Cassius Sousan


Who is Cassius Sousan?….An enigma known to have fallen in love with a human woman named Isole Shepard, and who helped create the alternate universe, Vea Lacei.


A descendant of Pilar Sousan, Cassius Sousan lived on Rakhana. He had the uncanny ability to exist as a god did—Everywhere, at any time, and with whomever he deigned needed him….He was gifted with the ability to create, to battle and destroy, to travel time and space, and cross worlds through "The Fabrice"—the ether that connects through time and space…Before his godly abilities, he was a mortal creature with intense resentments for Hanar and Kahjic Drells that emigrated from Rakhana for a better life off-world….He was affronted by cowardice, and he himself had many enemies like his forebears did—who were also allies when it behooved them to be so….For Cassius's bloodline commanded both respect and power.

For a time he was a special operative for the hanar, and it is thought that he acquired his antagonism for the species due to his service under their clandestine wings—Cassius moved on to work as an agent for a group of mixed-alien operatives, in which he developed a friendship with a human who introduced him to his future wife, Isole Shepard….With this new group, Cassius assisted in sabotaging systems throughout the galaxy that were in effect at the time, and his prejudices grew as the result of influence from his Drell peers. His wife became the mother of his child….and later was murdered—"gifted" to the New World Reapers.

As the descendant of Pilar Sousan, Cassius had much expectation placed upon him and he did not disappoint, though his goals were not nearly as ambitious as his predecessor's who sought to unite Rakhana under the Sousan name, and for unknown reasons removed himself from power, ending his pursuit of leading as the "Master of Rakhana" (also "The Keep") to move onto what interested him moreso than absolute rule….but his lasting legacy was a tier system of society—The Terje Tierrea—that governed the Principled among the elder families existing on the eastern shoreline of the Birutise'aha, one of three continents on Rakhana.

Among the Sousan's enemies were the Kratos', a clan with blood as old and long-lasting as Cassius's own….Many times would they plot against each other, and surprisingly come together in alliances that benefited each and the whole of the families that found power and stability in uniting as the "Kerhasi"…..serving the Birutise'aha and represented by one nominated/elected leader among this rare unity of clans….This was even so after blood was shed, for Cassius had indeed killed one of the Kratos heirs (hiriwas) during a battle over Sousan territory being invaded by one of Bor the Elder's many sons…..In defense of his action, Cassius claimed to the Kerhasi and Kratos elder that Bor the Younger had attempted to assault his lover during the battle, and the unlawful incursion aside, Bor the Younger had offended an extraterrestrial from an outworld race….There would be repercussions, he promised them, if he had not slain the drell.

As a result of the fight, Cassius had suffered injuries….He disappeared shortly after his trial to recover in peace with his lover, the daughter of the human from his agency of interplanetary operatives.

It is well-known that the Sousan family, a clan—or treasach in Rakhïk tongue—enjoyed a prosperous alliance with a formerly formidable adversary of the galaxy races…..The rachni, and Cassius himself was bonded to the queen whom he named "N'ynnyaw", and the queen herself lived for many centuries working together in symbiosis with the Sousan' and their descendants.

Cassius was born to Drew and Kama Sousan, both whom lived short lives as a result of war tragedy….Cassius did not have siblings as his father was beheaded in battle by an opposing clan's hiriwa, and his mother commit suicide not long after his father's death.

Among his enemies none were more reviled than the Triage treasach, for although Cassius and the Kratos' were rivals, the families respected each other well enough not to sabotage by messy marriages and false alliances nulled with fickly-decided betrayals….It was Mehida Triage who took Drew's head after culling clan Claus, a family duped into taking Mehida's word he would marry the daughter of the Claus matriarch to assert good will into their alliance….His barra (an army of drells sponsored by family wealth) slaughtered the Claus clan when they were expecting a peaceful ceremony to unite the hiriwas, and the carnage spilled over onto Sousan land, where Drew repelled the tempestuous invasion with his own loyal burrells and burrellas (specialized troops sworn to his family name and skilled with combat, making up his barra of soldiers) before losing his life to the skilled Mehida in mortal combat.

Cassius Sousan was no stranger to politics and leadership, and even led the Kerhasi as the elected Gov'annon for a time to represent them in the face of the galaxy species united as the Council races….He moved on, however, only too happy to avoid the countless meetings and debates hosted at the capitol in Umay known as The Craig, or "The Rock".

Among some of his strange friendships was Malcham Kratos, the youngest son of Bor the Elder, and a drell known for his thoughtful accounting and introspective opinions which he found a welcoming ear for in that of Cassius's pair. As a whole, the Kerhasi were united, and Cassius Sousan saw to it with Malcham that the unity should not be broken for any reason—family blood feud aside, they were often seen in quiet counsel with each other, and smiling.

Formally, Cassius was married to Tionna Termon, but purely for political reasons…..Tionna Termon had a daughter who held the same namesake (a common practice among the elder families on the Birutise'aha's eastern shore), and her daughter was not related to Cassius, but the offspring of her pairing with her lover, Candace Claus, of the murdered family….Cassius did produce an heiress with her, however, and he also had a child made with his lover, who was human—and not—at the time.

Among Cassius's descendants, most notable were Suanna Sousan, Casnar and Irikah Soterios….and through Irikah, who was the daughter of Suanna and Mu'kalien Soterios—the patriarch was an island drell who crossed both ocean and land to compete for Suanna's hand in marriage—Irikah bore Kolyat with Thane Krios of Kahje.