Cassiopea (Encantadia)

Cassiopea is a character from "Encantadia", a Filipino fantasy television series produced by GMA Network. Cassiopea is the founder and first ruler of the queendom of Lireo, homeland of the Diwatas (fairies). As mentioned in the first episode of Etheria, her name means "shining fairy in the dark" in Enchanta ("kumikinang na diwata sa dilim"). Filipina actress Cindy Kurleto played the role of the adult Cassiopea in "Encantadia" and its prequel series "Etheria", while the young Cassiopea is portrayed by Filipina child actress Empress Schuck.

Cassiopea will reveal the future to anyone who gives her gold. She is much like Balasik in "Mulawin", who wanted corn in exchange for the truth. The character borrows from two Greek mythical persons. Her name is derived from Cassiopeia, queen of Aethiopia, and her being a seer. When she utters a prophecy of the future through her mind, a sphere of magical thoughts envelopes her head and she utters the prophecy in Enchanta, language of the Encantadians. That sphere also appears when speaking in telepathy to others but speaks Enchanta when talking normally.

Character background

Cassiopea was born to Ornia, a servant Diwata and Memen, an Etherian/Diwata half-blood and husband to the Etherian Queen Avria during the golden age of Encantadia. He turned his back on his wife and daughter Minea, to run off with his true love. The shame of this betrayal, led Avria to order their deaths.

Leaving the newborn Cassiopea in the protective hands of Evades, a rogue member of "Hera Sensa", the two fugitives sought refuge in the Kingdom of Sapiro.

Believing the young half-blood to be the prophesied savior of her race, Evades took the infant under his wing; not only teaching her the nuances of her powers, but also accelerating her growth.

Together with the refugees of the Great Diwata Purge, she founded the Kingdom of Lireo in the northeastern forest of Encantadia. Raquim and Mine-a were witnesses in this incident.

Though born blind, Cassiopea was gifted with premonitions-visions of the future, inheriting this from her ancestor, Esmeralda. This ability would eventually earn her the moniker "Mata" or the Eye from her fellow Diwatas.

One of these visions involved an event that would soon shake Etheria to its very foundations: She saw a dark being assassinating Ornia and Memen. Cassiopea tried to warn her parents, who foolishly contradicted her. Later that night Animus, Andora's brother and Memen's nephew, came bearing the feared Kabilan and committed the foul deed.

This arrogant move by Etheria shocked the surrounding nations of Sapiro, Lireo, and Hathoria, setting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to the demise of the once powerful kingdom.

Before the hailing and coronation of Cassiopea, she was meant to be killed by an Etherian but with the sacrifice of her best friend, Abella, she was saved.

Cassiopea became the first queen (Ynang Reyna) of Lireo, and a member of the Council of Encantadia, along with the rulers of Adamya, Sapiro, and Hathoria.

Sometime during her reign she used the magical sword Kabilan to cleave the Hope gem, that was instrumental in the defeat of Etheria, into the four elemental gems. She did this in an attempt to save the Mulawin race from the wrath of the Hathors. This event caused her to gain the ire of Emre who cursed her with immortality and banishment from Lireo until the gem was restored.

Cassiopea, at the start of the third book, failed to attend the feast of the birth of Armea. After dreaming of the horrific return of the four Herans from the ruins of Etheria, her lines on the palm (erased after cleaving the Hope gem, much like Amihan's) came back, losing her hold in her own fate and signifying her oncoming death. She was later killed by the masked "encantado" hired by Ether, later on revealed as Arkrey, the traitorous Sapirian. Her mentor Evades was killed too.

Powers

Cassiopea is one of the most powerful "diwata" in Encantadia. Cassiopea is half "Etherian" and half "Diwata", thus giving her strong and massive powers

*Precognition- Cassiopea is blessed with the ability to see the future explain the as best as she could.

*Teleportation- Cassiopea is a sanggre capable of teleporting without occupying space instantaneously because Cassiopea is powerful she can teleport anywhere and to other dimension by thinking it.

*Energy Manipulation- Cassiopea can generate and manipulate massive amount of energy. She can materialize it from her hands. It appears as yellow energy. She can channel it as a destructive force blast, energy balls, energy blast, energy beams.

*Magic- Cassiopea was trained by Evades in the Magical Arts, teaching her that the key to this power is her mind. She is an incredibly powerful Magician, even capable of creating life (Cassandra).

*Telepathy- She has the power to communicate with others using her mind. This ability is often manifested in a globe of light that surrounds her head when she speaks telepathically.

queen cassopiea