Cassiopeia the First (Cass-ee-oh-PAY-ah) is the founder of the Sixth House and the Fourth Saint to Serve the King Undying.
Biography[]
Pre-Resurrection[]
Prior to the Resurrection, the scientist John Gaius worked with a crew of enigmatically named friends. Given that their initials align with the names of those who later became his Saints, the similarly gendered pronoun, and the fact that the cohort known as “C—“ was in an intimate relationship with another cohort referred to as “N—“ (presumably Nigella), it appears likely that Cassiopeia was the one referred to in his recounted story as “C—“.
C— was from England, and was drawn into Gaius’s company by investors, given the responsibility of overseeing their contracts. She quickly found herself in a poorly-kept-secret relationship with N—. Gaius later officiated their wedding, creating endentured flowers for their bouquet.
C— was the first shot during the events that led to the Resurrection.
After the Resurrection[]
Cassiopeia was one of the original eight Lyctors of the Emperor, and their primary expert on spirit magic, the River, and Resurrection Beasts. Her first time in the River, Cassiopeia was capable of being fully awake and performing necromancy, a feat only one other person, Harrowhark, has replicated. At Canaan House, she worked closely with Anastasia in an attempt to figure out perfect Lyctorhood, though neither of them successfully achieved this feat.
Cassiopeia went on to found the Sixth House.
She was a good cook, and wrote down many of her recipes, including one for soup that was later used by Harrowhark. Despite this, she once took half her finger off while preparing a coconut, and served the resulting meal to her fellow Lyctors anyway.
At some point, Cassiopeia told Mercymorn that a blood ward can be spoofed with a thanergy burst and the blood of a close relative. This information was essential in Mercy's later scheme to open The Locked Tomb.
Doing battle with the Seventh Resurrection Beast, Cassiopeia had the idea to lure its physical form into the River. She remained submerged for nearly seven minutes, before being destroyed by ghosts. The Resurrection Beast was not harmed.
Appearance and Personality[]
Cassiopeia's physical appearance is unknown.
John described her as "brilliant and sensible and careful."[1]
Cassiopeia's fellow Lyctors have a great respect for her knowledge and prowess, and repeatedly use her as the standard for what is necromantically possible. She had a large ceramics collection. She was also a lightweight, under the table after a single glass of wine.
Relationships[]
Nigella Shodash[]
Nigella was Cassiopeia's cavalier.
Augustine said that when Cassiopeia was around, it was hard to get "a look-in" on Nigella,[2] implying that the necromancer was protective of her.
References[]
- ↑ "Harrow the Ninth," Act I, Ch. 6
- ↑ "Harrow the Ninth," Act III, Ch. 30