Queen' Cassiopeia the Radiant. Were you to ask those loyal to her, many would say she was the most beautiful changeling to ever live. And she'd hardly argue. Ever since she was small, the changeling has felt a feeling of superiority. That she was the heaven's gift to not only changelings, but to creatures far and wide. A beautiful and shining beacon amongst the dreary Badlands.

Born under the rule of Queen Chrysalis, Cassiopeia watched the tyrannical changeling push her subjects and conquer lands. So many changelings living their day by day like cogs in a machine, never resting, never reaching any sort of potential. For a time, Cassiopeia was among them. But as she grew it became clear to her that Chrysalis was wasting not only her potential, but that of others too. And she wasn't very pleasant to look at either.

With a tongue of silver and beauty on her side, it wasn't hard for her to find others who felt like she did. That life under the Queen's rule was becoming more and more dreadful by the day. Their talents and skills squandered with needless digging or scouting when so much more good could be done. The Changeling Empire indeed felt like a machine, but one with rusted gears and an engineer that failed to keep things running smoothly.

But while this feeling was shared with those enamoured by her, and the jilted and 'weak' of the hive, so too was the knowledge that an uprising was out of the question. Vanity did not blind Cassiopeia to the worth of others, nor did it make her foolish enough to think a coup was possible. Not now, at the very least.

Instead, she waited. She planned and schemed in secret, wooing what changelings she could to her side. Their numbers weren't vast, nor were they the greatest that the hive had to offer, but she knew them well, trusted them. And so when the time finally came Cassiopeia and her changelings stole away in the night, taking their leave of Chrysalis' Queendom to start their own hive. With Cassiopeia as their queen. Small though it may be, Cassiopeia sat out to the forests near the Knightheads to settle her new hive. A place both close enough to Equestria to find meals of love, and far enough from the Badlands to feel safe.

With her hive established, and their new home flourishing, it was time for the new 'Queen' to make the laws of her land. What first came to the changeling's mind was Feasts. While Chrysalis' hive surely had no problems with draining creatures of love and leaving them to their fates, Cassiopeia knew that catch and release worked much more efficiently. After all, if you devour all the love, what else is left?

So long as none became hostile, no creature would be denied entry or departure from the hive. She was confident enough that her beauty and charm would easily keep ponies enraptured enough to stay and live amongst them as a steady supply of love. And if not? Well they weren't worth her time anyway.

This policy would prove to be difficult at first. Changelings at the time were a secretive race. Mostly spoke about in hushed tales, like monsters or worse. And so in the beginning, she and her followers would don their disguises and mingle with any travelers or villagers. Taking their time to get to know and trust them all, only revealing their true nature to the most trusted. Many times this was met with mixed results, some would stay with the hive as they started, trusting their new friends no matter their form. Even with those who left in worry or shame, their secret was kept, a measure of trust still seemed to remain with those who parted ways with Cassiopeia's hive.

With ponies and even griffons living amongst her changelings, her hive rarely wanted for a measure of love. No trickery or coercion was needed. Just a few words of flattery and ego inflating. Self love, pride, made the love taste all the more sweet after all.

As time went on however, Cassiopeia grew curious about the rest of Equestria. Perhaps there would be more ponies interested in joining her beautiful hive. With this thought in mind, the queen set out a set of spies to integrate themselves into Equestrian society, and to send her reports. But recently, most of the reports have ceased, and with news of Chrysalis' defeat in Canterlot, she can't help but to feel a measure of worry. Perhaps a journey of her own is in order.

Character Summary: Cassiopeia is about as vain and prideful as they come. It's no exaggeration on her part when she says she's the most beautiful creature to ever live. Despite this immense vanity though, it doesn't keep her blinded to the worth and beauty of others. Often times she'll outright state if she finds someone beautiful or repugnant. Though she prefers boosting their egos with flattery and flirting for a quick snack more often than not.

To her subjects she's a fair leader, treating them with respect and dignity, as individuals amongst the hive, rather than just pawns or peons. To others she's honest if not a little condescending at time. Cassiopeia can see value in most anything...so long as it's visually appealing in someway at least.

Her pride and vanity though, are still flaws. While gushing upon her with flattery and flirtations may get you little but reciprocation, an insult to her or her hive is likely to incur her swift ire. Many times in her youth, if someone dared to insult her, she would be quick to cut them with words. Only resorting to violence in the most indignant of cases as to not sully herself. Through temperance though, she’s learned to hold herself back...mostly. Besides, it’s easier to just let her admirers set the fools straight.

Text Colour: (E2B227)

Poison Joke Reaction: TBD

[DerpRavener]

I think this incarnation of her is a big improvement.

 

Just one more issue I can see that might need to be addressed, and then I'll leave the character alone for official review.

The lore page, and I think the episode itself back in the day though I can't remember that well, seem to heavily imply that changelings were a completely unknown species to Equestria prior to the Canterlot invasion.  How and why did Cassiopeia's settlement maintain the secret if they were openly inviting ponies to live with them prior to that point?

I think the easiest way to change this would be to make it so that they generally used disguises when interacting with ponies, and only revealed themselves to ponies that they trusted not to expose them.

[Dubstep]

I think this incarnation of her is a big improvement.

 

Just one more issue I can see that might need to be addressed, and then I'll leave the character alone for official review.

The lore page, and I think the episode itself back in the day though I can't remember that well, seem to heavily imply that changelings were a completely unknown species to Equestria prior to the Canterlot invasion.  How and why did Cassiopeia's settlement maintain the secret if they were openly inviting ponies to live with them prior to that point?

I think the easiest way to change this would be to make it so that they generally used disguises when interacting with ponies, and only revealed themselves to ponies that they trusted not to expose them.

Certainly sounds fair! I'll work on making a bit of adjustment there c: thanks!

[Blueblood]

Alright, I had to take a close look at this one, as well as talk it over with other staff.

 

Basically, as long as you're not claiming Cassiopeia to be a separate type of 'royal' changeling, and keep her power level to that of what one would consider normal for her kind, it should be OK for her to lead a separatist Hive!  I'll pass this along for second review.

[Dubstep]

Alright, I had to take a close look at this one, as well as talk it over with other staff.

 

Basically, as long as you're not claiming Cassiopeia to be a separate type of 'royal' changeling, and keep her power level to that of what one would consider normal for her kind, it should be OK for her to lead a separatist Hive!  I'll pass this along for second review.

Alrighty, thanks! And sorry for any confusion this caused!

[RainbowFoxxy]

I'm pretty sure this one was approved before...