Cassius

Cassius
CurrentOriginal
Title	Guardian of Time (formerly)
Hometown	Temple of Time
Current Residence	Temple of Time -> Zero's Temple -> Evernia
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Family	Benedict (older brother)
Affiliations	Rhinne and Zero Will
Enemies	Black Mage
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	카시야스 (Kasiyaseu)
TaiwanMS	卡西亞斯 (Kǎxīyǎsī)
Voice Actors
KoreaMS	Gyuhyeok Sim

Cassius is a former Guardian of Time who once served Rhinne and her successors, Alpha and Beta. Fearing that Alpha and Beta would ultimately be defeated by the Black Mage, Cassius betrayed the twins and came to serve under Commander Will in order to prevent the twins from awakening as the new Transcendents of Time. After Cassius's physical body was destroyed by leaving the bounds of Zero's Temple, he was ultimately revived by Will through the Black Mage's power, continuing to serve him in order to aid Alpha and Beta from afar.

Story

Serving the Goddess

Cassius was a devout Guardian of Time who served Rhinne in the Temple of Time, though he would later be joined by his older brother, Benedict. As the Black Mage ascended to power, Rhinne foresaw that the Black Mage sought to steal the power of time. As the Transcendent of Time was unable to change their own future, Rhinne hoped to circumvent her destiny by creating a successor and hiding them within a special dimension where they would remain safe from the Black Mage. In order to watch over the child, Rhinne chose Cassius - as well as Benedict and a high-ranking priest named Pietta - to serve her successor. During their appointment, Cassius and the other priests asked Rhinne why they had been chosen to watch over her successor, to which Rhinne explained that she had chosen Pietta for her patience, Benedict for his sense of responsibility, and Cassius for his warmth. Pietta then asked Rhinne whether she would perish upon the birth of her successor, much to Cassius and Benedict's shock, to which Rhinne confirmed that she would disappear upon her successor's awakening, as there could only be one Transcendent of Time. After Rhinne created her successor through her teardrops, Cassius and the other priests chosen to protect the child were sent into another dimension created through Rhinne's power, where the priests came to protect the Goddess's successor within a special temple. Through the blessing of time, the lifespan of the priests was greatly extended, though only while they remained within the bounds of the temple. Because of this, the priests were unable to leave the temple for more than a short amount of time without perishing. Meanwhile, just as Rhinne had foreseen, the Black Mage stole a portion of Rhinne's power with the Abyss Crystal, after which he sealed Rhinne within ice inside the Temple of Time.

The Spider King

Centuries later, the Black Mage - after breaking free of his seal - recruited a scholar named Will, who had long since studied the Transcendents since his childhood. Having speculated in his youth that Rhinne had likely created a successor to inherit her power, Will - upon becoming a Commander and receiving spider powers from the Black Mage, becoming known as the Spider King - gained custody over a sealed Rhinne and used her time power to locate the pocket dimension where she had hidden her successor. In order to prevent the child from awakening as the new Transcendent of Time, Will used Rhinne's power to remake her dimension into an imperfect replica of Maple World, which he called Mirror World, turning Cassius and the other priests into stone and splitting the child into two: a boy and a girl. Will sealed the girl inside the Child of the Goddess's own temple, while brainwashing the boy to serve under his Shadow Knights. Eventually, however, the boy reunited with the girl and awakened their power, freeing Cassius and the other priests from their prison and transporting the temple into a subspace between Maple World and Mirror World to prevent Will from reaching it. After being freed, Cassius and the other priests dedicated themselves to helping the children - Alpha and Beta - awaken as the new Transcendents of Time.

With Will having shattered the Goddess Teardrop - which contained the power of time - and scattered its fragments across Mirror World, Cassius used his ability to dowse for the power of time in order to help Alpha and Beta locate the pieces. Before finding the Goddess Teardrops, however, Cassius used his dowsing ability to locate the Goddess's Relic in Mirror World Leafre, where Alpha and Beta recovered Rhinne's hourglass relic, which transformed into the twin weapons Lapis and Lazuli. Cassius then used his dowsing ability to sense the Goddess Teardrops in five locations, honing in on each location one by one. As Alpha and Beta searched for the Goddess Teardrops, however, they frequently came into conflict with Will and his Shadow Knights, who attempted to thwart the twins from achieving their mission. Because of this, Cassius slowly began to grow more and more fearful that Alpha and Beta, in their incomplete, divided state, would easily be defeated by the Black Mage and his minions. Believing that they stood no chance against the Black Mage in their current state, Cassius secretly came to serve Will in order to stop the twins from awakening as Transcendents and reaching Maple World, hoping that in doing so, they would remain safe in Mirror World. However, Cassius's guilt was nevertheless felt by the twins and the other priests, who noticed that he seemed more depressed than usual, and that he would frequently be absent from the temple. However, Benedict and the other priests believed that there was no trouble, as Cassius could not exist outside the temple for long.

As Alpha and Beta continued searching for the Goddess Teardrops, they came across one of Will's minions, Rachael, who revealed to them that one of the priests had betrayed them, and that this priest had Will's spider mark to signify his allegiance. Knowing that Will's servants had spider mark tattoos on their wrists, the twins asked all the priests to show their wrists, which were complete clean. Just then, however, Alpha discovered that Cassius's dowsing rod contained a spider mark, causing Cassius to immediately flee the temple, thus cementing his guilt. Benedict immediately went out in search of his brother, though unlike Cassius, he returned for regular check-ins to prevent himself from disappearing outside the temple. Unable to find his brother, Benedict soon returned and was devastated by Cassius's betrayal. Alpha and Beta then decided to return to Shadowvale in order to find Cassius, though the priests warned them about how dangerous it would be. They then found Cassius near the outskirts of Shadowvale and confronted him, telling him that they could have rewarded him once they arrived in Maple World if that was what he had been after. However, Cassius grew frantic and begged them not to go to Maple World, explaining that the danger of the Black Mage was too great. When Beta asked if he believed that they couldn't handle the Black Mage, Cassius truthfully told them that he believed so, as the Transcendent of Time had already once fallen to the Black Mage, even with the full power of time from the Goddess Teardrops. Realizing that there was no way for them to remain safe in Maple World, Cassius had betrayed them to Will in order to prevent them from returning to Maple World and being targeted by the Black Mage. As the Shadow Knights approached, Cassius attempted to sacrifice himself in order to protect them, but Alpha and Beta fought the knights off themselves. However, as Cassius had spent too long outside the temple, he faded away. After returning to the temple, Alpha, Beta, and the priests mourned Cassius, but continued to move forward in his memory. Though he had his own dowsing rod, Benedict asked them to find Cassius's dowsing rod as a keepsake.

Resurrection

Despite his death, however, Cassius was nevertheless revived by Will using the the power of time given to him by the Black Mage, causing him to resurrect with a red spiderweb tattoo on his cheek. After Alpha and Beta awakened as the new Transcendents of Time, they immediately used their new power to recreate Mirror World and resurrect Rhinne, who had disappeared upon her children's awakening. Because of this, Alpha and Beta - despite being the new Transcendents of Time - remained divided and weakened with the majority of their power being used to sustain Mirror World. Alpha and Beta then entered the portal to Maple World, but unexpectedly, they hit something between dimensions, forcing them to arrive in Grandis instead. Suddenly, a hooded Cassius arrived and asked them to follow him, promising that it wasn't a trap. He led them to a space between dimensions, where they were shocked to find the Commanders of the Black Mage, who offered them a chance to join the Black Mage and become the Transcendents of Time over both Maple World and Grandis. After the twins bought time for themselves by claiming that they needed to think over the offer, Cassius arrived to guide them back, revealing his identity to them. He explained that the Commanders had brought him back to life, and that he had allied with them in an attempt to help Alpha and Beta, claiming that the Commanders wanted to give them a chance to achieve more than they could on their own by allowing them to become the Transcendents of two worlds, which would allow them to easily defeat the Black Mage. He then asked them to think on his words before sending them back to Maple World.

Twilight Eve

After the Black Mage was defeated by the Adversary and the Maple Alliance, Will - despite losing his spider powers after the Black Mage's death - was able to regain his abilities through unknown means, after which he and Cassius traveled to Grandis upon the convergence of the two dimensions. With Cassius hiding his face behind a mask, he and Will disguised themselves as wandering peddlers and began to explore Grandis in order to investigate the manifestation of the power of time in Grandis, particularly that of Chronica, Grandis's Transcendent of Time, who had been sealed alongside the Chronica Sanctuary by Gerand Darmoor. Will and Cassius eventually came across the remote village of Evernia, which was home to the descendants of Chronica's priests and the site of the Chronica Sanctuary before it had been sealed away. With the power of time manifesting near Evernia shortly after the mission to Karote, the Adversary and the Maple Alliance began to aid the people of Evernia, who were celebrating the Twilight Eve Festival to herald the second coming of Chronica. As the Adversary began to investigate Evernia, they were soon approached a disguised Will and Cassius in order to speak with them. Noting that the peddlers seemed rather suspicious, the Adversary explained that it was their first time visiting Evernia, which was why they had many questions about it. The Adversary then asked Will whether he had any memorable experiences in the village, to which Will replied that he would say that the most memorable thing about Evernia was meeting them, adding that his companion likely felt the same way, to which Cassius nodded silently. The Adversary immediately felt a sense of unease and resolved to learn who the peddlers really were. Upon seeing that the Adversary still had questions, Will asked to speak somewhere quieter, adding that he had a question for them as well. In a remote part of the village, the Adversary asked Will where he was from, to which Will replied that his hometown was quite far away and that he might tell them more about it later if he got the chance. The Adversary then asked why the two were covering their faces, to which Will claimed that he was in poor health due to a local illness, jokingly adding that he couldn't show his face at such a special time on the eve of the festival. He then explained that his companion's face and voice were quite damaged, and that he wouldn't be able to speak for a while. However, he assured the Adversary not to worry, adding that such was common for vagabonds that drifted from place to place.

The Adversary then asked Will what wares he sold, to which Will explained that he was a peddler who sold trinkets with unusual powers, spell books, and unusual artifacts, adding that he was quite a curious person. He then added that he was currently selling a mask rumored to contain a special curse, adding that he could sell it to them at a discounted price. The surprised Adversary noted that Cassius was wearing a mask, though Will laughed that Cassius was alright, much to the Adversary's confusion. Will then asked the Adversary what they were doing in Evernia, noting that they didn't simply seem to be there to enjoy the festivities. He explained that the eve of the festival was meant to usher in the second coming of Chronica and asked whether they were interested in the power of time. The Adversary hesitantly admitted that it wasn't simply that, to which Will noted that he understood what they meant. He noted that Transcendents were truly fascinating, as they possessed incredible power that mortals could never hope to achieve, and that they held the wondrous and fascinating ability to change the world with such power. He then asked them to honestly tell them that they weren't drawn to the allure of the Transcendents as well, causing the Adversary to remain quiet at Will's outburst. Will then laughed and apologized for his excitement, claiming that he was simply reminiscing. He noted that the Adversary didn't seem to trust him yet, adding that it was fine, as their relationship was just right for now. He then offered to help them with anything that he could, claiming that he knew quite a bit about many things, with Cassius staring intently in silence. The Adversary noted to themselves that something seemed quite odd and began wondering whether there was anything they could do to find out. Just then, however, a Guardian of Time named Lorelai arrived and asked the Adversary what they were doing in such a remote place, adding that another Guardian of Time, Johanna, had been asking for them. Seeing the Adversary's hesitance, Will assured them that it was fine for them to leave and apologized for taking up their time, adding that they could continue their conversation later. As the Adversary and Lorelai walked away, Will laughed aloud and noted that it seemed like they would be having quite some fun. However, Cassius reminded Will not to forget their purpose in coming to Evernia, to which Will assured him that he hadn't forgotten.

Soon after, Will managed to steal some of the Sands of Time - the substance used to awaken Chronica's hourglass relic and free the Transcendent - while helping the villagers discover that the hourglass had been contaminated by Sol Erda. At the village outskirts, Cassius watched Will wielding the Sands of Time, noting that Will was quite talented to have stolen some of it right in front of everyone. Will admitted that he was lucky to have been able to access the hourglass, if only for a brief moment, before wondering how he could use the power of time. He then noted that Cassius could better harness that power than he could, to which Cassius noted that now wasn't the right time to be worrying about that. Suddenly, Arjana the village elder - alongside the Adversary and her errand boy, Kael - arrived to confront the pair and ordered them to surrender, claiming that there was nowhere to run. The Adversary immediately noticed Will wielding the Sands of Time and began to wonder what exactly it was that they were after. Arjana told Will that while she appreciated his help with stabilizing the hourglass, he needed to return the Sands of Time immediately, as they were Evernia's legacy. However, Will retorted that the Transcendent's power had only just appeared in Grandis and that the power did not belong to anyone after it left the Transcendent's hands, adding that it seemed disconcerting that Evernia would claim that power as its legacy. Kael immediately noted that Will was quite arrogant to say so, though Arjana told him that it was alright before pointing out to Will that the village intended to use that power for Chronica, and that the sand being contained in the hourglass - which belonged to the village - was sufficient enough justification to claim ownership over the sand. Will then laughed and asked Arjana to consider the sand that he had taken to be payment for his help in repairing the relic, to which Arjana retorted that the miracles that Chronica would create after their return would be payment enough. Realizing that Arjana wouldn't back down, Will prepared to face off against Arjana and the others. Suddenly, however, both he and Cassius - as well as the Adversary - sensed a great power manifesting in the distance, coinciding with the appearance of an Apostle of Darmoor named Ressa and his ally, Melange. Will immediately realized that the power was quite dangerous, for which he and Cassius quickly stood down and returned the Sands of Time to Arjana before retreating.

Soon after, the villagers finished gathering the Sands of Time and began the ritual to summon Chronica. As the portal to the subspace began opening, however, Will - using his regained spider powers - brought himself and Cassius through the portal. Inside the space, Will noted that things had been made easier after they had pretended to flee from the village, adding that the simpler the trick, the harder it was to detect. The pair then shed their disguises before noting that they needed to hurry and take what they had come for quickly before 'the intruder' arrived. However, Cassius then reminded Will about what it was that he had come for, to which Will promised Cassius that he hadn't forgotten. He noted that what he sought wasn't power, and that Cassius's plan to awaken Alpha and Beta would be beneficial to them all. Suddenly, however, Will and Cassius were both bound in place with golden chains as a voice noted that just as they had said earlier, it was all pointless. A surprised Will then laughed that things seemed to be getting interesting as a golden figure of light appeared before them.

NPC

Zero's Temple

Cassius
Quests involved	[Zero] Dowsing Time
Location	Zero's Temple

Shadowvale

Cassius
Location	Empty Lot

Empty Lot

Cassius's Things
Location	Empty Lot

Heliseum Sky (Zero)

Guide
Location	None

Cassius
Location	None

Gallery

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  NPC Sprite of Mysterious Peddler
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  NPC Portrait of Cassius
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  NPC Portrait of Cassius
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  NPC Portrait of Cassius
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  NPC Portrait of Cassius
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  NPC Portrait of Cassius
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  NPC Portrait of Mysterious Peddler