Cassiopeia Alister

* Normal
* Crossbow

"*...The both of us seem to have our sights on ..not getting smothered by the crowds. Unfortunately, we’ve met you instead. Joy.*"
—Cassiopeia swamped by moodiness
**Cassiopeia Alister** is the current beta of the Umbra Pack. He is played by **moon#6176.**

## Description

Cassiopeia is a navy-gray wolf with a rather matte and unremarkable pelt marked with an occasional splotch of dark charcoal colors like the tips of wing feathers, a splotch on his snout and ears, and dotted along his mane. His flesh(Nose, pawpads) takes on a faint burgundy hue that sits nicely with his fur. On his wing-feathers, his fur is dotted with cream ‘star-like’ spots on both sides of the appendages, as well as a star on his left cheek below his eyes— And of course, said eyes take on a mute grey hue in the irides.

## Personality

Cassiopeia is a wolf dawning a very flat and empty affect, seeming almost depressed in nature and rather disinterested in everything around with his head in the clouds. He can of course be rather tough and cold at times, sometimes downright malicious and aggressive if challenged or frustrated and this is only fueled further by a minor superiority complex. It’s not impossible or uncommon for him to be at least somewhat friendly or tolerable, despite this. Something hardly known but a huge factor in his behaviour is that he is downright afraid of other packs(especially Ignis, naturally) and is absolutely distrusting of them— this becomes a sort of frustration and anger at times, but Cassi will reluctantly cooperate if necessary and at least remain respectful...if a bit grumpy and touchy towards the other wolves.  He’s very proud of his pack. Not so much the wolves in it. Though usually, despite all this turmoil, He is merely a flat and disconnected wolf often going through the motions day to day. Is probably depressed.

## Primary Elemental Abilities

1. Crossbow
	* Cassi conjures a large bow laid horizontally across his shoulders that he can draw the string with his tail to fire bolts of dark energy at rapid rates over decent distances— It takes a few seconds for Cassi to manifest the weapon, and Cassi can run out of energy and stamina which will result in burnout and fatigue; as well as not being able to fight with it. Being in the shadows can moderately recharge and replenish this ability but not nearly quick enough to sustain indefinite use— It would give a handful more shots in a battle at most. Alternatively, Cassi can hold and charge a shot to expend more energy all at once at the risk that it's going to use up valuable energy if it misses.
		+ If Cassi cannot draw the bow string back or form the bow, it cannot be fired. So yes, cutting off Cassi’s tail could break this ability entirely for you devious plotters. Or alternatively, a wolf can stop Cassi from using these abilities simply by biting and withholding Cassi’s tail from moving freely.
2. Cross-Ether
	* Directly tied to the crossbow ability is an 'alternate fire' mode Cassi can perform in which shooting a bolt of darkness at an existing shadow, then towards another can create a 'shadow-tear', a passage in which Cassi can leap through and travel between the two points while maintaining momentum at the cost of large amounts of energy. Other people cannot enter these rifts unless Cassi is holding onto them intentionally trying to pull them through(which will cost two times the amount of energy to perform, limiting this severely). Cassi also has to 'hit' his mark in order to create these in the first place, meaning if he can't shoot or something's out of range(or if someone blocks the shot), a rift can't be opened.
		+ The best way to describe how the ability ‘costs’ Cassi energy is it works by an immediate ‘potential energy allocation’; To create a second point will cost Cassi a fixed amount of energy related to the possible future where Cassi decides to travel through a rift based on the distance from each end. The further Cassi is from the rift, the more ‘potential energy’ is sapped from Cassi’s available stamina that Cassi cannot use while the rift is open. When Cassi passes through the rift, this energy is already spent and requires nothing on Cassi’s part. If Cassi closes the riff, the potential energy is returned and unreserved. It is theoretically possible, for example, to grab Cassi while only one end of a riff is set and take them as far away from that point as you can until Cassi will be subdued by this energy reservation mechanic and rendered unconscious. That energy wont have been spent, but it would have still strained the wolf into a less than ideal state.

## Non-Elemental Abilities

* Wings! Cassiopeia can fly at will for good distances; though it can be tiring as his bad wing(left wing from an injury) can bother him if he flies for too long; Thus he tries to ride air-currents and thermal updrafts as much as possible to be efficient.

## Strengths/Weaknesses

* Cassi’s strongest personal strength is probably his ability to take lead in stressful or hazardous situations(given his temper isn’t in the way, or pack relations..). He’s apathetic and disinterested, but can be brought to reality pretty quickly in any scenario where he needs to do his job/take charge— however, he is quite overbearing and intense in this regard which can make other wolves uncomfortable.
* In less personal and more confrontational matters, Cassi has *range* and aerial mobility which can get him where he’s needed pretty quickly(though using his main ability mid-air would be extremely reckless, rendering him docile when airborne for the most part). He can get out of sticky situations fast if needed with his rift ability or use it to coordinate improvised surprise attacks from behind, jump between two obscure points quickly, or pull a friend away from danger and into safety. Alternatively, he can throw himself from flight into a tackle through the rift and carry a devastating amount of momentum out the other side— at the cost he’s going in nearly blind and could injure himself in the process.
* His weaknesses are easy to guess: Uncooperative, prone to bad temper(especially with Ignis wolves), apathetic, lethargic, and distrusting; he can be a difficult character to work with, frustratingly stubborn, and belligerent— which all too often combined with his overbearing leadership and minor-superiority complex is easy to make wolves uncomfortable or resentful of him. He tries his best however to be more tame and approachable in these situations even if it bothers him, trying to make up for these weaknesses. He struggles to admit he’s wrong, even if he is— which can cause many issues.
* Physically, his fitness is lacking in some departments and he can be easy to overwhelm in close quarters if you can get past his reckless use of his wings— avoiding his cross-bow or wearing him out is the fastest and most surefire way to gain an edge up against him. Lots of cover being present offers protection from his range, too— though be weary of his second ability.