Seven Seas Cassidy
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
The Age of Independence
Cassidy had just turned 14 and now by Pirate’s Code she was considered a young woman, her independence was her own. However, that also meant that she was no longer under her father’s protection, the infamous Pirate Lord Vile Scar. Cassidy wasn’t sure how she felt about all of this. She was certainly glad to do as she pleased of course. Many of the men adored her and loved her like their own daughter. Still, there were a few that were waiting for the right moment when they could pounce and commit treachery upon her. Only her own skill with a rapier and fear of her father’s retribution held them at bay. Vile Scar always said there was a need for men like them aboard his ship, the Midnight Moon. He said that men who had no boundaries made for good pets. Cassidy could understand that because she saw how her father used these men to commit atrocious acts in order to instill fear and he used that fear as a weapon. Often the enemy was defeated before a battle could ensue, they simply surrendered for the sight of the Midnight Moon was a visage of death itself.
For nine years now her father earnestly sought an item of great power lost to the sea many centuries ago, the SoulFire Gem as it was known this day. Most believed it was simply a myth, a terrifying bedtime story to tame an unruly child. Cassidy grew up hearing the stories that her father told her about the gem. He had collected information about it through various means, it was his obsession. The Midnight Moon sailed far and wide, pillaging and plundering wherever it went, simply to find that gem.
The Legend
As the story goes, long ago a brother and a sister of a certain royal family were given a gift from a great witch, two gems, one glowed a briliant green, the other an eerie blood red. She instructed them that the gems must never be separated because they were a symbol of the balance of life and death. If that balance was broken their great powers would be unloosed and the gems would each choose a master in a bid to restore their balance. The Life Emerald feeds upon death to balance itself and altho it could grant great restorative powers and even bring the dead to life, it would require a bit of it’s master’s life constantly – it needed to kill. The Death Ruby hungers for life, it must steal the life from other living things to satiate it. It was also the harbringer of fiery doom, it’s master would be an emissary of Apocalypse.
The witch knew what would happen, she understood very well the nature of a child’s curiosity. She was cunning in making this a private gift to them making them take a vow not to reveal to anyone what she had given them or else she would be forced to take it back. The children were mesmerized by the beauty of the two gems slowly dancing, floating about each other, their perfect balance a wonder to behold. They eagerly vowed silence and each day they would take time to secretly view the gems, a kind of hypnosis would overcome them. In time tho, something began to happen.
The young girl became more fond of the ruby than the emerald. The fire of her own spirit was reflected in that flaming crimson jewel. She began to long to possess it for herself. She would reach out and gently touch it’s smooth glasslike surface, it was warm to the touch and she could almost feel a kinship with it. One day, the young boy walked in and observed what she was doing. He immediately began to scold her. However, she became startled and then she became possessive and defensive. She started to wonder if perhaps her brother might have designs to take this beautiful ruby for himself someday. Perhaps this was why he was becoming so upset at her. Her brother remembered all too well the witch’s warning and was fearful for his sister. She did not see that. In a fit of rage she gave into her covetousness and snatched the gem holding it close to her heart, screaming at her brother the whole time.
A voice spoke to the girl. “You have chosen me and so I shall choose you. I shall give to you my power but in return I require your heart.”
The girl gasped for a moment and then it was done: the gem had become one with her. She felt her body become intensely hot and her rage from before became fiery destruction. She looked at her brother who was cowering in frightful awe of her transformation. She could see him pleading with her through tear stained eyes. Then she saw the flames comsume him. Everything was in flames. Her house was burning. She was so hungry, so hungry to destroy, hungry to take life. She walked outside and started to burn everything in sight. The guardsmen came to challenge her, she observed the puzzled looks on their faces, they were confused yet they readied their weapons intent to stop her. She began pulling the life from them, stealing their strength and feeding it to herself. They collapsed before her, completely drained.
In the distance, a witch laughed. The end of the royal house had come just as she had designed.
There was great destruction across the contryside, the flames consuming whole towns. It wasn’t until a brigade of brave men led by a great warrior that rode out to confront her that she was turned back. They pushed her all the way to the high cliffs above the roaring ocean below. There she stood, suddenly she was a girl again, frightened and uncertain. She was tormented by the visions of what she had done. Inside her chest she felt cold and lifeless. She turned to the warrior and said a silent thank you. She then turned to stare at the waves violently crashing into the jagged rocks below. She spread her arms out and threw herself into the wind. The warrior ran forward, saddened by her sacrifice. There was a blinding red flash and then she was gone. When the warrior looked over the cliff there was nothing, not a single trace of the girl.
A search was put forth but nothing was ever found. However, from that day forward the area changed significantly. The ocean became dark and murky. A thick fog seemed to surround that cove constantly. It was a treacherous area for ships since they could not navigate their way around the jagged rocks. It became a watery graveyard with no known survivors, countless lives lost in the murky waters below.. The locals proclaimed it a cursed place and called it Shadow Cove. Soon only foolish treasure hunters and grave robbers would dare venture into the chilly cold, their greed giving them a measure of courage. All that entered were never seen or heard from again. It became a feared area, people moved away and forgot about it lest they live in terror. It was intentionally stricken from any maps to prevent anyone from locating it. There was no good reason to visit Shadow Cove.
The Curse of Shadow Cove
And yet, here they were on the Midnight Moon slowly drfiting into the thickening fog. The sky was dark, the moon full. Cassidy looked up and wondered if she would ever see the sky again once they entered that thick blanket of eerie mist. Everyone on board fell silent, only the creaking of the ship made any sound.
“Yar, we be near to me beloved treasure. I can feel it!”, Cassidy heard her father proclaim excitedly. She was surprised to faintly hear a slight nervousness in his voice. He was never fearful of anything.
“I cannot be sure if me treasure will speak to me. Will it call out as I desire it so?” Vile Scar continued.
The Midnight Moon suddenly shook violently. Cassidy was knocked over. The crew began to panic.
“What was that?!” the first mate cried.
Another answered, “We’ve been breached cap’n! The Midnight has been skewered through. We’re taking on water fast!”
“No! This cannot be!” Vile Scar protested. “Nothing can sink the Midnight! We are death itself!” However the ship was sinking fast.
Cassidy stood up and looked around only to see widespread panic. There were only two lifeboats and the men were killing each other to get on them. Men were running all about and screaming, she could see the terror in their eyes. These were men who she believed could never know fear. Despite the chaos, Cassidy could not understand why she felt so calm. Death was close, the cold waters had seeped up to the deck now and her boots were getting wet. Yet, she just stood there motionless. She didn’t understand it but for some reason she accepted her fate.
The ship buckled as it split in half, large black stone spires sticking up like mighty claws jutting through the Midnight. Cassidy slipped fully into the water now, it was like ice, she couldn’t find her breath. She tried to stay afloat the best she could. She looked around and could see men reaching to the sky begging for their lives, their gurgling screams quickly being swallowed up by the sea. Then it was her turn, a wave pushed her under and she could feel her body finally go numb. Her body was fighting but her mind had surrendered. As she drifted down, her consciousness rapidly slipping away, she saw a red glint. For a second she wondered what it might be but it didn’t matter after all since this was the end. It was then that she heard a voice.
“Choose me and I shall choose you. I shall save you but you must surrender your heart.” It was a devil’s deal she knew. She didn’t have much of a choice. Perhaps it was one last cruel trick her mind was playing on her at death’s door. However, her last thought was she would accept. Even in death she would choose life.
Reborn
Cassidy awoke on a sandy beach. Somehow she survived. All she remembered was a strange warmth that surrounded her in the icy waters. It wasn’t long before she realized what had happened. She had found her father’s treasure, the SoulFire Gem, in reality the Death Ruby. It rejected him, it called to Cassidy, she was the chosen one. All of them were dead. She was alone. It didn’t bother her. She was hungry - hungry to destroy, hungry for life. There was a pulsing in her chest. It made sense to her, she had sacrificed her heart for her life. It seemed like a worthwhile pact to her.
Cassidy rebuilt the Midnight Moon. She recruited a new crew, a troupe of ruthless men and women. She made it clear that they were never to show fear under any condition or else she would personally end their lives in a most cruel fashion. The Midnight Moon sailed once more bringing destruction wherever it went even greater than before. Cassidy feasted upon the lives of her victims. She became known as Seven Seas Cassidy, the terrible Pirate Mistress who sailed the world’s oceans. Then one day she sailed into the waters near Paragon City.
Paragon mobilized a tangent of heroes to faceoff with the infamous piratess. The battle was bitter but eventually Cassidy was defeated. The Midnight was sunk and Cassidy was imprisoned in the Zig. They could not remove the gem from her chest lest it kill her so they caged her in a suppression cell. Cassidy grew powerfully hungry and plotted her revenge. Not long after she had been sentenced, the Zig was breached by Lord Recluse. Cassidy was free. After satiating her hunger by stealing the life from nearby guards, she then completely incinerated the prison wing she was in. It felt good.
The X-Patriots
As she escaped the prison grounds, a strange man approached her. She was about to siphon his soul when he begged for his life and addressed her as the Pirate Mistress, Seven Seas Cassidy. This intrigued her. How did he know her? He implored her to come with him to a safe place, he had a helicopter standing by ready to take her away. She accepted.
The X-Patriots had researched many of the inmates at the Zig, they kept a detailed database marking potential superpowereds for recruitment into their ranks. The piratess was of special interest to the X-Patriots. Her accomplishments were well known. After some discussion she agreed to join them while she would rebuild the Midnight Moon yet again. Before she can set sail once more however, she must exact vengeance upon the Freedom Phalanx who defeated her at Paragon and imprisoned her. For this reason she has joined forces with the X-Patriots for now serving as a General in their ranks, coordinating strike teams and managing contacts within opposing factions.
OOC info
The nature of Cassidy’s powers are magical. The Death Ruby hungers for life to create a temporary balance for itself. Thus, Cass uses kinetic powers to fulfill this need (Siphon Power, Siphon Speed, Fulcrum Shift, Transfusion, Transference, etc…). She must satiate the gem’s hunger quite frequently.
The Death Ruby also grants it’s host great powers of infernal destruction. Cass can create flames to destroy her enemies and her surroundings (Fire Blast, Rain of Fire, Inferno, etc…). It is the very nature of the Death Ruby to bring death and destruction.
What of the Life Emerald you ask? It is lost. It’s whereabouts unknown. If it should find a host, that person would command great powers to heal but their own life will be consumed over time in exchange.
If the two gems were to be reunited they would balance each other once more and the curse would be lifted from their hosts. Would it mean the death of their hosts? Or would it mean a restoration for them? No one can know at this time.
What are the gems? They have a consciousness of their own? Again, these are things that are not known for now. Longbow was to have a magical advisor examine Cass and the gem but she was freed before that could happen.
Cassidy’s Personality
Cass is very cold and calculated. She is able to focus sharply on her objectives and does not know fear. Since she lacks a heart she does not feel much emotion. However, she still maintains a residual of her humanity and on occasion can express emotion tho that is not seen often. She does not tolerate failure and abhors those who turn coward in the face of death. She understands hierarchy and the importance of working together towards a goal as she was raised with the rules of a pirate ship. She understands the importance of coordination and respects the X-Patriots chain-of-command.
Cassidy hides the details of her identity from most and has become an “informations officer” for the X-Patriots. She infiltrates competing criminal organizations by identifying and exploiting key contacts within each. She uses a range of tactics including intimidation, bribery or even aid to manipulate them into serving the X-Patriots causes. She has recently formed a special strike team to perform a variety of stealth missions to further the X-Patriots agenda.
She might be likened to Ghost Widow in some respects with regards to organizational standing and overall demeanor.
